Buddhism in daily life - Mindfulness in every day tasks

Buddha Blog English Podcast Episode 16

Hello and welcome to Buddha Blog, the Buddhist podcast. Your show for Buddhist topics, mindfulness and meditation. I am ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shaolin Rainer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and I am very happy that you are here. Buddhism in everyday life - Mindfulness in every day actions

This podcast is largely funded by its listeners. I would be happy to welcome you as a supporter as well. Thank you to everyone who supports Buddha Blog in their own way.

Did you enjoy the podcast? Thank you for listening to Buddha Blog. Did you notice that there are no ads running here, that you are not inundated with consumer messages? Would you like to thank the author of this blog for his work with a donation? Support me, contribute to the extensive costs of this publication. Your support can help to continue the important work we are doing for Buddhism (my team and I). Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Android⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ stores. Via PayPal ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠(click here)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or by bank transfer: Account holder: Rainer Deyhle, Postbank, IBAN: DE57700100800545011805, BIC: PBNKDEFF

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Buddha Blog English Podcast Episode 15

Hello and welcome to Buddha Blog, the Buddhist podcast. Your show for Buddhist topics, mindfulness and meditation. I am ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shaolin Rainer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and I am very happy that you are here. Buddhism in everyday life - Mindfulness in every day actions

This podcast is largely funded by its listeners. I would be happy to welcome you as a supporter as well. Thank you to everyone who supports Buddha Blog in their own way.

Did you enjoy the podcast? Thank you for listening to Buddha Blog. Did you notice that there are no ads running here, that you are not inundated with consumer messages? Would you like to thank the author of this blog for his work with a donation? Support me, contribute to the extensive costs of this publication. Your support can help to continue the important work we are doing for Buddhism (my team and I). Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Android⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ stores. Via PayPal ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠(click here)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or by bank transfer: Account holder: Rainer Deyhle, Postbank, IBAN: DE57700100800545011805, BIC: PBNKDEFF

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Buddha Blog English Podcast Episode 14

This podcast is largely funded by its listeners. I would be happy to welcome you as a supporter as well. Thank you to everyone who supports Buddha Blog in their own way.

Did you enjoy the podcast? Thank you for listening to Buddha Blog. Did you notice that there are no ads running here, that you are not inundated with consumer messages? Would you like to thank the author of this blog for his work with a donation? Support me, contribute to the extensive costs of this publication. Your support can help to continue the important work we are doing for Buddhism (my team and I). Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Android⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ stores. Via PayPal ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠(click here)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or by bank transfer: Account holder: Rainer Deyhle, Postbank, IBAN: DE57700100800545011805, BIC: PBNKDEFF

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Buddha Blog English Podcast Episode 13

This podcast is largely funded by its listeners. I would be happy to welcome you as a supporter as well. Thank you to everyone who supports Buddha Blog in their own way.

Did you enjoy the podcast? Thank you for listening to Buddha Blog. Did you notice that there are no ads running here, that you are not inundated with consumer messages? Would you like to thank the author of this blog for his work with a donation? Support me, contribute to the extensive costs of this publication. Your support can help to continue the important work we are doing for Buddhism (my team and I). Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Android⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ stores. Via PayPal ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠(click here)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or by bank transfer: Account holder: Rainer Deyhle, Postbank, IBAN: DE57700100800545011805, BIC: PBNKDEFF

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Buddha Blog English Podcast Episode 12

This podcast is largely funded by its listeners. I would be happy to welcome you as a supporter as well. Thank you to everyone who supports Buddha Blog in their own way.

Did you enjoy the podcast? Thank you for listening to Buddha Blog. Did you notice that there are no ads running here, that you are not inundated with consumer messages? Would you like to thank the author of this blog for his work with a donation? Support me, contribute to the extensive costs of this publication. Your support can help to continue the important work we are doing for Buddhism (my team and I). Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Android⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ stores. Via PayPal ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠(click here)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or by bank transfer: Account holder: Rainer Deyhle, Postbank, IBAN: DE57700100800545011805, BIC: PBNKDEFF

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Buddha Blog English Podcast Episode 11

Hello and welcome to Buddha Blog, the Buddhist podcast. Your show for Buddhist topics, mindfulness and meditation. I am ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shaolin Rainer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and I am very happy that you are here. Buddhism in everyday life - Mindfulness in every day actions

This podcast is largely funded by its listeners. I would be happy to welcome you as a supporter as well. Thank you to everyone who supports Buddha Blog in their own way.

Did you enjoy the podcast? Thank you for listening to Buddha Blog. Did you notice that there are no ads running here, that you are not inundated with consumer messages? Would you like to thank the author of this blog for his work with a donation? Support me, contribute to the extensive costs of this publication. Your support can help to continue the important work we are doing for Buddhism (my team and I). Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Android⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ stores. Via PayPal ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠(click here)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or by bank transfer: Account holder: Rainer Deyhle, Postbank, IBAN: DE57700100800545011805, BIC: PBNKDEFF

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Buddha Blog English Podcast Episode 10

This podcast is largely funded by its listeners. I would be happy to welcome you as a supporter as well. Thank you to everyone who supports Buddha Blog in their own way.

Did you enjoy the podcast? Thank you for listening to Buddha Blog. Did you notice that there are no ads running here, that you are not inundated with consumer messages? Would you like to thank the author of this blog for his work with a donation? Support me, contribute to the extensive costs of this publication. Your support can help to continue the important work we are doing for Buddhism (my team and I). Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Android⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ stores. Via PayPal ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠(click here)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or by bank transfer: Account holder: Rainer Deyhle, Postbank, IBAN: DE57700100800545011805, BIC: PBNKDEFF

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Buddha Blog English Podcast Episode 9

Hello and welcome to Buddha Blog, the Buddhist podcast. Your show for Buddhist topics, mindfulness and meditation. I am ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shaolin Rainer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and I am very happy that you are here. Buddhism in everyday life - Mindfulness in every day actions

This podcast is largely funded by its listeners. I would be happy to welcome you as a supporter as well. Thank you to everyone who supports Buddha Blog in their own way.

Did you enjoy the podcast? Thank you for listening to Buddha Blog. Did you notice that there are no ads running here, that you are not inundated with consumer messages? Would you like to thank the author of this blog for his work with a donation? Support me, contribute to the extensive costs of this publication. Your support can help to continue the important work we are doing for Buddhism (my team and I). Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Android⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ stores. Via PayPal ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠(click here)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or by bank transfer: Account holder: Rainer Deyhle, Postbank, IBAN: DE57700100800545011805, BIC: PBNKDEFF

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Buddha Blog English Podcast Episode 8

Hello and welcome to Buddha Blog, the Buddhist podcast. Your show for Buddhist topics, mindfulness and meditation. I am ⁠⁠⁠⁠Shaolin Rainer⁠⁠⁠⁠, and I am very happy that you are here. Buddhism in everyday life - Mindfulness in every day actions

This podcast is largely funded by its listeners. I would be happy to welcome you as a supporter as well. Thank you to everyone who supports Buddha Blog in their own way.

Did you enjoy the podcast? Thank you for listening to Buddha Blog. Did you notice that there are no ads running here, that you are not inundated with consumer messages? Would you like to thank the author of this blog for his work with a donation? Support me, contribute to the extensive costs of this publication. Your support can help to continue the important work we are doing for Buddhism (my team and I). Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Android⁠⁠⁠⁠ stores. Via PayPal ⁠⁠⁠⁠(click here)⁠⁠⁠⁠ or by bank transfer: Account holder: Rainer Deyhle, Postbank, IBAN: DE57700100800545011805, BIC: PBNKDEFF

Folgensegmente

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Buddha Blog English Podcast Episode 7

This podcast is largely funded by its listeners. I would be happy to welcome you as a supporter as well. Thank you to everyone who supports Buddha Blog in their own way.

Did you enjoy the podcast? Thank you for listening to Buddha Blog. Did you notice that there are no ads running here, that you are not inundated with consumer messages? Would you like to thank the author of this blog for his work with a donation? Support me, contribute to the extensive costs of this publication. Your support can help to continue the important work we are doing for Buddhism (my team and I). Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Android⁠⁠⁠⁠ stores. Via PayPal ⁠⁠⁠⁠(click here)⁠⁠⁠⁠ or by bank transfer: Account holder: Rainer Deyhle, Postbank, IBAN: DE57700100800545011805, BIC: PBNKDEFF

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Buddha Blog English Podcast Episode 6

Hello and welcome to Buddha Blog, the Buddhist podcast. Your show for Buddhist topics, mindfulness and meditation. I am ⁠⁠⁠Shaolin Rainer⁠⁠⁠, and I am very happy that you are here. Buddhism in everyday life - Mindfulness in every day actions

This podcast is largely funded by its listeners. I would be happy to welcome you as a supporter as well. Thank you to everyone who supports Buddha Blog in their own way.

Did you enjoy the podcast? Thank you for listening to Buddha Blog. Did you notice that there are no ads running here, that you are not inundated with consumer messages? Would you like to thank the author of this blog for his work with a donation? Support me, contribute to the extensive costs of this publication. Your support can help to continue the important work we are doing for Buddhism (my team and I). Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the ⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Android⁠⁠⁠ stores. Via PayPal ⁠⁠⁠(click here)⁠⁠⁠ or by bank transfer: Account holder: Rainer Deyhle, Postbank, IBAN: DE57700100800545011805, BIC: PBNKDEFF

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Buddha Blog English Podcast Episode 5

This podcast is largely funded by its listeners. I would be happy to welcome you as a supporter as well. Thank you to everyone who supports Buddha Blog in their own way.

Did you enjoy the podcast? Thank you for listening to Buddha Blog. Did you notice that there are no ads running here, that you are not inundated with consumer messages? Would you like to thank the author of this blog for his work with a donation? Support me, contribute to the extensive costs of this publication. Your support can help to continue the important work we are doing for Buddhism (my team and I). Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the ⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Android⁠⁠⁠ stores. Via PayPal ⁠⁠⁠(click here)⁠⁠⁠ or by bank transfer: Account holder: Rainer Deyhle, Postbank, IBAN: DE57700100800545011805, BIC: PBNKDEFF

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Buddha Blog English Podcast Episode 4

Hello and welcome to Buddha Blog, the Buddhist podcast. Your show for Buddhist topics, mindfulness and meditation. I am ⁠⁠Shaolin Rainer⁠⁠, and I am very happy that you are here. Buddhism in everyday life - Mindfulness in every day actions

This podcast is largely funded by its listeners. I would be happy to welcome you as a supporter as well. Thank you to everyone who supports Buddha Blog in their own way.

Did you enjoy the podcast? Thank you for listening to Buddha Blog. Did you notice that there are no ads running here, that you are not inundated with consumer messages? Would you like to thank the author of this blog for his work with a donation? Support me, contribute to the extensive costs of this publication. Your support can help to continue the important work we are doing for Buddhism (my team and I). Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the ⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Android⁠⁠ stores. Via PayPal ⁠⁠(click here)⁠⁠ or by bank transfer: Account holder: Rainer Deyhle, Postbank, IBAN: DE57700100800545011805, BIC: PBNKDEFF

1000 thanks! Copyright: ⁠⁠https://shaolin-rainer.de

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Buddha Blog English Podcast Episode 3

Hello and welcome to Buddha Blog, the Buddhist podcast. Your show for Buddhist topics, mindfulness and meditation. I am ⁠Shaolin Rainer⁠, and I am very happy that you are here. Buddhism in everyday life - Mindfulness in every day actions

This podcast is largely funded by its listeners. I would be happy to welcome you as a supporter as well. Thank you to everyone who supports Buddha Blog in their own way.

Did you enjoy the podcast? Thank you for listening to Buddha Blog. Did you notice that there are no ads running here, that you are not inundated with consumer messages? Would you like to thank the author of this blog for his work with a donation? Support me, contribute to the extensive costs of this publication. Your support can help to continue the important work we are doing for Buddhism (my team and I). Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the ⁠Apple⁠ and ⁠Android⁠ stores. Via PayPal ⁠(click here)⁠ or by bank transfer: Account holder: Rainer Deyhle, Postbank, IBAN: DE57700100800545011805, BIC: PBNKDEFF

1000 thanks! Copyright: ⁠https://shaolin-rainer.de

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Buddha Blog English Podcast Episode 2

Hello and welcome to Buddha Blog, the Buddhist podcast. Your show for Buddhist topics, mindfulness and meditation. I am Shaolin Rainer, and I am very happy that you are here. Buddhism in everyday life - Mindfulness in every day actions Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the Apple and Androidstores. This podcast is largely funded by its listeners. I would be happy to welcome you as a supporter as well. Thank you to everyone who supports Buddha Blog in their own way.

Did you enjoy the podcast? Thank you for listening to Buddha Blog. Did you notice that there are no ads running here, that you are not inundated with consumer messages? Would you like to thank the author of this blog for his work with a donation? Support me, contribute to the extensive costs of this publication. Your support can help to continue the important work we are doing for Buddhism (my team and I). Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the Apple and Android stores. Via PayPal (click here)or by bank transfer: Account holder: Rainer Deyhle, Postbank, IBAN: DE57700100800545011805, BIC: PBNKDEFF

1000 thanks! Copyright: https://shaolin-rainer.de

(Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the Apple and Android stores)

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Buddha Blog English Podcast Episode 1Hello and welcome to Buddha Blog, the Buddhist podcast.

Your show for Buddhist topics, mindfulness and meditation.

I am Shaolin Rainer, and I am very happy that you are here.

Buddhism in everyday life - Mindfulness in every day actionsPlease also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the Apple and Androidstores.

This podcast is largely funded by its listeners. I would be happy to welcome you as a supporter as well. Thank you to everyone who supports Buddha Blog in their own way.

Did you enjoy the podcast?Thank you for listening to Buddha Blog. Did you notice that there are no ads running here, that you are not inundated with consumer messages?

Would you like to thank the author of this blog for his work with a donation?

Support me, contribute to the extensive costs of this publication. Your support can help to continue the important work we are doing for Buddhism (my team and I). Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the Apple and Android stores.

Via PayPal (click here)or by bank transfer:
Account holder: Rainer Deyhle, Postbank, IBAN: DE57700100800545011805, BIC: PBNKDEFF

1000 thanks!Copyright: https://shaolin-rainer.de

(Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the Apple and Android stores)

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Are there "sounds"?

Does a tree falling in the forest make a sound even if no one is there and no one can hear it?

Are there any sounds at all if no one can hear them?

No, probably not!

A sound is something that originates in our brain, caused by a physical continuum of vibrations.

It comes to the noise by the perception of the human being who hears it, as a receiver of the sound waves. These waves spread in the air to the ears, are converted into electrical impulses, which are then processed by the brain as sounds.

So without a receiver there is no sound, only waves!

The extraordinary physicist Richard Feynman paraphrased the answer to the above question as "a sensation of noise". According to the brilliant John Locke "things would be able to exist independently of our experience". In the history of philosophy an everlasting dispute broke out around the topic, which seems to be unresolved until today.

If we explain a sound as a pure sense sensation, then contradictions to our "sound by a falling tree in the forest" inevitably arise.

And how does it further behave with "recorded noises", for example the music from a headphone, or if the sound of the falling tree is played back from the tape, that would correspond then to a perception illusion, after all the tree does not fall down "now", it has fallen down much earlier.

In our modern world "sounds" are mostly recorded, manipulated and by means of sound sources (loudspeakers etc.) transmitted "preserves", thus not authentic, we do not "know" what is "real" and what is "false".

In our multimedia new world we have lost the overview, what is reality?

This is also what happens to us when we look at pictures or films! Also these represent only a "beautiful appearance", what we see happens also in these cases not "in reality".

Fluid sounds, shimmering pictures, everything only "sound and smoke".

The "sounds" and "pictures" kidnap us from time and space, lead us into an illusory world, full of false sounds, distorted representation, everything just not real!

If we hear the falling tree, but do not see it, has the tree fallen at all?

What if we explain the "sound" of a falling tree to a blind man who has never heard it fall?

So, dear readers, now we are back to Buddha, because this is a Buddhist blog.

Buddha said that life is only a dream from which to "awaken". Just like the "sounds" and the "images" are just that.

And I am trying to explain "enlightenment" to those who have not yet "awakened".

Do you "hear" the sound, do you see the "image"?

Buddha found "enlightenment" just as Newton found gravity. Neither can be seen, and very difficult to explain.

Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt

Richard Feynman - US physicist - 1918 to 1988

Happiness and unhappiness are two states of which we do not know the extreme limits

John Locke - English philosopher - 1632 to 1704

What we know is a drop, what we do not know is an ocean

Isaac Newton - English physicist - 1643 to 1727

How big small sounds become in silence

Cornelia Funke - German children's author - born 1958

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The earth is slippery

This principle was valid in the belief system of the Aztecs, an advanced civilization that existed between the 14th and the early 16th century.

40 years ago I was in Mexico with my parents, the temples made a great impression on me, until today I can't get the monumental structures out of my head. People, animals and plants adapted perfectly to their habitat, my visits to the pyramids of the past peoples were a "highlight" in my life.

From my visits to Mexico, this sentence has remained in my memory: "The earth is slippery".

According to the beliefs of Mesoamerican civilization, anyone could slip on the slippery earth; "evil," like "good," was not separate from each other in the continuing tradition of indigenous religion, but was directly opposed to each other as part of life. The various chapters of contemporary history have shaped this area; against all odds, the fusion of spiritual influences has enormous presence to this day.

And yes, the earth is slippery, at any time we can slip, fall, hit the ground.

Anyone can slip, but how do we deal with our mistakes?

What do we know about the religion of the Aztecs and the Mayas, the Incas? Little! The conquerors did a great job, had quickly sealed the fate of the New World. Little is left of the culture of the Central American inhabitants, but this phrase has been handed down: "The earth is slippery".

What has this continent seen over the centuries, oppression and enslavement came as original sin by the Europeans, the traumatic background is still not sufficiently processed.

Main god of the polytheistic people was "Huitzilopochtli", the god of the sun and war, mostly represented as a jaguar. Due to the change of the ongoing generations there was the concept of natural selection, the "tree of life" was understood as evolution in their culture!

I liked the spiritual philosophy of the "slippery earth" very much, again and again I have to think about it.

I trust in the future, every person is allowed to "slip" once, because the earth is really very slippery.

Buddha's teaching is very similar to this view, also we today's people should give the fellow human beings who slipped again a chance, we as a part of nature are allowed to make mistakes, our fate is written according to Buddha, therefore we are not at fault.

The transformation to a soul being is based in the concept of "enlightenment", in forgiving, in love and in forgiveness.

Our greatest glory is not to never fall, but to rise again every time.

Nelson Mandela - former President South Africa - 1918 to 2013

God obviously loved ordinary people, because he made so many of them

Abraham Lincoln - 16th President of the United States of America - 1809 to 1865

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Horror makes us cruel

Many events in this world are horrible to behold, horror and terror accompany the "Homo Mediales", modern man living in a multimedia and virtual world permanent presence.

Misery and violence around us, on TV, on the Internet, in the media, in computer games; everywhere blood, dead, injured, viruses, diseases, dictators, civil wars, riots, lies, cheating, bullying, murder, manslaughter, alcohol, drugs, drug abuse, rapes, catastrophes; humanity has arrived at the edge of evil, the demons that were summoned are now our new reality. The infection is spreading rapidly, soon we will be completely penetrated by the forces of darkness.

We need help, because our society is seriously ill, humanity has become the accomplice of darkness. How can we drive out these demons again, push back the evil? Where is the "good" energy, the "positive" vibrations that could bring about some form of normality?

The constant horror dulls us, CONSTANTLY we are confronted with fears, we brutalize inwardly.

And if we understand such conditions then in the consequence as new normality, then our value conception will adapt to it, we ourselves become cruel, compassion, attentiveness and human values disappear in the nothing. It seems to be so, we see it everywhere, obviously horror and horror, coupled with cruelty, is now the life of us all.

But the "healing" from these conditions is also somewhere here, is already on this world, waits for us!

You may not believe in what I do, "Buddhism" is not everyone's cup of tea! But I know that an improvement can arise only from us. We, the members of society, must leave this unwholesome path, turn back to the "good".

In our new normality, everything around us is in motion, what used to be a certainty is now already lost in the fog of the past. But the words of Buddha are being heard again, society is longing for normality, consistency and peace. Whoever wants to make the Buddha's teachings his own must first find peace and silence.

Don't be distracted, go your way, mindfulness is the new "sexy", not "misery and violence".

Cruelty is one of the oldest festive pleasures of mankind. Consequently, the gods are also thought to be refreshed and in a festive mood when they are offered the sight of cruelty. And thus the idea creeps into the world that voluntary sufferings, the self-chosen torture have a good sense and value.

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche - German philosopher - 1844 to 1900

The unimaginable eludes our memory, and that is just as well, but once, I believe, the horror must reach us, or there is no further

Max Frisch - Swiss writer - 1911 to 1991

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The power within us

The NOW does not come back, who does not live in the NOW, does not live at all, he only exists!

So many people do not live in the now, some live in the past, others dream of a "better" future.

But "here plays the music", in the "now", in the "today" we live.

Whoever understands that there is only this present moment, is much closer to "enlightenment".

Are you tormented by thoughts from your "past"? What if I had acted differently back then?

Are you always worried about "tomorrow"? Do you fear "the worst" will happen to you?

According to the teaching of the teacher of all teachers it only depends on the "now", the "here" and on the "today". Buddha has shown us with his journey to "enlightenment" how we can finally shake off our worries, our fears and our hardships.

Who doesn't wish for a peaceful life, free from sorrow and pain? How can we overcome the hardships of our existence, how to put down the agony and torment of human existence, how only?

At the beginning of our journey to "enlightenment" is the question: who am I? So the beginning starts with an extensive "self-examination", unsparingly and honestly we have to be to ourselves, otherwise we will not get "on a green branch"!

But how can we manage to stay in the "now" and "here", not to digress, not into the past, and also not into the future?

Quite simply, by inserting something else in place of useless thoughts, something valuable, something with a meaning. Instead, we occupy ourselves with our possible "enlightenment", our very personal "awakening", with our journey in the footsteps of Buddha.

If our thought palace has an interesting topic, which is worth to think about, then also the unpleasant voices in our head will become silent!

This is how we manage to stay in the "now" and in the "today" permanently.

By giving our head a "theme" we set the cause for a better life, we no longer lose ourselves in externals.

This power lies within us, we only have to "release" it, make the decision to do so.

According to the teachings of Buddha, it is already determined whether we will make this decision or not.

Eckhart Tolle, whom I greatly admire, said:

Put the "now" in the center of your life! Always say yes to the present moment

Eckhart Tolle - Spiritual Teacher - born 1948

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A "room of remembrance”

Upstairs in the house there was a small room, here she kept all the memories of her late son. All his letters, his clothes and shoes, his music collection, his model cars, photos of him from little boy to grown man, all the things that once belonged to him.

It was his room, he loved the view from the small window, out into the garden with the many trees.

Every time she was up here she thought of her "little boy", of the many stories, the great experiences, in her mind she saw him sitting at the table, the floor full of toys, when she was in this room it seemed to her that he was still alive.

It had been two years since the accident. Right in front of the front door, a car came around the bend, her son was about to leave on his bike, a big bang, lots of blood, the ambulance came quickly, death was faster. The driver was not to blame, it was just a chain of unfortunate circumstances that led to the collision.

The images of that day were immediately burned into her mind, every time she woke up since then the same movie started in her head, she saw the accident again and again. Her ego tormented her day after day with the past, terrible event.

When she became particularly sad she would climb up to his old room, she would fix his bed, air the room, fix his clothes, rearrange things. When she was done, she would sit at the table and look out the window, completely lost in her thoughts.

The pain was strong and did not stop no matter what she did, why only her son, how could this happen?

Her family tried everything possible to distract her, to comfort her, but no one could help her, she didn't want help either, she just wanted to "be with her son". And in his room she felt closest to him.

A light breeze came through the window as her eyes fell on her son's books. A particularly colorful one caught her eye, why had she never noticed this book before? "Buddha" was written on the spine, she sat back down at the table and began to leaf through it. She was a Christian, she couldn't do much with Buddhism, but because it was her son's book she just kept reading.

While she was immersed in the teachings of the Indian prince, she felt a warm wave rising within her, a form of peace spreading through her. How could this be, she asked herself. But she continued to look at page after page, time passed, quickly it was dark, she had to turn on the light. Her husband and daughter came home, calling for her. She closed the book and descended the stairs into the living room, but she kept the volume firmly in her hands. Every day she read that book, the philosophy of Buddha gave her much comfort, she regained her lost security.

Then came the day when she stopped going to the "Room of Remembrance." She had experienced "enlightenment."

THERE IS A BOOK THAT MANY WHO KNOW IT BY HEART DO NOT KNOW

MARIE VON EBNER-ESCHENBACH - AUSTRIAN WRITER - 1830 TO 1916

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8 points for "self-healing

A healing is always a "self-healing"!

When we get sick, our body immediately starts healing, all by itself. The healing powers of nature are tremendous.

However, self-healing is also a question of inner attitude, as strange as it sounds, some people want to be sick. For very different reasons. For example, some sick people just want attention, some flee into self-pity, others even want to die because their life seems "hard" and "pointless".

The majority of people, however, do not want to be sick; the natural healing mechanisms of their bodies function all by themselves.

As Buddhists we know that everything comes anyway exactly as it must come. So it is also already predetermined whether we get sick, and of course whether we get well. This is all already written.

So it is also already written, if you, for example after reading this text, think about your "I", if you reach a positive, creative "state" of your physical, mental and spiritual life.

Health is the wish of most people. But just not from everyone.

If you are suffering from an illness you should ask yourself if you are not "subconsciously" throwing "sand in the gears", question your "I", your goals!

Can it be that the "illness" has its causes in worries, in overload or stress? Or are there other reasons?

You have the power within you to end all negative and self-destructive influences.

You ask yourself how this could work?

take away all energy from negative thoughts, take away all power from harmful moods. Instead, focus on the Buddha's teachings, fill your mind palace with the concept of "enlightenment."
no matter how bad a thing is, smile, you can't change anything anyway.
look for the good in every situation. Everything "bad" contains something "good", and even if they are out of proportion, look for the "positive". Focus exclusively and ALWAYS on the positive aspects of every situation!
avoid the disaster news on TV and in the media, do a "news detox". There are not only "bad" things in the world, but positive things do not make good headlines. In a "sick" world, horror and horror just sells a lot better.
sort out "negative" from their lives, things and people that burden you are wrong in their environment.

Positive thinking always leads to positive feelings. Not everything is "bad" in life, what is "positive", what have you already achieved, what situations have you already mastered, what comes to mind spontaneously now? Do not be the "victim" of bad moods!

set yourself goals, what can you realistically and easily achieve, in the short term, medium term and long term, where should the journey go? Maybe even to your personal "enlightenment"?
first accept the situation as it is right now. From NOW on, practice "mindfulness". What is especially good right NOW, in this moment?

The best doctors in the world are: "Dr. Calm, Dr. Diet, and Dr. Cheerfulness."

Jonathan Swift - Irish Writer - 1667 to 1745

There are a thousand diseases, but only one health

Ludwig Börne - German Journalist - 1786 to 1837

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Buddha's singing bowl

Buddha lived as a "normal" man about 2500 years ago in what is now India.

Even before the young prince found his "enlightenment" he is said to have been a very extraordinary person.

Again and again the story of the "singing bowl" from his life is told, which I want to reproduce here:

On his many travels, Buddha one day passed a waterfall that fell from a high mountain into a narrow, winding gorge. Next to the water falling in free fall was a shallow bank that invited one to linger.

Buddha decided to meditate here, the place was made for his purpose, he could feel the energy of the magical place. The mysticism and attraction at the waterfall were enigmatic, it felt like a place of healing, surrounded by water; a unique atmosphere, striking rocks enclosed the natural hollow path that led to the grottoes below the waterfall.

He took all things out of his pocket, placed his belongings around him. Thus, he is said to have carried (among other things) a singing bowl with him at all times, which he is said to have used frequently for meditative purposes.

So this singing bowl stood next to him during his meditative exercises, exposed to the sounds of the water. At night, Buddha also meditated, the stars shone clearly in the small gorge, the energy and radiance of the place changed continuously.

After several days he left the place at the waterfall, went down the mountain to the next village. There he found a farmer who offered him lodging. Here Buddha is said to have stayed for several days. The great teacher was very welcome here!

During his next meditation, Buddha struck the singing bowl again. He thought he could hear the sound of the waterfall when the singing bowl had long since fallen silent.

The power place "waterfall" had accompanied him, the sound of the water had entered the singing bowl, accompanied his adventurous journey.

According to this story, Buddha is said to have bowed at that moment before the beauty of nature and the power of water.

We too can hear the vibrations of nature, if we listen.

Everything is in vibration. If we change our vibrations, our life will change too!

Nature must be felt

Alexander von Humboldt - German explorer - 1769 to 1859

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The weather

The good weather comes, the bad weather too. Nothing we can do about the weather.

It is of little use to complain about the weather, just as it is of no use to be upset about our lives, or to be sad about events in our lives.

Certainly we can pray to the gods for "better weather," but will this be crowned with success?

As with the weather, so it is with our destiny. Whether we like what is happening in our lives or not, if we accept what is coming and how it is coming or not, we have to accept the weather as well. When we stop questioning our karma, then we have made a big step in our personal development.

Just as Buddha taught us, we must always accept our destiny, no matter how it comes, "good" or "bad", "happy" or "sad".

Do you know the song "I am singing in the rain"? When life seems hard again, the days bring little "happy", then it is exactly the right time for a song.

Just accept your karma, just like the weather, don't worry about the vagaries of fate anymore. Better think about the way out that Buddha advised us to do. His advice to us was to strive for "awakening."

According to his teaching, "enlightenment" lies dormant in each of us, wanting to be discovered.

According to Buddha's teaching, there is no "good" and no "bad" weather, there is simply weather.

SUNSHINE IS DELICIOUS, RAIN IS REFRESHING, WIND IS CHALLENGING, SNOW MAKES YOU HAPPY; BASICALLY THERE IS NO BAD WEATHER, ONLY DIFFERENT KINDS OF GOOD WEATHER.

JOHN RUSKIN - BRITISH WRITER - 1819 TO 1900

According to the Buddha's teaching, therefore, there are "enlightened" and "unenlightened" beings.

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The Unequal Brothers

A very wise father had two sons who could not have been more different. Outwardly they were very similar, but in character they were complete opposites.

One son was an optimist, his brother was basically skeptical. One was always cheerful, the other was taciturn and constantly absorbed in his thoughts.

One brother liked to read a lot, the other did not even look at books, while one brother danced, the other covered his ears. One was cold, the other always had heat, one was good at school, the other had no interest in his education.

Two unequal brothers!

The father decided to analyze the characters of his sons.

When a big party was coming up, the father started an experiment. In the night he went to the rooms of his sons. In the optimist's room, instead of gifts, he laid out old horse droppings, and in the pessimist's room he spread gifts on the floor.

In the morning he heard shouting in the house, he then went to check on his sons.

The pessimist was upset and unhappy, the father asked: "what's wrong, why are you unhappy, don't you like the gifts"? The son answered him: "now I have all these toys, but they will break in the course of time, I will lose them. Therefore I am unhappy"!

The optimist sat in his room and blissfully looked at the horse droppings. The father asked: "what's wrong, why are you happy, you didn't receive a gift"? The son answered him. "if you put horse droppings in my room, it means you are giving me a horse, doesn't it"?

A pessimist is an optimist who has thought too much. Pessimists either experience pleasant surprises or are always right.

Optimists are not always right either, but they live more happily.

A Buddhist, however, is a realist who has gone far beyond pessimism and optimism.

The utopian sees the paradise, the realist the paradise plus snake.

Friedrich Hebbel - German playwright - 1813 to 1863

Optimist: another word for fool

Gustave Flaubert - French writer - 1821 to 1880

For myself, I am an optimist - it doesn't seem to do much good to be anything else

Winston Churchill - British statesman of the 20th century - 1874 to 1965

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Trapped in thoughts?

Are you caught in the "thought carousel"?

Constantly brooding, "what if"? Have I done something "wrong"? Is it "up to me"?

Self-criticism is important, but too much of it will lead to depression.

It is always important to question why this thought arises in us right now, what brought us to brooding in the first place, was there a reason for it (and if so, what was it), does brooding have a benefit, how do we feel while we are brooding, what feelings do we experience?

Brooding is always a sign that we are too busy "with ourselves". And in a wrong way "dealing with ourselves", because instead of worrying about "what if", we should center our mental capacities on questions like "who am I", and "what results from this".

Of course, it also helps to distract ourselves first, to clear our minds for "new things". Here it can help to listen to music, to read a book, or to go for a walk. However, we should become really free in the head, otherwise even distractions do not really bring an improvement.

What helps us permanently, however, is to replace the negative thoughts with positive ones.

First of all, we should realize that we can do NOTHING about the past, brooding over it will bring NOTHING. We should make peace with ourselves and our past, everything is good as it is, according to Buddha everything was predetermined anyway, came as it had to come, therefore we are WITHOUT GUILT.

Because if our destiny was already written, then we had to act as we have acted, we had no choice in the consequence. From this insight of Buddha we can draw deep comfort, come clean with our past, rest in ourselves for the future, we can therefore stop brooding now.

If we make wiser decisions from NOW on, then after our destiny is already determined (whatever wiser may be).

Many advisors want to explain to us that we should "think positive", but from my point of view this is completely meaningless. What is "positive", what is "negative"?

It will only help us if we put something "positive" in the place of brooding.

Buddha has exemplified to us the "enlightenment" that MUST take the place of brooding.

Readers of this blog know that, in my view, Buddhist teachings revolve around only one subject, "enlightenment", the attainment of insight, "awakening".

EVERY DAY IS A LITTLE LIFE - EVERY WAKING AND RISING IS A LITTLE BIRTH, EVERY FRESH MORNING IS A LITTLE YOUTH, AND EVERY GOING TO BED AND FALLING ASLEEP IS A LITTLE DEATH.

ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUER - GERMAN PHILOSOPHER - 1788 TO 1860

As described in this quotation of Arthur Schopenhauer we can start completely NEW every day of our life, everything has come as it had to come, what will be tomorrow is also already written, then our karma will bring us tomorrow the possibility to at least think about the "enlightenment"!

Anyway, we are without GUILT, we don't have to brood any more, we can get out of the "thought carousel" with the help of the teacher of all teachers.

If we only want it!

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I have a lot to regret!

Or not?

Who has nothing to regret, who is free from mistakes, who casts the first stone!

However, it is important how we deal with our past, do we learn from our history, or do we continue as before?

According to the teachings of Buddha, everything is already written, everything has come exactly as it had to come.

So what can we change for the future? Can we change anything at all?

YES and NO

If we reconsider our behavior for the future, then this is also our destiny, it is written so, whether we act "wiser" from now on, or not.

It is already determined whether we process the experiences of the past intelligently!

Nevertheless we can regret different things from our past, for example why we had not thought about our "I" much earlier, why we had not questioned our actions much earlier.

From the certainty that everything came as it had to come, from this, however, we can draw comfort, we just followed our destiny.

If we regret things, maybe even feel sad about various past events or strokes of fate, then we should not get stuck in this position, but quickly also arrive back at the present.

REGRET DOES NO GOOD IN LIFE. IT BELONGS TO THE PAST. ALL WE HAVE IS THE "NOW".

MARLON BRANDO - AMERICAN ACTOR - 1924 TO 2004

When we are going through a period of "regret" again, it can help to put the teachings of Buddha at the center of our being. The teacher of all teachers has given us a way to deal with our problems, simply by devoting ourselves to his main theme, "enlightenment". If the negative thoughts are displaced by the positive theme of "Buddhism" we are already on a good path.

So we have nothing to regret!

Authentic regret is as rare as authentic love

Stephen King - US writer - born 1947

My only regret in life is that I am not someone else

Woody Allen - US comedian, film director, writer and actor - born 1935

We should all start living before we get too old. Fear is stupid. So is regret

Marilyn Monroe - US actress - 1926 to 1962

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When I tried to be someone I am not....

According to Buddha, life is not as it appears to us.

According to Shakespeare, the whole world is a stage, and we are only the actors in it.

We all try to present ourselves as well as possible to the outside world. In doing so, we bend ourselves, because we want to please other people. In any case, we present ourselves in such a way that we believe we can impress others.

But this is wrong.

When we meet a person we want to get to know his real personality, not to experience the role he plays. What we want from others, others want from us. We want to experience the real person, not his (self-chosen) role.

But it takes a lot of courage to show one's true personality openly.

In former times, when I still had "dates", it was very difficult to stand by my mistakes, I tried to "sell" myself as good as possible. This has always avenged itself, I could not hide my true "I" in the long run.

ONE DAY EVERYTHING WILL BE GOOD, THAT IS OUR HOPE

TODAY EVERYTHING IS FINE, THAT IS OUR ILLUSION

VOLTAIRE (FRANÇOIS-MARIE AROUET) - FRENCH PHILOSOPHER - 1694 TO 1778

It is as it is, it comes as it must come. Things have the habit to hide themselves from us, then come to light with a big bang, have always come in the end as they had to come.

But revealing one's true personality requires knowing it. "Who am I" is the question of all questions.

So I ask my readers: "who are you"? Yes, exactly you, "who are you really"?

If you know who you are, you don't have to try to be someone you are not!

The matter of "enlightenment" can be so simple when you question yourself.

"So who am I?"

The music is not in the notes. But in the silence in between

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - composer of the Viennese classical period - 1756 to 1791

I believe that the universe is subject to the laws of science. These may have been created by God, but God does not intervene to break these rules.

Stephen Hawking - British theoretical physicist - 1942 to 2018

Nothing is more obvious than that nature hates reason

Oscar Wilde - Irish writer - 1854 to 1900

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Was Diogenes a Buddhist?

Diogenes was a Greek philosopher who propagated the doctrine of "needlessness", i.e. the complete opposite of today's "consumer society".

In his view, man should desire only elementary things. Everything beyond that, the scholar considered "useless", external conventions, such as marriage, he rejected.

For me as a Buddhist, Diogenes' views appear to be of elementary foresight; if I, as a human being, am going to crumble to dust anyway, what good are gold and money to me?

The philosopher is also said to have met the great King Alexander. According to the story, Diogenes was sleeping in an old wine barrel. When the king came to visit (the philosopher's reputation seemed enormous), Alexander introduced himself: "I am Alexander, the great king". To this Diogenes replied: "you stand in the sun for me, go to the side"!

Well, to me also every day many people stand in the sun, but no kings.

The radical way of life of Diogenes, including his hard answer to the king, show similarities with the teaching of Buddha; not only the historical Buddha had reached "enlightenment", already before (and after) him extraordinary people had and have reached this state.

I claim: You can achieve it too, we all can become a Buddha!

According to another story, Diogenes is said to have had little in common with Plato (Greek philosopher, 428 to 348 BC). What a wonderful time this must have been, smart people were exchanging ideas!

IF YOU GIVE EVERYTHING, YOU CAN'T BLAME YOURSELF

DIRK NOWITZKI - GERMAN BASKETBALL PLAYER - B. 1978

So what do our possessions bring us, what is "in the sun" for us? What are we "fighting" for, what makes up our personality?

We don't have to sleep in an old barrel, nor should we "stand in the sun" of other people.

We could engage in the philosophy of Buddha, peeling back the layers of our personality one by one, coming back to the "core" of being, but do we want that, do you want that?

Well, I do!

Diogenes was a Buddhist!

And I love the rays of the sun.

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News Detox

Every day we are bombarded with "news".

Politician X demands ....................

Politician Y wants ..................

Politician Z is appalled .......................

I can't listen to it anymore!

So for some time now I have refused to listen to the media garbage that is poured over me.

Imagine it is "peace", there is silence around us, the "concerned" statements no longer reach me.

Therefore, I no longer read news, such or otherwise, I am no longer "reachable".

I don't read (and watch) "news" anymore, WITHOUT ME!

I have "news detox!"

There is no good news. Just because there is bad news doesn't necessarily mean there is good news

David Benioff - US writer - born 1970

As a child I learned to read from the news of war

Michael Walzer - US social philosopher and intellectual - born 1935

Headlines mislead us in some ways, because bad news is a headline, but gradual improvements are not

Bill Gates - US entrepreneur, programmer and patron of the arts - born 1955

I don't even have an email address. I have reached an age where my main purpose is not to receive news.

Umberto Eco - Italian writer - 1932 to 2016

News is always more, but it is only according to those who (let) choose it. The more news about unimportant things, the more important things remain hidden. Worldwide, millions of equally important things are concealed at the same time for millions every day

Helmut Seethaler - Austrian writer - born 1953

I am accredited, have a camera and a lot of time. That is a deadly combination

Oliver Pocher - German entertainer, showmaster and comedian - born 1978

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About the downfall of a culture

If you look at the course of history, there have been many outstanding cultures. The Romans, the Greeks, the Chinese, the Indians, in different times different cultures have shaped the world and brought it forward.

Different ideas shaped entire eras, from the teachings of Buddha to the French Revolution, outstanding thinkers were able to leave a mark on entire generations.

What was responsible for the rise, or decline, of a cultural group? How could the mindset of nations change so much that people even cheered their apparent downfall?

Using ancient Rome as an example, it is easy to see what factors accompanied such contradictory behavior. At the beginning of a decline there was always the exaggeration of morality to the detriment of law. According to my opinion, law is the inner cohesion of a community, the structure that a people has given itself.

If now the right is eroded ever further, then the downfall is decided.

IF AN IDEA ENTERS A HOLLOW HEAD, IT FILLS IT COMPLETELY - BECAUSE THERE IS NO OTHER ONE THAT COULD DISPUTE ITS RANK.

CHARLES-LOUIS DE MONTESQUIEU - FRENCH WRITER - 1689 TO 1755

In times of ever-increasing uncertainty, the teachings of Buddha appear to us as a haven of peace, peaceful and by no means hectic, balancing and purposeful.

The occupation with Buddhist philosophy helps us to look behind the story, to see things as they really are. According to Buddha, life consists of suffering, "enlightenment" helps us to escape from the everlasting cycle.

THE EXPERIENCE HAS NO ETHICAL VALUE. IT IS ONLY A NAME THAT PEOPLE GIVE TO THEIR ERRORS.

OSCAR WILDE - IRISH WRITER - 1854 TO 1900

Again and again a culture stands at this fork in the road, rise or fall.

Which way would you choose?

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1984

The novel by the English writer George Orwell appeared in 1949, and quickly became a work of wide-ranging significance.

It depicts the life of Winston Smith in a total surveillance state. His world was divided into three great powers, which were enemies of each other. The protagonist lived in the "English part", the "Landing Field 1″.

Through a new language ("Neusprech") the population was suppressed, people were controlled and bugged with constantly running "Televisors".

Obscure enemies of the state justified the necessity of a "Ministry of Truth", the omnipresent propaganda permanently brought phrases like "war is peace", "ignorance is strength" and "freedom is slavery" among the citizens.

As a young man, the book "1984" had a great impact on me; the very idea of having to live the way Winston Smith had to filled me with unease. In retrospect, I think it is possible that this very book made me receptive to the philosophy of Buddha.

Those who follow the Buddha's teachings know (or can figure) that everything is already written, the evolution of our society, personal circumstances and goals, life as a whole. So it is also already determined whether the individual sets out on the journey to "enlightenment" or not, whether he arrives at the destination or not, whether he can "free himself" from all circumstances that "cover" his life or not.

In my opinion there would be only one way out of the apocalyptic scenarios of George Orwell, the way of Buddha. A Buddhist worldview shows us the reality behind the scenes, as the connections are true, the gateless gate is finally open to the awakened people.

After harsh torture and brainwashing, Winston Smith had internalized the principle of government, he now lived for the doctrine of the state, he even eagerly awaited his own execution.

I can recommend every follower of the Buddhist doctrine to read the book "1984" once. What would the historical Buddha have done if he had lived in such a world, if he had been the protagonist of "1984"?

Freedom is the right to tell others what they do not want to hear.

George Orwell - English writer - 1903 to 1950

Being in the minority, even in the minority of one, didn't make you crazy. There was truth and there was untruth, and if you clung to the truth, even against the whole world, you were not crazy.

George Orwell - English writer - 1903 to 1950

All propaganda lies, even if someone tells the truth.

George Orwell - English writer - 1903 to 1950

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The tree

In a beautiful forest stood a young tree, directly at the brook it struck deep roots, it had enough sun, in front of it were bushes, which protected it from the wind.

A hiker passed by and stopped right here for a rest. The man was in a bad mood, had lost his job, life was hard for him.

He looked at the healthy young tree, his mood became even worse, he became "jealous" of the tree that had such good conditions, occupied such a wonderful place; he, on the other hand, was disadvantaged by "fate". What a strange feeling he thought to himself, envy of a young tree!

Discontented, the wanderer thought about how he could "harm" the tree, for reasons he himself did not understand, he could not bear the "luck" of the tree.

Then he saw a heavy stone on the shore. He took it and placed it in the crown of the tree between the young branches. A feeling of happiness spread through the man, a smile crossed his gloomy face, gloating is just the most beautiful joy.

The young tree groaned under the load, the branches bent, but the stone remained well wedged in the crown.

The hiker went on his way "satisfied".

As a result, the tree quickly drove its roots into the depths, it had to balance the weight in order not to break. Thus, in a very short time, the young tree became a true giant, the stone fell off one day, the tree grew bigger and bigger, it had adapted to the situation, it could even profit from its "misfortune".

Years later, the hiker passed by the stream again. When he saw the tree then he could not believe his eyes, the stone lay shaken off under it, the young tree had become a giant, the most beautiful and largest tree of the forest stood now at this place. The former burden had made it strong.

ENVY IS THE SINCEREST FORM OF RECOGNITION

WILHELM BUSCH - GERMAN POET - 1832 TO 1908

It is up to us how we deal with "heavy burdens", do we grow or will we break?

Buddhists know that everything is already written. What burdens our life holds in store, and how we deal with them, has already been determined. With this certainty, we can deal with the hardships of life, just as the young tree did in the story. We do our best!

If our "karma" is already fixed, then we can also act carefree, it comes as it must come.

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The Stories of Aesop

The Greek poet Aesop lived about the time of Buddha. He founded the so-called "example narrative", he conveyed "morals" and "values" in his short stories.

The German phrase "getting a lion's share" goes back to a tale by Aesop, the "Fable of the Lion's Share". Here, a lion and a donkey go hunting together. The lion divides the hunted prey into 2/3 for himself and 1/3 for the donkey, simply because he is the stronger. He found in the fable many arguments why he had to get the main part.

In the conclusion of the story, the author warns about the society of "powerful people" for whom the law does not apply.

WOE / TO THE POOR VICTIM WHEN THE SAME MOUTH / THAT GAVE THE LAW ALSO PRONOUNCES JUDGMENT!

FRIEDRICH VON SCHILLER - GERMAN PHILOSOPHER - 1759 TO 1805

The works of Aesop still have their social importance, since they deal with human weaknesses, which are known to have survived. Stupidity, envy, avarice, vanity, the materials from which even today the headlines of our newspapers are made.

Through his stories, Aesop imparted to us wisdoms very similar to the teachings of Buddha, which were also carried out in a similar form in the Bible.

As Buddhists, we know that everything is already written, that we must accept our "karma" as an unchangeable quantity.

Whether poor or rich, for us humans the universal laws are the same, nothing we can change.

However, "enlightenment" offers us a way out of the cycle of suffering.

Not only Buddha was "enlightened", many people before him had reached this level of perfection, and many people after the great teacher have also "awakened".

I wonder if the Aesop might have been one of these "enlightened ones"?

If you want to keep a secret, you must also hide it from you

George Orwell - British writer, essayist and journalist - 1903 to 1950

If you act like a rock star, you will be treated the same way

Marilyn Manson - US musician and member of the rock band Marilyn Manson - born 1969

Nothing meets one that he is not able to bear by nature

Marcus Aurelius - Roman emperor from 161 to 180

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The wisdom of Socrates

Socrates was a Greek philosopher whose understanding of the world was characterized by knowledge of human nature, ethical principles and unchanging values. In many points his views show great overlap with the teachings of Buddha.

Few personalities were able to leave a lasting mark on their posterity; Socrates was such an exceptional figure.

The following story has been handed down from his life, which by its simple clarity has retained its validity to this day:

A visitor arrived at Socrates' home, a man who had traveled far to meet the great thinker.

In conversation, the guest began, "Do you know what your friend said"? Socrates immediately interrupted the man, "Stop!" He is said to have replied. "Before you tell me a news, about a third person, I must ask you something. Did you give this story through the three sieves"?

"What sieves?" Asked the man.

Socrates replied, "Well, every story I deal with, it has to pass the test of the THREE SIFTS. First, there is the sieve of truth. Have you checked to see if what you are about to tell me is really true?"

The visitor became thoughtful, he answered, "No, I only heard it, whether there is any truth in it I don't know, but the one who told me was credible."

"Well then" replied the philosopher, "have you then given this report through the sieve of goodness, is it a good thing that you want to tell me about"?

The visitor now became meek and said, "No, even the opposite, it is not a good thing of which the event reports".

"I suppose that can't be helped, but surely the incident you want to tell me about will be of some use to me after all, was what you want to tell me given through the sieve of usefulness?"

"Usefulness, no, the anecdote has no real usefulness either, it is about gossip," the guest replied to the learned man.

"Then I don't want to hear about it either," Socrates said sullenly, "if it is not secured truth, is not good and has no real use, why do you want to waste my time with it?" "Please do not burden me with such nonsense"!

The "message" of this story is not to make unreflective statements, not to start rumors.

The question is always whether a story can pass the requirements of the three sieves?

THE SIEVE OF TRUTH: IS IT TRUE WHAT IS BEING TOLD HERE?

THE SIEVE OF GOODNESS: IS IT GOOD WHAT IS TO BE TOLD HERE?

THE SIEVE OF USEFULNESS: IS THE KNOWLEDGE OF THIS EVENT USEFUL?

Each of us is omniscient. We only need to open our consciousness to listen to our own wisdom. The heart then knows the way.

Buddha -

To gossip is to confess other people's sins

Wilhelm Busch - German Poet - 1832 to 1908

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Gold in the cupboard

In a prosperous town once lived a rich man. He had many businesses, he was involved in almost all aspects of economic life, he did not miss any good deal.

He kept his wealth in a large cash box in the closet of his house, every day he opened it, looked at his coins, thought about the profitable and past transactions, when he looked at his fortune became quite "warm around the heart".

One fine day, when he came back to his house after a long, busy day, he already had a bad feeling at the door. Immediately he noticed that something was not as it should be, fear rose in him, he ran to his closet, which stood wide open, the cassette was gone, one had stolen from him. Then he was furious, he called for his wife, for the children, no one knew anything, all had not been in the house during the day.

The police came, the neighbors, each of his friends, they all consoled him, but nothing could alleviate his misfortune, he had always enjoyed his coins so much.

One of his friends, however, said something of Buddhist wisdom to him, first asking, "did you have any use for your wealth"? "No", replied the stolen man, "but I have always looked at my money with such pleasure". "Then," said the friend, "just look at the closed cabinet and imagine that the box is still in it!"

"What is it to you by whom he who once gave it to you reclaimed it from you"?

Epictetus - Roman Slave - 50 to 138

Wealth is one of those things. Who is rich, who is poor? Is perhaps a farmer with a very small farm a richer man than a millionaire banker, if the farmer is loved but the banker is not?

And is not the absence of suffering the true wealth in a person's life? Just as Buddha exemplified to us?

You shall not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal.

Bible -

Accumulating more and more wealth, does that make you happy?

I say: NO

Sure, money makes you independent, it gives a certain security, things can be bought, some ideas can be implemented with money, but real capital is not material, true wealth lies in happiness, love, harmony, contentment, success, health, serenity and in the family.

Personally, I don't want to "own" many things, I get my joy when I can "use" them sometimes. Renting a nice car, over the weekend, and then returning the car, that's more fun for me. Staying in a nice hotel for a few days, I find that much better than owning a vacation home.

But I find it even much better when I'm driving in a very small car (no matter who owns it) and there's a person sitting next to me who really likes me. Or when visiting another city I can sleep on the sofa of a good friend, that makes me happy.

If the cornfield is far from the house, the birds eat the fruit.

Proverb -

I also like to think of my fortune that I keep in the closet, but I never open the door!

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A little piece of heaven

Every year, a large German company organizes various company outings, joint events and various activities that are intended to strengthen team cohesion, build a sense of community and make it easier for colleagues and employees to get to know each other. The company's management places particular emphasis on the shared experience, trust and motivation.

This spring, it was the turn of the management level to participate in seminars, a team hike was scheduled for the department heads, and the focus for the managers was to be on performance and sovereignty.

As well-paid higher employees, all participants were very full of themselves, their life was good, but for that the managers had enough other problems, they were already "getting on in years", in search of "themselves".

The hike was organized in a beautiful forest, the group was divided into two teams, at a meeting point the employees were to meet again, along the way they had to perform various tasks, similar to a scavenger hunt.

However, one team went off the trail, they got lost in the deep, dark forest. Anxiety came over the hikers, the phone had no network, it got really creepy for the city people in the untouched nature.

As they continued walking they saw a magical wooden hut by a small stream, here at least they could wait for rescue. As they approached, the men discovered a bearded inhabitant, but he was beaming all over, exuding happiness and contentment, the wanderers had not expected a hermit.

"Hello, wanderers," he called out delightedly to the group. "Good day," the lost ones replied to him. The managers told them about their excursion, and the bearded man explained the way back to their camp.

Before they left, a member of the team asked, "why are you so radiant, it has come to our attention that you are very happy, may I ask why? Do you live here alone, in this little hut"?

"Yes", answered the inhabitant of the forest who revealed himself as a Buddhist, "I live here alone, but I lack nothing. And my happiness is not a secret, I enjoy "my forest", the little piece of heaven that I can see from my place, from my chair here, from the door in front of my hut".

"May I sit in your chair once," asked one of the group? "Yes, why not, just take a seat" replied the hermit. The manager sat down, looked around, then spoke in slight amazement, "I can't see much from your seat, just trees, leaves and some sky, why are you so happy about it?"

"I don't know how to explain it to you," replied the bearded forest dweller, "but it's my place in life, my piece of heaven, my trees, I'm happy because I found my place, this is where I belong. Sitting on this, my chair fills me with happiness"!

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There are millions of reasons to smile!

The fat Buddha

In the gift store of a temple, the nearsighted woman asked, "How much is that fat Buddha, the one standing back there next to the door?" "Shh! Speak softly," whispers the monk at the cash register, "that's our abbot."

Buddha is often depicted as a "Happy Buddha"; in Chinese there is the expression "Mi Le Fo" (弥勒佛). The broad laughter on his face is said to symbolize his endless love for all living beings, and his fat belly shows the joys of life.

Many people think that the Buddha's teaching is a very serious matter, just that, the "enlightenment" as the core statement of Buddhism would be quite a joyless thing.

The preoccupation with one's own "I" is clearly a rather heavy subject, but in the life of a Buddhist, joy, laughter and fun should by no means come "too short".

According to Buddha, suffering is an integral part of life. But only where there is shadow, exactly there you can see the light very well. This reminds us that we should enjoy life (as it is), experience beautiful moments, meet great people, fun and joy are a completely normal part of all life, we should "turn off" suffering, make the attitude towards "joy" in us.

Some people have forgotten how to laugh, but you can learn to laugh again. With laughter we get out of thinking, reach the present again, relaxation occurs, energies can flow again.

If life is sorrowful then start to change something.

The historical Buddha found "enlightenment" for us, but he was certainly also a joyful person, he knew about human hardships, about emotions, and about their place in life.

We should enjoy our lives, rejoice in every day despite all adversities, look at every encounter with pleasure, allow serenity and amusement in every possible moment.

Every day that you do not smile is a day lost.

Charlie Chaplin - British actor - 1889 to 1977

When I look at my daughter, when I look at the beauty of nature, when I take in the colors and smells, when I think of a good meal, when I look at my partner, when I look at my work, I almost always have to smile.

There are millions of reasons to smile!

The certainty around the teachings of Buddha is a truly good reason to rejoice in one's own existence.

Suffering and joy are then the two sides of the same coin!

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Bad luck becomes good luck

and vice versa

My father used to say, "Son, there is nothing bad that doesn't have something good about it"!

Examples (freely invented):

Mr. K. broke his leg in a car accident, a complicated comminuted fracture, at first the doctors thought they would have to remove the foot, he was in the hospital for almost two months, for a long time he thought he would never be able to walk properly again.

/ during his time in the hospital he met a nurse, the two fell in love, married shortly after his discharge. If he had not broken his leg, who knows if Mr. K. would have ever met his wife, he still says today that this accident changed his life in a positive way.

For a long time Tom felt a slight tugging in the stomach area, but thought nothing of it, he didn't want to go to the doctor, after all there was always so much to do, to take care of, to work, it will pass, he thought to himself anyway. One morning he slipped in the shower, hit his head on the edge of the tub, the skin burst, he had to call the ambulance to have the wound stitched.

/ while being treated by the paramedics, he also told them about the pain in his stomach. The doctor patched him up, and also immediately examined the other complaints in question. He thought it could be appendicitis, utmost urgency was required, he was immediately taken to the hospital, emergency surgery was the result. Tom knows today that the fall in the bathroom probably saved his life.

Actually, Mrs. T. wanted to go home by plane at the weekend, she was in another city the whole week, her work gave her little pleasure, but was well paid. She had been looking for another job for some time, but found nothing suitable. In her cozy home her family was already waiting for her, her husband had prepared a big meal, the children were jostling on the phone, she was tired and exhausted. At the airport she was told that the flight was canceled due to technical problems, that she could not fly on today, that a hotel room had already been booked for her, and that she could not fly until tomorrow. At first she was very disappointed.

/ in the waiting area of the airport she got into conversation with another passenger, both of them complained about their fate, in the course of the conversation she also told the fellow sufferer about her unsuccessful search for a new job. The man was the managing director of a company, he was looking for new employees but could not find any suitable personnel. He immediately offered Mrs. T. a job with much better earnings, and for her much better working hours and conditions. Even today, she remembers that day fondly; the supposed bad luck changed her life in a positive way.

The M. family wanted to go to the sea by car this year, finally on vacation together, the summer was hot, the children were looking forward to the cool pleasure. But halfway there, the old car broke down and stopped. Black smoke came out of the hood, the towing service took car and family to a small town, there was the nearest garage. The mechanic said that he would first have to order spare parts, and that it would be impossible to continue the journey for the time being. The children's nagging was great, no beach, no bathing, the vacation was a disaster. At first sight.

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Listening helps!

In China, there was a Buddhist teacher who taught throughout the country. He was very respected, his wisdom was legendary, many people attended his talks. As a monk of his monastery he was popular, many brothers listened to him.

When he was about to leave for another reading tour, a novice (aspiring monk) approached him and asked if he could accompany him. Since the two men were about the same age, and the travels were exhausting him more and more, the teacher agreed, and together they traveled. At each lesson the Buddhist student now sat in the auditorium, soon he knew every interpretation of the teacher, every sentence was well known to him, he listened again and again to the words of this master.

The brothers used the evenings to talk about what had happened, to further deepen the contents of the teaching speeches. Often the teacher noticed that the disciple already knew his lectures almost by heart, that also his argumentation and his expression improved constantly, he was taken with the novice. In the teacher grew the realization that the student had reached the end of his training, that he had also become a master by "listening". This filled the teacher with deep joy.

One morning, as the two of them were leaving for another course in the dining hall of a temple, the teacher said to the novice, "I want you to give the lecture today, you have heard my words often enough now, you will surely do the job as well as I have"!

So it was! The novice did his job well, the people listened to him with pleasure, he could "reach" the visitors with his lecture, the Buddha's teaching came easily and loosely over his lips. After the lecture, those present approached him, praised his calm manner, his lecture was a success.

From then on, the teacher and the disciple took turns in giving further lectures, and the novice became better and better in his lectures.

Back in their temple, the teacher went to his abbot, he explained to him that the novice could now also spread the teachings on his own, that he was now qualified to be a monk.

The novice was soon ordained as a monk because of the intercession.

A short time later, he was preparing for his own first lecture tour when a novice approached him and asked if he could accompany him.

As long as one talks oneself, one learns nothing

Marie Freifrau Ebner von Eschenbach - writer - 1830 to 1916

In reality there are only the atoms and the void

Democritus - Greek philosopher - 460 to 370 B.C.

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Everything passes

In a Buddhist temple, a great master taught, he was already very old, but incredibly white, he had many followers, the monks of the temple, and also the people from the neighboring town, respected him, as a counselor and as a gifted scholar.

In the great hall of the temple he lectured, organized meetings, provided social gatherings, gave advice, and there he taught his students the philosophy of Buddha, also meditation and prayer.

He was particularly fond of a local student, who was intelligent, interested and hard-working, hardly missing any of his seminars. And he took special care of her, he encouraged the young girl.

One evening, after the meditation exercises, she said to her master: "My meditation was terrible, my thoughts were everywhere but here. Today my eyes kept falling shut, every bone ached from sitting, I was unfocused, distracted, not in my mind at all. My ego was constantly running away with me, whispering incoherent things in my ear, questions arose in me, self-reflection did not want to occur."

The master replied succinctly, "Student, this will pass."

In the following time her exercises were as before, she said nothing to her master, came again almost every day, she pleased the old teacher with joy.

A few months later, the master and the pupil got into conversation again. She told him, "Master, today my meditation was wonderful, inspiring, I was fully concentrated, sitting was effortless, I was not distracted, my ego was silent during the exercises, breathing was easy, did not burden me at all, I think I have made great progress."

The master just looked at her casually, he answered again succinctly, "Student, this will pass".

THE ACTUAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THIS WORLD IS ITS TRANSITORINESS

FRANZ KAFKA - GERMAN-LANGUAGE WRITER - 1883 TO 1924

HAPPINESS BELONGS TO THOSE WHO ARE SELF-SUFFICIENT. FOR ALL EXTERNAL SOURCES OF HAPPINESS AND PLEASURE ARE BY THEIR NATURE HIGHLY UNCERTAIN, UNFORTUNATE, TRANSIENT AND SUBJECT TO CHANCE.

ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUER - GERMAN PHILOSOPHER - 1788 TO 1860

The lot of mankind is not easy. Already on the day we fall in love, for example, we know that we will EVER have to say goodbye to this person again, we know that the child that has just been born will EVER die, that everything, simply everything, will be lost, will pass, will be extinguished. Even our planet will pass away one day, and with it the utopia we call "our world" today.

Everything passes, we must accept this unchangeable truth.

If it were not for the teachings of Buddha, my human lot would weigh heavily on me, sometimes even almost crushing me, the fact that everything passes EVERYWHERE would be very difficult for me to come to terms with without Buddhist philosophy, would unbearably and threateningly overshadow my life.

From the philosophy of the teacher of all teachers I first drew the strength, and today the certainty that this does not have to occupy me, because not everything is as it appears at first sight.

Buddha has shown us a way out, he has paved the path to "enlightenment" for us. Like all paths, this alley is not always easy to negotiate, but in the end we have "awakening", the "gateless gate" through which we pass, but which cannot be grasped with our hands.

If you, esteemed reader, have read this text up to here (to the end), then you are in any case interested in Buddha's teaching, perhaps you even want to follow his path? Take up the undertaking courageously, because even a great journey begins only with a small step.

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What is poverty?

Let me call the family "the Peters" for simplicity's sake.

The father has a prosperous business, he manufactures spare parts for cars. In his early youth he became an apprentice in a similar company, graduated as a master craftsman there. A few years later he started his own business, with diligence and luck he worked his way up, became wealthy, his company grew bigger and bigger. He was very proud of his success, liked to brag about his possessions, felt important to other people, his life had always gone "according to plan" for him.

Due to his financial independence he was able to find a good wife at a young age, the couple fell in love, married quickly, and had two healthy children, a boy and a girl.

The couple bought a beautiful, large house, with a swimming pool, sauna, surrounded by an enchanting garden.

The wife came from a much less rich country, she still had her family there, her parents were simple farmers. Often she went to visit the homeland, lived there a completely different life than with her husband, simple, but also hardworking.

Often she also took the children with her so that they could visit their grandparents. The children could spend their vacations there, learn modesty, help on the farm, experience animals, feel nature.

Especially her daughter gave her a lot of joy, as the girl developed into a particularly intelligent and compassionate being, a little light seemed to burn in her. She charmed her fellow men, wisdom spoke from her words, despite her few years she was special.

On the way back after the vacation, a conversation developed between mother and daughter. The mother asked: "And, my darling, how were the vacations for you, was it interesting with grandpa and grandma"? The daughter answered: "Yes mother, it was very interesting, I played a lot, often helped the grandparents, and I learned a lot. I also saw how poor our family is, and yet they are much richer than us". This astonished the mother, she asked the daughter how she came up with such an idea. "Mother, we have only one dog, but our grandparents have many animals. We only have a small swimming pool, but at your parents' house there is a big lake. We have many lamps on the property, but in the yard here there are millions of stars that I could look at every night. Our property is bigger than the neighbors', but we look at the back wall of their houses, my grandparents can see all the way to the horizon."

Then the mother understood!

NOT HE WHO HAS LITTLE, BUT HE WHO DESIRES MUCH, IS POOR

LUCIUS ANNAEUS SENECA - ROMAN PHILOSOPHER AND DRAMATIST- 1 TO 65

When we internalize the Buddha's teaching, we are rich, rich in inner peace, in tranquility, balanced and in the pure. Poverty and wealth are two sides of the same coin. Because it is only up to us how we look at wealth and poverty, the feeling arises from our contemplation. Even without having a single coin in our pockets, we can be very rich people.

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Love comes like a thief - unexpectedly

We all want to be loved and to love. Love is beautiful, builds us up, gives us strength, we can move mountains when we love. Endless songs tell of beautiful love stories, there are love movies, love novels, a whole industry takes on love.

Not everyone will experience love in his life; others possibly several times, karma is karma, the history of our life is predetermined.

It doesn't help to beg fate, to present our wishes to the gods, love comes unexpectedly, just like a thief.

But what helps is to look forward to love, to prepare ourselves and our "I" for this possible moment, to become and be the person we want to present, the person we can be. In any case, if we make an effort for love, it is right and important.

Let's take examples:

A man who drinks all the time, gambles away his money, doesn't think about tomorrow, seeks only his satisfaction, would he be in great demand with women?

A woman who lets herself go, who doesn't care about her appearance, would she be in high demand among men?

Sure, a stereotypical approach, very graphic examples. But apt.

If you always liked to drink too much, you will behave like that in the future, love or not.

If you already always do not take care of yourself, then love will also hardly bring a change.

The correction must happen soon, we can't expect a partner to "change" us, that's not his job either. And this partner should not want to change us at all, otherwise the conditions are wrong. He should love us as we are.

We must become the person whom the partner can love without "if" and "but", i.e. we must "love ourselves" before we can be loved.

According to Buddhist teachings, everything is already written. So it is also already written if and when we will recognize our behavior, if we might even find "enlightenment". And also whether we find love is already determined.

And remember, love comes when you don't expect it.

THERE IS NOTHING MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN BEING LOVED, LOVED FOR ITS OWN SAKE OR RATHER IN SPITE OF ITSELF

VICTOR HUGO - FRENCH WRITER - 1802 TO 1885

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5 blind and 1 elephant

5 Blind Men and 1 Elephant

At the court of a popular king there lived many learned men who served him as advisors.

No matter what the subject, there were always disputes between the many "experts"; the experts did not agree on anything.

The quarrels became more violent every day, the palace was filled with bickering and strife. The king decided to remedy the situation, he thought about what he could do. One day he had a good idea.

Among his advisors were five blind men who, due to their age, had lost their sight. He had these men led in front of an elephant, they were to get an overview only by their sense of touch, and then report to the king, in the presence of all the other advisors, what it was all about, describe what they felt.

The first scholar was led to the side of the elephant, he felt an ear, he reached around the large surface, felt the brittle surface. He thought: "According to the smell it is an elephant, but according to the feeling it is a big leaf".

The second educated blind man had his turn, he was placed in front of the elephant, felt the trunk. He spoke: "Yes, it smells like an elephant, but it is an arm, long and strong".

The next scholar was directed to the rear of the animal, he felt the tail of the colossus. He too agreed with the previous men, "it smells like an elephant, yes, but it feels like a rope, with a brush on the end".

The fourth blind man was led to one leg of the elephant, he said "yes, the smell is strong, but since this is a riddle of the king, it can't be an elephant, I think it is a pillar".

Then came the turn of the last of the selected blind scholars, he was placed at the belly of the animal. He too admitted that it smelled like an elephant, but he also believed that the king was trying to "hoodwink" them, he thought it was a large spiky surface, and therefore not an animal.

The king began to smile, he said: "Oh you scholars, how can you not recognize such a simple thing, it is of course an elephant. But I wanted to show you that it is often different than it seems at first, nothing is really simple, every matter has its difficulties, before you quarrel again in the future, you should remember this elephant, this moment. And everyone at my court has seen how difficult it is to recognize an elephant, to describe it, everyone has felt something different, felt it. And only because you lack one sense, the eyesight. And how is it only with smaller things, with those that are harder to describe, harder to understand, complicated and complex"?

All the scholars understood what the king wanted to tell them, they now realized. And also why he had staged this spectacle was now obvious.

The example with the elephant should not be forgotten so quickly by all advisors at the court.

As a Buddhist, one should not judge or evaluate.

FIRST LOOK AT YOURSELF, THEN JUDGE ME!

SPEAKING WORD –

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The color of our skin

You think you can determine your life?

I tell you, nothing you can determine!

Have you chosen your "skin color"? Or the "color of your hair"? Their "sex"? Or the "place" where you were born?

You did not determine any of these things, you did not choose any of these things. You were born in a certain body, in a certain place, at a certain time, all this you did not choose yourself, it was your karma!

THE ROMAN POET OVID WROTE CA. 25 V. CHR.: "EVERYONE SHOULD KEEP THE LIMITS OF HIS DESTINY".

If therefore already the corner points of our existence were not determinable by us, how do we get the idea that we could determine over our life?

This question would be worth a consideration, don't you think?

And what would be the conclusion from such a thought? Would it be possible that we simply follow our karma, not being able to change anything or very little about it?

YES

According to Buddha's philosophy, everything is already fixed, is "already written", so to speak. Even if, and when, we find "enlightenment" is predetermined.

For example, if you start thinking about your "I" while reading this text, then this was also predetermined. "Who am I," is the question of all questions. This leads to other points, such as "where do I come from"? And, "where am I going"?

In answering them, the teachings (of the teacher of all teachers) can help us quite significantly.

If we get involved with Buddhism, this results in a completely different approach to our lives, peace and serenity are the consequences. If I can't determine anything, then I don't have to get upset about anything, thoughts can calm down, the mind palace starts to give us joy, the voices in our head become quieter, fade away, disappear into nothingness.

The worries and troubles are now replaced by another thought: "Can it be that Buddha has shown us the right way with the subject of "enlightenment""? Therefore, the central question for every Buddhist is: "What is enlightenment"? And from this arise further issues: "Do I want to find enlightenment? And how can I do that"?

Should you embark on the journey to "awakening", make the decision to follow the teachings of Buddha, this decision was also their karma, it was also predetermined.

Just as their "skin color", the "color of their hair", their "gender" and the "place of birth", are and were also their karma.

YOU ARE OF THE KIND OF PEOPLE, HE SAID, WHO EASILY GET USED TO A PLACE, NOT EASILY TO A DESTINY. TO ALL SUCH THE UNSTEADY WAY OF LIFE IS PRESCRIBED, SO THAT THEY MAY PERHAPS REACH A SECURE WAY OF LIFE

JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE - GERMAN POET - 1749 TO 1832

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Buddhism and the right tempo

Every person has his or her own pace, his or her typical energy level. In the modern world, people are rushing through their lives, stressed and under pressure.

I, for example, always have a fast pace, often have a lot to do, rush from appointment to appointment, and am always on the go in my private life.

Lately, however, I've been noticing a slight pain in my left hip (when walking fast), which got me thinking about my pace and energy level. After all, in a previous blog post I had written about the "walking meditation" that keeps me busy. In short, I looked at my energy level and decided to slow down for once, to process things more carefully, more accurately, and pay particular attention to walking more slowly.

From a Buddhist point of view, my life is locked into my "karma" anyway, the things that are supposed to happen to me will come exactly as they must, so why rush.

And anyway, the hurry serves in principle only the fulfillment of my desires and needs, according to the teaching of the Buddha only a "desire and needless man" is also happy.

What has the haste and the sense of duty of the last years actually brought me? Can I still remember it?

Now I do the exact opposite. And I have a lot of joy doing it.

Often I find myself wanting to "storm off", then the slight pain reminds me of my energy level and I switch back.

I would like to recommend every reader to take a closer look at their own energy level and to question their own motives. And above all, does the pace serve to satisfy your ego?

Do I walk slowly or quickly? Do I eat hastily or at my leisure? Do I leave enough time for my loved ones? What energy level suits me. Can I play with the energy?

In any case, you should then put this energy level in relation to your wants and needs.

The right pace is an important building block for the journey to "awakening", to "enlightenment".

A great journey always begins with a small step, the question now is at what pace!

MOST PEOPLE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT KIND OF PACE THEY COULD HAVE, IF ONLY THEY WOULD RUB THE SLEEP OUT OF THEIR EYES FOR ONCE

CHRISTIAN MORGENSTERN - GERMAN POET - 1871 TO 1914

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Excuses and Buddhist Answers

Every human being has "talked himself out of it" at one time or another. The boundary between an excuse and a lie is fluid, the more often one uses "white lies" the more fluently they roll off the tongue.

If something is important to us, we will find a way to realize it, to stay on it, we become creative, develop strength and think about how it could be done. If something is not important to us, our ego creates excuses, evasions and lies.

Do we want to be lied to ourselves? NO, nobody wants to be deceived.

But when it suits ourselves, the "talking ourselves out of it" always works very well.

Christianity says: "Do not do to others what you do not want done to you".

With the excuses and the lies it is so that everything is good, as long as the thing does not attract attention, however, if then the number is "blown", the big misery begins.

Personally, I try not to lie, and have often spoiled a lot for myself by doing so. Could it be that some people would rather be lied to than know the truth?

YES

Confronting the truth yourself can be incredibly problematic, painful and unfamiliar for many, preferring to keep up appearances, pretending everything is fine, living in a dream.

The world is as it is, who accepts it, comes (from my point of view) simply better through the time, has less ballast, can be more liberated and act more carefree.

But that requires HONESTY, being honest with others, but mainly with yourself.

Excuses are lies, little lies, but lied is lied, there is no such thing as a little pregnant!

Start being honest, answer better, not when you are angry, do not promise anything when you are happy. And don't decide anything when you are sad! Usually nothing good comes out of it.

The noble Buddha shows us his way, we have to walk it ourselves!

Prudence requires time and effort, but above all honesty.

Plato - Greek philosopher - 427 to 347 before the year zero

I have not noticed that the honesty of people increases with their wealth

Thomas Jefferson - Third American president - 1743 to 1826

Honesty and openness make you vulnerable, be honest and open anyway

Mother Teresa - Catholic Blessed, Religious Sister and Missionary - 1910 to 1997

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What does a master give me?

The question arises: "What advantage does a Chan master bring me, what can he give me"?

The central theme of Buddhism is "enlightenment", the teaching of the teacher of all teachers is about "awakening". Certainly Buddha said and did many wise things, but what made him really special and unique was the (re)discovery of "enlightenment".

Nowadays, when we strive for "enlightenment", the very approach turns out to be very difficult. Buddha did not leave his teachings in writing, all Buddhist texts were written down long after his death. Over the centuries, various interpretations were added, the views and customs of the respective countries were taken into account, and the views changed over the centuries. Important teachers shaped Buddhism by their personal views, over the centuries the philosophy of Buddha was changed more and more, thereby the core of Buddha's teaching (awakening) receded further and further into the background.

If we look at his main statement isolated, we could summarize: "Life is suffering, the way out is "enlightenment", every person can awaken, the "enlightenment" is already within us"!

In modern life many people find it very difficult to follow the path of Buddha, much has changed in the world since the days of the holy man. Hectic, fast pace, technology, constraints, many things have developed since then, only the problems and worries have remained for people, but just in completely new packaging. The struggle for life has changed, life itself has remained almost unchanged over time. The questions: does he love me, is she cheating on me, will we get through the time, will I stay healthy? These issues have remained the same, only the environment has totally changed.

Those who begin the journey to "awakening" today do not have it easy. Just to struggle through the various Buddhist teachings takes a lot of time and patience. But a Chan master can help other people in their "awakening" by talking again and again about the core of the teachings, by leading people back to their self, by revealing their inner self, by taking away what is alien to them, what is useless and empty covering their being, and also by making it difficult for them to see their own "I".

A teacher leads gently through the Buddhist philosophy, he makes people think, shows solutions, develops the personality of the students, helps them to wisdom, to see through. He conveys love, kindness and values, he shows the way, but you have to walk it yourself.

Through a teacher one has no real advantages, he brings us nothing that we could not do and make ourselves. He can not make the journey for others, but he can help, comparable to a tour guide on a package tour, nothing that you could not do without him, he is not really important, his contribution is small.

And that is exactly why he is so important!

Three things make a good master: Knowledge, skill and will.

If we meet Buddha for a short, tiny moment at the end of the journey, then we don't need him as a guide anymore either!

Learning and not thinking is useless.

Thinking and not learning is useless.

Confucius - Kong Fuzi (Chinese 孔夫子) - Chinese philosopher - 551 BC to 479 BC.

To think in one's own way is not selfish. He who does not think in his own way does not think at all

Oscar Wilde - Irish writer - 1854 to 1900

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Nothing is mine

WITH WORRIES THE GATE SPEAKS: "MY MONEY AND MY CHILDREN!"

"HIS" IS NOT EVEN HIMSELF, BUT CHILD AND MONEY EVEN LESS.

BUDDHA-

Nothing belongs to us, even the dirt under our nails is not ours. We will perish, crumble into shreds, our bones will turn to dust, coming from nothingness, the journey for our body will go back to the lack of content, to emptiness.

And then we say: "My son, my daughter, my money, my house, my car, mine, mine, mine"!

Nothing is mine!

And nothing is yours either! We can use things, share our time with people, walk part of the way together, make friends, have a partner, father children, keep animals, but they are not ours.

The sooner we understand this, the quicker we can turn to the deeper understanding of our own self, take care of our badly neglected self.

Does the idea frighten you, do you fear the end of your existence, the all-encompassing aloneness, the infinity of the universe?

If your answer is a "yes", a spiritual approach to your own self can be an important step towards the awakening described by the historical Buddha as the salvation of all suffering. Enlightenment as a way out of the cycle of all being.

Are you interested in the Buddha's teachings?

The concept of awakening seems unusual to us at first, but can the answer to our questions be so simple? Yes, it is even much simpler. The journey towards "enlightenment" starts with a decision, with the decision to get involved in this thing, to try it.

And honestly, what do you have to lose? If you don't like the journey, you can always turn back, decide anew each day. Buddhism is not a faith, it is a philosophy, Buddha was not a god and did not want to be worshipped. You don't have to make a profession of faith to become a Buddhist, you have to deal with a worldview, contemplate the teachings of Buddha.

Think about it, nothing belongs to us, everything is transient.

Just the journey to "enlightenment" can be incredibly satisfying, provide deep peace, make life significantly easier.

It would be worth a try, don't you think?

Property is theft

Pierre Joseph Proudhon - French Economist and Sociologist - 1809 to 1865

Intellectual property has the shelf life of a banana

Bill Gates - US entrepreneur, programmer and patron of the arts - born 1955

The appearance of property is an effect of the institution of the state

Thomas Hobbes - English mathematician, state theorist and philosopher – 1588

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The wise ruler

In a beautiful land once ruled a king, but on his territory the people were poor, the harvests were changeable, the soil difficult to cultivate. The subjects feared the king and because of the many famines they were dissatisfied and disappointed, they blamed their ruler for their predicament.

Now the ruler truly could not change anything about the circumstances, he tried his best, but his possibilities were limited.

On a particularly beautiful day, the ruler called his subjects together in the main square; he had news to announce. With grumbling the inhabitants of his capital gathered, full of fear and curiosity they waited closely for the appearance of their regent.

What will come, what is so important to call a meeting?

The worries of the waiting people increased, the clamor of voices reached its peak when finally the monarch appeared in front of his palace. The king greeted the waiting crowd politely and with great kindness, the people's worries quickly diminished, the people hung spellbound on his lips.

My son shall not grow up as a prince, the king said, he shall get to know the life of the people normally, like any other child of my people in my country, without privileges, without status. Only then will he become a good king, only then will he truly understand his subjects. So I gave my son to a family some time ago, his new parents do not know who he is, I exchanged the child of a simple family with my son, the other child is now growing up here in the palace.

But I instruct you to take good care of my son, no harm shall come to him, if something happens to him I will call you all to account!

Then the ruler said goodbye and went back to his palace. The crowd remained perplexed, and after a while they all went their separate ways.

But in the minds of the subjects what they had heard remained ever present, no one forgot the words of the monarch. And they began to treat all the children in the city and in the country very well, after all, every child could be the king's child.

Time passed, year after year passed, the children grew up, had children of their own, still no one knew who the prince was.

Through the love and new cohesion of the community among themselves, the city and the country developed splendidly, the territory of the ruler developed rapidly, there were many

Schools, libraries and hospitals were built, and children's voices were also heard more than in other countries; a child's opinion now carried great weight in this country.

People were content and happy, achieved a certain prosperity, the country was unrecognizable.

And why?

Because everybody treated everybody like a king.

WHAT YOU TELL ME, I FORGET. WHAT YOU SHOW ME, I REMEMBER. WHAT YOU MAKE ME DO, I UNDERSTAND.

CONFUCIUS - KONG FUZI (CHINESE 孔夫子) - CHINESE PHILOSOPHER - 551 B.C. CHR. UNTIL 479V. CHR.

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The next king

In a distant land lived a king who had several sons. He was getting on in years, it was time to settle his affairs.

However, it was not yet clear to him which of his sons should succeed him, which would be the right, future king.

So he decided to test his sons and give them a task; the one who would solve the problem in the best way would become his successor.

In the morning, the king gave each of his sons 10 coins, with the task of filling the great hall of the palace with them in the evening.

The eldest son ran and saw the discarded remains of the stalls lying in the market, a large pile of waste, withered vegetables, garbage, all together usually taken in the evening by the farmers as fertilizer for their fields. He talked to the market women and bought the waste from them, he generously spent all 10 coins for it. He had the "garbage" taken to the palace, the "dirt" completely filled the great king's hall. Proudly he went to his father and he presented himself in the best light. The king had the hall cleared again and waited for the evening.

The second son passed an inn, he went in and ordered himself a drink. He overlooked the time, became intoxicated with alcohol, thought to himself that he would take care of everything later, after all, he was the most worthy prince, surely circumstances would arise appropriately. In the evening he was completely drunk, he fell asleep on the floor of the inn.

The third son came to the hall in the evening, placed a large, handmade and beautiful candle in it, lit it, the large room shone as if enchanted by the wonderful source of light. The candle had cost only one coin, the other 9 coins he put next to it.

The king came into the hall, immediately it was clear to him what his third son wanted to prove with it. He said: "you will be my successor, you will be a great king, you have filled the hall with wisdom, an achievement worthy of the future king"!

A few months later the old king abdicated, the successor became a very wise and popular ruler!

Most problems arise when they are solved

Leonardo da Vinci - Italian painter - 1452 to 1519

Curiosity is always in the first place of a problem that wants to be solved

Galileo Galilei - Italian polymath - 1564 to 1641

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Diseases

Throughout history, so many diseases have afflicted mankind, from the plague to cancer, we have always been at the mercy of various afflictions.

