The wonderful quality
of Vajrayana is the way in which it approaches every
aspect of human existence as being fundamentally workable. Whatever the
situation happens to be, it can be transformed through the practice of
Vajrayana. We do not have to be afraid of what is manifesting and neither do we
have to confuse ourselves with the idea that Buddhism needs to be adapted for
the West. Ideas of this nature do not relate with Vajrayana and the methodology
of transformation. If one really understands Vajrayana – one understands that
every culture is actually ideal for Vajrayana.
Buddhism is a statement of our intrinsic goodness; and the possibility of discovering
that intrinsic goodness. This is the simple answer, but complex questions can
arise from that. Giving a simple answer is not always that simple. When I use
the word goodness, I am not using it in the sense of nicey-nicey goodness, or
piety, or sanctity, or holiness – ‘goodness’ here relates to complete value.
This goodness is the goodness of freshly baked bread; the goodness of seeing a
field of sunflowers; the goodness of birth and death; the goodness of being
present. There is a basic goodness, a basic sanity with which we can connect.
We have that – we simply need to allow ourselves the non-referential space to
find it.
Aro Encyclopaedia Index: Ah, but I was so much older then – I'm younger than that now. Ngak'chang Rinpoche interview 1993
