Can someone be a Hindu and decide to ignore or work against the caste system?
Yes, though it could be very hard. There are Hindus who are trying to work against the caste system, but they get a lot of resistance from their own communities. How has being a Buddhist changed you? What has it brought to your life? When I experience discrimination — people hear my name and they may think of me as an untouchable even though I’m a Buddhist — that can make me angry. I don’t want to be hitting people because I’m angry, you know? I needed to find a way a creative way to deal with the situation. I also wanted to help people understand how the caste system can be painful for others, how it does not meet human values. Now I can, with great patience and compassion, expose that and with very great confidence enter into dialogue with any kind of high-class Hindu. I got that confidence and that sort of compassionate heart from learning Buddhism and becoming Buddhist. What is it about Buddhism that allows you to feel compassion? Is it the practice of meditation? Is it something
