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The main two divisions of Buddhism are Theravada, the way of the elders and the most popular Mahayana, the bigger way, the greater raft. There is also a development of the Mahayana group, which is called Vajayana to mean the Diamond way. The term “vajra” came from Hindu mythology and was the diamond hear thunderbolt used as a weapon by the gods, this became a object of Buddhist authority, similar to a royal scepter.
The Vajrayana Buddhists accepted a tantric way of practice, using ritual, religious images, diagrams, chanting, and song. Tantric Buddhists incorporated Hindu chants and initiations into the philosophy that evolved in India about 600-700AD.
Tantric Buddhism blends the physical and spiritual world and engages both. The physical has an effect on the spiritual, and the spiritual has a similar effect on the physical.
Vajrayanan Buddhism still exists in pockets in many countries, but it reached its full potential, and further developed, in Tibet.
Tibet was a latecomer to Buddhism, and an Indian monk, who followed the Tantric school in Indian, came to Tibet in 747AD and established the main Tibetan schools. Tibet became a primary center of learning about Buddhism. It did well in Tibet and enjoyed royal patronage. Tibetan Buddhism is very colorful, and full of images of deities and demons often drawn in a ritual diagram called a mandala, which would often represent the whole universe. Strong smells of incense and butter lamps, and loud trumpets and cymbals are used to engage the senses. Dancers wearing fierce and friendly masks perform ritual dances to offer protection and to appease the spirits, while monks beat drums and chant.
From Tibet, the Vajrayanan Buddhism spread into Mongolia, Siberia, Nepal, and the kingdom of Bhutan.
A Vajrayana monk will undertake a long course of study as part of his training and will study aspects of the Theravada, Mahayana and Tantric schools.
The training will often be over twenty or thirty years long and after that the monk may reach the position of a religious master, called a lama. The most well known lama is His Holiness, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, and spiritual head of one of the main Tibetan Buddhist groups.
Tibetan Buddhists believe in the reincarnation of the essence of the Dalai Lama. When the thirteenth Dalai Lama died in 1933, a search began for the new Dalai Lama. He was located four years later, at the age of two, after following signs that had appeared soon after the death of the previous Dalai Lama. The young boy was presented with objects from the former Dalai Lama, as well as other similar objects. Which he selected right; at the age of four he was taken to Lhasa to begin training.
The word Dalai is Mongolian meaning "ocean", and the Dalai Lama is a term that also means "an ocean of wisdom".
The Dalai Lama became the spiritual and political leader of Tibet when he was fifteen. In 1950, China took over Tibet, and in 1959, the Dalai Lama left Tibet and now lives in Northern India, at Dharmsala. In 1989, he was awarded the Nobel Peace prize for his work, in particular for his commitment to peaceful solutions without use of violence
The Dalai Lama believes that the common aim of all religions, an aim that everyone must try to find, is to foster tolerance, altruism and love. According to him, if the authentic Buddhism of Tibetan Lamas disappears from the surface of the Earth, this loss will result in an imbalance that concerns us all, and we must all accept responsibility for it.
Since the Buddha’s enlightenment during deep meditation under the Bodhi tree, meditation has been part of the practice all Buddhist followers.
Meditation in Buddhism is not sitting and daydreaming, or thinking of the day’s events. It is not staring into space, hoping that some spiritual hammer will land on the mind and suddenly free it from all problems.
Meditation for a Buddhist involves awareness of the experience; through meditation, we attempt to expand the consciousness and to raise it to a higher level.
How Do You Meditate?
Find a quiet place; choose a time where disruptions are less likely to occur. For some this will be late at night, and for others, the early morning is best.
Traditionally, most Asian Buddhists meditate sitting cross-legged on the floor, in what is often called, the Lotus position. For many in the West, this is fairly uncomfortable, and a straight-backed chair or a stool is also used.
Meditation can also be done walking, or lying down, although this is less recommended as most people will tend to fall asleep in this position. The main feature is to try to straighten the back and to balance the head on an upright neck.
If possible, wear comfortable clothes, and loosen any tight belts etc. The hands should be in an easy position, perhaps in the lap, one inside the other. The rule is that there is no rule, except that it needs to be a position where you are less aware of the physical body, and, effectively, it is parked in a safe and comfortable position.
Some Buddhists meditate with eyes closed; many keep their eyes half open so that sleep keeps at bay. Now you are able to begin the meditation. At first it will be strange and it may be better to undertake short sessions, Work up to it and you will find that you will be able to sit longer as time progresses.
Once we stop, and switch off all distractions, we then need to reach a calm state.
At this point, the attention is turned inwards and both body and mind are relaxed. This is really much more difficult than it sounds, as we are used to having input from both sources. Every day, we are aware of our senses, and thoughts crowd into the mind at every possible moment. We fill our lives with talk, music, radio, television, computers, and books. Now, at this time, we must deal with the mind without that input.
Thoughts automatically stream into the mind, As each thought arises, like a cloud on a clear blue sky, gently move that thought out of the mind; agree to deal with it later. It is useful at this point to focus on the breathing, and to be aware of a deep in-breath, followed by a relaxed out-breath.
There will be moments that follow where the mind is clear and calm, but there will also be moments where deep fears and suppressed emotions come to the surface of the mind. If this happens, acknowledge them with compassion for yourself and know that this is just a transition phase. Often we are full of emotions such as anger. We need to accept those feelings and work with them until we understand each feeling and move it to one side without trying to suppress that feeling.
The Buddha defines various levels of meditation, and the first one is where the mind is like a clear lake, with a pure underground spring bubbling into it from a great depth.
Loving Kindness Meditation
One of the popular structured meditations of the Buddhists is the meditation of Loving Kindness. Once a position of meditation is reached, we move through stages of compassionate and forgiving love. First, this is focused on us, and we think about our good points, and try to forgive or overlook the negative side. We focus on seeing ourselves loving and happy.
In the second stage, you give love and friendship to a close friend. This is usually quite easy to do, and it helps move the compassion we feel so that it will expand our relationship with the outside world.
Next, we think of someone neutral, someone we know but have no strong feelings for. Again, imagine that this person is receiving loving kindness from you and see that person as benefiting from that.
Moving on, we visualize someone who we have had difficulty with, and who provides us grief. Leave the problem area aside for the moment, and try to give understanding and perhaps some love to that person, without reference to their actions.
At this point, leave the individuals, and give loving thoughts to all those in your immediate area, then to those in the same town, and try to visualize love from yourself going to all living beings in the same country and then the world
Sit quietly with these concepts and do not force the process. When you become aware of the world around you, then move back to normal awareness, but try to retain some of the calm feelings from the meditation.
It doesn’t matter how long the meditation is, and at first sessions may be as short as five to ten minutes. But it is important to meditate regularly, at least once a day, to make progress and have the benefit in each day.
The main benefit arising from meditation is the process of resting the mind and body in a peaceful state. This allows us to have a safe place to heal old wounds, past hurts, and current injustices. And in doing so, the meditative process will gradually release us from the hold these have over us.
Essentially, meditation has two aspects. Firstly, the slowing down of the body and the mind to a receptive state, and secondly, looking deeply inwards. With practice, the art of meditation may happen naturally, and begin to integrate into the everyday life.
Buddhism is not a way to escape the world and its problems, but a way to find happiness in the midst of the turmoil.
Be kind to yourself in your search, knowing that each individual has different circumstances and refrain from measuring your achievements or failures against others.
Be open and aware of both good and bad influences and be ready to learn from both.
Have confidence in your own ability to reach a personal truth, and be daring in your search for enlightenment.
Know that everything you do, small or large, has an effect on your future and the future of the world.
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