Buddhist and Psychological Perspectives on Emotions and Well-Being
Current Directions in Psychological Science April 1, 2005 Paul Ekman, Richard J. Davidson, Matthieu Ricard et al. 295 citations
Enduring happiness, or sukha in Tibetan Buddhism, is a state of flourishing that arises from mental balance and well-being, not from transient pleasures. Destructive emotions, such as hatred and craving, are seen as afflictive states that disrupt this balance, while nonafflictive emotions like compassion and loving-kindness support it. The Buddhist perspective challenges Western psychology to consider that lasting happiness can be cultivated through mental training and that emotions are not simply automatic reactions but can be transformed. This view raises questions for empirical research about how to measure and study such cultivated states and traits.