The Damage Is Done From Home

Those who further the Dharma are Buddhists, and those who destroy the Dharma are Buddhists.

This was clearly prophesied by the Buddha when he said that those who would bring about the destruction of Buddhism would be Buddhists and not those of other religious traditions, etc.

We may think that it was fanatical foreign invaders who damaged Buddhism in the past. That they came and looted the temples, burnt the texts and so on. In truth, however, it is not by destroying temples and so on that the Dharma is destroyed – what destroys the Dharma is people’s faith being undermined. Those who most often damage the faith of others are their fellow Buddhists and especially those who are regarded as exemplars of Buddhism.

One of the main reasons for people losing their faith is observing those who should know better act in ways contrary to the Dharma.

So if we as Buddhists want to avoid contributing to the demise of the Dharma, we should strive to learn the teachings thoroughly and do our best to act in accord with them. The longer we have been a Buddhist, the higher people’s expectations of us will be, and thus the greater responsibility we have to be a good representative of the Dharma.

Drupon Khen Rinpoche

December 2022