The S h a m a r p a
Recent activities of His Holiness Shamar Rimpoche
Interview of HH Shamar Rimpoche at Kaohsiung International Airport (March 12th, 2002)
Q1. What is your impression about Taiwan? Since you have not been here for a while, do you see any difference or change?
A1. Yes, very much changes. Much more changes like more people became well informed about Buddhism (the Vajrayana Buddhism). I think people are informed now, became more knowledgeable, more understanding, well informed about the situations of Vajrayana in Tibet. People in Taiwan are interested in Vajrayana in Tibet. In the earlier time, they are interested in everything. Now, they are better informed.
Q2.1. Since the Tibetan Buddhism is getting more and more popular in Taiwan, and there are quite a few "rinpoches", "lamas" and centers all over Taiwan, as the spiritual leader of Karma Kagyu lineage, would you please express your opinions about this prosperous phenomenon?
A2.1. I already advised all the lamas of Karma Kagyu here who are under my supervision, got to be compassionate to people. Due to that, they had to give the dharma teachings to the people very properly, which can help them. Yeh, I think this is the responsibility of lamas, and then I strongly advise that encourage them not to be materialistic meaning for dharma.
Q2.2. How about disciples?
A2.2. Disciple also should not be naïve. Disciples should be very analytic, and analyzed about dharma. What they learned and analyzed teachers also, I think. Don’t just follow everything blindly.
Q.3. We had known from history, Shamapas have ensured the continuity of Karma Kagyu lineage, including identifying new incarnations of Karmapas. What are the difficulties, obstacles and problems you have encountered when you recognized and identified the 17th Karmapa?
A.3. Yah, the name of Karmapa is a very sellable item. Due to that, there are a lot of obstacles, even our school of Karma Kagyu nearly lost by treat. There are a lot of betrayal problems happened plus someone use Karmapa’s name for profit, and someone use for quality. And then, due to that, there’s a lot of integrity of this type of audition of business-minded people. They try to spoil the lineage in order to gain what they want. Then, I was able to manage, I think this is because of my past karma also as Shamarpa and I myself have no any ambitions for my own reasons to dharma. So, I want to preserve my lineage and therefore to support many genuine devotees, to support many teachers (lamas, monks). Everything is successful now.
Q.4. As we have learned that your workload is very heavy, from setting up new centers and schools, teaching dharma, helping people, training lamas, and identifying and educating Karmapa. How do you manage to handle such complications? When in high pressure and difficult situations, how do you overcome?
A.4. Well, so far I manage to overcome these problems. I went to dharma properly. I never join the politicians. I went all the time in the dharma beings. Then, naturally, I get help from all these good people, and good dharma teachers, not only within Kagyupa, even from other schools. They are all the time to help me. Everything is OK now.
Q.5. In terms of work, what is your most favorite thing to do? And, what is the toughest challenge to you?
A.5. My most interest is, yes, giving dharma teaching to the world would be interactive, educational. The difficulties that I have are: people who follow dharma majority led by more ritualistic, that maybe attract more people. Then, they ignore the knowledge part, the dharma part. So, I had the difficulties to make people understand. This is quite hard for me. Besides, the traditions by that will disturb the dharma. To make people understand is more difficult.
Q.6. For hundreds of years, Karmapas and Shamarpas have a long-lasting special relationship. How can we maintain this kind of close relationship with our guru life-after-life?
A.6.Of course, this is from their wish. Bodhisattava wish. Bodhisattava wish that make it happen. But Happening now and continuing in the future, as whatever they said, like stories by Shamarps. Whatever they said, it’s really happening now. And, it will happen naturally. Inevitably, it would help people. Because it’s from the wish they made in the past, Bodhisattava wish. Bodhisattava wishes are always ripe including their wishes as disciples.
Q.7. What do you like to say to disciples of Karma Kagyu in Taiwan? How can we improve ourselves?
A.7. They are doing very well. As I advise to people, they should be more opening, propitious, more analytic, and then they can get the right one.
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