Description: This is
a VOA Special English General News Report.
See text below
Text:
Boys have their hair removed at the start of a
five-day retreat. This gathering gives them a chance
to learn about Buddhism's teachings and the life of
a Buddhist monk. Many Chinese Americans go to the
Hsi Lai Temple in Los Angeles. Miao Hsi, director of
outreach, says American Buddhism is divided largely
along ethnic lines.
MIAO HSI: "This is why there is Chinese Buddhism,
there is Tibetan Buddhism, there is Japanese
Buddhism, and so on. So I think that right now, we
have some form of American Buddhism as well."
Kusala Bhikshu is an American-born clergyman. He
says Buddhism has a long history in the United
States.
KUSALA BHIKSHU: "And it now has dug its roots into
the soil of America, so there are people, myself
being born in Iowa, people who were born in America
who are coming as a convert to Buddhism, some
becoming ordained as Buddhist monks or nuns, and ...
and bringing those teachings to everyday Americans."
The Dalai Lama may be the world's best-known
Buddhist. He enjoys wide respect among Americans. He
has some well-known followers, including actor
Richard Gere.
There are Tibetan Buddhist centers around the United
States. This one near Redding, California, is a
teaching and spiritual center. Kusala Bhikshu says
his center in Los Angeles brings together several
Buddhist schools. He studied under a teacher from
Sri Lanka. His center is in a Korean-American
neighborhood, and was opened by a monk from Vietnam.
He says Buddhist teachings differ a little from one
tradition to the next. At the Hsi Lai Temple, the
central teaching is the same: a respect for the
tradition, a desire to change because of the
American experience, and a search for unity among
people of all beliefs.
MIAO HSI: "Every being is connected. It's like we
are connected to this world. So I think we should be
working towards harmonizing with one another.
Harmony and peace would be something that we should
all work towards."
Buddhists say there is a bridge that links the many
forms of American Buddhism. It is the American-born
children who share a Buddhist faith and American
culture. I'm Mario Ritter.
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Hi. I
personally reviewed this video and found it appropriate for
the news section of English Global Group. This
is a Voice of America video which covers an interesting
topic in Special English. I would appreciate some feedback from both
students and teachers about this video. You can comment in
the window below using any of a number of different services
including Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, and Hotmail.
