Second Day of Preparations for the 34th Kalachakra Empowerment January 3rd 2017

[Ringo Starr]

http://www.dalailama.com/news/post/1521-second-day-of-preparations-for-the-34th-kalachakra-empowerment

[grandmapele]

Didn't know there are so very may dances in the Tibetan Buddhism tradition. I only jnew about the Cham dance and the Vajra dance of the Dorje Shugden oracle in trance. Is there any webpage where I can learn more about Tibetan Budhism dances?

The dances all look similar in photos and looks like the dances for the Vajra Vega and the oracle of Dorje Shugden and the Cham dances are similar. Only difference is the costumes.

[SabS]

Tibetan Buddhism has such rich elaborate rituals and it is always wonderful to read about them. Such details go into the drawing of a mandala and then after the painstaking process, it is swept away signifying the impermanence of things. It really does tag at the heart strings to see the beautiful mandala being swept into a swirl of mixed coloured sand. The Earth Ritual Dancers wore such elaborate costumes and danced for one and a half hours. Imagine the training that went into their dancers as I understand that they are not allowed even a slight mistake as they represented Vajra Vega, the fierce protective aspect of Kalachakra. It does remind me of the rituals some temples in Taiwan have to capture negative entities that disturbs homes, offices or public places. Its in a group of eight trained members, with painted fierce faces, costumes and different weapons representing Ghost Catchers from Hell. The moment the paint goes on their faces, they are not allowed to speak or utter any sound as ghost who were tricked into believing their status will realise the truth if they heard human sounds.

Thank you for sharing this post with us Ringo Starr.

[Tenzin Malgyur]

Thank you for this link, Ringo. So much work and effort being put into this ceremony so that the Buddha's teachings can benefit everyone who is witnessing this event. Yes, I must say that this is so grand and elaborate. I can only imagine the buzz and excitement of those fortunate pilgrims at Bodhgaya. I have read that many of the people have travelled thousands of miles to attend this holy event.
 May their spiritual aspirations be fulfilled and they be able to realize that others in their midst would also like to practice their religion of choice without discrimination. 

[Matibhadra]

So much work and effort being put into this ceremony so that the Buddha's teachings can benefit everyone who is witnessing this event. Yes, I must say that this is so grand and elaborate.

Since there is no Buddha's teaching without a Buddhist guru, and since the evil dalie lacks any Buddhist lineage, the ceremony lost its sacred meaning to become a mere political, mundane ritual aimed at binding the masses by an oath of loyalty to the theocratic cult leader, just like a mafia oath-taking ritual binds the new mafioso to the family capo.

Therefore, rather than a “grand and elaborate” ceremony to rejoice on, it is just a regrettable, catastrophic desecration of the Buddha's teachings.

[grandmapele]

So, how does one reconcile this Kalachakra empowerment? How do we reconcile the ultimate truth and the mundane? Or is there even an ultimate truth? Does this mean that Buddhism is all about philosophy and less of the "supernatural"? That all the stories of the attainments and powers of the lamas are false and that only the ultimate philosophy as argued by the Indian philosophers hold?

This politics in Buddhism is really tiresome.

[Matibhadra]

So, how does one reconcile this Kalachakra empowerment?

Without guru there is no empowement, and thus nothing to reconcile with.

How do we reconcile the ultimate truth and the mundane?

There is no mundane truth, just mundane lie or falsity. Tsongkhapa himself stated that so-called “mundane truths” are necessarily falsities. “Mundane truth” itself is a misnomer; the Buddha taught the two realities, not “two truths”.

Or is there even an ultimate truth?

Ultimate realities, which are the sole actual truths, can be found if you search for them; that's why they are called “realities”.

However, they cannot possibly be imagined to be what they are not; that's why they are called “truths”.

Does this mean that Buddhism is all about philosophy and less of the "supernatural"?

Buddhism is about the two realities, truths and falsities. This includes all that exists.

That all the stories of the attainments and powers of the lamas are false

Of course, because they do not exist the way they are imagined to. Which does not mean that they do not exist.

and that only the ultimate philosophy as argued by the Indian philosophers hold?

Mundane realities do hold, because they can be found if one searches for them, but they are falsities, because they do not exist the way they are imagined to.

However, some falsities no only do not exist the way they are imagined to, but also are themselves the images of what does no exist. This is the case of the evil impostor dalie and his Kalachakra imposture.

This politics in Buddhism is really tiresome.

Samsara with its images of what does not exist is tiresome. Nirvana is peace. But a bodhisattva vows never to get tired.

[grandmapele]

Thank you. That was an eye-opener. This tiresome politics mixed with the spiritual was really getting to me. That's why there is the duality but we have to look beyond to find the ultimate reality.