This interview originally appeared in THE SNOW LION NEWSLETTER, Winter 2001 

The Path To World Peace

An Interview with Ven. Khenpo Gyurmed Trinley Rinpoche

by Choyin Rangdrol

Photo by permission

The Venerable Khenpo Gyurmed Trinley Rinpoche is a Dzogchen master, a Chöd-pa, monk, and a scholar in the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism as well as being trained in the Kagyu, Shakya, and Gelugpa schools. At a very early age, Khenpo began training at HH Dudjom Rinpoche's monastery at Tso Pema. After leaving Tibet, Khenpo trained under the guidance of the Venerable Tsondru Rinpoche in Dehra Dun, India. He later received his advanced (Khenpo) degree from Sanskrit University (founded by HH the Dalai Lama), where he later taught. Khenpo prayed for World Peace at the United Nations in August, 2001. Khenpo's center is in Marin County, California.

CHOYIN: Can you speak about the teachings you're giving in the West on world peace?

KHENPO: This world needs two types of people. One is materially oriented and one is spiritual. The Buddha taught that both are subject to interdependent origination. So we need to think about and understand how suffering in this world comes from this combination. The spiritual is one side and the material is another side. Some people think the two sides are in conflict with each other. This is a misunderstanding.

There are problems in the world and in Buddhism and so people wonder what is the problem or obstacle to world peace? Spiritual people think the obstacle is materialism. The materialistic people think the problems are caused by religious attitudes. People say these things but in both cases Tibetan Buddhist education is needed to appreciate why Buddha taught the Six Paramitas (Perfections). It is very important to understand that the foundation of the Paramitas is both spiritual and material. Such wisdom is needed to free the negative emotions and misunderstandings. This kind of education is enough for individual people or any religious person to live with peace that is comfortable with both spirituality and materialism.

An example of the misunderstanding between spirituality and materialism started in 2001 with the Taliban leader. On one side he was a spiritual leader for the Islamic religion and used his position to politically to control the country. The spiritual and political aspects of his leadership were joined together. But his misunderstanding was in viewing materialism as the obstacle of spirituality. So he destroyed the World Trade Center as a symbol of his views. He misunderstood and argued about materialism. That he misunderstood the teachings of Islam and Buddhism was shown when he destroyed the Buddhist statues. Those things are why he had many problems. He did not study very well. On the one hand he didn't have good spiritual training yet he wanted to be the spiritual leader of a country. So now we're having problems all over the world, but particularly it is his big problem. It is his obstacle to achieving world peace.

People are suffering but they really do not want any country, any nation, any race, color, culture, or anything to suffer. The fact that people do not want any suffering is a good idea. We can focus on that together to create world peace. By that I mean we can focus together on one religion, one culture, and one race. The one religion is called world peace. Our culture can be as one because all of us want peace. Enough! We don't need to have conflict with each other. The human race can be viewed as one with no white, no black, no direction, no East or West because we are all humanity with the same suffering.We need to recognize that humanity means the human race. Included in that are all black, white, yellow, red, Easterners, Westerners, all human beings. When we see people as separate, it becomes too complicated, too much difference, and we become divided. Then people think "I'm better" or "he's better" and we begin challenging one another. The Buddhadharma is about making and keeping peace. The mind's basic nature is peace. World peace is the Buddhadharma and Buddha's teachings can show us how to achieve that. So Buddha's teaching is that we achieve individual and ultimately world peace. Life will be better for every being, both spiritually and materially, if we share one earth as one race of human beings. When we focus too much on differences we create problems.

CHOYIN: Some people watching war and violence in the world are beginning to lose confidence that we can actually have a world that's peaceful. What would you say to people who are worried that world peace is very far away?

KHENPO: Yes, this is the problem. Countries have problems, race is a problem, cultures have problems, and religion is problem. But the solution can be found "of the people, for the people, by the people." That's the truth. Great American leaders have demonstrated Buddha's idea on how to make peace. We need to not only continue to be tough but to really be focused. There are problems in all directions that are obstacles to world peace. When we think of separate countries, separate races, and separate religions then the obstacles to world peace are in every nation, every race, every country- and we are not secure. We need security, and so we need all minds focused on world peace. This includes Islam, Buddhism, Christianity- any religion. Islamic people too want peace; they don't want to die. In this way Buddhism, Christianity, all religions, and all races are the same. People want security, peace and don't want to die.

But how do we achieve this? What is the technique? Buddha's technique is a right way. We cannot change these things without a wise method. Buddha had wisdom and skillful means so we must follow his advice to bring the world into one, to appreciate religion, race, and culture as one. To think of humanity as one is great knowledge that can free us of suffering. Too much politics creates suffering by working selfishly to make separate countries, separate races, separate religions. Politics alone cannot create peace.

CHOYIN: Do you see a day when the world will be at peace?

KHENPO: Yes, because we know that every confrontation ends in peace. These confrontations come from problems between religions, race problems, cultural problems, etc. People think their own race, own culture, and own religion are better than others and this creates problems. But how do we avoid confrontations? People don't know. They misunderstand. They have a big conflict with each other causing big problems and everyone suffers.

