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Chakkarath2014 BuddhistPsychology
Chakkarath2014 BuddhistPsychology
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Buddhist Psychology
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Pradeep Chakkarath
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Definition
hunran beings. The Indologist Caroline Rhys branches with their different psychological
Davids who translatedmany important texts assessments wÖrernitinlyaboutthe development,
fl'orn Pali into English and was the lirst to use function, and meaning of identity: the role of
the term "Buddhisl psychology" emphasized cognition, interaction,and communication in
both its narrower and broader meaning (Rhys the constructionof psychologicalphenomena;
Davids,I (XX)il(X)-l
). aboutcausality,intentionality,and mind; as well
as the natureof certainstatesof consciousness,
including awarenessand the perf-ectinner peace
Keywords called nirt,ana.Some basic aspectsof Buddhist
psychologyresultedfrom the debateof the Hindu
Ahhidlrumnw. four noble truths; eightfbld path; assumptionthat identity is an essentialand per-
therapy;skrnclhas;theory of dependentorigina- manent feature of a person, which Buddhism
tion; identity; nonself; meditation;indigenous denies.Although Indian Buddhistscholarslike
psychology Asanga,Buddhaghosa, Candrakirti,Dharnrakirti,
Digna-ea.Na-tarjuna,Shantideva,Santaraksita,
and Vasubandhu - to namejust a few - disputed
TraditionalDebates this and related topics among themselves,key
elementsof their and later Buddhist'stheories
Most classicaldebatesare rootedin two crucial can be describedby taking the "four noblefruths"
outcomesof a seriesof council meetingsduring as a star-tingpoint in order to show how the
the centuriesfollowing the Buddha'sdeath.First, Buddhist theory of the "nonself' (anatma) is
thesemeetingsresultedin a collectionof canon- explained (cf. Kalupahana, lt)l'i7; Pickerin-e,
ical texts. known as the "three baskets" I t)()7). These truths denote the insights
(tt'ipitaka): The suttctltituku is said to contain SiddharthaGautamahad during his Enlighten-
the original teachingsof Siddhar-tha Gautama ment,namely.(l) lif-eis filled with physicaland
Buddha. the ublticlhctnmta pituku containsconl- psyclrologicalsuffering(dukkha):(2) the source
ments on these teachingsand places them in of our sufferingis our attachment to things,which
a lar-eersystematiccontext,and the lizal'tt ltituka is drivenby our desires(tanho)and t-rurfailureto
lays down sets of rules for tlre comrnunity of realizethateverythingwe passionately cravefor,
monks. Parts of the suttu and especially the includingour ego. is merely transient:(3) the
abltidlruntnru pitukd can be consideredthe textual cessationof suffering can be reachedby extinc-
foundationof Buddhistpsychology.The second tiorr (nirodhu)of our desiresthroughthe attain-
crucialoutcon'lewas a lastingseparationof Bud- ment of dispassion;and (4) the eightfold path
dhism into two fbrrns: the "path of the elders" (attlrungikanrugga),which leadsto the cessation
(tlrcravurla)or "small vehicle" (hinayctttu)and of suffering,requiresthe developmentand exer-
the "-[reat vehicle" (mulru\'unct). The hinayana cise of wisdom and intellect,morality and ade-
form of Buddhism held that only the tripitaka quateconduct,awareness, and rneditationskills.
texts basedon the teachingsof the movenrent's The contentand structure thesefbur assump-
of
founderhave authority:the mahayanaform held tions show that the diagnosisof sufferingis par-
thatothertextsandcomnrentaries, includingtexts tially psychological,identifiescauseand effect
that were still to come. are also fundanrentalto relationships tretween perceptions.emotions,
Buddhistthinking. In the following centuries, and motivationsthat are also psychological.arrd
a third form of Buddhism developed:Tantric prescribes a cure that ciur be understood as
Buddhismor the "diamondvehicle"(va.jrat,ctnct\.a cognitiveand behavioral.that is, psychological
The debatesthat accompaniedthe develop- therapy (Kwee, Gergen,& Koshikawa, l(Xlrr).
