I recently posted this comment to a news article regarding a recent self-immolation by a Tibetan protesting Chinese domination of his country:
QUOTE:
The practice of self-immolation is (at first blush) extolled in the Lotus Sutra (Chapter 23), which ShakyamuniBuddha referred to as his highest teaching. In that chapter (as translated by Burton Watson) there are these two statements:
"Good men, [self-immolation] is called the foremost donation of all. Among all donations, this is most highly prized..." [This was spoken after the Bodhisattva Gladly Seen by All Living Beings, a shapeshifter [and that's important] had self-immolated [in the presence of] a Buddha.]
However, Shakyamuni Buddha states [later in this chapter]:
"...the benefits gained by [one who would burn a finger or a toe as an offering to the buddha towers] cannot match those gained by accepting and upholding this Lotus Sutra, even just one four-line verse of it! The latter brings the most numerous blessings of all."
Self-immolation is not recommended as a practice for just anybody. The one mentioned above took place under highly unusual circumstances by a Bodhisattva who himself was highly advanced in practice. So much so, he didn't run around screaming as gasoline-fed flames scorched his body.
I don't know where self-immolation fits into the scheme of the Tibetan buddhists, but I do know this much: TheDalai Lama never mentions the Lotus Sutra when teaching his followers. Even though that is the highest teaching of all the buddhas of the universe. Maybe the Tibetans would gain greater benefit (their freedom?) by doing what the Buddha taught: "accept[ing] and uphold[ing] this Lotus Sutra, even just one four-line verse of it."
This is why I denounce the Dalai Lama as a heretic, for he should be correcting his people away from the practice of self-immolation and, more importantly, toward the Lotus Sutra.
Steven Searle, former candidate for US President (2008 and 2012)
"Good men, [self-immolation] is called the foremost donation of all. Among all donations, this is most highly prized..." [This was spoken after the Bodhisattva Gladly Seen by All Living Beings, a shapeshifter [and that's important] had self-immolated [in the presence of] a Buddha.]
However, Shakyamuni Buddha states [later in this chapter]:
"...the benefits gained by [one who would burn a finger or a toe as an offering to the buddha towers] cannot match those gained by accepting and upholding this Lotus Sutra, even just one four-line verse of it! The latter brings the most numerous blessings of all."
Self-immolation is not recommended as a practice for just anybody. The one mentioned above took place under highly unusual circumstances by a Bodhisattva who himself was highly advanced in practice. So much so, he didn't run around screaming as gasoline-fed flames scorched his body.
I don't know where self-immolation fits into the scheme of the Tibetan buddhists, but I do know this much: TheDalai Lama never mentions the Lotus Sutra when teaching his followers. Even though that is the highest teaching of all the buddhas of the universe. Maybe the Tibetans would gain greater benefit (their freedom?) by doing what the Buddha taught: "accept[ing] and uphold[ing] this Lotus Sutra, even just one four-line verse of it."
This is why I denounce the Dalai Lama as a heretic, for he should be correcting his people away from the practice of self-immolation and, more importantly, toward the Lotus Sutra.
Steven Searle, former candidate for US President (2008 and 2012)
:UNQUOTE.
My Reflections on Chapter 23
The entire Lotus Sutra - all 326 pages that comprise the Burton Watson translation - is free on-line at:
The Chapter 23 that I cite is only 8 pages long, and is well worth your attention - even if you don't know much about Buddhism. I'm now going to quote selected passages from this chapter, followed by my comments:
QUOTE:
My [that is, the Bodhisattva Gladly Seen by All Living Beings] gaining the samadhi in which I can manifest all physical forms is due entirely to the fact that I heard the Lotus Sutra.
COMMENT:
I now refer to these words I'd highlighted above in yellow: "and that's important [that this Bodhisattva was a shapeshifter]." The ability to shapeshift is attainable by all who achieve a certain level of practice, though few achieve that level. At this point I offer a question: "What's the difference between one who self-immolates and one who [because he can shapeshift] gives the appearance of self-immolation?" Much in the way of Buddhist teaching is conveyed through what are known as "Expedient Means," which are indirect ways of teaching the truth to those who might otherwise be difficult to reach. That is, sometimes appearances are more important than reality.
This Buddha's life span was forty-two thousand kalpas, and the life span of the bodhisattvas was the same.
COMMENT:
After you read this comment, you'll appreciate what an extraordinary group of people this was, as opposed to (say) those in the present age who, out of a misguided understanding and desperation, decide to self-immolate.
What is a kalpa? There are four types of which the least is a period of 16 million years.
The Lotus Sutra makes clear that this self-immolation took place in the far distant past. And our definition of kapla makes the immolating bodhisattva's potential life span at least 672 billion years. Since that's longer than our best estimate of the age of the universe - about 15 billion years - how could such an incredible life span be possible? The Buddhist answer: The universe is a lot older than 15 billion years, simply because the universe had never been created in the first place (neither by a God nor by a Big Bang; it has always existed) and it will never be destroyed (which means there will be no End of Days, at least in terms of the entire universe ceasing to exist).
