Most Venerable Bhante Walpola Piyananda's 80th Birthday Celebrating - Collected Essays

cultural custom is part of the religion, and they have no idea that they
are really separate.
As a result, I have noticed a trend in North America of the
“Asian-ness” being removed from the presentation of the Buddha’s
Teaching; a teaching which is for all people and for all times. The
Buddha’s Teaching can be taught to anyone, anywhere for its relevance
to the human condition, no matter the time or place. Other well-known
Americans such as Phil Jackson, Carl Lewis, Tiger Woods, Richard
Gere, Goldie Hawn, Tina Turner, Uma Thurman, and many others in
the fields of music, art, entertainment, sports, and poetry are Buddhists.
When Buddhist monks come directly from Asian countries
such as Sri Lanka or Thailand, they usually do not understand the basic
customs and religious traditions of the North Americans they hope to
teach. A good example is the concept of “god,” which is introduced
to the minds of Americans at a very young age. When the monks
talk to Americans about Buddhism having no god, Americans may
misunderstand such statements, and react negatively to the teaching.
The monks should be trained before leaving Asia in the ways and
beliefs of the people in the New World if their activities to share the
Teachings are to be successful.
In addition, before Buddhist monks and teachers come to
North America they should learn American or Canadian English – or at
least learn it as soon as they can after they arrive. This will help them
avoid the inevitable misunderstandings that arise when the vernacular
is not understood. While their fellow countrymen may understand
perfectly the mother tongue, the children growing up in North America
will not. They will speak American or Canadian English with only a
basic understanding of the language of their parents.
The founding monks at Dharma Vijaya were foresighted in that
they initiated a Buddhist training ministry whose ordained ministers
are called “Bodhicari.” It is not easy to be a Bhikkhu or Bhikkhuni in
Western society, and our temples in America do not have the resources
to properly train monks or nuns. These Bodhicari follow the Buddha’s
teachings, keep twelve precepts, and learn the Dhamma in order to
share it with others. They are the equivalent of the clergy of Japanese
Buddhist Jodo Shinshu, or ministers in the Protestant churches. These
dozens of Bodhicari have been practicing and working in their ministry
for over three decades.
In conclusion, I feel that Buddhism has been successfully
transplanted in North America, and its roots have already deeply taken
hold. In the coming decades I am quite sure that we will witness
the integration of the benefits that the Buddha’s Teaching offers to
everyone: the hope for peace in one’s life, and freedom from suffering.
The most wonderful aspect of Buddha Sasana is that whether or not
individuals in North America choose to become Buddhists, they can
still partake of the benefits of the Buddha’s Teaching, which will surely
enrich their lives.
Buddhism: Linking Spiritual and Secular Paths
The 6 th century B.C.E. witnessed the birth of several religious
philosophies, which resulted in a spiritual awakening in India. A
number of teachers consistently engaged in preaching their doctrines
among the people. Among those teachers, the Buddha was the only one
who did not confine his teachings purely to a spiritual path of liberation
which was isolated from the society and life of the people; he also dealt
with matters of day-to-day interest in secular life.
However, it has been a common incorrect assumption that
Buddhism, especially Theravada Buddhism, is completely monastic
in character, and is not meant for the laity who leads a secular life.
An in-depth study of the Pali Canon reveals that this assertion fails
to present an accurate view of the Buddha’s teaching. The Buddha
did not claim to be other than a supreme man, and he demonstrated
to ordinary people how they could develop themselves through their
own effort to also evolve to a supreme level. He preached not only the
process of renunciation, but also taught how the individual can develop
ethically and spiritually within family life amid society as well. The
primary purpose of this paper is to examine how the teachings of the
Buddha link spiritual development and secular paths.
As revealed in the Pali Canon, Buddha not only admitted the
existence of happiness in secular life, but he also advised and instructed
people how to achieve that happiness. According to the Vyaggapajja
Sutta of Anguttara Nikaya, a Koliyan lay follower, Dighajanu,
approached the Buddha and asked:
“Master, we are lay people who enjoy worldly pleasure. We
lead a life with family. We use sandalwood of Kasi. We deck ourselves
with garlands, perfumes and ointments. We use gold and silver. Please
advise us in such a way that we may make our present existence and the
next life happy”
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