Sunday, August 23, 2009

CONCEPT OF SELF IN GAUTAMA BUDDHA

-Desh Raj Sirswal

Introduction
Self is broadly defined as the essential qualities that make a person distinct from all others. The self is the idea of a unified being which is the source of an idiosyncratic consciousness. Moreover, this self is agent responsible for the thoughts and actions of an individual to which they are ascribed. It is a substance which therefore endures through time; thus, the thoughts and actions at different moments of time may pertain to the same self as John Locke discussed. The particular characteristics of the self determine its identity. The Self usually begins as a random stream of sensory material — sounds, images, tactile sensations, scents, flavours, stimulate the nervous system and, through a series of neurochemical processes affect the brain forming first impressions in the brain tissue. Self can be described in many languages and conceptual networks but they will always be partial and incomplete. What you are today is a product of all events which occurred before. Physically you are what you have eaten up till now. But there is also structural, slow-motion changes which could be however seen if filmed with a slow speed camera, the same way as we can see blooming of a flower accelerated to 10 seconds when it took maybe 2 days. So the structure is not static, it continues to change only slowly. It is the intension of this article is to analyse the conception of self according to Gautama Buddha.

Gautama Conception of the Self
The self is a problem which was of central concern to both and which has since exercised a continuing fascination for philosophers, both of the East and the West.1 The Buddha denies the existence of any permanent entity either physical or mental. He considers the human person as a psychophysical complex. For him all worldly things are momentary and likewise the self is not more than it and rejects commonly believed conception of self. But how, it may be asked, does he then explain the continuity of a person through different births, or even through the different states of childhood, youth and old age? Though denying the continuity of an identical substance in man, Buddha does not deny the continuity of the stream of successive states that compose his life. In the meaning of the Atman is to believe in the eternity, then we call Buddha’s conception about self as Anantamavada. Atman is nothing more except the composition of five skandhas.

The Buddha’s concept of experience was “pre-theoretical” akin to the “radical empiricism” of James. His “middle-way” was the same as “radical empiricism”–with the help of which he escaped all the dualisms and dichotomies of his times such as eternalism and annihilationism, being and nonbeing, Brahman and the atman, subject and object, knower and the known, the self and the not-self, permanence and impermanence.

About this conception one question arises that How does such a view of the self account for personal identity and personal freedom? Goutama had something original to contribute to both these problems. Since what we designate the “self” is a continuous flow of psyche-physical processes it is futile to look for exactly the same entity (atman) within them. Even if one postulated such an entity it would be difficult theoretically to explain its relation to the ongoing flow of these processes.

Self is not more than a Composition
A number of analogies are used to illustrate the Buddhist philosophy of process. The most popular metaphor for expounding the Buddhist doctrine of no-abinding self is that of the bundle of fire-sticks .According to the Buddha, all of our senses and thoughts are on fire with lust and desire. Although there is no-abinding self or soul, we cannot deny the reality of our experiences. Thus, the Buddha provided a five-fold classification of what he thought was really going on when we experience something. He described these as the five bundles and they constitute one of the earliest attempts at a definite analysis of what is it to experience something. They are:

1. Rupa: Material Form-the material givenness of experience.
2. Vedana: Sensation- the initial sensory apprehension of forms.
3. Samjna : Cognition- the determine classification of experience.
4. Samskara: Disposition- the volitional response that colours experiences.
5. Vijnana: Consciousness- awareness of the six sensory ranges (indriya).2

For the early Buddhists, however, the five skandhas provided their own conceptual map of the entirety of our experience. Where is there a self to be found within this scheme? The Buddha is said to have declared with reference to each of the five skandhas “It is not mine. He is not me. He is not myself”., thereby rejecting the existence of some mysterious entity that might be thought to ‘own’ or ‘possess’ the skandhas and to deny that any such substantial self can be found within the skandhas themselves. The five bundles are themselves continually understanding transforming and do not constitute a persisting or abiding self of any kind.3

Buddhist used the term ‘name-and-form’ is quite crucial for understanding the Buddhist analysis of mind and the body. The used it in two important contexts. First, name and form, which is a translation of the Pali term nama-rupa, are often associated together as a reference to the five aggregates: feeling, perception, disposition and consciousness associated with nama and rupa associated with the material shape derived from extension, cohension, heat and mobility.4 So, the man is only a conventional name of a collection of different constituents and his existence depends on this collection and it dissolves when the collection and it dissolves when the collection breaks up. The soul or the ego denotes nothing more than this collection.5

