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From: Greg Marshall <gmarshal@lib.drury.edu>
To: mmobley@lib.drury.edu, bcowens@lib.drury.edu,
anewton@lib.drury.edu
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Class went well on Monday, and I think we all
probably get the jist of Vajrayana, what it is, and where it came from.
What we didn't discuss, however, was Fenton, ch. 9 and where it went. So,
in recognition of us all having the same notes as well as in an effort
to save a little time, I'll just address ch. 9 right now.
Fenton noted in the previous chapter that the
Vajrayana sect had most of its popularity in North and Eastern India (127).
If we look on the map provided on pg 134, we can see that bordering this
region is Tibet. Fenton also notes that Tibetan Buddhism is a direct descendant
of the Vajrayana tradition (148). We can suspect that it was changed some
upon its adoption by the Tibetan culture, though they must have suited
each other fairly well considering the "rich, almost voluptuous" nature
of Vajrayana and the "rich iconography" of Tibet.
So the Vajrayana elements of Buddhism are alive
and well and living in Tibet, whereupon the religious structure undergoes
a number of adaptions to the social conditions. Fenton seperates this history
into three periods: establishment, reestablishment after the persecution,
and the Dalai Lamas (149).
Establishment: King Songtsengempo, who established
the central government, is credited with introducing Buddhism to this region
by marrying a woman from China and one from Nepal. This is probably more
symbolic than historic, though. From there, it seems to have become spread
by missionaries (Padmasamhava) across the region, challenging villiage
dieties with Vajrayana magic and winning (149).
Reestablishment: King Langdarma (c. 836 C.E.)
began a "vigorous supression" of Buddhism upon his sucession to the throne,
but was assassinated in 842 by a deviously clever Buddhist. Apparently
for about a century after his death, there was no central authority in
Tibet. During this time, Buddhism slowly began to creep back out of the
woodwork, so to speak, and reestablish itself as the religion of Tibet.
However, now there were adaptations for a new culture to be considered.
New schools of Buddhism were invented to answer the needs of a new generation
of Buddhists. These schools are Kadampa, founded by Atisa in 1042, and
is noted for its focus on "practical advice" as an aid to enlightenment;
Kagupa, founded by Marpa c. 1040, is best known for songs of a folk nature
whose lyrics contained his Buddhist teachings; and Sakyapa, founded by
Konchog Gyelbo in the mid 11th century, teaches the unity of the sutra
and the tantra. Over two hundred years, these Buddhist gained a great deal
of respect and were ultimately appointed as rulers of Tibet. Originally,
I think Vajrayana had seperated out the sutra (path) from the tantra (fruit).
(Fenton, 149) I think it is curious that what might be considered by some
as a pretty serious form of Buddhism, which was born of Vajrayana (or at
least has its roots there) would come full circle and change a kind of
founding principle to unify things that it originally believed to be of
a different nature.
I am actually running out of time right now,
and I apologize mucho, but I will bring the rest of this to class with
me in my notebook.
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Date: Wed, 29 Oct 1997 10:35:36 -0600 (CST)
From: Amy Newton <anewton@lib.drury.edu>
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To: Greg Marshall <gmarshal@lib.drury.edu>,
Melissa Mobley <mmobley@lib.drury.edu>,
Benjamin Cowens <bcowens@lib.drury.edu>
cc: Charles Ess <cmess@lib.drury.edu>
Subject: Vajrayana Buddhism
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Vajrayana Buddhism is often considered a variant
of Mahayana Buddhism. However, because the practices are so distinctive,
Vajrayana is considered a third vehicle of Buddhism by many people (Fenton
128). The idea of altering illusion is the most important characteristic
of Vajrayana, and this type of Buddhism is distinctive in that "living
in nonduality in the here and now, in this very body" (Fenton 127-8). The
teachings of Vajrayana Buddhism are considered "Fruit Buddhism." These
teachings involve the idea that one is already a Buddha and therefore,
acts like one (Fenton 128). The belief that one is already a Buddha leads
to a new ideal of religious attainment. Vajrayanists believe that they
see reality purely, like the Buddha, and since "the rest of us do not see
reality like this but live in the illusion of samsara, the Vajrayanists
described their path as the vehicle that stops, destroys, or cuts off the
illusion we call ordinary reality" (Fenton 128).
