Introduction to Buddhism In America

HOW BUDDHISM CAME TO US: As we learned in class, Buddhism came to the US in the 1840s. Book Buddhism came to the East through books like the Lotus Sutra and the Light of Asia, while Immigrant Buddhism came to the west, basically meaning that Buddhist immigrants shared their stories / traditions / practices / etc. to Americans, thus exposing Buddhism to the public.

WHO IS PRACTICING: Based on my own exposure to Buddhism here in LA (consisting of the temple study class I attended and research), it seems that there are two main groups of people who regularly practice Buddhism. Most people who practice Buddhism in the area are Japanese adults whose parents immigrated here. The other group seems to be a younger generation of people (Americans) who are well-educated and socially liberal. These people are exploring alternate religions and seeking to learn as much as possible about various faiths, Buddhism being one of the more popular ones.

SOME DIFFERENCES: In my research, I read that in Asian countries like Japan, where Buddhism is more prevalent, the services are a lot more formal than they are here in LA, which are pretty loosely organized.
This makes sense based on our site visit. The minister was very open to changing the agenda in order to accommodate our slightly late arrival and he was very accepting of us and our curiosity towards the study class. The class was changed to satisfy the expectations of all parties, which is representative of the religion.

Comments

Research Question #3: How does the Higashi Honganji make Shin Buddhism more appealing in an Americanized society?

As passing generations of Japanese Americans have become more and more Americanized, branch membership at the Higashi Honganji has faced both steady and sharp decline in recent years. To combat this trend, the Higashi Honganji has adopted new services to appeal to the newest generation of Japanese Americans and their families, including several new doctrines and practices which have been frowned upon by a number of Japan’s Buddhist bishops, such as promoting meditation as a means to achieve enlightenment. Despite this disapproval, however, the temple also recognized early on that it could not sustain membership in the long-run and survive on a solely Japanese or Japanese-American base of membership, and has since then tried to offer more services which are likely to be more appealing to Americans of all ages, genders, races, and levels of income. Examples of some services tailored to a more Westernized audience which are unique to the American branch of the Higashi Honganji are: ...

Inside the Temple

Center view of the main hall The interior of the temple is very intricate and composed of several different components that all have deep meaning to Buddhism. Starting with the Hondo, or the main hall, it is composed of two areas which are the Najin(altar) and the Gejin (seating area). The altar in a Jodo Shinshu temple is a symbol of the beauty of the Pure Land, which we learned in our Wednesday night study session at the temple is the world of enlightenment and is filled with ornateness and beauty. Contrastingly, the seating area is plain and deliberately is void of any decoration as it represents the world we live in. Close view of the altar There are also various scrolls in the temple that have a specific meaning. The scroll pictured below shows a phrase that members are encouraged to recite that conveys a spiritual mirror for one's awakening.

Brief Introduction to Shin Buddhism in Japan

Shin Buddhism ( Jōdo Shinshū) is one of four popular schools of Buddhism in Japan. Others include : Pure Land Buddhism (aka Shin Buddhism), Nichiren Buddhism, Shingon Buddhism, and Zen Buddhism. Initially, there was some minor conflict between the two traditions, but both are largely able to co-exist peacefully side by side now. Although 90 million Japanese refer to themselves as Buddhists, few actively practice the religion - this means that Buddhism does not affect their everyday life strongly - rather it acts as a set of guiding principles for how to live life, similar to Confucianism or Taoism. The remainder of the Japanese population identify as either Shinto, Christian, or non-practicing.

REL 141g Fall 2018: Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple

Search This Blog