Misplaced Pages

#87912

99-499: Semde texts are mostly said to be translations by figures of the early transmission (7th–9th centuries) of Buddhism to Tibet like Śrī Siṅgha , Vairotsana and Vimalamitra . These texts emphasize the "awakened mind" (Tibetan: byang-chub-kyi sems , Skt. bodhicitta ), which is the true nature of the mind and is essentially pure and perfect, just like Buddhahood . Semde texts critique tantric practice as being based on effort, and instead promote simple and effortless contemplation of

198-753: A Qing expedition force defeated the Dzungars in 1720, and lasted until the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1912. The Qing emperors appointed imperial residents known as the Ambans to Tibet, who commanded over 2,000 troops stationed in Lhasa and reported to the Lifan Yuan , a Qing government agency that oversaw the region during this period. The rulers of the Manchu Qing dynasty supported Tibetan Buddhism, especially

297-641: A collection that goes under various names including "the twenty or eighteen minor [texts of the] Mind" (an appellation found in Nubchen Sanggye Yeshe's Lamp for the Eyes of Contemplation ), and "the Eighteen Major Crucial Teachings" ( lung chen po bco brgyad ). Modern scholars generally agree that the eighteen Semde texts is the earliest corpus of Dzogchen literature. However, there is much confusion and diversity regarding

396-557: A commentary to The All Creating King . History of Tibetan Buddhism#First dissemination (7th–9th centuries) Samding Dorje Phagmo Buddhists , predominantly from India, first actively disseminated their practices in Tibet from the 6th to the 9th centuries CE. During the Era of Fragmentation (9th–10th centuries), Buddhism waned in Tibet, only to rise again in the 11th century. With

495-542: A few Sutras from Chinese for which they did not possess Indian originals." From the outset Buddhism was opposed by the native shamanistic Bön religion, which had the support of the aristocracy, but it thrived under royal patronage, reaching a peak under King Rälpachän (r. 817–836). Terminology in translation was standardised around 825, enabling a highly literal translation methodology. A reversal in Buddhist influence began under King Langdarma (r. 836–842), and his death

594-732: A great temple, the Tsulag Khang (or 'House of Wisdom') to house the images, which is now known as the Jokhang ('House of the Lord') in the heart of Lhasa, and is considered to be the most sacred temple in Tibet. Bhrikuti is usually represented as Green Tara in Tibetan iconography . Bhrikuti and Wencheng are said to have worked together to establish temples and Buddhism in Tibet. In the 8th century Buddhism really took hold in Tibet. The successors of Songtsän Gampo were less enthusiastic about

693-457: A group. Another important source for early Dzogchen Semde ideas is the work of gNyan dPal dbyangs (c. 8-9th century), especially his rDo rje sems dpa’ zhus lan ( Vajrasattva Questions and Answers ) manuscripts of which have been found in Dunhuang and his sGron ma drug ( Six Lamps ) , which are widely quoted by Nubchen. The Kun byed rgyal po ( All Creating King ), which is historically

792-551: A non-dual and non-conceptual awareness. Germano writes that the main contemplation in Semde works was a formless "technique free immersion in the bare immediacy of one's own deepest levels of awareness". This formless method was seen as superior to the visual fabrications of tantric deity yoga . However, the teachers of this formless method may have also used "calming" ( samatha ) practices as well as some tantric practices as preparatory or secondary methods. Dowman similarly writes that

891-620: A number of important scriptures, some of which he hid for future tertons to find; these Terma "treasures" (revealed texts) are of particular significance to the Nyingma school. At this early time also, from the south came the influence of scholars under the Pāla dynasty in the Indian state of Magadha. They had achieved a blend of Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna that has come to characterize all forms of Tibetan Buddhism. Their teaching in sutra centered on

990-620: A powerful Dzungar military leader to end decades of clan-wars in Dbus and Gtsang provinces, and the Tibetan civil war of 1639–1642. Güshi Khan (who was head of the Khoshut tribe) conquered Kham in 1640 bringing the Sakyas and the lords of Kham and Amdo under their control. His victory over Karma Tenkyong , the prince of Tsang in Shigatse , in 1642, completed the military unification of

1089-514: A special meaning in Dzogchen texts. It refers to the true nature of consciousness , "which is essentially identical to the state of Buddha ". Anspal writes that according to Semde texts, accessing and abiding in this pure and perfect awakened mind "fulfills and surpasses all the various practices and methods of other Buddhist approaches." Christopher Hatchell explains that for these early Dzogchen texts "all beings and all appearances are themselves

SECTION 10

#1732780434088

1188-643: A specific closed list of texts. Whatever the case, Longchenpa's list of twenty one main Semde texts in the Treasury of Spiritual and Philosophical Systems ( Grub mtha’ mdzod ) is the following: The Five Early Translations ( sNga ‘gyur lnga ) of Vairotsana , also known as the five bodhicitta texts, which are: The thirteen later translations ( Phyi ‘gyur bcu gsum ), translated by Vimalamitra assisted by Nyak Jñānakumāra and Yudra Nyingpo: Finally, there are three texts which are often classified separately as Semde and listed in other sources (when these are added,

