Nichiren Daishonin writes in the Gosho: "On Attaining Buddhahood;" "Life at each moment encompasses the body and mind and the self and environment of all sentient beings in the Ten Worlds as well as all insentient beings in the three thousand realms, including plants, sky, earth, and even the minutest particles of dust." In Buddhism we deal with both "insentient beings" and "sentient beings." Just around the time that Elvis Presley moved to Memphis, International Harvester opened the first commercially available mechanical cotton picker was produced in 1949 at the International Harvester plant in Memphis. The Gosho reads: "only Buddhas know the true aspect of all phenomena." Not only did the "Cotton Picker" change life for Blacks in the South, a greater effect was the fact that manufactors brought unions and equality.
Around 1873 Eli Whitney invented the Gin that removed the seeds from Cotton. This act caused the need for Slave Labor to double in that the "Cotton Gin" (insentient life) helped to change the life of slavery in America. After the invention of the cotton gin, the yield of raw cotton doubled each decade after 1800. Demand was fueled by other inventions of the Industrial Revolution, such as the machines to spin and weave it and the steamboat to transport it. By mid century America was growing three-quarters of the world's supply of cotton, most of it shipped to England or New England where it was manufactured into cloth. During this time tobacco fell in value, rice exports at best stayed steady, and sugar began to thrive, but only in Louisiana. At mid century the South provided three-fifths of America's exports -- most of it in cotton. In 1819 Memphis, Tennessee was established and later grew to become not only the "Cotton Capitol of the World," Memphis, Tennessee became the "Slave Capitol of the World.
International Harvester opened the first commercially available mechanical cotton picker was produced in 1949 at the International Harvester plant in Memphis. In about 15 years after the opening of the "International Harvester Plant in Memphis" there was no need for African American labor to pick cotton anymore. The Cotton Picker changed life for Millions of African Americans in the South.
Let us look at the Buddhist term "ESHO- FUNI Also, non-duality of life and its environment. The principle that life and its environment, though two seemingly distinct phenomena, are essentially non-dual; they are two integral phases of a single reality. In the Japanese term esho-funi, esho is a compound of shoho, meaning life or a living being, and eho, its environment. Funi, meaning "not two," indicates oneness or non-duality. It is short for nini-funi, which means "two (in phenomena) but not two (in essence)." Ho of shoho and eho means reward or effect. It indicates that "life" constitutes a subjective self that experiences the effects of its past actions, and "its environment" is an objective realm in which individuals' karmic rewards find expression. Each living being has its own unique environment. The effects of karma appear in oneself and in one's objective environment, because self and environment are two integral aspects of an individual.
I was born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1953 the year Elvis graduated high school. We African Americans lived in a segregated Memphis. There was Elvis the epitome of the White World and us African Americans. There was a statement or rumor that Elvis said; all Blacks can do for him is "Buy his records and shine his shoes." There is debate whether Elvis made such a statement however there is no debate that Elvis Presley distanced himself from Black people and Black causes. The thing that we African Americans know about Elvis is that he purchased his maid a Cadillac car.
The above picture is that of Memphis, Tennessee segregated "Cotton Carnival Parade" held in Memphis each year. The Picture to the right is WHBQ personality Wink Martidale who left Memphis and made it to the National spot. In regards to us African Americans Graceland and Elvis is tantamount to visiting a foreign Country. Many of us grew up around Graceland and most Africans would not visit Graceland if it was free, Graceland is a White Cultural phenomena of the "Good old days." In regards to us African Americans we do not want any part of the "Good old days" of picking cotton and serving White people.
Speaking of the "Good old Days;" Today in Memphis just a week before Thanksgiving in 2013 I visited a Chinese resturant on Elvis Presley Blvd.,located Just a few hundred yards South of Graceland. We have an interesting Elvis Presley story to tell. In Buddhism it deals with the three realms of existence you can see the differences of Black life and White life on Elvis Presley street.
