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Asian Research Journal of Arts & Social Sciences 1(5): 1-8, 2016, Article no.ARJASS.29736

SCIENCEDOMAIN international www.sciencedomain.org

Authentic Tibetan Tantric and Its Controversial 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 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 or Lesser-Vehicle School; (2) Featured by compassion, love, self-restraint and the Eastern or Greater-Vehicle non-violence, Buddhism spread from 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

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*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 presented. Section 4 will give a conclusion. School, the teachings of which have been known as the “-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 had continued to develop independently on the foundation of The Hinayana School exemplifies relatively a Mahayana, Mantrayana, and 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) important interpretations of this School suggests Tantra; and (4) Highest Yoga Tantra, while, at that can be achieved only by very the same time, Tantric Buddhism in , 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 , as well as other syncretistic traditions an by following the spiritual path via [7]. achieving the liberation for oneself, , 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 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 [8]. The tantric practices employ a involved. The most significant achievement was tantric construction named (circle in demonstrated by the recognition that, in addition ) 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, , or enlightened altruistic wish and practice to lead all the sentient ), 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 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, , and other Buddhahood for the secular human beings. enlightened qualities; and, the last one are the Section 2 will introduce the authentic formation activities.

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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 5 Bodily Acts Amitabha Tathagatas Kayakarmam Verbal Acts Manjusri Akasagarbha Avalokitesvara Vajrakarma Vak karmam Mental Acts Acalavajra -vijaya- Kundali Vidyaraja Guhyapada Manokarmam raja Consciousness Amala Alaya Mano 5-Organ senses Wisdom -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 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 , for example, concise tantric enlightenment of consciousness, Buddhahood, were held annually which were mixed with via three different stages successively in Tibetan Shamanism-like 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 of reincarnation which is divided into three phases imaginations and wills for the mind [10]: (1) the dying phase, corresponding to empowerment of transformation; thus, practicing the truth-body level; (2) the destroying the illusion is the highest form phase, corresponding to practicing the of magic. enjoyment-body level; and (3) the phase, • The compassion of all the Buddhas corresponding to practicing the emanation-body was personified specifically as the level. Lord of the Dance, named Garwang Tojay-chenpo, the deity of Mani-Rimdu In the practice, the displayed five Buddha whose infinite creativity is symbolized by families of the mandala provide a complete dance. picture to [11] (1) understand the energy that • Trulshik was regarded to pervades the neurotic world of ego-centered embody the Lord of the Dance and destroy existence; (2) manifest the enhancement of the the illusion in the tantric battles via dances mind in the sacred world of awakening; and, the with the malevolent supernatural forces of most importantly, (3) operate the five different the universe at Thubten Chiwong aspects of enlightenment together in an Monastery each autumn. integrated whole. Table 1 lists all the elements in • The three dimensional mandala was the tantric practices related to the macrocosmic reduced to a design of a brightly colorful mandala in the mind transformation and painting with sand, prepared painstakingly corresponding microcosmic body organs [12]. on a two dimensional plane grain by grain and by mantra; however, the However, considering that Buddhism is not an elaborated final product was destroyed to ahistorical unchanging tradition in time, space, symbolize sending the mandala gods back and texts versus lived reality in the secular world, to their realm; and,

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• Mental empowerment or spiritual will be kept downward generation after sustenance was assumed to be able to be generation if the teaching source is directly reached by taking man-made mini-pills coming from the originals rather than going which were considered to have absorbed through the hands of different kinds of the power of the god to help people, and people in the . therefore to be treasured and kept for • Blessings shall not fade. Blessings from taken in time of need. No doubt, these pills the originals will be kept intact by were treated as the symbols of the Nectar maintaining the purity and authenticity of pills as introduced in , the early the teachings in later time; and, stage of the Highest Yoga Tantra. • Lineage of the transmissions shall be shortened. Because the Terton received 3. MYSTERIOUS TANTRIC TERMA the original teachings directly from TRADITION via the termas, none is between Guru in th the 8 century and a Terton later within the Among the Buddhist Schools, lineage, thus, the discovery of Termas is distinguished by its tantric practices, as shortens the lineage. introduced in the above, which seem to be more All of the canonical Termas were regarded to be efficient and effective toward full enlightenments relative to the life-long methods and techniques transmitted to the Tertons through six stages of transmissions. Table 2 summarizes these six in other Schools. However, the most unusual stages on account of what the bodies were aspect lies in the heritage of the tantric teachings. The tradition was initiated from the 8 th supposed to be included for the purpose of communications, and how the transmissions century when Guru and Ye shey Tsho gyal concealed Termas (or, Gter were suggested to function in the communications. mas), namely, the treasures of texts, and the transmissions of teachings, in the Tibetan In the Table, the first three stages were regarded and Himalayan landscape, dedicated for the as the common transmissions [19] via Mind, discovery and retrieval by tertons (i.e., the Indication, and Aural. The 1 st one was treasure revealers) through a process of considered to happen between Buddhas by revelation in following centuries generation after making use of spontaneous mind-mind generation [15]. The terma tradition is the richest communications without any verbal or physical and particularly prevalent in, and significant to, expressions. The 2 nd one was assumed to take the lineage [16]. In addition to this place between the knowledge-holders through principal kind of “Earth” Terma, there are also symbolic expressions by verbal and physical two extra types of Terma [17]: one is called indications, while the last one was known to “Mind” Terma which was said to be discovered in occur between ordinary people through various the mind of the tertons; and the rest is called means of the ear or relating to the sense of “Daknang” which is in general within the scope of hearing, which had originated in Tibet with Guru the “Mind” type), but not necessarily claiming Padmasambhava and his contemporaries and ancient origins as the pure visions appearing in continued till the present day. It was claimed that the mind of realized masters. the 1 st and the 2 nd ones can also exist among highly realized Tibetan masters even today. It was claimed that there are four reasons which account for the existence of this mysterious By contrast, the last three transmissions were tradition to suit various mental and physical adopted as the uncommon ones [20]. Firstly, the desires, needs and capacities of people born in Prophetic Authorization (or, the Prophetic later historical periods after the various types of Empowerment) implies that a disciple was Termas buried earlier [18]: prophesied by Guru to take rebirth at a specific future time and discover a particular Terma • Doctrine shall not disappear. The teaching as the Terton born at that future time of reappearance of the Termas will make it transmission. Secondly, the Transmission of possible for the teachings given in ancient Aspirational Empowerment (or the Mind-mandate time to avoid the fate of disappearance by Transmission) suggested that the teachings were maintaining their availability to people in concealed by Guru, through the power of later time. aspirations via concentrating his enlightened • Instructions shall not be adulterated. the mind in the essential nature of the minds of his authenticity of the instructions in a lineage disciples, or in the expanse of their awareness

