Buddhist Psychology, Mind And Consciousness

No abstract available.

Compassion in Buddhist psychology

This chapter examines compassion in three leading traditions of Buddhism. In early and Theravada Buddhism, compassion is a power for deep mental purification, protection and healing that supports inner freedom. In Mahayana Buddhism, compassion becomes the primary means to empower and communicate a non-conceptual wisdom in which self and others are sensed as undivided. In Vajrayana Buddhism, unconditional compassion radiates forth all-inclusively as a spontaneous expression of the mind’s deepest unconditioned nature. Within this discussion, John will give examples of techniques from these traditions for cultivating compassion.

At the intersection of workplace spirituality and Buddhist psychology: a critical summary of literature

Purpose This paper aims to contribute or rekindle internal and external dialogues about the interactions, decisions and behaviour in the work environments; while also consider some critical overarching values that can help workforce members cope with the stress and pressure, which augment as the speed of life increases. Design/methodology/approach The methodology used in this project is an integrative literature review, supported by, findings and reflections from two doctoral dissertations: one in workplace spirituality and one in Buddhist psychology; and the researcher’s analysis and joint application of these two streams over the past decade. Findings Workplace spirituality and Buddhist psychology share overlapping, multi-interpretable traits, with as the main discrepancies that workplace spirituality is a relatively new concept, while Buddhist psychology has been around for more than 2,500 years; and workplace spirituality focusses only on the workplace, while Buddhist psychology focusses on every area of the life. Yet, the overarching notion of doing right while respecting and accepting others and aiming for an overarching better quality of life remains a strong driver in both realms. Research limitations/implications This paper will hopefully entice future researchers to engage in additional studies on spiritual intersections to expand on such databases and enhance awareness, acceptance and implementation amongst scholars and practitioners in business settings. Practical implications Exploring intersections of behavioural disciplines such as workplace spirituality and Buddhist psychology addresses an important need within workforce members and therewith also those within their social circles, as they evoke deeper and consistent contemplation on the aspects that connect us together and can enhance overall well-being and happiness at a greater magnitude than, this study experiences it today. Social implications The study aims to deliver a contribution to the database of awareness-enhancing literature, in an effort to help spawn dialogue and critical thinking about the attitudes and behaviours towards ourselves, others and the future. Originality/value This paper presents an overview of themes in two psychological streams, both focussing on living and acting with greater consciousness, to make more mindful decisions, improve the overall experience of cooperating towards a common good and understand the responsibility towards creating a future that will be sustainable rather than destroyed.

Buddhist Psychology

This chapter studies the importance of examining the nature of mental habits—the normal ways of perceiving, thinking, and feeling. The source of the problem is a mismatch between the usual way of relating to the world and how it really is, so it is important to closely examine mental habits and understand how exactly they obscure reality. Some Buddhists take this even further: It is not that one's mental projections do not match reality, they will say, but it is that there is no reality aside from an individual’s projections. For them, the problem is not a mismatch. The projections themselves are defective, obscuring not an external reality but the nature of the mind itself. The mental habits that distort reality are often called hindrances or poisons. These are things that the mind does that prevent an individual from seeing reality clearly.