DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - How western Buddhism has changed in 50 years

**Rememavotscam** · 06-08-2012, 07:32 AM

Hi Goofaholix,

Actually "Western Buddhism" probably could be said to have started with the followers of Alexander the Great. The 1960's is probably when the popularity we see today started.

By "popularity" do you mean popularity among White people? Because as I mentioned, there have been Asian American Buddhists in the West since the mid 1800s.

My point was that the definition of "Western Buddhism" employed in this article implies that Asian Americans aren't really "American" or "Western", and that this is an extension of the frequent exclusion and marginalization of Westerners of Asian heritage in the media.

Granted the Guardian is a British newspaper, so I don't necessarily expect them to reflect the history of Buddhism in America, but I see this kind of truncated definition applied in American Buddhist publications like Tricycle and Shambala Sun all the time.

06-08-2012, 07:32 AM	#19
Rememavotscam Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 500 Senior Member	Hi Goofaholix, Actually "Western Buddhism" probably could be said to have started with the followers of Alexander the Great. The 1960's is probably when the popularity we see today started. By "popularity" do you mean popularity among White people? Because as I mentioned, there have been Asian American Buddhists in the West since the mid 1800s. My point was that the definition of "Western Buddhism" employed in this article implies that Asian Americans aren't really "American" or "Western", and that this is an extension of the frequent exclusion and marginalization of Westerners of Asian heritage in the media. Granted the Guardian is a British newspaper, so I don't necessarily expect them to reflect the history of Buddhism in America, but I see this kind of truncated definition applied in American Buddhist publications like Tricycle and Shambala Sun all the time.
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