A Shifting Image of Buddhism in America

When I visited the Phat Da Buddhist Congregation in San Diego, a Vietnamese Buddhist temple in San Diego, I was taken by surprise that the service was given in Vietnamese. The decorations on the wall, the sacred images displayed at the altar, and the vibrant color of the monk’s robe were still familiar, but what was being said was (very) foreign to me. I quickly became impatient and preoccupied with the question on why I was there in the first place. What would I write about for my final Buddhism assignment if I could not understand what was being said? One thing was clear, the day I visited, they were celebrating Buddha’s birthday with huge display of rituals and ceremony, and a big birthday cake at the end.

Although some aspects of the service still felt very Buddhist and looked familiar, others did not. I noted the familiarity of the incense burning, the décor outside the temple, the chanting, the shoes outside of the door, and the cushions on the carpet we sat on. However the service was long and followed by a celebration, both lasting for almost three hours; when I left the Vietnamese service I had more questions then answers. Following the service, both children and adults began a rehearsed ceremony, which was elaborate and complex at times. I could not help but wonder about the meaning behind it; I had many questions. Who came up with such rituals? What does it all mean? Why are these ceremonies important and how is it relevant to the Buddha’s Birthday? Eventually, I began reflecting on topics associated with the service and Buddhist tradition and realized that I was feeling like an outsider to it all. The service was comprised of chanting, ceremonial rituals, and a message on Engaged Buddhism (which I received a small tran...

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... like Loy stated “Buddha never abandoned society.” The most beautiful aspect of the Buddhist tradition is that its followers are willing to adapt to the changing circumstances in reponse to various outside agents that are out of their control. Yet, they manage to keep the same humility and to abide by the central theme of Buddha’s one and only lesson “suffering and the end of suffering” (Shakyamuni Buddha, 2,500 years ago).

Bibliography

Dhammavamso, Venerable. “Buddhism ― a Balancing Factor for Current World Developments.” http://atbu.org/files/ATBU_Conference_Volume-final.pdf

Knitter, Paul. “Without Buddha I could not be a Christian.” UK: Oneworld Publications, 2009.

Loy, David. “The Great Awakening: A Buddhist Social Theory.” Somerville: Wisdom Publications, 2003.

Malkin, John. “In Engaged Buddhism, Peace Begins with You.” Shambhala Sun. July 2003.