Buddha usually appear as “this
very moment”, however perceived or defined. Being always “just that…..” Buddhas
may or may not be perceived as Buddhas by others, nevertheless, they always
continue being Buddhas just as they are. However, since the “as they are” is
inherently empty and not any fixed entity, Buddhas appear as simply “this” […….]
or “that” [……..], as me and you, as “this very moment” and as the entire
Universe.
They “appear” only when Mind
appears (…) divided into its object / subject modes of Being.
Whenever a Buddha realizes that
he or she is Buddha as a human being, the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha
rejoice, leap forward, and “Buddhism” takes yet another turn.
The last 2,600 years of
Buddhism have been marked by such occasional appearance of realized Buddhas, of
spiritual guides, whose insights, understanding or manifestation of the Dharma
not only subsumed and included all prior teaching traditions but also
reformulated them into a new philosophical turn, new school or spiritual
paradigm.
Today, two centuries after
Buddhism was introduced to the West, many practitioners in this country wonder
how long will it take for another Buddha, another uniquely enlightened mind,
another Nagarjuna, Asanga, Milarepa, Hui-Neng, Hakuin or Dogen to appear in
American Buddhism?
Alas for all of us, as the timeline in the box below suggests, it may to take
quite a long time again.
In
the past, it was always at least 600 years after Buddhism was first
transplanted to a new culture or country before a truly original teacher /
reformer would appear – suggesting, if one can extrapolate from history – that
it may take another 450 years for one to emerge here, in the West.
In its birthplace, India, almost an entire millennium passed, before early
Buddhism, proselytized by Siddharta Gautama around 600 B.C., spread
throughout Southeast Asia and Tibet and matured into its philosophical
pinnacle manifested by Madhyamika (Nagarjuna 200 – 300 AD), and Yogacara (Asanga
and Vasubandhu 300 – 400 AD).
In China, over 500 years passed since the time Buddhism was first introduced
(ca. 100 B.C. – 100 A.D.) to the arrival of Boddhidarma ( 500 A.D), the
legendary Indian monk who became the First Patriarch of Chan (Zen).
It took another 150 years and five more generations of teachers after
Boddhidarma, before Hui Neng (638 – 674), the revered Sixth Patriarch
appeared, and additional 200 years for Lin-chi (Rinzai) (d. 867) and
Ts’ao-tung (Soto) ( 830) schools of Chan (Zen) to emerge.
Over 1,000 years passed in China, since Buddhism was first introduced, to
the time when the first two major Zen koan collections – “Blue Cliff Record”
(1125 A.D.) and “The Gateless Gate” (ca 1228 A.D.) were compiled.
Similarly, even if Buddhism arrived to Japan as early as 550 A.D., it took
more than 250 years for it to fully settle in Kyoto during the Heian Period
( 800) and another 400 years to culminate in the Kamakura Period (1185 -
1333 A.D.).
Again, Buddhism was widely present in Japan for at least 650 years before
the spiritual and poetic genius of Dogen and his mystical masterpiece
Shobogenzo (1200 – 1253) appeared and established Soto Zen’s Ehei-ji temple
as a major presence in the Japanese Mahayana Buddhism.
After Dogen, it was another 400 years more till the time when Hakuin (1686 –
1769) reformed Rinzai Zen and its use of koans at the Ryutaku-ji temple in
Japan where it still continues today.
Buddhism was originally introduced to the West, about 1800, and it still
seems to be in its infancy today.
Several generations of Asian pioneer teachers struggled with cultural and
language barriers for several decades, as they attempted to bring authentic
practice to the US and Europe.
First legitimate non-Asian Buddhist teachers began to emerge in the second
half of the last century (ca 1950 –2000) and a transition to the second and
third generations of teachers is currently under way in all major Buddhist
traditions, nationwide.
More time is needed for
Buddhism to take root on the American soil, more time to assimilate with the
culture at large and to mature enough for its new, truly Western, form to
eventually emerge.
