China Cultural Chronicles November 7, 2012
- DO SAKYAS RELY UPON DORJE SHxxxEN?
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DO SAKYAS RELY UPON DORJE SHxxxEN?
By Jeff Watt, Curator of Himalayan Art Resources
"It has been correctly pointed out many times that Sakya, specifically the Khon family, played a role in the early development of the Shugden cult. The worldly spirit (in Tibetan 'gyalpo' meaning king, a type of ghost) having one face and two hands mounted on a black horse was grouped with the senior worldly protectors of the town of Sakya namely Tsi'u Marpo and Dorje Setrap (these two are Nyingma in origin and not exclusive to Sakya). This trio is called the 'Gyalpo Sum' - the Three King Spirits. In the town of Sakya there is a small temple called the Mug chung Gong khang where the offering service of Shugden was carried out by a monk appointee. This small structure was just north of the Zhi tog Pho drang (Sakya Government Building).
Sakya Trizin Sachen Ngawang Kunga Lodro (1729-1790?) composed an new offering service for Shxxxen based on the 'torma throwing' ritual of the 'Three Kings.' Later, Sakya Trizin Trakshu Thinley Rinchen (1871-1936) in his personal diaries written on scraps of paper starting from the age of 8 years records all his thoughts, dreams and miscellaneous experiences. After his passing these were collected and added to his biography. In these diaries, amongst many other topics, he muses over the nature of Shugden and the relationship between Shugden, his father (S.T. Kunga Nyingpo) and his grand-father (S.T. Tashi Rinchen) of whom Trakshu Thinley Rinchen was the incarnation. These are regarded as an interesting curiosity within the Drolma Podrang of the Khon family as well as being their personal family business.
It has of course been pointed out by others as well as myself that H.H. Sakya Trizin (of the Drolma Podrang) does not himself practice Shxxxen - this based on the instructions of his root guru, nor does his sister follow the worldly protector practice. I personally have also spent a great deal of time with the two Gongma Lamas of the Phuntsok Podrang and although Mahakala, Magzorma (the Podrang's family protector), Tsi'u Mara and even the Sakya Barmo witches were discussed many times, I cannot recall one conversation about Shugden. All of this however was prior to 1984 before the Dalai Lama began to speak out about the worldly protector. At the Sakya Monastery in Seattle, Wash., Dagchen Rinpoche has not included any worldy protectors in the regular Mahakala & Protector Pujas, subsequently the 'Three Kings' are absent.
The personal anecdote offered to ARBT relating to Sakya Dagchen Rinpoche and Shxxxen was very nice and is definitely worth following up, but it is just an anecdote. An anecdote is like one half of a wheel. It just doesn't get you very far.
As for the notion of a 'secret line' of Shxxxen practice/practitioners within Sakya, this is absurd. Tibetan culture, Buddhist and otherwise, has many secrets and many that should have been kept secret but this half-baked idea enters the realm of fantasy and science fiction.
Now to the matter of Gorampa. To this day, the refutations against Tsongkhapa's madhyamika view by Gorampa Sonam Senge have not even been replied to by the great Gelugpa scholars of the past few hundred years. Instead, the defenders of Tsongkhapa have attacked the intellectual juniors of Gorampa such as Taktsang Lotsawa, Shakya Chogden and others (see Jeffrey Hopkins, Meditation on Emptiness). Also, Ngorchen Kunga Zangpo (the founder of Ngor), a contemporary, critisized Tsongkhapa's understanding of Tantra. Please understand that these are not ramblings or sectarian explitives but are commonly known to all who have studied Madhyamika within the greater family of the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition. For the Sakya School Sakya Pandita is the definitive scholar and teacher. Gorampa Sonam Senge is the definitive scholar in explaining the difficult meanings of Sakya Pandita's works. Many Gelugpa monasteries banned outright Gorampa's works from entering their premises. The works of some other Sakya lamas which criticized Tsongkhapa or seemed at odds with those views were banned from publication entirely within Tibet and were only preserved secretly and re-published openly from Bhutan after 1959." endquote Jef Watt
"The basic difference between the Sakyapa view and that of Phawong Khapa is that the Sakya placate Shugden conditionally, providing him with offerings of food and shelter...Whereas Phawong Khapa (and you followers) propitiate Dolgyal with the idea that he came purposefully in this degenerate time to protect the Gadenpa doctrine. Therefore, there is a great difference; like the difference between feeding a criminal or assigning that criminal to a high rank and worshiping him. Aditionally, the Sakyapa also preserved the Buddha Dharma and saved the people of Tibet from harm by annihilating or restricting other spirits as well. These include Shangbal, Nyagrong Bulongma and others. So, please remember this kindness."
