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Support Tibet !!!
Use your freedom of
choice !!!
Boycott the Olympics!!!
Free Tibet said rights abuses in Tibet had worsened since
China was given the Games in 2001.
"These Games will come to be known as the Games of Shame," a spokesman for Free Tibet
said.
 Statement of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the Forty-Sixth Anniversary of Tibetan National Uprising Day, 10
March 2005
On the occasion of the 46th anniversary of the Tibetan People's Uprising, I convey my
warm greetings to my fellow Tibetans in Tibet and in exile and to our friends around the world.
During these more
than four decades great changes have taken place in Tibet. There has been a great deal of
economic progress along with development in infrastructure. The Golmud-Lhasa railway link that is being built is a case in
point. However, during the same period much has been written by independent journalists and travelers to Tibet about the real situation in Tibet
and not what they have been shown. Most of them portray a very different picture than what the Chinese government claims,
clearly criticizing China about the lack of human rights, religious freedom
and self-rule in Tibet. What has actually
happened and is still happening is that since the establishment of the Tibet Autonomous Region the real authority has been
solely held by Chinese leaders. As for the Tibetan people, they have been facing suspicions and growing restrictions. The
lack of true ethnic equality and harmony based on trust, and the absence of genuine stability in Tibet
clearly shows that things are not well in Tibet
and that basically there is a problem.
Prominent and respected Tibetan leaders in Tibet have spoken out on this from time to time and even suffered because of their
courageous acts. In the early 1960s, the late Panchen Lama outlined the sufferings and aspirations of the Tibetan people in
his petition to the Chinese leaders. Baba Phuntsok Wangyal, one of the foremost Tibetan communist leaders, in his recent biography
published in English dwells at length on the need to meet the interests of the Tibetan people. In fact, it is clear that most
senior Tibetan officials in Tibet deep
in their hearts are extremely dissatisfied.
This year the Chinese government will mark the 40th anniversary of the
establishment of the Tibet Autonomous Region. There will be much fanfare and many commemorative events to celebrate the occasion
but these will be meaningless when they do not reflect the ground realities. For example, the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural
Revolution were celebrated with great pomp as real achievements at the time they took place.
China has made tremendous economic progress during the past more than two decades.
China today is not what it was twenty
or thirty years ago. Much has changed in China.
As a result she has become a major player in the world and China
rightly deserves this position. It is a big nation with a huge population and a rich and ancient civilization. However, China’s image is tarnished by her human rights records,
undemocratic actions, the lack of the rule of law and the unequal implementation of autonomy rights regarding minorities,
including the Tibetans. All these are a cause for more suspicion and distrust from the outside world. Internally, they are
an obstacle to unity and stability that are of utmost importance to the leaders of the People’s Republic of China. In my view, it is important that as China becomes a powerful and respectable nation she should
be able to adopt a reasonable policy with confidence.
The world in general, of which China is a part, is changing for the better. In recent times there is definitely
a greater awareness and appreciation for peace, non-violence, democracy, justice and environmental protection. The recent
unprecedented response from governments and individuals across the world to the tsunami disaster victims reaffirms that the
world is truly interdependent and the importance of universal responsibility.
My involvement in the affairs of Tibet is not for the purpose of claiming certain
personal rights or political position for myself nor attempting to stake claims for the Tibetan administration in exile. In
1992 in a formal announcement I stated clearly that when we return to Tibet
with a certain degree of freedom I will not hold any office in the Tibetan government or any other political position and
that the present Tibetan administration in exile will be dissolved. Moreover, the Tibetans working in Tibet should carry on the main responsibility of administering Tibet.
I once again want to reassure the Chinese authorities that as long
as I am responsible for the affairs of Tibet we remain fully committed
to the Middle Way Approach of not seeking independence for Tibet and are
willing to remain within the People’s Republic of China.
