“The pulse of spirituality in modern America is ever changing, and in recent years, Western people have been seemingly more in touch with their spirituality than ever before. Western scholars have been writing books on the Buddha’s teachings for decades, and people have been increasingly drawn to the practice as a result. Nevertheless, there are numerous factors that make Buddhism subject to certain misunderstandings in the Western world. To explain Buddhism in a “Western” culture, we must first begin to explore the common American misconceptions about Buddhism and that often make the two experiences incompatible.
The Dharma Bum Temple in San Diego, California is a prime example of a Western Temple that has worked and continues to adapt to Western needs and mindsets. Not only does the temple want to recognize where Western people struggle with Buddhism, but they ultimately must do this in order to successfully transform Western worldviews for the better.”
See Kassidy Evans' recent articles in BuddhistDoor Global, in which she takes a look at how the Dharma Bum Temple in San Diego brings the Dharma to local residents and students in an American context of meaning-seeking and meditation.