Buddhism in the West
(see also Thich Nhat Hanh)
Basics
On the Web: Articles
The Jew in the Lotus: A Poet's Rediscovery of Jewish identity in Buddhist India. Rodger Kamenetz with commentary by Peter Myers (11/4/01).
Guess who's coming to Dharma. Carol Cooper, Village Voice (6/27/01). Black women increasingly attracted to Buddhism despite fact that most converts are white, male & middle class.
Buddhism in the US. Asiasource.org (6/18/01). Links to many online articles & commentaries.
Boomer Buddhism. Stepen Prothero, Salon (2/26/01). How Americans are making Buddhism self-absorbed.
Buddhism Comes to the West. Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, Buddhanet (7/00). Why Western meditation is prioritized at expense of other Buddhist elements.
Buddhism in Europe: An Annotated Bibliography on its Historical Development & Contemporary State of Affairs. Martin Baumann, University of Hannover (10/96).
Robert Thurman Doesn't Look Buddhist. Rodger Kamenetz, New York Times (5/5/96). Why a Western scholar became expert on Tibetan Buddhism.
The History of the Buddhist Churches of America: Problems of Propagation and Projections for the Future . Rev. Masao Kodani, Vbtemple.org (4/95).
Ethnic Buddhism & other Obstacles to the Dhamma in the West . Dr. V.A. Gunasekara, Buddhanet (4/94). An outline of basics & history of Western Buddhism, to counter dangerous misconceptions.
On the Web: Specialized Sites
Buddhanet.net. Among more comprehensive Buddhist sites on net: articles, e-books & more.
Tricycle.com. Quarterly magazine to spread dharma.
Policy for the West. Resources & articles exploring history of rise of Buddhism in West.
Allanwatts.com. Site of late Alan Watts, one of first Zen teachers in West.
In the Library: Articles
Abe, Masao. "Buddhist Nirvana: its significance in contemporary thought & life," in S.J. Samartha (ed.) Living Faiths & Ultimate goals: Salvation & World Religions (Maryknoll: Orbis, 1974), pp. 12-22.
Bures, Frank. “Zen & the art of law enforcement,” Christian Science Monitor (9/25/03):15.
Doi, Masatoshi. "The nature of the encounter between Christianity & other religions as witnessed on the Japanese scene," in G. Anderson (ed.) Theology of the Christian Mission (NY, 1965), pp. 168-78.
Dreifus, Claudia. "Dalai Lama," in her Interview (NY: Seven Stories, 1999).
Gethin, Rupert. "The Resurrection & Buddhism," in Gavin d'Costa (ed.) Resurrection Reconsidered (Oxford, 1996), pp. 201-26.
López, Donald S. Jr. "A Buddha for the blue states," Nation (2/21/02):26-29. Review essay on Mishra, An End to Suffering.
McCarthy, Colman. "The Dalai Lama is no Gandhi," National Catholic Reporter (10/10/03). Harsh critique of revered Tibetan Buddhist leader & his message.
Mishra, Pankaj. "The way to the middle way," NY Review (6/12/2003): 32.
Thurman, Robert. "Conversation with the Dalai Lama on China, hatred & optimism," Mother Jones (11-12/97):28-31, 82-3.
In the Library: Non-Fiction Books
Adiele, Faith. Meeting Faith: The Forest Journals of a Black Buddhist Nun (NY: Norton, 2004).
Allen, Charles. The Search for the Buddha: The Men Who Discovered India's Lost Religion (NY: Carroll & Graf, 2003).
Badiner, Allan Hunt. Mindfulness in the Marketplace: Compassionate Responses to Consumerism (Berkeley CA: Parallax, 2002).
Baumann, Martin. Deutsche Buddhisten: Geschichte und Gemeinschaften (?, 1993).
Berrigan, Daniel, SJ & Thich Nhat Hanh. The Raft is Not the Shore. Conversations toward a Buddhist/Christian Awareness (Boston: Beacon, 1975).
Besserman, Perle & Manfred B. Steger (eds.) Crazy Clouds: Zen Radicals, Rebels, & Reformers (Boston: Shambhala, 1991).