So it is now, a virus has captivated the world, we worry about our future.

We know well about the deadly consequences of pathogens (such as the plague), the impact of disease on the economy of the time, and on the cultural aspects of that time, are largely unknown to us. Now we are confronted with such consequences and effects of a disease itself, on a broad front the economy collapses, people lose their jobs, companies go bankrupt, the damages are not even foreseeable today; how many people will suffer from the now coming problems is absolutely unclear. I have read that the suicide rate has increased dramatically due to the consequences of the current crisis.

How do we get out of this mess, what helps each one of us in this difficult situation?

According to the historical Buddha, we should try to solve every problem. If we cannot solve it, then we should not consider it a problem.

We can do little or nothing about the present situation; it will come as it must.

What we can change is how we deal with our situation!

I maintain:

According to Buddha the destiny is already written, therefore no GUILT meets the individual human being.

In the calmness lies the strength. We can change NOTHING, so we do not need to worry and think, it will come anyway as it must come!

A Buddha statue stands today almost in every house, we all (or at least many of us) are attracted by the peaceful appearance of the historical teacher. But little do most of us know about his teachings. TODAY is a good day to incorporate the Buddha's statements into our lives. The core message of Buddha was that in every human being lies the potential to experience "enlightenment".

At the beginning of the Buddhist journey to "enlightenment" there is always one question: "who am I"?

This leads to other issues, such as "where do I come from", and "where will I go"?

This (admittedly difficult) time offers itself formally to "think" about the really essential questions of the own "I".

Through the words and example of Buddha we can experience "comfort and confidence".

There will also be a time after the crisis. Here the question is: how will you develop, will you face the difficult questions about your own "I"?

Buddhism is not a religion, it is a philosophy of life!

Do not compare your life with that of others. There is no comparison between the sun and the moon. Both shine, but when it is their time.

Buddha - Worldly Name: Siddhartha Gautama

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Justice

The smoke that was seen in the dream is now rising!

Everywhere the dream of justice just appears again. But this dream is blurred, full of smoke, the wet breath of death is coming close to us now.

What exactly is "justice", please?

There I saw black, acrid smoke rising to the sky, the smell of revolution is in the air!

"Left" against "right", "up" against "down", everyone against everyone, without realizing that life is at best only a dream, actually a dream within a dream, according to Buddha therefore less than NOTHING.

"Justice" for what, for whom?

Two soldiers go to war, only one comes back, is that justice?

Two women have a child, one child dies, is that fair?

Two people play the lottery, only one wins, is that fair?

Two men have an accident together, one loses his leg, is that fair?

Life is not fair at all!

The most unjust peace is still better than the most just war.

Marcus Tullius Cicero - Roman politician - 106 to 43 B.C.

But right now the signs are pointing to war, a mass of the dead will be at the end of the war, once again, as so often before.

Do you see the smoke rising?

The great Carthage fought three wars. After the first, it was still powerful. After the second, it was still habitable. After the third, it was no longer to be found

Bertolt Brecht - German playwright - 1989 to 1956

He who does not know the truth is merely a fool. But he who knows it and calls it a lie is a criminal

also Bertolt Brecht

So, "justice" for what, for whom?

I, for one, do NOT need anyone to speak for me!

Smoke is in the air, disguised as "justice"!

I am not sure with which weapons the third world war will be fought, but in the fourth world war they will fight with sticks and stones

Albert Einstein - German physicist - 1879 to 1955

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Compassion and Concentration

A long time ago, a very young man came to a Buddhist temple. He had been sorely disappointed by life and had already suffered bitter blows of fate in his young years.

When he stood before the abbot, he said: "My life has been terrible for me up to now, providence has played badly with me, suffering, sorrow and toil characterize my path, great calamity breaks over me again and again, tragedy and desolation accompany me. Now I have come to you to improve my fate, I have heard of the teachings of the Buddha, now I would like to try my salvation with the search for "enlightenment", is there a chance also for me"?

The abbot examined him long and thoroughly, then he said, "Yes, awakening is also possible for you, tell me about yourself, what can you do, what have you learned, where are your strengths?"

The young man considered, then he spoke quietly, "I am not very talented, my family is rich, I don't have to work, I can't concentrate well either, in truth I am weak and timid, have little discipline, but one thing I can do well, I play a lot of chess, that is where my talent lies."

The white abbot thought about it, then he called for a certain monk and instructed him to bring a chess set. He said to the monk, "As a monk of this temple, you owe me obedience in all matters, at all times. I now instruct you to play a game of chess with this man, and you must win. If you do not, I will kill you. If you win, I will kill the young man, it is a game of life and death."

Both "chess partners" looked at the abbot doubtfully, was he serious, in a Buddhist monastery he was going to kill a man? There was no emotion in the abbot's face, yes, he meant what he said, it was clear now.

They started to play, the young man was completely upset, he started to sweat, he was playing for his life. His opponent the monk however was calm, he accepted the things that were coming, he also trusted his guide and in the teachings of Buddha, he was in tune with his being.

At first the youth played badly, hastily, unfocused, made some mistakes, but with time he calmed down, his moves became better, the monk did not have so much practice in the game and fell behind.

The young man had become a little more confident and looked up from the board, he looked into the peaceful face of the monk, a face of peaceful serenity, insight and sincerity, no fear played in the facial expression of the Buddhist brother. Now thoughts arose in him, his life passed before his inner eyes, all at once feelings for the monk stirred in him, he compared his life with that of his counterpart, how useless his way to this point had been. And if he would win the game today, then this special man would lose his life, because of him, a good-for-nothing. He started to play badly on purpose, he wanted to lose, a wave of compassion ran through him, he wanted to give his life for that of the monk.

Then the abbot suddenly reached into the board and knocked over the pieces.

Both players looked up irritated, the game had captivated them.

The abbot said: "Today no one will win or lose, no one will die! You, young man, have learned something today, namely compassion and concentration, you were absorbed in the game and still thought about the fate of your opponent, you even wanted to die for him. You may stay with us, you shall receive training, awakening will come to you, you are ready for it"!

That's how it happened!

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The Goalless Gate

The word "gateless gate" is a Buddhist paradoxical riddle.

It corresponds to the Buddha's teaching that "only he can find who no longer seeks".

In order to know what we are looking for, we need a clue at the beginning. This is "enlightenment", which is the basic theme of the Buddha. The Buddha did not write down any instructions for awakening, probably because "enlightenment" cannot be explained.

For many years, the teacher of all teachers spent meditating in search of detached absoluteness without knowing it beforehand. He failed in this, had already given up.

When he gave up the search, no longer believed he could find anything, became purposeless, had completely let go, was exhausted and haggard at the end, then awakening hit him, it came to him when he was empty, without wanting, without needing, without concept, without ideas, because at that moment he was able to release himself, turned away from ideas or constructs.

When the answers to all questions come to us on their own, we pass through a gate that cannot be grasped with our hands, that was never a gate, but has opened before us, like a portal from a time travel movie.

The so often mentioned enlightenment is nothing else than the disappearance of our illusions, the tiny moment that lets us see the truth of all things not a roaring party, just the entrance into the stream of ego-lessness, the beginning of security, without any doubt, without usual worries, the realization that there never was a gate.

To know how things really are, the leaving of the fog, the moment of realization, that simply cannot be put into words, my explanations can only prepare for this gateless gate, one cannot find what cannot be found, because there is this gateless gate, and there is just no gateless gate, the moment it opens, it already disappears again.

The gateless gate as a figurative representation of enlightenment can, in principle, explain our conception as seeking individuals.

The opinions we have of enlightenment are in the fog, without contour and outline, the gateless gate can help us.

Too heavy fare?

The "goalless gate" comes from a collection of 48 classical koans by 13th century master Wumen Huikai, was first printed in 1229, according to Wikipedia. Other translations read '"The barrier of Master Wumen".

Hannibal is at the gates!

Cicero - Roman politician, lawyer, writer and philosopher - 106 to 43 before the year zero.

The light microscope opened the first gate to the microcosm. The electron microscope opened the second gate to the microcosm. What will we find when we open the third gate?

Ernst Ruska - German electrical engineer and inventor of the electron microscope - 1906 to 1988

The golden gates of happiness open to you.

Friedrich Schiller - German poet, philosopher and historian - 1759 to 1805

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Dreams

TO BELIEVE IN YOUR DREAMS IS TO SPEND YOUR LIFE SLEEPING

CHINESE PROVERB -

We should not live in the future, nor in the past, but in the here and now! This is what the historical Buddha taught us.

Dreams in sleep are something very natural, sometimes beautiful, occasionally frightening, the experience in sleep varies from person to person. I never dream, my body finds so full rest in the resting phase.

But there are people who live the whole day in a dream world, have made the world as they like it in their thought palace, hardly perceive reality, actually they lie to themselves constantly. Because life takes place in the present, as we imagine the coming, so it does not come anyway.

Fantasy imaginations of all kinds find their expression, the escape from the daily absurdity is thereby consciously brought about, one "paints oneself the life", in all possible colors, becomes unfocused, goes with full consciousness into illusory worlds.

Plans differ from such dreams. By plans I understand concrete intentions, which I then intend to implement. For example: I plan an excursion with the family, have already prepared dinner, then the weather throws a spanner in the works.

There is something frightening about slipping into the world of fantasy, one's own dream world usually originates from inner monologues, pictures and films run in our thoughts, the false world takes possession of us.

The border to illness is fluid here, schizophrenia, borderline, personality disorders in many forms come from drifting into wishful thinking.

Especially in hard times people tend to such behavior, the teacher of all teachers sees as the cause of all evil our ego, which in certain situations exaggerates and shifts the perceptual limit, from monolgies corrupts itself.

Here it helps if we monitor our thoughts, if we don't just let them ripple away, but consciously and purposefully observe our thought processes, investigate them. Where does this thought come from, why just now, how can I stop this thinking in the future?

We have to face the realities of life, nothing will be as we wish, acceptance and humility are important concepts to lead a better life.

It is better if we plan, and then invest our energy in the implementation of the plans.

PLANS ARE THE DREAMS OF THE WISE

ERNST MARIA JOHANN KARL FREIHERR VON FEUCHTERSLEBEN - LYRICIST - 1806 TO 1849

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The Gift

In a distant Chinese village lived a well-known Buddhist Chan master, he had a small school, people revered him very much. His students liked to be near him, the master was educated, white, and his teachings were entertaining.

The master's reputation went far into the surrounding area, his teaching speeches were known throughout the country. Also, despite his old age, he was still a master of Kung Fu, all the inhabitants came to him to practice Buddhism and martial arts.

While walking through the village square, surrounded by followers, he met a young fighter from the nearby city. He had come to challenge the old master. As soon as he saw the teacher, he approached him and began to insult him savagely, spitting at him, but not raising his hand against the much older man. He tried to provoke him so that he would strike the first blow.

The master, however, did not do him the favor, stood motionless and let everything bounce off him. The young good-for-nothing became more and more furious, his voice rolled over, insult followed insult, provocation followed provocation, defamation followed defamation, defamation followed defamation. Still the old man did not move a muscle, stood almost impassively in front of him, one could feel pity for the culprit, he spent himself completely and achieved nothing.

When he finally realized that he could achieve nothing at all, he slunk away from the square like a beaten dog, not even looking around.

The students came to their master and asked him why he had put up with the insults, if he had not felt bad, if he had not suffered from the abuse.

The old man smiled to himself, the startled admirers amused him.

He replied, "If someone wants to give you a gift, but you don't accept it, whose gift is it?

THE WORLD IS NOT THREATENED BY THE PEOPLE WHO ARE EVIL, BUT BY THOSE WHO ALLOW EVIL TO EXIST

ALBERT EINSTEIN - PHYSICIST - 1879 TO 1955

THE WISE MAN LOOKS AT THE INTENTION OF ALL THINGS, NOT AT SUCCESS

LUCIUS ANNAEUS SENECA - PHILOSOPHER - 1 TO 65

If we don't accept something, no matter what it is, it goes back to the sender.

You should try this, I promise it works!

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Computer game

Imagine life in 200 years, a new computer game has been launched. A simulation of the past, the game is set in our present time.

The people of the future have merged with the computer, the machine has become a neural network that becomes one with the player. Put yourself completely in the future, the human being is now part of a make-believe world, the player acts in history, but part of the game is also that the player does not even realize that everything is not real, nothing corresponds to reality, he thinks the game is real, he thinks he lives in this game.

Would it be possible, could this case have already happened, has it perhaps already happened?

How do we know that our life is real, is really happening, is not a computer game?

A game designed by some weirdo from the future who wanted to see what could happen?

We know how already realities can be simulated, how deceptively real some modern media make us believe today. If we imagine how well reality can be tricked in our times, how much better such unreality must be feasible in 200 years?

"One look at the world proves that horror is nothing other than reality"

Alfred Hitchcock -

Now, of course, you may say, "It's all nonsense"!

Yes, but no one can deny that there is a possibility that it is so, it is at least conceivable. All of a sudden things become complicated, thoughts now become heavy, life suddenly seems senseless, threatening under such possibilities.

Are we only something like chess pieces on the board of "madmen" from the future?

But as long as everything is as it is, do we have to let ourselves go crazy?

According to the teachings of Buddha, life is only a dream from which we have to awaken, so it is roughly comparable to the situation in the computer game described above.

Again one could say: "All nonsense"!

But what if the statement of the great teacher is correct, we all live in a dream, and only the realization can free us from this dream?

One day we will have to officially admit that what we have christened reality is an even greater illusion than the world of the dream.

Salvador Dali -

Think about it, it would be possible!

Causes have effect!

Reality feels only real.

What we perceive is only a small part of the truth!

Nothing saves us so thoroughly from illusions like a look in the mirror

Aldous Huxley - British writer - 1894 to 1963

Never before have so many been at the mercy of so very few

Aldous Huxley - British writer - 1894 to 1963

You don't get rid of facts by ignoring them

Aldous Huxley - British writer - 1894 to 1963

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Buddhism and the flag

The following story has been handed down from the patriarch Hui Neng:

As a young man, he passed by a monastery, and two monks were standing in front of a flagpole, arguing.

One monk said to the other, "The flag is moving."

The other monk replied: "No, the wind is moving".

Here we see how we think, our style, "yes or no", "black or white".

One monk sees the flag moving.

The other monk sees what many people don't see, the wind moving, and therefore the flag moving.

And then came the white Hui Neng, who shouted to the two monks, "No, your spirit is moving"!

Flag, wind or spirit, which is right now?

This is now the right topic to question the ego: "Flag, wind or spirit"?

Beyond "yes" or "no", beyond "black" or "white", beyond the ego!

WHEN THE FLAG FLIES, THE MIND IS IN THE TRUMPET

RUSSIAN PROVERB –

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The bell

Why do we find bells in almost all Buddhist temples?

When we strike a bell, where does the noise, the people, the sound come from?

Was the sound in the bell? Or in the clapper that strikes the bell?

And where does the sound go, does it disappear into nothingness?

In Buddhist temples the bells have a great importance, so the big singing bowls call the monks to prayer, are supposed to fill the people with energy, the sound of the bell is considered sacred, wisdom is represented with it, the sound symbolizes emptiness and transience, the teaching of Buddha.

The philosophy of the teacher of all teachers shows us the finiteness of all being. Where do we come from? Who am I? And where am I going?

Thus, our DA-being can be aptly compared to the sound of a bell. Suddenly we are THERE, our "I" floats, like the new sound, through the world, just as transitionless the sound is gone, we fade away just like the sound in nothingness.

Where was the sound before the bell was struck?

Where were we before the begetting?

Where is the sound of the bell?

Where is our "I" after we have gone?

At first the sound of a bell can spread everywhere, then the sound becomes thinner, less, fades, is gone, disappeared.

A good question is like ringing a bell

From China -

As soon as you trust yourself, as soon as you know how to live

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - German poet - 1749 to 1832

Be that as it may, life is good

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - German poet - 1749 to 1832

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Just do it

"I hear and forget, I see and remember, I do and understand."

Chinese Proverb - Original:

我听见就忘记了，我看见就记住了，我做了就了解了。

"Wǒ tīngjiàn jiù wàngjìle, wǒ kànjiàn jiù jìzhùle, wǒ zuòle jiù liǎojiěle."

Talking about it is nice, then doing it is much better!

What great plans we have, good New Year's resolutions are talked about again every New Year's Eve, but what of them do we implement?

"It's no use just being a good person if you don't do anything!"

Buddha -

Doing is what makes a person, "the message I hear well, alone I lack faith" said Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

As a Buddhist you have to be measured by your deeds. Of course, right speech also belongs to the essence of Buddhism, comparable to the eighth commandment of the Christians (Thou shalt not lie), but the commandment of right action of Buddha goes much further, it obliges to act, at least if one has previously announced the deeds full-bodied.

"Just Do It"

What do I mean by this?

If we promise something we have to keep it!

If we say yes, it is a YES, no maybe, in no case a no.

If we think about something, decide it in our mind, we should do it too!

If we have a conviction we must act on it!

So: Just do it

There is still so much power left for everyone to do what he is convinced of.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - German poet - 1749 to 1832

Everyone is convinced that he can criticize books just because he has learned to read and write.

William Somerset Maugham - English storyteller - 1874 to 1965

What one means seriously is best said in jest

Wilhelm Busch - German poet - 1832 to 1908

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Yesterday is over

Yesterday is irretrievably behind us, yesterday is history!

Yesterday exists only in our memory, has passed, what happened, we can no longer change. Getting angry about the past doesn't get us anywhere.

Always the same questions about yesterday: Why, why, for what reason, for what, why, why, why? Useless topics, which justify the suffering, to which there are no answers, and certainly no solutions!

These questions are SINLESS!

Not one action, not one word, nothing we can undo, it is over, disappeared in the depths of the universe, unchanged change in the course of times, guilt and bad feelings are meaningless.

Whatever happened yesterday, it is without meaning, so why are you still brooding over it?

But what happens today, we have influence on it, our being is guided by our thoughts.

Buddha said:

"Do not dwell on the past, do not dream about the future, focus on the present moment, life is here and now".

Only in the "here" and "now" I can listen to music, admire the beauty of nature, kiss my partner, hold the children in my arms, enjoy life, no matter how it is, the way I think it should be, it will never be anyway, it cannot be, nothing is perfect, and man anyway.

Don't think about what's coming either, it will never come the way you imagine and want it to.

"I never think about the future. It comes soon enough"

Albert Einstein - Physicist - 1879 to 1955

Make your life easier, free yourself from the various millstones around your neck.

Stop worrying, brooding, sinking endlessly into thoughts, tossing and turning in bed night after night, full of worries, what's the point?

You don't touch the hot stove every day. This one is hot, you know that.

Yesterday is over!

Yesterday is gone - tomorrow is not here. So live today!

Pythagoras of Samos - Greek philosopher - 570 to 510 B.C.

We do not need to live on as we lived yesterday. Let us get rid of this view, and a thousand possibilities invite us to new life.

Christian Morgenstern - German poet - 1871 to 1914

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Who is right?

Long ago, in a Buddhist temple, two monks argued about the content of a sacred text. Each wanted to be right, his own view seemed only logical to him, the opinion of the monk's brother as wrong.

All day long the words went back and forth, sometimes in a matter-of-fact form, occasionally also disparaging, but in the matter nothing moved, each monk wanted to be right, to assert himself, not to give in under any circumstances.

The other brothers in the monastery were increasingly burdened by the quarrel, the opponents were irreconcilable, each invoked a different passage in the text, which in his opinion would "clearly prove" his point of view. When the discord did not end the whole afternoon, a monk said: "I have enough of your bickering now, go and ask the master, our abbot is known for his wisdom, he will make a judgement, and after this word you shall finally keep peace"!

The first quarreler ran into the hermitage of the master and said: "Venerable abbot, I have been quarreling with my brother all day, it is about a passage in a blessed book, may I present you the passage, and my point of view about it"? "Yes, of course," replied the monastic leader.

The monk laid it all out, sparing no small malice toward his temple brother, but also explaining his version of the passage in question.

The abbot answered succinctly, "Yes, you are in the right." The monk went back triumphantly and explained the decision to each monastic brother, saying that he was right and the other monk was wrong.

The defeated monk did not want to accept this without complaint, he also went to the abbot's room and complained: "Master, how can this be, I refer to the words of another eminent teacher, why should I be in the wrong"?

The abbot just looked at the monk for a moment and again replied curtly, "Yes, you are in the right."

The second monk went back, reported the abbot's statement to his adversary. The quarrel began as it had ended; the positions had even hardened, both now invoking the abbot as well.

Now the monk who had sent the two to the abbot had really had enough, he went to see the monastery master himself to finally bring the unpleasant matter to a good conclusion, to have peace in the house again.

"Great master," he said, "why do you agree with both monks, only one can be in the right?

The white abbot also looked at the third monk only briefly, and again answered curtly: "Yes, you are in the right".

Only small minds always want to be right

Louis XIV- French King (1638 - 1715)

The one who comes closest to the gods is the one who can keep silent even when he is in the right

Marcus Porcius Cato, the Elder (Cato Censorius)- (234 - 149 B.C.)

Everyone is so right

unknown - Source: Inscription on a house in Wertheim (Germany), quoted by Kurt Tucholsky (1907-1935).

Ghastly is the type of people who always want to be right. These are ready to condemn innocent people, saints, God himself, just to be right

Leo Tolstoy (1828 - 1910)

You will be tomorrow what you think today

Buddha –

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Satisfaction from suffering?

Can it be that some people also derive satisfaction from their sufferings? And if so, why?

A Chan master in ancient China traveled through the countryside, from one village to the next, always along paths in nature.

At a crossroads he met an old man, they greeted each other, the wanderer kept saying, "I am so thirsty, I am so thirsty"!

The master gave him to drink, almost the whole bottle emptied the new acquaintance in one go.

When he had refreshed himself, he said to the master: "I was so thirsty, so thirsty"!

Can it be that one of the reasons why so many people suffer is that they derive satisfaction from their behavior, that they like to suffer?

Could it be that some people have acquired such behavior?

YES

There are many different reasons to start suffering:

Already as a child the relatives had said to Peter: "Oh you poor little one, how you have it only hard, this is surely not easy for you"! Slowly it dawned on him that compassion makes many things easier. And then it became a habit, the suffering became automatic.
Mary was a little short, not exactly what you call handsome, early on she began to struggle with her fate, "I have no luck, life doesn't want me, I can't find a man", self-pity entered her life, and in this case too, suffering became an automatism.
Mr. Wu was an unimpressive man, raised as a child of drunkards, he had few chances in life. He constantly lost his job, his wife left him shortly after the birth of their child, he began to suffer, suffering became an automatism for him as well.

This list could be continued indefinitely. Every person has experienced suffering in his life, the question is how he dealt with it, whether suffering became an automatism? Whether people one day began to draw satisfaction from their sufferings? Did suffering even become the main content of life?

How we deal with suffering, how we process painful experiences, that is what makes up our "I", our personality.

It is too easy to let the automatism of suffering into our life, very difficult to remove it from it again.

According to the teacher of all teachers, suffering belongs to life!

"Every life has its measure of suffering. Sometimes this very suffering brings about our awakening"

Buddha-

According to Buddha, the exit from suffering leads through "enlightenment", which is possible for each of us.

Never say: "I was so thirsty". Say: "I drank"!

The wisdom of a person is not measured by his experiences, but by his ability to have experiences

George Bernard Shaw - Irish playwright - 1856 to 1950

Truly no one is wise who does not know the darkness

Hermann Hesse - German writer - 1877 to 1962

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The sound

The following story is told of a Japanese Chan (Zen) master:

During his travels through Asia, the teacher visited various monasteries, temples and many other Chan (Zen) masters. He shared his experiences, views and thoughts, experienced incredible moments, impressions and incidents, for years he traveled around as a simple man.

His reputation at home was impeccable, people were waiting for his return so that he would then tell about his wanderings. Even the Japanese emperor heard about the stories of the traveling teacher, the longer the absence lasted, the greater the curiosity, they wanted to know what had happened to the master on his explorations, what the other countries were like, what food, what teachings, what ideals unite the people there.

When the Chan master arrived back in Japan, everyone wanted to talk to him, including the emperor. The master was asked to come to the court of the regent to satisfy the monarch's interest, to be the first to tell him about his impressions, to describe the interesting journey in all details, to explain all his thoughts. The emperor thirsted for the adventures and the new knowledge.

The Chan master bowed in reverence to the ruler and paused in deep silence before the throne, the men looking at each other, examining each other, noticing every emotion in the other's face.

Then the master took out of his pocket a small flute, which had accompanied him on all his journeys, with which he had played as often as he could, and which was dear and important to him. He put it to his mouth and played ONE SINGLE TONE, put the flute back down, fell silent again, the men stared at each other for a while, the master put the flute back in his pocket, bowed, turned and left.

The monarch was completely astonished, speechless, what was the meaning of this, did the master want to insult him, did he have no respect, should he have him brought back? But the emperor did nothing, fell into brooding, thought about the meeting for a long time; again and again the face of the master appeared in his thoughts, the sound, the sound of the flute dug itself deeply into his consciousness.

It is reported that the emperor never forgot the incident and found "enlightenment" in old age itself. The sound of the flute is said to have remained in his memory.

Today I recorded the sound of my master stick (similar to singing bowls), the sound when the two halves of bamboo meet in my hand!

There is no more beautiful sound than the gnashing of teeth of a mate

Groucho Marx - US actor - 1890 to 1977

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Fear

Fear is going around the country right now; worries about work, will I have enough money, will I keep my standard of living, will we have enough to eat, what will happen, how will we manage after the crisis?

People who have been resting on the comfortable illusion of a perfect world are suddenly waking up, competition is in full swing. In the company employees are dismissed, hopefully not me, the others, yes, man is just an egoist. The neighbor loses his house, well, just not me, that's important!

At the same time, almost 40% of the population in Central Europe are overweight, they should actually lose weight, almost all of them have a roof over their heads, for today at least there are no big worries, nobody knows what tomorrow will bring, but today everything is fine with most people.

Nevertheless, I hear more and more often that fear creeps into people's heads, transfigures the view, contaminates thoughts. No one, really no one, has to starve in Europe, no one (with a few exceptions) has to sleep on the street, hardly anyone has real existential worries, social security systems are in place, those who want help get it.

The situation is different in the so-called Third World, where there are no state institutions to provide support, to exempt people from paying rent, to put food on the table, to guarantee health.

But the worries, the thoughts, what if, what could come, how will it be, why me, why, why. Who does not ask remains happy!

To worry today for tomorrow is useless, we still have in abundance, our supplies are full, our roofs are covered, our houses warm and dry.

At least 98% of the things we worry about never come to pass!

Netfund -

Worrying is putting tomorrow's clouds in front of today's sun!

also Netzfund -

Fears and worries are siblings, they condition each other, without worries no fears, if you want to live carefree, arrange yourself with the things which are just not perfect! Then the fears will also become less, disappear on the horizon.

It will show what kind of person you are, do not be impressed. If you now manage to free yourself from your ego, you can experience your personal "enlightenment"! Fears are a misuse of your thoughts, a waste of energy!

It is not he who is not afraid who is brave, but he who overcomes his fear.

Mahatma Gandhi - Indian lawyer - 1869 to 1948

If we knew what love was, if we could define it, we would have stopped making up love stories two thousand years ago. We need love because we have the need to believe in something

Ang Lee - US-Taiwanese film director, screenwriter and film producer - born 1954

I am not afraid of computers. I am afraid of their lack

Isaac Asimov - US biochemist and science fiction writer - 1920 – 1992

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The cut nails

Just now they were a part of me, of my body, now they are not, I cut them off, the nails.

Then I no longer worry about them, they are out of my sight, end up in the trash.

Just like these nails, I can also "cut off" my thoughts, put them away, they are then also no longer a part of me, simply turn off the worries and troubles, dispose of them, put them on file, yes, that is possible, if you want, anything is possible.

Get your scissors, put them in front of you on the table. Then take three small pieces of paper and write a keyword on each sheet, namely the 3 things that weigh you down, occupy you, burden you the most. Look at these notes for five minutes, fully concentrating on your feelings, on your thoughts.

After the five minutes, take the pieces of paper and cut them, thereby cutting them off from your person, from your being, from your life.

Just now the problems were on the piece of paper, now the lines are cut, gone, throw them in the garbage.

I don't want to tell you that the problems are gone now, that would be nonsense, no, these things should simply not bother you anymore, don't put them on your mind, you can't change anything about such things anyway, but you can stop worrying about them, blocking your "I".

Just as the great teacher showed us, you can let these burdens fade into the background.

We can cut off burdens from us, just like cutting the nails from our fingers, and then dispose of them, just like garbage.

Nobody saves us, except ourselves. No one can and no one must. We have to go the way ourselves.

Buddha-

No matter how hard your past has been, you can start anew every day.

Buddha-

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The most important hour is the present moment

What all could we do, now, in this moment, which things to do, which tasks to finish?

"Tomorrow, tomorrow, just not today, all lazy people say"!

after Christian Felix Weiße - German writer 1726 - 1804

And which person is the most important? Always the one we are dealing with at the moment!

And why is that so? Why does only the moment count?

Only who lives for the moment, lives for the future!

Heinrich von Kleist - German writer 1777 - 1811

Thinking about the past does not bring us anything, it happened the way it should have been. We cannot imagine the future correctly, it will be completely different from what we imagined, but the now, the moment just this minute, that is precious, it will not come back, it will soon be gone, lost in the mist of history, irretrievably gone.

Do not dwell on the past, do not dream about the future. Concentrate on the present moment!

Buddha-

Nothing we can change in our destiny, but enjoy the moment, we can, no matter how this breath may be, how life treats us, beautiful or not, we can still enjoy it.

As the great teacher has shown us, his example stands for the enjoyment of our being, for an affirmation of our person and our circumstances, for a life in the now and in the today.

Restless pursuit of happiness, wealth, power, again and again our perception of the existence of being, of the changing of the tides in the ocean of life, deceives us.

When do we grow up, when do we see the realities and act accordingly?

The moment has power, it is based on a magic, because it passes, does not come again!

Carpe diem!

Horace - Roman poet 65 B.C. - 8 B.C.

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Life artists are also artists

Become a life artist!

Easier said than done?

It is only up to your inner attitude, the way you see things, assess, act with your environment, how you see your life and your person, your "I", yourself and thus represent it to the outside.

In other words, it is only up to you!

Hopeless situations, unsolvable problems, trouble here and problems there, no money, maybe even debts, broken relationships, alcohol, drugs, failing health, bad qualities, terrible habits? Only in their own film things go wrong, put on another film.

Although according to Buddhist conception everything is already written, the karma for you is already fixed, but maybe in the script of your movie for today it is written that from now on you will be a life artist. I'm not talking about "becoming", I'm talking about "already being"; immediately and right away you don't take things in your life so much to heart anymore; you handle your "I" better, you treat yourself and your environment more playfully, just like an artist, the work of art is you yourself, your person, your "I", your being!

No matter what your attitude may be, you can change nothing anyway, it comes as it should come, nothing will change if you suffer under the burden of your life, just as nothing will change if you are a life artist from now on; the circumstances are exactly the same, only you as a person will cope better with it.

A life artist is a person who tries to make the best out of all situations. That's a nice approach, a pleasant way to live.

You are seriously ill, your future is uncertain, in your family a member is dying, you are in debt, your partner has left you, life is burdensome?

Make the best of your life anyway.

We are what we think!

Buddha -

Think of yourself for one day that you are a life artist and therefore a person who makes the best out of everything!

It would be worth a try, don't you think?

Understanding everything means forgiving everything!

also Buddha –

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The realization must grow

He who wants to recognize right, must have doubted before in the right way.

Aristotle -

An organic abstraction of being brings an eloquent language, gigantic thoughts, a lot of questions, questions about questions! Sad, too hectic, everything is going too fast?

Inquiries to my ego, doubts, how can this be?

And anyway, why, illusory comfort, perverse standstill in the solitude of thoughts? When I become aware of an idea, I first doubt, I don't "buy" stories from higher powers, when I change perspective, I arrive at other causalities, history would have been different, what if?

Columbus sailed west by mistake and found the east!

If you have to decide something tomorrow, think of the discovery of America, "good" is not always "good", "bad" can also quickly lead to wonderful things, "good" can become a disaster, who knows what tomorrow will be.

Is your RECOGNITION of the nature of things growing?

Are you recognizing?

Things that matter, that make up, fulfill people and incidents that shape their environment?

Knowing instead of not knowing?

The teacher of all teachers said: Only few see that being patient also makes patient! The philosophy of Buddha, already doubts can arise. The knowledge must grow, are the words of the holy man from long ago days. But today is also yesterday, tomorrow is also almost over, everything is flowing now, and even the day after tomorrow will soon be the past.

Do not doubt, in the ugliness of our existence lies nevertheless unbelievable beauty.

In my culture people are humanistic, doubts are allowed, the knowledge must grow, culture grows from history!

So many living beings die, as such are born!

Stupidly run!

To whom everything succeeds well in his life, for him soon the world circle has no more space. Possess only, and soon you will do without.

Friedrich von Schiller - German poet - 1759 to 1805

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The new disciple

Once upon a time, a well-known Chan master lived in a simple hut, he was known everywhere precisely because of his wisdom, his kindness knew no bounds.

When one day a thief stood in the middle of his hut and shouted "money or life", the master reacted calmly, did not let himself be intimidated, and said to the thief: "here on the table is my money, take what you need, but leave me enough money so that I do not have to suffer hunger tomorrow".

Completely dumbfounded by the strange behavior of the holy man, the thief took the main part from the table, put the coins in his pocket, and wanted to disappear as quickly as he had come.

The master shouted after him that he should kindly thank him when he gets something, the thief turned around in amazement, said "Thank you", and was gone.

A few days later, the thief was caught in another act and arrested. When questioned by the police, he confessed to all the crimes, including the burglary at the Chan master's house. When the master was questioned by the police about the theft, he said, "Nothing was stolen from me, I gave him everything freely, he even thanked me politely, there must be a misunderstanding here."

The thief was convicted for the other acts, during his time in prison the master visited him frequently.

When the sentence was served, the man was released. His path immediately led him to the old man who had done him so much good. "Master, I want to become your disciple," he said, and the wise man smiled with satisfaction and joyfully accepted the new disciple.

In the course of time, this disciple became the best disciple the master ever had, and when the master died one day, this very disciple followed in his teacher's footsteps, becoming himself an eminent authority and a great Chan (Zen) master.

In order to see clearly, it is often enough to change the direction of one's gaze!

-Antoine de Saint-Exupéry - French writer - 1900 to 1944

This change of the direction of view was taught 2500 years ago by the historical Buddha. Almost all people, things or incidents can be seen "this way or that way", and there are the most different opinions about everything. It is important to have the willingness to recognize and understand that there are several ways to look at, to mean, to think, to feel. What I think is right, another thinks is wrong!

The general error begets the error of the individual,

and, in its turn, creates the general error.

Michel de Montaigne - French humanist - 1533 to 1592

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When do you give up suffering?

Buddha said again and again that life is suffering. And what do we suffer, again and again, from rejection, from failure, from too little of this and too much of that, pain follows pain, sorrow and worry affect our moods, again and again we have sorrowful experiences.

Perhaps the following story can illustrate well for you the words of the historical Buddha.

A Buddhist monk was in search of "enlightenment", he lived like an ascetic, fasted incessantly, ate almost nothing, chastised himself, indulged himself little, prayed incessantly. He suffered terribly because he had little to eat, found no joy in life; his life was blameless, he followed the teachings of Buddha, his role model. However, the awakening would not come to him, the longed-for "enlightenment" was not granted to him, which troubled him very much.

In his temple he asked the other monks, asked everyone he met for advice, but no one could help him, could tell him what to do.

He left his monastery and traveled around, constantly trying to get a clue on how to get closer to his goal.

So he walked many ways, with his old monk's shoes, from village to village, from temple to temple, becoming completely obsessed with the all-important question of "awakening". The people he met felt compassion for the monk. When he lamented his suffering to an elderly peasant woman, she told him that there was a Chan master living in the mountains, but that the path there was arduous, that he would probably have to walk a long way, and that the master was not a monk either, whose opinion might not be suitable for him. In desperation, the monk brother set out anyway, wanting to know what the lonely teacher could advise him.

Through the forest he climbed the mountain, the path became more and more difficult to walk, the forest became denser and denser, the light became darker, the sun was no longer visible, trees stood in his path.

But now he had already started, he wanted to question the man, undeterred he climbed up. When he reached the top of the hill, he saw a small hut in a clearing, animals were to be seen, a small brook splashed into the valley. On a wooden bench sat an old man who looked at him as he approached. The monk gave his name and made his request.

"For many years I have been a monk, I have always kept the commandments of my order, I have no possessions, I eat only what is necessary, I have renounced all pleasures and pleasures, I know no greed, no hatred and no delusion; regularly I quote the holy scriptures, but "enlightenment" I cannot experience, I suffer greatly from it," he lamented his fate.

"What can I do to achieve my goal?"

The white man looked at him wearily and replied, "Give up suffering," then he paid no more attention to the monk, went back to his work.

The misfortune can make proud, the suffering makes humble

Carmen Sylva - Queen of Romania and writer - 1843 to 1916

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It's your own fault!

Your wound may not be your fault, but the healing is clearly your responsibility. Everyone is responsible for his own life; he shapes his future by his thoughts, words and actions.

This concept enables the conscious building of impressions that lead to happiness, avoid future suffering.

According to the historical Buddha, at the beginning there is always thinking as the cause of resolutions, which then lead to speech and actions. So far, so good.

But are we always aware of this fact?

I think not! Do you know the story of the Roman slave Epictetus?

After a difficult and eventful history, this learned man founded a school of philosophy. Thus, in his teachings, he separated the states into two categories, those that are beyond human power (given things) and those that are within the sphere of influence of everyone (can be determined by oneself).

From him comes the sentence: "The way to happiness consists in not worrying about anything that is beyond the influence of our will".

In every life there are good and bad events, sorrow and worry are human, but we must heal ourselves, "come back to ourselves", not fall into depression and self-doubt.

We are responsible for this, the suffering we go through is our responsibility, and the healing from this pain is also our responsibility. And about the things that come from outside, we should not even think about them, because that leads to nothing. Problems, conflicts, burdens, insecurity, obstacles, anger, distress, inadequacies, every obstacle that lies within our sphere of influence, these things we can control and, if we want, stop, simply by "standing above" them.

The philosophy of Buddha goes far beyond the teachings of Epictetus, according to the great teacher we should not worry at all, not evaluate things and people, not even ourselves and our lives.

For starters, it already brings great benefits to us at least not to worry about the things that are clearly beyond our control. "I hope it won't rain tomorrow", such considerations will not bring us any further.

Anyway, we are to blame for everything ourselves, we are liable for our thoughts, our words and actions, and we have to heal ourselves.

I would like to conclude with some sentences of Epictetus:

"But the wise man finds no one guilty, neither himself nor others".

"It is not the things themselves that trouble us, but the ideas and opinions of the things"

"It is not things that are positive or negative, but our attitude that makes them so"

"Endure and renounce!"

Never say of a thing, "I have lost it," but say, "I have given it back." Your child died? No, you gave it back. Your wife died? No, you have returned it. "I have lost my property". Good, you returned that too. "But he is a criminal who stole it from me". What is it to you, through whom the one who once gave it to you reclaimed it from you?

That which comes out of man makes man unclean; for from within, out of the heart of man, come forth evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, covetousness, malice, guile, dissipation, ill will, blasphemy, pride, unreasonableness

Bible –

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People are donkeys

In a distant village in the Chinese province once lived a farmer. With his sons he farmed the meager fields, the daughters helped their mother in the house.

On the farm lived many animals, chickens, pigs and a donkey, with which the farmer transported his goods to the city to sell them. Sometimes his youngest son accompanied him, the older ones were needed on the farm.

Usually the farmer set off before daybreak to be at the market in time, after all the way was long and arduous; on the way back it usually got dark again.

Today was a good day, all goods, were sold quickly, one knew the quality of the vegetables of the farmer, and one appreciated him because of his direct way.

Quickly he and his son bought some more supplies and then headed home.

The farmer was tired and so he rode first on the donkey, his son walking beside him through the evening.

The people who came to meet him greeted politely, but one said, "The poor boy has to walk"!

This made the farmer uncomfortable, he dismounted and put the boy on the animal.

Again people came their way, nice and friendly, but one said: "Look, the son lets the old father walk"!

Again the father felt bad, from then on the two rode on the donkey.

Several passers-by passed by on the narrow path, many were friendly, but one said: "The poor animal has to carry two people, that's not right"!

Now the farmer had enough, father and son dismounted and trudged on beside the donkey.

In the next village they met other people on the road, and the father heard one of them say: "Look at how stupid this farmer is, he has a donkey but walks on foot".

Well, you just can't please everyone, you shouldn't try!

As an outsider one should hold back with evaluations, every occurrence can be regarded in such a way or in such a way, it always depends on the point of view.

The teaching of Buddha shows us an approach to things without judging them, "good" is not always "good", and "bad" is not always "bad".

In any case, we should avoid judging a thing or a person.

Anyway, otherwise the people are the "donkeys"!

It is always a donkey who argues with a donkey

German proverb -

What the donkey says, he believes

From Arabia –

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The Plague God

Many years ago, an old wanderer was sitting under a tree, taking a rest.

Then the god of plagues passed by his place, the man was frightened and fear overtook him. Nevertheless, he greeted the god and asked him what he was doing in this area, why he was here.

The plague god answered him that he was on his way to the next town to kill 100 inhabitants there, that was his task, he had to do that.

Glad that the god did not want to kill him, the man said goodbye to the scary figure, took a bottle of wine from his sack and emptied it in one go, he fell into a deep sleep and began to dream deeply.

Madness had seized him, now he saw the city in front of him, many people died a terrible death, everywhere was fire, smoke, stench and screams. In his imagination he also saw the plague god roaming through the city, touching people with a stick, and then they started screaming and running away in panic, an apocalypse was taking place in his imagination.

All of a sudden, the plague god turned around, looked directly at the wanderer, in a dream, without warning. The wanderer gathered all his courage and addressed the god: "You told me under the tree that you wanted to kill 100 people, yes you had to, but now thousands are already dead and many more will die, why are you doing this, why are you killing more inhabitants than it corresponds to your task"?

The plague god answers: "But I have killed only 100, the other people die from their fear, from the fear, from the horror. And from the events that arise from this horror; I have only done my job and killed 100, the rest die from the consequences for which the people themselves are responsible, not because of me, I have set the cause, yes, but the other consequences are not my fault".

The man woke up in a sweat, took his bundle and went his way, he never came back to that city again!

What do we learn from this story?

With our attitude of mind we determine our ego, we affect our environment with it, we influence everything around us, people, animals, things.

The horror creeps from house to house, ringing all people out.

I now dismantle my doorbell, turn off my phone, and otherwise, I am no longer accessible for the horror.

Wisdom grows in quiet places!

Great wisdom has no outward form, good things take a long time, strong sounds are rarely heard.

Lü Buwei - Chinese philosopher - 300 to 236 B.C.

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Possession in Buddhism

In a secluded temple once lived a Buddhist monk full of wisdom and goodness, completely alone as a hermit. Long ago, the buildings had been erected, in the mountains, high above the city, many hours' walk from the nearest house. But life there was too arduous, the other monks moved away, only he remained, secluded, but in harmony with nature. The seasons dominated his life.

He was often visited, people traveled from far away to ask the man for advice. His reputation as an "enlightened" being was legendary, his recommendations were sought after.

Usually he received visitors in the small main hall, but one day a believer came to the door to his private room, knocked, and the monk invited him in. The people, who were so different, greeted each other in a friendly manner.

Completely astonished, the stranger looked around, there was no furniture or objects in the room, only a small mat lay on the floor, on which the monk rested.

"Master, you have no furniture, no possessions," he asked the monk.

The monk answered him, "And your furniture, your possessions, where are they"?

"But I am traveling, I don't have anything with me," the visitor replied.

The monk replied: "I am also traveling, wherever I am, I am only visiting.

Attachment to possessions, to people, to events, to status, to fame, to honor; all desire, all wishing, all hoping, all believing, this is the cause of all suffering. He who makes himself free from worldly things will be "free" for the reality of his self, of his I.

The vernacular says: "the last shirt has no pockets", nobody can take anything with him!

What is dear to us now, will rot and mold in a hundred years, probably already in a year lying unnoticed in a corner.

Happiness lies in us, not in things.

Buddha -

Leisure is the most beautiful possession of all

Socrates - Greek philosopher - 469 to 399 BC

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Karma is very individual

How people treat us is their karma, how we react is ours!

Karma is a term from Sanskrit and roughly translated means "effect". According to the concept of karma, there is causality between cause and effect, between thoughts, actions and consequences.

According to Buddhist teachings, karma is a law, not dependent on a judge, and remains immutably linked to rebirth.

Thus, every action of a human being causes a consequence for which the person acting later has to take responsibility, quasi "gets back", if not in this life, then at least in the next.

So, according to the concept of karma, it is already determined how I will fare, it is "written", so to speak. No matter how I behave now, my karma from before, as well as from previous lives will hit me, nothing I can change, no matter what I do, following my fate, events will roll over me.

Sense of a Buddhist life in the "now" and "here" thus determines the position of the course for the karma of the future, but cannot correct failures of the past.

According to Buddha, it is precisely our thoughts (as the origin of all actions) that are the cause of karma; negative causes are said to lead only to negative karma (and vice versa). The underlying information is stored in us (like in a seed), is by its nature in a karmic consciousness a part of our existence.

In our western linguistic usage we always deal very loosely with the word "karma"; if something does not go well, many people say "karma", "fate", and accept the events as God-given, giving little thought to cause and effect. The development of our stream of consciousness is not questioned, that's just the way it is, you can't change it.

Is it really like that?

Do we want to try to influence our karma consciously and actively? Maybe it would be fun, change us, improve our lives?

Personally, I believe in the premise of karma, everyone gets what he deserves. In my mind, life is predetermined, like a movie that follows a script, triggered by causality and controlled by reactions to past behavior.

My karma was to travel to the Shaolin Temple, arriving over 30 years ago where Chan (Zen) Buddhism was once born. Along the way I met people who were very familiar to me, others were not.

According to the teachings of the great Buddha, those who have experienced "enlightenment" fall out of the cycle of rebirths.

It might be worth a try, don't you think?

Reincarnation and karma form a wonderful, quite incomparable world myth, against which every other dogma must seem petty and narrow-minded.

Richard Wagner - German composer - 1813 to 1883

Every chess game is a lesson in karma: No move without consequences.

Andreas Tenzer - German philosopher - born 1954

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What remains is only the tea

In a beautiful monastery once lived an "enlightened" monk, he had followed the historical Buddha and also "awakened". His disciples loved him, his wisdom was comprehensive, his teaching inspiring, his personality was unique in his circle of earth.

Among his followers was a young man of good looks, excellent education, from a good house, who also wanted to become a monk, living in the temple to learn the higher ordinances from his master, his desire was to learn.

One fine day, the monk sent the disciple to the city to buy new tea, the young man set out. When he arrived at the market, he met a beautiful woman, and they instantly fell in love.

The student went back to the temple, explained his situation to the master, the white man smiled and let him go.

The young couple married quickly, built a house by the river, had many children, life was beautiful, the harvest abundant, the fish from the river helped them to modest prosperity.

But one day their land was flooded, the village sank in the floods, the water rose higher and higher, the family climbed onto the roof, but the storm became stronger and stronger, whole trees floated on the water, and one brought the house down. First one child disappeared in the water, then the other, the husband tried to hold the children, to protect them, but everything was in vain. Finally, his wife was also washed away. The river, which had nourished them for so long, took away all his loved ones in a short time. He managed to save himself on a hill, desperate and full of grief he lamented the death in his family.

Then a figure from the shadows approached him, it was his old master.

He asked him: "Where is my tea, you have been gone so long"?

A sad story, but also full of consolation!

After a catastrophe there is only one possible way: "The return to life"!

No matter what happens, who we lose, no matter what happens, the earth continues to turn. According to Buddha, clinging, wanting, desiring is the cause of all suffering.

I especially like to drink Chinese Wu Long tea, when I am thoughtful all the better.

A murder may be forgiven, a rudeness over tea never.

from China -

Waiter, if this is coffee, bring me tea, but if this is tea, bring me coffee.

Abraham Lincoln - 16th President of the United States of America - 1809 to 1865

One drinks tea to forget the noise of the world

T'ien Yiheng - Chinese scholar - 1491 to 1570

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The content is more important than the container

Just now I am in Shaolin Temple Europe in the office of the abbot. Here there is an extensive library of Buddhist books, many of which have Chan (Zen) as their theme, I looked at a few.

I noticed that all the books are about sutras, precepts and history, but the essence of Buddha's teaching, "enlightenment", is not, or hardly, covered.

Page by page, the places are listed where Buddha had stayed, where he was born, where he taught, where he stayed. Also his successor Bodhidharma is discussed in detail historically, his successors, up to Hui Neng, are considered in all details historically. The transmission of the (Chan) Buddhist "teaching" to Japanese, Korean and other Buddhist monks is treated in detail in terms of content.

In a book about Chan (Zen) it is described on almost 300 pages who Buddha was, views about his life are compared, but about the central topic "enlightenment" there are only a few lines. Allegedly, the historical Buddha, in deep meditation, achieved the redeeming knowledge of the middle way, and defined the four noble truths. The statement can only come from an author who has not experienced "enlightenment", but treats the subject of "Buddhism" like a historian, and also does not take "awakening" seriously.

The reason probably also lies in the fact that everybody copies from everybody.

Buddha's way to "enlightenment" as the core statement of Buddhism, however, cannot be treated separately from his life.

Buddha reached "awakening" after he had failed completely. He meditated for 6 years to achieve something that was unknown to him in the early days. His various meditations were aimed at the knowledge of the essence of all things, however, at that time, even the historical Buddha was like a blind man talking about color.

When he had completely given up the search, failed and empty, all desires, imagination and valuations fell away from him, only then Buddha experienced the "awakening".

"Enlightenment" is not a physical phenomenon, but a spiritual one.

As with Buddha, meditation can certainly accompany your path, but "enlightenment" presupposes the cognitive component of realization, namely letting go of everything, becoming completely empty.

If now the most different authors write about Buddha, Bodhidharma and Chan, without having attained realization themselves, this is WRONG. Thus seekers are led into the completely wrong direction. Buddha is not only a historical personality whose life can be considered chronologically, but a spiritual teacher whose teaching constitutes his life.

Without having experienced "enlightenment", there should be no texts on Buddhism.

If after the first snowfall someone paves the way others will follow the path!

WHO KNOWS NOTHING, MUST BELIEVE EVERYTHING

MARIE FREIFRAU EBNER VON ESCHENBACH - AUSTRIAN STORYTELLER - 1830 TO 1916

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Is life just a dream?

The text "Is life only a dream?" appeared on 3.4.2020 on my blog, here it goes to the original click.

Especially to this text I have received many letters, also there are readers (virtual students), who always thematize this text, because it occupies them very much. Now a reader has revised this text and added his own remarks, which is why I publish his copy here (uncommented).

Is life only a dream? (With comments from the reader Deniz U.)

Is life only a dream?

Can Shaolin Rainer be trusted?

Could it be that life is just a dream? Thoughts trapped in darkness.

Could we wake up from the dream? Why do we not realize that we are asleep?

Significant Buddhist texts suggest this. But does it make sense to you?

Important Chan masters repeatedly point to the surreality of thought. The Anatman teaching of Buddha makes sense.

It raises the question, "Who am I"?

Where do I find light?

"Is this my body or am I my body"? Illusory words?

And if it is "my body", where am I? Not in the light, but why not?

Really these questions will understand only people who are "awakened", therefore they blow like the wind.

Because they know the reality, not the dream that we perceive as reality. We need to connect with the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.

Life is like a "sitcom," a projection of your own mind. Deep inside you know it.

The script and actors are set, episode after episode is shot. Unfortunately, compassion and wisdom are missing.

Love, hate, greed and delusion are the usual ingredients of a good television show. Without the eightfold path, it has no level.

Our life is written, we can do little or nothing about it. Only through Buddha's teaching, so try it and you will be surprised. And later you will enjoy the pathless path.

Only in the present, in the here and now, can we truly love

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

Looking and seeming is only foam, nothing but a dream within a dream!

Edgar Allan Poe - US journalist, poet and literary critic - 1809 to 1849

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Buddhism and the cup of tea

The teachings of Buddha explained in a different way

There is a legend about a wise monk who was often visited and was much sought after as an advisor.

One day a learned man came to learn from him.

The monk asked him if he was exhausted from his journey and would like some tea, and the visitor gladly agreed.

The two sat down at a tea table, the monk heated water, prepared the tea, put it in the pot, brewed it hot and started to fill the visitor's cup. But even when the cup was full, the monk continued to pour, the tea overflowed, even spread on the floor. The guest said, "The cup is full, enough," to which the monk replied, "You are like a full teacup, full of knowledge, full of faith, full of your opinion, you have come to me with preconceived notions, full of half-knowledge, unable to learn anything new, unable to listen at all. Before they can learn from me they must first become empty, otherwise they are like this tea"'.

All people today have almost unlimited access to knowledge, to education, to information. They think they know everything, they can build complex machines, fly to the moon, send probes far into space, every corner of the earth is measured, mapped, studied.

But they know nothing about themselves, about their own ego, the self that underlies everything, they deal with thousands of things, but their own personality is not questioned.

Why not, actually? What keeps people from doing this, why don't they go "into themselves", use their potential more, don't arrive at themselves?

Quite simply: Because they do not want it!

They are afraid of what they might find, what the true teaching might be.

The basic structure of our life is simple: "Everything is transient", and therefore a preoccupation with human destiny would be painful, unattractive, frightening.

It is so much easier to distract oneself, to get high, to take refuge in illusions, to be entertained, to maintain a framework of illusions in order not to have to face the truth.

If this is enough for you, you can live like this, for me it is not an option.

Follow the Buddha's example, free your container from useless things. And then fill it with important things.

You can improve the world by changing yourself.

Is your cup already empty?

Tea! Bless the everyday afternoon tea!

Agatha Christie - English mystery writer - 1890 to 1976

Lady Nancy Astor: If you were my husband, I would put poison in your tea! Winston Churchill: And if you were my wife, I would drink this tea!

Winston Churchill - British statesman of the 20th century - 1874 to 1965

The only English patients I have ever met who refused tea have been typhoid cases; and the first sign that they were getting well was their craving for tea

Florence Nightingale - British nurse and inventor of the war hospital - 1820 to 1910

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Man in the mirror

Stand in front of the mirror, preferably naked, alone, without spectators, in a quiet chamber.

Do you "hear" what your reflection says to you?

You do not have to stand before the judgment of your fellow human beings; neither do you have to ask for the opinion of your spouse, friend or children. Only the judgment of your own self is what counts, which person is looking at you from the mirror?

Can you be "open and honest" with yourself, or can you not?

What kind of person are you, are you short or tall, fat or thin, old or young? How do you rate your appearance? And is what you see also what you could achieve, maybe with some sports, discipline and healthy diet, without alcohol?

And the inner values that you can see only in the eyes? What do you see, can you "look yourself in the eye"?

You should be completely honest with yourself, don't lie to yourself, but don't be too hard on yourself despite your "deficits", see the positive qualities, the good sides, but also recognize fairly where it is still missing, what can and must be "better".

In any case, you see in the mirror the only person who is responsible for your life, to blame others for anything makes no sense!

It does not help to sugarcoat, there is no "fits already" in front of the mirror, only a clear confrontation with your own self, with your self can help.

Now ask yourself two questions:

Who am I?

Where do I want to go?

Listen to the person in the mirror, he will become your best friend!

You can repeat this exercise every day, whenever you feel insecure, a self-reflection can help you to find your center, to find the way of Buddha again!

There are also mirrors in which you can recognize what you are missing.

Friedrich Hebbel - German playwright - 1813 to 1863

A book is a mirror, if a monkey looks into it, no apostle can look out of it.

Georg Christoph Lichtenberg - German physicist - 1742- 1799

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About the meaning of life

The question about the meaning of life is as old as human thinking itself.

Who am I, where do we come from, is there a God, what is it all about, where are we going!

Buddhists see the meaning of life quite differently than followers of monotheistic religions. According to the teachings of the historical Buddha, enlightenment is the goal of all striving. And enlightenment is also the theme of this blog.

The enlightened people I know do not ask questions about the meaning (or nonsense) of life, they "know". Then when enlightened people teach about the Dharma questions are often asked of them about life and the universal connections. The answers are usually similar: "embark on the journey to enlightenment and see for yourself"!

What is their purpose in life, what (or who) are you living for right now? And have their motivations ever changed? Do you live for yourself, or do you live for your family, for your work, or for your hobby?

Can you imagine choosing "enlightenment" as the meaning of life?

Buddha taught in a sanga in India for over 40 years, his topic was "enlightenment". For him, the meaning of life was awakening itself, everything revolved around "enlightenment" in his community.

Now there is always the question of how, how to achieve "enlightenment"?

At the beginning of the journey is the decision to the goal to strive for "awakening".

In my opinion, the journey to "enlightenment" accompanied by frequent Dharma talks is a much easier undertaking. A good Chan (Zen) master can, as with an onion, remove one layer of the traveler's old personality after another, bring the subject to the forefront again and again, assist in reaching the goal.

According to Buddha, emptiness is form, and form is emptiness.

If the room was not empty I could not put furniture, could I?

If I am not "empty" no "enlightenment" can come into my life.

In order to become empty, the ego must first be silenced so that the new can enter our mind.

It is important to always turn our thoughts positively towards the goal, to "push away" negative feelings.

The decision to travel towards "enlightenment" is more important than any other thoughts we have ever had. Only awakened we will find peace.

Are you ready?

Everybody fights against other things ... I sometimes fight with my own heart.

Tupac Shakur - US rap musician - 1971 to 1996

I've always believed that the opposite of love is not hate, but indifference. The opposite of faith is not arrogance, but indifference. The opposite of hope is not despair, it is indifference. Indifference is not the beginning of a process, it is the end of a process.

Elie Wiesel - US writer and Holocaust survivor - 1928 to 2016

See to it that no one captures you through philosophy and empty deceit, based on the doctrine of men and on the powers of the world, and not on Christ.

Paul of Tarsus - Apostle and missionary of early Christianity - 5 to 67

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Do we need to change?

"Everyone wants to change the world, but no one wants to change himself."

Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy - Russian writer (1828-1910)

In this regard, the first step towards a Buddhist lifestyle involves a willingness to work on oneself, to change, to develop a new outlook.

However, for a variety of reasons, people have great fears of all coming changes; innovations present many with almost insurmountable challenges. The familiar, however, promises security, continuity, one does not have to worry about anything, everything seems familiar, the English say: "Business as usual"!

Since the beginning of the time, however, everything changes, the earth has already completely reshaped its face many times. Here, where I live today, was about 380 million years ago a big ocean, continents had formed anew, Germany lay at that time at the equator. Everything is in upheaval, unprecedented, unbelievable events with great effects are constantly coming, people are born, live and die, where today a big house stands maybe in the future a beautiful lake will arise, who knows what the future will bring?

If we want to change something we must FIRST change ourselves. We have to refrain from clinging to people, things and circumstances. Then, from our besipiel, we can influence our environment, through the power of our example, through our actions, also through our words.

Do you know the sentence of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe:

"The message I hear well, alone I lack faith"?

If we change, if we live as the great Buddha showed us, then the people around us will begin to believe in us, to take us seriously.

Preaching water and drinking wine is not a message, but an illusion, "don't do like I do, do like I say" does not work. "Sky high - saddened to death" can only end in chaos, euphoria replaced by depression, an escape from reality.

And if we start to live according to the teachings of Buddha we will lead a better life, many useless things will fall away from us, we will achieve peace and quiet, a life in the middle.

Therefore, there is only one question: Do we want to change, or continue as before?

I, for one, am guided by the words of Buddha.

Who does not appreciate life, does not deserve it

Leonardo da Vinci - Universal genius - Italian painter, sculptor, architect, anatomist, mechanic, engineer and natural philosopher - 1452 to 1519

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Buddhism as a powerful idea

"Nothing in the world is so powerful as an idea whose time has come."

Victor Hugo - French writer (1802-1885)

Ideas have often completely changed our world. Democracy, communism, humanism, human rights movements, revolutions, religions. Guiding principles came, some stayed, many passed away again.

Depending on the spirit of the times, on different interests, on profit, greed and respective advantages, on common sense, on the search for spirituality, when the time was right thoughts turned society upside down, ideas changed the world.

But not only the idea is important, the ideal must also be "at the turn", must fall on a fertile earth to be able to develop, similar to a seed, the conditions must be favorable for the development also with guiding principles.

Few ideas have existed for a long time, mostly they were like shooting stars in the firmament, shone briefly and then burned out.

One guiding principle that has remained current over the millennia are the teachings of Buddha. He lived his life 2500 years ago and left us his legacy, which has touched and guided millions (if not billions) of people over time.

In contrast to the great world religions, Buddhism is not about the worship of a "higher power", but about the occupation of the practitioner with his or her self, i.e. not a "he should fix it", but a "I can change everything", not a dialogue with a god, but a comprehensive confrontation with myself, with my existence.

Thereby the responsibility is not given to a creator, not left to the benevolence of the gods, but I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR MYSELF. This is of course much more uncomfortable than calling upon a "Lord", it presupposes reflection and action, not silent waiting for better times, but activity, action and deed.

Also the history of Buddhism was changeable over the centuries, influenced by fashions, developments, different masterminds, the respective spirit of the time. Sometimes the philosophy of Buddha was almost lost, at other epochs many people adhered to his worldview, but his words were always present, "Buddha" is still a term for every child today. Many Europeans can do little with terms such as karma, rebirth and enlightenment, but they instinctively feel that there "might be something to his statements, to his legacy". According to various surveys, about 20 percent of Europeans have adopted Buddhism as a kind of "second religion"; many simply enjoy the image of the holy man, they feel calm and peaceful at the sight of his statues.

Therefore, the question arises in my mind: Has the time come (especially in the "western world") for Buddhism?

I say YES

This blog is translated into more than 100 languages, a software now makes this site "available" even on the other side of the world, within only a short time now many people read this website daily.

The basis of Buddha's teachings is "enlightenment", a reflection on existence (being there), on the inner state.

Only reading about Buddhism does not bring us much further, the willingness to also "engage" with the philosophy must be at the beginning of the journey to awakening.

Times are hard. This is a good occasion to "go within", to take the first step.

At the beginning of the path, a question arises: "Who am I"?

Do you want to walk this path?

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The fear of the future

We are always worrying about the future, making "a head", rolling problems, seeing all kinds of things coming our way. We lie awake for nights on end, unable to sleep, "problems" circling through our minds over and over again.

Do you know this kind of thoughts?

Surely, all people have a similar pattern, it is controlled by our ego, the little devil on our shoulder whispers the most terrible horror scenarios to us.

Many people fall into crises as a result, the problems take on a life of their own, drive us "mad".

Can you remember your last crisis? And the thoughts you had during it? About the terrible situations that your ego designed for you?

And did the situation come about as you had imagined it in your thoughts?

Probably not!

Mostly it comes then completely differently than we have imagined it, the situation, which we have feared, dissolves to 99% completely differently, new circumstances meet, affect the happening, everything changes, everything is in motion.

And what did we "make a head" for then, what did these thoughts bring us? Nothing!

I have friends who go through such situations "as real" in advance, the thoughts drive them before them, the ego sets up a slaughter in their heads.

But what to do, how to deal with fears about the future?

First, you deal with your own ego, try to observe the flow of thoughts, then control it, thus silencing the ego.

After that, when there is some calm, one deals with awakening, with enlightenment, do I want to get out of the eternal cycle of thoughts?

My blog is about the journey to enlightenment.

Enlightenment is the core statement of the historical Buddha.

Are you interested in "enlightenment"?

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Lonely together

What strange times we have, horror has entered our homes, "the Walking Dead" has become reality.

Just as "Rick Grimes" from the horror series wakes up in an apocalyptic world, we have arrived in a pandemic, overnight.

Does anyone know the movie "Contagion"? Here the scenario of a worldwide threat by a virus is thematized, parts of the script show 1to1 today's situation. The disintegration of the community is vividly depicted, it is partly a matter of naked survival.

As my father used to say, "Son, life is perilous"!

Curfews, no-contact orders, HomeOffice, StayHome, Living RoomFestival, Lockdown, where is it all going? Many people are now sitting at home alone, HomeAlone, what a terrible life!

How do we get out of loneliness?

Loneliness is a terrible sensation, you feel alone and abandoned, separated from contacts, without connection. For a while it is certainly partly positive to be isolated, to be able to organize one's thoughts, but in the long run?

Through Chan-(Zen)Buddhism we can realize that we are connected with all things and existences, everything is connected with everything, our conditioned consciousness just plays a role, has created an identity out of our ego.

Loneliness is a good occasion to question these roles, to check the old self-identification, to do a detachment from our ego.

Buddha showed us the way, we have to walk it ourselves!

Do you still know the party polonaise, the dance in rows and ranks? Just walk "one behind the other", in a distance of 2 meters, without "touching". The "march of the lonely", so to speak.

Being lonely together can be a completely new experience.

Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the worst poverty

Mother Teresa - Indian nun - 1910 to 1997

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David and Goliath

Who does not know the story of David, the conqueror Goliath.

The little one beats the big one, anything is possible!

In nature, David often beats Goliath, a small virus knocks down a big man; ants transport an elephant in small pieces, and a small seed becomes a huge tree.

Buddha taught us not to judge, not to distinguish in "good" or "bad", "small" or "big", not to "stick" a label on people or things.

The "little" boy next door may one day become the president, the "little" daughter of my friend the discoverer of an important substance; "little" does not always remain "little", and "big" may be over tomorrow.

The factor of time makes everything the same, weakness becomes strength, strength expires, just as everything and everyone will crumble to dust.

So it is with the victories, they are short-lived, the part in which the hero grows old, the cinema doesn't show that, how he falls ill, loses his teeth, can no longer hold his liquids, and finally dies in pain, the end must always be "happy", otherwise no one would buy a movie ticket.

So also the victory of David is only a story, nothing is left, not him, not his opponent, not the spectators of that time, only a "story" penetrates from a remote corner of the universe to our ear, echoes briefly in the memory, yes, everything is just possible.

Would it be possible to draw a lesson from the story of David and Goliath for our world today?

YES, it is possible!

No war has ever been worthwhile. Every battle, every fight, every quarrel, seen in the light of time, was unimportant, senseless, brought only suffering.

If you divide people into "small" and "big" it is a mistake; also "fat" or "thin", "pretty" or "ugly" does not come close to the truth, do not judge. Feel the energy, but do not see with the eye.

Because a person is worth what we attribute to him, the value can change, life is like a river.

Mostly only the loss teaches us about the value of things

Arthur Schopenhauer - German philosopher - 1788 to 1860

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Thank you

Everybody is talking about thank you .....

..... but thank you does not make full

Everywhere I read just how grateful one is to the nurses, the truck drivers, the sales clerks etc.. All politicians praise the occupational groups, which stand in front at the "Corona front".

We all know how poorly these professions are paid, how much some people are exploited in the process, and now suddenly they are the heroes of our society?

While the main part of society protects itself at home from the 'danger of life' with HomeOffice and StayHome, other people risk their health to supply us (as fresh and cheap as possible).

But these people can't buy anything from babbling, a thank you is nice, but it doesn't fill the fridge.

So, how about a whopping bonus for the nurses, for the postal employees, for the people who just keep the place running? A recognition for the services rendered, an appreciation of their dedication. Combined with an exemption from taxes, let's say for at least the times of crisis, those would be the words I would like to hear now.

And yes, it should remain so after the crisis, the thanks should not be only now and straight.

This blog has as a principle "no politics", no politics. Nevertheless, today I will vent about the Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn, not because of his political opinion, I do not care about that, but because he does not do his job, has not done, and also has no ability to do so. When will there finally be masks, protective suits, disinfectants, gloves?

When will the professional groups that all the dignitaries are thanking be properly equipped? Was the responsible minister too busy? And if so, with what? The virus has been spreading in Germany for almost 2 months, didn't they see it coming? Countries like China, Korea, Singapore and Japan have been able to procure everything they need in a rush, why are no consequences being drawn in Berlin? There was almost 3 months warning time.

I demand an investigation committee and the immediate resignation of the sleeping pill! And his salary belongs donated, all funds belong taken away from him, distributed as a bonus to the nurses.

A thank you doesn't fill you up, and thank you notes from the sleeping pill sound like mockery too!

Thank you for the tragedy. I need it for my art

Kurt Cobain - US rock musician - 1967 to 1994

How quickly the thanks of men fades away, and ingratitude becomes!

Sophocles - Greek tragedian - 497 to 406 before the year zero

Who expects thanks for his love, does not love

Heinrich Wolfgang Seidel - pastor and writer - 1876 to 1945

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Happy New Year

I would like to start with a quote from the Meta Sutra (goodness teaching):

MAY ALL BEINGS BE FREE FROM SUFFERING, MAY WHATEVER THEY HAVE GAINED NOT BE LOST, NOT BE DIMINISHED, NOT BE DESTROYED. ALL BEINGS ARE THE INHERITORS OF THEIR OWN KARMA.

But does it really feel like a new year? Or is it simply a new day?

When I bought the non-alcoholic champagne for our New Year's celebration a few days ago, and saw the masses of high-proof alcoholic beverages, I realized that most people have to run away from themselves, especially on holidays their own ego seems especially hard to bear.

How can it be that "celebrating" with oneself has been replaced "shutting down, what is going on in our society?"

Chan masters used to cry in the evening because the day was now lost. Yesterday was last year, today is a new year, so we should not lose another year to "wake up".

When it snows on New Year's Eve, New Year is not far away

Wilhelm Busch - German author - 1832 to 1908

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Buddhism and the Keys

Many people search for Buddha, in temples, in books, in meditation and in prayer.

They search and search and search, some spend their whole life with it.

But the answer is so simple, we already have the keys to the "gateless gate", the answer lies within ourselves.

LET GO, THAT IS THE KEY TO HAPPINESS (BUDDHA)

Easier said than done. Life rages around us, people come and go, are born and die, fall ill and recover! People we love are far away, people we don't like so much are near.

So how to let go, how to find the keys, how to use them, and anyway, where is the "gateless gate"?

There is only one simple answer to this: in "enlightenment" and in "awakening"!

This is easier said than done. After all, "enlightenment" cannot be bought in the supermarket, "awakening" cannot be switched on with the help of a button.

So how does it work, how can I awaken, how do I find "enlightenment"?

Very simple! Stop thinking, do nothing!

Thinking always brings us to where the imagination is already, but the events will never happen as we imagine them in our thoughts.

It takes us to where nothing is, only our imaginations are there, reality is never as we imagined it before.

When we have lost our keys, we don't know where they are, we search and search, we don't find them. But when the time comes, the keys will "suddenly" be there again, in front of us.

We cannot find the "enlightenment", the "enlightenment" finds us!

Luck, bad luck, unexpected events, such is the journey to "enlightenment".

We say we are looking for "enlightenment", but in reality it finds us!

When we start the journey towards "enlightenment", we can say: "I am looking for enlightenment", but when we have completed a good part of the journey, we realize that "enlightenment" finds us.

What is the reason for the journey? The "COMING HOME AGAIN"!

THE KEY OF THE STORY IS NOT IN THE STORY, IT IS IN THE HUMAN BEING

THÉODORE SIMON JOUFFROY - FRENCH PUBLICIST - 1796 TO 1842

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Why do I think I am right?

Look at the past. You were sure, things were clear!

If you could evaluate the same facts again, would your decision still be the same?

OFTEN PROBABLY NOT!

Every day we have to decide one way or the other, left or right, up or down. And we always think that we are doing the right thing. Of course, otherwise our decision would be different.

Many a right decision was only made because the way to the wrong one was not clear.

Hans Krailsheimer

When we have to choose which path we want to take, we should think about the decisions of the past, which situation would be comparable to the present one, how did I decide then?

WAS I RIGHT THEN? OR MAYBE NOT?

And what do I learn from this for the current situation? How can I take the position of the center from which the historical Buddha started?

Is it really important to be right, could it be that I would achieve more, make other people happy, if I took a tiny step back?

In important situations, I now try to imagine the situation from the perspective of the future. One year later, how would I see the whole thing in retrospect, was everything really so important and right?

The noble path of the historical Buddha, also called the middle path, also helps us in making decisions:

RIGHT REALIZATION
RIGHT DECISION
RIGHT SPEECH
RIGHT ACTION

It is not helpful to put resolutions on the back burner. The way I decide is good, because there is no "right" and no "wrong". As a Buddhist, you should hold back on judgments anyway.

But that does not mean that I am always right!

Other people are also right, the solution always lies in the middle.

Just try to do everything "wrong" for one day.

EVERYONE THINKS THAT HIS REALITY IS THE RIGHT REALITY

HILDE DOMIN - GERMAN WRITER - 1909 TO 2006

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The truth about elephants

What is as big as an elephant, looks like an elephant, but weighs nothing?

That's right, its shadow!

Our thoughts are like shadows. Our ego paints us pictures, makes us believe things, shows us movies.

These can seem (at first sight) like real, but they are NOT. We see these films and pictures, we are flooded with thoughts, but these are without content, they are illusions, they are shadows.

Buddha taught us to turn off the thoughts, to "defeat" the ego, to find peace, to stop desiring, wishing and clinging, only in this way can we begin the journey to enlightenment.

We must learn to distinguish between the elephant and its shadow, to cultivate good thoughts, to "push away" bad ones.

What are good thoughts, and what are bad thoughts?

Good thoughts are active thoughts. Bad thoughts are concerns or wishful thinking formulated by the ego.

For example, planning for the next child's birthday party would be good and important, but our ego's terrible ideas (what could go wrong?) are wrong and negative.

The main part of our thoughts come only from our ego. Is she cheating on me, does he still love me, will we make ends meet, will I lose my job, what is that twinge in my stomach, am I sick?

All nonsense, bullshit played by the ego, unnecessary, counterproductive, harmful, a SHADOW lays on the mind, immediately the mood becomes gloomy, we become depressed, melancholic, our life is at the mercy of the whims of our ego.

Paradise is nothing else than a state of mind, exclusively dependent on our personal perception, heaven and hell are two sides of the same coin, only I am the master of my thoughts, I can determine my ego, "choose" and "control" the images and the movies in my head, just as the great teacher Buddha has exemplified it to us, go his way as well, awaken, "banish" these very images and movies from our thoughts, thus begin the journey to personal "enlightenment".

If "bad" thoughts appear in our head cinema, we must immediately stop them, mentally slap our fingers, and put something "positive" in the place of the bad thoughts. Here it offers itself to think immediately about the personal awakening, to focus the own way to the freedom from desire and wishes, to check any "clinging", thus to create a positive substitute for the negative sensations.

The shadow of an elephant may be big, but it remains a shadow, it has no substance, not even for a small moment!

Who can cast a beautiful shadow, does not pay attention to the shadow but to the body

Lü Buwei - Chinese philosopher - 300 to 336 before the year zero

Take your shadow from me

Diogenes of Sinope - Greek philosopher - 404 to 322 before the year zero

Even a hair has its shadow

Publilius Syrus - Roman poet - 1st century before the year zero

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The Chan (Zen) Master is Like an Alarm Clock

What makes a good Chan teacher?

He must be like an alarm clock, like the alarm that rings us out of bed in the morning. He should help us "wake up", pointing with his outstretched finger to a certain point.

It is completely irrelevant whether the Chan master himself goes the way he points. It doesn't matter if he himself is "enlightened", it doesn't matter if he is trembling or strong, he only has to point and thus awaken.

What made Buddha so special, what distinguished him from other historical figures? Right, he was "enlightened", that made him special, that's why countless people follow him until today.

To accompany other people on the way to "enlightenment", to help them create the conditions for "awakening", to awaken them, to sensitize them, to explain the way to them, that is what a good Chan teacher does, that is his only task. How he does it, with what tools he shows, how he awakens, that is not important.

Buddha left no instructions for "awakening", no instructions written down. And certainly for good reasons, "awakening" is after all a very individual process. Every person is different, there is no button to turn on "enlightenment", no unique and secret formula, and certainly no suitable magic spell.

There is Buddha as a role model, as the discoverer of "awakening".

After his enlightenment Buddha had spread his teachings orally, only later his speeches and instructions were recorded by disciples. Buddha showed the necessary preparations for the path, tried to awaken people, to reach them. Of Buddha's direct disciples, several hundred are also said to have "awakened," a significant number for the time.

And today, what remains of the Buddha's teachings? How does his spirit reach people?

Good Chan masters have become rare, the subject is difficult, but the need is great!

Simply put, you have to try, you have to be willing to walk a bit of the path with the teacher, to form your own opinion whether the chosen path is the right one.

Because the Chan teacher can only awaken, show the way, you must not look at his finger, but you should look at the point to which the finger points.

THE ALARM CLOCK IS CLASSIFIED AS TORTURE WHEN IT CALLS OUT OF SWEET DREAMS

MONIKA KÜHN-GÖRG - GERMAN AUTHOR - B. 1942

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What is enlightenment?

The German word "Erleuchtung" comes from the Sanskrit term "Bodhi" and means translated "awakening".

With light, or an experience with light, "Bodhi" has little to do, rather it is about the awakening from the dreamlike world experience of everyone, from leaving a wrong view of reality.

Wrong is the view of all being before awakening, because people perceive their self as separate from their perception, and do not recognize the impermanence and emptiness. An example here would be that the laptop on which I am writing these lines (as well as my body and everything in this room) will have completely crumbled to dust in a hundred thousand years, thus having no real substance.

By "enlightenment" I personally understand that my self becomes one together with other subjects and objects in harmony. I am not talking about my body, but about me.

My body, my head, my arms, my legs, my hands, my feet, that belongs to me, that is not me.

But then where and who am I?

This is exactly the question of "awakening", and if the answer would be so simple, the historical Buddha would have already left us an instruction manual, with which we can "easily and quickly" find "enlightenment". But Buddha had just not done that, because "enlightenment" is a very personal act, finding one's self is a very individual process.

Imagine life as in your dreams. You are always in the picture, you see yourself in the dream. Just as you see yourself in the dream, your real self sees your body, the things you do, the people you meet, the events and places around you.

So your real self, now you "just" have to find it again!

Too complicated you say?

No!

Often I hear that enlightenment could be achieved through meditation. But against it speaks that even the Buddha did not find an answer to his questions by meditation, but only when he gave up searching and striving, was completely at the end, saw no more possibility, wanted nothing more, sat down completely sunk under a tree, did nothing more, desired nothing more, when all fear and all hope fell away from him, no wanting and no doing guided his actions, then happened what could not have happened otherwise, at the sight of the morning star he experienced "enlightenment".

He spoke: "I and the great earth and all living beings have attained enlightenment together".

However, it required for his "enlightenment" a borderline experience, emptiness was a prerequisite, the end of all desire.

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Brave New World - Reflections on Humanity by Aldous Huxley

Huxley is often called one of the brightest minds of the last century, and I gladly agree.

His probably best known book is "Brave New World" about society in the year 2540. In the future peace and freedom have finally become reality (or does it only seem so?).

The painful experiences of a long war have produced a particular form of community that constantly disperses and primitively distracts itself with sex, consumption, and a new drug within a caste system (sound familiar?).

The world is run by a single government, procreation takes care of breeding centers for humanity. Encouraged to promiscuity, marriage and family were abolished, people are "bred" in constant quantity.

Yes, distraction, that seek today also the most!

No matter whether cell phone, face book, television or cinema, we can be sprinkled so gladly, only not think, gladly still a few beers (if I already hear the belittlement (*chen), I drink NO alcohol), drugs are there now at each corner (also intoxicating means are TABU for me).

This brave new world of Aldous Huxley I can highly recommend to everyone as reading, the way of life presented here is exactly the opposite of Buddha's teachings, enlightenment. In Huxley's utopia, people enjoy themselves to the bitter end and are distracted from reality.

Isn't this kind of distraction too similar to the way people will live in 2020, have Aldous Huxley's visions of the future perhaps already arrived today?

And do we really want to live like this, distracted, drugged up and remote-controlled? Constantly on the lookout for the next kick?

A bit more brutal, a bit more perverted, more sugar, more drinks, stronger drugs, further, higher, harder, more boom?

I for one don't want that!

I don't like this brave new world in 2020, I find it artificial, alien, harmful.

I like the way of the Buddha, the attitude of the holy man impresses me.

Yes, everyone should be happy in his own way, I don't see the brave new world of Huxley as utopian at all. Many have already accepted this world as their new home. I, for one, do not want to go there.

According to the historical Buddha, emptiness is form and form is emptiness.

Art is the governor of utopia

Max Frisch - Swiss architect and writer - 1911 to 1991

Progress is only the realization of utopias

Oscar Wilde - Irish writer - 1854 to 1900

Socialism is not a utopia but a tragedy, that is the point today

Wilhelm Röpke - German economics professor - 1899 to 1966

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Buddha and the Mustard Seeds

Reflections on death

Near the monastery of the historical Buddha once lived a poor woman named "Kisa", she was pretty and always cheerful, people liked her. Despite her lowly background, the son of the local merchant fell in love with her, the parents were finally convinced by the love of the two, the marriage was agreed, the celebrations were lavish, the marriage very happy.

A healthy boy was born, the life of "Kisa" was now perfect, she was wealthy, still handsome, the couple loved each other, their existence favored by Fortuna and the gods.

So it seemed!

Because one day misfortune came to their house, their son just would not wake up in the morning, he was dead, died in the night, without signs, without illness, he did not move.

Kisa was struck by lightning, she knew only happiness, contentment and joy, a sorrow or torment was unknown to her, her life was so beautiful, she did not want to resign herself to the catastrophe, surely her son was just sleeping, would wake up soon.

The relatives came to support, to help and to mourn, but the Kisa did not want to see her fate, she was sure that her son would wake up again, "he is only sleeping" she cried.

She took the dead child and walked around, asking everywhere for a cure, in every house they told her that the child was dead and she was crazy, she did not let herself be distracted. An old woman advised her to go to the monastery of the Buddha, the white and enlightened teacher would surely know advice.

She arrived at the monastery and found the Buddha, laid the child at his feet and begged for help, asking if he knew a medicine that could "bring back" her son. The Buddha said "yes", he could help her, he knew the medicine that could 'cure' her son.

Kisa asked if he would give her the remedy, give her assistance. The Buddha said, "You must first give me mustard seed, a handful".

She asked if that was all, just mustard seeds? "Yes," said the Buddha, only mustard seeds, "white mustard seeds, a handful of seeds." "But", said the Buddha, "the mustard seeds must come from a house where no one has ever died".

The woman went, her son still in her arms, from house to house, everywhere people wanted to help her, almost all the inhabitants had mustard seeds, but in every house a family member had already died, the father, the mother, the grandparents. For many years and generations then houses were inhabited, children were born, grew up, grew old and died in the same house, in their hut, the course of events.

In the evening Kisa was totally exhausted, she could not find the seeds, everywhere she got the same information, gladly, we give you seeds, but someone has already died here. She began to think, it occurred to her that many people must have already died, over the years, over the generations, an infinite number of deaths had to be mourned, countless children were born, death was a constant in every house, not only they lost a child, other fellow men had to deal with similar strokes of fate.

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Christmas

The holiday season is a wonderful time!

Even if not all family members can celebrate together, I hope you will still have a reflective time.

Maybe you have grandma's delicious cookies under the tree, maybe you can talk to your relatives on the phone; either way, stay in touch with your loved ones, celebrate a feast of love virtually.

This years, Christmas is a more simple feast, but it nevertheless invites reflection and mindfulness, serenity and reflection.

Focus on the things that are really important in life. Material things are fine, but interchangeable, and without real content.

