文/宗萨钦哲仁波切

　　如果你自认是个金刚乘弟子的话--无论事实上是真是假--只要你认为自己是金刚乘的修行者，那么你就有责任维护这个深奥的传统。

　　在金刚乘中，保持祕密非常重要。金刚乘之所以称为“密咒乘”，是因为它要你祕密地修持。它并非有什么见不得人之处因而需要保密，而是为了要让修持者不落入“我执”对修持所可能带来的陷阱与毁失。尤其是，修行者很容易受到“灵性物质主义”的侵蚀，以至于修持不是真的为了驯服与转化自心，而只是另一种时尚宣言，用来装点“我执”、加强自己的重要性；或只是让他们感觉隶属一个很“酷”的社交族群而已。以这种方式修持，金刚乘之道就会变得不止一无是处，还可能更糟。

　　同时，金刚乘教法所谓的“隐密”，是指对尚未接受恰当教法的人而言，其意义不太明显，有点像是一种外国语言。由于金刚乘的某些形象与象徵对于尚未受过灌顶者来说，可能会状似怪异甚或暴力，因此，通常都会建议将它们隐藏起来，以免让新进的修行者心生退却，甚至对佛教或金刚乘的法道产生谬误的见解。

　　所以，当你在社交网站张贴任何东西时，请注意：你并非只为了一己阅读之乐而张贴的，而是给全世界观看的。而且你要知道：绝大多数的人看到你那些疯狂的照片，或读到你对所谓“上师”的那个人各种奇特的钦慕与幻想时，并不会像你一样，享有相同的愉悦之情。

　　因此，对于所谓金刚乘弟子同伴们，我在此提供给诸位如何保护自己的建议。一方面让你避免出糗，一方面保护你的佛法修持--同时，也藉此保护深奥的金刚乘传统。

　　一、维护金刚乘的祕密性(这包括持守你的上师、你的修持、密续图像、你所受过的灌顶、你所参加过的开示等秘密)。

　　切勿张贴密续图像：如果你认为张贴令人惊耸的密续图像(诸如多手、多脚、动物头、双身相、忿怒相等本尊)会让你更显重要的话，你大概并不真正了解这些图像的意义。

　　切勿张贴咒语或种子字：如果你认为将咒语或种子字张贴在facebook上可以拿来做为心情符号或自我改善辅助物的话，你不如去改变形象或去剪个头发，可能更为有用。

　　切勿谈论你受过的灌顶：如果你认为自己在周末密乘灌顶的照片值得跟你猫咪的照片一起张贴在脸书上的话，你应该先把猫咪送到尼泊尔去接受灌顶。而且，除非你得到上师的允许，切勿张贴任何金刚乘灌顶、开示或咒语的照片、录影(录像)或录音。

　　切勿谈论你领受过的深奥或秘密教法：有些人似乎觉得不时地把“大圆满”、“大手印”这类的字眼挂在嘴边是很时尚的。如果你领受了甚深的法教，最好依据教法所言，自己修持就好，不用告知他人。

　　二、避免落入灵性物质主义的诱惑，而把佛法拿来做为服侍我执的工具(切勿企图拿你的上师、你的了悟、你的修持来自吹自擂。相同的，切勿批评其他修行人或法道)。

　　切勿与他人分享你的经验或所谓的“成就”：如果你认为宣示你自以为证得的成就是值得做的事，那么你可能一直都在忙着膨胀你的染污而已。须知：试图用自己的修行来让别人敬佩你，不是修行的一部份。切记要真诚、谦逊。没有人会在乎你的禅定经验，即使你有亲见佛陀、独角兽或七色彩虹的淨相。如果你自忖这些经验都毫无自欺的话，再试一次，再想想看。

　　切勿夸耀你的上师：无论你认为自己的上师有多伟大，为了你自己之故，最好把虔敬心放在自己心上就好。切记，做为佛教徒不是参加某种膜拜式的异教。如果你认为自己的上师比别人的上师更好的话，那么你可能也认为你的“平等舍”与“淨观”都优于别人的“平等舍”与“淨观”。

　　切勿与人分享你的所谓的“智慧”：如果你认为接受过深奥教法就是允许你四处宣说这些教法的话，那么你就只是在展现你的愚痴而已。在你与他人“分享”佛陀或任何上师之话语前，先想想看：他们是否真的说过这些话？他们是说给什么样的听众听的？

　　切勿混淆佛教与非佛教的见解：无论你受到七色彩虹与虹光球的启发有多大，也无论你如何深信世界末日即将到来，请勿将你个人的幻想与偏好混入佛教。

　　尊重他人：若是没有上座部与大乘做为基础，就不会有金刚乘。金刚乘修行者若是鄙视或轻视上座部与大乘佛教的话，那是全然愚蠢的。如果你认为攻击其他佛教徒就能改善佛教的话，请你帮佛教一个忙，不妨集中火力攻击你自己的我执与偏见。

