Shamar Rinpoche's Council Answers a Tough Question
Jumbomatic
Request by Su Wong
Question:
It is a complete disgrace that you are spending your energy and time
in order to be dis-respectful towards some of the greatest living
masters of the present day. In particular, Thrangu Rinpoche was one of
your main teachers. You and your followers, such as Khenpo Choedrak,
have completely slandered Rinpoche. It is stated very clearly that one
should never even mentally have a wrong thought towards one's guru, or
the gurus of the same lineage. You have broken your samaya.
Furthermore, you have caused a division within the sangha, another
major transgression. You have shown signs of anger towards your
Vajrayana brothers and openly slander them. Do you honestly believe
the Buddha would have went to Nepal and held a meeting purposely to
come to the conclusion that, "The Dalai Lama is deceptive and wants to
take over the lineage...We must fight for our indpendence from the
Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama caused the division by teaming up with Situ
Rinpoche and faking a Karmapa for political purposes."??
Where did all your bodhisattva activity go to? Aren't you familiar
with The 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva by Thogme Rinpoche? All of His
advise is to be kind and gentle, and even if someone chops off your
head to only speak of their good qualities. No one chopped off your
head. Tai Situ Rinpoche and the Dalai Lama have only been kind to you
and never released the ridiculous statements that you have said.
Instead, you condemn them. Chogyur Lingpa clearly said that the 17th
Karmapa is to be "together with Kenting Tai Situ, their blinds blended
together as one." You seem to try to make an excuse for this
prediction. That the 15th Karmapa isn't Khyabdak Dorje, but a boy who
didn't even reach a few years old. That Rangjung Rigpe Dorje is then
the 17th Karmapa and Khyabdak Dorje is the 16th Karmapa and this boy
is the 15th Karmapa. Impossible! Chogyur Lingpa said the 15th Karmapa
will become a great masters of the sutras and tantras, and his fame
will be throughout Tibet. This boy didn't fulfill this prophecy at
all. It is clear that Chogyur Lingpa's prediction refers to the
Karmapa incarnations as they have been enthroned --not the excuses you
have made.
Shamarpa, you know that Ugyen Trinley Dorje is the Karmapa. Why don't
you confess you are wrong and admit that you have broken your samaya?
You are merely going to become a disgrace to the lineage if otherwise.
You know that the 17th Karmapa Ugyen Trinley Dorje is the real Karmapa
and he shall assume Rumtek monastery. Your imposter, even though
Tenzin Khyentse is a bright young man, is not the Karmapa --you know
it. He can never take the place of your guru, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje.
If you continue to reject the young Karmapa, Ugyen Trinley Dorje,
everything you have worked will only be useful in Vajra Hell.
Shamarpa, if you truly are a bodhisattva and wish to benefit beings,
you would stop this non-sense and instead set up a website about peace
and kindness --NOT a website about political garbage. The whole world
is waiting and watching, and many people can see easily that a website
like this one would only be run by those with evil ambitions. The
whole world knows who the real Karmapa is, and that Tai Situ Rinpoche
is indeed a great master of realization. Only yourself, your
followers, your allies and your political connections doubt this. The
Buddha and his dharma can never be destroyed.
Answer:
Dear Su Wong,
Thank you for your letter addressed to Shamar Rimpoche dated 20 June,
2001. After considering the point of view from which this letter is
written, the Khenpo’s Council has decided that it is
inappropriate for the Shamar Rinpoche to reply personally. Hence, we
shall reply to you.
You seem to feel we are wasting ‘your energy and time in order
to be disrespectful to some of the greatest living
masters….’ We would be wasteful indeed, if our words were
baseless. But we speak the truth. Your perception is based on
information from your teachers, which is erroneous, inaccurate and
incomplete. It is not a waste of time to correct these misconceptions
for you and the others who have likewise been deceived.
It is out of compassion for Dharma brothers like you, in strict
accordance with the Dharma, and with no malice, that we must speak
strongly, accurately and carefully about these issues, even if they
may be judged to be political in nature. We hope this letter will
clear up any misgivings or confusion you may have about what you call
‘political garbage’.
Shamar Rimpoche is acting in his capacity as the highest
lineage-holder of the Karma Kagyu School. As such, he has the
responsibility to protect the integrity of the Lineage from attack and
abuse and to correct followers of the Lineage when they have wrong
views about the Dharma. At the same time, we do understand why new and
inexperienced Kagyupa followers, who put themselves under the guidance
of Thrangu or Situ Rinpoche and others, would feel angry when we tell
the truth about what has happened to our Lineage. We sincerely hope
you will understand that for the benefit of the majority, we have to
speak truthfully regardless of animosity directed towards us as a
result of our unyielding efforts.
