1.
History of Tibetan Buddhism
–
The history of Tibetan Buddhism has been analyzed through researches of numerous oral traditions and written records. In the reign of King Thothori Nyantsen, a basket of Buddhist scriptures arrived in Tibet from India, written in Sanskrit, they were not translated into Tibetan until the reign of king Songtsän Gampo. It is clear from Tibetan sources that some of his successors became ardent Buddhists, according to a Tibetan legendary tradition, Songtsän Gampo also married a Nepalese Buddhist princess, Bhrikuti. By the second half of the 8th century he was regarded as an embodiment of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara. The successors of Songtsän Gampo were less enthusiastic about the propagation of Buddhism but in the 8th century and he invited Indian Buddhist scholars to his court. In his age the famous tantric mystic Padmasambhāva arrived in Tibet according to the Tibetan tradition, in addition to writing a number of important scriptures, some of which he hid for future tertons to find, Padmasambhāva, along with Śāntarakṣita, established the Nyingma school. The outlines of the history of Buddhism in Tibet from this time are well-known, at this early time also, from the south came the influence of scholars under the Pāla dynasty in the Indian state of Magadha. They had achieved a blend of Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna that has come to all forms of Tibetan Buddhism. Their teaching in sutra centered on the Abhisamayālankāra, a 4th-century Yogācārin text, a third influence was that of the Sarvāstivādins from Kashmir in the south west and Khotan in the north west. A subsect of this school, Mūlasarvāstivāda was the source of the Tibetan vinaya and she was known in Tibet as Gyim shang Ong co, or, simply, Kim-sheng or Kong-co, and was a devout Buddhist. Five Buddhist temples were built at, Ching bu nam ra, Kwa chu in Brag dmar, Gran bzang, Khar brag, Buddhist monks from Khotan, fleeing the persecutions of an anti-Buddhist king, were given refuge by Kim-sheng about 737. The story of these Khotanese monks is recorded the Li yul lung-btsan-pa or Prophecy of the Li Country, Kim-sheng died during an outbreak of smallpox sometime between 739 and 741. The rise of anti-Buddhist factions in Tibet following the death of the Chinese princess began to blame the epidemic on the support of Buddhism by the king and queen. This forced the monks to flee again, first to Gandhara. Tibetan king Khri srong lde btsan invited the Chan master Mo Ho Yen to transmit the Dharma at Samye Monastery, Kamalaśīla wrote the three Bhāvanākrama texts after that. However, a Chinese source found in Dunhuang written by Mo-ho-yen says their side won, pioneering Buddhologist Giuseppe Tucci speculated that Hwashangs ideas were preserved by the Nyingmapas in the form of dzogchen teachings. John Myrdhin Reynolds and Sam van Schaik hold a different point of view. Schaik emphasises that Chan and Dzogchen are based on two different classes of scripture, Chan being based on sutras, while Dzogchen being based on tantras, Schaik further states apparent similarities can be misleading
History of Tibetan Buddhism
–
Padmasambhāva, founder of the
Nyingmapa, the earliest school of Tibetan Buddhism; note the wide-open eyes, characteristic of a particular method of meditation
2.
Schools of Buddhism
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Schools of Buddhism refers to the various institutional and doctrinal divisions of Buddhism that have existed from ancient times up to the present. That have made up or currently make up the whole of Buddhist traditions, the sectarian and conceptual divisions of Buddhist thought are part of the modern framework of Buddhist studies, as well as comparative religion in Asia. The most common classification among scholars is threefold, with Mahāyāna itself split between the traditional Mahāyāna teachings, and the Vajrayāna teachings which emphasize esotericism, Vajrayāna, primarily in Tibet, Bhutan, Mongolia and the Russian republic of Kalmykia. The following terms may be encountered in descriptions of the major Buddhist divisions, Ekayāna Mahayana texts such as the Lotus Sutra and the Avatamsaka Sutra sought to unite all the different teachings into a single great way. These texts serve as the inspiration for using the term Ekayāna in the sense of one vehicle and this one vehicle became a key aspect of the doctrines and practices of Tiantai and Tendai Buddhist sects, which subsequently influenced Chán and Zen doctrines and practices. In Japan, the teaching of the Lotus Sutra also inspired the formation of the Nichiren sect. Esoteric Buddhism usually considered synonymous with Vajrayāna, some scholars have applied the term to certain practices found within the Theravāda, particularly in Cambodia. It is considered a term when applied by the Mahāyāna to mistakenly refer to the Theravāda school. Moreover, Hīnayāna refers to the now non extant schools with limited set of views, practices and results and its use in scholarly publications is now also considered controversial. Lamaism an old term, still used, synonymous with Tibetan Buddhism. Mahāyāna a movement that emerged from early Buddhist schools, together with its later descendants, Vajrayāna traditions are sometimes listed separately. The main use of the term in East Asian and Tibetan traditions is in reference to spiritual levels, mainstream Buddhism a term used by some scholars for the early Buddhist schools. Mantrayāna usually considered synonymous with Vajrayāna, the Tendai school in Japan has been described as influenced by Mantrayana. Newar Buddhism a non-monastic, caste based Buddhism with patrilineal descent, nikāya Buddhism or schools an alternative term for the early Buddhist schools. Non-Mahāyāna an alternative term for the early Buddhist schools, northern Buddhism an alternative term used by some scholars for Tibetan Buddhism. Also, a term still sometimes used to encompass both East Asian and Tibetan traditions. It has even used to refer to East Asian Buddhism alone. Secret Mantra an alternative rendering of Mantrayāna, a literal translation of the term used by schools in Tibetan Buddhism when referring to themselves
Schools of Buddhism
–
An image of Gautama Buddha with a
swastika, a traditional Buddhist symbol of infinity, on his chest.
Ananda, the Buddha's disciple, appears in the background. This statue is from
Hsi Lai Temple.
Schools of Buddhism
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Map showing the three major Buddhist divisions
Schools of Buddhism
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Thousand-armed
Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva.
Guanyin Nunnery,
Anhui, China
3.
Nyingma
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The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Nyingma literally means ancient, and is referred to as Ngangyur because it is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Old Tibetan in the eighth century. The Tibetan alphabet and grammar was created for this endeavour, in modern times, the Nyingma lineage has been centered in Kham. The Nyingmapa, a Red Hat sect of Tibetan Buddhism, incorporate local religious practices and local deities and elements of shamanism, the group particularly believes in hidden terma treasures. Traditionally, Nyingmapa practice was advanced orally among a network of lay practitioners. Monasteries with celibate monks and nuns, along with the practice of reincarnated spiritual leaders are later adaptations, Nyingma maintains the earliest tantra teachings that have been given the popular nomenclature of Vajrayana. Early Vajrayana that was transmitted from India to Tibet may be differentiated by the specific term Mantrayana, T least in Eastern Tibet, there existed during and after the time of Lha-tho-tho-ri a solid knowledge of Buddhism and that the upper classes of the people were faithfully devoted to it. But the border regions in the north and west probably had also come into contact with Buddhism long before the time of Srong-btsan-sgam-po, there used to be contacts with the Tibetan population in these border regions. It is possible that the knowledge gained from these encounters was spread by merchants over large areas of Tibet, thus, when Srong-btsan-sgam-po succeeded to the throne of Tibet in the year 627, the country was ready for a systematic missionary drive under royal patronage. Around 760, Trisong Detsen invited Padmasambhava and the Nalanda abbot Śāntarakṣita to Tibet to introduce Buddhism to the Land of Snows, Trisong Detsen ordered the translation of all Buddhist texts into Tibetan. Padmasambhava, Śāntarakṣita,108 translators, and 25 of Padmasambhavas nearest disciples worked for years in a gigantic translation-project. The translations from this period formed the base for the large scriptural transmission of Dharma teachings into Tibet, Padmasambhava supervised mainly the translation of tantras, Śāntarakṣita concentrated on the sutras. Padmasambhava and Śāntarakṣita also founded the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet, from this basis, Tantric Buddhism was established in its entirety in Tibet. From the eighth until the eleventh century, the Nyingma was the school of Buddhism in Tibet. Langdarma persecuted monks and nuns, and attempted to wipe out Buddhism and his efforts, however, were not successful. A few monks escaped to Amdo in the northeast of Tibet, indeed, the Nyingma traditionally had no centralized authority or Nyingma-wide hierarchy. Only since the Tibetan diaspora following the Chinese annexure of Tibet have the Nyingma had a head of the Tradition, even so, the Nyingma tradition is still politically decentralized and often decisions are made in an oligarchy or community of the senior sangha within a given jurisdiction or locale. There was never a single head of the lineage in the manner of either the Ganden Tripa or Dalai Lama of the Gelug and it was only recently in exile in India that this role was created at the request of the Central Tibetan Administration and it is largely administrative
Nyingma
–
Statue of
Padmasambhava near
Kullu, India
Nyingma
4.
Kagyu
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Along with the Sakya and Gelug schools, the Kagyu tradition is classified as one of the Sarma or New Transmission schools of Vajrayāna founded during the second diffusion of Buddhism into Tibet. It is a Red Hat sect along with the Nyingma and Sakya and these lineages are hereditary as well as mindstream emanation in nature. Strictly speaking, the term bka brgyud oral lineage, precept transmission applies to any line of transmission of a teaching from teacher to disciple. There are references to the Atiśa kagyu for the Kadam or to Jonang kagyu for the Jonang, today, however, the term Kagyu almost always refers to the Dagpo Kagyu and, less often, to the Shangpa Kagyu. The term Bka brgyud pa simply applies to any line of transmission of a teaching from teacher to disciple. We can properly speak of a Jo nang Bka brgyud pa or Dge ldan Bka brgyud pa for the Jo nang pa, similar teachings and practices centering around the Ni gu chos drug are distinctive of the Shangs pa Bka brgyud pa. These two traditions with their offshoots are often referred to simply as Bka brgyud pa. The term Dkar brgyud pa refers to the use of the white cotton meditation garment by all these lineages and this complex is what is normally known, inaccuratly, as the Bka brgyud pa. Nevertheless, it is fine if are all called Bka brgyud, at Thuu kwans suggestion, then, we will side with convention and use the term Bka brgyud. One source indicates, he term Kagyu derives from the Tibetan phrase meaning Lineage of the Four Commissioners, the Shangpa Kagyu differs in origin from the better known Marpa or Dagpo school that is the source of all present-day Kagyu schools. The Dagpo school and its branches primarily came from the lineage of the Indian siddhas Tilopa and Naropa transmitted in Tibet through Marpa, Milarepa, Gampopa and their successors. In contrast, the Shangpa lineage descended from two female siddhas, Naropas consort Niguma and Virupas disciple Sukhasiddhi, transmitted in Tibet in the 11th century through Khyungpo Nenjor, the tradition takes its name from the Shang Valley where Khyungpo Nenjor established the gompa of Zhongzhong or Zhangzhong. For seven generations, the Shangpa Kagyu lineage remained a one-to-one transmission, although there were a few temples and retreat centres in Tibet and Bhutan associated with the Shangpa transmission, it never really was established as an independent religious institution or sect. Rather, its teachings were transmitted down through the centuries by lamas belonging to different schools. In the 20th century, the Shangpa teachings were transmitted by the first Kalu Rinpoche, who studied at Palpung Monastery, the seat of the Tai Situpa. Kagyu begins in Tibet with Marpa Lotsawa who trained as a translator with Drogmi Lotsawa Shākya Yeshe and his principal gurus were the siddhas Nāropa - from whom he received the close lineage of Mahāmudrā and Tantric teachings, and Maitrīpāda - from whom he received the distant lineage of mahāmudrā. Marpas guru Nāropa was the disciple of Tilopa from East Bengal. From his own teachers Tilopa received the Four Lineages of Instructions, Marpa married the Lady Dagmema, and took eight other concubines as mudras
Kagyu
–
Tilopa
Kagyu
–
Marpa
Kagyu
–
Drikung Monаstery
Kagyu
5.
Sakya
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This articles concerns the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism. For information on the ancient Śākya tribe, see Shakya, the Sakya school is one of four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the others being the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Gelug. It is one of the Red Hat sects along with the Nyingma, the Sakya tradition developed during the second period of translation of Buddhist scripture from Sanskrit into Tibetan in the late 11th century. Konchog Gyalpo became Drogmis disciple on the advice of his elder brother, from Drokmi comes the supreme teaching of Sakya, the system of Lamdre Path and its Fruit deriving from the mahasiddha Virupa based upon the Hevajra Tantra. Mal Lotsawa introduced to Sakya the esoteric Vajrayogini lineage known as Naro Khachoma, from Bari Lotsawa came innumerable tantric practices, foremost of which was the cycle of practices known as the One Hundred Sadhanas. Other key transmissions that form part of the Sakya spiritual curriculum include the cycles of Vajrakilaya, Mahākāla and Guhyasamāja tantras. The main Dharma system of the Sakya school is the Path with its Result, the other major system of the Sakya school is the Naropa Explanation For Disciples. In due course, two subsects emerged from the main Sakya lineage, Ngor, founded in Tsang by Ngorchen Kunga Zangpo, the Ngor school is centered on Ngor Evam Choden monastery. It represents 85% of the Sakyapa school and most if not all the monasteries in India are Ngorpa, tshar, founded by Tsarchen Losal Gyamtso. Nalendra became the home of the whispered-lineage of the Tsar school, the Bodongpa tradition, founded by Bodong Panchen Chögle Namgyel, is considered by some scholars to be a sub-sect of the Sakya tradition. The Mongol conquest of Tibet began after the foundation of the Mongol Empire in the early 13th century, in 1264, the feudal reign over Tibet was given to Drogön Chögyal Phagpa by Kublai Khan, founder of the Yuan dynasty. The leaders of the Sakya regime were as follows, Drogön Chögyal Phagpa 1253-1280 Dharmapala Raksita 1280-1282, d. The present Sakya Trizin, Ngawang Kunga Tegchen Palbar Trinley Samphel Wanggi Gyalpo, today, he resides in Rajpur, India along with his wife, Gyalyum Kushok Tashi Lhakyi, and two sons Ratna Vajra Rinpoche and Gyana Vajra Rinpoche. Ratna Vajra Rinpoche being the son, is the lineage holder and is married to Dagmo Kalden Dunkyi Sakya. Traditionally hereditary succession alternates between the two Sakya palaces since Khon Könchok Gyelpos reign, the Ducho sub-dynasty of Sakya survives split into two palaces, the Dolma Phodrang and Phuntsok Phodrang. Sakya Trizin is head of the Dolma Phodrang, dagchen Sakyas father was the previous Sakya Trizin, Trichen Ngawang Thutop Wangchuk, throne holder of Sakya, and his mother Dechen Drolma. Dagchen Sakya was married to Her Eminence Dagmo Jamyang Kusho Sakya, they have five sons, without Khyentse and Kongtruls collecting and printing of rare works, the suppression of Buddhism by the Communists would have been much more final. Tibet under Yuan rule Sakya Monastery Lamdré Tibetan Buddhism Jonang Patron and priest relationship Davidson, preliminary Studies on Hevajras Abhisamaya and the Lam bras Tshogs bshad
Sakya
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Sakya Pandita
Sakya
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Tibet within the Yuan dynasty under the top-level department known as the
Bureau of Buddhist and Tibetan Affairs (Xuanzheng Yuan).
