Guest guest Posted May 19, 2001 Report Share Posted May 19, 2001 In _Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism_ (II.3,4), Lama Anagarika Govinda says the Vajra is truly >.... the Philosopher's Stone, the precious jewel (mani), the prima materia >of the human mind, nay, of the very faculty of consciousness in whatever >form of life it might appear. This was the real aim of all great >alchemists, who knew that 'mercury' stood for the creative forces of >higher consciousness, which had to be freed from the gross elements of >matter in order to attain the state of perfect purity and radiance, the >state of Enlightenment.... > Already in the earliest forms of Buddhism the jewel was made the >symbol of 'the three vessels of enlightenment, namely, the Enlightened one >(Buddha), the Truth (dharma) in the realization of which enlightenment >consists, and the community (sangha) of those who have entered or trodden >the Path of Enlightenment. It is for this reason that the jewel is spoken >of as the 'three-fold jewel' (tri-ratna). > He who possesses this shining jewel overcomes death and rebirth, and >gains immortality and liberation. But this jewel cannot be found anywhere >except in the lotus (padma) of one's own heart. > Here mani is indeed the Philosopher's Stone, the cintamani, the >wish-granting jewel of innumerable Buddhist legends, which in Tibet until >the present day stands in the centre of folklore and religious poetry. > In later forms of Buddhism the idea of the jewel took the form of the >Diamond Sceptre, the Vajra, and became as such the most important symbol >for the transcendental qualities of Buddhism. The Vajra was originally an >emblem of the power of Indra, the Indian Zeus, the god of thunder and >lightning, who is often mentioned in the Pali texts.... > Thus it happened that, though Indra (like all the other gods) became a >mere background-figure for the towering personality of the Buddha, the >symbol of Indra's power was raised from the sphere of nature and physical >forces to that of spiritual supremacy by becoming an attribute of the >Enlightened One. > In this connexion the vajra is no more a 'thunderbolt', an expression >to which many translators stubbornly cling and which would be adequate >only if one were dealing with the vajra as the emblem of the Thunder-God. >In Buddhist tradition, however, no such association persists. The vajra is >regarded as the symbol of highest spiritual power which is irresistible >and invincible. It is therefore compared to the diamond, which is capable >of cutting asunder any other substance, but which itself cannot be cut by >anything. > Likewise the properties of preciousness - nay, of supreme value - of >changelessness, purity and clarity, were further reasons why in Buddhism >the vajra was equated with the diamond. This is expressed in such terms as >'Diamond Throne' (vajrasana), for the place on which the Buddha attained >Enlightenment, 'Diamond Saw' (vajracchedika) for one of the most profound >philosophical scriptures of the Mahayana, which ends with the words: 'This >sacred exposition shall be known as Vajracchedika-Prajna-Paramita-Sutra - >because it is hard and sharp like a diamond, cutting off all arbitrary >conceptions and leading to the other shore of Enlightenment.' > Those Schools of Buddhism which placed this teaching in the centre of >their religious life and thought are therefore known under the collective >term 'Vajrayana', the 'Diamond Vehicle'. In all these terms the concept >'thunderbolt' is completely excluded, and the same is true for pali names, >like Vajiranaa (diamond-knowledge), etc. > The ideas which were associated with the term vajra by the Buddhists >of the early Vajrayana are clearly demonstrated by the Tibetan equivalent >for vajra, i.e.,'rdo-rje' (pronounced 'dorjay'): 'rdo' means 'stone', >'rje' means 'ruler', 'master', 'lord'. The dorje, therefore, is the king >of stones, the most precious, most powerful and noble of all stones, i.e., >the diamond. > As a visible symbol the vajra takes the shape of a sceptre (the emblem >of supreme, sovereign power), and therefore it is correct to call it >'diamond sceptre'. This sceptre assumes a form corresponding to its >function. Its centre is a sphere which represents the seed or germ of the >universe in its undifferentiated form as 'bindu' (dot, zero, drop, >smallest unit). Its potential force is indicated in pictorial >representations by a spiral issuing from the centre of the sphere. > From the undifferentiated unity of the centre grow the two opposite >poles of unfoldment in form of lotus-blossoms, which represent the >polarity of all conscious existence. From this originates