Episodes
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Termas and tertons – spiritual treasures and their finders – are an inescapable feature of some branches of Tibetan Buddhism. Come along for the magical ride!
A phurbu
A ngagpa, undoubtedly a practitioner of termas.Note the phurbu tucked into his belt.
Words or phrases you might want to look up:
TermaTertonNyingmaDudjomJamyang KhyentseJamgon KongtrulThe Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism, its Fundamentals and History by Dudjom RinpocheHidden Teachings of Tibet by Tulku Thondup RinpocheThe Life and Teaching of Chokgyur Lingpa#Buddhism #Vajrayana #DoubleDorje #Dzogchen #Nyingma #Terma #Terton #Dudjom
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Most traditions of Buddhist practice have nothing that resembles the tulku tradition. In the Tibetan traditions, you can’t get away from them. What are they? And what are they good for?
Karma Pakshi, one of the first tulkus.
Words or phrases you might want to look up:
Tulku, emanation body, transformation bodyThree bodies of the Buddha (kusum, trikaya)KarmapaKarma PakshiThe Second Karmapa Karma Pakshi: Tibetan MahasiddhaJamgon Kongtrul#Buddhism #Vajrayana #DoubleDorje #Mahamudra #Dzogchen
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Missing episodes?
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Come with me over the plains of Amdo in a little blue and white bus 30 years ago.
We have a couple of dozen pilgrims, two Chinese drivers and a supply of diamox. Should be fine!
Stupa at Benchen
Words or phrases you might want to look up:
AmdoKhamBenchenTsurphuLhasa#Buddhism #Vajrayana #DoubleDorje #Mahamudra #Dzogchen
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Some verses you'll hear again and again.
Not a definitive list – there ain’t no such thing. But if you know these by heart and can join the recitation at the drop of a hat, you will achieve one great thing: you will look good!
The "Three Jewels" (I don't know who to credit - it's all over the 'net)
The Refuge formula:
Lama la kyab su chi o‘I go for refuge to the lama.’
Sangye la kyab su chi o‘I go for refuge to the Buddha.’
Chö la kyab su chi o‘I go for refuge to the Dharma.’
Gendün la kyab su chi o‘I go for refuge to the Sangha.’
Some words or phrases you might want to look up:
BodhicaryāvatāraŚāntideva#Buddhism #Vajrayana #DoubleDorje #Refuge #Bodhicitta
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Q: Is the lama your boss? Big daddy? Friend? Mate? Therapist?
A: Mostly not
Then what?
Words or phrases you might want to look up:
Jamgon KongtrulTreasury of KnowledgeLongchen Rabjampa#Buddhism #Vajrayana #DoubleDorje #Lama
Longchen Rabjampa, one of the most famous Nyingma Lamas.
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Empowerments – what happens?
You’ve been to a Buddhist ceremony. Perhaps you knew it was an empowerment. Whatever does that mean? Are you cooked?
Words or phrases you might want to look up:
EinweihungErmaechtigung, ErmächtigungsgesetzWangLungTriKhataThe seed-syllable HRIH
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Or are you a vajrayana practitioner?
Is it a question of rites and rituals and pictures and mantras? Or is it something deeper?
Empowerment card showing a vajra
Words or phrases you might want to look up:
VajrayanaSamayaDorje SempaTsog (or tsok)Guru RinpocheDakini#Buddhism #Vajrayana #DoubleDorje #Samaya
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Namo Buddha - the smallest, but perhaps most beautiful, of the three stupas of the Kathmandu valley:
Where the Buddha is said to have sacrificed himself to a tigress:
And where this temple, study and retreat centre now stands:
Words you might like to look up:
Namo BuddhaThrangu RinpocheBon (form of Buddhism, sort of)#Buddhism #Vajrayana #DoubleDorje #NamoBuddha #Tigress
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Mahamudra and dzogchen are often spoken of as the “highest” practices of Tibetan Buddhism. How very exciting! Are they really? What does “highest” mean anyway? And what is the difference between mahamudra and dzogchen?
Milarepa, who received Mahamudra teachings from Marpa the Translator
Words or phrases you might want to look up:
DzogchenMahamudraChagchenArhatNaropaMarpa the TranslatorMaitripa, MaitripadaRushenSakya Pandita, SapanGampopaTrekchod (many spellings!)Togyal (also many spellings)David Jackson, “Enlightenment by a Single Means”#Buddhism #Vajrayana #DoubleDorje #Dzogchen #Mahamudra
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Beside the best-known mantras used in popular Tibetan-style Buddhism – the famous “Mani”, Tara and Guru Rinpoche for example – there are a number of prayers which are also very widely known and used. The “Seven Line Prayer to Guru Rinpoche” is one of these.
Words or phrases you might want to look up:
Guru RinpocheSeven Line PrayerMani mantraTaraGuru ChowangThe link to the prayer at Lotsawa House:
https://www.lotsawahouse.org/tibetan-masters/guru-chowang/seven-line-prayer
Nangsid Zilnon - a form of Guru Rinpoche
#Buddhism #Vajrayana #DoubleDorje #SevenLines #GuruRinpoche
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Emptiness (shunyata, or tongpa in Tibetan) is an utterly core theme in Buddhist teaching. When we first hear about it, we usually don’t have much idea what it’s about at all. We may mistake it for some kind of void, or a teaching that nothing matters because “everything is empty”. Can we get a handle on it without years of study?