I am convinced that in the long run such an approach is of benefit to the Tibetan people for their material progress. It is
encouraging that there is support from various parts of the world for this approach as being reasonable, realistic and of
mutual benefit to the Chinese and Tibetans. I am particularly encouraged by the recognition and support that has come from
certain quarters of the intellectual circle from within China.
I am happy with our renewed contacts with the Chinese leadership and that the third round of meetings last September
shows that gradually our interactions are improving. Now that our elected political leadership is shouldering more responsibility
in Tibetan affairs, I have advised them to look into the issues raised by the Chinese side during our third round of talks
and to take steps to address or clarify them as needed. We remain hopeful that eventually we will be able to develop the necessary
trust and resolve this long-standing issue to our mutual benefit.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to
express the Tibetan people’s gratitude and appreciation to the people and Government of India for their steadfast sympathy
and support. I very much feel a part of this nation not only because of the centuries-old religious and cultural ties that
India and Tibet enjoyed
but also because I and most of the Tibetans in exile have lived in India
for the past 45 years.
I offer my prayers to the brave men and women of Tibet
who gave their lives for the cause of Tibetan freedom.
The Dalai Lama
March 10, 2005
OM
MANI PADME HUM
By His Holiness the Dalai Lama
It is very good to recite the mantra Om
mani padme hum, but while you are doing it, you should be thinking on its meaning, for the meaning of the six syllables is
great and vast. The first, Om is composed of three letters, A, U, and M. These symbolize
the practitioner's impure body, speech, and mind; they also symbolize the pure exalted body, speech, and mind of a Buddha.
Can
impure body, speech, and mind be transformed into pure body, speech, and mind, or are they entirely separate? All Buddhas
are cases of beings who were like ourselves and then in dependence on the path became enlightened; Buddhism does not assert
that there is anyone who from the beginning is free from faults and possesses all good qualities. The development of pure
body, speech, and mind comes from gradually leaving the impure states arid their being transformed into the pure.
How is this done? The path
is indicated by the next four syllables. Mani, meaning jewel, symbolizes the factors of method-the altruistic intention to
become enlightened, compassion, and love. Just as a jewel is capable of removing poverty, so the altruistic mind of enlightenment
is capable of removing the poverty, or difficulties, of cyclic existence and of solitary peace. Similarly, just as a jewel
fulfills the wishes of sentient beings, so the altruistic intention to become enlightened fulfills the wishes of sentient
beings.
The two syllables, padme, meaning
lotus, symbolize wisdom. Just as a lotus grows forth from mud but is not sullied by the faults of mud, so wisdom is capable
of putting you in a situation of non-contradiction whereas there would be contradiction if you did not have wisdom. There
is wisdom realizing impermanence, wisdom realizing that persons are empty, of being self-sufficient or substantially existent,
wisdom that realizes the emptiness of duality-that is to say, of difference of entity between subject an object-and wisdom
that realizes the emptiness of inherent existence. Though there are many different types of wisdom, the main of all these
is the wisdom realizing emptiness.
Purity must be achieved by
an indivisible unity of method and wisdom, symbolized by the final syllable hum, which indicates indivisibility. According
to the sutra system, this indivisibility of method and wisdom refers to wisdom affected by method and method affected by wisdom.
In the mantra, or tantric, vehicle, it refers to one consciousness in which there is the full form of both wisdom and method
as one undifferentiable entity. In terms of the seed syllables of the five Conqueror Buddhas, hum is the seed syllable of
Akshobhya - the immovable, the unfluctuating, that which cannot be disturbed by anything.
Thus
the six syllables, om mani padme hum, mean that in dependence on the practice of a path which is an indivisible union of method
and wisdom, you can transform your impure body, speech, and mind into the pure exalted body, speech, and mind of a Buddha.
It is said that you should not seek for Buddhahood outside of yourself; the substances for the achievement of Buddhahood are
within. As Maitreya says in his Sublime Continuum of the Great Vehicle (Uttaratantra), all beings naturally have the Buddha
nature in their own continuum. We have within us the seed of purity, the essence of a One Gone Thus (Tathagatagarbha), that
is to be transformed and fully developed into Buddhahood.