Experience this holiday consciously, enjoy every moment, because time never comes back.

What makes a family?

What makes you as a person?

What can you take from the holidays into the new year?

No matter how things are, no matter what the circumstances are, live in the "now" and in the "today", regardless of appearances; what can you do to make this world a better world?

Everyone is talking about the "reflective days" now, but what will we reflect on? To values, contents and the family? To the things we have wanted to achieve for a long time? On a Buddhist path?

Hardly any time of year is better suited to reflecting on one's own "self" than the festive season around Christmas. And this year, with far fewer distractions than usual, it's a good time to reflect on our own "remaining time".

First of all about the question of all questions: who am I?

Then about the follow-up question: where do I come from?

And of course in the consequence also: where will I go?

According to the teacher of all teachers, is not everything as it appears to us?

Is there a truth that needs to be fathomed?

Can it be that behind the felt reality a completely different world could appear?

Questions about questions that arise from this train of thought that demand answers.

If everything is not as it seems at first glance, what is it like?

The philosophy of Buddha offers the right answers for those of us who ask the right questions. However, this requires a fair amount of courage.

The path is the goal!

You should take advantage of the contemplative time!

Christmas is not only a time of joy, but also of reflection

Winston Churchill - British statesman - 1874 to 1965

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I love the stupidity of my fellow men

In times of crisis the character of a person, the population, shows! If yesterday we were good and noble, today everyone is the next to himself.

Fights over toilet paper, the mother of a friend was stolen noodles FROM THE SHOPPING TROLLEY, all of a sudden, all the countries cut themselves off, yesterday still cosmopolitan and tolerant, today closed and aggressive, within a few days, many of my fellow men have turned into zombies, the Walking Dead, finally live and in color.

So completely I can not understand the attitude of some zombies (formerly fellow humans), we all have to die, so why this inhumanity?

From Buddha this sentence seems to come: "In the society many forget the most important, the humanity"!

Not stronger, further, higher, but more human, more conscious, with decency, man should behave in difficult times.

Gandhi said: "You and I are one. I cannot hurt you without hurting myself".

Now, concepts such as cohesion, help, understanding and compassion are the values to live by. In good times and in bad times, the wedding is called. Preaching values and ideals in good times, it's not easy at all, but in a difficult phase, that's when character shows itself. And believe me, the crisis passes, the bad character remains.

A person feels transformed as soon as he is treated humanely.

In difficult moments, the words of the enlightened Buddha may give comfort, his teaching is built on humanity. Take advantage of the crisis and let yourself be inspired by the statements of the holy man, bring peace and a stable center into your life through his example, rethink the way you treat the people who are close to you, go 'within yourself'.

A collective hypochondria towards the dangers of life is counterproductive, LIFE IS DANGEROUS, we can all take our last breath at any time, tomorrow is not today, what is to come is uncertain, but how we live, we can determine, we can be measured by it.

Albert Einstein, whom I adore, said, "Two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, but I am not quite sure about the universe."

And Confucius said, "Stupidity is not knowing little, nor wanting to know little, stupidity is believing you know enough!"

I, for one, love the stupidity of my fellow man.

There is also a basic right to stupidity

Roman Herzog - Former President of the Federal Republic of Germany - 1934 to 2017.

Human stupidity is international

Kurt Tucholsky - German journalist and writer - 1890 to 1935

With (the) stupidity gods themselves fight in vain

Friedrich Schiller - The Maid of Orleans - German playwright - 1759 to 1805

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Your best teacher is your last mistake

If we make one mistake and do not correct it, we are already making the second.

Mistakes are part of life, we all make mistakes.

The question is, how do we deal with it, what do we do when we realize the mistake?

Often we notice the mistake the moment we make it.

But what can we do, should we "fix it" even at the risk of "losing face"? Or look aside in shame and "forget about it"?

Buddha said: There are only two mistakes one can make on the path to truth - Not going all the way, or not starting it!

So, according to the historical great man, we should walk the path of reality, clearing the oversight. My mother always says, "Son, what is true you may say".

So a Buddhist should have the human greatness to admit his shortcomings, to stand by his actions, and to try to correct them if possible. Because according to Buddha, soft can be stronger than hard.

Shame is a natural feeling, such as when we have done something wrong, we feel ashamed. But isn't it clearly better for us if we overcome this brief moment of insecurity, muster the inner virtue and "fix" the mistake right now?

Yes, it is!

Because an oversight can quickly turn into a bigger lie, the untruth then gives rise to suffering, for us and for those around us, the popular saying goes: "a mosquito gives rise to an elephant".

Example: I do not tell my wife that a colleague "adores" me in the office. When she happens to see the co-worker with me on the street, she thinks I am having an affair with her. Because I did not clear up the mistake at the beginning, a real problem arises, we all know such situations, often it goes well, but sometimes "the shot backfires".

Learning from mistakes and mishaps brings us further, we also grow from the mistakes we make. But only if we stand by these "weak points", if we see them as part of our life, if we start to see our mistakes as positive as our strengths, because where there are no mountains, there are no valleys.

So, the next mistake you make, you should celebrate it, really celebrate it, enjoy it, because it is a part of your self, your being, your personality. Just like the solution to the problem, you should also "celebrate" it and "experience" it in its entirety.

In a great book I read: "For he who is free from error, let him cast the first stone".

When the first missionaries came to Africa, they had the Bible and we had the land. They asked us to pray. And we closed our eyes. When we opened them again, the situation was reversed: we had the Bible and they had the land.

Desmond Mpilo Tutu - South African clergyman - born 1931

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Winter Solstice

Twice a year the sun turns, from the highest to the lowest position of the sun.

Starting today, the days are getting longer again, life will soon awaken tentatively.

Already our ancestors revered the sun, myths were about the special days, special festivals were celebrated.

In the Germanic Julfest the Christmas festival could have its origin, also the celebrations around the sun god Sol are celebrated at the winter solstice.

You are a sun in my night. My night is a sun in yours

Jean Genet - French novelist - 1910 to 1986

Since the sun remains stationary, anything that appears to be the movement of the sun is more likely due to the movement of the earth

Nicolaus Copernicus - Prussian astronomer - 1473 to 1543

Some would also strike at the sun if it offended them

Herman Melville - US writer, poet and essayist - 1818 to 1891

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Shi Miao Hai - Let Go and Enjoy

I learned today that life can be like a roller coaster.

It always goes up and down, to the right and to the left, just like in life; sometimes we have many friends, sometimes we have little to laugh about, sometimes we have a lot of money, sometimes little, sometimes we are very lucky, sometimes not.

Often we deprive ourselves of the joy of life by holding on to conditions even though they are constantly changing.

So the art of life (if you want to enjoy the roller coaster ride) is to simply let go and put your hands up, we stay in our center and enjoy the ride, simply because we want to enjoy the moment.

Neither past nor future, but simply letting go and enjoying is the order of the day.

If we tense up and hold on the roller coaster, we would hold on to the worries and feelings, and not just let these things flow on. In order to find back to our inner center, we need to find ways to get things flowing again, so that we are not living in the past or the future, but also so that life can really flow.

In these stormy times, with many imponderables, more and more people are looking for a foothold in life. Here the teaching of the historical Buddha can become an anchor and a harbor. The core of the teaching is the journey to "awakening".

This journey begins, like every journey, with a small step.

Do you want to take this step? Just the first one? And then see how you feel about it, what your feelings are, what mood moves you, how your contemplation is reflected, whether the path "nestles at your feet"?

Let go and enjoy!

ALL CREATURES EXCEPT HUMANS KNOW THAT THE MAIN PURPOSE OF LIFE IS TO ENJOY IT.

SAMUEL BUTLER - BRITISH WRITER - 1835 TO 1902

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"Draw me a sheep ..."

Who knows this sentence? Correct, it comes from "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, published at the time of the Second World War. I highly recommend the book, it is critical of the evaluation of outward appearances instead of human values, a clear criticism of the decay of the morals of that time (similar problems as nowadays as well).

Here is told about a small boy who comes from an asteroid. Since only he inhabits the celestial body (with a rose he loves so much) he travels to the planets in the vicinity, where he meets other (also lonely) people who live in their selfishness and carry their problems with them, important values have been lost for a very long time.

When he then comes to earth, the boy first meets a snake that wants to bite him, then a fox that explains the world to him. Thereby sentences of true greatness fall, like this: "you are responsible all your life for what you have made familiar to yourself".

Yes, as a Buddhist you also have to think about whether you make someone or something familiar to yourself, from the decision to call this or that 'my own' arises clear responsibility (regardless of personal karma).

Whether we get a dog or a cat, continue to meet with a 'date', open a business or take a job, beget a child, no matter what we make ourselves familiar is now in our area of responsibility, belongs to us. Unfortunately, very few people see it this way, in fact, many people take one partner after another (life partner, business partner, partner in every possible sense) without having thought about it beforehand, without having or wanting to take on a shred of responsibility, and thus create suffering in their counterpart. They consume people or things, without decency and values, simply without thinking further, without using even a thought to the possible consequences.

If I enter into any relationship, that is, go into my word, then I have thought about it carefully, not just out of boredom also 'still taken', I then have the decency to say NO even if I know that this situation is not for me, would only serve my distraction, has no substance and no value in my life.

It takes a certain size to say NO, an inner firmness. But if I don't want something (or someone) in my life, can't or don't want to take responsibility, then I have to say NO, because a wrong YES will often end in disaster (small or big shows time).

The sentence of Saint-Exupéry has influenced me very much, unconsciously I have acted according to it for a long time, only much later I became aware of the implications of his words: "responsible all my life for what I have made familiar to myself"!

However, my behavior is not a one-way street. As a studied lawyer I see "making familiar" as a kind of mutual contract. If now my "contracting party" breaks the trust agreement I can also terminate the contract, then I am released from my word. But otherwise the contract stands.

How much I would wish that more people read the "little prince", understand it and act accordingly.

Like in Buddhism! Right seeing, right recognizing, right speaking and right acting!

After a while the little prince recognizes the world fixated on externals, and returns to his rose on his planet.

Life is a journey. Do not take too much baggage with you

Billy Idol - British rock musician - born 1955

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Buddhism is like riding a bicycle

To reach enlightenment you just have to keep riding!

Albert Einstein, whom I admire very much, said: "Life is like riding a bicycle - to keep your balance you have to keep moving"! An almost Buddhist saying, which is why his sentence inspired me to write today's article.

Whoever follows the teachings of Buddha can only have one goal: "Enlightenment"!

The legacy of the great man was his awakening, his message to us is that enlightenment is in everyone and can be achieved by all.

What do I mean by "Buddhism is like riding a bicycle?" Well, a Buddhist cannot follow the teachings of the historical model in 'part-time', either you are a Buddhist, or you are not.

Thus, the philosophy of Buddha penetrates into all areas of our lives, such as the way we treat other people, what and how we eat, how we earn our living, how we look at things, even our political attitude, but also general views on life, as in the great religions (charity, decency, honor), are influenced.

In this context, it is not so easy to "stop the bike", to pause the ride. A big problem for outsiders are the confusing "rules" of the different Buddhist communities, depending on the various Buddhist branches, the guidelines differ partly very much, quite different traditions developed in the different Asian countries.

I follow the Buddhist lineage of Shaolin Temple, which was founded by Bodhidharma around 500 AD. This philosophy of introspection, derived from Mahayana Buddhism, is called "Chan Buddhism" in China, while in the West its teachings became known as "Zen Buddhism".

Characteristic of Chan (Zen) is meditation (mindfulness or concentration exercises) as a spiritual practice that expands consciousness. The goal is the experience of enlightenment (as exemplified by the historical Buddha). It is important for all Buddhists to always continue the journey (with the imaginary bicycle), not to stop the aspirations, not to interrupt the journey to enlightenment.

Joachim Ringelnatz wrote the following in 1933: In Hamburg lived two ants who wanted to travel to Australia. Near Altona on the Chaussee, there their legs hurt, and there they wisely then renounced the last part of the journey.

The journey to "enlightenment", there can also sometimes 'hurt our legs', there can be setbacks, self-doubt, perhaps lack of understanding in the environment, why am I doing this, is this really the right thing for me, can I also achieve awakening?

Yes, we can, the historical Buddha has left us his message, his legacy, everyone can awaken, enlightenment is already within us, we have to bring it out from under the many broken pieces of our lives, sweep the dust from our souls, find our true being again under all the rubble of our history.

No one said the journey would be easy, that our legs wouldn't hurt along the way. But the journey is worth it. Promise! Just keep going!

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To travel with a guide is a blessing, to travel without one is the opposite

Mark Twain - American writer - 1835 to 1910

It is not the destination, it is the journey

Ralph Waldo Emerson - American philosopher and writer - 1803 to 1882

Only through regular exercise could one move forward

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - German poet - 1749 to 1832

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The truth about wolves

There are two wolves living in us; one wolf is bad, he stands for bad qualities like arrogance, jealousy, greed, envy and jealousy. The other wolf is good, representing peace, goodness, hope and love.

These two wolves are in each of us, fighting daily against each other, consciously or unconsciously.

The wolf that we feed, that we pay attention to with our thoughts, that we spend our energies on, will win.

You can see a thing this way or that way, express yourself about it this way or that way, put your focus this way or that way.

Example:

Option A - I am so exhausted from all the work, never having any money, having to raise my children, and now also taking care of my sick mother

Option B - I am so happy that I have enough work, money is tight but I manage, my children are a complete joy, my mother lives with us now, that's nice.

We are often not aware of how we evaluate things, but an attentive listener can already recognize our thoughts and feelings from the energy of the words.

What can we do, how can we improve ourselves here?

First we should ask ourselves if we want to improve at all, which wolf we will feed in the future, how our energy should be from now on.

Then we can consciously pay attention to our thoughts, such as replacing an "I must" with an "I will", integrate the mindfulness taught by Buddha into our lives, become attentive to the energies. Right cognition, right thinking, right acting and right speaking can be practiced, this strengthens one's self, one's character, one's personality.

As a next step we should get used to distinguish the two wolves, to train ourselves to feed only the 'good' wolf, for example by starting to look forward to everyday things. I look forward to cooking dinner (for me and my family), I look forward to doing laundry, I look forward to cleaning day, I LOOK FORWARD TO ..............

Such an approach makes us humble and grateful, thankful for every moment, for every day, for every encounter.

Whether success or failure, I am glad for every experience, it makes me grateful and happy to be able to "experience", to "be", to be human.

Search in your memory palace for the two wolves, give them a name, personalize the two. Talk to the wolves inside you, become aware of them.

See how you can get rid of the bad wolf!

I will not miss fighting, fighting will miss me

Muhammad Ali - former US boxer - 1942 to 2016

I fight, I fight to win

Margaret Thatcher - Prime Minister of the United Kingdom - 1925 to 2013

When we fight evil, we fight the most terrible thing of all: Indifference

Robin Williams - US actor and comedian - 1951 - 2014

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The Robber Aṅgulimāla - the Story of the 99 Cut Off Fingers

Aṅgulimāla was a murderer at the time of the historical Buddha.

He was a student at the college, he came from a distinguished family.

Legends tell of his extraordinary good looks. His teacher's wife was also more fond of him than other students, but he refused further contact. Thus, the race woman is said to have been incensed by the rejection. She told her husband, the teacher, that Aṅgulimāla wanted to rape her, but she was just able to prevent it. Her husband became jealous, and began to give the student false advice.

So he should strive for "enlightenment", and for this purpose cut off a finger of 100 people, then he would enter "nirvana".

The young man was probably very handsome, but somewhat simple-minded, he set out to fulfill the task set by the teacher. When he found that no one wanted to "donate" a finger for the personal "enlightenment" of the Aṅgulimāla, he proceeded to kill people, cut off their coveted finger, and then "thread" it on a necklace. This is how he got his name, Aṅgulimāla, which translates roughly as "finger necklace."

The powerful serial killer had already threaded 99 fingers onto the necklace when he met the historical Buddha. The latter was to contribute the hundredth finger to the collection, so that he could finally experience "enlightenment". Buddha was not particularly strong, characterized by meditation and asceticism, a simple victim. Thought the killer!

Although the robber ran after Buddha with speed and strength, he could not reach the slowly holy man. Exhausted and full of frustration, Aṅgulimāla called out to Buddha to stop.

Buddha turned around with no apparent emotion, and told Aṅgulimāla that he had been standing for a long time after all, and it was time for Aṅgulimāla to stop as well, to stop killing, to stop hurting other people because of his ego.

Something about the Buddha's person and his words must have touched Aṅgulimāla deeply, he threw away his weapons and followed the Buddha to a monastery where he became a monk, the "enlightenment" struck him like lightning.

The king wanted to arrest Aṅgulimāla and found him together with Buddha in a temple. He paid his respects to Buddha and asked his opinion. The Buddha answered the king: what you could not achieve with weapons, you could easily achieve with the right words!

Impressed, the king moved on with his army, leaving Aṅgulimāla to the Buddha's benevolence.

THE LESSON OF THE STORY?

Even extreme circumstances can be overcome, people can change, one can grow from the right example. Yesterday is not today, what will be tomorrow we do not know. In the moment lies the power, who we meet, which circumstances influence us, also our karma holds lots of surprises.

Have you met the Buddha yet?

HISTORY TEACHES PEOPLE THAT HISTORY TEACHES PEOPLE NOTHING

MAHATMA GANDHI - INDIAN LAWYER - 1869 TO 1948

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The power of the moment

The eye looks, the moment passes instantly!

By a moment we understand a short moment, a small time interval.

A moment passes very quickly, it is irretrievable. It has power, every moment is different, none is comparable, if it passes unused, it remains lost forever.

The strength of each moment we can also sometimes feel, we feel the energy of the moment, positive and also negative. We think we can now "pull out trees", the "world belongs to us". Or we feel weak, depressed, moody or depressed. The power of the moment has many faces.

One moment follows the next, the power of the moment changes, depending on external circumstances, on the people we spend time with, on our thoughts, on our moods.

But wasted time remains wasted time, the clock cannot be turned back.

SO HOW DO WE DEAL WITH OUR TIME OF LIFE?

It's simple: enjoy the moment, its irrepressible power, for better or for worse!

Every moment is precious, every encounter is special, every feeling has its place in this moment.

Search for the power of the moment, because there is always a magic in each time. Make the effort and research, how does this thought, this feeling, this inclination come about; why am I going this way? Consciously absorb the magic of the moment, resting in yourself, waiting for things to arise from the moment.

Absorb the power of the moment, within you, inside you.

Enlightenment is also just a brief moment!

THE MOMENT TAKES WHAT YEARS GIVE

JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE - GERMAN POET - 1749 TO 1832

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When you meet the Buddha, what do you ask him?

People pray to God, to the prophets, and to Buddha. They ask for this, they wish for that, they ask for that!

In the course of time the wishes change.

Just quickly bought at Amazon the so longed-for new toy (which one had to have absolutely), and already one wishes for something else.

I wish for a beautiful wife, a nice man, a great job, health, happiness, success, whatever.

As soon as I have achieved something, I want or desire something new. Constantly we want something, always more, and always we become more dissatisfied when we don't get it again.

And even when I do get it, I want something else, we are never satisfied, and the dissatisfaction is "pre-programmed", so to speak.

What if I would get the chance to meet Buddha personally, to ask him something? What do I really want to know, what question is close to my heart? Or what wish?

If we ask a question again and again, deal with it intensively, illuminate it, weigh the pros and cons, perhaps ask the question itself a little differently, we then realize that the question already contains the answer.

It is the same with our desires. If we have a really big wish, imagine this wish again and again in our mind, question the wish itself again and again, then we will also find a way to get this wish fulfilled.

BUT WHAT IS AN IMPORTANT QUESTION, WHAT IS AN IMPORTANT WISH?

What is important in our lives at all, do we know? Or do we just let ourselves be driven by momentary needs and whims? Are we capable of really important insights at all?

Let's play through this thought for a moment! You imagine a question that you would ask Buddha. Just for yourself, you don't have to tell anyone about it.

WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT IN YOUR LIFE? WHAT?

I know what I personally would ask Buddha. Every day I rethink the question, formulate it a little differently, imagine how I would deal with his answer, whether it would perhaps astonish or frighten me.

And anyway, a clear question ALWAYS already contains the answer.

And a clearly thought-out wish shows the way to fulfillment.

THE DESIRE TO APPEAR WISE AND CAPABLE OFTEN PREVENTS US FROM BECOMING SO.

FRANÇOIS DE LA ROCHEFOUCAULD - POLITICALLY ACTIVE FRENCH NOBLEMAN - 1613 TO 1680

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The devil and the angel on our shoulder....

........ we are, we are angels and devils in human form

Do the figures on your shoulders often talk to you?

And anyway, who are these figures that talk to us?

Well, the answer is very simple: we are ourselves, the characters do not exist, our ego designs the characters; it is our ego that "whispers" nonsense into our ears (by means of the characters), because the thoughts that the ego designs, it hides quite excellently.

There are two kinds of thoughts. First, we think when it is necessary. Like, "I have to make breakfast for my children now, then do the dishes, drive them to school, and then maybe I'll get to work on time." Then, however, the ego blithely chattering away further thoughts all day long UNMINDFULLY, sometimes useful things, but mostly complete nonsense.

In order to come to rest and perhaps begin the journey to "enlightenment" we must "discipline" the ego, "get a grip on it"; the ego is our servant, we are the master of our ego, not the other way around.

If you find this so for yourself, it is important to first of all "look" attentively at your own thoughts; to separate, between the "important" thoughts and the chatter of our ego. Follow your train of thought, don't let the ego get away with every "thought", ask yourself, where does this thought come from now, what does it bring me, does it perhaps come from my ego?

Are you able to distinguish and separate thoughts? What is chatter from the figures on our shoulder, what is important, useful and purposeful thinking? Don't let the ego get away with the chatter!

Do you want to live a life without "angels and devils"?

When you realize that thoughts can be considered separately, the figures on your shoulders will disappear!

The journey to "enlightenment" begins within us, not outside. No God will help us, no master will start the journey for us, we have to start the journey ourselves.

The decision to set out on this path is the first step.

Even a great journey begins with a small step.

WHOEVER LOOKS FOR AN ANGEL AND ONLY LOOKS AT THE WINGS COULD BRING HOME A GOOSE

GEORG CHRISTOPH LICHTENBERG - FIRST GERMAN PROFESSOR OF EXPERIMENTAL PHYSICS - 1742 TO 1799

EACH ONE OF US IS HIS OWN DEVIL, AND WE MAKE THIS WORLD A HELL FOR OURSELVES

OSCAR WILDE - IRISH WRITER - 1854 TO 1900

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Questions about questions

Because we don't know what we are doing ......

I would like to share with you a circumstance that has been bothering me. Whenever I set my alarm clock, I wake up 5 (five) minutes before the alarm. I know from some friends and acquaintances that they feel the same way. If you don't feel the same way, you probably can't really relate to my thoughts.

This raises some questions for me: Do I have an internal clock? I am asleep, how can I wake myself up? Is there perhaps a subconscious that wakes me up? And if so, why does it know the time? And why do I need a clock during the day, if I seem to know the time?

QUESTIONS OVER QUESTIONS.

If you ask "enlightened people", the answer is clear and unanimous: You are not your body, your body is only your vehicle, your means of transportation.

Who or what am I then?

That, according to the answer, everyone must find for himself. If there would be a general answer for this question Buddha would have left us this surely, there is also no instruction manual for the "enlightenment".

So why do I always wake up exactly 5 minutes before the alarm clock?

Maybe you still know the movie with James Dean from 1955, ...... "for they know not what they do" .....? The movie is about a man who wanders through his life without any support and is searching for himself.

People have been searching for ages, who am I, what will the future bring, questions upon questions.

The journey to "enlightenment" can provide answers to these questions, "enlightenment" itself resolves everything.

Who or what awakens me, who am I? How do I get ahead here?

Have you ever asked yourself who you really are? I don't mean the role we all play every day that is second nature to us, but who we really are!

QUESTIONS ABOUT QUESTIONS.

THE GOOD QUESTIONER IS ALREADY HALF ANSWERED

FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE - GERMAN PHILOSOPHER - 1844 TO 1900

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The Prince and the Beggar Child

Buddhist reflections on life

Do you know Mark Twain? In 1881, the English author wrote a historical novel about two boys who looked incredibly alike, and were also born on the same day. One was a beggar child (Tom), the other the son of the King of England (Edward).

Tom's childhood was terrible, his father was poor, brutal and a criminal. He learned to read and write despite all the difficulties, dreaming of a life as a prince, inspired by some books.

Edward, on the other hand, grew up sheltered and without worries, living in his father's palace. The world was open to him, the kingdom was at his feet.

By chance, the two disparate children meet at the palace. On a whim, they exchange clothes. Now Prince Edward is mistaken for the beggar and even thrown out of the palace; the beggar boy Tom is prepared for the coronation after the king's death, while the prince learns the harsh reality of the streets of London.

Both of them keep affirming the confusion, but nobody believes them, they are considered crazy. Prince Edward even has to go to prison, where he feels the full force of the injustice of the time.

On the day of the planned coronation of the beggar child, the confusion is resolved, the real prince becomes king, Tom receives the favor of the new king. The experience as a beggar child made Edward a good king.

SO, WHO DO YOU WANT TO BE? PRINCE OR PAUPER?

Or do you want to realize WHO you really are?

If you were in this situation, what would be your choice, what would you do?

People have no idea who they really are!

Fate can put us in a completely new situation from one moment to the next, events can turn our lives completely upside down in a few moments.

The important thing is to take life as it comes.

Asking "why me?", "why is this happening to me?" is completely useless.

Have you ever imagined to exchange life with someone? How nice it would be if you were "a famous actor", or a "lottery winner".

Rich people dream of a life without responsibility, poor people dream of a life as a "prince".

"What if" brings us nothing, we have to live our life, the thinking of our ego leads to nothing, we have to "silence" the ego.

Have you ever thought about "enlightenment"?

ONLY PERSONALITIES MOVE THE WORLD, NEVER PRINCIPLES

OSCAR WILDE - IRISH WRITER - 1854 TO 1900

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About timing in our lives

Buddhism and timing

About timing in our lives

Imagine you are driving down a road in a car, a car in the opposite lane leaves the lane, rolls over and crashes head-on into your car. Do you see the overturning car coming towards you, can you imagine this situation?

Or you drive along the same road 2 minutes earlier, when then the other car overturns, you are already decisive meters away, nobody crashes into your car.

Buddhists say "karma", other people "luck or bad luck", maybe the word "fate" comes up.

Surely it is worth to think about it once, about the timing, about our "karma".

Here it is of no use to ask: "why me, why did he crash into my car?" "why didn't I turn at the corner before like I usually do?"

You are not unlucky (or lucky), but you arrived at this place according to your "karma", nothing could change your "karma", it came as it had to come.

The view on trifles like "timing" should make us more relaxed, let us recognize the nature of things, and be an impulse to reflect about important things.

2 minutes or 2 meters, small things can determine life and death, joy or unhappiness.

Nothing we can do, nothing remains, everything crumbles to dust, we, the car, even the road, everything will crumble.

If we think about it, it is much easier to determine the values in life correctly.

So what is really important? And what is important to you? What do you want to achieve?

Personally, I think that the only important thing is "enlightenment"!

Creating the conditions for the very big journey.

Are you interested?

BOREDOM, FELT AT THE RIGHT TIME, IS A SIGN OF INTELLIGENCE

CLIFTON FADIMAN - US WRITER - 1904 TO 1999

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The own ego is an illusion

Buddhism and the own perception

The own ego is an illusion, we all play a role in it.

According to Shakespeare, the world is only a stage.

Over time we have merged with the role we play, it has become "flesh and blood" to us. We think we are the person from the role, but have we ever been that person?

The task of a Chan (Zen) master is to peel off layer after layer of personality from other people, like an onion.

How do we perceive ourselves, how do we perceive the world around us? Who is responsible for the way we perceive ourselves and our surroundings? Do we perceive, that is, do we honestly see how we and our environment are?

I claim: NO

We perceive the world and ourselves from our role, so nothing is true, there is no truth in our perception, only how we want to see it, so we see it!

Our ego babbles before itself, so or so the perception has to be; our desires, hopes, expectations, needs and fears strike fully. We constantly develop our role, it grows together with our ego.

We are disappointed when desires, hopes, expectations and needs are not satisfied, our fears seem to come true.

Yes, this disappointment, what are we not always disappointed.

And who is responsible for all the disappointments in our lives?

WE SELF.

Our ego has developed desires, hopes, expectations and needs that seemingly cannot come true, we are inevitably disappointed because we do not accept life as it is, but constantly want events to happen as our ego parrots, according to the role.

So we have produced all disappointments in our life ourselves, all problems are home-made, self-produced.

It doesn't help to complain about problems, disappointments and failures to the gods.

Everything is produced by wrong perception, by the ego, which, according to our role, determines the thinking, the feeling, even the acting.

Cause and effect applies here. Which came first, the hen or the egg?

Our ego babbles, our role arises, wishes, hopes, expectations and needs are based on this.

AND THE WAY OUT?

RIGHT: ENLIGHTENMENT

NOTHING IS IN THE MIND THAT IS NOT FIRST IN THE PERCEPTION

ARABIC PROVERB -

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The way is the goal!

The mountain outside my door

Once upon a time there was a man who lived secluded, right on the path between a beautiful mountain and the nearest town.

When the man went outside the door, he saw the mountain, looked at it long and closely, delighted in the grace, radiance and nobility of the silent giant far in the distance. The slopes shone in bright green, the middle layers appeared stony and brownish, the summit majestic and snow-covered.

He saw the path that stretched from his house to the foot of the mountain through the untouched nature. He saw isolated people walking there. The weather changed, sometimes it rained, sometimes the sun shone. Some days the peak may be hidden in fog, other days the snow shone brightly from the sun.

Can you see the mountain and the way to get there inside you? Close your eyes and let yourself be captivated by its elegance.

Every day the man thought to himself : "one day I will climb the mountain, I just have to do this and that".

Travelers passed by his house and stopped at his place, telling about the mountain, either on their way to the mountain, or coming back from it.

Some of them told him that they wanted to climb the mountain now, why they were going on the dangerous way, what they thought to expect. They told the man about the anticipations of the climb, they told him about their homeland, about their loved ones at home.

The others came back from the mountain, told about the arduous climb, the dangers on the way, about the indescribable joy of being on the summit, about the unbelievably beautiful view into the valley, how far the view can stretch, which travel companions they met, what the plans for the future are, what the mountain and the climb mean to them.

The man listened patiently to all the stories, entertained the travelers, some stayed longer, others lingered only briefly, some simply passed by his house.

Every evening the man planned tomorrow, yes tomorrow, he would also set out, climb the mountain, enjoy the view, linger at the summit.

When he woke up, he just wanted to do something quickly. After all, the mountain will still be there tomorrow.

THE WAY IS THE GOAL!

CONFUCIUS - CHINESE PHILOSOPHER - 551 TO 479 B.C. CHR.

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Reflections on the Ego

What's the point?

I recently had a conversation with a very nice man, we have known each other for some time but have never really spoken. I'll call him Charly here.

Charly has depression, therefore hardly comes out of the house, buries himself, has good and bad days.

Medicine, he said, can't really help him.

Charly has lost his job because of his illness, has few human contacts.

While we were talking, I thought about what I could do for him, how I could support him. I like Charly very much, he has a very pleasant manner, is a really good guy. His charisma is warm, his voice soft and pleasant.

He talked about his mother's depression, how he didn't understand her before, whether the illness was perhaps hereditary, or whether possibly sick parents raise sick children.

I was very touched by his inner resistance, his lack of self-worth, his brokenness. I was also touched by the way Charly opened up to me, trusted me.

I asked him if he was a believer, if he had "support. He said he was a Christian. I asked if he was also interested in Buddhism. Yes, he replied, meditation makes him feel good, but he often does not have the "drive" to do the exercises.

I asked if he had ever dealt with "awakening". Yes, he had, but he was afraid of it, the subject was too difficult for him.

Buddha would have said that "enlightenment" is in each of us, one must only "find" it in our depths. Yes, but he would have doubts whether he would be worth it.

I said that only his ego whispers such thoughts to him, comparable to a small monkey sitting on his shoulder, influencing him, that the ego must be his servant, and not his master, that he could silence the ego, he should at least try.

Charly told, yes, I would be right, he has even already given a name to the little creature on his shoulder.

My advice was, whenever the being on his shoulders makes itself known, he should focus on the subject of "enlightenment", he can always silence the being with the subject.

I also told him about my blog and hope he will read this post.

Shutting down the ego is the first step to create the right environment and conditions for "enlightenment".

EVEN A GREAT JOURNEY BEGINS WITH A SMALL STEP

EVERYONE WOULD LIKE TO BE CARY GRANT. EVEN I WOULD LIKE TO BE CARY GRANT

CARY GRANT - BRITISH-AMERICAN ACTOR - 1904 TO 1986

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Do I want enlightenment, do I want to awaken?

Buddhism and our desires

WE SELDOM THINK OF WHAT WE HAVE, BUT ALWAYS OF WHAT WE LACK. [ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUER]

According to the historical Buddha, thinking is what hurts us, harms us.

As with Arthur Schopenhauer's quote, we think especially of the people and things we lack, what we have we take for granted.

We wish for so many things, a loving partner, money and success, health and happiness, big things and small things, all day long (and at night in dreams) our ego delivers a firework of thoughts, wishes, hopes, fears and dreams.

All wishes are based on such thoughts as "how nice it would be ....", "if if if", "would have had", very few thoughts are useful, the ego is constantly chattering away.

And exactly these thoughts harm us, cause us pain, because we worry, our wishes become a disadvantage for us via our ego.

My texts are mostly about "enlightenment", how to come to "awakening", how the journey could look like.

A very important step on the way to "awakening" is to get a grip on the ego, to get a grip on the monkey chattering away in our head. Because of the ego, various desires appear in our thoughts, the possible non-fulfillment of our needs makes us worry, we worry as usual, too often.

The ego should be our servant, not we the servant of the ego. We must achieve control over the ego, otherwise "enlightenment" is not tangible.

When new desires appear in our mind, we should question them, where does the thought come from right now, why does it appear at all?

Now you are rightly wondering how this is supposed to work, how to get a grip on the thoughts, how to find the necessary peace, how to prevail against your own ego?

By dealing with the subject of "enlightenment", seeing it as worth striving for, thinking about it is the first step.

But not on the level of the ego, but with the rational part of the thoughts, which are to be clearly separated from the thoughts of the ego.

Do I want "enlightenment," do I want to awaken?

If the answer is "yes," you are well on your way.

Instead of thinking about wants and needs, instead of letting the ego lead you, give focused thought to what preparations you can make for the journey to awakening.

Every journey begins with a small step. The journey to "enlightenment" too!

ONE TRAVELS NOT ONLY TO ARRIVE, BUT TO TRAVEL.

JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE - GERMAN POET - 1749 TO 1832

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The question is how we deal with the "waiting"!

We are constantly waiting for this and that. For the doctor's appointment, for the end of work, for our partner, for the children to come home, for a vacation, for the pain to subside, for us to get well, we are always waiting for something.

And waiting is one of the most difficult things of all.

Remember that moment when the mother said:

"BE PATIENT, SLOW DOWN"!

Especially when it comes to important issues, waiting can "drive us out of our minds", make us "crazy"; by the way, waiting and hope are also siblings, are closely related.

How do we deal with waiting? How do we wait?

What about waiting according to the Buddha's teaching?

According to Buddha, one is happy when one has no desires. However, this requires a certain amount of equanimity and insight, since we all have needs. If we do not desire anything and are not needy, then we consequently wait for nothing, take everything as it comes, with serenity and resting in ourselves.

How do you get to a state where you have no desires?

By finding "enlightenment", by awakening.

Easier said than done. Do you engage in "enlightenment" at all?

"Enlightenment" comes to those who earnestly seek it, you can't really seek it, it comes to us, not we "find" it.

Awakened people have no more desires, they are "wishfully happy". Perhaps they are happy because they are desireless.

Everything is connected, the journey to "enlightenment" is a very individual one, there is no "instruction manual" for it.

No one can teach "enlightenment", not even Buddha.

But we can make ourselves ready for "enlightenment", create the conditions for its realization.

Do you want that?

MANY PEOPLE MISS THE SMALL HAPPINESS WHILE THEY WAIT IN VAIN FOR THE BIG ONE

PEARL S. BUCK - US WRITER - 1892 TO 1973

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You can't get into the same river twice.

Buddhism and the river

What is life like, what constitutes our existence?

The best way to compare life is with a river.

THE GREEK PHILOSOPHER HERACLITUS IS CREDITED WITH THE FOLLOWING SENTENCE:

"YOU CANNOT GET INTO THE SAME RIVER TWICE."

It is our body that gets into the river, yesterday and today, but it is not the same water, it is an entirely different water.

The water of yesterday is already many kilometers away, perhaps someone is bathing in the water that refreshed me yesterday.

The ideas of the historical Buddha and those of Heraclitus show amazing similarities. The Greek philosopher's thoughts revolve around the unity of things and around the whole and the not-whole, around things that come together and things that diverge. In the Buddhist philosophy the statement is found in the Diamond Sutra: "Form is emptiness and emptiness is form".

One can think about that!

The river of life starts tentatively, in the womb of the mother, widens at birth, flows together with other rivers (other people), the water swells, ebbs away, the water evaporates, falls back to earth.

Just as you can't get into the same river twice, you can't do anything else twice, time is over, it's not like it was, it's new, the situation doesn't come back like that.

Even the things I know well, for example my "way home", it is always a little different, it is never exactly the same, the raindrops are not identical, nothing is ever like it was before.

Follow the river of life, enjoy the cool water, the refreshment, the people and incidents that pass by on the shore.

Every day is today, even if you do the same things you did yesterday. Even if you read the words of the Buddha today, and tomorrow again, sitting in the same chair, other thoughts will arise, other paths will open up.

Every moment is continuity. The now is always different, we know NOTHING, everything changes, the river flows.

HUMAN NATURE IS LIKE A WHIRLPOOL OF WATER. IF YOU OPEN A WAY TO THE EAST, THE WATER FLOWS EASTWARD; IF YOU OPEN A WAY TO THE WEST, THE WATER FLOWS WESTWARD.

MENGZI - MOST IMPORTANT SUCCESSOR OF CONFUCIUS - 370 TO 290 B.C. CHR.

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Our fathers

The different fathers

Some time ago I was sitting in a coffee house in Stuttgart at the Schlossplatz in the midday sun.

An elderly lady asked if the second chair was still free, I said yes, she sat down, we got into conversation.

She said she was a Christian, I said I was a Buddhist.

"Oh, those are the egoists, always looking out for themselves" she said, I was puzzled.

"Where did they get that idea" I asked.

"Yes, Buddhism is about "enlightenment", so its Buddhists egoists".

I got grumpy, an argument developed in which (as in most arguments) there was no winner, everyone had their opinion, we parted politely but did not become friends.

The essence of a religion is not to argue, but they should create harmony.

Was the lady trying to tell me that her religion was better than mine? What were her motives?

And why didn't she know that Buddha was not a god at all? And why did she attack me in the first place for my statement of being a Buddhist?

And anyway, I consider Buddha to be my ancestor, my father. Just as she probably sees Jesus Christ as her father.

So, why don't the children of the different "fathers" respect each other more, why is there no peace between religions? Is my father better than yours?

While we are on the subject of fathers, what if my biological father was a beggar on the street? Still, he is my father, so to speak negatively about him would not be helpful either, and certainly hurtful.

If Jesus Christ, Allah and Buddha were sitting at the same table, right now, what could they talk about? Would they argue? Make fun of each other's children?

MY FATHER USED TO SAY: DON'T SPEAK LOUDER, ARGUE WISER

DESMOND MPILO TUTU - SOUTH AFRICAN CLERGYMAN - B. 1931

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People and mental problems

Buddhism and Mental Problems

In today's complicated world, many, if not very many, people have mental problems.

People are insecure, frightened, usually have enough to do but little time to take care of themselves, have developed neuroses, depression and mental problems.

Since the connection to the church is decreasing more and more, the spiritual component also comes less and less into play. Most people live like this, trying to take care of everything "by themselves".

Even psychiatrists or other trained helpers are hardly consulted, after all "the others have a quirk, but I don't".

The Bible states:

"WHY DO YOU SEE THE MOTE IN YOUR BROTHER'S EYE, BUT DO NOT NOTICE THE BEAM IN YOUR OWN EYE? " (MATTHEW 7:3)

Apparently, the problem is not really new, however, in our fast-paced times, a new accelerating factor is added (e.g., Internet).

If you tell people that something is wrong, that their behavior is sick, they usually get angry, turn away or even go on (verbal) attack.

Mental problems, in my opinion, are caused by too much (and wrong) thinking, already the historical Buddha said that this is why we are all sick, that thinking does us more harm than good.

If we look at the inmates of a mental institution, most of them have their disease because of thinking.

Our ego starts, we think about this and that, thoughts ramble on and on, the line between a strong ego and a mental problem are blurred.

Consciously track your thoughts, instruct your ego to refrain from superfluous thoughts (would have, would have, if, if, if), think only useful, positive thoughts, use the opportunities to think "nothing" once in a while.

We all have mental problems, the first step to recovery is to admit this to ourselves, to recognize it.

We are all sick, and we all have the opportunity to get well.

Don't you want to give it a try?

DURING THE DAY IT IS VERY EASY TO SEE THINGS SOBERLY AND UNSENTIMENTALLY. AT NIGHT, IT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT STORY

ERNEST HEMINGWAY - US WRITER - 1899 TO 1961

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You can't stop the wave

Buddhism and the perfect wave

Have you ever seen surfing on TV or on the beach?

It's all about the right moment to "jump on" the wave, to ride it, to surf it.

And it all has to be in harmony with nature, we are a part of nature, but often we forget this.

We didn't make the wave, I didn't make the path, nature made the wave, I have to become a part of the wave, of the water.

If we are too tense, our body becomes hard. We can't be part of the wave then. Flexible like bamboo, hard yet soft, we should be, firm yet gentle, fast yet slow.

All we have to do is open our eyes, the rest comes by itself. Similar to the "enlightenment" that comes to those who desire it.

Like the perfect wave, our normal life is also a part of nature.

We have to go through fear, accept our destiny.

Similar to a boxing match, we are attacked, our body reacts "without thinking", automatically, out of the nature of things.

When the wave comes, see the reality of fear, open your eyes, we cannot "surf" against the wave, we must "go" with it.

Buddha said that you can't stop the waves.

So we can't change things in our daily life. When it rains, or the sun shines, we have to accept the weather, keep our eyes open, look realistically at the things around us, and enjoy the waves.

SOCIETY IS A WAVE. IT ITSELF MOVES FORWARD, BUT NOT THE WATER IT IS MADE OF.

RALPH WALDO EMERSON - US PHILOSOPHER AND WRITER - 1803 TO 1882

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Yuima Sutra

Buddhism and the Yuima Sutra (Wéimójié - 佛說維摩詰經 - Vimalakīrtinirdeśa).

When people are drowning, the master must jump into the water and help. Nothing can be accomplished from the outside.

A master must not be proud, when people are suffering, he must assist these persons.

According to "Yuima" it makes no difference whether it is a prostitute or a minister; the master must "be with the people", otherwise he only gives empty advice.

"Yuima" was a lay monk in India, he was a disciple of the historical Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama, an ordinary person. His remarks were witty and witty, full of humor and wisdom.

The core message of the "Yuima Sutra" is that anyone can "awaken" and experience "enlightenment" if they sincerely try to do so. According to "Yuima", it does not matter whether one is rich or poor, intelligent or stupid, even whether one believes in Buddha. Even if one does not use the words of Buddha, one could find "salvation".

"Yuima" had no rules in this, he went everywhere; having no rules was his only rule. He even went to pleasure houses to enlighten people there. He walked on the paths of Chan (Zen), using the words of the people he met. In order to respond to their needs, he communicated with them, penetrating their minds.

He did this without caring about his own person, he went "through" the situations and incidents. As with the spirit of the historical Buddha, like parents taking care of their children.

Whether "Yuima" got into dirty water or into clean water, the point is that a master must go where people need him.

Helping not with "words" but by "doing and acting," comparable to Mother Theresa.

His remarks point out that the whole life is only a dream, that it is only about "awakening".

The lotus grows only in dirty water, but never gets dirty, that's why we call the lotus "Buddha's flower", that can be us too, whoever.

This is what Buddha and Yuima said, so why not try it.

THE THOUGHT LAYS THE FOUNDATION FOR THE DEED

HELMUTH VON MOLTKE - PRUSSIAN FIELD MARSHAL - 1800 TO 1891

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Buddhism and the clear view

University degrees, journeyman's certificates, master's certificates, accreditations, credentials, paper upon paper, web pages upon web pages, texts upon texts.

Blind faith in diplomas, certificates, bills and contracts, videos and podcasts.

But how do you recognize the person who can really help you? For example, a Chan master (Zen).

How can you find out the real masters among the many "experts"? And anyway, what makes a real teacher?

Our view of things is clouded, like dirty glasses, layers upon layers are stored on our perception.

Habits, upbringing, disposition, genes, all kinds of causes have led to the pollution on our "glasses".

A good Chan master clears our vision, he removes layer upon layer from our glasses, he enables us to see again, to recognize reality again.

He cleans our glasses, gently and calmly, without haste, always speaking the truth, leading slowly, but firmly and decisively.

Ink on paper is nothing, "emptiness is form", and "form is emptiness".

When we meet a person who can help us further, we notice that we suddenly see better again, it is simply easier for us to speak the truth openly (because what is true may be said, must be said).

Most people are looking for happiness, improvement, development of their person for the better.

What a great feeling when layer after layer falls off the glasses and we can truly SEE again.

YOU NEVER NOTICE WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE, YOU ALWAYS SEE ONLY WHAT REMAINS TO BE DONE

MARIE CURIE - POLISH PHYSICIST - 1867 TO 1934

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Closed eyes

Close your eyes

.... what you see then belongs to you!

Many people define themselves by what they own, what they buy, what they present to the outside world.

This is understandable, because the inside is not "showable" and it is difficult to explain or even to represent it.

As Buddhists, it is precisely not the outside that we find ourselves through, but our inner values that count, such as compassion, love and understanding.

When we leave this earth, we can take nothing with us, so nothing belongs to us. The last shirt has no pockets.

We have only borrowed things, they are not ours, everything we call "ours" does not belong to us, will decay, will turn to dust in thousands of years just like us.

When we close our eyes, what do we see?

NOTHING

And that is exactly what belongs to us, nothing.

If we realize this fact, then only one real solution remains, namely to take care of our inner being.

It would be a good idea to try the teachings of Buddha. What made this worldview so strong that it has been passed on by people for over 2500 years? What made this young Indian prince a role model for millions, an idol for thousands of years?

The historical Buddha found "enlightenment", he "awakened".

After giving up his meditative practices after six years, exhausted with not experiencing "enlightenment", that is exactly when he "awakened".

"Enlightenment" is the goal of every Buddhist.

And "enlightenment" is not an exclusive right of the historical Buddha, according to him, "awakening" is inherent in all of us, but is "buried", yet still there, within us.

Let's search for it together, within ourselves.

AN EYE FOR AN EYE - AND THE WHOLE WORLD WILL BE BLIND

MAHATMA GANDHI - INDIAN LAWYER - 1869 TO 1948

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My first book reading

For the celebration of Chinese New Year, I was, together with my brother Taema Jun, in Shaolin Temple Europe, "asked" in advance by the abbot Shi Heng Zong to read from the book "Shaolin Rainer".

I was aware of his desire to read from my book. However, I struggled with myself in advance about whether I should participate in the Chinese New Year at all. The idea of talking about my life, of making personal things public, was very uncomfortable for me.

The abbot called several times and asked when we would come, and whether we (including my brother) would contribute something to the Chinese New Year, he was not put off even by my multiple refusals.

I have been close friends with the abbot of Shaolin Temple Europe Shi Heng Zong for over 20 years, so I did not feel comfortable after my cancellations. I couldn't stop thinking about him and our time together. My temple brother Taema (he is visiting from Korea for 3 months) felt my inner turmoil, so he called the abbot again. Previously, we had agreed that if our room was not yet assigned further, we would go, and the room was still reserved for us.

In short, we drove, and on the way, I was very thoughtful. We arrived late at the temple and checked into our room.

On New Year's Day, we sat in the abbot's office, planning for the celebrations had been completed. Taema was to give a Dharma talk (and promote his Dharma seminar on 2/21-23, see below) and I was to read from my book after all.

The uncomfortable feeling continued to spread through me.

In this context, I must mention that I had very mixed feelings about my book from the beginning. Certainly, I am proud of the fact to have been the first foreigner in Shaolin Temple in China more than 30 years ago, to have received the order from the abbot to open Shaolin, to have also opened the temple (which still exists today), to have founded other temples all over Europe. However, there were also very difficult times in the course of my history with Shaolin, very painful events, which I also do not want to remember.

Precisely because I do not want to remember, I did not want to do this book "actually". For many years the author Karl Kronmüller asked me to write this book. I always refused, I didn't want to have "much to do with Shaolin anymore. I had broken off all contact with the temple, with the monks. Only with my master Shi Yan Zi, the founder of Shaolin Temple England, I was always in contact. With Taema, my brother, I had intense conversations, almost daily, in Korea. Even from my friend Shi Heng Zong I had almost withdrawn.

Whenever Karl asked me again whether he could not tackle "the book", I refused, saying that surely the subject was of no interest to anyone and that I did not want to be reminded of those times.

One day I said "yes" when Karl asked again, hoping that the book would never be finished anyway. 6 months later it lay finished on the table in front of me.

I must have been mistaken.

Now my book is in Shaolin Temple Europe in the office of the abbot, he "insisted" on a reading. And I did not want to disappoint him, to contribute to the celebration of the Chinese New Year.

The celebration was wonderful, the abbot created a dreamlike atmosphere, people love the temple, and the ceremony was entertaining yet dignified, just like him, he is a great person.

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The coronavirus and thinking

Right now China is facing a big challenge, our thoughts are with the people in the People's Republic.

In videos, you can see countless people standing in front of hospitals, totally frightened and looking for help. In panic and with faces distorted by fear, am I sick, am I going to die?

We will all die, the question is how we deal with it.

Buddhists have a different philosophy of life and death, they also believe in rebirth. However, the situation is always different when you have affected yourself, then it is certainly more difficult to keep calm.

During the last wave of SARS, I was in China and traveled through the country with the abbot of the Shaolin Temple Shi Yong Xin. I asked the abbot if he had any fear or doubt about the disease.

He wisely replied:

"I BELIEVE IN KARMA, I BELIEVE THAT I WILL FALL ILL IF THIS IS MY DESTINY, AND THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN PROTECT ME THEN. IF IT IS MY DESTINY TO STAY HEALTHY, THEN THAT IS HOW IT WILL BE!"

If you believe in the teachings of Buddha, destiny is already fixed, you have to swim with the wave, and you cannot "swim" against the waves of destiny.

But thinking is what torments us, in our thoughts we already imagine how we will be taken away by the disease, how we will suffer, and die terribly. Our ego makes us think these things and imagines the strangest stories, which later never happen as we imagined them.

Therefore, such thinking does not help us, it harms us.

The Corona Virus can even help us. It helps us to see how finite our existence really is, how small and insignificant we are, and that life as we know it today can be over tomorrow.

Remember that this can be a good opportunity to reflect on your existence, and perhaps spend some time with your "enlightenment", pondering the topic of "awakening".

Just as her first great love came into her life, so can "enlightenment" come into her life.

Think back to the time of your first great love, how you kept thinking about your beloved, so it is with enlightenment.

If you are open to enlightenment, "enlightenment" will come into your life.

And here is the great misfortune of the coronavirus can be an impetus to realize the transience of life and to seek "enlightenment" NOW, not tomorrow because we do not know if tomorrow will come.

Illness is the most fearsome tyrant

Albert Camus - French writer and philosopher - 1913 to 1960

The cure is worse than the disease

Francis Bacon - English philosopher, statesman, and natural scientist - 1561 to 1626

There is only one disease, as there is only one health

Ernst Jünger - German writer - 1895 to 1998

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Many Buddhists live by precise rules

Buddhism and rules

Many Buddhists live by precise rules.

Buddhists should not eat meat, should not have sex, should do this, should not do that, should pray this way or that way; rules upon rules.

The study of sutras, the interpretation of words, and the precise meditation are at the heart of many Buddhist traditions.

But where do most of these precepts come from?

These rules were established mainly by monks and Buddhist "scholars" after the Buddha's death, similar to the myriad rules and regulations issued by the Catholic Church long after the death of Jesus Christ.

Can these later-established Buddhist rules and regulations be reconciled with the values of the historical Buddha?

I say no!

Buddha meditated for years to experience enlightenment and failed. Even Wikipedia states that Buddha did not achieve "enlightenment" through meditation and asceticism (rules).

When he had "given up" emaciated and close to death, he took a bath on the bank of the Neranjara River.

Then, settling down on the river bank, he experienced "enlightenment."

Only when the historical Buddha had completely let go, already completely given up, did he awaken.

Today we hear again and again that as a Buddhist one has to meditate in such and such a way, to imitate Buddha, to follow such and such rules.

Buddha himself could not explain how he experienced "enlightenment", Buddha has left no text from which it would be evident how one can experience "enlightenment".

In his "Dharma talks" he instructed his followers not to meditate, but to search for "enlightenment" within themselves.

His way was to limit the ego of his followers, to abolish one bad habit after another in them.

All rules are nothing but opinions and instructions.

However, it is not about following rules, but about achieving "enlightenment", about "awakening".

Most of the rules were created by the people who themselves were "not awakened" and did not really understand Buddha.

What made the historical Buddha so famous, so popular, that he is still a role model for millions of people today?

RULES?

NO!

Buddha is a household name to us because he experienced "enlightenment," not because he meditated for six years.

Although he explicitly said that he did not achieve his "enlightenment" through meditation, countless people meditate in hopes of awakening through it.

Rules upon rules!

THAT TASTE IS GOOD WHICH AGREES WITH THE RULES WHICH HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED BY REASON

JOHANN CHRISTOPH GOTTSCHED - GERMAN WRITER - 1700 TO 1766

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Are you a realist?

A true Buddhist can only be a realist!

There are the most different people with the most different views.

One group sees the world as it should be in their imagination, the "dreamers".

Another group sees everything quite black and gloomy, the "melancholics".

Still, other people see the world in a kinky and weird way, the "perverts".

There are also people who see everything through a fog of alcohol and/or drugs, the "stunned".

Still, other people see everything in the world as fun, the "funny ones."

Others only ever want to help, the "Mother Theresa types."

Another group sees the world from the position of a leader, the "leader".

In today's totally disturbing world, very few people see the world as it really is, realistically.

Buddha exhorted us to take the right knowledge as the basis of our actions and to follow it with the right speech, action, and behavior. Simply put, to be a realist, not to want to bend things to fit our particular views, but to accept them as they really are.

HENCE MY QUESTION:

ARE YOU A REALIST?

Can you try for just one day to check all your views, decisions, and actions to see if they correspond to reality?

THE UTOPIAN SEES PARADISE, THE REALIST PARADISE PLUS SNAKE

FRIEDRICH HEBBEL - GERMAN DRAMATIST - 1813 TO 1863

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Is a Buddhist allowed to have sex?

Can a Buddhist have sex?

Buddha had a son, Rahula.

Before his "awakening," Siddhartha Gautama lived as the son of a noble family in northern India. His father wanted to raise him to be his successor, so he shielded him in the palace and kept him with him.

For this purpose, he is said to have made his son's life "as pleasant as possible", and also to have supplied him with several pretty young women. This was quite common in noble circles at that time, so it seems plausible in the case of Buddha.

Also, according to the legends, the Buddha's father already feared at that time that his son could become a monk (Brahma).

When the historical Buddha was confronted with the reality of life on his excursions outside the palace, he realized the futility of his previous actions.

When he was about 29 years old, Buddha left his family and first became an ascetic, later he practiced meditation in a concentrated way.

At that time (until his "awakening" at the age of 35) sexual contact with the opposite sex was unlikely.

After his "awakening", Buddha taught both men and women for another 45 years.

What is certain is that the Buddha drafted the laws of sangha for the Buddhist monastic community. Monks were prohibited from intimate contact with the opposite sex.

Unlike monks, lay people were not prohibited from such contact.

Therefore, the question arises, is it permissible for Buddhists (lay people) to have sexual relations outside of marriage?

In my opinion, yes!

However, a Buddhist should consider the consequences of his actions at all times, so the following should apply: no adultery and no sexual debauchery.

Sexuality is given to us, it is nothing to be ashamed of.

LOVE IS A GREAT DISEASE - TWO MUST ALWAYS GO TO BED AT THE SAME TIME

ROBERT LEMBKE - GERMAN JOURNALIST AND TELEVISION PRESENTER - 1913 TO 1989

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Change the words - or change yourself

People have the habit of constantly complaining about others, I'm always right, others are wrong.

But what if all people are right, not just me?

If I change my thinking so that I also pay attention to the others and their feelings, maybe they are right.

The dog barks, that's its job. Children cry, mothers always have something to say. Everybody has an opinion. Newspapers, television, radio, constantly we are confronted with different views of other people.

That's nature, if you don't accept that, you can't make peace with your family, with your environment.

So we should put ourselves in other people's point of view before we judge, maybe look at others' position, include their worries and hardships in our worldview.

If I am always complaining about others, being against this and that, then my life will not be beautiful, I will always be fighting against others instead of at least trying the Buddha's way.

The Buddha's way is the middle way, it is balancing and just, appreciates the point of view of others, is concerned about balance.

Give it a try; this behavior can also be an important building block on the path to "enlightenment."

I am not saying that we have to put up with everything, sometimes we will automatically speak against it. We don't have to put up with everything, what is true may be said.

When sometimes enough is enough and I can't hear the "Bla Bla Bla" anymore, then also my patience has reached its limit.

Therefore: I am right - but all others are also right!

WORDS ARE THE MOST POWERFUL DRUG THAT MANKIND USES

JOSEPH RUDYARD KIPLING - BRITISH WRITER - 1865 TO 1936

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Is a Buddhist allowed to eat meat or fish?

Buddhism and diet

Can a Buddhist eat meat or fish?

Buddha explained that in order to protect all living beings, meatless foods are to be preferred.

But Buddha did not know about modern meat factories. The so-called "modern diet" with "hamburgers" on every corner, "kebab" in every underpass, this was certainly not imaginable at the time of the historical Buddha.

How can a follower of the Buddhist philosophy in the Western world eat today? Without meat or meat products there is almost nowhere to eat. If you travel, for example, you can hardly eat vegetarian food.

As a Shaolin you are allowed to consume meat when you are training, Shaolin martial monks are exempt from the obligation to be vegetarian.

Personally, I eat meat and fish, but I pay attention to the quality. I strive to use it correctly, meaning that no piece should be wasted or thrown away. Animal welfare is an important issue for me. I also make sure that meat is "only" rarely and always a small portion on the plate.

The most important thing is that I dignify the animal I consume.

If you think about the animal when you eat it, you will automatically have a different relationship with meat and fish, you will be grateful to the animal, honor it, and generally be thankful for its food.

This gratitude makes a big difference, just try it!

Spend more money on the animal products you consume, eat meat (and fish) more consciously, in smaller quantities, gratefully and thoughtfully.

IF MODERN MAN HAD TO KILL THE ANIMALS HE USES FOR FOOD HIMSELF, THE NUMBER OF PLANT EATERS WOULD INCREASE IMMEASURABLY.

CHRISTIAN MORGENSTERN - GERMAN POET - 1871 TO 1914

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Buddhism and politics

Buddhism and Politics

More and more often I receive letters asking me to comment on this or that topic in politics. Especially I should "show the flag" when it comes to the controversial opinions on political topics around the People's Republic of China.

Exactly that I will not do! Here applies "no politics"!

This blog is about Buddhism, not politics. If readers think they want to express their views, I would like to politely ask them to write to the responsible member of the Bundestag.

This is a guide for people who are interested in the teachings and philosophy of the Buddha and strive for enlightenment. In contrast to various religions, a Buddhist should also not judge, but only observe.

Also, I do not want to comment on distant events from my desk in Stuttgart, because it is not my place to do so.

This blog is from people for people, should be a help in daily life, and should be a support in the implementation of Buddhist philosophy.

I also do not want to be "harnessed" by supposed do-gooders.

Please refrain from such letters.

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Buddhism and the Gods

Since earliest times, people have prayed to various gods. In the caves of our ancestors you can find idol statues, figurines and religious devotional objects.

It was always a matter of speaking to a "god". Praying has always been talking to a "higher authority".

In the course of the changeful history there were thousands of gods, often the deity even resembled each other, repeated the characters and characteristics (e.g. the different "sea gods").

Often armies faced each other in wars, the respective priests prayed for the victory of their troops.

Gods came and gods went, according to the spirit of the times and the taste of the people.

You can also pray to a "fish head" if you only believe in it.

Buddhism is completely different here. It is not about the search for a bringer of salvation, a figure from outside, but about the striving for "enlightenment" (according to Buddha, the solution for this lies within us).

No god, no person, no one can bring us this state, only we ourselves can search for it, within us, not outside.

THIS QUOTE SEEMS TO COME FROM THE HISTORICAL BUDDHA:

WHAT IS THE POINT OF PRAYING TO GODS? IS IT NOT FOOLISH TO BELIEVE THAT ANOTHER CAN BRING US BLISS OR MISERY?

WHEN YOU TALK TO GOD, YOU ARE RELIGIOUS. WHEN GOD TALKS TO YOU, YOU ARE INSANE.

DR. GREGORY HOUSE - FICTIONAL DOCTOR IN A US TELEVISION SERIES

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The right acquisition of life

The "right" acquisition of life is also the focus of life in Buddhism.

But what is "right" life acquisition?

I know people who have inherited a lot of money. Since then they have not worked and are bored beyond measure, occupying themselves with trivialities, going 'shopping', wasting their money on luxury, amusement, alcohol and drugs. They are usually in a bad mood, have no drive and define themselves only by material things.

Then I know other people who (despite working diligently) never really have any money, but are always in a good mood, take pride in their work, are dutiful and punctual.

Generally speaking, right livelihood must come from a source of income that is not to the detriment or oppression of others.

In this day and age, however, it is very difficult to delineate exactly what is harmful to other people or living beings and what is not.

The butcher, who slaughters animals on a continuous basis in order to supply mankind with food, is he harming other living beings, or is he just doing the work for the general public?

The lawyer who defends guilty criminals and obtains an acquittal for them, is he harming people?

The politician who does things just to get re-elected, what about him?

My opinion is that every person knows best for himself what he does, what consequences his actions have for other people and living beings. Everyone should evaluate their own work, fairly admit what they are doing.

As a Buddhist, one should realize that there can be no "black" and "white", not even in our work; everything is "gray". Only "good" does not exist, also only "bad" is not possible.

When one takes stock of one's actions, the good side should predominate, one should try to do "mainly" good.

Work is part of life, without it it quickly becomes boring; a meaningful occupation is very important, keeps us "afloat".

PERSONALITIES ARE NOT FORMED BY NICE SPEECHES, BUT BY WORK AND OWN PERFORMANCE.

ALBERT EINSTEIN - THE MOST IMPORTANT THEORETICAL PHYSICIST IN THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE - 1879 TO 1955

THE MORE PLEASURE YOU GET FROM YOUR WORK, THE BETTER IT PAYS

MARK TWAIN - AMERICAN WRITER - 1835 TO 1910

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Enlightenment - The central point

"Enlightenment" and Buddhism

What is the central point in Buddhism?

As in all religions, there are countless rules of conduct in Buddhism. Some go back to the historical Buddha, others were written later by monks or scholars.

In my view, Buddhism is not a religion, but a philosophy.

The central point in the philosophy of Buddha is the striving for "enlightenment", the finding of one's own self under the mostly buried personality.

Unlike other world religions, in Buddhism this important, central element (the "enlightenment") is absolutely in the foreground, the rules (also those written by Buddha personally) are only building blocks on the way to awakening.

Why did the Indian prince Siddhartha Gautama become so famous; what made his teachings so different from the teachings of the other "founders of religions"?

His peacefully meditating statue is in every second household, his paintings sell dazzlingly, but what do people in the West know of him?

Little is known, plain and simple. The image of a meditating Buddha puts people in a peaceful mood, Buddhism has been adopted as a kind of "second religion".

For those people who have an interest in the worldview of the historical Buddha, it is time to look at the central element from his teachings.

ENLIGHTENMENT -

What is it, how does it work, how to deal with it?

"Enlightenment" is an "aha moment," the tiny instant when you understand the world, the universe, and yourself. It is not a "bang", not a "fireworks", not a "party".

And "enlightenment" just works, it is not an event reserved only for the historical Buddha. Buddha said that in every human being, animal or living being, enlightenment already lies, it only has to be found. And this is one hundred percent true.

"Enlightenment" lies within us, we just have to discover it for ourselves.

"Enlightenment" we can reach by intensively dealing with the subject, by seeing "enlightenment" as a good friend, by looking at it like our first great love, which we always and gladly think of, frequently and intensively.

By freeing ourselves to search for "enlightenment", within us, no person will give it to us, Buddha was a guide, a spiritual tour guide, he said we should not pray to him, but search for "enlightenment".

GIVE ME A FIXED POINT, AND I WILL LIFT THE WORLD FROM ITS HINGES

ARCHIMEDES - GREEK MATHEMATICIAN - 287 TO 212 B.C. CHR.

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Buddhism and the hate

Buddhists can also hate

If you don't hate, you can't love. Hate and love are only two sides of the same coin.

But where do these strong feelings come from, how can we control them, make them useful for us?

Hate is a primal emotion. It arises mainly towards people. But we can also hate things; I hate "Christmas", I hate "red fruit jelly".

Many people feel hatred toward dogs or cats; they even turn their hatred toward words.

Especially topical are hate speech on the Internet, hatred against people who think differently, contempt and disgust are paired with aggressive thoughts.

Usually there is a trigger for hate, such as a situation in the past, but often we are no longer even aware of why we hate.

When we feel such a deep emotion as hatred, it is usually worthwhile to explore this feeling.

Put yourself in such a hate situation and try to find the motives in the depth of your ego. Analyze for yourself the circumstances that lead to this feeling, which accompanying symptoms are important, in which environment does the feeling occur, can you sense a connection to other circumstances?

And what if you were to give in to the hatred? Pursue this thought in a kind of game, try to find out for yourself what this emotion is linked to, what circumstances enhance the feeling.

As a Buddhist, you should be aware that you can hate just like any other person. Only one should be able to deal with hatred, to control it, to direct it and to equalize it.

Whoever has his hatred "under control", has come one step further on the way to "enlightenment".

KNOW THAT THOSE WHO PREACH HATE TO YOU DO NOT SAVE YOU

MARIE VON EBNER-ESCHENBACH - AUSTRIAN WRITER - 1830 TO 1916

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Buddhism and the Ego

What stands in the way of our "enlightenment" is our own ego.

It is constantly chattering away, this and that are going through our mind, and the ego paints us in all kinds of situations.

Basically, there are two kinds of thoughts, "good" and "bad" ones.

Good thoughts pop into our heads when we have something to do, we have to make a plan, for how the sequence of our actions should be.

Bad thoughts occur differently. We constantly jump "mentally" from one topic to the next.

Is my girlfriend cheating on me? Is my son doing drugs? Am I doing everything right?

None of these thoughts are or were ever purposeful, how the situation really was later, we could not even begin to imagine. We only thought useless thoughts, we burdened ourselves senselessly, and the ego stood in our way (as always), and harmed us.

If we seek "enlightenment", we should deal with the ego, look at it closely and keep it under control more and more often. Because the ego feeds us with bad thoughts.

Only those who can keep the ego under control will at least come close to "enlightenment". There are certainly more steps, processes and transitions needed here; the right path also starts with just one small step.

Observe your thoughts, follow up on every single train of thought, check it for meaningfulness. And if the thought doesn't make sense, put it in a special (mental) drawer.

If this thought (or a similar one) appears again in your "thought palace", then immediately push it away into said drawer.

In the course of time you will get more and more practice in examining and classifying your thoughts.

Only pursue the thoughts that bring something, "would-have-had" or "if-if-if" brings nothing and can go away.

ONCE YOU HAVE FOUND YOURSELF, THERE IS NOTHING LEFT IN THIS WORLD TO LOSE.

STEFAN ZWEIG - AUSTRIAN WRITER - 1881 TO 1942

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Buddhism and the addictions

We know how much drugs (cigarettes, alcohol, intoxicants) harm our bodies, hurt them, even often make us look ridiculous.

When we try to limit, or stop these addictions, we often fail because our body (and/or mind) is addicted, kind of like the devil's advocate, we know about the harmfulness of drugs, but still we have to consume them.

So most of the time we can't stop our bad habits, the addiction has a firm grip on us.

To fight an addiction, we need to come to ourselves for some time, calm down and center ourselves.

This can be a form of meditation, another type of exercise, working on ourselves and our bodies (and minds).

So the important thing in fighting an addiction is that the moment of overcoming it comes, in five minutes things can look very different.

With "enlightenment" it is similar, we have to come to ourselves. We don't have to come to us forever, only in this moment, in the "here and now", later may be too late.

A miracle can start with a small idea, a different worldview can come from a short moment, whole continents are changed by thoughts, so also a short thought can help to "defeat" the addiction forever, or to "keep" it forever.

Everything depends on our thinking, if we think that "to stop smoking" is so difficult, then it will not happen, if we think that we have also made the decision to start in five seconds, then, yes then, we can also decide to stop again in five seconds.

Even a huge tree grew from a small seed, so "just do it"!

QUITTING SMOKING IS EASY AS PIE. I HAVE DONE IT A HUNDRED TIMES

MARK TWAIN - AMERICAN WRITER - 1835 TO 1910

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Buddhism and the Pope

Right now the web is full of opinions about the Pope.

A believer called him to her, the pope slapped her on the hand.

Now, however, the question arises as to why there is so much excitement. What must he be like, the Pope? Is he not allowed to show human reactions? Must he conform to the ideas we have of a pope, of a "Vicar of God"?

And why must he not react indignantly? After all, he is an elderly gentleman, and the woman has selfishly "claimed" him.

But whether her or his behavior is or was right or wrong is not the point here. I am writing here about the ideas we have of the Pope, or even of Buddha.

How has or should he be, what is our expectation, and what happens if our expectation is not fulfilled then?

In the imagination of the Western world, Buddha was a peaceful, meditating man who radiated wisdom and goodness, did not do evil things, took upon himself the worries and needs of all mankind.

But Buddha was also a normal man; he was married, had a child. Our ideas about him are probably often wrong. His greatest achievement was reaching "enlightenment," the state of awakening.

His "enlightenment" makes Buddha a role model for us to this day; his actions and speeches explain "awakening," but our conceptions make Buddha a god.

Buddha explicitly said that he did not want to be worshipped.

He was an ordinary man (albeit with enlightenment); our imaginations often lead us astray.

It is exactly the same with the Pope; our expectations of him are perhaps too high. He is not a saint and he does not have to be.

IT PAINS ME WHEN I SEE A PRIEST OR A NUN WITH THE LATEST AUTOMOBILE

POPE FRANCISCUS - HEAD OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH - B. 1936

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Woulda, woulda, woulda, please no bike chain

Would have, would have, please no bicycle chain

What if my wife hadn't left me, if I hadn't quit my job, if I hadn't drunk so much beer yesterday!

"Would have, would have, would have!"

From a Buddhist point of view, such thoughts are simply nonsense. It always comes as it must come, fate is predetermined, "what if thoughts" lead to no result.

Should I have taken this turn, or should I have taken a different direction?

If I had not said this and that, would the argument with my son not have escalated?

We have to live in the "here" and "now", the past has already passed, the future is uncertain, no matter how we imagine a coming situation, it won't happen that way anyway.

"WE ARE WHAT WE THINK. EVERYTHING WE ARE IS CREATED FROM OUR THOUGHTS. WITH OUR THOUGHTS WE SHAPE THE WORLD." "DO NOT DWELL ON THE PAST, DO NOT DREAM ABOUT THE FUTURE."

BUDDHA -

Our thoughts correspond to "would have, would have, would have."

In retrospect, did it ever do any good, the "would have, would have, would have"?

There we should be completely honest with ourselves, not lie to ourselves.

Nothing has come of it. These "would-have-been thoughts" were always useless.

Buddha's goal in life was to experience "enlightenment".

Win big step on the way to "enlightenment" is to banish this "would have, would have, would have" from our thoughts, to really live in the "here and now" and to silence our thoughts chattering away, to experience this "aha moment", if we would at least sometimes switch off the thinking (would have, would have, would have) that our ego produces.

Buddha experienced "enlightenment" and I know people who have also succeeded in doing so.

Buddha said that all people have "enlightenment" within them, but it has been "buried" but can be rediscovered.

I know that this is the truth! The only truth beside which other things simply pale.

THE SHORTEST WORDS, NAMELY "YES" AND "NO" REQUIRE THE MOST REFLECTION

PYTHAGORAS OF SAMOS - GREEK PHILOSOPHER - 570 TO 510 B. CHR.

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Nirvana is for All

Buddhism with Heaven and Hell - Nirvana is for Everyone

In Western culture, we think in terms of "heaven" and "hell."

Food was heavenly; living with my wife is pure hell, or heaven on earth.

We know exactly what "heaven" and "hell" mean.

But what do "heaven" and "hell" mean to a Buddhist?

From the Buddhist point of view, there is neither "heaven" nor "hell", because this already presupposes a "thinking", a division of things into "good" or "bad", into "evil" or "right".

As a Buddhist, one should look at things, but not judge them.

The ego makes the decisions for us, but the Buddha's way was to silence the ego, to stop having to put up with the ego chattering away all the time.

Not to judge, but to accept things and people as they are, to live in the "now" and in the "here".

Nirvana" is the state of nothingness, thinking and evaluating are over, the chattering ego is silenced, there is no more I, nothing exists.

I am then in Nirvana when I have no more desires, feel no more limits.

Nirvana is "heaven" and "hell" in the same land, in the same mind.

It depends on the way of looking at it, on the point of view.

So if you don't think in categories like "heaven" and "hell", but only "assume", then you are in Nirvana!

We have the Nirvana in us! Do we find it?

FATE TAKES NOTHING THAT HAS NOT BEEN GIVEN

LUCIUS ANNAEUS SENECA - ROMAN PHILOSOPHER - 1 TO 65

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The switch is within us!

What does Buddhism bring to people in the West?

In many households in the West there is a Buddha, a statue, a painting.

Even at the well-known furniture discounter from Sweden you can find an image of the Indian prince in almost every ensemble.

When I ask people what they associate with the image of Buddha, the answer usually comes: peace, tranquility, balance.

Deeper knowledge about the life story, the deeds and the work of the enlightened are not present, also many people do not really care. Even the Buddha's birth name is mostly unknown.

So what do so many people in the West associate with the statue in their living room?

Just the sight of the Buddha meditating peacefully brings many people something positive in their daily lives. Buddha shows us another world, not hectic, but at rest, focused within, spared from the mischief of the world.

In this day and age we have lost our connection to the divine, the sight of Buddha can show us a new path.

I would argue that every person who is attracted to the image of Buddha also feels an interest in Buddhism within himself.

But how can we learn more about the Buddha's teaching? Buddha's teaching includes as its core message the attainment of "enlightenment."

The first and central question we have to ask ourselves is whether this goal is also interesting for us, whether we want to concern ourselves with "awakening".

If we answer this question in the affirmative, then the further stages will arise for us as if by themselves.

"Enlightenment" is certainly possible for each of us.

Each of us has a house or an apartment, but where is the switch?

The switch is within us!

I AM SO FAST THAT WHEN I FLIPPED THE LIGHT SWITCH IN THE HOTEL ROOM LAST NIGHT, I WAS IN BED BEFORE THE LIGHT WAS OFF

MUHAMMAD ALI - BOXER - 1942 TO 2016

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Happiness and Buddhism

AS LONG AS YOU ARE CHASING HAPPINESS,

YOU ARE NOT READY TO BE HAPPY,

AND WOULD EVERYTHING DEAREST TO YOU.

HERMANN HESSE -

The search for happiness is a natural pursuit of every human being.

But everyone has a different idea of happiness, his own desires.

Those who study Buddhism usually already have a completely different idea of happiness than many other people.

But what is happiness?

A golden watch? A new house or car? A new love affair?

Hermann Hesse, Chan monks from Korea, Bodhidharma and Buddha, all these great masterminds tell us that happiness or unhappiness does not come to us through circumstances, but is made by "our heart", by our inner being. Nobody can make me happy or sad, only I myself make this feeling, it rises from my ego.

For example, if I am unhappy in love and I look at the moon, I become even sadder. So does the moon make me sadder? No, I do it myself; the unhappiness comes from me.

But when I am happily in love and so look at the moon, I become even happier. So does the moon make me happy? No, I do it myself, the happiness comes from me.

BODHIDHARMA (THE FOUNDER OF CHAN (ZEN) BUDDHISM SAID, "一切唯心造" - "EVERYTHING IS IDEALLY MADE".

So depending on my point of view, things, circumstances or people can affect me emotionally.

So what if I change my point of view, much like Buddha did?

The consequences of every action are already in the action itself.

George Orwell - British writer - 1903 to 1950

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108 Prostrations and Buddhism

108 Prostrations - Another Form of Yoga and Meditation

Prostrations" is a sequence of movements that begins with standing in an upright position, then the practitioner slowly goes down on his knees, rests them (on a cushion), stretches his hands forward, the back makes a "cat hump", the palms of the hands turn upward, the head now rests on the floor.

Accompanying this comes from a tape (or "live" from a teacher) a "clap" sound. According to Buddhist tradition, a bamboo stick hollowed out in the middle is used for this purpose, producing a characteristic sound. "Clap" and down, "clap" and up again, 108 times.

Why "108"? The number "108" is considered to have great relevance in Buddhism. It represents the wholeness of existence, for example the distance between the sun and the moon is 108 times the diameter of the sun.

BUDDHIST MALAS (PRAYER CHAINS) HAVE 108 BEADS.

IN SANSKRIT, 108 IS THE "HARSHAD" NUMBER, A "LUCKY CHARM".

IN BUDDHISM, THE NUMBER "108" REPRESENTS THE "108 FEELINGS". THE SIX SENSES (SIGHT, SMELL, TASTE, TOUCH, HEARING AND CONSCIOUSNESS)

TIMES THREE BEAUTIFUL, PAINFUL AND NEUTRAL FEELINGS

TIMES TWO INWARD AND OUTWARD FEELINGS

TIMES THREE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE FEELINGS

SO 36 PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE FEELINGS MAKE THE NUMBER "108", THE "108 FEELINGS".

THE TIBETANS HAVE 108 HOLY BOOKS.

IN ISLAM, THE NUMBER 108 REFERS TO ALLAH.

IN THE BIBLE, MANY IMPORTANT WORDS ARE MENTIONED EXACTLY 108 TIMES.

IN TAOISM, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT STYLES HAS 108 POSITIONS.

The "108 prostrations" are a tradition in Buddhist temples in Asia. In some temples in China and Asia, there are even monks who make 1080 or even 3240 prostrations daily.

During the prostrations one "throws oneself down" in front of the Buddha sculptures, one makes oneself small and thus does not take oneself "so important" anymore.

Since it is known that each of us is a Buddha, because we carry the "Buddha-nature" in us, the participants prostrate themselves with it before themselves, and not before the sculptures. These are only a symbol, a metaphor.

The "108 prostrations" also have components beneficial to health, it is also a basic "Qi Gong form".

Blood circulation is stimulated by this exercise, which is very unusual for the human body. Touching" the floor with the head brings more blood to this important part of the human body. When the body is subsequently raised up again, the blood goes back, and when the body is raised down again, the blood goes back to the head, a constant cycle. This stimulates the blood circulation in the upper body more than comparable cardiovascular exercises.

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The desire

Who doesn't know it, the desire?

Imagine you really want something. I have an acquaintance who always wants the latest iPhone. As soon as it's presented to him, he's hooked, and as soon as he can, he orders it home.

His desire is satisfied for the time being. By the time the phone arrives at his house, he's no longer asking for it, now he's looking forward to it. After all, he knows he now owns an iPhone, he doesn't have to desire it anymore.

But what about the desire, this feeling? Where does it come from, and what happens when I own the object, where does the desire go?

Desire, after all, has to come about somehow. Why does he want just this phone, and no other?

The simple answer is that the craving was in us before the phone even came on the market (in fact, it always has been), so when it is satisfied, it stays in us, much like a little internal poison dwarf that gnaws at us when the time is right.

This desire remains in us, even if the momentary desire has been satisfied, until the next time when the poison dwarf can make itself felt again.

The poison dwarf is ourselves; our ego wants the new phone and produces the desire.

The ego determines the desire, works in our head, and reports back over and over again.

Our ego turns to the next thought after the desire is satisfied. Until the poison dwarf appears again.

And this poison dwarf can demand something completely different from other persons instead of a telephone, drugs, alcohol or money, power or sex, or whatever.

So we should question where this particular desire is coming from and how far we can tolerate this desire.

THINK ONCE BEFORE YOU GIVE, THINK TWICE BEFORE YOU ACCEPT, AND A THOUSAND TIMES BEFORE YOU DEMAND.

MARIE VON EBNER-ESCHENBACH - AUSTRIAN WRITER - 1830 TO 1916

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Buddhism and Problems

IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM, TRY TO SOLVE IT. IF YOU CAN'T SOLVE IT, DON'T MAKE IT A PROBLEM.

BUDDHA -

We all have problems, we think about the problems, our lives are full of problems. What we are looking for are answers and solutions to our problems.

But most of the time we don't find answers because the next "problem" is already occupying our brain.

So what we have to learn is to solve one problem after another. Or as Buddha said, to stop thinking of this problem as a problem when we can't solve it.

But how do you solve a problem, what is the answer to the question that is bothering me so much.

Honestly, the solution to any problem is quite simple, after all, the answer to a question already lies in the question itself.

How we ask ourselves a question, alone in it lies the answer!

For example, the question: "does she love me?" shows that she does not love me as I wish, otherwise this question would not arise.

So - quite simply - the question already contains the answer.

And always one problem at a time. Force yourself to solve one problem and only then take care of the next question. One thing after the other!

The answer is always already in the question.

The solution does not come from outside, but from within.

The answer does not come from Buddha, the answer is already within us.

NO PROBLEM WILL BE SOLVED IF WE WAIT IDLY FOR GOD TO TAKE CARE OF IT.

MARTIN LUTHER KING - AMERICAN BAPTIST PASTOR - 1929 TO 1968

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Is it okay to do yoga if you are a Buddhist?

THE CARPENTER WORKS THE WOOD

THE ARCHER BENDS THE BOW

THE WISE MAN SHAPES HIMSELF

BUDDHA -

Again and again I hear questions such as, "as a Buddhist, is it allowed to do this or that?"

My answer is always: as a Buddhist you are allowed to do everything!

If you believe in karma, everything is already written anyway.

It is written whether I cause an accident tomorrow, whether a person gets hurt in the process. Everything is written, no matter how we try, our destiny will come to us exactly as it should.

The teachings of Buddha tell us how we should behave in principle, that is undisputed. Am I a bad Buddhist just because I sometimes don't follow them? Or because I try, sincerely try, to be a good person, but sometimes fail at it?

The answer is NO!

Buddha taught not to judge, not to judge. Not even about myself.

In other faiths there are priests who tell followers what to do. My mother always says:

"I THINK THE CONCEPT OF GOD IS GREAT, IT'S JUST HIS PERSONALITY THAT BOTHERS ME".

Buddhism is about striving for "enlightenment", for the very individual form of the highest knowledge. We have to reach this state on our own, a teacher can show us the way, we have to walk it ourselves.

As a Buddhist you have a good inner feeling what you should do, what you are allowed to do, small setbacks in life are part of it, on the journey to enlightenment not everything always goes smoothly.

You should not feel guilty then, just do it better on the next occasion, that's already a lot achieved.

Buddhism is not guilt-ridden, the path to the goal is the journey, and this journey is about appreciating the beauty of the path, not immediately demanding success and perfection. And not hating yourself for making mistakes.

When my body wants to do yoga, that sensation belongs to me, I have to pursue it to feel it, to experience it.

I do yoga almost an hour every day, and I feel infinite happiness doing it.

As I have understood the words of Buddha, there is no "good" and no "bad", no "form" and no "emptiness".

So there is no yoga either!

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Buddhism and the climate wave

Do what you want, but not because you have to - Buddha -

A new wave is sweeping over the world, the climate wave.

Driven by missionary zeal, new thought prohibitions are coming into fashion. Masterminds of this movement are the so-called "green" parties, with the infallible Gretel as a bandwagon.

More and more extremist views of persons, who are unrestrictedly convinced of their position, want to force their opinion on other people, to control the climate topic via deadly arguments in all areas of life.

The "climate consensus" in science is named a sacred cow. The last consensus in science that I know of was that the earth was a disc. Since then, I don't think science has agreed on anything.

Often I am asked what I think about this whole thing.

Generally, this earth and our environment are to be protected without reservation.

But it can neither be that there are "prohibitions of thinking", nor that one side proclaims here for itself that its opinion is the only correct one, and therefore the other side must be silent.

The noble eightfold path of the Buddha has its guiding principles:

Right knowledge,

Right mind, or right resolve,

Right speech,

Right action and conduct.

But what is right cognition, what is right resolve, what is right speech and right conduct?

The problem of environmental pollution is well known, rivers pollute, animals die, and people suffer. To recognize this is not difficult.

But is climate change, man-made? That is nevertheless probably a little highly seized. Do we humans have the power to change this earth in such a sustainable way that even the climate changes?

I don't think so.

I am soon 60 years on this world, and there have always been hot summers and cold winters. About 40 years ago (on 8. 8. 1975), the Bild newspaper ran the following front-page story: "40 degrees heat - Now the weather is becoming life-threatening".

METEOROLOGISTS ARE PEOPLE WHO KNOW A LOT ABOUT GEOPHYSICS, THERMODYNAMICS, AND CLIMATOLOGY AND ALMOST NOTHING ABOUT TOMORROW'S WEATHER.

RON KRITZFELD - GERMAN APHORIST - B. 1921

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What makes Chan Buddhism?

Chan was founded by the Indian monk Bodhidharma (short: Damo) about 500 AD in the Song Shan Shaolin Temple. Chan became known in the West under the Japanese term Zen.

The meditating Buddha as a statue or effigy is today often equated with Chan. Damo's philosophy was based on the teachings of Buddha. Damo also rejected the worship of statues and images established after the Buddha's passing.

According to Damo, the central element of the teaching of the historical Buddha is the enlightenment to be sought, which is to be achieved through meditation and reflection. Damo rejected the study of scriptures of any kind.

According to him, the transmission of Buddhism should take place exclusively "personally" (today called "Dharma talk"). In this process, a master does not instruct his disciples on the content of scriptures, but directly guides the followers in conversations by repeating the core statements (mainly "enlightenment").

According to Damo, an important element in this process is meditation, in which the students immerse themselves in a form of "spiritual emptiness" in order to make room for the "true teachings" of Buddha.

However, meditation (even more so in the lotus position) is more than difficult for the average European, since in the West the tradition of eating, drinking or conversing cross-legged on the floor does not exist. Just to hold the cross-legged position calmly and relaxed, "Westerners" usually need years of practice, while Asians are used to this sitting position from early youth. So to find enlightenment, Europeans would first have to learn "sitting" over a long time, and then practice meditation for more years.

According to Damo, the goal should be the unity of the mind with the "Buddha nature", which can only be achieved in existence. According to this view, every human being is a Buddha, only that the realization has been "buried" and must first be rediscovered.

From the Chan culture of Damo two different schools developed, the northern and the southern view. The southern doctrine prevailed, which understands enlightenment as an "event coming towards one", while the northern one was mainly based on meditation.

Probably the most important representative of the "Chan doctrine" was Hui Neng, a successor of Damo.

If you look at the life story of Buddha, you start to wonder.

The Indian prince left his palace to find the "meaning of life". In the process, he met several important masters who shaped his views and gave him a certain direction.

For many years, however, Buddha meditated without experiencing enlightenment. Half-starved and in a kind of trance state for months, he had actually already given up on his goal when a woman handed him a bowl of rice soup.

YOU AND I - WE ARE ONE. I CAN'T HURT YOU WITHOUT HURTING MYSELF

MAHATMA GANDHI - INDIAN LAWYER - 1869 TO 1948

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Buddhism in connection with friends and family ...

...or: No human being is an island.

We live with countless other people in our daily lives. Friends and family come very close to us.

As Buddhists (or people interested in Buddhism), we are often faced with the question of how we should treat our loved ones in our daily lives.

Should we be lenient, or assertive? How do we bring our beliefs into our daily interactions?

Should we address grievances, or better keep quiet?

The path of Buddha was the path of the middle, but also the path to truth.

What is true may be said, yes, it must be said. As a Buddhist, one should (always) tell the truth.

From experience I know that problems do not disappear if you "keep quiet" about them.

But: always with a proper amount of kindness; our words and actions must show the love we feel for our "loved ones".

We should always point out solutions, never being too determinate, always friendly but determined in the matter.

The most important thing is that a Buddhist life results in the creation of an example. "Preaching water and drinking wine" is certainly the wrong approach.

Show those around you how you approach things from your Buddhist worldview. Actions speak louder than words.

If you come to the conclusion that it can make sense to talk about the philosophy of Buddha, then do so. But do not impose the teaching on anyone.

Find the necessary and important time to take care of your loved ones, to do things together that are important to everyone.

Be responsive to needs and preferences, inclinations and desires.

And remember: what is true must be said!

SOMETIMES I THINK WE ARE NOT A FAMILY, BUT A BIOLOGICAL EXPERIMENT

AL BUNDY - FICTIONAL CHARACTER FROM A US SITCOM

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Buddhism - The Message

The message of Buddhism, which is also to bring enlightenment here, is characterized by wisdom and knowledge.

The wisdom of the right way. I would like to try, as briefly and understandably as possible, to reproduce here at least a part of the essential contents of Buddha's teaching, the Dharma.

Everybody, or most of us, have heard a lot about Buddhist concepts, and some of them have entered our language, for example terms like "karma" or "nirvana". But what is behind them? Now, it is not possible to go into everything in detail here, and for some terms I do not want to do it at all. If I wanted to explain "Nirvana", it would be as if I wanted to describe the color theory as a blind man.

The goal of Buddhism is liberation from suffering through knowledge. Compassion and humanity are qualities that relieve us from the cycle of eternal rebirths, and this only with the help of our own will and mind.

When about 2500 years ago Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha (which means the "enlightened one"), found "enlightenment" under a Bodhi tree, and thereby freed himself from all ignorance, he subsequently showed all people the way to highest and lasting happiness. Here, we best begin with the "marks of being":

"Anicca": everything is transient!

This is an indisputable fact, scientists already calculate us the end of this planet and the solar system, even if only in millions or billions of years.

"Dukkha": Life is suffering!

"Anatta": The doctrine of the "I-lessness", the "not-self".

From the "characteristics of being" the "four noble truths" are derived:

the truth of suffering

Which brings us back to the point, life is suffering. This is an undisputed, even if gladly suppressed fact. But just because we do not want to admit the uncomfortable, it is nevertheless true. The inescapable fate we face is birth, illness, old age and death. Being away from the people and things we love. Being with those who are repugnant to us, and the desire for the unattainable. The sensations are different, sorrowful or not. But nevertheless, it is undeniable that there is no life without these things. So it is fair to say, life is suffering! Now it is not that there is nothing that makes us happy or gives us pleasure, only it does not last, and true happiness requires permanence. As much as we enjoy something, we can't keep it, no matter how hard we try. It ends. And since we cannot hold anything in the last analysis, we suffer.

2 The Truth of the Cause of Suffering

3 The Truth of Overcoming Suffering

The Truth of the Way to Overcome Suffering

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Don't worry, be happy - or: how do I become free!

We all know the song, but do we know the message?

Already when we hear the song we feel good. Our body starts to move, everyone I know this song puts a smile on their face.

And the words of Buddha have the same effect on us.

Without thinking, our mood changes, we become positive.

What felt bad suddenly feels good.

The facts and our counterpart have not changed, but our way of looking at things is different.

This happens without thinking, it happens "by itself".

If the mother or the boss says: "don't worry about it", "relax", "it will be alright", then we take new courage and suddenly everything is not so bad anymore.

Buddha also said "don't worry, be happy", but in a different context.

We know the power of these words, but we don't use them for ourselves.

So, why don't we use these words? Maybe once on a trial basis, just for a day?

Of all the worries I had, most did not materialize

Sven Hedin - Swedish Geographer - 1865 to 1952

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The 108 Temples Tour or the Journey of the Chan Knights

108 TT

or the journey of the Chan Knights

"Sometimes I am a master, sometimes a disciple, it depends with whom I exchange my energy," said the wise monk.

The 108 Temples Tour is to visit the 108 sacred Buddhist sites in Nepal, India, China, Tibet, Korea, Bhutan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Japan, and will end at Shaolin Temple China. It traces the journey of the Buddhist teaching, from its foundation by the historical Buddha Siddharta Gautama, to its expression in modern times, following both historical routes and dates, and contemporary development.

Protagonists:

Protagonists of the journey are Shi Heng Zong, Taema Jun as well as Rainer Deyhle (Shaolin Rainer), and other Chan followers. Taema Jun is a Korean meditation master who, following a dream, meditated for seven years in the Shaolin Temple China, striving for "enlightenment". There he met Rainer Deyhle, who founded the Shaolin Temple Germany and also meditates himself. Shi Heng Zong leads the Shaolin Temple Europe in Kaiserslautern as abbot. Today these disparate people are brothers in spirit and follow the teachings of Buddha and the teachings of his 28th patriarch, Bodhidharma, who is considered the founder of Chan (Zen) Buddhism.

Why a 108 Temple Tour?

The Buddhists Shi Heng Zong, Taema Jun and Rainer Deyhle want to look at the work and teachings of the historical Buddha and his 28th successor (Bodhidharma) in a new light. They see this journey as a kind of "Buddhist Dr.", want to absorb the energy of the holy sites, meet wise masters on the journey, exchange and meditate with them, and then carry this energy back home with them. At each temple, the protagonists want to make "108 prostrations" to honor Buddha.

Locomotion:

The participants of the 108 temples tour will travel together by bus (tour bus).

Start:

The journey will start from the birthplace of Buddha, Kavilavatsu, in the foothills of the Himalayas, in present-day Nepal. Another important stop will be the "Buddha Tree" under which Siddharta once found his enlightenment. The tree stands on the banks of the Nairanjana River, near the village of Uruvela, now Bodh Gaya.

Other possible stops on the trip:

The 108 temples tour will include Varanasi (first proclamation of Buddha's teachings, the first Sangha), the bamboo forest at Rajagrita (King Bimbisara gave Buddha a bamboo forest), the town of Shravatsi (Buddha taught there; today Jetavana Monastery), the place of Kushinagara near Lambini (Buddha's place of death), the 8 stupas with Buddha's relics (Buddha's relics were distributed in eight stupas in Rajagriha, Vaishali, Kapilavastu, Allakappa, Ramagrama, Pava, Kushinagar and Vethapida).

After venerating the most important sites of the Buddha, the protagonists follow the life path of Bodhidharma. The birthplace of the monk, the temple where he became a monk and other important sites of his life in India will be visited.

Furthermore, the protagonists will follow the journey of Bodhidharma to China, from India by ship to Guangdong (Canton) to the former imperial city of Nanking, to the Shaolin Temple China.

The climax and end point of the journey is the arrival at the Shaolin Temple China, where Bodhidharma meditated for nine years. In the cave of Bodhidharma, the protagonists will now make 1080 prostrations to absorb the special energy of the place.

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Diamond Sutra - Chapter III "The Venerable Buddha spoke."

Buddha asked:

"WHAT DO YOU THINK, DISCIPLE, IS THERE ANY DHARMA (LAW OR TEACHING, OR EVEN BASIC PART OF THE WORLD, E.G., NIRVANA) THAT I TEACH?"

THE DISCIPLE REPLIED, "THE BUDDHA HAS NOTHING TO TEACH, FROM-THE-WORLD-WORSHIPPER."

WHY DID THE HISTORICAL BUDDHA ASK HIS DISCIPLE THIS QUESTION?

BECAUSE EMPTY IS FORM, AND FORM IS EMPTY.

WHEN A DHARMA LECTURE WAS GIVEN, IT REALLY MEANS THAT THERE WAS NO LECTURE. THE TRUTH CANNOT BE GRASPED, NOR CAN IT BE EXPRESSED.

NEITHER DOES IT EXIST, NOR DOES IT NOT EXIST!

THIS IS THE PRINCIPLE OF ALL WISDOM

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Diamond Sutra Chapter II

Chapter II

THE VENERABLE BUDDHA SAID, "FROM-THE-WORLD-WORSHIPPER, WILL THERE BE PEOPLE IN THE FUTURE WHO WILL HAVE REAL FAITH IN YOUR TEACHINGS JUST BECAUSE THEY HEAR ABOUT THEM?"

VENERABLE BUDDHA SAID, "HUNDREDS OF YEARS FROM NOW, PEOPLE WILL STILL ENJOY MY WORDS, AND SOME WILL ALSO FIND ENLIGHTENMENT. TO PUT TRUST ONLY IN WORDS SEEMS DIFFICULT AT FIRST, BUT FAITH AND TRUST ARE GOOD COMPANIONS ON THE WAY TO TRUTH."

"BEFORE ME AND AFTER ME, PEOPLE WILL PLANT THE GOOD SEED, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF BUDDHAS PROCLAIMED AND CONTINUE TO PROCLAIM THE TEACHING OF OVERCOMING SUFFERING."

SO WHAT DID THE BUDDHA WANT TO TELL HIS DISCIPLE?

ALL PEOPLE CAN BE OR BECOME BUDDHAS IF THEY WANT TO.

ENLIGHTENMENT IS NOT AN EXCLUSIVE RIGHT RESERVED ONLY FOR THE HISTORICAL BUDDHA; ON THE CONTRARY, THIS PATH IS OPEN TO EVERY HUMAN BEING. EVEN BEFORE THE BUDDHA THERE WERE ENLIGHTENED PEOPLE, AND AFTER HIS PASSING THERE WERE AND ARE OTHERS.

IN ORDER TO REACH THIS DESIRABLE STAGE (A HAPPY LIFE WITHOUT SUFFERING), HOWEVER, ONE MUST FIRST GIVE IT A CHANCE.

WHAT IF THE HISTORICAL BUDDHA WAS TELLING THE TRUTH, IF THERE REALLY IS A BUDDHA SLUMBERING IN ALL PEOPLE?

GIVE THE PHILOSOPHY 24 HOURS, TRY TO LIVE A WHOLE DAY ACCORDING TO THE TEACHINGS.

WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE TO LOSE? NO ONE WILL NOTICE, JUST FOR YOURSELF!

PUT REAL TRUST IN THE WORDS OF THE SUBLIME FOR 24 HOURS, TRY TO MAKE YOUR THOUGHTS FREE, NOT TO JUDGE AND NOT TO CLING TO ANYTHING, JUST ONCE AS A TEST, FOR ONE DAY.

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Diamond Sutra

"The venerable Buddha spoke"

newly interpreted by Shaolin-Rainer

The Diamond Sutra records dialogues of question and answer between the historical Buddha and one of his disciples (the Subhūti).

This sutra can be compared to the Bible or the Koran in terms of its importance. Buddhist core sentences are formative in this work. "Form is emptiness - emptiness is form" is the central statement here.

The authenticity of all words of the Diamond Sutra could not be confirmed beyond doubt until today, it can only be assumed who was the author, and whether the content was 'glossed' or even 'instrumentalized'. However, it is certain that the philosophy of the historical Buddha is passed on here at least in the sense after.

Translated, the title means something like "The perfection of wisdom, which is so sharp that it can split even a diamond".

The first time the Diamond Sutra was 'written down' was in Tibet (about 600 years before Gutenberg printed the first Bible in Germany).

After studying the Diamond Sutra, the seeker should no longer see only the surface, but look behind events, phenomena and people.

How we perceive something is how it appears to us. But appearance is not always being.

For people of modern times, the original text falls out of today's world, is written in a language of a bygone era, which seems antiquated and takes away the fun of reading. In its original version, not many interested people find access to the words and worldview of the historical Buddha.

Therefore, I have taken the liberty of dressing the Buddha's words in modern sentences.

Chapter I "The venerable Buddha said".

"Disciple, you must know that the meaning of my teachings is beyond thoughts and words".

So what was the Buddha trying to tell his disciple?

In my opinion, what is meant here is the self-energy that springs from words, thoughts, people or even things.

A glass of water has hardly energy, a wave however already. Both is only H2O.

Where is the logic here, how do the states behave among themselves?

Some words spread like a "wildfire" (I have a dream), others fade away unheard in the room.

Some thoughts change whole countries and regions (Marx - Das Kapital), others evaporate on the way to the bathroom.

Some people have self-energy (for example Muhammad Ali), others cannot tie their own shoes.

Even some things have their own energy, self-energy. For example, a special work of art like the Mona Lisa. Thousands of people want to see it, the picture next to it goes down completely.

And if emptiness is form, and form is emptiness, what does that mean in our daily lives? What is the meaning beyond thoughts and words?

The disciple's first question in the question and answer game with the teacher was, Exalted One, what is the best way to direct the mind? The venerable Buddha spoke, disciple, by overcoming suffering. One who overcomes suffering can attain nirvana. But no one can get beyond all suffering; suffering will always remain a part of human beings. But the way we deal with suffering can be changed. Good is not always good, and bad is not always bad. Depending on how we look at it, whether with serenity or in anger, the result of looking at the same thing can even change the thing itself completely.

Emptiness is form, and form is emptiness.

A gifted football coach said: "like bottle empty".

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Bodhidharma

Who was Bodhidharma?

Bodhidharma was a Buddhist monk and the founder of the Shaolin Temple; for this reason, he will be told about it here. As with all historical figures, stories continue to be "embellished" and "made more vivid" from generation to generation.

Bodhidharma (short: Damo) lived approximately from 444 to 529 AD; he was born in India or Persia and is said to have had blue eyes, which is why Chinese chronicles called him the "blue-eyed devil". He was also trained in martial arts, such as Vajramushti (Indian style) or Pahlavani (Persian style), which subsequently had a great influence on Shaolin Kung Fu.

How Damo came into contact with the philosophy of Buddha is not known. At that time, countless monks and itinerant preachers were traveling throughout Asia to spread their teachings, but of course also to make a living. Probably Damo met a follower of Buddha, who trained him to become a Buddhist monk.

According to the understanding of that time, a monk had to live ascetic and abstemious, preach, and wander (wandering monk). Certainly, there were monasteries already at that time, but the majority of the various scholars did not find shelter in a temple. Thus, they had no choice but to earn their living by "itinerant preaching".

Damo, however, traveled much further than other Buddhist monks. He traveled across the Himalayas to China to the court of the Chinese emperor Wu-Di. The latter led China into a "golden age". Unimaginable wealth and sensational splendorous buildings made the imperial court the center of the world at that time ("China", in Chinese, means "the land of the middle").

At the emperor's court, a tradition had developed whereby Indian monks spread the teachings of Buddha in a missionary manner. Itinerant preachers had become a kind of "normality".

Standing out from this crowd was guaranteed not to be easy. Especially since the Chinese emperor was firmly anchored in Confucianism, and may have rejected Buddhist ideas. But Damo managed to reach the emperor Wu-Di with his views.

Here he seems to have succeeded in explaining to the emperor, who had distinguished himself by particularly much "good", that the doing of good works does not necessarily entail "salvation" or even "enlightenment".

Those who do positive things, because he expects advantages from them, achieve exactly the opposite. "Do good and talk about it" is said today, but the philosophy founded by Damo, his further development of Buddha's teachings, show that doing good things just to take credit for them is wrong and dishonorable.

Emperor Wu-Di is said to have given Damo the site of the present Shaolin Temple in the Song Shan Mountains, one of the five sacred mountains of China, for the propagation of his view of life. There he meditated in a cave for nine years. A practice is common in the philosophy of self-reflection derived from Mahayana Buddhism. During this time, Damo developed a subspecies of Buddhism called Chan Buddhism (better known by the Japanese term Zen). The core message of Chan is that the desired enlightenment can be achieved by sinking into meditation all by itself.

Words are illusions

Bodhidharma (short: Damo) - original quote

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Play the game

It's all right, it's often right and proper to "play the game", necessary to adapt, tell us what you know, please!

An explosion of the senses, solemnly swear to protect and defend being. Aren't we all heroes? But now is not the time for games. The situation can make you feel sick quickly, nothing is as it seems.

Maybe we should run, do we really think so? Should we take a step back, or move forward swiftly? The path is rocky, but for those in the know, it's a real joy. The rescue service would be too late anyway.

According to Buddha, the direction would be of no importance, what is important here is the path itself, the emotions and energies of the environment, from your own self, from the universe. Run for your life, the end is near. This way goes to the salvation, the enlightenment would be a beautiful experience! Everyone here is at a loss for words, people are asking questions, people are shrouding themselves in silence.

Is everything ready, it could become more hectic, violence and debauchery, prejudice and regulations. As the great teacher saw the matter, so it can be an example for us. Standing together, no matter what conviction, what could we do, we can do it too!

How does it look, do you have experience? "We" should apologize more often, "we" will get through it, do "we" show unity? The world collapses, it will then emerge anew, the supreme authority breaks its way, how do you feel about it, do you understand the events? Pretending as if nothing had happened, at least for a short time.

Again and again we analyze, do we then find a solution. Will we grow from the circumstances, let the people we love get closer to us? Scattered everywhere "we" have to proceed wisely, it always goes better, what we think, what we believe, what we know, that is unusual, also scares.

Tragedies bring people together, an animal with a big ego, that's all "we" are. Is the state of exclusivity coming now?

It is madness, but there is no clarity, the right course of action is in us, gut feeling or intuition, self-destructive, today we have other tasks as yesterday, the sections are getting shorter.

No matter how it looks, again and again "we" have to play the game, good work requires concessions, no harassment, what is our right?

Conspicuities and inconsistencies, suddenly everything is black, we can not live forever, the funeral service is coming, the speech is written, the gap comes to fruition.

The way is the goal!

If a player without luck would lose his child, his wife and all possessions?

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You are what you are

We are just the way we are, simple but robust, human existence is an obsession, ego a permanent attachment.

What are we? WHY do we like to suppress our true personality and take on a role instead, because we think that we cannot show our true self, that we should not live as and what we are.

Who we really are, we probably do not know, few people think about it, most are superficial, greedy, aggressive and they hate, precisely because they do not know who they are.

No matter how hard you try, you can never be anyone other than the person fate has designed you to be, we can't escape destiny anyway. According to Buddha, we must accept all occurrences, living beings and things as they are. We suffer because we imagine life to be different from what it is, and then we experience one disappointment after another.

Nothing we can do about it, so there is no point in being angry about things, only acceptance makes a real difference in our being.

But who knows who he/she is, few of them think about it, they just live, they go from one distraction to another, they want one pleasure after another, they have no interest in getting to the real core of the problems. The real difficulty is that "one" prefers to distract oneself, to numb oneself, that "one" tries to escape instead of facing one's own transience.

So for my part, I was very unsure of who I was for a very long time, because my life was turbulent. My time in China was very defining for me, Buddhism struck me like a bolt of lightning, here was a philosophy that spoke to me, that answered my fundamental questions, a teaching that offered me a home.

More and more the words of Buddha occupied me, the teaching penetrated me, filled me. Slowly but surely I realized who I am spiritually, namely a Buddhist.

And until today the matter has evolved, today I talk about "Buddhism in everyday life ", have become a teacher, who would have thought? Everything has changed, more and more I realize what and who I really am.

Who do you think you are? What is your role that you play? And will it stay that way, or will you give it some serious thought?

The journey is the destination!

I divide my thoughts into two groups, the category of desire, ill will and violence, which are opposite to the group of renunciation, the thoughts of benevolence and the thoughts of kindness

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Life consists of suffering

Life consists of suffering, but what is important is how we deal with suffering.

This way of dealing with difficulties and hard times makes the person we are and want to be. Who do you want to be, who are you?

I know who I am, I know the role I play in this world, from this I can conclude what changes in my habits I need to strive for in order to become better, to pursue the journey to enlightenment, and to stay there.

The history of mankind is an enormous path of suffering, destiny is predetermined, impermanence hovers over everything and everyone, there is no thought of a way out. Who is not impressed by the consequence of the way, the hardness of all circumstances, the pain, the fears and hardships.

How do you deal with the hard moments, how do you cope with the crazy times, the hole that sometimes opens up? Do you have family, or friends? Maybe a hobby, a passion? Music or movies, crafts or knitting?

Life is sad if you don't follow the Buddha's teaching, all the things we do, we do them because we don't know what else to do. The conscious mind takes breaks more and more often, subconsciously we perceive things lightheartedly, although we get nothing, understand little, can hardly keep up. But on top of that we then put our will, and that's where the suffering begins.

Children do not suffer, they are carefree, cheerful and happy. Then, at the transition to adolescence, the problems start, the hormones jump, the ego starts with the capers. And these excesses then accompany us throughout life, we are always like prisoners of our desires, disappointed when they do not come true.

Who does not wake up from his daydreams and becomes a realist, runs frustrated through life, because mostly it does not come as we hope, not as we plan, certainly not as we imagine. Only the teachings of Buddha can help here, because this philosophy frees us from everyday ballast, frees us for the exploration of our own person, as we really are, not as we dream it all to be.

Whether we suffer or not depends only on our attitude. It is a decision, not fate, that determines our path. How do I want to live, what am I willing to do something for? Do I have the discipline and courage to face the truth? Will I then also make the right decisions? If it is meant to be, it will be.

Life is a journey, the journey is the destination!

Sometimes people have to return to this world once more, in order to then put an end to suffering.

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Grasping for Wind

No matter what we humans do, nothing will really change anything, because all being in this world is finite, transient, subject to decay.

Today still young and full of strength, tomorrow already withered and frail, the philosophy of Buddha is designed to avoid human suffering, because deep inside we suffer, because we know our fate very well.

Every action can only change something for the moment, just as the moment passes, the NOW and the HERE constantly passes in the flow of the universe, new opportunities emerge, are present, pass away again.

No matter what you reach for, it is not yours. This is a truth that must first sink in, for only in this moment do we live, the treasures we accumulate, they will one day belong to another person, nothing is forever, everything is in flux.

This is exactly what Buddha was talking about, whose teaching offers a refuge to people who can no longer (or don't want to) reach for the wind, because this reaching is just as unnecessary as a parasol without sun. Because we can reach for anything, but we can't hold on to it (permanently). The sooner we understand this, the easier we will lead our existence.

It would be much more important for us to "reach" for things that are permanent, like the "enlightenment" that Buddha found a long time ago, but which is just not easy for everyone to find. The very first thing that would be necessary for this would be a good portion of courage, to name the circumstances clearly, not to take refuge in illusions, to look reality in the eye, because Buddhists are realists, not dreamers.

What I am saying here is of course difficult to "digest", because the good news of a savior would be much more comfortable, who should then also take all sins upon himself. Buddhism, however, is about self-responsibility, about awakening, about the personal path, which can by no means be walked by a teaching, but which everyone must complete himself. It is about growing and the subsequent awakening, about the liberation from the fetters of human existence.

Nothing and no one can help you in this, and deep inside you know exactly, even if the great uncertainty often makes us doubt.

Where were we before we were born?

Who are we?

Where will we go?

These questions occupy every inhabitant of the earth, everyone thinks (more or less often) about these topics, everyone knows that all grasping can only be a grasping for the wind.

The way is the goal, only the enlightenment counts!

That seeker endures heat and cold, hunger and thirst, wind, sun and snow.

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Quality of life

What do you think, how can we recognize quality of life, and if we have recognized it, can we change it, improve it?

To judge the respective quality of life is possible only for each person himself. It seems impossible to make a judgment from the outside.

Each person knows very well how this quality is in his own life, can say exactly what is the matter. But hardly anyone has even a rudimentary idea of how this level of life can be changed. All right, I'll tell you.

If you change the way you live, the quality of your life will change.

Let me give you an example: If you start injecting heroin today, then within a year you probably got rid of your job, your apartment and your environment, the new habit has radically changed your life. Your circumstances have gotten worse, your new habit (drugs) has a massive impact on the quality of your being there.

And another example: You start going to night school, subsequently catch up on your high school diploma, then study successfully, get a much better job with incomparably more money. Your circumstances are better, your new habit (studying instead of chilling) has really changed everything.

In the end, it's only habits that have changed, but they had a significant impact. You are (still) the same person, your personal identity will only change over time.

Now, not all changes in your habits have such big effects as the ones above (in my admittedly rather drastic examples).

Let's say you focus on small changes in your life first, such as having chocolate from now on only if you eat an apple first. What would happen then? Not much would have changed at first, you would still get chocolate whenever you want, but you would now consume significantly more vitamins. And on some days you would only eat the apple, you wouldn't get to the chocolate anymore, because you don't have time anymore, something came up, or for other reasons.

Or you might intentionally form different, new habits that will then (one day) make up your new personality. Readers of my blog know that everything is a decision, nothing more, nothing less.

If you make the decision to learn a language, for example, and then subsequently form the habit of doing something for it every day, then in the not too distant future you will also speak this language, experience an expanded identity.

Your quality of life is a question of your personal resolutions, which then turn into habits, which in the end also have effects.

As always, the journey is the destination!

Surpassing the radiant qualities

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Near-death experience

A near-death experience is an experience "close to" death, that is, almost dead, so to speak.

One could also express it in such a way that life itself is a continuous near-death experience, whereby the almost dead person just got away again.

The possibility to die now, in this moment, that is absolutely real, just as the chances stand for a survival, at least at the end one dies.

The religions of this world search for explanations for the fate "after death", was it that, or is there the paradise after all? Buddhism differs from monotheistic world views in that everyone involved can experience his "enlightenment", is not at the mercy of a spiritual elite.

The near-death experience is felt especially in life-threatening situations; witnesses report similar problems in their stories. One day we will all have such a near-death experience, which will then turn into a death experience, then when we die. Tunnel situations occur frequently, light apparitions occur, encounters with deceased friends or relatives creep out the audience in any horror movie.

There are plenty of opinions about it, the explanations are spiritual approaches and horror stories, film and art have invented the shudder as a genre, in any case, such an experience also impresses the psyche of those affected, dying is just something very personal.

The whole life is a simple near-death experience, because each of us has died several times FAST, often without knowing it, our privacy is vulnerable, we know our fate.

Is there a continuation of life after death, humanity wonders all the time? Will we, one way or another, live on after death? The mostly religious hope for a paradise has lost credibility, consciousness has emancipated itself.

Near-death experiences have also inspired the authors in Buddhism, the persistence beyond death forms the nucleus of the doctrine of rebirth. For to be born again the consciousness should survive at least in parts.

The experiences are mostly without body, here only the spirit ghosts without entering the beyond. What does the future bring, what will we go through? And how was the return after the near-death experience?

Have you ever almost died? And what would be your true feelings? Where did we come from, where will we go?

Such an experience gives the experience of time and space as one, which can also be a good lesson for further survival.

Either you start believing after such an experience, or you start asking questions about the meaning. In any case Buddhism has suitable answers.

The way is the goal!

To start anew at a warm destination after death

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Time 2

The (partial) move to DengFeng brought me back into contact with civilization somewhat; a long time had passed in which I lived only according to the events in the temple, getting up, washing, devotion, breakfast, training, noon, training, washing, eating, sleeping.

Suddenly all the fancy things that seemed already forgotten came back to me; alcohol and parties, women and travel, money and luxury had come back into my life. You don't get rid of these habits so easily.

Having a real shower was an indescribable luxury, even if the water wasn't always warm, having a real bed was incredible, but what was really special were the windows, where there was glass and not paper. As a Central European, you can't even imagine what something like that could be like, such a simple life. But I was fully in it, but now with some amenities.

The training was in the temple, sometimes my master and I slept there, sometimes we went with someone and spent the night in the small town, just as it suited.

Finally I was able to wash my clothes with warm water, a huge difference, by the way, clearly distinguishable by the smell. The simple life has very serious disadvantages, "one" starts to smell, no matter what "one" tries to do against it.

But what became clearer and clearer, I (also) wanted to go back to Europe, I became more and more aware that I didn't want to spend my whole existence here. My parents asked more and more clearly during the weekly phone calls when I was planning to come home again. And I began to miss the most ordinary things, especially German bread sought me out even in my dreams.

Cautiously I began to prepare my new friend (and master) for the coming farewell, more and more often the conversation came "to my time in Germany", whether I would train well there, Yan Zi asked me. It was already clear to me at this time that under no circumstances would I train eight hours a day in Europe, the possibility did not exist here. But I promised my master to practice as often as possible. Even then I knew deep inside that I would not do that. But I wanted to continue to train. In what form, we would see.

The farewell was just around the corner, that was noticeable, the mood became queasy. Wistfulness spread, we were a good team, we got along first class, who knows what the future will bring, whether we may meet again. Today my master Shi Yan Zi runs Shaolin Temple London, but back then we didn't know if we would ever see each other again. The cover picture of this post is the farewell picture with my master and a friend in front of the temple, my master got my sunglasses, a souvenir of our time together.

Preparations for my departure were made, we informed the Grand Master Shi Yong Xin (now the abbot of the temple), the day was approaching. Before I knew it I was in a cab, then on my way to Beijing. There I booked myself into a luxury American hotel at the airport and sat down in the restaurant where I filled my belly for over two hundred dollars. Never in my life have I eaten so much again, I was so hungry.

From there I got a connection to Germany where my family picked me up at the airport. I felt like I was in a fake movie, the experience was surreal.

The road was and is my goal!

Find a circuit that I would not have passed through on my long journeys yet

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Time

Time passed in the monastery, and everyday life became a sequence of habits. My master reminded me that it was my habits that would define my outward appearance, which of course would provide insight into my "true" person.

Getting up, getting dressed, spirituality, washing, eating, exercising, eating, washing, spirituality, undressing, sleeping. Get up, get dressed, spirituality, washing, eating, day trip, eating, back to the monastery, undressing, sleeping, Get up, get dressed, spirituality, washing, eating, training, eating, washing, spirituality, undressing, sleeping.

The habits were simple, it was a very meditative life, with no real goals, the path was the goal! Today it is completely different, too many habits spoil the character!

Weeks turned into months, always on the days off we were in the provincial capital of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, which is considered by most Chinese to be the region of origin of Chinese culture and nation; Lao Tzu, for example, comes from there. There we usually ate delicious food, I was also able to get hold of European provisions (quite exhausting at that time), finally reached my parents by phone (in a time without cell phones).

We got used to more ambitious destinations for our days off, no longer just the big city, but nature and temples, history and spirituality. For example, we were in Kaifeng, one of the ancient capitals in the history of China, we visited other temples, met different monks and friends.

I was not aware of the time, already too long I was here, more than half a year, it was getting cold in the mountains. Without heating I had never spent a single day, what consequences of this one can not imagine, what tracks to follow, what concessions it requires, such a life, in Europe we like it just cozy warm. The sanitary conditions were thus very limited, who likes to take off all clothes in the cold. Mainly we washed at the stream, the toilets were full of tourists, dirty and without privacy, there was the nature better.

I had followed a myth here to China, the details were not important, but with time I began to miss the HOUSING from the affluent society. My desires began to bother me again, the ego demanded changes in habits, variety, partying and diversion.

I persuaded my master Yan Zi to rent a small hotel room in the small town of Deng Feng. Finally a shower of our own, even if there was rarely hot water, mixed in a vat with hot tea water but still feasible. Here there were also better restaurants, we had always eaten only in the temple or in the stalls around. Unfortunately, I have from this time only a few photos, too many moves, too much ballast, because the way is the goal!

Were the fruits bigger at that time?

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Habits and Attachments

Somehow habits and attachments are connected, they also occur together.

Habits are very useful to us humans because the things we do out of habit are no longer a "burden" on the brain. Habits we have developed over years and decades, we have set up certain behavioral patterns, which we repeat in suitable moments, so we can direct our "thoughts" to other issues, keeping the capacity free for new issues that are important NOW (or we think they are important).

If we would think all the time about every step and every hand movement, then there would be no (or only little) capacity for current decisions, we could hardly devote ourselves to new things, not improve, not develop further.

On the other hand, habits are sometimes detrimental, as spontaneity and the love of life are often curbed. But there is a middle way, between routine and freedom of choice. Buddha urged to re-evaluate again and again, but precisely not to carve a judgment in rock, not to cultivate preconceived judgments (prejudices).

He who cannot maintain a healthy balance between his habits and his freedom of choice will forever chase after money, health, love, security, the everyday things of life.

But those who also bring peace and tranquility into their lives with sensible habits will be able to continue to develop.

The prerequisite, however, is to also think about the habits, to really deal with these habitual actions, to get to the bottom of them. Why do I do this (or that) so and so, why not differently? Are there other possibilities? Can I (perhaps) improve myself?

With attachments it is similar, once we attach to something (or someone), then this quickly becomes (also) a habit. For example, we live in partnerships, and although we know that a partnership has failed, we continue to live as if nothing had happened. We have developed a habit through the original love (attachment). No matter how much we want to escape from the partnership, a habit has been formed that we do not want to "miss", no matter how complicated the situation may be.

Attachments and habits are incredibly similar, the line between the two emotions is fluid, which is why Buddha would not leave habits without attention, he instructed his followers to look behind the scenes.

So: Why do we do this (or that) this way or that way, and not differently?

Think about it. The way is as always the goal!

If views have become a habit, they can become shackles.

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What is Chan? Part 6

You are searching, otherwise you would not read my texts here, you might read about soccer, or about fashion, but not at all about Chan (Zen) Buddhism.

The problem with spirituality in Europe is that religions have done so much incredible damage, which is why "faith" moves people less and less.

A worldview today even seems to contradict the Enlightenment, science has already explained everything, what else is there to come?

To be spiritual does not necessarily mean to become religious, because especially the teaching of Buddha is not characterized by a relationship of superiority and subordination, Buddha did not want to be worshipped.

Chan (Zen) Buddhism is the manifestation of the Buddhist teaching that we know today as Buddhism, which is based on the essence of the Buddha's worldview (the "enlightenment"), was conceived by the founder of Chan (Bodhidharma). What makes the matter problematic is the fact that little was written down during the lifetimes of the two great teachers, but the Chan continued to develop over the centuries. And not always in a direction that I would like.

Chan offers us a way to connect with the Buddha-nature, to experience what is the consequence of the essence of the teaching of the teacher of all teachers. Those who go through life mindfully become more and more connected to the environment, to the people on life's path, to all living beings.

No matter how many books on Buddhism (and specifically on Chan) you may read, there is not, there must not be, a single explanation. Go directly to the source, look for the wisdom immanent in the Buddha's teaching, follow in the footsteps of the Indian prince, gather what you think makes sense.

Chan clashes with the various ancestral ways of thinking of the Central Europeans, but the feelings pull the seekers in the direction of awakening.

Bodhidharma said that Chan cannot be explained with words, which is why I have strung together many words here over six episodes to show you what Chan can be all about, but the very attempt fails. Chan is and remains the spiritual practice of seekers, of people who think about it, who want to explore the potential that lies within.

Because to follow only the sufferings, that seems as no practicable path, at least not for me.

The way is the goal!

I eat only once a day. By living this way, I do not get sick, and I enjoy great strength and lightness.

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What is Chan? Part 5

In the last few days we have been exploring the question of what Chan-(Zen) actually is. A generally valid answer could not be found.

The question remains, what is Chan at all? A spiritual worldview, a philosophy, a practice, a teaching, or a concept? And no matter what it is, can it be described, divided into the various categories that people have come up with?

Already a definition of Chan-(Zen) is incredibly difficult, because it is just for every Chan-Buddhist something different, partly completely different views collide. The development of Chan over the centuries has been anything but straight, there is no direct line from the founding of Chan in Shaolin Temple China by Bodhidharma to the present day, too many masters have been at the soup, too many countries have had their influence on rites, language and customs.

To define something has also clear disadvantages. The explanation found in such a way once settles in humans, gives thereby a direction, which does not become fair the thing, also cannot become fair. In my eyes Chan is first of all a possibility to minimize the fears and hardships of the people, in good cases even to dissolve them, because only this spiritual world view wants to get to the core of the matter, to the transitoriness.

Without promising then a paradise for "the time after", because the paradise would be attainable also already now and immediately, if one would like then. And if one takes the necessary steps, if one dares.

Chan awakens in us, just as once the question "what is Chan?" arose in the first place.

Then we awaken, one fine day everything makes sense, the questions have disappeared, the previously unthinkable possibilities have become standard, the realization of the journey in the footsteps of the Awakened One, the Sublime One, has become easier and easier.

The answers to the question "What is Chan" are infinite, but it becomes clearer and clearer with time that Chan is something very important for us. Just as it has been special to millions and billions of people before us, so it will be something unique to many seekers in the future. We have a choice, indeed we are dealt the cards by karma, but how we play them is our decision.

Whether we will take drugs today, or start a new foreign language, we choose. Although based on the cards we are dealt, we are clearly playing the game. So, what is Chan?

The path is the goal!

There are states of mind that people have still not given up internally

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Tomorrow

Tomorrow is another day, no matter how "bad" the fate seems, even the misfortune is not permanent, it will pass, just as everything will pass.

So why worry so much, why fret, it's not worth it. Everything is subject to change, what appears to be a strong building today can collapse in a few years.

Have you ever seen the buildings in an abandoned city, maybe in pictures? Nature reclaims everything, after only a few years little of the former splendor can be seen, life is a coming and a going.

Just as the philosophy of Buddha tells us, which can be a lifeline for the many people who look confused at things that are so difficult to understand. Do you know the legend of Kisa, who could only be released from her pain by the Exalted One?

Then when you wake up tomorrow, a lot has already changed. Probably you do not notice it then immediately, too much you are arrested in your thoughts, what was, what will be, where will I go? Questions upon questions, to which it is difficult to find answers. At least not if "you" don't like to follow the Buddhist worldview.

Just as with the story of the kisa and the mustard seed, you will not find a household that has been spared from "misfortune." In every home, people have died, or separated.

Which is worse, the parting by death, or that by life? The separated life, far away from the loved ones, the being together with the unloved contemporaries, fears and hardships, worries and sorrows, all constructs in our thought palace.

Because if we make the decision not to suffer anymore, then it will be so. The unhappiness is not lasting at all, what was so important yesterday, is already forgotten today. Other things from the past we carry around with us for years and decades, other things we imagine for the future, we hardly waste a thought on the present.

Yet it is the NOW, the HERE and the TODAY in which we live, man is usually too cowardly to think about the connections, preferring to stick to the old habits, although he knows that even the NOW is an illusion, the past and the future even more so.

Even the misfortune has no continuance, the way remains the goal!

We want to do things in such a way that they are pleasant now and will be accompanied by happiness in the future.

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What is Chan? Part 4

So what is Chan (Zen) Buddhism? Is there no simple answer?

NO, there is not, Chan is as versatile as a Swiss Army Knife, has in its peculiarity many meanings, woundings, explanations.

One of them is that Chan is a clever trick, a method to free people from their illusions, thus enabling them to live a balanced life without feeling more the sufferings weighing heavily on the souls. Those who can separate themselves from greed, hatred and delusion through Chan have achieved their personal nirvana, they become happy, mindful and a sentient being. Why can Chan also be a trick? Well, if you follow the philosophy of Chan, then the world will not change, everything will remain as it was, with one exception: you, your personality will change, because you will change your identity, emulate other ideas, you will change as a whole. Your understanding of events, living beings and things will experience a completely new view, because your old filters will be "retired", new filters will be formed, through which you will look at life in a completely new way.

Our personality, the role we play, our behavior, all actions, even the body in its expression, everything is created by the mind, Buddha said, "With our thoughts we create the world!"

Whoever follows the philosophy of Chan will suddenly "need", "want" and "pursue" completely different things than he/she did until then. Because all that we had understood as reality, that has now changed, through the descent into the Chan we have created a new, personal reality for ourselves, which now completely differently determines the feelings, releases other emotions, makes other contacts possible.

Everything that we had built up, that we had put together, that is no longer important for Chan Buddhists (this also applies to the large group of "feel-good Buddhists") in one fell swoop, the trick of the Chan has worked, has made life easier for the followers. But even this newfound reality is an illusion, because we have also created it ourselves, constructed it according to our wishes, because we wanted to follow the Chan, have therefore left the illusions of the conditional world, are on the way to Buddha-nature, the unconditional acceptance of what is, turned away from the desire to somehow "want to have it".

Whether you think Chan (Zen) Buddhism is a trick, or whether you follow spiritual philosophy strictly as a worldview or even a religion, the important thing is that you come into balance, that you no longer lose your footing and/or orientation so quickly, that you deal with yourself and your circumstances more calmly. No human being can force life, in a few minutes everything can be over for each of us, there Chan can make the difference that lets you stop constructing illusions, because fear, greed and egoism are not a basis for a whole lifetime, at some point the penny must drop, right?

What (or who) is Buddha for you? Is it a person, a (former) great teacher, or is he a god for you? Does he stand for you as a symbol for enlightenment, for the awakening that every human being so desperately needs? Or is the great teacher just a voice from long ago that reassures you, that brings you peace and tranquility, that gives you security?

No matter how you see things, if Buddhism helps you get through life, then it is right and important, at least for the moment, and the moment is all that matters.

The path is the goal!

In the next few days, continue reading about the topic "What is Chan?"

What is satisfaction, what is danger, and how can we escape?

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Quality of life

What do you think, how can we recognize quality of life, and if we have recognized it, can we change it, improve it?

To judge the respective quality of life is possible only for each person himself. It seems impossible to judge it from the outside.

If you change the way you live, the quality of your life will change.

In the end, it's only habits that have changed, but they had a significant impact. You are (still) the same person, your personal identity will only change over time.

Now, not all changes in your habits have such big effects as the ones above (in my admittedly rather drastic examples).

Or you might intentionally form different, new habits that will then (one day) make up your new personality. Readers of my blog know that everything is a decision, nothing more, nothing less.

Your quality of life is a question of your personal resolutions, which then turn into habits, which in the end also have effects.

As always, the journey is the destination!

Surpassing the radiant qualities

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Habits Part 2

You want to take care of your needs more, maybe tidy up more often, or clean out the closet, tidy up the garage, but due to "lazy" habits you haven't found the right tackle yet? We do most things out of habit, we need to get our system (slowly) used to the new components of our daily routine.

This is where it's helpful to reinforce the goals you're aiming for. Again, I'll give an example: you want to clean out the closet this weekend? Fine, just throw all the clothes in front of the closet, on the floor, during the week. That way you see the goal in front of you, you have an anchor set, whenever you see the disaster you know what's on the schedule for the weekend.

And when it would be time to clean up the closet again, you start throwing things on the floor again, you build the habit on the right time to clean up to a peak.

Our actions are habits that we can improve, that we should change when they show themselves to be "out of time". And the easiest way to do this is to create some sort of list of your habits, and then think about which ones are "good" and which ones should be "gone". And then, of course, ask your ego what new habits would be great. Do you want to learn a new language? Or improve your cooking, for example? How could you incorporate these goals into your life as habits?

Let me give you an example: You want to learn Spanish. To do that, it would be massively beneficial if you looked more often at the Spanish book you bought for that purpose. How could you get used to at least leafing through it every day? I would put the book on the toilet, put all other "reading material" away there, and make it a habit to go to the quiet little room without my cell phone. Now whenever I do my "business" I could follow my new habit, sometimes briefly, sometimes longer pick up the book, but make it a habit. After a while, you'll be able to speak Spanish, want to bet?

It is also important to make the new habits "palatable" to yourself, for example to reward yourself, or to link the habits with pleasant things. Let me give you another example: You look forward to your coffee every morning, you see this drink as a "highlight" that gives you a good start to the day? Then link the coffee with yoga, which you have already pushed into your consciousness by the mat you prepared in the evening. But today you have the coffee only afterwards, or you have to earn the second cup today, you establish a new habit.

The way is the goal!

Inculcate the habits that suit the person

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Habits

Who thinks to have life "under control" is mistaken, we are primarily controlled by our habits.

Everything is subjected to habits, from getting up to going to bed, all actions are subjected to constant repetition, freely according to the motto: "We have always done it this way"!

If you want to improve your self (and from a Buddhist point of view there is nothing against it, Buddha admonished his followers to discipline, mindfulness and asceticism) you should think about your actions, especially about your habits. Our habits make up almost 90 percent of our actions, so if you have formed "bad" habits, you are quickly on the "wrong" side.

To really think about habits seems boring at first, because many of our habits are just not exciting, repeat themselves over and over again, are not glamorous, but banal and musty. Nevertheless, it is worthwhile to take a look at the connections within us.

Let me give you an example: You have gotten into the habit of a very special way of washing the plates, glasses and pots. You came up with this method once, many years ago, and you've been doing the dishes this way ever since. Whether this system really makes sense (or not), you have not checked for a long time. Maybe there is a clever alternative, because there are many people in the world who think about all kinds of things. This is especially noticeable with the so-called "lifehacks", the many, little videos that are supposed to teach us how to peel tomatoes, or for example how to fold our clothes.

Those who are not fully satisfied with themselves can work on themselves by examining their habits, keeping the good rituals and getting rid of the bad ones. And here small things make a big difference, if you incorporate a few minor changes in your habits every day, you will change tremendously in the course of a year.

Let me give you another example: you brush your teeth every evening, then go to bed and turn off the lights. What would change if you spread out your yoga mat in the living room before going to bed? Would that be an impetus for you to actually do your yoga in the morning? Would that be a positive change in your habits? I think YES.

So what habits are bothering you about yourself? Can you list (without thinking) two or three? What bothers me about myself is that I eat too quickly, I always find myself "gorging" because I have so much work to do. So I try to put an anchor in my mind palace, so that I more and more refrain from the habit of gorging and more often chew the food completely before I swallow it.

Tomorrow, read on about the habits that make life yours.

The journey is (as always) the destination!

Almost every personality view becomes a habit and thus a bondage

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What is Chan? Part 3

The sufferings from which we suffer have not only been poured out on us by karma, no, we have inflicted many pains on ourselves. For example, because in our insatiable thirst for satisfaction we are always thinking up new desires, then are disappointed when none of them come to pass.

Or because we are constantly stuck in the past, reliving over and over again the moments when we were "so" happy, then realizing that it's not like that now.

Also, because we imagine the future as we would like to "have it", then find out in reality that we are not "Superman".

We prefer to deceive ourselves, to delude ourselves, to see the world as we like it. And we continue to be disappointed, one after the other.

C. Deception

We want to be happy, we want to be satisfied with our job and our environment, we don't want to see the many things that go wrong as long as we can avoid them.

This is exactly where the teachings of Buddha come in, we should look "behind the scenes", not twist things so that they then correspond to our ideas, but accept everything as it is. This requires a great deal of courage, because most of the time "reality" is repulsive, not very pleasant, just not like in Hollywood flicks. Self-deception is something very unpleasant, because the rude awakening is guaranteed to come, if not today, then tomorrow.

The lifeline here is Chan (Zen) Buddhism, which offers us the chance to escape suffering here first. According to Buddha, sufferings are unnecessary, self-chosen. After "awakening" there are no more sufferings, man is already in Nirvana.

Of course you can still deceive yourself for a while, the flesh is not yet completely withered, the teeth are "still" in, the legs still "want". But you don't seriously believe that you will be spared the decay, that everything will remain as it is right now?

You will pass away, your family will go (one after the other), all your possessions will rust and rot, nothing will remain, even the planet will decay. If you continue to deceive yourself, you will be disappointed.

Nothing is for eternity, no living being makes an exception.

Nevertheless applies: The way is the goal!

In the next days you read further to the main topic "What is Chan?"

Because of simple sense pleasures he risks the death by hunger and thirst

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What is Chan? Part 2

In the life of every Chan (Zen) Buddhist, the question arises again and again, "What is Chan ?"

Chan Buddhism is full of mysteries, peppered with secrets, full of legends and tales. Saints and great teachers have shaped all spiritual systems over thousands of years according to the taste of the times. Especially the philosophy of the Shaolin temple has even become world-famous through the aspect of the (indomitable) fighting monks nor through many stories that seem superhuman.

But this still does not explain Chan Buddhism. First of all, Chan (Zen) Buddhism is something different for really everyone. But what is the fundamental pillar is the FACT that Chan (Zen) Buddhism is the RESCUE from the suffering that so preoccupies people. And what do we suffer, all day long we are preoccupied with our suffering, our pain, and our fears that gather over our heads like dark, black clouds.

B. Suffering

Everything is subject to impermanence. And because this is so, we suffer, because we cannot keep anything, we will lose everything, our lives, our loved ones, our possessions, simply everything.

Yes, suffering also gives us depth, lets us grow, BUT there is also completely meaningless suffering, such as self-inflicted suffering. Of course I can suffer from my circumstances, for example from my appearance or my figure. But does that bring anything? Or does it only make everything much worse (and it can always get worse).

The Buddha's teaching is about overcoming suffering, about reaching "enlightenment". Of course I can feel ashamed if I have no money, or if I am disabled, or if I get old and sick. From this then arises suffering, which I have caused myself in the last consequence.

Many "types" of our suffering we can easily "get rid of", if we use our mindfulness on it. For example, when we become "aware" of the thoughts, where does the thought come from, where does it go? We don't have to hold on to the suffering, it doesn't do us any good to feel the same pain over and over again. Surely you have not yet been made aware of the nature of suffering, so you feel trapped in the endless spiral of fears, pain and suffering.

Well you have me, I'll make you aware of the core themes of Buddhist philosophy, ending useless suffering should be on the top of everyone's "To Do" list, whether beginner or advanced, people are suffering, it doesn't have to be. Especially the "feel-good Buddhists" among us need to put their mindfulness on this in order to progress in the teaching.

You know: The way is the goal! Read more tomorrow on the topic "What is Chan?

Putting an end to suffering

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What is Chan?

Chan (jap: Zen) is complex, not so easy to pigeonhole. On the one hand, it is for many people in this world a religion that has its rites, which have been developed over thousands of years, depending on the country's customs is practiced.

On the other hand, Chan is also a philosophy that seems full of mythical aspects that allow the practitioner to "dive" into it. In Europe and in the USA Chan is glorified as a teaching, the ambiguities about the world view were pre-programmed. Too little basic knowledge is available, too few masters are active, too many subgroups have formed.

Fundamental to the Chan is meditation and, especially in Shaolin Temple China, meditative physical activity, which distinguishes it from the pure still sitting of the Japanese Zen monks.

Meditation is also possible in movement, for example in the 108 prostrations, or in Qi Gong.

Chan contains many a life-changing realization, which is sometimes not immediately perceived, which must first "sink in". The mind, but also the body must be prepared, everything must fit, the conditions must first be created. At the very beginning there is the decision.

Do I want this? Do I want to awaken? Do I give it a chance? Once the decision has been made, then the basis must be created.

A. Consciousness

Every person thinks of himself as going through life fully conscious. But is that so? When you get up, do you do it consciously? Or do you take a shower consciously? Do you consciously make your breakfast?

Probably not. They do it the way they have always done it, without thinking much, mostly even without "wasting" a thought on it. This has to change, you have to be aware of all the things that make up you (and your life) as well.

This newfound awareness will permeate all areas of your life, affecting your work, your friends and acquaintances, your family, your body. Even in your sleep you will have to become "aware" of you, everything belongs together, everything is separate.

You can achieve this with meditation, which will lead you into the state of unconscious consciousness, observing the thoughts that the thought palace spits out, then also following them, coming to the origin of these energies. In doing so, the thoughts are no longer allowed to do what they want, but they are contained, mindfully steered in a direction, led to rest. And of course replaced with something meaningful, with the thought of "enlightenment", which can then soon give peace to the madness.

Read on tomorrow to my series "What is Chan?"

The path is the goal!

May the teacher teach the students the teaching

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Why do I have to overcome my ego?

From most religions we know the fact that the individual should refrain from his egoistic behavior for the good of the group, for this there are then rules, commandments and laws.

In Chan (Zen) Buddhism, too, the abandonment of the ego is a central issue. In some groups the students are frustrated by the master, occupied with (unsolvable) tasks in order to achieve detachment from worldliness.

But even the frustration usually leads to attachments, very rarely to the final abandonment of the ego. Neither thinking "I am the greatest", nor the humble notion "I am nothing", none of these will release the ego into oblivion.

Constantly thinking about it, by the way, will not either, nor will the learned behavior patterns bring the thought palace to rest, no, only walking the path will bring clarity. He who no longer cares about evaluations, no longer divides into "right" or "wrong", will approach his goal in any case.

Thinking about overcoming the ego is comparable to the stimulus of coughing that we want to suppress (for example in the theater), the thought of coughing quickly becomes overwhelming, the situation only gets better when the stimulus subsides. So it is with overcoming the ego, which can only take place when it itself no longer receives attention.

To "not" think of something is incomparably more difficult than to think of something. If the one thought constantly wants to go through the head, then it is difficult to stop it.

It is important for this that the thought is replaced by another one, that the thought palace is given something to replace it. This is where the concept of "enlightenment" that Buddha recommended to his followers comes in quite handy.

Have you ever thought about your "awakening"? What might that be, the attainment of another sphere, or immortality, or wisdom? What do you think? It is clear that "enlightenment" is the essence of Buddhist philosophy, that the individual should think about this core issue.

And how can "enlightenment" be achieved? Well, relatively simply, the seeker sets out on the path to his goal, beginning with a decision. Then, in a further step, the ego must be switched off, or trimmed to a reasonable measure.

The ego is the central point in the teachings of the sublime, who still values, or has material thoughts, has not yet progressed far enough to go through the gateless gate. The ego can cause wars, it can kill and enslave, it is a big problem almost with every human being.

The way is the goal!

Among the ideals that can lift a person above himself and his environment, eliminating worldly desires, eradicating sloth and sleepiness, vanity and low esteem, overcoming fearfulness and restlessness, and renouncing ill-will are among the most essential ones.

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Near-death experience

A near-death experience is an experience "close to" death, that is, almost dead, so to speak.

One could also express it in such a way that life itself is a continuous near-death experience, whereby the almost dead person just got away again.

The possibility to die now, in this moment, that is absolutely real, just as the chances stand for a survival, at least at the end one dies.

The whole life is a simple near-death experience, because each of us has died several times FAST, often without knowing it, our privacy is vulnerable, we know our fate.

Near-death experiences have also inspired the authors in Buddhism, the persistence beyond death forms the nucleus of the doctrine of rebirth. For to be born again, the consciousness should survive at least in parts.

Have you ever almost died? And what would be your true feelings? Where did we come from, where will we go?

Such an experience gives the experience of time and space as one, which can also be a good lesson for further survival.

Either you start believing after such an experience, or you start asking questions about the meaning. In any case Buddhism has suitable answers.

The way is the goal!

To start anew at a warm destination after death

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Real eyes

Real eyes recognize real lies, only who sees can recognize, who does not like to see (or does not dare) will not discover lies.

Now real can differ strongly in the eye of the respective observer, what one feels as "real" is for other people just "fake", what do they say about justice?

The great teacher said that we should approach things without filters, not worship any standards, always have to decide like anew, not see life so narrowly. Can you open your eyes wide, see even the things that you constantly stumble. And who does not stumble, is not sometimes at the mercy of temptation, a direct attack would be suicide.

We all have our problems, are helpless and needy in many ways. Respect and trust must be won, the blood smells like nothing else. Bastard or nobleman, singer, beggar or general, where is the connection to Buddhism? Buddha exhorted to the "right" hearing, "right" recognizing, "right" speaking and "right" acting. How could the energies flow?

What would be an interesting technique, how could a morning look like, formative moments lie at the edge of the path, the path to enlightenment and self-love.

But real eyes are sometimes forced to go there, committed to the truth, not egoistic according to the spirit of the times. The world has changed, the wealth is in the respective energy, the new currency is power.

To hold strength in the face of transience seems amazing, the whole world is upside down. We are a runaway nobody, outcast from society, with our backs to the wall. Everyone gets his share, the distribution will rarely be fair, the foresight of Buddha forms extensive experiences and explanations.

Open your eyes, as a fragile alliance, loyal and determined, only the way can be the goal, do you want to think about it? If there should be something to the philosophy of the Indian prince, what would be the consequences for you? Will you strive for enlightenment, or just hear some comforting words? Do we want this decision?

Loyalty and a clear line, discipline and "right" hearing, "right" recognizing, "right" speaking and "right" acting, followed by real eyes, knowing eyes with people who can do something.

The way is as always the goal!

Who wants a better life, without judgment and guilt, following the path of Buddha, nothing is as exciting as normality, what is valuable, what is not? Nothing will be the same tomorrow as it was today, do you keep a diary?

Because I hardly ate, the shine of my eyes diminished

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The moment counts

The moment counts, only the moment, past experiences are the past, future events are only dreams, it is difficult to express what cannot be said with words.

The body finds its ways to show the expression of the moment, the final realization that there is only this moment, that penetrates only with difficulty. Whoever realizes that only the moment counts, will automatically make peace, with the environment, but also with himself, with his own ego, because from this realization follows that we are all only guests in this incarnation, so it is not worth it to get upset, to impose reproaches or self-doubt, only the moment counts, what comes after, who knows?

Whoever manages to make the present moment the most beautiful moment in his life, in which he can just make peace with himself (it's just a decision in the end), will do that, depending on the respective karma will do what needs to be done. We all have only a very limited span, which we call "our life". These few moments strung together are to be enjoyed, even if there is little to enjoy.

Depending on our attitude, it may be "the most beautiful moment in my life", or it may be the "horror par excellence", depending on how I want to see it, it will influence my feelings.

For example, if I am completely with myself because I want to set out on the journey to "enlightenment", then the moment takes on a wonderful quality.

However, if I hate my job, my environment, and my center of life, then there is little joyful to say.

It is only a decision whether I like to be me, or prefer to be someone else, therefore taking refuge in drugs, alcohol and addictions. Do I have the necessary strength to "digest" the complexity of life in its fullness, or do I continue to just run away? How would my life change if I continued (and intensified) to follow the Buddha's philosophy?

Can I gain more understanding of myself and my surroundings through the teachings of the teacher of all teachers? Can I experience more mindfulness for the moment? What would have to change in me in order for me to be satisfied with myself? How would my changed perspective affect the moment?

The person who can enjoy the moment as a cleaner of public restrooms is much further along than the wealthy person who is constantly nagging.

Here, the journey is the destination!

Within a moment all are transformed

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Is accepted?

We cannot shirk the energy, what we have, we should accept. Without ifs and buts, without maybe and especially without why.

What you have experienced today, that was your life to accept. Whether you are in finals or performing menial tasks, the game of life takes place in the here and now. Hope and waiting is for the fools.

Anyway, today is the best, most beautiful period of time, a blessing. People are poor, life is perilous, but built on values and intense in perception. Those who think they can save themselves drive up the price, but find no substance. Can you accept the energies? Like in a reality show, image after image passes by, but none sticks. And the mystery box, it's a pig in a poke.

Mostly it comes as it must, congratulations, just flowing. Get your strength together, it runs as it must, according to karma. Increases will probably not come, but the realities are felt amazing, visit friends and family, acquaintances and relatives.

My children and our children, no state feels true, the hour of truth to one's self is approaching, no one expects the worst, what is the last thing we will see. Great fear feeling, trembling and weakness, or strength and discipline to the end, will it go to the finals?

Being thrown out in the reality show is like a small death, it remains exciting until the end. Is life just a dream? Mistakes always happen, what will be, does religion or spirituality help, do you deserve the place in the sun?

A lot has happened, again and again there was turbulence, not always the energies and the time streams flowed synchronized. The friendships, the love, the disappointments, difficult decisions that give hope to the shown again. In friendship and peace, not with hatred and resentment should go the way, stay true to yourself.

If you had to make three important decisions, what would you decide? Where will you interject? Doesn't good or evil depend on the perspective of the beholder, pray? And to whom? And for what reasons?

What will come, just accept everything without judging, without demanding, clearly with emotions, but without attachments, without hatred, greed or delusion!

Anyway, there would be hope at the beginning of the journey, reality at the end. What do we already know, annoying questions we so gladly avoid, who has whom on his conscience?

Run!

The way is the goal

Repenting of wrong brings forgiveness

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Memories of life

When we wake up they are immediately back, the problems we have grown fond of, because these problems have become memories.

Memories are linked to people, to places or to events that we have "recorded", that spring from the past, not from the NOW and HERE. Now, if you think of your problems as soon as you wake up, you are living in the past, not in the present. From these memories then emotions follow, which extend to the present, because the discontent, the worries and needs, the sadness, all this is immediately present again, immediately with getting up the pains of the life (Weltschmerz) are again there. The present state is thus not created from the NOW, but is based solely on what was.

You thus live in the past, which seems more and more "familiar" to you, which becomes your present, and thus naturally (co)-determines the future.

Thus, your past naturally has to do with your future destiny, because you cannot think "anew", you cannot experience the emotions in the HERE and in the NOW, but you live through the past again and again.

It follows that life will be similar again and again, because the same thoughts determine the same actions again and again. Your behavior is determined by rituals, how we get up, what we do afterwards, tea or coffee, suit or jeans, we have coupled our life to the memories. Showering and coffee, the same way to work, the same rituals, even our thoughts are the same every day, the same things catch our eye, the same smells appeal to us (or repel us), the same events evoke the same reactions, routine becomes our inner software.

Is it still our will to do something, or is it the software (created by us) that is acting right now? Have you outsourced the responsibility for your actions? Have you voluntarily placed yourself in captivity? According to Buddha, we should just not have preconceived judgments (prejudices), but always look at things anew, at least as far as that goes.

If you realize that about 90 % of our actions originate from such software (created by ourselves) then it becomes clear why any change is so difficult for us. The behavior patterns are learned, the reactions come from these preconceived judgments, even the emotions are not from the HERE and in the NOW. If you want to change, you "must" first realize that you also carry "computer programs" (software or apps) within you. Only then you can get to the bottom of the matter, strive for change.

The way is the goal!

Because his memories and intentions are overcome

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Everything is completely different

How should we look at the world, how should we see life?

Everything we put together is in the end only wishful thinking, no one can foresee how things are connected.

Anyone who thinks they could ever really put the whole picture together is pretty far off the mark. Everything is one and one is everything, as the universe expands, so it will also contract again.

The unfathomable forms of the planets and galaxies show us dimensions which hint at the squaring of infinity outside of any imagination. What kind of fortune cookie the fate throws down for us today?

Let us calm down, the distractions of life do not help over anything, the empty bodies around us, the language of symbols, highly psychotic. But there are also gifts that our karma assigns. The sun doesn't set over the ocean for everyone, are there things you can bring up in your defense?

Everything is quite different from what we believe, what we believe is determined by superstition, among the blind the one-eyed is the queen, among the "normal" she is handicapped. Whatever may be, even if we grow older it does not mean that we are wiser, no one is bulletproof. We are in a horror movie, or maybe not?

Is it all very different?

Everything is quite different as we feel, because we don't feel things realistically, guilt is in the indictment of probability, family histories leave a bitter taste, existence is not secured at all, not materially, not actually, not even in illusion.

What is this coming to, you ask? Are there gods or witches at work? According to Buddhist philosophy, only when the ego has come to a standstill does the whole picture emerge, then we can advance to enlightenment.

Everything is quite different from how we see it, because seeing is also subject to filters, to free ourselves from pigeonhole thinking seems difficult, conjured up by those who strive for our ego.

If you think about it hard, then you know how things really are, all the incidents that didn't work out suddenly make sense.

I could imagine that the ancestors did not leave their genes and personality to us in vain, their death ended their life, but not the relationships once formed. If there should be a rebirth, then the personality must be transported into the next incarnation after all.

If this were so, then only the way would be of importance, not the past and also not the future.

First force your own self into the right track of the good; then you teach the other. This is how the wise man protects himself from suffering

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Do I need a Chan teacher?

In Asia, the concept of a teacher is widespread, so people come closer together, the wisdom is spread face to face. Here in Europe it is different, the teacher-student situation on a voluntary basis (i.e. outside of school and work) is almost non-existent.

Buddha was one of the great teachers, his charisma has survived the millennia, but his words have been forgotten. Almost every household has a Buddha statue, but what the statements of the so peacefully meditating prince were, that is more or less unknown.

In the West, Buddhist teachers are very rare, few feel called to this work. And the trainers who do exist are sometimes attracted more by the money, less by the task.

Countless variations have changed the teaching since the Buddha's passing, putting a stamp on it. Depending on local customs, dominant teachers, and language and development, completely different Buddhist lineages have developed. Chan Buddhism is a subgroup that follows the patriarchs Bodhidharma and Hui Neng. As a student of Shaolin Temple China, I follow this worldview, but it has also received its imprint through the millennia.

Buddhism in its complexity is so vast that it seems almost impossible to keep track of the various storylines, the philosophy is deep and significant, the beginner faces a wall of Buddhist doctrines, requirements, laws, views and customs. How is one to wade through this chaos? The words of the enlightened one were written down only several centuries after his death in words which are no longer in use today, which can only appeal to "die-hard" Buddhists, the layman switches off mentally.

Of course, one can also make the effort oneself and read in, to inform oneself, to research. But for the normal "feel-good" Buddhist, this is an enormous task.

Finding a teacher makes the matter much easier, but such a "mentor" is not easy to find either. In addition, many also have only half knowledge, because to make the "right" decision seems to be difficult. Those who can manage on their own are usually more advanced, they have already come a long way. But if you are at the very beginning, you should "lean" on a teacher to help you find the path.

No matter how the matter might fit for you, go by your "gut feeling", not by the ratio. For example, when you read (or listen to) my texts, what kind of emotions come up in you? If they are "good" emotions, then stay (for a while) my student, if they are "bad" emotions, then you should search some more.

The way is the goal!

An Awakened One is the teacher of celestial and human beings

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Changing the past

Changing the past, you say that doesn't work, I say that it is very possible.

How to change the past you ask? What has passed is subject to our evaluation, was it a "beautiful" time, or was it "terrible"? That depends exclusively on our opinion, consideration and evaluation. Depending on how we classify the past time, how we decide today, so was the past.

We can change everything, re-evaluate, we are not bound to the conviction of yesterday and the day before yesterday, which is why preconceived judgments (prejudices) make our life difficult, give an immense boost to stupidity. On the other hand, it is almost impossible to constantly decide anew, for example, to choose new dishes every time in the supermarket, or to always reconsider the way "to clean". The answer, as most often, lies in the middle, which is why Buddha spoke of the "middle way."

Before you now completely re-evaluate all the events in your life, it is first important to know where the journey should go for you. The body usually knows better than the ratio about the true connections in your incarnation, let the important decisions be made by your true self, the mind wants, "thinks" and needs, the body "knows".

You say that life has not been good to you?

I tell you that this is not true! You alone determine whether you have had a "good" life. I tell you that you had and have a wonderful life, you are just too greedy, expect too much, that's why you suffer. Because reality does not (and did not) meet your expectations you are dissatisfied. Instead of embracing what is, enjoying what you have, instead you are complaining.

First, change your past, the way you look at what has gone before, then the fog will clear for you, I promise you.

Automatically, as a consequence, the present changes, and with it, necessarily, the future. We determine the world with our thoughts, the whole universe is in our influence. You do not believe that? Until just now you also did not believe that we can change the past.

You have so much power, so many things you can do, only you don't know anything about it (yet). We will change that, whoever reads the texts here will change.

Who follows the philosophy of Buddha knows that nothing is as it seems at first sight.

The way is the goal!

I had such form in a past

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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The ceremony in Shaolin Temple London

Shaolin Rainer: Hello, we are in the Shaolin Temple London, and we just do a Buddhist ceremony by a Buddhist nun, and I want her to introduce herself so you can hear about her.

Renryu Dhammavihari: Hello, my name is Renryu, this is my Dharma name, I am a Buddhist nun from China, I am also a PHD student of religious studies in the UK. At the moment I come to Shaolin Temple (London) every week, every Saturday afternoon, we have a group activity here, we just do meditation together, and then have a group discussion about some Buddhist teachings and then we do group chanting for spiritual health, I like here and I enjoy this experience with all this Shaolin friends.

Shaolin Rainer: Please can you explain about the item of chanting, what is the chanting about?

Renryu Dhammavihari: Actually we chant about the Sutra about Guan Yin Possa, do you know Guan Yin Possa?

Shaolin Rainer: Yes, I do.

Renryu Dhammavihari: Avalokiteśvara as well, the great compassion Bodhisattva, he is the very popular Bodhisattva in Chinese Buddhist culture, and we Chinese people usually like to pray to the Guan Yin Bodhisattva for blessings, so we just chant to the Sutra and hope the Guan Yin Bodhisattva can bless us.

Shaolin Rainer: And what is exactly the words, can you translate some to English?

Renryu Dhammavihari: The words, the Chinese content?

Shaolin Rainer: Yes.

– Buddha – Ehrenname des Siddharta Gautama – 560 bis 480 vor dem Jahr Null

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Who believes in rebirth?

What exactly is rebirth? For many people, Buddhist philosophy stands with rebirth as a unity. The knowledge about the philosophy of the Indian prince is thin, but buzzwords like "rebirth", "karma" and "nirvana" have made their way into the language.

Buddhists "know" that there is no "I" in the proper sense, but the illusion of an I fits well with rebirth, because if "I" can be reborn, then the I must have some value, right?

If the cycle of birth, old age, illness and death goes on and on, then we must be born again, otherwise it would not be possible to take the karma with us, and Nirvana could only be reached in the first attempt, right?

Who believes in the karma, believes necessarily also in the rebirth, because how should we otherwise "grow", wake up, where we have already wasted the chances in this life, there we just hope for the next incarnation. There we will make up for everything, there we will be a really "good" person.

Followers of Chan-(Zen)-Buddhism are not completely in agreement with the absolute transitoriness of the present existence (the self with its personality), which is due to the duality of the events, but also due to the beliefs of our ancestors, which have been handed down over many centuries, and which have also been adopted to a good extent in the forms of Buddha's teachings.

Whoever thinks about this will notice that already in some small children a hearty and strong personality is present. The question is, where does this come from?

My father used to say, "To believe is to know nothing; to know nothing is to be stupid." So who believes in rebirth, who can specifically remember past lives?

Chan (Zen) Buddhism is about enlightenment in this life, not the next or the one after that. Chan followers focus on reaching that moment, on getting there, less on what comes after, which is why little is read or heard on "reincarnation." However, Chan Buddhists are not averse to the matter either, so there is a basic acceptance on the subject in any case.

The words of the teacher of all teachers were recorded only many hundred years after his passing away, we know how a history can change already within only one week, what happens only over several centuries? In the sutras it says about the enlightened people who can "remember" the past lives and future lives, "know" about them.

The way seems to be the most important goal!

Who understood that with becoming then there is birth, and for everything that once became, there is old age, illness and death?

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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The Shaolin Temple London Part 3

Have you already read the first part of my series about the "Shaolin Temple London"?

First, Yan Zi then showed me new exercises specially composed for my weak points (back). After being almost sixty years old, my training is more rehab than Kung Fu.

In the afternoon, I took my time recording my English podcast, (the "London edition" so to speak), looking at the many students who came to train, talking to people, and of course waiting for dinner. There is a big kitchen in the temple, my master is a fantastic cook. When it became quiet in the temple we sat down and ate in silence, as we have done so often together, the Shaolin master and the man from Stuttgart, a unit, for almost forty years.

After dinner my eyes fell shut, a journey is just exhausting, I slept immediately and deeply.

The next morning, the instructions already echoed across the courtyard to which my room was attached, the first class had Kung Fu in the courtyard. I heard my master, a reassuring feeling. First a coffee, then into the shower to get fit for the yoga. 40 minutes went by quickly, then my new back exercises, no pain no gain, such is life.

Students came and went, the courtyard was alive, young and older students took turns. I went to my room to record the German podcast, after all episode 67, a certain perseverance is not to deny me. After that I came to the temple dining hall, here was already plenty of activity, people gathered for the meditation, which was led today by a Buddhist nun from China, Fa Shi Renryu Dhammavihari. After the ceremony I "interviewed" the nun, recorded our conversation, which I will edit and publish as a podcast sometime soon. I will present the content of the meditation in a separate post. Anyway, I hadn't spent several hours sitting cross-legged in a while, the immersion was hard to come by.

After the session, the big cooking started in the temple kitchen, everyone seemed to have brought something, a hectic bustle broke out, in a short time the house was "flooded" with all kinds of good smells, I was very much looking forward to the food. The tables were arranged until it was a long table, perhaps you know the picture from the commercials when the happy family sits at a long table.

Holding the sacred life in esteem

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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The Shaolin Temple London Part 2

I am here again, my master is still training students now, his wife (Mrs. Fu) picked me up at Caledonian Road tube station, drove me to the temple, which is not far from Tufnell Park station.

On the way, her son Tian Tian, who is one of my godchildren, also lived with me for several years, joined me. When my master Shi Yan Zi met his wife he gave up the status of "monk" at that time, but a "master" he remains of course. His Kung Fu is still a dream, his wisdom comprehensive.

When Shi Yan Zi was finished we were able to embrace each other, a long time has passed since the last meeting, the worldwide hysteria also had its effects on the Buddhist community, the London temple was closed for more than six months, today it is running almost normally again.

We sat down at a table in the entrance area of the temple and started talking, as if we had not been apart for more than a week, we picked up more or less seamlessly where we had ended. My master's wife cooked a snack, we talked for a long time, and when we realized it was past one o'clock, we went to bed, somewhat melancholy but brisk.

I didn't really sleep well, my room is big and bright, but in the bed there is no mattress, but a kind of board (futon), which is supposed to be very healthy for the back, but just not what I am usually "used to".

I brought my own coffee (soluble), a kettle is always in a room in a Chinese household; first coffee, then into the shower. I also went through my usual yoga program, I don't leave without my mat, the daily stretching exercises have become incredibly important to me. My master was already training again, I waited until he was done, we greeted each other joyfully. Although there are about ten teachers in the Shaolin Temple London, but to Shi Yan Zi somehow still remains the main part.

He said we were going to a well-known furniture store, he wanted to buy a mattress for my bed. I hadn't said anything, I wouldn't complain under any circumstances, it was his idea, but I wasn't sad about it.

No sooner said than done, we drove around London, first had a coffee in the canteen of the Swedish company, then went through the obligatory tour, found a suitable pad for my bed, and drove back to the temple. The next night will certainly be more restful.

And as always, the journey is the destination!

Shi Yan Zi and me in Chinatown London May 2022

It is finished, life is lived, everything has been done that needed to be done, there is nothing more to do

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Shaolin Temple London

Today I travel to London, visit my master Shi Yan Zi, who is the head of the temple. For a long time I have not seen him, traveling was very difficult for a long time, now it is easier again. I am writing this text at Stuttgart airport, I am here too early, the anticipation has made me forget the time.

The Shaolin Temple in London has been a permanent institution in the metropolis for almost 30 years, is located not far from the metro station "Tufnell Park".

Again I undertake a journey that builds on my actions of almost 40 years ago. If I had not traveled to the Shaolin Temple China at that time, but like "normal" people on vacation, then I would most likely not fly to London now. Our karma builds up over the whole life, everything is predetermined, deep in our ego we know exactly about the connections.

I can't tell you how happy I am to meet the old companions again, the teachers in the Kung Fu school, the staff, my master's family. Attached to the school is a large Buddha room where ceremonies are held, which is used for festivals and celebrations.

My master Shi Yan Zi is a Sanda teacher, which means that the focus is on fighting, less on forms. There is always a lot of action here, many punching bags and a boxing ring complete the training facility.

There are many students from really all countries of the world, London is very cosmopolitan, the confusion of languages is remarkable, but so is the cohesion of the students. Hardly anyone can escape the influence of the Far Eastern culture in the temple, there is a smell of tea and training, there are people everywhere, people are busy training. I am sitting at Stuttgart airport, but I can already "smell" the temple.

At events, the students of my master regularly clear the placements, the training shows effect, the respect grows. Well, my master is also a bit "in the years", he is over 50, I am almost 60 years old, age passes no one without a trace, not even a (former) Shaolin monk. Nevertheless, I train every day for about an hour, I know that my master also hardly misses a day. Even though my exercises have become very moderate lately, discipline is still the defining virtue in my life.

I am very much looking forward to embrace my friends later, the journey almost 40 years ago has effects until today. The way is and remains the goal!

Now it's boarding time!

He who remains faithful to the holy trail will reach the other shore.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Captivity

The mind follows the body into captivity, the disparate comrades-in-arms are usually in harmony.

Have you ever been "captive"? Sure, maybe only seconds or minutes, but trapped you have been.

But also the opposite case occurs, the body follows the spirit into captivity, it just needs both sides of the personality.

There are many people who resign, who voluntarily put themselves in a kind of prison. Then, when life becomes difficult, the mood remains depressed, then anxious characters take refuge in the abandonment of their self-determination, from then on they become externally controlled.

Imprisonment is a burden for body and mind, but the mental component of self-imprisonment, that is clearly more violent.

Whoever is now so insecure that he/she relinquishes sovereignty over his/her own mind and body in order to then, as a herd animal, put the voices in the head to rest, is on a difficult path; perhaps easier at first glance, but in reality incredibly demanding, because "common sense" is no longer allowed to participate here, otherwise voluntary captivity would end immediately.

Sure, "one" can make everything easy for oneself, run after the masses, become and remain a sheep, but such behavior is not in the spirit of Buddhist philosophy, which always encourages reflection on all events that occur, does not give a place to stubborn humility.

What is captivity for you? Can you imagine what it must be like to be imprisoned in a small room? And what it must be like when you place yourself in mental captivity? Try to put yourself in these "cases", what would your life be like if you tried to cushion things differently, if you didn't think, but resigned yourself to imposed decisions?

There are very many kinds of imprisonment, most of the possibilities are self-chosen. But according to the teaching of the great teacher, all this does not have to be so, because at the beginning of all reflection is the question: Who am I?

This is followed by an answer which, in its consequence, will destroy, indeed must destroy, every captivity. No matter what has drawn you into a dependency or attachment, everything falls away when the answer has turned out honestly. If you lie to yourself, you remain in the awkward situation.

Yes, there are constraints in life, no man is an island, some things we have to do, but others we just don't. Which things do you do because you want to? Which ones because you have to? Where is the limit for you?

The way is the goal!

Difficult to fathom, great in arts, the mind revels in thoughts.

Happiness is only for the wise, who keeps him mindfully in bounds.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Room Meditation part 3

Feel your left energy field!

Feel your front energy field!

Feel your right energy field!

Feel your back energy field!

Take up some more space, similar to a balloon expand.

Feel the boundaries of your body on the left side!

Feel the limits of your body on the front side!

Feel the limits of your body on the right side!

Feel the limits of your body on the back side!

Left ear, left shoulder, left torso, left hip, left leg.

Nose and mouth, chin, chest, belly, hips and legs.

Right ear, right shoulder, right torso, right hip, right leg.

Back of head, neck, back, buttocks, hips and legs.

The energy flows, the body arrives at the gate to nirvana, clouds carry the body.

To the left, to the front, to the right, to the back.

Which parts of the body form the left boundaries, the front boundaries, the right boundaries and the back boundaries. Where does the energy flow?

