Pema Lingpa.Pdf

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Pema Lingpa.Pdf Pema Lingpa_ALL 0709 7/7/09 12:18 PM Page i The Life and Revelations of Pema Lingpa Pema Lingpa_ALL 0709 7/7/09 12:18 PM Page ii Pema Lingpa_ALL 0709 7/7/09 12:18 PM Page iii The Life and Revelations of Pema Lingpa ሓ Translated by Sarah Harding Snow Lion Publications ithaca, new york ✦ boulder, colorado Pema Lingpa_ALL 0709 7/7/09 12:18 PM Page iv Snow Lion Publications P.O. Box 6483 Ithaca, NY 14851 USA (607) 273-8519 www.snowlionpub.com Copyright © 2003 Sarah Harding All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced by any means without prior written permission from the publisher. Printed in Canada on acid-free recycled paper. isbn 1-55939-194-4 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Pema Lingpa_ALL 0709 7/7/09 12:18 PM Page v Contents Foreword by Gangteng Tulku Rinpoche vii Translator’s Preface ix Introduction by Holly Gayley 1 1. Flowers of Faith: A Short Clarification of the Story of the Incarnations of Pema Lingpa by the Eighth Sungtrul Rinpoche 29 2. Refined Gold: The Dialogue of Princess Pemasal and the Guru, from Lama Jewel Ocean 51 3. The Dialogue of Princess Trompa Gyen and the Guru, from Lama Jewel Ocean 87 4. The Dialogue of Master Namkhai Nyingpo and Princess Dorje Tso, from Lama Jewel Ocean 99 5. The Heart of the Matter: The Guru’s Red Instructions to Mutik Tsenpo, from Lama Jewel Ocean 115 6. A Strand of Jewels: The History and Summary of Lama Jewel Ocean 121 Appendix A: Incarnations of the Pema Lingpa Tradition 137 Appendix B: Contents of Pema Lingpa’s Collection of Treasures 142 Notes 145 Bibliography 175 Pema Lingpa_ALL 0709 7/7/09 12:18 PM Page vi Pema Lingpa_ALL 0709 7/7/09 12:18 PM Page vii Foreword by Gangteng Tulku Rinpoche his book is an important introduction to Buddhism and to the Tteachings of Guru Padmasambhava. In particular, it includes selections from the treasures revealed by the great Bhutanese master Pema Lingpa. The history and dialogue with Princess Pemasal is the crux – that is where Guru Rinpoche gave a series of prophecies about the princess’s future lives, which eventually led to Pema Lingpa’s birth. This will be of benefit to anyone interested in the Dharma and those practicing in the Peling tradition. These dialogues with female disciples offer inspiration to women practic- ing the Dharma today. People might think that women did not have the same opportunities or capacities for refining their beings and attaining enlighten- ment. These selections show that it makes absolutely no difference whether you are female or male; it is the practitioner’s faith and diligence that deter- mine spiritual progress. I chose Lama Jewel Ocean to be translated first, because it contains impor- tant instructions for the spiritual path. These teachings concern Guru Pad- masambhava and provide the foundation for later practices. Along with the Dzogchen and Great Compassion cycles, Lama Jewel Ocean is one of the most important in the Peling tradition. It is studied and practiced first because of the importance of the guru’s blessing. In order to translate these selections from Lama Jewel Ocean, I invited Sarah Harding, Kalu Rinpoche’s student, to Bhutan for a year. It is difficult Pema Lingpa_ALL 0709 7/7/09 12:18 PM Page viii viii The Life and Revelations of Pema Lingpa to translate the Dharma, especially Vajrayana material. If someone has not practiced Vajrayana, the translation will not go well. I specifically asked Sarah Harding because she has completed extensive Vajrayana practice in a three- year retreat. His Majesty Jigmi Singye Wangchuck of Bhutan approved this project in order to share the Bhutanese tradition of Pema Lingpa. The translation of the history and teachings of this tradition into English will benefit not only West- erners but also the people of Bhutan and other places where knowledge of English is common. Since Pema Lingpa is so intertwined with Bhutanese culture, this book is also a way of preserving the cultural heritage of the Bhutanese people. May these profound teachings of the Dharma contribute to peace and hap- piness on earth. Pema Lingpa_ALL 0709 7/7/09 12:18 PM Page ix Translator’s Preface rgyen Pema Lingpa was a Buddhist saint who lived in Bhutan Oin the fifteenth century. He is a well-respected, prominent figure in the history of the Vajrayana tradition that dominates the Himalayan region, but it is especially in the small kingdom of Bhutan that he is loved as a folk hero and spiritual master, a source of national pride and inspiration. The sto- ries still abound around the innumerable holy sites where he displayed spir- itual wonders, and the drama of his extraordinary life is constantly reenacted in school plays and performances by monks