#bc it's teaching impermanence

[edieblak3]

so you're telling me i can spend 6 (six) hrs cleaning and then make 1 (one) dinner, and suddenly it's like i did nothing at all??

like I don't want to be unreasonable,

but isn't that a bit fucked?

[frogatz]

ohhh dect ruined me actually

[scoobydoodean]

Hey there, I have SPN Thought Worms i thought you might appreciate: You know how there’s debate wether (in the biblical story) Abraham “failed” God’s test, if it was a blind loyalty test or to see if he’d put his moral and love over unquestioned orders? In the same vein, do you think Dean truly ‘failed’ Death’s test with the ring and carrying out his duties for the day? Like maybe Death actually wanted Dean to be unable to do it bc it proved he had limits or smth? Or did he just get Sam’s soul back despite the apparent failure because he has a massive soft spot for Dean? (relatable tbh). Hope I made myself clear lol, the concept is jumbled-up in my mind, and have a great day!

This is a really interesting question! I also have a feeling I'll have a lot better of an answer when I get to 6.11 on this rewatch and have the entire season fresh on my mind. That said, Death actually says in the end that the goal was for Dean to learn something.

DEATH Today, you got a hard look behind the curtain. Wrecking the natural order's not quite such fun when you have to mop up the mess, is it? This is hard for you, Dean. You throw away your life because you've come to assume that it'll bounce right back into your lap. But the human soul is not a rubber ball. It's vulnerable, impermanent, but stronger than you know. And more valuable than you can imagine. So... I think you've learned something today. (x)

I'd really like to watch through season 6 again to solidify this one for myself, but I have a feeling that this isn't about teaching Dean a personal moral lesson at all. I don't think Death is at all concerned with the fact that the nurse died because the little girl didn't from a moral perspective—he wouldn't have ever given Dean his ring if he was. That isn't why he said "good" when Dean said he would have acted differently if he could go back. We can guess it also isn't just a simple lesson about "bringing each other back" being bad and "letting go", because that'd be pretty hypocritical given Death is going to help Dean anyway with no one forcing his hand (and he tells us Dean has use). It isn't a moral issue Death's addressing. It's a lesson he's giving on the structure of the universe. It's about balance. As Death says cryptically later in the scene:

I think what Death wanted to get across to Dean is that souls must pass on, and their energy must be allotted to the appropriate areas in time and space. If one person doesn't die, passing their soul on as energy, another person must die so that a certain balance and energy level is maintained in the universe. Death plans to help Dean from the beginning, because "Right now, you're digging at something. The intrepid Detective. I want you to keep digging, Dean."

Death, as a person who can't ultimately involve himself without also disrupting balance, is ultimately hinting at Dean as best he knows how that he wants him to stop Crowley and Cas from sucking a bunch of souls out of Purgatory, creating absolute chaos. But he can't say that, so instead, he gives Dean a lesson. He tells Dean that human souls are extremely valuable, and that they need to go to the places the universe wants them to go and stay there. If they don't—if they are moved on a large scale—something terrible will happen. Death has to expect Dean to extrapolate all of this information, which is not an easy expectation to fulfill.

So I guess to summarize: I don't think Dean failed Death's test, because actually using the ring and experiencing what happened when Dean tried to change things was more of a lesson than a test. The test was how Dean reflected on the lesson after and evaluated his behavior. He passed when he said he'd behave differently if he could go back. Death wanted Dean to understand the idea of balance in the universe depending on where souls go, and how important it is not to disrupt their flow or move them around. Changing things makes bad things happen. When there's just one soul, the impact is small (something Death is willing to let Dean toy with by offering his ring for the day). But what if someone disrupted the flow of many many souls at once?

[bosspigeon]

5 and 7 for the Green King Moss

5. How does your Dark Urge react to their urges in general? Are there specific urges that they have a strong reaction to?

The way Moss thinks is completely influenced by the Urges, in a way. Not so much in the BLOOD, DEATH, VIOLENCE, MURDER!! way but more like... he is deeply aware of the Mortality of those around him, and how easy it would be to return them all to meat and dust. But it's just so deeply ingrained he just sort of thinks that Everyone Has Thoughts Like That, until he starts fumbling his way through conversations and realizing... hm... maybe not?

I don't think he's even so much disgusted by them so much as faintly bothered by the fact that he has to fight them off to make decisions that would actually benefit his safety? The more Intense ones are annoying rather than Distressing.

What really makes him start to question and push back beyond going "Hey maybe it's not a good idea to rip apart every warm body in my path if I would like to continue surviving this Predicament" was Alfira, honestly. I like to think that he's been building up bonds with people, slowly but surely, even while there's that persistent buzz in the back of his mind wondering what their insides would look like, and with Alfira I pictured him spending time with her and talking to her. Fascinated by the music and wanting to know how to create something rather than destroy, even something as ephemeral and impermanent as a song.

So when he wakes up covered in her blood and gore, and realizing that he would never talk to her again, she'd never be able to teach him anything more, and she'd never be able to share the things she made with her heart and soul with the world, it really sets in that there is something deeply wrong with him and he has no idea if he can fix it.

7. Does your character try to confide in any of their allies about their urges? Which ones?

Oh, he Absolutely Just Says Some Off The Wall Shit without thinking it's all that weird bc he has no idea that it is!!! Starts to have conversations and realizes maybe he is a bit Not Normal. Asks pretty much all of his companions about it, and all of them seem to SEVERELY underestimate the level of Bloodthirsty his thoughts are, so he's just sort of left in the same position he was in the beginning.

[mahayanapilgrim]

Doctrine of Impermanence (anicca) in Theravada Buddhism

Lord Gautama Buddha's teaching on the three universal characteristics, also known as three marks of existence (ti-lakkhana), is a central component of His teachings along with the four Noble Truths, Noble Eight-fold Path and Dependent Origination. The three universal characteristics are interlinked and interdependent and they are common to all conditioned physical and mental phenomena that exist in the universe.

The three universal characteristics

Impermanence (anicca)

Suffering or unsatisfactoriness (dukkha)

Not-self (anatta)

While enjoying the luxuries of life as a prince living in a royal palace, prince Siddhartha, who was to become Lord Gautama Buddha, encountered the fact of impermanence of life through the sight of;

1) a weak and frail old man,

2) a sick person in great pain; and

3) a dead body being carried in a funeral procession. This prompted the prince to leave the princely life and become an ascetic to look for a way out of human suffering altogether. The Buddha realised these three characteristics during the process of attaining full enlightenment on the night of the full moon of the month of May in the 6th Century BC under a Bodhi tree (ficus religiosa) in Bodh Gaya, India. The Buddha then proclaimed it to the world for the benefit of others.

Through ignorance and delusion, human beings are unable to understand the reality of these three characteristics and hence continue to experience suffering of one kind or another during innumerable existences in the cycle of birth and death (samsara). It is only through the correct understanding of these three characteristics that one will be able to achieve the realisation of the truth. This realisation will help one rid oneself of attachment and craving to any type of existence and achieve complete cessation of suffering.

[panjunli]

The root of suffering

Here’s another article for this quarter.

Source:

https://zensoul.org/%E6%99%BA%E6%85%A7%E6%95%85%E4%BA%8B/%E4%BD%9B%E6%95%99%E6%95%85%E4%BA%8B/%E9%98%BF%E5%90%AB%E7%B6%93/item/3730-%E8%8B%A6%E5%BE%9E%E5%93%AA%E8%A3%A1%E4%BE%86%EF%BC%9F.html

Where does suffering come from?

One day, while traveling along the north bank of the middle section of the Ganges River, the Buddha arrived at the village of Uruvilva in the kingdom of Malla and rested in a forest nearby.

The village head (Editor: His surname was represented by the Chinese character 驢 but I’m not sure how it is pronounced in Pali) was notified of the Buddha’s arrival. Having heard of how the Buddha had taught his followers the ways of identifying and eliminating suffering, the village head admired the Buddha’s wisdom and sought an audience with the sage in order to hear His teachings first-hand.

After paying his respects to the Buddha, the village head asked, ”Oh Revered One!  I have heard about how you have explained the formation of suffering and how to eliminate it. This is wonderful. Please show kindness by explaining it to me as well.”

“Oh village head! If I were to take the approach of telling you ‘As you sow in your past lives, so shall you reap in your lives to come’, it is possible for you to doubt my teachings and increase your confusion. Hence, I will instead explain the concept to you using the events that are happening around us. Listen carefully, and think deeply.”

“Gladly, Revered One!”

 “Consider this. Would you experience worry, lamentation, pain, unhappiness or despair if a particular person from your village were to be killed, arrested, fined or reprimanded?”

“Yes!”

“However, would you experience worry, lamentation, pain, unhappiness or despair if any person from your village were to be killed, arrested, fined or reprimanded?”

“No!”

“But since the victims in these two situations are from the same village, why would you not feel this way?”

“Well, I would only experience worry, lamentation, pain, unhappiness or despair for people whom I love or care about. I would not feel anything for those who do not belong to this group.”

“So, by applying this behavior to your past lives and your lives to come, we can see that the various forms of suffering for all sentient beings, be they in the past, present or future, all arose, are arising and will arise from desire. Arising and culminating from desire; with desire acting as both the source and catalyst.”

“Oh Revered One! This is an outstanding and precious description! ‘Arising and culminating from desire; with desire acting as both the source and catalyst’ is an ingenious explanation! I have a son (Editor: His name was represented by the Chinese characters 智羅瓦西, but I’m not sure how it is pronounced in Pali). One day, my son spent the night outside our village. The next day, I woke up early and dispatched my men to search for him. And while waiting for them to return with news of his whereabouts, I could not help but continuously wished that my son was alright.”

“And would you experience worry, lamentation, pain, unhappiness or despair if something were to happen to him?”

“Yes!”

“So, we can understand the principle behind my statement of ‘Arising and culminating from desire; with desire acting as both the source and catalyst’ with this example. And tell me, would you have developed feelings of love and lust for your son’s mother before you have even met her?”

“No!”

“So the feelings of love and lust for your son’s mother only arose after you have met her?”

“Yes!”

“And would you experience worry, lamentation, pain, unhappiness or despair if she were to be killed, arrested, fined or reprimanded?”

“Yes!”