Which parts of the body form the upper boundaries, the head, the shoulders and the arms. Where does the energy flow upward? Can you see it?

Can you feel the energy, the light, the flow of the universe? Continue to stretch, take in "your" space.

Now, with the whole body now connected to the I, we sense a part of the universe. The breath is our natural connection with Buddha nature.

Slowly you come back to your "normal" environment, eyes open, senses return, life goes on, meditation comes to an end.

The way is also the goal in meditation!

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Room Meditation part 2

Each breath occupies a different space. Breathe in all directions of your body, to the head, to the arms, to the legs, into the ground. The longer we practice, the more energy we take from the ground, we give back to the ground.

The boundary between the earth and the body becomes blurred, we have the feeling of floating, no longer feel the downside. The energy within us increases, the concentration can be felt, in the hands, the legs, the shoulders, elbows, the head. Feel the energy, the radiance of the energy, a halo is created around us, we breathe up, down, left and right.

Feel the boundaries of your body, first on the left side, then on the right, feel the rays of your own energy.

The energy to the left radiates from all left parts of the body, from the left ear, left shoulder, left torso, left waist, left thigh, lower leg and foot, even from the left fingers and toes energy flows to the left.

The energy to the front radiates from all the front parts of the body, the nose and mouth, the chin, the chest, the abdomen, the waist, the crotch, the front thighs, lower legs and feet, even from the front fingers and toes energy flows to the front.

The energy to the right radiates from all the right parts of the body, from the right ear, right shoulder, right torso, right waist, right thigh, lower leg and foot, even from the right fingers and toes energy flows to the right.

The energy to the back radiates from all the back parts of the body, from the back of the head, the back of the neck, the back, the waist, the buttocks, the back thighs, lower legs and feet, even from the back fingers and the back part of the feet, energy flows to the back.

Do you feel the energy, or some form of light? Imagine such an energy field, what would such a "halo" have to be like?

Take in a little more space again with each breath, expand to the left, to the front, to the right, to the back, what is the space that suits you? Whether you are sitting in the living room, in the car or on the locality, what is the space that suits you, where should your skin be, where is it? Why is there a difference here, what is preventing you from occupying the space that is "right" for you?

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Room Meditation

A meditation for sublimity and humility, guided by the intention to reach enlightenment.

It is about the space we occupy and the space that a person "should" occupy, but can not occupy because the center is missing. This can be worked on, life is hard, without diligence no prize, without discipline no Buddhism.

The goal is to release the consciousness and "let go", not attach.

Sit quietly but tensely for the things that are coming now, keep yourself straight and erect, already after a few breaths more and more relaxed, the face, the neck, the shoulders, the breathing becomes deeper, takes more space, the space shows itself, which is "my" space, do I bring up the necessary discipline that it needs for this?

Now a particularly deep breath, then we fill the word "OM" with air, with our mouths closed we blow OM into us, keeping the energy inside us, but breathing out the used air.

In the first round, hum the OM three times, then breathe normally for one minute, as you wish. Then breathe out the OM "silently" five times, deep inhale, silent exhale (through the nose), you hum OM but you do not speak it.

Continue to leave the consciousness behind, no longer perceive the body as "your" body, but see it as "a" body, the mind detach from the ego, which wants to persuade you "that you can't do it".

Feel the boundaries of the space you occupy, where does your backside sit up, what points on your legs are in contact with the ground, where are your hands, where does your skin end? Briefly become aware of the boundaries before you finally shift consciousness into nirvana, at least for a while.

Every breath brings new energy, which now arrives in the whole body, the breath even goes into the legs, into the hands, into the head. Between the ground and the air there is a kind of battery that fills us.

We expand in all directions, breathing is calm and slow, we see our inner center in front of us, take note of it.

From now on, breathe in and out with the sound of my master stick, surrender to the monotony.

Room Meditation

A meditation for sublimity and humility, guided by the intention to reach enlightenment.

The goal is to release the consciousness and "let go", not attach.

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Empty phrases

Everywhere you read standard phrases, everything possible would be soooooo important, but these are lip service, the truth usually looks quite different.

Whoever believes it is betrayed, word shells sometimes hurt almost as much as bullet casings.

People wait for things that rarely come, that do not often come true. Words without deeds are like thunder without rain, lonely and meaningless.

Where has the common sense gone, the situation is heavy as lead, the life laborious and hard, because the knowledge of the circumstances causes pain to those who let themselves be bent too much, are no longer themselves, live haunted by psychoses at the bottom of a well.

The complicated circumstances make mental difficulties, more and more people are mentally disturbed, suffer from their shadows, are at least impaired.

Who am I? This question is more and more pushed away, numbed, postponed.

To look behind the empty words requires strength, because here remains in reality only a big nothing, a nothing of a nothing, the atom in a grain of sand on the beach of somewhere. We take ourselves too important, nevertheless always want to increase our own insignificance.

The camps face each other irreconcilably, man is little human. Where is reason and truth, virtues and goodness. It has become a lonely world, the teaching of Buddha then gives support to the seekers. Even "humanity" is only an empty word, like the animals the brother beats the brother's skull in, if it must be also without reason.

No matter how much blood sticks to something, the progress of the "own" cause justifies the "well-meaning" for every outrage. If it is for the "good" cause, then "that fits" already, is just.

Wherever honesty must give way to the good cause, the matter becomes difficult. Rarely has mankind experienced so little faith, the social cohesion of spiritual confessions has ended, world views have suddenly become unimportant, times have changed.

To think about word shells, that is a pointless endeavor. But there are very many people who cling to these precepts, simply because thinking about them would be too painful, would confuse them, would shake their foundations and would pull them into the abyss.

When you come across empty words, try to look behind what is being said, what is the real intention, why is this being said right now, how could things be connected?

According to Buddha, we should question everything, take nothing for granted, form our opinion NEW to every incident, which excludes prejudices, and also empty words.

The way is the goal!

A sweet word often refreshes more than water and shadow.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Pathological mental attitude

Two people stand next to each other and look at the rose bush, one says "beautiful", the other hates roses. Life is hard, harmony is not the standard.

But what is sick, what is "still" normal, and does "normal" even exist?

Rational arguments are no longer accepted anywhere, the self-imposed insanity goes into the next round, will dissenters soon be burned alive again in the marketplace?

Madness has afflicted many brains, the constant threat situations have left depressed egomaniacs, psychologically disturbed, with burnout. Buddha said that exactly this ego mostly causes the problems.

Already ancient Rome perished from its arrogance, it seems to be related to the ego, over the centuries, an up and down of cultures, the human component just.

Pathological mental attitudes have arisen, the quirks become more and stronger, Buddha admonished again and again not to fall for the ego. The little man on the shoulder who spouts this nonsense, who wants to talk us into all kinds of things.

Doubts and worries come from the thought palace, the mind is just heavy, the view is fickle. Man is a strange animal.

Now the confused brains are again increasingly sedated with pills, happiness lies in the pills that the gods (in white) send to the faithful. The causes of the morbid mental attitudes are of course not discussed aloud, the uptight society hinders itself.

According to Buddha, the causes of mental illnesses are often to be found in the disturbed ego; people have been making their own problems for thousands of years. The philosophy of the great teacher aims to get such escapades of mental activities under control, to take away the space of insanity, to bring back calmness and peace into existence.

The medial excesses of the last years have harmed many people very much, the society gets sick, comes only with difficulty from the global problems to personal experiences, the collective worries constantly, according to the teacher of all teachers, however, we should just not "make head", but accept the life as it is.

To get out of the cycle of mental illnesses requires a clear decision. Do I want to keep my mind healthy? What do I have to do for it? What changes are necessary? Because behind the facade, not everything is vain bliss and sunshine, life is just the way it is, we have to accept the circumstances.

No man is an island, of course we humans are also dependent on influences, but "we must" deal with it in such a way that our mental health does not suffer.

Because also spiritually seen the way is the goal!

I am purified in my spiritual behavior

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Tomorrow is another day

Rarely we think about the consequences of our actions, mostly we live in the day, make ourselves "thoughts" about the things, people and events, but live thereby just not in the NOW and HERE, but in the past, in the future, in our illusions.

In Asia people also eat insects, one day then the insects eat the people (when they are dead), everything is in motion, nothing is constant, the central element in evolution is transience, no one will stay, all will go again, the karma is the fixed size, but we can grow on us, build up better karma. Like the cards in the card game we get our destiny allotted, but which cards we play when, that is up to us, so we can just "play along" in the game of life.

Big animals eat the smaller ones, but when life comes to an end, the small animal eats the big carcass, life goes into a new round. From a tree "one" can make millions of matches, with only one match then light the whole forest, small is not always small, large is not always large, everything has its time.

What seems small today, is huge tomorrow at one stroke, a few days later then small again, life is a coming and going.

That's why Buddha taught his followers not to evaluate, because an evaluation is always created from the respective filters, which we hold in front of our eyes, because otherwise we don't believe to be able to cope with the complex connections, which in the end is also only an evaluation, so it must be subject to change.

Today we are strong and powerful, rich and healthy, tomorrow the tide has turned completely, a "little thing" has thrown us off track, nothing is as it was. Humility helps here, and the philosophy of the teacher of all teachers, I cannot give any other advice.

Make yourself aware of these connections every morning before you leave the house. For this purpose I have hung a Post-It on the inside of the door to remind me to leave my pride and haughtiness within my own four walls, not to drag these "bad" human qualities with me. Just as Buddha taught.

Tomorrow is another day, it is not at all sure whether we will wake up, whether our loved ones will be with us, whether everything will be like "always", or completely different, not even the wind knows. Don't take anything for granted, don't put yourself in a false sense of security, nothing is guaranteed.

For example, if you sit at the dentist and hope that time will pass quickly, well, one day all your time will have passed, act accordingly. The teachings of Buddha can be a support that leads to enlightenment.

The way must be the goal!

In the morning he dwells in the state in which he wants to dwell in the morning

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Let go part 2

The king stretched out his hands, in his fist his wonderful diamond, worth a kingdom, he opened his hand, offered the stone to the friendly looking teacher.

Buddha said, "Let go!"

Let go of the diamond, why? The renewed "let go" shook him out of his thoughts, why? He looked into the face of the other person, who obviously meant it. He let go, the treasure fell to the ground, the sound hurt the king.

Buddha said again, "Let go!"

Now he was puzzled, he had nothing left in his hands, what should he let go? He looked indecisive, then he heard for the third time : "Let go!"

"What should I let go of, master?"

"Your ego. The posturing of being a king, the way of acting, speaking, playing, taking a role."

Then the king understood, all the questions found answers at the same time, the veil lifted, Buddha healed the ruler of his ego.

You want to let go? Then do it, "let go", you can do it with a decision, comparable to smoking, "you" start, "you" stop, because "you" want it, have decided so.

Suppose that from now on you could "get a grip" on your pride, your selfishness, negative characteristics? That would be possible just by a decision at any time.

We live without understanding, because we have lost our instincts, but they are still deeply rooted qualities in us. The one among us who foresees the emerging, new epochs, sobering, but without shaking. No matter how it may come, deep within us are stored collective events that can at least be tapped, the swarm intelligence, that makes humanity special. We will find a way, evolution has always been a struggle, the small against the big tree, the young fish against the old, misery against misery!

Deep in us is something, which makes us put up the statues of Buddha everywhere, without having the slightest idea, what this teacher actually said and meant, why his basic idea (enlightenment) is nevertheless so widespread. Or in any case, what the present considers to be his philosophy. Few dare to read the old texts, which seem to be completely out of time in language and writing.

Whatever, free yourself from roles and constraints, live yourself, try to open up to your karma!

Only the way can be the goal!

I will breathe in while contemplating my letting go

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Let go

There is a very beautiful story about Buddha, which has a lot of depth, shows enormous wisdom, which can even be called directional.

A powerful king heard from his wife more and more frequently that she would follow a monk, a simple itinerant preacher, of whom there were endless numbers at that time. This one would be different from the other spiritual men, the woman told him, the gods would be in league with the man. All power would flow from him, although he would be completely at rest within himself. The king became curious and let his wife tell him more about the new philosophy. She told him that the teacher had once been a prince, had taken to asceticism, had given up the riches of this world to wander the lands as a preacher, where he spoke of the enlightenment that any man could attain.

In the religious world of that time, the Buddha's statements were new and interesting, and the king decided to visit the holy man. Before leaving, he went to his treasury, where he kept his most precious possession, a pink diamond. He took it with him to make a gift of it to the Buddha.

He traveled through the countryside of that time, he had as a king a troop, soldiers and noblemen accompanied him, he lacked nothing on the arduous roads. After many days, the royal troop reached the camp of the great teacher, where he had settled down in the shade of a grove together with countless monks.

In a moment the king wanted to meet the Buddha, on the way here he had heard incredible stories about the former prince, compassion and a deep peace filled him since he had set out. He made his way with his confidants to the camp of the preacher, who was resting somewhat elevated. He was already old, the many journeys had cost him his strength, he seemed calm and concentrated, a special mood lay over the meeting. The king approached the wise man, who quickly looked at him. The moment was so special that the king fell on his knees, he folded his hands, stretched them to the camp, he was suddenly struck by an inner peace that he could not explain.

The Buddha was still silent, the monks and followers around the two waited patiently, the two men eyed each other, the king noticed the kindness in the teacher's face, the whole audience in the shady grove was amazed at the energy between the two men.

In the next days the story continues.

The way is the goal!

Letting go and rejecting every desire

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Freedom of decision

At every crossroads we can decide, forward, backward, right or left; at the next crossroads again, then again, again and again.

Decisions are often not easy to make. And a not insignificant part of the people does not manage to decide at all.

Yes, we are free in our decisions, at least in theory. But in reality it is usually completely different, the daily showdown is subject to all kinds of constraints, we have to take into account the environment, conventions, the social system, feelings and opinions, necessities and existing conditions.

Are you in an unhappy partnership? Why do you stay in it?

The job is not fun? When will you look for a new one?

Your friends are annoying? Will you address it, or look for new ones?

You are too fat? Are you eating healthier now?

The apartment is too expensive? Can you bring yourself to get another one?

Even if we don't decide, there is always a decision involved, for example, if you don't look for a new job, then you have just decided on the old job. Or if you come to terms with your partnership, then you have decided against looking for a new partner. Do you continue to let your friends take advantage of you? Then this is also a decision, inactivity is also a decision. Through the silent selection process we eliminate the things and living beings that we do not CHOOSE, we consciously decide against it, just by remaining inactive.

Buddha spent a lot of time, research and considerable thought on the mind and states of mind. On the way to enlightenment we should "go within", look at the bottom of events, never just TAKE things, but question everything and everyone, not using prefabricated judgments (prejudices), but always deciding anew, at least as far as that goes.

And really everything is a decision, we are free to choose, everything we can decide anew, evaluate differently. Every day we can change our opinion, weigh the things and living beings differently, even the past we can see differently today than we did yesterday, because today we look at the past events with a different mind. Was this or that event really as bad then as I thought it was? Did it not make me the person I am today? Led me to this very place where I am right now? Was it not my karma?

The path is the goal!

I recognized in me the freedom from inertia

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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The cycle of life

The birds eat the worms, after our death the worms eat us, life is a coming and going, it is a cycle.

According to Buddha, the cycle of rebirths is not limited to eating and being eaten, but to the continuation of the ego in its germ cell, which is thrown into incarnations until the bearer has worked off his karma, no longer needs to be reborn.

If one looks at the bustle on this planet, a food chain is unmistakable. The small ones are eaten by the bigger ones, which are then eaten again by even bigger animals, cruel and painful is the nature, a hard fight for survival plays out before our eyes.

The blackbirds on my balcony brought their young so many worms to eat, I had never seen anything like it. The beak full of creepy-crawlies, twisting and turning like little snakes, nothing helped, the blackbird parents stuffed masses of worms into the little birds, without mercy and indulgence the chicks were fed.

Then one day when the blackbirds will be old and fall from the branch, flocks of scavengers will pounce on the carcasses, the cycle of life goes on and on, there is no escape.

So it is with our spiritual being, we get so many opportunities to grow, to grow beyond ourselves. When we think about it like this, what do you think, is there perhaps a reason why we are in the world after all? Or are we just the food for future generations of worms?

Buddha lived a path for us that goes far beyond the usual patterns of thought. No subordination to an elitist class to be worshipped, no, an active thinking, acting, speaking and living, a way of the middle, towards personal enlightenment, that is his philosophy.

If you think about the cycle of life like this, the fate of human beings is hard and painful. Nothing will remain, everything will pass away, yes, heaven, it is waiting according to the monotheistic teachings, but only after death is the entrance to paradise possible. In Buddhism, we can enter Nirvana right now, because the said Nirvana is a state of mind that comes with tranquility and peace.

The teacher of all teachers has exemplified it to us; we can follow his path. What do we have to lose? Some time and effort, we can easily spare, the prospects of spiritual maturity are too tempting. Do you want to give it a chance?

The path is and remains my goal!

It is one and the same being which goes through the cycle of rebirths again and again

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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The food in the temple part 2

During my stays at Shaolin Temple, I became more and more comfortable with the vegetarian way of life at the monastery, even though I enjoyed trying all kinds of food at the restaurants in Dengfeng and Zhengzhou during my excursions on my days off. My favorite dish became Peking duck, which I still enjoy eating to this day.

Among Buddhists, there is the group of vegetarians (and of course the subgroup of vegans), which certainly makes up a large portion of the following. The controversy "meat" (and of course also fish) is partly bitterly led. During my stays in Southeast Asia (I lived in this part of the world for a total of almost 10 years), I noticed again and again that Thai, Cambodian and Vietnamese monks often consume meat and fish (and also like to drink a little), but Chinese monks usually live meatless, do not consume onion and garlic (which, according to them, are supposed to cause intoxicating feelings), unlike their Southeast Asian colleagues also live completely abstinent.

Chinese (Buddhist) monks adopted this type of diet early on from their Indian counterparts and have changed little about it to this day.

The fighting Shaolin monks are traditionally allowed to eat animal "products", because the training of Kung Fu in this special diet otherwise contains too little protein, which in turn (in combat) would be a distinct disadvantage, the human body is by evolution an omnivore, which includes meat and fish.

Buddha himself has demonstrably (also) consumed meat, at least this is described in the so-called Pali canon. Also in the rules of the mendicant monks meat is expressly permitted, further instructions (allegedly even from Buddha himself) in different writings hardly give restrictions for meat. In any case, killing a living being is not compatible with the path to enlightenment, but accepting a "share" is. As said, the Chinese way for monks was very early without meat and fish, a peculiarity that has been preserved until today.

Already during Buddha's lifetime, diet was an issue, excess and gluttony were vices that also affected monks. Thus, the great teacher ordered his followers to eat only until lunchtime, in order to counteract food addiction and obesity. Buddha himself was disciplined in your diet, ate little and fasted frequently.

In the Shaolin Temple in China, chants are often intoned before the meal to set the mood for the food. The usual vegetarian dishes are hardly seasoned, mostly steamed and not fried. There is always rice, even with noodles, and vegetables of all kinds are placed on top. According to tradition, monks in the temple (as far as possible) should not eat meat, because it would destroy the "seed" of compassion.

The way is the goal!

He who does not kill nor let kill, does not do violence nor let do violence, who is kind-minded against all beings, has no enmity to fear.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Willpower

It is such a thing with the will, it sometimes develops unbelievable forces. Although according to the great teacher we should not want anything, in daily life we more often fall back into our learned behaviors.

It makes an incredible difference whether we perform our daily tasks and accomplishments with friends or with reluctance. A circumstance that is important only to us, perhaps of little importance to our immediate surroundings, but the rest of the world has no interest in how we feel.

How do I want to approach things, my job, my duties, my life? Do I want to want, or do I not want to want?

Whoever "wants" will live a beautiful life, effortlessly walking the steps of the day. But if you don't "want" to, you will feel uncomfortable, trudge effortfully through time.

We distinguish things and people according to whether we "want" them or not. Depending on how our decision turns out, only what we want we will do "gladly", what we do not "want" we will try to avoid, to procrastinate, to sit out. According to Buddha, we should not want anything, because it is the wanting that creates our suffering. If you don't want anything, you don't want anything, you take what comes, you won't be disappointed if it doesn't come as you "wanted".

But who is also forced to do what he does not "want", for example because it "must be", he has arrived in his mental prison, in which he has put himself.

Suppose you would do the same action again, but this time "want" to do it, then everything would be the same, except you, the approach would be completely different, otherwise nothing would change at all. What was so difficult for you before, now would be easier "off your hand", that is the only difference.

No human being has to deal only with people and things that he/she likes, finds good and enjoys doing. Life is not a concert of wishes. Either you are fully behind your karma, you affirm your destiny, or life will be very hard for you (and become even harder). Whatever may come in life is not in our power, but what and how we deal with it is.

In your area it is not so nice? That depends, if they find it beautiful, then it is the most beautiful spot on earth. If you find your partner beautiful, then so is he/she. You can just choose how you want to deal with the situation, with the people, with your mind palace.

So if you are willing, then you will have a "beautiful" existence, if not, then not. It is your decision, depending on your willpower.

The way is the goal!

For will I call the working, because if the will is there, then one works, be it in works, words or thoughts

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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The food in the temple

The food in the Shaolin Temple is traditionally very modest, naturally vegetarian and very healthy. The main dish (filling side dish) is rice, topped off with tofu and vegetables, fruits and berries.

Buddha and his followers were mendicant monks, the food came (mainly) from the alms walks he took with his followers mostly in the morning. Those on vacation in Southeast Asia can still see the monks performing their daily ritual.

The begging of food is supposed to make the monks more satisfied, since they have to be content with what is given, and do not have any wishes regarding their food.

The donors of the food acquire "good" karma by giving, which, by the way, was so common in India long before Buddha's lifetime, a rule that was apparently adopted. As a balance, the community was and is formally dependent on the interaction between monks and lay people, from weddings to funerals, everything takes place in Asia in the temples.

The theme of "discipline" and also "asceticism" runs like a thread through the life of Buddha. According to his philosophy, no monk should possess more (not even food) than he needs today. Well, this rule is quite possible in a warm country, in Europe it requires wise storage for the hard winters.

In today's Buddhist temples strict attention is paid to nutrition, the subject is important in Buddhism, food is considered the most important means of maintaining a healthy body, gluttony and gluttony are, according to the rules of the great teacher, a possible cause of suffering of people. If you look around on the street today, this aspect of the philosophy of the Indian prince is gaining more and more "weight".

The worldview of Buddha lets the practitioners limit life to "the most necessary", also and especially when it comes to eating.

Buddha usually ate only one meal a day, which corresponds to today's interval fasting. This was to avoid distracting the body from meditation and the process of awakening (enlightenment) with useless activities. In most Buddhist temples in this world, there are only one or two meals a day, usually coming to their end around noon. In Shaolin Temple China, a huge pot of rice bubbles all day for the monks to help themselves to, the leftovers with vegetables are also on the stove. Unlike other Buddhist temples, Shaolin monks move a lot and also strain, so their bodies have different requirements for food.

It has become common, especially in Thailand and Southeast Asia, for monks to eat fruit juices or soups in the evening, often donated by patrons.

Read more here in the next few days.

The way is the goal!

Those who live on right food, who do not bind themselves to any property, who find in the incomprehensible emptiness

in the incomprehensible emptiness, whose way is difficult to fathom like a bird's path in the air.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Ceremonies

An integral part of my new life (as a budding monk) at the time was attending Buddhist ceremonies at Shaolin Temple.

These ceremonies always took place either very early, long before the temple door was opened for the crowds of visitors, or after dinner, when peace had returned to the monastery.

During the ceremonies, people prayed (and still do), chanted and meditate. Since I understood little Chinese at that time, I could hardly participate, standing (mostly sleepy) next to my master, doing the prostrations when he prostrated himself, murmuring the parts of the prayers I was familiar with, otherwise trying to keep a low profile.

The center of a Buddhist ceremony is the "altar". Similar to a Christian structure, there are devotional objects, figures and statues of the great teacher and also of Bodhidharma, but also candles, baskets with donations or offerings, containers with incense, flowers and jewelry. The big drum Yu (the fish) is sounded with a mallet during the prayers (it is also used as a signal to start and end the meditation), besides sometimes bells and instruments are used.

The monks were (and still are, of course) dressed in a special regalia, Shaolin wearing an orange robe with a brown overcoat that leaves out the right arm and hand (the tradition here is that the cloak is wrapped around the body in such a way that the left shoulder is covered and the right remains free, which is said to go back to the monk Huihe, who cut off his right arm in order to better understand the essence of Chan (Zen) Buddhism). The abbot is the only one to wear a red and gold-colored robe, which clearly sets him apart from the other monks.

Today, there are hardly any non-ordained people at ceremonies, but occasionally guests or film crews get the opportunity to witness the spiritual acts.

In general, there are Buddhist ceremonies for weddings, for the so-called taking of refuge, for entering adulthood, for house blessings, funerals, remembrance of the deceased (celebration of the dead), and, of course, for all kinds of Buddhist festivals, such as Buddha's birthday.

The life of mortal beings comes and goes, that is the basic idea of all ceremonies, until enlightenment is reached the Buddha is supposed to be a refuge.

As in Europe, ceremonies in Buddhism are an accumulation of rites and customs that have developed over thousands of years, depending on the Buddhist country and its language.

The central thesis in Buddhism was and is that every human being can reach enlightenment.

The way is the goal!

Let us visualize the seven limbs of insight that are helpful on the path of our endeavor

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Negative things part 2

Right, negative things we want to ignore from now on (as far as it is somehow possible).

If something negative comes on TV again, then change the channel until something "positive" comes on.

If something negative is being talked about again, then don't participate in that conversation, but try to steer the topic to something positive, simply because your mood is contagious, because the "positive" topic spreads pleasant vibrations, because enough is enough with "bad" conversations.

If you find yourself thinking something negative again, change your thoughts at the exact moment you notice the "negative".

If there is too much drinking in the group again, take out the negative component by saying something like "I've had enough, I'll have a water now" out loud.

If your children fall into a negative pattern, take the time to turn the tide, you just need to do it and it will happen.

Negative things can be deprived of energy, drowned out by positive vibrations, directed in a different direction, you can play with it, try yourself out in energy work, work consciously on yourself (and thus also on your environment) again and again.

According to Buddha there is no "good" and no "bad", because this would presuppose a valuation. But we do notice the vibrations that negative things bring with them. And these are unpleasant, whether for awakened exalted ones, or for "feel-good Buddhists".

So we should help other people down from their dark and negative trips by an exemplary life, so that for us and our complete environment the being there is pleasant, we let our Buddha-nature also penetrate to the outside.

Roughly speaking, there are two ways to deal with "negative" things: First, to stay away from it, and second, to let the negative elements get to you. Decide for yourself which you prefer. I stopped listening to the news a long time ago, I stopped reading the newspapers, things are just not pleasant. I understand that many people are completely frightened by it, withdraw, in the worst case even get a mental disorder from it.

I for my part would like to have (if it is in my power) only positive vibrations around me, for that I stand up, there I am ready to work on it, also to put effort and time into the topic. According to Buddha, everything is illusory anyway, so why not set it up for me the way I find it comfortable?

Here it is especially true: The way is the goal!

Through a higher mental power I enter this destiny and stay in it.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Negative things

Very often I am asked how to deal with the many negative things around us. My answer is simple: ignore them.

Firstly, the term "negative" already contains a valuation (according to the great teacher, we should not judge), secondly, according to Buddha, we should not let these experiences get to us, but simply let them be as they are, take care of ourselves and our environment, because we can not change anything, but be an example to other people with our actions.

Assuming we would gather all inhabitants on the main square and demonstrate together (probably illusory, never all will have the same opinion), would anything really change? No matter how we shout and rant? Probably not. Because it comes so, as it should come, not at all differently.

But if we ourselves wear our wisdom like a loose shirt, become an example through our appearance, then we can perhaps impress the people around us, so that they then "imitate" us. Living the teachings of Buddha outwardly, not just putting up statues in the living room, no, but showing fellow human beings a way out of suffering, just through one's own actions, speech and life.

Negative things are a matter of feeling. If I constantly see news about war and misery, then something changes in me, the war itself does not change a bit. There will be endless suffering whether I know about it or not, only my self changes. But if I wear my attitude "like a loose shirt", then I can show other people that just not everything is only hardship and misery, but that there is a way out of the cycle of suffering.

Here it is (first of all) irrelevant whether I am an awakened yogi, or a "feel-good Buddhist", it is important to set out on the journey, to follow the teacher of all teachers on the path, to "appropriate" the example of the Buddha, so that I can pass on the teaching to my environment. But not by proselytizing, but by presenting a role model whose loose shirt looks so nice, so that the wearer of the shirt seems as he/she is on the right path. And the right way, it doesn't include war and misery, because the person with the right attitude doesn't carry around all the guilt of this world anymore.

If again the conversation comes to negative things, then simply do not participate in it, let the bad energy drip off on you like the water on an umbrella.

Read in the next days further, how you should deal with "negative" things, people and experiences according to my opinion

The way is the goal!

Choose bad never to friends, never to friends the mean.

Seek to unite in noble friendship with the best!

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Healing "Yourself" Part 6

Good, you have come this far, karma seems to be sending you a message.

So you are ready to take on the not-so-easy journey of at least attempting the painful healing process. What always helps are notes, for example in the form of a diary, or on a simple piece of paper. Here you can unload everything that is bothering you, give free rein to your feelings, this is where honesty begins. Write things down as they are, not as you would like them to be, life is not a concert of wishes.

What has worked is to always ask yourself simple questions before taking notes, such as:

Will I continue to heal?

Where am I in the process?

What's next for me?

What am I stuck on?

How am I doing, physically and mentally?

We humans don't always act logically, often we hurt ourselves for reasons we don't even understand. Often we are dissatisfied with ourselves, our emotions go crazy, we get angry, frightened, indignant, angry and desperate. All emotions that we craft for ourselves, which according to Buddha are completely unnecessary and also useless. Nevertheless, we get entangled in them, can't help it, we are constantly thinking (with our ego) about our "situation", are in self-talk, demanding, wanting, wishing, cursing. None of it helps, nothing changes, only we get "bad" at it.

Self-healing is such a thing, deep inside we already know everything about it, but we repress it, because we don't feel "well", or because we just can't think clearly, because we have buried our feelings under a pile of shards, from destroyed dreams, broken relationships, fears, worries and paranoia. To clear away all these shards requires strength, discipline and effort, without effort the process cannot be mastered. Every person can do this, but every person can also let "it" slide, continue to live in his illusions, maybe even be satisfied in the process, everyone is different, there are no generally valid rules for the human mind palace.

Only those who want to grow (according to Buddha, by the way, we are not supposed to want anything) can set out on the journey, because we all need to heal, modern man is completely shattered, no longer knows where is up and where is down, because the senses are flooded, the panic reflexes come from evolution, only we can help ourselves.

And one day then from the "well-being Buddhism" then becomes an awakening process.

The way is the goal!

I have clearly recognized the dangers contained in aging, illness, death, sorrow and defilement.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Healing "Yourself" Part 5

Well, you have come a long way with me, the subject of "self-healing" seems to be close to your heart. There is also a Buddhist component in the matter, in the philosophy of the great teacher it was (and is) about the "awakening process", about the goal of enlightenment, about liberation from suffering.

You have already achieved a lot now, my topic "self-healing" has been going on for almost a week. But there were also moments this week that had a high price. Struggling to see eye-to-eye with your own ego, constantly nagging, wallowing in self-pity, that makes the "waking up" process a painful one to embrace. Here you don't hear the glad tidings of the "Kingdom of Heaven" where you sit on a cloud and drink manna, no, this is about the process of awakening.

Can you "accept" this process, accept it, see things as they really are, not as you imagine them to be? Life is suffering, the healing process is no exception, on the contrary, here the suffering is intensified (for a certain time), the suffering is made up for, brought out again, intensified.

Everything that we have repressed comes out, seeks a way out of the buried psyche to the outside, just as the healing of the body can cause pain, so it is with the healing of the mind. And it is super complicated, which is why many people also "break" over their own minds. The line between insanity and genius is fluid, Buddha constantly warned his disciples against the antics of the ego.

But you will grow from it, whether you succeed this time or not, you will grow and grow. Take all the time in the world, make peace with your ego, with your surroundings, and of course with your karma. It is what it is, not what we wish it to be.

Again and again the ego will whisper something to you, the little devil on your shoulder will babble at you all day, telling you all kinds of things, what if? Why do I only have? Will I? Do I have? Do I have to? Should I? Or better not? Coulda, woulda, woulda. Take setbacks as constructive elements, not as defeats. You are growing, it takes time, it doesn't happen overnight.

In the next few days, read the last part of the topic "healing yourself".

The way is the goal!

If you associate with true people, you will understand the true teaching

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Healing "Yourself" Part 4

So you want to heal yourself? After all, you're reading on a Buddhist blog, so it's not "hopeless" for you yet.

When a survey asks people around the country what they think is the most important quality in other people, the answer "honesty" comes first. But all around us people lie until "the rind cracks", why should we then be "honest" with ourselves?

I for my part also mean again and again that I am not "too fat". In front of the mirror I automatically take a "favorable" position, catch myself again and again as I pull in the belly, so the little fibs begin with the own self, to the lie it is then not too far. Who really wants to achieve something must be "honest", otherwise the matter does not have the smallest chance of success.

Everyone wants to live more and more consciously, to be mindful in dealing with oneself and others. This starts with simple honesty, not as we would like it to be, no, it is as it is, no matter with which rose-colored glasses we want to see it.

If you continue to read here, then it is really time for self-therapy, then it is your turn now, change yourself, show with your further appearance that you have seen the truth, wear the dress of change with joy, pride and indifference. Then everything will also change for the better, because according to Buddha there is no "better" or "worse", only the NOW and the here.

Many things will come up in self-healing, many repressed things will pave their way up, Buddhists are realists, not dreamers, because life is at most the dream of a dream. If something seems painful to you, even that is just a figment of your imagination, nevertheless an energetic demeanor just makes you feel attractive, my body feels attracted to positive "vibes". We are just real people and not "reality stars", we cannot be chosen HERE and NOW, or maybe we can?

With every DECISION we should decide anew, do not rely on preconceived judgments (prejudices), never everything is as it seems, do not hang your head. Show fighting spirit, but don't make yourselves any more fools, but become healthy among the many diseases. What a beautiful goal, and the way is the goal!

Alms and medicines

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Healing "Yourself" Part 3

Are you ready to heal yourself? Do you want to face your fears, your addictions, the paranoia, the fear, all the insanity? Or continue to live as you have been, without giving realization any chance? It's up to you, you are the architect of your happiness, it's a simple decision, depending on whether you want to be happy or not.

So, have you read up on the main methods of self-healing? Researched on the Internet, bought books, attended lectures? Or are you still taking it "easy"? Are you not really convinced yet?

You can do it, I promise you. Better than any other person could help you, you can help yourself best, if only because you spend all day with yourself. Another person would very rarely spend that much time on you, no doctor can make the effort, but you can. If you want to.

Should you be looking for methods of self-healing, then you must only look at those systems that are also "good" for you, that have a certain attraction for you. Trust in Buddha, who said (according to the meaning) that exactly what is "on" will come to you.

So the appropriate help will also appear in front of you, namely when you have made the decision that you really need help. By the way, your body can make such decisions much better than your mind, believe me. It has a natural gift to pick out what is "up" for you. Ratio only complicates many things.

So, are you ready?

First look at yourself in the mirror. What do you see? Describe yourself, speak to your reflection, say clearly and honestly what you see. Take your time, think of this as an exercise that you will do for ten minutes a day for a week. Don't forget about speaking to your own self. What feelings, moods and reactions does this action awaken in you, what do you sense and feel?

It is usually rather difficult to be "honest" with yourself. While you are standing in front of yourself like this, what things come up in you? What is pushing out of you? Where does your body want to go?

Get into the habit of looking at yourself. Without doing your hair, putting on make-up or brushing your teeth, but just looking at yourself in the mirror.

Can you honestly express what you see, what you think about, what feelings arise, how you feel?

Tomorrow you can read more about my topic "self-healing" here.

The way is the goal!

The sage uses medicines for protection from sorrowful feelings and for good health

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Healing "Yourself" Part 2

As I said, self-healing is a process that is naturally given to our body and mind, but must be actively guided (at least in the case of mental ailments). Which, by the way, coincides one hundred percent with Buddhist teachings, Buddha explained again and again that the diseases of the mind come from the ego, from overbred fears, worries and senseless self-torture, when again the thoughts (uncontrolled) begin to take on a life of their own.

But does such an approach (self-healing) make sense to you at all? Do you have the willpower, the ability to suffer and the appropriate character? To stay with the words of Buddha, it will come that way if it is meant to come that way!

As a first intermediate goal you have to make a plan, without a plan nothing works. This plan should be comprehensive, similar to a construction plan for a house or a hotel, encompassing all the important cornerstones. Unlike such a house plan, your self-coaching plan can be changed again and again, every day, every hour. In order to work out such a workflow you need the ability to analyze your life relentlessly, i.e. also to look at the sufferings of the moment.

You cannot run away from fate, you have to look at the here and now as it is, not as you wish it to be. You are old and sick, then it is so. You are not very smart, then you have to live with it. You are overweight, you don't have to live with that. You are addicted (alcohol, drugs, sex, power or money), you can change that.

What do you suffer from?

According to the teacher of all teachers (Buddha), we create our own suffering, we control everything with our ego, which has just been shaped by karma. So when we decide to stop suffering, it is "the first part of the plan to Nirvana", which you can call self-therapy. Do you want to change? Then just do it!

The method for a healing of your self is the teaching of Buddhism, which hooks straight at the disturbances of the mental activities. You have to face up to them, a normal doctor can only help in an accompanying way (better ask yourself about risks and side effects), because no doctor in the world has enough time for you (the average time a patient spends at a doctor's office in Germany is about 5 minutes). Nevertheless, you have to inform yourself, form an opinion before you start. Especially on the net there are countless guides to self-healing, pick the material that makes sense for you.

Read here in the next days further to the topic "self-healing".

The way is just thereby the goal!

Only then the wounds would heal

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Heal yourself

We humans are becoming more and more whimsical, have more and more quirks, suffer from depression, delusions, fears. Mental ailments of all kinds fill the waiting rooms of specialized doctors, the god in white (demigod at least), he will fix it.

We don't always act to our advantage, we approach things too rationally, think back and forth, then lose ourselves in thoughts that don't come to a point, and can't really come to a point. Instead of listening to our body, the same considerations always circle in our head, as a result we are then dissatisfied, not "happy".

This can go on for your entire lifetime (no, it doesn't get better with age), or you can take responsibility for your own self, you finally take care of your self, simply by starting to "heal yourself", starting self-therapy. Because no matter how good your doctor is, no matter if you are a health insurance or private patient, a doctor cannot take the necessary time for you, only you can do that.

Do you want to initiate a process that will help you solve your problems, or do you continue to "let things slide"? Are you ready to work on yourself without outside help (doctor, therapist), so that you can finally achieve your goals and lead a more pleasant life?

Have you ever heard of "self-healing powers"? Every person can heal himself, the body and also the mind. If you cut your finger, then the cut heals in a short time, is no longer visible. So is your psyche, if problems arise here, then you can heal yourself, if you want to. The mind (unlike the body) requires an actively supported healing process that begins with the will to heal.

Because through the will we then find the strength to look at our existence (and the role we play) relentlessly honestly, which is always the prerequisite for healing, must be.

Every person suffers from his or her own personal horrors, has his or her own special demons, is afraid of other things, no two people are alike. That is why there is no standard application for recovery that applies to all people, but runs just individually.

In general, it should be said that healing oneself "by oneself" will usually be a long process, which may take a lot of time, cost a lot of energy.

Self-therapy is always connected with effort and work, coincides in many respects with the things Buddha taught his disciples.

In the next few days you will read more about self-therapy here.

The way is the goal!

The one who is ill could not achieve what one can achieve when he is free from illness.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Enlightenment and eclipse

Enlightenment and eclipse are absolute opposites!

The valley of tears, the swamp of darkness, hell vents of creative self-destruction, here we are, in the midst of our own walls that we build ourselves, waiting for the "enlightenment", dissatisfied in our lives eyeing everything suspiciously, doubting and hating, behaving quite differently than how Buddha exemplified life to people.

Sick among sick, disturbed among disturbed, afraid of the fears, hallelujah, the negative pulls down, the bottom has not yet been reached.

Among us are countless types, who must first come up at the bottom, before they want to (or can) orient themselves upward, whom the darkness literally attracts, who do not seek the light. Perhaps it is also quite simply that "one" must know the eclipse in order to appreciate the enlightenment at all.

For my part, I also had to really fall on my face to get my head "straightened out", it seems to be a human phenomenon to look on the dark side. With animals little to nothing of such, mental perversions is to be noticed, the problem goes quite obviously along with the developed thought palace, in which the ego can spread, which sits then like a devil on our shoulders, whispers nonsense to us, wants to talk us useless trinkets on, produces worthless emotions. This is exactly the ego Buddha warned us about, but who listens; put up the statues of the great teacher, yes, but what did the man say again, no plan, how to go on, nobody has a plan.

No one gets enough, everyone comes up "short", what are the contents and values, no plan. Higher, faster, further, richer, more, more, more. But the emptiness in people remains, the desired feelings are transient like the wind, after the game is before the game.

Relaxation and balance are just empty words, everyone is caught up in their stress, the path of Buddha can (could) help here, but who is listening? What were the three key phrases from the teacher of all teachers again, who knows?

Life is a journey, we are all time travelers, through the universe our planet is lurching, we are smaller than a grain of sand but have dreams far too big.

If you think about the word "eclipse" now, what appears in your mind's eye? What trip are you "going" on? And most importantly, why? In the country of the blind the one-eyed man is king, darkly I see outlines, see the wretchedness of us humans.

The way is the goal!

The universal ruler throws forces to the front, he fastens the jewel at the top of his

top of his banner, in the darkness and gloom of the night

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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We build our own cages part 2

There are many different kinds of cages, but they all have in common that they are made by humans for humans, but mostly we put our own person into such kennels.

I will give you some examples:

The cage of greed for food, when we compensate our true personality with "eating".

The prison of greed for alcohol, because we want to escape from the true here and now.

The prison of drugs, because the ego can't stand our own self.

Not to forget the dungeon of lusts, because the short thrill brings a distraction.

The gate of gambling addiction, to find at least a break from transience.

The lonely hovel of money that feigns a sense of importance.

The illusion of power to distract from one's poverty.

I think that now you understand what I mean! All these cages are self-made, only for the own person.

But sometimes also for other people, because one wants to achieve something with the construction of the cage, instead of just "letting go". A always during game, over the millennia people played themselves up, wanted to establish "power", and become only builders of monstrous horrors, perhaps "well" thought, but just "badly" made.

Then there are the cages, which we maintain out of wrongly understood consideration, which we do to ourselves (and our environment), because we are too cowardly to see the truth, to speak out, to act according to it.

Instead, we prefer to remain in an unhappy relationship, afraid of being alone, of the neighbors' opinion, of financial disadvantages, of whatever "one" may be afraid of.

Or maybe we build cages around ourselves because we think we are "not good enough" for something, we think we "don't deserve" something, or we think we are not "suitable". Therefore we think we "can't" do this and that, "don't" have a chance, there are as many cages as there are people, and more.

Which cage is holding you? And why? Do you know an answer? And if not, why? Why could it come to this? Is there a way out?

YES

The philosophy of the great teacher offers the only possible explanation how the things, living beings and incidents are (could be) connected, because every consideration about the true effect of the light is just subjective, because an objective does not exist. One observer likes roses, the woman next to him finds flowers terrible.

The way, you know, that is the goal!

The seeker looks at his guilt and feels imprisonment.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Make yourself free

What we lack for "enlightenment" is a liberated thinking. The old patterns, which keep us from our perfection, fears, worries, hardships, even real fear pervades us again and again, the uncertainties of life are solidified in our thought palace, must first be smashed according to the teacher of all teachers. Whoever can banish these poisons from his thinking, unimagined joys await him, the infinite freedom that awakening offers us.

Finally become "master" of your ego, of your thoughts, of your life. Because it doesn't matter if you go through life laughing or crying, the world will continue to turn regardless, not taking note of your situation. If at all, your change of mind will be noticed by your closest environment, but not even that is certain. Only for you there will be a change, because from the awakening of your consciousness there will be a superiority against all possible strokes of fate (and believe me, they will come). But if you are ready to take responsibility for your incarnation and your karma, you must (also) inevitably deal with the teachings of the Indian prince, because otherwise life is just a sequence of events that leave no impression.

Have faith in your ego and in your existence, this world does not have to be only torment and fear, no. Thoughts are our being, according to Buddha we shape our world with them. So, do you want to use the power of positive thinking?

At least as long as you, as a "feel-good Buddhist", have not yet set out on the path to awakening, as long as you still think in the learned categories that you cannot (yet) leave? It is only up to you whether you consider the rainy day as "depressing" or as "cozy", otherwise nothing changes.

Nothing we can change, but our way of looking at things, which already is, and thus the feedback our thoughts leave on our "soul". But once you have learned to think "life-affirming", you will also be able to follow the teachings of Buddha more easily, then you will be able to dive further and deeper into philosophy.

Who thinks "positive", who thinks "negative" (according to Buddha there is also no "positive" and also no "negative"), nothing we can change, everything will come exactly as it has to come, so why get upset, why burden the thinking. Better to think about the next step, which would be to accept "enlightenment" as a personal goal.

We also attract the things which we send out! The way is therefore the goal!

Wandering goal has reached, of the suffering freely, after long rolling, freely he stands to all sides, all fetters are fallen

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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We build our cages ourselves

Man is a strange animal, he builds his own cages, because he does not want to look further than his "intellect" can overlook the affairs.

What lies outside of his intellect, that is negated, "head in the sand", that will already help. But it doesn't, the transient catches up with us all, no matter how much we resist it.

In order to have as little as possible to do with reality, all kinds of cages are built, by those affected, but also by other people who want to regulate life for themselves (and for all others), so that they themselves feel "more comfortable", because it must not be what goes beyond the horizon.

And so more and more cages are built, people build their cages themselves, nobody and nothing locks them up, only they themselves do it.

All the rules that have been created in the course of time, they slow down the people, more and more is regulated, forbidden, restricted, as long as this goes, until too many cages have been built, then everything discharges in a big bang, all the anger, the disappointment and the longing.

Buddhists can (should) look behind the scenes, not be concerned with building cages, and of course always try to overcome the existing limits, because they have an inner feeling that shows them the way, the way that the great teacher has already gone, that people went before him (who are not known to us), and that so many people have gone since his lifetime.

For this, there must be no more cages, because these are precisely "containers" that prevent us from progressing, imprison us, keep us in one (spiritual) place. And we don't want exactly that, we don't want to suffer anymore, not to be "caught" in the cycle of suffering, but to achieve "liberation". And yes, this world view "pisses off" some fellow human beings, because these want to regulate all other persons, to keep them "caught" in their misery; gone along, caught along!

Free yourself from the cages!

But how should this go, this freeing? What could we do to break our shackles?

First of all, we must look at things realistically, not idealistically; Buddhists are realists, not dreamers. According to Buddha, we should see rightly, recognize rightly, then speak rightly and act rightly (see Buddhism: The Message).

Only then we can see which cages are holding us captive!

Only then we can think about which cages we can live with and which not! Which ones we accept out of consideration, but which ones we don't.

The way is the goal!

If the five obstacles still exist in a seeker, he considers them as his debt to the world, or as a kind of illness, also simply as a captivity.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Trips

My new life as a "Shaolin monk" began to please me very much, the doubts were gone, yes, I felt "comfortable" in the temple, people began to greet me, the temple guard let me pass without a flinch, through the gate of the monks. My master must have had a conversation with the man at the gate, instructed him to let me in, I was one of them. My Chinese improved, I could speak a few sentences, the local people began to respect me, which was also (and especially) due to the fact that I did not "give in", but obviously "bit my way through" (otherwise I would not have been seen in the temple for so long).

The training was always three days long, then there was a day off. There we did something, went by cab via the nearest city Dengfeng to the provincial capital Zhengzhou, where I could stock up on supplies, we visited a restaurant, I could call home (at that time there were no cell phones, some people don't know that cell phones have only been around for about 20 years).

On the way from the temple to Dengfeng, we passed countless Kung Fu schools that had settled along the road. Only then did I realize how lucky I was to be "in the temple", to have been accepted there. I simply drove past these countless schools on the way here, because I wanted to go to the temple, not to a Kung Fu school. I still didn't realize that the chance to stay in the temple was somewhat smaller than a lottery six, I understood that only later.

On nice days, all schools had students in front of the schools on the training grounds, which were similar to barracks yards made of bare concrete, which could hardly be seen because of the students. All dressed in uniform, sportswear (like school administration) in uniform design, with the logo of the school on the chest, practicing in step, kept in line with barked instructions. If you haven't seen something like this, it's hard to imagine the crowds. Always in groups, an older student as "Vorturner", the master (if he was to be seen at all) on a gallery, from where he could better supervise the countless students.

We quickly passed through Dengfeng, the way to Zhengzhou by cab took about 5 hours (today there is a highway that runs straight through the area; this highway (about 150 km) was built in 3 months, about 10,000 construction workers with thousands of machines pulled the construction through in a short time).

As always: The way is the goal!

It is almost impossible to find an area that I would not have already experienced on my long trip

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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The salt of wisdom part 2

Arriving at the river, the young man took a deep breath, everything had happened so quickly, what was the monk trying to tell him, that salt tastes "salty", that was already clear to him before, had he fallen for a charlatan?

Around him were many people, some lying stretched out in the grass next to the river, others meditating, still others were just silent, gazing at the water, or simply resting on the shore. The young man wondered greatly, there was a magic about the place, he could feel it.

His family had sent him here, surely his loved ones had thought of something, if he was already here now, then he wanted to go through with the matter, the way here was far, he did not want to leave with "empty hands" again. He opened the small letter, there was written in wonderful handwritten letters the following: "Take the salt from the bowl and throw it into the river, then take a handful of the water and drink it! Afterwards you come again into the hall of the temple, I wait there for you.

Again there was a long line in front of him, he had to wait. This time, however, he watched what was happening closely, he had become curious. He saw how many questioners came to the monk, drank there apparently a glass with water, then got a small letter and went away (like him before). When it was his turn, the master immediately addressed him, "So, how did the water taste?" "Master, it was delicious, clear water from the mountains, very refreshing." "Did you taste the salt?" "No master, not at all, it was completely neutral water, no taste."

Then the white master reached out his hand, put it on the shoulder of the bewildered young man, he spoke, "Your sufferings are like the salt, they are always the same, no more, no less. The pain is the same, the thoughts are the same! But what is different, that is the taste of the suffering, it depends on the vessel in which we put the salt (or the sufferings)."

"If you suffer again, and you will suffer a lot more, there is only one thing you can do. You can change the way you look at the way you let the suffering come to you. To stay with the comparison with salt, you can choose to be a jar or a river, it's just a choice. Which container do you want to choose for your future?

The way is always the goal!

Student, this is the path that leads to wisdom.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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The Salt of Wisdom

Buddha once stated that his teaching would be like salt, since the "taste" of his words would be the same for everyone.

There is a Buddhist story which (among other things) is also about salt. It is about a very sad young man who suffered a lot from his "fate".

His family advised him to go to the Buddhist temple nearby, where there was a wise Chan (Zen) master who might be able to help him. When his suffering became worse and worse, he went to the temple in the mountains, hoping for wise words from the spiritual teacher, maybe he knew a way out of the dilemma he was in.

Arriving at the monastery, he had to be patient, many people came here to ask for help, the line was long, but the master spoke to all those waiting, one by one he listened to the problems of each, then gave answers and hope, suggestions and proposals.

Then it was his turn, he spoke, "Master, I have so many problems in my life, that's why I'm always sad, can't see a way out, I'm tired of everything, don't know what to do anymore."

The monk listened to the complaints, looked into the young man's face without saying a word, for a few moments he taxed the young face. The silence became longer, uneasiness spread in the questioner, what should he do now, had the old man understood him?

Then the master reached to the back, there were many empty glasses stacked, and a large bowl. He brought a glass to the front, placed it between the men, and put the bowl next to the glass. He beckoned to a young monk, who immediately filled the glass with water.

Now the master spoke, "Take some of the salt from the bowl and put it in the water, stir, then drink the glass." The young man did as he was told. The master continued, "Well, how did it taste?" "Terribly salty," was the reply.

"Good, that was to be expected." Now the master reached behind him again on the other side, there were small envelopes, nicely wrapped, and very small bowls in a big pile, he brought out an envelope and a bowl.

He said, "Now you take some of the salt and put it in the little bowl. Then you go to the little river down by the entrance to the temple, open the letter and do exactly what you read there, then you come back to me."

Tomorrow, read on to see how the story turned out then.

The way is the goal!

As a flame goes out from the wind, is blown away and concepts no longer fit, so is the way freed from "spirit and body": He can no longer be grasped conceptually

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Set positive anchors part 2

Positive anchors have an effect on our subconscious, similar to a sign on the refrigerator, such an anchor brings the situation to our attention (whenever the right moment comes).

You can imagine this as if you stumble over the same carpet crease over and over again, being reminded to straighten the carpet. Always in the same place, where the crease is.

We can also bring such affirmations with pictures into our mind palace, for example when you get angry, then a very special picture appears in front of your (inner) eye, which will (or at least should) calm you down, small things that you link with something in your mind. For example, in case you lose your temper, then implement the image "take a deep breath" in your mind palace.

If life seems difficult to you, make an anchor with the slogan "The way is the goal", for example with the image of a small Buddha in front of your eyes.

If you have a lot of work and sometimes feel little energy, then set yourself an anchor in the future, such as the feeling of having "made it", so instead of an image connect an emotion as an anchor.

Or if you suffer from self-worth issues, then put an anchor on your positive sides, like this: I am valuable, even if I am not the best at every task, set yourself a positive emotion as an anchor in case you doubt yourself again.

Also, you can decorate the objects of everyday life with your favorite sayings or conscious guidelines, as an example I give the refrigerator on which you stick a picture of the figure you want.

Or why not have a tea or coffee mug made with one of your "wishes", or with a clever phrase (that impresses you). Or a cover for your cell phone made just for them, with a catchy slogan on it that might have an impact on you.

For my part, I put a small sticker on the inside of my apartment door on which I painted an exclamation point, it's to remind me not to lose my cool no matter what happens to me "outside".

Or make one of your passwords (on your cell phone or PC) as an anchor, like "in-the-rest-lies-the-power", or "always-smile", or even "the-way-is-the-goal", good is also "Buddha-said".

Anyway, anchors are a positive support on the way, which is known to be the goal!

The confusions of the ideas do not concern a wise man

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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My lunch break in the temple

After four hours of training in the morning, there was always a long lunch break, which I usually "longed for", because my muscles were constantly tired, the exercises were extremely strenuous, the master was relentless, up and down, the same movements over and over again, even in my sleep I went through the steps. That's when the lunch break was a wonderful stopover. Generally, we trained for three days, then there was a completely free day where we did joint activities, but more of that elsewhere.

After training I dried my sweat, there was a watering hole only in the public toilets, and they were crammed with tourists who mostly looked at me in disbelief, a tall white man in training clothes, sweaty and out of breath, what was he doing here? So then just dry off, put on another shirt and pants, then went off to eat with my master.

Sometimes we sat down in the temple canteen, which was hidden in a side yard, sometimes we went to the stalls in front of the temple door, which prepared all kinds of delicacies directly on the spot (at this point I would like to refer to my article "The One is the Base", which is about exactly such a stall (and its owner)). My master always chose a different food for us, the choice was inexhaustible, he was known everywhere. Soon I realized that there were not many monks in the temple, most people were visitors or martial arts students of the many surrounding schools, but monks, that were only a few hundred pieces, and in the fitness state of my new friend I had seen very few at all, which is why my master was just known "like a colorful dog".

After the meal, we sat down on beautiful days in the sun, if it rained then evenly into its hermitage. After only a few days, I suggested that I learn English for him and he learns Chinese for me. It quickly became a concentrated effort and we made good progress. So the lunch break was well used, and we also had time for a little nap.

After exactly three and a half hours there was the second part of the training, again up and down, on good days at the training place in a side yard, on rainy days in the Mönchsklause. Punctual and without excuses, discipline was the central word in my new life as a "Shaolin monk".

The way is the goal!

(the pictures are my original pictures from the time in the temple)

An enlightened one speaks about the teachings and discipline

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Set positive anchors

Who does not know them, the weak moments, the temptations of life, the voice of nature, the attacks with anger, hunger or depression.

It can help to set so-called "anchors" in order to hold on to them, similar to a ship that would also drift without a foothold. What have we not resolved to do, to be more mindful, to do more sports, to meditate daily, to lose weight, to be around people more, and then life keeps interfering, throwing us off track, taking us off course.

Sure, we are only human, where there are people, it becomes human. But we wanted more, to achieve something, not just to live dully from day to day.

According to Buddha, it is completely irrelevant whether we achieve something or not. But not the big group of "feel-good Buddhists", most of them are not sure yet if they want to awaken at all. Therefore, these people should first slowly approach the teachings of Buddha, e.g. by setting said anchors.

Anchors are positive supports for the subconscious, they remind us of the things we considered important, whether this is still the case when the anchor takes hold, that is a completely different matter.

An anchor is a memory set on purpose, something like this: When I arrive at the supermarket I first go to buy a paper towel. The anchor is set in the supermarket, the reminder is "kitchen roll". My cell phone (Apple) also offers such a kind of reminder, I can enter that it should remind me of the "kitchen roll" when I enter the supermarket. Of course, I have to enter the address for that as well.

But I mean a more intellectual reminder (anchor), something like this: When I get a craving for chips again, I see my body floating in front of me in my inner eye, in the actual state on the left, in the target state on the right.

Or exactly like this (left and right) I imagine how I will look tomorrow if I drink the bottle of wine now, I set the anchor for myself in case I think about alcohol.

Or when I get angry, I think of my "mindfulness anchor", or when I catch myself running through life listlessly, then I also think of the "mindfulness anchor".

When I get depressed then the "happiness anchor", which I link to something that makes me happy. And then, at a special time of the day, the "Sports Anchor." Do you understand what I'm trying to point out?

This is how we can link our subconscious to our conscious, practically building a kind of "mnemonic bridge" for us.

The way is (as always) the goal!

Quickly to the good! Keep your mind closed from evil! You already enjoy the evil, do the good you sullenly.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Sleep disorders part 2

Whoever suffers from sleep disorders has a hard time, unrested, grumpy and contrite, relief is sought, usually the problems are already solidified, good advice is expensive.

According to the teacher of all teachers, all disturbances in behavior are due to an exaggerated ego, the thought palace rolls its senseless thoughts (would have, would have, if, if, if), the fears become overwhelming, the worries take on a life of their own, sleep is not to be thought of.

It is very difficult to break this cycle, and it takes a lot of effort to tackle the problem. Well, going to the doctor and asking for medication is one solution. The other option is to get rid of anxiety, if possible with the teachings of Buddha.

For all those "feel-good Buddhists" who have only just sniffed the essence of the teachings, for them an all-around punch is recommended, mixed with meditative exercises, sufficient physical exercise (working out and then going to sleep), and a coordinated medication, which, however, requires a fair amount of personal initiative.

I suggest to stock up on natural remedies (such as valerian, lavender, melatonin, sleep berry, St. John's wort and hemp oil) in the drugstore of one's choice, and then to buy sleep stars (over-the-counter sleep aid) and Lioran (passion flower herb) in the pharmacy. Furthermore, chamomile (powder) and Reishi extract (powder) are sleep-promoting (easy to get on the net). These should then be taken in an aging manner, always changing the composition, sometimes taking this remedy, leaving out that one, etc. (for legal reasons I must of course point out that a physician is to be asked before).

From traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) I recommend Suan Zao Ren Tang Wan for a long-term treatment, Fu Fang Zao Ren Jiao Nang for a quick solution, and Suan Zao Ren as well as Yuan Zhi as herbs or as a dried powder (then with water) also for long-term use, as well as Wu Wei Zi (Schizandra) for a daily intake (again: ask a doctor).

Sleep disorders are a serious problem, I understand that unrested you can not concentrate, also will not find yourself, the lack of sleep is strongly inhibiting.

For my part, I take two preparations a day from a small box containing all the substances listed above, I then choose them daily according to my mood, always different, so that no habituation can occur. My sleep is wonderful, however, it also happens to me that I sleep "badly" about two times a year, then I always feel "terrible". How do people who have this problem every day feel?

As always, the way is the goal!

Will he become someone who acts knowledgeably while walking, standing, sitting, falling asleep, waking up, talking and remaining silent?

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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A healthy self-confidence part 2

The most important question (at least for people who want to get more self-confidence) is whether you know yourself, because if you know yourself, you can listen to criticism without any problems, you know how things really are.

Here my usual question (Who am I?) arises again, because here first an answer must be found. If this important question remains in the room, then no changes can arise.

Buddhists have usually already spent a lot of time thinking about this question, and often it does not let them go. Also, this very question is asked by Chan (Zen) masters to their students as a Gong An (Koan) to bring them out of their thoughts to the teaching, to connect them with the Buddha nature.

So again, what are your strengths? There is not a single person in this world who is not good at something, who does not have talents, some more, some less, but no one is talentless.

Just because you can cook well does not mean that all people can cook well. You have a beautiful voice, well, only a very select few are endowed with that gift.

For my part, for example, I can't sing, I don't have any manual talents either, but I have a degree in law, which just wouldn't interest everyone. One person can do one thing, the other something else.

There is also the question of what you are passionate about, what is close to your heart, what subjects are easy for you to deal with? Build a decent self-confidence, start with your strengths, your advantages, the things you do well. Direct your thoughts to the successes, to your "good" sides.

To build up sufficient self-confidence it is imperative to enrich respect for yourself. If you are stuck in a job you hate, or (as an example) in a failed relationship, you may not stand up for yourself enough, you may not respect yourself enough.

Therefore we come back to the above question: Who am I? Only if a good answer is found here, then comes respect for one's own person, and of course as a consequence then also plenty of self-confidence. Solve your problems, clear the air, stand by yourself, by the person you really are. Otherwise, you will be reborn many more times, until you will muster the courage and stand by your being.

You know: The way is the goal!

Consciousness is infinite

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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A healthy self-confidence

You are not self-confident at all - what could be the reason for that? We build up self-confidence as children. If you don't make your experiences in time and put them into practice, you will fall short as an adult.

Self-confidence can be reduced to a very simple formula: How do we perceive ourselves? How do we think other people see us, how do they "find" us, what do they think of us. If you are not convinced of yourself as a person, you will quickly be "undercut", you will feel rejection where there is none, you will become more and more insecure, and your mental problems will grow into a serious disorder.

Are you insecure? Do you doubt yourself? Do you think that you "screw up" everything, that you can't do anything right? Then it is time to think about your self-confidence. According to Buddha, however, it makes no difference whether we doubt ourselves or are convinced of ourselves, because according to the great teacher, everything comes as it must.

However, the main part of Buddhists are so-called "feel-good Buddhists", who first have to be introduced to the teaching, so they should first "feel-good" before they go deeper into the teaching.

But how does "one" become self-confident, can self-confidence also be learned? YES! First of all, we have to look at ourselves, as Buddha also exemplified this to us, look behind the "scenes", and believe me, to analyze oneself, this can be very difficult. Because "you" can only get an increased self-confidence if you are relentlessly honest with yourself, don't fool yourself anymore, only then can you really grow. And above all, it doesn't help to pick on yourself, things are the way they are, you are in no way to blame for it (perhaps from previous lives), but it comes as it must come, everything is predetermined.

We have to accept ourselves as we are, something else would not make sense. But for this we must know ourselves exactly, how are we knitted, how are our circumstances connected? And can we then draw stability and self-confidence from the fact of honesty?

Start with your strengths, what are you good at? Everyone has things that come easily to them and things that are difficult. So, what comes easily to you? Can you even appreciate your advantages?

Have those around you ever praised you? And if so, for what? In the next few days, you will continue to read here on the topic of "self-confidence".

Anyway, the way is the goal!

And because I see no basis for it, I dwell in security, fearlessness and self-confidence

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Gong An (Koan)

In many Buddhist monasteries the theological Gong An concept (Koan) is taught, because people often have great difficulties not to think in categories like "good" or "bad", not to classify things (and people).

We humans are like that, if we don't think good, we think bad, our thought palace needs "stuff" to keep the ego going, which is why wise teachers have designed the teaching of Gong An (Koans) as an anecdote or aphorism that presents an exemplary action or statement of a Chan (Zen) master.

Some of these Gong Ans (Koans) are completely meaningless, while others are paradoxical and difficult to understand only at first glance. The Gong Ans (Koans) once evolved from the questions and answers that arose between masters and disciples. Of course, a Gong An (Koan) can also be resolved rationally, but usually the spiritual interpretation is desired by the teacher. From my point of view, however, such a task should make the student realize that there is (and cannot be) no ego of one's own.

According to the teaching, there are different levels (or classes) of Gong Ans (koans), which are supposed to achieve different goals.

In the first level, the student is supposed to achieve "awakened view" (a preliminary stage of enlightenment, i.e., not clinging, not wanting anything).

Then, in the next category, the goal is to achieve a deepening of non-attachment and non-wanting, that is, to take another step toward awakening.

In the third stage, the meaning of the teachings is to be clarified, the origin, history and meaning of the words are examined.

In a further category, the Gong Ans (Koans) now become more difficult, the understanding is deepened.

On the last level, the student should be pointed to enlightenment specifically. Thereby the tasks become even more difficult.

From a Western point of view, it can be said that the concept of researching a matter over many years is no longer appropriate (and cannot be). Today everything has to go much faster, the screens are blaring full of modern people, in everyday life the answer may be there suddenly, a Gong An (Koan) may have a long after-effect.

I am setting you such a task today, it is, "What do you know for sure?" Think about this task, do some soul-searching.

Buddhism is not a teaching that prescribes everything to man, calls him to follow. NO, the teaching of the Indian prince is focused on self-reliance, personal responsibility, discipline and constant effort. So if you cannot do anything - what can you do?

The way is the goal!

This thought of sense desire impairs wisdom

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Rebirth Part 2

The readers of my blog "know" that there is neither time nor space, thus also no birth, no age, no illness and no death.

But then what about all the people who have already "lived" and those who will still "live"? Is all life connected, are we part of a great whole?

Or asked differently: Is there an infinite matrix of the now, the here and the being, which holds a connection over the incarnations?

Surely you also know a person who can remember a past life, many people claim that even details are still clearly recognizable. Maybe even you yourself? Or is it just a matter of inexplicable, almost mystical experiences, which then lead people to see themselves as reincarnated? Questions upon questions arise on this subject.

At least in Chan (Zen) Buddhism the teaching has prevailed that there is no rebirth, but as is well known, many roads lead to Rome. However, one could also say (loosely after Buddha) that reincarnation exists, but also does not exist, completely depending on how we (with our imagination) form the world around us.

If reincarnation is only a concept (similar to heaven and hell, probably no human being has been there yet), then another possibility would be to understand the concept as a moral system of the belief world, which is supposed to set the ethical standards.

Regardless of how we feel about it, where did we originally come from? Originated at conception? Or descended from an "in-between world" that corresponds to, or at least should be similar to, nirvana? Does our personality (and with it also the ego) originate approximately with the fusion of sperm and egg, or is only the physicality created thereby? Still more questions, still no answers.

Could it be that Nirvana is right here, right in front of us at this moment, but we are not able to see it?

But the philosophy of Chan (Zen) Buddhism also does not necessarily state that there can be no rebirth, as always scholars argue, according to Chan teachings there is nothing to gain (or lose) because nothing is (and cannot be) permanent anyway, so nothing belongs to us anyway. In Chan we have to discover for ourselves, which is why even so many "feel-good Buddhists" then ultimately jump off again, thinking to themselves, where would we get to?

We are to "awaken" through our own efforts, to improve ourselves in order to see the Buddha-nature within us, which already exists eternally within.

Our questions, whether we will be born again, go to hell, or go to heaven, these are only asked by the ego. And therefore our personality is not involved either, because it is completely irrelevant whether we live again or not.

Before the procreation, where were you there?

The way is the goal!

If sometime, at the end of a long period, a gate returns into the human existence, then the rebirth takes place lower

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Who wants to be alone?

We humans are and feel lonely, we do not want to be alone.

Many people are downright afraid of loneliness, they can't be alone at all, as a consequence they then make concessions of every kind just to not feel "lonely".

I have many friends who wake up in the morning and immediately turn on the TV (or the radio), some even fall asleep, the background noise then replaces family or friends, just don't be alone, that's the motto here.

Already in our youth we squeeze into discotheques, narrow and dirty rooms, to be "among people", to get to know someone, we stand in queues and wait for admission, we become a member of the gym to "make connections", we sit for hours in the coffee house, because we don't want to be alone at home, we eat in a restaurant, because in our home only walls are waiting for us.

When nothing else helps, we organize ourselves in clubs and associations, we join religions and sects, we meet in groups, the feeling of belonging is so important to us.

For my part, I can be alone for months, hardly meet people, stay for myself, I am satisfied with myself, can be good without company.

But I understand all the people who have their problems with the great loneliness and emptiness. All the spasmodic activities that come from the fear of loneliness, I have sympathy for them, the fate of people is hard, the knowledge of the finiteness of existence hovers like a sword of Damocles over the heads, occupies young and old, sick and healthy, stupid or smart, simply all people (subconsciously) constantly think about their own transience.

What activities do you do just because you can't be alone? Be honest for once, what don't we do just because we have such unbelievable fears, feel such deep despair about our fate. And how nice would it be to just leave those fears behind?

And then there is the search for spirituality that our humanity brings with it, we search for a meaning to our existence, while we go about our normal tasks we brood unstoppably.

Yet staying in the here and now would be precisely the right course of action, namely to focus our consciousness on doing the laundry, cooking the meal, getting the job done, not poking around in the past with our thoughts, nor seeking the future.

The way is the goal!

Never grieve for the past, do not expect anything from the future! Because what is past is gone, not yet is what will come. But he who clearly sees through the present with its manifoldness, let him, when he has recognized it, strive for that which is unshakable.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Rebirth

Rebirth is a subject that fascinates outsiders and Buddhists about Buddhism.

Reincarnation was also a fixture in Christianity until this doctrine was banned as "unacceptable" in the Council of Constantinople in 553. However, Christian doctrine says that Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead.

First of all something very important at the beginning: Not all Buddhists believe in rebirth! Also in the teaching of the Indian prince there are different schools (similar to Christianity), which follow other views. For example, the "Mahayana" school (Japanese:Zen or Chinese: Chan) does not require a belief in reincarnation, while the "Theravada" school (and here especially the "Vajrayana" philosophy) holds partly opposite views.

Many spiritual paths have developed in Buddhism over the centuries, but rebirth is not a mandatory content of the Chan (Zen) teachings.

The "path of reality" is not about the path itself, but about where the path leads, namely to nirvana. The doctrine of rebirth indicates that those who could not reach nirvana in this life then have another opportunity in the next incarnation.

Personally, I not only believe in rebirth, I am convinced of it because I can remember my past lives (to some extent).

I believe that reincarnation is the transcendence of ego-identity towards realization, which proceeds over many lifetimes, as Buddha-nature is very difficult to find, overlaid by the debris of events.

We must understand that there is no place to hide, no place that can overcome impermanence. Only in us can we find the emptiness that corresponds to an incredible fullness.

Our thought palace lives in patterns, "good" or "bad", "right" or "wrong", "below" or "above", "black" or "white", every thought contains the opposite already at its origin, otherwise it could not arise at all. So also birth and death, which then finds its cycle in the rebirth, but in the Nirvana everything is extinguished, because the Nirvana is only a state of mind. Thus, even the awakened one who has entered nirvana can be reborn if he has not yet been granted the completion of all tasks.

In Nirvana everything is balanced, nothing is important, neither the birth nor the death, so that the new incarnation does not matter either, everything loses its value when time and space merge into one big context.

All people who have already lived and all those who will live, they are connected, in the now and in the here.

Can you remember your lives?

The path is the goal!

Purification comes through the cycle of rebirth

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero Exercise is one of the healthy habits that you forgive a certain stubbornness

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The daily training part 2

The foreign world had me under its spell, I had become a part of the Shaolin Temple, up to here the fixed idea had driven me, I also felt well, the life in the monastery had something calming, the temperatures slowly became more pleasant, the inconveniences receded further and further.

For weeks I trained with my master, always three days of training, one day off, four hours in the morning, then a long lunch break of three to four hours, then another four hours of training.

The first weeks my master only allowed some exercises that I would count as "martial arts". The rest were stretching exercises, balance techniques, and strength exercises practiced with weights hewn from stone. Up and down I had to run movement patterns remotely reminiscent of Kung Fu, always in the lowest position, the buttocks just above the ground, the legs strongly bent. Then with speed upwards, into one of the positions shown to me, attack or defense movements followed. A brute ordeal, almost impossible for the untrained, and to make up for years of Shaolin practice in a short time, what a presumptuous undertaking.

Almost out of the splits then up again, hold position, down again, built into a flow of movement that was distantly reminiscent of "running forms" from karate.

A bamboo stick over the shoulders, hands placed over it on either side, then the stick parallel to the feet in one direction, and back in the other. The legs and feet follow the movement, the body gets a swinging moment, over and over, for longer and longer periods of time, the balance getting better and better.

With the back against the wall, slightly bent at the knees, then turning the upper body backwards, hitting the wall with the swinging fist at head level, just where the opponent's head should be. Then swinging back, now the other shoulder comes forward, the hand follows, the fist strikes again imaginary. Without really touching the wall, without losing balance.

The feet parallel at a distance of about 60 centimeters, the knees bent, the arms describe circling movements against each other, while the body goes completely down on one leg, the other stands off as if in the splits. Short pause, then begin the circular movements in the other direction, the upper body comes up briefly, then the body goes on the other leg towards the floor, the second leg now stands off in the "half splits".

In between, strength exercises, as they are also done in the studio, but with stone weights, some of which were suspended from rollers attached to the ceiling, a brute drudgery.

And of course the punch and kick training, very similar to today's martial arts schools, but equipped with the secret knowledge of Shaolin, which my master passed on to me "with hands and feet" (on the post picture you can see the self-made punching bag).

In case of cramps (and I had them frequently) there was an extra layer of stretching exercises, which in itself made me tired. I longed for the breaks, especially the lunch break.

Still, I had found my way!

Best gift is health; frugality is wealth's sun, most faithful clan is trust, and nirvana highest bliss

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Doing the right thing

Buddhists in particular often want to do the right thing, are righteous people, do not want to harm any living being.

But what is 'the right thing', isn't this classification subjective for every human being, dependent on personal filters?

Even in the time of Jesus Christ, this seemed to be a problem, as it is written in the Bible (Luke 18:9-14) that some trusted in being righteous and would despise those they thought were not righteous. For those, the founder of the religion also had the advice that he who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will then be exalted.

Over the centuries, the opinion about the righteousness even frequently changed sides, depending on power and the powerful, the simple man became only the plaything of the authorities. Many people like to think that they create the right, are righteous.

But according to Buddha we should not want, not wish and not judge, what seems "good" today can turn out to be a complete failure tomorrow, what seemed "bad" sometimes becomes a stroke of luck.

And what few people even think about is the fact that righteousness can also go completely "in the pants". Because there is a big difference between righteousness and self-righteousness, which is not known to everyone.

Doing the right thing is already clearly mentioned in the Buddha's noble eightfold path, namely right seeing, right understanding (realization), right speaking and right acting, i.e. all righteous steps.

The teaching of the teacher of all teachers reached a critical point when the exalted one was considering whether to strive for his own perfection or for the propagation of his worldview. So to make clear the demarcation between righteousness and self-righteousness. His decision was delayed, he could not decide for a while. But then he preferred the transmission of the teaching to his own studies, Buddhism had experienced an important turning point.

But what is the right thing? This question is still unresolved. Well, the readers of my blog will have a good basic idea "of the right thing to do", because what is meant here is not a valuation, but an action that is without attachments, without desires, without opinions, without judgments and without prejudices. So, we should live a righteous life, not valuing things and living beings, therefore then live "happily".

Anyway, the person is a righteous person who speaks the truth, because at the beginning there are the cognitive abilities, who does not speak the truth, he does not find the wayless path, because the noble eightfold path of Buddha cannot be without truth.

As a trained German lawyer, I know roughly how law should be, but we are still too far away from that in this society. However, if righteousness turns into self-righteousness, then the problems are pre-programmed.

Because then the heart falls into turmoil, the conceit, arrogance and ignorance produce hatred, greed and delusion, from which anger, rage and disappointment arise. Here it is then not far to delusion, which not infrequently ends in an asylum, according to Buddha it is the thoughts that make us ill. Are you righteous?

The way is as always the goal!

World is like a royal carriage, just come and see! - Colorful and more colorful. World drips off the mind of the sage; only the fool submerges in it

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Buddhism in Asia and Europe

Growing up with a worldview (or religion), experiencing it constantly in one's environment, that is something completely different than 'accepting' it, this of course also applies to Buddhism.

Whether one was born into a worldview, or consciously converted as an adult (or at least adolescent), that has a completely different dynamic, different energies.

Often both groups are suspicious of each other, one is too lax for the other, or too pedantic, or, or.

Even the origin of the Buddhist teachings, for example Chinese, Vietnamese, Laotian, Japanese, Thai, Korean, or even teachers who have already come from the West, show little understanding among each other. The respective national tradition regulates the Buddhist style of the groups, each one chants in his language, prays his words, dresses according to his customs, worships the 'saints' of his country.

Those who know a worldview from a young age like to arrange aspects of life according to the rules of their community, celebrate the same holidays as their ancestors, find pleasure in the traditional events, think in terms of 'their' rites that govern the social order of their environment.

In Asia, each house has its own small altar, even in front of the house a mini-pagoda, although Buddha warned his followers not to worship him, the 'believers' are more comfortable when the great teacher is 'tangible'. Also, the local temple is active in caring for the elderly and the sick, as it was in Germany before commercialization took hold, the community members meet, the property is cared for communally, donations are made, the poor are remembered communally, the entire life is and remains intertwined with the 'religion'.

Those who now think that people who have converted to Buddhism are 'second-class' Buddhists have not been able to properly implement the teachings of the great teacher. No matter if you grew up in Buddhism or if you are a 'feel-good Buddhist', all views are welcome, nobody has the right to force his opinion on others.

Buddhism is characterized by the personal search for 'awakening', which in the best case can be done in complete seclusion, but can also get its expression through living in a Buddhist community. Westerners are usually attracted by the freedom from violence, the absence of superstition, falsehood and hypocrisy, the noble image of the great teacher peacefully 'meditating', who also predicts a completely different destiny with reincarnation than the monotheistic teachings do.

The absence of history and the non-existent intermingling of all aspects of life makes it so difficult for Buddhism to gain a proper foothold in Europe. Although many people are attracted to the image of the great teacher, there seems to be little orientation in the variety of teachings.

What do you think about this?

The path is the goal!

Never serve this world!

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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The daily training

The days followed each other, getting up every morning at five o'clock, first we went to the morning service, the monks meditated, sang the O mi to Fo, prayed, went into themselves, I was more a silent observer, absorbed the impressions. At that time of day it was bitterly cold, the bones and joints ached from sitting. The meditation cushion was more like an anthill, sitting still was torture for me.

After that we always went to the temple canteen, a large room with a huge pot of rice and a smaller pot of vegetables (in sauce) hanging over the fire, we warmed up together with the other monks at large tables (similar to beer benches), then we went to our (now it was our) hermitage, did the morning toilet, drank woo long tea, started talking, with computers, hands and feet, but communication worked well between us.

Then the training began, every day with fixed rituals, always first the "warm-ups", after which I was already hopelessly served, but giving up was out of the question, I had made it this far, now I wanted to continue, by no means cross the flag.

Almost all exercises took place in positions just above the ground, for untrained observers it doesn't look really strenuous, but those who have held such positions before know how difficult this can be for a normal Central European.

From such a position, Shi Yan Zi then repeatedly shot upwards as fast as an arrow, came into an attack position, was in "no time at all" right in front of my nose, just a moment ago he was still on the ground, now he was literally floating above the earth, I was deeply impressed.

More and more my legs burned, especially my thighs, which had to carry my considerable weight (at that time about 90 kg), holding the unusual positions, the movements were absolutely unfamiliar to me, looked (at first glance) also strange, then made sense in the movement sequence. But it is just a difference whether a trained fighter practices, or whether an affluent European thinks to have to give here the temple fighter. Constant repetitions of only a few, always the same exercises, the muscles burned, the strength decreased, a seemingly endless drudgery, so I had not imagined, rather hoped for the "magic pill", actually I no longer know what I had really hoped for.

But now here I was, pulled through, no matter what the cost. Constant shifts of body weight (just above the ground) from one leg to the other, the leg with the weight bent wide, the buttocks on the ground, the other leg stretched out in a half splits, so I practiced hour after hour.

Again and again the monk ordered a break, he smiled, surely he thought his piece about the condition of the Westerners. To get up again from the position on the ground was incredibly effortful, I also had the elegance of an elephant, with Yan Zi it all looked so much easier. But things were looking up, after a few days I got used to the strain, my legs were burning like fire, but I didn't even notice it anymore.

I was proud, I was in the Shaolin Temple, I was training here, I was part of the community, I had made it this far. Eight hours of training every day, four in the morning, then several hours of lunch break, then another four hours of training, that's how the days passed.

There didn't seem to be any other exercises, although I saw the monks in the courtyard practicing all kinds of movements, my master barking his orders to himself, "Yī'èrsānsì" (one, two, three, four), over and over again, hour after hour, day after day, the whole thing had something very meditative. Always during the breaks there was the beloved tea, now sometimes "Mòlìhuā-Chá" (jasmine tea), also a delicacy.

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Wisdom in the breeze

The following story was reported from a Buddhist temple:

An aged master saw a group of tourists walking up the mountain, the temple was high in the mountains, the view was magical, it was a beautiful spring day.

The monk watched the colorful hustle and bustle, whole families puffed higher and higher, made a rest, some held picnics in the sun, the monk listened to them, he wanted to know what moves the people, what they speak, what they think. Then he heard how one man said to the other, he had heard that one should sit down there, where the writing monks would lay out their sutras (doctrinal texts of Buddhism) to dry, the wisdom of the writings would then be distributed by the wind to those present, besides, the wind is healing, the bad thoughts would give way, this is, by the way, also known to everyone.

However, the story was completely new to the aged master, he had to smile inwardly, it struck him what a strange idea of the teachings of the Buddha people had. He decided to make the tourists think. After a short while he lay down on the grass, pulled his robe down around the top so that he was naked from the belt up. The sun warmed him, he enjoyed the beautiful spring day.

Immediately the tourists began to talk about him, he heard their voices all the way over, whether such a behavior would be appropriate for a monk, so asked one woman, the other man was so astonished about the behavior of the master that he became vociferously excited.

Other monks came along the way, they spoke to the master, they did not know such behavior, normally monks are always clothed, only among themselves sometimes exposed, but never to third parties. Such behavior would not suit a person of respect like him, decency must be preserved, he should behave, so all those present cackled at the old man.

But the old man did not let himself be distracted, turned away again and again, and did not even seem to notice anything.

When it became too stupid for him, he turned to the pile and spoke: "Here goes the story that it would bring even luck to be touched by the wind, which blew before over the sutras. But here is only ink on paper, dead matter drying in the wind, none of it has a quality that could rub off on the wind.

Here, on the other hand, I sit, a real, living monk, full of wisdom and full of compassion, living the teaching of the great teacher in the midst of my brothers, but you would rather squat in the wind blowing from dead paper than ask me anything. In order to show you your senseless deeds I have made myself free, I wanted to make you think. I hope that you now no longer strive for the things that are subject to decay.

