Thursday, February 21, 2013

Ancient Ceremonies, Practices & Rituals

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"Pho wa ...འཕོ་བ། ...is very important in the Tibetan community and among Bönpos. As we all know, death is certain. At that moment Phowa is the way to transform our consciousness into the nature of the Enlightened Ones and to liberate us from the suffering of cyclic existence (Khorwa). Phowa is performed to help the deceased in recognizing frightening appearances and distracting phenomena as their own nature. Free from appearances of distraction in Bardo, and having experienced realization of the nature of mind, without fear and doubt, the deceased may unite in the nature of their own Enlightenment. Phowa can be requested up until the forty-ninth day after death.".....http://gyalshen.org/rituals/

Orgyen Khamdroling....under the guidance of Anyen Rinpoche

LHA SANG: Tibetans traditionally use 5 aromatic plants in their various sang rituals: juniper (lha), rhododendron (nyen), tamarisk (lu), margosa (tsen) and pine (dut)...."klu bsangs: smoke offering ceremonies to the nagas"..."Dud brDa is smoke divination. The color, volume, and drift of the smoke all have significance." (Ekvall: 1964..pg 270)..."Five aromatic plants used in the sang fumigation rites." (Norbu: 1993..pg 37)..."We do a lhasang in order to purify any setting sun situations and to bring about the genuine mind of sadness. (Trungpa)..."What needs to be purified are all the different types of contaminations (mnol grib) that weaken the positive force." (Norbu: 1995..pg 108)..."the sang offering to the 13 dgra bla protectors." (Norbu: 1995..pg 60)..."In Shinto, harae (purification ceremonies) are very important."..(Jinja:1958..pg 26)...."In ancient Peru, every morning in Cuzco, fires were lit from an aromatic wood specially carved to make it pleasing to the God of the Sun." (Hawkes: 1962..pg 133)...

LUSTRAL SPRINKLING...(purification with water, milk, etc)..."One method is to mix the juices of certain medicinal plants and the water of sacred lakes and mountain snows (especially Lake Mapham and Mt Tise) and to sprinkle the mixture with the feathers of a medicinal bird, either the white grouse or the peacock." (Bansal: 1994..pg 80)....."the rites of sprinkling with lustral water are called Tsen (tshan), Tsentru (tshan khrus), or simply Tru (khrus). May use a conch shell container. There are nine types of lustral water." (Norbu: 1995..pgs 112-116)...."To restore harmony with the Phug lha (deity of the house) it is necessary to perform the Tshan Khrus lustral aspersion rites and the bSang fumigation rites." (Norbu: 1995..pg 251)..."In the lalu ceremony, the infant is bathed in milk to invite the la to stay. The white color of milk represents divinity." (Trungpa: 1978..pg 227)...

"The great Bon sage Sangwa Dupa (secret essence) manifested as the wrathful yidam deity Tsochog (Foremost Excellence) and vanquished the five demons. Through the vow the demons were forced by Sangwa Dupa to take on that occasion, his teaching still has the power to communicate with these negative forces. This is the vow Tibetan shamans recall in rites when they communicate with disturbing spirits, particularly the five great demons, to convince them not to create problems and confusion: “Because of your promise to Sangwa Dupa, you must not disturb my sponsor or my people, for which I pay you with this offering.” In fact in the Tibetan tradition, although the shaman may not see the particular spirit, ordinarily invisible, that is causing a specific problem, it is through the power of the shamanic rite that the shaman contacts the spirit, reminding it of its vow not to disturb humanity. This rite must be performed in the proper way by reciting the myth that recounts the origin of the rite and making appropriate offerings. This myth comes from the ancient Bon religion of Tibet. According to the teachings of Dzogchen, the highest spiritual path in that tradition, illnesses and disturbances are deemed to be the result of the imbalance caused by the dualistic vision that arises when a person does not remain in the ‘natural’ state of mind."......Shamanism in the Native Bon Tradition of Tibet....By Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

ROMAN MITHRAIC MYSTERY RELIGION....(2nd Century AD)..."Those devoted to Mithras entered the Mithraea cave with no outside light and participated in various purifications, miatory rites and ceremonial feasts, and were sealed on their foreheads. From the Mithras Liturgy: 'Open your eyes, the rays will turn toward you. Look at the center of them. You will see a youthful god, beautiful in appearance in a white tunic...draw in breath from the rays...then make a long hissing sound." (Meyer: The Ancient Mystery Religions Sourcebook:1987..pg 197)

CHA & YANG RITUALS...."In the rites of 'propitiation of prosperity' (yang grub), the term 'cha' is used as a synonym of 'yang' (prosperity or fortune). It refers to a principle or force that embraces all the positive aspects such as wangthang (ascendancy-capacity), yang (richness, prosperity), pal (glory), phunsum tsogpa (completeness), trashi (good fortune). Ritual texts by Chogyur Lingpa, Jamgyang Khyentsi Wangpo, and the Fifth Dalai Lama are discussed." (Norbu: 1995...pg 63-76)

CHINESE...."In Han Dynasty China (206 BC-222 CE), rituals, domestic observances, and various forms of polite behavior were compiled in the text 'Liji' (Book of Rites). It states that 'Music is the harmony of Heaven and Earth, Ritual is the order of Heaven and Earth.' (McGreal: 1996...pg 41)...

