[Buddha-l] Re: Western Buddhism

[Benito Carral]

On Thursday, November 15, 2007, Dan Lusthaus wrote:

> It is an entirely different question whether Buddhism
> de-religionized    is    a    preferable   commodity.
> De-religionized  Buddhism,  however, is precisely the
> one  that  does  not seem to be tranmittable. It's an
> interesting conundrum.

   When  I think in the transmission of the Buddhism, I
always   find   the  core  Buddhist  ideas  grafted  in
indigenous religions or living metanarratives.

   I  think that Buddhism in the West faces the problem
that   most   Westeners  don't  have  wholesome  living
metanarratives.

   So,  for instance, if one takes Chinese Buddhism and
discard  the Chinese thing (which gives life and social
meaning),   one   still   has   the  individualist  and
materialist   "Western"   thing.   We   have  so-called
"Buddhists"  but  not Buddhism (as a cohesive factor or
meaningful   relantioships   engendering   practice)--I
really  think  that  this  is  what  we  call "Western"
Buddhism.

   I  find  just natural that young people who look for
live  and  social  meaning  doesn't  consider "Western"
Buddhism as something interesting to get involved with.

   Chinese   Buddhism,  for  instance,  would  be  more
appealing since it says to young people, "Have sex with
your  spouse.  That's  OK.  Don't have sex with others.
Live  and  practice together until death comes. Support
each  other. If there is some problem, that's OK. Don't
divorce.  That's  your way to burn karma. Be nice. Stay
happy together."

   That  is  what  "Western" Buddhism fails to provide,
and  that  is  what  some young people are looking for.
That  is  also why some teachers like the Dalai Lama or
Thich  Nhat  Hanh say that one doesn't need to become a
Buddhist  and  advice  to  take  root  in  one's closer
traditions.

   I  have  some  interesting thougths about this topic
that  my  experience  as  a  Chan  teacher in a Western
country  has  arisen. If someone is interested, I would
be glad to share them.

   Best wishes,
   
-- 
   Benito Carral
     Asturias, Sepharad (Spain)