How Long Can I Keep Moet Brut Imperial For

Buddhism in Bonn. Empirical study of Buddhist-oriented communities in Bonn.

excerpt from the resumé of the various chapters of:
Michael A. Schmiedel. Buddhism in Bonn. Empirical study of Buddhist-oriented communities in Bonn. Unpublished. Mag-work, Univ. Bonn, 2000.

From my MA thesis I here cite the table of contents summary overview of the summaries of each group descriptions. Underneath then follows a more current list of available in Bonn Buddhist-oriented communities and offers.

I would gladly publish the work properly and the Diagonal-Verlag would also like to put it, but since I do not understand in the fundraising, I was able to muster at that time 10,000 marks not printing costs. And I thought me, you learn a profession and therefore, in order to make money, not to have to pay it.

parts of the Mag-work, however, are also recovered and published in:

- Theravada Buddhism in Bonn and Rösrath. In: Manfred Hutter (ed.), Buddhists and Hindus in Germany. Acts of the Second Scientific Symposium Graz religion (2 to 3 March 2000) = Horst Bürkle and Hans-Joachim Klimkeit (†) (eds.), Religious Studies 11, Frankfurt am Main, Berlin, Bruxelles, New York, Oxford, Wien 2001 ( Peter Lang), p. 137-156.

- Bonn Bonn Buddhist Temple and the Buddhist Association. In: Kris Rath East and Wilhelm Melcher Peter Snow (eds.), matter of faith - Religion in Bonn, Bonn 2003 (published by Science Shop), p. 164-169.

- Buddhist centers of the Karma Kagyu lineage West eV - Zentrum Bonn. In: Kris Rath East and Wilhelm Melcher Peter Snow (eds.), matter of faith, religion in Bonn, Bonn 2003 (published by Science Shop), p. 170-175.

- The Bonn Zen group of Klaus Wansleben. In: Kris Rath East and Wilhelm Melcher Peter Snow (eds.), matter of faith - Religion in Bonn, Bonn 2003 (published by Science Shop), p. 182-187.

The two books one can get through the book trade.

"Buddhist-oriented" means that the advertisement clearly Buddhist tradition, Doctrine or practice are available, not necessarily that a Buddhist identification exists.

1) The table of contents (entirely without formatting, because that is not here technically possible):

Introduction 5
Contextual introduction to the topic 5
description of the research object 7
Methodology 8
Personal access to the research object 11
List of Buddhist-oriented communities in Bonn 14
breakdown of the work 15

main part 16

A) The Theravada group led by Klaus Heinsch 16
access 16
History 16
organization 17
tradition and inculturation covers 18
teaching placement and educational content 19
meditation and devotional practices 20
social structure of the participants 21
Personal accounts by the participants 22
Summary 27

B) The Bonn Buddhist Association and the Bonn Buddhist Temple 29
access 29
history 29
organization 31
tradition covers and inculturation 33
teaching placement and content of teaching 35
meditation and devotional practices 36
social structure of the participants 37
Personal accounts by the participants 38
Summary 44

C) The Zen of Friends of Christel van den Boom 46
access 46
history 46
Organization 47
tradition covers and inculturation 48
teaching placement and content of teaching 50
meditation and devotional practices 51
social structure of the participants 53
Personal accounts of participants 53
Summary 60

D) The Zen Group Bonn, the Zen Association Germany (CVP) 62
access 62
history 62
Organization 62
tradition covers and inculturation 64
teaching placement and content of teaching 65
meditation and devotional practices 67
social structure of the participants 68
Personal accounts of participants 68
Summary 72

E) The Zen group of Klaus Wansleben 74
access 74
history 74
Organization 75
tradition covers and inculturation 77
teaching placement and content of teaching 78
meditation and devotional practices 80
social structure of the participants 82
Personal accounts of participants 83
Summary 91

F) The meditation program in the style of Zen by Wolfgang Spurzem 1993
access 93
history 93
organization in 1993
tradition covers and inculturation 1994
teaching placement and content of teaching in 1995
meditation and devotional practices in 1995
social structure of the participants in 1996
Personal Access of the participants and participants 97
Summary 100

G) The Zen Group Bonn, the Association Zen Internationale (AZI) 102
access 102
History 102
organization 103
tradition covers and inculturation 104
teaching placement and content of teaching 106
meditation and devotional practices 107
social structure the participants 109
Personal accounts of the participants 109
Summary 114

H) The pause for breath - sitting meditation in Zen-style body exercise 116
access 116
History 116
organization 117
tradition covers and inculturation 117
teaching placement and content of teaching 118
meditation and devotional practices 119
social structure of the participants 120
Personal accounts of the participants 121
Summary 125

I) The Buddhist meditation and discussion group of Werner Wiegmann 127
access 127
History 127
Organization 128
tradition covers and inculturation 129
teaching mediation and Course contents 129
meditation and prayer practices 130
social structure of the participants 130
Personal accounts of the participants 131
Summary 135

J) The Soka Gakkai International Germany - field Bonn 137
access 137
History 137
organization 138
tradition covers and inculturation 140
teaching placement and content of teaching 142
meditation and devotional practices 145
social structure of the participants 146
Personal accounts of the participants 147
Summary 152

K) The Shambhala Center Bonn 153
access 153
history 153
organization 154
tradition covers, inculturation 157
teaching placement and content of teaching 161
meditation and devotional practices 164
social structure of the participants 167
Personal accounts of the participants 167
Summary 173

L) Buddhist centers west of the Karma Kagyu Line: Center Bonn 175
access 175
History 176
organization 177
tradition covers, inculturation 180
teaching placement and content of teaching 184
meditation and devotional practices 188
social structure of the participants 192
Personal accounts of the participants 193
Summary 198

M), the Mahayana Buddhist Text Study Group Rhein-Sieg-Kreis / Bonn Alex Smejkal 200
access 200
History 200
organization 201
tradition covers, inculturation 202
teaching placement and content of teaching 203
meditation and devotional practices 206
social structure of the participants 208 Personal
Arrivals of participants 209
Summary 214

N), the Buddhist community Longchen eV 216
access 216
History 216
organization 216
tradition covers, inculturation 218
teaching placement and content of teaching 219
meditation and devotional practices 221
social structure of the participants 221
Personal accounts of the participants 222
resumé 222

OR) Other Communities 223

Comparative Summary 225
Conclusion and Outlook 238

Annex 242
questionnaire 242
List of Appendices I (field research protocols) 249
list of Appendix II ("gray literature") 250
to A) The Theravada group led by Klaus Heinsch: 250
to B) The Bonn Bonn Buddhist Association and the Buddhist Temple: 250
to C) The Zen of Friends of Christel van den Boom : 251
to D) The Zen Group Bonn, the Zen Association Germany (CVP): 252
to E) The Zen group of Klaus Wansleben: 253
to F) The meditation program in the style of Zen by Wolfgang Spurzem: 254
to G) The Zen Group Bonn, the Association Zen Internationale (AZI): 254
to H) The breathing space - sitting meditation in Zen-style body exercise: 255
to I) The Buddhist meditation and discussion group of Werner Wiegmann: 256
of J ) The Soka Gakkai International Germany - the area of Bonn: 256
to K) The Shambhala Center Bonn: 256
to L) Buddhist centers west of the Karma Kagyu eV line: Center Bonn: 260
to M), the Mahayana Buddhist Text Study Group Rhein-Sieg-Kreis / Bonn Alex Smejkal: 264
to N) The Buddhist community Longchen eV: 264
to O) Vipassanagruppe after Goenka Association of Vipassana Association: 265
to P) A private Zen group in which a participant from Werner Wiegand practice group 265
to Q) and mindfulness meditation circle of Paul Köppler and Werner Wiegmann
in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh: 266
to R) Buddhist centers of the Karma Kagyu West eV line: Meditation Group Bonn-Mitte: 266
Bibliography 267
preparation of me 276
abbreviations 277
addresses of the Buddhist-oriented communities in Bonn 279



II) The excerpts from the summaries of the group descriptions:

A ) The Theravada group led by Klaus Heinsch

The existing since 1962 Theravada group led by Klaus Heinsch is the oldest of the currently existing Buddhist-oriented communities of Bonn. It has resulted in a time that Martin Baumann as "Phase IV: Reconstruction" means.
your special characteristics are hugging her self-image as a Buddhist group, their understanding of the Pali canon as original and authoritative collection of the teachings of the Buddha, their private organization structure and their emphasis on the higher value of meditation practice at the same time intensive nature of theoretical study of Buddhist teachings. Buddhist teachings and Asian traditions are separated from each other, while not rejecting Asian languages and symbols. Most participants (inside) have a good knowledge of the Pali canon and its included Buddhist technical terms in Pali and in various translations. The practiced meditation practices are primarily variations of Samatha / Satipatthana / Vipassana meditation. The German participants
exception (s) are mainly already in retirement, and previously practiced in various professions. Protestant and Roman Catholic religious community of origin are equally represented.
[...]
Conclusion: There is a convinced and avowed Buddhist group with a strong orientation to the Pali Canon and the Theravada Buddhism, but without any concrete connection to a Theravada monk Sangha, but with the understanding that teachings of the Buddha autonomously implement.


B) The Bonn Bonn Buddhist Association and the Buddhist Temple

The existing since 1995 Bonn Bonn Buddhist Association and the Buddhist Temple primarily serve the ethno-religious needs of people living in Germany Sinhalese Buddhist (inside), the number of this community for most members Buddhist-oriented community in Bonn is. Interested German are therefore more an appendage, and only rarely club members. Between the resident monk at the temple and Singhal (inn) en is a traditional Sangha Dayaka ratio between the monk and the Germans is an informal teacher-pupil ratio. Taught and practiced traditional Sinhala Theravada Buddhism, which has, however, even in the Singhal (inn) en, even slight Verwestlichungstendenzen. Contents seem to German be interested in taking part in the lessons to be stronger, both in the Buddhist teaching, as well as what regards the practice of meditation, while Singhal (inn) en are more interested in traditional customs and pujas. The meditation practices are taught in the temple Anapanasati/Satipathana/Vipassana- and metta meditation.
The German education participants (inside) are predominantly men between their late twenties and late fifties, with real-to high-school degree and no obvious professional commonalities, except that older participants engaged in two legal professions. They grew uniformly distributed in the Protestant and Roman Catholic Church.
[...]
Conclusion: This is one in a mixture of traditional and modern Sinhala Temple-German Associations institutionalized community, which is used by Singhal (inn) en Germans and different. The Singhal (inn) en confess to a traditional, ethnic-based Theravada Buddhism, the Germans into a general, not so much schulgebundenem Buddhism.

