For eight years now, Western Buddhist monastics have been gathering to discuss Buddhism's adaptation to the West, the West's adaptation to Buddhism, how to collectively work towards the true goal of Buddhism as a united Sangha, among other topics specific to the particular theme of each year's conference. These discussions promote understanding and harmony within the Western Sangha.

On November 7th, 2002, twenty-nine Buddhist monastics representing six different lineages of Buddhist practice came together at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB) in Ukiah, California, for the 8th annual Western Buddhist Monastic Conference. The topic this year was "True to the Source" and the conference involved demonstrations of rituals, chants, and practices from each tradition as well as group discussion of how each of us uses our way of practice to relate to the "source" of the Buddha's Teaching. Topics such as teacher/student relationship, interfaith dialogue, interface with modern Western culture, and inter-tradition ordinations were discussed. The traditions represented were Theravada Thai Forest Tradition, Soto Zen, Chinese Mahayana, Tibetan Gelugpa, and Korean Chogye Zen. For four days, we met in councils, meditated together, took part in CTTB morning and evening services, had informal discussions, told stories, and related more closely to each other in the light of our similar human experience, and in the light of Dharma.

From the beginning it was apparent that the similarities between us out-weighed the differences. Elements of study, meditation, and service are included in our practice. We're all following rules of training and discipline. Each chanting or ritual demonstration invoked a spirit of offering oneself to the Triple Gem and revering the Triple Gem, taking refuge in the Triple Gem, bringing forth the bodhi resolve and overcoming all doubts. Everyone's robes were similar also; the colors may have been different, but each robe, save one style of Soto Zen robe, was made in the traditional patchwork style designed by Ananda and resembling the rice paddy fields in India. The difference was mainly in the style of the ritual: for example at CTTB their recitations and praises are very musical and backed by chimes, drums, and bells. In the Theravada tradition, the chanting is done in three tones with no instruments.

Midway through the conference the group visited Abhayagiri Monastery to watch a video depicting the Ajahn Chah tradition in northeastern Thailand and to take a tour of the land. Perhaps an event that fills in a large gap between the Theravada and Mahayana traditions is Venerable Master Hsuan Hua's offering of the Abhayagiri Monastery land to the Theravadin order. When asked how the Sanghas of these different traditions could interact with each other, Master Hua would reply "not different Sanghas; same Sangha." This kind of statement refers to the need to not have separated, floating Sanghas in the West who interact with each other through windows of traditional forms, but for each practice tradition to be part of one Sangha, with a common teacher (the Buddha) and a common goal (to realize the Truth). That's why these monastic conferences are so important: we come together and discuss our common aspirations and goals, about what works for us in our practice, and what we're inspired by. We can see from the similarities of different Buddhist traditions that a united Sangha in America exists right now. This kind of unity happens when there is mutual respect for discipline, a "seeing through" of conventions, frequent interaction, and mutual love of Dharma.  

As to the "source" of the Buddha's Teachings, it had to be agreed upon that the final say has to come from our own experience. The description in the Pali sutras of a stream-enterer is "one who knows for himself" or "one who has knowledge not dependent on others."  

When the Western Buddhist Monastic Conference happens, many devoted monastic practitioners gather, and it's a rare opportunity to live and train with monastics of all traditions. There's automatically a sense of deep gratitude that the Buddha's Teaching has even lasted for this long at all- there is no other organized group structure that has stayed true to its original core principles for this long. The Sangha in America is very much alive- the monastic conferences are proof of this- and everyone is working hard. The Sangha is slowly becoming a part of the society, slowly changing things for the better through the power of its ethics and wisdom.

The ninth Western Buddhist Monastic Conference will happen at Vajrapani Institute in Oct/Nov 2003. The theme is yet to be decided.