His Holiness Urges Tibetans From Tibet to Study Buddhist Philosophy

[Ensapa]

Isnt this really about time? Perhaps after the studies, everyone will support Dorje Shugden, because who wrote most of the philosophical texts for the monastics? Panchen Sonam Dragpa.

His Holiness Urges Tibetans From Tibet to Study Buddhist Philosophy
Tuesday, 04 December 2012 16:54    Sophie Jay, Tibet Post International 



Dharamshala: - The spiritual leader of Tibet, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has urged Tibetans who have recently arrived in India to study Buddhist philosophy, rather than simply familiarizing themselves with prayer.
The 77-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader made his point in front of around 30,000 people from 53 countries, who are currently attending his 14 day teaching on the 18 Great Stages of the Path to Enlightenment (Lam Rim) at Gaden Changtse monastery in Mundgod, Karnataka, on December 1.

The crowd included monks from Karnataka's great university monasteries, Drepung, Ganden and Sera, which were all resurrected in the south Indian state after their Tibetan predecessors were overrun and controlled by Chinese forces following China's occupation of the country in 1959.

“In Tibet, many Tibetans feel that studying Buddhism is only the responsibility of monks,” he said.

“Some monasteries offer only prayer, no philosophical study, and many lay people are good at prayer, but have no concern about studying Buddhist philosophy. This is a big mistake.

“Nowadays in Tibet the situation is very critical and many people who have studied Buddhism, the older generation, have passed away, and it is very rare to see a new generation of Buddhist practitioners.

“Usually nowadays I’m not only talking to Tibetans, but to Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean, Burmese, Sri-Lankan and Taiwanese Buddhist friends. We are all the same Buddhists as our grandparents, and now we should all be 21st Century Buddhists.

“We should study and understand what Buddhism is,” he continued.

“Buddhism is different from other religions which believe that God created everything, as the Buddha said that we are all our own protectors.

“Everything we do, we do by ourselves, so studying Buddhist philosophy is very important.”

The Dalai Lama arrived in India's largest Tibetan settlement on November 29, before commencing the teaching the following day.

Upon arrival he visited Drepung monastery, where he met with the head of the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism, Gadan Tri Rinpoche, and the monastery's abbot, Lobsang Tenpa, who made long life offerings in his honour, before he visited a stupa containing the relics of his former tutor, the sixth Ling Rinpoche.

Alluding to his decision last year to retire from his role as Tibetan political leader, after which Sikyong Dr Lobsang Sangay was democratically elected to lead Tibet's exiled community, His Holiness the Dalai Lama explained how the Gadang Podrang, part of the original Drepung monastery in Lhasa, had been the traditional seat of the Dalai Lamas until 1642, when the fifth Dalai Lama became Tibet's political and spiritual leader and established the city's iconic Potala Palace, where they remained until the current Dalai Lama's escape from the country following Chinese occupation.

“When I was 16, I took political responsibility for Tibet from Sikyong Tadrak Rinpoche (who ran the country while he was still considered a minor,)” he said.

“Sixty years later, I was able to proudly and happily hand over that responsibility to a political leader elected by a majority of Tibetan people.

“When we first arrived in India we tried to establish a democratic system and now this has happened my long term wishes and hopes have been fulfilled.

“If I were in Tibet it would now be time for me to return to Drepung monastery.”

He then visited the nearby Gaden Chartse monastery, where he opened a scholar's debate on the Jangchup Lam Rim Chemo text (Atisha's lamp for the Path to Enlightenment.) 

[Namdrol]

That's the legacy of communist Chinese, on the surface it seems they are encouraging religious practice, but fundamentally their policy is still "religion is poison". That's why Tibetans in Tibet nowadays do not learn much Buddhist philisophy, but only are good in prayers, because prayers do not really require you to think and analyse, and the communists prefer the Tibetans not to think and analyse.

That's why, when you visit monasteries in Tibet nowadays, you will feel empty, there is little teachings, classes. Only some chanting by monks. The real Dharma is not the building, it is the teaching, which is thriving now in the monasteries in India.