C) The Zen of Friends of Christel van den Boom

The Zen of Friends since 1972, Christel van den Boom is the second oldest Buddhist-oriented community in Bonn. Historically it is part of the "Phase V: Meditation Buddhism" by Martin Baumann Classification the reception history of Buddhism in Germany. It is she not, however, a Buddhist, but a very Christian background, but its claim to read on-or trans-denominational group in which literature from different religions and denominational independent nature of enlightenment is emphasized. She has found, after several links to various German and Japanese teachers quite a close connection to Willigis hunters and the house of St. Benedict in Würzburg. The internal organization of the group but rather private nature. Practiced meditation practices zazen and Kinhin.
Most participants (s) are over 50 years old and some already retired. Higher Qualifications outweigh the learned professions are moving mostly in the areas of administration, medicine, engineering. As origin religion outweighs the Roman Catholic Church. All participants (s) are German.
[...]
Conclusion: It is an explicitly non-Buddhist, the Transkonfessionalität meditative experience emphasizing, zen of the Christian Home St. Benedict to the Buddhist Sanbo Kyodan School loosely connected group.



D) The Zen Group Zen Association of Bonn Germany (CVP)

The existing since 1990 Bonner Zen Group Zen Association Germany is from the beginning to a branch of that Umbrella organization, although a few participants (inside) of the group are also members of CVP. It is a group in the Soto Zen tradition. Japanese Tradition covers immediately catch the eye when they in the way the group is not even that important. The Buddhist identification is not very stressed, but in many denominations and the teaching content is always present, if sometimes mystical, Christian or Islamic texts are used. There are at least no Christian church connection of any kind Experienced meditation practices zazen and Kinhin, framed in a strict ritual Gasshos, Altarschmückung and Sutrenrezitation.
The two questionnaires are not representative for five to ten participants (inside), so I respect the social structure can only say in summary that most participants (inside) between 30 and 50 years old and probably all are German.
[...]
Conclusion: There is a also a lot of Buddhist recipients, but not always as Buddhist-understand, but in a concrete-zen Buddhist tradition of community standing.

E) The Zen group of Klaus Wansleben

The Zen group of Klaus Wansleben is a loosely Willigis hunters and Sanbo Kyodan school-tailed Zen-denominational group. It was created in 1991 by request of two Roman Catholic Institutions and practices in church premises. The Transkonfessionalität meditative experience is emphasized. Zen Buddhists instruction may very well received, together with various mystical religions. These are usually interpreted evolution theologically. Japanese Zen Buddhist terminology and the use of zafu are the most striking adaptations of Japanese culture. Practiced meditation practices Zazen, and Kinhin Koanschulung.
Most participants (s) are Student (inn) en in their twenties and thirties, and mostly they are grown up Roman Catholic, and almost all are German.
[...]
Conclusion: It is an interdenominational group with organizational Connection to the Roman Catholic church and tradition connected to the Zen Buddhist Sanbo Kyodan school. Conveys a mystical-theological understanding of evolution Zen in particular and religion in general. The personal accounts of participants (in) are more individualistic and form a heterogeneous group picture. Identification with Buddhism as a religion, despite partial takeover of Buddhist teaching content rare.


F) The offer in the style of Zen Meditation by Wolfgang Spurzem

Established in with interruption since 1992, of this Form 1997 Meditation is a range of Wolfgang Spurzem from any connection to a parent organization or to a Religion-free offer. It is inspired by the meditation in the style of Zen by Count Dürckheim, and so is the concept of Zen and the ritual over, but otherwise there is no tradition or connection to Buddhism to Japan. It is taught no lesson, because you must come to the conclusion that there was nothing to mediate and achieve nothing. The meditation in the style of Zen is seen as a therapy, with the aim to relax and learn to take is not too important.
It is a small group, so that even three completed questionnaires can be representative of them. The participants (inside) are all over forty, in part, over seventy years old. Education degrees and professionals are very heterogeneous. Mostly the participants (in) grew up Roman Catholic. All are German.
[...]
Conclusion: There is a never tailed, have no uniform doctrine, rather the health services had to end in the style of Zen meditation program with mostly but not exclusively religious, not particularly interested participants (hold) n. However, there is a barely visible Mahayana Buddhist influence.

G) The Zen-Bonn group of the Association Zen Internationale (AZI)

The existing since 1994, Bonner-AZI Zen Group is a branch of the Association Zen Internationale and connected from there to Soto Zen Buddhist School. It has therefore taken over by a strict ritual, to the special Zen clothing ranges, and includes service and Sutrenrezitationen otherwise altar. References to Buddhism are numerous, yet is as Zen Buddhism from the end gives independent form of meditation. Be practiced zazen and Kinhin.
About the social structure and personal approaches I can do little to give evidence as only two questionnaires were filled out, one of which came without the part I back. The participants (inside) are mainly students in their twenties and thirties.
[...]
Conclusion: It is a belonging to AZI not explicitly Buddhist, But the Zen Buddhist Soto Belonging to the school group, the participants (in) quite different personal approaches to Buddhism.


H) The breathing space - sitting meditation in Zen-style body exercise

ranging from 1994 1999 by Uwe Hackbart led pause for breath - was sitting meditation in Zen style with physical exercise, the only Zen group that the "Christian Zen "is assigned. She was an official offer of the evangelical church with Christian instantly recognizable content, when the meditation from Zen Buddhism and Taoism came from the physical exercises. References to Buddhism were very superficial and were not identified as such. The participants (inside) were mainly passing trade, which was also a reason for the low return of questionnaires. In what form is now led by Stefen Lüber, I'm still not known.
The completed questionnaires, so against a representative picture. They show a very heterogeneous social structure in which only the most unmarried marital status, the greater university degree, the most common evangelical Herkunfstreligionsgemeinschaft and German nationality (an Austrian) are common.
[...]
Conclusion: It was a Christian meditation program in the style of Zen not only the Christ (inn) en open. The participants (inside) came as well from different religious backgrounds were, Buddhist teachings reluctant or do not know about it, but affirmed Buddhist goals. One was even called a Tibetan Buddhist lama, his teacher.

I) The Buddhist meditation and discussion group of Werner Wiegmann

The existing since 1996 Buddhist talk and meditation group of Werner Wiegmann is a cross-school Buddhist community, but also non-Buddhist (inn) is en open. Werner Wiegmann is official in the DBU, the group is independent. Mediated are primarily, but not only Zen, Buddhist teaching content. The meditation practices are practiced zazen and Soto Kinhin in style.
Participants (s) are mostly over 60 years old, have a university degree and are or were employed in jobs from the legal, educational, psychological, and journalism.
[...]
Conclusion: There is a Buddhist group with a focus on the DBU and the Soto Zen, the participant (s) have the Buddhist identity to a sophisticated setting.

J) The Soka Gakkai International Germany - Bonn area

The group formed in 1975 and 1995 to a Area named Soka Gakkai International of Germany (SGI-D) - area of Bonn, a regional organization within the SGI Sub-D with his hand, child Communities (districts and groups). It forms around 60 members the largest Buddhist-oriented community in Bonn, when they publicly as such is not obvious and hardly known. It is part of the Japan organized Sokka Gakkai International (SGI), which in turn is a Nichiren Buddhist lay organization. It explains Nichiren Buddhist teaching content, which differs in significant points of otherwise general Buddhist teaching interpretations. The practiced meditation practices and Gongyo daimoku. It is the only in my study treated community that practices not meditation in the field of mind-calming meditation and mindfulness.
The two questionnaires are not representative of the entire community. I had so far gained the impression that all age groups are represented, since whole families are members. After initial formation of Japanese and international membership in Bonn, now almost all members of German.
[...]
Conclusion: It is a convinced Buddhist community with international involvement and organizational Nichiren Buddhist school links.


K) The Shambhala Center Bonn

The existing since 1981 Shambhala Center Bonn is a branch of Shambhala International, headquartered in Canada and the Tibetan Lama Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche Jampal Dradül Trinley as the head, and since 1999 eV. It has a threefold teaching and practice range, one part (Vajradhatu) relies on the Tibetan Buddhist Njingma Kagyu tradition while the second (Shambhala) and third (Nalanda) share in education, Tibetan, especially and Japanese Zen Buddhist-oriented culture. In Vajradhatu gate there is also a Vajrayana Buddhist training for (inn) en, while the other two goals and non-Buddhist (inn) en are open. Are taught Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist teaching content. The mainly practiced meditation practice is shamatha / vipashyana within the Vajraydhatu gate with, within the Shambhala gate without text recitation. Each gate has a shrine, which is provided with a rich Buddhist symbolism.
The five completed questionnaires are not representative. There are all age groups between 30 and 60 present and some families have kids. Degrees of all types and very different careers are available. Protestant and Roman Catholic religious community of origin are approximately equal before many times.
[...]
Conclusion: It is a connected to an international organization, partly from the Tibetan Buddhist Nyingma Kagyu tradition partly on the general Mahayana Buddhism-oriented community. The Buddhist identity of the members is quite high, but partly differentiated.


L) Buddhist centers west of the Karma Kagyu lineage: Center Bonn

The Buddhist Center of the Karma Kagyu lineage of Bonn was a branch of the Karma Kagyu federation (KKD), which in turn is part of a worldwide network of Karma Kagyu centers. It was in the tradition of the Tibetan Buddhist Karma Kagyu school and within the Group, whose head of the 17 Karmapa Thaye Dorje. The Bonn Centre existed from 1990 to 2000 and has an average of about 20 members, with the reestablishment the meditation group Bonn in mid-1999 this number of members dwindled to about ten. Tibetan tradition has taught, as long as they are useful for the transmission of Buddhist teachings appeared, but there was a strong tendency of inculturation in Western teaching methods. There were mediated Vajrayana Buddhist teaching content. Practiced meditation practices were primarily those in the field of guru-yoga, ie visualizations of the Buddha-aspects, recitations of mantras, and nationally ngöndro Phowa, but not Shine / Lhagtong.
The three questionnaires are not representative, so that I myself in the following information to other support. The members were mostly in the Thirties. Education degrees and careers were different. The Herkunfstreligionsgemeinschaften were approximately equally between the Protestant and Roman Catholic Church.
[...]
Conclusion: It was a committed Buddhist community, which is part of the German KKD and the international network of Karma Kagyu centers and was standing in the Tibetan Buddhist Karma Kagyu tradition. The members are mostly practicing Buddhist (inn) en, but there are also participants (inside) with differential access.

M), the Mahayana Buddhist Text Study Group Rhein-Sieg-Kreis/Bonn under Alex Smejkal

The Mahayana Buddhist Text Study Group Rhein-Sieg-Kreis/Bonn Alex Smejkal was an independent, loosely Chödzong and the Tibetan Mahayana Buddhist-oriented group, which existed from 1997 to 1999. The approximately eight regular participant (s) studied together texts Tibetan Buddhist teachers in German translation. Practiced meditation practices were shamatha / vipashyana and Tonglen.
The participants (inside) were between mid-thirties and forties, had predominantly a university degree and worked in nursing, liberal arts, commercial or artistic professions. They were mainly Roman Catholic and German-raised (an Austrian).
[...]
Conclusion: It was is an independent, confident group of Buddhist Tibetan Mahayana Buddhist orientation.

