First let me explain what American Buddhism is not. It is not organized. It is not Immigrant Buddhists who have brought their traditions and culture to America. It is not American who has adopted another’s cultural tradition of Buddhism.
American Buddhism is something that is different. It is as unique as American Catholicism, which is very strong in its faith, but chooses which aspects of that faith it wishes to follow. Ask 100 Catholics in America how they feel about birth control, and you will get 100 very different answers, regardless of what the Vatican as dictated.
American Buddhism is as adoptive of Buddhism’s origins as it is organic in its applications. While it is somewhat amorphous and new, there is an increasing clarity to who and what American Buddhism is. What is certain, it is being defined by American’s and how they can fit and align Buddhist and American core values.
The American spirit and mindset has always been one of independent thinking. It is also one of intense curiosity and investigative skepticism. So it is ironic that America is also one of the most intensely religious regions in the world.
So it is not surprising that in the counter-culture of the 1960s, our country of assimilation shifted into a culture of embracing diversity. Names like Jack Kornfield, lead in an awareness of Buddhism in America when a disillusioned youth was actively searching for answers to a world that didn’t make sense and an establishment that didn’t provide adequate answers.
Buddhism, at its core is about learning how to “be” in the world: To be totally present and accepting with the experience; and, most importantly, how to be happy. This was a significant departure from European religious traditions which mandated how “to behave” in this world and promised happiness for later for compliance today.
At its core, Buddhism is about answering one single question—how can I be happy? It is a question that is universal and non-denominational. The Buddha discovered this answer in the Four Noble Truths— there is suffering, there is a cause to suffering, there is a solution to end suffering, it is a process called the Noble Eightfold Path.
This solution is not dogmatic. It does not require you to give up your faith in a Creator god. It does not require you to do anything more than develop an understanding of the world around us by understanding ourselves and what “we” are. The goal of Buddhism is to be happy, and if you don’t know how, the Buddha has a roadmap to help you get to that state of bliss.
So if Buddhism is just a practice to understand and find our own happiness, then what is all the fuss about? It is a religion or not? If the message is, “be happy” then can you have Thai, Tibetan, Sri Lankan or American Buddhism?
First we must understand the importance of faith. Regardless of which religion we associate ourselves with; we have a basic human desire in some faith to orient ourselves. Faith is a confidence in our understanding. As we build confidence in our understanding, our faith grows. Being without some world view and direction, is like being on a ship at see without sails and an anchor set adrift to the whims of the tides. But confidence and faith allows us to navigate or sit still as we choose.
While all religions have faith, not all faith requires religion. To that end, Americans have been able to choose whether they wish to adopt Buddhism as a religion, a philosophy, a mental health process, or a lifestyle choice.
Not being bound by cultural tradition, Americans have the benefit of being able to ask for the down and dirty Buddhism Cliff Notes. Americans request the “talking points” of Buddhism and then individualize their personal practice to create a “designer Buddhism” made for one. It is very similar to a Chinese buffet, where every plate has rice, and then each person picks and chooses what aspects and flavors they are attracted to by each tradition.
So the next question is—is this bad? Won’t this just create a Buddhism that has all of the flavor of Buddhism but none of the nutrition?
The answer to that is—it depends. In the end, what makes Buddhism work is not the traditional chants, Buddha statues, or learning to speak Pali or Sanskrit. What makes Buddhism work is the practice. The truth and realizations of the Buddha don’t come from a book or a monk, but from self investigation and daily transformation from a suffering life to a life free from suffering. That is Kusala, or wholesome.
A monk named Upali asked the Buddha for a teaching on how to know the dhamma and the Buddha replied, “The qualities that lead to disenchantment, dispassion, cessation, calm, direct knowledge, unbinding—this is the dhamma.”
The message is that of learning how to liberate ourselves from suffering. To that end—how many of us find all of our faiths preach the same message? If by personalizing traditions and practices to create a Buddhist practice lessens suffering, then it is all part of the dhamma. The goal is not to see who can be the best Tibetan, Theravadan, or Zen Buddhist. It is about becoming liberated from suffering.
There is a risk in American Buddhism, however. Anyone who has ever tried to learn how to play the guitar knows that it is possible to learn how to play on your own. You can develop your own practice and your own mastery of the instrument. Nevertheless, without the guidance of masters who have come before, we run the risk of developing bad habits that hinder our progress. Habits that eventually may prevent us from reaching our mastery in that skill.
The same is true with Buddhism. The Buddha Gautama is the samma Sambuddhasa, the one who was self-enlightened. He proved that it is possible to reach that awareness on our own; however, in the history of mankind, how many others have been able to claim the same achievement? It makes sense to take advantage of those who have journeyed before use on the Middle Path to make our journey more manageable.
For better or worse, the American spirit is one of adventure, self-reliance and trailblazing. It is a culture that likes to do it our way, and to that end, there will always be a risk that American Buddhism will be a harder path than other traditions. Nevertheless, Buddhism has created a larger influence on our culture as a whole that is sincerely significant. Police and emergency services around the country have adopted Buddhist meditation in their daily practice. There are fields of professional psychology that deal with cognitive therapy and mindfulness. We have seen Buddhist philosophy permeate within public politics and policy and develop an awareness of our interconnected natures. Our scientific research into the mind has proven the Buddha’s concepts of consciousness and awareness. Even the eating habits of monks are being researched to understand healthier eating habits.
Buddhism in America is the fastest growing faith in this country. More importantly its message is demonstratably changing the face of our world, because we are all asking the same question, “How can I be happy?”
Can you please define American buddhism in a clear and short way?
American Buddhism is as adoptive of Buddhism’s origins as it is organic in its applications. While it is somewhat amorphous and new, there is an increasing clarity to who and what American Buddhism is. Because American Buddhism is accepted by Americans to be individualized and “designer” it is impossible to state what foundations it has. I speak with Buddhists from all over the world daily, and even those American’s who choose to follow certain teachers and traditions, still tend to discard or adopt what they want from the practice if they feel it is unessential.
A few years ago, I used to call this “Burger King” Buddhism, because we could have it OUR way– but that was dismissive. It is also possible that over time, Buddhism will find its foundation in America as its own tradition with very defined literugical practices. I know that is what Bhante Kassapa, a native-born, trained and ordain monk is doing in Texas.