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Purpose, Karma and Co-Dependent Origination
ajani_mgo
Veteran
In recent days I have been thinking about my future career paths after some form of unattached considerations on what if I failed my aptitude test in university after applying for a place in the Faculty of Psychology...
Well, while I have not thought of a "backup" career to move to if I fail (which now I think I would do better to think of that much later in life), for some reason, my head fired off the thought I used to have a very long time ago...
I remember that more than a year ago, before me and this particular girl were together... We had a chat on future careers, and she had told me that hers was in psychology. Curious, from a wannabe computer scientist, I started to read up on psychology, and in time became a wannabe psychologist.
It was during my first experiences with the more well-known psychology principles e.g. classical conditioning, NLP, ego etc. that somehow or other, I slowly, dwelling into other branches, noticed that Buddhism in many ways seemed parallel to psychology, which the former was to me in fact, a school of transhumanist psychology in its own right itself (which, of course, now I think that there are still quite some very scientific psychological approaches that are not quite Buddhism but nevertheless compatible with it). I did not really make a big deal out of it, I just found it quite interesting... Buddhism seemed to me as a compatible application of psychology to improve human conditions.
My experience with psychology - especially with the cognitive branch, has more than once led me to go haywire with my own mind with all the approaches it supports (The value of psychiatry to me is almost akin to that which a Scientologist would be.) At first, it seemed magical - I went totally gaga over the cognitive branch, seeming to me as the best application of every psychological theory ever proposed. Soon, however, as my life started to head downwards, it was funny at times to see pop psychology infused with the cognitive branch, with PhDs (CogPsy) just telling you ancedotes on their own life, their motivational courses, their beliefs, their stuff... I do not mean to discount psychology, for I am aware that millions have benefited from treatment, but to me and a few others I have spoken to, it seemed like c*** after a while. Perhaps it might have been our attitude towards it, or our wrong application of that, but above all, we were sick of all the hackneyed motivators and their "inspiring tales".
It may be a problem that I have. I understand that many parents, motivators, or even some of us around like to show pictures of dying children in Africa, para-Olympists, or totally sad scenes of life to others, in an attempt to tell people that hey, look at yourself and others before you start grumbling.
To me however, to have somebody use this kind of logic on me the next time I'm caught up in some kind of social crisis, relationship crisis, career crisis, academic crisis or anything for that matter, is totally senseless. True, I might have cried badly once or twice out of guilt when somebody once said such things, but not now and definitely not anymore. All these sadistic forms of cognitive-motivational psychology just have to get out of the door for me. Humanistic psychology is there for a dammed reason, and in my world, it vaguely supports why I should not stop my depression when I see something lower on the humanistic model.
Back to the main topic, it came to me more than once also, that I would have thought that in fact, Shakespeare's "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women are merely players." made sense, when used to mean that up there somewhere, a God lords over all of us to guide us.
I was thinking yesterday... Had I not picked up psychology in the first place, there would still be quite alot of stuff about the world and myself that I'd have failed to discover till now, which has aided me greatly in my study of the Dharma despite all. Even as me and the woman has long been relegated to just friends, my passion for psychology has not burnt out. My experiences so far each and every has proven to teach me more about myself and the role I play in this world - even the most traumatic or the most unfortunate has a hidden realisation deep within.
All these and more - Purpose? Karma? Dependent Co-Origination? These, too, I have since stopped trying to think about.
Well, while I have not thought of a "backup" career to move to if I fail (which now I think I would do better to think of that much later in life), for some reason, my head fired off the thought I used to have a very long time ago...
I remember that more than a year ago, before me and this particular girl were together... We had a chat on future careers, and she had told me that hers was in psychology. Curious, from a wannabe computer scientist, I started to read up on psychology, and in time became a wannabe psychologist.