Well, the way is also here the aim!

As a flame goes out from the wind, is blown away and concepts do not fit any more, so is the way freed from "spirit and body": He can no longer be grasped conceptually

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Start part 5

The monk woke me up early, it was still dark, of course I had not yet gotten used to the place, but Shi Yan Zi was very lenient with me, he saw that I was not yet "with me". His day began at 5 a.m. for morning prayer, which I did not yet participate in that day, I had to wake up my limbs first, sleeping in such cold was most unusual (today I sleep with the window open even in winter, remember my time in the temple fondly).

There was some kind of breakfast, again the delicious woo long tea, plus some kind of porridge. The hot tea brought me back to life, the energy came back into my body, life seemed "good" again, I suddenly didn't worry so much about my being here.

I got along better and better with my new master thanks to the translation computer, we slowly got into conversation, so to speak, short and concise, but clearly understandable, he meant to me that today would be my first training.

Well, I wanted to go through with it now, that's why I traveled so far, took a lot on myself, was in a completely foreign country, not on a package vacation, no, independently and without a "tour guide" I had come to this moment. I wanted to do like my great idol Bruce Lee, that's why I came here, I wanted to do the training of Shaolin, to learn Kung Fu at the source, in the world famous Shaolin Temple, together with the famous monks. The Rainer from Stuttgart, here in China, together with the monk Shi Yan Zi.

The master began to show me smaller movements, we practiced first directly in the monk's hermitage, here it was at least not windy. I was supposed to copy the movements, over and over again, he started correcting me, lower in the stance, the hand position this way or that, the legs, the feet, the pelvis, my head was buzzing.

The exercises were completely different from the ones I knew from the German training. The muscles began to burn, the thighs felt like fire, the master probably noticed that I was getting weaker and weaker, but was not interested in it at all, his orders still echo through my head today, he counted off the exercises, "Yī'èrsānsì" (one, two, three, four), it sounded in the barracks yard tone through the hermitage.

Again and again the same sequences, the muscles burned even more, but in the spirit pride arose, I had made it, to the Shaolin Temple in China, I trained with a real Shaolin monk. What I didn't know at that time was that in 1989, after a long time, I was the first foreigner (at least in "Red" China) to be accepted here, but more about that later and in more detail.

The path became my goal!

He who remains faithful to the holy trail will reach the other shore.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Sport does not only make muscles

Through sport, people suffer less from depression, feel less anxiety, they can sleep much better, and an active person is much less likely to suffer from mental illness.

Buddha's philosophy revolves around suffering, or rather, the avoidance of suffering. During his lifetime, people will have moved much more than is the case today, there was hardly any talk of sport (in today's sense of the word).

Also, according to today's understanding, Buddha was a "nutritionist", he usually had only one meal a day (today this is called interval fasting), he did not consume alcoholic beverages, he ate a vegetarian diet.

I with my Buddhist blog see my task in assisting people in their daily life, advising things, explaining the teachings of Buddha. And also in strengthening your motivation to understand exercise, nutrition, spirituality and the path to enlightenment as a kind of unity.

To become better at sports you need to know what your body can do, how you feel with and without exercise, what is the right amount of exercise for you, especially what exercises are good for you. You wouldn't think it, but even yoga builds muscles, strengthens the body, which is why I recommend yoga for really everyone, young and old, healthy or sick. For my part, I do my stretches every day for at least 30 minutes, without the program I don't feel well today.

What keeps you from doing anything athletically?

If you need help getting started you should either contact your health insurance company (they have excellent programs especially for beginners), or look for a club that covers your needs.

I would like to encourage you to start exercising now, or if you are already exercising, to continue exercising. The more actively you work on your well-being, the sooner the mind palace can organize the journey to enlightenment, because everything is separate, but also a unity.

If you even suffer from obesity or serious illnesses (depression, burn-out, psychological disorders of all kinds), you should seek professional help, for example from the many free counseling centers, which your health insurance company can also tell you about.

When coping with anxiety, not only the mind must be involved, no, the body must also be decently involved. The well-being is to be considered holistically, already the old Romans brought the thing on the point: A healthy spirit can live only in a healthy body.

The way is (as always) the most important goal!

The best gift is health; frugality is the sun of wealth, the most faithful clan is trust and Nirvana is the highest bliss.

Buddha - "The Enlightened One" - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Emotional Blackmail

Emotional blackmail is well known to all of us, probably every one of us has tried it. No matter if children or governments, again and again other people try to manipulate us strategically through emotions.

The goal of emotional blackmail is to make the victim feel anxious, guilty, or even have a guilty conscience, and of course to be willing to do what the blackmailer(s) want us to do.

If others threaten us with feelings, whether individually or from a group, then caution is always required, because we are to be put under pressure, manipulatively and unobjectively moved to an action (or omission).

Notorious is the so-called love withdrawal, which is supported with sulking, crying or raving. Often the partner then complies, perhaps for the sake of peace, or because an underlying fear arises, one does not want to "disappoint" the partner, or because one gives in out of a "sense of duty". But if the partner notices that he/she can get away with this trick, the partner will be manipulated again and again, therefore the following applies: Resist the beginnings!

According to Buddha, we should always look behind the scenes anyway, don't let anyone fool us. If you loved me, you would ......, the number must not become the standard. Especially the teacher of all teachers admonished us not to have any attachments, so in such a case then also draw the necessary consequences, right at the beginning, otherwise it is usually too late.

How to recognize emotional blackmail? Usually it is done with very disparaging comparisons, such as: My girlfriend's husband really loves her, because ....., or threats are brought up, reproaches are made. This creates a structure of superiority and subordination in the relationship, the blackmailer gets power, begins to exploit the emotional dependence, and of course also to enjoy it. Fears of loss are built up, in general emotional blackmailers work mainly with fears.

As a result, self-doubt and feelings of guilt are aroused, which are then further exploited, the matter becomes a vicious circle.

Who now avoids open conflicts, has already lost, here helps only to oppose with all his strength, otherwise the matter goes on and on, until a usually bitter end.

Whoever remains silent here will end up as a doormat, this sick behavior pattern must be broken, a correct and open communication must take the place of the spiral of silence.

Therapeutic help should also be sought here without hesitation, because emotional blackmail is a form of behavioral disorder that can quickly drift into pathological.

Your own needs are important, not those of the blackmailer. If necessary, you have to stop the play, at least for a while.

The way is the goal!

Own mistakes are hard to see; with strangers you easily reach the goal. Everyone rolls the dice for foreign mistakes; one hides one's own, no matter how many, cunningly, like a cheat, brings false dice in the game.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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The only place

The only place we can be is here, right here, where we are right now, because it is our fate, our karma, our destiny. Only here, and nowhere else, in this very special spot, in a place that is "our" place right now, but that can be "empty" again in the very next moment, or could be the place of another person. Or might cease to exist as a place, break apart, perhaps recompose itself, who knows?

Imagination is a very powerful force. With it we choose the parts that we perceive, that we allow to penetrate our consciousness, that we understand as reality, simply because we close our eyes to the other realities. We make the world as we like it, but it is not like that, it will never be like that. If we understand all people as "bad", then we will also meet "bad" people, constantly and everywhere. But if we cultivate a generally "good" conception, then we will also meet the "good" things, living beings and incidents, just as it pleases us.

But the truth is neither "good" nor "bad", but nothing of what we have made up, nothing of it exists. Because the perception, we have created for ourselves, the reality we do not even know, and there is also clearly more like ONE clarity.

Who still divides everything into "good" or "bad", puts it into the said pigeonholes, does not see how things really are, remains caught in the whirlpool of "wrong" perceptions. It is precisely from this tension that suffering, fear and discord arise. The one who refrains from judging the various illusions, clearly advances on the way to "enlightenment", because the imagination then no longer collides with reality, the disappointments do not occur.

Who remains arrested in his pigeonhole thinking, he is a prisoner of himself, he can only awaken if he recognizes that even the absolute reality is an illusion, like a dream within a dream.

But the one who stops fighting against all the things is very close to awakening, who understands that everything must be an illusion of an illusion, there is no other possibility, nor can there be.

Immediately after the unconditional surrender, the admission of total defeat, the cessation of fighting, we realize that even the prison does not exist, we have only fooled ourselves, rubbed up against our fate.

The way is also the goal, the only place!

If one lives too long in one place, too many things accumulate

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Legumes as a substitute for meat

Legumes are healthy and they make you full, lentils, beans and peas are real superfoods that can replace meat and provide enough iron.

Buddhists in particular are accustomed to meat-free food, but are always looking for new ideas to add variety to their cooking as well.

Whether in a delicious curry, or as a burger without meat, legumes are incredibly versatile, also always offer a culinary surprise. In my youth, legumes were still a side dish, the satiator, which is also gladly called saturation side dish. Today that is completely different, there all possible special forms of the leguminous plants became genuine stars. Straight ones the vegan and the vegetarian scene discovered a completely new kitchen in the meat substitute from leguminous plants. Here the legumes are then often even used as a substitute for pasta, potatoes or rice.

Especially in my hometown of Stuttgart, "Lentils with spaetzle" have long been a filling meal for the less fortunate, a poor man's dish that has made it to certain notoriety. Anyone visiting the Swabian capital should try the popular lentils.

By consuming legumes, people absorb a lot of fiber, minerals and various vitamins, and the complex carbohydrates can help with weight loss and disease prevention.

Similar to bakery products made from whole grains, pulses also provide longer-lasting satiety; you don't want to eat something else right away because there is content here. So calories can be saved, just the many people plaguing "constant appetite" is usually contained after the consumption of legumes.

Especially important is the consumption of legumes for people with pre-existing conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, gout or rheumatism, since, for example, according to the teachings of the Mayr cure, all diseases originate from the intestines, so the healthy fruits from the pod should come preferentially on the table (I for my part follow the teachings of the doctor Franz Xaver Mayr unconditionally, who was the father of the Mayr cure).

Legumes are also low in fat and an important source of protein. The soybean, for example, is very popular as a source of protein, especially in Asia, and in Europe soy products are on the rise.

In the supermarkets in the meantime whole shelves with legume mash are found, straight Hummus becomes ever more popular, tastes for instance as spread, or as addition to vegetables.

If you do without animal products completely, you can cover your iron requirements from pulses, since the healthy vegetables provide a high iron content. However, dietary supplements (especially iron) should always be taken.

Just with the meal applies: The way is the goal!

Whoever looks for pleasure unrestrained, without measure at the meal and sluggish, weak in forces: the Mara falls like the storm the tree enclosure.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Start part 4

So first of all I unpacked my backpack, I would still be able to think about the connections later. Nevertheless, a queasy feeling remained, what had driven me here to the Shaolin Temple China? Wasn't that much too ambitious for a recreational athlete? On the way here I passed countless martial arts schools, saw surely tens of thousands (if not more) of students, lined up for training, flexible and fast, with a completely different physique than me, small and nimble, me big and strong.

The young men trained all day, I watched them for hours, up and down they ran lanes, practicing punches, kicks, sweeps, holds, strength and endurance. And now here I come, a typical German recreational athlete, training three times a week, between school, university and work, more time just wasn't in it. The hard-working Chinese were completely different, they trained for about 9 hours a day, I couldn't even manage that once a week. What had gotten me into this? How did I get the stupid idea to go to the Shaolin Temple to learn Kung Fu from the monks? What an overconfidence.

What I did not know at that time was that the temple was actually taboo for all "normal" students, that only monks and novices found (and find) admission here. I was to find this out much later, at the time of my "admission" to the temple I was not aware of this at all. What honor was bestowed upon me here, I was not at all aware of. According to the normal rules I should have been accepted "only" in one of the schools, not at all in the temple. However, after a long period of isolation, I was one of the first people interested, so I seemed unusual and interesting.

I had quickly stowed my few things, when my new friend asked me to come with him. It went out through the main entrance onto the temple path, which was packed over and over with stalls. Mile after mile of small stores, mainly food and souvenirs, it was noisy and full of foreign smells. Shi Yan Zi bought sweet potatoes at one stall, a sticky candy at another, we devoured everything hungrily as we walked. Then we walked around the area, stopping here and there, the monk talked to many people, he seemed to be very well known, clearly, he was the only one with such clothing. The tourists were also long gone, the area now seemed quiet and peaceful, in some corners you could still hear Buddhist songs from the tape, there was a magical mood, almost magical, so my first evening seemed to me. Slowly we strolled back to the temple, the simple bulb in the room barely gave light, we quickly went to bed. I into my sleeping bag, which I packed on the rack, the monk put on a tracksuit, lay down fully dressed on his mattress, covered himself with all kinds of things, it was bitterly cold, the monk's hermitage was without windows, only some newspaper replaced a glass, we slept almost "outside", visibly with a few degrees in the minus.

The way was and is my goal!

Long lasts the night to the awake, long the way to the wandering tired.

Long wanders through the worlds, to whom knowledge is not granted

Buddha - honorary name of the Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Endure our Self

We all end up just trying to bear ourselves somehow. We are all vulnerable, very needy, full of anger and rage, but also filled with shame.

Until today, we do not feel sufficiently loved, we all suffer from the same things that the great teacher has shown us to be useless. There is no justice in this world, certainly not in this universe, and there is no truth either, only the countless subjective sensations that we feel to be true, from which we then "knit" "our" truth.

Who is honest to himself will have to admit that our human existence is only difficult to bear. First of all the great uncertainty, what comes after death, is there a life after, what happens to "me", will I go to heaven, to hell, will I be born again, or was that it after my departure. And then the fact that we age, become sick and ugly, might be dependent on care, the prospects are not really inspiring in themselves. Furthermore, the dangers that lurk on the path of life, that we have to endure and suffer, human existence is hard to bear.

But the situation is quite different for those of us who follow the Buddha's teachings, either as "feel-good Buddhists", or as already awakened ones. The philosophy of the Indian prince helps us a lot to bear (and thus to carry) our self, because nothing we can change the result, everything is as the karma dictates. Of course, we have acquired the karma in previous incarnations, so we are not to blame (today). Besides, it is connected with the destiny of the people around us, with the karma of the whole universe.

We must learn to bear ourselves, we must not be displeased with our self, we must not hate our reflection, we must accept everything and everyone in our life, because we have no choice anyway. Then we can also go our way in peace and quiet. However, as long as we are caught up in the occidental concept of guilt and atonement, no "awakening" will be possible, because the self cannot be endured from this mindset.

We can and must detach ourselves from the old thought patterns, follow the philosophy of the teacher of all teachers, detach ourselves from subjective feelings. Because only then, when we deal with the matter, only then we can understand the connections.

And the way is and remains the goal!

He who has reached the goal of the wandering, free of suffering, after long waiting, stands free, all fetters have fallen.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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The Inner Critic Part 2

We could also equate the so-called inner critic with thinking itself, because we think that the voice in our head is our voice, our ego. But we don't realize that there is also an ego that is doing its mischief here, that makes us believe in all kinds of horror scenarios, 99 percent of which don't happen, of course.

This ego (and its constant, usually aggravating voice) is the result of evolution, which makes us live through all kinds of situations, simply to warn us of the dangers that might occur, to prepare us for them, to go through life carefully and thoughtfully. Today, however, there is not a saber-toothed tiger lurking behind every rock, the ego has become independent, but continues to present us with all possible threats, simply because that is the task of the ego.

Today we must silence this ego, just as the teacher of all teachers has exemplified to us.

Because in this context, the inner voice brings up issues that are de facto harmful to us, because here we are "persuaded" that there is something "wrong" with us. Also, more and more fears arise in this way, which in no way improve things, but rather unsettle us, because the feeling arises that something about us does not fit.

No matter what the ego wants to tell us, we have to silence this voice, but we have to think about real things, like making plans, or lists, or papers, but we have to switch off the chattering ego.

What do you think life would be like without the thoughts that we are not "good" enough?

What would it be like without the feeling that we are always doing everything "wrong"?

What could become of us if we didn't think that we couldn't do "it"?

On the contrary, should we instead put ourselves in a mental state where we could be satisfied with who we are, make the inner voice stop?

The inner critic, in most cases, is an accumulation of the past, of the experiences that have shaped us, that we have inherited from whomever, from upbringing, from family and friends, from work, from wherever.

According to Buddha, everything always comes the way it has to come, so everything is fine the way it is right now, it's ok.

Every moment is good as it is, because it is our karma, so we can be happy, why not?

Free yourself from this inner critic, the way is the goal!

What hits us, springs from thinking, always goes back to thinking

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Beginning part 3

With due respect (and shaking knees) I waited for a reaction from the monk Shi Yan Zi regarding my question whether I could learn martial arts here (in the Shaolin Temple), the time just wouldn't pass.

Then his hand reached for my arm, he felt the muscles, then the shoulders, then the upper body, finally the leg muscles. The procedure was quite "rough", but I could tell that he knew what he was doing, the pain went through my limbs again and again. He seemed to be hitting specific acupuncture points, probably wanting to test my physique and stamina.

After what felt like an eternity, he straightened up and looked deeply into my eyes. He didn't make a face, more minutes passed, and the whole thing seemed to me like a scan of my thoughts.

After what seemed like an eternity, he nodded at me, a "heave" came from his lips, he gestured for me to follow him. The path went through courtyards, temple doors, buildings, cloisters, rooms and side rooms, past statues and steles, up and down I trotted behind him with my backpack.

When we finally arrived in front of a simple wooden door, the monk opened the door and kindly waved me in. The room was simple and spartan, there was no glass in the windows, the furniture was made of nailed-together wood, the door actually consisted only of two crossbars and boards nailed on top, the sun shone through everywhere, you could lock it, but with a huge key.

The bed was also homemade, which immediately caught the eye. And although it was already noticeably warmer in the mountains (in April), there was clearly no heating, the room was freezing cold.

Everywhere there were weights carved out of stone, large and smaller ones, pulleys attached to the ceiling, surely for strength training, the monk looked like a walking wall unit after all. The situation was somehow reminiscent of the US comics "The Flintstones", looked at closely, the furnishings were very very simple.

The only seats were two stools (also homemade) without backrests, one of which my new friend pushed towards me, indicating that I should sit down.

The monk made tea, woo long, an unforgettable delicacy that I still can't get enough of. As there was only one bed in the large room, Shi Yan Zi set out to organise another mattress, offering the bed to me.

Everything looked old and scuffed, but it was evening, I was tired, didn't understand much anyway, then better make arrangements. The sheet was thin, the light was a lone bulb without a lampshade.

The Shaolin Temple is high up in the sacred Song Shan mountains, here it gets really cold at night, which is why the monks only take off their clothes to wash, otherwise they stay fully dressed day and night, in their rooms, in the religious buildings, just everywhere.

When I dreamt of the Shaolin Temple, I had imagined it all quite differently, more glamorous, more sublime, also more well-kept. Certainly not accommodation that we would use for animals, without glass in the windows, without heating, without any comfort.

You can read about how things went on in one of my next posts in the next few days.

The way is the goal!

He who gathers his thinking seriously, free of all desire for pleasure, who dwells beyond good and evil, also dwells beyond all anxiety.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Immersion in Buddha Nature

Those who have left the deep valley of desires, opinions, evaluations and resolutions come closer and closer to their Buddha-nature. No more: "I am the .......", or: "I am the ........", nor: "I am that .......", no, but only: "I am", completely without putting a description after it, or a profession, or a gender, simply without any explanation!

Because it simply doesn't matter what (or who) you are, what matters is that you are! Without any characteristics, without any role, without any pretended wanting; whoever can do that has reached the ultimate security, has come incredibly closer to his Buddha-nature.

Of course, you have to be able to do that, have the right nerves, develop them first, develop the endeavour, figure out the necessary steps. However, without wanting to, but by "giving" it real freedom, giving oneself the opportunity to reflect on the experiences one has had, to open up a spiritual basis which then, after a fair distance along the way, enables a powerful presence that can do without fears.

In order to achieve such a state of being, "one" must first also take care of one's "being", no longer allow oneself to drift, no longer live from moment to moment. For this, few things are better suited than the philosophy of the teacher of all teachers, who explained precisely (but in a language from long ago) how the path must be followed. All suffering comes from attachment, which we humans develop (despite knowing better) because we have such great fears of the truth.

The "I am" is the beginning of the path, which leads on the pathless path to the gateless gate, culminating in Nirvana.

Whoever now thinks that he/she can determine and explain everything with the intellect cannot let go enough, whoever must trust, must leave his/her course to the Buddha's teaching. What we think we know is only illusion anyway, according to the great teacher, but the "I am", that is a temporary fact.

Whoever then experiences the contradiction between intellect and letting go, takes another step towards awakening, can slowly "take hold" of the situation, think more and more thoughts, which then become more and more purposeful.

Then, one fine day, the "I-am" will also fall away, the depth of the teaching can be experienced, awakening comes within reach.

The true Buddha-nature slumbers directly under the "I-am", still overlaid by debris and shards that have accumulated in the course of life.

As always, the path is the goal!

May my deed be praised far and wide, to me the glory, to me the honour!

To me the dominion over all that I will and whom I will!

The fool thinks and is blindly led to greed and arrogance.

Buddha - honorific name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Beginning part 2

Read part 1 of "Beginning" here click

As I walked through the temple door, I passed the temple guards and the Mile Fo, the happy, fat Buddha.

After that, everything seemed so familiar, the first courtyard lay before me, buildings to the left and right, a staircase in the middle, trees and stelae all around, some older, some newer, the faint smell of garlic over everything.

An endless number of tourists made their way through the complex, always following a tour guide with flags and a megaphone.

Chatter and chatter, as if it were a quiet and tranquil temple, it was as loud as a fairground. There was no sign of the world-famous Shaolin monks, who had probably fled from the tourists, understandable at any rate.

Through another gate, we went easily up the hill into the second courtyard, which was laid out similarly to the first, then followed (again through a door) the third, then the fourth courtyard. Here, in the middle, resided the abbot of Shaolin (but I didn't know that at the time).

Slowly the temple emptied, I got tired, sat down on a bench in a side courtyard, then I saw the first monk coming straight towards me, a real monk, at least dressed like in the films, should it be true, at least the one fighter I wanted to meet, I waved to him friendly, he looked at me, what a wall of wardrobe the man was, wide as high, with the gait of a feline predator.

Friendly he greeted me back. I was a special case in China at that time, apart from me I saw no Europeans, the country was still "Red China", entry was not easy, individual tourism did not (yet) exist. So it was clear that the monk was curious, who was sitting here in "his" temple, how had the person come here, what had probably moved him?

Suddenly it was there again, the fear. What had possessed me to come here, I spoiled little man from the West. I wanted to belong to the hard men, what presumption! I had brought a translation computer with me, on which I painstakingly entered my words (the thing was not yet as comfortable as the models nowadays), but we were able to establish some kind of understanding.

Where am I from, the powerhouse asked. And what's my name? Rainer, from Germany. His name was Shi Yan Zi, the pocket computer announced his words. And Germany is very popular in China, where is my group?

I typed into the computer that I would not have a group. What was I doing here all alone, the now curious monk asked? I wanted to learn Kung Fu here at the source, with the world-famous Shaolin monks, I explained to him.

He looked at me and said nothing for a long time.

What happened then, you can read in one of my next articles.

The path is the goal!

Paradoxical as it may seem, there is a path that can and must be travelled, but there is no traveller. Actions are performed, but there is no doer.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Saying goodbye

In a very popular monastery, the moment came for one of the masters when life would soon come to an end. When he felt the foreboding he went into his hermitage, bathed, shaved and cut his hair one last time. Then he put on his most beautiful robe, went into the banquet hall, called the younger monks together.

When all the inhabitants of the temple were gathered, the wise master raised his voice, instructed the novice to ring the bell and, in a calm but collected manner, explained his request, namely his wish to say goodbye to all the disciples and to go his last way surrounded by the monks.

As soon as he had finished, his life energy became weaker and weaker, his inner strength left him, the disciples became frightened, the master was a great role model in the whole world, he was loved and revered, to see him like this frightened his followers, a great howling filled the hall, all those present had tears in their eyes.

The Master, who was already almost in another world, was frightened and opened his eyes, which had been closed almost forever, suddenly there was strength in him again, the suffering of his brothers touched him. He said to them: a true follower of Buddha should not be measured by worldly feelings, but have a free and independent mind. We teach people that life consists of suffering, but if we masters and our novices also suffer in the same way as all other living beings, then something is not right, not as the great teacher taught us. Certainly, human existence is difficult, life consists mainly of suffering, birth, old age, illness and death are the lot of all living beings, but complaining about it does not bring any change.

No matter what the wise master told his disciples and confreres, the lamentation around him did not diminish, the tears flowed, the voices failed. Then the wise master gathered all his energy once more, he wanted to live on until his confreres and novices had understood this last lesson.

So he said: "We want to have a feast together once more, and I would like to explain to you the lesson of saying goodbye. I cannot leave without leaving you this important wisdom. Afterwards I want to go in peace, please do not make it difficult for me to say goodbye.

No sooner said than done, the monks and novices jumped apart, seeing hope again, wanting to keep their master alive as long as possible. When the master then asked when the feast might take place, he was given all kinds of excuses to postpone his departure as long as possible. Sometimes the monk was ill, sometimes there was another reason. Then the moment came when the matter could no longer be postponed, the banquet took place. At the end, the master raised his voice one last time, trying to convey to his fellow monks that, according to Buddha's teaching, taking leave must be done without complaining and lamenting, so that the one who is leaving can also leave in peace.

One of the senior monks stood up and said: "We know about the Buddha's teachings, but when you are personally affected as you are now, it is really difficult to let go of attachments. We know that you, as our master, will understand this best. The monk sat down, the old master got up and left the hall without a greeting. Once in his room, he sat down in the lotus position and passed away.

The path is the goal!

Do not ask about the origin, but ask about the conduct; for truly, fire is made from wood.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Buddhism and the Flag Part 2

In a temple once lived a learned master, he had many interesting and extraordinary disciples. One day, when a group of monks came to visit, the master invited the foreign monks to dinner. The conversation was animated, the wandering monks told of the events on their journey.

The next day, the wise monk taught the travellers, explaining his view of things, followed by an erudite conversation. Of course, the topic was mainly the teaching of the teacher all teachers, where different views and opinions opposed each other again and again.

At the end of the conversation, the topic of the parable of the wind and the flags, attributed to the famous master Hui Neng, came up. Do the flags now move in the wind, or do they move because they have the possibility to do so, the movement would be their true characteristic?

Of course, each of those present had his own opinion on the subject, none was prepared to accept the other's view. There was only one thing they all agreed on, Master Hui Neng, as one of Buddha's followers, was beyond all doubt.

It is precisely on this subject that disputes arise again and again in Buddhist monasteries, because it is not clear how the great master from the past "really" meant this parable. The very question of whether the movement of the flags can only be noticed in the mind, whether perhaps without the observer there would be no movement at all, this dispute has been going on for many centuries. In any case, it is justified to think about this, because without the observer there would be no sound.

In any case, if there was no wind, there would be no movement of the flags, so that the spirit could not move either, one of the monks said. Everyone had to think about this for a while, the mood recovered, and the dispute seemed to be resolved at first.

Until one of those present had the idea to quote the monk's exact words correctly: "it is not the wind, it is not the flags, it is the spirit that moves things".

And again the argument broke out anew, the one saying that all things come from the spirit, the other saying that where there is no spirit to argue, there can be no argument.

This discussion is somewhat reminiscent of the argument about which came first, the hen or the egg!

In any case, the path is the goal!

As a flame goes out with the wind, is blown away and concepts no longer fit, so is the way freed from "spirit and body": He can no longer be grasped conceptually

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Contemplate every breath

Buddha taught his disciples to regard breathing as the centre of meditative contemplation.

If you really want to arrive in the now, in the here and now, you can't avoid the fact that you also have to occupy yourself with your breathing, to look at every breath, to evaluate it and to consider why it might be different from the last one.

If you breathe mindfully, you will quickly realise that no two breaths are the same, they are all special, they all have their characteristics, they all depend on many factors.

Everyone knows that our breathing is different when we are anxious, when we are excited, when we are hungry or simply "out of breath". But even small things have an influence on our breathing, show us how it looks in our mind palace, what our emotional state is, what emotions are spreading inside us.

And of course it works the other way round too, when we control and monitor our breathing, it has an effect on our well-being, on our personality and on our general life. So both sides influence each other, and of course we should think about how things are actually connected.

Would you like to take the trouble to look at your breath? What do you notice first, what things change immediately, what stays the same, what is good, what could be better?

For my part, I have studied breathing therapy according to Professor Middendorf for many years and have practised Qi Gong for most of my life. If, for example, I open a door "with" the breath, then it is easy for me, if I fight "against" the breath, then it is a difficult undertaking.

Breathing is the absolute centre of every human being, the fuel that gets us through the day. That's why it makes sense to take a closer look at this system, to simply give breathing more value and importance. Most people don't even think about their breathing, but I see it as my centre.

Here on my website you will find some breathing exercises that you can easily practise. When you start to enjoy your breathing you will find that you can gain an incredible amount of energy, that you benefit a lot from looking at your breath.

If you are willing to expend some energy here, you will reach a whole new level of human existence. Calm, cultivated breathing can also protect against illness, or rather fight it. When the breath can flow freely, an incredible feeling of happiness sets in.

The path is the goal!

Why do we put so much emphasis on food and so little on breathing and even less on our thoughts?

Ebo Rau - German physician - born 1945

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The emergency

As in every religion (or worldview), there are also places in Buddhism to which people go on pilgrimage to connect with the special spirituality of the area, to express wishes and ask for fulfilment, or simply to search for their own self in peace and quiet.

On one of these pilgrimages, a pious man once crossed an inhospitable desert, the air was dry, the path dusty, the destination still far. When a storm arose, he lost all orientation, wandered about, had lost his way. Further and further he strayed from his path, deeper and deeper into the sandy desert his way led. He also had no more supplies, far and wide there was no house, no human being and no animal to be seen.

As he rummaged through his pockets once more, he noticed a small green apple that he had taken from a tree a few days ago while passing by. Now, of course, he was happy about the unexpected find in his pockets, but he put the apple away again, as it was still completely unripe.

The pilgrim continued to search for his original path, but he was hopelessly lost. His hunger grew and thirst nearly drove him mad. Several times he thought of giving up, sitting down and falling asleep, hoping never to wake up and escape the hardships of fate. But again and again he thought of the small, green apple that was just waiting to be eaten in his pocket, often taking it out, looking at it almost lovingly, because in some way this apple symbolised hope for him, so he put it back in his pocket and thought to himself that he would only eat this apple in an extreme emergency. And right now it was not yet so bad that this extreme emergency would have occurred, so he put the apple back into his pocket again and again.

So the apple became a strong synonym for hope for the pilgrim, because he had something in his pocket for an emergency, he had something he could rely on, he was not without supplies.

After wandering for a while, the exhausted man finally reached his original path again, towards the original place, on the way to his destination. He had saved himself, saw people again, found water and food. When he was finally able to rest under a shady palm tree, he pulled the apple out of his pocket and bit into the still sour apple with relish. The apple tasted delicious, it was the best apple he had ever eaten in his life.

The path is the goal!

When your thoughts are full of restlessness, when you cast your eyes eagerly for pleasures

Your thirst must only increase, your thirst creates your fetters: strong ropes.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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The lottery win

Imagine that a friend of yours had won the jackpot in the lottery without knowing about it, perhaps because the ticket can no longer be found or he has simply forgotten about it.

Now your friend would be a millionaire without having the slightest idea of the process, without wasting a thought on it, he would not have to think about it, he would not have to tell anyone about it, he would not have to conceal it, NOTHING would change for your friend, at least not as long as he does not know about it.

The situation is completely different when your friend knows about the winnings, now hundreds of considerations arise, the mind palace really gets going, what to do, who to ask, will life as a millionaire still be the same? Questions upon questions suddenly burst out of your friend, everything has to be put in order, has to be brought under control.

Or is it not?

Let's compare the two hypothetical states of said friend. The only difference is that in the first case he knows nothing, but in the second he does. Only his emotional state has completely changed for him, he is otherwise still the same guy, outwardly in any case, inwardly it is a different situation.

A Buddhist would (theoretically) behave like in the first scenario if he won the lottery, he wouldn't change just because he won (something), but he would be the person he was before.

If you think about it like this, once you were the friend, put yourself in his shoes. Imagine that you were the big winner, only you didn't know it yet. Now a certain security radiates through you, because financial prosperity brings independence, everyday worries become smaller. Now you think through the scenario, but now you "know" about the win.

This duality of events is also the right way of thinking for all lifetimes. Does she love me, or does she not? Does it really make a difference? After all, what is important is your feelings without asking for anything in return.

If you love, if you feel like a winner, no matter if you have won, then you are following the Buddha on his path.

What is important is not how things are, but how your attitude towards them is, how you look at things, which subsequently makes up your emotions.

Every new day is a real lottery win, the big jackpot is your inner attitude, nothing else.

The path is the goal!

Fight hatred by not hating, by kindness the wicked, win the miser by your sacrifices and the liar by your love of truth.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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In search of the truth

In Buddhist temples, people like to tell each other stories, since cell phones, laptops or tablets are usually not allowed.

I find the story about the search for "the truth" particularly beautiful.

Once upon a time there was a powerful king who had already grown old. He had a beautiful daughter who could hardly resist offers, but he decided to give her as a wife only to the man who would find "the truth". When he had this announced, the young men poured out of his kingdom, each wanting to find "the truth" and live with the beautiful princess.

Those who wanted to marry traveled to all temples, to all provinces, to every wise man who had already been reported somewhere, everywhere they asked for "the truth", where one could find it.

On remote mountains, in distant valleys, in cities and in villages, everywhere the collective search for "the truth" broke out.

"The truth" itself was also coming of age, at some times it stood tall, at other times it had to hide. She quickly learned of the search for her, the birds brought her the news, yet she did not leave her cave in the mountains, "the truth" had endured too much over the centuries. She had become an old woman, her hair hung tangled in her face, her wrinkles were deep, she had no more teeth, she had already seen a lot, "the truth" had suffered badly over the years.

Suddenly a young warrior stood in the entrance to the cave, he was wet and shaky, but he asked determinedly, "Are you 'the truth', I've been looking everywhere for you?"

"Yes, I am 'the truth', I live here secluded, because most people just don't want to hear "the truth", they like beautiful lies better, I am tired of living with their stupidity, so I better hide here, but you come in and keep me company."

The two disparate people started talking, for a whole day and night, without a break. The young warrior learned answers to all his questions, he became a wise and educated man in a short time. He explained to "the truth" why he was here in the first place, "the truth" began to smile, and said, "yes yes, love".

The young warrior wanted to go back to the beautiful princess, the anticipation overwhelmed him. Then he asked how he could prove that he had found "the truth", and further, what he should tell about "the truth".

"The truth" answered him wisely: "Say that I am young and incredibly pretty, the rest will come naturally. But don't tell anyone where you found me."

Doubt everything. Find your own light

Buddha - honorary name of Indian philosopher Siddhartha Gautama

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The Spiritual Guide Part 4

Have you heard the first parts about the "spiritual guides" here on my podcast?

Those in search of a spiritual teacher are particularly susceptible to cults. At first glance, cults make sense, of course, as they use values such as community, harmony, cohesion, and a sense of belonging to attract souls who feel alone and abandoned. Cults also approach people, speak directly to potential candidates on the street, and woo particularly lonely people.

In a second step, there is suddenly talk of money, the spiritual must be worth something, even a spiritual teacher must pay his rent, electricity is not for free and the car does not run on water either, period, you have to understand that! And the more expensive the seminar is, the more valuable is surely the content?

Does your adored guru perhaps even drive a Rolls-Royce? Are monthly fees demanded, or do you have the impression that profit is to be made from spiritual guidance?

Anyone who may tell you that spiritual breakthrough will come without effort and discipline is lying to you. A good Buddhist guide points with an outstretched index finger to the direction in which you should set out, but this guide is only a signpost, he is not himself the solution.

Whoever is looking for spiritual presence is welcome to be inspired, but he or she has to walk the path himself, no guru, no guide, no teacher, simply no one is able to take this part from us. We are not carried up the mountain, we have to make our own effort, the teacher can only be a kind of mountain guide for us, who just (leads) our way up the mountain, but just does not walk it.

A good spiritual guide will prepare you for the journey, will enable you to start and walk the journey.

The connection between teacher and student is something unique. I for one have been devoted to my master Shi Yan Zi for almost 40 years, we see each other frequently, talk on the phone regularly, I will be going to visit him again soon. When we see each other, sometimes I call him by his name, but sometimes I just call him Master.

For the people who wish to have a master, I like to be the virtual teacher and friend, a patient companion, a rock, daily you can read and listen to my words, just accept the offer, it costs you nothing (except time).

Again: the way is the goal!

To be rich in truth, diligence, virtuous control, and at the same time to speak good words, that brings the highest salvation.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama

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The Spiritual Guide Part 3

Have you heard the first parts about the "spiritual guides" here on my podcast?

Whoever thinks that one will find a great, gifted master (such as Buddha, Mohammad or Jesus Christ was) only if he/she searches long enough, misses the peculiarity of such exceptional personalities, who appear once every millennia, then retain a voice in the reverberations of history.

The contemporary witnesses of such spiritual leaders often had to deal with difficult situations (for example, the disciples of Jesus Christ), which for normal people seem almost overpowering, carried the suffering of whole generations, discredited until today (Judas).

To find a great teacher, even in one's own environment, perhaps even in one's own city, seems to be a pure stroke of luck (the said six correct numbers in the lottery). Here one should set clearly smaller requirements, so that one is not disappointed then.

Who goes with smaller wishes to the search for a spiritual teacher, which should look around first for a kind of adviser, whereby here the question is whether this "expert" is on the correct way, or not. On the path to one's self, to Buddha-nature, we all need (now and then) a nudge, a little lesson, some assistance. A person who is able to provide that can be the (or a) guide on the journey. We can learn something from every person, but the question is whether this knowledge enriches our path, whether it is purposeful for our ideas?

Usually the teaching finds the person, at least that's how it was in my case. And so it goes with spiritual guides, they find the seekers. An inner voice then tells you that here is something worth looking at, which triggers an echo in your ego, causes a reaction.

But what about the teacher, the spiritual guide, can you follow him/her? Does he/she make an impression on you, do hunches come up in you here, a certain intuition that tells you that here is something worth discovering?

Whoever flatters you, plays with your feelings, makes you bigger than you are, only wants your money, or at least other advantages. Your ego craves to know why you are special, why you are the only one, why not listen, the words are a balm for your soul?

In China, the master-disciple relationship represents something unique, especially in Shaolin Temple China, where the master, in addition to the spiritual component, is also the teacher of martial arts, so can teach the practitioner real pain. This idea does not really suit the normal Central European, which is why adjustments are necessary here.

In the next days you will read here the last part about the search for a "spiritual guide

The way is the goal!

The wise words much and often in the mouth (lead), however limp in the action right way miss, do not become members of holy community, are shepherds, who count the cattle of others.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama

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The Spiritual Guide Part 2

Have you heard the first parts about the "spiritual guides" here on my podcast?

How to recognize a good spiritual teacher, after all, is not so easy.

For my part, I see the Buddha as one of the greatest spiritual teachers in human history, whose philosophy has greatly influenced and impressed me. But now we live in a confusing and also frightening time, so many people need comfort and encouragement in the here and now.

What should one look for when seeking a spiritual teacher? What to do when the constant problems seem at least temporarily overwhelming, when a person feels alone? Or if one wants to have the words of Buddha explained simply and clearly?

Even the great teachers, such as Buddha or Jesus, were ordinary people, just like you and me. What ultimately makes the difference between a great teacher and an ordinary person is the fact that the spiritual leader also consistently completed the path of spirituality, did not give up, put his life at the service of others. It is true that at the beginning of his path, the spiritual leader also sought liberation from human suffering, and for this he had to leave behind his possessions, abandon his family, renounce worldly things, set out on his own search, listen to different opinions, test countless teachers.

In the case of Buddha, enlightenment came to him when he no longer expected it and had already given up everything. The teacher of all teachers summarized this enlightenment in his worldview, which we call Buddhism today. One of his core statements was that every person can find his Buddha nature, by overcoming suffering then achieve complete inner freedom.

However, in order to understand the teachings of the Indian prince, we sometimes need teachers, role models, or an appropriate community to practice the appropriate rituals, practices, and prayers, and to convey the spirit of the Buddha. Buddhism in particular is about the ego, which is the nucleus of suffering, which first brings in the temptations and delusions in the mind palace.

A good Buddhist spiritual teacher knows about the problems of the mind and the charms of the beautiful appearance. He himself knows the path of the Buddha towards enlightenment, is ready to follow the path, and in the best case has already passed through the gateless gate. You don't recognize a good spiritual guide by a beautifully made website, nor by really great photos, nor by such great promises. Nor by expensive seminars or physical attempts at greater closeness.

A good spiritual guide can be recognized by whether his statements touch you or not.

The way is the goal!

Those who speak wise words much and often, but fail to follow the right path in their actions, do not become members of a holy community, are shepherds who count other people's cattle.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama

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Sleep disorders

Many people suffer from sleep disorders. Either they have trouble falling asleep, or they can't sleep through the night, many sufferers are tired during the day, or they suffer from several complaints at once.

Occasionally not sleeping well seems to be a lesser evil compared to real disorders, but for some people sleep disorders determine their entire life.

Who does not know it occasionally once not to sleep well, to wake up too early, or not to fall asleep after going to the toilet. But there are people who almost can not sleep properly, are constantly not rested, tired and grumpy. In general, sleep disorders are among the most common health disorders among Germans.

A normal sleep should last 7 or 8 hours, but the time can vary from person to person, some people manage with less than six hours, other people sleep 10 hours without a break (I am one of them). Older people in particular report that their need for sleep decreases as they age.

Those who do not sleep enough can suffer from depression or other mental disorders, which then also affect their general physical health, the cat bites the tail.

Causes of sleep disorders are many. Probably the most common reasons of poor sleep are diseases of the mind, such as depression or anxiety disorders. However, dementia or diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's completely change sleep patterns. Another and common cause of poor and insufficient sleep is the use of drugs or alcohol, especially even when the stimulants are discontinued.

Especially older people suffer from nocturnal breathing disorders, which then naturally have an impact on sleep. But also snoring (as well as snoring of the partner) prevent a pleasant sleep.

Furthermore, there are many people who suffer from hormonal diseases that make restful sleep almost impossible. But also chronic pain, arthritis or arthrosis, as well as back pain deprive many sufferers of their sleep.

The complaints fall into two broad categories, those who have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, and the group that is exhausted, tired or nervous throughout the day. Of course, the two groups may overlap, or the complaints may occur together. Regardless of which group one may belong to, the quality of life suffers greatly, moods can change constantly and it is not far to depression. As a result, the environment, the family or the partner leads.

In order to determine the group exactly, in most cases a specialist is to be visited who looks at the medical history exactly and leads a detailed discussion with the concerning.

Read on here in the next few days on the subject of sleep disorders.

The way is the goal!

Mindful among the easy-going, watchful in the sleeper's circles: as the horse flies past the nag, the wise man leaves them behind.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama

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The Spiritual Guide

What is meant by a spiritual leader?

All religions, philosophies and worldviews have leaders, masterminds, gurus or priests. Almost always there is a person (or group) dedicated to transmitting the teachings (such as me, who brings the words of Buddha into the present).

In Buddhism there is also a special connection between teacher and student, because the teaching is to be passed on directly (as far as possible).

Alone the countless variations of Buddha's world view offers as a subject of study plenty of material to fill entire books, but Buddha's teachings were written down only long after his death, time brought one or the other modification, various translations made the situation even more confusing.

Today it is difficult to figure out what came from Buddha, and what scholars interpreted into the philosophy after his passing.

To get an overview here as a beginner in Buddhism is almost impossible, the need for guidance is obvious. Each teacher usually follows the teachings he/she was taught, in my case my master Shi Yanzi, who is now the head of Shaolin Temple London. He in turn follows his master, who is today the abbot of Shaolin Temple in China, Shi Yong Xin. The Mother Temple in turn follows the view of Bodhidharma, the founder of Chan (Zen) Buddhism, and of course the Buddha as the supreme authority.

In the beginning, there is the basic knowledge about the Buddhist teachings, which I try to integrate into everyday things in my texts, in order to present them in a palatable way and in morsels.

However, Buddhism is different from the monotheistic teachings familiar to Central Europeans; in Buddhism, one's own initiative is required, one must do one's own research. The matter is not finished with a gift into the offering box, no, to reach perfection effort and perpetual effort is necessary.

Logically I can be here only the signpost, the way must go all seekers themselves, comparable with a mountain guide I will show the way to the summit, but not for other people the path then go.

Sometimes every human being is a student, occasionally also a teacher. Especially the internet is teeming with teachers, with "net preachers" of all kinds, spiritual instructions with every possible focus, you can also pray to a fish head, if you only firmly believe in it.

What are the duties of a spiritual teacher in Buddhism?

He/she must teach the spiritual teachings of Buddha, explain his philosophy, point out the essence in his/her own words, point to personal awakening with an outstretched finger. I point, you go. If you don't want to then just stop, then maybe you go on another time.

The way is the goal!

Perfect is the hero, the leader, the great seer, the one who achieves victories

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama

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The perfect teaching

Embracing impermanence in full consciousness, we let ourselves fall "into" the Buddha's teaching, for every second of life is precious, no moment comes back, we should, according to the teacher of all teachers, simply not waste time on trivial distractions, but keep focusing on the essential. Who am I? Where do I come from? Where am I going? Questions upon questions!

How do you prepare for your death, can you use every moment, everything that exists is never mine anyway, a permanent I does not exist either, so "one" could already think about these things.

In addition, it is aggravating that "everything" is impermanent, "it" comes and goes, rises and falls, like a stream, like the water, just now a calm ocean, in the next moment a deadly tsunami, nevertheless every drop of water is connected with the next one.

Risk, uncertainty, at the moment of birth our death is also determined, destiny is written, powerfully the elements absorb the energy, pass it on, dissolve it.

The Exalted One said that the body is made of the four elements, but the mind, where does it come from? And anyway, the ego and one's personality, do they belong together, or are they separate? The personality comes from the depths of the universe, follows completely different signals, the body is only a vehicle.

The Perfect One advised us to become free of our desires, to stop being driven by desires, but to look behind the scenes, to rearrange the connections.

In doing so, get rid of the ego, because it causes so much suffering, but what will become of me if I give it up, will I still be alive, or will I die immediately? The ego, what a strange construction, always wavering between doubt and arrogance, always without direction.

Who is ready to think about it, to strain the mind palace, to give room to uncomfortable insights, to accept the answers, not to suppress them?

The perfect teaching of Buddha says that everything is based on suffering, to which we, as simple human beings, are at the mercy, because we cannot keep anything, we will lose everything, therefore we suffer. We will lose ourselves, but also everyone from our surroundings, all beings and things, nothing lasts forever, and we think about that without stopping. Why am I here, how can all this be, I don't understand. So (or so similarly) the thought scraps blow through the thinking of every human being, it occupies us heavily, the question of all questions pushes forward again and again.

The way is the goal!

As from a heap of sweepings in the street lazy airs, a lotus rises freely full of beauty, full of fragrances, so among the people of the blind, which the sins deeply surround, bright in the light of knowledge, shines the disciple of the Awakened One

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama

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Animal experiments

Do you know how many animals have to give their lives for animal experiments every year? The numbers are disgusting, an unbelievable 3 million animals suffer year after year in Germany alone.

Unbelievable sums are converted with this animal murder, each quantity of national funds blown.

In spite of broad resistance in the population, the politicians, who are often "supported" by the economy, stick to the cruel practice, although the sense of animal experiments is also doubted in science on a broad front. This has a very simple reason, a fat profit is made with this disgusting mischief. The profiteers of these machinations are particularly despicable.

The prospects are even worse than the actual state, because of a completely hare-brained EU chemical regulation (REACH) up to 60 million animals will be "consumed" in toxicity tests in the near future.

If you dive deeper into the topic here, you will lose your composure (to write the article I had to go through the details). Animals are treated like dirt in our country, locked up in small cages, killed for nothing.

We humans make life hell for animals. If I imagine that we already treat the animals we eat badly, what will happen to the animals used for animal experiments?

The "consumption" of animals for pseudo-scientific purposes is astronomical, every year 2000 monkeys alone are slaughtered for the privilege of humans. So-called "surplus animals" are not taken into account in statistics, i.e. many more animals die than indicated in the official figures. In Europe, almost 23 million animals are "consumed" in animal testing, we should all be ashamed of ourselves.

In tests for cosmetics alone, animals are subjected to the most horrible tortures, the safety of the products is supposed to be ensured this way. Things that are not allowed to be tested here (and in the EU), the companies then give to tests abroad, where the rights of the animals are even worse.

The absolute hammer, however, are "patents" on genetically modified animals, from which unscrupulous business enterprises hope for fat profits in the future, a thoroughly degenerate system, the animals as a commodity.

Here, Buddhists in particular are called upon to take a clear position, products that have been produced with animal testing, I leave them, I do not participate in animal murder.

One issue is the consumption of meat or fish, a completely different story is the murder of countless innocent creatures for the production of medicines or cosmetics.

Support non-animal research methods and manufacturers that work without animal murder, who can enter the minds of animals?

The way is the goal!

Who fully consciously cultivates immeasurable kindness, mindful of the frailty of all mortal, the earthly fetters loosen. He who with a clear mind cultivates kindness even for one living being, is by this alone a righteous man. He who neither kills nor lets kill, neither does violence nor lets do violence, he who is kind-minded towards all beings, has no enmity to fear

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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The future

In a small town in ancient China there was a very famous temple. One of the monks was very old, but the story went that he had "psychic" powers and could "tell fortunes".

Since he was also frail, he usually stayed in his room, from where he watched the world through a small window. His days of interpreting the future had long since passed, and he only wanted to spend his old age in the monastery.

One fine day, a businessman from the capital came and very generously filled the donation box. He asked about the "fortune teller", but got the answer that he no longer took part in the temple business. The visitor therefore asked for the abbot.

When the abbot came the man said: "I come from far away to ask this monk about my future, gladly I donate a large sum, only let me to the old master". Just like all undertakings, a temple needs the means to bear the expenses incurred, so the abbot replied that he would try to make an exception possible. The abbot went to the old monk, who also agreed to help.

The businessman was led to the old monk's hermitage, where he asked the visitor to put his hands forward.

The monk looked at the palms, making the strangest noises. "Hmmmm", "Ohhhhh", he grunted to himself as he looked at the lines of the hands, the man became quite agitated.

"Master, what do you see", he finally asked, "will my future be good"?

"The future," the old man spoke, "is still unclear, but it is in your hands! You have great possibilities, however, I see that you will have to decide several times. Depending on your decisions your future will be. But note: if you have to make a decision and you do not make it, that is also a decision".

"But the great future of your life lies in the fact that you can change your life by changing your attitude"!

Then the old monk turned back to his window, and the visitor went out.

There are no signposts at the crossroads of life

Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin - British actor - 1889 to 1977

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This world is a brutal places

The world is a master of horror, but also of goodness!

The world takes its own course. A glorious day is awakening in the East.

Will we see each other again tomorrow? We do not know. You do not like it?

Never will the son be the new king, who will rule?

Open the gates, the gateless gate is invisible.

Once he is king!

What have we promised?

We are tired, what do we want to achieve?

An heir to the throne?

The queen was a servant of Satan!

What do we know?

What does it matter?

Did we sign this like this?

Are you coming with me?

Everything here is in the name of the teacher of all teachers.

Look at me, you are suffering!

Enough!

Move aside.

Do not interfere, for this world is a brutal place!

Give it the death blow, do it!

The foolish think that shame is a crown!

Please forgive, the end is near!

You are a traitor, let's go.

Who will help?

Persuasion, where is the crown? We should leave!

Who helped?

What can I do?

Have you sworn allegiance to me?

I'll go as I please!

The king is dead, long live the king!

Do not force them to use violence.

Ignite their desire.

That is not true.

Do not destroy him!

The color of flowers is not always the same!

The flowers are so common.

Burn it, it's bad!

These are troubled times.

Lift up peace, born a king, in a peaceful land, in the end a nothing.

Do we deserve this?

Sorrow in the heart!

Is the child blessed?

Only through suffering we know joy!

Participation in happiness.

Your example shines.

What have you achieved? Sickness, old age and death?

Do you have an heir?

Can we do worse? Are we safe? What is security?

Questions upon questions.

Come on, we gotta go! Wherever!

What do you want?

Deny the divine commandment!

The kingdom is becoming a disgrace.

Are you affected by the guilt? Did you determine the events?

Who has taken up arms? I beg you, think it over! But it is no longer so!

Have we done enough?

Everything is possible!

Shall we do nothing at all?

I speak for myself! Only for me.

The dead greet you!

From the tomb it smells of revolution, the sisters are enemies now.

Come to me, the dead greet you, O King!

I went ahead, the others are waiting here.

Your Majesty!

This world is a brutal place!

What did you expect?

I deny!

ALL

How could it come to this?

When I see, I see. My eyes are so tired.

Fall on your knees, recognize the evil place!

As I decree it!

We are of his blood! We have nothing to fear!

Or are we?

Will God hear us?

The day would come, and it has come! Regardless of all doubts.

Condemned to death!

This world is a brutal place. But in the end there is also a beginning.

Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam

"Incidentally, I am of the opinion that Carthage must be destroyed," is a saying attributed to the Roman statesman Cato the Elder (234-149 B.C.)

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Beginning

It was a long way to this bench, which was placed under the trees in front of the buildings for the visitors of Shaolin Monastery. Just opposite the monumental entrance area, with a direct view to the temple door, an impressive view. This is where I wanted to go, now I was sitting right in front of it, the world famous martial arts monastery, the center of so many kung fu movies with flying monks, incredible technique and almost superhuman performance, free from pain, the Buddhist martial artists thus within reach.

Now, at the destination of my journey, the courage left me, the doubts returned, unmistakably my annoying ego announced itself, criticized my entire decision. Rainer, what are you doing here, how stupid are you, how did you get this completely stupid idea, you in the Shaolin temple, martial arts from the monks you want to learn, they tear me apart in the air, against such fighting machines you have no chance. So, or so similarly, my ego turned its capers, searched further for reasons, why I should better leave again. I pulled my head in further and further.

Around me, an infinite number of tourists, most of them Chinese, gathered under colored flags, huge groups of travelers, always following a guide, each blaring into a megaphone, incomprehensible sounds, unfamiliar smells, I suddenly wanted to cry, I was suddenly really scared. Probably also of my own courage. How did I get here, what was I doing there?

But if I am already once there, then I could look at least the monastery once, before I would drive in any case with pulled in tail then again home. The laborious journey would not have been worthwhile otherwise in the remotest, and a few pictures could make yes also, as said, if I am already once there, the moment of the disgrace then at least savor, so that I can always remember the disgrace.

With leaden limbs I got up and dragged myself to the entrance, where the crowds were, cultural tourists armed with tickets and umbrellas, the Shaolin Temple was and is an attraction even among the Chinese themselves, attracting millions of onlookers every year. I stood in line to purchase a ticket. As I stood there so quietly, this immense awe gripped me again, the Shaolin Temple China, located in the sacred mountain Song Shan, the cradle of Kung Fu.

This is where I wanted to go, now I was standing at the door, my pants full, my courage chilled, Rainer, how did you come up with this idea?

Today I know: This way was my karma!

To travel well is better than to arrive

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480

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The inner critic

Many people call the voice in their head a critic who makes their life difficult. For Buddhists, however, it is clear that this critic is the ego, which constantly nags at us.

All day long the ego nags away, it stirs up worries and fears, it criticizes us. In the Buddhist view, the ego is not a critic, but a cause of our sufferings.

It is important (not only for Buddhists, by the way) to silence the ego. Are you always comparing yourself with other people? Do you nag, do you find fault with everything?

Do you end up even suffering from the nag that causes a slaughter or two in your mind palace? Really every person loses an incredible amount of energy to this "critic", did I do this right, am I pretty enough, will I still have my livelihood tomorrow, can I do this, do I know this?

We are sometimes very hard on ourselves, the "inner critic" can be unfair. Do the challenges of life seem huge to you, is every day a struggle?

What if you made peace with yourself? Would anything change? Would it be noticed (except by those closest to you)?

I claim: NO

If you gain power over yourself, you can live in a much more relaxed way, you are no longer in the tension of emotions. For my part, I no longer care about this "inner critic", have turned off the perpetual dialogue with the ego, no longer let myself be thrown off track by self-doubt.

The voice in my head, what is that exactly? Is it an "inner critic", or my ego?

According to the teacher of all teachers, it is the ego that can create a lot of suffering in us. Evolution has given us thinking to evaluate the necessities of existence, to make plans.

However, without limitations, this thinking easily overshoots itself, starts to see dangers that do not exist. Then questions arise that are completely useless, simply because thinking is set up that way, always wanting to be busy.

This is where the teaching of Buddha comes in, who considered this kind of thinking to be unhelpful, since such emotions are based on impermanence, are not directed towards lasting things, and cannot be.

Those who constantly criticize themselves feel bad, inadequate, insufficient. Whoever starts to take the inner critic not so seriously anymore, can finally let go. The endless stories that the mind palace invents will for the most part never come true.

The way is the goal!

The forest is a special being, of unlimited goodness and affection, which makes no demands and generously passes on the products of its life's work; it offers protection to all creatures and provides shade even to the woodcutter who destroys it.

Buddha - "The Enlightened One" - honorific name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 B.c.

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The universe and us

Our spiritual expectations are great, we like to talk about the universe, we occasionally see ourselves as part of it, but we are immensely afraid of the infinite vastness, of the areas that no human being has ever entered, at least that's what we think.

The pure being is already a mystery, we, our ego, the personality that represents us, the ego, nothing of it we understand even in the beginning, the universe not even in fragments.

But with the Buddhist teaching we can leave behind the human dimension, become one with the great emptiness, whoever recognizes his true Buddha nature can have a deep experience with being, live through all the dimensions of life in all its diversity, leave behind the relative life, turn towards the light that seems dark.

If we want to be unified beings, then we should find our way to the Buddha's path, explore the depth of existences, experience true meaning. But those who prefer to run after material things will probably miss the fork in the road, will not give the necessary meaning to the little things.

Because nothing really makes sense, who adheres to the philosophy of Buddha knows about the singularity, who has escaped the chaos, has left suffering behind. We humans do not have to suffer, if we want to, we simply stop doing so.

But the one who shies away from deep experience will not come to the right place, will not make the appropriate perception, because he/she only wants to satisfy the senses, goes after the transient cravings, is too busy to even begin to comprehend the truth of his/her own existence.

Too much the underlying clarity then makes fear, the fears are omnipresent, then nevertheless still fast with alcohol or drugs "the distance" look for, anesthetize themselves, only not think about everything.

But when life feels right, then the dominoes fall as if by themselves, the incarnation and the cosmos become one, the enlightened state can hardly be described now. In harmony with the environment, with being, with the personality, a tremendous feeling of happiness, which leaves everything material far behind, cannot be compared with the short intoxication.

The meaning of life, which everyone talks about, was clearly named by the teacher of all teachers many centuries ago in his philosophy, over the times many people listened to his explanations, followed him on the way to personal "enlightenment", no longer wanted to suffer, to leave human destiny behind.

Life receives meaning through knowledge, the way there is the goal!

Rarely only a great one appears and does not appear all the time

Buddha - "The Enlightened One" - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480

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Self-sabotage

Who doesn't know it, the stupid feeling when you stand in your own way. Sometimes this even happens intentionally, self-sabotage happens more often than we think, just when thoughts make your life harder.

For example, when we say YES but think NO, we do everything possible to sabotage the YES, even at the risk of harming ourselves.

Such behavior is harmful, and not really appropriate for the Buddha's followers, since the great teacher taught us to look behind the scenes.

But whoever thinks about such behavior comes to the conclusion that he should better say NO right away, that is, he should not tell a lie, because the result is already clear, the thinking individual must be aware of it as a consequence.

To stand in our own way is normal, not all our decisions can be right, but the conscious self-sabotage, that is a completely different kind of quality in our emotional actions. Emotions pull us in different directions, it is not always easy to recognize the right way.

And the truth also requires a good portion of courage, which is why we often say YES, but mean NO. When was the last time you dared to tell an annoying person what you think, not to let them get away with their nonsense? We don't want to say unpleasant things!

But if you have the courage to talk about annoying problems, you will probably belong to the group of more successful people, because in order to assert yourself, you have to get to the point.

What do I want, what do I need? These are the kind of questions that awakened people no longer ask themselves, but on the way to "enlightenment" you will find the normal stumbling blocks of interpersonal relationships.

Especially the "feel-good Buddhists" don't want to hurt their environment, just make things worse (in the long run) with technology. For my part, I always address the things that bother me right away, I don't leave anything in the room simply out of convenience, not because I want to assert myself, but because I want to be such a role model for my environment, honest but uncomfortable, not ducking away, but also professing the philosophy of the great teacher.

Many people suffer unnecessarily because they do not have the strength to do the right thing at the right moment. Here I would like to refer to the noble eightfold path of the Buddha, which begins with: Right cognition, right mind, then right speech and right action.

The way is also here the goal!

Wise men know: Desire does not satisfy even golden rain

Buddha - "The Enlightened One" - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480

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Gifts to my self part 4

Have you already read the first parts of my series "Gifts to my ego" click. Read on here:

friendships

If you really want to give yourself a gift, you should cherish your friendships, take care of your friends, their concerns, their lives. But you should also build up a friendship with your own self, look at yourself in the mirror with goodwill, consciously pay attention to your voice, take yourself "in your arms", do everything possible to reduce all possible aversions against yourself in any case, if possible build up friendship and even self-love. Only those who are at peace with themselves can set out on the path to enlightenment, emulate the Buddha, follow. Treat yourself at least as well as you treat your best friend, give yourself the gift.

happiness

Probably the most important gift that you can give yourself, that is happiness, because you are on a good path, on the pathless path, towards the goalless gate, where a landless land awaits all those who have awakened in time, who have not allowed themselves to be blinded, who have renounced suffering because they have made the decision to do so. Happiness is a spiritual emotion that cannot be bought, cannot be given away, cannot be inherited, cannot be earned. Those who have learned to truly let go are already very close to awakening, they will experience all-encompassing happiness. Because happiness is due to us humans, it is a prerogative of those who do not want or desire more, who have come to terms with fate, because they can't change anything about it anyway. Take from the everyday things of life your happiest moments, enjoy the flowers by the wayside, the little hugs, the warmth of the air, the coolness of the breeze, the taste of the food, trivial things that you often just take for granted.

a pure mind

Your mind should be like a beautiful garden, pure and pleasing, always tended, full of flowers, trees and shrubs, in the center a small temple with an enchanting statue of the Teacher of all Teachers, mindful people meeting in the temple complex imaginatively built in your mind palace.

Thoughts here are the seeds that plan, nurture and cherish the complex, bad thoughts make the complex decay, good ones improve the ensemble, depending on the mindset, a work of art or a cellar hole is created.

Take care of the purity of your mind, of the garden, of the buildings, build a temple in your thought palace, give yourself peace.

The path is the goal!

Those who live on right food, who are not bound to any property, who find their noble home in the incomprehensible emptiness, whose way is hard to fathom like a bird's path in the air.

Buddha - "The Enlightened One" - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480

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Gifts to my self part 3

Have you already read the first parts of my series "Gifts to my ego" click. Click here to continue:

meditation

A special gift to my own self is meditation, which I practice daily. Here breathing, mindfulness, health, peace, happiness and extreme well-being unite to a spiritual unity. Every day is then a good day, because with such a gift it is possible to be pleasant, the I is cared for, the body is strengthened, the soul is calmed. Buddha in his calm meditation pose has become a symbol of Buddhist teachings for many people, his figures are in almost every house, we see from his example that for a happy life we only need our resolution "to be happy", nothing more.

recognize yourself in your totality

Only the one who knows himself is really wise, the one who learns to recognize himself in all facets with the teachings of Buddha, gets power over the ego, which makes man a suffering being in the first place, which should urgently be put in its place. What makes you as a person, what are your most important qualities? Can you determine what makes you special as a person, sets you apart from others around you? Can you write down 5 points that best represent you as a whole?

diary

Your life is special and particular, which is why it is worth recording the important steps. I keep a kind of calendar where I note all the events that are important to me. And believe me, every day is different, in the today, here and now, that's where the music plays. What did you experience, what did you eat, who did you meet, what were you happy about, what were you not happy about, did you meditate, or do sports, what was going through your mind? This is not about writing an essay, or a large amount, no, keywords are enough (at the beginning), your life is worth it.

focus as a filter

What is your goal, what is in your focus? We need to keep asking ourselves where we are turning our head, where the focus is, on what, and also why. Getting the focus right will bring you incredible power and energy, be a wonderful gift to your own self. Those who set the focus correctly (and honestly) will no longer waste their energy senselessly, seek and find fewer distractions, focus on goals, realize dreams.

According to the great teacher, none of this really matters, but for the group of "feel-good Buddhists" it does.

The path is always the goal!

Continue reading in the next few days on the topic of "Gifts to my self".

If a seeker has ten qualities, he is worthy of the gifts

Buddha - "The Enlightened One" - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480

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Do not take anything „personally“

How to stop taking things so personally - and

and live a better life that way!

Why is this happening to me? I'm just unlucky! Everything is conspiring against me! I'm such a poor sheep!

Is that so?

That's exactly not how it is, no human being is just unlucky (or lucky), there are also no conspiracies against us, who or what should be conspiring, please, and why should it even be the case?

Although we as Buddhists "know" that everything is already written, it can help if we "do not take everything so personally", but calmly and calmly accept fate.

To "know" something does not necessarily mean to act correctly, there is still a lot of "room for improvement" in every human being.

To take everything "personally", for this there are all kinds of causes for some fellow men. The gods have conspired, a weak self-confidence, strong emotions, the environment, health, we are quick with excuses at hand.

However, it is important to understand that the origin of "taking it personally" is within ourselves, not coming from the outside. It is just a feeling that makes us take everything personally.

Because negative things also happen to other people in life. But not everyone relates the occurrence of negative circumstances to themselves right away.

The question is, how we deal with these incidents, process them further. Whether we take them "personally". It is exclusively our own decision whether we take something "personally" or not!

"Nobody can hurt me without my permission", said the great Mahatma Gandhi.

There is no conspiracy of the gods, only we ourselves conspire against ourselves, if we take something personally, it is our own fault.

Everything that happens to us in life, according to Buddha, only represents our destiny.

Everything comes as it must, so why take anything "personally"?

Instead of worrying about a conspiracy against yourself, you can look into the concept of "enlightenment", what is "awakening", what did Buddha mean when he said "life is only a dream"?

PERSONALLY I AM ALWAYS WILLING TO LEARN, ALTHOUGH I DON'T ALWAYS WANT TO BE TAUGHT

WINSTON CHURCHILL - BRITISH STATESMAN - 1874 TO 1965

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Birds

A pair of blackbirds has been breeding on my balcony, yesterday the little ones hatched. Five mini birds in my flowerpot, beaks constantly open, some dried grass as a base, mom almost always sits on it, keeps her children warm, dad is looking for worms in the garden, brings almost endless supply.

At first we (my girlfriend and I) thought that birds had been looking for food in the flowerpot, perhaps scattering the soil on the balcony, making a mess. At first we almost overlooked the nest, then we did not notice anything as such, until we noticed the constant coming and going on the terrace, then we looked more closely. A bird's nest, first with one egg, the next day there were then two, always a new egg per day, until there were then five pieces. The mother is constantly brooding, not two meters away from my desk chair, the birds seemed to have no fear of us. Strangely, they trust us completely, I whistle, they respond, quickly we have become the foster parents for their offspring.

We put water, bought bird food, we give them rice and bread, we watch the pair of birds intensively.

Now the interest awoke, we researched on the Internet, little was found about a friendship between people and blackbirds, but it has become a togetherness, similar to a pet there is a kind of common understanding.

Watching how the animals touchingly care for their children, how the couple also works together and sticks together, it's magical, much like a married couple also raising their children.

The pair of birds made us think more deeply about the different living beings, and how much obviously also animals have emotions and feelings, the interaction of the pair of birds speaks for itself. And if even small birds have such emotions, then larger animals even more so.

And we humans think to have the right to rule over all other living beings, to make them usable for us, which is why we also speak of farm animals, which we can use, kill and eat, throw away or torture, just as we like.

Now if we were the poor pigs in the enclosure, had found a partner in "captivity" (another poor pig), and then another living being (a human being) comes and takes our (beloved) partner to slaughter and eat him, how would our feelings be there? And that animals have such emotions is clear (at least for us) by the example of the bird pair, only one makes even otherwise no thoughts about the animals, apart from the so much "loved" pets once.

We now eat almost exclusively vegetables.

Looking at the birds is (as I said) magical, the journey is the destination!

Who sees appearance as appearance and the being as being, penetrates up to the core of the truth, has read the right track

Buddha - "The Enlightened One

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Gifts to my self part 2

Have you heard the first part of my series "Gifts to Me" in one of the last episodes?

Today it continues:

health

Without health everything is nothing, no possession can please, no closeness can make happy, no fun can be funny, because an illness brings further, additional suffering. Buddha exhorted us to understand the body as a vehicle for attaining enlightenment, which must be cared for. From this point of view, the Indian prince was the first nutritionist who, incidentally, also considered discipline as the basis of health. He also had the habit of eating only once a day (I for my part do it exactly the same way), eating very little, fasting, meditating, living a vegetarian life per se. He was also a yogi, did his exercises, walked a lot, was a healthy man who passed away in old age tired and surrounded by his disciples.

self-confidence

If you are sure of your things, you don't have to raise your voice, you can go your way calmly. Do not waste any more thoughts on doubts, throw your insecurities overboard, if you have decided to do something, then it is good, because according to Buddha it comes anyway as it should come, you bear no direct guilt. Gift yourself with self-confidence, live your life, trust your basic instinct.

become your own coach

In the meantime, every newspaper has an advice section, the net is full of coaches, but deep inside you know about the connections, about the law of cause and effect, also about the teachings of Buddha. You know what is good for you and what is not. Listen more to yourself, less to other people.

spirituality and faith

You read on a Buddhist blog, you try your spirituality, maybe you are a believer. Buddhism is a philosophy, not a religion. Nevertheless, you can follow a religion and also be a Buddhist. Anyway, the worldview of the Indian prince gives values and content that have become a kind of inner compass for many people. Those who are spiritually oriented will one day (hopefully) find the jump from suffering, rise from being "feel-good Buddhists" to becoming followers. Whenever karma will be like that, because it always and basically comes as it has to come. The Buddha has shown us the way, we have to walk it ourselves. But the way is the goal!

Read on in the next few days on the subject of "Gifts to my I".

Free from all desire, hatred and delusion, and purified from his faults, then he is worthy of gifts

Buddha - "The Enlightened One" - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480

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Are you ready to heal?

Before you start healing someone, ask them if they are willing to give up the things that have made them sick.

Hippocrates - physician of the antiquity - 460 to 370 before the year zero

A sentence that could also have come from Buddha. For Buddhism, according to the great teacher, is about refraining from the behaviors that make us suffer.

But most people don't want to do that, they cling to people, things and events because they promise themselves security and safety from them, although these feelings can at best be a fallacy.

Because everything is transient, nothing remains, according to Buddha, the only thing that helps here is to deal with the truth, to express the certainty, to perceive, to accept. We suffer because we know that everything will pass away, we, our loved ones, our possessions, our city, our country, our planet, nothing will remain.

But suffering is a pure choice, do I suffer or refrain from suffering? And deep inside we also know why we suffer, not because of spurned love, past youth, expired energy, lost wealth we grieve, no, we grieve because we are impermanent, only because of that our emotions are stricken.

An awakened person will not suffer any more, no matter what may happen, he will accept the situation with stoic calm, go about his work in peace, no matter what hurricane may rage around him.

When a seeker meets a teacher and this teacher speaks of the cessation of all attachments, then not everyone concerned wants to hear this, most people are still stuck in their old structures, the philosophy of Buddha comes from far away, slowly penetrates only through the Western culture, the opinions, the views, the belief systems are too different. But what is the use of holding on to suffering, when we already know the end.

If you philosophize about this clearly and soberly, you will soon find out that there is more than a grain of truth in the teaching of the Indian prince. If you want to be cured of your suffering, you must first make the determination to refrain from suffering.

It is a simple act of will that is at the beginning of your journey, whoever wants to follow the path of Buddha must decide this once, then the rest will follow all by itself. In order to leave suffering behind you must first have experienced a fair amount of it, then your willingness to look at other worldviews increases.

The way is the goal, the true path to the end of the sufferings!

Oh, how we live so happily without sickness among sick people, while people stagger through life sick and infirm.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480

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Gifts to my self part 1

In order to lead a mindful and conscious life you should give yourself sufficient "self" gifts. Such gifts to your own self are invaluable for your mood and well-being. Especially the "feel-good Buddhists" among us become aware of the path of the Buddha in this way, then in the course of time find the appropriate mindset to penetrate more deeply into the teachings of the teacher of all teachers in the first place.

honesty

Those who can be honest with themselves are on a fantastic path. According to Buddha, the very beginning of his message of the noble eightfold path defines right recognition as the first step. The one who recognizes things as they are is honest, towards himself, but then also subsequently towards the environment.

wisdom

From the first step, honesty, then follows as the next consequence from the noble eightfold path right speech and action, because who has recognized how things are connected, he is a wise person, he will not wish and want, will not exalt himself, will take care of health, treat the environment well and with love, put his energy into the welfare of his family and his cultural circle, act wisely and be respected for it.

Forgiveness

Because the honest (above 1.) person quickly attains wisdom (above 2.), he can also forgive himself and his fellow human beings, because he no longer carries around the suffering of the whole of humanity, does not wallow in pain, does not cultivate problems either, but uses his knowledge of the context of things, he forgives himself first, then all others as well. Only consolidated people can finally forgive, detach from the deep pain of human evolution.

kindness

Whoever has internalized points 1. to 3. knows that the other living beings on their personal journey partly suffer terribly because they have (not yet) chosen the path to knowledge, meanwhile (still) striving after other things that are sorrowful and transient, which is why the knower acts towards such poor souls with kindness and compassion.

Time

Every moment is precious, whether we will still be "here" tomorrow is by no means guaranteed, which is why time may be our most precious commodity. When did you (last) consciously take time for yourself, such as going for a walk when you actually had a thousand other things to do, or simply taking a nap on the sofa even though the work was not yet done? Give yourself a gift with a portion of extra time, treat yourself to quality time. In the next few days you will continue to read here about the "gifts to my ego" The way is the special goal here!

Do not think about my last words, they are already in the past

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480

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The subjective point of view

We all always have a reason for our actions, every behavior builds on many causes, according to Buddha I speak here of the law of cause and effect.

We know that every action also brings a reaction, which is why we should have understanding for people (and their many reasons). Instead of reacting in a huff, aggressively or emotionally, we should ask ourselves why the person in question is behaving in this way, whether fears or concerns are perhaps arising, whether there are even constraints so that the person in question cannot act in any other way?

And the subjective perspective on what is happening quickly dissolves when we imagine ourselves standing in the other person's shoes, what would we do now in their place? If you still can't muster any understanding now, what could that be due to?

Are emotions being triggered in you here, perhaps your own fears or needs being addressed? Is the other person's behavior really wrong, or could the fault also lie with me?

And is there even an "objective" right, or a wrong? I would say that there can only be a "subjective", because every person thinks his point of view is right, criticizes the view of the other person. But what do you see the splinter in your brother's eye and do not perceive the beam in your own eye, so the sentence attributed to Jesus of Nazareth, which already leaves hardly any interpretation for real objectivity.

If it were still possible that I have built up prejudices (preconceived judgments), where does my aversion come from right now? Does this situation remind me of past incidents where I may have had bad experiences?

Specifically, are there things or incidents that trigger you? Circumstances that infuriate you? A type of person you just don't like? For example, do you find yourself criticizing young people for things you used to do yourself, but which now bother you because you are no longer young?

Or, as another example, do you get upset about the ostentatious behavior of the wealthy (fancy cars, expensive watches) because you are not "rich"? There are always deeper reasons for our actions, which even we cannot recognize at first glance.

The subjective point of view disturbs the reality, according to Buddha there is by no means only one truth, but infinitely many realities. The subjective point of view takes place from every subject, but the way of Buddha would be the goal!

Higher acts a look of reverence

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama -

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Become more relaxed

Especially from the group of "feel-good Buddhists" you hear again and again that you want to become more serene. But that is easy to say and not easy to do. A thousand things happen around us, and one or the other of us quickly loses his or her temper when everything goes wrong again in traffic, traffic jams up, or you get "cut off".

Or the boss whistles at you first thing in the morning, the children don't do what they're supposed to, we're insulted or snapped at. When everything goes wrong again, when things are not as we would like them to be, I am supposed to become more relaxed? How does that work?

Readers of my blog know that everything is just a decision, that I can decide to become more relaxed from now on (right now), to stop getting upset, to stop paying attention to trivialities, to stop wasting energy senselessly in the universe.

And it doesn't matter who is bothered by my behavior, if I let myself be influenced by it (or not), it's ONLY me who decides, nobody else, I'm the only one to blame, just because I didn't make the decision (or don't want to make it). What do you think life would be more fun if you weren't constantly upset about everything possible and impossible? And no matter if I keep the appointment or not, the earth keeps turning, I can try again next time to seize the opportunity.

Those who have outgrown the group of "feel-good Buddhists" and follow the path of Buddha also know that it makes absolutely no difference whether we think about it or not. If we become serene, if we have made the decision to let go, then everything will be much easier anyway.

If you have problems with "letting go of thoughts", then imagine that all other people are just like you (or at least very similar), you are not special, but all people have the same worries, needs and thoughts like you, can not let go, can not become more calm. Just like you too.

The general question is whether we can refrain from accumulating useless emotions, also want to lift our general mood, or go through life grumpy. Do you know your current feelings, are you thinking about how your situation could improve?

Can you care less about how others around you are behaving?

The way is the goal!

That the joy grows in the good! Happiness is all good end

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480

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Bad becomes good

Those who have gotten out of the habit of judging things, people and events do not necessarily have to read on.

All others, still in the hamster wheel, poor souls, they should go deeper here. Buddha admonished his followers several times that nothing is as it appears to us, that everything comes anyway as it must come, that we can not even overlook how things are really connected.

I, for my part, have gotten out of the habit of making judgments, sometimes old tendencies come up, but in general I don't do it anymore.

No matter which event hits me, no matter how it affects me, I cannot foresee the effects, neither in the short term, nor in the medium term or in the long term. For that I lack the objectivity, the knowledge, the tools. My body can sort out such sensitivities much better than my intellect, but very few people listen to their body, such hunches are suspicious to them.

Many events, which I thought to be "bad" in the first moment, turned out to be "good" afterwards (the knowing reader sees that there is no "good" and no "bad", nor can there be). For instance, when I got so sick that I quit smoking. Of my own will I might not have been able to do it, but I had to cough so much, when I saw just one cigarette it shook me. First I was sick, very sick, a severe cold for almost a month, but this had a "positive" effect on my health, I stopped smoking because of it.

Or the day I separated from my wife, it was so sad, my body was shaken, my soul was torn, a deep sadness settled inside me. My sweet daughter, we had to separate, the marriage was shattered, a drama for all concerned. In the very place where I saw "my" family for the last time, that's exactly where I met my current partner. Everything that was not harmonious with my ex-wife (for some reason), all that is now with the new partner completely without problems. But I don't want to judge, it is what it is, it comes as it must come.

When the next mishap happens to you, you should consider whether good things could come out of it, what positive consequences would be conceivable, and whether it would simply not matter, good or bad, up or down, right or left, it comes exactly as it should come.

From good becomes bad, from bad also good.

The way is the goal!

Do not abandon your own salvation for the sake of the greatest salvation of others.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480

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The only true way

The most adventurous views, the most controversial political standpoints, religious teachings from all over the world, moral wisdoms of all kinds, are popping up everywhere right now.

Similarly as I make "advertisement" for the philosophy of Buddha, secrets of all kinds are fully advertised in the crisis time.

Some know exactly about the consequences of global warming, others are vaccination experts, still others are federal coaches, some are even "without alternative" anyway.

All of them say that their world view is the right one, the others simply have no idea. The only true way is their opinion, one has to realize that.

According to Buddha, life is "round" when "one" treads the middle path, makes peace with oneself; in peace lies strength, the path is the goal.

The only true way, that is the middle way of the Buddha, the world view holds infinite powers for us. As a pure philosophy, the great teacher's words can also help those otherwise religious people who have adopted Buddhism as a kind of "second religion."

The only true path, people have been searching for thousands of years, gods came, gods passed away.

Here, the Buddha's teaching offers a real alternative, since no worship of a god is required, but the followers of Buddha were instructed to search for answers within "themselves".

The one true path does not lead to a paradise, but to a journey to one's own "I". It is a path to "inner" happiness, without religious dimensions. If "we" live what is important to us, then we are on the right path. The only true path is self-reliance, recognizing our spiritual expression. This is the way, the only true way.

The path of the middle lets us fall into a calm mode, nothing is so important anymore, the finiteness of the present existence brings calmness to the "here" and "today".

When you stand at a crossroads, you can choose the further way. At each new junction, you are free to re-evaluate the situation, and if necessary, improve it.

The only true way is your way, you yourself have to go it, (bear) the hardships and difficulties yourself. No God will take this task from you, no priest can decide "for you".

Every individual makes his decisions based on experiences, involves feelings (like fear or love).

Have you ever asked yourself why you do this or that the way you have "always" done it?

The path is the goal!

Your way, no matter what it may be, is the right way.

There is no way to peace, because peace is the way

Mahatma Gandhi - Indian lawyer - 1869 to 1948

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The red-brown leaves

In Buddhist temples, students and aspiring monks have to do a lot of work; even in monasteries, apprenticeship years are not master years.

One of the tasks every autumn is to clean the grounds from the leaves. Since sweeping is very monotonous and boring, the young men seldom take up this laborious task. The colorful autumn leaves on the paths and buildings of the monastery look beautiful and picturesque, and when the leaves rustle, a pleasant feeling passes through the visitors, but when it rains or gets wet, the leaves quickly become slippery and therefore dangerous.

So it happened that morning to a young man who had only been in the temple for a short time. He wanted to become a monk, yes, but he did not like sweeping leaves. In general, he had not yet become accustomed to getting up early and going to bed early in the evening, he swept the leaves quite listlessly.

He had hardly finished when a wind caught the last leaves of the trees, and the courtyard of the temple was again full of new foliage. Then he had to start all over again, his bad mood grew, he felt colder and colder, he worked silently. He consoled himself with the fact that the trees had almost no more leaves, therefore tomorrow the work would surely go much faster from the hand.

The next morning he came to the yard in a better mood, but found that again the whole yard was full of leaves. Wherever the many leaves came from, it looked like yesterday. The mood was quickly darkened again, he began to sweep.

When the abbot of the monastery came to the morning prayer he saw the young student, immediately he understood that the boy was dissatisfied with his fate. He said to him, "yesterday's work has passed, today's is waiting for you, tomorrow's work is still developing".

"Every day holds new tasks for us, never is our mission the same, always other demands are added. If you want to become a monk, work in the here and now, enjoy your challenges, never be deterred by the magnitude of the work."

"The work we have to do, it never ends, there are always new things coming to be done. The day there are no more challenges, that's when the perceived existence comes to an end. Always do your work with mindfulness and with dedication."

"The work comes to you, not you come to the work", said the wise master, going to prayer.

To restore silence is the task of objects

Samuel Beckett - Irish writer and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature - 1906 to 1989

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Virtues

Buddha exhorted virtuous living, values and content, cohesion and discipline.

