Download Buddhism and it`s relevance to the world situation

World Buddhist Summit 2004 – 2nd version
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Respected Sangha, Revered Buddhist Leaders, Dear Dharma friends
I am very thankful to the Organising committee for the invitation to this Wold Buddhist
Summit. I highly appreciate the possibility to participate in this gathering, and I am very
honoured by this opportunity to address the noble congregation.
I was reflecting, what I can contribute to this Summit. There are the most distinguished
Venerable Maha Theras here, the highest Sangha Maha Nayakas, and the most respected
senior Buddhist leaders. Certainly, all these prominent guests and dignitaries know about
Buddhism much more than I do. But then I understood that I can use this occasion to give to
the venerable assembly a brief account of the spreading of Buddhism in the Western world.
For thousands of years Buddhism was an Asian spiritual system and religion. In the last two
centuries, however, Buddhism is making its way to the West as well. I am one of the few
Buddhist monks, who were born, who live and who share the Dhamma in the Western
hemisphere.
Buddhism is often quoted to be the first universal religion of the world, which was not
reserved only to one specific nation, ethnic tribe, or class of the population. From the very
beginning Buddhism was a system breaking barriers between castes and nations; the liberating
message was meant for all sentient beings who could understand and develop faith.
If we look into history, we will find that the first recorded reports of Buddhism and its
practices reached Europe only in the 13 century. Till the 18th century, however, the general
understanding of Buddhism in Europe was very superficial, fragmented, and distorted. Only
from the 19th century onwards Europe gradually gained reliable knowledge of the different
Buddhist teachings. In order to get acquainted with the spiritual heritage of Asia, travellers,
scientists and Christian missionaries brought religious manuscripts from various Asian nations
to Europe. Renowned Universities as well as private circles of specialised academics then
scientifically tested, studied, analysed, compared, translated, and chronologically sorted the
manuscripts according to time, language and geographic area. Today the Western world has a
quite precise and reliable picture of the history and later development of Buddhism.
For the last 150 years genuine Buddhist texts have been available in the West.
Numerous books about all the different aspects of Buddhism have been published. Countless
Western people have been deeply impressed by the breathtaking depth of Lord Buddha's
teachings. Already at the beginning of the 20th century some small Buddhist circles formed,
but only in the last 40 years we can say that an autonomous Western Sangha really exists.
In the 1950's and 1960's some Zen Masters came to USA and started to share their
Dharma – especially in California. Young, progressive Americans admired the unusual
teachings and organized meditation courses. From that time Buddhism in the West has been
not only an exotic and highly unusual philosophy, but also something to actually practice and
acquire benefit. In the 1960's the Tibetan refugees with their colourful and mystical Buddhist
religion found much sympathy in the Western World. At about the same time many
Americans and Europeans started to practise the powerful intensive Burmese methods of
insight meditation. At the present time almost all important Buddhist schools are represented
in the West and have their followers.
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To teach Buddha Dhamma in the West is quite a different task compared to Dhammaduta in Asia. Surely, the Western mind is afflicted by the same root defilements as the human
mind anywhere in the world. However, when we compare the psychological structure of Asian
and Western minds, we find considerable differences. Western people have different
inclinations, different sets of values, different things they consider as being important. Within
the contemporary Western culture, with its emphasis on democracy and the materialistic,
scientific approach, we can trace the impact of the ancient Greek and Roman traditions. The
cult of individualism, uneasy and critical attitude towards authorities, adherence to logic and
rational investigation, remarkable ability to work with conceptual abstractions – these are the
outstanding features of the present-day Western paradigm. Also in the area of ethics and
morality the influence of Christianity is relatively strong and should not be overlooked.
The predominant quality I notice as typical of the Asian approach to Buddhism is
saddha –trusting, devotional faith. For Western people the Buddhist teachings are rarely an
object of devotion. Westerners, for the most part, are attracted by the unusually deep
philosophical values in Buddhism. They appreciate the emphasis on profound understanding
and insight; they are inspired by the vision of mental liberation. Western people approach the
Dhamma mainly through the faculty of pañña: knowledge, understanding and wisdom.
