Author: Sam van Schaik
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 0834842815
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 241
Book Description
A fascinating exploration of the role that magic has played in the history of Buddhism As far back as we can see in the historical record, Buddhist monks and nuns have offered services including healing, divination, rain making, aggressive magic, and love magic to local clients. Studying this history, scholar Sam van Schaik concludes that magic and healing have played a key role in Buddhism's flourishing, yet they have rarely been studied in academic circles or by Western practitioners. The exclusion of magical practices and powers from most discussions of Buddhism in the modern era can be seen as part of the appropriation of Buddhism by Westerners, as well as an effect of modernization movements within Asian Buddhism. However, if we are to understand the way Buddhism has worked in the past, the way it still works now in many societies, and the way it can work in the future, we need to examine these overlooked aspects of Buddhist practice. In Buddhist Magic, van Schaik takes a book of spells and rituals--one of the earliest that has survived--from the Silk Road site of Dunhuang as the key reference point for discussing Buddhist magic in Tibet and beyond. After situating Buddhist magic within a cross-cultural history of world magic, he discusses sources of magic in Buddhist scripture, early Buddhist rituals of protection, medicine and the spread of Buddhism, and magic users. Including material from across the vast array of Buddhist traditions, van Schaik offers readers a fascinating, nuanced view of a topic that has too long been ignored.
Buddhist Magic
Author: Sam van Schaik
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 0834842815
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 241
Book Description
A fascinating exploration of the role that magic has played in the history of Buddhism As far back as we can see in the historical record, Buddhist monks and nuns have offered services including healing, divination, rain making, aggressive magic, and love magic to local clients. Studying this history, scholar Sam van Schaik concludes that magic and healing have played a key role in Buddhism's flourishing, yet they have rarely been studied in academic circles or by Western practitioners. The exclusion of magical practices and powers from most discussions of Buddhism in the modern era can be seen as part of the appropriation of Buddhism by Westerners, as well as an effect of modernization movements within Asian Buddhism. However, if we are to understand the way Buddhism has worked in the past, the way it still works now in many societies, and the way it can work in the future, we need to examine these overlooked aspects of Buddhist practice. In Buddhist Magic, van Schaik takes a book of spells and rituals--one of the earliest that has survived--from the Silk Road site of Dunhuang as the key reference point for discussing Buddhist magic in Tibet and beyond. After situating Buddhist magic within a cross-cultural history of world magic, he discusses sources of magic in Buddhist scripture, early Buddhist rituals of protection, medicine and the spread of Buddhism, and magic users. Including material from across the vast array of Buddhist traditions, van Schaik offers readers a fascinating, nuanced view of a topic that has too long been ignored.
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 0834842815
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 241
Book Description
A fascinating exploration of the role that magic has played in the history of Buddhism As far back as we can see in the historical record, Buddhist monks and nuns have offered services including healing, divination, rain making, aggressive magic, and love magic to local clients. Studying this history, scholar Sam van Schaik concludes that magic and healing have played a key role in Buddhism's flourishing, yet they have rarely been studied in academic circles or by Western practitioners. The exclusion of magical practices and powers from most discussions of Buddhism in the modern era can be seen as part of the appropriation of Buddhism by Westerners, as well as an effect of modernization movements within Asian Buddhism. However, if we are to understand the way Buddhism has worked in the past, the way it still works now in many societies, and the way it can work in the future, we need to examine these overlooked aspects of Buddhist practice. In Buddhist Magic, van Schaik takes a book of spells and rituals--one of the earliest that has survived--from the Silk Road site of Dunhuang as the key reference point for discussing Buddhist magic in Tibet and beyond. After situating Buddhist magic within a cross-cultural history of world magic, he discusses sources of magic in Buddhist scripture, early Buddhist rituals of protection, medicine and the spread of Buddhism, and magic users. Including material from across the vast array of Buddhist traditions, van Schaik offers readers a fascinating, nuanced view of a topic that has too long been ignored.
