I was waiting for someone to bring up the curry...isn't there also a story where Buddha tells his students to go steal some food or something, and all of them leave but one, who when asked by Buddha why he didn't go with everyone else he replied 'you are always teaching the faults of stealing and the benefits of moral discipline, so it would contradict your instruction to have gone with them' and Buddha replied 'you're the only one that got it'. Did I read that on here...such a poor memory.
I've read some stuff in other threads about our topic and see a middle way that people are working with, but wanted to share the other two perspectives as an alternative way to work with the controversy.
The middle way I see is quite simple - while maintaining our view that the human aspect of the Guru is an emanation of Buddha, upon observing actions that contradict the teachings, we can respectfully engage them in dialogue and confront them about it. If there is no openness to dialogue, we are left in a position of having to make some decisions, and I have seen a variety of decisions being made from both sides while people maintain pure view and this is a wonderful example.
This entire subject is very bound up with tantric view vs. ordinary conceptions, and it is very important that whatever view we choose at any particular moment, that it is increasing the vibration of our virtuous minds.
Dear psylotripitaka,
Interesting viewpoint about the Buddha's story. The story seems to be coming from the viewpoint of a Theravadin where the focus is more upon external morality. There is a similar story in Vajrayana of Naropa and his Guru Tilopa that is totally opposite of what you just said.
In this story, Tilopa the Guru loved the curry that Norapa brought back from one of his begging rounds at a wedding and he kept asking for more. After a few times, Naropa knew he would be rejected for asking for so much. In order not to disappoint his Guru, he let go of inhibition as a mendicant and stole the pot of curry and brought it back to his Guru. When the Guru received the curry, he knew of Naropa's letting go of his ego and thanked him and called him as his son for the first time in many years of service. He knew that it was time for him to receive initiation and bestowed initiation of Vajravarahi unto him.
It is believed that for those with higher motivations like the great masters, the reality of actions, whether they are negative or not cannot be determined solely by the action alone. It is the motivation and if we cannot determine that, it is the result of the action, we can see what was the motivation. Hence, such masters like Chogyam Trungpa, who was a great teacher but with a terrible reputation of being an alcoholic and a womaniser, manage to pull together Shambala. For someone like the Dalai Lama, who is immaculate for everything except his ban on Dorje Shugden, that has managed to get China to spread Dorje Shugden practice and in a strange way, spurt the growth of New Kadampa Tradition and other Dorje Shugden organisations the world over. Instead of stamping out Dorje Shugden, the results seem to point towards spreading it. That's how I see it from the facts that is presented here and on the news.
Hello Big Uncle & others, thank you for your input.
Firstly, I have to admit that after reading so many contradictory things from Lama Zopa, I don't pay much attention anymore to things I read about things he's said regarding the Protector, the Dalai Lama, or the ban, the introduction to a new anti-Shugden book being the final straw for me. I certainly don't mean disrespect, but there are too many contradictions to know what to believe so I just steer clear. His other Dharma teachings are wonderful!
Secondly, I do not agree with the view that Dorje Shugden practice is now spreading throughout the world due to the ban. Consider the following - There are
a few new monasteries and we have all this great knowledge about his history, but if you compare the number of new monasteries to the number of monasteries and Centers that have lost the practice, there is simply no comparison. The reality is, if the ban never happened, there would be far more places practicing Dorje Shugden. As I said before, due to the power of the blessings of the Ganden lineage and Dorje Shugden, the Dharma of Je Tsongkhapa was doing just fine spreading and proliferating throughout the world. Therefore, I would say the ban has had the opposite effect as you say, for many people have abandoned the practice who also go out of their way to slander and obstruct the human rights and Dharma activities of those who continue the practice. Also, the Ganden lineage has been split and forcibly mixed with other instructions that have not been handed down in this lineage. And, the reputation of various Gelug organizations, Centers, and practitioners has become tarnished and complicated.
