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Guru Yoga
In Vajrayana, guru yoga (Tib: ''bla ma'i rnal 'byor'') is a tantric devotional practice in which the practitioner unites their mindstream with the mindstream of the body, speech, and mind of their guru. Guru yoga is akin to deity yoga since the guru (who can be a Buddha, a historical figure like Padmasambhava, or a living person) is visualized in the same manner as with a meditational deity. The process of guru yoga may entail visualization of a refuge tree as an invocation of the lineage, with the 'root guru' channeling the blessings of the entire lineage to the practitioner. The guru may be visualized as above the meditator, in front of them, or in their heart. Guru yoga may also include a liturgy, prayer, or '' mantra'', such as the "Seven Line Prayer" of Padmasambhava, or the "Migtsema" (a prayer to Je Tsongkhapa). Background As in other Buddhist traditions, an attitude of reverence for the teacher, or guru, is highly prized. A guru or lama is seen as an essential gui ...
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Lama
Lama (; "chief") is a title for a teacher of the Dharma in Tibetan Buddhism. The name is similar to the Sanskrit term ''guru'', meaning "heavy one", endowed with qualities the student will eventually embody. The Tibetan word "lama" means "highest principle", and less literally "highest mother" or "highest parent" to show close relationship between teacher and student."lama"
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Historically, the term was used for venerated spiritual masters or heads of monasteries. Today the title can be used as an
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Tantric Practices
Tantric or variations may refer to: Religion Beliefs and practices *Tantra, esoteric traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism **Tantric sex, tantric practices to exercise sexuality in a ritualized or yogic context **Tantric yoga, a form of yoga *Vajrayana, also known as Tantric Buddhism **Tibetan tantric practice *Neotantra, a Western form of tantra **Tantra massage, a form of erotic massage Religious texts *Tantras (Buddhism), Indian and Tibetan texts which outline Buddhist religious systems *Tantras (Hinduism), scriptures pertaining to esoteric traditions rooted in Hindu philosophy Music *Tantric (band) Tantric is an American rock band from Louisville, Kentucky. The group was founded in 1998 by Todd Whitener, Jesse Vest and Matt Taul after they left Days of the New, and joined forces with vocalist Hugo Ferreira. Ferreira is the only remainin ..., a hard rock band from Louisville, Kentucky ** ''Tantric'' (album), the debut album by the band of the same name Other uses * Tantra ...
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Samaya
The samaya (, Japanese and , J: ''sanmaya-kai'', C: ''Sān mè yē jiè''), is a set of vows or precepts given to initiates of an esoteric Vajrayana Buddhist order as part of the abhiṣeka (empowerment or initiation) ceremony that creates a bond between the guru and disciple. According to Keown, ''et al.'', ''samaya'' may be defined as: *A particular system of teaching or doctrines;Keown, et al. (2003) P.247 *The conduct required of a tantric practitioner, often as a set of vows or commitments; *The realization ('' abhisamaya'') of Buddhahood; *In Tantric Buddhism, union with the trikaya, the body, speech and mind of the Buddha. Indo-Tibetan Buddhism Fourteen root downfalls In one of the most widely followed teachings on samaya, Sakya Pandita, a preeminent 12th century Tibetan Buddhism scholar, outlined fourteen primary points of observance to consider in keeping one's samaya vow pure. # Disrespecting the vajra master. # Transgressing the words of the buddhas. # Insulting one ...
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Mahamudra
Mahāmudrā ( Sanskrit: महामुद्रा, , contraction of ) literally means "great seal" or "great imprint" and refers to the fact that "all phenomena inevitably are stamped by the fact of wisdom and emptiness inseparable". Mahāmudrā is a multivalent term of great importance in later Indian Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism which "also occurs occasionally in Hindu and East Asian Buddhist esotericism." The name also refers to a body of teachings representing the culmination of all the practices of the Sarma schools of Tibetan Buddhism, who believe it to be the quintessential message of all of their sacred texts. The ''mudra'' portion denotes that in an adept's experience of reality, each phenomenon appears vividly, and the ''maha'' portion refers to the fact that it is beyond concept, imagination, and projection.Reginald Ray, ''Secret of the Vajra World''. Shambhala 2001, page 261. The practice of Mahāmudrā is also known as the teaching called " Sahajayoga" or "Co- ...
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Bhakti Yoga
Bhakti yoga ( sa, भक्ति योग), also called Bhakti marga (, literally the path of ''Bhakti''), is a spiritual path or spiritual practice within Hinduism focused on loving devotion towards any personal deity.Karen Pechelis (2014), The Embodiment of Bhakti, Oxford University Press, , pages 19-24 It is one of the three classical paths in Hinduism which lead to '' Moksha'', the other paths being Jnana yoga and Karma yoga. The tradition has ancient roots. Bhakti is mentioned in the ''Shvetashvatara Upanishad'' where it simply means participation, devotion and love for any endeavor. ''Bhakti yoga'' as one of three spiritual paths for salvation is discussed in depth by the ''Bhagavad Gita''. The personal god varies with the devotee.Bhakti
Encyclopedia Britannica (2009)
Karen Pechelis (2011), B ...
