The Great Perfection - Body Of Light ( Chapter 2 )

The way of true happiness is when we can free ourselves from all odds and to be able to liberate ourselves and others from the existence of birth, old age, sickness and death.  

Rainbow Body is a mysterious phenomenon of Tibetan Buddhism. A Lama who has acquired the highest forms of accomplishment can manifest what is called "the rainbow body" or "body of light". It is said that the physical body of those who studied Buddhism very deeply will turn into a rainbow.

The ultimate fruition of the practices is a body of pure light, called a rainbow body.  Rainbow body is a level of realization and a phenomenon that when the person died, his body is transformed partially, or totally into five pure lights.  

This means either the physical body become much smaller than before, and the skin quality become as freshness as a newborn baby, or even left nothing behind. This phenomenon is hard to understand according to modern science, but it has been well documented in the history of Tibet Buddhism. 

Lama Karma Rinpoche  

A Yogi or Lama who has acquired the highest forms of accomplishment can manifest "the rainbow body" or the body of light". It is a body made not of flesh but of pure light. The culmination of one’s life into the rainbow body is widely recognised as a sign of extreme sanctity. The process described in these traditions is generally considered to take approximately seven days, during which time the body progressively shrinks in size. This shrinking is proportional and may stop at approximately small child size.

Lama Karma Rinpoche rainbow body shrink into 20cm in size

The process described in these traditions is generally considered to take approximately seven days, during which time the body progressively shrinks in size. This shrinking is proportional and may stop at approximately small child size. The Body of Light is light without shadow; it is awareness without obscurations; it is omniscience; it is pure space. It is the ultimate fruit of spiritual cultivation. 

The Body of Light represents a complete, total, and radical transformation of one’s status of being, a rediscovery of what was primordially present, and this condition is permanent. It is Awareness itself and is dependent on nothing else.

A fully enlightened person who has the ability to liberate their body into light. There are 3 different levels or stages of transforming into the Rainbow body:

A brief introduction only

1) The normal rainbow body [Trekcho practise]

2) Rainbow body of light [Togal practise]

3) A rainbow body of great transference [Ja Lu Phowa Chenpo practise]

 

1: The normal Rainbow body that occurs only after body death There are no physical signs indicating the start of the process before death, and once physical death occurs, it takes on average 7 days for the body to shrink and dissolve into light. Most of the time, a small child-size body remains behind, and in more advanced yogis, only hair and nails remain. 

The process described in these traditions is generally considered to take approximately seven days, during which time the body progressively shrinks in size. This shrinking is proportional and may stop at approximately small child size. The Body of Light is light without shadow; it is awareness without obscurations; it is omniscience; it is pure space. It is the ultimate fruit of spiritual cultivation. 

The Body of Light represents a complete, total, and radical transformation of one’s status of being, a rediscovery of what was primordially present, and this condition is permanent. It is Awareness itself and is dependent on nothing else.

 Tasha Lhamo, the mother of Lokgar Rinpoche

Tasha Lhamo, rainbow body shrink into 40cm in size.

2 - The advanced level is known as the Rainbow body, in this level all the signs are showing up while the yogi or Lama is still alive. To dissolving into light might go really fast ,but in most cases it takes month to years to complete, all while remaining fully functional. It is also possible that the yogi or Lama who is in the middle of this process slows it down or is unable to continue the process and dies before the completion of the Rainbow body.  If the process is continued the body will start to shrink and shine real light over time until it reaches the size of a baby and then as a flash of bright rainbow light will disappear into emptiness forever. 

3 -The most advanced and extremely rare level is the attainment of the Rainbow body of great transference. In this level the yogi or Lama not only dissolves the body completely into light but remains functional and visible as light.

In Tibetan Buddhism it can be realized in three ways; through the practices of Anuttara tantra, the special practices of the Kalachakra Tantra , or through Dzogchen. When Guru Rinpoche, Padmasambhava left at the end of his time in physical form he dissolved his body completely back to their natural elements leaving nothing behind. This was the start of what has become the Nyingma tradition and is the foundation of Tibetan Buddhism as we have come to know it. At the heart of the Nyingma tradition is the practice of Dzogchen otherwise called Ati Yoga or the Great Perfection. 

