Malcolm wrote: ↑Sun Dec 31, 2017 7:34 pm
RengeReciter wrote: ↑Sun Dec 31, 2017 3:26 am
This is similar to the shamanic elements that you see in Tibetan Buddhism.
What shamanic elements? You mean like the "Shamanic" elements in Nichiren Buddhism?
A Shaman is to my understanding one who serves as an intercessor between mankind and the constellation of spiritual beings associated with nature and its functions. He mediates when the relationship between these two parties becomes strained as a result of an individual polluting the habitat of a spiritual being or otherwise offering some insult or provocation. The Shaman will most often heal the grievance by pacifying the offended spirit or, when no such peace can be attained, employing more forceful methods to prevent the entity from being able to harm.
When Buddhism came to Tibet, it merged with the indigenous shamanic system, Bon, and took on characteristics and practices from that tradition. John Myrdhin Reynolds (aka Vajranatha), who was initiated into the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, writes extensively about this cross pollination.
Vajranatha wrote:Furthermore, shamanism continues to be practiced in Tibet in its archaic form and such a practitioner is generally known as a Pawo (dpa'-bo) or Lhapa. This social function is clearly distinguished from that of the Lama or priest. A Lama is usually, although not always, a monk, whether he is nowadays a Buddhist or a Bonpo. In general, a Lama relates to the higher divine reality as a supplicant, communicating with that dimension through the medium of prayer, meditation, and the performing of offering rituals called pujas. In addition, there exists another kind of practitioner, the Ngakpa (sngags-pa) or Tantric magician and exorcist. Whereas the Lama or priest prays and petitions the higher spiritual order, the Tantrika or magician, by virtue of his magical power and his mastery of mantras, or spells and invocations, commands the spirits to obey his will and to do his bidding. The Pawo or shaman, on the other hand, is characterized by ecstasy, the entering into an altered state of consciousness, in order to have direct personal contact with the spirit world. But in Tibet, the methods of these three types of practitioners of healing-- the Pawo or shaman, the Ngakpa or magician, and Lama or priest-- are not necessarily exclusive. Many Ngakpas, although usually married men and not monks, are called Lamas because they also perform pujas or offering ceremonies, as well as shamanic exorcisms and other magical rituals. In addition, they may be accomplished scholars and teachers, having large followings among both monks and lay-people alike, and are not just simple village sorcerers. They may be either Buddhist or Bonpo in terms of their religion, although nowadays the majority of Ngakpas belong to the Nyingmapa school. Moreover, the most Pawo shamans in Tibet, although their shamanic techniques are of a different origin, now identify themselves as Buddhists in terms of their religious affiliation.
I don't know of any overtly shamanic elements in Nichiren Buddhism.
