The East has always been very fortunate in being supported with a very strong foundation of Buddha Dharma.... The downside is that the changes of the modern world, and the East trying to keep up with the economic development—as we call call it—process often has distanced laymen from the Buddhist teachings. Livelihood and survival as well as the increase of material belongings has become so very strong, that oftentimes we find the seriousness with which Dharma is practiced is limited to monastic institutions.

"Nagarjuna's Letter to a Friend" (2008)