Rev. Mimmo Gasbarri,
Taipei, Taiwan
Acknowledgments
Firstly, I’d like to thank ULC Seminary for making all these wonderful courses available to the true seeker. And, as this is tantamount to an “acknowledgments” page, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my wife for her constant support in all my studies; to my brother whose “be yourself” philosophy of life has left its impression upon me; and to my mother who is a true woman of spirituality, kindness and compassion yet without realizing she is such.
Disclaimer
As a disclaimer I must state that this paper should not be construed as any sort of medical advice; I cannot advise anyone as I am not a qualified medical practitioner. I am, on the other hand, a certified hypnotherapist, a meridian psychotherapist and metaphysical practitioner (certified by the University of Metaphysics).
Foreword
This course of study in Buddhism has been a very comprehensive journey and I am glad to have been a part of if. Although I’ve been living in Asia for over 25 years and more or less immersed in an atmosphere of Buddhist and Daoist thought, this course had just the right blend of academism and practical philosophy that I needed to become more of a well-rounded student of Fo-Xue, often translated as “Buddhiology”. I especially appreciated the lessons that compared and contrasted Buddhism with Hinduism and Daoism. Well done!
My aim in this present paper is to touch upon the application of Buddhist Thought or Principles to health and wellbeing. We all know that there are usually two main venues open to us when seeking help with health-related problems, particularly those of mental origin. One is orthodox medicine (offering somatic therapy, psychodynamic therapy, behavioural therapy, prescription drugs, and so on) the other is religious counselling. This brief paper will hopefully serve as an introduction to another complementary venue; that of using or applying Dharmic concepts to life’s problems. Please note that this is just an introduction; for readers who may want to explore the field of Buddhist Medicine or Buddhism as Psychotherapy further, I recommend they do a web search under those key words.
Psycho-Spiritual Wellness through Buddhist Thought
Before getting to the crux of my paper I just want to say that the information contained in this Masters degree course in Buddhism offered through ULC Seminary is very comprehensive and if read thoughtfully and put into practice by the conscientious student its message will be quite sufficient to return anyone to a state of mental and physical harmony. Chapter nine focuses on the meditative practice of Buddhism and is well worth re-reading. Chapter ten gives a more accurate and complete account of Karma than I have read elsewhere. Following the concepts laid out in this chapter will take one far on the path towards psycho-spiritual wellness.
There is a very important concept contained in one of the lessons. It comes from the Lotus Sutra and the gist of it says that one can never become totally enlightened (i.e. attain ultimate liberation) until we all do. According to the Mahayana School a devotee wishing to enter Nirvana (Pali: Nibbana) must first make a pledge that even if he’s qualified he will not enter unless and until he has saved all suffering humanity [1]. Relative to this idea we have the Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra [2] again of the Mahayana system, which centers on the meaning of nonduality and profoundly expounds upon the concept of emptiness. It is a veritable treasure-trove of philosophical thought and is not without a touch of humor. The pertinent bit of philosophy that I speak of is summed up in this event found in the sutra: Vimalakirti is taken ill (purposefully manifested) and the Buddha asks various pupils to visit him and inquire after his health. Vimalakirti apparently is a great debater and an outspoken pundit of Dharma and Buddhist principles. Each bodhisattva that Buddha asks, however, respectfully declines to visit Vimalakirti for fear of being engaged in Vimalakirti’s well-known liberative technique which always leaves them speechless and perhaps even embarrassed. Finally, and albeit reluctantly, Manjusri assents to the Buddha’s request and ventures off. He visits Vimalakirti and asks about his illness; and a long discourse follows, the essence of it can be summed up thusly (taken from D.T. Suzuki’s translation [3]: “…I am ill because all beings are ill. My illness is curable only when they are cured…”
So, between the Lotus Sutra and the Vimalakirti Sutra I’ve obtained valuable life lessons that I shall strive to emulate on my pathway through life. The western phrase: “we are all in the same boat” now takes on a grander meaning! Like so many mystics and adepts (and now certain maverick quantum physicists) have stated in the past, we are all connected at some finer vibration of existence. And so my psycho-spiritual wellness is dependent upon all conscious beings on the planet. As we learned in lesson 17: To the Buddha, there was no “self” only existence as part of a whole. Ultimately, I cannot achieve spiritual perfection until we all do. And I will live my life with the grander purpose of helping others where I can, for as we learned in lesson 7 the most important of the Paramitas (Perfections or Virtues) is “to live to benefit or be of service to mankind.” This has become an integral part of my world view and it is an attitude that can surely lead to psycho-spiritual wellness in all humankind.