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Table 2. Six transmission stages of termas: Bodies and functions

Stage Type Transmission Body Function 1 Mind Buddhas Mind-mind coupling 2 Common Indication Knowledge-holders Symbolic verbal / physical signs 3 Aural Ordinary people Hearing 4 Guru-Terton Rebirth 5 Uncommon Aspiration Guru-Disciple Consciousness 6 Entrustment Guru- Dakinis Information delivery states. If the teachings had been concealed in an was attributed to a buddha, however, without the external object or in the ordinary state of mind, historical evidence. they might be affected by changing circumstances. But they will remain stable until (2) Historical veracity. Termas were suggested to the time of discovery if concealed in the natural have been hidden by Masters like Guru state of the mind. Lastly, the Entrustment Padmasambhava in the 8 th century in the to Dakinis declares that dakinis and protectors encoded form of contexts. However, is the text were instructed to protect the symbolic scripts discovered centuries later the very same of teachings which had been put in caskets encoded fragment that Padmasambhava and concealed in, e.g., rocks, lakes, sky, concealed for future generations? And, was it in as devised by Guru Padmasambhava, and to fact "discovered," or, was it simply forged, more hand them over in future to the right Terton, in or less, by the discoverer himself due to intrinsic addition to protecting properly the discovered or extrinsic reasons during the excavation [23]? teachings as well as the followers who practice As a historical figure, the discoverer should be them. subject to demonstrating that he or she has the requisite realizations and attainments to Nevertheless, the subject of Termas arose formulate and transmit authentic Buddhist both religious and scientific critiques in the teachings before writing and codifying the academia due to its uncertainties and/or Termas text for the final publication and preposterousness. These have been reflected by presentation to the world. Otherwise, the lack of such dominant factors like religious doctrine the demonstration not only makes it impossible authenticity, historical veracity, and the formation to identify whether or not “the authority of the of the tradition in the transmission of Termas imputed original … Treasure” had been “asserted [21]. in normative terms,” but also put later generations of disciples or practitioners in an (1) Doctrine authenticity [22]. The focus of this awkward situation to face with “the matter of emic critique lies dominantly in the authorship of qualifications” which “becomes tricky with regard the tantric scriptures. In Buddhist teachings of to the Treasure discoverer” [23]. various schools, the sacred scriptures are generally believed to have been passed from (3) Formation of the tradition. Etically, the Terma master to disciple down to the present in an tradition myth can be noticeably traced back to unbroken succession through transmissions the 8 th century upon the activities of involving direct human communications. They Padmasambhava to introduce the tantric are usually defined as the spoken scriptures that Buddhism into Tibet, though there had been a are said to originate in the overt "well-stated number of earlier concealing traditions in the speech" of the Buddha himself. However, in indigenous teachings in, e.g., the Bon religion. In contrast to these scriptures which constitute the this myth, Padmasambhava was said to be a conventional , all of the very central middleman to conceal Termas, the Termas had been claimed to go underground in “most basically transmitted by a primordial the absence of being spoken or overtly taught at buddha in a primordial ” [24], for the all for a number of generations after the buddha’s dissemination in such a predominate way that speech. This arbitrary claim inevitably leads to they would be discovered by various irrefutable challenges on the legitimacy of the predetermined discoverers who would be scripture’s author. As a result, Terma texts “may incarnated at a specified future time by virtue of aptly be termed apocrypha, divergences between Padmasambhava’s prophecy to “translate” their the Buddhist context and the Judeo-Christian revelation into a form comprehensible to their one”; or, alternatively, they can be called contemporaries [25]. Concisely, it was claimed “pseudepigrapha” in that their original authorship through the mythopoeic virtual powers of both

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Guru’s and his enlightened disciples’ minds that COMPETING INTERESTS the transmission of these esoteric teachings took place [26]. No doubt, this tradition owns anti- Author has declared that no competing interests scientific absurdities in, for instance, Guru’s exist. biological GPS-emitter-like positioning accuracy [27], e.g., the prophesized reborn disciples are REFERENCES only within the Tibetan area and mostly in the Nyingma school; disciples’ GPS-receiver-like 1. (a) Omvedt G. Buddhism in India. New mental resolution (e.g., translations express the Delhi, Thousand Oaks, London: SAGE originals comprehensibly in the absence of Publications. 2003;23-85. Guru’s knowledge, experience, wisdom); not (b) Anand. Essay on Buddhism in India. mentioning additional unrealities like the so- Available:http://www.history called “primordial” buddha and “pure land”. discussion.net/essay/essay-on-buddhism-

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