Tolerance
Rev. Ron Miyamura speaks of “tolerance” in light of recent events following our presidential election. “It seems that some individuals and some groups have made it open game to express hatred and violence. … And the freedoms that we hold dear are being threatened. So we ask ourselves, what can I do….what can we do?”
Listen to Rev. Miyamura’s Dharma Talk:
The text of Rev. Miyamura’s Dharma Talk:
I know that I should not talk about politics in a Dharma Talk, but I do feel a need to say something about the recent presidential election and Donald Trump, our president-elect.
During the recent brutal campaign, there were many derogatory and inflammatory statements made about women, minorities, the LGBTQ, and so many other issues.
I wish I could just pass those statements off as political campaigning, but there have been things going on since the election that something has to be said. It seems that some individuals and some groups have made it open game to express hatred and violence. For example, the KKK is planning a victory rally, there have been incidents of verbal abuse and violence against minorities and other more.
And there have been many anti-Trump protests also.
Our temple and our founding members have experienced such discrimination. The Japanese-Americans during World War II were put into Relocation Camps.
Before the war, there also were many legal and social obstacles. For example, the immigrants from Asia could not become naturalized citizen until 1953. In California, Japanese Immigrants could not own land and could be tenant farmers at the same farm for no more than three years. Thus, the families had to keep moving around.
Even on simple economic issues, there was much discrimination. I can remember my grandmother telling me that she could not open a bank account at Bank of America because she was Japanese. Think about it today, the bank would not take your money.
And then after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, the Japanese-Americans were forced into Relocation Camps. First, they went to Assembly Centers, which were often race tracks, and they were forced to live in horse stalls. Ten camps were eventually built on federal lands, mostly Indian reservations—in isolated desert areas. The two camps farthest east were in Arkansas—in Rowher and Jerome.
It was from these camps that many Japanese-Americans came to Chicago after the War. Rev. Gyodo Kono came out of Arkansas, and was able to start the Midwest Buddhist Temple, then called Midwest Buddhist Church.
In the first two years of the Midwest Buddhist Church, in 1944 and 1945, Rev. Kono had to submit his Dharma Talks each week to the FBI so that they could be sure that nothing subversive was being said.
Our temple began as an “ethnic church” for, in 1945, in Chicago, if you were a Buddhist belonging to an organization or temple, you were a Japanese Buddhist. Our temple struggled to grow beyond being a “ethnic church,” and we are still trying to find our path to being American Buddhism—not part of Buddhism in America.
But it is a difficult time being a minority religion in America.
And we survived those difficult times….and there has been a lot of legal and social progress. And now it seems that there might be a roll back to a more difficult time.
The polarization of our political system has created a gridlock.
And the freedoms that we hold dear are being threatened by the rhetoric of Donald Trump.
So we ask ourselves, what can I do….what can we do?
First, we must not give into fear, and not give in to the hate going around. We have to have the courage to think the right things, to say the right things and to do the right things.
This means we must not return the hatred that might be thrown at us. We have to love our neighbors and look out for the safety of each other.
Maybe that means to stand up to bullies, maybe that means to help someone who is threatened, maybe it means to share Wisdom and Compassion.
Maybe, if you are on the bus and you see a Muslim women wearing the scarf, and she is being harassed and bullied by someone, you could go sit next to her.
Maybe, we can start to wear safety pins. This is something started after the Brexit vote in England, and many Muslims felt threatened. Some people started wearing safety pins on their outer garment to show “safety” and to express their willingness to stand against discrimination and to ensure the safety of the minorities.
One of the best pieces of news I have heard recently was that some of the JoAnn Fabric stores have run out of safety pins.
In particular, the most visible and the most threatened group are the Muslims….so I hope we all can extend support for their community.
I am reminded about the quote from Rev. Martin Niemoller who was an outspoken critic of Adolph Hilter….not that I am comparing Trump to Hitler, this quote reminds us….
“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out, because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.
Then, they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me.”
To speak out might be dangerous, but the alternative is that all that would be left would be a small controlling minority. But, together, if we speak out together, the bullies will not win.
And we must act with dignity and honor to respect all people. To be tolerant of differences.
So let us not let this be a time for being a difficult time for being a minority religion in America.tolerance