In this day and age it has become more urgent than ever before that we should strive to put balance and equilibrium back into our lives and to ensure a body/mind/spirit harmony. When I say psycho-spiritual wellness I mean to include physical health, emotional balance, mental integrity and spiritual awareness. We are each and every one of us a mirror of the macrocosm so these facets of ourselves are an expression or manifestation of the whole. Every part seems to affect the other to some degree. But this fact is not really apparent until one aspect of oneself becomes ill or out of balance.
Along with the onset of advancing technology and ever-widening globalization the people in Asia (and particularly here in Taiwan where I reside) are succumbing more and more to the maladies that have become the norm in western civilization. More people are going to western doctors for treatment and taking drugs for problems such as insomnia, migraines, digestive troubles, debility, depression, anxiety disorders and, well, you name it. The dependence upon pharmaceuticals is astounding. Granted, some of these modern ills may have a strictly organic basis, but for the most part – and many medical doctors and experts in stress management have admitted this – up to 85% of the illnesses and mental disorders we face are psychosomatic in origin. In other words, they’re brought on by destructive thinking patterns, feelings of inadequacy, desires, anxieties, stress, and so on. These factors greatly compromise the functioning of our immune systems. Sadly, it all seems to be an accepted part of the dynamics of the fast-paced modern culture that we have created for ourselves in this world.
But is it possible to be in this world but not of it? Since Buddha and other great sages have demonstrated it successfully, then we must concur. It is not necessary to lead an ascetic life to become enlightened or reach some level of enlightenment. The Buddha realized the four agonies (birth, aging, illness and death and achieved wu (i.e. enlightenment). “Wu” is the Mandarin Chinese pronunciation and is not the same character as “wu” which means the void or nothingness. They are pronounced the same however. (The Cantonese pronunciation would not present any confusion. There enlightenment is pronounced ng and void is pronounced mou.) The written character for wu (enlightenment) is composed of three individual elements literally meaning: five mouths [and a] spirit. I interpret this as five senses (five mouths representing the five sensory “gateways” to the mind) plus a sixth sense; one of a spiritual nature or a gnosis.
The beauty of it is that we are all endowed with these qualities and we can apply these “tools” to achieve well-being on all levels. The simple secret, as Buddha showed, is to change your way of thinking and follow up on it. Therefore the combination of right thinking and right conduct is powerful medicine. The power of thought is vastly underestimated and grossly misunderstood. In the literature on medicine and psychosomatic disease as well as in anthropological studies, many examples can be found to support the notion that “thoughts can kill and thoughts can heal.” In the Vimalakirti Sutra we find: “…The Buddha has said living beings are afflicted by the passions of thought, and they are purified by the purification of thought.” [4] Negative thinking is the antithesis of positive thinking. Negative thinking is the fuel that gives rise to the many psychosomatic problems I mentioned earlier. The negative words and phrases we use daily -- such as: my boss is a pain in the neck! his attitude makes me sick! I’m so green with envy I could die! and there countless others -- affect our health and negatively impact conditions of those around us. Conversely, the affects of a nurturing a positive mentality can strengthen both body, mind and spirit immeasurably.
I now offer this quick, practical “abc” tutorial. a) Watch the way you think and speak. Make sure it is constructive and positive. Remember the adage: if you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything. Think well of yourself and think well of others. b) Watch what you do in life; how you act, react, and how you behave. Is it good for you? Others? The planet? Think on these things. And when you act kindly, do not expect reciprocation. Most people get upset when they compliment somebody or allow someone to cut in line in front of them and that other person doesn’t say “thank you” or acknowledge your kindness. If you get upset it’s the fault of your own personal ego, which brings me to the last part; c) Keep the concept of “self” to a bare minimum. That will go far to reduce one’s attachment to things. Mental and physical ills come predominantly from our attachment to things so program your mind to be as unattached as possible to material things, including illnesses and problems and adversity. You’ll be able to resolve these things better if you view them in a detached and whole-picture perspective. Seeing it merely from the “I” position limits your view and subsequently your options.
Here are some more excerpts of wisdom from the Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra for all of us to think upon and adopt on our way to psycho-spiritual wellness.
