Social media guidelines for so-called Vajrayana students

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Timphu, Bhutan -- If you think or believe that you are a student of Vajrayana - whether or not that’s true is another matter - but as long as you think you are a Vajrayana practitioner, it becomes your responsibility to protect this profound tradition.

It’s important to maintain secrecy in the Vajrayana. The Vajrayana is called ‘the secret mantra yana’ because it is intended to be practiced in secrecy. It is not secret because there is something to hide, but in order to protect the practitioner from the pitfalls and downfalls that ego can bring to the practice.

In particular, practitioners tend to fall prey to “spiritual materialism,” where their practice becomes just another fashion statement intended to adorn their egos and make them feel important, or have them feel that they’re part of a ‘cool’ social tribe, rather than to tame and transform their minds. When practiced in this way, the Vajrayana path becomes worse than useless.

Also, the Vajrayana teachings are ‘hidden’ in the sense that their meaning is not apparent to someone who has not received the appropriate teachings. It’s like a foreign language. Because some of the imagery and symbolism can seem strange or even violent to the uninitiated, it’s generally recommended to keep it hidden so that it doesn’t put off newer practitioners, who might develop wrong views about the Buddhist path in general and the Vajrayana path in particular.

While posting on social media, please bear in mind that you are not only posting for your own reading pleasure, but to the whole wide world who most likely don’t share your amusement over crazy photos, nor your peculiar adoration and fantasies of certain personalities you call as guru.

Given this, here are some suggestions I offer fellow so-called Vajrayana students about how you can protect yourself - both by avoiding embarrassment and by protecting your Dharma practice—and also protect the profound Vajrayana tradition:

(1) Maintain the secrecy of the Vajrayana (this includes secrecy about your guru, your practice, tantric images, empowerments you have received, teachings you have attended, etc.)

- Don’t post tantric images: If you think posting provocative tantric images (such as images of deities with multiple arms, animal heads, those in union, and wrathful deities) makes you important, you probably don’t understand their meaning.

- Don’t post mantras and seed syllables: If you think mantras and seed syllables should be posted on Facebook as mood enhancement and self-improvement aids, a makeover or haircut might do a better job.

- Don’t talk about your empowerments: If you think images from your weekend Vajrayana empowerment are worthy of being posted up next to photos of your cat on Facebook, you should send your cat to Nepal for enthronement. Unless you have obtained permission from the teacher, do not post any photo, video or audiorecording of Vajrayana empowerments, teachings or mantras.

- Don’t talk about profound/secret teachings you may have received: Some people seem to find it fashionable to hang words like “Dzogchen” and “Mahamudra” in their mouths. If you have received profound instructions, it is good to follow those instructions and keep them to yourself.

(2) Avoid giving in to the temptations of spiritual materialism and using Dharma in service of your ego (do not attempt to show off about your guru, your understanding, your practice etc. Likewise, do not speak badly of other practitioners or paths.)

- Don’t share your experiences and so-called attainments: If you think declaring what you think you have attained is worthwhile, you may have been busy bolstering your delusion. Trying to impress others with your practice is not part of the practice. Try to be genuine and humble. Nobody cares about your experiences in meditation, even if they include visions of buddhas, unicorns or rainbows. If you think you are free of self deception, go ahead, think again.

- Don’t boast about your guru: No matter how great you think your guru is, it would probably serve better for you to keep your devotion to yourself. Remember that being buddhist is not joining a cult. If you think your guru is better than another’s, you probably think your equanimity and pure perception are better than another’s.

- Don’t attempt to share your so-called wisdom: If you think receiving profound teachings gives you license to proclaim them, you will probably only display your ignorance. Before you “share” a quote from the Buddha or from any of your teachers, take a moment to think if they really said those words, and who the audience was meant to be.

- Don’t confuse Buddhism with non-Buddhist ideas: No matter how inspired you might be of rainbows and orbs, and how convinced you are about the end of the world, try not to mix your own fantasies/idiosyncracies with Buddhism.

