Dreaming about 21st Century American Buddhism

As I work on a new book The Engaged Heart, I went back over 500 weblogs I have posted in the last twelve years.  Seems I have been wanted to redesign American Buddhism for some time.

7/23/2003  A Buddhist Dream
      Monks needed something to do.  Or I want to go so far as to say that there are men and women whose hearts are spilling over with passion and have no place to spend it.  There are men and women who have a burning desire to live with intention -- to know no meaningless breath  --  to be fully engaged, awake, filled with purpose and part of a whole.
       This level of passion never seeks rest from the spirit.  The body dances and the mind spins in deference to the spirit, as the spirit is ruler, supreme choreographer, beloved whisperer.  The passionate heart always chooses to listen.  It is not that they have no choice.  They have every choice and they choose spirit.  It runs deeper than desire.  It is not content with occasional service.  It cannot live in patchwork fashion; serving one hour a day, one day a week or one step at a time.  It requires fulltime dedication or fulltime mourning.  It is a matter of depth that longs to be filled, longs to be spent.  This passion must be of service.  This passion wants to be integrated into society -- meeting needs -- developing new ways to address new problems.  This passion is a lasting, reliable, sobering intoxicant. 
      I was dreaming.  I am dreaming.  It is a dream of Buddhist orders of American men and women who lead passionate lives of genuine integrated service.  Warriors of light  Teachers of stillness.  Leaders of joyous clarity ñ building spiritual communities that are fully and fearlessly integrated into American life -- uplifting us all. 

8/15/2003 Heart of Astrology
      The 20th Century created a flood of information.  To process and organize all of it, everything was reduced to smaller, more understandable components.    People were categorized.  Cells were classified.  DNA was identified.  It lead to great encyclopedic knowledge and terrible exploitation of atoms.  A person was divvied up by specializing doctors proclaiming their turf; leaving us with a nightmare of trying to piece ourselves back together. 
      The 21st Century is the time to unite.  It is time to see the forest, the overall effect, the whole of humanity, the integration of body, mind, soul and spirit.  It is time to stand hand in hand; dissolving boundaries and drawing others into larger and larger circles of inclusion and integration.  It is time to focus on what unites us: every study, every discipline, every phylum, every being, every molecule.  It is time to embrace and hold dear every dissected isolated granule of life.  It is time to recognize that the division of the last century, that lonely disparity, was merely an illusion and in reality everything and everyone is a unified whole joined together in infinite motion.   Illuminated with prayer, meditation and understanding, the very things which separate will be the things which bring us together.

8/28/2003  American Buddhism
On my 55^th birthday ~
     First, I believe that my definition requires no agreement.  Nor does yours.  Second, Buddhism occurs from within a culture.  It cannot be imported or exported.  Historically, the imported forms always fade.  Each culture creates its own form.  It unfolds as their culture ages.  India, China, Japan, Thailand and others slowly, elegantly unfolded their own Buddhism.  Sects are not shards from a main teaching, but a genuine and relevant customization.  Third, Buddhism involves the conscious construction (call it deconstruction or reconstruction) of the internal landscape.  The mind is watched, organized, disciplined, controlled, emptied, filled and brightly lighted. 
      Finally, I believe that American Buddhism will not arrive via an ocean.  No jet or ship or text or teaching will ultimately establish American Buddhism.  It will unfold in the minds of Americans who integrate their practice within the context of their culture.  It will be appropriate, natural, useful, unique, exquisite and it will be truly American.  It is percolating tonight in the practice of thousands of Americans.  I hope I live long enough to see it named.