Dear Arch Stanton,
I read your piece on Alex Berzin with interest - you evidently have a clear understanding of Dharma. It is valuable that you've exposed this ruse of posturing as orthodox while talking turkey from the point of view of Madhyamaka. However, your fine standard of writing is sometimes a little too erudite for some of the people who need clarification. I would have liked to have seen this issue spelt out a little more clearly for the benefit of those who can't see Alex Berzin's wood for the trees. Many people assume that if they can't follow an argument - it's over their heads and therefore true. The basic point is that you can't use the logic of a lower vehicle to refute a teaching from a higher vehicle. The logic of the Mahayana Sutras does not take precedence over Vajrayana - period.
If I may make an obvious but hopefully well intentioned criticism - the easiest way to discredit Alex Berzin's travesty of Dharma is to look at the back cover. Who endorses it? Jack Kornfield, Surya Das, and Thubten Chodron - an "anti tantric guru gang of three" if there ever was one. There are no actual Lama's quotes, and there is no foreword from Alex Berzin's teacher. And look at what Surya Das has to say: "Alex Berzin has taken head on one of the hottest issues of Buddhism in the west." Since when has Dharma dealt in "hot issues?" You could expect to find gutter journalism glibness of this sort in Tricycle - not on the back of a Dharma book.
Then check his preface - Silvia Wetzel, Martin Kalf and others from the dubious "Conferences of Western Buddhist Teachers" in Dharamsala. These were amongst the people who set out to create legislations as to who could be regarded as teachers and what forms of conduct were permissible. Their self-serving self-satisfied ultimatum was published by Tricycle.
Let's face it - there's no Madhyamaka logic required to see where Alex Berzin is coming from - straight from the bunker in Berlin where he wroite his preface. So, no need to be so nice and careful - you guys can shoot from the hip as far as I am concerned. Tell it like it is.
Keep up the good work,
Daryl VanHorn
Dear Mr. VanHorn,
Thank you for your feedback. We will attempt, at some point, to publish an article that addresses the issue of the vajra master in simpler syntax. We appreciate your comments concerning the back cover of Mr Berzin's book, but it is not Damtsig's policy to discuss individual personalities as inherently representative of a position. From our perspective, this would serve to demonize such individuals in exactly the way the Western Buddhist position attempts to demonize the vajra master. It is important to Damtsig that we comment only on public speech - written or otherwise - and therefore, to have commented on those who endorsed Mr. Berzin's book could have led us into a field of discussion we would rather avoid. We could certainly have taken issue with Jack Kornfield's words: "this is the most thoughtful and comprehensive book yet written on the teacher student relationship." However, all we could have said is that Mr. Kornfield has apparently not read Ron Garry's translation of The Teacher-Student Relationship, by Jamgön Kongtrul the Great.
As to shooting from the hip, we already stand accused of anger and hostility, so it seems you will have to bear with us on this. We are attempting to present a balanced picture and do not wish to alienate anyone by the strength of our expression. I trust you will not be too disappointed with this policy, given the need to address the broadest possible audience.
Arch Stanton