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Aśvaghoṣa
, also transliterated Ashvaghosha, (, अश्वघोष; lit. "Having a Horse-Voice"; ; Chinese 馬鳴菩薩 pinyin: Mǎmíng púsà, litt.: 'Bodhisattva with a Horse-Voice') CE) was a Sarvāstivāda or Mahasanghika Buddhist philosopher, dramatist, poet and orator from India. He was born in Saketa, today known as Ayodhya. He is believed to have been the first Sanskrit dramatist, and is considered the greatest Indian poet prior to Kālidāsa. It seems probable that he was the contemporary and spiritual adviser of Kanishka in the first century of our era. He was the most famous in a group of Buddhist court writers, whose epics rivalled the contemporary Ramayana. Whereas much of Buddhist literature prior to the time of Aśvaghoṣa had been composed in Pāli and Prakrit, Aśvaghoṣa wrote in Classical Sanskrit. Life He is said to have been born in Ayodhya. His original (lay) name is unknown, Aśvaghosa being a later nickname only. According to the traditional biogr ...
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Merit (Buddhism)
Merit ( sa, puṇya, italic=yes, pi, puñña, italic=yes) is a concept considered fundamental to Buddhist ethics. It is a beneficial and protective force which accumulates as a result of good deeds, acts, or thoughts. Merit-making is important to Buddhist practice: merit brings good and agreeable results, determines the quality of the next life and contributes to a person's growth towards enlightenment. In addition, merit is also shared with a deceased loved one, in order to help the deceased in their new existence. Despite modernization, merit-making remains essential in traditional Buddhist countries and has had a significant impact on the rural economies in these countries. Merit is connected with the notions of purity and goodness. Before Buddhism, merit was used with regard to ancestor worship, but in Buddhism it gained a more general ethical meaning. Merit is a force that results from good deeds done; it is capable of attracting good circumstances in a person's life, as ...
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Prostration
Prostration is the gesture of placing one's body in a reverentially or submissively prone position. Typically prostration is distinguished from the lesser acts of bowing or kneeling by involving a part of the body above the knee, especially the hands, touching the ground. Major world religions employ prostration as an act of submissiveness or worship to a supreme being or other worshiped entity (i.e. God), as in the ''metanoia'' in Christian prayer used in the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches and the '' sajdah'' of the Islamic prayer, '' salat''. In various cultures and traditions, prostrations are similarly used to show respect to rulers, civil authorities and social elders or superiors, as in the Chinese kowtow or Ancient Greek '' proskynesis''. The act has often traditionally been an important part of religious, civil and traditional rituals and ceremonies, and remains in use in many cultures. Traditional religious practices Many religious ins ...
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Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majority regions surrounding the Himalayan areas of India (such as Ladakh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and a minority in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand), in much of Central Asia, in the southern Siberian regions such as Tuva, and in Mongolia. Tibetan Buddhism evolved as a form of Mahāyāna Buddhism stemming from the latest stages of Indian Buddhism (which also included many Vajrayāna elements). It thus preserves many Indian Buddhist tantric practices of the post-Gupta early medieval period (500 to 1200 CE), along with numerous native Tibetan developments. In the pre-modern era, Tibetan Buddhism spread outside of Tibet primarily due to the influence of the Mongol Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), founded by Kublai Khan, which had ruled Chin ...
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Tibetan Tantric Practice
Tibetan tantric practice, also known as "the practice of secret mantra", and "tantric techniques", refers to the main tantric practices in Tibetan Buddhism. The great Rime scholar Jamgön Kongtrül refers to this as "the Process of Meditation in the Indestructible Way of Secret Mantra" and also as "the way of mantra," "way of method" and "the secret way" in his ''Treasury of Knowledge''. These Vajrayāna Buddhist practices are mainly drawn from the Buddhist tantras and are generally not found in "common" (i.e. non-tantric) Mahayana. These practices are seen by Tibetan Buddhists as the fastest and most powerful path to Buddhahood. In Tibetan Buddhism, the higher tantric yogas are generally preceded by preliminary practices ( Tib. '' ngondro''), which include sutrayana practices (i.e. non-tantric Mahayana practices) as well as preliminary tantric meditations. Tantric initiation is required to enter into the practice of tantra. '' Unsurpassable Yoga Tantra'', (Skt. ''anuttarayoga ...
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Je Tsongkhapa
Tsongkhapa ('','' meaning: "the man from Tsongkha" or "the Man from Onion Valley", c. 1357–1419) was an influential Tibetan Buddhist monk, philosopher and tantric yogi, whose activities led to the formation of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism.Tsong khapa (2006), pp. ix-x. He is also known by his ordained name Losang Drakpa (, Skt. Sumatikīrti) or simply as "Je Rinpoche" (, "Precious Lord"). He is also known by Chinese as Zongkapa Lobsang Zhaba or just Zōngkàbā (宗喀巴). Tsongkhapa was born in Amdo, the son of a Tibetan Longben Tribal leader who also once served as an official of the Yuan Dynasty. As a monk, he studied under numerous teachers of the various Tibetan Buddhist traditions which flourished in central Tibet, including Sakya, Jonang, Kagyu and Kadam. Tsongkhapa was a prolific author with a broad knowledge of Buddhist philosophy, logic, hermeneutics and practice. He wrote numerous works on madhyamaka philosophy (such as ''Ocean of Reasoning,'' a com ...
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