throughout Bhutan. The teach- ings and religious practices are maintained in good health through his current incarnations, such as Gangteng Tulku Rinpoche. This living tradition is the link to deep spiritual roots, to the time when the great master Padmasamb- hava came to Bhutan and Tibet to tame the wild forces, bring the soothing wisdom of the Buddha’s teachings, and leave behind an enduring legacy. The great Guru Rinpoche is said to have visited Bhutan three times, spreading the doctrine throughout the land and bestowing blessings that are still felt today. In particular, many of these spiritually ripening teachings were hidden in spe- cial power places throughout Bhutan and Tibet, to be revealed at the opti- mum time to be of maximum benefit for sentient beings in the future. It was Pema Lingpa who was destined to reveal many of these treasures. The tradition of hiding treasures (terma)1 is said to have originated with Padmasambhava in the eighth century, although it certainly had precedents in the legends of early Buddhism in India. Holy objects or scrolls of spiritual instructions were hidden in caves or cliffs, or sometimes the meaning of the teachings themselves was hidden in the very mindstreams of special disciples. The places and circumstances of their discovery are recorded in the form of prophecy in ancient texts attributed to Padmasambhava. The person who was the prophesied or destined revealer of a particular treasure is called the tertön, the treasure-revealer. The collected literature attributed to this special class of Buddhist saints constitutes an enormous section of Tibetan scripture. It is the special domain of the Nyingma school, although not exclusively so. The terma Pema Lingpa_ALL 0709 7/7/09 12:18 PM Page x x The Life and Revelations of Pema Lingpa tradition as a whole maintains the ever-important connection to the ancient teachings while at the same time ensuring that they are alive and current. In this sense, it is very much in keeping with the spirit of Buddhism, the ancient wisdom spoken by the Buddha over twenty-five hundred years ago that is constantly adapting and ultimately pragmatic. Pema Lingpa is recognized as the fourth of Five Tertön Kings,2 who are among the one hundred major and one thousand minor treasure-revealers. He discovered treasures throughout Bhutan and north of its current borders, but his activity mainly centered around Bumthang and the Tang Valley where he was born. His life was in many ways characteristic of a tertön. His visions and illuminations began at an early age and launched him into the strenuous career of a treasure-revealer. A crowd of onlookers always witnessed the dis- covery of his treasures, but he nevertheless had his detractors and the usual problems with patronage. In hindsight, however, both his family lineage and his spiritual legacy have maintained a position of prominence in Bhutan itself and in the Vajrayana tradition as a whole. The Pema Lingpa lineage is thus one of the main streams of the terma tradition still maintained and practiced today. The texts translated here, with the exception of the biography “Flowers of Faith,” are all taken from a single treasure collection discovered by Pema Lingpa called Lama Jewel Ocean (Lama Norbu Gyatso). This was discovered in Mendo Cliff in Lhodrak, southern Tibet, when Pema Lingpa was almost fifty. The story of its origins, beginning way back with the life of Padmasambhava, constitutes the last chapter, “A Strand of Jewels.” The other four selections were chosen by Gangteng Tulku Rinpoche for this first collection of transla- tions. They are all “dialogues,” literally question-and-answer sessions (zhu len), that various practitioners had with Padmasambhava or with a disciple close to him. They convey not only the contents of the philosophy and prac- tice, but also a sense of the people involved and their relationships to each other. The guru-disciple relationship is paramount in the practice of Vajrayana Buddhism. The real heart of the spiritual path is transmitted in the private and sacred space created within that relationship. We as readers are privy to a whiff of this atmosphere in these dialogues, and we benefit immensely from the answers that were granted so many centuries ago to ques- tions that we might still hope to ask. Three of these dialogues were with women, illustrious practitioners who were contemporaries of Padmasambhava. These are of special interest in being a window into the past position and attitude of women during the time of Padmasambhava and/or Pema Lingpa. The discovered treasures most often Pema Lingpa_ALL 0709 7/7/09 12:18 PM Page xi Translator’s Preface xi need to be “translated” from the secret or encoded script of the dakinis3 into the idiom of the time.
