"As all individuals have their own perception it is not right to harbor wrong views and speak maligning words. One should maintain pure vision, rejoice, and give praise – thus making a good connection. To slander other people or their deities is the basis for misfortune."
--Chatral Sangye Dorje Rinpoche,
The Melodious Tambura of Joy
8 reader comments:
Does that include the members of the major monotheistic religions who condemn Buddhism, especially Tantric Buddhism, as the devil's work that leads many souls to hell ? Or are they excluded form this aspect of the law of karma ?
You did not respect the beliefs of Christians/Catholics in your March 26, 2010 post, "It Isn't About Hail Mary", by putting "monotheistic eternalism" and related beliefs in a negative light. Now you quote Chatral Sangye Dorje Rinpoche about respecting other people's beliefs and deities. Please make up your mind and stop contradicting yourself.
OF COURSE it includes them. What good is slander going to do? It will only push people away from the Dharma, and cause them suffering.
Who cares if we are condemned? Sure, don't support their aversion and wrong views, but slandering them is simply throwing the same stone that they cast at us. They're simply offering you the chance to explore the transformation of anger into mirror-like wisdom.
Compassion.
Jampa, this post contradicts the earlier post "It Isn't About Hail Mary" (March 26, 2010). In that earlier post, "monotheistic eternalism" and its version of "confession" are treated negatively. That's as bad as slandering another person's religion and its deity/deities. Slandering does not have to be harsh. Slander is slander, even if diplomatic language is used. Read it and see for yourself at : http://tibetanaltar.blogspot.com/2010/03/it-isnt-about-hail-mary.html
Interesting point. While I'm not Tenpa, and can't speak on behalf of him, here's my take:
The point of "It Isn't About Hail Mary" was not to condemn Christians who use confession as a method of purification. There were incidents where, perhaps, the most skillful speech was not used, but we are not perfect...hence the reason for the article in the first place. However, I don't think his intention was to 'slander' Christians. Instead, he was targeting the infiltration of monotheistic thought into the Vajrayana, and the 'adulteration' of the Vajrayana as a result. He was really just pointing out a very important truth within the idea of Purification...speaking directly to Buddhists, not Christians, and offering a reminder about the essence of purification.
A definition of slander is, "words falsely spoken that damage the reputation of another." I don't believe the aforementioned article is really doing that, do you? He's not saying that Christian confession is "bad" or "wrong." What he's saying is that it's not Buddhist.
But again, I am not Tenpa, and the opinions expressed in the "Hail Mary" article don't necessarily represent the opinions of all Vajrayana practitioners.
This blog's sub-title subsumes the concept of Buddhist polemics.
Jampa, here are obvious examples of the slander against Christian/Catholic teachings from the post "It Isn't About Hail Mary" (March 26, 2010) on this blog : (1) the claim that Christianity/Catholicism’s teachings on its deity or its deity itself caused problems or “mischief” : “Our red-robed sojourners have been spared monotheistic eternalism's mischief, and in consequence feel entitled to tsk tsk any notion monotheistic eternalism and Buddhism are at odds.”; (2) mocking Catholicism’s Sacrament of Penance : “You don't hop in a phone booth with a lama, whisper through a screen that you cheated on your spouse, get ordered to say Hail Vajrasattva twenty-five times, and sin no more, go out smiling in the sunshine, then turn around and cheat all over again. That smiling in the sunshine part is what Rongzompa called, "the self-promoting confines of artificial conduct." You can not cure one beclouded perception with another beclouded perception.” (3 ) mocking the Blessed Virgin Mary (of Catholicism and Orthodoxy) by giving her a ridiculous title that does not exist : “That might not be confession and purification the way you learned it down at Our Lady of the Bleeding Sores, but it will certainly hold you over until confession and purification come riding along.”
Sigh.
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