Library of Philosophy and Religion General Editor: John Hick, Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities, University of Birmingham This series of books explores contemporary religious understandings of humanity and the universe. The books contribute to various aspects of the continuing dialogues between religion and philosophy, between scepticism and faith, and between the different religions and ideologies. The authors represent a correspondingly wide range of viewpoints. Some of the books in the series are written for the general educated public and others for a more specialised philosophical or theological readership. Selected titles: Masao Abe BUDDHISM AND INTERFAITH DIALOGUE ZEN AND WESTERN THOUGHT Dan Cohn-Sherbok ISLAM IN A WORLD OF DIVERSE FAITHS (editor) ISSUES IN CONTEMPORARY JUDAISM Stephen T. Davis LOGIC AND THE NATURE OF GOD Padmasiri de Silva AN INTRODUCTION TO BUDDHIST PSYCHOLOGY Clement Dore MORAL SCEPTICISM GOD, SUFFERING AND SOLIPSISM J. Kellenberger INTER-RELIGIOUS MODELS AND CRITERIA Adil Ozdemir and Kenneth Frank VISIBLE ISLAM IN MODERN TURKEY Chakravathi Ram-Prasad KNOWLEDGE AND LIBERATION IN CLASSICAL INDIAN THOUGHT Joseph Runzo IS GOD REAL? Ninian Smart BUDDHISM AND CHRISTIANITY Michael Stoeber RECLAIMING THEODICY Reflections on Suffering, Compassion and Spiritual Transformation
Roger Teichmann ABSTRACT ENTITIES Donald Wiebe BEYOND LEGITIMATION Richard Worsley HUMAN FREEDOM AND THE LOGIC OF EVIL Library of Philosophy and Religion Series Standing Order ISBN 978-0-333-69996-6 (uutside North America only) You can receive future titles in this series as they are published by placing a standing order. Please contact your bookseller or, in case of difficulty, write to us at the address below with your name and address, the title of the series and the ISBN quoted above. Customer Services Department, Macmillan Distribution Ltd, Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS, England
An Introduction to Buddhist Psychology Padmasiri de Silva Research Fellow Monash University Clayton Australia Foreword by John Hick Fourth Edition
M. W. Padmasiri de Silva 1979, 1991,2000,2005 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 4th edition 2005 978-0-230-00331-6 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London wn 4LP. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The author has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First edition 1979 Second edition 1991 Third edition 2000 Fourth edition published 2005 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS and 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010 Companies and representatives throughout the world PALGRAVE MACMILLAN is the global academic imprint of the Palgrave Macmillan division of St. Martin's Press, LLC and of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. Macmillan is a registered trademark in the United States, United Kingdom and other countries. Palgrave is a registered trademark in the European Un ion and other countries. ISBN-13: 978-1-4039-9245-1 paperback ISBN 978-1-4039-9245-1 ISBN 978-0-230-50945-0 (ebook) DOI 10.1057/9780230509450 This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data De Silva, Padmasiri, 1933- An introduction to Buddhist psychology I Padmasiri de Silva.-4th ed. p. cm. - (Library of philosophy and religion) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1 -4039-9245-1 1. Buddhism-Psychology. I. Series BQ4570.P76D472005 2943'422-dc22 2005042910 10 9 8 14 13 12 7 6 5 432 1 11 10 09 08 07 06 OS
TO THOSE WHO LIKE 'the simple things in life'
Contents FOTf!'l.IXlTd by JOHN HICK Preface to the First Edition Preface to the Second Edition Preface to the Third Edition Preface to the Fourth Edition ix xi xiii xiv XVI 1 Basic Features of Buddhist Psychology 1 2 The Psychology of Cognition 21 3 Motivation and Emotions 35 4 Personality 80 5 Buddhist Psychology and the West: An Encounter Between Therapeutic Systems 99 6 Health and Sickness in Buddhist Perspective 123 7 Mind-Body Relationship and Buddhist Contextualism 142 8 A Holistic Perspective on Emotion Theory and Therapy in Early Buddhism 153 Notes 182 Bibliography 195 Select Bibliography to the Fourth Edition 196 Index 199
Foreword Buddhism is the most psychologically interested of the great world religions. For when, some twenty-five centuries ago, Gotama the Buddha experienced the ultimate liberation which is nirvana and became one of mankind's supreme teachers, he did not point upwards or outwards to God or gods but inwards to the intricate dynamics of our mental and spiritual life. For Buddhism 'the proper study of mankind is man': it is through coming to realise what we are and - equally importantly - what we are not, that we may eventually attain to that which the east calls liberation and the west salvation. Through its founder's teaching, treasured and amplified by generations of his followers, Buddhism has developed the extraordinarily astute and penetrating analysis of human nature and the human condition on which its guidance towards liberation is based. Its central no-soul (anatto) doctrine, according to which a human self is not an enduring psychic entity or substance but a karmic process, a patterned flow of change through time, remains one of the great options for thought, and one which we dare not write off. Again, we cannot ignore the Buddhist account of the 'grasping' or incessant desiring which keeps the individual karmic process going, not only through a lifetime but, according to the Buddha's teaching, through a long succession oflives. In addition to this, the Buddhist tradition has important things to say about the ways in which we perceive our world; about our emotional and volitional life; about our sexuality, our social nature, and our aggressiveness; about the thin fac;:ade of the surface personality; and about the very important ethical implications of this Buddhist understanding of man. These topics are of course discussed - some more extensively than others - in the literature on Buddhism. But it is surprising that there has been no book in English covering the field of Buddhist psychology as such since the early work of Mrs C. A. F. Rhys Davids, Buddhist Psychology (London, 1914). There is thus a gap in the available literature at this point, a gap which Dr de Silva has ix
