What is the Buddhist point of view of the Law of Attraction?

Question

I've been practicing it and it seems to work well.

It seems that I can explain this in terms of nash equilibrium. I tend to see it that all of us are already physically able to achieve much and paying attention to some topic will subconsciously allow us to manifest what we want.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_attraction_(New_Thought)

Buddhism teaches that there are laws that govern human nature. There are laws of living objects. There are laws of karma.

Is the law of attraction one such law?

By the way, I tend to see Buddhism as a way to understand life instead of as a religion. I am not Buddhist but I see that there is some truth in what Buddha taught. So that's my background.

Answer 1

I think there is no conflict between law of attraction and buddhism. But as per my understanding what buddha says is as long as you need something you will be born (and in the process you may get it). So there you go law of attraction. But in the process you will get lot more happenings (bad and good things) just being in the sansara. Therefor buddhism says get away from the sansara and to stop that the way is go in the opposite direction of law of attraction. Don't desire or reject anything and then there is no need for another birth and you are done.

Answer 2

The Law of Attraction seems to take certain Buddhist teachings out of context in order to make worldly life more comfortable.

In Buddhism, especially in Mahayana and Vajrayana, there are teachings on illusory or dream-like nature of our everyday experiences. Everything that happens to us takes place essentially in our mind as outside of the mind there are no appearances. The idea is that if we master our mind, we master everything. But it doesn't mean that once we master the mind we can create our reality as we wish. Rather, we will understand the emptiness of all phenomena and thus will get rid of our attachments and aversions towards things around us.

The Law of Attraction seems to advocate that by the power of your mind (thoughts) one can attract things what will make you happy. And this statement already goes against what Buddhism teaches. Instead of learning that all things are essentially empty, one uses thoughts to attract one thing and repulse the other. So in essence one creates even more desires, attachments and aversions which sadly, are seeds for future sufferings.

Answer 3

Law of attraction seems to create and stimulate attachments, people crave for things and think about them constantly, concentrating the mind on different desires, in that sense I think it is hard to mix it with Buddhism, because in Buddhism we try to let go of attachments instead of trying to fulfill the desires.

In Buddhism you learn that you don't put an end to a desire by having what you want, instead it will create an even stronger desire as everything is unsatisfactory (Dukkha), the way to liberation is by letting it go, seeing things as they really are, be grateful for what you have, for that you need to cultivate wisdom and work on the mind.

Answer 4

My understanding of the Law of Attraction is that it is a way to affect what happens to you by thinking about what you want to have happen. If you want to receive money; you think about receiving money.

In Buddhism, the goal is to understand reality as it is. Understanding reality as it is, involves accepting reality as it is. Manipulating circumstances to provide material benefits for oneself would not really be a part of this. The teachings of the Buddha would guide one to giving up many desires rather than chasing after them; as I understand it.

One thing in Buddhism that might be similar is when some Buddhists take a vow to become a Boddhisatta/Boddhisatva. This vow sets their mind and intentions upon becoming a future Buddha . But my understanding of the Law of Attraction is that it is more in the here and now while a vow to become a future Buddha might have to be kept for many, many lifetimes to come to fruition.

Answer 5

See the links dependent origination more particularly: With Contact as condition, Feeling arises With Feeling as condition, Craving arises With Craving as condition, Clinging arises

So attraction happens when you get a feeling to which you analyze and give an evaluation as good and bad followed by clinging to it. At the sub conscious level this is happening millions and millions of times. When a meditator develops the insight knowledge of Arising and Passing Away you get a glimpse of how fast this is happening through it may not be a clear or full understanding. (At full understanding you have taken the a dip into one of the stages of sainthood.)

Based on the extent of clinging fabrication starts. This is not perfect but but some of your expectations can materialize. But most often not exactly as you expect it to be. Also note only a few materialize.

Also this aspect is covered in Adhitthana and Chitta Niyama (5 Niyama on Wikipedia). Having a strong mental desire for an out come can influence the possible outcome through the process of conditioning / fabrication.

But it is not advised to have strong desire for a particular outcome as this might lead to covetousness which is a bad Karma. See Kammapatha.

Answer 6

The law of attraction is a by product of spiritual alignement. The more you work on your libération the higher your vibration s get, the more you attract pleasant experiences in your life. The LOA works from a place of happiness not a place of craving therefore the more you are detached from what you want the best chance you have to attract it. When you meditate and enter deep absorption state it is easy to ditch any visualization you want in there…and when you do it’s powerful! Buddha didn’t talk about the law of attraction but spoke about merits (material, physical, spiritual and supernatural). In regards to these merits he often advised not to get hung up on them as they are part of the way but are not the destination. It is interesting to see that Buddha and many of his disciples were Kings, deities or Brahmans in their lives prior to their nibbana… it is because the gathered so much merits that they had very comfortable lives and could enjoy the pleasures they offered… regardless, they all had to let go of their comfort at some point to reach total liberation.

Answer 7

Buddhism teaches that there is everything in nothing and nothing in everything. Understanding is the main issue of Buddhist philosophy. Buddhism focuses on the middle path, tells about life to be full of suffering and pain and the main reason for suffering to be desire. The aim here is to achieve salvation/ Moksha. Thoughts are everything, they shape reality. It's done to achieve awakened and spiritual uplift meant. Valid for those individuals looking to achieve freedom from this world full of illusion and distraction. Promote life in austerity and seek nothing in extreme, rather be satisfied with whatever little one has. Aims at awakened self and understanding of the true reality- which is that this life is an illusion and only suffering and pain is universal, and self-awakening and self-actualisation is essential to find and give meaning to life. The dual nature of everything is mentioned as the two extremes following any of which will only increase suffering. Provides with 8 noble paths determining how to keep the right attitude, thought, action etc. Aims at being and becoming a selfless, empathetic, compassionate individual without self-centred thoughts. Law of attraction -what you visualise that you materialise. Thoughts attract and create reality. Nothing is mentioned about human suffering here. Done to make means and ends meet. Universal law, meaning applicable for all, everywhere. Dream whatever you like and that reality when focused on for a long time will become the existing reality in future. Consequences aren't mentioned, happiness is but suffering and pain, sadness isn't mentioned. Focus only on what and how to achieve, no results nor satisfaction, or content is mentioned. Provides only guarantee of achieving something that you focus upon, nothing good nor bad about the inherent thought is mentioned. It's based on self-satisfaction by maintaining a level of selfishness. Everything can be interpreted in many ways and the context, situation and time greatly matter when comparing and discussing various analogies. It's the perspective that is chosen to perceive reality. Buddhism has final approaches to life as it explains the noble path, seeking salvation and Moksha /Nirvana and how to minimise suffering and pain in life. Whatever perspective you take, both have their pros and cons, but every theory completes each other. What limitations one theory exhibits, other theories seem to patch through defining their validity and reliability. Everything is interconnected, nothing happens in isolation. Everything is relative, every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

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