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In today's episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with guest Ann Gleig. Ann Gleig is an associate professor of Religious Studies at the University of Central Florida and author of American Dharma: Buddhism Beyond Modernity. Her book presents Buddhism's introduction to the West and its manifestations through America’s cultural evolutions.
In 1968, Chögyam Trungpa said that the West needed a different approach to Buddhism. What became of this approach? 50 years later, American Dharma examines Buddhism's integration and dissociation in American culture viewed through a post-modern lens: sexual misconduct, the exclusion of people of color and the commodification of mindfulness are just a few of the topics investigated in the book.
Listeners familiar with Integral Theory will appreciate the section on Integral Zen. Diane Musho Hamilton sensei and husband Michael Mugako Zimmerman discuss how they incorporate the integral map at the Two Arrows Zen community in response to these post-modern crises.
The triple gem of Buddhism are the Buddha, the Sangha and the Dharma.
In the book, there are many references by Buddhist scholars and practitioners such as, "gentrification of the dharma", "decolonizing the dharma", "hack the dharma", "debug the source code of the dharma" to list just some examples. So, what exactly is the Dharma? If it is true that we are transitioning into a metamodern era, what changes have the Buddhist communities in the West made to adapt to this new age?
Regarding the Sangha, Thich Nhat Hanh said that "the next Buddha might take the form of a community". How can the post-Boomer generations answer this call and have they lived up to their self-declarations?
Towards the end of our conversation, Ann and I reflect upon the issue of class, neoliberalism and the response of the Buddhist communities.
To find out the answers to these questions and much more, please tune in and enjoy!
Ann Gleig can be found on Twitter @agleig
As part of the Buddhism and Race speaker series sponsored by the Harvard Buddhist Community, Ann will be a guest speaker on 4/22. Check out this magical poster and description here: https://buddhismandrace.com/5-ann-gleig
