For Your Future And Your Practice
May I suggest that when you attend a Dharma-event, a retreat, etc., that you not complain and make trouble for the organisers? Otherwise, they will likely become disheartened and hesitant to arrange such events in the future. To persist under such circumstances they would either have to be very patient or profiting greatly from the event. Since neither of these criteria are likely to be met, we run the risk of losing the chance to attend future retreats, teachings, and so forth, if no-one dares organise them.
I will be very frank with you for a moment. Most of your lamas are based in India and Nepal, aren’t they? They have large monasteries and institutes, don’t they? Have you ever wondered why they haven’t arranged accommodation, curriculums, long-term practice opportunities for you Chinese and Western Buddhists? Considering the amount of you, one would expect the monasteries and nunneries over there to be brimming with Western and Chinese practitioners. But they are not. Why?
It is not because the lamas are not fond of you. On the contrary, they are very fond of you. It’s that they do not dare keep you there because you are so difficult. There may be other reasons, but that is definitely one reason.
The local monks and nuns over there are, generally speaking, easy going. They are content with simple living quarters and food. They don’t tend to complain as soon as something is not ideal or to their liking.
Yourselves, however, would need to be provided with much better accommodation: ensuite bathrooms, etc, and you complain or ‘offer suggestions’ so much more readily, not to mention more serious issues.
The Chinese and Western Buddhist students have gained the reputation of being difficult and troublesome among the Buddhist organisations in India and Nepal.
I share this with you for the sake of your future prospects and opportunities in the Dharma and also for the sake of your practice.
The practice of patience is taught to be extremely beneficial. Each of the latter perfections are taught to be more beneficial than the former. Which is to say that practising patience is more beneficial than practising generosity and ethical discipline.
23.08.25 – Hong Kong