Tibetan Buddhism — formerly also called Lamaism, after their religious gurus known as lamas — is the body of religious Buddhist doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and the Himalayan region. It is a multifaceted and integrated teaching, naturally implementing methods for all human-condition levels: Hinayana, Mahayana, Vajrayana (Tantric Path) and Ati Yoga (Dzogchen). Tibetan Buddhism - Distinguishing characteristics. Tibetan Buddhism may be distinguished from other schools of Tantric ...

Including:

• Tibetan Buddhism - Distinguishing characteristics
• Tibetan Buddhism - Rituals and ritual objects
• Tibetan Buddhism - Traditions/Orders/Sects of Tibetan Buddhism
• Tibetan Buddhism - Schools/Tenets of Tibetan Buddhism
• Tibetan Buddhism - Monasticism
• Tibetan Buddhism - History of Tibetan Buddhism

Read more here: » Tibetan Buddhism: Encyclopedia - Tibetan Buddhism

Lama Yoga: Form of kundalini yoga advanced by Astara, Inc. (see Astara's healing science), for: attunement to the etheric part of oneself, expansion of consciousness, personal healing, and psychic unfoldment.

(See also: Lama Yoga, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

Tara as a focus for tantric deity yoga can be traced back to the time period of Padmasambhava. There is a Red Tara practice which was given by Padmasambhava to Yeshe Tsogyal. He asked that she hide it as a treasure. It was not until this century, that a great Nyingma Lama, Apong Terton rediscovered it. This Lama was reborn as His Holiness Sakya Trizin, present head of the Sakyapa sect. A monk who had known Apong Terton succeeded in retransmitting it to H.H. Sakya Trizin, and the same monk also gave it to Chagdud ...

See also:

Tara Buddhism, Tara Buddhism - Emergence of Tara as a Buddhist Deity, Tara Buddhism - Origin as a Buddhist Bodhisattva, Tara Buddhism - Tara as a Saviouress, Tara Buddhism - Tara as a Tantric Deity, Tara Buddhism - Sadhanas of Tara

Read more here: » Tara Buddhism: Encyclopedia II - Tara Buddhism - Tara as a Tantric Deity

"Happiness," Aristotle said, "depends upon ourselves."

I care less about the gross national product and more about the gross national happiness.

Jigme Singye Wangchuk, King of Bhutan

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.

Mahatma Gandhi

(See also: Happiness, Affirmations, Practising Affirmations, Life Transforming Affirmations, Essence of Affirmations, Faith and Belief, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Body Mind and Soul)

Sahaja Yoga: The Living Tradition of Sahaj Marg

The Raja Yoga system known as "Sahaj Marg" is still relatively obscure in the West, even among Yoga aficionados. This is largely due to the fact that Sahaj Marg has been a low-key, word-of-mouth practice. Works by the lineage of Sahaj Marg Masters, published under the auspices of the Shri Ram Chandra Mission (SRCM), are difficult to locate, and beyond the abhyasis or practitioners of Sahaj Marg, few are aware that SRCM centers have been established worldwide since the Mission was founded in India fifty years ago.

Read more here: » Sahaja Yoga: The Living Tradition of Sahaj Marg

The one principle that should be at the core of any religious belief is ahimsa or non-violence - not to hurt any life, human or otherwise.

Killing is not right. Killing animals to eat them is not a civilised thing to do, but carnivores exist in nature and in many places, humans have to subsist on non-vegetarian food for reasons beyond their control. But wherever possible, vegetarianism must be practised.

(See also: Life and Death, Life and Beyond, Death and Dying, Body Mind and Soul)

Tumo (also spelled Tummo, or Tum-mo ) is a Tibetan term for an advanced type of meditation practiced by those wishing to attain enlightenment within a single lifetime. Tummo practice can cause an intense sensation of body heat to arise. Tummo is taught as one part of the six yogas of Naropa. Stories and eyewitness accounts abound of yogi practitioners being able to generate sufficient heat to dry wet sheets draped around their naked bodies while sitting outside in the freezing cold, not just once, but multiple times. These observations have also been discussed in medic ...

Read more here: » Tumo: Encyclopedia - Tumo

The Geluk or Gelug (Wylie transliteration: Dge-lugs, Tibetan: དགེ་ལུགས་པ་) school of Buddhism was founded by Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), a philosopher and Tibetan religious leader. The first monastery he established was at Ganden, and to this day the Ganden Tripa (Dga'-ldan Khri-pa) is the nominal head of the school, though its most influential figure is the Dalai Lama. A great admirer of the Kadampa (Bka'-gdams-pa) teachings, Tsongkhapa was an enthusiastic promoter of the Kadam School's emphasis ...