- Be respectful to others: Without Theravada and Mahayana as foundation, there would be no Vajrayana. It would be completely foolish of Vajrayana practitioners to look down on or show disdain towards Theravada and Mahayana. If you think attacking other buddhists will improve Buddhism, do a service for Buddhism, take aim at your own ego and biasedness instead.

- Don’t create disharmony: Try to be the one who brings harmony into the sangha community with your online chatter, instead of trouble and disputes.

- Always be mindful of your motivation: Please do not attempt to display “crazy wisdom” behaviors online, just inspire others to have a good heart. If you think you are posting something out of compassion, try first to make sure you are doing no harm.

Whenever you can’t let go of the itch to post something, make sure that it helps whoever who reads it and the Dharma.

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Thailand’s young Buddhist nuns challenge social conventions

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Bangkok, Thailand -- Beam Atchimapon is already three days late for the new school term in her native city, the Thai capital of Bangkok – but for a good cause.

<< Novice Thai nuns are seen before they receive food from people during the Songkran festival at the Sathira-Dhammasathan Buddhist meditation centre in Bangkok April 13, 2011. REUTERS/Sukree Sukplang

The nine-year-old is part of a small but growing group of Thai girls who choose to spend part of the school holiday as Buddhist nuns, down to having their heads shaven.

The temporary ordination of young men has long been part of Thai culture, with men spending a few days as monks and returning to their normal professions after time at a monastery.

But the ordination of “mae ji” or “nuns” is less common, and the idea that women should not play an active role in monastic life still prevails among more conservative Thais.

Fully ordained Buddhist nuns are not legally recognized, as they are in Myanmar and Sri Lanka – one sign of the inequality women still face in certain fields in Thailand.

“Thailand does not fully recognize the role of Buddhist nuns,” said Sansanee Sthuratsuta, a nun and founder of the Sathira Dammasathan center, a learning centre on the outskirts of Bangkok that is something of a green oasis.

Sansanee used to be a celebrated television personality in Thailand but gave up her fame for life as a nun 35 years ago. Her centre allows men and women to come and practice meditation, learn yoga and take part in retreats, part of its mission to make Buddhism an integral part of peoples’ lives.

She started the ordination of young nuns 3 years ago to raise awareness of nuns in the nation, where their role as spiritual leaders takes a backseat to their male counterparts.

“Nuns need to be educated. This is more important than a law that elevates the status of nuns in Thailand. If society can rely on nuns then they can be spiritual leaders,” she said.

This year, to celebrate 2,600 years since the Buddha gained enlightenment, the center arranged for the ordination of 137 women between the ages of five and 63.

The ordination involved shaving their hair off and living as a Buddhist nun for 20 days, including going on rounds to collect alms from worshippers at dawn, wearing simple white cotton clothes, and daily meditation classes.

The act of shaving their heads teaches the children to not hold on to impermanent things, Sansanee said.

"When we shaved off their hair the girls just said 'Take it off'. They are not embarrassed," said Sansanee. "None of these children were forced to come here. They volunteered."

The "mae ji noi" or "little nuns" are not from troubled families or poor backgrounds. The girls ordained at the center come from middle class Thai families that believe a religious education can enhance their child's formal education.

"My mother told me about it but I wanted to come here," said Beam, who attends a international school. "We are taught about the environment and about the Buddha."

The girls wake before sunrise, and finish their day with evening meditation at 6 p.m. The strict schedule is an impressive undertaking for the children but they take it in their stride, displaying a discipline beyond their years.

"Life is not just about finding money. It's about being useful to society and contributing in a positive way," said Sansanee.

"We believe they learn about life here whether they are walking or showering, they learn about awareness and everything becomes an act of meditation," Sansanee said.

Not all the time is spent in serious pursuits.

During one outdoor lesson the youngest nun Ploy, 5, ties two leaves together with a hair band and plays a shadow puppet game in the sun.

"Look! It's a rabbit!" says Ploy, to the amusement of her teachers.

The girls' parents feel the experience is more than worth it for what their daughters gain.