“Then we can also see the principle behind ‘Arising and culminating from desire; with desire acting as both the source and catalyst’ with this example. If you harbor four desires in your heart, then when the objects of your four desires are affected by impermanence, four kinds of suffering will arise. If you harbor three, two or one desire in your heart, then when the object(s) of your desires are affected by impermanence, the corresponding number of suffering will arise. Hence, if you drop desire, then suffering will cease. ”

The Buddha then ended the sermon with a gatha:

“A person without desire will not develop suffering;

A person without suffering transcends barriers like a lotus flower rising above the water surface.”

Upon hearing the gatha, the village head relinquished the confines of this earth and perceived the true nature of things, thus seeing, obtaining, knowing and becoming one with the Dharma, and never experiencing confusion or fear again. Putting his hands together before the Buddha, he said, “Oh Revered One! I have transcended my barriers. From now on, I take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. Please be my witness as I pledge to be a disciple of the Buddha forever.”

Notes:

1. This story was taken from the Samyutta Nikaya’s 42nd Samyutta’s 11th Sutra, the Samyukta Agama’s 913th Sutra and the translated Samyukta Agama’s 128th Sutra.

2. Familial ties and love have long been praised and coveted by people, but under the scrutiny of the wise Buddha, they are desires operating dependently on a self-centered identity and are thus a source of suffering. Desire does not stray away from a self-centered identity, so reports of affection turning into animosity occurring between parents and children or husbands and wives no longer appear as unbelievable. This is evident from the Buddhism verse of “Mothers can fight with their children and children can fight with their mothers; just as fights can occur between fathers and children, between brothers, between sisters or between relatives.” (Taken from the Madhyama Agama’s 99th Chapter – the Mahadukkhakhandhasuttam)

[ourmondobongo]

Hi!! I love your analysis! What’s the fanon take about Hange and Levi that you hate?

Hello!!!

(This ask is from months ago, I think, so I'm sorry the lateness!)

But Thanks for the kind words 💕

For Hanji:

Is the idea of she being suicidal, and I couldn't have worded my utter rage at this ideia better than Ness did right here!!! I still see it, in Facebook, Twitter, reddit, manga website discussions, and it irks me because - aside from the wrong idea people have about 132 and Hanji’s tiredness - I also have to see people praising Floch, or belittling Hanji's character, and I want to scream and run away from this fandom as soon as possible.

For Levi:

I hate the take that Levi wishes for nothing in life = putting in a position he has "no morals, no thoughts, no perspective" in life but to obey orders blindly and be a tool for violence.

This has opened so many doors for people to shit on his character in so many ways!

Levi is called a simp, a widow, the man "obsessed with revenge", "the man who has never dedicated his heart for humanity", and "is worth to be alive in the snk ending bc he never wished anything" as if people who dreamed of a peaceful world or of explore the unknown world are less and undeserving, and "had a happy ending" as if being alive for the sake of surviving snk death story is some sort of a wonderful blessing in snk when in fact it's not, and so on...

Levi expresses in the main manga, and acwnr, and close up interviews, and snk games how the "air outside the walls is different" in an allusion to the perception of freedom he himself discovered and acknowledged and took upon himself it was in fact possible and worth fighting for as he awakes to his sense of life purpose/mission, BUT it seems people just like him killing Titans for the rage, or because he was ordered to, or because he is a badass who is OP, or is just trying to make other people's dreams come true. Also, imo, people misjudged Levi's compassion and not-so-quick-to-judge demeanor with condescending attitude, while in fact, he is a character that understands the struggle for life/survival better than anyone, and constantly shows how he is affected by people's attitudes and choices and deaths, and his character fairly teaches about the impermanence of things.

[ace-shikamaru-quotes]

!!!! You said to send you an ask about the fae-adjacent true for of the Nara and I am sending it!!! Can I please see Shikamaru's true form because it seems really interesting

yes i am so glad you asked lmao

i did this all on black paper bc i think there's a solid difference between how they'd appear at night.. within the shadows they'd have more of an inconsistent/impermanent quality about them (although the "horns" are more akin to a crest made from thicker hairs, and aren't really a day/night thing)

i kind of wanted to highlight the obscuration of features/details, especially in the face bc in the comfort of the shadows, their appearance would rely more on their perception of self

also, i want to say that this form has to be self-discovered, bc the family doesn't really teach about it. ofc this can cause fear/confusion if it is discovered, but the clan kind of operates on the ideal of assimilation and therefore avoids mentioning it at all

tying in the shadow manipulation aspect, an experienced nara can manipulate the shadows around them to take on larger, more extreme forms (ones that cannot be performed during the day/in the light)

this is largely self-indulgent but it turns out i can do whatever i want. you know you're doing headcanons right when they're absolutely batshit but they technically cannot be refuted

[seoafin]

JJK 139,, ok so i was right on yuuji and sukuna abt jjk137’s title of gongsun long’s philosophy. the term demon god (kishin/ 鬼神) was repeated twice now in the manga. the first one was in chapter 3 where gojo described sukuna as kishin and now it’s yuuji by choso. but according to the eng translation it’s : “ryomen sukuna, with 4 arms and 2 faces is a demon of legend” while the raw is 「両面宿は腕が４本顔が2つある仮想の鬼神」🥴 so now the line which distinguish both of them are actually starting to blur, i think that since junpei’s arc they’re...merging? + gojo also said that in time yuuji would be able to learn sukuna’s CT so umm,,

kishin according to wiki : fierce deities or wrathful deities are the fierce, wrathful or forceful forms (or "aspects", "manifestations") of enlightened Buddhas, Bodhisattvas or Devas (divine beings). Because of their power to destroy the obstacles to enlightenment, they are also termed krodha-vighnantaka, "fierce destroyers of obstacles".

or just : a wrathful manifestation of beings and/or buddhas or bodhisattvas depending on the tradition, that spread teachings and guard against demons, shepherding the transformative elements that become enlightenment

in terms of enlightment, i think yuuji’s almost in the first stage of it (?), there are 4 stages of enlightment. the first one is called “sotapanna”. the word sotapanna literally means "one who entered (āpanna) the stream (sota), stream-enterer", after a metaphor which calls the noble eightfold path a stream which leads to vast ocean, nirvana.

“The sotapanna is said to have "opened the eye of the Dhamma", because they have realized that whatever arises will cease (impermanence). Their conviction in the true dharma would be unshakable”

to become sotappana, one must abandon 3 fetters which are : self view (The view of substance, or that what is compounded (sankhata) could be eternal in the five aggregates (form, feelings, perception, intentions, cognizance), and thus possessed or owned as 'I', 'me', or 'mine'. A sotāpanna doesn't actually have a view about self, as that doctrine is proclaimed to be a subtle form of clinging.)

clinging to rites and rituals (Eradication of the view that one becomes pure simply through performing rituals (animal sacrifices, ablutions, chanting, etc.) or adhering to rigid moralism or relying on a god for non-causal delivery (issara nimmāna). Rites and rituals now function more to obscure, than to support the right view of the sotāpanna's now opened dharma eye. The sotāpanna realizes that deliverance can be won only through the practice of the Noble Eightfold Path. It is the elimination of the notion that there are shortcuts to perfecting all virtues.)

skeptical doubt (Doubt abt the Buddha, his teaching (Dharma), and his community (Sangha) is eradicated bc the sotāpanna personally experiences the true nature of reality through insight, and this insight confirms the accuracy of the Buddha's teaching. Seeing removes doubt, because the sight is a form of vision, that allows one to know )

and 6 types of defilements (klesas) would be abandoned : envy, jealousy, hypocrisy, fraud, denigration, domineering

not only that but while sukuna calls yuuji "brat (kozo)", 小僧 is a much less snarky way of saying it (as opposed to something like ガキ [gaki]), and "boy" would probs be a better word choice. and...that word literally means "young buddhist priest/ monk" in the way of an apprentice monk in training,,, thinking of the attachment of tenjo tenge yuiga dokuson to sukuna 😳

i’m starting to see that whoever had a direct or indirect parallel to the/ a buddha would be a mentor figure to another : gojo, sukuna, geto. geto is a rip-off amitabha raising a cult while gautama’s word is attributed to gojo and sukuna,,, altho geto’s one is ironic bc commiting matricide and patricide would be 2 of the worst karmas u’ll ever reap

and there are actually 2 types of buddha : Samyaksambuddhas, who taught others abt the “truth” of the world that they discovered via enlightment and those who are taught could also reach enlightment

Pratyekabuddhas, who keep the knowledge/ truth to themself and are considered as a second to samyaksambuddhas [i’m looking at u, mr “i’ll teach u the real jujutsu” but end up killing them]

and u dont need to be a buddha to be enlightened since an arahant, the person who reach the 4th stage of enlightenment, is considered as “truly enlightened”,,

on a completely separate note: the use of the GUISE of religiosity has been extremely interesting bc geto acknowledges this even, when he dons a monk's robes (gojo gesa),, uraume also wears monk's robes. kamo (kyoto tech) wears some traditional clothing, uses a BOW, like purifying arrows anyone

i’ve seen a lot of gojo and geto comparison with buddha, but i’m actually surprised that nobody brought up abt him and yuuji bc like,, the “dying surrounded by ppl” is exactly how it was like when the buddha died before reaching nirvana, 7 days after his death,,

gojo quoting buddha’s first words in his “enlightment” is one thing but what if yuuji quoted/ said sth similar of buddha’s words prior reaching nirvana when he’ll die in the manga,

ie : “I exhort you: All compounded things are subject to vanish. Strive with earnestness.” / “All individual things pass away. Strive on, untiringly”

ngl if this would happen, it’d be a huge contrast against his grandfather’s last request to “save ppl”

and,, i don't really think naoya's ability is around speed - if we guess based off naobito and mai abilities, i’d guess it has sth to do with image manipulation, some kind of detection delay...lmao it's camera exposure and/or shutter speed or sth completely different

interesting to focus on speed tho. yuuji is also adapting very very fast in skill. his clapping thing also reminded me not just of todo but sukuma but given that todo was the first to talk to him abt curse energy manipulation, probs a reference to him.

imo yuuji's growth style rn is sort of similar to mahito's, learning thru combat rapidly. or is his increased technique also a side effect of sukuna having eaten more fingers?? - 🐱

im actually really curious what naoya’s cursed technique is bc he talks about speed in the chapter and all i could think about was the you wanna see some REAL SPEED? meme LMAOOO

i’ve seen comparison of yuji and mahito and it makes me so sad...i feel like he’s becoming a new person and that scares me PLEASE GOD....DON’T LET HIM SUFFER TOO MUCH AHHGGNGN

I DON’T WANT YUJI TO REACH ENLIGHTENMENT IM GOOD!!! keep him safe 😭😭😭

[northerngoshawk]

Happy FFWF!

