Question and Answer Session at Tsinghua Science Park

(June 25, 2010 PM)

 (1) Question: I am an entrepreneur at the Zhong Guan Cun Science Park. I have my own businesses here. I would like to ask: Today, natural and man-made disasters have been happening one after the other, especially in the last couple of years. Earthquakes, droughts, floods and so forth occur frequently. What is the main reason for this?

Answer: This is something that everyone should be concerned about. Almost twice as many natural disasters have occurred from 2001 until today than in the previous decade. Religious people and those working in science and technology have their own individual views on this. Generally speaking, though, it has been widely recognized that humankind has recklessly been destroying nature, mining holy mountains, cutting down forests, killing huge amounts of animals using scientific and technological means, and continuously committing many evil actions. These things are enough to cause widespread indignation and discontent for both humans and gods. This is coupled with the increasingly agitated minds of modern people, which, when reflected in the external world also leads to various disasters. As such, due to the fact that sentient beings have committed unwholesome actions, their external world is reflecting this.

 (2) Question: I am the Vice-President of marketing and sales of a Tsinghua Tongfang subordinate company. During my daily work, I often have to compete with many rivals to win customers for projects. For this, I have to think of and use many tactics, but doing so is contrary to the Mahayana doctrine. Without doing this, it seems that it is impossible to successfully secure a project. How should lay Buddhist practitioners like me resolve or reconcile this kind of conflict?

Answer: Generally, in accordance with the Buddhist point of view, as a lay practitioner, whether you are a worker, farmer, or businessman, it is reasonable to use ordinary means to gain profits so that you are able to support your daily lives.

However, the objectives and nature of each industry are not the same, and some types of business will have more deceptive elements than other fields. It is inevitable, when doing business, that you may deceive others and even have to employ many tricks. Strictly speaking, when we observe this in terms of the law of cause and effect, these are not allowed. But if you have no choice, then the only way is to try your best to refrain from any activity that may harm others, regularly practice confession, and use the money you earn from business for charitable acts.

 (3) Question: I am a technology worker. I have a question: In an environment like the Chinese Han region, where most people don’t believe in Buddhism, how can we spread the Dharma?

Answer: I think activities to spread the Dharma rely on certain causes and conditions. It is also written in the scriptures: “Do not teach Dharma to those who are disrespectful.” If someone doesn’t have confidence in and doesn’t have any sense of reverence for Buddhism, then we should not teach the Dharma to them; we should respect their choice. When it is not possible to promote Buddhism, there is no need to force ourselves to do so.

However, if the correct causes and conditions are all in place, then we should not simply give up because it takes too much time, because we are too busy with our work, because we have too many personal matters to resolve, and so forth. Instead, we should make the promotion of Dharma our first priority. Why? Because Buddhist philosophy, whether in the past, present, or future, is extremely profound, and very beneficial for people. If we can, we should help others by using Dharma. Its benefits are far greater than helping others with money or status. Therefore, when the causes and conditions for spreading Dharma are all available, we should try our best to overcome all difficulties and tirelessly make efforts for this to happen.

 (4) Question: I work as an editor for Tsinghua University. I would like to ask you a question: If I give Dharma pendants, such as a pendant containing the summary of the Perfection of Wisdom, to non-Buddhists, although they like them, they may sometimes put the pendants in inappropriate places. By doing so, they are actually committing a minor fault. Is my act of giving still positive and appropriate in this case?

Answer: Giving Dharma items, such as the summary of the Perfection of Wisdom, the Diamond Sutra, Heart Sutra, and so forth to connect others with the Dharma is definitely beneficial. However, it is not appropriate to give esoteric Vajrayana Dharma books to people who haven’t received any empowerments.

In the case of Dharma pendants filled with Sutrayana scriptures, such as the summary of the Perfection of Wisdom, if these are worn by a person, and, due to the fact that he or she is not Buddhist the person occasionally neglects it and then accidentally tramples on it, nevertheless, since your motivation is pure, this will still help the person. However, when you offer it to others, you should also remind them that it is best not to put it somewhere dirty. If they can always be respectful of this item, this will benefit both their present and future lives. Using this method to help them, creating a karmic link with profound scriptures, will have great benefits.

Question: I think it is quite easy to generate bodhicitta on a temporary basis, but it is very difficult to sustain it and expand it; instead, it is often forgotten and then fades. How should we tackle this problem?

