Modern Buddhism: Basic features. The relevance of Buddhism in the modern world is the relevance of Buddhism in our time
Buddhism profes a significant part of the population of such states as Sri Lanka, Burma, Laos, Campuccia, Vietnam, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Korea, Japan, is less common in Nepal and Indonesia. The overwhelming majority in Mongolia and Bhutan confess Lamaism. In our country, the followers of Buddhism for the most part 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 to international associations of Buddhists who have set themselves the task of solving the actual problems of the Epoch, primarily the preservation of the world. The first such large organization was created in 1950, in Colombo - this is the world brotherhood of Buddhists (VBB). Later - in June 1970. - A new organization "Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace" was created (ABKM). Currently, it has 17 national centers in 13 Asia countries and in Russia. The General Conference of the Peacekeeping Organization "Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace" took place in July 1983. In Buryatia and passed under the motto "spiritual development makes the world sustainable."
Officially Buddhism was recognized in Russia in 1741. Decree of the Empress Elizabeth Petrovna. Buddhism, inextricably connected with the more ancient traditions of the peoples of Buryatia, Tuva, Kalmykia and became part of their national culture. By the beginning of the 20th century, there were 46 monasteries in Buryatia and 15 thousand Lam (monks), in Kalmykia - 105 small temples and 5 thousand las, in Tuva - 33 temples and about 4 thousand Lam.1 in 1839. The first Tibetan-Russian dictionary prepared by a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Yakov Schmidt was published in St. Petersburg. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the famous Buddhist figure Agvan Dorzhiev became the initiator of the creation of a Buddhist temple in St. Petersburg and August 10, 1915. The temple was consecrated and open. He was called "the source of Holy Teaching (Buddhism) of the Lord of the Hermit (Buddha), compassing for everyone," and more briefly, "the source of the teachings of the Buddha compassionates the living." The temple was devoted to Kalachakre ("Time Wheel"). The abbot of the temple was the Buryat Lama Ganzhirva Gagan (from the Ducal Monastery), there were 20 Lam in the state. The history of the temple in the future is very sad: he was plundered in 1919, and in 1932. Although the temple was officially not closed, actually no longer functioned. In 1937 All lias were repressed, and among them 90-year-old Agwan Dorzhiev. In 1938 The temple with the adjacent territory was transferred to the state. All ritual items, in addition to the altar statue of the Buddha Shakyamuni, dropped into the Small Nebek river, were transferred to the Museum of History and Atheism (Kazan Cathedral). Much later, the temple was taken under state protection.
Decree on the church separation from the state and school from the church of January 23, 1918, due to the later establishment of Soviet power in the Far East, in Transbaikalia and Kalmykia, compared with the central regions, for a long time remained unrealized. In the 1930s, the political struggle was directed both against conservatives and against supporters of the update of Buddhism. As a result, almost all Buddhist temples were closed or destroyed, thousands of monks were destroyed. In 1931 Staromongol writing was replaced by Latin, and in 1939. - Russian.
During the Great Patriotic War, the Buddhist clergy of our country begins a movement for the restoration of confessional organizations. In 1946 The meeting of Buddhist figures was held, at which a provision on the Buddhist clergy took place in the USSR, containing the basic principles of cooperation between the Buddhist community with the Soviet state, the loyalty of the socialist system was emphasized. In 1947 In a 40 km south of Ulan-Ude, Ivolginsky Datsan was built. Soon renewed the work and Agin Datsan.
Currently, the process of religious rebirth is underway in our country, including Buddhism. June 28, 1989 Buddhist society in Leningrad (St. Petersburg) officially registered. If in 1989 There were officially registered 2 religious associations of Buddhists, then in 1991. - Already 16, in 1993- 52, in 1996. - 124 religious organizations. In Buryatia, more than 20 datsans are operating, 10 Buddhist communities are registered in Tuva. Currently, Buddhism in Russia confess about 1 million. human.
Buddhism in Russia is quite diverse, his ideas are also popular in the environment of young people and intelligentsia, not consisting in any particular Buddhist community.
Buddhism traditions of Tharavad South and Southeast Asia
Sri Lanka
Currently, there are a number of countries where Buddhism flourishes, while in others it faces certain difficulties. For example, the tradition of Theravada is the most strong in Sri Lanka, Thailand and Burma (Myanmar), but rather weak in Laos, Cambodia (Campucci) and Vietnam. From the XVI to the XIX century in Sri Lanka, Buddhism experienced a decline first due to persecution by the Inquisition, and then the fault of the missionaries in the service of the colonial rulers of Christians. Buddhism was revived at the end of the XIX century largely due to the efforts of British scientists and theosophists. As a result, Sri Lanka Buddhism is sometimes called the Protestant Buddhism, as it focuses on the scientific knowledge of the pastoral activity of the monks in relation to the Mijan community and actually in meditative practices for laity, and not just for people in monastic clothes. Vera Miry-Buddhists is quite strong, but sometimes on their part you can hear the expression of discontent about the small number of monks, equally paying attention to both the study of the doctrine and meditative practice.
Indonesia and Malaysia
Monks Sri Lanka took an active part in the revival of Tharavada Buddhism on the island of Bali and in other parts of Indonesia and Malaysia, where he gradually UGAS by the end of the XV century. However, this revival was very limited. On the island of Bali, interest in Buddhism was mainly the followers of the traditional mixture of Hinduism, Buddhism and various pagan cults, while in other parts of Indonesia and Malaysia, the Buddhist audience is mainly represented by the Diaspora of Chinese immigrants practicing Buddhism Mahayana. There is also a very slight amount of new Indonesian Buddhist sects, which are a mixture of Chinese and Tibetan traditions with Tharavada.
In accordance with the Indonesian state policy "Panchashil", all religions must confess faith in God. Although Buddhism does not recognize God as an individual personality and therefore is sometimes considered an "atheistic religion", it is officially recognized and resolved, because recognizes the existence of Adibudda, which literally means "initial, or primary Buddha". This question is considered in Kalachakra Tantra, which was widespread in Indonesia about a thousand years ago. Adibudda is the omniscient Creator of the whole manifest, existing out of time, words and other restrictions. Although it is represented in the form of a symbolic figure, in itself it is not a creature, or PER SE person. Adibudda is more abstract and can be discovered in all living beings as the nature of the mind of clear light. 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.
India
In the areas of India adjacent to Himalayas, approximately the XVII century Buddhism gradually declined. However, at the end of the XIX century, Srilattsians, with the help of British scientists, founded Mach Bodhi society in order to restore Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India, which has achieved essential success. Currently, both the Srilasky tradition and some other Buddhist traditions in each of these places have temple complexes in which monks live and services are being held.
In the fifties of the XX century, in Western India, Ambedkar founded the "unemployed" movement in the environment of representatives of the lower castes, or untouchables. This movement was joined by hundreds of thousands of followers, mainly in order to avoid "stigma" accessories to this lowest caste. Their main goal was to gain political and social rights. Ambedhar died shortly after the start of this "Renaissance". After his death, the move was headed by Sangharakshit - the Englishman, who founded the Order of the Friends of Western Buddhism, created as a new form of the Buddhist community, focused on the Western followers of the Buddha teachings.