The Buddha's Wizards
Author: Thomas Nathan Patton
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231547374
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 207
Book Description
Wizards with magical powers to heal the sick, possess the bodies of their followers, and defend their tradition against outside threats are far from the typical picture of Buddhism. Yet belief in wizard-saints who protect their devotees and intervene in the world is widespread among Burmese Buddhists. The Buddha’s Wizards is a historically informed ethnographic study that explores the supernatural landscape of Buddhism in Myanmar to explain the persistence of wizardry as a form of lived religion in the modern era. Thomas Nathan Patton explains the world of wizards, spells, and supernatural powers in terms of both the broader social, political, and religious context and the intimate roles that wizards play in people’s everyday lives. He draws on affect theory, material and visual culture, long-term participant observation, and the testimonies of the devout to show how devotees perceive the protective power of wizard-saints. Patton considers beliefs and practices associated with wizards to be forms of defending Buddhist traditions from colonial and state power and culturally sanctioned responses to restrictive gender roles. The book also offers a new lens on the political struggles and social transformations that have taken place in Myanmar in recent years. Featuring close attention to the voices of individual wizard devotees and the wizards themselves, The Buddha’s Wizards provides a striking new look at a little-known aspect of Buddhist belief that helps expand our ways of thinking about the daily experience of lived religious practices.
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231547374
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 207
Book Description
Wizards with magical powers to heal the sick, possess the bodies of their followers, and defend their tradition against outside threats are far from the typical picture of Buddhism. Yet belief in wizard-saints who protect their devotees and intervene in the world is widespread among Burmese Buddhists. The Buddha’s Wizards is a historically informed ethnographic study that explores the supernatural landscape of Buddhism in Myanmar to explain the persistence of wizardry as a form of lived religion in the modern era. Thomas Nathan Patton explains the world of wizards, spells, and supernatural powers in terms of both the broader social, political, and religious context and the intimate roles that wizards play in people’s everyday lives. He draws on affect theory, material and visual culture, long-term participant observation, and the testimonies of the devout to show how devotees perceive the protective power of wizard-saints. Patton considers beliefs and practices associated with wizards to be forms of defending Buddhist traditions from colonial and state power and culturally sanctioned responses to restrictive gender roles. The book also offers a new lens on the political struggles and social transformations that have taken place in Myanmar in recent years. Featuring close attention to the voices of individual wizard devotees and the wizards themselves, The Buddha’s Wizards provides a striking new look at a little-known aspect of Buddhist belief that helps expand our ways of thinking about the daily experience of lived religious practices.
Cynicism and Magic
Author: Chogyam Trungpa
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 161180809X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 194
Book Description
A groundbreaking, accessible presentation of Tibetan Buddhism from Chögyam Trungpa, renowned twentieth-century master and teacher. Based on a series of talks given by Chögyam Trungpa during the first session of what was to become Naropa University, Cynicism and Magic introduces key Tibetan Buddhist concepts, including karma, the structure of ego, the paramitas, and the bodhisattva. Employing a unique and intimate teaching style, Trungpa Rinpoche presents these concepts in a larger framework of questions we all have: What is authentic spirituality? Can I find enlightenment and freedom? How should I approach life, death, suffering, and boredom? How can I develop some discipline, patience, and sanity? Through these accessible teachings, this book will show you how to approach a living dharma with intelligence, and with a sense of openness and wonder.
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 161180809X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 194
Book Description
A groundbreaking, accessible presentation of Tibetan Buddhism from Chögyam Trungpa, renowned twentieth-century master and teacher. Based on a series of talks given by Chögyam Trungpa during the first session of what was to become Naropa University, Cynicism and Magic introduces key Tibetan Buddhist concepts, including karma, the structure of ego, the paramitas, and the bodhisattva. Employing a unique and intimate teaching style, Trungpa Rinpoche presents these concepts in a larger framework of questions we all have: What is authentic spirituality? Can I find enlightenment and freedom? How should I approach life, death, suffering, and boredom? How can I develop some discipline, patience, and sanity? Through these accessible teachings, this book will show you how to approach a living dharma with intelligence, and with a sense of openness and wonder.