You say that Shamar Rinpoche is speaking and acting out of anger. You
presume he is angry because he dares to speak the truth. In the past
when the threats and attacks were personal, Shamar Rinpoche did not
say a word. But when the opposition threatened the Karma Kagyu Lineage
itself, he had to speak out. If his words seem sharp to you, it is
only because there are no other word to use in exposing the treachery.
Shamar Rinpoche’s only intent is to save the Lineage from the
danger of eventual extinction, even if he has to do it
single-handedly. You should examine the facts and events rather than
try to find fault with him on a personal level. This narrows your view
to just one person at the expense of the larger picture.
Our observation that you are a new and innocent follower of the Karma
Kagyu is based on your lack of clear knowledge about our Lineage, such
as your saying, "In particular, Thrangu Rinpoche was one of your
(Shamarpa’s) main teachers." Thrangu Rinpoche was never one of
Shamar Rinpoche’s main teachers. He was a class teacher who
taught some philosophical subjects to him.
Even so, in that capacity Thrangu Rinpoche is worthy of respect from
Shamar Rinpoche. But according to Buddhist doctrines, when a teacher
makes serious mistakes against the Buddha Dharma and against the peace
of sentient beings, the student has a duty to reveal and rectify these
mistakes. This is important to remember particularly when these
mistakes infringe upon the integrity of the Dharma and the integrity
of our Lineage. Except for Shamar Rinpoche, who can protect Karma
Kagyupa against corruption from within the Lineage itself? Who can
protect it against the concerted efforts of the Tibetan Exiled
Government to dismember the Karma Kagyu School?
Regarding your assertion that Thrangu Rinpoche is Shamar
Rinpoche’s Vajra Master: You are evidently not conversant with
the subjects of samaya, Dharma, and the history Karma Kagyupa Lineage.
You do seem to have some minor knowledge of these matters. However, if
your teachers really had your welfare as a Dharma student at heart,
they would have explained these subjects thoroughly and in much more
detail. Sadly, all they have done is use samaya to gain control over
students to benefit of their own agendas.
In the Vajrayana, the Vajra Master is the teacher who gives you the
highest and most secret Vajrayana initiations and instructions. One
must choose these masters with extreme care. To be a qualified Vajra
Master, the guru must have perfect qualities like Gampopa, who
renounced the world, or Dujum Rinpoche (who passed away in the late
1980’s) who was full of great compassion, patience and had no
worldly ambitions. Once you receive these initiations and instruction
from such a teacher, that guru is then your Vajra Master.
Shamar Rinpoche has never allowed himself to receive initiations from
Thrangu Rinpoche. In this matter, Shamar Rinpoche was fully aware of
his action because he lived in the same monastery as Thrangu Rinpoche
for nearly quarter of a century. Therefore, there is clearly no samaya
here to break with Thrangu Rinpoche as a Vajra Master.
However, after taking many initiations together with Shamar Rinpoche,
Situ Rinpoche, Thrangu Rinpoche and other Rinpoches by their words and
actions have now knowingly broken all their samaya vows to their
Vajra-Brother (see examples below). More importantly, all of the past
Shamarpas are Lineage holders of the most sacred teachings of the
Karma Kagyu, such as the Six Yogas of Naropa. When the present Situ
Rinpoche condemns the activity of the 10th Shamarpa, he is breaking
his own samaya with the Lineage.
This is not difficult to understand. But, for a learned teacher to
instruct students by half-truths, you might want to ask what else is
being hidden?
To fully understand the force opposing the Karma Kagyu, go back to the
Karma Kagyu International Conference held at Kathmandu last April.
This conference was held in response to a letter dated 14 July, 2000,
from the Private Office of the Dalai Lama. This letter, addressed to
Shamar Rinpoche, categorically stated that: 1) Now and in the future,
all holders of the Karmapa throne must have the prior approval of, and
recognition by, the Dalai Lama. 2) Regarding the 17th reincarnation of
the Karmapa: even if the reincarnation was authenticated by the 16th
Karmapa’s own letter of prediction, such a reincarnation shall
not be permitted to hold the Karmapa’s throne, if the Dalai Lama
himself chooses to appoint someone else.