Is there a particular scene in any of your fics that was ~inspired by~ events in your own life? If so! Share the scene/ the story/ whatev!

Happy FFWF! Hmmm... while I wouldn't say there is a particular scene, there IS a certain introspection thought in the avatar's fear that was inspired by my own thoughts.

It's this little gem right here:

The monks had cautioned against developing attachments. They had taught him that life was like the wind: always moving, always changing. Anything that passes through his life is fleeting; whatever he holds onto will inevitably slip from his grasp and disappear, swept away by the wind. The elders had said that this was simply the natural cycle of life: buildings will crumble, materials will decay, and people will leave. Fighting against this cycle to retain an attachment, they said, would only make him lose what he has more quickly; accept that everything is impermanent, cherish what he has now, and move on when it passes.

This particular introspective thought was something that came from a really hard time in my life. This was actually my own ... revelation, you could say, that I made during that time, and I thought it fit really well with the Air Nomads' teachings about detachment (from what we're shown from the canon series).

This quote is also something that actually came directly from my thoughts, which comes from the same section:

Everyone leaves eventually.

At the time, I was struggling with the idea that nothing in life is permanent. Don't worry, I'm better now! But yeah, I think of all the "scenes" (bc these aren't rlly scenes, they're introspective thoughts) I wrote in my fanfics, these ones in particular were the most inspired by my own life events.

[mozki]

i had a really fun day yetserday and i feel good again now (^: ups and downs are quite fun in a way . its fine bc it teaches u true impermanence . young an free babi it will mellow out with age but rn its all gdddd . rainy morning and the sun is peekin out now its all a bit metaphorical . my arms ache because i was using a hedge trimmer for the first time ! i was a landscaping ghostbuster . quite an impressive machine .

[starzspeak1]

9 Common Spiritual Symbols - How To Use Them

If you've started dipping your toes into yoga, studying Eastern religion, or learning more about spirituality, you've probably noticed that some symbols appear over and over again: the Om symbol, the chakra chart, the lotus flower. So what do they all represent? Here is an overview of the meanings and history of some of the more common spiritual symbols to help you incorporate them with purpose and respect into your own practices:

1 OM

The Ohm symbol comes from Hinduism. "Yoga is all about union, and the symbol of OM represents it in the Hinduism. The symbol is included in the Vedas, the oldest Hindu scriptures, and denotes the breath of the universe, which is believed to be its original sound. ".

The various curves of this symbol represent waking consciousness, sleep, and deep sleep. The small curved line in the center, shows the illusion, and the line separates from the transcendent, which is represented by the upper figure.

How to use it:

He exclaimed "Om" while thinking about his connection to the universe. 2 Lotus flower

Another Hindu symbol, the lotus flower, represents "the womb of the universe from which all things are born," Sundaram told mbg. Even today, the lotus is the national flower of India, although it has been a part of Hindu culture for centuries.

"Lotus plants only grow in marsh areas, and that symbolizes this idea that because of ugliness, ruination and confusion, we can all come together in this perfect moment and we are all connected," she says. "In this sense, it also has an secondary relationship with the Buddhist idea of the world spirit."

How to use it:

Practice the lotus pose, or "padmasana," in which you squat with one foot placed on top of the other thigh. Then slowly pull your heels up to the top of your inner thigh and repeat with the other leg. 3 Hamsa

Hamsa is associated with various traditions. Today, it is a common symbol for warding off evil and negativity and is often found on jewelry and clothing. Sundaram notes that it has connections to Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

"In Islam and Judaism," she says, "it's about accepting off the evil eye, the idea of a guardian." "In Hinduism, it is often used as a synonym for the superior spirit or the ultimate truth, which is called 'Brahman', as well as being a means of knowledge. In Buddhism, it represents the universal spirit and its liberation from the cycle of rebirth, or samsara. "

How to use it:

Dress it up or put it in your private space to protect it. 4 Buddha

Siddhartha Gautama, who would be known as Buddha, lived during the 5th century BC. And since Buddhism grew, the image of it has been used to represent enlightenment, unity, and peace. Buddhism as a religion dates back to the teachings of the Buddha, and statues of the Buddha are common throughout the world in spiritual spaces. Sundaram says that the Buddha himself, sometimes depicted as Zen and sometimes laughing, can be seen as a native yogi and a teacher who dispels ignorance.

How to use it:

Study the Buddha's teachings and point to the statue as a symbol of what Buddha and Buddhism stand for. 5 Mandala

Mandalas have traditionally been associated with Buddhism and Hinduism. These intricate designs represent the world and the journey of the self. Its many layers illustrate the qualities necessary to achieve wisdom and enlightenment.

Buddhist monks use mandalas made of sand to symbolize impermanence and the need to transcend matter. "In the Buddhist tradition, it specifically represents temporariness," he says. "In the Hindu tradition, it shows the connection and the path between important and unimportant."

How to use it:

Draw your own mandala as a kind of animated meditation. 6 The evil eye

The evil eye is associated with Hamsa, a widespread theme in Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and even ancient Greek and Roman cultures. The idea of evil eye is that someone is focusing too much on you. "They pay a lot of attention to you." The symbol dates back to the 6th century BC, and today it is often used or displayed as a talisman to protect against any ill will of the people.

How to use it:

Hang an evil eye at the entrance of your home to protect your home from external negativity.

7 The chakras

Like Om, the chakras are mentioned for the first time in the Vedas. We have many chakras in our body, but the seven main chakras work their way up the spine, starting at the base and working their way up to the top of the head. Think of it as your 'invisible body': I imagine it as a system of spiritual circulation with energy centers in different parts.

How to use it:

Depending on how you feel like your chakra is out of control, try chakra meditation to restore balance.

8 Namaste

Many yoga teachers will end their class by saying some variation of the phrase "The light within me honors the light within you - namaste." It's a nice feeling. However, Sundaram notes that the phrase has been overused and somewhat misunderstood. It means "I honor you," he explains, but in India, this simply means “hello”.

No one should use namaste, but we shouldn't give it a meaning that doesn't exist because that's when we start to be tempted by cultures we don't understand

How to use it:

Choose your phrase carefully and consider sharing a different word if you see yourself using a lot of namaste.     9 Yin and yang

Yin and yang represent male and female, light and dark, and the law of polarity. It has existed since before the 3rd century BC. C. In China, the idea of opposing forces has resonated in many cultures and schools of thought since then. In the end, yin and yang showed the balance and harmony inherent in nature.

How to use it:

Try yin yoga as a relaxing alternative to the most demanding flows.

Learning the history and meanings behind these common symbols can help you deepen your spiritual practice when done with respect. "Many times what we see is an eclectic display of Asian instruments, and the history of the symbols is erased," so make sure you understand the meaning behind what it does, adds Sundaram.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to take on practices or symbols that match with you and speak to your spiritual journey. The most important thing is to always practice with respect and really understand what you are hanging on the wall or saying after your yoga class.

Source: https://starzspeak.com/post/2658/9-common-spiritual-symbols-how-to-use-them

For relevant content also visit: https://starzspeak.com/ Also, visit: Spiritual Guidance: Signs From Spirit                 Most Creative Zodiac Signs

[arodrwho]

hey guys. do u wanna hear about millie? (yea u do, here we go--)

MILLIE

birthname: emmeline steveggs // nicknames: ems, emmie, millie // past aliases: M, vine, starfinger, boss, the witchling

fun facts:

she ran away from home 3 times (of those 3, she was caught only once)

(the first time was cool, calculated. a test run.) (the second time was equally calculated, except for one small [very large very terrifying] variable: her younger sister marlie (lyla), taken along at the very last second and utterly unaccounted for in her well-laid plans.) (the third time she didn’t so much run as kiss her parents goodbye and then never come back or talk to them again.)

7, or maybe 8 years older than marlie (she can’t quite remember anymore, and she's never even take any memory fogging potions. except just the once, when she was seventeen, and isn’t that just the worst? isn’t she just--?)

brought marlie book after book after book about mushrooms after she nearly died, first because she was quietly very very terrified of her eating another one and actually dying, and then because she could see how much she loved them

rarely listened to marlie talk about mushrooms for more than, oh, fifteen minutes at a time, but still never refused to listen, never told her to be quiet (only subtly changed the subject once she got bored, which was always so easy bc marlie was so distractable)

doesn’t really like dogs. they smell and they claw at you too much. doesn’t like cats, either. doesn’t trust their slinking. would pet a rat though, or a large goat

a couple years into her standard magic education, she got put into remedial classes. in those classes they made her wear a small silver ring, with little bits sticking out the inside that pressed into her skin (to help guide her control, they said) (really, all it did was suppress her abilities, dim them, cut the connection between them and her emotions)

to this day, she hates jewelry of all kinds, but especially rings

once, at the age of eleven, she made a model [something] out of bits of scrap she found around the house. not scale accurate or functional by any means, but recognizable as a [something]

good at math, in a lazy way where she had to try a bit, but not very much, and didn’t particularly care for it

she liked the yellow-green of new shoots as a little kid. she likes the foamy sort of blue-gray the ocean makes when it crashes on the rocks now

she hates the taste of saltwater, but the spray & the tang in the air taste like home, like safety, all the same

she met a dragon (len) once who was pretending (very badly) to be a bush. she stared at him from afar for a long moment, and then took (a very calculated) risk, & made him an ally (and then, unexpectedly, a friend)

she worked, for a little while (for maybe a long while), as a carpenter

she tried, once, to work in a place that gave remedial magic lessons. to change it from the inside out. she stayed there for six months, making incremental progress, and it made her so tired and so angry she quit and she made a new plan

spent several hours as a tiny one trying to teach even tinier marlie how to do a cartwheel

doesn’t make friends super easily but is very, very good at allies

hates sandals and hates to be barefoot, except on rocks

eats whatever, whenever

primary emotion is pointed determination. everything is a goal, a thing that she Will Achieve, no matter how small

