When the American Hindu-Buddhist community revels in its icons, prize winners, and popular trends no one mentions this: Buddha with cornrows in Cambodia's most ancient and sacred Buddhist monument.
Why do we hear so much about Tibet, Vietnam, Myanmar
(Burma), and Thailand, yet so little about Cambodia's Buddhas? Who cares. The fact is Buddha was wearing cornrows long before someone else made it popular.
Some people think I unfairly comment on the influence of whiteness in American Buddhism. It's true, I believe they are insensitive to issues facing the African American community. Can insensitivity be objectively measured? Hmm..let's see? The unfortunate shooting death of Trayvon Martin is at a zenith of national discussion, including public comment by the president of the United States. On March 26, at 3pm PST, I ran some Google searches to get a sense of American Buddhist priorities in the moment. Here are the results:
Buddhists of color dominated by Whiteness in America
Buddhists of color not dominated by Whiteness in America
patience: brief commercial
Bayon, Cambodia
Sharing Buddhism with Africa is a formidable task--a long term project at best. Some groups are reaching out while others are not. Whiteness in American Buddhism acts as though it has nothing to gain from connecting to Africa. Too bad for Black Buddhists aligned with them. Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam are thought to be far more Buddhist. On some level Africa almost seems disconcerting to them. Why can't Asia and Africa be seen as one? We know we're all genetically descended from the African continent. Right? Can American Buddhism embrace its own humanity? Or, will it continue to see whiteness as a community with its own unique concerns? Nevermind Buddhist egalitarianism. What about political correctness? One American Buddhist leader openly questioned the need:
"There's a lot of concern about bringing the
groups together. But frankly my own view is it's always
coming from a place of being politically correct, and there's
not necessarily a good reason for it." Helen Tworkov, Executive Director, Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. (Source: Religion and Ethics, 6/6/01)
Rank and file Buddhists act as though they have no choice. They subordinate to such ideas because they fear exclusion. Converting from a birth religion only to find oneself in anathema and reprobate is no joke. But how can an egalitarian community set aside political correctness and not tremble when the truth is contrary to what whiteness chooses to believe? It's a set up for inauthentic living.
However shrewdly whiteness lodges itself in American Buddhism, the science of humanity
is not with them. The legacy of India's Buddhism is not with them. The egalitarian ethos of Buddhism remains far from their shore. The awakened mind in Buddhist America is not
with them. And, the direction of global Buddhism is leaving them in the
dust.
Whiteness' habituated shun of Africa is an affliction of identity, not a Buddhist Precept. The Buddhist mind should be free to go wherever the lotus throne takes it.
Buddhism's relationship to Africa is irrelevant. The insular paranoia of whiteness is contrary to Buddhist teachings under any circumstance. It's an issue having little to do with race. Whiteness is the machinations of white culture operating behind the facade of Buddhism in America. Its purpose is to perpetuate Anglicized Buddhism for the comfort its converts. People of color who involve themselves with the American Buddhist model mistake their presence as inclusion, which is apparently not the case when it comes to power brokerage.
Has whiteness affected Buddhism in America? It's fair to say yes.
The time for change is coming. Whether the
phenotype dominating American Buddhism is paying attention or not, one thing is for sure:
"If the American Buddhist status quo continues to circumvent change, it will at least be unable to continue ignoring Black Buddhist culture by saying: “Oh, no, to recognize you is to insult Buddha.” A much greater insult to Buddha happened when dominant culture American Buddhists and their of color allies failed to serve Blacks in America who’ve already spent centuries struggling for inclusion. I stand corrected if I am wrong." Secret Escape From the Plantation of the Mind, Rangdrol (Pub date 6/1/12)
Sharing the results of a massive, worldwide study, geneticist Svante Pääbo shows the DNA proof that early humans mated with Neanderthals after we moved out of Africa.
