19 the Sakya Tradition the Gelug Tradition

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

19 the Sakya Tradition the Gelug Tradition

The Kagyu lineage put into practice the concept of reincarnation. When the great Kagyu master Karmapa Dusum Khyenpa (1110- 1193), an outstanding disciple of Gampopa, passed away his reincarnation was discovered and duly recognized. Soon other schools adopted this practice of reincarnation. The Sakya Tradition In his introduction to the Sakya lineage published in Graham Coleman’s Handbook of Tibetan Culture, Sakya Trizin, the present throne-holder, explains the origins of his lineage in this way. “The Sakya Tradition originated in the eleventh century, and has been closely connected with of one of the ‘holy families’ of Tibet, the Khon family, since early times. One of the family members, Khon Lui Wangpo Sungwa, became a disciple of the great Indian saint Padmasambhava in the eighth century, being amongst the irst seven monks to be ordained in Tibet. Through the next thirteen generations, the Khon family was an acknowledged pillar of the ‘early propagation’ in Tibet. However, it was Khon Konchok Gyalpo who, in 1073, built Sakya monastery and thereby established the foundation of the Sakya Tradition in Tibet. He studied under Drokmi the Translator (992-1072) and soon became a master of many profound teachings. The next centuries saw the rise of the Sakya Tradition to great heights, not only as a pre-eminent spiritual centre but also as a political power in Tibet.” The Gelug Tradition The Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism was founded by Tsongkhapa (1357-1419) based on the Kadam tradition of Atisha and his chief Tibetan disciple Dromtonpa. Ganden Tri Rinpoche Yeshe Dhondup, the ninety-ninth throne-holder of Tsongkhapa, in his introduction to the Gelug tradition published in Graham Coleman’s A Handbook of Tibetan Culture, writes, “Tsongkhapa was particularly attracted by the Kadam’s emphasis on the Mahayana principles of universal compassion and altruism, valuing these qualities not only as a spiritual orientation, but more importantly, as a way of 19.

Copy Link

Recommended publications

2018 Sakya Institute for Buddhist Studies Calendar.Xlsx
SAKYA INSTITUTE FOR BUDDHIST STUDIES 59 Church Street, Unit 3 Cambridge, MA 02138 sakya.net Registration is required by emaiL ([email protected]) Time Requirement Green Tara sadhana instruction and practice to accomplish mantra accumulation 26th; 7 - 9 pm Attendance on January 26th; Registration required. Continuing Vajrayogini sadhana practice to accomplish mantra accumulation and 23rd, 30th; 7 - 9 pm Vajrayogini Empowerment (Naropa Lineage); Registration required. instruction on Vajrayogini Self-Initiation practice Mangalam Yantra Yoga Level 6 25th; 7 - 9 pm Complete Yantra Level 5; Registration required. January Prajnaparamita Weekend Retreat 14th; 12 - 4 pm Open to public; $50; Registration required. Lion Headed Dakini Simhamukha Weekend Retreat 21st; 12 - 4 pm Open to public; $50; Registration required. Sitatapatra (White Umbrella) Weekend Retreat 28th; 12 - 4 pm Open to public; $50; Registration required. Meditation and Tara Puja 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th; 10 am - 12 pm Open to public Green Tara sadhana instruction and practice to accomplish mantra accumulation 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd; 7 - 9 pm Attendance on January 26th; Registration required. Continuing Vajrayogini sadhana practice to accomplish mantra accumulation and 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th; 7 - 9 pm Vajrayogini Empowerment (Naropa Lineage); Registration required. instruction on Vajrayogini Self-Initiation practice February Mangalam Yantra Yoga Level 6 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd; 7 - 9 pm Complete Yantra Level 5; Registration required. Meditation and Tara Puja 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th; 10 am - 12 pm Open to public Green Tara sadhana instruction and practice to accomplish mantra accumulation 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th; 7 - 9 pm Attendance on January 26th; Registration required. Continuing Vajrayogini sadhana practice to accomplish mantra accumulation and 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th; 7 - 9 pm Vajrayogini Empowerment (Naropa Lineage); Registration required.