(second most primary emotion is tired, but she ignores this)

she can’t sing, but she tried, years ago, for marlie (she also can’t cook much, but she tried that too, also for marlie)

wears layers, but not bulky ones unless in public

likes tracing words and patterns in impermanent things. dust. fogged up mirrors. sand as the tide comes in

left-handed

cannot touch her toes

freckled

has scars on the bottom of her feet from walking on rocks barefoot. has a scar on her ankle where she cut it on a tool left out in marlie’s garden. has faded scars on her left ring finger (not ordinary ones. magic ones).

probably nd in some fashion (by which i feel i must clarify i mean specifically in the disabled sense, not in the mentally ill sense), but fuck if i know precisely which

........actually come to that i think she’s dyslexic? cool that’s canon now

and maybe autistic too but i’m not suuuuuuuuuuuuuuper sure on that one so uhhhh i’ll get back to me on that i guess

anyway in conclusion millie is. interesting to me, i don’t love her exactly but i’m intrigued by her

[witchinthewind]

Post 1; the signs as I see them now

I see astrology as a tool to see people in a more inter dimensional way, and the signs are all based on my personal POV on the signs now

Aries; Frustrastion is a key word here, wether it’s at themselves or the world or their own emotions/love life they get mad and stay mad. But thing is it’s not always an external blow up it’s usually internal, now some may be more showy than others, but most will have a charismatic youthful attitude. Always the one cussing up a storm (will probably try and fight you and then pussy out) and most times love showing off how pretty they are. I read somewhere how Aries ruled the Amazonian women, powerful and strong warriors full of wisdom, yet full of youth and beauty, if only they could contain the fires long enough to make them roar. Their emotions heat up and stay on until their gone, they probably need space and time to think it all through. They cry a lot more than people would think they do, they feel very set on fire by emotions and that all the arguments and ordeals are “stupid” in a lot of ways. It’s like they need a moment to scream it out till they reach the epiphany that they know how to deal with it. Always feeling like they need to be strong, or that their feelings are “stupid” or wrong.

Taurus; champagne kisses tbh; being a Taurus stellium myself I try not to over exaggerate the Tauren vibe. We have a sense of pride attached to it all, not wanting to admit fault in order to change. We take pride in what we attain and achieve; most times we haven’t had the chance to obtain for ourselves or don’t normally buy things so when we do we make it worth while and nice. That’s why we savor it all, Love, food and travel for some, nature and spirituality for others. Cause at some point it’s all over and we’re left just feeling empty about it, a moment of bliss is impermanent and that pains us. I can be a total mom friend or drunk friend lost at a party. Some of us business inclined to a fault, always on a call and dealing with something emotional or business. Lots of worry. Becoming comfortable with feminist ideals and feminine aspects of yourself at some point in life maybe even obsessed. Having confronted or trying to confront feeling on love; Always learning in love. The emotional side can feel like we want to keep common sense about feelings but when it’s too much I can’t take it anymore and bellow out in frustration. Trying to be loving, to learn, to be peaceful and sociable can seem daunting at times. Some Taurus are lost in vanity and superficiality, other their mind and thoughts. A Taurus always has deep thoughts and most times loves to write them down or dwell on the past or pains. Probably needs to talk about it but is eitherresisting out of guilt or fear. They don’t wanna speak unless they know for sure. And that leaves them vulnerable to problems with love and lost opportunities, it’s almost like a Scorpio in a sense of endless thoughts that leave you darkened in the soul and restless. It’s a melancholic Lana del Rey/ Adele vibe, a beaten Aphrodite and damsel in distress.

Gemini; most say evil, I say if aspected tbh. Gemini energy I will say is fickle, and can run rampant and fast and if you can’t keep up, out of your reach. Honestly sweet babies tbh always learning something, music, art, litterateur, but could be math and sciences. Really any Gemini can be added to a persuit of knowledge for gained efforts. If they’re docile they’re sad, feeling trapped, unfulfilled. Probably has gifts or trophies of new things or places. inquisitive and most times giggly as hell when they make a pun on accident or run into a funny fact. But at times problematic at the end results they come to, probably got lost and forgot to pay attention to E V E R Y detial and fact. Did I mention they think fast or not at all? it’s like they’re running with all they’re facts reading them out one by one but they dropped a scroll in their mind on the way to tell you. Prone to a brain fart, LOVES to PARTY, can be on different levels but they at least love alcohol. The emotions can be ignored completely at times as they go about life but at some point they realize their actions have consequences, very trial and error approach to life. the emotions well up in an instant as things clicked and all made sense.

Cancer; charts that lack water like mine seek out water energy. It’s like a subconscious counter balance. Don’t eat me alive but i think all water signs are here to kill us 💀(another story). Of the three water signs cancer is like white energy or benevolent magic. They’re loving and sweet. Always remembering the little things. Its inviting like this warm milk bath full of rose water. You feel calmed in its embrace you’re at peace. But then something changed and you don’t know what. You start to pay attention and you notice the bath went cold. Their eyes went from warm and inviting to wide opened and cold. Wether it’s distance, manipulation, or just sadness that flows into everyone. They take you back to the past, remembering every relationship, every word, every moment they held close to heart. Taking you though all that and almost drowning you in words to either hurt you or truly express their hurt, it’s a fine line. They then settle and the energy returns and it’s like it all never happened and you wonder so much “how??” it’s beyond words. Sometimes they’re the most sensitive, other times they’re the coldest people alive until you pry them open. This pure light looked the same even when it felt like nothing was there, no warmth, just chills.

Leo; showmanship is a broad term with them. Wether it’s sun or moon they want to shine somewhere. Sports can be a typical one, they can have serious careers and want to have a known reputation. The recognition of their actions keeps them fueled. In some cases they’re this vain archetype. Plain and negative, they can’t let themselves shine because they feel the need to second guess themselves and blend in or they just put others down for their own self esteem so they look better . In other cases they shine so bright they lead thorough natural ability in whatever they do , they don’t say they’re the leader everyone else does. They invent and create new and inventive ways to do things and most times want to help people and have a kind and enthusiastic sense of being. Most likely found with Aries energy. Things can feel dramatic from their point of view, feelings feel like a Whitney Houston song. A melody of beautiful sadness or a symphony of selected songs plucked on heart strings. They don’t like to heat up when they shine, anger can come out of direct need to express how undone or unjust they feel and can feel limited in expressing it at times. A very inner monologue that sounds like a lifetime movie with a “why me” attitude. It’s like one upsetting thing brings a wave of emotional issues, like cancer they remember all the little things but it’s not consuming like ice cold cancer waters that freeze the heart, it burns them alive in a consuming frenzy of thoughts emotions and half played scenes of melodrama in their head.

Virgo; the one I really can’t say the most about bc I’ve had the adsolute worst experience. But what I can say is that you’re tactful, and like libra about balance at times. Virgin and the vixen is how I like to describe it. Everyone sees this well put together type of person, nice strong, politely nice but nothing too deep unless you’re close. But on the inside of things it’s a lot different most times. Cascading hallways of memories and experiences. Since it’s an earth sign ruled by mercury I see it as like the daughter of Gemini and Taurus, strong mind but deeper thoughts. Propbably stresses patterns and watching others and cares a lot about how people see them (family most important at times) so they limit themselves instead of seeking to change bad habits or express their true personality.

Libra; this is my 7th house and I fucking love Libras. I hate them at times because if aspected (and lord is it usually) they’re self centered and have a tendency to go on and on about themselves. No one can tell me they aren’t ruled by venus. Taurus is the introvert Libra is the extrovert. Libra teaches Taurus how to stunt and become more confident and outgoing and Taurus helps reaffirm a Libras confidence and keeps them grounded and not too far from earth and in the air. Probably loving to debate shit back and forth, “um lemme look that up because I don’t think so”, “oh my god I’m....” “do you think I should...” “help me decide...”; They need affirmation of their talents and sense of outgoingness, sometimes they don’t do it until they’re comfortable but they most times need a little push. And can be a bit eccentric if aspected. They can leave emotions on a shelf somewhere and never attend to them again or be the ones that have emotions like ALL the time but just keep them at bay. All in all they can be extra but they are most definitely worth it. They always feel bubbly like the foam around Aphrodite.

Scorpio; if cancer is benevolent magic Scorpio is maleficia. It’s like the waters went dark, focusing on the bad in others not in themselves. With water energy it’s like in a moment it’s all around you enveloping and then at times it’s consuming. With Scorpio the envelopment is in the darkness of it all. Cynicism and sarcasm from a point of view you would have never guessed. At times a wall flower unknown by most, or a loner with a bad reputation. Being a Taurus sometimes I just see them or they see me. Its either I click with them or I don’t but there’s always this sense of understanding out of respect. When they open their world you’ll see the pain and the sorrows and in between it births light, brilliance and beauty it’s like their addicted to it. They most times are reborn through pain and loss. The personality becomes whole again and striving to stop what they’ve experienced, but they tend to get into old habits very easily. Always accused of the crime when most times theyre the victim. Very “no snitches” or “I’ll use your secrets against you” attitude when mad, coldness and distance is in their nature. This dark water felt calming and soothing, it knew the weight of the world and sought to cool your tensions and let you breathe and escape it all. But the mars water heated up little by little till you boiled alive. The intensity grows with them in whatver they do and that’s the one thing I always feel with them, intense.

Sagittarius; experience is a key word here; lack there of or too much of it. They have this fire too live life to the fullest and want to feel it running through their veins. They hate looking back at the past to feel pain or face themselves, but they at times give the greatest advice based on experiences. Fast fire temper that flickers out quick. They love to see the world from the common perspective but also love to come back with material items and or expensive gifts from travels to rememeber moments in time. Probably messy or hoards things with emotional ties or value. They try and radiate warmth and a giving attitude but most times seem like a solitary traveler with many tales to tell. Very sad in some tales they tend to downplay the emotions they feel until they well up in a frenzy, it’s like their heart is on fire, tears beyond comprehension. You wonder how they ever made it through what they did.

