Reinickendorf

Population: 240,454

Sub-districts: 11

Reinickendorf

Tegel

Konradshöhe

Heiligensee

Frohnau

Hermsdorf

Waidmannlust

Lübars

Wittenau

Märkisches Viertel

Borsigwalde

Das Buddhistische Haus | The Buddhist House

At the top of a hill, up a steep seventy-three step staircase, at the end of a cobbled and acorn-strewn avenue in the sleepy leafy Frohnau neighbourhood, is where you'll find this aged and quaint spiritual sanctuary.

Since its completion in 1924, the Buddhist House's inhabitants have welcomed the transcendent and the generally intrigued to seminars, guided meditations and retreats. These meetings take place in the onsite library, the small, partially dilapidated Tempel, the large, colourful, grassy garden and the seemingly endless woodland at the back of the house.

Other than a written request at the back door asking guests to take their shoes off, the feeling of being watched present in other religious spaces – the Berliner Dom can be particularly oppressive – is here noticeably absent.

This site is peaceful and the silence is enjoyable. Life here is slow and comfortable. Woodpeckers and windchimes softly tick about the garden. Inside, past the mountain of diligently removed shoes, guests are encouraged to turn off their mobile phones, explore the library and the smaller collection of books in the kitchen, pull up a chair or sit on the warped wooden floor and read.

It is recommended that you email ahead of your visit should you wish to chat with one of the monks. The men here are more than happy to engage in gentle discussion, in English or German, about the topics of spirituality and mindfulness over warm tea and past their best biscuits. Expect bottomless conversations that will spark more questions than perhaps the monks will be able to answer and for time to slip mellifluously from your awareness.

Edelhofdamm 54, 13465 Reinickendorf

S-Bahn: S1 Frohnau

Open: Daily, 09.00-18.00

Admission: Free

das-buddhistische-haus.de/pages/en/

An Agnostic Aside

With these articles I have, I feel, aimed to be as objective and as observant as possible. However, sometimes, that objectivity can also – in its omissions – inadvertently misinform. So: I have never been more put off the notion of Buddhism than after I visited Buddhistches Haus. The men we spoke to, our spiritual guides, were so wrapped up in their binary of 'laypeople'/'monks' that they seemed to completely neglect the ideas of 'interdependence' and 'acceptance' that they preached. It seems a very comfortable and easy position to maintain – and indeed accept – sat at the top of a hill, on the edge of the city, not working (9-5) jobs and having the 'laypeople' have to go out to them. It seems fairly easy to prattle on about 'togetherness' while the same 'laypeople', their guests, donate the money that pays the House's bills.

The grounds are great to spend time in. However, if you take anything from your visit, I hope, as it was for me – as no doubt you already know – just don't be an arse.