This is Kaguy Monlam-2008.

It’s quite rare that you get the chance to see both lineage holders together: Karmapa and Shamarpa, Black Hat Lama and Red Hat Lama.

And also most of our lamas together with them. Lama Ole Nydahl was not present which is no wonder as it’s totally different style though same lineage.(…)
Read the rest of Bodhgaya. As We’ve Gathered Under Bodhi Tree. (704 words)

© Oxanna for Tibetan Incense Blog, 2009. |
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Post tags: Buddhism, Kagyu, Karmapa, Pictures, Teachers, Tibetan Buddhism

Tags: buddhism, Kagyu, Karmapa, Oxanna, Pictures, Teachers, tibetan buddhism, Travel

Lam Shenphen Zangpo, 3 April, 2009, kuenselonline.com

It is impossible to explain each verse in a short article like this, but at least I’ll try to offer some examples of how to approach the practices.

Let’s explore a couple of verses at random: “Regardless of how long spent living together, good friends and relations must some day depart. Our wealth and possessions collected with effort are left fare behind at the end of our life. Our mind, but a guest in our body`s great guest house, must vacate one day and travel beyond. Cast away thoughts that concern only this lifetime - the Sons of the Buddhas all practice this way.”

37 Practices of the Bodhisattva (c) CortoMaltese_1999 http://www.flickr.com/photos/drepung

Superficially, the verse appears to implore us to abandon worldly life. This is not the case. If enlightenment depended on leaving friends and kin, then all we have to do is spend some time on a desert island to achieve it. It is not that simple. Whenever we consider the teachings of the Buddha, it is important to bear in mind that the focus in on transforming the mind and alleviating suffering. Physical action only supports this role.

Of course, undergoing intense mind training in a retreat environment can offer enormous benefits, but the best time and place to practice is right here and now - not at some future location that may never materialize.

Happiness is the motivation for our lives. From having a biscuit to getting married, everything we do is done with this intention. Most of the time, however, we don’t consider whether our action actually leads to this goal. We just follow habits and impulses. Even a gangster kills with the intention of being happy. Yet, I have never met a happy gangster.

Often, we are like a person in Wangdue who wants to go to Jakar, but drives South. Even after he does not reach his destination after a day of driving, he does not check his direction. Instead he drives faster.

In this respect, Gyalsé Ngulchu Tokmé is inviting us to examine our direction. It is not that friends and relatives are bad, but that our connection with them is often one of dependency. We feel lonely, and immediately reach for the phone. In this way, friends and relatives actually hinder our goal - to achieve freedom from suffering.

I’ll explain further. Emotions such as loneliness arise in the mind through a combination of many factors, such as past fears, mood and educational and social influences. In this way, they are a compounded phenomena, no different from a rainbow or mirage. They appear, but lack true existence. If this is difficult to accept, then try to locate the feeling of loneliness. Is it in the brain, in the heart or perhaps somewhere else? Like a mirage or rainbow we will not find it. In this way, we should understand that the emotion cannot harm us. It is only a sensation, and the way to realize this is to just watch it in a non-judgmental way.

When we do this, fears dissolve like storm clouds in the clear Autumn sky. On the other hand, constantly calling a friend at the merest twitch of loneliness perpetuates the illusion. It is like taking an aspirin to cure a chronic disease. The symptoms may temporarily disappear, but the overall condition deteriorates.

Therefore, the verse is not recommending that we abandon friends and family, but instead abandon the misconception that they are a solution to our emotional problems. If we can do this, then we can develop a healthy relationship with our associates that truly benefits all.

Here is another verse: “If in the midst of a large crowd of people someone should single us out for abuse, exposing our faults and flaws, we should not get angry or become defensive but instead just listen in silence and, heeding his words, bow in respect to this man as our teacher. The sons of the Buddhas all practice this way.”

Outwardly, this passage may appear to advocate passive acceptance, but this is not the case. Like the previous verse, it offers an effective way to work with the mind. For example, most people would feel embarrassed if their faults were exposed in front of a thousand people. Resentment and perhaps revenge would follow. However, we do not have to respond in this way. Instead of following our habitual responses, we could instead use the experience to examine our mind. We question what causes us to feel embarrassed. And, if we are honest, we will acknowledge that we have developed a pretty solid and overrated impression of ourselves. This is why the words hurt.

