Misplaced Pages

#569430

43-755: In the Vamachara tradition, adherents engage in literal consumption and use of the Five Ms, often in the context of ritual feasts ( ganachakra ), along with other ritual elements such as incense, music, and costumes. This approach represents a more overt embrace of these elements to attain spiritual transformation. In contrast, Dakṣiṇācāra practitioners interpret the Five Ms symbolically and metaphorically, emphasizing their spiritual significance and using them as symbols for meditation and inner transformation. This interpretation encourages practitioners to transcend their worldly desires gradually and embrace subtle Tantric practices. In

86-540: A mandala of sacred space. Pettit emphasises the importance of the gathered "group" ( gana ) or sangha to Vajrayana sādhanā and the creation of sacred space such as the ganachakra: The power of sacred bonding in a temporary or virtual sacred space is an intrinsic, if normally invisible, component of a Vajrayana community experience. The community is that experience, and ceases to exist without it. To dwell in that sacredness requires not only that one perceive it, but to maintain that perception requires discipline, faith and

129-454: A begging bowl. In Tibetan monasteries a kapala is used symbolically to hold bread or dough cakes, torma , and wine instead of blood and flesh as offerings to wrathful deities, such as the ferocious Dharmapāla ("defender of the faith"). The dough cakes are shaped to resemble human eyes, ears and tongues. The kapala is made in the form of a skull, specially collected and prepared. It is elaborately anointed and consecrated before use. The cup

172-688: A feast-offering known as tsok or, in Sanskrit, ganapuja. Pettit states that sacred space is created spontaneously wherever the Three Jewels (cognate with the gankyil ) is manifest and that this sacred architecture or mandala is not dependent upon the built environment of monolithic cultures: Sacred Space is created spontaneously wherever the Three Jewels - the Buddha or teacher, the Dharma teaching or its texts, and

215-416: A mandala or sacred architecture which expresses the omnipresence of enlightenment, that is the ground of both "secular" and "sacred" experiences and activities that are never perceived apart from its all-encompassing confines. The invocation of divine presence of mandala is especially effective when undertaken by several people in a ritual context, and it is incumbent for practitioners to do so periodically with

258-555: A monk to violate his monastic vows. The presence of a woman or Dakini is required at High Tantric initiation and also at the Tantric feast of the Ganachakrapuja, but in the eleventh century reform the actual Dakini physically present was replaced by a mind-consort ( yid kyi rig-ma ), a visualization of the Dakini. One did the sexual practice only in visualization, not in actuality. In this way

301-403: A profound sense of love and respect for members of the mandala - that is, all living beings. Pettit links the importance of the group or gana to the manifestation of the ganachakra and the sacred space or the mandala (in this sense cognate with chakra ) with the liturgical tools of mantra, visualisation and sacred architecture : The potential for sacred space to manifest spontaneously

344-473: A yogi who has accomplished the siddhi of non-discriminatory awareness has broken through all illusions of duality, of purity and impurity (all constructed realities), and most importantly, nirvana and samsara. The ability to break through the duality of nirvana and samsara results in the union of emptiness and bliss, which is the highest expression of enlightenment in Vajrayana Buddhism. In this way,

387-429: Is also known as tsok , ganapuja , cakrapuja or ganacakrapuja . It is a generic term for various tantric assemblies or feasts, in which practitioners meet to chant mantra , enact mudra , make votive offerings and practice various tantric rituals as part of a sādhanā , or spiritual practice. The ganachakra often comprises a sacramental meal and festivities such as dancing, spirit possession , and trance ;

430-452: Is a loan word into Tibetan from Sanskrit kapāla ( Devanagari : कपाल) referring to the skull or forehead, usually of a human. By association, it refers to the ritual skullcup fashioned out of a human cranium. The Sanskrit word, in turn, was derived from Proto Indo-Aryan *kapā́las, and descended from Proto-Indo-European *káp-ōl- (cup, bowl), from *kap- (to seize, to hold). Kapalas are used mainly for esoteric purposes such as rituals. Among

473-451: Is a tendency oft-promoted by Tibetan lamas who disseminate teachings in the Western world, to treat references to sexual union and to sadhana that engages with the "five impure substances" (usually referred to as the "five nectars") as symbolic. In the twilight language of correspondences and substitutions there is no inconsistency. Although, when modern tantric apologists and scholars employ