Read more here: » Geluk: Encyclopedia - Geluk

Main articles: Yoga, and List of yoga schools, and [[{{{3}}}]], and [[{{{4}}}]]Including:

• Yogi - Modern Yogis

Read more here: » Yogi: Encyclopedia - Yogi

Yoga is a family of ancient spiritual practices that originated in India, where it remains a vibrant living tradition and is seen as a means to enlightenment. Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Raja Yoga are considered the four main yogas, but there are many other types. In the West, yoga has become associated with the asanas (postures) of Hatha Yoga, which are popular as fitness exercises. Yoga as a means to enlightenment is central to Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism, and has influenced other religious and spiritual pr ...

Including:

• Yoga - Yoga practice and intention
• Yoga - The word yoga
• Yoga - Diversity of yoga
• Yoga - Yoga and religion
• Yoga - Common themes
• Yoga - Origins
• Yoga - Hindu yoga
• Yoga - Bhagavad Gita
• Yoga - Patanjali
• Yoga - God in Yoga philosophy
• Yoga - Hatha yoga
• Yoga - Natya yoga
• Yoga - Buddhist yoga
• Yoga - Yoga and tantra
• Yoga - Notable Yogis

Read more here: » Yoga: Encyclopedia - Yoga

Books: Life Divine, Synthesis of Yoga, Savitri, The Mother, Letters, Agenda Teachings: Involution, Evolution Integral yoga, Triple transformation Physical, Vital, Mental, Psychic, Spirit Overmind, Supermind Sacred Structures: Matrimandir Communities: Sr ...

Including:

• Pavitra - Partial Bibliography

Read more here: » Pavitra: Encyclopedia - Pavitra

The Karmapa is the head of the Karma Kagyu (Bka' rgyud), the largest of the lineages that make up the Kagyu school, one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 1st Karmapa, Düsum Khyenpa (Dus gsum Mkhyen pa) (1110-1193), was a disciple of the Tibetan master Gampopa. A gifted child who studied dharma (Buddhist teachings) with his father from an early age and who sought out great teachers in his twenties and thirties, he is said to have attained enlightenment at the age of fifty while practicing dream yoga. He was hen ...

Including:

• Karmapa - The Black Crown
• Karmapa - List of previous Karmapas
• Karmapa - Controversy over the current Karmapa

Read more here: » Karmapa: Encyclopedia - Karmapa

Kalachakra is a term used in Tantric Buddhism that means "time-wheel" or "time-cycles". It refers both to a Tantric deities (tib. yidam) of Vajrayāna Buddhism and to the philosophies and meditation practices contained the Kālachakra Tantra and its many commentaries. The Kālachakra Tantra is more properly called the Kālachakra Laghutantra, and is said to be an abridged form of an original text, the Kālachakra Mūlatantra. Some Buddhist masters assert that Kālachakra is the most a ...

Including:

• Kalachakra - The Kālachakra Laghutantra
• Kalachakra - Initiation
• Kalachakra - History
• Kalachakra - Kālachakra Practice Today in the Four Tibetan Buddhist Schools
• Kalachakra - Astrology
• Kalachakra - Controversy

Read more here: » Kalachakra: Encyclopedia - Kalachakra

Aum Shinrikyo (also spelled Om Shin Rikyo) was a religious group which mixed Buddhist and Hindu beliefs and was based in Japan. It gained international notoriety in 1995, when a group of followers carried out a poison gas attack on the Tokyo subways. Since 2000, it has been called Aleph. The name "Aum Shinrikyo" (Japanese: オウム真理教 Oumu Shinrikyō) derives from the Hindu syllable Aum (which represents the universe), followed by the three kanji characters shin ("truth," "reality," "Buddhist ...

Including:

• Aum Shinrikyo - Doctrine
• Aum Shinrikyo - Activities
• Aum Shinrikyo - Sarin gas attacks and aftermaths
• Aum Shinrikyo - 'Aum Surveillance Law': Under Pressure
• Aum Shinrikyo - Overseas presence

Read more here: » Aum Shinrikyo: Encyclopedia - Aum Shinrikyo

Düsum Khyenpa (Wylie transliteration: Dus gsum Mkhyen pa) (1110 - 1193) was the 1st Gyalwa Karmapa, head of the Kagyu (bka' rgyud) school of Tibetan Buddhism. He was a gifted child who studied and practiced Dharma intently from an early age. Already quite learned by the age of twenty, he became a monk and studied the sutras and tantra intensively for a further ten years. At thirty, he went to Daklha Gampo -- Gampopa's monastery -- to receive teachings from him. Although this was an historic meeting of two great Buddhist ...