On Personal IdentityIdentity for the Buddha is to be found in the cumulative continuity of the processes themselves. Identity or sameness involves the mistaken assumption of a permanent element or substance that must persist throughout an ever changing process. The series is not a discrete one of perishing particulars, otherwise memory and moral effort would be inexplicable. On the contrary, it is governed by the “law of dependent origination” which says: If this is, that comes to be, from the arising of this, which arises. If this is not, that does not come to be; from the stopping of this, that stops. This is a description of what is experientially encountered without being trammeled by the conceptual puzzles regarding the nature of the “‘tie” to account for the continuity. Such a cumulative continuity, so the Buddha thought, has a room for personal freedom and moral initiative. It is not a causally tight and determined series. Any notion of rigid determinism flatly contradicts our experience of putting forth moral effort in the, face of temptation.

Buddhists believe in re-birth but do not accept that there is any substantial entity of self (atman) being reborn in this process-there is simply the process itself. For the various Hindu schools samara is like a pearl necklace. The successions of lives are a series of pearls held together by a singular connecting thread-the atman. In contrast, Buddhist philosophical texts tend to represent rebirth using analogies of dynamics and ever-changing processes, such as the following of a river or the flickering flame of a candle. Thus, according to the Questions of King Milinda to talk of either ‘identity’ or ‘difference’ between lives is inappropriate.6 Rebirth is, therefore, not transmigration, i.e. the migration of the causation of the same soul into another body; it is the causation of the next life by the present.

In short, the Buddha’s attitude to all these conceptual problems regarding self-identity was to follow the experiential middle-path and to avoid the philosophical puzzles arising from espousing extreme conceptual positions. By the complete phrase ‘dependent origination’, such and such elements of being come into existence by means of an unbroken series of their full complement of dependence, the truth, or the middle course, is shown. This rejects the heresy that he who experiences the fruit of the deed is the same as the one who performed the deed, and also rejects the converse one that he who experiences the fruit of a deed is different from the one who performed the deed, and leaning not to either of these popular hypotheses, holds fast by Nominalism.7

According to Silva, “In general, the Buddha did not push the questions like the body-mind issue towards the obtaining of theoretical finality. While drawing clear distinction for the purpose of conveying his message concerning the alleviation of human suffering, the Buddha had a practical and pragmatic approach to problems. He steered clear of metaphysical traps. He considered the communication of ideas as a pragmatic and linguistic issue which should help the individual to follow the Buddhist experimental path and discover the nature of ‘things as they are’.”8

Conclusion
Here we have studied the conception of self according to Buddha. The Buddha denied any permanent existent entity mental or physical. It is material position in Indian Philosophy and it only reflects conscious flow of experience and leaves all puzzles regarding metaphysical entity. So Buddha’s conception have a rich component which is relevant of modern era of thought and also it reasonable to all men, theist or atheist .It is need further consideration on several topics related to human cognition, personality and way to express thoughts.

Notes and References:
1. D.C.Mathur, “The Historical Buddha (Gotama), Hume, and James on the self:
Comparisons and evaluations”, Philosophy East and West, Vol. 28, No. 3
(1978), p.253.

2. Richard King, Indian Philosophy: An Introduction to Hindu and Buddhist Thought,
pp.79-80.

3. ibid, p.80.

4. Padmasiri De Silva, An Introduction to Buddhist Psychology, Macmillan Press Ltd.,
2000,p.143.

5. Dutta & Chatterjee, An Introduction to Indian Philosophy, University of Calcutta
1984, p.138.

6. Richard King , Indian Philosophy: An Introduction to Hindu and Buddhist Thought,
p.81.

7. D.C. Mathur, “The historical Buddha (Gotama), Hume, and James on the self:
Comparisons and evaluations”, Philosophy East and West, Vol. 28,
No. 3 (1978), p.253.

