JOURNAL OF SPIRITUALITY IN MENTAL HEALTH

2023, VOL. 25, NO. 1, 71–82

https://doi.org/10.1080/19349637.2022.2081952

Beyond mindfulness: Buddhist psychology and the

Abhidharma
Brendan D. Kelly
Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin, Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, Tallaght University
Hospital, Dublin 24, Ireland

ABSTRACT KEYWORDS
Buddhist psychology increasingly informs mental healthcare Buddhism; psychotherapy;
through therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) cognitive behavioral therapy;
and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), as well as explicitly dialectical behavior therapy;
spirituality
Buddhist therapies. The central tenets of Buddhist psychology
are explored in the Abhidharma, a collection of psychological
works from the traditional canon. The Abhidharma includes
detailed expositions of the structure of consciousness; the nat­
ures of active cognitive processes and passive states; the rela­
tionships between material and mental phenomena,
conditionality, and “dependent arising”; and the practice of
meditation. These concepts are increasingly relevant owing to
the continued emergence of psychotherapeutic practices (e.g.,
mindfulness) with significant roots in Buddhism.

Introduction
Mindfulness-based therapies are now mainstream therapeutic tools in many
areas of mental health care, most notably for the prevention of relapse of
depressive illness (Creswell, 2017; Segal, Williams, & Teasdale, 2013; Seshadri
et al., 2021). Mindfulness, which finds its roots in Buddhist psychology, helps
inform therapeutic approaches such as cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT)
(Kumar, 2002) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) (Palmer, 2002).
Buddhist approaches have also been described as adjunctive strategies for
other disorders, including anxiety disorders, substance misuse, and psycholo­
gical aspects of physical disorders (Kelly, 2008).
Recent decades have seen the emergence of “Buddhist psychotherapy” in
Western societies, often combining Buddhist practice with certain elements of
western therapeutic traditions (Brandon, 1976; Campos, 2002; Epstein, 1995).
Relevant models include “Cognitively-Based Compassion Training” (CBCT®),
a secular, compassion-based training program adapted from the Indo-Tibetan
Buddhist traditions of lojong (mind training) and lamrim (stages of the path of
spiritual development) (Ash, Harrison, Pinto, DiClemente, & Negi, 2021);
“Dharma therapy,” a Buddhist teaching-based therapeutic intervention using

CONTACT Brendan D. Kelly [email protected] Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin, Trinity
Centre for Health Sciences, Tallaght University Hospital, Tallaght, Dublin 24 D24 NR0A, Ireland
© 2022 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/
licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly
cited.
72 B. D. KELLY

the Buddhist model of ending suffering to assist clients dealing with psycho­
logical issues (Hung & Wa, 2021); and the “Note, Know, Choose” model,
a three-phase psycho-spiritual treatment approach based on Buddhist teach­
ings to improve skillfulness of mind (Lee & Tang, 2021). While detailed
consideration of these models is beyond the scope of the present paper, it is
notable that these developments have occurred alongside growing interest in
the neuroscience of meditation, especially the use of brain imaging to identify
physical correlates of meditation and mindfulness practices (Fox et al., 2014;
Lutz, Greischar, Rawlings, Ricard, & Davidson, 2004; Tang, Hölzel, & Posner,
2015).
As a consequence of these developments, mindfulness is ubiquitous in
popular media, with the result that the background, nature, and consequences
of mindfulness are often simplified, misunderstood, and over-stated (Purser,
2019). Notwithstanding these concerns, evidence continues to grow support­
ing the usefulness of mindfulness, once it is practiced correctly and with an
understanding of its context. Against this background, and in order to assist
with contextualizing mindfulness and related therapies, this paper examines
the broader field of Buddhist psychology, with particular emphasis on the
“Abhidharma” or higher teaching of Buddhist thought, and how this situates
and contextualizes mindfulness practices today.
The version of the Abhidharma chosen for this analysis is “A
Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma: The Philosophical Psychology of
Buddhism” (Bodhi, 1999), owing to its standing in the field as well as its clarity,
availability, and accessibility for mental health professionals. Against this
background, this paper presents a description of already existing traditional
ideas found in Buddhist writings in order to assist mental health professionals
to understand and explore these concepts further.