Cadge, Wendy. Heartwood: The First Generation of Theravada Buddhism in America (Chicago: U. of Chicago, 2005).
Campbell, June. Traveller in Space: In Search of Female Identity in Tibetan Buddhism (NY: George Braziller, 1996).
Clements, Alan. Instinct for Freedom: Finding Liberation through Living (Novato CA: New World Library, 2002).
Coleman, William James. The New Buddhism: The Western Transformation of an Ancient Tradition (Oxford University, 2002)
Findley, Ellison Banks (ed.) Women's Buddhism, Buddhism's Women (Boston: Wisdom, 2000).
Friedman, Lenore. Meetings with Remarkable Women: Buddhist Teachers in America (Boston: Shambala, 2000).
Gheddo, Piero. The Cross & the Bo-Tree. Catholics & Buddhists in Vietnam (NY: Sheed & Ward, 1970).
Henning, Daniel H. Buddhism & Deep Ecology (Bloomington IN: First Books, 2002).
Humphries, Christmas. Buddhism (3rd ed.; Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1962).
__________. Zen Comes West: The Present & Future of Zen Buddhism in Western Society (Totowa NJ: Rowman & Littlefield, 1977).
__________. A Popular Dictionary of Buddhism (2nd ed.; London: Curzon, 1984).
__________. The Buddhist Way of Action: A Working Philosophy for Daily Life (London: Unwin, 1989).
Kamenetz, Rodger. The Jew in the Lotus: A Poet's Rediscovery of Jewish identity in Buddhist India (SF: Harper, 1994). The Dalai Lama's conference with Jewish scholars.
Keown, Damien V.; Charles S. Prebish & Wayne R. Husted (eds.) Buddhism & Human Rights (Richmond, Surrey: Curzon, 1998).
Lama, Dalai & Howard C. Cutler. The Art of Happiness at Work (NY: Riverhead, 200?).
__________. Buddha Heart, Buddha Mind (NY: Crossroads, 200?).
__________. Path of Wisdom, Path of Peace: A Personal Conversation (NY: Crossroads, 200?).
López, Donald S. Jr. Prisoners of Shangri-La: Tibetan Buddhism & the West (Chicago: U. Chicago, 1999).
Mishra, Pankaj. An End to Suffering: The Buddha in the World (NY: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2005).
Phelps, Norm. The Great Compassion: Buddhism & Animal Rights (NY: Lantern, 2004).
Prebish, Charles S. (ed.) Buddhism: A Modern Perspective (University Park PA: Pennsylvania State U, 1975).
__________. American Buddhism (North Scituate MA: Duxbury, 1979).
__________. Historical Dictionary of Buddhism (Metuchen NJ: Scarecrow, 1993).
__________. Luminous Passage: The Practice & Study of Buddhism in America (Berkeley: U. California, 1999).
__________ & Kenneth K. Tanaka (eds.) The Faces of Buddhism in America (Berkeley: U. California, 1998).
__________. The A to Z of Buddhism (Lanham MD: Scarecrow, 2001).
__________ & Martin Baumann (eds.) Westward Dharma: Buddhism Beyond Asia (Berkeley: U. California, 2002).
Sangharakshita. Buddhism and the West: The Integration of Buddhism into Western Society (?: Windhorse, 1992) Speaks of psychological, social, economic, intellectual, cultural, and individual changes we can expect as Buddhism comes to the West.
__________.Buddhism for Today and Tommorow (UK: Windhorse, 2000) How the Buddha's fundamental teachings are relevant to modern Western men and women.
__________.New Currents in Western Buddhism: The Inner Meaning of the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (UK: Windhorse, 2000) Why Sangharakshita founded a new Buddhist movement.
In the Library: Fiction
In the Library: For Young Readers
In the Library: Poetry
Humphreys, Christmas. Buddhist Poems: A Selection, 1920-1970 (London: Allen & Unwin, 1971).
In the Library: Drama
In the Library: Photography
Farber, Don. Taking Refuge in L.A.: Life in a Vietnamese Buddhist Temple (NY: Aperture, 1987).
__________. Visions of Buddhist Life (Berkeley: U. California, 2002).