Why are monks raising arms in this picture?

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omph
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Why are monks raising arms in this picture?

Post by omph »

In this photo of Khenpo Gangshar and Trungpa Rinpoche, they are raising their arms. Does anyone know the meaning of what is going on in this photo? And what is on top of the table in the middle?
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PadmaVonSamba
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Re: Why are monks raising arms in this picture?

Post by PadmaVonSamba »

perhaps they are being mimes trapped inside an invisible samsaric box.
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Re: Why are monks raising arms in this picture?

Post by Simon E. »

:smile:
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Re: Why are monks raising arms in this picture?

Post by Grigoris »

Maybe their football team just scored a goal?
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Re: Why are monks raising arms in this picture?

Post by practitioner »

You are all wrong, that is the "raise the roof" mudra
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Re: Why are monks raising arms in this picture?

Post by kirtu »

catlady2112 wrote:In this photo of Khenpo Gangshar and Trungpa Rinpoche, they are raising their arms. Does anyone know the meaning of what is going on in this photo? And what is on top of the table in the middle?
Unfortunately I cannot hazard a guess. Khenpo Gangshar was one of the great yogis of the past century. My guess is that they are engaged in an offering. However this was photographed, certainly with Khenpo Gangshar's knowledge so more likely it is a kind of "liberation upon seeing" kind of photograph with the photograph being an intentional relic of this. There are other possibilities but they seem illogical (they are doing protector practice - that wouldn't be photographed). They object in the middle appears to be flowers or a torma of some kind.

Since Khenpo Gangshar foresaw the end of Tibetan Buddhism in Tibet and was intent upon the transmission of the Dharma, my guess is the "liberation upon seeing" avenue.

Kirt
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Re: Why are monks raising arms in this picture?

Post by Simon E. »

So you go from ' unfortunately I cannot hazard a guess '. Which is honest. To hazarding a very unconvincing guess... in two paragraphs.
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Re: Why are monks raising arms in this picture?

Post by kirtu »

Simon E. wrote:So you go from ' unfortunately I cannot hazard a guess '. Which is honest. To hazarding a very unconvincing guess... in two paragraphs.
Khenchen Thrangu has likely explained it somewhere as he was one of Khenpo Gangshar's students and has been teaching his approach to Mahamudra. Whatever the explanation, you can safely bet that it is a profound teaching. As an eample, the other picture in the boo is the cover photo which shows Khenpo Gangshar pointing a purba at himself (I had forgotten about this photo). Here's what a blogger at Buddhist Meditation on Tumblr says that Khenchen Thrangu said about that:
There are only two pictures of Khenpo Gangshar and one is on the cover. As Thrangu Rinpoche explained, the Tibetans were upset with this picture because a phurba is held in the hand and pointed to demons and obstacles to eliminate them, but Khenpo Gangshar is pointing the phurba towards his heart. Khenpo Gangshar said he did this because all the obstacles to practice do not lie outside oneself, but lie in one’s heart. So he is pointing the phurba towards himself.
But Wait! Just a bit further down in that blog post it says:
The prophecy of Khenpo Gangshar is well described and it is interesting that the only other picture of Khenpo Gangshar we have is him raising both hands as in a surrender and telling this students that this is the mudra of the union of wisdom and skillful means.
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“Where do atomic bombs come from?”
Zen Master Seung Sahn said, “That’s simple. Atomic bombs come from the mind that likes this and doesn’t like that.”

"Even if you practice only for an hour a day with faith and inspiration, good qualities will steadily increase. Regular practice makes it easy to transform your mind. From seeing only relative truth, you will eventually reach a profound certainty in the meaning of absolute truth."
Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

"Only you can make your mind beautiful."
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Re: Why are monks raising arms in this picture?

Post by Simon E. »

So you could hazard a guess after all. :smile:

I prefer PadmaVonSamba's explanation.
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Re: Why are monks raising arms in this picture?

Post by VajraLion »

When I saw the picture before reading anything else I thought "that's Trungpa Rinpoche" I don't remember exactly, but I think it was in a documentary perhaps Crazy Wisdom where they explain this picture. They said it was taken in order to display an attitude of deference and submission to the invading Chinese.
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Re: Why are monks raising arms in this picture?

Post by Alfredo »

Because they're Sure of their anti-perspirant!

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Re: Why are monks raising arms in this picture?

