Modern Buddhism: Readings for the Unenlightened

In the 20th & now the 21st century, the world has increasingly embraced the teachings of Buddhism, esp. in the West. It deeply influenced the Beat writers & the counter-culture of the 1960s. But how different is this modern form of Buddhism from the ancient faith that originated over 2 millennia ago? Forging a universal doctrine from the divergent traditions of China, Sri Lanka, Japan, Burma, Thailand & Tibet, the makers of the most modern Buddhism in fact look back to the most ancient. Modern Buddhism is for them a homeward journey to the original vision of Buddha himself. Putting more stress on meditation & spirituality than on ritual & relics, it embraces the ordination of women & values of science, social justice, tolerance & individual freedom.Lopez, Donald S., Jr. is the author of 'Modern Buddhism: Readings for the Unenlightened', published 2002 under ISBN 9780756792183 and ISBN 0756792185.