[Show full text]
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism By C. Fred Smith Founders: Siddartha Gautama, the Buddha. The Tibetan form grew out of the teachings Kamalashila who defended traditional Indian Buddhism in Tibet against the Chinese form. Date: Founded between 600 and 400 BC in Northern India; Buddhism influenced Tibetan religion as early as AD 200, but only began to take on its Tibetan character after 792 AD. Its full expression as a Lamaist religion (one dependent on lamas or gurus to guide meditation) began in the 1200s, with the institution of the Dalai Lama in the 1600s. Key Words: Lama, Bon, Reincarnation, Dharma and Sangha BACKGROUND Tibetan Buddhism focuses on disciplined meditation to achieve enlightenment, which is the realization that life is impermanent, and the accompanying state of bliss. Its unusual character, different from other forms of Buddhism, lies in two facts. First, it traces its practices back to the earliest form of Buddhism from Northern India. Certain practices are similar to those of Hindu practitioners,1 and the meditative discipline is similar to that practiced in the first Buddhist Sanghas, or monastic communities. Second, its practices and “peculiar, even eerie character” are a result of its encounter with Bon, the older religion of Tibet, an animistic religion that emphasized shamans, rituals to invoke and appease spirits, and even sacrifices.2 Together, these produce a Buddhism centered on monks and monasteries that is “more colorful and supernatural”3 than other forms such as Zen.4 This form of Buddhism emphasizes the place of the lama, or teacher, who directs his charges in their meditation and ritual practices.
[Show full text]
Location: Tibet Lies at the Centre of Asia, with an Area of 2.5 Million Square Kilometers. the Earth's Highest Mountains, a Vast
Location: Tibet lies at the centre of Asia, with an area of 2.5 million square kilometers. The earth's highest mountains, a vast arid plateau and great river valleys make up the physical homeland of 6 million Tibetans. It has an average altitude of 13,000 feet above sea level. Capital: Lhasa Population: 6 million Tibetans and an estimated 7.5 million Chinese, most of whom are in Kham and Amdo. Language: Tibetan (of the Tibeto-Burmese language family). The official language is Chinese. Tibet is comprised of the three provinces of Amdo (now split by China into the provinces of Qinghai, Gansu & Sichuan), Kham (largely incorporated into the Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan and Qinghai), and U-Tsang (which, together with western Kham, is today referred to by China as the Tibet Autonomous Region). The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) comprises less than half of historic Tibet and was created by China in 1965 for administrative reasons. It is important to note that when Chinese officials and publications use the term "Tibet" they mean only the TAR. Tibetans use the term Tibet to mean the three provinces described above, i.e., the area traditionally known as Tibet before the 1949-50 invasion. Today Tibetans are outnumbered by Han Chinese population in their own homeland, there are est. 6 million Tibetans and an estimated 7.5 million Chinese, most of whom are in Kham and Amdo. The official language is Chinese. But those Tibetans living in exile still speak, read and write in Tibetan (of the Tibeto-Burmese language family).
[Show full text]
His Holiness the Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, to Visit University of Redlands in Rare U.S
His Holiness the Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, to visit University of Redlands in rare U.S. tour March 18, 2015 The University of Redlands will welcome His Holiness the Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, to campus March 24, 2015, as the only Southern California stop on his third trip to the United States. Reigniting a years-long connection with the University and special bond with students, the Karmapa will interact with Redlands students, faculty, and alumni and accept an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree, presented by University President Ralph Kuncl. He will then offer a public lecture, "Living Interdependence," at 7 p.m. in Memorial Chapel. The Karmapa heads the 900-year-old Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism and guides millions of Buddhists around the world. At the age of 14, he made a dramatic escape from Tibet to India to be near His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his own lineage teachers. Currently 29 years old, the Karmapa is a leader of the new century. He created an eco- monastic movement with over 55 monasteries across the Himalayan region acting as centers of environmental activism. Leading on women's issues, he recently announced plans to establish full ordination for women, a step that will change the future of Tibetan Buddhism. His latest book, The Heart is Noble: Changing the World from the Inside Out, co-edited by University of Redlands Professor of Religious Studies and Virginia C. Hunsaker Distinguished Teaching Chair, Karen Derris, the Karmapa speaks to the younger generation on the major challenges facing society today, including gender issues, food justice, rampant consumerism and the environmental crisis.