N), the Buddhist community Longchen eV

The Buddhist community is a Longchen eV in Bonn, Germany 20, in Bonn three members. It exists since 1994 and is a sister organization of the English Longchen Foundation, whose leader, the Englishman Rigzin Shikpo, also the spiritual head of the German community. It is a Mahayana Buddhist community and is based on the Tibetan Buddhist Nyingma / Kagyu tradition. Are mediated maha and Vajrayana Buddhist teaching content. Practiced meditation practice is mainly shamatha / Vipashyana. Personal data about members, I have almost none. Identification with Buddhist refuge predominates.
Conclusion: It is an avowed Buddhist community in the Tibetan Buddhist Nyingam / Kagyu tradition.

OR) Other Communities

O) Vipassanagruppe after Goenka of the Vipassana Association eV

There is a group of three students under the direction of Mudar Mannah. They practiced the Vipassana Meditation by SN Goenka, an Indian businessman and student of the Myanmar government officials and family man U Ba Khin (1899-1971). It is connected to the Vipassana Association eV and understands not as a Buddhist community, but practiced Vipassana meditation technique as an independent religion. They meet at home with Mudar Mannah.


P) A private Zen group in which a participant from Werner Wiegand group practiced

If it is a very private meditation circle with six to eight participants (s) meet, which occurred Monday night in turns in their homes. The group has no leader.


Q) and mindfulness meditation circle of Paul Köppler and Werner Heidenreich in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh

Since September 1999 Köppler Paul, director of the Waldhaus offer on Laachersee, Vorsiztender of Buddhism in the West eV and council member of the DBU and Werner Heidenreich, head of the city area of Cologne, who are both members of the Interbeing the Order of the Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, the Albert-Schweitzer-Haus in Bonn Bad Godesberg a Meditation and awareness group in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh on. They shall alternate between the group that is now at 10 to 15 regular participants (inside) and has grown every week on Tuesdays Tifft von 19 bis 21 clock.

R) Buddhist centers of the Karma Kagyu West eV line: Meditation Group Bonn-Mitte

In 1999, the members of the Karma Kagyu Center in Bonn Anna Bach and Christoph Baur this meditation group because they had not felt well in the center. The group is now used by 10 to 15 participants (s) visited. Since the closure of the Karma Kagyu Center in Bonn on 24.04.2000, the meditation group Bonn-center, the sole representative of the BDD in Bonn dar. For more information see the section L) Buddhist centers of the Karma Kagyu lineage West: Center Bonn.


***

III) addresses the Buddhist-oriented communities in Bonn:

Tung Completing the master's thesis in May 2000, the scene has changed a little. Here is a current address list that is currently in Bonn existing Buddhist-oriented communities and offers:

knowledge on 22.07.2005
researched by Michael A. Schmiedel, MA
religious scholar



The list includes Buddhist-oriented communities, which I described in my thesis and a few more and is classified by the traditional categories of Theravada, Vipassana, Zen , Nichiren Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism / Vajrayana and cross-school groups and within each category, date of establishment. Apart from Bonn and a community is listed in drakes.
"Buddhist-oriented" does not mean "Buddhist".
The list could be incomplete. Other addresses I appreciate.


Theravada:

Theravada group Heinsch
Klaus Klaus Heinsch, Elbing Straße 6, 53117 Bonn
bush village
Tel: 0228-671752.

Bonn and Bonn Buddhist Association Buddhist Temple Buddhist Temple
Bonn,
Fries Strasse 75, 53173 Bonn-Bad Godesberg
,
Tel: 0228-318844
http://www.buddhaweb.de/body_bonn.htm


Vipassana:

Vipassanagruppe after Goenka of the Vipassana Association eV
Mudar Mannah,
Ferdinandstrai3e 66,
53127 Bonn,
Tel: 02,289,287,049


Zen: Zen

of Friends of Christel Christel van den Boom van den Boom,
Sanbo Kyodan school
Saale Straße 4, 53127 Bonn-
Ippendorf,
Tel: 0228-285549.

Zen Group Zen Association of Bonn Germany (CVP)
Soto school
Wolfgang Foit,
Am Hang 10, 53229 Bonn-
Holzlar,
Tel: 0228-431329.
http://www.zen-vereinigung.de/

Zen group of Klaus Wansleben
Sanbo Kyodan school
Klaus and Hildegard Wansleben,
Newton Street 5, 53125 Bonn
,
Tel: 0228-2805506.
E-mail: HKWansleben@aol.com
http://www.littleway.de

Bonn Zen Group of the Association Zen Internationale (AZI)
Soto school
Leader: Daniel Lehmacher,
Tel: 0170-2962224.
- meeting "open door"
Münsterstr. 21, 53111 Bonn
.
http://www.zen-azi.org

Buddhist meditation and discussion group of Werner Wiegmann
Werner Wiegmann,
Villip Allee 58, 53125 Bonn-
Röttgen,
Tel: 0228-254675, Fax
:
0228-258097 E-mail: wiegmann-mediation@t-online.de


Nichiren Buddhism: Soka Gakkai International

- Germany: Bonn area
c / o Bernhard dumbbell
Remigius
Platz 1 53111 Bonn Tel
: 0228 -9652353
http://www.sgi-d.org


Tibetan Buddhism / Vajrayana:

Shambhala Center Bonn
Nyingma Kagyu school
Carmelite St. 1 b, 53229 Bonn-
Beuel,
Tel: 02222-0209008 (from Theo Heukelom)
E-mail: marita@weuthen.de , h.kraechan @ t-online.de
http://www.shambhala.org/centers/bonn/
The Shambhala Centre in Bonn in July 2005 moved to Cologne and has connected with the Cologne Center.

Buddhist Community Association Longchen
Nyingma Kagyu school
Irmentraud Schlaffer
Samanstraße 13, 53227 Bonn-
Ramersdorf
Tel: 0228-440202.
E-mail: I. Schlaffer @ t-online.de or

Regine Simovics, E-mail: regsim@aol.com
http://www.longchen.de/


Buddhist centers of the Karma Kagyu lineage West: Center Bonn
c / o Christoph Baur, Anna Bach
Kaiserstr. 107
53113 Bonn,
Tel: 0228-210943, Fax
.
0228-2420563 E-mail: bonn@diamondway-center.org
http://www.buddhismus-bonn.de


School Cross Communities:

house Siddharta
center for the practice of mindfulness
Buddhism in the West eV
Dr. Paul Köppler
Dengler
Straße 22 D-53173 Bonn Tel

0226-9359369 E-mail: pamib@t-online.de
http://www.buddhismus-im-westen.de/

Buddhist university group
Bonn c / o Susanne Petri
E-mail: bhsg@uni-bonn.de
http://www.uni-bonn.de/ ~ bhsg /


Paramita project
Healing steps on the path of awakening
Buddhist meditation courses and topics with
Yeshe U. rule and Angelika Wild in the rule

practice of mindfulness, relaxation, meditation and stress management

Clemens-August-Str. 17, 53115 Bonn-Poppelsdorf
(Near Botanical Garden)
Tel 0228-908 6860 02655-962840
and e-mail: yesche@t-online.de
http://www.yesche.de/
http://www.paramita-projekt.de
http://www.stressbewaeltigungbonn.de



addition, here are a community of Drake:

Tibetan Buddhist Center Rheinland eV
Thoesam Ling
Hospital Gasse 11 53 579
drake
Resident Lama Geshe Nawang Thapkhe
Tel . / Fax: 02644-808200
E-mail: t-online.de @ Bernhild.A

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Inter-religious dialogue as a task of applied science, religion

Inter-religious dialogue as a task of applied science, religion

this lecture I gave in September 2003 at the meeting of German Association for the History of Religions (DVRG) in Erfurt in the lead by Prof. Dr. Hubert Seiwert panels Applied Religion . Unfortunately, there were no proceedings and no special publication of this panel, so I text my first post here. As the footnotes here can not be played properly, I have labeled Fn in parentheses after the respective position and placed under the text as endnotes.

advance Abstract:

in religious studies circles, the inter-religious dialogue generally regarded as a matter of theology and religious sciences commitment is as detrimental to the value-neutral self-understanding of the subject. Religious studies can and should devote themselves to inter-religious dialogue only, by making it an object of research, but she could not participate actively and normative because it is often said.
This paper takes a different view and tries sensible arguments for a contribution of religious studies at the inter-religious dialogue to gather. Religion is like science in general, as the company judged responsible, ruling out an eventual value of freedom. Interfaith dialogue is considered a matter that concerns not only the official representatives of religious institutions, and indeed not even just religious believers, but as a social task that is necessary to a peaceful to enable people to live together and Subgesellschaften in the global, multicultural and pluralistic world society. Since the inter-religious dialogue, as in the political diplomacy, interest groups collide, apologetics and polemics can be found as well as understand interminable listening. Just because the science of religion is independent of religious institutions, they can take corrective action, and let the methodological waiver of metaphysical truth claims the area of this side-human come into its own and results from the history of religion, and sociological and psychological research, moderating and facilitating the Talk contribute. It is not just a question of representing a religious party in the dialogue, but also to assume the role of facilitation, mediation and impartial review. must take sides and will the science of religion but very well for a vision of a peaceful and pluralistic society and a self-critical and honest discussion, which are also sources of its own existence. This paper represents so well the utopias of the project, the Global Ethic of Hans Kung or the World Conference on Religion and Peace and also complained that religious scholar (s) in this and similar projects are not sufficiently represented. Peter Antes, co-founder of the association to encourage the meeting the world religions and intercultural conversation eV, Michael von Brück, which unfortunately chosen journal dialogue of religions has given out, and Norbert Klaes, who was for a time President of WCRP Europe, but are good examples of well-known religious scholars who act as such in the inter-religious dialogue, without letting the religious studies thus become a pseudo-theology.

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Full Text:

When I started in 1993 to study theology, guided and motivated me already the idea that could make a dialogue of religions a significant contribution to the peaceful living together of people. Religious studies I seemed to be a science, which could still better than the theology serve this dialogue, as theologians regarded the things too much from the more or less narrow perspective of their respective own religion here, during the science of religion seemed to be able to the whole panorama unbiased to have in view.