Buddhist psychology and the Adhidharma

Much of the psychology of Buddhism is rooted in the “Four Noble Truths,”

which are: (a) duhkha, which refers to the unsatisfactoriness (or “suffering”)
associated with much human experience; (b) the causes of duhkha, which are
craving, aversion and delusion; (c) the cessation of suffering, achieved by
facing duhkha, overcoming craving, aversion and delusion; and (d) how to
overcome duhkha by practicing the “Noble Eightfold Path,” based on the
principles of wisdom, moral virtue and meditation. This involves cultivating
and practicing right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right
livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.
Meditation, including mindfulness, is central to this paradigm (Kelly, 2012).
A more detailed description of this framework is provided in the
Abhidharma, a collection of books that present a detailed account of
Buddhist psychology. Buddha’s original teachings on this subject were
 JOURNAL OF SPIRITUALITY IN MENTAL HEALTH 73

reportedly received by Sāriputta, a disciple, who then taught them to his own
pupils (Gethin, 1998). As with most canonical traditions, there are now
interesting textual differences between different versions of the Abhidharma
associated with different schools of Buddhism. Despite these divergences,
there is substantial overlap between most extant versions of the text, and
there are several shorter “manuals” of Abhidharma that provide introductions
to the common principles of Buddhist psychology and summarize teachings
upon which most major schools are agreed (Bodhi, 1999).
According to the Theravada tradition within Buddhism, the Abhidharma
is divided into seven “books.” The first book, the Dhammasangani, provides
an overview or framework of the Abhidharma, outlining the categorization
of states of consciousness and material phenomena, as well as explanations
of important Abhidharma terminology. The second book, the Vibhanga,
outlines detailed analyses of a range of important Buddhist concepts such
as sense bases, dependent arising, mindfulness, the Noble Eightfold Path,
types of knowledge, and dhammahadaya (the essence of the doctrine). The
third book, the Dhātukathā, provides an analysis of all phenomena in rela­
tion to the essential Buddhist concepts of sense bases, aggregates and
elements.
The fourth book of the Abhidharma, the Puggalapannatti, examines differ­
ent kinds of individuals and levels of spiritual development, using an approach
more similar to that of the Suttas (or more general teachings) than the
traditional Abhidharma. The fifth book, the Kathāvatthu, comprises
a manual of debatable or undecided points in Abhidharma teachings (gener­
ally ascribed to the Elder Moggaliputta Tissa) and the sixth, the Yamaka,
concerns the use of Abhidharma terminology and resolution of ambiguities
in relation to a range of areas, including sense bases, latent dispositions, and
consciousness.
Finally, the seventh book of the Abhidharma, the Patthāna, also known as
the “Great Treatise,” provides a lengthy analysis of the inter-relations between
different teachings within the Abhidharma, according to twenty-four varieties
of conditional relations. The Patthāna presents an enormously detailed, sys­
tematic overview of much of Buddhist psychology and, in many ways, forms
the heart of the teachings of the Abhidharma.
While each of these books contains considerable detail about particular
aspects of Buddhist teachings, the current paper will focus only on those
elements of the Abhidharma that are most germane to an introductory under­
standing of Buddhist psychology as it applies today, starting with the structure
of consciousness.

The structure of consciousness in the Abhidharma

The Abhidharma describes four planes of consciousness (Table 1).
74 B. D. KELLY

Table 1. Four planes of consciousness described in the Abhidharma.

1 Sense-sphere consciousness Generally linked with sensory desires
2 Fine-material-sphere Attained through meditation focussed on material phenomena (e.g. the
consciousness breath)
3 Immaterial-sphere Attained through meditation focussed on non-material phenomena (e.g.
consciousness infinity)
4 Supra-mundane consciousness Supersedes other levels and is linked with the cessation of suffering or
nirvana.

