Buddhism in the United States

Buddhism is a religion with millions of followers in the United States, including traditionally Buddhist Asian Americans as well as non-Asian converts. The U.S. presents a strikingly new and different environment for Buddhists, leading to a unique history and a continuing process of development as Buddhism and America come to grips with each other. Buddhism in the United States - Early history. Occasional intersections between Western civilization and the Buddhist world have been occurring for thousands of years. ...

Including:

• Buddhism in the United States - Early history
• Buddhism in the United States - Modern American Buddhism
• Buddhism in the United States - Immigrant Buddhists
• Buddhism in the United States - Import Buddhists
• Buddhism in the United States - Export Buddhists
• Buddhism in the United States - Demographics of Buddhism in the United States
• Buddhism in the United States - Ethnic divide
• Buddhism in the United States - Trends in American Buddhism
• Buddhism in the United States - Engaged Buddhism
• Buddhism in the United States - Buddhist education in the United States

Read more here: » Buddhism in the United States: Encyclopedia - Buddhism in the United States

Some scholars, such as Charles Prebish, have suggested that the social phenomenon of Buddhism in America can be seen to be comprised of three broad types. The oldest and largest of these is “immigrant” or “ethnic Buddhism”, those Buddhist traditions that arrived in America along with immigrants who were already believers and that largely remained with those immigrants and their descendants. The next oldest and arguably the most visible and best-heralded type is referred to as “import Buddhism”, because it came to America largely ...

See also:

Buddhism in the United States, Buddhism in the United States - Early history, Buddhism in the United States - Modern American Buddhism, Buddhism in the United States - Immigrant Buddhists, Buddhism in the United States - Import Buddhists, Buddhism in the United States - Export Buddhists, Buddhism in the United States - Demographics of Buddhism in the United States, Buddhism in the United States - Ethnic divide, Buddhism in the United States - Trends in American Buddhism, Buddhism in the United States - Engaged Buddhism, Buddhism in the United States - Buddhist education in the United States

Read more here: » Buddhism in the United States: Encyclopedia II - Buddhism in the United States - Modern American Buddhism

Buddhism in the modern world

An overview of Buddhism in Modern Asia and Buddhism in West.

Read more here: » Modern Buddhism: Buddhism in the modern world

The New Age movement is hardly novel! Its philosophy is rooted in ancient traditions, often based on mystical experiences, each within a different context.

Part II of II, written by Michael Rogge

Read more here: » The roots of the New Age Movement � Part II

In India we find the oldest continually operating pilgrimage tradition in the entire world. The practice of pilgrimage in India is so deeply embedded in the cultural psyche and the number of pilgrimage sites is so large that the entire subcontinent may actually be regarded as one grand and continuous sacred space. Martin Gray spent the last 20 years visiting more than thousand sacred sites around the world and he guides us to some of the sacred sites of India.

Read more here: » Sacred Places: Sacred Sites, places and temples in India

United States Mail Box

• To see a United States mail box, in a dream, denotes that you are about to enter into transactions which will be claimed to be illegal.
• To put a letter in one, denotes you will be held responsible for some irregularity of another.

Source: 10 000 Dream Interpretations, by Gustavus Hindman Miller

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - United States Mail Box , Meaning of Dreams about United States Mail Box , Dream Interpretation United States Mail Box )

It is important to remember spiritual teachings regarding prosperity. What we focus on we make real. To develop prosperity consciousness, first remember that prosperity adores a prosperous attitude. Instead of complaining about writing checks for monthly bills, start by giving thanks that you have the funds to cover them.

Read more here: » Prosperity Consciousness: Living the Metaphysical Life - Enhance your Prosperity Consciousness

Kundalini Awakening

When Rob told me my Kundalini had been awakened, I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. The awakening of Kundalini is a spiritual awakening, a major step towards realization of the divine. It is, in fact, a great boon, a great blessing and a magical gift. According to Swami Prajananda,

"The main purpose of its awakening in a seeker is to enable him to attain Godhood" (Muktananda, Kundalini 9).

Read more here: » Kundalini Awakening: Kundalini Awakens

Since the dawn of human time people have described certain places as being holy or magical, as having a concentrated power or presence of spirit. Ancient legends, historical records and contemporary reports tell of extraordinary, even miraculous happenings at these places. It is a curious fact, however, that these sacred sites, so significant to human culture are so little known beyond their own religious traditions. Of enormous importance, they have received only limited attention from social anthropologists, cultural geographers and religious historians. Why this remarkable omission of awareness and understanding?

Read more here: » Sacred Sites and Sacred Places: Pilgrimage and the lure of sacred sites

Christ and Budda: Jesus Through Buddhist Eyes

His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, speaking to a capacity audience in the Albert Hall in 1984 united his listeners instantly with one simple statement: "All beings want to be happy; they want to avoid pain and suffering." I was impressed at how he was able to touch what we share as human beings. He affirmed our common humanity, without in any way dismissing the obvious differences.

When invited to look at 'Jesus through Buddhist eyes', I had imagined that I would use a 'compare and contrast' approach, rather like a school essay. I was brought us as a Christian and turned to Buddhism in my early thirties, so of course I have ideas about both traditions: the one I grew up in and turned aside from, and the one I adopted and continue to practise within. But after re-reading some of the gospel stories, I would like to meet Jesus again with fresh eyes, and to examine the extent to which he and the Buddha were in fact offering the same guidance, even though the traditions of Christianity and Buddhism can appear in the surface to be rather different.

Read more here: » Christ and Budda: Jesus Through Buddhist Eyes

Hinduism: Why do Hindu women wear the dot on the forehead?

