A reader writes:

Is it possible for literally anyone to be a Buddhist?  Anyone from an Inuit to a Rain Forest Tribesman?

My response:

Absolutely!

There are some belief systems out there, such as Judaism, that have a heavily ethnic membership (Jews as an “ethnicity” as opposed to Jewish belief), so I do understand the question. Although many people stereotypically think of Buddhists as Asians, there is no particular racial aspect to Buddhism. I’m a Caucasian American, and I know Buddhists of most other races and ethnic groups. Where you came from doesn’t mean anywhere near as much as where you’re going, or where you want to be. You can take that statement either literally or spiritually.

I don’t know any Inuit Buddhists or Buddhists from the Rain Forest, but I’ll bet they are out there. The greatest population of Buddhists is obviously in the Eastern Asia regions, but that’s simply because it’s where Buddhism started out, and where it’s had the most time to spread. Nowadays, it’s pretty much everywhere. It’s a good deal more slow-growing than some of the other “religions” out there, simply because most Buddhists don’t place a heavy emphasis on evangelizing.

This isn’t terribly recent, but I only just came across it. It’s from Piers Morgan’s show last April, but it’s still a very “Enlightening” video. It runs around 43 minutes, so set aside a little time to watch it. I don’t always agree with everything I’ve ever heard the Dalai Lama say, but he’s always fascinating.

A Reader writes:

To anyone who could give me some information,

I have a book in which the protagonist is given a ring with the head of Buddha, made from gold, and which has rubies for eyes. She has a bad time with people wanting the ring, or just wanting to take it from her. I am wondering if Buddhists would find the ring offensive, as I believe a Christian would a ring with the face of Jesus with rubies for eyes, or if people would have some reason to want the ring other than just a fairly nominal amount of money it would bring?

My Response:

I don’t know the book, but you see this sort of thing in movies sometimes.  No, I don’t think Buddhists would be offended at all. Nor would a serious Buddhist desire the ring, for monetary or any other value. Remember, a “serious” Buddhist doesn’t grasp for wealth unless it is given to him or her. At least in theory; I’m sure there are many Buddhists out there that wouldn’t turn away a valuable item if it came into their possession.

Just remember, Buddhists try not to become overly attached to material things. Gold rings, money, ideas, even people can become dangerous attachments. But to chase someone down in order to steal a valuable ring… is not very Buddhist.

As far as this concept being offensive goes… No, most Buddhists wouldn’t care. Even the Buddha, or an image of him, is nothing special. It’s just another thing to be attached to. I’ve written before on the mistaken idea that Buddhists worship idols. They don’t. All those Buddha statues you see are simply art.

A reader writes: 

I am new to Buddhism, and have recently found your website and podcasts. I am an art teacher in a public school, and am finding it hard not to share this newfound aspect of my life with my students. I know that because it is  a public school, I cannot preach or impose any religious beliefs on my students, however I find the teachings of Buddha and the lineage I’ve decided to follow very important to life situations – for example, being present in the moment. I try to say things simply, but do not want to get in trouble for passing along any religious message to students. Obviously I find my spirituality something of great importance, and cannot help but exist within my own practice.

My Response:

Ouch!

As a teacher myself, I understand your dilemma. Mentioning religious ideas in school can be the quickest and easiest way to learn what it’s like to be unemployed. Even mainstream Christian ideas often are rejected, so something as “alien” as Buddhism is sure to meet with resistance.

I ran into this myself just recently. I teach College English, and my students are all adults. I generally keep my beliefs as much to myself as my sex life; it’s just not something I want to deal with in school.  It’s not really the place.  Just a couple of days ago, a student overheard me taking a phone call from someone who wanted to interview me about the book I had just gotten published. She asked me, in class, what I had written. I had to answer, so I told the class what it was, and the looks of incredulity surprised me. “Why THAT?” “Buddhists aren’t real,” and quite a few raised eyebrows. The discussion for the next ten minutes was about  suffering, grasping, and non-attachment. A few of those “Buddhism isn’t Real” people walked away having learned something. A student caught me after class asking where to buy the book, so I must have made some impression. That being said, this is a COLLEGE environment, not a public school. There’s a big difference.

In all honesty, I think with the current educational environment, I’d just keep my mouth closed. Some closed-minded parent is likely to hear half a story from their child and accuse you of indoctrination into some unholy cult. You and I know that Buddhism is a great way of life, and someday, someone out in the real world might ask you to teach them about Buddhism On the other hand, as a public school teacher, it’s your job to follow the rules and stick to the appropriate topic, in your case, art.

