BW Monastery’s Vague & Fickle Dedications

Submitted Reflection: BW Monastery’s Vague & Fickle Dedications

Shared on Dharma Protection Fellowship’s Facebook page (link).

In 2013, I started learning the Lamrim Chenmo (菩提道次第广论) at Bliss & Wisdom Society (福智协会) in Singapore, which was renamed BW Monastery (吉祥宝聚寺) upon its completion in August 2017.

We often hear of the term ‘merits’. Making of merits is similar to earning of wealth in terms of positive (and ideally pure) karma for facilitating our spiritual life, and to eliminate obstacles in our Dharma learning and practice. As I was always seeking ways to earn merits, I asked my BW Monastery’s class monitor for the correct way to make offerings to the Triple Gem.

My monitor suggested reciting the following before meals, as an effective way to earn merits – ‘I offer this food to the Guru, I offer this food to the Buddhas, I offer this food to the Dharma, I offer this food to the Sangha, I offer this food to all sentient beings.’ (供养上师，供养佛，供养法，供养僧，供养一切众生)I started this practice in early 2014, but am now trying very hard to unlearn and delete the first line.

Why did I lose faith in BW Monastery’s Guru (aka 真如: Zhenru; 金梦蓉: Mary Jin Mengrong)? Months ago, I chanced upon a video on YouTube with H.H. the Dalai Lama replying questions about Taiwan’s Bliss & Wisdom Society. Having an inquisitive mind, I asked my monitor about it. The reply was to ignore the video as it was ‘edited’ to ‘smear’ our Guru. This was chorused by a classmate who said she would not waste time on the ‘rumours’, to which I immediately retorted that we must find out what is going on to be fair to all parties. Frankly, I was stunned that a supposedly more ‘learned’ monitor would discourage students from finding out more about the truth, by giving the excuse that to do so is to slander, which will create heavy negative karma, to even fall into hell.

Long story short, I received news from a Dharma friend, who warned about the possibility of BW Monastery being a cult since it is connected to BW (福智)in Taiwan, which was already controversial. My personal experience in 2014 confirmed that Jin controls its Singapore branch too. This is what happened… I skipped class as I was having family vacation abroad. My monitor messaged to ask about my absence, saying that the monitor must be informed if unable to attend class.

When I resumed class later, the monitor reminded the class of the same need to inform. I remarked that the Dharma is to liberate us; not to bind us, to which the monitor explained that Jin cares about us and checks the attendance lists. I mentioned that I do not see the need to apply for leave of absence as this is a Dharma school and not a business entity. This is the first of many encounters that indicated the monitors’ and students’ blind adherence to instructions of Jin and the society.

Back to my awakening, I searched and found more information on the scandals mentioned in the Q&A video above. (Much can be seen at https://ladakh2017blog.wordpress.com and https://ladakh2017cn.wordpress.com) I was devastated to hear about the Buddha’s pure teachings being twisted for clearly wrong reasons. Many thoughts and afflictions ran through my mind and I lost my diligence to continue learning at BW Monastery. Anyway, the classes are conducted in an inefficient manner, where much time is spent watching videos of various themes, with announcements and singing of ‘Insightful Praises’ (赞颂) composed by Jin that praises the Buddha, the Dharma and following her.

The last straw that made me leave was the ambiguity of the dedication verses used, which have been modified over the years. It made me wonder if these were done for the smooth propagation of Jin’s brand of ‘teachings’.

All versions of dedication verses at BW Monastery have no clear and direct mention of aspiration to be born in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land, which contradicts Sakyamuni Buddha’s exhortation of beings, especially in this Dharma-Ending Age, to be born there.

Bear in mind too, that the author of the Lamrim Chenmo is Master Tsongkhapa, who is believed to be a manifestation of Manjusri Bodhisattva, both of whom wrote clear and detailed personal aspiration verses to be born in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land. As their students, should we not be following their same great examples? (See page 25 of https://fpmt.org/…/eight_prayers_to_benefit_the_dead_reader… for Master Tsongkhapa’s aspiration verses, and see Manjusri Bodhisattva’s version at https://purelanders.com/…/manjusri-bodhisattvas-verses-of-a…)

Dedications at BW Monastery are however for following the late Master and/or Jin, with some variations as below. Yet, whereabouts of the Master and whether he even remembers the past is unknown, while Jin is presently controversial.