But I learned pretty much the first thing that interreligious dialogue is not a matter of religious studies, for which party in the dialogue, the religious studies should he represented, as it was their right but to keep from the evaluation of religious truth claims out and in dialogue but it go to religious truth claims. Religious studies could inter-religious dialogue scientifically studied, but did not participate. That made sense to me at first, but more the old idea that I had actually driven in the science of religion in it, not quite me.

that religious truth claims, especially if they belong on a metaphysical, transcendent themes are outside the methodological verifiability of religious studies is a basic maxim of our profession that I would not question here. Less clear but seems to me the question of the value of freedom, or neutrality answered, because, first moves the science of religion, like any science in business conditions, which in turn follow preceding value orientations are (which touches on questions of academic and educational ideals of economy and finance, politics in general, etc.), and secondly, be subject to scientific methods, ethical value judgments (which touches on questions of how to deal with research subjects, especially when these people, or subjects with rights and dignity, but also the consequences of knowledge publishing on the following values discussions, etc.). Religious studies is therefore just as much as any other science in a value-free space.

that interreligious dialogue is not just a matter of theologians and other religious leaders, experienced I impressive in July this year at the meeting project inter-religious Europe in Graz . (Fn 1), where projects were presented for inter-religious coexistence in our European society, from politicians, police officers, filmmakers, teachers and pupils, and of course by theologians.
And last year published a book of speeches by our Federal President Johannes Rau, entitled Dialogue of cultures - the culture of dialogue, tolerance instead of arbitrariness , (FN2) in which it from his perspective as head of state again and again to the need of intercultural and interreligious dialogue indicates. Thus, the inter-religious dialogue is not only a religious, but also a political matter. Seen in this way not only raises the question of whether religion itself as a religious scholar, but whether one can or should get involved in politics.

If I as a theologian me of my responsibility is aware of it, what questions I ask and how I would answer the questions, and whom I serve like the answers I think ultimately, it seems to me the question whether my work a can have an impact on the living together of people, and if so, what should have and what not. If I want to answer these questions, I'm in the middle in value orientations, normative and not think that is more purely descriptive.

The influence of an individual scientist may be small, and yet, our society through the influence of science since the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, and then changed decisively, to the pluralistic, individualistic society in the election of our time constraints. The sciences had such a decisive influence on the religious life of the people. Liberal and fundamentalist theology would not have occurred without confronting religious people with the sciences.

scientists now have the choice, this impact that their work has on society as their responsibility to accept and exercise-or the responsibility entirely to the recipients of scientific Work in rebuttal. Can operate as a biologist basic research, either as an anatomist, a biochemist, a behavioral scientist or an environmentalist, his results or to publish the subject in general and the question of who takes the consequences of the reception of research results and theories, completely indifferent face. It can also work specifically for a particular audience, whether the pharmaceutical industry, agriculture, the television viewers, the environmental movement, etc.. Thus, a religious scholar to publish his results without any thought of social consequences or targeted for a Commission of Inquiry, a local government administration, Protection of the Constitution, the dialogue and ecumenical movement work, etc.. If a scientist a target audience in mind, there is still a difference in whether he will be paid by that or not, if he accepts a job or his own client, whether he is the target audience liked or want that first win for himself and his work .

Within this scenario, I now see no reason why a religious scholar's work should not be at the service of inter-religious dialogue. There is now only the question of how to do this and consider what he has to.

science consists of research and teaching. Research consists of questions and methodically disciplined Way to answer the questions. Teaching consists in research results, methods, theories and perspectives of the discipline to teach the people. Recipient of teaching are students, but also the public and all institutions in society, including religious groups and religious institutions and individuals.

is to research the possibility to selectively adopt those issues that are important in the dialogue. Here, of course, exclude purely theological questions for the religious studies research, but otherwise, offer all the issues discussed on the Questions of religious history, theology and the history, Questions about the connection between religious and other cultural or social factors, for example according to social conditions in which religious people live, questions about the mental experience and behavior of religious people in general and questions about similarities and differences between the religions. So there are the normal issues that concerned the science of religion anyway.
The difference with the so-called interest-free basic research is that is needed here specifically to the topics of conversation, and so even after the controversy raised by the dialogue partners.

consists in teaching the opportunity to formulate the research results to target such that the desired recipient, identify the venues of inter-religious dialogue, understand and integrate into their world images. Just to do this, there is an additional quality, which religious scholars acquire in the course of their study and professional practice, namely to be able to think his way into feeling in the individual different religious mentalities, even if no scientific qualities, but general human, but which may be just related to the acquired knowledge through science to a very useful inter-religious and intercultural competence. Part of this competence by result that we discussed in the study of living religions, especially its research findings with representatives of the religions studied. (Fn3) because it leads to a dialogue between science and religion, and trained in this way of thinking about the question of religious leaders. This is often a stressful and even stressful undertaking, because the ways of thinking can there are very divergent, and one can get annoyed very much by the feeling of understanding others not at all what you want out and why you ask that question and the matter way and not want to be different. Or to go to great doubts concerning their ability, the religion which we explored, to understand at all when one of this lack of understanding of their representatives is kept constantly under his nose. In any case, you learn the fact that one judge can consider most of the facts from very different angles and without the latest to come to a verdict about them, a knowledge that is in the dialogue would be of considerable value. Because of it's ability of self-relativization can grow, and just because it is not rare hitch.

Is it so equipped as a religious scholar in this way with cross-cultural material and understanding skills, you can try the venture, which issues between representatives of different religions, but also between them and secular representatives to clarify institutions or ways of life.

It is clear now but the question is to enter a religious perspective from which scientists in the dialogue. It stake now is only partly a matter of taking scientific perspectives of religious, but also about non-religious perspectives of the same representatives to make themselves understood. That sentence implies that I believe in interreligious dialogue not only the dialogue between representatives of different religious parties but also between the religious and secular viewpoints. Furthermore, I understand including the dialogue being conducted within religious organizations among its members and even the monologue of a man with himself in confrontation with other religious or secular doctrines, so what Raimon Panikkar described as intra-religious dialogue. (FN4)

religious scholars can, in principle, participate in three different perspectives on inter-religious dialogue:
1) The religious scholar brings his own religion to the mix and uses the above skills from understanding the different perspectives to bring its own to the horizon of understanding the other person and to qualify them, and both their own, and the religiosity of others to consider both from a scientific perspective. This would be the religious scholars actually a religious dialogue partner who is also a religious scholar. In this position you can then distinguish whether it also represents a religious community or only its individual religiosity.
2) The religious scholar makes his own religion with intent on the sidelines, acting as neutral reporting, facilitator, mediator and / or interpreter. (FN5) This requires the discipline to stick with their religious, theological or religious and philosophical opinions back But this you learn in the course of religious studies student so from the beginning.
3) The religious scholar but does not represent the perspective of a religion, but a secular institution, as the government or its constitution or the business of a company, a citizens' initiative, a political party or a club.

The second option is the one that has to be mentioned most purely a religious studies. What you also decide, two things are essential importance.
first One has to view his interlocutors disclosed.
second The other party must accept it.

latter is not always easy, but possible, as some representatives of our profession have already proved.

examples:

Peter Antes:
Peter Antes is co-founder of Association to encourage the meeting of world religions and intercultural conversation eV (FN6) He understands his specific religion scientific task for the religious-based party and a mediator to be simultaneous interpretation. The interpreter does not mean here the function between languages like German or Arabic, but between religious speech levels, each with its specific characteristics, which are often sources of misunderstandings. His own religious conviction, he can be here, still in the religious studies research, outside, and that is recognized by the other dialogue partners and accepted. He is it certainly believe that, if the religious scholars are in a state employment relationship is, for example, a lecturer at a state university, was his duty to uphold the basic policy of the State, for which he works. And he could do, for example, by working in inter-religious dialogue for the peaceful coexistence of people of different religious beliefs in that same state (FN7)

Norbert Klaes.
Norbert Klaes, also a member of the Association to encourage the meeting of the world religions and intercultural conversation eV , some years as chairman of the World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP) Europe . (Fn8) participate in inter-religious dialogue does not participate primarily as a religious scholar, but as a European Christian, but one that enabled by his religion scientific knowledge of the religions in a special way to do so. As a specific contribution of religious studies, he also sees the mediators and interpreters function (FN9)

Michael von Brück.
Michael von Brück manages to participate on several levels at the inter-religious dialogue. He is a theologian, a Protestant theologian and Zen and yoga teacher. He was Associate Editor of dialogue between religions, for economic reasons unfortunately never been (FN10), he always brings representatives of different religions talking to each other and it is also his scientific research, for example, the Buddhist-Christian dialogue in the written with Whalen Lai book Buddhism and Christianity (FN11) in the service of mutual understanding (Fn12)

Udo Tworuschka.
Udo Tworuschka propagated an applied or practical theology, which describes as violent, fanatical religiosity just not worth it neutral, but it applies with respect to judgmental position, and make the effort, inter-religious disputes, the example of the embattled Jews, Christians and Muslims Jerusalem describe, so that the different religious meanings are clear and mutual understanding of the contending parties is possible. It calls on the existing capabilities in the religions of tolerance, so you must rely on a desire for peaceful coexistence not only to secular values and looks inspired in its approach from Johann Gottfried Herder and Gustav Mensching. founded together with the Protestant theologian Reinhard Kirste and he directs the Center for Interreligious INTR ° A that gives the series religions talking out (Fn13)

Wolfgang Ganter.
Wolfgang Ganter represents a religion of science, which remains open to philosophical issues and questions of transcendence, but even without the claim, the answer to religious studies methods to the end. He is a serious attitude towards religious subjects as a party without them and their beliefs to reduce premature to historical, social, psychological and general cultural facts. And it is his intention to make the border between availability and uncontrollable even the apodictic formulations tend to callers aware of and to convince the principle of open question that just does not allow for last-valid answers, but the Need for transcendence of each formulation on a secret everyone formulatability always dehydrating stresses out. (Fn14)

I thank all these gentlemen for their thoughts and advice that they have me verbally or by mail or e-mail to send and apologies that I have not mentioned all the religious scholars who worked in the past and present in inter-religious dialogue, in one way or another were or are. For example, during the meeting in Erfurt DVRG during the panel discussion at the Town Hall, Hans-G. expressed Kippenberg and Michael Pye under Peter Antes. The former emphasized the importance of religious studies research in the intra-religious community discourses contribute to enable them to enrsthaft with existing problems, such as the often denied violence in Buddhism, accept, and the latter mentioned a dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Tenrikyo, who was due to religious studies presentation a success.

You have to remember one thing: The rationale of religious studies engagement in interreligious dialogue arise not from the scientific methods of the subject, but operate from its social context or formulated more precisely, of the living conditions and resulting social commitment of the people, the science of religion . Subject to the commitment is never the religion of science, but scientists are religious and religious scholars (FN15) that are not just theoretical entities, but living beings of flesh and blood. It is also clear that the obligation is not affecting everyone equally, because not everyone lives in the same conditions and carries on his work. Ultimately, religious scholars not to work towards peace obligation than other people, no less, and our work-related opportunity to make peace work is precisely on issues that have to do with religion and religions, of which interreligious dialogue in the manner described herein is an obvious. (FN16)

I even try to learn from all these approaches. I think it depends very much on the conversation from the context and the interlocutors how much you put back his own religious identity, or perhaps more likely may disclose or even should. I am Deputy Head of WCRP Cologne / Bonn (Fn17), and in our small inter-religious discussion groups where people know each other, and the identity of religious studies the participants will know, I can express more times my own religious beliefs, as if I explicitly before me stranger itself out as a religious scholar. But if I a public lecture Example, about Islam and violence hold, I am only religious scholars, and external I do not value neutral to my religious identity, but I'm still not there. But I was sometimes wonder whether I, who am a member of the German Buddhist Union (DBU) would attend as representatives of Buddhism in a panel discussion on religion and violence. As I said also, and tried with all due sympathy and part identification, I have for Buddhism to be an objective and balanced, not idealized representation. This objective distance to my own religious ideas I've learned in the study of religion, and I think I have learned so well the dialogue partners, the other professions, it may be a role model. Honesty and sincerity are after all in all religions, with their representatives, I had to do personally so far, high values, at least in theory. Sometimes, but it has problems in the necessary honest with yourself and the other faiths counterparts over and you do not pollute their own nest by adding to that, even in their own religion, all is not ideal, as it should be. We can just religious studies by our expertise and our own methodological reflection and self-relativizing our own religious or ideological beliefs of great value to inter-religious dialogue.


