Buddhism

Buddhism has been a global religion almost from its beginning, as its teachings and practices were soon transmitted to countries outside the Asian region where Buddhism originated and historically established itself. In the process of what Martin Baumann calls the “transplantation” of Buddhism, transactions have taken place in many parts of the world where people do not always share a common cultural heritage or religious background as that of its Buddhist transmitters.

At the advent of global migration that started in the early 20th century, Buddhist transmission took place when waves of Asians emigrated to the West Coast of the United States, Canada, and also to Brazil. These immigrants adhered to their traditional Buddhist faith as a means of preserving their ethnic and cultural identity, and social activities were focused on Buddhist temples as a way of keeping the groups together rather than disseminating to people of different faiths. In the last half-century, however, transplantation has been instigated by organizations or teachers from traditionally Buddhist countries in Asia to the West, and accelerated interactions have taken place with their host nations and communities. In such contexts, sectarian barriers among different Buddhist traditions of East Asia, Southeast Asia, and that of the Himalayas appear to be breaking down, creating an impetus for new interpretations of its teaching and wide adaptation of its practices. Consequently, a new breed of Buddhism has emerged in the West, invested with individualistic and rational features and an emphasis on neoliberal principles. As issues of environment, [Page 142]conservation of species, and human rights become more immediate, there is a growing sense of shared responsibility among Buddhists, making the notion of “socially engaged Buddhism” more relevant in the contemporary world. Meanwhile, Buddhism is also becoming increasingly “privatized,” as many regard it as a faith of internal retrospection. This may be understood as a repercussion of increasing secularization that is forcing Buddhists in the postindustrial world to recede from the public domain of faith to the comfort of private worship or psychology. Such a trend is reflected in the rising popularity of Vipassanā meditation that has caught the attention of Western Buddhists. Similarly, there is an attempt to conflate Buddhist aspirations with moral purity and individual endeavor, encouraging vegetarianism and various types of abstinence as a means to distance practitioners from the world that is seen to be materialistic and corrupt.