Recommended publications
  • Materials of Buddhist Culture: Aesthetics and Cosmopolitanism at Mindroling Monastery
    Materials of Buddhist Culture: Aesthetics and Cosmopolitanism at Mindroling Monastery Dominique Townsend Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 2012 © 2012 Dominique Townsend All rights reserved ABSTRACT Materials of Buddhist Culture: Aesthetics and Cosmopolitanism at Mindroling Monastery Dominique Townsend This dissertation investigates the relationships between Buddhism and culture as exemplified at Mindroling Monastery. Focusing on the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, I argue that Mindroling was a seminal religio-cultural institution that played a key role in cultivating the ruling elite class during a critical moment of Tibet’s history. This analysis demonstrates that the connections between Buddhism and high culture have been salient throughout the history of Buddhism, rendering the project relevant to a broad range of fields within Asian Studies and the Study of Religion. As the first extensive Western-language study of Mindroling, this project employs an interdisciplinary methodology combining historical, sociological, cultural and religious studies, and makes use of diverse Tibetan sources. Mindroling was founded in 1676 with ties to Tibet’s nobility and the Fifth Dalai Lama’s newly centralized government. It was a center for elite education until the twentieth century, and in this regard it was comparable to a Western university where young members of the nobility spent two to four years training in the arts and sciences and being shaped for positions of authority. This comparison serves to highlight commonalities between distant and familiar educational models and undercuts the tendency to diminish Tibetan culture to an exoticized imagining of Buddhism as a purely ascetic, world renouncing tradition.
    [Show full text]
  • Buddhist Practitioner Bibliography
    Buddhist Practitioner Bibliography 1) Lineage a) The Awakened One: A Life of the Buddha. Sherab Chödzin. (Boulder CO: Shambhala Publications, 2009) b) The Great Kagyu Masters: The Golden Lineage Treasury. Khenpo Könchog Gyaltsen. ed. Victoria Huckenphaler (Ithaca New York: Snow Lion Publications, 1990) 2) Sutras a) Dhammapada: The Path of Perfection. trans. Juan Mascaró (Baltimore MD: Penguin Books Ltd., 1973) b) Early Buddhist Discourse. Ed. and trans. by John J. Holder (Indianapolis IN: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 2006) c) The Holy Teaching of Vimalakirti: A Mahayana Scripture. Robert A. F. Thurman (Penn State University Press, 2003) 3) Philosophy a) Fundamentals: i) On the Four Noble Truths. Yeshe Gyamtso. (KTD Publications, 2013) b) Overview: i) The Essence of Buddhism: An Introduction to Its Philosophy and Practice. Traleg Kyabgon. (Boston MA: Shambala Publications, 2001) c) Abhidharma and Fundamentals: i) The Buddhist Psychology of Awakening: An In-depth Guide to Abhidharma. Steven D. Goodman (Boulder, CO: Shambhala Publications, 2020) ii) Indestructible Truth: The Living Spirituality of Tibetan Buddhism. Reginald A. Ray. (Boston MA: Shambhala Publications Inc., 2000) d) Mahayana Systems: i) Outlines of Mahayana Buddhism. Daisetz Teitaro Suzuki. (London, UK: Luzac, 1907) ii) Living Yogācāra: An Introduction to Consciousness-Only Buddhism. Tagawa Shun’ei. trans. Charles Miller. (Somerville MA: Wisdom Publications, 2009) iii) Entry into the Inconceivable: An Introduction to Hua-Yen Buddhism. Thomas Cleary. e) Emptiness: i) Progressive Stages of Meditation on Emptiness: Experiential Training in Meditation Reflection and Insight. Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamsto Rinpoche. trans. Lama Shenpen Hookham. (UK: Shrimala Trust, 2016) ii) Introduction to Emptiness: As Taught in Tsong-kha-pa’s Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path.
