Wŏn Buddhism in America: Exploring Ways to Balance Tradition and Innovation

The introduction of Wŏn Buddhism to the United States has reached its fifty-year mark. Innovation has always played an important role in the formation and growth of Wŏn Buddhism. The founder, Sot’aesan declared the necessity to reform traditional Buddhism to make it accessible to the laity and espoused values such as inclusiveness, equality, public work, and practicality. These innovations have helped Wŏn Buddhism in America to shift from a strictly ethnic-related context to an emphasis on its universal nature. What are the detriments to decontextualizing and de-emphasizing elements thought to be “too Korean” or “too traditional,” or thought to be irrelevant in the West? I argue in this paper that if Wŏn Buddhism is to thrive in the United States conscious consideration will have to be given to the indispensable aspects of its Korean roots and tradition while connecting with the multicultural and ethnic makeup of the US.