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| buddhism and modern psychology: Zen beyond Mindfulness Jules Shuzen Harris, 2019-03-26 An effective new approach to Buddhist practice that combines the rigor of traditional meditation and study with the psychological support necessary for practice in modern life. Zen teacher Jules Shuzen Harris argues that contemporary American Buddhists face two primary challenges: (1) “spiritual bypassing,” which means avoiding or repressing psychological problems in favor of “pretend Enlightenment,” and (2) settling for secularized forms of Buddhism or mindfulness that have lost touch with the deeper philosophical and ethical underpinnings of the religion. Drawing on his decades of experience as a Zen practitioner, teacher, and psychotherapist, Harris writes that both of these challenges can be met through the combination of a committed meditation practice, a deep study of Buddhist psychological models, and tools from a psychotherapeutic method known as “Mind-Body Bridging.” Using this unique approach, students can do the real work of awakening without either denying their embodied emotional life or missing out on the rich array of insights offered by Buddhist psychology and the Zen practice tradition. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: Why Buddhism is True Robert Wright, 2017-08-08 From one of America’s most brilliant writers, a New York Times bestselling journey through psychology, philosophy, and lots of meditation to show how Buddhism holds the key to moral clarity and enduring happiness. At the heart of Buddhism is a simple claim: The reason we suffer—and the reason we make other people suffer—is that we don’t see the world clearly. At the heart of Buddhist meditative practice is a radical promise: We can learn to see the world, including ourselves, more clearly and so gain a deep and morally valid happiness. In this “sublime” (The New Yorker), pathbreaking book, Robert Wright shows how taking this promise seriously can change your life—how it can loosen the grip of anxiety, regret, and hatred, and how it can deepen your appreciation of beauty and of other people. He also shows why this transformation works, drawing on the latest in neuroscience and psychology, and armed with an acute understanding of human evolution. This book is the culmination of a personal journey that began with Wright’s landmark book on evolutionary psychology, The Moral Animal, and deepened as he immersed himself in meditative practice and conversed with some of the world’s most skilled meditators. The result is a story that is “provocative, informative and...deeply rewarding” (The New York Times Book Review), and as entertaining as it is illuminating. Written with the wit, clarity, and grace for which Wright is famous, Why Buddhism Is True lays the foundation for a spiritual life in a secular age and shows how, in a time of technological distraction and social division, we can save ourselves from ourselves, both as individuals and as a species. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: The Positive Psychology of Buddhism and Yoga Marvin Levine, 2011-03-17 This book describes Buddhist-Yogic ideas in relation to those of contemporary Western psychology. The book begins with the Buddhist view of the human psyche and of the human condition. This leads to the question of what psychological changes need to be made to improve that condition. Similarities between Buddhism and Western Psychology include: Both are concerned with alleviating inner pain, turmoil, affliction and suffering. Both are humanistic and naturalistic in that they focus on the human condition and interpret it in natural terms. Both view the human being as caught in a causal framework, in a matrix of forces such as cravings or drives which are produced by both our biology and our beliefs. Both teach the appropriatenss of compassion, concern and unconditional positive regard towards others. Both share the ideal of maturing or growth. In the East and the West, this is interpreted as greater self possession, diminished cravings and agitations, less impulsivity and deeper observations which permit us to monitor and change our thoughts and emotional states. Buddhism, Yoga, and Western Psychology, especially the recent emphasis on positive psychology, are concerned with the attainment of deep and lasting happiness. The thesis of all three is that self-transformation is the surest path to this happiness. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: Space in Mind John Hurrell Crook, David Fontana, 1990 |
| buddhism and modern psychology: Zen beyond Mindfulness Jules Shuzen Harris, 2019-03-26 An effective new approach to Buddhist practice that combines the rigor of traditional meditation and study with the psychological support necessary for practice in modern life. Zen teacher Jules Shuzen Harris argues that contemporary American Buddhists face two primary challenges: (1) “spiritual bypassing,” which means avoiding or repressing psychological problems in favor of “pretend Enlightenment,” and (2) settling for secularized forms of Buddhism or mindfulness that have lost touch with the deeper philosophical and ethical underpinnings of the religion. Drawing on his decades of experience as a Zen practitioner, teacher, and psychotherapist, Harris writes that both of these challenges can be met through the combination of a committed meditation practice, a deep study of Buddhist psychological models, and tools from a psychotherapeutic method known as “Mind-Body Bridging.” Using this unique approach, students can do the real work of awakening without either denying their embodied emotional life or missing out on the rich array of insights offered by Buddhist psychology and the Zen practice tradition. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: Mindfulness Christina Feldman, Willem Kuyken, 2019-06-05 Machine generated contents note: Foreword, Zindel V. Segal 1. Unpacking Mindfulness 2. A Map of the Mind: Attention, Perception, and the Judging Mind 3. A Map of the Mind: Being and Knowing 4. A Buddhist Psychology Map: From Suffering to Flourishing 5. An Integrated Map of Distress and Suffering 6. Transformation: A Route Map through Mindfulness Training 7. The Heart of the Practice: Befriending, Compassion, Joy, and Equanimity 8. Embodiment: Living the Life We Aspire To 9. Ethics and Integrity in Mindfulness-Based Programs 10. A Final Word Appendix 1. Definitions of Key Terms Appendix 2. What Is Mindfulness Training and a Mindfulness-Based Program? Notes References Index. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: An Introduction to Buddhist Psychology Padmasiri De Silva, 2000 This work provides a balance between ancient wisdom and modern thought. It brings contemporary philosophy of mind together with a clear account of Buddhist texts. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: Psychotherapy and Buddhism Jeffrey B. Rubin, 2013-12-11 There is currently a burgeoning interest in the relationship between the Western psychotherapeutic and Buddhist meditative traditions among therapists, researchers, and spiritual seekers. Psychotherapy and Buddhism initiates a conversation between these two modern methods of achieving greater self-understanding and peace of mind. Dr. Jeffrey B. Rubin explores how they might be combined to better serve patients in therapy and adherents to a spiritual way of life. He examines the strengths and limitations of each tradition through three contexts: the nature of self, conception of ideal health, and process of achieving optimal health. The volume features the first two cases of Buddhists in psychoanalytic treatment. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: Contexts and Dialogue Tao Jiang, 2006-11-30 Are there Buddhist conceptions of the unconscious? If so, are they more Freudian, Jungian, or something else? If not, can Buddhist conceptions be reconciled with the Freudian, Jungian, or other models? These are some of the questions that have motivated modern scholarship to approach ālayavijñāna, the storehouse consciousness, formulated in Yogācāra Buddhism as a subliminal reservoir of tendencies, habits, and future possibilities. Tao Jiang argues convincingly that such questions are inherently problematic because they frame their interpretations of the Buddhist notion largely in terms of responses to modern psychology. He proposes that, if we are to understand ālayavijñāna properly and compare it with the unconscious responsibly, we need to change the way the questions are posed so that ālayavijñāna and the unconscious can first be understood within their own contexts and then recontextualized within a dialogical setting. In so doing, certain paradigmatic assumptions embedded in the original frameworks of Buddhist and modern psychological theories are exposed. Jiang brings together Xuan Zang’s ālayavijñāna and Freud’s and Jung’s unconscious to focus on what the differences are in the thematic concerns of the three theories, why such differences exist in terms of their objectives, and how their methods of theorization contribute to these differences. Contexts and Dialogue puts forth a fascinating, erudite, and carefully argued presentation of the subliminal mind. It proposes a new paradigm in comparative philosophy that examines the what, why, and how in navigating the similarities and differences of philosophical systems through contextualization and recontextualization. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: The Buddhist Psychology of Awakening Steven D. Goodman, 2020-07-21 A modern introduction to traditional Buddhist psychology This practical overview of Buddhist psychology outlines step-by-step methods for examining the source of our habitual tendencies and hangups. In order to truly free ourselves from perpetuating patterns of suffering, the Buddha offered a clear system for understanding our psychological dispositions, processes, fixations, and challenges--a system known as the Abhidharma. This tradition has been studied by Buddhists for over two millennia. Professor Steven Goodman has taught on the Abhidharma in both universities and Buddhist retreats for over twenty years, making these traditional teachings accessible for a modern readership for the first time. Goodman explains how becoming aware of our mental patterns can liberate us from cycles of emotional pain and shows how the Abhidharma can be applied to meditation practice through exercises of observation and reflection. This is the go-to manual for anyone interested in the world of Buddhist psychology. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: Where Buddhism Meets Neuroscience The Dalai Lama, 2018-10-30 Designed as a conversation between the Dalai Lama and Western neuroscientists, this book takes readers on a journey through opposing fields of thought—showing that they may not be so opposing after all Is the mind an ephemeral side effect of the brain’s physical processes? Are there forms of consciousness so subtle that science has not yet identified them? How does consciousness happen? Organized by the Mind and Life Institute, this discussion addresses some of the most troublesome questions that have driven a wedge between Western science and religion. Edited by Zara Houshmand, Robert B. Livingston, and B. Alan Wallace, Where Buddhism Meets Neuroscience is the culmination of meetings between the Dalai Lama and a group of eminent neuroscientists and psychiatrists. The Dalai Lama’s incisive, open-minded approach both challenges and offers inspiration to Western scientists. This book was previously published under the title Consciousness at the Crossroads. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: Understanding Our Mind Thich Nhat Hanh, 2002-02-09 Nautilus Award Finalist The renowned Zen’s monk’s profound study of Buddhist psychology—with insights into how these ancient teachings apply to the modern world Based on the fifty verses on the nature of consciousness taken from the great fifth-century Buddhist master Vasubandhu and the teachings of the Avatamsaka Sutra, Thich Nhat Hanh focuses on the direct experience of recognizing, embracing, and looking deeply into the nature of our feelings and perceptions. Presenting the basic teachings of Buddhist applied psychology, Understanding Our Mind shows us how our mind is like a field, where every kind of seed is planted—seeds of suffering, anger, happiness, and peace. The quality of our life depends on the quality of the seeds in our mind. If we know how to water seeds of joy and transform seeds of suffering, then understanding, love, and compassion will flower. Vietnamese Zen Master Thuong Chieu said, “When we understand how our mind works, the practice becomes easy.” |
| buddhism and modern psychology: Psychology and Buddhism Kathleen H. Dockett, G. Rita Dudley-Grant, C. Peter Bankart, 2003 This book advances a serious consideration of how the goals and practices of psychology can be informed and enriched by Buddhist traditions that transcend the individual to consider the interconnectedness of all things, and the responsibility we have towards the other. Individualistic and psychotherapeutic applications of Buddhism in psychology are examined, followed by a bold step into the community arena, with consideration given to the intersection between community psychology and Buddhist approaches to empowerment, social change, and prevention. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: Buddhist Psychology and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Dennis Tirch, Laura R. Silberstein, Russell L. Kolts, 2016-12-29 This user-friendly guide to the basics of Buddhist psychology presents a roadmap specifically designed for cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) practitioners. It explains central Buddhist concepts and how they can be applied to clinical work, and features numerous experiential exercises and meditations. Downloadable audio recordings of the guided meditations are provided at the companion website. Essential topics include the relationship between suffering and psychopathology, the role of compassion in understanding and treating psychological problems, and how mindfulness fits into evidence-based psychotherapy practice. The book describes an innovative case conceptualization method, grounded in Buddhist thinking, that facilitates the targeted delivery of specific CBT interventions. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: An Introduction to Buddhist Psychology and Counselling Padmasiri De Silva, 2014-04-08 This book, now in its fifth edition, provides a comprehensive introduction to Buddhist psychology and counselling, exploring key concepts in psychology and practical applications in mindfulness-based counselling techniques using Buddhist philosophy of mind, psychology, ethics and contemplative methods. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: The Reception and Rendition of Freud in China Tao Jiang, Philip J. Ivanhoe, 2013-05-07 Although Freud makes only occasional, brief references to China and Chinese culture in his works, for almost a hundred years many leading Chinese intellectuals have studied and appropriated various Freudian theories. However, whilst some features of Freud’s views have been warmly embraced from the start and appreciated for their various explanatory and therapeutic values, other aspects have been vigorously criticized as implausible or inapplicable to the Chinese context. This book explores the history, reception, and use of Freud and his theories in China, and makes an original and substantial contribution to our understanding of the Chinese people and their culture as well as to our appreciation of western attempts to understand the people and culture of China. The essays are organised around three key areas of research. First, it examines the historical background concerning the China-Freud connection in the 20th century, before going on to use reconstructed Freudian theories in order to provide a modernist critique of Chinese culture. Finally, the book deploys traditional Chinese thought in order to challenge various aspects of the Freudian project. Both Freudianism’s universal appeal and its cultural particularity are in full display throughout the book. At the same time, the allure of Chinese cultural and literary expressions, both in terms of their commonality with other cultures and their distinctive characteristics, are also scrutinized. This collection of essays will be welcomed by those interested in early modern and contemporary China, as well as the work and influence of Freud. It will also be of great interest to students and scholars of psychology, psychoanalysis, literature, philosophy, religion, and cultural studies more generally. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: Unlimiting Mind Andrew Olendzki, 2010-04-20 This book is an overview of the radical psychological teachings that underlie the Buddhist approach to living a life of freedom and peace. Grounded in deep scholarship, psychological sophistication, and many years of teaching and personal practice, this collection of essays will appeal to anyone looking to gain a richer understanding of Buddhism's experiential tools for exploring the inner world. --Book Jacket. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: Mindfulness in Early Buddhism Tse-fu Kuan, 2007-12-18 This book examines ‘mindfulness’ in early Buddhism, and explores its central role in early Buddhist practice and philosophy. Using textual analysis and criticism, it takes new approaches to the subject through a comparative study of Buddhist texts in Pali, Chinese and Sanskrit. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: The Psychology of Awakening Gay Watson, Stephen Batchelor, Guy Claxton, 2012-03-31 The Buddhist view of the mind - how it works, how it goes wrong, how to put it right - is increasingly being recognised as profound and highly practical by scientists, counsellors and other professionals. In The Psychology of Awakening, this powerful vision of human nature, and its implications for personal and social life, are for the first time brought to a wider audience by some of those most influential in exploring its potential for the way we live today. These include: David Brazier Jon Kabat Zinn Francisco Varela Joy Manne Geshe Thubten Jinpa Mark Epstein Gay Watson Maura Sills Guy Claxton Stephen Batchelor Deeply relevant, accessible and authoritative, The Psychology of Awakening will be of interest to all those who wish to understand the workings of their minds a little better and who are also seeking new ways of mastering the challenges - personal, professional and cultural with which modern life confronts us all. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: The Original Buddhist Psychology Beth Jacobs, Ph.D., 2017-06-27 Drawing on decades of experience, a psychotherapist and Zen practitioner makes the Abhidharma--the original psychological system of Buddhism--accessible to a general audience for the first time. The Abhidharma, one of the three major text collections of the original Buddhist canon, explores the critical juncture of Buddhist thought and the therapeutic aspects of the religion and meditation. It frames the psychological system of Buddhism, explaining the workings of reality and the nature of the human mind. Composed of detailed matrixes and lists that outline the interaction of consciousness and reality, The Abhidharma explores the essence of perception and experience, and the reasons and methods behind mindfulness and meditation. Because of its complexity, the Abhidharma has traditionally been reserved only for academic or monastic study; now, for the first time, clinical psychologist Beth Jacobs makes this dynamic, important text and its teachings available to general readers, using practical explanation, personal stories, and vivid examples to gently untangle the technical aspects of the Abhidharma. Jacobs’ work illuminates this classic of Buddhist thought, highlighting the ways it can broaden and deepen our experience of the human psyche and offering profound insights into spiritual practice. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: Encountering Buddhism Seth Robert Segall, 2012-02-01 Creatively exploring the points of confluence and conflict between Western psychology and Buddhist teachings, various scholars, researchers, and therapists struggle to integrate their diverse psychological orientations—psychoanalytic, humanistic, cognitive-behavioral, transpersonal—with their diverse Theravada and Mahayana Buddhist practices. By investigating the degree to which Buddhist insights are compatible with Western science and culture, they then consider what each philosophical/psychological system has to offer the other. The contributors reveal how Buddhism has changed the way they practice psychotherapy, choose their research topics, and conduct their personal lives. In doing so, they illuminate the relevance of ancient Buddhist texts to contemporary cultural and psychological dilemmas. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: Modern Psychology and Ancient Wisdom Sharon G. Mijares, 2015-08-27 Modern Psychology and Ancient Wisdom, 2nd edition, brings together experts who explore the use of ancient healing techniques from Buddhism, Christianity, Goddess, Shamanism, Taoism, and Yogic traditions as well as the mystical practices of Judaism and Islam and their application to modern counseling and therapy professions. Each chapter lays out time-tested techniques used by teachers, guides, and practitioners to facilitate psychological healing, embraces a wide variety of cultural perspectives, and offers a large, varied, and meaningful view of the world. This new edition includes added material on Islam, indigenous, and shamanic healing perspectives and practices, as well as new findings in the fields of neuropsychology and epigenetics. With its vast offerings of new treatment methods from a variety of perspectives—from therapeutic metaphors and breathing exercises to meditation and yoga techniques—this book will be of use to mental health professionals, social workers, and pastoral caregivers. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: Why I Am Not a Buddhist Evan Thompson, 2020-01-28 A provocative essay challenging the idea of Buddhist exceptionalism, from one of the world's most widely respected philosophers and writers on Buddhism and science. Buddhism has become a uniquely favored religion in our modern age. A burgeoning number of books extol the scientifically proven benefits of meditation and mindfulness for everything ranging from business to romance. There are conferences, courses, and celebrities promoting the notion that Buddhism is spirituality for the rational; compatible with cutting-edge science; indeed, a science of the mind. In this provocative book, Evan Thompson argues that this representation of Buddhism is false. In lucid and entertaining prose, Thompson dives deep into both Western and Buddhist philosophy to explain how the goals of science and religion are fundamentally different. Efforts to seek their unification are wrongheaded and promote mistaken ideas of both. He suggests cosmopolitanism instead, a worldview with deep roots in both Eastern and Western traditions. Smart, sympathetic, and intellectually ambitious, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in Buddhism's place in our world today.