The book

Dear Friends,

Welcome to my new blog, first I want to wish you all a happy x-mas and a great 2011. The first pages of this blog are a summary of what happened in my life in this year 2010.

This year started with printing my first book. I went to Bangkok last December to start this process. It was not too difficult as they all knew my old teacher and liked his writings. The name of him and his monastery, where I was in the 80ties, worked wonders and opened many doors.

Buddha Dassa Bikhhu was for the people in Thailand a very important teacher. He translated all the Buddhist texts in Thai language. Until than only a small number of texts was translated. And he would explain the Buddha's words in clear understandable language on radio and television too. He showed how Buddha's teachings had become polluted with superstition and believe systems that where contrary to what the Buddha had been teaching. In Thailand  the educated people,  do like the way Buddha Dassa was teaching how to become free from 'mental slavery', fear and superstition. But the majority of the Buddhist in all the Asian countries still live with their old ideas from before Buddha and do not know that Buddha tried in his time to teach a way out of this prison created by superstition and religion.

As I am presently based in India near the Ashram of (late) Ramana Maharishi, I took a explanation of Buddha of 'who we are" to make my first book.

It is the way buddha dassa has explained the Paticcasamuppadha sutra. Buddha is known to have made a drawing in the sand to explain how everything is a result of causes and conditions.

In the Tibetan-buddhist school they still use a new and more detailed painting to explain how our idea of who we are is based on causes and conditions.

The monastery where I practiced and studied with Buddha dassa might be one of the few Theravada monasteries that have this painting on the wall. It is a teaching aid that I have learned to use in talks. It speaks to people more than words. To honor my old teacher I have explained this painting in the way he did. There is a small publication in english, without pictures that was printed. My project was to make a new,nice picture book with good paper and an expensive cover. And with the help of my friends and some money that came my way, I was able this year to finish my project.