Transcript Tibetan Tantra Buddhism or Vajrayana - Buddhism

Tibetan Tantra Buddhism
or Vajrayana - Buddhism
In a nutshell!
Tibetan Buddhism History
• Tibetan ‘Bon’ religion indigenous religion of Tibet,
animistic (believing that nature
is pervaded by good and evil
spirits) and shamanistic
• Buddhism and Hindu Yoga
were introduced to Tibet in the
late 8th century and then more
steadily from the 13th century
onwards
• The Great tantric mystic Guru
Rinpoche blended these
three religions in 774 CE
resulting in Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism - politics
• Tibetan Buddhism exerted a
strong influence from the 11th
century AD among the peoples
of Central Asia, especially in
Mongolia and Manchuria. It
was adopted as an official
state religion by the Mongol
Yuan dynasty and the Manchu
Qing dynasty of China.
• Gave rise to a Theocracy –
hierarchy of monks or Lamas
that govern the country
• Dali Lama is both the worldly
and spiritual authority
Tibetan Buddhist Sacred Texts
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All available Buddhist text were
translated into Tibetan 11th – 14th
Centuries. Those original Buddhist
works that have been lost survive only
in their Tibetan translation
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Tibetan Buddhist canon includes the
sacred texts recognized by various
sects of Tibetan Buddhism, the
Tripitaka and Tantric texts.
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The most famous Tibetan Buddhist
text is the Bardo Thodol, popularly
known as the Tibetan Book of the
Dead.
Describes the experiences of the soul
during the interval between death and
rebirth. It is recited by lamas over a
dying or recently deceased person
Tibetan Buddhism Beliefs
Similarities with Mahayana Buddhism
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pantheon of Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and Dharma protectors
4 Noble Truths
Eight-Fold Path
Compassion
Monastic life
3 baskets – Tripitaka
rituals such as food and flower offerings
Religious pilgrimages
Religious festivals
Mantras and Mudras
Bodhisattvas
Tibetan Buddhism Beliefs cont.
Unique to Tibetan Buddhism
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religious pilgrimages
chanting prayers
Prayer wheels
Prostrating
Mandalas
Cham: a dance featuring sacred masked dances, sacred
music, healing chants, and spectacular richly
ornamented multi-colored costumes.
• Mudras - used by the monks to invite spiritual energies
which generate wisdom, compassion.
• monastic debate
Tibetan Beliefs - Images
Philosophy – Fight fire with fire
• Vajra – diamond. Buddha
elevated to a savior holding a
diamond scepter – evokes the
energetic rigor and clarity of
the diamond
• Task: to shut off the energy of
desire to accomplish the
cessation of suffering
• How: Harness this energy (of
desire) and turn it against itself
to propel the individual towards
enlightenment.
• Method: Chanting, Mandalas,
mudras, sex
Tibet Today
• Clergy: Lamas
(Oligarchy)
• Present Dali Lama - 14th
in a direct line of
succession – through
rebirth
• won Nobel Peace Prize
1989
• Currently living in exile in
Northern India
• Tibet – currently claimed
by the People’s Republic
of China