Secret of the Vajra World (eBook)

Reginald A. Ray (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2002 | 1. Auflage
544 Seiten
Shambhala (Verlag)
978-0-8348-2523-9 (ISBN)

Infos

This book provides an entre into the Tantric (or Vajrayana) Buddhism of Tibet, as conveyed by Tibetan masters teaching in the West, and as received by their Western students. The Tantric tradition is a unique collection of lesser-known texts, concepts, and meditation practices that are usually made available only to experienced and specially initiated practitioners.

The 'Vajra World' (vajradhatu in Sanskrit) is a realm of indestructibility, the level of reality beyond all thought and imagination, all impermanence and change, which a fully realized person knows and inhabits. Used metaphorically, 'Vajra World' refers to the traditional culture of Tibet and the unique spirituality that is its secret strength.

Topics include:

The tantric view of human nature and the external world

The special role of the guru, or tantric mentor

The preliminary practices that prepare the student for full initiation

The major dimensions of Vajrayana practice, including visualizations, liturgies, and inner yogas

The tradition of the tulku, or incarnate lama

The lore surrounding the death of ordinary people and of saints

The practice of solitary retreat, the epitome of traditional Tibetan Buddhism

Secret of the Vajra World is the companion volume to the author's earlier book, Indestructible Truth: The Living Spirituality of Tibetan Buddhism. While that book focuses on the history, cosmology, philosophy, and practice of the more public, exoteric side of Tibetan Buddhism, this work treats its more hidden and esoteric aspects as they take shape in Vajrayana. Together, the two volumes provide a broad introduction to the major traditions of Tibetan Buddhism.

---

This book provides an entrée into the Tantric (or Vajrayana) Buddhism of Tibet, as conveyed by Tibetan masters teaching in the West, and as received by their Western students. The Tantric tradition is a unique collection of lesser-known texts, concepts, and meditation practices that are usually made available only to experienced and specially initiated practitioners.The "e;Vajra World"e; (vajradhatu in Sanskrit) is a realm of indestructibility, the level of reality beyond all thought and imagination, all impermanence and change, which a fully realized person knows and inhabits. Used metaphorically, "e;Vajra World"e; refers to the traditional culture of Tibet and the unique spirituality that is its secret strength.Topics include:The tantric view of human nature and the external worldThe special role of the guru, or tantric mentorThe preliminary practices that prepare the student for full initiationThe major dimensions of Vajrayana practice, including visualizations, liturgies, and inner yogasThe tradition of the tulku, or incarnate lamaThe lore surrounding the death of ordinary people and of saintsThe practice of solitary retreat, the epitome of traditional Tibetan BuddhismSecret of the Vajra World is the companion volume to the author's earlier book, Indestructible Truth: The Living Spirituality of Tibetan Buddhism. While that book focuses on the history, cosmology, philosophy, and practice of the more public, exoteric side of Tibetan Buddhism, this work treats its more hidden and esoteric aspects as they take shape in Vajrayana. Together, the two volumes provide a broad introduction to the major traditions of Tibetan Buddhism.

Textauszug

Fromthe Introduction

'Vajraworld' translates a technical term inSanskrit,vajradhatu,meaning 'realm of indestructibility.' It refers to that level ofreality which is beyond all thought and imagination, all impermanence andchange. It is a realm that is described as colorful, vivid, and filled withunexpected beauty and meaning. It is this vajra world, according to TibetanBuddhism, that a fully realized person knows and inhabits.

Inthe title of this book, I use 'vajra world' metaphorically to referto the traditional culture of Tibet. In many respects, Tibet was like any otherhuman society with its share of foibles and miscreants. But in another sense,not only for many modern people but also—,poignantly enough—,for the Tibetansthemselves, Tibet came as close as perhaps a human culture may to being a vajraworld. The shocking splendor and magnificence of its landscape, the warm andearthy character of its people, their seeming wholeness and rootedness in theirlives, the brilliance of Tibetan philosophy and ethics, and the color,vividness, and drama of its religion—,all communicate a life lived close toreality and drawing on its deep springs.

Ofcourse, to call Tibet a 'vajra world' is ironic, for old Tibet—,likeso many other premodern cultures—,has shown itself to be anything butindestructible. As is too well known and all too painful to bear repeating,traditional Tibet has been overrun and nearly obliterated by the tidal wave ofmodernity.

Nevertheless,there is something of Tibet that lives on, something that has survived themortal assault on the place and its people. This living quality of Tibetcontinues to fascinate and compel us modern people, and to fuel our imaginationand inspiration. One may wonder, then, just what this enduring quality of Tibetmight be. What is the secret of Tibet? What is the secret of this vajra world?

Ibelieve that the attraction that Tibet continues to hold for modern people isnot based purely on naive romanticism and the exoticism that surrounds such afar-off and different culture. It seems to me that there bleeds through Tibetsomething else, something more basic and universally understood—,an evidentcommitment to life, a fullness of embodiment, a warmth toward others, a depthof experience, a joy in the most simple and ordinary experiences of life, andan ability to include and incorporate both happiness and the intense sufferingand grief that have lately been the fate of Tibet. But what, one may ask, isthe source of these profoundly human qualities that one finds so vividlyembodied among Tibetans? What is the secret of the world that was traditionalTibet?

Inthis book, I propose that the secret of this vajra world lies in something thattranscends Tibet itself, namely its spiritual traditions, and particularly theTantric or Vajrayana Buddhism that provided the foundation of Tibetan culturefor some twelve hundred years. As a tradition, far from being otherworldly, theVajrayana directs attention to this world of sensory experience, of happinessand sorrow, of life and death, as the place where ultimate revelation occurs.The practice of tantra opens up an appreciation for ordinary life as the fountof inspiration, wisdom, and liberation. I suggest to the reader that the color,energy, and vivacity of Tibet are owing, in some significant way, to itstantric foundations.

Fromthe tantric viewpoint, the vajra world—,now in the sense of the ultimate natureof reality—,is like a fiery ocean, an experiential intensity, that underliesall human cultures and human life. This flaming substrate—,which is none...

Produkt-Details

• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften ► Religion / Theologie ► Buddhismus
• ISBN-10: 0-8348-2523-6 / 0834825236
• ISBN-13: 978-0-8348-2523-9 / 9780834825239