The Magic of Awareness
Author: Anam Thubten
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 083482910X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 161
Book Description
A Tibetan Buddhist teacher offers guidance on maintaining a state of awareness—demonstrating how enlightenment can be found at any time, in our everyday lives The paradox of awareness is very profound and yet very simple. It can't be described because it has no objective qualities and no limitation. Sometimes it comes naturally to the surface when we are fully in the present moment and no longer lost in thought or mental projections. Pure consciousness is neither high nor low, neither pleasant nor unpleasant, neither good nor bad. No matter where we are, no matter what we are doing, we always have an immediate access to that inner stillness. It can be experienced in an instant in all circumstances once we know how to pay attention to it. It is utterly peaceful and it is also insightful, so it sees through all illusions. Whenever there is a moment of being deluded, we can use that moment to practice settling in the very perfect sphere of the Buddha mind without trying to change anything. When we reside in that liberated mind, we find the very thing we have been seeking all along.
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 083482910X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 161
Book Description
A Tibetan Buddhist teacher offers guidance on maintaining a state of awareness—demonstrating how enlightenment can be found at any time, in our everyday lives The paradox of awareness is very profound and yet very simple. It can't be described because it has no objective qualities and no limitation. Sometimes it comes naturally to the surface when we are fully in the present moment and no longer lost in thought or mental projections. Pure consciousness is neither high nor low, neither pleasant nor unpleasant, neither good nor bad. No matter where we are, no matter what we are doing, we always have an immediate access to that inner stillness. It can be experienced in an instant in all circumstances once we know how to pay attention to it. It is utterly peaceful and it is also insightful, so it sees through all illusions. Whenever there is a moment of being deluded, we can use that moment to practice settling in the very perfect sphere of the Buddha mind without trying to change anything. When we reside in that liberated mind, we find the very thing we have been seeking all along.
The Lovelorn Ghost and the Magical Monk
Author: Justin McDaniel
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231153767
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 362
Book Description
"Focusing on representations of the ghost and monk from the late eighteenth century to the present, Justin Thomas McDaniel builds a case for interpreting modern Thai Buddhist practice through the movements of these transformative figures ... Listening to popular Thai Buddhist ghost stories, visiting crowded shrines and temples, he finds concepts of attachment, love, wealth, beauty, entertainment, graciousness, security, and nationalism all spring from engagement with the ghost and the monk and are as vital to the making of Thai Buddhism as venerating the Buddha himself."--Jacket.
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231153767
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 362
Book Description
"Focusing on representations of the ghost and monk from the late eighteenth century to the present, Justin Thomas McDaniel builds a case for interpreting modern Thai Buddhist practice through the movements of these transformative figures ... Listening to popular Thai Buddhist ghost stories, visiting crowded shrines and temples, he finds concepts of attachment, love, wealth, beauty, entertainment, graciousness, security, and nationalism all spring from engagement with the ghost and the monk and are as vital to the making of Thai Buddhism as venerating the Buddha himself."--Jacket.
Bon - the Magic Word
Author: Samten Gyaltsen Karmay
Publisher: Philip Wilson Publishers
ISBN:
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 240
Book Description
"Accepting everything, refusing nothing through the centuries, it is the one all-embracing form of Tibetan religion," as leading Tibetan scholar David L. Snellgrove once said of Bon. This book, the first of its kind to be dedicated solely to the art of Bon religion and culture, which to this day has been overshadowed by its Buddhist counterpart, aims to explore and reveal the many hidden treasures of this so far overlooked religion. Engaging with the great scholars of the field, in particular the revered Samten G. Karmay, the reader is invited to delve into the depths of this wonderful culture. Jeff Watt, curator of the Rubin Museum of Art, enlightens the reader by differentiating between Bon and Buddhist art, which it are so often confused. The other contributors look at specific topics within Bon, including its paintings, sacred geography and its founding and therefore set the beautiful art and artifacts within their context. The purpose of this book is to inspire, and in the process to enable the reader to appreciate the beauty of Bon art while simultaneously gaining an understanding of the ethos of Bon, from the time of its founding through to the more than one million practicing Bonpo of today.
