From witch hunts in Cologne to Buddhism as a philosophy – What a contrast! After our first OUT meeting about the persecution of women as witches in 16th and 17th century Cologne, we had the pleasure of hearing from one of our very own, Eva, about her personal experience with Buddhism. She has been practising Buddhism for 24 years, in various forms: meditation, retreats, readings with a teacher. She also leads meditations with small groups.
One interesting aspect that has stuck in my mind is that Buddhism is different in each culture. Each culture uses its own rituals and weaves the philosophy of Buddhism into it. There is no fighting for supremacy of one culture above another. Also, there is no hierachy within a group, and certainly no house of worship.      Eva mentioned the 4 qualities upon which the philosophy is based: meta(love), compassion, joy, and equinamity (serenity). All of these depend on the love of yourself. A student of this philosophy works with a teacher to reach the highest goals.      Of course this is very simplified. Luckily, we can always talk to Eva and ask her questions, as she is a member of our group. She lives in a Beguinenhaus and has invited us there for various activities.  One book has to be mentioned here: Opening the Door of your Heart: and other Buddhist Tales of Happiness. Judging from the questions the 19 attending ladies had, and the following discussion, this was just the beginning, for many of us, of exploring the depths of Buddhism.