"History is a wonderful thing, if only it was true"
-Tolstoy

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Oooommmmm

NYTimes on Shin Buddhism.

"In some ways, the story line is familiar. Religious traditions have long adapted to fit changing cultural circumstances. Consider how Hanukkah, a relatively minor holiday on the Jewish religious calendar, has leaped in importance among many Jews in the face of the crush of attention surrounding Christmas in this country. But while Zen and Tibetan Buddhism — the Buddhist forms that have largely driven the religion's surge among Western practitioners — focus on meditative practices as a way to achieve enlightenment, Shin Buddhism, the Pure Land school that the Buddhist Churches of America embraces, teaches that meditation is ultimately useless because of the inherent human limitations."

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Now I'm curious about Shin Buddhism. Hadn't heard of that sect before... At least it's not the "Left Behind School."