White Tara said:
“It is essential to stay far away from those who disregard moral principles and keep a distance from evil-doers. This is because when in such company, our own spiritual purity will be compromised and stained.”
At first, I had resistance towards these words.
I said:
“For an enlightened person, shouldn’t sentient beings be viewed with equality and without discrimination? Based on teachings regarding buddha-nature, those who violate the precepts also have buddha-nature, evil-doers also have buddha-nature. How can we discriminate based on good or evil?”
White Tara smiled:
“Grandmaster Lu possesses the ability to perceive all living beings with impartiality and without prejudice. However, for a practitioner who has not yet attained enlightenment, it is necessary to stay away from those who are corrupted.”
She continued:
“Listen!
A dharma propagator who violates the precepts, will mislead a cultivation group.
A dharma propagator who violates the precepts, will mislead a chapter.
A dharma propagator who violates the precepts, will mislead a temple.”
Why is that?
The reason is rooted in what is known as “the process of contamination.”
***
It finally dawned on Grandmaster Lu.
Why did Mencius’s mother move house three times?
One who is near vermilion turns red.
One who is near ink becomes black.
I was reminded of the “kimchi fermenting culture” of Koreans. They have these incredibly large fermentation jars used for making kimchi. Inside these jars, you'll find a mixture of sugar, salt, vinegar, food colorings, flavorings, and various elements like tartness, sweetness, bitterness, and spiciness.
After the ingredients are prepared, they are mixed with the vegetables and placed inside the jar.
The jar is then buried in the ground and allowed time to ferment.
When the jar is finally unearthed, something has happened. The vegetables have become stained and completely transformed into kimchi.
None of them retain their original characteristics. Once inside the fermentation jar, everything becomes stained.
This is the process of fermentation inside the jar. It is extremely fearsome because it completely changed the nature of all the vegetables. This reminds me of the saying, “When you spend enough time in a fish market, you no longer notice the smell.”
Another saying:
Different cultures develop when ten miles apart.
Customary practices vary when five miles away.
These “customs” and “cultures” are all results caused by surrounding influences.
If we come across:
A dharma propagator who has strayed from the lineage teachings
A dharma propagator who has become arrogant and full of themselves
A dharma propagator who believes they have acheived great merit
A dharma propagator who disrespects his root guru
A dharma propagator who believes he is the greatest
A dharma propagator who criticizes
... his or her root guru
... the Buddha
... the True Buddha Dharma
... other dharma propagators
You must know that this person has become unstable. They have broken the vows and precepts related to respecting and honoring their guru, treasuring the dharma, and practicing diligently.
White Tara said:
“Keep your distance immediately!”
Just like how wearing a clean white robe can get stained and dirty when in a place filled with filth and mud, even if your spiritual commitments are pure, they can be tainted by the damaged commitments of others, leading you to become like them.
In the Vajrayana tradition, if you have even the slightest doubt in your root guru, their teachings, their lineage, or in the Buddhas, the teachings, and the supportive community, you will not be able to achieve spiritual enlightenment and union.
Be cautious! Be careful!
Remember clearly! Do not forget!
You must stay far away from those who violate their vows and precepts!