Universal principles...

Many people believe that the concept of Black Buddha, as I have defined it, is a narrow idea. This is as a result of unfortunate misinformation promulgated during the 1960's -80's by the dominant culture in American Buddhism. There has never been a reason for African Americans to adopt dominant culture or Asian culture as a means getting a foothold in the Buddhadharma.

Buddhism is an approach to the human mind that transcends any particular culture or religious predisposition. People all over the world not only understand Black Buddha but seek and even yearn to connect with it's universal truth. Here is a recent note I received from a Buddhist student in Poland. In it he shares Buddha's universal principles that provide all Buddhists with an understructure of equanimity transcendent of cultural, racial, and social differences:

Nie wierzcie w jakiekolwiek przekazy tylko dlatego, że przez długi czas obowiązywały w wielu krajach. Nie wierzcie w coś tylko dlatego, że wielu ludzi od dawna to powtarza. Nie akceptujcie niczego tylko z tego powodu, że ktoś inny to powiedział, że popiera to swoim autorytetem jakiś mędrzec albo kapłan, lub że jest to napisane w jakimś świętym piśmie. Nie wierzcie w coś tylko dlatego, że brzmi prawdopodobnie. Nie wierzcie w wizje lub wyobrażenia, które uważacie za zesłane przez boga. Miejcie zaufanie do tego, co uznaliście za prawdziwe po długim sprawdzaniu, do tego, co przynosi powodzenie wam i innym."

loose translation:

Do not believe in any religion simply because it stood for a long time in many countries. Do not believe in anything just because people have repeated it many times. Not only revere scripture due to the fact that someone else said that it supported the authority of wise men or a priests, or that it is written in a holy writing. Do not believe in anything just because it is likely. Do not believe in visions or ideas just because they are considered to be revealed by a God or Goddess. Have confidence in what appears to be true after a long verification, what brings success to you and others.

Wszystkie buddystów rozumiem tego. Cudowny!

(All Buddhists understand this. Wonderful!)