1287-500: A state of awareness (Tib. rig pa) identified as being already perfect in every way." This is confirmed by Nubchen Sangye Yeshe who writes in his commentaries that Dzogchen transcends the use any meditation supports like mudrās , objects of mental focus and mantra repetition. This is supported by a commentary to the Cuckoo of Rigpa found at Dunhuang (ITJ 647) which states: "because of the spontaneous accomplishment of ineffable bodhicitta,

1386-422: A statue of Shakyamuni Buddha. It is clear from Tibetan sources that some of his successors became ardent Buddhists. The records show that Chinese Buddhists were actively involved in missionary activity in Tibet, but they did not have the same level of imperial support as Indian Buddhists, with tantric lineages from Bihar and Bengal. By the second half of the 8th century he was already regarded as an embodiment of

1485-608: A thousand realms". This expansive awareness which is often compared to the vasteness of the sky is called the “Great Self” (bdag nyid chen po) in various Semde texts, including the All-Encompassing Perfection (sPyi chings). This idea of an innate awakened mind is influenced by the Mahayana Buddhist buddha-nature literature which states that all sentient beings have a pure buddha-matrix or essence (tathāgatagarbha). Mañjuśrīmitra's Meditation on

1584-579: Is a naturally perfect "all-inclusive wholeness". This enlightened mind is the ineffable ground of all things. Dowman further describes it as an "ineffable nondual reality that is a unity but at the same time a multiplicity. It is at once the source and the creation. It is inconceivable and inexpressible. It is enlightened mind or luminous mind ." According to Germano, Semde texts claim that striving for liberation through structured practices (like tantric visualization and ritual) creates more delusion. Instead, Semde works recommend simple contemplations to recognize

1683-447: Is a very important commentarial source for early "Semde" Dzogchen, as it quotes numerous early sources, and is also one of the earliest texts which discuss claim that Dzogchen is a distinct vehicle of spiritual practice ( yana ). The Lamp also lists the “twenty or eighteen minor texts on the mind” (which refers to the eighteen great scriptures), indicating that even as early as the 9th century, these works were beginning to be considered as

1782-656: Is adhered to widely in the Tibetan Plateau , Mongolia , northern Nepal , Kalmykia (on the north-west shore of the Caspian), Siberia ( Tuva and Buryatia ), the Russian Far East and northeast China. It is the state religion of Bhutan . The Indian regions of Sikkim and Ladakh , both formerly independent kingdoms, are also home to significant Tibetan Buddhist populations, as are the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh (which includes Dharamshala and

1881-478: Is aimed at creating, cultivating or uncovering the enlightened state." However, not all early Dzogchen sources reject tantric ritual, some of them, like Padmasambhava's Garland of Views , present Dzogchen within the framework of tantric Mahayoga. As such, it is likely there was a spectrum of early Dzogchen methodologies, some more tantric than others. While the terms "Mind Section" (Tib. sems sde ) and "Mind Orientation" (Tib. sems phyogs ) are not attested prior to

1980-409: Is free from thoughts: Endowed with the force of abiding naturally, It is without thoughts and occurs like the sky itself. According to Keith Dowman , the five translations of Vairotsana focus on simple non-dualism and include no anthropomorphic symbolism and no "abstruse metaphysical infrastructure". Instead, the focus is on the nondual reality of the timeless "unitary light of awareness" which

2079-720: Is no difference between the state of lhundrub and the Tregchöd spoken of in the Dzogchen Upadesha ". These four yogas are said to parallel the Four Yogas of Mahamudra . The mind class ( semde ) of Dzogchen are today found in the Collected Tantras of the Ancients (Nyingma Gyubum) and in other Nyingma school collections like Collected Tantras of Vairocana. The most important Semde texts are part of

SECTION 20

#1732780434088

2178-628: Is the sPyi gsang sngags lung gi ’grel pa ( General Commentary on the Authoritative Scriptures of Secret Mantra ), a commentary on the Semde text called the sPyi chings ( The Universal Bind ) by Nyak Jñānakumāra (fl. 9th c.). The work of early Nyingma scholars like Rongzom Chökyi Zangpo (1012-1088) and Rogban Sherab (1166–1244) also quote and rely on mostly Semde texts for their explanation of Dzogchen. Later Nyingma authors also wrote commentaries and treatises on Semde practice, such as Longchenpa's Jewel Ship ( rin chen sgru bo ),

2277-634: The Abhisamayālankāra , a 4th-century Yogācārin text, but prominent among them were the Mādhyamika scholars Śāntarakṣita and Kamalaśīla . A third influence was that of the Sarvāstivādins from Kashmir to the southwest and Khotan to the northwest. Although they did not succeed in maintaining a presence in Tibet, their texts found their way into the Tibetan Buddhist canon , providing

2376-623: The Guhyagarbha tantra as well as by Yogacara "mind-only" and buddha-nature literature. Various scholars have shown that early Dzogchen teachings developed out of the teachings of the Mahayoga tantras like the Guhyagarbha . Scholars like Samten Karmay and Karen Liljenberg have also argued that other traditions like tantric Shaivism and Chan Buddhism may have had some influence on this early Dzogchen literature. Jean-luc Achard has noted some similarities between Dzogchen practices and