The verse invites us to free ourselves from these habitual responses. Rather than protecting ourselves from the outer world, we use the light of wisdom to examine the target. We ask what is it that hurts. Under this kind of scrutiny, the target dissolves like ice under the midday sun. We regain our flexible and spacious mind. When this occurs, there is nothing for the words to hit. This is no small liberation.

The thirty-seven practices are an invitation to explore our mind. They are not indictments to abandon our responsibilities, but instead offer advise on how to deal with our world in a healthy and beneficial way.

© Leo Golan for Tibetan Incense Blog, 2009. |
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Post tags: Practice, Tibetan Buddhism

Tags: buddhism, Practice, Texts, tibetan buddhism

Allison Rubin, medicalnewstoday.com

The Boston Center for Refugee Health and Human Rights (BCRHHR) at Boston Medical Center recently treated many of the large number of Tibetan refugee monks who fled violent religious persecution. These individuals arrived in Boston suffering from symptoms of traumatic stress, interfering with their meditative practice. The monks were diagnosed by their traditional healers as having srog-rLung, a life-wind imbalance. Recognizing that barriers exist between western and eastern medicine, the BCRHHR researched and implemented its own complementary therapy options to heal them. These findings appear online in the March issue of Mental Health, Religion and Culture.

According to Tibetan medicine, a srog-rLung disturbance has the potential to develop into a serious mental illness, leaving the victim at odds with the balance of the universe as well as jeopardizing his personal health. Symptoms of srog-rLung include uncontrollable crying, worrying, excessive mental, physical or verbal activity and an unhappy mind. Other conditions affecting the monk’s health include anxiety, depression and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Tibetan Monk. (c) http://www.flickr.com/photos/larryhe

Research in cross-cultural health settings, particularly refugee health services, shows that successful treatment is contingent on a combination of the patient’s interpretation of the illness and biomedical categories. This allows the patient to actively participate in his or her own healing. Cross-cultural psychiatric assessment is also necessary in determining appropriate treatment options, as treatment can be detrimental if not harmonized with the religious context in which mental illness will develop for these monks. The BCRHHR used traditional healers to obtain a dual diagnosis for the development of holistic therapy that responds to both PTSD and srog-rLung.

“This research and treatment involving patients accustomed only to traditional medicine, presented an opportunity for the acceptance of non-traditional therapeutic approaches,” explains Michael Grodin, MD, professor of health law, bioethics and human rights at Boston University School of Public Health, and professor of psychiatry, sociomedical sciences and community medicine at Boston University School of Medicine. “The difference between Tibetan and Western disease pathologies represents the need for evidence-based complementary therapies, such as the Tibetan monks in exile and other religious refugee populations,” said Grodin.

Tibetan Buddhist tradition dictates that the cure for suffering is enlightenment, attainable through meditation. When this occurs, the body is freed from anxieties and fears. The monks who were treated for PTSD and srog-rLung are finding that meditation, once second nature, has become difficult after nights filled with flashbacks that put the monks in a state of hyper-vigilance for the next day.

According to the researchers, in order to provide complimentary therapy for the monks, eastern and western medicine needed to be integrated to properly address both conditions. The spiritual aspect of the Tibetan medical model, which is at the core of the monks’ experience of illness, guided this research. Ancient Tibetan Bon tradition of yogic practice was used to induce the mind into a relaxed state necessary to purify oneself through motion. This yogic practice combines movement of the body and controlled breath with movements of the mind to bring mental stability and offers an alternative to the monks’ inability to eliminate invasive thoughts. Another therapy that was used is singing bowl therapy - a form of music therapy, as sound has a direct connection to the heart, which aligns with srog-rLung experienced by the monks.

Grodin said the refugee health center at BMC integrated techniques of western medicine, such as anti-depressant prescribing and psychotherapy, with Tibetan healing practices, including medicines prescribed by Tibetan Amchi, meditation advice, Tai Chi and Qi Gong exercises. Grodin is trained in traditional Chinese medicine, such as acupuncture and meditation.

