Some say the dark age, age of vice, Kaliyuga, is here now, or at
least coming soon. Some even fear that at the end of 2012 the world
as we know it will end. What determines if an age is dark or
golden? What are the symptoms or omens? Earthquakes, violet skies,
meteoric activity, these are not the omens of doomsday as we are
made to believe. Likewise, cherub's flying, a sound economy,
freedom of information, peaceful times are also not necessarily
signs of a golden age. The age of light is said to be when people
value empathy and forgiveness, when they have a willingness to see
other people's view, and are contented with what they have. When
such values are systematically sabotaged, then you can say that the
dawn of the doomsday has begun. When we look at a harmless beggar
as a pest and envy billionaires who routinely destroy the earth,we
are inviting doomsday to come.
Like Buddha taught, everything is dependant on cause and condition.
Dark and golden ages are no exception. They are not predestined,
nor are they random or chaotic. Destiny is conditioned, Chief among
the causes and conditions is one's own individual self, you can
create your destiny. Your choices are your destiny. What and how we
are now depends on what and how we have been in the past. What and
how we will be in the future depends on what and how we are
now.
Shakyamuni with his lotus feet may approach your doorstep for alms
but if we keep on being obsessed with Patek Philipe watches, fame
or friends, or six pack abs, then Buddha's truth is an annoyance,
an inconvenient truth.
Even though we may be in midst of Kaliyuga and are subject to
endless causes and conditions of the dark age—easily distracted and
confined to thinking of our own self preservation, aspiring to
reach benchmarks based on materialistic, consumerist values—we can
take advantage of it. It is said that during the degenerate times,
the compassion of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas ever more stronger.
A savvy spiritual person could take advantage of that opportunity.
The dark age can be a reminder of the urgency and preciousness of
the Buddha, dharma, and sangha.
As beings that are dependant on conditions, we need to search for
light, and cultivate the conditions that will brings light. We need
constant reminding of the opposite of materialism. For that we need
the image of the Buddha, the sound of the dharma, and the structure
of the sangha.
In the past few years, we have lost some of the greatest
appearances of the Buddha, such as Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche, and
Mindroling Trichen Rinpoche and Penor Rinpoche, who were all great
reminders. But even though their appearance has dissolved, bear in
mind that their compassion does not know the meaning of
limitations.
In the spirit of where there is a demand, there is supply, we
should have aspirations and longing for the appearance of the
Buddhas and bodhisattvas to never to cease, and—to put it in a
trendy term—their swift rebirth. But this rebirth should not be
limited to a Tibetan child who has been raised in a particular
culture or tradition. We can wish for Buddha's rebith in all forms,
even as something seemingly insignificant as the breeze, to remind
us of the values of love and compassion and tolerance. We must
aspire to galvanize myriad manifestations of the Buddha, not just
throne-hopping, Rolls Royce-driving tulkus who are a product of
nepotism.
DJKHYENTSE. 28/120012