ment of these main schoolsand their various Sincethesemain facetsof Buddhistpsychology
Buddhist
Psychology 187
are also reflectedin its detailedanalysisof the all theseevents is createdby nreansof causal
self-concept. this analysiswill be usedto illus- interplays that are constantly changin-uand
trate the generalcharacterof Buddhistpsycho- being restructuredand does not comespondto
logicaltheoryand practicein the following. anythingin reality becausethis self is also only
According to the Buddhist psychological the resultof a processthat is constantlybe_einning
analysisof the self-concept, one's "I" conscious- and ending (.sarrsara). Thus, the widely spread
ness is constitutedby five aggregates(skanclha): notion of a personalsoul or a lastingidentity is
(1) physicalfomr Q'upa\,which includesthe four refuted.Moreover,one can also understandwhy
elements:eafth (solidity),water (liquidity), fire this self'-conceptcan be identified as the key
(temperature), andwind (expansion); (2) sensations sourceof human suffering:In the causalnexus
arrdfeelings (veclunrr), which refer to unpleasant, describedabove. it bears selfish attitudesand
pleasant, or neutral sensations(touch, sound, resultantmotivationsand actions,which finally
appearance, smell, taste.and merrtalobject) that leadto psycholo-rical discomfon.
resultfrom contactbetweenany of the six intemal Interestin-ely,Buddhismdeclaresthe belief in
sensoryorgans(body,eani,eyes.nose,tongue,and an unchangingandeveninrmortalself an expres-
nrind) and externalobjects:(3) perception(sunnu) sion of human selfishness deeply rootedin psy-
of physicalform, sound,appearance. smell, taste, chology: It is out of ignorance,weakness,fear,
and spirit; (4) mental fonnations (sankhora), and desirethat man developsthe consolingidea
includin,estereotypes, prejudices,and habitsfiom of a stableand enduringself. Having startedas
which the six expressions of will emerge.which a critical intellectualand social reform move-
can be directedtoward all of the sensationsand ment,Buddhismaimedto detectthe psychologi-
perceptionsspecifiedabove;and (5) consciousness cal roots of thesekinds of irrationalbeliefsand
(t,inrruttcr)
of the six sensoryor-qansandtheextemal thus also provided a critical perspectiveon the
objectsassignedto them. psychologyof psycholo-ey and psychologists.
Humansare thus describedas an aggregateof
differentnrutuallycausalfhctorsthat are in con-
stantflux. transient.andtemporary.The six inter- CriticalDebates
rtal sensebases(organs)and tlreir six extemal
sense bases (objects) are called the 12 sense The interestin an encountertretweenBuddhist
bases.The 12 sensebasesand the six fonns of and acadernicWestempsychologybeganto take
consciousness aretogethercalledthe l8 elements shape in the first few decadesof the twentieth
(dhutu).When the physicalfactorsare alsotaken century,for example,wlrenC. G. Jungand Erich
into consideration,every nrentalprocedurecan Fromm along with Zen scholar D. T. Suzuki
be describedas a specificcombinationof ele- begansearchingfor the comrnongroundsof Bud-
mentswith the perceptionand volition phenom- dhism and Westernpsychoanalysis. In addition,
ena they cause.This analysisis based on the representativesfrom humanistic psychology
Buddhist theory of dependent origination showedinterestin the therapeutic valueof certain
Qlrtrtitt'asunrutltuda) accordin-9to which all phe- meditation techniques and the holistic perspec-
nonrenaariseand ceaseto exist as a functionof tive takenby Buddhist psychology. Beginningin
multiple nestedcausesand conditionsand the the 1960s, these topics were popularized by
notion that theseprocesses ceitsewhen the con- Western Buddhists like Alan Watts and Jack
ditionsceaseto exist.The theoryis empirically Kornfield.When FranciscoJ. Varelaco-initiated
supportedby the most elaborateintrospection the Mind and Life Institutein the 1980s,many
techniques. known as meditation,everdeveloped prominent neuroscientists and cognitive scien-
in the history of psychology.They aim to show tists,includingpsychologists, also becameinter-
that the powerful illusionof a self that witnesses ested in an intensive exchanse with leadinq
188
References