© Leo Golan for Tibetan Incense Blog, 2009. |
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Post tags: Medicine, Science, Tibetan Buddhism

Tags: buddhism, Medicine, Science, tibetan buddhism

Generally speaking, Buddhist symbols can be considered based on a particular culture and its followers. Everebody heard about Eight Auspicious Symbols, dorje and bell, mandala etc. Many of these symbols can be found in ancient India where Hinduism is the main religion. Their meaning and usage may however not be in the same light. The Buddha lived around the 6th Century B.C. However, no Buddhist art or artifacts are known to have been in existence by then. In the Buddhist holy writings, it is claimed that the Buddha would sometimes use Buddhist art or images such as the Wheel of Life to illustrate his teachings. Ornamental carvings have been found dating to the reign of Emperor Ashoka. Emperor Ashoka converted to Buddhism, thereby making this religion popular both in India and the countries in the vicinity.

Excavations of Buddhist art that have been discovered dating to the first century have mostly been symbolic by nature and their significance remained symbolic until the appearance of the Buddhist Tantra. This Buddhist used imagery and visualization as part of the Buddhist meditation. From here, Tibetan Buddhism was born and Buddhist temples began to have collections of Buddhist art and religious artifacts for Buddhist meditation purposes.

Symbols as the wheel, lotus and the stupa were found in almost any Buddhist temple. Reflecting on these symbols was regarded as part of the Buddhist meditation ritual. Let?s consider some of these symbols in the light of current Buddhist meditation and religious practices.

The bell is one of the symbols used and it serves a natural function and is said to drive out evil spirits. It consists of a lotus symbol, dorje and a moondisc. In religious rituals, the bell is harmonized with the dorje, another symbol. The bell is used to represent the feminine principle of wisdom while the dorje represents the masculine principle of compassion.

The dorje is a substantive symbol that represents the invincible state of Buddha hood. The dorje is actually a scepter and is regarded as a very important ritual item in Buddhism meditation practices.

Incense burning is also taken to be a significant part of Buddhism worship. During the incense offering, this is the time to offer specific requests of success, longevity and any personal need. After this, Buddhist meditation is performed and such qualities as love, joy and compassion are reflected upon during these meditation periods.

Some religious locations are also part of Buddhism. Mount Kailash is regarded as a Buddhist temple and a significant symbol of Buddhist worship. Taken to be the central point of the universe, Mount Kailash is a Himalayan peak and is considered out of bounds to climbers. Its religious attachment extends to 4 religions. These are Buddhism, Jainism, Bon and Hinduism.

Buddhist art forms are seen by many as visual mantras. The large assortments are usually located in the Buddhist temples. By contemplating on these religious Buddhist art forms, it is generally accepted that one will build an inner contact with the facet being represented.

Tags: buddhism, buddhist symbols, design, esoterica, ethnics, incense, india, meditation, oriental, spirituality, Symbols, tibet, tibetan buddhism

Early Tibetan Buddhist art was used to depict the life of Gautama Buddha in the Indian subcontinent in the sixth and fifth centuries BCE. Throughout Asia, Buddhism spread widely and with it its influence over Tibetan art and culture in Asia. The first traditions of Tibetan Buddhist art followed the practices of aniconic artwork, meaning that the use of Buddhist symbols and emblems to represent the Buddha and his travels and teachings without actually using a human form to represent the Buddha himself. This was the typical way that Tibetan Buddhist art was made until the first century CE, when the Buddha was finally represented in human appearance, which is still followed to this day. In every new country or region in Asia, where Buddhism went, Buddhist art followed its worshipers and artists as the faith developed in many different ways.

Tibetan Buddhist art is considered sacred and religious in nature, or was always thought of as religious in Asiatic cultures throughout the continent and in ancient Himalayan kingdoms such as Ladakh, Bhutan, and Nepal.

The Tibetan Buddhist art that was created previous to the middle of the twentieth century was steeped in traditional techniques and devoted to the vision of sacred iconography. Not only are the works of these early Tibetan Buddhist artists festooned with the central topics of philosophy and spirituality, they were also dedicated in showing the energy of the aesthetics that Tibetan Buddhist art was known for as it came into eminence during the growth of the various schools of Buddhism all over Asia and the regions it influenced with its presence over the years.

The main influence of Buddhism in the fourth century was the Mahayana influence, which was known for its emphasis on the denial of Nirvana in order to better help others in need. Chenrezig is the chief deity depicted in the Tibetan Buddhist art of this time period of Mahayana influence. He is most often as a god with a thousand arms and in each hand is an eye.

