Mind in the views of Buddhism and cognitive sciences
Item and associated files
Author
Lee, Ming See all items with this value
Date
2007
Volume
8
Pages
164-180
ISSN
1530-4108 See all items with this value
Abstract
This presentation reviews several dialogues that His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama has had since 1987 with Western cognitive scientists on the nature of mind and mental states. The Western and Buddhist perspectives on the mind and body issue are compared and contrasted, with an intention to integrate the views of scientific materialism and Buddhist psychology.
With the advancement of modern scientific technology, Western scientists have been able to expand their understanding of the bioelectrical and biochemical functions of the brain. Cognitive scientists have access to sophisticated equipment, e.g., fMRI and PET, to study brain mechanisms in order to explain cognitive processes. They, however, adopt assumptions of scientific materialism in the study of the brain states, and equate mind to physical processes in the brain. Their understanding of the mind is based on methods that control and manipulate the brain using a combination of chemical, biological, and biophysical approaches.
Buddhist literature, including sutra, tantra, and Abhidharma, also provides extensive discussions on mind and its nature. Tantric literature, in particular, discusses mind and consciousness in various levels of subtlety, with special references to the relationship between various states of mind and their corresponding physiological states. The Buddhist approach, however, focuses more on conceptual systems and analytic methods in understanding the mind and its functions. A variety of mental techniques have also been promoted and practiced by Buddhists with a goal of inducing mental transformation and improving psychological well-being.
This paper covers discussions on the structure and functions of mind/brain based on Buddhist and Western theoretical frameworks and research findings of Western cognitive scientists. It concludes by examining potential benefits to both East and West through fruitful interfaces between Western cognitive sciences and Buddhist inner science.
With the advancement of modern scientific technology, Western scientists have been able to expand their understanding of the bioelectrical and biochemical functions of the brain. Cognitive scientists have access to sophisticated equipment, e.g., fMRI and PET, to study brain mechanisms in order to explain cognitive processes. They, however, adopt assumptions of scientific materialism in the study of the brain states, and equate mind to physical processes in the brain. Their understanding of the mind is based on methods that control and manipulate the brain using a combination of chemical, biological, and biophysical approaches.
Buddhist literature, including sutra, tantra, and Abhidharma, also provides extensive discussions on mind and its nature. Tantric literature, in particular, discusses mind and consciousness in various levels of subtlety, with special references to the relationship between various states of mind and their corresponding physiological states. The Buddhist approach, however, focuses more on conceptual systems and analytic methods in understanding the mind and its functions. A variety of mental techniques have also been promoted and practiced by Buddhists with a goal of inducing mental transformation and improving psychological well-being.
This paper covers discussions on the structure and functions of mind/brain based on Buddhist and Western theoretical frameworks and research findings of Western cognitive scientists. It concludes by examining potential benefits to both East and West through fruitful interfaces between Western cognitive sciences and Buddhist inner science.