Buddhist psychology: A review of theory and practice
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Description: This survey is confined to the texts of Theravada Buddhism.
Buddhist psychology: A review of theory and practice Buddhist psychology: A review of theory and practice Copyright by Current Psychology This paper gives an account of some of the major aspects of Buddhist psychology. The survey is confined to the texts of Early, or Theravada, Buddhism--that is, the canonical texts and their early Pali commentaries and related expository texts. The importance of psychological concepts in the philosophy and practice of Buddhism is highlighted. The problems inherent in the study of Buddhist psychology are discussed, including the problem of translation and interpretation. The paper then describes and analyzes several key Early Buddhist psychological notions including: basic drives that motivate behavior, perception and cognition, consciousness, personal development and enlightenment, meditation, and behavior change. The relationship between theory and practice in Buddhist psychology is commented on, with special reference to meditative techniques and other behavior change strategies. Finally, comments are made on the possible interaction between Buddhist and modern psychology. INTRODUCTION This paper aims to provide a descriptive and analytical account of Buddhist psychology. It does not attempt a comprehensive review of the subject; the literature, and the issues that arise in the examination of this literature, are too vast to permit a comprehensive review in a single paper. What is presented here is essentially a selective account of the psychological notions found in Buddhism. Only some of the major concepts are discussed. Some practical aspects of Buddhist psychology that have a relevance to therapeutic practice are also reviewed. The paper is selective in another important way. It is confined to Theravada Buddhism, also referred to as Early Buddhism, and does not deal with later developments, including Zen. (For an account of Theravada Buddhism, see Gombrich, 1988; for a discussion of the different schools of Buddhism, see Kalupahana, 1976, Snelling, 1987, and Thomas, 1951).
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