No Place To Hide: A Buddhist Perspective on Birthers

As surely everyone knows, a few days ago President Barack Obama released to the press the long form copy of his birth certificate. The long form had the same information as the short form, which he had released years ago, and reiterated the same truth. Anyone who comprehends that Hawaii is in fact a state in the United States of America knows that same truth -- Barack Obama is a natural born citizen, and a legitimately elected President. I agreed with New Yorker editor David Remnick , who, while appearing on television, directly named the questioning of the president's birth place as a conscious form of race baiting, and I considered that day a very sad day in this country, illuminating a great deal of divisiveness, bigotry, and ignorance.

Strangely, on that same day, for the first time in my life I received a message of hate via email. It came in on my website account, with the subject line, " Stinking Jews." The first line was, "We don't need Jews in Buddhism," and went on to describe Jews as greedy, stinking, and ghouls.

I'm not sure on what authority the writer was stating that Buddhism doesn't "need" any Jews. A lot of Buddhists (and Jews) would be very surprised to hear that Jews should be excluded from exploring the ethical teachings, the meditation methods, and the compassionate dimensions of Buddhism. I remembered during his inaugural address, President Obama called this a nation of Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and non-believers. I was standing there in the freezing cold, in that crowd of millions, and murmured, "What about Buddhists?" At the very same moment, the man standing next to me, a total stranger, murmured, "What about Buddhists?" Later, on a political website I enjoy following, the same point came up, and someone commented, "Well, between Jews and non-believers, he covered an awful lot of American Buddhists."

And on the day President Obama released his long form birth certificate, and I received the hate filled email, while I was meditating I had quite a Martin Neimoller moment. Neimoller's well known poem, describing the dangers of political apathy, recalled his experience in Nazi Germany:

First they came for the communists, 
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.


Then they came for the trade unionists, 
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.


Then they came for the Jews, 
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.


Then they came for me
 and there was no one left to speak out for me.

Being born Jewish, I personally don't make it past the third line to face the loneliness and terror of the last. But everybody in this country, even if you are not a communist or trade unionist or Jew or person of color or immigrant should take heed: hatred fostered doesn't tend to die out; creating an "other" whose life isn't seen as meaningful sets a fire that can burn wild and devastate many, including yourself; fear is easy to fan and hard to quell. Staying silent in the face of bigotry resolves nothing -- eventually there will be no place to hide. We can confront lies with the truth without demonizing anyone, and we have to, or ignorance gets stronger and stronger. We can stay connected to the dignity of our being no matter what trash comes our way, and we need to, for our own sake and to model a possibility for others. When we see someone else getting knocked down and we feel privileged and immune, we need to remind ourselves to guess again -- life just isn't like that, all tidy and static, without cycles of vulnerability and change. We don't know whose turn will be next, while we do know that without a legion of truth-tellers, it will be someone's.

 

 

 

Follow Sharon Salzberg on Twitter: www.twitter.com/sharonsalzberg

Comments

[DEMO]

10:52 AM on 05/10/2011

There is only one way to truly be mindful in the view of others. One must reflect the fruits of meditation in one's life and not respond to people who hate others. Simply stay calm and project the love of acceptance. They may not see it or get it but there is no use in argument. The spirit is the only medium of communication in any case. We truly ARE one and exposure to that oneness brings understanding on some level, whether it is conscious or not.

[SilviaCNY]

12:22 PM on 05/04/2011

Well, after reading the other comments I'm a little discouraged. Clearly Buddhism is still greatly misunderstood.

[SilviaCNY]

12:17 PM on 05/04/2011

It's truly terrifying to think the hate mail was written by someone who considers him/herself a Buddhist.
It IS terrifying but not surprising and very, very sad.

[lolablev]

11:23 AM on 05/04/2011

Thank you Sharon Salzberg for this insightful peace. We will all prey for the nurture of peace, compassion and loving kindness in our world.

