Buddhism in the West

• What is one reason for the spread of Buddhism in the West?

  The religious tolerance of the West
• How does Buddhism compare to other religions in terms of religious tolerance?

  Buddhism is arguably more tolerant compared to many Western religions
• What cultural aspect contributes to the compatibility of Buddhism with Western society?

  The compatibility of Buddhism with secular culture
• How was Buddhism in the 19th century viewed in relation to Hinduism?

  Buddhism was viewed similarly to Protestantism's reaction to Catholicism
• What was the general perception of Hinduism in the 19th century West?


  Hinduism was not viewed favorably
• Who described Hinduism as ‘the most abominable, and degrading system of oppression, ever invented’?

  Buchanan
• How was Buddhism celebrated in the 19th century?


  Buddhism was celebrated as a rational religion
• What book introduced a Western audience to the story of Siddhartha Gautama's life?


  Arnold’s ‘The Light of Asia’
• How did Arnold portray Siddhartha Gautama in his work?

  As ‘the Hindu Luther’
• What did Alexander Cunningham claim about the Buddha?


  He was ‘a great social reformer who dared to preach the perfect equality of all mankind’
• What significant cultural shift occurred in the media during the 21st century?


  The media began mixing serious information with entertainment
• How does celebrity culture relate to the spread of Buddhism in the West?

  Celebrity culture helps disseminate Buddhism while entertaining
• What is a consequence of the blurred line between fact and entertainment in the media?


  It leads to a distorted perception of Buddhism in Western culture
• What themes dominated the Western mind after secularization?

  The individual as the source of authority, personal choice for identity creation, and consumer capitalism
• How did secularization and the enlightenment project affect views on nature?


  They disenchanted nature and promoted rational, scientific thinking
• What was the re-enchantment thesis during the mid-20th century a legacy of?

  Romanticism
• What themes did the re-enchantment thesis introduce?


  Marrying for love, the beauty and power of nature, and the authority of personal experience
• How does Eastern religion relate to the authority of personal experience?


  Eastern religion fits well with the development of personal experience as authority
• How did romanticism respond to industrialization?


  It emerged as a response to industrialization
• How has personal identity changed in the 21st century compared to traditional views?


  It is now constructed from secularism, consumerism, and media
• What does consumerism shift the focus of identity from?

  From inner character to external superficial presentation
• How is the self viewed in the context of consumerism?

  The self has become a commodity that is curated through consumption
• How do some Westerners view Buddhism in relation to their identity?


  As an exotic ‘source for the self’
• What does D. McMahn claim about popular Western books on Buddhism?


  They suggest that the dharma is merely a raft useful for crossing a river
• What do some scholars argue about the religious conceptions of Buddhism in the West?


  They argue that these conceptions are valueless and superficial
• What is one consequence of the decline of religion in the West?

  It has led to a void that many want filled
• What did Nietzsche argue about the state of the West?


  He argued that it had a nihilistic void of meaning and purpose
• Why might Buddhism seem attractive to Westerners?

  Because it fills the nihilistic void left by the decline of religion
• What criticism did Nietzsche have regarding Buddhism?


  He criticized it for being nihilistic at its core
• How is consumerism described in the context of Western lives?

  It is unfulfilling but addicting
• Who was a significant figure in translating Buddhism into English?

  Suzuki
• How did Suzuki influence the Beat & Hippie movement?


  He influenced writers like Allen Ginsburg and Jack Kerouac
• How did Buddhism enter the West according to the study material?

  Through cracks and fissures in the West’s intellectual and cultural framework
• What is a potential consequence of fitting Buddhism into Western debates?

  It results in an instrumental use of Buddhism rather than a preconception-free understanding
• How does Zen Buddhism differ in terms of susceptibility to distortion?

  Zen relies less on essential teachings, making it less susceptible to distortion
• What does Justin Whitaker argue about Buddhist Modernists?


  They may react to social changes similar to how 18th-century Westerners reacted to romanticism/enlightenment fissures
• What does McMahn suggest about the flow of the Geist (spirit)?


  It suggests a Hegelian understanding of history and society
• How is the self viewed in relation to consumerism and anatman?

  Viewing the self as in flux might seem similar to anatman, but clinging to consuming sources of the self is the true self inculcated by consumerism
• How does Western social science and philosophy view ‘the self’?


  As culturally influenced rather than a metaphysically determined essence
• What is the relationship between Western intellectual culture and Buddhism?

  Western intellectual culture often adopts methodological naturalism