Well I can't really argue with your point because I agree with it! Hopefully someone else can carry the torch on this issue.

Great points Kaivalyananda! I really like how you said that it could be a delusion that one thinks one cannot help others, as this could just be our laziness merely taking a more elegant form. Your words have been of benefit to me! great to have you on the forum.

Great story also. I heard it and I forgot about it. Thanks for the reminder.

"When someone tells you something you don't like, push yourself to listen, push yourself to open, push yourself to change your habit of closing people out. When you come across a difficult situation, don't run. If you have run, go back to it, apologize and make up for it. Don't run and keep quiet. That's an offering to the Buddha." - HE Tsem Tulku Rinpoche

In light of recent events on this forum, I decided to post this quote by Tsem Rinpoche. I just so happen to be reviewing the clip of "don't embarrass the Buddha" on youtube and Rinpoche said this.

This is not directed to anybody on this forum. I have just found that it could possible help all of us to push ourselves face difficult situations when people say something we don't like. Whether it be challenging our gurus, saying harsh words, accusing us of doing something wrong, giving wrong advice or in the wrong manner in not the best form for the situation, or not even giving us a chance to respond.

I think the offerings of water, butterlamps, flowers, rituals are most excellent and are so very beneficial. But, in my humble opinion, actually practicing the Dharma as taught by our teachers in difficult situations is the best form of guru devotion and as an offering to the Buddhas, and the recent developments on the form give us a great opportunity to practice the Dharma and offer it to our gurus and Buddhas.

One more great quote!

"When someone shouts at you, when someone scolds you, when someone is rude to you, when someone has abused you or is hurting you, when someone doesn't agree with you or opposes you - that is when you practise the Dharma."
 
 
-H.E. Tsem Tulku Rinpoche

Just as I have said previously, I respect your Lama and your decisions and your practice Spirit.

I wish you well on your Dharma journey with your guru.

May we all see the fault in our own actions through what has happened here, and appreciate the kindness of others who give us the opportunity to practice what we have learned from our gurus.

I prefer if you stay, but all things change and new karmas are created and ripen all the time. I am sure the forum itself has its own collective karma to work out.

Each person on this forum, whether they ghost or post, kind or mean, ignorant or wise  is valuable and brings us the opportunity to learn and practice the Dharma.

May the Dharma flourish where you and all others dwell.

May the precious Bodhi mind not yet born, arise and grow, may that born have no decline but increase forever more.

Anyways, I'll see you on facebook anyways unless you leave that too! 

I wasn't siding either! I love spirit! We are here to support each other. Not drag each other down. I truly don't believe that anybody had any malicious or ill intent with their posts. There will be times people challenge our practice, whether it be in the form of challenging the authenticity of our guru or just by speaking harshly to us. Every other sentient being is so kind as to give us opportunity to practice what we preach and follow. When someone challenges our guru we should think "how kind of them to give me the opportunity to show them how great my guru is through my own practice." When someone gives us harsh words we should think "how kind of them to give me the opportunity to practice real patience and compassion."

Without other mother sentient beings, there would be no enlightenment. All of us are equal. No one is higher or lower on an ultimate level. All have the potential to become a Buddha.

I am not wise and I am still a baby in my Dharma practice. I am not telling anybody how to practice, just what works for me. I am not taking any sides.

Where there is smoke... there must be a fire! Knowledge by inference. I have been convinced unless someone wants to pick up my side 

[limited]

The position I take is that we (the unenlightened) cannot know if a Buddha is really enlightened.

A regular person is not enlightened and does not know what it is like to be enlightened.
A Buddha claims to be enlightened.
If a regular person doesn't know what it is like to be enlightened, then a regular person can't really know if a Buddha is enlightened.

Definition of enlightenment:  a full, direct realization of three principle aspects of the path (renunciation, bodhicitta, shunyata) and the 6 perfections. One who has overcome the two obscurations to complete buddhahood. Omniscience and fully cutting the self-cherishing and the self-grasping mind. (From my limited understanding  )

[trying]

snn you know i removed that photo the first time and you reposted it..you are showing little respect toward Rinpoche's forum..

'Little respect'?
That would have been an outright contempt or obscene trolling on other forums, meriting either an account suspension or outright ban.

Amazing tolerance and magnanimity as shown on the part of the Admin/Mod team, even though the basic adherence to Right Speech and Action of the Noble Eightfold Path has been violated, not to mention points (h) & (l) of the Guidelines & Rules on this Forum.
 
