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Location: Monterey Bay, California -- watching the sea lions, whales and otters! :D
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Kerby W-R: We have an all inclusive practice. All means everyone.
I can see you are very enthusiastic about your center -- and that's great. There are lots of those kinds of centers in California, however, my only point is that the one to which I refer is not Westernized -- it is just like being in Burma or India. The photos on your site are typical Western centers -- very clean, very symmetrical, very organized -- even the bedrooms look so spiffy.
I think one of the reasons we don't have many (maybe 3 or 4) westerners in the temple I speak of is because it isn't westernized, and I think many Americans want to learn the lessons, but also want a familiar environment of cleanliness, symmetry, and all of that -- including separating the children, even for "classes." In our place, it is all in one spot. The kids are not separated. The monks and others are not upset. They are a part of the whole. I realize this is not how most centers operate in the U.S. When I lived in Boulder, Colorado, I do recall the Shambala center there -- and all the scandals that occurred. Lovely center, but still very Americanized.
I have a former co-worker whom I brought to our temple because she was raised in Burma as a child, although she was American and her father had a professional job there. She felt ecstatic when I brought her to the monastery -- it was just as she had experienced in Burma. Everything was kind of just there...the monks had their rooms that were disheveled, the meditation room had a wood stove for heat, and all those mismatched pillows tossed around. We sat in one of the monk's rooms and watched a video she had brought of herself as a child and the "water festival." It was really fun. We ate cookies and drank tea and it was all so very informal. The monk was just so delighted and giggled and laughed at the video! It was such an "in-the-moment" experience and I will never forget it.
But then again, I don't think I am a typical American nor Westerner. I really don't fit here. Unfortunately, unless you marry someone from another country, you can't immigrate unless you are wealthy or young or have a specialized skill-set. I just don't belong here.... So, I would guess that is why I feel much more at home with those who are not American...I got displaced, I guess, when I was born!
The belief system is good that you are involved in, I just don't feel comfortable with all the fussing that goes on in westernized centers -- there is always such an "American" feel to them, and that seems to filter down the teachings. It's the ambiance -- it's too formal. I can't explain it, and I realize I stumbled on something rare here. There are many Buddhist centers around the area in which I live. The place I go to is the only one that is not only not advertised, does not have a website, but is one that a typical English-speaking American would not go to -- and would rarely find other Americans there. But it is where we truly feel at home. Most of the attendees are immigrants who come in from San Jose or San Francisco...few people are even aware that it exists here.
I guess I'm just a displaced soul........I think the stork turned too sharply and I fell out of the sling over the wrong country!
Zen (Japanese) or Chan (Chinese) is a school, or sect in more Western terminology, within the Mahayana tradition of Buddhism. Taoism is a spiritual tradition indigenous to China, though it has had quite an influence on the former.
If you Google or use Wikipedia to query on "Buddhism" you will probably be further ahead in getting a very basic orientation, and can followup on other terms that may interest you.
Apropos what Wisteria has posted. In my experience of attending Buddhist centers I have noticed a couple of things about those whose membership is composed of Americans. The membership often had many young people without children, and the older, middle-age people seemed to involved in their own personal endeavor...spouses and kids were not included in their participation, unlike, say "going to church" usually is, which includes the whole family. Only one place, a large Zen headquarters temple and center, provided a room for those extremely few people who brought kids.
I also felt that Americans had great difficulty grasping the difference between a cultural tradition and Buddhist dharma teachings. Americans seemed incredibly involved in all the Asian cultural frou-frou of their particular schools of practice, e.g. Tibetan, Zen, etc. And I can't really recall an American Buddhist center where people seemed relaxed with all the Asian trappings and ritual. I have, however, attend meditation meetings in the homes of Americans who were following Zen or Theravada traditions, and in these cases the atmosphere was much different. The dharma teaching and meditation were central, and the ritual and accouterments were minimal and definitely not exotic.
I have been to a Sri Lankan center, and the Sri Lankans were far more casual and at home in their religious center than the American-born people seem in theirs. I assume that is because for the Sri Lankans the environment is familiar and unintimidating, not something they have to fuss about and "get right."
Apropos what Wisteria has posted. In my experience of attending Buddhist centers I have noticed a couple of things about those whose membership is composed of Americans. The membership often had many young people without children, and the older, middle-age people seemed to involved in their own personal endeavor...spouses and kids were not included in their participation, unlike, say "going to church" usually is, which includes the whole family. Only one place, a large Zen headquarters temple and center, provided a room for those extremely few people who brought kids.
I also felt that Americans had great difficulty grasping the difference between a cultural tradition and Buddhist dharma teachings. Americans seemed incredibly involved in all the Asian cultural frou-frou of their particular schools of practice, e.g. Tibetan, Zen, etc. And I can't really recall an American Buddhist center where people seemed relaxed with all the Asian trappings and ritual. I have, however, attend meditation meetings in the homes of Americans who were following Zen or Theravada traditions, and in these cases the atmosphere was much different. The dharma teaching and meditation were central, and the ritual and accouterments were minimal and definitely not exotic.
I have been to a Sri Lankan center, and the Sri Lankans were far more casual and at home in their religious center than the American-born people seem in theirs. I assume that is because for the Sri Lankans the environment is familiar and unintimidating, not something they have to fuss about and "get right."
The Buddha gave 84,000 teachings and none of them are incorrect.
We are fortunate to have the differing Dharma Centers so we can find one that best suits us.
I have worked in the general framework of the sect called 'mahayana" for 39 years so far...with my primary practice rooted in the foundations of the Sanbo Kyodan sect of zen...but I love the wide range of divergent practices one finds in buddhism...everyone with unchanging and unwavering core teachings...but flexible to fit the culture of any people.
I am not a fully practicing Buddhist in the traditional sense. However, I discovered the Buddhas teachings in my spiritual journey, and found truth there. I also find that it fits well with the New Testament teachings with which I was raised. I have also incorporated truths from other belief systems, as I found truths on many paths.
I started reading the Tebetan Book Of The Dead right after I was Baptized into the Holy Spirit. I had it with me as my Chakras lit up, developed and untied. I was having a lot of visions and prophetic dreams, lots of spirits came to me, my baptism was VERY dramatic for me. I found it at the library(pre internet) when I was researching lucid dreaming, trying to figure out what the heck I am, and this book was the only thing that made me feel normal and loved. It taught me what attitude I needed to have. It was there for me and has played a very big role in my life. It took me a while to connect with some phylosophies. It is a process. I remember thinking, just having the book open and for my eyes to just glance on any given page provides me a grand oppertunity for enlightenment, and enriches my life. To me, it is the epitome of art. It IS art itself. I am not a prophet. I am a Buddha.
Last edited by Creepers; 12-31-2011 at 08:46 PM..
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