Harlingen, Texas., Russell Lee photographer
Everyone in the world has a background like this at some time in the past, and for most of us that is the recent past or present. There is no shame in surviving on the basics and often much joy. The attitude that all poverty is horrible and must be deplored or corrected is not a healthy attitude from a Buddhist point of view. Buddhism counsels that we have compassion for those who are sick, hurt or disabled and that we help them if practicable. But poverty alone is not a reason to help an able-bodied person aside from hiring or training if good will come of it. The systemic racism stuff is all bullshit. Most whites were serfs, servants or deplored underlings until very recent times. An exception to not helping the poor is if you did something to make them poor like causing brain damage or fraud. ABN
American Buddhist Net 