4
votes
Are there any cultural or religious guidelines for Buddhist tattoos?
Beyond culture, and more towards the philosophy of Buddhism, if you look up the 'Eight Percepts', you will notice that number seven mentions abstainment from cosmetics, jewelry, etc.. Yes, this ...
- 141
3
votes
Satori and stream entry
From the wikipedia entry about Satori:
Satori is considered a "first step" or embarkation toward Buddhahood
This is very much what Stream Entry means in Theravada. Everything else in that entry ...
- 31
3
votes
How did Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche justify drinking alcohol?
American culture & American students; similar to how today American "Buddhist" teachers promote "liberalism" (even though liberalism is contrary to the Dhamma).
There are, ...
- 40.5k
3
votes
Concentrating on Breathing
According to my experience in meditation, first time it was happened to me. Do not fear to do the mediation.
These are the steps for Anapana-sathi meditation.
1.Concentrate your mind into ...
- 155
3
votes
What will the Satipatthana Sutta teach me?
The Satipatthana Sutta is a famous Buddhist scripture attributed to the Buddha (although it is unlikely it was actually spoken by the Buddha but instead is a compiling of various teachings of the ...
- 40.5k
3
votes
To debate or not to debate? and When to debate? and How to debate?
from Kathāvatthu Sutta:
Monks, it’s through his way of participating in a discussion that a person can be known as fit to talk with or unfit to talk with. If a person, when asked a question, ...
- 58.3k
3
votes
Accepted
Tathagatagarbha and dhammakaya
No, they are not synonyms. They are mutually exclusive: If it is 'tathagatagarbha', then it is not 'dhammakaya'. If it is 'dhammakaya', it is not 'tathagatagarbha'.
Tathagatagarbha is 'suchness with ...
- 5,206
3
votes
Is it sinful to masturbate in Bhutanese variety of Vajrayana?
Masturbation is not a Dharma practice, even in Secret Mantra.
- 5,206
3
votes
What are the differences between sex cults and the tantric tradition?
There is a HUGE difference between Tantra sex and sex cults. Tantric sex is for one purpose only. That is that the union of two people becomes a microcosm of union with the universe, a state of ...
- 41
3
votes
Books for understanding Tibetan Buddhism
Before I type some recommendations, I would make a suggestion.
One of the ways in which Mahayana Buddhism, as presented by Tibetan Buddhism is classified is in 3 parts- suttrayana, vajrayana and ...
3
votes
Accepted
What comes first: effort or motivation?
In the standard Buddhist model there are "desire" and "aversion". Sometimes there are both desire and aversion at the same time.
For example, desire to get something and aversion ...
- 58.3k
2
votes
How did Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche justify drinking alcohol?
Quoting from "Treasury of Precious Qualities" by Jigme Lingpa, with commentary by Longchen Yeshe Dorje, Kangyur Rinpoche, with a foreword by H.H. the Dalai Lama:
Alcohol, the taking of which is a ...
- 58.3k
2
votes
Vajrayana VS theravada - after death theories - do they contradict each other?
From Wikipedia on the Tibetan bardos:
Kyenay bardo (skye gnas bar do): is the first bardo of birth and life. This bardo commences from conception until the last breath, when
the mindstream ...
- 37.4k
2
votes
Accepted
How do Bodhisattva vow takers avoid stream entry?
I think that Mahayana literature teaches that becoming an Arhat is a temporary rest, for example:
Mahayanins are urged to instead take up the path of the bodhisattva and to not fall back to the ...
- 46.3k
2
votes
How do Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhists make sense of Maitreya's prophecy?
I think your question embedded two questions and should be dealt separately to give clear answer: a) How do Mahayana Buddhists make sense of prophecy of Maitreya? b) How do Vajrayana Buddhists make ...
- 2,291
2
votes
Is it sinful to masturbate in Bhutanese variety of Vajrayana?
It is not a sin for laymen. Even for monks, it will become a "sin", if it's goal or end result is ejaculation, but not otherwise.
- 9,695
2
votes
How does Shambhala differ from traditional Vajrayana Buddhism as it is practiced in Asia?
Personally (and I belong to a Shambhala sangha and have 20+ years as a Zen Buddhist practitioner), it's good to see Shambhala returning to it's roots. The "old" Shambhala incorporated too much of ...
- 21
2
votes
Om - meaning and "significance" of it in Buddhism - esp. in theravada?
There is no OM or AUM in Theravada to my knowledge. It's found only in Mahayana and Vajrayana.
The 14th Dalai Lama explained here the meaning of OM in "OM MANI PADME HUM" as:
The first, OM, is ...
- 37.4k
2
votes
Does Vajrayana Buddhism incorporate the use of cannabis?
Many cults may call themselves "Buddhist" but no genuine school of Buddhism can engage in drug use.
The Dalai Lama said. "These kinds of substances are generally
considered poison, very bad".
...
- 40.5k
2
votes
Does Vajrayana Buddhism incorporate the use of cannabis?
There's a copy of the referenced article here: The Religious and Medicinal
Uses of Cannabis
in China, India and Tibet by MIA TOUW.
The relevant quote from the article (which was copied into Wikipedia)...
- 46.3k
2
votes
Do Beings go into total unconsciousness before attaining Buddhahood?
There's a nice paper on the topic, called "Why the Buddha Never Uttered a Word" by Mario D’Amato - you can find it on Academia website.
You'd do best to read it all, although you may ...
- 58.3k
2
votes
What are the differences between sex cults and the tantric tradition?
First, a cult in the proper sense is simply a group of people who follow the practices of a single teacher. Cults are not inherently bad, and in fact most established faiths are technically cults to ...
- 5,015
2
votes
Yama depiction on various Tankas
I believe that it is a depiction of Mahakala, rather than Yama.
In the Chinese Buddhist Encyclopedia page Mahakala is a Protector of all Tibetan Buddhism, we find this info:
The Form varies according ...
- 37.4k
2
votes
Is there a higher alaya in Vajrayana?
Is there a higher alaya in mahamudra that is separate from the lower alaya the vijnana skandha?
Vajrayana is a term used to denote Tantric Buddhist schools.
Practitioners of those schools might have ...
- 1,493
2
votes
Accepted
Vajrayana Buddhism: Teachings the Buddha reserved for "only some individuals"?
Different people have different levels of being buried in their preconceptions and stereotypes.
Preconceptions and stereotypes make people misinterpret the Teaching. The more someone is stuck in ...
- 58.3k
2
votes
What comes first: effort or motivation?
First, you must have Right View (samma ditthi), so that when you have the effort, it will be the Right Effort and when you have the resolve, it will be the Right Resolve. Without Right View, you will ...
- 37.4k
1
vote
Does Vajrayana accept the idea that Buddha placed Lord Yama (a supposed Bodhisattva) in charge of the hell realms to ensure karmic retribution?
Yama is a known God of the lower realm in all forms of Buddhism, I am not knowledgeable about particularly Vajrayana, but I guess they do accept him, there is no reason why not, when he mentioned in ...
- 29
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