The Spread of Buddhism in Western Countries

For these reasons, Buddhism is seized upon as an important tool by people who want to demonstrate that they are different from others in their society, and who want to project the image of having discovered of a valuable secret. If an ordinary person suddenly shaves his head one day, puts on a brightly-colored robe and begins to teach Buddhist doctrine using mystical words he never uttered before, he will certainly attract curious attention and be thought of as "original."

A number of celebrities have adopted Buddhism for similar purposes. They make speeches in Tibetan Buddhist robes to appear different from others, drawing attention to themselves perhaps to become even better known to their public. They visit Buddhist temples accompanied by Buddhist priests and also make propaganda for the Buddhist religion. 
 
 
 

CONCLUSION 

     In addition to the expansion of Buddhism due to the migrations of Asian Buddhists, the latter half of the twentieth century witnessed an unprecedented growth of interest in Buddhism by non-Asians.

     Today Buddhism has a firm presence in Western countries. With time these roots of the religion of Buddha will only go deeper. Surprisingly, it was the effort of western scholars and not Buddhist missionaries that brought Buddhism to the West. Buddhism came to the West in the early 19th Century when scholars from Europe studied Buddhism as a part of the Indian culture and thought and oriental studies.

     Although few Europeans have become actual members of the Buddhist religion, its influence can be measured by the amount of individuals who have embraced parts of its teaching and practice into their lives. This has been seen with the many and diverse forms of Buddhism, expressing itself in a broad array of topics and having teachings and techniques that are custom built to adapt to the needs of any individual. For those who have sought a deeper commitment, new Buddhist groups like The Friends of the Western Buddhist Order and Nichiren Daishonin Buddhism have emerged specially suited to accommodate Europeans. For those who are religiously inclined but have rejected belief in God, Buddhism provides the ideal attraction. The Buddhist practice of meditatation, with its emphasis on experience, has proved to be attractive to Europeans who are seeking an escape from the pressures of modern Western life. Buddhists claim that the results of meditation, manifesting itself in love and compassion, have also drawn Europeans to Buddhism. In addition, Buddhist meditation has an appeal, to all social groups. The goal of attaining nirvana is attractive as a means of escape and a goal to work towards. Particularly attractive to Europeans is that Buddhism appears to offer both an explanation and an answer to the problem of suffering. Many Europeans are drawn to Buddhism because of its apparent tolerance; and although there is a body of teaching, it is not forced on the individual in a dogmatic way. Buddhism's high quality of ethics has also proved to be effective in attracting Europeans, especially since there are different levels of practice suiting each individual’s particular level of commitment, rather than one set of universal obligations that have to be strictly adhered to. 
 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

1. Timothy V. Atkinson. Western Buddhism: Past, Present and Future, International Journal of Buddhist Thought & Culture, February 2007, Vol.8.
2. Wallace B. Alan. The Spectrum of Buddhist Practice in the West, Westward Dharma: Buddhism Beyond Asia, Berkeley: University of California Press, 2002.
3. http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/5minbud.htm
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5. http://www.berzinarchives.com/web/en/archives/approaching_buddhism/introduction/appeal_buddhism_modern_world.html
6. www.spotlightministries.org.uk
7. http://www.examiner.com/buddhism-in-national/buddhist-meditation-the-concepts