The Seven-Principled Eightfold-Pathed Religion (Final)

So, we have had a glimpse of what Buddhism is, and then what "UU Buddhists" make of it. To sum up, these are the main elements in "UU Buddhist" spirituality:

* The preferred school of Buddhism is Mahayana, particularly of the Zen (Japanese) variety and also some Vajrayana (Tibetan) elements. Theravada Buddhism ("The Way of the Ancient Ones") is largely overlooked

(Apart from that Thich Nhat Hanh and his variety of "Engaged Buddhism", which is influential and often quoted in UU groups at large, not just in the "UU Buddhist" subgroup.)

* People are generally close to Humanism, but they are interested in meditation, some kind of spiritual practice that does not involves the worship of god(desse)s, or in "alleviating suffering"

* Beyond the basics, there is little or no knowledge of Buddhist metaphysics, rituals, and customs (only an extremely limited number of individuals are really knowledgeable in "real Buddhism")

* Even though some groups call themselves a sangha, there is no UU community of Buddhist monks or nuns

* Meditation is the preferred activity for most people.

As we can see, the "UU-Buddhist" approach is, after all, not very different from other forms of contemporary UU spirituality under other brands and symbolic codes. We can even find some of the traits that I have identified elsewhere as typical elements of what we could call "UU Theology":

1. Spiritual focus in on the individual self, usually in a more or less stable connection with a larger community of like-minded people. It is, therefore, a networked self-centered approach (no negative connotations implied)
   
2. Unlike some New Age and New Thought theologies that claim the divinity of the I, UUs tend to perceive their selves as wounded or hurt, and in need of healing
3. The place of healing for wounded selves is the religious community, where they find comfort and restoration
4. Traditional religions are tools to achieve the end of religious practice: restoration/healing of the self ("alleviation of suffering")
5. Spiritual practice is not limited to one's own self, but also to other selves who are also in need of restoration, reaching out to the whole planet in ever-widening circles --this fits very well with Mahayana, particularly with the "Engaged" forms of contemporary Western Buddhism
6. Metaphysics, theology, myth, and ritual tend to be "psychologized" to make them useful and convenient for the self-centered restorative approach, and are not considered interesting as specifics areas of knowledge
7. Religious tradition is transformed to fit in this scheme and in the wider culture of the liberal progressive Western framework.

Having this in mind, I finally encourage you to have another look at what Peacebang wrote some time ago, particularly in relation to Humanism.

But I would add to her words that all this fits very well in a very specific contemporary UU mindset about spirituality. Therefore it is not that UUs quietly evolve towards a "vague Buddhism": it is Buddhism that is revisioned and contorted (something that Buddhism has done very well for centuries and is one key reason for its survival and expansion) in order to fit the UU way of being religious.