[Galen]

It is good news that the Dalai Lama encourages all people to study Buddhist Philosophy so that they have an understanding on the teachings and apply in their daily life. Buddhism is not just a religion based on rituals and prayers. All Buddhist should know and learn what the fundamentals of Buddhism are. Without people learning the philosophies behind Buddhism, soon Buddhism will be gone and only left with superstition like how Taoism is today. We definitely do not want that to happen and the Dalai Lama know that and are preempting all Buddhist to not leave it only to the monks.

The Dalai Lama said that if he is in Tibet now, he would return to Drepung Monastery, the original seat of the Dalai Lama. Does that mean that the Dalai Lama is hinting that he is following his predecessor the Fifth Dalai Lama in reinstating Dorje Shugden from being a spirit to a Dharma Protector.

[Ensapa]

It is good news that the Dalai Lama encourages all people to study Buddhist Philosophy so that they have an understanding on the teachings and apply in their daily life. Buddhism is not just a religion based on rituals and prayers. All Buddhist should know and learn what the fundamentals of Buddhism are. Without people learning the philosophies behind Buddhism, soon Buddhism will be gone and only left with superstition like how Taoism is today. We definitely do not want that to happen and the Dalai Lama know that and are preempting all Buddhist to not leave it only to the monks.

The Dalai Lama said that if he is in Tibet now, he would return to Drepung Monastery, the original seat of the Dalai Lama. Does that mean that the Dalai Lama is hinting that he is following his predecessor the Fifth Dalai Lama in reinstating Dorje Shugden from being a spirit to a Dharma Protector.

Yes it is very true that Buddhism should be studied also by laypeople so that they can apply them to their daily lives. The people of Tibet, both in Tibet and in Dharamsala are now more educated than ever. They should be able to read and study Buddhist philosophy without much problems or obstacles at all, logically and they should because it will calm their minds down and make them think deeper about what is more important in life, rather than just a free Tibet. They would definitely be better people than now and they would gain the respect, not pity, of the international community.

Really, they should just focus on Dharma study and practice and not on some silly ban against Dorje Shugden. To get Tibet back, they must first win the world's respect, not pity.

[Ensapa]

That's the legacy of communist Chinese, on the surface it seems they are encouraging religious practice, but fundamentally their policy is still "religion is poison". That's why Tibetans in Tibet nowadays do not learn much Buddhist philisophy, but only are good in prayers, because prayers do not really require you to think and analyse, and the communists prefer the Tibetans not to think and analyse.

That's why, when you visit monasteries in Tibet nowadays, you will feel empty, there is little teachings, classes. Only some chanting by monks. The real Dharma is not the building, it is the teaching, which is thriving now in the monasteries in India.

hmm in some way i would like to disagree with this as China has classes for monks and nuns and they are trained in the traditional way. A product of such training would be the 11th Panchen Lama that was chosen by the Chinese. He is said to be trained in the 5 sciences and in debates and he has passed his traditional examination with flying colors. Also, as a result of Chinese encroachment into Tibet, many Buddhist teachings on both Sutra and Tantra has been translated into Chinese and are circulating in the Chinese speaking world. It may not bear fruit at the moment, but it plants the seeds and conditions the soil for China and other Chinese speaking countries to be Buddhist nations in the near future.

[kris]

Is HH Dalai Lama telling the CTA to study Buddhist philosophy too? Well, I think they should really study it because CTA totally forgot what is the meaning of compassion, and forgot about the law of Karma where it is OK for them to deny the harmonious among different practitioners of Buddhism, but it is not OK for China to deny them to be harmonious with Tibet...

[Ensapa]

Is HH Dalai Lama telling the CTA to study Buddhist philosophy too? Well, I think they should really study it because CTA totally forgot what is the meaning of compassion, and forgot about the law of Karma where it is OK for them to deny the harmonious among different practitioners of Buddhism, but it is not OK for China to deny them to be harmonious with Tibet...

Obviously HHDL is telling the CTA to study Buddhist philosophy as well because well, he's their Guru, their spiritual leader. It does not make sense that they dont follow HHDL's advice in Dharma practice. However, it is evident that they are selective in following  HHDL's advice and they only follow advice that they want to hear and that is 'easy' for them to implement even though it's logically bad such as the Dorje Shugden ban. Wake up CTA!! stop the ban! it's not helping with your independence but it's worsening it!