Question asked by Anonymous
I just saw a video on Tsem Rinpoche about that we need an enlightened being can only purify our karma. Does this include beings that are outside of Buddhism? Like the great sages and Gurus of Hinduism or the great Saints in Christianity. My second question is that, could Buddhism all possibly be just a placebo affect? Or does it really happen. Like when we visualise Tsongkhapa going into our heart and we feel better, does Tsongkhapa actually go inside and helps us feel better? Or is it just placebo affect
Dear Anonymous,
Thank you for your question. I couldn’t comment on the great sages or saints of other religions, because I do not know much about them and the spiritual levels they reached. But if they reached the state that Buddhists refer to as enlightenment, and so became what we call Buddhas, then yes.
In regards to your second question, no, we do not consider it a placebo effect. The Buddhas are very real, so when we prayer to them and invoke upon their energies, they really do come to bless us. In regards to the dissolution of Lama Tsongkhapa in ourselves during his Guru Yoga, yes he really does enter our hearts. But the strength of that is determined by us, our effort, our spiritual transformation, the merit we have collected through engaging in virtuous actions to generate merit, etc. In essence, it is not just to make us feel better, but actually to bless us with his energy so that we can benefit from it, whether that be healing of the body, calming of the mind, or any benefit associated with his practice. I hope this helps.