No race is secure, cultures are not secure, religions are not secure, and individual people are not secure. That's the problem. After the confrontation they become relaxed and come to a little bit of peace but again comes another war because they could not keep the peace. Buddha studied this situation among human beings. People who do not have knowledge start the conflict again. This time with the World Trade Towers because they reject the wisdom that Buddha, for instance, offers. They're very selfish.

CHOYIN: Do you think the world missed something when they didn't understand what it meant for the Taliban to destroy Buddhist statues?

KHENPO: Yes, because when those statues were built, their world was peaceful and people were fortunate. The living Buddha's power and teaching gave the people knowledge. They knew how to create world peace and security. But when the people developed misunderstandings and became selfish, controlling, and challenging then the obstacles to world peace started coming.

CHOYIN: So that's what people missed. The Taliban's very selfish motivation to destroy the statues was a sign that obstacles to world peace were coming?

KHENPO: Yes. Negativity was very high. Buddha's philosophy clearly says that to destroy Buddhist statues is a high crime. Arguing with Buddha during his lifetime was also a high crime. It is also a crime to kill ones father or mother, great teachers, or enlightenment. If you commit a high crime you will fall directly into the hell's realm even though you may want to go to a pureland or be with God. The Buddha taught this and it is true whether you're a Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, or whomever.

CHOYIN: So the Buddha was not just talking to Buddhists? He was talking to all human beings? If you commit any one of these high crimes you will fall into the hell realm?

KHENPO: Yes, this is true not only for one country but also universally. Buddhadharma means abandon negativity. To achieve the pureland you must do virtuous activity such as living the ten virtues or Ten Commandments. Buddha taught this. If you never do this then even though you like God or the pureland you will still fall into the hell realm, and suffer the results interdependent origination, and the karma that you have created.

CHOYIN: So you're saying a person can be falling into the hell realm while their mind is thinking that they're going to the pureland?

KHENPO: Yes. They focus on the pureland while they're falling down to the hell realm. That is a misunderstanding. If we want to go to the pureland then we need to follow Buddha's wisdom and to live by the ten virtues or Ten Commandments to take care of this world. Then you have pureland, they have pureland, and everybody has pureland. All human beings will be comfortable.

CHOYIN: You just mentioned the ten virtues or the Ten Commandments. Are you saying the ten virtues are like the Ten Commandments?

KHENPO: The Ten Commandments are Jewish and a little bit different. They are close, very close. Every religion has a source of energy. I've heard Islam wants peace; they don't want to be killed. But some of the Muslims misunderstand this and want to kill. That's opposite of what I've heard about the Koran.

CHOYIN: Are you saying that to follow the ten virtues is the source of the energy of Buddhism? The positive energy?

KHENPO: The ten virtues are the general energy of the teaching of Buddhism. But even if you're not a Buddhist, it doesn't matter. If you do the ten virtues, you don't need the name. You will have energy to reach the pureland or have a personal relationship with God because you have the causes and conditions.It is an interdependent connection. If you want pureland but you do high crimes and the ten non-virtues then that wish is only a fantasy. You will fall directly into the hell realm because that's what Buddha taught to be the causes and conditions of falling into the hell realm.

The choice is yours. If you want a personal relationship with God, or you want to go to pureland, you want to have a relationship with Jesus, or Buddha, or Mohammed then you must do the right thing. But it is not just the matter of a single choice. You must live by all the ten virtues or all the Ten Commandments. All of these causes and conditions need to be practiced together.

CHOYIN: I think we could continue talking for a very long time. I want to thank you for talking about this. Maybe we can talk again sometime.

KHENPO. Okay, thank you.

Khenpo passed away in 2005: ODN-USA

Choyin Rangdrol is an African American practitioner of Vajrayana Buddhism who has worked as a California State Licensed Psychiatric Technician on staff at UCLA's Neuropsychiatric Hospital, USC's University Hospital department of psychiatry, state prison, state institutions and community based programs for the developmentally disabled, an institution for criminally convicted mentally ill patients, and a program serving severely mentally ill andhomeless populations in a beach community. He holds a B.A. in music as well as two years graduate study in Theater and certificates of study from the National Shakespeare Company (NYC) and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (London). Rangdrol is currently working to increase the African American experience in the Western Buddhist community. His Dharma presentations and discussion of HIV/AIDS, reparations, response to 9/11 WTC, and world peace have been featured on twelve television shows by the African American community talk show Oakland Is. His writings on African Americans and Buddhism have been covered by an award winning African American columnist in Oakland's black newspaper the Oakland Post.

Rangdrol's Buddhist efforts to heal the Black Community and his website http://www.Rainbowdharma.com have been endorsed by African Americans as well as the Center for White American Culture. He is a student of Khenpo Yurmed Tinly and has recently been appointed to establish a Buddhist center in Oakland as a means of giving African Americans direct access to Buddhist teachings in their own community.

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