FREE ESSAY ON BUDDHISM IN AMERICA

BUDDHISM IN AMERICA

The stresses and intensity of modern American society have influenced many people to adopt
and adapt the principles of Buddhism and other Eastern religions. Some recent statistics
from the US department of Health and Human Services show that 75% of the General
Population experiences at least "some stress" every two weeks (National Health Interview
Survey). Half of those experience moderate or high levels of stress during the same
two-week period. It is common knowledge that stress can lead to heart disease, high blood
pressure, strokes, and other illnesses in many individuals. Stress also contributes to
the development of alcoholism, obesity, suicide, drug addiction, cigarette addiction, and
other harmful behaviors. It was reported that tranquilizers, antidepressants, and
anti-anxiety medications account for one fourth of all prescriptions written in the US
each year. With so many mental health problems, it is almost reassuring that Eastern
religions are steadily growing.
Buddhism On The Move
Eastern religions have been practiced in Asia and the Subcontinent for thousands of years
longer than Christianity. Buddhism, a main religion of Asia has been practiced in Tibet
for Millennia. Buddhism, Zen and Hindu were first introduced to the western world in 1893
at the World Religions Conference in Chicago. The Dalai Lama represented Buddhism and
D.T. Suzuki represented Zen. However, Eastern religions went relatively ignored until
1959, when the Chinese invasion of Tibet left 1.3 million Tibetans dead and 6,000
Buddhist monasteries destroyed. Tibetan refugees escaped to bordering countries and some
fled farther to the US and Europe. Those who fled remembered how the Buddha taught his
enlightened disciples to continue to spread his teachings. "With the Chinese Invasion of
Tibet, it was as if a dam had burst; suddenly Tibetan wisdom began to flow freely down
from the roof of the world and to the West...and there to fulfill the prophecy come
Westerners looking for guidance and eager to develop their own spiritual lives and
transplant the flowering tree of enlightenment to their own lives."(Das, 29) 
The first westerners to begin to adopt Eastern principles were often people on the
fringes of society or in the avant-garde of the arts, literature, and philosophy. The
beatniks in the 50's, the Hippies in the 60's and 70's. Evidence of eastern thought in
the writings of Jack Kerouac, Hippies - George Harrison and the Beatles studying with the
Maharishi Mahesh Yoga. Richard Albert turned his name to Baba Ram Das.
In our society today, it seems like everyone knows someone into Eastern religion. From
businessmen to politicians to celebrities individuals are joining meditating groups while
still maintaining ties to their traditional faiths to "wet their feet" in more satisfying
and less materialistic lives. "At retreats you're likely to find yourself sitting next to
a stockbroker or a therapist or a retired social worker who may or may not claim to be
Buddhist."(Wood, 3) "Unlike the rush of mostly younger Americans to Buddhism that
occurred in the 1950's and 1960's, the new ranks include a larger percentage of seekers
over 50"(Wood, 2). Now in the West we see many variations of Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism,
and Zen, such as Mahayana, Pali, and Vajpareena. Our new, multi-religious land that
combines Eastern and Western religion can be described as "the scientific West arriving
at something like the fusion of the Confucian cultivation of virtue through the bonds of
family and community, Taoist laissez-faire and yearning for nature, and Buddhist
compassion for man's need for Nirvana."(Layman, 80) We have adapted religions in many
ways to fit our lives. 
"Buddhism in America is characterized by great diversity, with both conservative and
liberal trends within the same sect and denomination of course, differences in
furnishings and hairstyles are superficial, and are either tangential or irrelevant to
the Buddhist system of beliefs and basic way of life. But fundamental and widespread
changes in American Buddhism are occurring. Its priests and adherents are recognizing
that Buddhism must be shown to have relevant approaches to the problems which plague
American Society. Accordingly, sermons and lectures delivered by the clergy are making
less use of illustrations recounted by ancient Buddhist saints and are becoming more
applicable to everyday living in modern American society."(Layman, 32) As a result, "The
ancient religion of Buddhism grows even stronger roots in a new world, with the help of
the movies, pop culture, and the politics of repressed Tibet." (Van Biema, 1) Because of
the inroads that eastern religions have made in our country there is an increase in
personal reform via retreats, "sanghas" - a circle of friends who regularly meditate
together, and self-help groups. We are also undergoing social reform, creating a more
accepting society, and building upon an ancient religion. "The number of English language
Buddhist teaching centers coast to coast has grown from 429 to almost 2,000"(Wood, 1). 
What makes Eastern Thought so different from Western Thought.
What we currently have in the West, "which is a sort of anti-religious, psychological way
of thinking...these psychologies often work against our spiritual side. Buddhism, on the
other hand, can help by providing psychological bridges that will reinforce the spiritual
side."(Toms, 143) Unlike Western religions, Eastern religions do not teach commandments,
rather, natural ways of ordinary human practice. Nor do they teach right and wrong -
correct and incorrect or wise and ignorant.
The Buddha is different from a God or Jesus in that Buddha became perfectly aware of the
nature of reality and nature of the self, and he was then able to remove limitations on
manifestation and could actually manifest whatever was most helpful to those around him.
