The Buddha was quite clear with regards to the Dhamma - it is Not an ‘Opinion’ or a ‘View’.
There was recently a thread on this forum, asking participants to vote on their view/opinion of what Jhanas are. We also see Matty Weingast using this approach to justify/describe his book of poetry. see quote below by M Weingast.
I link to the response I gave on the other thread, as I feel it is also directly relevant here.
As such, I can only conclude that to allow the popular desires in a group in society to dilute or change the nature of the Dhamma that is taught by monastics is directly hastening the demise of the Dhamma, just as the Buddha outlined.
I am very saddened to see that this is happening before our eyes. To be clear, imo, whatever any private Lay person choses to do is their business, and carries much less weight, but what the Sangha does is another matter altogether. In fact, reading this thread, the issue has become much deeper for me than the misleading marketing of a book of poetry as a translation.
We/I take refuge in the Triple Gem, the third arm being the Sangha. This is what is at risk - how can we take refuge in the Sangha, if it can’t fulfil it’s obligations to the Dhamma? … This erodes the trust… “can I have confidence that they even know what the Buddha Dhamma is? What qualifies them to teach me?” I ask this with all sincerity, as I see many of the poems in the book as having divergent and even the opposite meaning to those of the Theris in the Therigatha. It might be nice and comforting or speak to someones personal experience - but it is NOT the Dhamma. If I want general, feel good support, there are endless resources available. Why would a Monastic, knowingly and in full awareness, teach poetry that changes the message of Enlightened Bhikkhunis and erodes the Dhamma - unless it is to highlight and expose the changes from Dhamma to ADhamma?
