“Son of noble family, in order to achieve the omniscient wisdom, a bodhisattva absolutely must receive realization from an authentic spiritual friend. In seeking a spiritual friend, never become weary/depressed. Never be satisfied with how much you see/look at a spiritual friend. Hold respectfully the teachings of the spiritual friend. Never be hostile/angry toward the… Continue reading OFFERING “EVERYTHING ONE OWNS” (AND THE “UNGIVEABLE”) TO A QUALIFIED VAJRAYANA GURU:Making offerings, the first of the eight ways to serve a guru, including offering one’s spouse, children, possessions and life, the importance of being a qualified, receptive student, and rejecting an unqualified guru (17th Karmapa, Fifty Verses on the Guru, Day 6, 2025)
Month: April 2025
Chinese Translation: 西藏流亡政治中的度母化身?西藏教育部长塔兰卓玛公开质疑庆祝桑东仁波切诞辰的花销、耗时及必要性
最近,我收到一位居住在达兰萨拉(印度一个由格鲁派主导的政教合一地区)藏人流亡社区的人士发出的一则消息:2025年3月26日,一位资深的、民选的藏人行政中央女部长塔兰卓玛(她的名字意为“解脱度母之道”),不断地(且带着略显讽刺的幽默感)质疑流亡藏人学校和社区为84岁的格鲁派僧侣兼政治家桑东仁波切庆生的传统(这一庆典往往是盛大且慷慨的)。以下是关于她发言的视频片段(仅藏语),由藏人视频博主南迦南吉发布。 令人惊讶却让人欢欣鼓舞的消息在于,流亡藏人现在竟能勇敢地公开质疑格鲁派“单向的”宗派主义霸权(here)。要知道,这种霸权在1959年之前笼罩了西藏三百年之久,并在过去的六十年里一直延续到了整个流亡藏人社区,它并没有因中国政府反对达赖喇嘛集团(即格鲁派)的“因果报应”政策而发生任何转变。 一些亲近格鲁派的评论家认为,这位“可笑的”塔兰卓玛女士一定是疯了。这是典型的父权制对敢于直言、敢于直面霸权的勇敢女性的一贯回应。 如果西藏的学校和社会应该走向民主化、世俗化,并且不分宗派。那么,为何整个藏传佛教还要单独庆祝他的生日呢?与此同时,其他比桑东仁波切更高级的藏传佛教传承持有者(他们的精神和思想传承都比桑东仁波切更伟大、更渊博)的生日,比如第十七世大宝法王噶玛巴尊者的生日是否应当普天共庆呢?虽然第十七世噶玛巴尊者本人并不关心人们是否庆祝他的生日,他已然不屑于这些世俗的赞美。 桑东仁波切无疑是格鲁派持续对西藏社会和文化施加影响和控制的典型。毕竟,这位84岁的、被认定为转世活佛的、坚定的格鲁派僧侣兼政治家,与十四世达赖喇嘛关系密切。他从未出席过其他比他资历更深、地位更高的藏传佛教传承上师的活动和开示,也从未公开地赞颂或顶礼膜拜过那些上师们。 此外,据印度政府内部人士透露,考虑到人们对桑东仁波切在印度对男孩实施不当行为的担忧,以及印度人对格鲁派主导的在印活动和藏人机构的日益厌倦,与其说是受到侮辱和嘲笑,不如说是应该祝贺塔兰卓玛,因为她代为表达了许多敢怒而不敢言的藏人的担忧。 (一)这不是一件小事 有些人可能认为卓玛的质疑只是一件“无关紧要”的事,与流亡藏人和西藏本身无关。但事实上,这个问题触及了西藏人为何会与中国人斗争至此的根本原因。 正如我在《蒙古-格鲁派笼罩西藏的阴影:六十年来美国对格鲁派政策的失败》一文中所写,中国对西藏政治、行政权力和所有权的主张,根源在于蒙古-格鲁派政府,即通过五世达赖喇嘛洛桑嘉措,几乎将西藏完全的控制权移交给了中国清廷,直至十三世达赖喇嘛。在蒙古人入侵之前的岁月里,中国从未如此深入地介入到西藏的行政管理中。当时,历代噶玛巴都受到中国皇帝的青睐和礼遇,并被赋予在西藏享有绝对的权力,但噶玛巴却无意接受这些。 (二)塔兰卓玛——2021年首批被任命为部长的三位女性之一 对于那些不关注(甚至不感兴趣于)西藏流亡政治的人来说,塔兰卓玛不仅是西藏流亡政治领域的先锋女性,而且也是一位屡获殊荣的教育家。卓玛,她是2021年西藏流亡政治家们为结束父权制和男性主导的政治旧局,强化女性的地位和声音而被任命为部长的三位杰出女性之一。 卓玛在甘托克和拜拉库比完成学业,并在印度藏人学校任职超过37年,担任了14年的教师和23年的校长工作。2013年,她还荣获印度总统阿卜杜勒·卡拉姆颁发的国家教师奖,并于同年退休。 塔兰卓玛在提出中肯的问题时,不乏带有几分诙谐和女性的优雅(恕我直言,这与那些质问她的人截然不同),这表明她也确实没有辜负她的度母之名。她还经常穿着红色的衣服,这暗示她甚至可能是红度母的化身! 无论如何,卓玛无疑是一个象征,象征着藏人女性正以优雅、智慧和机智的方式,冲破格鲁派的宗派主义霸权牢笼。正如人们常说的,“当你批评掌权者时,一定要让他们开怀大笑,否则他们可能会杀了你!” 阿黛尔·汤姆林于2024年4月10日撰写。
A TARA EMANATION IN TIBETAN EXILE POLITICS? Tibetan Education Minister, Tharlam Drolma, responds to female MP, Konchog Chodon querying the expense, time and necessity of celebrating Samdhong Rinpoche’s birthday
Recently, I was alerted by someone living in the Tibetan exile community in Dharamsala, (a Gelugpa dominated political and religious area in India), that, on 26th March 2025, a senior female elected Tibetan exile minister, Tharlam Dolma (whose name means Path of Liberation Tārā), was persistently questioned by a Tibetan exile female MP, Konchog Chodon… Continue reading A TARA EMANATION IN TIBETAN EXILE POLITICS? Tibetan Education Minister, Tharlam Drolma, responds to female MP, Konchog Chodon querying the expense, time and necessity of celebrating Samdhong Rinpoche’s birthday
Poetry offerings from male reader: “Friend on the Path”, “The One Who Walks the Line” and “Letter to the Self who Offered Everything” composed for Adele Tomlin
"You're either an artist or muse. Each comes with its own set of complications, each with its own unwavering power." "Let discernment be your new protector. Let metta be your mirror, not the silence of those who failed to bow to your truth." ---from "A Friend on the Path" Yesterday, and today, I received two… Continue reading Poetry offerings from male reader: “Friend on the Path”, “The One Who Walks the Line” and “Letter to the Self who Offered Everything” composed for Adele Tomlin