The great Yogi Milarepa (1050–1123) dissolved entirely into light, leaving no relics behind at all. The culmination of one’s life into the rainbow body is widely recognised as a sign of extreme sanctity. The practise found In the Kagyu tradition, this is known as the Mahamudra. The Dzogchen from the Nyingma tradition and the Mahamudra from the Kagyu tradition are both identical in essence. You may follow one or the other; however, each has its own unique instructions. In each system, Mahamudra and Dzogchen, various methods are used to reveal the nature of bare awareness itself.

 Mahamudra in Sanskrit literally means "The Great Seal." The Tibetan word for mahamudra is "Chakgya Chenpo," which is often looked upon as the highest practise of meditation and most definitive path to enlightenment. This is a unique feature of the Tibetan Kagyu lineage. According to the Dzogchen of the Nyinma tradition, it is the natural, primordial state or natural condition of a human being, and the practise of Dzogchen is a body of teachings and meditations aimed at realising that condition. According to Dzogchen literature, Dzogchen is the highest and most definitive path to enlightenment. 

* Footnote 

For those who have received the empowerment of this Tantric practise, you are reminded not to intentionally or unintentionally disclose the mantra to the public or anyone who may not have the empowerment or permission to practise, and disclosing the mantra intentionally or unintentionally is a form of breaking your Tantric Samaya vows to the lineage masters and Dharma protectors.

 

Please consult your Guru or a qualified lineage master for Vajrayana practise! Should a devotee even want to start studying and contemplating the Vajrayana practise, then it is truly necessary to first have completed the preliminaries and to be certain that Bodhicitta has arisen and developed in one’s mind.

 

Vajrayana features countless skillful and powerful methods that, if practised in the proper way, can make the process of accumulation and purification incredibly swift and direct. It is absolutely necessary to have pure motivation and to know that Vajrayana practise is not carried out to increase one’s own ego, power, or self-interest.

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 14 years. We have exceptionally constrained support and do not receive subsidised or funded support 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?

Having defeated the enemies wrongdoings

May we liberate migrants 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) is or are intended for editorial use only.

The Great Perfection - Rainbow Body ( Chapter 1 )

The way to true happiness is when we can free ourselves from all odds and also liberate ourselves and others from the existence of birth, old age, sickness, and death.

(*The Great Perfection - Rainbow Body)

The ultimate fruition of the practises is a body of pure light, called a rainbow body.  A rainbow body is a level of realisation and a phenomenon where, when the person dies, his body is transformed partially or totally into five pure lights. This means either the physical body became much smaller than before and the skin quality became as fresh as a newborn baby, or even nothing was left behind. This phenomenon is hard to understand according to modern science, but it has been well documented in the history of Tibetan Buddhism.

 The Mother of Lokgar Rinpoche - Tasha Lamo

Tasha Lamo Rainbow body 40 cm long

A Yogi or Lama who has acquired the highest forms of accomplishment can manifest "the rainbow body" or the body of light". It is a body made not of flesh but of pure light. The culmination of one’s life into the rainbow body is widely recognised as a sign of extreme sanctity. The process described in these traditions is generally considered to take approximately seven days, during which time the body progressively shrinks in size. This shrinking is proportional and may stop at approximately small child size.

Chokgyur Linpa - The great transference of rainbow body 

The Rainbow Body—The Body of Light—is a light without shadow; it is awareness without obscurations; it is omniscience; it is pure space. It is the ultimate fruit of spiritual cultivation. The Body of Light represents a complete, total, and radical transformation of one’s status of being, a rediscovery of what was primordially present, and this condition is permanent. It is Awareness itself and is dependent on nothing else.

 

In Tibetan Buddhism, it can be realised in three ways: through the practises of the Anuttara Tantra, the special practises of the Kalachakra Tantra, or through Dzogchen. When Guru Rinpoche, Padmasambhava, left at the end of his time in physical form, he dissolved his body completely back to its natural elements, leaving nothing behind. This was the start of what has become the Nyingma tradition and is the foundation of Tibetan Buddhism as we have come to know it. At the heart of the Nyingma tradition is the practise of Dzogchen, otherwise called Ati Yoga or the Great Perfection.

The great Yogi Milarepa (1050–1123) dissolved entirely into light, leaving no relics behind at all. The culmination of one’s life into the rainbow body is widely recognised as a sign of extreme sanctity.

The practise found In the Kagyu tradition, this is known as the Mahamudra. The Dzogchen from the Nyingma tradition and the Mahamudra from the Kagyu tradition are both identical in essence. You may follow one or the other; however, each has its own unique instructions. In each system, Mahamudra and Dzogchen, various methods are used to reveal the nature of bare awareness itself.