OM MANI PADME HUN
The Mani Mantra is the the Mantra of
Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Limitless Compassion and Wisdom.
Saying
the mantra is said to liberate beings from the suffering of the five mental poisons:
OM
liberates Pride the cause of the God Realm
MA liberates Jealousy the cause of the Jealous God Realm
NE
liberates Desire, the cause of the Human Realm
PAD liberates Desire, the cause of the Human Realm
ME
liberates Avarice, the cause of the Hungry Ghost Realm
HUN liberates Anger, the cause of the Hell Realms
Buddhism
By Lynne Valentine
There are many different branches of Buddhism but most
share the same basic beliefs and practices:
The
Three Trainings or Practices:
Sila: Virtue, good conduct, morality. This is based on two fundamental principles:
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The principle of equality:
that all living entities are equal. |
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The principle of reciprocity: In
Christianity it means to do onto others as you would wish them do onto you. It is found in all major religions. |
Samadhi:
Concentration, meditation, mental development. Developing one's
mind is the path to wisdom which in turn leads to personal freedom. Mental development also strengthens and controls our mind;
this helps us maintain good conduct.
Prajna: Discernment, insight, wisdom, enlightenment. This is the real heart of Buddhism. Wisdom will emerge if your mind is
pure and calm.
The Four Noble Truths
Dukkha: Suffering exists: (Suffering
is real and and almost universal. Suffering has many causes: loss, sickness, pain, failure, the impermanence of pleasure.)
Samudaya: There is a cause for suffering.
(It is the desire to have and control things. It can take many forms: craving of sensual pleasures; the desire for fame; the
desire to avoid unpleasant sensations, like fear, anger or jealousy.)
Nirodha: There is an end to suffering.
(Suffering ceases with the final liberation of Nirvana . The mind experiences complete freedom, liberation and non-attachment.
It lets go of any desire or craving.)
Magga: In order to end suffering, you
must follow the Eightfold Path.
The Five Precepts:
Do
not kill. This is sometimes translated as "not harming" or an absence of violence.
Do
not steal. This is generally interpreted as including the avoidance of fraud and economic exploitation.
Do
not lie. This is sometimes interpreted as including name calling, gossip, etc.
Do
not misuse sex. For monks and nuns, this means any departure from complete celibacy. For the laity, adultery is forbidden,
along with any sexual harassment or exploitation, including that within marriage. The Buddha did not discuss consensual premarital
sex within a committed relationship; Buddhist traditions differ on this.
Do
not consume alcohol or other drugs. The main concern here is that intoxicants cloud the mind. Some have included
as a drug other methods of divorcing ourselves from reality -- e.g. movies, television, the Internet.
The Eightfold
Path:
Panna: Discernment, wisdom:
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Samma ditthi Right Understanding of the
Four Noble Truths
Samma sankappa: Right thinking;
following the right path in life.
Sila: Virtue, morality:
Samma vaca: Right speech: no
lying, criticism, condemning, gossip, harsh language.
Samma kammanta Right conduct by following
the Five Precept.
Samma ajiva: Right livelihood;
support yourself without harming others.
Samadhi: Concentration,
meditation:
Samma vayama Right Effort: promote good
thoughts; conquer evil thoughts.
Samma sati Right Mindfulness: Become
aware of your body, mind and feelings.
Samma samadhi Right Concentration: Meditate
to achieve a higher state of consciousness.
~*~ |
Tibetan Buddhism
Buddha
By Lynne Valentine
Buddha was born Siddhartha Gautama.
He a prince of the Sakya tribe of Nepal, in approximately
566 BC.
When he was twenty nine years old, after seeing
the way the poor prople of is region were living,he left the comforts of his home to seek the meaning of the suffering of
those he saw around him.
After six years of arduous yogic training, he abandoned
the way of self-mortification and instead sat in mindful meditation beneath a bodhi tree.
