“This teaching says: enough. Screaming at the archer is a sure way to remain attached to your suffering rather than easing or eliminating it. A better way is to learn, through meditation, through study and practice, a way to free yourself from the pain of being shot, no matter who the archer might be.” (Alice Walker 5)
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Alice Walker’s stunning and contemplative article on the use of Buddhism as a method of coping with the internalized racism of the real world is incredibly insightful. With the western definition of “religion” in mind, many would disregard Buddhism as a religion, Walker herself claims that she is not a Buddhist. On the other hand, Walker writes that the teachings and ways of life encouraged through Buddhism has helped her reconcile with her loss of love. It has also helped her open her heart and focus on bettering herself and her community rather than waste time under the unapologetic eyes of the white man. As a prominent POC figure with her novel The Color Purple, Alice Walker understands the daily troubles of both internalized and external racism and the ways of the Buddha have helped her reconcile with this turmoil. Though the minds of others cannot always be changed, there is benefit and grace in bettering oneself.
One does not need to be silent to also be working on bettering the self.