    [Show full text]
  • THE SEVEN CHAPTERS of PRAYER Dear Reader, This Is a Free PDF of This Valuable Prayer Book Well Known in the Tibetan Tradition
    !"#$%&'()"%$(&*%)'*+%,- THE SEVEN CHAPTERS OF PRAYER Dear Reader, this is a free PDF of this valuable prayer book well known in the Tibetan tradition. We offer this book for free to make these prayers available for praxis. Before printing this PDF please consider to buy the book. The book is well suited for repeated praxis. It consist of sewn pages made from 100% chlorine & acid free and long lasting paper in hard cover. You can buy it on several online stores or directly by the publisher: http://www.wandel-verlag.de/en/ With your direct orders you support our small publication house. Other order possibilities include: Amazon, DE: http://www.amazon.de/shops/editionkhordong Wisdom Books, UK: http://www.wisdom-books.com/ Snow Lion, USA: http://www.snowlionpub.com/ Namse Bangdzo Bookstore, USA: http://www.namsebangdzo.com/ Thank you. May peace prevail on earth. Yours, edition khordong WANDEL VERLAG berlin 2010 www.khordong.net www.wandel-verlag.de THE SEVEN CHAPTERS OF PRAYER as taught by PADMA SAMBHAVA of Urgyen known in Tibetan as Le‘u bDun Ma arranged according to the system of Khordong Gompa by Chhimed Rigdzin Rinpoche translated by Chhimed Rigdzin Rinpoche & James Low WANDEL VERLAG berlin 2010 edition khordong Front cover: Thangka mural of Padmasambhava at Tashiding Gompa, Sikkim, India photo by Alex “Kunga” Boncourt, Hamburg Back cover photo of Chhimed Rigdzin Rinpoche by Hans-Maria Darnov, Munich, July 1995 © 2008 Chhimed Rigdzin Rinpoche and James Low Published by WANDEL VERLAG berlin 2010 First published 1981 by The ‘Chhi-Med Rig-‘Dzin Society, Kalimpong & Rewalsar, India This revised edition was first published by Khordong e.V., Berlin, 2008 All rights reserved.
    [Show full text]
  • Wang Dü: the Great Cloud of Blessings by Khenpo Sodargye
    www.khenposodargye.org THE COMMENTARY ON WANG DÜ: THE GREAT CLOUD OF BLESSINGS BY KHENPO SODARGYE 1 www.khenposodargye.org Table of Contents The Background of Khenpo’s Teaching on this Prayer ......................................................... 3 The Great Benefits of this Prayer ............................................................................................. 3 The Title of the Prayer ............................................................................................................... 4 Symbolized by the Mantra ........................................................................................................ 8 The Qualities of All the Magnetizing deities ......................................................................... 10 The Magnetizing Deities .......................................................................................................... 12 a. Dharmakaya Amitabha ................................................................................................................. 12 b. Vajradharma .................................................................................................................................. 14 c. Avalokiteshvara ............................................................................................................................ 14 d. Padma Gyalpo ............................................................................................................................... 15 e. Hayagriva ....................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Concert Reports from the Hellnoise Archiv Concert Reports from The
    Concert Reports from the HellNoise Archiv AMOK VEDAR, MORBID MIND, CDB, DUST DEVILS 28. Februar 2003 Berlin, Garage Pankow Nach langer Fahrt mit den öffentlichen Verkehrsmitteln, traf ich gegen 21.15 Uhr endlich in der Garage Pankow ein. Erstmal hieß es Blase leeren, und dabei wurde man auch schon schön mit der passenden Musik beschallt. Von draußen klang es ein wenig wie Black Metal, umso erstaunter war ich als ich die Band erblickte und die 3 Symphoniker so gar nicht wie ne BM-Band aussahen. Als erstes (oder besser gesagt die ersten 3 Lieder die ich mitbekommen habe) dachte ich es wäre noch Soundcheck, denn irgendwie sah es auf der Bühne doch sehr entspannt aus. Der Sänger hockte ab und zu mal auf dem Boden, dann trank er mal wieder nen Schluck, dann hat die Band untereinander nen bißchen gequatscht. Irgendwann merkte ich aber das es schon der Auftritt ist und lauschte mal nen bißchen aufmerksamer. Meine Verwirrung wurde von Lied zu Lied immer größer, denn bei den Dust Devils fand wirklich jede Stilistik ihren Platz. Was eben noch, vom Drumming her, wie alte Darkthrone klang, uferte nur Sekunden später in Grindcoregebolze aus. Der Sänger hatte ne schöne abgrundtiefe Death Metal Stimme bei der sollte er aber auch bleiben, denn diese zwischenzeitliche Rumgequieke klang nun wirklich schon sehr lächerlich (ich war noch nie nen Freund von Grindcore). Irgendwann hatte die Band keine Lust mehr, was ganz natürlich ist, denn hätten die Dust Devils Applaus hören wollen hätten sie sich selbst beklatschen müssen. Obwohl die Garage zu diesem Zeitpunkt eigentlich mit ca.
