The Good Opportunities

[beggar]

I found the below, written on another thread by DSFriend, and am taking the liberty to share it with everyone because i agree very much with the message and find it a very accurate reflection of the website's aims. Thank you DSFriend!

there's a huge difference between speaking out against the dalai lama vs the policies. What we tend to get caught up with is speaking against the dalai lama which brings no good to ourselves nor anyone else. Also, i wish to point out that this website do have articles and videos educating ppl about the ban, policies etc.... However, the focus shouldn't only be towards speaking against the ban ... it's about identifying and recognizing the opportunities to bring about good in the midst of the ban.  I am not condoning the ban...but i cannot deny the many opportunities arisen out of the ban for the protector to be made known throughout the world.

peace

[triesa]

Indeed it is very well said by DS friend.

There are basically two choices here :

1) One may follow the norm when things go bad, simply because everyone else is doing so,  to put blame on others and moan and groan about it and nothing productive can be achieved.

2) While some will use the crisis as an opportunity, and in this way, they harness the best out of the bad situation.

So for the Dorje Shugden ban, which one would you like to pick?

[Helena]

How do we actually judge a situation as bad or good - sometimes it is just a very necessary process for something much greater to arise?

We can say that the Chinese Invasion was really brutal and sad for the Tibetans but it 'released' Buddhism to the whole world - so though the process was very challenging and even painful, but there is a huge benefit which came from that.

There are always good opportunities if we see it as such, and can see beyond the pain or suffering. When we cannot see beyond the pain and suffering, then there is no opportunity but pure suffering/grief.

I believe, if we asked every great inspirational leaders or role models in the world today, they would say that they can only become the people they have become because of what they have gone through and endured. Their experiences, similar to our own, have shaped the people they are today. I might add that they would not have possibly become the great survivors or inspirational leaders they are today, without having gone through any of those unpleasant experiences.

In a nutshell, things and situations will arise and change all the time - how we perceive them and experience them will determine our growth and progress OR it will define our degeneration and suffering.

Personally, I am an optimist to the core - so, I see opportunity in every single day of my life. I can't change the situation around me, much of which is beyond my control but I am in control of how I want to experience it and deal with it. It can damage me and bring me down, or become the fuel to propel me further - that is really up to me.

[DharmaDefender]

How do we actually judge a situation as bad or good - sometimes it is just a very necessary process for something much greater to arise?

I think that would be our first mistake, to judge the situation and creating duality again as opposed to taking it as another thing we have to work around. Our own karma creates obstacles for us in every other way - why can't our karma have created this ban? Why do we immediately blame something exeternal (i.e. the Dalai Lama) for the ban, as opposed to take responsibility for what we may have done in our previous lives?

And having said that, if it is our karma, then why don't we do something about it? And not create more karma to be away from the Dharma by criticising lamas, etc but actually doing our practice (which we should've PROPERLY been doing all along, then maybe this wouldn't have happened?!)...?

The process only becomes suffering depending on how we perceive the situation. People can be beaten and tortured in prison but not be angry, bitter or hurt when they come out. I'm not saying the situation they were in is good, but it was their state of mind that left them happy before, during and after, and did not prolong the suffering for themselves. Physical pain can go away but when we get driven into a state of anger, bitterness or hurt, it becomes very difficult to drive away that mental pain which becomes very deep-seated and rooted in our minds.

[Atishas cook]

oh, my brothers and sisters   

you are like abused wives, defending your husband, forgiving him his violence for the food he brings to your table and the clothes on your back.  "do not criticise him!  you don't know the REAL man - he is good and kind.  even when he beats me and beats our children, in truth he knows best - it is for our own good."

you fear bringing shame on your family so you keep quiet.  you lack confidence and feel sure that you must be in the wrong and that there must be a love, deeper than you can understand, behind his kicks and punches.

you are like prisoners with Stockholm syndrome.

you blame anyone who points out: "this isn't right - those bruises are NOT the result of kindness."  you cover the bruises of your children and adopt a humble, serene attitude and accuse your friends of anger or jealousy towards your abuser whenever they speak against him.

my heart cries.  it's unbearable to me to see this.

STAND UP!  for the sake of our abused children.  SPEAK OUT!

please, please STOP twisting holy Dharma to justify your acquiescence!

it is NOT her love for her husband that prevents an abused wife speaking out, nor is anger necessary to take action against that husband.  those who criticise him are NOT necessarily angry with him, or lacking in virtue or understanding.

protesting may not be the best method, for sure - now it seems is the time for a more reasoned, factual stance.  but a stance we must take!  we MUST criticise the actions of the Dalai Lama while he still has the power to rescind the ban.  there is no way - no way - the TGIE will rescind it after his retirement or death: it will become unassailably enshrined as holy doctrine.  his power to harm will continue even after he dies.

we must break this power NOW.

breaking his power, through speaking out, through publicity, through criticism of the man and his actions - through all appropriate, skilful means - IS LOVING THE DALAI LAMA.  it is Dharma.  it is loving all living beings.  it is protecting the doctrine for the benefit of all.  it is what all the Buddhas of the three times and the ten directions want us to do.

allowing him to continue abusing his family, unopposed, is condemning him, his family, and countless, countless living beings, to untold suffering in the future

my heart cries, brothers and sisters, to hear such good and wise people defend such monstrous actions and their perpetrator simply because he has also done good.   