 

According to the Dzogchen of the Nyinma tradition, it is the natural, primordial state or natural condition of a human being, and the practise of Dzogchen is a body of teachings and meditations aimed at realising that condition. According to Dzogchen literature, Dzogchen is the highest and most definitive path to enlightenment.

* Footnote 

For those who have received the empowerment of this Tantric practise, you are reminded not to intentionally or unintentionally disclose the mantra to the public or anyone who may not have the empowerment or permission to practise, and disclosing the mantra intentionally or unintentionally is a form of breaking your Tantric Samaya vows to the lineage masters and Dharma protectors.
 

Please consult your Guru or a qualified lineage master for Vajrayana practise! Should a devotee even want to start studying and contemplating the Vajrayana practise, then it is truly necessary to first have completed the preliminaries and to be certain that Bodhicitta has arisen and developed in one’s mind.
 
Vajrayana features countless skillful and powerful methods that, if practised in the proper way, can make the process of accumulation and purification incredibly swift and direct. It is absolutely necessary to have pure motivation and to know that Vajrayana practise is not carried out to increase one’s own ego, power, or self-interest.

To be continued in Chapter. 2 

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 14 years. We have exceptionally constrained support and do not receive subsidised or funded support 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?

Having defeated the enemies wrongdoings

May we liberate migrants 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) is or are intended for editorial use only.

Lady of Kharchen - Yeshe Tsogyal

If you know me, you know that I reside in the hearts of all beings.

Just summon me and I will return.

Lady Kharchen - Yeshe Tsogyal 

In 777CE Guru Rinpoche closest disciple Yeshe Tsogyal  was born as a princess in the clan of Kharchen Tibet,  Yeshe Tsogyal (also known as "Victorious Ocean of Wisdom or by her Sanskrit name Jnanasagara "Wisdom Ocean" or by her clan name of Lady of Kharchen, the title of Yeshe Tsogyal.  

Her spiritual inclinations were present from a very young age and Yeshe Tsogyal wanted to pursue a life of Dharma practice rather than marry. She felt so strongly about this, that she ran away and had to be brought back by force. At the age of sixteen, she was compelled into an unwanted arranged marriage with the then-King of Tibet, Trisong Detsen. 

It was after their marriage, the King Trisong Detsen invited Guru Rinpoche, Padmasambhava to come to Tibet from India and propagate the Buddhist teachings. Yeshe Tsogyal was given by the king Trisong Detsen to Padmasambhava as an offering. Padmasambhava freed Yeshe Tsogyal and she became Padmasambhava's main disciple. 

She specialized in the practice of Vajrakilaya and experienced visions of the deity and gained accomplishment. In Nepal,  Through the power of her unfailing memory, she collected all the teachings given by Guru Rinpoche in Tibet and concealed them as Terma. 

Terma is the Tibetan word and literally means " Hidden treasure of Tantric teachings" Yeshe Tsogyal also hid many of Guru Rinpoche's Terma on her own, under the instructions of Guru Rinpoche for future generations. 

Guru Rinpoche and his closest disciple Yeshe Tsogyal travelled all over Tibet and the Himalayas, and blessed and consecrated the entire land, especially “the twenty snow mountains of Ngari, the twenty-one Sadhana places of U and Tsang, the twenty-five great pilgrimage places of Dokham, the three hidden lands, five ravines, three valleys and one region.”

Guru Padmasambhava made many prophecies about the future, and together with Yeshe Tsogyal concealed countless terma teachings, in order to: prevent the destruction of the teachings of the secret Vajrayana; avoid corruption of the Vajrayana or its alteration by intellectuals; preserve the blessing; and benefit future followers. 

For each of these Terma treasures, he predicted the time of its revelation, the identity of the Revealer, and those who would receive and hold the teachings.

One of the very important Terma was discovered and revealed by Karma Lingpa and the discovered Terma which is well known in the world as the "Tibetan Book of the Dead". 

Yeshe Tsogyal she lived for approximately 99 years and according to the legend, at the end of her life,she vanished in a rainbow light and flew through the air and went directly to the pure land of the Copper-Coloued Mountain of Zangdokpalri.  Zangdokpalri is a glorious pure land  where Guru Rinpoche now dwells, said to be located in Ngayab Ling. 