"My daughter has ordained for the second year. She is a more thoughtful child and she is doing very well at art in school now," said Karun Sribumroong, whose daughter Pim is eight. "Her time here made her even more creative and imaginative."

(Writing and Reporting by Amy Sawitta Lefevre, editing by Paul Casciato)

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Sir Cyril de Zoysa - A life, committed to social service

Colombo (The Island/ANN) - The 115th anniversary of the birth of Sir Cyril de Zoysa falls on the 26th of October 2011. Known as a compassionate man of rare intellect, his birth will be commemorated on this day, by a grateful community. The Kalutara Bodhi Trust of which he was the founder has organised a number of events to honour his memory and to transfer merit to him according to Buddhist tradition.

Solomon de Zoysa, Notary Public, father of Sir Cyril de Zoysa born in Totamune Kankanangedera in Velitota, Balapitiya, travelled almost daily to and from his office in Ambalangoda in a buggy cart. Cyril was not too pleased with the fact that his father hired a buggy cart for the purpose. He pondered over this and came up with a solution. He presented his father with a brand new buggy cart and a bull, which he bought with the money he earned by giving private tuition to students. The cart and the bull both cost him five hundred rupees.

"My father blessed me. I realised that my gift was a source of great joy to him, which in turn was a source of joy to me". Thus did Cyril make his father indeed so very happy. Totamune Kankanangedera Vatta was the residence of Solomon and Harriet de Zoysa, Cyril's parents. As a Notary Public, Solomon had to work from time to time in several places such as Matara, Hingula, Akuressa etc. and on one occasion he had to take up residence in Galle. It was during this period when he was stationed in Galle that Cyril, second in a family of five children, was born. That was on the 26th of October 1896.

Soon after Cyril was born, his father decided to shift to Matara and open an office there. As the entire family moved to Matara it was St. Thomas' College, Matara, that Cyril had to attend from a very tender age. After some time, he left this school and entered Richmond College, Galle. There too he spent only about one year, bade farewell to Richmond and entered Royal College, Colombo. His closest friends at that time were John Kotelawela and Nicholas Attygala. Having passed the Cambridge Senior Examination in 1916 he was admitted to Law College.

After successfully completing the Law College examinations, he commenced his career in 1921 at the Balapitiya Police Courts. At this time his family was back at the ancestral home in Velitota Kankanangedera Vatta. Cyril_ did not practice too long at Balapitiya. He left Balapitiya to join the Kalutara Bar as an apprentice under Crown Proctor Arthur de Abrew. Very soon young Cyril made a name for himself as a clever lawyer.

This move to Kalutara paved the way for a host of changes in Cyril's life. From his early childhood, he derived great joy in pleasing his parents, also evincing devotion without measure to Buddhism. Among the sacred places of Buddhist worship, it was the Kalutara Bodhiya that became the prime object of his devotion. At this time the Government Agent of Kalutara had issued strict instructions to the Police to place a guard at the entrance to this sacred place, and to chase away anyone who seeks to enter the precincts to offer flowers or light a lamp.

Having heard of this, Cyril approached the place. He decided to construct by force an altar to place flowers (mal asana) and after a battle he constructed four such altars in all four directions, right round the Bodhi Tree. Thereafter, the people who had been kept away from the sacred place began to visit the place freely.

With the passage of time it occurred to Cyril that he could not make substantial progress by engaging solely in his practice as a lawyer. He therefore purchased a bus for passenger transport. This venture brought him increasingly steady profits. He invested in another bus and soon established the Swarnapali Bus Company. He issued orders to his drivers that they should stop the buses as they pass the Bodhiya and drop a coin into the tills placed by the roadside. This order was obeyed to the letter. A large sum of money was collected and every cent so collected was used strictly for the improvement of the Bodhiya.

With time, in 1941, Cyril became the Chairman of the Urban Council, Kalutara. He considered it his prime duty to develop and protect the Kalutara Bodhiya. With this, his own steady progress became increasingly evident. Soon the Swarnapali Bus Company became known as the South Western Bus Company. It had acquired a substantial fleet of buses and had become a prime business in the country. Cyril had also become the Director, so to say, controlling the affairs of the Bodhiya. Cyril often reflected on his conviction that his continuing success in all matters was due to his boundless devotion to the Bodhiya.

