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(Page 2 of 7)
In fact, Ch’an
(Zen in Japan), one of the more prominent schools of
Chinese Buddhism, which was founded during the 6th
and 7th
centuries by an Indian Buddhist named Bodhidharma, is
considered to be a combination of Bodhidharma’s
Dhyana* Buddhism, which
emphasized the practice of
meditation*
as the way to enlightenment, and Chinese
Taoism.*
This is seen in the fact that the Taoist concept of
‘nondoing’*
is a central feature in Ch’an/Zen. It is also important
to note that when a Teaching is translated from one
language to another, the accuracy of that Teaching
depends upon the translator’s level of consciousness.
Unless the individual is enlightened, the translation
will be incomplete; it will miss the fluidity that the
translator was unable to see because of the obstructions
created by the unconscious karma he still carries.
In addition to
Taoism, Confucianism was the other main school of
thought in
China
at that time. Initially, many Chinese, especially the
ruling class, whose power was to some extent based on
the Confucian system of government, perceived Buddhism
to be in conflict with the Confucian focus on service
and responsibility to country and family. As a result,
many of the sutras and Teachings that became prominent
in Chinese Buddhism were ones that centered on
addressing this concern,
teaching that an individual’s enlightenment uplifted the
whole,*
and therefore, one’s country
and family. This illustrates how a country’s culture and
political structure influenced the development and form
that Buddhism took.
Tibet
Prior to the
infusion of Tantric Buddhism into Tibet,
around the mid-8th
century C.E., its people mainly practiced the
Bon
religion, which was a superstitious and ritualistic form
of Animism.
Bon was mainly focused on
protecting oneself from demons, making offerings to the
gods, and using divination systems. Later, many of the
demons in Bon were incorporated into Buddhism as deities
who protected the Path and are represented in Tibetan
Buddhist artwork. Probably as a result of Bon’s
influence, Tibetan Buddhism placed great emphasis on
meditating upon various natural energies and aspects of
consciousness, symbolized as
deities.
Over time, this led to these deities being seen as
powers outside of oneself, resulting in a strong focus
on evoking these deities through prayer, chanting
mantras, and especially visualization.
Many traditional Buddhist
practitioners and lay-followers now have ceremonies
where they make food offerings to deity statues, praying
for things like health, happiness, long life, and money.
Although this is a common
practice in many religions, it does not actually have
anything to do with Buddhism. It is a direct result of
native cultural beliefs becoming entwined with the
Buddhist Teachings.
However, the
contributions of Padmasambhava, who first brought
Buddhism to
Tibet,
cannot be overlooked. This highly realized master was
responsible for bringing the powerful Tantric teaching
of
Dzogchen,*
as well as transferring the great wealth of Indian
Tantric and Sutra texts to Tibet, with the aid of
translators whom he sent to India.
Continued...
*Practices
and teachings in bold are also incorporated in HÜMÜH Buddhism.
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