The Dalai Lama’s Private Office was able to write such an absurd
letter because of the collusion of Situ Rinpoche, Thrangu Rinpoche and
a few others’. They gave away the rights of the Karma Kagyu
School to the Dalai Lama on the one hand, and to the Chinese
government on the other hand. In light of this, don’t you agree
that as the spiritual leader of his Lineage, Shamar Rinpoche has the
clear and urgent responsibility to speak out to protect his Lineage?
How therefore, can you accuse Shamar Rinpoche of slandering and
unjustly condemning these Rinpoches?
Regarding the assertion that Shamar Rinpoche is causing ‘a
division within the sangha’, what you say is true, but at the
same time, inaccurate. Because Situ Rinpoche, Thrangu Rinpoche and a
few other Kagyu Rinpoches tried to deliver the entire lineage to the
Exile Government and the Chinese Government, destroying the Karma
Kagyu’s integrity and independence, Shamar Rinpoche had to try
to prevent this. Nearly all of the late 16th Karmapa’s monks at
Rumtek Monastery, and many other Lamas, Rinpoches and disciples around
the world, agree with him. So, inevitably, there is a split in our
Lineage.
Unfortunately, many people refuse to be impartial, but hear only what
they want to hear from Situ Rinpoche, who no doubt convinces them that
he has no negative feelings towards Shamar Rinpoche. However, the
truth must be told, especially when the others are determined to lie.
We have Situ Rinpoche on record as saying: 1) This Shamarpa is a fake.
2) The 16th Karmapa recognized him only because he was his nephew. 3)
He had Jamgon Kongtruel Rinpoche killed with a bomb that exploded in
Rinpoche’s car. 4) Shamar Rinpoche is the mara predicted by the
5th Karmapa. 5) The 10th Shamarpa Chodrub Gyatsho was also mara and
therefore the ‘Dalai Lama had him buried alive’, which is
a totally fabricated story.
These are examples of Situ Rinpoches’ verbal and written attacks
on the name of Shamar Rinpoche, which we are not making up. We know
that many dissatisfied but innocent people will research these matters
for themselves, which we encourage.
The following references are based on historical events, which will
stand up to any scrutiny. After some research you will be in a better
position to evaluate whether Shamar Rinpoche is the villain or victim.
In November 1993, a prominent Taiwanese disciple of Situ Rinpoche,
Ting Nai Ju, confronted Shamar Rinpoche with the allegations just
mentioned above. She said that Situ Rinpoche and Thrangu Rinpoche had
told her all of these things. There were many witnesses at this
meeting.
All four Rinpoches received many initiations together from the 16th
Karmapa during a period of many years when they lived together at
Rumtek. So, why didn’t Situ Rinpoche or anyone else ever
complain about the mara Shamarpa then?
If the present Situ Rinpoche cares anything for principles, then he
should follow the excellent example of his illustrious predecessors.
The great 8th Situpa, Chokyi Jungne, recognized the 10th Shamarpa,
Chodrub Gyathso, and enthroned him as the second head of Karma Kagyu.
Later, the 9th Situpa, Pema Nyingye, was a disciple of the 10th
Shamarpa and revered him highly. This was a time in the history of
Tibet when the 10th Shamarpa was the primary source of the Karma
Kagyupa resistance to the Gelugpa government’s quest for
supremacy over all Tibet. Because of his opposition, the 10th Shamarpa
was harassed, attacked and eventually banned from Tibet by the
government. His monastery was sacked, disbanded, and converted under
the sword of the Gelugpa government-- the same practice suffered by
the 10th Karmapa Choying Dorje. Perversely, today Situ Rinpoche and
his cohorts are twisting the history of the then Tibetan Gelugpa
government’s vendetta against the 10th Shamarpa, and using it to
discredit and vilify the present Shamar Rinpoche. If that is not a
blatant manipulation of the truth, what is it?
As a spiritual leader, Shamar Rinpoche stands by the principles of
honesty. He accepts the duty that puts his life and well being at
risk. He has defended the Lineage almost single-handedly against an
entire government, which has the tremendous advantages of inside
collaborators, as well as the indifference to truth of the world news
media. He asks no more than to protect and preserve our Lineage. If
that is not the conduct and the qualities of a Bodhisattva, then what
do you call it?
Finally, regarding your complaints about the Karmapa Issue web page
organized by European Karma Kagyu Buddhist, it is a direct response to
Situpa party’s Nalandabodhi web page. It is an effort to correct
the record from misinformation and false allegations.