see also Sapan Institute Publication on this page
Just to clarify an item that has been mentioned more than once. Mahakala is not the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. There is an emanation of Avalokiteshvara which arose in the form of Mahakala and this is the Shangpa Kagyu Mahakala with one face and six arms, in a standing posture. This form was later adopted by Tsongkhapa and followers as the main protector of the Gelugpa School. Mahakalas can arise from various sources namely Vajradhara and the Anuttarayoga Tantras but are not generically Avalokiteshvara. - 2086 miles since
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If you like my work and wanna show it by inviting me to one of your groups, you are very welcome to do that, but please do not leave any graphic logos! I'll delete them.
- Beijing
- Beijing
- You can't fool (1080p HD edit) / US Presidential Election: 2012-11-06 / Olek + SML
See-ming Lee 李思明 SML has added a video to the pool:
"You can't fool"
us presidential election 2012
art: Crocheted Olek (Olek)
photography: See-ming Lee (SML)
nov 6th 2012
paraphrasing how to live by simon munnery
Photography CCBY SML Photography
Production CCBY SML Universe
Soundtrack CCBY SML Music
+ soundcloud.com/seeminglee/you-cant-fool-2012-olek-sml
SML Simulcast
+ Olek YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6_GF3_o2b4
+ SML Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/8160686627
+ SML Facebook: www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151315842558035
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+ SML YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bvVgFXuado
+ SML Universe YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSMx_kQu0yI - The conversation, Tibet 2012
reurinkjan has added a photo to the pool:
Like to see the pictures as LARGE as your screen? Just click on this Slideshow : www.flickr.com/photos/reurinkjan/sets/72157630983897338/s...
At the end of the Kora or Circumambulation of the monastery stands the Chorten or Stupa who also is circumambulate clockwise.
Labrang Tashikyil monastery is one of six great Gelukpa monasteries in Tibet and, although many small capels have yet to be restored, it is amongst the handful anywhere in Tibet that survived the Cultural Revolution relatively intact. It was founded in 1709 by the First Jamyang Zhepa Ngawang Tsondru འཇམ་དབྱངས་བཞད་པ་ངག་དབང་བརྩོན་འགྲུས་ (1648-1721), who was revered as an emanation of Tsongkhapa`s teacher Umapa Pawo Dorje. Within the Gelukpa hierarchy, the incarnations of Jamyang Zhepa are superseded only by the Dalai and Panchen Lamas. During his studies in Lhasa, where he was a contemporary of Desi Sangye Gyatso, he received his title `Jamyang Zhepa`(laughing Manjughosa), when a statue of Manjughosa (Jamyang) laughed at his prostrations. Returning to his homeland, he then founded the most powerful monastery in Amdo, under the patronage of Chahan Tendzin Ponjunang, a prince of the Qosot Mongolians.At its high point Labrang Tashikyil monastery housed 4000 monks, and when the Fifth Jamyang Zhepa passed away in 1947 there were 300 geshes, 3000 monks and 50-100 incarnate lamas. The precent incubent, the Sixth Jamyang Zhepa, who lives in Lanzhou, presides over a much depleted monastery where there are barely more than 1000 monks.
www.footprinttravelguides.com/c/2848/tibet/&Action=pr...
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