Training the Mind for Peace: How the Buddhist Meditation can contribute to Conflict Transformation and Peace Training

ABSTRACT:

There is an increasing emphasis on training methodologies in conflict transformation studies. A growing number of seminars train people in many methodologies to help people in various situations. Many of these trainers emphasize the importance of bringing the mind to peace before helping bring others to peace. However, few add to the claim any instruction about how to bring the mind to peace. Those instructions that are provided are usually limited in scope. The vast array of meditative disciplines in Buddhism has great potential to help in the growing fields of conflict transformation and peacebuilding. Where current methodologies run thin, the various Buddhist traditions have more than enough experience and writings to fill the gaps. Furthermore, numerous fields in science in science are showing that these traditional meditation practices are far more than simple acts of ritual and tradition. Information from cognitive science, epigenetics, and even quantum mechanics can help bridge cultural (and experiential) gaps and show the Western mind why various meditation practices work and display the importance of training the mind. The Buddhist traditions can then contribute a plethora of information on how to train the mind. This paper will conclude by suggesting that a whole sub-field of conflict transformation should be developed with a focus on mind training and that Buddhists can help lead the creation of this field.

BIOGRAPHY

Nathan C. Michon is currently working on his Ph.D. in religious Studies at the University of the West. He has an M.A. in Comparative Religion from Western Michigan University and a Certificate in Advanced Peace and Conflict Studies from the European University Center for Peace Studies. His line of research is in how traditional forms of meditation and personal transformation can aid in conflict resolution and transformation.