The Million Family March garners many controversial opinions from Buddhist
and non-Buddhist alike. I was scheduled to attend the first march with a practicing Buddhist friend who then worked for an airline. The Buddhist friend had arranged for transportation for me and himself and at the last minute our Buddhist friend declined to travel to the “Million Man March” after advisement from a practicing Nichiren Shoshu Buddhist who lived in Washington D.C.. I became very distressed by our Buddhist friend who in our opinion had taken a myopic view of Buddhism. The issue that our Buddhist friend took is the issue many Christians take issue with, and that is the issue with Muslim “Nation Of Islam” Leader “The Honorable Louis Farrakhan".
Five years ago I happily watched the historic march; the largest gathering in America's history on CNN news. I was hurt and distressed by such limited views that many Buddhist take. I ask the question; how do we as Africans and African/American Buddhist define ourselves? Many Buddhist define themselves in relationship to Nichiren Shoshu Priests. They ask the Priest permission to do this or the Priest permission to do that. Instead of defining ourselves in relationship to the Priest we should define ourselves in relationship to the
Gohonzon.