First of all, there are different types of virtues, the primarily important qualities (primary virtues), as well as a lower level, the so-called secondary virtues.

Primary virtues are, for example, modesty, reverence and honesty, right cognition, thinking, speaking and acting, the components mentioned again and again by Buddha on the way to the light of knowledge, which hardly differ from the old German values.

But also the importance of secondary virtues such as discipline, diligence and punctuality, these are in the philosophy of the teacher of all teachers indisputable cornerstones of a functioning society and of every decent member of the community.

Virtues, that seems to today's fun society as a non-word, which seems to have fallen out of time. But over the centuries, only those nations that cultivated content and values were successful. When, for example, ancient Rome finally arrived in decadence, lust and complacency, the "barbarians" were already at the gates. Peoples came, cultures went, a perpetual renewal of the human species runs wave-like through the evolution. And in times without virtues, it has been shown and continues to be shown that a fatalism afflicts people, covers them like a viscous buzz, paralyzes and blocks everyone.

What virtues are important to you, what moves you, what bothers you in other people? Are there virtues so important to you that you cannot tolerate their absence in those around you?

My whole day consists of work, diligence and fulfillment of duty, my agenda is consistently worked through every day, a lot of sleep, yoga, healthy food, work, the care of my relationships, in close tact I go about my tasks.

Those who follow the teachings of Buddha know that life is only a dream from which it is necessary to awaken. That's why we should follow the body, not the ratio, because our subconscious mind has more clarity, the back and forth thinking, that brings even more uncertainties.

But as long as we let ourselves go, don't want to follow the primary virtues, and even more so the secondary virtues, as long as we don't want to follow them, we won't be really satisfied with ourselves inside, because we know that a part is missing.

Suppose you were to put more effort into the virtues, to try harder and harder, to make life more reasonable, to follow the Buddha on his path, what would you have to lose?

A community without virtues will soon tear itself apart, individuals will fall over each other, values will be lost, until one day there will be hardly any people left. Who knows, maybe mankind has already destroyed itself hundreds of times and then started again from zero.

The way is the goal!

Beware of wrathful deeds, make the body your servant

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Toxic Positivity Part 2

Read the first part of "Toxic Positivity" here.

The question is always, how much good energy is right and important, and at what point is positivity toxic and too much? When does the trend of perpetual positive emotions then follow an unrealistic view of one's life, of one's circumstances?

Especially in the social media it is a compulsion to present oneself "positively" (beautiful, rich and successful), who wants to see how the adored idol's nose runs.

But it is precisely here that tricks and embellishments are made, photoshopped and corrected, and it feels like there are a million image editing programs to deliver the right appearance for the constantly craving followers.

More and more viewers then come to the depressed conclusion that their life just doesn't work out that way, their girlfriend isn't that beautiful, the car isn't that great, the apartment isn't that big.

As a result, the faces become long, the constant comparison with the stars and starlets can only backfire. And according to Buddha, we shouldn't judge or compare anyway, and we shouldn't let ourselves be deceived by beautiful appearances, but look behind the scenes (or at least try to).

In today's society you can hardly find honesty, neither towards your own self, nor towards your fellow human beings. And negative feelings are not shown, "one" plays something, pretends, the desired harmony becomes the all-determining goal, behind it are of course also financial interests.

In order to constantly present the desired positive optimism, the true emotions are suppressed, the feelings are suppressed, the affected people become more and more actors, live in their role, do not even show their true self to their partner.

From this moment on, one can confidently speak of "Toxic Positivity", the affair became "poison" for those who bow to the beautiful appearance. On the other side then the real feelings are not lived out, the role is more and more seen as "real", in the end the real person and his real personality is "buried".

And then only Buddhism helps to clear the rubble, to get to the bottom of the matter. Whoever can decide to look the truth in the face can bring about qualitative changes at any time.

But "one" must dare to look the truth in the eye.

Superficial optimism is toxic for us, can cause massive damage to the fragile psyche of the afflicted. Those who are always in a "good" mood are not really "genuine" either.

Buddha spoke of the way of the middle, which lies exactly between optimism and pessimism, which one can recognize also as a realist very simply.

Because it applies: The way is the goal!

How to end old feelings without creating new ones

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Accept what is!

To look at the daily madness, that is sometimes very demanding. Crises, dangers, illnesses, financial uncertainties, unstable political conditions, all in all very easy to lose perspective.

It is very difficult to keep a portion of "lightness", not to wander through the days frightened and frustrated. But lightness, how do you bring it back into your life, what feels light, what doesn't?

How do you wake up in the morning, light, or feeling rattled?

On what occasions does a feeling of lightness come over you, when not?

Can you name connections? How can you bring more lightness into your everyday life and into your life?

Could it be that we have learned to be "serious", so that we have lost our light feeling in the course of growing up?

The day starts with a fight with the partner, the kids don't listen, the traffic is as tough as syrup, the boss is annoyed, the customers are pushing, the food doesn't taste good, the day ends with another fight about a parking space, we are so annoyed, all lightness has vanished.

But how can we get back that invaluable good feeling, how to find the lightness despite all the unpleasantness from the daily madness? A simple answer would be to accept what is. Not to want things and people to be different, but to take them as they are. My child doesn't learn anything, good, my child is like that. My job is no fun, well, then I start looking for something new, but as long as I still have the old job I will accept the circumstances.

What happened to our lightness anyway, when did it pass? As a child we were so carefree, carefree and free, when did that change?

Can you still switch off, get yourself into a childlike state? If you are upset again then you should ask yourself if this thing is worth worrying about at all, and especially if your feelings are improving something, bringing something, or not just producing hot air.

Then, in a second thought, you should try (again and again) to define lightness, to put it into words, to describe it. How do you imagine a life of lightness? How would such a feeling probably feel, if it accompanies us cheerfully and buoyantly through life?

And further, in a final step, what positive actions could you take right now, in the medium term, and in the long term? How could you learn to accept what is? In any case: The way is the goal!

Those who accept the existence view are opponents of the non-existence view

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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3 mindful steps

3 mindful steps to more control over life

We all feel from time to time that we have no (or little) control over our lives. The awakened Buddhists know that there is no such thing as control, but the "feel-good" Buddhists among us, they still feel the need to put things in order. So how would it make sense, what would get us further?

The first thing to say is that we shouldn't worry about the things we can't control anyway, because they are simply not in our sphere of influence, but worry about the things we can (maybe) influence.

Right now, all people are overwhelmed by the events that are coming upon humanity as a collective, so it helps to think carefully about where we can change something, and where not.

If you are once again overwhelmed by circumstances but are not yet fully in tune with the universe, breathing exercises of any kind will help you regain control of yourself. Focus on your breath, and you will experience rapid improvement. A very simple exercise is to close your eyes, breathe in shallowly through your nose, and then hold your breath for about 3 seconds, only then slowly exhale through your mouth. You can repeat this exercise as often as you like, and then gain some calmness.

In a second step, take a mantra that you can speak as a kind of "prayer". Give yourself completely to this exercise, let the mantra flow into your body, penetrate into all cells, become a unity of all your senses.

As a conclusion, keep telling yourself that you want to follow the path of Buddha, that one day you will reach a stage where it does not matter if you have control or not. This is possible when you have first calmed down. We all know that we will die, so we cannot have (real) control over anything. Only when we come to terms with this thought, then we reach a stage of inner balance, then we accept that we are small grains of sand in a big universe, so there is no possibility of control, nor can there be. And anyone who tells you otherwise is lying to you. But the one who can make his peace with the human destiny gains more than all the treasures of this world.

The way is the goal!

There are urges that should be overcome by control

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Toxic Positivity Part 1

Toxic Positivity is called the vicious circle of expectation. And as we know, not all expectations can come true, and then, when it doesn't, we are so disappointed. Life is so bad to us, everything always goes against us, it is like bewitched. So, or something like that, we complain when things don't go our way again.

And what we do not expect everything, money, health, love, success, just the best is good enough, so just acceptable. Impudently we demand from the fate, we trouble God and gods, horoscopes and prophecies deliver the confirmations. And woe is it not according to the personal demands, not the best of the best. Then we just change the god, the old one was obviously no good.

The trend to more and more expectations has reached its temporary peak in the English word "Toxic Positivity", has also arrived in psychology, is a reason for the manifold disorders and diseases of the psyche.

Toxic is poisonous, and as with all things, only the dose makes the poison, especially the normal "feel-good Buddhist" always expects more, has not yet given up wanting and desiring. And we live in a normal environment, not isolated in a monastery, we have obligations, have to earn a living, are caught in the hamster wheel of modern society.

When I lived in the Shaolin Temple in China at the time, life was simple. Ceremonies, meditation, training, food and body care, then sleep, those were the cornerstones of life. Today I live in Stuttgart, I'm working all day, doing things, running after money, so mindfulness and Buddhist equanimity can be put to the test. I used to be a monk, now I live a normal life, it's a big difference.

And it's not only my expectations (I have more or less ended them, turned them off, I live as my body suggests, not "rationally"), but those of my environment. The family, the circle of friends, the work, and more and more the state need time, the expectations to me become more and more. And there comes a moment when I react indignantly, although I don't want to.

Imagine taking the kids to school, getting soaking wet from the rain, getting a parking ticket in the process, getting stuck in traffic and being late for work, getting "whistled at" there because of it, the computer crashing, things "going sour" in turn, and then Someone approaches you with an otherwise completely harmless request, and you completely freak out.

Expectations become toxic for you.

But: the journey is the destination!

Hear part 2 of "Toxic Positivity" here in the next few days.

The toxic juice of ignorance is spread through greed, desire and ill will

Buddha - honorific name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Learning to fail

Those who can fail find inner strength. In psychology, a good ability to fail is called resilience. Here, mental health is maintained to such an extent that even in the case of serious or stressful events, the person concerned can cope well with the situation, has the ability not to lose mental balance.

And this resilience can be learned, of course it is also partly hereditary, but it can be trained quite easily. People can be divided into two groups here, namely those who are naturally quite hearty, easily coping with difficulties, and then the other group, who are much more sensitive, who can be upset by stress and lose their cool at any time.

The foundation for a positive worldview is laid in childhood, and the ability to fail is a cornerstone that will be learned in a healthy home. And even in later life it is important to have a healthy environment, normal caregivers who will stand by you even in times of stress and problems. Those who have an environment that believes in them are already far ahead.

To learn to fail, one must expose oneself to situations in which one then acquires security. Those who know in advance that they will fail can face it calmly. And whoever repeatedly puts himself in such situations in which he will fail, can then calmly await the things that may come even in the situations in which he has not planned to fail. In this way, one promotes the building of problem solving skills and is adequately prepared for future stressful situations.

In other words, you should push the limits of resilience further and further, and then you will no longer feel any limits. This way they will cope well in all situations of life, they will get a normal resilience, the stresses of life will not really reach them anymore.

People who have not learned to fail in their youth, they always have a hard time in real life, sometimes from the lack of self-confidence then comes mental illness, depression and other disorder of mental activity. Of course, the training of resilience cannot be extended indefinitely, there comes a moment when simply medical advice can help.

The followers of Buddha know that with mindfulness and simple exercises one can train conscious awareness and thus regain one's inner balance. Such inner strength can be trained, so that one can achieve protection from the disturbance of mental activities. According to Buddha, nothing is what it seems at first anyway.

The secret of the extraordinary man is in most cases nothing but the consequence

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Game of life

Is life just a game?

If life is just a game, then what or who am I? The character, or the player?

People have been philosophizing about life since early times. Who am I, where do I come from? Elementary questions that, at different times, have been answered very differently.

If we imagine only for a moment that life is really only a game, then all fears immediately fall away, because if life were only a game, then all actions would not be real. The actions that we "feel" to be so very real, they are then suddenly no longer important. A liberating idea!

Decades of bad harvests, and diseases like the plague, have thinned out the human herd. Inhuman behaviors made misery and hunger unforgettable.

But fears, anxieties or fear, who likes to face the causes? After all, we want to avoid what seems risky to "us," such is our evolutionary imprint. But fears can get out of control and become pathological.

Are fears still a normal feeling or already a mental disorder?

Where is the limit, from which "we" humans "go crazy", following a collective situation?

The sense of an action will always be questionable before, results "one" knows in the game of the life always only afterwards.

Fear in itself is the biological function and mechanical emotion. Fear of heights, of pain, of embarrassment, of closeness, of failure, of being alone, of the future; in the game of life every conceivable situation is painful for one person, but not for another.

A certain amount of fear is beneficial, but "too much" of fears will affect body and mind like a disease. In response to the fears, our mind palace develops a different behavior, physical reactions make themselves felt.

A behavioral complex of people is the escape, simply running away, quickly leaving the "things" behind. Flee or fight, these are the rough patterns our ancestors have left us. Some fears, however, do not require a reaction, then "one" must face the situation and not cowardly look away.

The game of life should not be a game "on hiatus", the more often "we" look away, the more threatening the fears appear to become.

In the first step we accept the fears, they are part of our life. Fear-inducing apprehensions do not have to gain the upper hand, but they are a part of "us".

Now if life were really just a game, then the fears would be completely pointless. So if you can imagine that life is just a game, you can imagine that fears don't exist either, and incidentally are completely useless.

Do you know the parlor game "Game of Life" from the 80's? On the board, dice are used to decide on the various stages of life. The game of life from the perspective of a microcosm shows the implementation of the automaton theory of Stanisław Marcin Ulam in "Conway's game of life". In this simulation, the state of the game field changes with each generation according to predetermined rules. An ideally infinite playing field as an independent, cellular automaton with complex structures pleases those who still want to think.

The way is the aim in the game of the life!

God does not throw dice

Albert Einstein - German physicist - 1879 to 1955

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Buddha explains meditation

The Buddhist story goes that the Buddha's son, Rahula, asked his father questions about the technique of meditation. The young man was particularly interested in the breathing technique practiced by his father.

Buddha gave him to understand that also with the breath the transitoriness of all being is in the foreground of his conception. Therefore, according to the teacher of all teachers, Rahula should develop a "serene" approach, seeing himself as another kind of "space" in which energy flows freely.

The breathing exercises themselves should focus on the "presentness" of each breath, calming the mind and body, and feeling joy from the calmness.

From the joy further develops an inner collection, a liberation of the heart, which will inevitably arise with each inhalation and exhalation.

From the above mentioned transitoriness it follows that every in-breath and every out-breath will be for "letting go", for allowing the breath, but also for eliminating one's ego.

Also, he should dedicate the meditation to goodness, mercy, joy for others and overcoming desire, so as to overcome evil, cruelty, ill-will, ego-centeredness and attachment to people and things.

After the elements "earth", "water", "wind" and "fire", the wise father advised the son to subordinate his efforts to the elements, to become serene in meditation like the "elements".

Everything about your body belongs to the earth element, but everything that is "solid" about you is not you, is not yours, is not your "self". Also what consists of water in you, that is not you, it is not yours, not your "self". The element of fire that consumes you from within is also not you, is not yours, is not your "self". And the winds that run through your body are also not you, are not yours, are not your "self".

Follow this advice, and no unpleasant or pleasant events will enter your heart.

At the same time, think, ponder, or "seek the center", all such reflections should be completed at the beginning of the meditation, the arising serenity simply pushes all arising thoughts aside.

Then trace the breaths as they flow through your nose or mouth into your body, widening it, and then find their way out of your body again.

Give your body the attention it demands, be mindful in meditation, but also practice with power and strength.

Impermanence is formative for all beings, embrace it and your thoughts will become still.

A thought cannot awaken without awakening others

Marie Freifrau Ebner von Eschenbach - Austrian storyteller - 1830 to 1916

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Mental suffering

Mental sufferings are becoming more and more widespread, they have many faces and effects, in every age group people are struggling with mental illnesses of all kinds. Depression, disorders, anxiety, gloomy thoughts and sadness fall like shadows on souls, the future becomes more and more a problem.

Teenagers develop eating disorders, adults live in aggression, crises and burdens alternate with problems and quarrels, normal life is history, just now the omens are chaos and storm. Then the psyche falls ill much faster than usual, fears and stress restrict the way of life more and more, a sick psyche brings new fears, the cat bites its own tail.

An estimated 100 million people in Europe alone suffer from depression, 150 million from various anxiety disorders. According to Buddha, life consists of suffering, at least as long as one has not left the perpetual sequence of suffering, has not yet experienced "enlightenment".

Especially among young people the numbers are frightening, every fifth child (or adolescent under the age of twenty) is affected by psychological problems, behavioral problems of all kinds are on the rise, psychological burdens develop into diseases.

Clearly, people are mostly without orientation, the old structures are dissolving, the religious teachings that used to dominate everything in this cultural area are losing more and more members, new organizations have their difficulties, the family has lost its significance, the feeling of belonging together is lost in the urban canyons of the modern ghettos.

In addition, many of those affected remain silent about their condition out of shame, also no longer see a way out, no longer see the forest for the trees. I, for my part, take the natural remedy "St. John's wort" on days when I have the blues (even with Buddhists, not every day is the same, not everything is always vain bliss and sunshine), if only to give a sign to my "I".

Who is once stuck in the spiral of silence of a mental illness, who rarely finds out, the isolation worsens the conditions, the treatment is delayed, more and more often suicide is then a topic, the thoughts circle around more and more gloomy scenarios.

A not negligible part of the bad moods are the catastrophic living conditions, alcohol, drugs, nicotine and bad nutrition have a sour effect on the body, the system overacidifies. I know what I am talking about, I was also overacidified in the past, I have reduced the excess acid with Mayrkuren and alkaline powder.

The teaching of the teacher of all teachers is about the sufferings, just and especially about the mental impairments, which we (with the time often) inflict on ourselves in our thought palace.

In any case, the way is the goal!

Birth is suffering, old age is suffering, sickness is suffering, death is suffering, being separated from loved ones is suffering, being united with unloved ones is suffering, not attaining what one desires is suffering, grief, sorrow, pain, grief and despair are suffering.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480

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Self-knowledge

My father used to say, "Self-knowledge is the first step to improvement!"

But what is self-knowledge, how important is it for me?

To know oneself means to reflect about oneself, without reflection there is no knowledge.

If you want to have a better life, you must first see your present life as it is, without embellishing it, without including your wishes and dreams, but simply acknowledging reality (which, by the way, does not exist according to Buddha).

If you think about yourself and your life, you will also recognize which advantages you have, how you stand out from the general public, what makes you special.

And self-knowledge is also enormously important when it comes to unpleasant things, such as: I drink too much, why? Smoking doesn't agree with me! I am overweight! My arrogant manner offends people! It is not easy to admit one's faults, we like to think that everything is "alright", that we have no problems, because we distort everything from our perspective so that the result "suits" us. This is also called "misjudgement". This happens to me again and again, I don't want to admit the small belly until the pants are stretched, then I have to notice it. Until then I put myself "advantageously" in front of the mirror, my assessment is clouded by my will, I e.g. feel ashamed that I can't discipline myself enough when eating.

Who has a "bad" image of himself, he estimates himself "worse", who has a "high" opinion of himself, he tends to overestimate, but the art is to be "honest" to oneself. Especially Buddhists (and first of all the "feel-good Buddhists") should (according to the teacher of all teachers) not look at things according to appearances, also not idealized, or through the glasses of one's own wishes, but as they are, which, however, requires a good portion of "courage". To classify things correctly and self-knowledge are interdependent in many areas, to gain knowledge about oneself is a process that must first emerge.

In general, it can be said that self-knowledge is the best thing that can happen to a seeker, because to make friends with the mistakes in the long run, that can not be the solution. Misconceptions happen to everyone, nobody is "perfect", even the perfect one needed his time to find the "enlightenment".

Whoever does not reach self-knowledge will always be determined by strangers, will lead a life determined by strangers, will always regret the decisions afterwards, will remain a slave of his emotions and feelings.

Will you find self-knowledge?

The way is the goal!

If the ignorant person seeks to know himself outside or outside the mind, how should he be able to find himself, since he seeks others than himself? He who seeks self-knowledge in this way is like a madman who flaunts himself in the midst of a crowd and forgets who he is, then seeks himself everywhere

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480

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Stories from China

A reader keeps asking for stories from my time in China.

The first time I was there was almost 40 years ago, entered via Hong Kong, then continued by train until I arrived at Shaolin Temple after many stops.

At that time I didn't understand a word of Chinese, but I had a translation computer with me (yes, that existed at that time), with which I managed more badly than well.

On the way in a Chinese sleeper car, surrounded only by Chinese, I felt pretty stupid. What a stupid idea I had, what a stupid idea, with every kilometer the doubts grew. To the Shaolin Temple, I, the spoiled billionaire's son (my father Rolf Deyhle owned (almost) all the musicals in Germany at that time (CATS, Starlight Express, Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon), the big entertainment shows were firmly in Swabian hands.

And I was simply on the road, to a temple, I felt so stupid. Why not go back to New York, party nicely, or to Milan, meet beautiful women. No, to a temple the trip should go. In a men's magazine there was a report about the home of Chinese Kung Fu, I was electrified, I wanted to go there. I had always done martial arts, fit "like a fiddle" all my life, almost addicted to sports, despite all my faults like a wind-up man.

There I was sitting in this train, my fellow passengers were getting drunk the whole way, there was smoking and cooking in this compartment. The people were so friendly, I was the first foreigner they had met.

I interrupted the trip near the Chinese provincial capital of Xian, where I went to see the Terracotta Army, which was supposed to guard the first emperor of China in the realm of the dead. An impressive affair, wonderfully sculpted soldiers, each figure different, incredible.

After extensive amazement, I gathered my courage to continue towards the temple, the train went to ZhengZhou. Again drinking fellow passengers, I began to learn Chinese, already obeying the need.

The sanitary conditions were adventurous, my father gave me on the way: "Who makes a journey, can experience something". And that's exactly how it was, the smells, the food prepared on the train, simple but kind people who wanted to make China "palatable" to me. And they managed to do that, collectively they took care of the foreigner.

But I doubted more and more my state of mind.

In the next few days I will continue to tell the story.

The way is the goal!

As a flame goes out from the wind, is blown away and concepts no longer fit, so is the wise man freed from "spirit and body": He can no longer be grasped conceptually

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480

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Live more consciously

What does it mean to live more consciously?

There is a lot of talk about "conscious living," but what does it really mean?

Broadly speaking, a "conscious life" means deciding how to live life. Here I would like to refer to another article that deals with the nature of resolutions.

So a "conscious life" is about personal goals, and of course about finding choices on the path, for the path, for one's "I". According to Buddha, we can't decide anything, determine anything, only walk a certain path, which is also predetermined for us in large parts, but the cards that life deals us, we can play them as we please.

In any case, feel-good Buddhists (those who are still looking for their way) want to take their lives into their own hands, have visions, wishes and goals, want to lead the "perfect" life.

At the beginning of all developments there are always thoughts, plans. Thus, before building a house, there is always the planning, an architect makes a construction plan, on the basis of which the house is then created. With the thoughts we can let things come into being, depending on the karma then choose what should become reality. Buddha said, "With our thoughts we shape the world." We believe our own thoughts, the energies will then flow in that direction.

At the same time, it is only up to us what goals we "visualize", because the brain does not care about relations. Set possible and impossible goals, play (in your mind palace) with the energies, live through (in your mind) different situations, experience the lives.

It is important that you do not fall into emotions, because it is okay to have feelings, but not to be driven by them. Nothing is "good" or "bad", "right" or "wrong", you are not a "bad" or "good" person, but your karma is as it is. When emotions arise, feel them out, where is this thought coming from right now? Do you need this emotion right now, or could you also postpone, shift, push away the "problem"? Control your emotions, don't let feelings control you.

If you have now chosen a direction, then you should also go this way (at least for a while). I, for one, mainly listen to my body, I like to push away the rational. If I then sense "reluctance" from my body on the chosen path, then I stop.

Such things must also be perceived, quickly and without ifs and buts. We rationally build ourselves so many castles in the air, but the body clearly shows us how it should really go. Fear is always a bad companion, fear of change is (in Buddhist terms) the main reason for our suffering.

I for my part keep a calendar in which I plan my activities. Whether the affairs happen then also in such a way, that is a completely different question. Here I listen to myself, let the body decide.

It is very easy to practice this approach by planning small rituals into the daily routine and listening to the body. Do I really want this? Do I live more consciously this way? Which rituals do I like, which ones do I not really want. In this way you can decide the big things of life more consciously on the basis of small habits, even if according to Buddha this does not seem possible at all.

In any case, the same applies here: The way is the goal!

We are what we think. Everything we are arises from our thoughts. With our thoughts we form the world

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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What do I want from life?

How often do I hear that those around me are undecided, don't "know" exactly, haven't decided yet; many people let themselves drift, similar to a leaf in the wind. I know so many people who have been searching for so long, not really knowing what they want in life, wandering through life without purpose or goal.

According to Buddha, it doesn't matter if we decide or not, everything will come as it must.

But for those of us who see ourselves as feel-good Buddhists, who see the philosophy of the teacher of all teachers more as a kind of second religion, for them it is of central importance to find out what they really want.

Every day we make an infinite number of decisions, in the morning tea or coffee, the white or the blue shirt, shower or cat wash, by train or by car to work, do I call her or wait for the great love, do I want the bigger apartment? Questions upon questions, to which there are all kinds of answers that can also be logically justified.

But what is reasonable, what do I really need, can heart and mind really agree?

By thinking, we try to find the "best" solution for us, but often we get more and more confused, thoughts go round in circles without stopping, the rational solution is difficult to find. In addition, we hardly know ourselves, we don't know what we really need.

But how do we find out what really suits us, what makes us feel "comfortable"? It is quite simple, if we switch off the ratio, go into the body, let it choose. This sounds strange at first, how should the body decide something?

Remember when you go for a stroll in another city, you just wander around aimlessly? Here the body is looking for direction, "subconsciously" you are being pulled and guided. In many things, the body leads so much better than the mind. It knows what you really want. Whether you call it a feeling, or some kind of providence, the body is like a compass, pulling to where is "good" for you. If you then feel some kind of excited tingling, then it is "good" for you. But if your neck tightens slightly, your breathing becomes dull, your throat dry, then it's just "bad" for you.

Why don't you just try things out one after the other and feel inside yourself where which feelings arise. If you want to move to Hamburg, for example, then take a vacation there first, if you want to change your job, then do it as a test.

The way is the goal! Follow the body.

Beware of acts of anger, make the body your servant. Avoid all sins of deed, do right with your body.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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The end of the evil conditions

What are evil states? Well, a Buddhist will answer differently from a non-Buddhist, a young person will not answer like an older one, a resident of a warm country will answer differently from one from a cold region.

According to the sublime, however, evil states are the dark inclinations, such as the inclination to aversion, or also the inclinations to lust or desire.

The inclination to become or to appear, to conceit and ill-will, to bad speech and to meanness, these also belong to the evil circumstances according to the perfect. But especially the inclination to the use of weapons, as well as the inclination to cluelessness are evil conditions.

The tendency to discord and strife, quarreling and blasphemy, these are also evil conditions, which Buddha denounced again and again in his teachings.

Only a person who does not quarrel with anyone, does not seek sensual pleasure, is not confused, has no sorrow, desires nothing, wants nothing.

The perfect one sees because he sees, he has the special eye, he pronounces the things that have meaning, he proclaims the way that the teaching points out, he is the master, he has the knowledge, he can explain, point out, instruct, so that the evil conditions are ended.

The Exalted One shows how, through forms, there is an awareness of our sight, through bodily contact there is an awareness of our touch, through sounds there is an awareness of our hearing, through tastes there is an awareness of our taste, through smells there is an awareness of our smell, through the brain there is an awareness of our thinking.

Any contact of our senses generates a consciousness, which one perceives, and in the consequence something feels, about which one thinks, which one can formulate further. From this people then make their concepts, systems and values, through our mind a mind consciousness is created. Everything that seems to be experienceable with the mind becomes a bondage, beyond the original source.

From the original contact follows a feeling, which causes a perception, which makes thinking possible, whereby categories, concepts and systems follow, which are explained further and further, in order to be transformed by thinking then into danger. But if at the beginning none of our senses is addressed, then also the thinking will come to rest, no feelings will arise.

The evil states are all based on triggers which have to be determined. When nothing is triggered here, nothing is found, no sound is triggered, no images, no ideas, then the evil tendencies come to a stop.

The exalted one instructed his followers to see this as when a hungry person eats a honey cake, the seeker has to track down the evil conditions, which is why this teaching achieved fame as the honey cake teaching.

The way is also here the goal!

Owner Error Sees Itself Hard

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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The chains

Once the Perfect One spoke to his followers about the chains that the seeker has to overcome, which stir up uncertainty and doubt in the heart, leaving indecision and no confidence.

First of all, there are the bad feelings towards the teacher, which are the first chain. Those who are not sure about the teacher, doubt his words, are undecided whether to follow him, do not see any confidence in him, have not broken the first chain.

Then there are those who are wavering about the teaching, do not hear (or do not want to hear) the message, feel skepticism in their heart, are undecided about the view, who also do not put hope in the Dharma, they have not broken the second chain.

Furthermore, there are those who feel biased towards the community, have criticism of the Sangha (the community), are fearful of it, draw little security from the meeting, they have not yet broken the third chain.

There are also seekers who are apprehensive about the practices, distrustful of the benefits, unstable and lacking in discipline, who see no chance in meditating, who have not yet broken the fourth chain.

Then there are those who face life itself in a rough way, staggering without stability, not dissolving the distrust of the sanctity of all being, unstable and fragile, meeting all being with harshness, not seeing (or not wanting to see) a point of light, they have not yet broken the fifth chain.

Those who have not yet broken the chains are at the mercy of greed and hatred, of delusion, without being able to do anything against it, because their heart is in chains, is a prisoner of their infatuation, their thirst for more and more.

The one who lives like this does not want to look for the way with zeal and devotion, he also does not find a gate, and no nirvana. For this, the seeker needs effort, discipline and perseverance.

Such a seeker will not be able to reach "enlightenment" because he lacks the most important qualities. But the one who can break these chains, who is able to become an "enlightened" being, will no longer be shackled, the Perfect One explained.

The Exalted One explained that enthusiasm for the Way is the beginning of all contemplations. Even if the path is still unknown, the seeker nevertheless feels an attraction that pulls him in that direction, similar to a magnet that can be felt.

Feel inside yourself, what attraction is acting on you? And do you know about the chains that tie up your heart?

The way is the goal!

If recklessness is terrible for a disciple, if mindfulness is dear to him, if he breaks large and small chains, he gradually glows out like fire.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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The ignorance

Buddhists know about the unwholesome effect of the three mind poisons, namely greed, hatred and delusion (ignorance). In the Buddhist wheel of life, the animals pig (ignorance), snake (hatred) and cock (greed) are assigned to these three mind poisons.

But how do these poisons arise in our minds, why does ignorance rule mankind? Because it is ignorance that brings insecurity, from which greed and hatred then arise.

The human ignorance towards the destiny, towards the transitoriness, that brings a strange karma over the times, because the constant wanting and wishing, that brings no satisfaction, the desire never stops, the longing is not satisfied, only repressed for a short time, that is the simple truth.

Experiences of any kind (briefly) displace thoughts, distract us, but then the human senses come back to the satisfaction of physical needs, and to desires, which are a constant wanting.

He who is knowledgeable knows that only reflection can replace ignorance, that distraction and diversion must come to their bitter end, because at the end of the day we are just alone, all attachments then finally show themselves as illusions.

As long as we are attached, as long as we suffer, whoever does not want to (or cannot) overcome ignorance, cannot ascend to an enlightened being, is born again and again, goes through the suffering again and again.

A main part of our time we are busy thinking about what is wrong, why it should be different, that there is a mistake, because it is not the way we want it. This is the increase of ignorance, we get into know-it-all-ness, because we don't want to accept things as they are, but imagine that we know everything better. How should it be, how is it?

The ever blazing fire of ignorance is extinguished by "enlightenment", which then finds its final state in Nirvana. The state that is reached when reaching Nirvana, we call "enlightenment", because we are then no longer ignorant, but know very well about the true connections.

As a logical consequence, there can be no other mental poisons then, because hatred and greed have become as unnecessary as a rash on the skin.

Whoever may spend his life in ignorance, simply not willing to think about the connections, must live through further incarnations because of his weakness of will.

Ignorance as a symbol must be destroyed, then "enlightenment" is possible.

Because my listeners know: The way is the goal!

Wise know: Desire saturates even no golden rain.

The pleasures taste insipid, they are sorrowful all the way.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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My aquarium

Maybe some readers have noticed that I got an aquarium as a present from the Shaolin Temple Europe. The good spirit of the temple breeds ornamental fish there in the basement, which brings a very calming aspect.

The aquarium is small, stands on my desk, again and again I enjoy the hustle and bustle, the little fish are "lively like fish in water", I enjoy their Buddha nature.

At the same time I think to myself that they probably have no idea of the situation, simply accept their container, probably do not doubt their fate, probably do not ponder about the "meaning of life", certainly would not even understand that they are "my" fish, swimming in a water tank, living in an "artificial world". It is also not at all sure whether they "perceive" me. It is also not clear whether they see me at all, can classify me, or simply recognize me as a thick shadow to swim away from.

Every time I look into the aquarium I imagine that I too could be living in some kind of container that another species has built for me (and my fellow species), who are now in front of some kind of glass, staring at me as I go about my work, perhaps themselves sitting in a container again, being watched by yet another species. This would correspond very much with the teaching of Buddha, after all is only a dream, which it is necessary to leave.

And the fishes themselves, what if they would also keep some kind of pets, such as a web of algae, or small colonies of shells, or maybe just single-celled organisms. All then in consequence species, which think of themselves to be "unique", which do not (can not) see the connection "outside", which do not (can not) understand at all, how things are connected. Just as Buddha explains the connections to us, because we just don't "understand" them either.

Can you imagine (for a short moment) that you too are sitting in such a cage (or aquarium)? Above us stands a species that dominates us, allocates things to us, organizes the feeding for us, that "invented" our entire system? A disturbing thought. Whereas we think that we are the crown of creation (which we are not at all). And we think that we would understand so everything, that "our" science would have the "full view". Or what would be, if we are only the play figures of some "spinners from the future", just only the parts of a computer game?

Yes, if we look out of our container, but understand nothing, what would be then?

The way is the goal!

Let the fools strive for glory, toil for vain precedence. Let them seek vain dominion delusions, let them hunt!

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Pear seeds do not become apples

Directly from Buddha comes this wise sentence, which unfolds its full effect only with time, namely when "one" thinks about it.

Pears and apples have certain similarities, grow on (fruit) trees, the seeds look pretty much the same, but still, some fruits are pears, but others are apples. They have a common basic consistency, but they taste completely different.

But what did the Buddha want to express with this wisdom?

In my opinion, the teacher of all teachers wanted to point out to his followers that no unrealistic expectations will bring things further, but that we humans should be content with what we have.

Often we want unrealistic things, we wish, we want, we struggle with fate, why me, the world has conspired against me, I always have bad luck. So "one" often hears, people tell themselves such nonsense. We want to get apples from pear seeds, we are not satisfied with anything, but we know what comes next.

Deep inside we realize why Buddha left this sentence, we draw peace and tranquility from his wisdom, we can meditate on this sentence, always find new aspects of the philosophy of the teacher of all teachers in these few words, which are full of primordial knowledge, which explain our human shortcomings well.

What do you think when you hear these words, do you feel your mortality, how your life is slowly fading away? This incarnation, not universal being. Pear seeds do not become apples, never, apple seeds do not become pears either.

This life is just a dream, nothing is real, everything is just an imagination, we have turned against everything that should be important to us, simply because we have understood NOTHING, will understand nothing. We follow the Buddha's teaching because we instinctively feel that the miserable life is not everything, cannot be everything.

I suggest you to meditate on this sentence of Buddha, in the darkness we wait for the light, thereby we know, we feel what is "real" behind the scenes. The seeds stand as symbols for the teaching, the worldview that Buddha found, that makes the enlightened beings free.

Who does not want to get behind the secrets of the universe, to see through the mysteries of creation, who does not want to be free from fears and hardships?

If you are to become a pear, then it is so, nothing you can do against it, under no circumstances you become an apple.

The way is and remains the goal!

One should not look for peace outside, only within oneself. He who has found the inner silence does not reach for anything, nor does he reject anything.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Is life just a dream?

The text "Is life only a dream?" appeared on 3.4.2020 on my blog, here it goes to the original click.

Is life only a dream? (With comments from the reader Deniz U.)

Is life only a dream?

Can Shaolin Rainer be trusted?

Could it be that life is just a dream? Thoughts trapped in darkness.

Could we wake up from the dream? Why do we not realize that we are asleep?

Significant Buddhist texts suggest this. But does it make sense to you?

Important Chan masters repeatedly point to the surreality of thought. The Anatman teaching of Buddha makes sense.

It raises the question, "Who am I"?

Where do I find light?

"Is this my body or am I my body"? Illusory words?

And if it is "my body", where am I? Not in the light, but why not?

Really these questions will understand only people who are "awakened", therefore they blow like the wind.

Because they know the reality, not the dream that we perceive as reality. We need to connect with the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.

Life is like a "sitcom," a projection of your own mind. Deep inside you know it.

The script and actors are set, episode after episode is shot. Unfortunately, compassion and wisdom are missing.

Love, hate, greed and delusion are the usual ingredients of a good television show. Without the eightfold path, it has no level.

Our life is written, we can do little or nothing about it. Only through Buddha's teaching, so try it and you will be surprised. And later you will enjoy the pathless path.

Many things we can enjoy (like horror movies) because we know they are not real. For the truth we are still unfortunately blind.

We feel the same way with fears, enemy images and worries, until we realize that these are also fake, then finally we are "above it". Therefore, your Bodhisattwa makes vows and you get blessings like the Boddhisattwa brothers.

In my dream I am "everything", basically I see only myself, in every situation. Like action and re-action only an illusion. Only when I wake up from the dream, I experience reality. Truth liberates.

When and how do I know that I am no longer dreaming?

When is enlightenment your purpose?

When you live in the moment and no longer in your own world. Recognize the surreality of the world. When the mind no longer holds you captive, when the thought is released from the "thought carousel" and when your consciousness no longer wanders in the labyrinth. Worries and things that keep us under stress fall away from us, then I have arrived in reality, then I have accepted my Buddha nature. Finally see behind the scenes. Please learn the Shaolin knowledge.

So there are no enemies outside of me, what I experience as an enemy image is the projection of my own mind. But remember, it is not simple.

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Experience mindfulness

In our overstimulated, complicated and anxiety-filled world, we need to reflect on ourselves, learn to cope with fears, uncertainty and limitation. The Buddhist trend with "mindfulness" brings an enjoyable counterpoint that brings a change of attitude.

Prosperity problems such as emotional or physical exhaustion, fatigue and sleep disorders have become almost normal, the health condition of the majority is alarming, hysteria has left deep notches in people's state of mind. Professional stress brings further mental stimuli, constant accessibility and an office in one's pocket results in even more pressure. Added to this are fears of loss, jobs are no longer secure, the threat of slipping is looming.

However, many people now want to take their own destiny into their own hands again, to "optimize" their own ego, to give their own ideas more room again.

Buddhists always have the topic of "mindfulness" in the back of their minds, since the great teacher urged his followers to live mindfully, to stay in the here and now, not to digress.

The average Central European increasingly feels a longing that finds expression in the trendy term mindfulness. For the average person, this is less about meditative rapture and more about a certain degree of well-being, which is said to come from Buddhism in particular. Mindfulness as a countermovement to the constant "more", to the always "higher", to the all-round "further", as a counterpole with a lot of calmness.

Now many non-Buddhists also want to learn to switch off through yoga and meditation, to finally master the flood of information.

But mindfulness exercises cannot suddenly make the whole world a better place, people are just the way they are, our environment is not necessarily interested in our efforts. Here it is then necessary to clearly communicate the limits of mindfulness, to convey to those around us that we are not seeking harmony "at any cost." Buddha admonished his disciples to always seek reality, not to take refuge in illusions just because we want the world to be "different" than it really is.

Not "more" but "less" should be our most important thought, the constant striving for material things must be stopped. The relationship between people must change, mindfulness in dealing can only really work if this attitude becomes a fundamental consensus. But will such positive values ever become generally valid attitudes to life for the majority? Not at first, but the issue has potential.

Buddhism brings the important questions of our time as a topic into the consciousness of the people, the teaching of the Indian prince holds all answers ready to go mindfully through life.

The path is the goal!

Difficult to fathom, great in arts, the mind revels in thoughts. Happiness is only for the wise, who keeps it mindfully in bounds.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480

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The walking water bowl meditation

Practicing mindfulness is one of those things. It is not so easy to concentrate on things, and then the cell phone rings, the children need something, the meal is not yet ready, the job is exhausting, the list can be continued forever.

A very good way to train mindfulness is walking water bowl meditation, which by the way can also be used as pure meditation. A plastic bowl is recommended for beginners.

The matter is quickly explained, you put a bowl (lightly) filled with water (comfortably) on your head while standing, straighten it, and then take a few steps, erect and unagitated. One should also "walk" very slowly, in slow motion for instance (compare the general walking meditation), to get a feeling for body, space and time.

Whoever can now go slower and slower, approaches the goal of the matter, the mindfulness becomes immanent, the practitioner merges with the bowl, the water connects (through the equality of the vibrations) with the water in the body.

Somewhat more challenging are the turns, going around the corner or stopping. If you can practice outside, you can go further and further, that is an advantage.

It is quite enough to practice five minutes every day (five days a week), more is of course always good. Also, when doing the walking water bowl meditation, you should be alone, turn off the phone, be completely with yourself. Friends of mine do this meditation every morning in preparation for their ablutions (shower), so they can be connected to the water, and make the most of the time for themselves.

My advice is to at least try to "merge" with the water bowl.

The way is the goal!

He who dwells in meditation lives in righteousness

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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The power of the word

When I was in a Buddhist temple some time ago a young man came up to me (for privacy reasons here all without details), he told me that because of me he had come here, because of my words (from the app and the podcasts) he now wants to live in a Buddhist temple, will become a monk.

I was perplexed when I was so suddenly confronted with such an immediate consequence of my actions, I had not thought that far ahead, what could come out of my words, I had hardly thought about that until then. But that day, I was very thoughtful, many thoughts stormed through my mind palace. Why am I doing this at all? Do I have any goals here? Where is all this going? What will change for me through this? Questions over questions!

I get a lot of letters, some I answer, some I don't, it depends on whether they "reach" me or just "pass" me by. But to see such a direct impact on a person's life, that is again something completely different than a few letters on a screen.

In this context, I also see the German and the English app, which are both promoted through the same Facebook account. People from all over the world sign up on this account, right now (at the moment) from Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Nepal, from Thailand. I then browse through their accounts, look at where these people live, scroll through their photos, try to put myself in their shoes (which of course doesn't really work).

It is like a (daily) trip around the world, it is an indescribable feeling, interesting and complex. The Buddha's teaching has taken me around the world several times, now also virtually, that's very nice. Also a very nice reward for all my work, which keeps me quite busy. Choosing topics, writing, formatting and typesetting texts, selecting images, speaking the texts, putting them online, checking them, following them up, it's all grown into a veritable job.

It is all the nicer when "one" gets a compliment from a distant country, a "nice", or a "thumbs up", these are indescribable moments. By the way, here on the website I have deactivated the comments, I don't want my words to be "falsified". Who does not agree by the way, just click away, there are countless websites, not only mine.

I have become more aware of the power of words, the young man has touched me. In the meantime I have taken my (former) "political" texts offline, my word should only give a voice to the Buddha, nothing more.

The way is the goal!

Better than in a thousand songs, because words without meaning wasted, that is a word full of deep meaning, if it gives peace to the listener

Buddha - "The Enlightened One" - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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WHAT WOULD BUDDHA DO NOW?

If you are not sure of something, think; what would the Buddha do in this case, how would the holy man judge the situation, what conclusions would the teacher of all teachers draw, how would he act?

Do you know indecision? You are at a crossroads and cannot decide to go right, left, straight ahead, or even back?

How many such junctions do we pass every day, so many things to decide! How do I do this, what is missing, where do I get to that, why do I have to, who was first, the egg or the hen?

Constantly we have to do things, small and big options are ready, difficult and easy choices have to be made, always something has to be judged, chosen, clarified, every time we are asked.

Very many people find it very difficult to make a choice among the various options, they postpone decisions, do not want to make mistakes, they often do more wrong with inaction than with a (supposedly) wrong choice. Many people suffer from their lack of decisiveness, the questions remain unanswered, the inability to decide troubles them.

When one gets into a difficult situation it can help to think about what Buddha would do now. Thus we come into the position of having a "counselor" at our side, a companion.

When we weigh the pros and cons in our thoughts, we contrast positions. We inwardly ask Buddha for advice.

According to my conception of Buddhism, we are all, each and every one of us, also a Buddha, i.e. we are basically asking ourselves. Already by formulating a question, by confronting the arguments, we help ourselves to make a decision, we bring more clarity to our thoughts.

Aren't we all a little bit Buddha?

Sometimes happiness waits just a short distance behind the decision we didn't want to make!

He who thinks long does not always choose the best

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - German poet - 1749 to 1832

According to the Buddhist doctrine everything is already written, the karma is a fixed value in life.

According to the Buddha's world view, it is also already determined how we, and whether we, decide.

decide.

It follows that no decision can be right or wrong.

Only the moment decides on the life of man and on his whole destiny; because after long deliberation every decision is only the work of the moment.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - German poet - 1749 to 1832

What would Buddha do?

With this simple guide, we can weigh hard questions, contrast the pros and cons, make a good decision more easily.

According to our karma.

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Nirvana is a state of mind

The average Central European usually has little contact with the teachings of the teacher of all teachers, however the word "Nirvana" has entered the vernacular. Mostly it is used "wrongly", but since the knowledge of Buddhism is sketchy at best, this is not even noticed. I send you to "Nirvana", which stands for the great unknown land where I wish the people who "get on my nerves" to go. So I wish you into nothingness, so the misleading usage.

But what is nirvana? How do we get to this said land, and where does the term even come from?

Generally, the term nirvana is used to describe the exit from the cycle of suffering (the rebirths) through "enlightenment" (following the example of Buddha). However, there are quite different views, so also the comprehension of the circumstances associated with existence is equated with nirvana.

In contrast to the Western view of paradise after death, however, nirvana is not the place where milk and honey flow, but can be achieved already in life, because nirvana is a simple state of mind. According to Buddha, it is entirely up to us how we "feel", whether we are happy or not. In any case, if we firmly believe in the concept of cause and effect, then we are on the right path, towards "enlightenment" and nirvana.

The three characteristics of existence are quickly recognized, for all life is impermanent, corporeal, and empty, so that the seeker, through neutral contemplation of these characteristics, combined with the general detachment (cessation of attachments) associated with them, then opens the doorless gateway toward Nirvana.

The attainment of Nirvana is often also equated as a "break with the world", since "enlightened people" pay almost no more attention to conventions, since they have seen the true connections. Here one speaks now also of the entrance into the stream. It is precisely this peculiarity that makes the rendering of Buddhist teachings so difficult, since the stream-entered person can now often live completely self-sufficiently, no longer dependent on the systems of society. But then he also does not pass on the teaching, because he has reached the realization of nirvana, has left the lower realms of incarnation.

For me personally, however, nirvana is a state of mind that comes to those people who have chosen a life of peace and happiness (and believe me, it is a choice, a conscious decision). Whether or not "enlightenment" can then be achieved in a further step, only time will tell.

Do you want to take this attitude of mind? Then the path is your goal!

Best gift is health; frugality is the sun of wealth, most faithful clan is trust, and nirvana is highest bliss.

Buddha - "The Enlightened One" - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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The detachment from being

Again and again the question comes up what exactly Chan (Zen) is.

Generally speaking, Chan is the very personal practice of self-discovery, self-observation. This sounds very simple at first, but in practice it can be accompanied by strong distortions. First of all, not everyone likes to see what they find, and secondly, it is difficult to focus the mind, to get to the point. And then there is the matter of "enlightenment", which Buddha recommended to his followers, but which does not come easily at all.

In any case, Chan Buddhism is the path to personal freedom, without fears and useless attachments, which makes the philosophy of the teacher of all teachers practicable for all people, but also difficult.

Those who are new to the subject should first use the teaching to a kind of feel-good Buddhism, and then dive deeper into the philosophy. The "enlightenment" as the absolute essence of Buddhism will probably not be able to follow all interested people. Especially if you are new to Chan Buddhism, then everything is very confusing, the Buddhist teachings have many different directions, each country has, just by the language, completely different approaches.

So also when this spiritual orientation meets the Central Europeans, who like to put up a statue of Buddha, but have hardly come into contact with his teachings. Here, the rules of Buddhism are gladly adapted to the existing structures of the prevailing religion (Christianity) in order to please the taste of the majority.

Right now, Western Buddhism is in an enormous crisis, because (as said) the person of Buddha has been accepted, but the average Central European can do little or nothing with the words from the past. Alone to make a choice among the different directions of Buddhism (Japan, Korea, China, Tibet, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand, etc.) overwhelms many people so much that they already throw in the towel here.

Every Buddhist direction is then subject to innumerable rules, commandments, prayers: Is it allowed to have sex, eat meat, what about the family, what about rebirth, were there gods and saints? The things to follow are endless, generations continued to add their views, the thicket of teachings became denser and denser.

I follow the pure teaching of Buddha, as well as the Chan teaching (Zen) superimposed on it, which was developed in the Shaolin Temple in China about 2000 years ago. I fade out all views introduced afterwards. The original words of the great teacher may have been written down only after his death (sutras), but in their core they all point in the same direction ("enlightenment").

Buddhism is characterized by self-initiative, detachment from one's own being is the focus, cessation of suffering is the goal.

To integrate the ideas and methods of the great teacher in the West does not seem to be an easy undertaking, the individual Buddhist schools argue too hard, groups form, everyone has something to criticize about everyone. Only one's own path leads to Nirvana, the other branch errs, the splinter in the eye of the other is naturally large, the beam in front of one's own face is ignored.

The goal of the Chan is to "enlighten" the mind, that is, to detach it from being. Are you interested?

The way is the goal!

Apply to everything your mind, and when you have analyzed it and found it good for you and everyone else, then you can believe in it, live by it and help your neighbor to live by it too

Buddha - "The Enlightened One" - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Like a comfortable shirt

Buddha exhorted his followers to wear the ego like a comfortable, loose shirt (or dress).

Like such a snug shirt, we should also "wear" our Buddhist practice, not narrow-minded and too focused on the subject, but loose and relaxed, not wanting to be too Buddhist.

When the teaching of the great teacher flows quietly and calmly, we are in the middle, everything moves in complete peace.

If you try too hard to be a "good" Buddhist, you miss out on life. Following rules does not always matter, what is important is not to deny oneself. One can be a "good" Buddhist and still occasionally go overboard.

If you live a normal life and don't have to think about your "being a Buddhist" all the time, you are on the right track. For Buddhism in the West is first and foremost a feel-good philosophy, not a doctrine of ending suffering. Buddhists "know" that everything is finite, that life will pass, which is precisely why one should not constantly think about it.

This includes that a Buddhist does not want to proselytize, simply because he/she works by example, not by attitude. Whether a person is attracted to the teaching of the teacher of all teachers (or not), that decides the respective karma.

But if other people see us wearing Buddhism "like a comfortable, loose shirt", realize what peace of mind a Buddhist lifestyle brings, then that is the best advertisement for Buddhism.

Especially in times of anxiety and tension, people who are at peace with themselves stand out, because their charisma shows exactly the opposite pole to worries and needs. And again, large parts of humanity are in search of orientation and guidance, as life overwhelms them. That the teaching of the Indian prince is based on the search for one's own self is something that many seekers only understand in the course of time. Out of the feel-good Buddhism, the real path can then be approached, because first the ear must be "opened" for the philosophy.

But in any case, the first step is when other people can recognize our philosophy and attitude towards life in us, just like a comfortable, loose shirt we wear.

In Buddhist practice this means that we don't follow the doctrine in a tight-knit way, but leave the "church in the village", also sometimes act according to the moment, but instead "advertise" for the cause with our way, thus bringing other people to Buddhism, thus bringing more positive things into this world.

The way is the goal!

Every speck of dust we step on can be transformed into a child of truth

Buddha - "The Enlightened One" - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Almost

We (my girlfriend and/or I) almost missed three flights in a row, it was absolutely impossible to catch them, and yet we did.

No matter what we would have done, under no circumstances would it have made a difference, it was not in our sphere of influence to make a difference here. We had no influence whatsoever, the events rolled over us, and yet the stories turned out "well" for us, at least we were almost threatened with grosser mischief if we hadn't gotten on the planes.

Once I almost had to buy a new flight, once my girlfriend, who then also got a so-called overstay in her passport, which would have denied her a new visa for Germany for a year (lots of would-haves in this text). Had she not gotten up at night, had she not picked up her cell phone, she would not have seen the email regarding the flight schedule change.

Then, the last time it hit her again, she almost missed the flight again because of a rule change in her country.

Almost, that can go very close to missing, or super "good", how it turns out then, time will tell, but for now it is what it is. A hundred people walk along under the broken roof, at the hundred hundredth passerby the roof tile loosens and falls on his head. Stupidly run, so the vernacular says.

I almost made the right marks on the lottery ticket, almost got the favorable offer, almost booked the vacation. But I didn't.

The fate decides on the concerns, depending on what is held in our karma. We can change very little about it, I saw that again at the almost missed flights.

Three people are standing on a large square during a thunderstorm, then the lightning strikes the one in the middle, he is immediately dead, the other two almost died. It is unbelievable, which stories life can play in such a way, some can "one" not think up, as they occur then "in reality".

So whoever misses something again, or just makes it, should think about why this should be so? Because according to Buddha we determine the world with our thoughts. But are we aware of this, or do we just let ourselves drift through a sequence of "BEHIND"?

For my part, I always think about why something might have come to be that way, I try to look behind the scenes. Karma gives us the cards, we can't influence that, but which ones we play, we decide for ourselves.

In any case, the way is (almost) the goal!

Do not ask about the origin, but ask about the conduct; for truly, fire is generated from wood.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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The "Happiness" Workout Part 2

Have you already listened to the first parts of the topic "Happiness" in the last editions of the podcast?

C. What are you grateful for?

Are you even aware of your good fortune? Do you know how many people die every day, fall seriously ill, lose a loved one, or face other, serious problems? Just today? It's in the millions, it's not a matter of course to be alive, to wake up healthy, to talk to your loved ones on the phone, or to eat. We have a nice home, heated and dry, enough to eat, a social system, we have health insurance. Be grateful, recognize your "good" situation.

Set the timer again for five minutes, write down (again on the first page, otherwise on a new one) what came into your head during that time. Try to divide the events, opportunities, and encounters into "categories," such as "personal" and "professional," then further into subgroups to gain more clarity. If you practice daily (or weekly), then go further and further into details, visualize the circumstances, what did fate assign you, what part did your own efforts have?

Through this exercise you lighten your mood, you put yourself in a contented cloud that carries you, helps you glide through life.

D. The Post-Its Meditation

Read here about the Post-Its meditation, then start distributing some of the sticky notes around your home, on which you write in bullet points the things for which you are especially grateful, but also the special events that you wish for yourself in the future (Although according to Buddha we should not "wish" and not "want", but this must be understood first. Until then, it is simply a matter of making life easier for yourself).

E. The "I-love-myself" letter

Now that you have used up some notes (I also advise you to collect all notes) you should write a letter to yourself in another stage. Again, the timer comes to five minutes, in which you think about everything. Then get going, just imagine that such a letter would do "good" to your own, best friend, write about all the feelings and thoughts that move you. It is important that you do not judge at all, because as Buddhists we "know" that everything comes as it should, we can change little or nothing about it. Therefore, we are not to blame (at least not from this life) and we can be more benevolent towards matters.

If you don't know what to do, then put everything aside, continue next time.

With points A. to E. you can achieve a better quality of life. It doesn't always have to be a workout for the body, the soul belongs to be cared for as well.

The way is the goal!

There is no path to happiness. Happiness is the way

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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The "Happiness" Workout

Or: How you can become happy with very simple exercises.

According to Buddha, "happiness" is a matter of observation, depending on how we look at things. The motto of this blog is "Buddhism in everyday life", the purpose of the matter is first to get the readers and listeners to a form of "feel-good Buddhism", and then (in a further step) to familiarize them with the core message of the philosophy of the teacher of all teachers, namely "enlightenment", which can be achieved via the pathless path through the gateless gate.

But before the normal Central European will go deeper into the teachings of the Indian prince, the advantages of a Buddhist way of life should be put in the center ("feel-good Buddhism").

Happiness can be learned, it is not a big deal. Because according to the Buddha's teachings, everything is a choice, we decide whether circumstances make us happy or not.

Here are some exercises that will help you to become (and be) happy:

A. What is going "well"?

Take a piece of paper and a writer, sit down quietly, set the timer on your phone for five minutes. During this time first think about the things that are going "well", that you are proud of, that bring you joy. When the timer goes off then write these points down (he who writes, stays). This way you can first find your center, manage your various feelings, pacify the mind palace, further lower emotions or stress.

B. Imagine your future (at least in parts)

Again, set the timer for five minutes. When the time is up, turn the piece of paper over and start writing down how you saw the future (for yourself). What ideas about the future came to mind, what was clear, what was "in the fog"? By the way, you can also train your images of the future if you do this exercise over and over again, say every day, or at least every week. All in all, you will need about 20 minutes for all exercises. Determine which areas of your life should be covered here, such as the last 2 years and the next 2 years. Visualize a beginning and an end date, put yourself in your mind to a certain place and time in the past and in the future. How did you feel then, how might you feel in the future? Experience the matter with your senses. How did the air smell (smell), how did the food taste (taste), what do you see (see), what do you hear (hear), what is (was) with the sense of touch? (Read here also about the six windows of the human being).

Learn more about the important exercises that can enable your "happiness" here in the next few days

There is no path to happiness. Happiness is the way

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

(Please also download my app "Buddha-Blog English" from the Apple and Android stores)

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The temple garden

To everyone who likes to hear it (and to everyone else, too) I suggest creating an imaginary temple garden in your mind palace, where you can retreat in stressful times.

Imagine a wonderful garden, just the way you like it, the flowers you like, the trees you find beautiful, with an enchanting lake in the middle, on the shores of which stands a small but beautiful temple. Walk through this garden, through the buildings, accept this place in your mind palace to seek your "time out" here. Small statues are everywhere, friendly people populate your garden, go into the small devotional rooms, enjoy the peace and quiet of the grounds with you.

Every person should have such a retreat, at best one in the mind palace, and one in "real" life, perhaps a garden, or a park, or the bench nearby, in any case a place to "unwind" the soul.

If you "create" your temple garden inside you then you don't have to finish it "in one go", but take all the time in the world. Whenever you want to "retreat" then just "tinker" with your layout, beautify the garden, build new houses, pagodas and statues to create an oasis of tranquility for yourself here.

Remember that the thought palace is the temple garden, and the thoughts are the seeds. Depending on whether you have them under control (or not) they will become flowers, or they will become weeds. Weeds could be compared to the useless and endless self-talk that the ego has "with us" all day long. However, if we direct our energy to "good" thoughts, then we can "overplant" the negative ones, simply put good things on top of them, so that the space for negativity becomes smaller and smaller. Hate, greed and delusion are so easily replaced over time, the good in people becomes more and more important.

Getting control over thoughts may be a very difficult task, but only those who have at least tried will succeed. Just complaining about how hard life is is not a viable approach.

Those who regularly spend time and energy in the (imaginary) temple garden in their mind palace will find that he/she is getting closer and closer to the purity of Buddhist teachings. Make the effort, what could your temple garden look like? Modern or classic, in radiant colors, or more sedate? By a lake, or in the mountains?

The path is the goal!

What is the world? That, in which perishes

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Loving yourself more also requires some self-love exercises. First of all, ask yourself what you like to do. Do you like to go for a walk? Or do you cook particularly well? Every person has activities that he/she prefers, that are easy to do, and that make you feel good. What do you like to do? Write down 3 such things on a small Post-It, hang up the note so that you can see it well. If you find yourself disliking something, first do one of the activities from this post-it note.

Furthermore, it is important to be able to overlook your own weaknesses, perhaps even to be amused by your own shortcomings. Laughter is the best medicine. According to Buddha, it is your karma to be the way you are. Therefore, there is nothing to be ashamed of, because it is just the way it is. So the next time you make a mistake, just smile, enjoy yourself, don't take things tragically, accept yourself as a person, you are that way because it is your destiny to be that way.

If you still have problems to love yourself (or at least to like yourself), you should write a list with all the things you like about yourself. In doing so, it usually turns out that there are many more things about one's self that are at least "good", that one can at least like, so that one can better understand the person as a whole, which in turn allows for more emotion towards one's self.

What do you like about yourself? Your body, your looks, your wit, or your quick wit? There are things to like in everyone, so don't say that there is nothing in you.

You can always compare yourself with other people. If I don't like this or that quality in myself, how do I relate to other people who have similar sides? Can I draw conclusions here? What if I am unfair to myself, much too harsh, while I am more lenient with other people, forgiving even unpleasant qualities that I find "terrible" in myself?

You see, self-love has a lot to do with preoccupation with one's own person. Even the most beautiful people think of themselves as not looking their best. Everything needs to be put into perspective. The greatest enemy of self-love is our inner critic, the ego, which must be silenced.

According to Buddha, of course we can love ourselves, because everything is impermanent.

And the path is the goal!

Nothing but the mind is recognizable

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Whoever wants to find more self-love should learn to see life through "rose-colored" glasses, to see the positive side of things. My father used to say, "Son, even the worst event also contains something good, never is something only bad, but also never only good." Well, he certainly spoke with great wisdom there, only I didn't want to believe that at the time.

No matter how bad something may be about you at first glance, look for the good side of it. Consciously put on the rose-colored glasses, look for the positive things first, disregard the negative qualities (for now). Self-love exercises are not really difficult, they basically start with your own person. With nobody in this world everything is bad, every person has his advantages, but also his disadvantages. But it is a question of observation, do I see the positive sides in me enough? Or am I simply not optimistically inclined? What can I change about it?

It is always important to ask yourself where the (negative) thoughts are coming from right now. In which context does my thought palace start with the ugly head cinema? Take such a negative thought, look at it extensively. Where does this thought come from? Why does it come up now? And what happens if I treat it differently than usual, will it go away? Can I maintain control over the thought? Am I sure about the "negative" thoughts, too? Do I know for sure that I am doing "everything" so wrong? Could I just see it differently, judge it differently, does everything really apply as I imagine it?

Well, you have your faults, like every other person, by the way. Start to like yourself, even though you have these shortcomings. Nobody is perfect and without flaws, quite simply nobody. Just because we are made to believe in glossy magazines that there are such "great people", stars, doesn't mean that everything is so great with these people. They create a beautiful appearance that is supposed to dazzle the viewers. But Buddha warned us to look behind the scenes, not to be fooled. Even if you have your faults, you can still like yourself. Keep telling yourself in your mind that you like yourself because you are lovable, just like all people.

The path is the goal!

Read more about the topic "self-love" in the next days.

Friendship is shown in three ways: You help each other to overcome the unwholesome, to develop the wholesome, and you do not leave each other in misfortune.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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We have to silence the monkeys in our heads, otherwise the ego will drive us crazy.

All day long the head cinema runs, constantly new thoughts are played, there to come to rest seems impossible. Some people have already reached the next stage, the monkeys in the head have become a threat to mental health, many of the mental illnesses go back to the original head cinema.

Sure, if "one" thinks about everything like this, then one can already "start to ponder", the destiny of man is not easy, everything will be lost by "one" one day, nothing can be kept, every living being and every thing is transient. We are all going to die, nothing we can do about it, so why do anything at all, better to get drowsy, just don't think about it, just numb yourself.

That's how you might think, yes. But there are other approaches, how "one" can spend the life, to each little animal its Plaisierchen. But no matter how we occupy ourselves, deep down we can't stop thinking about the meaning of life. What happens to me after death is a very important question, but also "where do I come from", "where am I going" keeps popping up in the mind palace.

Monotheistic religions have their beliefs, which you just have to believe. Buddhism is different, because the teachings of Buddha leave little "to believe" here, but everything needs a beginning.

No matter how one stands to religion or spirituality, the monkeys in the head must be silenced. Here it is advisable to take a general "day of silence" once, in order to pull the brake, to make the own personality once familiar with the whole problem. Could you do that, be silent for a whole day? Well, nuns or monks in Buddhist monasteries are silent for years in some cases, so yes, it is doable to not speak for a day.

If you have your problems with the monkeys in your head, then make the effort with the "day of silence", I promise you that you will achieve great success. Such a day needs preparation, especially if you do not live alone. Talk to those around you about this special occasion, explain to those around you how important the endeavor is to you, why you want to try it, what the motivations are. Others are usually understanding if they know what is going on. Turn off the phone and the doorbell, and if you can, the TV and the radio. On this day, read that book you've been meaning to read.

The way is the goal!

Apply your mind to everything, and when you have analyzed it and found it good for you and everyone else, then you can believe in it, live by it and help your neighbor to live by it too

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Today, an incredible number of people in this world call themselves "Buddhist", but without knowing the contents of the great teacher's teachings. They are mostly attracted by the statue of the Indian prince meditating peacefully, without understanding why, perhaps not even giving it a thought.

The Buddha's teaching has spread as "peaceful" and "mindful", further knowledge is hardly present in the majority. Possibly until the moment when we get to know real, severe suffering, from which we cannot escape with distractions. When we seek refuge in such a situation, only then do we know what Buddhism is all about.

And only then can we teach others about it. To be a Buddhist teacher, one must first recognize and overcome one's own suffering. First you have to "save" yourself before you can "help" other people.

Central to this is to realize that everything is impermanent, nothing can be kept, thus attachments are useless (because impossible). In this process, it is imperative to abandon the old, learned worldview, since reality does not follow human illusions. He who has not left behind his own suffering cannot become a teacher in the philosophical system of Buddha. It is completely irrelevant whether the suffering is physical or mental, because the Buddhist worldview sees little difference.

Speakers of the Buddhist teachings are hopefully awakened, have coupled their being with the universe, are no longer detached. For contemporaries searching for spirituality, it is infinitely difficult to find the right guidance here, namely a teacher who does not pursue a personal agenda, does not have his own goals, does not use people simply to get money, power, prestige, wealth or sex.

How to recognize a true spiritual speaker, one who is not like a salesman just a salesman, but who wants to help people (although according to Buddha there is nothing to help)? Quite simply by whether courses, retreats or seminars cost heavy money. Those who advertise their services like "sour beer" are driving a completely different agenda.

Good Buddhist teachers are hard to find (in Europe), the teaching has experienced too many manifestations, each country has developed its own customs, with which the normal Central European knows little or nothing to do.

I internalize the teachings of Buddha like few other people in Germany, I do not demand money from my readers, I do not use tricks, I do not scare people, but I report my view of Buddhism. Who does not like this, can simply click me away.

The path is my goal!

As a mother protects her child, her only child, with danger to her own life, so let each one practice unlimited leniency toward all beings.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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The world has already "seen" many religions, beliefs came and they also went again, depending on the spirit of the times and the level of education, man's will is his kingdom of heaven.

Every spiritual teaching has (and had) its spokesmen, masterminds, priests. No matter what they were called, guru or monk, abbot or priest, basically a leadership level formed over time, which gave the direction (and does so until today). The purpose is to cultivate one's own spiritual life and help others in the process.

In order to decide for such a spiritual path, first of all the teachings have to be understood and lived by oneself, which in consequence brings quite a change. The worldly life becomes less, the spiritual concerns more. Whoever is willing and receptive to engage in the incredible changes for himself, is able to break away from his convictions, wants to go new ways, will reach the goal. He (or she) will become a good spiritual speaker, no matter what direction. The detachment from the self-designed role (the ego) is perhaps the most difficult thing to do. With a lot of courage, personal devotion and willpower the chaos can be overcome, only then the Buddhist path begins.

The complex interplay of cause and effect means that without students there can be no teachers, that a philosophy must never just "stand in space", because it "lives" from the transmission of the spiritual message.

The central element for a spiritual mastermind in Buddhism should be to help others to reach "enlightenment", to see the true connections, to look behind the scenes.

The sublime Buddha regarded suffering as useless, because it is "self-made" by the respective person. Similar to a disease, the Buddhist teacher's task is to heal the patient, to treat him. In Buddhism, medicine is the word, the philosophy of the teacher of all teachers speaks of overcoming suffering, in which the teacher helps the student to "see" the disease, "determine" it, and then "fight" it.

Although in all people the diagnosis is the same, because it is about the suffering, and about overcoming the suffering, in each person the treatment is different, tailored to the needs. To put it simply, not everyone "clicks" at the same moment, the "penny drops" not synchronously for everyone.

In any case, at the heart of healing is the philosophy of Buddha, expressed in the Noble Four Truths and the Eightfold Path.

In a few days I will continue here with part 2 of my treatise on Buddhist teachers.

In any case: The way is the goal!

If your insight contradicts my teaching, then you shall follow your insight

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Have you already listened to the first parts of the topic "Self-love" in the last editions of the podcast?

To achieve more self-love you should continue to find out when you like yourself. Everyone likes themselves occasionally, but also has those pithy moments when they dislike themselves so much. So, what did you do really "well" today? When have you been really in tune with the universe lately? On what occasions do you feel good? What incidents might that be due to? Why can't you keep the feeling, freeze it in your mind palace? Here a small "enlightenment" could be waiting for you, namely when you start to get to the bottom of things. And if you are in the process of discovering connections, then you could at least try to "take this feeling with you" into the next situation.

To love yourself "you" should also get to know yourself and your needs, requirements and positions better. What do you really need to live a "good" life? What do you need in the short term, medium term and long term? What do I want? Do I need more entertainment, or more quiet, more people around me, or more solitude? What do I need? Ask yourself simple questions (usually the answer is already packed in the question), write things down, go through your old records.

Exercise: when you stand in front of a mirror and start talking about yourself, what words do you choose? Here you notice whether you think "good" or "bad" of yourself (according to Buddha there is no good and no bad either), here it quickly becomes apparent whether you "love" yourself. If your statements are not very flattering, it makes sense to formulate the essence of your words again, but at least to describe yourself "neutrally" (example: you visited a slightly run-down apartment, you tell a friend about this event afterwards, you describe the circumstances rather negatively at first. Now you describe this apartment in a new attempt rather neutrally, then again, now with positive words).

What is "good" about you?

What things make you tick?

What demands do you make on life?

What do you want to achieve?

Sure, according to Buddha we are not supposed to want or desire anything, for full-blooded Buddhists this makes sense, but the great mass of feel-good Buddhists, they may not make the jump from daily life to "enlightenment" until the next incarnation. Even though we keep trying NOT to judge, it's hard not to.

So, what neutral view of your self have you tried today?

The path is the destination!

So it is: mean is there, and noble is there. But there is a freedom that is higher than all sensual perception

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To let a person into one's life, that requires a lot of energy, a lot of courage and almost unlimited confidence.

It is not necessarily a Buddhist approach to sleep around, to constantly change partners, according to the philosophy of the sublime, a moral life is right.

If you can stand a week with a person, you can also spend a month with the person, even a year, and in consequence then a whole life.

"One" should not use people and living beings like shirts, but if one "takes" someone (for a day, a month, or a year), then consequences, obligations, common goals arise from it.

Today's fun society sees it quite differently, after a while people just "divorce", they go separate ways, prosperity allows the free development of personality. Our ancestors saw things completely differently, here the (marriage) partners were a community of fate, also a community of prey, fun was so not on the game plan. Certainly we are allowed to have fun in life, but don't we become jaded, hollow and unhappy by the eternal separating and coming together?

Can I still find a better partner? Or a younger girlfriend? A better earning boyfriend? Or a prettier woman? A taller man?

Sure, we can go looking for a partner again and again, fall in love over and over again, but is that really love? Or just the longing for "being loved"? Wouldn't it be nicer if we didn't use people, but could keep the partner we originally took?

When I met my girlfriend at the time, it hit me like a bolt of lightning. I saw her, and I knew that I loved this woman, the moment I saw her for the first time. Already at that time it was clear to me that I must not run away from here, that I want to honor this relationship, if I now say "I'll take you", then it is meant honestly, it is not a game, not a "stopover" to something "better", no, then clear consequences follow here. Well, I wanted her, she wanted me, today we are a couple.

Nowadays we say "I'll take you" far too easily, without being aware of the consequences, without even thinking about the responsibility that comes with it. By the way, this is true for all living beings, for which we formulate a "I'll take you" at will, no matter if we "acquire" a dog, or buy a bird, here lies a clear commitment to this living being (or human being).

When was the last time you said "I'll take you"? Did you mean it?

The way is the goal!

He is steadfast in striving, responsible in striving for wholesome conditions

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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In the last podcast you could listen to the first episode of self-love, today it continues.

To love oneself, "one" must continue to understand oneself well, to make an effort to get to the true core, to look behind the self-chosen role. The great teacher spoke of the realities behind the perceived reality, because we humans are rarely ready to part with our illusions.

Why do other people's stinginess, promiscuity, or drug use bother me? Why do other "bad" qualities not bother me, while some habits "freak me out"?

Why do I "love" cats, or why do I "hate" dogs? How do my filters come about? Why do I sometimes get along with the attitudes of fellow human beings, but sometimes not at all? What do I like about myself, what do I dislike? Who am I? Where do I come from? Where will I go? Questions over questions.

The next thing I recommend is a self-mantra to get through difficult situations, to be able to "hold on" to something. Readers of my texts know that according to Buddha (in this life) we probably don't carry any guilt, because our karma might have already been acquired in previous lives, life comes anyway as it is supposed to come. So there is also no reason not to love yourself. So say the following sentence to yourself in exceptional situations: "I am good just the way I am."

If you fall into doubt then first take a deep breath, I recommend breathing meditation to come to some peace, because only in peace lies strength.

Further, everything negative is also positive in some way (my father used to say, "There is nothing negative that doesn't have something positive about it), so what qualities do you have? Write yourself a list of the important traits, and evaluate them. What is useful, what can go? What do I find positive, what not? What consequences do my advantages and disadvantages have on my surroundings, how do they affect the people closest to me?

What you find unpleasant about yourself, that other people might take as a good quality, what changes if you change your perspective?

No matter what, the Buddha's philosophy can guide even those followers who are not striving for "enlightenment," who are "just" practicing a kind of feel-good Buddhism. In such a case, one of the first steps could be to learn to love oneself, why not, by the way?

Wouldn't it be a "good" prospect if you could at least accept yourself?

The way is the goal!

What is impermanent is not worthy of love, is not worthy of joy, is not worthy of inclination

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Once when Buddha was with his followers in the park, a disciple asked, "Lord, how can we control anger?"

Buddha answered with a story. He said, "Whoever hears this tale will have his anger under control, will no longer lose control."

You wanderers hear, "Long ago, a quarrelsome woman lived in a village. Even over trifles she became terribly angry; in her anger she cursed under her breath, used all sorts of insults. Then when the anger went back she was very sorry for everything, she couldn't explain the outbursts."

"Her family was very sad about her behavior, the whole atmosphere in the house was like poisoned, something had to change."

"One day a monk came to her house, asked for alms. The woman gave plenty, then lamented her sorrow to the man, told of her mood swings, told that she would quickly become very angry, but would always regret afterwards that she could not control herself."

The monk replied, "Woman, I have here a small bottle of medicine, just the thing for you. This is a medicine for anger, you are lucky that I have this very bottle with me. When you get angry again, you must take three drops of the medicine on your tongue, and then keep it in your mouth for five minutes. You must not open your mouth or the medicine will not work." The monk left the incredulous looking woman.

As the woman spoke a smile slid across his face, he replied to her, "It wasn't the medicine that worked, it was that you kept your cool that made the difference. It wasn't a drug at all, there was only water in the vial. You were able to calm your anger not because of the medicine, but because you stayed calm."

The Teacher of all Teachers went on to explain that anger can only be controlled by staying calm, because angry people sometimes speak bad words that poison the environment. The only cure for anger is silence."

And the journey is the destination!

He who crudely maltreats innocence

and oppresses defenseless prey

will contract a condition

of tenfold suffering:

Severe pains, bad infirmity, madness, poor disease plagues, and mutilation of the body, heavily burdening suing.

Calamity emanating from the ruler,

destruction of wife and children,

money and property and treasures will

will be lost to him, will be diminished to him.

Or severe fires

will bring house and farm to shame.

And the fool will after death

in the hell worlds after death

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Self-doubt is widespread, even self-hatred is becoming more and more prevalent in all classes, people don't have it easy, these are "hard" times.

Of course, you have to look at yourself critically, but peace with your own self is also Buddhist, Buddha taught that we should not harm any living being, including ourselves. You don't have to love yourself, but at least accept yourself as you are, at least find yourself okay.

All people make mistakes, but to make your life difficult because of that, that doesn't have to be. And of course it is part of our life to question ourselves again and again, also to respond to criticism from third parties.

But where is the border between "self-reflection" and "self-hatred", what is still healthy, what goes too far? You can at least learn to accept yourself, various exercises are on the market. I present you the most important approaches to make peace with your "I" with instructions. Are you ready to try something new?

First of all, if you can't love yourself, you probably hear the little voice that constantly criticizes you, tells you that you do everything wrong, are not worth anything, just do stupid things, and have no idea at all.

This voice is a central theme in Buddhism, because this mood is followed by judgment (I am stupid) and will (I want this or that), which is why this voice embodies the ego and should be silenced, which of course does not always work. So you have to come to terms (at least for now) with the voice, accept the little man in your ear, find a passable way of dealing with the matter.

Write down what's going on in your mind palace, what thoughts come up, and most importantly, when. What happened, why is this thought coming up right now, what are the connections? Start to get into a dialogue with this voice, accept the voice as your own ego, feel the criticism not as punishment, but as a chance to grow.

Start to see your ego (in a first step) as a "little friend" that makes you aware of some things, consciously enter into a conversation with the ego, not into a confrontation.

You must not avoid this kind of self-talk, accepting the situation is the "real" first point to more self-love. However, don't let your own ego wrap you around its little finger.

Read more about this topic in the next few days in "Self-love part 2".

The way is the goal!

Hate is not defeated by hate, but by love

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Samsara is a Sanskrit word that means "constant wandering". It points to the cycle of rebirths, to the perpetual succession of birth, old age, illness and death, the constant becoming and passing away, the cycle that first establishes suffering.

We suffer because we can't hold anything, because all clinging is useless, nothing belongs to us, we can't keep anything, because everything is transient.

We can get out of the eternal cycle (samsara) if we "let go", if we end the attachments, give up wanting and desiring, thus attaining knowledge, thus entering nirvana (the worldless world).

The eternal cycle of rebirths with birth and death; we are born, grow up, grow older, the body begins to wither, then death comes.

In Europe, culturally, the opinion has prevailed that it is then over, that we die, not reborn. This is different in Indian philosophies, such as Buddhism, Jainism and partly Hinduism. Here, death is not the end of everything, but after death the new life begins again, the "life after death". According to the Buddhist conception the "I" leaves the physical body when dying, takes all experiences, the personality with its tendencies, also the "self" with it.

Especially also the "KARMA" follows the "I" into an intermediate world (a plane close to the earth), the world of "emptiness" (astral world). But this world is not really empty, but it is completely different.

In this intermediate world everything consists of pure energy and is full of unbelievable power, cascades of forces find their illustration in loops and spirals, this intermediate world is full of colors, the energies of many different "I's" meet, create in consequence new life, they interact, they harmonize.

The cycle of life (Samsara) goes on, up and down, back and forth, the wheel keeps turning, today everything is "good", tomorrow everything is "bad", "beautiful" and "ugly" people and things accompany our path, but we Buddhists strive for "enlightenment", the highest realization, serenely "letting go" of everything to experience perfect bliss.

Where is your true center, where does your real personality sit? Who are you really?

You find your true Buddha-nature in your ego, not outside. But deep inside you know that death is followed by life again, so we don't have to be so afraid, we don't have to be so sad, because we "know" about the connection of things.

The sequence of the times is irrefutable, the universe expands, it will also contract again.

The way is the goal!

Oh, how we live so happily, without illness among sick people.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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This is how I have heard!

One day, the exalted Buddha spoke to the beggars (this is how monks are referred to in Theravada Buddhism): "You beggars."

They replied, "Venerable sir."

"unwholesome states of mind, such as greed, hatred, and delusion, arise from sense pleasures, for these are delusive and false. For disciples, these unwholesome states of mind are an obstacle to overcome in order to let themselves fall inwardly as well," the Teacher of All Teachers elaborated.

"He who practices also attains confidence for his mind, so that with an enlarged heart he touches the unshakable, whereupon wisdom comes to him. All material form results from the four elements, so that the practitioner, after his extinction, continues to explore the unshakable, experiences the awareness of it.

All forms in the here and now and also in future incarnations are transient, not worth holding on to. In the practitioner a spiritual climate of confidence arises more and more, so that he now reaches the unshakable, or else he experiences the full wisdom. After his passing, his consciousness can lead him to the unshakable.

But where the perception of all states ends without retaining any parts, there the seeker comes to the most peaceful, to the complete nothingness, which is more sublime than any perception, empty of a self, freed from wanting, without desires. I belong to no one, and no one belongs to me, I perceive nothing, but I also do not perceive nothing, the dual state progresses.

Some students will reach nirvana, but others will not, overcome what has arisen, even if nirvana is not for you (yet). Maybe it is not yours, it will not be yours (yet), nevertheless do not attach to Nirvana, an attachment prevents the attainment, the ultimate consequence always remains "enlightenment".

Unwholesome states of mind, sensual pleasures, confidence, the material forms in the here and now, but also in a new incarnation, the perception of the great nothingness in the midst of nothingness, neither perceiving anything, nor perceiving nothing, this is the pathless path to the gateless gate, to "non-death" through "non-attachment".

Noble Lords, I tell you that this is how you can cross the stream, this is how you will find salvation.

Infinity awaits those who let go, perceive nothing, and yet perceive, who see no forms and no emptiness, who see those who cling to nothing, who have left their selves behind in one-dimensionality, thus attain perfect perception.

Sense pleasures and sense perceptions are inhibitors, because nothing will remain, everything will pass away, the way is the goal!

Violence over the will gives also violence over the body.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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It is very difficult for man to get "enough", always something more, more money, more health, more of life, more love, more sex, more of all kinds of things.

When is it ever "enough", why do we always want "more", where does the road lead to? And who "needs" all the things he/she acquires?

The trend to minimalism comes up again and again, especially in the consumer society, because deep inside people realize that the buying frenzy also brings nothing, indeed can bring nothing.

For my part, I will now in the spring again dig through all my possessions to sort out everything useless, to make my life lighter and leaner, to find myself again. Because all the possessions, they're not me, they're largely useless items that are mainly collecting dust.

Usually this results in other activities that are not even foreseeable now, that arise from the tidying process.

But this is for the spring, I am speaking generally, when will it ever be enough, who will do without, who will give up wanting, stop wishing? More and more we humans also accumulate as a collective, we consume more and more, without measure and goal everything is exploited, nature, animals, man is insatiable.

Do we want to think about it, or go on and on? Do we want to see the animals as living beings, or do we always call them farm animals? Do we want to finally deal with the environment sensibly, or not?

When is "enough", when is "enough" for you?

What do we need, where should the journey go? For us as humans, but also for humanity?

Do you want to think about it for once, think about where your journey should go? When you as a person have "enough"? When you want to focus on content and values?

Deep inside we know that all possessions are just filthy trinkets, that everything can't really be important, that there is something else, indeed there must be. From the fact that you are reading Buddhist texts on this page, you can see that other things count for you as well, things that are not of a material nature.

The philosophy of the teacher of all teachers says that we suffer because we cannot keep anything, we will lose everything, because impermanence is the all-determining element in the life of every human being. The most important question is, how we ourselves stand to it, which lessons we draw from this certainty; what follows from this certainty?

