Laity Conflict With Dalai Lama Isn't Buddhist but Political

Those of us who have heard of the members of a subsect of Vajrayana in which its followers respond with aggression toward the Dalai Lama would wonder why they are not behaving like bodhisattvas. It is because they do not believe themselves to be bodhisattvas. This is why the Dalai Lama condemned their leader. In order not to cause controversy I will not mention the name of the subsect or their guru because I view as an internal matter and because just mentioning this is like showing disrespect for the Buddha.

However, this type of behavior is not new, nor is it limited to Mahayana. Certain Theravada schools have had monks abuse their position of power as well. However, it does not make a monk or a layperson an evil person. Rather, it shows that all sentient beings, including you and I, from non-Buddhists to Buddhists and their leaders are subject to six root delusions and twenty lesser delusions, afflictions and other spiritual maladies consistent with self grasping.

Such maladies do not go away only their own due to the six spiritual poisons (attachment (raga), anger (pratigha), ignorance (avidya), pride/conceit (māna), doubt (vicikitsa) and wrong view/false view/opinionatedness) arising from ego delusion (reification of the self i.e. as a permanent entity that is unchanging). Reification is when an object is worshiped or esteemed so highly that the object is given cult status.

Likely they arise by reification of spiritual leaders as justification for acting out of character as bodhisattvas, thus leading me to suspect that they consider themselves ordinary lay people included in the Mahayana Buddhist dedication to all sentient beings.

If this is true, then it is regretful that disciples with the humility of a layperson act in such a way. Were they to act with the humility of bodhisattvas, there would not be sectarian conflict within Buddhism.

Yet no one is immune to such behavior as all sentient beings include human beings. Although I find justification to rationalize conflict, it is beneath us to argue and fight with the Dalai Lama since that breaks the precept of respect for Buddha.

Though I am a lay person, ordinary and unable to follow one precept, let alone the Five Precepts, it saddens me to see even the Buddhadharma (Buddha's Teaching) being place secondary to what is the worldly endeavor of politics.

The Primordial Buddha is not a God or a Creator

"...The tantric tradition is the only one which explains the Dharmakaya in terms of Inherent clear light, the essential nature of the mind; this would seem imply that all phenomena, samsara and nirvana, arise from this clear and luminous source. Even the New School of Translation came to the conclusion that the "state of rest" of a practitioner of the Great Yoga--Great Yoga implies here the state of the practitioner who has reached a stage in meditation where the most subtle experience of clear light has been realized--that for as long as the practitioner remains in this ultimate sphere he or she remains totally free of any sort of veil obscuring the mind, and is immersed in a state of great bliss.

"We can say, therefore, that this ultimate source, clear light, is close to the notion of a Creator, since all phenomena, whether they belong to samsara or nirvana, originate therein. But we must be careful in speaking of this source, we must not be led into error. I do not mean chat there exists somewhere, there, a sort of collective clear light, analogous to the non-Buddhist concept of Brahma as a substratum. We must not be inclined to deify this luminous space. We must understand that when we speak of ultimate or inherent clear light, we are speaking on an individual level." — His Holines the Dalai Lama

What the Dharmakaya Is

Dhamrakaya is Inherent clear light and the essential nature of the mind.

All phenomena experienced in samsara and nirvana, arise from "this clear and luminous source".

Thus, the inherent clear light == the clear and luminous source == Dharmakaya

Description of the practitioner of Great Yoga

"The state of rest" of a practitioner is "the state of the practitioner who has reached a stage in meditation where the most subtle experience of clear light has been realized".

Thus the state of rest refers to the mind at rest in the samadhi called "Great Yoga"

The Stage of the Ultimate Sphere

By implication the stage of ultimate sphere is a level of meditative experience.

This stage is known as "The ultimate sphere".

Two things happen to the practitioner who remains in the ultimate sphere. He or she

1. "remains totally free of any sort of veil obscuring the mind", and
   
2. "is immerse in a state of great bliss".