--Provided by publisher. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: Secular Buddhism Noah Rasheta, 2016-10-26 In this simple yet important book, Noah Rasheta takes profound Buddhist concepts and makes them easy to understand for anyone trying to become a better whatever-they-already-are. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: Buddhist Thought and Applied Psychological Research D.K. Nauriyal, Michael Drummond, Y.B. Lal, 2006-08-21 Written by leading scholars and including a foreword by the Dalai Lama, this book explores the interface between Buddhist studies and the uses of Buddhist principles and practices in psychotherapy and consciousness studies. The contributors present a compelling collection of articles that illustrate the potential of Buddhist informed social sciences in contemporary society, including new insights into the nature of human consciousness. The book examines the origins and expressions of Buddhist thought and how it is now being utilized by psychologists and social scientists, and also discusses the basic tenets of Buddhism and contemporary Buddhist-based empirical research in the psychological sciences. Further emphasis is placed on current trends in the areas of clinical and cognitive psychology, and on the Mahayana Buddhist understanding of consciousness with reference to certain developments in consciousness studies and physics. A welcome addition to the current literature, the works in this remarkable volume ably demonstrate how Buddhist principles can be used to develop a deeper understanding of the human condition and behaviours that lead to a balanced and fulfilling life. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: The Definition, Practice, and Psychology of Vedanā John Peacock, Martine Batchelor, 2020-06-09 This book examines the importance of the topic of ‘feeling tone’ (vedanā) as it appears in early Buddhist texts and practice, and also within contemporary, secular, mindfulness-based interventions. The volume aims to highlight the crucial nature of the ‘feeling tone’ or ‘taste of experience’ in determining mental reactivity, behaviour, character, and ethics. In the history of Buddhism, and in its reception in contemporary discourse, vedanā has often been a much-neglected topic, with greater emphasis being accorded to other meditational focuses, such as body and mind. However, ‘feeling tone’ (vedanā) can be seen as a crucial pivotal point in understanding the cognitive process, both in contemporary mindfulness and meditation practice within more traditional forms of Buddhism. The taste of experience, it is claimed, comes as pleasant, unpleasant, and neither pleasant nor unpleasant – and these ‘tones’ or ‘tastes’ inevitably follow from humans being embodied sensory beings. That experience comes in this way is unavoidable, but what follows can be seen in terms of reactivity or responsiveness. This book was originally published as a special issue of Contemporary Buddhism. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: The Moral Animal Robert Wright, 2010-11-03 One of the most provocative science books ever published—a feast of great thinking and writing about the most profound issues there are (The New York Times Book Review). Fiercely intelligent, beautifully written and engrossingly original. —The New York Times Book Review Are men literally born to cheat? Does monogamy actually serve women's interests? These are among the questions that have made The Moral Animaled one of the most provocative science books in recent years. Wright unveils the genetic strategies behind everything from our sexual preferences to our office politics—as well as their implications for our moral codes and public policies. Illustrations. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: The Wisdom of Imperfection Rob Preece, 2010-09-16 If you have been practicing Buddhism for a while, why do you still have so many problems? And how do you balance the sometimes different needs of spiritual and psychological perspectives? Rob Preece draws on his personal experience—over two decades as a psychotherapist and many years as a meditation teacher—to explore and map the psychological influences on our struggle to awaken. For psychological and spiritual health, acceptance of imperfection is key. Wisdom does not always come as a flash of inspiration but from the slow, often painful, workings of experience. As we detach from our ideals of perfection and develop our acceptance of imperfection, our love and compassion can grow in ways that are both psychologically and spiritually healthy. The Wisdom of Imperfection delves into this journey of individuation in Buddhist life, articulating the psychological processes beneath the traditional path of the Bodhisattva. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: The Zen of Therapy Mark Epstein, M.D., 2022-01-11 “A warm, profound and cleareyed memoir. . . this wise and sympathetic book’s lingering effect is as a reminder that a deeper and more companionable way of life lurks behind our self-serious stories.