It seems that the best cure for the egoism, the situation in which we separate ourselves from the other people and “outside” world in general, is the decision to do something for the benefit of others, and not asking for a reward. Of course, there's a trick: you must do what others really need, not what you think they need. It must be something which helps other people to live their lives better, but in their own estimation, not your estimation. It opens a flow between you and others, relieves you of the burden of egoism, and opens space for fresh insights about life, relationships with other people and even the way your mind functions. That's how I understand and concieve the Path of Boddhisatva.

When I wondered what to write about, I decided to write about my project to establish a Buddhist group in Sarajevo, a town in Bosnia–Herzegovina dominated by Moslems, but populated with a great number of Christians too. Of course, there are Jews too, and very small communities of adherents of various kinds of Eastern religions or para–religions: Hare Krishna movement, Sai Baba followers, Transcendental Meditation practitioners, New Age adherents etc.

And, steming from the definition of Bodhisatva ideal given above, the trick is: I should not do that to fulfill my own visions for my own satisfaction, but to do something what the other people would find useful and enlightening for their own lives. What a task! I really wondered how to proceed.

I found out there is a number of people living in Sarajevo (some foreigners, too) who are interested in the practice of meditation in Buddhist tradition. Their motives are very diverse: some enjoy meditation as a tool for relaxation. Others see it as more spiritual endeavour with the goal of making whole life better. Third like to think of it in metaphysical terms. It seems to be pretty difficult to join all those diverging views in a single project. Eventually, an approach which combines meditation as spiritual practice with psychotherapy seemed to me to be the best. It's practical, everybody needs some kind of therapy (at least when directly encountered with daily life problems), and all that doesn't have the flavour of some strange Eastern sect.

We started to meet in the apartment of an American living and working in Sarajevo who is very interested in Buddhism. It was very soon when I discovered that the majority of people attending those meetings were more interested just in socializing and eventually discussion of various spiritual topics, than in strict and regular practice of meditation. I realized that a kind of formal organizing is necessary. So, I proposed to organize meditation sittings in a kind of the formal way: bowing, sitting, walking meditation, sitting, chanting...

Quite soon the group dropped down to just several people. Yes, due to various kinds of private life happenings, we didn't meet regularly, and there were many breaks in our plan to meet once a week, regularly, for sitting meditation. But, still, we were meeting each other, when we were able.

David Brazier's visits to Sarajevo were of great help. His lectures and events gathered enough people that I started to think of the possibility to form, for the first time, a kind of small organization devoted to the study and practice of Buddhism. Unfortunately, not many people responded positively to the idea, but the core group was there.

Later on, I got the idea to make a web site dedicated to Buddhism, in the Bosnian language, and to exchange links with other Bosnian sites, promote it at Bosnian search engines etc. Yes, I did that, and as far as I can see, slowly, people who use Internet in Bosnia get to know about “Amida Sarajevo” idea and project. It remains to be seen what will the final outcome be.

So, to summarise, at the moment we have: a core group of people (about 5 –6 persons) willing to meet regularly and practice meditation; a number of people willing to attend workshops once in a while (about 20 people); and a web site. As far as I am concerened, it seems that what lacks in the present situation is better understanding of Buddha's teaching: what exactly are the Four Noble Truths; what's the Buddhist understanding of human mind and what we have to do about it; what's the perspective of human life; how to live; etc.

So, I started to think about the possibility to have the meditation sessions as secondary thing: 10–15 minutes of sitting should be enough. But, to have at least an hour of sutra study after that, or discussion about a chapter from some good book on Buddhadhamma. I got the impression that people would start to appreciate the whole project much more if they would gain more understanding of Dhamma itself: what Buddha taught.

It presents an interesting problem in Sarajevo: here, people are very sensitive when you deliver something in a way which resembles religious organisation or teaching. They usually start to think that you want to convert them. It makes the problem at the very beginning. So, any plan to give teachings must be done in such a way that people do not feel under pressure. But, it brings to my mind an interesting question: if I decide to organize events which present meditation and Buddhadhamma in some popular, easygoing, New Age style, what's the use of it? Will it be just a nice weekend attended by people who used it as an opportunity to escape from the boredom of their everyday lifes, or will it be something that will really help people to learn something new, useful, which they can apply in their lives later on ? Is that simplification a kind of “prostitution” of the teaching? Or a necessary step in moving forward? I do not have the answer yet...

I noticed that people react hardly to the notion of bowing to Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, and they do not join chanting often... OK, we can do sitting without it, but then we lack the moment of having our meditatition in a broader context, context of the whole body of Buddha's teaching. And meditation, then, becomes just a kind of psychological excersise. People feel better, more relaxed, but where's the excellent sea of teaching?