Click here for the Tibetan Book of the Dead 

This Terma was written by Padmsambhava out of his great compassion for the living. He was saddened by people’s ignorance of life after death, thus trapped in the endless cycle of birth and death. 

This book provides detailed descriptions of the stages one’s spiritual body undergoes upon death to rebirth. Furthermore, it also contains specific instructions for how friends and relatives may assist their loved ones during this period and help their loved ones to achieve salvation or choose more wisely to achieve higher enlightenment in their rebirth.

Book of the Dead is available to download from Apple Itune now

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 the year 2008, we had been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 10 years.  

We have exceptionally constrained supports and do not receive subsidized or funding from people in general.  Please help us and to develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you, but to all Dharma readers on the planet. Your generosity will certainly help us to enhance our work and to accomplish for a better and brighter prospect to come. 

Thank you for reading, may you find peace and great bliss. With your support it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turning 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 obtain omniscience then.
Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.
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 of the picture(s).
Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and or studios.
Picture(s) is/are intended for editorial use only.

A Land Will Leave You Spellbound - Sikkim India.

Sikkim was blessed by Guru Rinpoche, Padmasambhava, the great Indian Buddhist saint who visited Sikkim in the 8th century and consecrated the land, meditating at its four corners to rid it of all negativity. He is believed to have hidden many secret teachings, which he prophesized would be discovered in the future by those specially blessed by spiritual powers. 

Today Sikkim has nearly 200 monasteries and Lhakhangs and the influence of Buddhism is felt in nearly every corner of the state. From the fluttering prayer flags to the sacred caves, lakes and stupas, the images and symbols of Buddhism retain a freshness undimmed by the passage of time. 

Sikkim paid homage to its patron saint by constructing the tallest statue of Guru Padmasambhava in the world atop the Samdruptse hill near Namchi in South Sikkim. The grand 138 ft statue was unveiled in February, 2004 and has been crafted according to details specified in religious texts. The statue is visible from as far away as the India-Nepal border and Darjeeling. It has already become a major pilgrimage site with both domestic and foreign tourists making it a part of their itinerary. A two-kilometre long ropeway will soon connect the Samdruptse hilltop with Namchi. Sikkim, is truly a land of the Buddha that will leave you spellbound.

His Holiness the Karmapa' principal seat in exile is the Rumtek Monastery Sikkim India and also called the Dharmachakra Centre, is a gompa located in the Indian state of Sikkim near the capital Gangtok. Rumtek is one of the most significant and largest monasteries in Sikkim, Rumtek is perched on a hill overlooking Gangtok. 

The monastery was founded by Wangchuk Dorje, the 9th Karmapa. Rumtek served as the main seat of the Karma Kagyu lineage in Sikkim for some time. After construction of the monastery was completed. The sacred items and relics brought out from Tsurphu Monastery, the Karmapa's seat in Tibet, were installed. On Losar in 1966, the 16th Karmapa officially inaugurated the new seat, called "The Dharmachakra Centre. The monastery is currently the largest in Sikkim. It is home to the community of monks and where they perform the rituals and practices of the Karma Kagyu lineage. Due to a controversy within the Karma Kagyu school over the recognition process, the identity of the current 17th Karmapa is disputed.  

A golden stupa contains the relics of the 16th Karmapa. His Holiness the Sixteenth Karmapa has written about the benefits of veneration at Rumtek Monastery. One of these is a method of accumulating merit with one's body, which leads both visitors and residents alike to perform kora, the circumambulation of the Dharma Chakra Centre complex along the stupa walkway. At the top of the hill is the tenkhar, a small home built for the dharma protectors and local deities.

The Buddha Park of Ravangla, also known as Tathagata Tsal, is situated near Rabong (Ravangla) in South Sikkim district, Sikkim, India. It was constructed between 2006 and 2013 and features a 130-foot high statue of the Buddha as its centerpiece. The statue was consecrated on 25 March 2013 by the 14th Dalai Lama, and became a stop on the 'Himalayan Buddhist Circuit'. 

The statue of the Buddha marks the occasion of the 2550th birth anniversary of Gautama Buddha. This statue was built and installed in the place through the joint efforts of the Sikkim government and its people. The Buddhist circuit of this park was built here under a State government project, for boosting pilgrimage and tourism in the region. 

