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Book Details
Abstract
In this book, Alexander von Gontard, a child psychiatrist, uses the language, thought and imagery of Buddhism to explore the spirituality of children.
The book begins by exploring the Buddha's own childhood and the 'divine child' in Buddhism, a key archetype in Jungian psychology. The author defines the spirituality and religiosity of children and adolescents and identifies manifestations of spirituality in children, such as experiences of awe and wonder, and favourable conditions for spirituality, such as silence, nature, extreme conditions and mindfulness. Drawing on his own experience working with children in therapeutic practice, von Gontard discusses the parallels between spontaneous spirituality seen in childhood and the Buddha's teachings.
Revealing how the spiritual insights and experiences of children and adolescents can uncover a deep and wise understanding of human life that is compatible with the Buddha's teachings, this book will be of particular interest to professionals and academics in psychology, psychiatry, psychotherapy, education and religious studies.
This book offers an intriguing and original combination of Buddhist thought, the backdrop of western scholarship on childhood spirituality and the author's own experience in child psychiatry. Von Gontard opens a rich seam to be mined, and provides valuable access to his reflective journey with this multifaceted subject.
Rebecca Nye, author of 'Children's Spirituality: What it is and Why it Matters'
Alexander von Gontard is a child psychiatrist and Chair and Director of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in the University Hospital of the Saarland in Homburg, Germany. He has published widely in German and English on subjects including the spirituality of children and sand play therapy.
This remarkable book offers readers the opportunity to explore deep questions about life that children raise. The author examines the life of the Buddha and the insights of Carl Jung to help us inquire into these issues for the benefit of young and old alike.
Christopher Titmuss, author of 'The Buddha of Love' and of 'An Awakened Life'
Table of Contents
| Section Title | Page | Action | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buddhist Understanding of Childhood Spirituality: The Buddha's Children by Alexander von Gontard | iii | ||
| Preface | 9 | ||
| Introduction | 13 | ||
| Part I: Buddhism and Childhood | 17 | ||
| 1. The Buddha’s Own Childhood | 18 | ||
| Biographies of the Buddha | 18 | ||
| The historical Buddha | 19 | ||
| The fictional, mythological Buddha | 35 | ||
| 2. The Buddha and Children | 39 | ||
| The Buddha and children in art | 39 | ||
| The Buddha in conversation with children | 45 | ||
| Childhood in the Buddha’s teachings | 48 | ||
| The symbol of birth in the Buddha’s sermons | 50 | ||
| 3. Children in India and Other Parts of Asia | 54 | ||
| Children in ancient India | 54 | ||
| Children in modern India | 55 | ||
| Children in Buddhist countries, including their role as novices | 57 | ||
| Part II: Spirituality and Children | 67 | ||
| 4. Jungian Psychology and Spirituality | 68 | ||
| Jungian psychology in a nutshell | 71 | ||
| The archetype of the ‘divine child’ in Jungian psychology | 86 | ||
| The archetype of the ‘divine child’ in Christianity | 90 | ||
| The archetype of the ‘divine child’ in other cultures | 96 | ||
| 5. Spirituality and Religiosity | 98 | ||
| Defining spirituality and religiosity | 98 | ||
| Typical aspects of spirituality | 99 | ||
| Studies on spirituality | 100 | ||
| Prevalence of spirituality | 103 | ||
| Spiritual development | 107 | ||
| Religiosity | 109 | ||
| 6. Child and Adolescent Religiosity | 112 | ||
| Child and adolescent religiosity in different cultures | 112 | ||
| Negative aspects of religiosity | 114 | ||
| Positive aspects of religiosity | 121 | ||
| Stages of religiosity | 124 | ||
| Mixed models of religious and spiritual development | 128 | ||
| Religious nurturing of spirituality | 129 | ||
| 7. Manifestations of Spirituality | 131 | ||
| Wonder and awe | 132 | ||
| Wondering or philosophising | 140 | ||
| Wisdom | 151 | ||
| Interpersonal spirituality | 155 | ||
| Seeing the invisible | 163 | ||
| Favourable conditions for spirituality | 170 | ||
| Negative spirituality | 176 | ||
| Part III: The Buddha’s Teachings and Childhood Spirituality | 185 | ||
| 8. Impediments to Spirituality | 186 | ||
| Eight worldly conditions | 188 | ||
| Five hindrances to spirituality | 192 | ||
| 9. The Three Characteristics of Existence | 198 | ||
| Impermanence | 199 | ||
| Suffering | 205 | ||
| Not-self or emptiness | 211 | ||
| 10. The Four Noble Truths | 214 | ||
| The first noble truth | 215 | ||
| The second noble truth | 217 | ||
| The third noble truth | 218 | ||
| The fourth noble truth | 219 | ||
| The middle way | 220 | ||
| 11. The Eightfold Path | 223 | ||
| Right understanding | 225 | ||
| Right intention | 227 | ||
| Right speech | 229 | ||
| Right action | 232 | ||
| Right livelihood | 234 | ||
| The five precepts | 235 | ||
| Right effort | 237 | ||
| Right mindfulness | 239 | ||
| Right concentration | 241 | ||
| 12. The Four Abidings – Interpersonal Spirituality | 242 | ||
| Equanimity | 243 | ||
| Appreciative joy | 243 | ||
| Loving kindness | 244 | ||
| Compassion | 247 | ||
| Conclusion and Outlook | 251 | ||
| References | 253 | ||
| Subject Index | 262 | ||
| Author Index | 268 | ||
| Blank Page |