Memoir gives personal look at the journey of a Buddhist scholar

Board chair and vice chair issue statement on questions about Paterno Alumni Town Hall meetings begin in Pittsburgh Panel discussion 'Responding to Child Sexual Abuse' set for Jan. Penn State President Erickson signs employment contract New York Alumni Town Hall meeting to be streamed University Park, Pa. A religious studies scholar and pioneer in the study of American Buddhism reflects in his newest book on a more than four-decade career that included controversies and insights that changed the field of Buddhist studies. Charles Prebish said he chose to write his memoir, "An American Buddhist Life: Memoirs of a Modern Dharma Pioneer," (The Sumeru Press, 2011), to highlight the personalities of the people and scholars he met during his career. "People in Buddhist studies typically don't write memoirs, so there's no reflection on the great people in the field," said Prebish. "I thought, why not go ahead and write it because the stories are so good." While Buddhists have lived and worshipped in the United States for more than two centuries, by the 1970s, no comprehensive study about these complex, multi-ethnic communities existed, writes Prebish, professor emeritus of religious studies. Even the simplest information, such as the number of Buddhists in the U.S., was unavailable, Prebish said.