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Religion is Deeper Than Culture: On Being An African-American Buddhist
The following commentary ran in the Religion Section of the
Cleveland-based Plain Dealer, Ohio's largest Newspaper,
Saturday, August 19, 2000.
"Your father didn't teach you right, THAT'S your problem," I am
told. It's late January, 1999. I sit in a small, maternity ward
meeting room at Hillcrest hospital in Mayfield Heights, a suburb
of Cleveland. I nurse my baby girl, while sharing childbirth
stories with two other post partum moms. The three of us are
African American. Our talk turns to religion. I say I'm
Buddhist. Next thing I know, my Baptist-preacher father is being
called a bad parent. He isn't even around to defend himself.
Almost 13 years ago I emerged from a life of hellish suffering.
I had been in and out of battles with eating disorders, suicidal
depression and substance abuse, and I had dropped out of
college. I found unshakable happiness within myself by embracing
Nichiren Buddhism as a member of the Soka Gakkai International
The Legacy Of John Paul II(Please I want all to observe some minute's silence for the late JOHN PAUL II for a remarkable and memorable tw ..... (SGI-USA). If I had talked to that mother on the maternity ward
a bit longer, maybe she would have blasted me for choosing a
religion that's not "Black enough," like others have. When I'm
labeled a cultural sell-out for not being Christian, I reply
that, like many Blacks, I believe that Jesus probably had
African ancestry, but most folks also believe he lived in the
Middle East, and that area's not known for having much
American-style "it's-a-Black-thing" flavor.
More importantly, I think that religion should be about
something deeper than cultural identity. Religion should
squarely address the three fundamental questions we each need to
ask"Where did I come from? Why was I born? And what happens to
me when I die?" Religion should also enable one to live each day
joyfully, and with the inner resources it takes to move both
mole hills and mountains. In Nichiren Buddhism, all of these
requirements are met to my satisfaction.
[Buddhist Teachings] This Buddhism teaches that our lives are
eternal and that on the deepest level we are all Buddhas, or
people enlightened to the ultimate truth of life. It teaches
that each one of us is worthy of the greatest respect.
Nichiren Buddhists pray by chanting the phrase
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. We do this as often as we like, but
traditionally, at least every morning and evening. In addition
to chanting, we recite sections of the Lotus Sutra.This
scripture was preached in India roughly 1,000 years before the
Christian era by Shakyamuni. He is also known as Siddhartha
Gautama, or simply the Buddha, which means "The Enlightened
Dangerous Ideas?A three judge Israeli panel permitted certain women to have services at the Western Wall, noting they ..... One." The Buddha called the Lotus Sutra his highest teaching. In
it, he declared that his true purpose was to show all people
that they are Buddhas who are in every way equal to him. He
predicted the future birth of a Buddha who would complete his
teachings. Around 2,500 years after the Buddha's death, a
thirteenth century Japanese teacher named Nichiren formulated
the practice of chanting the title of the Lotus Sutra. "Myoho
Renge Kyo" is how the Japanese pronounced a Chinese translation
of the title. Nichiren added "Nam." Nam is an Indian Sanskrit
word that means "Devotion." Nichiren Buddhists are literally
chanting, "Devotion to the Lotus Sutra," but the deeper meaning
of this phrase is beyond words. We revere Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as
the unchanging and eternal Mystic Law of Life. We tap into this
law by chanting.
In revealing Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, Nichiren gave rise to a
revolutionary religion that promises to enable anyone to bring
forth the absolutely happy, courageous, wise, compassionate,
creative and powerful condition called Buddhahood from within.
So was the post-partum mom right? Was there something wrong with
my upbringing? Did I miss some parental, spiritual lesson that
would have saved me from Buddhism? No. My Christian parents
taught me to treat others like I want to be treated, reach out
to people with compassion, forgive, withhold scornful judgment,
love, stand against injustice and be a person who creates peace.
They taught me to work hard, learn all I can and think for
myself.
[Full Expression] Being the daughter of my bible-reading daddy
and church-going mother, the teachings of Christ will always hit
a resounding chord within my soul. I feel that through Buddhist
practice I fully express the heart of those teachings. I believe
that these same teachings are the essence of what it means to be
human.
For me, Nichiren Buddhism enables me to bring these core values
to life every day. I think this is why there have even been
times when my mother has picked up on a bad vibe I'm giving off
and asked, "Have you been praying?" Ma hasn't asked me this
often, but whenever my funky mood has led her to do so, truth is
that I've hardly been praying at all. In her Southern Baptist,
mother-love way, Ma leads me back to the faith of my choice
where I sit before my family's altar and chant
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo until my heart is content.
M. LaVora Perry's words can also be read on the Kids and "Peace
Through Prayer" pages of her website: www.FortuneChildBooks.com
About the author:
In 1995 author M. LaVora Perry became American Greetings'
(AG's) first African-American greeting card writer. Since then,
her words have appeared on gift items worldwide.
Today LaVora writes a column for "Friends for Peace," the
children's section of the World Tribunethe U.S.A's leading
Buddhist weekly. Her first childrens book, Taneesha's
Treasures of the Heart can be ordered on her website:
www.FortuneChildBooks.com
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