Victor und Victoria Trimondi

THE SHADOW OF THE DALAI LAMA

Sexuality, Magic and Politics in Tibetan Buddhism

Translated by Mark Penny




Since The Shadow of the alai !ama" has been #ut into the internet $%&&'( many
other websites ha)e begun to #ublish co#ies of the book or of #arts from it* +e declare
that e)ery re#roduction of the text which is not allowed by us in a written form is illegal*
+e reser)e our right to legal measures and indemnity claims* +e disclaim any
res#onsibility for the illegally #ublished co#ies*
Victor und Victoria Trimondi
CONTENTS

Introduction: Light and Shadow
Plato,s -a)e
Realpolitik and politics of symbols
.

Part I - Ritua a! Poitic!

" - #uddhi!$ and Mi!og%n% &hi!torica o'(r'i(w)
The /sacrifice/ of Maya0 the Buddha legend
The meditati)e dismemberment of women0 1inayana Buddhism
The transformation of women into men0 Mahayana Buddhism

* - Tantric #uddhi!$
The ex#losion of sexus0 Vairayana Buddhism
Mystic sexual lo)e between the sexes and cosmogonical eros
The guru as mani#ulator of the di)ine
The a##ro#riation of gynergy and androcentric #ower strategies
The absolute #ower of the /grand sorcerer/ $Maha Siddha(

+ - Th( ,Tantric F($a( Sacri-ic(.
The karma mudra0 the real woman
The inana mudra0 the woman of imagination
2arma mudra )s* inana mudra
The maha mudra0 the inner woman
The /Tantric female sacrifice/

/ - Th( Law o- In'(r!ion
The twilight language
Sexual desire
The incest taboo
3ating and drinking im#ure substances
4ecro#hilia
5itual murder
Symbol and reality
-oncurrence with the demonic
The aggression of the di)ine cou#le
+estern criticism
%

0 - Pur( Sha1ti!$ and Tantric F($ini!$2 and Ach($%
The gynocentric male sacrifice
The )a6ra and the double7headed ax
The dakini
2ali as con8uered time goddess
The /alchemic female sacrifice/

3 - 4aacha1ra: Th( Pu5ic and th( S(cr(t Initiation!
The se)en lower #ublic initiations and their symbolic significance
The self7sacrifice of the #u#il
The lineage tree
The di)ine time machine
The four higher /secret/ initiations
S#erm and menstruation blood as magic substances
The "9anachakra/ and the four /highest/ initiations

6 - 4aacha1ra: Th( Inn(r Proc(!!(!
The candali0 the fire woman
The "dro# theory: as an ex#ression of androgyny
3xcursus0 The mystic female body
The method or the mani#ulation of the di)ine

7 - Th( ADI #uddha: Hi! M%!tic #od% and hi! A!tra A!8(ct!
The "Power of Ten:0 The mystic body of the ;< B=1;
The astral7tem#oral as#ects of the ;< B=1;
5ahu>the swallower of sun and moon
2alagni and the doomsday mare
The myth of eternal recurrence

9 - Th( ADI #uddha: Th( Mandaa Princi8( and th( Word Ru(r
The Buddhist mandala cosmos
The mandala #rinci#le
'
The 2alachakra sand mandala
The world ruler0 The socio#olitical exercise of #ower by the ;< Buddha
Profane and s#iritual #ower

": - Th( Aggr(!!i'( M%th o- Sha$5haa
9eogra#hy of the kingdom of Shambhala
The kings and administration of Shambhala
The "raging wheel turner:0 The martial ideology of Shambhala
!ethal war machines
The /final battle/
Buddha )ersus ;llah
The non7Buddhist origins of the Shambhala myth
3)aluation of the Shambhala myth
/<nner/ and /outer/ Shambhala

"" - Th( Mani8uator o- Erotic Lo'(

"* - E8iogu( to Part I


Part II - Poitic! a! Ritua

Introduction: Poitic! a! Ritua
Myth and history
The battle of the sexes and history
The sacred kingdom
3schatology and #olitics
1istory and mysticism

" - Th( Daai La$a: Incarnation o- th( Ti5(tan ;od!
Buddha ;mitabha0 The sun and light deity
The )arious masks of ;)alokitesh)ara
The ?<V alai !ama as the su#reme 2alachakra master
@
Statements of the ?<V alai !ama on sexuality and sexual magic

* - Th( Daai La$a &A'ao1it!h'ara) and th( D($on(!! &Srin$o)
The bondage of the earth goddess Srinmo and the history of the origin of Tibet
+hy women can,t climb #ure crystal mountain
Matriarchy in the !and of SnowsA
The western imagination
+omen in former Tibetan society
The alchemic di)ision of the feminine0 The Tibetan goddesses Palden !hamo
and Tara
Tara>Tibet,s Madonna
The lament of Beshe Tshogyal
The mythological background to the Tibetan7-hinese conflict0 ;)alokitesh)ara
and 9uanyin
+u Cetian $9uanyin( and Songtsen 9am#o $;)alokitesh)ara(
-i ?i $9uanyin( and the Thirteenth alai !ama $;)alokitesh)ara(
Diang Eing $9uanyin( and the Fourteenth alai !ama $;)alokitesh)ara(
Feminism and Tantric Buddhism
The ?<V alai !ama and the 8uestion of womenGs rights

+ - Th( Foundation! o- Ti5(tan #uddhocrac%
The history of Buddhist state thought
The alai !ama and the Buddhist state are one
The feigned belief of the ?V< alai !ama in +estern democracy
The /9reat Fifth/ 7 ;bsolute Sun 5uler o)er Tibet
Magic as #olitics 7 the magic world of the V alai !ama
The #redecessors of the V alai !ama
The successors of the "9reat Fifth:0 The Thirteenth and Fourteenth alai !amas
<ncarnation and #ower
The /9reat Fifth/ and the system of incarnation
The sacred #ower of the Tibetan kings and it,s conferral u#on the alai !amas
The ?<V alai !ama and the 8uestion of incarnation
The introduction of the doctrine of incarnation in the +est
H
The )arious orders of Tibetan Buddhism $9elug#a, 2agyI#a, 4yingma#a,
Sakya#a, BJn(
=nification of the Tibetan Buddhist Krder under the ;bsolute 5eign of the ?<V
alai !ama
The /2arma#a affair/

/ - Socia R(ait% in Anci(nt Ti5(t
The +estern image of Tibet
The social structure of former Tibet
Tibetan criminal law
-lerical commerce
Political intrigue
More recent de)elo#ments in the historical image

0 - #uddhocrac% and Anarch% - Contradictor% or Co$8($(ntar%<
The grand sorcerers $Maha Siddhas(
The anarchistic founding father of Tibetan Buddhism0 Padmasambha)a,
From anarchy to disci#line of the order0 the Tilo#a lineage
The #re7ordained counter world to the clerical bureaucracy0 holy fools
;n anarchistic erotic0 the V< alai !ama
; tantric history of Tibet
Crazy wisdom and the +est

3 - R(gicid( a! La$ai!$=! M%th o- Origin and th( Ritua Sacri-ic( o- Ti5(t
5itual regicide in the history of Tibet
The Tibetan /sca#egoat/
5itual murder as a current issue among exile Tibetans
The ritual sacrifice of Tibet
5eal )iolence and one,s own imaginings

6 - Th( War o- th( Orac( ;od! and th( Shugd(n A--air
The Tibetan state oracle
or6e Shugden>a threat to the ?<V alai !ama,s lifeA
L

7 - Magic a! a Poitica In!tru$(nt
<n)ocation of demons
/Voodoo magic/
Magic wonder wea#ons
The "9reat Fifth: as magician and the ?<V alai !ama
Mandala #olitics

9 - Th( War ;od! 5(hind th( Ma!1 o- P(ac(
The aggressi)eness of the Tibetan tutelary gods $harma#alas(
9esar of !ing 7 the Tibetan /Siegfried/
The Tibetan warrior kings and the clerical successors
The alai !amas as the su#reme war lords
The historical distortion of the /#eaceful/ Tibetans
<s the ?<V alai !ama the /greatest li)ing #rince of #eace/
Tibetan guerrillas and the -<;
Marching music and terror
Political calculation and the Buddhist message of #eace
"Buddha has smiled:0 The alai !ama and the <ndian atomic tests

