The Lukhang Temple, or "Temple of the Serpent Spirits", sits on an island behind the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. On the top floor is a formerly
secret chamber (now open to the public) which the Dalai Lamas used to retreat to for periods of deep meditation. The walls of the chamber are covered by a series of
stunning wall paintings (Flash) which depict the esoteric practices of Tibet's Tantric tradition, a visual representation of the Tibetan Buddhist path to enlightenment. Although there has been
some damage to the temple and paintings, they escaped relatively unscathed from the Cultural Revolution. The current Dalai Lama, who was forced to leave Tibet before he was initiated into the practices depicted in the temple, describes it as one of the hidden jewels of Tibetan civilization. It is also the subject of Ian Baker's book,
"The Dalai Lama's Secret Temple".
posted by homunculus
on Apr 1, 2003 -
10 comments
Tenzin Palmo, a British-born Buddhist nun, became famous in the Tibetan community when she spent 12 years meditating in a cave in the Himalayas. Now she seeks to address the gender inequality faced by women in Buddhism. She runs the
Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery, and hopes to reestablish the lost tradition of the
togdenma, yogini nuns of the Drukpa
Kagyu lineage who follow the ascetic path of
Milarepa.
posted by homunculus
on Oct 2, 2002 -
7 comments
The emotion Buddhists call samvega is hard to translate because it covers three clusters of feelings at once: "the oppressive sense of shock, dismay, and alienation that come with realizing the futility and meaninglessness of life as it's normally lived; a chastening sense of our own complacency and foolishness in having let ourselves live so blindly; and an anxious sense of urgency in trying to find a way out of the meaningless cycle." Not being a Buddhist, I can't say I have any more faith in pasada than in prozac. But I and many people I've known have experienced a complex emotion like this one, so it's interesting to know that this concept has been around for so long.
posted by homunculus
on Mar 6, 2002 -
66 comments