x Foreword filled in the present OOok.This will not be the last word on Buddhist psychology; but it opens the subject up again, and in doing so it provides a much-needed point of entry for the student of Buddhism. Dr Padmasiri de Silva is the Head of the Department of Philosophy at the Peredeniya campus, near Kandy, of the U niversity of Sri Lanka (Ceylon). He is himself a Buddhist, thoroughly versed in the Pili literature, as well as having studied the various western schools of psychology. He is the author of a study of Buddhist and Freudian Psychology (Colombo, 1973), and of Tangles and Webs: Gomparative studies in Existentialism, Psychoanalysis and Buddhism (Kandy, 1974). He stands within the Theravada tradition, which claims to represent original Buddhism in its distinction from the Mahayana movement which started to develop at about the beginning of the Christian era and which elevated the figure of the Buddha himself from a great human teacher to the level of cosmic saviour. Dr de Silva bases his discussion on the Pili scriptures of the Theravada tradition rather than the Sanscrit literature of the Mahayana; and so we find in his pages, for example. the word nibbana, which is the Pali equivalent of the (to most of us in the west) more familiar Sanscrit term nirvana. Dr de Silva's OOok will be a valuable resource for the comparative study of religion, and in particular the study of Buddhism, in both west and east. JOHN HICK
Preface to the First Edition The discourses of the Buddha provide apparently simple but in fact sophisticated and stimulating discussions relating to diverse facets of man's life: his codes of personal conduct, the ideal of the virtuous life, the nature of man and the universe, the riddle oflife and death, the nature of human reasoning and sensory experience, and man's search for wisdom, knowledge and truth. Above all, the discourses delve into a yet more fascinating sphere of the human mind - the underworld of man's submerged and conflicting desires, the nature of his emotions and the paths of human personality development, and it is upon this group of issues centring on the psychology of Buddhism that this book focuses. For over ten years I have made studies of diverse aspects of the psychology of Buddhism. It was at the invitation of Professor John Hick, the Editor of this series, that some attempt was made to put together all the material collected over the years and weld them to more recent findings. The present work is thus concerned with the systematisation and interpretation of the psychological questions raised within the discourses of the Buddha. Among serious students of Buddhism psychology is a badly neglected field, and I hope this venture will stimulate a greater degree of interest in the psychological foundations of Buddhism. Among the more clinically oriented psychologists and psychiatrists in the west, there is a growing interest in what may be called 'Asian psychology'. It would be necessary to break through the misty atmosphere that surrounds this term, and present in prosaic terms, and if possible in a modern idiom, some specific schools of traditional psychological enquiry. Thus this book is addressed to both the student of Buddhism and the student of psychology interested in Asian thought. I am grateful to all those who assisted me by valuable discussion. I owe a special debt of gratitude to the Venerable Nyanaponika Maha Thera, who went through the first draft and made important suggestions. I am also grateful to my friends Mr P. D. Premasiri and Mr G. Samararatne for their comments. xi
XII Pr~face to the First Edition When Dr Jerry D. Boucher of the East-West Center invited me to participate in the collaborative research project on emotion and culture, a fresh breeze of life invigorated my attempt to work out a Buddhist theory of emotions. While I have written here a fairly long account of Buddhist thinking in that area, the unexpected encounter with the work of Jerry Boucher has already provided me with a challenging base for future research. I am grateful to him for having opened out these exciting horizons for me. Finally, this work would never have reached happy completion but for the warm encouragement I received from my wife, Kalyani. But she has done more - she has given shape and substance to those 'simple things in life' which feature on the dedication page of this volume. Universiry of Sri Lanka September 1977 PADMASIRI DE SILVA
