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Tibet: Difference between revisions
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Padma Sambhava is said to have made prophecies concerning the future of Tibet which are seeing their fulfillment in this day. One prophecy attributed to Padma Sambhava is this: | Padma Sambhava is said to have made prophecies concerning the future of Tibet which are seeing their fulfillment in this day. One prophecy attributed to Padma Sambhava is this: | ||
<blockquote>When the iron bird flies and the horses run on wheels, the Tibetan people will be scattered like ants across the face of the earth, and the Dharma will come to the land of the red men.</blockquote> | <blockquote>When the iron bird flies and the horses run on wheels, the Tibetan people will be scattered like ants across the face of the earth, and the Dharma will come to the land of the red men.<ref>Lama Govinda, ''The Lost Teachings of Lama Govinda: Living Wisdom from a Modern Tibetan Master'' (Wheaton, Ill.: Quest Books, 2007), p. xviii. The “land of the red men” may refer to North American continent and the American Indians.</ref></blockquote> | ||
One Tibetan manuscript contains the following prophecy of Padma Sambhava which is said to be, which is said to have been voiced through a lama in the seventeenth or eighteenth century: | One Tibetan manuscript contains the following prophecy of Padma Sambhava which is said to be, which is said to have been voiced through a lama in the seventeenth or eighteenth century: | ||
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<blockquote>In the time of sinful, soiled, and corrupt custom—in the future—the demons and spirits of the Planets will infest the world. At that time, the Demon King Pehar will be very powerful and dominant [his teachings will spread afar]. Because of the powerful influence of the Demon King Pehar, the cases of insanity and nervous disturbance will be many, the cases of violent death will also be great in number....</blockquote> | <blockquote>In the time of sinful, soiled, and corrupt custom—in the future—the demons and spirits of the Planets will infest the world. At that time, the Demon King Pehar will be very powerful and dominant [his teachings will spread afar]. Because of the powerful influence of the Demon King Pehar, the cases of insanity and nervous disturbance will be many, the cases of violent death will also be great in number....</blockquote> | ||
<blockquote>At that time half of the populations [of all nations] will become insane; most of the people will cut short their own lives by themselves (suicide); and at that time China will become a dark land. Powerful men and wealth will follow the steps of the evil spirits and their three cousins; all Tibet will be broken into small pieces. At that time, here in the Snow Country, the life and breath of the lamas, the officials, the teachers, the kings, the high officers, and those who follow the Buddhist teachings will be taken away (and persecuted). All the good teachers and virtuous persons will be cut in the middle by the evil demons. People will suffer excessively.</blockquote> | <blockquote>At that time half of the populations [of all nations] will become insane; most of the people will cut short their own lives by themselves (suicide); and at that time China will become a dark land. Powerful men and wealth will follow the steps of the evil spirits and their three cousins; all Tibet will be broken into small pieces. At that time, here in the Snow Country, the life and breath of the lamas, the officials, the teachers, the kings, the high officers, and those who follow the Buddhist teachings will be taken away (and persecuted). All the good teachers and virtuous persons will be cut in the middle by the evil demons. People will suffer excessively.<ref>C. A Muses, eds., ''Esoteric Teachings of the Tibetan Tantra'', chapter 2, found online at [http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/ettt/ettt03.htm http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/ettt/ettt03.htm]. For an account of the disasters that were prophesied to befall Tibet during the middle of the [[Kali Yuga]] (the last and worst of the four world ages), including an invasion by China, the destruction of monasteries, and desecration of sacred scriptures, see also the teachings of Padma Sambhava in ''The Legend of the Great Stupa'' (Berkeley: Dharma Publishing, 1973), pp. 15–16, 49–59.</ref></blockquote> | ||
== The growth of Buddhism == | == The growth of Buddhism == | ||
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As a result of the resurgence of Buddhism in the eleventh century, government power rested largely with the monasteries. As Pratapaditya Pal writes in ''Art of Tibet'': | As a result of the resurgence of Buddhism in the eleventh century, government power rested largely with the monasteries. As Pratapaditya Pal writes in ''Art of Tibet'': | ||
