5 Reasons Americans Need Buddhism By Jeffrey Ouvran

No wonder Buddhism appeals to Americans: Ours is a society founded on the clichéd, but still relevant, promise of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But who knew these Jeffersonian principles had such an ancient source? It turns out that respect for life, personal freedom and the transformation of suffering into happiness was at the heart of the Buddha’s teachings some 2,000 years before Columbus even turned his ships west.

More of a life-force-strengthening practice than an institutional religious creed (think of it as weightlifting for the soul), Buddhism presents an intuitive approach to life that fits hand-in-glove with America's deeply rational culture. Maybe it’s because it doesn’t conflict with science, or maybe it’s because it just plain works, but Buddhism offers sound approaches to the most intractable challenges facing American society today. Here are five of the most critical.

Jeff Ourvan is a practicing Buddhist and the author of "The Star Spangled Buddhist: Zen, Tibetan and Soka Gakkai Buddhism and the Quest for Enlightenment in America."

Our Culture of Blame

For most of us, it’s often someone else’s fault—our parents', our teachers', our bosses', etc. For Buddhists, it’s not, because the road to happiness begins with the acceptance of personal responsibility. The Buddhist concept of the “oneness” of life and its environment means that if we want something in our surroundings to change—say, a job or a relationship—we must begin by forging something new in ourselves. You can’t fix others: You’re the only one you can control. In the words of Daisaku Ikeda, president of the international lay Buddhism foundation Soka Gakkai, “our environment is essentially a reflection of ourselves.” Buddhism cuts at the root of Americans' widespread tendency to blame others for our problems.

Gun Violence

Every year, more than 30,000 Americans die as a result or gun violence or accidental shootings; that's 10 times the number of casualties in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. While Buddhism has nothing to say about any Second Amendment debate— everyone is free to take whatever position they prefer—it certainly recognizes that in life, as in physics, every effect arises from a cause. Acting out in a violent way towards another (or against one’s self) denies the value inherent of the individual's life. Consistent Buddhist practice nurtures self-control and self-confidence, which, in turn, suppress our urges to lash out. In the words of a famous Tibetan lama, “Be gentle first with yourself if you wish to be gentle with others.”