It was during my first experiences with the more well-known psychology principles e.g. classical conditioning, NLP, ego etc. that somehow or other, I slowly, dwelling into other branches, noticed that Buddhism in many ways seemed parallel to psychology, which the former was to me in fact, a school of transhumanist psychology in its own right itself (which, of course, now I think that there are still quite some very scientific psychological approaches that are not quite Buddhism but nevertheless compatible with it). I did not really make a big deal out of it, I just found it quite interesting... Buddhism seemed to me as a compatible application of psychology to improve human conditions.
My experience with psychology - especially with the cognitive branch, has more than once led me to go haywire with my own mind with all the approaches it supports (The value of psychiatry to me is almost akin to that which a Scientologist would be.) At first, it seemed magical - I went totally gaga over the cognitive branch, seeming to me as the best application of every psychological theory ever proposed. Soon, however, as my life started to head downwards, it was funny at times to see pop psychology infused with the cognitive branch, with PhDs (CogPsy) just telling you ancedotes on their own life, their motivational courses, their beliefs, their stuff... I do not mean to discount psychology, for I am aware that millions have benefited from treatment, but to me and a few others I have spoken to, it seemed like c*** after a while. Perhaps it might have been our attitude towards it, or our wrong application of that, but above all, we were sick of all the hackneyed motivators and their "inspiring tales".
It may be a problem that I have. I understand that many parents, motivators, or even some of us around like to show pictures of dying children in Africa, para-Olympists, or totally sad scenes of life to others, in an attempt to tell people that hey, look at yourself and others before you start grumbling.
To me however, to have somebody use this kind of logic on me the next time I'm caught up in some kind of social crisis, relationship crisis, career crisis, academic crisis or anything for that matter, is totally senseless. True, I might have cried badly once or twice out of guilt when somebody once said such things, but not now and definitely not anymore. All these sadistic forms of cognitive-motivational psychology just have to get out of the door for me. Humanistic psychology is there for a dammed reason, and in my world, it vaguely supports why I should not stop my depression when I see something lower on the humanistic model.
Back to the main topic, it came to me more than once also, that I would have thought that in fact, Shakespeare's "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women are merely players." made sense, when used to mean that up there somewhere, a God lords over all of us to guide us.
I was thinking yesterday... Had I not picked up psychology in the first place, there would still be quite alot of stuff about the world and myself that I'd have failed to discover till now, which has aided me greatly in my study of the Dharma despite all. Even as me and the woman has long been relegated to just friends, my passion for psychology has not burnt out. My experiences so far each and every has proven to teach me more about myself and the role I play in this world - even the most traumatic or the most unfortunate has a hidden realisation deep within.
All these and more - Purpose? Karma? Dependent Co-Origination? These, too, I have since stopped trying to think about.
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Comments
Christians have always been accused being "highly selective" in their proving of miracles and God.
If a person died, if he was revived by prayer one could either say that it was a miracle, or if it did not work one could also state that it was only Providence.
From the worst situations of life have religious types have found meaning in suffering, which I myself at many times despise.
Well, right here in my previous post, have I realized that a tinge of such thinking exists.
But upon further thinking, I have realized that I do not welcome suffering - and I seek to be rid of it. Besides, while their basis for accepting that suffering is meaning comes from their faith, mine comes from each and every single experience. I have had my own share of meaningless suffering, too.
Just a thought. :rockon:
My academic psychology qualifications and my practical experience as a counsellor/therapist/spiritual director have, like you, taught me vast swathes of stuff about myself as well as reinforcing my love admiration for human beings. I would, however, be much less than I am if I had not also studied languages, literature, history, mathematics, physics and all the other disciplines of a 'full' education.
Psychology, as an academic discipline, is a relatively new study and one which still has to prove its validity. It is riven with theories, orthodoxies, heresies and heterodoxies, just like religion or literary criticism. If I am asked (as I am, from time to time) to give advice to budding psychologists, academic, medical or other, it is this: "Take neither the theories nor yourself too seriously. The client/patient/group in front of you will teach you more than any book, lecturer or pastor if you will only open yourself to learn something new every day. Never be afraid of the new 'fact' that challenges your dearly-held theories."
I would teach all children and students Plato's myth of the cave so that they begin to understand how dimly we understand what is really going on!