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If we are to believe later traditions, and there is in my opinion no reason not to do so, the first Tibetan historiographic writings date from Tibet's imperial period (seventh-ninth centuries), which coincided with her relations with the Nepalese, Indians, Arabs, Turks, Uighurs, 'A zha and, above all, Tang China. Only a fragment of this literary corpus, falling into two broad classes, has survived.
The Popol Vuh is a Colonial period K'iche' Mayan text that is considered to be the bible of Mayan civilization. It was transscribed by the Dominican priest Francisco Ximénez in or near 1701. It chronicles the creation of humankind, the actions of the gods, the origin and history of the K’iche’ people, and the chronology of their kings to 1550. Although written during the period of Chistianization, it is considered by scholars to be an invaluable source of knowledge about Preclassic and Classic period Mayan mythology and culture. The text itself appears to be based on an earlier but now lost version, written in K’iche’ by a Mayan author (or authors) sometime between 1554 and 1558....
In the following essays, Dreyfus provides us with a wonderful introduction to the Tibetan monastic educational system, discussing such topics as memorization, commentary, the educational curriculum, the theory and practice of debate, the schedule of monastic educational institutions, and finally the different geshé degrees awarded.1 Dreyfus’s years of experience as a scholastic monk in the Geluk tradition make his account detailed and accurate. At the same time, his first-hand familiarity with the tradition shines through in every section. His work is especially valuable in dispelling many of the myths surrounding life in Tibet’s great monastic academies.
SHANTI Texts is a published repository of texts that can be used for a variety of content types, from remediated primary sources to long-form scholarly blog posts to be shared via social media. It is designed to allow you create content on-site or to upload long texts.
The psychoactive plant Datura metel appears across a range of traditions in premodern South Asia preserved in texts. Among those traditions is the form of tantric Buddhism (Vajrayāna) located in the yoginī tantras. In Vajrayāna works, the plant is most prominently used in instructions for bringing about one or more of the magical acts (ṣaṭkarman). This paper explores the possibility that datura was consumed for its hallucination-inducing potential by considering how the plant was viewed and used in premodern South Asia through an ethnobotanical approach to relevant texts. I argue that the material potency of the plant as a dangerous poison, well established in Sanskrit medical literature from an early period, gave it a magical potency that made it a favored ingredient in several hostile magic rites (abhicāra) found in the yoginī tantras. I suggest that the line between material and magical is an inappropriate distinction to draw when examining these tantras, and that the most responsible way to approach the use of psychotropic plants in a premodern culture is by examining what actors from that culture said about the plant rather than relying on our existing knowledge of the effect of that plant.
Taken from url: http://places.kmaps.virginia.edu/descriptions/88.xml
A translation of the Praise to the Noble Qualities of the Excellent Pristine Wisdom (དཔལ་ཡེ་ཤེས་ཡོན་ཏན་བཟང་པོའི་བསྟོད་པ།) dedicated to Mañjuśrī as recited in Bhutan.
Today, in Bhutan there are many kinds of scriptures written on cloth and put up on a pole vertically. In Tibet, where there are fewer trees, they would print the prayers on cloth or paper in square forms and hang them on ropes horizontally.
This piece was initially published in Bhutan’s national newspaper Kuensel in a series called "Why we do what we do".
Progressive muscle relaxation is a practice of tensing and relaxing muscles one group at a time as a way of relaxing the mind and relieving stress.
A summary of the traditional importance of buckwheat noodles, or puta, as a staple of the Bumthang diet.
An overview of the Raksa Mangcham, a ritual dance depicting the effects of karma and its consequences, manifested through the actions of the Lord of Death, who judges the recently deceased.
Rabney is a consecration ritual. It comes from the Sanskrit term pratiṣṭhita – in which prati means good or well and sthita to remain or sustain. Thus, it is basically a process of inviting the enlightened spirits of the Buddhas to abide or remain well in the sacred objects.
This piece was initially published in Bhutan’s national newspaper Kuensel in a series called "Why we do what we do".
Taken from url: http://places.kmaps.virginia.edu/descriptions/5.xml
The metaphor of turning the wheel is used to describe the act of teaching because when the enlightened masters teach, the inner wheel of understanding and realization is turned in the minds of the disciples.
This piece was initially published in Bhutan’s national newspaper Kuensel in a series called "Why we do what we do".
Offering contemplative instruction and community online.
Rimdro literally means service. Rimdro comprises rituals, ceremonies and practices, which are undertaken for a wide range of purposes including elongating life, overcoming illness, accumulating wealth, having good harvest, successfully finishing projects and overcoming hindrances. Some rimdos are calendar events and undertaken seasonally or annually while others are observed as and when necessary.
This piece was initially published in Bhutan’s national newspaper Kuensel in a series called "Why we do what we do".
An overview to the 'Seven Precious Possessions' of a chakravartin, or 'wheel-turning king'.
A summary of the compilation and contents of the Rinchen Terzö (rin chen gter mdzod), the cumulative treasure teachings.