　　切勿造成不和谐：在你的网站聊天室中，试图作为一个造成同修团体和谐的人，而不是一个引起麻烦与争端的人。

　　永远要检视自己的动机：请勿在网路(网络)上展现“疯狂智慧”的行止，你只要启发他人有颗善良的心即可。如果你认为自己完全是基于大悲心而张贴某项内容的话，试图先确定你这么做不会造成任何伤害。无论何时，若是你情不自禁地一定要张贴某项内容时，请先确定这些内容对于读者与佛法都有帮助。

　　SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDELINES FOR SO-CALLED VAJRAYANA STUDENTS

　　If you think or believe that you are a student of Vajrayana—whether or not that's true is another matter—but as long as you think you are a Vajrayana practitioner, it becomes your responsibility to protect this profound tradition。

　　It’s important to maintain secrecy in the Vajrayana. The Vajrayana is called ‘the secret mantra yana’ because it is intended to be practiced in secrecy. It is not secret because there is something to hide, but in order to protect the practitioner from the pitfalls and downfalls that ego can bring to the practice. In particular, practitioners tend to fall prey to “spiritual materialism,” where their practice becomes just another fashion statement intended to adorn their egos and make them feel important, or have them feel that they’re part of a ‘cool’ social tribe, rather than to tame and transform their minds. When practiced in this way, the Vajrayana path becomes worse than useless。

　　Also, the Vajrayana teachings are ‘hidden’ in the sense that their meaning is not apparent to someone who has not received the appropriate teachings. It’s like a foreign language. Because some of the imagery and symbolism can seem strange or even violent to the uninitiated, it’s generally recommended to keep it hidden so that it doesn’t put off newer practitioners, who might develop wrong views about the Buddhist path in general and the Vajrayana path in particular。

　　While posting on social media, please bear in mind that you are not only posting for your own reading pleasure, but to the whole wide world who most likely don't share your amusement over crazy photos, nor your peculiar adoration and fantasies of certain personalities you call as guru。

　　Given this, here are some suggestions I offer fellow so-called Vajrayana students about how you can protect yourself—both by avoiding embarrassment and by protecting your Dharma practice—and also protect the profound Vajrayana tradition:

　　(1) Maintain the secrecy of the Vajrayana (this includes secrecy about your guru, your practice, tantric images, empowerments you have received, teachings you have attended, etc。)

　　- Don’t post tantric images: If you think posting provocative tantric images (such as images of deities with multiple arms, animal heads, those in union, and wrathful deities) makes you important, you probably don’t understand their meaning。

　　- Don’t post mantras and seed syllables: If you think mantras and seed syllables should be posted on Facebook as mood enhancement and self-improvement aids, a makeover or haircut might do a better job。

　　- Don’t talk about your empowerments: If you think images from your weekend Vajrayana empowerment are worthy of being posted up next to photos of your cat on Facebook, you should send your cat to Nepal for enthronement. Unless you have obtained permission from the teacher, do not post any photo, video or audio

　　recording of Vajrayana empowerments, teachings or mantras. - Don’t talk about profound/secret teachings you may have received: Some

　　people seem to find it fashionable to hang words like "Dzogchen" and "Mahamudra" in their mouths. If you have received profound instructions, it is good to follow those instructions and keep them to yourself。

　　(2) Avoid giving in to the temptations of spiritual materialism and using Dharma in service of your ego (do not attempt to show off about your guru, your understanding, your practice etc. Likewise, do not speak badly of other practitioners or paths。)

　　- Don’t share your experiences and so-called attainments: If you think declaring what you think you have attained is worthwhile, you may have been busy bolstering your delusion. Trying to impress others with your practice is not part of the practice. Try to be genuine and humble. Nobody cares about your experiences in meditation, even if they include visions of buddhas, unicorns or rainbows. If you think you are free of self deception, go ahead, think again。

　　- Don’t boast about your guru: No matter how great you think your guru is, it would probably serve better for you to keep your devotion to yourself. Remember that being buddhist is not joining a cult. If you think your guru is better than another’s, you probably think your equanimity and pure perception are better than another’s。

　　- Don’t attempt to share your so-called wisdom: If you think receiving profound teachings gives you license to proclaim them, you will probably only display your ignorance. Before you “share” a quote from the Buddha or from any of your teachers, take a moment to think if they really said those words, and who the audience was meant to be。

　　- Don’t confuse Buddhism with non-Buddhist ideas: No matter how inspired you might be of rainbows and orbs, and how convinced you are about the end of the world, try not to mix your own fantasies/idiosyncracies with Buddhism。

　　- Be respectful to others: Without Theravada and Mahayana as foundation, there would be no Vajrayana. It would be completely foolish of Vajrayana practitioners to look down on or show disdain towards Theravada and Mahayana. If you think attacking other buddhists will improve Buddhism, do a service for Buddhism, take aim at your own ego and biasedness instead。

　　- Don’t create disharmony: Try to be the one who brings harmony into the sangha community with your online chatter, instead of trouble and disputes。

　　- Always be mindful of your motivation: Please do not attempt to display "crazy wisdom" behaviors online, just inspire others to have a good heart. If you think you are posting something out of compassion, try first to make sure you are doing no harm. Whenever you can't let go of the itch to post something, make sure that it helps whoever who reads it and the Dharma。

　　-----  Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse