Buddist Psychology
Buddist Psychology
Lets examine some of the confluences of Western and Buddhist psychology. There is certainly a
high degree of overlap in goals and content areas of both disciplines that focus directly on
understanding human behavior, the source or conditions for unhappiness and ways to reduce,
attenuate or even eliminate such unhappiness. Indeed the Buddhist corpus has extensive
psychological writings- very explicit and detailed- and not found in other religious traditions.
Thus it is not surprising that some aspect of Buddhist psychology has been of interest to those
professions in the west dedicated to alleviating human suffering: medicine, psychiatry,
psychology, nursing, social work. The professional journals for each of these disciplines have
published so much scientific research (especially related to mindfulness practice) that to fully
describe the studies would require a book in itself. The Dalai Lama has explicitly encouraged
interaction between western disciplines to further establish links with science and clinical
practice. The Mind and Life Institute is an expression of this venture of cooperation. Elements
of Buddhist psychology have been integrated into psychotherapeutic practices for a variety of
psychopathological conditions, including depression, anxiety, addiction and stress. Scientific
writers from the entire range of clinical psychology and psychiatry, ranging from psychoanalysis
to cognitive to behavioral to humanistic theory, have all addressed aspects of Buddhist
psychology. Not surprising, the Buddhist traditions that have been of greatest appeal to western
science and psychology have been those that appear to contain a higher proportion of experiencenear aspects (Theravadin, Zen) because they carry much less religious baggage and more easily
translated into Western concepts. Less impactful has been the teachings of Mahayana and
Tibetan or tantric Buddhism which include a strong element of experience-far teachings and thus
are more difficult to translate into concepts that are digestible by the western mind. Nevertheless,
even these traditions reflect a more esoteric psychology that does find resonance in the West and
which full certainly continue to attract significant interest
endeavour which could answer such questions. The Buddha was primarily concerned with the
human mind and its activity.
Much of what the Buddha taught could eventually be empirically and personally evaluated by
those who were diligent and persistent. This is an important consideration for those who
distinguish experience-near (psychological) and experience-far (religious) aspects of Buddhism.
While the former could be realized and experienced anyone who put in the requisite effort, that
did not mean it would be easy. Any profound and transformative understanding of mind would
require dedication and perseverance and could not learn from simply hearing about it or reading
it. The Buddhas was approach empirical and scientific- it did not draw on dogma, philosophy or
received wisdom. Analytic and experiential investigation worked together to provide the
transformative knowledge the Buddha wished to teach us. The Buddha does not ask that his
claims be taken on blind faith, although some faith is necessary to even begin self-exploration.
Examine his words on the basis of your reason, experience, and intuition. All of us have the seed
of Enlightenment, of authentic happiness, bliss waiting to blossom if nourished.
also suggests that to understand the mind, in the manner that the Buddha discusses, does not
require contributions of neuroscience. The Buddha, through his advocacy of a meditative
approach to wisdom, points to a process view of experience consisting of several interdependent
processes, functions, and events (i.e. dharmas).
As Olendzki has shown, the core Buddhist insight is this: the mysteries of human condition can
be explored in the subjectivity of the present moment. The stream of consciousness is a field of
investigation. By studying the mind, we come to know ourselves.
The radically psychological nature of Buddhist psychology is evidenced by the need to explore
the mind through meditation and other forms of contemplation. It is not necessary to explain it,
where it comes from, which part of the brain and so on, which is a major focus of many western
scientific disciplines. Our subjectivity consists of moments of awareness that appear seamless
but with attention placed on it, within the present moment, can reveal how our cognitive
processes culminate in the mental phenomena we experience. Investigating this moment, right
here, right now, is where wisdom can arise.
(ii)
Along with the 5 senses and their corresponding experiences, mind is considered to be a sense
organ, and cognitive events are sense objects. The traditional account of consciousness describes
its emergence from interaction of sense organ (e.g., eye) and sense object (e.g., visual object)
creating sensory experience (e.g., visual consciousness). Everything we know depends on the
activity of these 6 senses. While later developments in Buddhist philosophy posits additional
senses, the traditional scriptures focus on these six.
