Ashamed to be a Buddhist?

[psylotripitaka]

Observing not only the present controversy, especially the behavior of the Dalai Lama and his followers, but the politics rampant throughout the history of Tibetan Buddhism in particular, someone said to me they sometimes feel ashamed to be Buddhist.

I told them what they should be ashamed of instead is being a lazy Buddhist that doesn't truly apply themselves to getting out of samsara instead of wasting their life in distraction. That would be a useful sense of shame.

[angelica]

It doesn't what religions, there bound to have good and bad one. But this is not important, cos we can't control what others want to do or say. What is important is how we apply what we learn on Buddhism in our daily life. How we can use Buddhism to help others and ourself to be out of samsara.

[psylotripitaka]

Hi Angelica,

True and well said. I do understand where they were coming from though in terms of having their faith shaken. When the people who are supposed to represent the Buddhist way of life do things that contradict that way of life, particularly Lamas and lineage holders, it plays with people's heads making them wonder whether or not it is even possible for anyone to achieve higher realizations, and this thought takes the steam out of their own striving.

The reality is, their own thoughts are deceiving them and so they obstruct their own path. Buddhist view enables the practitioner to regard all appearances as supports and fuel for realization. That is the whole point, not getting lost in worldly view of happenings.

[rossoneri]

It is not the religion but it is how one practice and holding one's vow to be able to achieve the enlightenment if one is a Buddhist practitioner. It won't be easy but what is easy in life and especially when doing the good and right things there bound to have a lot of obstacles depending on individual's karma.

[lotus1]

Agreed with angelica. There is always good and bad person regardless of which religion. Instead of being ashamed to be a Buddhist, we should look into how to influence others to be a better Buddhist and promote Buddhism if we have faith that it is good and can help us to solve our problem.

[dondrup]

Instead of being ashamed, they should be very proud to be Buddhists! They have been endowed with the perfect medicine to get out of samsara and to achieve enlightenment.  Obstacles and maras abound in the path to liberation, hence they should strive harder and not be affected by the ban.  All the more they should generate compassion for the Dorje Shugden detractors and be actively involved in lifting the ban on Dorje Shugden if they are Dorje Shugden followers. 

[eyesoftara]

I have a mixed feelings. Both ashamed and proud but I guess the proper practice dictates one to be wise and regard the events as transient. On the outer view, since I certainly think Buddhism is the religion of truth and the only way to long term happiness for me and for all sentient beings. With regard to this I am ashamed of the confusion that this controversies are causing confusion and somewhat negative view of non-buddhist about buddhism.
On the inner view, I am proud that the practice of Buddhism do not regard a view albeit from the self styled "pope' himself to be final. It is as what the Buddha himself has preached. That one need to examine what is right and wrong and decides for oneself. For this, I am proud.
On the Wisdom side, I think what is happening is cause by the collective karma of beings especially those affected whether positively of negatively, and that what determines the outcome is the practice that is done by the selfs. if one take the practice as advocated by the Guru to heart then this controversies is perhaps the best and bigger dharma lesson of all. If on the ultimate level, we regard everyone as having the Buddha nature then all that is happenings are a mix of wisdom and delusion panning out.
Still the motivation at this stage is for the alleviation of the sufferings happening to both sides. That is the challenge we are facing.  I think that it is in the hands of the Dalai Lama.

[pinecone]

How can one put the blame on the religion,  Buddhism due to  any one of it’s practitioner’s fault ?   “ A bad workman blames his tool “ ! Buddhism sees life as a process of constant change, and its practices aim to take advantage of this fact. It means that one can change for the better. The decisive factor in changing oneself is the mind. Therefore, instead of  being withheld  due to our shameful thoughts of the actions of  HH  Dalai Lama and his followers, we should instead  endeavour to  move on with our practice and not to be affected by this obstacles .

[Matibhadra]

Observing not only the present controversy, especially the behavior of the Dalai Lama and his followers, but the politics rampant throughout the history of Tibetan Buddhism in particular, someone said to me they sometimes feel ashamed to be Buddhist.

