Author's Notes continued Bhaishajya, the Medicine Buddha: One of the most popular Buddhas, he is described as follows: "Emanating from a palace adorned with healing jewels and surrounded by forests of fragrant herbs and medicinal plants, the Medicine Buddha is the primordial image of the divine healer. The sky-blue Light radiating from his body disperses the darkness of afflictive emotions and all related physical disorders. Surrounded by a retinue of gods, sages and naked ascetics (described as sleeping at night under blankets of leaves and by day wearing only the bark of trees), the Medicine Buddha - the supreme benefactor known as the King of Aquamarine Light (also Lapis Lazuli Light) - expounded the quintessence of healing and longevity in a discourse entitled the 'Tantra of Secret Instructions on the Eight Branches of the Essence of Immortality', more commonly referred to as the Gyushi, or Four Medical Tantras." [http://www.asunam.com/buddhas_page.htm] His most distinctive feature is his color, "the deep blue of lapis lazuli. This precious stone has been greatly prized by Asian and European cultures for more than six thousand years and, until relatively recently, its ornamental value was on a par with, or even exceeded, that of the diamond.... Traditionally this beautiful stone was used to symbolize that which is pure or rare. It is said to have a curative or strengthening effect on those who wear it, and its natural smoothness allows it to be polished to a high degree of reflectivity. For all these reasons , plus the fact that deep blue light has a demonstrable healing effect on those who use it in visualization practices , lapis is the color of the principal Medicine Buddha." [http://www.medicinebuddha.org/medbud.html] A complete text of the Medicine Buddha Sadhana (initiation) can be found at http://www.dharma-haven.org/tibetan/sadhana-medicine-buddha.htm I personally have been through this initiation twice, once given by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and the second time through Khensur Rinpoche (Geshe Wangdak), former abbot of Namgyal Monastery in Dharamsala, India. The concept of Buddha as doctor, Dharma as medicine, and student as sick person was taken directly from the Lam Rim Chen Mo, but a further explanation by Lama Zasep Tulku Rinpoche can be found at http://community.palouse.net/lotus/tsp5.htm For more on the Medicine Buddha, as well as pictures, see http://www.diamondway.org/bt/bt8medicinebuddha.htm http://www.holymtn.com/gods/buddha.htm http://www.diamondway-center.org/terms/medicine1.htm http://www.peacenvironment.net/tibmedicine/fourtantras/fourtantras.html http://www.bremen.de/info/nepal/Gallery-1/otherbuddhas/3-12/Bhaisay0.htm http://kaladarshan.arts.ohio-state.edu/exhib/sama/*Essays/CS93.013Bhai.html http://web.singnet.com.sg/~alankhoo/Medicine.htm http://www.tibetmed.org/questions/question_8.htm http://www.geocities.com/reikiflow/medicinebuddha.html http://www.tbsn.org/english/library/sutras/mstheal.html http://www.healing-touch.co.uk/pa-medb.htm Ganden Monastery: Ganden was founded by Tsong Khapa and his followers in 1409. It eventually grew to one of the largest and most powerful monasteries in Tibet, with a population of several thousand monks. As with many of the Tibetan monasteries, it was reduced to rubble by the Red Army in the Chinese invasion which began in the 1950's (and continues today). Not only did they destroy the buildings, but the Chinese soldiers broke into Tsong Khapa's burial stupa and destroyed his embalmed body. Only some skull fragments were saved and are now housed in a new stupa. "Cultural Revolution" my ass! See http://actionstibet.multimania.com/fr/info_occupation_ganden_monastery.html for gut wrenching before and after pictures. Fortunately, some of the buildings have been rebuilt, but the number of monks allowed to occupy the property is severely curtailed by the Chinese government. See http://www.best.com/~kenm/kenganden.jpg http://www.tibettrip.com/lhasa/ganden.htm http://code.ucsd.edu/~dschilli/Doris/November%2016.html What little information I was able to find on Tsong Khapa's meditation cave at Ganden was culled from McCue (1999), Booz (1997), and Batchelor (1998) Sky Burial: Batchelor (1998:44) describes the traditional funerary rites: "Although high lamas and monks are generally cremated, the most common way to dispose of the dead in Tibet is to take the corpse to a specially designated area outside the town or village, often at the top of a mountain, chop it into pieces, and wait for the vultures and other birds of prey to come and eat it. The final religious rites would be performed by monks and relatives before taking the body away. According to Mahayana Buddhist beliefs, consciousness leaves the body about three days after clinical death. From this moment on the corpse is considered truly lifeless, its purpose fulfilled. The manner of disposal is considered a final act of generosity, enabling other animals to be nourished by one's remains." See http://code.ucsd.edu/~dschilli/Doris/November%2016.html for a description of the sky burial site at Ganden. Purifying Negative Karma: Two of the most powerful practices are the Visualization of the 35 Buddhas of Confession http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Gulf/5598/3heaps.html and reciting the 100 syllable mantra of Vajrasattva: Om benza sattva samaya manu pulaya Benza sattva tveno patishta Di rdho me bhava suto kyo me bhava Supo kyo me bhava anu rakto me bhava Sarva sidhi me praya cha Sarva karma sucha me Chittam shriyam kuru hum ha ha ha ha hoh Bhagavan sarva tathagata Benza ma me muncha benza bhava Maha samaya sattva Ah hum phat (Oh Vajrasattva, keep your pledge, Vajrasattva reside in me, Make me firm, make me satisfied, Fulfill me, make me compassionate, Grant me all siddhis. Also make my mind Virtuous in all actions Hum Ha Ha Ha Ha Hoh All the Blessed Tathagatas, Do not abandon me, make me indivisible, Great Pledge Being. AH HUM PHAT) The Ming Dynasty: According to http://www.emperorzhuyuanzhang.com/, the "founder of the Ming dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang (Chu Yüan-chang), also known by his reign name "Hung-wu", came from a poor peasant family. He was orphaned at the age of 16 and then entered a Buddhist monastery, but left it in 1352 to join a band of rebels, of which he became leader. By 1382 he had ended Mongol rule and unified all China." http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/CHEMPIRE/YUAN.HTM adds, "he had lost most of his family in the famine.... He took Beijing in 1368 and the Yuan emperor fled to Shangtu. When he drove the Yuan from Shangtu back to Mongolia, he declared himself the founder of a new dynasty: the Ming (1369-1644)." It seems Zhu Yuanzhang's reign had a questionable impact on the most famous artwork of his dynasty -- Ming vases. "A trade embargo imposed by Ming emperor Hongwu (1368-1398 AD) led to a shortage of foreign cobalt. Potters turned to copper oxide, and copper monochromes and red-and-white wares were hence introduced. As copper oxide was volatile and difficult to work with, these pieces were often flawed, with a dull red color." [http://www.orienttiques.com/history_of_porcelain.htm] During the reigns of his two successors, cobalt was again plentiful, and the most classic of the blue and white Ming pottery was developed. Zhu Yuanzhang originally established Nanjing as his capital, before conquering the Yuan capital of Beijing. He "changed the city's name to Beiping, which means Northern Peace." [http://www.greatestcities.com/beijing/beijing-7.html] After the emperor's death (1398), there was a power struggle between his relatives, and a younger son stole the throne from the rightful heir (the usurper's nephew). The new emperor moved the throne to Beijing in 1420. Additional references: Dalai Lama (2000) Buddha Heart, Buddha Mind (NY: Crossroad Publishing Co) Dalai Lama (2000) The Meaning of Life (Boston: Wisdom Publications) Dalai Lama (1991) Path to Bliss (Ithaca: Snow Lion Publications) John Powers (1995) Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism (Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion) Robert Thurman (ed) (1982) Life and Teachings of Tsong Khapa (Dharamsala, India: Indraprastha Press) Tsong Kha-pa (2000) The Great Treatise of the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, Volume 1 (Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion) Gyalwa Gendun Druppa (1993) Training the Mind in the Great Way (Ithaca: Snow Lion) Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche (2000) Medicine Buddha Sadhana (Taos, NM: Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition) Stephen Batchelor (1998) The Tibet Guide (Boston: Wisdom Publications) Gary McCue (1999) Trekking in Tibet, 2nd ed. (Seattle: The Mountaineers) Elisabeth Booz (1997) Odyssey Illustrated Guide to Tibet, 2nd ed. (Hong Kong: Local Colour Ltd.) Novick, Rebecca McClen (1999) Fundamentals of Tibetan Buddhism (Freedom, CA: Crossing Press) http://www.b-i-a.net/gelugpa.htm http://www.b-i-a.net/sera%20monastery.htm http://www.lhasa-apso.org/standard/tibetanhistory.htm http://www.webindia123.com/religion/buddh/modern.htm http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03792a.htm