The Buddhist Way Zen Buddhism
Ethics EcoSocialWeb
Buddhist Psychotherapy "Of the eyes of the thousand-armed thousand-eyed bodhisattva of great
compassion, which is the true eye?" (Question from Zen tradition) The goal of both Buddhist discipline and psychotherapy (to the extent that psychotherapy can be considered a unified discipline) is freedom from suffering. It is not unusual to hear the claim that psychotherapy aims to establish emotional health, and that contemplative disciplines - such as Buddhism - have aims deeper or beyond those of therapy. Consequently, it is possible to think of psychotherapy as a complement to meditation. However, this isn't a comprehensive view: not only does psychotherapy have significant insights of its own to contribute to our understanding of the essentials of an engaged human life, but it is possible that we may see a psychotherapeutic practice develop in this the twenty-first century which can be pursued as a life-long spiritual path. In Buddhist terms, one of the psychotherapeutic approaches that provides a particularly valuabe link to spiritual practice is Object Relations theory. Buddhism deeply investigates, and its practitioners transcend, the 'subject/object split' in human consciousness. In object relations psychology this split is able to be explored from what could be thought of as a karmic (intentional) viewpoint - that is, object relations psychotherapy asks the questions: "How does the consciousness of a child create the subject/object relationship?" and "How does this process contribute to suffering?" it is possible that in future we will see an extension of this approach into the realm of transendence. It is already being developed in the (non-Buddhist) work of A.H.Almaas. Almaas has referred to himself as a Buddhist and there are several Buddhist teachers, including myself, who are students of Ridhwan. So, on this site, along with Buddhist links exploring these matters further, I've provided some links that introduction the work of A.H.Almaas. Almaas' approach to therapy isn't specifically Buddhist, but it illuminates the teachings of the Buddha, and it does take psychotherapy as a legitimate spiritual path in itself. Anyone interested in pursuing the links between spiritual practice and object relations psychotherapy would do well to investigate his teachings. The key to understanding suffering lies in understanding the personality - what is its nature, and how is personality activity maintained? To what end? We spend much of our energy struggling to maintain a coherence of personality that has no basis in actuality. That is, the basis of the unexamined personality is ignorance, and the attempt to maintain a basically painful, false, separate, independent, solid entity-like self constructed in childhood - what Alan Watts called the 'skin-encapsulated ego' - produces the significant level of personal strife that we take to be quite normal. The root of our problems is found in the fact that we take our representations of our self to be the self. We have, as a Buddhist text says, "mistaken a thief for a friend". Western psychology has studied the ways in which this mistaken identity becomes established (although they usually don't see it as mistaken), and although the formation of personality is only rarely spoken of in terms of being a loss of Being, nevertheless such a rich body of knowledge is invaluble for understanding how the self obscures the essential riches of Being. Another aspect of the beneficial interchange between
Western therapy and Buddhism can be found in the process-orientation of both, especially
where therapeutic models are influenced by the phenomenological philosophical traditions.
In the long-term this could transform 'present-centred' therapy into a profound
discovery of the transcendent dimensions of Being, as in the Essence work of A.H.Almaas,
or as in the Buddhist-oriented work of John Welwood (book),
or as in the work of Hakomi. The Existential
therapies speak of the present moment, but my sense of them is that they don't often enter
into this spacious dimension of mind, that is, into mind as Space. Phenomenological
psychotherapy - the experiential approach to therapy, the direct exploration of
Being - if it looks to the philosophy of Merleau-Ponty, for example, will find such
Spacious dimensions, if they include the practices practice of mindfulness and meditation
as a part of their investigative praxis. (Specialists in cognitive psychology might want
to read Varela, Thompson & Rosch's book:
The Embodied Mind. There authors, respected scientists, say: "Mindfullness means that
the mind is present in embodied everyday experience; mindfulness techniques are designed
to lead the mind back from its theories and preoccupations, back from the abstract
attitude, to the situation of one's experience itself."). Another gentle and yet powerful experiential approach to human understanding that can support self-knowledge is "Focusing", a body-oriented process that has been explored and articulated by U.S. philosopher, Eugene Genglin. It awakens an appreciation of the body's 'knowings.' It is possible, then, to use psychotherapy to search for the true life of the human being - the inter-dependent, sacred life - the discovery of which dissolves the identifications that make up the personality, dissolves the false way of seeing the world, and allows the emergence of the inherently pure nature of the mind, what the Chinese Buddhist sage Lin Chi called "The True Person of no rank". Lin Chi spoke of the realisation of our basic nature, which is always free of conditioning. He said: "Buddha - this is the cleanness and purity of mind. The Dharma - this is the shining brightness of the mind. The Way - this is the pure light that is never obstructed anywhere." An understanding of the mind as primordially-pure, unobstructed, uncompounded, and space-like, is of crucial importance for the development of a comprehensive psychotherapy. Here, the anguish of existential emptiness, and of other states of deficient emptiness, give way to the vast fruitful Void. (You might want to see Nishitani's book on Religion and Nothingness)
We have a discussion list at Yahoo! called the Buddhist Psychotherapy Group. This e-group is dedicated to dialogue concerning Buddhist practice and how it interfaces with the discipline of psychotherapy. The group is open to all who have an interest, and doesn’t require expertise in either field. Practitioners from all schools of Buddhism, and from all types of psychotherapy, are welcome. Our aim is to foster understanding of the human heart, and to provide a supportive forum whereby the interchange of Buddhist teachings and psychotherapy can be explored and shared. The group is a moderated list. The primary reason for this is to facilitate a trusting and mindful group in which we can deeply share and explore the essentials of Buddhist practice and psychotherapy.
