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Bringing Buddhism into Western Society
I am very happy to see many familiar faces again on this trip, because it is an opportunity to live together, work together, and build brotherhood. These trips are not only to serve the people, but are also part of the training program so that each practitioner, including myself, can gain more experience and insight. In the West, most people see Buddhism as a kind of Protestant Buddhism, needing only lay Dharma teachers and not monastics; Zen centers such as Rochester or San Francisco have only priests (who come from lay friends) but do not have a true sangha. Meanwhile, the Plum Village sangha practices the principle of non-possession, sharing all material comforts and insight according to the Six Harmonies, living as a family, a kind of “spiritual communism” to preserve the original spirit of the Buddha’s way.
For Buddhism to take deep root in the West, there needs to be a true monastic community. I emphasize the mission of the monastic sangha—both monastic communities are the foundation of the Fourfold Sangha—to transmit the original spirit, which is very different from the lay Buddhism approach of teachers such as
- Jack Kornfield
- Joseph Goldstein
- Zen Master Suzuki
-
Zen Master Mayumi
as well as dedicated lay teachers from the Theravada, Zen, Tibetan, and Korean traditions. Exemplary lay friends who understand and cherish monastics include - Pritam Singh
- Larry Ward
- Jacques Lalo
-
Santum
To ensure continuity, a monastic trust will be established, dedicated to nurturing and educating monks and nuns, funded by contributions from Vietnamese and Western lay friends. This is the path for the Plum Village sangha to continue the original tradition, not just as a temporary movement but as a deep and enduring root of the Buddha’s way in the West.
Building a Sangha