Editing Tibetan Buddhism (section)

== Practices ==
{{See also|Tantra techniques (Vajrayana)}}In Tibetan Buddhism, practices are generally classified as either Sutra (or ''Pāramitāyāna'') or Tantra (''Vajrayāna or Mantrayāna''), though exactly what constitutes each category and what is included and excluded in each is a matter of debate and differs among the various lineages. According to Tsongkhapa for example, what separates Tantra from Sutra is the practice of Deity yoga.{{sfnp|Powers|2007|p=271}} Furthermore, the adherents of the Nyingma school consider Dzogchen to be a separate and independent vehicle, which transcends both sutra and tantra.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Germano |first=David |year=1994 |title=Architecture and Absence in the Secret Tantric History of the Great Perfection (rdzogs chen) |journal=JIABS |volume=17 |number=2}}</ref>

While it is generally held that the practices of Vajrayāna are not included in Sutrayāna, all Sutrayāna practices are common to Vajrayāna practice. Traditionally, Vajrayāna is held to be a more powerful and effective path, but potentially more difficult and dangerous and thus they should only be undertaken by the advanced who have established a solid basis in other practices.{{sfnp|Samuel|2012|p=50}}

=== Pāramitā ===
{{Main|Pāramitā}}
The [[Paramitas|''pāramitās'']] (perfections, transcendent virtues) is a key set of virtues which constitute the major practices of a bodhisattva in non-tantric Mahayana. They are:

# ''[[Dāna]] pāramitā'': generosity, giving (Tibetan: སབྱིན་པ ''sbyin-pa'')
# ''[[Śīla]] pāramitā:'' virtue, morality, discipline, proper conduct (ཚུལ་ཁྲིམས ''tshul-khrims'')
# ''[[Kshanti|{{IAST|Kṣānti}}]] pāramitā'': patience, tolerance, forbearance, acceptance, endurance (བཟོད་པ ''bzod-pa'')
# ''[[Vīrya]] pāramitā'': energy, diligence, vigor, effort (བརྩོན་འགྲུས ''brtson-’grus'')
# ''[[Dhyāna in Buddhism|Dhyāna]] pāramitā'': one-pointed concentration, meditation, contemplation (བསམ་གཏན ''bsam-gtan'')
# ''[[Prajñā (Buddhism)|Prajñā]] pāramitā'': wisdom, knowledge (ཤེས་རབ ''shes-rab'')

The practice of ''dāna'' (giving) while traditionally referring to offerings of food to the monastics can also refer to the ritual offering of bowls of water, incense, butter lamps and flowers to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas on a shrine or household altar.{{sfnp|Kapstein|2014|pp=45-46}} Similar offerings are also given to other beings such as hungry ghosts, [[dakinis]], protector deities, and local divinities.

Like other forms of Mahayana Buddhism, the practice of the [[five precepts]] and [[bodhisattva vow]]s is part of Tibetan Buddhist moral (''sila'') practice. In addition to these, there are also numerous sets of Tantric vows, termed [[samaya]], which are given as part of Tantric initiations.

Compassion (''[[karuṇā]]'') practices are also particularly important in Tibetan Buddhism. One of the foremost authoritative texts on the Bodhisattva path is the ''[[Bodhisattvacaryāvatāra]]'' by [[Shantideva]]. In the eighth section entitled ''Meditative Concentration'', Shantideva describes meditation on Karunā as thus:
{{blockquote|Strive at first to meditate upon the sameness of yourself and others. In joy and sorrow all are equal; Thus be guardian of all, as of yourself. The hand and other limbs are many and distinct, But all are one—the body to kept and guarded. Likewise, different beings, in their joys and sorrows, are, like me, all one in wanting happiness. This pain of mine does not afflict or cause discomfort to another's body, and yet this pain is hard for me to bear because I cling and take it for my own. And other beings' pain I do not feel, and yet, because I take them for myself, their suffering is mine and therefore hard to bear. And therefore I'll dispel the pain of others, for it is simply pain, just like my own.  And others I will aid and benefit, for they are living beings, like my body. Since I and other beings both, in wanting happiness, are equal and alike, what difference is there to distinguish us, that I should strive to have my bliss alone?"<ref>{{cite book |title=The Way of the Bodhisattva |author=Shantideva |publisher=Shambhala Publications |pages=122–123}}</ref>}}
A popular compassion meditation in Tibetan Buddhism is ''[[tonglen]]'' (sending and taking love and suffering respectively). Practices associated with [[Avalokiteśvara|Chenrezig]] (Avalokiteshvara), also tend to focus on compassion.

