Budizm’in Batı’dan Doğuşu: Modern ve Postmodern Budizm

Abstract

Batı’da Budizm’i bir din olarak benimsemeden Budist teori ve pratikler ile çeşitli şekillerde ilişki kurarak Budizm’i hayat tarzına ve düşünce dünyasına dâhil eden kişilerin sayısı hızlı bir artış göstermektedir. Bu çalışmada, Budizm’in Batı’da edindiği yerin anlaşılmasına katkıda bulunmak için, Budizm’in 19. yüzyılda Batı’ya taşınmasından itibaren geçirdiği değişim evrelerini ele alınarak bugün gelinen noktanın arka planına ışık tutmak amaçlanmıştır. İlk olarak modernitenin revaçta olduğu dönemde Budizm’in ‘rasyonel’ ve ‘bilimsel’ bir gelenek olarak okunma çabaları ve bunu ortaya çıkaran faktörler incelenmiştir. Ardından bu süreçte etkin olan birkaç önemli isim üzerinden hem Batı’nın hem Asya’nın içinde bulunduğu kültürel şartların sürece etkisine değinilmiştir. Son olarak da 1960’lardan itibaren yaşanan yeni kırılmalar ve bunun sonucunda ortaya çıkan ‘pragmatik’ Budizm anlayışları ele alınmıştır. Neticede Batı’nın modern değerleri ile örtüştürülmüş ve post-modern hayat tarzının pragmatik hedeflerine hizmet eden Budist ögelerin farklı hayat tarzları içine entegre edilebildiği sonucuna ulaşılmıştır.

Keywords

• Dinler Tarihi
• Budizm
• Modern Budizm
• Postmodern Budizm
• Batıda Budizm

Dawning of Buddhism in the West: Modern and Postmodern Buddhism

Abstract

Number of those in the West who relate with Buddhist theories and practices in various ways without adapting Buddhism as a religion are rapidly rising. In this research, in order to contribute to a better comprehension of the place Buddhism occupies in the West, we aim to shed lights on the background of the contemporary situation by examining the adaptation periods of Buddhism since it was introduced to the West in the 19th century. First, we discuss reading of Buddhism as a ‘rational’ and ‘scientific’ tradition when the modernism had a high prestige and the conditions which caused these modernist readings. Then, we look into the cultural situations both in the West and Asia by pointing out some important people who were effective in this period. The last point we pay attention is new turns since the 1960s and the ‘pragmatic’ Buddhism as the result of these new turns. As a result, we argue that Buddhism which has been adopted to modern values of the West and pragmatic purposes of post-modern life style easily fit into various life and belief systems.

Keywords

• History of Religions
• Buddhism
• Modern Buddhism
• Postmodern Buddhism
• Buddhism in the West

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