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| Chhi’mèd Rig’dzin Rinpoche |
In this video from February 2010 Ngakma Nor'dzin and Ngakpa ’ö-Dzin talk
about the differences between religions in terms of the explanation
given by Lama Chhi’mèd Rig'dzin Rinpoche and how Buddhism takes a
scientific and experimental approach to practice.
Transcript
Ngakpa ’ö-Dzin: I very much enjoyed Chhi’mèd Rig'dzin Rinpoche's view because he was able to talk about the differences between religions without making it right or wrong, better or worse.
He would say that Hinduism is the religion of the king. If you want anything you go to the king, and the king will give you what you need. Christianity is the religion of the prince. If you want something you go to the prince, the prince will talk to the king on your behalf and you’ll get what you need. Islam is the religion of the ambassador. If you want something you talk to the ambassador, the ambassador will intercede on your behalf with the king. But Buddhism is the religion of the manual labourer. If you want anything, you have to do it yourself.
So there are different styles of practice. People are drawn to different things. Some people need a God in their lives and that inspires them. Hopefully it inspires people to be better people because of their methods of practice. Buddhism doesn’t have that, which is why Buddhism is not suitable for everybody. But for those people who understand the principles and methods of Buddhism, and feel that they are drawn to that, or want to even experiment with it – because silent sitting and Buddhist practice is like the scientific laboratory of your mind, where you sit and you find out what it’s like to sit. There’s no question of needing faith because you’re faced with direct experience. So you sit and you see what your mind does in those circumstances. Then from there you might find that’s interesting and that you want to pursue that further, and then the whole thing can explode out into the vast array of possibilities that Buddhist practice offers and you find methods within that that are helpful with your own particular condition.
Ngakpa ’ö-Dzin: I very much enjoyed Chhi’mèd Rig'dzin Rinpoche's view because he was able to talk about the differences between religions without making it right or wrong, better or worse.
He would say that Hinduism is the religion of the king. If you want anything you go to the king, and the king will give you what you need. Christianity is the religion of the prince. If you want something you go to the prince, the prince will talk to the king on your behalf and you’ll get what you need. Islam is the religion of the ambassador. If you want something you talk to the ambassador, the ambassador will intercede on your behalf with the king. But Buddhism is the religion of the manual labourer. If you want anything, you have to do it yourself.
So there are different styles of practice. People are drawn to different things. Some people need a God in their lives and that inspires them. Hopefully it inspires people to be better people because of their methods of practice. Buddhism doesn’t have that, which is why Buddhism is not suitable for everybody. But for those people who understand the principles and methods of Buddhism, and feel that they are drawn to that, or want to even experiment with it – because silent sitting and Buddhist practice is like the scientific laboratory of your mind, where you sit and you find out what it’s like to sit. There’s no question of needing faith because you’re faced with direct experience. So you sit and you see what your mind does in those circumstances. Then from there you might find that’s interesting and that you want to pursue that further, and then the whole thing can explode out into the vast array of possibilities that Buddhist practice offers and you find methods within that that are helpful with your own particular condition.
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