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Authentic Tibetan Tantric Buddhism and Its Controversial Terma Tradition: a Review

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Authentic Tibetan Tantric Buddhism and Its Controversial Terma Tradition: a Review Asian Research Journal of Arts & Social Sciences 1(5): 1-8, 2016, Article no.ARJASS.29736 SCIENCEDOMAIN international www.sciencedomain.org Authentic Tibetan Tantric Buddhism and Its Controversial Terma Tradition: A Review John Z. G. Ma 1* 1California Institute of Integral Studies, 1453 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA. Author’s contribution The sole author designed, analyzed and interpreted and prepared the manuscript. Article Information DOI: 10.9734/ARJASS/2016/29736 Editor(s): (1) Chang-Ho C. Ji, Department of History and Politics, La Sierra University, USA. (2) Sheying Chen, Social Policy and Administration, Pace University, New York, USA. Reviewers: (1) Kyoo-Man Ha, Pusan National University, Korea. (2) William Owusu- Boateng, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. (3) Ruihui Han, Jinan University, China. Complete Peer review History: http://www.sciencedomain.org/review-history/16836 Received 27 th September 2016 Accepted 1st November 2016 Mini-review Article th Published 7 November 2016 ABSTRACT This short commentary reviews, on the one hand, the authentic formation and development of Tibetan Tantric Buddhism, an innovative branch that is featured by the transformation of negative emotions (NEs) to a valuable vehicle to reach the enlightenment of consciousness via achieving three different levels of kayas by experiencing three-stage practices; on the other hand, its problematic Terma tradition that claims to make use of six different ways in the transmissions of Buddhist teachings generation after generation. Both religious and scientific critiques are presented to this tradition in view of several aspects like the religious doctrine authenticity, historical veracity, and the formation of the tradition. Keywords: Tantric Buddhism; Terma; transmission; consciousness; enlightenment. 1. INTRODUCTION Buddhism has three different Schools [2]: (1) the Southern Hinayana or Lesser-Vehicle School; (2) Featured by compassion, love, self-restraint and the Eastern Mahayana or Greater-Vehicle non-violence, Buddhism spread from India to School; and, (3) the Northern Tantrayana or Asia from the 3 rd century BC and all over the Diamond-Vehicle School. Generally speaking, world in the following hundreds of years [1]. the historical developments of Buddhist doctrines _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ *Corresponding author: Email: [email protected]; Ma; ARJASS, 1(5): 1-8, 2016; Article no.ARJASS.29736 were often in response to solving problems which and development of this School. Section 3 will had existed in earlier doctrines. Such an example describe its problematic Terma tradition of which was highlighted by the emergence of Mahayana both religious and scientific critiques are in the 2 nd century A.D. out of the Theravada presented. Section 4 will give a conclusion. School, the teachings of which have been known as the “Pali-canon” given by the Buddha and 2. TIBETAN TANTRIC BUDDHISM collected at the Third Council after the Buddha's Mahaparinirvana, and described by the term, Although Buddhism disappeared in India in the Hinayana, after around the 1st century A.D. 13 th century, Buddhist Tantra had continued to develop independently on the foundation of The Hinayana School exemplifies relatively a Mahayana, Mantrayana, and Vajrayana certain conservatism, and can be regarded as (including Kalacakra) branches. Since the 5th generally closer in doctrine and practice to century, four types of tantric practice had come ancient Buddhism as it existed in the early into being toward Buddhist enlightenment: (1) centuries B.C. in India [3]. One of the most Performance Tantra; (2) Action Tantra; (3) Yoga important interpretations of this School suggests Tantra; and (4) Highest Yoga Tantra, while, at that Buddhahood can be achieved only by very the same time, Tantric Buddhism in Tibet, well- few people like Gautama, except him the known as Tibetan Tantric Buddhism, emerged enlightenment is in fact unachievable for beings with four major orders (the Nyingmapas, within this aeon; therefore, the ultimate goal of Kagyupas, Sakyapas, and Gelugpas) and the the Hinayana tradition lies in attaining the state of Dzogchen, as well as other syncretistic traditions an Arhat by following the spiritual path via [7]. achieving the liberation for oneself, Nirvana, on an individual level after attaining the happiness The Tantric Buddhism stresses the acceleration by both “renunciation” and “perseverance” in the on the way to be fully enlightened through a secular practice [4]. series of unusual practices to reach The Mahayana philosophy was developed Buddhahood. It