DOCSLIB.ORG

The WHEEL of SHARP WEAPONS

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The WHEEL of SHARP WEAPONS The WHEEL of SHARP WEAPONS A Lojong Text A lso b y G ele k R i m po c he Books Good Life, Good Death The Tara box Transcripts cittamani Tara Teachings Ganden Lha Gyema: the Hundreds of Deities of the Land of Joy Gateway to the Spiritual Path Gom: A course in meditation Guide to the bodhisattva’s Way of Life (8 volumes) Guru Devotion: How to integrate the Primordial mind Healing and Self Healing through White Tara Je Tsongkhapa’s Three Principles of the Path karma: Actions and their consequences Lam Rim Teachings (in Four Volumes) Lojong: Training of the mind in Eight Verses Lojong: Training of the mind in Seven Points Love and compassion Odyssey to Freedom: in Sixty-Four Steps The Perfection of Wisdom mantra The Practice of the Triumphant ma Self and Selflessness Sem: the Nature of mind Six Session Guru yoga Solitary Hero yamantaka: Teachings on the Generation Stage The Four Noble Truths The Four mindfulnesses The Three Principles (Short commentary) The Three Principles of the Path: An Extensive commentary Three main Vajrayana Practices Transforming Negativity into Positive Living Vajrayogini Teachings The WHEEL of SHARP WEAPONS A Lojong Text Gelek Rimpoche Jewel Heart Transcript 2010 Gelek Rimpoche The Wheel of Sharp Weapons: a Lojong Text © 2010 Ngawang Gelek Jewel Heart Transcripts are lightly to moderately edited transcriptions of the teachings of kyabje Gelek Rimpoche and others teachers who have taught at Jewel Heart. Their purpose is to provide Rimpoche’s students, as well as all others who are interested, with these extremely valuable teachings in a way that gives one the feeling of being pres- ent at the teachings. JEWEL HEART Tibetan cultural and buddhist center, 1129 Oak Valley Drive, Ann Arbor, mi 48108 USA www.jewelheart.org Acknowledgements This is the transcription of teachings Rimpoche gave during the annual spring retreat in Nijmegen, The Netherlands in 2006 and 2007, and teaching weekends in Garrison insti- tute Ny, may 2007, and Ann Arbor mi, September 2007. The subject is Training of the mind, Lojong in Tibetan, methods to develop the altruistic mind, the bodhimind. These methods are no sinecure as the ego-cherishing part of our minds is confronted straight out. it may be clear that these teachings are aimed at the mahayana practitioner. Though these teachings stem from the tenth century, they are totally applicable in our present-day situation and can be of great use in our present-day lives. What makes it extra valuable is that Rimpoche’s commentary uses the language and examples of our time and place. The text used is Dharmarakshita’s The Wheel of Sharp Weapons. it is the third Lojong text Rimpoche has com- mented upon, the other two being Geshe chekawa’s Seven Point Mind Training and Langri Tangpa’s Eight Verses of Mind Training. Again, we’ve been lucky to be able to combine the best of two sides of the ocean: the clarity and completeness of the teaching in Nijmegen joined to the looseness and direct connections with daily life of the teachings in New york and Ann Arbor. The translation of the root text into English was done by Geshe Thubten Jinpa. Then inge Eijkhout and Tsewang Namgyal took care of the transliteration of the Tibetan. The transcriptions were done by Jewel Heart members in the different countries, and Piet Soeters translated the root text into Dutch. The final editing was done by me, taking full responsibility for any inaccuracies. Nijmegen, September 10, 2010 marianne Soeters © Ngawang Gelek c O N T E N TS i iNTRODUcTiON 1 Our precious human life 1 background and lineage of this teaching 19 What is Lojong? 21 Lojong—developing the bodhmind 36 ii THE TEXT—PART ONE 45 The Title 45 Outline 1: From the Example point of view 48 Outline 2: Give and take (tong len) 86 Outline 3: Recognizing what you have to give up and the antidote 87 iii THE TEXT—PART TWO 171 Outline 4: How we recognize (the culprit) 177 Outline 5: making a request to the yidam 183 Outline 6: Ultimate Request 231 Outline 7: Praying and Dedication 236 Outline 8: Absolute bodhmind 240 iV QUESTiONS AND ANSWERS 269 V THE ROOT TEXT 303 NOTES 357 GLOSSARy 371 LiTERATURE 391 i iNTRODUcTiON Welcome everybody. it is wonderful to get together with old friends. Some of you have been friends for twenty years; some of you are quite new. it’s great to see the old ones and i like to welcome the new ones. before we go into this teach- ing, please