Critical Psychology in Sri Lanka: the Buddhist psychological perspective.

Abstract

Sri Lanka has made efforts to teach western scientific psychology in universities for several decades. However, there is no subject such as critical psychology taught in universities of the country. Although efforts are made to interpret the mental processes and behavior of Sri Lankan society using the western theories of psychology, the psychological professional practice has not developed significantly in Sri Lanka. The Buddhist attitude and way of life has been in the mindsets of the Sri Lankan Buddhists for more than two thousand five hundred years. This article would discuss the Buddhist analysis of the mind, the key Buddhist teachings of volitional action, causality and therapeutic aspects. However, Buddhist psychological concepts are yet to be organized as academic curricula for systematic teaching based on its unique characteristics deviating from the mainstream conceptual frameworks