- Buddhism in America
- Prof. ROBERT TOPMILLER
During the Summer of 1996,
I visited Vietnam to conduct research for my doctoral dissertation. At that time, I met a
number of monks including Thich Nguyen Tang who is in the process of writing a book about
Buddhism throughout the world and also contributes articles on "Buddhism around the
World" to the Buddhist journal, Giac Ngo. He invited me to contribute an
article on Buddhism in America and what follows is my humble effort to fulfill his
request. I would be remiss, however, if I did not acknowledge the kindness of Thich Nguyen
Tang and his friend Thich Tam Thien (assistant editor of Giac Ngo) in asking me to
contribute this article and in assisting me in my work in Ho Chi Minh City.
Buddhism came to the
United States at the end of the 19th century mainly through the efforts of
Colonel Henry Steel Olcott and Madame Helena Petrova Blavatsky. In addition to their
efforts, important members of the American transcendental movement, including Ralph Waldo
Emerson and Walt Whitman, endorsed certain aspects of Buddhism in their rejection of
American materialism.
Nevertheless, Buddhism did not gain
widespread adherence in the US until the 1960s. Many members of the anti-war movement,
convinced that greed and materialism had spoiled American society and led the US into an
unjust and reprehensible war in Vietnam, rejected Western religious traditions in favour
of Buddhism. The Buddha, of course, argued that our attachment to things and ideology
stood at the root of our unhappiness. Thus, many anti-war activists saw Buddhism as a path
to cure the problems of America. In addition, the Buddhist emphasis on peace and
non-violence appealed to some Americans who desperately wanted to end the war. At the same
time, some scholars and informed Americans developed an interest in Asian culture because
of the war. From their interest, an appreciation of the wisdom of the Buddha grew,
combined with significant levels of ambivalence towards many of the main precepts of
Christianity with its focus on the necessity of faith and compliance with doctrinal
imperatives and rejection of the concept of goods works, some American began to comprehend
that the Buddha rightly taught that we are all responsible for our conduct and that our
actions will ultimately determine our fate in the future.
Out of the seeds of the anti-war
movement, Buddhism became firmly established in the United States. Estimates range widely
concerning the number of Buddhists in the US, but the most accurate figure seems to be
around six million. In addition, America has over five hundred temples and 1500 Buddhist
societies.
Today, Buddhism in the US seems as diverse
as America itself. Several main currents presently exist in the US. The most prevalent
among native born Americans follows the practice of Zen and is centered in New York City
and along the west coast of the US, particularly in California. Most members of these
groups tend to be highly educated, elite members of American society who combine their
study of Zen with other aspects of Asian philosophy and practice such as New Age
philosophy. Taoism or Japanese flower arranging.
Buddhism, however, has not remained
confined to these areas. Phil Jackson, coach of the world champion Chicago Bulls
basketball team, claims that the study of Zen has enabled him to become more mindful and
thus a better coach, while also encouraging his players to subvert their egos for the good
of the team. The great American dancer, Erick Hawkins, argued that Zen allowed him to
reach new heights in his performance while Chuck Norris, a popular actor and martial arts
expert, credits Zen and meditation with his success. Many American feminists have also
been attracted to Buddhism because of its egalitarian teachings and the opportunity it
offers for woman to realize the full potential of their inner selves. In addition, another
well known American singer and actress, Tina Turner, popularized the practice of Soka
Gakki Buddhism in a movie about her life while Bernardo Bertolucci recently directed The
Little Buddha, a popular movie that told the story of three children considered as
possible reincarnations of a Tibetan Buddhist monk. The movie also provided a short
history of the early life of the Buddha and his great renunciation. For many Americans,
this represented their first exposure to the early history of Buddhism.
Asian immigrants represent another
significant group of Buddhists in America although they normally brought Buddhism with
them from their home countries. To them, the pagoda symbolizes a religious refuge in a
foreign culture, a place to seek familiar themes and gain a sense of cultural
reinforcement and fellowship with other members of their ethnic or language group. An
important element of their religious practice are extensive education programs for their
children both in native language and culture and Buddhism. Seattle, for instance, has 53
Asian Buddhist temples. While it is hard to estimate how many Asian-American Buddhists
reside in the US, the number is most likely several million. These Buddhists also cover
the broad spectrum of Buddhist belief including Mahayana, Theravada, and Vajrayana
schools.
Another important form of Buddhism
in America occurs in Shambala centers. Over 100 of these meditation centers exist in the
US and Europe which serve an important function in disseminating the precepts of Tibetan
Buddhism and teaching meditation techniques throughout the US. Many of these facilities
have eclectic programs that include many forms of practice including Tai Chi, art classes
and Japanese Flower arranging. Another meaningful aspect of the Shambala centers has been
an effort to increase awareness in the US over the plight of Tibetan Buddhism and the work
of the Dalai Lama. Recently, this sect has witnessed a great expansion in interest due to
the support of Richard Gere, a famous American actor.