[gordon shumway]

10:52 AM on 05/04/2011

the one thing that i have learned from Buddhism is that just as there is good in the world there is also bad, that just being the case of relative truth, now that doesn't mean you can't do things to help the world. It is like Shantideva said, 'You can try to cover the entire world in leather, but it is much more pragmatic to just wear leather shoes". I take this to mean that i can't really control the outer phenomena of the world, but rather i need to change the way i perceive it with my mind. If someone says something awful to me, i take it as a chance to look at my own mind, not judge the other person, no matter how crazy i might think of them and look at my own attachment to say my own race, religion, creed, sexual preference and then to find humor in it. If someone made fun of the fact or called me a derogatory term because i was Jewish, i would take a hard look at my own attachments and seeing myself as an intrinsic Jewish person, which doesn't follow the buddha's words that we are not independent, singular, intrinsic, or "Jewish", that is much more helpful than making the birthers into bad people, which again is lumping them into intrinsic parameters

[Foxoftheninetails]

10:10 AM on 05/04/2011

Groans, i feel like so many people are spreading misnformation. I dont know whats true and whats lies anymore. Im not ready to become an avowed atheists and slam all religions, but I do know this, Monotheism has been at the eye of every storm, reguardless of the slams on other religions and beliefs.

As for asking around, its a lot more than some people do.

[DEMO]

11:02 AM on 05/10/2011

Sitting around the table and discussing politics or whatever subject has become a lost art. Children have not been raised with this practice. Now we are somehow afraid to have our opinions tested or maybe even put down as dumb, or silly, or some other threat to our egos. Identity becomes more important than knowledge. Meditation is the porcess of shedding ego, shedding thoughts of self. The only way to BE with others is to BE. If there is no threat to the ego there is no pain and with that comes knowledge beyond the self.

[Shain Eighmey]

12:58 AM on 05/11/2011

With practice, having one's opinions be tested can actually be a very enjoyable experience. No one would want a product that has not been tested for quality, so why would anyone want an opinion that hasn't been either?

[LJ329]

09:35 AM on 05/04/2011

Wow - I loved reading this. I asked a question at the Kripalu retreat about lovingkindness meditation and social activism. This article made my heart go "ding, ding ding!" This is what I have been looking for. A way to confront the ugliness and hate in the world without becoming it. My own liberal Jewish heritage primed me to be an activist but I've wanted a way to perform this service in a more loving, less manic/urgent way. The idea of being a "truth-teller" in the face of lies and hate is so powerful (and will require a lot of self awareness so it does not devolve into more ideology). Your writing here demonstrates this so well. Many thanks and much love! - Lynne

[Foxoftheninetails]

08:17 AM on 05/04/2011

Judaism is a religion, not a race. Hebrew is the race, and its a mixture of Egyptian and Syrian (Pakistani).

[Foxoftheninetails]

08:14 AM on 05/04/2011

I lump all christians together for th same reason they lump all non christians together. Sure it may sound ignorant, but hear me out, I am an ex christian, and I know about the exclusivism of christianity. I dont even like Zen Christians, the whole purpose of Mix and Match christians is to destroy other religions. Im surprised that Christians still pick on Jews, because its been mostly muslims these days.

[DEMO]

11:12 AM on 05/10/2011

If we are all one, what difference is there in a lable? The root is the spirit and knowledge of the spirit is beyond lables. Freedom is being beyond concepts and ego. Being comfortable with all "religeons" is acceptance of the one.

[Lisabetta]

08:11 AM on 05/04/2011

Sharon. I'm very sorry to hear. That was a horrible, mean-spirtied and unwarranted thing to say.

As Dr. Joyce brothers said in the 90's, if a new partner seems racist toward others, that is simply hate and it will eventually get directed toward you, too. I echo gop4obama in the sentiment: Where would we be today without you, Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein? As well as Ram Dass, and many others of Jewish faith. And where would we be without the people who cultivate the Jewish faith, or that matter.

Re: Obama leaving out the Buddhists. Yes, I noticed that, too but on the other hand Buddhism has many lessons like the practice of meditation and choice-less awareness that are religion-neutral.

