Words from my Teacher for reflection - extracted from Dharma teachings on 23/8/2014

《如果我们在供养、布施、修行等善举等等后，回向功德时只限制于自己、自己的亲人等，那么此累积之善业福报就像这些美丽的花儿，有限制的很快地就会凋谢。但是如果我们放宽心量，回向功德时包括一切众生，功德就如流水于大海般无量、无尽。》～-～ 贡德仁波切，23/8/2014 佛法开示. 学子：索南伊喜记录.

"When we do good such as giving offerings, generosity, mind training practice etc. , we dedicate our merits restricted to ourselves, relatives etc., thus its limitation is like the flowers bloom & fast to wither. Instead we dedicate our good deeds to include all Sentient Beings, it becomes boundless like water flowing into the great ocean seeming immeasurable." ~.~ Kyabje Kunde Rinpoche, extracted from dharma teaching on 23 Aug. 2014. Translation by student, Sonam Yeshi.

~ Om Ara Pa Ca Na De~

Tashi delek 扎西德勒

笑看风云？(2) [Laughing while seeing the flittering moments?]

edited on 5.12.2013
This is the source of reference:
http://news.ifeng.com/shendu/fhzk/detail_2013_10/15/30348511_0.shtml
(accessed again on 5.12.2013)

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May be this is more difficult for me to understand with my limited knowledge of our 'Mind'?

- Last 2 weeks, while reading an article by a magazine from China reporting of someone who personified as a 'buddhist monk' (not sure his square-shoulder-length hair style signifying another 'new age' attraction, or planted a wig? outfit: wearing a shining yellow one-piece long-sleeves cloak or robe(?) with black embroidery at front collar?) was finally being arrested by the authority for his 'intelligently conning multitude money' from businessmen, public and through his 'healthcare products'!(after more than a decade of 'hard works' by the authority, apparently it was reported he left the country to the USA in the early nineties in initial effort of the authority's investigation). That article was allow accessed free online based on the reason of its social responsibility to the public by the publisher.

Reading that article, being a Buddhist student, as i was laughing over it, i felt also the responsibility to share the information.  Here are some translated paraphrased and summarized tips being reported :

1) he claimed himself the third reincarnation of an 'unknown' name sounding like Tibetan (xx dorjee), and he was the lineage of 'Buddha of the Light' (Dipankara Buddha), even 'Gautama Buddha' was his student? - yet many so called 'buddhists' believed this 'claimed spiritual greatness'??

2) he made visual-aid (VCD?) showing his great 'physic power', shown and convinced a very rich businessman to take 'refuge' under him to give huge offering (huge capital for his business investment), subsequent demand of loan or gift was being feared of his 'psychic power'...Later a business woman's husband had some medical problem & feared for his 'black luck', she was also being trapped...

3) he created his 'multilevel' 'followers recruitment', and to reach the fourth level 'master', using 10 digit as the unit in multiplying from unit head to group leader status (???. the highest level before that man, the only 'true buddha'?)

4) his 'business' was expanded widely through network strategies and 'well-designed system', using the WWW...

Over these years, after a few Q&A sessions with my present Buddhist Master who graduated as 'Khenpo' of Vajrayana School (similar to a PhD?), i understand that:

1) Those well-trained and learned Buddhist Teachers/Rinpoche graduated from any established and known Buddhist College/University (of Vajrayana School, depending on the tradition, it takes 12-20 years of learning of the required scriptures and texts of teachings which had been handed down over a thousand to two thousand years, with bounty of commentaries along the growth over time, after completion the study, they were required to teach at least 3 years in the monastery college, and  going through a 3-years-3 months-3 days solitary retreat for certain traditions in Vajrayana ;

2) For Buddhist Monks (Lamas) or Rinpoches of any tradition, it is the 'vinaya' (discipline) rule that forbidden them to declare or state to anyone their spiritual attainment of possessing 'Psychic power' even though through cultivation/practice one may accomplished such ability;

May be many people are not keen to 'touch the base' of the name of religion they used to complete an application form?? For some, may be the 'Noble Eight-fold Path' could be boring truth?

May our compassion and wisdom growth with right effort and right understanding

Media & Information Literary in Vajrayana Buddhism - are we competent?