In Vajrayana, a new type of hero emerges--the
siddha or guru, who attains both freedom from bondage and has magical domination
over it (Fenton 128). Vajrayanists believed that becoming Buddha should
be a relatively fast process. Attaining "salvation" in this life was a
very real idea. However, it sometimes took as many as 17 rebirths (Fenton
128).
The practices incorporated in Vajrayana are what
make this type of Buddhism distinct. Vajrayanists believed that nothing
is intrinsically bad, evil, or impure. Therefore, passion, which in earlier
Buddhism is seen as bad, is now seen as the "manifestation of pure mind"
(Fenton 128). These new ideas and teachings led to a focus on visualization.
People visualize certain things in order to obtain a clear mind that is
able to focus on the compassionate activity of the mind (Fenton 128).
One of the practices involving visualization
of passions is "sexual yoga." Sexual yoga "has nothing to do with sex for
its own sake....and it usually has nothing to do with copulation" (Fenton
128-9). Sexual yoga is a meditation where compassion, which is visualized
as male energy, and wisdom, which is visualized as female energy, are perceived
as sexually uniting. This union represents the nonduality of these things
(Fenton 129).
The mandala is a very distinctive feature of
Vajrayana Buddhist practice. A mandala is "the dwelling, or palace, of
a pure being such as a Buddha or a bodhisattva" (Fenton 129). A mandala
appears as a circle inside a square which is divided diagonally into four
segments. If the mandala is correctly visualized, it becomes a three-dimensional
palace. It is seen in such gigantic proportions that the mind is overwhelmed,
and the mandala is seen as the structure of the entire universe (Fenton
129).
The mantra is another distinctive Vajrayanist
practice. It is best understood "as a way of bringing out pure mind through
speech" (Fenton 129). According to this idea, all Buddhas and bodhisattvas
have their own "bija-mantras"--seed sounds. When these sounds are repeated
over and over, "the compassionate energy of one's Buddha minds is nourished"
(Fenton 129). These ideas were extended, and some people went so far as
to believe that the entire universe can be heard as a multitude of sacred
sounds and syllables. When a person knows and can manipulate the appropriate
sounds, "it is possible to bring the psychic as well as the cosmic forces
under control and to achieve the various levels of attainment" (Fenton
129).
The vitality of Vajrayana Buddhism was apparent.
The new practices involved with this type of Buddhism were new and innovative--so
much that they probably "enabled it to retain popular support much longer
than it would otherwise have done" (Fenton 129). Vajrayana Buddhism greatly
influenced Buddhist practices outside of India. Vajrayana was just beginning
to become important in India when Buddhism spread to Tibet. As a result,
Vajrayana Buddhism was the type of Buddhism that became dominant in Tibet
(Fenton 132). Tibet, however, was not the only area to be affected by Vajrayana.
When Mahayana traditions became firmly established in the largest Buddhist
monastery in Sri Lanka (eighth century onward), Vajrayana became the center
of Sri Lankan Buddhist practice. In lower Burma, central Thailand, and
at the tip of the Indochina peninsula, Conservative Buddhist traditions
had a stronghold until about 500 C.E. when Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions
gained popularity. Between 500 and 1000 C.E, these traditions completely
dominated Buddhist life in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Cambodia (Fenton 133).
Although Theravada Buddhism involves very different
practices than Vajrayana, Vajrayana has influenced this Conservative aspect
of Buddhism in small ways. The Pali texts are the primary source of Dharma
for Theravadans. Some of the Pali texts contain Vajrayanan ideas and practices
(Fenton 138). Vajrayanan beliefs are also evident in Chinese Buddhist scriptures,
and eventually, Vajrayana came to be important and influential in Japanese
Buddhism as well (Fenton 142, 145).
Vajrayana Buddhism is a spin-off of Mahayana
Buddhism with its own distinct ideas and practices. To some, these practices
may have seemed radical and off-base, but the Vajrayanans held them in
high regard. The innovative ideas of Vajrayana helped it to become popular
and influential outside India
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From: Benjamin Cowens <bcowens@lib.drury.edu>
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To: Amy Newton <anewton@lib.drury.edu> cc:
Melissa Mobley <mmobley@lib.drury.edu>, Charles Ess <cmess@lib.drury.edu>,
Greg Marshall <gmarshal@lib.drury.edu>
Subject: Vajrayana Buddhism
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Well, as much as I could pick up from Fenton,
I will try and relay to everyone. Someone might need to help me out, because
I'm pretty sure I will miss something of importance. Anyways, here it goes.