8. Padmasiri De Silva, An Introduction to Buddhist Psychology, Macmillan Press Ltd.,
2000, p.145.

Post Link:http://niyamakpsychology.blogspot.com/2009/08/concept-of-self-in-gautama-budhha.html

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Conference on Indian Psychology:

Conference on Indian Psychology:
Psychology, Culture and the Ideal of Human Unity

October 1-4, 2009

Department of Psychology
University of Delhi


Framework and call for papers
We mean by Indian psychology an approach to psychology that is based on ideas and practices that developed over thousands of years within the Indian sub-continent. In other words, we use the word "Indian" to indicate and honour the origin of this approach to psychology: the origin of the underlying philosophy, the conceptual framework, the methods of enquiry, and the "technology of consciousness" that it uses to bring about psychological change and transformation. It may be useful to make explicit that we do not use the word "Indian" to localize or limit the scope of this approach to psychology: We do not mean, for example, "the psychology of the Indian people", or "Psychology as taught at Indian universities". We hold that Indian Psychology as a meta theory and as an extensive body of related theories and practices has something essential and unique to contribute to the global civilization as a whole.
Department of Psychology, University of Delhi, is organizing the National Conference on "Psychology, Culture and the Ideal of Human Unity", to further the awareness and scope of Indian Psychology, especially in bringing about a lasting human unity. Typical sub-themes include:
1. The Ideal of Human Unity
2. Peace, and Development of Global Civilization
3. Bhakti, Love and Oneness of Humanity
4. Buddhist/Sufi/Christian Perspectives on oneness of humanity
5. Place of Love, Forgiveness and Compassion in Healing
6. Synthesis of Matter and Spirit, Science and Spirituality
7. Related topics from the Indian Psychology

With the idea of having an intensive dialogue and sustained sharing, it is proposed to have not more than 100 participants (50 senior and 50 younger ones). The aim is to have the participation of scholars in India who are making serious and sustained contributions to the concerned areas (senior core group), as well as younger researchers, and students who are keen to work in this area, show promise, and seek guidance. A few individuals will be invited to speak on key themes. The remaining participants will be selected on the basis of invited abstracts or their keen interest in the key topics.
We extend a warm invitation to you attend the seminar, and to send an abstract of the paper that you would like to present at the conference by e-mail to vsuneet@gmail.com, latest by June 30, 2009 (for complete papers the deadline is August 15, 2009). We will confirm acceptance of your paper for presentation at the conference, after reviewing all the abstracts, by July 10, 2009. At this stage we cannot promise funds for travel for the selected participants, but if the budget allows, we will try our level best to meet the same (as per UGC norms).

Prof. Anand Prakash
Head of the Department
Seminar Director
Dr. Suneet Varma
Reader
Seminar Coordinator
For all conference information, please write to:
vsuneet@gmail.com
Registration Form
Please submit before August 15:
Dr. Suneet Varma
Reader, Department of Psychology
Arts Faculty Extension Building, University of Delhi
Delhi –110007
or by email to: vsuneet@gmail.com
For more details go to:
http://ipi.org.in/events/ncip-09.html

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Two Courses of Indian Psychology

Two CoursesIndian Psychology
Academic year 2009 - 2010

These two courses will focus on the needs of post-graduate students, teachers and professionals in Psychology and related subjects, who want to get a basic understanding of Indian approaches to Psychology। They offer an introduction to Indian Psychology, based on the work of Sri Aurobindo, and cover topics like philosophical background; self and personality; cognition and modes of knowing; motivation and the aim of life; emotions and attitudes; individual change and development; relationships; professional work involving psychology (education, therapy, organisational psychology, etc.); research methodologies.
Information transfer is, however, only one aspect of these courses। The central focus is on increasing one's self-knowledge, and on developing those psychological skills and attitudes that help in one's personal growth. It is, after all, only to the extent that one understands one's own self and is able to apply that understanding in life, that one can help others.

"Pondicherry course": 8-day intensive + 6 weekends in Pondicherry
Eight-day intensive in Pondicherry: June 7 - June 14, 2009
Six weekends in Pondicherry between August 2009 and March 2010.For the exact dates see below.
"Delhi course": 8-day intensive in Pondicherry; 6 weekends in Delhi
Eight-day intensive in Pondicherry: June 7 - June 14, 2009
Six weekends in New-Delhi between August 2009 and March 2010.For the exact dates see below.
For the detail of the Courses go to the Institute's site:

Friday, February 6, 2009

DEVELOPMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL THOUGHTS IN INDIA

DEVELOPMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL THOUGHTS IN INDIA
BY
S.K.RAMACHANDRA RAO

Kavlaya Publishers,Mysore.
First Edition,1962.

