Learning is Change
Chapter six traces the changes that took place through students' participation at Buddhist meditation classes. It does so first by comparing the reflections of experienced members with those of newcomers. The key difference was a greater acceptance of ritual among the experienced members interviewed. The chapter also assesses the changes that had taken place between the first and second round interviews of the six principle participants. Teachers' objectives for their meditation students are explored as well. Long-term membership or increased membership numbers are not considered primary goals: teachers essentially see their activities as spreading the seed of Buddhist teaching, with the hope that it will inspire lasting change in students' lives. While some students left the centers and did not keep up any involvement with Buddhist teachings or practices, others may have experienced long-term changes in attitude and behaviour initiated by the practices they had learned.
Keywords: Western Buddhism, learning, change, teaching, adaptation, ritual
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