Psychology & Buddhism.pdf

Buddhist Social Principles 267
Mindfulness training was the method developed by the Buddha to develop
inner peace, but regular and frequent dialogue leading to consensus was his
method for social well-being. How this was achieved, we do not know. My proposal
is that there are three crucial factors: first is constant mindfulness of the
interdependent and impermanent factors in one’s own consciousness that leads to
nonattachment to any inner agenda; second is an appreciation of the factors in the
lives of others that are similarly interdependent and impermanent; and third is a
sense of compassion for others and moral commitment to social harmony. It is
said that on the night that the Buddha attained enlightenment, he passed through
three stages of awareness that are parallel to these three elements that I propose
for achieving social consensus. First was seeing how he came to be over many
lifetimes, second was understanding how others had come to be, and third was his
awareness that inner obstructions and defilements (asavas) had fallen away and
enlightenment had been attained.
In an earlier review of Buddhist interreligious dialogue by many contemporary
Buddhists, I was struck that the central motive seemed to be a moral commitment
to heal the suffering of others and build a peaceful world by bridging
differences (Chappell, 1999a). The motive may have been cultivated by an
interior/spiritual experience, but it clearly involved compassion for others. Thich
Nhat Hanh (1955) begins his book Living Buddha, Living Christ by recalling an
inter-religious meeting in Sri Lanka where participants were assured: “We are
going to hear about the beauties of several traditions, but that does not mean that
we are going to make a fruit salad.” When it came time for Nhat Hanh to speak,
he commented: “Fruit salad can be delicious! I have shared the Eucharist with
Father Daniel Berrigan, and our worship became possible because of the sufferings
we Vietnamese and Americans shared over many years” (Nhat Hanh, 1955,
pp. 1-2). He went on to observe that many participants were shocked by his statements,
but his stance is a recurring theme among such outstanding contemporary
Buddhist leaders as the Dalai Lama, Robert Aitken, Daisaku Ikeda, Sulak
Sivaraksa, Bhikshu Buddhadasa, and A. T. Ariyaratne.
The practice of suffusing the four directions with compassion was an early
and central Buddhist practice. Kindness arises not just through inner mindfulness,
but requires human interaction. Empathy develops first in the family, then among
friends, and then with a wider range of humans and other beings. Empathy does
not depend on organizations, but it does depend on the processes of our interactions.
Compassion arises when the ego boundaries are softened in trust and
sharing, when others trust their pain to you and you are open and able to feel it.
This process is not a solitary event.
Compassion is a gift of the human heart and cannot be manufactured. However,
social processes are a necessary condition, and some are better than others,
in helping people evolve a sense of trust, caring, and universal responsibility.
The Buddha recommended “regular and frequent meetings” that are convened,