Buddhism and the West : Subsequent to a Friendly Encounter

estimated that there are now over 190,000 Buddhistsuniversities in various parts of many European
in the United States. Most of these, however, arecountries. Sri Lankan Buddhists contribute to this
Americans of Chinese and Japanese origin whodevelopment by support-ing their mission at the London
belong to the Pure Land Sect and are organized underBuddhist Vihara in England and the Dhammaduta
the name The Buddhist Churches of America.1 TheSociety (Buddhistisches Haus) in West Germany.
majority of these Churches, over fifty in number, areBesides the Buddhapadipa Temple in London, which
largely in Hawaii and on the West Coast. The secondwas officially opened by his Majesty the King of
largest Japanese sect is Zen, the various groups ofThailand on August 1, 2509/1966, Thai Buddhists have
which include the First Zen Institute of America in Newdeveloped missions in some other parts of Europe
York City, the World Zen Center in Virginia and thesuch as the Dham-masucharitanucharee Temple in
Zen Mission Society in California. Among otherWaalwijk in the Netherlands, which was later changed
Japanese groups are the San Francisco Nichirento Wat Buddharam, and the Vipassana Centre at
Buddhist Church, the Chicago Jodo Mission, theSurrey in England.
Shingon Buddhist Church in Chicago and the NichirenIn Australia, the Buddhist societies in Sydney, Melbourne
Shoshu of America (Soka Gakkai) in Los Angeles.and Brisbane are incorporated under the Buddhist
Though Buddhism in the States is predominantlyFederation of Australia. Of these societies, the New
Mahayana and Theravada missions are smaller inSouth Wales Society at Sydney is noted for its most
number, the study of Theravada Buddhism hasactive work. A Thai Buddhist mission was invited to
become increasingly popular among Americans ofMelbourne in 2517/ 1974 and a Thai Buddhist Vihara
European origin. Theravada Buddhists are also unitedcalled Wat Buddharangsee was opened in Sydney in
into societies, centres, groups and Viharas. There arethe latter part of the year 2518/1975.
“Friends of Buddhism” groups in suchBesides books, booklets and pamphlets, Buddhist
cities as Washington D.C., New York, Chicago,journals and periodicals have made a great contribution
Philadelphia and San Francisco. The American Buddhistto the spread of Buddhism internationally. A number of
Academy in New York City and other Buddhist groupssuch publications issued by Buddhist groups and
by different names and in various places are alsoorganizations in America, Europe and Asia have a
active in Buddhist study, propagation and, for a fewworld-wide circu-lation. “World
organizations, training activities. According to theBuddhism”, printed in Sri Lanka, and the WFB
statistics available in 2512/1969, there were altogetherNews Bulletin distributed from the WFB headquarters
about 254 Buddhist groups, centres, missions andin Bangkok are probably the best known and most
societies, both Mahayana and Theravada, in the Unitedwidely read Buddhist monthly periodicals. Other
States. Of these, about 84 were in Hawaii, while thepublications include the Vesak Sirisara, the Buddhist
other 170 were on the American subcontinent.annual of the Sri Saddharmadana Samitiya in Sri
Like the Mahayana groups, a number of TheravadaLanka; Visakha Puja, the annual publication of the
centres in the United States are not AmericanBuddhist Association of Thailand; The Middle Way and
organizations but activities of Asian Buddhists. Thethe Friendly Way, quarterlies of the Buddhist Society
Washington Buddhist Vihara houses a Theravadaand the Buddhapadipa Temple in London respectively;
mission from Ceylon and it has a plan to establishThe Maha Bodhi Journal of the Maha Bodhi Society;
centres in the major cities and train American monksVoice of Buddhism of the Buddhist Missionary Society
to staff them. Thai Buddhists organized the Theravadain Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; “Metta,” the
Buddhist Center in North Hollywood in Los Angeles,journal of the Buddhist Federation of Australia; and The
which later became known as Wat Thai. BeginningGolden Lotus, mimeographed magazine published in
with this first Thai temple in America, there are nowPhiladelphia. It would not be practicable to name here all
more than a dozen of Thai temples in the States.the Buddhist journals and periodicals issued in the
In Europe, while the Buddhist Society of Great Britain isvarious countries. In the United States alone,
still the biggest Buddhist organization, a number of localtwenty-three Buddhist bulletins, newsletters, monthly
associations have been founded in cities, towns andmagazines and annuals were on the list in 2512/1969.