The Clear Light Defined "Ultimate source" -- "the clear light" == the ultimate sphere called "clear light" == Dharmakaya "The clear light is closest to the notion of a Creator, since all phenomena, whether they belong to samsara or nirvana, originate therein." All phenomena originate in the clear light. Phenomena experienced in samsara (this life of birth and death) or in nirvana (enlightenment). The following is an error in thought that the Dalai Lama affirms to be a fallacy:: "collective clear light, analogous to the non-Buddhist concept of Brahma as a substratum." The reason why it is untrue: the deification of the clear light risks its worship which is a form of superstition. Ritual worship of deities is not Buddhist. Therefore the clear light is not a God to be worshiped. Buddhist do not worship Buddhas or Buddhist deities, for they symbolize positive qualities of the human mind and thus are used to help relieve suffering both in this world and the next. Ultimate clear light is experienced on an individual level. Therefore the clear light is not a God or a Creator. These two paragraphs imply that the deification of God and the existence of God violate the Buddhist tenet of non-self. Buddha is not A God or Creator Given that God lives a life of infinite existence that lasts an exceedingly long time called "eternal life", it follows that God is immortal, since immortality as a form of permanence lasts an infinite length of time. Non-self is understood to be the principle of impermanence. Ergo God's existence violates the Buddhist principle of impermanence which states that all sentient beings last for a finite length of time. Therefore the Primordial Buddha of Vajrayana is not a God or Creator. Instead, he represents the higher consciousness of clear light in which all phenomena of samsara and Nirvana are experienced without being attached to them. In this context, "higher consciousness" refers to the state of mind attained through deep meditation, ritual chanting and other rituals specific to Vajrayana.

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The Dalai Lama's answer on a Creator and Creation: http://hhdl.dharmakara.net/hhdlquotes22.html
Seven Virtues: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_virtues

Is Buddhist Wisdom the Cause of Success?

Success is determine by the number of your failure.

If you think you have not failed, then your success has blinded you to the little failures you swept aside on your way to riches.

In Buddhism, wisdom requires many hours of meditation. The test of wisdom is determined by who remains calm under stress because of meditation. Those people who never practice meditation only have the wisdom of experience to guide them.

However, such wisdom is useless when being mugged by robbers or getting a bailout from the gov't (corporate welfare).

Clever people are either egocentric or other-centric e.g. are of service to others, and helpful to everyone.

Cunning people mainly are egocentric, which helps to amass wealth as the cunning are notorious for giving away their tips of making the ego work for you. For this is where our vanity comes from.

A person with a healthy ego will let other people take the limelight as their egocentricity is great while the guy is people-centric.

Success thus requires truthfulness even if it means a handful of people will not buy your sales pitch and shop elsewhere.

Success also requires learning from experience. This requires humility i.e. the ability to feel shame and wish for repentance.

It is not became of Buddhism that a lama of the red robe such as the Dalai Lama becomes a Buddhist.

Rather it is a sense of pride to know that your brother, sister, mother or father is a Lama that drives mothers and father to tell the lamas, "My child is the new rinpoche because she preached the Dharma to her rag doll, and also to her plushies." Ok, I apologize for that joke.

Hero / Not a hero

The Dalia Lama is a hero to many, and he has superpowers such as boundless wisdom and compassion.

On the other hand, Lance Armstrong is not a hero because, despite admitting to doping "because everyone does it", he refuses to admit to cheating.

After listening to people discussing whether Lance Armstrong is a hero, I decided to look at my hero, the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama is a hero because he has superpowers. I kid you not: When you meditate as much as he does, you might get siddhis, which are mind powers arising due to practice.

Does Lance have any of these? No, nothing, just extra stamina & leg strength. Overall, Armstrong is no hero because he cheated. As well, his ego is so big, it's gone "cancerous." This guy needs to go see the Dalai Lama and talk to him about this hero business and develop humility.

Deathlessness is Fearlessness

…You can confront the prospect of your own death and try to analyze it and, in so doing, try to minimize some of the inevitable sufferings it causes. Neither way can you actually overcome it. However, as a Buddhist, I view death as a normal process of life… Knowing that I cannot escape it, I see no point in worrying about it.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

In confronting the prospect of death, I shall not analyze it, lest I minimize even a bit of the inevitable sufferings that arise from such a confrontation.

For I cannot overcome or escape death in this life, nor can I escape it. By viewing death as a normal process of life, I no longer worry about it.

For samsara, the natural cycle of birth-life-death, is Nirvana; and Nirvana, the transcendence of birth-life-death, is samsara.

Fear not death, and its hold over you will disappears. Yet treat the deathlessness as empty of fear of death.

Such fearlessness helps us to stop worrying about the prospect of death.

In no way should it inspire anyone to give up on life on impulse.

