This paper explores a Buddhist contribution to contemporary peace research. Especially, it examines how a Buddhist philosophy of human mind can expand the framework of the dynamics between human mind and peace/conflict. Despite its diversity and progress through self-reflexivity, Western approaches to peace/conflict are mainly structurally or institutionally oriented.
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With regard to psychological dynamics, social psychology has assumed major roles in developing the psychological dynamics of peace/conflict.
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However, from a Buddhist perspective, as it has confined the nature of mind exclusively to social/cultural orientation, the purview of psychological dynamics has been qualitatively limited. The central aim of Buddhism is to examine and address the problem of suffering. Especially, it seeks to resolve psychologically-oriented suffering by means of the eradication of its cause based on the doctrine of the Four Noble Truths
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(Burton, 2002). Buddhism can be characterised as a critical and qualitative analysis of human mind both as a root cause of suffering and a key to addressing it. It is expected this Buddhist analysis of mind will contribute to enriching the study of human mind for peace research. However the goal is neither to show superiority of Buddhist analysis of human mind for peace/conflict analysis nor to replace contemporary peace research with Buddhist one.