The 1st of the "Three Realms" is the Realms of the 5 Components: 1. Form 2. Perception 3. Conception 4. Volition 5. Conscientiousness. Our company was doing work at the Airport Inn Hotel in Memphis and I decided to invite my two workers to Lunch. My Ethiopian wife loves Chinese Food so it made sense for me to eat at the Chinese Resturant on Elvis Presely Blvd. I wanted to ride by Graceland to get a feel to completed my lecture Elvis and Buddhism. When we arrived at the resturant the lot was packed and I told my wife and workers that it would be like a "Family Re-union in that so many Black people would be inside. Me and my Ethiopian wife was ready to have Chinese food. I looked at the Buffet and it was "Full of Soul." The Chinese served Neck bones, Black eye peas, corn bread, Turnip Greens, candied yams, catfish, mac and Cheese. They had the greasy stuff. These Chinese did not have no Chinese food on the menu, just "Soul Food."
I told my wife that she would not like the food but my workers Adolpus and Quenton would be in heaven. The 1st thing they grabbed was the "hot Sauce" and salt and pepper. These men not only cleaned their plates they took the corn bread cleaned the plates. I told them that I knew they were having "Soul Food." I was sitting back amazed and the African American worker walked by. In Chinese Resturants in Memphis they do not hire locals and they usually bring only Chinese help. In the Resturance business good help is critical and Chinese are sucessful because that have "inhouse labor. Large Resturants in "Inner City Memphis" where large Resturant moved to the suburbs for more profit the Chinese move in and acheive major profibility. This Whitehaven resturant had both Black and White help. I asked the question to a Black worker: do you serve "Chitlins?" She said we do not serve "Chitlins" but we serve "HOG MAWS."
At a few tables ahead of us two older women reminded me that we knew each other. I asked the question could they tell me what part of the Hog did "Hog Maws" come from. Everyone in that part of the restaurant chimed in and I got 10 different answers. I said "yall need to Google the right answer." One lady was very knowledgeable I told her she was too young to know. I asked her where she was from. She said she lived in Chicago but she would come to the country and she learned. My worker Adolpus Graves knew exactly what was "HOG MAWS" because as a youth he grew up in Arkansas and they use to Bucher "HOGS." My wife is an "Ethiopian Jew" was getting sick with all of the talk about "HOGS & Pigs." It was fascinating that just a few blocks from Graceland was the "Shof Nuff Hood." Just being in the restaurant was the "True Black Culture" of old. I put up my Mastercard and my lunch bill for 4 was $42.00. The carpet in the place look like the same carpet when the restaurant was the Old Red Lobster of 30 years ago. Whites could not succeed in such a business but the Chinese have figured out how to win the Black dollar.
In the Gosho "The Gift of Rice" Nichiren Daishonin writes: "The true path lies in the affairs of this world. The Golden Light Sutra states, “To have a profound knowledge of this world is itself Buddhism.” The idea that African Americans can have lunch in Whitehaven in an abandon resturant that Whites left is a great achievement. What is great for Black people is that they have a place to go and express their culture.
The Gosho also reads: only Buddhas know the True aspect of all phenomena. While we love that greasy food this stuff is killing Black people. Dam near every Black woman in the joint was overweight. These were some "thick sisters"in the place. We lead America in diabetes, High Blood pressure and Heart attacks. The very soul food that we love so much is killing. They take bacon grease and season the snap beans. The Chinese got Black cooking down to a science. Before Adolphus and Quenton even tasted their food they applied Salt.
After leaving the restaurant I stopped by Graceland and I took my camera phone and took this picture for "White People" who would appreciate seeing Graceland in November 2013. All of my life we would see the Christmas decorations at Graceland. Graceland in Whitehaven is now and all Black neighborhood. Graceland is like a foreign land or a culture Blacks do not support. Many of the workers at Graceland are Black and the Elvis Mystic gives them a job. I am sure there will be some White people who would appreciate this picture of Graceland. Many people make pilgrimages to Graceland because Elvis is a "True American Hero." I can be sure that if Elvis Presley were living I would have met Elvis because he loved Karate and I was a Memphis Karate World champion. Elvis died on August 16, 1977 and I won the world title on May 29, 1982. I came around 5 years too late.