Tibetan Self-Immolation and the Problem of the Non/Violence Binary
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Conversion to Tibetan Buddhism: Some Reflections Bei Dawei
4 Conversion to Tibetan Buddhism: Some Reflections Bei Dawei Abstract Tibetan Buddhism, it is often said, discourages conversion. The Dalai Lama is one of many Buddhist leaders who have urged spiritual seekers not to convert to Tibetan Buddhism, but to remain with their own religions. And yet, despite such admonitions, conversions somehow occur—Tibetan dharma centers throughout the Americas, Europe, Oceania, and East/Southeast Asia are filled with people raised as Jews, Christians, or followers of the Chinese folk religion. It is appropriate to ask what these new converts have gained, or lost; and what Tibetan Buddhism and other religions might do to better adapt. One paradox that emerges is that Western liberals, who recoil before the fundamentalists of their original religions, have embraced similarly authoritarian, literalist values in foreign garb. This is not simply an issue of superficial cultural differences, or of misbehavior by a few individuals, but a systematic clash of ideals. As the experiences of Stephen Batchelor, June Campbell, and Tara Carreon illustrate, it does not seem possible for a viable “Reform” version of Tibetan Buddhism (along the lines of Reform Judaism, or Unitarian Universalism) ever to arise—such an egalitarian, democratic, critical ethos would tend to undermine the institution of Lamaism, without which Tibetan Buddhism would lose its raison d’être. The contrast with the Chinese folk religion is less obvious, since Tibetan Buddhism appeals to many of the same superstitious compulsions, and there is little direct disagreement. Perhaps the key difference is that Tibetan Buddhism (in common with certain institutionalized forms of Chinese Buddhism) expands through predation upon weaker forms of religious identity and praxis. -
Sikkim: the Hidden Land and Its Sacred Lakes
- SIKKIM- The Hidden Holy Land And Its Sacred Lakes Dr. Chowang Acharya & Acharya Sonaro Gyatso Dokharn Various religious textual sources ascertain the fact that Sikkim is one of the sacrosanct hidden Buddhist zones recognized by Guru Padmasambhava, the fountainhead of Tantrayana Buddhism. Denjong Nye-Yig (The Pilgrim's Guide to the Hidden Land of Sikkim), by Lhatsun Jigmed Pawo, based on Lama Gongdu Cycle revealed by Terton Sangay Lingpa (1340-1396) has the following description of Sikkim: "~:n'4~rs~ 'a;~~1 ~~'~o,j'~~ 'ffi~ 'Q,S~'5f~4~~'~~'$'~1 ~s~~'~' qr.;'~~'~~'l:.Jl ~~o.J·UJ~'~~'~f.:1o,j'~'d;f~~l ~~~~'~~~'~'f~q'o,j'~~' ~'~1 ~r~:~5f[lJ~·~~'o,j·~ry~·l:.Jl f~~'~~l~~~'~'~'o,j'~ry~l ~q. il~·~·~~'~~'~'o,j'~ry~'l:.Jl S~'~~~'o.Jg.ii~'~~~'o,j'~ry~l ~~'l:.J~.~, S~'4~ ·o.J~~·~·~~'~'o,j'~ry~'l:.Jl o.J~Q, 'f~~'f~~'Q,~~ 'a:)~ 'o,j'~ry~ 'l:.Jl f~f.:1~'UJ~'l Q,~~'~~'C:iT-Q,S~'~~'UJ~'~'~Q,'Q,S~'5Jj UJ~~'4~'ffi'~~' ~4~~1 ~ 'W~ '~~'~o,j'Q,S~'5f~4~~'~~':n~~1 " "The auspicious Hidden Land ofSikkim, having a square topographical ap pearance, is situated in the southwest ofSamye Monastery, Lhasa, TIbet, and is 10 SIKKIM- THE HIDDEN HOLY LAND close to the southwest flce ofMt. Kyin-thing. Its eastern border touches Mt. Sidhi of India; the western border touches the mountain of Zar district of u- Tsang, Tibet, and the Northern border touches Lake Tsomo Dri-Chu': "The upper range ofthe country, the northeastern side, reaches up to Gangchen Zod-nga and the lower southwesterly range touches Banga (India). -
The Rise of Buddhist-Muslim Conflict in Asia and Possibilities for Transformation by Iselin Frydenlund
Policy Brief December 2015 The rise of Buddhist-Muslim conflict in Asia and possibilities for transformation By Iselin Frydenlund Executive summary Violence against Muslim minorities in Buddhist societies has increased in recent years. The Muslim Rohingyas in Myanmar are disenfranchised, and many of their candidates were rejected by the official Union Election Commission prior to the 2015 elections. Furthermore laws about religious conversion, missionary activities, and interfaith marriage are being pro- moted to control relations between religions and prevent conflict. The danger, however, is that increased control will lead to more, not fewer, conflicts. Discrimination against religious minorities may lead to radicalisation. In addition minority-majority relations in a single state may have regional consequences because a minority in one state can be the majority in another, and there is an increasing trend for co-religionists in different countries to support each other. Thus protection of religious minorities is not only a question of freedom of religion and basic human rights; it also affects security and peacebuilding in the whole region. Anti- Muslim violence and political exclusion of Muslim minorities take place in the wake of in- creased Buddhist nationalism. This policy brief identifies local as well as global drivers for Buddhist-Muslim conflict and the rise of Buddhist nationalism. It then shows how Buddhist- Muslim conflict can be addressed, most importantly through the engagement of local religious leaders. Introduction Buddhist countries are generally at risk of persecution. But Attacks on Muslim minorities in Buddhist countries have weak state protection of Muslim communities leaves these escalated in recent years (OHCHR, 2014). -