Thirdly, the meaning of why exactly Mahasiddha Tilopa was delighted by Pandit Naropa is uncertain, and anyhow, this was a very individual situation. Maybe after chilling our around the fire afterwards, Je Tilopa said 'ya know, it was really inappropriate to steal so try not to do that in the future even if I tell you.' It was difficult to record every little conversation back then. I get your point, but we are talking about human conventions being ignored on a massive scale over a very prolonged period of time. In that light, whether the Dalai Lama is a Buddha or a sentient being is nearly beside the point. You see, until we accomplish Outer Pure Dakini Land, we still perceive and conceive (mostly) ourselves to inhabit an ordinary human realm, and in that realm there are conventions that the majority of humans live by. Sure Dondrub, we need to purify the negative karma, good point, and the appearance of suffering and the ban is ordinary appearance and conception, but, as I said, until we accomplish deep stability in Generation Stage and Completion Stage of Highest Yoga Tantra, we still inhabit this human world and need to respect its boundaries and conventions to an extent. It seems to me that people are always coming up with ways to be ok with the Dalai Lama's actions, and I understand why some people would need to do this. Whether or not he is a Buddha, with respect to this ban and all the damage its caused, it is wrong.
Vajratruth, there are many problems with people from various traditions that support the Dalai Lama. Examples are slandering a teacher, Center, or tradition so that they will not be able to use a venue or retreat facility. Theft of fliers so that people will not find out about an event. Slander in the media to cause disruption to a Dharma event. Protesting outside Centers on the sidewalk to prevent people from going. Doing "Buddhist" rituals to cause disruption and even kill people. These things definitely happen, and I've been told things by many people from various traditions in confidence because they didn't know I am best friends with Dorje Shugden. As you can see from this last mention, the ban has made it very awkward to make harmonious connections with Buddhists in general because as soon as they find out you practice Dorje Shugden, their bodies and minds contort with non-virtue. Just think how much worse their reaction would be if they found out I actually am Dorje Shugden. Their face would bug out like "Large Marge" in Peewees Big Adventure! hahahaha.
The reason Heruka and Vajrayogini's blessings increase as times become more degenerate is due to how Ishvara and his retinue were subdued at the time of the Chakrasamvara Tantra's appearance. So, as the activities of Ishvara increase, the blessings of the Yidam's also increase because of their special relationship. That is one of the reasons why for some practitioners (those who actually train deeply and consistently) it is sometimes said we are experiencing a golden age. From the point of view of how far the teachings have spread it is also a Golden Age.
However, from the point of view of predictions, things do not look so hot for the not too distant future. We know Buddha's prediction about the length of life of his teachings and that it will be destroyed from the inside, and Ngulchu Dharmabhadra's prediction that the time has been cut in half. We know the prediction that Tantra will become very popular just before the teachings are extinguished. We also know that this is the Kali Yuga, so we can see many internal and external things rapidly degenerating in our world, and that it is increasingly difficult for people to gain deep realizations such as tranquil abiding, actual bodhichitta, mastery of generation and completion stage, permanent liberation etc. Compare how many have high realizations to how many had them in the past and how easy it was for them to do so. And, we know that the Mara's activities are very intertwined with this degeneration.
So, when we look at the circumstances surrounding this ban, the Karmapa controversy, and other things within the international Buddhist community that bring the 3 Jewels into disrepute and cause great degeneration of harmony and the ability to generate faith - the mother of all realizations, it is not unreasonable to consider how the Mara's are doing an excellent job bringing the Buddhadharma quickly to the finish line. In Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince, Professor Dumbeldore begins a year at Hogwart's by speaking about dark forces attempting to penetrate the walls of Hogwart's, but that in the end "there greatest weapon is YOU". Through possession, through mixing with the delusions of living beings, through coordinating circumstances by various means, the mara's assist us in actions that break moral discipline and defame the teachings.
The storm has hit, and the only shelter is to practice hard. Pabonkha Rinpoche said - "Now is the time to steel your will". May the increase of Mara increase your realizations!