We shall not comment on your reference to Chogyur Lingpa’s
prophecies now, until we have the time do so in more detail. However,
out of compassion, we think you should know that saying what you have
said about Shamar Rinpoche, when he is only doing his best to protect
our sacred Lineage, is to incur a lot of seriously bad karma. From the
moment you started to practice the Dharma, you have learned to attack
the Karma Kagyu lineage holders. This is a pity, a waste of your time
as a practitioner, and can ultimately cause you to fall into your
so-called Vajra hell. We appeal to you to use your common sense to see
the relevant facts, and not to place yourself in the position of an
expert of the sacred Dharma or Tibetan politics.
Sincerely,
The Khenpo’s Council
India – 30 June, 2001
REPLY TO SU WONG’S LETTER TO SHAMAR RINPOCHE BY THE
KHENPO’S COUNCIL: PART II
According to prophecy based on Chogyur Lingpa’s visions of the
17th Karmapa being together, side by side, with Khengting Tai Situ, it
is said that the vision augured well for the spiritual bond between
the 17th Karmapa and Khengting Tai Situ, and for their spiritual
activities.
Due to some inferences made from this prophecy, Shamar Rinpoche has
publicly announced on several occasions that he would not object to
the present Situ Rinpoche’s being cast in the role of Khengting
Tai Situ in Chogyur Lingpa’s vision. Nor would he object to Situ
Rinpoche’s joining Karmapa Thaye Dorje (recognized by Shamar
Rinpoche, himself) at the Karmapa’s seat at Rumtek or anywhere
else they wish, that is appropriate to the vision. But, the question
remains, does the conduct of the present Situ Rinpoche fit the
wonderful and sacred vision of Chogyur Lingpa?
We think not for the following reasons:
The ‘prediction’ letter that was in Situ Rinpoche’s
safekeeping is an obvious forgery in Situ Rinpoche’s own
handwriting. Situ Rinpoche never dared to give it for forensic test.
Using his ‘prediction’ letter, Situ Rinpoche has
completely flouted the good principles, precedents and practices
established in the nine hundred years of our tradition.
Situ Rinpoche and his group of lamas openly invited the interference
of H.H. Dalai Lama’s Exile Government into the spiritual and
internal affairs of the Karma Kagyu lineage. The result is the curious
phenomenon of a Karmapa appointed by the Chinese Government who is
also approved of by the Tibetan Exile Government.
In 1993, the summer retreat of some 200 monks at Rumtek Monastery was
violently interrupted. Situ Rinpoche (who had bribed many Sikkimese
politicians and the police with money supplied by Chen Lu An of
Taiwan) led a large group of his own monks and others who had once
been ordered out of Rumtek by the late 16th Karmapa. Together they
mounted a violent attack on Rumtek Monastery. In the ensuing battle,
many of the 16th Karmapa’s monks were beaten up, evicted, forced
to escape, or were arrested by the police.
Later when his sponsors asked Situ Rinpoche why he had attacked the
monks, he deceived them by saying that these monks were maras or
devils. So therefore, it was part of his Dharma practice to get rid of
them.
Is this the conduct of the Khengting Tai Situpa who is in the wondrous
vision of Chogyur Lingpa? Obviously not.
So, there are only two other alternatives: either that Chogyur
Lingpa’s vision has yet to be fulfilled by a Situpa not yet
born; or that the vision has already been fulfilled in the past.
It is most likely that the vision has already come to pass. Long
before the communist take-over of Tibet, the late 11th Situpa and the
late 16th Karmapa Rangjung Dorje spent many years together at Palpung
Monastery. At that time both the 16th Karmapa and Situpa, referring to
this long stay together, confirmed that Chogyur Lingpa’s vision
had thus been fulfilled.
Adding credence to this, in the early 1970’s in India, the late
Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche once asked the 16th Karmapa about the meaning
of one of Chogyur Lingpa’s visions. In this vision Chogyur
Lingpa saw the 18th Karmapa traveling the wide expanse of Tibet on a
horse – a horse which according to Chogyur Lingpa was his own
reincarnation in the vision.
Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche asked the Karmapa if that meant that Tibet
would be the land of Dharma again, and if riding of a horse meant that
the new technology would then disappear?
To this question the 16th Karmapa replied that Chogyur Lingpa’s
vision had already happened in the past. Then Karmapa added that after
his own passing, his activities would take a completely different
course – everything would start anew. Dilgo Khyentse
Rinpoche’s elderly disciples were witnesses to this
conversation, and a few of them are still alive today.
