Who is the foremost western budhhist teacher?

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eto
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Who is the foremost western budhhist teacher?

Post by eto »

Who would you say is the foremost western buddhist teacher? That is, one who is western in terms of general ethnicity and good with the English language.

Edit: in terms of teaching a student from beginning to end.
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Kim OHara
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Re: Who is the foremost western budhhist teacher?

Post by Kim OHara »

Hard to say - partly because I don't care at all about ethnicity (and I don't think any of us should), partly because we don't do league tables or popularity contests here (and I don't think we should), but mostly because "foremost" would be so subjective anyway.
If you're looking for guidance, try the resources thread at viewtopic.php?f=24&t=148.

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SarathW
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Re: Who is the foremost western budhhist teacher?

Post by SarathW »

I agree with kim.
But I have some Western Teachers I admire for their work.
Bhikkhu Bodhi for his translations.
Bhikkhu Sujato for creating Sutta central and four Nikaya translations are freely available to anyone.
There are many great Western teachers too many to name it here.
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DNS
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Re: Who is the foremost western budhhist teacher?

Post by DNS »

Perhaps related thread:
viewtopic.php?f=27&t=9135#p141428
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JamesTheGiant
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Re: Who is the foremost western budhhist teacher?

Post by JamesTheGiant »

Ajahn Thanissaro seems to be most widespread, primarily because of his self-publishing of very many many books. His books are Everywhere. But as for quality I couldn't say.
Insight Meditation teachers like Jack Kornfield are super popular... but he's hardly Buddhist, more mindfulness+psychology.
Maybe Ajahn Brahm? Maybe Matthieu Ricard?
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DooDoot
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Re: Who is the foremost western budhhist teacher?

Post by DooDoot »

eto wrote: Fri Nov 23, 2018 2:16 amEdit: in terms of teaching a student from beginning to end.
I think the "teacher" does not have this role in Theravada Buddhism; where I think more emphasis is placed on the student studying & practising (even though the teacher helps when required)
There is always an official executioner. If you try to take his place, It is like trying to be a master carpenter and cutting wood. If you try to cut wood like a master carpenter, you will only hurt your hand.

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SarathW
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Re: Who is the foremost western budhhist teacher?

Post by SarathW »

in terms of teaching a student from beginning to end.
I think in Buddhism the teacher called a Kalyana Mitta (Noble Friend)
Basically friend guide you in the right direction.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
justindesilva
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Re: Who is the foremost western budhhist teacher?

Post by justindesilva »

eto wrote: Fri Nov 23, 2018 2:16 am Who would you say is the foremost western buddhist teacher? That is, one who is western in terms of general ethnicity and good with the English language.

Edit: in terms of teaching a student from beginning to end.
To my knowledge ven Galduwe Nyanathiloke , who was a german born in 1880s migrated to sri lanka, became a monk in south of sri lanka hermitage and wrote books explaining trippitaka. He had many pupils under him who extended his works to the west. A matrix of Abidamma is one of his best books on abhidamma. He died in 1958 at the galduwa hermitage close to Galle in Sri Lanka.
befriend
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Re: Who is the foremost western budhhist teacher?

Post by befriend »

Joseph Goldstein
Take care of mindfulness and mindfulness will take care of you.
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Manopubbangama
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Re: Who is the foremost western budhhist teacher?

Post by Manopubbangama »

From my interactions with Asian Buddhists, particularly Burmese, BIkkhu Bodhi stands head and shoulders above the rest according to them in terms of giving a clear, undefiled presentation of the Dhamma in a modern European language.

And I agree, not just with his translations but his own books and articles, as well.
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Re: Who is the foremost western budhhist teacher?

Post by dharmacorps »

Being "western" isn't a "general ethnicity". If you mean white, then you could say that.
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Re: Who is the foremost western budhhist teacher?

Post by budo »

You're not going to get a straight answer because there's a lot of contradicting lineages/traditions in Theravada as well.

If you were to ask me I would say Bhante Henepola Gunaratana. He's very old and has a senior position so I highly doubt he'd "teach" you from beginning to end, but his books will help you and are probably the best you can get

Followed by Bhikkhu Bodhi, Bhikkhu Analayo, and some of the other bigger and popular names of our time. These guys probably won't teach you either due their status, but their resources are still very helpful.
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Manopubbangama
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Re: Who is the foremost western budhhist teacher?

Post by Manopubbangama »

dharmacorps wrote: Fri Nov 23, 2018 7:15 pm Being "western" isn't a "general ethnicity". If you mean white, then you could say that.
I think he just meant European or American.

Not everyone's first language is English.
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mikenz66
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Re: Who is the foremost western budhhist teacher?

Post by mikenz66 »

Manopubbangama wrote: Fri Nov 23, 2018 7:34 pm
dharmacorps wrote: Fri Nov 23, 2018 7:15 pm Being "western" isn't a "general ethnicity". If you mean white, then you could say that.
I think he just meant European or American.
Yes, it's all a little meaningless without a lot of qualification. For example, is a Chinese person whose parents came to New Zealand, Australia, or North America for the gold rushes in the 1800s "Western" or "Asian"? The way it's expressed in our census their ethnicity would be classified under "Asian" and mine under "European", though my ancestors came to this place at the same time, or a few decades later...

Similarly, before the 70s most of the (well-known at least) ethnic European Theravada monastics trained in Sri Lanka (Nyanatiloka and Nanaponika came from Germani, Nanamoli and Nanavira from UK, Bodhi from USA). Are the "Asian Buddhists" or "Western Buddhists?". Did they create something distinct from ethnic Sri Lanakan monastics?

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Re: Who is the foremost western budhhist teacher?

Post by SarathW »

As Kim said we have to understand the intention of this question.
I assume that he is looking for some study materials in English.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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