Footnotes:
Fn1: The meeting was held on 5 until 9 July 2003 in Graz, instead, organized by the Peace office of the City of Graz and the city of Sarajevo under involvement of WCRP Europe. The project results will be published on the Internet from September 2003. See http://www.friedensbuero-graz.at/
Fn2: See Johannes Rau. Dialogue of cultures - the culture of dialogue. Tolerance instead of randomness. Freiburg, Basel, Vienna (Herder) 2002.
Fn3: See also Rainer bottle. Religious studies Joachim wax. Berlin, New York (Walter de Gruyter) 1978, p. 299ff.
Fn4: Raimon Panikkar Cf. The new religious path. In the dialogue of religions live. München (Kösel) 1990th
FN5: This approach is represented by Peter Antes except by Klaus Hock. See Klaus Hock. Introduction to Religious Studies. Darmstadt (Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft) 2002, p. 179
FN6: Cf eV the statutes of the association to encourage the meeting of world religions and intercultural dialogue, registered in Hildesheim on 27 June 1997.
FN7: I refer to conversations with Peter Antes REMID during the conference "Religions: concrete. Religious Research in Germany: Concepts - Objectives - Perspectives " from 13 to 15.6.2003 in Leipzig, as well as an exchange by mail and e-mail during the year 2003.
Fn8: http://www.wcrp.org WCRP to see their website for the international and http://www.wcrp.de for the German level.
FN9: See Norbert Klaes. Experience in the "World Conference of Religions for Peace (WCRP). In: Anton Peter (ed.). Christian faith in multi-religious society. Experience, theological reflection, missionary perspectives. Immensee (New Journal for Mission Studies) 1996, p. 91-108. - Furthermore, I refer to during discussions with Norbert Klaes the above meeting of the project Interreligious Europe on 5-10. July 2003 in Graz and a postal exchange.
FN10: The magazine was published from 1991 to 1998 twice a year in Christian Kaiser Verlag. See also Michael A. Schmiedel. From the end of a magazine. Dialogue between religions was discontinued after eight years. In: Sacrament & Da Vinci Code, Journal of Comparative Science of Religion Student Council of the University of Bonn, No. 5, January 1999, p. 18f, accessible on the Internet under http://www.fs-rewi.uni-bonn.de/ss . / ss5a8.htm .
FN11: Michael von Brück and Whalen Lai. Buddhism and Christianity. History, confrontation, dialogue. München (CH Beck) 1997 or the 22000th
Fn12: I refer to an e-mail exchange with Michael von Brück April and June 2003.
Fn13: See Udo Tworuschka. Epilogue to Gustav Mensching: The error in religion, Heidelberg 1969th In: Gustav Mensching. The error in religion. An introduction to the phenomenology of error. Nordhausen, (Bautz) 2003. Trans. Self-understanding, methods and tasks of the religion and its relation to theology. In: Udo Tworuschka (Ed.), Religion in Jena. Jena 2003, p. 20-42. I also appeal to an e-mail correspondence with Udo Tworuschka April to August 2003, through which he me a part of the lecture text, he occasion of the Honorary Professorship for Dr. Herbert Schultze at the University of Duisburg-Essen on 23 June 2003 and has held an autobiographical text about his path to religious studies, who has sent in October 2003 by Böhlau-Verlag appearing in honor of Michael Kloecker. Internet address for INTR ° A: http://www.interrel.de .
Fn14: Wolfgang Ganter is one of my religious studies teacher in Bonn, and over the years I have attended so many events with him and done so many interviews with him, so that it is difficult to agree on a time or to a particular Correspondence appointed. Extra I would like to mention but its in the town hall next to the Heinz Robert Schlette including organized public lecture series 26 is an illusion, the manuscript of my left Wolfgang Ganter - March 2003 lecture given dialogue of religions?.
FN15: When I left the female form so far away, because then only for better readability. I mean by "religious scholars" are men and women of our times.
FN16: I write after reading Bretislav Horynas contribution to this conference volume, which thinks more about the religion and its epistemological side.
Fn17: We have a single page on the Internet: http://www.maennerrock.de/WCRP-Koeln-Bonn/wcrp.html or http://www.wcrp-koeln-bonn.de.vu .

Pokemon Shiny Gold Save Problem

Socially Responsible obstinacy

Socially Responsible obstinacy

There is nothing in human life that seems not seen from any point of reasonable and necessary and also from any other standpoint, silly and ridiculous. Importance of the position from which one judges a thing to justify.

I would like to explain to my preliminary observation of this fundamental concept of socially responsible obstinacy. The word stubborn I guess by Hermann Hesse. Now I do not want him parrot because that would be either him or me right. Also, I know his own mind-concept is not accurate enough to refer to here and now it can. Obstinacy, which at first sounds a lot like selfishness, stubbornness, after, according to stubbornness. Hesse said, but - broadly speaking - so that every person should live to what you want out of it. In his books, "Demian", "Narcissus and Goldmund", "Siddhartha", "Beneath the Wheel", "Steppenwolf", "Klein and Wagner" and others "makes obstinacy fun" and of course the text collections "obstinacy" and can be , read about what he meant. It is a Selfishness, but no, the welfare of the people is irrelevant. The adjective has socially responsible Hesse in my view is not used, but lived, though not in all situations. He was in World War I on duty at the War Department supplied the prisoners in French camps German POWs with literature and writing at the same peace-loving attachments for the Zurich newspaper, and he answered every letter, regardless of the writing time and postage costs. This is social responsibility, namely that of a stubborn man who wanted to live what was out of it, and so many enemies, or at least did sharp critics.

I sat said before that adjective to the sharp, unforgiving tone of the noun is something to soften it. I do also because in our society already has spread a great egoism, which often hides behind the ideal of self-realization. But what I mean by the socially responsible self-will?

Now, as a child of an arts and cultural-historical development of European society, which concluded, among other important eras of Renaissance and Enlightenment through, I see in every human being an individual that is part of a community. I see in people that is not primarily to participate in the community, but also not just the individual creatures. Every person I see as a being who must go his own best way, this way is embedded in many situational. This situation dependencies do indeed look a part of the individual. We are a product of our genes and our environment and possibly a variable X, which I can not determine in more detail. If there is something like freedom, it is rooted in the size of X, but my mind is a miracle, a miracle, which I know nothing that I feel only.

Now I want to present here not all probing depths anthropology, not even basic thoughts about the possibility of human freedom, which I have already done elsewhere, postulate but in my opinion ideal relationship of the individual to the society of which it forms part.

is first important to me that: Every person has a special personality, with its own inalienable dignity. You did the authors of our Constitution even a legal basis of our state. The principle of the inviolability of human dignity is defined in the Declaration of Human Rights of the UN. Nevertheless, this dignity is touched again and again, despised, trampled on, from people who attach their own dignity, value, but not the other eight.

Amnesty International sets time and again reports of detentions, torture and other human rights violations worldwide by governments, military, police and other institutions of human societies are carried out. We often complain about the fact that such a thing still possible today. Well, it is only possible because there are people who think it somehow is right to act to enforce their own interests, and because there are people who keep the while to be wrong, but remain silent for fear of themselves to become victims when they open their mouth, an unfortunately not unjustified fear.

We worship very people such as Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Lech Walesa and other representatives of the individual and collective rights of people to self-determination in matters of life. We worship them as freedom fighters, one day, as in times of nationalistic Andreas Hofer Arminius the Cherusci. Despite the tensions that arise between individual and collective emphasis on human rights as between a modern Western and Muslim understanding, I would like to insult our devotion to freedom fighters but sometimes as comfortable Sesselfurzerei as long as we live in comfortable secure Rechtsstati and with all the problems , cost for their removal said people who personally have nothing to do. And if you look closely, you can experience unfortunately not rare that take place under normal social conventions against discrimination, as soon as someone steps out of line and is different from the others. Ethologists may say that was completely normal in animals, including people we are, and one could already observe in children, so I want regardless of the value that may have the animal and childlike innocence as a symbol - as opposed to a warped and desperately contrived adulthood - but normative claim that it is a truly adult happened to sound immature, not to condemn the characteristics of uniformed members of society.

times I bring three examples from a very topical area, namely, the clothes in which I as a man who likes to wear skirts, even a little from the conventional frame fall.

Just imagine four men, wearing one of which a large hat, such as a Stetson, the second of a skirt with, such as a denim skirt, its third in a suit with pants, jacket and tie with and the fourth with jeans and T-Shirt clothed. If you belong to the people who are thinking about why a man dressed either way, you could come to the following consideration:

to the man with the big hat:
Will he protect yourself from the sun?
he comes from a country in which one such With hats, for example from Texas?
Will he stand out and make themselves important?
Is he a child retarded man who likes to play cowboy?
Is he an actor with a costume?
he has brought the hat as a souvenir from a trip?

to the man with the Rock:
Is he wearing pants too uncomfortable or too hot?
he comes from a country in which you wear skirts, some from Scotland?
he likes to wear women's clothes, perhaps because he is sexually oriented somehow different from heterosexual and cissexuell, ie homosexual or transsexual, transvestism, fetishism, or otherwise?
Will he strike you and make important?
If his pants all the laundry, and he has borrowed a skirt?
he finds beautiful skirts than trousers?

to the man with the suit:
he comes from or is it a party?
he want to sell me something?
he does nice suits and ties?
Was he forced to dress as uncomfortable as his boss?
he's a insecure person who dresses so as to be barely noticeable, and to hide his insecurity?
he loves to dress in uniforms to be lost in the crowd? Will he play
like the boss?

to the man in jeans and T-Shirt:
he Clothe yourself comfortable?
he valued inconspicuous clothing? Is he a
IT specialist who is subject because of his expertise is not compulsory to wear a suit?
Did he leave?
Is he on the way or does it come from a working, practical clothing required?
Is he a fan of American casual wear?

Thus we see that in each case are several ways to interpret the clothing choice of a person. Perhaps we will soon associations in the head, which may correspond to more than 50% of the cases is true. But I am also a possible perhaps 20% error rate seems too high, as we could allow ourselves to trust instilled a spontaneous assessment completely. Our society is already one of pluralistic than that generalizations would have a chance to apply in more than eight out of ten cases.

