The dharma of adapting Buddhism

Yesterday at the Berkeley Zen Center, Sojun Mel Weitsman reflected on how when Suzuki Roshi asked him to start the center, one of his tasks was to build a library.  They had little money, so the community donated many non-Buddhist books which Sojun then traded in at local bookstores for Buddhist ones. He collected virtually all the Buddhist texts published in English, ending up with one bookshelf.

Hearing his story reminded us of exactly how new this tradition is to the West.  In Sojun’s lifetime, he has seen a flowering of temples and teachers in the United States.  Popular Buddhist magazines exist where there used to be none at all; multiple rooms can now be filled with well-researched, deeply insightful books; major universities host popular and respected PhD's in Buddhist studies.  

He spoke of how this flowering of the dharma in a new land has often felt like a “grand experiment" requiring many adaptations.  When I asked him what adaptations he felt were most important, he quickly answered that American Buddhism was responsible for two major alterations that Buddhist leaders around the world are seeking to emulate.  The first is the striving for total equality of men and women within Buddhist practice.  In the United States, this has been a journey requiring sangha members to examine their own roles in patriarchal culture and to contribute to changing that culture.  Sojun stressed that we have the benefit of being used to and expecting continuous change, whereas in Japan change happens much more slowly.  Even though Japanese priests are working on it, reshaping culture is far more difficult.  The second adaptation was the introduction of zazen as a lay practice.  Sojun described how he has been working with Japanese priests for two decades in helping to bring these modifications to Japan.  Japanese priests, he said, are deeply impressed by the ability of American temples to bring meditation to the public.

Sojun’s talk was deeply affirming for me.  I have felt the need to leave certain traditions and teachings behind, the simple examples being reincarnation and laws of karma based in it.  While many western Buddhists do believe in these, it's important to note that throughout Asia, cosmology has been a major part of Buddhism.  Both cosmology and the vast bulk of ritual activity has been left behind by American Buddhists.  Despite the fact that many Buddhists around the world would hardly recognize American Buddhism as a form of Buddhism, these dramatic changes are nonetheless extensions of the dharma. 

Part of my practice is also taking teachings in new directions, such as my recent reflections on the paramitas.  In these contemplations I've been developing my own thoughts, inspired in part by tradition and in part by the reflections of recent Western ancestors like Reb Anderson and scholars like Dale Wright, who themselves take traditional teachings in new directions. The reflections on the paramitas from across Asia are immensely beneficial, but there is also much that is not said about such important topics as generosity, patience, and wisdom: as American Buddhists, we are taking these in new directions, and extending the dharma by doing so. 
  

I have been experiencing a growing desire to spread the dharma.  I don't know what this means for me because I have no intention of becoming a priest.  Although I increasingly feel drawn to the idea of spending a long period in meditation, study, and reflection in order to embody and understand the dharma, I cannot imagine the priestly route of stepping away from my activity in the world.  I have, however, reached a place where it feels important to communicate the dharma to many people from all walks of life, to contribute to helping people make sense of the dharma in this new soil.  It is not just me and my sangha that thrives on the dharma, the world needs it.  It has to be communicated very clearly and thoughtfully in order for the roots to continue to spread and to deepen.  This communication and taking root requires extending traditional teachings in new directions.  New directions don't mean straying from essential teachings and practices, but fully meeting the moment and recognizing what works here and now.  If we meet the moment fully here, in San Francisco and in the United States, we will apply the dharma in an appropriate and specific way which will entail altering tradition.  Sanghas around the world will very likely learn something from us.