Capricorn; All work and no play makes jack a dull boy. First line of defense is the innocent seemingly unknowing attitude, the next is sarcasm and witty comedy that can always have some undertones of sexual humor. They tend to ignore emotions, letting them go on and on until they can’t contain them anymore. Probably has had restrictions and a rigid sense of structure or harsh discipline put upon them. They have a disdain but respect for it and tend to lash out when no one is looking. Manipulation and a tendency to play dumb and relying on a superiority complex tends to be their downfall. They’re always surprising in the way they are, no one truly “knows” them. They’ll reveal dark parts about their past you never would’ve thought possible like Scorpio. But now it’s even more unbelievable because with this person they put out a sense of authority and darkness but with structure and respect like saturns energy. Neptune in Capricorn in the early 90s made heroin and opioids go up in usage they went away during age of Aquarius and it’s sad to see the rise again in Pisces. Restrictiveness can lead to needing emotional intensity or intense experiences. But since they have had this sense of restriction they rebel in silence most times hurting themselves in the process. Very successful and business mined at times and knows how to help people and probably puts family above a lot else.

Aquarius; either conventional or not at all; it’s like I see the age of Aquarius as the “ideal society” (barf) and that people of Aquarian traits are either the covential ideal of beauty or something that challgenes beyond that standard. Same with the emotional side at times they hit moments of regular teenage dealings but at the same time it’s beyond that, it’s intensity beyond words. Unlike Capricorn they don’t restrict their emotions or they can’t at least; it’s like the air makes them burst. They can usually seem pretty far and distant or cold but that’s kind of the first wall around them, like an air of mystery. But once you get past it you realize they’re not quiet or cold at all! They can’t just let emotion sit or be quiet or it over takes their personality and it becomes quite sour. They rule over rebellion and unlike Capricorn they don’t rebel or get angry silently. Giving and idealistic and pretty charitable. If not well informed very one sided in the mind and won’t change. Loves to protest and show displays of idealistic love and affection. Eccentric if aspected they can feel outcasted or unwanted by people around them for being or showing uniqueness.

Pisces; the waters of light and dark became one and it was all done; like the magic of the world settles and is still. You see the magic stirring underneath you fall into the stars you see and become enveloped by the neptune tide. A Pisces in my opinion can do anything they ecompass all the signs. Their emotions are so broad and long it’s beyond my comprehension, they give love, strength, wisdom, and moments of clarity to themselves or others. They also can give the greatest advice on emotion. Problem is they can be led by emotional sense so much they ignore plain facts in front of them. “I feel this way so it must be right” attitude. They themsves are lost in Neptunes delusion. They have the eternal old hippie soul about them. Wise beyond their years can leave them yearning for shallows and make them superficial as a person. The thing is being in their world is like being underwater, you see all their monsters swimming around and you get out shaken and gasping for air telling them all about it, they don’t know what you mean, you go on and they push you back in. The waters are dark and all consuming, scary, and heart pounding, but in the midst of the minds rampant darkness there’s a sense of clarity. Its up to whomever attempts diving in to find the light in the sea of darkness and smoke.

(I’m bad at typos btw lemme know k bye thanks for reading 💝)

[masculart-blog]

The spirit of Chinese religion

Since the ancient times, China has been viewed as a multi-religious country. Confucianism is an indigenous form of religion that for a long time has been affiliated with the Chinese culture and appeared to enjoy support from many people as it progressed to become the guiding factor for feudalism society. However, Confucianism did not win the national belief, and, therefore, the culture shifted to other forms of religions which came up in various dynasties. Although the diversion happened, none of the religions has managed to develop a powerful history as they continue to provide more spiritual support to diverse people. Statistics have managed to show that among the religions that came after Confucianism namely Buddhism and Daoism, Buddhism has showed the widest influence in the Chinese culture[1]. There are various concepts that have been associated with these religious forms. This paper will focus on rebirth/immortality as one of the practices in these religions and also discuss the factors that influenced the early reception of Buddhism in China.

Daoism

This form of religion is also known as Taoism and it generally preaches about living in harmony with nature and simplicity. Daoism began as a philosophical tradition in early China at around 6th century BC and later in the 2nd century it turned into a religion[2]. This form of religion normally centers on the beliefs that have to do with immortality. Also, it compares to Buddhism in that there are certain elements of practice and beliefs it has borrowed from it. Daoism uses philosophical principles to argue about wholeness through the utilization of the term chaotic which he relates to a rock and a fetus. Both are viewed as two components that lack nothing to enhance their existence in what constitutes birth. It later turns out that Daoism focuses on the aspects of life and death in that once a person is born, the aging process starts. However, with the decline-through-differentiation, the process of regaining wholeness becomes real as the spirit isrestored by reversing the process of aging[PS1]  from multiplicity to a single[PS2]  form. Daoism also believes that immortality exists in the body of a man, and therefore, there is a need to make the body immortal as it is the one that forms the habitation for the spirit. Practices which involve Spiritism, magic shamanism, accompany this form of culture religion in the pursuit of achieving immortality.

Confucianism

Confucianism began between the 5th and 6th centuries BC with a man by the name Kong. Ever since the history of Chinese became memorial to scholars, Confucianism has in one way or another formed the backbone of the Chinese state. In the period between 12th and 16th centuries, Confucianism was modified to revitalize the philosophy and religion in the pursuit to meet the modern circumstances. Confucianism plays a critical role in the concepts that enhance rebirth/immortality through its properties of having a web of relationships from the moment someone is born until after he or she dies. Having the attribute of the web of relationships leads to making an inference that Confucianism is all about relations in life[3]. Confucius different from the other forms of religion has little focus on life after death in its contribution to the thoughts that concern immortality. However, most Confucians hold a belief about the existence of life after death as true. In fact, Confucius urges people to respect the spirits and even stay away from them. So it, therefore, implies that Confucianism has a significant linkage to immortality as Confucius prompted people to perform rights such as worshipping heaven and performing commemoration of great men. In a nutshell, therefore, there is some degree of similarity between Confucianism and Daoism in terms of immortality.

Buddhism

Buddhism refers to the teachings of Buddha and in one way or another, it appears to be in the same class of Daoism and Confucianism. Teiser in his argument demonstrates the cycle of existence to comprise birth, death and rebirth. These three are viewed on the basis of impermanence, satisfactoriness and lack of permanent self. Each practice is linked up to its premises in a way that inductively supports the argument. For instance, impermanence is affiliated with gradual extinct, satisfactoriness is linked up with the lack of pain and invariable changes in people we wish to maintain, and lack of permanent self is what appears to be linked with the focal point of this paper-rebirth[4]. Practices done during rebirth involved passing a flame from one candle to the next[PS3]  to indicate a spirit that moves from one lifetime to the other[PS4] . The immortality was portrayed in this practice through the believe that the eternal elements of life migrated from one person to the other. All in all, Buddhism practices majorly focused on rebirth in what contributed to the premises about immortality.

Historically, Buddhism entered China during 206 BCE-220CE. The first missionaries of Buddhist religion were seen accompanying merchant caravans that[PS5]  traveled using the Silk Road[PS6] . This was during the first century BCE. The majority of these missionaries belonged to the Mahayana school. Initial stages of Buddhism never yielded promising fruits. Chinese culture had for a long time established a tradition that seemed intellectual and religious. There was a strong sense of culture superiority that had not assisted in the reception of ideas affiliated to Buddhist. The Chinese considered many of the Buddhist ways[PS7]  as alien and even contrary to the Confucian ideals that dominated the[PS8]  aristocratic ruling. At some point, the monastic order received numerous critiques. For instance, it was seen as unproductive and a source of unnecessary economic burden to the population. Additionally, it was considered to be a hindrance to the independence from secular authority emphasized by the monks and was deemed to bean attempt to undermine the traditional[PS9] leadershipof the emperor[PS10] [5]. From a critical perspective, it is important to acknowledge that religious[PS11]  factors and cultural paradox were the major factors that influenced the reception of Buddhism in China. However, as it is said that no condition is permanent, the Chinese went loose on their principles and soon in the first century AD Buddhism had penetrated China in a way that seemed to influence the Chinese culture once again.

Buddhism came along with a vast array of doctrines, beliefs and new concepts regarding heaven and hell. The influence went on changing and evolving the demands of a dynamic new society with a massive capacity to manufacture and discard material things. Till date, in all areas that are associated with Chinese culture, Buddhism still continues to hold top niches in influencing the local material culture.

Conclusively, much has been discussed regarding different religions in China. It is important also to gain an understanding of how the gods of these religions relate to other kind of beings. It, therefore, means that to understand Chinese theology, much effort should be put into exploring theories about human existence in relation to Chinese cosmology. By studying these two factors, we would be getting a deeper knowledge regarding the spirit of Chinese religion. There are numerous materials that can be read to know more about the spirit of Chinese religion. It, therefore, implies that much research should be done to find out more about these kinds of religion culture, how their gods works, and the practices and concepts involved in each. By doing this, we would be able to gain a clear picture of the many spirits in the Chinese religion.

 Bibliography

"Chinese Religions, Beliefs: Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism." Travelchinaguide.Com. Last modified 2016. Accessed March 9, 2016. http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/religion/.

De Bary, William Theodore, Irene Bloom, Wing-tsit Chan, Joseph Adler, and Richard John Lufrano. Sources of Chinese Tradition. 2nd ed. Columbia University Press, 2013.

Lopez, Donald S. Religions of China in Practice. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1996.

Violatti, Cristian, Cristian Violatti, Dola RC, Cristian Violatti, Chirayu Thakkar, Cristian Violatti, and Cristian Violatti et al. "Buddhism". Ancient History Encyclopedia. Last modified 2016. Accessed March 9, 2016. http://www.ancient.eu/buddhism/.

"Windows On Asia | Michigan State University". Asia.Isp. Msu.Edu. Last modified 2014. Accessed March 9, 2016. http://asia.isp.msu.edu/wbwoa/east_asia/china/religion.htm.

[garywonghc]

Gods, Demons, Sages, and Enlightened Kings

by Robin Kornman

We call it Tibetan Buddhism, but it’s really much more. Robin Kornman sees Tibet as the last of the Silk Route cultures, where the great religions of Asia unite in a magical world of Gods, Demons, Sages, and Enlightened Kings.

What could be more different from modern North American culture than the magical cosmology of the Central Asian Silk Route? Yet in the United States and Canada the sacred world view of ancient Tibet has established its most promising foothold.

Buddhism is famous for its rationality and profound, somewhat abstract contemplative practices. But the modern-day practitioner of Tibetan religion finds there are also chants to protective deities-fabulous many-armed beings who inhabit the world of Central Asian mythology.

