Dr. Norbert Németh
Adjunct Lecturer at Dharma Gate Buddhist College
(Buddhist Fundamental Teachings, History of Buddhist Thought, Tantric Buddhism, Buddhist Psychology, Buddhism and Death, Buddhism and Mysticism)
When I first meet the first-year students at Dharma Gate, I often mention that looking back on my academic career, I sometimes feel like a pioneer. The strange thing is that while exploring unknown paths is not far from my nature, it seems that in the past, I wasn’t the one actively seeking out opportunities for academic studies—rather, they found me.
Among the First
I was already at the college in 1991, among the very first first-year students, and later, I continued my career in the very first first-year MA class. Following this, as the result of a long process—and to the surprise of those involved, including myself—I eventually became the first person, perhaps not only from Hungary but from all of Europe, to obtain a PhD in Buddhist Philosophy from Thailand’s MCU University.
Timelessness and Being Bound by Time
For me, Buddhist studies and later the practices mainly provide a framework through which I can explore the fundamental questions of life—or, to put it in a more philosophical tone, of “existence.” One could elegantly say that I have long been interested in topics such as the encounter within us of the infinite and the finite, or the experience of timelessness and being bound by time. But all this is also naturally present in my life in a simpler way. In truth, I have no objections to deep studies or long periods of retreat from the world, but I have always greatly valued the simplicity of the present moment and the transcendence found in simple, everyday experiences. The beauty of a movement, the flow of moods and emotions, and the inexplicable depth of silence can all bring an almost inexhaustible richness into my life.
Toward the Eternal Source
Thus, I often seek answers through Buddhism and other Far Eastern spiritual traditions, and within this world, Tibetan Buddhism has had a profound impact on me. Perhaps it wasn’t so much its complex philosophy or exotic rituals that captivated me, but rather the mysterious origins and practices of its ancient teachings—and how all this can come to life in the present age. It seems that this tradition has the power, even for someone from today’s world, to awaken the ideal of enlightenment, through which our personal and individual existence may ascend back to its eternal source.