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FACE TO FACE | EASTERN HORIZON 39

Benny: Could we begin by asking how you got been a huge change I’ve seen during my career as a
interested to study and practice Buddhism? psychologist. When I first began working in mental
health, it was really radical to mention mindfulness or
Lorne: When I was growing up in New York, it seemed compassion. Now those are standard parts of therapy
to me that people were focused on making money, in our modern world. I feel hopeful about how that
getting ahead, and trying to get things. To me, that didn’t dialogue between the two traditions will continue
seem like a meaningful focus for one’s life. So, when I helping people!
went to college, I took classes to explore what different
philosophers and religions had to say about how to live a Compassion is a key Buddhist teaching – is it the
meaningful life. I also felt that there was a lack of wisdom same as kindness, caring for others, empathy and
in me and in the world around me, so I was interested altruism?
in learning about people throughout history who’d
sought wisdom. I took lots of classes and read lots of I think that those concepts are related but not the
books on those subjects. During that time, I also visited same. Buddhism describes compassion as an inner
many different groups, churches, and spiritual groups wish or impulse to help others be free from their
to see what they all said about these issues of living a suffering. Compassion is really a wonderful thing. If
meaningful life and seeking wisdom. Then I took my you contemplate on it, it’s difficult to come up with any
first class in Buddhism, and I totally fell in love with it! I inner state that’s more beautiful and meaningful than
felt that the focus on rational analysis of suffering and compassion. Empathy is more about understanding
its causes, on love and compassion, and on wisdom as other people’s inner experiences. There’s scientific
liberating were fascinating. At any rate, I really fell in love evidence that feeling empathy can increase our
with Buddhism back then, and I’ve been in love with the compassion. But, it’s also possible to empathize in
study and practice of its methods ever since. the sense of understanding someone else’s inner
experiences without developing compassion. Sometimes
As a trained clinical psychologist and a Buddhist an effective salesperson can empathize with others in
practitioner, where do you see are the main order to make more profit, for example, rather than
similarities between Buddhism, a 2600-year old being motivated by compassion. And sometimes there
spiritual tradition, and modern psychology? are people who use their empathy to con other people.
So, empathic understanding can increase compassion
I think that both are interested in exploring how the but sometimes arises unrelated to compassion.
mind or awareness works. And both have some shared
interest in alleviating suffering, which is wonderful I think that your mention of caring for others is helpful
because people really do suffer a great deal in ways that to think about in relation to compassion. Caring for
aren’t always necessary! Of course, as you mention, others can be a behavior. Naturally, if you give rise to
the Buddhist tradition goes back 2600 years and grew strong compassion, then it will often express itself as
out of an already existing tradition in India of inner caring for others. But, there are many, many examples
exploration or inner sciences. When you read the life of people who engage in caring behaviors that are
story of the Buddha, it’s clear that as a young man he not connected in the moment to an inner state of
joined with others and studied with others who were compassion. That can lead to fatigue and burn out. In
already exploring mind, awareness, meditative states my experience or working with patients here in the U.S.,
and inner freedom from suffering. Modern psychology I often see people who behave in very caring ways but
began in Europe a little over a century ago. So, it’s a are actually quite disconnected to the inner experience
much younger tradition. It’s been wonderful working as of compassion. They often come to feel tired or even
a psychologist during a time when modern psychology resentful. So, I think it’s very important to recognize
has begun learning a great deal from Buddhism by way that compassion is an inner state and to take time to
of a fast growing body of scientific research! That’s cultivate it! I think that compassion is related to loving-