2475-467: The anuttarayogatantras (including any discussion of charnel ground imagery, death motifs, bodily relics, funerary rituals, and bardo teachings) as well as tantric sexual motifs and practices. Some Semde texts, like the Kunjed Gyalpo , even deny the validity and relevance of key elements of tantric buddhism (such as mandalas , empowerment, stages of practice, etc). As Liljenberg notes,

2574-630: The 5th Dalai Lama (in office 1642–1682), who invited the Mongols to intervene in the Tibetan civil war of 1639–1642. The Mongols invested him with the political power of Tibet, leading to the dominance of the Gelugpa until the 20th century. In the 19th century the Rimé movement provided a counter-weight against this dominance, trying to preserve the teachings of the Nyingma , Kagyu and Sakya schools. In

2673-539: The Byang chub sems bsgom pa don bcu gnyis bstan pa. There is also a collection of Dzogchen songs of realization (dohas) associated with the early translations. These are the Eighteen Songs of Realization (full Tibetan title: Sems sde bco brgyad kyi dgongs pa rig 'dzin rnams kyis rdo rje'i glur bzhengs pa ). Furthermore, as van Schaik notes, there are numerous manuscripts found in Dunhuang which are important for

2772-628: The Chan master Moheyan to transmit the Dharma at Samye Monastery. According to Tibetan sources, Moheyan lost the so-called council of Lhasa (793), a debate sponsored by Trisong Detsen on the nature of emptiness with the Indian master Kamalaśīla , and the king declared Kamalaśīlas philosophy should form the basis for Tibetan Buddhism. However, a Chinese source found in Dunhuang written by Mo-ho-yen says their side won, and some scholars conclude that

2871-510: The Gelug sect, for most of their dynasty. The Rimé movement was a movement involving the Sakya , Kagyu and Nyingma schools of Tibetan Buddhism , along with some Bon scholars. Having seen how the Gelug institutions pushed the other traditions into the corners of Tibet's cultural life, Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo (1820–1892) and Jamgön Kongtrül (1813–1899) compiled together the teachings of

2970-661: The Kadampa school of Tibetan Buddhism, under whose influence the New Translation schools of today evolved. The Sakya , the Grey Earth school, was founded by Khön Könchok Gyelpo ( Wylie : ' khon dkon mchog rgyal po , 1034–1102), a disciple of the great Lotsawa , Drogmi Shākya ( Wylie : brog mi lo tsā wa ye shes ). It is headed by the Sakya Trizin , traces its lineage to the mahasiddha Virūpa, and represents

3069-729: The Khoshut Khanate (1642–1717). Tibetan Buddhism was also adored by the Manchu Qing court (1644–1912) since both Mongols and Tibetans believed in Tibetan Buddhism. Some historians may view the promotion of Tibetan Buddhism among the Mongols by the Chinese and Manchus as a deliberate plot to weaken the Mongol's military power, but others reject the theory. The Ganden Phodrang was the Tibetan regime or government that

Semde - Misplaced Pages Continue

3168-556: The Phagmodrupa dynasty in that year. He continued to rule central Tibet until his death in 1364, although he left all Mongol institutions in place as hollow formalities. Power remained in the hands of the Phagmodru family until 1434. The rule of Jangchub Gyaltsän and his successors implied a new cultural self-awareness where models were sought in the age of the ancient Tibetan Kingdom . The relatively peaceful conditions favoured

3267-586: The Sakya , Kagyu and Nyingma , including many near-extinct teachings. Without Khyentse and Kongtrul's collecting and printing of rare works, the suppression of Buddhism by the Communists would have been much more final. The Rimé movement is responsible for a number of scriptural compilations, such as the Rinchen Terdzod and the Sheja Dzö . In 1912 Tibet became de facto independent again, but

3366-795: The Tantra of the Edge and the Center of the Sky ( Nam mkha' mtha' dbus kyi rgyud ). Aside from the twenty one key Semde works, there are also other works in the Semde section of the Collected Tantras of the Ancients , including other tantras such as exegetical tantras, secondary tantras and secret instruction tantras. Furthermore, the collection called Transmitted Precepts of the Ancients also contains further Semde texts . For example, an anonymous commentary to Extracting Pure Gold from Ore exists, titled

3465-561: The Tibetan king Songtsän Gampo (618–649), who established the Tibetan Empire. Songtsen Gampo is traditionally credited with the introduction of Buddhism to Tibet, influenced by his Nepali consort Bhrikuti , of Nepal 's Licchavi dynasty , as well as with the unification of what had previously been several Tibetan kingdoms. It is known that he married a Chinese Tang dynasty Buddhist princess, Wencheng , who came to Tibet with

3564-558: The Total Space of Vajrasattva (rdo rje sems dpa’ nam mkha' che) calls tantric practice "a childish pursuit" ( byis pa'i spyod yul ). Sam van Schaik also writes that "later developments in the Great Perfection brought far more complex doctrines and practices, but the early mind series texts stayed close to one central theme: the immediate presence of the enlightened mind, and the consequent use- lessness of any practice that

3663-772: The Tub-wang and other statues in Samye and the famous Nepali artist Thro-wo carved the revered statue of Chenresig , Thungji Chen-po rang-jung nga-ldan . It is also called statue of Mikyo Dorje (Manuvajra) – the Ramoche Jowo or Jowo Chungpa which was housed in the Ramoche Temple in Lhasa. They have been since joined and the statue is surrounded by the Eight Bodhisattvas . Songtsen Gampo and Bhrikuti built

3762-524: The mandala is established spontaneously and abides without artifice, with no need for the activities of development and perfection ." In a similar fashion, the Semde text called the bDe ba phra bkod says: There is no practice to be accomplished, [and] no fixation upon any deities. There is no meditation to be done; [it is] free of any object of attention. The Realization of the True Meaning of Meditation ( sGom pa don sgrub ) also says that since

3861-414: The 11th century (and are thus not found in the earliest Dzogchen texts), they are used by Tibetan and Western scholars retroactively to refer to a class of texts. The most of important of these are the "Eighteen Great Scriptures" ( Lung-chen bco-brgyad ), which came be to called "mind series" ( sems de ) texts at a later date . Five of these texts, the "five early translations" ( snga ’gyur nga ), are perhaps

3960-402: The 1630s), it did lead to the widespread use of Buddhist ideology for the legitimation of power among the Mongol nobility. Last but not least, Yonten Gyatso , the fourth Dalai Lama, was a grandson of Altan Khan. Sonam Choephel (1595–1657 CE), the first regent of the fifth Dalai Lama , was "the prime architect of the Gelug 's rise to power". Sonam Choephel requested the aid of Güshi Khan ,

4059-510: The 3rd century, Buddhism began to spread into the Tibetan region, and its teachings began to affect the Bon religion in the Kingdom of Zhangzhung . According to tradition, in the reign of King Thothori Nyantsen (6th century), a basket of Buddhist scriptures arrived in Tibet from India. Sanskrit Buddhist scriptures from Nepal & India were first translated into Tibetan under the reign of

Semde - Misplaced Pages Continue

4158-480: The Awakened Mind describes bodhicitta as the “self-nature of experience” (Tib. sems kyi rang bzhin, Skt. citta- svabhava ), and as the “ultimate nature of experience" (Tib. sems kyi chos nyid, Skt. citta- dharmata ). Namkhai Norbu writes that in Semde sources, terms like bodhicitta, the very core of bodhicitta (snying po byang chub kyi sems), and “the primordial ground of being” (ye gzhi), are all synonyms for

4257-570: The Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara . According to Tibetan traditions, Bhrikuti was a devout Buddhist and brought many sacred images and expert Newari craftsmen with her as part of her dowry. The Red Palace (Mar-po-ri Pho-drang) on Marpo Ri (Red Mountain) in Lhasa, which was later rebuilt into the thirteen storey Potala by the Fifth Dalai Lama , was constructed by Nepali craftsmen according to her wishes. She also had constructed

4356-731: The Buddhism religious leaders known as Princes of Dharma and granted some other titles to local leaders including the Grand Imperial Tutor. During the early period of the Northern Yuan dynasty (1368 - c. 1636), shamanism once again became the sole dominant religion in Mongolia , but the last sixty years before the death of the last khan Ligdan Khan (1588–1643) were marked by intensive penetration of Tibetan Buddhism into Mongolian society. In 1578, Sonam Gyatso

4455-690: The Eyes of Contemplation ( Samten Migdrön ). Nubchen also wrote commentaries on some of the eighteen Semde texts, and these include the rJe btsan dam pa’i ’grel pa [Commentary on the Holy Revered One]; the Byang chub sems bde ba ’phra bkod kyi don ’grel [Meaning Commentary on the Inlaid Jewel of Bliss, the Enlightened Mind]; and the rDo rje gzong phugs kyi ’grel pa [Commentary on the Piercing Awl]. Another Semde commentary

4554-457: The Great Perfection (Dzogchen), which is "the primordial state of pure and total presence" that is also called “the great hypersphere” (thig le chen po), “the all-inclusive state of the individual” (bdag nyid chen po), and “spontaneous perfection” (hun grub). One of the terms that Nubchen Sangye Yeshe draws on to explain the nature of the ground, the intrinsic state, is "spontaneous presence" (Tib. lhun grub). According to Esler, Nubchen sees this as

4653-548: The Mongol court in 1249. Tibet was incorporated into the Mongol Empire, retaining nominal power over religious and regional political affairs, while the Mongols managed a structural and administrative rule over the region, reinforced by the rare military intervention. Tibetan Buddhism was adopted as the de facto state religion by the Mongol Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), founded by Kublai Khan , that also ruled China . All variants of Buddhism, such as Chinese , Tibetan and Indian Buddhism flourished, though Tibetan Buddhism

4752-495: The Mongol invasion of Tibet (1240 onwards) and the establishment of the Mongol Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) in China , Tibetan Buddhism spread beyond Tibet to Mongolia and China. From the 14th to the 20th centuries, Tibetan Buddhism was patronized by the Chinese Ming dynasty (1368–1644) and the Manchurian Qing dynasty (1644–1912) which ruled China. The Gelugpa school, founded by Je Tsongkhapa (1357–1419), rose to (political) prominence under Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso (1617–1682),

4851-429: The Mongols had become Buddhists, including tens of thousands of monks, almost all followers of the Gelug school and loyal to the Dalai Lama. Since then Tibetan Buddhism has played a very important role among the Mongols. Tibetan Buddhism was the most important religion among the Mongols under Qing rule (1635–1912), as well as the state religion of the Kalmyk Khanate (1630–1771), the Dzungar Khanate (1634–1758) and

4950-417: The Mongols via the Tangut state of Western Xia (1038–1227). Buddhists entered the service of the Mongol Empire in the early 13th century. Buddhist monasteries established in Karakorum were granted tax exempt status, though the religion was not given official status by the Mongols until later. The Mongols invaded Tibet in 1240. The Mongols withdrew their soldiers from Tibet in 1241, and returned to

5049-449: The Rinpungpa family was overthrown by the Tsangpa dynasty of Shigatse which expanded its power in different directions of Tibet in the following decades and favoured the Karma Kagyu sect. They would play a pivotal role in the events which led to the rise of power of the Dalai Lama's in the 1640s. Tibetan Buddhism was patronized by the ethnic Chinese in Ming China after overthrowing Mongol rule, and kept friendly relations with some of

SECTION 50

#1732780434088

5148-406: The Sa-skya period. Ösung's allies managed to keep control of Lhasa, and Yumtän was forced to go to Yalung, where he established a separate line of kings. The late 10th and 11th century saw a revival of Buddhism in Tibet. Coinciding with the early discoveries of " hidden treasures " ( terma ), the 11th century saw a revival of Buddhist influence originating in the far east and far west of Tibet. In

5247-403: The Tibetans with almost all of their primary sources about what they regarded to be the Hinayana . A subsect of this school, Mūlasarvāstivāda was the source of the Tibetan vinaya . The Chinese princess Jincheng Gongzhu ( zh:金城公主 ) (?–739), known in Tibet as Kim-sheng, and a devout Buddhist, was sent to Tibet in 710 where she married Mes-ag-tshoms. Buddhist monks from Khotan (Li), fleeing

5346-454: The Yuan court and enjoyed special power. During this period Tibetan Buddhism was practiced not only within the capital Beijing and the Tibetan Plateau , but throughout the country. For instance, Hangzhou , capital of the former Southern Song dynasty and the largest city in the Yuan realm, became an important hub of the activities of Tibetan Buddhism, which took public or official precedence over Han Chinese Buddhism . Similarly, Mount Wutai ,

5445-414: The awakened mind (bodhicitta). As such, he calls these works "pristine Great Perfection", and contrasts them with the later texts of the "Funerary Great Perfection" which embrace the taboo tantric imagery of violence, sex and death. Germano writes that these early sources "are marked by the absence of presentations of detailed ritual and contemplative technique," and by the lack of the "funerary Buddhism" of

5544-420: The collection is called the 21 Semde texts): Furthermore there are other Semde texts which are not part of the common list of Semde texts, but are still considered important. Two other important texts which are quoted by Nubchen in his Lamp are The Small Hidden Grain (rGum chung) and The Universally Definitive Perfection (rDzogs pa spyi spyod). Also, Longchenpa has an alternative list of 18 texts which lists

5643-630: The contents of this collection (including the number of texts in it, hence Nubchen's statement that they consist of "the twenty or eighteen" works). Between the 9th and 14th centuries, various lists of these main Semde texts proliferated, and these different lists vary in content. Further complicating the issue is the fact that Semde texts with the same title found in different sources can sometimes be different texts altogether. Furthermore, Karen Liljenberg has also noted that some of Semde texts in this collection may have changed names. As such, this corpus of works may have served as an "ideal" canon, rather than

5742-455: The country and the establishment of the Khoshut Khanate . By this feat the Phagmodrupa dynasty , which was associated with a variant of the Kagyu school, was technically replaced; in fact it had been powerless for many years. By subsequently formally recognizing the Fifth Dalai Lama's authority in 1642, Güshi Khan effectively made Gyatso the temporal ruler of all Tibet. The Qing dynasty (1644–1912) established their rule over Tibet after

5841-431: The decline of the Yuan dynasty, Central Tibet was ruled by successive families from the 14th to the 17th century, and Tibet would be de facto independent from the mid-14th century on, for nearly 400 years. Jangchub Gyaltsän (Byang chub rgyal mtshan, 1302–1364) became the strongest political family in the mid-14th century. Military hostilities ended in 1354 with Jangchub Gyaltsän as the unquestioned victor, who established

5940-439: The diversity of appearances with the deeper non-dual nature of all things, which is equated with Buddha Samantabhadra (All Good). Since all appearances are ultimately good, there is nothing to do but rest in the spontaneity of what is present. According to Esler, this "non-referential" (Tib. dmigs med) form of meditation lacks any specific object of focus and instead entails repeatedly training "the ability to rest, “effortlessly,” in

6039-431: The earliest of these and could indeed have been written in India. Sam van Schaik notes that some of the earliest datable Dzogchen texts are The Meditation on the Awakened Mind by Mañjuśrīmitra (which is listed in a 9th century catalogue called the Denkarma) and various short texts which are quoted by Nubchen Sangye Yeshe 's late 9th century Lamp for the Eyes of Contemplation ( Samten Migdrön ). Nubchen's Lamp itself

SECTION 60

#1732780434088

6138-408: The earliest of these, and are attributed to the monk Vairotsana of Pagor. Manuscripts of some of these texts have been found in the Dunhuang caves. They include The Cuckoo of Awareness ( Rig pa'i khu byug ), The Small Hidden Grain ( gSangs rgyas sbas pa ), Questions and Answers of Vajrasattva and Gold Refined from Ore ( rdo la gser zhun ). According to Liljenberg, Gold Refined from Ore may be

6237-404: The early 20th century Tibet acquired de facto independence from the Manchurian Qing Empire. Tibetan independence ended with the Chinese invasion of 1950 , which resulted in an exodus of Tibetans . In the 21st century, Tibetan Buddhism continues to have adherents on the Tibetan Plateau and in surrounding regions, while it has also attracted a considerable interest in the Western world. During

6336-474: The enlightened state", and the fact that there is "no need for meditation or gradual practices to purify or improve oneself" since "there is no path to follow, as the "destination" of enlightenment is already reached, and primordially-immanent." According to the Tibetologist David Germano , early Dzogchen "Semde" texts ignore or deny the validity and relevance of Vajrayana tantric practices and rituals in favor of terse poetic descriptions and direct experience of

6435-470: The entire episode is fictitious. Pioneering Buddhologist Giuseppe Tucci speculated that Mohayen's ideas were preserved by the Nyingmapas in the form of dzogchen teachings. John Myrdhin Reynolds and Sam van Schaik reject this possibility. According to Reynolds, "Except for a brief flirtation with Ch'an in the early days of Buddhism in Tibet in the eighth century, the Tibetans exhibited almost no interest at all in Chinese Buddhism, except for translating

6534-426: The ethos of these early Dzogchen texts is "non-action," "undirected action" or "non-deliberate action". This is because "the here and now is a field of immanent sameness, and any attempt to affect it or change it by any technique is counterproductive. Any engagement of effort diminishes it. Seeking it inhibits its discovery." As such, these texts teach the "no meditation" of letting go of all goal directed activity, since

6633-441: The following short Semde text called " The Cuckoo of Rigpa " ( rig pa'i khu byug ): In variety, there is no difference. And in parts, a freedom from elaborations. Things as things are, are not conceptual, but The shining forth of appearances is All Good. Since you are finished, cast off the sickness of effort! Resting naturally, leave things [as they are]. Esler notes that that this important text attempts to reconcile

6732-436: The king of the Tümed Mongols , first invited Sonam Gyatso , the head of the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism (later known as the third Dalai Lama), to Mongolia in 1569 and again in 1578, during the reign of the Tsangpa family. Gyatso accepted the second invitation. They met at the site of Altan Khan's new capital, Koko Khotan (Hohhot), and the Dalai Lama taught a huge crowd there. Sonam Gyatso publicly announced that he

6831-477: The literary and artistic development. During this period the reformist scholar Je Tsongkhapa (1357–1419) founded the Gelug sect which would have a decisive influence on Tibet's history. Internal strife within the Phagmodrupa dynasty, and the strong localism of the various fiefs and political-religious factions, led to a long series of internal conflicts. The minister family Rinpungpa , based in Tsang (West Central Tibet), dominated politics after 1435. In 1565

6930-407: The luminous mind cannot be accessed through calculated discipline and structured activity. They also contain no teaching on graduated progress or path, since the nature of mind is already complete and perfect. It cannot be improved from its immanent perfect state and so there is no place to go or path to follow. The Semde attitude of “nonaction” ( bya ba med pa ) to religious practice can be found in

7029-497: The mind and its emptiness , luminosity , purity and inherent gnosis . The Dzogchen texts which are today classified as "Semde" include the earliest Dzogchen sources currently known. These are generally short texts which appeared in the ninth century and are attributed to early transmission figures like Garab Dorje (seventh century?), Śrīsiṁha (eighth century) , Vairotsana (8th century) and Vimalamitra (eighth-ninth century). These teachings were influenced by tantric sources like

7128-572: The most important Semde text in Nyingma, is a slightly later composite text possibly dating from the late 10th or the early 11th century which contains within it various short early Semde texts like the Cuckoo of Rigpa . By the 11th century these traditions developed in different systems such as the Kham, the Rong and the Nyang systems, which according to Ronald Davidson "are represented by texts surviving from

7227-558: The much more popular Intimate Instruction ( Mennagde ) systems of Dzogchen, especially the Seminal Heart ( Nying-thig ) tradition. These new Dzogchen teachings had begun to appear in the Renaissance period (11th–12th century) and are associated with treasure revealers like Chetsün Sengé Wangchuk and Zhangton Tashi Dorje (1097-1127) who claimed they had discovered texts that had been hidden by figures like Vimalamitra . In

7326-440: The nature of the mind, the mind's natural condition (i.e. rigpa). It is only in this state that there is "nothing to correct or adjust, accept or reject; there is no meditation to enter into or come out of." One feature of the practice of contemplation in semde as taught today is "four yogas" (where yoga in Tibetan : རྣལ་འབྱོར་ , Wylie : rnal ’byor , THL : näljor ). The four yogas are: According to Namkhai Norbu, "there

7425-550: The new Mennagde systems, early Dzogchen teachings were first given the classification of "Semde" and were subordinated to the teachings of the Seminal Heart tradition. According to Instruction Series texts, the Mind Series is based on understanding that one's own mind is the basis of all appearances and that this basis, called mind itself, is empty and luminous . According to the modern Dzogchen teacher Namkhai Norbu ,

7524-509: The persecutions of an anti-Buddhist king, were given refuge by Kim-sheng about 737. Kim-sheng died during an outbreak of smallpox sometime between 739 and 741, and anti-Buddhist factions in Tibet began to blame the epidemic on the support of Buddhism by the king and queen. This forced the monks to flee once again; first to Gandhara , and then to Kosambi in central India where the monks apparently ended up quarrelling and slaughtering each other. Tibetan king Trisong Detsen (742–797) invited

7623-486: The propagation of Buddhism, but in the 8th century King Trisong Detsen (755–797) established it as the official religion of the state. Trisong Detsen invited Indian Buddhist scholars to his court, and Tibetan Buddhists today trace their oldest spiritual roots to the Indian masters Padmasambhāva (8th century) and Śāntarakṣita (725–788), who founded the Nyingma , The Ancient Ones , the oldest school of Tibetan Buddhism. According to Tibetan tradition, Padmasambhāva wrote

7722-489: The pure and empty awakened mind. Christopher Hatchell writes that Semde works show "a disinterest in specifying any kind of structured practices or concepts" which are used to connect with the ultimate gnosis ( rigpa ). Instead, Semde texts argue that "there is nothing to do and nothing to strive for, so the reality of All Good will manifest in its immediacy just by relaxing and letting go." According to van Schaik, in these early Dzogchen texts, rigpa (gnosis, knowledge) refers to

7821-565: The region in 1244, when Köten delivered an ultimatum, summoning the abbot of Sakya ( Kun-dga' rGyal-mtshan ) to be his personal chaplain, on pains of a larger invasion were he to refuse. Sakya Paṇḍita took almost 3 years to obey the summons and arrive in the Kokonor region in 1246, and met Prince Köten in Liangzhou the following year. The Mongols had annexed Amdo and Kham to the east, and appointed Sakya Paṇḍita Viceroy of Central Tibet by

7920-755: The rulers of both khanates increasingly adopted Tibetan Buddhism, like the Yuan dynasty at that time. However, the Mongol rulers Ghazan of the Ilkhanate and Uzbeg of the Golden Horde converted to Islam in AD 1295 and AD 1313 respectively. The Yuan dynasty based in China and Mongolia became the only division of the Mongol Empire not to embrace Islam, instead favoring Tibetan Buddhism until its demise. With

8019-592: The sacred site of Bodhisattva Manjusri and the holy mountain of Chinese Buddhist pilgrims, was greatly influenced by Tibetan Buddhism. Among the ruling class of the Mongol khanates of the Golden Horde (1240s–1502) and the Ilkhanate (1256–1335/1353), the two western khanates of the Mongol Empire , Shamanism and Buddhism were once the dominant religions, as in the Yuan dynasty. In the early days,

8118-459: The scholarly tradition. A renowned exponent, Sakya Pandita (1182–1251CE), was the great-grandson of Khön Könchok Gyelpo. Other seminal Indian teachers were Tilopa (988–1069) and his student Naropa (probably died c. 1040 CE).The Kagyu , the Lineage of the (Buddha's) Word , is an oral tradition which is very much concerned with the experiential dimension of meditation. Its most famous exponent

8217-530: The singular enlightened gnosis of the buddha All Good ( Samantabhadra, Kuntu Zangpo )". The Victorious Emergence of the Peak ( rTse mo byung rgyal ) says that "the diversity [that is] Samantabhadra" is “the principal consciousness, the Basis-of-all” ( kun gzhi ) which "has never stirred from the expanse of naturally-occurring primordial wisdom" and is "endowed with compassionate energy that completely pervades

8316-433: The state in which "all the various wisdoms are spontaneously complete". Nuben calls this state "the great excellence in self and others" and compares to a wish granting jewel. Nubchen is also careful to explain that this spontenous wisdom is free of any thoughts, words, or concepts, as well as any sense of existence or non-existence, comparing it to sky-like spaciousness. As Nubchen writes: Intrinsic awareness, aware of space,

8415-401: The study of early Dzogchen and Semde, even if some of these do not use the term Dzogchen. One example of these is sBas pa’i rgum chung (ITJ 594) which "looks like an early mind series text, although it is not found in any of the surviving collections." There are also Dzogchen treatises written by early Nyingma figures. These include the works of Nubchen Sangye Yeshe , especially his Lamp for

8514-486: The teachings of the Shaiva Vijñānabhairava tantra . Regarding Chan, Liljenberg notes that various documents form Dunhuang indicate that some Dzogchen practitioners were syncretizing Dzogchen with Chan and other early Dzogchen works show that other people disagreed with this trend. This is also supported by the work of the Tibetan scholar Nubchen Sanggye Yeshe . Nubchen attempts to argue for the difference between

8613-619: The thirteenth to sixteenth centuries"). The Kham system was founded by the Kham yogi Aro Yeshe Jungne ( a ro ye shes 'byun gnas , 10th century). This lineage unified the teachings of Dzogchen and the Chan lineage of Heshang Moheyan what was called "the Mental Position system" ( A-ro lugs ). The Rong lineage is associated with Rongzom . During the 13th century, Semde lineages and traditions became less popular and were slowly outcompeted by

8712-438: The three series are three modes of presenting and introducing the state of Dzogchen. Norbu states that Mennagde is a more direct form of introduction, Longde is closely associated with symbolic forms of introducing Dzogchen, and Semde is more focused on oral forms of introduction. The focus of all these texts is the "awakened mind" ( byang-chub-kyi sems , Skt. bodhicitta ). According to Sten Anspal, this common Buddhist term has

8811-485: The true nature of the mind is Dharmata (the ultimate nature of things), there is no need to meditate on anything else: Whatever characteristics of conceptual thought may arise, if one knows that very thought to be the true nature of things, there is no need to meditate on the realm of reality anywhere else. Norbu notes that the practice of "nondoing" in Dzogchen Semde must be grounded in a deep understanding of

8910-457: The two teachings and the superiority of Dzogchen, but he also agrees that much of their terminology is similar. Furthermore, the biography of several Dzogchen masters depict them as traveling to China (Vairotsana) or even having transmitted Chan lineages (Aro Yeshe). Liljenberg writes that the main themes of the five early translations include non-duality (gnyis med), universal equality (mnyam nyid), "non-action" (bya med), "not seeking (rtsol med)

9009-473: The west, Rinchen Zangpo (958–1055) was active as a translator and founded temples and monasteries. Prominent scholars and teachers were again invited from India. In 1042 Atiśa (982–1054 CE) arrived in Tibet at the invitation of a west Tibetan king. This renowned exponent of the Pāla form of Buddhism from the Indian university of Vikramashila later moved to central Tibet. There his chief disciple, Dromtonpa founded

9108-557: The world. The 14th Dalai Lama , Tenzin Gyatso, has traveled the world and spoken about the welfare of Tibetans, environment , economics , women's rights , non-violence , interfaith dialogue , physics , astronomy , Buddhism and science , cognitive neuroscience , reproductive health , and sexuality , along with various Mahayana and Vajrayana topics. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. Today, Tibetan Buddhism

9207-541: Was Milarepa , an 11th-century mystic. It contains one major and one minor subsect. The first, the Dagpo Kagyu, encompasses those Kagyu schools that trace back to the Indian master Naropa via Marpa Lotsawa , Milarepa and Gampopa Tibetan Buddhism exerted a strong influence from the 11th century CE among the peoples of Inner Asia , especially the Mongols . Tantric-style Tibetan Buddhism was possibly first spread to

9306-492: Was a reincarnation of the Tibetan Sakya monk Drogön Chögyal Phagpa (1235–1280) who converted Kublai Khan, while Altan Khan was a reincarnation of Kublai Khan (1215–1294), the famous ruler of the Mongols and Emperor of China, and that they had come together again to cooperate in propagating the Buddhist religion. While this did not immediately lead to a massive conversion of Mongols to Buddhism (this would only happen in

9405-581: Was annexed by the Chinese People's republic in 1950. In 1959 the 14th Dalai Lama and a great number of clergy fled the country, to settle in India and other neighbouring countries. This also started the spread of Tibetan Buddhism to western countries, resulting in worldwide communities of Tibetan Buddhism. In the wake of the Tibetan diaspora , Tibetan Buddhism has gained adherents in the West and throughout

9504-578: Was established by the 5th Dalai Lama with the help of the Güshi Khan of the Khoshut in 1642. After the civil war in the 17th century and the Mongol intervention, the Gelugpa school dominated Tibetan Buddhism, and successive Dalai Lamas ruled Tibet from the mid-17th to mid-20th centuries. The rise of the Dalai Lama's was intimately connected with the military power of Mongolian clans. Altan Khan ,

9603-523: Was eventually favored at the imperial level under emperor Möngke (1209–1259), who appointed Namo from Kashmir as chief of all Buddhist monks. The top-level department and government agency known as the Bureau of Buddhist and Tibetan Affairs (Xuanzheng Yuan) was set up in Khanbaliq (modern-day Beijing ) to supervise Buddhist monks throughout the empire. The Sakya Imperial Preceptors were active at

9702-478: Was followed by the so-called Era of Fragmentation , a period of Tibetan history in the 9th and 10th centuries. During this era, the political centralization of the earlier Tibetan Empire collapsed. The period was dominated by rebellions against the remnants of imperial Tibet and the rise of regional warlords. Upon the death of Langdarma , the last emperor of a unified Tibetan empire, a civil war ensued, which effectively ended centralized Tibetan administration until

9801-600: Was invited to Mongolia and converted Altan Khan to Buddhism along with his tribe (the first Mongol tribe to be so converted). Altan Khan conferred the title "Dalai" on him, "Dalai" being the Mongolian translation of his Tibetan name " Gyatso ", which means "sea" or "ocean". This is the origin of the title Dalai Lama . The Ming assisted Altan Khan (1507–1582), King of the Tümed Mongols , when he requested aid in propagating Vajrayana Buddhism. Within 50 years nearly all

#87912