BSTC 2006

Buddhist Psychology and Mental Cultivation

Lecture Notes 1

Dhamma & Psychology

G.A. Somaratne
Centre of Buddhist Studies, The University of Hong Kong
1 September 2020
We will discuss
• In what sense, the Dhamma (the
Buddha’s teaching) can be considered a
psychology?
• What is right view and how does it
guide us learn Buddhist psychology?
• Where can we find the Dhamma?
• What are the benefits of learning the
Dhamma?
• What is correct way of thinking?
• Is theory alone enough?
G.A. Somaratne, Buddhist Psychology & Mental Cultivation
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• It presents a thorough discussions on mind, cognitive
process, emotions, personality development, mind and
behaviour, conditionality of suffering, cessation of
suffering, and maintaining a healthy and happy mind
• Knowledge of the Dhamma
• learning of the Dhamma correctly, progressively, honestly
• Paying wise attention
• In the scriptures, texts
• Ability to maintain a balanced mind in the face of old age,
death, and changing worldly conditions
• Thinking that follows the laws of thought
• Theory must be followed or accompanied by practice;
• Understanding the Dhamma must be followed by
experiencing the Dhamma
Notes 1
Mind (SN 22.100 (S.III.151-2)
• Mind designs “Even that picture called ‘Faring On’ has been designed in its diversity
• Mind is diverse by the mind, yet the mind is even more diverse than that picture
called ‘Faring On.’”
• Mind creates “Monks, I do not see any other order of living beings so diversified as
• Mind diversifies those in the animal realm.
Even those beings in the animal realm have been diversified by the
mind, yet the mind is even more diverse than those beings in the
animal realm.”
• Defilements “Therefore, monks, one should often reflect upon one’s own mind
defile the mind thus:
• Mind gives
identity to
‘For a long time this mind has been defiled by lust, hatred, and
individuals delusion.’
Through the defilements of the mind beings are defiled; with the
cleansing of the mind beings are purified.”
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Notes 1
 Mind configures behaviour (S.IV.251)

Greed, • The roots of unwholesome

hatred, behaviour/actions
delusion • Their complete destruction = nibbāna

Non-greed (generosity; non- • The roots of wholesome actions

attachment),
non-hatred (lovingkindness;
compassion),
non-delusion (wisdom; clear seeing of
the nature of life; the absence of
delusion or misorientation)

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Notes 1
 Mano-pubbaṅgamā dhammā Mano-seṭṭhā
Mind is the fore-runner of Mind is the chief of mind-
mind-objects objects

Mind is primary, not matter

Mano-mayā Matter has no effect on the

Mind-made are the mind- supramundane
objects concentration
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Notes 1
Citta Mind, Consciousness

• Act of cognizing; activity or process of cognizing or knowing an object

• It is the forerunner of the mental factors; it presides over the mental
factors; is accompanied by mental factors.
• It cannot arise alone, in the complete absence of mental factors and
material phenomena.

• Abhidhamma counts 89 or 121 cittas; 52 mental factors

• Cognitive process is a series of cittas, momentary acts of consciousness,
occurring in such rapid succession that we cannot detect the discrete
occasions, which are of diverse types.

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Notes 1
 38 mental factors accompany the first type of the 19 Mental factors accompany the first type of
sensual sphere wholesome citta unwholesome citta rooted in greed
• Contact, Feeling, Perception, Volition, One- • Contact, Feeling, Perception, Volition, One-
pointedness, Life faculty, Attention pointedness, Life faculty, Attention
• Initial application, Sustained application, • Initial application, Sustained application,
Decision, Zest, Desire, Decision, Energy, Zest, Desire,
• Faith, Mindfulness, Shame, Fear of wrongdoing, • Delusion, Shamelessness, Fearlessness of
Non-greed, Non-hatred, Neutrality of mind, wrong, Restlessness,
Tranquillity of the (mental) body, Tranquillity of • Greed,
consciousness, Malleability of the (mental) • Wrong view
body, Malleability of consciousness, Wieldiness
of the (mental) body, Wieldiness of
consciousness, Proficiency of the (mental) body,
Proficiency of consciousness, Rectitude of the
(mental) body, Rectitude of consciousness,
• Right speech, Right action, Right livelihood,
• Compassion, Appreciative joy
• Wisdom

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Notes 1
 Conditions for an eye-door
process: eye-sensitivity, visible
Eye-door process (one type object, light, attention

of cognitive process)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Stream of Past Vibrational Arrest Five-door Eye- Receiving Investigating Determining Javana
Bhavanga Bhavanga Bhavanga Bhavanga adverting consciousn
ess

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***

Javana Javana Javana Javana Javana Javana Registration Registration Stream of
Bhavanga

Each mind-moment consists of three sub-moments: arising, presence, and dissolution; Matter (sense object and the sensitive matter of the sense
organ) lasts only 17 mind-moments
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Notes 1
 Anxiety

