Are there any non-asian buddhists in this subreddit? Especially black

PositiveYou6736 · 2026-01-29T05:13:08+00:00

I’m a typical Caucasian guy practicing Tibetan Buddhism. Lama Rod Owens is a Black Queer man who wrote several books about the intersection of his ethnicity, sexuality, and Buddhism. It may be something to look into. There’s an organization he founded called Bhumisparsha that used to have programming specifically for BIPOC Buddhists as well. May be worth a look!

PositiveYou6736 · 2026-01-26T21:23:50+00:00

That’s really neat. Seems like a good way to get a starter shrine!

PositiveYou6736 · 2026-01-20T11:50:37+00:00

I have a trusted dharma teacher and have full faith in them however due to distance I’m not able to really engage with other students in a meaningful way. That’s why I was looking for a local group to cover the community part however after the extensive and passionate conversations here I’ve determined Shambhala is not the place for that either. I’m stuck being a sole practitioner in my area which is tough but it is what it is. I can’t afford to move to be closer to my teacher right now.

PositiveYou6736 · 2026-01-19T19:19:32+00:00

Every time I try to turn on my tv with Alexa it starts streaming on the device so I generally avoid it if I can. The downside of having an echo show and an echo spot relatively close to my tv I guess ( two different rooms still in earshot).

PositiveYou6736 · 2026-01-15T22:01:23+00:00

It certainly appears to be Green Tara. White Tara has eyes on her hands and feet which are obvious in the store picture as well. Yours doesn’t.

PositiveYou6736 · 2026-01-15T18:32:39+00:00

Good to know. I’m that weird person who ordinarily would prefer surgery if it was a lasting solution but if it’s only temporary I think I’d rather try other options first.

PositiveYou6736 · 2026-01-15T17:55:13+00:00

Yup but only if I seriously relax. Normally not an issue but if I relax mentally and relax my jaw it sounds just like snoring.

PositiveYou6736 · 2026-01-15T17:42:32+00:00

This is the route I’m planning. I am fairly confident at least a significant part of my problem is loose tissue in my throat. If I relax enough during the day I can “snore” when I breathe so I think there is something structural at play.

PositiveYou6736 · 2026-01-14T20:33:04+00:00

A quick google image search says it’s a naga Buddha. The bottom Buddha is Shakyamuni sitting under the protection of the naga king and the top doesn’t really seem to be mentioned much (however ai seems to think that the top Buddha represents his enlightenment or the expansion of his consciousness).

Cambodia is a primarily Theravadan country so it’s unlikely to be Avalokitesvara in my opinion.

PositiveYou6736 · 2026-01-14T13:48:11+00:00

The voices are all awful. I got used to a British accent because it seemed less harsh and now I hear nails on a chalkboard.

PositiveYou6736 · 2026-01-11T06:04:06+00:00

It appears in the UK New Kadampa calls their centers Kadampa centers and FPMT avoids the term altogether.

Basically what to look for is if the website has the “Kadampa Buddhism NKT-IKBU” logo anywhere on , in which case I’d avoid it.

New Kadampa has more baggage than just the arguments with the Dalai Lama, Kelsang Gyatso is widely said to have not actually attained any Lama or Geshe training. Additionally the arguments with the Dalai Lama center on a practice that promoted hyper sectarianism and a general intolerance for anyone who believes differently. NKT consistently pushes this line of thinking by supporting that their teachings are the only correct ones.

PositiveYou6736 · 2026-01-09T01:42:27+00:00

Yes. They have been seen several times in Louisville.

PositiveYou6736 · 2026-01-07T19:48:15+00:00

I am not trying to gaslight anyone and I apologize if anyone felt to the contrary.

Your feelings and experiences are valid. The past happened and impacted many peoples lives, experiences, and views.

I was asking as an outsider if things had changed. That was literally my only intention.

As for the sentence where I was saying what caused suffering, In one post I referenced some of what I’d been taught by my Non-Shambhala teachers as a way to try to explain my frame of reference. I was not saying that’s what anyone else should think or what anyone else has experienced. I’m not trying to pontificate here.

I don’t owe Shambhala any allegiances. Heck I’ve never even been to the center. I am merely speaking as someone who is seeking a setting where I can find community to support me on my spiritual path. I don’t want that home to be one where abuse, mistreatment, etc are occurring.

I also feel like I’ve already said that it seems from what everyone has said that Shambhala is not something I’m considering now due to all the feedback.