=== Samatha and Vipaśyanā ===
[[File:Tibetan Buddhist Monk in Ghami, Upper Mustang, Nepal.jpg|thumb|A Tibetan Buddhist Monk meditating using chanting and drumming.]]
The [[14th Dalai Lama]] defines meditation (''bsgom pa'') as "familiarization of the mind with an object of meditation."{{sfnp|Powers|2007|p=81}} Traditionally, Tibetan Buddhism follows the two main approaches to [[meditation]] or mental cultivation (''[[bhavana]]'') taught in all forms of Buddhism, [[śamatha]] (Tib. ''Shine'') and [[vipaśyanā]] (''lhaktong'').

The practice of [[śamatha]] (calm abiding) is one of focusing one's mind on a single object such as a Buddha figure or the breath. Through repeated practice one's mind gradually becomes more stable, calm and happy. It is defined by [[Dagpo Tashi Namgyal|Takpo Tashi Namgyal]] as "fixing the mind upon any object so as to maintain it without distraction...focusing the mind on an object and maintaining it in that state until finally it is channeled into one stream of attention and evenness."{{sfnp|Powers|2007|p=86}} The [[Samatha#Nine mental abidings|nine mental abidings]] is the main progressive framework used for śamatha in Tibetan Buddhism.{{sfnp|Powers|2007|p=88}}

Once a meditator has reached the ninth level of this schema they achieve what is termed "pliancy" (Tib. ''shin tu sbyangs pa'', Skt. ''[[Praśrabdhi|prasrabdhi]]''), defined as "a serviceability of mind and body such that the mind can be set on a virtuous object of observation as long as one likes; it has the function of removing all obstructions." This is also said to be very joyful and blissful for the body and the mind.{{sfnp|Powers|2007|p=90}}

The other form of Buddhist meditation is [[vipaśyanā]] (clear seeing, higher insight), which in Tibetan Buddhism is generally practiced after having attained proficiency in [[śamatha]].{{sfnp|Powers|2007|p=91}} This is generally seen as having two aspects, one of which is [[Vipassanā#Inductive and deductive analysis in the Indo-Tibetan tradition|analytic meditation]], which is based on contemplating and thinking rationally about ideas and concepts. As part of this process, entertaining doubts and engaging in internal debate over them is encouraged in some traditions.{{sfnp|Rinpoche|Rinpoche|2006|p=66, 212f}} The other type of [[vipaśyanā]]  is a non-analytical, "simple" yogic style called ''trömeh'' in Tibetan, which means "without complication".<ref>{{cite book |title=The Practice of Tranquillity & Insight: A Guide to Tibetan Buddhist Meditation |author=Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche |publisher=Shambhala Publications |year=1994 |isbn=0-87773-943-9 |pages=91–93}}</ref>

A meditation routine may involve alternating sessions of vipaśyanā to achieve deeper levels of realization, and samatha to consolidate them.{{sfnp|Hopkins|1996|p={{page needed|date=March 2024}}}}

=== Preliminary practices ===
{{see also|Ngöndro}}
[[File:IMG_1016_Lhasa_Barkhor.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.15|Buddhists performing prostrations in front of [[Jokhang Monastery]].]]
[[Vajrayāna]] is believed by Tibetan Buddhists to be the fastest method for attaining Buddhahood but for unqualified practitioners it can be dangerous.<ref>Pabongkha, p.649</ref> To engage in it one must receive an appropriate initiation (also known as an "empowerment") from a lama who is fully qualified to give it. The aim of [[Ngöndro|preliminary practices]] (''ngöndro'') is to start the student on the correct path for such higher teachings.<ref>{{cite book |author=Kalu Rinpoche |year=1986 |title=The Gem Ornament of Manifold Instructions |publisher=Snow Lion |page=21}}</ref> Just as Sutrayāna preceded Vajrayāna historically in India, so sutra practices constitute those that are preliminary to tantric ones.

