The significance of Buddhist psychology in achieving the religious goal of Buddhism

Ching

The Buddha taught only two things, namely suffering and its cessation. Since the Buddhist believe that the world of experience is activated and led by the mind, it is necessary to understand how the mind works in order to contemplate suffering. Through developing the mind by knowing its nature, the mind can be liberated and nirvana is attained. Thus, Buddhist psychology – the analysis of the mind – is necessary for the religious goal of Buddhism, that is, the cessation of suffering.

One significant feature of Buddhist psychology is its analysis of the mind without posing the notion of a soul or self. In fact, Buddhist psychology tells that suffering is caused by the illusory “I-notion,” which is manifested during the perceptual process of the mind. In order to end suffering, such an illusion must be realized and discarded.

While understanding the mind is essential for knowing both suffering and its way out, the mind is neither considered as the ultimate reality nor as an independent entity. It cannot exist by itself. Its existence must depend on something else. In Buddhist psychology, there are three basic principles concerning the dependent and conditional nature of consciousness.

Firstly, the arising of consciousness always depends on two phenomena – the sense organ and its corresponding sense object – without either of which consciousness does not occur. Since both phenomena are impermanent and transient in nature, the resultant consciousness, which is conditioned by them, is also impermanent and transient.

Secondly, while consciousness arises in dependence on the sense organ and the sense object, its arising is not in isolation. It has no individual existence, but always exists in conjunction with the other four aggregates of corporeality, feeling, perception and mental formations.

Finally, consciousness and nāma-rūpa are mutually dependent upon each other. Nāma consists of five mental factors, which are sensory contact, feeling, perception, volition and attention. Rūpa, on the other hand, refers to the four primary elements of matter – earth (solidity), water (cohesion), fire (heat) and air (motion) – as well as the secondary phenomena dependent on these elements. While rūpa is a physical state and both consciousness and nāma are mental states, they are not separate existences, but constantly interact with each other.

As shown in the three principles above, consciousness is not an independent self-entity. It depends on and coexists with other conditions. Thus, Buddhism states that the mind is neither identical to nor separate from the body as asserted by the monistic theory and the dualistic theory respectively. Furthermore, the state of the body would affect one’s spiritual growth, which can be seen in the giving up of the ascetic practice by the Buddha in his attainment of nirvana. Hence, physical states can have an impact on mental states. In the same way, the mind also constantly affects the body. Since speech and physical behaviors are always led by the mind, the body can “make known a thought.”(Note 1) Therefore, mental states and physical states are neither separate entities nor reducible to one. They are in a reciprocal relationship.

The perceptual process of the mind, which can be divided into six stages, reveals the nature of suffering. The process starts with consciousness, which resulted from the combination of the sense organ and its object. At this first stage, what has arisen is not “full conscious knowledge” but just “bare sensation,” which is referred to as “mere seeing.”(Note 2)

At the conjunction of the sense organ, the sense object and the sense consciousness, there arises sensory contact. And because of sensory contact, feeling arises. Although there is feeling, the object only “stirs to provide elementary excitation of the sense organ.” Here, the illusory “I-notion” emerges, which has been buried deep inside the mind.(Note 3)

Depending on feeling arises perception. It is at this stage that one really starts “to feel and the recognition of the object becomes more pronounced and defined.” The “I-notion” emerged at the previous stage now crystallizes and becomes refined.(Note 4)

Because of perception, there arises investigation. At this fifth stage, the “thinking” process starts, in which one interprets the perceived object and tries to match it with previous experiences. When the outcome of the matching process is not satisfactory, different alternatives will come up. The application of label and concept to the object is initiated.(Note 5)

Depending on investigation, there arises conceptual proliferation. The term papanca, which means expansion, differentiation and manifoldness, is used for this last stage of the perceptual process . Hence, once an object is perceived, it is spontaneously followed by the tendency of the mind to proliferate ideas. The concept initially formed at the previous stage now expands and becomes manifold. Through reasoning and rationalization, these multiplied concepts are converted into true existences and perceived as “permanent entities.” The “I-notion” becomes firmly established.(Note 6)

As a result, one is overwhelmed by memories of similar past events, related current experiences and future expectations in regard to the perceived object. The object thus is not seen as it truly is. It becomes distorted due to the diverse proliferation of thoughts. One is then assailed by concepts and linguistic conventions. Therefore, one becomes the victim of one’s own thoughts and hence suffers.(Note 7)   

The perceptual process thus shows that suffering is not caused by the perceived object but concepts, which are generated due to the mind’s inclination to proliferate. Therefore, in order to understand the nature of suffering, it is necessary to know how the mind works. By recognizing the emergence and formation of the delusory “I-notion” at different stages, one is able to develop the mind. And when such a delusion is realized, the ego exists no more. The mind is then liberated and suffering ceases – the ultimate goal of Buddhism is thus accomplished.