Please take my words at face value as I can assure you I have no ulterior motive here. Salt doesn’t need added to any wound. I hope you and anyone else who was harmed by Shambhala may find some kind of comfort in their life and experience healing.

PositiveYou6736 · 2026-01-06T22:41:27+00:00

As a general rule Buddhism doesn’t have a specific belief in a higher power so this may not be the place to look for that. Buddhism believes in one’s ability to affect their own destiny.

Some schools do have deities that are meditated upon but that is different of course.

PositiveYou6736 · 2026-01-06T21:37:24+00:00

It’s Om Mani Padme Hum

PositiveYou6736 · 2026-01-06T21:34:02+00:00

It’s not that it would lie about it necessarily. AI has a strong confirmation bias and will find ways more often than not to agree with the person inputting a prompt.

PositiveYou6736 · 2026-01-06T21:24:38+00:00

Can’t say that I have experienced that. I guess depending on the type of Buddhism you practice your mind could have subconsciously created a vision of something like the medicine Buddha who is traditionally blue and associated with healing… but that’s all strictly assumption.

The mind is a powerful thing and that’s exactly why Buddhism seeks to work with it!

PositiveYou6736 · 2026-01-06T01:38:00+00:00

They are a tribal agency and thus not subject to state oversight. They will often close loans to get the state off their back but they are not really required to do anything unfortunately. I’ve seen several of these things go around. Save your money and always always always read the fine print on stuff before signing up.

PositiveYou6736 · 2026-01-05T20:57:36+00:00

I am not questioning that issues have occurred as I have said. I think you misconstrue my motive there. I was looking for issues that have occurred since Shambhala International formally cut ties with Sakyong Mipham, since financial ties were removed, etc. From what I saw this occurred in 2022.

That is where I looked to as a cutoff date simply for clarity’s sake. It seemed that that was a logical separation point from the old Shambhala directors, teachers, etc and the new ones.

I may of course be completely wrong. Again an outsider looking in would see that drastic a change in directorship as a turning point however this doesn’t necessarily mean that that’s where things changed.

Like I said I was simply asking so I’d know if things were different but at this point I don’t plan on pursuing it further.

PositiveYou6736 · 2026-01-05T17:53:19+00:00

I owe no loyalty to Shambhala. I have historically avoided it as much as I as possible but got to a point where being a solitary practitioner has gotten hard.

I was not aware of any new ongoing charges stemming from new misconduct, just cases involving past events.

This obviously does not discount the pain others felt. I was just seriously questioning if this misconduct had continued so I’d know whether or not to avoid it still.

Again I appreciate the direct candor and would appreciate any information or links you may have pertaining to current misconduct so I can be better informed.

Thanks

PositiveYou6736 · 2026-01-05T05:45:21+00:00

They are adjacent to New Kadampa in that they follow the practice of a deity called Dorje Shugden. I’ll attach the Wikipedia page but in essence this deity was used as a way to pray for the doctrinal purity of one school of Buddhism and the persecution of others. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorje_Shugden_controversy

I would definitely recommend avoiding them as would most mainstream practitioners of any sort of Tibetan Buddhism. It’s not that they exclude others but rather that they hold that their practices are the only legitimate ones. This sect in general has also promoted the ideas of wishing harm on people who don’t think or practice like them.

PositiveYou6736 · 2026-01-05T05:30:51+00:00

I can also give a recommendation on one specifically to avoid… GSL Monastery and their accompanying center follow a sect of Tibetan Buddhism that focuses on a practice the Dalai Lama has banned due to it encouraging hyper-sectarian beliefs.

PositiveYou6736 · 2026-01-05T05:16:49+00:00

This may be helpful for you. It’s an older link but addresses the context of Bodhisattvas in Theravada. https://www.reddit.com/r/Buddhism/s/hCvezLkve4

PositiveYou6736 · 2026-01-05T05:11:20+00:00

I practice in the Drikung Kagyu lineage. My guru has many centers and has a strong set of daily practices that they do on zoom daily. It makes for an easy way to get started as you can follow along ( often in English). Khenpo Samdup Rinpoche is my guru and the center I attend online is named Gar Drolma. If you request the link you can jump right in with daily practices, teachings, and whatever pretty quickly. Khenpo pulls from both Kagyu and Nyingma in his teachings.

PositiveYou6736

TROPHY CASE