If however, the prophecy is yet to be fulfilled, then we must
investigate further. Regardless of interpretation, the Karmapa is the
main focus in the vision. Therefore, it is imperative that the genuine
Karmapa first be born and recognized before the prophecy can come to
pass. But, as early as 1992, Situ Rinpoche was using Chogyur
Lingpa’s prophecy to substantiate his authority to confirm his
choice for the reincarnation. Tibetans have a saying for this: Before
the oracle goes into his trance, the scribe has already begun to
write.
Prophecies should not be manipulated to make them happen.
Here, some further background is necessary: There are two kinds of
sacred prophecies. The first consists of prophecies that refer to
future events and persons, and how these events will unfold. The
second consists of instructions given to one’s future disciples
on specific actions that must be taken at a particular time –
like Guru Padmasambhava’s prophecies for Tertons. Chokgyur
Lingpa’s vision belongs to the first category. It is not a
prophecy telling Situ Rinpoche what to do in the future.
If you manipulate a prophecy, anyone can use it to mean anything. For
examples, we would like to relate two stories to show just how these
matters can contradict one another and create confusion.
The first story is from the autobiography of the famous Nyingmapa
yogi, Kathog Rigdzin Chenmo. According to his autobiography, the 13th
Karmapa Dudul Dorje was visiting Lhasa with the 10th Shamarpa Chodrup
Gyatsho when one day he called to his presence Kathog Rinpoche
himself, Pawo Rinpoche and the general secretaries of both the Karmapa
and Shamarpa.
With them all as his witness, the 13th Karmapa wrote a will to the
effect that:
1) He would be the last Karmapa;
2) in the future, the Shamarpa-line of reincarnations would continue
and be the head of Karma Kagyu School;
3) the subsequent Karmapa reincarnations would not be genuine Karmapa
reincarnations.
Then he set both his seal and his handprint on the will.
The second story is from the biography of the 15th Karmapa Khachab
Dorje, in which he said that, as the holder of the Karma Kagyupa
throne he was indeed the Karmapa; but as for being a reincarnation of
the Karmapa, he was less certain. However, he said, he was certain he
was an emanation of Guru Padmasambhava.
If Shamar Rinpoche was as ambitious as you blame, he could easily have
used these prophecies and collaborated with the Tibetan exile
government or the China government to take the position of the head of
the Karma Kagyu school in the early eighties. In addition, these
examples also show that prophecies can and do contradict one another.
In conclusion, if spiritual leaders keep to the principles of the
Buddha Dharma, maintaining perfect peace and gentleness… If they
set aside personal ambitions and desire for money and power… If
they renounce political maneuvering for personal gain… If they
practice non-violence… If they focus on teaching the Buddha
Dharma by word and example… In short, if our spiritual leaders
behave as true Bodhisatvas, then more wondrous things will come to
pass in the future, than anything ever imagined in Chogyur
Lingpa’s vision.
The Khenpo’s Council
India
7 July, 2001
Henry
>
GeirSmith
ancient knowledge widespread.
>Henry gel
Tang Huyen
Jumbomatic quotes Shamar: <<Sadly, all they have done is use samaya to
gain control over students to benefit of their own agendas.>>
Tang Huyen
Tang Huyen
Jumbomatic quotes Shamar: <<Shamar Rinpoche's only intent is to save the
Lineage from the danger of eventual extinction, even if he has to do it
single-handedly. You should examine the facts and events rather than try
to find fault with him on a personal level. This narrows your view to just
one person at the expense of the larger picture. [snip]
Except for Shamar Rinpoche, who can protect Karma Kagyupa against
corruption from within the Lineage itself? Who can protect it against the
concerted efforts of the Tibetan Exiled Government to dismember the Karma
Kagyu School?>>
On the other side, somebody wrote on these boards:
<<We mainstream Kagyu's are quite satisfied that we have the real one and
all the top leadership of the Kagyu's along with HH Dalai Lama, along with
Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, (who is absolutely above reproach or such
intrigues), agrees that this is the right guy. Don't clutch at straws
and concoct nonsense tales about him. It will only harm you in the end
to discredit a being as pure as the Karmapa whose only reason for coming
here is to help beings.>>
Tang "Cleaner than Kleenex" Huyen
seetoh
>Jumbomatic quotes Shamar: <<Sadly, all they have done is use samaya to
>gain control over students to benefit of their own agendas.>>
>Tang Huyen
If "samaya" in Sanskrit means commitment,
how does a Tibetan Guru gain control over
his students with samaya?
seetoh
Lambada and da Lamaa
GeirSmith
freedom.