About the Book:
It is a broad outline the main lines of development of psychological thought from the earliest of recorded sources available, viz. the Vedas, to comparatively recent times. The stream of Indian Psychology comprehends a time span of over three thousand years; and it has run in twenty different areas. It dealt with the major psychological contributions of the important disciplines, both orthodox and heterodox. As the careful student will readily notice, the psychological speculations in the Tantric and Ayurvedic systems, and the psychological theories involved in literary criticism (Alankara sastra) are glaring omission. It intend bringing out shortly a companion volume covering these fields of inquiry.
Contents:
Introduction
I Origins in Inspired Poetry
II Development in the Confidential Documents
III Psychological theory and Practice
IV The Uncompromising Intellectuals
V The Ethical Interlude
VI Speculations in the Cloister
VII The Scramble of Scholiasts
VIII The Logic of Grammar..
IX Counseling on the Battle –field
X A Bird’s Eye-View
Supplement
Appendix
Index

About the Author:
S.K.Ramamchandra Rao,
Head of the Department of Psychology,
All- India Institute of Mental Health
Bangalore (India)

Monday, January 19, 2009

Indian Epistemology of Perception

Indian Epistemology of Perception
by Sinha, Jadunath
Publisher: Sinha Publishing House, Calcutta
Date Published: 1969
Description: VG in slightly chipped and nicked near VG dust jacket. 8vo. pp (11), 224. Philosophy, epistemology.
Languages: English

JOURNAL OF INDIAN PSYCHOLOGY

JOURNAL OF INDIAN PSYCHOLOGY: A Journal of Classical and Current Research

About the Journal:
This is a journal of ideas as well as of hard facts. This international journal is devoted to the discussion of classical ideas concerning the nature of man and current research aimed at their empirical testing and application. It publishes both theoretical papers and empirical reports. The emphasis, however, is on the integration of research and theory. Cross-cultural and inter-disciplinary research and studies integrate normal, abnormal and paranormal experiences so as to stimulate alternative scientific paradigms and heuristic models for the study of man will be of special interest. While the primary focus of this journal is on larger issues having bearing on man’s total nature, investigations dealing with specific variables will also be considered for publication.

Contact:
The Institute for Yoga and Consciousness, Vijayanagaram Palace, Andhra University, Pedawaltair Junction, Visakhapatnam - 530 017, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Elements Of Ancient Indian Psychology

Elements Of Ancient Indian Psychology B. Kuppuswamy
PBISBN : 81-220-0166-1
Publisher: New Delhi : Vikas,Year Of Publication : 1979 Price : . (PB) Rs 75

About the Book:
Though the first laboratory to study human behaviour was started in 1879 in Leipzig University in Germany by the physician and physiologist Wilhelm Wundt, the history of psychology goes back to thousands of years earlier. Ancient Indian thinkers devoted considerable attention to the analysis of experience, while this flowered in the later part of the Vedas, viz. the Upanishads, one can see glimpses even in the earlier part of the Vedas, namely the Samhitas.
Elements of Ancient Indian Psychology attempts to present ancient Indian psychological thought in a manner that will conform to the new methods of exposition developed by Woodsworth and other modern psychologists. the book is divided into four parts. Part I deals with scope and methods, the fundamental problems of consciousness as expounded in the Vedas, the contribution of the Gita, and the evolution of the mind as it is given by the Samkhya and Yoga theorists. Part II analyses cognitive processes. Part III discusses the problem the way in which the principles have been used by the ancient thinkers in the fields of meditation, philosophy of sex and religion.

About the Author:
Prof. B. Kuppuswamy was the Head of the Department of Psychology, University of Mysore, in 1962, Joint Director, India International Centre, New Delhi (1962-64), and Research Consultant at the India International Centre between 1964-67. He was also the Director of Institute for Social and Psychological Research, Bangalore.
He has numerous publications to his credit and has contributed widely to journals in India and abroad on rural problems and the influences of industrialization and modernization.

