I have been a practising Buddhist for many years. There are some Buddhist concepts that I find really valuable for supporting good mental health and that complement the therapeutic tools used in western psychotherapy.
Buddha nature
Buddhism says that, at our core, we are all Buddhas. This means that we all have within us unlimited wisdom, courage and compassion. We may not always see this because of our limited ideas about who we are and what we are capable of. In Buddhism, we might chant, work for the happiness of others and learn about Buddhism to help us rise above our negative tendencies. In CBT, we might work to challenge these thoughts and loosen their grip on us.
Happiness is an inside job
In Buddhism, we say that happiness is based not only on our circumstances but also on our inner state of life. This does not mean that circumstances do not matter. Loss, illness, discrimination, poverty and unsafe relationships can have a very real effect on our wellbeing. Rather, this teaching suggests that happiness is influenced by our perspective as well as by what we have achieved or what is happening around us. This can be empowering because, while changing our circumstances is sometimes difficult or impossible, we can still focus some of our energy on inner growth. In Buddhism, we also say that when we change, our environment changes. For example, if we find it hard to set boundaries in a relationship, we might spend time trying to fix our partner - something many of us may have realised does not work! Instead, we can focus on becoming stronger and more self-reliant internally so that we can set boundaries. This can then transform our relationships.
Turning poison into medicine
In Buddhism, we say that we cannot avoid suffering in life. It is part of life. But we can change our perspective on our difficulties, and difficult experiences can help us grow and develop. If we did not have difficulties in life, we might become a bit complacent and stop making an effort! For example, losing a job can be very painful, but through this experience we may develop resilience and strength that help us through future difficulties. Of course, difficult experiences are still painful, but they are often the times when we grow the most.
Peach, plum, cherry, damson
Many of us compare ourselves with others. This can be amplified by social media, where people may present an idealised version of themselves and leave us feeling less than. A beautiful Buddhist metaphor likens human beings to ‘peach, plum, cherry and damson’. We are all different and have different qualities, but we are all beautiful as we are! We do not have to try to be like someone else to be OK. We can instead strive to be better today than we were yesterday and appreciate our own uniqueness!
Happiness for self and others
In Buddhism, we say that although we may seem separate from our environment, we are in fact interconnected. Everything in the world contains the Buddha nature, which is eternal and transcends birth and death. This means that when we change, our environment changes. For example, when we become happier, this is reflected in our environment. Equally, when we work for others’ happiness, we can become happier ourselves. Many of us can get into the habit of focusing only on our own happiness. We may think we will care for others once we feel better ourselves. Or we may focus entirely on caring for others and neglect ourselves. In Buddhism, we say that happiness for both ourselves and others is equally important.
The eternity of life
In Buddhism, we say that at a fundamental level life is eternal. Our existence in this world is likened to a wave in the ocean. At the end of our life, we merge back into the ocean, as the wave does. This temporary manifestation in the current world may be no more, but our innermost essence - the ocean - continues until the next wave or manifestation.
If you would like to find out more about the Buddhist concepts I have shared, you can find further resources here: Home | SGI-UK.