Psychology & Buddhism.pdf

Religion and Spirituality in Community Building 207
visionaries and mystics by identifying the issues that we as a society will need to
face and deal with in the future. Those who are in this discipline also engage in
archeological excavations to better understand the religious, historical, and philosophical
issues that are contributing to our current social problems. The field of
community psychology is also predicated on the assumption that some of our
most complex and intransigent social and community problems can be synergistically
transformed by the recognition, appreciation, and utilization of those
assets and inner resources that already exist within social settings. This function
represents the alchemist role of the community psychologist. And finally, the
discipline espouses a commitment to public articulation of our values, and by
such action, we explicitly adopt the distinct role of advocate, while many other
social scientists adopt more impartial program evaluation roles.
Eco-Transformational interventions programs support Buddhist notions
such as our interconnectedness with the natural world, and help us live in balance
with nature, as opposed to trying to control her. This model would support those
scientific and technologic investigations that help explore the mysteries of life,
and re-affirm and validate the importance of rituals, traditions, and initiatory
processes that help people and their communities mature and develop intimate
bonds. Finally, Eco-Transformational interventions attempt to recapture the sense
of community that provides responsibility, mission, and commitment to the welfare
of one’s community.
Families, communities, and organizations often progress through identifiable
phases in their journey toward maturity, intimacy, and conscious loving. Shaffer
and Anundsen (1993) suggest that these stages involve excitement (getting high on
possibilities), autonomy (jockeying for power), stability (settling into roles
and structures), synergy (allowing self and group to mutually unfold) and transformation
(expanding, segmenting, or disbanding). Communities need to fully
experience each of these stages, to learn from them, and then to move on to their
next phases. When developing a social and community intervention, one needs to
recognize that resolution of each of these stages provides opportunities for transformative
growth. Buddhist practices could be used to help members endure the
stresses that each of these phases can produce.
There are many forms of community, ranging from functional to conscious
(Shaffer & Anundsen, 1993). Functional communities focus on external tasks,
pay little attention to group process, and are structured according to a hierarchy
of fixed roles. Examples include traditional extended families or small towns. On
the other hand, there are conscious communities that focus on individual and
group development, and are characterized by openness, diversity, role sharing,
and regular renewal. Examples of these include intentional families and longterm
neighborhood or peer groups. Buddhist principles could be used to help
residential communities become more conscious and visionary, where deep trust
and open group process are a part of everyday behavior.