STRIVING FOR KNOWLEDGE or The Irrepressible Joy of Being

The search for knowledge, for a comprehensive understanding of reality, has a long tradition in all cultures and is nevertheless still ongoing today. Especially in our modern age with its numerous offers, it is often not easy to find the right path for oneself. The book offers a view of reality from a Buddhist perspective based on philosophical analysis and symbolic representation, using concrete, practical examples. It is sees itself as a guide in the search for knowledge, just as it is required in all Buddhist traditions – but also in Western philosophy and modern science – namely, to examine all arguments for oneself and test them in practice before they can be classified as ‘correct’ or consistent with reality. In the first part of the book, you will find a detailed and clear insight into the fundamentals of Buddhist philosophy and practice. Starting from Western models and their historical backgrounds, the various aspects of perceived reality are analysed and their underlying reality explored. Through concrete analysis and numerous examples, we gradually approach the Buddhist view. The second part takes readers to comparatively higher levels, the path of seeing or insight. It points out the possibilities that open up with increasing clarity of mind. Both parts use traditional European as well as Buddhist symbols. The unusual combination of precise analysis and creative approach through symbolic representations facilitates the understanding of complex interrelationships. The Buddhist path shows us a new, clear view of reality. It is a unifying, not a divisive path and could help us to get closer again despite our different positions. The goal of the Buddhist path, supreme enlightenment, brings us not only wisdom and compassion, but also supreme joy. Two selected quotes from the book: - Every phenomenon is illusory and resembles images in a dream. - There is nothing more beneficial than loving compassion, and no greater wisdom than to practice it.