"GEIR SMITH'S RESEARCH
If you feel a link to the contents here, as I have no page/site, please
download it to your site/page so that I can give your reference to other people
on the web as a place where one can find it. And tell me what your adress is.
I'll post it round about. I'm at geir...@aol.com Thank you. N.B. I've
reviewed these pages and realize that this is material cannot interest people
who aren't already advanced in their studies of tibetan tantric Buddhism. It
will also be hard to broach for those who haven't studied the historical field.
And it will be difficult for those that aren't of the tibetan buddhist school
this deals with. So I realize that the real relevance of this may be very
limited but I'm still publishing it here so that all can see it. It may have a
spiritual blessing such as one gets just by placing books on one's head ! But
it's occult spiritual blessing is boundless whether one understands it or not.
Birwapa means the "Bad One", but also "He of many forms" : Virupaksha in
Sanskrit. His various names in tibetan books perfectly illustrate this meaning.
Let's look at those :
My research below, was greatly helped by the short study of tibetan texts that
I was able to do with Kempo Appey's secretary, Jampa Losal, at Swayambunath in
Nepal in 1999. In Chentsay's Soungak Gokpoup text the following names of
Birwapa are given : Dharmapala (Cheu Chong), Balahara (Top Trok - Power Robber)
and Pounyehara (Sonam Trok - Merit Robber). Buddhists called him Balanatha
(Powerful Lord). Some tibetan texts also give Balihara and Balinatha.
We find the names Siropa or Saropa and Pounahara in the Sakyapa Lam Dre la Ju
ki Namtar. We find Punyahara, Baleshwara and Yogeshwara at
geocities.com/sakyabr In the Sakya Kabum Cheu Joung the name of Virupaksha is
given.
In the Lam Dre Lamay Namtar, Trapa Jaltsen indicates his names as Shri
Dharmapala or Palden Cheu Chong Birwapa and also further on as Biropa.
His name is generally also Naljor Wangchuk (Yogisvara or Yoganatha in Sanskrit
?).
In the Lam Dre Lop Shay, Jamgeun Chentsay indicates the name of Pounyahara as
well as that of Siropa.
Adding to the names of Birwapa that are given by tibetan sources are these
names that are culled from books quoted at the end of this text : Dharmapala of
Suvarnadvipa; Serlingpa; Chilupa; Chalipa; Balipa; Pundarika; Lvavapa-Labapa;
Kambala; Jalandharipa; Luipa; Matsyendranath; Minapa; Vajrapada; Acinta
(Goraksa's guru in Rob. p.52); Biruchaypa or Birbapa (Taran. p.214. note);
Jaleruha (Tara. p. 177); Balantipa (Templeman p. 82.).
MAITREYA'S COMING AS PREDICTED IN TARANATHA.
By the fact that I, alone, am revealing this on the web it is evident that I am
the one who is spiritually connected to the coming of Maitreya and that I have
thus a direct connection to Nagpopa, who reincarnated as Him. Taranatha says
that he has already incarnated as Him and he surely continues to do so at
present as well ! None in the Sakyapa school is making this author's work
known. Within the Ngorpa school no one is doing it. I am thus the only one
working on this subject : Maitreya's present embodiment incarnated since the
11th century. The world is now empty of scholarship and practise of Taranatha's
Maitreya tradition (apart from my effort here). I'm publishing this research
below very broadly on Internet, but it is a very sharp weapon for it's reading
requires simultaneous consultation of several other books to be understood. As
wisdom in the hands of ignorant, it can turn against them.
I have just given (a few of) Birwapa's names as well as introducing the reader
to the concept of the world-Saviour Maitreya (sorry, I'm not very learned on
the latter on which I must rely on Taranatha !)
I'll begin here by giving an evaluation of what the historical reality of the
Birwapa lineage in India was and the way it was passed down. First, after an
introduction on tibetan interpretation of Buddhism and my experience of it, I
give that evaluation in a short paragraph, outlining it in a general sense, in
a free manner. Next I do it in a detailed manner, much longer than the first
paragraph-long evaluation. Thus after these two evaluations, I offer to the
reader's attention a section of notes that are linked to the names of Birwapa
that I have given in these evaluations. The notes then explain the research
behind identifying these names so that the reader can understand the method
that I have had to set up to do this. These notes also show how one can
perceive Taranatha's intent in composing his books. The notes include
reference to other authors. Through Buton particularly, one is able to
understand the unfolding of the 3 trips Birwapa made to Tibet. Thus, by a
three-fold, simple disposition of the theoretical historical evaluation of
Birwapa's life (first short and then long) and then the explaination of the
research behind such conclusions, the confusion that such research causes can
hopefully be dispelled and given to as general a public as possible.
