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These spirits (that humans disturb by their various activities) are
the spirits of the five elements (space, air, fire, water, and earth),
of the four seasons, and the natural spirits of the Earth, (trees, rocks,
mountains, rivers, plants, the sky, sun and moon, stars and clouds, etc.,).
People disturb the sadag (Earth spirits), the nye (tree spirits), and
the tsen (rock spirits), by digging the ground, cutting down trees and
excavating mountains. They provoke the theurang (space spirits) by polluting
the air, and they disturb the lu (water spirits) by polluting rivers and
lakes.
This pollution affects people's inner being as well as the environment.
By polluting space, they pollute their minds; by polluting fire, they pollute
their body heat; by polluting external water, people internally pollute
their blood; by polluting the earth, they pollute their bodies.
Shamans do heal adventitious, mental and physical disturbances, though
only at a gross level. According to the Bon teachings, ailments are caused
either by nad (physical disease) or by a disturbance of vital energy by
a don (spirit). The sick person is diagnosed by a doctor to ascertain if
the illness has a physical etiology, through urine and pulse tests. However,
if it is found to be due to a provocation of energy by a spirit, then it
will be necessary to call a shaman healer. Through divination or astrology,
or sometimes through meditation, the shaman will discover the nature of
the disturbing spirit and the way to remove it, such as by payment of a
ransom.
The founder of the native Tibetan Bon religious tradtion was Tonpa
Shenrab Miwoche, and a follower of his teachings is called a Bonpo. An
ancient term for a master practitioner of Shenrab's teachings is Shen.
Bonpos classify the spiritual teachings and practices Shenrab expounded,
in nine ways or vehicles. These are divided into four causal and five resultant
ways.
Tibetan Shamanism is found in the first four causal ways. Shamans in
Tibet take a very earthy and dualistic approach to life, healing the disturbances
and illnesses in this life without being concerned about the next life.
Although their motivation is the altruistic ambition to relieve others'
suffering, it lacks the generation of universal compassion that is found
in the resultant ways. It is the absence of the cultivation of compassion
for all sentient beings, and the aspiration to realise Buddahood as the
inspiration for practice, that is the major difference between the causal
and resultant ways.
These first four causal ways of the native Tibetan shamans' paths,
are called: Chashen (The way of the Shen of Prediction), Nangshen (The
Way of the Shen of the Visible World), Trulshen (The Way of the Shen of
'Magical' Illusion), and Sichen (The way of the Shen of Existence).
Chashen, the first way, comprises medical diagnosis and healing, as
well as various ancient divination and astrological rites performed by
the shaman to determine whether the person who needs to be healed has an
energetic imbalance, or is being provoked by a demonic spirit, or negative
energy (as mentioned above). Nowadays these rites are still widely practised
in Tibetan communitites.
The second way, Nangshen, comprises various rituals for purification
to summon energy and enhance prosperity, to suppress and liberate negative
forces, and to invoke and make offerings to powerful deities and pay ransoms
to demonic spirits.
These practices are very widespread in Tibet. Families perform small
ones, while large scale ones are usually performed collectively in towns,
villages and monasteries. In ransom rites, an effigy is prepared which
represents the beneficiary of the rite, or the shamanic practitioner who
is performing it. I remember when my mother had been ill for a long time
we tried to heal her by means of different medical treatments, but nothing
helped. We then performed several minor rites, but these did not work either.
So finally we invited some shaman monks, who performed a big ransom rite,
in which they prepared a large effigy of her (in fact, people often make
life-size effigies) and we dressed it in her clothes, so that it was very
lifelike and resembled her closely. Then we performed the ritual, offering
the effigy in her place to repay her karmic debt to spirits. She was given
a new name, Yehe Lhamo, in place of her old name, Drolma, as a kind of
new birth into the world, and she recovered from her illness.
Shamans of the third way, Trulshen, go where there is strong, wild
energy, where they perform practices to conquer the spirits and demons
that inhabit those places, subjugating them into their service. One achieves
this through practising mantra (words of magic power), mudra (meaningful
hand gestures to communicate with gods and spirits), and samadhi (meditation),
while performing sadhanas (devotional practices) to engage various wrathful
goddesses such as Walmo and Chenmo. The aim of these wrathful practices,
which are directed against enemies of the teaching, are to protect the
practitioners and the teaching against danger and threats.
It is very important to perform these actions with an attitude of love
and compassion towards other beings, and should not be performed solely
for the shaman's benefit.
Working with the soul of the living and the dead, is the most important
feature of the fourth way, Sichen, which contains a detailed explanation
of the principle of the la (soul), yid (mind), and sem (thinking mind).
"The la is the karmic trace, which is stored in the kunzhi namshe, (or
base consciousness). The sem follows the karmic trace and produces blissful,
painful and neutral experiences which are experienced by the yid."
When a living person's soul is lost, shattered, or disordered, there
are practices to recall and reinforce its energy, such as soul retrieval.
In relation to the dead, there are explanations of 81 different types of
death, such as accidental death, suicide, murder, and sinister death.
Following these kinds of death, it is very important to perform appropriate
rites, especially if the death occurs in a place which is energetically
disturbed (for instance, a place where untoward events such as accidents
regularly occur).
A particular specific method found in this way, is that of the 'four
doors', to vanquish negative spirits, using 360 different methods. There
are also funeral rites to guide the soul immediately after death, communicating
with the ghost of the deceased and feeding it until its next rebirth.
One of the most important practices performed by Tibetan shamans of
the sichen path is soul retrieval - Lalu (literally redeeming, or buying
back the soul), and Chilu, (redeeming the life-energy).
These practices are widespread in the Bon tradition and also in all
Tibetan Buddhist schools. One could discuss the soul and life-energy philosophically
at great length; but in brief, life energy is the force that keeps mind
and body together and the soul is the vital energy of the person. External
negativities can cause these two forces to decline, be disturbed, or even
lost. Through the lalu and chilu rites, these forces can be recalled, repaired
and balanced. To recall the life force in the chilu ritual, the shaman
sends out energy as light rays, like a hook, to catch the blessings of
the Buddhas; the power of all the protectors, protectresses and guardians;
the magic power of all the spirits and eight classes of beings; and the
vital energy of the life force of the beings of the six realms. He summons
this powerful energy from all the corners of the universe and condenses
it into syllables, which he introduces into the disturbed person's heart
through his crown chakra, reinforcing his life force.
Shamans perform several different soul retrieval rites. In one rite,
a deer - that will recall the soul - is placed on a plate floating in a
vase of milk. The shaman then stirs the milk with a dadar (auspicious long
life arrow), in order to determine whether the soul has returned. In fact
if the deer is facing the house altar when the plate stops turning, the
rite has been successful; if it faces the door it has not, and the rite
has to be repeated.
In another rite, the beneficiary has to cast white dice on a white
cloth, betting against a person of the opposite sign (according to Tibetan
astrology), who casts a black dice on a black cloth. When the beneficiary
wins this means the rite has been successful.
One of the principle ways of reinforcing the life force is recitation
of the mantra of the life deity. The texts say that through this power,
the shaman recalls the life force wherever it has strayed. If it is finished,
he prolongs it; if it has declined, he reinforces it; if it is torn, he
sews it; if it has been severed, he fastens it.
Lalu soul retrieval is performed in a similar way: the shaman summons
the spirit which has stolen, or disturbed the person's soul, and offers
it a torma (offering cake) representing the union of the five sense pleasures
- completely satisfying it with the visualised object, so it will immediately
give back the soul it has taken.
There also seems to be a strong connection between the practice of
soul retrieval and the popular lungta practice, which is performed to reinforce
fortune and capacity, by 'raising the wind-horse'. This is a very powerful
rite, performed by large groups of Tibetans, on top of mountains on the
first, or third day of the New Year. The participants arouse and invoke
the mountain spirits by making smoke offerings, putting up prayer flags
and throwing five-coloured cards bearing mantras into space in order to
reinforce prana (vital air), which is the support of the la. In this way
the la is also healed and reinforced, and consequently the participants'
capacity, fortune and prosperity increase, and whatever venture they undertake
becomes successful.