I also reflected that if some at BW Monastery, who are in senior management, as prominent speakers and monitors, advocate non-killing and protection of lives, it should surely make even more sense to also protect the spiritual life (法身慧命)of all beings, including the students. Why did they fail to notice the absence of a solid destination for refuge in the next life within the dedication verses? The vague and fickle nature of the dedications seem to indicate lack of clear and wise long-term spiritual direction, while being swayed by unrealistic and short-term aims. (Below are varying versions used in recent years.)

Dedication Verses (2013)

愿此殊胜功德 回向法界有情
尽除一切罪障 共成无上菩提
至尊师长寿坚固 洁净事业遍十方
善慧教法如明灯 常破三界众生暗

May these profound merits and virtues be dedicated to all sentient beings. May we eliminate all karmic obstacles and together may we attain the state of Buddhahood. May the lives of the venerable Spiritual Masters be stable and their white divine actions spread in the ten directions. May the light of Lobsang’s teachings dispelling the darkness of the beings in the three worlds always stay.

Comment: Note that there is no aspiration of where to be reborn; just a vague wish to attain Buddhahood together. For average practitioners and even beginner Bodhisattvas, if not reaching Pure Land, all past Dharma learnt and practised will be forgotten. With wisdom forgotten, merits accumulated that bear worldly fruits might lead to spiritual complacency, and even possible doing of evil.

Dedication Verses (Added In 2015)

(This was during BW Monastery’s land bidding and construction.)

With strong aspiration, I/we dedicate the merits from reciting the Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra to the following:

1. The quick return of Shifu (师父: the late Master) to establish the Complete Teachings to benefit all sentient beings.

Comment: If the late Master had forgotten his past life and the Dharma learnt, he will not be able to return to do as wished. He will have to relearn everything. There is no sign that he is capable of returning to do as wished, after so many years gone, since his mysterious, unresolved and sudden death in 2004. Though Jin controversially claims ‘he’ has been found, for control, ‘his’ whereabouts are kept secret. This is as good as his ACTUAL whereabouts still being unknown.

2. For Shangshi (上师: ‘Guru’: later changed to 真如老师: ‘Teacher Zhenru’) to remain in good health, to stay in this world for a long time, and to always turn the peerless Dharma wheel. May Shangshi quickly return to Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia to bestow the Teachings to all sentient beings.

Comment: See the below equivalent.

3. For Prajna to stay in this world, the True Teachings to forever remain in this world, and for the Complete Teachings of the Buddha and Master Tsongkhapa to be propagated quickly, widely and smoothly throughout Chinese lands and the world.

Comment: See the below equivalent.

4. May all favourable conditions be increased for our Monastery (吉祥宝炬寺, with ‘炬’ later changed to be ‘聚’) to be completed smoothly by the next 2 years (later changed to ‘by March 2017’) and all unfavourable conditions obstructing its completion be eliminated.

Comment: See the below equivalent.

Dedication Verses (Changed In 2015)

(This is still in use, which is the same as that used in Taiwan’s BW Edu Park [福智园区] during Dharma Invitation & Refuge [请法皈依] trip in 2014)

愿此殊胜功德 回向法界有情
尽除一切罪障 共成无上菩提
生生由胜宗喀巴 为作大乘知识力
愿于佛赞善稳道 虽刹那顷不暂舍
我之师长宗喀巴 或居兜率或极乐*
任住何处胜净土* 我等愿生眷属首
初务广大求多闻 中现经教皆教授
后尽日夜遍熏修 为宏圣教遍回向
至尊师长寿坚固 洁净事业遍十方
善慧教法如明灯 常破三界众生暗

Comment: *If Master Tsongkhapa extorted by personal example to be born in Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land, these lines that mention to be born in Tusita, Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land OR any other Pure Land only confuses students, with no single set direction. Merits dedicated are thus not focused, and are diluted in effect for meeting the goal.

There is further confusion as students are also urged, as below in the latest dedication verses, to return to this human realm, to be with the late Master and/or Jin. Given these mixed and incoherent choices, it makes sense to aspire to reach the safest destination, that is Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land, who offers his receiving and guidance, even before reaching there.

Again, the whereabouts of the Master and whether he even remembers the past is unknown, and Jin is presently controversial. Returning to this world in the immediate next life is also to go deeper into the present Dharma-Ending Age, with the learnt Dharma forgotten. (How many of us can even recall our past life’s name, what more the profound Dharma?) As such, just as Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land is the safest and swiftest way to advance to Buddhahood (while recollecting everything learnt in all past lives), without any spiritual backsliding, return to Samsara is the most dangerous and slowest way to advance to Buddhahood, with much backsliding.

