Reflections on Buddhism

Before I became a practitioner in the Aro gTér lineage, Buddhism had been an abstract term to me, ornamented with rather negative connotations and prejudices. As I started to practice and study, however, this queer image I had proved to be quite different from reality: I found that I could be a Buddhist practitioner with a Western lifestyle, including partnership, family, working life, a lot of emotions – and humour. Today, being a Buddhist makes a difference to the way I perceive and react in every moment, in all possible life circumstances and states of mind. There’s more space and less compulsion, more unknown possibilities and less pre-fabricated ideas. The whole world has become more accessible, and I am relating to the people I meet in a different way. It’s about facing the big challenge: to be present and take responsibility for my life, not to hide out, not to withdraw, not to give in, not to take anything for granted. Buddhism has become the framework of my life. Within this larger context, the Aro lineage has become my home in a very concrete sense.