Unknowns

 I know you don't always have to zoom in on those who are suffering most, but when I went to contemplate people I don't know, today I thought about those oppressed groups worldwide. My first thought was the Uyghurs. I just want to focus on my own problems, but pushing myself to think about people I know little about, my mind went along the lines of Samantha Powers, and wondered if we could rally support to stop unfair persecution and genocide.

I saw this photo and read the caption: A possible Tocharian or Sogdian monk (left) with an East Asian Buddhist monk (right). A fresco from the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, dated to the 9th or 10th century (Kara-Khoja Kingdom).

Basically the Chinese rulers are not into multiculturalism and diversity, and feel that their culture should dominate and conquer other cultures (BBC). The above picture represents the opposite, a 9th century ethnic group related to the Uyghurs, in friendship with a Buddhist. "Since 2017 when President Xi Jinping issued an order saying all religions in China should be Chinese in orientation, there have been further crackdowns."

Check out this picture: Tocharian Prince mourning the Cremation of the Buddha, in a mural from Maya Cave (224) in Kizil. He is cutting his forehead with a knife, a practice of self-mutilation also known among the Scythians.

Most of the Tocharian inscriptions are based on Buddhist monastical texts, which suggests that the Tocharians largely embraced Buddhism.

So... the idea that the Uyghurs have un-Chinese culture ... but some in China are trying to get rid of Buddhism too, so OK. It's not just culture, it's culture as they define it, and they find reasons to hurt others. Not cool.

Bonus Quote: Analayo

"This is vital in so far as the meditative cultivation of compassion can only lead to deeper concentration if it is undertaken with a positive or even joyful mind. From a practical perspective this means that one’s cultivation of compassion needs to steer clear of sadness. This is not easy, since what causes the arising of compassion can naturally lead to being afflicted oneself by sadness. Therefore it is important to monitor closely one’s own response to the affliction of others. This should ideally proceed from the opening of the heart that is genuinely receptive to the pain and suffering of others, to the positive mental condition of being filled with the wish for others to be free from affliction and suffering." (Compassion and Emptiness)