This study focuses on Mahayana Buddhism that has a convergence to psychology. Specifically, it tries to connect Tiantai thought of the thoughts of Mahayana Buddhism with psychology. It is because that understanding of “complete and Immediate teaching (圓頓說)” in the Tiantai school helps to understand ultimate value of Buddhism.
The purpose of this study is to understand the idea of Buddhism in modern perspective and to discover future directions of modern psychology through Tiantai thought. The purpose can be achieved by connecting “complete and Immediate teaching (圓頓說)” in the Tiantai school with modern psychology.
At first, this study is researching about a convergence between “complete and Immediate teaching (圓頓說)” in the Tiantai school and quantum psychology (quantum theory in psychology) for the purpose.
There are two directions in quantum psychology. One is application of cognitive psychology, and the other is consciousness of neuropsychology. Traditional cognitive psychology has applied Classical probability (CP) theory. It is to analyze human beings’ cognitive behaviors through CP theory. However, researches have proven that every mental process cannot be applied in logic of CP. Application of quantum probability (QP) theory began to apply to Alternate CP theory.
Quantum cognitive models explain diverse phenomena that occur in mind at every moment by applying quantum theory on human beings’ cognitive process. The model shows multi-dimensions of human mind. It suggests a new perspective that how unrelated things can be compatible cognitively. Therefore, quantum cognitive theory can explain how people recognize conflicting things into compatible things. It means that it provides an analytical solution how psychology can analyze a “mutual identity (相?)” concept in Buddhism.
Neuropsychologically Application of quantum theory is related with quantum processes. Traditionally, brain neural network is explained by classical computation theory. The connection between brain neural network and quantum theory is researched by a few scholars. R.Penrose and S.Hameroff are representative scholars in the field. This study understands quantum theory by applying The Penrose-Hameroff orchestrated objective-reduction(Orch OR) model of consciousness. It considers how The Penrose-Hameroff Orch OR model can be applied in Buddhism idea and how the idea suggests developed analysis on quantum consciousness theory.
Finally, this study attempts to show availability of practical application of “complete and Immediate teaching (圓頓說)” in the Tiantai school through an convergence between mindset shift of psychology study and “Affliction is Bodhi (煩惱卽菩提)” of Tiantai thought. Study about mindset shift describes how human mind can think conflicting things as a “non-duality (不二)”.
Therefore, the study is able to suggest availability of practical application in modern perspective. It considers how conflicts such as Affliction (煩惱) and Bodhi (菩提) can be thought in “Affliction is Bodhi (煩惱卽菩提)” perspective. At this point, the study tried to consider the result of application of stress on Affliction (煩惱). It is because psychological study about conversion of stress that is need to be avoided is classified as a concept to take is appropriate way to treat Complete Doctrine (圓敎).
“Complete Doctrine (圓敎) is an idea that requires a sudden mindset shift. It eliminates a line that exists between the best things and the worst things like “Affliction is Bodhi (煩惱卽菩提)”. It eliminates even independence of “provisional positing, emptiness and the mean (空假中)”.
It is “complete and Immediate teaching (圓頓說)” of Tiantai. It could be too much sudden mindset shift. It is because it requires removing established mindset and rebuild up new mindset. The interesting point at here is that modern psychology is doing research which proves mindset shift. Traditional psychology has focused on negative aspect and how to get rid of distress. However, people start to think how to embrace the negative aspect in these days. Hinayana Buddhism focused on avoiding Affliction (煩惱) and suffering to achieve nirvana, but there is a similar concept in Mahayana Buddhism that Affliction (煩惱) itself is same with Bodhi (菩提) which means mindset shift that embrace the Affliction (煩惱). As conversion from Hinayana Buddhism to Mahayana Buddhism happens, so Modern psychology’s direction is also changing. Therefore, Mahayana Buddhism, especially in complete and Immediate teaching (圓頓說) in the Tiantai school, will provide benefits on develop of psychology. There is a significance in this study about the convergence between “complete and Immediate teaching (圓頓說)” in the Tiantai school, quantum psychology, “Affliction is Bodhi (煩惱卽菩提)”, and mindset shift. Furthermore, this study dealt with understand of complete and Immediate teaching (圓頓說) and practical application aspect.