Buddhist Practice on Western Ground: Reconciling Eastern Ideals and Western Psychology

by Harvey Aronson

Overview

This is the first book to offer Buddhist meditators a comprehensive and sympathetic examination of the differences between Asian and Western cultural and spiritual values. Harvey B. Aronson presents a constructive and practical assessment of common conflicts experienced by Westerners who look to Eastern spiritual traditions for guidance and support—and find themselves confused or disappointed. Issues addressed include:

   •  Our cultural belief that anger should not be suppressed versus the Buddhist teaching to counter anger and hatred
   •  Our psychotherapists' advice that attachment is the basis for healthy personal development and supportive relationships versus the Buddhist condemnation of attachments as the source of suffering
   •  Our culture's emphasis on individuality versus the Asian emphasis on interdependence and fulfillment of duties, and the Buddhist teachings on no-self, or egolessness

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781590300930
Publisher:	Shambhala Publications, Inc.
Publication date:	08/10/2004
Pages:	253
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Harvey B. Aronson, Ph.D., M.S.W., is a psychotherapist in private practice and a Buddhist meditation teacher. He is founder and teacher-in-residence at the Dawn Mountain Tibetan Temple, Community Center, and Research Institute in Houston, Texas. He travels and lectures on Buddhist philosophy and psychology at universities and at academic and Buddhist conferences around the country.

Editorial Reviews

"An amazingly helpful book . . . Aronson realizes the value of psychotherapy, Theravada, and Tibetan Buddhism, and weaves them together so that, even outside their respective cultural contexts, their advantages are experienced and their pitfalls avoided."—Jeffrey Hopkins, Ph.D., author of Maps of the Profound and Cultivating Compassion

"As a psychotherapist and Buddhist scholar and teacher, Harvey B. Aronson has a lot of wisdom to share that will help Western Dharma practitioners to establish a healthy, clear foundation for achieving liberation. Aronson raises important questions and provides helpful insights about complications that can occur when Eastern and Western cultures come together. I have been waiting a long time for this book."—Geshe Rinpoche, author of Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep

From the Publisher

Aronson, a psychotherapist and Buddhist meditation teacher, addresses the fundamental differences between what many Western students expect to gain from meditation and the intentions of traditional Asian teachers. The purpose of meditation as it arose in Buddhist cultures is to realize that existence and the individual self are ephemeral, that the idea of a permanent self leads to suffering, and that the goal is to free oneself from this cycle of suffering and help others become free as well. Westerners often approach meditation with the belief that it will help them address their personal problems, an attitude their teachers usually do not comprehend. Aronson considers how Eastern and Western cultures deal differently with matters of ego, anger, love, and attachment and how psychotherapy can be used in conjunction with meditation to create a balanced psychological and spiritual life. This book is important in addressing differences in cultural perspective. General readers will appreciate the clear and jargon-free writing, and scholars will be well served by the extensive notes section. For public and academic libraries. Jerry Shuttle, East Tennessee State Univ. Lib., Johnson City Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal