The essence of Buddhist meditation - Dhyana of the Ten Perfections (3/3)

Dhyana in Vajrayana Buddhism 

Dhyana (in Tibetan: bsam gtan) (lit. “mental absorption”) One of a series of increasingly concentrated states attained in placement meditation. 

On the basis of the attainment of tranquil abiding, one may pass through four form-world absorptions and four formless absorptions, with the meditative equipoise of cessation sometimes added as a ninth. 

Mental absorptions may result in various yogic achievements, but they do not assure liberation unless combined with superior insight into the nature of reality.

Dhyana (meditation) refers to one of the six limbs of yoga to be employed in Uttamasev (excellent worship), according to the Guhyasamaja chapter 18. 

The Guhyasamaja chapter 18. Dhyana (meditation) is explained as the conception of the five desired objects through the five Dhyāni Buddhas, namely, Vairocana, Ratnasambhava, Amitabha, Amoghasiddhi, and Akṣobhya.

This Dhyana is again subdivided into five kinds:
1) Vitarka (cogitation)
2) Vicara (thinking)
3) Priti (pleasure)
4) Sukha (happiness)
5) Ekagrata (concentration) 

Dhyana in Buddhism glossary 

1) Dhyana (meditation) or dhyanaparamita represents the fifth of the “six perferctions” (satparamita) as defined in the Dharma-saṃgraha (section 17).

The Dharma-samgraha (Dharmasangraha) is an extensive glossary of Buddhist technical terms in Sanskrit. The work is attributed to Nagarjuna, who lived around the 2nd century A.D.

Dhyana forms, besides being a part of the “six perfections” (satparamita), also a part of the “ten perfections” (dasa-paramita).

What are the 10 perfections of the Buddha?

The ten perfections in the Mahayana tradition are: 

1) Generosity (dana)

2) Ethical self-discipline (Shila) 

3) Patience (kshanti) 

4) Perseverance (virya) 

5) Concentration (dhyana)

6) Wisdom (prajna) 

7) Skilfulness (upaya) 

8) Aspirational prayer (pranidhana) 

9) Strengthening (bala) 

10) Deep awareness (jnana) 

2) Dhyana (absorption) or Caturdhyana refers to the “four absorptions” as defined in the Dharma-saṃgraha (section 72):

The first absorption has thinking, reflection, and the happiness and joy born of seclusion.

The second has internal clarity and happiness and joy. The third is equanimous, mindful, and has full knowledge. 

The fourth absorption has complete purity of mindfulness and equanimity, with a feeling that is neither unpleasant nor pleasant.

3) Dhyana (meditation) or Tridhyana also refers to the “three kinds of meditation” as defined in the Dharma-samgraha (section 109

A) sadoṣosao pakarsa-dhyana (editation with fault that leads to decay)

B) sukhavaiharika-dhyana (meditation that is a happy abiding),

C) Asesasaibhusita-dhyana (meditation that is entirely magnificent).

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Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development? 

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in 2008, we have been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 16 years. 

We have exceptionally constrained support and do not receive subsidies or funding from people in general.

Please help us develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you but all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us enhance our work and accomplish more for a better and brighter future.

Thank you for reading. May you find peace and great bliss. With your support, it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turn the Dharma wheels in the world.

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease.But increase further and further. 

Dedication of Merit 
By this merit, may we then obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrongdoings

May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness, and death.

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright on the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and/or studios

The picture(s) are intended for editorial use only.

The essence of Buddhist meditation - Dhyana (2/3)

Dhyana, in Indian philosophy, is a stage in the process of meditation leading to Nirvana.

In the oldest texts of Buddhism, Dhyana (Sanskrit) or jhana (Pali) is a component of the training of the mind (bhavana), commonly translated as meditation, to withdraw the mind from the automatic responses to sense-impressions, "burn up" the defilements, and lead to a "state of perfect equanimity and awareness (upekkha-sati-parisuddhi). 

Dhyana may have been the core practice of pre-sectarian Buddhism, in combination with several related practices that together led to perfected mindfulness and detachment. 

Dhyana in Vajrayana Buddhism 

Dhyana (in Tibetan: bsam gtan) (lit. “mental absorption”) One of a series of increasingly concentrated states attained in placement meditation. 