Sikkim, India your reliable and easy-to-use global travel offline maps and GPS are now available in Iphone and Ipad:-

Click here to download the offline maps and GPS

Thank you for reading, may you find peace and great bliss. With your support it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turning 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 obtain omniscience then.
Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.
May we liberate migrators from the ocean of existence.
With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.

Note
I do not own or violated any infringement copyright of these photos.
Photos courtesy and credit to the rightful owners.

Karmapa Khenno - H.H. the 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje

Karmapa Khenno, Karmapa Khenno, Karmapa Khenno

Karmapa means “the one who carries out buddha-activity” or “the embodiment of all the activities of the buddhas”. Khenno means know me, remember me. 

One of the most important practice in Tibetan Buddhism is Guru Yoga, meditation and mantra on the spiritual head and teacher of the tradition, which is seen as living Buddha, embodiment of three kayas and 10 bhumi (extraordinary powers). 

In Kagyu tradition the head Lama is Gyalwa Karmapa and his mantra is Karmapa Chenno. It is believed sounds of this mantra are directly connected with the enlightened mind of His Holiness Karmapa and carry its enlightened qualities and brings help when it is most necessary for the benefit of student.

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Prior to the birth of the first Karmapa, the arrival of a Buddhist master, who would be known as the Karmapa, had been prophesied by the historical Buddha Shakyamuni and the great tantric master of India, Guru Padmasambhava.  

The Prophecies the coming of the Karmapa in various sutras and tantras. Only a few of the Buddhist masters are prophesied in the sutras and tantras and the Karmapa was certainly one of them. 

From the Samadhiraja Sutra (The King of Samadhi Sutra):

Two thousand years after my passing,

The teachings will spread in the land of the red-faced ones,

Who will be the disciples of Avalokitesvara 

The Bodhisattva Simhanada, known as Karmapa will appear.

Possessing mastery over samadhi, he will tame beings

And establish them in bliss through seeing, hearing, recalling and touching.

Karmapa means “the one who carries out buddha-activity” or “the embodiment of all the activities of the buddhas”. In the Tibetan tradition, great enlightened teachers are said to be able to consciously control their rebirth in order to continue their activity for the benefit of all sentient beings. 

The first Karmapa, Dusum Khyenpa, was born in 1110. He was the first of the great Tibetan masters to establish an incarnating lineage of reincarnate Lamas (tulkus) in Tibet. The Karmapas are said to be self-recognized, because each Karmapa normally leaves a letter with their closest students, predicting his next rebirth with detailed information about the rebirth.  

Since his death in 1193, successive Karmapas have incarnated in this form of manifestation in Nirmanakaya body (Sanskirt word) , for sixteen lifetimes so far, and all have played a most important role in preserving and promulgating the Buddhist teachings of Tibet. The present 17th incarnation of the Karmapa is His Holiness Orgyen Trinley Dorje, who was born in Tibet in 1985. 

He is a leading spiritual master of the 21th Century, with a remarkable ability to make the Buddhist teachings relevant in today’s world. His spiritual realisation and his presence, as well as his charisma, clarity and candour captivate old and young alike.

His Holiness is now living in Gyuto Monastery in the Dharamsala region. Thousands of Tibetans, Indian, Nepalese, Bhutanese, Asians, and Westerners visit His Holiness year round.

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 the year 2008, we had been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 10 years.  We have exceptionally constrained supports and do not receive subsidized or funding from people in general. 

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

Thank you for reading, may you find peace and great bliss. With your support it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turning 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 obtain omniscience then.
Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.
May we liberate migrators from the ocean of existence.
With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.

Note
I do not own or violated any infringement copyright of these pictures, Pictures courtesy and credit to the rightful owners.

The First Buddhist Monastery Built In Tibet - Samye Monastery

Samye Monastery or Samye Gompa 桑耶寺 and another name for Samye Monastery is Samyuan. "Samye" is the Tibetan language which means"unimaginable". The Monastery is located in the quiet piedmont area of the Shanna region and it was the first constructed under

patronage of King Trisong Detsen (reigned 742-798) of Tibet who sought to revitalize Buddhism, which had declined since its introduction by King Songtsan Gampo in the 7th century. 

There were many obscuration and obstacles to construct the Monastery. According to tradition, the Indian monk Shantarakshita made the first attempt to construct the Monastery while promoting his sutra-centric version of Buddhism. Finding the Samye site auspicious, he set about to build a structure there. However, the building would always collapse after reaching certain stage and many attempts to re-construct the Monastery but, eventually the building would collapse repeatedly. Terrified, the construction workers believed that the collapsed was caused by the local malevolent demons in a nearby river.