[gop4obama]

11:52 PM on 05/03/2011

Where would Buddhism in the West be without the deep involvement of teachers such as Ms. Salzberg, Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein, and many others raised in traditional Jewish homes, who later found an intellectual and spiritual home in the Dhamma? These 'family of origin' Jewish teachers, Monks, Roshis, Lamas have all enhanced and expanded the Buddha Dhamma in the West, and I am profoundly grateful to the traditions of scholarship, wisdom and mindfulness that sprang from the Jewish faith and planted themselves in the Dhamma in the West. Metta and thank you, Sharon.

[EattheYolk]

11:12 PM on 05/03/2011

Thank you, Sharon. Great article. No hate mail here!

It's coincidental, I suppose. When the Obama birther stuff was coming out these past couple of weeks, I happened to be working a lot on open-heartedness and letting that apparent separation from others drop away. It felt almost, well, painful to hear the comments about Obama, which surface likely for race-related reasons. Even though I blend in with the majority in my community and have not personally experienced racism, I noticed the foolishness and cruelty of the birth certificate request--it was like I could connect that unneeded hatred with what I've experienced myself in vastly different ways. Kinda cool, really.

[gordon shumway]

10:50 PM on 05/03/2011

Most buddhist i know have no problem with any race or creed, but that is a very limited pool of what you think of buddhist, buddhist through history have been equally participating in divisiveness, bigotry, and ignorance. Look at Sri lank today, look at the history of India, look at the history of China, Japan(Aum Shinrikyo), hell before the chinese went into Tibet, the tibetans themselves not only had many wars with themselves but were extremely xenophobic in every sense of the word. Buddhism doesn't mean you are somehow exempt of those feelings and that we cannot really, if we are buddhist , judge others in things that are very clearly relative and only based on moral relativism. Many Tibetan Rinpoches and Zen Roshis are clear misogynist and completely rationalize their morally corrupt actions in the name of buddhism, i was married to a Tibetan Princess whose family was closely related to many high Rinpoches, the Karmapa for one, i have been the personal servant for many of these gurus to only hear them make divisive, bigoted, and ignorant statements about people of different race, nationality, etc. So before you hold birthers responsible, please step back and since you have written many books, go and try and make a change with them first, before any of the birthers, besides the birthers bring a little humor to my life in their funny ways, unlike those gurus

[Foxoftheninetails]

08:18 AM on 05/04/2011

Tenrikyo? Isnt that a monotheistic belief? Sri Lanka has a Christian problem, i asked around about it.

[gordon shumway]

09:30 AM on 05/04/2011

No, i am talking about the Tibetan buddhist influenced, 1996 cult that released sarin gas into the subways in Japan, Sri Lanka might have a christian problem but their buddhist run government is killed many innocent tamils in the name of buddhism, LOOK at the text Words of My PERFECT TEACHER by PATrul Rinpoche, MAny bigoted, divisive, ignorant out dated beliefs regarding homosexuals, etc. This is the reason why the dalai lama has many times come out against homosexuality because tibetans think it is weird. It is good that you only asked around when you could actually try to read a book, travel there, or speak with someone who profession actually involved in the situation, if we all just asked around instead of doing research than we just become like those funny and confused birthers

[Matthew2010]

12:58 PM on 05/04/2011

I'm a little unclear what you are saying here, or what you suppose Sharon Salzberg is claiming. She never suggests that Buddhists in general, or Buddhist teachers in particular, are without faults. Rather, I take it her point is that it is a bad idea to remain silent in the face of injustice, even if we are not directly affected ourselves. Do you disagree with that? Is your view that because some Buddhist teachers may have bigoted ideas that Buddhists in general can have nothing to say on the issue of bigotry? That's a very peculiar position.

[gordon shumway]

01:35 PM on 05/04/2011

i agree with ms.salzberg, but she can so easily cast out the birthers i am just asking for a little inward look at our own shadows, which buddhism is more concerned about. it is easy to judge others is all i am saying, i have no problem with her saying the birthers are wrong for these reasons, but can she also write a paper about her own religion in connection to such and such reasons. Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. i think that is a reasonable request.

[Christine Brandel]

10:35 PM on 05/03/2011

Thank you for sharing this, Sharon. (And while this is besides the point, know that I believe Buddhism is blessed by your presence.)

[khanti]

09:16 PM on 05/03/2011

Good article.