On the basis of the attainment of tranquil abiding, one may pass through four form-world absorptions and four formless absorptions, with the meditative equipoise of cessation sometimes added as a ninth. 

Mental absorptions may result in various yogic achievements, but they do not assure liberation unless combined with superior insight into the nature of reality.

Dhyana (meditation) refers to one of the six limbs of yoga to be employed in Uttamasev (excellent worship), according to the Guhyasamaja chapter 18. 

The Guhyasamaja chapter 18. Dhyana (meditation) is explained as the conception of the five desired objects through the five Dhyāni Buddhas, namely, Vairocana, Ratnasambhava, Amitabha, Amoghasiddhi, and Akṣobhya. 

This Dhyana is again subdivided into five kinds:

1) Vitarka (cogitation)
2) Vicara (thinking)
3) Priti (pleasure)
4) Sukha (happiness)
5) Ekagrata (concentration)

Dhyana is the name of a Dakini who, together with the Vira (hero) named Dhyanacinta forms one of the 36 pairs situated in the Vakcakra, according to the 10th century Dakarnava chapter 15.

Accordingly, the vakcakra refers to one of the three divisions of the nirmaṇa-puṭa (emanation layer), situated in the Herukamandala. 

The 36 pairs of Dakinis [Dhyana] and Viras are reddish madder in color; they each have one face and four arms; they hold a skull bowl, a skull staff, a small drum, and a knife. 

Dhyana refers to one of the “four mountains” (Parvata), according to the Guru Mandala Worship. The ritual is often performed in combination with the Cakrasamvara Samadhi, which refers to the primary puja and sadhana practice of Newah Mahayana-Vajrayana Buddhists in Nepal. 

Donations for our Buddhist research and development. 

Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development? 

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in 2008, we have been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 16 years. 

We have exceptionally constrained support and do not receive subsidies or funding from people in general.

Please help us develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you but all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us enhance our work and accomplish more for a better and brighter future.

Thank you for reading. May you find peace and great bliss. With your support, it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turn the Dharma wheels in the world.

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease.

But increase further and further.

Dedication of Merit

By this merit, may we then obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrongdoings

May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness, and death.

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright on the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and/or studios

The picture(s) are intended for editorial use only.

Milarepa meditate at the Holy Sacred Mount Kailash.

Synopsis

Mount Kailash—the Stairway to Heaven—is the most intriguing mountain range is the whole of Himalayas, so we thought of divulging some things that you might not know about it. 

As a matter of fact, Mount Kailash is 22,000 ft from the Tibetan Plateau, which is largely considered to be inaccessible. For Hindus and Buddhists, Mount Kailash is the physical embodiment of Mount Meru. 

In a remote region of Tibet, the sacred Mount Kailash towers over the surrounding landscape. At 6,638 meters, the revered mountain holds a place in the spiritual beliefs of Buddhists, Hindus, and followers of the Jain and Bon religions. 

Despite the attention, Mount Kailash is still a mystery. The unconquered peak remains wrapped in myths, legends, and spiritual tales. 

The Hindus 

One of the legends about Mount Kailash, according to Hindu belief, is that it is the home of Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva is one of the principal deities in Hinduism. He is the god of destruction and transformation, as well as the god of meditation and asceticism.

According to legend, Mount Kailash is his divine residence. Lord Shiva is said to reside there with his consort, the goddess Parvati. Hindu legend tells us that he sits atop the sacred mountain, meditating in perpetual stillness, surrounded by divine energies. 

Hindu pilgrims do the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra to seek blessings and enlightenment by paying homage to the abode of Lord Shiva.

Buddhism 

In Tibetan Buddhist traditions, Mounailash is known as Kang Rinpoche or Gang Rinpoche. They believe the deities Chakrasamvara and Demchog dwell in the mountains. 

The Tibetan saint, Milarepa, is also associated with Mount Kailash. He is believed to have meditated in the caves surrounding the mountain. 

Jainism

Mount Kailash is mentioned in the Jain scriptures as the place where the founder of Jainism, Lord Rishabhadeva, attained liberation. The mountain is known as Ashtapada. 

Bon Faith 

The Bon religion is the ancient spiritual tradition of Tibet that predates Buddhism in the region. Followers of the Bon religion consider Mount Kailash to be the spiritual center of their faith, and it is the site of many rituals and ceremonies.

Buddhist and Hindu texts state that there are very ancient monasteries and caves on Mount Meru where holy sages live in both material and subtle bodies. Few people are fortunate enough to be able to see these caves. 

Thousands of travelers enter Tibet each year to travel to the revered Mount Kailash. Few arrive in the area, and even fewer complete the whole circumambulation of the sacred peak. A few courageous mountaineers have tried to reach the peak, but they haven't been successful. 

Trekking all the way up to the peak of Mount Kailash is held to be a forbidden act among Hindus for fear of trespassing on the sanctity of the mountain and disturbing the divine energies residing there. 

Climbing to the Peak of Mount Kailash is Impossible. 

The 6,638-meter Mount Kailash is one of the few unconquered and unclimbable mountains in the world. One reason is the challenging terrain. 

Mount Kailash has steep, icy slopes in extremely rugged surroundings. Harsh and often unpredictable weather much of the year would make it a very challenging mountain to climb. 

More importantly, the religious significance of Mount Kailash as a sacred site stops people from climbing it. In the Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, and Bon faiths, climbing the mountain is forbidden. Respect for local beliefs discourages any attempts.

Mount Kailash is Considered the Center of the World.

Part of the spiritual traditions involving Mount Kailash is that it is revered as the cosmic axis or center of the world. Often referred to as the "naval of the universe" in Tibetan Buddhist mythologies, it is the dwelling place of important deities and a sanctuary where the world was born.

Has anyone climbed Mount Kailash before? Who has climbed Mount Kailash?

A Buddhist legend holds that Milarepa, the champion of Vajrayana Buddhism, challenged the champion of the Bon religion, Naro Bon-Chung, to climb the mountain. Milarepa won by ascending the mountain on a ray of sunlight, and he claimed Mount Kailash for Buddhism.

As per Tibetan lore, a monk named Milarepa once ventured far enough to reach the top of Mount Meru. When he returned, he forewarned everyone to avoid bothering God, who was resting high up in the peak.

Donations for our Buddhist research and development. 

Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in 2008, we have been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 16 years. 

We have exceptionally constrained support and do not receive subsidies or funding from people in general.

Please help us develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you but all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us enhance our work and accomplish more for a better and brighter future.

Thank you for reading. May you find peace and great bliss. With your support, it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turn the Dharma wheels in the world.

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease.

But increase further and further.

Dedication of Merit

By this merit, may we then obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrongdoings

May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness, and death.

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright on the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and/or studios

The picture(s) are intended for editorial use only.

 

The essence of Buddhist meditation - Dhyana (1/3)

The essence of Buddhist meditation. 

The practice of mental concentration leads ultimately, through a succession of stages, to the final goal of spiritual freedom, nirvana. Meditation occupies a central place in Buddhism and, in its highest stages, combines the discipline of progressively increased introversion with the insight brought about by wisdom, or prajna.

What's Prajna? 

Prajna is a Buddhist term often translated as "wisdom," "insight," "intelligence," or "understanding." It is described in Buddhist texts as the understanding of the true nature of phenomena. 

In the context of Buddhist meditation, it is the ability to understand the three characteristics of all things: 

1) Anicca (impermanence)

2) Dukkha (suffering) 

3) Anatta (nonself or egolessness). 

Mahayana texts describe it as the understanding of sunyata ("emptiness"). It is part of the Threefold Training in Buddhism, and is one of the ten paramis of Theravada Buddhism and one of the six Mahayana paramitas. 

Dhyana, in Indian philosophy, is a stage in the process of meditation leading to Nirvana.

In the oldest texts of Buddhism, Dhyana (Sanskrit) or jhana (Pali) is a component of the training of the mind (bhavana), commonly translated as meditation, to withdraw the mind from the automatic responses to sense-impressions, "burn up" the defilements, and lead to a "state of perfect equanimity and awareness (upekkha-sati-parisuddhi). 

Dhyana may have been the core practice of pre-sectarian Buddhism, in combination with several related practices that together led to perfected mindfulness and detachment. 

Dhyana in Vajrayana Buddhism 

Dhyana (in Tibetan: bsam gtan) (lit. “mental absorption”). Mental absorption is one of a series of increasingly concentrated states attained in placement meditation. 