This experience has left me speechless...but life must go on eh?      

Maitri  

It just shows how much compassion and tolerance the admins have  

Whenever I meet a person of bad nature
Who is overwhelmed by negative energy and intense suffering,
I will hold such a rare one dear,
As if I had found a precious treasure.

Thank you admins for being an example of this verse of the 8 Verses of Thought Transformation.

I heard on one of Tsem Rinpoche's teachings that the Dharma is not always filled with nice, kind, caring people. It is filled with very mentally sick people who admit they are sick and are trying to seek proper Dharma help  

I agree that Spirit's choice of words and actions may not have been the most proper, but at least he's trying to seek the correct help and refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha right? I mean in the end, we are all trying and we all have our faults. Let's work together to help each other on our journey. You too Spirit! Wrathful all the time isn't always helpful to others. We are all are aspiring for bodhicitta motivation right? In refuge, it is our responsiblity to gently remind our Dharma brothers and sisters if they do something wrong out of compassion for them so they won't incur negative karma. (At least thats what I have been taught).

So don't get so angry about someone questioning your teacher. If someone were to question my teacher, I say that it is better to react with kindness and patience, and through that, you show others how correct your teacher really is. By reacting with foul language, anger and attachment, this just reflects badly on your teacher.

I'm not knocking down you or your teacher spirit. I truly respect your lama and your decision to follow him as well and I view you as my online Dharma brother, however weak the connection through Tsem Rinpoche. Just remember that it is by the students words and actions is the teacher judged, as I have heard Tsem Rinpoche say in his teachings.

Hi all,

It is very much a shame the way this thread has turned out. Please lets keep it positive and respect the choices of others who choose to follow a particular teacher. We are here to support each other in the Dharma. We don't have to follow another person's guru if we choose not to. It is the individuals choice and karma who they choose to follow. I can only work on myself to become the change I wish to see in the world.

Here is a quote from wmw111 from my Soka Gakkai thread that is very relevant:

"Dear all,
Just a note to remind. Rinpoche reiterated this many times and this is found in the publication Gurus for Hire , which is we must never talk or criticize other traditions/religion/lineage . As those traditions bring benefit to a segment of society, may not be you but others get benefit. And if the teachings are valid and we take people away from their teachers, due to us talking , criticizing and etc, the karmic repercussions is very heavy. Especially if none of us belong to that tradition as well. What right do we have to say about teachers who take on robes when we ourselves are lay,  even teachers start criticizing other teachers where will it end, everyone will be thrown into doubt, there will be many confused and scared students. There are many people who are lay they dare to criticize ordained beings even someone like Rinpoche is not spared before. 

If we take people away from their traditions and teachers you must be fully qualified to guide them all the way to buddhahood. I will not tolerate posting that damage other traditions or criticize teachers or lamas.
Thank you."

So please, lets respect the choices of others, just as long as they don't harm others in their practices. Then in that case I personally think it is our responsibility to do or say something about it as one of the secondary Bodhisattva vows are:

from viewonbuddhism.org

"Not knowing the full purpose of compassion.
If it serves a special purpose for others, it is permissible for a Bodhisattva to commit the seven non-virtues of body and speech. If you refuse to commit a such a non-virtue, when by doing so you could help numberless sentient beings, you will incur this downfall. Generally, you have to avoid all non-virtues. But when the circumstances arise in which, through compassion, you can help numberless sentient beings by engaging in one of the seven non-virtues of body and speech, then you must do so. For instance, suppose you were living in the country and a hunter came by and asked you whether you had seen any deer. If you had seen some and decided not to lie, you would keep your Vinaya precepts and retain observance of the seven virtues, but the hunter would kill the deer. In this case you should rather tell a lie than follow the normal rule. This judgement obviously requires wisdom."

From the Berzin Archieves:

"4) Not committing a destructive action when love and compassion call for it

Occasionally, certain extreme situations arise in which the welfare of others is seriously jeopardized and there is no alternative left to prevent a tragedy other than committing one of the seven destructive physical or verbal actions."

Unless we know completely that someone is harming others, and that we also have the wisdom to make this distinction, then we must respect others beliefs, practices, and choices.

Lama Luis-Kunga Choedak-Riesgo? I came across his profile on facebook the other day. Cute little girl in the background by the way!  Your sister?

