Abstract:
This research was of the three objectives, viz. (1) to study psychological
counseling according to Western concepts; (2) to study Buddhist psychological
counseling; and (3) to recommend knowledge and counseling process in Buddhist
Psychology. This research is a qualitative one with documents studied analyzed, and
synthesized Buddhist Psychology with psychological counseling.
Findings of the research study were as follow :
Individual living in present society has been pressured mainly by economic,
environment, life leading, value, behavior and diseases, etc. causing stress and become
psychological disorders such as depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, adjustment
disorder, personality disorder, substance use disorder, etc.. holistically called as
psychosis. It is necessary to prevent and to treat the patients with psychiatric method.
There must be organized clinical psychiatry serving as psychological counseling rendered
by psychiatric physicians not expert only professional competence but also other
aspects such as honesty with the patient, patient confidentiality, scientific knowledge,
professional responsibility, maintaining appropriate relationship with patient, and
improving access to cure, etc.
The word "mental health" means a status of mind in happiness, realizing
oneself's capacity, able to adjust himself at a chaotic life, and capable to work for his
own forsake as well as others in society. Mental Health is classified into three categories,
i.e, normal or good mental health, able to face with difficult problem and to wipe out
anxiety, dare to cope with exact environs, adjust and improve himself in good condition.
Mental health in a normal status is similar to good mental health with slight different
instability, likely to take the risk of loss, dare not to face with hard problem, and able to
adjust and improve himself. Regarding spoilt mental health, it causes to the one with
hard life problems, anxious, unmindful, flurry and worry. All these states of patients
could be cured by right and suitable treatment. Mental conditions as stated are caused
both from physical body and mind. Thus the treatment is focused on helping the
patients realize and accept themselves and others, understand true causes of problem,
capable to face with difficulty, able to find the way to solve the problem, changing their
behavior, until to lead their life smoothly, valuably, and meaningfully. Psychological
counseling processes are of the five categories, i.e., building relationship with patients,
surveying problems, understanding problems, planning, end of counseling. Special to
planning in solving problem, there must be competent in data provision, supervisorship,
recommendation, conclusion, and encouragement.
In the light of Buddhist psychology, original true mind is pure, but impured
with mental defilements which are unwholesome. If a person, having a weak mind,
untamed with threefold training - morality, mentality, and wisdom, might fell into lower
defilements. Thus development of mind, strong and stable, unshaken when touched by
worldly vicissitudes - gain and loss, fame and obscurity, blame and praise, happiness and
pain; preventing one's mind from negligence, being mindful cultivating good in order to
set mind in a good condition, having good health, in condition, following to the three
admonitions or exhortation to the Buddha, i.e., not to do evil, to do good, purify his own
mind. By this way, it covers all the wholesome as prescribed by the Buddha.
Buddhist psychological counseling process starts from counseling factors, i.e.,
counselor, counselee, counseling matter, method, and the accomplishment. Counseling
method keeps with the Four Noble Truths as thinking procedure that is thinking to solve
the problem starting from study of problem (Dukkha), analysis of causes of problem
(Samudaya), making destination to approach (Nirotha), and synthesis of method to solve
problem (Magga). It can be seen that the Buddha enlightened the Four Noble Truths,
preached the Four Noble Truths, and the Buddhist method was applied with categorized
procedure of the Four Noble Truths. In this research, cases of Pasenadikosala King,
Santatimaha-amatya, Abhayarajakumara, Anitthigandhakumara, Visakhamaha-upasika,
Kisagotami, and Patacara are examples of kindly soothing rendered by the Buddha. His
words began with the convince those people to accept the fact and truth the naturally
happened, that is death. To be born and to die are nature of beings. No one escapes
from these phenomena. There is no use or advantage to cry toward sorrow,
lamentation, pain, grief and despair. In spite of these, no return of the dead. It is wise to
warn himself and to do good more and more. In these examples, the two to be
mentioned are Visakhamaha-upasika and Patacara. It is noticed that Visakha, yet though
was Sotapanna fell into sorrow and lamentation. In case of the poor Patacara, she
suffered so much from the sudden death of beloved persons, i.e. husband, two children,
her parents and brother, and that made her mad. Back to earlier life, she was a daughter
of a millionaire, fell in love with a servant, ran away from home to lead a hard life with
her husband. Unfortunately, destination put her into complete loss. Finally, she was
soothed by the Buddha, and her mindfulness and perception were recalled. She begged
for ordination as a bhikkhuni. With her industrious effort in meditation, she attained
arahattaship. She was praised by the Buddha as a bhikkhuni expert in Buddhist
disciplines.
Keywords : Psychological counseling, Buddhist Psychology, Psychotherapy