generate the bodhimind: i would like to obtain enlighte ment for the sake of all sen- tient beings and for that aim i will listen to the teachings. We have come together to spend time on a very important teaching called Lojong,1 training of the mind. it is very spe- cific within the Gelugpa tradition, and comes from Atisha.2 my first job today is setting the motivation, why you are here. you are here to help yourself, to uplift your spiritual development. We hope at least to challenge our ego and threaten our self-cherishing. That is our goal and it is our motivation. Our precious human life Jamgon Lama Tsongkhapa has said in his Short Lamrim,3 Lines of Experience : 1 Gelek Rimpoche This working basis (of a human form endowed) with liberties is superior to a wish-granting gem. moreover, such is only obtained this very one time. Difficult to acquire and easily lost, (it passes in a flash) like lightning in the sky. considering how (easily this can happen at any time) and realizing that all worldly activities are as (immaterial as chaff, you must try to take advantage of its essential significance at all times, day and night. i, the yogi, have practiced just that. if you would also seek Liberation, please cultivate yourself in the same way.4 He says, the life we have is not only precious; it is more pre- cious than a precious jewel. Such a life we found by chance just now. We have found it just once; only this time we have been able to find it! it is difficult to find and it is easy to destroy; it is like lightning in the sky. Think about this situ- ation and think how our ordinary daily mundane chores do not have much meaning. in the traditional old Tibetan culture, when during the autumn you’re collecting the harvest, you have to remove the skin from grains like wheat and barley. There were no machines in Tibet; so after walking over and smashing the grains, people would carry the grains in bamboo baskets and throw them from a higher level down, six foot or some- thing, so the wind will carry away the chaff. Our mundane works actually are like that chaff. The only purpose of chaff is to get rid of it. Just like that, mundane works will not give you long term result at all. Therefore we should be very 2 WHEEL OF SHARP WEAPONS careful to get the real essence out of our life. And we should focus on that day and night. Je Tsong khapa says, ‘i, the yogi, have practiced just that. if you would also like to seek liberation, please cultivate yourself in the same way.’ but during the teachings it is cus- tomary to say, ‘The great masters have practiced that way and you who are seeking the liberation should also follow that path.’ So the essence of our practice is to really recognize the importance of life itself. buddha says it has eighteen quali- ties—eight leisures and ten endowments.5 Think about it: this life is so important, not just in material terms but particularly for the spiritual path. it is important in its essence. This life has two unique things. One: we can think and communicate. Two: we have a tremendous amount of opportunities and we can utilize the opportunities that we have. Our thinking capacity is tremendous, unlike any other life form. Therefore the opportunities that we talk about are accessible to us. Our pets, dogs and cats, etc., may be very intelligent but give them your car key and let them go and buy you a carton of milk, then you will see the limit of their thinking and their communicating capacity. We are totally different and there is no difference between our capacity of thinking and that of buddha. There’s no difference between us and Einstein. Honestly. We have the same capacity, it is just a question of whether we utilize it or not. What makes us not to utilize it is laziness, as we all know. in principle we are capable of understanding complicated scientific materials, 3 Gelek Rimpoche but if you just read about it if you haven’t studied it and trained your mind, you won’t. Similarly we are capable of understanding buddha’s development and are able to duplicate that, but we can’t just do it without putting efforts in. Even in order to learn how to read and write we have to put efforts in. Take a lazy person like me. i had a tremendous amount of opportu- nity and capacity; however i didn’t put any effort in reading and writing English or speaking it correctly. if you do the same thing for the Dharma, then that’s what you’re going to get. you need to go a little deep into it. Without that you can never be able to do it right.