[Show full text]
VT Module6 Lineage Text Major Schools of Tibetan Buddhism
THE MAJOR SCHOOLS OF TIBETAN BUDDHISM By Pema Khandro A BIRD’S EYE VIEW 1. NYINGMA LINEAGE a. Pema Khandro’s lineage. Literally means: ancient school or old school. Nyingmapas rely on the old tantras or the original interpretation of Tantra as it was given from Padmasambhava. b. Founded in 8th century by Padmasambhava, an Indian Yogi who synthesized the teachings of the Indian MahaSiddhas, the Buddhist Tantras, and Dzogchen. He gave this teaching (known as Vajrayana) in Tibet. c. Systemizes Buddhist philosophy and practice into 9 Yanas. The Inner Tantras (what Pema Khandro Rinpoche teaches primarily) are the last three. d. It is not a centralized hierarchy like the Sarma (new translation schools), which have a figure head similar to the Pope. Instead, the Nyingma tradition is de-centralized, with every Lama is the head of their own sangha. There are many different lineages within the Nyingma. e. A major characteristic of the Nyingma tradition is the emphasis in the Tibetan Yogi tradition – the Ngakpa tradition. However, once the Sarma translations set the tone for monasticism in Tibet, the Nyingmas also developed a monastic and institutionalized segment of the tradition. But many Nyingmas are Ngakpas or non-monastic practitioners. f. A major characteristic of the Nyingma tradition is that it is characterized by treasure revelations (gterma). These are visionary revelations of updated communications of the Vajrayana teachings. Ultimately treasure revelations are the same dharma principles but spoken in new ways, at new times and new places to new people. Because of these each treasure tradition is unique, this is the major reason behind the diversity within the Nyingma.
[Show full text]
The Tibetan Book of the Dead: Its History and Controversial Aspects of Its Contents
The Tibetan Book of the Dead: Its History and Controversial Aspects of its Contents Michael Nahm, Ph.D. Freiburg, Germany ABSTRACT: In recent decades, the Tibetan Book of the Dead (TBD) has attracted much attention from Westerners interested in Eastern spirituality and has been discussed in the literature on dying and near-death experiences. However, the history of the TBD has practically been ignored in that literature up to now. This history has been elaborated in detail by Tibetologist Bryan Cuevas (2003). To bring this history to the attention of scholars in the field of near-death studies, I present in this paper a summary of the TBD’s development based primarily on the work of Cuevas (2003). The summary shows that the TBD was gradually elaborated within a specific Tibetan Buddhist context, the Dzokchen tradition. In comparing features of first-hand reports of the death and dying process as reported in the TBD with those reported in four other categories—Tibetan délok, near-death experiencers, mediums, and children who remember previous lives— I find that some features are consistent but that other key features are not. Be- cause it seems likely that inconsistent features of the TBD reflect idiosyncratic dying and afterlife concepts of the Dzokchen tradition, scholars in the field of near-death studies and others should be careful about adopting the contents of the TBD without question. KEY WORDS: Tibetan Book of the Dead, Clear Light, bardo, délok, near-death experience Michael Nahm, Ph.D., is a biologist. After conducting research for several years in the field of tree physiology, he is presently concerned with developing improved strate- gies for harvesting woody plants for energetic use.
[Show full text]
Opening Speech Liao Yiwu
About the 17th Karmapa Liao Yiwu On the morning of 4 June, 1989, a contingent of over two hundred thousand soldiers surrounded the Chinese capital of Beijing, where they opened fire on unarmed protesters in a massacre at Tiananmen Square that shook the entire world. On 5 March of that same year, there had been another large massacre in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, news of this earlier event had been effectively suppressed. Because of the absence of the Western news media, the PLA’s cold- blooded killing of Tibetan protesters was never recorded on camera. The holy city of Lhasa was about ten times smaller than Beijing at that time, and Bajiao Square where the massacre took place was about ten times smaller than Tiananmen Square, and yet over ten thousand peaceful protesters assembled in that narrow square, where they clashed with some fifteen thousand heavily-armed soldiers. As a result of this encounter, more than three hundred civilians lost their lives, another three thousand were imprisoned, and the “worst offenders” were subsequently sentenced to death. The Jokhang Temple located next to the Potala Palace was attacked and occupied by army troops because it was flying the Snow Lion Flag of Tibetan independence, and it was burned to the ground along with its precious copy of the Pagoda Scriptures, a text which symbolizes the dignity of Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism. Tens of thousands of Tibetan Buddhists stood in the street bewailing the loss of their sacred text, and the lamas continually tried to rush into the burning temple to rescue the scriptures, but were shot down amidst the flames.
