BUDDHIST INITIATION MEDITATE-IMPROVE YOURSELF-EXPANDING HEARTS.

author Fabrice Midal

Several recommendations of the translator

Below is a translation of the entire first chapter (tr.13-20) of a little book on Buddhism, entitled "Buddhist initiation "( ABC du Bouddhisme , Grancher Publishers, 2008). It discusses the fundamental problem is but the book was written by a philosopher deeply Buddhist popular now Fabrice Midal. In the first chapter, the author seeks to explain what Buddhism is and mentioned several aspects of the current situation of Buddhism developed in France and Europe. The whole book is the author presents a very simple style and set up the subject as well as extensive real reviews, but we still see the depth and accuracy hidden behind each the words of his very simplicity.

Born in 1967 in a Jewish family, was 20 Fabrice Midal fortunate to be a Tibetan monk Chogyam Trungpa unusual (1939-1987). He shaved and practice the Tibetan Buddhist since I was a student, then a doctorate in philosophy at the Sorbonne University (Paris). Still imbued with the liberal ideas, liberal and "non-teachers-what" of teacher Chogyam Trungpa, he was influenced a lot from other Tibetan teachers he had studied, and most especially is well-known neuroscientist Francisco Varela (1946-2001) one of the close disciples of the Dalai Lama, bestow on him more to meditation.

Fabrice Midal

Reason that Westerners east to the Buddhist world?

Indeed did not have a warning sign that the success of exotic Buddhism in the West before contact with Buddhism this land in the twentieth century. Alfred Foucher ( 1865-1952, is a scholar of France ) , author of a book that recounts the life of the Buddha is still valid, in 1949 wrote a sentence as follows: "Except for some particularly interested in the curious interested in exotic things out, then Buddhism will only capture a small number of true believers in our country. " He says that religion is not so harmonious with the mentality of the West.

Today many key concepts of Buddhism are known and can say that there are many Westerners approve of the opinion that: although there is compassion, the solidity of the phenomenon so often ( this word is a special Buddhist ), the concept of not-self, the industry or the correlated phenomena ( theory of origin ) . One can then assert that this Western land will become a Buddhist, though not necessarily as a form of professional practice it should go further.

The benefits of meditation is to bring everyone knows and has millions of people who are practicing today.

For over seven-hundred-thousand French people identify themselves as Buddhists ( France has 65 million inhabitants ) , and thus Buddhism became the third largest religion in this country. That figure also was so obscured the fact that much more important: that there are five million French people that Buddhism is a religion that they feel more close to her. Buddhism was introduced in France more firmly than elsewhere: every several hundred meditation centers have been established in France. The largest Tibetan Buddhist temple located in the European Burgundy ( eastern France ) , Zen meditation center most important in Europe is set in Touraine ( western France ) , and new temples of Vietnamese Buddhism South is in Evry ( Paris suburb) . ( picture)

There are many causes leading to the development of Buddhism above. But based on some aspect of Buddhist religion has made the hearts of Westerners to vibrate, then perhaps just realized two major reasons is enough: first and foremost a moral foundation built on tolerance, compassion, awareness of their responsibility towards others in society, and then find themselves practicing meditation as an art of living, help to reveal true nature in the person of each of us, in any context in life.

The natural resources thoroughly destroyed that the future of this planet at stake drastically, and if you look on a more broadly it can be said that anything on the planet are also being exploited an end - which include humans. In this context, for many, that Buddhism has emerged as a powerful solution savior, coherent and clearly needed.

For some Westerners want to become a Buddhist must be like?

It is the desire to follow the footsteps of the Buddha, but this is not his way to collect something exotic, but in fact to follow the example of a man that more than two-thousand- five-hundred years have discovered a way for us to follow in order to help her become more human worth.

If forced to define Buddhism in a single sentence, I would say that it is a method to help us live so completely in every moment a life.

We all go through hardships and moments of grief, and all other things are hard to bring more or less acute. But Buddhism is that we can eliminate those things are an effective way, and also with private security we should not blame outside circumstances or other people, because this is the only way to stop not help us to grow properly are.

