Buddhism and its Value-Added Boost

There’s an email-exchange interview that the great Danny Fisher did with Buddhism-doctoral candidate, Trike bloggist and Trike-contributing editor Jeff Wilson, and posted to his Danny Fisher blog yesterday, that reminds me of the problem I have in making much sense out of the New Buddhism controversy.

People write and think about what’s lacking in Western Buddhism and how pitiful pre-modern Buddhism in Asia might have been, but somehow the discussion never seems to touch what is the only vital issue: what does Buddhism do for people? What difference does it make for individuals or a society that there was Buddhism in people’s lives? Instead, it seems to me, there are these conceptual swirls of dust that deep-thought Buddhologists play with that have meaning only in context with other conceptual swirls of dust and nothing ever connects with the passion play of life.

Without question, pre-modern Buddhism in the myriad ways it was practiced in southeast Asia, or wherever, is markedly different from the Internet-enriched [or, Internet-deformed, if you prefer], scattered-sangha experience of Westerners. As well, the societies in Asia – either long ago or today – are vastly different than iPod-carrying Buddhists bopping around Manhattan or Peoria in their Volvos taking their kids to ballet rehearsals or soccer practice.

But it strikes me that comparing different people’s Buddhism practice cannot begin to have any meaning unless there is an assessment of what the payoff is. What does Buddhism do for people? What is the value-added boost? and what ought it be?

Now, I’m not really meaning to criticize Danny and Jeff. Likely, they are already beyond, beyond, far beyond where I am with my thinking and practice. Perhaps there are Sanskrit terms and mega-polysyllabic nouns in the rich jargon of Bigtime-Buddha-Speak that compare kenshos with compassion, the rewards of chanting with the charms of a really cool haiku. I don’t know. And maybe there’s a unit of measure, called the Jolly, that, like an SAT score, can be used to assess the value of a sutra or a sangha or a saturnine snarl of dogma. I don’t know; I don’t get around much. All I do know is that I believe in “Leave no Buddhist Behind” legislation that might come up with some kind of objective test of what the hell is going on on this great blue spherical future Buddhaland of Bliss.

The great John Ishmael Ford wrote a tremendous sermon for this Presidents Day weekend that alights on the idea of nimbleness of thinking that he attributes to Lincoln’s success as a highly compassionate and successful politician during particularly trying times. This nimbleness idea is perhaps a goal, or, at least, an intermediate goal, that Buddhists could have. It correlates more than a bit, I think, to the idea of being Integral [see the text at the top of the sidebar on this page] that this blog addresses.

Unless Buddhism is transforming people’s worldviews, I don’t know that it is any more worthy a way for folks to spend their time than vid games or solving Sudokus. And, unless assessments of what is put forward as Buddhist practice is measured against transformations of mind, I don’t see that it means anything.

What's the payoff? Where's the beef!?

It seems to me that we all can too quickly fall for the empty calories of a bunch of platitudes that can be embroidered on doilies. "Truth, justice and the American Way" could end up being a Buddhist religious credo -- and would anyone be the wiser if the green tea is still hot and biscuits are tasty?

Jeff Wilson tells us at one point in his interview, "U.U. Buddhism displays the liberal religious concern with direct action to improve the social conditions of other people, a Buddhist application of the U.U. principles: 'Justice, equity and compassion in human relations,' and 'The goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all.' Thus you get an engaged Buddhism that respects the individual conscience and appreciates the gift of community."

Not good enough! I want suped-up Buddhists. Super-charged Buddhists. Buddhists that have Hemi V8 engines.

Buddhists be nimble. Buddhists be quick. Buddhists jump over the candlestick.

Technorati tags: nimbleness, Buddhism, value-added boost