--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The dialectical change of mind that…" description: "\"The dialectical change of mind that occurs in Buddhism is not simply the assimilation of a new philosophical basis or religious basis for viewing and i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/frederick-lenz-8_assimilation_the-dialectical-change-of-mind-that-occu_1640459.jpg" --- # The dialectical change of mind that occurs in Buddhism is… ![“The dialectical change of mind that occurs in Buddhism is not simply the assimilation of a new philosophical basis or religious basis for viewing and interpreting experience. Rather it is the complete structural revision of that which is.” quote by Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/frederick-lenz-8_assimilation_the-dialectical-change-of-mind-that-occu_1640459.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/frederick-lenz-8_assimilation_the-dialectical-change-of-mind-that-occu_1640459.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/frederick-lenz-8_assimilation_the-dialectical-change-of-mind-that-occu_1640459.jpg) > “The dialectical change of mind that occurs in Buddhism is not simply the assimilation of a new philosophical basis or religious basis for viewing and interpreting experience. Rather it is the complete structural revision of that which is.” [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Buddhist transformation rewires the mind’s structure, not just adding new ideas, leading to a fundamental shift in experience. **In simple terms:** Mind change is deep, not superficial. Key Takeaway Seek profound mental transformation. Themes mindfulness spiritual growth philosophy Mood contemplative philosophical Type spiritual transformational When to use this quote - meditation retreats - psychotherapy - personal crisis - educational curricula Key Concepts Buddhism cognitive restructuring ontology Questions to Reflect On - What core beliefs would you revise? - How does deep change differ from learning? A Different Perspective Structural change can be resisted or misunderstood. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assimilation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assimilation/) [Bases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bases/) [Buddhism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhism/) [Buddhism Simply](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhism-simply-563013/) [Buddhist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhist/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Cosmology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cosmology/) [Dialectical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dialectical/) [Dialectical Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dialectical-change-563011/) [Enlightenment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enlightenment/) [Interpreting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interpreting/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Mind changing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind-changing/) [Occurs Buddhism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/occurs-buddhism-563012/) [Philosophical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophical/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Revision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revision/) ## Related quotes > [Buddhism is simply a methodology, a way of becoming one with the part of ourselves that is happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/buddhism-is-simply-a-methodology-a-way-of-becoming-one-with-the-part/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [The essence of Buddhism is simply that the mind is forever. We are always experiencing different states of mind in one form or another,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-essence-of-buddhism-is-simply-that-the-mind-is-forever-we-are/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“Young Tchitcherine was the one who brought up political narcotics. Opiates of the people. Wimpe smiled back. An old, old smile to chill even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-pynchon/young-tchitcherine-was-the-one-who-brought-up-political-narcotics/) [Thomas Pynchon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-pynchon/) > [Dialectical materialism works like cocaine, let's say. If you sniff it once or twice, it may not change your life. If you use it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolae-ceausescu/dialectical-materialism-works-like-cocaine-let-s-say-if-you-sniff-it/) [Nicolae Ceausescu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolae-ceausescu/) > [“When emotions turn and stay sour, when thoughts become cynical and judgmental, good and compassionate treatment is on the line. Helpers who become sour…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-e-spradlin/when-emotions-turn-and-stay-sour-when-thoughts-become-cynical-and/) [Scott E. Spradlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-e-spradlin/) > [Dialectical logic undoes the abstractions of formal logic and of transcendental philosophy, but it also denies the concreteness of immediate experience. To the extent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-marcuse/dialectical-logic-undoes-the-abstractions-of-formal-logic-and-of/) [Herbert Marcuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-marcuse/) > [“Those who have been forced to study 'dialectical materialism', the strange concoction that was supposed to form the philosophical foundation of Marxism in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-v-koonin/those-who-have-been-forced-to-study-dialectical-materialism-the/) [Eugene V. Koonin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-v-koonin/) > [“An increased power of reflection like an increased knowledge only adds to man's affliction, and above all it is certain that for the individual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-ren-kierkegaard/an-increased-power-of-reflection-like-an-increased-knowledge-only/) [Søren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-ren-kierkegaard/) > [In the eyes of dialectical philosophy, nothing is established for all times, nothing is absolute or