Amitabha Apple Pie and Cubicle Chenrezig: Ethnography of an American Tibetan Buddhist Sangha

Undergraduate Research Scholarship (URS)This case study of a Columbus, Ohio Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Center (KTC) examines the process and potential causes for adoption of Tibetan Buddhism by Americans of Judeo-Christian backgrounds. I describe the enculturation process and activities at KTC through my own experiences with the community and the information shared in ethnographic interviews and survey. This study explores causes of conversion thematically, including the social, the physical place, relationships with the teacher, philosophy, psychology/therapy, self-transformation, and agency.No embarg