Karma and Criticism

[icarus]

According to Gyaltrul Rinpoche's teachings on Vajrasattva in 1986, if someone criticizes your faults publicly and you manage to not get angry, then the karma of that fault will be purified. Even if what's said is completely unfair and untrue, it would probably still be purifying some old past karma. (I don't think you have to be passive, but often responding won't help.)

If everything that's said about your faults is true, then you have to be careful to have as much compassion and gentleness for yourself as you would have for your closest friend or your cat. We're all human, and we all have faults, and it takes time and effort to work through them. The difference is that angry people say you "are" this way as if it (or anything) is a permanent state. The truth is, as a friend of mine told me last Friday, nothing is permanent. When you were 12, were you anything like how you are today? She said she had no concept of what she would be like in ten years.

This is why hatred, greed, ignorance, etc., are called "maras" or "demons." When you watch it even looks like a demonic swirl.

According to Rinpoche, a crowd of "enemies" can be more beneficial than gentle friends, because it can force you to go back to something like Buddhism to deal with your responses. H.H. Dalai Lama calls communist China his greatest teacher. For my part, I've been very lazy about Dharma for a long time. But it's not beneficial to them so I'm sorry about that. Other than practice, I'm not sure what one can do, other than to not prod it.

Oh. There is a practice one can do even if you're busy. What you do is breathe in (through your nose, slowly) all their negativity and anger into yourself. And don't leave anyone out, include Bush, Iraq, everyone. Visualize it pulling away from them and all of the suffering and misery they're creating is brought into yourself. Consider they are completely freed from it and any suffering.They're happy and content, freed of all negativity and causes for future negativity.

Then, slowly (through your nose again), you breath out all your good karma, good fortune, happiness, even the good created by doing the practice, and so they're lives are filled with good conditions, and they're completely happy and content.

It's connected to compassion (wishing others to be free of suffering) and kindness (wishing others to be happy). It's also connected to equanimity because most of the time, okay, at least most of my problems in life are caused when I want myself to be happy and I don't care much about the happiness of others. Other people are probably more compassionate than me.

Ponlop Rinpoche taught in 2001 that if you mean well, most of your karma comes from your intention.

What I don't know is if you piss someone off, and they go on to be very angry, how is that interconnected? We can't control the actions of others, so we can't blame ourselves if they're angry, even if the response might have been predictable. Shantideva says don't participate, just do your best not to upset their apple carts and work on your own mind. So that's practical. He lived in a monastery where the monks were always angry with him for one reason or another.

Vajrayana is about interconnectedness, to be really vague and use a word that my teachers don't use so it's probably inaccurate. There are ways to consider even the worst of all these angry people the face of the Buddha (sorry, thinking out loud here). Even on an ordinary level, they're benefitting me by causing me to think about these things. At the core of even the most negative emotion is buddhanature because that's the essence of everything. I'm the one that differentiates between "this is a friend" and "this is an enemy" based on my desire to be comfortable, liked, praised. So if they've made me think about these things, as your email has made me think this through, then you're both pretty good friends.

At the same time, they're creating negative karma. I'm not sure of that point of responsibility. Hmm. Can you make someone else create bad karma?

I think it doesn't matter. I should be concerned about them whether I'm responsible or not, doing practice to benefit them regardless, and the habit of assigning blame is probably a bad one on my part. Because I'll either say it's all my fault, or I'll defend myself and say "it's not my fault!" Yeah, it was something my mom said, and something in Shantideva, and also what Gyaltrul Rinpoche said too: blame and praise are two halves of the same thing, something to neither avoid nor seek. Assigning blame is also pointless when you should just do your best and practice compassion.

I think that's right.

On the other hand, in the description of the karma of killing, if you're George Bush and order someone to, say, assassinate Chavez, both the assassin and George Bush get the karma of killing (and I think the greater portion is on Bush). But that's a direct link, a direct line of command. If Bush said randomly to the room "I think someone should assassinate Chavez" it wouldn't be the same, because he didn't intend (we hope) for the assassin to take him seriously.

We're back to intention again. If he deliberately manipulated the assassin into taking action, then he'd be just as responsible.

It's all about motivation.

Maybe a truly compassionate person wouldn't care about blame because they would be more concerned about the suffering people experience and less concerned about legalizing. What if it isn't your fault? Should you act any differently or not care? "Not my fault, so it's your problem"? So that comes to the same point. Karma isn't simple, but maybe what you need to do in response to it can be quite simple.

Comments

[starrylizard.livejournal.com]

This is far more confusing than your usual buddhism tag. *tilts head* Sounds more personal too.

I know the Dalai Lama has talked about enemies being good for you. They are the only people that can teach you to deal with feelings of anger, doubt etc. and teach you patience through your dealings with them, and thus enemies are actually your friends and teachers. I keep that in mind, but it makes my head spin somewhat.

