The most popular Buddhist sect in West

[Dorian]

Which Buddhist sect/school/branch is the most popular among Western practitioners?
I thought that it was Theravada, but some people claim that it is Tibetan Buddhism.

[Ceisiwr]

Tibetan, zen or ever increasingly “secular Buddhism”.

[DNS]

Good question, I haven't seen any definitive surveys.

Among Western Buddhist converts, I'd say it's Zen, followed by Vajrayana (Tibetan), then Theravada.

At Buddhanet directory there were 19 pages of Theravada centers in the U.S.; 49 pages of Mahayana in the U.S.; and 27 pages of Vajrayana in the U.S.

If you include Asian-Americans, then it's Pure Land as the most popular school of buddhism.

[Ceisiwr]

Good question, I haven't seen any definitive surveys.

Among Western Buddhist converts, I'd say it's Zen, followed by Vajrayana (Tibetan), then Theravada.

At Buddhanet directory there were 19 pages of Theravada centers in the U.S.; 49 pages of Mahayana in the U.S.; and 27 pages of Vajrayana in the U.S.

If you include Asian-Americans, then it's Pure Land as the most popular school of buddhism.

Pure land is a strange one

[Keith]

How's Triratna doing?

[Ceisiwr]

How's Triratna doing?

Still having bad press due to the sex abuse thing I think.

[Dorian]

Tibetan, zen or ever increasingly “secular Buddhism”.

Is 'secular Buddhism' similar to Theravada? Or there is Zen influence that is significant?

[Ceisiwr]

Tibetan, zen or ever increasingly “secular Buddhism”.

Is 'secular Buddhism' similar to Theravada? Or there is Zen influence that is significant?

It’s usually either Zen or Theravadin influenced.

[Aloka]

Tibetan, zen or ever increasingly “secular Buddhism”.

Is 'secular Buddhism' similar to Theravada? Or there is Zen influence that is significant?

It’s usually either Zen or Theravadin influenced.

I've never seen any Secular Buddhist groups or centres in the area where I live in the UK, nor do I know of any secular buddhists. Tibetan Buddhism is probably the most popular and after that maybe Nirichen or Sokka Gakkai .



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[Aloka]

How's Triratna doing?

There are quite a few Triratna centres in the UK these days. I think the "Friends of the Western Buddhism Order" side of things is slowly fading into the background now that other people have taken over.


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[pilgrim]

What if you include the ten-day Buddhists undergoing Goenka retreats at any one time?

[Sam Vara]

It's quite difficult to answer, due to inconsistencies in defining "sect". If we use it in a strict sociological sense meaning a tight-knit group with radically different norms and values in opposition to mainstream society, then the numbers are countable, but (in the case of Buddhism) probably tiny. If however we mean a loose set of beliefs which people adopt without having much social impact, then the numbers are far larger but extremely difficult to operationalise and quantify.

[SteRo]

...
Is 'secular Buddhism' similar to Theravada?

The sect of a former monk who wanted to lead his own sect is called that way. But usually those who call themselves 'secular Buddhists' just suffer from skeptical doubt.

[WindDancer]

I am not a secular Buddhist. The secular Buddhists in my area of the world tend to be intelligent, educated people who value science. They find great benefit from engaging in Buddhist practices like meditation, virtue, the Bramha Viharas and acting with compassion to make a difference in the world. They tend to set aside any of what they consider the religious side of Buddhism, such as, rebirth, devas, other worldly beings or other realms of existence. That being said, they tend to maintain a wide range of beliefs.

In my area, the most popular sect is Vietnamese Buddhism. There is a 10,000 Buddhas monastery near where I live, and there is a Vietnamese Buddhist temple and a large Vietnamese population in a large city about an hour drive from my home. There is a Tibetan Buddhist temple that was started a while back, and a few years ago monk from Sri Lanka opened a small Theravada Buddhist Temple in the same city.

[MettaDevPrac]

If belief in a theory of identity, belief in a distinct Self, is a delusion, what would a belief that lives can be categorized into sects be?

Nothing to cling to, I think.