Another great influence in Tibetan Buddhist art is the Tantric influence, its main symbol being the diamond thunderbolt. Tantric influence art is most often depicted as having many gods with angry faces that actually represent guardians of those who are dedicated to the practice and teaching of Tantric Buddhism and the purging of negative thoughts.

In the Himalayas, a shamanistic tradition known as Bon is considered another great influence of Buddhism and Buddhist art. In this shamanistic practice, many local deities are depicted in Buddhist temples as being with the Buddha as their conqueror and are considered to serve him by keeping mischief and evil away from the people.

A great variety of techniques are used in Buddhist meditation in order to achieve mindfulness, concentration and the promotion of well being. Ancient texts were set down by priests and other practitioners of Buddhism to preserve the core techniques that are passed between teachers and pupils.

Tibetan Buddhist art also greatly influenced Hindu art, but in the tenth century, Buddhism was all but gone from the Indian subcontinent by the rise of popularity in Islam along with Hinduism.

© Leo Golan for Tibetan Incense Blog, 2009. |
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Post tags: Buddhism, Buddhist Art, Buddhist_Symbols, History, Tibetan Buddhism

Tags: buddhism, buddhist art, Buddhist_Symbols, History, Texts, tibetan buddhism

Often considered a religion, Buddhism is more a philosophy or way of life.

Buddhism began in India and is based on the teachings of Prince Siddhartha Gautama who was born in the city of Lumbini around 485 B.C. and was raised in Kapilavastu. Having led a sheltered existence, Siddhartha was exposed to the grim realities of life when he ventured outside the palace walls at the age of 29 for the first time. He witnessed the suffering caused by death, disease, old age and deprivation and decided to abandon the royal life for that of a spiritual seeker. He practiced different forms of self denial and soon realized that they were not productive.

Siddhartha then began practicing meditation and discovered the Middle Way, the path of moderation between self mortification and self indulgence. He meditated under a Fig tree (Bodhi tree) until he attained Nirvana (enlightenment) at the age of 35 and became a Buddha (enlightened one). He went on to establish a monastic order and teach the Dharma for the rest of his life.

Buddhism preaches the concept of Karma – the law of cause and effect. And Samsara – the cycle of suffering and rebirth. The basic concepts of Buddhism are:

• The Four Noble Truths
• The Noble Eightfold Path
• The Five Precepts

The Four Noble Truths:

1. Life is suffering
2. Suffering is caused by attachment to worldly desires
3. Suffering ceases when freedom from desire is achieved
4. Enlightenment is achieved by following the path of the Buddha

The Noble Eightfold Path:

1. Right View
2. Right Intention
3. Right Speech
4. Right Action
5. Right Livelihood
6. Right Effort
7. Right Mindfulness
8. Right Concentration

The Five Precepts – to abstain from:

1. Killing
2. Stealing
3. Sexual misconduct
4. Telling lies
5. Consuming intoxicants

The two main branches of Buddhism are:

• Theravada
• Mahayana

Therevada Buddhism aims to achieve introspection, individual enlightenment and the suppression of desire. Mahayana, or ‘Greater Vehicle’, encourages its practitioners to become Bodhisattvas – Buddha-like beings who delay the achievement of Nirvana in order to serve the faithful.

Mahayana is responsible for the evolution of Tibetan Buddhism which is characterized by Tantric ritualistic symbols and monastic discipline among its other features. Tibetan Buddhism is associated with the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader from Tibet.

Tibetan Buddhism

Mahayana also found its way to Japan and gave birth to Japanese Buddhism.
Japanese Buddhism today has four main schools:

• Amidist (Pure Land)
• Nichiren Buddhism
• Shingon Buddhism
• Zen Buddhism

Buddhism encourages mindfulness, or the kind of meditation that Buddha practiced, as referred to in the seventh step of the Eightfold Path. Buddhist Meditation in its most basic form concentrates on the breathing, to develop mindfulness, concentration and insight. The two most common types of Buddhist Meditation are Mindfulness of Breathing (anapana sati) and Loving Kindness Meditation (metta bhavana).

The spot where the Buddha meditated and achieved enlightenment is marked by the Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya. Traditional Buddhist Temples are designed to create inner and outer peace.

Tags: buddhism, buddhism pictures, buddhist art, buddhist meditation, buddhist temple, introduction to buddhism, japanese buddhism, tibetan buddhism