First of all, Dalai Lama does NOT represent all
Buddhists. Dalai Lama is NOT Buddhism. Dalai Lama is just an
ordinary old monk with big problems. Now let’s go to the actual
topic of this article.
I was sad and shocked, like many of you, by that
disgusting incident with the child, which is why I wrote about it
in my previous article (click here to read it). However, I have
recently come to the conclusion that what happened there is NOT an
obstacle for the Buddha Dharma, but an opportunity to learn and get
detached from the things that are not essential, to realize that we
live in a dark age when many monks are actually just monks in name
only, as we often say in Jodo Shinshu, and that nowadays devotion
and faith should be turned towards the Power of the Buddhas,
especially Amida Buddha, and not on human beings, no matter how
nice they smile or how great stories we read about their
traditions. So, dear friends, you can choose to look at this
incident with eyes of sadness and feeling angry, or with eyes of
wisdom and use it to strengthen your faith in Amida Buddha and in
the need to abandon any reliance on self-power and fake human
gurus.
Although we live in the Last Dharma Age, we tend
to have expectations from our teachers to behave like those in the
Right Dharma age, when Shakyamuni and His direct disciples were in
the world. It’s impossible and we, Jodo Shinshu followers, know it
very well which is why we don’t have monks living in monasteries,
but married monks like in all Japanese Buddhist schools (click here
to read the doctrinal basis for such monks). We simply admit we are
decadent and we cannot do more than that, and I think it’s better
this way than to become a pervert in a monastery and/or abuse
children.
This incident is one of the best arguments for the
teaching on the Three Dharma Ages and for the fact that we live in
the last Dharma Age. Just look how the false religious idols are
crumbling on the weight of their own sins as many news of sexual
scandals and even child abuse have appeared so often in the last
decades, with the Dalai Lama himself admitting that he has known
about those things for a long time.
Dear friends, these are NOT the times to focus on
human gurus and human Masters, but directly on Amida Buddha’s
Primal Vow in which He promised that He will save people like us
who cannot save themselves through any practice. These are NOT the
times of the historical Buddha and His great direct disciples, but
the times of the Last Dharma Age when many degenerates and wolves
are using the ignorance and blind devotion of people to satisfy
their own ego. In such times its common sense that we must turn
ourselves towards the easy Path of salvation offered by Amida
Buddha, or if you feel more karmic affinities for other Buddhas and
Enlightened Bodhisattvas then turn towards them in prayer and
devotion. These are the times when only devotion directed to the
Buddhas is truly helpful, and NOT the various difficult
meditation/visualization techniques, or the gurus or Masters who
have their own human flaws, ignorance and blind
passions.
The sutras and treatises are filled with the
benefits of devotion towards the Buddhas, so it’s time to abandon
the stupid idea so much promoted in the West that Buddhism is just
a philosophy, a way of life or meditation. Buddhism is first and
foremost about escaping samsara! If you realize that meditation or
any other practice does not help you in any way to attain
Buddhahood here and now, with this very body, as some self-power
schools say it’s possible, then turn towards the Buddhas themselves
in humbleness and devotion because they will never sexually abuse
you, take your money, or mistreat you in any way. Turn towards
Amida whose Name and method of salvation is praised and encouraged
by all Buddhas! Don’t waste your precious time in human form (so
hard to find in many eons) with “Master” this or “Master” that,
with this “Guru” or that “Guru”…. Just turn your mind directly
towards Amida or other Buddhas if you feel more connection with
them. Surely, even if you don’t have total faith in them, as we
require in Jodo Shinshu with Amida Buddha, that devotion, those
offerings you give to them, those saying of their Names and those
circumambulations and bowing will have a greater karmic benefit
than wandering in the jungle of self-power practices when you are
clearly not a modern Milarepa, or submitting yourself to the whims
of a human being who plays as a Master or Guru.
Treat this incident as another wakeup call from
the Buddhas that it is time to admit the decadence of our era and
the need to abandon any reliance on our so-called personal
spiritual achievements that can be lost anytime and the reliance on
feeble human beings imitating the virtuous Masters and Gurus of the
past. It is time to accept Amida’s helping hand, say His Name in
faith and wish to be born in His Pure Land after the death of your
illusory body. As long as you are not a Buddha yet, you cannot
assume yourself any risk because samsara is NOT a safe place to be,
especially in our dark times.
Every temple has Buddha statues, but instead of
looking to them with eyes of devotion and faith, you admire and
venerate flawed human beings! Stop acting stupid, and start being
wise by entrusting yourself completely to Amida Buddha. This is the
lesson of this incident.
*
Question: What about those who cannot yet entrust
to Amida Buddha but still rely on various self-power practices and
think they need a guru? What advice do you have for them after this
incident?
My answer: I am not in a position to give
qualified detailed advice to members of other schools and
practices. However, I will say just a few general things because
you asked me and I know you belong to another school. If you really
think that you need a guru or Master, at least find a married one
with a stable family relation. I personally think that in this Last
Dharma Age monastic life is unnatural because the times do not
coincide with the capacities of beings. Despite this incident,
Vajrayana Buddhism has many good and honest teachers (many of them
married lamas) that can help others.
Also, self-power practitioners should consider
this incident as an opportunity to be more careful and transform
their sincere study and practice of the Dharma into a lamp that can
show them the Path, instead of placing blind faith in human masters
and gurus. Many sacred texts also encourage people to check the
guru and Master, so more checks and consideration are needed if
they think they need a spiritual guide. Also, even if they do not
rely on Amida Buddha’s Primal Vow, they should combine their
practice with bowing, offerings and recitations of the Three
Refuges. In these dark times one praise of the Buddha, one
offering, bowing and circumambulation accumulates more good karma
than any practice because while the spiritual capacities to do a
correct practice are almost non-existent, a simple gesture of
devotion can be done by anybody and is very effective in shutting
the gate to the lower realms. Meditation without bowing is
gymnastics, so my advice to self-power Buddhists who cannot yet
entrust to Amida is to NOT transform Buddhism into a
gymnastic.
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