Background:
Buddhism is considered to be a path of spiritual development that ultimately leads to the insight of the true nature of reality. To Buddhists, meditation is a way of changing yourself in order to develop admirable qualities such as awareness, kindness, and wisdom. Buddhism is all about experience. The experience developed among the Buddhist tradition over many years has lead to a resource for all those who wish to follow such a path. Such a path ultimately leads into Enlighten. Those who are considered to be enlightened may see the nature of reality more clearly. With such views on life, being able to see the nature of reality allows you to see it just as it is, and is said to allow those to live a more fulfilling life. This …show more content…
What makes Buddhism unique from other religions is the way it is able to adapt and expand into various cultures. Buddhism in America is growing at a rapid rate. According to Pew Forum’s United State Religious Landscape Survey, Buddhism has climbed to the 3rd most practiced religion in America, below Christianity and Judaism. Between 1990 and 2001, Buddhism has grown 170%. This rapid growth is said to be due to the conversion of American citizens that are native born to this nation. Most Buddhist temples in America, although founded mostly by Asian Americans, attract fewer Asian Americans than Caucasians. Thich Nhat Hanh, who mentioned previously, was a Zen Buddhist Monk was born in 1926. During the Vietnam war he founded the School of Youth for Social Services in Saigon, and helped resettled homeless families by rebuilding villages. Thich later traveled to the United States in hopes to convince the U.S to withdraw from the war. In 1967 Martin Luther King Jr. nominated Thich Nhat Hanh for the Nobel Peace Price for his actions in the …show more content…
In Koreatown, Los Angeles, you may find bald headed Asian monks sitting before a colorful altar housing a golden stature of the Buddha chanting an ancient prayer in light tones. If passing through suburban Washington, D.C, you are likely to come across a African American mother siting before the family altar ringing the bell three times, and together her two children will begin reciting the Lotus Sutra. Go over to upstate New York and you may see a variety of businessmen, artists, college students and city workers who are beginning a weekend retreat at a Zen center sitting silently on rows of low black cushions. Down in Atlanta, you can find a Unitarian Church that sponsors its own dharma sessions, devoted to study of the Buddha’s teaching and some guided meditation. These are just a few of the diverse faces of Buddhism in America, with roots going back to the 6th Century BCE, Buddhism is one of the oldest of the worlds religions with growing influence and appeal in many corners of America society, it is also one of the most
Buddhism is considered to be a path of spiritual development that ultimately leads to the insight of the true nature of reality. To Buddhists, meditation is a way of changing yourself in order to develop admirable qualities such as awareness, kindness, and wisdom. Buddhism is all about experience. The experience developed among the Buddhist tradition over many years has lead to a resource for all those who wish to follow such a path. Such a path ultimately leads into Enlighten. Those who are considered to be enlightened may see the nature of reality more clearly. With such views on life, being able to see the nature of reality allows you to see it just as it is, and is said to allow those to live a more fulfilling life. This …show more content…
What makes Buddhism unique from other religions is the way it is able to adapt and expand into various cultures. Buddhism in America is growing at a rapid rate. According to Pew Forum’s United State Religious Landscape Survey, Buddhism has climbed to the 3rd most practiced religion in America, below Christianity and Judaism. Between 1990 and 2001, Buddhism has grown 170%. This rapid growth is said to be due to the conversion of American citizens that are native born to this nation. Most Buddhist temples in America, although founded mostly by Asian Americans, attract fewer Asian Americans than Caucasians. Thich Nhat Hanh, who mentioned previously, was a Zen Buddhist Monk was born in 1926. During the Vietnam war he founded the School of Youth for Social Services in Saigon, and helped resettled homeless families by rebuilding villages. Thich later traveled to the United States in hopes to convince the U.S to withdraw from the war. In 1967 Martin Luther King Jr. nominated Thich Nhat Hanh for the Nobel Peace Price for his actions in the …show more content…
In Koreatown, Los Angeles, you may find bald headed Asian monks sitting before a colorful altar housing a golden stature of the Buddha chanting an ancient prayer in light tones. If passing through suburban Washington, D.C, you are likely to come across a African American mother siting before the family altar ringing the bell three times, and together her two children will begin reciting the Lotus Sutra. Go over to upstate New York and you may see a variety of businessmen, artists, college students and city workers who are beginning a weekend retreat at a Zen center sitting silently on rows of low black cushions. Down in Atlanta, you can find a Unitarian Church that sponsors its own dharma sessions, devoted to study of the Buddha’s teaching and some guided meditation. These are just a few of the diverse faces of Buddhism in America, with roots going back to the 6th Century BCE, Buddhism is one of the oldest of the worlds religions with growing influence and appeal in many corners of America society, it is also one of the most