The new Buddhist Revolution

[DSFriend]

Is the Dalai Lama qualified to transmit the Dharma?

If you think about it, the Dalai Lama has broken samaya with his Guru.  He once said that Dorje Shugden practitioners were not his friends, so that includes Trijang Dorjechang, quite apart from his pronouncements that his Guru was wrong and his attempts to blackmail his incarnation to give up the practice of Dorje Shugden.  If he has no lineage, what is he passing on to others?  He's not transmitting anything.

Dear Lineageholder.
I see your logic which "disqualifies" DL to transmit the Dharma. Eventhough some in this forum have coined the Buddhism DL has been spreading as "fasionable Buddhism", I do think Dharma on its own has blessings. (I know, I sound like some eternal optimist) I'm not saying that this is how things should be or is the "best", but it's something to recognise that he has done. Which we could leverage on to nurture in our own capacities and ways.

May Dharma spread far and wide.
DK

[honeydakini]

Is the Dalai Lama qualified to transmit the Dharma?

If you think about it, the Dalai Lama has broken samaya with his Guru.  He once said that Dorje Shugden practitioners were not his friends, so that includes Trijang Dorjechang, quite apart from his pronouncements that his Guru was wrong and his attempts to blackmail his incarnation to give up the practice of Dorje Shugden.  If he has no lineage, what is he passing on to others?  He's not transmitting anything.

Dear Lineageholder.
I see your logic which "disqualifies" DL to transmit the Dharma. Eventhough some in this forum have coined the Buddhism DL has been spreading as "fasionable Buddhism", I do think Dharma on its own has blessings. (I know, I sound like some eternal optimist) I'm not saying that this is how things should be or is the "best", but it's something to recognise that he has done. Which we could leverage on to nurture in our own capacities and ways.

May Dharma spread far and wide.
DK

hey dk. that's a good point that "dharma on its own has blessings".
Yes, perhaps the lama giving the teaching has "no lineage to pass on" but even if we took the teachings and sincerely put them into our lives and started practising, it becomes a blessing. You evoke the blessings through your own sincere prayers to the buddhas and refuge in the 3 jewels.

For example, you don't get a lineage blessing from reading a book because it's not a direct transmission, but you can still also take the teachings, and practise them. it is said that even if you regard a lump of rock as a buddha and from that you sincerely practice, transform your mind and grow, that rock becomes buddha for you and you will receive the blessings of the buddha, just by your own ardent, sincere practice.

In any case, the results and success of our practice or our gaining of attainments / relationships are
never dependent on another person or being. Yes, we gain the teachings from a Guru, but ultimately, it is still up to us individually to practice. If we take Dalai Lama as our Guru, then even if he has broken his samaya or "doesn't have the lineage to pass", if we, on our side, sincerely practice what he teaches, we can still gain the result. If he teaches to be kind for example (even if he himself isn't, - I'm saying this just for arguments' sake ok), and we really take it to heart and start putting more effort into being kind, we will gain that result. Extend that to all other practices and advice.

Ultimately the Gurus and the Buddhas help us to awaken the Buddha nature inside all of us -I'm sure we all know that. It is good to have reliance and devotion to a teacher but ultimately, it serves as a reflection of our own practice, awareness, dedication, commitment ON OUR SIDE.

[a friend]

Hey Honeydakini, I can see that Zhalmed Pawo's words are blooming in your mind, swell!

You know, all will gather the great result, sooner or later. All beings, as numberless as they seem, in a time that we cannot start to imagine, are going to end up getting enlightened, because of the desires and dedications of the Bodhisattvas. So, you are right there.

Like for example, if you encourage people to go to Chinese restaurants, almost sure thing is that they will see that fat smiling little Buddha that they put in most Chinese restaurants around the world ... That fat smiling Buddha represents the emanation of a great Bodhisattva, one should not limit oneself to rub his tummy for good luck, as I´ve seen many people doing. One should remember that it´s the image of a Buddha. No matter what, yeaahh, to go to Chinese restaurants will end up giving you the result of seeing the image of a Buddha. Which is tantamount to seeing a Buddha. Which will take you sooner or later to enlightenment.
Of course, it might take you many eons. I mean, to reach the ultimate result.

Ah, it´s true, now I remember that Devadatta also had disciples, and since he also had robes, in a way he was the image of a Buddha too. Some people chose him rather than our Lord Buddha.

I am trying to tell you something here. One thing is that you yourself have a happy relaxed mind regarding Dharma. You are a wonderfully enthousiastic practitioner and it´s a pleasure to observe that. And as we said, in the privacy of your mind you can apply the inner and secret levels of the teachings to deal with the DL´s figure and problems. But another thing is to go about proclaiming that anything is valuable Dharma when it is not, just for the sake of trying to promote what in the external level should not be promoted.

Broken samaya is something so huge that we cannot fathom. We do not like to talk about it but it´s really very very serious. Please let us not treat it lightly.