I have been interested in the Dzogchen practice of Thogal. Would you suggest any sources or web-sites about this?

I don't know much about Buddhism. Sorry if this is off-topic. Where I live, Buddhism is rather uncommon, but in recent years, Tibetan prayer flags have become more and more widespread. These ones were installed close to my workplace, and made me curious. For what I've learned, these are _lungdhar_ or _lung ta_, and the design involves the _lung ta_ horse in the center, as well as the "four mythical animals, tiger, snow lion, dragon and Garuda" in each corner. But there is one thing I have found little information about, and it involves the text. I've read they are supposed to be mantras, but I have a (composite) question about the meaning: **What exactly do they say?** Is the text always the same, or it varies from one to the other? If the latter is the case, **I'm particularly interested in this specific flag**. I believe they are written in Tibetan script, but Google translate wasn't able to tell the language or give a translation. I'm sorry for the low quality of the photo. I know I just cut the text, but I hope it's enough to identify at least some of the general meaning (if the text is different from flag to flag).

I’m in Drikung Kagyu and have a lama in that lineage and find the Gelug approach to emptiness to be extremely helpful to viewing emptiness. I know all these philosophies in Rime point to the same truth, but I still wonder how its viewed to hold philosophical positions from another lineage but of course keeping the practice your lama outlines for you? I’ve read Tulku Rinpoche book on Rime and in the beginning it says to keep integrity of lineages, but obviously now many lamas receive teachings from multiple lineages. Am I ok in viewing emptiness from a Gelug pov as a Drikung Kagyu if it’s helpful for me?

# Which mantra would be most beneficial for my specific recovery situation? I'm a college student dealing with eating disorder patterns, childhood trauma, and social isolation. Currently in therapy + medication, but want to add a daily mantra practice as complementary support. **Background on my struggles:** - **Eating patterns**: Cycles of restriction → binge → shame that developed during adolescence. Food was used as both comfort and expression of care in my family, but within an otherwise difficult dynamic. - **Past trauma**: Experienced physical discipline/violence during childhood for minor mistakes. Still have nightmares and hypervigilance. Even though family relationships have improved significantly, I struggle to trust the changes are permanent. - **Current state**: Social isolation, constant threat-detection mode, negative self-talk patterns. Eating episodes get triggered by perceived social rejection or academic stress. I find myself scanning environments for potential threats. - **Spiritual background**: Currently practicing with a local Plum Village group (Thich Nhat Hanh tradition), so I'm already in the Zen/Mahayana space. **The three mantras I'm considering:** 1. **Om Mani Padme Hum** - Compassion cultivation 2. **Medicine Buddha mantra** - Healing focused 3. **Green Tara mantra** - Protection from fears **My question**: Given my specific trauma pattern (broken safety/protection system leading to hypervigilance and self-hatred), which mantra would likely have the most therapeutic benefit? I think Green Tara would be beneficial for my core issue of feeling fundamentally unsafe in the world, which then triggers the binge cycles when I perceive social threats. But I also wonder if the self-compassion work of Om Mani Padme Hum might be more foundational. Has anyone with similar trauma/eating disorder patterns found one of these particularly helpful? I know this isn't a substitute for therapy - just looking for what might work best as a complementary daily practice. **Note**: I'm already doing weekly therapy + SSRI medication + daily mindfulness meditation. The part in the 12 Step program where you are specifically required to trust in a "higher power" inspired me that maybe I need something like this to. So I wonder if there's anything within the Buddhist framework that could fill that gap. I'm worried about sectarian conflict, though. Is it even okay to practice these Tibetan chants if I'm practicing in a modernized, engaged, mindfulness-focused version of Vietnamese Zen?

It’s a plate from the shambhala dragon tibetan book of the dead (fremantle & trungpa, 1975). the caption says > the central figure is the supreme dharmakaya buddha and represents the dharmata. he is surrounded by the mandalas of the peaceful deities, the vidyadharas and the wrathful deities represented by their mantras could anyone help me find a legend/source for which deities are represented by which mandalas, and what deities are represented by the mantras (and also a translation of the mantras) ?

As a lay person, I’d like to find resources online to practice phowa because of a lack of masters I can meet in person where I live. Are there any good resources on the internet to achieve phowa? And has anyone here done the phowa practice?

I would like to ask about interpretations of Mādhyamaka (non-Gelugpa) that affirm the possibility of predicating svabhāva of śūnyatā—understood as something self-sufficient, free, and complete. I assume that readings in line with Madhyamaka Shentong may be more open to this perspective, as opposed to Rangtong interpretations. But I would like to learn more about this. Thank you!

Does the practice of Tibetan Buddhism reconcile with early Buddhist teachings? I have read a lot of books in that tradition, and it seems to me that it is; but it would be helpful to gain some insight from others.

You will often hear reference to the three poisons in Buddhism, What are they referring to exactly when they talk about the three poisons?

When a person dies, s/he goes to heaven or hell based on present life karma and any past karmas. In Buddhism, if there is no soul, who is punished in hell and who enjoys in heaven? as there is no physical body to feel pain and pleasure. If that person has learnt the art of detachment, how can s/he suffer/enjoy in hell/heaven? Does different realms really exists and do we travel through them?

If I am not mistaken, Tenzen Gyatzo HHDL is translated by Tupten Jinpa in quoting ‘another Amado Master’ as stating “Emptiness does not mean the absence of functionality”. Meaning, that although the phenomenon we experience in our ordinary human existence does not have inherent existence, but evolves in and out of existence, because of many causes and conditions (dependent origination), that does not imply that the reality that we experience is not real in the human sense. This insight is fundamentally important in the liberation from suffering, and in this context, the attainment of the direct experiential knowledge of emptiness is facilitated by syllogistic reasoning. This post was stated as a question because I wanted to earn reputation points in order to respond to another question on the nature of emptiness.