SHADOW PRACTICES..."The shadow practices are termed 'The examination of your life-force reflection within the sky's expanse' or 'Examining your life force, the intrinsic radiation of the five-elements'." (Lopez: 1997...pg 462)...

TENSEGRITY....the Shamanic Exercises taught by Carlos Castaneda can be found at www.castaneda.com......

"An Early Avestan ritual consisting of recitation (vacah) and liturgical gestures, while the gods use daylight itself, which is their visual form, transmitting specific words to men such as 'sasna' and the formula ('mathra'). (Piras: 1996...pg 17)...

FIRE SACRIFICE....(Agni botra).."The purpose of the Vedic sacrifices, haoma, and the materials used (which did not involve the slaughter of animals) are practically identical with those of the Buddhist ritual fire offerings." (Krishan: 1993...pg 240)...

PERSIAN FIRE RITUALS...."In the haoma fire ceremony, the celebrant is required to sit cross-legged, as close as possible to the good earth. The mortar and pestle are placed on a low stand before them with the fire also in a low container. These ritual requirements go back to pre-Zoroastrian times." (Boyce: 1982...pg 146)...

"Haethra paitis: Ancient Persian fire priests used the fire to call down the deities. Atar was the hearth fire, the ritual was organized in accordance with the 3-tier system. Drinking of haoma was an essential part of the ritual." (Ency Brittanica)

NIGHT YOGA....(Ratriyoga)..."In the Kalachakra tradition, the apparition of ten signs are likened to an image reflected in the mirror of one's mind, comparable to the visions that appear in a magic mirror during a pratisena divination rite. In order to let the first signs appear, the yogin has to meditate in a closed place, where no light can filter in. This is called night yoga. The other signs will appear in daylight yoga (divayoga), practiced with ones back to the sun in a walled space with no roof, wherebye the only things seen is the empty sky." (Orofino: 1996...pg 130)...

GREEK CEREMONIES......'euhai, euhoi'...ritual cry during Dionysiac ceremony....aparchai: first fruit offering...apporrheton: secret....daimon: demon....demiurgos: creator...dromena: rituals...entheos: possessed by a god...epoptes: wathcher, highest degree of Eleusian mysteries...hierophantes: one who shows sacred things....katharsis: purifications....kymbals: cymbals...paredros: divine consort...pompe: procession...thronismos: enthronement...(Burkert: 1987...pg 172)...

LHA GYALO...."The gods are victorious"...(Born in Tibet: pg 209)

"The Avestan 'monthra', pahlavi 'monsar'...

DIVINATION...."According to these Buddhist divination systems, when a divination is performed, the practitioner enters into a visualization practice and invokes the energies or blessings of the deity associated with that form of divination. The practitioner is not acting as an oracle who is possessed by a deity, but rather, they are communicating with the wisdom aspect of the deity's mind, which is none other than our own deep mind. This communication can occur through a variety of mediums, such as reading the patterns of crow's flight, rock formations, the throw of dice, or on the surface of a mirror. The ability to perform divinations for the benefit of others is acquired through intensive retreats under qualified masters and involves sadhana, mantra recitation and strong meditation practices. Divination abilities may also be inherited...Tibetan divination methods include Dorje Yudronma's Mirror divination; Manjushri, Palden Lhamo, and Tseringma's dice divination; Gesar of Ling Arrow divination, dough ball divinations, dream interpretations, and divinations using butter lamps, shoulder-blades, and stones. ".....http://www.lamadawa.com/div-tibetan.html

"Zoroastrian ceremonies are primarily of two types: ceremonies of the outer and inner circles. Ceremonies of the outer circle are ceremonies that can be performed outside a temple and in some cases by the laity. Ceremonies of the inner circle are ceremonies that are always performed within a temple and more specifically inside the pavi areas of the temple. Pavi areas are the consecrated inner sanctums demarcated by a groove in the floor and areas where only ordained priests may enter. In addition, there are purification ceremonies conducted to purify or cleanse a space or person in order to consecrate a space or prepare a person to partake in a religious ceremony"....http://www.heritageinstitute.com/zoroastrianism/ceremonies/liturgy.htm

"In Bhutan, the spiritual life of the Layaps and Lunaps is a fascinating demonstration of what anthropologists call religious synchronism. Buddhism was introduced into Bhutan from Tibet in the 7th century but in these communities it did not simply replace the existing animistic and shamanistic practices. The animism and the Buddhism complement each other. For example, local animistic gods and demons have been made into defenders of Buddhism and there is a happy balance between the two. In Lunana for example, there are sacred forests that belongs to the Due Shing, or demon trees. People entering this forest without the permission of these spirits will be punished. When people fall ill or suffer misfortune it is often believed that they have disturbed or displeased such spirits. The Layaps and Lunaps each have their own adaptation to this convergence of belief systems - in Lunana you must walk around Chortens (shrines) in an anticlockwise direction to please the spirits and in Laya you must move around them clockwise. If the spirit world is ever disturbed then a 'tsip', or astrologer, is consulted to appease the spirits. The astrologer for this reason can be a very influential person in the village extending his influence beyond religion to village politics.".....http://www.bbc.co.uk/tribe/tribes/layap/

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Email....okarresearch@gmail.com

John Hopkins.....Northern New Mexico….February 2013

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