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Tibetan Buddhism

  
 
Mmothra
16:51 / 21.06.05
I am part of the Shambhala sangha here in San Francisco and wondered if there might be any other Vajrayanists lurking on the boards. My interest in Tibetan Buddhism grew out of my involvement in and frustration with Western Occultism and its practitioners. Subsequently I have found that this path suits me quite well and has delivered more in a relatively short period of time than any other system I have employed.

Anyone else?


Mark
 
 
Unconditional Love
20:31 / 21.06.05
i am very intrested in this area but, have no idea where to start really. ive read a book on dzogchen which i liked and skimmed tibetan yoga and the secret doctrines, i am listening to alot of Thich Nhat Hanh, and am finding him really concise and clear, i like the simplicity of the zen/chan traditions, yet am attracted by the vibrancy of the tibetan traditions.
 
 
Mmothra
22:42 / 21.06.05
Check out Reginald Ray's books "Indestructable Truth: The Living Spirituality of Tibetan Buddhism" and "Secrets of the Vajra World: The Tantric Buddhism of Tibet"...they are a hefty two-volume set (available seperately) but an amazingly detailed and user friendly introduction to Tibetan Buddhism and Vajrayana.
 
 
Gypsy Lantern
08:25 / 22.06.05
Subsequently I have found that this path suits me quite well and has delivered more in a relatively short period of time than any other system I have employed.

Can you talk a bit more about that? What is it that appeals to you about Tibetan Buddhism? What do you get from it? What do your practices involve? What benefits have you personally got from it?

If any of it is too personal to discuss in a public forum, obviously don't feel compelled to, but I don't know much about this area and I'm interested in your experiential thoughts on it.
 
 
illmatic
10:05 / 22.06.05
I think your mention of the Sangha (community?) here is really interesting. Is it the involement with a community that has helped you? Isn't sangha one of the three places one goes to when taking refuge? Being around a small "community" has been really important for my own practice. "Direct personal experience and good company are the two clear eyes of the seeker" (Kularnva Tantra)

I'm not heavily into vajrayana myself, but have found a lot of buddhist writing very inspiring, especially the teachings on compasion. Not got a lot time at the mo, will try a more involved post later. I'd be very interested in an experiential also.
 
 
Mmothra
15:15 / 22.06.05
Well, it is somewhat personal but since I raised this whole mishegas I suppose I can try to answer...but I will keep it somewhat general.

What hooked me was the diversity of approaches, the tolerance for eccentricity (that yogic heritage), the incredible dignity and intelligent faith of the Tibetans I have had the pleasure of spending time with, the gut-wrenching self-revealing I experienced through reading Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche's "Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism", the warmth of the community I found at the SF Shambhala sangha, and perhaps most importantly, the incredible simplicity and power of shamatha/vipashyna meditation.

It may sound cliched, but actually getting your ass on the cushion day after day is an incredible accomplishment. I never expected myself to become a regular meditator but I have...and the change to my relationship to my environment, my work, my relationship, and myself...all that has been enhanced and made more gentle and relaxed. I have been able to apply maitri ("loving-kindness") more often to myself (something extremely difficult for Westerners according to many Tibetan teachers)and to others.

The sangha is definitely important and if you have not meditated in a group setting, I highly recommend it. I reckon that there is a psychological aspect of perceiving oneself being observed that enhances "performance" (there have been studies on animals that suggest that learning and subsequent performance are bettered by this) but sitting in the shrine room with 20 other folks in complete silence for an hour and a half, then chanting the evening invocations together, and then bowing in unison to the three jewels (the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha)creates a real sense of purpose...ye olde superordinate goal of liberating all sentient beings.

So yes, I drank the kool-aid and it has been one of the best things I ever did. I hope that answers at least some of the questions. Feel free to ask more if you like.

Warm regards,

Mark
 
 
Darumesten's second variety
15:45 / 22.06.05
I've been always quite interested in buddhism but most of the stuff I've read was more about Zen and Mahayana Buddhism .. What are the differences ( with any ) or peculiarities of Tibetan Buddhism ?
 
 
Gypsy Lantern
15:58 / 22.06.05
Thanks for that, care to talk a bit more about this meditation you mention? What does it involve?

and perhaps most importantly, the incredible simplicity and power of shamatha/vipashyna meditation.
 
 
Mmothra
16:28 / 22.06.05
Shamatha is usually called "peaceful abiding" and it is a relatively standard one-pointed meditation technique. I focus on the breath, others use the physical sensation of the their rising and falling abdomen, etc. Shamatha was not traditionally taught untl fairly late in the training of monks because it was felt to be an advanced practice. Chogyam Trungpa decided when he came to the US that it was exactly the practice needed and so he flipped the training regimen on its head (sort of). Vipashyna (aka Vipassana) is seen in two different ways...it can either be meditation on a bit of dharma teaching and looking for a physical, visceral response to the teaching and then examining that feeling or it can be a deep, reflective exercise where insights emerge and are examined in a mindful way. Clearly, there is nothing particularly complex about these techniques...but they produce results.

I should say that if you can go get meditation instruction, do it. I meditated on my own off and on for years but the instruction I got was incredibly valuable in terms of posture, dealing with discursive thoughts, and a lot of other subtleties that I had basically ignored or thought were part of meditating and that most definitely are not. We carry around so many misconceptions that if you can find a local center (and at most Buddhist centers instruction is free), go get expert advice.

Regarding Tibetan Buddhism as compared to Zen and Mahanaya...Zen actually *is* Mahayana. I didn't know that for a long time either. The tradition of Bodhisattvas is a tip-off and Kannon (Japanese)/Quanyin (Chinese)is the female version of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. Something really like and admire about Buddhism is that it molds itself to the cultural milieu it finds itself in...and this is true in Tibet where the indiginous Bon shamanic traditions melted into Buddhist belief and practice. Many of the local gods and tribal leaders became Dharma Protectors and/or wrathful emanations of Bodhisattvas. The physical landscape and nomadic component of Tibetan life is reflected in the utilization of thangkas which are portable meditation and teaching illustrations. There is a richness and dynamism in Tibetan Buddhism that is characteristic of the Tibetan people and probably heakens back to the height of Indian Buddhism before the Muslim invasions for the most part eradicated it. As I mentioned earlier, Reginald Ray's books are a terrific overview of the history of Buddhism in Tibet and the overall belief system.
 
  
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