Sakya
6.
Gelug
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The Gelug, Gelug-pa, dGe Lugs Pa, dge-lugs-pa or Dgelugspa is the newest of the schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It was founded by Je Tsongkhapa, a philosopher and Tibetan religious leader, the first monastery he established was named Ganden, and to this day the Ganden Tripa is the nominal head of the school, though its most influential figure is the Dalai Lama. Allying themselves with the Mongols as a patron, the Gelug emerged as the pre-eminent Buddhist school in Tibet since the end of the 16th century. Ganden is the Tibetan rendition of the Sanskrit name Tushita, the Pure land associated with Maitreya Buddha, at first, Tsongkhapas school was called Ganden Choluk meaning the Spiritual Lineage of Ganden. By taking the first syllable of Ganden and the second of Choluk this was abbreviated to Galuk, the Gelug school was founded by Je Tsongkhapa. A great admirer of the Kadam school, Tsongkhapa was a promoter of the Kadam emphasis on the Mahayana principle of compassion as the fundamental spiritual orientation. He combined this with extensive writings on Madhyamaka and Nagarjunas philosophy of Śūnyatā that, in many ways, in 1577 Sonam Gyatso, who was considered to be the third incarnation of Gyalwa Gendün Drup, formed an alliance with the then most powerful Mongol leader, Altan Khan. Sonam Gyatso was very active in proselytizing among the Mongols, and this brought the Gelugpas powerful patrons who were to propel them to pre-eminence in Tibet. The Gelug-Mongol alliance was strengthened as after Sonam Gyatsos death, his incarnation was found to be Altan Khans great-grandson. By the end of the 16th century, following violent strife among the sects of Tibetan Buddhism, according to Tibetan historian Samten Karmay, Sonam Chophel, treasurer of the Ganden Palace, was the prime architect of the Gelugs rise to political power. Later he received the title Desi, meaning Regent, which he would earn through his efforts to establish Gelugpa power, from the period of the 5th Dalai Lama in the 17th century, the Dalai Lamas held political control over central Tibet. The core leadership of this government was referred to as the Ganden Phodrang. Scottish Botanist George Forrest, who witnessed the 1905 Tibetan Rebellion led by the Gelug Lamas, according to his accounts, the Gelugpas were the dominant power in the region, with their Lamas effectively governing the area. Forrest said they used force and fraud to terrorise the, the central teachings of the Gelug School are Lamrim, based on the teachings of the Indian master Atiśa, and the systematic cultivation of the view of emptiness. The Guhyasamāja tantra is the principal one, as the Dalai Lama remarks, There is a saying in the Gelug, If one is on the move it is Guhyasamāja. If one is still, it is Guhyasamāja, If one is meditating, it should be upon Guhyasamāja. Therefore, whether one is engaged in study or practice, Guhyasamāja should be ones focus, the Gelug school focuses on ethics and monastic discipline of the vinaya as the central plank of spiritual practice. In particular, the need to pursue spiritual practice in a graded, arguably, Gelug is the only school of vajrayāna Buddhism that prescribes monastic ordination as a necessary qualification and basis in its teachers
Gelug
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Statue of Je Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelugpa school, on the altar in His Temple (His birth place) in
Kumbum Monastery, near Xining,
Qinghai (
Amdo),
China. Photo by writer
Mario Biondi, July 7, 2006
Gelug
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Gelug monks in
Spituk Monastery during the Gustor Festival
Gelug
7.
Jonang
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The Jonang is one of the schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Its origins in Tibet can be traced to early 12th century master Yumo Mikyo Dorje, but became much wider known with the help of Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen, a monk originally trained in the Sakya school. The Jonang re-established their religio-political center in Golok, Nakhi and Mongol areas in Kham, an estimated 5,000 monks and nuns of the Jonang tradition practice today in these areas and at the edges of historic Gelug influence. However, their teachings were limited to these regions until the Rimé movement of the 19th century encouraged the study of non-Gelug schools of thought, the monk Künpang Tukjé Tsöndrü established a kumbum or stupa-vihara in the Jomonang Valley about 160 kilometres northwest of the Tashilhunpo Monastery in Ü-Tsang. The Jonang tradition took its name from this monastery, which was expanded by Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen. The Jonang tradition combines two specific teachings, what has come to be known as the philosophy of śūnyatā. The origin of combination in Tibet is traced to the master Yumo Mikyo Dorje. The order remained in power in parts of Kham and Amdo centered on Dzamthang Monastery, the Jonang school generated a number of renowned Buddhist scholars, like Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen, but its most famous was Taranatha, who placed great emphasis on the Kalachakra Tantra. After the Jonang monasteries and practitioners in Gelug-controlled regions were forcibly converted, taranathas influence on Gelug thinking continues even to this day in the teaching of the present 14th Dalai Lama, who actively promotes initiation into Kalachakra. The Gelug school held the distinct but related rangtong view that all phenomena are empty and it is empty of all that is false, not empty of the limitless Buddha qualities that are its innate nature. Modern historians have identified two reasons which more likely led the Gelugpa to suppress the Jonangpa. First, the Jonangpa had political ties that were very vexing to the Gelugpa, the Jonang school, along with the Kagyu, were historical allies with the powerful house of Tsangpa, which was vying with the Dalai Lama and the Gelug school for control of Central Tibet. This was bad enough, but soon after the death of Taranatha, taranathas tulku was discovered to be a young boy named Zanabazar, the son of Tüsheet Khan, Prince of Central Khalkha. Tüsheet Khan and his son were of Borjigin lineage, meaning they had the authority to become khagan. When the young boy was declared the leader of all of Mongolia. The sects and institutions associated with these monasteries cried foul, tibetans have a long memory, and this accusation still stands within certain circles. I once asked the present Dalai Lama about this and he replied These monasteries were closed for political reasons, not religious ones, and their closing had nothing to do with sectarianism. They had supported the Tsangpa king in the uprising, thus committing treason, the Great Fifth believed that they should be closed in order to insure the future stability of the nation, and to dissuade other monasteries from engaging in warfare
Jonang
8.
Bodhisattva
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Bodhisattvas are a popular subject in Buddhist art. In early Indian Buddhism, the term bodhisattva was primarily used to specifically to Gautama Buddha in his former life. The Jataka tales, which are the stories of the Buddhas past lives, depict the various attempts of the bodhisattva to embrace qualities like self-sacrifice, mount Potalaka, for example, is one of Bodhisattvayana. Because Hinayana was disliked and the terms Śrāvaka-Bodhisattva or Pratyekabuddha-Bodhisattva were not widely used, nevertheless, bodhisattva retained an implied reference to someone on the path to become an arhat or pratyekabuddha. In contrast, the goal of Mahayanas bodhisattva path is to achieve Samyaksambodhiṃ, when, during his discourses, he recounts his experiences as a young aspirant, he regularly uses the phrase When I was an unenlightened bodhisatta. The term therefore connotes a being who is bound for enlightenment, in other words, in the Pāli canon, the bodhisatta is also described as someone who is still subject to birth, illness, death, sorrow, defilement, and delusion. Some of the lives of the Buddha as a bodhisattva are featured in the Jataka tales. According to the Theravāda monk Bhikkhu Bodhi, the path is not taught in the earliest strata of Buddhist texts such as the Pali Nikayas which instead focus on the ideal of the Arahant. In later Theravada literature, the bodhisatta is used fairly frequently in the sense of someone on the path to liberation. He also quotes an inscription from the 10th Century king of Sri Lanka, Mahinda IV, paul Williams writes that some modern Theravada meditation masters in Thailand are popularly regarded as bodhisattvas. Like perhaps some of the early Mahāyāna forest hermit monks, or the later Buddhist Tantrics and they are widely revered, worshipped, and held to be arhats or bodhisattvas. Mahāyāna Buddhism is based principally upon the path of a bodhisattva, according to Jan Nattier, the term Mahāyāna was originally even an honorary synonym for Bodhisattvayāna, or the Bodhisattva Vehicle. The Aṣṭasāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra contains a simple and brief definition for the term bodhisattva and this definition is given as the following. Because he has enlightenment as his aim, a bodhisattva-mahāsattva is so called, the early Rastrapalapariprccha sutra also promotes a solitary life of meditation in the forests, far away from the distractions of the householder life. The Rastrapala is also critical of monks living in monasteries and in cities who are seen as not practicing meditation. These texts seem to indicate the initial Bodhisattva ideal was associated with a strict forest asceticism, Mahāyāna Buddhism encourages everyone to become bodhisattvas and to take the bodhisattva vows. With these vows, one makes the promise to work for the enlightenment of all sentient beings by practicing the six perfections. Indelibly entwined with the vow is merit transference
Bodhisattva
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Twenty-five Bodhisattvas Descending from Heaven. Japanese painting, c. 1300.
Bodhisattva
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Bronze statue of
Avalokiteśvara.
Sri Lanka, ca. 750 CE
Bodhisattva
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Wood carving of
Avalokiteśvara.
Liao China, 907-1125
Bodhisattva
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Mural of
Padmapani in
Ajanta Caves. India, 5th century
9.
Dharma (Buddhism)
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Dharma is a key concept with multiple meanings in the Indian religions — Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism. There is no single word translation for dharma in western languages, in Buddhism dharma means cosmic law and order, but is also applied to the teachings of the Buddha. In Buddhist philosophy, dhamma/dharma is also the term for phenomena, Dharma in Jainism refers to the teachings of tirthankara and the body of doctrine pertaining to the purification and moral transformation of human beings. For Sikhs, the word means the path of righteousness. The Classical Sanskrit noun dharma is a derivation from the root dhṛ, the word dharma was already in use in the historical Vedic religion, and its meaning and conceptual scope has evolved over several millennia. The antonym of dharma is adharma, the Classical Sanskrit noun dharma is a derivation from the root dhṛ, which means to hold, maintain, keep, and takes a meaning of what is established or firm, and hence law. It is derived from an older Vedic Sanskrit n-stem dharman-, with a meaning of bearer, supporter. In the Rigveda, the word appears as an n-stem, dhárman-, figuratively, it means sustainer and supporter. It is semantically similar to the Greek Ethos, in Classical Sanskrit, the noun becomes thematic, dharma-. The word dharma derives from Proto-Indo-European root *dʰer-, which in Sanskrit is reflected as class-1 root √dhṛ, etymologically it is related to Avestan √dar-, Latin firmus, Lithuanian derė́ti, Lithuanian dermė and darna and Old Church Slavonic drъžati. Classical Sanskrit word dharmas would formally match with Latin o-stem firmus from Proto-Indo-European *dʰer-mo-s holding, were it not for its development from earlier Rigvedic n-stem. In Classical Sanskrit, and in the Vedic Sanskrit of the Atharvaveda, in Pāli, it is rendered dhamma. In some contemporary Indian languages and dialects it occurs as dharm. Dharma is a concept of central importance in Indian philosophy and religion and it has multiple meanings in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. It is difficult to provide a concise definition for dharma, as the word has a long and varied history and straddles a complex set of meanings. There is no equivalent single word translation for dharma in western languages, there have been numerous, conflicting attempts to translate ancient Sanskrit literature with the word dharma into German, English and French. The concept, claims Paul Horsch, has caused difficulties for modern commentators and translators. Dharma root is dhri, which means ‘to support, hold and it is the thing that regulates the course of change by not participating in change, but that principle which remains constant
Dharma (Buddhism)
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Rituals and rites of passage
Dharma (Buddhism)
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Sannyasa and
stages of life
Dharma (Buddhism)
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Above rock inscription is from Indian
Emperor Asoka, from 258 BC, and found in
Afghanistan. The inscription renders the word Dharma in Sanskrit as
Eusebeia in Greek, suggesting Dharma in ancient India meant spiritual maturity, devotion, piety, duty towards and reverence for human community.
Dharma (Buddhism)
–
Sikhism
10.
Karma in Buddhism
–
Karma is a Sanskrit term that literally means action or doing. In the Buddhist tradition, karma refers to action driven by intention which leads to future consequences and those intentions are considered to be the determining factor in the kind of rebirth in samsara, the cycle of rebirth. Karma is a Sanskrit term that literally means action or doing, the word karma derives from the verbal root kṛ, which means do, make, perform, accomplish. Karmaphala is the fruit, effect or result of karma, a similar term is karmavipaka, the maturation or cooking of karma, The remote effects of karmic choices are referred to as the maturation or fruit of the karmic act. The metaphor is derived from agriculture, One sows a seed, there is a time lag during which some mysterious invisible process takes place, Karma and karmaphala are fundamental concepts in Buddhism. Rebirth, is a belief in all Buddhist traditions. It says that birth and death in the six realms occur in successive cycles driven by ignorance, desire, the cycle of rebirth is called samsarā. It is a beginningless and ever-ongoing process, liberation from samsarā can be attained by following the Buddhist Path. This path leads to vidyā, and the stilling of trsnā, hereby the ongoing process of rebirth is stopped. The cycle of rebirth is determined by karma, literally action, in the Buddhist tradition, karma refers to actions driven by intention, a deed done deliberately through body, speech or mind, which leads to future consequences. The Nibbedhika Sutta, Anguttara Nikaya 6.63, Intention I tell you, is kamma, intending, one does kamma by way of body, speech, & intellect. According to Peter Harvey, It is the impulse behind an action that is karma. Actions, then, must be if they are to generate karmic fruits. According to Gombrich, this was an innovation, which overturns brahmanical. Its a rejection of caste-bound differences, giving the possibility to reach liberation to all people, not just Brahmanins, Not by birth is one a brahmin or an outcaste. How this emphasis on intention was to be interpreted became a matter of debate in, Karma leads to future consequences, karma-phala, fruit of action. Any given action may cause all sorts of results, but the results are only those results which are a consequence of both the moral quality of the action, and of the intention behind the action. According to Reichenbach, he envisioned by the law of karma encompass more than the observed natural or physical results which follow upon the performance of an action
Karma in Buddhism
–
Tibetan Bhavacakra or "Wheel of Life" in
Sera,
Lhasa.
11.
List of Buddhists
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This is a list of notable Buddhists, encompassing all the major branches of the religion, and including interdenominational and eclectic Buddhist practitioners. This list includes both formal teachers of Buddhism, and people notable in other areas who are publicly Buddhist or who have espoused Buddhism, individuals are grouped by nationality, except in cases where their influence was felt elsewhere. Gautama Buddha and his disciples are listed separately from later Indian Buddhist thinkers, teachers. N. Goenka, non-sectarian Burmese-Indian teacher of Vipassanā meditation who was awarded Padma Bhushan in 2012 Thanissaro Bhikkhu Anagarika Govinda B, T. S. Brad Warner Alan Watts Yin Shun B. Senator born in Japan and the nations first Buddhist Senator Hank Johnson, list of converts to Buddhism Buddhahood Outline of Buddhism
List of Buddhists
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Buddha and his disciples. The world’s tallest walking statue of the Buddha in Kandy, Sri Lanka.
12.
