Which school of Vajrayana do you practice?

[Luke]

I'm curious which lineages of Vajrayana other members practice.

I am learning from a Karma Kagyu lama right now. I've met several visiting Drikung Kagyu lamas who were wonderful as well.

[David N. Snyder]

I'm a Theravadin, but have an affinity for Kagyu / Shambhala. My wife and I were married at a Shambhala Karma Kagyu temple in Boulder, Colorado.

And we have made several trips back to their huge retreat facility at Shambhala Mountain, Colorado.

[Ngawang Drolma]

Hi Luke,

Nice poll, thanks! I practice within the Sakya tradition. I started out with Drikung Kagyu and I liked it a lot! I'd like to just note here that while I have a healthy respect for Bon, it's not considered a branch of Buddhism.

Best,
Laura

[dumb bonbu]

hi Laura, without meaning to open a whole can 'o worms, may i ask what distinguishes the two? i've heard buddhism adopted many aspects of Bon when it came to Tibet.

[thornbush]

Hmmm Luke...
I always tot that Bon was the 5th Tibetan Tradition but not the 5th Tibetan Buddhist Tradition? No?

[Ngawang Drolma]

Hi dumb bonbu,

I think the biggest difference that springs to mind is that practitioners of Bon don't take Buddha Shakyamuni as an object of refuge.

Best,
Laura

[Luke]

Hmmm Luke...
I always tot that Bon was the 5th Tibetan Tradition but not the 5th Tibetan Buddhist Tradition? No?

You are correct that there are five main religious traditions in Tibet (Gelug, Sakya, Nyingma, Kagyu, Bön), however there are also some other minor schools of Tibetan Buddhism, of which Jonang is one (and from what I can gather, the most well known of these minor schools). Actually, I knew nothing about the Jonangpa until I read about a certain Jonang lama who came to Europe about a month ago to give Kalachakra empowerments and teachings (the Jonangpa specialize in Kalachakra teachings).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_Buddhism
Besides these major schools, there are a number of minor ones like Jonang. The Jonangpa were suppressed by the rival Gelugpa in the 1600s and were once thought extinct, but are now known to survive in Eastern Tibet.

More info
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonang

I'd like to just note here that while I have a healthy respect for Bon, it's not considered a branch of Buddhism.

Yeah, I know. I included it for the sake of being complete and because modern Bön is incredibly similar to Tibetan Buddhism. Also, many modern Bönpo (such as Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche) call the founder of their religion, Tönpa Shenrap, a Buddha.

[Ngawang Drolma]

Yeah, I know. I included it for the sake of being complete and because modern Bön is incredibly similar to Tibetan Buddhism. Also, many modern Bönpo (such as Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche) call the founder of their religion, Tönpa Shenrap, a Buddha.

Hi Luke,

I think including Bon was a culturally sensitive thing to do

Tibetan history is very interesting. These days there's a natural, automatic connection that occurs between Tibet and Buddhism. But there is a very rich history that of course pre-dates the time of Buddha Shakyamuni. And there are modern-day Bon practitioners, like you mentioned. Thanks for that.

Best,
Laura

[tatpurusa]

I follow Yungdrung Bön.

Bönpos consider themselves Buddhist, just from another lineage.
But many other Buddhist would not accept them as such, not so much
because of differences in the teachings - it is actually the same dharma -
but more because of this difference in lineage.

[kirtu]

Sakya and Nyingma (Palyul).

Kirt

[MJH]

Karma Kagyu

[alpha]

in recent years i have developed a interest in bon-yundrung after i've spent some years as a karma kagyu folower.

as a kagyu folower i have received all one could ever want,ngondro,mahamudra,billions of empowerments
but as a bon practitioner i have only received a few: ngondro ,tummo and some atri instructions....

alpha

[ronnewmexico]

Most of my training is from Drikung Kagyu, quite a lot however from differing Kagyu lineages and other Tibetan schools of Buddhsim as well. However I do not necessarily consider myself a Buddhist, I don't know what exactly constitutes Buddhism in this day and age.

Bon to voice my personal view(I am certainly no religious scholor) the issue is not with the teachings as many are exactly equal but perhaps to the considered incipient of the religion. While it may be considered to be a manifestation of the Shakyamuni Buddha who founded Bon, it is not considered to be same Buddha himself, the manifestation at this place and time we refer to as the Buddha.

ULtimately I do not know if they hold to some inherantly existant things, such as a Buddha holding that quality, or a soul. I'd guess in core teaching of lineage holders they do not, but that is a assumptive guess.

Nevertheless since their faith does not derive from the Buddha we know....can it be called ordinarily, Buddhism.... as schools of Buddhism may agree on other Buddhas existing, but our lineages all draw from one particular one in this era of time....I'd suppose not. That is my personal view.

[Josef]

hi Laura, without meaning to open a whole can 'o worms, may i ask what distinguishes the two? i've heard buddhism adopted many aspects of Bon when it came to Tibet.

its actually the other way around.
The Bon that exists today is unrecognizable compared to pre-Buddhist Bon.

[Josef]

I primarily practice in the Nyingma tradition but have lamas from Karma Kagyu, Drikung Kagyu, and Gelug lineages.

[Mr. G]

Sakya

[Pema Rigdzin]

hi Laura, without meaning to open a whole can 'o worms, may i ask what distinguishes the two? i've heard buddhism adopted many aspects of Bon when it came to Tibet.

When you talk about Buddhism adopting something, I take that to refer to Buddhist doctrine adopting some non-Buddhist doctrine's tenets. In light of that interpretation, Tibetan Buddhism did not adopt any non-Buddhist doctrine. What masters like Padmasambhava and others basically did was co-opt some of the aesthetics and some rituals from Bon that did not contradict Buddhist doctrine, and he adopted and tweaked some Bonpo rituals and ritual implements by replacing their original significance with one that was in harmony with Buddhist doctrine and represented Buddhist ideology and methods. He also subdued some native Tibetan spirits that belonged to Bon and bound them by oath to be guardians of Buddhism. That's all.

*edit: left out a "you" in the first paragraph.

[Pema Rigdzin]

Mainly the Dudjom Tersar, Longchen Nyingthig, and Tsasum Lingpa traditions of Nyingma here...

[magpie]

Sakya and Nyingma. Mostly Nyingma the last few years, as I don't have easy access to my Sakya teacher.

[dingirfecho]

Palden Sakya (I follow Khempo Pema Wangdak)