So, we come back to the beginning of this piece: do the things which others feel useful, in their own estimation. Do not press your own values on them. As a Buddhist, I would like to share the Dhamma with them (as much as I understand it, of course) and at the same time I wouldn't like to be a kind of proselyte, I wouldn't like them to see me as somebody who wants to convert them to my own system of values. I'm in the process of finding the middle path.

I decided to do the following. I will write down a concept for a weekend workshop on meditation and Buddhism. It has to be light daily schedule. For the first day, people will get to know about basic doctrinal teachings of Buddhism and how do they relate to meditation. Then, they will learn how to sit properly, to prepare for meditation. And then they will learn samatha kind of meditation. Discussion and sharing would be on–going. Second day would deal more with the Eightfold Path and vipassana and metta meditations. Some experiments from Gestalt therapy could be introduced.

I think, if I do that in Sarajevo, I would help in connecting people more, and maybe our meditation group will become bigger. And, what's good news, I got an opportunity to do that workshop in Banjaluka also, an another town in Bosnia, in Serbian part of country. If that workshop attracts enough people in Banjaluka, I wondered if I could organize there a workshop for David too. Then, maybe, Amida Trust and Amida Sarajevo could get some more members from both parts of Bosnia! It would be a step closer to the goal of having a Buddhist society in Bosnia.

Only after that workshop, if there happens to be enough people, I plan to contact Japanese embassy in Sarajevo and try to figure out some ways how we could organize some events together with them. As a journalist, I had a dinner with Japanese ambassador once, and they are interested in promotion of Japanese culture in this region. Why not Zen?

If that happens: who knows what else can happen. I'm not the prophet. And, of course, having David once a year in Sarajevo, giving lectures and workshops, I still consider as the main engine of planting the seeds of Dhamma in this part of the world. Contrary to Croatia and Serbia, Bosnia never had any Buddhist group in its history. This is really pioneering work.

I would also like to use this opportunity to share some ideas on the Bodhisatva ideal in general. It seems to me, when you take Bodhisatva vows once in your life, you seem to set yourself on the road to liberation without the possibility of return. It is the ultimate endeavour which can end only in liberation, whatever it is. And I suspect it as very hard endeavour, since I know how hard it is for me to keep only the five precepts of upasaka. It is so hard, that I find myself as really bad upasaka. But, I'll go on.

Boddhisatva in contemporary world obviously must use the modern technology, and really understand the modern way of life, to be useful to others. Problems of the modern world differ substantially from those in the time of Shantideva, for example. Although, in their essence those problems are always the same, steming from greed (attachment, thirst, “I must”), hate (dislike, anger, “I must not”) and delusion (lack of knowledge about the real nature of life and mind). It's always the same. But the modes are always different.

Therefore, the Bodhisatva in the contemporary world must use modern methods for relieving people's suffering. Yes, I really do see Bodhisatvas as kind of psychotherapists. And when I think of my teacher of Gestalt therapy, she was really a kind of Bodhisatva mentality person. Always ready to devote time to help others, sometimes for free or really small amounts of money, she was really serving, being really happy when she helped somebody to go over some disturbances of daily life. If she was, besides that practice, a Buddhist, or priest of some kind, what she was doing would not be much different from the classical description of what Boddhisatva should do. I must say that this kind of attitude I do not have due to David and Amida Trust: I was attracted to Amida Trust when I realized that we share similar attitudes. So, therapy and humanitarian work, maybe, even, political engagement for the betterment of world, could be the prime issues of modern Bodhisatva. I often think of my country, and what benefit would result if some Bodhisatva ideal oriented politician could get to power here. Let's remind ourselves of Ashoka. Apparently, people were living good under his rule based on Buddhist principles. But, I'm not historian...

Buddhism is a practical philosophy, or way of life, whose aim is to help people live better, in their own estimation. It's experiental, and not a set of dogmas to believe in. Such Buddhism should be thought in the world today. People have to see it, try it, and find out: “Yes, this works for me... I live better now... my relationships with other people are better, I'm more healthy, I have less guilt in my life, I feel more able to accomplish my life goals...” With that kind of reaction and appreciation, people would start to understand Buddhism more. And then, Buddhism will gradually start to lose the aura of just one more world religion, besides Christianity etc, one more dogma you have to believe in to be happy after you die. Then it will, again it seems, become a powerful tool for the betterment of world. And people will start to realise that they are Buddhas themselves! That their neighbours are Buddhas too!

And, that's the task of Bodhisatva to accomplish that goal. To teach the truth. To be the Teachers of Reality.

E. Salihovic
November 2000