Read more here: » Düsum Khyenpa: Encyclopedia - Düsum Khyenpa

In Tibetan Buddhist tradition, Shambhala (also spelled Shambala or Shamballa) is a mystical kingdom hidden somewhere beyond the snowpeaks of the Himalayas. It is mentioned in various ancient texts including the Kalachakra and the ancient texts of the Zhang Zhung culture which pre-dated Tibetan Buddhism in western Tibet. The Bon scriptures speak of a closely-related land called Olmolungring. Shambhala - Shambhala in the Buddhist Kalachakra Teachings. The Kingdom of Shambhala takes a central pla ...

Including:

• Shambhala - Shambhala in the Buddhist Kalachakra Teachings
• Shambhala - Western Fascination with Shambhala
• Shambhala - Western Esoteric Traditions
• Shambhala - Shambhala in Nazism
• Shambhala - Shambhala in Contemporary Pop Culture
• Shambhala - Television

Read more here: » Shambhala: Encyclopedia - Shambhala

Dzogchen is a state. The Dzogchen state is said to be the natural, primordial state of every sentient being, including every human being. When an individual is able to maintain this specific state continually, he or she no longer experiences dukkha, i.e., feelings of discontent, tension, and anxiety in everday life. (Compare with Nirvana. For more details see Nirvana and Dzogchen.) Wylie: rdzogs chen standard Tibetan contraction of rdzogs pa chen po "Dzogchen" has been translated variousl ...

Including:

• Dzogchen - Background
• Dzogchen - Concepts
• Dzogchen - The Practice of Dzogchen
• Dzogchen - Uses and Application for Ordinary People

Read more here: » Dzogchen: Encyclopedia - Dzogchen

Tantra (Sanskrit: loom), tantric yoga or tantrism is any of several esoteric traditions rooted in the religions of India. It exists in Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Bönpo, and New Age forms. Tantra's roots are in the village life of ancient India. The word "tantra" first appears in the written record in the middle of the first millennium CE. Tantra has persisted and often thrived throughout Asian history. Its practitioners have lived in India, China, Japan, Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Korea, Cambodia, Burma, Ind ...

Including:

• Tantra - History of Tantra
• Tantra - Hindu tantra
• Tantra - Tibetan tantra
• Tantra - Japan's Shingon sect
• Tantra - New Age tantra or Neo Tantra
• Tantra - Tantric practices
• Tantra - Tantra in the modern world
• Tantra - Hindu tantra
• Tantra - Buddhist tantra

Read more here: » Tantra: Encyclopedia - Tantra

A guru (गुरू Sanskrit) is a teacher in Hinduism, Buddhism or Sikhism. Based on a long line of philosophical understanding as to the importance of knowledge, the guru is seen in these religions as a sacred conduit, or a way to self-realization. In India and among people of Hindu, Buddhist, or Sikh belief, the title retains a hallowed meaning. Guru also refers in Sanskrit to Brihaspati, a Hindu figure analogous to the Roman planet/god Jupiter. In Vedic astrology, Jupiter/Guru/Brihaspati is believed to ...

Including:

• Guru - Etymology
• Guru - Guru in Hinduism
• Guru - Guru in Buddhism
• Guru - Guru in Sikhism
• Guru - Types of gurus
• Guru - Succession and lineage parampara
• Guru - Guru in a Western culture context
• Guru - Gurus in the West
• Guru - Assessment and criticism
• Guru - Notable scandals and controversies
• Guru - Bibliography

Read more here: » Guru: Encyclopedia - Guru

The term Quan Yin Method was coined in the 1970s by Suma Ching Hai, a popular and controversial spiritual teacher who professes that she is a manifestation of God and the Buddha, to describe the type of meditation that she practices and teaches. It is a Chinese term lending to the English translation, “contemplation on the sound.” According to Master Ching Hai, the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, popularly known as Quan Yin by many Chinese Buddhists and Taoists, practiced this form of med ...

Including:

• Quan Yin Method - Doctrine
• Quan Yin Method - The First Level
• Quan Yin Method - The Second Level
• Quan Yin Method - The Fifth Level
• Quan Yin Method - Metaphysical Method
• Quan Yin Method - Initiation
• Quan Yin Method - Master Ching Hai's use of the Quan Yin Method
• Quan Yin Method - Criticism

Read more here: » Quan Yin Method: Encyclopedia - Quan Yin Method