Re: trashing teachers
- From: Evelyn <evelyn.ruut@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 2 Aug 2008 05:05:28 -0700 (PDT)
On Aug 1, 7:57 pm, "jerry" <jroli...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
"pema" <mary.finni...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:af58e8f7-5f1b-4d0c-bca6-0e41ca9210c6@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I make very rare appearances on this forum these days but am moved to
write today Fri 1 Aug 2008 because a friend of mine is being
sytematically trashed on a forum called eSangha. The moderators on
this forum appear to edit out any positive conrtibutions about my
friend and accept only vicious criticism. However much people might
hold strong views about the capacity of individual Tibetan Buddhist
teachers to transmit to their students, or the validity of their
lineage, the present hate campaign against my friend Ngakpa Chogyam
(also known as Ngagchang Rinpoche) is out of all proportion and
contrary to everything I have ever learned about Buddhist dharma. In
my view Chogyam is an extremely talented man who has deep, extensive
knowledge of the Nyingma tradition and has done many years of solitary
retreat and ongoing personal practice, His wife Dechen is a former
terminal cancer care nurse and one of the kindest, gentlest people I
have ever met. I was present at Chogyam's house when the late Chimed
Rigdzin Rinpoche conferred Ngakpa status on him and exhorted the
assembled company to respect Chogyam as their teacher. I know that
senior figures within the Nyingma hierarchy accept Chogyam as a
legitimate teacher and lineage holder. They include Thinley Norbu
Rinpoche and Tarchin Rinpoche. I am writing here because I know any
defence of Chogyam posted at eSangha would not be made public. This
situation has become so intense that one of Chogyam's students has set
up a web site in support of his teacher. The link is
http://approachingaro.org
. Deep sighs.
Hi Pema
Long time no read. Good to hear from you. This is what happens, when you
attempt to structure a practice that defys structure. To structure requires
judgement and judgement leads to the problems you describe above. This is
the reason I post to unmoderated forums. Why don't you haggle with us a
while, and we might learn something :o)- Hide quoted text -
- Show quoted text -
Hi Jerry,
This isn't our friend Pema as you remember her (she used to post as
Radio Free Tibet - real name Dana) but another longtime friend whom I
deeply respect and have known for many years.... my personal friend
and dharma pal, Mary F. from UK.
I have heard about the squabbling on esangha, and freely admit I have
avoided it. I have little taste for these kinds of things lately,
but due to Mary's request, I am going to look further and make some
more inquiries about it.
Human beings are not perfect. None are, even the very wisest and
best teachers. They do the best they can with the kind intention and
the altruistic motivation, to help living beings. When one is looking
for perfection in a human being, one is bound to be disappointed, of
course.
Remember, one is supposed to take some personal responsibility for
ones own enlightenment, in part by seeking the guru within. That
means seeing the guru within yourself as well as the guru within the
fallible human being who is teaching you about the dharma.
It makes no sense to demand superhuman perfection of any human being,
or else one will never find a teacher and will die in ignorance. In
any case, if a person is teaching dharma and trying to help others,
compassion and understanding is required, and maybe even a little
forgiveness for human failings.
That said, some rules, however do apply. In the past I have posted
a great deal about this subject, and there are certain really
egregious situations that are to be avoided at all costs. Financial
abuse, sexual abuse, selfishly motivated people, and all of these have
been covered in Berzin's book about how one should relate to the
teacher.
I have posted many times on the subject, and there have been other
excellent posts in the past on the subject as well.
I take Mary's comments here to be indicative of a serious and
unfortunate squabble that must be very unpleasant, in order to have
brought her to the point of making this public post. It is sad that
these kinds of squabbles continue.
I am planning to make some inquiries locally as well about it.
Best Regards,
Evelyn
.
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