My Experiences in Africa from year 1998

Introduction

I came to Tanzania on 7 November 1998. It was my first visit to Africa. After arriving, I was very afraid to see the local people. I saw that they were very black. And I could not recognize one from another. It seemed to me that everyone’s face was the same, and so were their body structures. I could not find any differences between them. So for the first several days, I did not go out of the temple alone. At first, I went with a boy in his car to see the town. But I did not get out of the car, and did not walk around because I was so afraid of these people. One of the reasons for this is that, before I arrived, I heard that Africans eat flesh. In Sri Lanka, we still have some Africans who were brought there during wartime. Our people say that they ate human flesh and that they were very dangerous. At that time, they had their mouths locked with a padlock. This is just a verbal history. It was not written. I was afraid after seeing these black Africans. I thought they would catch and eat me. Then slowly I started to go to town, and started to talk with people who passed our temple. Soon enough, I understood that they do not eat human flesh. But still, I could not recognize them separately. Further, they do not know who I am, and for this reason, they think about me in a very different way.

I. Masai

Some people think of me as a Masai. In Tanzania, there is an old tribe called the Masai. They wear red clothes, and most of them still live in the remote areas and herd cattle and goats. That is their main duty in life. They are not afraid of anybody and are brave. After spotting my monk’s robe color and way of wearing it, people thought of me as a Masai. Up to now, many country people think this. If I go to a new area, they still look at me as a Masai. Many times when I pass, they say, “Hey, Masai unaenda wapi?” — “Hey Masai, where are you going?” Earlier, I did not answer because I did not know their language, Kiswahili. At this point, I decided to learn the language to communicate with the local people. Afterwards, I used to answer these types of questions accordingly, in Kiswahili.

There is a government hospital near our temple named Muhimbili General Hospital. It is the main hospital in the country. Some foreign students are studying, practicing, and training there. I have many foreign friends at the hospital. From there to my temple is almost half a kilometer. If any of them want to know something about Buddhism, they come to my temple and talk with me, and take some books to read and reference. Our library is a very good resource for these people, and benefits the community very much.

One evening, I went to the hospital with a friend from Singapore. I chatted with him until 7.30 pm and then left his third-floor room. Iron steps are going up and down. While I was coming down, I met a few students there on the stairs. They asked me, “Hey Masai, unaenda wapi? Kwa nini uko hapa saa hivi?” — “Hey Masai, where are you going? Why are you here now?” I replied, “Bwana, mimi nimekuja kumwangalia rafiki yangu. Ninarudi nyumbani yangu sasa. Asante.” — “Mister, I came to see my friend. Now I am going back to my home. Thank you.” As I came down, my friend wanted to follow me up to the gate because I was unsure how to go out. The students who had asked me the question stopped him and asked him, “Why did that Masai come here? Where did you find him? Do not bring him here.” Then my friend said, “He is not a Masai. He is a Buddhist monk who lives in the Buddhist temple near the hospital. I am going to his place sometimes to get information and do meditation.

So he came to see me today.” The students responded, “Okay, my friend, very sorry about that. He knows Kiswahili well!” My friend: “Yes, because he has now been here a long time. Thanks!” Finally, I headed back to the temple. It is in this way that many people still use the Masai name with me. But I do not get angry, because normally, local people are afraid of the Masai. And others think they are very brave. Thus, I also feel I am a very brave person. So, others are therefore not coming to do anything wrong to me.