Preliminary practices include all ''Sutrayāna'' activities that yield merit like hearing teachings, prostrations, offerings, prayers and acts of kindness and compassion, but chief among the preliminary practices are realizations through meditation on the three principal stages of the path: renunciation, the altruistic [[bodhicitta]] wish to attain enlightenment and the wisdom realizing emptiness. For a person without the basis of these three in particular to practice Vajrayāna can be like a small child trying to ride an unbroken horse.<ref>[[Pabongkhapa Déchen Nyingpo]], 649</ref>

The most widespread preliminary practices include: taking [[Refuge (Buddhism)|refuge]], [[Prostration (Buddhism)|prostration]], [[Vajrasattva]] meditation, mandala offerings and [[Guru Yoga|guru yoga]].{{sfnp|Powers|2007|p=295}} The merit acquired in the preliminary practices facilitates progress in Vajrayāna. While many Buddhists may spend a lifetime exclusively on sutra practices, an amalgam of the two to some degree is common. For example, in order to train in [[calm abiding]], one might visualize a tantric deity.

==== Guru yoga ====
{{main|Guru yoga}}
{{see also|Guru#In_Buddhism|label 1=Guru § In Buddhism}}
As in other Buddhist traditions, an attitude of reverence for the teacher, or guru, is also highly prized.<ref>''Lama'' is the literal Tibetan translation of the Sanskrit ''guru''. For a traditional perspective on devotion to the guru, see {{harvp|Tsong-kha-pa|2000|pp=77–87}}. For a current perspective on the guru-disciple relationship in Tibetan Buddhism, see [http://studybuddhism.com/web/x/nav/group.html_1305527811.html Berzin, Alexander. ''Relating to a Spiritual Teacher: Building a Healthy Relationship'']</ref> At the beginning of a public teaching, a ''[[lama]]'' will do [[prostration]]s to the throne on which he will teach due to its symbolism, or to an image of the Buddha behind that throne, then students will do prostrations to the lama after he is seated. Merit accrues when one's interactions with the teacher are imbued with such reverence in the form of guru devotion, a code of practices governing them that derives from Indian sources.<ref>notably, ''Gurupancasika'', Tib.: ''Lama Ngachupa'', Wylie: ''bla-ma lnga-bcu-pa'', "Fifty Verses of Guru-Devotion" by [[Aśvaghoṣa]]</ref> By such things as avoiding disturbance to the peace of mind of one's teacher, and wholeheartedly following his prescriptions, much merit accrues and this can significantly help improve one's practice.

There is a general sense in which any Tibetan Buddhist teacher is called a ''lama''. A student may have taken teachings from many authorities and revere them all as ''lamas'' in this general sense. However, he will typically have one held in special esteem as his own root guru and is encouraged to view the other teachers who are less dear to him, however more exalted their status, as embodied in and subsumed by the root guru.<ref>Indian tradition (Cf. ''Saddharmapundarika Sutra'' II, 124) encourages the student to view the guru as representative of the Buddha himself.</ref>

One particular feature of the Tantric view of teacher student relationship is that in Tibetan Buddhist Tantra, one is instructed to regard one's guru as an awakened Buddha.<ref name="Kapstein 80">{{harvp|Kapstein|2014|p=80}}.</ref>

=== Esotericism and vows ===
[[File:His_Holiness_the_14th_Dalai_Lama_praying_in_the_pavilion%2C_closing_the_Kalachakra_mandala_and_offering_flowers%2C_monks%2C_thangkas%2C_throne%2C_photographer%2C_security_officers%2C_sponsors%2C_Verizon_Center%2C_Washington_D.C.%2C_USA_(5956316522).jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|The 14th Dalai Lama praying in the pavilion, closing the Kālacakra mandala and offering flowers, during a Kālacakra initiation in [[Washington, D.C.]], 2011.]]

