Origins of Buddhism in Tibet

Vajrayana and the Triumph of this Third Vehicle

Bon (pre-Buddhist religion) (preShenrap Miwo  Zhang-zhung (Shang-shung) Zhang(Shang Differentiates the tradition of Sakyamuni from that of the false, evil doctrine of an unmistakable tantric type  Bon nyid - yundrung bon, Eternal bon  Guntu Sangpo, known to Buddhists as the same Samantabhadra, Benevolence Everywhere.

Three Practices / Three Mysteries

Mantra Voice/Speech

Mandala

Consciousness/Mind

Mudra

Body

Tibetan Diamond Realm Vajradhatu Vajradhatu mandala

mandala; Maha Vairocana Buddha; Jap.

Pivotal Events of the Old or Early Translation Period : The Three Principal Religious Buddhist Kings of Tibet SongSong-tsen gampo (Srong(Srongbrtsan sgam-po) (ca. 650 sgamCE) Principal Establisher of Tibetan Empire


Two symbolic wives: Bhrikuti (Nepal) and Wen Cheng (China)

Introducer of Buddhism into Tibet formally

Tibetan Empire ca. 800 CE

Songtsn Gampo (Wylie: Srong-brtsan Sgam-po) Wylie: SrongSgam-po) (born ca. 609-613, died 650) is the great king who 609expanded Tibet's power and is credited with inviting Buddhism to Tibet.

Nying ma (peak period: 8th 11th century)



Trisong Detsen (755-797) (755Builder of Samye monastery



Holder of debates in logic and magic



Kamalasila and the Hwa shang debate (ca. 790790792 CE)

Conqueror of Chinese capital ruler of Central Asian Tibetan empire

The Holy Three of Tibet

 

King Thrisong Detsen Establisher of Formal Samgha, Monastery and Peak of Tibetan Empire Padmasambhava Tantrin invited by Thrisong Detsen to subdue native shamanic spirits Shantaraksita scholar/pandit invited from India to oversee construction of Monastery (and teach and translate); sent Kamalasila to debate the Chinese monk

 

 

Nying ma (peak period: 8th 11th century)

The Holy Three  Trisong Detsen Samye monastery  Shantaraksita  Padmasambhava

Yeshe Tsogyal: Consort of Padmasambhava

Yab-Yum, Father/Mother Padmasambhava in Union with Yeshe Tsogyal

Vairocana
Name Buddha Supreme and Eternal; The Radiant One Center white dharmachakra (wheelturning) Om wheel sovereignty integration of the wisdom of all the Buddhas rupa (form) space ignorance and delusion sight lion Manjushree White Tara

Akshobhya
Immovable or Unshakable Buddha East blue bhumisparsa (witness) Hum thunderbolt steadfastness Mirror-like

Ratnasambhava
Source of Precious Things or Jewel-Born One South yellow varada (charity) Trah jewel (ratna) or Three Jewels (triratna) compassion wisdom of equality

Amitabha
Buddha of Infinite Light West red dhyana Hrih lotus light discriminating

Amogasiddha
Almighty Conquerer or Lord of Karma North green abhaya (fearlessness) Ah double thunderbolt dauntlessness all-accomplishing

Direction Color Mudra Vija (Syllable) Symbol Embodies Type of wisdom

Cosmic element (skandha) Earthly element Antidote to Sense Vehicle Spiritual son Consort Paradise

vijnana (consciousness) water anger and hatred sound elephant Vajrapani Locana Abhirati, the Land of Exceeding Great Delight

vedana (sensation) earth desire and pride smell horse Ratnapani Mamaki

sanjna (name or perception) fire malignity taste peacock (because of eyes on its plumes) Avalokiteshvara Pandara Sukhavati, Western Paradise, or Pure Land

samskara (volition) air envy and jealousy touch garuda (half-man, halfbird) Vajrapani Green Tara

End of Empire
  

The reign of Trisong Detsn (756-797) (756The Reign of Ralpacan (815-838) (815The reign of Glang Darma (838-842) The (838Mahavyutpatti.