Answer: Even if you cannot sustain your bodhicitta for a longer term, you can still make it your aspiration and work on it once a month or once a week, as is promoted by the “One Foundation.” If everyone is able to do this, remaining active and positive in their charitable work, this will create unimaginable power.

Of course, if you have a good aspiration and can work on bodhicitta continuously, not only will this help spread the Dharma, but it is also a good practice and challenge for yourself. Otherwise, if nobody is willing to carry out virtuous activities and everyone is selfish, then the whole community will eventually become apathetic.

 (5) Question: I am a student of Tsinghua University. You mentioned in your speech that we should believe in the law of cause and effect, and believe that past and future lives exist. These concepts are accepted by Buddhists relatively easily. However, it is difficult to convince people of such things who have had a materialistic education since their childhood. Even though Buddhism has logical reasoning to support the idea of past and future lives, it may still not be suitable for them. Is there an even more simple way to illustrate the existence of past and future lives?

Answer: It is indeed difficult to change someone’s faith or philosophy. The habits learned during kindergarten and primary school have significant effects on our whole life, as brain function is at its peak during that time. Therefore, I firmly hope that parents and teachers always nurture children with the idea that “Wholesome actions bring happiness, unwholesome actions bring sufferings,” so that children grow up to become good people. Otherwise, after they grow up—except for someone who has special karmic links from their past life—I am afraid that it will be very hard for them to believe in the existence of past and future lives.

Of course, there are still other methods available, such as telling stories related to cause and effect. For college students, you can debate with them using logical reasoning. If you have solidly grounded reasons, you will be able to defeat them in the debate, and then, even if they don’t acknowledge it verbally, at least in their heart they might think, “In case there are past and future lives, what should I plan and do for my future life?”

I think there are two ways: first, educating children with the correct view from an early age; second, debate with them. This may change their wrong views.

Question: Even if we believe that past and future lives exist, in our own life it is still difficult to always manage our behavior in accordance with that. An example to illustrate this point is that many people know that smoking is harmful to their health, but they still continue to smoke. This shows that there is a gap between “knowing” and “doing,” so how can we get beyond this gap?

Answer: If you consider this point seriously, no matter how firm your habits are, you will not dare to act carelessly. For example, if you know that as a result of murdering someone you will face the harshest possible punishment under the law, even if you have intense hatred for someone, you would not dare kill him or her. Similarly, if you truly believe there are future lives, and that killing will cause you to fall into the hell realms, no matter how great your agitation, you will simply not kill or create negative karma.

Therefore, the main point is whether you have faith and confidence in this or not. If you are dubious about it, then it is normal that you will create negative karma. On the other hand, if you have firm faith in this, and know the consequences in advance, you usually won’t commit negative acts.

 (6) Question: I am a bank employee. In my work, we organize entertainment for our customers, and my boss asks me to take responsibility for ordering the food. This requires me to choose some live animals. If I don’t order them, I am opposing my boss, and will be criticized. If I order the live animals, I am directly creating the negative karma of killing. Some people have said, “If you are not killing intentionally, you can just confess it later.” However, I often kill living beings and then confess. Being in this loop again and again will cause me to develop a bad habit. What should I do in this case?

Answer: In such cases, you either leave the company, or continue to kill. If you continue to kill, it is definite that you are committing some faults, as the precious lives of living beings are taken because of your placing the order to kill them. This kind of confession is really not very good, but, between confessing and not confessing, it is still better to confess. Other than that, there is no other solution.

Question: I often advise people around me to pray and ask for the blessing of buddhas and bodhisattvas in times of difficulties. However, they scoff, “If things go well, you will say that it is the blessing from the buddhas and bodhisattvas; if the situation continues to be unfavorable, then it means that it is due to my negative karma since beginningless time. Buddhism is always like that: there are always two sides to whatever they say.” In this regard, I do not know how to explain it.

Answer: Actually, it is very simple, and the same thing applies to the mundane world as well. For example, a person commits a crime. If his family successfully save him from prison by seeking the help of a political leader, then everyone will give credit to the leader for saving that person. But if it is impossible for the leader to help, then everyone will think that the prisoner must have committed a very serious crime. So, by using this analogy, it is very easy to explain the blessing of Buddha and bodhisattvas. In fact, Lord Buddha said in the scriptures that even the skillful hand of Buddha cannot help sentient beings that really don’t have any karmic link with Buddhism. This phenomenon is already reasonably well explained and so this is not the fault of Buddhism.

