8.2.3 Buddhism and consciousness.

The idea of consciousness was further developed by other Buddhist scholars that followed Buddha, in particular Vasubandhu who lived in the fourth century BC. In his writings consciousness consisted of a total of eight components some of which are conscious and others unconscious. Corresponding to the fundamental sensory components of the human body there is a consciousness related to seeing, tasting, smelling, hearing and touching. The five sense consciousnesses are integrated allowing people to know, to conceive and to judge through perceptual and cognitive processing. The mind is the locus (however temporary) of complex cognition based on the information processed at the previous sensory levels. The cognition of the mind is what gives rise to the ego or subjective knower. In the process of personal awareness the mistaken and delusionary idea of a separate inner perceiver arises, that in turn deranges the other forms of consciousness and produces dysfunction and suffering (we shall discuss again the “hard” problem of the knowing self in the next chapter). In addition Buddhist thought also allow for unconsciousness as a storehouse of information derived from the other forms of consciousness (Epstein, 1995). Some have likened the unconsciousness to a living stream that flows continuously and in the process refreshes and renews itself. Unconsciousness creates all the possibilities in thinking, but by conscious efforts we allow perspectives like compassion to become more dominant. Being aware and conscious of one’s thoughts and pursuing “right “thinking is important in developing healthy mental habits and improving well-being.

8.2.4 Buddhism as a therapeutic approach.

The basic aim of Buddhist psychology is to eliminate or ameliorate unnecessary suffering produced by the delusion of the separate self. In that respect it is very different from Western psychology that seeks to address personal dysfunctions in order to produce a more balanced and autonomous self. Whereas Western psychology contribute toward the alleviation of behavioral or psychological disorders deemed abnormal, Buddhist psychology offers ideas for normal people who suffer from the delusion of being separated from other people, the cultural context and the natural environment. The results of the delusion of the separate self are negative behaviors that become the source of unhappiness and estrangement including greed, selfishness, helplessness and existential anxiety. In Buddhism the therapeutic attempt is geared toward creating an understanding of self-based delusion and attempting to replace it with a more healthy psychological perspective of being connected to all in the universe. This interconnectedness and resulting selflessness liberates the individual from the suffering that is part of temporary human existence. The awareness of being interconnected to all produces more compassionate behavior and removes the suffering derived from feelings of impermanence since all happenings are just temporary aspects of an ever-changing reality (Wegela, 2009; Zhang, 2006). In particular meditation offer a path toward more serenity and tranquility as the person comes to perceive and accept the interconnectedness of all reality.