Load more

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]
  • Early Buddhist Concepts in Today's Language
    1 Early Buddhist Concepts In today's language Roberto Thomas Arruda, 2021 (+55) 11 98381 3956 [email protected] ISBN 9798733012339 2 Index I present 3 Why this text? 5 The Three Jewels 16 The First Jewel (The teachings) 17 The Four Noble Truths 57 The Context and Structure of the 59 Teachings The second Jewel (The Dharma) 62 The Eightfold path 64 The third jewel(The Sangha) 69 The Practices 75 The Karma 86 The Hierarchy of Beings 92 Samsara, the Wheel of Life 101 Buddhism and Religion 111 Ethics 116 The Kalinga Carnage and the Conquest by 125 the Truth Closing (the Kindness Speech) 137 ANNEX 1 - The Dhammapada 140 ANNEX 2 - The Great Establishing of 194 Mindfulness Discourse BIBLIOGRAPHY 216 to 227 3 I present this book, which is the result of notes and university papers written at various times and in various situations, which I have kept as something that could one day be organized in an expository way. The text was composed at the request of my wife, Dedé, who since my adolescence has been paving my Dharma with love, kindness, and gentleness so that the long path would be smoother for my stubborn feet. It is not an academic work, nor a religious text, because I am a rationalist. It is just what I carry with me from many personal pieces of research, analyses, and studies, as an individual object from which I cannot separate myself. I dedicate it to Dede, to all mine, to Prof. Robert Thurman of Columbia University-NY for his teachings, and to all those to whom this text may in some way do good.
    [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]
  • K. Lim Studies in Later Buddhist Iconography In
    K. Lim Studies in later Buddhist iconography In: Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde 120 (1964), no: 3, Leiden, 327-341 This PDF-file was downloaded from http://www.kitlv-journals.nl Downloaded from Brill.com10/03/2021 12:58:57AM via free access STUDIES IN LATER BUDDHIST ICONOGRAPHY 1. The Vajradhütu-mandala of Nganjuk n interesting study by F. D. K. Bosch on Buddhist iconography was published in 1929 under the title: Buddhistische Gegevens uitA Balische Handschriften,1 in which by manuscripts are meant: I. the Sang hyang Nagabayusütra 2; II. the Kalpabuddha.3 No. 1 is a prayer to the five Jinas mentioning their names with their corresponding jnanas, colours, mudras, simhasanas, paradises, krodha-forms, Taras, Bodhisattvas and mystic syllables. The Kalpabuddha (in Old-Javanese) contains an enumeration of the principal qualities and characteristics of the five Jinas which for the greater part correspond with those of the Sang hyang Nagabayusütra. However, the names of their krodha- forms are lacking, instead of which one finds the names of their emblems (sanjatas = weapons), of their cosmic places, of their saktis, of the sense-organs, and of the places in the body having relations with the quintet. Both mss. are closely allied and treat on the same subject, except some points in which they complement each other. In comparing them with the Sang hyang KamahaySnikan Bosch stated that both mss. are independant of this text, and that, where other sources keep silent, they contain the complete list of the paradises of the five Jinas, viz. Sukhavatï of Amitabha, Abhirati of Aksobhya, Ratnavatï of Ratnasam- bhava, Kusumitaloka of Amoghasiddha and Sahavatiloka of Vairocana.
    [Show full text]
  • 2019 YAMANTAKA Drubchen at Drikung Rinchen Choling Led By
    2019 YAMANTAKA Drubchen at Drikung Rinchen Choling Led by: His Eminance Garchen Rinpoche, Ven. Lama Thupten Nima & Garchen Institute lamas Hosted by: Drikung Rinchen Choling at 4048 E. Live Oak Avenue, Arcadia, CA 91006 Date: March 28 (Thursday) to April 3 (Wednesday) Registration by e-mail: send registration form to [email protected] on Saturday, 12/15/2018 starting at 9:00 am Los Angeles time. Any e-mails that arrive earlier than 9:00 am Los Angeles time on 12/15 will not be accepted. Fee: US $380 Please note that only ONE PERSON may register PER e-mail. A separate e-mail message must be made for each person wishing to register, including for each member of a married couple. If you are unable to send in your registration via email, you may have someone else e-mail on your behalf. Once the drubchen is full, a waiting list will be created in the same way. We plan to contact you by the end of Monday, December 22, to let you know if you receive a place in the drubchen or are on the waiting list. The fee for participating in the drubchen is $380, and a NONREFUNDABLE and NONTRANSFERABLE deposit of $180 is due by January 4, 2019 to hold your place. Please make the check payable to Rinchen Choling and mail it to: 4048 E. Live Oak Ave., Arcadia, CA 91006. The balance should be paid by March 18 before the start of the drubchen. VERY IMPORTANT: If you have not participated in the Yamantaka Drubchen led by Garchen Rinpoche or the Garchen Institute lamas before, the following information must also be provided at the time you register: A reference from a monastic member with knowledge of the Yamantaka Drubchen who knows you and your practice well and will vouch for your ability to complete the drubchen practice.