For a stimulating dialogue between cognitive science (biology, neurosciences, experimental psychology, linguistics, artificial intelligence), mainstream philosophy, and Buddhist studies, see an account of the meetings between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and scientists at the Mind and Life Institute. Hakomi Therapy Page "The Hakomi method is the integrated use of mindfulness, the body, and non-violence in psychotherapy." "We pursue the way mind, body, heart and spirit weave together to form the client's experiential world." Find here, also, a word from Ron Kurtz on Loving Presence in Hakomi Therapy. There are a number of excellent articles on the web by Hakomi people - see the Hakomi Professional Journal, for example. Tarab Institute. "It is because of the relationship of subject and object that we can change our object-experience, as well as our experience of the world and of the situations which arise in it. Tibetan psychology maintains in this respect that the notion of self or self-identity is the core around which the psychological patterns and the reality of the individual develop, and this notion becomes therefore the subject of change for the purpose of self-development and psychotherapeutic healing." The Tarab Institute runs courses in psychotherapy. Meditationtherapy.Com "The Domain of meditationtherapy.com is a Refuge in Cyberspace for people who want to explore, understand, practice, and refine the psychotherapeutic and physical health care benefits of both seated and applied meditation." This is the "applied meditation therapy" site of Andrew Shugyo Bonnici. Core Process Psychotherapy Therapist Megan Thorpe was trained in Core Process psychotherapy in the UK, and now practices in Sydney, Australia. Megan says: "Core Process Psychotherapy is a Buddhist-based psychotherapy founded upon the belief that within each of us there exists a part, our core, which is already healthy, whole and free, regardless of how much dissatisfaction, pain or distress we may be experiencing in our lives. In Core Process work we investigate our inner processes through observing and working with our thoughts, feelings and body sensations. Through working with awareness and compassion we can begin to see the ways in which we cut ourselves off from our true nature and create suffering for ourselves. Core Process Psychotherapy is a joint awareness practice between therapist and client." A further UK reference is here. For study in the U.S., the followoing details are taken from the website of: "The Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy is a non-profit organization dedicated to healing and growth through the practices of meditation and psychotherapy. It has been developed out of 20 years of conversations among therapists, meditators, and meditation teachers in the Boston area, in order to encourage an exploration of the interactions between these disciplines. All instructors are experienced psychotherapists with long term meditation practices in the Buddhist traditions. Most programs offer CE credits for psychologists, social workers, nurses, and mental health counselors." Napopa Institute in the U.S. also offers reputable training in Buddhist Psychotherapy. They have studies in (Buddhist) Contemplative Psychotherapy, as well as in Transpersonal Psychology. If you haven't yet discovered Ken Wilber's highly influential work in Integral Psychology, I recommend visiting this site maintained by his publisher, Shambala. You can sign up for e-mail notifications of new material that may be posted on the site. The Association for Transpersonal
Psychology "Today, a more comprehensive view of human nature is developing. It
recognizes our personal uniqueness, as well as a transpersonal dimension, something which
is beyond our individual egos, and yet still a part of us. Based on observations and
practices from many cultures, the transpersonal perspective is informed by modern
psychology, the humanities and human sciences, as well as contemporary spiritual
