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The International Association of Buddhist Universities (IABU) Teaching Dhamma in New Lands Academic Papers presented at the 2nd IABU Conference Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, Main Campus Wang Noi, Ayutthaya, Thailand The International Association of Buddhist Universities 2012 IABU Editorial Committee: Ven. Dr. Khammai Dhammasami Prof. Padmasiri de Silva Prof. Sarah Shaw Dr. Dion Peoples Jamie Cresswell (2)(2) Preface Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University (MCU) has been privileged to witness and play an instrumental role in developing and hosting successful UNDV and IABU celebrations, annually. As always, we are all very grateful to the Royal Thai Government for its constant support, and thank the Thai Supreme Sangha Council for its blessings, guidance and support. We are indebted, also, to the United Nations for recognizing the thrice-sacred Buddhist holy day. We had to delay the 2nd IABU Conference, due to the extreme fl ooding that shut down MCU for nearly two months. It has been 2600 years since the Enlightenment of our Great Teacher, and we have gathered here from across the globe, from many nations, to again pay tribute to his birth, enlightenment, and death – occurring on the same day in different years. The 2nd IABU Conference is running this year, due to the postponement, with the 9th United Nations Day of Vesak Conference. The IABU Secretariat now plays a major role in our celebrations, particularly in the academic program of the conference. This publication could not have been possible without the persistence, hard work, and dedication of MCU’s scholars and staff. I wish to thank all members of the International Council for The Day of Vesak and the Executive Council of the International Association of Buddhist Universities, and the other members of the Editorial Committee for their devotion. I am also grateful to our many donors, sponsors, and dedicated volunteers who return year after year to support the IABU and United Nations Day of Vesak Celebrations. We all truly celebrate the Buddha’s Enlightenment, and hope these words reach the hearts and minds of the readers. The Most Ven. Prof. Dr. PhraDharmakosajarn Rector, Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University President, ICDV & IABU (3) Contents Preface Table of Contents Introduction Teaching Dhamma in New Lands 1. Zaenal A. Ekoputro: Maintaining the Vihara Inside a Muslim Society: 3 A Study on the Vihara Kwan In Thang in Pamulang, Banten Province, Indonesia 2. Edi Ramawijaya Putra, S. Pd: Buddhism in Indonesia: The Current Issues of 11 Development of Buddhism and Modern Muslim 3. Ms. Yulianti: The Social Role of Chanting Tradition in Indonesia 21 Buddhist Society 4. Kustiani: Buddhist Women and Polygamy Issue in Indonesia 28 5. Wilis Rengganiasih Endah Ekowati: Bhikkhu Ashin Jinarakkhita’s Interpreting 36 and Translating Buddhism in Indonesian Cultural and Political Contexts 6. Kagendo Murungi: Suff ering, Dhamma Seeds & Videotape: Equity, 46 Interdependence & Culture in Struggles for African Liberation Kagendo 7. Ven. Bhikkhu Buddharakkhita: Tales, Trials and Tribulations of 56 Teaching Dhamma in Uganda 8. Blaze Marpet: The Beatnik Buddhist: The Monk of American Pop-Culture 69 9. Ven. Dr. Chao Chu: Teaching Dharma in the United States 78 10. Rev. John M. Scorsine: Buddhist Practice: Within an Environment of 82 Concrete and Steel 11. Jonathan H. X. Lee: Acting Out: Thai American Buddhists Encounters with 97 White Privilege and White Supremacy 12. Kannadeniye Santa Thero: Challenges Sri Lankan Monks Face in 117 Disseminating Dhamma to Children in the US. 13. Dr. Leena Seneheweera: Bridging Society and Buddhism Through 129 a Woman’s Role in Teaching the Dhamma as Depicted in Selected Visual Art Works from Sri Lanka (4) 14. Jennifer Savage: Dharma in Action: The Gift of Western Female 138 Dharma Teachers 15. Assoc. Prof. Dr. J. Abraham Vélez de Cea: Buddha and the New Atheists: 151 On the Art of Teaching the Dhamma in the Bible Belt 16. Saw Yee Mon: Exporting Dharma to New Lands: Empirical Approaches of 174 Teaching Dharma in Predominantly Non-Buddhist States 17. Alina Morales Troncoso: The Dhamma in Spanish-Speaking Countries 182 18. Rejane Serra: Societal Relevance and Place of Buddhism in France 188 19. Rujing Mao: The Most Outstanding Bhiksunī Contribution to Education 210 in Contemporary China 20. Phramaha Somboon Vuddhikaro: Buddhist Tolerance for Peaceful 219 Co-Existence of Asian Nations 21. Suryo W. Prawiroatmodjo: Teaching Buddhism by Understanding 223 the Phenomena of Nature: Integrating Dhamma Teaching Methodology into Environment Education Program - A New Approach to Comprehend Buddhist-Environmental Teaching Practice 22. Cynthia Drake: American Habits and Fresh Baked Bread 234 23. Joan Buchanan: Dharma in the West: How are our Youth Learning? 