Khenpo Tsultrim Tenzin
Certain teachers said that Sutra and Tantra contain different moral standards. For example, they point out that certain non-virtues that are prohibited in Sutra practice are allowed in Tantra practice, and that one must strive to counter the mental afflictions (desire, anger and ignorance etc) in Sutra but need not do so in Tantra. This mistaken thinking is based on a misinterpretation of one of the ten powers that a Buddha is said to possess — the power over karma.
Some people take the “power over karma” to mean that a Buddha has unlimited power over the fruition of karma and that cause-and-effect does not apply. Thus, when one attains Buddhahood, one can disregard all the negative actions one has done. Furthermore, they believe that a Buddha can make a person’s negative karma just go away.
The tradition of Jigten Sumgon disagrees with this. This is not what is meant by “power over karma”. The Buddha does have some power or blessings to lessen the effects of negative karma to some degree. However, what is really meant is that the Buddha teaches which virtues should be undertaken and which non-virtues should be avoided and so forth.
Through these perfect and precise teachings on the workings of karma, he is able to control karma.
The Buddha cannot change reality; he is not a creator. There is no creator-deity anywhere in Buddhism. Rather the Buddha has limitless love and compassion for beings and taught the methods for finding liberation from samsara. If he had power over reality, the Buddha would have destroyed samsara long ago. But that isn’t the way reality works…
The Buddha said, “I have taught the method to attain liberation. Whether you attain it or not depends on yourself.”
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About:
Lord Jigten Sumgon attained Buddhahood at the age of 35. He was known to have said about himself that there was no portion of the Dharma that he had not put into practice. He had complete mastery over all aspects of Dharma and taught nothing other than what he had personally experienced. This special characteristic distinguished him from other lamas. He was able to give teachings relevant to all phases of Dharma practice and that contained the core meaning of the Dharma. He did not fashion these teachings to be clever or to display his accomplishments out of arrogance. Rather, he demonstrated how the entire range of teachings of the Buddha is harmonious and non-contradictory.