Since the Dharma is always pure and beneficial, one should always be proud to be a Buddhist, no matter what misguided people labeling themselves “Buddhist”, such as the evil dalai, have done.

Now, if one wants to be ashamed anyway, one can always choose any of the Abrahamic so-called “religions”, such as Judaism and its branches, Christianity and Islam, since their scriptures instigate, and even explicitly command, the extermination of non-believers, and other such shameful acts.

[Tenzin K]

There is nothing to be ashamed to be a Buddhist. Any spiritual practice if we look in to their pure practice is to benefit us and make us a good person. But if political reason were to mix into it then the real essence of the teaching will sway away. Don’t look just look at the short view of the issue that we encountered in the spiritual practice but look at the ultimate goal of the practice. Don’t just look at the false result of the practice but learn from the success of the practice.

 If we have learn and know the ultimate benefits and we encountered the issue we should learn more, understand more and be more focus on our practice. With this we can help others to gain more faith and knowledge in their practice. Don’t run away from the problem and be ignorance.

[fruven]

Agreed we should be ashamed of being lazy Buddhist instead of becoming worrying about Buddhism becoming 'controversial'. It is also because of our comfort zone, our expectation of the religion I am in is being challenged by our own self image. This another form of laziness, to put the blame on others, so therefore one no need to be practice, finding excuse to be away from this religion. It is a twisted kind of logic.

[grandmapele]

Ashamed? how very mundane! At this point in time, with the degeneration in the teachings and behaviours of monks and their leaders, even non-Buddhists are ashamed. Encouraging and promoting violence against their own brethrens, preaching one thing and practicing another. Granted that that only applies to some practitioners but unfortunately it is by high profile practitioners. "1 bad apple spoils the whole basket" In this case, the top most applies is spoiling the whole basket!

[Matibhadra]

Ashamed? how very mundane! At this point in time, with the degeneration in the teachings and behaviours of monks and their leaders, even non-Buddhists are ashamed.

As already said, Buddhists have no reason to be ashamed, and countless reasons to be proud, of their Dharma, which is only pure and beneficial in the beginning, middle, and end.

Also, many non-Buddhists have plenty of reasons to be ashamed, not of Buddhism, but of the atrocities instigated by their own scriptures, such as the Torah, the Bible, and the Koran.

Besides, pseudo-Buddhists, such as Dalaites, the followers of the perverse instructions of their wicked cult-leader, the evil dalai, should be ashamed of their grotesque witch-hunting ideology.

But hold not your breath. The very nature of evil doers is shamelessness. And being shameless, they try to induce others into feeling ashamed of that which is only pure and beneficial.

Therefore, expect a lot of  propaganda about “how much Buddhists should be ashamed of themselves”, but hardly any comment about how much, for instance, Jews should feel ashamed that their Jewish racist state dropped 21,000 metric tons of forbidden explosives on the heads of innocent Palestinian women and children only in July-August 2014.

While the names of 1614 fatal victims names have been confirmed - the actual death toll, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, is at least at 2,137, including 578 children, 264 women, and 103 elderly, while more than 11,100, including 3,374 children, 2,088 women and 410 elderly, have been injured (http://www.imemc.org/article/68429).

Everything, of course, with the shameless accomplicity of many US taxpayers.

Therefore, in order to distract people's attention from such unspeakable crimes, there will always be someone spreading the poison that “Buddhists should be ashamed of themselves”. You have obviously allowed yourself to be inoculated by this poison.

In order to help people better to direct one's sense of shame, here follow some images of what is indeed suitable being ashamed of -- not Buddhism:

[kelly]

I do not think being a Buddhist is shameful because the Dharma is great and pure it help us in our daily life and ultimately lead us to liberation from samsara, what others people do we cannot stop it is like what Angelica said we do not have the power to control everybody mind and how they think we should not feel discourage about practicing the dharma because no any others way will help us to release our suffering and pain in samsara. Stay focus with what we learn and use the dharma in our daily life and also help others with introducing them dharma.