Nine Nyingma Tantric Yanas



1. Shravakayana 2. Pratyekayana 3. Mahayana Vajrayana (consisting of) [1] Outer Tantras 4. Kriyatantra 5. Upatantra practice tantra 6. Yogatantra [2] Inner Tantras 7. Mahayoga 8. Anuyoga 9 Atiyoga (also Dzog Chen)

   

4. Kriyatantra


 

ViewView-All phenomena are without self-nature (chos thams chad ngobo nyid selfmed pa rtogs). It is free from the four limiting concepts of existence and nonnon-existence, appearance and emptiness. Phenomena are viewed as the mandala of enlightened deities. Type of tantra places greater emphasis on practicing proper external behavior, physical and verbal conduct aimed at purification and simple visualisation practice MeditationMeditation- You visualize yourself, the dam tshig sems dpa', usually in your dpa', ordinary form, as subject and the deity, the ye shes sems dpa', in front of dpa', oneself as if a king and to obtain blessings, siddhis, from the wisdom deity siddhis, (yidam). yidam). ActionAction-Cleanliness, concentration, fasting and mantra recitation. The path is to make offerings to the deity. FruitFruit-The result is the attainment of the state of "vajra holder of the three families" (Rigs gsum rdo rje dzin pa i sa) These are Tathagata or body (Rigs sa) family (sKu de bzhin gshegs pa i rigs), lotus or speech family (gSung pad (sKu rigs), ma i rigs) and vajra of wisdom-mind family (Thugs rdo rje rigs). Other wisdom(Thugs rigs). versions explain this as "realization of the three Kayas and five Wisdoms of perfect Buddhahood"

5. Upatantra or Caryayoga Engagement tantra



The meditation is to visualize the wisdom deity in front of you "like a brother or a friend" and to receive blessings and siddhis from the wisdom deity. It lays more emphasis on developing both external and internal faculties with the goal of achieving a deeper affinity with the meditational deity

6. Yogatantra


ViewView-All phenomena are free from all diffuse characteristics. This is the view of luminosity inseparable from great emptiness . That is absolute truth. Relative truth is transmitted through the realization of Dharmata, that all Dharmata, phenomena are perceived as the sphere of the Vajradhatu mandala of adamantine space wisdom deity (yidam) remains before you, then (yidam) when invited the yidam merges with you like water being poured into water.

7. Mahayoga


Sometimes known as the Father Tantra, Mahayoga is the generative phase of visualizing the deity as being luminosity inseparable from great emptiness. ViewView-This is to realize the inseparability of phenomena and great emptiness Meditation-The skilful means to attain the Meditationinseparability of emptiness and form is to envision everything as the pure mandala of the deities. This is relative truth.

8. Anuyoga


ViewView- The three mandalas of: Kuntuzangmo, the unborn dharmadhatu (dByings skye med kun tu bzang mo i dkyil khor); whose unobstructed skillful means of luminosity is the mandala of Samantabhadra/Kuntuzangpo, the yeshe Samantabhadra/Kuntuzangpo, wisdom (Ye.shes kun tu.bzang po i dkyil (Ye.shes khor); khor); and their inseparable union is the mandala of Great Bliss their son (Sras bde (Sras ba chen po i dkyil khor).

9. Atiyoga and Dzogchen



The traditional view is that Atiyoga was transmitted mind to mind at the very beginning of time by Adibuddha, the Primordial Buddha Samantabhadra (Kun tu bzang-po) bzangthe Dharmakaya aspect of Buddha, to Vajrasattva It is the direct approach to the essential nature of the mind, which is Buddha nature through the recognition of the naked awareness state of one s own mind. The view is established that all phenomena are spontaneously enlightened from the beginning. Use the spontaneous wisdom of the sambhogakaya and achieve the rainbow body of the nirmanakaya, which is spontaneous luminosity.

Nyingma: Six States of the Intermediate or Bardo

1.

Natural or Life bardo - Time of life to death 2. meditative concentration - stability in the generation and perfection stages of meditation and deepens the awareness of the ultimate nature of mind preparation for the death bardo. 3. Dreaming - similarity between the illusory nature of dreams and reality. One learns to maintain the ultimate nature of mind an phenomena during sleep and dreaming. 4. Death Begins at death (respiration), ends with the onset of the onset of the Reality bardo, and is the gradual dissolution of the five elements and consciousness with the inner radience of the ground - visions of clear light. 5. Reality arises after the death bardo and ends before the life bardo. The natural purity and natural transformative qualities of the ultimate nature of mind occurs in the form of luminosities, rays, sounds, and meditational deities, noted by visions of various Buddha forms . One experiences the surroundings where they died and experiential states which are powered by the individuals past actions (karmically impelled hallucinations). 6. Rebirth - This state is entered after the Reality bardo - consciousness takes the form of a mental body which has been conditioned based on the individual s past actions. One may step through the clear light screen and attain to Buddhahood. Otherwise, the nearest womb with a copulating couple is one s new home. - Thus the six bardos are the classification of the 6 types of consciousnesses, where each state forms an intermediate state between other states of consciousness.