Vajrayana buddhism is a later form of buddhism
that originated during the sixth or seventh century in India, eventualy
it spread to Tibet and other places near northeast India, but that isn't
of much importance at this point.
The Vajraynas were orginally borderline Mahayana
Buddhist laypersons. These people held some of the views of more traditional
buddhism in a looser sense. These people were called siddhas. That term
eventually went on not to represent the persons, but their views. So, the
siddahs are now the doctrines by which Vajrana Buddhists are known. I think
that is basically the story behind that term. Anyways, the first Vajrayana
was considered to be Saraha. This is because he lived by some of the rules
of the Mahayana and Theravadan Buddhists, but did not follow others, the
most important being the consumption of alcohol, which he had no problem
in dealing with. Alcohol was his friend, and he felt that no rule could
take that away from him. Now, all the good little Buddhists knew this to
be a basic code to which all other good little Buddhists must live by.
They gave him alot of crap about his love of alcohol. Saraha knew that
this is not the way things should be, so to prove it, he stuck his hand
into a vat of boiling oil. He said that if his view was wrong, may his
hand be burnt. Of couse it wasn't. Still others didn't believe him, but
he kept preforming little miracles and proving the good little Buddhists
to be wrong. Saraha was seen as having a special kind of power, he was
able to defy the laws of traditional buddhism and get away with it. While
this power is indeed rare, it was said of Saraha that his powers were able
to penetrate the illusionary world and alter it at will, while it would
take others years to reach such a level to atain such powers (through yoga,
meditation, ect..). What I don't get about this is the whole illusion business.
Why does Fenton say that he is 'altering the illusion'. How does some dude
putting his hand in boiling oil constitute altering the illusion? My best
guess is that the world is seen as an illusion and that the truth, whatever
that may be, will overcome any illusory object or action of this world.
So if we are thinking that boiling oil is hot, and we are not to touch
it, were not seeing the real truth. Perhaps Saraha had such a great understanding
of this that he was able to overcome the illusion of the oil, because he
was using a greater force against it. Truth vs illusory. If no one follows
this, I won't be mad because I'm not sure I follow it either.
Anyways, Fenton says that this 'feature of altering
the illusion' is the most important aspect of Vajrana Buddhism. The illusion
being addressed is the notion that the world is divided into subject to
object. These things, can not be seperated, but must be seen as one. Its
the whole idea of pure mind vs diluded mind. In the form of Saraha, he
obviously was able to see with a pure mind at the highest level, allowing
him to overcome the absurd notions of the deluded mind, which is that boiling
oil and people don't mix (imagine that). By having this power, it can be
said that Saraha had all the powers of a Buddha, and that he just realized
that and acted accordingly. This is a main difference between the Buddhist
'sects'. Fenton speaks of Vajrayanists saying that Path Buddhism is a form
in which one strives to become buddha. This is the basic idea of more traditional
Buddhism. The Vajrayana on the other hand, see their form as a fruit Buddhism.
Meaning that we are all Buddha and so we are able to act like one, and
manipulate the illusionary world, just as Saraha.
Now, at this point, we're all Buddhas, that doesn't
necesarrily mean we all know that were buddhas. I get the impression from
Fenton that the gurus (masters) are the ones which have experienced freedom
from bondage and the magical powers that all Buddhas possess. That raises
a question, how does one reach this level of 'spirituality'. These answer
is through meditative practices on visualization. This aspect is a little
bit unclear to me. At one point, Fenton talks about the Vajrayanist perspective
that nothing, including passion, is seen as intrinsically bad evil or impure.
Therefore, he goes on to say, these things "were now seen as the manifestation
of pure mind." To this point I understand. What I don't understand is the
process of visualization that Fenton points out.
He talks of visualization of the Mahayana bodhisattva
named Avalokitesvara. They are to visualize him as a smiling youth. This
is to help the practioner to capture the compassionate energy of the bodhisattva.
