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----}+{----FAQforALT.RELIGION.BUDDHISM.TIBETAN----}+{----Sendyourcomments,additions,criticisms,etc.toShankara@io.com

Thepurposeofalt.buddhism.tibetanistoprovideaforumfordiscussionofthephilosophy,religiouspractices,anddevelopmentofVajrayana,theTibetanformofBuddhism.ThisgroupisalsointendedasaplacetopostannouncementsofupcomingeventswithinTibetanBuddhism,suchaslecturesandempowermentsgivenbyvariouslamasorotherscholars.

---ThepurposeofthisFAQistogivea_basic_understandingofafewkeytermsorconceptsthatmaybealittleconfusingforsomeonenewtothisrealm.ItisnotanauthoritativetextonTibetanBuddhism.Ifyouneedmoreinformation(ormoredetail),feelfreetoask.Despitethecurrentnegativeatmosphereinthepostings,therearesomesincereandcompassionateindividualshere.

1.What's'Vajrayana'?2.What'sTantra?3.WhatareLineages?4.Whatdoes'TakingRefuge'mean?5.Whatisan'Empowerment'?6.What'sa'RootLama'?7.Aren'tlamaspackanimals?

8.WhatareYidams?9.Whatarethosewrathfullookingbeings?DescriptionofSakyaTraditionBooklist

1.What'sVajrayana?/HowisTibetanBuddhismdifferent?

VajarayanaisthemostpopularformofBuddhisminTibet.Vajrayana(also'Mantrayana')isthethirdofthethreevehicleofBuddhism.'Yana'means'vehicle'.TheteachingsoftheBuddhaaredividedintothreeyanas:Hinayana,Mahayana,andVajrayana.Theravada,themostpopularschoolofHinayana('LesserVehcile')concentratesondisciplineandvirtue.Mahayana

concentratesmoreonaltruisticmotivations(compassion)andwisdom.Allthreeincorporatediscipline,compassion,andwisdomwithdifferentmethodsandmotivationstowardthecommonaspirationforEnlightenment.InVajrayana('DiamondVehicle')thecentralMahayanathemesofcompassionandemptinessaredealtwithusingsymbolicandpracticalsystemsoftechniqueandunderstanding.Thereisthebeliefthatenlightenmentcanbeattainedthroughthepropercombinationofwisdomandcompassion.Thethreevehiclesshouldnotbeconsideredasinconflictwitheachother.HinayaisafoundationforMahayana,justasMahayanaisforVajrayana.

2.Whataretantras?/WhatisTantra?

ThetantrasaretherootscripturesofVajrayana.Thetantrasare

textsascribedtotheBuddhainvariousmanifestations.Theyusuallydescribethemandala,mantra,andpracticeassociatedwithaparticulardeity/enlightenedbeing.Thesexualsymbolismoftantricsacredarthasledtosomemisunderstandings.Tantrictextsarenot'pillowbooks',andtheirpracticedependsondiscipline,notindulgence.

3.WhataretheLineages?/Whatisalineage?

TibetanBuddhismfocusesstronglyonmaintainingacontinuityof

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teachingtracedbacktotheBuddha.Therelationshipofthestudenttotheteacher(lamaorguru)isveryimportant.Thiscontinuityismaintainedthroughpracticelineages.Thetrueteachingscanonlybepassedfromalivingteachertoalivingstudent,andcannotbelearnedproperlyfrombooks.Sometimestheteachersareinsupernaturalform.Alineageisn'texactlya'school',buttheanalogyishelpfulforabasicdiscussion.TibetanBuddhismhasfourmainlineages:Gelug(schooloftheDalaiLama),Kagyu,Sakya,andNyingma.Eachofthesehasfurtherdivisionsaswell(suchasKarmaKagyuandShangpaKagyu).Gelugisconsideredthe'newest',startedin1409withthefoundationofGadenMonastery.PopularthoughtisthatGelugpasemphasizemonasticdisciplineandintellectualacuity,Kagyupasmeditation,Sakyapasscholarlyactivity,andNyingmapasgurudevotion.Theseemphasesshouldnotbeexaggeratedthough;alltheschoolsadvocateallformsofdharmaactivity.

4.Whatis'TakingRefuge'?

TheBuddhistpathbeginswithtakingrefuge.Wetakerefugeinthethreejewels,Buddha,Dharma,andtheSangha.TheBuddhaservesasourexample,Dharmaasourpath,andtheSanghaasourcompanionsonthepath.TibetanBuddhismaddsthreemorerefuges(TheThreeRoots):theLama(s),theassemblageofYidams(meditationaldeities),andtheassemblageofGuardians(Herukas,Dakinis,Dharmapalas).Onthephysicallevelthisisjustrepeatingthevow,butthereisaninnerlevel.Wearesurrenderingto

forceswithinusthataremorecontinuousthanourtransientego,andassertingourcommitmenttounfreezingtheseforcestoletthemworkthroughus.

