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Terrible...you all have to talk to this guy
Hello All,
I just visited a site I found quite disturbing. It promotes something Buddha himself was against and is actually one of the reasons for the foundation of Buddhism. I left this gentleman a message in his guest book. I suggest you all visit his site, and maybe leave him some messages as well. In my opinion he is equating Buddhism with something quite contradictory. The address is: http://www.proudblackbuddhist.org/
Yours In Love,
I just visited a site I found quite disturbing. It promotes something Buddha himself was against and is actually one of the reasons for the foundation of Buddhism. I left this gentleman a message in his guest book. I suggest you all visit his site, and maybe leave him some messages as well. In my opinion he is equating Buddhism with something quite contradictory. The address is: http://www.proudblackbuddhist.org/
Yours In Love,
0
Comments
Sometimes a vacant smile is an appropriate response.
gassho
-fd-
" Many of the things that I write about on this site I really do not know and understand. This site is the result of a "Spirit" that gets inside of me and things just come from knows where"
This one of the many high quality extracts
They used to do things like ream people out verbally which allowed her to take their bad/negative karma and then transform it into something else my attacking it with a certain incantation or chant...
-bf
Alas, at times, we may all be guilty of passing off our certainties as Right View, particularly when they clash with another's!
I guess the site's creator just wanted to unite black Buddhists. I read an article somewhere that only 3% of America's Buddhists are black, so I guess he wanted to let the rest of us know that we're not alone? I dunno...jeez, what a terrible way to go about it, though.
Ugh. I apologize FOR him.
The only color I see in you, Sabine, is the background color I've selected for my text box
-bf
If kindness was a color
It would be clear
Do we have no members who experience synthaesthesia? They could tell us the colour of kindness.
Not me and I misplaced my synthaesthesia inhanced Ray-Bans.
but wouldnt that be only their conditioned association to the emotion of that colour :-/
And what else is any perception that we interpret as 'colour'?
i would be afriad to wake up and my green turned red, how terrifying.
also another theory to support my green is everyones green. people go crazy overnight, but why do people not wake up with altered colour perception? because it doesnt exist.
sorry to digress from this topic everyone. :poke: simon
The founder of this site has claimed that it would offer an 'African-American' culture by using such words as 'Homey' or 'Give some skin' phrases that 'you white people' may not understand. I am left with the idea that this man believes that the entire 'African American' community can only communicate in 'Street Talk'....What is he going to do - have all the Suttras translated in to Slang?...Patronising or what?!
The fact is, and the fact remains that if I as a 'White Caucasian'( I think this is the nonsense term that applies) created a site like this I would be called a 'Red Neck', White Supremist, etc...Does this site reflect badly on the 'African American' community? IMHO NO. They will see right through this....I dread to think what the great Martin Luther King would make of this forum:(
All the masters speak of "expedient means" in conveying the dhrma. To you or I, this fellow's means may not be appropriate to convey the underlying dharma. To others it may be "just what the doctor ordered. Perhaps this fellow's site eventually will lead some to understand an underlying truth -- racism (while ver rel in and of itself) is really classism. An effort to dived "us" from "them" in order to enforce an egoistic viewpoint and maintain the power structure.
gsasho
-fd-
I am sorry to correct you but it is synesthesia. I had it when I used to do a lot of......OOPS!
Something.
There, I said it!
(now let's see who this stirs up shall we?....)
cheers
maybe what's needed is ANAEsthesia....
It's horses for courses, and there's plenty of room for everyone to have an opinion if they want to have one. Just because you choose to practise a specific line of Buddhism, it doesn't mean everyone has to agree with it, or do the same. Don't take it personally, it's the system, not you, that others have chosen to disregard.
Now stop being so hyper-sensitive and have a cup of tea. :type:
Please be aware that Nichiren Buddhism is a fairly broad tradition (if I may call it that) with some 40 different schools and many different organizations within those schools. To characterize all Nichiren Buddhists by the actions of a few is no different than any other stereotyping - and is something I think the Buddha would not have done. The choice is of course yours..................
Please relax. There are many intolerant Nichiren Buddhists, from several different schools, whose actions can cause people to react the way these have. I personally witnessed (and tried to ameliorate) such an exchange between Zenmonk Genryu and another Nichiren Buddhist on a different forum within the last two weeks. After what this other Buddhist said to and about Genryu, I am unsurprised that he would say what he has in this thread.