All of these levels of consciousness are further sub-divided in several over­

lapping ways, using multiple axes. For example, states of consciousness on the
sense-sphere plane can be classified as unwholesome (including states related
to greed, hatred, or delusion), rootless (including states without roots in either
unwholesome or wholesome phenomena) or beautiful (including states related
to generosity, loving-kindness, or wisdom, as well as certain states of indeter­
minate relations).
Further sub-divisions are also presented: rootless sense-sphere states and
beautiful sense-sphere states are sub-classified on the basis of whether they are
“unwholesome” (i.e. related to greed, hatred, or delusion) or “wholesome” (i.e.
related to generosity, loving-kindness, or wisdom), and “resultant” (i.e. related
to volitional activity or kamma) or “functional” (i.e. not related to volitional
activity or kamma). The other three planes of consciousness (fine-material-
sphere, immaterial-sphere, and supra-mundane consciousness) are also sub-
divided in various ways, using some of the same overlapping axes, resulting in
a bewilderingly complex matrix of different planes, levels, and states of
consciousness.
According to this theory, each person can progress to greater levels of
consciousness through meditation. For example, the consciousness of
a given individual who does not practice meditation may initially tend to lie
in the “sense-sphere” plane (e.g. unwholesome states rooted in greed, hatred,
and delusion) and may be associated with what Buddhism describes as “wrong
view.” Prior to practicing meditation, this individual may also experience
rootless sense-sphere states and beautiful sense-sphere states; the latter may
occur in the presence of either joy or equanimity, and with or without the
knowledge of “how things really are” (to use a common Buddhist phrase).
Nonetheless, despite the possible presence of knowledge and joy in some of
these states, higher planes of consciousness will not be achieved in the absence
of meditation.
If this individual starts to meditate, however, they may experience states of
consciousness associated with the fine-material-sphere (with a focus on mate­
rial phenomena) or the immaterial-sphere (with a focus on non-material
phenomena). States of consciousness associated with these planes may be sub-
divided into wholesome, resultant, and functional states, in a fashion similar to
that used to sub-divide the sense-sphere states. If this individual’s meditation
 JOURNAL OF SPIRITUALITY IN MENTAL HEALTH 75

practice progresses further, they may experience states of consciousness asso­

ciated with the supra-mundane plane of consciousness, which is concerned
with nirvana or the cessation of suffering.
The eight basic states of consciousness in this supra-mundane plane are
sub-divided in two ways: (a) according to whether they are “wholesome” or
“resultant” (as previously detailed in relation to the sense-sphere states); and
(b) according to the four stages of enlightenment: stream-entry, once-
returning, non-returning, and Arhantship. While the Abhidharma itself pre­
sents greater detail about these stages of enlightenment and about the fifty-two
concomitants (or cetasikas) of consciousness, further description is beyond the
scope of the present paper; an excellent summary is provided in the
“Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma” (Bodhi, 1999).
In essence, the Abhidharma provides a detailed description of multiple
states of consciousness and sub-divides these along a number of different
axes. It also provides a detailed summary of the concomitants or cetasikas of
consciousness, as well as further classifications based on the roots, feelings,
and functions (among other factors) that are associated with various states of
consciousness. The most fundamental division, however, is between mundane
planes of consciousness (sense-sphere, fine-material-sphere, and immaterial-
sphere) and the supra-mundane plane, which transcends all other planes of
consciousness and is concerned with the cessation of all suffering. According
to Buddhist tradition, higher planes of consciousness are attained through
adherence to the Noble Eightfold Path and, most of all, the practice of
meditation (Das, 1997). Therefore, while the recent manualization and pro­
pagation of mindfulness facilitates both practice and research, this broader
paradigm provides a useful and arguably essential context for these
techniques.

