How this paper is written
The research findings presented in this paper are in response to the urgent need to come up with a successful psychotherapy, based on the original teachings of the Buddha. The original teachings of the Buddha are found in the earliest recordings, carried by rote in the form of the Pali Suttapitaka. Fortunately, the Theravada(1) school of Buddhism seems to have preserved at least some of the original teachings, even though this school may not have paid adequate attention to them. This school laid more emphasis on the texts called the Abhidhamma, which was only an interpretation of the teachings according to a particular school, rather than the original teachings of the Buddha.
In this paper,(2) we shall discuss at first the basic psychological problem experienced by all human beings, as seen by Sigmund Freud, the father of modern psychotherapy. We shall then compare this with the description of the fundamental problem of human existence given by the Buddha. We shall also discuss the problem of existence as seen by Charles Darwin, when he formulated the theory of evolution. We shall see how these three descriptions wonderfully complement one another. Then we shall examine how Freud attempted to solve this problem, and how he lamented about the imperfections of his method. This will be followed by a description of the method used by the Buddha and the reason for its success in transforming individuals. We shall also dwell on the method adapted by the Buddha to go beyond the goal of Freud. Freud’s main concern was to help his patients, suffering from abnormal conditions of health, to return to normal. The Buddha on the other hand, was interested in helping normal people to overcome their normal worries and anxieties, including the fear of death; and in doing so, he discovered a supernormal state of perfect mental health and happiness, through a process of evolution of the human consciousness. We shall also discuss this process of human evolution in relation to Darwin’s biological theory of evolution, and refer the culmination of this evolutionary process in the evolution of the human consciousness to the point where the evolutionary process stops. This concern of the Buddha in transforming the normal to a “supernormal mental health” may be judged from modern standards as too farfetched. Yet an examination of the Buddha’s methods and his findings may open the eyes of those who are puzzled by the psychotherapeutic problems of the modern day.
(1) Theravada is the earliest school of Buddhism known to modern historians. It is the form of Buddhism found today in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, and Cambodia.
(2) This research paper was developed during a period of residency, from December 2000 to August 2001, at the Hsi Lai University in Los Angeles. The author was provided a secluded environment in which to organize and present the findings of his research that had lasted more than fifty years. The author had prepared for this task by studying modern science, Eastern and Western psychology and philosophy, before making a thorough theoretical study and a practical testing of the original teachings of the Buddha.