sacred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/in-the-eyes-of-dialectical-philosophy-nothing-is-established-for-all/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [“The word dialectic (in dialectical behavior therapy) means to balance and compare two things that appear very different or even contradictory. In dialectical behavior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mckay/the-word-dialectic-in-dialectical-behavior-therapy-means-to-balance/) [Matthew McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mckay/) > [“The dialectical movement of economics, politics, and military power is folding and swirling like weather. Politics is being reshaped by military failure. Military failure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-goff/the-dialectical-movement-of-economics-politics-and-military-power-is/) [Stan Goff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-goff/) > [Dialectical thought understands the critical tension between "is" and "ought" first as an ontological condition, pertaining to the structure of Being itself. However, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-marcuse/dialectical-thought-understands-the-critical-tension-between-is-and/) [Herbert Marcuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-marcuse/) > [“Thus there is in the life of a collector a dialectical tensions between the poles of disorder and order.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-benjamin/thus-there-is-in-the-life-of-a-collector-a-dialectical-tensions/) [Walter Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-benjamin/) > [When two friends are in the mood to chat, we have to go about it in a gentler and more dialectical way. By 'more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/when-two-friends-are-in-the-mood-to-chat-we-have-to-go-about-it-in-a/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [I am not a great believer in dialectical struggle. I am much more of a fusion person. I see it as a dialogue, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marina-warner/i-am-not-a-great-believer-in-dialectical-struggle-i-am-much-more-of-a/) [Marina Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marina-warner/) ## More by Frederick Lenz > [There are places that are very draining. There are places where there is another dimensional crossover but to a dimension that is not powerful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/there-are-places-that-are-very-draining-there-are-places-where-there/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [You can draw power from everything in your life. In order to do that, everything has to be set up in a proper way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-can-draw-power-from-everything-in-your-life-in-order-to-do-that/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Everyone will admire you when you do well. What a horrible thing to do to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everyone-will-admire-you-when-you-do-well-what-a-horrible-thing-to-do/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Nirvana is a word that means enlightenment, being beyond the illusion of birth and death, the illusion of pain, the illusion of love, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/nirvana-is-a-word-that-means-enlightenment-being-beyond-the-illusion/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I think the most miraculous thing is learning. I get out of the way and let the students learn. Then you get to watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/i-think-the-most-miraculous-thing-is-learning-i-get-out-of-the-way/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [A human being can only absorb a small amount of the mystical kundalini, you can be exposed again and again to it, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/a-human-being-can-only-absorb-a-small-amount-of-the-mystical/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Only alone can you go into eternity. Only alone can you feel the transcendental light. It is not a shared experience because if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/only-alone-can-you-go-into-eternity-only-alone-can-you-feel-the/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [The sound man, immune as to a sacrifice of straw dogs, faces the passing human generations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-sound-man-immune-as-to-a-sacrifice-of-straw-dogs-faces-the/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Karma means changing planes of reality or changing fields of attention. There will be perhaps a resulting physical action stemming from the change of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/karma-means-changing-planes-of-reality-or-changing-fields-of/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [You and I are both life. There's just the experience of every moment. We like to call them moments. There isn't really such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-and-i-are-both-life-there-s-just-the-experience-of-every-moment/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Why waste your time being around people who drag you down? You don't live forever, at least in this life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/why-waste-your-time-being-around-people-who-drag-you-down-you-don-t/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Everybody here is so caught up in the game of life they don't see death. They don't see beyond their deaths. They are on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everybody-here-is-so-caught-up-in-the-game-of-life-they-don-t-see/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) [Explore all 4,399 Frederick Lenz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) ## More Assimilation quotes > [“The Portland school board's policy equated integration and racial assimilation. This policy, Rist explains, is a "means of socializing nonwhite students to act, speak,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-bell/the-portland-school-board-s-policy-equated-integration-and-racial/) [Derrick Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-bell/) > [“Being an immigrant is not a status but a state of mind. It doesn’t stop when you “assimilate” or “integrate” or when you go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-stafford/being-an-immigrant-is-not-a-status-but-a-state-of-mind-it-doesn-t/) [Stewart Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-stafford/) > [Great genius takes shape by contact with another great genius, but, less by assimilation than by friction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-heine/great-genius-takes-shape-by-contact-with-another-great-genius-but/) [Heinrich Heine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-heine/) > [ “\[I\]nclusion, not assimilation, should be the key concept in seeking, ever seeking, a more perfect national union. Our own history has shown that we… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/i-nclusion-not-assimilation-should-be-the-key-concept-in-seeking-ever/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [“It's a fact— everyone is ignorant in some way or another. Ignorance is our deepest secret. And it is one of the scariest things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/it-s-a-fact-everyone-is-ignorant-in-some-way-or-another-ignorance-is/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [“Fuck I hate fucks Who think they’re so fucking great They know everything about fucking, When they’re just fucking fucks fucking! And no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/initially-no/fuck-i-hate-fucks-who-think-they-re-so-fucking-great-they-know/) [Initially NO](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/initially-no/) > [Jewish history turns out not to be an either/or story - as in, either pure Judaism detached from its surroundings or else assimilation -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-schama/jewish-history-turns-out-not-to-be-an-either-or-story-as-in-either/) [Simon Schama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-schama/) > [“It’s a great honor, m’ijo. We know that. I’m sure everyone in Ysleta is proud of you. But this is who you are," she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sergio-troncoso/it-s-a-great-honor-m-ijo-we-know-that-i-m-sure-everyone-in-ysleta-is/) [Sergio Troncoso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sergio-troncoso/) > [Intellectual life requires for its expansion and manifestation the influences and assimilation of the interests and affections of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-addams/intellectual-life-requires-for-its-expansion-and-manifestation-the/) [Jane Addams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-addams/) > [“Does assimilation mean that they never came up against naked prejudice? Does it mean that you understood where the limits of your social world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-de-waal/does-assimilation-mean-that-they-never-came-up-against-naked/) [Edmund de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-de-waal/) > [Knowledge is a free good. The biggest cost in its transmission is not in the production or distribution of knowledge, but in its assimilation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-arrow/knowledge-is-a-free-good-the-biggest-cost-in-its-transmission-is-not/) [Kenneth Arrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-arrow/) > [“If you aren't destroying your enemies, it's because you have been conquered and assimilated, you do not even have an idea of who your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/if-you-aren-t-destroying-your-enemies-it-s-because-you-have-been/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [Finally it should be the earnest wish and paramount aim of the military administration to win the confidence, respect, and affection of the inhabitants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mckinley/finally-it-should-be-the-earnest-wish-and-paramount-aim-of-the/) [William McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mckinley/) > [If you would be a writer, first be a reader. Only through the assimilation of ideas, thoughts and philosophies can one begin to focus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-w-eckert/if-you-would-be-a-writer-first-be-a-reader-only-through-the/) [Allan W. Eckert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-w-eckert/) > [We must have life building, man-making, character-making assimilation of ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/we-must-have-life-building-man-making-character-making-assimilation/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) [Browse all 141 Assimilation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assimilation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The dialectical change of mind that occurs in Buddhism is not simply the assimilation of a new philosophical basis or religious basis for viewing and interpreting experience. Rather it is the complete structural revision of that which is.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frederick Lenz" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-dialectical-change-of-mind-that-occurs-in-buddhism-is-not-simply/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Assimilation" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-dialectical-change-of-mind-that-occurs-in-buddhism-is-not-simply/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/frederick-lenz-8_assimilation_the-dialectical-change-of-mind-that-occu_1640459.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/frederick-lenz-8_assimilation_the-dialectical-change-of-mind-that-occu_1640459.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ad/frederick-lenz-8_assimilation_the-dialectical-change-of-mind-that-occu_1640459.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The dialectical change of mind that occurs in Buddhism is not simply the assimilation of a new philosophical…” — Frederick Lenz", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Frederick Lenz", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The dialectical change of mind that...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-dialectical-change-of-mind-that-occurs-in-buddhism-is-not-simply/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-dialectical-change-of-mind-that-occurs-in-buddhism-is-not-simply/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```