TIBETAN BUDDHISM

•Monastic tradition •Four Tibetan orders: Nyin-ma-pa, Kay-gyu-pa, Sa-kya-pa, Ge-luk-pa (more academic order, more discipline required for Buddhahood – Yellow Hats.) •Strong likens them to several currents following a course in the same stream that diverge but re-emerge. Some difference about guru lineage and interpretation of doctrine. Not diverse, all accept one monastic rule from the Mulasarvastivadins (an Indian school) •Much that has come from Indian Buddhism, linked to the Middle Way of Nagajurna’s Madhyamika school in 2nd century C.E. •Arrived in Tibet in 7th century; also Padmasambhava and Indian monk and exorcist invited to overcome local demons

• ALSO KNOWN AS TANTRIC BUDDHISM/ VAJARAYANA - diamond vehicle 

• Tantra = To ‘Weave'
• •The idea behind this word is that the central notion behind Tantric Buddhism is that it focusses on dualistic notions of opposites and unites them into ‘non-dual’ meditative realisations of ‘Shunyata’ •Vajrayana = Diamond Vehicle tibetans believe there were ‘three turnings of the wheel of dharma’….. •Hinayana (The Arhat Vehicle) – they see them as wanting personal salvation from samara (Fowler) •Mahayana (the Bodhisattva Vehicle) – those who see compassion as important •Vajrayana (the Adamantine Vehicle) – who for those who see compassion as important and can endure the hardship of tantric practice for swift enlightenment •This is strictly a Tibetan paradigm

“Diamonds are the hardest of gems. They are also precious, beautiful and

translucent. In the symbolic language of the Yoga tantras, the ultimate

nature of things was also diamond-like, pure and radiant, but also strong and

indivisible.” – Williams with Tribe and Wynee, 2012

•Vajra seen as symbol for the nature of reality •Key ritual object standing for non-dual and indestructible

nature of awakened awareness

•Representing the unity of wisdom and compassion •Now usually symbolises compassion, bell in left hand is wisdom

•The three levels of vehicles can be understood by the vows required •Hinayana = pratimoksha vows eg. 5 precepts •Mahayana = Bodhisattva Vows ie. To become enlightened for sake of others •Vajrayana = many and various ‘secret’ vows determined by your ‘guru’

TANTRIC PRACTISE 

•Variety of practice, concerned with technique •Likely to involve evocation and worship of deities, use of mantras and visualisation •Requires initiation before tantric practice can be undertaken •Dire consequences if revealed to uninitiated: “these deeds must not be spoken of to others. Should the foolish devotee do this he will certainly fall into hell” – Vajrabhairava Tantra                         •Role of the teacher (esoteric) •Controversial, not accepted by all Buddhists: employment of sexualised ritual and worship of terrifying deities

•Teacher gives access to the practice •Tradition that one never speaks ill of one’s teacher •Teacher is identified in meditation with the deity at the centre of the mandala •In Tantric Buddhism one uses one’s own personal guru (lama) as an aide to meditation. •One treats and sees the guru as a buddha EG while meditating or performing rituals one might see the Dalai Lama as Avalokiteshvara FRONT AND SELF GENERATION •In tantric meditation one visualises the tantric deity because it represents an aspect of enlightenment.  e.g. Avalokitesvarasymbolises compassion - one might visualse itself as the deity  •It also trains one to think in a non-dual way – ie. You become ‘one’ with the deity. One might do this by visualising oneself sitting in front of the ‘deity’ in the deity’s Mandala (Pure Land) ·mudra, (ritual bodily movements, often hand gestures) ·mandala (cosmic diagrams)·mantra (sacred sounds)

•2 or 3 dimensional representations or creations of a sacred space or enclosure, understood as the particular domain or land of the deity/bodhisattva •They are often depicted as a 2 dimensional birds-eye-view of the deity’s palace •But meditators will visualise their 3D versions •“ The mandala, representing the perfect world the initiates are to enter, will be kept hidden from them until the appropriate moment. Prior to the actual initiation, the initiates are given the bodhisattva vows … since their tantric practice is considered an advanced form of the Mahayana path” (Lopez 1989:230)