space, i.e., our >three-dimensional world, symbolized by the 'four quarters of the >universe', with Mount Meru as its centre or axis. This spatial unfoldment >corresponds to the spiritual differentiation of the principle of >Enlightenment in form of the five transformed constituents of >consciousness and their corresponding Dhyani-Buddhas, in whom the >consciousness of Enlightenment appears differentiated like rays of light >passing through a prism. Therefore we see that from each of the two >lotus-blossoms issue five 'rays of power' (represented by five metal ribs >or spokes), which again converge upon a point of higher unity (forming on >each side a tip of the vajra), just as in meditation all conscious forces >of the Sadhaka (or adept) are gathered in one point. And in the same way >as in a mandala1 the number of lotus petals can be raised from four to >eight, by indicating the intermediate directions - thus too the rays or >spokes of the vajra, converging upon the axis, can be raised from four to >eight. In the first case one speaks of a five-spoked (Tibetan: rtse-lna), >in the latter case of a nine-spoked (Tibetan: rtse-dgu) vajra. The centre, >as in a mandala is always included in the number. Indeed, the vajra is an >abstract (i.e., non-figural) plastic double-mandala, the duality of which >(though not affecting the above-mentioned numbers, which are only >concerned with the common design of both sides) expresses the polarity, >the relative dualism in the structure of consciousness and world, and >postulates at the same time the 'unity of opposites', i.e., their inner >relationship. >[1 A concentric diagram or plastic model, used for purposes of meditation, >which will be the subject of Part III (Padma).] > The central idea of the vajra, however, consists in the purity, >radiance and indestructibility of the Enlightenment-Consciousness >(bodhi-citta ; Tibetan: byan-chub-sems). Though the diamond is able to >produce all colours, it is colourless according to its own nature, a fact >which makes it - as we have seen in Guru Kankanapa's story - a suitable >symbol of that transcendental state of 'emptiness' (Sunyata; Tibetan: >ston-pa-nid), which is the absence of all conceptual determinations and >conditions that the Buddha described as 'the Unborn, the Unoriginated, the >Uncreated, the Unformed', because it cannot be determined by any positive >qualities, though being present always and everywhere. This is the >quintessence of the above-mentioned 'Diamond Sutra' and the foundation of >the 'Diamond Vehicle'. > The relationship between the highest and the ordinary state of >consciousness was compared by certain schools of alchemy to that between >the diamond and an ordinary piece of coal. One cannot imagine a greater >contrast, and yet both consist of the same chemical substance, namely, >carbon. This teaches symbolically the fundamental unity of all substances >and their inherent faculty of transformation. > To the alchemist who was convinced of the profound parallelism between >the material and the immaterial world, and of the uniformity of natural >and spiritual laws, this faculty of transformation had a universal >meaning. It could be applied to inorganic forms of matter as well as to >organic forms of life, and equally to the psychic forces that penetrate >both. > Thus, this miraculous power of transformation went far beyond what the >crowd imagined to be the Philosopher's Stone, which was supposed to fulfil >all wishes (even stupid ones!), or the Elixir of Life, which guaranteed an >unlimited prolongation of earthly life. He who experiences this >transformation has no more desires, and the prolongation of earthly life >has no more importance for him who already lives in the deathless. > This is emphasized over and over again in the stories of the Siddhas. >Whatever is gained by way of miraculous powers loses in the moment of >attainment all interest for the adept, because he has grown beyond the >worldly aims which made the attainment of powers desirable. In this case, >as in most others, it is not the end which sanctifies the means, but the >means which sanctify the end, by transforming it into a higher aim.... > Thus the wise ones do not use the Elixir of Life to preserve the body >beyond its time, but to attain the higher life, which does not know the >fear of death. He who would utilize it only for the preservation of his >physical existence, would die from within and continue to exist merely as >a 'living corpse'. In selfish hands even the Elixir of Life turns into >poison, just as truth in the mouth of a fool turns into falsehood and >virtue into bigotry in the narrow-minded. > However, he who has