Moving Beyond Mindfulness in Psychiatry
摘要
This chapter explores the relationships between Buddhism and psychiatry beyond ‘mindfulness’. There is sometimes a tendency to take mindfulness out of its cultural context and apply it to virtually everything, despite the fact that the effects of contemplative practices vary considerably between people and across contexts. Conceptual differences also arise, pertaining to concepts such as ‘self’, ‘non-self’, and ‘self-esteem’. Addressing these complexities in psychiatry and psychotherapy can yield benefits, provided they are approached with sensitivity and humility. Moving beyond mindfulness also means exploring and making available the rich trove of ideas and frameworks outlined in the Abhidharma, a collection of psychological works from the traditional Buddhist canon. In addition, it is useful to explore specific Buddhist traditions (such as Tibetan Buddhism) and the application of Buddhist ideas to particular issues in mental health (such as stress, self-harm, and suicide). Combining insights from Buddhism and psychiatry can help to optimise mental wellbeing, promote psychological healing, and deepen wisdom. Quite apart from mindfulness, Buddhism and psychiatry have a surprising amount in common, although they also differ in substantial, interesting ways. In the end, the relationship between Buddhism and psychiatry is a rich, rewarding one—and it is not all about mindfulness.