Gautama Buddha
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Gautama Buddha, also known as Siddhārtha Gautama, Shakyamuni Buddha, or simply the Buddha, after the title of Buddha, was an ascetic and sage, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. He is believed to have lived and taught mostly in the part of ancient India sometime between the sixth and fourth centuries BCE. Gautama taught a Middle Way between sensual indulgence and the severe asceticism found in the śramaṇa movement common in his region and he later taught throughout other regions of eastern India such as Magadha and Kosala. Gautama is the figure in Buddhism. He is recognized by Buddhists as a teacher who attained full Buddhahood. Accounts of his life, discourses, and monastic rules are believed by Buddhists to have been summarized after his death, various collections of teachings attributed to him were passed down by oral tradition and first committed to writing about 400 years later. Scholars are hesitant to make unqualified claims about the facts of the Buddhas life. Apart from the Vedic Brahmins, the Buddhas lifetime coincided with the flourishing of influential schools of thought like Ājīvika, Cārvāka, Jainism. Brahmajala Sutta records sixty-two such schools of thought, thus, Buddha was just one of the many śramaṇa philosophers of that time. The times of Gautamas birth and death are uncertain, most historians in the early 20th century dated his lifetime as circa 563 BCE to 483 BCE. These alternative chronologies, however, have not yet accepted by all historians. It was either a republic, or an oligarchy, and his father was an elected chieftain. He obtained his enlightenment in Bodh Gaya, gave his first sermon in Sarnath, no written records about Gautama were found from his lifetime or some centuries thereafter. One Edict of Asoka, who reigned from circa 269 BCE to 232 BCE, another one of his edicts mentions the titles of several Dhamma texts, establishing the existence of a written Buddhist tradition at least by the time of the Maurya era. These texts may be the precursor of the Pāli Canon and they are written in the Gāndhārī language using the Kharosthi script on twenty-seven birch bark manuscripts and date from the first century BCE to the third century CE. The sources for the life of Siddhārtha Gautama are a variety of different and these include the Buddhacarita, Lalitavistara Sūtra, Mahāvastu, and the Nidānakathā. Of these, the Buddhacarita is the earliest full biography, a poem written by the poet Aśvaghoṣa in the first century CE. The Lalitavistara Sūtra is the next oldest biography, a Mahāyāna/Sarvāstivāda biography dating to the 3rd century CE, the Mahāvastu from the Mahāsāṃghika Lokottaravāda tradition is another major biography, composed incrementally until perhaps the 4th century CE
Gautama Buddha
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A statue of the Buddha from
Sarnath, 4th century CE
Gautama Buddha
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Buddha by
Otgonbayar Ershuu
Gautama Buddha
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Māyā miraculously giving birth to Siddhārtha.
Sanskrit,
palm-leaf manuscript.
Nālandā,
Bihar, India.
Pāla period
Gautama Buddha
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Maya dream of the Birth of Gautama Siddharta
13.
Padmasambhava
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Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche, was an 8th-century Indian Buddhist master. A number of legends have grown around Padmasambhavas life and deeds, and he is venerated as a second Buddha across Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan. The Nyingma school considers Padmasambhava to be a founder of their tradition, nyangrel Nyima Özer was the principal architect of the Padmasambhava mythos according to Janet Gyatso. Guru Chöwang was the major contributor to the mythos. In the eleventh and twelfth centuries there were several competing terma traditions surrounding Padmasambhava, Vimalamitra, Songtsän Gampo, and Vairotsana. At the end of the 12th century, there was the victory of the Padmasambhava cult, according to tradition, Padmasambhava was incarnated as an eight-year-old child appearing in a lotus blossom floating in Lake Dhanakosha, in the kingdom of Oddiyana. Padmasambhavas special nature was recognized by the local king of Oḍḍiyāna and was chosen to take over the kingdom. In Rewalsar, known as Tso Pema in Tibetan, he secretly taught tantric teachings to princess Mandarava, the king found out and tried to burn him, but it is believed that when the smoke cleared he just sat there, still alive and in meditation. Greatly astonished by this miracle, the king offered Padmasambhava both his kingdom and Mandarava, Padmasambhava left with Mandarava, and took to Maratika Cave in Nepal to practice secret tantric consort rituals. They had a vision of buddha Amitāyus and achieved what is called the rainbow body. Both Padmasambhava and one of his consorts, Mandarava, are believed to be alive and active in this rainbow body form by their followers. She and Padmasambhavas other main consort, Yeshe Tsogyal, who hid his numerous termas in Tibet for later discovery. Many thangkas and paintings show Padmasambhava in between them, with Mandarava on his right and Yeshe Tsogyal on his left. According to this story, King Trisong Detsen, the 38th king of the Yarlung dynasty. Śāntarakṣita started the building of Samye, demonical forces hindered the introduction of the Buddhist dharma, and Padmasambhava was invited to Tibet to subdue the demonic forces. The demons were not annihilated, but were obliged to submit to the dharma and this was in accordance with the tantric principle of not eliminating negative forces but redirecting them to fuel the journey toward spiritual awakening. According to tradition, Padmasambhava received the Emperors wife, identified with the dakini Yeshe Tsogyal, King Trisong Detsen ordered the translation of all Buddhist Dharma Texts into Tibetan. Padmasambhava, Shantarakṣita,108 translators, and 25 of Padmasambhavas nearest disciples worked for years in a gigantic translation-project
Padmasambhava
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Statue of Padmasambhava 123 ft. (37.5 m) high in mist overlooking
Rewalsar Lake,
Himachal Pradesh,
India
Padmasambhava
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Statue of Princess
Mandarava at
Rewalsar Lake.
Padmasambhava
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Statues of Padmasambhava, Buddha and Amitayus at
Namdroling Monastery.
Padmasambhava
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Padmasambhava. Wall painting at Paro bridge (Bhutan)
14.
Je Tsongkhapa
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Tsongkhapa, usually taken to mean the Man from Onion Valley, was a famous teacher of Tibetan Buddhism whose activities led to the formation of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. He is also known by his ordained name Losang Drakpa or simply as Je Rinpoche, in his two main treatises, the Lamrim Chenmo and Ngakrim Chenmo, Tsongkhapa meticulously sets forth this graduated way and how one establishes oneself in the paths of sutra and tantra. With a Mongolian father and a Tibetan mother, Tsongkhapa was born into a family in the walled city of Tsongkha in Amdo. At the age of seven, he was ordained as a śrāmaṇera by Döndrup Rinchen, the first abbott of Jakhyung Monastery, and was given the ordination name Losang Drakpa. He would go on to be a student of the vinaya, the doctrine of behaviour, and even later of the Six Yogas of Naropa, the Kalachakra tantra. At the age of 24, he received ordination as a monk of the Sakya school. From Zhönnu Lodrö and Rendawa, he received the lineage of the Pramanavarttika transmitted by Sakya Pandita and he mastered all the courses of study at Drigung kagyud Monastery in Ü-Tsang. As an emanation of Manjusri, Tsongkhapa is said have been of one mind with Atiśa, received the Kadam lineages and studied the major Sarma tantras under Sakya and Kagyu masters. He also studied with a Nyingma teacher, the siddha Lek gyi Dorjé and the abbot of Shalu Monastery, Chö kyi Pel, in addition to his studies, he engaged in extensive meditation retreats. He is reputed to have performed millions of prostrations, mandala offerings, Tsongkhapa often had visions of iṣṭadevatās, especially of Manjusri, with whom he would communicate directly to clarify difficult points of the scriptures. Tsongkhapa was one of the foremost authorities of Tibetan Buddhism at the time, Tsongkhapa died in 1419 at the age of sixty-two. After his death several biographies were written by Lamas of different traditions, wangchuk Dorje, 9th Karmapa Lama, praised Tsongkhapa as one who swept away wrong views with the correct and perfect ones. His main source of inspiration was the Kadam school, the legacy of Atiśa, Tsongkhapa received two of the three main Kadampa lineages from the Nyingma Lama, Lhodrag Namka-gyeltsen, and the third main Kadampa lineage from the Kagyu teacher Lama Umapa. Tsongkhapas teachings drew upon these Kadampa teachings of Atiśa, emphasizing the study of Vinaya, the Tripiṭaka, atiśas Lamrim inspired Tsongkhapas Lamrim Chenmo, which became a main text among his followers. At this time his account of the Madhyamaka focused on its interpretation as a negative dialectic structure, after this early work, his attention focussed on the Prajnaparamita sutras and Dharmakirtis Pramanavartika, and it is this emphasis that dominates all his later philosophical works. The classification into Prasangika and Svatantrika originated from their different usages of reason to make emptiness understandable, the Svātantrikas strive to make positive assertions to attack wrong views, whereas the Prasangikas draw out the contradictory consequences of the opposing views. In Tsongkhapas reading, the difference becomes one of the understanding of emptiness, the Svātantrikas state that conventional phenomena have particular characteristics, by which they can be distinguished, but without an ultimately existing essence. To exist at all entails having intrinsic existence, however, since there is nothing that holds up under ultimate analysis, everything is ultimately empty
Je Tsongkhapa
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Je Tsongkhapa in the fifth vision of
Khedrup Gelek Pelzang, 1st Panchen Lama
Je Tsongkhapa
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Tsongkapa, 15th-century painting,
Rubin Museum of Art
Je Tsongkhapa
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Statue of Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelugpa school, on the altar in his temple (his birthplace) in
Kumbum Monastery, near
Xining,
Amdo,
Tibet.
Je Tsongkhapa
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Bronze depicting Tsongkhapa, who is known and revered by Mongolians as Bogd Zonkhova.
15.
Dalai Lama
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The Dalai Lama /ˈdɑːlaɪ ˈlɑːmə/, /ˌdælaɪ ˈlɑːmə/ is a monk of the Gelug or Yellow Hat school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest of the schools of Tibetan Buddhism founded by Je Tsongkhapa. The Dalai Lama title was created by Altan Khan in 1578, the 14th and current Dalai Lama is Tenzin Gyatso. The Dalai Lama has always been an important figure of the Gelug tradition, although finding dominance in Central Tibet, the Dalai Lama has been an important figure beyond sectarian boundaries. The Dalai Lama figure is important for many reasons, since the time of the Fifth Dalai Lama his personage has always been a symbol of unification of the state of Tibet, where he has represented Buddhist values and traditions. The Dalai Lama is considered to be the successor in a line of tulkus who are believed to be incarnations of Avalokiteśvara, the name is a combination of the Mongolic word dalai meaning ocean and the Tibetan word བླ་མ་ meaning guru, teacher, mentor. The Tibetan word lama corresponds to the better known Sanskrit word guru, special Features of the Gelug Tradition. This government also enjoyed the patronage and protection of firstly Mongol kings of the Khoshut and Dzungar Khanates and this is according to The Book of Kadam, the main text of the Kadampa school, to which the First Dalai Lama, Gendun Drup, first belonged. In fact, this text is said to have ‘laid the foundation’ for the Tibetans later identification of the Dalai Lamas as incarnations of Avalokiteśvara and it traces the legend of the bodhisattva’s incarnations as early Tibetan kings and emperors such as Songsten Gampo and later as Dromtönpa. This lineage has been extrapolated by Tibetans up to and including the Dalai Lamas, thus, according to such sources, an informal line of succession of the present Dalai Lamas as incarnations of Avalokiteśvara stretches back much further than Gendun Drub. First, Tsongkhapa established three great monasteries around Lhasa in the province of Ü before he died in 1419, the 1st Dalai Lama soon became Abbot of the greatest one, Drepung, and developed a large popular power base in Ü. He later extended this to cover Tsang, where he constructed a great monastery, Tashi Lhunpo. The 2nd studied there before returning to Lhasa, where he became Abbot of Drepung, having reactivated the 1sts large popular followings in Tsang and Ü, the 2nd then moved on to southern Tibet and gathered more followers there who helped him construct a new monastery, Chokorgyel. He also established the method by which later Dalai Lama incarnations would be discovered through visions at the oracle lake, the 3rd built on his predecessors fame by becoming Abbot of the two great monasteries of Drepung and Sera. Thus most of Mongolia was added to the Dalai Lamas sphere of influence, after being given the Mongolian name Dalai, he returned to Tibet to found the great monasteries of Lithang in Kham, eastern Tibet and Kumbum in Amdo, north-eastern Tibet. The 4th was then born in Mongolia as the grandson of Altan Khan. Finally, in fulfilment of Avalokiteśvaras master plan, the 5th in the succession used the vast popular power base of devoted followers built up by his four predecessors, overall, they have played a monumental role in Asian literary, philosophical and religious history. Gendun Drup was the name of the monk who came to be known as the First Dalai Lama. Tsongkhapa largely modelled his new, reformed Gelugpa school on the Kadampa tradition, therefore, although Gendun Drup grew to be a very important Gelugpa lama, after he died in 1474 there was no question of any search being made to identify his incarnation
Dalai Lama
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Gendun Drup, 1st Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
–
Tenzin Gyatso
Dalai Lama
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Güshi Khan
Dalai Lama
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'Greater Tibet' as claimed by exiled groups
16.
Panchen Lama
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The Panchen Lama is a tulku of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The Dalai Lama is traditionally involved in recognizing the Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima is recognized by the Gelug school as the Panchen Lama. Human rights groups have condemned this act, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima has not been seen in public since 17 May 1995. Gyaincain Norbu who acts as the 11th Panchen Lama in China, is reviled by Tibetans as a fake, the previous Panchen Lama spoke out against Chinese rule many times and wrote a report chronicling Tibets famines in the 1960s. As a result, he spent more than eight years in jail, the successive Panchen Lamas form a tulku reincarnation lineage which are said to be the incarnations of Amitābha. The title, meaning Great Scholar, is a Tibetan contraction of the Sanskrit paṇḍita, the Panchen Lama traditionally lived in Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse. From the name of this monastery, the Europeans referred to the Panchen Lama as the Tashi-Lama, Lobsang Chökyi Gyaltsen, was the first Panchen Lama to be accorded this title during his lifetime. He was the tutor and an ally of the 5th Dalai Lama, The Great Fifth, as he is known. The 5th Dalai Lama requested the Panchen to accept Tashilhunpo Monastery, built by the 1st Dalai Lama, as his multi-lifetime seat for future incarnations. Since then, every incarnation of the Panchen Lama has been the master of Tashilhunpo Monastery and it is there that they have all received their education, when Panchen Gyaltsen died in 1662, the 5th Dalai Lama commenced the tradition of searching for his next incarnation. He also reserved the title of Panchen which had previously been a courtesy title for all exceptionally learned lamas - exclusively for his successors. Khedrub Je, Sönam Choklang and Ensapa Lobsang Döndrup were posthumously decided by the 5th Dalai Lama to have been an incarnation of Lobsang Chökyi Gyaltsen. Traditionally, there were considered to be four Indian and three Tibetan incarnations before Khedrup, starting with Subhuti, one of the disciples of Gautama Buddha. Gö Lotsawa is considered to be the first Tibetan incarnation of Amitabha in this line, the recognition of Panchen Lamas has always been a matter involving the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama was attempting to collect revenue from the Panchen Lamas estate to cover Tibets military expenses, in China, the ninth Panchen Lama worked on plans to develop Tibet. He also held a position in the Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission, there, he adopted the ideas of Sun Yatsen through revolutionary Pandatsang Rapga of the Tibet Improvement Party. The Republic of China government, then embroiled in the Chinese Civil War, Chinese Nationalist governor Ma Bufang allowed Kumbum Monastery to be totally self-governed by Gyaltsen. The Dalai Lama refused to recognize Tseten, now called Gyaltsen, the 10th Panchen Lama sought revenge on the Dalai Lama by leading an army against him, and requested aid from Ma Bufang in September 1949
Panchen Lama
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Khedrup Gelek Pelzang, 1st Panchen Lama
Panchen Lama
–
The 11th and current Panchan Lama recognised by the Chinese government,
Gyaincain Norbu
Panchen Lama
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Sign referring to the disappearance of the Panchen Lama,
Manali, Himachal Pradesh, India
17.
