Since being an American Buddhist and the transformation of traditional forms of Buddhism through their introduction to American and changes in the Western spiritual landscape through the introduction of Buddhism, is what I'm most intrigued by these days, I'm going to continue writing about it here. I'll admit this may not make for the most engaging blog reading but it is fun blog writing for me and as that is the really point of engaging in this project. Still, I hope that at the very least I leave you with something to ponder.
I am a "Western Buddhist" who dedicated myself to the Three Jewels or Tiratna at the age of twelve (eleven if you ask my mother, who was fine with my interest in Buddhism but horrified when I declare that my ultimate goal was to grow up and become a monk). The Circumstance of my early, self-induced conversion to Buddhism are probably unusual, much of the story of my life's journey has been about exceptions to the norm. I don't mention this as a point of bragging, rather it is something I feel is important for me to recognize and be mindful of, as it tends to shade my interpretation of other peoples experiences. One positive way my story has effected me, is that I have an implicit understanding that most of us are in one way or another, an exception to the norms. In its less skillful forms my unusual perspective can lead me to the bully pulpit, where I tend to expound upon other peoples ignorance regarding "my type" or the evils of stereotyping in general although, I myself am not above such human frailties.
So I've been wondering, how do Western Buddhists come to their faith? Please note, that in my use of Western Buddhists, I'm referring to Buddhist practitioners in America (my personal point of reference) whose cultural heritage does not include one of the many Asian countries where practicing Buddhism is a cultural norm. At this point, I'm not as interested in the internal factors that might motivate the decision to adapt Buddhism as a faith, as much as I am in the way a non-Buddhist Americans might form an opinion about what Buddhism is that would lead them to further investigation and eventual personal identification.
"Buddhism" is, to say the least, a very broad arena. Some people believe that the term might be put to its best use if we refer to it in plurality, as in "Buddhist faiths" because there are so many sectarian and cultural variations that lumping all of them together under one title seems slightly ridiculous. Others like to point out that Buddhism isn't actually a religion but more a philosophy and in response it has been noted that, "If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, its probably a duck!". I myself sometimes feel it's a philosophy and sometimes feel its a religion, depending on the experiential context. Either way, I have come to believe that the key component is faith- I have faith in the practicality of the philosophy and faith in the significance of the religion. At age eleven I made a decision to make Buddhism the vessel of my faith and it has remained that to this day, although my journey has led me sometimes closer and sometimes further from these two aspects of my commitment, I have always maintained my faith.
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