There are seasonal religious practices which connect the disciple in a peculiarly Asian fashion with the principles of earth and sky.

There are shamanistic divination practices to lead the faithful and help them make difficult decisions, using mirrors or dice, or an arrow hung with pennants, or a rosary made of polished bone.

These are not just rationalized Buddhism such as one reads about in school. These are the spiritual practices of the exotic civilizations that rose up along the Silk Route, civilizations that combined the religious and magical practices of Central Asia with the philosophical profundities of India and China.

Tibet began its history as one such civilization, a Silk Route empire that extended from Central Asia deep into T’ang China. The Tibetan empire fell but what remained as the country of Tibet, because of its size and tremendous prestige as a Buddhist kingdom, succeeded ultimately in conveying the medieval culture of the Silk Route into the modern period.

The Silk Route started in the Roman Empire, crossed the Middle East, and entered the plains of Central Asia. The journey ended in Cathay (as Marco Polo called China) and all along the way, kingdoms and republics were enriched by the flow of trade goods East and West—the wealth of Europe exchanged for the silk and spices of China.

But the Silk Route withered away as Europeans learned to trade by sea, and the empires that depended on it vanished in the sands. All but Tibet. It remained, the only large-scale example of Central Asian Silk Route civilization to survive into the 20th century.

Tibet’s survival into modern times is remarkable. But even more remarkable is the sudden transplantation of key elements of Tibetan culture into North America in the last thirty years. Its religions have taken root here and strangely flourish. Now there are communities of westerners infused with the Tibetan world view—North Americans and Europeans living on a daily basis with the cosmologies and pantheons of invisible creatures which constitute Tibetan mythology.

The western disciple of Tibetan religion studies the lives of the Buddhist saints. These lives are callednamthar, “examples of liberation.” But the examples are not at all like the lives of Catholic saints. They are written in a Central Asian mode, and as the western disciple reads on, he or she is alternately amazed, horrified, moved, disturbed, and even disgusted.

For it turns out that the Buddhist lineage holders of the past, the Tibetan saints, were not simply examples of meditative discipline and self-control. They were also sorcerers accomplishing supernatural feats worthy of a Merlin. They were shamans who traveled in spirit realms, hobnobbing with demons and mountain deities and a strange pantheon of silk-clad immortals riding on purple clouds. And they were bards extemporizing picturesque songs and religious sermons in verse, for Tibetan mythology is communicated principally through popular songs.

The mosaic of Tibetan mythology combines gods and legends from cultures across Asia. The principle ones, however, are Indian, Chinese, and Himalayan. Let’s look at a few pieces of the puzzle.

The Indian Sources

The central element in Tibetan mythology is the Buddha himself. In principle the Buddha was a man who, through meditation practice and following a holy life, gained the ultimate wisdom of enlightenment.

So, for example, westerners who study Buddhism in universities think of the Buddha as a wise and peaceful man—a great teacher, living a life in human perspective. This, however, is not the way he was seen on the Silk Route.

In Central Asia and the Far East, the Buddha is a figure of cosmic proportions. He has not only wisdom, but power, and not just power, but greatness of substance. He pervades the universe and operates on a cosmic scale. His body can appear in a glorified form, radiating blinding splendor, filling the universe with his rays, and exhibiting countless qualities and virtues “numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges.”

This is the Buddha of the Mahayana, the “Greater Vehicle.” He exists on a vast scale. The span of his life is measureless. His teaching sessions last hundreds of years and occur in fabulous locations in spiritual realms. The historical Buddha supposedly died. But this is not true in the Mahayana. As is said in theLotus Sutra, his death was more or less staged to give a teaching on impermanence and to make his human disciples more appreciative of his gifts. Actually, he lives on in an inconceivable way and continues to benefit his disciples throughout the ages.

Indian Buddhist mythology is vaster in its vision than western mythological systems. For example, there are cosmic Buddhas inhabiting inconceivable world- systems. Shakyamuni, the sage who gained enlightenment in the 6th century BC, is just a recent and local Buddha. He has colleagues across the universe.

Indian scriptures name many of them, and around some of these other Buddhas, special traditions of worship and meditation practice have developed. There is, for example, Mahavairochana, who is like the sun and encompasses the entire phenomenal world. The huge Flower Garland Sutra is particularly devoted to him.

But the most famous and revered cosmic Buddha is Amitabha, the red colored Buddha of Compassion. Amitabha has created a special world or “pure land” for his disciples. It is called Sukhavati, the Happy Place. People who pray to Amitabha can be reborn there and live in happiness until they are ready to reincarnate. In this way, even people without education or discipline can avoid the agonies of continual

rebirth in the lower realms. They live there in Amitabha’s heaven for aeons, peacefully studying dharma under his protection.

Actually, Amitabha has numerous emanations in Tibet, some wrathful, some peaceful, some martial in style. One of these is the cosmic yogin named Padmasambhava. He is associated with Amitabha in much of the iconography, and the two together combined to produce the famous epic warrior of Tibet, Gesar of Ling.

In the Mahayana, the Buddha is then accompanied by a retinue of divine beings dressed in royal clothes—the bodhisattvas, the “heroes of enlightenment.” These are people who have vowed to lengthen their path beyond human proportions of time.

They pledge to continue their journey for thousands of years longer than would be necessary for the accomplishment of their own benefit. Even though they could enter nirvana, they remain in the world so that they can aide sentient beings and become themselves, after aeons of work, full-fledged Buddhas. Then they will possess the signs and powers of a Buddha and his vast, glorified body.

But even now, at the mid-point of their long path, they are divine beings. In India and Central Asia, certain of the bodhisattvas were particularly popular and had their own special sects. In Tibet and China three of these stood out: Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom; Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, and Vajrapani, the embodiment of enlightened wrathful power.

Manjushri is represented as a peaceful king. His skin is milky white. He holds the sword of wisdom in his right hand, raised to strike, always prepared to cut through self-deception. He rides a white lion with a lovely turquoise mane. Although Manjushri operates throughout the cosmos, he has a special abode on earth on the Chinese mountain of Wutai, the Five Peaked Mountain, which is a pilgrimage place for Tibetans and Chinese alike.

Avalokiteshvara also has his abode in China, on Omei Shan. Like Wutai, Omei is a magical place. There are temples, ancient and modern, all over the mountain, and on the lovely terraces even non-believing Chinese tourists still see magical visions of the bodhisattva.

This bodhisattva of compassion is worshipped everywhere but especially in Tibet, where he is regarded as the patron of the country, almost its creator. In Tibetan his name is Chenrezig and his mantra Om Mani Padme Hum is repeated on all occasions—as a prayer, as a pious ejaculation, and again and again as an object of meditative concentration. Chenrezig is an emanation of Amitabha and the two are associated in the Pure Land Sects. Padmasambhava, Gesar and Chenrezig are all in a sense emanations of Amitabha and they share in common his tantric insignia, the symbol of the Lotus Family.

Some people compare the bodhisattvas to Catholic saints, because the Tibetans pray to them as if to ask for their mediation and intercession. But the Tibetan cosmic bodhisattvas are grander than Christian saints. They are kingly, magical beings, who themselves can produce emanations to go about the globe doing their work. For example, Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom, is said to have created the land of Nepal by magically parting mountains and opening a passage for people into the paradisiacal valley of Kathmandu.

Below the bodhisattvas is a third order of Buddhist deities who come to Tibet from the Indian Buddhist pantheon. These are actually the Hindu gods: Indra, the Vedic god of war; Brahma, the creator god; Agni, the god of fire; Ganesha, the elephant-headed lord of hosts. These deities were originally part of the brahmanical pantheon of Hinduism, but according to the Buddhists, they were converted by the Buddha into servants of his teachings and now piously attend the gatherings where he preaches, taking a seat just below the bodhisattvas.

The Hindu deities converted in different ways. Some, like Brahma and Indra, were adherents of the Buddha even before he gained enlightenment, for he conducted a sort of primordial seminary in the Tushita Heaven and lectured there to the gods and bodhisattvas. They became part of a divine conspiracy to make sure that one being actually achieved the highest knowledge.

Other Hindu gods, for example Shiva, were actually defeated and transformed by the Buddha or one of his disciples.

by the Buddha or one of his disciples. In the Hindu religion that western academics call Shaivism, Shiva is the symbol for the ultimate self, the atman. Since the Hindus believe that this is the highest principle of truth, they worship Shiva above all other gods.

But to the Tibetan Buddhists, who strive to eliminate one’s belief in a self, Shiva is a symbol for egohood and must be killed. So they evoke him under the name of one of his wrathful manifestations, as Rudra, the “red one.” Rudra is a mighty god and ultimate being in Hinduism, but in Tibetan Buddhism he is an egomaniac who must be destroyed.

On the other hand, there are also stories of Shiva’s conversion to the Buddhadharma. In this case, it is Vajrasattva, the quintessential tantric Buddha, who tames and converts Shiva. The saga of the transformation of the Hindu god of self into a Buddhist deity continues for many episodes—a series of lapses by Shiva and enforced reconversions—until finally he becomes a permanent member of the Buddhist tantric pantheon.

The most interesting conversion of a Hindu god is that of Brahma, the creator. In Hinduism, Brahma is not worshipped very much at all. At the beginning of this world cycle he created the universe; after that his work was done. Eventually Shiva will destroy the universe again, a new cosmic cycle will begin, and there will again be work for Brahma to do. This is the attitude of many Hindus and, whether it is true or not, they often say that there is only one temple dedicated to Brahma in all of India.

But in Tibet he is a popular and beloved secondary deity. He is white, has many arms, and heads facing in the four directions—the perfect maker-god. In the local religions of Tibet, white is usually the color of the good gods, while black is the color of evil devils or maras. The cult of Brahma has in some cases united with the cult of local deities, and there are, for example, mountain gods who wear the headdress and hold the attributes of Brahma.

Buddhists do not believe that Brahma is literally responsible for fashioning the world. Rather, according to Buddhist pandits, when the physical world is reestablished after the end of a cosmic cycle, gods at the level of Brahma are the first to be reborn.

Seeing an empty universe into which other creatures are beginning to be reborn, such a deity says to himself, “I made all this.”

It is a logical mistake, the kind that beings with less than perfect omniscience might make. From it develops the very reasonable Understanding that Brahma, who makes many things, made the world. This explanation of how the Hindus came to believe in Brahma is part of the Buddhist science of cosmology. It can be found in the world of analytical texts called abhidharma and in the amazing Brahmalajala Sutra.