On the basis of the attainment of tranquil abiding, one may pass through four form-world absorptions and four formless absorptions, with the meditative equipoise of cessation sometimes added as a ninth. 

Mental absorptions may result in various yogic achievements, but they do not assure liberation unless combined with superior insight into the nature of reality. 

Dhyana (meditation) refers to one of the six limbs of yoga to be employed in Uttamasev (excellent worship), according to the Guhyasamaja chapter 18. 

The Guhyasamaja chapter 18. Dhyana (meditation) is explained as the conception of the five desired objects through the five Dhyāni Buddhas, namely, Vairocana, Ratnasambhava, Amitabha, Amoghasiddhi, and Akṣobhya.

Donations for our Buddhist research and development. 

Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development? 

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in 2008, we have been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 16 years. 

We have exceptionally constrained support and do not receive subsidies or funding from people in general.

Please help us develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you but all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us enhance our work and accomplish more for a better and brighter future.

Thank you for reading. May you find peace and great bliss. With your support, it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turn the Dharma wheels in the world.

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease.

But increase further and further. 

Dedication of Merit
By this merit, may we then obtain omniscience then.
Having defeated the enemies wrongdoings
May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.
With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness, and death.

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright on the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and/or studios The picture(s) are intended for editorial use only.

The Essential Teachings of Vajrayana Buddhism (5/5)

Buddhism in Tibetan Following China's conquest of Tibet, the religion known as Tibetan Buddhism was driven from its native territory and into exile. It was once believed that one in six Tibetan men was a monk practicing Buddhism.

The Dalai Lama, who has been living in exile in India since escaping the Chinese takeover of his nation in 1959, is the most well-known representative of Tibetan Buddhism. 

Tibetan Buddhism incorporates elements from an old Tibetan religion known as Bon, Tantric, and Shamanic teachings, as well as the core teachings of Mahayana Buddhism.

While Vajrayana Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism are sometimes confused, they are not the same. In Tibetan Buddhism, Vajrayana is taught alongside the other vehicles. 

The characteristics of Tibetan Buddhism

1) The status of the teacher, or "Lama.
2) The significance of initiations and rituals. 
3) Rich symbolism in the visual
4) Parts of the ancient Tibetan religions
5) Mantras and meditation practices.

The Tibetan Book of Deaths

This is a well-known Tibetan Buddhist text and a best-seller in the West. The book's original title is Great Liberation via Hearing during the Intermediate State, or Liberation through Hearing as it is generally known in Tibet; the English title is not a translation of the Tibetan title. 

The experiences of a person transitioning from death to rebirth are the subject of the book.

Bardo

Between death and rebirth is the state known as bardo. This is a condition that is thought to persist for 49 days; however, the various schools of Tibetan Buddhism perceive it differently. 

A person's bardo experience is influenced by their spiritual upbringing during their lifetime. An unskilled individual is said to be disoriented and maybe unaware of their own death. 

People frequently find it difficult to let go of their attachment to past lifetimes, and this can lead to unfavorable rebirths due to their bad feelings.

In traditional Tibetan Buddhism, a lama will assist the departed through bardo, reading prayers and performing rites from the Book of the Dead while offering guidance to the deceased on how to let go of attachment to their body and their previous life. 

Within certain schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the deceased person's consciousness is actively transferred from their body to prepare for rebirth by the lama.

Many Tibetan Buddhists think that by performing spiritual acts that elevate the merits of the deceased and benefit them, those who remain can support the deceased on their path.

By thinking good thoughts, meditating on Buddha and other virtues, and participating in spiritual activities, the living can assist the dead during the 49-day period when the dead can see clearly into the brains of those left behind.

Donations for our Buddhist research and development. 

Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in 2008, we have been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 16 years. 

We have exceptionally constrained support and do not receive subsidies or funding from people in general.

Please help us develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you but all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us enhance our work and accomplish more for a better and brighter future.

Thank you for reading. May you find peace and great bliss. With your support, it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turn the Dharma wheels in the world.

Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease.

But increase further and further.

Dedication of Merit

By this merit, may we then obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrongdoings

May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness, and death.

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright on the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and/or studios

The picture(s) are intended for editorial use only.