us enthusiasts enjoyed the exotic and mystical tone of the Asian traditions. In the United States, there was a flurry of interest. First of all, thousands of Chinese immigrants were coming to the west coast in the late 1800's. Many of them came to provide cheap labor for the railroads and other expanding industries. Also, on the east coast, intellectuals were reading about Buddhism in books by Europeans. During World War II interest in Buddhism was renewed as many Asian Buddhists came to England and the U.S., and many European Buddhists came to the U.S. Zen Buddhism was particularly popular, especially in the U.S., where it became part of the Beatnik artistic and literary movement as "Beat Zen." Today, there are more than 300 million Buddhists in the world, including at least a quarter million in Europe, and a half million each in North and South America. Whatever the numbers may be, Buddhism is the fourth largest religion in the world, after Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. And, although it has suffered considerable setbacks over the centuries, it seems to be attracting more and more people, as a religion or a philosophy of life....
