Buddhist Philosophy
Contemplation
Mindfulness, caring and compassion invites a contemplative nature, and I’m ‘in my happy place’ in the midst of both Modern Psychology and Ancient Wisdom traditions. Thankfully for us humans, both have merged and share tradition and science after a 5 Century “mind-body split” that Descartes is blamed for Read more about the Mind-Body split here.
Gautama Buddha
The Buddha is believed to have lived and taught 2,500 years before the field of psychology was established, but the teachings he left behind include wide-ranging and profound analyses of human behaviour that overlap in many ways with the findings of contemporary psychology. The Buddha’s path of practice, moreover, can be seen as a kind of self-directed therapeutic strategy for ending the suffering caused by the mind. Buddhists believe that the suffering is very much part of life.
Suffering and its causes
Buddhist philosophy is seen as a method to work with one’s mind in order to bring about true happiness and relieve suffering. The Buddha’s original teaching was a way to explain suffering – the truth of suffering, its causes, the freedom from suffering, and the path that leads to freedom. This teaching is called the Four Noble Truths. These are ‘truths’ because they guide us to the way things actually are in life, instead of our usual confusion and ‘neurotic thoughts’ that exhaust our minds and has cause us to suffer so in the first place.
Many Paths and Practices of Buddhism
There are many paths and practices in the Buddhist tradition, as well as many countries that take the Buddhism as their main religion. All paths are concerned with developing wisdom, concentration and ethical living as the means to ending suffering and reaching ‘enlightenment’ (Nirvana), thereby ending the cycle of suffering and rebirth (samsara). Main schools of Buddhism include Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. Mahayana Buddhism is common in Tibet, China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and Mongolia. It emphasizes the role models of bodhisattvas (beings that have achieved enlightenment but return to teach humans). Theravada Buddhism is common in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and Burma (Myanmar). It emphasizes a monastic lifestyle and meditation as the way to enlightenment. These paths contain all of the Buddhas teachings - from the very first to his final teachings on impermanence.
Rebirth and Karma
Buddhists believe in a wheel of rebirth, where souls are born again into different bodies depending on how they conducted themselves (in thoughts, words and deeds) in their previous lives. This is connected to “karma,” which refers to how a person’s good and bad actions in the past or in their past lives can impact them in the future.
One of the most well known and beloved teachers of Buddhist philosophy and practice today is His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. HH Dalai Lama has been promoting the core values of loving-kindness, compassion and altruism his entire life, and has dedicated his work to helping all beings become free of suffering and attaining lasting happiness. He is a guiding light to all Buddhists around the world.
Indeed, Buddhist ideas about how the mind works and how we construct and cling to our conceptions of self and the world around us have had an impact on psychotherapists and psychologists—so much so that Buddhist strategies for cultivating mindfulness practices such as meditation have been incorporated into Western therapeutic practices and clinical settings. A number of Buddhist teachers, too, especially teachers of Vipassana, or Insight meditation, have backgrounds in or currently work in psychology and psychotherapy, and psychologists and neuroscientists have for some time conducted studies of experienced meditators and the effects of their practice on mental states and pathways in the brain. Some Buddhists are concerned that the integration of a Western psychological perspective into Buddhist teaching, and the adaptation of Buddhist techniques and views into psychotherapy, can dilute or ignore Buddhism’s fundamental goal of liberation. It’s important to remember, they say, that the Buddha’s path leads to a transformation so radical that it transcends birth and death—and results in a lasting happiness not dependent on the psyche.
Buddhist Meditation
Under the 'meditation umbrella, we find the techniques that the Buddha taught directly, as well as others that have been developed and transmitted by his wisest, most experienced followers. When Buddhism spreads to different lands, it takes on different flavours, and so does meditation. From mindfulness to visualization practices, some forms are very calming and others are quite colourful.
The purpose of meditation
What Buddhist meditation techniques have in common is their purpose: to help us remain focused and alert; recognize and relate to our experiences with equanimity and serenity - ‘natural great peace’ (and ultimately, to become enlightened). Along the way, we learn to put ourselves in others’ shoes and distance ourselves from unhelpful emotional reactions. This has a positive impact on our relationships and our own well-being: we find that meditation helps us encounter life with a more open and confident heart.
Outer circumstances are always changing. By reinforcing our ability to work with the present moment and giving us space to explore our minds, meditation engenders qualities of balance, empathy, and happiness that are less and less dependent on causes and conditions beyond our control. We gain insights into the nature of mind and reality and learn to put these insights to good use on the path to freedom.
Please enjoy this teaching from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama on an Introduction to Buddhism.
Recorded at Emory University in 2009.
Teachings on Buddhism by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama