Psychology & Buddhism.pdf

28 C. Peter Bankart, Kathleen H. Dockett, and G. Rita Dudley-Grant
appropriate awareness of these truths, along with proper meditation and other
practices will produce the “inner revolution” that will ultimately lead to peace in
the world. His writing offers the Western reader a vision of the enlightened community
by way of the example of Tibet as a model for how religious beliefs and
practices can move a society to the full achievement of peace.
Tibetan beliefs and practices have also been incorporated into therapeutic institutions.
One example of this is in the Tara Rokpa Therapy (www.tararokpa.org/
article.htm). Rokpa is the humanitarian, medical, and spiritual teaching of Dr. Akong
Tulku Rinpoche. It utilizes techniques such as relaxation massage, and art therapy
training to aid in physical and emotional healing. It challenges the familiar
notions of western psychopathology by suggesting that the “Buddhist notions of
the mind open the possibility that we could experience the world without this
defensiveness, without emotional cloud between us and reality, without the suffering
created by this defensiveness. That we could even find within ourselves
joy, and the ability to open to further caring, and to a very full life” (Sweeney,
1996). Rinpoche’s writings explain that Tara is a method of freeing or creating
spaciousness – which holds everything through love and compassion. Rokpa
means help, the creation or harmony or coordination between inner and outer
environment. Tara Ropka therapy allows one to encounter the raw experience of
life directly so that it can manifest the understanding that is already within us;
indeed revealing our highest self is a key concept in Mahayana Buddhism.
It is important to note that Tibetan Buddhism is a philosophy, but it is also
a political and social movement that has a strong following in the West in the struggle
for Tibetans to regain their freedom and autonomy from China. Significantly,
many scholars have pointed out that the traditional Tibetan society historically
demonstrated the most advanced form of the integration of religion, politics, and
society that has ever been seen. This is, of course, completely consistent with the
living tradition of Buddhism throughout the ages, but it is largely contrary to
strongly held belief in North America in the separation of “church and state.”
Distinction between Theravada and Mahayana: Engagement with the World.
As we have seen, there are many types of Buddhism; and Buddhist-derived
practices that vary in goals, philosophy, and practice. Their goals may range from
personal enlightenment to human revolution, social reform, and world peace.
The traditional Theravada branch was a monastic order based in Sri Lanka
and Southeast Asia. Its practitioners removed themselves from society to engage
in rigorous practice in pursuit of their spiritual development. Thus Theravada
was absent of a proselytizing spirit, remained aloof from politics, and largely
inaccessible to the masses of working people.
Mahayanans on the other hand have been described as social and political
activists. They are said to have viewed Buddhism as a faith to be vigorously
disseminated throughout society; not merely practiced by monks confined in