I find the idea of actually deliberately taking in other people's negativity rather scary though... Sounds a little self-destructive.

Food for thought...(when I figure out what most of it says)
Starrylizard

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm not carefully explaining one Buddhist concept but rather pulling from a variety of sources to apply them to work things out for myself. I was writing an email to a friend and this came out of it.

The first part is about the value of the practice of patience. That's from Gyaltrul Rinpoche, and he referenced Shantideva's Bodhisattva's Guide.

The next part about gentle with yourself is from the Lama at Nalandabodi. He taught that the first person you have to have compassion for is yourself. If you're hard on yourself, how can you expect to be gentle with others?

The part about maras is from sutras on the life of the Buddha.

The part on the value of enemies, yes, you know that.

I find the idea of actually deliberately taking in other people's negativity rather scary though... Sounds a little self-destructive.

Breathing in the negativity is a practice called "Sending and Receiving" and it was taught by Gyaltrul Rinpoche in 1986 as well (wow, I learned a lot from him). He says most people worry when they hear of taking in all that negativity, "Won't I get sick?"

He joked, "If so, then all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are laying around in hospitals! They all do this practice."

In fact, he told us this practice is especially good to do when you're sick. It's one of those things that's counterintuitive. My friend tried it when she was so sick she couldn't get out of bed. She said, "I feel silly saying this but... Rinpoche was right." WG, even though he's not Buddhist, also does this and says it really works.

It can be done any time, driving your car, while standing in the checkout line.

Bodhisattvas, according again to Gyaltrul Rinpoche, practice the "four immeasurables": kindness (wishing others to be happy), compassion (wishing others to be free of suffering), joy (happiness at the good fortune and good deeds of others), and equanimity... actually, this one's a toughie. I'll look up an official definition but for now, I understand it to be valuing others equally with yourself. Wow, awkward phrasing. But Rinpoche explained that normally we value our own welfare quite a lot, and others are about as important as ants. If we stub our toes that's a terrible suffering, while we can read about people dying in Iraq and think "hmm, how sad, what's on TV?"

He said the way we normally view things, the order of importance starts with ourselves, then the next-most important are the people close to us, then the people we like, so on, so forth. Everything is viewed through a skewed lens of our ego. He joked that when he was being fired on by the Chinese in Tibet, he protected his head over the rest of his body because he associated his head more closely with "me" -- so even parts of our body get preferential treatment.

I bet this is getting long, so I'll post this part.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I still owe you that recap of the Dalai Lama's teaching on his 1990 D.C. visit, I haven't forgotten. I'm going to have to hit the books this weekend -- just got my Sanskrit homework back and I've some serious work to do on Sandhi before the quiz Monday, oy.

Icarus

[starrylizard.livejournal.com]

Oy indeed! No rush at all. Homework is far more important. :)

But Rinpoche explained that normally we value our own welfare quite a lot, and others are about as important as ants. If we stub our toes that's a terrible suffering, while we can read about people dying in Iraq and think "hmm, how sad, what's on TV?"
Yeah, that's like the way you have to "humanise" events to make it news. Like if there is a story about one brave little girl who has lost her mother in Iraq, then everyone is struck by the loss, then they suddenly realise you can multiply that by millions...

Hmmm, still thinking about the negativity thing. I think I'd have to start with a smaller population and work my way up to the world. Suburb, state, country... Probably sounds silly though, huh.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, still thinking about the negativity thing. I think I'd have to start with a smaller population and work my way up to the world. Suburb, state, country... Probably sounds silly though, huh.

Smaller is fine. But eventually you'll want to expand it so you don't leave anyone sitting around with negativity. It's more fair if you take care of everyone, though starting small is a start. :)

Icarus

H. H. Dalai Lama's 1990 talk, as best as I can recall

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Hi, I promised this a while ago but I've struggled to remember exactly what he said. So take this with a grain of salt as there will be quite a bit missing, and possibly some inaccuracies, which I apologize for.

The talk was in Washington, D.C., 1990, to the collected Buddhist practioners from the area Dharma centers (those who could get the day off work, that is).

First he smiled and commented how happy he was to see so many Dharma practitioners. I think he made mention of the western monastics who were there, who had made a committment for their whole lives, and the lay people too had made a serious committment to Dharma practice. Dharma is not something that one does just for 10 minutes, or 20 minutes, or even an hour each day. Dharma is something one does for one's whole life, each hour, every day. He said, since there are so many experienced Dharma students here, he would build upon what we already had learned.

