Why is the WSS not listening?

[a friend]

Very simply, if one of our Lineage Gurus would not use such language in one of his published works, we shouldn't either. For myself, I cannot imagine Geshe Kelsang Gyatso including such language in a revised edition of the book Heart Jewel for example. Ask yourself, "What language would my Guru use?" and then follow his example.

Exactly, Emptymountains. Our holy Lamas would NEVER have used such language. And we are not talking just language niceties, we are talking language that can hurt millions of people belonging to another religion. This alone is a very serious misdeed. I don't think our Lamas are happy that we Buddhists consciously break our vows when there is no valid reason whatsoever to do it.


But let's forget Buddhism. Let's try to understand why people belonging to our culture are unable to accept what reality (through experience and the sayings of very different people, some of whom really know about communications) is showing them: that the language they are using is destructive for the purpose they are trying to achieve.

1- There is the fact that as a group they have been isolated for so long, and also defamed for so long, that their first reactions are of self defense. So instead of looking into the matter proper, they jump and try to defend a document that is envisioned as "their" production. That is why there is no dialogue: we here, the original people of this website and some others, are talking about the aim of the demonstrations and documents, whereas they, now called wss, are talking "us", "what we are doing is right no matter any other opinion other than ours", "do not criticize us any more", "enough with your rejecting us". Of course, these are not their words, just their underlying discourse.

This would explain the behaviour of intelligent people that have been writing here and showing complete blindness when it comes to this matter.

2- It does not describe though, not entirely, the behaviour of their brave leaders.
These have probably also the view I just described. But there seems to be another element.

Thom was mentioning one way or another that this document, or parts of it, has been produced by Kundeling Rinpoche. If this is the case, then Kundeling Rinpoche --who's been fighting the Dalai Lama for a long time and I am sure has the best of intentions-- he might be using English with the flavour of his own culture, that is not our culture. So the things he is saying we cannot judge from his point of view because we are not familiar with his culture, but one thing is sure, they might work there, where he lives, but that language in our culture is just plain harsh language, unacceptable for educated people, imagine for Buddhist practitioners!

Now, if the leaders of WSS feel compelled to keep that language out of respect for a Lama --so, for a very good motivation-- then I just cannot see what we can do to convince them that in this case the cause of the lineage and the Protector is more important than the respect for one individual, no matter his title. Particularly because it's not imaginable that he might be offended by the mere suppression of a few sentences.

It might be too that this particular Rinpoche could be a friend of their own Lama.

And again, this is based just in things said in this Forum, that Kundeling Rinpoche is the origin of the famous document.

I am sure all of this is an unfortunate misunderstanding. Let's pray it might be quickly clarified, and let's go on trying to do something to clarify it before the next demonstrations.

With my heart I hope this is not a case of unconscious pride, a case of closemindedness totally disregarding the wisdom that experience and knowledge give.