Thailand
In Thailand, under the influence of the Thai monarchy model, responsible for preserving the purity of the tradition in the Buddhist monastic community are the Supreme Patriarch and the Council of Elders. There are two types of monastic communities: "staying in the forests" and "living in the villages". Both are worship objects and support for the Mijan community. Nester-free monks relating to the strong "forest" tradition, living in solitude in the jungle and intensively practice meditation. They strictly follow the monastic rules of discipline, which determines their curriculum. Training of the "village" monks consists mainly of learning texts. These monks spend a variety of ceremonies to ensure the well-being of local residents. The "rustic" monks also provide laity by protective amulets in accordance with Thai beliefs in various spirits. At the local Buddhist University, intended for the monks, mainly traine in the translation of Buddhist writings from the classic fell on the modern Thai.
Myanmar (Burma)
In Myanmar (Burma), the military regime took Buddhism under strict control, delivering it to the Special Ministry of Religion. The monasteries were held to ruthless destruction, where dissidents lived, this process was especially intense in the north of the country. Now the government gives major subsidies to the remaining monks, trying to achieve their support and drown out criticism. In Burma, there is an ancient tradition of monasticism, paying equal attention to both meditation and the study, mainly the study of Abhidharma - Buddhist psychology systems, metaphysics and ethics. Until now, there are many monasteries of this tradition, and a strong faith is present in the lairs. Starting from the second half of the XIX century, it is possible under the influence of British colonization, many meditation centers appeared, where the monks and teachers-laity teach the laity, both men and women, the basics of meditation leading to the development of attentive awareness.
Bangladesh
In the South Bangladesh in the mountains along the Birmansk border there are many scattered villages whose residents traditionally follow the Burmese Buddhist tradition. However, since they are cut off from Burma, the level of understanding of the teachings and practices is rather low there.
Laos
In Laos, Buddhism is still studying in rural areas in a traditional way, but monasteries are in a deplorable state due to the consequences of the US-Vietnamese war. The laity still put the foods in their bowls for laying and go to the temples in the days of full moon. Nevertheless, the tradition of meditation is extremely weak. Previously, the monks had to learn Marxism and teach him others, but now they are not obliged to do it. Today, only the formal expression of the dedication of the communist doctrine is needed from the population, and it became much easier to become a monk.
Cambodia
In Cambodia (previously campauchea), Buddhism is experiencing a period of recovery after the persecution and destruction of its sex then, and the limitations are gradually becoming less strict. This process scored power during the Board of Prince Sihanuk. However, still monasticism is allowed to accept only after 30 or 40 years, since the country needs human resources. The head of monasses - Khmer Monk Mach Ghosananda - studied meditation in Thailand, because in Cambodia the art of meditation was completely lost. Now he is trying to restore this practice here. The fact that the Kampuchei remains from the "Forest" tradition, rather related to the pursuit of high social status than the meditation as such.
Vietnam
Although in Vietnam there was never an analogue of the Chinese cultural revolution, Buddhism is still considered the enemy of the state, and the monks continue to challenge the state power and its control over the population. In this country, becoming a monk is very difficult, and many of them still conclude in prison. Only "showing" monasteries are functioning, mainly for propaganda purposes. In the north, where monastic institutions peacefully coexisted with the Communists during the Vietnamese war, the monks are more free. In the south of the country, the authorities belong to the monks more rigidly and suspiciously.
East Asian Buddhism Mahayana
Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Areas of Residence of the Chinese Diaspora
The traditions of East Asian Buddhism Mahayana, originating in China, are most stronger in Taiwan, in Hong Kong and South Korea. In Taiwan, the monastic community is most developed, as it generously sponsors and supports the Mijan community. There are Buddhist universities and Buddhist charitable organizations. The monastic community of Hong Kong also flourishes. Buddhist communities of the Chinese Diaspora in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines are focused on holding ceremonies for the well-being of the ancestors and prosperity and wealth now living. There are many mediums that are included in contact with Buddhist oracles, allowing them to communicate with people. Mireans are addressed for consultations on health and psychological problems. Chinese businessmen who are the main driving force, managing economies of "Asian Tigers", often make generous alliating monks to make rituals for their financial success.
Korea
In South Korea, Buddhism still has a certain weight, although it is faced with ever increasing difficulties due to the propagating Protestant Christian movements. There are a large number of monastic communities, monks and nuns of which are supported by the population. The tradition of meditation flourishes, mainly a dream - the Korean form of Zen Buddhism. On the other hand, in North Korea Buddhism is severely suppressed, functioning monasteries there only exist in propaganda purposes.
Japan
In Japan, there are many beautiful temples, most of which are transformed into sources of income and are stored only for tourists and visitors. Although in Japan, you can meet serious practitioners, traditions for the most part are very formalized and weak. Since the XIII century, the Japanese existed a tradition of married temple priests who did not have ban on alcohol consumption. These clergymen gradually displaced the tradition of monks who give a vow of celibacy. Most Japanese are followed by a mixed religion, where Buddhism is closely intertwined with a traditional Japanese religion of Cino. There are clergymen who are executing shintopic rituals for births and weddings and Buddhist for funerals, having a very limited understanding of both. Large companies are trying to introduce some Buddhist meditation techniques for removing staff stress. A kind of large Japanese Buddhist sect has an extensive program of building the so-called pagoda of the world around the globe. There are also a certain number of fanatical apocalyptic cults, followers of which call themselves Buddhists, but in fact they have a very distant attitude towards the teachings of the Buddha Shakyamuni. Historically, some Japanese Buddhist traditions were extremely nationalistic and based on faith in the fact that Japan is Buddhist paradise. Such belief comes from the Xotoinist cult of the emperor and the importance of belonging to the Japanese nation. These traditions gave rise to Buddhist political parties whose programs are extremely nationalistic and fundamentalist character.
People's Republic of China
In the inner China, namely in the territories of the PRC, where the ethnic Chinese (National Han) live, most of the Buddhist monasteries were destroyed and the bulk of educated monks, nuns and teachers were executed or sent to the camps during the cultural revolution of the 60s and 70s years of twentieth century. Nevertheless, these processes did not bore such a comprehensive nature, as in the non-Chinese regions, namely in Tibet, inner Mongolia and East Turkestan. To date, in the inner China, many ethnic Chinese are interested in Buddhism, but the main problem is the lack of qualified teachers. Many young people receive dedication to the monks, but his quality leaves much to be desired. Most young people at the end of higher educational institutions prefer to employ and earn money, while those who go to the monasteries mainly occur from poor and / or uneducated families, mainly from the villages. It remained very little experienced persecution from the Communists of qualified elderly monks and nuns who can teach, and there are no middle-generation representatives who would be trained. In many major cities Internal China and Pilgrimage Places There are state Buddhist colleges, the training program in which is designed for two or four years, despite the fact that political education is there part of the curriculum. An insignificant number of ethnic Chinese who have recently adopted monastic vows, learn in these colleges.
In general, in the actual Chinese monasteries, the level of Buddhist education is very low. Currently, believers focus mainly on the physical restoration of Buddhism - the reconstruction of temples, pagodas, statues, and the like, and this requires the cost of time and efforts to attract funds and construction. In some cases, the Chinese government helps with financing the reconstruction of monasteries and temples. As a result, many Buddhist temples have opened now as museums or tourist attractions. Monks act there rather as ticket controllers and service personnel. This creates the appearance of "freedom of religion" - that element of the image, which is now extremely needed by the Beijing authorities. Most restoration work, however, is funded by local residents, sometimes foreign sponsors, and very often and monks themselves. Some of the traditional practices of the cult of ancestors, carried out in the temples to communist persecution, have now resumed. Nevertheless, in some regions of internal China, there is still a small number of operating Chinese monasteries with a high level of Buddhist education and spiritual practice.
