[Buddha-l] Buddhism and Psychology research

[Dan Lusthaus]

Richard claims, re: the conflation of psychology and therapy:

> Neither Timothy nor I conflate these two categories. That we appear to 
> Lusthaus to be conflating them seems to be a persistent Lusthausian 
> fantasy. Or perhaps he is thinking of a career with Fox News, where the 
> main strategy is just to repeat something so many times that some people 
> think they believe it.


We've gotten used to Richard fantasizing that I am fantasizing, about things 
he thinks and says, but I have no such fetish. It's his favorite form of 
pretending he never said what the record always shows he did say.

Then, to prove what a consistent philosopher he is, after informing us that 
Buddhism is NOT about therapy, and that he can keep descriptive psychology 
distinct from therapeutic psychology in his head, he deems Jung and Freud 
honorary Buddhas because of their therapeutic contributions (is it or is it 
not what Buddhism is about -- Richard make up your mind), and then he 
downgrades Abhidharma in contrast to these honorary Buddhas by guessing:

>My guess is that quite a few more people have been relieved of the pain 
>associated with unresolved traumatic experiences through psychotherapy than 
>through abhidharma, but that's just a hunch. I have no data to support it.

Yes, great job of keeping therapy and descriptive psych distinct from each 
other.

He also apparently doesn't mind if his Buddhas are antisemites. And this 
from someone who on more than one occasion has indicated his willingness to 
jettison almost everything from Buddhism except its ethical dimension. NIce 
ethics.

Dan