[Buddha-l] Enneagram and Buddhism

[Leigh Goldstein]

According to my understanding, the popular theory of personality types based on the enneagram (type 1 through type 9) is not of Sufi or Gurdjieffian derivation but was originated by Oscar Ichazo who founded Arica, and given some professional credibility by Dr. Claudio Naranjo, a psychiatrist and spiritual teacher. Naranjo studied with Ichazo (briefly) as well as Fritz Perls, and has related the enneatypes to DSM IV in his books.

There are various origina myths / rumors about how Ichaza came up with the enneagram. Gurdjieffian use of the enneagram seems, to me, to be quite different; it is usually used to describe patterns in processes, such as cooking a meal or spiritual practice.

I did a workshop with Naranjo and then used his books for his recommended self-analysis for spiritual seekers. It did appear to give me a break-through insight into my own character and behavior and appropriate therapeutic/spiritual practices. 

Naranjo also has studied Nyingma Buddhism himself, and eduSAT, or SAT, (his organization for teaching the enneatypes) includes teaching Buddhist meditation (Vipassana, Zazen and Tibetan according to their literature).

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Richard Hayes 
  To: BUDDHA_L Forum 
  Sent: Sunday, January 04, 2009 4:22 AM
  Subject: [Buddha-l] Enneagram and Buddhism


  Dear denizens,

  I just finished attending a four-day conference/retreat on the enneagram
  sponsored by the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque
  (http://cacradicalgrace.com/). The main speaker was Russ Hudson,
  co-author with Don Riso of The Wisdom of the Enneagram. Hudson, by the
  way, is one of the most engaging speakers I have heard on any topic. If
  you get a chance to hear him someday, don't pass it up. He and Riso have
  a good website, too: http://www.enneagraminstitute.com/

  The Center for Action and Contemplation is a Catholic center, so most of
  the discussion of the enneagram at this conference was focused on how it
  could support Christian practices. While I have no aversion to Christian
  beliefs and practices, Christianity is not the framework in which I am
  most at home expressing my own experiences. As the conference unfolded I
  couldn't help thinking of the enneagram as a tool that could support
  Buddhist practices. Years ago I had a student who was both a practicing
  Sufi and a Nyingma Buddhist. He used the enneagram extensively and gave
  some interesting talks on the topic.

  What I'm wondering is whether any of you BUDDHA-howLers have made use of
  the enneagram as a tool in helping you choose the most effective
  Buddhist practices for your temperament and personality type. If so, I'd
  be interested in hearing from you off-line. Please contact me at
  rhayes at unm.edu.

  -- 
  Richard Hayes
  Department of Philosophy
  University of New Mexico

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