    [Show full text]
  • MBS Course Outline 11-12 (Updated on September 9, 11)
    MBS Course Outline 11-12 (Updated on September 9, 11) Centre of Buddhist Studies The University of Hong Kong Master of Buddhist Studies Course Outline 2011-2012 (Course details laid out in this course outline is only for reference. Please refer to the version provided by the teachers in class for confirmation.) BSTC6079 Early Buddhism: a doctrinal exposition (Foundation Course) Lecturer Prof. Y. Karunadasa Tel: 2241-5019 Email: [email protected] Schedule: 1st Semester; Monday 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. Class Venue: P4, Chong Yuet Ming Physics Building Course Description This course will be mainly based on the early Buddhist discourses (Pali Suttas) and is designed to provide an insight into the fundamental doctrines of what is generally known as Early Buddhism. It will begin with a description of the religious and philosophical milieu in which Buddhism arose in order to show how the polarization of intellectual thought into spiritualist and materialist ideologies gave rise to Buddhism. The following themes will be an integral part of this study: analysis of the empiric individuality into khandha, ayatana, and dhatu; the three marks of sentient existence; doctrine of non-self and the problem of Over-Self; doctrine of dependent origination and its centrality to other Buddhist doctrines; diagnosis of the human condition and definition of suffering as conditioned experience; theory and practice of moral life; psychology and its relevance to Buddhism as a religion; undetermined questions and why were they left undetermined; epistemological standpoint and the Buddhist psychology of ideologies; Buddhism and the God-idea and the nature of Buddhism as a non-theistic religion; Nibbana as the Buddhist ideal of final emancipation.
    [Show full text]
  • 'The Life and Revelations of Pema Lingpa' by Sarah Harding
    HIMALAYA, the Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies Volume 25 Number 1 Himalaya No. 1 & 2 Article 20 2005 Book review of 'The Life and Revelations of Pema Lingpa' by Sarah Harding Anne Z. Parker Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/himalaya Recommended Citation Parker, Anne Z.. 2005. Book review of 'The Life and Revelations of Pema Lingpa' by Sarah Harding. HIMALAYA 25(1). Available at: https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/himalaya/vol25/iss1/20 This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the DigitalCommons@Macalester College at DigitalCommons@Macalester College. It has been accepted for inclusion in HIMALAYA, the Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Macalester College. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE LIFE AND REVELATIONS OF PEMA LINGPA SARAH HARDING REVIEWED BY ANNE z. PARKER, P H D. Sarah Harding's The Life and Revelations of Pema human form of dialogues. The characters bring the Lingpa is a significant contribution to Himalayan life and times of Padmasambhava into vivid focus history and Buddhist literature. It adds substantially in the conversations and the details of their lives to the limited English language literature available as members of the royal court. The teachings come on Bhutan. It brings to life two key historical alive through the personalities of these characters figures, one from Bhutan and one from Tibet: Pema as they encounter the great teacher and request Lingpa, a teacher, mystic, and treasure revealer; teachings from him.
