The Unexpected Return of the Hippies?

Photo by Andreas Wagner on Unsplash

Ancient spiritual lifestyles and practices have a way to return to our contemporary society unexpectedly, albeit in a modified form.

There is no question that Buddhist practices such as sitting meditation and mindfulness are gaining in popularity in America. I am a teacher who is in and out of classrooms every day. I know for a fact that mindfulness is taught in many American classrooms within the public school system, starting from the elementary level.

Thus, the number of American youths and adults who are influenced by Buddhist practices is growing. But what about the number of people who actually identify themselves as Buddhists? According to a 2015 Pew Research report, the Buddhist population on a worldwide basis is projected to be declining after 2030. This projection is purely based on demographics. Yes, the world population is projected to grow substantially. The report says that “The projected decline in the share of the world’s population that is Buddhist is a result of Buddhists’ aging population and low fertility rate relative to other religious groups.”

The main theme of the current issue of our Buddhist magazine, Wisdom Voice, is “Buddhism and the Next Generation.” The graying of the Buddhist community has been a major cause of concern. In Japan, there…