Western psychology aligns with Buddhist teachings from "summary" of Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright
Many aspects of the human mind that Buddhist meditation was designed to address are the same aspects of the human mind that evolutionary psychology has helped us understand. As we saw in previous chapters, natural selection designed us to pursue certain things - food, sex, status - that would have enhanced the survival and reproduction of our genes in the ancestral environment. Our minds were designed not for happiness, but for survival and reproduction. Consequently, we are constantly driven to seek things that we think will make us happy - money, power, status, love - but which in the end don't bring the lasting satisfaction we crave. This is where Buddhist meditation comes in. By systematically observing the workings of our mind, we can come to see these deep-seated impulses for what they are: strategies that evolution has programmed into us in order to get its way. This doesn't mean that we should abandon all desires and live as ascetics. Rather, it means that by understanding the true nature of our desires, we can begin to relate to them in a healthier, more balanc...
Similar Posts
Mindfulness encourages empathy
When you practice mindfulness, you become more in tune with your own thoughts and emotions. This awareness helps you better und...
Deepening spiritual connection through love
The process of deepening spiritual connection through love is a central theme in the teachings of the Tibetan Buddhist master T...
The soul's journey is eternal and everevolving
The journey of the soul is a timeless and dynamic process that unfolds across lifetimes. Each soul is on a continuous path of g...
Let go of ego to connect with the higher self
The path to connecting with the higher self requires one to release the grip of the ego. The ego, with all its desires, attachm...
Thoughts create your reality
The power of your thoughts is immense. What you think about consistently will eventually manifest in your reality. Your thought...
Social interactions play a significant role in combating melancholy
Social interactions are essential in the battle against melancholy. When a person is feeling down, isolated, and disconnected f...
Buddha's teachings are not based on beliefs but on experience
The teachings of Buddha are not about believing in something outside of yourself. They are not about following blindly some dog...
Mindfulness invites us to explore our inner landscape with curiosity and kindness
In the practice of mindfulness, we are encouraged to bring a gentle curiosity to our thoughts, emotions, and sensations. This m...
Human suffering is a result of attachment
In Buddhism, the idea that human suffering is a result of attachment is central to the teachings. The basic premise is that att...