Contents:
Part IEvolution of Psychology

Part IICognitive Processes

Part IIIEmotion and Action

Part IVApplications

References

Index

Thursday, January 15, 2009

INDIAN PSYCHOLOGY PERCEPTION

INDIAN PSYCHOLOGY PERCEPTION
BY
JADUNATH SINHA
Professor of Philosophy, Meerat College
LONDON KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUBNER CO., LTD. BROADWAY HOUSE, CARTER LANE, B. C. 1934
PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY STEPHEN AUSTIN AND SONS, LTD., HERTFORD

More details
Indian Psychology Perception
By Jadunath Sinha
Published by READ BOOKS, 2007
ISBN 1406712264, 9781406712261
400 pages
About the Author:
Late JADUNATH SINHA was the holder of the most covetable Roychand Premchand Scholarship. He taught philosophy at the colleges in Calcutta, Rajsahi, Dacca and Meerut. He wrote several books, tracts and reviews. Some of his works are: Indian Philosophy (6 Vols.), Indian Realism, Vaishnav Vedanta (5 Vols.), and Comparative Religions (4 Vols.)

Indian Psychology: Cognition; Emotion and Will; Epistemology of Perception

Indian Psychology: Cognition; Emotion and Will; Epistemology of Perception
(3 Vols.)

by Jadunath Sinha

More details :
Edition: 2
Published by Motilal Banarsidass Publ., 1986
Reprints originally published: Calcutta, 1958-1969.
ISBN 8120801652, 9788120801653
512 pages, Price: Rs. 1000

About the Book:
Here is the magnificent attempt made at a constructive survey of Indian psychology. The work is divided into three volumes. Volume One makes a minute and detailed discussion of the problem of perception and cognition. Volume Two deals comprehensively with questions associated with emotion and will. Volume Three is exclusively devoted to the analysis of epistemology and its perceptional aspect. Indian Psychology created a new standard in scholarly work on its first publication by Kegan Paul in the thirties. The present reprint of all the three volumes of this classic meets the needs of students and teachers of Indian psychology as well as the general reader interested in the study of Indian philosophical-psychological literature.

Indian Psychology: A Critical and Historical Analysis of Psychological Speculation in Indian Philosophical Literature

Indian Psychology: A Critical and Historical Analysis of Psychological Speculation in Indian Philosophical Literature by Raghunath Safaya
Year of Publication : 1976
ISBN : 8121502845 Price Rs. 200
New Delhi, India; Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd.; 1976; 81-215-0284-5 / 9788121502849; First Edition; Hardcover , New 15 x 23 Cm ,Printed Pages: 392. Price: 4.95 USD

Contents:
Transliteration Chart;
Abbreviations;
Preface;
Chapter 1: Introduction;
Chapter II: Psychology in Pre-Upanisadic Literatures;
Chapter III: Psychology in the Upanisads;
Chapter IV: Psychology in the Samkhya;
Chapter V: Psychology in Nyaya; Chapter
VI: Psychology in Vaisesika;
Chapter VII. Psychology in Mimamsa;
Chapter VIII; Psychology in Advaita Vedanta;
Chapter IX. Psychology in Visistadvaita;
Chapter X. Yoga-Pscyhology;
Chapter XI. Psychology in Buddhism And Jainism;
Chapter XII. Conclusion and Recapitulation;
Bibliography,
Index

Origins of Indian Psychology

Origins of Indian Psychology (Paperback)
by N. Ross Reat (Author)
A brilliant study examining the development of the ancient theoretical psychological thought in India, starting from the pre-Vedic period and its maturation up to the early Buddhist period. It outlines the concept of monism in the Vedas, the Vedic concept of afterlife, the Vedic concept of the human being, in terms of individual identity, vital faculties and the mental organs. It should be of enormous interest to the students of religious as well as modern psychology.
Publisher: Asian Humanities PressDate Published: 1990ISBN-13: 9780895819239ISBN: 0895819236

