Authenticity and Buddhist Experience

Abstract

Aim of this paper is the analysis of two Tibetan Buddhist Centers in Italy. The topic was the perception of authenticity by visitors. Our survey is based on 21 in-depth interviews to visitors of two Tibetan Buddhist Centers in Piedmont. What seems to emerge is that this experience is mainly nourished by the so-called “existential-experiential” authenticity, a notion of authenticity that is mainly spent on an individual level, which means searching for that “true self” that society and everyday life tend to inhibit. Although less important, the aspects of authenticity as a social construction and the so-called “objective authenticity” appear to be significant.