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Michael John Smith

The Present Difficulties For The Spread Of Buddhism In Africa

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This could be very interesting reading for some. I found it so. I've put it here under Buddhism and Other Religions for reasons, which may become clear on reading it.

Anyway I highly recommend clicking on the following link and you should be able to read something quite interesting:

 

http://www.vesakday.net/vesak50/article/pd...read_Africa.pdf

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This could be very interesting reading for some. I found it so. I've put it here under Buddhism and Other Religions for reasons, which may become clear on reading it.

 

I doubt that any of the present forms of Buddhism would suit them at the moment. It is not Buddhist schools what they need, but Bodhisattvas, who would respond to their characteristics and needs and re-establish them in their own culture, then improves upon it later.

According to this document, there are too many complication because of their loss of identity. And as a consequence they automatically do whatever they are told, if they can eat and live from it. Their heart is not really touched, they are not understood, so they can not feel gratitude etc. and can not make effort for others. They would need many Bodhisattva-like strong African reformers to lead them, who gives them back their traditional belief and ethics - even if it is imperfect, but still better than the present nothing. After, there will be at least something to add or improve upon. It appeares that their rulers of biological needs went uncontrolled by losing the original faith and ethics, because they have no real understanding of the imported belief systems, these system were not to answer their natural spiritual needs, and they were only forced to accept them on the basis of fear of suppression. And it is understanding that can keep control on the mind, and I think this is exactly what they lack: the understanding of what and who they are, that originally should be pointed out by a religion and a spiritual leader, or shaman or whatever it is.

And these reformers also have to take care of their economy (simultaneously to re-establishing the original religions). I dont remember very clearly, but in the 19th century there was a Hungarian man, probably a priest, or pastor, who spent his life in africa (I dont know in which country). He led a bigger community, and reformed all the ways of their life, starting from economy. He taught them how to cultivate plants and make their livings, which worked quite well. The only problem was, that after his death everything has returned to its original state, there was no authorative successor of his heritage and people probably did not yet inherit the spirit the priest had to such work. Continuation could helped much.

But the point is that there is hope, though the present situation is very very difficult. It might have been much easier in the 19th century.

Anyhow, my point is that what would definitely help them, is to give them back their own religious identity in a kind of updated form, and let them be proud of it in a positive sense. Encouraging this, the people of the world should be intelligent enough to acknowledge their religion’s right to existence, and not say that it is uncivilised and animalistic - since it was a very elemental reaction to the natural conditions that it developed so, in ancient times. Humiliating a valuable religion, which meant to be the very spiritual identity of a particular group of people, and which helped them survive on that continent seem to contribute greatly to the present miserable situation. And this humiliation was/is done by european and american colonialists, who used or are using their technological/material domination in making their spirit impotent. So we have every reason to feel responsible for this, with all of its horroristic consequences, and help them by all means, support them in finding respect again in themselves. I percept it as a kind of withdrawal of foreign values and interests, and putting there care from distance instead, wich can manifest in many forms. In this way we might help them create conditions to their Buddhas or Bodhisattvas to appear.

I especially emphasised their regaining of religious identity, because many many things depends on it, even econimical and political suppression can only be eliminated if they can find themselves. A living spiritual identity gives the strenght to it. No material help can be effective if there is not a substantial receiver, with whom one can actually communicate. I know not very much about African countries, but this problem appears so in my mind. It might change a lot if I had to experience all the terrors, hoplessness very closely on the spot. Though my experience and understanding tells, that bigger external change always comes from changes in the mind, unavoidably, whether it is difficul, seems hopeless, or not.

There are many details that should be worked out, especially regarding economical, political, environmental strategies for recovering. A material rehabilitation should go hand in hand with the spiritual recovery, as a support, but also as a consequence.

 

Ps.: China is investing lately huge amount of money in African countries. China is very much conscious of that material dependency of African people and the lack of a strong ethical identity, which leads to slavery. I wonder what are their underlying motivations, and what result it will bring globally. I hope it will be ok.

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Let me add some more material and position for those who are interested in seeing more clearly this problem.

 

This is one comment to the article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/22/o...m_n_152802.html i.e. the great hopes some African people have about Obama’s era and Africa policy

 

"Are you guys kidding? Africa doesn't need Obama's tough love. Only someone with Stockholm's syndrome would believe that. Corruption in Africa? As opposed to what the extraordinary lack of corruption in this country? Are you paying attention to anything going on right now?

 

"If you don't understand White Supremacy, what it is and how it works, everything else you think you understand will only confuse you."

--Neely Fuller Jr.

 

Anyone that understands organized crime knows you need a buffer. This global system of racism is a system of organized crime.

 

Poverty is the worst form of violence, and religion brought on by colonizers has helped to promote the kind of confusion that has set Africans back generations. The lack of reasoning.

 

If you want to talk about "corruption", and "responsibility", check out these articles:

 

http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=11311

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?con...va&aid=7957

 

The myth of "overpopulation" of Africa:

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/georgianne-n...p_b_107010.html

 

Black people in this country can not be called crabs in a barrel for not supporting each other. We put him in office, there are many of us who aren't expecting anything. At best I think he will refine the status quo. He couldn't threaten the system or he wouldn't have gotten this far. I hope I'm surprised, and he turns out to be a stealth leftist he will be viciously opposed.

 

We are NOT our own worst enemy."

 

 

 

If you read this short description of african traditional religion: http://www.afrikaworld.net/afrel/goddionah.htm (part 2: The Essential Features of African Traditional Religion), and after you read this article http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?con...va&aid=7957 , you will get a vivid sensation of what is lost in Africa due to the activities of the human devils of money- and power-thirst, where morality is long forgotten.

 

This is a very good website of africas traditional religion, very inspiring and touching: http://www.afrikaworld.net/afrel/

 

as for the motivation of Chinese governement I mentioned in my first post in this line, here is a link worth having a look at: http://towardfreedom.com/home/content/view/992/1/

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Ps.: China is investing lately huge amount of money in African countries. China is very much conscious of that material dependency of African people and the lack of a strong ethical identity, which leads to slavery. I wonder what are their underlying motivations, and what result it will bring globally. I hope it will be ok.

 

supplemet for seeing China's motivation:

http://ecoworldly.com/2009/07/26/kenya-fea...ction-projects/

 

a friend posted this link on another forum:

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