MYSTISM OF TANTRIC BUDDHISM OF TIBET AND QI ENERGY     

                   Footnote: (in order of decimal system)

         1.   The date of Buddha's death is given by the Buddhists of

              Ceylon as 544 B.C., according to Alexandra David Neel;

              but according to Dr. Edward Conze the the date of Buddha's

              death was around 480 B.C. and according to some Chinese

              historian, 485 B.C.  He was eighty years old.

              Buddhist canonical writings do not mention the life of

              Sakyamuni from life to death. The full length of biography

              of Buddha Sakyamuni can be found in the work of the first

              century Indian poet Ashvaghosha called Buddhacarita meaning

              "The Arts of the Buddha". In Buddhacarita, it mentioned

              that prince Siddhartha asked his father to let him tour

              the the country. His father cleared the route of unpleasant 

              sights in advance but on three different occasions a deity

              disguised himself to  expose to the prince the sufferings

              of the world.

         1.01 The Sakya race belongs to same race as Tibetan race and

              certain Nepalese race according to "Buddhist Glossary"

              by Liu Yuen Kai (¼B¤¸³Í).

         1.12 Some people erroneously think the followers of Red sect

              wear red robes, the followers of Yellow sect wear yellow

              robes. Actually lamas of all Tibetan sects wear robes of

              dark red color.

         1.2  Dr. Edward Conze has devoted many years in translating

              the volumnous Prajna Paramita text.

         1.21 During the later part of third century, China was divided

              into different factions ruled by different minority races.

              One of the rulers, Fu Chien was one of the strongest

              factions. His general, Lueh Kuang was successful in

              advancing westward. Fu Chien order the general to find

              and invite the then famous monk, Kumarajiva to come to

              China to teach and to translate Buddhist scriptures.

              Emperor Fu Chien was killed during a battle by a stray

              arrow. He was succeeded by a general, Sao. The Kingdom is

              known as Sao Chin or Later Chin. General Lueh Kuan

              established himself in the western part of China as a

              ruler of an independent state. He was successful in

              locating Kumarajiva. Kumarajiva was then invited by the

              successor of general Sao and went to the Kingdom of Sao

              Chin to teach and translated Buddhist scriptures. He

              was provided with three thousands assistants in do the

              work of translation.

         1.22 During the era of Hwai Ti of West Tsen during the period

              of Yuen Chia (¦è®ÊÃh«Ò¥Ã¼Ö¦~), Tantrism was introduced

              into China by an Indian monk Chinserimitara who translated

              Peacock King Deity Mantra Sutra  and Peacock King

              Miscelaneous Deity Mantra Sutra.

         1.3  The eight Mahayana sects in China: Fa Xiang, ()

              San Lun (Three Sastras or Abhidhammas),() Hua Yen,

              () Tien T'ai,() Chan Zong (Zen in Japanese),()

              Lu Zong (Canons), () Tantric,() Pure Land ().

              Each emphasizes certain sutras and treatises (sastra or

              abhidhammas).

              For example:

              Tien T'ai (Tendai in Japanese) sect emphasizes the Sadharma

              Pundarika Sutra, the  Mahaparinirvana Sutra, the Maha

              Prajnaparamita Sutra and the Sastra of Great Wisdom.

              Pure Land sect emphasizes the Amitayus Sutra, the

              Contemplation of Amitayus Sutra, Amitabha Sutra, and the

              Incarnation Sastra.

         1.31 Dr. Edward Conze, in his book "Buddhism: Its Essence And

              Development", mentions that there are Left Handed Tantra

              and Right Handed Tantra, that the Vajrayana is the Left

              Handed Tantra and Eastern Tantra is the Right Handed Tantra;

              and that the Left Handed Tantra belongs to the Shaktic

              (sexual) type, while the Right Handed Tantra belongs to

              the non Shaktic type. But as far as I understand that

              the Tantric School followers call themselves:

              "Sons and younger brothers of Adamantine Vehicle" meaning:

              Vajrayanist. Tantric School also practise the Skatic type of

              training. But the Eastern Tantric Sect which was introduced to

              Japan and Korea from China during the Tang dynasty consists

              only the External Vehicle of the three lower tantras

              which does not include the sexual practice found only

              in the Internal Vehicle of the Highest Tantra.

         1.32 Tathagata is the title of a buddha. Tathagata means he

              who has come or he who has gone (tatha agata). In Chinese

              the word tathagata is translated "as if has come (). 

              The five Tathagatas are also known as five jinas meaning

              victor or conquerors. They are : Vairocana (the

              Illuminator), Akshobhya (the Imperturbable), Ratna

              Sambhava (the Jewel-Born), Amitabha (the Infinite Light)

              and Amoghasiddhi (the Unfailing Success). They represent

              the forces of the universe.

              These five buddhas were introduced into the Buddhism

              around 750 A.D. They are deemed to be in existence in

              the every beginning as buddhas. They did not work their

              way up from laymen or animals as other buddhas. The

              five Tathagata system was not part of the original

              Buddhish concept.

         1.33 Dzogchen and Padmasambhava by Sogyal Rinpoche, spiritual

              director of Rigpa Organization: "Buddha while passing into

              parinirvana, predicted that Padmasambhava would be born,

              eight or twelve years after him to spread the teaching

              of the Mantrayana. Yet Padmasambhava was still in Tibet

              in the eighth century A.D.".

         3.   Chun Siang (¦) literally mean concentration of thought,

              which is a technigue of meditation.

         4.   Era of Six Dynasties approximately corresponds to the

              period of 317 A.D. to 583 A.D..

         5.   Nei Tan Taoism is a sect of Taoism (not the religious Taosim) which

              rejected the practice of alchemy that tried to discovered

              the "pill" of eternal youth through processing mercury

              and lead ore.

              Instead they discovered that the pill (tan), which is the

              energy could be developed inside (nei) the body through

              certain energy training. Their qi training methods

              have evolved into an important part of modern day qi qong

              (chi kung).

         7.1  As explained by His Holiness Dalai Lama the 14th, during

              his teaching of Dzogchen that Dzogchen is considered to

              belong to the old translation and Mahamudra is considered

              to belong to the new translation. Usually the term "old

              translation" refers to Nyingma school while "new

              translation" refers to the three other schools besides

              Nyingma school. Old translation should not be interpreted

              as translating from Sanskrit text to Tibetan text.

              Actually Dzogchen existed in Tibet and was practised by

              the followers of Bonism.

         7.2  Hans are the majority of Chinese people. Chinese are

              composed of Hans, Mongolians, Manchurian, Chinese Turkist,

              Tibetans and Miaos. Regions of Hans are regions

              traditionally where the majority of Han nationals live.

        7.201 Tutelary deity or Yidam in Tibetan, is regarded as the

              protecting deity in exoteric theories; but in esoteric

              teaching yidams are regarded as mystical forces and

              energy of the body and mind. Sometimes yidam is translated

              as istadevata of the Hindus. Istadevatas are not exactly

              the same as yidams.

              Istadevatas are deities with whom the devotees fall in

              love.

         7.21 The study of Tantric sect can be classified into Teachings

              (±Ð) and Action (¨Æ). Action can divided into Training (¥\)

              and Methods (ªk). Teachings includes all exoteric Buddhist

              scriptures and Tantric theories. Training is training in skill and techniques .  Method is metaphysical methods.

         8.   Explained in the treatise of Tsongkapa, found in Han as

              well as Tibetan writings.

         12.  Tu Mai (·þ¯ß) is the energy channel at the back that

              runs along the spine from the bottom of the trunk to

              the top of the head.

         Bibliography:

         1.   Tsongkapa,"Yoga of Tibet"

         2.   Dalai Lama 14th, Tsongkapa and Jeffrey Hopkins, "Tantra

              in Tibet"

         3.   Monk Chu Chuan Fa Shih: "Mi Tsung Buddhism" (in Chinese)

         4.   Edward Conze, "Buddhist Wisdom Books"

         5.   Lama Anagarika Govinda, "Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism"

         6.   Vajrapani Instute, "Heart Sutra"

         7.   Solang Tunchu, member of Tibetan Social Science Reseach

              Institute, Chairman of Tibetan Tantric Techniques and Methods

              Reseach Committee of People Republic of China: "Chinese Qi

              Gong and Science" (in Chinese)

         8.   Tiley Chodag," Tibet, the Land and the People"

         9.   Monk Hsuen Hua: "Heart Sutra Interpretation" (in Chinese)

         10.  Liu Yuan Kai, "Buddhist Terminology" (in Chinese)

         11.  W. Y. Evans-Wentz, "Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines"

         12.  Tsongkapa, "

         13.  Wang-Ch'ug Dor-je, The Ninth Karmapa, "Eliminating The

              Darkness of Ignorance"

         14.  Takpo Tashi Namgyal, "Mahamudra, The Quintessence of Mind

              And Meditation"

         15.  Raghavan Iyer, "Diamond Sutra"

         16.  Edward Conz, "Buddhist Wisdom Books"

         17.  Edward Conz, "Buddhism: Its Essential Development"

         18.  E.B. Cowell, "Buddhist Mahayana Text"

         19.  Khetsun Sangpo Rinbochay,"Tantric Practice in Nying-ma"

         20.  F. D. Lessing & A. Wayman, "Introduction to the Buddhist

              Tantric System"

         21.  Yu Li Bo, "Heart Sutra Interpretation" (in Chinese)

         22.  Sogyal Rinpoche, "Dzogchen & Padmasambhava"

         23.  Tsongkapa: "Bodhi Dao Ci Lun" (The Path to

              Enlightenment) (in Chinese)

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