a very unusual visiting lama

[Ngawang Drolma]

It kind of makes one wonder if they were casing the joint for gold...

They didn't do anything unethical. Most of them seemed friendly and they really enjoyed their master's teaching.

Their recruiting method was very smooth: a man gave me a piece of chocolate...and then tried to get my name and phone number for their contact list. It was like a political campaign or something.

My sangha never actively recruits people; we let them come to us instead.

The sadhana the lama was teaching did seem quite wonderful and extraordinary, but I really wonder how many people can benefit from a completion stage sadhana if they haven't yet completed--or even started--the generation stage.

At this point I think it is reasonable that you tell us who this Lama is.

/magnus

Presumably we're talking about a respected lama. So I would suggest that from here on out we discuss this experience carefully, and as Magnus suggested, knowing who the lama is might put this in a more coherent perspective. I understand Luke's attempts at discretion but the conversation has progressed.

Best,
Laura

[catmoon]

I don't think identifying the lama is wise. What if our whole view of the situation is mistaken? What harm has he done?

[Luke]

Hi Luke,

There were no prerequisites required to attend the teaching? Is it possible that you missed that part of the announcement?

Kindly,
Laura

I double-checked the poster. You are correct. It said that receiving a Vajrasattva Empowerment from this lama was a prerequisite (I have received a Vajrasattva empowerment from a different visiting lama, however). I didn't realize this at the time, and no one mentioned anything when I bought my ticket. The atmosphere was so casual. When one of the lama's students heard that I was a member of my sangha, he didn't ask whether I had had any type of empowerment; he was simply very happy that I was there. Also, since I'm in a foreign country, I sometimes inadvertently make mistakes.

I'm not sure if the lama even gave the empowerment during the time he was teaching at my Buddhist center. Usually when visiting lamas come to our center, they teach things which my sangha members can benefit from. I suppose in this case, we were simply letting another sangha host an event in our building which we couldn't really learn anything from.

I think this was just a misunderstanding. Since I don't yet know much about these things, I emailed a member of my sangha whether she thought I should go or not even though I couldn't attend this visiting lama's earlier teachings because I was working. She told me that I should definitely go, so I went, assuming that she knew what is going on because she has been practicing for a very long time (but knows nothing about Dzogchen). I think there was a failure of communication between our two sanghas. This is possibly why I saw so few of my sangha members at these teachings.

To this visiting lama's credit, he did give a free teaching about love and compassion on one day, but I couldn't go there on that day.

Anyway, I've already discussed the general issues I wanted to discuss. I didn't want this to turn negative, so I'll say no more about this matter. Any negativity which I observed might simply have been in my own mind.

[Ngawang Drolma]

Thank you Luke. In my small experience, it's up to the person attending to make sure that you've received the prerequisites so I can see how this misunderstanding happened. I'm sorry you found yourself in such a confusing situation. I'm glad that your general questions have been answered.

Because we're probably talking about a respected lama, if we don't want to go further with this conversation I'm happy to close the thread at the poster's request, if that is what he would like. Otherwise naming the lama seems prudent because people here might know him and be better able to explain what happened at the teaching to put it in a different (probably more positive) context.

I leave this to you folks, please let me know how you would like to continue with this thread (or not continue with it).

Kind regards,
Laura

[Luke]

Yes, you could close this thread. Or you could delete this entire thread into oblivion. Do whatever you think is best. You're wiser than I am, Laura.

In my attempt to make an interesting thread, I seem to have created a gossip column instead. Sorry.

At the end of the day, the minor flaws of other sanghas probably aren't so important, since all sanghas have some minor flaws (including my own).

[Ngawang Drolma]

Dear Luke,

Your questions are fine. Why not? You didn't understand.

As the thread has progressed we may be moving into an area that involves talk of a respected lama, and it may be in the best interest of all if we move on.

I'm glad that your general questions have been satisfied. I hope that you'll continue to speak freely

I will go ahead and close this thread at the request of the OP.

Kind wishes,
Laura