The Smaratungga Journal of Buddhist Studies and Education SJBSE Vol. I (March-August 2017) ISSN … Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Agama Buddha Smaratungga Jl. Semarang-Solo Km 60, Ampel-Boyolali Jawa Tengah Boyolali Central Java 57352, Indonesia Phone/Fax: + 662276330835 M.:+628159223291 Website: http://www.smaratungga.ac.id and journal.smaratungga.ac.id BE 2561 CE 2017 Advisors The Most Venerable Nyanasuryanadi Partono, M.Pd. Chair of General Assembly Sangha Agung Indonesia, Indonesia Executive Editor Ven. Ditthisampanno Budi Utomo, S.Ag., MA. (Buddhist Studies, Mahaculalongcorn Unversity, Thailand) Rector, Smaratungga Buddhist College, Indonesia Chief Editor Ven. Dr. Sulaiman Girivirya, M.Pd. (Educational Technology in Buddhist Religion Education, State University of Jakarta) Dean of Graduate Program, Smaratungga Buddhist College, Indonesia Editorial Team (Mitra Bestari) The Most Venerable Dr. Khammai Dhammasami (Buddhist Studies, Oxford) General Secretary IABU and ATBU. Ven. Dr. Naw Kham La Dhammasami, Ph.D. (Buddhist Psychology, University of Peradeniya). Dean of Department of Psychology Shan State Buddhist University, Myanmar. Dr. Kim Leung Darga, Ph.D. (Buddhist Studies, University of Kelaniya) Visiting Lecturer, Smaratungga Buddhist College. Assistant Editors Tjia Khie Khiong, Ph.D. (Frontier Bioscience, Osaka University) Smaratungga Buddhist College, Indonesia Dr. Suherman, S.Kom., MM. (Educational Management, Indonesia University of Education). Lecturer, Smaratungga Buddhist College, Indonesia Dr. Ponijan, M.Pd. (Communication, and Political Management Science, University of Satyagama, Indonesia). Lecturer, Smaratungga Buddhist College, Indonesia Dr. Adi W. Gunawan, M.Pd., CCH. (Mind Technology Expert, Indonesia). Lecturer, Smaratungga Buddhist College, Indonesia Publisher Team Suharno, M.Pd.B., Head of Research and Development, Smaratungga Buddhist College, Indonesia Rieke Jolen Jonathan, B.A., M.Sw. Clinician, Australia Sutarno, M.Pd. Youth Buddhist Scholar, Indonesia Foreword This is the first edition of the academic Journal of The Smaratungga Journal of Buddhist Studies and Education (SJBSE). It is a collection of papers presented at the seminar and the first international Buddhist academic conference. They were held respectively in October and December 2015 at our institution, and organized by the Graduate School of Smaratungga Buddhist College (SBC).The focus of the seminar was Buddhist education and Buddhist psychology, whereas the theme of the conference was “Meditation Practice for the Continuous Flourishing of Buddhism in the ASEAN Region.” Buddhist knowledge, albeit “hidden” today is what Indonesia possesses, as accounted for, by the stories of the famous monks who studied in Indonesia, for example, by the great Tibetan lama Atisha, Vajrabodhi, Dharamapala and Sakyakirti and many eminent Chinese monks. Through its mission to nurture Buddhist intellectuals, both from Indonesia and internationally, the Graduate School of Smaratungga Buddhist College seeks to put back Indonesian Buddhism in its rightful place in the modern world. Though many articles have been written in the Indonesian language, this journal is the first Indonesian Buddhist Academic journal, written in English. Our aim is to give Indonesian Buddhist intellectuals, as well as their neighbors in South East Asia, and elsewhere, a space to create new knowledge and to share their thoughts and findings with the largest number of people in the world, thus the choice of publishing in English. Our challenge is to motivate more Buddhist intellectuals in Indonesia and the region to express their knowledge in English, which is probably their 3rd or 4th language. It’s important in our times where interactions are no more confined to local or national boundaries, and where Buddhism has indeed gone beyond its shores in Asia; that more academics and scholars from countries with long Buddhist traditions be able to come forward and share their insight and participate in global discussions on dhamma. Thus in the journal, there are papers from seasoned Buddhist scholars, as well as from promising young intellectuals. The themes covered in Buddhism are diverse and range from the theoretical to the applied science of Buddhism. Authors have shared their thoughts and knowledge on some of the most debated topics in academia, as well as how these are applied in the practitioners’ world. Readers will enjoy discovering new ideas in Buddhist philosophy, the Buddhist concept of management, Buddhist psychology, and Buddhist education. 