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Tantric Buddhism - Tantric Philosophy - Quotations by Zen Master Rama, Dr. Frederick L
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| Buddhist Monk 2005-12-22, 11:00 am |
| Tantric Buddhism - Tantric Philosophy - Quotations by Zen Master Rama,
Dr. Frederick Lenz
Main Page:
www.ramaquotes.com
Tantric Buddhism - Tantric Philosophy:
www.ramaquotes.com/html/tantric_philosophy.html
*******************************************************************
Zen Master Rama:
"The Buddha taught three cycles of teachings. His first cycle of
teachings cover the basics, the prerequisites. This would include the
Dharmapada.
His second cycle of teachings discusses the cosmology of the universes.
But in his later years, he wrote the tantric texts.
The tantras can be very confusing for a person who is new to Buddhism,
and for several thousand years the rule was not to expose a person or a
new monk to the tantras until they had practiced for many, many years.
The Dali Lama and other notable Buddhist teachers have now indicated
that since the world has plunged into a dark age, the information
available in the tantras, which include the very, very powerful
Kundalini release techniques, should be made available to the public.
Tantric Buddhism means that we become mature adults and we learn the
reality of chaos theory.
The human mind and the entire life process is chaotic. Chaos is not
something that lacks order; chaos has varieties of order within it.
Everything is subtle. Everything has a million sides. Everything is a
manifestation of god. Everything is light. All beings are infinite.
All things are perfect, in their own way.
In Tantric Buddhism we call the inherent knowledge that all animate and
inanimate objects possess of themselves - their emptiness.
People who are capable of practicing tantra are individuals who have
meditated for many, many years and developed very strong and powerful
states of attention.
Some people go into tantra with the idea, sort of an intellectual
approach, that now they can just do everything and stay high. That
doesn't work at all.
The emphasis is on meditation in Tantric Zen. The experience of
meditation in formal practice, zazen, where you're sitting down and
meditating and concentrating.
A critical part of Tantric Buddhism is a process of turning of the
activities and experiences in your daily life into meditation.
Consumer goods become enlightenment. Relationships -- anything! It
doesn't really matter because infinity exists in everything.
It doesn't really matter what you do. It is your state of mind that
matters.
Any avenue that you follow leads to light. All roads lead to Rome.
Success, failure, pain, small furry animals, household products,
freeways, Star Wars systems -- all are interlinked in the dance of
tantra, the disco of the mind, the ballroom of cosmic consciousness.
In Tantric Buddhism, we believe that Samsara is Nirvana. That is to
say that everything in the universe is part of us. And we also are
part of everything in the universe.
If you follow anything far enough in the universe, it will eventually
lead to light.
Practitioners of tantra don't decide to break the rules. They are not
particularly hung up on having sex or eating meat or drinking alcohol.
They don't strive to do these things, nor do they strive to avoid them.
In tantra we don't believe in commandments. We believe in the moment
and the truth that is applicable for that moment, as best we can sort
it out with our heart, our intuition, our knowledge, our common sense.
In tantra, samsara is viewed as the same thing as nirvana. Eating a
hamburger is meditation.
For most people the prohibitions are a good thing. But If you are able
to maintain very powerful states of mind, then you'll find yourself in
everything you see.
Tantric Buddhists don't believe in sin. Stupidity, yes, meaning we
make ourselves or others suffer.
One person will eat meat and it will lower their attention field.
Another person won't even be affected by it because they're not in the
state of mind whereby they'll be affected by it.
For the person who wants to get to the mystical experience directly,
Tantric Buddhism is the path.
Zen is Tantric Buddhism, Vajrayana is tantric Buddhism - these are
various forms of it. Tantric Buddhism simply means cutting to the
chase.
Tantra is quicker; but for some people it can be spiritually
disastrous.
Why don't you like being you for a change? Just be different and don't
hate yourself and feel very good about all your different desires and
all the things you didn't want and want. Go get them all, and see what
it's like.
There's a path in enlightenment called the path of negation where we
intentionally throw ourselves into experiences that are extremely
transient. In other words, we do all the stuff you're supposed to
normally avoid to become enlightened, intentionally.
If you find a Tantric master - he has you go and do all the things you
hate to do.
Tantra is spiritual, not religious. It deals with the spirit.
Religion is just an applied body of doctrines that's believed or not
believed by one or more individuals. Spirituality is the science of
metaphysics.
Tantra is non-dogmatic, in the sense that we don't care about the
sensual world; we don't care about other religious traditions. To not
care doesn't mean that we don't learn.
