1

On the Rim, or Non-Sectarian Approach to Buddhist Study {This is a section from a longer essay called To be an American Buddhist} To speak of one more facet of our national character, and what Buddhist teachings may offer, theres another shortcoming here in our American DNA, that we might as well acknowledge, and that is, that we live in a culture with a history of a great deal of narrow minded, religious intolerance. Its the reason, in fact, that many people reject Christianity, and look elsewhere for spiritual sustenance. Its a great loss when this same kind of intolerance works its way also into how different Buddhist schools view each other here, first pre-judging, and then excluding and not bothering to learn from each other. Some of this, its true, came over with the Zen, Theravada, and Tibetan Traditions each of them, at their most orthodox, thinking they alone had the one and only way. But some of this arrogance and narrow mindedness is a part of this culture as well. Im glad to see that some traditions are opening its doors to the teachings of other schools, with, for example, some of the Insight Meditation Society teachers embracing the teachings of the Dalai Lama and those of some Nyingma teachers. Still, its slow going, overall. A model from the past In 19th century Tibet, the idea of learning from different lineages developed into what became known as the Rim (Ri-may) or non-sectarian movement. The purpose of the Rim was not to create a new school of thought. Instead, the idea was to be established in one tradition, while learning from, practicing and benefitting from other teachings, as well as sharing what is of value in ones own tradition that could possibly be helpful to those of other schools. This non sectarian movement came about precisely because there was a good deal of sectarian conflict, misunderstanding, and worse than that - the loss of the great opportunity to learn from others.

2

We can easily see the parallel in our own times where there is often misunderstanding, and a lack communication between different Buddhist lineages, but also the great potential for a person to learn from more than one Tradition . We should take what has practical value for our lives and leave the rest. One more note on an American Rim for our times: whereas the Rim in Tibet was generally addressing the four or five Schools, in the West in the 21st century, there are many more teachings. We have the Zen, Theravada and Tibetan Buddhist Traditions with all their many subdivisions that we can learn and profit from. In addition, we have our own Western Spiritual Heritage, as well as the insights from science and psychology to draw from. Whether we refer to what we are doing as non-sectarian, or pan-sectarian, or simply Buddhist, we have many more perspectives to accommodate, and potentially at least, to help us. Its up to us to assess what works for us. It helps to remember that, for the most part, this coming together of different traditions has never really happened before, at least not to the extent that its happening now. If were sincere in our practice, and open-minded (which I know Americans in general are) then I have no doubt that well find more and more effective ways to go deeper in our practice. One teacher who has done more than anyone else in modern times to bridge the different schools is Thich Nhat Hanh. I was surprised and delighted to read his biography of Tang Hoi, and to learn how, from its inception, his Tradition of Vietnamese Buddhism it has practiced the different teachings as unified whole. Three of Thich Nhat Hanhs verses on meditation say, The essential sutras, such as the Discourses on the Full Awareness of Breathing, and the Four Establishments of Mindfulness, show me the path to transform body and mind, step by step. The Mahayana sutras and teachings open many fresh, wide gateways allowing me to enter the depths

3

of the stream of meditation flowing from the Original Source of the Buddhas teachings. Not discriminating between the practice offered by the Tathagata and that of the ancestral teachers, the Four Noble Truths perfectly interwoven should serve as the foundation of an authentic transmission.