Active cognitive processes and passive states

The Abhidharma divides active cognitive processes into six “door-processes,”

each linked with one of the six sense organs in Buddhist psychology: eyes, ears,
nose, tongue, body, and mind (Trungpa, 2001). Consciousness in response to
inputs from any of the first five senses requires sensitivity (e.g. ability to see),
an object (e.g. visible object), suitable conditions (e.g. light), and attention (e.g.
looking at the object). Each resultant citta (moment of consciousness) lasts for
one short “mind-moment,” comprising arising, presence, and dissolution
(Thera, 1998). The mind may be involved as a result of perception or may
be involved independently (e.g. being told about something but not perceiv­
ing it).
Passive states are presented separately to active cognitive processes, and are
related to four planes of existence: (1) woeful plane; (2) sensuous-blissful
plane; (3) fine-material-sphere plane; and (4) immaterial-sphere plane. The
76 B. D. KELLY

first two planes (the woeful and sensuous blissful planes) correspond to the
sense-sphere plane (outlined above) and the two remaining planes (the fine-
material-sphere and immaterial-sphere planes) represent higher planes of
consciousness attained, as previously outlined, through adherence to the
Noble Eightfold Path and the practice of meditation.
This section of the Abhidharma also contains analysis of rebirth (a belief
central to traditional Buddhism) and a classification of “kamma” or volitional
action into productive, supportive, obstructive, and destructive categories.
Productive kamma produces its own result and may be wholesome or unwho­
lesome, while destructive kamma prevents other kamma from producing its
own result, and may also be wholesome or unwholesome.

Relationships between material and mental phenomena, conditionality, and

dependent-arising
The next section of the Abhidharma commences with a detailed classification
of material phenomena, all of which derive, in one form or other, from the
four essential elements recognized in Buddhist tradition (but not necessarily
Western ones): earth, water, fire, and air. Multiple overlapping categories and
descriptions are presented for a broad range of phenomena, including sensi­
tive phenomena (e.g. input from the five senses), sexual phenomena (e.g.
masculinity, femininity), and bodily phenomena based on the heart, “life-
faculty,” and nutrition.
Material phenomena can also result from processes related to conscious­
ness, and these phenomena, because they are derived from consciousness
rather than matter, are strongest during their “arising” phase; such processes
include the state of absorption (e.g. in meditation) which can result in material
phenomena (e.g. maintenance of meditation posture). If accompanied by joy,
processes related to consciousness can also result in the material phenomenon
of smiling – something that is common amongst many practitioners of
Buddhism. The complete cessation of suffering, or nirvana, is a special situa­
tion, because it is seen as the only “unconditioned” reality in this system. This
is also called “the void,” owing to the absence of greed, hatred, and delusion in
this state, as well as the freedom from conditioned things.
The central Buddhist concept of “conditionality” recognizes that emotional
and cognitive states are dependent on an array of conditions and causes
including our environment, actions, and interactions with others (Brazier,
2003). Each event occurs as a result of another, in a process known as
“dependent arising.” A detailed, twelve-step chain of causality is outlined in
the Abhidharma, in which each step conditions the following one, starting
with ignorance, followed by formations, consciousness, mind-and-body, six
sense-bases, contact, feeling, craving, clinging, existence, birth, and – finally –
decay, sorrow, and suffering. Thus, “formations” (wholesome or unwholesome
 JOURNAL OF SPIRITUALITY IN MENTAL HEALTH 77

volitions) condition the development of consciousness, which then conditions

mind-matter, and craving and clinging condition existence itself, resulting in
the cycle of birth and death – and suffering.
Following its consideration of “dependent arising,” the Abhidharma pre­
sents an alternative approach to conditionality, based on “conditional rela­
tions.” This matrix is based on a detailed examination of possible inter-
relationships between material and mental phenomena, and their relationship
to the overall concept of the “mind.” While this passage of the Abhidharma
adds considerably to the understanding of “conditionality” in Buddhist
thought, further consideration of this area is beyond the scope of the present
paper.