Central Asian Buddhism Mahayana
Tibetans in exile
The most powerful among Tibetan traditions of Central Asia is the tradition associated with the Tibetan refugee community, which formed around His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV, which since the national uprising of 1959, directed against the military occupation of Tibet by Communist China, lives in Northern India in exile. Thanks to the efforts of these refugees, most of the main women's and male monasteries of Tibet have rebuilt and have a complete educational program for scientists of monks, masters of meditation and teachers. Educational and research institutions and publishers have been created to preserve all aspects of each school of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.
Tibetans in exile helped to revive Buddhism in the Himalayan regions of India, including Ladakh and Sikkim, in Nepal and Bhutan, sending teachers there and retransmission of lines. Many monks and nuns from these places are educated and brought up in the men's and women's monasteries of Tibetan refugees.
Nepal
Although Sherpa's nationality in the east of Nepal and Tibetan refugees in the central part of the country follow the Tibetan tradition of Buddhism, in the nationality of Nevari Valley Kathmandu, there is still a traditional form of Nepalese Buddhism on a limited scale. It is a mixture of late form of Indian Buddhism Mahayana and Hinduism and is the only Buddhist tradition that preserves caste differences inside the monasteries. Starting from the XVI century, monks are allowed to marry. Among the monks there is a hereditary caste of caretakers of temples and people who lead rituals. Only those who come from these castes can perform these functions.
Tibet
The position of Buddhism in the largest Tibet, which the People's Republic of China divided between the five provinces - the Tibetan autonomous region, Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan, is still very much smoking. Of the 6500 men's and women's monasteries that existed before 1959, all but 150 were destroyed mainly before the cultural revolution. The vast majority of educated monks and nuns were either executed, or died in concentration camps. One way or another, most monks and nuns forced to remove monastic clothes. Since 1979, the Chinese have resolved the Tibetans to restore their monasteries, and many of them have already been reconstructed. The Chinese government helped restore two or three of them, but the overwhelming majority were recreated at the expense of the former monks, the local population and the Tibetan refugees abroad. Thousands of young people became monks and nuns, but the Chinese government began to create strict restrictions. Many policemen and begged Chinese government, changing monks, spend a thorough check in the monasteries. Monks and nuns often express an open protest against the Chinese politics of a person's freedom, demanding the true autonomy of Tibet and freedom of religion.
Attempts by the Chinese authorities to control Buddhism in Tibet became apparent due to the recent events related to the search for the reincarnation of Panchen Lama. The first Panchen Lama, who lived in the XVII century, was a teacher of the fifth Dalai Lama and is considered the second largest spiritual leader of Tibetans after the Dalai Lama himself. After the death of Dalai Lama or Panchen Lama, his successor is chosen - a child, which is recognized as the reincarnation of its predecessor. This boy is found after consulting with Oracle and carefully examine, checking whether he remembers people and objects from their previous life.
Whereas the Dalai Lama, starting with the fifth Dalai Lama, were both spiritual and secular rulers of Tibet, Panchen Lama has never been political figures of such a scale. Despite this, since the beginning of the 20th century, the Chinese are unsuccessfully trying to make a split into Tibetan society, supporting Panchen Lama as a political opponent of the Dalai Lama.
Manchuri, non-Han Chinese people living in northeastern Asia, managed China from the middle of the XVII to the beginning of the 20th century. They tried to conquer the location of the Mongolian and Tibetan peoples in the sphere of the influence of their empire, externally supporting Tibetan Buddhism, but trying to manipulate its institutions at the same time, control them and transfer their center of influence from Lhasa to Beijing. In the middle of the XVIII century, they proclaimed that only the Manchurian emperor has the right to choose and recognize the reincarnation of Dalai and Panchen-Lam by pulling out the lot from gold urn. Tibetans ignored this statement; The choice of Panchen Lam is always confirmed by the Dalai Lama.
The Communist Government of China, being deliberately atheistic, seemingly should not interfere in the religious life of its citizens. In addition, it condemns the entire policy of previous imperial dynasties, which managed China. Despite this, in 1995, it proclaimed himself a legitimate heir to the Manchurian emperors in their right to find and build the reincarnation of the Tenth Panchen Lama to the throne, which has left lives in 1989. It happened shortly after the abbot of the Panchen Lama monastery has already found reincarnation, and Dalai Lama gave this boy official recognition. Subsequently, this child, together with his family, was taken to Beijing, and no one had heard anything about them. The prisons were imprisoned, and the Panchen Lama Monastery is now under the strict control of the communist authorities. Then the Chinese authorities ordered all high ladies to teachers together and hold the ceremony on which they chose their own reincarnation of Panchen Lama. After that, the President of China met this six-year-old boy and instructed him to be loyal in relation to the Chinese Communist Party.
In addition to the intervention of the Chinese government, the main problem with which Buddhists faces in Tibet is the lack of teachers. The extremely small number of old masters managed to survive after the communist repression. There are also some teachers who received two or maximum four-year education in a fairly limited program in the State Buddhist colleges opened through the efforts of the last Panchen Lama. Although in general in Tibet compared with the internal China case, many monasteries in Tibet are only attractions for tourists, where monks have to work as tickets and service personnel. In general, Tibetans-laity have a very strong faith, but a significant part of young people gradually demoralizes, becoming a victim of unemployment arising from moving to the Tibet of a huge number of ethnic Chinese, as well as as a result of continuously growing supplies from inner China cheap alcohol, heroin, pornography and Billiard tables for gambling.
East Turkestan (Xinjiang)
Most Kalmyk monasteries in East Turkestan were destroyed during the cultural revolution. Some of them are now restored, but remains relevant even more acute compared to the Tibet lack of qualified teachers. Young people who recently become monks are disappointed, facing the lack of educational institutions, and many of them soon leave a monasticism.
Inner Mongolia.
For Tibetan Buddhists living in the People's Republic of China, the worst is the situation in Inner Mongolia. Most monasteries in her western half were destroyed during the cultural revolution. In the eastern half, which used to be part of Manchuria, much has already been destroyed by the Stalinist detachments at the end of World War II, when the Russians helped liberate northern China from the Japanese. The cultural revolution only completed this ruising process. Of the 700 monasteries that previously existed in the inner Mongolia, only 27 were preserved. But unlike Tibet and Eastern Turkestan, almost no effort to restore them were not presented later. As a result of the influx of a huge number of ethnic Chinese and mixed marriages, most local Mongolian population, especially in cities, have a very weak interest in their language, traditional culture or Buddhist religion. Several monasteries are open to attract tourists. There is a small number of young monks, but they practically do not receive any education. In remote areas of the desert Gobi left one or two monasters with monks who are still spending traditional rituals. But among them there is no one younger than seventy years. Unlike the Tibetan regions, where the pastures are rich and nomads have funds to support the restoration of monasteries and contain new monks, nomads of the inner Mongolia of the Gobi desert, even possessing faith, are extremely poor.
Mongolia
In Mongolia itself (outer Mongolia) there were thousands of monasteries. All of them were partially or completely destroyed in 1937 by order of Stalin. In 1946, one of the monasteries in Ulan-Bator formally opened anew, and at the beginning of the 70s, a special school was opened here for monks with a five-year training program, extremely abbreviated and doing strong emphasis on the study of Marxism. Monks were allowed to carry out a limited number of rituals for the population in the field of constant attention from the state. With the fall of communism in 1990, the energetic revival of Buddhism began with the help of Tibetans living in exile in India. Many new monks were sent to Indian monasteries for training. 150 monasteries were either open, either partially reconstructed, and Tibetan teachers from India were invited as mentors. Unlike Tibet, where old monks who removed the monastic clothes did not join the monasteries, and only worked on their reconstructions and supported them, many former monks came to the monasteries in Mongolia. Since most of them did not refuse the nights of the house with their wives and from alcohol consumption, today there is a serious problem among them in compliance with the rules of monastic discipline.