—Oliver Burkeman, New York Times Book Review A remarkable exploration of the therapeutic relationship, Dr. Mark Epstein reflects on one year’s worth of therapy sessions with his patients to observe how his training in Western psychotherapy and his equally long investigation into Buddhism, in tandem, led to greater awareness—for his patients, and for himself For years, Dr. Mark Epstein kept his beliefs as a Buddhist separate from his work as a psychiatrist. Content to use his training in mindfulness as a private resource, he trusted that the Buddhist influence could, and should, remain invisible. But as he became more forthcoming with his patients about his personal spiritual leanings, he was surprised to learn how many were eager to learn more. The divisions between the psychological, emotional, and the spiritual, he soon realized, were not as distinct as one might think. In The Zen of Therapy, Dr. Epstein reflects on a year’s worth of selected sessions with his patients and observes how, in the incidental details of a given hour, his Buddhist background influences the way he works. Meditation and psychotherapy each encourage a willingness to face life's difficulties with courage that can be hard to otherwise muster, and in this cross-section of life in his office, he emphasizes how therapy, an element of Western medicine, can in fact be considered a two-person meditation. Mindfulness, too, much like a good therapist, can “hold” our awareness for us—and allow us to come to our senses and find inner peace. Throughout this deeply personal inquiry, one which weaves together the wisdom of two worlds, Dr. Epstein illuminates the therapy relationship as spiritual friendship, and reveals how a therapist can help patients cultivate the sense that there is something magical, something wonderful, and something to trust running through our lives, no matter how fraught they have been or might become. For when we realize how readily we have misinterpreted our selves, when we stop clinging to our falsely conceived constructs, when we touch the ground of being, we come home. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: Buddhism, Its History and Literature Thomas William Rhys Davids, 1901 |
| buddhism and modern psychology: Intelligent Life Kouitsu Yokoyama, 2015-08-11 A systematic approach to making intelligent use of our lives: forget the self, live more fully for others, and find happiness deep within. The idea that our experiences in life are shaped by our own minds is fundamental to Buddhist philosophy. An Intelligent Life uses the principles of Buddhist philosophy to explore how best to make use of our lives in order to benefit ourselves and others. Building on the foundation of core Buddhist concepts like the ego, interdependence, and karma, Professor Yokoyama presents a uniquely practical application of Buddhist philosophy. By understanding how intimately our own habits of mind are related to the world that we experience, we begin to see how many of our everyday actions are founded on ignorance rather than intelligence. If you steadily work to transform your everyday habits, through meditation and reflection on the true nature of your experiences, you will come to forget your ego, feel more closely related to others, and gain access to the inestimable well of happiness and health that rests within. Learning to see ourselves and the world for what they truly are, we learn how to live truly intelligent lives. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: The Making of Buddhist Modernism David L. McMahan, 2008-11-14 A great deal of Buddhist literature and scholarly writing about Buddhism of the past 150 years reflects, and indeed constructs, a historically unique modern Buddhism, even while purporting to represent ancient tradition, timeless teaching, or the essentials of Buddhism. This literature, Asian as well as Western, weaves together the strands of different traditions to create a novel hybrid that brings Buddhism into alignment with many of the ideologies and sensibilities of the post-Enlightenment West. In this book, David McMahan charts the development of this Buddhist modernism. McMahan examines and analyzes a wide range of popular and scholarly writings produced by Buddhists around the globe. He focuses on ideological and imaginative encounters between Buddhism and modernity, for example in the realms of science, mythology, literature, art, psychology, and religious pluralism. He shows how certain themes cut across cultural and geographical contexts, and how this form of Buddhism has been created by multiple agents in a variety of times and places. His position is critical but empathetic: while he presents Buddhist modernism as a construction of numerous parties with varying interests, he does not reduce it to a mistake, a misrepresentation, or fabrication. Rather, he presents it as a complex historical process constituted by a variety of responses -- sometimes trivial, often profound -- to some of the most important concerns of the modern era. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: The Evolution of God Robert Wright, 2009-06-08 In this sweeping narrative that takes us from the Stone Age to the Information Age, Robert Wright unveils an astonishing discovery: there is a hidden pattern that the great monotheistic faiths have followed as they have evolved. Through the prisms of archaeology, theology, and evolutionary psychology, Wright's findings overturn basic assumptions about Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and are sure to cause controversy. He explains why spirituality has a role today, and why science, contrary to conventional wisdom, affirms the validity of the religious quest. And this previously unrecognized evolutionary logic points not toward continued religious extremism, but future harmony. Nearly a decade in the making, The Evolution of God is a breathtaking re-examination of the past, and a visionary look forward. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: The Wise Heart Jack Kornfield, 2009-05-19 A guide to the transformative power of Buddhist psychology—for meditators and mental health professionals, Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. You have within you unlimited capacities for extraordinary love, for joy, for communion with life, and for unshakable freedom—and here is how to awaken them. In The Wise Heart, celebrated author and psychologist Jack Kornfield offers the most accessible, comprehensive, and illuminating guide to Buddhist psychology ever published in the West. Here is a vision of radiant human dignity, a journey to the highest expression of human possibility—and a practical path for realizing it in our own lives. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: The Misleading Mind Karuna Cayton, 2012 Through exercises and real-world examples, the author, drawing from Buddhist psychology, shows readers how to step onto the path of self-understanding to transform suffering into happiness. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: Nothing Is Hidden Barry Magid, 2013-09-16 In this inspiring and incisive offering, Barry Magid uses the language of modern psychology and psychotherapy to illuminate one of Buddhism's most powerful and often mysterious technologies: the Zen koan. What's more, Magid also uses the koans to expand upon the insights of psychology (especially self psychology and relational psychotherapy) and open for the reader new perspectives on the functioning of the human mind and heart. Nothing Is Hidden explores many rich themes, including facing impermanence and the inevitability of change, working skillfully with desire and attachment, and discovering when surrender and submission can be liberating and when they shade into emotional bypassing. With a sophisticated view of the rituals and teachings of traditional Buddhism, Magid helps us see how we sometimes subvert meditation into just another curative fantasy or make compassion into a form of masochism. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: The Principles of Buddhist Psychology David J. Kalupahana, 1992 |
| buddhism and modern psychology: Buddhist Psychology Geshe Tashi Tsering, Tenzin Gyatso, 2010-10 This new volume from the Foundation of Buddhist Thought series, provides a stand-alone and systematic -but accessible!- entry into how Buddhism understands the mind. Geshe Tashi, an English-speaking Tibetan monk who lives in London, was trained from boyhood in a traditional Tibetan monastery, but he is adept in communicating this classical training for a modern Western audience. Buddhist psychology addresses both the nature of the mind and how we know what we know. Just as scientists observe and catalog the material world, Buddhists for centuries have been observing and cataloging the components of our inner experience. The result is a rich and subtle knowledge that can be harnessed to the goal of increasing human well being. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: The Bodhisattva's Brain Owen Flanagan, 2011-08-12 This fascinating introduction to the intersection between religion, neuroscience, and moral philosophy asks: Can there be a Buddhism without karma, nirvana, and reincarnation that is compatible with the rest of knowledge? If we are material beings living in a material world—and all the scientific evidence suggests that we are—then we must find existential meaning, if there is such a thing, in this physical world. We must cast our lot with the natural rather than the supernatural. Many Westerners with spiritual (but not religious) inclinations are attracted to Buddhism—almost as a kind of moral-mental hygiene. But, as Owen Flanagan points out in The Bodhisattva's Brain, Buddhism is hardly naturalistic. In The Bodhisattva's Brain, Flanagan argues that it is possible to discover in Buddhism a rich, empirically responsible philosophy that could point us to one path of human flourishing. Some claim that neuroscience is in the process of validating Buddhism empirically, but Flanagan'’ naturalized Buddhism does not reduce itself to a brain scan showing happiness patterns. “Buddhism naturalized,” as Flanagan constructs it, offers instead a fully naturalistic and comprehensive philosophy, compatible with the rest of knowledge—a way of conceiving of the human predicament, of thinking about meaning for finite material beings living in a material world. |
| buddhism and modern psychology: Feeling Wisdom Rob Preece, 2015-01-13 The realm of emotion is one of those areas where Buddhism and Western psychology are often thought to be at odds: Are emotions to be valued, examined, worked with as signs leading us to deeper self-knowledge? Or are they something to be ignored and avoided as soon as we recognize them? Rob Preece feels that neither of those extremes is correct. He charts a path through the emotions as they relate to Buddhist practice, showing that though emotions are indeed skandhas (elements that make up the illusory self) according to the Buddhist teaching, there is a good deal to be learned from these skandhas, and paying attention to their content contributes not only to psychological health but to deep insight into the nature of reality. He draws on his own experiences with emotions and meditation, through his training in both Tibetan Buddhism and psychotherapy, to show how working with emotions can be a complement to meditation practice. |
Buddhism - Wikipedia
An alternative scheme used by some scholars divides Buddhism into the following three traditions or geographical or cultural areas: Theravāda (or "Southern Buddhism", "South Asian …
Buddhism | Definition, Beliefs, Origin, Systems, & Practice
Jun 7, 2025 · Buddhism, religion and philosophy that developed from the teachings of the Buddha (Sanskrit: “Awakened One”), a teacher who lived in northern India between the mid-6th and …
Introduction to Basic Beliefs and Tenets of Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who was born in the fifth century B.C. in what is now Nepal and northern India. He came to be called "the Buddha," …
What Is Buddhism? — Study Buddhism
Buddhism is a set of methods that helps us to develop our full human potential by understanding the true nature of reality. Founded 2,500 years ago in India by Siddhartha Gautama – better …
Buddhism - Definition, Founder & Origins - HISTORY
Oct 12, 2017 · Buddhism is a faith that was founded by Siddhartha Gautama—also known as “the Buddha”—more than 2,500 years ago in India.