Not only women, but Hindu men also wear a dot on the forehead, indicating their third eye. The pottu is a very auspicious symbol, reminding those who ear it of their spiritual heritage and ideals, wherever they may be. It also serves to identify a Hindu among the members of all other religions.

Read more here: » Hinduism: Why do Hindu women wear the dot on the forehead?

Kriyas, literally ''activities'', are spontaneous movements that occur after kundalini awakening. These include bodily activities such as trembling, shaking and spontaneous yoga postures; vocal activities such as yelling, or spontaneous chanting and mental activities such as visions. These kriyas eliminate the blocks to kundalini rising within the spine or central channel.

This FAQ gives an overview of Siddha Mahayoga. Part I of III.

In Part III: 1) What are kriyas?, 2) So how do kriyas purify my consciousness?, 3) Are these kriyas some sort of self-hypnosis or some sort New Age phenomenon?, 4) Haven't a number of well-known teachers criticized kriyas?, 5) Don't they say that kundalini is a force that needs control?, What is the philosophy of siddha mahayoga?, 6) What is the precise role of the guru in siddha mahayoga?, 7) What teachers give shaktipat initiation?, 8) Where can I learn more?

Read more here: » Siddha Mahayoga FAQ: What are kriyas? (part III of III) -

Recently a discussion based on the Mayan calendar regarding an upcoming economic crisis in the United States has emerged. As I have shown in my forthcoming book: The Mayan Calendar and the Transformation of Consciousness the Mayan calendar does indeed with great exactness describe the ups and downs of the current economic system and this by itself is an important piece of news. Considering that we are getting deeper into a new Underworld, a new stage in the evolution of consciousness, such a discussion is indeed very much needed.

Read more here: » Mayan Calendar and the Coming Economic Crisis in the West

Chogyam Trungpa

(1940-87) Tibetan teacher noted for his propagation of Tibetan Buddhism in North America.

Trungpa was recognized as the eleventh Trungpa tulku ("incarnate lama"), an important line of Kagyu tulkus who presided over the Surmang monasteries in eastern Tibet. He was found and enthroned when he was eighteen months old, was subsequently ordained, and received the rigorous training reserved for high tulkus. He fled Chinese-occupied Tibet in 1959, first working in India under appointment by the Dalai Lama, then traveling to England in 1963, where he relinquished his monastic vows, married, and taught Tibetan Buddhism and its contemplative practices to Westerners.

Arriving in the United States in 1970, Trungpa spent the next seventeen years teaching, writing, founding contemplative centers, and inaugurating various organizations, including the Vajradhatu association of (Tibetan) Buddhist churches (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada), the Naropa Institute, an upper division accredited college (Boulder, Colorado), the Nalanda Translation Committee (Halifax and Boulder), and Shambhala Training, a nonsectarian program in meditation.

Trungpa was known for his innovative, sometimes unconventional approach to transmitting Buddhism to the West and for his insistance that meditation is the cornerstone of Buddhism.

(See also: Chogyam Trungpa , New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

The Indigo children, as they are now called by science, were first traced back to the year 1984. This was the year when suddenly a child appeared with very different human traits. As of 1999, science has suggested that approximately 80 to 90 percent of all the children born in the United States are Indigo children. I believe it probably will rise to nearly 100 percent in the future. You and I are obviously being phased out. These children are being born not only in the U.S., but also in many other areas of the world that seem to be connected with the wide use of computers.

Read more here: » Indigo Children: from The Ancient Secret of the Flower of Life

Basics of Hinduism: Why do many Hindus wear a dot near the middle of their forehead?

The dot worn on the forehead is a religious symbol. It represents divine sight and shows that one is a Hindu. For women, it is also a beauty mark.

Read more here: » Basics of Hinduism: Why do many Hindus wear a dot near the middle of their forehead?

For many thousands of years our ancestors have been visiting and venerating the power places of Europe. One culture after another has often frequented the same power sites and the story of how these magical places were discovered and used is filled with fairies and nature spirits, sages and astronomers, and enigmatic myths of world destroying cataclysms.

Read more here: » Sacred Sites: Pilgrimage in Ancient Europe - Megalithic and Celtic Sacred Space

The astrological influences at play the night of the Titanic's fateful descent are explained in such a way that one can clearly see how the forces were against a successful voyage.� Dr. Turi covers the positions of the planets and the head and tail of the dragon, a method used by Nostradamus.

Read more here: » Astrology: An astrological perspective on Titanic�s fateful descent

Something seems to be seriously wrong with marriage.

During the past 50 years, the rate of divorce in the United States has exploded out of control to its current level of about 50 percent, and it shows no signs of letting up. That is a very sobering trend and statistic. I recently contributed to that number, and it doesn't feel so good, especially when there are innocent children involved. Some people have contributed more than once. Most of them probably feel worse than I do, and wonder where it all went wrong.

Read more here: » Marriage: The End Of Marriage As We Know It

What is the process of reincarnation?

Carnate means flesh. The word reincarnate means to "reenter the flesh." We Hindus believe the soul is immortal and keeps reentering a fleshy body time and time again in order to resolve experiences and thereby learn all the lessons life in the material world has to offer. To hindus, it explains the natural way the soul evolves from immaturity to spiritual illumination. I myself have had many lives before this one and expect to have more. Finally, when I have it all worked out and all the lessons have been learned, I will attain mukti. This means I will still exist but no longer be pulled back to incarnate in a physical body.

Read more here: » Hinduism: What is the process of reincarnation?