Buddhism and the African American Community

[TheBrewskiBaby]

yall know buddha was black right?

[hakeem01]

Buddha was an enlightened being. Namaste!

[pixusbubblejet]

"race" is a totally fabricated system of classification made up by racist western european pseudoscientists 300 years ago to justify their imagined "white "superiority.. but in fact, there is NO race.. so anyone who still uses race to classify people today is ignorant.. unfortunately millions of people ignorantly believe in race.. but race is a delusion.. buddhism is about eliminating delusions.. i am a buddhist and i do not believe in race.

[Rainbowdharma]

@pixusbubblejet - Buddha taught mercy and compassion for all human beings. There is no select group that has authority to stand in judgment and/or condemnation of others. Tibetan Buddhism, Vietnamese Buddhism, Thai Buddhism, an so on all reference ethnicity, race, nation statehood, and so on. Each is but an illusion. To accept one is to accept all, Otherwise we are in danger of being blind to our own prejudice and judgment of others. Peace among us is more important than agreeing about race.

[roarthwo]

@pixusbubblejet

What Western Europeans? There's no such thing as race, remember? ;D

[Rainbowdharma]

and where do the people of India come from?

[mitchx69]

Buddha is Indian but that dosent mean anything Buddha wanted to spread a message as well as teachings to help Humanity grow and stop every ones sufferings

[Rainbowdharma]

The fact is Buddha's race DOES matter to some people, and we should not judge them nor force upon them a contrary view. Honestly, it is possible to see Buddha in whatever way turns the mind towards his doctrine.

There is no line drawn in the sand over the issue except for those who benefit from excluding others.

Buddha can be as black for black people as he is Chinese for the people of China, or as Japanese as he is for the people of Japan, etc.

[goodmangillmanpharma]

@Rainbowdharma BROTHER BUDDHA HIMSELF BELONGED TO HIGH CASTE AMONG HINDUS -BUT WHEN HE ATTAINED ENLIGHTENMENT HE BECAME AGAINST TO THE SYSTEM OF ALL TYPES OF BIAS REGARDING CASTE AND COLOUR------THE BUDDHAS WIFE LATER ATTAINED NUNHOOD AND HIS SON ALSO BECAME A MONK AND BUDDHAS FAMILY ENDED-----BUT HIS TEACHINGS IS THE RELIGION

[lager1776]

The Buddha was not black, white or Asian. What was he? He was AWAKE. That is all that matters.

Namo Amitabha Buddha

[LakeRafiD]

Wonderful video, Venerable Lama Rangdrol. Please post more. Many thanks. Peace and blessings.

[justbekindtooall]

Metta all, this is Wonderful.

Please check out my video The Koi Koi House. You Tube Community builds a Uganda AIDS Orphanage.

I am the founder of a charity ( I am Buddhist) building an Orphanage in Uganda.  Please watch and consider helping if you can.

[DalaiLamaFrankfurt]

Very beautiful!

[CCPJAYLPHAN1994]

wow,it's good to know african american also practice Buddhism!

Mahayana Buddhist here!!!

[Rainbowdharma]

Thank you for acknowledging the work....

[gleb202]

So glad to discover that african americans practice Dharma!

Om Mani Padme Hum

[Clempath]

Even some of the dharmapalas and bodhisattvas had dark skin.

[BasePlug]

The first Buddha seems to have also been black. I mean, if you look at the older Buddha statues you will see nappy hair.

[bobbywise]

The image that we have of the Buddha is from Rome. Asia and Africa didn't have that kind of skill in art and sculpture at that time. Early images of Buddha was rendered as a Greco-Roman God, with curly hair. There are no images of Gotama the Buddha made during his lifetime. I guess if you want to know what the Buddha looks like, look in the mirror.

[Rainbowdharma]

We know what the people of 500 BC India looked like. Buddha was one of them. The issue of race in Asia and America around Buddhism's history cannot be oversimplified or denied.

DNA tells us where Buddha and all human beings come from. Perhaps that is the mirror to look into even if its truth is something other than what one chooses to believe.

[Lazyboyz702]

@bobbywise images of the first buddha are not from Rome dumb ass...they were from bactria in the area of afghanistan and pakistan, from greco-roman style of art brought by alexdander the great's(greek) macedonian armys to the indian subcontinient....greek influence.