Published in Psychologies Magazine in December 1999 —
In the West, France is the country where Buddhism has taken off most spectacularly. Yet, while the number of its supporters continues to grow, its practitioners are limited to a few thousand. This is one of the many paradoxes that Frédéric Lenoir attempts to explain in his book, “Buddhism in France” (Fayard). His research—arguably the most in-depth conducted among all those affected by Buddhism—required seven years of work. At the heart of his reflection: individuals. Where do they come from? Why did the Buddha's smile appeal to them? What benefits do they derive from their practice? Buddhism can profoundly renew our belief systems, explains the author.
Psychologies: Can we measure the extent of Buddhism in France, as well as the actual number of practitioners and supporters?
Frédéric Lenoir: If we exclude the two to three hundred thousand refugees from Southeast Asia, it's very difficult. The first thing to do is to establish various categories of people more or less involved in Buddhism. I was therefore led to distinguish seven major families of French Buddhists in order of increasing involvement. The "supporters" represent, according to the most recent survey, around five million people. These are, for the most part, people who are interested in Buddhism, feel an affinity with the Dalai Lama or some aspect of the Buddha's teachings, but are not involved in a practice. Then, what I call "close friends" represent between one hundred and one hundred and fifty thousand people across three very diverse groups: Christians who practice Zen meditation in an explicitly Christian context; spiritual tinkerers who have learned to meditate, but who make their own religion in kit form without feeling committed to Buddhism; intellectuals, most often agnostic, who feel very close to Buddhist philosophy. Finally, there is the category of people who are most involved and who frequent meditation centers, whom I call "practitioners." We can classify them into three categories: the distant, the faithful and the assiduous. They represent a total of between ten and fifteen thousand people in France, which is ultimately very few.
Given the small number of actual practitioners, can we not speak of an aura rather than an implantation of Buddhism? Why does it enjoy such a good image in France?
There is indeed a spectacular distortion between its notoriety and the number of individuals it deeply touches. This gap is largely due to the media coverage that has occurred in France since 1993. The media have seized upon Buddhism, which had been quietly progressing in France for about thirty years, presenting it as a sort of sympathetic alternative to the intolerant Catholicism of the Pope and the religious fundamentalism that is causing concern. That said, the reasons for the growing interest of the French in the message of the Buddha are not without foundation. It thus appears to many, unlike Catholicism, as perfectly compatible with the modern world.
How is Buddhism, even though it is older than Catholicism, so modern?
This image of modernity is due to several factors. First, the non-dogmatic nature of the Buddha's teachings, which affirmed that each of his disciples should follow his precepts only after having experienced them themselves. Individual experience is therefore at the heart of Buddhism. Conversely, Catholicism appears as a dogmatic discourse on what to believe and not believe, do and not do. On the other hand, the philosophy and techniques of Buddhism developed over the centuries, particularly in the Tibetan tradition, interest scientists who work on the human mind or psychologists who work on emotions. Buddhism constitutes a true science of the subject that does not exist in the West. Westerners have prioritized action on the world and knowledge of external phenomena, while Buddhist sages have learned to observe, in a quasi-scientific approach, the mind, psychology, and the human body. In this area, they have much to teach us.
Does the personal image of the Dalai Lama also explain the interest in Buddhism?
Of course. Since receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, the exiled leader of the Tibetans has acquired tremendous notoriety in the West, which is undoubtedly due above all to his status as the representative of a peaceful people who were victims of a terrible genocide, but also to his personal charisma and his particularly open and tolerant discourse, which makes him a sort of "antipope." Although he is only the representative of Tibetan Buddhism, he has become, in the minds of Westerners, the spokesperson for the entire Buddhist world, despite its extreme diversity.
Why do people come to Buddhism? What are the benefits of staying?
I asked this question to more than nine hundred practitioners of Zen and Tibetan Buddhism in a questionnaire. The results reveal six attractive factors: values—compassion, freedom, respect for life, non-violence, tolerance—top the list (28%). Next come the benefits of practice (20%)—work on the body and emotions, psychological help, serenity. Responses relating to rationality and pragmatism—religion without God or dogma, centrality of experience, reliance on reason—follow closely (18%). Philosophy and doctrine—impermanence, karma, reincarnation, interdependence, etc.—come in fourth place (14%), before the traditional and ancient character of Buddhism, which reassures and seduces through the presence of experienced spiritual masters (13%). Finally, the exotic and aesthetic side of Buddhism only accounts for 5%. Regarding the benefits of the practice, practitioners all emphasize that they feel they are progressing humanly and spiritually thanks to psycho-corporal techniques. Words like serenity, inner peace, and unity come up most often.
What have been the significant developments in Buddhism in France? What forms might it take in the future?
Buddhism has had followers in France since the end of the last century. Alexandra David-Neel is a good example. Since the 1970s, however, we have witnessed a new phenomenon: the establishment of numerous meditation centers on French soil—more than two hundred. But ultimately, the number of people engaged in practice is still very limited. For the future, there are two possible scenarios: either the flow of sympathizers will greatly swell that of practitioners, making Buddhism the largest religion in the West along with Christianity; or the number of sympathizers will not convert to the category of practitioners, which will continue to grow very slowly. I lean more toward the second hypothesis. Even in the East, very few practice meditation, and the Buddhist path has always been reserved for an elite. Taken literally, it is very rigorous and demanding. Most French people who are affected by Buddhism are ultimately not very involved; they are mainly affected by certain simple and universal aspects of the message of Buddhism, such as karma and transmigration 2, not without many misunderstandings.
You say in your book that the spread of Buddhism in France is an excellent laboratory for the metamorphoses of religion in modernity. Why?
Let's say, to be brief, that we can observe two major movements at work in religious modernity: a current of decomposition, linked to individualization and globalization, resulting in a "subjectivization" and a tinkering with beliefs and practices that undermine the coherence and authority of the great religions. The second movement, much more limited, concerns individuals who attempt to react against this individualization by aggregating their solitary spiritual journey to a believing lineage, to an ancient tradition. Now Buddhism activates these two movements: through its flexibility, its fluidity, and its non-dogmatic character, it lends itself wonderfully well to tinkering and religion in kit form. At the same time, it offers guarantees of "authenticity" and antiquity, as well as experienced spiritual masters, who reassure a certain number of individuals little tempted by a solitary spiritual quest.
What is this “Buddhist pedagogy” you speak of?
While most Christian dogmas, such as the Incarnation or the Trinity, are presented as mysteries beyond understanding, most Buddhist beliefs are presented as logical solutions. For example, when faced with the question of evil, Christianity invokes the myth of original sin, while Buddhism speaks of the law of causality of karma, which appears more credible and rational to Westerners. On the other hand, Buddhists embody every precept in a bodily practice. Thus, when a follower is asked to forgive someone, their spiritual master will teach them psycho-corporal techniques that will help them manage the negative emotion and transform it positively. This is why we can say that Buddhist meditation is a true alchemy of emotions… certainly one of the greatest shortcomings of Western civilization, which tends to deny the body and emotions.
Published in Psychologies Magazine in December 1999