Lately i received some information of dharma activities, especially Buddhist Puja going on or to be held soon after i joined a Vajrayana_Penang  yahoogroup mailing list.

One of the info sheet i read linked to a site (probably created in Taiwan, using Traditional Chinese Character).  While i was taking a (long) break & reading that in my univ. student computer lab, i got quite taken aback when i read the claimed of the Teacher was the re-incarnation of Avalokitesvara etc...! if i were to offend anyone, after thinking for nearly a week, i think it is better i wrote some information on this upon seeking verification from Kunde Rinpoche who studied in Dzogchen Shriseng Monastery, Tibet for nearly a decade. Also i noticed this Teacher has 2 Buddhist centres in Malaysia adopted the word 'Samye'. i was a little confused as i visited the most historical & sacred Samye Monastery in Tibet before.  Then i called my Vajrayana Master/Teacher, Kunde Rinpoche to ask & verify a few questions in my mind.This allow readers' evaluation of those information which had been broadcast in the public domain such as yahoogroup and poster displaying locally.  (These Q&A have been rewording for clarity, bracket wordings meant for personal note)

These were some questions asked & with answers for sharing:

Q1) Tulku la, do you know this Teacher, in the circulated information & website he was a student  of H.H. Pema Kalsang from Dzogchen Shriseng Monastery Tibet?

Answered:  (Tulku la) - he knew this person studying Khenpoship in Dzogchen Shriseng Moastery.  When he was  about 16 years old in that Monastery, this Teacher had just completed the study & left to his own monastery.

ii) - when i tried to verify that the puja text of this Teacher was a student of H.H. Pema Kalsang Rinpoche, Tulku la answered H.H. have many students in Dzogchen Shriseng Monastery, Tibet as HH has been the Kyabje (Teacher?) in the Monastery.

iii) - Further, Tulku la complimented he is a Khenpo, thus has completed the required study as a Rinpoche.

2) when i asked of the re-incarnation claim & emanation of Avalokitesvara in that linked website, Tulku la just said people can claim anything they like, but to live to that emanation, able to benefits people's well beings & sentient beings are essentials; as any (self-claims) of spiritual attainment is just a matter of time the Buddhist community who practice the right path would be wise to know.

3) Can we simply use the word 'Samye' for popularity?

- As the Samye Monastery, historically it was Guru Rinpoche's Monastery. Thus, so far there is no Main Spiritual Abbot in the Monastery as no practitioner is competent to claim for oneself as Guru Rinpoche spiritual attainment yet. (it may be normal to use for reason only the user knows, but this highly respected  historically 'Samye' is sacred in Tibet.)

After the discusssion, we agreed that worldly publicity may be important to attract the crowd to contribute or participate in any Dharma activities, but it has to be done with discreet ethically and fairly. (Skillful Means does not meant NOT grounded in ethics - even academic research "Grounded Theory" emphasized its validity is grounded in data... - my personal grouses).

Today, i received the poster again from the Vajrayana_yahoogroup. I observed that the word "Dzogchen Monastery" has been used in that poster.  One time in a chat, Khenpo Kunga Tashi Rinpoche commented that Sogyal Rinpoche (author of "The Tibetan Book of Living & Dying" once said that his brother, H.H.the 7th Dzogchen Rinpoche was (has been) too compassionate (on the worldly misrepresentation of Dzogchen Monastery & even spiritual hierarchy representation).

Personally, I think to be fair, should anyone or practitioner using Dzogchen Monastery’s  name in their publicity material locally should generously donate (all) the (net) proceeds of the Dharma Puja conducted channel to Dzogchen Monastery (Tibet or India) for the benefits of the Lamas education & training needs (then the merits are virtueous? - "geramnya"). Otherwise, it is just misleading and in information literacy's jargoon word -  misrepresentation" for the general public who is not familiar with Vajrayana Tradition, or find it too troublesome seeking any verification (may be even  do not know where to verify). But unfortunately, our public media literacy and information literacy levels need many efforts to continuously raising this awareness.  Furthermore, the School of Vajrayana Buddhism here is still rather young & growing compared to the other two well established Buddhist traditions - Theravada & Mahayana Schools.

May We be Wise while trying to Practicing Good

Tashi  Delek

Revised from the original post at Vajrayana Buddhism & facebook timeline - Geram/KH Yeoh on 1 August 2012.