NickPetorak

UWRT1103008
ProfessorBlandford
ReflectionQuestions

WhenIfirststartedthinkingaboutmytopic,BuddhisminModernAmerica,Iwasthinking
aboutitmorealongthelinesofcomparingthehistoryofthetwocultures.Throughthequestion
sessionIrealizedIneededtobemorefocusedonlifeasaBuddhistinAmericaandhowthey
haveassimilatedintoourculture.ThenthroughsomecommentsfromMs.Blanfordonmy
proposal,IrealizedIneededtoleaveoutmostofthebackgroundinformationthatIhadplanned
toinclude.OtherwisemypaperwouldhaveendedupfocusingonthehistorybehindBuddhism
andtheimmigrantsthatmadetheirwaytoAmericaIwentintothisprojectthinkingaboutitmore
intermsofatypicalresearchpaper,butIwaswrong.Itisreallymoreaboutreflectingonmy
ownliteracyandconnectingittohowIapproachedtheresearchandanalyticalaspectsofthis
paper.
LikemostresearchprojectsthatIdomyresearchstartedwithaGooglesearchon
Buddhismtogainsomebackgroundonthereligion.IthenwentthroughtheLibrarysdatabase
ofscholarlyarticlesandjournals.Thebulkofmyinformationendedupcomingfromthese
databases.IwashopingtofindsomeinformationonSteveJobsconversiontoBuddhismto
gainsomeperspectiveonwhatattractsmodernAmericanstothereligion,butwasunableto
findanyusefulinformation.Itturnedoutthatheusuallydeniedtocommentonhisreligious
ideology.IthinkthatdatabaseslikeJSTORwereeffectivebecausethetopicofAmerican
Buddhismissomewhatofaparadoxandhasalreadybeensearchedprettyextensivelyby
religiousscholars.

ItsurprisedmetolearnjusthowdiverseBuddhismhasbecomeinAmericainsucha
shorttime.Buddhistimmigrantsarrivedaround100yearsagoandtherearealreadymany

differentformsofthereligion,similartothedifferentvarietiesofprotestantchristianity.Ifounda
lotofinformationaboutBuddhistuniversitiessuchasNaropaUniversity,butthisinformation
wasntveryusefulformypaper.Ididntreallyhavetroublefindinginformation,thebestsource
thatIfoundisthebook
BuddhisminAmerica
byRichardSeager.AlthoughIhaventhadthe
timetoreaditfromcovertocoverivefoundthisbooktobeawealthofinformationonawide
rangeoftopicsinvolvingtheBuddhistexperienceinAmericaandhasbeenthegotosourcefor
mostofmyquestions.MostofmyfindingsencouragedmetofocusonhowAmericanculture
andBuddhistculturehaveinfluencedeachother,insteadofgoingintothedetailsofhow
BuddhismcametoAmerica.
Istartedstraightawaywiththeroughdraftofmypaper.Althoughitwasveryrough,
gettingmybasicideasandquestionsonpaperhelpedmetofindthedirectionofmypaper.
ThenItookmyroughdraftandstartedtoexpandonthoseideasandusemyresearchtofind
someanswerstomyquestions.Althoughitisstillaworkinprogress,imhappywithwherethis
projecthastakenme.Ithinkthehardestpartsofarhasbeentryingtoconnecttheliteracy
surroundingmytopicandmyownpersonalliteracybackground.
Thequestionsessionreallyhelpedtonarrowthescopeofmypaperassome
classmatesandevenProfessorBlandfordpointedoutthatIwasfocusingtoomuchonhistorical
information.Mycritiquegroupreallyhelpedmeweedoutsomeareasofmypaperthatwould
havedetractedfromthegoaloftheproject.Thereweresomeareaslikegoingintodetailabout
thedifferentvarietiesofBuddhisminAmericathatsomegroupmembersthoughttookaway
fromtheoverallmeaningofthepaper.
InotherresearchprojectsIhavedoneyouarekindofrequiredtotakeastepbackand
avoidincludingyourownvoiceinthefinalproduct.Inthepastithasbeenallaboutstatingwhat
youhavelearnedinyourresearchandanalyzingthatinformationthoroughly.Whereasinthis

paperthemostimportantaspecthasbeentryingtoincorporatemyownvoiceandreflectingon
howpreviousexperienceshaveinfluencedthewayIapproachedmyresearch.Ithasbeen
admittedlydifficultformetotryandincludemyvoiceandpersonalhistoryintomyresearchasI
amveryusedtokeepingthetwoseparate.
TomethebiggestthingIlearnedfromthisclassiswhatliteracyreallymeans.Iveonly
everthoughtofliteracyastheabilitytoreadandwrite.Nothowallofyourpastexperienceswith
differentformsofliteracycometogethertoinfluencepresentandfutureexperiences.Another
keythingIcantakeawayfromthisclassisthatIlearnedhowtorecognizetheimportanceofmy
voiceinmywriting.Iusedtotakeaveryblackandwhiteapproachtowriting,butthisclasshas
taughtmetothinkabouthowmypasthasinfluencedthewayIapproachandanalyzetopics
whichIthinkwillbeveryvaluablemovingforward.