<blockquote>Translating and organizing the religious literature and founding monasteries and religious orders seem to have been the principal occupations of the Tibetans from the tenth to the thirteenth century.... Most major monasteries and religious orders of Tibet were founded in the eleventh and twelfth centuries.</blockquote> | <blockquote>Translating and organizing the religious literature and founding monasteries and religious orders seem to have been the principal occupations of the Tibetans from the tenth to the thirteenth century.... Most major monasteries and religious orders of Tibet were founded in the eleventh and twelfth centuries.<ref>Pratapaditya Pal, ''Art of Tibet: A Catalogue of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art Collection'' (Los Angeles, Calif.: The Museum; Berkeley: in association with University of California Press, 1983), p. 25.</ref></blockquote> | ||
From the thirteenth to the eighteenth century, Tibet came under Mongolian influence. In the thirteenth century, Kublai Khan, emperor of China, made Lamaism the national religion of the Mongolian Empire. Thereafter, lamas of the Sakya sect ruled Tibet as a theocracy for several centuries. | From the thirteenth to the eighteenth century, Tibet came under Mongolian influence. In the thirteenth century, Kublai Khan, emperor of China, made Lamaism the national religion of the Mongolian Empire. Thereafter, lamas of the Sakya sect ruled Tibet as a theocracy for several centuries. | ||
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== Establishment of the Yellow Hat school == | == Establishment of the Yellow Hat school == | ||
The last and most important school in Tibetan Buddhism was founded in the fifteenth century by Tsong-kha-pa, who established his monastery close to Lhasa. | The last and most important school in Tibetan Buddhism was founded in the fifteenth century by Tsong-kha-pa, who established his monastery close to Lhasa. This school, originally called the “Followers of the Way of Virtue,” was dubbed the “Yellow Hats” by Western writers. It emphasized the ideals of monastic discipline, including celibacy and abstention from intoxicants. | ||
Kvaerne writes | Per Kvaerne writes in ''The World of Buddhism'': | ||
<blockquote>In 1408 Tsong-kha-pa instituted the annual New Year celebration, called the Great Prayer, in the ancient Jokhang temple in Lhasa, intending it as a yearly rededication of Tibet to Buddhism. Thereafter, the Great Prayer continued every year without interruption until 1959.<ref>Per Kvaerne, “Tibet: The Rise and Fall of a Monastic Tradition,” in Heinz Bechert and Richard F. Gombrich, eds., ''The World of Buddhism: Buddhist Monks and Nuns in Society and Culture'' (London: Thames and Hudson, 1984).</ref></blockquote> | |||
Since the seventeenth century, the Yellow Hats have been the predominant Buddhist order in Tibet. This is the order to which the Dalai Lamas and Panchen Lamas belong. The Dalai Lama is regarded as an incarnation of Avalokitesvara, and he was the spiritual and temporal ruler of Tibet. The Panchen Lama is venerated as the spiritual representative of the Dalai Lama and is regarded as the incarnation of the Buddha Amitabha. | Since the seventeenth century, the Yellow Hats have been the predominant Buddhist order in Tibet. This is the order to which the Dalai Lamas and Panchen Lamas belong. The Dalai Lama is regarded as an incarnation of Avalokitesvara, and he was the spiritual and temporal ruler of Tibet. The Panchen Lama is venerated as the spiritual representative of the Dalai Lama and is regarded as the incarnation of the Buddha Amitabha. | ||
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Tibetan Buddhists believe that each Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama is a reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama. Pal writes: | Tibetan Buddhists believe that each Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama is a reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama. Pal writes: | ||
<blockquote>The concept of guru, which originated in India and was transplanted into Tibet, became influenced by the sense of hierarchy that is fundamental to Tibetan social morphology and, in the institution of the lama, achieved an unprecedented preeminence.</blockquote> | <blockquote>The concept of guru, which originated in India and was transplanted into Tibet, became influenced by the sense of hierarchy that is fundamental to Tibetan social morphology, and, in the institution of the lama, achieved an unprecedented preeminence. The emphasis on lineage, as well as on emanation in the form of the ''tulku'', is likewise characteristically Tibetan, though these concepts are not unknown in India.</blockquote> | ||
