A discussion about western buddhism.

hermitwin

Is there a place for western buddhism?

how

Um..
The West?

DaftChris

Is there a place for Buddhism at all?

Yes.

RainbowTara

Loooooove AB.

Cole_

Buddhism takes place in the heart and mind, so yeah wherever those happen to be, it can take place. Western culture is just a bit more conditioned tword the opposite of what Buddhism teaches (understatement), so it can be a bit harder to break those attachments, and the ego of people here is very strong, but It's very possible to relinquish any conditioning no matter where it is.

Dakini

Ego is everywhere; the West doesn't have a corner on the market. People are people everywhere. We tend to romanticize colorful cultures in other parts of the world, but they all just boil down to pretty much the same afflictions. There's kindness everywhere, and also cruelty. There's ego and also selflessness. Seek, and ye shall find.

Cole_

Dakini said:

Ego is everywhere; the West doesn't have a corner on the market. People are people everywhere. We tend to romanticize colorful cultures in other parts of the world, but they all just boil down to pretty much the same afflictions. There's kindness everywhere, and also cruelty. There's ego and also selflessness. Seek, and ye shall find.

Agreed, never said it wasn't anywhere else if I thought anywhere else was any better, I would've dipped out long ago haha. According to people who grew up in the east, they face the opposite extreme of what we face in the west.

BhikkhuJayasara

when it comes to buddhism in the west.. I always remember this quote from the book "blistered feet, blissful mind" - http://www.amazon.com/Blistered-Feet-Blissful-Mind-Price/dp/190608517X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356090730&sr=8-1&keywords=blistered+feet+blissful+mind

" Ajahn Lee showed some interest in a gigantic chestnut tree which was slowly dying. He pointed to it and said it was similar to the Sangha in Thailand, spectacular and impressive, but largely dead wood. Most of the useful stuff is high and out of reach or very hard to find.

Then he compared it to a young sapling, which he said was like the Sangha in the west, small, fragile , but full of life and great potential. He said many of the great teachers in Asia believe that the real Dhamma, even the next Buddha will arise in the west. Traditionally a Buddha statue would always face east but there are teachers in Thailand who have built their temples with the Buddha facing west. "

I've always agreed with Ajahn Lee's statement actually even before I read it. I have a desire to be a monastic.. in the west. I have no desire to go to Thailand or Sri Lanka or any "Buddhist" culture. In many ways I feel like I was born into this life here in America to teach Dhamma in the west. the west is a young sapling, its up to all of us who practice to help guide that sapling to flourish and not end up like the old dead tree, at least not for a while lol.

Wisdom23

Buddhism surely is most comfortable with anybody who finds comfort in the Buddha, The Dharma and The Sangha. Where ever the mind is from Antatica to Zanzeebar. It begins and is most prominate in the mind not the surroundings. On another note i love Ajhan Brahm his talks always make me smile.

ecdrewello1

Like most of us in the West, I'm also interested in this issue... and just for the sake of adding the "contrary" argument to the discussion. Does anyone think that Westernizing Buddhism, stripping it down to what some people call "fluffy-bunny" Buddhism is the right thing to do? Buddhism has always taken on the characteristics of the culture it has been brought to... but will "Westernizing" Buddhism make it something that it is not?

I know that in the early Sangha there was a lot of room for doctrinal differences, and the only real grounds for expulsion was breaking precepts, not disagreeing on theology.

vinlyn

To me there is a middle ground...and I say that not because it is typical Buddhist conversational language. Having lived in Thailand for a while, I have seen a Buddhism that is burdened down with historical baggage (not that it isn't a beautiful religion). Then, here is the west I seem to see somewhat of a bare bones approach to Buddhism. There has to be a good balance.

ecdrewello1

Yeah, that's more or less where I fall. Even with Japanese Buddhism much of it has turned into a funeral bussiness, and because Buddhism has been a part of life in Japan for so long, minsters can tend to take things for granted... and don't always know exactly why they do things. (This happens with Christians too, I'm not trying to nit-pick). As a western Buddhist who hasn't grown up with Buddhism, I can't take anything for granted, and I feel like I need to ask what *everything* is... maybe this will breath a little new life into things?

BhikkhuJayasara

vinlyn said:

To me there is a middle ground...and I say that not because it is typical Buddhist conversational language. Having lived in Thailand for a while, I have seen a Buddhism that is burdened down with historical baggage (not that it isn't a beautiful religion). Then, here is the west I seem to see somewhat of a bare bones approach to Buddhism. There has to be a good balance.

I agree with this... I prefer the Buddhism of the original texts, nothing extra or added, but nothing really taken away either.