Although Buddhist scholasticism denies Brahma the dignity of being creator of the universe, they do acknowledge him as a daily creative principle. Creation is going on constantly; things are constantly arising and constantly passing out of existence. In that sense the principle of Brahma is constantly at work, and Brahma, who was a great friend to the Buddha, deserves Buddhists’ respect.

Agni is another Hindu deity important to the Tibetans, who worship him in almost exactly the same fashion as the Indians do. Agni is a remarkable example of continuity in the cosmological systems and religions of Asia.

The story of Agni begins with the most ancient of Asian religions, the Indian Vedas. In our earliest records of Vedic religion, fire is regarded as a messenger who conveys gifts of burnt offerings to the gods in heaven. He pervades space as the potential for flame and becomes suddenly manifest when a spark touches fuel. Diffuse fire is then gathered in one spot and bound there as a flame. When the flame is blown out, the fire is “unbound” and rediffuses throughout space, returning to its original unmanifest condition. This is actually one meaning of the word “nirvana”—to unbind.

One of the central ceremonies of Vedic religion is the Agni Puja, the fire sacrifice. In that ceremony fire is addressed as a god, and vast offerings are burnt in the flame which is a manifest part of his vast body. The offerings made to Agni are delivered then by the messenger to all the other gods. They are satisfied and in return bless the patron who ordered the ceremony. As a result of performing the fire puja, the patron receives vast gifts of power and good fortune.

This fire ceremony is performed by nearly every sect of Mahayana Buddhism, from Japanese Zen to Tibetan tantra, and Buddhists do not attempt to hide its Hindu origins. Rather, they are proud that it reflects the vastness and inclusiveness of their cosmology. It asserts the fundamental continuity beyond sectarianism—the continuity which is seen by the eye of the Buddha.

Native Tibetan Mythology

The deities we have just described form the highest levels of the divine world of Tibetan mythology. Below them is another order of deities who are native Tibetan artifacts—the gods and creatures who inhabited the Land of Snow before the coming of Buddhism.

They too form a vast hierarchy.

At the top are the actual proprietors of the land, the bdag po, the “lords.” These are mainly mountain gods such as Magyal Pomra, the nyen or mountain god of the Amnye Machen Range. Nyenchen Thanglha, who rules over another vast range of mountains, is his equal.

These beings were converted to Buddhism by Padmasambhava, the great tantric Buddhist magician from Central Asia. Since their conversion somewhere around the eighth century AD, they have practiced meditation and accumulated merit. Many of them are now advanced bodhisattvas dwelling in a state near enlightenment, but even though they are now like great bodhisattvas at the tenth stage, they still maintain their native wrathful forms when appearing in the human realm. They are accompanied by retinues of spectral, armed horsemen and their courts in their vast palaces are still filled with native Tibetan demons and divine peers.

At one time the nyen ruled Tibet on their own. But when Padmasambhava brought Buddhism to that land they fell under his sway, and now they serve his vast and inscrutable political agenda. Magyal Pomra, for example, served Padmasambhava in his project to create the human superhero Gesar. In the 19th century another nyen, Nyenchen Thanglha, gave up one of his consorts, the fabulous Flesh-Eating Dakini, so that she could incarnate as a human woman and give birth to one of the incarnations of Khyentse Rinpoche.

So who is this Padmasambhava that he can command earth lords and and spirits as ministers? His name means “the Lotus Born,” and he is regarded as a sort of second Buddha. He has no mother or father but was born from a gigantic lotus in the middle of a lovely lake. He is a spontaneous incarnation of enlightened energy, a sort of Buddhist Christ, but unlike Christ, he is extremely playful and destructive. Some deities he tames, others he simply destroys.

When Padmasambhava came to Tibet he joined with the founding king of the Tibetan empire, Trisong Detsen, to create a Buddhist state. Ever since then his plan has continued to unfold as the Tibetan king, his Buddhist teachers, and Padmasambhava’s disciples reincarnate again and again in Tibet to continue the education of the peoples of Asia.

In the vast Tibetan view of history, Padmasambhava’s plans take thousands of years to be achieved. Currently he lives in his “Palace of Limitless Light” on the glorious Copper-Colored Mountain, in another world called “the southern island continent of Camara.” There he rules over a race of cannibal demons and man-destroying monsters. The cannibal demons would wage war against humans in our own neighboring world, which is called Jambudvipa, the “Rose Apple Land,” but Padmasambhava keeps them in check by serving as their harsh and powerful king, Lotus Skullgarland Power (Padma Thotreng Tsai). Meanwhile, his original Tibetan disciples reincarnate repeatedly in Tibet to continue his teachings, and periodically he himself produces emanations to help sentient beings like us who live in the dark ages when there is no Buddha.

Padmasambhava is the essence of Tibetan Buddhism. He is as enlightened as a Buddha, but appears in forms that are not usually associated with the Buddha: as a sorcerer, as a Central Asian king, as a lovely child sitting in the middle of a crystal lake, as a wrathful shaman who destroys the demons of materialistic civilization. Above all he is a guru, but not a gentle, ascetic holy man, the sort of guru we expect from Indian Buddhism.

Rather he is the Tibetan tantric guru, carrying the visionary mirror and demon-fighting weapons of a North Asian shaman.

Now the cult of Padmasambhava has spread to North America and westerners invoke him with the same fervor as the Tibetans. This too was prophesied in the literature of Padmasambhava—that his religion would leave Tibet when “the iron bird flies to the West.” It may be that one of his emanations will appear in the West. But the most famous one is still the Tibetan warrior hero Gesar of Ling.

Gesar

Gesar is the magical warrior who came to Tibet when it was under attack from the demonic kings of the North, South, East and West. In Gesar’s legend all the strands of Tibetan cosmology come together.

in the immense epic of Gesar of Ling, Amitabha joins with Padmasambhava and Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara) to emanate Gesar. Gesar begins as a god who lives in the mystical Hindu “Heaven of the Thirty-three.” At a certain point Amitabha sends forth the bodhisattva Chenrezig. Chenrezig dissolves into the body of Padmasambhava who then sends out green rays of light into the Heaven of the Thirty-three. There dwell certain local Tibetan deities, epic characters who represent the warrior energies of the Snowy Land. Two of these receive the green rays and transform into male and female buddhas. They unite in divine union and the product of this offspring is a sage- deity named Joyful to Hear.

This strange being—the combination of local Tibetan deities, an Indie Buddha, and a Central Asian magician— descends to the earthly plane and incarnates as Gesar of Ling. This process of emanation is rather complex, but perfectly typical of Tibetan thought, which constantly sees human heroes as projections of the energy of enlightened gods. When an apparently ordinary human being has divine achievements, it is usually a sign that a person has become attuned to a certain energy and is now an extension of that divine principle. As a result, the Tibetan spiritual practitioner sees the theater of human activity as full of divine resonances and echoes of transworldly spirituality.

Gesar’s mother is not a human, but a nagini, a lady dragon or lu, as the Tibetans call them. This is a race of magical beings typical of Himalayan mythology. The lu are the gods of all bodies of water and every form of moisture. In the winter they hide beneath the earth; in the spring they rise invisibly as mist and collect in the heavens as clouds. Then they descend to the earth as rain and begin the cycle again.

The lu are shape-shifters and can take any form. They can appear as human beings or giant serpents or tiny worms the size of hairs. They exist in Indian mythology as the nagas of Hindu epic, but in the Himalayas they have a special meaning, which comes in part from the Chinese notion of the imperial dragon, and they are tied up with a type of cosmic ecology. If a person pollutes a stream or disturbs the flow of energies in a spot of natural power, the lu will become angry and inflict the person with a lu disease such as leprosy or leukemia.

The lu are powerful, alien, and have their own realm beneath the seas, but they conduct constant relations with the human realm and are frequently receiving offerings of appeasement and pacification.

Once I lived in a village at the outskirts of Kathmandu. A friend of mine had a lovely cottage in a green glade, and next to her cottage was an ancient circular well made of large, lichen-covered, carefully wrought stones.

The well had a naga, a lu, living in it. At one point my friend began to have bad dreams and feel uncomfortable in her home. A musty smell and a clammy feeling seemed to pervade the place. She consulted a Tibetan lama who promptly declared that the lu of the well had been disturbed.

On his advice she found another old lama who was an expert in the ceremonies of naga appeasement, and under his direction she began to collect the wonderfully colorful and complicated offerings of a native Tibetan serpent pacification ceremony.

A whole team of monks arrived from a local monastery and began a sort of treasure hunt for the rare substances that would be needed for the offering. For example, milk from goats with special colorings had to be collected—the nagas love sweet, pure milk and fine fragrances. Delicious herbs were gathered and the preparations for the ceremony became a kind of holiday party lasting several days.

Finally, the intricate ceremony was performed and the many substances were dedicated to the serpent in the well. To properly realign the place they also performed the famous Tibetan smoke offering called a lha bsang, or “divine cleansing.” Juniper was burned and the column of smoke united heaven and earth, bringing down blessings and conveying offerings.

After the ceremony everybody decided that the nagas had been reconciled to the human habitation near their well and the clammy, sickly feeling of the place went away.

This kind of practice is highlighted in the Gesar epic. Gesar is an enlightened Buddhist hero, but he is also a master of local Tibetan shamanistic practice. He can fly on his horse and journey to mystical realms. He can see the invisible worlds of the mountain gods, the nagas, and the wargods of Tibet, and he commands all these beings to aid him in his war against the anti-Buddhist demons of the great Asian empires.

Gesar fights, tames and converts all of Asia, and his warfare reflects indigenous Tibetan religion in a most colorful way. There is an emphasis on cleverness and a sly ability to manipulate the natural energies of the world through magic and trickery.

When Gesar wants to conquer a certain king, he spirit- journeys into the dreams of the king and appears there as the monarch’s tribal deity and totem. In this dream-disguise Gesar sings a song which gives bad advice to the king, telling him that the warriors of Ling are cowards, that they will never attack his country, and he need not prepare to repel them. In this way the leader’s faith in the gods of his own family is turned against him and he is deceived into a false sense of security.