247 24. Dr. Malcolm Voyce: The Role of Rules in Personal Development and 263 Interpretations of the Vinaya in Western Countries 25. Susmita Barua: Bridging Science and Spirituality through Buddha’s Middle 274 Way to Knowledge 26. José A. Rodríguez Díaz: Being Buddhist in New Lands: 279 Mapping Buddhist Social-Cultural Identities 27. Matthew Spencer: Buddhism and “Situationists” on Character and the Virtues 292 28. Geoffrey Bamford: Reform Buddhism & Clinical Mindfulness: 304 A Study in Cultural Adaptation 29. Maya Joshi: Buddhisms in India Today: Problems and Possibilities of 326 a Pluralistic Paradigm 30. Dr Yaghoob Foroutan: Multiculturalism and Challenges of Religion: 334 The Place of Buddhism from a Comparative Perspective (5) 31. Assoc. Prof. Helen Rosen, MSW: Bringing Meditation to the Community: 349 The Applied Meditation Studies Program at the Won Institute of Graduate Studies, Glenside, PA., USA 32. Ricardo Guerrero: Towards Opening the F irst Theravada Center in Spain 358 33. Winston Velazco: BUDDHISM IN NEW LANDS 366 (6)(6) 2nd IABU Conference: Introduction to the Teaching Dhamma in New Lands Volume Welcome to the 2nd International Association of Buddhist Universities Academic Conference on Buddhist Philosophy and Praxis. This conference seems like it has been a long time in the making, due to the extensive fl ooding that ravished Thailand, and certainly left Mahachulalongkorn rajavidyalaya University, our gracious and great host, inundated with almost 2 meters of water. The university, where the IABU Secretariat is currently headquartered, has overcome this diffi cult situation, and we are now ready to hold this conference. The conference was originally scheduled for 16-18 December 2011, but to make this happen seemed like an impossibility. We are now here for the rescheduled date: 31 May – 02 June 2012. We have noticed that our 2nd IABU Conference coincides with the 9th United Nations Day of Vesak Celebrations – but our aims are different for this occasion. It’s quite fascinating that a single university can host two large international conferences at the same time. We further give our humble respects to the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand and to the Thai Sangha Supreme Council for enabling this conference to proceed. When this conference was in its planning stages, we had initial discussions on the main theme: Buddhist Philosophy – but we did not want papers that just gave idealistic proposals. Instead we aspired to gain papers that demonstrated philosophy in action, or the conversion of an idea into an actuality – and thus we wanted to implement or emphasize the aspect of praxis, into the conference. We had scheduled a practical meditation session, where elected Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana masters would hold a meditation session along with a question and answer period; but due to the merging of the two conferences: the 2ndIABU Conference and the 9th UNDV Conference – there was no longer enough allotted time for the meditation sessions, so it was regretfully eliminated. We hope that the gathering of academics took advantage of this expertise that availed themselves for this august gathering. As all the scholars can surmise, there are several formats or applications of Buddhism, some are living-systems, and some have become either extinct or have merged with existing systems. Buddhist Philosophy is a vast topic that fi lls many bookshelves. Most of us have read texts on early-Indian or Vedic-philosophy and have seen the emergence into what we are discussing: Buddhism – but by no means are we holding a singular view of a Buddhism. The overwhelming amount of scholars present here surmise that dependent-origination is probably the supreme-teaching of the Buddha, or the one doctrine that gathers the most attention. The term: ‘praxis’ has caused some confusion amongst our scholars. If the term was defi ned: we could determine that praxis is the application or process through which the philosophical or doctrinal point becomes actualized or put into place (practiced) – it’s about the endeavor. We might have taken the term from international-socialistic literature, which emphasizes that besides just having philosophy – the point of all of us studying the Buddha’s preserved words is for the sake of improving our world – to eliminate suffering from the social experience. How have we actually done this? Approximately 160 articles were received the 2nd IABU Conference from around the world. We have selected about 110 of them for presentation at the conference. There are articles from (7) different levels of scholars, ranging from the most senior of professors and on downward to undergraduates. Each of the articles have merits of interest within them. We decided on four programs (sub-themes). This is the volume for the session on Buddhist Psychotherapy. PANEL SUMMARIZATIONSUMMARIZATION – TEATEACHINGCHING DHAMMA IN NEW LANDSLANDS:: Papers were to focus on ways in which the Dharma is integrating into the societies and cultures of predominantly Christian countries. The papers were to address sociological and cultural issues and not merely ritualistic and practice based aspects of Buddhist traditions. For example, studies pertaining towards: gender, family, ethnic issues and dissemination; intra-Buddhist relations; Buddhism and Secularism; Buddhist relationships with the host-country’s social, political and religious culture; and Buddhism and the media.