- 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
