On the one hand, we live in a multiracial (also multiethnic, multicultural, and multireligious) society. On the other hand, or perhaps precisely because of it, our society is beset with racial tension and racial discrimination/hatred/conflicts. We also live in a time when on the one hand we propagate that race does not matter but on the other hand we play identity politics based on race. As someone who attempts to study Buddhist texts and ideas—mainly, Indian and Tibetan—one inevitably asks what would be a Buddhist theory of human race, that is, a Buddhist raceology. And what would be a Buddhist position on racism?
To be sure, I am not even sure which words in Sanskrit or Tibetan would best convey the idea of “race.” I am not a Sanskritist and so I cannot tell with certainty which Sanskrit words express the idea of “race.” It appears that vaṃśa (rigs/rus), varṇa (rigs), jāti (rigs) and gotra (gdung/rigs/rus/cho ’brang) cover the semantic range of “caste, family, and race,” all of which are believed to be determined by birth. Buddhism, an Indian religion, seems to have taken the existence of different castes in the society and the societal perception that some castes are more respectable than others for granted. Thus, it is said that, the Buddha, before taking birth in the world, considered “five types of considerations” (gzigs pa rnam pa lnga), one being the “consideration of the caste.” Analogously perhaps, all 1000 or so buddhas of the bhadrakalpa aeon are said to appear in the kṣatriya or brāhmaṇa caste. The only reason, as far as I know, is that whichever caste or form of existence would best benefit sentient beings, the Buddha would manifest in that caste or form of existence. If a hunter, fisherman, or prostitute were to benefit sentient beings the best/most, the Buddha would manifest as a hunter, fisherman, or prostitute. Later on, it seems, the possibility was extended also to other species (i.e. to all five or six forms of existences) and even to inanimate objects such as islands and bridges.
Buddhism seems to recognize two kinds of caste/race, namely, a biological/physiological and a spiritualogical/soteriological one. While the biological/physiological caste/race may be said to be determined or acquired by birth, the spiritualogical/soteriological caste/race can be acquired by cultivation and training. Buddhism also seems to override the significance of the biological/physiological caste/race by spiritualogical/soteriological caste/race. This can be seen by the Buddha’s reevaluation and reinterpretation of key terms such as brāhmaṇa and ārya. The purity of heart and mind overrides the supposed purity of blood and bones. The nobility of the heart and mind overrides the supposed nobility of one’s questionable biological caste/race. Here Bhāviveka’s thoughts on this would be worth referring to.
With regard to the spiritualogical/soteriological caste/race, Buddhism in course of time has developed two theories, namely, a five-gotra theory and a one-gotra theory. Both were probably proposed with the best of intentions. The first theory should enable Buddhists to accord complete personal liberty to all sentient beings. They are free to choose any kind of soteriological model or not to choose any at all. The second allows Buddhists to accord respect to all sentient beings as equally being buddha potentials or hidden buddhas.
Various Tantric classes and systems also suggest that some form of Buddhism recognizes the soteriological potentials of human beings of the four castes. In fact, there seems to be a reverse of the soteriological potentiality of human beings of the four castes. The lower the caste one belongs to, the better suited is one said to be for the more profound Tantric teachings! Here, too, the caste system has been presupposed but has been reevaluated in a reverse way.
Some Vinaya sources may suggest that ordaining persons from certain social groups or background including those from “bad caste/family” (rigs ngan pa) have been seen as obstacles (bar chad) for the ordination. A closer look, however, reveals that this has been due to the potential undermining of the social standing of the ordained community. One cannot deny the potential difficulty that the ordained community would have faced if the majority of its members consisted of convicts and social groups that were not held in high esteem. Being from a lowly caste, though perceived to be a bit of an image problem, has not been seen as a hindrance for the arising of the precept of ordination. Once ordained, no one is supposed to discriminate anyone on the basis of one’s former caste. Obviously discrimination on the basis of caste is a transgression in the Vinaya. The Buddha is said to have said: “In my doctrine, caste is not important, race/family is not important. Important is the [three types of] training (i.e. adhiśīla, adhicitta, adhiprajñā)” (nga’i bstan pa ’di la | rigs mi gtso | rus mi gtso | bslab pa gtso ||).
Buddhism may have to accept race and racism as social realities, no matter how undesirable or desirable a society might consider them to be. But they would be seen as mere social conventions and constructions. While we cannot deny our physiology, Buddhism seems to want human beings to relocate their values to spiritual purity. I may be born in a śūdra caste but I can be reborn in this life as a brāhmaṇa in the Buddha’s sense. I may not belong to an ārya race (according to some racist ideology) but I can be an ārya in the Buddha’s sense. I may not be born as a biological son of Siddhārtha, but I can be born in this lifetime as the legitimate son of the Buddha, namely, as a bodhisattva.
From a broader perspective of Buddhist philosophy, the very assumption that race, caste, skin color, creed, religiosity, ethnicity, nationality, gender, and so on—even when the diversity and multiplicity of which cannot be denied and hence may even be worth preserving—as a kind of a static entity/identity/reality fixed for eternity is very irrational and bizarre. All of these, again from a Buddhist perspective, are mere temporary features of our physical bases (lus rten). What guarantee is there that I will not die in the next instant and thus change my race, caste, skin color, creed, religiosity, ethnicity, nationality, and gender!