[Atishas cook]

i should add: still, i do not say that i can know for sure the nature of the Dalai Lama - i can only see his actions and respond to them in the most appropriate way.

to those who believe him to be a Buddha, i say: when Buddha manifests as a deluded being and performs deluded actions the correct response is to oppose those deluded actions in the conventional, appropriate way, whilst holding a mind of love and compassion and refraining from anger.

believing him enlightened and criticising his wrong actions are not at all contradictory - quite the reverse.

a Buddha may manifest as an abusive husband.  perhaps, through his abuse, his family may seek refuge in Dharma.  but the correct and proper response for his wife to take to his abuse is nonetheless, definitely and without any shadow of a doubt, to take the children and leave him, taking appropriate action against him by reporting him to the authorities.

to stay with him, reasoning "my husband is probably an enlightened being, purifying my and my children's karma.  i not criticise him." would be irresponsible, even insane.

[thaimonk]

I found the below, written on another thread by DSFriend, and am taking the liberty to share it with everyone because i agree very much with the message and find it a very accurate reflection of the website's aims. Thank you DSFriend!

there's a huge difference between speaking out against the dalai lama vs the policies. What we tend to get caught up with is speaking against the dalai lama which brings no good to ourselves nor anyone else. Also, i wish to point out that this website do have articles and videos educating ppl about the ban, policies etc.... However, the focus shouldn't only be towards speaking against the ban ... it's about identifying and recognizing the opportunities to bring about good in the midst of the ban.  I am not condoning the ban...but i cannot deny the many opportunities arisen out of the ban for the protector to be made known throughout the world.

peace

What EXCELLENT thoughts expressed by Beggar.

Since we do not know what the Dalai Lama is doing for sure, then better to not criticize him. Dangerous to our karma, dangerous to others, dangerous for our practice, dangerous for new comers, dangerous message about what our lama is teaching us. Also in general if we acknowledge we do not know the true nature of someone, then continue to respond to their actions in the most appropriate way, that does not make sense. If we do not know, how can our response be appropriate?

Hence criticize the policy not the person. Dislike the sin and not the 'sinner'.

[thaimonk]

Dalai Lama is not our husband and we are NOT ABUSED WIVES.

Nice and powerful statement for the feminist movement but inappropriate example for us that live in freedom of choice. Dalai Lama's policies cannot and will not ever disturb my practice of Dorje Shugden.

Nice try but not a emcompassing anology. 

[Atishas cook]

Dislike the sin and not the 'sinner'.

i agree, absolutely.  if i get angry with the Dalai Lama, i'm at fault.

i disagree that criticism equates to dislike or anger.  if a father criticises his child when the child is acting harmfully, he can be motivated by love for that child, while saying: "Bad boy!  Don't do that!"

if the Dalai Lama were to rescind his ban, and later come to my room in difficulty, needing help, i would offer him my bed and food.

Since we do not know what the Dalai Lama is doing for sure, then better to not criticize him. Dangerous to our karma, dangerous to others, dangerous for our practice, dangerous for new comers, dangerous message about what our lama is teaching us. Also in general if we acknowledge we do not know the true nature of someone, then continue to respond to their actions in the most appropriate way, that does not make sense. If we do not know, how can our response be appropriate?

i'm sorry, this is completely incorrect.  if what you say is true, then we would never, under any circumstance, criticise or oppose ANY person or action, just in case they were in fact an enlightened being!  so rapists might be enlightened - murderers too: are you saying we shouldn't lock them up in case they're really Buddhas?  this is not the Bodhisattva's path; it is a downfall NOT to act to prevent others from creating negativity when we can.

i'm sorry to say it, but this is a lame excuse and a total misunderstanding of conventional truth.

there is no danger to our karma unless we act motivated by selfishness, out of anger, attachment, pride, etc.  if Buddha manifests as a being performing deluded actions there is no harm incurred if we criticise those actions out of love.  it is the correct thing to do.

[Helena]

I can totally relate to what Dharma Defender wrote here:-

The process only becomes suffering depending on how we perceive the situation. People can be beaten and tortured in prison but not be angry, bitter or hurt when they come out. I'm not saying the situation they were in is good, but it was their state of mind that left them happy before, during and after, and did not prolong the suffering for themselves. Physical pain can go away but when we get driven into a state of anger, bitterness or hurt, it becomes very difficult to drive away that mental pain which becomes very deep-seated and rooted in our minds.

It is precisely BECAUSE we keep perceiving somethings as such and we continue to hang onto it as such that we create suffering for ourselves and even for others, not withstanding incurring even bad karma for ourselves.

You are so right, Thai Monk! Nothing should shake us and throw us off our spiritual practice - if we are sincerely really practising. What you wrote truly resonated with me. Thank you.

Dalai Lama's policies cannot and will not ever disturb my practice of Dorje Shugden.


Be it HHDL or the milkman or our work colleagues or anyone - no matter what they do - it should not disturb our practice of Dorje Shugden or any spiritual practice. If anything else, it gives us more opportunities to really put our spiritual practice into real action.

I much prefer this attitude towards life and people, in general.

If anything that throw us off or distract us from our spiritual practice - then it is really not them but it is really us. 

Perhaps it is time we change our perception or even attitude? May be then our spiritual practice can really blossom/grow.