It is here he faced many temptations but resisted them
all to attain enlightenment, a state all Buddhists strive to reach.
On becoming the enlightened one the Buddha
wandered the plains of northeastern India for 45 years more, teaching the path or Dharma he had realized in that moment.
Around him developed a community or Sangha of monks and, later, nuns, drawn from
every tribe and caste, devoted to practicing this path. In approximately 486 BC, at the age of 80, the Buddha died.
His last words are said to be...
Impermanent are all created things;
Strive on with awareness
 Mala beads are used by Bhuddists to cound mantras when meditating.
TIBETAN ALTAR
Frequently asked questions about the proper arrangement
and significance of Tibetan Buddhist altars.
The following information is provided by Gyuto Monastery.
Why Have an Altar?
A proper altar holds images or representations of the Buddha's enlightened
body, speech and mind which serve as reminders of the goal of Buddhist practice; that is: to develop these qualities in oneself
so as to be able to fully benefit all sentient beings.
The reason for setting up an altar is not for fame, for showing
off wealth, or to increase pride, but rather it is to reduce one's mental afflictions and to seek the ability to help all
sentient beings.
Where to Place the Altar?
The best place for an altar is in a separate shrine room, but if you
live in a small place and cannot set aside a separate room for worship, any room can be used. The size of the altar is not
important, but it should be in a clean and respectful place, higher than the level of your head as you sit facing it.
If it is in your bedroom, the altar should be placed near the head of your bed, never at the foot, and it should be higher
than the bed. The altar should be either on a separate shelf or on a table set aside for this purpose that does not double
as a coffee table or night stand.
The Objects and what they represent
A proper Buddhist altar holds symbols of enlightened body, speech, and
mind, traditionally represented by displaying a Buddha's statue or photo of Buddha Shakyamuni, a Scripture, and a Stupa of
any size. At the very least, the altar should hold an image of Buddha Shakyamuni, the founder and source of the teachings
in our time. Regarding the placement of the images, it is important that Shakyamuni Buddha be the central figure. Other images
are not required, but if you have them place them around the central figure in this order: root lamas, Yidams (highest yoga
tantra deities, performance tantra deities, then action tantra deities), Dakas, Dakinis, and finally protector deities.The
order of the arrangement is never by the quality of the material or the artistry. Often it is better to have only a few images,
as too many can be distracting.
The scripture representing the speech of the Buddha does not need to be written in
Tibetan or Sanskrit but can be in any language. The scripture can be the Heart Sutra if you wish to represent all the teachings
of Buddha, or it can be a special scripture related to your practice.
If the altar consists of three or more levels,
the scripture should be placed highest on the altar, above the Buddha statue or at the right of the Buddha statue. If the
altar is on one level, the order should be, from left to right: Scripture, Buddha and Stupa.
The mind of the Buddha
is traditionally represented by a stupa of enlightenment, but you do not need to go out and buy a costly silver or gold one.
A photograph or a clay model is perfectly acceptable. The stupa should be placed to the left of the Buddha image, or below
the Buddha if the altar consists of several levels.
The objects on the altar also represent the Three Jewels of Refuge.
If there is only a statue of Buddha Shakyamuni, think that it represents all Three Jewels.If there is also a scripture and
a stupa, think that the stupa represents the Buddha Jewel, the scripture represents the Dharma Jewel, and the image of the
Buddha represents the Sangha Jewel.
It is important to keep in mind that the objects on the altar serve as a means
for directing one's mind to the Buddha and the Buddha's enlightened qualities, which one aspires to emulate for others' benefit.
In maintaining an altar one is trying to cultivate the qualities of the Buddha, that is, his enlightened body, his enlightened
speech and his enlightened mind.By remembering these qualities and aspiring to develop them, one reduces the negative qualities
of attachment, hatred and ignorance, and increases positive qualities like faith, respect, devotion, and rejoicing.
Making Offerings
There are no limitations to what can be offered, and there are many levels
of offerings.In general, one can offer any pleasing object, particularly objects pleasing to the five senses form, sound,
smell, taste, and touch. In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition it is customary to offer seven bowls of water which represent
the seven limbs of prayer: prostrating, offering, confession, rejoicing in the good qualities of oneself and others, requesting
the Buddhas to remain in this world, beseeching them to teach others, and dedicating the merits. Flowers, candles or
butter lamps, and incense are also commonly offered.It is customary to offer a part of every meal on the altar before eating
and a portion of tea before drinking. The things to be offered should be clean, new, and pleasing. Food should be of
only the best part, fresh and clean; never old, leftover, or spoiled food.
It is best to offer things that you already
have or can obtain without difficulty. Don't think that you have to deceive others in order to get offering materials. They
should not come from stealing, cheating or hurting others in any way.Rather, they should be honestly obtained. In fact, it
is better not to offer things that were obtained in even a slightly negative way.
As you make offerings, think that
what your are offering is in nature you own good qualities and your practice, although it appears in the form of external
offering objects. These external offerings should not be imagined as limited to the actual objects on the altar, but should
be seen as vast in number, as extensive as space. Offer food with the wish that all beings are relieved of hunger, and
offer water with the wish that all beings are relieved of thirst. It is important to think that the deities accept the offerings,
enjoy them, and are pleased. Think that by making these offerings all beings are purified of their negativities and that the
ultimate nature of reality is realized.
The purpose of making offerings is to accumulate merit and in particular to
develop and increase the mind of generosity and to reduce stinginess and miserliness. By making offerings you also create
the causes for the future results of becoming naturally and spontaneously generous.
Placing Offerings on the Altar
If you have the space, place the offerings a little lower than the objects
of refuge on your altar. When you awaken in the morning, it is customary to wash at least your hands before approaching the
altar to offer prostrations and then place new offerings. This is a sign of respect for the object represented there: one
is making offerings as if one is accepting a dignitary or a great being into one's home and it is important to be gracious
and respectful. To offer water on your altar, you should have a minimum of seven bowls. Start with fresh water every
day. The bowls should be clean. Pour a little water into each bowl before placing it on the altar. Place the bowls
in a straight line, close together but not touching. The bowls should be filled up to the space of a grain's width from the
top - neither too little nor too much. Try not to breathe on the offerings. If you have a butter lamp, you can place it on
your altar between the third and fourth water bowls. Lamps or candles symbolize wisdom, eliminating the darkness of ignorance.
In Tibetan monasteries hundreds of lamps are lit as offerings. There is really no limit to the quantity of either water
bowls or lamps.
Blessing the Offerings
After pouring the water, lighting candles or lights and offering incense,
bless the offerings by dipping a piece of kusha grass (or a tree twig) into the water, reciting three times Om Ah Hum (the
seed syllables of the Buddha's body, speech and mind), and then sprinkling the offerings with water. Visualize that
the offerings are blessed.
Dedication
Whether external offerings become pure or not, or whether they become
a cause for good rebirth in the next life, a cause to achieve liberation, or a cause to achieve enlightenment to benefit all
beings depends on one's motivations and dedication. Dedication is crucial. It will not exhaust or limit one's store of merit
but will multiply and increase it. It is excellent to dedicate the merit of making
offerings to the elimination of suffering and its causes from all beings, to their achievement of lasting happiness, and to
world peace.
Removing the Offerings
At the end of the day, before or at sunset, empty the bowls one by one,
dry them with a clean cloth and stack them upside down or put them away. Never
leave empty bowls right side up on the altar. The water is not simply thrown
away but offered to the plants in your house or in the garden. Food and flowers should also be put in a clean place outside
where birds and animals can eat them.Bowls of fruit can be left on the altar for a few days and can then be eaten when they
come down - there is no need to put them outside.
