The Psychological Attitude of Early Buddha Philosophy And Its Systematic Representation According To Abhidhamma Tradition

Buddhist philosophy want to make clear the position of Buddhism as well as what I mean by philosophy. It has become a fashion to call Buddhism a philosophy pure and simple or to identify it with one or the other of its branches: psychology and ethics. But Buddhism is something more, otherwise it would have remained merely a matter of aesthetic pleasure for a few belesprits, philosophers, and historians, and-in the most favorable case-the rule of conduct for a small group of puritans. Philosophies and scientific systems of psychology have never been able to exercise a dominating influence on the life of humanity,-not because there was something wrong with them as systems, nor because they were lacking in truth, but because the truth contained in them was only of theoretical value, born by the brain and not by the heart, thought out by the intellect and not realized in life.

Before speaking about Buddhist philosophy I want to make clear the position of Buddhism as well as what I mean by philosophy. It has become a fashion to call Buddhism a philosophy pure and simple or to identify it with one or the other of its branches: psychology and ethics. But Buddhism is something more, otherwise it would have remained merely a matter of aesthetic pleasure for a few belesprits, philosophers, and historians, and in the most favorable case-the rule of conduct for a small group of puritans, Philosophies and scientific systems of psychology have never been able to exercise a dominating influence on the life of humanity, not because there was something wrong with them as systems, nor because they were lacking in truth, but because the truth contained in them was only of theoretical value, born by the brain and not by the heart, thought out by the intellect and not realized in life.

**Contents and Sample Pages**