Buddhism encourages us to always keep the precision and attention to each of his sense of life, in every thought, each emotion, and each of their actions. If you look in that direction, then Buddhism is not a religion. Buddhism did not come from a faith at all, and they did not need to accept a way of understanding how dogmatic nature. Even a Supreme Being is not in his beliefs.

Buddha's teachings are the teachings help us direct access to the real life experiences that we feel. Nevertheless, the word experience (experience) does not contain the full meaning necessary to express what was discussed above, because today's experience familiar words used in science and meaning as is an experiment, no longer a listener with all the more wary.

Steps followed in the footsteps of the Buddha first means to discover that reality is not a true manifestation of it, but we are not ready to accept it. So need a necessary exercise which will let us approach very close, true to what is visible out. For example, when visiting a city that we've never known before, then in that case we also need to have some time to feel that the characteristics of places, and scenes of daily life where him. But still we can not be asserted that he had felt a true get everything in that particular context or not, so we need to have more time to verify. If you look on the flip side, it will understand that Buddhism encourages us to practice meditation. Buddha sat down to meditate and have direct access and very close to all the right things with what we show is that, while he also look at the felt experience of himself with a the high real sharp. Becoming a Buddhist so simply, that means knowing how to behave.

But it is not easy to achieve it. If lots of people practice together so it could be easier, is known to follow some rules that set clear and try to keep the faithful nature "religious" in their hearts, be confident that he is a good person and I have - not blame others for our own problems. People are always very strongly motivated by a deep desire to create a facility that and put all his intelligence into it, and then sacrifice all for ideals - such as the establish an enterprise, an association, an administrative basis, or as a religious tradition that circumstances have pushed themselves into bondage to it. All the stuff was really terrible.

He asks us to know how to enjoy, feel and know that in every moment a living through their own existence, but not that why you have to remove their own intelligence, and force their assigned to their own freedom in the hands of anyone else.

The thing that is different from what is happening in the West or not?

It is true that, as in Asia generally not considered a meditation center of Buddhism. Meditation can only be executed by some special interest in it alone. Buddhism in these cities have a natural integration with everyday life. In the West, we also see a phenomenon similar to Christianity, and also should understand that many people see all these things are just a sky tinged with cultural penetration and long-standing practices that only, not a true spiritual path.

Buddhism in the West first and foremost be seen as a spiritual communication of acceptance. Buddhism is not a synthesis of the dogma, ritual behavior and attitudes. Indeed all is thanks to the "heroes" ( this is the "loan words" in Buddhist literature, especially the Tibetan Buddhist texts, the word "hero" refers to the Bodhisattva discharge close to his ideal, and in this case is the Tibetan monks escaped from their homeland to exile in Europe ) have brought Buddhism to the West for us in the second half of the twentieth century , that is those who are excluded from the social institutions on their own land. They are aware of Buddhism is becoming a fossil ( local declaration - fossil ) on their home, and when the land has been brought to the West, they also understand that it is also an opportunity to help the Buddhist exist, and furthermore there is also an opportunity to promote for people to know the potential of a short precious Buddhist. The potential was not necessarily promote a morality or promote a dogma at all, but rather it is what helps us to see is a form of existence that can (be a high bar , peace and liberation of a practice) .

For the younger generation in Asia, Buddhism was seen as something backward, and are also not help them in the race for the global economy that they want to enter the competition to participate. In the Western world and we are fortunate to have recognized the limits of that doctrine as well as the globalization of Joneses material comforts. Personal experience to help us all experience the true character of the teachings of the Buddha. The teachings that help us realize that despite always trying to satisfy our desires, but actually that we will not ever hungry for both. We know how to find the happily grab yourself available, but always just want to find ways to pursue other things more.

After oil, the problem still shows a further aspect. In the world of the East, Buddhism is ingrained in all cultures and daily life permeate every detail of daily life. Humans breathe an atmosphere of Buddhism natural way - their actions are tinged with absorbed the spirit of Buddhism, from how to eat, how to greet, to watch the animals, mountains or any other form of animal other. The Oriental culture war is not against anything that is dominated by a single second order nature of the calculation - that always keeps the meaning of the sacred and ceremonial, caring body and love. And that's what we do not have. To realize certain things that they need a really great effort. If not set up a foundation true Buddhist culture in the West it would hardly make Buddhism was rooted in the land.

