Psychology & Buddhism.pdf

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Belief system
Kathleen H. Dockett
According to the Maton and Salem (1995) model, belief system includes
those organizational ideologies, values, and cultural norms that shape its view of
practitioners, shape practices and structures that provide opportunities for growth,
and provide goals and norms that inspire and sustain members efforts toward
change. Specifically, an empowering belief system is one that inspires growth (by
defining challenging, motivating goals and means of achieving those goals), is
strengths-based (meaning each individual is perceived to have the capability to
achieve those goals and is a valuable resource), and is focused beyond the self
(meaning it focuses members on a larger spiritual or humanity-based mission).
To appreciate the growth-inspiring, strengths-based, beyond-self nature of
SGI-USA’s belief system, it is necessary to understand something of its founding
mission and guiding philosophy. Soka Gakkai means “The Society for Value-
Creation.” It was established in 1930 by a Japanese educator named Tsunesaburo
Makiguchi for the purpose of enabling people to actualize the innate potentialities
for value within their own lives and to create value within society. Innate
potentialities refer to the Buddha nature – the potential for attaining enlightenment,
boundless wisdom, and infinite compassion. The overarching goal of the
organization, through the cultivation of humanistic values and the protection of
all life, is to achieve a harmonious co-existence among all races, cultures, and
nationalities of the world or, in other words, world peace. The central philosophy
that guides the attainment of world peace is based on the concept of human
revolution. Describing this process of inner reformation as it relates to the mission
of world peace, the SGI President Daisaku Ikeda (1987) stated:
The movement that we advocate for a human revolution does not stop at a change
of personality, but extends to a change in the most basic attitudes and perceptions
about the nature of life itself; it is a change of the entire human being. I know and
believe as the firmest article of faith that the human revolution of a single person
can change the fate of a nation, our world and all humanity, (p. 257)
These transcendent goals and the humanistic values upon which they are
based, undoubtedly, are responsible for the deep sense of commitment members
have toward their own development, the organization’s development, and societal
change. In samples of the written work of the organization’s international president,
we can see the translation of these humanistic values into organizational
norms. Norms of respect for the uniqueness of each individual’s potentialities are
revealed in the Japanese concept of o-bai-tor-i to which Ikeda often refers. This
concept expresses the idea that the blossoms of the cherry, plum, pear, and peach
trees each emit their unique fragrance contributing to the beauty of the orchard.
Through this metaphor which contains the concepts of values-pluralism and multiculturalism,
members are encouraged to appreciate and honor the values and