Series Four Volume 6

What Hope? Staying with the Trouble of America’s Racial Karma

Part of a special section on American Buddhism, Race, and Power. This article examines “America’s racial karma,” a concept coined by Larry Ward, to critique the temporal logic underpinning narratives of progress in the US. Drawing from Buddhist conceptions of karma, alongside queer theory, Black studies, and postcolonial critiques, I argue that America’s linear, future-oriented historical narrative functions as a…

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Series Four Volume 6

Imagined and Realized Black-Asian Solidarity and American Buddhism

Part of a special section on American Buddhism, Race, and Power. This paper explores the question of Black–Asian solidarities in American Buddhism in response to Rima Vesley-Flad’s examination of the possibility of Black–Asian Buddhist solidarities being stymied by historic tension and aversion among Black and Asian American communities. Rather than lingering on anti-Blackness, I focus on unpacking how Asian American…

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Series Four Volume 6

Buddhist Exceptionalism behind Bars

Part of a special section on American Buddhism, Race, and Power. Many Buddhist programs in US prisons focus on reforming incarcerated people. Often the leaders of these programs celebrate their incarcerated students for undergoing extraordinary transformations from so-called angry prisoners into calm and compassionate bodhisattvas. Those deemed exceptional may attain celebrity status and often receive privileges both within prison and…

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Series Four Volume 6

Introduction to the Special Section on American Buddhism, Race, and Power

To say that the United States is experiencing a tumultuous existential crisis of cultural and political identity may, indeed, be an understatement. Race, especially, is at the heart of many current cultural divides and political battles. From debates over Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, to fearmongering over Critical Race Theory (CRT) in public schools, to racialized policies over citizenship…

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