He was known as Shasta, or teacher, and his objective was to remove the cause of all
suffering to find true happiness. The Buddha can be perceived as omnipotent, he was
enlightened and awakened, but he was not the creator. Hinduism, Brahma, Buddhism, Zen,
and other Eastern religions are consistent in the belief that there are many gods and one
creator, only, they are not sure of the true creator. 
There are no set areas where one must practice, however, quiet, natural places are
encouraged and it can be practiced any time one feels necessary. It can be a daily,
weekly, yearly or once in a lifetime act, there are no rules as to when a student must
pray.
The basic tenets and ideas of Eastern religions are generally very different from those
of Western religions. Mindfulness - the Zen practice of embracing the present, is being
profoundly aware of each moment so that people can better appreciate their own lives, and
being more compassionate about the suffering of others. Buddhism tries to make sense out
of life without fear and guilt that some other religions induce. You find the way that
you want to live, open up that way, and then pursue that way. The best way to live the
life you want is to "actualize what you realize." In other words, make real your dreams.
Thich Nhat Hanh teaches in Zen that, "The other may be a beautiful sunrise. The other may
be your friend, your husband, your wife. The other is love. Mindfulness helps you
recognize what is there that makes life real, that makes life possible."(Toms, 19).
Buddhism doesn't believe in God, but believes in the nature of god. They are theistic,
only not sure of true creator. 
The Tibetan vision of reality is in a way, the most super-positive vision of human
evolution that one could imagine. The Buddha regarded himself as an empiricist, only
relying on that which is known and testable in experience. What is new to Western
thinking is the Buddhist idea that ethics and spiritual development are also governed by
universal laws. "In the West we have a clear sense of personal and group responsibility
for the government and welfare of everyone, set forth by Locke, Rousseau, and others in
the late 18th century and developed for the next 200 years in the democratic societies in
Eastern Europe and the Americas. As Western Buddhists, we are building on one tradition
of social responsibility that has been cultivated in monastic settings... with such a
synthesis of traditions, Buddhism in the West is sure to apply the precepts in a new
way."(Aitken - written by Tworkov, 53) The forms of introspection that have, to date,
been available to Western Philosophers as the raw materials of their craft, have been
very limited in their scope and have consequently produced limited world views.
What has made people turn to it.
Eastern religions have become as accessible as Western religions, because they have
spread to every corner of earth. If all else fails, the Internet is a wealth of
information. "One of the key elements in all of spiritual life is making ourselves
available to others. What young men need is initiation, someone to whom they can show
their stuff and prove it - otherwise they do it on the street."(Toms, 849) 
The main ideas and themes appeal to many, Buddhist belief in using the mind to change our
lives provides practical methods and exercises that we can use every day to change our
perception of reality. "Rather than turning us away from what is best in Western Culture,
Buddhism can help us return to it, for the west today is in the grip of a major cultural
crisis of confidence."(Kulananda, 210) Buddhism has become so popular in the West,
because it teaches one how to be happier and more aware by use of; seeing things as they
are, living a sacred life, speaking the truth, loving, attention and focus on what is
important to you, and meditation. These concepts work with us, because they are easily
adaptable and understandable to the Western way of life. "Zen can be adapted to be useful
I modern times. Like water it takes the form of the vessel that contains it without any
change in its nature: water remains water whether it is held in a rice bowl or a coffee
mug. Many who seek enlightenment in this day and age may not be able to fulfill their
destiny within a purely monastic lifestyle."(Simpkins, p.61) 
Another aspect of Eastern religions that attract Westerners is the ability to be
independent in the search of enlightenment. Jakusho Kwong, Soto Priest and abbot of the
Soto Zen Buddhist Temple in Genjoji, expresses, "There's a lot to read, and there's a lot
to learn. But for me, the most important thing is what's yours. What can you call your
own? And to know that. Not what Suzuki Roshi said, or Maezumi Roshi said, or Katagari
Roshi said. What you say. What it means to you. That's the only way." (Tworkov, 103) "In
Zen terms, we are born alone, we die alone, and we have realization alone."(Toms, 131)
Maintaining a clear awareness of our feelings and sensations, we can open out the gap
between feeling and craving. This experience strengthens our intuition of how things
really are and a series of ever more intensely positive mental states therefore follow.
Hindu promotes the ability to listen when people need to be heard. When asked "What's
your road man?" Jack Kerouac answered, "Holyboy road, madman road, rainbow road, guppy
road, it's an anywhere road for anybody anyhow." By saying this, Kerouac means that his
path in life is to follow his Taoist religion, be free from others, seek happiness and
peace, innocence of youth, and that the path he is on can be universally reached. This
just shows how conclusive people can be with their words when they learn what the really
important things are. 