disciplines and the wisdom traditions." Order The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology Ridhwan Foundation Home Page - information about the Diamond Approach to personal development, and the Ridhwan School. "To make spiritual realization accessible to more people, the Diamond Approach recognizes and takes advantage of the continuity of the psychological and spiritual dimensions of our existence. It extensively utilizes the insights of modern psychology about the human ego and personality and extends that understanding into its logical completion in the spiritual dimension. Thus, the Diamond Approach remains a true spiritual path." "Almaas has developed the Diamond Approach, a technique for self-realization that embraces both modern depth psychology and ancient spiritual traditions in an attempt to address every aspect of the human soul's developmen" (Dr Don Corey,Yoga Journal, 1990) John Davis, a student of Almaas, and later on the staff of Naropa University has written a straighforward book on the Diamond Approach, and his web site contains some information about it, including excerpts from the book. Psychosynthesis Home Page "Psychosynthesis is an approach to human development fostered by Robert Assagioli (1888-1974) beginning around 1910 and continuing to the present day. It is both a theory and practice where the focus is to achieve a synthesis, a coming together, of the various parts of an individual's personality into a more cohesive self. That person can then function in a way that is more life-affirming and authentic. Another major aspect of psychosynthesis is its affirmation of the spiritual dimension of the person, i.e. the "higher" or "transpersonal" self. The higher self is seen as a source of wisdom, inspiration, unconditional love, and the will to meaning in our lives." I recommend Molly Brown's works and works, which includes eco-awareness - great stuff. Self Psychology Page - International Council for Psychoanalytic Self Psychology "The Self Psychology Page is dedicated to discussion, information, and communication regarding Heinz Kohut's psychoanalytic psychology of the self and contemporary developments." They now have an on-line journal.
Another organisation which offers information on Morita Therapy, and Naikan Therapy, and also on David Reynolds' Constructive Living Therapy (CL), is the Constructive Living Center Massachusetts (CLCMA). Naikan is a Japanese psychotherapy with philosophical roots in Buddhist spiritual practices and emphasizes reflection on past relationships. Like many Asian psychotherapies, Naikan focuses "...primarily on existential and transpersonal levels and little on the pathological" (Roger Walsh, l989, p. 547). The essence of Naikan is revealed in the meaning from the Japanese words "nai" meaning inner and "kan" meaning observation or introspection. Personal problems and dissatisfactions are often the result of the discrepancy between the actual self and the ideal self or what is and what should be. Quantum Psychology If you come up with a site for Stephen Wolinksky's Quantum Psychology, write to me (see address below). His is a valuable approach to spiritual psychtherapy. It's a practical approach to becoming mindful of your reactive mind, and, via this door, going deeply into who you truly are. Quantum Psychology goes experientially into the dimension of emptiness, exploring and responding to the ways we defend ourselves against the Void, paving the way to the inner spaciousness that comes from freely allowing emptiness to be experienced. His books are available on Amazon.com, and a set of 6 tapes of a fabulous course, Waking from the Trance, can be ordered from Sounds True. It offers a means to enable you to stay in your adult experience of what is in your present moment, and maintain rather than lose access to inner resources which your automatic responses cut you off from. You are able to notice the mechanism of your automatic response "trance" and exercise control over it. You are then able to realise your Essence of Mind, and respond to situations more effectively, free of the emotional charge of past experiences. Wolinksy began his clinical practice in 1974 as a Gestalt and Reichian
therapist and trainer. In 1977 he journeyed to India to study meditation for nearly six
years. He studied under Sri Nisagadatta Maharaj. He also trained in classical hypnosis,
psychosynthesis, and transactional analysis, and taught Ericksonian hypnosis and family
therapy. Stephen Wolinsky is the founder of Quantum psychology and the author of (among
others) the following: Trances People Live, Quantum Consciousness, The Tao of
Chaos, Hearts on Fire, Intimate Relationships, The Way of the Human (a trilogy), and
The Beginner’s Guide to Quantum Psychology. The Riso-Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator (Version 2.0) Some say that this Riso-Hudson Enneagram Test can help you determine your Enneagram type. There are 145 questions in the test. I give a warning, though, not to settle too quickly on a specific type - take you time to suss out what your type is. Nevertheless, the Indicator can give a pointer.
|