Think first about examining your life and about the prospect of aspiring to live a well lived life. For you have so much to live for, and all the time in the world to live it well.

Meditation should lead to action

It is easier to meditate than to actually do something for others. I feel that merely to meditate on compassion is to take the passive option. Our meditation should form the basis for action, for seizing the opportunity to do something.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

This is why I post about other topics other than Buddhism and religion.

Innner Discipline, the True Mind Control, Yields Peace of Mind

As long as there is a lack of the inner discipline that brings calmness of mind, no matter what external facilities or conditions you have, they will never give you the feeling of joy and happiness that you are seeking. On the other hand, if you possess this inner quality of calmness of mind, a degree of stability within, then even if you lack various external facilities that you would normally consider necessary for happiness, it is still possible to live a happy and joyful life.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

So discipline the mind through true mind control, and achieve the pure mind of bliss, step by step.

When the Pure Land devotee is thus self-possessed, that calmness of mind is the ubiquitous peace of mind.

Due to peace of mind, one will attain mental stability, in spite of what others see.

In this way it is possible to live a happy, joyful and full life.

The Dalai Lama on Individualism

Human beings have all the potential to create good things, but its full utilization requires freedom, liberty. Totalitarianism stifles this growth. In a complementary way, individualism means that you do not expect something from the outside or that you are waiting for orders; rather, you yourself create the initiative. Therefore, Buddha frequently called for "individual liberation," meaning self-liberation, not through an organization. Each individual must create her or his own positive future. Freedom and individualism require self-discipline. If these are exploited for the sake of afflictive emotions, there are negative consequences. Freedom and self-discipline must work together. -- page 44, The Dalai Lama, Advice on Dying: and living a better life (translated by Jeffrey Hopkins, Ph. D.)

Yes, indeed! We have the potential to create good things.

Without freedom and liberty, what good we create may be trampled by uncaring people.

In the political realm, totalitarianism wipes out individual freedom.

So too does right-wing conservatism.

As an individual, what good is expecting something good from the world to happen to you?

While awaiting the orders of a master, does that not make you less of a disciple and more of a slave?

Of course, most of us admire initiative from one person out of many, to do good for others.

In doing so, the spiritual seeker learns how to discipline herself, with the hope that what help she may provide will inspire others to help others in return.

This is the seed of self-liberation, and is on the right path to nirvana.

By doing so, the seeker creates his positive future.

All it takes is freedom and self-discipline.

Instructions for Life

The following text has been circulating the Internet since 2001.

To make its message seem deep and spiritual, the Dalai Lama is purported to be its author.

Originally entitled "Instruction for Life for the Millenium 2001" it comes out every year.

Please feel free to Google the following title, but be prepared for the truth.

To that end, credit has been given to the original author.


Instructions for Life

by H. Jackson Brown Jr in "Life's Little Instruction Book".

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three R's:
   
   • Respect for self,
   • Respect or others, and
   • Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great relationship.
7. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

See also: http://www.manbottle.com/trivia/From_the_Dalai_Lama.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenzin_Gyatso#Trivia

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=%22instructions+for+life%22+%2Bdalai+lama&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

Positive Attitude

At a time when people are so conscious of maintaining their physical health by controlling their diets, exercising and so forth, it makes sense to try to cultivate the corresponding positive mental attitudes too.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama, 1963

Universal Responsibility

Adopting an attitude of universal responsibility is essentially a personal matter. The real test of compassion is not what we say in abstract discussions but how we conduct ourselves in daily life.

-His Holiness the Dalai Lama, "Imagine All the People"

Just talking about harmlessness isn't enough.

When spiritual practice (meditation) does not lead to reciprical compassion from others, a person's conduct should still be to practise harmlessness.

To feel guilty for past wrongs is not enough - one must strive to learn from one's mistakes.

Even in the Dhammapada it is written to not cling to regrets and worries.

Dhammapada 67-68:

It's not good,
the doing of the deed
that, once it's done,
you regret,
whose result you reap crying,
your face in tears.

It's good,
the doing of the deed
that, once it's done,
you don't regret,
whose result you reap gratified,
happy at heart.


As well, the cure for regrets about wrongs done is simply letting go:

348:

Gone to the beyond of becoming,
you let go of in front,
let go of behind,
let go of between.
With a heart everywhere let-go,
you don't come again to birth
& aging.


Thus what the Dalai Lama says about the real test of compassion is ... how we conduct ourselves in daily life.