Positive psychology in Buddhism
Saturday, August 28, 2010
A CENTRAL tenet of Buddhism is that we are not helpless victims of unchangeable emotions.
In the words of Buddha himself, "We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we make the world."
It's an idea that's in line with current thinking in psychology. In fact, this simple philosophy – that changing the way we think can change the way we feel – underpins the very practice of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), an approach widely used in clinical psychology and counselling, as well as stress management programs.
CBT emerged in the 1970s, and according to the University of Technology Sydney's Dr Sarah Edelman, who wrote a book on the subject entitled ‘Change Your Thinking’, it was originally developed to help people recover from problems such as depression, anxiety disorders, anger and self-sabotaging behaviours.
"But its principles are just as relevant for managing the upsetting emotions that arise and disrupt everyday life," says Edelman.
However, while psychologists stress actively challenging negative thoughts and replacing them with more optimistic ones, Buddhists focus more on detaching yourself from all thoughts to create a state of stillness conducive to ultimate self-understanding, or enlightenment.
For Buddhists, the key method of achieving this is meditation – which usually involves fixing our attention on a body part, the breath, a mantra or an inspirational picture – to arrive at a state where we are not distracted by our thoughts.
And psychologists agree that quite aside from any spiritual connotations, meditation is a powerful tool.
Research has shown that practicing meditation regularly – and being more 'mindful', that is, focused on the present moment – has beneficial effects for a range of conditions. These include stress, anxiety, depression, poor sleep and coping with chronic pain. It also has other health benefits like reduced inflammation, improved immunity and lower blood pressure.
Most methods suggest meditating for about 20 minutes twice a day, although many people will find it useful to start with five to 10 minutes twice a day and to build from there.
Experts describe meditation as "a method to make the mind relaxed and peaceful. Tranquility gives rise to clarity from which understanding and wisdom grow."
This wisdom allows us to observe that negative emotions such as anger and desire cause all of our problems. However, by applying antidotes, it's possible to free ourselves from their harmful influence.
So for instance, to overcome anger, Buddhists cultivate the practice of patience. To counteract desire – say for wealth,status or a lover – one reflects upon the impermanent and transitory nature of life and everything in it.
Similarly, positive behaviours such as acting in a kind and loving way, or as Buddhists say, practising 'loving-kindness', give rise to joyful experiences and we should therefore try to cultivate them.
-- Buddhism and Happiness
In the words of Buddha himself, "We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts we make the world."
It's an idea that's in line with current thinking in psychology. In fact, this simple philosophy – that changing the way we think can change the way we feel – underpins the very practice of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), an approach widely used in clinical psychology and counselling, as well as stress management programs.
CBT emerged in the 1970s, and according to the University of Technology Sydney's Dr Sarah Edelman, who wrote a book on the subject entitled ‘Change Your Thinking’, it was originally developed to help people recover from problems such as depression, anxiety disorders, anger and self-sabotaging behaviours.
"But its principles are just as relevant for managing the upsetting emotions that arise and disrupt everyday life," says Edelman.
However, while psychologists stress actively challenging negative thoughts and replacing them with more optimistic ones, Buddhists focus more on detaching yourself from all thoughts to create a state of stillness conducive to ultimate self-understanding, or enlightenment.
For Buddhists, the key method of achieving this is meditation – which usually involves fixing our attention on a body part, the breath, a mantra or an inspirational picture – to arrive at a state where we are not distracted by our thoughts.
And psychologists agree that quite aside from any spiritual connotations, meditation is a powerful tool.
Research has shown that practicing meditation regularly – and being more 'mindful', that is, focused on the present moment – has beneficial effects for a range of conditions. These include stress, anxiety, depression, poor sleep and coping with chronic pain. It also has other health benefits like reduced inflammation, improved immunity and lower blood pressure.
Most methods suggest meditating for about 20 minutes twice a day, although many people will find it useful to start with five to 10 minutes twice a day and to build from there.
Experts describe meditation as "a method to make the mind relaxed and peaceful. Tranquility gives rise to clarity from which understanding and wisdom grow."
This wisdom allows us to observe that negative emotions such as anger and desire cause all of our problems. However, by applying antidotes, it's possible to free ourselves from their harmful influence.
So for instance, to overcome anger, Buddhists cultivate the practice of patience. To counteract desire – say for wealth,status or a lover – one reflects upon the impermanent and transitory nature of life and everything in it.
Similarly, positive behaviours such as acting in a kind and loving way, or as Buddhists say, practising 'loving-kindness', give rise to joyful experiences and we should therefore try to cultivate them.
-- Buddhism and Happiness
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