SECTION 10

#1732891321570

516-478: Is also elaborately decorated and kept in a triangular pedestal. The heavily embossed cup is usually made of silver-gilt bronze with lid shaped like a skull and with a handle made in the form of a thunderbolt. Many of the deities of Vajrayana , including mahasiddhas , dakinis and dharmapalas , are depicted as carrying the kapala, usually in their left hand. Some deities such as the Hindu Chinnamasta and

559-534: Is called Cakrapuja. A Lord of the Cakra (Cakreshvara) presides sitting with his Shakti in the center. During the Cakra, there is no distinction of caste, but Pashus of any caste are excluded. There are various kinds of Cakra—productive, it is said, of differing fruits for the participator therein. As amongst Tantrik Sadhakas we come across the high, the low, and mere pretenders, so the Cakras vary in their characteristics from say

602-447: Is demarcated by geometric designs drawn on the ground with powdered pigments, and an elaborate array of offerings and foods are laid out. The participants don special insignia like bone ornaments and crowns and use musical instruments of archaic design... for inducing heightened awareness. Practitioners sit in a circle and partake of sacramental (dry) meat and wine (often liquor) served in skull-cups . The feasts also provide an occasion for

645-505: Is distinctly different from the customs of graveyards and cremation, but all three of them have been a part of the home ground of tantric practitioners’ such as the yogis and yoginis, Shaiva Kapalikas and Aghoris, shamans and sadhus. The charnel ground, often referred to as "sky burial" by Western sources, is an area demarcated specifically in Tibet, defined by the Tibetan word Jhator (literal meaning

688-567: Is dual: for people to practice yoga sadhana (meditation) while in the "midst of crude enjoyments" and then gradually reduce the consumption of wine, meat, fish, and not to overindulge in sexual activities; and after learning to resist the allure of these activities, to engage in the subtle practices of Tantra meditation. [REDACTED] Media related to Mithuna at Wikimedia Commons Ganachakra Traditional A ganacakra ( Sanskrit : गणचक्र gaṇacakra "gathering circle"; Tibetan : ཚོགས་ཀྱི་འཁོར་ལོ། , Wylie : tshogs kyi 'khor lo )

731-441: Is generally seen as appropriate for a small minority only. The ancient Indian gaṇacakra , the circle ritual...discussed earlier, is far in the past. In Tibetan practice it has long been replaced by the gaṇapuja (Tibetan: tshogs ), a considerably tamer affair, still involving a sacramental meal but normally performed indoors and without possession or dancing. John Woodroffe (writing as Arthur Avalon, 1918) affirms that

774-480: Is nowhere higher than in Vajrayana Buddhist practice, which employs the use of mantra and visualization to create an experience of sacredness. Through liturgical performances, or amidst the activities of everyday life, a yogi is to experience, imaginately imaginatively or better yet spontaneously, the presence of divinity - Buddhahood embodied - in his or her own person, companions and environment. These constitute

817-511: Is ’giving alms to the birds’), a way of exposing the corpse to nature, where human bodies are disposed as it were or in a chopped (chopped after the rituals) condition in the open ground as a ritual that has great religious meaning of the ascent of the mind to be reincarnated into another circle of life. Such a practice results in finding human bones, half or whole skeletons, more or less putrefying corpses and disattached limbs lying scattered around. Items made from human skulls or bones are found in

860-460: The Aghori monastic order, whereas "right-hand path" tantrics ( dakṣiṇācārins ) oppose these. In the Vamachara tradition, adherents engage in literal consumption and use of the Five Ms, along with other ritual elements such as incense, music, and costumes. This approach represents a more overt embrace of these elements to attain spiritual transformation. In contrast, Dakṣiṇācāra practitioners interpret

903-509: The Mahasiddha tradition which has roots in a complex and coterie of esoteric traditions of numerous siddha and sadhu Buddhist, Hindu and non-sectarian practices and views: The Higher Tantras could not be a congregational practice of monks because Tantric sadhana, as well as celebrations of the High Tantric feast or Ganachakrapuja, required partaking of meat, wine, and sexual intercourse. At

SECTION 20

#1732891321570

946-618: The panchamrita of Tantra, Hindu and Buddhist traditions are directly related to the Mahābhūta or Five Elements and that the panchamakara is actually a vulgar term for the pañcatattva : Worship with the Pañcatattva generally takes place in a Cakra or circle composed of men and women, Sadhakas and Sadhikas, Bhairavas and Bhairavis sitting in a circle, the Shakti being on the Sadhaka's left. Hence it

