Preliminary fatal Air India plane crash probe report: News brief and limerick

 ABC of Tibetan Buddhism

~Lalit Kishore

There are around 20 million followers of Tibetan Buddhism in the world and among its prominent exponents is the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet is living in exile in India. According to some historians, this school of Buddhism has originated from and was practiced in the Indian university of Nalanda as Pala tradition of Buddhism. Later, the religion got spread into Tibet and certain parts of Himalayas like Bhutan, Ladakh, Dharamsala, Lahaul, Spiti and Sikkim.

Originally, the literature of this school of Buddhism was in Sanskrit and is now in Tibetan language since its most followers are Tibetans. The scriptures of and commentaries on this religion are contained in the Tibetan Buddhist canon and Tibetan language is considered as its spiritual language.

Currently, it is the state religion of Bhutan and the  Government- in- Exile of Tibet. It is also practiced in Mongolia and parts of Russia. A Tibetan diaspora has spread Tibetan Buddhism to many Western countries, where the tradition has gained popularity.

After reading about Tibetan Buddhism, an attempt was made to summarize it as an ABC verse as follows.

A: Ahimsa or nonviolence to be practised as a way of life with a feeling and behaviour of respect for all forms of life and treating "ignorance" or "delusion" (avidya) as a mental state caused by desires; a source of strife or dukkha and the foundation of samsara, becoming, self or ego.

B: Becoming and being treated as bhavas or attitudes or states of mind that denote the continuity of life and death, including reincarnation and the existential maturation arising herefrom.

C: Cause-and-effect law in Buddhism or karma (action) principle propels towards mindfulness or becoming intentionally aware of one's thoughts and actions in the present moment non-judgmentally or following a mid-path.

D: Deciphering existential purpose of life to realise the Buddha nature as the uncreated and deathless element or principle concealed within us to achieve 'Bodhi Awakening' or Nirvana.  

E: Eightfold Path to be followed for possible liberation consisting of Right View; Right Thought; Right Speech; Right Action; Right Living; Right Effort; Right Mindfulness; and Right Concentration. Meditation and mantra Chant are used primarily to aid right concentration.

The state of being is seen as light which has no form and interpreted called the Tathagata of Unhindered Light. The Buddha nature within is assumed as the uncreated and deathless element innate within all to be awakened.