Preface to the Second Edition It is a gratifying experience to look back after ten years with a great feeling of satisfaction and find that the objectives with which this work was written have been achieved. J t was my original intention to write an intelligible and clear presentation of the early Buddhist reflections on human psychology, so that this would be available for a broad spectrum of readers, ranging from the academically oriented scholar to the diverse types which come under the rubric of the 'general reader'. The responses that I received over the years from these different types of readers have been encouraging. I am very happy to assist the publishers to bring out this new edition with an additional chapter. I had the opportunity of using the book as a text for courses which I taught in a number offoreign universities, and I also kept in touch with number of teachers who were using it as a course text. This new edition will, I hope, preserve interest in the subject and generate further creative work in the area of Buddhist psychology. There has also been a growing interest, in recent times, in the Eastern spiritual traditions, particularly among psychologists and therapists trained in the West. Although the therapist is often drowned by the 'drama of neurosis', there has been a change of attitude; they now are prone to consider psychotherapy more as a 'way of life' than as a 'form of treatment'. These changing vistas in the study of mental sickness and health arc of great interest, and in the new edition I have added a new chapter which examines the therapeutic stance of Buddhism. I am glad that the book will be available again to interested readers. Padmasiri de Silva National University of Singapore October '990 xiii
Preface to the Third Edition The growing academic interest in Eastern spiritual traditions and their therapeutic resources is the background that sustained the positive response for two editions of this book for over two decades. But as this work moves into the twenty-first century, there is a new dimension in the emerging interest in Buddhist psychology. Outside academia, there is a growing interest among some people in the therapeutic appeal of Buddhist psychology, and these interests converge on the need to make their routine lives more coherent and meaningful and their professional lives more robust and vibrant. During the last two years, I have moved to places outside the universities, given regular talks and occasional courses at the Buddhist temples, centres for adult education, talks at youth seminars and professional bodies. I have found my book a useful guide to expand and sustain interest in the perennial psychological insights of the Buddha among all these interested groups. While I look forward to working in these fresh pastures and exciting contexts in the years ahead of us, I am sure other teachers of Buddhist psychology will respond to these emerging trends. Macmillan. and especially Mr. T. M. Farmiloe, have been over the years, more than a publisher. I consider them as great friends of an author. They recently brought out a splendid publication of my new work, Environmmtai Philosopk'JI and Ethics in Buddhism. This is a work that builds a vital link between Buddhist psychology and ethics. I express my deep sense of gratitude to my publishers and also to academics and lay readers who ha\'f~ given me encouragement and confidence to continue writing over the years. A very special expression of thanks is due to Charmian Hearne of the publishers, and also to the copy-editor Lesley Steward, for the speedy and smooth production of this work. I have added a new chapter on the mind-body relationship. We need to re-affirm the Buddhist perspective on the mind-body relationship, not only because philosophers are clarifying these prob- XI\'
Prefoce to the Third Edition xv lems at the turn of this century, but also as therapeutic concerns in the emerging field of behavioural medicine, as well as meditation and healing have presented the body-mind relationship in new and refreshing perspectives. It is with a great sense of fulfilment that I assist the publishers to bring out a third edition of the book. Padmasiri de Silva Monash University
Preface to the Fourth Edition In writing this preface to the fourth edition of the present work, it is necessary to mention that this edition celebrates twenty-five years of wide and consistent circulation of the book. The most significant change of recent times in the field of Western psychology and therapy is the gradual fading of the rivalries that existed between cognitive psychology and behaviourism. Even among a number of other schools of psychology and therapy in the West there has been meaningful points of convergence. Not only have we witnessed the emergence of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) but these schools have also integrated Buddhist mindfulness practice to their therapies. The work on behaviour modification and mindfulness practice by Padmal Silva, the relatively recent development of mindfulness based cognitive therapy by Segal, Williams and Teasdale, Erich Fromm's posthumus publication, Art of Listening and Mark Epstein's work. Tlwught l-wthout a Thinker - all these trends in Western therapy point to a significant domain of convergence of Western systems of therapy and Buddhist practice. These Western traditions have broken off from their insularity and generated new trends of therapy. A new chapter to this book, entitled 'A Holistic Perspective on Emotion Theory and Therapy in Early Buddhism', discusses the enonnous significance of these changes for the development of Buddhist psychology. I wish to express my gratitude to the teachers of Buddhist psychology and students, as well as the general reader across the world, for having sustained a continuous interest in this work. I wish to also express my gratitude to Palgrave Macmillan publishers for undertaking the publication of a fourth edition of this book and especially the staff at Palgrave in charge of editing and publishing this work. Padmasiri de Silva School of Historical Studies Monash University, Australia XVI