Secularism and the Buddhist Monastery of Pema Yangtse in Sikkim'
MELANIE V ANDENHELSKEN 55 SECULARISM AND THE BUDDHIST MONASTERY OF PEMA YANGTSE IN SIKKIM' MELANIE V ANDENHELSKEN Montpellier Thutob Namgyal and Yeshe Dolma's2 account of the founding of the kingdom of Sikkim, shows us a politico-religious system in line with the concept of separate spiritual and temporal domains such as encountered in Tibet.3 However, this concept is very distinct from the Indian notion of secularism, which can be formulated as a privatisation of the religious sphere.4 Indeed, the absolute separation of the lay and religious domains appears to be equally problematic in both Sikkim and Tibet.5 The functioning of the royal monastery of Pemayangtse in Sikkim clearly demonstrates that there can be many interpenetrations of these two domains (that we can also refer to as conjugation), and which are not at variance with certain Buddhist concepts. The relationship that existed between Pemayangtse monastery and the kingdom of Sikkim represents one of the forms of this interpenetration in the Tibetan cultural area. When considering the functioning of Pemayangtse today and in the past, I will examine the relationship between the monastery and the I This paper is adapted from my doctoral thesis entitled: Le monastere bouddhique de Pemayangtse au Siklam (Himalaya oriental, Inde) : un monastere dans le monde. This thesis is the result of two years of fieldwork in India (1996-1997 and 1998- 1999), financed by an Indo-French grant from the French Department of Foreign Affairs and the ICCR, Delhi. My long stay in Sikkim was made possible thanks to the Home Ministry of Sikkim and the Institute of Higher Nyingma Studies, Gangtok. -
Copper Mountain
A Free Article from The Shamanism Magazine You may share this article in any non-commercial way but reference to www.SacredHoop.org must be made if it is reprinted anywhere. (Please contact us via email - found on our website - if you wish to republish it in another publication) Sacred Hoop is an independent magazine about Shamanism and Animistic Spirituality. It is based in West Wales, and has been published four times a year since 1993. To get a very special low-cost subscription to Sacred Hoop - please visit : www.SacredHoop.org/offer.html We hope you enjoy reading the article. Nicholas Breeze Wood (editor) hether seen from a Buddhist or shamanic Wviewpoint, Padmasambhava is a being who is able to manipulate reality and the beings who dwell in it in a very magical way, and there is no doubt that the teachings left by him have great power. He is an extremely important figure in Tibetan Buddhism, being the tantric Buddha, and sometimes is reffered to as Padmakara or Guru Rinpoche. As the ‘First Shaman’ he provides a role model for practitioners and the many legends that surround him link back to the pre-historic shamanic world of the Himalayas. These legends were recorded by his Tibetan consort Yeshe Tsogyal after he came to Tibet in the 9th century, and his birth was predicted by the Buddha, who, before he died, said that one even greater than himself would be born in a lotus flower to teach the ways of tantra. PADMASAMBHAVA’S LIFE Guru Rinpoche’s story began at the ‘Ocean of Milk’ or Lake Danakosha in the Land of Odiyana on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, where according to legend, in the reign of king Indrabodhi, he appeared miraculously in a beautiful red lotus blossom, as an eight-year-old child holding a dorje (see picture) and a lotus. -
2018 Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche in Delhi, India
ANNUAL REPORT 2018 Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche in Delhi, India. Photo by Alexvi. RINPOCHE’S REMARKS While it’s important for all human beings to bring reason to every avenue of their lives—social, political, and spiritual— academics particularly treasure, cherish, and nurture the critical, rational, and analytical faculties. In that regard, Buddhist studies have such sophisticated tools for sharpening our critical thinking that they even lead us to critique the critical mind itself. In this world and era of short attention spans, where we are so influenced by headlines, images, and sound bites and swayed by emotion, it’s ever more important to support and cultivate genuine traditions of critical thinking. That is also of paramount importance for followers of Shakyamuni Buddha who