An American Buddhist Perspective

What are we, if not hybrid independent thinking mutts, here in the U.S.
Wave after wave of immigrants have enriched and changed our society. The diversity and underlying principles of our country lead to a richness of new possibilities. Changing ideas about religion and spirituality have spawned a veritable cafeteria of religious beliefs that are sliced and diced into a spiritual salad. Buddhism has become the romaine lettuce in many of these salads; its growth continuing despite some of the more dogmatic and ritual tendencies of many Buddhist Sects. Americans have become very secular in their views; rejecting any type of religious conformity and embracing those philosophies which support a modern lifestyle.

While many Americans can see the value in a philosophy which supports basic human goodness, praying at alters and worshipping any deity may have been overplayed here in the U.S., thanks in large part to Christianity with its focus on the necessity of faith and compliance with doctrinal imperatives.

As Americans evolve and endure significant environmental, economic, and societal changes we all experience feelings of fear, hope, and wonder. As a group, the Buddhist community seems poorly suited to embrace the needs of those looking for new answers. Of the many Buddhist sects, Zen Buddhism has enjoyed the largest increase in adherents, quite possibly as a result of practices which appear to be more practical to an American audience.
Over the past several decades many Sangha’s have been born in the U.S., most notably Chogyam Trungpa began the Shambala centers, while Thich Nhat Han brought us his flavor of Vietnamese Zen Buddhism. Still many Americans sit on the sidelines intrigued by the softer aspects of Buddhism which embrace the environment, world peace, and the application of meditation in daily life, while simultaneously turned off by certain core constructs of Buddhism which seem more nihilistic than philosophical.

As Buddhism grows in our country it seems logical to assume that Americans will develop their own brand of Buddhism. I’m sure that there are many traditionalists who are aghast at this idea since they believe that Buddhism must be accepted and practiced in the way it was handed to them.

What would the Buddha do?

When we decide that we want to practice Buddhism, we necessarily ask the question; which Buddhism. And this is a good question indeed. We have to wonder why there are so many disparate views in one religion. I’m not saying that this is unique to Buddhism; Christianity, and most other religions also have these divides. We can account for varying schools of Buddhist thought because of its evolution in different countries with unique cultures and because the Buddha gave diverse messages to different audiences based on what they needed to hear.
Why then, would we expect the Vietnamese or Tibetan message to be suitable to Americans. There has always been huge gaps between eastern and western thought and often Americans are viewed as less mature, and thus less willing to accept philosophy presented in a negative light. I don’t support this view, debatable or not, but I can assure you that Americans won’t bend over and be spanked into a new way of thinking.

It seems counterproductive to be part of the Buddhist community that fundamentally desires to lead sentient beings to Nirvana, while simultaneously refusing to acknowledge the need of those seeking to follow. After all, that which does not bend will break, and Buddhism in America is not different in that regard. We must find a way to preserve the essential teachings of the Buddha while finding new, more acceptable ways of presenting his message.

I realize that this post has gotten quite lengthy, and it’s time for me to bring it to a conclusion. There is no point whining about something if I’m not prepared to offer a solution. Certainly there are many in the Buddhist community that are qualified to help in this effort. If you read this article and would like to participate please contact me.
In the meantime, I will begin writing articles which I hope will create a new view of Buddhist concepts designed for a western audience.
Currently I’m working on the Four Noble Truths.

Ambud

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