989-448: The "five Ms" are taken literally. Flowers, incense, perfumes, costumes, music, specially prepared food and drink, and Ayurvedic herbal preparations are considered important parts of the ritual feast ( ganachakra ) as well. In Dakṣiṇācāra ("right hand path"), the "five Ms" are interpreted symbolically and metaphorically. According to Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar , the purpose of the Five M's

1032-443: The Five Ms symbolically and metaphorically, emphasizing their spiritual significance and using them as symbols for meditation and inner transformation. This interpretation encourages practitioners to transcend their worldly desires gradually and embrace subtle Tantric practices. New branches: Tantric techniques : Fourfold division: Twofold division: Thought forms and visualisation: Yoga : Samuel defines

1075-574: The Hindu deities pictured thus are: The Kāpālika tradition was a Tantric , non- Puranic form of Shaivism in India . The word is derived from kapāla , meaning "skull", and Kāpālika means the "skull-men". The Kāpālikas were an extinct sect of Shaivite ascetics devoted to the Hindu god Shiva dating back to the 8th century CE, which traditionally carried a skull-topped trident ( khatvanga ) and an empty skull as

1118-662: The Sangha community of practitioners - are found. A place that elicits reverence should be sacred, and wherever the Jewels are found, the pieties of lay and ordained Buddhists are bound to be expressed. In Hindu tantra, a ganachakra typically consists of five elements known as panchamakara or the "five Ms". These are madya ( alcohol ), māṃsa ( meat ), matsya ( fish ), mudrā (grain), and maithuna ( sexual intercourse ). Taboo -breaking elements are only practiced literally by "left-hand path" tantrics ( vāmācārins ) such as

1161-794: The Tattva-cakra for the Brahma-kaulas, and the Bhairavi-cakra (as described in Mahanirvana, VII. 153) in which, in lieu of wine, the householder takes milk, sugar and honey (Madhura-traya), and in lieu of sexual union does meditation upon the Lotus Feet of the Divine Mother with Mantra, to Cakras the ritual of which will not be approved such as Cudacakra, Anandabhuvana-yoga and others referred to later. The ganachakra , or 'tantric feast', can be seen as

1204-447: The charnel ground are the charnel ground ornaments such as the i) Crown of five skulls, ii) Bone necklace, iii) Bone armlets, iv) Bone bracelets, v) Bone skirt and vi) Bone anklets which decorate many images of dakinis, yoginis, dharmapalas and a few other deities (as may be seen in some of the pictures and stone images depicted in the gallery here), and other products such as the Bone trumpet,

1247-546: The embrace of life's vitality, matsya signifies fluidity and adaptability in spirituality, mudra stands for sustenance on physical and spiritual levels, and maithuna represents the union of opposing forces for spiritual transformation. According to Woodroffe, these elements take on varying meanings depending on whether they are employed in Tamasika, Rajasika, or Sattvika sadhanas, reflecting different aspects of human existence and spirituality. In Vamachara ("left hand path"),

1290-419: The exchange of ritual lore, the ritual worship of women ( sripuja ), and the performance of sexual yogas. The feast culminates in the performance of tantric dances and music that must never be disclosed to outsiders. The revelers may also improvise " songs of realization " ( caryagiti ) to express their heightened clarity and blissful raptures in spontaneous verse. Samuel holds that: [S]erious Tantric practice

1333-459: The feast generally consisting of materials that were considered forbidden or taboo in medieval India like meat, fish, and wine. As a tantric practice, forms of gaṇacakra are practiced today in Hinduism , Bön and Vajrayāna Buddhism . Professor Miranda Shaw summarises the experience of a gaṇacakra : The feast is an esoteric ritual that unfolds in many stages. The sacred space for the ceremony

Panchamakara - Misplaced Pages Continue

1376-518: The ganachakra succinctly: Vajrayāna or Tantric Buddhism had its origin in India, where it seems to have been practised, at any rate in its earlier period, say the fourth to eighth centuries CE, by small initiatory cult groups. The central ritual of these groups was the gaṇacakra , a night-time sacramental circle, usually outdoors, often in a cremation ground or similarly spooky and 'powerful' location, with distinctly antinomian elements. These included

