Which school of Vajrayana do you practice?
Which school of Vajrayana do you practice?
I'm curious which lineages of Vajrayana other members practice.
I am learning from a Karma Kagyu lama right now. I've met several visiting Drikung Kagyu lamas who were wonderful as well.
I am learning from a Karma Kagyu lama right now. I've met several visiting Drikung Kagyu lamas who were wonderful as well.
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Re: Which school of Vajrayana do you practice?
I'm a Theravadin, but have an affinity for Kagyu / Shambhala. My wife and I were married at a Shambhala Karma Kagyu temple in Boulder, Colorado.
And we have made several trips back to their huge retreat facility at Shambhala Mountain, Colorado.
And we have made several trips back to their huge retreat facility at Shambhala Mountain, Colorado.
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Re: Which school of Vajrayana do you practice?
Hi Luke,
Nice poll, thanks! I practice within the Sakya tradition. I started out with Drikung Kagyu and I liked it a lot! I'd like to just note here that while I have a healthy respect for Bon, it's not considered a branch of Buddhism.
Best,
Laura
Nice poll, thanks! I practice within the Sakya tradition. I started out with Drikung Kagyu and I liked it a lot! I'd like to just note here that while I have a healthy respect for Bon, it's not considered a branch of Buddhism.
Best,
Laura
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Re: Which school of Vajrayana do you practice?
hi Laura, without meaning to open a whole can 'o worms, may i ask what distinguishes the two? i've heard buddhism adopted many aspects of Bon when it came to Tibet.
Although I too am within Amida's grasp,
Passions obstruct my eyes and I cannot see him;
Nevertheless, great compassion is untiring and
illumines me always.
- Shinran
Namu Amida Butsu
Passions obstruct my eyes and I cannot see him;
Nevertheless, great compassion is untiring and
illumines me always.
- Shinran
Namu Amida Butsu
Re: Which school of Vajrayana do you practice?
Hmmm Luke...
I always tot that Bon was the 5th Tibetan Tradition but not the 5th Tibetan Buddhist Tradition? No?
I always tot that Bon was the 5th Tibetan Tradition but not the 5th Tibetan Buddhist Tradition? No?
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Re: Which school of Vajrayana do you practice?
Hi dumb bonbu,
I think the biggest difference that springs to mind is that practitioners of Bon don't take Buddha Shakyamuni as an object of refuge.
Best,
Laura
I think the biggest difference that springs to mind is that practitioners of Bon don't take Buddha Shakyamuni as an object of refuge.
Best,
Laura
Re: Which school of Vajrayana do you practice?
You are correct that there are five main religious traditions in Tibet (Gelug, Sakya, Nyingma, Kagyu, Bön), however there are also some other minor schools of Tibetan Buddhism, of which Jonang is one (and from what I can gather, the most well known of these minor schools). Actually, I knew nothing about the Jonangpa until I read about a certain Jonang lama who came to Europe about a month ago to give Kalachakra empowerments and teachings (the Jonangpa specialize in Kalachakra teachings).thornbush wrote:Hmmm Luke...
I always tot that Bon was the 5th Tibetan Tradition but not the 5th Tibetan Buddhist Tradition? No?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_Buddhism" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Besides these major schools, there are a number of minor ones like Jonang. The Jonangpa were suppressed by the rival Gelugpa in the 1600s and were once thought extinct, but are now known to survive in Eastern Tibet.
More info
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonang" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Yeah, I know. I included it for the sake of being complete and because modern Bön is incredibly similar to Tibetan Buddhism. Also, many modern Bönpo (such as Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche) call the founder of their religion, Tönpa Shenrap, a Buddha.Ngawang Drolma wrote: I'd like to just note here that while I have a healthy respect for Bon, it's not considered a branch of Buddhism.
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Re: Which school of Vajrayana do you practice?
Hi Luke,Yeah, I know. I included it for the sake of being complete and because modern Bön is incredibly similar to Tibetan Buddhism. Also, many modern Bönpo (such as Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche) call the founder of their religion, Tönpa Shenrap, a Buddha.
I think including Bon was a culturally sensitive thing to do
Tibetan history is very interesting. These days there's a natural, automatic connection that occurs between Tibet and Buddhism. But there is a very rich history that of course pre-dates the time of Buddha Shakyamuni. And there are modern-day Bon practitioners, like you mentioned. Thanks for that.
Best,
Laura
Re: Which school of Vajrayana do you practice?
I follow Yungdrung Bön.
Bönpos consider themselves Buddhist, just from another lineage.
But many other Buddhist would not accept them as such, not so much
because of differences in the teachings - it is actually the same dharma -
but more because of this difference in lineage.
Bönpos consider themselves Buddhist, just from another lineage.
But many other Buddhist would not accept them as such, not so much
because of differences in the teachings - it is actually the same dharma -
but more because of this difference in lineage.
Re: Which school of Vajrayana do you practice?
Sakya and Nyingma (Palyul).
Kirt
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
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
Re: Which school of Vajrayana do you practice?
