It’s been quiet around this blog lately. Last month was the first second in over two years that none of us bothered to post anything. Not for any lack of material—it’s just that other priorities won out.
When we began this blog, we did so figuring that we had unique perspectives to offer the online Buddhist community. All of us are young Buddhists who’ve been highly engaged in the community on the ground—each in our own way, and in ways you’re unlikely to find elsewhere on the Buddhist blogosphere. Our posts may not directly reference this involvement, but it’s hard to overstate how much these experiences guide our writing.
The flow of posts has slowed precipitously over the past year. The initial pull that brought us online has diminished, and so most of us have come to prefer sharing our practice offline. For my part, I’ve funneled my scant spare time and energy into “Angry Asian Buddhist” topics on the eponymous blog.
In the past few months, several Buddhists have approached me offline to encourage us to post more often. They have all been Asian Americans with an interest in deepening their practice and understanding of Buddhism. They have found little inspiration in many of the institutions they’d investigated, and were interested in hearing more from voices of young people like them. My goal for this coming year, then, is to publish at least once a month on my thoughts and experiences surrounding my personal practice in the context of being an Asian American Buddhist.
I hope my cobloggers join me as well. I deeply miss their posts—and their writing is much more eloquent and insightful than my own.
But that’s not all. We could use more writers. I’m especially interested in the voices of young Asian American Buddhist women. The community is seriously lacking our sisters’ voices in the discussion! I’m happy to publish guest posts as well. If you’d like to contact us, just leave a comment, and we’ll get back to you.
I’d like to revamp the site too—but that may be for another year.
May you all have a happy and peaceful new year!
You’re too kind, arunlikhati. I think I’ll join you in this resolution to post at least once a month.
Wish people would stop saying “convert this or orthodox that”. . . It’s like the essence of the teachings of all true religion is lost in the manipulative efforts of defining energies that could be put to better use by making a more enigmatically creative world. . .
P.S. There’s always room for everybody to write! Never give up any efforts toward a positive habit!
Thank you for your committment to keep the blog up! I have just found it. I am an Asian American male Buddhist seeking to develop my practice and life questions through dialogues that seem possible through your thread.
I look forward to hearing more!
best.
Andrew
You all have a unique voice (I am not Asian but lived for 12 years there as an outsider). I look forward to up-coming posts. If anyone is inspired, in light of your various perspectives, I’d love to hear your critique or review of McMahan’s book “The Making of Buddhist Modernism”. Just a thought.
Best in the New Year!
Arun,
Thank for for the inspiration. It’s been quiet in my neck of the woods too. I’m going to make a similar intention for the Urban Refuge community. And… who knows… maybe I can help out with that call for Asian American buddhist women 🙂
thanks for all you do.
Thanks for this post Arun. I think my goal for the coming year for this blog will be aligned with my overall goal for my Buddhist practice. As a new resident of San Francisco, I hope to explore the Buddhist community and keep you all posted about what I see and experience.
Would you be interested in attending meditation and dhamma talks given by Theravada MaeChee Brigitte? She is of the forest tradition. She will be with us in Santa Monica on March 8, 9, &10, 2013.
She was awarded the UN Women’s Day “2009 Outstanding Woman In Buddhism” achievement award and honored by Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn for “Peace-building and Meritorious Deeds Performed unto Humanity”.
Since April 2009 MC Brigitte teaches at Wat Prayong Gittivanaram International Meditation Center. MC Brigitte started teaching monthly courses at Wat Prayong – every 1st to 7th of the months. Every Year she organizes a New Years Retreat from 1st to 9th January in the Khao Yai mountains.
She frequently teaches retreats at other locations like the World Fellowship of Buddhists in Bangkok, at Chiangmai and Chiangrai Province in Thailand and was invited to give advice to “Monks in Training to go Abroad (Phra Dhammatut)” to spread the Dhamma .