What we seek to do in Tantric Buddhism is to liquefy ourselves. Life
will automatically bring us to the next stage. You don't really have
to know where you're going -- It's like breathing.
There's no right or wrong in the study of enlightenment. There's only
experience.
Living in the spiritual world is very easy, once you grow accustomed to
it. But initially, it puts you through some changes.
Music is part of the tantra, the dance of life. Before your eyes,
before your awareness, is the procession of eternity.
Be neither attracted nor repulsed is the message of Tantric Buddhism.
Don't be drawn to something, don't run away from it. Just naturally
accept whatever comes into life.
Tantra is the perception of the oneness and the perfection of all
things. Not just the perception of light, but the perception of
darkness, seeing God in both beauty and horror.
In the world of Buddhist mind, in the advanced states, we go beyond
time, space, life, death and Newsweek.
Tantric Buddhism is just a collection of things that work by doing
them. And sometimes we add new things. We have electronic music; we
did not have it in Tibet.
The emphasis in tantra is not what you find yourself doing, it's on
meditation.
Its not what you do that matters. It's not what you say. There's
nothing that is not holy or spiritual. Be beyond definition, beyond
categorization, be absorbed."
- Zen Master Rama
www.ramaquotes.com
Thank you in advance for your religious tolerance.
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| norbu_tragri@yahoo.com 2005-12-22, 11:00 am |
| A few clarifications. Again, maybe these quotes *in context* specified
this, but *out of context and in this order they seem to be
misleading*.
> Dr. Frederick Lenz
> www.ramaquotes.com/html/tantric_philosophy.html
>
> "The Buddha taught three cycles of teachings. His first cycle of
> teachings cover the basics, the prerequisites. This would include the
> Dharmapada.
>
> His second cycle of teachings discusses the cosmology of the universes.
> But in his later years, he wrote the tantric texts.
The three turnings of the wheel of dharma are
1. the sravaka/pretekyabuddha sutras,
2. the prajnaparamita sutras <teaching the emptiness of concepts>, and
3. the tathagata-garbha sutras <teaching the buddha-nature that is
still there beyond concepts>.
The "cittamatra" sutras as expounded by the Yogacara are the third
turning sutras.
The Tantras are *not* the third cycle, but rather a system of practice
based on all three turnings of the wheel of dharma.
In Vajrayana one begins with respect and diligence in the first
cycle,...if one cannot practice the 'hinayana' of causing no harm to
other beings and being mindful of one's own emotions etc then there is
no going on to the 'Mahayana' where one then opens into the
bodhisattvayana, *if one has that motivation*, of working for the
benefit of all beings - which then goes through the prajnaparamita and
tathagatagarbha cycles of practice and study.
'Tantra' <Vajrayana> is a practice system of the bodhisattvayana that
incorperates all three turnings of the wheel of dharma. Vajrayana has
three stages of practice, Sutra-Mahamudra, Tantra-Mahamudra, and
Essence-Mahamudra. Sutra-Mahamudra is the study/practice/livlihood of
the three-turnings of the wheel of dharma; tantra-mahamudra is the
inner yoga practices to untie emotional/conceptual knots;
essence-mahamudra is the samatha-vipasyana that then follows.
> The tantras can be very confusing for a person who is new to Buddhism,
> and for several thousand years the rule was not to expose a person or a
> new monk to the tantras until they had practiced for many, many years.
Not several thousand years. 2,500 years at most.
> The Dali Lama and other notable Buddhist teachers have now indicated
> that since the world has plunged into a dark age, the information
> available in the tantras, which include the very, very powerful
> Kundalini release techniques, should be made available to the public.
There isn't a single buddhist tantra that teaches Kundalini. In fact
Buddhist tantras teach against what was then the Kundalini practice of
the day as leading to false 'transcendental' states of completely blind
Ego-hood (attaining the state of "Rudra/Shiva"). "Rudrahood" is the
definition of spiritual Egohood/obsession/failure in Buddhist Tantra,
whereas it is the goal of Kundalini (-like) practice (at the Buddha's
time) <there are some modern Kundalini teachers who have recieved the
buddhadharma teaching under hindu guise/terms and they something more
like the Buddhist Tantras.
The Buddhist Tantras teach *candali* yoga <"tummo"> as the tantra
mahamudra, and sahajayana as essence mahamudra.
Some practioneers can skip tantra-mahamudra, going from sutra-mahamudra
to essence-mahamudra. The cakras and all that are a transitional
practice, designed only to untie emotional and conceptual knots.
Hence the initial samatha-vipasyana meditation one begins with is
really no different than the final essence practice.
