Q: Rinpoche, few words on the people tagging His Holiness Dalaï Lama in a wrong way, please?
A: I think my answer regarding the video that everybody is sharing, and those who are criticising, I feel pity for these people who criticise His Holiness Dalaï Lama. Because His Holiness Dalaï Lama worked and dedicate his whole life, not just the Tibetan and Himalayan people, but the people around the world. And his teachings, his method is not, is not something that only the religious people can understand, but also the rest of the world, people can understand. So his contribution towards the humanity is immense.
And how people criticise His Holiness Dalaï Lama, and how disrespectful they were, and some of them still are, it’s very, it’s very sad for these people, that they’re just following a “trend”, and that’s just very upsetting. They just try to, you know, defame and then try to bring down, you know, the very enlightened being.
The whole world can try all their best to bring the enlightenment down, the enlightenment being, you know? The whole world can try, but they will never succeed.
Because, remember, Buddha Shakyamuni, before he became enlightened, the night before, there was many demons, there was many attractions, illusions, but nothing could disturb the Buddha’s mind. So even we try all our best to upset, you know, His Holiness Dalaï Lama, the enlightened one, you know? Nobody will succeed on upsetting him, because he’s beyond the human emotional duality.
But in a relative level, I think the most important is that the world is going, the fashion, or the spiritual, or the, you know, everything is based on the “trend” nowadays. And then that’s something that we need to watch out, in the long run.
But at the same time, our devotion and our commitment and our support to His Holiness Dalaï Lama has to be more determined than ever before. Whether you are from Himalaya region, whether you are from any part of this world, His Holiness Dalaï Lama have modernised Buddhism so that everybody can practise in this 21st century. Without the, His Holiness Dalaï Lama’s Dharma activity, most of the teachings would be very, very conservative and very much square minded.
But His Holiness’ method, approach, teachings is based on the scientific finding, not a blind faith. Including the people around him, they are not a blind faith, they are based on the logic, and the reason, and that is the principle of His Holiness Dalaï Lama. You know? So that should be the principle, all of us as a practitioner, as a follower, as a student. So we have to be determined, and dedicated, and fully support to His Holiness Dalaï Lama. Not just this time, but throughout the time. I think that is very important.
And my devotion and my support to him is always there. Nothing can change that. Nothing can shake that.
The problem is that, nowadays, you see, everything is a “trend”. Clothes is a trend, internet way of doing things is a trend. Everything is “trend”. Business is a trend, criticism on somebody is a trend. It’s not necessarily a logic or reason anymore, nowadays.
So, so I’m not asking you to be a blind faith. His Holiness Dalaï Lama, the Great Fourteenth, he’s never asking anybody to have a blind faith to him. He always tells us to be a reason and logic. And His Holiness Dalaï Lama have dedicated his whole life, you know, to bring the teachings of the Buddha in this modern world, and without His Holiness Dalaï Lama, all the teachings would be very much conservative and very much square minded. But he modernised everything, not by force, but rather by, through his wisdom.
And of course blaming somebody without analysing the fact nor logic, is very easy, isn’t it? Anybody can do that. It makes this, you know, pathetic people, it makes them feel better. But it doesn’t give them any sort of spiritual growth anyway, when they have this kind of a harsh judgement.
You have to make a prayer for the longevity, you know, for His Holiness Dalaï Lama, and the Dharma activity, and the wellbeing of this world, and also our spiritual path, and that is very important.
You see, you know, all this, few individual who, you know, you are trying to incite some of a, you’re trying to get some sort of a, a disappointing answer from me, but you can ask me so many times, so many questions, I would never answer something disrespectful to His Holiness Dalaï Lama under any circumstance. It’s very simple. My loyalty, and my devotion, is there. And not just myself, millions of people around the world, not just Mahayana Buddhism, not just Vajrayana Buddhism, not just Theravada Buddhism, all the Buddhist branches, they all respect His Holiness Dalaï Lama. Old and young, both, you know?
So even you try, some of you on Instagram, also, you know? Like there were some people who were asking some very strange question, just so that they can use my answer, to portray in a wrong way. And there will be never a wrong answer from my side. I myself, you know, I myself, I, I seen a lot in this world, it was an intense journey, I’ve seen a lot, witnessed a lot, I know what is wrong, I know what is right. I can sense it. I’m a human being.
And His Holiness Dalaï Lama never oppose, and never force people to have a blind faith towards him. He tells people to criticise religious figures. He doesn’t tell them to have a “blind faith”, he doesn’t tell them to have a “pure devotion”, “never have any negative doubt”. He always remind people to observe the spiritual figures, but keep your heart open. So that has been always the principle, His Holiness Dalaï Lama.
So people may try their best, some people may try their best to portray His Holiness Dalaï Lama in such a way, but they will never succeed. Very simple.
And all of you, have to continue, you know, all our online participant, you know, all of you have to spread positive response. Show that we are the follower of His Holiness Dalaï Lama. We do not need to apologise. We do not need to apologise. What we need to do, is we need to spread more positivity, when these people are so ignorant and so pathetic in this very moment. We don’t have to be extremely compassionate, but we have to spread the positivity.
We have to show that we are the loyal, honest and sincere Buddhist follower, and the follower of His Holiness Dalaï Lama. Now is the time to show our quality, in our words, and also in our action. That is very important.
When you are tested, then you will reveal whether you are practitioner or not. When you are not tested, everybody can pretend to be a practitioner. So, so that’s that.
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I’m sending all of you, many Tashi Delek.
And please offer our unconditional support to His Holiness Dalaï Lama. Not just this time, but throughout the time. And make a prayer for his longevity, and the harmony in this world, and all the people who have criticised our, His Holiness Dalaï Lama, show them that you are his follower, not by being self-righteous, but rather show your inner quality, to inspire, encourage, and change their heart, change their opinion.
It’s far better than you being “right”. You being right, and being self-righteous doesn’t always help. Right now in this very moment, all the people who criticise His Holiness Dalaï Lama, they have accumulated some form of negativity in their life, what we can do is not by approaching them, the way they approached His Holiness Dalaï Lama, don’t be self-righteous but be sincere, be genuine, show that you are Buddhist practitioner, show the quality, show the sincerity, show the logic, and the reason, and your wisdom, as you are the follower of Kundun.
So please do that, that is my request, and please spread the positivity as much as you can. That is far more important, and longevity for our Kundun.
Thank you everybody, have a wonderful day and a wonderful evening and many Tashi Delek.
Kalu Rinpoche
FB Livestream – 11 April 2023 (16′ & 40′ 15”)
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