A feudalistic Vajrayana system has no place in modern society

by Christian Thomas Kohl, The Buddhist Channel, August 29, 2017

Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche is seen defending Sogyal Rinpoche's destruction of RIGPA in an open letter (Guru and Student in the Vajrayana) and at the same time he writes an article about "The Clarity Aspect" (June 17, 2017 "Lion's Roar").


The letter gives an impression that Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche is an authority on Vajrayana Buddhism. The crux of the matter is, does Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche have any basis for being such an authority? What are the foundational assumptions of his commentaries?

Can his authority be measured in equal terms, on par - say - with other Tibetan masters of Vajrayana Buddhism?

If he is not an authority in Vajrayana Buddhism, why didn't he introduce his commentaries as, "The following views are my personal opinion..."?

How long did Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche take to prepare his letter and his article? One day? Two days perhaps?

There are hundreds of Vajrayana Masters in Tibet and India. I am sure many are reflecting on the Sogyal Rinpoche's issue.

It has to be noted that HH The Dalai Lama published a short commentary on Sogal Rinpoche where he actually said the opposite of what Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche commented on. Did HH The Dalai Lama defend Sogyal Rinpoche? Not at all, even though they are reported to be close friends.

So it seems clear that Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche is not speaking in sync with HH The Dalai Lama, a foremost Vajrayana Master. Did he ask the opinion of other Tibetan Vajrayana masters before publishing his commentary? Or does he have a hidden motive to smear Tibetan Buddhism or RIGPA?

His letter and his article dealing with the 'clarity aspect' are reactionary commentaries, describing 19th century feudalism which existed in Tibet and in many countries of that ttime. Why do I say that his commentaries are reactionary?

Simply put, feudalism for the ordinary man or woman means to "Shut up and obey, if not you will be punished!“.

In his letter, we see that Dzongsar Khyentse Ripoche openly defends this feudal system, which he has skillfully masked its socio-political structure to that of a guru-student relation paradigm that is so prevalent in Vajrayana Buddhism.

In the history of Buddhism since Buddha Sakyamuni's time, history has shown that The Enlightened One treated his students and Dharma learners as a father would to his children, and not at all like landlord to his servants.

Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche's transgression here is that he has inferred the existence of a Dharma based system where political orders were carried out within a militaristic structure of a feudal society. And he is telling us to accept this because this is what Vajrayana Buddhism is about.

And this bears question to the following: Does a father gives military orders to his children? Did Buddha Sakyamuni give military orders to his followers?

No, this is completely unknown in the history of Buddhism.

Buddha Sakyamuni's dharma is an invitation to openness, to investigation, to questioning. In Buddhism we lead prayers with the meaning, "Oh Lord Buddha, please open our hearts". Likewise, Milarepa, Nagarjuna and all the past great Dharma teachers from India and Tibet, they essentially teaches this "opening of the heart".

Dharma teachings are "advice" to oneself, for one to see and to practice if found useful. Nobody takes command over another. The Enlightened Buddha was not a commander.

But if Dzongzar Khyentse Rinpoche words are anything to go by, he tells us Western Buddhist students that "...this is Vajrayana Buddhism of Tibet - deal with it!". My word ... this is Vajrayana Buddhism? Can he really be serious?

And so when a girl in India or Myanmar or even in the USA gets raped by a Guru or Rinpoche, can this be justified because it is an inherent structure of Vajrayana Buddhism? A Vajrayana master who uses the system to his advantage by mind stalking and brainwashing his victims to believe that this is part of their spiritual training?

Do not forget, that when we fall on our knees in prostration we do not do it in obeisance to a human being. We do not get down on our knees in obeisance to a Vajrayana master. We prostrate as a symbolic gesture in reverence to Lord Buddha's spirit of Enlightenment, His liberation from this world and the acknowledgement that potentially, we too can be Buddha.

Lest we forget, a Dharma Master needs students for his teachings to be relevant. Even Sakyamuni Buddha needed students and learners so that the Dharma could bloom. And what are these students required for? So that each and everyone could taste the possibility of their own enlightenment, just as Buddha experienced Himself.

If a socially militaristic, feudalistic system such as that espoused by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche has to be accepted because it is Vajrayana Buddhism, then I wonder how many students would be willing to be its serfs? And can he blame the followers if Buddhism dies because such a system is no longer acceptable in today's society?

Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, I implore you, please come back to the pure roots of Buddhism. There can be no masters if there are no students.

And finally a reflection of teachings from the 21st century:

"NEVER PUSH LOYAL EMPLOYEES TO THE POINT THEY DO NO LONGER CARE" - Steve Jobs
We Need Your Help to Train the
Buddhist AI Chat Bot
NORBU!
(Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding)



For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your name in the payment slip. Thank you.


Dear Friends in the Dharma,

We seek your generous support to help us train NORBU, the word's first Buddhist AI Chat Bot.

Here are some ways you can contribute to this noble cause:

One-time Donation or Loan: A single contribution, regardless of its size, will go a long way in helping us reach our goal and make the Buddhist LLM a beacon of wisdom for all.

How will your donation / loan be used? Download the NORBU White Paper for details.



For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your purpose of payment (loan or donation) in the payment slip. Thank you.

Once payment is banked in, please send the payment slip via email to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv. Your donation/loan will be published and publicly acknowledged on the Buddhist Channel.

Spread the Word: Share this initiative with your friends, family and fellow Dharma enthusiasts. Join "Friends of Norbu" at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norbuchatbot. Together, we can build a stronger community and create a positive impact on a global scale.

Volunteer: If you possess expertise in AI, natural language processing, Dharma knowledge in terms of Buddhist sutras in various languages or related fields, and wish to lend your skills, please contact us. Your knowledge and passion could be invaluable to our project's success.

Your support is part of a collective effort to preserve and disseminate the profound teachings of Buddhism. By contributing to the NORBU, you become a "virtual Bodhisattva" to make Buddhist wisdom more accessible to seekers worldwide.

Thank you for helping to make NORBU a wise and compassionate Buddhist Chatbot!

May you be blessed with inner peace and wisdom,

With deepest gratitude,

Kooi F. Lim
On behalf of The Buddhist Channel Team


Note: To date, we have received the following contributions for NORBU:
US$ 75 from Gary Gach (Loan)
US$ 50 from Chong Sim Keong
MYR 300 from Wilson Tee
MYR 500 from Lim Yan Pok
MYR 50 from Oon Yeoh
MYR 200 from Ooi Poh Tin
MYR 300 from Lai Swee Pin
MYR 100 from Ong Hooi Sian
MYR 1,000 from Fam Sin Nin
MYR 500 from Oh teik Bin
MYR 300 from Yeoh Ai Guat
MYR 300 from Yong Lily
MYR 50 from Bandar Utama Buddhist Society
MYR 1,000 from Chiam Swee Ann
MYR 1,000 from Lye Veei Chiew
MYR 1,000 from Por Yong Tong
MYR 80 from Lee Wai Yee
MYR 500 from Pek Chee Hen
MYR 300 from Hor Tuck Loon
MYR 1,000 from Wise Payments Malaysia Sdn Bhd
MYR 200 from Teo Yen Hua
MYR 500 from Ng Wee Keat
MYR 10,000 from Chang Quai Hung, Jackie (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from K. C. Lim & Agnes (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from Juin & Jooky Tan (Loan)
MYR 100 from Poh Boon Fong (on behalf of SXI Buddhist Students Society)
MYR 10,000 from Fam Shan-Shan (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from John Fam (Loan)
MYR 500 from Phang Cheng Kar
MYR 100 from Lee Suat Yee
MYR 500 from Teo Chwee Hoon (on behalf of Lai Siow Kee)
MYR 200 from Mak Yuen Chau

We express our deep gratitude for the support and generosity.

If you have any enquiries, please write to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv


TOP