Publisher: Philip Wilson Publishers
ISBN:
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 240
Book Description
"Accepting everything, refusing nothing through the centuries, it is the one all-embracing form of Tibetan religion," as leading Tibetan scholar David L. Snellgrove once said of Bon. This book, the first of its kind to be dedicated solely to the art of Bon religion and culture, which to this day has been overshadowed by its Buddhist counterpart, aims to explore and reveal the many hidden treasures of this so far overlooked religion. Engaging with the great scholars of the field, in particular the revered Samten G. Karmay, the reader is invited to delve into the depths of this wonderful culture. Jeff Watt, curator of the Rubin Museum of Art, enlightens the reader by differentiating between Bon and Buddhist art, which it are so often confused. The other contributors look at specific topics within Bon, including its paintings, sacred geography and its founding and therefore set the beautiful art and artifacts within their context. The purpose of this book is to inspire, and in the process to enable the reader to appreciate the beauty of Bon art while simultaneously gaining an understanding of the ethos of Bon, from the time of its founding through to the more than one million practicing Bonpo of today.
Magic and Mystery in Tibet
Author: Madame Alexandra David-Neel
Publisher: Courier Corporation
ISBN: 0486119440
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 369
Book Description
A practicing Buddhist and Oriental linguist recounts supernatural events she witnessed in Tibet during the 1920s. Intelligent and witty, she describes the fantastic effects of meditation and shamanic magic — levitation, telepathy, more. 32 photographs.
Publisher: Courier Corporation
ISBN: 0486119440
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 369
Book Description
A practicing Buddhist and Oriental linguist recounts supernatural events she witnessed in Tibet during the 1920s. Intelligent and witty, she describes the fantastic effects of meditation and shamanic magic — levitation, telepathy, more. 32 photographs.
Magic Dance
Author: Thinley Norbu
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 0834827832
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 144
Book Description
This is a unique and powerful presentation of the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism on the five elements: earth, water, air, fire, and space. In their gross and subtle forms, these elements combine to make up the infinite illusory display of phenomenal existence. Through teachings, stories, and his distinctive use of language, Thinley Norbu Rinpoche relates how the energies of the elements manifest within our everyday world, in individual behavior and group traditions, relationships and solitude, medicine and art. He explains their links to the five Buddha families and their respective Wisdom Dakinis, and shows how each element relates to our senses, temperament, passions, habits, and karmic potentials. This magic dance of the elements, he concludes, can be transformed through meditation practice and cultivating the calm, vast, and playful state of consciousness that he calls "playmind."
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 0834827832
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 144
Book Description
This is a unique and powerful presentation of the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism on the five elements: earth, water, air, fire, and space. In their gross and subtle forms, these elements combine to make up the infinite illusory display of phenomenal existence. Through teachings, stories, and his distinctive use of language, Thinley Norbu Rinpoche relates how the energies of the elements manifest within our everyday world, in individual behavior and group traditions, relationships and solitude, medicine and art. He explains their links to the five Buddha families and their respective Wisdom Dakinis, and shows how each element relates to our senses, temperament, passions, habits, and karmic potentials. This magic dance of the elements, he concludes, can be transformed through meditation practice and cultivating the calm, vast, and playful state of consciousness that he calls "playmind."
