Western psychology's willpower and buddhism

Tipitaka is teaching about the best willpower for recieving the 6 profit: this life profit, next life, nibbāna profit, own profit, the others profit, and social public profit (atthattha, parattha, attāparattha, diṭṭhadhammattha, samparāyikattha, and paramattha).

Target of every teaching in tipitaka is just nibbāna profit, if not, it is not buddha's teaching. It is just the other religious teaching, although that religious member can attains wholesome jhāna (añña-titthiya/diṭṭhi in V.N. Mahavagga Mahākhandhaka).

But the path to enlighten nibbāna profit, is an eightfold path, path with eight element, so the practitioner who ้heading to nibbāna must manage and dedelop/meditate eightfold path's elements.

These eightfold path's elements is the cause of nibbāna profit and the other 5 profits, too. Also, buddha taught to meditate eightfold path. So, tipitaka is teaching about the best willpower.

For more explanation:

You avoid your gift for monk by giving monk gift, to receive the higher gain from that monk such as adhi-sikkhā teaching, higher class study, more than just drunk in that gift, lower class.

You avoid your hell view physical happiness by observe the adhi-sīla, to receive the meditation-chance.

You avoid whole your present physical happiness by meditate concentration meditation, to receive the insight-meditation-chance.

You avoid whole your future happiness by meditate insight-meditation, to enlighten nibbāna.

The received chance is fruit that come with the other 5 profits, too.

So, tipitaka is teaching about the best willpower.