Buddhism

Have they stolen your money, or beat you, or destroyed your property? Or is it your feelings that have been hurt? What are feelings and emotions? Are they real, solid things? If you put your feelings on a scale, what would they weigh? I assure that the DL would see these NKT people as the fruits of his on negative karma that is getting used up. The feelings that he would have would be sadness FOR them, not sadness for himself because of them. He would be sad because he knows that their negative actions will cause them future suffering and keep them trapped in samsara just that much longer. Disparaging a lama, or any truly holy and wise person, is really very bad karma. Actually wrongly slandering anyone is bad karma.

In Buddhism, we try to practice compassion and wisdom. And "wisdom" has a very special meaning: it is realizing that everything is empty. I would refer you to "The Wheel of Sharp Weapons" by Dharmarakshita. You can download a free pdf version of it. Here's a few stanzas from it:

Uncontrollable wandering through rounds of existence
Is caused by our grasping at egos as real.
This ignorant attitude heralds the demon
Of selfish concern for our welfare alone:
We seek some security for our own egos;
We want only pleasure and shun any pain.
But now we must banish all selfish compulsion
And gladly take hardship for all others' sake.

All of our sufferings derive from our habits
Of selfish delusions we heed and act out.
As all of us share in this tragic misfortune,
Which stems from our narrow and self-centered ways,
We must take all our sufferings and the miseries of others
And smother our wishes of selfish concern.

When we hear only language that is foul and abusive,
This is the wheel of sharp weapons returning
Full circle upon us from wrongs we have done.
Till now we have said many things without thinking;
We have slandered and caused many friendships to end.
Hereafter let's censure all thoughtless remarks.

When unjustly we are blamed for the misdeeds of others,
And are falsely accused of flaws that we lack,
And are always the object of verbal abuse, .
This is the wheel of sharp· weapons returning
Full circle upon us from wrongs we have done.
Till now we have despised and belittled our Gurus;
Hereafter let's never accuse others falsely,
But give them full credit for virtues they have.

When the force of attraction or that of repulsion
Colours whatever we hear or we say,
This is the wheel of sharp weapons returning
Full circle upon us from wrongs we have done.
Till now we have ignored what has caused all our troubles:
The mass of delusion that dwells in our heart;
Hereafter let's try to abandon all hindrances--
Note their arisal, examine them well.

I just think that fighting against NKT people, or anyone, is really bad karma. Much better to simply see their ignorance for what it is. Much better to see their actions as not harming the DL in any way whatsoever, but as harming themselves immensely. It's even possible that NKT protests are all a Chinese plot, and these people have been duped and agitated into protests. They have certainly been duped and agitated by somebody. Fighting AGAINST them just holds their ignorance in place, because then they have a position to defend. And you have engaged in dualistic thinking of me/us versus them. And don't say that the DL is not enlightened. You don't know that.

That you are disturbed by these NKT people is an energy that you can use in your own spiritual path. If you could find compassion in your heart for them, what would that be like? What actions would compassion for them lead you to? Would you be motivated to learn about the history of the Gelug tradition? Maybe read something by Atisha or Tsongkapa? Would you practice some lojong for the benefit of these NKT folks?

My own personal refuge lama will not tolerate me telling him anything about any false gurus. He will change the subject or walk out of the room. I took that as a really important lesson.

Don't set up the target for the arrow.