Religion is Deeper Than Culture: On Being An African-American BuddhistWritten by M. LaVora Perry
The following commentary ran in Religion Section of 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 Soka Gakkai International (SGI-USA). If I had talked to that mother on 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 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 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 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 deepest level we are all Buddhas, or people enlightened to ultimate truth of life. It teaches that each one of us is worthy of greatest respect. Nichiren Buddhists pray by chanting 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 Lotus Sutra.This scripture was preached in India roughly 1,000 years before Christian era by Shakyamuni. He is also known as Siddhartha Gautama, or simply Buddha, which means "The Enlightened One." The Buddha called 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 future birth of a Buddha who would complete his teachings. Around 2,500 years after Buddha's death, a thirteenth century Japanese teacher named Nichiren formulated practice of chanting title of Lotus Sutra. "Myoho Renge Kyo" is how Japanese pronounced a Chinese translation of title. Nichiren added "Nam." Nam is an Indian Sanskrit word that means "Devotion." Nichiren Buddhists are literally chanting, "Devotion to Lotus Sutra," but deeper meaning of this phrase is beyond words. We revere Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as unchanging and eternal Mystic Law of Life. We tap into this law by chanting.
| | Your Checking AccountWritten by Terry J. Rigg Sr.
Checking accounts are an absolute necessity these days. You can either have a checking account or run to bank or other outlet for money orders. Many people pay for almost everything with a check including groceries, gas, clothes and a long list of other things. When you add an ATM card to this picture, your chances for a potential problem is greatly enhanced.Don't get me wrong. There are many people that can keep their check book up to date, even deducting all of ATM advances and automatic withdrawals as they make them. However, too many people that write checks for everything wind up not entering a check when it is written or an ATM advance when it is made. The result is a bounced check fee of up to $25 for bank and god only knows what store where you wrote check could charge you. It seems like carrying cash to pay for things isn't "IN" thing to do. When I'm in check out line, most people are paying with a credit card, debit card, or check. I realize that carrying cash has it's risks. You could lose it or have it stolen. What are risks when paying by check? There are absolutely none if you enter each check and properly deduct amount from your account. However, I have counseled people that have as much as $100 per month in overdraft fees. This isn't just for one month. This is an average over a six month period. That is a lot of money that these people couldn't afford. What's best way to handle my checking account? If you don't have problems keeping up with your checking account, keep doing what you are doing. If you occasionally have bounced checks, I recommend that you use your checking account only to pay your monthly bills and use cash for everything else. If you have an ATM card, destroy it. With that said, I know you will probably not quit writing checks or destroy your ATM card. So let's look at what you need to do to keep up with your checking account.
|
