Esoteric Tibet -
The Path - Meditation - Emptiness - LinksEsoteric Tibet
Tibetan Buddhism is for me one of the most fascinating of Buddhist movements. Here I will report the results of my quest in this direction. For now most texts are taken from the book "Essential Tibetan Buddhism", compiled and translated by Robert Thurman, Castle Books. My focus is not on rituals, symbolism or gods, but on "the path" that Tibetan Buddhism points to and its vision on the nature of our every day "reality". Therefore there are three lines visible in the below. Texts on the nature of the path, texts on the nature of reality (see voidness, emptiness and sunyata) and texts on the relativity of our thought. Still, not only Tibetan Buddhist, but also other Buddhist lineages are represented here, occasionally.
Katinka Hesselink
Tibetan Buddhism, in its essence, like all Buddhism, is a path that leads to enlightenment. In the case of Tibetan Buddhism this is made clear in texts of an often ethical and moral nature. Stressed are issues like insight and calmness of the mind.
Meditation and the Relativity of thought
On the path a viewpoint that is based on compassion for all beings is paramount, but insight into the relativity of thought and meditation on the voidness of the seeming full, are also important.
These three terms are synonyms. They are ways of expressing the sense that all we see, feel and observe is relative, in fact non-essential. To find the essential, that is the challenge that Tibetan Buddhism offers us. One clue can be given: compassion, insight and calmness in the mind are part of the essence of things.