found the Philosopher's Stone, the radiant jewel >(mani) of the enlightened mind (bodhi-citta) within his own heart, >transforms his mortal consciousness into that of immortality, perceives >the infinite in the finite and turns Samsara into Nirvana - this is the >teaching of the Diamond Vehicle. -------------- [see the attachment for a double vajra (dorje).] Attachment: (image/jpeg) dorje.jpg [not stored] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 20, 2001 Report Share Posted May 20, 2001 Thanks, Dharma. In relation to the circulation of Kundalini, we have the rotation of the Pearl upwards and downwards the chakras, these pearl as you quote is the ".... the Philosopher's Stone, the precious jewel (mani), the prima materia of the human mind, nay, of the very faculty of consciousness in whatever form of life it might appear." These Pearl is depicted in the Yin-Yang symbol: One small, white circel (the pearl) within the black part (downwards movement), and another small, black circle (the pearl) within the white part (upwards movement). The circulation affects the breathing process with its oxygen/carbondioxyd, and diamonds ARE in fact carbon. So, we can look at the diamond as a symbol of the transmuted breath of life. In German, the word for breathing is "zu atmen", a remniscence in the language reflecting the fact that this transmutation of breath leads to Atman, the higest spiritual prinsciple in man. Dharma <deva <> Saturday, May 19, 2001 10:56 AM Vajra and Vajrayana >In _Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism_ (II.3,4), Lama Anagarika Govinda says >the Vajra is truly > >>.... the Philosopher's Stone, the precious jewel (mani), the prima materia >>of the human mind, nay, of the very faculty of consciousness in whatever >>form of life it might appear. This was the real aim of all great >>alchemists, who knew that 'mercury' stood for the creative forces of >>higher consciousness, which had to be freed from the gross elements of >>matter in order to attain the state of perfect purity and radiance, the >>state of Enlightenment.... > >> Already in the earliest forms of Buddhism the jewel was made the >>symbol of 'the three vessels of enlightenment, namely, the Enlightened one >>(Buddha), the Truth (dharma) in the realization of which enlightenment >>consists, and the community (sangha) of those who have entered or trodden >>the Path of Enlightenment. It is for this reason that the jewel is spoken >>of as the 'three-fold jewel' (tri-ratna). >> He who possesses this shining jewel overcomes death and rebirth, and >>gains immortality and liberation. But this jewel cannot be found anywhere >>except in the lotus (padma) of one's own heart. >> Here mani is indeed the Philosopher's Stone, the cintamani, the >>wish-granting jewel of innumerable Buddhist legends, which in Tibet until >>the present day stands in the centre of folklore and religious poetry. >> In later forms of Buddhism the idea of the jewel took the form of the >>Diamond Sceptre, the Vajra, and became as such the most important symbol >>for the transcendental qualities of Buddhism. The Vajra was originally an >>emblem of the power of Indra, the Indian Zeus, the god of thunder and >>lightning, who is often mentioned in the Pali texts.... > >> Thus it happened that, though Indra (like all the other gods) became a >>mere background-figure for the towering personality of the Buddha, the >>symbol of Indra's power was raised from the sphere of nature and physical >>forces to that of spiritual supremacy by becoming an attribute of the >>Enlightened One. >> In this connexion the vajra is no more a 'thunderbolt', an expression >>to which many translators stubbornly cling and which would be adequate >>only if one were dealing with the vajra as the emblem of the Thunder-God. >>In Buddhist tradition, however, no such association persists. The vajra is >>regarded as the symbol of highest spiritual power which is irresistible >>and invincible. It is therefore compared to the diamond, which is capable >>of cutting asunder any other substance, but which itself cannot be cut by >>anything. >> Likewise the properties of preciousness - nay, of supreme value - of >>changelessness, purity and clarity, were further reasons why in Buddhism >>the vajra was equated with the diamond. This is expressed in such terms as >>'Diamond Throne' (vajrasana), for the place on which the Buddha attained >>Enlightenment, 'Diamond Saw' (vajracchedika) for one of the most profound >>philosophical scriptures of the Mahayana, which ends with the words: 'This >>sacred exposition shall be known as Vajracchedika-Prajna-Paramita-Sutra - >>because it is hard and sharp like a