•A mantra is a word, a syllable, a phrase or a short prayer that is spoken once or repeated over and over again (either aloud or in a person's head) and that is thought to have a profound spiritual effect on the person. •Mantra = often translated as ‘mind protection’ •A very well known mantra is the mantra of Avalokitesvara: om manipadme hum. This is sometimes said to mean "Behold! The jewel in the lotus!", the phrase isn't really translatable because of the richness of meaning and symbolism it contains. •Transforming the impure body, spirit and mind into the pure wisdom and compassion of a Buddha •“Chanting of the mantras promoted the awakening of bodhicitta, the contemplation of emptiness and, later, the dedication of merit” - Fowler •Tantric practice involves the recitation of mantras, a sacred verse that is repeated over and over. •In some practices once the deity has been visualised you might imagine nectar pouring out from the heart of the deity into your own as you recite. •If you have visualised yourself as the deity then you imagine the nectar pouring out of your heart and purifying the hearts of all sentient beings still trapped in Samsara.

•Itis common to use prayer beads to mark the number of repetitions of a mantra. •Mantras may also be displayed on a prayer wheel and repeated by spinning the wheel, or written on a prayer flag - in which case the prayer is repeated each time the flag moves in the wind. •Prayer wheels can be tiny things that a Buddhist carries with them or enormous objects up to nine feet high found in monasteries. •These physical prayer devices are very common in Tibetan Buddhist communities. •Other Tibetan rituals include reciting of the Tibetan Book of the Dead during the 49 day bardo •Puja involves statues/images of bodhisattvas, bells, gongs, drums, trumpets

•Probably shamanistic – reaching altered states in order to communicate with the spirit world •Probably animist – believing nature is populated by good and evil spirits •Arguable the extent to which modern understanding of Bon reflects how it was practised before Buddhist influence •Arguable the extent to which it influenced Tibetan Buddhism •Tibetan Buddhism reflects Mahayana practice in India in the 7th century CE •Bon and Buddhism co-exist •Bon developed as an official religion only after the arrival of Buddhism •Pre-Buddhist practices may be reflected in Tibetan Buddhism especially mantra and mudra

•Some Bon and some other popular traditions must have found their way into Tibetan Buddhism •Monks often involved in rites outside the monasteries concerned with beliefs not derived from Buddhism that lay people and monks share •Bon had idea of divine ruler descended to earth. •Pre-Buddhism:  ideas of spirit possession and acquisition of power were main preoccupations (Fowler). Klu spirits reside beneath the ground and under the sea; houses have guardian deities which need to be appeased e.g. the god in the fireplace. •Early Bon and Tantra can be seen as forms of shamanism, inducing states of altered consciousness, accessing planes of existence in which spirits, gods and demons abound (Fowler) •Arguably there are elements of Zoroastrian and Taoist traditions relating to yin and yan with idea of black and white demons keeping count of your karma with black and white pebbles

•Buddhism was introduced into Tibet at a time when the king and nobles were in a power battle. King was enthusiastic Buddhist. •Anti-monarchy nobles formed faction with priests of pre-Buddhist cults. •“This pre-Buddhist religion is often referred to by modern writers as Bon, and is said to be a form of shamanism.” •However: not the same as modern Bon religion which emerged under Buddhist influence during 11th century •Pre-Buddhist religion of Tibet was “a cult mainly connected with royal funeral ceremonies and was not, as far as we can tell, shamanistic in any way.” -Buddhism does tend to absorb local cults and culture (e.g. Japan, China) -Ideas of local deities being tamed by Buddhist saints – also a feature of Mahayana Buddhism. -“Many of the features of Tibetan Buddhism which initially strike one as unusual can be traced to forms of Buddhism present in India at the time of transmission to Tibet”