Entering the mandala is not achieved by some great skill of
transcendental-or-occult knowledge. The four gates are
love/friendliness (maitri), rejoicing for others (mundita), compassion
(karuna), and equanimity/equal-regard (upeksa); one enters the mandala
via a good heart...candali follows from there as the awakening of the
heart (bodhicitta)...
- n.
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| Sevenhundred Elves 2005-12-22, 6:02 pm |
| Buddhist Monk wrote:
> Tantric Buddhism - Tantric Philosophy - Quotations by Zen Master Rama,
> Dr. Frederick Lenz
Will you ever stop spamming?
S.
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| curlywade@yahoo.com 2005-12-22, 6:02 pm |
| SevenHundred:
Will you ever stop spamming?
Laws alone cannot secure freedom of expression;
in order that every man present his views without penalty
there must be a spirit of
tolerance in the entire population.
- Albert Einstein
America's answer to the intolerant man [sevenhundred] is diversity,
the very diversity which our heritage of
religious freedom has inspired.
- Robert Kennedy
www.ramaquotes.com
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| Sevenhundred Elves 2005-12-23, 1:04 am |
| curlywade@yahoo.com wrote:
> SevenHundred:
> Will you ever stop spamming?
>
> Laws alone cannot secure freedom of expression;
> in order that every man present his views without penalty
> there must be a spirit of
> tolerance in the entire population.
> - Albert Einstein
>
>
> America's answer to the intolerant man [sevenhundred] is diversity,
> the very diversity which our heritage of
> religious freedom has inspired.
> - Robert Kennedy
>
> www.ramaquotes.com
It's just that the newsgroups are supposed to revolve around separate
topics, not everything at once.
S.
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| Evelyn Ruut 2005-12-23, 1:04 am |
|
"Sevenhundred Elves" <sevenhundred@elves.invalid> wrote in message
news:4zHqf.41492$d5.196913@newsb.telia.net...
> curlywade@yahoo.com wrote:
>
>
> It's just that the newsgroups are supposed to revolve around separate
> topics, not everything at once.
>
> S.
Hi 700E,
The Fredophiliacs don't play by the kind of rules that are voluntary like
most of us do.
And they only know their one song that they play over and over.
Nothing original ever comes out of those guys.
Best Regards,
Evelyn
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| Peter Terpstra 2005-12-23, 11:00 am |
| Evelyn Ruut zat achter de pc en typte:
> Nothing original ever comes out of those guys.
Just keep believing that they will someday dare to show there face.
Kind regards,
Peter
--
http://k6.xs4all.nl mailto:peter.terpstra@k6.xs4all.nl
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| curlywade@yahoo.com 2005-12-23, 6:01 pm |
| Evelyn:
"The Fredophiliacs don't play by the kind of rules that are voluntary
like
most of us do"
Today, wherever I go
and whenever I meet someone
who follows a different religion,
I deeply admire their practice
and I very sincerely
respect their tradition.
-HHDL
Evel:
"And they only know their one song that they play over and over."
Pay no attention to the faults of others,
things done or left undone by others.
Consider only what by oneself is done or left undone.
- Buddha
Evel:
"Nothing original ever comes out of those guys."
The trick is simply to avoid jerks.
There are lots of them out there.
Most people are unhappy.
- Zen Master Rama
www.ramaquotes.com
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| jazzymike108@yahoo.com 2005-12-24, 1:03 am |
| Norbu: There isn't a single buddhist tantra that teaches Kundalini.
Jazzy: There are many Buddhist teachers who teach about Kundalini,
such as Lama Yeshe. In "The Circle of Bliss", a book about the
Buddhist Tantras, defines Kundalini Yoga as: "Coiled [Serpent-Arising]
Unification. Fundamental methodology of Tantric meditational
practices, both in Hindu and Buddhist practice. In the Buddhist
context, the purifying inner fire awakens the energy centers of the
subtle body until the yogin realizes realizes the state of complete
awakening."
In the same book, Tummo is defined as: "Tibetan term for inner heat.
Chandali in Sanskrit. In the Mother class of the Highest Yoga Tantra,
the female deities, such as Vajravarahi or Nairatma, represent the
purifying inner fire of tummo. Activated during the completion-stage
practices to awaken the energy centers."
"The form of yogic practice in Tantric Buddhism is very closely related
to Coiled (Serpent-Arising) Unification (Kundalini Yoga), which is also
found in Tantric Hindu practices." - Circle of Bliss, p 230, by Dina
Bangdel and John C. Huntington
Therefore, Norbu, your assertion that "there isn't a single Buddhist
tantra that teaches kundalini" is absurd in the face of many Buddhist
teachers using it.