2017 is a significant year as it is the 31st anniversary of Smaratungga Buddhist College, and the 52st birthday of our Patron, the Most Venerable Nyanasuryanadi, M. Pd., M. Pd. B, who celebrated his birthday in July. This journal is a commemorative symbol of the culmination of many years of the College’s and the Most Venerable Nyanasuryanadi’s dedication to the revival of Buddhist Education and its pursuit to excellence in Indonesia. Our thanks go to all those who have contributed to the publication of this journal. The Editorial Committee Contents Foreword……………………………………………………..I Buddhist Concept of Bare Attention……………………1-28 Ven. Santacitto Sentot, Ph.D “Applied Mindfulness” – A Change Management Tool for Buddhist Leaders……………………………………….29-46 Kim Leung Darga, Ph.D The Schopenhauer Cure and the Four Noble Truths: A Comparative Study of Schopenhauer & Buddha Perspectives on Human Liberation……………………47-84 Naw Kham La Dhammasami, Ph.D A Story in Promoting Meditation in Central Java: Opportunity and Challenge…………………………….85-93 Kustiani, Ph.D Popularization Meditation Practice by Using Simple Techniques……………………………………………..94-102 Ven. Sasana Bodhi, Sutikyanto, S.Ag., M. Hum Buddhism as a System of Psychotherapy…………103-125 Wasantha Priyadarshana, Ph.D Buddhist Education: Morality, Concentration, and Wisdom……………………………………………….126-136 Asst. Prof. Dr. Banjob Bannaruji BUDDHIST CONCEPT OF BARE ATTENTION Ven. Santacitto Sentot, Ph.D Introduction It is a well-known fact that Buddhism is uniquely different from other religions, relying on the fact that the former is enriched with various techniques of meditation. Meditation plays an important role in Buddhism for it is widely considered as a highly important factor for liberation. In general, there are two kinds of Buddhist meditation, namely samathabhavanā and vipassanabhavanā. The first type of meditation refers to meditation which brings the calmness of mind, while the second is known as insight meditation which when practiced produces proper insight into the nature of things. It is this latter type of meditation which is reckoned by Buddhists as being genuine Buddhist meditation, for besides directly leading to liberation, it has been discovered by the Buddha only. Not all types of meditation are easy to practise. Among the two kinds of Buddhist meditation, the development of samatha or calmness very often needs one to be in particular places in order to be successful in it. When samathabhavanā is practiced, it leads to the higher mental absorptions (jhānā). However, in order to attain jhānā, one needs to be in a quiet place free from uproar and noise. This is important for sound is said to be an obstruction to achieving jhānā (saddakaṇṭakā jhānā).1 That is probably the reason why while urging his disciples to develop mental absorptions the Buddha generally instructs them to go to solitary lodgings, root of forest trees, mountains, charnel grounds, etc.2 With this in mind, it is practically more difficult for those who are involved in a lot of activities to develop calmness meditation. Different from samathabhavanā, the practice of insight meditation is not limited by place or condition. One can train oneself in this type of meditation even in the crowd. While the loud sound will hinder one who develops calmness meditation, in vipassanā, the sound can become the object of meditation. In fact, all phenomena can be used as an object of meditation. What one primarily needs here is just to be aware of their presence with proper understanding. Because of its significant role, awareness is highly emphasized here, and therefore vipassanabhavanā is also known as awareness meditation. It should be noted here that presently, vipassanabhavanā is generally called by several meditation teachers as the practice of bare attention or bare awareness.3 The reason of this is that the awareness or attention employed in this meditation refers to unalloyed attention. It means that while observing the object, one is aware of or attend to it without interfering with the experience by like and dislike or any other mental judgment. That attention is of pure 1 A. V. 133. 2 D. I. 71. 3 Nyanaponika Thera. The Power of Mindfulness. Sri Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society (BPS), 2005, p. 3. See also: Anālayo. Satipaṭṭhāna: the Direct Path to Realization. Sri Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society (BPS), 2003, p. 190. uninvolved and detached receptivity. In this paper, the phrase “bare attention” is used pertaining to this particular attention. What is Bare Attention? Several Buddhist scholars have referred to the act of bare attention as sati, one of the important Buddhist psychological terms. 4 Sati itself is translated into various meanings according to different contexts, such as memory, recognition, consciousness, intentness of mind, wakefulness of mind, mindfulness, alertness, lucidity of mind, self-possession, conscience, and self-consciousness. However, in many English translations of Buddhist texts, the term has been commonly translated