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Hello out there,
Aloha. I’m sorry to be critical of another human being who devotes his life to world peace, but when the Dalai Lama, one of the most respected religious leaders of the century makes obvious and repeated errors of judgment about Cannabis and slanders our holy sacrament I feel the need to reply.
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From the March 3, 2014 issue of TIME Magazine page 10:
Tibetan Wisdom, The Dalai Lama on the Pope, pot and facebook
by Elizabeth Dias
“You support the use of medical marijuana. Have you ever smoked pot?”
Dalai Lama: “No. Never. These kinds of substances are generally considered poison, very bad. But for particular illnesses, this is sometimes deliberately used. So that’s up to the doctor, or up to scientists. The ability to judge reality is something very special. So if that is damaged, that’s awful. So alcohol and drugs are very bad.”
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Based on this ignorant answer of his own ancient culture and of modern science I question the ability of the Dalai Lama to ‘judge reality’. He has - once again - proven to be an agent of ignorance and misinformation about Cannabis hemp, and of his very own culture.
“These kinds of substances are generally considered POISON, VERY BAD.” Really?
The esteemed leader of one of the oldest religions on Earth, the former recipient of the Nobel Prize for Peace, now lumps Cannabis in with ‘these kinds of substances’ as if Cannabis isn’t proven to be unique and essential for optimum human health? He considers Cannabis to be in the same category as ‘alcohol and drugs’? In my opinion, there continues to be something seriously wrong with this man’s thinking and his ability to guide himself and his followers to health, happiness and spiritual freedom.
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From The Emperor Wears No Clothes by Jack Herer page 80:
“Of the three million plus edible plants that grow on Earth, no other single plant source can compare with the nutritional value of hempseeds. Both the complete protein and the essential oils contained in hempseeds are in ideal ratios for human nutrition.”
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From Marijuana Medicine by Christian Ratsch page 42 - 49:
Hemp in Tibetan Medicine
“Buddhists consume Cannabis in order to obtain a mystical experience; the primary goal which is detachment from worldly things. Hemp has been an enduring component of the Tibetan pharmacopoeias since ancient times. Hemp seeds and the oil they yield (not to be confused with hash oil) are an important source of nutrition. In addition, rope and paper are manufactured from the fibers.”
“Tibetans consider hemp to be a sacred plant, and they often cultivate it in proximity to monasteries and courtyards. In the Lamaistic tradition, it is said that Buddha nourished himself with just one hemp seed a day during the six ascetic years before his enlightenment. As a result, hempseeds are an important food for fasting ascetics. Books in monasteries have been printed on hemp paper since the adoption of Buddhism.”
In Tantric Buddhism, psychoactive hemp drinks continue to be used when meditating on the cosmic union of Buddha and his shakti as well as for the actual physical union between temple servants an priests. Here, the aphrodisiac hemp is regarded as the “food of Kundalini”, the female subtle creative energy that transforms sexual energy into spiritual experience. The drink is consumed 1 and 1/2 hours prior to meditation or the sexual yab/yum ritual so that the accumulation of it effects occurs at the beginning of the spiritual or physical activity.”
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In the Buddhist Tara Tantra Cannabis is used as a rasayana, meaning an elixir of vitality. In the Tibetan Taratantra, Cannabis is “essential to ecstasy”.
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May the Dalai Lama awaken now to the many benefits of the holy Cannabis plant for himself and his many followers.
Please add my comments to the TIME Magazine article online, and to our blog and facebook. Mahalo.
All the best to everyone!
Love, Roger Christie
The Hawai’i Cannabis Ministry
Hilo, Hawai’i
www.thc-ministry.org
www.the-last-marijuana-trial.com
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Erik
on Apr 19th, 2014
@ 10:04 pm:
Not to be rude, but you obviously are a bit out of touch with Buddhism. As a Buddhist perhaps I can explain. Anything that prevents the mind from functioning normally, such as marijuana and alcohol, are considered to be things that should be avoided. This would be a part of the Right Mind practice in maintaining our integrity of thought.
The ancient Tibetan culture might very well include the use of marijuana. But it would not be proper for a Buddhist Monk to engage in that use. I think you take what the Dalai Lama has said out of context.
Roger Christie
on Dec 16th, 2020
@ 9:22 pm:
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HI Erik, aloha. Thank you for your direct and useful comments to me. It’s December 2020 and I see that you wrote to me while I was in federal prison in 2014 (!) with no access to this website, or to the internet. You made some important points for better living and meditation and I appreciate your input.
All the very best to you!
Roger
Daniel
on Jan 3rd, 2015
@ 7:49 pm:
Well yes, I agree with Erik about this issue. Dlai Lama is public person and if he wil said that cannabis is ok and he prefers smoke then many people will start smoking and will get more confussion than positive effect regarding meditation practice.
Angus
on Dec 16th, 2020
@ 1:29 am:
hi Roger,
As someone who takes a keen interest in both Buddhism and Cannabis, and greatly admires the Dalai Lama, my view is that quoting half-arsed research from Christian Ratsch is not likely to change minds, least of all those of people from these cultures.
The bogus factoid about the Buddha living on hemp seed is a poorly chosen British translation of the Chinese term “hu ma”, where the original Sanskrit scripture has “tila”, ie sesame seed.
The Tārātantra is emphatically not Buddhist, and frankly it’s about time Western scholars and aficionados started doing their research properly. Very obviously, one look at the text is enough to know it’s a Hindu Shakta tantra.
To the best of my knowledge and that of a Nyingmapa teacher I consulted, there is no tradition of ritual use of Cannabis within any of the Indo-Tibetan Buddhist traditions.
By all means use Cannabis as a sacrament, but should you or others yearn for scriptural sanction from the exotic East, the place to look is Islam or Shaktism, not Indo-Tibetan Buddhism.
Frankly though, given the evident lack of real interest in Buddhism necessary for the Tārātantra factoid to circulate for some 50 years, my sense is most aficionados don’t much give a crap anyway. Which begs the question what purpose other people’s cultures are serving for Westerners here.
Perhaps a more respectful attitude is in order.
Best wishes,
Angus
Roger Christie
on Dec 16th, 2020
@ 11:59 am:
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Hi there Angus, aloha.
Thank you. You do me and those reading this post the great favor of replying with useful content and brotherly love and respect; much appreciated.
I apologize for offending you - and anyone else - for my post. Please forgive me. Thank you.
I did the best I could at the time with the knowledge I had. That said, I feel my life is somewhat like archery; to better hit the target I do best to aim and correct. Aim and correct. Aim and correct. I take your suggestions to heart; Mahalo.
May unexpected blessings keep coming to you … and from you!
Roger
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Angus
on Dec 21st, 2020
@ 8:01 am:
hi Roger,
Thanks for your kind and thoughtful reply.
No offense whatsoever taken in the slightest, really. People are much too offended about everything these days! I suspect most secretly rather enjoy being offended.
I read back through my reply and now I see it might have come across a bit too forceful, sorry if it did.
From my perspective, what’s interesting is to find out what was really going on with sacramental use of Cannabis. In general, I don’t see any definite indication of use by Buddhists in India or Tibet, but conceivably Buddhists in places like Afghanistan or Xinjiang may have used Cannabis for ritual ‘intoxication’. Circumstantially it would look likely, but there’s no definite evidence in scripture I know of except a few references in Chinese texts where it’s unclear who exactly is being described by the writer.
Anyway, thanks for the fantastic work you’ve been doing
Best wishes,
Angus