"World-Honored One! From now on until I reach Buddhahood, I will practice the four methods of embracement not for my own benefit, but for the sake of all sentient beings. I will embrace sentient beings and lead the way with an undefiled mind, a mind free from discouragement and satisfaction, and a mind without obstruction." Śrīmālādevī Siṃhanāda Sūtra
世尊！我從今日乃至菩提，不自為己行四攝法，為一切眾生故，以不愛染心、無厭足心、無罣礙心，攝受眾生。《勝鬘師子吼一乘大方便方廣經》
(CBETA, T12, no. 353, p. 217, c4)
In other words, in order to quickly attain the First Ground, one will need to practice the four methods of embracement; however, these four methods should not be implemented for one’s own benefit, but for the sake of all sentient beings. One will need to embrace sentient beings and lead the way with three kinds of mind; the aim of these four methods – giving, uttering kind words, performing good deeds, cooperating with and assisting others – is to guide and help sentient beings, not to benefit oneself. A Discourse on the Srimaladevi Simhanada Sutra, Vol. 1, p.143
《勝鬘經講記》第一輯，143頁
The latest publication by the True Wisdom Publishing Center. (Only available in the Chinese version) A Discourse on the Lotus Sutra, Vol. 1
法華經講義 – 第一輯
ISBN 978-986-5655-30-3
May 31, 2015
“O’ Sariputa! You should now know that virtually I made a vow to make all sentient beings my equal, without any difference.” The Lotus Sutra
「舍利弗當知，我本立誓願，欲令一切眾，如我等無異。」
《妙法蓮華經》卷1〈2 方便品〉 (CBETA, T09, no. 262, p. 8, b6)
These verses are saying that Buddha Shakyamuni appeared in the human world because he wished to unfold and demonstrate his knowledge, such that sentient beings can personally realize His insights and uncover their own Mani Jewel. The Buddha’s fundamental vow is to enable all sentient beings to be his identical, without any difference, meaning that He wanted to help all sentient beings to attain the ultimate Buddhahood.
Good to find out this forum of Buddhism’s topics. It’s benefit for me a new comer to learn and can share these true meanings of Buddhist doctrine to my foreigner friends who are interested in Buddhist doctrine as well.
I like “Buddhism’s” interactive way and show us a respectful, rational and genuine attitude while sharing his standpoint. Because of Buddhism’s explanation patiently and always attach us the evidence, I can easily understand the remarks and know why and how.
As my experience, there are so many Buddhists explain the same words of Buddha dharma but in totally different point of view, that’s so confused to me. So I also agree with Bodhisattva Xuanzang’s statement in the past of “It is difficult for the correct dharma to manifest if the erroneous ones are not destroyed.”
Thanks a lot! I’m deeply appreciative of your sharing. Keeps it going “Buddhism”!
The goal is for the teacher to be the student, because the student has actually managed to gain all their realizations / good qualities.
Similarly, that Nagarjuna’s teachers and students studied tantra more than standard mahayana should indicate something.
"Buddhism"s way of explaining things is the poorest way, s/he simply quotes sutra. This is like a Christian on the street quoting the bible. No scholar or good teacher does this, since it’s completely useless. What a scholar or good teacher does is quote authoritative commentaries which leave no room for interpretation and very explicitly explain the meaning of things.
[quote=“triceratopses”]
"Buddhism"s way of explaining things is the poorest way, s/he simply quotes sutra. This is like a Christian on the street quoting the bible. No scholar or good teacher does this, since it’s completely useless. What a scholar or good teacher does is quote authoritative commentaries which leave no room for interpretation and very explicitly explain the meaning of things.[/quote]
Sorry, I can’t help but to point out that you are wrong in big one… for your own good, you really should practice “think before saying” … Now, how possibly to be “completely useless” for us Buddhists to study and learn, quote and follow, Buddha Shakyamuni teaching which stated in all of His authentic sutras??
Instead to your so call “authoritative commentaries which leave no room for interpretation and …. etc., etc.,”?? While in nowadays, more and more people in fact, are getting to know that your so call precious Tantrism sexual method practice really has nothing to do with Buddha’s teaching. But TibetanTantrism like and depend on so much of using it’s “authoritative” control way upon it’s followers that is for sure; now that your way and statement has again reminds me of these all: let’s in here take a quick review as in live example, shall we?!
*** A true tell of an ex Tibetan Buddhist who had stayed thirty years in TB.
EXTIBETANBUDDHIST.COM/2014/1 … -BUDDHISM/
INSTITUTIONALIZED SEXUAL ABUSE IN TIBETAN ‘BUDDHISM’
NOVEMBER 18, 2014
*** check this out: “Tibet, the Dalai Lama, feudalism, slavery, and the Great Game”
Only a person with a narrow mind can become fixated on one or two people when there are 1000s of contrary examples. Grow up.
I just explained it. I’ll explain it again. It is the same as random christians on the street with their stupid opinions of what is the true intent of god and jesus. The opinion changes from person to person, they are all like buffoons, yet they all use scripture to back up their position.
Well, this is not how scholars and authoritative instructors function. How these persons function is by having an intimate knowledge of existing lineages, meaning the current generation of realized teachers linking back from generation to generation to the time of the buddha. Trijang Rinpoche provides commentary on Kedrup Je, Kedrup Je provides commentary Tsongkhapa. Tsongkhapa provides commentary on Chandrakirti and Buddhapalita, who provide commentary Nagarjuna and Aryadeva, and so on. Often there are 10+ generations of commentaries upon commentaries that link to the buddha.
Until you connect to the lineage in that way you are just an onlooker on the street speaking nonsense from a book which just happens to have been spoken by the buddha. You might as well be quoting a children’s book.
To cut your Tantrism lineage story short, you can actually link its lineage all the way back to Hindu Shaktism. In the Brahman culture of ancient India, sex and religion were tightly connected.
If one studies into the doctrinal connotation and ritual manifestation, it is even more evident that Tibetan “Buddhism” essentially derives from Shaktism.
Buddha Shakyamuni did not come to this world to teach sentient beings sexual practicing religion, such as Shaktism or Tantrism, why should He? Sexual religion was there long before His time.
He came to this world to teach Buddhism; and the fundamental principle of Buddhism starting with the taking of the First Five vows / the Five Precepts : Do not kill, Do not steal, No sexual misconduct, No lying, No drinking liqueur. From here on, the higher levels the practitioners go, the more and stricter precepts would become.
I can easily see that you wouldn’t take these precepts seriously, not to mention any Shaktism / Tantrism would, either. As long as you are not a Buddhist, you don’t have to take these vows.
Only a very stupid person actually thinks that tantrikas do not keep their refuge vows, their monks and nuns vows if they have them, their bodhisattva vows, in addition to their tantric vows (which includes viewing all things as pure based on a realization of emptiness).
The “sex” as you call it is one minor part within vajrayana (tantra), which is itself only studied after a rigourous 20 year monastic education where the monks and nuns study the texts and commentaries of Dharmakirti, Asanga, etc. Does your lineage even teach buddhist logic and debate? If not you and your lineage are very inept, and greatly disadvantaged.
That the lineage links back to Hinduism is simply contradicted by whats known by scholars and historians. Both lineages share realized practitioners which they claim as their own, but they never ever share the same practices or meanings. For example “Hindus” do not accept emptiness whereas Vajrayana does. Nevertheless the early indians were the original great meditators on the planet, of course they will see some buddhist practitioners as their own. They even say lord buddha is an emanation of their Vishnu! This does not mean they are actually the same linegae, we would say they have it wrong since buddha taught freedom from suffering by realizing emptiness whereas “hindu practitioners” accept a findable eternal unchanging self which explicitly contradicts emptiness.
Please excused me but let me do this first : HA HA HA HA …
Sorry, but whole day long I couldn’t help but the urge of bursting into laugh, whenever I think of your posts, and I say to myself: my my my, these Tibetan tantrism / Lamaism, they never get tired fooling …
It goes to show your tibetan tantrism teachers and their lineage in all, do not understand Emptiness nor Diamond Sutra or Heart Sutra or etc., etc., authentic Buddhism sutras.
For the true Buddhism practitioners would know that “ emptiness is neither pure nor not pure … ”
Then again, how possibly you and your tantrism lineage masters could ever understand Buddha’s teaching?? After all, it is only the matter of time for the world to know that Tantrism is not Buddhism. Counterfeiting Buddhism could never become Buddhism.
From Tsongkhapa Extended Treatise on the Progression of the Esoteric Path, translated into Chinese by dharma-master Fazun, Wondrous Favor Publishing Co., 1986, p.384)
Furthermore, for a male, like Dalai Lama mentioned in his book “Sleeping, Dreaming and Dying” page 171-172, insert straw into the genitals to practice drawing back the fluid ( first using water, then milk) in case they ejaculated which is breaking their vow.
As to female, why should Tsongkhapa prefer 12-16 years old, most wise, virtuous, with slender eyes, having a wondrous dignified face, young girls to join the ritual? Why female over 20 only can be used in other seals? What should women do who are over 20, not that appreciated by Gulu and no money for cosmetic surgery, no money even for a makeup products and pretty clothes.
Those Lamaism not only misunderstand the true meaning of Buddha Dharma, but also lead followers into strange, even masochist-like behaviors/lifestyle.
Please kindly think why are you devoted your precious time into Buddha Dharma. I assumed is to be enlightened or attained Buddhahood (if not, then please let me know) and what good of those two?
It’s amazing how deluded you are.
What are definitions of ‘shapeless’ and ‘formless’? Do you even know the tibetan terms being translated?
You are completely clueless about basic history. You should learn about what happened to the chinese Huashang when buddhism first came to tibet. The view of emptiness and/or meditation that you are ascribing to tibetan buddhism was precisely the type that was ridiculed and banned in tibet after Huashang was defeated in debate in front of the king.
You don’t even know what constitutes monk’s breaking their vows. Simple ejaculation does not break any vows.
Also “Lamaism” hasn’t been used in intelligent conversation for many decades. Buddhist scholars would laugh in your face.
[quote=“triceratopses”]
Also “Lamaism” hasn’t been used in intelligent conversation for many decades. Buddhist scholars would laugh in your face. You are the equivalent of an American redneck.[/quote]
Not only you accustomed and enjoy so much to use authoritative abuse to others, its clear understandable where this mentality coming from; its from Tibetan authoritative masters / Lamas / the old time slave masters.
Why are you jumping like a hot ant? Losing your peace and conscience? Because of suffering with bad karma by lying and fooling too much.
All those bad seeds you planted into your 7th sense, and 8th sense / emptiness / Tathagatagarbha … Self-inflicted karma is a serious issue. And emptiness is neither empty nor pure; one of its countless functions/dharmas is called Karma.
Luckily Buddha Shakyamuni had taught sentient beings how to repent to correct karma seeds. But you gotta learnt from Buddhism teaching not from Tantrism sexual practice religion.
[quote=“triceratopses”]…
Also “Lamaism” hasn’t been used in intelligent conversation for many decades. Buddhist scholars would laugh in your face.[/quote]
How entertaining!
You can be one of the top jesters among Lamaistic followers!
So so, you’ve directly admitted the fact that originally H.H. Dalai Lama’s religion is called Lamaism as well.
I have proof of this historical fact.
In H.H.’s publication: My Land and My People
“. … Books written or translated in the past have certainly done a great service to Buddhism, but some of them are rather rough translations…
“For this reason, I can not think it correct to regard Tibetan Buddhism as separate from the original Buddhism preached in India, or [color=#0000FF]to call it Lamaism[/color], as some people have.” (By H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama, 1962, p.200)
As a result, the Dalai Lama has successfully changed its name,[color=#0000FF]The Buddhism of Tibet or Lamaism[/color] into Tibetan Buddhism for decades, as you’ve pointed out.
And, consequently, “Lamaism” hasn’t been used in intelligent conversation for many decades.
Well, whether it’s used in intelligent conversation or not, the essence of this Lamaism remains virtually the same, right?
It’s good that you have raised this nearly forgotten subject.
Doubtless, you would just brush aside my posts and change the topic to an utterly irrelevant issue; still, I will offer you more academic papers to prove the fact that since the late 60’s, the Dalai Lama has successfully discarded the name “Lamaism” and branded it “Buddhism” to become the worldly recognized Tibetan “Buddhism”!
In 1822, Hegel’s lectures series defined Asian religions: Hinduism, [color=#0000FF]Buddhism[/color], [color=#0000FF]and Lamaism[/color];
((The Lecture on the Philosophy of World History, in 1822, Hegel defined Asian religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, and Lamaism; the Near East (Persian, Egyptian, and Jewish religions), and the West (Greek and Roman religions) -The Hegel Lectures Series，Series Editor: Peter C. Hodgson)
Basically, Buddhism and Lamaism are two different religions, in which the doctrinal teachings are fundamentally distinct.
Now comes the crucial question, why should the Dalai Lama so eagerly want to get rid of the original name “Lamaism,” even he himself is famed for the term “Lama”?
It is because of the fact that lamaistic gurus have incorporated lamaistic teachings, which appear to be correct but have nothing to do with the Buddha Dharma, into their tantras since Padmasambhava’s (蓮花生) time.
They have plagiarized bits and pieces of the Buddha Dharma, and although their Buddhist terminologies sometimes appear to be correct, the significance of these teachings has deviated from their original meanings by far. Lamaism needs to be recognized as Buddhism to solidify its stance globally.
Unless those who have spent ages delving into countless sutras and old scriptures, it is hardly possible for the general public to know the true meanings of the Dharma, or to tell the difference between Buddhism and Lamaism.
My Buddhist foundation is dedicated to promoting the inner insight philosophy of Tathagatagarbha and the accurate essence of Buddhism.
The Foundation comprises many academic experts,who have thoroughly studied the doctrines of Buddhism and Tibetan Lamaism and have uncovered concrete evidence that cannot be refuted by the followers of Lamaism.
In other words, we thoroughly understand the fundamental doctrines of Lamaism.
And I know “triceratopses” has no knowledge of the Dharma, apart from earnest posting and boasting!
Though I thank you for your replies and participating.
The Dalai Lama can’t change anything. Scholars writing in english have changed it. Nevertheless he gave good reasons why it cannot be called lamaism and why it can’t be viewed as something different to indian buddhism. And so unlike modern scholars on the topic in ivy league universities in the us and uk, you are alone in your view of tibetan buddhism.
You should read some chandrakirti and tsongkhapa, they like to dismantle mind-only school
