In my mind, I believe everything I write can easily be traced back to something Venerable Geshe-la (VGL) has directly taught. I have only VGL going in free from any mixing, so hopefully it is only VGL coming out. I take my heart commitment to Dorje Shugden very seriously.

There are two types of teaching, manifest and hidden. The manifest teachings are things he directly said. The hidden teachings are things we can discover by contemplating deeply what he has said and by connecting the dots between what he has said.

VGL explained that the oral lineage instructions are the making manifest of what was previously hidden. We are, fundamentally, the Ganden Oral Lineage. As the lineage courses through time, some aspects that were previously hidden become manifest.

But only those things directly taught by the lineage gurus can definitively be considered canon within our lineage. For example, for me, Mirror of Dharma and the Oral Instructions of Mahamudra, and in particular VGL’s oral commentaries to these two books, are the the very essence of canonical oral instructions VGL gave us. He made manifest what was previously hidden within our lineage. I would say his oral lineage instructions began with Modern Buddhism. The books that came before were generally foundational teachings of Lama Tsongkhapa re-presented for fortunate modern Kadampa disciples. The publishing of Modern Buddhism was like VGL’s second founding of the New Kadampa Tradition.

But the rest that we all have to say, I would say, is the interpretations or commentaries of individual practitioners as they make their way along the path. They are things that were hidden to them that become manifest for them.

I would put everything I write definitively in the second basket, obviously not the first. VGL frequently encouraged us to write our own commentaries. For me, all of my writings are that.

Some people appreciate my thoughts. But sometimes some people get very bent out of shape when I write things they haven’t heard before, with some variant of “who the hell do you think you are to say such things?” Or “where did VGL say that?” as if him not saying it directly necessarily makes it wrong. They project that I am putting myself forward as some definitive word on things, inventing my own lineage, etc., and they can get upset at me or about what I am doing, as if it is some threat.

From my perspective, oftentimes this is because they struggle to see past whether I have the right to write things down to actually check whether what I am saying is correct or not. Of course the language choices I use sometimes invite that because I do tend to write with a definitive voice. Kadam Lucy has encouraged me many times to be careful on that front and add things like, “to me,” or “it seems to me,” or “I would say,…” and things like that, so people know that I am not pretending to proclaim forth the truth from Mount Sinai.

But in the end, I would say whether other practitioners find what I write to be helpful or a load of crap is really up to them. I don’t claim what I write has any validity beyond they work for me and are what I am understanding at any given point in time. It is up to each person to check out the validity of what I am saying for themselves – or they can just ignore what I have to say as the ramblings of some rogue Kadampa. It’s all the same to me. As Shantideva said at the beginning of his Guide, his intention in writing it was to consolidate his own thoughts. If others also find it beneficial, then all the better.

However, I do ask others to please point out when I’m going off the rails. Gen Pagpa, Kadam Olivier, Kadam Lucy, Gen Rabten, France, and some others do do that, and I’m extremely grateful. I don’t want to believe wrong things and I invite others to compassionately correct me when I’m wrong. I also invite others to ask questions if what I am saying doesn’t make sense or gives rise to some doubts. Many do. VGL said it is really important to discuss Dharma with our Sangha friends during the meditation break, just like we would at a World Peace Cafe or something. Everything I write is meant to start a conversation.

I might sometimes debate back with folks, though, if in my mind their “correction” doesn’t in fact make sense to me. Sometimes when I debate back people feel threatened or that I’m challenging their authority or that I am just so dense I don’t get it or that my pride prevents me from understanding they are right. Sometimes I think the exact same thing about them for not being able to see the validity of my points. None of this is a problem.

For me, that is the value of spiritual debate. If two sincere Kadampas are having a disagreement about their understanding of the teachings, this is an opportunity for both to either deepen their understanding or to help skillfully guide their fellow Kadampas along the correct path. Either way it has the potential to be good. But sometimes delusions and attachment to one’s view get in the way.

Either way, I believe it is important that we reflect deeply on what it means to be a living oral lineage. Sometimes people fall into the extreme of inventing their own lineage. Sometimes people fall into the extreme of thinking if VGL didn’t directly say it, it is somehow wrong or creating one’s own lineage and they become Dharma parrots.

I would say the middle way is understanding that the nature of an oral lineage is the making manifest what was previously hidden. When a lineage guru does this, it becomes canon in that lineage. When an individual practitioner does it, it’s just that practitioner’s individual commentary.

For us, according to the Internal Rules, only the collected works of VGL (his books, teachings, and things he has said to individual practitioners) are canon. Everything else is our commentaries. Sometimes they are written down, sometimes they are discussed over a cup of coffee, sometimes they are shared from the throne in one of the thousands of Kadampa centers around the world. Perhaps 250 years from now another foundational teacher like Atisha, Lama Tsongkhapa, and VGL will come along and re-present the teachings for fortunate future Kadampa disciples. But until then, VGL is canon, we are commentaries.

Since VGL frequently encouraged us to write our own commentaries, I see a future in which many, many Kadampas are writing, speaking, and sharing their own commentaries, learning from each other. I would say each time a Kadampa gives a teaching in a center, this is their individual commentary. It is what they understand VGL to mean and what they have understood the teachings to mean. It is their personal testimonial of the truth of the teachings for them in their life.

One of my previous teachers said the lineage blessings only transfer through individual lived experience of their truth. Two people could speak the exact same words, but the listeners will receive greater blessings from the person who has direct personal experience of the truth of that instruction. We can be inspired by such things, appreciate the value of such things, even if there might be points of disagreement along the margins. Then there is no problem, indeed there is just mutual learning within a like-minded spiritual community.

How wonderful, or at least I think it is… 😉