Lama
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Lama is a title for a teacher of the Dharma in Tibetan Buddhism. The name is similar to the Sanskrit term guru, historically, the term was used for venerated spiritual masters or heads of monasteries. Perhaps due to misunderstandings by early western scholars attempting to understand Tibetan Buddhism, the term Lamaism is now considered by some to be derogatory. In the Vajrayana path of Tibetan Buddhism, the lama is often the tantric spiritual guide, as such, the lama will then appear as one of the Three Roots, alongside the yidam and protector
Lama
–
The current
Dalai Lama.
Lama
–
Lama Dance,
Dharamsala, H.P., India c. 1980.
18.
Karmapa
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The Karmapa is the head of the Karma Kagyu, the largest sub-school of the Kagyu, itself one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The historical seat of the Karmapas is Tsurphu Monastery in the Tolung valley of Tibet, the Karmapas principal seat in exile is the Dharma Chakra Centre at Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim, India. His regional monastic seats are Karma Triyana Dharmachakra in New York and Dhagpo Kagyu Ling in Dordogne, due to a controversy within the Karma Kagyu school over the recognition process, the identity of the current 17th Karmapa is disputed. The first Karmapa, Düsum Khyenpa, was a disciple of the Tibetan master Gampopa, the source of the oral lineage, traditionally traced back to the Buddha Vajradhara, was transmitted to the Indian master of mahamudra and tantra called Tilopa, through Naropa to Marpa and Milarepa. These forefathers of the Kagyu lineage are called the golden rosary. The second Karmapa, Karma Pakshi, is said to be the first person ever recognized and empowered as a tulku. The Karmapas are the holders of the Black Crown and are sometimes known as the Black Hat Lamas. This crown, is said to have been woven by the dakinis from their hair. The physical crown displayed by the Karmapas was offered to Deshin Shekpa, douglas, Nick, White, Meryl, Karmapa, the Black Hat Lama of Tibet, Milano 1975. Ken Holmes, Karmapa, Altea Publishing 1995, ISBN 0-9524555-4-4, authors website The history of the Karmapa lineage, including biographical details of the historical Karmapas, can be found at the following web sites. Notice that the websites are written to those loyal to one or other of the rival 17th Karmapas, and their accounts of previous incarnations may not be written from a neutral point of view
Karmapa
–
The 16th Karmapa,
Rangjung Rigpe Dorje (1924 - 1981)
19.
Buddhahood
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In Buddhism, buddhahood is the condition or rank of a buddha. The goal of Mahayanas Bodhisattva path is Samyaksambuddhahood, so one may benefit all sentient beings by teaching them the path of cessation of dukkha. This contrasts with the goal of Hinayana path, where the goal is Arhatship, in Theravada Buddhism, Buddha refers to one who has become awakened through their own efforts and insight, without a teacher to point out the Dharma. A samyak sambuddha teaches the dharma to others after his awakening, a pratyeka-buddha also reaches Nirvana through his own efforts, but does not teach the dharma to others. An Arhat needs to follow the teaching of a Buddha to attain Nirvana, in this broader sense it is equivalent to Arahant. Buddhahood is the state of an enlightened being, who having found the path of cessation of suffering, is in the state of No-more-Learning. There is a spectrum of opinion on the universality and method of attainment of Buddhahood. The level to which this manifestation requires ascetic practices varies from none at all to a requirement, dependent on doctrine. Mahayana Buddhism emphasizes the Bodhisattva ideal instead of the Arhat, the Tathagatagarba and Buddha-nature doctrines of Mahayana Buddhism consider Buddhahood to be a universal and innate property of absolute wisdom. This wisdom is revealed in a current lifetime through Buddhist practice. Buddhists do not consider Siddhartha Gautama to have been the only Buddha, the Pali Canon refers to many previous ones, while the Mahayana tradition additionally has many Buddhas of celestial origin. A common Theravada and Mahayana Buddhist belief is that the next Buddha will be one named Maitreya, the various Buddhist schools hold some varying interpretations on the nature of Buddha. All Buddhist traditions hold that a Buddha is fully awakened and has completely purified his mind of the three poisons of desire, aversion and ignorance, a Buddha is no longer bound by Samsara, and has ended the suffering which unawakened people experience in life. Most schools of Buddhism have also held that the Buddha was omniscient, however, the early texts contain explicit repudiations of making this claim of the Buddha. Some Buddhists meditate on the Buddha as having ten characteristics, in the Madhupindika Sutta, Buddha is described in powerful terms as the Lord of the Dhamma and the bestower of immortality. Similarly, in the Anuradha Sutta Buddha is described as the Tathagata—the supreme man, actually, the Buddha was a human being, not a mere human being as is sometimes said but a special class of human called a complete person. Such complete persons are no different from others and indeed they physically remain quite ordinary. Sangharakshita also states that The first thing we have to understand -, but a special kind of human being, in fact the highest kind, so far as we know
Buddhahood
–
Seated Buddha, from the
Seokguram,
Silla.
Buddhahood
–
The Buddha, in
Greco-Buddhist style, 1st-2nd century CE,
Gandhara (Modern Pakistan). (
Standing Buddha (Tokyo National Museum)).
Buddhahood
–
A statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha in
Tawang Gompa,
India.
Buddhahood
–
Buddha statues at Shwedagon Paya
20.
Tantra
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Tantra is the esoteric traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism that co-developed most likely about the middle of 1st millennium CE. The term tantra, in the Indian traditions, also means any systematic broadly applicable text, theory, system, method, instrument, in Hinduism, the tantra tradition is most often associated with its goddess tradition called Shaktism, followed by Shaivism and Vaishnavism. In Buddhism, the Vajrayana tradition is known for its extensive tantra ideas, Tantric Hindu and Buddhist traditions have influenced other religious traditions such as Jainism, Sikhism, the Tibetan Bön tradition, Daoism, and the Japanese Shintō tradition. Tantra as genre of literature in Hinduism have been influential to its arts, icons, Hindu puja, temples and iconography are tantric in nature. The Hindu texts that describe these topics are called Tantras, Āgamas or Samhitās, in Buddhism, its tantra-genre literature has influenced the artworks in Tibet, historic cave temples of India, and imagery in southeast Asia. Tantra literally means loom, warp, weave, the connotation of the word tantra to mean an esoteric practice or religious ritualism is a colonial era European invention. The term is based on the metaphor of weaving, states Ron Barrett and it implies interweaving of traditions and teachings as threads into a text, technique or practice. The word appears in the hymns of the Rigveda such as in 10.71 and it is found in many other Vedic era texts, such as in section 10.7.42 of the Atharvaveda and many Brahmanas. In these and post-Vedic texts, the meaning of Tantra is that which is principal or essential part, main point, model, framework. The term “Tantra” after about 500 BCE, in Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism is a bibliographic category, the same Buddhist texts are sometimes referred to as tantra or sutra, for example, Vairocabhisambodhi-tantra is also referred to as Vairocabhisambodhi-sutra. The various contextual meaning of the word Tantra varies with the Indian text, the earliest definitions and expositions on Tantra come from the ancient texts of Panini, Patanjali and the literature of the language-focussed, ritual-oriented Mimamsa school of Hindu philosophy. The word tantra, states Patanjali, means principal, main, Patanjali also offers a semantic definition of Tantra, stating that it is structural rules, standard procedures, centralized guide or knowledge in any field that applies to many elements. The ancient Mimamsa school of Hinduism uses the term tantra extensively, for example, When an action or a thing, once complete, becomes beneficial in several matters to one person, or to many people, that is known as Tantra. For example, a lamp placed amidst many priests, in contrast, that which benefits by its repetition is called Āvāpa, such as massaging with oil. Medieval texts present their own definitions of Tantra, in modern era scholarship, Tantra has been studied as an esoteric practice and ritualistic religion, sometimes referred to as Tantrism. There is wide gap between what Tantra means to its followers, and what Tantra has been represented or perceived as since colonial era writers began commenting on Tantra, many definitions of Tantra have been proposed ever since, and there is no universally accepted definition of Tantra. André Padoux in his review of Tantra definitions offers two, then rejects both, another definition, more common among observers and non-practitioners, is some set of mechanistic rituals, omitting entirely the ideological side. According to David N. Lorenzen, two different kinds of definitions of Tantra exist, a definition and a broad definition
Tantra
–
Sri Yantra diagram with the Ten
Mahavidyas. The triangles represent
Shiva and
Shakti, the snake represents
Spanda and
Kundalini.
Tantra
–
Tantric Feast, India, Himachal Pradesh, Nurpur, circa 1790
Tantra
–
Making of a Tibetan
Sand mandala.
Tantra
–
A
sadhu smoking cannabis.
21.
Buddhist meditation
–
Buddhist meditation refers to the meditative practices associated with the religion and philosophy of Buddhism. Core meditation techniques have been preserved in ancient Buddhist texts and have proliferated and diversified through teacher-student transmissions, Buddhists pursue meditation as part of the path toward Enlightenment and Nirvana. The closest words for meditation in the languages of Buddhism are bhāvanā. Buddhist meditation techniques have become popular in the wider world. Buddhist meditation encompasses a variety of techniques that aim to develop mindfulness, concentration, supramundane powers, tranquility. For those seeking school-specific meditation information, it may be appropriate to simply view the articles listed in the See also section below. While there are some similar meditative practices — such as meditation and various recollections — that are used across Buddhist schools. Most classical and contemporary Buddhist meditation guides are school specific, only a few teachers attempt to synthesize, crystallize and categorize practices from multiple Buddhist traditions. The earliest tradition of Buddhist practice is preserved in the nikāya/āgamas, Right Concentration – culminating in jhanic absorptions through the meditative development of samatha. And implicitly in regard to, Right View – embodying wisdom traditionally attained through the development of vipassana founded on samatha. Classic texts in the Pali literature enumerating meditative subjects include the Satipatthana Sutta, in the Satipatthana Sutta, the Buddha identifies four foundations for mindfulness, the body, feelings, mind states and mental objects. Meditation on these subjects develops insight, in the Four Ways to Arahantship Sutta, Ven. In the Pali canon, the Buddha never mentions independent samatha and vipassana meditation practices, instead, samatha, nonetheless, some meditation practices favor the development of samatha, others are conducive to the development of vipassana, while others are classically used for developing both mental qualities. Buddhaghosas forty meditation subjects are described in the Visuddhimagga, almost all of these are described in the early texts. Buddhaghosa subsequently elaborates on the forty meditation subjects as follows, ten kasinas, earth, water, fire, air, blue, yellow, red, white, light, and limited-space. Ten kinds of foulness, the bloated, the livid, the festering, the cut-up, the gnawed, the scattered, the hacked and scattered, the bleeding, the worm-infested, and a skeleton. Ten recollections, Buddhānussaṭi, the Dhamma, the Sangha, virtue, generosity, the virtues of deities, death, the body, the breath, Four divine abodes, metta, karuṇā, mudita, and upekkha. Four immaterial states, boundless space, boundless perception, nothingness, according to Pali commentaries, breath meditation can lead one to the equanimous fourth jhanic absorption
Buddhist meditation
–
Monk meditating beside
Sirikit Dam in Thailand.
Buddhist meditation
–
Lord
Buddha meditating
22.
Drepung Monastery
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Drepung Monastery, located at the foot of Mount Gephel, is one of the great three Gelukpa university monasteries of Tibet. The other two are Ganden and Sera, Drepung is the largest of all Tibetan monasteries and is located on the Gambo Utse mountain, five kilometers from the western suburb of Lhasa. Freddie Spencer Chapman reported, after his 1936-37 trip to Tibet, that Drepung was at time the largest monastery in the world, and housed 7,700 monks. All three were reestablished in exile in the 1950s in Karnataka state in south India, Drepung and Ganden are in Mundgod and Sera is in Bylakuppe. It was founded in 1416 by Jamyang Choge Tashi Palden, one of Tsongkhapas main disciples, Drepung was the principal seat of the Gelugpa school and it retained the premier place amongst the four great Gelugpa monasteries. The Ganden Podang in Drepung was the residence of the Dalai Lamas until the Great Fifth Dalai Lama constructed the Potala. Drepung was known for the standards of its academic study, and was called the Nalanda of Tibet. The estate of the Dalai Lamas at Drepung Monastery, called Ganden Phodrang, had constructed in 1518 by Gendun Gyatso Palzangpo. The name of the Tibetan regime or government established by the 5th Dalai Lama came from the name of this estate, penchen Sönam Drakpa in 1535 succeeded Gendün Gyatso on the Throne of Drepung, both of them being major figures in the history of the Geluk tradition. By the time Sönam Drakpa was appointed to the Throne of Drepung and he had already occupied the Throne of Ganden and was considered the most prolific and important Geluk thinker of his time. His successor was none other than Sönam Gyatso, the lama who would receive the title of the Third Dalai Lama. It seems to be accepted that Dragpa Gyaltsen was the fourth holder of the gzims khang gong ma incarnation line. According to Tibetan Buddhist Resource Center gzims khang gong ma 04 grags pa rgyal mtshan has been his primaryTitle, since the search for his reincarnation has been banned, he has been the last one. Chapman reported that in the late 1930s Drepung was divided into four colleges, each housing monks from a different locality, one being favoured by Khampas, another by Mongolians, each college was presided over by an abbot who had been appointed by the late 13th Dalai Lama. Drepung is now divided into what are known as the seven colleges, Gomang, Loseling, Deyang, Shagkor, Gyelwa or Tosamling, Dulwa. According to local sources, today the population at the monastery in Lhasa is about 300 monks, however, the institution has continued its tradition in exile with campuses in South India on land in Karnataka given to the Tibetan community in exile by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The monastery in India today houses over 5,000 celibate monks, with around 3,000 at Drepung Loseling, hundreds of new monks are admitted each year, many of them refugees from Tibet. Drepung monastery was shut by Chinese authorities on 14 March 2008, after monk-led protests against Chinese rule turned violent and businesses, shops, the Peoples Republic of China claims that 22 people were killed in the riots but Tibetan sources put the figure much higher
Drepung Monastery
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Drepung Monastery
Drepung Monastery
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Monks in the great assembly hall at Drepung Monastery, 2006.
Drepung Monastery
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Drepung monastery kitchen, 2013
Drepung Monastery
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Ganden Phodrang, the residence of Dalai Lama.
23.
Ganden Monastery
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Ganden Monastery or Ganden Namgyeling is one of the great three Gelug university monasteries of Tibet, China. It is in Dagzê County, Lhasa, the other two are Sera Monastery and Drepung Monastery. Ganden Monastery was founded in 1409 by Je Tsongkhapa Lozang-dragpa, founder of the Gelug order, the monastery was destroyed after 1959, but has since been partially rebuilt. Another monastery with the name and tradition was established in Southern India in 1966 by Tibetan exiles. Ganden is 40 kilometres northeast of Lhasa, the monastery lies in a hilly natural amphitheater. From the kora route around the monastery there are views over the valleys that surround it. Ganden Monastery is at the top of Wangbur Mountain, Dagzê County at an altitude of 4 and its full name is Ganden Namgyal Ling. Ganden means joyful and is the Tibetan name for Tuṣita, the heaven where the bodhisattva Maitreya is said to reside, Ganden Monastery was founded by Je Tsongkhapa Lozang-dragpa in 1409. Tsongkhapa built Gandens main temple, with statues and three-dimensional mandalas. He often stayed at Ganden, and died there in 1419, Tsongkhapas preserved body was entombed at Ganden by his disciples in a silver and gold encrusted tomb. The name Gelug is an abbreviation of Ganden Lug, meaning Ganden Tradition, the Ganden Tripa or throne-holder of Ganden is the head of the Gelug school. Before dying Tsongkhapa gave his robe and staff to the first Ganden Tripa, Gyeltsabjey, the term of office is seven years, and by 2003 there had been 99 Ganden Tripas. The monastery was divided into four colleges at the time of the 2nd Ganden Tripa, later these were consolidated in two, Jangtsey and Shartsey, located respectively to the north and east of the main temple. Both combine the study of sutra and tantra, study methods include memorization, logic and debate. The colleges grant degrees for different levels of achievement, evaluated by examination, in the 1860s a meeting called the great Ganden Monastery, Drepung Monastery, and the government officials was organized by Shatra, a lay aristocrat. The existing regent was deposed by this assembly and replaced by Shatra, from then on the assembly, or Tsondu, chose the regents and played a significant political role as a consultative body. The monasteries of Ganden, Sera and Drepung was so great that they could in effect veto government decisions with which they disagreed and these three monasteries had 20,000 monks in total, supported by large estates of fertile land worked by serfs. At one time the Genden monastery could support over 5,000 monks, laurence Waddell reports an estimate of about 3,300 in the 1890s
Ganden Monastery
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Ganden Monastery
Ganden Monastery
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Ganden monastery, 2013
Ganden Monastery
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Monks at Ganden monastery
Ganden Monastery
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Ganden monastery after repainting in November 2013
24.
Jokhang
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The Jokhang, also known as the Qoikang Monastery, Jokang, Jokhang Temple, Jokhang Monastery and Zuglagkang, is a Buddhist temple in Barkhor Square in Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet. Tibetans, in general, consider this temple as the most sacred, the temple is currently maintained by the Gelug school, but they accept worshipers from all sects of Buddhism. The temples architectural style is a mixture of Indian vihara design, Tibetan, the Jokhang was founded during the reign of King Songtsen Gampo. According to tradition, the temple was built for the two brides, Princess Wencheng of the Chinese Tang dynasty and Princess Bhrikuti of Nepal. Both are said to have brought important Buddhist statues and images from China and Nepal to Tibet, the oldest part of the temple was built in 652. In the next 900 years the temple was enlarged several times with the last renovation done in 1610 by the Fifth Dalai Lama, following the death of Gampo, the image in Ramcho Lake temple was moved to the Jokhang temple for security reasons. When King Tresang Detsan ruled from 755 to 797, the Buddha image of the Jokhang temple was hidden, during the late ninth and early tenth centuries, the Jokhang and Ramoche temples were said to have been used as stables. In 1049 Atisha, a teacher of Buddhism from Bengal taught in Jokhang. Around the 14th century, the temple was associated with the Vajrasana in India, during the Chinese development of Lhasa, the Barkhor Square in front of the temple was encroached. During the Cultural Revolution, Red Guards attacked the Jokhang temple in 1966, renovation of the Jokhang took place from 1972 to 1980. In 2000, the Jokhang became a UNESCO World Heritage Site as an extension of the Potala Palace, Many Nepalese artists have worked on the temples design and construction. The temple, considered the heart of the city and the most sacred in Tibet, is at the center of an ancient network of Buddhist temples in Lhasa. It is the point of commercial activity in the city. The Jokhang is 1,000 metres east of the Potala Palace, Barkhor, the market square in central Lhasa, has a walkway for pilgrims to walk around the temple. Barkhor Square is marked by four stone sankang, two of which are in front of the temple and two in the rear, Rasa Thrulnag Tsuklakang was the Jokhangs ancient name. When King Songtsen built the temple his capital city was known as Rasa, after the kings death, Rasa became known as Lhasa, the temple was called Jokhang—Temple of the Lord—derived from Jowo Shakyamuni Buddha, its primary image. The Jokhnags Chinese name is Dazhao, it is known as Zuglagkang, Qoikang Monastery. Tibetans viewed their country as an entity controlled by srin ma
Jokhang
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The Jokhang Temple
Jokhang
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King
Songtsän Gampo.
Jokhang
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Jokhang – mid-1840s
Jokhang
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Plan of the complex from Journey to Lhasa and Central Tibet by
Sarat Chandra Das, 1902.
25.
Kumbum Monastery
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Its superior monastery is Drepung Monastery, immediately to the west of Lhasa. It was ranked in importance as second only to Lhasa, terrible hailstorms would often break over the monastery, due, said the country folk, to the malignity of the demons who sought to disturb the peace of the saintly monks. We were taken first to the kitchen where priests were brewing Tibetan tea in great copper cauldrons ten feet in diameter. The stoves were the usual mud affairs and the fuel nothing but straw, je Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, was born in nearby Tsongkha in 1357. According to one tradition, Tsongkhapas father took the afterbirth and buried it where the monastery is now, another version has it that the tree grew up where drops of blood from Tsongkhapas umbilical cord had fallen on the ground. In any case this tree became known as the Tree of Great Merit, the leaves and the bark of this tree were reputed to bear impressions of the Buddhas face and various mystic syllables and its blossoms were said to give off a peculiarly pleasing scent. The four-storied golden-roofed temple built around the tree where Tsongkhapa is said to have been born is called Golden Tree and is considered the holiest place at Kumbum. On the porch of the Golden Temple, pilgrims prostrate themselves one hundred times and we were taken into one great temple capable of seating twenty-five hundred priests. The great pillars were covered with brilliantly woven rugs, skins of animals, and it was a mass of brilliant, garish colors and to my mind would have been wonderful in a more subdued light. This is the origin of its Chinese name, Little Tower Temple and our first impression was a suspicion of fraud on the part of the lamas, but after a minute examination of every detail, we could not discover the least deception. Section of this tree are now preserved in a stupa in the Great Golden Temple, the Golden Tiled Temple is revered throughout Tibet and Mongolia. It is a building with a roof of pure gold plate. In the 1360s Tsongkhapas mother, with the help of locals, had a temple with a stupa built on the site of his birthplace. In 1560 the meditator Tsöndrü Gyeltsen built a monastery there called Gonpalung for intensive meditation practice. At first, it had seven monks at a time, in 1576, Altan Khan of the Tümed Mongols invited the future 3rd Dalai Lama, Sönam Gyatso to bring Buddhism to Mongolia. After Altan Khan adopted Buddhism, he gave Sönam Gyatso the title Dalai Lama, on his way to meet Altan Khan near Qinghai Lake, the 3rd Dalai Lama stopped at the isolated retreat by the holy tree marking the spot where Tsongkhapa had been born. He requested Tsöndrü Gyeltsen to construct a monastery at this site. The monastery was completely in 1583 and a fence was erected around the Tree of Great Merit
Kumbum Monastery
–
Kumbum Monastery
Kumbum Monastery
Kumbum Monastery
–
Statue of
Je Tsongkhapa at Kumbum Monastery
26.
Labrang Monastery
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Labrang Monastery is one of the six great monasteries of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. Its formal name is Genden Shédrup Dargyé Trashi Gyésu khyilwé Ling, Labrang is located in Xiahe County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu, in the traditional Tibetan area of Amdo. Labrang Monastery is home to the largest number of monks outside of the Tibet Autonomous Region, Xiahe is about four hours by car from the provincial capital Lanzhou. In the early part of the 20th century, Labrang was by far the largest and most influential monastery in Amdo and it is located on the Daxia River, a tributary of the Yellow River. The monastery was founded in 1709 by the first Jamyang Shêpa and it is Tibetan Buddhisms most important monastery town outside the Tibetan Autonomous Region. Labrang Monastery is situated at the intersection of two major Asian cultures—Tibetan and Mongolian — and was one of the largest Buddhist monastic universities. In the early 20th century, it housed several thousand monks, in April 1985 the Assembly Hall burned down. It was replaced and the new building was consecrated in 1990, the monastery complex dominates the northern part of the village. The white walls and gilded roofs feature a blend of Tibetan and Indian Vihara architectural styles, the monastery contains 18 halls, six institutes of learning, a gilded stupa, a sutra debate area, and houses nearly 60,000 sutras. At its height the monastery housed 4,000 monks, like so many religious institutions, it suffered during the Cultural Revolution, and the monks were sent to their villages to work. After it was reopened in 1980, many of the monks returned and it has a Buddhist museum with a large collection of Buddha statues, sutras and murals. In addition, an amount of Tibetan language books, including books on history is available for purchase, together with medicines, calendars, music. There used to be a great gold-painted statue of the Buddha, more than 50 feet high, the monastery today is an important place for Buddhist ceremonies and activities. From January 4 to 17 and June 26, to July 15, the Chinese Muslim Ma clique under Generals Ma Qi and Ma Bufang launched several attacks against Labrang as part of a general anti-Golok Tibetan campaign. Ma Qi occupied Labrang Monastery in 1917, the first time non-Tibetans had seized it, Ma Qi defeated the Tibetan forces with his Hui troops. His forces were praised by foreigners who traveled through Qinghai for their fighting abilities, after ethnic rioting between Hui and Tibetans emerged in 1918, Ma Qi defeated the Tibetans. He heavily taxed the town for 8 years, in 1921, Ma Qi and his Muslim army decisively crushed the Tibetan monks of Labrang Monastery when they tried to oppose him. In 1925, a Tibetan rebellion broke out, with thousands of Tibetans driving out the Hui, Ma Qi responded with 3000 Hui troops, who retook Labrang and machine-gunned thousands of Tibetan monks as they tried to flee
Labrang Monastery
–
Labrang Monastery
27.
Mindrolling Monastery
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Mindrolling Monastery, is one of the six major monasteries of the Nyingma school in Tibet. It was founded by Rigzin Terdak Lingpa in 1676, tendrak Lingpas lineage is known as the Nyo lineage. The name in Tibetan means Place of Perfect Emancipation and it is located in Zhanang County, Shannan Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region, China, approximately 43 kilometers east of the Lhasa airport, on the south side of the Tsangpo river. Mindrolling was heavily damaged in 1718 by the Dzungar Mongols from East Turkistan and it was rebuilt during the reign of the Seventh Dalai Lama. Dungsay Rinchen-namgyel and Jetsunma Mingyur Paldron, the son and daughter of Terdak Lingpa, for nearly 300 years its monastic university trained Nyingma scholars and yogis from all over Tibet. At Mindrolling, special emphasis was placed on the learning of Buddhist scriptures, astronomy, Tibetan lunar calendar, calligraphy, rhetoric, and Traditional Tibetan medicine. Monks traditionally studied thirteen major sutra and tantra texts of the Nyingma, the monastery had at one time, over one hundred satellites and its throne holder was one of the most revered in Tibet. At the time of the 1959 revolt against Chinese Communist rule in Central Tibet, in the years after 1959, the monastery again suffered damage to its buildings, but it was not as severe as at other monasteries such as Ganden. At present, the monastery is still being reconstructed in Tibet, in 1965, Khochhen Rinpoche and small group of monks began the process of re-establishing Mindrolling monastery located near Clement Town, in Dehradun, Uttarakhand state, India. It now contains Ngagyur Nyingma College, one of the largest Buddhist institutes in India, khotrul Jurme Dogyud Gyatso Rinpoche, known also as Khochhen Rinpoche, was born in 1937 in Gonjo in Eastern Tibet. He was considered at an age to be the reincarnation of Namdrol Sangpo Rinpoche of Khochhen Monastery by the 8th Mindrolling Khenchen. At Mindrolling in Tibet, Rinpoche studied and mastered Buddhist philosophy, Sutra and Tantra, calligraphy, rituals and he received profound teachings and instructions from masters including Dzongsar Khyentse Chokyi Lodroe, Minling Chung Rinpoche and the 8th Minling Khenchen Rinpoche. Rinpoche was at Mindrolling for well over ten years until the Communist invasion in 1959, following the invasion, Rinpoche, at the age of 22, escaped into exile in India as one of the seven-member entourage of Mindrolling Trichen Rinpoche. In 1965, he selected land near Dehradun and built Mindrolling Monastery, in 1976 he was invited to assume leadership. Rinpoche established the Ngagyur Nyingma College or Institute of Advanced Buddhist Studies in 1991, with the intention of spreading the Buddhadharma many tulkus and monks have graduated and received the title of khenpo from this college over the years. Near Mindrolling Monastery, Rinpoche erected a 190 feet high Stupa of the Buddha’s Descent from the God Realms, inaugurated in 2002, and dedicated to world peace. In East India in Kalimpong, Darjeeling, state of West Bengal Rinpoche constructed a new monastery in the Mindrolling lineage, inaugurated on 1 March 2007, as well as a clinic and much. In, Delhi, Rinpoche has built a new Mindrolling branch monastery, inaugurated in 2005, also in Taiwan, Rinpoche has founded several Mindrolling Dharma centres in Taipei, Chang Hua, Taichung City and Kaohsing City
Mindrolling Monastery
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Mindrolling Monastery, Tibet
Mindrolling Monastery
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The stupa of the re-established Mindrolling Monastery, in
Clement Town,
Dehradun.
28.
Namgyal Monastery
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Namgyal Monastery is currently located in Mcleod Ganj, Dharamsala, India. It is the monastery of the 14th Dalai Lama. Another name for this temple-complex is Namgyal Tantric College and this monasterys key role is to assist with rituals involving the Dalai Lama of Tibet. Its main tantric practices reportedly include those of Kalachakra, Yamantaka, Chakrasamvara, Guhyasamaja, founded in either 1564 or 1565 as Phende Lekshe Ling by the Third Dalai Lama Gyalwa Sonam Gyatso, Namgyal Monastery was renamed in honour of the female long-life deity Namgyälma in 1571. Since the completion of construction on the Potala Palace, Namgyal was traditionally housed in the red section at the top of building in Lhasa. Following the Tibetan uprising of 1959, Namgyal Monastery relocated to Dharamshala, India, according to Namgyals website, Namgyal has nearly 200 monks, representing all four main Tibetan monastic lineages. In 1992, on the advice of the present Dalai Lama, Namgyal established an American branch in Ithaca, New York, including within it the Namgyal Monastery Institute of Buddhist Studies. On 8 February 1996, the monks of Namgyal Monasterys Institute of Buddhist Studies offered their first Blessing of Cyberspace as part of the Twenty-four Hours in Cyberspace event, in 1998, Namgyal incorporated a Tibetan monastery in Bodhgaya, India, called Gendhen Phelgyeling. That monastery is now known as Namgyal, and has 45 monks, Namgyal also manages a temple in Kushinagar, and an elderly home in Simla. Whether the Peoples Republic of China has maintained an institution with the name inside Tibet is unclear
Namgyal Monastery
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Namgyal Monastery
Dharamsala, India
29.
