The Chronicle: Colloquy: Responses

I was introduced to Buddhism in college and attended a meeting that could have been deemed cult-like. There was chanting and there was enthusiasm for me to join the group on campus and the larger group in New York City. I have even seen Buddhism listed as a "cult" in a pamphlet warning parents of the dangers of such things. I find this to be incredibly ethnocentric, to call something unfamiliar to you a cult and become alarmist about it. Buddhism is older than the dominant form of worship in this country and deserves more understanding and respect. I am grateful for my youthful explorations and encourage other young people to open their minds to new possibilities while keeping their feet on the ground. As for me, my early exploration has become 24 rewarding years of Buddhist practice, and still going strong.

: -- Barbara Terao, doctoral student, National-Louis University (posted 8/30, 1 p.m., E.D.T.)

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