Worry Fear

Agitation Suffering Despair

Grief Sorrow

Disappointment

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Meaning of Dhamma
• The Buddha’s teaching
Dhamma • The Four Noble Truths

• Nature of things
• Universal nature of
particular things
dhamma • Things, phenomena,
percept, particular
things
• Quality

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 Knowledge
of the
Dhamma Knowledge
Right of the Four
view Noble
Truths

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Importance of learning things rightly

Wrong view (have learned things To develop right view = unlearn the
wrong) = clinging to a “my” view wrong view and learn the right view

Avoid wasting time

(If the aiming is wrong, the arrow will not reach the target)

Right view (have learned things

Unlearning “my” view > antipathy
right)

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Why urgency? Life is short
36000 days
The Araka Sutta
(12000 days of Winter, 12000 days of
(AN.7.74; AN.IV.137-9)
Summer, 12000 days of Rains)

Lifespan = 100 years

The shortness of lifespan is compared

Practice the Dhamma with a sense of
to a line drawn on the water with a
urgency
stick (as it arises, it vanishes)

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Learn the Buddha’s teaching correctly
Text, discourse

Progressive Wise attention

Do I still suffer?
Checking the Am I happy?
progress
Am I healthy?
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Right view is the only view that takes us to the cessation of
suffering
Right view

Seeing things
The Buddha’s
as they truly
teaching
are

Knowledge of Knowledge of
Dependent the Four
Co-arising Noble Truths

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Two kinds of illness/ suffering
“People are found who can claim
to enjoy physical health for … many
years. But apart from those who
Physical Mental have destroyed the defiling mental
surges (āsavā), it is hard to find
illness illness people who can claim to enjoy
mental health even for a moment.”
[AN 4.157 (A.II.142-3)].

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 • To learn to maintain a healthy mind
A goal of Buddhist
Psychology even at old age (throughout one’s
life)

• Sick in mind
As we grow old
• Sick in body

“So it is, householder, so it is! This body of yours is afflicted, weighed down,
encumbered. If anyone carrying around this body were to claim to be healthy
even for a moment, what is that due to other than foolishness? Therefore,
householder, you should train yourself thus: ‘Though my body is sick, the mind
shall not be sick’.” [SN 22.1 (S.III.1)]

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The stability of Ignorance obstructs right view

Ignorance • Non-knowledge of the Four Noble Truths

Right View • Knowledge of the Four Noble Truths

• Ignorance > Suffering

• Knowledge > Cessation of suffering

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 The Buddha teaches only what is beneficial and relevant to
achieve cessation of suffering
 Picking up few leaves from a grove, the Buddha asks his disciples:
“What do you think, which is more numerous: these few leaves in my
hand or those in the grove overhead?”
 “Sir, the leaves in your hand are few, but those in the grove overhead
are numerous.”
 “So too, monks, the things I have directly known but have not taught
you are numerous, while the things I have taught you are few. Why
have I not taught those many things? Because they are unbeneficial,
irrelevant to the fundamentals of the holy life; they do not lead to
revulsion, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to
enlightenment, to Nibbāna. Therefore I have not taught them.” [SN
56.31 (S.V.437-8)]
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 Exert to understand the Four Noble Truths

“What have I taught? I have taught: ‘This is suffering (dukkha)’; ‘This is

the arising of suffering’; ‘This is the cessation of suffering’; ‘This is the
way leading to the cessation of suffering.’
Why have I taught this? Because this is beneficial, relevant to the
fundamentals of the holy life; this leads to revulsion … to Nibbāna.
Therefore, I have taught this.”
“Therefore, monks, an exertion should be made to understand: ‘This is
suffering.’ ‘This is the arising of suffering’; ‘This is the cessation of
suffering’; ‘This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering.’” [SN
56.31 (S.V.437-8)]

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1
 Explanations
and analyses

A body of
Wise attention
instructions

Texts

The Buddha’s
Interpretation
teaching

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How to attain the cessation of suffering?

Experience the
Understand Reach the Follow the
cessation of
and see path path
suffering

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Benefits of understanding and seeing Contentment

Feeling of
• Ability to meet one’s death mindfully genuine
• Ability to remain unmoved, in the face of possible death strength
death • “Monks, a monk should meet his end mindful and aware. This is our
admonition to you.” [SN 47.35 (S.V.180)]

Ability to face old age without grumbling about it openly or

secretly
Old age Ability to go through old age while understanding old age

• Ability to maintain equilibrium in the face of eight worldly conditions

Worldly
• Ability to understand the eight worldly conditions as they really are:
conditions impermanent, subject to change

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Eight worldly conditions

Gain and Fame and

Loss Disrepute

Praise
Pleasure
and
and Pain
Blame

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Uninstructed worldly person

Gain > Elated (like)