Magic & Mysticism In Tibet
Author: J. H. Brennan
Publisher: New Age Books
ISBN: 9788178223599
Category : Tibet Autonomous Region (China)
Languages : en
Pages : 240
Book Description
Generations of isolated Tibetan monks have devoted their lives to an unparalleled investigation of the human mind and soul. Over many centuries, as Buddhism blended with Bon, the aboriginal shamanic religion of Tibet, a great esoteric tradition evolved. In this revised and ex-panded version of Occult Tibet, the pro-lific and eclectic J.H. Brennan surveys this vast spiritual heritage born in the shadows of the Himalayas. The evolutionary result is apparent in the Tibetan languages, which is choc-a-bloc with different terms for (to the average Westerner) incomprehensibly subtle levels of meditation and trance. Generations of monks, sequestered in monasteries that sometimes reached the size of small towns, devoted their lives to an investigation of the human mind that is literally unparalleled anywhere on earth. Where Western psychology chose the path of theory and investigation, these men became psychonauts, mounting a personal exploration of inner space that carried them to realms of strangeness ranging from the development of near miraculous powers to the contemplation of ultimate reality. This book explores their findings. It presents a unique and fascinating view of Tibetan culture and spirituality, Tibetan magic and Mysticism bringing the ancient magical techniques of Tibet to the magicians and mystics of the West.Delhi,
Publisher: New Age Books
ISBN: 9788178223599
Category : Tibet Autonomous Region (China)
Languages : en
Pages : 240
Book Description
Generations of isolated Tibetan monks have devoted their lives to an unparalleled investigation of the human mind and soul. Over many centuries, as Buddhism blended with Bon, the aboriginal shamanic religion of Tibet, a great esoteric tradition evolved. In this revised and ex-panded version of Occult Tibet, the pro-lific and eclectic J.H. Brennan surveys this vast spiritual heritage born in the shadows of the Himalayas. The evolutionary result is apparent in the Tibetan languages, which is choc-a-bloc with different terms for (to the average Westerner) incomprehensibly subtle levels of meditation and trance. Generations of monks, sequestered in monasteries that sometimes reached the size of small towns, devoted their lives to an investigation of the human mind that is literally unparalleled anywhere on earth. Where Western psychology chose the path of theory and investigation, these men became psychonauts, mounting a personal exploration of inner space that carried them to realms of strangeness ranging from the development of near miraculous powers to the contemplation of ultimate reality. This book explores their findings. It presents a unique and fascinating view of Tibetan culture and spirituality, Tibetan magic and Mysticism bringing the ancient magical techniques of Tibet to the magicians and mystics of the West.Delhi,
You Are Here
Author: Thich Nhat Hanh
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 0834821117
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 162
Book Description
Cut through the busyness and anxieties of daily life to discover the simple happiness of living in the present moment, as taught by a world-renowned Zen monk In this book, Thich Nhat Hanh—Zen monk, author, and meditation master—distills the essence of Buddhist thought and practice, emphasizing the power of mindfulness to transform our lives. But true mindfulness, Hanh explains, is not an escape. It is being in the present moment, totally alive and free. Based on a retreat that Thich Nhat Hanh led for Westerners, You Are Here offers a range of effective practices for cultivating mindfulness and staying in the present moment—including awareness of breathing and walking, deep listening, and skillful speech. These teachings will empower you to witness the wonder of life and transform your suffering, both within and outside you, into compassion, tenderness, and peace. As Thich Nhat Hanh declares, “the energy of mindfulness is the energy of the Buddha, and it can be produced by anybody.” It is as simple as breathing in and breathing out.
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
ISBN: 0834821117
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 162
Book Description
Cut through the busyness and anxieties of daily life to discover the simple happiness of living in the present moment, as taught by a world-renowned Zen monk In this book, Thich Nhat Hanh—Zen monk, author, and meditation master—distills the essence of Buddhist thought and practice, emphasizing the power of mindfulness to transform our lives. But true mindfulness, Hanh explains, is not an escape. It is being in the present moment, totally alive and free. Based on a retreat that Thich Nhat Hanh led for Westerners, You Are Here offers a range of effective practices for cultivating mindfulness and staying in the present moment—including awareness of breathing and walking, deep listening, and skillful speech. These teachings will empower you to witness the wonder of life and transform your suffering, both within and outside you, into compassion, tenderness, and peace. As Thich Nhat Hanh declares, “the energy of mindfulness is the energy of the Buddha, and it can be produced by anybody.” It is as simple as breathing in and breathing out.