“Sickness arises from total involvement in the process of misunderstanding from beginning-less time. It arises from the passions that result from unreal mental constructions, and hence ultimately nothing is perceived which can be said to be sick. Why? The body is the issue of the four main elements, and in these elements there is no owner and no agent. There is no self in this body, and except for arbitrary insistence on self, ultimately no "I" which can be said to be sick can be apprehended.”
“What is the elimination of this sickness? It is the elimination of egoism and possessiveness. What is the elimination of egoism and possessiveness? It is the freedom from dualism. What is freedom from dualism? It is the absence of involvement with either the external or the internal. What is absence of involvement with either external or internal? It is non-deviation, non-fluctuation, and non-distraction from equanimity. What is equanimity? It is the equality of everything from self to liberation. Why because both self and liberation are void. How can both be void? As verbal designations, they both are void, and neither is established in reality. Therefore, one who sees such equality makes no difference between sickness and void-ness; his sickness is itself void-ness and that sickness as void-ness is itself void...”
“…Passions consist of conceptualizations. The ultimate nonexistence of these conceptualizations and imaginary fabrications - that is the purity that is the intrinsic nature of the mind. Misapprehensions are passions. The ultimate absence of misapprehensions is the intrinsic nature of the mind. The presumption of self is passion. The absence of self is the intrinsic nature of the mind. […] all things are without production, destruction, and duration, like magical illusions […] they are born of mental construction…”
“[…]the seat of enlightenment is the seat of positive thought because it is without artificiality. It is the seat of effort, because it releases energetic activities. It is the seat of high resolve, because its insight is superior. It is the seat of the great spirit of enlightenment, because it does not neglect anything.
“It is the seat of generosity, because it has no expectation of reward. It is the seat of morality, because it fulfills all commitments. It is the seat of tolerance, because it is free of anger toward any living being. It is the seat of effort, because it does not turn back. It is the seat of meditation, because it generates fitness of mind. It is the seat of wisdom, because it sees everything directly.
“It is the seat of love, because it is equal to all living beings. It is the seat of compassion, because it tolerates all injuries. It is the seat of joy, because it is joyfully devoted to the bliss of the Dharma. It is the seat of equanimity, because it abandons affection and aversion.”
Conclusion
Although the thoughts in this paper are presented within the context of Buddhism and what it has to offer in this area of investigation, nowhere is it said that one must become a Buddhist to benefit from the message contained. The concepts and exercises are based on sound psychology. The philosophical truths found here are timeless and mystics from all ages and all schools of thought espouse them. One key translation of Dharma is “truth”. But it is a truth that cannot be said to be owned by Buddhism or any one religion. Dharma transcends religion. To think correctly and to act like a compassionate human being simply makes good sense. Its benefits extend from the personal to the societal to universal. We are all connected.
Thank you for taking the time to read this paper. May good health and right action be always with you on your path through life.
Rev. M. Gasbarri.
ENDNOTES:
[1] Hu, C.N., Zen: Key to Your Undiscovered Happiness. Malaysia: Eastern Dragon Books, 1995 (p. 65)
[2] The entire sutra can be found here:
http://www.buddhistinformation.com/ida_b_wells_memorial_sutra_library/vimalakirti_nirdesa_sutra.htm
[3] Suzuki, D.T., E. Fromm, and R. deMartino, Zen Buddhism and Psychoanalysis. N.Y.: Harper & Row, 1970 (1960) (p. 70)
[4] Translated by Robert A. F. Thurman, and taken from the same sutra source.
REFERENCE BOOKS:
Campbell, Joseph. The Inner Reaches of Outer Space: Metaphor as Myth and as Religion. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1986
Creel, H.G. Chinese Thought: from Confucius to Mao Tse-Tung. New York, NY: New American Library (Mentor Books), 1953
Hu, C.N. Zen: Key to Your Undiscovered Happiness. Malaysia: Eastern Dragon Books, 1995
Huai Chin-Nan, Thomas Clearly (trans.). The Story of Chinese Zen. USA/Japan: Charles E. Tuttle, 1995
Shimada, Osamu. Understanding Buddhist Medicine. India: Minerva Press, 2000
Welwood, John Ph.D. Toward a Psychology of Awakening: Buddhism, Psychotherapy,
and the Path of Personal and Spiritual Transformation. Boston & London: Shambhala, 2002
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