ABSTRACT
This chapter draws on Michel Foucault's writings on askesis to explore the potential role of contemporary mindfulness practices and their associated Buddhist and Zen Buddhist teachings in responding to and building a critical analysis in support of the 'mindful commons'. The mindful commons refers to potential for socially engaged mindfulness practices and associated Buddhist teachings to act as resource for critical understanding of the attention economy and consumerism in an age of neoliberalism. The chapter identifies the Buddhist teachings as an important resource for a philosophically informed challenge to the neoliberal politics of attention economy alongside a restoration of the commons and mindful practices of commoning. It also draws on the work of a Chan Buddhist scholar, Peter Hershock, to bring the discussion back to the 'attention economy'. The current phase of neoliberalism coincides with rise of the attention economy or 'neuro-liberalism' – and draws its power from technologically advanced abilities to capitalize circuits of our attention and subjectivity.
