Learning from Paris

How to react to the Terrorist attacks in Paris?

There are different ways to deal with the recent terrorist attacks in Paris. It is of course important to support and care for the victims and their families, to improve the security strategy, and to consider any measure to prevent similar tragedies to occur in the future. With respect to how our societies can react to such a threat, a lot has been discussed in the public discourse, and I do not think that I could add something valuable to the debate. This posting instead tries to focus on the more personal level.

Are we at war?

Recently, much has been written about war. The french president Hollande declared that "France is at war", and even Pope Francis seems to consider the attacks as a part of a "piecemeal third world war". I believe, this is a very dangerous image. The idea of war creates fear and hatred in people's minds, and right now, more than ever, decisions need to be taken calmly and without being driven by emotions or public opinion. No-one denies that one needs to be cautious, and should do everything to prevent further threats. Still, we need to be very attentive that we do not allow our minds to be poisoned.

Via his twitter account, the Gyalwang Drukpa requested that "we must wage war against acts of terrorism with courageous acts of love". This may sound naive and esoteric in the light of the danger at hand. Still, if one thinks about it thoroughly, there is some truth to it.

Who is our enemy?

Recent teachings with Trehor Lama at the Bodhi Path, Renchen-Ulm

Personal Note

Let me start with a personal note. If you followed this blog during the past few weeks, you might have noticed that there has been a drop in the frequency of blog posts. The main reason for it wasn’t a lack of ideas or enthusiasm. It was simply due to being very busy with working and traveling. 

Unfortunately, this situation is not going to change for some more weeks, but I will try my best to update this blog whenever I find some spare time. Writing blog posts has generally been a great source of joy during the past months - so, don't worry, this blog will keep going...

With Trehor Lama in Renchen-Ulm

Trehor Lama, Bodhi Path Renchen-Ulm

During the past years, I had the fortune to accompany Trehor Lama several times to the Bodhi Path Buddhist center in Renchen-Ulm. Each of these visits has been a source of great inspiration and happiness. This time, the topic of the course was again very promising: "How does one become a Bodhisattva?". The teachings did not fall short of anyone's expectations. Following from here,you will find a short summary of some of the major points Trehor Lama made. Some of the points may be essential for Dharma practice. They will of course be mixed with my own thoughts about the subject. 

Develop confidence in our own mind!

During the first session, Trehor Lama stressed the importance of developing confidence in our own mind and its inherent qualities. Even though there are many Buddhist teachings that prove the non-existence of a truly existent, permanent mind, these are not meant to annihilate the most subtle workings of our mind, i.e. our Buddha nature. 

Grandfather and Grandson, or How to Respect the Older Generation?

When reading Grimm’s fairy tales to my son, I came across the wonderful tale of "The Old Grandfather and His Grandson”. I think this tale works very well, because it directly hits the mark. No-one wants to suffer and everyone wants to be happy, but we so easily forget that this holds true for others as well. From my little experience with old-age homes, it seems that some people even don't notice that it holds true for their parents as well...

In any case, the tale inspired me to write a modern adaptation in German which I also tried to translate into English: