The influence of Buddhism on modern society. The role of world religions in the modern world
The place where the Buddhist traditions of the Hinayana direction are preserved is the island of Sri Lanka, also called the “Island of Buddha” (Buddhadvipa). On this island in the 1st century. BC. The Buddhist canon "Tipitaka" was written down. Sri Lankans believe that Buddha chose their island to preserve Buddhist teachings in its original form.
Several relics sacred to Buddhists have been preserved on the skeleton. One of the most revered ones is kept in Kandy in the Dalada Maligawa Temple. This is the Buddha's Tooth. According to legend, at the moment of cremation (burning is the usual method of burial in India) of the Buddha’s body, one of those present snatched a tooth from the fire. For 8 centuries the tooth was kept in India, but in the 4th century, during internecine wars, it was decided to take this relic to a safe place - to Sri Lanka. There, in the beautiful temple that was built, it is still kept. Believers cannot see it - after standing in a huge queue, you can look at the golden reliquary (a box for storing this relic) with a shrine. Once a year, during the Perahera festival, held in honor of the Tooth Relic, the Tooth in a casket is taken out of the temple. However, there is a version that in the 16th century. The Portuguese captured this relic and burned it, and there is a fake in Kandy. But Buddhists consider this a lie. On “Buddha Island” many Buddhist manuscripts have been preserved, and many ancient festivals continue to be celebrated.
In the twentieth century, after Sri Lanka gained independence, Sri Lanka began to be called the “Buddhist Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka”. In addition to the lion holding a sword, the Sri Lankan flag features leaves sacred tree Bodhi, under which Buddha achieved enlightenment, and main color flag - orange - the color of the robes of a Buddhist monk. The national flower of the island is the blue lotus, a symbol of truth, purity and holiness, with which Buddha is often depicted.
The assumption of office by the president of the republic, the prime minister and senior officials is accompanied by Buddhist rituals: the heads of the community place on their heads the symbol of the supreme state and religious power - the Tooth of Buddha. Buddhist monks are members of many political parties and Buddhist public organizations.
Currently there are about 8 thousand monasteries and temples on the island. Many people who visited Sri Lanka after the giant tsunami that devastated the island in December 2004 say that most of the Buddhist buildings, even surrounded by completely destroyed houses, were hardly damaged. Residents attribute this to the intercession of Buddha. Many people found shelter in them.
Another region in which Buddhism is the predominant religion is the Indochina Peninsula. The largest communities of believers are located in Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Hinayana Buddhism is widespread in Vietnam, while Mahayana Buddhism is widespread in all others.
In Thailand, the patron and protector of the church is the Thai king. There are many Buddhist educational institutions, the main ones being Mahamakut and Maha Chulalongkorn universities. Buddhist religion and morality are included in the curriculum in secular educational institutions.
In Cambodia, about 90% of the population professes Buddhism. But this was not always the case - for example, in 1975 - 1979, when Pol Pot ruled the country, the Buddhist community was banned, monasteries were closed, and believers were persecuted. Buddhism was again recognized as the state religion in 1990. The number of the Sangha is gradually increasing, and Buddhist holidays are being revived. The Constitution of Cambodia states that the basis of the ideology of the state is the principle of “Nation - Throne - Religion”.
The fate of Buddhism in China is interesting: in the 1st century. The first Buddhist monks arrived in China along the Great Silk Road from Central Asian countries. They were supporters of the Hinayana, but it turned out that Confucianism and Taoism (religions of China) have great amount adherents, and for 300-400 years there were very few Buddhists. Later, there were more and more Buddhists in China, partly because the Mahayana branch of the Buddhist religion became widespread. Under the influence of traditional Chinese religions, many Buddhist schools arose. One of the most famous, which appeared in the 5th century, is the Chan school. The main emphasis on achieving nirvana in this school was not on long-term achievement, but on “sudden insight.” To get it, believers meditated, solved paradoxical problems, and did breathing and gymnastic exercises (developed, for example, in the art of martial arts). It was also possible to achieve nirvana through some unworthy behavior - for example, loud laughter or a sharp shout.
In the twentieth century, Chinese Buddhism was in decline. And if at the beginning of the century this was due to the actions of the ruling Manchu Qing dynasty (1640 - 1911), which supported Tibetan Buddhism, then later - political processes in Chinese society itself. For example, in 1949 the Chinese People's Republic, in which the state sought to control the Buddhist community. And when the so-called “cultural revolution” took place in the country, Buddhists were persecuted, like representatives of other religions. I remember how, in response to my question “Who is Jesus Christ and what is Christianity,” asked to Chinese students studying the culture of Ancient Rus', they shrugged their shoulders in surprise: “We don’t know.” This was only ten years ago, and the students already had experience studying at Chinese universities. It turned out that they have no idea about other religions, since atheistic ideology is promoted in society and they do not study such subjects as, for example, “History of Religion.”
However, ten years have passed, a lot has changed in the People's Republic of China, and when in the summer of 2004 I found myself in China and visited a huge Buddhist complex in Harbin, I saw a large number of believers coming there for services, they were holding printed collections in their hands prayers and chants and said them together with the monks throughout the rather long service. The believers did not fit inside the temple and surrounded it on all sides, standing facing it and periodically kneeling down. The sight of hundreds, and maybe thousands of people, praying and bowing in one impulse, made a rather strong impression on me.
Concluding this lesson, I would like to note that in recent decades the religious practice of Buddhism has changed:
On the one hand, an increasing number of believers are trying to simplify rituals - they are trying to “gift” more deities - bringing
Conclusion
BUDDHISM IN THE MODERN WORLD
Every cult, every creed and every religion is a sociocultural project. And most of them are implemented - if they are implemented - on a purely local scale, both geographical and social. Only three such projects managed to overcome local boundaries and turn into world, global religions.
Of these three projects, the Judeo-Christian project has the widest scope. The Islamic project is inferior to the first in scale - however, given current trends, it can be assumed that this situation will change relatively soon (according to a recent statement by the Vatican, the number of Muslims in the world has exceeded the number of Catholics). As for the Buddhist project, despite the persistent interest in Buddhism in the Euro-Atlantic area, it still remains largely a local project; on the other hand, Buddhism is practiced primarily in countries with the largest populations, therefore, despite the relative geographical limitations of Buddhism, this faith is rightfully considered a global one.
At home, in India, Buddhism virtually ceased to exist, supplanted by Hinduism and Islam. Outside India, several “reserves” of Buddhism have been preserved, preserving, to one degree or another, the original purity of the teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni - Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar (Burma); Late Buddhism was “canned” in Tibet. In other Asian countries, primarily China and Japan, Indian Buddhism underwent a transformation, in some respects quite significant, which allowed researchers to consider national forms of Buddhism, primarily Chinese Chan Buddhism and Japanese Zen, as independent directions along with Theravada and Mahayana and Vajrayana.
The status of a world religion implies that a particular faith has gone beyond the boundaries of its original territory: this is how Christianity and Islam found their current position and this is why Hinduism cannot be considered a world religion, although the number of its adherents is 13 percent of the world’s population (Buddhists in total, according to various estimates, from 6 to 8 percent). Buddhism went beyond the borders of Asia and spread throughout the world thanks to the penetration of Europeans into Asia and due to the fact that the West became seriously interested in Asian cultures and Asian mentality; this interest led to the fact that Westerners began to comprehend “Eastern wisdom” and tried to fit it into the world context. As a result, from a predominantly Asian (even East Asian) faith, Buddhism turned into a religion of universal nature, and this transformation gave rise to the American researcher M. Baumann to propose the term “global Buddhism”; Thus, the current “global”, world Buddhism is separated from canonical Buddhism (from its origins to the reign of King Ashoka, 3rd century BC), historical (from Ashoka to the end of the 19th century) and renaissance (from the end of the 19th century). Of course, this periodization looks too general and therefore controversial, but one cannot help but admit that in relation to the modern, “transnational” stage of the development of Buddhism, it seems quite justified. The “globalization” of Buddhism is a natural consequence of globalization as such, affecting all spheres of life and activity of the current human community; Unlike Christianity - let us remember the history of the Middle Ages and the New Age - Buddhism is not implanted, but is accepted on other soils, like a plant whose seeds, being carried by the wind far beyond the boundaries of its usual area, sprouted and sprang up in a foreign land.
Of course, the “globalization” of Buddhism does not mean that modern Buddhism abandons traditional values: there is only an “adjustment” of these values, doctrines and practices to a broad, “non-Eastern” (and Eastern, by the way, too) perception. An example of such an “adjustment” is the technique of meditation. Domestic researcher of Buddhism A. Agadzhanyan writes: “Meditation has always been central part Buddhist esotericism, but exclusively monastic and “virtuoso”. In the 20th century, everything changes: meditation becomes the property of the laity, not only in the West, but also in Asia: mass lay meditation becomes a reality of urban Asian Buddhism starting in the 1950s and 1960s. (The exception is China, where meditation, on the contrary, remained the lot of conservative “clerical” groups of Chan Buddhism). This secularization and democratization of virtuoso monastic practice is very reminiscent of the classical Protestant trend. Naturally, the forms of meditation are simplified. Further, meditation becomes contextless to such an extent that it is not only mixed with other practices, but can also be completely divorced from its actual Buddhist roots (for example, in non-religious meditation centers or within New Age syncretism). The purpose of meditation is also changing significantly: from an esoteric form of deep mystical experience, it becomes a psychotherapeutic tool, more focused on healing and accessible to the masses of the laity.”
Like other spiritual and religious doctrines, Buddhism exists in two “guises” - there is a stricter, more formalized monastic Buddhism and there is folk, popular Buddhism, often absorbing local traditions and elements of other religions. In addition, in recent years, especially in the West, there has been a tendency to divide Buddhist communities into “born” and “converted” Buddhists. This division gradually became so obvious that some researchers began to speculate about the existence of “two Buddhisms” - the traditional one, characteristic of ethnic communities, and the “dynamic” one, characteristic of neophytes. The first of these two Buddhisms can be called a secular version of monastic Buddhism, while the second is much less formal and often seeks to combine Buddhist concepts with the doctrines and methods of other religious systems: especially often, various yogic practices are “attached” to Buddhism, and Buddhist ideas themselves are interpreted in theosophical spirit, following such Western “gurus” as R. Steiner, A. Besant and others.
Modern “global” Buddhism is characterized by another phenomenon that is practically unknown to classical Buddhism - this is the emergence of the institution of missionary activity as a social phenomenon. Buddha Shakyamuni also called for spreading the Dharma, but missionary work in the Western understanding of this phenomenon did not exist in Buddhism. The appearance of Buddhist missionaries is an obvious result of the interaction between East and West; Moreover, this missionary work, primarily, of course, in the West, acquired such a scale that sociologists proposed the term “evangelical Buddhism.”
It was within the framework of “evangelical Buddhism” that such a phenomenon as network Buddhism arose: transnational spiritual networks scattered throughout the world. According to A. Agadzhanyan, “the growth of such forms was facilitated by the fact that in Buddhism, as in Protestantism (unlike Catholicism, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism), there is no pronounced administrative or even sacred-symbolic center. Global “networks” are usually created around charismatic teachers, usually practicing in the West, and sometimes of Western origin, but identifying themselves with a particular tradition or school: most often these are various subtraditions of Zen and Tibetan Buddhism, less often the “pure land” tradition “and Theravada.”
Most shining example network Buddhism - the “Society of Insight through Meditation” (USA), created after the Second World War on the basis of the Theravada tradition around the Burmese teachers U Ba Khin and Mahasi; Today this society has more than 50 permanent centers around the world. Another example is the English organization Friends of Western Buddhism. One can also recall numerous groups of Zen enthusiasts and followers of Tibetan Buddhism (in particular, the network organized by the Danish adept of the Karma Kagyu Lama Ole Nydahl) and the Japanese organization Soka Gakkai International, and in Russia various “Dharma centers”, as well the Manjushri Society, which promotes Tibetan Buddhism of the Gelugpa school.
As for Buddhism in its “original” territory, in the South- East Asia, in the last decades of the 20th century he largely abandoned traditional apoliticality and asociality. In this region (and further throughout the world), “engaged Buddhism” is spreading - Buddhism that is interested in the life of an “illusory” society, committed to charity and allowing active participation in political activities.
Thus, in Sri Lanka in the 1980s they tried to introduce a “Buddhist economic model” (in the spirit of the natural “Buddhist economy” of E. Schumacher). In Sri Lanka and other Theravada countries, the Buddhist sangha actively participates in political activities and even from time to time resorts to radical methods of influencing society (it is enough to mention the recent monastic protests in Myanmar). In Japan, the Buddhist political party Komeito is popular and has strong influence. The same clear example“engaged Buddhism” - the activities of the 14th Dalai Lama. Forced to leave Tibet after Chinese aggression, this man, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, by the end of the 20th century acquired the symbolic status of the “all-Buddhist father,” a kind of Buddhist pope. He is a public figure, the personification of freedom, non-violence and Eastern “spirituality”; among other things, the surge in popularity of Tibetan Buddhism in the West is largely due to the activities of this Dalai Lama.
As A. Agadzhanyan writes, “Buddhism in the global era is, as it were, constructed anew and interpreted based on a specific context and specific interests. Traditional, archaic Buddhism does not meet the requirements of globality, and therefore a purely reformist attitude towards a “return to the true teaching”, “purification of the core” is included. For example, Buddhism is “cleansed” of traditional syncretism, of “historical layers,” and of non-Buddhist beliefs and practices. This trend led to the formation of a kind of intellectual, rational, and even “scientific” Buddhism, based on such, somewhat exaggerated and taken out of context, features of the postulated “true Buddhism”, such as reliance on experience, critical thinking, knowledge of the internal connections of the world, the absence of a “monotheistic god”. Although institutionally such rational Buddhism in its purest form was never a noticeable phenomenon, this image had a huge influence on the perception of Buddhism as a whole and on the flexibility with which its individual elements acquired global distribution. It was precisely such simple, rational blocks that were included in the dialogue with other ideas and practices. Cleansing itself of “archaic,” historically spontaneous syncretism, the so-called “pure Buddhism” became part of a new, intentional syncretism.”
However, at the end of the 20th century, there emerged - again, primarily in the West - interest in the so-called “Buddhism of the flesh.” This term refers to a set of Buddhist psychopractices, mainly Vajrayana, tantric, postulating the unity of body and soul, as well as all kinds of recipes and rules of “Oriental medicine”. The growing popularity of such Buddhism raises concerns among representatives of other faiths: for example, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) once called this Buddhism a dangerous form of autoerotic spirituality.
In general, the position of Buddhism in modern world stable and stable, especially in comparison with the situation of Christianity. Probably the reason for this is that, as M. Malherbe wrote, “Buddhism, and this is its specificity, keeps alive all forms of spirituality that it gave rise to over the centuries.” long history of its development." Buddhism is extremely tolerant - history, for example, does not know Buddhist religious wars - and fits perfectly with the Western concept " universal human values" Moreover, Buddhism willingly accepts other religions and cults or coexists with them. The 14th Dalai Lama, in one of his interviews, when asked whether he sees any possibility of integrating Christianity and Buddhism in the West, answered as follows:
“It depends on what you mean by integration. If you mean the possibility of integration of Buddhism and Christianity within society, their coexistence, then my answer will be in the affirmative. However, if you see integration as the creation of some kind of complex religion, which in essence is neither pure Buddhism nor pure Christianity, then I consider this form of integration impossible.
Of course, it is realistic that in a country where the dominant religion is Christianity, someone decides to follow the Buddhist path. I think it is also very likely that a person who is generally a Christian, who accepts and believes in the existence of God, will decide at some stage to incorporate some of the ideas and techniques of Buddhism into his practice. The teachings of love, compassion and kindness are present in both Christianity and Buddhism. In particular, many techniques aimed at developing compassion, kindness and similar qualities can be found in the Bodhisattva Vehicle. These techniques can be practiced by both Buddhists and Christians. It is quite acceptable for a person, while remaining an adherent of Christianity, to decide to undergo training in the techniques of meditation, concentration and one-pointed concentration of the mind. While remaining a Christian, a person can practice some principles of Buddhism. This is another acceptable and very viable type of integration.”
Perhaps this is why, despite its very respectable age, Buddhism remains relevant and in demand to this day.
India
Buddhism began to lose influence in India in the 7th century, and in the 12th century, after the fall of the Pala Empire, it disappeared from all but the northernmost regions of the Himalayas. IN late XIX There was a revival of Buddhism in India when the Sri Lankan Buddhist leader Anagarika Dharmapala founded the Maha Bodhi Society with the support of British scientists. Their main goal was to restore the Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India and they were very successful in building temples at all Buddhist sites. All these temples have monks.
In the fifties of the 20th century, Ambedkar founded the neo-Buddhist movement among the untouchables. Hundreds of thousands of followers joined the movement to escape the stigma of belonging to this lower caste. In the last decade, interest in Buddhism has also been growing among the urban middle class. Buddhists now make up about 2% of India's population.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has been a center of Buddhist education since the 3rd century BC. e. Mahendra, the son of the Indian Emperor Ashoka, brought Buddhism there. Buddhism in Sri Lanka has the longest history. It also fell into disrepair during the war and after the 16th century, when the island was colonized and European missionaries began to spread Christianity.
Buddhism was revived at the end of the 19th century, largely thanks to the efforts of British scientists and theosophists. As a result, Sri Lankan Buddhism is sometimes called "Protestant Buddhism" as it emphasizes academic education, the pastoral work of monks with the lay community, and meditative practices for lay people. The country gained independence in 1948, and since then a revival of interest in Buddhist religion and culture has continued.
Today, 70% of Sri Lankans are Buddhists, mostly followers of the Theravada tradition. After the thirty-year civil war in Sri Lanka, the popularity of nationalist Buddhism increased. Some organizations, such as Bodu Bala Sena (Powerful Buddhist Force), organize anti-Islamic protests and attacks on moderate Buddhist leaders.
Myanmar (Burma)
Research has shown that the history of Buddhism in Burma dates back 2,000 years, and now about 85% of the population consider themselves Buddhists. Here is an ancient tradition of a balanced emphasis on meditation and teaching for the monastic community, while the laity is distinguished by great faith. One of the most famous Burmese Buddhists S. N. Goenka is a lay teacher of meditation techniques Vipassana.
Since Burma gained independence from Britain in 1948, both the secular and military governments have supported Theravada Buddhism. The military regime brought Buddhism under strict control, and monasteries where dissidents lived were ruthlessly destroyed. Monks have often been at the forefront of political demonstrations against militaristic regimes, such as the 8888 Uprising and the 2007 Saffron Revolution.
In the last decade, various nationalist groups have emerged that are trying to revive Buddhism and oppose Islam. Monk Ashin Wirathu, leader of Group 969, calls himself Burma's Bin Laden and proposes a boycott of Muslim shops. Often, under the guise of defending Buddhism, outbreaks of violence occur against mosques and Muslim homes. Muslims respond with counter attacks, adding fuel to the fire.
Bangladesh
Buddhism was the predominant religion of this region until the 11th century. Now less than 1% of the population is Buddhist; they are concentrated in the Chittagong Hill Tracts near Burma.
There are four Buddhist temples in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, and many temples in the eastern villages. However, since they are cut off from Burma, the level of understanding of the teachings and practices there is low.
Thailand
Buddhism began to appear in the empires of Southeast Asia in the 5th century AD. e. Thailand follows Theravada, which has been heavily influenced by local religion and Hinduism, as well as Mahayana Buddhism. Unlike Sri Lanka and Burma, there has never been a monastic lineage for women. Almost 95% of the country's population are Buddhists.
The Thai monastic community is created following the example of the Thai monarchy: there is a Supreme Patriarch, as well as a Council of Elders. They are responsible for keeping the tradition pure. Some monastic communities live in forests, others in villages. Both are objects of veneration and support for the lay community.
Mendicant monks belonging to the "forest" tradition live in solitude in the jungle and practice intensive meditation, strictly following the monastic rules of discipline. "Village" monks mainly memorize texts and conduct ceremonies for local residents. They also provide the laity with protective amulets in accordance with Thai beliefs in various spirits. The local Buddhist university, intended for monks, mainly teaches the translation of Buddhist scriptures from classical Pali into modern Thai.
Laos
Buddhism first came to Laos in the 7th century AD. e., and now 90% of the population professes a mixture of Buddhism and animism. With the advent of the communist regime, the authorities initially did not suppress religious rights, but used the Buddhist sangha for their own political purposes. Over time, Buddhism came under severe repression. Since the 1990s, Buddhism has experienced a revival: most Laotians are very religious, and most men have at least some experience of monastery life. Most families offer food to the monks and visit temples on full moon days.
Cambodia
Tri-Avada Buddhism has been the state religion of Cambodia (the old name of the country is Kampuchea) since the 13th century, and 95% of the population is still Buddhist. In the 1970s, Khmer Horn tried to destroy Buddhism and almost succeeded. By 1979, almost all the monks were either killed or sent into exile, almost all churches and libraries were destroyed.
After Prince Sihanouk was restored to his rights and became king again, the repression gradually ceased and interest in Buddhism was revived. Cambodians also have strong beliefs in fortune tellers, astrology and the spirit world, and monks often act as healers. In addition, Buddhist monks are involved in many different ceremonies, from naming a child to weddings and funerals.
Vietnam
Buddhism came to Vietnam 2000 years ago, first from India, then primarily from China. However, in the 15th century he began to fall out of favor with the ruling class. A revival occurred at the beginning of the 20th century, but during the Republican period, the police, who supported Catholicism, opposed Buddhism. Now Buddhism is practiced by only 16% of the population, although it remains the most widespread religion. The government has become less strict about Buddhism, although no temple can be independent from the state.
Indonesia and Malaysia
Buddhism came to this region from India around the 2nd century AD. e. along trade routes. Buddhism was practiced here along with Hinduism until the 15th century, when the last Buddhist empire, Majapahit, fell. By the beginning of the 17th century, Islam had completely replaced these religions.
According to Indonesian government policy Pancasila All official religions must profess faith in God. Although Buddhism does not believe in God as an individual person, it is officially recognized because it affirms the existence of Adibuddha, the “First Buddha.” This issue is addressed in the Kalachakra Tantra, which was widespread in India about a thousand years ago. Adibuddha is the omniscient creator of all appearances, existing beyond time and other limitations. Although he is represented as a symbolic figure, he is not a being. Adibuddha can be found in all sentient beings as the nature of clear light mind. On this basis, Buddhism is recognized as one of the five state religions of Indonesia, along with Islam, Hinduism, Protestant and Catholic forms of Christianity.
Sri Lankan monks were active in the revival of Theravada Buddhism in Bali and other parts of Indonesia, but the revival was very limited. On the island of Bali, interest in Buddhism has come mainly from followers of the traditional Balinese blend of Hinduism, Buddhism and the local tradition of spiritualism, while in other parts of Indonesia the Buddhist audience is around 5% and is mainly represented by the Chinese immigrant diaspora. There are also a very small number of new Indonesian Buddhist schools that combine aspects of Theravada, Chinese and Tibetan Buddhism.
Buddhism is followed by 20% of the Malaysian population, but mostly Chinese. About 50 years ago there was a decline in interest in Buddhism, and in 1961 the Buddhist Missionary Society was founded to spread Buddhism. The last decade has seen an increase in the number of Buddhist practitioners, even among young people. There are also many Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana centers in Malaysia, which receive generous financial support.
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People's Republic of China
For the past 2,000 years, Buddhism has played a significant role in Chinese history, and Chinese Buddhism has had a significant influence on the spread of Buddhism in East Asia. The early Tang Dynasty (618–907) saw the golden age of Buddhism and the development of art and literature.
During the Cultural Revolution of the 60s and 70s of the twentieth century, the majority Buddhist monasteries was destroyed and the bulk of the educated monks, nuns and teachers were executed or sent to prison. Even more severe was the persecution of Buddhism in Tibet and Inner Mongolia. Thanks to reforms and increased freedom, interest in traditional religions began to appear again in China. Old temples were restored and new ones were built. Mostly people from poor and uneducated village families went to monasteries, and the level of education remained low. Many temples serve solely as tourist attractions, and the monks simply collect money for tickets and keep the temples clean.
Today, many Chinese are interested in Buddhism, and respect for the Tibetan tradition is noticeably increasing. Modern studies estimate the Buddhist population at 20%, and temples throughout China are heavily visited during the times they are open. People are becoming wealthier and busier, and many are trying to escape stress by turning to Chinese and Tibetan Buddhism. The Han Chinese are especially interested in Tibetan Buddhism, also due to the fact that more and more Tibetan lamas are coming to China to teach.
Taiwan, Hong Kong and Chinese diaspora areas
The traditions of East Asian Mahayana Buddhism, which originate in China, are strongest in Taiwan and Hong Kong. In Taiwan, the monastic community of monks and nuns is the most developed and is generously supported by the lay community. There are Buddhist universities and Buddhist charity programs. Hong Kong's monastic community is also thriving. Buddhist communities of the Chinese diaspora in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines emphasize ceremonies for the wealth of the living and the well-being of the dead. There are many mediums who go into trance and Buddhist oracles speak through them. Lay people turn to them for advice on health issues and in case of psychological problems. Chinese businessmen who run the Asian Tiger economies often make generous offerings to monks to perform rituals for their financial success. In Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia, the number of followers of Tibetan Buddhism is growing.
South Korea
Buddhism came to the Korean Peninsula from China in the 3rd century AD. e. It remains relatively strong there, despite increasingly frequent attacks by fundamentalist Christian organizations. Over the past decade, a significant number of Buddhist temples have been destroyed or damaged by fire as a result of the actions of these groups. 23% of the population are Buddhists.
Japan
Buddhism came to Japan from Korea in the 5th century, having a significant impact on Japanese society and culture. Since the 13th century, the Japanese have had a tradition of married temple clergy who were not prohibited from drinking alcohol. These priests gradually replaced the tradition of celibate monks. Historically, some Japanese Buddhist sects were extremely nationalistic and believed that Japan was a Buddhist paradise. In our time there are also a number of fanatical apocalyptic cults whose followers call themselves Buddhists, but in fact have little to do with the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha.
About 40% of the population consider themselves Buddhists, but most Japanese combine Buddhism with the traditional Japanese religion of Shinto. Rituals associated with the birth of children and weddings are carried out according to Shinto customs, and Buddhist priests perform funeral rites.
Japanese temples are very beautiful; they are open to both tourists and believers, although many of them are engaged in commerce. For the most part, study and practice have weakened significantly. Soka Gakkai, one of the largest Buddhist organizations, originated in Japan.
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Tibet
Buddhism appeared in Tibet in the 7th century. Over the centuries, thanks to royal patronage and the support of the aristocracy, Buddhism has become firmly established in various aspects of Tibetan life.
After the occupation of Tibet by the People's Republic of China, Buddhism was brutally repressed. Of the 6,500 monasteries and convents, all but 150 were destroyed. The vast majority of educated monks and nuns were either executed or died in concentration camps. After the Cultural Revolution, some of the monasteries were restored, but mainly by the efforts of former monks, the local population and Tibetans in exile: the government helped restore two or three monasteries.
China's communist regime is atheist, but it allows five "recognized religions", including Buddhism. Although the government talks about non-interference in religious matters, after the Dalai Lama identified a Tibetan boy as the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama, both the boy and his family disappeared. Soon after, the Chinese government began its own search, finding another boy, half Chinese and half Tibetan. The one the Dalai Lama chose has not been seen since.
Today in every man's and convent, and also the temples have their own government task force. These are plainclothes policemen and women "helping" with various tasks. In general, they oversee the monastic community and make reports. Sometimes the size of such working groups is comparable to the monastic community itself. In addition to government intervention, Buddhism in Tibet also faces the problem of a shortage of qualified teachers. Monks, nuns and lay people want to learn more, but the education of most teachers is very limited. In the last decade, the government opened a Buddhist "university" near Lhasa. This is a school for young tulkus where they learn Tibetan, calligraphy, medicine and acupuncture, as well as some Buddhist philosophy. The computer age has made Buddhism more accessible to young Tibetans. Many of them participate in WeChat and Weibo groups where they share Buddhist teachings and stories. Studying Buddhism is now considered a way to emphasize one's identity as a “true Tibetan.”
East Turkestan
Most of the Kalmyk monasteries in East Turkestan (Xinjiang) were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Some of them have now been restored, but an even more acute shortage of qualified teachers remains, compared to Tibet. Young people who have recently become monks are frustrated by the lack of educational institutions; many of them have already left monasticism.
Inner Mongolia
However, the Tibetan Buddhists of Inner Mongolia are in a worse situation on the territory of the People's Republic of China. During the Cultural Revolution, most of the monasteries in its western half were destroyed. In the eastern half, which used to be part of Manchuria, much was destroyed by Stalin's troops at the end of World War II, when the Russians helped liberate northern China from the Japanese. Of the 700 monasteries, only 27 have survived.
Since the 1980s, the restoration of churches and monasteries began; they are visited not only by Mongols, but also by Han Chinese.
Mongolia
There were thousands of monasteries in Mongolia. All of them were partially or completely destroyed in 1937 by order of Stalin. In 1944, one of the monasteries in Ulaanbaatar was formally reopened, but only for show. In the 1970s, a college for monks was opened with a five-year curriculum, extremely shortened and with a strong emphasis on the study of Marxism. Monks were allowed to perform a limited number of rituals for the population. With the fall of communism in 1990, a vigorous revival of Buddhism began, aided by Tibetans living in exile. Many new monks were sent to India for training. More than 200 monasteries were restored, albeit in a more modest form.
However, the most significant problem facing Mongolia's Buddhists today is the aggressive Mormon and Baptist Christian missionaries. Arriving under the guise of English teachers,
One of the biggest problems Buddhism faced in Mongolia after 1990 was the arrival of aggressive Mormon, Adventist and Baptist Christian missionaries under the pretext of teaching English. They offer those who convert to their faith money and help in educating children in America. They distribute beautiful free booklets about Jesus, printed in colloquial Mongolian. As more and more young people began to accept Christianity, Buddhist organizations also began to spread information about Buddhism in spoken language, producing printed materials, television shows and radio programs.
Forced conversion to another religion is now prohibited in Mongolia. In 2010, 53% of the population were Buddhists, 2.1% were Christians.
Tibetans in exile
The strongest among the Tibetan traditions in Central Asia is that associated with the Tibetan refugee community formed around His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama has lived in exile in northern India since the 1959 popular uprising against China's military occupation of Tibet. Thanks to the efforts of this community, most mainstream women's and monasteries Tibet has been rebuilt and has a complete educational program for training learned monks, meditation masters and teachers. Educational and research institutions and publishing houses have been established to preserve all aspects of each school of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.
Tibetans in exile helped revive Buddhism in the Himalayan regions of India, including Ladakh and Sikkim, Nepal and Bhutan, sending teachers and reestablishing lineages. Many monks and nuns from these places are educated in Tibetan refugee monasteries.
Nepal
Although the majority of Nepalese are Hindus, there is still significant cultural influence from Buddhism in this country, where the Buddha was born. Three ethnic groups - Newari, Gurung and Tamang - practice the local form of Nepalese Buddhism. Overall, Buddhists make up 9% of the population.
Following a mixture of Buddhism and Hinduism, the Nepalese Buddhist community is the only one that maintains caste distinctions within monasteries. Five hundred years ago, married monks appeared, becoming a hereditary caste of temple caretakers and those who lead the rituals.
Russia
Three Russian regions where Tibetan Buddhism is traditionally widespread are Buryatia, Tuva and Kalmykia. All monasteries in these regions were completely destroyed by Stalin in the late 30s of the twentieth century, with the exception of three that partially survived in Buryatia. In the 1940s, Stalin reopened two ostentatious monasteries in Buryatia under the strictest supervision of the KGB. The monks, who had previously taken off their monastic robes, began to wear them again as a work uniform - only during the day, during rituals.
After the fall of communism, an active restoration of Buddhism began in all three regions. Tibetans in exile began sending teachers there, and young monks went to India to study in Tibetan monasteries. More than 20 monasteries have been restored in Buryatia, Tuva and Kalmykia.
Non-Buddhist countries Arrow down Arrow up
Detailed knowledge of Buddhism came to Europe in the 19th century after the colonization of Buddhist countries, thanks to the work of Christian missionaries and scientists. Around the same time, Chinese and Japanese migrant workers began building temples in North America.
In traditionally non-Buddhist countries around the world there are also various shapes Buddhism. Practitioners can be divided into two main groups: Asian migrants and non-Asian practitioners. Immigrants from Asia, especially in the United States, Australia and to some extent in Europe, built many temples of their traditions. The main emphasis of these temples is on promoting the religious aspect of the practice and maintaining a center that would help migrant communities maintain their cultural identity. More than four million Buddhists live in America, and more than two million in Europe.
Thousands of Buddhist "Dharma centers" of all traditions exist today in more than 100 countries around the world, on every continent. Most of these Tibetan, Zen and Theravada centers are attended by people of non-Asian origin. They emphasize meditation, learning and ritual practice. Teachers can be both Westerners and ethnic Buddhists from Asian countries. The largest number of such centers are located in the USA, France and Germany. Many serious students visit Asia to study the Dharma in greater depth. Buddhist education programs exist in many universities around the world. There is currently increasing dialogue and exchange of ideas between Buddhism and other religions, modern science, psychology and medicine. His Holiness the Dalai Lama plays a leading role in this process.
Video: Geshe Tashi Tsering - “Buddhism in the next 100 years”
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Is Buddhism relevant in the modern world? It is quite interesting why the topic is posed as the relevance of Buddhism to modern life. Why not with life in general? Is there something special about modern life? For example, mobile phones, all these sounds are already a difference, this is already some kind of characteristic of modern life. This didn't happen 15 years ago. But in general, the human condition has been the same throughout time. People were angry, people were arguing with each other. This has always been the case. People were unhappy, people were irritated, and it was not very easy to form close relationships with others. And, one way or another, everyone’s life is filled with anxiety to one degree or another. Are we worried, for example, about the economic situation now, or a thousand years ago we were worried about the drought, due to which we had a crop failure. So, I believe that Buddhism has something to offer for all times, not just for the present time.
Video: Geshe Lhakdor - “What is Buddhism?”
Buddhist Science, Buddhist Philosophy and Buddhist Religion Arrow down Arrow up
His Holiness the Dalai Lama makes a distinction between Buddhist science, Buddhist philosophy and Buddhist religion. And he says that Buddhist science and Buddhist philosophy have a lot to offer for everyone. And we do not have to go into the Buddhist religion in order to benefit from the knowledge, from the deep inspirations contained in Buddhist science and Buddhist philosophy.
Buddhist science deals with psychology, with a deep analysis of how the mind works, how it is affected by emotions, how perception works. He also has a lot to offer in the field of logic. And also there is a very deep knowledge of cosmology. Buddhist philosophy is about reality, how we understand reality and how we deconstruct our fantasies, our ideas about reality. And these are things that can be useful for everyone, even without going into such religious aspects as reincarnation, liberation, enlightenment and so on. And even meditation is something that can be very useful for us in training our mind and developing a more positive approach to life.
Relevance of Buddhist psychology and philosophy Arrow down Arrow up
Correspondence between Buddhist psychology and philosophy. The main goal, and not only of these two directions, but of the Buddhist religion as a whole, is to eliminate suffering and find happiness. We have a lot of mental suffering due to psychological difficulties, due to emotional inconsistencies. We get into a lot of problems because we are irrational. And we are not in touch with reality. This is what Buddhist teachings will help us overcome.
And of course, Buddhism as a religion speaks of benefits in the future, including future lives, reincarnations, and so on. But if we look at Buddhist philosophy and psychology, they can give us some real benefits in close connection with our lives.
The main structure in Buddhist teaching was what is called the “four noble truths.” And the word “noble” here is simply a term that comes from Sanskrit and means those who have seen reality, have seen reality. That is, these are highly realized beings. And indeed it is. Those who have truly seen reality understand that this is the truth.
True suffering: unhappiness, happiness and compulsivity Arrow down Arrow up
And the first truth is suffering. What is suffering? What are the problems we face that are true?
The first problem is unhappiness. There is a lot of suffering, and we all know how unpleasant it is to be unhappy. Of course, there can be many gradations of unhappiness. Even if we are in pleasant circumstances, in good company, we have good food, we can still feel unhappy. And even if something hurts us a lot, we can still be happy without complaining, without getting upset or worrying about ourselves unnecessarily, but just be at peace and accept the situation. And, for example, even if we have severe pain, for example, if we have cancer, then we are more concerned about how not to upset our relatives. And this misfortune is the first major problem that we face.
And the second problem - and this may be a little unusual, because people don't perceive this as a problem - is ordinary happiness. What's the problem with ordinary happiness? It doesn't last. We are never satisfied with it. We can never get enough of him. It changes. We had it, and then our mood changes and we are no longer happy. If indeed our happiness were final and genuine, then the more conditions we had for happiness, the happier and happier we would become constantly. For example, if you think about ice cream, which is liked by so many people. In theory, the more ice cream we ate, the happier and happier we would become. But after a certain point it no longer works: the more ice cream we eat, the more we get tired of it and the worse we feel. Therefore, this ordinary happiness that we strive for, that we are trying to achieve, it also causes problems, it is also imperfect.
And this is an interesting point. I often ask myself, “How much of your favorite food do you need to eat to enjoy it? Will one small spoon be enough? “Here, I enjoyed it. Well, good. What's next? “That’s not true, is it? We strive to eat more, more and more, even enjoying it does not bring satisfaction either.
And the third problem we face is our obsessive existence. Obsessive in the sense of, for example, some song that is spinning in our head and we cannot stop it. Or as if we have some obsessive negative thoughts or obsessive worry, compulsive talking all the time or compulsive doing things. For example, you can be an obsessive perfectionist. This whole aspect of obsession is what Buddhism talks about as karma. Karma is this obsession when we don’t control ourselves and it forces us to constantly perform some kind of action. And even if it is some kind of obsessive “good behavior”, for example, I try to be perfect all the time, we are never satisfied. It brings a lot of stress, it's completely unpleasant.
Whether it is destructive or constructive, this compulsive behavior is not helpful at all. It brings nothing but problems. Especially if we obsessively think, speak, act with anger, with greed or with attachment, with envy, jealousy. For example, if we have some obsessive thoughts of jealousy about our partner, wife or husband, we are overwhelmed by it all the time, we are paranoid - this is unpleasant, right? It would be wonderful if we could overcome this obsessive aspect of our thinking, our speech and our actions.
We are looking for the true cause of suffering in our mind Arrow down Arrow up
Buddhism says that we need to look inside ourselves and find the causes of these problems. It's easy to blame our problems on external factors. I get angry about the economy, or about the weather, or about politics, something like that. But external factors are, let’s say, conditions. These are the conditions for certain habits to manifest themselves. For example, the habit of complaining. We can assume that there is some external cause, not our obsessive behavior. But no matter what happens outside, this is just a condition for us to continue to obsessively complain in the style: “This won’t be good anyway.” These are the complaints.
Video: Geshe Tashi Tsering - “Why study Buddhism?”
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So, one of the main points of Buddhism is that how we perceive life depends on us. Life can go up or down, and we can either face it very anxiously or with a calm mind. And it depends on us. And what do we need to understand? We need to examine ourselves and see what the reasons are: what is causing me this compulsive behavior, this anxiety? What is the reason?
And Buddhism says that we need to go deeper and deeper and deeper to find out what is the real cause of our problem. You could say, for example, that my problem is bad character. But why do I have a bad character? We can go deeper. And this deep reason - the one that these highly realized beings discovered - is confusion and misunderstanding of how I exist, how others exist, how everything exists. This is a misconception about how everything around me exists, what happens to me. Instead of perceiving reality as it is, we project these fantasies onto reality.
False projections Arrow down Arrow up
For example, about ourselves we can project: “Everything should be my way. Everyone must like me. Everyone should pay attention to what I say because it's important." You can look at this with blogs and short messages, when everything I write about is very important and the whole world should know about it. I ate something for breakfast today: this is very important and everyone should know. And if not enough people click "like" on what I ate for breakfast today, I'm unhappy, it ruins my whole day.
Or another such false projection is that I should always be in control of everything. There is some situation and I have to control everything. I have to understand everything, how it works, so that all this can happen. For example, my office workers should do as I want. Or in my family, relatives should also do as I want. But this is absurd, we understand that. But this is based on the projection that my way of living and doing things is The right way do something.
Or we broadcast to someone: “You must love me.” That this person is special. And no matter who else loves me, for example, my parents, a dog or someone else, this is the person who should love me. And if he doesn’t love, then I suffer, I’m unhappy. And on this occasion I always remember the large colonies of penguins in Antarctica. There are tens of thousands of penguins there, and they all look the same to us. And for one of the penguins, that's exactly the one, one out of ten thousand, the other one, he is special, or she. “And I really want her to love me,” there is such a special attitude. But this is also a fantasy. This is also a projection that this particular penguin or penguins are so special and stand out from all the others.
That is, we inflate ourselves: “I am so special.” Or we hype someone else up: “You are so special.” Or we inflate what is happening to us. For example, I have a problem with a child who does not study well. And then I am the only person in the universe who has such a problem. Either my back hurts, or I'm stressed, or something else. And I'm the only one who has this problem, I'm the only one who perceives this problem. Or: “No one can understand me. Everyone else may be easy to understand. But it’s very difficult, it’s simply impossible to understand me.”
We inflate all these things, we inflate it all, we project it onto something and think it's important. And we all feel some uncertainty about this. It is this uncertainty that betrays us, betrays the fact that these projections have no real basis in reality. And then we have all kinds of emotional strategies to gain confidence about this self, which is very important. And this is confidence about the self, which must have its own way, its own attitude. If things don’t happen our way, then what do we do? We are angry. We push something away: no, this is not the way I want it. Or if everything happens the way we like it, then on the contrary we become very attached to it. As if if I arrange everything around me the way I like, then I will feel confident. And this is how we acquire greed, desire, attachment. And if someone else has it, then I’ll try to take it for myself, I’m jealous. And so in an obsessive way we have emotions. We may shout at someone in anger, or we may simply think constant intrusive thoughts, out of envy, for example.
And all this is described as the true causes of our problems. We are unhappy, so what are we doing? We complain: “Poor me, I’m so miserable.” Or we have some ordinary happiness, but we never have enough. We become attached to him. We are never satisfied. We always want more. This is interesting. Maybe you have noticed if you have a dog. The dog often eats and at the same time looks around to see if anyone is trying to take this food away. And we are the same way: I’m happy, but there is always uncertainty whether someone will take away this happiness, whether it will go somewhere.
And it’s amazing how we analyze, how we relate. So we observe everything that is happening and think: “I am happy, but maybe I can be even happier? I'm unhappy and it will last forever. Poor me. I'll never get out of this depression." And all this goes in circles. All this confusion, confusion about how I exist.
I have something - this is what I have. For example, I have a watch, it works. If they didn't work, I could send them in for repairs. But if I sit and look at someone else's watch: “Oh, she has a better watch than me” - That's when the problems begin. “My watch is not as good as hers. Why do I have such a simple watch? How can I get a better watch? If people see me with this cheap watch, what will they think of me?” This a big problem, is not it?
And there are a lot of problems that are related to what our own image is, what others will think about me. For example, I am a teacher and a good teacher should have good hours. So what? If my watch is bad, so what? This is the understanding that allows us to penetrate deeper. They measure time and that's it. Everything else doesn't matter to me.
And vice versa, the other extreme: if I am a Buddhist teacher, then I can think: “No, I should choose everything simpler. I can’t have expensive things, otherwise people will think that I do everything for the sake of money.” And thinking this way, I would be proud of the fact that I have a very cheap watch. I would like to show them to everyone: “Here, look at how cheap my watch is. I'm so humble. I'm such a Buddhist." And of course, this is a very restless state of mind.
This is suffering. This is what Buddhism talks about - how to get rid of it. Because it's ridiculous. And all our suffering is based on our attitude, on our approach, especially on our attitude towards ourselves.
True cessation Arrow down Arrow up
And the third noble truth, that is, what these highly realized beings understood, is that it is possible to get rid of these problems. You can get rid of them so that they don't happen again. That is, not just some temporary solution, like, for example, “I went to bed and I have no problems,” but to make sure that they do not recur again.
And why do we say that these problems can be gotten rid of forever? It's just like that good wishes? Is this our idea? Or is this something that could actually happen? And Buddhism says that we can get rid of these problems forever precisely because the nature of our mind is pure. And we need to understand what that means. It says here that our mental activity - in Buddhism this is what the mind is called: not a machine that sits and thinks, but our mental activity, mental activity - And this goes on and on. And this mental activity includes both emotions and perception, it includes everything. And this mental activity need not be accompanied by this confusion, confusion and disturbing emotions. It's just part of our nature.
And it may seem that we are always angry or we are always confused, confused. It's like—I've had it myself, and I'm sure you've probably had it too—when you have a song running through your head and you can't stop it. I wake up in the morning and it starts again. And I feel very stupid. She's so obsessive. But this is not part of our mental activity. If it were truly a genuine part, it would have been there from the very beginning - from the moment of birth and always. But my mental activity does not exist in such an impossible way that it always contains this stupid song. This is impossible. And I can do something against this song that is spinning in my head. I can counteract it, for example, by counting my breath. This is a very simple way to stop it, at least for a while. Just start counting your breath to eleven, and so on again and again. If you really focus on it, the song stops. This means that song is not an integral part of our mental activity.
Counteracting troubling emotions by changing your attitude Arrow down Arrow up
And the same goes for disturbing emotions. We can counteract them with the help of certain counteracting forces. We can change our approach, and as our approach changes, our entire experience changes. For example, we may look at a job and think, “This is so difficult. I'll never be able to deal with this." And we really suffer. And we can change our approach and look at it as a challenge, as an adventure: “Oh, I wonder if I can solve this problem? Can I handle it? You can look at how we approach gaming on a computer if you play on a computer. You can view it as: “No, this is very difficult. I can't play this game." Or you can see it as fun, as an adventure: “This is interesting. I want to understand, I want to try to win.” And even if it's difficult, it's still fun. That is, everything depends on changing our approach, our attitude.
And for all the confusion, for all the confusion that we have about existence, there is always some counteraction. If I do not know how everything exists, then, on the other hand, I can know how everything exists. Or if I know wrong, I may know right.
True understanding of reality Arrow down Arrow up
This is the fourth truth. It is usually called the “noble path.” But what is actually meant here is the correct, true way of understanding. The true way of understanding will counteract in a false way understanding, because something and the other cannot exist at the same time. You can, of course, constantly move back and forth, be indecisive: is it like this or is it like that? But as soon as we gain confidence: “Ah, I know how everything really exists. And the way I used to think that everything exists is impossible, this is a wrong understanding,” then we have stability and confidence in this understanding.
For example, I thought that I am the center of the universe, I am very important and I have the most important approach. And this is countered by understanding who I am. I am, in general, nothing special. I'm the same as everyone else. And why then should I have any special approach? And it makes sense in many ways - that there is nothing special about me. I am the same, I am equal to everyone. How do we know this? If I were the center of the universe and I had only one the right approach, then everyone would have to agree with me. But that's not true. But why don't they agree? Are they all stupid or what? What about the people who were born and died before me? They too must have thought that I was the most important? But why am I the only one who has my approach and they don’t have their own approach?
We analyze, we think: the way I project the world, does it make sense? And if it doesn’t really make sense, then why do I obsessively act as if I’m always right, as if everything should always be, in my opinion, it’s like banging my head against the wall. And when I find that I am starting to act this way, I try to notice this, as soon as I notice this, I can say to myself: “But this is ridiculous,” and just stop, not act in this way. Maybe our behavior is obsessive because we don't understand what's going on.
And of course, it's not easy to stop thinking a certain way. But just as in the example of a song that obsessively plays in our head, and we can stop it by paying attention to our breathing, in the same way we can stop obsessive thoughts. “I'm so annoyed, I'm so upset,” even if we don't understand the underlying reason why this is happening, we may simply not continue to think in this way, for example, by counting our breath. In other words, let's calm down. Let’s give ourselves some respite, stop thinking: “Why isn’t everything going the way I want?” We take a break from this stress. And when we have rested like this, we can ask ourselves the question: “Why do I expect that everything should go my way? Who am I? Am I God?
Why should everyone like me? There is a good example: “Even Buddha was not liked by everyone. So why do I expect everyone to like me?” This helps us be a little more realistic. There are some basic facts of life: for example, it is impossible to please everyone. Even if I wanted to please everyone, but, alas, this is impossible. Because it depends on them and their approach whether we please them or not. I can't control it. This is a very deep understanding, isn't it? The way people perceive me is the result of many reasons and many conditions. This is not only the result of what I do. This means we do the best we can, but we don't expect the impossible. I tried to do the best I could, but not everything worked out - I'm not perfect. Buddha was perfect. But I'm not Buddha.
The true path, true understanding, is when we take apart our delusions and contrast them with true understanding of how I exist, how others exist, and how everything exists.
How to behave in a traffic jam Arrow down Arrow up
Let's take an example. Perhaps it will somehow relate to our daily lives. For example, we are stuck in a traffic jam. Or there is a delay somewhere and we have to stand in a long line. And we perceive it as a misfortune. And we obsessively think with negative thoughts filled with impatience and anger. And this is the situation where Buddhist science and philosophy can help us. And we don’t need to believe in rebirth or anything else for this. We analyze, we take things apart. What am I doing here? What's happening? I'm unhappy, I'm unhappy. And you can say: “So what, well, I’m unhappy.” But instead of saying that, we focus on this misfortune. We are obsessed with her. We project that this will last forever. In Buddhism, the image used for this is that we are like a person who is very thirsty, who is tormented by thirst and we strive, we simply thirst for this water. This wickedness is like dying of thirst: “I must get water! I must get rid of my thirst!” And this: “I can’t wait to be free from this misery! - it’s the same as: “I can’t wait to drink!”
Interestingly, this same image of thirst also applies to when we feel happy, when we have ordinary happiness. We don't want this happiness to end. And it's the same as still feeling thirsty. Imagine what it would be like if you were really thirsty. You take your first sip of water. What relation? We are so thirsty that we don't need just one sip of water. We want more and more. We want to drink without stopping. And it's very interesting thing which we can analyze within ourselves. Am I really that hungry for this happiness? We all want to be happy. Nobody wants to be unhappy. This is a general principle of Buddhism and we accept it. But my attitude towards this is not the same as that of a person who is tormented by a thirst for happiness? And if we have the first sip, we still want more and more: “Oh, don’t take it!” - like this. But there is also a third possibility - this is interesting. We can be happy, unhappy, but there is also a neutral possibility. I'm not thirsty right now, but I'm worried about whether I might want to drink later. So I'm always walking around carrying water because I'm worried. Even if we are neither happy nor particularly unhappy, there is still this expectation of thirst. We are afraid that we will get thirsty.
What to do with misfortune Arrow down Arrow up
This is because we focus on our own unhappiness. I'm stuck in traffic, I want to get out of here. I want to get out of this unhappy state of mind that I'm stuck in and it seems like it will last forever, the first thing we focus on is how unhappy I am. But the second thing we focus on is the situation on the road, or the long line we are waiting in, at the supermarket or somewhere else, as if it will last forever. This plug will never go away. I will never get to the checkout again, and pay, and never leave this store.
And then we focus on ourselves. “Poor me, I'll be late. Poor me, I can't stand being stuck in traffic. Everything should be in my opinion. I can't stand that I'm not in control. I have to control everything and I have to go.” And so we are obsessed with projections - projections about our unhappiness, about the situation on the road and about ourselves.
So what do we need to do? We need to sort out all three of these. And for this we use general principles that we can find in Buddhist philosophy, and this is very useful. I'm unhappy now, so what? Happiness and unhappiness constantly alternate. If you look at yourself, our mood constantly jumps up and down. “Now I’m unhappy. Well, nothing special. It will never last forever."
And the way I feel - happy or unhappy - arises due to causes and conditions. There are some conditions. For example, I have some kind of meeting scheduled, but because of the traffic jam I will be late. But the great Buddhist teacher Shanitideva, a teacher from India, gave very useful advice: If this is a situation that you can change, why bother? Just change it. And if it's a situation you can't change, then why worry? It won't help.
I can't get through this traffic jam I'm stuck in. I can't change it. So I have to just accept the reality of it. And this is what many of us have difficulty with - accepting reality. And is there anything we can do? If we have a mobile phone, we can call the person with whom we have an appointment and say: “I'm in traffic, I'll be late.” And whether this person will be upset and disappointed or not - it may not be very nice to say, but these are their problems, this is their attitude to reality.
And here you need to be careful not to feel guilty. I'm so ashamed, I'm so sorry that I couldn't make it to the meeting. It's guilt. And what is this action here that you are thinking about? What is wrong with this thinking? The wrong thing is that you think, “I should have prevented this.” So it is my fault that there is a traffic jam on the road. But this is ridiculous. How can I be to blame for this? I could have left earlier. This is true. But still, an accident could happen on the road. And even if I left earlier, I could still be late. So not everything is under my control and not everything that happens in the universe is my fault. I'm not happy that I'm late, but it's not my fault, sorry. And if we have this wickedness, we are not happy about being stuck in a traffic jam, we can turn on music, listen to something or somehow entertain ourselves.
Let's look at the traffic jam situation Arrow down Arrow up
We're breaking down this traffic jam situation. Then we need to take the situation on the road apart. I treat this traffic jam, this traffic, as something terrible. This is the worst thing in the world. And of course we think it will last forever. We'll never get through. But we can analyze that this traffic jam arises from many, many reasons. Everything that arises from a cause depends on causes and conditions, changes, and does not always exist. And when they change different conditions, on which it depends, the situation itself changes.
For example, if there is an accident on the highway. And, for example, this happened during rush hour, when everyone was going to work or going home. But sooner or later this car will be removed from the road and people will be helped. And then what this situation (condition) depended on will disappear. And I understand that this traffic jam will also change when conditions change. This is not some terrible monster, but something that will end. And it is very important to clearly see everything in the broader context of all the causes and conditions that influence the situation, and not to consider everything as if it exists on its own. For example, if we consider this traffic jam, which simply somehow organized itself, and it exists, regardless of the reasons and conditions.
Expanding our focus to include others Arrow down Arrow up
We have a more realistic attitude towards traffic, to traffic jams, then we need to take apart our attitude towards ourselves in this traffic jam. We are caught up in the idea of the poor self: “I can’t make it on time.” But if we look at reality, I'm not the only one stuck in this traffic jam. Everyone else is there too. And everyone else also wants to get where they are going. I'm not the only one. We can look at people to our right, to our left, to people in other cars, to see if they are upset or not. This helps us develop compassion - the desire for them to be freed from this difficult situation both emotionally and in all other respects.
Because if we think only about ourselves, only about the fact that I have this problem, then the range of our thinking is very narrow. We think only about ourselves. And it's very tight. We cling tightly to “poor us.” And we are tense. All our energy inside is very tense. At the same time, the situation around us, with everyone who is also stuck in this traffic jam, is much broader. And because of the breadth of our thinking, everything relaxes. And this is the way to overcome the wickedness that we feel. Because part of this unhappiness is that we are trapped, we hold on to this perception of “poor self.” But if we look at all the people who are also in this situation, and we have this loving attitude– we want all of them not to suffer, so that they all get rid of this situation as soon as possible, then it will be easier for us to perceive all this. This doesn't change the fact that we will still be late for the meeting. I can't do anything about it. But I can do something about how I perceive this situation when I'm stuck in traffic.
Conclusion: Practicing Buddhism for Analysis and Changing Thoughts Arrow down Arrow up
And this is exactly how Buddhism is interconnected not only with modern life, but with life in general. We try to pay attention to our emotions, to our attitude, to our projections - to what serves as the basis for such an attitude. On the obsession with thinking, speaking, and actions that cause all these projections. And we try to use these techniques of breaking things down to see the reality of what is happening more clearly. And thus Buddhist science and philosophy are very useful in ordinary life to reduce as much as possible the suffering we cause to ourselves. And when we feel these ups and downs, we are either happy or unhappy in Everyday life, we try not to be that thirsty person. When we are happy, we enjoy it. We know it's not forever and we don't make it that way of great importance. We're just enjoying ourselves. And if we are unhappy, then: “So what. Sometimes everyone is unhappy, that’s also nothing special.” We just continue what needs to be done. Thus, we simply live in our lives, without attaching much importance to anything. In other words, without inflating everything with the help of your projections. And thus life becomes more joyful. Because we can truly see joy in all the little things in everyday life when we are not too busy with ourselves and what I want. Perhaps that's enough for now. Now we have a tea break, most likely. But we don’t take it too seriously, we don’t attach much importance to it.
Buddhism is practiced by a significant portion of the population of countries such as Sri Lanka, Burma, Laos, Kampuchea, Vietnam, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Korea, Japan, and is less common in Nepal and Indonesia. The vast majority in Mongolia and Bhutan profess Lamaism. In our country, followers of Buddhism mostly live in Buryatia, Tuva and Kalmykia.
A feature of the second half of the 20th century is the fact of the unification of Buddhist organizations into international associations of Buddhists, which set themselves the task of solving pressing problems of the era, primarily preserving peace. The first such large organization was created in 1950, in Colombo - the World Brotherhood of Buddhists (WBB). Later - in June 1970. - was created new organization Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace (ABCP). Currently it has 17 national centers in 13 Asian countries and Russia. The IX General Conference of the peacekeeping organization “Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace” was held in July 1983. in Buryatia and was held under the motto “Spiritual development makes the world sustainable.”
Buddhism was officially recognized in Russia in 1741. by decree of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. Buddhism, inextricably united with the more ancient traditions of the peoples of Buryatia, Tuva, Kalmykia, became part of their national culture. By the beginning of the 20th century, there were 46 monasteries and 15 thousand lamas (monks) in Buryatia, 105 small temples and 5 thousand lamas in Kalmykia, 33 temples and about 4 thousand lamas in Tuva.1 In 1839 The first Tibetan-Russian dictionary, prepared by Yakov Schmidt, a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, was published in St. Petersburg. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the famous Buddhist figure Agvan Dorzhiev initiated the creation of a Buddhist temple in St. Petersburg and on August 10, 1915. the temple was consecrated and opened. It was called “the source of the Holy Teaching (Buddhism) of the Hermit Lord (Buddha), who is compassionate towards all,” and more briefly, “the Source of the Teaching of the Buddha, who is compassionate to all living things.” The temple was dedicated to Kalachakra ("Wheel of Time"). The rector of the temple was the Buryat lama Ganzhirva Gegen (from the Dutsalsky monastery), there were 20 lamas on the staff. The subsequent history of the temple is very sad: it was plundered in 1919, and in 1932. although the temple was not officially closed, in fact it no longer functioned. In 1937 all the lamas were repressed, and among them was 90-year-old Agvan Dorzhiev. In 1938 the temple and the surrounding territory were transferred to the state. All ritual objects, except for the altar statue of Buddha Shakyamuni, thrown into the Malaya Nevka River, were transferred to the Museum of History and Atheism (Kazan Cathedral). Much later, the temple was taken under state protection.
Decree on the separation of church from state and school from church dated January 23, 1918, in connection with the later establishment Soviet power in the Far East, Transbaikalia and Kalmykia, in comparison with the central regions, remained unrealized for a long time. In the 1930s, political struggle was directed both against conservatives and against supporters of the renewal of Buddhism. As a result, almost all Buddhist temples were closed or destroyed, and thousands of monks were killed. In 1931 Old Mongolian writing was replaced by Latin, and in 1939. – Russian.
During the Great Patriotic War, a movement began among the Buddhist clergy of our country for the restoration of religious organizations. In 1946 A meeting of Buddhist leaders was held at which they adopted the Regulations on the Buddhist clergy in the USSR, containing the basic principles of cooperation of the Buddhist community with the Soviet state, and loyalty to the socialist system was emphasized. In 1947 The Ivolginsky datsan was built 40 km south of Ulan-Ude. Soon the Aginsky datsan also resumed work.
Currently, our country is undergoing a process of religious revival, including Buddhism. June 28, 1989 The Buddhist Society was officially registered in Leningrad (St. Petersburg). If in 1989 was officially registered 2 religious associations Buddhists, then in 1991 – already 16, in 1993-52, in 1996. – 124 religious organizations. There are more than 20 datsans in Buryatia, and 10 Buddhist communities are registered in Tuva. Currently, Buddhism in Russia is professed by about 1 million people. Human.
Buddhism in Russia is quite diverse, its ideas are also popular among young people and intellectuals who are not members of any specific Buddhist community.