Nechung
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Nechung Monastery, Nechung Gompa or Nechung Chok, is the seat of the State Oracle of Tibet. It is also referred to as Sungi Gyelpoi Tsenkar, the Demon Fortress of the Oracle King and it is medium-sized temple which used to house about a hundred monks. It was the seat of State Oracle until 1959 when he fled with the Dalai Lama to India who now lives in exile in Dharamsala, the Dalai Lamas traditionally always consulted him before making an important decision. It was the residence of the Protector Pehar, a deity of the Horpas, according to tradition, he is held to have been originally brought to Samye Monastery by Padmasambhava who bound him to protect the dharma. Pehar was regarded as the deity of the treasures of Samye Monastery and, later. During the time of Lobsang Gyatso, the Fifth Dalai Lama, Pehar was first moved from Samye to Tse Gugtang, although the State Oracle is a Nyingma monk, he has been adopted by the Gelugpas and is now chosen for his receptivity to possession by Pehar during trance. He is considered to be the medium of Dorje Drakden, one of Pehars aspects, when the State Oracle is possessed by Pehar, he becomes very agitated, with tongue lolling, bloodshot eyes and displays superhuman strength, lifting heavy weights, twisting swords, etc. He mumbles words which are recorded and then interpreted by monks, the tradition of oracles was inherited from the pre-Buddhist religion of Tibet, Bön. The great Fifth Dalai Lama was the first to institutionalise the State Oracle of Nächung, there is a college of debate to the east of Nechung which is once again attended by young students. A new Nechung Monastery has been built in Dharamsala, India, the Power-places of Central Tibet, The Pilgrims Guide. Yukiyasu Osada, Gavin Allwright, and Atsushi Kanamaru, Nechung the State Oracle of Tibet by David Cherniack CD Recording of the Nechung Monks Traditional Chants of Tibet
Nechung
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Nechung Monastery
Nechung
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The main temple of Nechung monastery, with pillar or doring (rdo ring), 2 insense burners and 2 stone lions behind, before 1950
Nechung
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Main temple in 2006
Nechung
30.
Pabonka Hermitage
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Je Tsongkhapa lived at the site as a hermit, and it eventually became a scholarly institution. The Fifth Dalai Lama was known to be fond of the monastery, before 1959, Pabonka was independent of Sera Monastery, and from 1960 to the mid-1980s it was controlled by the Chinese. It then came under the control of Sera, whose monks renovated it and are continuing its traditions and this temple is noted for its many shrines, and its blue and carved gold mantra in the hallway, inscribed with words meaning, Hail to the jewel in the lotus. A number of relics were buried during the Cultural Revolution but when Sera monks restored the hermitage they excavated the relics. A central shrine, dating back 1300 years to Gampo, is located in the temple and depicts Chenresig, Jampelyang and Chana Dorje, the interior chapel contains an ancient conch shell wrapped in a prayer scarf displayed in a glass case. In the adjacent room is a four-pillared Kashima Lhakhang with statues of three kings and their wives and various eminent lamas, the rooftop quarters, intended for the Dalai Lama on his visits, contains a statue of the deity Demchok and offers panoramic views of the hillside towards Lhasa. Up the hill from the hermitage, past a group of chortens, is Palden Lhamo Cave, inside the cave are statues of Songtsän Gampo and his two wives. It also has a carving of Palden Lhamo, the protectress. Located near 108 chortens, which are a prominent feature of the monastery, is the yellow brick building of Jasa Potrang. Gampos other wife, Bhrikuti, is called honored, on the ground floor are the five manifestations of Tsongkhapa, and various Buddha statues with medical themes. The hermitage notably has its own tradition of monthly and yearly ritual cycles, in USA published by NTC/Contemporary Publishing. The Power-places of Central Tibet, The Pilgrims Guide, ISBN 0-7102-1370-0 YouTube footage of Pabonka
Pabonka Hermitage
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Pabonka Hermitage
Pabonka Hermitage
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Je Tsongkhapa, who lived for some time as a hermit in Pabonka
Pabonka Hermitage
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Songtsän Gampo (centre),
Princess Wencheng (right) and Bhrikuti Devi of Nepal (left)
31.
Palcho Monastery
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The Palcho Monastery or Pelkor Chode Monastery or Shekar Gyantse is the main monastery in the Nyangchu river valley in Gyantse, Gyantse County, Shigatse Prefecture, Tibet, China. The earliest history of the Penchor Chode Monastery is traced to the ninth century, pelkhor-tsen, son of Langdarma after whom the monastery is named as Pelkor Chode, lived here and attempted to perpetuate the Yarlung dynasty of his father who had been assassinated. Gyantse town was established between the 14th and 15th centuries as a feudatory, with the Sakya sect playing a crucial overlord role, during this period, the Buddhist monuments were also built with the Dzong followed by the Kumbum and the Pekor monastery. All three structures have been dated, tsuklakhang monastery was built by prince Rabton Kunzang Phak between 1418–25. However, Gyantses historical importance declined by the end of the 15th century and it became an important centre of the Sakya sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The Kumbum or Tashigomang, commenced construction in 1427 and completed by 1437, however most of them were later closed. Now, only two colleges of the Gelukpa order remain, which are stated to be of little consequence and this practice was started between 1418 and 1419 in the northeast corner of the monastery walls, known as Goku Tramsa. Following the capture of Gyantse fort, the agreement signed by the Tibetan Regent, resulted in establishment of British Trade Missions at Gyantse and Mt. Kailash in Tibet. In 1906, the British signed an agreement with the Chinese authorities and it was partially destroyed in 1959 after a revolt against Chinese rule. It was ransacked again during the Cultural Revolution, but has since been largely restored, prior to the uprising there were 1520 monks but now they number less than 80. Architecturally, Pelkhor monastery is a fusion of Han, Tibetan, the most striking architecture in the complex, a symbol of Gyantse, is the Bodhi Dagoba, popularly called as the Kumbum. It is also given the name “the Ten Thousand Buddha Pagodas”, as it has enshrined about ten thousand figures of Buddhas as images and it has hundred chapels overlapping each other, which is called the tower upon tower structure. The chapels have the finest display of Tibetan art in vibrant colour and naturalistic style, Three Buddhist sects namely, Sakyapa, Kadampa and Gelugpa are represented here. It is considered the largest of the three Kumbums in Tibet, the other two Kumbams are the Jonang Kumbum and Ching Riwoche, Kumbum has nine floors or tiers and each tier has unique chapels. The first tier of the Kumbum has staircases at the points which lead to the second tier. The second tier has 20 chapels which house images of Kriyatantras in a clockwise order, the third tier has 16 chapels and also depicts images of Kriyatantras along with Caryatantras, arranged in a clockwise order. In the fourth tier, there are twenty chapels depicting images of Yogatantras in a clockwise order, the fifth tier has 12 chapels depicting lineage holders. In the sixth tier there are four chapels, which show Yogatantra deities, the seventh tier has a single chapel with 10 mandalas, a unique depiction of the Father Class of Unsurpassed Yogatantras
Palcho Monastery
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The Palcho Monastery and
Kumbum
Palcho Monastery
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The Kumbum seen on the left and Gyantse Fort straight ahead
Palcho Monastery
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Left: The
Gyantse Kumbum -Symbol of
Tibet. Right: Palcho Monastery as seen from
Gyantse Fortress. The gold-topped, white building is the
Kumbum
Palcho Monastery
32.
Ralung Monastery
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Ralung Monastery, located in the Tsang region of western Tibet south of Karo Pass, is the traditional seat of the Drukpa Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. It was founded in 1180 by Tsangpa Gyare, 1st Gyalwang Drukpa, the Ralung-til, the head monastery of the Dugpa, is to the south-east of this village. This monastery owes its name to the fact that it is surrounded by mountains as the heart of a lotus is by the corolla. The monastery is located in present-day Gyantse county several kilometers south of the road connecting Nakartse and Lungmar, in previous times, trade could be conducted across the Yak La pass across the high Himalayas, extending the influence of Ralung to the south. The monastery is surrounded by the peaks and glacier fields of Gyetong Soksum, Jangzang Lhamo. The founder of Bhutan, the first Zhabdrung Rinpoche, Ngawang Namgyal, was the 18th abbott of Ralung Monastery, in 1616, he fled Tibet when his recognition as the reincarnation of renowned scholar Kunkhyen Pema Karpo was challenged by the governor of Tsang province. Chart of the hereditary Palden Drukpa lineage of Ralung from the founder, Tsangpa Gyare, to the last hereditary throne holder, successive throne holders are numbered with their names in bold text. Footprint Tibet Handbook with Bhutan Footprint Handbooks, Ralung Monastery rwa lung TBRC G44 Ralung
Ralung Monastery
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Protective deities at Ralung Monastery, 1993.
Ralung Monastery
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Ralung Gompa. 1938.
Ralung Monastery
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Horse stable. Ralung. 1938.
Ralung Monastery
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Mural showing
Atisha at Ralung Gompa, 1993.
33.
Ramoche Temple
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Ramoche Temple is a Buddhist monastery is considered the most important temple in Lhasa after the Jokhang Temple. Situated in the northwest of the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, it is east of the Potala, Ramoche is considered to be the sister temple to the Jokhang which was completed about the same time. Tradition says that it was originally to house the much revered Jowo Rinpoche statue, carried to Lhasa via Lhagang in a wooden cart. Unlike, the Jokhang, Ramoche was originally built in Chinese style, during Mangsong Mangtsens reign, because of a threat that the Tang Chinese might invade, Princess Wencheng is said to have had the statue of Jowo Rinpoche hidden in a secret chamber in the Jokhang. Princess Jincheng, sometime after 710 CE, had it placed in the chapel of the Jokhang. It is said to have badly damaged by the Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution. The temple was damaged during the Mongol invasions and there is no certainty that the statue that remained in 1959 was the original one. The original temple was destroyed by fire, and the present three-storied building was constructed in 1474, soon after it became the Assembly Hall of the Gyuto Tratsang, or Upper Tantric College of Lhasa and was home to 500 monks. There was a connection with Yerpa which provided summer quarters for the monks. The temple was gutted and partially destroyed in the 1960s and the statue disappeared. In 1983 the lower part of it was said to have found in a Lhasa rubbish tip. Thanks to the efforts of Ri ‘bur sprul sku, the parts were joined in the Ramoche Temple, following the major restoration of 1986, the main building in the temple now has three stories. The first story includes an atrium, a hall. The second floor is residential but has a chapel with an image of Buddha as King of the Nagas. The golden peak of the temple with the Han-style upturned eave can be seen from any direction in Lhasa city, the temple is an interesting example of the combination of Han and Tibetan architectural styles. This temple is one of the key cultural relic protection sites of the Tibet Autonomous Region as well as an attraction in Lhasa. Short history and some photos of Ramoche
Ramoche Temple
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RamocheTemple
Ramoche Temple
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Gate of the Ramoche Temple
Ramoche Temple
–
Jowo Mikyoe Dorje of the Ramoche Temple
Ramoche Temple
–
Entrance to Ramoche Temple
34.
Rato Dratsang
–
Rato Dratsang, also known as Rato Monastery, is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery or monastic university of the Gelug or Yellow Hat tradition. Rato was, for centuries, one of the major monastic colleges in Tibet. The 5th Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso, called Rato Monastery the Tiger Nest, the monastery served as a center for the study of logic, monks from many other monasteries came to visit Rato every year to study formal Buddhist logic intensively, and debate rigorously. After 1959, Rato Monastery was reestablished in the Tibetan Settlement at Mundgod, in recent years a charitable foundation was set up to help the monastery flourish and grow. In 2012, a monk, Nicholas Vreeland, was appointed as the new abbot. Rato Monastery was founded in the 14th century by Tak Pa Zang Bo, on the outskirts of Lhasa, may the study of logic to clear the minds, Forever develop in the boundaries of the upper, Middle, and lower parts of the land of snow. Venerable Khyongla Rato Rinpoche, who is the head lama of Rato, in 1959, before the Tibetan diaspora started, about 500 monks studied at Rato. After the diaspora had started, in 1983 a small version of Rato Monastery was established in the Tibetan Settlement near Mungod, in Karnataka, at that point the monastery comprised a temple, monks room, and kitchen, all in a two-storey building on one quarter-acre of land. Over time, more land was acquired by being purchased from surrounding farmers. In 2008, a plan was devised for several larger buildings, using local building materials. As the money was raised, the buildings were gradually constructed, when Rato Dratsang was first reestablished in Karnataka in India, it was administered as part of the re-established Drepung Loseling monastery, which is in the same area. In the late 1980s, however, Rato was able to become a monastery or monastic university. By 2012, there were about 100 monks in the reestablished Rato Monastery in South India. In May 2012, the 14th Dalai Lama appointed Geshe Thupten Lhundup as the new abbot of the monastery, Rato Dratsang is one of a few important Tibetan Government monasteries under the patronage of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. At Rato Monastery, Geshe Thupten Lhundup is now addressed as Khen Rinpoche, Khen means abbot in Tibetan, and rinpoche is a respectful honorific that is used for high lamas and abbots, it literally means precious one. Rato Monastery is featured extensively in the 2014 documentary film, Monk with a Camera, as of 2015, Khyongla Rato is still Rato Monasterys head lama
Rato Dratsang
–
Some of the Rato monks in front of the temple at Rato Monastery, January 2015
Rato Dratsang
–
Venerable Khen Rinpoche (
Nicolas Vreeland) in front of the newly inaugurated Rato temple, January 2015
35.