For Western people there is one more important factor in the Buddhist teachings: some
central points of Dhamma, such as universal conditionality, paramount relativity, relativity of
time and space, the cosmologic idea of formation and dissolution of the Universe, and, to
some extent, even the idea of subatomic components of matter agree surprisingly well with
the most daring theories of contemporary science. Beside these astonishing theoretical
parallels and the above mentioned philosophical depth, Western people value also very much
the tolerant, non-violent ethical framework of Buddhism and its practical, pragmatic approach
to existence. To many Western people Dhamma opened a new gate to spiritual dimension of
life. It is my firm conviction that Buddhism has the potential to become the most important
spiritual system of the World.
In the West Buddhism is blending with a rational, intellectual, democratic society. The
social situation is quite different from the social setup in Asia, and is even more distant from
the structure of the Asian society at the time of Lord Buddha. It is quite natural and
understandable, that Western Buddhism is taking its own identity, character and shape.
Devotional practices are less dominant; the traditional areas of faith such as the teachings of
endless rebirth in samsara are getting less emphasis; the question what happens after death
usually does not serve as the main source of spiritual urge and inspiration. In general, Western
people prefer to be inspired by positive qualities of Buddhist teachings such as universal love,
compassion, purity, insight and wisdom. They do not respond very well to the attempts to
motivate them by suffering and fear of hell.
In the Western world the different schools of Buddhism are not geographically divided
as it is the case in Asia. Western people are coming into contact with all the forms of Asian
Buddhism. This may be one of the reasons why the Western students are not always
committed to just one way of practice. They have quite often several teachers from various
Buddhist - or even not-Buddhist - traditions. Not just the students, but also the Western
teachers of different Buddhist schools meet together, have exchange and jointly discuss
various ideas, practices as well as problems and difficulties. Perhaps the divided Buddhist
Sangha and the teachings are now - after two thousands years - coming together to become
one clear teaching of liberation again, which will contain and encompass correctly all the
particular Buddhist traditions - - perhaps.
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Buddhism in the West is in its beginning, but already some dissonances with Asian
established traditions are becoming apparent. Probably the most painful and sore point is the
position of women in Buddhism and in the Buddhist Sangha. This problem doesn't concern
only Buddhism, of course. The Western women are striving for equal social and spiritual
standing as the male part of the population – and the Western men are sometimes actively
supporting them in their efforts.
Today many Westerners are engaged in various Buddhist practices, but only a part of
these people would call themselves Buddhists. The situation is developing and changing, but
till today the non-religious approach to the Buddha's teachings in the West is still quite
prevailing and perceptible.
The students of Dhamma in the West certainly appreciate the paramount dimension of
Buddhist teachings, but at the same time, they are interested in quite practical aspects and
actual effects of Buddhist practice. Indulgence in theoretical disputes is rare. The Western
students expect from their spiritual teachers integrity and authenticity; they expect from them
honest friendliness and sensitivity; they appreciate good sense of humour.
Generally, it is possible to say that the emerging Western Buddhism has quite a good
and healthy base; what is lagging is perhaps the depth and spiritual maturity of Western
teachers. Western life is heavily comfort oriented – in the material as well as mental sphere.
To my feeling Western people pay too much attention to ease and consolation along their
spiritual path so that they may have difficulties to arrive at the full depth of true spiritual
realisation. But this point does not concern only the West. It seems to be the general tendency
all over the world. Western teachers do not present themselves as Masters but rather as
Dhamma friends. To teach Dhamma is usually understood as just another step of personal
ongoing practice. Western people will not bow to a Western teacher, but they may quite
readily show such a high respect to an accomplished Asian teacher.
One of the foremost objectives of Buddhist Summits is to "work together" – how
wonderful, noble and inspiring intention. In these Summits we are coming near to each other,
we learn to listen and fully respect each other, we are designing the steps of our further
cooperation. After the demise of Lord Buddha the Sangha and the doctrine broke into different
schools. I hope that with our common effort and wisdom we will constructively bridge and
connect the differences so that we will be again united, so that we will be able to work
together more effectively for the prosperity of Buddhist Sasana and benefit of all sentient
beings.
May the Teachings of Lord Buddha illuminate the whole world.
Kandersteg, 20th October 2004
Ashin Uttama