However, the most serious problem with which Buddhists of Mongolia faces today is aggressive American missionaries Mormons and Christian Baptists. Arriving with the purpose of "teaching of English language"They offer money and help in teaching children in America to those who turn to their faith. They distribute beautiful free booklets about Jesus, printed on spoken Mongolian, and show campaign films. Buddhists cannot compete with them in propaganda. In Mongolia, there are still no books on Buddhism in a conversational language, there is only on classic, and there is hardly anyone who can translate them, and even if such a person had found, then there would be no money to print these books. Thus, young people and intelligentsia are gradually moving from Buddhism to Christianity.
Russia
Three Russian regions where Tibetan Buddhism is traditionally distributed is in Siberia, near Lake Baikal, Buryatia, also in Siberia, in the north of West Mongolia, - Tuva and North-West the Caspian Sea coast - Kalmykia. Buryats and Kalmyks belong to the Mongolian group, while Tuvintsy - the nationality of Turkic origin. All monasteries in these three regions were completely destroyed by Stalin in the late 1930s of the twentieth century, with the exception of three partially survived in Buryatia. In the late 40s, Stalin opened a re-"showing" monastery in Buryatia under the strictest supervision of the competent authorities. The monks who previously removed their monastic clothes were put on them again as a working uniform and in the afternoon there were certain rituals. Some of them trained in a special spiritual school in Mongolia. After the fall of communism in 1990, the energetic restoration of Buddhism began in all these three regions. Tibetans in exile began to send their teachers there, young monks went to study in India to Tibetan monasteries. In Buryatia, seventeen monasteries-dtsanov are now restored. Here there are the same problems as in Mongolia: the problem of alcohol and the availability of wives from the former monks who returned to the monasteries. However, unlike Mongolian, these monks do not give themselves for monks who comply with celibacy. Currently, plans for the opening of monasteries in Kalmykia and Tuva are being developed. Christian missionaries act in these three regions, but not so actively as in Mongolia.
Residents of many Asian countries with other Buddhist traditions are also interested in Tibetan Buddhism. Lam Teachers from the Tibetan community living in exile in India are often invited to teach to Southeast Asia, Taiwan, in Hong Kong, Japan and Korea. Such people admit that the clear statement of the Buddha teachings existing in the Tibetan tradition helps them better understand their own traditions. People also attract complex and colorful Tibetan Buddhist rituals performed for the achievement of prosperity, good health and longevity. Traditionally, choking countries
In traditionally, slaughterhouses around the world also have various forms of Buddhism. Practitioners can be divided into two main groups: immigrants from Asia and practitioners of non-Aian origin. Immigrants from Asia, especially in the United States and Australia, built many ethnic temples. On a smaller scale, this is also true for Canada, Brazil, Peru and some Western European countries, in particular France. The chief emphasis here is made on prayer practice and maintaining a unifying center that helps the immigrant communities to maintain their cultural and national identity.
Buddhist dharma centers of all traditions exist for today more than eighty countries around the world, and they are mostly visited by people of non-Aiasian origin. In Dharma-centers, meditation, training and performing rituals are given the main time. The greatest percentage is the Dharma Centers of the Tibetan Tradition, the traditions of Tharavada and Zen. Teachers in these centers can be both Europeans and ethnic Buddhists from Asia countries. The largest number of such centers is located in the United States, France and Germany. The most serious disciples often visit Asia for a deeper study of Dharma. Buddhist educational programs exist in many universities around the world. Currently, dialogue is expanding and the 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.
Is Buddhism relevant in modern world? It is quite interesting why the topic is placed as the compliance of Buddhism with modern life. Why not with life at all? Is there anything special in modern life? For example, mobile phones, all these sounds are already the difference, it is already some characteristic of modern life. That was not 15 years ago. But in general, human conditions were the same throughout the entire time. People were angry, people argued with each other. It was always. People were unhappy, people were annoyed, and install close relationships with others is not very easy. And, one way or another, the life of everyone to one degree or another is concerned. Whether we worry, for example, about the economic situation now, or a thousand years ago we were worried about drought, because of which we had a crown. So, I believe that Buddhism has something to offer for all time, and 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 Dalai Lama distinguishes between Buddhist Science, Buddhist philosophy and Buddhist religion. And he says that Buddhist science and Buddhist philosophy can offer a lot for everyone. And we do not need to go to the Buddhist religion to benefit from the knowledge, from those deep inspirations that are contained in Buddhist science and in Buddhist philosophy.
Buddhist science is dealing with psychology, with a deep analysis of how the mind works, as emotions affect it, as perception works. Also, he can offer a lot in the field of logic. And there are also very deep knowledge of cosmology. Buddhist philosophy refers to reality, to how we understand reality and how we deconize our fantasies, our ideas about reality. And these are those things that can be useful for everyone, even if you do not go into such religious aspects as reincarnation, liberation, enlightenment, and so on. And even meditation is something that can be very useful for us as training of our mind and the development of a more positive approach, relationships to life.
The relevance of Buddhist psychology and philosophy Arrow down Arrow Up.
Compliance of Buddhist psychology and philosophy. The main goal, and not only these two directions, but also the Buddhist religion as a whole, is to eliminate the suffering and gain happiness. We have a lot of mental suffering due to psychological difficulties due to emotional inconsistencies. We have many problems due to the fact that we are irrational. And we are not in contact with reality. This is what will help us to overcome Buddhist teachings.
And of course, Buddhism as religion speaks of the benefits of the future, including in future lives, reincarnations, and so on. But if we look at Buddhist philosophy and psychology, they can give us some real benefits already in close connection and with our lives.
The main structure in Buddhist teaching was what is called "four noble truths". And the word "noble" here is just a term that comes from Sanskrit and denotes those who resemble reality, saw reality. That is, it is highly implemented creatures. And indeed it is. Those who really saw reality understand that this is the truth.
True suffering: misfortune, happiness and compulving Arrow down Arrow Up.
And the first truth is suffering. What is suffering? What are the problems that we face what is the truth?
The first problem is misfortune. There are many sufferings, and we all know how unfortunately be unhappy. Of course, there can be a lot of gradations of misfortune. Even if we are in pleasant circumstances, in a good company, we have a good meal, you still can feel unhappy. And even if we have something much hurts, you still can be happy, without complaining, not upset and not worrying about yourself excessively, but just be alone and take the situation. And, for example, even if we have a strong pain, for example, if we have cancer, we care more about how not to upset our relatives. And this is a misfortune - this is the first main problem with which we are faced.
And the second problem is - and it can be a little unusual, because people do not perceive it as a problem - this is common happiness. What is the problem with ordinary happiness? It does not last. We never satisfy them. We always have it enough. It changes. We had it, and then our mood is changing and more we are no longer happy if it were really our happiness would be final and genuine, then, the more we had conditions for happiness, especially and more happy we would have become constantly. For example, if you think about ice cream, which likes very many people. In theory, the more ice cream, we would eat, especially and happier we would become. But after some point no longer works: the more we eat the ice cream, the more it bothers us and the worse it becomes. Therefore, this is the usual happiness to which we strive for which we are trying to achieve, it also causes problems, it is also impaired.
And this is an interesting moment. I often ask myself: "How much your favorite food do you need to eat to enjoy it? One little spoon will be enough? "That's, I enjoyed. Well and good. What's next? "Is it wrong, right?" We strive to eat more and more, more and more even the pleasure of this also does not bring satisfaction.
