What is the difference between therapy and Buddhist practice?

[Rick O'Shez]

What do you think? Healing the self v. transcending the self ? Something like that?

 

[buddhist]

IMO the most seemingly successful modern psychological modalities (e.g. cognitive-behavioral, etc.) reflect much of what the Lord Buddha taught.

 

[Rick O'Shez]

IMO the most seemingly successful modern psychological modalities (e.g. cognitive-behavioral, etc.) reflect much of what the Lord Buddha taught.

Perhaps, though therapy seems concerned with "fixing" particular psychological problems, whereas Buddhist practice is operating on a quite different level.

 

[buddhist]

Perhaps, though therapy seems concerned with "fixing" particular psychological problems, whereas Buddhist practice is operating on a quite different level.

In a sense. I essentially see psychology as endorsing the practice of detachment from specific sufferings (aka psychological problems) through various means (biofeedback, cognitive therapy, behavioral therapy, etc.), whereas Buddhist practice sees the need for that detachment in all areas of life, and on multiple levels of consciousness. Either way, detachment aka equanimity is a hallmark of what Lord Buddha taught.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

What do you think? Healing the self v. transcending the self ? Something like that?

Therapy addresses "curing" mental health conditions from depression to PSTD etc. It addresses how we think and perceive "especially of bodily, mental, or behavioral disorder" to change how we behave and see the world.

Buddhism emphasize that practice of right behavior helps shape the perception of the mind. It also doesn't see the mind as illed in the manner that therapy does. We live in delusions and suffer in our delusions; however, unlike clinical depression, we can live with delusions in a healthy manner but will never achieve end of rebirth without specific practices (depending on the school one practices from).

The purpose, methods, and actions are different than Buddhism.

Purpose

Therapy's purpose is to help the client to see differently in order to change his behavior and live. It doesn't address liberation of cause and affect where one sees the nature of life in its fullest.

Buddhism's purpose is, as The Buddha tells his monks, "a spiritual life does not gave gain, honor, and renown for its benefit, or the attainment of moral discipline for its benefit, or the attainment of concentration fro its benefit, or knowledge and vision for its benefit. But it this unshakable liberation of the mind that is the goal of spiritual life, its heartwood, and its end." ~MN 29 Mahasaropama Sutta​

It addresses practice so that we all both schools find the true nature (not to be confused with Buddha nature) of life itself, in suffering, and rebirth. Therapy does not address these issues.

Methods

Therapy trains the mind to see things differently in order/for the purpose of to change one's behavior to a healthy one

Buddhism trains the mind to see things as they are (so no fixing). We do this by changing our behavior by practice and these change our thoughts to healthy ones-healthy as according to The Buddha not the DMS book.

Methods in therapy may be meditation just the same as Buddhism.

Zazen is quite different than meditation. However, I think in the suttas, meditation in both are pretty much the same. The purpose of meditation in practice for therapy is to calm the physical so the mental can be addressed. However, in this case, the mental is "physically" illed and leads to unhealthy actions.

In Buddhism, on the other hand, people can still healthy lives mentally and physically, but they are in a cycle of rebirth.

So, meditation (and Buddhism in general) addresses seeing the nature of life not the nature of an illness.​

Actions

In therapy, therapist address the mind to help with unhealthy actions such as possible attempts at suicide to not taking care of oneself and functioning properly. Specific methods address this and the actions of the client are just as anyone else but much healthier for his or her wellbeing.

In Buddhism, some Buddhists (as not to generalize) address the mind to unhealthy thought patterns. Unhealthy meaning seeing life in suffering, delusions, and having attachments. These things are not dangerous. They don't cause mental health disorders. There isn't a need to see a therapist for them since they don't prevent a person to take care of himself properly. It is a choice in practice so that a person sees life for what it is and his actions change for a different purpose than therapy does.

Therapy is about cures.
Buddhism is about liberation of the mind.

Therapy is about preventing unhealthy actions
Buddhism is about changing unhealthy thoughts​

I can see the similarity, but the purpose, method, and actions are quite different.

Summary

Purpose:

Therapy addresses the nature of an illness
Buddhism addresses the nature of life

Methods:

Therapy trains the mind to fix unhealthy actions
Buddhism trains the mind to change unhealthy thoughts

Actions:

Therapy focuses on actions
Buddhism focuses on mind

I wouldn't say they aren't overlapping; but, there are distinct differences.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Maybe therapy is Buddhist practice, or if one prefers, Buddhism happens to be therapy.