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**michael247** · 01-16-2011, 11:43 PM

Buddha's path is threefold (sila, sati/samadhi, panna) whereas often the psychology path is two-fold (sati/samadhi, panna) .

Yes, I agree with this Element. But also I would add that psychology works with a very hard identification of a Self; the kind of self that is proved that can not be sustained through the practice of the teachings of the historical Buddha. I have seen how puzzling is for a psychologist to know that there is nothing as a solid and "true" self. The whole theoretical edifice collapses in front of their noses.

Psychology has another problem with how the teachings of the Buddha work. The word is renunciation: When you share with a western style therapist about how liberating are the teachings of the Buddha in terms of being free from craving, clinging and attachments they seem to have hard time understanding this aspect of the teachings.

Westerners (understanding it as a kind of mind) really love therapies and they tend to see what the historical Buddha taught in terms of that. The teachings of the historical Buddha are neither a religion nor a therapy. What the teachings are about is to be contemplatives.

01-16-2011, 11:43 PM	#7
michael247 Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 480 Senior Member	Buddha's path is threefold (sila, sati/samadhi, panna) whereas often the psychology path is two-fold (sati/samadhi, panna) . Yes, I agree with this Element. But also I would add that psychology works with a very hard identification of a Self; the kind of self that is proved that can not be sustained through the practice of the teachings of the historical Buddha. I have seen how puzzling is for a psychologist to know that there is nothing as a solid and "true" self. The whole theoretical edifice collapses in front of their noses. Psychology has another problem with how the teachings of the Buddha work. The word is renunciation: When you share with a western style therapist about how liberating are the teachings of the Buddha in terms of being free from craving, clinging and attachments they seem to have hard time understanding this aspect of the teachings. Westerners (understanding it as a kind of mind) really love therapies and they tend to see what the historical Buddha taught in terms of that. The teachings of the historical Buddha are neither a religion nor a therapy. What the teachings are about is to be contemplatives.
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