Karma Kagyu
Re: Which school of Vajrayana do you practice?
in recent years i have developed a interest in bon-yundrung after i've spent some years as a karma kagyu folower.
as a kagyu folower i have received all one could ever want,ngondro,mahamudra,billions of empowerments
but as a bon practitioner i have only received a few: ngondro ,tummo and some atri instructions....
alpha
as a kagyu folower i have received all one could ever want,ngondro,mahamudra,billions of empowerments
but as a bon practitioner i have only received a few: ngondro ,tummo and some atri instructions....
alpha
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Re: Which school of Vajrayana do you practice?
Most of my training is from Drikung Kagyu, quite a lot however from differing Kagyu lineages and other Tibetan schools of Buddhsim as well. However I do not necessarily consider myself a Buddhist, I don't know what exactly constitutes Buddhism in this day and age.
Bon to voice my personal view(I am certainly no religious scholor) the issue is not with the teachings as many are exactly equal but perhaps to the considered incipient of the religion. While it may be considered to be a manifestation of the Shakyamuni Buddha who founded Bon, it is not considered to be same Buddha himself, the manifestation at this place and time we refer to as the Buddha.
ULtimately I do not know if they hold to some inherantly existant things, such as a Buddha holding that quality, or a soul. I'd guess in core teaching of lineage holders they do not, but that is a assumptive guess.
Nevertheless since their faith does not derive from the Buddha we know....can it be called ordinarily, Buddhism.... as schools of Buddhism may agree on other Buddhas existing, but our lineages all draw from one particular one in this era of time....I'd suppose not. That is my personal view.
Bon to voice my personal view(I am certainly no religious scholor) the issue is not with the teachings as many are exactly equal but perhaps to the considered incipient of the religion. While it may be considered to be a manifestation of the Shakyamuni Buddha who founded Bon, it is not considered to be same Buddha himself, the manifestation at this place and time we refer to as the Buddha.
ULtimately I do not know if they hold to some inherantly existant things, such as a Buddha holding that quality, or a soul. I'd guess in core teaching of lineage holders they do not, but that is a assumptive guess.
Nevertheless since their faith does not derive from the Buddha we know....can it be called ordinarily, Buddhism.... as schools of Buddhism may agree on other Buddhas existing, but our lineages all draw from one particular one in this era of time....I'd suppose not. That is my personal view.
"This order considers that progress can be achieved more rapidly during a single month of self-transformation through terrifying conditions in rough terrain and in "the abode of harmful forces" than through meditating for a period of three years in towns and monasteries"....Takpo Tashi Namgyal.
Re: Which school of Vajrayana do you practice?
its actually the other way around.dumb bonbu wrote:hi Laura, without meaning to open a whole can 'o worms, may i ask what distinguishes the two? i've heard buddhism adopted many aspects of Bon when it came to Tibet.
The Bon that exists today is unrecognizable compared to pre-Buddhist Bon.
"All phenomena of samsara depend on the mind, so when the essence of mind is purified, samsara is purified. Since the phenomena of nirvana depend on the pristine consciousness of vidyā, because one remains in the immediacy of vidyā, buddhahood arises on its own. All critical points are summarized with those two." - Longchenpa
Re: Which school of Vajrayana do you practice?
I primarily practice in the Nyingma tradition but have lamas from Karma Kagyu, Drikung Kagyu, and Gelug lineages.
"All phenomena of samsara depend on the mind, so when the essence of mind is purified, samsara is purified. Since the phenomena of nirvana depend on the pristine consciousness of vidyā, because one remains in the immediacy of vidyā, buddhahood arises on its own. All critical points are summarized with those two." - Longchenpa
Re: Which school of Vajrayana do you practice?
Sakya
- How foolish you are,
grasping the letter of the text and ignoring its intention!
- Vasubandhu
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Re: Which school of Vajrayana do you practice?
When you talk about Buddhism adopting something, I take that to refer to Buddhist doctrine adopting some non-Buddhist doctrine's tenets. In light of that interpretation, Tibetan Buddhism did not adopt any non-Buddhist doctrine. What masters like Padmasambhava and others basically did was co-opt some of the aesthetics and some rituals from Bon that did not contradict Buddhist doctrine, and he adopted and tweaked some Bonpo rituals and ritual implements by replacing their original significance with one that was in harmony with Buddhist doctrine and represented Buddhist ideology and methods. He also subdued some native Tibetan spirits that belonged to Bon and bound them by oath to be guardians of Buddhism. That's all.dumb bonbu wrote:hi Laura, without meaning to open a whole can 'o worms, may i ask what distinguishes the two? i've heard buddhism adopted many aspects of Bon when it came to Tibet.
*edit: left out a "you" in the first paragraph.
Last edited by Pema Rigdzin on Mon Feb 15, 2010 12:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
Pema Rigdzin/Brian Pittman
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Re: Which school of Vajrayana do you practice?
Mainly the Dudjom Tersar, Longchen Nyingthig, and Tsasum Lingpa traditions of Nyingma here...
Pema Rigdzin/Brian Pittman
Re: Which school of Vajrayana do you practice?
Sakya and Nyingma. Mostly Nyingma the last few years, as I don't have easy access to my Sakya teacher.
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Re: Which school of Vajrayana do you practice?
Palden Sakya (I follow Khempo Pema Wangdak)