Beyond East and West: Modernization, Tradition, and the Buddhist Path

For decades, my work has placed me within the movement of Buddhist modernism. This path is not a rejection of tradition but a conscious effort to articulate the Dharma’s timeless truths in a language and context resonant with the contemporary world. A frequent and weighty accusation from traditionalists is that this project is inherently colonial, a capitulation to Western hegemony that betrays Buddhism’s authentic Asian heritage. While this critique merits consideration, it often rests on a fundamental confusion.

The Conflation of Colonialism and Modernity

Traditionalist and conservative voices within Buddhism often position themselves in staunch opposition to modernization, westernization, and the incursion of scientific thinking. They perceive these forces as diluting the profound depth of the Dharma, “watering down” its teachings to fit a secular, therapeutic mold. From their perspective, this is a profound betrayal.

The main flaw in this line of thinking, however, is its associative error: it links the moral bankruptcy of Western colonialism — a system built on domination and exploitation — with the epistemic and practical value of paradigms developed in the West. These are two separate issues. Colonialism is an ideology of power…