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Buddhism : |
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Founded : |
About 525 BC. |
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Founder : |
Gautam Sidhartha ( 563-483 BC.), also known
as Buddha or 'Enlighted One'. Son of a king, he was born in
Lumbini, near the Himalayas in Southern Nepal. |
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Location : |
Throughout Asia, from Sri Lanka to Japan. |
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Beliefs : |
Life is misery and decay, and there is no
ultimate truth in it or behind it. The cycle of endless birth
and rebirth continues because of desire and attachment to the
unreal 'self'. Right meditation and deeds will end the cycle
and achieve 'Nirvana'. |
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Sacred Text : |
The Tripitaka, a collection of the Buddha's
teachings, ruler of monastic life and philosophical commentaries
on the teachings. Also a vast body of Buddhist teachings and
commentaries, many of which are called 'Sutras'. |
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Trans Himalayan Buddhism : |
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Twelve centuries after the Buddha attained 'Nirvana', the Tibetan
King, Songtsen Gampo ( Sron-bTsan Sgam-Po ) who ruled from 618 to
649 AD.), married Wen Cheng from the court of China's Tang dynasty
and Bkrikuti Devi, a Nepalese princess. Under their influence, Buddhism
slowly developed in the Central Himalayan and Trans Himalayan region
of Tibet, Spiti, Lahaul and Ladakh till it became the prominent faith.
A great impetus came when king Trison Detsen ( Khri-Sron-Ide-bTsan
) 755-797 AD.) of Tibet embraced the teachings of Buddha. He sent
to India for great masters like Santarakshita and the famous teacher
and tantric named Padmasambhava. Under Padmasambhava's influence,
Mahayan Buddhism, the Greater Vedic fanned over the world's highest
plateaux. Known to the Tibetans as Guru or Orgian Pimpoche, the Precious
Master Padamsambhava began the synthesis of Mahayan practises, yogic
tantracism and the native Bon religion - retaining a large measure
of its nature worship and demonolatry. The combine of ritual, faith
and philosophic content created what we recognise today as Vajrayana
Buddhism, the Thunderbolt Vehicle.
The 9th century brought a break in the spread of Buddhism learning when the king,
Lang Darma rejected it and began supporting the Bon faith. He was murdered by
a Buddhist monk, Pal Dorje, and the 10th and 11th centuries witnessed the grand
revival og Buddhism learning. It was an age of great teachers - Atisha, Marpa,
Rinchensang - po and Milarepa. In 1357 AD., the towering reformer, Tsong Khapa
began the religious renewal that emphasised Atisha's teachings and a purity of
doctrine. He founded the Geluk - pa sect, the Yellow Hats, who grew to hold considerably
sway - and from which the Dalai Lamas were to come. In 1578 AD., a descendent
of Chengis - Chengis Khan and ruler of China, had given Sonam Gyatso the title
of Ta-le, now written as Dalai - which means the Master of the Ocean of Wisdom.
When the kingdom of Guge rose in Western Tibet after the assassination of Lang
Darma, it encompassed the present day tract of Spiti, Lahaul, Zanskar and upper
Kinnaur. The strong cultural and religious identity of the region dates back
to those years. |
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The Kaalchakra Ceremony : |
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The Kaalchakra Ceremony and ritual is regarded as an essential
part of Vajrayana Buddhism . It is believed to have been first preached
some 25 centuries ago by the Buddha himself. The Kaalchakra or the
Wheel of Time is regarded as the highest and most secret of the Tantra
Yanas - discipline - of Vajryana Buddhism. At its simplest, this
is a ritual of initiation, purification and benediction. One of the
pillars of Vajrayana Buddhism is that it seeks not only personal
salvation, but also the liberation of all humanity from the painful
cycle of birth and rebirth. Reincarnation is sought as a deliberate
choice to help others escape this cycle. And to be able to achieve
this, one has to reach the level of a Bodhisattva, an enlighted person,
who returns to earth to help others. To reach the level of a Bodhisattva,
one has to go through various stages within one's lifetime - like
the Dharmakaya ( the Stage of Wisdom ), and the Sambhogakaya ( the
Stage of Unity ). It is only when stages are crossed that the living
being truly sees the impermanence of the world around him. The role
of a Guru, or guide in this process is essential and here, in the
Kaalchakra Tantra, this role is played by His Holiness, the Dalai
Lama.
>> The Kaalchakra Mandala, the large circular design drawn by the Dalai
Lama himself, is central ti this ritual. Often called the 'Palace of Deities',
the diagram is a representation of the cosmos and chambers in which various deities
reside. This is used by the lay monk as an aid to meditation and to 'connect'
to his personal deity. This is the only part of the ritual that is done in public.
The ceremony is regarded to assist in peace and harmony throughout the world. |
| His Holiness, the Dalai Lama has conducted
a Kaalchakra Ceremony at Ki Monastery in Spiti between the
4th and 16th August, 2000. |
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