[Buddha-l] Enneagram and Buddhism

[jkirk]

RH:
What some enneagram teachers (Don Riso and Russ Hudson, for
example) say is that our true self, our essential nature, lies
hidden by our personalities. Riso and Hudson call this essential
nature by various names ("Spirit" being their favorite), but when
they describe it, the description ends up sounding remarkably
like what some Buddhists call Buddha-nature. 
---
JK
Suspect this situation is not monolithic. Looks like different
readings of it are possible-- matters of disagreement and
viewpoint. The above statement about "our true self" to me
suggests more the notion of aatman. Terms such as "spirit" or
"soul" tend in that direction. Enneagramography attained popular
acceptance during the New Age period in the US (I don't know
about the EU or SA). New Agers (judging by readings in the
literature they produced) are usually invested in thinking about
and using such terms as soul, spirit, and spiritual.  Wouldn't be
surprised if some enneagramographers also subscribe to such
ideas.  

In addition, I'm not knocking enneagramography--if people find it
works for them, that's good enough for me. I might even try it.

Joanna
========================

Enneagram teachers and Buddhists are in full agreement that our
personality (samskāra-skandha) is not the self; both systems, in
other word, agree on the doctrine of anātman. What some enneagram
teachers (Don Riso and Russ Hudson, for example) say is that our
true self, our essential nature, lies hidden by our
personalities. Riso and Hudson call this essential nature by
various names ("Spirit" being their favorite), but when they
describe it, the description ends up sounding remarkably like
what some Buddhists call Buddha-nature.

So I think if one looks a little below the level of literalism,
one finds a remarkable compatibility between Buddhist terminology
and the language of the enneagram.

--
Richard Hayes
Department of Philosophy
University of New Mexico


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