Post by kirtu »

VajraLion wrote:When I saw the picture before reading anything else I thought "that's Trungpa Rinpoche" I don't remember exactly, but I think it was in a documentary perhaps Crazy Wisdom where they explain this picture. They said it was taken in order to display an attitude of deference and submission to the invading Chinese.
I think this explanation this unlikely. The explanation I posted above is from a student of Trangu Rinpoche, this is Trangu Rinpoche's explanation (presumably) and Trangu Rinpoche was also a student of Khenpo Gangshar.

Also Trungpa Rinpoche is about 14 in the photo placing the date around 1953/1954. The Chinese invasion and occupation developed in stages but the Tibetans were not subservient not did they generally show deference to the Chinese. The Chinese occupation did not become severely violent until later (how much later I am unclear on). For example they bombed Litang Monastery in 1956. The photo was probably taken in Sechen Monastery which is in Eastern Tibet and might have been exposed to danger early. But I doubt that Khenpo Gangshar would display deference or subservience to the Chinese unless this were a kind of ceremony to mitigate their negativity.

However the full photo shows that the object in the middle is a vase/torma on a tall stool rather then on a shrine.

Kirt
“Where do atomic bombs come from?”
Zen Master Seung Sahn said, “That’s simple. Atomic bombs come from the mind that likes this and doesn’t like that.”

"Even if you practice only for an hour a day with faith and inspiration, good qualities will steadily increase. Regular practice makes it easy to transform your mind. From seeing only relative truth, you will eventually reach a profound certainty in the meaning of absolute truth."
Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

"Only you can make your mind beautiful."
HH Chetsang Rinpoche
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Re: Why are monks raising arms in this picture?

Post by VajraLion »

Well I concede defeat! lol, im just looking to assist from an offhand memory which is likely flawed. My apologies for not doing the research.
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Re: Why are monks raising arms in this picture?

Post by VajraLion »

Actually at 7:30 into the documentary on Trungpa Rinpoche's life "Crazy Wisdom" Khenpo Karma Xidro explains Khenpo Gangshar said "we are not able to fight the communist and we should surrender." He [Karma Xidro] then says "That is the sign for surrender to the Chinese" then the above mentioned image is shown.

So I guess its more like a direct explanation of the specific image rather then speculation. I did do my research! May it be beneficial.
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Re: Why are monks raising arms in this picture?

Post by Simon E. »

Far more down to earth and much more like the CTR I knew. :good:
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Re: Why are monks raising arms in this picture?

Post by omph »

kirtu wrote:
catlady2112 wrote:In this photo of Khenpo Gangshar and Trungpa Rinpoche, they are raising their arms. Does anyone know the meaning of what is going on in this photo? And what is on top of the table in the middle?
Unfortunately I cannot hazard a guess. Khenpo Gangshar was one of the great yogis of the past century. My guess is that they are engaged in an offering. However this was photographed, certainly with Khenpo Gangshar's knowledge so more likely it is a kind of "liberation upon seeing" kind of photograph with the photograph being an intentional relic of this. There are other possibilities but they seem illogical (they are doing protector practice - that wouldn't be photographed). They object in the middle appears to be flowers or a torma of some kind.

Since Khenpo Gangshar foresaw the end of Tibetan Buddhism in Tibet and was intent upon the transmission of the Dharma, my guess is the "liberation upon seeing" avenue.

Kirt
I actually like the thought of this being "liberation upon seeing." That sounds more like Khenpo Gangshar's style of Dharma. It also seems like something practical we could all do in the spur of the moment of difficulty -- as a physical way to let things that appear before us, to self-liberate . Sounds like an approachable practice.
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Re: Why are monks raising arms in this picture?

Post by Simon E. »

VajraLion wrote:Actually at 7:30 into the documentary on Trungpa Rinpoche's life "Crazy Wisdom" Khenpo Karma Xidro explains Khenpo Gangshar said "we are not able to fight the communist and we should surrender." He [Karma Xidro] then says "That is the sign for surrender to the Chinese" then the above mentioned image is shown.

So I guess its more like a direct explanation of the specific image rather then speculation. I did do my research! May it be beneficial.

That sounds more likely. I don't know Khenpo Gangshar ( except of course from many anecdotes from CTR ) but it would be VERY Trungpa Rinpoche and he wasn't much older than he is in that picture when I became his student.
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