ME26

Buddhist Psychotherapy

ME26  24-03-2011    (4:00 to 5:00)

(Class Notes Only)

-----------------

What is Psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy is an interactive process between a person and a qualified mental health professional (psychiatrist, psychologist, etc,). Seeking help for mental, emotional, spiritual or relationship issues can be difficult, you want to be sure you have the right "mental health professional" to oversee you care, so you can take control of any dilemmas in your life.

Buddhist psychotherapy has to be a science of mind which also studies the specific Buddhist approaches to mind. Therefore it has to hold good against all the criteria of science, such as methodological reliability of procedures, consistency of theoretical statements, etc. The Buddhist psychology became very fashionable towards the end of the twentieth century.

Buddhist psychology in an inclusive way us to view the various specifically Buddhist practices of preaching, teaching and counseling from a psychotherapeutic standpoint. Buddhist psychological knowledge under the following headings:
1. Adhisīlasikkhā - control of performance serves as a starting point for all procedures;
2. Adhicittasikkhā - purification of mind by means of meditation removes the defilements
    of greed and hate, which otherwise distort consciousness and invalidate knowledge.
3. Adhipaññasikkhā- transcendence through wisdom aims at an individually experienced
    realization of happiness and peace.
Buddha's Dhamma includes ethics; it cannot be regarded as some philosophical system. We continuous practice of the Dhamma. The practice of the Buddha's Dhamma is most comprehensively defined through the paradigm of the Four Noble Truths, (this Noble Eightfold Path.) The Buddha’s first sermon on setting the Wheel of the Dhamma (the Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta), is on the ground of avoidance of two extremes of Sassatavada and Ucchedavada. The Buddha explained the Dhamma in the following words;
     1. Dukkha-ariyasaccā -This is suffering,
     2. Samudaya-ariyasaccā- This is the origin of suffering, is attachment,
     3. Nirodha-ariyasaccā - This is the cessation of suffering, is attainable,
     4. Magga-ariyasaccā -This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering.

The Buddha showed the newly discovered path to emancipation, "Ariya atthangikamagga" the Noble Eightfold Path or "Majjhima patipadā" the Middle Path. This avoids the two extremes of sensual indulgence and self-mortification. Middle Path is defined in the same sermon as "without entering into either extreme" (Ubho ante anupagamma.) These Eightfold Path as follows;
     1. Right Understanding (Sammā dithi)
     2. Right Thought (Sammā sankappa)
     3. Right Speech (Sammā vācā)
     4. Right Action (Sammā kammanta)
     5. Right Livelihood (Sammā ājīva)
     6. Right Effort (Sammā vāyama)
     7. Right Mindfulness (Sammā sati)
     8. Right Corcentration (Sammā samādhi)
The early Buddhist discourses referred to the mutual opposition between the two Sassatavāda (eternalism) and Ucchedavāda (annihilationism) views. Sassatvāda emphasizes the duality between the soul and the body. Deliverance of the soul, its perpetuation in a state of eternal bliss, thus requires the mortification of the flesh, represented in the Buddhist texts as Attakilamathānuyoga (self-mortification) which led to variety of ascetic practices during the time of the Buddha.

Ucchedavāda (Materialism) believes that 'man is a pure product of the earth awaiting annihilation at death. His aim in this temporary life thus cannot be the rejection of sense - pleasures in the pursuit of a higher spiritual ideal which is described in the Buddhist tents as Kāmasukhalikānuyoga (sensual gratification). Thus, these two represent the practical aspects of the two theories of Sassatavāda and Ucchedavāda.

According to the Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta, Right understanding (sammā dithi) of the First Noble Truth (effect) leads to the eradication (pahātabba) of craving. The Second Noble Truth (cause) thus deals with the mental attitude of the ordinary man towards the external objects of sense. The Third Noble Truth (effect) is that there may be a complete cessation of suffering possible, which is Nibbāna, the ultimate good of Buddhists.

This Nibbāna is to be comprehended (Sacchikātabba) by the mental eye by renouncing all attachment to the external world. This First Truth of suffering which depends on this so called being and various aspects of life, is to be carefully perceived, analyzed and examined (pariññeyya). This Third Noble Truth has to be realized by developing (bhāvetabba) the Noble Eight fold Path (ariya atthangika magga). This unique path is the only straight way to Nibbāna.

by Ashin Indaka (Kyone Pyaw)