Consciousness, Indian Psychology and Yoga

Consciousness, Indian Psychology and Yoga
(History of Science, Philosophy and Culture in Indian Civilization VolX.I Part 3)
Kireet, Joshi et al (Eds.))Year: 2005
Indian Book Corporation (For Online Purchase)[ 28 cm., pp. xxxvii+495 ][ Price: RS. 1,460.00, US$ 31.74 ]
Synopsis
(It is one of a set of four volumes purported to launch the sub-project Consciousness, Science, Society, Value and Yoga. Devoted to the exploration of consciousness, this volume is part of an on-going effort to bring the indic tradition and the social sciences closer together. Its focus is on three major contributions : a deep and many-faceted understanding of consciousness, a well-worked out methodology to arrive at reliable knowledge of the subject domain, and a variety of effective methods to transcend and transform human nature. Just as western science has used physical technology to increase our knowledge and power in the physical domain, so the Indic tradition has used yoga to create an immense wealth of insight and wisdom in the psychological domain. The five sections of this book deal with the central role of consciousness in Indian psychology; different paths of Yoga; the coming together of Indian and Western systems of psychological thought; Indian approaches to core issues of theoretical psychology; and finally, Indian contributions to various aspect of applied psychology, which range from physical health to sustainable development, management and psychotheraphy.
Contents :
Preface/Kireet Joshi and Matthijs Cornelissen.
Foreword/D.P. Chattopadhyaya
Part I: Consciousness in the Indian Tradition –
1. Yoga: Science and technology of consciousness/Kireet Joshi.
2. Sri Aurobindo's Evolutionary Ontology of Consciousness/Matthijs
Cornelissen.
3. Centrality of consciousness in Indian psychology/K. Ramakrishna Rao.
4. The theme of consciousness in Indian culture/N. Veezhinathan
Part II : Schools of Yoga-Sadhana
5. The Vedic Seer's Quest for the Supramental Consciousness/S.P. Singh.
6. The tradition of the Buddhist Yoga/Karunesh Shukla.
7. Stages of spiritual development in Jainism/Mukul Raj Mehta.
8. Nature of consciousness and Yoga in Kasmira Saiva Tantra/Kailash Pati
Mishra.
9. Chakra meditation in achieving altered states of consciousness/B.
Mukhopadhyay and S. Renukadevi.
10. Sikhism and the Yoga tradition/D.S. Dhillon.
11. Spiritual experiences of Ramakrishna-Vivekananda/Swami Jitatmananda.
12. The science of Kriya Yoga/Keshav Sharma.
13. Essentials of transformative psychology/Ananda Reddy
Part III : Psychology and the Indian Tradition: In Search of a Meeting Ground
14। Challenges and opportunities for Indian psychology in a rapidly globalizing post-modern world/Anand C. Paranjpe
15. Psychology in India: past trends and future possibilities/Suneet Varma.
16. Relativism and its relevance for psychology/Kundan Singh.
17. Personal growth and psychology in India/V. George Mathew.
18. Rising up to the supramental consciousness: the need for a new
psychology/R.C. Pradhan.
19. Psychology in India: a future perspective/Aster Patel
Part IV : Indian Psychology: Some Theoretical Issues
20. Yoga and knowledge/Kireet Joshi.
21. Old ideas of mind/Ananda Wood.
22. The concept of mind in Orthodox Indian thought: its implications for modern psychology/K. Srinivas and K. Krishna Mohan.
23. An information theoretic approach to the issues of the collective unconscious and the superconscious/P.V. Vaidya.
24. Emotion in modern psychology and Indian thought/Girishwar Misra.
25. Indian concepts of personality/Adhikari Srikanta Dash and Mamata Rout.
26. The meeting of east and west: the fusion of Vedanta and western psychology in integral psychology/Brant Cortright.
27. Revitalizing developmental psychology: Sri Aurobindo's Theory of Human Development/Monica Gupta
Part V : Indian Psychology Applied
28. The Yogic view of life with special reference to medicine/R.L. Bijlani.
29. A holistic model of sustainable development: an Indian approach to
environmental psychology/R.S. Pirta.
30. The flowering of Aravind Eye Care System/Pravir Malik.
31. Spiritual Health of Organizations: a new vision of organizational change in
rural bank development/Susmita Mukhopadhyay and Debdulal Dutta Roy.
32. An Indian approach of psychotherapy: Sattvavajaya - concept and
application/K.M.Tripathi.
33. Sahya: the concept in Indian philosophical psychology and its contemporary
relevance/L. Sam S. Manickam.
34. Spiritual depths of admiration in family therapy: Grhastha - family life as a
spiritual path/Stuart Sovatsky.
35. Intervention for cancer through integral psychotherapy/Annalakshmi
Narayanan.
36. Yoga as an intervention strategy for augmenting spiritual
intelligence/Anamika Sharma and Madhu Jain.
Index.