In Vajrayāna particularly, Tibetan Buddhists subscribe to a voluntary code of self-censorship, whereby the uninitiated do not seek and are not provided with information about it. This self-censorship may be applied more or less strictly depending on circumstances such as the material involved. A depiction of a [[Mandalas|mandala]] may be less public than that of a deity. That of a higher tantric deity may be less public than that of a lower. The degree to which information on Vajrayāna is now public in western languages is controversial among Tibetan Buddhists.

Buddhism has always had a taste for [[Eastern esotericism|esotericism]] since its earliest period in India.{{sfnp|Conze|1993|pp=26 and 52f}} Tibetans today maintain greater or lesser degrees of confidentiality also with information on the ''[[vinaya]]'' and [[Śūnyatā|emptiness]] specifically. In Buddhist teachings generally, too, there is caution about revealing information to people who may be unready for it.

Practicing tantra also includes the maintaining of a separate set of vows, which are called ''[[Samaya]] (dam tshig)''. There are various lists of these and they may differ depending on the practice and one's lineage or individual guru. Upholding these vows is said to be essential for tantric practice and breaking them is said to cause great harm.{{sfnp|Powers|2007|p=315}}

=== Ritual ===
There has been a "close association" between the religious and the secular, the spiritual and the temporal<ref>{{Cite journal |journal=Proceedings of a Seminar Held in Lumbini, Nepal, March 2008 |last=Cueppers|first=Christoph|title=The Relationship Between Religion and State (chos srid zung 'brel) In Traditional Tibet|url=https://www.academia.edu/2262393|language=en}}</ref> in Tibet. The term for this relationship is ''chos srid zung 'brel.'' Traditionally Tibetan lamas have tended to the lay populace by helping them with issues such as protection and prosperity. Common traditions have been the various rites and rituals for mundane ends, such as purifying one's karma, avoiding harm from demonic forces and enemies, and promoting a successful harvest.{{sfnp|Kapstein|2014|p=2}} [[Divination]] and [[exorcism]] are examples of practices a lama might use for this.{{sfnp|Kapstein|2014|p=5}}

[[File:Ritual_musical_instruments_in_Tibet_-_MIM_Brussels_(2015-05-30_07.00.30_by_chibicode).jpg|thumb|Ritual musical instruments from Tibet; MIM Brussels.]]
Ritual is generally more elaborate than in other forms of Buddhism, with complex altar arrangements and [[Tibetan art|works of art]] (such as [[mandala]]s and [[thangka]]s), many ritual objects, hand gestures (''[[mudra]]''), chants, and musical instruments.<ref name="Kapstein 82" />

[[File:Chenrezig_empowerment_seattle_sakya.jpg|thumb|left|The reading of the text – the 'lung' – during an empowerment for [[Chenrezig]].]]
A special kind of ritual called [[Empowerment (Vajrayana)|an initiation or empowerment]] (Sanskrit: ''Abhiseka'', Tibetan: ''Wangkur'') is central to Tantric practice. These rituals consecrate a practitioner into a particular Tantric practice associated with individual mandalas of deities and mantras. Without having gone through initiation, one is generally not allowed to practice the higher Tantras.{{sfnp|Kapstein|2014|p=81}}

Another important ritual occasion in Tibetan Buddhism is that of [[Funeral|mortuary rituals]] which are supposed to assure that one has a positive rebirth and a good spiritual path in the future.<ref name="Kapstein 94">{{harvp|Kapstein|2014|p=94}}.</ref> Of central importance to Tibetan Buddhist ''[[Ars moriendi]]'' is the idea of the [[bardo]] (Sanskrit: ''antarābhava''), the intermediate or liminal state between life and death.<ref name="Kapstein 94" /> Rituals and the readings of texts such as the ''[[Bardo Thodol]]'' are done to ensure that the dying person can navigate this intermediate state skillfully. [[Cremation]] and [[sky burial]] are traditionally the main [[funeral]] rites used to dispose of the body.<ref name="Kapstein, Matthew T. 2014, p. 100" />