Even more time is probably
needed for an American teacher, another Nagarjuna, Asanga, Milarepa, Hui-Neng,
Hakuin or Dogen to appear in the U.S., a teacher who will not only conclude the
transmission of Dharma to this new land but who will also legitimize American
Buddhism as a new and fully autonomous tradition.
And when it finally arrives,
what is the American Buddhism likely to be, 400 - 500 years from now?
How is that future American
Maitreya Buddha, likely to lead, galvanize and propel American Buddhism into its
next Millennium?
Historically, Buddhism, born
out of Hinduism and Yoga traditions in ancient India, has always tended to
absorb native spiritual tradition and culture of the country to which it
arrived. As it moved East throughout Asia, it merged with Confucianism and
Taoism in China, assimilated shamanism in Tibet and adapted to the Shinto
Samurai culture in Japan.
Similarly, the future of
American Buddhism is likely to be shaped by the entire Western / American
culture and its future evolution in the time to come.
One can anticipate that, by
the year 2,500, American Buddhism in will have assimilated and merged with the
following “Western” influences:
Democracy
– contrary to more autocratic, male dominated Asian model, American Buddhists
will embrace more democratic, egalitarian / libertarian approach, with man and
women practicing together in centers governed by elective process where the
role of a teacher is separate from the center’s administrator. A full spectrum
of training models will develop, from more traditional monastic institutions
to lay centers which are likely to grow in popularity. The Western
appreciation of individuality, democracy and transparency will result in more
horizontal, egalitarian approach to the interpretation of the Dharma, with
multiple, loosely related “lineages” and a marketplace of individual
preachers. Paradoxically, this model is likely to resemble the origins of
Buddhism in 600 B.C. India where wondering “seekers” / “monks” gathered only
during rain seasons to study and practice in one place and only to resume
their individual/ solitary search afterwards. An individual “hermit” /
Boddhisatva / preacher model is likely to emerge, in addition to more
organized Buddhism-as-religion.
Science–
science in general, and quantum physics and Unified Theory (when available)
will replace Mahayana Buddhism as the new paradigm for the understanding of
the Universe, Mind and Emptiness. American Buddhism will not only embrace
science as the preferred language of the Dharma but a new, Scientific Buddhism
will emerge as the dominant “school” of Buddhism not only in the West but
worldwide.
Psychology – both Buddhism and
psychology endeavor to alleviate suffering and to grasp the nature of Mind.
Psychology without the Mysterium of spirituality and mysticism is incomplete,
Buddhism without postmodern psychology is naïve. Buddhism will eventually
adopt the language of cognitive neuroscience and psychology to redefine itself
within the Western culture. Insights of psychology, psychiatry, brain science
and psychotherapy will not only inform any serious spiritual training and
practice in the future but will also permeate the “Western” interpretation of
the Madhyamika / Yogacara Dharma. Buddhist teachers of the future are likely
to undergo formal training in at least one of the above disciplines to match
ever evolving psychological-mindedness of their Western practitioners. Seated
meditation and mindfulness will continue as the key elements distinguishing
Buddhists practice from other traditions.
·Language – translating Buddhism
into the Western context will impose the English language and its vocabulary on
the Dharma. A complete translation of most of Sanscrit, Chinese, Tibetan and
Japanese texts should be completed within the next 100 years and most of the
Buddhist canon will be available to Western readers in English. Terminology and
understanding of particular terms is likely to evolve to adjust to the usage
within the Western culture. New, original, modern “sutras”, or Dharma texts,
will appear and gradually replace the old ones. Future, American, Nagarjuna,
Asanga, Milarepa, Hui-Neng, Hakuin and Dogen will “re-write” the old texts and
create a uniquely English-language “school” of Buddhism.
