Rev. Danny Fisher

Today’s quote is from the Third Jamgön Kongtrul, Karma Lodrö Chökyi Senge (1954-1992), who “became one of the foremost holders of the Kagyu Lineage, and wore the mantle of regency with humility and great dignity” following the death of His Holiness the Sixteenth Gyalwa Karmapa in 1981.  He was involved in the search for the 17th Karmapa when he was tragically killed in car accident in 1992.  This is it:

The difference between the practice in Tibet and here [in the West] is that the Dharma has been in Tibet for several hundred years, and, as such, is firmly rooted in the mind of every Tibetan. Everyone has become very familiar with the Dharma from the moment they were born, and, having been brought up with Buddhism and the Dharma, they have a full understanding of whatever practice is applied to them. In addition, they have a complete trust in the practice, because of their familiarity with it. They have learned the very idea of practice or Dharma. And the difference is that here in the West the Dharma is very new and not cultivated in the minds of those who are interested, and a strong trust has not been developed.

So it seems that the most important approach for the Western student is first to develop an understanding or view of the teaching. They need to develop an understanding of Buddhism before being given a meditation practice. And again, by virtue of this understanding—what is called the “view” aspect of Buddhism—one learns to approach the Dharma, not as a Tibetan culture, but rather as a practice which can be applied to one’s regular life. Then many other methods and approaches to meditation can be added.