    [Show full text]
  • And Daemonic Buddhism in India and Tibet
    Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2012 The Raven and the Serpent: "The Great All- Pervading R#hula" Daemonic Buddhism in India and Tibet Cameron Bailey Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES THE RAVEN AND THE SERPENT: “THE GREAT ALL-PERVADING RHULA” AND DMONIC BUDDHISM IN INDIA AND TIBET By CAMERON BAILEY A Thesis submitted to the Department of Religion in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Religion Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2012 Cameron Bailey defended this thesis on April 2, 2012. The members of the supervisory committee were: Bryan Cuevas Professor Directing Thesis Jimmy Yu Committee Member Kathleen Erndl Committee Member The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and certifies that the thesis has been approved in accordance with university requirements. ii For my parents iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank, first and foremost, my adviser Dr. Bryan Cuevas who has guided me through the process of writing this thesis, and introduced me to most of the sources used in it. My growth as a scholar is almost entirely due to his influence. I would also like to thank Dr. Jimmy Yu, Dr. Kathleen Erndl, and Dr. Joseph Hellweg. If there is anything worthwhile in this work, it is undoubtedly due to their instruction. I also wish to thank my former undergraduate advisor at Indiana University, Dr. Richard Nance, who inspired me to become a scholar of Buddhism.
    [Show full text]
  • Sl.No Name of Religious and Cultural Sites
    Travelling guide to religious and cultural sites in Bumthang Dzongkhag Gewog : Choekhor Sl.No Name of religious and cultural sites Description of sites Nearest road Distance from Distance to Contact person Contact Remarks point Chamkhar town the site number from the 1 Tashi Gatshel Dungtsho Lhakhang The main nangten of the Lhakhang are statues of Lusibi 20 Km 5 Mins Walk Tashi Tshering, 17699859 Guru Nangsi , Tempa, Chana Dorji. Caretaker 2 Sanga Choling Lhakhang The main relice of the Lhakhang is Guru Tshengye statuDhur toe 20 Km 5 Mins Walk Kezang Dorji, 17778709 Caretaker 3 Dhurm Mey Dungkhor Lhakhang The main nangten of the lhakhang are painiting of Dhurmey 19 Km 15 Mins Yeshi Pema, 17554125 Guru Rinpoche and Tshepamey. Caretaker 4 Dhur Dungkhor Lhakhang The main relices of lhakhang are statues of Chenrizey Dhurmey 19 Km 10 mins Ngawang 17577992 and Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. walk 5 Dhendup Choling Lhakhang The main relices of Lhakhang are Desum Sangay and Dhurmey 19 Km 15 mins Lam Kinley 17603534 Guru Sangay 6 Barsel Lamsel/Dawathang Lhakhang The main relices of Lhakhang is Statues of Guru Dawathang 7 Km 1 min walk Kezang Dawa, Car 77661214 Rinpoche and a small, grey image of Thangtong Gyalpo. 7 Lhamoi Nyekhang The main relice of the Lhakhang is Guru Tshengye statuDawathang 7.5 Km 10 mins Choney Dorji, Lam 17668141 walk 8 Kurjey Guru Lhakang Status of Guru Rimpoche and Guru mediated in one Kurjey 7 Km 1 min walk Kinley, Caretaker 77113811 caves and left body imprint. 9 Kurjey Sampalhendup Lhakhang The main nangten is status of Guru Rinpoche.