After all also need to raise a further difference between Asian and Buddhism Western Buddhism: that the role of the home person. In the East, especially in Southeast Asia, the status of practice is raised very high. People of all secular must provide physical facilities for the monks in their daily lives, and they see his duty more important to focus on the practice of enlightenment for yourself.

In the West on the other hand, the worldly people only care practice, participating in the retreat course or workshops. They sought to step straight into the areas most profound and most sacred of Buddhism.

Cause has prompted people to become Buddhist?

People are much more diverse causes also promote this much more complex.

The reason he could be severe instability in the heart, the persistent unsatisfactory ( because of religious suffering ) , accept themselves shouldering all their difficulties ( awareness of the causes of suffering is caused by yourself ) , or it is martial spirit, our desire to help all sentient beings ( the ideal of the Bodhisattva ) .

Or perhaps because I get the deeper meaning of the teachings of the Buddha, always resound in our hearts a true earnest.

Anyway, then one day, people will feel like to be drunk sip of water from streams that flush ( ie Buddhism ) . If you want to stream, they must be willing to give up the habit of behaving just aim at know your personal interests. Indeed nothing more narrow. That was just a running cycle to run around. Thus, at some point we would like to see things closer, more true to the way they display appears.

That's the way to help us into the "path".

The reason we find in Buddhism must change course. Promote causes will gradually narrow and become wider causes high, then selfishness will someday turn into determination to sacrifice for the benefit of others.

Whether driven by any force whatsoever is always also need a way to help us in that that goes.

Fruit that is something hard. People always want to protect yourself with an outer shell so rigid that was never thought to have transformed itself from within.

Yet this is the goal of Buddhism. Must practice only, but not simply set to become a Buddhist - the word suggests something very great pity, because it was just his way to append a certain personality to self enhance its value, most self-assured to get her - but rather meant to be practice to follow the footsteps of the Buddha .

Buddhism has no similar ritual baptism or Bar Mitsva ceremony ( ceremony ordained of Judaism was barely 12 years old daughter and my son is 13 years old ) or not?

When we are not born a Buddhist, of course, similar to the case of Judaism, or is the case thanks to Christian baptism. We became a Buddhist voluntary take personal calls "refuge in the Three Jewels" means refuge in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha: it is our example to follow (ie Germany Buddha) , help us follow the path ( Dharma ) , and groups who undertook missionary ( Sangha ) .

Why is it called "refuge"?

Determined to become a Buddhist is an ( indirect ) show that the previous targets are not met his expectations. The goal was not firm enough that we could rely on there. Search for pleasure, profit, power is ultimately the only way to run things ephemeral. The true refuge is really beneficial is what open space - the space that the Buddha shows us the point. Only a Buddha is stable and does not have any one thing can make him to be unclean.

As well as Buddha Dharma and Sangha are all manifest a real authentic way, and is seen as three precious jewels nothing can compare to. The priceless gem that can help us heal the deepest wounds. We can strongly depend on the jewel that was not afraid of anything. This is the jewel never betray us and never made us to be misleading ...

The refuge is usually held in a ceremony presided with a teacher, can be held in the temple or at home. Modalities really simple, just intoned three times:

I take refuge in Buddha

I take refuge in France

I ask the Sangha

To formalize that event, the owner will cut a lock of hair ceremony of the new disciples, similar to when the Buddha left the palace his father cut her hair to show their determination to follow the path you have chosen .

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Even in the East, this practice is sometimes no way to keep her solemn as it once was, and unfortunately this is what is really necessary. The new disciples sang the words though but would not wish to know what it means, nor should be brought to apply on their own path. That's why today in the West like to think so also the refuge ceremony was solemn and should wait until people really prepared to practice medicine and commitment to rules compliance with the wishes of her then do .

Action refuge not only limited to the meaning and celebration. The practice in the days to remember to take refuge in his actions, and to view that as a practice to true, and there is also a way to remind each of us must not forget the ideals that we ever wanted was to give his own life. Although not conscious, but in fact we shall always dwell too much on useless things and fleeting, so better we should find a path ( ie Buddhism ) to entrust their own hearts.END=VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY BACH LIEN HOA.( TAM THANH ).MHDT.8/5/2012.NAM MO SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA,( 3 TIMES ).