These healing rites, in which Bon masters and shamans communicate (either
fully conscious or through out-of-the-body experience) with spirits and
demons, are widely practiced in all Tibetan Buddhist schools.
It is interesting to note that one of the ways the Buddhist schools
attempted to suppress Bon, was by accusing Bon practitioners of being 'intellectually
uncivilized' - of being mere primitive shamans. However, in the deepest
sense, shamanic belief is the Tibetans' very lifeblood. Tibetans of any
religious school who get ill will enact rituals, such as putting up prayer
flags, to invoke their guardian spirits and perform ransom rites to remove
disturbing spirits, without a moment's hesitation.
Shamanism contains much wisdom that is used to harmonise imbalances,
by working on re-establishing good relationships with spirits. The work
of Native American shamans in contacting guardian animals for guidance,
strength and knowledge, is of great value for healing and for restoring
a harmonious relationship with animals, the elements, the sky and the whole
environment.
A practitioner of the Bon ways, however, might warn contemporary western
shamans about the dangers inherent in certain of the practices they perform
The drum journey, is one such example, used for finding the 'guardian'
animal (which they then trust completely) and collaborate with in healing.
It is by no means certain that the 'guardian' animal that the shaman meets
during the drum journey will be beneficial. In that kind of journey, or
out-of-body experience, one can meet hundreds of different beings, just
as a non-human being, coming into the human world, will meet hundreds of
humans.
The shamanic experience is very important, so it is crucial to have
the right guardian, which must be found through real awareness and realisation.
In Tibet most locations, towns and mountains have their own guardian
protectors, just as the various religious schools share protective guardian
deities. Yet it was yogis, lamas and realised masters who recognised, subjugated
and initiated these powerful beings as dharmapalas, or guardians, of the
teachings. Until meeting these masters, many of these beings were wild
and untrustworthy spirits or the ghosts of evil or confused people, just
as the guardian animals the shaman meets may be evil.
In conclusion, it seems to me that many shamans now active in the West
focus on working with the emotions and problems of this life, relating
with spirits through shamanic drum journeys to heal themselves and others.
This practice is very beneficial in curing mental and physical disturbances,
and certainly the work shamans do is also very important to restore ecological
balance, but it should not remain at that level.
Rather, their work could be enhanced by deepening their knowledge,
to obtain comprehension of the nature of mind, and generating the aspiration
to engage in contemplative practice to realise Buddhahood.
In similar fashion, if the causal means of shamanism were practiced
widely in the world, it would be of great benefit for the environment and
the world community.
It would be of even greater benefit if all nine vehicles were practiced.
Lama Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche is the founding director of the Ligmincha
Institute, a centre devoted to the education of students in the thought
and practice of Bon religious teachings and transmissions. He is also a
lineage leader of a living Bonpo tradition having received the precious
Bon transmissions directly from his teachers, Lopon Sangye Tenzin and Lopon
Tenzin Namdak. In particular, he received the entire oral teachings of
Zhang Zhung sNyan rGyad. He is the author of 'Wonders of the Natural Mind;
the Essence of Dzogchen in the Native Bon Tradition of Tibet' - a newly-published
book ,concerned primarily with communicating the Bonpo view of Dzogchen
as a spiritual path. Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche also teaches at Rice University
and travels widely in the US and Europe giving workshops.
This article first appeared in Tantra Magazine Issue 8.
TANTRA MAGAZINE
PO Box 108., TORREON. New Mexico.
USA. 87061 - 0108
Tel (0101) (505) 384 2292
Taken from Sacred Hoop Magazine Issue Number 7
© Copyright Sacred Hoop Magazine 1994
Aroma Therapeutic Tibetan Herbal Incense
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