Astrology is one of the traditional arts and sciences of Tibet, where it is known as "the science of calculation," used by monks and lamas in the study of the rhythms and cycles of time, for divination, for choosing auspicious times for rituals and life-cycle events such as marriages and funerals, and as an adjunct to the practice of traditional medicine. This comprehensive introduction to the topic includes: • Historical roots and influences from China and India as well as the Buddhist Kalachakra teachings and the ancient Bön religion of Tibet • The two main branches of Tibetan astrology: Nagtsi, or "black astrology," based on the Chinese system, and Kartsi, or "white astrology," derived from Indian astrology • The twelve- and sixty-year cycles and the twelve animals and five elements associated with them • The mewa, or magical squares, which are numerological factors used to calculate the auspiciousness of days or years • The parkha, or eight trigrams of the I Ching, representing the elements, directions, seasons, and fundamental universal forces • How to analyze the character of hours, days, months, and years, so as to determine auspicious times for various activities • How to cast and interpret a Tibetan horoscope Also included are numerous diagrams and charts that are indispensable to the practice of Tibetan astrology, including tables for converting Western dates to dates on the Tibetan calendar.
MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS THE 14TH DALAI LAMA Recently, we conducted a research on a group of meditators, to study the changes in their body elements. The study was done in collaboration with American scientists, and it was discovered that after about three weeks of practicing meditation, their blood pressure had decreased, mind became clearer and calmer and it further reduced stress. There are many aspects of brain that are new to us and are yet to be explored. It is in fact very important to practice meditation to literally change our brain. We must be able to prove scientifically that love and compassion are necessities to maintain physical and mental wellbeing at both individual and social level. Modern science deals mainly with brain, leaving aside the aspect of ‘mind’. It is important to make efforts towards cultivation of moral ethics that is directly associated with mental aspect. In the ancient times, there was no connection between spirituality and science. Now we are all aware of the significance of the mental aspect, and we need to analyze and conduct scientific studies on the subject of consciousness. In Tibetan Monastic communities, there have been cases where certain realized practitioners were clinically declared dead but their bodies remained fresh for several days without any decomposition. There was a case in which the body of a monk who was declared brain dead not only remained fresh but also gained strength a couple of days after death. These cases need to be studied thoroughly, and in the course of analysis, the findings of the investigation and research as the fundamental principle must be embraced. Above is an excerpt from His Holiness’s address at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Science in the capital of Uttar Pradesh state on the occasion of the 58th annual conference of the Neurological Society of India. His Holiness spoke on “Brain science and ancient Indian Buddhist thought”.
Preface It was certainly the combination of a gigantic landmass, a small population and primarily the nomadic pastoral lifestyle which made the ancient Tibetan’s special awareness of their environment. From time immemorial, our ancestors have closely observed the movements of the Sun, Moon, planets and constellations, and have calculated time based on day, month and seasons. They forcasted the weather based on the nature of the wind, clouds, rainbows, appearance of the flora, behaviour of the fauna and being conscious of microscopic changes in other natural phenomena. These fine observations of nature formed the rich foundation on which Tibetan Astrology was later built upon. Founded on primeval wisdom, by the second century B.C., this had developed into a systematic science — known as one of the 12 Fields of Knowledge of Bön Tradition — alongside medicine and an array of divinatory practices. Over the centuries this fertile base was greatly expanded by the arrival of Buddhist philosophy and Chinese astrology in the seventh century A.D. With the advent of Buddhism, from India came access to the Kālacakra Tantra — a teaching explaining the formation of the universe and living beings — first preached by the Shakyamuni Buddha in 881 B.C. By the 11th century A.D. this complex tantric yoga was fully practiced in Tibet and was soon incorporated by scholars into astrological texts. The history of Tibetan Astrology is a complex, multi-facetted and culturally unique just like the long history of the Tibetan empire. Through the decades of exile in India this tradition has been carefully taught, conserved and practiced by Men-Tsee-Khang — the Tibetan Medical and Astro. Institute — alongside its complementary and more widely-known science, Tibetan Medicine. ‘Tibetan Astronomy and Astrology — A Brief Introduction’, first published in 1995 by this institute has reached its eighth edition. With world interest in all facets of Tibet’s religion, history, arts and culture spiraling, it was decided that a more ambitious and comprehensive illustrated book should be produced outlining all fundamental aspects of Tibetan Astrology. We were assigned this project in late 2009 and as our research began to bear fruit, we decided to include in the book the fundamental understanding of the indigenous Ancient Tibetan Astrology, and its interface with the importation of Nag-rTsis (Elemental Astrology) from China and dKar-rTsis (the astrology of Kālacakra and Arising Vowels) from India. This led to the two major indigenous astrology lineages — the Tsurlug and the Phuglug, the latter