Question asked by Anonymous
Greetings!
• Is Mether a Buddha?
• Is Namkar Barzin a Buddha?
• What is 'taking refuge'
• What does interdependence have to do with emptiness?
• What are specific practices regarding lust, anger, hatred, grudging, etc can I recommend to others that are beside their Yidam and Protector? People's Yidam are commonly Tsongkhapa, so I wonder if there other practices that can tackle these problems even though great Buddhas like Tsongkhapa can help with that already?
• How long should we leave perfume on our altars? And how do we dispose it? Do we use it?!
• Why would certain Lamas recommend worldly protectors/deities over Buddhas? Aren't Buddhas capable more than ALL of the worldly deities combined?!
• Can people from other religions/beliefs attain enlightenment? Or at least freedom from suffering? If so, how? Because aren't beings who ARE NOT Buddhas, worldly gods/deities? And by worshipping them we gain little to no benefits, so how can they be frre from suffering?
• Could worldly deities within the fold of Buddhism ever become enlightened? Would that be in the far future? Does that mean possibly in the future we will be able to take refuge in them?
Thank you so so so much for reading through my ocean of questions!! Sending love to you!!
Dear Anonymous,
> Both Methar and Namkar Barzin are not Buddhas. They are unenlightened Dharma Protectors. You can read more about them here:
Methar: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/great-lamas-masters/methar-of-tengyeling-monastery.html
Namkar Barzin: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/invocation-to-namkar-barzin.html
> Taking Refuge can refer to two things:
1. The daily practice of Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels, as opposed to anything else. To take Refuge in a Guru and in the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha) means to have complete faith that they can show us the methods to bring out our full divine potential and ultimately, to lead us to full Enlightenment.
It allows us to link our presently limited capabilities with that of the unlimited compassion, wisdom and power of the Buddhas, as well as aspiring towards the attainment of those same qualities.
You can read more here: https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/taking-refuge-by-pabongka-rinpoche.html
2. The formal ceremony of Taking Refuge with a Guru, which creates a guru-disciple relationship.
> Interdependence was a teaching expounded by Buddha Shakyamuni in order to help us understand emptiness. This is a topic that is outside of the scope of this section to answer in detail. You can find about this in detail within the Lamrim teachings.
> Regarding specific practices to counter afflictive emotions apart from formal deity practices, you can refer to this book which details many different methods: https://www.vajrasecrets.com/insightful-meditation
> It is up to you how long you leave your fixed offering on perfume on your altar. The best would be to change every month, but this may not be possible due various circumstances. So some people change every 3-6 months and some people change every year. It’s up to you. You can give it to people to use, after offering, but you should not use it yourself, because it is an offering that you have made to the Buddhas.
> Certain lamas recommend worldly protectors compared to enlightened protectors or the practices of the Buddhas, because they can be helpful. Due to their form being in samsara and still a sentient being, we have strong karmic connections with them. Sometimes this means that their practice can be faster to see results that invoking upon the enlightened beings which takes merit and more effort. However, their help is only short term, whereas enlightened dharma protectors and the Buddhas can help us in the long term, all the way until we achieve enlightenment ourselves.
> Yes people from other religions/faiths can attain liberation from samsara, but not complete enlightenment. Complete enlightenment would necessarily require practice in both bodhicitta and emptiness. Higher beings that are worshipped are definitely very powerful beings, but they are still within the God Realms. From a Buddhist perspective, worshipping these types of beings will only provide temporary benefits, not the ultimate benefit (meaning complete enlightenment).
> Yes, all worldly deities can become enlightened. All sentient beings can become enlightened and achieve Buddhadhood, include humans, gods, animals, spirits, etc. The speed in which they achieve Buddhahood is up to their own effort and practice. Yes, that does mean in the future, we will be able to take refuge in them, because they will be enlightened. But at the moment, since they are not enlightened yet, we do not. Buddhists can take refuge in any being that has attained freedom from samsara or liberation (for example, the Arhats) and those that have achieved complete enlightenment (the Buddhas).
I hope all these answers help.