Now you could just be the belief that perhaps 20% of people who fit not an instant verdict, to cope with, and they are to blame themselves when their deviance false conclusions. This would be a conviction that I have to disagree sharply. Imagine a person who enters his car and put the ignition key can not, after which a thief steals the car. Who is now the debt due? The insurance company will refuse the car owner to pay a compensation because he has been negligent. The Court but will not condemn the car owner because of his negligence, but the thief, because he committed a theft. The thief can not shift its responsibility so to say on the negligent owners and that it was their own fault. Similarly, but with a somehow unusual dress people: he must indeed expect to be excluded, due to ancient animal Devianzabwehrverhaltens or be at least makes stupid to be responsible for the discriminatory behavior, but always rests with the person who uses it. One would take him, would take him to his human dignity which is always associated with freedom and responsibility. Hence, we must every man of the very uneigensinnig do what you do, just because it just does make confidently when asked why he does it and expect from a justification. This means that uniformed behavior just as stubborn as the justification needed. Who is responsible to deliver customs and practices, supervisors, and commands a sacred scripture or tradition, public opinion or market situation, divested himself of his human dignity. That sounds hard, it would have to think again in detail. But is the mindset. I would not say so, we could be completely free from all this, nor that all this has no value, but very well that sovereignty the choice of what weight we give all that is with us, every one of us, me and you at and Timothy Mueller, 8.15 and the average consumer. can

course one can ask how much responsibility a man who at all, how much freedom he can tolerate. When I go out times like this that we are people of all creatures on earth instinctive least, or otherwise in our actions genetically programmed, then the learning seems to us to play a huge role to play when it comes to orientation in life . see Important things we learn seemed to have begun in early childhood, more important in youth, and only less than adults. So that was also true for thousands of years, because the conditions changed only slowly, and our ancestors lived in small, manageable groups with relatively stable rules of life. Today it's different: permanently changed society, are constantly being added technical innovations and new ideas, such as administration, economy, science, art and religion to practice. This requires either constant adjustment or a stable position, which gives us security. They are also just the two antipodialen survival and orientation strategies that are most often encountered. There are two extremes, the constant chasing behind the changes and the willful, fundamentalist persistence at a point where one has become accustomed and with which you deal is found. Both positions, however, have in common is that they tend to be uniform us humans. For adjustments to change are the same changes at all times have at least similar. You follow the dictates of fashion or the market, which today requires this, tomorrow the qualities of a man, although the change constantly, but are at a time very similar. Fundamentalism demands a loyalty to a position adopted by many people as possible, since a large number of adherents, the plausibility of the position of the individual increased. The practical Ergebnis beider Standpunkte ist aber, dass sich in der Gesellschaft gegeneinander arbeitende oder gar kämpfende Untergruppen bilden, denn es gelingt nie, liberalistisch alle Menschen gleichermaßen an die sich verändernden Bedingungen anzupassen, sondern es entsteht ein Wettbewerb um die Ressourcen, die Märkte, die Arbeitsplätze usw., und es wird auch nie gelingen, alle Menschen fundamentalistisch auf einen Standpunkt einzuschwören, sondern auch hier entsteht ein Wettbewerb der Sinndeutungs- und Welterklärungsangebote, die jeweils mit unerschütterlichem Absolutheitsanspruch um die Ausweitung ihres Geltungsbereiches kämpfen. Das ist aber die Situation in unserer Gesellschaft, in der wir uns zur Zeit befinden.

The stubbornness is a socially responsible alternative. In a sense he is a middle ground between the extremes, in a sense he is also extremely self, depending on which perspective we view it from him.

They should not be to despise the society to fight or to refuse it! I myself have taken three years of my life, the black-red-gold flag on olive-heeled upper arm, ready to defend, that our Federal Republic of German society with my life against an attacker. I was not like a soldier when I was a child and loved everything military. As a teenager and adult I developed myself, however, more and more of a pacifist. But unlike as Hesse I am of the opinion that the military did not leave that should have already ruffians, as this would be the military to a dangerous institution, but I'm sure that just should be the peace-loving soldier, for there is nothing to to wage war, but prevented by a combination of confidence-building measures and deter war. In the case of the NATO-Warsaw Pact conflict we have been successful. What is more, I do not know. Anyway, I said flag is in a sense sacred, for it is precisely for the values that are socially important to me, namely democracy, freedom, unity in pluralism, just what Jena's fraternity and the Frankfurt parliament in the 19th Century against freedom of oppressive foreign rule and authoritarian small states have occurred. The socially responsible self-will, in a sense a continuation of these ideals.

one may misunderstand me so in two ways not to: neither enthusiastic I got from a national state, which combines with a sacred flag as a symbol of its citizens in and uniform, nor anarchy, is doing in each of what he just please. I'm a little compared to Hesse state-friendly, because our Western European countries are different today than in his time. Was still a hurray-patriotic nationalism, the strongest Force in Western European society, it is now the neo-liberalism. If we therefore need an enemy, then this. Maybe we come from, even without an enemy.

It is not primarily a matter of protest against something or someone, but rather to enable every man's inherent creativity. It is about the Thelemic "Do what you want", I though in the end version of Michael, as he has stated in "The Neverending Story," know. The point is not to always do what you feel like doing, but to discover first what your own wishes at all. Attain happiness and avoid suffering is safe basic human needs, to some extent anthropological constants. Sometimes it is a long way before you find your own, individual, personal variant of this request, the couple, a search that the mythical equivalent for the Holy Grail, or the romantic for the Blue Flower. Aberrations are a normal part of the way, actually are part of the viewfinder, which is ultimately separated from his path, as long as he goes. And I also have no final goal seems present, but the goal is reached when one has found his own way, the way to go.

I do not have the format of the above-mentioned political freedom fighter. This is not my way as I currently know it. My way is the effectiveness in my circle, as Adalbert Stifter called it, lived at the time of the small German states after the Congress of Vienna. Police surveillance stifled any democratic aspirations of citizens, whose first duty was to be quiet in the bud. Founder wrote his critical writings encrypted so that I saw them not that there are actually such. I only found out when I read an interpretation.

Sun today, nobody has to hide. Our country is more open, freer place. Opponents and satirist may speak, write and open. The State as such is not the great object of my criticism, if it in detail also much to criticize. I wanted even stronger states, which could guide the economic globalization in a human-friendly direction, instead of leaving it completely undemocratic power and the competition of multinational corporations. The gray men from Michael Ende's "Momo", the CWNU agents from my story "Antes Mission" sit anywhere in the boardrooms or hoof it across the country to customers catch, and they stuck with their view of ordinary people, is the commercialization of all aspects of life in full swing. The Gmork is on the way and pretends to people before stories phantasms commercially as customizable realities. What should

all the allusions to fantasy, fiction literature? Is not frivolous stuff? "What you do not know that you think are not, do you think that fantasy is not real? From it alone grow künft'ge worlds in what we create, we are free "(from Michael Ende's" The Gauklermärchen! "). Oh yes, the advertisers know exactly how to make the power of imagination for an increase in revenues available. Customers follow them in their fantasies, instead of traveling to their own. A necessary act of knowing it would be to recognize one's own world view as a design and find out who designed it, then plans to take over and control their own affairs and to be responsible and to construct and deconstruct themselves freely.

end Michael once said regretfully that there were no more owls, which he did not mean the birds, but the stubborn people who are out of line uniform norm. Well, I know those oddballs, they are still there. And I would be honored to be such a geek, but it's not real aim of my journey. A fellow who maintains his Kauzsein as an image, is probably not real. Real oddballs are there involuntarily by accepting its will, which they can take a path that does not meet the social mainstream. Owls, rather the products of society and caused by deviance and exclusion. In a mature society really were no owls, because not all be adapted to the mainstream, but because there is no mainstream, the postulated absolute claim would.

I do not have any objection in principle, that there is a mainstream, because there are people whose very nature it corresponds to follow the herd. Let them go ahead, stand up but then ensure that they do it because it suits them and not because one has to do so. There is no reason to look down on a herd people because everyone has their valuable features, even within a herd or mainstream society. Moreover, there is this dichotomy here exaggerated formulated rare in this form, but the vast majority of us stuck somewhere in between. The point now is to see where you put between them and neither is there to adapt to the mainstream, where it does not meet one, nor to oppose him, where he meets one, probably because it is felt to be an individualist. There are also herds of individuals, as in "Life of Brian": - "We are all individuals" - "You are all individuals" "No, I do not"

Everyone is free to people who fear too much freedom and responsibility for his decisions to have and leave it to someone else. This is part of the diversity of human life ways. That is to mitigate said above formulated. Now is such a man who expected but at least the step of dispensing the responsibility to admit responsibility and accept it as his own decision, and not by each other, that he just does. Also does not have any rational explanation for his decisions, but may still act on instinct, on the basis of clear, but diffuse feelings. But then he should admit it and do not like you have to act generally Sun

partout What I can not stand is when mainstream people a social constraint in which each and excludes hostile to, which classifies and adapts not!

I admire the police, took the parental leave, even if his colleagues in the collective image of masculinity that did not match, it suggests mocked. I admire the women who struggle in a patriarchal society for their rights, but also the men who protest against too much of feminism. I admire the women who fought for the acceptance to wear trousers in any social situation and I am proud to now reversed to work for the acceptance of skirts bearing men. I admire the Muslim women who free themselves from religious compulsion to wear a headscarf, but also those who are prevailed over the opposite pressure of a secular society and contribute their headscarves public. I admire the politicians who moved in the conventions of defiance instead of in suits and ties with jeans and sneakers in the Bundestag, although they now hold at the international level, unfortunately, because the government is not a "land of the free" Such freedoms tolerate .

It is actually already a scandal how the rules that are established in a society are being broken by company-bearing people. For example, oppose just such men, the objectivity and rationality require most rock movement against the men, without even an objective and rational argument to make. They probably are ashamed that diffuse feelings and attachments to habits to the status quo are the real reasons. I have respect for men who have these reasons and also to admit. I also know men do this, but I believe that they are in the minority. The social conventions at times so keep the rules of thought, which has placed the company and promoted to withstand and still they defended stubbornly. Double standards is a dirty word and yet secret convention. In my view, serve a social critic of the company is worth a conventionalist, at least when these habits conventionalists from their attachments want to commit out other people to those same habits and admit their true motivations do not want, but would rather hide in the crowd of people that have the same habits and love, this hobby but do not admit again as such, but in turn again dear want to anonymously blend into the crowd. Who a hobby, for example, has favorite habits is to stand by and do they justify or reject them, but he will not make it the maxim to all others and should be ashamed nor afraid to stand by them, and the responsibility to others, and whether the anonymous mass, the anonymous "The people are acting" recharge.

