Psychology & Buddhism.pdf

Buddhist Empowerment 193
interfaith dialogues such as the South Carolina Partners in Dialogue group
which focuses on issues of racism and other diversity issues.
networking of other Buddhist organizations such as the Interracial
Buddhist Council and the Buddhist Alliance for Social Engagement or
BASE.
interfaith networking focused on public policy initiatives regarding the
freedom of religion act, school prayer, ecological sustainability, and
nonviolence.
establishing educational institutions such as SGI-USA’s Soka schools and
universities.
contributing to relief and refugee programs around the world.
Implications for action
It is important for psychologists to collaborate with socially engaged Buddhist
organizations to learn about Buddhist approaches to grass roots activism, community
organizing, community development, and nonviolence. Activists and writers
such as Sulak Sivaraksa of Thailand and the Swedish-born Helena Norberg-Hodge,
based in Ladakh and England have written “penetrating critiques of Western
models of “development” and globalization offering alternative Buddhist-based
models (Rothberg, 1992). A cross-fertilization of our knowledge would enrich our
understanding. Collaborative partnerships between Buddhism and Psychology may
be helpful in designing programs of social action.
A Final Thought
Community psychologists studying Buddhism are like “new kids on the
block” in what is a very old “neighborhood.” Buddhism began 2600 years ago. It
has a long and rich history of addressing suffering, promoting individual enlightenment,
psychological empowerment, and community empowerment against
social injustice. Buddhism has long known and used what psychological research
is only recently beginning to validate as sound approaches to the development of
psychological and community well-being. That these consistencies emerged in
different contexts and from different methodologies points to the potential value
of more deeply studying the wisdom of Buddhist psychology. Both psychology
and Buddhism can benefit from a collaborative partnership in which our differences
are used as transformative resources. Using our differences in ways that
inform each discipline, through teaching and educating one another rather than
simply complementing one another is what McMillan (2001) termed “transformative
trades.” Such an approach would reflect the highest level of maturity in
community collaboration.