American Buddhism

On Authentic Personality you can find things about Buddhism from India, Tibetan Buddhism, and Korean Buddhism, but what is American Buddhism? Many great Buddhist teachers have said that we have to find out what American Buddhism is. Well, what is America? We can’t find out what American Buddhism is if we don’t know first understand what America is. I think, at its core, America is bringing together everything, mixing it together, keeping what is valuable and rejecting what is junk. Like subjugating women and minorities - that’s junk, so we work hard on getting rid of it. All the different religions are good and there is not one for just one person, that’s a good idea, let’s keep it. We go like that here. We make lots of mistakes, of course, but we are testing everything out and we are not afraid to try new things. Sometimes there are people who would like to make everything dogmatic again, who would like it to be just one way, just their way, but they will not do very well in America over time, I think. We value what is best for the individual, that is freedom. We want everyone to be free. We are taught that at an early age, that everyone should be able to pursue their freedom, and their liberty. Does liberty come from liberation? We want everyone to be liberated from obstacles that prevent them from finding true happiness. That’s what we are taught here. So our American Buddhism should reflect this.

There are many traditions of Buddhism and we are warned that we should not pick and choose. Each tradition should remain intact. Sometimes people think this to mean that they must choose a style and reject others, good Buddhists will say to me, ‘Zen is not my path’ in order to end any conversation about it. Inside they are thinking that I am wrong for knowing about Zen. The same goes for the Vajrayana. They have heard their teachers say that we should not pollute the lineage and so they think they are doing the right thing. But this is not the American way! This can not be American Buddhism! Not yet, it isn’t, as long as we are saying that my way is best for me. This is a better way: When practicing Zen Buddhism, only practice Zen Buddhism. When practicing Vajrayana, only practice Vajrayana. Do not close yourself off to any one’s style, only use it to become a great man or great woman. Korean Buddhism says, ’stop all thinking’, Tibetan Buddhism says, ‘analyze everything’. But if you don’t understand what they mean by these two things then you will be confused. You might think that ‘analyze everything’ means ‘think, think, think’. This is a wrong understanding. You might thing that ’stop all thinking’ means to become a robot. This, also, is wrong. The only way to understand these great teachings is to practice both. But if you have not practiced one, do not say it is incorrect, that it is not your path. These are all Buddhism. Knowing that these are all True Buddhism, let’s call that American Buddhism! Saying one is wrong and one is right, that is called dogmatism! Throw it away.

Let me reiterate that I am not suggesting that we pick and borrow from the traditions. American Buddhism could be a very fast path to enlightenment if we understand it correctly. If we study and practice the various traditions we can see the pitfalls that could beset us on the path from many different perspectives. Maybe there is a problem with OVER analysis, maybe there is a problem with ‘falling down in emptiness’. What does Zen say about ‘falling down in emptiness’, a mind state that is attached to peace and freedom from thinking? You check, they address that. What does the Vajrayana say about over analysis? Well, I remember reading in one book that Vajrayana techniques were developed because most people don’t get it - they don’t get the point, so the Vajrayana was developed sort of as a hand holder while we smarten up. Did you know that the Tibetans teach that way?

Let’s all work hard to discover this American Buddhism. Are there any readers out there who work with many traditions? Can anyone share their insight in regards to the label, “American Buddhism”?

Here’s a good story:

There was a graduation ceremony for the monks who finished the course and the Sutra Master got up and gave a talk. He said, “I hope that you all study hard, learn Buddhism and become like great trees which can make a big temple, or become like big bowls, which are able to contain a lot of dharma. The sutras say that water takes the shape of the container into which it flows. So if it goes into a round container, then it becomes round. If it goes into a square container, then it becomes square. Therefore, always keep good company. Then your friends will help you to be diligent and study hard.” That was the end of his talk.

After that, it was customary to ask guests to give congratulatory talks. At that time, Zen Master Kyung Ho, the ‘hippie’ monk was there. So the Sutra Master said, “Please master, give us a few words.” But Kyung Ho said, “No, no, no.” He refused, but he was asked again, “No, no, no.” So he was asked a third time. If you ask somebody three times to do something, they are fairly obligated to do that. Finally Kyung Ho said, “O.K.” So he got up . He was very striking figure compared to everybody in the sutra school with shaved head, correct clothes, and sitting very properly like monks. Here was a hippy monk who had long hair, long beard, broken and ragged clothes. It was a quite of contrast.

He got up and said, “You are all monks. Your life is already for all people, so you don’t have to worry about petty personal attachments. Wanting to be a great tree or a big bowl is a hindrance. It will prevent you from becoming a real teacher. Rather than wanting to become a great tree, become a very skilled carpenter who can use a great tree to build a temple and can use a small tree to make some very beautiful decoration. So great trees have great uses and small trees have small uses. ” He then continued, “Instead of becoming a great bowl to contain the Dharma, be like the water which flows into the bowl. It takes the shape of its container, and then eventually it flows out of that container and continues on its way. Water has no hindrance, just like dharma.” (The character in Chinese for dharma (?) is water (?) plus go (?): ‘water flowing’). “So be like water flowing. Keep both good friends and bad friends. Don’t reject anything.” Finally he said, “My only hope is that you completely cut off discriminating thinking.” Then he left. That was the end of his talk, and like a lot of monks; he just went right out the door and kept going.

Read this teaching by Mu Ryang Sunim, a student of Seung Sahn’s

Kyung Ho was not a ‘Zen Buddhist’, was he? He just went right out the door and kept going. GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SWAHA is a mantra taught by the Buddha, it means, ‘gone, gone, gone beyond, gone beyond going beyond, to purified growth, so be it’. So what Buddhism did the Buddha teach? Indian? Korean? Chinese? Think about it!