BushAMFT6103-4

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Validating and Embracing Spiritual Perspectives AJ Bush MFT-6103: Cultural Diversity, Gender, and Family Development Dr. Hall November 12, 2023

Discussion on Buddhism Buddhism is a spiritual practice that follows the teaching of Buddha. I chose this religion as it is linked to mindfulness practices. Buddhist teaching consist of three universal truths and four noble truths. These universal truths are: change is constant, possessions do not grant happiness, and that you, as a person, are also constantly changing. Following these, the four noble truths are: Suffering is a part of life, suffering is caused by greediness, suffering can end, and the way to end it is to follow the Middle Way ( Buddhism , n.d.). This Middle Way is described as living a life of moderation. Keeping oneself from overindulging, as well as from too much hardship ( Buddhism , n.d.). There is also a heavy focus on meditation as a practice of Buddhism. When considering the Buddhist view of hope, one must first consider desire. Desire being something that has a hand in a person’s suffering. This is because certain desires cannot ever be fulfilled, therefore wanting them can only lead to unhappiness (Public Broadcasting Service. (n.d.). When understanding hope through Buddhist lens, it is seen as being based in desire. This is because when someone hopes for something, they are wanting something to be a certain way. This could mean that hope may have a hand in human suffering. However, Buddhists engage is what is referred to as “wise hope”. This form of hope requires a person to face realities, instead of blindly hoping for something that may never be achieved and being let down (Halifax, 2022). With wise hope, a person can acknowledge the current state and what is happening, while also remembering the universal truth that change is constant, allowing them to move forward through hardship. As previously discussed, Buddhism discerns that change is ever present throughout life. Regarding healing, both mental health wounds and physical ailments, the mind is most

important. Buddhism beliefs state that the mind is powerful and often the culprit to being unwell. It is imperative that not only the body is healed, but also the mind (Hawter, n.d.). This is relative to mental health as well, and healing is promoted through practices of meditation and mindfulness. Personal Beliefs I am not a very religious person, and I would say my relationship with religion is quite complicated. I grew up Southern Baptist, and I believe that it would make sense that there is a higher power, but I have difficulty with church teaching and the Bible. This difficulty comes from the knowledge that the Bible that we have today is a version of the Bible that was retranslated and approved by King James, and that we really have no idea what was really meant to be in the Bible. Similar to a game of telephone, as years pass and things are taught and passed down, things can change either on purpose or on accident. That being said, I do not judge others for their faith and I welcome everyone of different faiths, but my personal relationship with religion is a bit complicated. However, after looking into Buddhism, I can see how I may connect to this idea of spirituality. I feel that Buddhism is less of a religion and more of a set of guidelines to help people find peace within themselves. I agree with the Buddhist truth that change is a constant throughout life and that one must accept this to bring themselves peace. I think that this can be a difficult thing to accomplish, but that it is crucial. Buddhism also describes five percepts to use as guidelines when leading life. These are do not harm or kill living things, do not steal, be a good person, speak kindly and do not lie, and do not abuse drugs or alcohol ( Buddhism , n.d.). My personal beliefs are also similar to these guidelines. Although I would not describe myself as religious, I do believe it is important to be a

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good, moral person, and live life as best as you can. I also believe that it is crucial to serve others and help them as best you can. I do not believe religion is required for someone to be a good person. Integrating Spirituality into Clinical Work First, I feel that in order to integrate spirituality or religion into my practice, it requires me to be open to all possible religion that may walk through the door. As discussed in the article by Boyd-Franklin (2010), it is crucial to be culturally competent in regard to specific cultural aspect of religion. This is true even when considering the same religion, but different cultural groups. This article highlighted the importance of understanding the culture surrounding Black churches and other faith-based community settings (Boyd-Franklin, 2010). Although these Back churches may be practicing the Christian faith, they still differ culturally from white Christian churches, and therefore should still be understood separately. In order to foster beneficial talk of religious beliefs and spirituality, I would want my practice to follow guidelines as discussed in the article regarding the article on the reflexive curriculum given to MFT students. This course used for this study discusses the need for a safe and open environment to discuss spirituality, and the importance of vulnerability (Williams- Reade, Lobo, & Gutierrez, 2019). Similarly, I would hope to provide an environment that feels safe, where a client could allow themselves to be vulnerable in sharing their understanding of spirituality with me. Through this, we would find ways that our beliefs are connected and hopefully foster feeling of trust between me and my client.

References Boyd-Franklin, N. (2010). Incorporating spirituality and religion into the treatment of African American clients. The Counseling Psychologist, 38(7), 976–1000. Buddhism: Basic beliefs . URI. (n.d.). https://www.uri.org/kids/world-religions/buddhist-beliefs Halifax, J. (2022, November 8). Yes, we can have hope . Lions Roar. https://www.lionsroar.com/yes-we-can-have-hope/ Hawter, P. (n.d.). Healing: A Tibetan Buddhist Perspective. https://www.buddhanet.net/tib_heal.htm Public Broadcasting Service. (n.d.). Basics of buddhism . PBS. https://www.pbs.org/edens/thailand/buddhism.htm#:~:text=In%20Buddhism%2C %20desire%20and%20ignorance,them%20can%20only%20bring%20suffering. Williams-Reade, J. M., Lobo, E., & Gutierrez, G. (2019). Integrating spirituality into MFT training: A reflexive curriculum and qualitative evaluation. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 45(2), 219–232.

BushAMFT6103-4

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