Why is the study of Buddhist psychology so important and beneficial? First of all, it offers a deep understanding of the causes of our suffering. Buddha taught the Four Noble Truths, which begin with the recognition of the existence of suffering (dukkha). But Buddhism does not stop at stating facts. It offers a path to liberation from this suffering by pointing to its roots – our grasping, desires and ignorance. As the Dalai Lama said: "The root of suffering is ignorance." Understanding this relationship gives us the opportunity to look at our problems from a new angle and begin to work on their true causes.

Buddhist psychology provides not only theoretical knowledge, but also practical tools for working with the mind. Meditation, mindfulness, compassion – these practices, which are actively used in Western psychotherapy today, have deep roots in the Buddhist tradition. They help us develop mindfulness, calm the mind, reduce stress and anxiety, and strengthen our emotional stability.

For whom is Buddhist psychology intended? The answer is simple: for everyone who strives for inner peace, happiness and well-being. It will be useful for professional psychologists and psychotherapists who are looking for new approaches and methods of working with clients. It will be of interest to mental health professionals seeking a deeper understanding of the human psyche. And, of course, it will be valuable for a wide range of readers interested in Buddhism, psychology and philosophy, for those who are looking for answers to eternal questions about the meaning of life and the nature of consciousness.

In today's world, where external stimuli are constantly bombarding us and the pace of life is steadily accelerating, Buddhist psychology offers an island of calm and wisdom. It reminds us of the importance of inner peace, the need to develop awareness and compassion, and the fact that true happiness does not depend on external circumstances, but is within us.

I will give an example from life. Imagine a person who is constantly anxious and worried. He tries to control everything around him, but this only increases his suffering. In Buddhist psychology we find the doctrine of impermanence (anitya). Everything in this world is constantly changing, and trying to hold on to what is unstoppable is doomed to failure and suffering. Accepting this truth, understanding that anxiety and worry are also transient, can be the first step to liberation.

Or consider the parable of the arrow. The Buddha taught that when we are struck by the arrow of suffering, we often pierce ourselves with a second arrow – the arrow of anger, resentment, self-flagellation. Buddhist psychology teaches us not to pierce this second arrow, but instead to focus on healing the wound, understanding the causes of suffering, and developing compassion for ourselves and others.

In Western psychology, we often talk about the importance of cognitive behavioral therapy in helping to change negative thoughts and behaviors. Buddhist psychology offers a similar approach, but with a deeper emphasis on mindfulness and acceptance. Instead of fighting negative thoughts, we learn to observe them without judgment, understanding that they are only temporary phenomena and not a reflection of our true selves.

As the sage Patrul Rinpoche said, "If you can't change the situation, change your attitude towards it." This statement perfectly illustrates one of the key principles of Buddhist psychology – the ability to find inner peace and balance even in the most difficult circumstances.

Buddhist psychology is not just a theory, it is a practical guide to life that can help us find inner harmony, overcome suffering, and reach our potential. It is a journey to yourself, to understanding the deep workings of your mind, and to discovering the source of true happiness that is always within us. I invite you to this fascinating journey, where ancient wisdom meets modern needs, and where everyone can find a way to a more conscious, happy and fulfilling life.

Chapter 1. Buddhist psychology (Tib. blo rigs)

Why study the mind?

Like a traveler lost in a thick forest, we often wander in the labyrinths of our own mind, not understanding its nature and power. But why should we embark on this journey within ourselves, into this mysterious world of thoughts and feelings? Imagine a wise helmsman, confidently leading a ship through turbulent waves. In the same way, our mind is the steering wheel of our life. Our every word, every action, every thought – all this is subject to his commands. Whether it is joy that illuminates our path or sadness that darkens our horizon, it is the mind that colors our experiences and determines our reaction to the world.

The ancient wisdom imprinted in the Buddhist canon "Dhammapada", like an echo of centuries, conveys the truth to us:

"The mind is the master, the mind is the creator, all thoughts are its children. If anyone speaks and acts with an evil mind, Suffering follows him like a wheel follows the hoof of an ox. The mind is the master, the mind is the creator, all thoughts are its children. If anyone speaks and acts with a pure mind, Happiness follows him like a shadow, relentlessly."

This metaphor, like a vivid picture, draws before us the connection between our thoughts and our fate. Imagine an ox-drawn cart. Wherever the ox goes, the cart follows him relentlessly. In the same way, our sufferings or joys are inextricably linked with the quality of our thoughts.

The great Buddhist scholar Acharya Vasubandhu, like a skilled jeweler, reveals the mystery of the universe in his work "Abhidharmakosa", saying that all the diversity of our world arises from our actions, and actions, in turn, are generated by intentions. Intention is an internal command, a mental impulse that sets in motion a chain of our actions.

"From deeds is born the diversity of worlds. This is the intention created by him. Intention is a mental act, and bodily and verbal acts are performed by it."

In the hustle and bustle of modern life, we often see how a person obsessed with the pursuit of material goods experiences only anxiety and dissatisfaction. His mind, like an insatiable beast, constantly demands more, generating thoughts of lack and fear. And, as a result, he reaps the fruits of stress and unhappiness. The other, who devotes himself to helping others, experiences a deep sense of satisfaction and joy. His mind, like fertile soil, cultivates compassion and the desire to do good.

Acharya Chandrakirti, like a wise seer, goes even deeper in his Madhyamaka-avatara, asserting that our very consciousness creates both the world of sentient beings and the world around us.

"Consciousness creates very diverse Worlds of living beings and Worlds of vessels. It is said that all beings are born through action – karma. Having rejected consciousness, we have no action – karma."

Everything we see and feel is a reflection of the workings of our minds. It is said that all beings are born through their actions, their karma. But if we give up consciousness, then there will be no karma itself.

Imagine an artist who, with the help of a brush and paints, creates an entire universe on canvas. Our mind is a brush, and our thoughts and intentions are paints. What picture do we paint with our life?

In a meeting with Western scholars in 1991, His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama emphasized, like a wise teacher:

"There are two main reasons why it is important to understand the nature of the mind. First, there is a fundamental connection between the mind and karma, our actions. Second, the state of our mind plays a crucial role in how we experience happiness and suffering."

This wisdom, like a jewel, is especially relevant in our rapidly changing world. We often look for happiness in external things, forgetting that the true source of joy and peace is within us, in our own minds.

To understand this truth more deeply, imagine the parable of two monks who met a woman who did not dare to cross a turbulent river. One monk, without saying a word, carried her to the other side. The second monk, who followed him in silence, after a while broke down and asked, "Brother, are we not forbidden to touch women?" The first monk replied, "I left this woman on the bank of the river a few hours ago. And you seem to be carrying it to this day."

This parable, like a mirror, reflects how our minds can cling to impressions and thoughts, even when events have long passed. And it is this clinging that often becomes the source of our suffering.

Therefore, the study of the mind is not just an academic exercise, but an urgent necessity in order to learn how to manage our lives, to free ourselves from the shackles of suffering and to find true happiness. Just as a gardener tends his garden by pulling weeds and watering flowers, we can learn to purify and transform our minds in order to cultivate virtues and wisdom that lead to awakening. But every step of the way brings us closer to understanding ourselves and to living a more harmonious and happy life.

Definition and Nature of Mind

So, we have found out that the study of the mind is like a key that opens the door to understanding ourselves and the world around us. But what is the mind? How to identify this elusive entity? In Buddhist psychology, the mind, or consciousness, is described as having two key characteristics, like the two wings of a bird: clarity and the ability to know.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama, like a wise teacher, explains this inner connection very figuratively:

"Knowing nature, or knowing agent… is called the mind, and it is immaterial… Cognitive acts have the nature of knowledge because of the basic nature of clarity, which underlies all cognitive acts. This is… the basic nature of the mind, clear light."

