Hello everyone,
I am an Anthropologist doing a fieldwork on Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana) at the only existing local Tibetan Buddhist center in my country. I've been doing this for a few months now and I've discovered things that I had been unaware of before. It's been a very positive experience so far as it has even helped me overcome my depression and all kinds of other issues. And I find myself not only drawn to Tibetan Buddhism but also Tibetan culture.
Now, to get to the point of my topic.. Basically, I had a debate with a close friend of mine who is a Taoist. He stated that Buddhism is pessimistic and that he could never have faith in a religion that believes the purpose of existence is to escape existence.
Well.. at first, I wasn't sure how to respond to that because I've only done this for a few months and I certainly don't know all the right answers. But the truth is, since I started my fieldwork, I've noticed that there are a lot of common misconceptions and misunderstandings about Tibetan Buddhism in the West.. like how it's a pessimistic and a selfish religion and so on.
Apart from our resident root guru/lama, I have talked to other Tibetan lamas and they have all struck me as very peaceful, loving and cheerful people. They also have this mischievous sense of humour, always joking and laughing. There is never a dull, lifeless and pessimistic moment with them nor at the center in general. Even their disciples seem generally more relaxed about life than the average person. I wish my Taoist friend could see this.
But what most people have heard is that Tibetan Buddhism says that life is suffering, and that seems to be why many assume it's just a pessimistic way of life. But I know there's a lot more to Tibetan Buddhism than the first noble truth, there's also the profound rituals, tantric yoga, meditations, mantras etc, all this deep knowledge and wisdom that I find amazingly helpful. But of course, you don't know unless you actually practice, right? So how do I explain that to him? I tried but he only felt offended, he said he'd studied it extensively and that Taoism and Buddhism are polar opposites, and that he pretty much knew what he was talking about..
So I guess what I'm asking is this: how would you respond if you were to face such assumptions about Tibetan Buddhism? Do you agree that Buddhism is a pessimistic religion or do you simply believe it is neither optimistic nor pessimistic, but rather realistic?
If I haven't misunderstood something, then what I've personally gathered from what Tibetan lamas have said is that nothing is permanent. Life is full of change and it is this inconsistency or uncertainty about the lasting value of certain things that causes suffering and distress, like relationships or material items and even joy. So if you do not learn how to let go but instead cling to such attachments, you will only cause yourself to suffer. In this case, it is a lot more healthy to live in the present moment than the past. And I think that this is what they mean when they use the term "suffering".
Anyway, I'd love to hear others opinions on this as I think I still owe my friend a good answer. :)
Blessings,
~Susanna
I am an Anthropologist doing a fieldwork on Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana) at the only existing local Tibetan Buddhist center in my country. I've been doing this for a few months now and I've discovered things that I had been unaware of before. It's been a very positive experience so far as it has even helped me overcome my depression and all kinds of other issues. And I find myself not only drawn to Tibetan Buddhism but also Tibetan culture.
Now, to get to the point of my topic.. Basically, I had a debate with a close friend of mine who is a Taoist. He stated that Buddhism is pessimistic and that he could never have faith in a religion that believes the purpose of existence is to escape existence.
Well.. at first, I wasn't sure how to respond to that because I've only done this for a few months and I certainly don't know all the right answers. But the truth is, since I started my fieldwork, I've noticed that there are a lot of common misconceptions and misunderstandings about Tibetan Buddhism in the West.. like how it's a pessimistic and a selfish religion and so on.
Apart from our resident root guru/lama, I have talked to other Tibetan lamas and they have all struck me as very peaceful, loving and cheerful people. They also have this mischievous sense of humour, always joking and laughing. There is never a dull, lifeless and pessimistic moment with them nor at the center in general. Even their disciples seem generally more relaxed about life than the average person. I wish my Taoist friend could see this.
But what most people have heard is that Tibetan Buddhism says that life is suffering, and that seems to be why many assume it's just a pessimistic way of life. But I know there's a lot more to Tibetan Buddhism than the first noble truth, there's also the profound rituals, tantric yoga, meditations, mantras etc, all this deep knowledge and wisdom that I find amazingly helpful. But of course, you don't know unless you actually practice, right? So how do I explain that to him? I tried but he only felt offended, he said he'd studied it extensively and that Taoism and Buddhism are polar opposites, and that he pretty much knew what he was talking about..
So I guess what I'm asking is this: how would you respond if you were to face such assumptions about Tibetan Buddhism? Do you agree that Buddhism is a pessimistic religion or do you simply believe it is neither optimistic nor pessimistic, but rather realistic?
If I haven't misunderstood something, then what I've personally gathered from what Tibetan lamas have said is that nothing is permanent. Life is full of change and it is this inconsistency or uncertainty about the lasting value of certain things that causes suffering and distress, like relationships or material items and even joy. So if you do not learn how to let go but instead cling to such attachments, you will only cause yourself to suffer. In this case, it is a lot more healthy to live in the present moment than the past. And I think that this is what they mean when they use the term "suffering".
Anyway, I'd love to hear others opinions on this as I think I still owe my friend a good answer. :)
Blessings,
~Susanna
posted in
Tibetan Buddhism
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