[Buddha-l] MARYSVILLE: American Buddhism

[Richard Basham]

On Tue, 2011-08-02 at 12:00 -0600, Katherine Masis wrote:
>  Since I haven't been hanging out at Dharma centers too much for the
> last 10 years or so, maybe things have changed, but the last time I
> went to an event down here in Costa Rica (about?2 or?3 years
> ago),?most of us attendees were in our fifty-somethings and older.?
> It's the mappo.

Katherine and non-Katherine,


The local Rime Tibetan Temple has a diverse congregation/sangha with
age, marital, generational, and some ethnic variety. The local TNH Order
of Inter-Being sangha, though smallish, was less so but still diverse.
Both had/have children as well as decrepit old folks scurrying around. 

A small Korean 'zen' sangha was (last I visited) identical to your
experience. A couple of nominal 'Theravada' sanghas did have couples,
couplings, and singles of a single generation, more or less. Aside, I
haven't been to a 'chanting' group for years, and those were 95% Asian.

Reflecting, the members and 'programs' are more attractive to me than
the denomination. For example, I dismiss most of the Tibetan framework
(wish-filling trees, guardians and demons, empowerments, etc.) but 'sit'
and definitely 'study' popular books and generic texts with them. 

Personally, 'zen', almost a four-letter profanity, is such a limited
form of Buddhism as well as typically hierarchical (authoritarian,
charismatic) that I believe it self-selects one or two compatible
stereotypes. In contrast, the family-oriented and inclusive Dharma
sanghas attract a broader mix of interests and personalities. 

This summarizes my experience over decades, with a few more up-to-date
observations. I found what fit when I needed to <g> perhaps that is the
implied dukkha in your story.


Richard Basham