All the conclusions below are very hypothetical because when you see texts of
Indrabhuti or Maitreya or Krishnacharya, the utterly compassionate nature of
the texts exclude such gross hypotheses as I reach. Indeed such texts cannot be
hindu, or muslim-inspired ones so the only explanation would be that the later
texts were written by the followers of these masters and that in such case, as
Taranatha says p. 235, the accounts of the 84 Mahasiddhas are not reliable nor
their names as given there. This is why I'm trying to cut through the jungle
of these names to outline the pattern and recurring themes of all this and
reconstitute the facts of what really happened !"
Excerpt from :
http://geocities.com/longlivemaitreya/taranatha.txt
> "seetoh"
>Tang Huyen w
Jumbomatic
By asking for commitment based on faith, not experience or reason.
-J
seetoh
news:b492cc5e.01080...@posting.google.com...
Is it common for Tibetan Gurus to ask students
to commit based largely or entirely on faith?
seetoh
Tang Huyen
seetoh wrote:
Jumbomatic quotes Shamar: <<Sadly, all they have done is use samaya to gain
control over students to benefit of their own agendas.>>
Seetoh: <<If "samaya" in Sanskrit means commitment, how does a Tibetan Guru
gain control over his students with samaya?>>
Jumbomatic: <<By asking for commitment based on faith, not experience or
reason.>>
Seetoh: <<Is it common for Tibetan Gurus to ask students to commit based
largely or entirely on faith?>>
The issue is presented by Klaus Schmetterling (real name Joy Vriens, a Dutch
man living in France who used to be a monk under Kalu) in "Samaya" on 11 Apr
2000:
<<Stefan Gmaj:
> 1/ Could somebody define this term?
samaya (T: dam-tshig; S: coming together; T: sacred word or vow) The vajrayana
principle of commitment, whereby the disciple's total experience is bound to
the path. When the vajra master performs abhisheka, the disciple's being is
bound together with the master and the deities of the mandala. The disciple
becomes irrevocably committed to regard his master as an embodiment of
enlightenment, and to retain sacred outlook in all his experience. During the
abhiseka ceremony, the disciple formally takes the samaya oath. However, in
some sense, the samaya principle becomes active as soon as master and student
establish a vajrayana relationship. The samaya vow is experiential and can be
violated in a moment of thought. As Atisha said, "Keeping samaya is like
keeping a mirror polished - as so on as you have cleared it, dust begins to
alight." The most important samaya is a proper attitude toward one's root guru.
Besides that, the principal points are maintaining the essence of hinayana and
mahayana discipline, and extending sacred outlook throughout one's experience.
Extract from: The Life of Marpa the Translator, translated by Nalanda
Translation Committee under the direction of Chögyam Trungpa
> 2/ From where did it originate?
Indian tantrism
> 3/ What purpose/s does it serve?
It works as a sort of pressure cooker. Your practice becomes more efficient
because of the increased pressure.
Joy>>
Mary Finnigan, a long-term practitioner of the Tibetan religion, replied on the
same day:
<<Klaus Schmetterling writes about samaya in its essence as a core principle
of Vajrayana practice and he quotes an impeccable source. His westernised
metaphor below is also accurate.
>
>It works as a sort of pressure cooker. Your practice becomes more
>efficient because of the increased pressure.