    [Show full text]
  • The 5Th Karmapa's Prophecies
    The 5 th Karmapa’s Prophecies The 5 th Karmapa Dezhin Shegpa (1384-1415) prophesied events that happened hundreds of years after his time; a powerful example being the current Dalai Lama’s fall from power and the subsequent bloodshed that swept through Tibet. When the Chinese communist invasion of Tibet happened in 1959, the Dalai Lama escaped to India. He was forced to leave his people, many of whom died tragically. These are now facts of history. In addition, Karmapa Dezhin Shegpa’s foresight into today’s problems in the Karma Kagyu is particularly relevant in our time. The 5 th Karmapa’s prophecies are recorded in The Biography of the Fifth Karmapa Dezhin Shegpa – a Karma Kagyu classic. The author of the biography is unknown. The original has been missing ever since the communist takeover of Tibet. Only the chapter containing the prophecies is still available today. Owing to its popularity, many copies of the chapter were made. Those copies can be found outside Tibet, in the Himalayas, and elsewhere in the world. The current Gyaltsap Rinpoche commissioned a modern-day printing of this chapter in the traditional Tibetan woodblock format. The new woodblock copy is stored in the woodblock house at Rumtek Monastery. The current Situ Rinpoche and his supporters have seized upon one particular Sanskrit word in the prophecy, “natha”, which they claim means “nephew.” Because the current Shamarpa is the nephew of the 16 th Karmapa, Situ Rinpoche’s supporters have used this word to suggest that Shamarpa is the villain who poses a danger to the Karma Kagyu, as prophesied by the 5 th Karmapa.
    [Show full text]
  • The Tulku System in Tibetan Buddhism: Its Reliability, Orthodoxy and Social Impacts
    The Tulku System in Tibetan Buddhism: Its Reliability, Orthodoxy and Social Impacts By Ramin Etesami A thesis submitted to the graduate school in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts at the International Buddhist College, Thailand March, 20 Abstract The Tulku institution is a unique characteristic of Tibetan Buddhism with a central role in this tradition, to the extent that it is present in almost every aspect of Tibet’s culture and tradition. However, despite this central role and the scope and diversity of the socio-religious aspects of the institution, only a few studies have so far been conducted to shed light on it. On the other hand, an aura of sacredness; distorted pictures projected by the media and film industries;political propaganda and misinformation; and tendencies to follow a pattern of cult behavior; have made the Tulku institution a highly controversial topic for research; and consequently, an objective study of the institution based on a critical approach is difficult. The current research is an attempt to comprehensively examine different dimensions of the Tulku tradition with an emphasis on the issue of its orthodoxy with respect to the core doctrines of Buddhism and the social implications of the practice. In this research, extreme caution has been practiced to firstly, avoid any kind of bias rooted in faith and belief; and secondly, to follow a scientific methodology in reviewing evidence and scriptures related to the research topic. Through a comprehensive study of historical accounts, core Buddhist texts and hagiographic literature, this study has found that while the basic Buddhist doctrines allow the possibility for a Buddhist teacher or an advanced practitioner to “return back to accomplish his tasks, the lack of any historical precedence which can be viewed as a typical example of the practice in early Buddhism makes the issue of its orthodoxy equivocal and relative.
    [Show full text]
  • Guru Padmasambhava and His Five Main Consorts Distinct Identity of Christianity and Islam
    Journal of Acharaya Narendra Dev Research Institute l ISSN : 0976-3287 l Vol-27 (Jan 2019-Jun 2019) Guru Padmasambhava and his five main Consorts distinct identity of Christianity and Islam. According to them salvation is possible only if you accept the Guru Padmasambhava and his five main Consorts authority of their prophet and holy book. Conversely, Hinduism does not have a prophet or a holy book and does not claim that one can achieve self-realisation through only the Hindu way. Open-mindedness and simultaneous existence of various schools Heena Thakur*, Dr. Konchok Tashi** have been the hall mark of Indian thought. -------------Hindi----cultural ties with these countries. We are so influenced by western thought that we created religions where none existed. Today Abstract Hinduism, Buddhism and Jaininism are treated as Separate religions when they are actually different ways to achieve self-realisation. We need to disengage ourselves with the western world. We shall not let our culture to This work is based on the selected biographies of Guru Padmasambhava, a well known Indian Tantric stand like an accused in an alien court to be tried under alien law. We shall not compare ourselves point by point master who played a very important role in spreading Buddhism in Tibet and the Himalayan regions. He is with some western ideal, in order to feel either shame or pride ---we do not wish to have to prove to any one regarded as a Second Buddha in the Himalayan region, especially in Tibet. He was the one who revealed whether we are good or bad, civilised or savage (world ----- that we are ourselves is all we wish to feel it for all Vajrayana teachings to the world.
    [Show full text]