Sakya Monastery
–
Sakya Monastery, also known as Pel Sakya is a Buddhist monastery situated 25 km southeast of a bridge which is about 127 km west of Shigatse on the road to Tingri in Tibet. Its Mongolian architecture is different from that of temples in Lhasa. The only surviving ancient building is the Lhakang Chempo or Sibgon Trulpa, originally a cave in the mountainside, it was built in 1268 by dpon-chen Sakya Sangpo in 1268 and restored in the 16th century. Most of the buildings of the monastery are in ruins, because they were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, das Sharat Chandra writes, As to the great library of Sakya, it is on shelves along the walls of the great hall of the Lhakhang chen-po. There are preserved here many volumes written in letters, the pages are six feet long by eighteen inches in breadth. In the margin of each page are illuminations, and the first four volumes have in them pictures of the thousand Buddhas and these books are bound in iron. They were prepared under orders of the Emperor Kublai Khan, there is also preserved in this temple a conch shell with whorls turning from left to right, a present from Kublai to Phagpa. It is only blown by the lamas when the request is accompanied by a present of seven ounces of silver, a huge library of as many as 84,000 scrolls were found sealed up in a wall 60 metres long and 10 metres high at Sakya Monastery in 2003. It is expected that most of them prove to be Buddhist scriptures although they may well also include works of literature. They are thought to have remained untouched for hundreds of years and they are being examined by the Tibetan Academy of Social Sciences. The current Sakya Trizin, throne holder of the Sakyapa went into exile in India in 1959 following the Chinese invasion of Tibet and these monks and scholars saved a number of original scrolls from the original Sakya Monastery in Tibet and smuggled them to India for safekeeping. The Sakya Trizin and his followers have established several institutions in and around the Dehradun area, including a hospital, a monastic college. Like all leaders of the Sakya school, the current Sakya Trizin is married and he has two sons, and the younger one, Dungsey Gyana Vajra, born 5 July 1979 in Dehra Dun, is director of the Sakya Monastery constructed in Dehra Dun. A Brief History of Sakya Monastery, original version published in Sakya Monasteries
Sakya Monastery
–
Sakya Monastery
Sakya Monastery
–
Kunga Tashi and Incidents from His Life (Abbot of Sakya Monastery, 1688–1711)
Sakya Monastery
–
Monks at Sakya Monastery
Sakya Monastery
–
Courtyard, Sakya Monastery
36.
Sanga Monastery
–
Sanga Monastery is a small Tibetan Buddhist monastery located in the town of Dagzê in Dagzê County, Lhasa, Tibet. Sanga Monastery is located in the center of the old city of Dagzê, the temple grounds cover about 15 acres, and the building covers 2,343 square metres. The Lhasa River can be seen from the rear of the monastery, diagonally above the monastery on the hillside are the ruins of a hilltop fort. This is the ruin of Dagtse Dzong, or Dechen Dzong, the monastery was built by Je Tsongkhapa in 1419. It is part of the Gelug sect, and is under the jurisdiction of Ganden Monastery, at its height there were one hundred monks in residence. During the Cultural Revolution the temple lost many artifacts, and buildings were destroyed, in November 1986 the monastery was re-opened after repairs. In 2012 there were over thirty monks in residence and that year a bathhouse was installed for the first time
Sanga Monastery
–
Front of the monastery
Sanga Monastery
–
Roof of Sanga Monastery
Sanga Monastery
–
Dhvaja (Victory banner), Roof of Sanga Monastery
Sanga Monastery
–
Statue of the
5th Dalai Lama, Lobsang Gyatso
37.
Sera Monastery
–
Sera Monastery is one of the great three Gelug university monasteries of Tibet, located 1.25 miles north of Lhasa and about 5 km north of the Jokhang. The other two are Ganden Monastery and Drepung Monastery, the origin of its name is attributed to a fact that the site where the monastery was built was surrounded by wild roses in bloom. The original Sera Monastery is responsible for some 19 hermitages, including four nunneries, which are all located in the foot hills north of Lhasa. The Sera Monastery, as a complex of structures with the Great Assembly Hall and three colleges, was founded in 1419 by Jamchen Chojey of Sakya Yeshe of Zel Gungtang, a disciple of Je Tsongkhapa. During the 1959 revolt in Lhasa, Sera monastery suffered severe damage, with its colleges destroyed, after the Dalai Lama took asylum in India, many of the monks of Sera who survived the attack moved to Bylakuppe in Mysore, India. Sera Monastery in Tibet and its counterpart in Mysore, India are noted for their debate sessions, the original Sera Monastery is a complex of structures founded in 1419 by Jamchen Chojey Sakya Yeshe of Zel Gungtang, a disciple of Je Tsongkhapa. Prior to establishing this monastery, Tsongkhapa, assisted by his disciples, had set up hermitages at higher elevations above Sera Utsé Hermitage. The Jé and Mé colleges were established to train monks, over a 20-year programme of tsennyi mtshan nyid grwa tshang, the Ngakpa college, which predated the other two colleges, was exclusively devoted to the practice of tantric ritual. Before 1959, the administration of each college comprised an abbot with council of ten lamas for each college, over the years, the monastery developed into a hermitage where about 6000 monks resided. The monastery was one of the finest locations in Tibet to witness the debate sessions, the monastery belongs to the Gelug Order and was one of the largest in Lhasa. In 2008, Sera had 550 monks in residence, the history of the monastery is strongly connected to Master Lama Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelukpa Order, the much venerated and highly learned guru in Buddhist scriptures. It was under his tutelage that his disciple Jetsun Kunkhen Lodroe Rinchen Senge established the Sera Jey Monastery complex in the early 15th century AD. Kunkhyen Lodroe Rinchen Senge initially served as a teacher in the Drepung Monastery before he formed the Sera Jey. The religious legend narrated for how the site was chosen was a clairvoyant vision that Tsongkhapa had in which he saw the text of Prajnaparamitas 20 slokas on Shunyata captioned in the sky. This psychic spell gave him an insight into the Tsawasehrab text. Further, he perceived the vision of a rain like AA characters descending from the sky. Providentially, the then King Nedong Dagpa Gyaltsen supported the venture with required finances and also, in 1419. The monastery soon came to be known as the Seat of Theckchen ling, the 14th Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 and sought asylum there
Sera Monastery
–
Monks assembled outside the Sera Me Tratsang college of Sera Monastery in India in December 2006.
Sera Monastery
–
Sera Monastery in 1938
Sera Monastery
–
Left: Sera Monastery, India at
Bylakuppe,
Mysore. Right: The Debate session in Bylakuppe during winter, a practice inherited from the Tibet Sera
Sera Monastery
38.
Shalu Monastery
–
Shalu Monastery is small monastery 22 kilometres south of Shigatse in Tibet. Shalu was the first of the monasteries to be built by noble families of the Tsangpa during Tibets great revival of Buddhism. In 1329 a devastating earthquake demolished the temple of Shalu but was rebuilt in 1333 by local lords under the command of Toghon Temür. The new architectural framework of the monastery was dominated by Mongolian styles, with massive inward-sloping walls around a courtyard and strong woodwork. At the time of the new establishment in the 1330s, Shalu Temple was under the command of the 11th Abbot, Buton Rinchen Drub, who lived 1290–1364. Buton was not merely a capable administrator but he is remembered to this very day as a prodigious scholar. Buton catalogued all of the Buddhist texts at Shalu, some 4569 religious and philosophical works and he also wrote the famous History of Buddhism in India and Tibet there, which many Tibetan scholars use in their study today. After his death the monastery became an important centre of esoteric studies, Shalu Temple became known throughout the far east for its dedication to the study of Buddhist philosophy and practice. Precise rules are still embedded into the walls on what the monks should wear, place their robes, remnants of former mandala murals are concealed by over 100 thangkas, most of which were embroidered in Hangzhou, China in the 1920s. Only two chapels of the Shalu temple are open to tourists today, although funds were allocated in 1995 for roof repair, Shalu Lakhang temple is in the centre of the monastery. On the ground floor, in the Tshomchen, Sakyamuni and his disciples are enshrined, the chapels flanking it house the Tanjur and the Kanjur books respectively. Chapels on the floor are typical Chinese blue tiled structures, housing Sakyamuni, Buton. Massive delicate and old murals cover the walls of the monastery, restoration and preservation are badly needed to protect those arts. Shalu has four treasures which are of notable value, one is a sutra board, which is 700 years old and cannot be reassembled once broken apart, a piece of sutra printed against the board is regarded as good luck. Another is an urn, which is usually covered with a piece of red cloth and sealed. Another is a basin, which was the washbasin of the builder Chetsun Sherab Jungnay dating back to 1040, and another is a stone tablet. The tablet displays a mantra which reads om mani Padme Hum and has four dagoba carved into it, repair and reconstruction of Shalu Monastery began on May 13,2009, according to the Chinese government Xinhua online news. It is planned to more than 16 million RMB yuan on the project
Shalu Monastery
–
Shalu Monastery
Shalu Monastery
–
A 14th-century depiction of the 11th abbot of Shalu
Buton Rinchen (left) and his successor, a wall painting inside the monastery
Shalu Monastery
–
Young Monk in Shalu Monastery, 2006
39.
Tashilhunpo Monastery
–
Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, founded in 1447 by the 1st Dalai Lama, is a historic and culturally important monastery in Shigatse, the second-largest city in Tibet. The monastery is the seat of successive Panchen Lamas, the second highest ranking tulku lineage in the Gelug tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. The Tashi or Panchen Lama had temporal power over three districts, though not over the town of Shigatse itself, which was administered by a dzongpön appointed from Lhasa. Located on a hill in the center of the city, the name in Tibetan of the monastery means all fortune. It presented a view wonderfully beautiful and brilliant, the effect was short of magic. Pilgrims circumambulate the monastery on the lingkhor outside the walls, however, during 1966 Red Guards led a crowd to break statues, burn scriptures and open the stupas containing the relics of the 5th to 9th Panchen Lamas, and throw them in the river. Some remains, though, were saved by locals, and in 1985, Choekyi Gyaltsen, 10th Panchen Lama, began the construction of a new stupa to house them and honour his predecessors. It was finally consecrated on 22 January 1989, just six days before he died aged fifty-one at Tashi Lhunpo and it was as if he was saying now he could rest. The monastery was founded in 1447 CE by Gedun Drub, the disciple of the famous Buddhist philosopher Je Tsongkhapa, the construction was financed by donations from local nobles. Later Lobsang Chökyi Gyalsten, the Fourth Panchen Lama and the first Panchen Lama to be recognized as such by the rulers of Mongolia, since then, all Panchen Lamas have resided at Tashi Lhunpo, and have managed to expand it gradually. In 1791 the monastery was attacked and looted by an army of Nepalese Gurkha warriors but were out by the Chinese who simultaneously strengthened their control over the temple. Tashi Lhunpo in its heyday housed over 4,000 monks and had four Tantric colleges, in 1960, the monastery was dismantled by the Chinese army whilst the Panchen Lama was absent, although less damage was inflicted on the monastery than on most others around Tibet. During the 1960s many senior lamas and monastics left Tibet and helped re-establish new monasteries in India, Nepal, the late Panchen Lama did not leave Tibet and consequently many of the senior lamas from Tashi Lhunpo Monastery remained inside Tibet. Since the early 1980s parts of the Tashi Lhunpo monastery have been open to the public, the Maitreya Temple known as on the west side is the tallest building of the monastery. It was erected in 1914 by the Ninth Panchen Lama to house a statue of the Maitreya Buddha and is 26.2 metres in height. The statue sits on a lotus throne in the European posture with its hands in the symbolic teaching pose. A single finger of the giant figure is almost 4 feet in length, the statue contains 279 kg of gold and 150,000 kg of copper and brass moulded on a solid wooden frame by Tibetan and Nepalese craftsmen. Small versions of the Maitreya are positioned in all four corners of the chamber, on the east side of the monastery is the old living quarters of the Panchen Lama, the Panchen Lamas Palace known as Gudong
Tashilhunpo Monastery
–
Entrance to Tashilhunpo Monastery
Tashilhunpo Monastery
–
Monks hurrying to services, Tashilhunpo, 1993
Tashilhunpo Monastery
–
The
Thanka Wall overlooking the monastery
Tashilhunpo Monastery
–
Two novice monks. Tashilhunpo, 1993
40.
Tsurphu Monastery
–
Tsurphu Monastery (Tibetan, མཚུར་ཕུ་དགོན་པ or Tölung Tsurphu is a gompa which serves as the traditional seat of the Karmapa, the head of the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. It is located in Gurum in Doilungdêqên District, Tibet Autonomous Region, the monastery is about 4,300 metres above sea level. It was built in the middle of the valley facing south with high mountains surrounding the complex, Tsurphu is a 300-square-meter complex with walls up to 4 meters thick. The gompa, the seat of the Karmapa lamas, is about 28 kilometres up the Dowo Lung Valley on the north side of the river. The original walls of the building were up to 4 meters thick and 300 meters on each side. The monks residences were on the eastern side, in 1189 he revisited the site and founded his main seat there. The monastery grew to hold 1000 monks, the complex was totally destroyed in 1966 during the Cultural Revolution. Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, 16th Karmapa, began to rebuild it in 1980, a Brief History of Tsurpu Monastery. The Power-places of Central Tibet, The Pilgrims Guide, music in the Sky, The Life, Art & Teachings of the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje. Reprint, New Age Books, New Delhi,2004
Tsurphu Monastery
–
Tsurphu Monastery
Tsurphu Monastery
–
Reconstructed Tsurphu Monastery, 1993
Tsurphu Monastery
–
Pilgrims, Tsurphu Gompa, 1993
Tsurphu Monastery
–
Nomad camp above Tsurphu Gompa, 1993. Smoke is from
juniper burning for ceremony.
41.
Yerpa
–
Yerpa, is only a short drive to the east of Lhasa, Tibet, and consists of a monastery and a number of ancient meditation caves that used to house about 300 monks. Dra Yerpa is located on a hillside in Dagzê County, the entrance to the Yerpa Valley is about 16 kilometres northeast of Lhasa on the northern bank of the Kyichu. From there, it is another 10 kilometres to the famous ancient meditation caves in the limestone cliffs of the Yerpa Valley. There is an ancient sky burial site opposite the main caves, the famous legendary hero Gesar of Ling is said to have visited the valley. The holes his arrows left in the cliffs are believed to be evidence of his presence, there are a number of small temples shrines and hermitages and the cliffs contain some of the earliest known meditation sites in Tibet, some dating back to pre-Buddhist times. Among the more famous are those connected with Songtsen Gampo. His Tibetan queen, Monza Triucham, founded the Dra Yerpa temple here and he and his two foreign-born queens are said to have meditated in the Peu Marsergyi Temple and in the Chogyel Puk, and to have discovered self-originated symbols of the Buddha-body, speech and mind. After Lhalung Pelgyi Dorje assassinated the anti-Buddhist Bon Emperor Langdarma in 842 CE he is said to have himself in a cave. His hat was kept there until 1959, Yerpa became one of the three most important centres of meditation and retreat in Central Tibet. Several of Guru Rinpoches disciples are said to have meditated here. Atisha preached extensively in the valley, atishas hermitage is in ruins but had 300 monks in the 19th century and was the summer quarters for the Ramoche Monastery. Later histories record that both Songtsen Gampo and Trisong Detsen founded temples at Yerpa, and Klu-mes Tshul-khrims did some refurbishing in the 11th century, the ancient Kadampa gompa Yerpa Drubde passed to Gelug control after the reformation of Je Tsongkhapa. After the death of the 4th Dalai Lama, in 1618 the monks of the Gelug monasteries of Sera and those who were not killed took refuge in Taglung, to the northeast. Khöntön Rinpoché, who had tried to persuade the monks of Sera to avoid violence, Yerpa lost its wealth at this time, and was placed under the jurisdiction of Taklung Monastery. There were some 300 monks living at Yerpa from at least the beginning of the 19th century until 1959 and it also acted as summer residence for the Gyuto Lhasa Tantric College. The Drubde monastery, the residence of the Gyutö College, was destroyed in 1959. During the Cultural Revolution the whole complex at Yerpa, including the Drag Yerpa monastery, using voluntary labor and donations some of the cave temples and Drag Yerpa were later partially restored. Police came to Yerpa after the disturbances of October 1987 and pasted notices on the temple doors warning people against taking part in counter-revolutionary activities, in 1998 the government demolished a number of chapels that had been built without authorization
Yerpa
–
Monastery ruins, 1993
Yerpa
–
Yerpa, 1993
Yerpa
–
Entrance to Dawa Puk,
Guru Rinpoche 's cave
Yerpa
–
Self-originated sacred symbol
42.