The | <blockquote>A ''tulku'' is generally regarded as a “reincarnated lama” or “a living Buddha.” It is believed that when an enlightened teacher or religious personage passes away, he is reborn in another body. The Dalai Lama is perhaps the best-known example of a ''tulku''. When a Dalai Lama dies, a special search is conducted to find his successor; invariably, he is a young boy but is said to be the dead Dalai Lama’s reincarnation. Inasmuch as Buddhism does not believe in the existence of the soul,<ref>Buddhism does not use the term ''soul'' but speaks of the Buddha-essence.</ref> there is an inherent contradiction in the use of the words reincarnation or rebirth; that is why the expression “emanation” is perhaps more suitable.<ref>Pal, ''Art of Tibet'', pp. 37–38.</ref></blockquote> | ||
The emanation of the individual reincarnates. One has the concept of the essence or the breath that we would term “soul.” | |||
<blockquote>In any event, because of the particular emphasis given to the concept of ''tulku'', especially after the sixteenth century, every important religious figure in every monastery traced his lineage through spiritual forebears, to mahasiddhas, and ultimately to various divinities. Thus, the Dalai Lama is an emanation not only of various earlier saints or teachers but also of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara.<ref>Ibid., p. 38.</ref></blockquote> | |||
<blockquote>In any event, because of the particular emphasis given to the concept of tulku, especially after the sixteenth century, every important religious figure in every monastery traced his lineage through spiritual forebears, to mahasiddhas, and ultimately to various divinities. Thus, the Dalai Lama is an emanation not only of various earlier saints or teachers but also of the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara.</blockquote> | |||
One Tibetan refugee describes what the Dalai Lama means to the Tibetan people: | One Tibetan refugee describes what the Dalai Lama means to the Tibetan people: | ||
<blockquote>The connection of every Tibetan with the Dalai Lama is a deep and inexpressible thing. To us, the Dalai Lama symbolizes the whole of Tibet.</blockquote> | <blockquote>The connection of every Tibetan with the Dalai Lama is a deep and inexpressible thing. To us, the Dalai Lama symbolizes the whole of Tibet: the beauty of the land, the purity of its rivers and lakes, the sanctity of its skies, the solidity of its mountains, and the strength of its people. Even more, he is the living embodiment of the eternal principles of Buddhism, and also the epitome of what every Tibetan, from the most debauched harlot in Lhasa to the saintly ascetic, is striving and longing for—freedom, freedom, the total freedom of [[Nirvana]].<ref>Aten Doghya Tsang, quoted in “The Dalai Lama: The lost horizons,” ''The Guardian'', May 7, 1999. [https://www.theguardian.com/books/1999/may/08/books.guardianreview9 https://www.theguardian.com/books/1999/may/08/books.guardianreview9]</ref></blockquote> | ||
In this we glean that the Dalai Lama, representing the Guru, the Buddha, embodies the spirit of Tibet and all of its people and all of its history. | In this we glean that the Dalai Lama, representing the Guru, the Buddha, embodies the spirit of Tibet and all of its people and all of its history. In the person and the face, then, of the Guru, of the Dalai Lama, the people see all of this and their adoration is of something far beyond the physical form. and yet it includes that form as the temple of the Buddha. | ||
In the person and the face, then, of the Guru, of the Dalai Lama, the people see all of this and their adoration is of something far beyond the physical form and yet it includes that form as the temple of the Buddha. | |||
== China and Tibet == | == China and Tibet == | ||
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<blockquote>Therefore, now, when the strength of peace and happiness is with us, while the power to do something about the situation is still in our hands, we should make every effort to safeguard against this impending disaster. Use peaceful methods where they are appropriate; but where they are not appropriate, do not hesitate to resort to more forceful means. Work diligently now, while there is still time. Then there will be no regrets.... One person alone cannot ward off the threat that faces us; but together we can win out in the end. Avoid rivalry and petty self-interests, and look instead to what is essential. We must strive together with positive motivation for the general welfare of all, while living in accordance with the teachings of the Buddha.