How I miss Dharmajim

Thanks for this response. The Dalai Lama, and his handlers, are 
very careful to project an image of tolerance. But he actually 
holds very strong views based on his own tradition. He definitely 
regards tantra as superior to any sutra, including the Lotus Sutra. 
And among the tantras he holds the Kalachakra to be the highest. 
That's why he regularly holds intiations in the Kalachakra. The 
purpose of holding these initiations is the belief that this 
intiation will mean that the participants will be reborn in 
Shambhala. And what is Shambhala? Shambhala is the final kingdom 
that will appear after a great battle between good and evil. It 
will be ruled over by, guess who?, the Dalai Lama. This aspect of 
Tibetan Buddhism is not often emphasized for westerners who might 
not be so enthusiastic about the Kalachakra if they knew its meaning 
and purpose.

Regarding the Lotus Sutra in particular; the Lotus Sutra is barely 
mentioned in Tibetan Buddhism, though I understand it is in their 
canon. I can understand why it receives so little attention. In 
almost every instance the Lotus Sutra runs counter to Vajrayana 
teachings. As a sample:

1. The transmission chapter in the Lotus Sutra says nothing about 
esoteric, or secret, transmissions, which is the basis for Vajrayana.

2. The Lotus Sutra is centered on Shakyamuni, while the Tantras 
typically displace Shakayamuni for some other Buddha or 
Bodhisattva. Some of the Mandalas do not even contain Shakyamuni. 
Further, the Lotus Sutra explicitly says that all the other Buddhas 
and Bodhisattvas are emanations of Shakyamuni, which is a position 
difficult to integrate into Vajrayana.

3. The Lotus Sutra is joyfully exoteric, open. The primary 
teachings of the Lotus Sutra are spoken to a huge audience of all 
kinds of living beings. Nothing is held back for a special elite. 
In Vajrayana the final teachings are given only to a select few; 
they are kept hidden. For this reason I consider Vajrayana an 
example of a Hinayana approach.

Thanks again for your comments.

Dharmajim