Buddhism Beliefs And Practices
The Pre-Buddhist Tibetan religion worshiped the powers of nature. As was the case with many native religions, these powers were often envisioned as demons that had to be appeased. Shamanistic rituals involving animal sacrifice and the use of bones, dance, and magical incantations were intended to control the demonic powers.
Every action we perform leaves an imprint, or potential, on our very subtle mind, and each karmic potential eventually gives rise to its own effect. Our mind is like a field, and performing actions is like sowing seeds in that field. Positive or virtuous actions sow the seeds of future happiness, and negative or non-virtuous actions sow the seeds of future suffering. This definite relationship between actions and their effects – virtue causing happiness and non-virtue causing suffering – is know as the ‘law of karma’. An understanding of the law of karma is the basis of Buddhist morality. The mind is neither physical, nor a by-product of purely physical processes, but a formless continuum that is a separate entity from the body. Tantric Buddhism, enlightenment is an experience of ultimate oneness that occurs when a practitioner unties all opposites. sexual union is a powerful experience of unity, and Tantic Buddhism uses the imagery and (rarely) the practice of sexual union to help attain enlightenment.
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Tantric BuddhismBuddhist Monks |