On Jul 26, 2005, at 11:43 AM, Bhairitu wrote: >> I have to be honest, I have a hard time with these dichotomous labels >> although of course it's helpful for talking about things--and sure >> there are Buddhists who are gungho with that label and Hindu tantrics >> who are the same way. I'm a Nath and Rime (non-sectarian) practitioner >> and don't see a need to side with a camp or a sect. The Nath are said >> to 'practice Hinduism by day and Buddhism by night'. The core that >> just >> awakens and is not a religion is what appeals to me personally. Both >> are marvelous. So to answer your question, yeah both and I love them >> both. My Nath guru was the last holder of a sect of Uttara >> Kaulas...but >> he was also recognized as a lama by the Kagyupas, loved taoism and so >> on. It's a non-sectarian trip, a maxim is "don't get caught in limits, >> don't belong to a school." >> >> >> > But I find it important in understanding these schools of thought to > delineate. To me to "not" try to discern is some kind of "new age" > philosophy.
I couldn't agree more. At the same time there are blatant similarities which cannot be ignored. For example the Buddhist kalachakra tantra contains an entire Hindu agama inside it, the Shiva-swarodaya. Cave practices done by Tibetan yogis in isolation are also similar those used by Shaivite yogins--the important difference being their "View", their POV and cosmology. I respect and understand the reasons for not "mixing" but I also will always take the opportunity to break bread with other practitioners whenever I can. It's just too compelling to ignore. Don't even get me started on New Age emetics...;-) > I don't seem that much semblance between what I've seen in > Buddhist tantra and what I've learned in Indian tantra. What we *do* > see is the similarity in more abstract terms of shamans, tantrics, > witch > doctors, voodoo in the manipulation of the realm of physics through > "supernatural means." IOW, technology that current material based > science has yet to comprehend. Well and methods are similar or often the same. It's also important that we're comparing apples to apples--Hindu anuttara tantra to Buddhist anuttara tantra. Most Hindu tantras that I see people practicing are outer tantras, so it is important to know what type of tantra we're talking about. There are entire tantras which we can see in Shaivism--particularly Kapalika ones--which made their way into Tantric Buddhism. And vice versa. There were many practices which made their way from Bon and Dzogchen to Kashmir Hindu yogis. Alain Danielou has done a great job at showing the 'what and how' of Shaivism that made it's way into Buddhism; conversely Bon and Nyingma practitioners have told how their trads. were shared in the opposite flow. Really it is quite amazing as the kingdom of Zhang Zhung--the trad. region of Tibetan culture centered around Mt. Kailash--is home to many teachings other than Buddhism. Kailash is the sacred abode to Shiva and Parvati, the Taoists, the Bonpos and others. It's an exciting web of possibilities. >> He is a married lama and translator--IIRC he has a good amount of >> exposure to Hindu tantra, but practices Buddha-dharma and Dzogchen. >> The >> translation in question is a Buddhist version of the lives of the 84 >> Mahasiddhas and so for that reason the intro. covers that context >> primarily. >> >> >>> There is a belief that many of the >>> "Indiaphiles" are actually reincarnates of people who in the >>> twentieth >>> century died in the upheavals in India and Tibet are that is why some >>> are attracted to Hindu thought and some to Buddhist. >>> >>> - Bhairitu >>> >>> >> >> Yeah I know some who have memories of the Tibetan and Islamic diaspora >> in Tibet and in India. What can I say...god recycles ;-). >> > On my arrival in Bombay I was overtaken with emotions of "you are > home." I tried putting it in check as some kind of mood making but it > would not go away. I felt far more at home in India with the Indian > people than I ever have in the US. Perhaps you would feel the same > visiting Tibet? Maybe. I've always been very happy wherever I was. Except maybe Florida in the summertime... To subscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Or go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ and click 'Join This Group!' Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FairfieldLife/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
