Over a thousand monks and laymen are revered in Tibetan Buddhism as the incarnations of past teachers who convey enlightenment to their followers from one lifetime to the next. Some of the most respected are known by the honorific "rinpoche." For eight centuries, rinpoches were traditionally identified by other monks and then locked inside monasteries ringed by mountains, far from worldly distractions. Their reincarnation lineages were easily tracked across successive lives. Then the Chinese Red Army invaded Tibet in 1950 and drove the religion's adherents into exile. Now, the younger rinpoches of the Tibetan diaspora are being exposed to all of the twenty-first century’s dazzling temptations. So, even as Tibetan Buddhism is gaining more followers around the world, an increasing number of rinpoches are abandoning their monastic vows.
Reincarnation in Exile. [more inside]
posted by zarq
on Feb 5, 2013 -
16 comments
The Dalai Lama's Buddhist Foes contrasts "the tolerance and rationalism that the Dalai Lama represents globally and the theological hardball over mystical principles that he seems to play on his home turf." But the
Shugdenpas aren't the Dalai Lama's only Buddhist opponents. Tibetan Buddhism's only female living Buddha, the twelfth
Samding Dorje Phagmo, who chose to stay in Tibet when the Dalai Lama fled,
has said, "The sins of the Dalai Lama and his followers seriously violate the basic teachings and precepts of Buddhism and seriously damage traditional Tibetan Buddhism's normal order and good reputation."
[more inside]
posted by shetterly
on Jun 11, 2009 -
95 comments
Historic,
beautiful and
interesting footage of
Tibetan lamas and
yogis teaching
Buddhism, just 4 years after their escape from Tibet, when the Chinese invaded in 1959. "In 1963, for the first time, the Dalai Lama allowed a Westerner, Desjardins, to film the heart of the Tibetan tradition." Some meditation instruction taught by yogis: Tantra as practiced in Tibet,
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Lerab's Youtube channel has all kinds of video gems for those interested in Buddhist and Hindu spiritual practice.
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posted by nickyskye
on Dec 20, 2008 -
12 comments
Holy Madness! (Flash interface.)
The Rubin Museum of Art in New York City has launched a website that allows you to pore over and compare Tibetan Buddhist artwork from their exhibits. Use the "Decode" feature to pick paintings apart and learn about their intricate components.
See also: their
ambitious calendar of events.
posted by hermitosis
on Aug 17, 2006 -
18 comments
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 Tibet Game: Doom for Buddhists. Give away your possessions, pump up your karma, see and hear beautiful Tibet. (Don't forget your high bandwidth, grasshopper.)
posted by luke
on Apr 28, 2001 -
6 comments
