Buddhism Gains Public Interest

Academic and practical Buddhism making great stridestheir writings. Among contemporary Western
abreast The scholastic character of the early periodBuddhists devoted to Buddhist studies, a distinguished
had much effect on the progress of Buddhism in thename is the Venerable Nanฺamoli, an
subsequent period up to the present. The wealth ofEnglish monk who was ordained in Ceylon and lived at
Buddhist literature in Western languages makesthe Island Hermitage until his death in 2503/1960. In the
Buddhism accessible to Western people and facilitateswords of Miss I.B. Horner, the late President of the Pali
Buddhist study. At the same time Buddhists in AsianText Society, the Venerable Nanฺamoli
countries have begun to take up missionary activitywas an unusually brilliant scholar and his published
again. From time to time, Buddhist missions have cometranslations of some of the most difficult Pali texts1
to Western countries to acquaint these civilized peoplehave a healthy vitality "to inaugurate a new and
with the teachings of the Buddha. Above all, social andvaluable phase in the study and understanding of the
life conditions have now greatly changed. Amidstcontents of Buddhist literature."1 The Venerable
material and economic progress in this age ofNyanaponika, his well-known Brother-in-Order at the
technology, more and more Western people, especiallyIsland Hermitage, speaks of his translations as
students in colleges and universities, find their religious"remarkable achievements in quantity as well as in
system unsatisfying intellectually and spiritually.quality,"2 and as showing the highest standard of
Buddhism, with its doctrine not overshadowed bycareful and critical scholarship and a keen and subtle
modern thought and its meditation attractive to modernmind, philosophically trained."2 Other names of no less
mind, has a strong appeal for these Western men andimportance are, for example: the Venerable
women who are in search of the meaning of life and aNyanaponika, already mentioned above; the Bhikkhu
meaningful way of life. And, since the turn of theSangharakshita, a Buddhist writer and poet, now the
century, Buddhism has taken a new turn. The interestseniormost Buddhist monk of English origin; Francis
in Buddhism and Buddhist studies has grown more andStory, a British Buddhist through whom the Buddha's
more widely beyond the confines of scholars into theteaching has been presented convincingly as being of
public. Knowledge of Buddhism is sought more from avital significance in this modern age; Christmas
practical standpoint. Meditation becomes the mostHumphreys, the late president of the Buddhist Society
appealing aspect of Buddhism and attracts manyof London and a life-long interpreter of Buddhist
Western young people to Asian Buddhist countries,thought to the West; and Edward Conze, a voluminous
where many of them can be found today ordained aswriter and leading authority in the field of Buddhist
Buddhist monks and practising Buddhist meditationstudies. The number of authoritative writers on
under the guidance of local meditation-teachers. ThereBuddhism is increasing both in Europe and in North
has been an increasing tendency for books onAmerica and some of the names are coming into
Buddhism to be the work of professed or practisingprominence. Worthy of mention are A.K. Warder and
Buddhists. Another tendency is for Asian Buddhists toTrevor Ling, whose authoritative works treat Buddhism
take wider and more active part in the spread ofnot merely as a religion but as an ethical social
Buddhist knowledge in the West, especially throughprogramme and a civilization.