    [Show full text]
  • Transcendent Spirituality in Tibetan Tantric Buddhism Bruce M
    RETN1313289 Techset Composition India (P) Ltd., Bangalore and Chennai, India 4/3/2017 ETHNOS, 2017 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00141844.2017.1313289 5 Self-possessed and Self-governed: Transcendent Spirituality in Tibetan Tantric Buddhism Bruce M. Knauft 10 Emory University, USA ABSTRACT Among Tibetan Buddhist tantric practitioners, including in the U.S., visualisation and incorporation of mandala deities imparts a parallel world against which conventional 15 reality is considered impermanent and afflicted. Tantric adepts aspire through meditation, visualisation, and mind-training to dissolve normal selfhood and simultaneously embrace both ‘conventional’ and ‘ultimate’ reality. Ethics of compassion encourage efficient reengagement with conventional world dynamics rather than escaping them: the transcendental ‘non-self’ is perceived to inform efficient and compassionate waking consciousness. Transformation of subjective 20 ontology in tantric self-possession resonates with Foucault’s late exploration of ethical self-relationship in alternative technologies of subjectivation and with Luhrmann’s notion of transcendent spiritual absorption through skilled learning and internalisation. Incorporating recent developments in American Tibetan Buddhism, this paper draws upon information derived from a range of scholarly visits to rural and urban areas of the Himalayas, teachings by and practices with contemporary 25 Tibetan lamas, including in the U.S., and historical and philosophical Buddhist literature and commentaries. CE: PV QA: Coll: KEYWORDS Tibetan Buddhism; tantra; spirituality; selfhood; ontology; spirit possession 30 This paper considers dynamics of transcendent spirituality in a cultural context that has often remained outside received considerations of spirit possession: Tibetan Buddhist tantras. I am concerned especially the Sarma or ‘new translation’ generation and com- pletion stage practices associated with highest yoga tantra in Tibetan Buddhist Gelug and Kagyü sects.
    [Show full text]
  • Yamantaka Drubchen
    DRIKUNG GARCHEN INSTITUT e.V. Yamantaka Drubchen The Yamantaka Drubchen differs in many ways from other drubchens and practices. In the past in Tibet this drubchen was only open to those who had taken vows of ordination and who had completed the common preliminary practices (Ngöndro) as well as the particular preliminary practices of Yamantaka. General Rules: The deity practiced in this drubchen is very wrath- and powerful, and therefore the practice must be done with great care. It is a very rigorous practice with strict rules of conduct. The sole purpose of these rules is to avoid being engaged in accustomed daily distraction during the drubchen and to direct the mind inwardly. To keep to the rules will create a very helpful atmosphere for all participants and moreover an immeasurable benefit for the sake of all sentient beings and the entire world. It is especially important that everybody takes care not to disturb anybody through their behavior and to ignore any disturbance by others, so anger cannot arise. Please be aware, that one single moment of negative emotions, especially anger, destroys the merit of the entire group and the entire drubchen. Therefore it is of utmost importance to adhere to the guidelines as closely as possible and to keep to the rules. Once the practice has begun nobody can leave the house and nobody will be allowed to enter thereafter. Nobody may leave the temple for any other reason than to go to the toilet, for the three daily meals and to sleep during the nightshifts. You cannot leave the house even if you don’t feel well or health problems arise (except for an emergency situation), as the Yamantaka Mandala must not be broken.
