[Buddha-l] Vipassana Centers and Psychological Reductionism

[Franz Metcalf]

Joanna et al.,

I'm replying nearly two months after Joanna asked me for some 
clarification of a slightly derogatory post I sent. I apologize to the 
sangha of the four quarters for my cavalier words and to Joanna for the 
gross delay. I've been alive in the meantime; you know how that can be.

Apparently, I wrote,

> "On another front, there is not rational but psychological reductionism
> present in several strands within the field of Buddhism and 
> psychology."
> "...it continues today in the emphases of people like Jack Kornfield 
> and the
> whole Insight Meditation Society gang,..."

So Joanna asked,

> Would you mind explaining what you mean here, giving a few examples? 
> I'm not
> aware that the IMS gang, as you refer to them, are a bunch of 
> psychological
> reductionists--but then what do I know?

First, I'm not sure what Joanna knows, but I imagine it is many things 
I don't. Definitely good for you, Joanna. But as to the first question, 
what I was getting at was that my impression of IMS and Spirit Rock (an 
allied California center) was that they tend to minimize the Buddhist 
aspect of their practice, effectively portraying Buddhist practice as 
an excellent means of changing one's mind. This comes in contrast to, 
say, portraying Buddhist practice as an excellent means of entering 
nirvana. I should add that I see these two depictions of Buddhist 
practice as complementary, rather than exclusionary, but choosing one 
over the other puts a center, by necessity, into a camp *tending 
toward* psychological or nirvanic reductionism.

All that said, I have to admit that a quick look around the IMS and SR 
websites reveals to me that they have changed a great deal in the last 
few years. I recall that the SR website didn't even *mention* Buddhism 
on its splash screen or first page. Now Buddhism is prominent and 
unmistakable. Where a few years ago almost every single SR teacher was 
a licensed psychologist, now a good percentage are not and there are 
several actual Theravada monks on the council. It may be that these 
centers are moving closer to the historical mainstream of the Buddhist 
tradition as they mature.

Good thoughts,

Franz