And the third problem with which we are confronted is our intrusive existence. Observing in the sense, such as some song, which is spinning in our head, and we cannot stop it. Or as if we have any obsessive negative thoughts or obsessive concern, obsessive speaking constantly or obsessive execution of actions. For example, you can obsequently be a perfectionist. Here is the whole aspect of obsessionism - this is what the Buddhism speaks how about Karma. Karma is this this is an obsession when we do not own themselves and it makes us constantly make some actions. 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 is completely unpleasant.
Will it be destructive or constructive, this obsessive behavior is not at all useful. It brings some problems. Especially if we obsessibly think, we speak, act with anger, with greed or with attachment, with envy, jealousy. For example, if we have any obsessive thoughts of jealousy about our partner, wife or husband, we are all the time covered by this, we have a paranoia - it's unpleasant, right? It would be wonderful if we could overcome this intrusive aspect of our thinking, our speech and our actions.
We are looking for the true cause of suffering in your mind Arrow down Arrow Up.
Buddhism says that we need to look inside yourself and there find the reasons for these problems. Easily endure the blame for our problems on external factors. I am angry because of the economy, or because of the weather, or because of politics, something like that. But external factors are, let's say, the conditions. These are the conditions for our own habits themselves. For example, the habit of complaining. We can assume that there is some external reason, and not our obsessive behavior. But no matter what happens outside is just a condition for us to continue to obsessively complain in style: "It still will not be good." These are the complaints.
Video: Geshe Tashi Cering - "Why learn Buddhism?"
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So, one of the main points of Buddhism is how we perceive life depends on us. Life can go up or down, and we can perceive it either very restless or with a calm mind. And it depends on us. And what do we need to understand? We need to explore ourselves and see what causes are: What causes this obsessive behavior in me is anxiety? What is the reason?
Buddhism says that we need to go deeper, deeper and deeper to discover what is the true cause of our problem. You can say, for example, that my problem is a bad character. But because of what I have a bad character? You can go deeper. And this deep reason is the one that these highly realized creatures found are confusion and misunderstanding of how much I exist, as there are others, as everything exists. This is a delusion about how everything is around me, what happens to me. Instead of perceiving reality as it is, we project these fantasies for reality.
False projections Arrow down Arrow Up.
For example, regarding yourself, we can project: "Everything should be in my opinion. I have to like everyone. Everyone should pay attention to what I say because it is important. " You can look at this on the example of blogs and short messages when everything I am writing is very important and the whole world should know about it. Today I ate something for breakfast: it is very important and everyone should know. And if there are not enough people with "I like" under what I ate today for breakfast, I am unhappy, it spoils my whole day.
Or another such false projection is that I should always control everything. There is some kind of situation, and I must control everything. I have to understand everything, how it works so that this is all. For example, my employees in the office should do the way I want. Or in my family, relatives should also do the way I want. But it is absurd, we understand it. But it is based on that projection that my way to live and do something - this is the right way to do something.
Or we broadcast on 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, that's this person must love me. And if he does not like, I suffer, I'm unhappy. And on this occasion, I always remember large penguins colonies in Antarctica. There are tens of thousands of penguins, and all of them for us on one person. And for one of the penguins, the one of ten thousand, the other, 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 penguin or penguiny is so special and allocated from all others.
That is, we bloody ourselves: "I am so special." Or we inflate someone else: "You are so special." Or we are talking about what happens to us. For example, I have a problem with a child who is poorly learning. And then I am a single person in the universe, who has such a problem. Or my back hurts, or I have stress, or something else. And I am the only one who has this problem, only I perceive this problem. Or: "No one can understand me. Everyone else may be, and easy to understand. But it is me - it is very difficult, it's just impossible to understand. "
We reveal all these things, we inflate all this, we project on something and believe that this is important. And we all feel some uncertainty about this. It is this uncertainty that gives us us, it gives the fact that these projections have no real foundation in fact. And then we have all sorts of emotional strategies to gain confidence about this I, which is very important. And this confidence about me, who should have his own way, his own attitude. If not in our opinion, what do we do? We are angry. We repulse something: no, it's not like I want. Or if everything happens as we like, then we are vice versa very strongly tied to it. Like if I am all around myself, I am as much as I like, I will feel confident. And so we acquire greed, desire, affection. And if someone else has it, then I will try to pick up myself, I envy. And so intrusive, we have emotions. We can shout on someone in anger or can simply think constant obsessive thoughts, from envy, for example.
And all this is described as the true causes of our problems. We are unhappy, and what are we doing? We complain: "Poor I, I am so unfortunate." Or we have some ordinary happiness, but we never happen enough. We are tied to it. We are never satisfied. We always want more. It is interesting. Maybe you noticed if you have a dog. The dog often eats and at the same time looks around - does anyone try to take this meal. And just as we: here I am happy, but constantly there is an insecurity, will anyone leave this happiness, will it go somewhere.
And it is amazing - how we analyze how we treat. So we see everything that happens and think: "I am happy, but maybe I can be even more happy? I am unhappy, and it will last forever. Poor me. I will never get out of this depression. " And all this walks in a circle. All this confusion, misleading about how I exist.
I have something - this is what I have. Here, for example, I have a watch, they work. If they did not work, I could pass them into repair. But if I sit and look at someone else's clock: "Oh, she has a better watch than me" - then the problems begin. "My clock is not so good, like her. Why do I have such simple hours? How do I get the clock better? If people see me with these cheap hours, what will they think about me? " This is a big problem, isn't it?
And there are a lot of problems that are related to what our own image is that others will think about me. For example, I am a teacher and a good teacher should have a good watch. So what? If I have a bad watch - so what? This is a understanding that allows us to penetrate deeper. They measure time, and that's it. Everything else does not matter to me.
And on the contrary, the other extreme: if I am a Buddhist teacher, then I can think: "No, I have to choose everything easier. I can't have any dear things, otherwise people will think that I do everything for the sake of money. " And so thinking in this way, I would be proud of the fact that I have a very cheap clock. I would like to show them to everyone: "Here, look, what are my cheap hours. I am so modest. I am such a Buddhist. " And of course, this is a very troubled state of mind.
This is suffering. That's what Buddhism says - how to get rid of it. Because it is ridiculous. And all our suffering is based on our relationship, on our approach, especially on our attitude to themselves.
True termination Arrow down Arrow Up.
And the third noble truth, that is, what these highly realized creatures understood is what you can get rid of these problems. You can get rid of them so that they do not repeat. That is, not just some temporary solution, like, for example, "I'm lying to bed, and I have no problems," and make it so that they do not renew again.
And why do we say that you can get rid of these problems forever? Is it just such a good wish? Is this our idea? Or is it something that can really happen? And Buddhism says that we can get rid of these problems forever precisely because the nature of our mind is Clea. And we need to understand what it means. It says that our mental activity - in Buddhism is exactly called the mind: not a car that sits and thinks, and our mental activity, mental activity, and it continues and continues. And this mental activity includes emotions, and perception includes everything. And this mental activity does not necessarily be accompanied by these delusion, confusion and interfering emotions. It is just part of our nature.
