Protestant Buddhism in Asia and the West

[nibbuti]

Some interesting ideas about recent historical developments on this blog:

http://meaningness.wordpress.com/2011/0 ... -buddhism/

http://meaningness.wordpress.com/2011/0 ... modernism/

http://meaningness.wordpress.com/2011/0 ... -religion/

http://meaningness.wordpress.com/2011/0 ... -buddhism/

http://meaningness.wordpress.com/2011/0 ... al-weapon/

http://meaningness.wordpress.com/2011/0 ... e-duopoly/

http://meaningness.wordpress.com/2011/0 ... diversity/

http://meaningness.wordpress.com/2011/0 ... editation/

http://meaningness.wordpress.com/2011/0 ... scripture/

Do you actually use the doctrines you are propagating as a basis for your practise?

[Aloka]

Hi gavesako,

I've only just noticed this thread - and I think that the Vajrayana group Aro gTer which the guy who wrote the blog in your first post belongs to, used to be on a cult list .

I am an “apprentice” in the Aro lineage. Aro is a lineage within the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism

http://approachingaro.org/

Kind regards,

Aloka

[gavesako]

I don't know anything about the author of the Meaningness blog and I don't think that it's his original thought either: he merely compiled some references from books recently published on this subject, in particular "Buddhist Modernism" which has been dealt with extensively by other scholars as well. Whatever conclusions he personally draws from it (the need for more tantric Buddhism in the West) is his business, not something I would endorse.

[gendun]

Hi gavesako,

I've only just noticed this thread - and I think that the Vajrayana group Aro gTer which the guy who wrote the blog in your first post belongs to, used to be on a cult list .

I am an “apprentice” in the Aro lineage. Aro is a lineage within the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism

http://approachingaro.org/

Kind regards,

Aloka

Just noticed this and thought it worth going off topic to point out that the key words here are " used to be". The Aro were declared a cult by a group within the old E Sangha site.
Their authenticity is now accepted pretty much universally, including by Malcolm ( formerly Namdrol ).
I apologise for the detour.

[plwk]

Just noticed this and thought it worth going off topic to point out that the key words here are " used to be". The Aro were declared a cult by a group within the old E Sangha site.
Their authenticity is now accepted pretty much universally, including by Malcolm ( formerly Namdrol ).
I apologise for the detour.

And the evidence for your claim on this is? Perhaps you would like to expand on this at the sister site as this site is dedicated to Theravada based teaching and issues.

[Aloka]

Hi gavesako,

I've only just noticed this thread - and I think that the Vajrayana group Aro gTer which the guy who wrote the blog in your first post belongs to, used to be on a cult list .

I am an “apprentice” in the Aro lineage. Aro is a lineage within the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism

http://approachingaro.org/

Kind regards,

Aloka

Just noticed this and thought it worth going off topic to point out that the key words here are " used to be". The Aro were declared a cult by a group within the old E Sangha site.
Their authenticity is now accepted pretty much universally, including by Malcolm ( formerly Namdrol ).
I apologise for the detour.

I saw Aro Ter listed as a cult group somewhere other than E-sangha.

I wasn't very familiar with E-sangha when it was on the internet....nor with "Malcolm/Namdrol" who appears to be regarded as the supreme expert on all things Buddhist.

Anyway..


.

[gendun]

Due to the nature of the internet once a person or group has been blacklisted that list tends to get picked up and repeated widely as "received knowledge".
In the case of the Aro a number of senior Tibetan teachers ( this is easily verified ) came forward to endorse the validity of the Aro..whereupon a number of previous opponents ( including " Namdrol " ) made public apologies.

Btw Malcolm ( Namdrol ) no longer identifies himself as a Buddhist.

We are now way off topic.

[Aloka]

Btw Malcolm ( Namdrol ) no longer identifies himself as a Buddhist.

Yet after leaving Dharma Wheel I notice he is a key figure at the new Vajracakra forum for Tibetan Buddhism.

http://www.vajracakra.com/index.php

[gendun]

Vajracakra was set up by Malcolm and a group of students of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu including Dechen Norbu who broke away from Dharma Wheel over the issue of whether it was neccessary to be a Buddhist in order to practice Dzogchen.
Malcolm and others thought not, and so Vajracakra.com was born. However they opened it to Tibetan Buddhists too, in that they are not excluded.

My apologies to the forum mods. I was unsure whether to respond or not as this is all off topic.

[Ben]

Vajracakra was set up by Malcolm and a group of students of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu including Dechen Norbu who broke away from Dharma Wheel over the issue of whether it was neccessary to be a Buddhist in order to practice Dzogchen.
Malcolm and others thought not, and so Vajracakra.com was born. However they opened it to Tibetan Buddhists too, in that they are not excluded.

My apologies to the forum mods. I was unsure whether to respond or not as this is all off topic.

Thanks Gendun and no worries.
But if others wish to discuss this particular issue further, please feel free to start a new topic.
kind regards,

Ben

[mfesmith]

Vajracakra was set up by Malcolm and a group of students of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu including Dechen Norbu who broke away from Dharma Wheel over the issue of whether it was neccessary to be a Buddhist in order to practice Dzogchen.
Malcolm and others thought not, and so Vajracakra.com was born.

No, Vajracakra was etablished in order to provide a forum for the exclusive discussion of Vajrayāna Dharma. Why? Because just as conversations about Theravada and Zen have proven to flourish more abundantly in dedicated forums, it is our feeling that the same would occur with Vajrayāna, given the chance.

We can see already on Dharmawheel that the conversation is naturally settling into a more Pan-mahāyāna tone since the establishment of Vajracakra.

The issue of whether or not one needs to be a "Buddhist" in order to practice Buddhadharma is completely separate and does not apply only to Dzogchen.

[plwk]

So malcolm, as gendun suggested earlier: that you accepted the authenticity of Aro and apologised?

[gendun]

Vajracakra was set up by Malcolm and a group of students of Chogyal Namkhai Norbu including Dechen Norbu who broke away from Dharma Wheel over the issue of whether it was neccessary to be a Buddhist in order to practice Dzogchen.
Malcolm and others thought not, and so Vajracakra.com was born.

No, Vajracakra was etablished in order to provide a forum for the exclusive discussion of Vajrayāna Dharma. Why? Because just as conversations about Theravada and Zen have proven to flourish more abundantly in dedicated forums, it is our feeling that the same would occur with Vajrayāna, given the chance.

We can see already on Dharmawheel that the conversation is naturally settling into a more Pan-mahāyāna tone since the establishment of Vajracakra.

The issue of whether or not one needs to be a "Buddhist" in order to practice Buddhadharma is completely separate and does not apply only to Dzogchen.

I stand corrected, thank you Malcolm.
Once more the dangers of received knowledge.

[mfesmith]

So malcolm, as gendun suggested earlier: that you accepted the authenticity of Aro and apologised?

I apologized for hurting people's feelings without need, that was as far as it went.

[weatherweather]

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[Mr Man]

Thanks for the post weatherweather. It resonates. It is hard to see how we can collectively move aside from this lava like flow that you describe. It seems like all solutions are immediately engulfed by the cause.