www.aioiyama.net/lrc/papers/nbcp-ppr-2.h...

May 6, 2011 -- 6:54AM, Karma_yeshe_dorje wrote:

Dear Bhakta_glenn:

Please would you expound on what this ritual tradition means to you.

You may find out more from this website.

dharmacakraacenter.org/newar.aspx

I am now focusing on the Development of Vedic wisdom, which is off-topic for Buddhism here.

Hope this helps.

BhaktaGlenn

May 6, 2011 -- 11:04AM, Karma_yeshe_dorje wrote:

Blessed Bhakta_glenn:

What do you like about this tradition? What special insight do you find that it offers?

Karma Yeshe Dorje

I do not know that I am blessed, except that
Mother always used to scold my brother and I and used the word
'blessed' in with a lot of expletive-deletives, usually when were
busy beating one another up and trashing the house.

Newar Buddhism

Newar Buddhism is what survives of the Sanskrit
Mahayana Buddhist Canon from India, which can trace its Lineage back
to Nalanda University. This is the tradition of Buddhism that was
exported to Tibet.

Back in 1990, I began to practise Tibetan Buddhism
at a local shrine. Most of the students who went on to more advanced
practices were advised to learn Tibetan. I was assessed for further
Buddhist training in August 1990 by the 12th Khenting Tai Situpa and
selected for iniitation into the Kalachakra Tantra. This tantra was
originally written down in Sanskrit, in Shambhala by King Suchandra.

Shambhala was originally a Vedic Society. When
Suchandra had received the Tantra from the Buddha, he converted the
Society to Buddhism. However, to understand the Tantra, Vedic Wisdom
is required as a foundation.

My foundation Buddhist Practice is with the Theravada.

Newar Buddhism came to me in a dream. It was a
peculiar dream because I actually felt like 'being there, in Nepal',
sitting on the side of a Mountain, looking down on some Newar
Buddhists. Someone advised me that if I was looking for Tibetan
Buddhism, it was further along the Himalyan Range of Mountains in
Dharamasala.

I looked up Newar Buddhism and found that it has a
large corpus of original Sanskrit Sutras thought lost to the world,
which now only exist in Tibetan or Chinese, or Japanese, in
translated forms.

Apart from my subjective dream, I cannot offer you very much more information about Newar Buddhism save this:

Education is under the tutelage of the Mahabodhisattva Manjushri.

www.wildmind.org/mantras/figures/manjush...

 

Manjushri mantra

Om A Ra Pa Ca Na Dhih

 

A student may recite this Mantra with from the
motivation of receiving the boon of receiving the Sanskrit Mahayana
Dharma. Or, one's Guru may petition Manjushri on behalf of her
student. Or, one may begin a little more humbly by offering Metta to
Manjushri. The Metta methodology is perhaps the safest.

If one has no qualified Teacher, it is as well to
understand that Manjushri is a Teaching Bodhisattva, The Buddha in
his Wisdom Aspect: From A Garland of Morning Prayers in the Tradition
of Mahayana Buddhism:

Prayer to the Buddha in His Wisdom Aspect

 

He who has the supreme intellect, free of the clouds of the two veils,

Like the sun shedding glorious light that is utterly pure.

He who knows all meanings whatsoever, of perfect realisation,

Holding to his heart the books of the Perfection of Wisdom.

Those who live in the world are the prisoners of ignorance,

Afflicted by the darkness of suffering.

Looking on all beings like a mother caring for an only child,

You have a voice which has sixty separate tones.

Roaring like a dragon you wake people up from the sleep of craving

Shatter the shackles of Karma, dispersing the darkness of ignorance.

You cut down the seedlings of suffering the blade in your hand.

Pure from the beginning, you have attained the Ten Levels of the Bodhisattva Path,

O chief of the Buddha's spiritual sons, whose body is full of virtues.

Adorned with the hundred and twelve attributes of the Buddha,

to Manjushri, with the utmost reverence, I bow down.

One may recite this prayer to receive the blessing of Manjushri. When offering Metta, it
may be prudent to refrain from offering thoughts of loving kindness with an expectation of receiving something in return.

However, the Buddha's Teaching on offering thoughts of Loving Kindness to a Teacher is that
he or she will Teach you everything you need to know about the Dharma, or arrange for a qualifed Guru to Teach you, according to your karma.

In the very early days of my Buddhist practice, I recited this prayer, which was given to me by a Tibetan Buddhist Nun, who was visitng the local shrine.

The Ten Levels of the Bodhisattva Path

sites.google.com/site/mahabodhienglish/a...

In my case, If I want to develop an understanding of the Sanskrit Canon of Newar Buddhism, I would seek the guidance of my Teacher.

If I had no Teacher, and wanted to develop an understanding of newar Buddhism, I would offer Metta to Manjushri from the Motivation of wanting to find the Sanskrit Mahayana Dharma for the benfit of all sentient beings.

Then I would recite his mantra very gently, say three times daily, morning, noon, and evening.

May 6, 2011 -- 11:12PM, Karma_yeshe_dorje wrote:

Ah yes, Bhakta_glenn:

Thanks for your personal explanation.

Manjushri mantra

Om A Ra Pa Ca Na Dhih

 I practised this at the local Sakya centre.

Recently the local newspaper reported that its head here was on retreat in Nepal. That was reportedly to get over complaints from his congregation, that he was bonking too many of them! 

Karma Yeshe Dorje

Bonking:

If this is in respect to Tantra, he ought not be bonking any of them in the conventional sense.

The sex is 'Mind Games', figurative.

