Origins of Buddhism in Tibet

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Origins of Buddhism in Tibet

• Vajrayana and the Triumph of this Third Vehicle

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Bon (pre-Buddhist religion)

• Shenrap Miwo
• Zhang-zhung (Shang-shung)  
• 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. 

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Three Practices / Three Mysteries
Mantra Voice/Speech
Mandala Consciousness/Mind
Mudra Body
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Tibetan Diamond Realm Vajradhatu mandala
Maha Vairocana Buddha Jap. Vajradhatu mandala
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• Pivotal Events of the Old or Early
  Translation Period The Three Principal
  Religious Buddhist Kings of Tibet
• Song-tsen gampo (Srong-brtsan sgam-po) (ca. 650
  CE)
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• Principal Establisher of Tibetan Empire
• Two symbolic wives  Bhrikuti (Nepal) and Wen
  Cheng (China)
• Introducer of Buddhism into Tibet formally
•  

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Tibetan Empire ca. 800 CE
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Songtsän Gampo (Wylie Srong-brtsan Sgam-po)
(born ca. 609-613, died 650) is the great king
who expanded Tibet's power and is credited with
inviting Buddhism to Tibet.
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Nying ma (peak period  8th 11th century)

• Trisong Detsen   (755-797)
• Builder of Samye monastery
• Holder of debates in logic and magic
• Kamalasila and the Hwa shang debate (ca. 790-792
  CE)
• Conqueror of Chinese capital ruler of Central
  Asian Tibetan empire

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The Holy Three of  Tibet

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

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Nying ma (peak period  8th 11th century)

• The Holy Three
• Trisong Detsen
• Samye monastery
• Shantaraksita
• Padmasambhava

Yeshe Tsogyal Consort of Padmasambhava
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Yab-Yum, Father/Mother Padmasambhava in Union
with Yeshe Tsogyal
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  Vairocana Akshobhya Ratnasambhava Amitabha Amogasiddha
Name Buddha Supreme and Eternal The Radiant One Immovable or Unshakable Buddha Source of Precious Things or Jewel-Born One Buddha of Infinite Light Almighty Conquerer or Lord of Karma
Direction Center East South West North
Color white blue yellow red green
Mudra dharmachakra (wheel-turning) bhumisparsa (witness) varada (charity) dhyana abhaya (fearlessness)
Vija (Syllable) Om Hum Trah Hrih Ah
Symbol wheel thunderbolt jewel (ratna) or Three Jewels (triratna) lotus double thunderbolt
Embodies sovereignty steadfastness compassion light dauntlessness
Type of wisdom integration of the wisdom of all the Buddhas Mirror-like wisdom of equality discriminating all-accomplishing
Cosmic element (skandha) rupa (form) vijnana (consciousness) vedana (sensation) sanjna (name or perception) samskara (volition)
Earthly element space water earth fire air
Antidote to ignorance and delusion anger and hatred desire and pride malignity envy and jealousy
Sense sight sound smell taste touch
Vehicle lion elephant horse peacock (because of eyes on its plumes) garuda (half-man, half-bird)
Spiritual son Manjushree Vajrapani Ratnapani Avalokiteshvara Vajrapani
Consort White Tara Locana Mamaki Pandara Green Tara
Paradise   Abhirati, the Land of Exceeding Great Delight   Sukhavati, Western Paradise, or Pure Land  
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End of Empire

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

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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)

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4. Kriyatantra

• View-All phenomena are without self-nature (chos
  thams chad ngobo nyid med pa rtogs). It is free
  from the four limiting concepts of existence and
  non-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
• Meditation-  You visualize yourself, the dam
  tshig sems dpa', usually in your ordinary form,
  as subject and the deity, the ye shes sems dpa',
  in front of oneself as if a king and to obtain
  blessings, siddhis, from the wisdom deity
  (yidam).
•   Action-Cleanliness, concentration, fasting and
  mantra recitation. The path is to make offerings
  to the deity.
• Fruit-The result is the attainment of the state
  of "vajra holder of the three families" (Rigs
  gsum rdo rje dzin pai sa) These are Tathagata
  or body family (sKu de bzhin gshegs pai rigs),
  lotus or speech family (gSung pad mai rigs) and
  vajra of wisdom-mind family (Thugs rdo rje rigs).
  Other versions explain this as "realization of
  the three Kayas and five Wisdoms of perfect
  Buddhahood"