The way is the goal!

When you live in one place for too long, you accumulate too many things. You take on too many duties and businesses, associate with too many families, and when you move away, you feel pain of separation.

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The teaching of the Exalted One speaks of impermanence, which is the cause of our sufferings, because from the fact that we cannot keep anything, our attachments follow. The knowledge of the future is hard, any moment can be the last, it is very difficult not to sink into gloom.

The Perfect One has left us his philosophy as a compensation, which attunes us to the "enlightenment", so in the rest lies the power, we can escape the karma to the extent that we get out of the wheel in which we strive for the "enlightenment" (and hopefully reach, each person is different). Embracing impermanence in full awareness, enjoying every second of life as precious, living and dwelling in the here and now, this is how the teacher of all teachers lived life for us. Not wasting time with trivial distractions, simply following the pathless path, striving towards the doorless gate, entering the worldless world, then staying in Nirvana, understanding the intermediate world as reality.

How do you prepare for your death, can you use every moment? Everything existing is never "our", a permanent "I" does not exist, cannot exist. But if we change the definition of "I", we come to quite amazing results, which would disturb all those who have not studied the teachings of Buddha.

Everything is impermanent, comes and goes, rises and falls, like a stream or river. Everything is full of risks, life is made up of thousands of uncertainties, even at the moment of birth our death is already born, nothing is "certain", everything passes, those who go through time without expectations have almost reached their destination.

The Exalted One said that the body is made up of the four elements, but to free the mind from desire, to become free from wishing and wanting, that is difficult to achieve, because here the ego stands in the way quite violently. The perfect one could free himself from it, surrender to his true nature (Buddha-nature), isolate himself from suffering, escape from all burdens, simply by making the decision to no longer want to be bound by attachments.

But we humans have not learned anything, we do not want to learn anything; my money, my house, my children. Nothing is mine, everything is impermanent, we should simply make peace with our impermanence, just as the Exalted One has shown us in His perfection.

Whoever reads here is interested in Buddhism. It would all be worth a try, don't you think?

The way is the goal!

Perfect in true knowledge and sublime in conduct

Buddha ( Siddhartha Gautama) - founder of the philosophy named after him Buddhism - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Even love can kill, if things get out of hand, then anything can happen.

I was given an aquarium as a gift at the Shaolin Temple Europe near Kaiserslautern, a small one, with plants and a snail as the only inhabitant. The good spirit of the temple breeds ornamental fish in the basement of the facility, I was taken and given a gift

I was specifically told that the aquarium was not suitable for fish, I should settle shrimp in it, but I would not listen, after some time went to a store and bought six small neon fish, which shine beautifully. The seller said that this would fit, and I wanted to hear the story so, because I wanted the little fish, pets that I could „love".

After a while I realized that the fish tank was "too small" even for the little fish, I got a guilty conscience, decided to go back to the temple, to find a solution there. Once back in the temple, the good spirit told me that I was a murderer because I had almost killed them out of "love for the fish", that my affection had turned into a danger for the fish. Urgently I would need a larger aquarium, so that the fish get the necessary place. No sooner said than done, I received (again as a gift) a larger tank (with accessories) and went back home. There I relocated the fishies, none was lost, I was proud of myself in the end.

And I learned something from the story, namely that even love (or affection) can kill, "good" is not always "good", and "bad" must not always be "bad". If even love can kill, then hate can be positive in some cases, nothing is as it seems at first glance. The historical Buddha was right, we should not judge, not divide into "good" or "bad", but accept things and people as it comes, so it should be.

In the meantime I bought another coral dwarf frog, the fish feel good, they jump through the outlet nozzle of the water pump, they play with the water jet like in a Jacuzzi. And I watch them (and the frog) mindfully and in peace, the fish tank has a meditative effect on me.

I can highly recommend such an aquarium, it is a pleasure to admire nature (in the glass). And I have also learned something, namely to question my feelings better.

As always, the journey is the destination!

Do not kill and do not let kill!

Buddha ( Siddhartha Gautama) - founder of the philosophy named after him Buddhism- 560 to 480 before the year zero

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When I remember my youth, there used to be significantly more insects. More bees, more mosquitoes, more beetles, there was more of everything. A mindful approach to all living things requires that we also consider insects to be fully-fledged living beings, and that we protect them (if at all possible).

Insects are by far the most diverse animals, there are an incredible number of species. Some are beautiful and useful, others aggressive and annoying, in any case, the little animals are incredibly important for the entire ecosystem. They eat carrion and organic matter, they plow the soil, they are the food for the birds, they are almost at the top of the food chain. If insects are not doing well, then all animals are not doing well; insect mortality is progressing, the effects for us humans are felt everywhere, the little crawlers are extremely important for us humans. Almost all plant species need insects for pollination (e.g. apple trees), no insects, no fruits, the ecosystems will collapse. Yet still the majority of the population knows little to nothing about insect mortality.

In the last thirty years, the so-called biomass of flying insects has decreased by about eighty percent. These are alarming numbers, we are producing the next catastrophe for ourselves, and no one cares.

In our loveless concrete castles of the cities there is hardly any space left for insects, the monocultures on the fields are destroying the natural livelihood of the animals, we humans are approaching the issue without understanding. What we have to do is to offer the animals an environment, consciously create shelter and nesting places, do not remove the foliage properly, build a stone sculpture for them, just as we hang a birdhouse for birds, so also think of the insects.

It is also important that we feed ourselves regionally and with food produced without the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, preferably from the local farmer, from a part of that community, not from a faceless factory. This is how most organic farmers ensure that there is enough space for insects as well. Also important is to eat seasonally, what is Mother Nature offering in my region right now, without importing from Israel, Morocco or the other side of the world.

And what do you do if a fly sits on your apple pie in your apartment? Do you want to kill it, or do you take the time to bring "the beast" outside? How do you behave towards living creatures described as worthy of protection by the teacher of all teachers?

Do you live (mainly) vegetarian, do you protect the animals? If you buy meat then hopefully such, which is produced without mass animal husbandry?

Without insects we humans have soon nothing more to eat.

The way is the goal!

Looking at life in depth, it is possible to see clearly everything that is. Enslaved by nothing, it is possible to let go of all desires. The result is a life full of joy and peace. That is to live truly alone

Buddha - honorary name of the Indian philosopher Siddhartha Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Many practitioners think very highly of transcendental meditation, and it is reported that this form of meditation is very effective. This form of meditation is very good for me, within a short time I reach a calm state of consciousness. You can practice sitting, standing or lying down.

The transcendental meditation is a method "invented" by the Indian guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, which is also trademarked. In my eyes a very lonely trademark right, but the "garden of the Lord" is just unfathomable. Although the name "transcendental meditation" is legally protected, this meditation was used in all countries long before the guru. In Chan it is a widespread practice, but all Buddhists have probably done mantra meditation at some time. Only the name is protected, the form of meditation is not; anyone can perform or teach a mantra meditation.

In this form of meditation, a constant mantra is chosen and repeated constantly (spoken aloud or softly, or just quoted in the mind) until the practitioner reaches a meditative state. A mantra can be either a single word (Om), or a whole sentence. After a few repetitions, or with given practice, one comes closer and closer to the subconscious, and the search for the true self can begin. Thoughts, perceptions and the environment should be meditatively switched off.

Which mantra one chooses depends solely on one's own state of mind; what appeals to me, what has a meaning for me? It doesn't matter if it's in Chinese or Sanskrit, maybe in your mother tongue, maybe just the primal sound Om, it doesn't matter, the main thing is that it works for you. Which words or phrases have meaning for you, what could be behind them, why just these sounds, words or phrases? You will find out, I am sure, because all the knowledge of this world is already slumbering in you, you just have to uncover the accesses.

For my part, I have chosen for my mantra the song that I heard constantly and everywhere in Shaolin Temple China almost 40 years ago, the Amithofo. Sometimes I could not really distinguish, was it an earworm, or a mantra that accompanied me.

A mantra meditation (or: transcendental meditation) has the great advantage that you can really practice anywhere (on the bus, train or on the sofa), within a short time and without effort you can experience an absolute silence, reach a pure consciousness and switch off your thoughts.

No matter if you have only one minute on the platform, or if you take real time for your mantra meditation (Transcendental Meditation), the way is the goal!

Suppose I practice the meditation of holding my breath

Buddha - honorary name of the Indian philosopher Siddhartha Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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If we look at a group of children, the first thing we notice is that there is a cackling and clucking going on, there is laughter, joking, the joy is literally tangible. The children are constantly laughing, smiling their way through the day, if the mood darkens then only briefly, after a few minutes the good mood is back. Children are the epitome of good humor, it's just fun to watch them.

A group of adults (of any age) behaves differently, especially the men try to look serious and important. Several women are a bit different, more playful, not so influenced by the seriousness of life, they still laugh heartily, among the gentlemen of creation laughter seems to be considered a weakness.

Who now observes a group of men sometimes gets stupid sayings: What are you looking at? Do you want trouble? The carefree attitude has disappeared, the entire behavior has become completely different, the face looks grim and serious, especially men are caught in the male behavior pattern, can no longer get out.

Just the behavior of the gentlemen of creation comes partly still from the Neanderthal man, from a time in which "one" had to impress the other group members, asserted himself with force and power, but it is not like that nowadays. Maybe it will be like that again, but we can do our part against it, by not forgetting the good mood from the childhood days, by bringing back the carefree times. Because: No matter whether we look grim or cheerful, the circumstances will not change, we change our state of mind, but the world continues to turn unperturbed. Whether we laugh or cry, nothing changes, so why not just strive for the path of Buddha, which is a path of the middle, not "sky-high-cheering", not "to-death-distressed", no, calmly resting in oneself, with the smile of the knower in the corners of the mouth, that's how you can also go through life.

Whenever you see children, put yourself back in your youth and smile, no matter how hard and "unfair" life has been to you again today. Always with a smile on your lips, you can also put yourself in such a state, please the environment with it. Because good mood and laughter are contagious, life does not change by it at all, but you yourself, you will simply have it easier.

The way of the middle, that contains a light smile, with man and woman, with young and old, because why should you not enjoy the way, where you have to go it anyway, because things happen, whether it suits us, or not.

This was my experience of happiness and pain

Buddha - honorary name of the Indian philosopher Siddhartha Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Appearance changes with every meal, your body knows exactly what you have eaten.

Every action has its effect on the appearance, we are the creators of our appearance, only we determine how we appear, how we are perceived, no one else.

We know very well that we will not gain weight if we eat only salad, we know that sport is healthy, the harmful effects of alcohol, nicotine and drugs are already clear to every young person.

Nevertheless, Europeans are getting fatter and fatter, more and more immobile, all kinds of diseases of affluence now affect the majority of the population. One of the most frequent search queries in the search engines is "lose weight without sports", everyone knows about the connections, but few people are interested in their health, the doctor will take care of it.

According to Buddha, we should take good care of our body, which serves us in this life (this incarnation), which we should take care of mindfully.

What happened to the fact that so many people do not take care of their appearance at all, that they accept health impairments just in order not to have to accept any limitations? Just to be able to eat and drink as much as possible?

I've met people who didn't give up smoking and boozing even with an open, bad leg, who wanted to keep their lifestyle, no matter what the cost. And I've seen the price these people have paid, awful.

There is a show on TV that shows the lives of people who weigh over 300 kg, their struggle with daily life, their depression, their grief, but also their binge eating, their relatives who bring in huge amounts of food, making the lifestyle possible in the first place (co-dependents), at least bearing a share of the blame for the situation. Even if those affected can no longer walk, can no longer hold their bodily fluids, they cannot control themselves, must eat, eat, eat.

What is going wrong in our community, what problems do people have that they harm themselves violently and with announcement, with calories, alcohol, drugs, with their strange habits. We all carry our baggage, everyone has experienced many things, but the development is getting faster and faster, more and more serious, the spiral turns relentlessly.

A big part is the fact that people prefer to "hush up" the problems, after all, it would not be fair, not nice, not correct to speak the truth. I see it quite differently, to pretend here out of shame as if everything would be good, that is cowardly.

The people are not really helped in this way.

The way is the goal!

Violence over the will also gives violence over the body

Buddha - honorary name of the Indian philosopher Siddhartha Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Like most meditations, insight meditation is practiced sitting on a cushion, legs crossed, upper body relaxed and erect. If you don't want (or like) to hold the "cross-legged" position, you can also sit on a chair without leaning, resting your legs on the floor. Close your eyes, keep your head minimally lowered forward.

Use my app for this meditation to time it (Android or Apple).

Insight meditation is a traditional Buddhist practice that focuses on "mindfulness of breath."

This calms the mind, controlling access to the 6 windows of the person. Thereby the (mental) attention wanders more and more to the physical sensations and the connected mental occurrences, which arise in the now and in the here, to which just should not be attached.

More and more the "consciousness" follows the breath, the attention goes mindfully into rest, the belly rises and falls, the air flowing in and out becomes more and more relaxed, the nostrils and the upper lip feel the breeze, the surroundings recede more and more, it becomes quiet, the body no longer feels, the mind palace goes into a rest mode.

What emotions come up now, what happens when you try to "perceive" them? Concentration takes place in complete mindfulness, all thoughts become less and less, become "background noise", similar to the babble of voices at the train station, which we notice when we enter, but which "falls silent" after a few moments.

Now it is time to focus on the movement of the abdomen during breathing, to dive deeper into insight meditation, the 5 senses (6 windows of the human being) should draw less and less attention.

If now unwillingness to continue arises I recommend the lecture of sHanLi on the subject. Note in your mind what brings you out of calm, just continue the meditation. The important thing here is to take the disturbing things out of character. For example, we refer to the ringing of the phone as a noise, the pain in our back only as a pain, thinking of a person only as a memory.

When you have gained control over your 6 windows, then (at the end of the meditation) turn your attention in full mindfulness to the thoughts, let them come to the surface again. Why is this particular thought bothering me? What sensations arise, why do they disappear again by themselves? Do the thoughts pull me along? And why can't I dwell on a thought?

Slowly the "seeing" develops in front of your inner eye, you understand more, you now allow it to "understand".

Slowly you open your eyes, stretch. The meditation comes to an end.

The way is the goal! Are you developing insight?

A practitioner enters a deepening with the stilling of the initial and sustained turning to the object of meditation

Buddha - honorific name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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The life of every person is characterized especially by turning points, by the moments that shape the destiny, that determine the further future.

If you think about the matter carefully then some such turning points come to your mind, such as the birth of your children, meeting your partner, big family celebrations, or the many but smaller things that have brought your life in a certain direction.

Every crossroads is such a turning point for us, we can either go to work in the morning, or leave behind the life we have led until now, start over, move away. Surely you know the story of the man who just went out for cigarettes, but never came back.

Nothing has to be the same tomorrow as it is today, every day you can change your life, whether in a big way or in a small way, nothing is "set in stone", everything is constantly changing, so why should you always remain the same person?

What would you like to change? What in the short term, what in the medium term, what in the long term? Where do you see yourself in a few weeks, in a few months, in a few years? What is important to you?

The turning points in my life, I can remember them well, my high school graduation, my law studies in Hamburg, my time in China and the USA, my wedding, the birth of my daughter, the separation from my family, the many small incidents, when I think about them while writing this text, there were some important moments.

I wonder what the future may bring, certainly some turning points again, but now I am older, can I appreciate these moments when they happen?

And you? Will you notice the next turning points, or just live through the day unaware of the implications?

According to Buddha, all moments are the same anyway; according to the great teacher, we should not put too much significance into the sequence of days, but look for "enlightenment" as the essence of philosophy.

Are you ready to review your life once, to remember the special moments, and then to put them in relation to the teaching of the Teacher of all Teachers?

When such a turning point in your life begins again, you will notice it this time, because you are now attentive, mindful, careful and concentrated. Those who live mindfulness know how to appreciate the moments, to live the moment, to stay in the here and in the now, not to digress and ignore the illusions that the mind palace so holds.

The path is the goal!

We turn our mind away from these states and thus direct it to the deathless element

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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No matter where we go, no matter what place we hide in, what we run away from, our memories are on top of the suitcase, can't just be left behind.

Constantly the mind palace plays the same memories over and over again, mixed with self-doubt, if only I had, why did I, could I turn back time. But you can't.

All the incidents, the little stories, the souvenirs of emotions become a burden for many people, the memory is gilded, the depression grows. A clumsy psychological warfare that the mind palace pulls off, the memories run in a continuous loop, become more and more a burden, no one can escape them who has not thought about the connections. Do you want to think about it?

What memories matter to you? Can you recall any details? How have these stories shaped you?

What do you think about forward looking memories, can you "remember" the future? In other words, see the future? And anyway, according to Buddha, even time and space are an illusion, nothing is "real", everything is just felt. I am sure that this world is not "real", but we only think things and occurrences are real, simply because we want them to be. In the not too distant future flying drones will fly over us, can you see them already? Not yet existent, but imaginable. Providence as a plaything of human existence, life as a video game. Do you see your future now before your inner eyes?

It's one thing with memories, we can rarely depict things as they really were, the temporal shift makes many things different. After a breakup, a terrible partnership turns into a lost love, an unloved job into a wasted opportunity, a discontinued education into a supposedly golden future.

The fears, worries and hardships we suffered through, we can rarely remember, the good things become outstanding in the memory, in the memory everything becomes so much better. But isn't the present the best time, simply because it doesn't seem surreal, but authentic? The here, the now and the today, that then forms new memories, which then one fine day occupy the mind palace. Who knows what the future may bring?

Tomorrow's memories, we can consciously choose, tailor to our needs, always following the philosophy of Buddha. Every day is unique, every moment makes sense. Do not boast about tomorrow.

The way is the goal!

Past love is only memory. Future love is a dream and a wish. Only in the present, in the here and now, can we truly love.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Suffering and pain are not the same thing, for example, we can suffer without being in physical pain.

Pain is a complex sensory sensation sent to the brain mainly by signals from the nerves. Suffering, on the other hand, refers to everything that burdens a person physically and mentally. These are primarily unfulfilled expectations or needs, loss and separation, constraints, old age, illness and death. Of course, one can also suffer from pain, such as chronic pain, but the word "suffering" is aimed more at the mental component, whereas pain has come to mean physical injury.

According to Buddha, we suffer, the philosophy of the great teacher revolves around suffering as the source of our dissatisfaction, of our hardship with ourselves, but also with the environment. We begin to suffer because we realize that nothing is permanent, we will lose everything, change will be the only constant in life.

Nevertheless, there are greed, hatred and delusion in us humans, which throw us completely off track, close us the true connections. What is the use of being greedy when we will lose everything again? What is the use of hating when all living beings will perish? What is the use of being blinded, when we clearly see old age coming, so we know what is coming.

Whether we suffer or not, that is first and foremost a decision. It sounds very simple and it is very simple. If you decide right now not to suffer anymore, no matter what may come, then you will not suffer anymore. A close relative dies, you decide whether you will suffer. Because one thing is certain, the relative had to die, because all people die. You say: But not now, I miss him/her so much. Well, but why suffer from it, dying is a natural process. What is the use if you suffer "like a dog"? What would change if you would adopt a neutral approach, something like Buddha recommended to his followers? Nothing would change, the world would continue to turn, your environment would be unchanged, only you yourself, you would be much more comfortable. After all, if you can't change anything, why fret about it? Couldn't it be that by reaching "enlightenment" we could change the matter a lot? And if so, how?

We cannot always avoid pain, but we can avoid suffering. Free yourself from suffering, it's your choice.

Wise is he who comes to the complete annihilation of suffering in relation to arising and passing away

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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We humans are disoriented, confused, without direction in this day and age.

Precisely for this reason, the ability to perceive is also severely damaged, because we need it even faster, even harder, even more perverse.

Video with sound has replaced the written word, because reading takes far too long, no one thinks they have the time to read.

Having at least a thousand TV channels is normal, countless websites relentlessly bring news on every topic, radio, social networks, people live in a digital abundance, can even run all sources simultaneously.

Why is this so? Right, deep down man has such incredible fear of his own transience, so "you" better get on, "you" can't get enough of it, would be best everywhere, and then nowhere in the end.

Quickly upload a video, post the food, check the news, calculate the route, then modern man feels safe, "safe" in the madness of his environment, without rest and quiet on the way to nowhere.

On top of that, we forget how to read; images from television, YouTube and cell phones take over the culture in the land of poets and thinkers. Pure entertainment is in demand, distraction from fate, the end is near, let's "pull in" another video.

We do everything possible to distract ourselves from our transience, faster, further, higher, where can we find the next kick?

Reading is already too hard, it's better to watch a movie or listen to a podcast, then browse through a magazine at the same time, make a phone call at the same time, supervise the children, all at the same time.

If we make friends with our transience, then we can lead a peaceful life, because we can change nothing anyway, it comes as it must come. If we can't change anything in the outcome of the matter, then why worry about it at all?

The transitoriness, that is a very good target!

What is transient is not worthy of love, not worthy of joy, not worthy of inclination.

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Forgiveness

Can you forgive?

Those who understand that human beings are not perfect can forgive.

When another person misbehaves, we are offended, we have to consider whether we can and want to forgive the person at all. Words and deeds can hurt a lot.

But what is even more difficult is to forgive ourselves for our own mistakes, because our ego constantly plagues us with reproaches.

Can you forgive yourself?

According to Buddha, we bear no blame at all, since things will come exactly as they should, depending on our karma. Karma comes from this life and the last life, and is interlocked and connected with the destiny of other people.

So if we are not to blame for the wrongdoing of others (or our own), then as a consequence there is nothing to forgive.

This in turn means that we do not have to "worry about it", but can relax and wait for the things that might come. Since we do not have to forgive ourselves or others, we should not waste our time with hatred and resentment. He did that, she said that, all is unimportant in real being.

Buddhists cannot forgive because they know there is nothing to forgive. Those who understand how things are related know that reality exists only "felt", that only our conception composes the filters that then determine perception.

"Regulating things", that is an illusion, according to Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, at no time can the location and the momentum of a particle be determined simultaneously. The teaching of the teacher of all teachers also says that nothing is or was determinable.

So, forgive yourself, because there is nothing to forgive.

Forgive other people, for they have only lived their karma.

Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names

John F. Kennedy - 35th President of the United States of America - 1917 to 1963

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And the Lord spoke to Abraham

I find it interesting that all monotheistic religions come from the same area.

Polytheism underpins little, Genesis shows stories. Fact or fiction, real or not, who wrote what and when?

And the Lord spoke to Moses; today there are 5 books of Moses. On close examination, it was certainly very crowded on the ark, the Flood hypothetically lasted for centuries.

The father of all tribes drew attention to God with letters on a stone, the words I understand, but their meaning just not.

Scholars agree (the earth is a disc), Canaan would certainly have a highway exit today. The story of the Exodus is still effective as a message today.

The work of Buddha provided other, new ideas with a content, deeper meaning.

Cult figures gave content, then the people raised a great war cry. The wall of Joshua slowly fell down.

Rubble and ashes, nothing else remained of many ancient cultures, the piles of stones were magnificent temples, houses, whole states came and withered away again.

NOTHING remains in the end, the NOTHING destroys itself, from the NOTH we came, to the NOTH we will return.

Is that so?

What was there before us, what was it like, what values have we adopted?

Cultures before us have passed away, decayed values, nations in decline, every system will fall one day. All things and people will turn to dust one day.

Nature will find its way.

Every old shard of clay shows antiquity, bones collapse into new egalitarianism.

How did the religion that rules here come over my ancestors?

Through a revolution. When the old system collapsed a minority goes new ways, established new structures. The cause thereby exposes the purpose of thought.

Outsiders in thought bring new identity. Never may be expressed what should not be conceivable. All mentions never led to the goal, the karma is the superior institution, the higher instance, it stands determining as fixed point already.

The belief in the one, only God, which excludes the existence of other Gods, is a belief, not a well-founded knowledge. Buddhists are open-minded, tolerant and understanding towards other value systems.

So if people have a belief, Buddhists respect that, will not turn away at all.

The basic difference of religions is whether they are optimism or pessimism; not at all whether monotheism, polytheism, trimurti, trinity, pantheism, or atheism (like Buddhism)

Arthur Schopenhauer - German Philosopher - 1788 to 1860

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Find my place in the world

Have you found your place in the world yet?

Who are you? To find the right place in life you must first find an answer to the most fundamental question of all.

Who are you?

Close your eyes. What do you see today?

Now imagine yourself 10 years from today, what do you "see"?

And 20 years from today, what do you see for yourself?

Where might your place be?

What do you "see" for the future, which place is the right one for you?

At the beginning there is the question about the own I, who am I, where do I come from, where will I go?

If you waste your life, you may end up wondering why he/she wasn't more mindful with his/her lifetime. The clock keeps running, moments pass by, as time goes by.

Where do you want to be, in 10 years, in 20 years, what will be, what is your place? Do you want to find that place?

A good way to find your place is to follow the Buddhist teachings, because Buddhism focuses on the human being and his free choice. This is a very unusual concept for Europeans, as the teachings of the monotheistic faiths are strictly hierarchical in nature.

You are in the driver's seat, you are "master" of what is happening, so how could everything be connected? What could be the deeper meaning of existence, what structure "fits" you?

Question marks offend us, future interpretation skills are now required. Where is the journey going for you?

I understand you, human behavior can quickly get out of control, but according to Buddha we are not "guilty". The idea of the circumstances of our existence can seem very threatening, just where will we go?

After reading this article, are you ready to think about your place in the world?

Thinking about the philosophy of Buddha can be very liberating? Dying is inevitable, the wisdom of the Indian prince is still valid to this day.

Where do we come from?

Where will we go?

Is there more to life than just satisfying basic needs?

A world that is to have room for the public cannot be built for only one generation or planned only for the living; it must transcend the lifespan of mortal humans

Hannah Arendt - German-US political theorist - 1906 to 1975

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I do not like any more

I don't like anymore, this (or so similar) sentences can be heard almost everywhere.

The heavy burden of hysteria 2020 lies like lead on the minds, suicides have become much more frequent.

Like cornered animals, man also falls into agony when he/she considers that the matter seems hopeless.

But it is by no means without prospect, never should "we" give up, again and again doors open in places we never thought possible. Who knows what the future will bring, to bury the head in the sand is in any case NOT an option.

Those who follow the teachings of Buddha know that everything is surreal anyway, that behind what we perceive as "real" there is much that is hidden anyway.

I don't like anymore, that's the wrong sentence. Cross out the word "not" without replacement, then it says: "I like more"!

Much "more" we should like, as much as is feasible, in the "now" and in the "today" we must strive for the optimum, simply because we are here, that is already completely sufficient as a reason. Buddha taught that everything comes as it should. So what is the result if we like "more" from now on, accept the finiteness of everyone's destiny? Because it could already be over tomorrow, then the time is past when we could still have changed something.

I, at least, like much more. Whether it will then come so, that remains to be seen, but I will make an effort in any case. I will continue to take on the effort, follow my karma, and try to make the most of the circumstances. Just as I was taught in the Shaolin Temple in China.

When you think you can't do it anymore, a little light comes from somewhere (Luke 11, verse 2), a truly good sentence.

Whoever reads this blog is probably a Buddhist, or at least open-minded about the philosophy of Buddha. But if now everything will come anyway, as it must, then we could face the circumstances much more relaxed, don't you think?

Never say: I don't like more, cross out the word "not" in your mind, say: "I like more"!

If we can't change anything, why fall into gloom? Why worry about it a lot?

Jesuit priest and spiritual teacher Anthony de Mello said, "Happiness is a butterfly," said the Master. "Chase after it and it escapes you. Sit down and it settles on your shoulder." "So what should I do to attain happiness?" asked the disciple. "You could try sitting down very quietly - if you dare!"

Take comfort and hope from these words, sit down (mentally) calmly, wait composedly for the events to come.

According to the Buddha's teachings, there are not only the things that we can "perceive", but many things are (at least still) hidden from us.

Deep inside you there is this little seed of hope, why don't you set out to find it?

Love means to have an open heart, to be touched and to be filled with love

Buddha - honorary name of Siddharta Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Feelings of guilt

Yes, the feelings of guilt, they plague us a lot!

Who doesn't know that queasy feeling? Has "one" once again screwed something up, done something wrong? Did you behave badly, maybe you made a fool of yourself?

Usually the guilty feeling follows a wrong reaction, a lie or a bad deed. Some of us also blush, sweat, or have nervous reactions.

A feeling of guilt is to be distinguished from shame, because in the case of guilt the "guilty" component is added, "one" knows that "one" has done something wrong, in the case of shame the trigger does not necessarily have to lie in a "wrong" action of ours, it can also come from outside.

According to the psychoanalyst Freud, the feeling of guilt is triggered by our "superego", where social values are to be imposed. If now these values are violated by our actions, then (unconsciously) feelings of guilt arise.

So we have trained this super-ego to ourselves by building the filters in front of our thoughts through which we see (and/or want to see) the world. Starting from our childhood, through the upbringing of our parents, the imprint of adolescence and adulthood, the filters determine our thoughts, the violation of the structure of our ego makes us feel guilt.

A large part of the construction of this "superego" also comes from fears. Didn't your mother tell you not to reach on the hot stove top. Many fears are shaped by evolution, others are experiential, and still others are created by nurture.

So when we violate the norms and rules we have set for ourselves, we feel guilt.

Here we can see that the teaching of Buddha shows a very similar approach, which is close to the view of the psychoanalyst Freud.

According to Buddha, it is not the circumstances that make up our path, but the way we deal with them, the way we evaluate things (and people). According to the great teacher, we should not judge at all, not divide into categories. It comes as it must come, that does not mean that it is or could be "good" or "bad".

The super-ego described above, our "superego", has very special filters through which our opinion can be formed. But what if we reconsider these filters, at least check them for their usefulness. Are there such filters that "can go away", that are no longer up to date, that are not compatible with our present ego?

What if we review our entire value system from time to time, rethinking it, adapting it more and more to the teachings of Buddha?

Where does my "superego" come from, who am I really, what are my views?

I am not so much in love with my own views that I ignore what others think about them

Nicolaus Copernicus - Prussian Astronomer - 1473 154

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Horse, bamboo and wind

Do you sometimes wonder what your body should be like?

Ideally, the human body should be strong like a horse, flexible like bamboo, and fast like the wind!

Why do you think I am writing this here like this?

My whole life has always been about disciplined training, I practice Yoga, Kung Fu, Qi Gong, strength exercises and speed training, meditation and breathing techniques every day.

Even the historical Buddha practiced yoga, he received traditional Asian massages, he meditated, he fasted.

Are you looking for a guide for your body? Imagine how your body could change in the near future, towards a positive state of health. In your mind palace, let your body go through a change, toward the three guiding images: Horse, Bamboo and Wind.

Sure, "you" might remark now that according to Buddhist teachings, everything comes as it should anyway, but if your karma is to improve your health, then it will. Sometimes we humans need a cause, a guiding light, a role model.

Visualize the images in your mind's eye, horse, bamboo, wind.

I received my Buddhist training in the Shaolin Temple China. There the body is trained with discipline and with perseverance. In western culture we know the sentence: only in a healthy body lives a healthy mind (Mens sana in corpore sano)!

In the Chinese monastery strength, endurance and speed are taught, over many centuries the methods were passed on from the master to the student.

What about you? Do you have an idea how your body should be, how it should be, could be in several years?

To what extent do you want to "incorporate" sports, exercise and good nutrition in your daily life, where do you see yourself, your body, your health?

The horse stands for strength!

The bamboo symbolizes flexibility!

The wind stands for speed!

Can you imagine adopting these guiding principles, adopting them as a "motto" so to speak?

Do you want to "be" in a healthy, strong body, have flexible bones and joints, "practice" fast and safe movements?

Health is a very individual concept, each person is different, has different genes, different history. Training must therefore be practiced differently for each individual, always according to their capabilities.

If you manage to "anchor" the guiding principles horse, bamboo and wind in your mind palace, then you are on a good way.

Because one thing is certain, the way is the goal!

We must say what we think, do what we say, and be what we do.

Alfred Herrhausen - Former Spokesman of the Board of Deutsche Bank 1930 - 1989

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Great things come ....

Great things usually come about very slowly, they develop over a period of time, they don't "just appear".

Good things take time, as the saying has gone for centuries. And even in our youth, we heard from our mothers that we should "go slowly" and proceed thoroughly.

When great things come into being, time goes like the waves, slowly events land on the beach of life.

When we look at history, we notice that events have begun far in advance, building on many circumstances that accumulate to a conclusion.

If we are honest then we can predict developments, "see" many things that develop as our future. But most of the time we prefer to suppress the things that develop, namely when these prospects frighten us.

Those who are honest with themselves, who we can notice such things before they arise, will achieve clarity, and live more contentedly.

What about the Buddha's teaching, is it also such a "big thing" that is emerging? Over the centuries, the teaching of the great teacher has constantly changed, at some times followed by many followers, in other periods, his words were almost forgotten.

In today's troubled world, his example offers people support and orientation, a spiritual harbor. All those who have turned away from the beliefs of the forefathers, who are searching for answers, they have found such a "big thing", which is in the process of development, which offers real solutions, and does not just shift the responsibility to a "higher power", without looking for answers themselves.

Buddhism is such a big thing that is slowly emerging. Right now you're thinking about whether maybe there's "something to it"?

What do you think about it? How do you feel about the Buddha's teaching?

The philosophy of the great teacher could become that which can offer help and content to people.

If more would live according to his teaching, the world would be a better place.

Everyone can do their part for our future, the question is which way we will choose.

We have experienced bad things, last year was terrible.

When life is bad, meditate; when life is good, meditate more!

It is not the things themselves that worry people, but the opinions and the judgments about the things

Epictetus - Greek philosopher - 50 to 138

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Chan Buddhist Wisdoms

A wise monk once proclaimed the following before his disciples:

Buddha encompasses all suffering, but all suffering is Buddha.

His disciples asked him, "Master, how is it that all suffering is Buddha?

The master replied, "He held the suffering of all living beings".

A discussion arose, a disciple asked, "Master, the Buddha's teaching is about overcoming suffering, then how can the great teacher hold all suffering"?

The monk replied, "Buddha was not born a Buddha, he was born an Indian prince. Growing up in his father's palace, he noticed the injustices of life; slowly an opinion solidified in him that later became the philosophy known today as Buddhism. On his long and rocky road to "enlightenment" he took on much suffering in order to better himself, to get closer to his goal."

"Exalted Master, when all suffering fell away from the Buddha, when he found "enlightenment", was not his sacrifice invaluable to humanity, to his followers?"

"Yes," spoke the monk, "the sufferings on his path Buddha also took upon himself for us, his followers on the middle path, he showed us by his example a way out of the everlasting cycle of suffering. Thus Buddha encompassed all suffering, but all suffering was gathered in Buddha."

"O venerable preceptor, the teacher of all teachers established philosophy when he found "enlightenment". When his successor Bodhidharma and Hui Neng founded Chan (Zen) Buddhism in Shaolin Temple, how did the evolution of suffering change?"

The monk answered, "Suffering is a very personal phenomenon, all living beings suffer, much like the historical Buddha also suffered. The successors and patriarchs also had their very individual experiences, different approaches; however, over the centuries, little or nothing has changed in the original philosophy. All life is suffering, the truth about suffering hovers over all people, but through the Buddha's worldview a way out of the eternal cycle of suffering" is offered.

For modern people of today (21st century), this means that we will also suffer as long as we have not implemented the Buddha's teaching, as long as we are attached to things, as long as we wish and want to realize our goals.

According to the Buddha's teaching, everything will come to us as it should, nothing we can do to change it.

One wisdom of Chan Buddhism is to sit better and wait for things to develop. In any case, it is better than actionism, wanting to have everything "immediately" and right away.

Suffering arises from desiring and wanting, because not fulfilling those desires brings us suffering.

Boredom: The desire for desires

Leo Tolstoy - Russian writer - 1828 - 1910

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Which "now" would you prefer?

We often hear that we should live in the NOW and in the TODAY.

But when we hear the complaints of our fellow human beings, most of them do not like the NOW and the TODAY at all, one gets the impression that almost all of them would like to have another "now".

Life is becoming more and more complicated, keeping track of events seems very difficult.

The earth races with abnormal speed through the universe, the universe is so unimaginably large, the stupidity of mankind likewise.

We cannot grasp things with our intellect, never. The "now" and the "here" are incomprehensible, cascades of energies, which are superior to every understanding.

No complaints help here, the world keeps on turning, no matter how unfairly we were treated, we have to accept the "now", no matter if it suits us or not.

And how terrible would the world be, if every person was allowed to build his own "now", if everyone wanted to become king, everything would be only chiefs, no more Indians existed?

But could it be that we can influence the "now", because the "now" is just a reflection of our thoughts, we de facto make our reality ourselves?

Today is always a really special day. Precisely because every day is special, even if we cannot (or do not want to) really appreciate this fact.

To mourn the past in the "now", or to digress into a (hypothetical) future, what good would that do?

The stupidity of mankind is becoming more and more violent, mental stress disorders have become the norm, psychiatry is seeing more and more patients, drugs and tablets against depression of all kinds are being prescribed more and more frequently, drugs and alcohol appeal to all those people who don't like it in the "now", who don't want to be "here" either.

As long as words like "charity" and "humanity" remain only empty shells, as long as the escape from reality (which according to Buddha does not exist anyway, at least not in the way it is commonly imagined) will remain the state to strive for, with all means and aids the illusion is tinkered with.

Which "now" would actually be preferred by all those who get high every day and shoot themselves into an artificial nirvana with intoxicants?

Could it be that the "now" is already nirvana? And needy people are running in the completely wrong direction?

Who believes that there is a better "now" than it is already now, he misjudges the life in this universe.

Anyway, the way is the goal!

If you want to know who you were, then look who you are. If you want to know who you will be, then look at what you are doing.

Buddha - honorary name of the Indian philosopher Siddhartha Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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The equanimity of the Buddhists

It is the story of the Buddha's discourse on equanimity, which is a central concept of his philosophy. By equanimity one should understand to show the same "courage" in every situation of life, however, equanimity is seen today as an inner attitude of calmness, which is free of nervousness or stress, with which even difficult situations are mastered in a level-headed way (Wikipedia).

From a Buddhist point of view, however, equanimity is probably more the attitude of treating all situations and living beings equally, especially not to make any distinctions between one's own "I" and that of other people. With equanimity, Buddhists confront agitation and inner turmoil, but they are never indifferent. Although equanimity and indifference seem very similar to outsiders, they are fundamentally different. The opposite of equanimity would be arrogance.

Who "knows" that his karma brings him exactly what is just now "on", he can be in any case equanimous. No matter whether a big crisis takes its course or not, the equanimous one accepts everything as it comes. You can also beat or praise the equanimous, his courage will always be the same, he will not react "sky-high-cheering" or "to-death-distressed", he will instead take things as they just come. He who constantly examines his actions for equanimity can begin the journey to "enlightenment."

Buddha explained to his followers how to become equanimous at this lecture.

"You must observe things very carefully, see them, hear them, smell them, taste them, feel them, think about them, and then realize that in doing so, feelings are triggered in you, "good" and "bad" feelings that drive you in one direction or the other. But we don't want to be driven in one direction, we want to come to peace. Whether they are "good" and "bad" sensations, we will soon be frightened by the vehemence of these emotions when we see that we are only driven, that we become the victim of these sensations. Whoever recognizes this will also understand that he can free himself from it, can no longer be driven in one direction."

"Only through observation and reflection can one understand, and is no longer helplessly at the mercy of the senses."

Thus spoke the Buddha.

Those who live in equanimity are inwardly liberated, as they will no longer feel suffering; they are equanimous even to suffering.

We must do our duties with discipline and equanimity, and then let go. Whoever can do this is liberated from suffering during his lifetime.

The way is the goal!

There is only one time when it is essential to wake up. This time is now

Buddha - honorary name of the Indian philosopher Siddhartha Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Better understand Buddhism

Understanding Buddhism from a Western perspective seems very difficult.

The great teacher has been dead for a very long time, and subsequent generations have changed his philosophy, sometimes significantly.

For many people in the West, Buddhism today is a religion, others see it as a spiritual practice, a worldview. Both views have in common that in essence a healthy life is propagated, the body should be particularly cared for.

Those who have traveled in Asia know that Buddhism has grown together with local customs over the centuries, and that superstition, mythology and pre-Buddhist views have in part been interwoven with the teachings of the teacher of all teachers.

Also, the "honoring of ancestors" and the "cultivation of traditions" are repeatedly cited, but without clarifying to what extent such thoughts would correspond to the views of Buddha.

Chan (Zen) Buddhism, founded by Bodhidharma in the Shaolin Temple of China, differs fundamentally from all other Asian styles. According to Bodhidharma, Chan (Zen) is about the "transmission of the teaching beyond words and sacred scriptures", as Buddha repeatedly instructed his followers to seek the solution to their questions "within themselves", and thus not to follow any "leader", but to rely on themselves.

According to Buddha, his followers should strive for personal "enlightenment" based on personal practice and experiential self-knowledge, and by no means fall into rituals or beliefs. The great teacher "knew" even during his lifetime that his worldview would also be elevated to a religion, and he spoke out against such a practice. It was clear to him that the human tendency to worship a higher authority would be a serious obstacle to his teaching.

Those who strive to find and walk the "middle way" are subject to all kinds of influences and doctrines, each lineage has its conventions, its forms, its particular practice of paying homage to Buddha. But Buddha did not want us to pay homage to him, he wanted us to embark on the middle path to finally begin the journey to "enlightenment".

All the cults that are cultivated in different countries and teachings, they are just a more or less useful prop to help not to let the teaching fall into oblivion.

But this does not put the ego to rest, but rather incites it that with the word "Buddhism" only a cover for new cults should be created.

As a beginner with Buddhism, one has a hard time. For my part, I follow the pure teachings of Buddha, as well as the expressions that his worldview has experienced through Bodhidharma in Shaolin Temple China.

Be where you are, otherwise you will miss your life

Buddha - honorary name of the Indian philosopher Siddhartha Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Down on your luck?

You feel downright pursued by bad luck, you have "the world" against you, everything is quite terrible?

Right now many people have the feeling to be stuck deep in the "shit", never to get out of it. Of course, the circumstances at the moment have a great influence on the psyche, but you can only improve your life yourself, who else should do it for you?

No whining and no complaining helps, and yes, the world is unfair, but why should it be fair?

What would be fair, and who is allowed to decide about it? You? Or me? Or everyone? Or not?

The feeling that just everything changes strongly, that is not deceptive, but according to Buddha life is change, it comes, remains briefly, then it goes again. Who now tries to hold on to people, things or moments will suffer, because NOTHING we can hold, everything is transient.

But whether such changes are good or bad, according to the great teacher, we should not judge, but only accept what may come.

Alone from the power of the thoughts it can become bearable, the life of the people is not determinable, and even whether we will have the right thoughts is questionable. Life is always about the same things, health, money, sex and prestige are so important to all of us.

The completely different worldview of Buddha focuses on "enlightenment", inner peace, wisdom and happiness are strived for, but without effort the goal cannot be reached.

So whoever feels constantly pursued by bad luck, perhaps it is also his own fault? How would it be if we were to apply the Buddha's teachings to ourselves over a certain period of time, as a trial, so to speak, for a week or so?

If we were no longer to divide things into "bad luck" or "good luck," what would come our way? But probably a form of contentment, because that would take away the sharpness of events, they would no longer affect us so directly.

It may be that a certain happiness is connected with the "simple things of life", but that is quickly transient, lasting real contentment, that is something completely different.

Well, not everyone is an enlightened person, nor does everyone strive for "enlightenment" either.

What is really important to us, what are the cornerstones of our being?

In any case, there is no accounting "in heaven", which ensures that we are pursued by the bad luck, that the world will conspire against us.

The way is the goal!

There are people who are born to be lucky and others who are destined to be unlucky. I was just unlucky

Maria Callas - Greek Soprano - 1923 to 1977

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On Monday I die

I'm going to die on Monday, that's a tough statement!

There are few central wisdoms concerning our stay on this planet, one of them is to live as if I would die on Monday.

After all, if I knew I was going to die on Monday, then various things would simply not be important to me today.

Then I would not need any planning beyond today, would do everything to enjoy today, would certainly and especially enjoy the things that otherwise annoyed me, because I know that I only have a few days left. Living in the HERE and in the NOW, not in the past, also not in the future, just concentrating on this moment, without "making" my head.

This day described above (Monday) is coming anyway, so why not see it as a good friend that will just come very soon.

If I did all the things I do on the premise that I will die on Monday, would I do things differently?

YES, of course. We always assume that we will see millions more wonderful sunsets, which is why we watch the present demise with boredom.

Our full-cask mentality makes us think that there are many many more beautiful days to come. And what if there are not?

If we knew for sure that we would die on Monday, then we would cherish the rest of life, stop desiring and wanting, release attachments, refrain from hatred and greed, and dissolve delusions.

We are who we are because we are meant to be what we are.

The fears are not really worthwhile, because we know that we have to die, why still be afraid of something; that makes no sense.

But in the HERE and in the NOW, that's where the music plays, when we appreciate more what we are doing right now, then we are on the middle path of Buddha.

Why the middle way?

This direction is mediating, calm and peaceful, not "sky-high", not "too-dead", a just way, fair and decent also towards oneself.

If you knew for sure that you would die on Monday, you would sit with your loved ones now, open a nice bottle, and enjoy being together once again. Celebrating life, bathing in a universe of moments, indulging in the moment.

Indulge yourself.

If you have a problem, try to solve it. If you can't solve it, don't make a problem out of it.

Buddha - honorary name of the Indian philosopher Siddhartha Gautama - 560 to 480 years before the year zero

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Facing fear with a smile

Fears sit deep and firmly rooted in every person, who says that he has no fears, is kissed by life.

No matter what the fears are, whether of the future, or of monsters, of the tax office, or of illness, we must learn to deal with the fears.

One way to reduce fears is to "make fun" of your own fears, to take a calmer attitude towards these bad feelings.

Smiling to face the fears, because we can change NOTHING anyway, no matter if we are afraid or not, it will come the way it is supposed to come, not the way we want it to come. Whether we worry, or a sack of rice falls over in China, the result is exactly the same. So we can also take a more relaxed position towards the adversities of life; if they will come at all, these adversities, because firstly it comes differently, and secondly than one thinks.

Which of our fears have really come true, which of our worries have paid off, what did we get out of "making up our minds"? Mostly everything turned out completely different, the fears were for nothing.

If fears are of no use at all, but if our ego gets out of control, then a completely different approach to fears could at least be worth a try? The next time you are plagued by fears, then try to embrace them (mentally), to see them no longer as a threat, but as a part of your life, which (from now and today) will become smaller and smaller, until (one fine day) you will no longer produce fears for yourself.

What is your biggest fear? After reading this text, imagine this "threat", pictorially and vividly. Then smile, smile at the fear, just as Buddha, resting in himself, smiled at all fears as well. His image on statues and portraits shows a peaceful, composed man who faced life with kindness. In any case, his likeness does not look as if he was worried or suffered from anxieties.

Whenever you are plagued by anxiety again, just think of the great Buddha, embrace your worries, and face whatever circumstances may come your way with a smile. You can't change anything about the circumstances anyway, it comes as it comes.

Only how you deal with it, that you can determine, whether smiling or grief-stricken, that is your decision.

The way is the goal!

There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way

Buddha - honorary name of the Indian philosopher Siddhartha Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Nirvana is within us

I am often asked about Nirvana, how "one" could reach it, what to do to get there?

My answer, that Nirvana is already in us, in ourselves, that disturbs people, more than it helps you, the concept of "Nirvana" unsettles people.

Whoever lives in the now and in the present, wants nothing and wants nothing, is happy without a wish, so to speak, rests in his mere existence, trusts in his fate and his karma, is already in Nirvana.

The flowers on the balcony, do they worry if we will water them tomorrow?

The birds in the garden, do they worry if there will be enough to eat tomorrow?

Your cat, does it worry about tomorrow?

No, only we humans worry about such things. All day long we worry, we nurse our fears, our ego drives us crazy, we develop neuroses, depressions, alcohol and drug problems, human behavior moves away from Nirvana, not towards it.

So it will be nothing, neither with Nirvana, nor with the "enlightenment" to strive for according to Buddha.

According to the teacher of all teachers, the human existence is only about reaching Nirvana, and about the "enlightenment" to strive for, otherwise about NOTHING.

And it is also not about tomorrow, but about the now and the here, right now is the right time to enter Nirvana, what tomorrow is, who knows?

Whoever stops worrying right now, whoever starts accepting his fate without reservations right now, whoever understands the philosophy of Buddha and allows the consequences, enters Nirvana right now, at this moment.

A life without worries, without need, without fear, in harmony with the universe, deeply and thoroughly entrenched in the Buddha's worldview, this is the Nirvana that all people talk about, but of which they have no idea.

How the individual person reaches his Nirvana, that is completely different, never one journey resembles another, how the person concerned reaches the realization may be completely different; the Nirvana however is for all travelers then simply unbelievable, peaceful and quiet, far away from all time, without country and without direction, colorless, but full of colors, homely and pleasant, but without order, filled with love, but loveless in the construction.

Not everyone will manage the step into the Nirvana today, perhaps he/she still needs a little time to detach himself/herself from all attachments first slowly, to look at the bodily things once again to realize then nevertheless that he/she will lose all things and every human being anyway one beautiful day, that he/she therefore better already enters the Nirvana exactly now, not only tomorrow.

Nevertheless, the way is the goal!

Nobody saves us, except ourselves. Nobody can and nobody must. We have to go the way ourselves

Buddha - honorary name of the Indian philosopher Siddhartha Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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Am I a Buddhist?

People's lives are terrible. From the moment life begins, it can also end.

The ways of a possible death are infinite, from "falling out of bed and breaking the neck" to "falling asleep peacefully in old age", everything is there.

We know that it can be "over" any moment, we know about the finiteness of being, nevertheless only the fewest are ready to really think about the connections once.

In Western culture, such reflection is not common, as our ancestors lived according to religious traditions based on a "relationship of superiority and subordination" with a god, thus leaving little room for independence.

Like all things, spirituality and faith are subject to change, gods came, some stayed, many passed away. Today, little is left of the former beliefs, houses of worship are hardly frequented, people have emancipated themselves from the old teachings in large numbers.

But because life is finite, and all cultures have thought about the meaning and nonsense of life, "modern" man is also looking for answers to his questions. In the course of history, a bizarre relationship to death, and thus also to life, often developed.

The teachings of Buddha put forward a completely different concept here, which is directed towards man himself. Not the higher "power" should fix it, but the individual himself in personal responsibility.

Surely you have already asked yourself if you are a "believer", if there is a God. In which teaching could there be "something to it"? Sure, we were raised and shaped in one way or another, but faith is something very personal. When I was growing up, for example, a Catholic was not allowed to marry a Protestant, that was sacrilege. Today, that's hardly the case anymore; higher-level questions of faith have now taken its place.

Buddhism takes a refreshingly different view of spirituality. The philosophy of Buddha has knowledge as its goal, no god has to be worshipped.

According to the great teacher, the focus is on "awakening" as the goal of man, an event to be achieved on one's own responsibility.

Self-responsible, these are quite unfamiliar sounds. No one to tell me what to do?

Perhaps you have already thought about the philosophy of Buddha? Would this teaching suit me? Bring me peace and tranquility?

It would be worth a thought!

The murdered one is not without responsibility in his murder. And the robbed is not blameless in his robbery. The righteous one is not innocent of the deeds of the evil one.

Khalil Gibran - Lebanese artist and poet - 1883 to 1931

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Have you ever passed a beggar who asked you for money, standing a can in front of him, asking for a teuro with a suffering face?

Surely your feeling was "with" the suffering fellow, probably you opened your heart, connected your mind with that of the other person, at least for a short moment.

The teaching of Buddhism is about liberation from suffering, about the absence of all causes of suffering. We all go through the same path of suffering, the so-called path of suffering, go through many things, birth, old age, illness, and in the end death is waiting.

Therefore, we can "empathize", because the situation is the same for all people, no one lives forever, everyone suffers pain, everyone has their desires, their disappointments, their successes, their "special" moments in life, which make up the respective, individual path of life.

Perhaps you ask yourself briefly what could have brought the beggar to ask you of all people for money here now, what stations have tipped the scales that he and you meet at this very moment, have a fleeting encounter. What has this person experienced, which experiences were formative, possibly you feel a feeling arise in you, the compassion. This is then usually connected with the wish that this person can free himself from his predicament, that he may free himself from the cycle of suffering.

Through the connection to this human being, in just this short second, from this we draw strength, this coupling between living beings is a small enlightenment, a feeling "with" the other creature, with its vulnerability, which shows us our own pain and suffering.

Compassion can be developed if one wants to. The opposite of compassion is schadenfreude and spitefulness, which also stem in part from our limited ability to "help", the feeling of being able to do "nothing", that makes us very unhappy.

Compassion is an emotion, but it should be used wisely, because giving up on ourselves out of compassion is not a smart solution either. Also, we must not lose heart because of the many bad events in this world, not despair at the badness we often experience around us. For Buddha said that we should not judge, not divide into "good" or "bad", but accept fate as it then comes.

When you meditate again, you should direct your compassion to the people you don't like, who make you uncomfortable, in doing so you can strengthen your compassion.

Because again, the journey is the destination!

You can't have passion unless you have compassion

Elizabeth Taylor - British-American actress - 1932 to 2011

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Does the match light the flame, or does the flame light the match?

Who came first, the hen or the egg?

Where does the energy that is in us come from?

Questions upon questions!

I maintain that we can control energies, especially those within us. We can also move energies within us, control them, direct them to every corner of our body. This is especially noticeable in yoga exercises, in Qi Gong and in sports in general.

Also, with these exercises we can nurture and increase the energies within us, we can even ration them. Of course, we can also waste them, drink and smoke too much, eat badly, not move, then the energies decrease visibly.

At the end of the day, our energies (Chinese: Qi) are to a large extent the oxygen we get from our breath, which is why maximizing our oxygen intake leads directly to more energy.

But where does the ignition energy come from, and why does it go out one fine day with death?

That in turn comes back to the most important question: who are you? And that leads to: where do I come from? Where am I going to go?

According to Buddha, we must take care of our body, take care of it, otherwise we will not be able to reach the mind, the six windows will be lost in the accumulation of garbage.

Where do you want the journey to take you? You are reading on a Buddhist website, so in any case you are interested in the search of the self. But easier said than done, where to get the discipline to maintain, strengthen, cultivate the fire?

Buddha taught his followers a fair amount of discipline, since the body is our vehicle, the six windows allow the energy to flow into us, no obstruction is acceptable.

The match is therefore us, which is ignited by the flame (our energy), thus also consumes our body thus also, since each match once burned down, has come to the end. Then we can still burn our fingers briefly at the end of the match, then the life energy of the body goes out, but your ego just not. The concept of rebirth means that we are born again, that there is more of us than just the ephemeral match.

It is always difficult for us humans to think about such connections, too terribly the fate with birth, illness, age and death appears. NOTHING will remain of the shell, alone the idea of the future makes us shudder.

But with death it is by no means finished. Where were you, before you were conceived?

The way is the goal!

Three fires are to be avoided, not to be entertained: the fire of lust, the fire of hate, the fire of delusion. And three fires are to be worshipped and practiced for true salvation: the fire of filial reverence, the fire of the good householder and the fire of pious giving

Buddha - honorary name of the Indian philosopher Siddhartha Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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As often as the term "dharma" is used linguistically, its definition is unclear.

According to Wikipedia, the word "Dharma" can include law, right and custom, as well as ethical and religious obligations and values, but also denote religion, ethics or morality in general, or concrete religious rituals, methods and actions.

But with a simple definition one cannot do justice to the term "Dharma", because through the "Dharma" we reach "enlightenment", we can therefore (according to the teachings of Buddha) determine life, death and any change with the right Dharma. The body is mortal, but do we know about the causes and consequences of our human existence, so with the "right" Dharma do we decide more wisely, or more consciously, for example with more mindfulness?

All day long we are busy, the work, the children, the car, the apartment, the hobbies, good food, the beloved TV evening, the sport, there is always enough to do. So much we would like to forget that at the end of all efforts we will die, so we always want to have something "to do", useful or not, just not thinking is the modern motto.

Then the result of any thinking can only be that life is finite and therefore terrible, the result makes us sad.

But whoever looks at human life openly and honestly, can actually only come to one conclusion, namely to the complete abandonment, to surrender, it is of no use at all to want to suppress these FACTS, but if we accept the finiteness of our fate, then we find the urgently needed salvation, the words of Buddha are true, the fears must first be conquered, only then the state of consciousness changes, the "enlightenment" comes closer.

The path of Dharma should be without judgment, without desires, without wanting, without craving, without hatred and without delusion, free from forms, according to the true Buddha nature in harmony with the universe.

Dharma is the truth propagated by the Buddha himself, virtuously and righteously following the noble eightfold path of the great teacher, through right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right meditation, following the teacher's path on his way.

Who am I?

Where do I come from?

Where am I going?

Can we (for ourselves, not for others) overcome the nature of change, "enter" deeper into reality, and then discover our "immortality"? For if the Dharma can determine life, death, and any change, then in the end it is all up to ourselves.

Is there a timeless reality without any form that exists unchanged, that is preserved?

Time is a great teacher. The misfortune: it kills its disciples

Buddha - honorary name of the Indian philosopher Siddhartha Gautama - 560 to 480 before the year zero

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The body will crumble to dust, this fate is in store for every human being.

Everything we see around us will disintegrate to dust, even the hardest steel will dissolve one day again into its atoms, which then perhaps form new connections, form themselves to other formations, naturally, or even again artificially.

NOTHING on this world is of continuance, not even the planet will remain, very probably it will either burn up, or freeze, or likewise disintegrate into its components.

We know this, but with the consequence of this "realization" we do ourselves very heavily.

For Buddhists this fact is no news, the followers of the Buddhist philosophy "know" about the finiteness of all beings and objects, therefore they also see behind the scenes, do not let themselves be deceived by the beautiful appearance.

If NOTHING is lasting, then NOTHING is really important, because NOTHING will remain as we would like it to be, and NOTHING has real use beyond the moment, ultimately peace can only come from realization.

Do you realize that the stories around you are NOT real, cannot be real?

This truth is difficult to "digest", people suffer greatly from their mortality. Since the beginning of time, spirituality and religion have been philosophized about, explanations have been and are being sought, gods have come, gods have gone.

Look down at yourself. NOTHING will remain, the flesh will decay, the bones will decay, what you see now will decay to dust, probably in not too distant time even the atoms will decay, which now represent your body. Your body will crumble to dust.

What will you do now with this realization? Will you make changes in your life?

According to the teacher of all teachers, the solution lies within us, not outside. Because the personality is not subject to decay, the "I" does not perish according to the philosophy of rebirth, but comes to form again in a new form.

Your body is perishable, but your "I" is not.

Buddha taught about the "enlightenment" that can end the cycle of rebirth, which interrupts the suffering of people. Life is suffering, the sentence stands firm. Disappointments arise from desires, because desires are not fulfilled, and the end of a person is clear. Only the time of departure is not, it is completely undetermined, and that is good.

Whoever realizes again and again that the body will pass away, can simply let go of the worries and troubles, because in the end all thinking is without any sense.

The body will turn to dust, rejoice in this fact, for you can do NOTHING about it.

Take time each day to sit quietly and listen for things. Pay attention to the sound of life, which vibrates within us

Buddha - also: Siddhartha Gautama (Pali: Siddhattha Gotama), founder of the religion named after him Buddhism - 560 - 480 before the year zero

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Who am I, that is the question of all questions.

Am I who I pretend to be, or am I perhaps someone completely different?

Which of the following statements can you agree with?

I am one with my body

I am independent of my body

I am both body and mind

I am neither body nor mind

I am only in my mind

I am not my spirit

I am more than just body and mind

I am only what can be seen

I am more than what can be seen

Who do you think you are? Could it be that man is more than body and mind?

Each of the above statements represents a meditation for a day. Write the sentence on a piece of paper and think about whether this statement applies to you.

I sit, therefore I am

Niraj -

Meditation puts us in touch with what holds the world together at its core

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - German poet - 1749 to 1832

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TODAY IS THE DAY FOR A LIFE BALANCE!

A balance sheet (Latin for balance) is a structured comparison of values. A life balance is the examination of positive and negative past events.

This also includes listing the equivalent value of the various actions, i.e. asking: "what has it brought me"? This quickly leads to a valuation of the events of the past.

Retreat to a quiet atmosphere and take a sheet of paper and a pen. Draw a line in the middle of the sheet, write "positive" on the left, then "negative" on the right.

Now enter the most important incidents of your life on the sheet, each in the correct column, it was as it was, it is as it is, don't gloss over anything.

All your troubles, missteps, your worries and hardships, your successes, your joys, the things you are proud of, the events you are ashamed of, write everything down, in keywords, openly and honestly to "yourself", do not lie to yourself.

The main goal of this exercise is reconciliation with your own "I", drawing a line at the end of the page. Buddhists are not supposed to judge, not to create categories, not to distinguish "good" and "bad", but here it is not about the judgement itself, but about the consequences of such a judgement.

Become aware of yourself, your person and personality, see your strengths and weaknesses, and make peace with the life that is on this page.

As Buddhists we know, the "karma" is already fixed for us, everything comes as it must come. We can not escape our destiny, even to fight against it brings nothing, but to complain even less. Make peace with your "I".

Because to find an agreement with your own "self", to create balance, reconciliation and peace within yourself, that is a very worthwhile goal.

Everything that happened was good, important in your life. You have become the person you are today precisely with and because of these events.

Another purpose of this life review is to reflect on sorrows and soges. And in retroperspective, did these negative emotions do anything, could you achieve anything with these feelings?

I don't think so!

When you are done with your life balance, then you should burn the sheet, close with the past.

Make peace with your self!

It was as it was, it is as it is!

The "karma" was their "karma"!

Everything we do has a consequence. But the wise and right does not always produce something favorable, and the wrong does not always produce something unfavorable

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - German poet - 1749 to 1832

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In a far away land, many many years ago, there lived a very poor woman. She had only the bare necessities, a dress, a pair of shoes, a coat. She never found enough to eat, she was always hungry. The people of the village did not like the woman, she smelled bad, and could rarely wash. Her dwelling was a nailed-together wooden shack without water or heating, on the very edge of the settlement.

This one winter was much colder than the season usually was, her situation was desperate. Completely exhausted, the woman lay on her camp, the supplies had run out days ago, she waited silently and lonely for her death.

Out of nowhere, the farmer's wife from the nearest farm came by, put her food on the floor of the hut, fed her and spoke kindly to her. The poor woman then recovered, the winter came to an end, and spring was at the door.

The poor woman took heart and set out to visit the kind farmer's wife. When she arrived at the farm, she stood in front of the door and called out to her: "Where have you been for so long, I have been waiting for you". The poor woman approached the farmer's wife to thank her. Then the peasant woman said, "you don't have to thank me. Some time ago I was in the temple when a learned master stayed there. He showed me my previous life in a mirror. I saw myself walking around in a forest when I fell and broke my foot. Because I could not walk any further, I starved to death in that forest, the animals were already eating at my body when you came along the way. Noticing my battered body, you were deeply frightened. But then you took all your courage and buried me in the ground, you didn't just leave me there. Now recognizing you in the mirror of the master, I then watched you. Since you had not left the hut last winter, I thought that you would be in a bad way. That is why I brought you food. You buried me once, I am very grateful to you for that. Please come in, wash yourself, and eat with us".

No sooner said than done. The farmer's wife gave the poor woman a brand new dress. As she sat at the peasants' table, washed and decently dressed, the peasant came in with his brother. The brother was immediately taken with the woman, who now even looked very pretty. Still at dinner, the two agreed, they became a couple.

Many years later, when happy children were already running through the house of the couple, the two talked about the errors of fate, and how unbelievably their paths had met. Then her husband came out with the language: "not only my sister-in-law was in the temple and looked into this mirror, I was also there. I saw myself standing in the midst of a happy family, with a dear wife and many children. Today I know that you were that woman, and the children are also like from that 'reflection'."

"Your kindness brought us together, your deeds from a previous life are the reason for our happiness today."

People are in a cycle of rebirths determined by their karma.

So, who buried you in the last life?

As nothing is too great for the spirit, so nothing is too small for goodness

Jean Paul - German writer - 1763 to 1825

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If our wishes are not fulfilled, we humans quickly become unhappy!

If you want to make a man happy, do not add anything to his wealth, but take away some of his desires.

Epicurus of Samos - Greek philosopher - 341 to 271 B.C.

The words of Epicurus are of Buddhist wisdom!

Therefore, with this text, I will try to take away some of their desires so that you can become a more content person.

Do you remember your last great wish, which was then fulfilled?

Please close your eyes and try to recall your feelings from that time. How was the time when you had this wish, how was it then when the wish came true? Can you recall these feelings?

Can you feel how you were looking forward to the fulfillment? And how did your feelings change after the goal was achieved?

Give yourself over to your memories, what was your mood like then?

Now think about your current, new wish, the thing that is bothering you at the moment.

Can you take your feelings from back then into today's wish, transport them, so to speak?

And does this change the new desire, or does it remain the same, does the desire perhaps become weaker, or even stronger?

Our desires are like little children; the more we give in to them, the more demanding they become.

Chinese proverb -

We all have far too many things around us. Many then treat the people around them like objects they own, carelessly and heartlessly.

What all have I acquired in the past, and what of it do I still need today, what do I really use?

How have I treated my fellow human beings in the past, and how could I do better for the future?

Do we really need so many things?

And the people around us, what if we took better care of them?

I personally wish for you now that you can be "wishfully happy" for a whole day.

The way is the goal!

A wish can lose by nothing more, than by the fact that it comes true.

Peter Bamm - German ship's doctor - 1897 to 1975

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In the course of Alexander the Great's campaigns, India came to have a kingdom in the northwest of the subcontinent, which was presided over by a Greek, King Menandros (Indian: Milinda), in the 2nd century before the year zero.

The work "Milindaphana", written in the Theravada Buddhist language of the time, reproduces the conversation between the king and the monk Nagasena, and explains the common understanding of Buddhism at that time.

From the work "Milindaphana" comes the following dialogue between the two men about nirvana:

"Venerable Nagasena," said the king, "can nirvana be described in form or shape by comparison, or explained figuratively?"

The monk answered him, "Venerable king, that is not possible; nirvana cannot be compared to anything."

The king said: "Venerable monk, I don't agree with that, Nirvana exists, there must be comparisons".

The monk answered him: "Venerable, I will convince you with an example, so I have a question, is there a world ocean, a universal ocean on earth"?

To which the king replied, "Yes, of course, all the seas of this world are united".

Now, venerable ruler: "How much water is there in this ocean, and how many living beings can be found in it"?

At this the king became very calm, then he replied, "It is impossible to measure the contents of the sea, and to determine the creatures living in it".

"But my king, the sea and its inhabitants exist, just as you say that nirvana exists, then everything should also be measurable".

Then the king said, "This question is far beyond my ability, I cannot do it".

"You see, venerable king," replied the monk, "although the world sea exists, it cannot be measured, nor can the living beings be counted or determined, just as Nirvana cannot be determined, although it also exists." "No comparison is possible, no form can reflect the size of the sea, no shape can be used as a comparison".

"But as an analogy I give you this: of the gods likewise no form, no size, no shape can be described, there are no comparisons for them." "So it is with Nirvana, where likewise no shape can be explained". "But Nirvana can still be described".

"Nirvana is like the lotus flower, free from all passion. It is like the water, it cools and quenches the thirst, it is like a medicine for the people, it provides a refuge, it soothes the diseases, it is a drink. It is like the sea that swallows the deceased, without a shore, it never overflows, never becomes full, it is full of unknown creatures. Innumerable waves of knowledge cover Nirvana, just as the sea is covered with them. Nirvana, like food, is the preservation of life, it gives the necessary powers, it gives the necessary beauty to all things and beings, it relieves the hardships of men, it, like food, relieves hunger."

"Nirvana is also like the spaces that neither come into being, nor pass away, nor age, nor die, nor appear, nor disappear, which exist infinitely and without limit."

"The Nirvana, like the precious stones, can fulfill all desires, awaken great joy and spread light".

"The Nirvana, like the noble woods, can spread beautiful fragrances, it can, like the foam of butter oil, take on a perfect color, smell incredibly good of virtue, and taste perfect.

"The Nirvana, like the peak of the mountains, is majestically towering, unshakable, almost inaccessible, waiting for the conquerors without passion". "It does not bend, does not cling, has, like the peaks, no feelings".

Thousands of candles can be lit by the light of one candle, without its light diminishing

Buddha -

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In every relationship between people one day the question arises whether "one" can, must or should forgive the other person for his words or deeds.

Whoever gives it any thought at all, can.

Who thinks about it longer, who should.

Who does not feel comfortable in his skin, must even.

When it comes to forgiveness, many people find it very difficult, the grievance often sits deep, "one" is hit, the things burden us. But why is one hit, but only because one's own expectations were not met.

Of course, you can simply suppress the painful memory, bury it deep in your mind's palace. But does that really bring anything?

The Buddhist way is to pass over the painful situation with forbearance and generosity, because Buddhists know that the perceived reality is only a felt one, that this event could be viewed through a different filter, and thus a completely different result would emerge.

Easy to say, but sometimes hard to do. So how can we forgive?

Now, when someone asks us for forgiveness, "making peace" is not so difficult, after all, our counterpart has "jumped over" his own shadow in the process, has "accepted" the consequences of asking for forgiveness.

The closer we are to the person, the easier it is for us to forgive this person, for example, we forgive family members or spouses much more easily. With "strangers" it is much more difficult to practice forgiving.

It also often helps to "let the grass grow over the matter", as anger, rage or disappointment often fade quickly.

And don't forget, simply asking for forgiveness already eases our pain a lot, as we quickly feel "loved" again, no longer feel offside, no longer see the act as "malicious."

At the beginning of a grievance (shortly after) we often cannot understand why the other person hurt us, we then have to sort out our feelings first. It is when thoughts are constantly circling around the hurt or the person who inflicted it on us that the coping process is just beginning. Take your time, because time heals all wounds!

After a certain time, the willingness to forgive increases, because the pain has become smaller, the feelings have sorted themselves out.

Now it can help to put ourselves in the position of the person who hurt us. Why did he/she do it? What were the motivations? And also the question whether we ourselves have not done something similar before, that helps in the process of forgiving.

Then comes the moment when we have to let go, check off the slight and the wrong, otherwise the bad emotions will "eat us up", we also keep circling around the same thoughts.

Can you recognize your own need for harmony and finally find peace?

You should forgive the other person to spare yourself, to allow your ego to be at peace again. This is first about you, only secondarily about the other person. Because you can only live together with your environment properly if you rest in your center.

The way is the goal!

Mistakes can always be forgiven, if you have the courage to admit them.

Bruce Lee - Sino-American actor - 1940 - 1973

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The constant striving for more, for further, for higher, for more beautiful, for harder. But what do all the things, the possessions bring us, does it have an added value, is it really worth "more"?

Less is perhaps more, because the more we possess, the greater our worries become.

The simple things in life are also quite wonderful, but do we really have an eye for their beauty?

Look around the room you are in, what catches your eye, what object (or creature) do you find beautiful? What catches your eye?

Go "inside yourself", what can you see simple beauty in now, at this moment?

Simple beauty can be found everywhere, all around us is nature, brutally good looking, and very dangerous.

Now look in the mirror, look closely at your reflection. Completely regardless of how you look, you are also beautiful, every person is beautiful in their own way, because all living things are also a part of nature.

The object that you just recognized in the room as "simply beautiful", this imprints itself exactly now in your memory, similar to a hypnosis this image appears from now on again and again in front of your inner eye, whenever you doubt the beauty of the world, "your object" will APPEAR like "magically".

Buddhists have binding guidelines based on mindfulness and cognition.

Within these principles, the reality behind the filled realities explains itself. True beauty comes from within, who hasn't heard this saying? However, you cannot "see" inner beauty, but you can very well "feel" it.

So what do you feel "in front of your inner eye" with the said object? Can you sense beauty and simplicity?

And if so, can you "take" the beautiful feeling into the next 5 minutes?

The opposite of "simple" is "complicated", real beauty rarely becomes "difficult", can only be real when it comes easily.

What did you learn while reading this text? Do you have more reality in mind now?

Buddhists are realists, not dreamers. Life is beautiful for those who want to see beauty, realistically appreciate things and living beings.

Buddhism involves a simple way of life that also teaches how to realistically appreciate beauty.

Do you have any plans for tomorrow? How about a walk in nature? In this exercise, find three things (or people you encounter) that are beautiful. Store this image in your mind.

From now on, pick a beautiful new image to store every day. Do this until there are many beautiful images stored in your memory palace.

The way is the goal!

For a woman beauty is absolutely more important than intelligence, because for men seeing is easier than thinking.

Lil Dagover - German film actress - 1887 to 1980

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Sometimes you wonder if your life is balanced, in a good balance?

The Chinese see balance in the symbol of yin and yang, which reflect concepts of Chinese philosophy. It is about opposing forces that are related to each other, also condition each other. To keep the balance, all things and living beings are subject to constant correction, if the pendulum swings too much in one direction, then it must be counteracted.

Especially we humans have the task to find our balance, because circumstances, events, feelings and moods bring us again and again "off course". Of course, this requires first of all a clearly defined course. What is your path, what do you have planned for your life?

The symbol of Yin and Yang stands for the relationship between things and people, also the terms are often equated with femininity and masculinity, they also stand for the contrast of good and evil, of strong and weak, of active and passive.

According to the Chinese concept of Yin and Yang, either one or the other force is more strongly represented in us. The S-shape of the symbol shows us how fluid life is and how fluid our balance must also be, how rest and movement must alternate.

So the cosmic balance is represented by Yin and Yang. But how can we achieve this balance "for ourselves"?

A good way to "knock on the door" of our own ego are two meditative exercises that correspond to Yin and Yang.

simple forward bend (yin)

Sit on the floor, stretch your legs straight out in front. Try to keep your back relaxed and erect. Breathe firmly but calmly for a few deep breaths, then bend forward as you exhale, the back makes an arch, the chin goes to the chest, the legs stay pushed through, if possible the hands enclose the feet. Hold the position as long as you feel comfortable (at least 10 breaths).

With an inhale, slowly return to the starting position, vertebra by vertebra. Repeat the exercise at least 5 times.

simple backbend (yang) half moon

Now stand, hands above the buttocks with palms up, bend backward with an inhale vertebra by vertebra, hold the position for at least 10 breaths.

Repeat the exercise at least 5 times.

The cosmic balance is within us, we ourselves have to find the balance that suits us. We humans are never completely in balance, the "inner center" is a perpetual struggle within us!

Life is like riding a bicycle, to keep the balance, you have to keep moving

Albert Einstein - Theoretical Physicist - 1879 to 1955

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or: Five Simple Precepts for Chan (Zen) Buddhists

We know about the suffering life, about the real causes of suffering.

Buddha taught that life consists of suffering, at least until we have experienced "enlightenment".

The main statements of Buddha are the "four noble truths" and the "noble eightfold path" of Buddha.

But how can these statements be integrated into daily life?

1st precept: I do not harm other beings

"Thou shalt not kill" is well known to us as the fifth commandment from the Bible. The Buddhist commandment goes far beyond this; according to the philosophy of the great teacher, we should also not harm other people, either physically or psychologically.

Many followers of the doctrine also extend this commandment to other living beings, to whom we must not harm, and whom we therefore should not kill. But where is the line here? Are we allowed to eat plants just because they do not "feel" pain? Are we allowed to eat animals that we have not killed ourselves?

Here Buddha himself did not leave any specific instructions, we have to decide for ourselves where this limit is for us personally.

2nd commandment: I take only what is offered to me

This is the Buddhist version of the seventh commandment of the Bible: "You shall not steal.

So we are not supposed to take anything, but we can politely ask if we can have something.

However, I personally see in this also the commandment to share willingly with others.

Why should one share?

Sharing means to generously "make available" to others the hard work we have put in to acquire money or objects, to let them "share" in it.

3rd Commandment: I do not abuse sex

Sex is the most natural thing in the world; there is no reason to be ashamed of one's sexuality. As long as sexuality is practiced with mutual consent it is good and important.

However, we should not "use" sex to achieve something, such as leverage, or as a means to an end.

4th Commandment: Right Speech, True and Sincere

In the Bible, the eighth commandment is "You shall not lie."

Lying is human, and yet it is a cause of much suffering, as it can hurt the feelings of fellow human beings. Many criminal acts are also based on lies (grandson trick),

Even the German poet Wilhelm Busch said, "Whoever tells you he has never lied, don't trust him, my son!"

Lying is human - and yet it is so harmful.

The thing to remember here is that truth is subjective; what one person believes to be true is false and untrue to another.

Don't bend the truth, don't manipulate; better not say anything if you are not sure.

Practice the art of truth and right speech!

5th Commandment: Do not abuse intoxicating substances

Whether alcohol, medicines, stimulants, or drugs, the effects of substances do not affect everyone the same. Some people can tolerate an unbelievable amount of alcoholic beverages, others are groggy after one glass.

Mostly, however, the use of such substances is followed by a clouding of the senses, the boundaries become blurred, things are done that would never have happened "sober".

A good glass of wine with dinner is not abuse, a few cigarettes a week is not yet addiction. Standing in front of a liquor store, trembling with desire, waiting for it to open, that is self-imposed ruin.

A people that does not respect the Ten Commandments is a lost people.

Theodore Roosevelt - US American politician and 26th President of the USA

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Warm apple pie, a good coffee, a cozy house, the simple pleasures of life are all around us, but sometimes we can't easily notice them because our mind wanders restlessly.

Looking closely, there are very many simple but important things that we like, but we overlook them because many things distract us. However, if we look closely, it is not the environment that distracts us, but it is always our "I" that feeds us thousands of pieces of information that are also constantly changing.

But it is important to connect the wanting with the imagination in order to perceive in the "here" and in the "now" these simple pleasures as well. We want many things, but can we then imagine them, connect them to our horizon?

If we direct our will to the simple joys of life, can the imagination also classify these things as "joys"? Only when the will and the imagination are in harmony, only then will we perceive the simple pleasures as such.

Think about the joy of a cozy home, how nice it feels to sit in a warm room, snugly wrapped up, looking through the window at the winter landscape outside.

Do you want to enjoy simple things, or do you strive for "more"? And why not really appreciate the simple pleasures for once?

Winter and the Christmas season give a lot of contemplative moments for people who can see true beauty and joy also (or especially) in the incidents of everyday life, do not have to digress "to the stars".

"Buddhism in everyday life" is the motto of this blog, and everyday life is full of things that come to us, just happen around us. Happy are those who feel these simple things as a gift, can enjoy them.

Admittedly, the situation can always be difficult for everyone, good and not so good things happen. So a bit of satisfaction about the actual state would be a step forward, don't you think?

It is the simple things that make life beautiful, the warm look of friends, the brief moment of the sunset, the kiss of our loved ones, the feeling of happiness after a workout.

Bring your wanting into harmony with your imagination about the simple pleasures of life. From this harmony then comes contentment and happiness.

Life can have no other goal than happiness, joy. Only this goal - joy - is fully worthy of life. Renunciation, the cross, devotion of life, everything for joy.

Leo Tolstoy - Russian writer - 1828 to 1910

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Everything that belongs to me, I carry with me!

All the things we think we own, do they really belong to us?

Is it "my" property, "my" car, or may I only "use" it?

Are they "my" children, "my" wife, do these people belong to me?

Probably not. If one also considers the fact that we will die, then it is obvious that NOTHING belongs to us.

The true and valuable possession, that lies in the qualities of the character, not in material things. Also, education and skills are infinitely important, material things can be lost very quickly, but our knowledge is not.

Those who now define themselves mainly by outward appearances will probably read no further, the statements then shake the world view.

What values do you want to convey to your environment? What is really important in life? Where do you want to go?

Our homes are mostly crammed with useless stuff, accumulated over the years, what of it do we really need? Do we need all the things stored in our basements? And all the goods waiting for buyers in the stores of this world, do we need all of them too for perfect happiness?

The trend of a minimalist lifestyle is now coming to us from Asia, and in times of crisis, money is no longer so loose anyway. The lockdown is a good opportunity to comprehensively tidy up, clean out, and part with a lot of things. What you haven't touched in the last six months, you don't need anymore, that can go. Maybe other people need exactly these things that are in your basement. In the meantime, here are many exchange apps, where the neglected treasures can quickly find new owners.

Truly happy people do not endlessly accumulate possessions, because they know that material things are not "real". Real are feelings, love, warmth, and of course humanity and mindfulness.

Instead of accumulating things, you should strive for interpersonal merit. Following these lines, make one of your loved ones happy, just call, speak kind words, full of understanding and affection.

I know some very wealthy people who are so not happy at all. Then I have others in my circle of acquaintances who have almost nothing, but always seem cheerful and good-humored.

Monks have no possessions; when they take their vows, they become propertyless. Especially in Buddhist monasteries, strict attention is paid to this rule, because according to Buddha, in the "want" and "desire" is seen a major cause of suffering.

Seize the opportunity and bring order to your possessions.

The things you have are ultimately your possessions

Brad Pitt - US actor and film producer - born 1963

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Hard times are coming again! There it is important to be (or to become) mentally strong.

Some of us easily "get over" difficulties, others have their problems with the situation, worry more, take everything very much to heart.

But how can you gain more confidence, become mentally stronger?

Let me go a little further by showing what mental strength actually is.

I understand mental strength to mean that people regulate their emotions, interpret their own thoughts in a positive way, and make the best of the situation.

According to Buddha, we can change little or nothing about the situation anyway, karma determines the way, so why not at least look at every event calmly?

To achieve mental strength, we humans first need a goal. What goal do you have? Anyway, whoever reads here on this blog is interested in Buddhism, so why not delve deeper into the Buddha's teachings? According to the great teacher, a person's goal should be to overcome suffering. According to his philosophy, this is accomplished by striving for "enlightenment," as this awakening ends all suffering.

A person who strives for mental strength does not necessarily have to be a Buddhist; nevertheless, he/she needs a goal, whatever it may be.

In life, even for mentally strong people, not everything always goes according to plan. Many things go "wrong", not all undertakings succeed, setbacks are part of life. This makes it all the more important not to take the failures and stumbling blocks too much "to heart". Consider these adversities as lessons of the universe, lessons of fate, not as "personal" failures.

Also very important for mental strength is to know yourself well. Do you know yourself, your fears, your feelings, your habits, your attachments? If not you should think about it once quite simply!

What are your standard reactions?

Are you able to be alone with yourself?

Do you have a healthy self-esteem?

Do you put your needs behind those of other people?

Do you promote your talents?

Where do you see your weaknesses?

Do you own up to your mistakes and weaknesses?

Are you a believer, or do you follow a philosophy?

Are you responsible in dealing with yourself, and also with others?

Do you always deal with problems first, or do you think quickly about solutions?

Do you lead a mindful and grateful life?

If you don't have goals, you can't be mentally strong, without a concrete task, you "swim" through the universe without ever seeing a shore. What do you want to achieve with your life?

After defining the goal, it is time to implement a plan. So-called "if-then plans", i.e. the determination of further "intermediate goals", always help here. What will I do when I have achieved this or that?

Keep your goal clearly in mind, focusing on positive emotions. How does it feel to have achieved this or that goal? Go through your steps "mentally", practice it.

Most of the time, plans fail because of life's big fears. What if I fail? What if I do something wrong? What if others laugh at me? There are millions of fears, but only one suitable path for you, the path of the middle, which was predetermined for you (karma).

Become the person you can be! Follow your karma!

When you are strong, you love stronger

Henry James - US writer - 1843 to 1916

Buddhism in daily life - Mindfulness in every day tasks: Recent Episodes

Shaolin-Rainer