White Tara said:
“When you do not know a spiritual cultivator, or have only heard rumors or biased accounts about them, please avoid participating in casual slander. Unless you have attained complete wisdom and possess the ability to comprehend the thoughts of others, refrain from denouncing anyone.”
“Slandering” is a common affliction that affects people in the mundane world.
The precepts concerning speech karma are the easiest to break.
People easily succumb to the temptation of slandering others.
Spiritual cultivators are no exception.
Spiritual cultivators are prone to committing the transgression of slandering when criticizing or disparaging other sects or schools of Buddhism.
Spiritual cultivators easily fall into the trap of praising themselves and criticizing others.
Spiritual cultivators easily commit the act of propagating the faults and delusions of their fellow cultivators.
Spiritual cultivators slander other religious doctrines.
Spiritual cultivators with biases slander teachers and disciples of other religions due to ignorance or misunderstandings. Hence, it is very important to abandon these biases and attachments.
***
During my time in Taiwan, I came across some books that were highly critical of Esoteric Buddhism, particularly the Tibetan schools of Esoteric Buddhism.
These writings were authored by a cultivator who followed the Consciousness-only teachings of Yogachara, and he went as far as to denounce Padmasambhava, the revered patriarch of Esoteric Buddhism.
In addition, this spiritual cultivator also criticized Venerable Master Yin Shun of the Sanlun Sect.
He thought:
Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism was a “perversion.”
Padmasambhava was “a demon of perversion.”
Master Yin Shun strongly believed in and endorsed the six consciousnesses. However, he erroneously regarded the seventh and eighth consciousnesses as merely symbolic.
I would like to make an explanation here:
Padmasambhava had five female disciples who attained remarkable accomplishments. All of them were Padmasambhava’s dharma companions.
These five disciples were:
Yeshe Tsogyal.
Mandarava.
Belmo Sakya Devi
Belwong Kalasiddhi.
Tashi Kyedren.
These five disciples all attained great accomplishments.
Furthermore, it has been recorded in sutras and tantras that aside from these five, there were another fifteen who achieved great accomplishments.
In addition to these twenty yoginis, there were many more.
All of them were Padmasambhava’s consorts.
Hence, Padmasambhava was criticized as a patriarch of perversion.
Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism was labeled as a school of perversion.
According to my understanding:
The “Consort Practice” of Padmasambhava holds profound meaning and falls within the realm of unparalleled mysteries. Engaging in this practice allows the individual to attain a state of profound joy, radiant clarity, and profound emptiness. Furthermore, it bestows immense advantages for the esoteric development of vital energy, energy channels, and subtle drops.
“Unblemished.”
“Transcendental.”
“Perfect and complete.”
This kind of secret lineage is appropriate and legitimate, as it is an integration of the generation and perfection stages, utilizing an expedient dharma gate to arrive at the transcendental and liberating wisdom of Tathagatas.
(This practice is something difficult for worldly individuals to understand, which is why it often faces criticism. The Buddhist practitioner who wrote those books had not cultivated and achieved realization in this practice, leading to inevitable misunderstanding and slander.)
By not fully grasping the hidden significance of this practice, the cultivator engaged in misleading speech, which caused him to break his vows and precepts.
This individual used Consciousness-only teachings to disparage and criticize other schools and sects of Buddhism, a speech transgression of slander.
In my opinion:
There are far too many people in this world who have committed the transgression of slandering because so many are unaware of the truth. There is sensationalism of the media, circulation of incorrect information through speech, and rumors by people with ill intent.
Consequently, false and inaccurate information becomes widespread in the world, while the truth becomes submerged.
In this world, Buddhist practitioners should keep silent! Avoid breaking the precepts!