diamond, cutting off all arbitrary >>conceptions and leading to the other shore of Enlightenment.' >> Those Schools of Buddhism which placed this teaching in the centre of >>their religious life and thought are therefore known under the collective >>term 'Vajrayana', the 'Diamond Vehicle'. In all these terms the concept >>'thunderbolt' is completely excluded, and the same is true for pali names, >>like Vajiranaa (diamond-knowledge), etc. >> The ideas which were associated with the term vajra by the Buddhists >>of the early Vajrayana are clearly demonstrated by the Tibetan equivalent >>for vajra, i.e.,'rdo-rje' (pronounced 'dorjay'): 'rdo' means 'stone', >>'rje' means 'ruler', 'master', 'lord'. The dorje, therefore, is the king >>of stones, the most precious, most powerful and noble of all stones, i.e., >>the diamond. >> As a visible symbol the vajra takes the shape of a sceptre (the emblem >>of supreme, sovereign power), and therefore it is correct to call it >>'diamond sceptre'. This sceptre assumes a form corresponding to its >>function. Its centre is a sphere which represents the seed or germ of the >>universe in its undifferentiated form as 'bindu' (dot, zero, drop, >>smallest unit). Its potential force is indicated in pictorial >>representations by a spiral issuing from the centre of the sphere. >> From the undifferentiated unity of the centre grow the two opposite >>poles of unfoldment in form of lotus-blossoms, which represent the >>polarity of all conscious existence. From this originates space, i.e., our >>three-dimensional world, symbolized by the 'four quarters of the >>universe', with Mount Meru as its centre or axis. This spatial unfoldment >>corresponds to the spiritual differentiation of the principle of >>Enlightenment in form of the five transformed constituents of >>consciousness and their corresponding Dhyani-Buddhas, in whom the >>consciousness of Enlightenment appears differentiated like rays of light >>passing through a prism. Therefore we see that from each of the two >>lotus-blossoms issue five 'rays of power' (represented by five metal ribs >>or spokes), which again converge upon a point of higher unity (forming on >>each side a tip of the vajra), just as in meditation all conscious forces >>of the Sadhaka (or adept) are gathered in one point. And in the same way >>as in a mandala1 the number of lotus petals can be raised from four to >>eight, by indicating the intermediate directions - thus too the rays or >>spokes of the vajra, converging upon the axis, can be raised from four to >>eight. In the first case one speaks of a five-spoked (Tibetan: rtse-lna), >>in the latter case of a nine-spoked (Tibetan: rtse-dgu) vajra. The centre, >>as in a mandala is always included in the number. Indeed, the vajra is an >>abstract (i.e., non-figural) plastic double-mandala, the duality of which >>(though not affecting the above-mentioned numbers, which are only >>concerned with the common design of both sides) expresses the polarity, >>the relative dualism in the structure of consciousness and world, and >>postulates at the same time the 'unity of opposites', i.e., their inner >>relationship. > >>[1 A concentric diagram or plastic model, used for purposes of meditation, >>which will be the subject of Part III (Padma).] > >> The central idea of the vajra, however, consists in the purity, >>radiance and indestructibility of the Enlightenment-Consciousness >>(bodhi-citta ; Tibetan: byan-chub-sems). Though the diamond is able to >>produce all colours, it is colourless according to its own nature, a fact >>which makes it - as we have seen in Guru Kankanapa's story - a suitable >>symbol of that transcendental state of 'emptiness' (Sunyata; Tibetan: >>ston-pa-nid), which is the absence of all conceptual determinations and >>conditions that the Buddha described as 'the Unborn, the Unoriginated, the >>Uncreated, the Unformed', because it cannot be determined by any positive >>qualities, though being present always and everywhere. This is the >>quintessence of the above-mentioned 'Diamond Sutra' and the foundation of >>the 'Diamond Vehicle'. >> The relationship between the highest and the ordinary state of >>consciousness was compared by certain schools of alchemy to that between >>the diamond and an ordinary piece of coal. One cannot imagine a greater >>contrast, and yet both consist of the same chemical substance, namely, >>carbon. This teaches symbolically the fundamental unity of all substances >>and their inherent faculty of transformation. >> To the alchemist who was convinced of the profound parallelism between >>the material and the immaterial world, and of the uniformity of natural >>and spiritual laws, this