Postmodern /
postindustrial culture
– Buddhism preceded some ideas typically associated with deconstruction and
postmodernism for over 2,600 years. The lack (emptiness) of the subject and
form, decentralization / multiplicity (Absolute / Relative) of signification
and truth, quantum physics and interdependent origination – all point to
inescapable parallels between Buddhism and the postmodern. The future Buddhism
will continue to evolve within the postmodern Western culture and will become
increasingly permeated by its ideas and values. Environmentalism and “engaged”
Buddhism will play a significant role in defining how Buddhists will function
in the future global / local marketplace.
Technology
–Buddhism will evolve in the Millennium dominated by science and its
applications - technology. In a few decades we will be able to effectively
manipulate our genetic codes, and hence the life itself, will learn how to
control and change, at will, our states of mind through new advances in
molecular neuropsychopharmacology, and will be able to immerse ourselves in
computerized virtual realities of our choice, leaving more mundane chores to
increasingly more efficacious and omnipresent artificial intelligence tools
and robotic appliances. Instantaneous visual-audio global access to any
information, person or place anywhere on Earth, via the next generations of
the Internet, will be taken for granted. Biological computers and
ultramicrochip-enhanced biological implants will merge technology with brain
functions, altering cognition, consciousness and the sense of individual
identity. The new American “Scientific Buddhism” will emerge to embrace
technology as its new “Great Vehicle” to ferry all sentient beings to the
other shore of Existence.
Judeo-Christian tradition
– Buddhism will assimilate many of the contemporary Judeo-Christian forms of
monastic and lay practice, ranging from the Catholic monastery / church /
priest model to the Episcopalian / Protestant / Baptist minister / preacher /
congregation formats of practice. Buddhism will continue to struggle with the
concept of Judeo-Christian monotheistic God. Interfaith dialogue(s) will
emerge to clarify basic ideas and to enhance mutual understanding. The
concepts of God and Buddha-Mind, along with neuroscience, will take the center
stage in the multidisciplinary debate on the nature of the mind and spiritual
and religious life.
Global marketplace
– American Buddhism will embrace wholesome, not-for-profit entrepreneurial
self-sufficiency, simplicity and non-attachment rather than poverty and
asceticism. Although Buddhism originally developed within tribal / feudal
cultures of ancient India, China and Japan, we are now witnessing an
increasing emphasis on economic self-reliance rather than on alms-gathering or
feudal / government donations and support. Sophisticated fund raising,
students / members fees and small business ventures are likely to become
dominant sources of income for Buddhist centers in the future. Separation of
the spiritual teaching from the economics, similar to that of church / state
in the society at large, will have to be strictly observed to prevent
perception of exploitation. The issues of property ownership or de facto
property control by teachers, non-attachment vs poverty vs asceticism will
have to be addressed and resolved as a Dharma question and within the American
Sangha to assure integrity, purity and depth of future practice.
The future is always different from our speculations about
it. However, we know that Buddhism will have to change in its encounter with the
West. The old Theravada / Mahayana tradition will be, eventually, replaced by a
new "school" or paradigm.
Since science and technology, along with democracy and global
marketplace, are the most dominant forces shaping the world today, the
postmodern science will become the next discourse of Buddhism, not only in the
West but worldwide.
That fully
autonomous American / Western Scientific Buddhism will need a teacher, who
like others did before, will propel it into the next Millennia. That person,
whoever he/she will be, will find a way to translate the Dharma into a new
language of science, psychology, cognitive neuroscience and postmodern /
postindustrial culture.
To save all sentient beings, we all need to do our best to
make it happen as soon as possible.
Buddha usually appear as “this
very moment”, however perceived or defined. Being always “just that…..” Buddhas
may or may not be perceived as Buddhas by others, nevertheless, they always
continue being Buddhas just as they are. However, since the “as they are” is
inherently empty and not any fixed entity, Buddhas appear as simply “this” […….]
or “that” [……..], as me and you, as “this very moment” and as the entire
Universe.
They “appear” only when Mind
appears (…) divided into its object / subject modes of Being.
Whenever a Buddha realizes that
he or she is Buddha as a human being, the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha
rejoice, leap forward, and “Buddhism” takes yet another turn.