1419-408: The image of the dakini who not only drinks but takes pleasure and delight from consuming the blood in the kapala is a powerful symbol of a yogi who has perfected the paramita of prajna, and who dwells in the reality of non-dualism. The kapala is one of several charnel ground implements made from human bone found by tantrics at sky burial sites. The charnel ground, an ancient Tibetan burial custom,

1462-491: The introduction of his translation of the Mahanirvana Tantra , Sir John Woodroffe , under the pseudonym Arthur Avalon , describes the individual makara . He states that they include madya (wine), mamsa (meat), matsya (fish), mudra (grain), and maithuna (sexual intercourse). He describes both the symbolic and ritualistic significance of each element: madya represents a state of divine ecstasy, mamsa symbolizes

1505-493: The practices of the Higher Tantras could be taken into the monasteries and incorporated into the congregations practice and liturgy of the monks known as puja. Samding Dorje Phagmo In Tibetan Buddhism , it is traditional to offer a tsok (Tib. for ganachakra ) to Padmasambhava or other deities, usually gurus, on the tenth lunar day , and to a form of dakini such as Yeshe Tsogyal , Mandarava or Vajrayogini on

1548-443: The related Buddhist Vajrayogini are depicted as drinking blood from the kapala. The kapala itself is a symbol of wisdom ( prajna ) and knowledge. In the inner-level or subtle-body practices of Buddhist Tantra, the underside of the skull contains the moon drops, which are melted by tummo or inner heat yoga, creating a cooling sensation of bliss as the drops move through the inner channels. As many Vajrayana empowerments such as

1591-445: The ritual use of sexuality, although it is not clear how far this was performed literally and how far symbolically. The gaṇacakra involved possession, dancing and singing, and also magical procedures. It was seen as an occasion to enter a non-ordinary state of consciousness. Vajranatha associates the ganachakra with the higher tantras, the anuttarayogatantra , and associates a non-monastic origin and tributary of this rite to

1634-436: The rituals using kapalas are higher tantric meditation to achieve a transcendental state of mind within the shortest possible time; libation to gods and deities to win their favor. Hindu deities that may be depicted with the kapala include Durga , Kālī and Shiva , especially in his Bhairava form. Even Ganesha , when adopted into Tibetan Buddhism as Maharakta Ganapati , is shown with a kapala filled with blood. Some of

1677-545: The sky burial grounds by the Sadhus and Yogins of the tantric cult. The charnel grounds are also known by the epithets the "field of death" or the "valley of corpses". In Tibet, a class distinction in the burial practices is also noted. The dead High Lamas are buried in Stupas or cremated but the dead commoners are disposed of in the Charnel ground or in a Sky burial. The products from

1720-797: The term "symbolic" as though no external practices were engaged in literally, they mislead and perpetuate an untruth. In the Tibetan Buddhist practice of Chöd , a variation of the gaṇacakra has the practitioner visualizing offering their own body as a feast for all beings who are all invited to the feast. Kapala A kapala ( Sanskrit for "skull") is a skull cup used as a ritual implement (bowl) in both Hindu Tantra and Tibetan Buddhist Tantra ( Vajrayana ). Especially in Tibetan Buddhism, kapalas are often carved or elaborately mounted with precious metals and jewels. Samding Dorje Phagmo 'Kapala' ( Tibetan : ཀ་པ་ལ་ , Wylie : kapala )

1763-484: The twenty-fifth lunar day. Generally, participants are required by their samaya (bond or vow) to partake of meat and alcohol, and the rite tends to have elements symbolic of coitus . Traditions of the Ganachakra liturgy and rite extends remains of food and other compassionate offerings to alleviate the insatiable hunger of the hungry ghosts , genius loci and other entities. David Snellgrove (1987) holds that there

Panchamakara - Misplaced Pages Continue

1806-511: The vase empowerment are also performed by touching the top of the head, the kapala also represents the transmission of knowledge from the Tantric guru to disciple, known as lineage transmission. As blood was associated with hell-beings and was considered to be one of the most polluting substances in the Indian Vedas, the drinking of blood was an esoteric symbol for non-discrimination. As wisdom transforms all duhkha into emptiness ( sunyata ),

1849-538: The very least the latter two would force a monk to break his vows. And so what came about in the eleventh century was a change in the external style of practice; the Anuttara Tantras, many of them freshly brought from India and newly translated into Tibetan, came to be practiced in the style of the lower Yoga Tantras. Although there is a great deal of ritual in the Yoga Tantras, there is nothing there that would require

#569430