=== Mantra ===
{{multiple image
 | direction = vertical
 | width = 220
 | image1 = IMG_0996_Lhasa_Barkhor.jpg
 | caption1 = An elderly [[Tibet]]an woman with a [[prayer wheel]] inscribed with mantras
 | image2 = OM MANI PADME HUM.svg
 | caption2 = Visualizing mantric syllables is a common form of meditation in Tibetan Buddhism.
}}
The use of (mainly [[Sanskrit]]) prayer formulas, incantations or phrases called [[mantras]] (Tibetan: ''sngags'') is another widespread feature of Tibetan Buddhist practice.<ref name="Kapstein 80" /> So common is the use of mantras that [[Vajrayana]] is also sometimes called "''Mantrayāna''" (the mantra vehicle). Mantras are widely recited, chanted, written or inscribed, and visualized as part of different forms of meditation. Each mantra has symbolic meaning and will often have a connection to a particular Buddha or Bodhisattva.{{sfnp|Powers|2007|pp=23–24}} Each deity's mantra is seen as symbolizing the function, speech and power of the deity.{{sfnp|Samuel|2012|p=74}}

Tibetan Buddhist practitioners repeat mantras like [[Om mani padme hum|Om Mani Padme Hum]] in order to train the mind, and transform their thoughts in line with the divine qualities of the mantra's deity and special power.{{sfnp|Powers|2007|p=265}} Tibetan Buddhists see the etymology of the term mantra as meaning "mind protector", and mantras is seen as a way to guard the mind against negativity.<ref>{{cite book |first1=Robert E. Jr. |last1=Buswell |first2=Donald S. Jr. |last2=Lopez |title=The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism}}{{full citation needed|date=March 2024}}</ref>

According to [[Lama Zopa Rinpoche]]:<blockquote>Mantras are effective because they help keep your mind quiet and peaceful,  automatically integrating it into one-pointedness.  They make your mind receptive to very subtle vibrations and thereby heighten your perception. Their recitation eradicates gross negativities and the true nature of things can then be reflected in your mind's resulting clarity. By practising a transcendental mantra, you can in fact purify all the defiled energy of your body, speech, and mind.{{sfnp|Powers|2007|pp=266–267}}</blockquote>Mantras also serve to focus the mind as a [[samatha]] (calming) practice as well as a way to transform the mind through the symbolic meaning of the mantra. In Buddhism, it is important to have the proper intention, focus and faith when practicing mantras, if one does not, they will not work. Unlike in Hinduism, mantras are not believed to have inherent power of their own, and thus without the proper faith, intention and mental focus, they are just mere sounds.{{sfnp|Powers|2007|p=267}} Thus according to the Tibetan philosopher [[Jamgon Ju Mipham Gyatso|Jamgon Ju Mipham]]:

<blockquote>if a mantra is thought to be something ordinary and not seen for what it is, it will not be able to perform its intended function. Mantras are like non-conceptual wish-fulfilling jewels. Infusing one's being with the blessings of mantra, like the form of a moon reflected on a body of water, necessitates the presence of faith and other conditions that set the stage for the spiritual attainments of mantra. Just as the moon's reflection cannot appear without water, mantras cannot function without the presence of faith and other such factors in one's being.<ref>{{cite book |author=Jamgon Mipham |title=Luminous Essence: A Guide to the Guhyagarbha Tantra |page=147}}{{full citation needed|date=March 2024}}</ref></blockquote>

Mantras are part of the highest tantric practices in Tibetan Buddhism, such as [[Deity Yoga]] and are recited and visualized during tantric [[sadhana]]s. Thus, [[Tsongkhapa]] says that mantra "protects the mind from ordinary appearances and conceptions".<ref>{{cite book |author=Tsoṅ-kha-pa Blo-bzaṅ-grags-pa |title=Tantra in Tibet: The Great Exposition of Secret Mantra |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |year=1987 |page=47}}</ref> This is because in Tibetan Buddhist Tantric praxis, one must develop a sense that everything is divine.

