You are called a “consciously reborn Lama of Tibet.” What does that mean?
Historically, the Karmapas were the first lamas, in Buddhism in general and in Tibetan Buddhism in particular, to take rebirth consciously, starting from the second Karmapa. So, they were known as the first “tulkus.”
They are the continuous reincarnations of a great Bodhisattva known as Karmapa who will in the future be enlightened and turn the wheel of the Dharma as a Buddha. “Consciously born” means having the freedom to choose where one wishes to be reborn, and it’s a method that in general anybody can achieve, over the course of time. So, that is the truth from the Buddhist point of view.
Is Buddhism a religion or a philosophy?
It has certain characteristics of both a religion and a philosophy, but the spiritual path itself is something that is beyond both, and due to that it’s not easy to define Buddhism in terms of these two categories.
It is a path that examines the origin and the nature of every experience of phenomena, to see if any of the phenomena contain any permanent essence.
What are the criteria of a true Buddhist lama?
“Lama” means teacher. It is as plain as that, actually. Therefore, a Buddhist teacher has to have the qualities of genuine compassion, a great extent of dharma knowledge, and he or she needs to be someone who doesn’t just teach but also practices what they teach, which means believing in their product.
Other than that, there are many other qualities, but these two are the main ones. These are the guidelines of examining a teacher. Beyond that, there’s no real way to check whether someone is a teacher or not. Only time tells if someone is an authentic teacher.
How can you tell whether a teacher has genuine compassion?
Genuine compassion is expressed both physically and mentally. If someone is truly compassionate, this will show in both his physical and verbal gestures, any time, under any circumstances.
Generally, the reason why it’s so difficult to find an authentic teacher is because we can only rely on very simple and basic proofs. For example, we cannot read the minds of others. Therefore we have to rely on gestures of body and speech, on their behavior. So that means if someone is calm, cool and collected this will often point to their inner quality. Then, most of all, it’s a matter of how long they can sustain these qualities. These are the basic signs of a qualified teacher. That’s why compassion plays a big role.
If we search for a lama today, can we find an authentic one beyond the East?
If any teacher—a gentleman or a lady—if any individual possesses these basic qualities, then it doesn’t matter whether they come from the East or the West.
Are there any rules of behavior for a Buddhist practitioner, any prohibitions?
In the absolute there are no prohibitions whatsoever, since every experience of phenomena is nothing but a play. But until oneself has obtained complete control and stability of that experience, it’s a must to be aware of one’s actions of body, speech and mind. If one fails to do so, it will bring unnecessary harm for oneself and others. So, the basic guidelines are to be aware, follow the “ten virtues” and avoid the “ten non-virtues.”
There is an opinion that one can only develop spiritually if one renounces all worldly life and goes to a cave or a monastery. Is this true?
Well, that’s the tricky part. It actually depends on the time and era. For example, during the time of Milarepa, practicing in caves for one’s whole life was beneficial for oneself and others, but nowadays if someone did that it simply wouldn’t fit according to society.
One widely known Buddhist idea is that humans have past and future lives and can be reborn as an animal, an insect, etc. Is that true? And what is the reason for it?
According to either conscious or unconscious actions of the mind, and on top of that also good or harmful karma, the rebirth—which is an experience of the mind—can take all kinds of shapes and last for any length of time. Therefore, both the experiences of this present rebirth, as well as our past and future rebirths, are all very much dependent on the actions of the mind. If the mind continues in a very similar rhythm of karma, similar experiences will also be gained. But if the mind jumps up and down and our actions have an erratic flow, then we will have all different kinds of rebirth, with different experiences. So right now, as a human being, if the karma we create is of the type to make us take rebirth as an insect, then that’s what we will get. If as an insect we create the karma for a human rebirth then a human rebirth is what we will get. To give an example: Let’s say that right now I am a soap opera actor. If I wish to continue in this line of work and I want to continue acting in the next soap opera, the next show, then I will remain a soap opera actor. But it is also possible to decide to become a movie actor, or to become a theatre actor on Broadway. So, we are not born as a soap opera actor. Sometimes we have the idea that the human rebirth is our true nature, and due to that idea all kinds of other ideas come up. So it’s important to understand that our true essence is not the human nature but rather the buddha nature. The example used shows that it’s not as if we were born as soap opera actors. It is not our nature to be soap opera actors. Our nature is the quality to act, to be an actor in general.
Can we know what we will be?
It depends on our actions/karma.