of which is practiced by Men-Tsee-Khang. Having the origin and authenticity of this, we proceeded by explaining for the beginners the role of astrology in relation with the nine other traditional fields of science — grammar, medicine, logic, arts and crafts, Buddhist philosophy, poetry, synonyms, metrical science and theatrical performance. Tibetan Astrology is an important feature of the Science of Healing and inseparable from the practice of Tibetan Medicine. Since the objective of engaging in the study and practice of Tibetan Astrology is to ensure good fortune and happiness to others, and often to advise remedial measures and protections when obstacles are identified, the final part of the text focuses on explaining the wide range of horoscopes and amulets which are routinely prepared by TMAI’s Astrology Department. The primary motivation of exiles gathered in Dharamshala has been the preservation of Tibet’s religion and culture while we watch our beliefs, practices and way of life being suppressed, sinified, and even erased under China’s occupation of the Tibetan Plateau. Tibetan Medicine and Astrology are key components in ensuring this cultural preservation. With their roots stemming from the understanding and practice of Buddha Dharma, and their ethical focus on the well-being of all sentient life, these ancient sciences can be seen as a precious offering of wisdom and healing to today’s uncertain world. Tenzin Sherab (Astrologer) Tenzin Tsewang Jamling (Astrologer) Men-Tsee-Khang December, 2011
An ambitious and magnificent new travelogue by bestselling and prize-winning author Erika Fatland (The Border and Sovietistan), on a journey along the Himalaya. The Himalaya weave through five very different countries, where the world religions of Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism are mixed with ancient shamanic religions. Countless languages and vastly different cultures live in the secluded mountain valleys. Modernity and tradition collide, while the great powers fight for influence. We have read about mountain climbers on their way up Mount Everest and about travellers on the spiritual quest for Buddhist monasteries. But how much do we know about the people living in the Himalaya? Fatland invites us into close encounters with the many peoples of the region, and at the same time takes us on a dizzying journey at altitude through incredible landscapes and dramatic, unknown world histories - all the way to the most volatile human conflicts of our times.
Kalachakra is a system of highest tantra practice for overcoming the limitations imposed by historical, astrological, and biological cycles so as to become a Buddha for the benefit of all. His Holiness the Dalai Lama and other great Tibetan teachers have been conferring the Kalachakra initiation in the West, empowering prepared practitioners to engage in its meditations. Large numbers of people also attend this initiation as interested observers and gain inspiration for their spiritual growth. Introduction to the Kalachakra Initiation explains on a practical level and in everyday language the theory of tantra, the vows, commitments, and their implications, the factors to consider in deciding if one is ready to attend a Kalachakra initiation as a participant, how to visualize during the initiation, and the most important thoughts and feelings for participants and observers at each step of the empowerment. In preparing this guidebook, Alexander Berzin has done a great service to everyone interested in the Kalachakra initiation. It will help people to prepare for the ceremony and understand the essential points of each step of the procedure.
sman rtsis Journal is an official publication of Men-Tsee-Khang (Sowa-Rigpa), Tibetan Medical & Astro-Science Institute, Dharamsala. As a distinct platform for Tibetan Medicine and Astro-Science, this journal aims to explore and elucidate the holistic knowledge of both traditions through theoretical and practical research. It also seeks to explore the relationship between the two traditions and their relationship with Tibetan Buddhism, other traditional disciplines and related contemporary sciences, with the sole aspiration to promote a holistic understanding of human well-being and that of the universe at large.
A richly detailed, in-depth look at fixed stars and their role in affecting astrological predictions. Since prehistory, humanity has been held in thrall by the night sky, captivated by the mystery of the stars. Seeking to make sense of such a magical overhead landscape, people used the stars to relate beliefs, creation stories, and mythologies. And just as the fixed stars have ancient origins in human life, their astrological interpretations get right to the heart of our lives. Celebrated astrologer Bernadette Brady melds modern astrological techniques with Egyptian and early Greek mythology to bring astrologers to a deeper understanding of the horoscope and provides delineations for using fixed stars in chart interpretation. Her methods open a window on the fixed stars, revealing how a major star in a person’s chart indicates the stage of life in which it is active and how it affirms the person’s life journey through the mythology that the star represents. Though the fixed stars have been watched and studied for all of human history, Brady’s Book of Fixed Stars continues to be the astrological bible for how to use them in practice. This is an essential resource that should be on every astrologer’s bookshelf. The book includes Paran maps, star maps, star phases, and mythologies for over sixty stars, New insights into the natal use of fixed stars, as well as their use in mundane astrology, Extensive appendices of graphs and tables to help astrologers find rising or setting dates for any given location, And a listing of 176 stars with their 21st-century positions. Originally published by Weiser Books in 1999, this Weiser Classics edition includes a new foreword by Chloe Margherita.
