¶ … 1960's approximately 200,000 people in the United States claimed to be of the Buddhists sect (Nattlier). Some of these began to think of themselves as Buddhist after a personal experience such as visiting Asia, reading in depth about the religion or talking with others who had experienced the religion firsthand. However, most of them were Hawaiian residents whose parents and grandparents had immigrated from China and Japan. Today these numbers are much greater. It is estimated that somewhere between two and three million followers live in the U.S. (Nattlier). A more conservative guess represents a tenfold increase since the '60s. Some of this increase may be due to individuals coming to the United States from Buddhist countries such as Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Taiwan. However, Americans of non-Asian ancestry are also becoming Buddhists. Overall, there have been two Buddhisms -- Asian immigrant Buddhism and American con-vert Buddhism -- and three lines of transmission from Asia -- Elite Buddhism which is imported to America, Evangelical Buddhism which is exported to America, and Ethnic Buddhism which arrives in America with the ongoing Asian immigrant population.
INTERVIEW ON BUDDHISM
Q. What are the foundations of the religion?
A. The origins of Buddhism come from the experience of a man Siddhata Gotama, known as the Buddha, who was awakened at the age of 36. He was born over 2,500 years ago in Lumbini, present-day Nepal, into a wealthy family. Until he was 29, he lived a life of extravagance and contentment. He began to recognize, however, that such pleasure was short-lived and would never bring him lasting peace. Whatever happiness found in life would eventually be undermined by old age, illness and eventual death. So he left life and began to wonder, looking for a way that would lead him to perfect contentment (Zurcher 19).
For the next six years, he put himself through the most grueling life, including fasting until almost dying. Although reach some higher states, he knew that this approach would not lead to total enlightenment. Thus, he returned to a different, less extreme, method that he found almost by accident while young. At 35, he sat beneath the Bodhi tree and finally achieved perfect bliss and knowledge. For the next 45 years, Buddha spent his time as a humble monk, teaching others to realize what he had discovered.
The name Buddhism comes from the word budhi, which means "to wake up." Buddhism is thus the philosophy of awakening (Zurcher 20).
Q. What are the basic tenets of Buddhism?
A. In his first sermon, "Turning the Wheel of Dharma," Buddha spoke of the human condition of suffering that he called the Four Noble Truths: 1) Buddha instructed that all realms of existence are places of suffering and dissatisfaction dukkha. 2) The cause of this suffering is craving or tanha; 3) However, there is a state of perfect bliss called Nibbana or Nirvana; 4) Nibbana could be actualized, namely the noble eightfold path that includes eight factors -- Right Understanding, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration.
By following the eightfold path, one can develop wisdom, morality and meditative concentration (Harris 42-44).
Q. Are there specific commandments to follow?
A.. In Buddhism, these are called the five precepts or basic moral guidelines: 1) Abstain from harming living beings; 2) Abstain from taking what is not given; 3) Abstain from sexual misconduct; 4) Abstain from false speech; 5) Abstain from intoxicating drugs or drink (Harris 51-53).
Q. How does a person reach Nibbana?
A. Nibbana is when both suffering and desire are extinguished forever. The noble eightfold path is designed to develop wisdom, morality and concentration that will lead to a good rebirth but not to Nibbana. Meditation allows an individual to look more deeply within him/herself and the nature of the world. There are two traditional methods of meditation, calm or samatha that calms the body and concentrates the mind, and insight or vipassana that leads to rapturous states known as jhanas. In vipassana meditation, the goal is seeing things as they really exist, or awareness....
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