Should Hui Juk have considered adopting Tibetan Lama Buddhism?

[Ken Cheng]

One of the greatest regrets of Hui Juk's life was being expelled from the Shaolin Temple for having (mostly unwittingly) violated most of its restrictions and commandments. Even as he settled into his new layman's life as the Prince Consort of the Hsi Hsia Kingdom and leader of the Siu Yiu Sect and Ling Jau Palace, he often wished he could return to the life of a Buddhist monk.

Shaolin might have expelled him, but I wonder why Hui Juk never considered becoming a Tibetan Lama Buddhist. Buddhists in Hsi-Hsia believed in the Tibetan variety, which was much less stringent about such restrictions such as meat-consumption, alcohol, and sex (I don't think Tibetan Lama Buddhist monks even observe such restrictions, unlike the Chan-Buddhist monks of Shaolin). It seems to me that Hui Juk could have continued his life as a Buddhist monk if he had adopted Tibetan Lama Buddhism. Other than the different positions towards restrictions, the two schools of Buddhism are mostly in line with each other in terms of general doctrine.

[wkeej]

Interesting question. Yes, I did heard of a case of a Tibetan monk with kids and eating meat. Not sure about the alcohol part.

[Ian Liew]

I think Xuanci's parting words kind of helped him overcome such regrets - something about when you have Buddha in your heart it matters not whether you're within Shaolin or without. By the time Xuanci had died I don't think he ever felt the need to pledge allegiance to a monastery again, contented with being a good layman. When he found his wife any last tinge of regret he may have had would have been erased completely.