[Show full text]
Pilgrimage to Drakar Dreldzong
Pilgrimage to Drakar Dreldzong The Written Tradition and Contemporary Practices among Amdo Tibetans ,#-7--a};-1 Zhuoma ( |) Thesis Submitted for the Degree of M. Phil in Tibetan Studies Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages University of Oslo Spring 2008 1 Summary This thesis focuses on pilgrimage (gnas skor) to Drakar Dreldzong, a Buddhist holy mountain (gnas ri) in a remote area of Amdo, Tibet, in the present day Qinghai Province in the western part of China. The mountain had long been a solitude hermitage and still is a popular pilgrimage site for Tibetan lamas and nearby laymen. Pilgrimage to holy mountains was, and still is, significant for the religious, cultural and literary life of Tibet, and even for today’s economic climate in Tibet. This thesis presents the traditional perceptions of the site reflected both in written texts, namely pilgrimage guides (gnas bshad), and in the contemporary practices of pilgrimage to Drakar Dreldzong. It specifically talks about an early pilgrimage guide (Guide A) written by a tantric practitioner in the early 17th century, and newly developed guides (Guides B, C and D), based on the 17th century one, edited and composed by contemporary Tibetan lay intellectuals and monks from Dreldzong Monastery. This monastery, which follows the Gelukba tradition, was established in 1923 at the foot of the mountain. The section about the early guide mainly introduces the historical framework of pilgrimage guides and provides an impression of the situation of the mountain in from the 17th to the 21st century. In particular, it translates the text and gives comments and analysis on the content.
[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]
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]
2020 TIBET DAY and THANK YOU DALAI LAMA YEAR PROCLAMATION
Town Council Phone: (413) 259-3002 [email protected] 2020 TIBET DAY and THANK YOU DALAI LAMA YEAR PROCLAMATION WHEREAS, on March 10, 2020, Tibetans throughout the world will gather to commemorate the 61st Anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising against the brutal occupation of their country and pay tribute to the more than one million Tibetans who lost their life lives in their struggle for the freedom of Tibet; and WHEREAS, the occupation and ongoing suppression of human rights and freedom in Tibet and the intentional marginalization of Tibetan language, culture, and identity should continue to be a concern for all freedom- loving people everywhere; and WHEREAS, on January 11, 2020 China’s Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) passed the so calledso-called Ethnic Unity Law which further aims to curb the undiminishing defiance of the Tibetan people and their call for the protection of their identity, for freedom, human rights, and for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet; and WHEREAS, in December, 2018, the United States House Congress passed, and the President signed into law, the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act (initiated by Representative Jim McGovern), that called for an end to China’s isolation of Tibet and providing American citizens, including Tibetan Americans in Amherst, with the same opportunity of access to Tibet as enjoyed by Chinese citizens visiting our country; and WHEREAS, on January 28, 2020 the United States House of Representative with overwhelming bipartisan support passed the Tibet Policy and Support
[Show full text]
Brief History of Dzogchen
Brief History of Dzogchen This is the printer-friendly version of: http: / / www.berzinarchives.com / web / en / archives / advanced / dzogchen / basic_points / brief_history_dzogchen.html Alexander Berzin November 10-12, 2000 Introduction Dzogchen (rdzogs-chen), the great completeness, is a Mahayana system of practice leading to enlightenment and involves a view of reality, way of meditating, and way of behaving (lta-sgom-spyod gsum). It is found earliest in the Nyingma and Bon (pre-Buddhist) traditions. Bon, according to its own description, was founded in Tazig (sTag-gzig), an Iranian cultural area of Central Asia, by Shenrab Miwo (gShen-rab mi-bo) and was brought to Zhang-zhung (Western Tibet) in the eleventh century BCE. There is no way to validate this scientifically. Buddha lived in the sixth century BCE in India. The Introduction of Pre-Nyingma Buddhism and Zhang-zhung Rites to Central Tibet Zhang-zhung was conquered by Yarlung (Central Tibet) in 645 CE. The Yarlung Emperor Songtsen-gampo (Srong-btsan sgam-po) had wives not only from the Chinese and Nepali royal families (both of whom brought a few Buddhist texts and statues), but also from the royal family of Zhang-zhung. The court adopted Zhang-zhung (Bon) burial rituals and animal sacrifice, although Bon says that animal sacrifice was native to Tibet, not a Bon custom. The Emperor built thirteen Buddhist temples around Tibet and Bhutan, but did not found any monasteries. This pre-Nyingma phase of Buddhism in Central Tibet did not have dzogchen teachings. In fact, it is difficult to ascertain what level of Buddhist teachings and practice were introduced.
[Show full text]