Dedication Verses (2016)

(This is in addition to 10 lines in Chinese)

With strong aspiration, we dedicate the merits to:

1. The quick return of Shifu to establish the Complete Teachings to benefit all sentient beings.

Comment: Why hope for the deceased, who might have forgotten his past life, to return to establish complete teachings? Why not just directly pray for the enlightened to manifest, to do what they will instead? The truth is, the enlightened will always do their best, while our prayers can create merits to deserve their manifestations more. However, following Sakyamuni Buddha’s advice, especially in this Dharma-Ending Age, the genuinely enlightened who manifest will not let their true identities be known, so that we will focus on the Dharma taught and not on their high spiritual statuses, which anyone can claim.

2. Shifu, Teacher Zhenru and Abbot Venerable Jingyuan to remain in good health in this world for a long time, and always turn the peerless Dharma wheel to benefit all sentient beings.

Comment: Why pray for those dubious in character – due to many good questions not answered adequately, to have good health and long lives, when they might do more harm with such respect and resources? How can they turn the peerless Dharma wheel to benefit all when they do not even observe basic precepts properly, and do not even allow reasonable questioning of questionable behaviour, teachings and policies?

3. Teacher Zhenru to go to Taiwan to establish the Five Great Treatises and come to Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia to bestow the Teachings and the Four Interwoven Annotations (四家合住) to benefit all sentient beings.

Comment: Why is there need to dedicate merits for Zhenru to go anywhere to teach, if she is already described to be so ‘great’ and full of merits? To date, she has no substantial ‘live’ Dharma teachings yet, that offer any special or great insight, even though there is the Internet. In fact, what instructed created more controversies on discipline and doctrine.

4. For Prajna to stay in this world, the True Teachings to forever remain in this world, and for the Complete Teachings of the Buddha and Master Tsongkhapa to be propagated quickly, widely and smoothly throughout Chinese lands and the world.

Comment: Buddhists should do their best to propagate the Dharma everywhere, so as to prolong the true Dharma’s stay in this world. However, there is no way to simply dedicate merits for the Dharma to remain forever in this world, as the Buddha taught clearly that this is the Dharma-Ending Age – which will become the Dharma ‘Ended’ Age. Thus did the Buddha urge us to embrace the Pure Land path, to be reborn where it is spiritually safe.

Also, while merits can be dedicated, the wisdom gained from personal Dharma learning and practice cannot be dedicated. Decline of wisdom explains what is happening to the said organisation, which wilfully ignores or ‘forgets’ basic teachings such as to rely on the precepts as one’s teacher, and to question what is questionable, with active enquiry – which is not slander at all, though the said organisation claims it is, what more with threats of rebirth in hell. To say fair questioners are slanderers is the real unfair slander.

5. Smooth and quick completion of our Monastery (吉祥宝聚寺) and all unfavourable conditions to be eliminated.

Comment: Despite completion of the monastery, and much dedication of merits to eliminate all unfavourable conditions, they have only gotten worse due to even greater exposure of the organisation’s controversies, as can be seen in part at https://ladakh2017blog.wordpress.com

6. Life after life, directly meet Shifu and Teacher Zhenru to learn the Complete Teachings and never forsake their blessings until Buddhahood in order to help all sentient beings.

Comment: Why aspire to meet, after this life, a deceased teacher, whose clear whereabouts are unknown, (even if controversially claimed to be discovered), or to meet a controversial ‘teacher’ still alive? The first cannot be found, while the second, being unenlightened, is no clear refuge for learning complete teachings. How much blessings can the unenlightened and even controversial offer anyone?

Why not follow the most excellent example of Lama Tsongkhapa, (who wrote the organisation’s main study text) and his aspiration verses to reach Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land, where Amitabha Buddha and all other Buddhas can be accessed, as perfect gurus (spiritual teachers), for mastering complete teachings? This is not to forsake any sentient beings as Amitabha Buddha’s Pure Land offers the swiftest path through all ranks of Bodhisattvahood to Buddhahood – which is why Lama Tsongkhapa led by his example.

May all have the wisdom to contemplate and protect the Buddha’s pure teachings, and never be the maggots who feast upon the great lion, who represents his institution of the Triple Gem in this world! (切勿当狮子身中虫，自食狮子肉。)

With Metta, Xinren
31 Dec 2017

• 新加坡