Review of the Literature

By observing the spread of Buddhism in the far east and now as it makes it way west can be attributed to the malleability of this religion (see [1,2,4,6]). It's spread began when it entered china, and with the diversity of life many new sects of Buddhism followed in part because as a philosophy on life, it needed to find a way to mesh with its own societal and cultural constraints. Developing in china, sects included, Pureland and Chan, moving to Japan, Chan formed into Zen, and the Nicheren Sect [2]. As it made its way south to Burma and Sri Lanka the fundamental Theravada stayed intact, but as it moved north to Tibet the esoteric Vajrayana, or Tibetan Buddhism formed [2]. The spread of Buddhism and how it transformed shed light on the Buddhism teaching that “there are a thousand ways to reach enlightenment, mine is only one” [1].

Through this it is evident that the flexibility and spread of Buddhism in the east defines how it will develop in the west. Clarke, Prebish, Layman, and Seager all explain that although Buddhism did arrived to the west in the 1800’s the “boom” came out initially after World War II, then the beats, and following that, the idea of Buddhism to the counter culture in America offered a way to “damn the man” [1,2,3,4,6]. In observing how Buddhism has began to find it way in western society, many speculations can be made about whether this philosophy or religion can really have a place in American life style [2,3,4]. Clarke describes Buddhism as a challenge for Americans, and if they are ready to accept the challenge that their way of life and understanding will greatly affect our livelihoods in a positive way [1]. Layman and Prebish see the boom in the 1950’s as a huge misunderstanding of the Buddhist way of life, but after observations made in the 1990’s they see Buddhism as having the ability to form a new sect that encompasses, like the rest, the fundamental teachings of the Buddha [2,3]. With the recent increase in Buddhism in America, not only scholarship, but with active groups around the country, Layman, Prebish, and Clarke can define Buddhism in two ways. There is the Buddhism of a kind of “hip” ideal, the latest fad, or a way test our limits in life, and there is the Buddhist who practice with the aim of understanding the true reality of living [1,2,3,4].

My goal for this website is to show through my own understanding and practice of Buddhism that a new sect of Buddhism is in fact forming in America. I would agree with Layman and Prebish that it may take a long time to see any real advancements in American practice [2,4], but I would suggest that through my own observation that the new sect of Buddhism developing in the west will be a mix of the “two types of Buddhist” Clarke, Layman, and Prebish define. In my opinion if any advancements are going to be made in the practice in Buddhism in the west, they are going to have to follow by some part the “hip” kind of trend of this way of life. Even looking at the spread through the east, we see a trend, and it is obvious that it took time before it was widely accepted. With regard to the beat generation, although authors like Jack Kerouac did not practice Buddhism to its full potential, his themes of a Buddhist way depict that he was in part trying to find that spiritual path [2,3,4]. For me as a practicing Buddhist, that is how I believe Buddhism must develop in American. We are all humans, we all have our short comings, and their will always be things we just don’t understand, but by simply making the most minuscule attempt on this path, the individual and whoever he or she interacts with will be better off in their life. I believe that Buddhism must take small steps in American so that it can carefully and rightfully make it ways into our society without being misunderstood as a free loading, make every second count way of life; it needs to be accepted for its foundations in the dharma, and then it will be able to mold to the demands of American society. As Clarke insists, “Buddhism has a real challenge to it, its not easy to do. It really requires determination against the hardest things a human has to deal with, sometimes its called a monkey mind, the mind that just won’t be quiet in there” [1]. I believe Americans are ready for this challenge and as we experience its developments in the west, we will find that this can connect us with the entire world. As Americans we must neglect our idea that we are separate entities, we are connected with all beings and with the entire universe and in an age of connectivity, the world is becoming a “global village” linked by new media and technology which can only raise our consciousness and allow us to realize that we are part of a much larger whole [1,4,5,6]. In recognizing this we have the ability not just as Buddhist, but as humans to change the world and a spiritual movement that offers a way to find meaning experimentally means that no one can really go wrong.