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His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Answers to Questions Regarding ...
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Short Description: His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Answers to Questions. Regarding Reliance upon the Lama at the Tibetan .... Vikki Urubshurow: “In the biography of the famous ...
Content Inside: His Holiness the Dalai Lama's Answers to Questions Regarding Reliance upon the Lama at the Tibetan Buddhist Learning Center Washington, New Jersey · September, 1990 Joshua Cutler's Question: Americans in general are very For example, Buddha taught the selflessness of wary of relying on one person and giving that person a lot phenomena in the Perfection of Wisdom SÒtras, his definitive of power and control. This is difficult for American people. or principal teaching. The commentaries on his thought in But on the other hand, I know that, when the teaching was these sÒtras differ in their explanation of emptiness. There- coming from India to Tibet, Atisha was asked by Drom-ton- fore, in order to unravel the various intricacies in the mean- pa, "How is it that we Tibetans have such a good knowl- ing of these sÒtras, it is very helpful to hear the explanation edge of the teachings yet no one has produced any of the of a qualified lama. Especially in the case of tantra, where realizations of the grounds and the paths?" Atisha replied there is special emphasis on using one's afflictive emotions that it was because Tibetans were still viewing the teacher in the path, seeking proper guidance from someone who as an ordinary person. It's very clear to me that this teach- has actual and exact experience in this path is indispens- ing of faith in the spiritual teacher is the very foundation able. Otherwise it is difficult for religious practice to be of the teaching being able to grow in this country, but there helpful. Rather, it will be only dangerous. is a problem because many spiritual teachers have abused In the Great Vehicle literature, such as the Perfec- their students and so people are very suspicious of teach- tion of Wisdom SÒtras, there are two levels of meaning--the ers. Could Your Holiness please give us guidance on this explicit teaching and the hidden meaning--whereas in practice of relying upon the spiritual teacher. the HearerVehicle sÒtras there is no such presentation of two levels of meaning. Therefore Maitreya called his Clear His Holiness the Dalai Lama: Atisha explicitly mentions Ornament of Realization (Abhisamay>lak>ra) (which is a that all the Great Vehicle realizations, be they great or small, commentary on the Perfection of Wisdom SÒtra) a "treatise depend on proper reliance upon a spiritual teacher. He then of quintessential instructions", indicating that it contained says that as the Tibetans view their lamas as only ordinary instructions that would give us the keys to unlock the hid- persons, they are not attaining realizations. His advice ap- den meaning within the sÒtra. For this reason, in order to plies to Great Vehicle realizations. practice the Great Vehicle it is very important to rely on the But in giving a general explanation of Buddha's spiritual teacher. doctrine, we have to include both the Great and Hearer Ve- However, in the Hearer Vehicle as well, we do find hicles. Therefore, take for example the solitary realizers. In sÒtras, such as the SÒtra on Moral Discipline (vinayasÒtra), in Maitreya's Abhisamay>lak>ra, which is the root text of lam which there are instructions to rely first on the lama who rim lineage, he specifically mentions that solitary realizers teaches moral discipline, and then on other lamas, who achieve their liberation without relying on verbal guidance principally will show the path to liberation. Thus, doesn't from another person. They attain their realizations mainly this indicate that the lama is very important? through their own introspective reflections. So we must Since reliance on a lama is a very important factor make a distinction between general realizations and Great in spiritual practice, there are detailed presentations of the Vehicle realizations. qualifications that are necessary for such teachers in both Therefore, it is in the practice of the Great Vehicle the Great Vehicle and Hearer Vehicle scriptures. The import path, particularly in the practice of Great Vehicle's tantric of doing this is to emphasize the point that the spiritual path, that reliance on spiritual guidance becomes indis- teacher should be someone who will not mislead the pensable. Why is this so? In my estimation, a general students. Particularly, in tantric practice it is explained that understanding of the framework of the Buddhist path the lama and disciple should examine each other for up to that is common to both the Great and Hearer Vehicles is twelve years before adopting a teacher-disciple relation- something that we can develop quite clearly on our own by ship. reading, introspective reflections, and so on. When practic- Along with the description of the qualifications of ing and developing the realizations of the Great Vehicle the lama that is found in the literature on moral discipline, path, however, we cannot always take the Great Vehicle the question is raised of how to look for such qualities in a sÒtras literally. There are various levels of meaning--the person who is a candidate for one's spiritual teacher. In one literal, the interpretable, and the final meaning. There are of the moral discipline commentaries called The Commen- also many differences when we consider the traditions of tary of Tso-na-wa, a reference to examining the lama can be the different monasteries.
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