Here’s a news article I just stumbled upon:

105-year-old Zen Buddhist master is accused of groping female students

You can read the article if you want, but I’ll summarize: This old master, Joshu Sasaki, has been groping and touching his female students for over 50 years, and allegedly used his position to excommunicate or ban anyone who complained away from his retreat in Mt. Baldy, California.

At this stage, let’s remember that this is all just allegations; there has not been any kind of trial. I’m not entirely even sure what the crime would be if there was one. But whether or not this was a “crime,” it was clearly inappropriate if he actually did it.

Every day, I post something on this site telling what kinds of things Buddhists do or don’t do. Keep in mind that this is all “in theory.” In reality, Buddhists are normal human being who do stupid things. None of them are perfect, and even Buddhist leaders deal with daily temptations just like the rest of us.

It seems like all too often in the news we hear about Catholic priests going after little boys or Baptist Pastors having affairs with members of their congregation, or something else of the sort. We rarely hear about Buddhists misbehaving, but I suspect that’s just because there aren’t as many Buddhist leaders in America.  A long time ago, I posted a review of Sheng Yen’s Footprints in the Snow, which detailed life in a monastery back in the early 1900’s. He discussed all kinds of scandals, affairs, and the like. It goes on today as well.

What’s my point today? Don’t look to Buddhism as the perfect solution to the world’s problems. Buddhists are people, and they do stupid things sometimes too. Grasping too hard for perfection is just one more form of grasping that we should try to do away with.

A reader write in and asked:

First of all, I’d like to thank you for the wisdom and honesty you show your listeners with answering all these questions and giving insight into the fundamentals of Buddhism. I am relatively new to Buddhism, mediation (and yoga), so you podcasts and articles are very welcome indeed. With the growing audience you probably have received a question like mine before, but I’ll give a try nevertheless.

Right now I am going through a difficult time as a result of the breakup of my relationship. You can say that by attaching too much to my loved one, I face a lot of suffering now that the relationship is over. I am wondering how to find a good way to love someone with all your heart and soul (girlfriend and stepchild in my case) but not to get too much attached. I know that Buddhism won’t tell you not to love anyone but have you or other people thoughts to help me with this dilemma?

My Response:

You say you are suffering, and that’s always bad, but it’s normal and to be expected during a time of loss, even for a Buddhist.

You are absolutely right that there is a little bit of a conflict there. You aren’t supposed to get too attached to people or things, yet you are allowed (strongly encouraged even) to love others. Buddhists believe that the problem is not the attachment to others in itself, the problem is grasping too hard to hold on to these things, and suffering over the fear that you will lose them.

Death, divorce, breakups, or even just growing apart, happen to couples all the time. Sooner or later all relationships come to an end, and most of those endings will be painful to some extent. What can you do? Expect it. Plan for it. Don’t become attached to the idea that you can control it or stop it; you can’t. Sometimes you can hold back a breakup or keep the relationship going with effort, but even then, sooner or later, you will be parted. Know this, and when the time comes, accept it. After the separation comes, don’t dwell on it or become attached to the way things used to be. Look to the future; look to new relationships.

A reader writes:

First of all: thank you for the podcast and website.  It has been extremely educational.

I am very new to Buddhism, I don’t really consider myself a Buddhist yet, but I am soaking up all the ideas like a curious child.  I came drawn to it through the desire to practice meditation and naturally started doing my research.

My question is this:  I know now that it is Buddhist practice to refrain from alcohol and drugs in order to keep a clear mind and so as not to do harm to others, but in the past I have taken mind altering substances such as magic mushrooms, and feel they have opened up my mind and allowed me to look at things from a more spiritual point of view.  Many cultures in the world embrace various “teacher plants” as a path towards spiritual enlightenment.  I honestly feel that some of the revelations I’ve had while on mushrooms have taught me some of the truths of Buddhism before I even heard of them as such.  How can something so spiritually powerful be a negative thing to one’s enlightenment and education?

Thanks so much

My Response:

Because it’s not real. The prohibition against alcohol and drugs are not solely for the purpose of avoiding doing harm to others as you say; they are there because they cloud your judgement and make meditation more difficult. Those other cultures that you speak of don’t place the same emphasis on meditation and reaching Enlightenment as Buddhism does.

A Buddhist wants a clear mind (Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration) and one of the goals of all that meditation is to learn mental control and achieve mental clarity. You cannot reach that state artificially; it might seem like a good idea, but it’s not.

Some kinds of drugs lead to addiction. I shouldn’t have to point out the problems with that kind of attachment. Another point to consider is long-term effects and flashbacks. I’m no doctor, but I have heard that drugs such as LSD can cause flashbacks and hallucinations years after ingestion. That kind of lack of self-control is not something with which a Buddhist would want to deal.

I’m curious as to what those revelations were about, drop me a note!