Diversity in the sangha

True reconciliation is never cheap, for it is based on forgiveness which is costly. Forgiveness in turn depends on repentance, which has to be based on an acknowledgement of what was done wrong, and therefore on disclosure of the truth. You cannot forgive what you do not know.
--Archbishop Desmond Tutu

So what's up with diversity in American Buddhism?

For Willis and the handful of African-American Buddhist teachers now beginning to speak out, Buddhism in America has been a homogeneous world inhabited largely by upper-middle-class whites. "There are a lot of black Buddhists who are in the closet. They just don't feel comfortable being part of the great white sangha," says Insight Meditation teacher Ralph Steele. "One of the most common phrases I hear from young black Buddhists when they do step out into the white Buddhist sangha is that they feel uncomfortable"... "There are far too few people of color in Buddhist centers and retreats, in part because of the nature of where the retreats are and the fact that they cost money," says Willis, now one of the nation's leading Buddhist academics. "It's about class. Working class people can't take a month off to go on retreat... Willis argues that communicating the practice in a digestible form is only part of making it accessible to African-Americans and other people of color. "One part of accessibility is making it comprehensible. One part is making it affordable. One part is making the centers in places where people can get to them. One is developing things that don't require a month-long retreat... Link to article on the Buddhist channel

This issue has also cropped up in Buddhist publications, such as the article "Born in the USA: Racial Diversity in the Soka Gakkai International" by Clark Strand, which appeared in an issue of Tricycle. It's an interesting and important topic.

One thing that crops up again and again is that some people of color (whatever the ethnic label with which they self-identify) are uncomfortable being in a room full of mostly white or "asian" people. I can appreciate why they might feel that way, but part of the Buddhist practice is to recognize, understand, and then transcend such feelings. After all, someone has to be first if others are to follow. On the other hand "white" Buddhists must recognize how their actions and words are perceived rather than (only) how they are intended. Moreover, many white people who do not agree with racism are nevertheless uncomfortable around non-white people! It's true, and denying it doesn't help the situation any more than non-white folks hestitating to join a mostly or all white sangha.

As an aside, I often find when I ride the bus that many white folks do not want to sit next to non-white people, especially if there is a whole section of "them", and sadly I've notices some people of color acting the same way. Then there are those of us that simply appreciate a spot to sit and have no problem plopping down next to each other. Yet when I was a teenager, even though I was staunchly anti-racist, I recall that I was shocked at my own hesitation to sit with non-white people, simply because where I was raised there practically were none. The feeling lasted only a second, yet if I had just denied it I would have probably had much more difficulty in recognizing it for the absurdity it was and letting it go. After that first experience, the feeling was greatly reduced. After two or three more, it was barely noticeable. After two or three more, it was gone.

But is socialization all there is to it? Just learned reactions based on the color of one's skin? Nope. And I must say that one of the factors proposed as limiting the participation of non-white people in Buddhism, the expense of some retreats is not the sole problem of ethnic minorities (although I can appreciate certain arguments about by some groups may be disproportionately affected). I think it's more than just a matter of Buddhism being costi-prohibitive for minorities--many working class people of all ethnicities, as well as professional people who don't have much disposable income, college students, etc, are also unable to spend five hundred or a thousand or two on a three to five day retreat or a two-week intensive. Efforts need to be made to keep the dharma afforable and accessible to ALL people. Why not spend that all of that money from exclusive retreats on to funding more dharma teachers and dharma centers? Why not combine such centers with social programs such as soup kitchen operations and literacy programs? I think many people, minorities included, are drawn to spiritual practices that put their money where their heart is. Where are our hearts?

The only suggestion I have heard that I don't agree with is that the dharma needs to be simplified or (my words) "dumbed-down". I think that's a bit patronizing. But otherwise, yes, Buddhists of all ethnic and racial affiliations need to confront their discomfort over living with diversity (in other words dealing with as an in-your-face real world issue rather than an abstract moral question) and everyone needs to support those groups and efforts intended to make Buddhism accessible to everyone, everywhere.

What groups do you think are making headway in this area? What is your take on diversity in Buddhism?