Tibetan Ritual

Tibetan Ritual
Ritual is one of the most pervasive religious phenomena in the Tibetan cultural world. Despite its ubiquity and importance to Tibetan cultural life, however, only in recent years has Tibetan ritual been given the attention it deserves. This is the first scholarly collection to focus on this important subject. Unique in its historical, geographical and disciplinary breadth, this book brings together eleven essays by an international cast of scholars working on ritual texts, institutions and practices in the greater Tibetan cultural world - Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, and Mongolia. While most of the chapters focus on Buddhism, two deal with ritual in Tibet's indigenous Bon religion. All of the essays are original to this volume. An extensive introduction by the editor provides a broad overview of Tibetan ritual and contextualizes the chapters within the field of Buddhist and Tibetan studies. The book should find use in advanced undergraduate courses and graduate seminars on Tibetan religion. It will also be of interest to students and scholars of ritual generally.

Uploading

Depositfiles

Megaupload

Unbounded Wholeness: Dzogchen, Bon, and the Logic of the Nonconceptual

Unbounded Wholeness: Dzogchen, Bon, and the Logic of the Nonconceptual
"Unbounded Wholeness offers an original and compelling study of the Dzogchen contemplative traditions of Bon, the indigenous Tibetan religion. In this well-researched and beautifully written book, Anne Carolyn Klein and Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche chart new terrain, revealing in Bon a dynamic way of spiritual self-cultivation and thought. This is an outstanding contribution to our knowledge of Asian religions and philosophies." --Matthew Kapstein, author of The Tibetan Assimilation of Buddhism: Conversion, Contestation and Memory
"This volume is a major contribution to our understanding of the Tibetan philosophical and religious tradition. The study opens this difficult literature to the Western reader and the translation is lucid and accessible. This is a fine example of the fruits of close collaboration between an eminent Tibetan scholar and an eminent Western Tibetologist." --Jay L. Garfield, co-translator of Ocean of Reasoning: A Great Commentary on Nagarjuna's Mulamadhyamakakarika.

uploading.com

depositfiles.com

Spirit-mediums, Sacred Mountains and Related Bon Textual Traditions in Upper Tibet

Spirit-mediums, Sacred Mountains and Related Bon Textual Traditions in Upper Tibet
This book uniquely provides first-hand insights into the spirit-mediums of Upper Tibet, the men and women who channel the gods. John Victor Bellezza here for the first time presents the conclusions of his extensive research in the region itself, shedding light on the historical context, the tradition, characteristics, ceremonies, and paraphernalia of the phenomenon.

With extensive interviews with spirit-mediums, including interpretive material drawn from Tibetan texts; annotated translations of rituals devoted to the major deities of the spirit-mediums; and annotated translation of Bon literature relevant to the origins of spirit-mediums, and concluding with a chapter on Bon literary references to the ritual implements and practices. A major source-book.

Readership: This work will appeal to those interested in Tibetan cultural and religious history, Inner Asian shamanism, and to those involved in the study of cross-cultural religion and mythology.

Bon Po Hidden Treasures - Jean-Luc Achard

Bon Po Hidden Treasures - Jean-Luc Achard
New Bon promises to become an important focus of interest among academic Tibetologists in the coming years. This unique, first-ever English-language volume on Tibet's New Bon religion (14th century onwards) contains the full catalogue of the collected rediscovered teachings revealed by bDe chen gling pa, an important Bon po master of the second part of the 19th century in Eastern Tibet. Belonging to a later period of development within the various lineages of New Bon, bDe chen gling stands as an essential link between this tradition and that of the Ris med movement of the late 19th century.

http://rapidshare.com/files/73063621/72100604138358.rar

In search of Zhang Zhung

In search of Zhang Zhung
Gelek, a Bön monk, accompanied by an American photographer undertakes a journey from Kathmandu to discover for himself the ancient kingdom of Zhang Zhung where the Bön religion flourished centuries ago.

In search of mythical palaces and holy sites, they journey to the shadows of Mount Kailash in far Western Tibet. Along the way they are joined by dhamis (oracles) and shaman priests, and together they make an odd group of contrasting characters.

As they travel through the starkly beautiful landscape of Nepal and Tibet their journey begins to shed light on Bön, a religion different and arguably older than Tibetan Buddhism, though it is largely unknown and neglected. Throughout the pilgrimage Gelek contemplates about what it means to be a Bön monk, struggles with his doubts and seeks to uncover the roots of his religion and identity.

It is a pilgrimage where both the spiritual and temporal realms are fluid realities and obstacles constantly need to be overcome. And while pursuing jeweled palaces and fantastic dreams, Gelek and Tom attempt to strip away their confusion in an attempt to find the essence of Zhang Zhung.

Youtube

Buddhism is Watering the Western Cultures like Rain Waters a Field of Flowers.

The Buddha compares his teaching to the rainfall that descends without discrimination on the earth. That this rain causes some seeds to grow into flowers and some into great trees implies no differentiation in the rain but rather is due to the capacities of the seeds that it nurtures. Thus, the teaching of the Buddha is of a single flavor but benefits beings in a variety of ways according to their capacity.

- Donald S. Lopez, Jr., Buddhism in Practice

There are many that criticize and condemn the new tradition of Buddhism that I align myself with which is most commonly known as Western Buddhism. I'm more on the Zen end of that spectrum. I know that this is a hot button issue for some so I am going to chose my words carefully and I want to emphasize that I don't profess to be a teacher. In my eyes, Western Buddhism is no different than when Chinese Buddhism, or Korean, or Tibetan Buddhism was the newest tradition in the vast Buddhist community. Buddhism always blends and adapts to different cultures when introduced to that new society but I don't believe that makes it any less useful. Tibetans for example have incorporated many aspects of their traditional Bon beliefs when Buddhism arrived from India. Yet not many would say that the proud Tibetan Buddhist tradition isn't an "authentic" (whatever that term means) form of Buddhism.

In Japan, Buddhism merged into the native beliefs related to Shinto and yet not many would say that Japanese Buddhism isn't "real" or an invalid extension of Buddhism.

The native Chinese Taoist beliefs (and overall Chinese culture) have greatly influenced Chinese Buddhism which became integral aspects to the formation of Ch'an/Zen that is so prevalent today.

Part of the uneasiness with Western Buddhism is that it is still taking shape and it's hard to tell how the exact form will be but one thing is for sure, it's here to stay. I realize the western culture that it is mixing with is different than the traditional Asian Buddhist culture but that doesn't make it any less beneficial, nor does it make it inferior. Whether we like it or not, culture influences the tradition that Buddhism develops into when introduced to a different culture than a "mother culture."

Western Buddhism seems to be developing as an umbrella structure from which slightly more western styles of each tradition are appearing. That's the beauty of Buddhism, it is pliable to everyone and each culture depending on where they are in their karmic journey. It is my belief that we should focus more on the things that we have in common then on the things that we see slightly different because of our culture.

All of this isn't to say that Western Buddhists are "better" but my goal by posting this was to show it isn't inferior either. I think the main thing that unites all these forms of Buddhism is taking refuge in the three jewels, the four noble truths and practicing the eight fold path. Again, I realize that this is a controversial subject for many Buddhists of more established, traditional schools but just remember that Mahayana Buddhism for example was seen as quite radical to the older traditions at the time.

I hope that in time, Western Buddhism will become as accepted as Mahayana has.

~Peace to all beings~