10 Essential Beliefs of Buddhism
If you are new to Buddhism or just curious above Buddhist beliefs, then the following ten core beliefs of Buddhism is a great over of Buddhism. Each belief is linked to more detailed articles …
Buddhism - World History Encyclopedia
Sep 25, 2020 · Buddhism is a non-theistic religion (no belief in a creator god), also considered a philosophy and a moral discipline, originating in the region of modern-day India in the 6th and …
Buddhism - National Geographic Society
Sep 20, 2024 · Buddhism is one of the world’s largest religions and originated 2,500 years ago in India. Buddhists believe in reincarnation of the soul, and that, by following the teachings of …
What is Buddhism? | Learn More About Buddhism | Buddhism For Beginners
Buddhism is variously understood as a religion, a philosophy, or a set of beliefs and practices based on the teachings of the Buddha, or “Awakened One”—the title given to the Indian …
Principles of Buddhism - Buddhism - Spiritual Culture
Feb 21, 2023 · With its roots in ancient India, Buddhism offers a path to understanding the nature of suffering and the means to overcome it, leading to enlightenment and inner peace.
Buddhism - Wikipedia
An alternative scheme used by some scholars divides Buddhism into the following three traditions or geographical or cultural areas: Theravāda (or "Southern Buddhism", "South Asian …
Buddhism | Definition, Beliefs, Origin, Systems, & Practice
Jun 7, 2025 · Buddhism, religion and philosophy that developed from the teachings of the Buddha (Sanskrit: “Awakened One”), a teacher who lived in northern India between the mid-6th and …
Introduction to Basic Beliefs and Tenets of Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who was born in the fifth century B.C. in what is now Nepal and northern India. He came to be called "the Buddha," …
What Is Buddhism? — Study Buddhism
Buddhism is a set of methods that helps us to develop our full human potential by understanding the true nature of reality. Founded 2,500 years ago in India by Siddhartha Gautama – better …
Buddhism - Definition, Founder & Origins - HISTORY
Oct 12, 2017 · Buddhism is a faith that was founded by Siddhartha Gautama—also known as “the Buddha”—more than 2,500 years ago in India.
10 Essential Beliefs of Buddhism
If you are new to Buddhism or just curious above Buddhist beliefs, then the following ten core beliefs of Buddhism is a great over of Buddhism. Each belief is linked to more detailed articles …
Buddhism - World History Encyclopedia
Sep 25, 2020 · Buddhism is a non-theistic religion (no belief in a creator god), also considered a philosophy and a moral discipline, originating in the region of modern-day India in the 6th and …
Buddhism - National Geographic Society
Sep 20, 2024 · Buddhism is one of the world’s largest religions and originated 2,500 years ago in India. Buddhists believe in reincarnation of the soul, and that, by following the teachings of …
What is Buddhism? | Learn More About Buddhism | Buddhism For Beginners
Buddhism is variously understood as a religion, a philosophy, or a set of beliefs and practices based on the teachings of the Buddha, or “Awakened One”—the title given to the Indian …
Principles of Buddhism - Buddhism - Spiritual Culture
Feb 21, 2023 · With its roots in ancient India, Buddhism offers a path to understanding the nature of suffering and the means to overcome it, leading to enlightenment and inner peace.