I got introduced to this "Female Buddha" when I was looking name for my friend's daughter. So what does female Buddha mean? **Wikipedia :** >[Tara (Buddhism)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tara_(Buddhism)) Tara (Sanskrit: तारा, tārā; Tib. སྒྲོལ་མ, Dölma), Ārya Tārā, or Shayama Tara, also known as Jetsun Dölma (Tibetan language: rje btsun sgrol ma) in Tibetan Buddhism, is an important figure in Buddhism. She appears as a female bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism, and as a female Buddha in Vajrayana Buddhism. She is known as the "mother of liberation", and represents the virtues of success in work and achievements. She is known as Tara Bosatsu (多羅菩薩) in Japan, and occasionally as Duōluó Púsà (多羅菩薩) in Chinese Buddhism. My question is what does this concept mean **is she a person who appeared in past who's name is Tara**? Or **is it philosophical concept that meditators seen she's appearing?** Also why this is not exist in **Thervada Buddhism** when statue is in **Bihar** state of **India?**

Śāntideva's *Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra* is a renowned Mahayana text and the source of many ideas, prayers and practices, down to today, particularly the Bodhisattva ideal, Bodhicitta, and practices for achieving it. Śāntideva wrote it in the 8th-century CE (with a miraculous story to go with it), and it was a major source of Atiśa's teachings in India and Tibet in the 11th-century CE. Atiśa learned about it from Dharmakīrtiśrī (Tibetan: Serlingpa), an Indonesian master, particularly the eighth chapter on practices for the development of Bodhicitta, according to commonly accepted history. Since then, it has become a standard part of the Mahayana literature across Asia and the world. My question: are there any extant references to the *Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra* **between those dates -- its origin in the 8th-century and Atiśa's 11th-centuries teachings** -- commentaries or other mentions? The Indian Mahayana was at its peak in those years, prior to its decline in the wake of various invasions, so it stands to reason that the *Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra* would have been a significant part of it. Or did Serlingpa and Atiśa resurrect it from a relatively unknown, under-appreciated state? ------------ Addendum 1/6/2021 -- The fact that Atiśa had to go to Indonesia for twelve years to study Bodhicitta and its practices with Serlingpa suggests that the subject was indeed under-appreciated in India prior to Atiśa, even at the great centers such as Nalanda and Vikramaśilā (where Atiśa was abbot upon return from Indonesia). That all raises the question of ancient Mahayana history in Indonesia, which seems little studied or documented, at least in English.

I am long time student of Chogyam Trungpa. Unfortunately, the current situation at the sangha (now Shambhala International) is in a state of chaos. I am interested in becoming B. Alan Wallace's student. I'm wondering if his path is similar to Vajradhatu, in other words, start with shamatha/vipassana, then ngondro, and then abhiseka. Thank you

I formerly practiced with the local Shambhala group. I took my Refuge Vows there, received some random Buddhist name that had nothing to do with my studies or who I am; and was told I was now a member of Chogyam Trungpa's lineage. Since then I found out about the disgusting sexual and physical abuse perpetrated by Chogyam Trungpa and his son, the current Sakyong, and have not been able to continue with the Shambhala teachings. My question (and I apologize for its being so very basic) is: can a refugee somehow change lineages? I asked this of an older woman there whom I respected,and she said no without any explanation. I now am studying the teachings of H.H. the Dalai Lama, and do not really know what tradition I am in. I have practiced on my own -- with the exception of my few Shambhala years -- for about 20 years, but am not very knowledgeable about the scriptures. Any link to a good beginner's guide would be much appreciated. I hope I have not violated any rules. And thanks in advance for any answers. I really don't want to be associated with Shambhala in any way. If there is a way to change my lineage, I'd really like to know.

I have an anxiety disorder and I sometimes wonder if Dukkha could be viewed as anxiety. In other words in the four noble truths: This is anxiety. This is the cause of anxiety. This is the cessation of anxiety. This is the path of practice of anxiety. Isn't Dukkha really just a form of anxiety? Anxiety about emotional pain and even the suffering associated with physical pain is probably anxiety, horror at the pain and the risk of death. I don't know. I think this could be a translation of Dukkha. But maybe I should just use it myself because I have an anxiety disorder...

Are there visual representations of the Tripitaka? Its threefold division suggests a correspondence of vinaya to "body", sutta to "soul", abhidhamma to "mind", a rather broad correspondence that could be linked to many "threefold divisions" of symbolic language.
So I am asking for artistic works that focus explicitly on the Tripitaka, especially in Tibetan art.

Is it possible to connect with students of B. Alan Wallace through this forum? I have been desperate to get blessings/ initiation in his lineage. Thank you!

New Kadampa Tradition is a prominent Buddhist movement in the UK with many centres and meditation classes. However I've always been confused about the relationship between them and Tibetan Buddhist. So moving on from this question - what is the relationship between the New Kadampa Tradition and the Tibetan schools? What lineage if any do they claim? Are they a minor school or a subset of another school? I heard somewhere that they had a disagreement with the Dalai Lamaso maybe they are linked with the Gelug school. However that might not be true - all kinds of things get reported about Buddhist organisations that can be classified as new religious movements, some of which are just sticks to beat them with.

I have been practicing Buddhist meditation for a few years, mostly from reading translations of the Buddha's original discourses, as well as some Prajnaparamita sutras from Mahayana Buddhism. I've always been intrigued by Vajrayana, but most of the source texts don't seem to have quality English translations, especially the more esoteric Tantric practices. Are there any good texts that go into detail about the principles and practices of Vajrayana, preferably with translations of source texts? So far I've read the Robert Thurman book, which was a bit underwhelming in terms of practical value.