Handbook of Indian Psychology


New Delhi, India; Foundation Books; 2008; 8175966025 / 9788175966024;
First Edition; Paperback; New, New 190 x 250 Mm,648 pages, $41.00
Hardcover , BF108

In this first volume, academics, therapists, educators, and others set the tone for the series Indian Psychology Book Project, which is intended to help rejuvenate the field. Covering systems and schools, topics and themes, and applications and implications, they discuss such matters as a Buddhist theory of unconscious mind, motivation, organizational psychology, and altered states of consciousness and the spiritual traditions. The pronunciation and transliteration of the Sanskrit alphabet is provided. Foundation Books is an imprint of Cambridge University Press India Pvt. Ltd.
Synopsis :Indian psychology is a distinct psychological tradition rooted in the native Indian ethos। It manifests in the multitude of practices prevailing in the Indian subcontinent for centuries। Unlike the mainstream psychology, Indian psychology is not overwhelmingly materialist-reductionist in character. It goes beyond the conventional third-person forms of observation to include the study of first-person phenomena such as subjective experience in its various manifestations and associated cognitive phenomena. It does not exclude the investigation of extraordinary states of consciousness and exceptional human abilities. The quintessence of Indian nature is its synthetic stance that results in a magical bridging of dichotomies such as natural and supernatural, secular and sacred, and transactional and transcendental. The result is a psychology that is practical, positive, holistic and inclusive. The Handbook of Indian Psychology is an attempt to explore the concepts, methods and models of psychology systematically from the above perspective. The Handbook is the result of the collective efforts of more than thirty leading international scholars with interdisciplinary backgrounds. In thirty-one chapters, the authors depict the nuances of classical Indian thought, discuss their relevance to contemporary concerns, and draw out the implications and applications for teaching, research and practice of psychology.
Contents
Contributing Authors
Preface Prologue: Introducing Indian Psychology Indian Thought and Tradition: A Psychohistorical Perspective
PART I - SYSTEMS AND SCHOOLS
1. Jaina Psychology 2. The Foundations of Early Buddhist Psychology 3. Varieties of Cognition in Early Buddhism 4. A Buddhist Theory of Unconscious Mind ( Alaya-Vijñana ) 5. Indian Buddhist Theories of Persons 6. Buddhist Psychology: A Western Interpretation 7.Transpersonal Psychology in the Bhagavad-Gita : Reflections on Consciousness, Meditation, Work and Love 8. Yoga Psychology: Theory and Application 9. Patañjali Yoga and Siddhis : Their Relevance to Parapsychological Theory and Research 10.Yoga Psychology and the Samkhya Metaphysic 11. Psychology in the Advaita Vedanta 12. The Nyaya-Vaisesika Theory of Perceiving the World of our Experience 13. Psychological Theories and Practices in Ayurveda
PART II - TOPICS AND THEMES
14. Indian Theories of Perception: An Inter-School Dialogue from Buddhist Perspective 15. Indian Psychology of Motivation 16. Personality in Indian Psychology 17. “Giving” as a Theme in the Indian Psychology of Values 18. The Making of a Creative Poet: Insights from Indian Aestheticians 19. Anchoring Cognition, Emotion and Behavior in Desire: A Model from the Bhagavad-Gita 20. Consciousness 21. Freedom from Knowledge

PART III - APPLICATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS
22. Therapeutic Psychology and Indian Yoga 23. Towards an Indian Organizational Psychology 24. Research on Indian Concepts of Psychology: Major Challenges and Perspectives for Future Action 25. Meditative Traditions and Contemporary Psychology 26. Consciousness Evolution of the Buddha until He Attained Satori 27. William James on Pure Experience and Samadhi in Samkhya Yoga 28. Sri Ramana Maharshi: A Case Study in Self-Realization 29. Altered States of Consciousness and the Spiritual Traditions: The Proposal for the Creation of State-Specific Sciences Pronunciation and Transliteration of Sanskrit Alphabet
Glossary of Sanskrit Terms
Index. Price: 22.95 USD

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Indian Psychology (Hindi Language)

Indian Psychology (Hindi Language)
by
Ram Nath Sharma
Rachana Sharma


This book is a text book for M.A. Philosophy and Psychology Students of Indian Universities, a reference book for the teachers of Indian psychology and it can help as a guide those persons who are interested in self realization by Indian methods. All the three mentioned categories will find the solutions for their problem such as what, why, how much and how to read. It has three major parts:

First Part: Introduction:
Introduction
Historical Background of Indian Psychology

Second Part: Psychological Processes:
Mind and Body; Stages of Consciousness and Modes;
Nature of Mind and its control;
Nature of Perception: Types and Kinds; Sense-organs and Sensations;
Theories of Perception;
Illusion: Types, Cause and Theories;
Memory: Nature, Cause and Theories;
Imagination: Nature and Factors; Thinking; Concepts and Language;
Feelings: Pleasure and Pain, Will, Basic Instincts and Karma;
Motivation: Types and Theories ;
Expressions: Types , Control and its relations;
Meditation: Nature, Types and Determiner;
Actions: Simple and Conceptual;
Personality: Nature, Types and Collections.