cherish his teachings. The traditional approach to the Buddhist path recognizes that a complete understanding and appreciation of the teachings cannot happen through academic and intellectual study alone, but requires us to practice the teachings and bring them into our lives. Prior to such practice, however, it has always been emphasized that hearing and contemplating the teachings is of the utmost importance. In short, study and critical analysis of the Buddhist teachings are as necessary for dedicated practitioners as they are valuable for scholars, leaders, and ordinary people the world over. —Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, in his remarks announcing the Khyentse Gendün Chöpel Professorship of Tibetan Buddhist Studies at the University of Michigan, June, 2018 3 MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Sharing Buddha’s Wisdom with Everyone Dear friends and supporters of Khyentse Foundation, As Khyentse Foundation enters its 18th year of operation, I wish to take In managing the activities of the foundation, we try to maintain both an the opportunity to share some thoughts on the basic questions of who open mind and a critical approach. -
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. -
KHANDRO RINPOCHE PEMA DECHEN (1923-2006) Chorten
BULLETIN OF TIBETOLOGY 137 KHANDRO RINPOCHE PEMA DECHEN (1923-2006) TULKU THOGMED Chorten Monastery, Gangtok English translation by Tenzin Samphel and Carl Yamamoto Om Svasti! From the integral nature of the all-pervading primordial state, The Rupakaya of the uninterrupted unity of voidness and awareness, The mother of the spiritual activities of the lord of the three times, The widely manifested venerable Dakini—at her lotus feet, I do service. Lately, a number of people have been asking about the venerable Khandro Rinpoche and her spiritual activities. This obituary is a modest attempt at presenting some information about the late divine mother’s spiritual life. Khandro Rinpoche was born in Brula, in the province of Kongpo in Eastern Tibet, to the noble lawyer family of Dekyi Khangsar in the Water Female Pig year of the 15th 60-year cycle of the lunar calendar (1923). She was given the name Pema Dechen. From early childhood, she displayed noble signs of altruism such as mercy and compassion, together with an unshakable faith in Ogyen Rinpoche and the Vidhyadhara siddhas. Unlike the other children, when she played as a child, she would repeatedly assume the bare cross-legged posture and pretend to meditate, recite, make ritual offerings, etc., which awakened her divine predispositions. Around the age of six, she learnt from her father the arts of reading, writing, and memorizing texts. During this period, she helped her family and successfully carried out similar worldly responsibilities. At the age of 13, realizing that the answers to her prayers and aspirations had come, she became the consort of the great Dzogchen master Trulshik Rinpoche Pawo Dorjee (1897-1962) of Kham Minyak, Eastern Tibet. -
§¨ ¨ Úf' Ú 7 ºú9º Ú
Restricted text. Please do not distribute. §¨¨ÚFÚ7ºÚ9ºÚ º¬ Rangjung Peme Nyingtik His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche Restricted text. Please do not distribute. Introduction Ask anyone who ever met His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche about his qualities and you will probably get a similar description. He had a most unusual physical presence. His body was grand and stable like a mountain, yet a soft, yielding, and vibrant energy seemed to flow through him unobstructedly, like a river. Most striking was the unceasing quality of his teaching. There was no break in his speech: as he inhaled he taught and as he exhaled he taught. An unending stream of people came to see him each day, yet his compas- sionate activities and his longing to serve others never diminished. How does someone with so many people under his care generate such deep reservoirs of energy? For us to truly understand the wonder and mystery of his activity we will have to study and practice the Dharma. His Holiness, without a doubt, embodied all the great tradi- tions of the rime, or non-sectarian, movement and demonstrated this as a living experience, manifesting an example of enlightened activity for all to see. He has, with great kindness, passed many of these teachings on to us either directly or through our own teachers. Now is the time to put them to use. The prayers in this book have been compiled for the cenntenial celebrations of His Holiness’ birth in the United States. This year Rinpoche graciously returns to us as a promising young man of 17 years. -
When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Time
When Things Fall Apart HEART ADVICE FOR DIFFICULT TIMES PEMA CHÖDRÖN SHAMBHALA Boston 2010 SHAMBHALA PUBLICATIONS, INC. Horticultural Hall 300 Massachusetts Avenue Boston, Massachusetts 02115 www.shambhala.com © 1997 by Pema Chödrön The Sādhana of Mahāmudrā © 1968, 1976 by Chögyam Trungpa, © 1990 by Diana J. Mukpo. Used by permission of Diana J. Mukpo and the Nalanda Translation Committee. The author’s proceeds from this book will be donated to Gampo Abbey, Pleasant Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada B0E 2P0. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The Library of Congress catalogues the hardcover edition of this book as follows: Chödrön, Pema. When things fall apart: heart advice for difficult times/ Pema Chödrön. p. cm. eISBN 978-0-8348-2100-2 ISBN 1-57062-160-8 ISBN 1-57062-344-9 ISBN 1-57062-969-2 1. Religious life—Buddhism. I. Title. BQ5410.C434 1997 96-9509 394-3′ 444—dc20 CIP To Sakyong Mipham, with devotion, love, and gratitude CONTENTS Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Intimacy with Fear 2. When Things Fall Apart 3. This Very Moment Is the Perfect Teacher 4. Relax As It Is 5. It’s Never Too Late 6. Not Causing Harm 7. Hopelessness and Death 8. Eight Worldly Dharmas 9. Six Kinds of Loneliness 10. Curious about Existence 11. Nonaggression and the Four Maras 12. Growing Up 13. Widening the Circle of Compassion 14. The Love That Will Not Die 15. -
1 Mapping Monastic Geographicity Or Appeasing Ghosts of Monastic Subjects Indrani Chatterjee
1 Mapping Monastic Geographicity Or Appeasing Ghosts of Monastic Subjects Indrani Chatterjee Rarely do the same apparitions inhabit the work of modern theorists of subjectivity, politics, ethnicity, the Sanskrit cosmopolis and medieval architecture at once. However, the South Asianist historian who ponders the work of Charles Taylor, Partha Chatterjee, James Scott and Sheldon Pollock cannot help notice the apparitions of monastic subjects within each. Tamara Sears has gestured at the same apparitions by pointing to the neglected study of monasteries (mathas) associated with Saiva temples.1 She finds the omission intriguing on two counts. First, these monasteries were built for and by significant teachers (gurus) who were identified as repositories of vast ritual, medical and spiritual knowledge, guides to their practice and over time, themselves manifestations of divinity and vehicles of human liberation from the bondage of life and suffering. Second, these monasteries were not studied even though some of these had existed into the early twentieth century. Sears implies that two processes have occurred simultaneously. Both are epistemological. One has resulted in a continuity of colonial- postcolonial politics of recognition. The identification of a site as ‘religious’ rested on the identification of a building as a temple or a mosque. Residential sites inhabited by religious figures did not qualify for preservation. The second is the foreshortening of scholarly horizons by disappeared buildings. Modern scholars, this suggests, can only study entities and relationships contemporaneous with them and perceptible to the senses, omitting those that evade such perception or have disappeared long ago. This is not as disheartening as one might fear. -
Killing Snakes in Medieval Chinese Buddhism
religions Article The Road to Redemption: Killing Snakes in Medieval Chinese Buddhism Huaiyu Chen 1,2 1 Research Institute of the Yellow River Civilization and Sustainable Development, Henan University, Kaifeng 10085, China; [email protected] 2 School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA Received: 11 March 2019; Accepted: 31 March 2019; Published: 4 April 2019 Abstract: In the medieval Chinese context, snakes and tigers were viewed as two dominant, threatening animals in swamps and mountains. The animal-human confrontation increased with the expansion of human communities to the wilderness. Medieval Chinese Buddhists developed new discourses, strategies, rituals, and narratives to handle the snake issue that threatened both Buddhist and local communities. These new discourses, strategies, rituals, and narratives were shaped by four conflicts between humans and animals, between canonical rules and local justifications, between male monks and feminized snakes, and between organized religions and local cultic practice. Although early Buddhist monastic doctrines and disciplines prevented Buddhists from killing snakes, medieval Chinese Buddhists developed narratives and rituals for killing snakes for responding to the challenges from the discourses of feminizing and demonizing snakes as well as the competition from Daoism. In medieval China, both Buddhism and Daoism mobilized snakes as their weapons to protect their monastic property against the invasion from each other. This study aims to shed new light on the religious and socio-cultural implications of the evolving attitudes toward snakes and the methods of handling snakes in medieval Chinese Buddhism. Keywords: snakes; Buddhist violence; Buddhist women; local community; religious competition 1.