Losar
–
Losar is a festival in Tibetan Buddhism. The holiday is celebrated on various dates depending on location and tradition, the holiday is a new years festival, celebrated on the first day of the lunisolar Tibetan calendar, which corresponds to a date in February or March in the Gregorian calendar. The variation of the festival in Nepal is called Lhochhar and is observed about eight weeks earlier than the Tibetan Losar, Losar predates the arrival of Buddhism in Tibet and has its roots in a winter incense-burning custom of the Bon religion. During the reign of the ninth Tibetan king, Pude Gungyal, on the first day of Losar, a beverage called changkol is made from chhaang. The second day of Losar is known as Kings Losar, Losar is traditionally preceded by the five-day practice of Vajrakilaya. Originally, ancient celebrations of Losar occurred solely on the winter solstice, after the Dalai Lama was exiled, many monasteries were dissolved during the Cultural Revolution. Since that time, Tibetan Buddhism practice in Tibet has been somewhat restored, debts are settled, quarrels are resolved, new clothes are acquired, and special foods such as kapse are made. A favorite drink is chang which is served warm, because the words sheeps head and beginning of the year sound similar in Tibetan, it is customary to fashion a sheeps head from colored butter as a decoration. Another traditional decoration that symbolizes a good harvest is the phyemar and this bucket is filled with zanba and barley seeds, then decorated with barley ears and colored butter. Losar customs in Bhutan are similar to, but distinct from, traditional foods consumed on the occasion include sugarcane and green bananas, which are considered auspicious. In Bhutan, picnicking, dancing, singing, dart-playing, archery, and the giving of offerings are all traditions
Losar
–
Losar celebration in Lhasa, 1938
Losar
–
The Gumpa dance being performed in
Lachung during the
Buddhist festival of Losar
43.
Monlam Prayer Festival
–
Monlam also known as The Great Prayer Festival, falls on 4th–11th day of the 1st Tibetan month in Tibetan Buddhism. The event of Monlam in Tibet was established in 1409 by Tsong Khapa, as the greatest religious festival in Tibet, thousands of monks gathered for chanting prayers and performing religious rituals at the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa. The communal prayers, offered with strong faith and devotion, help to overcome obstacles to peace and generate conducive conditions for everyone to live in harmony. The celebration of Monlam in the Lhasa Jokhang was forbidden during the Cultural Revolution, although it had not been practiced there since 1959, during the late 1980s, Tibetan organizers used Monlam and post-Monlam ceremonies for political demonstrations. During Monlam, monks stood on platforms to pray for the life of the 14th Dalai Lama, boys threw rocks at observing police. When these demonstrations failed to produce results, monks even suggested boycotting Monlam to show their displeasure with the government, since security forces were prohibited from breaking up the demonstrations as they were ostensibly religious, the city government suspended the Monlam in 1990. Monlam festivals are upheld by Tibetan Buddhist monasteries established in exile in India, examinations for the highest Lharampa Geshe degree were held during the week-long festival. Monks would perform traditional Tibetan Buddhist dances and huge ritual offering cakes were made, on the fifteenth day the highlight of Monlam Chenmo in Lhasa would be the Butter Lamp Festival, during which the Dalai Lama would come to the Jokhang Temple and perform the great Buddhist service. Barkhor Square in front of the Jokhang would be turned into an exhibition site for the huge tormas. At the end of the festival, these tormas would be burned in a large bon-fire, traditionally, from New Years Day until the end of Monlam, lay Tibetans would make merry. Many pilgrims from all over Tibet would join the prayers and teachings, many other monasteries would hold special prayer sessions and perform religious rituals, for example some monasteries would unfold huge religious scroll-paintings for all to see. This prayer has at its core the Enlightened Attitude of Mahayana Buddhism, 2nd Dalai Lama Brief Ritual Sadana Vow of Kriya Yoga Kagyu Monlam Chenmo Kagyu Monlam Chenmo Nyingma Monlam Chenmo
Monlam Prayer Festival
–
Pilgrims at
Jokhang, Lhasa during Monlam
44.
Sho Dun Festival
–
The Sho Dun Festival, commonly known as the Yogurt Festival or Banquet is an annual festival held at Norbulingka or Jewel Park palace in Lhasa, Tibet. It began in the 16th century with a given by the lay people for the monks featuring yoghurt. Later on, summer operas, or Lhamo, and theatricals were added to the festivities, the operas, last all day with clashing cymbals, bells and drums, piercing recitatives punctuating more melodious choruses, hooded villains, leaping devils, swirling girls with long silk sleeves. In the past dancers came from all over Tibet, but today there is only the state-run Lhasa Singing and Dancing Troupe, the beautiful grounds of the Norbulingka are filled with partying groups shielded from the wind by gaily coloured hanging walls of rugs and printed canvas. There is much feasting and visiting between family groups and bonfires are common at night, photos, Buddha painting unfolding ceremony in Tibet Festivals & Events in China Tibet Shoton Festival Tour Shoton Festival Photo Gallery in Tibet
Sho Dun Festival
–
Dancing at Sho Dun Festival, Norbulingka, 1993
Sho Dun Festival
–
Partying at Sho Dun Festival, Norbulingka, 1993
Sho Dun Festival
–
County -level divisions
45.
Buddhist texts
–
They can be categorized in a number of ways. These religious texts were written in different languages and scripts. Even after the development of printing, Buddhists preferred to keep to their practices with these texts. The Mahāsāṃghika and the Mūlasarvāstivāda considered both the Buddhas discourses, and of his disciples, to be buddhavacana, a number of different beings such as buddhas, disciples of the buddha, ṛṣis, and devas were considered capable to transmitting buddhavacana. The content of such a discourse was then to be collated with the sūtras, compared with the Vinaya and these texts may then be certified as true buddhavacana by a buddha, a saṃgha, a small group of elders, or one knowledgeable elder. In Theravada Buddhism, the collection of buddhavacana is the Pali Canon. Some scholars believe that some portions of the Pali Canon and Agamas could contain the substance of the historical teachings of the Buddha. In East Asian Buddhism, what is considered buddhavacana is collected in the Chinese Buddhist canon, the most common edition of this is the Taishō Tripiṭaka. Then these sutras may be regarded as buddhavacana. Sometimes texts that are considered commentaries by some are regarded by others as Buddhavacana, in Tibetan Buddhism, what is considered buddhavacana is collected in the Kangyur. The East Asian and Tibetan Buddhist canons always combined Buddhavacana with other literature in their standard collected editions, however, the general view of what is and is not buddhavacana is broadly similar between East Asian Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism. The Tibetan Kangyur, which belongs to the schools of Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism, in addition to containing sutras and vinaya. Doctrinal elaborations were preserved in Abhidharma works and later Karikas, as Buddhism spread geographically, these texts were translated into the local language, such as Chinese and Tibetan. The Pali canon was preserved in Sri Lanka where it was first written down in the first century BCE, the Sri Lankan Pali tradition developed extensive commentaries as well as sub-commentaries for the Pali Canon as well as treatises on Abhidhamma. Sutra commentaries and Abhidharma works also exist in Tibetan, Chinese, Korean, important examples of non-canonical Pali texts are the Visuddhimagga, by Buddhaghosa, which is a compendium of Theravada teachings and the Mahavamsa, a historical Sri Lankan chronicle. Sanskrit Buddhist literature later became the dominant tradition in India until the decline of Buddhism in India, around the beginning of the Christian era, a new genre of sutra literature began to be written with a focus on the Bodhisattva idea, commonly known as Mahayana sutras. Many of the Mahayana sutras were written in Sanskrit and then translated into the Tibetan, some 600 Mahayana Sutras have survived in Sanskrit, or in Chinese and/or Tibetan translation. In the Mahayana tradition there are important works termed Shastras, or treatises which attempt to outline the sutra teachings, the works of important Buddhist philosophers like Nagarjuna, Vasubandhu and Dharmakirti are generally termed Shastras, and were written in Sanskrit
Buddhist texts
–
Song-era Chinese page from the
Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra, Nantoyōsō Collection,
Japan
Buddhist texts
–
Korean Koryo Period Sutra Page
Buddhist texts
–
Burmese Pali manuscript
46.
Kangyur
–
The Tibetan Buddhist canon is a loosely defined list of sacred texts recognized by various schools of Tibetan Buddhism, comprising the Kangyur or Kanjur and the Tengyur or Tanjur. In addition to earlier foundational Buddhist texts from early Buddhist schools, mostly the Sarvastivada, and Mahayana texts, the Tengyur underwent a final compilation in the 14th Century by Bu-ston. Unfortunately, we have no proof that Bu-ston also took part in the collection and edition of the Tsal pa Kangyur and we know from sakya mchog ldan that Bu-ston edited a Kanjur, unfortunately not which one. The Kangyur usually takes up a hundred or a hundred and eight volumes, Kangyur or Translated Words consists of works in about 108 volumes supposed to have been spoken by the Buddha himself. All texts presumably had a Sanskrit original, although in cases the Tibetan text was translated from Chinese or other languages. Tengyur or Translated Treatises is the section to which were assigned commentaries, treatises, the Tengyur contains around 3,626 texts in 224 Volumes. The Kangyur is divided into sections on Vinaya, Perfection of Wisdom Sutras, other sutras and it includes texts on the Vinaya, monastic discipline, metaphysics, the Tantras, etc. Some describe the philosophy, others extol the virtues of the various Bodhisattvas, while others expound the Trikāya. When exactly the term Kangyur was first used is not known, collections of canonical Buddhist texts existed already in the time of Trisong Detsen, the sixth king of Tibet, in Spiti, who ruled from 755 until 797 CE. The exact number of texts in the Kangyur is not fixed, each editor takes responsibility for removing texts he considers spurious, currently there are about 12 available versions of the Kangyur. These include the Derge, Lhasa, Narthang, Cone, Peking, Urga, Phudrak, in addition some canonical texts have been found in Tabo Monastery and Dunhuang which provide earlier exemplars to texts found in the Kangyur. All extant Kangyur appear to stem from the Old Narthang Monastery Kangyur, the stemma of the Kangyur have been well researched in particular by Helmut Eimer. Apparently, Bön began to take on a literary form about the time Buddhism began to enter Tibet, the Bön Kangyur contains the revelations of Shenrab, the traditional founder of Bön. A version was published in 1993-1997
Kangyur
–
Young monks printing scriptures in
Sera Monastery, Tibet, China
Kangyur
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Woodblock printing of scriptures.
Sera Monastery. 1993.
47.
Tengyur
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The Tengyur or Tanjur or Bstan-’gyur is the Tibetan collection of commentaries to the Buddhist teachings, or Translated Treatises. To the Tengyur were assigned commentaries to both Sutras and Tantras, treatises and abhidharma works, together with the 108-volume Kangyur, these form the basis of the Tibetan Buddhist canon. The Kangyur usually takes up a hundred or a hundred and eight volumes, as example, the content of the Beijing Tengyur, Stotras,1 Volume,64 texts. Commentaries on the Tantras,86 Volumes,3055 texts, commentaries on Sutras,137 Volumes,567 texts. Apparently, Bön began to more on a literary form about the time Buddhism began to enter Tibet. First English edition - translated by J. E. Stapleton Driver, reprint, Stanford University Press, Stanford, California ISBN 0-8047-0806-1, ISBN 0-8047-0901-7 Tucci, Giuseppe. First English edition, translated by Geoffrey Samuel, reprint, University of California Press ISBN 0-520-03856-8, ISBN0520063481 AIBS Tengyur translation initiative ACIPs Derge Tengyur etext TBRCs Tengyur scans Translation of texts
Tengyur
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Young monks printing scriptures in
Sera Monastery, Tibet
Tengyur
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Printing the scriptures.
Sera Monastery.
48.
Tibetan Buddhist canon
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The Tibetan Buddhist canon is a loosely defined list of sacred texts recognized by various sects of Tibetan Buddhism. In addition to texts from Early Buddhist and Mahayana sources. The Tibetan Canon underwent a final compilation in the 14th century by Buton Rinchen Drub, all texts presumably have a Sanskrit original, although in many cases the Tibetan text was translated from Chinese or other languages. Tengyur or Translated Treatises, is the section to which were assigned commentaries, treatises, the Tengyur contains 3626 texts in 224 Volumes. The Kangyur is divided into sections on Vinaya, Perfection of Wisdom Sutras, Avatamsaka, Ratnakuta and other sutras, when exactly the term Kangyur was first used is not known. Collections of canonical Buddhist texts already existed in the time of Trisong Detsen, the exact number of texts in the Kangyur is not fixed. Each editor takes responsibility for removing texts he considers spurious or adding new translations, currently there are about 12 available Kangyurs. These include the Derge, Lhasa, Narthang, Cone, Peking, Urga, Phudrak and Stog Palace versions, in addition, some canonical texts have been found in Tabo and Dunhuang which provide earlier exemplars to texts found in the Kangyur. The majority of extant Kangyur editions appear to stem from the so-called Old Narthang Kangyur, though the Phukdrak, the stemma of the Kangyur have been well researched in particular by Helmut Eimer and Paul Harrison. A team of Indian and Tibetan scholars was assigned for the purpose, as a major step in this remarkable attempt at literary standardization, the bi-lingual glossary known as the Mahavyutpatti was successfully accomplished in the Tibetan horse year. The earliest catalogue compilation was recorded from the manuscript of the collection housed in the palace- pho-brang ‘phang-thang ka-med kyi gtsug-lag-kang in the Tibetan dog year. This cataloguing work became famous by the name of the palace, dkar-chag ldan-dkar-ma was compiled in the dragon year. Among these three catalogues, ldan-dkar-ma, included in the volume Jo of sna-tsogs in sde-ge bka’-bstan, is believed to be the only surviving so far. But recently a manuscript of dkar-chag phang-thang-ma is discovered and published from Tibet and it contains 961 titles listed under 34 subject headings with additional information of numbers of verses that contains in each text. The ldan-dkar-ma catalogue comprises 735 titles and listed under a category of 27 subject headings. of words, verses, canto, thus today we have a record of 73 million words contained in the bka’-’gyur & bstan-’gyur collection. According to the latest edition of Dharma Publication, the bKa’-‘gyur contains 1,115 texts, likewise, the bsTan-gyur contains 3,387 texts using 127,000 folios amounting to 850,000 lines and 48 millions words. The sum total of both these collections is 4,502 texts in 73 millions words, by fixing bampo to verses and to words of each of the textual contents, the individual works are interpolation and alteration. This further strengthened the authenticity of Tibetan Buddhist literature, Tibet, thus, becomes the earliest to accomplish catalogue as inventory in the history of evolution of catalogue
Tibetan Buddhist canon
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Young monks printing scriptures.
Sera Monastery, Tibet. 1993
Tibetan Buddhist canon
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Printing the scriptures,
Sera Monastery
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