We lamas think that the main point is that human problems arise primarily from the mind, not
from the external environment. But rather than my talking about things that you might find
irrelevant, perhaps it would be better for you to ask specific questions so that I can address directly the issues that are of most interest to you.
[...]
By mental illness I mean the kind of mind that does not see reality; a mind that tends to either
exaggerate or underestimate the qualities of the person or object it perceives, which always causes problems to arise. In the West, you wouldn’t consider this to be mental illness, but Western psychology’s interpretation is too narrow. If someone is obviously emotionally disturbed, you consider that to be a problem, but if someone has a fundamental inability to see reality, to understand his or her own true nature, you don’t. Not knowing your own basic mental attitude is a huge problem.
[...]
Human problems are more than just emotional distress or disturbed relationships. In fact, those
are tiny problems. It’s as if there’s this huge ocean of problems below, but all we see are the small waves on the surface.We focus on those — “Oh, yes, that’s a big problem” — while ignoring the actual cause, the dissatisfied nature of the human mind. It’s difficult to see, but we consider people who are unaware of the nature of their dissatisfied mind to be mentally ill; their minds are not healthy.
[...]
Q. Lama, what do you find in the ocean of a person’s nature?
Lama.When I use that expression I’m saying that people’s problems are like an ocean, but we see only the superficial waves.We don’t see what lies beneath them. “Oh, I have a problem with him. If I get rid of him I’ll solve my problems.” It’s like looking at electrical appliances without understanding that it’s the underlying electricity that makes them function.
Q. What kind of problems do we find below the waves?
Lama. Dissatisfaction. The dissatisfied mind is the fundamental element of human nature.We’re
dissatisfied with ourselves; we’re dissatisfied with the outside world. That dissatisfaction is like an ocean.
Q. Do you ask the other person questions about himself or how he feels to help him understand himself?
Lama. Sometimes we do, but usually we don’t. Some people have quite specific problems; in such cases it can help to know exactly what those problems are so that we can offer precise solutions. But it’s not usually necessary because basically, everybody’s problems are the same.
Q. Is my basic problem the same as his basic problem?
Lama. Yes, everybody’s basic problem is what we call ignorance — not understanding the nature of the dissatisfied mind. As long you have this kind of mind, you’re in the same boat as everybody else. This inability to see reality is not an exclusively Western problem or an exclusively Eastern problem. It’s a human problem.
[...]
For example, a hundred years ago, people in the West had certain kinds of problems. Largely through technological development, they solved many of them, but now different problems have arisen in their stead. That’s what I’m saying. New problems replace the old ones, but they’re still problems, because the basic problem remains. The basic problem is like an ocean; the ones we try to solve are just the waves.
[...]
I’m not saying that because Buddhist methods work we don’t need any others. People are different; individual problems require individual solutions. One method won’t work for everybody. In the West, you can’t say that Christianity offers a solution to all human problems, therefore we don’t need psychology or Hinduism or any other philosophy. That’s wrong.We need a variety of methods because different people have different personalities and different emotional problems. But the real question we have to ask of any method is can it really put a complete stop to human problemsforever? Actually, Lord Buddha himself taught an amazing variety of psychological remedies to a vast range of problems. Some people think that Buddhism is a rather small subject. In fact, Lord Buddha offered billions of solutions to the countless problems people face. It’s almost as if a personalized solution has been given to each individual. Buddhism never says there’s just one solution to every problem, that “This is the only way.” Lord Buddha gave an incredible variety of solutions to cover every imaginable human problem. Nor is any particular problem necessarily solved all at once. Some problems have to be overcome gradually, by degrees. Buddhist methods also take this into account. That’s why we need many approaches.
James: And an important approach (for many) that the Lama leaves out is the use of medications to help calm the body to the point where his true inner evaluation is possible.
-I'm out-
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