Words or phrases you might want to look up:
Perfection of WisdomShunyata (spellings in English vary)Prajnaparamita (spellings in English vary)SkandhasWilliam Dalrymple - “From the Holy Mountain”TetralemmaVajra sliversPrajñaparamita (sutras)TathagataEdward ConzeManjushriI noticed that the language of Conze's translations that I quoted is gendered in a way we would probably not be comfortable with these days. Do remember that he was working on these materials in the middle of the last century.
#Buddhism #Vajrayana #DoubleDorje #Emptiness #Shunyata #Prajnaparamita
Prajnaparamita as the Mother of all the Buddhas
And I forgot to mention in the podcast itself, none other than...
Nagarjuna
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When you start to get “serious” (whatever that is and however you try to define it) about your vajrayana practice you will face the question of the “preliminaries” or “foundation practices”. Best to be warned about what’s involved. And it would be good to have an idea of what this ngondro is good for.
Prostrating - again and again!
Offering mandalas
Words or phrases you might want to look up:
“Words of my Perfect Teacher” (book)Dorje ChangDudjom TersarGampopaGuru RinpocheJamgon KongtrulKarma KagyuKarma KamtsangLongchen NyingtigMalaMandalaMeruMilarepaNaropaNgondroNyingmaShakyamuniTorch of CertaintyVajrasattvaYuthok#Buddhism #Vajrayana #DoubleDorje #Ngondro #FoundationPractices #PreliminaryPractices
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A powerful Vajrayogini shrine, Guru Rinpoche caves, and much, much more. Pharping is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the Kathmandu valley.
A shorter episode, but with a nice bit of a flute tune!
The Vajrayogini Temple at Pharping and the fairy-cake stupa
Words or phrases you might want to look up:
PharpingVajrayoginiAsura caveSheshnarayanGuru RinpocheKudung#Buddhism #Vajrayana #Vajrayogini #Nepal #DoubleDorje #Pharping #GuruRinpoche
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What does the “Tibetan Book of the Dead” tell us about being dead? Will we see the Peaceful and Wrathful deities?
BardoTibetan Book of the DeadBardo ThodolThe 42 Peaceful Deities of the Bardo
The 58 Wrathful Deities of the Bardo
#Buddhism #Vajrayana #Tibet #DoubleDorje #Bardo #TibetanBookOfTheDead
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The fruit of our actions – our karma – is said to be unavoidable. Sooner or later, every action comes back to us. But that does not mean that everything that happens to us is predetermined.
Bonus speculation on the fundamental nature of reality!
Words or phrases you might want to look up:
Karma
Jewel Ornament of Liberation
Words of my Perfect Teacher
A Lamp Illuminating the Path to Liberation / Khenpo Gyaltsen
Kepler
Newton
“The Sage, the Lady and the Fish”
The Wheel of Becoming, driven by karma
The book!
#Buddhism #Vajrayana #Tibet #DoubleDorje #Karma
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She was a new bride, but for the help she gave I call her a princess! The pilgrimage trip to the Vajrayogini shrine at Sankhu could have been a LOT, LOT worse.
The Welcome Gate at Sankhu town
The damaged main temple at the top
Words or phrases you might want to look up:
VajrayoginiVajravarahiBoudhaSwyambhuSankhuKathmandu#Buddhism #Vajrayana #Tibet #DoubleDorje #Boudha #Sankhu #Kathmandu #Vajrayogini
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In dreams, in the wild, dark woods where reality starts to break apart and become entangled in vision, where fear and ecstasy dance and sing, you may meet the dakini. Is she your mother, your lover, your friend? Will she cast you out or invite you to join the dance?
Yeshe Tsogyal
Words or phrases you might want to look up:
DakiniDakaKhandromaPhawoChenreziAmitabhaSamantabhadra / SamantabhadriThomas TraherneSamantabhadraSamantabhadriVajravarahiYeshe TsogyalGuru Rinpoche#Buddhism #Vajrayana #Tibet #DoubleDorje #dakini #Khandroma #Nyingma
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From monster practice cycles that need a whole Dharma Centre to work through in a year to the handful of practices an individual carries out daily. What are practice cycles for?
Is 550 pages enough?
Words or phrases you might want to look up:
Dudjom LingpaDudjom RinpocheTerma, tertonVajrayoginiYamantakaHevajraCakrasamvaraShiné#Buddhism #Vajrayana #Tibet #DoubleDorje #terma #Dudjom
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The two certain things in life are, famously, death and taxes. If you are rich enough, you may be able to mitigate your tax liability, but death cannot be bought off.
How do Buddhists handle it?
Episode includes the Prayer for Rebirth in Dewachen.
Words or phrases you might want to look up:
PashupatinathNaropaTilopaDewachenAmitabhaDzogchenLink to that file: Link to the Dewachen Prayer (pdf)
Burning ghats at Pashupatinath
#Buddhism #Vajrayana #Tibet #DoubleDorje #death
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Tsok pujas are a big feature of Tibetan-style Buddhism as it is actually practiced, but newcomers often don't have a blind clue what's going on - explanations are hard to find. So here is a rundown with a bit of background and a few tips.
Now there's a fancy torma!
Words or phrases you might want to look up:
Tsok, tsogs, tshog etc.Ganacakra, ganapuja, tsok pujaཚོགས (transliterated tshogs)SanghaGuru RinpocheTormaBenchenJigme Lingpa#Buddhism #Vajrayana #Tibet #DoubleDorje #torma #tsok #tsog #tshogs #JigmeLingpa
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