Question: If people meet a lama and make some offerings, then later hear that the lama spent the money to build a hotel and other buildings, should they continue to make offerings to the lama if they see him again?

Answer: I am not sure whether lamas who build hotels and other buildings use the profits from the business for charity or not. However, if they don’t, then is it necessary for those people to throw good money after bad? This is your own business. You should think twice and observe for yourself.

 (7) Question: I am a student of Beijing International Studies University. I would like to ask you a question. At present, the people living in the big Han cities place great emphasis on love and romantic relationships. Many young people experience great suffering due to love and relationships. If we share the meaning of emptiness with them, although emptiness itself can remedy the attachment to love and relationships, it is still very difficult for them to accept it. What method should we use to help this kind of person?

Answer: Indeed, excessive attachment to love is a very serious problem in the Chinese Han region. I’ve been to a number of European countries, and my indirect understanding is that there aren’t many suicide cases caused by love or relationships. In Tibet, perhaps due to faith, it is almost unheard of.

Actually, it is not only emptiness that can subdue the attachment to love, but also awareness of the law of impermanence in Buddhism, or the concept of “what has been gathered will be dispersed.” Also, the concept that “everything depends on causes and effects” can convince and help them. However, for those who have no karmic link with Buddhism, I am afraid that we won’t be able to help.

In the Han region, it may be due to the education from parents and the guidance from television and the media which has caused people to be so attached to love and relationships from an early age. As a result, there are now quite a lot of people who commit suicide due to attachment to love and relationships. As for deciding what specific method can be used to resolve this, it is indeed a problem.

 (8) Question: You have talked about the “The Tibetan Culture of Nurturing the Mind and Prolonging Life.” Are there any specific methods about the topic regarding the use of the breath and also visualizing a letter and so forth? Are there any works from previous masters relating to this to which you could direct us?

Answer: Part of it is available in Finding Comfort and Ease in the Nature of Mind. If you have received an empowerment before, the generation stage in Web of Magical Illusion, and The Innermost Heart Drop of the Guru (Lama Yangtik) and Fundamental Mind: The Nyingma View of the Great Completeness also have some excellent instructions on it.

 (9) Question: I work as an investor for a company. Often, my colleagues ask: “Buddhists believe in the six realms of cyclic existence, but how can you prove that hell really exists?” I don’t know how to answer this, so may I request that you shed light on this.

Answer: Regarding the existence of hell, the first method to prove it is that many great masters have personally seen it. Some people visited hell and wrote books, like Exploring the Realms of Hell. Some can remember experiences in hell from their past lives. The second way is by relying on the words of Lord Buddha. If Buddhist scriptures contain unreasonable facts, then we can refute the existence of hell, but so far, whether scientist or sage, none can refute this. The mention of the suffering of animals in the scriptures has no faults, nor does the sufferings and happiness of humans mentioned there. This is all very precise and true. Since Buddha taught correctly on matters that we can see, we can infer that, for those things that Buddha taught that we cannot see, such as hell, he should also be correct.

People often say, “If hell really exists, then please show me where it is.” Actually, the scriptures never say that hell can be seen with our ordinary eyes, but if you engender heavy negative karma, then it is certain that you will fall into hell and experience immense sufferings. For example, if someone has never been to a place that has been discovered and proven to exist by exploration and research by scientists, that person may temporarily disbelieve its existence, but eventually, when technology has advanced further and is able to reveal it to human eyes, he or she will see it directly. What Lord Buddha revealed to us about the existence of hell is the same as above.

Host’s concluding speech:

Thank you everyone. Khenpo So Dargye is an erudite master. Today we came with a simple topic—the Tibetan Culture of Nurturing the Mind and Prolonging Life—and Khenpo has used layman’s language to explain difficult points, giving us a brilliant speech.

We look forward to listening to more in-depth teachings from Khenpo in the future. Finally, let us thank Khenpo again, and, at the same time, give thanks to all our friends who have visited Tsinghua Science Park, with a warm round of applause.

This concludes today’s seminar. Thanks once again to everyone.