faculty of transformation had a universal >>meaning. It could be applied to inorganic forms of matter as well as to >>organic forms of life, and equally to the psychic forces that penetrate >>both. >> Thus, this miraculous power of transformation went far beyond what the >>crowd imagined to be the Philosopher's Stone, which was supposed to fulfil >>all wishes (even stupid ones!), or the Elixir of Life, which guaranteed an >>unlimited prolongation of earthly life. He who experiences this >>transformation has no more desires, and the prolongation of earthly life >>has no more importance for him who already lives in the deathless. >> This is emphasized over and over again in the stories of the Siddhas. >>Whatever is gained by way of miraculous powers loses in the moment of >>attainment all interest for the adept, because he has grown beyond the >>worldly aims which made the attainment of powers desirable. In this case, >>as in most others, it is not the end which sanctifies the means, but the >>means which sanctify the end, by transforming it into a higher aim.... > >> Thus the wise ones do not use the Elixir of Life to preserve the body >>beyond its time, but to attain the higher life, which does not know the >>fear of death. He who would utilize it only for the preservation of his >>physical existence, would die from within and continue to exist merely as >>a 'living corpse'. In selfish hands even the Elixir of Life turns into >>poison, just as truth in the mouth of a fool turns into falsehood and >>virtue into bigotry in the narrow-minded. >> However, he who has found the Philosopher's Stone, the radiant jewel >>(mani) of the enlightened mind (bodhi-citta) within his own heart, >>transforms his mortal consciousness into that of immortality, perceives >>the infinite in the finite and turns Samsara into Nirvana - this is the >>teaching of the Diamond Vehicle. >-------------- > >[see the attachment for a double vajra (dorje).] > >/join > > > > > >All paths go somewhere. No path goes nowhere. Paths, places, sights, perceptions, and indeed all experiences arise from and exist in and subside back into the Space of Awareness. Like waves rising are not different than the ocean, all things arising from Awareness are of the nature of Awareness. Awareness does not come and go but is always Present. It is Home. Home is where the Heart Is. Jnanis know the Heart to be the Finality of Eternal Being. A true devotee relishes in the Truth of Self-Knowledge, spontaneously arising from within into It Self. Welcome all to a. > > > >Your use of is subject to > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 21, 2001 Report Share Posted May 21, 2001 Hi Magne, [sorry for this silly-looking indented text... it's because I picked up this message from our archives at , and this is the way it looks when I bring it back and drop it into a Eudora message.] > In relation to the circulation of Kundalini, >we have the rotation of the > Pearl upwards and downwards the chakras, these >pearl as you quote is the > ".... the Philosopher's Stone, the precious >jewel (mani), the prima materia > of the human mind, nay, of the very faculty of >consciousness in whatever > form of life it might appear." > > These Pearl is depicted in the Yin-Yang >symbol: One small, white circel (the > pearl) within the black part (downwards >movement), and another small, black > circle (the pearl) within the white part >(upwards movement). > > The circulation affects the breathing process >with its oxygen/carbondioxyd, > and diamonds ARE in fact carbon. So, we can >look at the diamond as a symbol > of the transmuted breath of life. I'm reminded of something Jung said... trying to state it from memory... that he suspected that our archetypal symbols have a basis in physical reality. He referred to the symbology of the number 4. One is unity, two is duality, three is manifestation or creation, and four is stability, the stabilized creation... as in the symbolic four-square city. He suggested that the basis of this is the four - electrons, is it? - of the carbon atom, the basis of our life forms. > In German, the word for breathing is "zu >atmen", a remniscence in the > language reflecting the fact that this >transmutation of breath leads to > Atman, the higest spiritual prinsciple in man. Very interesting! It seems that in many older languages there is a word meaning "breath, wind, spirit." Does "atmen" have that meaning? I wonder what the Indo-European root is... does anyone know? Someone walked off with my etymological dictionary, so I can't look it up. Love, Dharma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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