Buddhism Quote by Clark Strand
““In the mid-1990s, while serving as senior editor for Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, I proposed a thought experiment to test whether Buddhism could spread around the globe. That test consisted of a single question: Did Buddhism have a teaching that was so universal it could pass quickly from person to person without getting stopped in its tracks, leaping across national, ethnic, economic, and even religious boundaries?””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Podcast with Clark Strand, 2020
The quote asks whether Buddhism contains a universally resonant teaching that can spread across cultures without barriers.
In simple terms: It wonders if Buddhism has a teaching that spreads easily worldwide.
Key Takeaway
Identify teachings that transcend cultural limits.
Themes
universality
religion
culture
transmission
Mood
curious
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- interfaith dialogue
- education
- online courses
- community workshops
Key Concepts
Buddhist doctrine
memetics
globalization
Questions to Reflect On
- What teaching could bridge diverse worldviews?
- How can we test a teaching’s universal appeal?
A Different Perspective
Cultural resistance may limit diffusion of any teaching.
![“I think East Asian countries, I think they're very fortunate to have Buddhism survive as a strong influence because right from the time when Buddha himself, 2,500 years ago, made the point about the importance of education, and the word "Buddha" also means enlighten[ed] or educated. So all the…” quote by Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d15/amartya-sen-2518_asian_i-think-east-asian-countries-i-think-the_2344083.jpg)
![“The extraction of discrete parts of Chöd teachings from their broader philosophical contexts is symptomatic of how Chöd has been incorporated into and transmitted through other Tibetan Buddhist lineages. For example [...] Chöd practices gradually merged with pre-existing models of deity yoga, such…” quote by Michelle Sorensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b05/michelle-sorensen-60370_2013_the-extraction-of-discrete-parts-of-ch-d_4303.jpg)