It is 6:26 AM and I hadn’t planned on doing a journal entry this morning. My thoughts were mostly negative thanks to the news, things I’ve recently learned about Government and videos on the internet that they won’t show you on the news.
With the spread of technology it is easy to see just how awful of a place the world can be and sometimes it feels like the human race is certainly not going to survive another thousand years the way we treat each other and the planet.
But since it is still early and I’ve got some ‘peaceful time’ left I thought I’d jot down a few things.
I’ve been reading “The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying” which I find fascinating. I like how it instructs us to focus on really living life and being compassionate as well as not forgetting that death is inevitable and so we should prepare ourselves for it through meditation so it is not such a shock when it eventually arrives.
I highly doubt that the world is indeed more negative than before but through technology it is certainly put right in our faces on a daily basis more so than any other time in human history. Therefore, I could use a little practice and guidance on how to be at peace in a world such as this and this book fits the bill.
However, I think one of the reasons Buddhism and the Dalai Lama has become popular in the West is just because it seems so ancient, so mysterious to western people. If the same message was being preached by a white farmer from Alabama instead of a soft spoken Asian who comes from the mountaintops, I think Buddhism would lose the majority of its appeal.
And to add to losing its appeal I’ve also learned that the writer – Sogyal Rinpoche – has been involved in sex scandals. Further research revealed that, like the Catholic Church, these ‘holy men’ seem to have a problem keeping their penises in their pants. The problem was brought to the Dalai Lama but he refused to endorse a letter that called for the removal of these abusive monks.
So, talk about a letdown! It is hard to listen to the message of compassion and love when the person preaching it seems to have a problem practicing what he is preaching. In the end it becomes no different from just another religious cult no matter how enticing the message is.
But as the main religions have shown, the faithful won’t let something like pedophilia, or hell, even downright murder get in the way of their childish, made up beliefs.
Anyway, I’ll finish the book even though the author seems to be another manipulating cult leader. He does make many great points, so much so that I’ve gotten out my highlighter. Once I’m done I’ll write a long post about all I’ve learned from both the book and about this author.
*Quick note – The first part of the book is great; unfortunately it then follows the same pattern of major religions where the door to the truth is shut and the only way in is through them. Also, instead of Jesus the super great icon everyone should follow aside from Siddhartha is Padmasambhava – be able to say that four times quickly and you get instant enlightenment! In short, what starts out as a great book quickly becomes a bunch of made up (extremely ancient!) nonsense, just like most religions. And oh yea, if you question any of this it is just your enormous ego talking which you’re trying to eradicate through mediation. Rational inquiry = questioning = ego. So yea, do not question, do what they say, and you only get the truth through these sex monks from the mountain top. Sounds like a party, where do I sign up?