(iii)
The radically psychological nature of Buddhist psychology can be observed in the emphasis on
what appears. What appears is a transformation or translation of the external environment into
an internal language of consciousness (e.g., photons >> sight; chemicals >>taste, smell; vibration
>>> hearing; pressure >> touch; brain activity >>> cognition). The transformation of raw
sensory activation into sensory experience is so radical that no way to know what preconstructed reality is. All we can know is our own subjectivity. Any discussion of what reality
is will always be limited by what our senses will permit and what our mind can conceive. The
study of reality is the study of the human construction of experience. And whatever such reality
may be is irrelevant to the real purpose of the Buddhas message, to transform delusion into
wisdom. This project requires us to explore our inner world. Of course, each individual has their
unique, subjective, constructed reality.
(iv)
Each perception, sensation, cognition, image, memory, feeling is a process that can never be
experienced identically again. Every moment is unique. Our brains have evolved to reduce our
awareness of such flux to increase our ability to survive. For reasons of adaptation sensory
reality is filtered thus distorting our experiences. Three major forms of perceptual distortion are
described by the Buddha: perceptions of permanence (perceptual-linguistic), satisfaction
(cognitive) and self (metacognitive) are examples of this distortion-tendency.
(v)
Five processes or aggregates define the self (i.e., mind/body). These five processes consist of
physicality, consciousness, perception, affect, and habit. The Buddhist posits a view of self an
interaction among these five processes to produce the coherent sense of identity and I-ness that
defines who we are. It is not accurate to claim that there is no self within Buddhist psychology.
This would be absurd. What the Buddha clarifies is that the self we experience has no essence or
substance but consists of these 5 constantly arising, abiding and subsiding.
ones attention firmly rooted in the present moment. After all, the past is gone, the future isnt
here; this present moment is all we have.
MN 20: Vitakkasanthana Sutta The Removal of Distracting Thoughts/The Relaxation of
Thoughts. The Buddha offers five practical methods of responding wisely to unskillful thoughts
(thoughts connected with desire, aversion, or delusion).
SN 22.59: Pacavaggi Sutta/Anatta-lakkhana Sutta Five Brethren/The Discourse on the
Not-self. The Buddhas second discourse in which he discusses the principle of anatta (not-self)
with the group of five ascetics. By means of a question-and-answer dialogue with his audience,
the Buddha demonstrates that there can be no abiding self in any of the five aggregates that we
tend to identify as self.
MN 75: Magandiya Sutta To Magandiya. In this passage, the Buddha teaches a member of
a hedonist sect about the nature of true pleasure and true health.
MN 122: Maha-suata Sutta The Greater Discourse on Emptiness. The Buddha instructs
Ananda on several practical aspects of the meditative dwelling in emptiness, a mode of
awareness that can ultimately bring the meditator to the threshold of Awakening.
MN 137: Salayatana-vibhanga Sutta An Analysis of the Six Sense-media. A discussion of
the emotions: where they come from, how they function in the path of practice, and how they
manifest in an awakened person who is fit to teach others.
SN 11.3: Dhajagga Sutta Banner Protection/The Top of the Standard. Are you ever
overcome by fear? The Buddha offers an antidote.
SN 11.4: Vepacitti Sutta Calm in the Face of Anger. Sakka, king of the devas, explains to a
skeptic how forbearance is the best response to anothers anger.
SN 12.2: Paticca-samuppada-vibhanga Sutta Analysis of Dependent Co-arising. A
summary of the causal chain of dependent co-arising.
SN 12.52: Upadana Sutta Clinging. The Buddha uses a marvelous fire simile to describe the
nature of clinging.
SN 20.5: Satti Sutta The Spear. Two suttas on the extraordinary power of metta (goodwill).
SN 22.36: Bhikkhu Sutta The Monk. How we define ourselves in terms of the aggregates,
and how we dont have to do so
SN 22.48: Khandha Sutta Aggregates. The Buddha gives a summary of the teaching on the
five aggregates.
SN 45.165: Dukkhata Sutta Suffering. The three kinds of suffering.
AN 4.183: Suta Sutta On What is Heard. Why the principle of truthfulness does not imply
total frankness or openness.
AN 4.199: Tanha Sutta Craving. The Buddha enumerates the many kinds of tangled
thoughts experienced by a mind not yet free of craving. Sound familiar?
AN 4.200: Pema Sutta Affection. The opinions of our friends and enemies often influence
our own thoughts and feelings about others. This kind of thinking is rooted in craving, and the
Buddha offers a cure.
AN 5.162: Aghatavinaya Sutta Subduing Hatred (2). Sariputta describes five skillful ways
of dealing with feelings of hatred toward others.
AN 5.198: Vaca Sutta A Statement. The secret to blameless speech.
AN 7.60: Kodhana Sutta The Wretchedness of Anger. Seven dangers of giving in to anger.