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| jazzymike108@yahoo.com 2005-12-24, 1:03 am |
| Evelyn,
If by "not playing by the rules" you mean we don't succumb to your
religious intolerance, hatred, and ignorance, then we are guilty as
charged.
Rama, Dr. Frederick Lenz, spoke eloquently on many forms of Buddhism
and his knowledge, integrity and humor have been unmatched by any other
Buddhist teacher I have seen. His novel, "Surfing the Himalayas",
intertwined Buddhism and snowboarding in a very entertaining and
informative manner.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/03...=books&v=glance
Jazzy
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| norbu_tragri@yahoo.com 2005-12-24, 11:00 am |
|
jazzymike108@yahoo.com wrote:
> Norbu: There isn't a single buddhist tantra that teaches Kundalini.
>
> Jazzy: There are many Buddhist teachers who teach about Kundalini,
There are no "many" - only a few who try to adress some westerners in
their audience that have come to dote on Theistic fantasies of
transcendental Self-God-Eternity...to try to lead these people to un
understanding that all conditioned things are transcient, all
transcient things are frustrating, all frustrating things have no
resolution/entity/identity principle...hence the approach to the first
noble truth, duhkka...hence to the origin of duhkka, cessation, and the
path....
> such as Lama Yeshe.
....just so...
> In "The Circle of Bliss", a book about the
> Buddhist Tantras, defines Kundalini Yoga as: "Coiled [Serpent-Arising]
> Unification. Fundamental methodology of Tantric meditational
> practices, both in Hindu and Buddhist practice. In the Buddhist
> context, the purifying inner fire awakens the energy centers of the
> subtle body until the yogin realizes realizes the state of complete
> awakening."
"Fundamental methodology of Tantric meditational
practices, both in Hindu and Buddhist practice."....Is that a
sentence????
Jazzy, i have studied and practiced both systems. ***They are not at
all the same***, and only a few words are used in common.
>
> In the same book, Tummo is defined as: "Tibetan term for inner heat.
> Chandali in Sanskrit. In the Mother class of the Highest Yoga Tantra,
> the female deities, such as Vajravarahi or Nairatma, represent the
> purifying inner fire of tummo. Activated during the completion-stage
> practices to awaken the energy centers."
Candali and gtum.mo mean "fierce" or "terrible/terrifying". The
Sanskrit term was used for a woman of the lower "untouchable"
class/race, often a washer-woman, a dombi, whose mere touch could make
an "superior" aryan class person lose their "purity" - as such, in
buddhist tantra, she is a symbol of getting rid of bullshit. The heat
involved is her fire that melts rigid frozen concepts and
self-views...the fire and melted ice combine to create amrita, the
poison drink of deathlessness...unborn, undying...rather different from
both nihilism and eternalism...
> "The form of yogic practice in Tantric Buddhism is very closely related
> to Coiled (Serpent-Arising) Unification (Kundalini Yoga), which is also
> found in Tantric Hindu practices." - Circle of Bliss, p 230, by Dina
> Bangdel and John C. Huntington
There are some yogic practices, such as use of vayu ("pranayama") that
seem similar, but in motive, view, application, and result they are
totally dissimilar. Vayu (prana) in Hindu tantra is a magical force of
Maya...In buddhadharma Tantras the various vayus are distinguished as
being the conflictive emotions on the the one hand, and, once
transmuted the primordial awarenesses. In Hindu practice the vayus
penetrate higher and higher in the cakras to the upper levels where
Sakti/prakriti/maya worships Siva/Param-Atman - In buddhadharma both
the wordly and transcendental desires are let-go, openned-up into
non-attainment, non-memory, etc...in that openness there is no idea of
self, God, Illusion, Maya, Physical, Spiritual, etc etc - and no
clinging to either...
i will go into detail on these differences in the Samadhi posts (yes i
am working on them, as time allows) - sometime after the holidays as i
and the other posters here are busy with family time stuff....
> Therefore, Norbu, your assertion that "there isn't a single Buddhist
> tantra that teaches kundalini" is absurd in the face of many Buddhist
> teachers using it.
A few Buddhist teachers in the West use Kundalini terms, verses the
thousands of Western teachers who don't, and the hundreds of thousand
Asian teachers who don't use those or other Vedantic hetrodox terms.
They don't call Buddha "God" or "Christ" either...
My statement stands as plain truth:
There isn't a single Buddhist tantra that teaches kundalini.
best,
- n.
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