But -- IMO samaya is also a source of much misunderstanding and abuse. Western
interpretations of the sacred bond between teacher and student -- between human
practitioners and the esoteric Tantric continuum -- seem to me to be extremely
fuzzy. On one hand you make a commitment to a lofty ideal, on the other it does
happen that over time you come to realise that the *human being* who
personifies this ideal is indeed very human. Shot through with contradictions,
perhaps a heavy drinker, sometimes a manipulative power broker, frequently an
incorrigible womaniser, often very interested in money and possessions. So you
ask a fellow practitioner how to deal with this confusing scenario. You may get
the response that it is contrary to the principles of practice to concern
yourself with mundane human fallibility. You must keep your eye on the lofty
ball, they say -- see the lama as perfect in all his (hardly ever her) words
and deeds. In this way you too will move towards clear vision. Fine -- and
certainly possible. But what happens when you realise that the words and deeds
of the *perfect teacher* are causing a great deal of distress? That people you
care about are being abused by him? That resources donated by hard-working
devotees are being deployed to keep him and his family in luxury? Or diverted
into off-shore bank accounts? And that the clique of inner circle disciples are
telling everyone else that the lama's exaggerated eccentricities are *crazy
wisdom*, beyond the comprehension of ordinary mortals? What does samaya mean at
this juncture? Put up with it and shut up? Suspend your critical faculties and
follow the party line? Allow obvious corruption to continue unchecked? Worse is
to come. Raise these points and the chances are that samaya will be turned
against you as a form of coercion. Blow the whistle sunshine and you are
breaking your samaya. It's the Vajra Hell for you if you presume to disagree
with anything the lama says or does. How do I know this? From prolonged
personal experience. At one stage a contributor to arbt, attempting to silence
my critical voice, claimed that my samaya extended beyond my own lama to
include every other lama in the Nyingma tradition. And a very old friend who is
a well known TB writer, commentator and teacher screamed me into silence at a
dinner party. Wild eyed and purple-faced, he spat out his tandoori chicken,
bellowing *samaya* at maximum decibel level. Why? Because I refused to accept
that a lama's droit de seigneur (or droit de cuissage to be more specific) is
acceptable in post modern western society.
Mary>>
Tang Huyen
seetoh
news:3B6F519D...@yahoo.com...
What is "droit de seigneur or droit de cuissage"?
seetoh
Tang Huyen
seetoh wrote:
Mary: <<At one stage a contributor to arbt, attempting to silence my critical
voice, claimed that my samaya extended beyond my own lama to include every other
lama in the Nyingma tradition. And a very old friend who is a well known TB
writer, commentator and teacher screamed me into silence at a dinner party. Wild
eyed and purple-faced, he spat out his tandoori chicken, bellowing *samaya* at
maximum decibel level. Why? Because I refused to accept that a lama's droit de
seigneur (or droit de cuissage to be more specific) is acceptable in post modern
western society.
Mary>>
Seetoh: <<What is "droit de seigneur or droit de cuissage"?>>
Seetoh, In the European civilisation in the Middle Ages, when two people
married, on the day that they married their Lord had the right to sleep with the
woman first, before her husband could. That's the right of the Lord (French
droit de seigneur). Cuisse means thigh in French, so droit de cuissage means the
right to the thighs or thereabout (some Tantrically trained imagination may help
here).
Samaya will tighten up the erogeneous zone.
Tang Huyen
seetoh
So the Tibetan Lamas learnt some useful lessons
from ze French Lords. But blood tests will tell
whether they succeeded in effect rather than in form.
seetoh
Secret Tibetan Visualization: Ze French Lord.
Sylva Simsova
<seet...@yahoo.com> writes
>Is it common for Tibetan Gurus to ask students
>to commit based largely or entirely on faith?
Teachers do not ask students to commit themselves.
Students make a decision to commit themselves
if they feel it is right for them.
When learning a skill it is useful to have a good teacher.
It would be counterproductive not to follow his/her advice.
It is just common sense, not a power game.
--
Sylva Simsova
TadPerry
>It is a complete disgrace that you are spending your energy and time
>in order to be dis-respectful towards some of the greatest living
>masters of the present day. In particular, Thrangu Rinpoche was one of
>your main teachers. You and your followers, such as Khenpo Choedrak,
>have completely slandered Rinpoche. It is stated very clearly that one
>should never even mentally have a wrong thought towards one's guru, or
>the gurus of the same lineage. You have broken your samaya.
>
>Furthermore, you have caused a division within the sangha, another
>major transgression. You have shown signs of anger towards your
>Vajrayana brothers and openly slander them. Do you honestly believe
>the Buddha would have went to Nepal and held a meeting purposely to
>come to the conclusion that, "The Dalai Lama is deceptive and wants to
>take over the lineage...We must fight for our indpendence from the
>Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama caused the division by teaming up with Situ
>Rinpoche and faking a Karmapa for political purposes."??
The Buddha most certainly did no such thing. Everyone is afraid to talk to the
Buddha. He can tell you who he is, why he is, and how he came to be who he is.
Do you want to know?
>Where did all your bodhisattva activity go to?
No one (and I said NO ONE!) is looking at themselves because the reflection is
so very ugly in this age. Some, at least, have a faint twinkling light that
tells them "I may not like what I see, but I must look."
WHO AM I ?!?
GeirSmith
Study Taranatha.