Faith Shaken

I would like to add another side to this discussion:

America is at a crossroads. Historically there has always been a strand of “spiritualism” (direct experience of truth) that has run through the fabric of American life – the Thoreau and Blativatski crowd for example. Whilst mainstream religions have been there for the masses (who have historically participated in their support); those people who did not have the kind of lives that sought direct experience of truth. Buddhism, at least up till now, has played the role of the minority religion which emphasized direct experience (through for many ancestral Japanese Americans, their tradition of Buddhist practice may have been more like the western version of church. So I shall try to exempt them from the point I am trying to make).

Now however, it seems that the great masses of the middle class have lost faith in their churches and their practices. Economic development has replaced spiritual reference. (I am being very general here.) Will economy replace spiritually in the heart of Americans? I guess we will have to wait to see if it is successful at that, but it does not seem like it would be the kind of place that I would feel much at home in.

Perhaps I should say at this point that it is probably certain people in leadership roles who would like to see the masses of people concentrating on buying things (that their businesses produce), rather that concentrating on their spiritual development (which they can’t profit much from anyway). But, I suppose that until people are put in the position of looking at what is truly in their hearts, they will continue to back the social organization that promises to make them fulfilled through products.

Whether society shifts one way or the other is one question. The next question then is will Buddhism go from being the religion of the minority that seeks direct experience of the truth to the religion of the masses who need something deeper to believe in than they have had before? I somehow don’t think it is realistic to imagine the vast majority of middle class Americans turning off their televisions at night and sitting cross legged on their living room floors trying to attain a glimpse of emptiness. But, I could see them turning off the TV and being with their families, because here in the present is the essence of what is important in their lives.

To be frank, I think that there are currently several strains of Buddhism that work well for the direct knowing minority. But for the majority of Americans, there seems to be few candidates that would fill their needs at this time. Pure Land is probably the most likely candidate currently. Or would Americans adopt the model of the community supporting the deeply experienced practitioner, who then advises community members on religious matters? It’s a scenario that works in parts of Asia, but relies upon decades of traditional society behind it. There isn’t that kind of framework in Buddhism here in America as yet.

Nevertheless, if Americans were suddenly to veer to a new direction of increased awareness of spirituality, then it would be an open question as to which faith they would turn to – I would not automatically assume that it would be Christianity, it could just as well be some morph of Buddhism for all we now.