Author Topic: We Live In a Degenerate Age  (Read 20652 times)

Damian.D

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We Live In a Degenerate Age
« on: June 22, 2011, 08:29:22 PM »
So if the Buddha predicted that the Buddhism will inevitably degenerate to the point that we have a dark period without the Dharma. Then why are we even practicing? Shouldn't we make the dark age come faster so that a new age can begin again?

I mean what would be the point of such hard practice when no matter how many lives (if any we have left) how much suffering we will endure what would be the point?

dsiluvu

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Re: We Live In a Degenerate Age
« Reply #1 on: June 22, 2011, 08:53:03 PM »
The point is to have the Dharma seed planted in us so that when Meitreya comes, we will have that seed that will open up to receive the Guru, to be able to continue our practice when we meet Meitreya. So I think is mainly the point of practising for our future...creating the cause now so that we will be able to carry on our practise in the future, no?

Also practising Dharma helps us to purify our negative karma...just how sure are we that we will take rebirth as human in our next life? Well lucky we have Dorje Shugden to guide us at the time of death.

vajrastorm

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Re: We Live In a Degenerate Age
« Reply #2 on: June 23, 2011, 07:21:13 AM »
We live in a degenerate age where lust reigns supreme and we are surrounded by countless distractions, which can actually overwhelm us.

However, not only are we very fortunate to have met with the 18 opportune conditions in this very life, but, more opportune and precious than that, some of us have met a qualified Spiritual Guide to guide us on the Path to Enlightenment. We have also met with the rarest and most powerful teachings of all,that, if we study them and practice them correctly, we will surely be set on Enlightenment’s course. These are the precious and sacred teachings of Je Tsongkapa that we, who belong to the Gelugpa Lineage, are heir to.

There is a story, in the Lamrim, that shows clearly how rare and precious Je Tsongkapa’s teachings are and how difficult it is to obtain them. A man once made a lot of offerings to the Three Jewels and then asked the clairvoyant Panchen Lama , if he would continue to receive the teachings of Lord Buddha in his next life. The Panchen Lama answered in the affirmative. The man then went on to ask if he would continue to receive Je Tsongkapa’s teachings in his next life. The Panchen Lama kept silent.

Thus we should not waste this rare and precious human rebirth; but instead, we should make optimum use of it to ensure that we are truly set on the course of Full Enlightenment. We should also ensure that Lord Tsongkapa’s teachings flourish and, for this to happen, we should endeavor to grow and spread the practice of Dorje Shugden, who arose as an uncommon Protector to fulfill a promise to preserve and spread Je Tsongkapa’s teachings, especially his unexcelled propounding of Nargajuna’s Middle View of Emptiness(so very necessary for the liberation from suffering of this degenerate age).

dondrup

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Re: We Live In a Degenerate Age
« Reply #3 on: June 23, 2011, 10:00:13 AM »
So if the Buddha predicted that the Buddhism will inevitably degenerate to the point that we have a dark period without the Dharma. Then why are we even practicing? Shouldn't we make the dark age come faster so that a new age can begin again?

I mean what would be the point of such hard practice when no matter how many lives (if any we have left) how much suffering we will endure what would be the point?


The dark age will come due to our collective negative karma. Unless we have gained liberation from samsara and complete enlightenment, we will still need to practise. During the dark age, there is no Guru, no Buddha, no Dharma and no sangha.  Isn't it important for us to practise and continue to practise to the best of our abilities while we still can and while we still have the Guru and Three Jewels?  We do not want to regret later for not capitalising on this precious human rebirth with the 8 freedoms and 10 endowments that is so rare and hard to come by.


Dondrup Shugden

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Re: We Live In a Degenerate Age
« Reply #4 on: June 23, 2011, 02:15:41 PM »
Yes, The Buddha predicted dark ages without Dharma, but why are we thinking of the future? Right now for many sentient beings there is no Dharma.  Imagine being an animal, is there Dharma?

The beauty of knowing and studying the Dharma is about Karma, cause and effects, and if we know that the Buddha is always right, can we not do something right now in the PRESENT? Yes we can, practise the precious teaching of living to benefit others and when the dark age does come, maybe we can be in a good place. Use our current opportunities to create so much merits that whatever comes, we may still be alright.

One thing I cannot be sure is can we be able to create good enough collective Karma to avert the dark age?

DharmaSpace

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Re: We Live In a Degenerate Age
« Reply #5 on: June 23, 2011, 02:21:38 PM »
My lama was telling us that as beings degenerate into more lust and desire the only tantra that gets more effective is Vajrayogini. And during these challenging times what protector has the power and ability to pull us out from the quagmire of desire if not Dorje Shugden.

