Buddhist Politics

I was talking to a friend that i knew from my previous Dharma center (which was non denominational) and he told me that a certain very senior member of that community has left due to intense politics.

To me, personally, after listening to  Rinpoche's explanation on politics in a Dharma center, it does sound very silly to leave a Dharma center due to the messed up politics or difficult people inside. Rinpoche likens a Dharma center to be a hospital, where people who need help go to for help and to go to a Dharma center to expect perfect people would be akin to going to the hospital and expecting to see only healthy people there. At least nutjobs in a Dharma center actually realize that they need help which is why they are in a Dharma center in the first place, rather than nutjobs who think they are perfectly normal.

People will always be people and they will always behave in the same way, irregardless of whether or not they are in a spiritual organization or not. So why do people get disillusioned? It's more towards unrealistic expectations.

If one goes to a Dharma center to socialize and waste time rather than learning the Dharma with the help of a spiritual community, and it turns out that the Dharma center isnt any less stressful than office politics, the person would get disillusioned and may even quit Buddhism alltogether. The important thing, i feel is just to get the motivations and reasons for being in a Dharma center right: to learn the Dharma or for self improvement. Any other motivation and the reasons to be Buddhist would just fall apart and crumble. 

It would be somewhat unrealistic to use Dharma centers as an escape from office politics or anything like that. Sure, it can be hard to accept but we're all human and we should be expecting this to happen. Again, to me if i get overwhelmed by politics and it managed to damage my reputation, i only have myself to blame as i lack the people skills to get on the good side of others and acted in ways that provoke the ire of others. So it is only natural that they devise a way to get me out. why should i blame them as the cause when i myself am? Does it mean that they lack spiritual practice and its their fault, or would it be mine for placing expectations that they should have?

To be honest, i do not understand why do certain people get appalled when they find out that a certain center has politics, and declare that unbuddhist (It is so not buddhist to be political! there is no true dharma with politics, they claim....) Or that age-old argument that "monks should not get involved in politics, and therefore i do not respect the Dalai Lama" used by certain individuals to justify something...it is so silly. Even the Buddha had to handle and manage politics in the sangha (With Devadatta and the likes, and even needing to elude the king's questions etc to spread the teachings and enlighten others) so what makes you think that Buddhist communities should be free of it? Obviously wouldnt it be better to use it to ensure that more people will benefit, rather than spending a lifetime searching for the 'perfect' center? The Buddha taught that everything in samsara is of the same nature, and so are Dharma centers...so why fret?

The other question is, what happens if the next center you go to have the same kind of politics? what would you do? give up? or just bear with the center that has benefited you the most so that you can give back? What would it be?

are the questions that i ask myself if i ever considered leaving due to people making things difficult in the center. And obviously, the answers to the questions always turns my mind around.