": - Th( S8(arh(ad o- th( Sha$5haa War: Th( Mongo!
9enghis 2han as a Bodhisatt)a
The BuddhiMation of Mongolia
The Mongolian Shambhala myth
ambi6antsan, the bloodthirsty a)enging lama
Von =ngern Sternberg0 The "Krder of Buddhist +arriors:
The ?<V alai !ama and Mongolia

"" - Th( Sha$5haa M%th and th( W(!t
The Shambhala missionary ;g)an or6ie)
Bolshe)ik Buddhism
The 2alachakra tem#le in St* Petersburg
Madame Bla)atsky and the Shambhala myth
N
4icholas 5oerich and the 2alachakra Tantra
The "Shambhala +arrior: -hJgyam Trung#a
Kther +estern Shambhala )isions
The ?<V alai !ama and the Shambhala myth

"* - Fa!ci!t Occuti!$ and it=! Co!( R(ation!hi8 to #uddhi!t Tantri!$
The Fourteenth alai !ama,s national socialist friends
The 4aMiOTibet connection
Dulius 3)ola0 ; fascist Tantric
Miguel Serrano0 The alai !ama,s "friend: and chief ideologist of "esoteric
1itlerism:
The former SS7man 1einrich 1arrer0 teacher of the ?<V alai !ama
Dulius 3)ola0 the /Tantric/ ad)isor of Benito Mussolini
Miguel Serrano0 /friend/ of the alai !ama and chief ideologist of /esoteric
1itlerism/

"+ - Th( >a8an(!( Doo$!da% ;uru Sho1o A!ahara and ?I@ Daai La$a
Shoko ;sahara,s relationshi# to the ?<V alai !ama
The staged Shambhala war
The sect,s system of rituals is Tantric Buddhist
;sahra,s 9ods
The Da#anese -hakra)artin
Murder, )iolence and religion
The Da#anese ;rmageddon
5eligion and chemical laboratories
The song of Sarin
The international contacts
The two different brothers

"/ - China=! M(ta8h%!ica Ri'ar% with Ti5(t
Mao Cedong0 the red sun
The 9reat Proletarian -ultural 5e)olution
The "deification: of Mao Cedong
P
Mao CedongGs /Tantric #ractices/
; s#iritual ri)alry between the Fourteenth alai !ama and Mao CedongA
The #ost7Mao era in Tibet
; #an7;sian )ision of the 2alachakra Tantra
Taiwan0 a s#ringboard for Tibetan Buddhism and the ?<V alai !amaA
;re the -hinese interested in the Shambhala mythA

"0 - Th( #uddhocratic ConAu(!t o- th( W(!t
5obert ;* Thurman0 "The academic godfather of the Tibetan cause:
The stolen re)olution
Thurman,s forged history
; worldwide Buddhocracy
Tibet a land of enlightenmentA
Thurman as "high #riest: of the 2alachakra Tantra

"3 - Tactic!2 Strat(gi(!2 Forg(ri(!2 Iu!ion!
The /Tibet lobby/
The mani#ulation of the /9reens/
The illusory world of interreligious dialog and the ecumenical mo)ement
Modern science and Tantric Buddhism
Buddhist cosmogony and the #ostmodern world )iew
The yogi as com#uter
1ollywood and Tantric Buddhism

"6 - Concu!ion
The ata)istic #attern of Tibetan Buddhism
Clash of Religions0 the fundamentalistic contribution of !amaism
5eturn to rationalismA

Po!t!cri8t: Cr(ati'( Poarit% 5(%ond Tantri!$

R(-(r(nc(!