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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

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6. Yogatantra

• View-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
  phenomena are perceived as the sphere of the
  Vajradhatu mandala of adamantine space
• wisdom deity (yidam) remains before you, then
  when invited the yidam merges with you like water
  being poured into water.

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7. Mahayoga

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

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8. Anuyoga

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

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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) the 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 ones
  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.

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Nyingma Six States of the Intermediate or
Bardo

• Natural or Life bardo - Time of life to death
• 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.
• 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.
• 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. 
• 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).
• Rebirth - This state is entered after the
  Reality bardo - consciousness takes the form of a
  mental body which has been conditioned based on
  the individuals past actions. One may step
  through the clear light screen and attain to
  Buddhahood. Otherwise, the nearest womb with a
  copulating couple is ones 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.

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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 (823-840 CE
  ) an end of early Buddhocracy and an end to
  informal tantra

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The Sarma or New Period

• Shift from Yogacara to Madhyamaka emphases
• Atisha (982-1054 AD) and 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

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

• Kadam
• Cult of Tara
• Three scopes of Mahayana
• Renunciation, generation, attainment
• Entering mandala, bodhicitta deity, dharmakaya
  sunyata

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Ruins of Vikramasila monastic University, Bihar
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Nying ma in the Sarma

• Terma text
• Development of the Bardo doctrine
• Lang Chenpa or Lang-chen Rabjam (1308-1363)
  Systematizing Dzogchen
• Cutting immediately and Skipping or Passing
  gradually
• Chod ritual
• Chan like meditation doctrine
• Dzogchen already awakened, thought must be
  stopped!
• Still, tantra makes it different

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Kagyu(peak period  11th 13th century)

• Marpa the translator (1012- 1096)

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Kagyu(peak period  11th 13th century)

• Milarepa 1052-1135 - Tibets great Yogin

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Kagyu(peak period  11th 13th century)

• Gampopa 1079-1153
• The Union of Vinaya and Tantra in a Tibetan
  master
• Sutra Mahamudra
• Sympathy with Nyingma concerns

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

•   Sakyapandita Kunga Gyaltsen 1182-1251 CE
• 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

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Kublai Khan
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Mongolian Empire at its peak(ca. 1294)
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Gelukpa(peak period  14th 20th century)

• Tsong kha pa (1357-1419)
• Sunyata 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
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Ganden Monastery founded 1409 And the Three
Seats
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Gelukpa(peak period  14th 20th century)

• Tsong kha pa (1357-1419)
• Lam Rim Chen mo - The Great Stages of the Path
  to Awakening
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• The Three Scopes of Practitioner
• 1.  persons of low motivation
• 2. person of medium motivation
• 3. person of high motivation

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Gelukpa(peak period  14th 20th century)

• Karma Paksi (1204-1283) the first tulku
• First Dalai Lama Gendun Drup (Tsong kha pa's
  close disciple)
• Third Dalai Lama (actually the First) Sonam
  Gyatso (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

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Gelukpa(peak period  14th 20th century)

• The Fifth Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso
  (1617-1682) tulku and bodhisattva 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 Qing
• The gshugs bden controversy

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Potala Palace
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Manchu Empire at its peak (ca. 1800)
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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?

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Ris med Non-sectarianism

• Mid 19th century
• Pabongkha and Gelukpa supremacy

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The Buddhist Holocaust

• Tibet and the Loss of a Nation
• Padmasambhavas 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

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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