When Shantarakshita's contemporary Padmasambhava arrived from northern India, he was able to subdue the energetic problems obstructing the building of Samye. According to the 5th Dalai Lama, Guru Rinpoche, Padmasambhava performed the Vajrakilaya dance and enacted the rite of namkha to assist Trisong Detsen and Santarakshita clear away obscurations and hindrances in the building of Samye. 

The great Indian master Guru Rinpoche, Padmasambhava performed this dance in order to prepare the ground for the Samye Monastery and to pacify the malice of the lha ,  (local mountain spirits) and srin (malevolent spirits) in order to create the most perfect conditions. The 5th Dalai Lama  went on to say that after Padmasambhava consecrated the ground, he erected a thread-cross — a web colored thread woven around two sticks — to catch evil. Then the purifying energy of his dance forced the malevolent spirits into a skull mounted on top of a pyramid of dough. 

His Tantric dance cleared away all the obstacles, enabling the Monastery to be built in 767. The dance was memorialized by the construction of Vajrakilaya stupas — monuments honoring the ritual kilya (purba) daggers. There are  four colored of Stupas, the white, red, black and green at the cardinal points of the monastery that represent the four Mandalas or the four Heavenly Kings where they would prevent  and suppress devils and demonic forces from entering the sacred grounds. 

Guru Rinpoche and his closest disciple Yeshé Tsogyal travelled all over Tibet and the Himalayas, and blessed and consecrated the entire land, especially: “the twenty snow mountains of Ngari, the twenty-one Sadhana places of U and Tsang, the twenty-five great pilgrimage places of Dokham, the three hidden lands, five ravines, three valleys and one region.”

Guru Padmasambhava made many prophecies about the future, and together with Yeshe Tsogyal concealed countless Terma teachings, in order to: prevent the destruction of the teachings of the secret Vajrayana; avoid corruption of the Vajrayana or its alteration by intellectuals; preserve the blessing; and benefit future followers. For each of these Terma treasures, he predicted the time for its revelation, the identity of the Revealer, and those who would receive and hold the teachings. 

Thank you for reading, may you find peace and great bliss. With your support it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turning 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 obtain omniscience then.
Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.
May we liberate migrators from the ocean of existence.
With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.

Note
I do not own or violated any infringement copyright of these pictures, Pictures courtesy and credit to the rightful owners.

The Living Encyclopedia of Tibet - Thangka Painting

In 1959 when the Chinese Communist invaded in Tibet and had destroyed a lot of monasteries, including many of the traditions treasures, holy statues and sacred manuscripts and Thangkas. In Tibet, the Thangkas are extremely sacred and it's so important and can be considered as a living Encyclopedia to the entire Vajrayana Buddhism. The Thangkas are used in temples & monasteries and as well can be hung above at the altars to support for our meditation and practices. 

Thangka is considered to convey a sacred message to the practitioners when meditating and looking attentively for a particular holy image. A Thangka could serve as a teaching of Buddha and every detail on it has a profound meaning and the painting refers to some parts of the Buddhist philosophy. A Buddha painting also helps the Buddhist meditations as it shows you how to visualize the Deity.

Thangka is a Tibetan silk painting with embroidery, usually depicting a Buddhist deity, scene, or mandala of some sort. The Thangka is not a flat creation like an oil painting or acrylic painting , but consists of a picture panel, which is painted or embroidered over which a textile is mounted and then over which is laid a cover, usually silk. 

Generally, Thangkas last a very long time and retain much of their lustre, but because of their delicate nature, they have to be kept in dry places where moisture won't affect the quality of the silk. It is sometimes called a scroll-painting. Thangka performs several different functions. Images of deities can be used as teaching tools when depicting the life of the Buddha, describing historical events concerning important Lamas, or retelling myths associated with other deities. 

Overall, and perhaps most importantly, religious art is used as a meditation tool to help bring one further down the path to enlightenment. 

You can now easily learn more and can download it from iTunes here for about this astonishingly beautiful Tibetan Thangka of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Deity, Dakini, Guru Rinpoche.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD NOW

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

Dedication of Merit

By this merit may we obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.

May we liberate migrators from the ocean of existence.

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

Note

I do not own or violated any infringement of copyright of these pictures, Pictures courtesy and credit to the rightful owners.