Business to the Buddha

Tag: apartheid

  • Cast(e)ing doubts – Color of skin







    This blog is in the series of blogs on – against – the caste system of India. Though this blog is on a Western Social Challenge. I wish some day we would value people on their

    Capabilities and not Caste
    Action and not Ancestry
    Character and not on Color of skin

    That we all connected there is no two (non-duality) no big vs small no higher vs lower. So let us first understand what is one of the challenges before we reach there.

    —

    We first bought National Panasonic Cassette recorder and player in 1991. I was 11 years that time, I started listening to songs specially – Mukesh, Lata and Michael Jackson. Being a Hindi medium 6th grade student English was literally a foreign language to me. But, who heard MJ for lyrics the music was enough. When I came to know about Michael Jackson’s plastic surgery I came to know about the racial issues out side of India. Well, I was young so never thought about racial discrimination. In 2007 I watched “To kill a mocking bird” and heard speech “I have a dream” of Martin Luther King Jr. That time I realized how deep rooted the problem of discrimination was. Than in 2008 Obama won, seemed as if there is a hopeful positive movement, how much? I cannot comment on that, I have never been to the US.

    Recently, I watched a movie Invictous. This movie is based on true incidents in South Africa. Nelson Mandela was elected as President of SA. SA organized rugby world cup in 1995. The idea was to bring black and white people of SA together – through the language of sport. Those who are from countries where Cricket is played might remember that in 1992 South African team again joined international cricket. Reason – in 1970s ICC removed SA cricket team due to racial discrimination “Apartheid“.

    One of my friends later told me about Muhammad Ali, that Ali was a born Christan but changed his religion. Well, I rarely enjoyed watching boxing so was mostly unaware about the greatness of Muhammad Ali, anyways. When I heard about he changing religion I went one step beyond. I felt that we humans would remain like that. Currently we are fighting on supremacy of religion. Each religion has different sub-sects Muslims has Shiya and Sunni etc, Christans have Catholic and Protestants etc, Buddhists have Hinyan and Mahayan etc. Jains has Digambar and Shwetambars. Hindus? Well we have many sects and many caste based devision. In future we would fight on supremacy of the sub-sects (currently too that happens Syria, Iraq, Caste system in India etc) What we need as humans is increasing our consciousness we all are born equal – as humans. We need to respect each other as humans. Next if you need to value someone more and other less. Value him or her on

    Capabilities and not Caste
    Action and not Ancestry
    Character and not on Color of skin

    And of course other qualities rather than somethings on which a baby may not have control e.g. color of skin and caste of birth etc.

  • Cast(e)ing doubts – everyone’s tears are salty







    I am not an admirer of the caste system of Indian society. The special love affair for that (aversion) goes to the Lingayats (disclaimer – I am a born Lingayat). I am going to write a series (on and off) of blogs on – against – the caste system of India (include black skin for other parts of the world). Here is the first such blog. This story is from Chapter 43 of the book Old path white clouds by a Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh. The book is on the life of the Buddha.

    In brief – The Buddha accepted an untouchable named Sunita, to his Sangha (in India 2500 years ago). It created a lot of uproar in Kingdom of King Pasenadi (Kosala) who was a devoted follower of the Buddha.

    Everyone’s tears are salty
    When The Buddha and his bhikkus were passing by the river Ganga they saw an untouchable person – Sunita (a person carrying nightsoil). when the Buddha started walking towards him, he ran farther away from the Buddha. When Sunita could do no more, he kept the nightsoil buckets on one side and hid in the river.

    Sunita “Lord, I do not dare come closer. I am an untouchable.”
    Lord, I do not dare come closer, I am an untouchable

    The Buddha walked right up to the water’s edge and said, “My friend, please come closer so we may talk.”
    Sunita, joined his plams, protested, “Lord, I don’t dare!”
    The Buddha asked – “Why not?”
    Sunita replied – “I am an untouchable. I don’t want to pollute you and your monks.”
    The Buddha said – “On our path, we no longer distinguish between castes. You are a human being like the rest of us. We are not afraid we will be polluted. Only greed, hatred, and delusion can pollute us. A person as pleasant as yourself brings us nothing but happiness. What is your name?”
    Sunita said – “Lord, my name is Sunita.”
    The Buddha asked – “Sunita, would you like to become a bhikkhu like the rest of us?”
    Sunita said – “I couldn’t!”
    The Buddha – “Why not?”
    Sunita – “I’m an untouchable!”
    The buddha – “Sunita, I have already explained that on our path there is no caste. In the Way of Awakening, caste no longer exists. It is like the Ganga, Yamuno, Aciravati, Sarabhu, Mahi, and Rohini rivers. Once they empty into the sea, they no longer retain their separate identities. A person who leaves home to follow the Way leaves caste behind whether he was born a brahman, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra, or untouchable. Sunita, if you like, you can become a bhikkhu like the rest of us.”

    King Pasenadi was asked by his ministers to protest and reason for this act of the Buddha. The King visited the monastery, while walking in the monastery he saw a few monks sitting under a tree and one monk sharing the teachings of the Buddha. The King was impressed with the monk who was teaching. The monks face radiated great peace and wisdom. This sight was such that King stopped for a while to listen to the monk.

    The King was so impressed with the monk that first question he asked was who was the monk teaching under the tree? The Buddha replied – “Sunita, he was once an untouchable”. King was embarrassed, the Buddha continued – “In the Way of Liberation, there is no caste. To the eyes of an enlightened person, all people are equal. Every person’s blood is red. Every person’s tears are salty. We are all human beings. We must find a way for all people to be able to realize their full dignity and potential. That is why I welcomed Sunita into the sangha of bhikkhus.”

    —

    Even after 2500 years, we still have widespread caste system. At that time there was only Hinduism now you have many religion in the world! Every religion has many sub-sub categories. You have color of skin to differentiate, what more you need?

    Related blogs –

    We the societies

    When Buddha dies schools are born

    Reference in the index of the book – Fo Pen Hing Tsi King (T. 190); Fang Kouang Ta Tchouang Yen King (T. 187); Lalitavistara.

    Image source Old path white clouds