29 excerpts, 1:51:16 total duration
10. “Can you speak a little more about the essential differences between working with vedanā, the hindrances, and mind states and the differences and similarities between ‘spiritual’ use of this and more psychological/personal growth oriented [approaches]? Is there a difference?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Mindfulness of feeling] [Hindrances] [Mindfulness of dhammas] [Western psychology] // [Impermanence] [Suffering] [Not-self] [Self-identity view] [Happiness] [Generosity] [Virtue]
2. “It seems that having some Western psychological understanding or undergoing therapy can be helpful to a Buddhist practitioner. What are the dangers, drawbacks associated with integrating these different ways of working with the mind?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Western psychology] [Benefit/gratification] [Drawbacks] // [Cause of Suffering] [Cessation of Suffering]
3. “How do the kilesas relate to the concept of the shadow?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Western psychology] [Unwholesome Roots] // [Characteristics of existence] [Self-identity view] [Mae Chee Kaew]
15. “Is the ego the same as self? If different, in what ways?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Self-identity view] [Western psychology] // [Conceit] [Volitional formations] [Conditionality] [Ignorance] [Cause of Suffering]
5. “Do people confuse the definitions of ego and self?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Western psychology ] [Self-identity view] // [Four Noble Truths]
Story: An applicant to Wat Pah Nanachat writes a letter avoiding all personal pronouns.
2. “What is the balance between sorting out feelings internally and expressing feelings externally, not repressing them?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Emotion ] [Western psychology] [Community] // [Goodwill] [Compassion] [Discernment] [Learning]
3. Comment: Avoidance strategies can be both external and internal. [Pain] [Western psychology] [Meditation]
Responses by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Jotipālo. [Spiritual bypass] [Hindrances]
12. “Have you found it necessary to recommend psychotherapy or medication for monks who have deep-seated ruts of suffering?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Western psychology ] [Suffering] [Long-term practice] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [Ajahn Pasanno]
13. “Is the Dhamma sufficient for ordinary neurosis or do I need a psychotherapist?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Western psychology] [Dhamma]
14. “A senior lay teacher I respect has started seeing a psychotherapist. Any reflections?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Western psychology] [Dhamma] [Lay teachers]
10. “I find a lot of meditation time is taken up with psychoanalyzing and thinking, ‘Oh, this is a discovery!’ What is the line between realizing that you’re caught again?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Meditation] [Western psychology] [Directed thought and evaluation] // [Mindfulness of feeling] [Proliferation] [Clear comprehension]
5. “I work as a psychotherapist and it seems to be useful to have a more or less stable self, a more or less stable ego, to be able to transcend the ego.” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Western psychology ] [Self-identity view] [Liberation] // [Mark Epstein] [Virtue] [Happiness] [Conditionality] [Language] [Ajahn Chah] [Conventions]
Reference: “The Wisdom of the Ego” in Head and Heart Together by Ajahn Ṭhānissaro.
Sutta: SN 1.25: “Skillful, knowing the world’s parlance, he uses such terms as mere expressions.”
6. “There are suttas where people talk about honoring their parents. Are there examples of people who had very unskillful parents or childhood PTSD and brought these questions to the Buddha?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Western psychology] [Sutta] [Parents] [Abuse/violence] // [Culture/India] [Saṅgha] [Virtue]
Sutta: Ud 5.3: Suppabuddha the Leper. [Gradual Teaching] [Stream entry]
6. Comment: I find that there’s a lot of overlap between cognitive behavioral skills and meditation and Buddhism. [Western psychology] [Meditation]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [History/Western Buddhism] [Western psychology]