It is So no question, not the wishes and expectations of other people to respond, but that, not to bow to such conventions, which apply as some sort of basic social interaction, but are nevertheless observed only on the surface, to maintain a semblance of decency, as measured by the Denk rules of society but make no proper sense. Each, "it does so because it is so one is as maxims to be rejected, and replaced by an" I'm doing this because I do this for the following reasons, which I put at stake, consider to be useful "to promote and demand . Then you can splendid and honest about the reasons and the likely consequences . Discuss In my opinion, is a creative Ekklektizismus of the values that you do on the basics of his actions to bring forward an uncritical acceptance of traditional values, assumed to be responsible for the self-selection made, the responsibility and do not follow your appetite and mood, but the carefully explored and justified their own will.

A great way to explore one's will offer the Buddhist mindfulness meditation, in which one sits still and the feelings and perceptions of body and mind respects, but do not judge at first. So you can see that impulses do a show, and you can accept and adopt, will also verify whether they appear to a wholesome or unwholesome. Whether in this review but now follows the opinions of the Buddha and other masters, or make their own life experience at the material basis, is again a decision must answer for that one.

A good way to bear down on the discursive reason and your own questions and answer honestly to make you offers, the Socratic dialogue. They say what you have to say without being interrupted while listening to another presentation without interrupting the other person and then go together to set out the grounds of where we carefully distinguish between their own Experiences and conclusions and simply adopted different. So you can find out very nice, whether you really understood a thing or has learned by heart
only definitions.

I think that these two methods complement each other very nicely. Mindfulness meditation alone can be a fast uncritical of infiltration from the outside and thus to external controls, one of which is explained, they were from his own experience of meditation. This took place, for example, in Japan at the time of imperialism in which the Zen practitioners were told that loyalty to the emperor and killing enemies in Japan correspond mahayanabuddhistischer ethics. A discursive discussion of philosophical problems can own one quickly forget that we are not only rational human mind, but many claim, contextually meaningful emotions, its right to determine our actions. Both methods together but complementary in their peer review, is very useful.

It is therefore yet to the above mentioned schonmal self-realization also where "realization" has a dual meaning, "recognize reality" and of "creating reality". How much our ideas of the world to their real essence, as it is beyond our perception, correspond to withdraw more and more of my assessment, the more I am concerned with constructivism. On the basis of impressions we create in any case the world in its meaning for ourselves So there is an interpretation of sensations and a projection of interpretations to a matrix. This projection is only in its entirety but actually the world and reality. This three-step from feeling, interpretation and projection is both a receptive and constructive process. The difficulty lies in the balancing act between the ideas of either one right way to accomplish this process or even of perfect indifference to such normative ideas, that is, between fundamentalism and arbitrariness in matters of world explanation and interpretation of meaning. And regarding the self, to be achieved, it is no different than with other objects of the realization: it is a combination of perception and Wahrmachung from FIND and invention. Sometimes it does not, well, a construct that appears to be too arbitrary and unrealistic to deconstruct, by passing it back out to the underlying feelings and the interests that lie behind the interpretation. In this case you can not stop, because alone with the incoherent components of a possible world we can not live people, but we have to reconstruct it or re-construct the best to the best of my knowledge. The optimal mental readiness for the proper handling of this problem I call "wisdom", the true aim of philosophy (or philosophy).

Especially in discourse with other human similarities and differences come to light, and there is the constructivist belief that this is true, as recognized by such a discourse, the discourse of the leading group of people to be true. Consequently, there are different truths in different groups are united again in a discussion among the groups on a mutually valid truth or more groups, either by one of the group represented truths about the other (s) wins or by compromise or syncretism has taken place. Now arises the question but whether these truths diskursgebürtigen also have a counterpart in the area that exists independently of perception and discourse. This question applies as well to human freedom. If a group came to the view that man has a freedom of will and another to the one man is in his will determined and integrated into a network of causes and effects, which group is right? Above I have mentioned already on this issue and have left the answer open. What is certain is that the answer to this question has serious implications for the coexistence of people in a society. A leaving open the answer seems to be the best way to not commit to an entire society to a discursively derived truth definition, and I think in the case of all questions the best to be the so complex and, for a clear interpretation of sensory impressions are transcendent. We have to learn it, given the immense complexity of the world that is both a projection of our mind and that the other part is that our minds just to live with open questions. The projector is part of the projection that he projected. That sounds crazy! I can understand the fundamentalists, who reject such sentences and thirst for unique truths. Should they build a secure quiet frame, a unique grid that they put on the matrix, if it helps them to be happy, if they will not damage, except that they may deceive themselves! It's like alcoholics, if they tolerate the existence of the noise better, they should still get drunk, so long as they harm no one else! The one takes a drug, the other a safe world is, but everyone will be happy in their own fashion! I wish, however, that the alcoholic knows that his intoxication under the influence of alcohol is concluded and the reality of alcohol is different and that the fundamentalist knows that he needs a stable world, so that his mind is stable, and that reality, are not fixed in this way, but the reality for him. Perhaps, however, noise and fundamentalism would be pointless if their followers know their conditionality. Well who likes getting drunk knows how it is when the effect wears off, but who is convinced of the plausibility of a unique world view, can not easily switch to the meta-level and look at his own world view from above or outside. Could this really it, it would not be the world, but only a mind game. But who will choose a world from which he knows that it is ultimately just a mind game or his mental Needs adequate construct, as a secure foundation? Who recognizes the constructed nature of our world views, tends rather to in the extreme of arbitrariness to pastures, but which ultimately makes every human interaction is impossible because each community is not instinctive nature needs values and standards, believe in the validity and truth of its members.

What should we do?

Now it is indeed so, that even the freest spirit is not simply of itself exists, but it also influences his thoughts, feelings, moods, opinions, judgments, and thus his whole self and the world perception and construction and its special cultural socialization. What we perceive of them, affects us. Part, we accept it, sometimes we reject it, but it rarely leaves us untouched. The cultural socialization is part of our identity. The best seems to me to maintain these social roots of critical and creative, and so our social and our individual identity into a harmonious whole to mature. Yet, it is necessary that we deal with the history of our culture, both externally with the history of real events, as well as the history of ideas. We will see soon that real political behavior and normative ideas were not always identical and can not continue to be. This can then lie partly because the people ostensibly preach morality, but about life behind the same morals, but also that a completely unrealistic moral calling to us overtaxed people. We need to look critically and find our way to the wire. You can actually learn from history, when the same again and again proves that the man himself does not do it, probably because every new-born representative of our species wants to make his own experience or because he does not want to learn or because he wants to learn but , draw other conclusions or completely different values than I envision now.

I have a moral high Recognized the value of truthfulness (or invented?). This includes the fact that I will not preach morality that I do not want to respect or can. This includes me (and trust others) to admit when I put too high demands on me, which I can not cope. This appreciation of the truth I did not arbitrarily invented, but it developed in me by influences of many people in the past and present. Many say, however, I did not learn from history, but because selbige teach that true men always on the losing side are the liars and cheaters and the winners are. It is probably not so easy to learn from history. In any case, I live in the dream of a mature man, which matures on and on, learn and grow in wisdom. And this utopia is a part of my culture, and many human cultures. If one were to me this utopia, this dream would take me to an important part of my identity, my personality.

I believe that the very fact that each person is also a result of socialization, it can be a cause of the socialization of others. Now it is so that we humans are not just rational beings, but much older drives us to control much more than we realize sometimes. The herd instinct is one of them and particularly important for this essay. He leads namely to that one you as part of a group, their protection from the dangers of life you enjoy and do not want to lose, and feel a group identity by building up with, that you look at the behavior that is observed in the other group members adapt. This impulse is quite appropriate, since he holds the group, which may mean existential security for individuals and mental stability. This often leads to the fact that deviant behavior is outlawed, as the representative of the group norm fear of gruppenzersetzenden effect of deviant behavior, which may also endanger the lives of group members. This is very old and already Devianzabwehrverhalten found in animals is not well controlled by our large brains, but I do not know exactly. I think there is such practice and religious Apostasieverfolgungen based. may be

as efficient for group cohesion and group norms, so little, these standards are reasonable. And now here is where my criticism. We are not in a social situation, be uniform in each of the behavior of members of society must. Rather, it is so that each subset of society overlap, and many or all people are members of various subgroups at the same time or even several large companies, such as states or ethnic groups. If one assumes that human beings are oriented primarily in manageable small groups and identify with them how the behavioral science teaches, then we are also quite beautiful in trouble if we like a Chameleon at each change of a small group whose we are a member, as the company where we work, in another, eg a club, have to change our behavior. Okay, there are people, most of these excellent and put each on a different mask on the context. The Latin word for mask is persona, but our current understanding person referred not just the social role that may indeed change depending on the context, but our distinctive identity and unique renowned. This identity is the seat of our dignity, not one or the other role we assume. This I doubt not that it is reasonable and necessary under certain circumstances, to give an official a special dignity, which is independent of its owner. Ideally, however, our roles grow out of our identity and are the outward visibility of our true being. Is not that right, every role is a mere game, a mask, whose image is very vulnerable to exposure. Image-building in this sense, I reject. Image-building is necessary because, where it is important to make our true identity communicated, for misunderstandings there are always. This will be used among other things, this essay.

communicability it sometimes requires to compromise. If you are not capable, is at risk of self-will become a fanatical ideology that even the proprietor is not much use if he is not in a position to completely self-sufficient and to live without social contacts. There are between faithfully of traditional folk music and free jazz are also useful intermediates, to say the musical expression, and not to forget is that as traditional music played is always interpreted in one way or another of their players and that free jazz somewhere already existing music docks. By the way I are, as far as music, the tradition and keep the free experimentalists sympathetic in the same way, which is really not only in terms of music, for both the preservation and experimentation to prove, especially in our times that are determined by constantly changing fashions in which the most followers rather as actors, are a good amount of stubbornness. The ideal way of dealing with culture, in my opinion well expressed in the saying Gustav Mahler, who is on page 1 in the program of the 2002 Dance & Folk Festival reprinted in Rudolstadt ". Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire"

The issue of culture, which does not suit me, is the purely commercial targeting, for example, if only such music is produced, from which the client or the producers hope to reach as many paying users. The result may at first be a competition-driven variety of music styles, but will be in effect, a Totaluniformierung, like music, as in Petr Pandula so-called "format radio" is already landauf played down the country, a pop music, one soon loses sounds like where it came from and who they actually play, the main thing she is possibly a million people and brings them the money out of pocket. I am not a pop music connoisseur, but to my ears seems to have since there is not much changed since the 1980s when Techno apart, but which has in itself a very strong tendency to dull uniformity. But there are many other styles of music that find their niches and scenes when they seem to be increasingly at the margins. Pop music is the musical core culture of our time, internationally, but hardly multicultural, a mishmash, always beautiful, always perfect, like a hamburger ... well, you know.