The weakening of an enemy’s strength is an important feature of Tibetan legend. Every great man has an aura of power that surrounds his body, and he has power spots on his body—on his head and shoulders, and at his heart. If the warrior has great charisma, the wargods of Tibet are attracted to his body and take up residence on these power spots. When he is fully vested with wargods, he is invincible. On the field of battle arrows shot at him will miss. If you aim at him, his body suddenly becomes tiny in your sights. But if he comes down on you, sword drawn, he seems huge and overwhelming. All this is the result of his field of power, his charisma.

To win Gesar must strip the enemy warrior of this matrix of power. He must drive off his enemy’s wargods and drain his aura. This is done in gradual stages by stealing his dignity, polluting the sacred spots of his clan, and undermining in the tribal polity the foundations of his confidence. Finally, when the war energy of the fighter has been drained away, he is weakened and feels a sense of doom. His habitual upliftedness is gone and he cannot retrieve it, no matter how hard he tries. His defeat is inevitable; it has already occurred in the psychic realm. The physical realm will soon follow.

But there are also rituals designed to restore lost charisma and re-establish a proper matrix of power around the individual. Interestingly, the same sort of thing occurs in the Homeric epics. In the Iliad and the Odyssey, Homer describes the Greek gods suddenly blessing a particular hero so that his body seems to glow with health and power, his shoulders seem huge, and he appears tall, fair and imposing. The effect must be universal, for the Tibetans describe it in exactly the same way. One lama actually called this phenomenon of a blessed appearance “good head and shoulders.”

Dealing with Local Deities

The Gesar epic is sung by bards who travel Tibet reciting from heart vast portions of the epic. These bards are not simply poets and rhapsodists; they are also in a sense priests of the native religion. They function as mediums who connect the ordinary world with the supernatural, and they believe that the court of Gesar in some way still exists: his famous generals, his consorts, his ministers, his magical horse, his divine mother.

Invoking these beings, they bring down the energy of Gesar and draw into time his wisdom and power. These principles of energy can be used to deal with very practical problems involving the local forces of nature and the local gods.

The concept of “local deities” may be unfamiliar to the western reader. Buddhist cosmology talks about a class of supernatural being called lokapala (local protector) or lokadeva (local deity or protector of the place). These are gods who are not in the general pantheon of Indian Buddhism except as a category. Their specifics change from country to country, perhaps even from village to village.

In the Buddhist ceremonies translated from Sanskrit, certain specific gods are mentioned in this class. For example, Ganeshvara, the elephant-headed baby who is a central figure in the Hindu pantheon, is regarded by Buddhists as a local deity. Perhaps in this case, the word “local” is misleading and it might be better to translate loka not as “place,” but as “worldly.” This would distinguish, for example, Ganeshvara, a worldly deity, from Amitabha or Vajrayogini, who are enlightened principles—almost (but not quite) abstractions—and therefore “beyond the world” (lokottara).

Ganeshvara literally means “lord of hosts.” He appears in native Tibetan ceremonies along with Brahma and numerous other Hindu deities and is associated with the various Central Asian gods, demons, and monsters mentioned in the many ceremonies common to both Buddhists and non-Buddhists in Tibet. Sometimes he is called “Ganapati,” which also means “lord of hosts.” Then he is depicted leading armies of Tibetan wargods.

Most of the deities in the local pantheon do not look very Indian. They wear Tibetan clothes, often armor and Mongolian boots. They carry the artifacts of the native religion: mirrors, lassos, spears, snares, magic knots and cross-thread demon-catchers, arrows for long life, dice for divination. Their forms are grotesque and horrific in a Central Asian style. Some are the embodiment of imposing sites: rivers, mountains, and plains. Others are diseases harmful to man and have poisonous breath, or a deadly stare, or a fatal touch. Others again are in the form of animals native to Tibet such as the yak.

The Taoist Element

Some of the lore that I have described did not originate either in India or Tibet, but probably in China. For example, the concept of a warrior’s charisma has a very Chinese sound to it and is associated with another doctrine which undoubtedly existed much earlier in the south of China: the notion of the windhorse.

Throughout Tibet people fly so-called prayer flags: square banners inscribed with mantras and magical emblems. The most popular form of prayer flag has a picture of a horse with a burning jewel in its saddle. Around the horse are mantras invoking in order all the Buddhist and non-Buddhist deities of Tibet, who are asked to bring down their energy and enliven the people.

This figure of a magical horse originated in China where it was called the lung ma, the “dragon horse,” or perhaps you could say, “imperial horse.” The lung ma is a figure from ancient Taoist alchemy. It is found in a 2nd or 4th century collection of magical lore called the Pao P’u Tsu (The Master Who Embraces Virtue). The wind- horse may have existed even earlier than Taoism, actually, and some western scholars speculate that it could have come from the same tradition which gave birth to Siberian shamanism, for the Chinese windhorse has antlers and looks very much like the Siberian emblems.

Chinese Taoism believes that human beings are compounded of several souls.

One is of the nature of air, which separates and rises at a person’s death. Another is related to the earth and sinks at the time of death.

Native Tibetan lore also believes in many souls, if I may use that misleading western term. One is called the bla (pronounced “la”). It is a principle of life and dwells in the body. I heard once, for example, of a Tibetan grandmother who was steeped in traditional lore. One day when she was very old she said that it must be her time to die, for her bla had left her. A few days later, she died peaceably of, as they say, “natural causes.”

Bla is sometimes pronounced “lha.” Bla originally meant “above” and is now used interchangedly with lha to refer to the higher gods. Lha is used in the term dralha, the armored Central Asian energy principles we translate as “wargods.” There is a dralha said to live on the body which is connected with a person’s courage. There is also a pattern of energies called the srog, or life force. When it is harmed, a person becomes weak and depressed; Tibetan doctors often treat depression as a blockage in one’s heart srog.

In some systems of native Tibetan teachings, these patterns of energy are ordered on the body in a sort of hierarchy. This hierarchy matches the cosmic order of precedence in which Buddhist and Bon (a Tibetan non-Buddhist religion) lamas organize all the local gods of Tibet. It places the lha on top, the nyen, or mountain gods, in the middle, and the la, or serpent gods, on the bottom.

This ordering is observed in thousands of Tibetan chants done on national holidays and at seasonal celebrations, and it also matches the Chinese ordering of the universe into heaven, earth and man. With smoke offerings and the waving of colorful banners, these special ceremonies and chants invoke and command local deities, astrological deities, calendar deities, gods of the elements, the windhorse, and all the other energy principles.

The Chinese and Tibetan ceremonies of this kind are so similar that 1 cannot help but think that they come from a common tradition. The Chinese Emperor K’ang Hsi actually sought to formalize this relationship. He once ordered the publishing of a Mongolian edition of the Gesar epic and identified the edition with the classic Chinese war novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

One of the heroes of this novel is a Chinese sage general named Sleeping Dragon. Sleeping Dragon performs a Chinese version of the Tibetan smoke offering ceremonies. His rituals are based on the Chinese concept of windhorse and the four heraldic figures: Tiger, Warrior, Great Red Bird, Dragon. These emblems are connected with the four directions, the elements, and every aspect of Taoist alchemical lore. They are also a dominant image in Tibetan mythology, where they are called Tiger, Lion, Garuda and Dragon.

The Snow Lion is a native Tibetan image, and the word in Tibetan which is translated as “Garuda,” the Indie king of the birds, is actually khyung, a Tibetan mythical bird like the phoenix. The traditions of China, Tibet and India become utterly tangled in this imagery and it becomes impossible to say what is native Tibetan and what is of foreign origins.

Perhaps the most accurate view is that Central Asian mythical lore is internationalist. It arises from the culture of the Silk Route and combines into one civilization everything the merchants encountered as they journeyed in their caravans from West to East.

Now—In the West

Westerners who enter the world of Tibetan Buddhist meditation practice enter a world of subtle psychological and metaphysical teachings. They also enter a world of complicated ceremonies and liturgies directed towards the colorful and incredibly diverse pantheon of Central Asian gods. In fact, the pantheon of Tibetan tantra surpasses tantra itself, going far beyond the deities of Indian Buddhism.

At first the student sees no order or reason. Each chant is to another many armed god. Some are from China, some are native Tibetan personages, some are from the mythical Kingdom of Shambhala, some are from India, and some are from vanished countries that once existed along the Silk Route.

Gradually, however, the underlying logic is made known. The student sees that the gods fit together in a grand synthesis that transcends the accidents of culture and history and describes the world beyond appearance. It turns out that the deities are more than a system of literary references and more than just a collection of multi-cultural beliefs. When brought together with the proper explanations from the Tibetan science of cosmology, the myths of Tibet form a tantric map of reality.

This is the true meaning of iconography in this ancient system, and the philosophical theory is actually very simple: There are two kinds of beings in the world, ordinary people and beings with genuine vision.

Ordinary people, blinded by their passions and habitual patterns of thought, see a world of objects and political situations. They see the so-called material world and fail to perceive the subtler world of patterns and resonances, which is the true reality.

Meditators, on the other hand, cleanse their vision of the material patterns of seeing, which are based on grasping and fixation, and begin to see the real world of living continuities. They see the subtle energies which run through the body’s channels—the ch’i, the world of charisma, windhorse, life power. They see the continuity which runs through the earth, represented as gods of mountain, sea and plain. They see the underlying reality of cultural vision as national and tribal gods, and the deities of the domestic world—the gods of hearth and home and hunt who show the continuity between nature and civilization. They see the continuity of man’s inner nature and politics as the gods of king- ship, of national sovereignty, of pacification and war.

All of these energies can be understood and dealt with by a tantrika who has given up grasping and fixation. The texts which describe this world use the language of iconography. Each god is a symbolic representation of a pattern of energy, and they form societies of gods, or mandalas, which are tantric maps of regions of activity in the phenomenal world. Seeing these patterns of energies directly is the secret of the tantric yogin’s skillful means. It is what Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche in his famous seminar on “The Feminine Principle” called “the symbolic aspect of life.”

Apparently the experience of seeing the invisible world changes from one adept to another. For some, the energies are perceived with naked intuition as a subtle sense of the order of things in any given situation. For others, the language of traditional iconography has so structured their perceptual systems that they actually see the energies clothed in the forms of gods. The uses of Tibetan iconography are as diverse as the propensities of the students, and all are manifestations of a great tradition planted three decades ago and now thriving—the western synthesis of Tibetan mythology.