The Dalai Lama Taught Mind Transformation In Japan

[icy]

November 4th 2012
Yokohoma, Japan, 4 November 2012 - On the first day of his first visit to Japan in 2012, His Holiness enjoyed a few brief audiences, then took a brief drive to the Pacifico Yokohama Exhibition Hall, in Yokohama, to deliver a talk on Geshe Langri’s “Eight Verses on Transforming the Mind” before more than 6000 people.was a brilliant autumn Sunday in Japan, and as the almost capacity crowd sat still before him, His Holiness went into a lucid and rigorous explanation of the different schools and emphases of Buddhism.

[vajratruth]

How incredibly fortunate for HHDL's Japanese audience to listen to this teaching on Compassion from Avalokiteshvara himself. The Eight Verses Of Mind Transformation was transmitted unbroken from Buddha Shakyamuni Buddha himself to the great Lord Atisha.

The primary student to whom Atisha passed on the entire teaching was Dromtonpa who in turn passed them on to his main disciples Geshe Potowa, Geshe Sharawa, and Geshe Langri Tangpa.

At the heart of these Verses, the Buddha taught how to absorb the sufferings and poisons of others out of compassion and to put the interest of others before us.

Reading this, I cannot help but wonder again if HHDL has been practicing these verses all these years, as he imposes a "ban" on Dorje Shugden in order to catapult the practice into the world at large. For sure HHDL has received severe criticisms from many quarters regarding his stance on the Protector and yet the results speak for themselves.

[Big Uncle]

This is a beautiful teaching and excellent set of Lojong teachings that is especially potent and accessible for practitioners everywhere. Lojong or mind transformation teachings are some of the best tools that any modern practitioner can utilize to effect happiness, transformation and even spiritual attainments. We are very fortunate that such teachings exists in extensive and concise forms. The 8 verses is a concise teaching but can be expounded in greater detail. This genre of Buddhist teachings reveals the Buddhist advance techniques for taming and gaining control of the mind. I dare say that no other spiritual discipline has such extensive methods towards spiritual development as Buddhism.

[beggar]

A line within the 8 verses, which is most apt for the Dorje Shugden ban and situation is this:

I will learn to cherish beings of bad nature
And those pressed by strong sins and sufferings
As if I had found a precious
Treasure very difficult to find.


This applies to both sides. People against Dorje Shugden practitioners should embrace them all the more. Seeing them as "bad" people, shouldn't Buddhists extend all the more kindness and cherish them all the more closely? We extend metta and compassion to animals and hungry ghosts, we pray to be able to benefit all sentient beings, but if someone holds a different religious belief, we slander and attack them? How is this congruent to any of the teachings of Dharma? To say that we are "attacking" Shugdenpas out of loyalty to Dalai Lama is to think in a very small way. Yes, the Dalai Lama has said not to practice Shugden, but he has also, as in these teachings, taught us what it means to practice kindness to all beings in the most practical manner. Why do we choose to follow one teaching and not the other?

This verse (actually, the whole prayer) also applies to Shugden practitioners - to not react to dalai lama and his followers (anti-shugdenpas) in the same way that they are being treated. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth never works, especially not when we are trying to practice. If people are acting in ways that are of a "bad nature" towards us (whichever side we're on), the rule of the game, I think, should always be to cherish them all the more closely. Find other methods to get our message across - such as to promote positive qualities of the practice, partake in education so people will be able to dispel wrong view and begin to understand things in a more positive way. And also to dedicate our merit to the people we perceive as being "wrong" so that they can get wisdom and a clarity to act in more kindly, beneficial ways.

I think above all, it is important to consider that the Dalai Lama has not just given teachings about how "bad" Dorje Shugden is. He has also given a tremendous wealth of other teachings on compassion, kindness, tolerance, patience, lojong, 6 paramitas. If we are true followers of the Dalai Lama and wish to be loyal to him, we would show the best example by practicing ALL of what he teaches. Hidden within that, I believe, is to practice tolerance and kindness to ALL, including Shugdenpas or to anyone who we might mistakenly perceive as being "against" the Dalai Lama.

[diablo1974]

The Dalai lama been moving around internationally to give teachings and connection with people from all walks and level of life. To me, its remarkable....his team of liaison and support group are very strong and i think there are many wanting to get into his organisation to work and serve Chenrezig. so fortunate for those who have the opportunity to do so.

[dsiluvu]

A line within the 8 verses, which is most apt for the Dorje Shugden ban and situation is this:

I will learn to cherish beings of bad nature
And those pressed by strong sins and sufferings
As if I had found a precious
Treasure very difficult to find.


This applies to both sides. People against Dorje Shugden practitioners should embrace them all the more. Seeing them as "bad" people, shouldn't Buddhists extend all the more kindness and cherish them all the more closely? We extend metta and compassion to animals and hungry ghosts, we pray to be able to benefit all sentient beings, but if someone holds a different religious belief, we slander and attack them? How is this congruent to any of the teachings of Dharma? To say that we are "attacking" Shugdenpas out of loyalty to Dalai Lama is to think in a very small way. Yes, the Dalai Lama has said not to practice Shugden, but he has also, as in these teachings, taught us what it means to practice kindness to all beings in the most practical manner. Why do we choose to follow one teaching and not the other?

This verse (actually, the whole prayer) also applies to Shugden practitioners - to not react to dalai lama and his followers (anti-shugdenpas) in the same way that they are being treated. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth never works, especially not when we are trying to practice. If people are acting in ways that are of a "bad nature" towards us (whichever side we're on), the rule of the game, I think, should always be to cherish them all the more closely. Find other methods to get our message across - such as to promote positive qualities of the practice, partake in education so people will be able to dispel wrong view and begin to understand things in a more positive way. And also to dedicate our merit to the people we perceive as being "wrong" so that they can get wisdom and a clarity to act in more kindly, beneficial ways.

I think above all, it is important to consider that the Dalai Lama has not just given teachings about how "bad" Dorje Shugden is. He has also given a tremendous wealth of other teachings on compassion, kindness, tolerance, patience, lojong, 6 paramitas. If we are true followers of the Dalai Lama and wish to be loyal to him, we would show the best example by practicing ALL of what he teaches. Hidden within that, I believe, is to practice tolerance and kindness to ALL, including Shugdenpas or to anyone who we might mistakenly perceive as being "against" the Dalai Lama.

This teaching is most apt during this time of the great Dorje Shugden controversy and I like the points to ponder given by beggar. Yes on one side of the coin we have HHDL telling us we should not practice Shugden but on the other side of the coing HH is teaching 8 verses, compassion, kindness, tolerance and religious harmony??? Either HH is absurd, the biggest hypocrite of the century or is He manifesting an opportune situation for us to practice mind transformation, to see for ourselves who we really are. Are we really practicing Dharma? Or are we just labeled “Buddhist” for the sake of just having a religion. Of course do not expect the regular Tibetans to understand this because I do not think they will simply by their logic when they talk about Dorje Shugden, sorry to say, they are like sheeps who just follow whatever the Shepard says and not much Dharma.

But those who has Dharma, can read, and can think deeper, I think this situation should be analyzed deeper with Dharma essence in perspective and perhaps from there we can come to a middle way of accepting this illusory play by all the great masters.   

[Ensapa]

I dont know about you, but it seems rare that HHDL did not say anything about Dorje Shugden on his trip to Japan. Maybe because he knows that the Japanese are not so big on Dorje Shugden? i am not sure, but one thing for sure is that his silence on Dorje Shugden could be good news as he prepares the world for him to lift the ban. The ban is getting weaker and weaker by the day, and it would be anytime soon where he would lift it.