As for music - and music may apply here as pars pro toto - I idealize a music that sprouts from roots maintained that range very deep and open up even blocked up sources are capable of this enriched food but new Flowers and fruits forms a contrast to the other. Certainly there may always be some similarities and contemporary modes and matches that will also be calm, but also musicians who do not follow the need to have their niche, dig their own roots and can their own fruits mature.

Just as with the mutual Aufeinanderangewiesensein of tradition and innovation, so it is with convention and individualism. Even a free jazzman will not be satisfied if his music just like himself, he also needs the approval and validation. And my own sense arises not only out of me, but also from the discourse with others, and because I need also similar and like-minded people, my culture so I do not live on my own, but can also share with others. But it is not so much that I am - except of course in democratic votes on common goals - to teach a majority, or that I cultivate confrontational otherness. Depending on the context, I am sometimes completely compliant mainstream, sometimes very deviant, as it all depends. I do not need to cultivate. I would like to

to bring a few examples:

as a person who listens to music, I am not a rare specimen. Music is all around us, and it would not, if we humans would not enjoy it. I hardly listen to pop and rock music, but prefer folk and world music, I do have some difficulties on the radio if I want my music "section. I love the aforementioned music section, because they result from many different ethnic traditions fed, sometimes forgotten traditions again digs, but sometimes jazzy experiment, therefore, sounds and receives suggestions from pop and rock, and all this not so that it becomes a mush, but a mosaic of different styles and sub-scenes. It is well with the description of Christoph Dieckmann in the period from 17 July 2002 words, in which he writes that the 60 000 visitors of the Dance & Folk Festival in Rudolstadt 60 000 experienced a variety of concerts. In Rudolstadt - I was previously on two TFFS - I feel the sense among comrades or soul friends, and I feel comfortable about it, just because the bunch of musicians and visitors as diverse and colorful, and are all but something like a family. Similarly, it goes with the WDR World Music Festival, Folk at the Bonn meeting or at the Fiddlers session. Because of such experiences, I try through my folky newsletters or employee of the Bonn folk clubs to promote this "my music" and to bring to the people.

As beer drinkers, I am in Germany, a part of the mainstream, but as far as beer, which makes up about 70% of German beer sales, to me this is usually too bitter for me and makes up only approximately 10% of my consumption. As a drinker I belong Kölsch in Cologne, not a minority, but I also love the fact that old, I probably appear many native city of Cologne as a traitor, that is, would it seem if I was in Cologne. And as a lover palatable light and dark beers such as the export, or special festival beer are called, or malty Bock beers and fruity wheat beers, I'm in good hands in Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg. And of Belgian beers, especially dark or Abdij Trapistenbieren and sour fresh Lambicbieren I adore, too, and also by British and Irish ales, porters and Stout. A beer patriotism, the foreign influences abhorred, and how it is distributed in Germany, unfortunately, far, I do not share, but an anti-beer internationalism that the American model only produced beers that go internationally and sell anywhere, because they do not own character . have Diversity pleased, and not just on the beer market with (as poster) more than 650 beers on offer. I remember that was delighted at a meeting with former school friend (inn) en our former teacher Helmut Bahr, to about ten of us sat at a table and each (r) another drink in front of him had. I was drinking at that time, I know not more, probably tea.

As tea drinkers I belong to a global level has a majority in Germany but a loud minority of coffee drinkers. I think everyone should drink what he likes and wholesome, but that I get offered in many German cafes only one kind of black tea already annoys me, especially since I of Luxembourg and the Netherlands where much coffee is drunk, knows that without can offer a lot of fuss and with over ten varieties of tea bags. Well, in the land of Egypt, you get tea drinkers across the country mainly only two varieties, which was combined with the very same, but the Egyptian culture to me eh uniform: a people, a religion, a Tea. Well, two religions and two teas. But only one brewery, which produces two types of beer. Well, maybe I'm spoiled and affluent citizens only.

If we have mentioned this before, the religion, I admit frankly that it is a topic with very high degree of centrality in my life. I chose the comparative religion of my career, a subject of the existence of many a conversation partner for the first time in his life stops when I tell him about it. As a religious scholar so I belong to a minority again, the air with their self-understanding between the demarcation and interdisciplinarity is not easy. In addition, the subject is in itself very pluralistic, even here there are fights between representatives of different approaches, with the formation again mainstream and minorities, according to the stylishness of one thing, then be distributed. I personally like my set was not there, see a skepticism of the empirical and cultural studies approach from the normative claims of religious philosophers, but watch the religious phenomenon lodges, a religious studies, which was made solely in positivist methodologies, considers to be too narrow do, and now with myself in trying to be home, the psychology of religion in the local academic experts. I believe it is here as elsewhere: Several approaches are complementary, ultimately, when they first may seem contradictory. And there are self-conscious scientists who do not follow the mainstream opportunistic, but the same by their own approaches useful supplement, not less important than the protagonists of the mainstream, which lag behind the others. By the way those characters are themselves very stubborn people who also carry enough impact on their fellow men, to convince them of their cause. Only secondarily then come the opportunists and the unreflective imitation.

In relation to religions and their representatives and followers of the religion, science is just so important, because it is not the truth claims of one or other religious writing on the flags, but explores the religions are so and explains how they can explore with human scientific, not metaphysical or transcendental knowledge and methods described. Open-minded believers and practitioners of the religions will be for the purpose of self-knowledge like in the mirror, involving religious and scientific ideas into their theologies and philosophies, and so again new research material for religious studies provide (s). A critical and self-critical approach to research and theories in religious studies from the religious people can protect them from fanaticism and extremism. Therein lies my objective religion scientific work. And in that sense, I am committed as a religious scholar in inter-religious dialogue, eg as part of WCRP Cologne / Bonn, bring my views with, and learn from the views of others, and all this is the peaceful coexistence of people.

Especially in inter-religious dialogue wayward thinkers are asked to look beyond the confines of religious observance, in which they were socialized, who contribute but also the valuable fruits of their own religious or otherwise ideological socialization in the project of mutual learning from each other. Many people who are our first professional Unknown is, but at least the first idea they win, expects us to press us precisely in this direction and are disappointed when they learn that we do not really, except for some stubborn professors and students who either no longer, nor the constraint of having to adjust yourself to the mainstream scientific community feel the way internal or defy the coercion. These are located in relation to the expectations of many people so far in the minority in the ranks of his own beloved times but still.

And as already mentioned above wearing skirts, I am in the current culture of our country and sometimes even global in a minority, If you add up all the men of all time but certainly in a majority. But this is not so important, but the important thing is that according to my interpretation of the objectivity with which I have learned to approach issues, and according to my interpretation of emancipation, according to which, as I have learned, men and women are equal, It is unseemly to want to ban us men wearing this beautiful and comfortable piece of clothing through negative sanctions and of course only right that we deny ourselves, just because it historically conditioned currently not used. As a child I learned the saying, "If XY jumps into the Rhine, then you jump too?" No, one really should not join anything, whether it is common or not, but should do so, which one is himself convinced. The progress of the men rock movement but do not go I think about the way of understanding the right, but about the getting used to, at least for the mass of the people. I wish this would go a little faster, so the demand and the clothing industry finally offers enough skirts for men, so that you are looking for is shorter for the right and pleasing skirts. I therefore hope that is the wearing skirts for men to the mainstream, but it may be a rock wearing compulsory.

When Hermann Hesse reader I am one also determines any minority, or at least a fairly strong lobby with good, at least in this year of its 125th birthday, in which many events held in his honor, which I unfortunately could not attend only one.

Thus we see that with one and the same opinion or preference depending on the context in the minority and also may be in the majority. In socially responsible self-will, it does not matter, really want to be special and not to others of what they want to mouth without one is convinced it. A socially responsible stubborn man is happy when he can help with his view of things other their own way in turn to find the good of the community, and he welcomes your comrades, but more than obstinate adherents than mere imitators and Nachschwätzer. He is also his way if he does not like-minded people and defend its position. He is sometimes a compromise in order not to compromise due to ideology of parts of his world view may be more important components. A martyr to his own sense of being, I think justified only in a few cases. Compromises he does but also for the love of his fellow men, who for some reason it can not always understand, respect what he is when he sees that he did not understand everything that others do so. So there are limits of self-will, and often can be achieved by clever compromise much more than by willfulness.

It's not about to look down stuck to the people who go underground rather in the mass than to say as Luther: "Here I stand, I can not help it" It's not only right therefore to despise the people who just identify with the arguments of 70% of the others too, it was drinking beer or coffee, watch soccer, pop music or listen pants. It should all be blessed in their own fashion, but also take responsibility for his own fashion.

The best way seems to me however: After careful review and believes that something is reasonable or necessary, one should do it, even if it is unusual, and if it is a nonsensical and silly happens, you should have it, even if it is usual .

it emerge from the mass of people, before they give an opinion of himself, only to ask whether this view is also currently in or going out again, always headstrong people, before whom I have much respect. There is the religious scholars, who bravely holding the flags of the high and the phenomenology of religion, who strives valiantly and diligently matter of freeing the psychology of religion from their marginal existence and who is looking for the Holy Grail as Parsifal, after a peculiar method of the art in order to save the independence of the subject. There's the radio editor, who bravely and skillfully negotiated and thus prevents the folk and world music loses its last slots and amateur musician who reliably sacrificed their Sunday evenings and a lot of phone money to keep a non-commercial folk meeting alive. There is the brewer brews its specialty, even if he could win more customers with average beer. There are the customers who open mind and curious to new things and go test it and not according to fashion and to some extent, not first ask for the price. There is the Muslim who constructive alternative modes of interpretation of Quran and Sunnah, because of an not believe that God has given to the men in command of the women. As the Christian theologian, which promotes inter-religious dialogue, even if their superiors do not see the like and if it is not conducive to their academic career. There is the teacher who overcomes his fear of conventionalist colleagues and students blasphemous, and the Rock appears to school and then delighted when he finds that he is good at most to arrive. There is the man who is totally out of line because he is not interested in football, and the World Cup or in the table tennis so no matter how else is hardly anything in his life and still have enjoyed it when people forward to a football game if they let him thus alone. There is also the man who thinks his interest in football and is still, even if this is in his clique as not socially acceptable. Such people are rebels who are fighting for the Republic of stubbornness against the absolutist claims of the mainstream empire, and they are respected and not benasrümpfen, and that while they live, and not until after his death!

Socially Responsible stubbornness has many faces. Develop yours!

Addendum: This text was written in several Evenings in July 2002 after settled daily work, or at least tired of it. Even if I publish it in some ways, I must admit that I have not written so much new, but many other writers have written and even better was. The text breaks, gaps, repetitions and inconsistencies. To such I would ask you to point me because I can it on occasion to work, yes. Now I let him but for now so apart from minor repairs that seem to me with proof-reading necessary. Should anyone feel offended by a remark unfairly or injured, I ask me to point out. I am not infallible as little as Hermann Hesse. This text is now but my own way of expressing things. Here I sit, and if I can otherwise, may show the future. Anyway, I do not like the big brother!