Then when the student is deemed to be ready he is told to now visualize
Avalokitesvara as a 'fierce, black scowling, stamping, and roaring man-beast
called Mahakala. Fenton then says tat the anger of mahakala is to eridicate
the hindering forces in the mind and to allow for pure compassionate activity.
If the student is visualizing the compassionate energy of the bodhisattva
Avalokitesvara, why the heck does this angry guy have to come in mess everything
up. What hinderence is their that is obsructing the practioners mind if
he is meditating properly? That has me completely confused. I'm sure there
is some neat little explination that will make me feel stupid, but I havn't
found it at this point.
I understand the purpose of the 'sexual yoga',
but I think there is more to the story than they let on.
I have an interesting idea on what the mandala
stands for. I'm probably wrong, but it makes sense to me. The Buddha and
his powers are represented in the circle. The box symbolizes the illusory
world, that which will trap the truth (Buddha being the truth). The two
diagonal lines forming an X across the box, the X representing the falseness
of the view that the box could hold the circle. That is that anything can
hold the Buddha is a completely false view. I know that is stupid, because
Fenton says it represents a three demensional palace, if meditated on correctly,
but in two demensions, I like my idea better.
The mantra is a cool idea too. It is pretty self
explanitory in the book if I say "Blah, bluh, pelaif." My 'sacred syllables'
are representing pure mind through speech, thus allowing, through this
clarity of mind, the compassionate energy of the Buddha mind to be nourished.
In closing, I would like to say this sounds a
little bit like Hinduism. You know, the whole idea of the world as one
inherent whole, with nothing real existing outside the whole. Sounds like
the Atamabodha and the whole Atman Brahman idea, except now its a Buddha
thing.
Another question I have is, where does nirvana
go? In theravadan buddhism, enlightenment means eradication and enterance
into nirvana. In Mahayana it is the same, except that many are bodhisattvas,
who postpone their own attainment of nirvana in order to help others out.
In the Vajrayana idea, no mention of nirvana is given. If they believe
we are all buddhas, does this mean that we are already in the state of
enlightenment. That would make sense, because of their belief of the worldly
mind as illusionary compared to the buddha mind that is truth. Perhaps
with this belief, it can be said that the ultimate enlightenment is realizing
truth of the Buddha mind, that is the compassionate energy that is manifested
in us and gives us, if used correctly, the power over this illusionary
sense world. That would mean that nirvana is not so much a state of being,
as it is a state of mind. Hopefully, I am on track, but if not, I need
help, Dr. Ess.
Ben Cowens
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From: Melissa Mobley <mmobley@lib.drury.edu>
To: Benjamin Cowens <bcowens@lib.drury.edu>
cc: Amy Newton <anewton@lib.drury.edu>, Charles Ess <cmess@lib.drury.edu>,
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Subject: Re: Vajrayana Buddhism
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>From what I understand, Vajrayana Buddhism is
very similar to Mahayana Buddhism. The only real differences are the practices.
What Mahayana takes seriously Vayrayana does not. For example, the teaching
that one already is a Buddha can be found in both writings. The Mahayanas
do not take this serously; they believe that one can only intrinsically
be Buddha. Vajrayanas, on the other hand, believe that one is both intrinsically
and actually the Buddha. This is possible, according to Fenton, because
Vajrayanas maintain a nonduality between the intrinsic and actualized mind.
Moving on to practices, since that is what actually
separates the Vajrayanas from the Mahayanas--In the Vajrayanas point of
view, nothing is bad, evil, wrong, etc. They see passions as coming from
a pure mind. To me, this means they could probably justify just about anything
they would choose to do. After the Vajrayanas developed their teachings,
they had to develop practices for their teachings. These practices focused
on visualization. To begin, a student would visualize the commpassionate
energy of the Buddha mind (this is seen as a calming youth). Then the student
would visualize Avalokiesvara as being fierce--here he is called the "Great
Dark One." If everything has been done correctly, the fierce Avalokiesvara
will have eradicated whatever hindered the compassionate activity of the
mind. It seems strange that the fierce and angry force (one that would
usually provoke fear) is what actualy rids the mind of hinderence. Once
a student is past this level, he practices "sexual yoga." According to
Fenton this "usually" has nothing to do with actual coopulation. Sexual
yoga is actually a meditation done alone. The meditator visualizes compasission
as the male energy and wisdom as the female energy. The two energys untie,
thus presenting nonduality.