Since you are interested in Buddhism, what do you think about this segment from the anime?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQRBDzogR4k

it’s actually been a long time since I wrote this post and from my knowledge, over the past year, things have gone slightly better for Asian men in the West - not by much though. If you know me well, however, I don’t put all the blame on the phenomenon of ’self-hating’ Asians in a Westernized society - it is easily possible that some Asian men simply are boring when it comes to work and play.

But most Asian guys have dedication and a heart of romance most ladies dream about. In fact, I’d say that if you don’t confess, you risk losing a lot. And if the Chinese gentleman of your affections rejects you simply because of race, who is the one more obsessed about race - you, or him?

And if it’s him, is a man preoccupied with his own race, do you believe you’ll get anywhere with him?

Which is completley valid, although I don’t think it’s the truth. I think my only real concern is that he doesn’t think that I’ll like him because he is chinese…based on what I’m reading that is the most likely case.
How very sad.
So how, in your opinion, shoud I as a white woman approach this? This super sucks. I don’t want to be the “tupical” white person basing the final decision about my relationships based on race. It’s petty and ignorant and I ran away from mississippi a long time ago!
:)

Take heart guys! I have faith that I’m not the only one to believe in you all!

-B

cheers, Pretension.

1. an easy fuck,

2. child tourism,

3. extortion.

It is the nature of these lower strata of human beings to do these things, however. I would advise you as long as you don’t mix with these people without the proper training, your circles of good spiritual friends will remain safe.

I grimace when white people complain of racism against them. A papercut can never feel as painful as a punctured lung.

Firstly, I’d like to say that your blog is interesting & well thought-out. Congratulations!

Secondly, I recently looked up Lovecraft on the Net & intend to read up on some of his work, so I’ll look out for the racial undertones you’ve referred to, Raymond.

All too often, those that we consider great artisits, writers, song writers etc. turn out to have views that do not match our own. I was a big fan of John Lennon when younger, but there’s a side to Lennon that’s a bit darker than the rather saintly image that’s usually promoted to the public since his death. Something he himself probably wouldn’t have approved of. Also, in the context of his work, Lennon did write lyrics that I don’t fully concord with. But then, this is to be expected really, isn’t it?

Regarding racism, ever since I called a black kid a racist term for beating me at tennis when at school, I’ve been accutely aware of the suffering that it can cause. The look on his face has stayed with me ever since. I immediately apologized, realizing that it was a stupid & ignorant thing to do. He shrugged his shoulders and said, “It’s alright. I’m used to it.” This meant that he’d been racially abused so many times that it was no longer a shock to him, and that really hit me. Like you wrote, many racists have never had a conversation with a person of another race, so they don’t see them as human beings with human emotions just the same as themselves.

Despite being a white guy, I do occasionally receive racist treatment, however. Living in Thailand, which on the whole is an incredibally welcoming & tolerant society, I do sometimes come across Thais who resent the presence of foreigners in their country. Because of Thai ettiquette, this racism will normally be expressed indirectly through gestures & short thrift. Nevertheless, it’s clear to someone that’s lived here for some time when someone doesn’t like you - even when they retain that famous Thai smile! (Of course, considering some of the things that some Westerners get up to in Thailand, it’s not entirely surprising that some people here don’t like us!)

I recently listened to a talk by Ajahn Brahm who made the observstion that to really stump a racist we should try responding to their hate with love or compassion. He suggested getting a car bumper sticker with the words “Hug a racist today!” His point was that these people often thrive on hate & the negative reactions that they reeceive to their views, which in turn feed that very hate even more. As the Buddha taught, “Hate is not overcome by hate; only by non-hate can hate be overcome.”

Keep up the good posts,
G at ‘Buddha Space’.
http://buddhaspace.blogspot.com