The practice of meditation

Meditation is central to Buddhism (Trungpa, 2001). As detailed above, the
Abhidharma returns repeatedly to the importance of meditation in attaining
higher states of consciousness, including those associated with the fine-
material-sphere, immaterial-sphere, and supra-mundane planes (Bodhi,
1999; Thera, 1998). Meditation is also central to realization of the Four
Noble Truths and progression along the Noble Eightfold Path. This requires
both meditation aimed at the attainment of calm and meditation aimed at the
development of insight.
The Abhidharma describes various meditation subjects for each kind of
meditation. For meditation aimed at the attainment of calm, some forty
meditation subjects are listed, including the (a) kasinas (which are “wholes”
or “totalities” such as earth, light, and colors); (b) aspects of decay or foulness;
(c) Buddhist recollections, including, for example, recollections of the three
“jewels” of Buddhism: the Buddha, the Dharma (teaching), and the Sangha
(community); (d) “illimitables,” such as loving-kindness; and (e) various other
subjects, including “immaterial states,” such as the base of infinite space. The
Abhidharma also provides advice about the appropriateness of certain medi­
tations for certain people.
The second type of meditation is aimed at developing insight. The
Abhidharma lists a sequence of purifications that leads to this goal (Table 2).

Table 2. Sequence of purifications leading to insight in the

Abhidharma.
1 Purification of virtue
2 Purification of mind
3 Purification of view
4 Purification by mastering doubt
5 Purification by knowledge of the eightfold path
6 Purification by knowledge of the way
7 Purification by vision and knowledge (i.e. the supra-mundane path).
78 B. D. KELLY

In addition, the achievement of insight through meditation is informed by

the contemplation of (i) non-self, (ii) impermanence, and (iii) suffering,
which are associated, respectively, with three “doors” to emancipation,
characterized by (i) contemplation of the void (i.e. the absence of clinging
to self), (ii) contemplation of the signless (i.e. the absence of signs of
perversion), and (iii) contemplation of the desireless (i.e. the absence of
craving).
This path leads to attainment of one or more of the four stages of enlight­
enment outlined in the Abhidharma: stream-entry, once-returning, non-
returning, and Arhantship. This categorization refers to the extent to which
the individual has transcended clinging, craving, delusion, etc., through the
practice of two-fold meditation (aimed at both calm and insight) and through
adherence to the Noble Eightfold Path. According to the Abhidharma, the
advanced stages of this process are associated with the attainment of “cessa­
tion” in which the stream of consciousness is ultimately suspended. The
attainment of these advanced stages of meditative practice represents the
ultimate goal of many millions of practicing Buddhists and meditators around
the globe.

Limitations of this paper

While this paper explores an important and growing theme in mental health
care, it has certain limitations that might be usefully borne in mind and
explored in other work. First, Western Buddhist psychology and psy­
chotherapy models tend to be pragmatic in nature, meaning that they are
designed to assess for psychopathology, conceptualize suffering, and use
responsive interventions to provide mental health treatment. Even though
the concepts outlined in this paper do not always map directly or readily
onto these tasks, it is hoped that the approaches and frameworks outlined
will inform background thinking about therapy, help situate mindfulness in
its broader context, stimulate new thoughts and ideas, and contribute in
a broad sense to enrichment of this field, with benefits to clients in the
longer term.
While this paper outlines concepts in the Abhidharma, it does not explore
whether the Abhidharma itself can be regarded as a treatment method, provide
a case-discussion showing possible applications, suggest new therapeutic tech­
niques, or express a particular approach to psychological theorizing; these
matters can hopefully be discussed in future work following greater awareness
and discussion of central Abhidharma concepts outlined in this paper and
elsewhere (e.g., Bodhi, 1999).
This paper also focuses on specific theoretical concepts within the
Abhidharma, some of which require further reading in order to comprehend
them fully, such as the four planes of consciousness. A full exploration of the
 JOURNAL OF SPIRITUALITY IN MENTAL HEALTH 79

