Rev. Shina Iwaki Former Chief Priest at Myogyoji Temple in Chicago.
Elvis Presley's Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee is one of America's most iconic and historical sites. The photograph on the left is Nichiren Shoshu Priest Shina Iwaki the former Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist Priest. We post these pictures side by side to explain how the teaching of Buddhism can get lost in Culture. It is easy to identify a Japanese Priest with Buddhist teachings but for many it is almost impossible to relate one of the most iconic American structures in the world with Buddhist teachings.
The Gosho (Nichiren Daishonin's Writings) True aspect of all phenonmena reads: "all beings and environments in the Ten Worlds, from hell, the lowest, to Buddhahood, the highest, are without exception manifestations of Myoho-renge-kyo. If there is an environment, living beings are bound to dwell there. A commentary states, “Living beings and their environments always manifest Myoho-renge-kyo. Another says: “The true aspect invariably manifests in all phenomena, and all phenomena invariably manifest in the ten factors. The ten factors invariably manifest in the Ten Worlds, and the Ten Worlds invariably manifest in life and its environment.” And “Both the beings and the environment of the Avichi hell exist entirely within the life of the highest sage [Buddha], and what is more, the life and the environment of Vairochana [Buddha] never transcend the lives of common mortals."
The above Gosho passage is a lot to chew on if you put it in the context of Japanese Culture. Now if you get a brother to break it down in a language you can understand it becomes simple. Another thing about this lecture is learning Elvis from the stand point of African Americans.
The easiest way to
understand Buddhism is to explain Buddhism in its most simplest form or explanation. In short Buddhism means the enhancement of your knowledge of the law of cause and effect. Myo-Renge-Kyo in simple terms is understanding indept teachings of the law of cause and effect. While Elvis Presley is one of America's greatest iconic heroes we African Americans see Elvis Presley different than White people. The Buddhist teachings of Nichiren Daishonin gives a window of understanding the phenomena of Elvis Presley. In the case of me Anthony "Amp" Elmore I am one of the rare Buddhist that actually have an Elvis Presley story. While I never met Elvis Presley I personally have met and worked with some of Elvis Presley's most trusted friends and associates. Just meeting those around him gives me an above average insight to explaining Elvis Presley and Buddhism. We certainly have a Black perspective.
Brent Kennedy, a college administrator in Wise, theorizes that the King, as well as Abraham Lincoln and Ava Gardner, might trace their ancestors to the mysterious Melungeons. These dark-skinned, blue-eyed people were first documented in Virginia’s Blue Ridge in the late 1700s.
The greatest Abraham Lincoln connection is that Honest Abe, Father Abraham, The Great Emancipator, The Railsplitter, is related to The King of Rock-N-Roll, Elvis Presley. Yes, arguably the two most famous Melungeons are kin! Elvis is a direct descendant of Abraham Lincoln’s second great grandfather Isaiah Harrison. Harrison was born in 1666 and died in 1738. He was born in England and came to America in 1687. Both the Lincoln and Presley family trees sprouted from this “root.”
Scientists believe that a stronger case could be made that the King of Rock n’ Roll may have African roots. According to a recent DNA study published in the Journal of Genetic Genealogy, Presley’s molecule encoding falls right in line with the“Melungeons.” “Melungeons.” Ironically, Presley’s early music was routinely denounced for its “jungle” rhythm and “African” beats.
Recent research sites that Elvis Presley was a Melungeon who had African Ancestry
What is hilarious is that many of Black people thought that Elvis might have a bit of Black blood. There is so much that was written about Elvis and race. Some people write that Elvis was a "racist." Elvis was a man of his time and often he had to distance himself from being too closely associated to Black people. Elvis was a White man who was destined carry the "Spirit of Black Music to the world." Let us face the reality; our world in 1954 was not ready for a Black person to integrate an African American "Cultural element" into a dominate Anglo White society. It was Elvis Presely's Karma to carry that Banner.