Case 03/2015: Zen Master Dokusho Villalba

JUDGEMENT AND ETHICAL CONCLUSION

Dear Prosecutor, Executive Secretary and Members of the Jury of the International Buddhist Ethics Committee (IBEC) and Buddhist Tribunal on Human Rights (BTHR), regarding the case denounced by the Shangri-La Buddhist Temple and the World Association of Buddhism (WBA) against Zen Master Dokusho Villalba, on May 29, 2015, I put on record, through the present document, that it is concluded the third case of the Ethics Committee in order to analyze the violation to the Buddhist Spirituality by the accused party.

After the enormous amount of evidence presented and certified as valid, and after the omission to give evidence by the accused, it has proceeded with the voting of 7 members of the Jury, by confirming that all of them sentenced as “Responsible” to Zen Master Dokusho Villalba by the serious dharmic crimes of Apology of consumption of psychotropic drugs and Violation of the Buddhist precepts. Given that these actions contradict the spirit of the Buddhist spiritual ethics, which considers Zen as the everyday life itself, the teachings by the accused party also reveal a violation of the Noble Eightfold Path, because there is a lack of righteousness in understanding, thinking, action, attention and concentration. Concordantly, Dokusho Villalba has already acknowledged that in the past he entered the Buddhist philosophy from his own psychedelic drug consumption experience, so his teachings constitute a “recidivism” in the face of this past contrary to the spiritual Buddhist ethics, markedly being a lack of respect both to the Buddhist code and to the millions of addicts who wish to rehabilitate themselves all over the world. Although the accused has a certain fame in the European community, his teachings are a dangerous precedent, since he is using Buddhism to actually transmit a pseudo-shamanism that is no more than a hippy tendency, by associating meditation and Spirituality with metaphysics and an escape from reality. Paradoxically, more than a thousand years ago, the great Master Padmasambhava did exactly the opposite, by making the conversion from Tibetan shamanism to Buddhism.

This third case entails a much more serious offense than violating the Buddhist vows, because the public teachings of the accused are part of a planetary cultural context that favours the decriminalization of drug use. This same profoundly materialistic and superficial cultural context is that which encourages: marijuana (Cannabis Sativa) consumption as a sort of serenity, the video-games such as PlayStation as a way of recreation, the superfluous communication through social networks like Facebook as a form of friendship. Thus, the Buddhist Spirituality must confront these superficial and mass evils, never allying to them, but simultaneously teaching that, as Master Kukai taught, art is an excellent vehicle for expressing Dharma. This means that a good art work will be able to bring greater Spirituality than any psychotropic drug.

Certainly, our International Buddhist Ethics Committee and Buddhist Tribunal on Human Rights has strong evidence that Dokusho Villalba is betraying the very spirit of the Buddhist tradition which considers that, as Zen Master Aitken has expressed it, the sparkles of Dharma can be found on flowers, birds and children. Therefore, it is an aberration to consider that hallucinogenic drugs can show people glimpses of the Awakening when, for the Buddhist Spirituality, Nirvana is to see life as it is in the here and now. Even though there may be certain psychotropic drugs that do not cause addiction, these drugs in deed induce an structurally psychotic experience, which is exactly the opposite of what the Awakening is. In fact, the great zen scholar DT Suzuki decided to try LSD for analyzing whether it was true it induced to a sparkle of Enlightenment, then checking that it was a wrong affirmation. At the same time, the prestigious psychiatrist Stanislav Grof, father of transpersonal psychology, decided to abandon the use of LSD for therapeutic purposes, by replacing the consumption of psychotropic drugs, in order to develop his own contemplative method called “Holotropic Breathwork”, which shows there is no need to consume hallucinogenics to open the doors of mind.

Therefore, the International Buddhist Ethics Committee and the Buddhist Tribunal on Human Rights rules that Buddhist Spirituality, as a Way to Peak Knowledge (Satori), should suspend Dokusho Villalba in all kind of spiritual position as a Zen Master, simultaneously recommending that he be under supervision of other spiritual masters in order to prevent false transmitting of Buddhism, thus helping him to continue his learning. Dokusho Villalba has committed blunders that reveal a lack of contemplation and compassionate wisdom, because psychedelics do not have a profound unity with the Zen pathway nor are they a tool for Awakening, much less Nirvana is a trance when in reality it is rather the Cure from all mundane trance. Furthermore, it is completely incorrect to justify the violation of the Buddhist precepts by saying that a psychedelic substance can bring lucidity to consciousness, because also the practice of samurai could bring Mindfulness and yet this involves the violation of the precept of not killing living beings. Only an unconscious or ignorant person may say that the use of psychedelics drugs provides equanimity and that it is a catalyst for meditation.

Although we are in favour of creating a New Buddhist Way, and our Maitriyana Spirituality certainly it is, this Purpose (Dharma) must follow in the footsteps of Master Siddhartha Gautama and never violate the ethical precepts, reason by which the International Buddhist Ethics Committee and Buddhist Tribunal on Human Rights has decided to proceed against Dokusho Villalba for causing a serious injury to the Buddhist Spirituality and the Zen tradition. Fame or success that someone may have within the international community does not necessarily constitute a sign of Spirituality and commitment with the Peak Knowledge (Satori). Therefore, the Committee and Tribunal aim to protect Dharma, which is the way towards the spiritual evolution of humanity.

Sincerely,

With a spirit of reconciliation (maitri),

Buddhist Master Maitreya

President of International Buddhist Ethics Committee and Buddhist Tribunal on Human Rights