Psychology & Buddhism.pdf

Buddhism, Psychology, and Addiction Theory 121
Meditation or chanting seeks to enlighten our current deluded state, opening
our wisdom to a greater clarity and depth than we currently are capable of accessing.
By harmonizing one’s life with the rhythm of the universe one is embarking
on a path of purifying one’s life and seeking a more positive way of living (The
Gosho Translation Committee, 1979). Whether an individual sees himself or herself
as guided from without, or guided from within, it is acknowledged that one
must seek more strength, hope and wisdom than is currently available in order to
make the changes in one’s life. As Epstein (1986) reports, Buddhist literature,
specifically Abhidhamma in the Theravada school is replete with highly systematized
texts of psychological thought that explain everyday mental states as well
as how those mental states can be re-configured through the application of meditative
techniques. Abhidhamma details the effects of sustained meditative practice,
the lower concentration practices and the higher insight practices. These practices
serve to improve one’s sense of well-being, while gaining the ability to truly maintain
one’s understanding ofthe transient nature of all things. Thus, Buddhist practices
can work as the addict follows other precepts of the program, in particular the
twelve steps, to achieve long-term recovery.
In Nichiren Buddhism, the practice of gongyo and daimoku, recitation
of parts of the fifteenth and sixteenth chapters of the lotus sutra and repetitive
chanting of the title in a sonorous and rhythmical manner serves to heighten wisdom,
develop courage and promote fortune in one’s life (Soka Gakkai, 1998).
Over time, these qualities can serve to lift the depression that is often associated
with addiction, while at the same time motivating the person to make positive
changes in their life.
Epstein (1986) reports that transpersonal theorists often suggest that the
meditative practice of Buddhism may be too strenuous or psychologically debilitating
for those with less than a fully developed sense of self. Conversely, he has
argued that this position has not adequately considered how meditation can play
a role in transforming narcissistic, infantile psychopathology. Bankart (Chapter 2
in this volume) reviews many of the studies on the effectiveness of meditation and
concludes that while there may be “real and substantial psychophysiological and
psychological benefits to be derived from a regular practice of meditation. These
benefits, however, are not really of a different magnitude than those benefits that
can be shown from a wide variety of similarly aimed interventions, including distraction”
(p. 60). Similar concerns have been raised about the impact of chanting,
invoking of the mandala in Nichiren Buddhism as a possible exacerbation of psychopathology
in a fragile or immature ego structure. However, both practices
have yielded positive results both in recovery from addiction and in psychological
growth. Epstein (1995) reports that the strengthening of the ego ideal by the
concentration practices leads to a sense of cohesion, and stability which can relieve
narcissistic anxieties of emptiness and isolation, feelings also common in addiction.
While chanting, the substance abuser can gain insight into the destructive