Cyril's efficiency and the attention he paid both to the public and to his employees led to his own rapid progress. It was he, who for the first time provided an opportunity to the people of this country to travel in a double decker, bus. It was at a time that Cyril was prospering in a manner never dreamt of, that the Government of the day decided to nationalise all bus companies. Cyril remained unruffled. Without any hesitation he handed over to the Government all buses, bus depots and all equipment. It was, as it were, that Cyril was more pleased with the take-over than even the Government! He saw it as a blessing in disguise as he embarked on a number of other ventures after this 'bus affair'.

He bought a large factory belonging to the Latex Corporation at Nagoda, Kalutara, and started a number of industrial ventures producing tyres, tubes, batteries, electric wires, cables etc. Now Cyril became the owner of five large factories. Much of his time was spent on social service work. He was President/member of a large number of societies such as the Boy Scouts' Association, Singhalese Sports Club, Kalutara Town Club, Ceylon National Association for the Prevention of Tuberculosis, National Council of the Blind and the Deaf, Child Protection Society, Law Society, Maha Bodhi Society, Colombo YMBA etc.

Everything he touched turned to gold. He rendered prime service to society eliminating corruption, protecting and fostering every cause he espoused. Cyril became the President of the Colombo YMBA at a time it had lapsed into inactivity. He turned it around, built a hall at the YMBA Headquarters in memory of his parents; thereafter the YMBA building in Colombo Fort became what it is today.

In addition, he donated his house and property in Kalutara for the purpose of building a school. The two popular schools known today as Kalutara Balika Vidyalaya and Kalutara Vidyalaya are the two schools he founded.

Having also observed that pilgrims to Kataragama faced many difficulties, he took steps to build a large Pilgrims' Rest at Kata raga ma.

Himself a lawyer, Cyril was President of the Law Society for full nine years. At this time, the Law Society was lacking in a building of its own. Cyril pioneered the construction of a building befitting the stature of the Society.

Cyril always had deep devotion to his religion and to religious affairs. He placed a premium on Dhamma education. To foster this, he ensured the publication of a large volume of Dhamma books, during his tenure as President of the Colombo YMBA.

Cyril de Zoysa was also a pioneer in paving the way for the establishment of the Department of Cultural Affairs under the Government. Amidst this busy schedule Cyril was appointed Vice President of the Senate. This is because the authorities, the Maha Sangha and various business sources considered Cyril a proverbial Midas who had the good fortune of turning into success everything he touched, a man with a compassionate heart and rare intellect. Titles, position and recognition simply followed him. He never sought after them.

He was appointed to the Senate so that the political arena may benefit by his encyclopaedic knowledge. He held the position of Vice-President for six years and thereafter he served for eight years as its President. However, busy his schedule became, the service he rendered was ever increasing, never decreasing. During this period he gathered together all the land, buildings etc. that he owned at Velitota Kankanamge Vatta in Balapitiya, and constructed a large textile weaving centre there. It was his intention to provide the villagers an opportunity of making a living without moving away from their homes. Thousands of villagers found gainful employment there.

Cyril, who as President of a large number of organisations rendered active and continuous service carrying each of them to the pinnacle of success and development. Such excellent service, unbroken and unwavering, earned the admiration and respect, sometimes even the awe, of many a person both at home and abroad. In recognition of his excellence he was honoured as a Knight of the British Empire (KBE).

Sir Cyril's practice was to wake up very early, around 4.00 a.m., each day, and commence the day's work by visiting the Bodhiya and there paying homage to the Buddha. Before going to bed he was unwavering in the practice of observing the Buddhist precepts and according to tradition, transferring merit to the Devas or celestial beings.

When he visited his village or travelled towards Galle, he invariably stopped his car near the tombs of his parents, alighted from his vehicle and paid homage to their memory, before proceeding further.