And it may seem that we are always in anger or we are always in confusion, in confusion. It looks like something - I myself happened, and I am sure that you also happened to you, - when some song is spinning in my head and it is impossible to stop it. I wake up in the morning - it begins again. And I feel very stupid. She is so obsessive. But this is not part of our mental activity. If it were in fact a true part, she would have been there from the very beginning - from the moment of birth and always. But my mental activity does not exist so impossible in order to always have this stupid song. It's impossible. And I can oppose this song something, which spins in my head. I can counteract her, for example, considering my breathing. This is a very simple way to stop it, for a while at least. Just start counting your breath to eleven, and so again and again. If you really focus on this, the song stops. This means that the song is not an integral part of our mental activity.
Counter-seeking emotions, changing their attitude Arrow down Arrow Up.
And the same thing is with disturbing emotions. We can counteract them with certain opposing forces. We can change our approach, and together with the change of our approach, our entire experience is changing. For example, we can look at work and think: "It's so difficult. I can never cope with this. " And we really suffer. And we can change our approach and look at it as a task, as an adventure: "A, I wonder if I can solve such a task? Clell me? " You can see how we approach the games on the computer if you play on the computer. You can view it as: "No, it is very difficult. I can not play this game. " Or you can view it as a fun like an adventure: "It's interesting. I want to understand, I want to try to win. " And even if it is difficult, it's still fun. That is, it all depends on the change in our approach, our relationship.
And for the whole misconception, for all the confusion, which we have about the existence, there is always some kind of opposition. 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 can know correctly.
True understanding of reality Arrow down Arrow Up.
This is the fourth truth. It is usually called the "noble way." But here in fact, it is in mind the correct, true way of understanding. A true way of understanding will oppose a false way of understanding, because something and the other cannot be at the same time. You can, of course, there and here constantly move, be in indecision: is it like this or that's it? But as soon as we gain confidence: "A, I know how in fact everything exists. And how I used to think that everything exists is impossible, it is a misunderstanding, "then we have sustainability and confidence in this understanding.
For example, I thought I was the center of the Universe, I am very important and I have the most important approach. And confronts this understanding who I am. I am, in general, nothing special. I am the same as that. And why should I have any special approach? And this largely makes sense - that I have nothing special in me. I am the same, I am equal with everyone. And how do we know that? If I were the center of the Universe and I would have the only right approach, then everyone would have to agree with me. But it is not. But why do they disagree? What are they stupid all, or what? What about the people who were born and died before me? They also had to think that I am the most important? But why only I have my approach, and they do not have their own approach?
We analyze, we think: the way, with which I project a world, does it make sense? And if it does not make sense in fact, then why I obsessively behave like that I am always right, as if everything should always be, in my opinion, it's like fighting your head on the wall. And when I find that I start to do this, I try to notice this as soon as I notice it, I can say myself: "But it's ridiculous," and just stop, not to act in this way. Maybe our behavior is obsessive because we do not understand what is happening.
And of course, it is not easy to stop thinking in a certain way. But as in the example with the song, which is intruderfully spinning in our head, and we can stop it with the help of attention to breathing, just as we can stop and obsessive thoughts. "I'm so annoyed, I'm so upset", "even if we do not understand the deep reason, because of which it happens, we can simply not continue to think in this way, for example, using a breathing count. In other words, calm down. We give yourself some respite, stop thinking: "Why doesn't everything go, as I want?" We rest from this stress. And when we were so restful, we can ask themselves the question: "Why do I expect everything to go, in my opinion, who am I so? Am I God? "
Why should I like everyone? There is a good example: "Even the Buddha not everyone liked. So why do I expect that I would like everyone? " It helps us to be slightly 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, it is impossible. Because it depends on them and depends on their approach, we please them or not. I can't control it. This is a very deep understanding, isn't it? The way people perceive me are the result of so many reasons and many conditions. This is not only the result of what I do. This means that we do the best that we can, but we do not expect the impossible. I tried to make as much as possible, but not everything happened - I am not perfect. Buddha was perfect. But I'm not a Buddha.
True path, a true understanding is when we deal with our delusion parts and oppose it a genuine understanding, as I exist, how others exist and how everything exists.
How to behave in traffic Arrow down Arrow Up.
Let's take an example. Perhaps he will somehow relate to our daily life. For example, we are stuck in traffic. Or somewhere delay and we have to stand in a big queue. And we perceive it like 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 do not need to believe in rebirth or something else. We analyze, we deal with parts. What am I doing here? What's happening? I'm unhappy, I'm unhappy. And we can say: "So what, well, I'm unhappy." But instead of so to speak, we focus on this misfortune. We are obsessed with her. We project that it will last an eternal in Buddhism for this, the image is used that we are like a person who really wants to drink, which thirst torments and we strive, we just craving for this water. Here this wickedness is like dying from thirst: "I have to get water! I have to get rid of thirst! " And this: "I can't wait when I dismissed this misfortune! - It's like: - I can't wait when I get! "
It is interesting that the same image thirst also apply also to when we feel happy when we have ordinary happiness. We do not want this happiness to end. And it does not care what to feel thirst. Imagine how it really torments you thirst. You make the first sip of water. What relation? We are so craving that we don't need only one sip of water. We want more and more. We want to drink without stopping. And this is a very interesting thing that we can analyze in yourself. Do I really hard for this happiness? We all want to be happy. No one wants to be unhappy. This is the general principle of Buddhism, and we accept it. But my attitude towards this is whether it is, how is the person who torments the thirst for happiness? And if we have the first sip, you still want more and more: "Oh, do not take!" - So this way. But there is also a third opportunity - it is interesting. We can be happy, unhappy, but there is a neutral opportunity. I am not tormented by thirst, but it bothers me, and I will not want to drink later. So I always go and carry water, because I worry. Even if we are neither happy or unhappy especially, there is still such an expectation thirst. We are afraid that we will want to drink.
What to do with misfortune Arrow down Arrow Up.
This is due to the fact that we focus on our own misfortune. I'm stuck in traffic, I want to get out of here. I want to get out of this unfortunate state of mind in which I'm stuck, and it seems that it will last eternal that is the first thing we focus on, on how I unhappy. But there is a second, on what we focus, is on the situation on the road, or on a long queue, in which we are waiting for, in a supermarket or somewhere else, as if it will last forever. This cork will never resolve. I will never come up to the box office, and I do not care, and I will not come out of this store.
And then we focus on yourself. "Poor I am late. Poor I, I will not carry that I was stuck in the traffic jam. Everything should be in my opinion. I can not bear that I do not control the situation. I have to control everything, and I have to go. " And thus, we are obsessed with projections - projections about our misfortune, about the situation on the road and about yourself.
And what do we need to do? We need to disassemble all these three. And for this we use the general principles that we can find in Buddhist philosophy, and it is very useful. I'm unhappy now, and what? Happiness and misfortune is constantly alternate. If you look at yourself, then the mood is constantly jumping up, then down. "Now I am 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 meeting assigned, and because of the traffic jam, I will be late. But the Great Buddhist Teacher Shanitidev, a teacher from India, gave a very useful advice: if this situation you can change is, - Why worry? Just change it. And if this is the situation you can't change, then what to worry about? This will not help.
I can't break through this cork in which I'm stuck. I can't change it. So I should simply accept the reality of this. And this is what many of us have difficulty, with the adoption of reality. And can we do something? If we have a mobile phone, we can call a person with whom we have a meeting, and say: "I'm in a traffic jam, I will be late." And this man will be upset and disappointed or will not be - it may not be very nice to talk, but these are their problems, this is their attitude to reality.