All we can do is to show people that the actions of a few do not describe the actions of all, and that Nichiren Buddhism is as much a valid Dharma Gate as any other. I don't choose to practice Zen, or Vajrayana, or Theravada; I don't expect anyone else to necessarily practice Nichiren Buddhism either. I try to show by my actions and words that there are sincere, toelrant, respectful Nichiren Buddhists in the world. Beyond that, each person makes their own choices, and we all receive the karmic effects of the choices we make. That principle applies, no matter whether one does or does not practice Buddhism or what form one practices.
All you can do is to make choices for yourself that you can be happy with and that you can live with. Please don't be upset when others make choices you disagree with; these are their choices to make, and not yours. I long ago gave up expecting anything different from from Buddhists than I do from the rest of humanity; we are all human too, and I daresay most of us have not yet fully awakened. Sorry for the rant, but I hope that you don't get too emotionally upset by these kinds of things, as they will continue to happen for some time yet to come.
-bf
Hi masteravatardavidstar. I see from your profile that you've joined here recently. Welcome- it's good to meet you!
Zenmonk _genryu is not able to respond to your post. If you check his profile, you will see that he has been banned.
Welcome aboard! It is nice to meet you as well, Engyo!
Actually, I am familiar with your posts at the other forum you mentioned. I have learned a lot about Nichiren Buddhism from you and I would like to thank you! I look forward to reading more from you on both boards. :smilec:
I am looking forward to it as well.
``He abused me, he beat me, he defeated me, he robbed me,'' in those who do not harbour such thoughts hatred is appeased.
Dhammapada 1:3-4
When others speak as do many of the Sokka Gakkai / Nichiren Shoshu, the SG/NS always cry "foul." Karma's a bitch -- ain't it.
Perhaps if all accepted the right of "others" to follow the Way according to their own understandings, the all would find more peace. Less sectarian "triumph" perhaps -- but much more peace.
Namo Amitofo
-fd-
I think religious adherents can behave a bit like some Premier League and International footballers: they 'dive' and then cry foul.
Some actual practice of precepts does wonders for us all.
Joyous and prosperous New Year, my friends. See you agan in a few months or a few days -- who knows.
Namo Amitofo
-Fa Dao-
Sincerely,
Jason
http://www.hsuyun.org/Dharma/zbohy/Literature/essays/fds/righteousness.html
I also think it is not helpful to disparage him as so cooky (sp?). I think much of his appraoch weird and wacky but his sentiment comes from a place we could learn from if we lived with it.
I think this discussion would go way different in a majority US buddhists of color group. The ludicrousness of his site would not be so extreme in other non primarily white circles. Or at lest he would not be ridiculed as much as critically debated or challenged.
But that, my friends is my unpopular viewpoint, lol. And, yes I do think that it is a point that most white folk will not 'get ' on a gut feeling but perhaps intellectually...
I beleive when I or other people of color talk about the place of non- whites in US Buddhist movement (and yes, Genryu, I am not white , lol- damn, when will that Englishman get that that issue is different in the US?!), we are not talking of the absolute. We are not implying our true nature has a race. But we live in relative world where these things have great influence.
And who ever said the thing about making a place for short people is simlar to people of color creating spaces for their specifically addressed issues:
really..open your eyes, learn some history and make an intelligent social observation. Is that analogy anthing but trivializing?
So ,I feel the need to say I do not agree on much of what that guy's site is about, but I found the way it was ridiculed here pushed buttons for me and made my gut tight. Like when I was in uncomforatble position of being only person of color ina group of friends and witnessing an ignorant remark asbout race, languaghe or soemthing, and feeling I will have to be the one to say soemthing cuz nobody else noticed...
Anyway...I do not know if you all understand what I mean?
I believe I understand, at least to an extent; I am white but my wife and daughter are of color, and so is half our Sangha. These are real issues, whether folks are comfortable discussing them or not.
In addition, we (my Sangha) must try to teach folks that this sort of thing does not represent all Nichiren Buddhists, but only a few schools. Unfortunately, "Nichiren Buddhists behaving badly" tend to draw lots of attention, but ones who don't behave badly aren't very interesting, it seems.
Thank you for your very kind words.