Buddhist & Western Psychological Methodologies

Vipassana is the form of meditation that is purely Buddhist. The goal of this psychological technique is mental development or insight which leads to total freedom and realization of Nirvana. Vipassana is based on mindfulness, awareness, and attentiveness. Although the Western mind equates meditation with the lotus position, in most forms of Vipassana meditation the meditator may assume a variety of positions including sitting, standing or even walking. The exception is the form of Vipassana meditation that focuses on awareness of the breathing which requires the meditator to sit cross-legged with the spine erect. Vipassana meditation is so practical that it can be incorporated into a person's daily routine. I have recently attempted to practice Vipassana meditation while driving and find that it improves my performance on the road. Vipassan calls upon the meditator to be fully aware of whatever activity he or she is engaged in at the moment (Rahula, 1974, pp. 68-71).

Being mindful of present action appears deceptively simple until the meditator attempts to put it into practice. People tend to re-live the pas

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otion can the spiritual aspirant achieve the vajrayana state of mental development. Once a person reaches the vajrayana state he or she acknowledges their existence in a state of spiritual warfare in which the archetypical guru warrior plays an important role. At this stage the person must sacrifice his or her ego. Buddhism teaches that obsessive, possessive behavior is spiritual slavery. Becoming totally grounded in the reality of the now moment gives the spiritual devotee victory over desire. Vajrayana is total surrender to one's spiritual guru (Trungpa, 1988, pp. 135-136). At the vajrayana stage, the spiritual devotee begins to identify with the Buddhist teachings. The material world no longer holds a fascination. In fact, the devotee recognizes material occurrences in terms of their spiritual messages. The messages of Buddhism can be found in all circumstances and life situations. Vajrayana devotion involves both the head and the heart; it is both intellectual and intuitive (Trungpa, 1998, pp. 144-145). The use of Buddhist psychology in Western psychoanalysis is gaining acceptance in the current literature. Bogart (1991) cites numerous psychologists who advocate the incorporation of meditation techniques into th
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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