=== Tantric sadhana and yoga ===
{{See also|Deity yoga}}
[[File:Chöd_practitioners_at_Boudhanath_stupa.jpg|thumb|[[Chöd]] sadhana, showing the use of [[Damaru]] drum and hand-bell, as well as the [[Kangling]] (thighbone trumpet)]]
[[File:Практика_туммо.jpg|upright|thumb|A section of the Northern wall mural at the [[Lukhang]] Temple depicting completion stage practice]]
In what is called ''[[Anuttarayoga tantra|higher yoga tantra]]'' the emphasis is on various spiritual practices, called [[yoga]]s (''naljor'') and [[Sādhanā|sadhanas]] (''druptap'') which allow the practitioner to realize the true nature of reality.<ref name="Kapstein 83" />

''[[Deity Yoga]]'' (Tibetan: ''lha'i rnal 'byor''; Sanskrit: ''Devata-yoga'') is a fundamental practice of [[Vajrayana]] [[Buddhism]] involving [[Mental image|visualization of mental images]] consisting mainly of [[Buddhist deities]] such as Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and [[fierce deities]], along mantra repetition. According to Geoffrey Samuel:<blockquote>If Buddhahood is a source of infinite potentiality accessible at any time, then the Tantric deities are in a sense partial aspects, refractions of that total potentiality. Visualizing one of these deities, or oneself identifying with one of them, is not, in Tibetan Tantric thought, a technique to worship an external entity. Rather, it is a way of accessing or tuning into something that is an intrinsic part of the structure of the universe—as of course is the practitioner him or herself.{{sfnp|Samuel|2012|p=71}}</blockquote>Deity yoga involves two stages, the generation stage (''utpattikrama'') and the completion stage (''nispannakrama''). In the generation stage, one dissolves the mundane world and visualizes one's chosen deity (''[[yidam]]''), its [[mandala]] and companion deities, resulting in identification with this divine reality.{{sfnp|Garson|2004|p=52}}

In the completion stage, one dissolves the visualization of and identification with the yidam in the realization ultimate reality. Completion stage practices can also include [[subtle body]] energy practices,{{sfnp|Garson|2004|p=45}} such as ''[[tummo]]'' (lit. "Fierce Woman", Skt. ''caṇḍālī,'' inner fire), as well as other practices that can be found in systems such as the [[Six Yogas of Naropa]] (like [[Dream yoga|Dream Yoga]], [[Bardo|Bardo Yoga]] and [[Phowa]]) and the Six Vajra-yogas of [[Kalacakra]].

=== Dzogchen and Mahamudra ===
Another form of high level Tibetan Buddhist practice are the meditations associated with the traditions of [[Mahamudra|Mahāmudrā]] ("Great Seal") and [[Dzogchen]] ("Great Perfection"). These traditions focus on direct experience of the very nature of reality, which is variously termed ''[[dharmakaya]]'', [[Buddha-nature|buddha nature]], or the [[Ground (Dzogchen)|"basis' (''gzhi'')]]. These techniques do not rely on deity yoga methods but on direct [[pointing-out instruction]] from a master and are often seen as the most advanced form of Buddhist practice.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ray |first=Reginald A. |title=Secret of the Vajra World, The Tantric Buddhism of Tibet |publisher=Shambhala |pages=112–113}}</ref> The instructions associated with these approaches to meditation and realization are collectively referred to as [[mind teachings of Tibet|mind teachings]] since both provide practical guidance on the "recognition of the nature of mind."<ref>{{cite book |author=Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche |title=Pointing Out the Dharmakaya: Teachings on the Ninth Karmapa's Text |page=5 |location= Ithaca, New York |publisher= Snow Lion Publications |year=2003 |isbn=978-1-59030-055-8 }}</ref>

The views and practices associated with Dzogchen and Mahāmudrā are also often seen as the culmination of the Buddhist path.{{sfnp|Kapstein|2014|p=87}} In some traditions, they are seen as a separate vehicle to liberation. In the Nyingma school (as well as in Bon), Dzogchen is considered to be a separate and independent vehicle (also called Atiyoga), as well as the highest of all vehicles.<ref>{{cite book |last=Keown |first=Damien |year=2003 |title=A Dictionary of Buddhism |page=82 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-860560-7}}</ref> Similarly, in Kagyu, Mahāmudrā is sometimes seen as a separate vehicle, the "Sahajayana" (Tibetan: ''lhen chig kye pa''), also known as the vehicle of self-liberation.<ref>{{cite book |author=Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche |title=Mind at Ease: Self-liberation Through Mahamudra Meditation |pages=7–11}}{{full citation needed|date=March 2024}}</ref>