Psychology & Buddhism.pdf

140 Belinda Siew Luan Khong
represents, for example a phallic symbol or an unfulfilled wish. Instead they seek
to understand what the phenomenon means in the context of the person’s life.
Daseinsanalysis also refers to a way of seeing and understanding the relationship
between human beings and the world. This understanding is based on the
Heideggerian notion of “Being-in-the-world,” a notion which encapsulates the
idea that the individual and world are not two separate entities, but form an
indivisible whole.
Boss was also interested in Eastern philosophies, particularly Hinduism and
Buddhism. He spent a considerable amount of time in India studying these
philosophies and practised meditation (Boss, 1965). Privately, Boss was much
influenced by his encounter with Eastern thoughts. Publicly, however he stayed
with Heidegger’s ideas. Although Boss had not explicitly incorporated Buddhist
ideas and practices into daseinsanalysis, daseinsanalysis and Buddhism can
contribute significantly to each other.
Today, comparing Buddhist ideas and practices with Western psychology no
longer provokes curiosity or awe. It is generally acknowledged that Buddhism
and psychology can provide new insights for each other and attempts to close the
hiatus between Eastern and Western thinking are frequently undertaken in
research, writings, psychology curricula and at conferences.
However, in relation to Buddhism, there is still a tendency in the West to
focus on Buddhist practices and ideas as a means of attaining enlightenment. This
tendency has given rise to the perception that Buddhism is more relevant to those
seeking the spiritual path, but less relevant to everyday living. Such a perception
has overlooked the psychological import of Buddhist thought, and the applicability
of the Buddha’s teachings to human concerns such as living and dying, and
responsibility.
The Buddha teaches that to a large extent human suffering is attributable to
psychological factors, and most of his teachings have therapeutic significance.
According to de Silva (1996), Buddhist ideas and practices are particularly pertinent
to psychotherapy as a prophylactic measure to prevent a dysfunction or
problem from developing, and to improve a person’s well-being and functioning,
for example to overcome such existential concerns as alienation, anxiety and
unsatisfactoriness associated with living itself.
It is in the second area that Buddhist psychology and daseinsanalysis have
much in common. Both disciplines emphasize the individual’s responsibility for
his or her mental health and personal growth, and both perceive social responsibility
as an essential component of our place in the world. Daseinsanalysis and
Buddhism find common expression in alleviating human suffering by helping
people to free themselves from delusion and to face the realities of life, and both
take as their starting point the need for people to develop an understanding of the
nature of human existence.