Dharma Discussion - An Introduction to Buddhism in America

Event time: 
Tuesday, April 5, 2016 - 7:00pm
Location: 
Buddhist Shrine - Base of Harkness Tower in Branford College See map
Event description: 

   For the first time in history, all of the diverse Buddhist traditions that thrive in far-flung Asian nations are flourishing together in the same country – the United States. The arrival of Buddhism in America comprises a rich history in itself. It ranges from the arrival of Chinese workers in California in the mid-19th century and the first forays into Buddhism by New England Transcendentalists such as Emerson and Thoreau, through the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago at the end of the century and the arrival for the first time in America of Asian Buddhist teachers, and into the mid-20th century, with the Beat movement and the “dharma bumming” of Kerouac, Snyder, and Ginsberg. Add the lifting of immigration quotas on Asians into the U.S., the arrival of refugees from Cambodia and Vietnam, and an influx of teachers from the Tibetan diaspora, and we get a potent mix of Buddhisms in a country still conditioned to think of itself as Judeo-Christian.

   Today an estimated six million Buddhists live and practice here. In a lively conversation facilitated by Reverend Kanji, we’ll explore how this happened, and also discuss questions such as: What are some of the major American Buddhist lineages that have been established? Who have some of the most significant teachers been? What are the advantages and disadvantages of so much diversity? How have the influence of women and of lay people changed Buddhism in this country? What are the issues involving convert Buddhists and ethnic Buddhists? How is the dominant American Buddhist demographic of white upper-middle-class people being challenged by calls to reach people of color and lower-income people? How have numerous sex scandals radically affected American Buddhists? How is Buddhism in America affected by a culture of consumerism, instant gratification, and celebrity? Where is American Buddhism headed in the 21st century?

   Everyone is welcome – beginner and experienced practitioners of all Buddhist traditions, and non-Buddhists, too. There will be a brief meditation period (beginner instruction available).