</blockquote> | <blockquote>Therefore, now, when the strength of peace and happiness is with us, while the power to do something about the situation is still in our hands, we should make every effort to safeguard against this impending disaster. Use peaceful methods where they are appropriate; but where they are not appropriate, do not hesitate to resort to more forceful means. Work diligently now, while there is still time. Then there will be no regrets.... One person alone cannot ward off the threat that faces us; but together we can win out in the end. Avoid rivalry and petty self-interests, and look instead to what is essential. We must strive together with positive motivation for the general welfare of all, while living in accordance with the teachings of the Buddha.</blockquote> | ||
<blockquote>If we do this, then there is no doubt that we will abide within the blessings of the national protective divinity Nechung, who was appointed by the Acharya (Padma Sambhava) to assist the line of Dalai Lamas in the task of caring for Tibet.... Think carefully about what I have said, for the future is in your hands. It is extremely important to overcome what needs to be overcome, and to accomplish what needs to be accomplished. Do not confuse the two.</blockquote> | <blockquote>If we do this, then there is no doubt that we will abide within the blessings of the national protective divinity Nechung, who was appointed by the Acharya (Padma Sambhava) to assist the line of Dalai Lamas in the task of caring for Tibet.... Think carefully about what I have said, for the future is in your hands. It is extremely important to overcome what needs to be overcome, and to accomplish what needs to be accomplished. Do not confuse the two.<ref>Glenn H. Mullin, “The Great Thirteenth’s Last New Year Sermon,” ''Tibetan Review'' 22 (October 1987): 17.</ref></blockquote> | ||
== Reports by Nicholas Roerich == | == Reports by Nicholas Roerich == | ||
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== U.S. government reaction == | == U.S. government reaction == | ||
Since 1978, the United States government has held that Tibet is a part of China and has given only token support to the Tibetan people | Since 1978, the United States government has held that Tibet is a part of China and has given only token support to the Tibetan people. | ||
In late September 1987, reports filtered out of Tibet that hundreds of Buddhist monks had staged peaceful protests calling for Tibetan independence. These protests coincided with the Dalai Lama's visit to the U.S., during which he presented a 5-point peace plan to the Congressional Human Rights Caucus. The House passed a resolution supporting him, and leading members of the Congress sent a letter urging China’s premier to use the 5-point program as a basis of negotiation with the Dalai Lama. | |||
The ''New York Times'' reported that “one State Department official said that any possible benefits of the Senate action for the Tibetan people were | The Chinese responded on September 24 by gathering 15,000 Tibetans at a stadium in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, sentencing eight to prison and two to death, and executing one immediately. In this they demonstrated their utter disdain for the United States government and Congress. On October 1, thousands of Tibetans demonstrated in Lhasa and Chinese police fired AK-47 assault rifles into the unarmed crowd, killing at least 12. | ||
The Senate voted to condemn China for the crackdown but the Reagan administration actually voiced support for China, even though it later backpedaled. On October 6, the State Department announced its strong opposition to the Senate move. The ''New York Times'' reported that “one State Department official said that any possible benefits of the Senate action for the Tibetan people were ‘insufficient to outweigh the almost certain damage to the United States-China bilateral relationship.’”<ref>Elaine Sciolino, “Beijing Is Backed by Administration on Unrest in Tibet,” ''New York Times'', October 7, 1987.</ref> That relationship is based primarily on trade and Western capitalists foreseeing great profits in Chinese markets. | |||
Since that time the United States government has been only too willing to accept the false liberation of Tibet, to ignore human rights violations in the interests of trade. | |||
== The karma of Tibet == | == The karma of Tibet == | ||
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Elizabeth Clare Prophet, July 5, 1989. | Elizabeth Clare Prophet, July 5, 1989. | ||
Elizabeth Clare Prophet, “The Abdication of America’s Destiny,” Part 2, {{POWref|31|23|, June 5, 1988}} | |||
{{POWref|32|43|, October 22, 1989}} | {{POWref|32|43|, October 22, 1989}} | ||
<references /> | <references /> | ||