Academia brings issue of White Supremacy in American Buddhism to the table...

It's been a little more than a decade since my short volume book, Black Buddha, brought the issue of race into the discussion of so-called American Buddhism. As a practitioner, I maintained a right view about race even though the community-at-large moved forward oblivious to the global impact of dismissing the need to look deeply into systems they created. I opted out of the short term glory on could gain through affiliation with the American Buddhist powers that be. Rainbowdharma was born out of the need to distance myself from what has obviously grown into a national dilemma if not disgrace. In order to maintain dignity and respect for the Dharma I stopped teaching in American Buddhist centers, in part because of dis-invitations, but more so out of self-respect. It's good to know that current discussions concerning white supremacy, whiteness, and white power in mainstream Buddhism have nothing to do with Rainbowdharma. I thank Harvard University's Pluralism project for identifying my effort early on as one of intentional inclusion. Kudos to my white students who saw through the veil of whiteness that could easily have captured their habituation to privilege and power. I also thank those who've continued to call for my inclusion in national dialogue despite the Black list some would like me to have succumbed to. We must all remember the Dharma is not some kind of Machiavellian racial drama.

My late teacher Khenpo Gyumed Tinley gave me confidence to endure personal, professional, and spiritual assaults by powerful entrenched white power group in Buddhist America. The truth is, Right View, can be a very lonely endeavor. My heart goes out to unfortunate people of color teachers and practitioners who've embarrassed themselves by affiliating with individuals, organizations, and centers under racial scrutiny today. I'm sure they'll make every effort to distance themselves from the coming wave of disrepute. Nevertheless, past copies of the Big Three Magazines as well as the WayBack Machine serve as a objective identifier of exactly who sold out and why. Unfortunately, the truth must and will be told. So many millions of dollars spent, so little to show in the way of egalitarian Buddhist organizations and centers. Diversity also died along the way.

The boil, once lanced will heal. It must because American Buddhism belongs to all of us not just the elite who've branded themselves with its title and cause. In the meantime, those who've been watching the situation over the years should be aware of new voices such as, Race and Religion in American Buddhism: White Supremacy and Immigrant Adaptation, and others, including my own on the horizon. Ultimately, as I said, it's not a racial issue. it is a matter of understanding the precept, Emptiness, and no-self, then making choices that solve American racial dilemma rather than carries it unnecessarily forward.

Some will criticize the Catholic author below who dares highlight the down side of racially elite Buddhism in the West. Nevertheless, The Dalai Lama has often said the role of non-Buddhist traditions is to make sure that Buddhists are living up to what they say they believe. Comparative Religion scholar, Joseph Cheah, realizes that instruction, whether we chose to hear from him or not:

In his book, Race and Religion in American Buddhism: White Supremacy and Immigrant Adaptation, Cheah examines how race has been an essential factor in the ways in which Buddhism has been introduced, appropriated and transformed in the United States.

Cheah breaks new ground in the study of American Buddhism by exposing ideological frameworks operating in the adaptation of Buddhist practices by both convert and ethnic Buddhists.
Michael Omi, professor of Asian American Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, notes in his review, “Cheah convincingly demonstrates how white supremacy has fundamentally shaped Buddhist religious practices both in Burma and the United States.” Source