And here you need to be careful in order not to feel guilty. I'm so ashamed, I'm so sorry that I could not have time to meet. This is wines. And what is here for the act here about which you think? What is the malfunction of this thinking? Inclinence in what you think: "I had to prevent it." So I am guilty that a traffic jam was formed on the road. But it is ridiculous. How can I be to blame for this? I could leave before. It's true. But still the accident could happen on the road. And even if I left before, I could still be late. So not everything is under my control and not everything that happens in the universe is my wines. I do not enjoy the fact that I'm late, but it is not my fault, sorry. And if we have this wickedness, we do not rejoice that they are stuck in traffic, we can include music, listen to something or somehow entertain yourself.
We disassemble the situation with traffic Arrow down Arrow Up.
We disassemble this situation with a plug. Then we need to disassemble the situation on the road. I take this traffic jam, to this traffic as something terrible. This is the worst thing in the world. And of course, we think it will last forever. We will never pass. But we can analyze that this plug arises from many many more reasons. All that arises from the cause depends on the causes and conditions, changes, does not always exist. And when different conditions change, from which it depends, the situation itself changes.
For example, if an accident occurred on the highway. And, for example, it happened at rush hour when everyone went to work or drove home. But sooner or later this car will be removed from the road and will help people. And then the fact that this situation depended (condition) will disappear. And I understand that this plug will also change when the conditions change. This is not some terrible monster, but something that will end. And it is very important to see everything in a wider context of all the reasons and conditions that affect the situation, and not consider everything as if it exists in itself. For example, if we consider this cork, which is simply somehow organized by itself, and it is, regardless of the causes and conditions.
Expansion of our focus and inclusion in it Arrow down Arrow Up.
We have a more realistic attitude towards traffic, to traffic jams, then we need to disassemble our attitude towards our contacts yourself in this traffic jam. We are captured by the idea of \u200b\u200bpoor: "I can't have time in time." But if we look at reality, then I'm not alone stuck in this traffic jam. There are all the rest. And everyone else also want to get there, where they go. I am not the only one. We can look at people on the right, to the left of us, on people in other machines, see, they are frustrated or not. It helps us to develop compassion - the desire to be freed from this difficult situation and emotionally, and in all other relations.
Because if we think only about yourself, only about the fact that I have this problem, then the range of our thinking is very narrow. We think only about yourself. And it is very close. We are tightly cling to "poor themselves." And we are tense. All our energy is very tense very much. At the same time, as a situation around, with everyone who is also stuck in this traffic jam is much wider. And because of the latitude of our thinking everything is relaxing. And this is the way to overcome the wickedness that we feel. Because part of this unhappy is that we are clamped, we hold for this perception of "poor themselves." But if we look at all people who are also in this situation, and we have such a loving attitude - we want all of them to suffer, so that they all be released from this situation as soon as possible, then we will be easier to perceive all this . This does not change the fact that we still be late for a meeting. I can't do anything about it. But I can do something with how I perceive this situation when I stand in traffic.
Conclusion: Practice Buddhism for Analysis and Changes Arrow down Arrow Up.
And this is exactly what Buddhism is interrelated not only with modern life, but in general with life as a whole. We try to pay attention to our emotions, our attitude, for our projections - to what serves as the basis for such a relationship. At the obsession of thinking, speaking, actions that cause all these projections. And we try to apply these partitioning methods to see the reality of what happens more clearly. And thus, Buddhist science and philosophy are very useful in ordinary life, so that as much as possible to reduce the suffering that we ourselves. And when we feel these takeoffs and falls, we are happy, then unhappy in everyday life, we are trying not to be the thirsty person. When we are happy, we enjoy it. We know that this is not forever, and we do not attach this so much value. We just enjoy. And if we are unhappy, then: "Well, and that. Sometimes everything is unhappy, it is also nothing special. " We just continue what you need to do. So we just live in your life without giving any particular importance. In other words, not inflating everything with the help of your projections. And thus life becomes more joyful. Because we can really see joy in all the trifles of everyday life, when we are not too busy with the fact that I want. Perhaps this is enough enough. Now we have a break for tea, most likely. But we do not treat it too seriously, do not attach great importance.
During its existence, Buddhism has introduced deep roots in Asian countries, where he continues to have a strong influence on public and public life. In many of them, Buddhism is a state religion, and in Laos, Cambodia and Thailand, the heads of state are carried out by the Buddhist Church.
In countries where Buddhism is strongly influenced by many monks: it is enough to say that in Cambodia monk is every twentieth man. In Burma. Cambodia, Laos, Thailand monasteries are almost every village. Temples are built on the money collected by monks and believers, and for funds released by the state. Often the population participates in construction by its work. The life of the countryside is closely connected with the monastery. On the days of the holidays, the monastery becomes the center of festive ceremonies. On weekdays, he is a rural school where monks - teachers, and Buddhist books - textbooks. Buddhist monk, until he took off his own, can not be arrested, he cannot be a witness in the Second Court and cannot contact the secular court himself. It cannot be called in the army, he cannot participate in the elections of the authorities in politics in general. Officially not participating in political life, monasticism actually has a very serious impact on it. Monasteries often enjoy great authority than government agencies.
A number of Buddhist authors feel over the spread of Buddhism around the world, considering that the "the great revolution of public thought" can be achieved only by "the displacement of Western materialistic public and individual spiritual values \u200b\u200band the approval of the true values \u200b\u200bbased on the teaching of the Buddha." A whole programs of propaganda of Buddhism are compiled outside of Asia, which are widely applied by a number of international Buddhist organizations. A certain success in European states and the United States has Zen-Buddhism. It is a doctrine that it is possible to achieve enlightenment through contemplation and self-pressing, comprehension of the true essence of the world consonant with moods of some part of youth and intelligentsia. Zen-Buddhism is attractive for them by promising people to achieve full internal independence from a society without care, without making any strict vows, which could violate the usual way to disregard this faith. According to this teaching, a person can achieve internal independence from society, the "complete serenity of the spirit" without much effort, without the transformation of this society, while maintaining his obstacles.
Interest in Buddhism by the world community acutely put in our time the question of the synthesis of Western (rationalistic, subject) culture and eastern (contemplative, non-rationalist) Indo-Buddhist psychoculture. The decision of this issue, as is well known, the agile activities of the Great Russian Intelligents NK was devoted to and E.I. Roerichs. They believed that the synthesis (interaction) of two crops could spiritually enrich the modern culture of mankind, having relived it from the extremes of Western rationalism and from the extremes of Eastern mysticism and psychologism.
To date, the followers of Buddhism in the world in different sources are from 400 to 700 million people. Such a discrepancy in the figures is due to the fact that the census of Buddhists has never been carried out, and individual religious areas, schools and organizations are inclined to overestimate the number of their adherents. The number of followers of Buddhism in the CIS countries (their more in Russia) is approaching 1 million people.
Being a global religion, Buddhism, as they integrate into the culture of countries of their spread itself, became part of this culture, national psychology, the lifestyle of the peoples professing him. All this allows us to consider Buddhism as a religious and philosophical and historical and cultural complex, which gives it possible to approach him and as a religion (a certain denomination), and as philosophy, and as psychology (Buddhism is primarily focused on changing consciousness), and As ideology, and as a cultural phenomenon.
At the beginning of the XXI century, Buddhism profess about 6-8% of the world's population, which is much inferior to Christianity (approximately 33%), Islam (about 18%) and Hinduism (about 13%). Buddhism remains unconditionally Asian religion: 99% of Buddhists live in Asia, and in the eastern part of it. There are several states that are called "Buddhist", but the predominance of Buddhists in the population will vary greatly from the country to country: for example, there are such religious homogeneous countries as Cambodia (Buddhists about 95%), Myanmar (Burma, about 90%) or Bhutan (Burma 75%); There are Laos, Thailand and Sri Lanka, where Buddhists are 60-70% of the population, but there are already essential religious minorities; There is a category of states where religious statistics are fundamentally difficult due to traditional syncretism and double, if not triple self-identification of the population: for example, Japan, China, to some extent Taiwan, Korea and Vietnam; There are finally the rest of the country, where Buddhists make up, as a rule, less than one percent of the population. Only in Australia Buddhists a little more than one percent (1.1%), and possibly in the United States (according to optimistic data, up to 1.5%).