Dorje Shugden has overcome so many trials and challenges, the 5th Dalai Lama, Mindroling Lamas, challenges from the 13th Dalai Lama and looks like the 14th Dalai Lama also.  The practise just gets more and more pervasive and more and more people are getting involved with the practise.

Tenzin K

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Re: We Live In a Degenerate Age
« Reply #6 on: June 23, 2011, 02:51:22 PM »
Knowing the dark age will come is a sign to tell us that not much time to waste!
If you believe in Karma exactly like what Dondrup Shugden said, that is better for us to start creating as much merit as possible in order for us to book a better place when the dark age come.

For not knowing the dark age will come, that is what i'm afraid of!
People will tend to think that there will always a tomorrow to start practicing dharma or there will always a tomorrow to practice a little bit more…….or next week, next month….not surprise they are people think of A RIGHT TIME (with all the samsaric excuses).

Personally it's all up to the individual on what you want to achieve.
Having to know the dark age coming is good to push us to move forward faster……but is still up to the individual to believe & realise.

As a Buddhist we believe of past, present & future lives.
We believe in Karma & Cause and effect.
We believe in 8 opportune condition & precious of human life.

No more waiting......

triesa

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Re: We Live In a Degenerate Age
« Reply #7 on: June 23, 2011, 03:46:57 PM »
I have noticed many shared the same sentiments that since Buddha has already predicted that we will come to a dark age, it is better not to wait or procrastinate and use our 18 opportunate conditions to learn, study and practise the dharma, and it is even more so if in this life, we are fortunate enough to meet and have a guru.

I'd like to make an analogy of this....

It is like when we know that a strong hurrican is coming, we would do whatever we can NOW to ensure that when it comes, we will be ok. For example, we don't want to be running out of food, hence we would go to the supermarket to get enough food and necessities. We will also ensure that our house is strong enough to withstand the hurrican, and hence we would reinforce or cover the windows with additional protection.

So I guess no one would just say, since the hurrican is going to come, lets sit and wait and not do anything since it is going to destroy everything anyway.........instead we would do whatever we can now, so that when the hurrican comes, we wouldn't be in too bad a situation......






pgdharma

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Re: We Live In a Degenerate Age
« Reply #8 on: June 23, 2011, 04:05:50 PM »
Due to the fact that we live in a degenerate age, all the more we must not waste this precious human rebirth with the 8 freedoms and 10 endowments to practice and study the dharma, to create and plant seeds for future rebirths so that when the next Buddha appears we will have the merits to continue our practice.

WisdomBeing

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Re: We Live In a Degenerate Age
« Reply #9 on: June 23, 2011, 04:53:05 PM »
I heard somewhere that when Maitreya appears, we will only have sutra teachings and no tantra so people will not be able to achieve enlightenment then from Maitreya. This is as good a reason as any to do what we can to attain enlightenment as soon as possible, before this era of Shakyamuni's teachings run out.
Kate Walker - a wannabe wisdom Being

Reena Searl

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Re: We Live In a Degenerate Age
« Reply #10 on: June 23, 2011, 06:13:54 PM »
Degenerate age = Dharma ending age

At degenerate age, less people show interest in learning, practicing, realizing or sharing dharma. If each individual still show interest in dharma, will the collective actions prolong the age of  the pure true dharma?

At the degenerate age, many high lamas skillfully manifest in as many ways as possible to inspire us to realize the Dharma. As a Buddhist practitioner  what i can do is to inspire many people to learn and practice dharma !

It's not too late to heed the call of the Dharma now!


Barzin

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Re: We Live In a Degenerate Age
« Reply #11 on: June 23, 2011, 06:20:52 PM »
Let's say if we practice well, Protector will lead us to a good place.  However, it not always necessarily we can be reborn as a human due to our own karma.  But we planted a seed that we will at least be close to the dharma...  It takes us longer time to achieve enlightenment....  Then the cycle goes round and round until enlightenment is achieve.

Then comes the dark age, where Maitreya Buddha appears.. It was told that like what WisdomBeing said, there will be only Sutra and no tantra available.  So, it makes it harder for people at that time to practice.  My question is :  does it mean that higher tantric like Vajrayogini will subside?  Wouldn't the Buddhas will manifest in a different form and a different practice for people?   So how can Tantra vanish just like that?  I think maybe it is just a lesser chance to even hear the word Dharma and not so accessible anymore...

kurava

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Re: We Live In a Degenerate Age
« Reply #12 on: June 24, 2011, 03:16:11 AM »
I think it's a degenerate age in the sense that less and less people are interested in spiritual learning and training. However, that does not mean we take a passive stand and do nothing about it.

