Confession Buddhas

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James67
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Confession Buddhas

Post by James67 »

I am studying the Mahayana Sutra of the Three Superior Heaps and I became very curious about a few things. I am memorizing it so I can perform it naturally and purify my negative karma. Yet it makes me wonder if the buddhas are real and what the differences between them are. Or if different Holy Beings take the role of Leader of Heroes at one time but then Glorious One Complete Subduer at another time.

Can anyone help me? I have read several books by Gyatso and cannot find the answer.
Punya
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Re: Confession Buddhas

Post by Punya »

Welcome to Dharma Wheel James. :hi:

If you are referring to Geshe Kelsang Gyatso's books you should take a look at the Dharma Wheel Terms of Service in relation to Shugden/Dolgyal http://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f=109&t=12768.
Last edited by Punya on Thu Feb 05, 2015 8:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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James67
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Re: Confession Buddhas

Post by James67 »

Well, I am not discussing that at all. I am just trying to gain a better understanding of the different Buddhas and how I can relate to them more. I do not want to discuss teachers or images. Only dharma. I merely meant that I have been earnestly pursuing my studies. I apologize if I was not clear in my conveyance.
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Ayu
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Re: Confession Buddhas

Post by Ayu »

Welcome, James67.
Yes, beware of those NKT-books. There must be some better Gelug literature about this sutra in English.
I never read any book about the Sutra of the Three Superior Heaps but I heard detailed lectures by my tibetan teacher here in Germany.
James67 wrote:I am studying the Mahayana Sutra of the Three Superior Heaps and I became very curious about a few things. I am memorizing it so I can perform it naturally and purify my negative karma. Yet it makes me wonder if the buddhas are real and what the differences between them are.
This questions, if a Buddha or Yidam is real, arises often. Many people wonder about this issue.
But, from buddhistic viewpoint, what is "real"? How real is a reflection of the moon in a stagnant pond?

Or if different Holy Beings take the role of Leader of Heroes at one time but then Glorious One Complete Subduer at another time.
:thinking: I don't believe in "different Holy Beings" with a respective inherent self. It is said, all Buddhas are one in the essence. They are just emanating differently.

The "Leader of Heroes" and the "Glorious One Complete Subduer" - at which number do they appear in the sutra? (I mean: are they the first, the second... or the 35th Buddha?) I have different translations.
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James67
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Re: Confession Buddhas

Post by James67 »

Leader of the Heroes is number 5. Jewel Moon is number 10.
Fortyeightvows
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Re: Confession Buddhas

Post by Fortyeightvows »

There is a different thread in this same forum about the 35 buddhas. There are several commentaries to the practice that can be found, Nargajuna's comes to mind as do a few by masters of more recent times. They may be of use. I happen to know that the 35 buddha's listed are also included in the 88 buddhas. Anyways it's great your doing the practice.
Best wishes

http://dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.php?f=52&t=18259
Fortyeightvows
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Re: Confession Buddhas

Post by Fortyeightvows »

I googled it and found that Nargajuna's commentary was translated into english by Brian Beresford, an old lama yeshe student, it was published under the title 'mahayana purification' and as was said in the other thread lama zopa has alot of commentaries on this practice which can be found online.
Fortyeightvows
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Re: Confession Buddhas

Post by Fortyeightvows »

You know already that each set of seven buddhas belong to the different buddha families.
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Ayu
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Re: Confession Buddhas

Post by Ayu »

James67 wrote:Leader of the Heroes is number 5. Jewel Moon is number 10.
Interesting.
My translation of no.5 is "Accumulation of the Brave ones".
He destroys the passions, especially the drive for senseless speech, if you bow to him.

No. 10 is the Jewel Moon, yes. "Rintshen Dawa". He cleanses from very serious karma.

But "Glorious One Complete Subduer"? If I search for a buddha sounding similar, i find:
30 - "Shintu Nam Par Nön Pä Päl" - the "Glorious, who overcomes it all". (He cleanses the karma of incitement to negative deeds.)
Also 31 and 32 sound quite similar.

These Buddhas are emanations, aspects from the first buddha - as far as I understood. They are role models for us.
Are my answers neat or did I miss your point?
Fortyeightvows
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Re: Confession Buddhas

Post by Fortyeightvows »

The old fpmt booklet that I use has translated the 30th name as 'glorious one totally subduing'
then 31 as 'utterly victorious in battle' then 32 'glorious transcendence through subduing'
the last seven are of the amogasiddhi family.

From lama yeshe wisdom archive:
'Visualizing the thirty-five buddhas in this way is the most simple method. Another visualization is that which appeared to Lama Tsongkhapa while he was doing one of his preliminary practices for accumulating merit and purify obscurations by prostrating to the thirty-five buddhas. I think he did twenty times one hundred thousand prostrations—I do not remember exactly—in the cave called Wolka Choeling in Tibet. In those aspects they are holding different implements and so on. If you can remember how the thirty-five buddhas manifested to Lama Tsongkhapa you can do it that way. If you cannot comprehend that then you can do in the simple way, the thirty-five divided into the five dhyani buddhas aspects.'

The other thread on the 35 contains a link which has the Sanskrit names romanized. No diacritic marks though.
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James67
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Re: Confession Buddhas

Post by James67 »

@Punya Thank you for the heads up and the welcome.

@Ayu I am most grateful. I shall have to search for some better English literature. Being of little means at this time, I shall have to find it online.

I do believe that Siddhartha Guatama exists, however I believe Buddha to be a title served by many.

I ask the holy beings, along with many Buddhas and sanghas to protect me and all living beings, so I believe there are many. A single god always denotes self-centeredness. And I learned that there are gods on other planes and that I too can become a god. I will hope just to come back as a human and not an animal!

Yes, I believe the essence is the same as I am you but not in a Trinitarian sense at all. This concept of Buddhahood is what most attracts me to Buddhism. Primarily the idea that I can keep progressing and that everyone, including myself, is responsible for their own actions. There are no free passes in Buddhism but you can negate negativity by acquiring a truly virtuous mind.

Perhaps you can link me to other translations of the sutra. And yes, as role models, in order to be a model, (and THIS is what I am asking and searching for) I need to know what the attributes of each confession Buddha is and what they negate.

@Fortyeightvows Thank you, I am checking that thread out now. I never heard of the 88 Buddhas until now. And I appreciate your commendation as I strive towards my path to enlightenment. (I cannot find Nargajuna’s commentary.)
I read something of the different buddha families but I do not understand about them yet. I saw something online once dividing them by colors. I will have to learn all I can about this. Thank you.
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Re: Confession Buddhas

Post by Ayu »

I don't know any English comments about the Sutra of the Three Heaps.
One copy of it I found here:
http://kalyanamitraibs.blogspot.de/2009 ... three.html
It reads similar to the translation that I have.

Generally speaking I recommend for example these two sites:

http://fpmt.org
http://www.berzinarchives.com/web/en/index.html

Maybe other users can give some better special advice for literature about the Sutra of the Three Heaps.
:namaste:
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James67
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Re: Confession Buddhas

Post by James67 »

Thank you Ayu. Those links are very helpful! :-)
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prsvrnc
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Re: Confession Buddhas

Post by prsvrnc »

Book: The confession of downfalls: The confession Sutra and Vajrasattva practice.
^^^^ AMAZING, goes through each of 35 buddhas, qualities, everything. Sooooo inspirational. highly recommend.

Book on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Confession-Downfa ... +downfalls
Fortyeightvows
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Re: Confession Buddhas

Post by Fortyeightvows »

yes, that's nagarjuna's commentary. very very excellent!
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