Psychology & Buddhism.pdf

66 C. Peter Bankart
So I want to end by coming full-circle back to the specter of orientalism that
has overshadowed most of the contents of this essay. There is a great deal of evidence
that in the phenomenal growth of interest in Buddhist practices and teachings
in America, especially by psychologists and other therapists, Buddhism is
colliding with a modern world that 2500 years of Buddhist philosophers could not
have imagined. As Prebish (1999) has pointed out, the Dharma has become so
disguised, it could never be proved in court. Prebish further notes that it is already
pretty much unrecognizable to the three to four million practicing Buddhist
Americans of Asian descent, for whom it is a traditional faith – not a recently
adopted therapeutic practice.
In fact Prebish (1999) quotes Robert Thurman to the effect that Buddhism will
not actually be able to succeed in its mission in America unless it is able to perform
that mission without in any real sense being Buddhism! This “Buddhism without
the Buddha” may become the ultimate expression of transcendental American
optimism; but it will bear little resemblance to the teachings of the Buddha. Prebish
sees the future of Buddhism in America as a social revolution directed toward
increasing human happiness. He has a vision of a social-psycho-therapeutic
movement: “increasingly lay, feminist, practice-oriented, psychological, socially
concerned, [and gay-friendly, see Corless, 1998], democratic, self-critical, ... and
grounded in social engagement interconnectedness, conflict resolution, environmental
awareness, and right livelihood” (Prebish, 1999, pp. 253–4, 259).
Like Rubin (1996) and Prebish (1999) I wonder out loud what sort of
Buddhism exists that it is all practice and action oriented, and seems to be unable
to come to terms with day-to-day ethical dilemmas, and an overriding concern
with ethical conduct, wisdom and compassion. Prebish and Rubin both expresses
strong concern over widespread and well-documented ethical breaches, sexual
abuses, and abuse of power by various American Buddhist teachers. [See Gross
(1998) for a vivid and somewhat chilling glimpse into the never-never world of
the sexual politics of gurus, feminists, and “postpatriarchal Buddhism” in
America.]. Western Buddhists may, in fact, be in danger of the greatest act of
orientalism yet committed against the ancient teachings; turning it into a massive
carnival of self-glorifying power-seeking materialistic narcissism. At any rate it
is difficult to argue with the observation of one Shin practitioner who wryly
observed: “White practitioners practice intensive psychotherapy on their cushions
in a life-or-death struggle with ego, whereas Asian Buddhists just seem to smile
and eat together” [cited by Prebish, 1999, p. 65).
Perhaps, then, it is appropriate for this chapter to conclude with a reminder
from Robert Thurman about the true nature of Buddhist thought and practice:
This is the messianic drive of the Bodhisattva; the spirit of love and compassion called
the enlightening soul. It is not merely the wish that all be well with all beings – it is
the determination that you yourself will assume responsibility for others. (Thurman,
1998, p. 159)