Is there room for the supernatural in Western Buddhism? Four sutra views of magic and metaphysical and why a supernatural perspective helps “see beyond ordinary perception”
Bodhisattvas, Buddhist Sutras and Sutta English, Dakini, Deities, Mahayana, Vajrayana Buddhism and Practices
Does removing the magic from Buddhist practice seem less — magical? Sometimes, with a secular approach to Buddhism, we strip away some of the flair, the near euphoric joy of the Buddha's Dharma. That "bliss" can be an ...
Part 3: 21 Taras of Mahasidda Suryagupta: after curing him of leprosy, Tara taught him Her Twenty-One forms
Bodhisattvas, Deities, Tara
Suryagupta, one of the great Eighty-four Mahasiddas (7th/8th century), had countless visions of glorious Mother Tara. She so cherished the great master — also known as Ravigupta or “Nyi ma be pa” in Tibetan — that she first ...
Four heroic incarnations of Ksitigarbha, the “Earth Store” Bodhisattva — unfailing, never-tiring compassion
Bodhisattvas, Buddhist Sutras and Sutta English, Deities, Dharma, Mahayana
Ksitigarbha is a bodhisattva revered by millions across East Asia — honoured by the Buddha Himself due to his "untiring limitless compassion" — and his vows to help all sentient beings. He is also popularly known as Lord ...
Mama Buddha Tara: Compassionate Action; Stories of Tara the Rescuer
Bodhisattvas, Buddha, Buddhist Practices, Dakini, Deities, Enlightened Feminine in Buddhism, Mahayana, Mantra, Tantra, Tara, Vajrayana Buddhism and Practices
"Tara is without doubt the most beloved female deity in Tibetan Buddhism, revered for her swiftness in helping those who rely on her. She has been described as a Buddha for our modern age, a sublime personification of ...
Bodhidharma’s Breakthrough Teaching: Shastra on Eradicating Appearances
Bodhisattvas, Dharma, Zen and Chan Buddhism
Bodhidharma[1] is one of the most venerated Buddhist masters of the far east. He was an Indian monk known for having brought the Zen[2] teachings to China, which then spread to Japan and other regions. He left behind ...
“The Mind of One Buddha is the Mind of All Buddhas”; How “Jewel Collection Refuge” Can Help You Manage Your Commitments to Multiple Practices and Yidams
Bodhisattvas, Buddha, Dharma, What the Buddhist Teachers Say
"The mind of one Buddha is the mind of all Buddhas," said learned teacher Gelek Rimpoche, in a commentary on Vajrayogini. [1] "The mind of all Buddhas is the mind of a Buddha. It is like a huge ...
Tara, the Saviour, and Vajrayogini the Sarvabuddhadakini: how are they different, and how are they the one? The importance of Female Buddhas: Wisdom personified
Bodhisattvas, Buddhist Practices, Enlightened Feminine in Buddhism, Mahayana, Tantra, Tara, Vajrayana Buddhism and Practices
Vajrayogini “is the original and prototypical female Buddha of the Tantric pantheon… compassionate, all-knowing, and supremely blissful… Vajrayogini reigns supreme as the Sarvabuddhadakini, ‘Dakini Whose Essence is That of All Buddhas.’” [2] On the other hand, Tara appears ...
Sems dpa, the Buddhist Spiritual Warrior, the Hero, the fearless Buddhist: overcoming self-ignorance and our maras
Bodhisattvas, Buddhist Living, Dharma
The term Spiritual Warrior (Tibetan "sems dpa") may hint at more than a whiff of bravado and violence — until it is understood that the enemy of the Spiritual Warrior is "avidya" or self-ignorance. Overcoming avidya is at ...
The many faces of Avalokiteshvara’s compassion: sometimes we need a father or mother, sometimes a friend, sometimes a warrior
Bodhisattvas, Deities
Sometimes we need the gentle mother or father to guide us. We often need a best friend to console us, pat our back, pick us back up and inspire us to work harder. Or, we might need the ...
Tantra Helps “Stop Ordinary Perception”, and is the Fast Path to Enlightenment. But How Do Modern Buddhists Relate to Deities?
Bodhisattvas, Dakini, Deities, Tantra, Vajrayana Buddhism and Practices
The much revered Guru Lama Yeshe. The great teacher Lama Yeshe once asked: "Why are there so many different deities in tantra?" [1] On one hand, Mahayana Buddhism speaks to universality, emptiness, oneness and the illusion of "I" ...
Magnetize me: working with the magnetizing activity deities of the Padma Buddha family: Amitabha, Chenrezig, Hayagriva, Vajrayogini, Vajradharma
Bodhisattvas, Buddha, Buddhist Practices, Buddhist Symbols and Implements, Vajrayana Buddhism and Practices
Many Buddhists are attracted (magnetized) to the charismatic emanations of Enlightenment of the Padma family: Amitabha, Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), Hayagriva, Vajrayogini or Vajravarahi, Kurukulla, Vajradharma and others. It seems natural and instinctive — the nature of the magnetic personas ...
Chittamani Tara (Cittamani)- the “Mind Jewel” Green Tara, an approachable and appealing Highest Yoga Anuttara practice – one of the main practices of many great Gelug teachers
Bodhisattvas, Buddha, Deities, Mahayana, Tantra, Tara, Vajrayana Buddhism and Practices, What the Buddhist Teachers Say
Green Tara Buddha is almost certainly one of the most popular Yidams in Vajrayana Buddhism. In Tibetan Buddhism especially, Green Tara is accessible to all, Mother of all the Buddhas, and virtually a "universal" symbol of Active Compassionate ...