Csörgő, Zoltán; researcher of consciousness and traditions

Csörgő Zoltán (1967) is a scholar, research organiser, writer, editor. He graduated from the Eszterházy Károly Teacher’s Training College as a teacher and cultural organiser (1993), and from Lajos Kossuth University as a mental health counsellor (1998). He is presently a researcher and process manager at the East-West Research Institute and teacher of Mantra College of Alternative Natural Sciences.

Professional experiences:

Journalist, cultural organiser (abroad, 1989-); Institute for Strategic Research (research assistant, research organiser, 1999-2000; project manager, 2000-2001; managing director, 2001-2004); East-West Research Institute (researcher, process manager, 2004-); Mantra College of Alternative Natural Sciences (teacher, 2004-)

Research areas:

Role of symbols and rituals in the life of modern man (1997-); comparative research of symbols (1998-); theory of tradition-based knowledge society (2000-); history of consciousness-research (2002-), Buddhism as the integrative theory of consciousness-research (2004-)

Intellectual profile:

The main research area of Zoltán Csörgő is the research of consciousness. As a part of it, he studies the appearances of symbols in different forms, sacred texts, rituals, and the sacred contents and conscious background of them. For him, the comparative philosophy of religion and hermeneutics are not only the means to bring his attention to the central and common values of religions, but also a personal experience to awaken one’s creativity. He is also interested in the observations appearing in phrases and expressions concerning cognitive processes and spiritual experiences and also the attempts of mediation of inner processes by thoughts and language as a metaphoric and imaginary world.
His aim as a researcher and process manager of the East-West Research Institute is to help founding the conditions of the scientific research of Buddhism in Hungary which can offer answers and solutions originated from the Buddhist thoughts, values, ethical principles and practice to the present and expectable social, economical, ecological and other challenges. As a part of it, he also examines the application of Buddhist teachings in western pedagogy, by which he targets to mediate a consciousness-culture transcending the intellectual ideas of qualification, and to establish it in schools. Also he is devoted to help the transmittal of social and ethical values, and to stimulate disciples efficiently and rationally to the personal responsibility, self-knowledge and the recognition and directing the inner states.
Tasked by United Nations Development Programme he wrote development strategies for several areas of Albania (2004). In connection with this he studies the idea of sustainability and development and the practice of sustainability from a Buddhist viewpoint.
He has been a charter member of The Gate of the Dharma Buddhist Church (1990). He is open-minded to the teachings of different traditions applicable today, who considers the forms of Buddhist meditation and yoga as the means of cognition by which he can observe the nature of his own consciousness in work.

Major publications:

As a journalist, he has published more than a thousand articles—like reports, interviews, notices—in daily and weekly newspapers and periodicals. He is about to publish several books, like “Hagyományszótár” (Dictionary of Traditions), “A gyermek, az aranykori ember” (Child—the Man of Golden Age), etc.

Major publications with others:

Helyi fejlesztés I. (Local Development, MTA RKK, Miskolc, 2000); A tudás társadalma (The Society of Knowledge, Csaba Varga—Zoltán Csörgő eds. Stratégiakutató Intézet, Ipargazdasági Kutató és Tanácsadó Kft., Nemzeti Ifjúságkutató Intézet, 2002); Mirsusnehum—Tanulmányok Hoppál Mihály tiszteletére (Mirsusnehum—Studies in honour of Mihály Hoppál, Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, 2002); Ehető virágok (Edible Flowers, Kútvölgyi Mihály ed. Timp Kiadó, Budapest, 2004)

Other activities:

The author is editor-in-chief of Javaslap (a review of traditions, oracles and natural therapies) since its start (1997-). As a certified facilitator of Transformation Game he organises and leads spiritual trainings (1998-). He is the president of Tejút (Milky Way) School Foundation, a project aiming to create a Buddhist school (1998-). He is also the columnist of INCO (theoretical and pragmatic journal about the information age, 2001-) and research assistant at the Institute for Strategic Research in projects concerning information society development, shaping intelligent region projects, designing knowledge-centric towns (1999-2004). He directs the Consciousness Research Group and the Traditions Centre (2001-) and participates in designing Zselic Garden of Eden and Future Town (2002-). He organises Buddhist summer camps for children (2003-). He teaches archetypology and history of consciousness-research at Mantra College of Alternative Natural Sciences. He writes a diary since the birth of his two sons in which he records their most important illuminative thoughts and conversations.

e-mail: bodhicitta@freemail.hu