    [Show full text]
  • Ayang Rinpoche – Amitabha Foundation
    THE AMITABHA FOUNDATION RETREAT CENTER OPAK KYILKHOR CHÖLING HIS EMINENCE CHÖJE AYANG RINPOCHE P.O. Box 12728 Kapan VDC, Ward No. 6 Kathmandu, Nepal [email protected] [email protected] The Amitabha Foundation Retreat Center is presently being built on a mountain top in Kopan, located approximately 8 km from Boudhanath Great Stupa, in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. It will be open to Buddhist practitioners of all paths. The main structure is built upon the highest point on the hill, designed like a mandala. This, as well as the registered name of Amitabha Foundation, is the reason for the retreat center’s special name “Opak Kyilkhor Chöling” (The Amitabha Mandala Dharma Center). Within the retreat center, there will be a total of sixteen temples both large and small. The following is a detailed description of each temple's dharma objects and of each temple's daily, monthly and yearly rituals. 1. TSOKHANG TASHI GOMANG - THE MAIN TEMPLE The Tashi Gomang Main Temple will have Buddha Amitabha as its main deity at the center, with Guru Padmasambhava to the right and Kyobpa Jigten Sumgön, the founder of the Drigung order, to the left. There will be two stupas, The Namgyal Chöten or “Victory Stupa” to the right and the Changchub Chöten or “Enlightenment Stupa” to the left. Above the Namgyal Chöten to the right there will be images of Buddha Vajradhara with Tilopa and Naropa, and to the left there will be the deities of Long Life: Tsepame, Namgyalma and White Tara. Above the Changchub Chöten there will be Marpa, Milarepa and Gampopa to the right and Avalokiteshvara, Manjushri and Vajrapani to the left.
    [Show full text]
  • Speech Delivered by His Holiness 14 Dalai Lama to the Second Gelug
    Speech Delivered by His Holiness 14th Dalai Lama to the Second Gelug Conference (Dharamsala, June 12th 2000) We meet here today with Ganden Tri Rinpoche, the representative of Jamgön Gyelwa (Lama Tsong Khapa), chiefly gracing us with his presence. The abbots representing the three seats of Sera, Drepung, Ganden, as well as those of Tashi Lhunpo, Gyutö and Gyumei tantric colleges have joined us; as have abbots and former abbots who are here on behalf of the various other Gelug monasteries. It seems though that the Manali representative has not been able to join us though (laughter)1. Anyway as well as all of these guests I also have been able to attend this Gelug conference. The organisation of these international Gelug conferences and the general concern for the maintenance and promotion of the teaching is admirable. I would like to thank all of you for your concern and for having put in such hard work. Given the significance of this event, I would like to encourage everyone, for the space of these few days, to dispense with ostentatious posing and the empty formalities of ceremony. Let’s try to get to the heart of the matter. We have now gained quite a bit of experience. So let us utilise that to focus on what problems we face and give some thought to how we can improve things. Our consideration of these matters should be careful. I have high hopes that this will prove to be an open forum for the discussion of the important issues and will generally prove to be a success.
    [Show full text]
  • Panden Lhamo Tea Ceremony
    After making your wish and request, recite the mantra of Panden Lhamo (as many times as possible). As you recite the mantra, make your wish and pour the tea into the cup that is in the bowl. Panden Lhamo Panden Lhamo’s Mantra JO RAMO JO RAMO JO JO RAMO THUN JO KALA RA CHEN MO RAMO ACHA DACHA THUN JO RULU RULU HUNG JO HUNG After everyone has made their wish, you then recite the praises to Panden Lhamo. Praises Jo Abiding on the highest bodhisattva level, appearing wrathful but without a trace of polluted emotion, You manifest the four types of activities so that your actions benefit all sentient beings. Unceasing and undistracted, you act to bring all beings to the fundamental bliss of enlightenment. Thus I praise you, consort of Buddha Yamantaka. JO SAL CHU WANG CHUK TRO WÖ NYEL SHI YANG DU JE THUN DU TRINLAY NAM SHI TÖN DZE PA TU LE MI YUR DE TER MA CHOM DEN SHIN JE SHI KYI CHAM LA DÜ After you finish the ceremony you can take the tea outside to a clean place to offer the tea to nature. If this is not possible, you can just pour the tea down the sink. Tea Ceremony www.losangsamten.com Panden Lhamo Tea Ceremony There are so many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas who are constantly (or other drink) on the table (or altar). Before proceeding, chant willing to help all living beings overcome suffering. They are the prayer of purification, OM AH HUNG three times (or more). willing to protect day and night, twenty-four hours a day.
