Introduction to Buddhism in America Lecture

About the lecture:

By about the 11th century, Buddhism had essentially vanished from India due to repeated Muslim invasions. However, it fortunately had migrated into Sri Lanka and S.E. Asia, and another much larger and influential branch of Buddhism, the Mahayana, had already spread via the Silk Road into China and Japan. This branch developed the Buddha’s teachings a great deal further and, especially during the 20th century, migrated across the Pacific to America. This lecture will review the early teachings of the Buddha but then trace their significant development in the centuries following the Buddha’s passing, as well as examine some of the expressions Buddhism has found both in American spirituality and in American popular culture.

About the lecturer:
Rev. Peter Hata became a Shin Buddhist priest in 2011 and was assigned as resident minister of West Covina Buddhist Temple in 2012. In 2014 he was transferred to the Downtown Los Angeles main temple.
Rev. Peter is also a jazz musician and one of the original members of the Sansei (“3rd generation”) band, Hiroshima, with whom he recorded several albums and toured throughout the U.S. and Japan. He also holds a
Master’s degree in music and has taught a variety of graduate and undergraduate music courses at Cal State LA.