Tibetan Thangka
Thangka, seen in every monastery and family shrine in Tibet, is actually a kind of Tibetan
scroll-banner painting and is a unique type of art that belongs to the Tibetan culture. Thangka generally falls into several
categories according to the techniques involved; namely painted Thangka, weaving Thangka, embroidery Thangka, paster Thangka,
etc. Among them, painted Thangkas are most commonly seen. Thangka appeared around the tenth century, as a combination of Chinese
scroll painting, Nepal painting and Kashmir
painting. Thangkas are usually placed upright in a rectangular shape while there are a few that deals with subjects of Mandala
that are square. Cotton canvas and linen cloth are the common fabrics on which pictures are painted on with mineral and organic
pigments (important thangkas use ground gold and gemstones as pigments). A typical Thangka has a printed or embroidered picture
mounted on a piece of colorful silk. A wooden stick is attached on the side from the bottom to the top to make it easier to
hang and roll up. Thangkas cover various subjects including Tibetan astrology, pharmacology, theology, Mandala, images of
great adepts, deities and Buddhas, and Jataka stories of the Buddha.
Painting a Thangka usually starts by stretching a
piece of cotton cloth on a wooden frame along its sides. Then, a certain type of gesso is spread over both the front and back
of the canvas to block the holes and then scraped off to produce smooth surfaces. Afterwards, some orienting lines are drawn
to guide the sketching. By following a fixed proportion, images are then roughly drawn. The featured deity or saint occupies
the center while other attendant deities or monks surround the central figure and along the border, and is comparatively smaller
in size. Next is coloring. Painters apply pigments on the sketch. Black, green, red, yellow and white are the basic colors
used in coloring. Shading is then done to produce better pictorial effects. At the final stage, facial features and eyes are
finished, which is sacredly done only after a ritual held on a fixed day. After detail finishes, the canvas is removed from
the frame and mounted on a piece of brocaded silk. The wooden sticks are attached to the top and bottom of the silk. After
a dust cover of gossamer silk is attached it is ready to be hung up.
Karma Gadri tradition and Menri Karma Gadri tradition
are the two major schools of Tibetan Thangka . painting
 
Since the Twelfth Century, people in the Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism have revered the Karmapas as spiritual
leaders, just as people in the Gelugpa tradition are devoted to the Dalai Lamas. The Sixteenth incarnation, H.H. Rangjung
Rigpe Dorje, helped to save thousands of people and many sacred texts and art treasures from the Communist invasion of Tibet.
He died near Chicago in 1981.
The 16th Karmapa saw
this flag in a dream. He called it Namkhyen Gyaldar -- "Victorious Flag of the Buddha's Wisdom" -- and announced "Wherever
this banner is flown, the Dharma will flourish."
Historically, the Karmapas' predictions have been correct.
The
Meanings of the Dream Flag
The Ocean of Wisdom
Tibetan: gyalwa or Mongolian: dalai
as in Gyalwa Karmapa
or Dalai Lama
At the level of relative truth, the blue is the sky (heaven), symbolizing spiritual insight and vision,
and the yellow is the earth, the actual world of our everyday experience. The symmetry of the wave pattern shows how we come
to understand their interdependence when we practice the dharma.
As a reminder of absolute truth, the blue symbolizes
the wisdom, or emptiness aspect of awakened being, while the yellow stands for the compassion aspect. The wavy intermingling
of the two colors represents their inseparability.
The interdependence shown in the flag can also be seen as the wisdom
of Mahamudra, the ultimate realization of ones true nature..
Aspiration for Mahamudra
(excerpt)
All
dharmas are projections of mind.
As for mind, there is no mind; mind's nature is empty.
Empty and unceasing, mind
appears as anything.
Investigating it well, may I settle the basic points.
Projections which never existed in
themselves, have been confused as objects.
Awareness itself, due to ignorance, has been confused as a self.
Through
the power of dualistic fixation I wander in the realm of
existence.
May ignorance and confusion be completely resolved.
It doesn't exist: even buddhas do not see it.
It doesn't not exist: it is the basis of samsara and nirvana.
No
contradiction: two-in-one, the middle way.
May I realize the Nature of Mind.
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