NickPetorak

UWRT1103008
ExtendedInquiryProposal

ModernAmericanBuddhism

AlthoughIdontknowmuchaboutthebuddhistreligionthereareafewbasicthingsthat
Iknowgoingintothisresearchproject.IknowthevastmajorityofbuddhistfollowersliveinAsia.
BuddhismalsohasverystrongrootsintheHindureligion.IknowthatBuddhismfollowsthe
teachingsoftheBuddhaanddoesnotreallyworshipdeitieslikemostotherreligions.Ibelieve
themaingoalofbuddhismistoreachenlightenment.IalsobelievethatmostAmerican
buddhistsliveonthewestcoast,mainlyinCalifornia.Ialsoknowthatpracticessuchasyoga,
andvegetarianismareverycommonwithinthebuddhistreligion.Lastly,Iknowthatonegoalof
buddhismistoleaveaslittleimpactonone'ssurroundingsaspossible.
IchoosethistopicbecauseIrealizedthatIknewverylittleaboutthisreligioneven
thoughitistheworlds6thlargestreligionwith367millionfollowers.Imnotreligiousmyself,but
IwasraisedChristianandIwascurioushowanontheisticreligioncouldworkandwhatits
goalswere.TherearealsomanyreferencestobuddhisttraditioninAmericanculturewhich
surprisesme.Youseestatuesofthebuddhainmanyhousesthatarentpracticingbuddhists
andtherearealsomanyreferencesinmodernfilmtotraditionsofbuddhism.Infactawhole
sectofthereligionwasformedaroundthemovieTheBigLebowskicalledDudeism.Another
thingthatinterestedmewashowmanyprominentAmericanfigureshavebeenpracticing
buddhists,fromSteveJobs,toAllenGinsberg,andJeffBridges.
TherearemanyquestionsthatIwouldliketoexploreinmyresearch.FirstIwouldliketo
researchhowmodernbuddhistspracticetheirreligioninAmericaasyourarelyseeabuddhist
templeanywhere.IwouldliketounderstandwhyAmerican,andwesterncultureingeneral,

seemsdeterfollowersofBuddhismandhowthatrelatestothemajorityofAmericanbuddhists
beinglocatedonthewestcoast.Idalsoliketoknowwhatledprominentmembersofour
societytoconverttothisreligion,andhowthechangeinlifestyleaffectedthem.Imalsocurious
toseehowfarBuddhistpracticeslikeyogahavedeviatedfromtraditioninmodernsociety.Im
alsowonderingwhythebuddhabecamesuchalargeculturalsymbolinaplacewithveryfew
followersofthereligion.
IthinkalotofmyinformationwillcomefromnewsarticlesaboutModernBuddhism.I
mightalsobeabletofindsomescholarlystudiesbysociologistsaboutwhyoursocietydoesnot
seemtofosterthegrowthofthisreligion.Idalsoliketoreadmoreaboutpopcultural
adaptationsofbuddhism,suchasthespinoffdudeism.LastlyIdliketofindsomewritingsor
interviewsbyfamousAmericanswhohaveconvertedtothereligion.
IftheresultsofmyresearchbecometoonumerousandbroadIthinkIwillnarrowmy
subjectbyjustfocusingonthedifferencesbetweenthereligionandmodernAmericanculture
andleaveoutalotofthehistoryandtraditionalaspectsofmyresearch.IdoubtIwillturnuptoo
littleinformation,butifIdoIsupposeIcanbroadenmysearchbylookingathowbuddhistsin
AsialiveandcomparetheirculturetothatofAmericanbuddhists.