What is “Divine Pride”? Explanation of the difference between worldly, arrogant pride and divine pride
"What You Think You Create. What You Feel You Attract. What You Imagine You Become." ~Buddha "Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world." ~Albert Einstein "Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere." --Carl Sagan New Reel Here is a new… Continue reading What is “Divine Pride”? Explanation of the difference between worldly, arrogant pride and divine pride
STUDENT SHOULD HAVE STABLE AND HUMBLE ATTITUDE LIKE A CHILD, VAJRA, MOUNTAIN, SERVANT AND DOG: Ways of Respecting a Guru with respect, gifts, service and practice, and the Nine Attitudes of Serving a Guru (17th Karmapa, Fifty Verses on the Guru, Day 5, 2025)
“With respect, gifts, service, and practice. One should serve the spiritual friend.” –Ornament of the Mahayana Sutras “However, if you have a guru who does not have the requisite qualifications, then it is quite possible that they will be more pleased the more you offer them materially. But if you have a guru who has… Continue reading STUDENT SHOULD HAVE STABLE AND HUMBLE ATTITUDE LIKE A CHILD, VAJRA, MOUNTAIN, SERVANT AND DOG: Ways of Respecting a Guru with respect, gifts, service and practice, and the Nine Attitudes of Serving a Guru (17th Karmapa, Fifty Verses on the Guru, Day 5, 2025)
NEW MUSIC VIDEO-AUDIO: Red Tārā goddess mantra, “Brilliant Blazing Sun” by Adele Tomlin (feat. Malte Marten)
Today, as an offering to the root guru, the triple jewels and of course, Noble Goddess Tārā am delighted to share my new Red Tārā mantra musical and video composition, with sampled backing track Land of the Sun by Malte Marten. Red Tārā is known for her magnetising/powerful abilities to attract and create loving… Continue reading NEW MUSIC VIDEO-AUDIO: Red Tārā goddess mantra, “Brilliant Blazing Sun” by Adele Tomlin (feat. Malte Marten)
THE DANGERS OF DENIGRATING AN AUTHENTIC GURU: Abandoning disrespect, denigration and offending one’s qualified Vajrayana guru and dire consequences, such as wrathful “liberation” and being cooked in “vajra hell” (Fifty Verses on the Guru, 17th Karmapa (Day 4, 2025)
"We must understand this is only talking about a guru who has all the characteristics, an authentic guru. We are not talking about one who doesn't have the essential characteristics. So if one has examined them well, and decided they are an authentic guru, as one of the characteristics the guru must have is great… Continue reading THE DANGERS OF DENIGRATING AN AUTHENTIC GURU: Abandoning disrespect, denigration and offending one’s qualified Vajrayana guru and dire consequences, such as wrathful “liberation” and being cooked in “vajra hell” (Fifty Verses on the Guru, 17th Karmapa (Day 4, 2025)
AN INSTANTANEOUS PILE-ON OF BLESSINGS FROM A QUALIFIED GURU AS PRECIOUS AS ONE’S “OWN EYEBALLS”: The three or five main characteristics a qualified Vajrayana guru must have and the instant downpour of blessings when a qualified guru meets a qualified receptive vessel student (17th Karmapa, Fifty Verses on the Guru, Day 3 2025)
In Day Three of the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje's teachings on Fifty Verses on the Guru (March 2025), the 17th Karmapa first emphasises again the importance of the Guru being qualified and having the essential characteristics and qualifications. The advice given in the Fifty Verses on the Guru only applies once one has carefully… Continue reading AN INSTANTANEOUS PILE-ON OF BLESSINGS FROM A QUALIFIED GURU AS PRECIOUS AS ONE’S “OWN EYEBALLS”: The three or five main characteristics a qualified Vajrayana guru must have and the instant downpour of blessings when a qualified guru meets a qualified receptive vessel student (17th Karmapa, Fifty Verses on the Guru, Day 3 2025)