Conclusions and Considerations

This short final chapter extrapolates upon ideas that emerged during the course of examining the sites in this book. The role that Buddhist organizations play in anchoring communities and institutionalizing the Buddhist religion upon the cultural landscape of America, addressed tangentially throughout the book, is considered more fully. The notion of classicality and tradition, so important to the design strategies of Buddhist immigrant communities, is highlighted. Central also is how sacred space might be conceived of differently with respect to the humanistic insights garnered from research into Buddhist communities in the United States. The extent to which America can be considered a Buddhist country is posited as one conclusion of the work.