Third Part: Area of Indian Psychology
Mental Hygiene and Medical;
Psychology of Aesthetics;
Sex Psychology;
Psychology of Religion;
Yoga Psychology;
Parapsychology.

Publishers Details:
Atlantic Publishers and Distributors,
New Delhi.
Edition:2005
ISBN 81-7156-597-2
Rs.695

Books on Indian Psychology in Hindi

नारायण शास्त्री द्रविड़: भारतीय मनोविज्ञान (संपादित), अखिल भारतीय दर्शन परिषद्, फरीदकोट,पंजाब ,१९६३.
राम कुमार राय: असामान्य मनोविज्ञान, प्राच्य प्रकशन, जगतगंज,वाराणसी, १९७४.
डॉ. लक्ष्मी शुक्ला: भारतीय मनोविज्ञान, हिन्दी ग्रन्थ अकादेमी मध्य परदेश, भोपाल,१९७१.
रामनाथ शर्मा एंड रचना शर्मा: भारतीय मनोविज्ञान, एटलांटिक पब्लिशर्स and distributors, न्यू देल्ही,2005, इस्बं ८१-७१५६-५९७-२
श्रीमती आशा टंडन: सांख्य योग दर्शनों में मान्य मानसिक तत्वों का आलोचनात्मक अध्धयन , शोध प्रबंद, अलाहाबाद यूनिवर्सिटी,१९७२.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Indian Psychology Books

I am giving information about Some introductory books of Indian Psychology. It is very necessary to findout some books on Indian Psychology.
the details is provided in the next posts.

Friday, January 2, 2009

Buddhist Psychology Resources

Budhhist Pschology is a rich heritage in Indian ancient thoughts. Here isa short list of literature about the Buddhist Psychology:
The Dalai Lama (1994). The Way to Freedom: Core Teachings of Tibetan Buddhism. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.
Eckhart, Meister, (1996). Meister Eckhart, from Whom God Hid Nothing: Sermons, Writings and Sayings. DavidO'Neil, Ed. Boston: Shambhala.
Feist, J., (1994). Theories of Personality,3rd Ed. New York: Harcourt Brace.
Goldstein, J., (1993). Insight Meditation: The Practice of Freedom. Boston: Shambhala.
Gunartana, H. (venerable), (1991). Mindfulnessin Plain English. Boston: Wisdom Publications.
Hall, C.S. and Lindzey, G., (1978). Theories of Personality, 3rd Ed. New York: John Wiley &Sons.
Hanh, T.N., (1996). Breathe! You Are Alive: Sutra on the Full Awareness of Breathing. Berkeley:Parallax Press
James, W., (1890/1964). The self. In C. Gordon & K.J. Gergen (Eds.) The self in social interaction (pp 41-49). New York: Wiley.
Jung, C.G., (1963). Memories, Dreams, Reflections. Aniela Jaff (Ed.). London: Collins and Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Jung, C.G., (1968). Analytical Psychology: Its theory and practice. New York: Random House.
Mizuno, Kogen, (1987). Basic Buddhist Concepts. Tokyo: Kosei Publishing Co.
Noll, R., (1994). The Jung Cult: Origins of a Charismatic Movement. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.
Paranjpe, A.C. (1995). Is the person missing from theories of personality? In I. Lubek, R. van Hezewijk, G. Pheterson, & C. Tolman (Eds.), Recent trends in theoretical psychology Vol. 4, pp. 138-143. New York: Springer.
Lama Surya Das, (1993). A Ten Day Conference of Western Buddhist Meditation Teachers with His Holiness the Dalai Lama called: "Toward a Western Buddhism" (http://www.mandala.hr/5/6-surya.html)

Cited फरom:
Buddhist Psychology by Eric Pettifor,Dated:०२-०१-२००९