It's safer for one's practice to see it this way.
Times have changed. Dharma has to degenerate unfortunately. Whether we like it or not, we are a part of the degeneracy. Better 'degernate' dharma than no dharma at all. Plant seeds for Maitreya is the best hope for me.
We should never give up simply because things don't go our way or ppl don't share our views. Why? You give up, you lose and you inspire no one to carry on the torch.
TK
I agree with you TK. Thanks for the perspective that "degenerate dharma is better than no dharma at all". If we are going to take a line of being so "purist" then we should be comparing ourselves to the times of Shakyamuni himself! I dare say that even the "purest" and most conventional of practitioners among us on this forum wouldn't be nearly half as proper or sincere a practitioner as those in Shakyamuni's times. Heck, the fact that many of us are still not ordained and floating around in our material attachments is evidence enough that we are not as sincere practitioners as we could be.
So if we are like this, then imagine all the other thousands more beings that are not even remotely connected to the Dharma or any spiritual path in any way. Then, we have to approach them and connect to them by even more "degenerate", worldly or "lowly" means. It's not that it's high or low - it's a method to reach someone.
My own Lama has, for example, given me many gifts; he has sometimes even helped me financially, in my health, counselled me in my failing relationships - from what I have read of many spiritual accounts between practitioners and their Gurus, I have gathered that many of the Lamas in today's day and age help their students in many, many, many varied and unexpected ways that are not confined to the teaching throne. From a purely purist view, it is already "degenerate" that our Lamas have to do that. Why is it okay for us degenerates to receive this kind of kindness from our teacher, but not for other "more degenerate" people to receive other kinds of help, even if it seems trite / material / silly / corrupted
to us .
Look at how teachers like Chogyam Trungpa "taught" his students by drinking sake with them, hanging and socialising with them like their friends. Look at Tsem Rinpoche's blog! If we want to go all the way with labelling things as "degenerate", then isn't it also "degenerate" and a use of "worldly means" that a highly incarnated lama and ordained monk has to resort to going on a laptop and blogging to reach us silly people? Yet, we are so attracted to this medium (because we are techno nerds that love being online!), it helps us, it deepens our faith in Dharma, awakens new perspectives in us. If this method works for us, consider the countless, thousands other methods that will work for countless, thousands others of us out there.