This book is the first comprehensive overview of Buddhist architecture
in North America and provides an analysis of Buddhist architecture and
communities.
Exploring the arrival of Buddhist architecture in America, the book lays
out how Buddhists have expressed their spiritual beliefs in structural
form in the United States. The story follows the parallel history of the
religion's emergence in the United States since the California Gold Rush
to the present day. Conceived of as a general history, the book
investigates Buddhist structures with respect to the humanistic
qualities associated with Buddhist doctrine and how Buddhist groups
promote their faith and values in an American setting. The author's
point of view starts from the ground floor of the buildings to move
deeper into the space of Buddhist practice, the mind that seeks
enlightenment, and the structures that help one to do so. It discusses
Buddhist architecture in the United States in a manner consistent with
the intensely human context of its use.
A unique and ground-breaking analysis, this book adds to the study of
Buddhist architecture in America while also addressing the topic of how
and why Buddhists use architecture in general. It will be of interest to
scholars of religion, architecture, space and place, U.S. history, Asian
Studies, and Buddhist Studies. It will also be a valuable addition to
the libraries of Buddhist communities across the United States and the
world, since many of the observations about Buddhist architecture in the
United States may also apply to structures in Europe and Asia.