Nying ma (peak period: 8th 11th century)



Adoption of Sanskrit alphabet variant (Lantsa) Full importation of texts with direct translations from India Giant monastic centers established patterned after Indian model Ended with assassination of Ralpachen (823(823-840 CE ) an end of early Buddhocracy and an end to informal tantra

The Sarma or New Period



Shift from Yogacara to Madhyamaka emphases Atisha (982-1054 AD) (982and the Kadam: the great Indian reformer and writer of first Lam Rim or "Path Stages" text


 

High Lama and King Yeshe Od and the search for true dharma Clean it up chums! Three scopes

The Sarma or New Period: Atisha (982-1054 AD) (982  

Kadam Cult of Tara Three scopes of Mahayana

 

Renunciation, generation, attainment Entering mandala, bodhicitta = deity, dharmakaya = sunyata

Ruins of Vikramasila monastic University, Bihar

Nying ma in the Sarma

  

Terma text Development of the Bardo doctrine Lang Chenpa or Lang-chen Rabjam (1308Lang(13081363): Systematizing Dzogchen
 

Cutting immediately and Skipping or Passing gradually Chod ritual

Ch an
 

like meditation doctrine

Dzogchen already awakened, thought must be stopped! Still, tantra makes it different

Kagyu (peak period: 11th 13th century)



Marpa the translator (1012(1012- 1096)

Kagyu (peak period: 11th 13th century)



Milarepa 105210521135 - Tibet s great Yogin

Kagyu (peak period: 11th 13th century)



Gampopa 1079-1153 1079

 

The Union of Vinaya and Tantra in a Tibetan master Sutra Mahamudra Sympathy with Nyingma concerns

Sakya: Advisors to the Khans (peak period: 12th 14th century)



Sakyapandita Kunga Gyaltsen 1182-1251 CE 1182

 

Chinese Dzogchen and Mahamudra should be avoided Buton: the Hwa shang is a buffoon Priest/Patron relationship begins


Godon Khan: 1247

 

Pakpa Hereditary transmission: the Khon family

Kublai Khan

Mongolian Empire at its peak (ca. 1294)

Gelukpa (peak period: 14th 20th century)

Tsong kha pa (1357-1419): (1357Sunyata and the conventional world all Buddhist systems mutually reinforcing Vaibhasika, Sautrantika, Yogacara, Madhyamaka (Svatantrika and Prasangika) The dangers of overnegation! Education of the Geshe Abhisamayalankara, Madhymakavatara, Abhidharmakosa, Vinaya - Pramanavartikka

Ganden Monastery founded 1409 And the Three Seats

Gelukpa (peak period: 14th 20th century)

Tsong kha pa (1357-1419): (1357Lam Rim Chen mo - The Great Stages of the Path [to Awakening]
   

The Three Scopes of Practitioner 1. persons of low motivation 2. person of medium motivation 3. person of high motivation

Gelukpa (peak period: 14th 20th century)

 

Karma Paksi (1204-1283) the first tulku (1204First Dalai Lama: Gendun Drup (Tsong kha pa's close disciple) Third Dalai Lama (actually the First) Sonam Gyatso (1543(1543-1588), received the name Dalai from his Mongolian patron and follower Altan Khan in 1578 Panchen Lama - In the 17th century, the Fifth Dalai Lama declared his tutor, the abbot of the Tashilhunpo monastery, Panchen Lama or the "Great Scholar" Lama. This abbot, by retroactively applying the title to the three abbots preceding him, thereby became the Fourth Panchen Lama

Gelukpa (peak period: 14th 20th century)



The Fifth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso (1617-1682) tulku and (1617bodhisattva in one


 

The Mongol Chieftain Gushri Khan sided with Geluks against Kagyu King of Tsang The Great Fifth declared temporal ruler of Tibet 1644: the Manchus or Chichen or Q ing The gshugs bden controversy

Potala Palace

Manchu Empire at its peak (ca. 1800)

Other Dalai Lamas

 

Importance of the regent The Sixth Dalai Lama - preferred going to brothels and writing love poetry than ruling the nation - where is Avalokitesvara? Avalokitesvara?

Ris med: Non-sectarianism Non 

Mid 19th century Pabongkha and Gelukpa supremacy

The Buddhist Holocaust

 

Tibet and the Loss of a Nation Padmasambhava s prophecy



"When the iron bird flies, and horses run on wheels, The Tibetan people will be scattered like ants across the World, And the Dharma will come to the land of the Red Man."

13th: prophesied disaster

14th Dalai Lama



British, Russian, Chinese and Americans:



Playing the Great Game

Central and East Asian Buddhisms

   

 

The role of Yogacara and Madhyamaka The role of Vajrayana versus Mahayana The role played by great monasteries The issue of sudden versus gradual awakening The text focus: Sutras versus Shastras The role of Taoism/Confucianism versus shamanism