Chapter 21 monk's conclusion

After many centuries of mutual ignorance, in the last two decades a genuine dialogue between Buddhism and those major currents of Western thought has begun to be established.Thus Buddhism took its rightful place in the history of philosophy and science.But while it is interesting to be reminded of how Buddhism in its day had advanced a theory of the atom that was more complete and rigorous than that of Democritus, the question is not to stop at certain points of epistemology.Buddhism presents a science of mind, a science of mindfulness that has never been more practical, and will continue to be, because it deals with the most basic functions of happiness and suffering.We deal with our spirit from morning to night, at every moment of our lives, and the slightest modification of this spirit can have a huge impact on the course of our existence and our perception of the world.

If we put all the exoticism aside, the purpose of the Buddhist path, like all those great spiritual traditions, is to help us become better human beings.Science has neither the intention nor the means to achieve this end.It aims first at clarifying the nature of visible phenomena and then at using them, transforming them according to what it discovers about them.Science can thus improve our living conditions: if we are cold, it warms us; if we are sick, it heals us.But it does so only to make us more "comfortable" individuals.The ideal from this perspective is to live hundreds of years in perfect health.Whether we live for thirty years or a hundred years, the problem of quality of life remains the same.The only way to live a quality existence is to give it an inner meaning, and the only way to give it an inner meaning is to recognize and transform our spirit.

Buddhism should not be expected to be practiced in the West as it is in the East, especially under the guise of its monasteries and monasteries, but Buddhism seems to possess some necessary means to contribute to inner peace in everyone.The problem is not to create a "Western Buddhism" distorted by the myriad concessions made to everyone's desires, but to use the truths of Buddhism to bring into reality our own potential for perfection. I must admit that I was initially taken aback by the interest Buddhism arouses in our time, in the West, and when the idea of ​​this dialogue was presented to us, I couldn't be sure of a free mind like my father's. Intellectuals will want to have a conversation with a Buddhist monk, even though that monk is his son.My father accepted enthusiastically, and chose the tranquil mountains of Nepal as the scope of our conversation.The circumstances are thus in place for a genuine dialogue.

In our conversations, my wish was to participate and explain, my father's wish was to understand, analyze and compare.That's why philosophers ask monks a lot of questions.The latter, however, must also ask the philosopher what the meaning of existence is for a modern Western thinker, and this brings us to the last part of our conversation. My emotional connection with my father never ceased during my travels, but we never had the opportunity to discuss ideas in depth.It is, therefore, a pleasure for both to engage in conversation at leisure about the principles that have inspired our existence, and to compare them.However, no dialogue, however lucid it may be, can replace the quietness of personal experience, which is indispensable for an inner understanding of things.In fact, experience is the way.And, as the Buddha used to say, "Everyone should walk it." In order that one day, the Messenger himself becomes the mission he performs.