QUOTE:
...[The Bodhisattva Gladly Seen by All Living Beings] applied himself diligently and traveled about here and there, single-mindedly seeking Buddhahood for a period of fully twelve thousand years. After that he was able to gain the samadhi in which one can manifest all physical forms.
COMMENT:
It takes a lot longer than 12,000 years to attain Buddhahood, though of course the above-quote doesn't say this Bodhsiattva actually attained Buddhahood. It merely says he sought this goal for 12,000 years. Be that as it may, he achieved the ability to shapeshift, which is used to lead others to enlightenment. And that kind of leadership is what being a bodhisattva is all about.
QUOTE:
The Buddha said to the bodhisattva Constellation King Flower: "What do you think? Is this bodhisattva Gladly Seen by All Living Beings someone unknown to you? He is in fact none other than the present bodhisattva Medicine King! He cast aside his body [that is, by means of self-immolation] as an offering in this fashion immeasurable hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of nayutas of times.
COMMENT:
My personal take on the Bodhisattva of Self-Immolation is that he was trying to atone for having been a narcissist of epic proportions. Nowhere in the Lotus Sutra does it actually say this, but the part about casting aside his body... an "immeasurable [number] of times" leads me to my conclusion. Elsewhere in the Lotus Sutra, the expression "cast aside the body that I love" is used. That's supposed to indicate a willingness to act on behalf of others or to make the ultimate sacrifice to obtain some of the Buddha's wisdom. There are few people who would lay down their lives for others or to obtain a bit of learning, since love of self and the basic instinct of self-preservation are so strong.
The case of the Self-Immolator shows one who is genuinely sorry for having been so self-absorbed in prior lifetimes. I make due note, though, that Shakyamuni Buddha didn't denounce the Self-Immolator by saying, "He should have embraced and propagated the Lotus Sutra instead of endlessly engaging in his chosen form of atonement." Sometimes people have to embrace practices, short of the Lotus Sutra, before they're ready to abandon those and instead fully embrace the Lotus.
The practice of self-immolation is not mentioned anywhere else in the Lotus Sutra, except in the case of this one particular bodhisattva. For that reason, I classify his practice among those of others who had atypical practices. These include the Bodhisattva Never Disparaging, a past incarnation of Shakyamuni Buddha who did not spend his time in the usual practice of reading and reciting the sutras. Instead, "This monk, whatever persons he happened to meet, whether monks, nuns, Laymen or laywomen, would bow in obeisance to all of them and speak words of praise, saying, 'I have profound reverence for you, I would never dare treat you with disparaging and arrogance. Why? Because you are all practicing the bodhisattva way and are certain to attain Buddhahood.'
Another example of a Bodhisattva with atypical practice is the man who eventually became the renowned Buddha Abundant Treasures. According to Chapter 11 of the Lotus Sutra:
"When this Buddha was originally carrying out the bodhisattva way, he made a great vow, saying, "If after I have become a Buddha and entered extinction, in the lands in the ten directions there is any place where the Lotus Sutra is preached, then my funerary tower, in order that I may listen to the sutra, will come forth and appear in that spot to testify to the sutra and praise its excellence.'" That's quite a vow and, as detailed in Chapter 11, that's quite a funerary tower - having, among other features, a size that would exceed the diameter of planet Earth.
QUOTE:
"Thereupon [the Self-Immolator] swallowed various perfumes, sandalwood, kunduruka, turushka, prikka, aloes, and liquidambar gum, and he also drank the fragrant oil of champaka and other kinds of flowers, doing this for a period of fully twelve hundred years. Anointing his body with the fragrant oil, he appeared before the Buddha Sun Moon Pure Bright Virtue, wrapped his body in heavenly jeweled robes, poured fragrant oil over his head and, calling on his transcendental powers, set fire to his body. The glow shown forth, illuminating worlds equal in number to the sands of eighty million Ganges. The Buddhas in these worlds simultaneously spoke out in praise, saying: 'Excellent, excellent, good man! This is true diligence. This is what is called a true Dharma offering to the Tathagata. Though one may use flowers, incense, necklaces, incense for burning, powdered incensed, paste incense, heavenly silken banners and canopies, along with the incense of the sandalwood that grows by the southern seashore, presenting offerings of all such things as these, he can never match this! Though one may make donations of his realm and cities, his wife and children, he is no match for this! Good men, this is called the foremost donation of all. Among all donations, this is most highly prized, for one is offering the Dharma to the Tathagata'
"After they had spoken these words, they each fell silent. The body of the bodhisattva burned for twelve hundred years, and when that period of time had passed, it at last burned itself out.
COMMENT:
Obviously, we're dealing with someone who didn't have the same kind of physical body as do we common mortals. I mean, who could drink all this stuff (not to mention, for 1,200 years)? I genuinely feel sorry for our modern day "Free Tibet" protestors who choose to self-immolate. They don't even do so in the name of making an offering to the Buddha; they do it for their Dalai Lama, their culture, and their country. Shame on the Dalai Lama for not leading his flock away from such thinking.
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Steven Searle, former candidate for US President (2008 and 2012)
Founder of The Independent Contractors' Party
"I want to see more people - especially among the Abrahamists - asking deep questions of their own faiths."
Contact me at bpa_cinc@yahoo.com
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