Oh my, oh my, what a tread.
While buddha was alive in India, he and his teachings grew in popularity, and was at one time larger than hinduism itself in India.
After Buddha´s death, Hinduist priests began to reclaim their power, by turning people back to hinduism. This was partly done by proclaiming that Buddha had been one of Vishnu´s awaited incarnations (the 6th one I think). And thus bringing the buddhists back in the fold, so to speak. Leading to buddhism almost disappearing from India again.
Thing is, Buddhist monks had traveled in all directions as missionaries. to bring the liberation of truth to other people of the world.
In Tibet, before the buddhist missionaries arrived. The Tibetans had a shamanistic religion, probably animistic aswell, similar to most other shamanistic religions around the world.
Their society was definitely also your standard feudal/tribal hierarchic society. As seen anywere else in the world in this time of the human evolution.
When buddhist missionaries reached Tibet, they did not repress the indigenous culture or religion of Tibet. Like christian missionaries have done around the world. This is because Buddhism is not mutually exclusive, as such. (Just look at Japan and Shintoism/Zen relations)
What happened is that buddhism merged with the indigenous tibetan shamanistic religion, to form something new: Tibetan buddhism.
Hence Tibetan buddhism is filled with superstition, rituals, gods, demons and what not.….…all kinds of blibber blabber.
Buddhism, as thought by the buddha, was very "scientific" and logical.
It is very special in that way, that in it´s original form, it is not so much a religion, but more a philosophy about the truth of reality.
Regarding the Tibetan society, buddhism also just merged into, and became a part, of the already existing hierarchic feudal/tribal society, which definitely was very harsh and ruthless, compared to what we are used to today. Obviously.
I think Tibetan buddhism has been romantisized in the west. This has probably happened because of the brutal invasion and repression caused by the chinese invaders. And because of the Tibetans fantastic pacifistic way of fighting back against the opressors.
Just think of that monk who burned himself alive in protest.
Also Tibet has for a long way up into the 19th century been a very mysterious and untouched land.
Adding to the romantisism even today.
it´s definitely been overly romantisized .
it seems to me that Tibetan buddhism is the strain of buddhism that the most westerners are converting to. Which I find kind of rediculous, as it´s definitely filled with more mumbo jumbo than other “strains” of Buddhism.
but what ever. Who am I to judge......
I do think though, that dalai lama is an amazing person. And I do hope that the Tibetan people will be free one day. I doubt it though.
On the topic of drugs and buddhism.
All kinds of drugs or inebriants are a completely NO NO! if you are a buddhist.
Drugs destroy your concentration in meditation, and clouds your mind from being able to see the truth of reality.
Of cause, lots of buddhists around the world drink alcohol etc. This is because they are laymen.
At some point through all your incarnations you are meant to realise more and more the Necessity of eliminating suffering, by experiencing the truth of reality via meditation. This also demands detaching yourself from the physical world. And abstaining from inebriants, sex etc, and also forsaking worldly goods.
in other words, becoming a monk.
So basicaly a buddhist layman, is just some one who has not realised the Necessity of becoming a monk, but who will realise it, in future reincarnations.
Just want to say that I personaly find talk of drugs and buddhism to make no sense at all. What ever the context.
in buddhism, any drug inebriation is just an illusion.
Spreading Green Fractal Cauliflower joy in this manner would be a truly compassionate and Buddhist thing to do, IMO