Finally, Buddhism has been associated with
the growing environmental movement in the US for the last twenty years. Based on the
Buddhist notion of Ahimsa (no harm to any living thing), combined with a strong belief in
the importance of non-violent social action to effect peaceful change, many
environmentalists equate Buddhist teachings about non-violence and compassion to increased
concern about the fate of our world and its fragile ecology. Many of these ecobuddhists
believe that meditation allows them to separate from the concerns of the world and focus
on the critical relationship between human kind and its provider of life. Thus, "the
cultivation of intimacy with nature is a central aim for many Buddhist
environmentalists." Yet, coming together as a group with common ideas about the
importance of conservation also encourages people to gain the courage to confront
entrenched interests bent on environmental degradation. Some groups combine meditation
with forays into the wilderness to gain a greater awareness of the interdependence of all
living things while residing in a natural environment rather than the artificial life of
urban existence. Finally, their activism has reached a fever pitch over the issue of
nuclear proliferation and the disposal of nuclear waste since the resolution of both
issues severe implications for the future of life on earth.
From an Academic standpoint,
Buddhism has enjoyed substantial growth in the US. When I returned to the University of
Kentucky this week, I entered Buddhism into the computer at the library and discovered 556
articles, 374 books and 1557 entries on the World Wide Web concerning Buddhism. At schools
with a greater emphasis on Asian or Buddhist studies, the collections are substantially
larger. Most universities in the US, moreover, offer courses on Buddhism as part of their
Eastern philosophy curriculum or as a section in a Religions of Asia course.
Fifteen universities offer complete
programs in Buddhist studies along with degrees as high as Ph.D. Included in this group
are some of the most prestigious universities in America including the University of
Chicago, University of Virginia, Harvard University, Princeton University, University of
Wisconsin in Madison (this is where I studied Vietnamese language), Stanford University,
University of California in Berkeley, Columbia University, Northwestern University,
University of Hawaii and the University of Michigan. All of these institutions also have
strong Asian study and language programs and instruction in Buddhist canonical languages
in addition to their Buddhist studies programs and report growing interest on the part of
American students to learn more about Buddhism. In addition, Charles Prebish reported in
1983 that only one publication, the Journal of the International Association of
Buddhist Studies, focused completely on issues concerning Buddhism while other
scholarly publications like the Journal of Asian Studies often featured works on
Buddhism. In 1994, however, he listed over ten scholarly journals mainly dedicated to
Buddhist studies in the United States. I also discovered a recent publication, the Journal
of Buddhist Ethics, on the World Wide Web which contained a number of scholarly
articles such as "A Buddhist Ethic Without Karmic Rebirth?", "Buddhist
Ethic in Western Context" and "Ethics and Integration in American
Buddhism."
Probably the best known non-academic
Buddhist publication in the US is Tricycle. Reflecting the culturally elite aspects
of American Buddhism, it is a high quality media creation that adheres to no specific
Buddhist sect but attempts to apply Buddhist principles to current issues like abortion,
AIDS, and euthanasia. Today, it has reached a circulation of 40,000 and an annual budget
of close to one million dollars.
Finally, in my community, Lexington
Kentucky, there are two centers of Buddhist practice. One is Furnace Mountain, a Korean
Zen Buddhist temple located forty miles from here in the remote mountains of Central
Kentucky. The temple is built in such a way that it blends into the surrounding forest
giving a sense of harmony with nature. The master of the temple lives in Lexington,
however, and leads mediation and study sessions in the city while also conducting retreats
in the mountains. Normally, at least two monks and a nun reside at the temple year around
while the temple also has cabins for visitor’s who wish to take advantage of its
remote location to meditate in solitude.
The other facility is a Shambala
center very close to the university. Its members conduct classes in meditation and often
brings Buddhist speakers to Lexington who address the wider audience in the city and the
university. I have attended a number of these lectures and have found them immensely
satisfying. Having the center close to the university, with its near proximity to the
student body, provides members with the potential to reach young people with the
liberating message of Buddhism in our own community.
The foregoing has been a brief
sketch of American Buddhism that highlights some of the more important aspects of its
growth in the US but fails to cover fully the richness of the Buddhist experience in the
United States. Nevertheless, many commentators predict that Buddhism stands on the verge
of explosive growth in the US as more people discover that the message of the Buddha holds
the key to the problems that beset America.
-
- August 15, 1996
- Robert Topmiller
- University of Kentucky
Transcribed by Lydia Quang Nhu; Source: http://www.quangduc.com