Imagine a pure, transparent crystal. It has clarity – you can see through it, as if through an unclouded spring. And at the same time, he is able to reflect light and images like a mirror – he has the ability to know. Our mind is like this crystal. It is clear in nature, which allows us to be aware of and perceive the world around us, like a window open to reality. And he has the ability to know – to see, to hear, to feel, to think, like a sensitive instrument that registers all impressions.

The Dalai Lama, like a poet, calls this basic nature of the mind "clear light." This is a very beautiful metaphor. Imagine a cloudless night sky strewn with stars. The sky itself is clear, and the stars are the objects of our cognition. The light emanating from the stars becomes visible through this clarity.

In the Buddhist tradition, different terms are used to refer to the mind, like different facets of the same gem. In Sanskrit, the word is citta, and in Tibetan, it is sems. These words encompass a wide range of mental activities, from the simplest sensations to the most complex intellectual processes.

In order to better understand how our minds work, Buddhist psychology, like a skilled cartographer, offers different classifications of mental activities. One of the main ones is the sevenfold division of types of perception, which is as if we divide all the ways in which our minds interact with the world into seven main categories.

Imagine how we perceive the world through our five senses: sight, like a window through which we see the colors of the world; hearing is like an instrument that catches the sounds of life; the sense of smell, like an invisible thread that connects us with aromas; Taste, like the palette of sensations on the tongue; and touch, like touching reality. These are five of the seven parts. The sixth part is our mental perception, like the inner voice that generates thoughts and ideas. The seventh part is our consciousness, like the conductor of an orchestra, combining all these types of perceptions into a single stream of experience.

This division, like the anatomy of the mind, helps us understand that our mind is not just a homogeneous mass, but a complex system consisting of various aspects, each of which plays a different role in our perception of reality.

Remember how you look at the picture. Your eyes (vision) perceive colors and shapes like a painter capturing details. At the same time, you can hear sounds around you (hearing), like a melody accompanying a visual image. Thoughts and associations associated with this picture (mental perception) arise in your mind, like an internal dialogue interpreting what you see. And all these sensations and thoughts come together in your mind, like threads weaving into a tapestry, creating your holistic experience of this moment.

Exploring these different aspects of the mind, like diving into the depths of the ocean, allows us to better understand how our thoughts and emotions arise, how we form our view of the world, and how we react to different situations. This is the first step on the way to learning to control your mind like a rider bridling a wild steed, and to live more consciously and happily.

The Sevenfold Division of Types of Perception (Tib. blo rigs bdun)

Now let's dive deeper into these seven facets of our perception, as if in the seven rooms of our minds, each of which reveals its own way of knowing the world.

Direct perception (Skt. pratyakṣa; Tib. mngon sum):

It's like a first look at the world, pure and unclouded by thoughts. Imagine looking at a bright red flower. At that moment, there are no judgments, no comparisons, just a pure visual sensation of the red color and shape of the flower. This is direct perception – pure sensory experience, free from conceptual layers.

Example: Imagine that you are drinking hot tea. The moment the liquid touches your tongue, you feel warmth and taste. This is pure, immediate perception – a feeling of warmth and sweetness without the admixture of thoughts about whether this tea is good, how much it costs or who made it.

Parable: Once a man who was blind from birth asked a sighted man: "What is white?" The sighted man tried to explain, comparing white with snow, with clouds, with swan down. But the blind man did not understand. Then the sighted man took a shell in his hands and gave it to the blind man to touch, saying: "White is like this smooth, hard surface." What is the color white. But he knew only the sensation of touch, and not the visual experience of whiteness itself. This parable, like a mirror, reflects how difficult it is to convey direct sensory experience through concepts.

Inference (Skt. anumāna; Tib. rjes dpag):

This kind of cognition, like a wise detective, is based on logic and reasoning. Imagine that you see smoke rising from behind a hill. You do not see the fire itself, but from your experience and knowledge that smoke usually accompanies a fire, you conclude that there is a fire burning behind the hill. Inference is the ability of our mind to draw conclusions based on available facts and logical connections.

Example: