Syncretic Buddhism
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Nice posts. Imo this means 一门深入 should be complemented and balanced with 广å¦å¤šé—»ã€‚ As long as you have a very clear direction in your practice, anything (from the right sources) can complement your practice and understanding. http://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=9546&start=20 Caz wrote: I appreciate they may reinforce one and other but how is it necessary to study Lamdre in order to improve your understand of Guhyasamaja or Dzogchen, Surely if one accomplishes the results of one perfect clarity and understand will come naturally regarding the rest ? Malcolm wrote: Such accomplishment is rare. Studying all teachings impartially improves our chances for realization because it improves our prajñÄ�. Further, we never know what circumstances we will be born in. If we are familiar with all teachings, and make a connection with all teachings, then we have more opportunity and it will be easier to study and practice in the future. For example, even if we want to be a Kagyu in life after life there is no guarantee. M .... Re: A directive for a non-sectarian approach to practice (HHDL) by JKhedrup » Sun Aug 05, 2012 7:09 am I think it is no coincidence that the greatest and most impressive lamas of history studied broadly in different traditions. Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye, the Dalai Lamas, The Karmapas, Gampopa, Lama Tzongkhapa - these great masters looked at a broad corpus of literature. Now surely they did have to make some decisions in terms of their daily practices, where their focus would lie. But they did so after having a broader knowledge of the various sectarian philosophies. Here at Sera the monks who only study the yig-cha, monastic manuals of their college, who do not devote much time to the Indian treatises and who never look into the opinions of lamas from the other monasteries, are considered to be doing the "bare minimum'. HH Dalai Lama on a recent visit exhorted the monks to focus on the Nalanda texts themselves, as a Lama's commentary was only one interpretation. Similarly, he said they should investigate themselves what Lama Tzonkhapa said, not what one of the commentators said he said. And then, to look into the forerunners of Tzongkhapa, like Sakya Pandita. I think the same standard applies in modern education,really. If I am studying at a university and only use the school's texts books, or quote from a few sources, without investigating the other opinions, citing them and integrating them, my essays and presentations would be considered below par. Let's take Atisha as an example. He held the Madhyamika Prasangika view. His teacher Serlingpa (Suvarnadvipi), did not. Now, if he had the outlook "I will only go to the teachers upholding the view of my (Middle Way) tradition", he would have missed out. Because although he considered Serlingpa to hold a so-called "lower view" of emptiness, he said he was the kindest teacher because it was through his instructions that he was actually able to give rise to bodhicitta. For myself, the teachings I have received from the Theravada and Kagyu traditions have contributed greatly to my ability to understand, study and translate Gelugpa teachings. It also means that when people from other traditions mention particular views or masters, I don't draw an embarassing blank, as I used to. The institutional loyalty on which some masters insist for me is a little bit suspect. Because in a university if a professor said "You should only read books by so and so"... he would be censured. A true master is not threatened by their students learning with others. Fortunately my teachers have always given me that freedom. Focus is one thing, bias is another. If Lama Tzongkhapa had not studied with a broad variety of masters, would he have been able to produce the vast corpus of literature that he did? If Gampopa had not studied with the Kadampa teachers as well as Milarepa, would he have produced his magnum opus "Jewel Ornament of Liberation". Would Jamyang Kongtrul Lodro Thaye have been able to revive a true and integrative practice tradition that was failing? History tells us again and again that far from diluting Buddhism, syncretism actually vitalizes it, reinvigorates it.
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Nice posts. Imo this means 一门深入 should be complemented and balanced with 广å¦å¤šé—»ã€‚
Traditional zen master, only 一门深入 to achieve equilibrium of 广å¦å¤šé—» seedings eruption of mind. So, only koan. But for present world, seemed that it has to complement with 广å¦å¤šé—» on dharma lectures to understand 深入.
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Focus is one thing, bias is another.
yes, in the end we all still need to Studying All paths as stated in bodhisattvas' 4 universal vow 四弘愿, but best done After (some) purification of afflictions by mean of focusing. when one's mind got a lot of rubbish things or 烦�, how to study so many things. 一门深入 is just a form of focusing practice.
四弘愿
一.æ— è¾¹ä¼—ç”Ÿèª“æ„¿åº¦äºŒ.烦æ�¼æ— 尽誓愿æ–三.æ³•é—¨æ— é‡�誓愿å¦å››.ä½›é�“æ— ä¸Šèª“æ„¿æˆ�
1) I vow to liberate all ordinary-beings - Represent compassion (bodhicitta) motivation/driving force.
2) I vow to eliminate all defilements from my mind. - Represent Practice purify our afflictions - greed, hatred, ego, doubts.
3) I vow to embrace every teaching of my self-nature. - Represent Studying All paths.
4) I vow to achieve the way of enlightenment from my self-nature. -Represent realisations and understanding of all paths.
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四弘愿
Awesome! Always chanting of this 4 universal vow will also develop blessing & merit.
Syncretism of Buddha is無有定法�阿耨多羅三�三��，亦無有定法，如來�說。但是極樂世界是絕��說之阿耨多羅三�三��亦是圓滿四弘愿的�實。
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Shantideva Bodhisattvacaryavatara -
There is nothing that the offspring of the Victorious Ones (Bodhisattvas)
Do not learn,
There is nothing that does not produce merits
For the wise who act in accord with this principle.
Commentary by Chogyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche:The meaning of these verses is that by studying without limits according to one's capacities the various fields of knowledge necessary in the specific conditions of time and place, acquiring thereby those qualities which enable one to benefit the teachings and beings whether in a direct, or indirect way, whatever is learned can become useful for producing merit. This corresponds in full with the descriptions of behaviour according to the teachings of the Secret Instruction Section of Dzogchen, which explain that in order for true knowledge to arise in oneself, with an attitude similar to that of a bee one should taste the flavours of all the various teachings without limits.