Practice for Psychology and Buddhism

Psychology & Buddhism

“The ultimate source of happiness is our mental attitude.”

– 14th Dalai Lama

Everyone knows somewhere that he or she is more spacious, loving and radiant than is experienced in daily life. Precisely because of this inner knowing, it’s so painful when we realize how much we suffer, how tense we can feel. The search starts, the search away from this suffering to start living that spacious and radiant life. But by starting to look outside ourselves for that, we actually move away from it.

Because you don’t have to search outside. Here and Now, whatever situation you find yourself in, you are already radiant and spacious, there is already wisdom and compassion. Actually, you can experience it by surrendering, entrusting yourself to life, here and now. However, we are constantly distracted by our habits. The habit of clinging to everything or fighting against something. Or the habit of wanting to be entertained constantly. We are busy with all sorts of things outside ourselves. Actually, these are all habits to stay away from the Here and Now…which only increases our confusion…

Because who and what are you actually yourself?

Where we set certainty and control as a condition for happiness, we become unhappy. We usually learned that this is the way. But by surrendering to the moment, we arrive in the here-and-now. In wholeness, in happiness. With this attitude of surrender you can look at your life, your questions, your worries. From this attitude you can make conscious choices in your life. You can always return to this attitude. Time after time. This is who you are; deep, silent, simple and clear. Fundamental goodness. That is the essence of the Buddhist vision.

To surrender also seems to require courage…

…and sometimes it is nice if someone can looks at this with you because you can no longer oversee it yourself. Or because it feels safer. Working from this vision of life is living from the realization of this fundamental goodness that we all carry within us. That goodness is always present in us, intact, despite our confusion. And regardless of what we have experienced in our lives.

You don’t have to be a Buddhist for this, and that is not necessary to be eligible for guidance!