Let me get to the lecture spurred by the movie “Good Hair.” The
Gosho
(Nichiren Daishonin “The True Buddha” Writings) reads: "only Buddhas know the
“True entity of all phenomena..
the nature form true entity….. In common everyday lay terms “The phenomena of “Good Hair” can be explained from the stand point of karma. Karma is the sum total of the law of cause and effect.
Chris Rock asks the question in the movie “exactly what is good hair?” Those of you who read this lecture and if you are not African or African/American you more than likely have no idea of the meaning of “Good Hair” as it relates to African/Americans. What is interesting is that the Black hair industry is dominated by Asians perhaps there is an Asian Nichiren Buddhist in the hair business that sells hair, perhaps they will understand this phenomena or why Black people desire to have "Straight Hair."
The Gosho reads; "only Buddhas know the “True entity of all phenomena.. the nature form true entity. The entity Buddhism explains is that there always exist 3000 phenomena in all of life's existence and any and all phenomena is a part of this existence.
Let us examine the phenomena of “Good Hair” from the standpoint of the law of cause and effect. Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism teaches that all phenomena have a cause and effect relationship or Karma. Let us review written documentation or find early examples in written history where “Good hair” first made a difference and appearance in human history.
Let me make this simplistic; thousands and thousands of years ago Blacks and Whites fought in history. The earliest times that Black and Whites fought was in the area of India and there was a war called the Mahabharata or “Great War” that lasted over 1000 years. The Aryans or Whites came into India and they fought the indigenous Black people and they and fought.
Eventually the Whites or Aryans dominated the Blacks and the Whites or Aryans or Brahmins or Hindu Priests established a religion called Braminism and they created one of the worst inhumanity against other humans ever known in the history of mankind called the "caste system "whereas remnants of this practice is apparent today in the phenomena of “Good Hair”. Many of the women whose hair is worn by Black women in America are oppressed and conned out of their hair in the name of God or religion and sold for Billions of dollars to America and Europe.
Thousands of years ago there are Brahmin teachings in writings that first hinted about the phenomena of “Good Hair.” Let us review a Brahmin quote from history in the ancient teachings of the Mahabharata written thousands of years ago.
"Trishanku was angered by their derisive laughter. He stood erect
and said - "if you and your father refuse to help me out, can I not find
someone to do it? I will get the' help from someone else and perform
the necessary sacrificial rite." This bold reply piqued the sons of
Vashishta. They said, "Because you have turned a traitor to your
Guru, You shall become a 'Chandala'." Immediately king Trishanku
lost his color and beauty. He became
black,
his
hair
became
rough
and he indeed became a '
Chandala'.
His followers and ministers left
him in disgust. Trishanku's grief knew no bounds."
The idea of the curse of Black skin and course hair goes far back in our history.
In India the Brahmins or Hindu Priest established a religion based upon color called the caste system and the Chandalas were the Black people who were the lowest of the low. They could only come into cities at night and they had to tie a bell on their ass to let others know that they were coming. It was even forbidden to even walk on the shadow of a Chandala. They only could own dogs and donkeys. To add more insult to injury they has to also tie a broom on their as to cover their tracks. Life for a Chandala was a living hell on earth. In Buddhism this is a condition of Animality whereas the strong dominate the weak.
Race and Racism in India
Hints of the caste system can be seen in the Rig Veda written in the late second millennium
B.C.E.
It was clearly in place by the time of the later Vedic texts (c. 1000-500
B.C.E.
). These Sanskrit texts are generally seen as products of an Aryan migration or invasion, and they teach a sacrificial religious system known as Brahmanism or Vedism, which would in later centuries develop into Hinduism. Deeply concerned with issues of purity and pollution, the Vedic texts divided people into different groupings called varnas ("colors") at the top of which was a priestly caste called to set themselves apart from the others. In the early Hindu period (c. 300
B.C.E.
-500
C.E.
), the Sanskrit epics the Ramayana and the Mahabharata were incorporated into the tradition. These texts laid out four hierarchical varna classes (Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudra), which eventually became the larger groupings, which would encompass caste (jati) clusters. Although Hinduism does include elements of non-Vedic and non-Aryan sources, Vedic literature and Aryan civilization is seen as being at the core of the tradition
The history of racism started in India Thousands of year ago. The same hair that Hindu discards everyday in India is the hair that Black Women treasure in America.The idea of being Black with rough hair and this as a negative phenomenon of (Animality) that goes further back in human history than the average person can imagine. If you are a Christian and you search the Bible for an answer that explains good hair one would more than likely conclude that such phenomena are only the “Will of God.” Many Black people in Christianity savor in the passage in the Bible that says Christ had hair like “Lambs Wool” however it is rare to find many African/American women who would relish the fact of their hair being Christ like and that of “Lambs Wool."
African/American Hollywood stars use this Indian hair. Because they think that other countries hair has damage due to use of various chemicals shampoo to clean and beatify their hair, Whereas Indian peoples use natural methods to protect their hair. So that Indian hair is natural, strong, durable and can be colored. Many African/American women spend billions each year to get this Indian hair.
The Buddhist Gosho reads; "only Buddhas know the “True entity of all phenomena.. the nature form true entity. This passage explains the Ten aspects of all phenomena. Let us examine the Ten aspects of hair.
The profound Buddhist teachings of Nichiren Daishonin teach that, 1. appearance 2. Nature and 3. Entity are the substance of all phenomena. Also Power, Influence, Inherent Cause, Relation, Latent Effect and Manifest Effect are the functions of all phenomena and all things function in the universe this way.
Side note: At the time of this writing I was watching "T.V. One" a Black Oriented cable T.V. channel in America. A remarkably beautiful African/American female comedian was making a joke about the cost of her tracks or hair insertions. The woman was surprised by a joke played or her by another woman throwing a pie in the face of the beautiful comedian, the comedian dodged most of the pie getting into her hair and the audience gasps for air knowing the effort, time and money it took the woman to achieve such a perfect look. The all Black audience understood the phenomenal expense and effort that it takes to maintain the "Good Hair" appearance. Chris Rock can make a movie about this phenomena because it is ridiculous and even a comedic joke the time, money and effort it takes just to maintain such a look. While this is a joke in America this phenomena is no joke in life.