emphasizes the use of very by Master Nagarjuna in view of Sunyata subtle energies of the mind, of wind, and of the (emptiness). While the new School fully accepted channels against a cluster of negative emotions the traditional Buddhist teachings, it endowed the (NEs), the dominant ones of which include earlier doctrine with innovated interpretations, Attachment (or greed), Aversion (or hatred), and and consequently brought about profound Illusion (or ignorance), usually named as the consequences for the Buddhist practices Three Poisons [8]. The tantric practices employ a involved. The most significant achievement was tantric construction named Mandala (circle in demonstrated by the recognition that, in addition Sanskrit) which is embodied by five Buddha to very few people, every sentient being, i.e., the families. It is described as the energy grid to being with a mind, is able to be fully enlightened represent the constant flow of divine and to Buddhahood; and that the only thing to demonic, human and animal impulses from the prevent the complete enlightenment is the failure universe to interact in both constructive and to improve one's own actions and state of destructive patterns featured by the following [9]: mind [5]. More importantly, the new School (1) the grid is three dimensional, in the sense emphasized that the approach to reaching that it locates the supreme deity (god, goddess, Buddhahood was primarily dependent of the celestial buddha, bodhisattva, or enlightened altruistic wish and practice to lead all the sentient tirthankara), the source of that energy and beings away from secular sufferings through their ground of the grid itself, at the center and apex of spiritual and flesh liberation (i.e., Nirvana) out of a hierarchized cosmos; (2) all other beings the cyclic existence in the sentient world; and, including the practitioner, are situated at the interestingly, with respect to this new philosophy, lower levels in energy or consciousness or being, the Hinayana enlightenment for the self was emitting radiations downward and outward from nothing else but simply the fortunate by-product the mandala's elevated center point; (3) four of the efforts to help all the beings [6]. distinct qualities are included in the practices, namely, environment, body, objects, and deeds, st This paper focuses on the third School, where the 1 quality refers to the mandala; the nd rd Tantrayana. This new School aims at solving the 2 one involves deity yoga; the 3 one means problem of how to effectively and efficiently reach being surrounded by dakas, dakinis, and other Buddhahood for the secular human beings. enlightened qualities; and, the last one are the Section 2 will introduce the authentic formation activities. 2 Ma; ARJASS, 1(5): 1-8, 2016; Article no.ARJASS.29736 Table 1. Macrocosmic and microcosmic elements in tantric practice Property Level 5 Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1 Family Buddha 3 Vaira 2 Ratna 4 Lotus 1 Karma 5 Bodily Acts Vairocana Akshobhya Ratnasambhava Amitabha Amoghasiddhi Tathagatas Kayakarmam Verbal Acts Samantabhadra Manjusri Akasagarbha Avalokitesvara Vajrakarma Vak karmam Mental Acts Acalavajra Trailokya-vijaya- Kundali Vidyaraja Yamantaka Guhyapada Manokarmam raja Consciousness Amala Alaya Manas Mano 5-Organ senses Wisdom Dharma-Realm Great, Perfect Equality Discrimination Accomplishment Essence Mirror Position Center East South West North Season Late Summer Spring Summer Autumn Winter Color Yellow Blue Red White Black Element Earth Wood Fire Metal Water Body Organs Spleen Liver/Gall Heart/Pericardium Lung Kidney Stomach Bladder Small Intestine Large Intestine Urinary Bladder Compared to other Schools like Mahayana or the tantric practice can be indigenized and Hinayana, the innovative aspect of the Tantric simplified to different localized forms owing to Buddhism lies in its transformation of the NEs to the influences of different indigenous cultural a vehicle which was claimed to be able to carry backgrounds [13]. In the Everest Solu-Kumbu passengers with a faster speed to reach the full region of Nepal, for example, concise tantric enlightenment of consciousness, Buddhahood, rituals were held annually which were mixed with via three different stages successively in Tibetan Shamanism-like Bon religion, while still practice: (1) the foundation stage, (2) the path presenting the theme of the traditional Tantric stage, and (3) the result stage. These stages practice. The innovations included [14]: represent achieving three different levels of kayas, namely, the truth body (Dharmakaya), the • Among the cluster of NEs including the enjoyment body (Sambhogakaya), and the three poisons, only the illusion (or emanation body (Nirmanakaya). Such practices ignorance) of human beings was were believed to experience a complete cycle of suggested to limit their potential
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