Understanding that dharma is at a degenerated time , we should feel extremely grateful that there are teachers and bodhisattvas who still work tirelessly to help us. We are really like the blind tortoise in the vast ocean that surfaces once in 500 years and happen to stick our head through the golden yoke of dharma !

Yes, don't waste this one in a million chance, let the seed be planted in our mind if we can't attain enlightenment in this life.

High Masters like Pabhongka Rinpoche and Trijang Rinpoche composed practices eg. DS and Vojrayogini that catered for people at this degenerate age. We really have no excuse to NOT do anything for ourselves.

Helena

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Re: We Live In a Degenerate Age
« Reply #13 on: June 24, 2011, 03:42:01 AM »
What an interesting question, even if it appears to be phrased from a pessimistic point of view. Perhaps, even from a perspective of an inevitable doom.

If we follow your logic, then there would be no point of anything at all, to be frank.

Just take this life - we will all die anyways. So, what would be the point of going to school, working, getting married, starting a family and then go through old age when we all know that we will eventually die? Some may even die faster, earlier and younger. We just don't know when or how. But the only certainty is that we will definitely all die.

If we take such negative extremist view, then none of us should be even bothered with staying alive.

Then we don't really understand Karma and Dharma.

Karma does not leave us even after we die. It continues and countless lifetimes will ensue as it has previously done since beginningless time.

We are basically governed by two most important dates in each lifetime the year we are born and the year we die. In between that dash that defines what we have done and how we have lived. We can't control our birth and death, unless we are high lamas. But we can make full use of our time while we are alive to achieve a higher practice that allows us to become something much more.

At every stage and phase in life, the karma changes accordingly. It is no different than us, as individuals. So, collectively, the world has its own karma. Because together, we all have brought it on. Collective karma.

If we do understand karma, then we would not stop wasting time on things which will not bring ultimate benefit. We would focus on everything that benefit us and those around us the most. Yes, there will come a time when Dharma is lost because people have degenerated so much. Then, wouldn't it make perfect sense for us to make full use of our time now? Especially when we do have access to all the precious teachings and great teachers. Wouldn't it make sense to practice harder now when we still have the chance to do so?

Why?

So that when the time of darkness arrives, although the world may reside in darkness, but we would not be living in that darkness. Because we have practiced Dharma well, we have maintained our vows well and kept up our spiritual practice, we become light unto ourselves. Then we need not be lost in the dark, we are our own light. Furthermore, we may even help others around us because we can light up the path before them.

True spiritual practice never leaves us. If we put in the time and effort, we will see our spiritual progress. Then we will have real attainments and realizations. And they do not leave us after we die. We carry them forward onto our next life. And if we continue to build in this way, in time, we too will become highly attained like our Gurus and the high Lamas. If they can control their death and rebirth due to lifetimes of practice, so can we. This is the whole point of Dharma. Releasing and realising the Buddha within until we become the Buddha.

And we should always aspire to achieve this as soon as possible. Without delay. With a great sense of urgency.



Helena

WoselTenzin

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Re: We Live In a Degenerate Age
« Reply #14 on: June 24, 2011, 07:55:15 AM »
Yes, The Buddha predicted dark ages without Dharma, but why are we thinking of the future? Right now for many sentient beings there is no Dharma.  Imagine being an animal, is there Dharma?

The beauty of knowing and studying the Dharma is about Karma, cause and effects, and if we know that the Buddha is always right, can we not do something right now in the PRESENT? Yes we can, practise the precious teaching of living to benefit others and when the dark age does come, maybe we can be in a good place. Use our current opportunities to create so much merits that whatever comes, we may still be alright.

One thing I cannot be sure is can we be able to create good enough collective Karma to avert the dark age?


I agree with with Dondrup Shugden.   Yes dark ages without Dharma will come eventually according to the Buddha but why are we even thinking of that?  Right now, if we have all the conditions to practise Dharma, we should seize the opportunity right now and practise.  We practise so that we can create the causes not to meet the dark ages. 

As it was rightly pointed out many sentient beings and animal are unable to receive Dharma now even if they are in a Dharma environment.  As far as they are concern, this is dark ages for them. 

Buddha call this time degenerate age because sentient beings have strong attachments and distractions are pervasive to distract sentient beings from the spiritual path.  However, it does not have to be this way for us if we, having the right conditions for the practice of Dharma, practise Dharma now and choose not to be distracted by our attachments and the distractions of samsara.  It is our choice.

Whether we are able to create collective karma to avert dark ages - this is a very interesting question.  I don't know either.  does anyone have any idea?