How Did Buddhism Influence Western Culture

The Buddha is a symbol that most of the western world is familiar with in some way or another. The overweight man smiling and sitting crisscross waiting to grant you luck when you rub his belly. Though this is not Buddhism, not its entirety, this is a small form of Buddhism syncretism at work. Some Buddhist practiced the worship of Bodhisattva Budai in hopes of relaxation and correct learnedness of worldly pleasures. So the laughing Buddha is a small example of how Buddhism’s great influence has leaked over into western culture. But the laughing Buddha is just the tip. Pop culture and Hollywood has embraced the Buddha in popular films Seven Year in Tibet, which stared Brad Pitt. The Buddhist imagery and style was depicted in western culture …show more content…
Buddhism had its western seed planted firmly in 1879 by Edwin Arnold, a poet who wrote about Asia. It laid dormant having a few converts and dharma temples raise in America but never took off in the western world till after World War II in which Zen was introduced soon after. This form of Buddhism spoke to Americans attempting to clear their head and find peace of mind. The concentration on meditation proved useful to the public but also the commercial side of things. Even Psychologist use mindfulness meditation as a treatment for stress. The 1960’s enhanced the acceptance of religions from around the world and welcomed the idea of nirvana. A number of people practice the martial art kung fu which was originally a Buddhist practice created by Bodhidharma for the mental and physical fitness of his Shaolin Monks.
Zen Christians and Zen Jews are raising in numbers. Christians and Jews often find many similarities between their religion and Buddhism. Both religions believe in a holy goal, reaching heaven or in the case of Buddhist reaching nirvana. Both religions also have a set guideline on which they live their lives; these guidelines