Buddhist Theory of

Personality Types: The

Right Meditation for
EachType
BY: RENEO A. ARAO

Asanga was one of the most famous

Indian Buddhist saints, and lived in
the fourth century. He went to the
mountains to do a solitary retreat,
concentrating all his meditation
practice on the Buddha Maitreya, in
the fervent hope that he would be
blessed with a vision of this Buddha
and receive teachings from him.

- Asaga was born as the son of a

Katriya fatherandBrahminmother
in
Puruapura(present
day
PeshawarinPakistan), which at
that time was part of the ancient
kingdom ofGandhra.
- Asaga spent many years in
serious meditation, during which
time tradition says that he often
visitedTuitaHeaven
to
receive
teachings fromMaitreyaBodhisattva
.

ASANGA- discusses a
range of issues that relate
to different kinds of
personality types. One
classification of seven
types is based on the
degree to which an
individual may be
susceptible to any of five
mental afflictions.

They are described as:

(1)one who has a strong tendency
to develop desire;
(2)one who has a strong tendency
to develop hatred;
(3)one who has a strong tendency
to develop ignorance;

(4) one who has a strong tendency

to develop pride;
(5) one who has a strong tendency
to develop discursive thoughts;
(6) one who is equally [but only
moderately] disposed [to all the
mental afflictions]; and
(7) one whose mental afflictions
are weak.

The first five types are said to be

individuals who, because they
indulged in one of the five named
mental afflictions extensively and
habitually in past lives, will develop
that fault in an intense and longlasting
form
whenever
they
encounter objects that have the
potential to evoke it.