Dreaming Me

Author : Jan Willis : 2001, p 321

This is an interesting theme build around an interesting subject/person, written in an interesting and easy to read format, at times, gripping stories.

Jan is a professor of religion at Wesleyan University and the first African American scholar-practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism. Being a practitioner gives her an unique perspective of the religion and understanding.

It is an amazing journey, and a raw look at racism in US. Each racist encounter, hit one in the face, like a pop-up and one can feel the wriggling pain the author goes through. In each major encounter, the author faces the pain, anger for 2-3 days. Interestingly, the author best friends are 2 whites, who try to empathise with the author. The memoir outline the rascism faced since childhood. The author lived right in the heart of the KKK, Docena. One live, through the author, what it is like to be tormented by the KKK, right in their neighbourhood. To protect themselves, they have to carry gun at home. Right from birth, the author struggle with rascism. In fact, in seems that Fate has conspired to force her to face rascism. The author's grand parent was a white. Even within the black community, the author have to put up with looks and insunation. As the author grew up, she was the pioneer in several front, like being the first black to study in the North, the black professor etc etc. All these plunged the author right into new territory, as the US struggle to intergrate.
What surprises me is that right into the 80s, the writer continue to meet rascism. It makes one wonder if rasscism is ever going to go away. Highly unlikely.
This is a book that all the senior government servants,policy makers, bureaucrats in those Asian countries MUST read to feel and understand what minority goes through. Particularly for those countries that continue to pride itself (and pretend) in the harmony of its multi racial, multi religion. While tourists and casual visitors may be impressed or believe the government media that all is well and there are no discriminations in their countries. This is particularly true, whenever there is a major festival and the media show case (ie print a few photos) the different races, smiling and jostling for food or wishing each other well> As if, a few photos, festival project (or hide) the true state of racial and religous harmony.
It makes one wonder, if is better to let rascism rear its ugly head and in the open (as in US), rather than suppressed it and pretend it doesn't exist or cover it up in the name of positive discrimination and routinised it through formal official policy or racial discrimination till it become the accepted norm. (as in some countries in Asia).

I give you my life - Ayya Khema

220 pages,

Autobiography of a German Jewish Buddhist Nun.

When I picked up this book, I had expected lots of dharma lesson weaved in the life story. Interestingly, this is a very worldly story of an extraordinary person. The dharma lesson doesn't start to appear until about 3/4 into the books. Even then, one have to look out for it. It arise naturally. It give me a sense that the author doesnot deliberately choose to tell story where there are dharma lessons. The stories of her life are told as, it, all praise and warts included. If the lesson arise, it arise. One can easily believe what is being told, and not unlike other, where stories are censored or sanitized as it doesnot put the subject in a good light.

Like a true teacher, the subject did not try to portray how enlightened she is. One can feel that the writer almost have to squeeze out from the subject, her personal experience or "achievement" with regard to spiritual experience.

4 major efforts, Ayya Khema tied to lived within :

a) not permitting unwholesome thoughts to arise that has not yet arisen - ie to avoid
b) not engaging further in unwholesome thoughts that have arise - to overcome
c) Arousng a wholesome thought that has not arise ie to develop
d) engaging further in a wholesome thought that has arised - to maintain.