Chapter 2 Part I Taoism, Esoteric Buddhism and Eastern Mysticism-2

Esoteric Buddhism, in Chinese Buddhism, is listed as one of the top ten sects, also known as secret religion, or simply Esoteric Buddhism, and its other name is Lamaism, which comes from the habit of Tibetan language, because Tibetan monks who are popular in Esoteric Buddhism are called Lama, so the name of the sect is called Lama, but it is actually synonymous with personnel.There are two legends about the origin of Tantric Buddhism: (1) From the perspective of traditional Buddhism, it is believed that a few hundred years after Sakyamuni entered Nirvana (150-250 AD), a Nagarjuna Bodhisattva (or Dragon Meng Bodhisattva) appeared in Indian Buddhism. , opened an iron tower left by Sakyamuni Buddha in South India, and took out the classics of Tantric Buddhism. Since then, Tantric Buddhism has been spread in the world.In the era of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty in China, three Indian Tantric masters came to China—Shanwuwei, Vajra Wisdom, and Bukong Tripitaka—and passed on the teachings of Tantric Buddhism.At the end of the Song Dynasty and the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, the Esoteric Buddhism was brought into Tibet by the Mongols. After integration, in the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, they thought that the Esoteric Buddhism was too weird, so they ordered it to be abolished, and it has been spread in Japan since then. This is in the history of Chinese Buddhism. Later it was called Dongmi.

(2) From the legend of Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism, it is believed that the life of Sakyamuni Buddha and the key points of the teachings can be taught publicly, so it is called "extraordinary teaching".As for the secret cultivation method to quickly become a Buddha, Sakyamuni may shock the world if he speaks out, so he refused to speak out for the rest of his life.Eight years after his Nirvana, in order to save the world, he needed to teach secret methods.Therefore, he manifested with supernatural powers, and was no longer born through the mother's womb. In a country in southern India, when the king and his wife were wandering in the back garden, they saw a giant lotus in the pond suddenly magnified unusually. In the meantime, another baby jumped out of the stamen of the giant lotus, who was later the leader of the Esoteric Buddhism—Master Padmasambhava.After growing up, marry a wife and have children, inherit the throne, and govern the country with various supernatural powers.Later, he abandoned his throne and traveled around to teach the Dharma. When he visited Nepal, he found that the king was cruel and immoral, so he replaced him, governed the country for Nepal, and drifted away.In the era of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty in China, he entered Tibet to teach the teachings of Tantric Buddhism, making Tibet a Buddhist country ever since.His task of imparting the Dharma was over, and he flew away on a white horse in Tibet, returning to his otherworldly Buddhaland.It is said that Master Padmasambhava will always live in the world with the appearance of an eighteen-year-old boy.Tibetan esoteric believers gathered and practiced a kind of esoteric method "goma" devoutly. They burned many offerings with fire.The Esoteric Buddhism along this path was later called Tibetan Esoteric Buddhism in the history of Chinese Buddhism.

In the past, Tibetan secrets were secretly guarded in the frontiers of Tibet. During the Yuan Dynasty, it was once introduced to the interior, but soon disappeared with the power of the Yuan Dynasty.It was introduced again in the early Qing Dynasty, but most of it was limited to the court and royal family of the Qing Dynasty.Tibetan secrets spread to Europe and were incorporated into Western mystical schools. In the eighteenth century, after the British established colonial rule in India, they wanted to invade Tibet, trying their best to provoke the national feelings between Han and Tibetans, and incite local Feelings, British scholars and missionaries went to Tibet to study Tantra.At the same time, some French missionaries and scholars entered Tibet to study from Vietnam through the Yunnan border, and some passed through Britain, and they also hid from India.

It was not until after 1924 that Han and Tibetans exchanged songs, scholars of Sutra and Esoteric Buddhism, and some well-known masters of Lamas of various sects of Tibetan Buddhism—commonly known as Living Buddhas—also personally He came to the inland to preach, so Tibetan secrets gradually spread in the inland.Because of the decline of various sects of Buddhism, Ewing heard that Tantric Buddhism has a secret method, which can quickly become a Buddha face and hastened its spread.If you want to get rich, it has the God of Wealth Law.If you don't give up the secular relationship between a man and a woman, but you can immediately become a Buddha and "do not fail the Tathagata and not fail you", it has a double practice method.Those who ask for the name of an official have a method of gaining.In short, Tantrism appears almost in an omnipotent and omnipotent attitude, and shows off with supernatural powers, playing with mysteries.Regardless of whether it is true or not, these functions of foiling the appearance of Tantric Buddhism have won the admiration of many devout men and women!

However, from the perspective of the development history of human culture, or from the perspective of the development history of Buddhist culture, the traditional theory of the original origin, whether Eastern or Tibetan, is too mysterious to explain.From a religious standpoint, only "faith" is enough, and a little doubt is leakage.But the times have come to this day, and the civilization of science is delving into the mysterious barrier everywhere.Therefore, sticking to the old seal is not the best policy.If the method of Tantric Buddhism is really beneficial to the world, why not open the key of the Nantian Iron Tower again, and use its supreme power to benefit the world more?If there is nothing else after opening the mysterious door, why bother to treasure it!So, let me tell you about secrets.