Eastern religions seek to fulfill self and understand the nature of self. They teach the
seeker to let "body and mind fall away" and look at the greater picture (Toms, 73). "In
going for refuge to the Buddha one commits oneself to becoming more than one is
now."(Kulananda, 72) "In seeking happiness by clinging to a restricting, ego-identity,
again and again we cause ourselves and others to suffer."(Kulananda, 87)
More and more public figures such as; Richard Gere, Michael Yauch, Steven Segal, Courtney
Love, Oliver Stone, and more, practice the eastern religions and praise their
effectiveness. "Yauch is slight and soft-spoken, he says Buddhism, 'felt real, not
hokey.' Two generations ago, given his milieu he would have been a curiosity, today he is
something of a role model."(Van Biema, 8-9) 
Eastern religions can be a cheap alternative to psychotherapy because they are very
similar. "Given the sophistication of the Buddhist analysis of the mind and its
preoccupation with the eradication of suffering, it is only natural that strong
similarities have come to be seen between Buddhism and the contemporary Western
Psychotherapy."(Kulananda, 222) As Buddhism and psychotherapy become closer acquainted
with one another, there is an emerging trend towards a kind of psychotherapeutic
Buddhism, where the drive towards enlightenment is replaced with the overriding impulse
to simply come to terms with oneself and feel better about oneself and the world. 
Why has it become important to our society. 
"Anything infused into our world today about nonviolence can only help."(Scorsesce)
Most people in our society struggle to find the right views. "Right views bring us in
touch with some of the most important concepts in Buddhist philosophy. How do you
perceive life, death, impermanence, suffering, dissatisfaction, and cause and effect? Do
we really believe, and know, that we reap what we sow, or do we regard that as just
another cliche? In the west, we are typically conditioned to push these serious matters
aside, and deal with them later. Buddhism says deal with them now, and you'll transform
your life."(Das, 95) Maintaining a clear sense of our feelings and sensations, we can
open out the gap between feeling and craving. This experience strengthens our intuition
of how things are and a series of ever more intensely positive mental states therefore
follow. Two Buddhist ideas, that there is a natural hierarchy of values and that reality
is perceived in the imagination, contain within them the seeds of Western Cultural
renaissance. What Buddhism most has to offer Western Philosophy is the notion that ways
of conceptualizing are intertwined with ways of being and although one can go about
philosophy as if it were a purely intellectual exercise, there is little value in that -
thought alone cannot apprehend reality.
"Dharma is timeless not culture bound."(Das, 378) Dharma, the cosmic law underlying all
existence; combines with the Buddha and the Sangha (the community of believers), to form
the Three Treasures of the faith. It is one of Buddhism's great strengths that it has at
its heart the ideal of spiritual fellowship. "Today, Buddhism is at a critical juncture
as it encounters the West. It is no surprise that there have been formidable culture,
linguistic, political, and material barriers to overcome in the transmission of Buddha
Dharma from the East to the West and from the past on to the present and the future. This
is a transition through time as well as through space, spanning continents and oceans,
from a traditional Oriental world to a scientific postmodern Western Culture."(Das, 378)
"Modern Western culture is marked by an unprecedented degree of technological
sophistication and material abundance. It is highly complex and deeply
fragmented."(Kulananda, 25) All over, people seem torn between a sincere desire to
conquer ego and the drive to be doing so. A great benefit to our society has been the
increase in people who maintain less interest in self and more for the benefit of others,
as well as the increase of knowledge of the effects. The majority of Eastern Religions
promote the ability to listen when people need to be heard. Everything that lives is
subject to decay. All conditioned things are impermanent. To be alive is to change.
Without change we would be absolutely inert, but the un-enlightened human condition is to
fight change every inch of the way.
A following of well known peoples (celebrities, business men, politicians, etc.) has made
Eastern Religion appealing to those who were originally skeptical. A poem that appeared
in New Yorker Magazine shows how Buddhism has practically become a "household term" -
"The huge head of Richard Gere, a tsonga blossom / in his hair, comes floating like a
Macy's / Parade balloon above snowcapped summit / of sacred Kailas." Some very
outstanding people of the Eastern religions have reached out to those in need, like Roshi
Bernard Glassman, founder of the "Bakery Zendo" in Brooklyn, who uses what he learns and
teaches to benefit his community. He employs the local homeless and unemployed in his
bakery, garment company, and building-renovation services, and houses them in his large
suburban New York mansion where they are allowed to study Zen with the great master.
There has been much progression of Buddhism in the US because, "Americans have always
been a do - it - yourself culture, and this is a do - it - yourself philosophy."(Van
Biema, 8). But it is definite that there will be much more progression. As Richard Gere
said, "There has not been enough time to ferment and intoxicate the culture in America,
but our approach, because were so new at it, has a certain eagerness and excitement that
you sometimes don't see in Tibetans. Westerners ask questions, they take notes."
Individuals join meditating groups while still maintaining ties to their traditional
faiths to "wet their feet" in more satisfying and less materialistic lives. The
progression of Western views to adapt Eastern ideas can be explained as, "Combining
monastic views with secular lifestyle has nonetheless served two functions. It has
introduced the monastic dimension of the Japanese Zen tradition to the United States,
where it may someday figure prominently. It has also been a skillful means for
establishing the authority of Zen teachings both within and without the communities."
(Glassman - Tworkov, 153)
Show major impacts on West
Less materialistic lifestyle
People search to be "better"
Giving
Concerned about others
People more in touch with reality
People become more aware and accepting
Show impact on my life?
Bibliography
hoiward, j amdas.