[Buddha-l] Bourgeois Buddhism

[Jackhat1 at aol.com]

It has been my experience, limited though it might be, that the Western  
Buddhists I know follow the 8-Fold Path while ethnic Buddhists I know do not. 
No  idea if this is true beyond the people I know
 
I have visited a local Thai Buddhist temple center many times and given  
talks there. Several of the monks always ask me about my attending some 
upcoming  ceremony and are quite surprised when I say I won't. They seem to think 
my sole  function as a layperson is dana and attending rites and rituals.
 
jack