Buraku Problem Q&A
Many journalists, researchers and students from abroad come to visit us at the BLHRRI. Although they come from different parts of the world, they come to us to learn more about Buraku problems and ask for much information. Among the many questions asked us, we picked out those most frequently asked in these occasions, and will try to answer them as a new series of"Q&A"in this news letter. We hope this will be a help in understanding Buraku problems.
Q Is Buddhism free from Buraku discrimination ?
A There is a tradition that people carve a religious name for the dead on the face of a tomb as a sign of worship. That is a practice for many Buddhist religious organizations. The name for the dead is Kaimyo, posthumous. Kaimyo is given by a Buddhist priest and is recorded in a post-memorial-notebook at the temple the dead belonged to.
Of late, it was discovered that discriminatory names and characters in the notebooks and on the faces of tombs exist. Those were given by Buddhist priests to the dead who were of Buraku origins.
The names include the characters for beast, humble, ignoble, servant and many other kinds of derogatory expressions.
Upon the disclosure, Buddhist organizations started to widely investigate notebooks and tombs in response to the requests of the BLL. They found discriminatory Kaimyo, at many Buddhist sects in most parts of Japan. While the majority seem to have been given a long time ago, there are some names given even since the 1940's.
The fact suggests that Buddhist priests in the past did not treat Buraku people as a human beings not only in their life time but also after death. The priests were instructed by their organizations what Kaimyo they should give to Buraku people.
In addition, temples located in Buraku communities were called "Impure Temples" and were not allowed to communicate with temples in non-Buraku areas. Buraku people were falsely urged to be patient to discrimination based on the doctrine of karma.
Even in recent years, some Buddhist temples gave information about the family backgrounds of their believers when anybody inquired in investigations for marriage, etc.
In spite of such facts, the Director-General of the Soto Sect of Buddhism made a speech at the 3rd World Conference on Religion and Peace, held in the USA, in 1979, stating that there was no longer Buraku discrimination in Japan and that there were some people clamoring for Buraku liberation even though neither the government nor people discriminate against Buraku people.
The statement was strongly criticized by groups struggling for the liberation, especially the BLL. In this reflection, the Solidarity Conference of Religious Group for the Solution of Dowa Problem was founded in 1981 consisting of 59 religious sects, joining hands with the BLL.