If we proceed from the fact that we live in the "Epoch of Globalization", the whole story of Buddhism looks like a new way. Martin Bauman offers four-time periodization:
- 1. Canonical Buddhism (from the occurrence of 6 V.D. O.D. to the board of Ashoka Maurea, 3 V to AD);
- 2. Traditional or historical Buddhism (with Ashka and to the middle / end 19 century)
- 3. Modern or reviving Buddhism (starting from the end of 19 century) and finally
- 4. Global Buddhism.
In general, this periodization, or typology, does not seem very convincing, but the allocation of the "global" type is correct.
"Global Buddhism" became the result of Western penetration into Asia and Western understanding of Asia. We can say that gradually Buddhism turned into a global intellectual-spiritual resource, open to universal use. (Lit. 5)
In most Eurasian countries, Buddhism is associated with tradition and cultural and political conservatism. In several cases, this status is enshrined by the constitutional: in Cambodia, Buddhism directly proclaimed the state religion, in Sri Lanka Buddhism is provided with a preferential status, and Buddhists are quite painful to respond to the government's attempts, going towards Tamil minority, to disavavate relevant constitutional privileges; In Thailand, the state status of Buddhism is closely related to the constitutional system through the Institute of Monarchy; in Laos, such the status of Buddhism is also no doubt. Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Mongolia after democratic change adhere to the policies of religious pluralism, and the communist countries - China, North Korea and Vietnam - the usual policies of equal distance and state control, which is usually reduced, as a rule, to promoting "obedient" and "patriotic" organizations belonging to the so-called traditional confessions
At the same time in the most India Buddhism has not received further development. According to statistical data, less than 0.5% of the Indian population (lit.), which is even less than in Russia, is confessed at the beginning of the XXI century (lit.), which is even less than in Russia, where 1% of the population is counted for Buddhists. The dominant religion of India remains Hinduism is also common Islam. Buddhism in India gradually disappeared, starting from the XII century. The original Indian Buddhist Canon Tripitark was lost. At the same time, the heritage of the Buddha was preserved and flourished in other countries. (Truly - there is no prophet in his fatherland.)
Starting from the VIII century, Northern Buddhism penetrated Tibetwhich became the new world center of this religion and existed in this role for almost a thousand years, until the middle of the 20th century. In the 1950s Tibet has lost sovereignty, being in the composition of China, which resulted in a big wave of the emigration of Tibetans to various countries of the world. But despite this Tibet remained the main global spiritual center of Buddhism, and the Tibetan civilization was and remains one of the world civilizations. We are not talking about the preservation of the culture of one country. This is a holistic civilization, whose language, literature, medicine, art, music, and so on, are common throughout Central Asia, and not just within one small country. Now in India there was a numerous Tibetan diaspora and the residence of the hierarchs of Tibetan Buddhism arose. So the teaching of the Buddha, which took place in two and a half thousand years of the world religion, returns to the source - to the territory, from where its distribution in the world, but already with the other people, Tibetan, as a carrier (lit.).
In the restoration of places related to the events of life Buddha Shakyamuni, the South Asian Society "Maha Bodhi" played a big role. Now India retains its importance for global Buddhism due to these historical places and is one of the most visited countries where Buddhist pilgrimages are performed.
The status of the global religion implies the exit of a particular creed over the boundaries of the initial territory: it was exactly that Christianity and Islam found their current situation and it was why the global religion of Hinduism could not be considered, although the number of his adherents is 13 percent of the world's population (Buddhists in total, by different estimates, from 6 to 8 percent). Buddhism went beyond the boundaries of Asia and spread throughout the world through the penetration of Europeans to Asia and due to the fact that the West was seriously interested in Asian cultures and Asian mentality; This interest led to the fact that the Western man began to comprehend "Eastern Wisdom" and tried to enter it into a global context. As a result, from the cree by the advantage of Asian (even East Asian) Buddhism turned into a religion of universal properties.
After the Second World War in America and Europe, the opening processes of Buddhist traditions accelerated sharply, and after that, the interest in the exercises of the Buddha was no longer faded.
Buddhist communities around the world are becoming increasingly numerous. This is fine, regardless of whether they are interested in Buddhism as a religion or what is called the "lightweight version of Buddhism," relaxing techniques and so on. Buddhism gives West what he lacks: a system of spiritual wisdom, which can inspire and morally direct, and at the same time do not require the indisputable faith in theological dogmas. On the contrary, it relies on human mind and personal insight.
Buddhism's life force begins increasingly coming to the requirements of modern life, looking for an approach to changed conditions. Moreover, followers of Buddhism in the West seize the prospects for the evolution of Buddhism in its syncretization with elements of Western spiritual culture. Some of them offer to abandon the specific teachings of Buddhism, and take from it only what the West needs, having ringed the ideas and concepts of Buddhism with the best achievements of Western science, making it completely "Western."
It is necessary to distinguish such concepts as "global Buddhism" and "Buddhism in the Global Epoch", since not all confessional space of Buddhism is included in the globalization space. Traditional Buddhism takes a "museum-archive" form of existence or becomes a source of symbolic identity for converts Western Buddhists. At the same time, this conservative-protective tendency does not accept radical expressions. Therefore, in relation to Buddhism, such a concept as "fundamentalism" does not apply, since compared to Buddhism, the borders of Orthodox and "dissent" are non-fastened, and the criteria of doctrinal purity are blurred. Although in Buddhism and there are certain anti-globalistic flows, but compared to other religions they are softer.
Dalai Lama is one of the ways to solve the problems of the global dialogue of religions, cultures and civilizations in the creation of new universal ethics. In this regard, the initiative of the Dalai Lama XIV is very timely and possibly a Buddhist reaction model to globalization will become the best way out of the current situation, because it will help to find a golden middle or "middle way" between the modern globalization process and traditionalism, using the advantages of the United World and without bringing Sacrifice the variety of cultures.
He wakes one of the interviews to the question whether he sees any possibility of integrating Christianity and Buddhism in the West, answered as follows:
"It depends on what you understand under integration. If you mean the possibility of integrating Buddhism and Christianity within society, their coexistence, then my answer will be affirmative. However, if you see integration as the creation of a certain integrated religion, which is essentially not a clean Buddhism, neither pure Christianity, then this form of integration I consider it impossible.
And it is quite real that Christianity is in the country where the dominant religion is, someone decided to follow the Buddhist path. I think very likely that a person, in general, confess Christianity, who takes the idea of \u200b\u200bthe existence of God and believing to him, decided at some stage to include some ideas and techniques of Buddhism in his practice. The doctrine of love, compassion and kindness is present both in Christianity and in Buddhism. In particular, a lot of techniques aimed at developing compassion, kindness and such qualities can be found in the chariot of Bodhisattv. These technicians can be practiced both Buddhists and Christians. It is quite acceptable that a person, remaining a commitment to Christianity, decided to undergo training techniques of meditation, concentration and unidirectional concentration of the mind. Staying a Christian, a person can practice some provisions of Buddhism. This is another permissible and very viable variation of integration. " (lit. 3)
