Vasectomy

Dharmasagara
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Re: Vasectomy

Post by Dharmasagara »

Sonam Wangchug wrote: Sat Mar 03, 2018 9:12 pm I was present once when one of the Nyingma lineage heads was talking about various karma's of sexual actions according to the view of the Mantrayana, when it came to the topic of Vasectomy, He said "You don't even want to knowthink about the karma of a Vasectomy" He said that across the board, not only for individuals who are into the yogas.

A wise man once said, "Partial knowledge is very dangerous" I don't know why it's so hard to say "I don't know" Or to ask a Rinpoche first specifically about the subject at hand. However to present as a matter of fact, something which will greatly harm someone, is irresponsible, and upsets me. Although i'm sure the motivation is definitely not negative.

The lama in question is Fully trained in medicine, and a master of the Anu yoga teachings, and definitely, a Dzogchenpa.
Hmmmmmm...
With all my respect to the quoted lineage holder and your sincerity in providing help and information for the question asked, the very same sentence "I don't know" could be thrown back to you. What do you know?

You heard that unnamed lineage holder talk about consequences of vasectomy. Not about the hindrances such a step could bring to one's tas-lung practice (which could be a personal experience of before/ after of such an intervention) but about the general karmic consequences of such step. Which brings to mind the well-known quote from Lord Buddha that it needs a buddha to explain the various colors on a peacock feather. Karma - as one learns right away on the path - is a very subtle (read: tricky) business. As far as I know did the Buddha not teach about vasectomy.

What he taught about was castration. But as you say the aforementioned Rinpoche is a fully trained physician. So surely he will have known the exact difference of the two interventions.

Which brings me to the question: Then on which valid cognition did he base his statement? Scriptural authority? Personal insight (view above statement of the Buddha)?

And now comes the second step of retelling such a bold statement which - as I have said right in the beginning - I am sure you make out of the best possible motivation of being of help to someone in need of an answer: What do you know about the ins and outs of this Rinpoche? Even about the exact recipient he had in mind when proclaiming that statement? What makes you so sure that it was meant as a statement for all the world to hear? If he is a fully enlightened buddha - and so we have to assume when making such general claims about the karma of very specific acts - then also we know that buddhas oftentimes teach in ways far beyond the little worlds we are able to grasp. Do you know the statement was not intended for some celestial beings listening to the conversation? Nor for some bardo being with a specific karmic situation this Rinpoche had thus purified there and then to set him on the path of liberation? Nor even for himself as there was still a tulku for him to be fathered in the future? And a million other possibilities of why this statement was uttered.

So except you know the mind of this Nyingmapa lineage holder so intimately as Ananda knew the intentions of his master can you really say from the bottom of your heart: "I know"?
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arch
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Re: Vasectomy

Post by arch »

Dharmasagara wrote: Mon Mar 05, 2018 4:15 pm
You heard that unnamed lineage holder talk about consequences of vasectomy. Not about the hindrances such a step could bring to one's tas-lung practice (which could be a personal experience of before/ after of such an intervention) but about the general karmic consequences of such step.
Of course, the general karmic consequences might well be the unplanned and or unprepared for birth of a child into an overpopulated world.

My wife has MS and did fine carrying our only child, but suffered real consequences thereafter, prompting the birth control discussion. I was only too happy to step up and take responsibility. That was 35 years ago, and *everything* is still fine.

Sorry, I can't speak to tsa lung practice.
Dharmasagara
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Re: Vasectomy

Post by Dharmasagara »

Pema Rigdzin wrote: Tue Feb 06, 2018 11:15 pm But my concern is whether a surgery like this would be damaging to practice of Secret Mantra in general, and Dzogchen in particular. What say you, Malcolm, and others? Anyone spoke to their lama about this? I know my wife would take yet another one for the team if I told her it would be harmful to my practice. But would it?
What shows my own experience after having had such an intervention five yeas ago I do not notice any effects on my tantric or Dzogchen practice. One of my lamas and one vajra brother of long say the same thing about their practice after vasectomy. True, ever since I haven't done very intense Tummo practice anymore so there I could not vouch. But for mild tummo as a side practice to Dzogchen, no problem. And how should disrupting the corporal seminal cords anyway influence the mind or even awareness? Seems to me a contradiction onto itself.
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Re: Vasectomy

Post by Pema Rigdzin »

Sonam Wangchug wrote: Sat Mar 03, 2018 9:12 pm Not only is the advice that it's fine to get Vasectomy grossly inaccurate, it's also incredibly harmful.

Someone who has faith in the teachings of the Secret mantra, Should never even dream of getting a Vasectomy.

I was present once when one of the Nyingma lineage heads was talking about various karma's of sexual actions according to the view of the Mantrayana, when it came to the topic of Vasectomy, He said "You don't even want to think about the karma of a Vasectomy" He said that across the board, not only for individuals who are into the yogas.

A wise man once said, "Partial knowledge is very dangerous" I don't know why it's so hard to say "I don't know" Or to ask a Rinpoche first specifically about the subject at hand. However to present as a matter of fact, something which will greatly harm someone, is irresponsible, and upsets me. Although i'm sure the motivation is definitely not negative.

The lama in question is Fully trained in medicine, and a master of the Anu yoga teachings, and definitely, a Dzogchenpa.

I have sent you a PM.
Sonam, thank you very much for your concern and taking the time to both respond here and PM me. However, I have in fact consulted one of my most important lamas, an eminently qualified Dzogchen master, about this and he told me he felt there is no problem with it.
Pema Rigdzin/Brian Pittman
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