    [Show full text]
  • The Iconography of Nepalese Buddhism
    TheThe IconographyIconography ofof NepaleseNepalese BuddhismBuddhism by Min Bahadur Shakya HAN DD ET U 'S B B O RY eOK LIBRA E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.buddhanet.net Buddha Dharma Education Association Inc. P H A N I C- ZDH / T A P P H A N / M, T P. O. B N: , K, N e of Nepalese Buddhism M B S v A A Min Bahadur Shakya is a scholar of Newar and Tibetan Buddhism. Among his major publications are hort istory of uddhism in epal, . ntroduction to uddhist onasteries of athmandu alley, . He was elected Vice President of World Fellowship of Buddhist Youth WFBY for the years –. His major re- search work on ife and ontribution of epalese rincess hrikuti evi is shortly forthcoming. Mr. Shakya was nomi- nated by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, Fokuang Shan, Taiwan as Research Associate in Fokuang Shan Chinese Buddhist Research Academy for the years –. In , he was granted a SAARC Fellowship (Buddhist Studies) by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, impu, Bhutan. Currently he is working as the Chief Editor of uddhist ima- laya, a bi-annual journal dealing with Buddhism in the Hima- layan regions. He has also contributed more a dozen research papers in reputed foreign journals. Since , he is teaching in Engineering Institute, Pulchowk Campus, Lalitpur. Presently he is the Director, Nagarjuna Institute of Exact Methods. F Under the definition of andicrafts there are multiple products. Of them the statues of gods and goddesses of Buddhism and Hinduism stand foremost.eir importance is enhanced not only because of the fact that they are hand made but also that they are made by using meticulously time-consuming traditional tech- v niques: Lost Wax Process, Chiselling, antique finishing and so on.
    [Show full text]
  • Esoteric Buddhist Ritual Objects of the Koryŏ Dynasty (936-1392): Vajra
    Esoteric BuddhistRitual Objectsof the KoryŏDynasty(936-1392): VajraSceptersand VajraBells NellyGeorgieva-Russ,AcademyofKoreanStudies The EsotericBuddhist tradition,knowninKoreaas milgyo ,or secretteaching,has playedimportant role in the history of KoreanBuddhism.Esoteric cults andpractices relatedtoMahayana Buddhism were supposedly present on the Korean peninsula since the introduction of Buddhism in 372 CE. Sutras with esoteric content, such as the Bhaisajyaguru Sutra, the Saddharmapundarika Sutra, Suvarnaprabhasa Sutra etc.,as well as dharani sutras were widely spreadduring the Three Kingdoms period(300-668CE) 1.Esoteric Buddhism was supportedby the royal court bothinthe UnifiedSilla (668-935) and Kory ŏ (918-1392) periods in connection with hoguk pulgyo (Buddhism as National Protector), its rites called to miraculously protect the nation against foreign invaders. Esoteric Buddhism, more than any other Buddhist school, is concernedwith worldly needs thus establishing a link between Buddhist spirituality and secular powers. Nevertheless, the absence of an established esoteric school paralleling the ZhenyaninChina andShingonin Japan andthe unarticulatedpresence of Esoteric beliefs and practices within such all-pervadingly influential sects as S ŏn or Pure Land Buddhism inKorea has leadtothe marginal positionof this fieldinBuddhist studies,bothinKorea andthe West.At the same time,eventhe scarce data onearly KoreanBuddhism reveals its profound influenceduringtheSillaandKory ŏdynasties. Animportantfactor in the practice ofesoteric Buddhism during the Koryŏis the probable existence of two esoteric sects: the Sinin (Mudra) school and the Ch’ongji (Dhārani) school. Both denominations are first encountered in Samguk Yusa ,according to whichthe founding of the Ch’ongji school is associated with the Silla monk Hyet’ŏng. 2 Nevertheless, the main reliable historical data about this school is a number of records in Koryŏ-sa referring tothe twelve century and later,about temples belonging to the Ch’ongji sect where esoteric rituals were conducted.
    [Show full text]