Do you see the past and future of people?
Based on logic, yes.
How do you relate to death?
Often one relates to death mainly by fear, and also by hope. So the Buddhist approach is to approach it without the two.
Are Buddhists afraid of death?
Sentient beings are not born as Buddhists, so due to that it becomes a very difficult question to answer. Buddhist terminology is something that has evolved based on our language, culture, the mixture of languages and so on. Otherwise, it would be better to talk about “the Buddhist approach” to death, or a better term would be a “dharma practitioner.” But by now the terms “Buddhist” and “Buddhism” are so popular that it will be difficult to change.
Anyway, the Buddhist approach to death is that it’s no different from life, no scarier than life.
Of course, on an individual level we have lots of hope and fear, but the Buddhist approach itself is very mild, very equal, both with regard to life as with regard to death.
As individuals we have so much hope and fear concerning death. Sometimes, when we have a difficult life, we wish for death, and when we are close to death we wish for life. So the individual approach is chaotic, but the Buddhist approach is equal, balanced. So a true practitioner should not be afraid of either life or death.
Depending on an individual’s mind there are countless methods one can apply. If we are too laid back so that we waste our time and energy, then it is good to concentrate on the impermanence of life, meaning death. But if we are too consumed, too preoccupied by all kinds of fear, then it’s best to take a more relaxed approach.
But either way, meditating on the impermanence of phenomena and life remedies both laziness and an overly preoccupied mind. Because everything is impermanent, there is nothing in particular to hope for, nor is there any reason for excessive fear.
Otherwise, whether we are Buddhists or not, it’s the unknown and the uncertainty of death and its aftermath that brings both fear and hope.
What is Buddhist meditation, and what are the benefits of it?
Buddhist meditation is a way to relate to death, but the term we use is known as impermanence. So it is possible to see the beauty of impermanence finally through meditation. Before meditation we have to focus on learning and contemplating on impermanence.
Is it true that Buddhism advises us to accept everything, whatever happens around us, do nothing about it, just take it philosophically?
If all of us are completely enlightened, then probably we can just take things philosophically, poetically, and so on. But, until then, even though everything is a dream, because of our habit of taking this elaborate dream as reality, we have to wake up from that dream in a very harmonious way. So therefore, if we have responsibilities in this life, we have to respect that for the sake of others.
Can a Buddhist participate in politics?
Just like dharma itself, the real idea behind politics is also meant for the good of others, the good of society, the happiness of the people. But if it is not run properly, then whether it is politics or dharma it may cause more harm than good.
So it’s difficult to say—our individual and collective karmas are different, so according to that we have to somehow be involved in society differently.
But from my own point of view as a practitioner, just by understanding the dharma well and applying the methods well we already shed a lot of light on how we have to approach all the responsibilities of life, such as participating in society’s development, others’ happiness, accepting one’s responsibilities as a citizen, such as participating in elections, etc.
What benefit, in your opinion, can society get from Buddhism and Buddhists?
I think it will bring clarity and wisdom.
You visited Russia in June 2009. What were your impressions?
It was a wonderful experience. I met so many practitioners and heard so much about the nation, and so it was great to finally be there in person and see everyone’s devotion towards the dharma.
Buddhism is one of the traditional religions of Russia. Are you satisfied with the way it is presented there and the way it is developing?
As a Buddhist myself it was wonderful to learn that Buddhism exists in Russia till this day as a traditional religion. I think it’s good. I was happy to have heard about it even before I came there, and then to actually see it for myself was an even greater pleasure. So I hope that people will also benefit from the traditional practices.
As a high Buddhist Lama, what do you see as the main problems or obstacles in the spiritual development of a contemporary human being?
Lack of compassion. Sentient beings who are born as human beings like ourselves have all the means, skills, and even wisdom. So, if we can combine that with greater compassion then I think we can realize everyone’s dreams.
How do you see the future of humanity?
The future of humanity depends on what we do right now. Therefore our actions and our intentions will determine the future of this world. Thus, compassion and wisdom is the key.
What would you wish for and advise to Russian people, so that our life could get better, with more awareness, joy, and richness?
Develop devotion towards one’s teacher, family, friends and the rest. Compassion and wisdom are the tools to support that.
Could you please explain what “karma” is?
By now, karma is a term that is being overused and misinterpreted in many ways, I think. Karma simply means action, so that means that since we have three doors of action, we have the opportunity to accumulate karmas of body, speech and mind.
