What Is Different between Western and Buddhist Psychology?

Classical Buddhist thought offers a fundamentally different context than that of Western culture. In my work, this means that my interventions with individuals or groups often have different meaning and invite/provoke people to perceive their own experience in new/different ways. This, in turn, opens possibilities. At the very least, this illuminates some of the invisible assumptions of Western culture. Some basic differences are:
• "heart" and "mind" are the same thing; there is one word for both. Given that our experience is so fragmented, it is a challenge for those of Western culture to imagine functional unity.
• there is no God, Supreme Being, goddesses, gods, or Higher Power. There is only the full experience of living every moment in connection with all beings; spirituality is the lived experience. This means that there is no "Big Boss" to answer prayers, grant wishes, or intervene; there is no "outside" intervention. This is inherently different from much of Judeo-Christian culture - and most others. While often misperceived as nihilistic, it holds individuals solely responsible for their own lives and actions.
• there is neither soul nor spirit. There is not a discrete part of us that contains inherent goodness; we have the responsibility to integrate that into each moment of our lives. Similarly, there is nothing to survive past our own death. This is it! Life is fully in this moment, and every moment.
• hope and fear are viewed similarly. Unlike western philosophy which believes "hope" to be a virtue, classical Buddhism sees it as a way of fleeing from the present moment. When we fear, we fear a future action. When we hope, we hope for a future action. Our goal is to be wholely present now rather than fretting about the future.
• we are interconnected with everyone and everything; it is inherent to do no harm, as harming another means harming oneself. This differs greatly from Western individualism.
Classical Buddhist context differs greatly from that of the West. It has been guiding the development of the human mind for 2,500 years. I use it in my work to offer opportunities to be nudged out of familiar patterns of thinking. "Unfamiliar" leads to "surprise." And, as Margaret Wheatley said, "Surprise is the only route to discovery."