At the local Tibetan Buddhist shrine, they used to sell postcards showing Buddhist Deities in Sexual Union with their Consorts. The pictures were very artistic and detailed. the First person to Teach me there was a Layman, who lived at the Temple. he advised me that when a person begins to develop with Shinay Meditation, he or she has to develop Samadhi to Still the Mind, and to develop 'One-Pointed-Concentration'. Then, a complex picture of A Buddhist deity in Sexual Union with his consort would have to be visualised accurately. This was also discussed by one of the |Lamas on a teaching Weekend Course of Lectures. he explained that when a student had mastered the ability to hold such a complex picture accurately in his mind, he may be asked to turn it through 180 degrees to view it upside down.

The postcard pictures were actual paintings of the visualisations of the Lamas.

Personal Explanation

I am a Faith Devotee of Buddhism.

I am not an academic, nor do I have any motivation or desire to become one.

The point of the Prayer to the Buddha in his Wisdom Aspect is that one who is both poorly educated and unlettered can make a direct appeal to Manjushri, no matter if he is a Newari
or not, and make supplication with prayer for the entire Sanskrit Canon of Mahayana Buddhism.

By its very nature, prayer is subjective, as is Mantra recitation. Mantras direct Spiritual Transformation from within a person. One meets with Manjushri through subjective appearance of the Deity in the Mind. also, Nirvana is beyond the scope of intellectual study. It is understood intuitively, which is subjective, just like figurative bonking.

My Buddhist Guru is an academic and an Abhidhamma Scholar. We have discussed the idea of my carrying out a course of Higher Education. However, I have Severe mental Illness and
Disability. Psychometric testing and Counselling has shown that Adult Education is not for me.

However, with very careful and gradual development, we have been able to effect great mental improvement for my condition. My Guru is a Doctor by profession and she is ofey with all of the
clinical diagnoses of my disabilities. She has been able to skilfully guide me with regard to the best spiritual practices that have worked in harmony with my condition.

The reason that I am now reciting a non-Buddhist Mantra is not merely for spiritual development. Tthere are psychotherapeutic values to be derived, if one knows how to extract them from this ancient spiritual scientific method.

In plain English: Hindus believe that all speech and Language is derived from the sound syllable 'Om', and that Sanskrit is the world's purest Language, being supramundane, a direct Revelation from God.

'Om' is used extensively in Sanskrit Buddhist mantras. This is because it is the Root Vibration of the Cosmos. Beyond 'Om' is Absolute Silence, and Stillness, perfect Tranquillity, Nirvana. to realise it, one must sublimate 'Om' within [Subjective]. En route to Nirvana, one has to realise Om as Pure Sound. The whole body and mind resonate with 'Om'. I have realised this a long time ago, before I became a Buddhist.

Hindus believe that all languages are embedded within Sanskrit, which is scientifically perfect speech, pure. Thus, one can learn Sanskrit impurely from worldly books. or one can evoke
Sanskrit as a fruition of Mantra Japa from 'Om'. When this occurs, any mental health disability will be destroyed because the mind and the body are transformed from the worldly condition to the Divine.

Whether the Purity of the Divine is expressed as Buddha-Nature or Brahman is a matter for academic scholarship, and Sectarian Religion. 'Om' is a transcendental sound vibration. Concerns
about 'Theism' and 'Atheism' have nothing to do with 'Om'. The Ultimate Truth and Reality is experienced as Perfect Peace, beyond the scope of language and speech, words. It is approached in Silence.

With regard to any kind of academic development concerning Dharma, I have been advised that I ought become established in the Faith before embarking on such a venture.

G'day Karma

May 7, 2011 -- 3:59AM, Karma_yeshe_dorje wrote:

Hi Bhakta_glenn:

If this is in respect to Tantra, he ought not be bonking any of them in the conventional sense.
«A number of women associated with the society contacted the Sunday Canberra Times, alleging the former monk had sexual relationships with several female group members after saying he had separated from his wife.

The women said they were shocked to discover their ''spiritual leader'' was engaged in multiple affairs within the group because Lama Choedak was considered a ''respected teacher and family man'' in the ACT branch.»
www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news...

Then, a complex picture of A Buddhist deity in Sexual Union with his consort would have to be visualised accurately.
I found the Diamond Way practice demanding.
www.diamondway-buddhism.org/
Apparently I was the only one there, doing it thoroughly!

I am not an academic
You do, however, have a strong literary bent. That has given you persistence to explore texts!

Karma Yeshe Dorje

Your Tibetan Lama appears to be teaching something rather different from what the Kagyu Tibetan Buddhist School are teaching in my locale.

I am not sure that finding a meditation practice 'demanding' is very healthy. I have always been taught to deal with small digestible chunks of information and to meditate within my own range, as the Buddha teahces in the Cakkavatti Sutta.

You may find the Theravada a little easier.

But, as I say, even today after many years of practice, If I wanted to learn the Newar Buddhist Dharma in Sanskrit, I would offer the prayer to Manjushri, and give him Metta.

I do not read many texts, Karma. I have a small practice manual. Most of my understanding in Buddhism is from posting here on the Theravada..

When I began to practice. Dr Rewata Dhamma told me a story About the Tibetan Yogi, Milarepa. Milrepa was once asked what made him a great yogi. He showed the questioner his naked anus. It was covered with callouses.

The questioner was left to fathom that they were the result of spending many years in sitting meditation.

My Guru commented that the story could be summarised as B O C

Butt On the Cushion.

However, what I have noticed recently is this:

Many years ago, my reading ability was very poor. If I read a book, or watched a film, I would have only a very poor idea of what it was all about. As a result of carrying out many years of sitting meditation, my mind is beginning to clear. My understanding of things is improving and getting better.

With regard to speech, I have always been verbose, a gift from Mother.