Buddhism has exploded into multiple arenas of American life over the past few decades. Books on mindfulness proliferate in airport bookstores, saffron-robed monks rally for environmental causes and Asian American immigrants build golden stupas and sprawling temples in America’s cities.
In Asia, Buddhism flourishes not only as a religion but also as an integral part of the social and political fabric. Likewise, Buddhists and non-Buddhist in the West invoke, interpret and spread the tradition widely during the course of their lives. The dynamics of Buddhism in Asia, its practice in the diaspora and its innovative developments within American public life make us mindful that Buddhism is not only an ancient tradition but also a living one.
AnnouncementTransforming the American Sangha: Race, Racism and Diversity in North American Insight MeditationNorth American Insight Meditation institutions, rooted in the Vipassana tradition of Theravada Buddhism, are often seen as liberal, inclusive multicultural spaces committed to welcoming diverse constituencies into their communities. The research undertaken …Topics: Buddhists and Buddhism, Creativity and Innovation, Race and Culture
ArticleKonda Mason: Growing rice in Louisiana is a path to justice for Black farmersThis article was originally published on The Christian Science Monitor, with the support of CRCC’s global project on engaged spirituality. It’s past daybreak on a muggy July morning when Konda Mason reaches the farm, a …Topics: Buddhists and Buddhism, Engaged Spirituality, Environment, Race and Culture, Religious Leadership, Spiritual Exemplars
ArticleAfter Thay: Plum Village Reckons With the Loss of Its FounderThis article was originally published on Tricycle with the support of CRCC’s global project on engaged spirituality. Monastics in long brown robes entered the hall for formal lunch in order of seniority, the longest ordained …Topics: Buddhists and Buddhism, Community Dynamics, Engaged Spirituality, Europe, Religious Leadership, Spiritual Exemplars
ArticleJenifer Colpas Fernández: Young Colombian activist brings light to the displaced communitiesThis article was originally published on Religion News Service, with the support of CRCC’s global project on engaged spirituality. CARTAGENA, Colombia (RNS) — In Isla de León, an hour’s drive through traffic-choked streets …Topics: Buddhists and Buddhism, Catholics and Catholicism, Engaged Spirituality, Environment, Latin America, Religious Pluralism, Spiritual Exemplars
CRCC in the NewsRNS: Gajaweera on Buddhism and Sri Lanka’s Recent Protest MovementProtests that led to Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa resignation have raised questions about the role of Buddhism in the country’s politics. Religion News Service interviewed CRCC’s Nalika Gajaweera about the Buddhist …Topics: Asia, Buddhists and Buddhism, Protests and Uprisings, Religious Leadership- ArticleSri Lanka’s Dual Crisis: Ethnic Conflict & the Debt EconomyThis article was originally published by Jamhoor. “Except for the home crowd cheering for our national team at an international cricket match, it was the first time I was seeing Sri Lankans …Topics: Asia, Buddhists and Buddhism, National and Cultural Identity, Protests and Uprisings
CRCC in the NewsLA Times: Nalika Gajaweera on How Buddhists Are Responding to Anti-Asian ViolenceThe March 16, 2021 killing of six women of Asian descent and two others brought Asian Buddhists together across lineages and communities to confront anti-Asian hate. A year later, the LA Times …Topics: Buddhists and Buddhism, Race and Culture, Violence
ArticleBuddhadharma: Reclaiming Our So-Called “Cultural Baggage”This article was originally published by Buddhadharma: The Practitioner’s Quarterly. You can often hear Western meditation-based convert circles use the term “cultural baggage” to refer to the ritualized acts, cosmological ideas, and …Topics: Buddhists and Buddhism, Immigration, Race and Culture, TAS
ArticleBrother Chân Pháp Dung: Where the Search for Simplicity LeadsThis article was originally published in Yes Magazine, with the support of CRCC’s global project on engaged spirituality. Before entering monastic life, Brother Chân Pháp Dung gave away his worldly possessions. The last step …Topics: Buddhists and Buddhism, Engaged Spirituality, Environment, Spiritual Exemplars- VideoCreating Safe(r) Spaces for Mindfulness of Breath: Experiences of Race in American Mindfulness
- VideoThe Intersection of Gender, Nationalism and Faith-based Giving in Sri Lanka
ArticleTeachers Turn to Mindfulness After a Stressful Pandemic YearThis article was originally published in Religion News Service, with the support of CRCC’s global project on engaged spirituality. The past school year was the most challenging in Jon Salunga’s teaching career. It was …Topics: Buddhists and Buddhism, COVID, Education, Engaged Spirituality, Spiritual Exemplars
“While much of what has been written about the contemporary mindfulness movement concerns the so-called secularization of the Buddhist path of awakening, this phenomenon can also provide us with some specific insights about spirituality in America.”
—Nalika Gajaweera
“Mindful Togetherness”
CRCC Experts
To schedule an interview with one of our experts, please contact CRCC:
crcc@usc.edu or 213-743-1611