Sir Cyril de Zoysa was a man who dedicated all his life, wealth, time, labour and intelligence to his village, country, nation, religion and politics and spent the evening of his life very happily. On an occasion when he was interviewed by a journalist, this is what he had to say: "Now I am free. However much of wealth one possesses it is of no avail. They are all empty things. I was born without wealth and I shall die without wealth. My joy, my solace, my strength - all lie in the Buddha Dhamma. As long as I live I shall have the protection of the Devas."

It was not for his own wellbeing that Sir Cyril de Zoysa lived and amassed wealth; it was in the cause of the country, nation and religion. This great human being who lived a life committed to service, who in his twilight years had given up all attachments and who was at peace with himself passed away on the 2nd of January 1978.

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Buddhist nun's social activism

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Sydney, Australia -- The Australian Buddhist nun featured here on Eureka Street TV breaks the stereotype of Buddhists as being quiet, mellow and laid back. She is larger than life, a very colourful character, and it's easy to be distracted by the colour.

As described in a December 2000 article in The Age, Robina Courtin has 'been a black belt in karate, one of many daughters in a large Catholic family, a supporter of the Black Panthers, a radical lesbian separatist feminist and a lot else besides ... she speaks at a million miles an hour and can swear like a truck driver/politician. But all that is colour. The substance is that she is a Buddhist nun.'

Courtin is a woman of great substance. She has been editorial director of a prominent Buddhist publishing house, director of a project to bring Buddhist teachings to prisoners, and is now a highly respected teacher of Buddhism in western countries.

Courtin was born in Melbourne in 1944 and was raised a Catholic. She went to a Catholic girls' school, and, after realising she couldn't fulfill her wish to become a priest, shifted her desires towards a vocation as a Carmelite nun.

But alongside her deep and abiding interest in religion, she was drawn in many other directions. She loved music and had a good voice. As a teenager, at a school fete, by chance she bought a record by Billie Holiday whose singing awakened a passion for black American music, and an appreciation of the injustices and prejudice suffered by African Americans. This stirred the beginnings of a strong social conscience, and a drive to become a social activist.

As a young adult she went to London to study singing. While there she joined the feminist movement, and began work on behalf of prisoners' rights.

She spent time living back in Australia and the USA and, in 1974, began studying martial arts. Injuries from a freak accident in 1976 prevented her from practising karate, so she decided to attend a Buddhist retreat in Queensland conducted by leading Tibetan teachers, Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. She was captivated by these monks and by Buddhism. This set the direction for the rest of her life.

The following year she went to Kathmandu in Nepal and studied at Kopan Monastery. There she was ordained as a Buddhist nun in the Tibetan Gelugpa tradition, in the lineage of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa.

Since then Courtin has worked in various capacities for the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT) which was founded by Lama Yeshe in 1975. Lama Zopa is spiritual director of the organisation. The FPMT has monasteries and nunneries in six countries, meditation centres in 40 countries, and runs health and nutrition clinics, hospices and programs in prisons around the globe.

According to its website, the FPMT provides 'integrated education through which people's minds and hearts can be transformed into their highest potential for the benefit of others, inspired by an attitude of universal responsibility'.

In the 1980s and '90s Courtin was editorial director of the FPMT's Wisdom Publications, and editor of its magazine, Mandala.

From 2000 to 2009, she was founding director of the FPMT's Liberation Prison Project in the USA which looked after the spiritual needs of hundreds of prisoners spread through some 150 institutions, sending them Buddhist literature and letters, visiting and giving teachings and advice.

In this role, she once asked Lama Zopa to write a card to a young Latino prisoner serving a life sentence. He wrote: 'Your prison is nothing in comparison with the prison of ordinary people: the prison of ego-grasping, the prison of attachment, the prison of anger, depression and pride.'

Courtin often repeats these words, and they have inspired her to take Buddhist teachings to broader society, to spread its message among ordinary people. This is now her main work.

To read or leave comments on this article, click here.

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Peter Kirkwood is a freelance writer and video consultant with a master's degree from the Sydney College of Divinity.

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