The foundation for Buddhism without borders

Reflecting on the contemporary presentations of Buddhism within the Western context, particularly from the Tibetan traditions, this paper presents Buddhism from a ‘living tradition’ perspective arguing that the principle which links Buddhism across space and time is the concern with ‘lived experience.’ This perspective highlights the origins of Buddhism in the Buddha’s experience, and serves to unify ordinary and Enlightened experiences as kinds of ‘lived experiences.’ As a result, the ‘living quality’ of the teachings is understood in terms of the interrelationship of doctrine and practice; and expressed in relation to the subjectivity of practitioners in space and time. It is argued that this perspective challenges a number of current Western perspectives in the study of Buddhism which can be described as over-determining Buddhism as a heterogeneous and non-Western product; while concomitantly emphasising ‘borders’ between the ancient and contemporary, text and praxis, and tradition and innovation. Particularly in the West, ‘tradition’ is seen in diametric opposition to innovation; I argue that this view of tradition is foreign to the living tradition context. Rather, Buddhism engages with and through human experience, which by its nature is always contemporary. ‘Living tradition’ is thus that which maintains the transformative power of Buddhism; concluding that this living tradition perspective is itself the foundation for Buddhism without borders.