Lacks Mental fetter >
understanding Loss > Dejected Suffering
(dislike)

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Instructed disciple [AN.IV.157-158 (8.6)]

Neither elated by Given up likes and

Understands gain nor dejected dislikes > free
by loss from suffering

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To understand and see, one must adhere to
three things

Pay wise attention to Seek the meaning of

Think properly/
what is being the Dhamma in one’s
wisely
said/read own experience

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Thinking that edifies
Be a whole, all-of-a-piece; a single, articulated, consistent whole (no
one part can be modified without affecting the rest)
“Only the truth that edifies is truth for you” (Kierkegaard)
Not contradict the laws of thought (the laws by which or in
accordance with which valid thought proceeds)
The law of identity: if anything is A, it is A.
The law of contradiction: Nothing can be both A and not A.
The law of the excluded middle: Anything must be either A or not A.

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 Who sees Correctness in the ideas will not
everything else come at the outset. That can,
depends on it and will come, only later. But to
Who goes on In whom begin with, one is thinking in the
arguing a point communication right manner.
until the matter of truth that
“Just as, Pahārāda, the great
is clear to edifies takes
ocean slants, slopes, and inclines
him/her place gradually, not dropping off
abruptly, so too, in this Dhamma
Rightly and discipline penetration to
final knowledge occurs by
thinking gradual training, gradual activity,
person and gradual practice, not
abruptly.” [AN 8.19 (A.IV.201–2)]

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The wrong and the correct ways of
understanding the spoken/written word
The wrong • One tries to understand the spoken/written word by assuming:
way comes The thoughts that the words have presently called up in the
under
unwise listener’s/reader’s mind are just the same thoughts that caused
attention the words to be said or written originally

The correct • The listener/reader gets at the thoughts that

way comes
under wise made the words in question to be said or
attention written.

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Two Conditions [M.I.294]
Another’s utterance = utterance of
the Buddha as recorded in texts

Wrong Right
view view
arises Another’s arises Another’s
utterance utterance

Unwise Wise
attention attention
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The Dhamma [MN 22 Alagaddūpama Sutta (M.I.133-4)]

Wrongly understood • Harm and suffering

because of not
examining the meaning • Like grasping a snake wrongly
with wisdom

Rightly understood • Wellbeing and happiness

because of examining
the meaning with • Like grasping a snake rightly
wisdom
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Seek the meaning of the teaching in one’s
own experience, gradually [MN 95 (M.II.176)]
• Preserving the truth
Step 1 • To believe to be the truth

• Awakening to or understanding the truth

Step 2 • To see and understand the truth

• Attaining to or experiencing the truth

Step 3 • To seek and test the meaning in one’s own experience

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To understand a thing rightly
To get rid of a thing, one
• To be • To be must see and understand it
thoroughly abandoned rightly.
understood
To see and understand a
thing rightly, four aspects
Arising of have to be seen:
Suffering
suffering
1. What it is
2. Its arising
3. Its cessation
Path Cessation 4. The path leading to its
leading to of cessation
the
cessation of suffering
• To be suffering • To be
developed realized

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“Monks, whatever a monk thinks and ponders much of, towards
that there is inclination in his mind.” [MN 19 Dvedhāvitakka Sutta (M.I.115)]

• Attenuates the thing concerned (jealousy, envy,

Seeing and hate)
• The more one sees the more suffering gets
understanding the attenuated
thing • Full understanding = Complete extinction of
suffering

• Keeps mentally dwelling on it

Abiding in the thing • Maintains it, makes it grow

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Understanding will take place once we have fulfilled the conditions

“Suppose, monks, a hen has eight, ten or twelve eggs, but she does not sit
on them sufficiently long and they are not well warmed, not developed
enough for hatching. Although that hen may wish, ‘Oh, that my chicks
might break the egg shells with their claws and beaks and emerge safely!,’
yet these chicks will not be able to do so. For what reason? Because the
hen did not sit on the eggs sufficiently long, so that they are not well
warmed and developed enough for hatching.

Similarly is it with a disciple who has not applied himself to the meditative
development, even though he may wish, ‘Oh, that my mind might be freed
from the taints by non-clinging!,’ yet his mind will not be freed.” [AN 7.71
(M.IV.125-6)]
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Summary
The Buddhist Psychology studies the true nature of things from the
perspective of the Buddha’s teaching.

It teaches theory (= Dhamma/Psychology) and practice (= Mental

Cultivation).

The goal of Buddhist Psychology is to understand human predicament

and make an end to it (suffering = unpleasant mental pain).

Suffering is a feeling; a personal matter. It must be tackled subjectively,

not objectively. One must study and experiment oneself, making one’s
own life the testing lab and making one’s own mind and mental factors
the testing tools.

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