Message of His Holiness the Great 14th Dalai Lama I would like to express my deep appreciation and Tashi Delek to all of you for holding this 2nd International Conference on Body, Mind and Life. There are more than seven billion people on our earth and all of us desire to be mentally happy and physically healthy. Even a newly born baby wishes to be mentally happy and physically well so does an old dying person. Today right here, you as listeners and I as a speaker, all of us equally wish to be happy rather than sad! Naturally, we all desire happiness and we all have equal rights to achieve that happiness. Not only human beings, but also all the sentient beings who have consciousness want to be happy and avoid suffering. As Shantideva said, “all the sufferings that we experience are because of our selfishness and all the happiness that we gain are all because of wishing happiness for others.” If we examine properly, when one thinks about only the welfare of oneself, his or her mind becomes extremely narrow. The concept of “I” is very limited. When we apply “we” instead of “I”, it broadens our thinking. We as human beings are by nature social animals and very much dependent on each other. If you are a Buddhist practitioner in general and a Mahayana follower in particular, or if you have heard about the Bodhisattva Basket or Pitaka, all these talk about ‘every sentient being’. If you observe this concept out of the blue, it would seem as if you haven’t thought much about its meaning. However, the fact is that how much you have altruism and concern for other’s welfare, the same degree of mental peace and happiness will resonate back. If you have concerns only about ‘I’, there will be a lot of worry. When you are concerned on the welfare of all sentient beings, the courage and peace naturally grows within your mind. When ‘I’ is the main concern, then there would be more suspiciousness, distrust, deceitfulness and bullying to each other. When we think of others’ welfare and treat all others equally, keeping in mind that everyone is same, in terms of wishing happiness and not wishing suffering, there will be no cheating, bullying and pretending . You can be more transparent in your approach. When you are capable of being transparent, there will be more trust. When you are trustworthy, there will be a genuine friendship. Without trust in each other, when concerns are only on ‘I’, you tend to spend your life in doubts and hesitations. There is no delight in that at all. In order to achieve physical happiness and good health which is our prime goal, it is really essential to have mental peace. Nowadays, scientists are stating that when mind get disturbed or disordered with destructive emotions like anger, doubt or fear, our immune system starts declining. Therefore, remaining mentally calm makes a huge difference for good physical health. Few days ago, I had a meeting with a German friend who said that I was looking very young. He is 59 years old whereas I am 79 years old. That means he is 20 years younger than me. But, he looks much older than me in appearance. Therefore, he asked me that what my secret behind the youthfulness was, though my age has reached almost 80. I told him, “It is my big secret. I will not tell you.” In my approach, all the seven billion people on earth are very much same. I consider myself as one of the seven billion people. I never think of myself as a special or a popular person. I never think of me as an important figure or I am Gyalwa Rinpoche. Whenever, I meet people with different background, I consider them as another same human being. There is not any feeling of hesitancy or distance to anybody. So, it feels as if my mind is opened freely. As a result, there is no fear, nervousness and doubtful thoughts in my mind. It makes a huge difference in my day to day life. That was what I told him. I also told him by teasing, “As a Buddhist monk, I wake up at 3 AM and meditate for a while. I meet people for the day. As a bhikkhu, I skip dinner and go to bed by 6 to 7 PM. My life goes on in this way. But then, you eat dinner late in the night. At the same time, drink alcohol and get drunk”. There is huge difference between our ways of life. Anyway, the most important thing is to have peace of mind. The root of mental calmness, as I told you before, depends on your attitude. But in our everyday life, it is important to keep our physical body calm and peaceful and try to avoid disorder as well. I told him as a joke, “As a monk, I cannot go to night club”. When our body follows a particular routine in 24 hours, I think that makes a huge difference. So, for good physical health and well being, it is essential to maintain the balance of mind. To sum up, scientists in our time are immensely curious about the mental peace for physical wellbeing. They are saying that brain can be changed by transforming your mind. Earlier, many scientists maintained a scientific consensus that there is no existence of so called ‘mind’ apart from our body, rather it’s the function of brain. They asserted that the mental state of happiness or sorrow occurs when there is a change in brain and body. Recently, they started to accept that it is not easy to change the brain itself in a healthy way. Instead, it turns out that brain can be changed by training of mind. In the context of neuroplasticity, it says that when there is change in mind, there is a cellular growth or changes in brain. In general, when we talk about health and fitness, we cannot put the mind aside. The wellness of physical health is very much dependent on the clarity and intelligence of mind. However, the mind and body has the relationship of support and supported. These are unconditionally associated with each other. So, there is a growing interest and curiosity for the relationship between the mind and body. Thus, it is need of time for convening such a conference on body, mind and Life. Not only sharing your knowledge and intellect but also you are practically working on exploring remedies for solving the physical and mental health. It’s wonderful! I would like to thank all the organizers.