He said that (fuzzy here) Dharma is not how one is dressed (even if one is a monk or nun), and not only what one does when sitting on our meditation cushion, but it is in the mind. The Bodhicitta, generating compassion, and mindfulness, practicing throughout ones day. One should never abandon the practice of Dharma even for one minute.

But this takes discipline, to discipline one's mind to the practice of Bodhicitta. (A little fuzzy on this section; I think I'm getting the gist.) It does not happen overnight that one is practicing Dharma 100%. First one simply generates the aspiration to do so, when one takes the Bodhisattva vow, and then one must try to actualize Bodhicitta. To actually, really practice the Dharma path. If one takes the monastic vows or Bodhisattva vows, that is good, but then one must try to be mindful of whatever practice one is doing all of the time.

At first we are mindful only maybe 5% of the time. That is good. It's better than before. (I seem to recall a laugh here.) Then later maybe 10%. Slowly, slowly, we improve. That is how one practices the Dharma vehicle; slow improvement. (I think he mentioned that "even though Vajrayana, the Tibetan Buddhist tradition is called the 'swift path,' for myself I have mostly noticed slow improvement. Baby steps." And I think I recall laughter at this point.)

(I'm missing a transitional bit here, I'm sorry. But I remember he grew a little less joke-y here.) One must make a firm committment each day to be mindful throughout one's day, to practice the Buddhadharma even 24 hours a day. Of course one must sleep, but whenever one is able. Otherwise, even though one has a precious opportunity, this... rare chance... it will slip away. One hour each day is something, but enlightenment takes... more effort. A bit more that 20 minutes meditation each day. (I think there was laughter at this point, too, because this is a serious understatement.)

(End part 1.)

H. H. Dalai Lama's 1990 talk, as best as I can recall (part 2)

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

(I'm not sure how he transitioned over to the next part, but I do recall this.)

One begins ones day making a firm committment that today I will be mindful, and practice the Dharma path throughout the day. Then, one does one's best, doing whatever practice it is that one does. Some may be doing a meditation practice, some maybe doing a Vajrayana practice, but no matter which practice one is doing, we make an effort to do it all of the day.

Then, at the end of the day before we go to sleep, one sits and we bring back to mind: what did I do today?

At first you won't remember! (laughter) It's true. In the beginning, we will not remember what we did that day, we have been so distracted. Myself, I am so busy, sometimes I do not remember my own name. (laughter) But if you try, soon you will remember little bits and pieces... at this time I did this, and at that time I did that. We need to check up ourselves. (This paraphrase is very much a paraphrase: What did I do, what did I say, and especially, what was my mind like? My... attitude. Was I mindful? Did I practice compassion, Bodhicitta? Or maybe I did some things that were maybe a bit negative.)

Sometimes when one brings back to mind what one did, one is a little embarrassed. That is okay-- better than before when we didn't even notice if we were a little bit negative. We might experience some regret. Then one does a little bit of confession, maybe some purification practice, and then we once again make a firm committment that we will not do this in the future. This is good. Only then will we improve. If one is honest with oneself, then one will make progress, bit by bit.

As one does this every night, it becomes easier and easier to remember what we do each day. In fact, it becomes possible that one can see back and remember two says, and perhaps even a week in vivid detail. This is how one improves one's memory. It possible this way to even, with much practice, to recall one's past lives.

Of course, I do not recall any past lives. (laughs) Just remembering today is difficult enough. But Buddhas and Bodhisattvas develop that special ability, and this is how they do it.

(I'm very fuzzy on his closing remarks, largely because I was blinking over the "recall past lives" part. *laughs* But I think it went something like this:) In this way, even in our busy western lives, where we must work, we can accomplish our Dharma path. It would slip away, this precious human rebirth. Even I, even though I would like to spend my life in retreat doing Dharma practice, I have not had much opportunity for that this lifetime. It is not my karma. When I was younger, I had more chance, and maybe someday... when I was younger I would not have imagined how busy my life would become. But in this way everything I do becomes my Dharma practice.

Then we said closing prayers, including the long life prayer for HH Dalai Lama. I remember being blown away by how skillful his teaching was, because it could reach every level of Dharma practictioner -- it doesn't matter how advanced or if you were a beginner -- and it would mean something slightly different for each one, but it would be useful to all. Then also, it addressed a serious problem we westerners have when it comes to finding time to practice.

He humbled me when he pointed out how busy his life was-- I complained about how hard it was for me to find time to practice when I working full-time, and how busy is he? Sheesh.

I apologize for all my inaccuracies, misremembered parts, and incomplete sections. But I hope this little tattered remnant of my memory is of use.

Re: H. H. Dalai Lama's 1990 talk, as best as I can recall (part 2)

[starrylizard.livejournal.com]

Thank you. :)

Re: H. H. Dalai Lama's 1990 talk, as best as I can recall (part 2)

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

You're welcome.