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Star-Spangled Buddhist
- Zen, Tibetan, and Soka Gakkai Buddhism and the Quest for Enlightenment in America
- Narrated by: Kevin Young
- Length: 7 hrs and 5 mins
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Editor reviews
Jeff Ourvan mixes his personal experiences as a practicing Buddhist with informative overviews that demystify the histories and practices of the three major schools of American Buddhism, organized in sections by the Three Jewels: the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. Kevin Young's leisurely, upbeat performance highlights the clarity and the touch of self-effacement that make Ourvan's Star-Spangled Buddhist so accessible.
Perceptive and passionate, this succinct outline articulates how Buddhism's emphasis on acceptance and the quest for personal enlightenment has appealed to Americans, changed through its contact with them, and why it might be the faith that is most adaptable to an increasingly interconnected global culture.
Summary
The full story of Buddhism in the United States - illuminated and enlightened for today’s listener.
Approximately four million Americans claim to be Buddhist. Moreover, hundreds of thousands of Americans of various faiths read about Buddhism, are interested in its philosophical tenets, or fashionably view themselves as Buddhists. They’re part of what’s been described as the fastest growing religious movement in America: a large group of people dissatisfied with traditional religious offerings and thirsty for an approach to spirituality grounded in logic and consistent with scientific knowledge. Star-Spangled Buddhist is a provocative look at these American Buddhists through their three largest movements in the United States: the Soka Gakkai International, Tibetan/Vajrayana Buddhism, and Zen Buddhism.The practice of each of these American schools, unlike most traditional Asian Buddhist sects, is grounded in the notion that all people are capable of attaining enlightenment in “this lifetime.” But the differences are also profound: The spectrum of philosophical expression among these American Buddhist schools is as varied as that observed between Reformed, Orthodox, and Hasidic Judaism.
Star-Spangled Buddhist isn’t written from the perspective of a monk or academic but rather from the irreverent view of author Jeff Ourvan, a lifelong practicing lay Buddhist. As Ourvan explores the American Buddhist movement through its most popular schools, he arrives at a clearer understanding for himself and the listener about what it means to be - and how one might choose to be - a Buddhist in America.