The Faces of Buddhism in America

A Buddhist meditator attempts to create distance with his or her thoughts in order to gain perspective on them, to see what causes them and how they develop. Charles Prebish and Kenneth Tanaka have brought together 19 scholars and practitioners of Buddhism to gain some perspective on the origin and development of Buddhism itself--how it has taken root and grown in American soil. Much more than just the manifestation of a few college-educated whites sitting on cushions, American Buddhism is a panorama of diverse practices, ethnicities, and beliefs. Essays such as "Tibetan Buddhism in America" and "Responding to the Cries of the World" explore movements of Buddhism in America from the inside and the issues arising out of the Americanization of Buddhism, such as feminism, psychotherapy, and social engagement. One article underscores the importance of Paul Carus around the turn of the century, while another traces the growth of Insight Meditation through popular teachers such as Jack Kornfield and Joseph Goldstein. It's great to read a book that gets you deep into a piece of Buddhism, and it's also nice to see that each piece fits together in a bigger picture. --Brian Bruya