Thank you for posting...

I have no direct connection with H.E. Kensur Lati Rinpoche, but I have recieved a few teachings from H.E. Geshe Tsultim Gyeltsen and H.E. Khen Rinpoche Geshe Jangchup Choeden, and online teachings from H.E. Tsem Rinpoche, who all hold H.E. Kensur Lati Rinpoche dear in their hearts. I feel like I have recieved so much benefit from even the very few teachings I have recieved, and all of my good qualities stem from my teachers and my teachers' teachers. So I still feel a great loss.

May H.E. Kensur Lati Rinpoche return soon to guide us again in this degenerate age.
Please return soon as a great Dharma king who has the ability to spread the Dharma in all directions.

Thank you for your kind and compassionate reply 

I did google "yogi triple vows" and nothing came up. Also I don't read tricycle magazine as I am not into tricycles.

I consider you my online sangha because I believe we both recieve online teachings from Tsem Rinpoche, which connects us through the Dharma, however a weak connection it is through the internet. I know we are not the "true" Arya Sangha, but I believe we are all here to support each other in our growth in the Dharma.

I aplogize for bothering you with a simple question, but if you plan to eventually teach the Dharma, please expect stupid questions like these for those who can't find anything on google. Also, why look on google when you have real people who are taking the vows to answer your question?

Thank you for your time to answer the questions.

I have another one  though

So if one has the "yogi triple vows"  can one wear robes of a monastic or do they have to be of a special kind like goat was saying?

Hi Spirit,

If you can to the best of your ability, please explain what the yogi triple vows are? I think it would benefit others even if you can only give some sort of explanation on it. Also, from your Waterfall of Bliss Lineage thread, I'm assuming that you have taken the Bodhisattva vows. As you are part of this online Sangha, I am gently reminding you that one of the secondary Bodhisattva vows according to the perfection of generosity is to answer questions.

From the Berzin Archives:

(4) Not answering those who ask us questions

Because of pride, anger, spite, laziness, indifference, or forgetfulness, not happily answering others' sincere questions. In ignoring them, we leave them in a quandary with no one to turn to - also a fearful and insecure position.

From viewonbuddhism.org

4. Not replying to questions. *
When someone trusts you and sincerely asks a question of you, and if you become angry or, due to laziness do not give the appropriate answer, you will break this branch vow. Any time that you avoid skilfully and appropriately answering questions on the Dharma and other matters is an infraction of this branch vow. For example, if somebody asks you to explain how to meditate on impermanence and you respond with an explanation of bodhichitta, you will have broken this vow. Even if you respond on the subject of impermanence, but in an inappropriate or unsatisfactory way, that is an infraction. This branch vow applies whether you have full ordination or lay vows, and also with respect to the practice of the ten virtues, about unconditioned phenomena, such as space or emptiness.

Please do not take any offense of this reminder of the vow! This is just my way of trying to keep you from breaking the vow if you have taken it and also my way of remembering the vows so I can take them as soon as I can. 

So if you could, I'm asking you sincerely if you can explain the yogi triple vows according to the Vinaya to the best of your ability if and if you have the time to so that all that read this form can really learn more about the Dharma. Thank you!

haha I'm not sure who Sumo Ching Hai is... But the restaurant was in Torrance, California. They did have "Supreme Master TV" on though  and some supreme master booklets

Hmmm I think I'll go eat there soon!

Here is a quote from Kyabje Pabongkha Rinpoche from Liberation in the Palm of your Hand (2006) pg. 17:

"All are our kind mothers, and we must repay their kindness. Giving food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, wealth to the poor, etc., and satisfying their wants, would repay some of them their kindnesses; but this would really not be of much benefit. The best way to repay their kindness is to cause them to have every happiness and to be without every kind of suffering. There is no better way to repay their kindness...

... As for right now, forget about all beings--you cannot work for the sake of even one sentient being. Who then can? The bodhisattvas abiding on the pure levels and the shravakas or pratyekabuddhas can benefit sentient beings; but they can only do a little of what the buddhas are capable of doing. Thus a buddha, who is without equal in his deeds for the welfare of beings, is the only one.

... If you wonder whether we can achieve the same level of buddhahood, the answer is, we can."

So I can give the four requisites to others if I can as this can help temporary. But to be of real benefit I must become a Buddha for the benefit of all beings.