EXPRESSIONS OF FAITH
Buddhism points past outer signs

The Rev. Alfred Bloom

The controversy in our community over the use of the term "Buddha" in the name of a Waikiki bar has been resolved, at least temporarily. We should reflect on what has been learned from this incident.

We have been told that this name is part of a wider phenomenon of Buddha Bars aimed at youth throughout the Western world, and in connection with techno music. Nowhere else has opposition been encountered. The opposition in Hawai'i may be explained by the large concentration of Buddhists, many from backgrounds where apparent disrespect for the Buddha in any form is unacceptable. The opponents of this name generally believe it is sacrilegious to associate the Buddha name with drinking, which is contrary to Buddhist precepts.

Despite the victorious removal of the sign, we must ask how the understanding of Buddhism has been advanced, and whether Buddhism is to be simply another puritanical religion in our society.

I initially supported this effort because the name of the bar ignored the religious sensitivities of members of the Buddhist community. I reconsidered my view when I observed the intensity of opposition and the fact that Buddhism is not monolithic. There can be a variety of Buddhist responses to such issues.

My thinking has been shaped by my involvement in the Japanese Buddhist tradition, which differs from others in its attitudes toward the understanding of the Buddha. In Japan, a Buddhist leader took me to a Club Mandara (named for the mandala, a sacred diagram of the spiritual cosmos).

Recently I heard of a bar in Kyoto called Shakuson Bar, referring to Sakyamuni Buddha. Japanese Buddhism does not divide the profane and sacred as sharply as other traditions.

Could we not find a way to transform the issue to something positive, expressing the true spirit of Buddhism? Rather than directly opposing the sign, perhaps we can work to make clear what Buddhism really stands for. Where is Buddha's compassion in this incident? Why is the name "Buddha" thought to attract customers? Is it possible that the profane may become a teacher offering insight into the sacred?

As an Advertiser article on Wednesday indicates, I changed my mind in approaching this issue. Taking into account the diversity among Buddhists, I concluded that it is entirely appropriate for those who oppose the sign to pursue the issue on their own. However, their view may not speak for all Buddhists.

It appears to me that we Buddhists should spend more energy in presenting Buddhism so the true meaning of the "Buddha" becomes clear, rather than just a lure on a sign in a tourist area.

If we wish people to learn about Buddhism in its depth, it cannot be only by expunging a name from a signboard, but by using that sign to point to the deeper truth of Buddhism for modern life: Any bar is a doorway to alcoholic addiction and tragic accidents, even without the name of Buddha.

The Rev. Alfred Bloom is an emeritus professor of the University of Hawai'i's religion department.