M&M, nihil has already answered the question you pose in your post.
Let me just add that I would attribute the revival of interest in what we call "spirituality" to the influence not just of Buddhism, but of Eastern Religion generally, beginning in the 19th century (do we get to include the 19th century in the "modern era"?). Think of Schopenhauer, of the Transcendentalists, of all those Blavatskyites, Steinerites, Jungians, etc., etc. In fact, I would argue that it is impossible to understand the intellectual life of fin-de-siecle and early 20th century Europe without an awareness of the impact on it of Eastern philosophy.
In recent years, the influence of Eastern philosophy and religion, and of Buddhism in particular, has seeped down to the "masses." I submit that the most admired religious teacher today, among literate people, is the Dalai Lama: the public eats up his books. (May I recommend the one on ethics, btw.) In my own family, I have a practicing Zen Buddhist brother (he really does go to the monastery to spend whole days meditating! Ouch!), and a professed Taoist son, not to speak of a couple of New Ager stepchildren. That is not all that unusual in America these days. And even people who have stayed within their traditional religious denominations profess to have gained insight from reading about Eastern religions/philosophies. (Did you know that Alan Watts, for example, was an Episcopalian priest?)
Joan |
