The Psychology of Nirvana

Auteur

Rune E. A. Johansson (1918-1981) was born in Sweden. At the University of Lund he studied psychology and languages, among them Sanskrit and Pali, obtained his Licentiate Degree in 1954, and lectured there in psychology for some years. He travelled and studied extensively in the Orient, studying Sanskrit at the University of Calcutta and Pali at the University of Ceylon. During 1966-7 he was visiting Professor at the University of Tel Aviv, and at the time of original publication was head of the Biotechnical Section of the Research Institute of the Swedish National Defence.

Texte du rabat

Originally published in 1969, this book was the first attempt to fit all the diffuse explanations and pronouncements of the oldest scriptures together into a consistent picture, and to relate this to modern Western psychology. Just as Nirvana is a psychological state and the natural goal of Buddhism, mental health is the ideal of psychology.

Contenu

1. Introduction 2. Method 3. The General Background 4. Some Preliminary Observations 5. Cognitive Functions in Nibb na 6. Emotion and Feeling in Nibb na 7. The Dynamics of Nibb na 8. Nibb na as State of Personality 9. Nibb na as Emptiness 10. Nibb na as Cessation of Rebirth 11. The Criteria of Transcendence 12. A Discussion of U 80 13. Nibb na and Death 14. The Personality Factors and Nibb na 15. Ways to Nibb na 16. Nibb na and Consciousness 17. The Personality of the Arahant 18. Summary and Conclusions. References. Index.