We Live In a Degenerate Age

[hope rainbow]

Thank you Beggar for sharing on the Teacher and on giving directions about how to create the causes to find a teacher.

I hear also too often of people through facebook or the like that are connected with vajrayana through the internet but cannot find a teacher where they live or also find that the teachers that are reachable do not appeal to them.
To be blessed to have access to a teacher depends upon one's merits and prayers indeed.

And those of us that do have a teacher must remember how rare it is and how much of a privilege this is, and that the merit that got us there may become exhausted if we take the journey lightly, or take the teacher as granted.

We not only need to create causes to be connected or re-connected with our teacher in future lifetimes, but also causes not to loose the connection in this very life time!

I don't think that dark ages are outside conditions, we generate dark ages with our thoughts and actions. So we better think properly...

[Vajraprotector]

I read something interesting about today's teachers and find it quite relevant to post it here. It is by Shamarpa Rinpoche. In this degenerate age, there are many self-claimed masters and gurus. We have to be careful. WisdomBeing, good luck in finding a Guru  The site has plenty of great masters, perhaps you can start out from here and look for their centres, instead of trying to look "out there". Many of these great masters on this website fits the criteria below I tell ya! 

In order to practice the path, which involves various samayas, it is necessary to rely on a lama who should be qualified in the following:
  - Learned in Sutrayana and Tantrayana and skilful in teaching
  - Experience in meditation practice.

These two qualities which are described in many tantras are essential with respect to Tantrayana. In Sutrayana as well both should be united.

A lama who is learned in the dharma but lacks experience in meditation is of middling capacity. An individual who unites both, knowledge of dharma and experience in meditation is of highest capacity. With regard to judging the capacities of a lama one can distinctly judge knowledge and skill in teaching due to his or her educational background. The depth of experience in meditation, however, cannot be evaluated by others.

Further criteria concerning an authentic teacher other than that mentioned above are not reliable.

Some may claim themselves to be an emanation of Amitabha, Chenrezig, Manjushri or others. If these individuals do not have good qualifications in terms of dharma knowledge and / or experience in meditation they should not be considered as authentic lamas.

In the west people are easily impressed from the charisma of teachers and by certain behavioural patterns. Due to these characteristics individuals are considered high lamas.

In the east, particularly in the chinese society, people are impressed with those who speak English well and with someone who presents himself as an emanation of a specific yidam or bodhisattva.

If one accepts such criteria, it is not certain that one will meet a qualified lama. One could have great luck and meet an authentic lama who possesses charisma and excellent qualification. Furthermore one might have greater luck and encounter a very charismatic person who is the Buddha himself. In many cases, however, one will meet lamas who lack the necessary qualities.

Today there are many buddhist teachers who offer an abundance of excellent dharma. Unfortunately, at the same time, there exist unqualified teachers who misuse their spiritual influence.


From: http://www.tilogaard.dk/html/body_samaya.html

[Damian.D]

Making aspirational prayers to create the cause to get close to or have your path cross with a qualified teacher just by putting their picture on your personal shrine. I guess in this day and age, the internet maybe about the only path a person would be able to tread.

I'm pretty sure the teachings now must match the times we live in. Such as to make an offering to the Guru, we need only make a donation via Paypal, or pop it in a box with personal letter and call up DHL to collect.

If we are lucky to attend a teaching we would either hop in the car, jump on a 16hr plane ride across the wide ocean, just to attend and return to our 9-5 on Monday morning.

It could even be a simple email sent via a contactpage on a website.

[happysun]

Buddha mentioned that this century is Dharma degeneration period. I am agree!!! The reason is very simple, if you be more alert and careful see through everyone from there, everyone of us are so attach into our own preference such as sex, food, fun, easy life, big house, relationship, big car and so on.....many of us say that is a trend...that why I follow too.

So, from my opinion because of this trend that make us need Dharma so badly!!! Then we can survive in this degeneration century. On other hands, we also can used different angle to view this degeneration period, because of this degeneration time people need to practice Dharma, to protect herself or himself. Dharma is one of the medicine which really can cure your inner problem.....   

[Big Uncle]

This may be the degenerate age but the Buddha have already prepared ahead for special teachings that will be most effective at this time. And that is the practice of Tantra. As time progresses and we become more and more degenerate, Tantra will hold more and more efficacy and power. When the great teachings on Sutra is little practiced and very few people gain any attainments through these practices, Tantric methods and practices would become more and more widespread and there are those that still gain attainments through this path.

In the Vajrayogini commentaries, there was a man called Chatreng and lived during the time of the Chinese takeover of Tibet. He was very rough and was not spiritual at all. He neglected his family duties in favor of all manner of vice. When the Chinese came, he would try to kill as many of the Chinese troops as possible that were crossing the Tibetan great lakes. He was lucky that he was never captured. Eventually, he followed the great Tibetan exodus into India. He continued in his wanton lifestyle until he chanced upon a great teaching by Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche. During the teachings, his mind change and great regret flourished in his mind. He returned to family and sought forgiveness for the first time in his life. He had also received Vajrayogini initiation. So, he decided to enter into a Vajrayogini retreat and so he sought commentaries from a Geshe in Nepal and entered into retreat in the mountains.

Unfortunately, he passed away during retreat and his remains was found. The local monks performed a funeral for him and they cremated his body on a funeral pyre. During the cremation, rainbows appeared all over his funeral pyre and all the great Lamas concurred that this was a sign that Chatreng ascended into Kechara Paradise. This story illustrate how immensely efficacious and powerful the practice of Tantra is.

[Dondrup Shugden]

We do live in a degenerate age and this was so even during Sakyamuni Buddha's time.  But is it getting worse?

According to Sakymuni Buddha we will reach a stage of such degeneration that it will be called the Dark Ages.
Yet knowing this, the Buddha did not give up hope and and gave us the way and method to be still ok.

Let us not concentrate of the future of Dark Age but to do our best so that we will always be with the Dharma and our Guru, life after life.  That is the only insurance we can buy for yourselves.

[Gabby Potter]

That is why Buddhism or rather religions are very important to educate people at this time. A dharma protector such as Dorje Shugden is even more important to clear away our outer and inner obstacles, guide us through our practise until we reach enlightenment.

[kelly]

Even we know there will be a period of dark age but we still need to practice to plant more seed for the future what if we practice hard enough we might be get ourselves out of samsara before the dark age come so why bother about what going to happen in future focus on now. We do not live in fear if we always think about future then we be living our life in fear and a lot of worries.