Teen Buddhism on the rise in the United Staes

[easyguy]

I thought this would be interesting to share. I just so happened to be pointed out in the most recent issue of Newsweek magazine an article which is certainly relevant for me, but could very well benefit many of you on this forum. The article is about the rise in Buddhism in the United States among teenagers - how it is becoming a "cool" thing.

By Lisa Miller
Newsweek

June 11, 2007 issue - The Beliefnet.com post is typical teenage angst, but with a twist. Mother is a zealous new convert to Roman Catholicism. Father is along for the ride. "Silentmist" wants an answer to this question: "How should I go about telling [my mother] about my Buddhism?"

We should have seen this coming. The baby boomers experimented with everything; they left their childhood faiths for other faiths or nothing at all; they intermarried and raised their children to be "spiritual but not religious." Now a small but growing number find themselves in the uncomfortable but not necessarily unhappy position of driving their high-school-age kids to Buddhist retreats. Diana Winston, the author of "Wide Awake: A Buddhist Guide for Teens," has been teaching Buddhism to youth for more than a decade, and she says she's seen it change from a fringe practice to something normal and accepted, especially on the coasts. (In the middle of the country, Winston says, kids sometimes practice Buddhism in secret; they write to her, looking for someone to talk to.) Mahagony Gamble, who oversees the high-school and young women's division of SGI-USA—the Buddhist sect known for the chant "Nam myoho renge kyo"—says membership has exploded in the past two years, and a growing number of the new members are kids from non-Buddhist families who show up at meetings with their Buddhist friends from school.

One such member is Allegra Fonda-Bonardi, 18, the daughter of secular parents from Santa Monica, Calif. She discovered Buddhism six years ago, during "a very middle-school boy drama." She turned to her best friend for help, and the friend suggested chanting. "I felt better almost immediately, and I said, 'This chanting stuff is pretty cool'." Now chanting twice a day, she meets regularly with other local SGI Buddhists, and she plays the trombone in a Buddhist band. Sumi Loundon, author of "The Buddha's Apprentices," thinks the new enthusiasm among teens is related to the ubiquity of Eastern religious and pseudo-religious practice: so many people meditate, chant and practice "mindfulness" that Buddhism no longer feels alien. But Fonda-Bonardi has another idea. "Honestly?" she says, before she rushes off to a rehearsal with Jackson Browne's band. "I think this generation is looking for a philosophy of hope ... We're going to be inheriting this place. How will we create hope and peace in this new time?" Her parents, she says, are happy to drive her to meetings.

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[ostego]

i think thats great!!

I do buddhism at school as an optional subject and my teacher has become somewhat of a role-model for me. I love to see how he can smile at everything, and in later life, after exams, i fully intend to practice Vipassana meditation more and try to perfect it, aiming to become like him in his mind-set!

Buddhism is a truly amazing religion!!

[stranded247]

i am generally an atheist even though my family is christian. But buddhism is more about meditation and spirituality right? Out of all the religions its seems like one worth in investing time in, wondering if someone could give me a brief background on the religion? Sounds like its a pretty cool outlet.

[easyguy]

Originally Posted by stranded247

i am generally an atheist even though my family is christian. But buddhism is more about meditation and spirituality right? Out of all the religions its seems like one worth in investing time in, wondering if someone could give me a brief background on the religion? Sounds like its a pretty cool outlet.

It is certainly worth investigating, especially coming from someone who takes it to heart.

In a very small nutshell, one of the major points in Buddhist practice is to work towards eliminating the habits of the mind and body which cause suffering in one's self and in others. It is simply a path, not an "all or nothing" philosophy, and is generally very inclusive. Buddhism is not a belief system, but merely, it is a "Here is what worked for me, give it a try" approach to life. There are concepts that anyone can pick up without adhering to Buddhism as their vehicle for complete sanctuary and guidance, and are useful even if you do not want to strive to become enlightened.

Wikipedia actually has a lot of accurate information on the basic concepts of Buddhism here: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]. But investigate from other sources, too. Talk to people face to face about it, especially those from East Asia.

That's all for now. It can be overwhelming, so be sure to take small steps.

[Daddy Bear]

The article is about the rise in Buddhism in the United States among teenagers - how it is becoming a "cool" thing.

McBuddhism? As Homer Simpson might say, "D'ao!"

[bx93ep]

It certainly could be worse...

[Daddy Bear]

Originally Posted by bx93ep

It certainly could be worse...

Worse for America, yes; but I'm not sure what could be worse for Buddhism. Look at what we did to the ancient martial arts, after all.

[easyguy]

It never hurts, especially in a particularly violent culture like the United States', to at the very least promote compassion - an ideal inherant human quality which has little to do with religion or philosophy and everything to do with common sense. Westernized anything is not wrong, it is just different. It's called syncretism - the influence of one culture onto another (in part, a blending of philosophies). Where I think some go wrong in Western culture is by turning it into an egotistical thing.

[Spugly Fuglet]

As a Taoist I see hope in this, as you say compassion