So where are all those black Buddhists, then?

Abstract

For almost as long as population statistics have been kept in South Africa, census reports have reported the existence of hundreds of black Buddhists. And for nearly as long, it has been obvious that there are two Buddhist communities in this country: an Asian community that brought Buddhism with them as part of their heritage; and an overwhelmingly white convert community. Why should Buddhism, or any new religion for that matter, be a more popular choice among one racial group than another? This chapter examines the strange ways in which discourses of race, class, and faith have become intertwined in this country.