Vorbereitungen in Japan:

Treffen mit most ven. Kyuse Enshinjoh

Treffen mit most. ven. Shinkai Kori

Speech for the 4^th World Buddhist Summit

Dear Venerables and honored guests,

brothers and sisters in the Dharma,

In the name of the Swiss Buddhist Union, it’s delegation and the Buddhists of Switzerland I like to thank the organization of the World Buddhist Summit for this invitation and the Thai Buddhist Sangha for its generous hospitality.

As you all know, Buddhism has become somewhat a fashion in the west. But in Switzerland it has certainly not become mainstream as we might have observed it in the United States. But beside this, it has some strong roots and is much more then a lifestyle for quite a number of people. At the same time it has become an object of interest among scientists or for the media in the last few years. Also Swiss Buddhists can claim to have established a few monasteries and institutions of an importance and historical significance reaching far beyond Switzerland's borders.

The early beginnings of Buddhism in Switzerland go back as far as to the middle of the 19^th century. The Swiss Buddhist Union was founded only in 1976 and has undergone a greater transformation in the last years. The Union currently represents around one hundred groups and centers as members and organizes festivities such as, for example, joint Vesakh celebrations. Today we work a lot for an inner Buddhist dialogue and for clear recognition in the society.
 
The Sangha in Switzerland consists of all four necessary parts: monks, nuns, lay women and lay man. Practically or in number however, Buddhism in Switzerland is manly a matter of so-called lay-practitioners. Unfortunately the term is rather misleading. Even though the so-called lay practitioners have not taken the full monastic vinaya but nevertheless practice with full commitment in their particular tradition and recruit the greater number of teachers.

Several of the Buddhist teachers in Switzerland consider the present state of development of Buddhism in Europe as a most favorable one. As we are in a period of history where the establishment of the institutions have not jet become to strong and the hierarchies have not become to rigid. All is fresh and we have a chance to go to the marrow of Lord Buddhas teaching and not to concentrate to much on cultural embellishment. We are deeply convinced, that some parts of Buddhist establishment has to be reformed, such as the gender role. Mere Patriarchy will not function in the West.

What the financial side concerns, the monasteries and centers run by Asian Buddhist have a strong support because of their tradition of Dana. Even so the World Bank considers Switzerland as the riches country on earth, the Swiss Buddhist centers have mostly a financial struggle as we are used to cover the expenses for religious matters through a particular government tax. However, Buddhism is not jet recognized fully as a religion and therefore does not get this kind of tax support.

I hope I could give you somewhat a picture of the situation in our country today.

As for our temple back home it is a living example of the inner Buddhist dialogue: we called our linage the “Sati-Zen-Sangha”. The term “Sati” as from the Pali word “mindfulness” and “Zen” referring to the Mahayana. We see the future of Buddhism and its task in working together for peace and not to forget, as Mahatma Gandhi said: “Live simple, so others may simply live!” 

In the name of the Swiss Buddhist Union I like to thank you so much for all the support! May we all work for the liberation of all sentient beings.

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