nature of consciousness in Western, Buddhist, and Hindu thought is beyond

the scope of this paper but would, undoubtedly, assist with deeper under­
standings of the concepts discussed.
In addition, while the present paper seeks to situate mindfulness in its
broader context, it is not possible to provide a full overview of Buddhist
psychology in such a short space. As a result, the paper outlines a set of
categories of thought and lists of ideas; further contextualization of these
concepts and their inter-relations are needed to develop their role in
Buddhist psychology in future work, and to articulate how they provide
alternatives to prevailing mainstream ideas.
Future work could also usefully examine how, from a Buddhist perspective,
mindfulness fosters higher-level psychological states, but, from a Western
perspective, mindfulness and meditation are sometimes understood quite
simply. There is a tendency to equate meditation, for example, with the
practice of following the breath, with or without mediating speech. Mindful
practice is used to manage anxiety, bring consciousness into the “present
moment,” or regulate and cultivate attentional focus. These are all important,
relevant goals, but the Abhidharma also describes meditation subjects, pro­
vides advice about the appropriateness of certain meditations for certain
people, and outlines meditation aimed at developing insight (see above).
This suggests a difference between Western and Buddhist uses of meditation,
with greater emphasis on individualism in the West and on cultivating
a particular type of self in Buddhism – a self that is concerned with dharma,
right action, virtue, etc.
Finally, it is important to maintain a careful, critical perspective when
considering all ideas from both Western and non-Western cultures, such as
Buddhism. The fact that a philosophy is ancient, has been used for many years,
or is used by many people does not necessarily reflect its validity. There is often
good reason to question ancient beliefs precisely because they are ancient and
might or might not have evolved over time. Careful, critical thought is always
needed, and a balance of perspectives.

Conclusions: mindfulness and beyond

This synopsis of Buddhist psychology has, of necessity, omitted certain aspects
of Buddhist tradition (Thera, 1998). Nonetheless, many of the theories of
Buddhist psychology outlined in this paper have had a significant influence
on the development of “Western” psychology and psychotherapy over the past
century including, but not limited to, the practice of mindfulness.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, for example, many psychoanalysts
developed strong interests in Buddhist psychology and Buddhist practice,
especially the Zen school of Buddhism (Fromm, Suzuki, & De Martino,
1960). This interest persisted over recent decades (Cooper, 2001).
80 B. D. KELLY

Falkenstrom (2003) uses Buddhist concepts such as “clinging” to images of

self that arise in the mind, to deepen the psychoanalytic understanding of
narcissism. There has also been sustained interest in specific psychological
therapies that are informed by Buddhist tradition, including Naikan therapy
(Murase & Johnson, 1974) and Morita therapy (Kitanishi & Mori, 1995). An
overview of the role of these therapies in Japanese psychiatry is provided by
Tsuchiya and Takei (2004). Other models include “Cognitively-Based
Compassion Training” (CBCT®) (Ash et al., 2021), “Dharma therapy”
(Hung & Wa, 2021), and the “Note, Know, Choose” model (Lee & Tang,
2021), as mentioned earlier.
Perhaps the greatest area of cross-cultural exchange, however, has been in
relation to cognitive and behavioral therapies, both of which have much in
common with the theory and teaching of Buddhist psychology outlined in the
Abhidharma. Both the practice and theory of CBT, for example, are strikingly
reminiscent of aspects of Buddhist psychology (MacHovec, 1984), including
the cultivation of mindfulness (Kutz, Borysenko, & Benson, 1985). Kumar
(2002) provides an informative overview of the relevance of Buddhist theory to
CBT, while both Palmer (2002) and Robins (2002) demonstrate the similar
relevance of Buddhist psychology to DBT.
These links between Buddhist psychology and psychological therapies such
as CBT and DBT reflect the increasing relevance of Buddhist psychology to
contemporary mental health care. Other factors that have increased the rele­
vance of Buddhist psychology in this setting include the effects of globalization
(e.g., increased ethnic diversity among mental health service-users), increased
interest in the neuroscience of Buddhism, and growing interest in various
forms of Buddhist psychotherapy. The Abhidharma is central to the Buddhist
psychology on which these trends are based; a more detailed understanding of
this canon will hopefully help practitioners to move beyond mindfulness and
apply other aspects of Buddhist psychology in their clinical work when
appropriate.

Note on terminology
Much of the original Buddhist canon was written in the Pali language,
although there is also a considerable literature in Sanskrit. In this paper, rather
than adhering to one particular language or one school of Buddhist terminol­
ogy, I have tried to use the most commonly recognizable terms, in order to
optimize clarity.

Acknowledgments
The author is very grateful to the reviewers for their comments and suggestions.
 JOURNAL OF SPIRITUALITY IN MENTAL HEALTH 81

Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Funding
The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

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