5.Whatisan'Empowerment'?

Empowermentsarefurtherdevelopmentsofwhatisstartedbytakingrefuge.Theseare'initiations'thathelpclearawayobstaclestoourseeingthingsastheytrulyare.TheTibetanwordis'wangkur'(dbang-skur),'wang'issomethinglike'power'.Thepowerisinthesensethatthepersonisallowinggreaterscopetomorefundamentallywholesomeaspectsoperatingwithin.Empowermentsusuallyinvolvearitualwherethelamapurifiestheaspirantandintroduceshim/hertoamandala,whichisdescribedfullyand

theassociatedmantra(achant).Theaspirantisencouragedtoconsiderthemandalaasarepresentationofhis/hertruenature.TheEmpowermentofadeityhelpstodeveloptheparticularpsychologicalaspects/herepresents.

6.What'sa'RootLama'?

'RootLama'referstoateacherfromwhomonehadreceivedtheempowerments,instructions,andpreceptsthatformthecenterofone'sownpractice.

7.Aren'tlamaspackanimals?

No,thosearellamas.LamaisatitlemuchliketheSanskrit'Guru'.

Lamasareexperiencedandlearnedbuddhistteachers.Thetermisoftenusedtorefertothemembersofthe'clergy'ingeneral.ThewordcomesfromtheTibetan'la'(from'lanamepa'),"insurpassable",plus'ma',"mother".Theallusionistothegreatcompassionamotherhasforherchild.Assourcesforrefuge(see#4)theyaretheRootofSpiritualBlessing,whichtheybestowonusinEmpowerments(see#5).

8.WhatareYidams?

(See#4onTakingRefuge)Yidamsaremeditationaldeitiesthat

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symbolizevariousaspectsEnlightenment.AssourcesforrefugetheyaretheRootofAccomplishments.AccomplishmentsreferstotheSupremeAccomplishmentofBuddhahood,andordinaryaccomplishmentsoflonglife,wealth,etc.

9.Whatarethosewrathfullookingbeings?

DharmaProtectorsandGuardians,theyareembodimentsofWisdom.Theyareusuallyrepresentedhavingaterrifyingappearance;theyareinvokedtoeliminateobstaclestothepathtowardEnlightenment.Assourcesofrefugethey(alongwithDakasandDakinis)aretheRootofAllBuddhaActivity.

From:XPAT@vm1.spcs.umn.eduTheSakyaTraditionofTibetanBuddhism---------------------------------------

Background:TheSakya-paTradition(orGreyEarthSchool)gathersitsnamefromamonasteryfoundedin1073atSakya,south-westernTibetbyKhonKonchogGyalpo.TheKhonclanhadbeenadherentsoftheNyingma-paschool,intenselypractisingtheVajrakilayaTantra,untilreceivingtheLamDre(thePathanditsFruit)meditationalsysteminalineoftransmissionfromMahasiddhaVirupa.TheLamDreteachingshavebeentransmittedinanunbrokenlinetothecurrentand41stthroneholder,HisHolinessSakyaTrizin(1945-),widelyconsideredanincarnation

ofManjushri.Therearetwosub-sectsofthemainSakyaschool:TheNgor-paheadedbyLudingKhenRinpoche()andtheTshar-pa,ledbyChogayTrichenRinpoche(1920-).

TheLamDreteachingshastheviewof"ClarityandEmptinessfreefromapprehension"andthe"nondifferentiationofsamsaraandnirvana".

ThesutricaspectoftheSakyafocusonthetraditionsofNagarjunaandMaitrinatha.Thetantricaspectfocusesonrecognizingtheordinarymindandthentomeditateonitsunionofclarityandemptiness.Thespecialrealizationthatresultsiscalledthesal-tongzung-jugorkhordeyermewhichdiffersslightlyfromdzog-chenoftheNyingma-pa,mahamudraoftheKagyu-pa,ortheumachenpooftheGelug-pa.Themethodstoattainthis

viewarealsoslightlydifferent,butare,inessencetheMadhyamakaviewofultimatereality.TheHevajra,Vajrayogini,andVajrakilayaarethemostwidelypractisedtantrasintheSakyatradition.

BookList

"FreedominExile"TheDalaiLama'sautobiography.

"TheTibetanBookoftheDead"Variouseditions/translationsareoutthereofthisclassic.

"TantricMysticismofTibet"

byJohnBlofield.AssumesthereaderhasabitofbackgroundknowledgeofBuddhism.DealswithTantricMeditation.

"OpenHeart,ClearMind"byThubtenChodron,excellenteasy-to-readandpracticalintrotoTibetanBuddhism.

Someoftheinformationinthisfaqcomeswithoutpermissionfromthe"Tibetan-EnglishDharmaVocabulary"preparedbyKagyuThubtenCholing,

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127WappingersFalls,NY.