[Buddha-l] MARYSVILLE: American Buddhism

[Katherine Masis]

Richard Basham wrote:
 
"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."
 
That could very well be.  Alas, it took me 15 years to figure out that I didn't fit in with those "one or two compatible stereotypes".  Nevertheless, the (quite enjoyable) event I attended about 2 or 3 years ago was at 1 of 3 Tibetan Buddhist centers here--in fact, the oldest one to be established here, back in 1989.  There were a couple of teenage girls and one teenage boy there, all accompanied by their respective mothers but, except for a few Gen-Xers and even fewer Gen-Yers, the rest of us were definitely baby-boomers or older.  
 
Katherine Masis
San Jose, Costa Rica