HH Dudjom Yangsi Rinpoche Sangye Pema Shepa
Recently, I've heard people speaking to others: "My luck became worse and worse after practicing Throma" or "My health became worse and worse after practicing Throma"; "I become more and more poor after practicing Throma"... etc. People who say these might only be unintentionally chatting, however he has already made a serious obscuration by slandering the dharma and has violated his samaya vows, and there will still be consequences of slandering the dharma and violating samaya vows even though you were unaware or unintentional.
We are experiencing sickness, poverty, misfortune and disaster due to the karmic effect of the obscuration by our desire. anger and ignorance which we have created in samsara since infinite billion eons. Those who says such things should look at the cause of sickness and poverty according to the view of Buddhists who believe in karma (cause and effect). If we have never killed any beings in our past life, then none of the powerful demons or black magic are able to make us sick. If we do not have any obscuration by refusing to donate to others out of stinginess, our wealth will not be taken away even if thousands of thieves are around.
The obscurations we have committed in the past infinite eons are so heavy, which doubtlessly result in experiencing sickness, poverty and disaster in this life. While facing some misfortunes in life, if we do not reflect and confess the obscurations from our past lives but blame it on the precious dharma which can bring us ultimate happiness. that will be very wrong. Suppose a very poor and sick person has fortunately met a kind person who takes pity on him and gives him a huge amount of wealth so that he can be lifted out of poverty and be able to treat his sickness. Before he knows how to use his wealth properly. he will remain poor and sick. However, he blames his poverty and sickness on the kind person who gives him wealth. Think about it. How ridiculous this is.
Our poverty, sickness and pain in this life can be the retribution from past lives. It could also be the mistakes we made in this life, or even the mistakes we have made in the dharma practice. For example, the practice of Throma is a method combined with practicing of Dzogchen (Atiyoga). Does the practitioner understand the view of Dzogchen in the mind? Has the practitioner practiced with compassion? Does the practitioner maintain clean samaya? Does the practitioner practice for worldly rewards such as good fortune, wealth, reputation, well-being? Does the practitioner practice to please lama? Does the practitioner intend to win people's praise by pretending to practice? If the practitioner doesn't practice this Dharma practice with correct intention, many obstacles will occur for sure. When the obstacle occurs, the practitioner doesn't reflect and confess the mistakes, but blames it on the deity Throma. Is that reasonable?
There are also people who misunderstand that the meaning of Chod is to cut away all good fortune and merits. This twisted understanding is a very serious mistake. Frankly, the meaning of Chod is to sever two attachments to understand and reach the truth of the Dzogchen's view. Those truly accomplished Chod yogis, whether they are in cemeteries or market. we can only see their ragged appearance with our eyes, we are unable to value their true achievements in the dharma practice. There is only ultimate wisdom, compassion and great bliss in the minds of these practitioners. Worldly rewards are like dreams and illusion to them, and their attachments have dissolved into emptiness. It's not because of practicing Chod or Throma that their appearance is humble and abject, it is because they have no needs and desires. In fact, they have greater wisdom than any other person in their mind which they use to benefit all sentient beings by skilful methods.
There are also people who mistakenly think Throma is not a method for accumulating merits, so the more he practice the poorer he will get. Frankly speaking, there is not only Chod in Throma. There are also methods for accumulating merits, such as mandala offering in the basic practice, making offerings in the wisdom sun sadhana, accumulation of merits with siddhi like rain drops, offering to naga king, fire puja for increasing activity etc. Aren't these methods of accumulating merits for practitioners? How can you meet good teachers without merits? How can you sever obstacles without merits? Since a practitioner needs to live a normal live like any ordinary person before he gets enlightened, he needs sufficient merits to keep on practicing. The Throma practice contains all the methods from the basics to Buddhahood for all the practitioners. It also contains the methods to accumulate the merits we need.
There are vows of maintaining samaya and ritual of taking samaya water in all the empowerments. The meaning of samaya water is that it will stay in our mind and bless us till we reach Buddhahood if we maintain samaya vows well; otherwise, it will bring us many misfortunes and sicknesses or even cause us to fall into the three lower realms in future if we violate the samaya vows. If we feel that our health is not as good as before or that we are often sick after practicing the dharma, it might be a friendly reminder from Dharmapalas telling us that we have done something wrongly.
People who speak this way have created obscurations heavily without knowing. All the Buddhists believe and follow the four dharma seals (all compounded things are impermanent, all contaminated things are suffering, all phenomena are empty and selfless, nirvana is peace beyond description) taught by Lord Buddha. The Dharma seal of nirvana indicates that Dharma practice can remove the suffering of samsara and bring the attainment of nirvana beyond samsara. When you hear someone say "Throma practice makes me sick, makes me poor” etc, this person is creating obscurations by slandering the dharma, and is already turning this method from pure dharma into a contaminated thing that cause us suffering.
People who speak like this already violate the fourth vow of "slandering mahayana" and the sixth vow of "slandering dharma" within the Bodhisattva vows if he is a Mahayana practitioner. People speak these words also violate the second samaya of 'transgressing the words of buddhas", the sixth samaya of "criticizing the teaching of sutra and tantra" and the twelfth samaya of "upsetting those who have faith in teaching" in the fourteen root samayas that is commonly followed in all the annuttarayoga tantras if he is a Vajrayana practitioner in Mahayana.
It is mentioned in tantra that the obscuration of violating samaya vows is much heavier than violating vows in Mahayana. It is clearly written in many sutras that the compassionate Buddha reminded us of the seriousness of slandering the Dharma. People who slander the Dharma will still be suffering in Avici hell even after thousands of Buddhas has taken birth and entered nirvana, which is a time period of over thousands of billion of eons. People who criticize should be very careful and fearful of such a serious consequence.
It takes infinite thousands of billions of eons for a Buddhist to purify obscurations and accumulate merits before he even hears the name of Throma. We have already received and started the practice of the teaching now. How can we bear to ruin the efforts we have made for infinite thousands of billion eons so carelessly?
Negative karma or obscuration has no good quality. Its only good quality is that it can be confessed and purified. Although slandering the dharma is a serious obscuration, it can still be purified as long as one confesses sincerely. The best way to confess this obscuration is to be aware of the seriousness of the mistake that one has made and to generate the mind of regret like the regret you feel when you know how you will soon die because of taking poison. With this, confess honestly in front of Lama, tell your Lama what kind of slander you have said and confess in front of him, and take a vow that you will never slander the dharma again in the future, no matter what threats, harms, suffering or difficulties you face. Ask for the teachings of purification from Lama, such as the Vajrasattva teaching and practice it diligently, then the obscuration will be confessed and purified.
The karma of slandering the dharma prevents rebirth in Sukhavati (pureland of Amitabha). In the sutra of Amitayus, it is stated in the 18th vow of Amitabha that:
"Should I attain Buddhahood, if sentient beings in the ten directions who give rise to sincere faith and joyous aspiration to take rebirth in my pureland, even with (only) ten thoughts, should not take rebirth there, I vow not to attain complete awakening, with the exception of those who have committed the five uninterrupted karmas or slandered the authentic dharma."
