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Coming
to America - A Monk
with a Mission
By
Madeline Caruthers
Atlanta
is one of several
cities which soon
will be visited
by a very high level
lama from Drepung
Loseling Monastery
in India. His mission:
to engage Buddhists
and non-Buddhists
in prayers and practices
for the healing
and protection of
our country, part
of the Tibetan community's
response to the
events of 9-11.
But
can a monk offer
teachings that are
interesting and
useful to both Buddhists
and non-Buddhists?
Perhaps people who
aren't Buddhist
are wary of the
unknown, fearful
that they might
have to revoke personal
beliefs, participate
unwillingly in unfamiliar
rituals, or that
the teaching might
be too esoteric
or impractical.
Of
course, it is true
that a Buddhist
teaching is indeed
Buddhist in its
inherent nature.
There are some teachings
and practices restricted
to Buddhists, but
teachings offered
to the public are
open and do not
require one to be
Buddhist. The path
to enlightenment
is taught according
to various “lineages,”
oral teachings passed
down from teacher
to student through
time. One could
identify the teachings
by the name of the
teacher himself
or by his school
of thought. As with
Christianity, Buddhism
has variations,
depending upon which
school the lama
represents. This
monk coming to Atlanta
in March is a Tibetan
Buddhist from the
Gelukpa school.
His
Holiness the Dalai
Lama is not identified
with a particular
school, but is a
representative of
all the different
Tibetan schools
of Buddhism. The
monk coming is also
referred to as His
Holiness or His
Eminence, titles
that have no real
meaning in old Tibet,
but were adapted
loosely from Christianity.
HH Rizong Rinpoche
is the title, not
the name of the
monk who is coming,
but he is usually
addressed by “Rinpoche,”
which means “Precious
One.” One long-time
Buddhist says that
a person with that
title has “pretty
good control over
where and when he
will be reborn.”
This is because,
having gained some
wisdom and skillful
means in his last
life, he could stay
focused so he didn't
'freak-out'
in the death/in-between
state known as Bardo.
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