Q
Ann(B: Critica Foru$ 4aacha1ra Tantra

;o!!ar%


<4T5K=-T<K4


Light and Shadow


For centuries after Buddha had died,
his shadow was still )isible in a ca)e
a dreadful, s#ine7chilling shadow*
9od is dead0 but man being the way
he is for centuries to come there
will be ca)es in which his shadow is shown
and we, we must also trium#h o)er his shadow*
Friedrich 4ietMsche

The #ractice and #hiloso#hy of Buddhism has s#read so ra#idly throughout the +estern
world in the #ast '& years and has so often been a to#ic in the media that by now anybody
who is interested in cultural affairs has formed some sort of conce#t of Buddhism* <n the
con)entional "+estern: notion of Buddhism, the teachings of Buddha 9autama are regarded
as a #ositi)e 3astern countermodel to the decadent ci)iliMation and culture of the +est0 where
the +estern world has introduced war and ex#loitation into world history, Buddhism stands
for #eace and freedomR whilst +estern rationalism is destructi)e of life and the en)ironment,
the 3astern teachings of wisdom #reser)e and safeguard them* The meditation, com#assion,
com#osure, understanding, non)iolence, modesty, and s#irituality of ;sia stand in contrast to
the actionism, egomania, unrest, indoctrination, )iolence, arrogance, and materialism
of 3uro#e and 4orth ;merica* Ex oriente lux"light comes from the 3ast:R in occidente nox
"darkness #re)ails in the +est:*
.&

+e regard this 6uxta#osition of the 3astern and +estern hemis#heres as not 6ust the
"business: of nai)e belie)ers and Mealous Tibetan lamas* Kn the contrary, this com#arison of
)alues has become distributed among +estern intelligentsia as a #o#ular #hiloso#hical
s#eculation in which they flirt with their own demise*

But the cream of 1ollywood also gladly and o#enly confess their allegiance to the
teachings of Buddhism $or what they understand these to be(, es#ecially when these come
from the mouths of Tibetan lamas* "Tibet is looming larger than e)er on the show business
ma#,: the Herald Tribunewrote in .QQN* "Tibet is going to enter the +estern #o#ular culture
as something can only when1ollywood does the entertainment in6ection into the world
system* !et,s remember that 1ollywoodis the most #owerful force in the world, besides
the =S military: $Herald Tribune, March %&, .QQN, ##* ., L(* Kr)ille Schell, who is working
on a book on Tibet and the est, sees the alai !ama,s "1ollywood connection: as a
substitute for the non7existent di#lomatic cor#s that could re#resent the interests of the exiled
Tibetan hierarch0 "Since he Sthe alai !amaT doesn,t ha)e embassies, and he has no #olitical
#ower, he has to seek other kinds* 1ollywood is a kind of country in his own, and he,s
established a kind of embassy there*: $!ewsweek, May .Q, .QQN, #* %@(*

<n Buddhism more and more show7business celebrities belie)e they ha)e disco)ered a
message of sal)ation that can at last bring the world #eace and tran8uility* <n connection with
his most recent film about the young alai !ama $"undun(, the director Martin Scorsese,
more known for the )iolence of his films, emotionally declared0 "Violence is not the answer,
it doesn,t work any more* +e are at the end of the worst century in which the greatest
atrocities in the history of the world ha)e occurred *** The nature of human beings must
change* +e must culti)ate lo)e and com#assion: $#ocus @LU.QQN, #* .LPR retranslation(* The
karate hero Ste)en Segal, who belie)es himself to be the reincarnation of a Tibetan lama, tells
us, "< ha)e been a Buddhist for twenty years and since then ha)e li)ed in harmony with
myself and the world: $$unte, 4o)ember L, .QQN, #* %@R retranslation(* For actor 5ichard
9ere, one of the closest +estern confidants of the alai !ama, the "fine irony of Buddhism,
which signifies the only way to true ha##iness, is our own #leasure to offer to each and all:
$$unte, 4o)ember L, .QQN, #* %HR retranslation(* 1elmut Thoma, former head of the #ri)ate
9erman tele)ision com#any 5T!, is no less #ositi)e about this 3astern religion0 "Buddhists
..
treat each other in a friendly, well7meaning and com#assionate way* They see no difference
between their own suffering and that of others* < admire that: $$unte, 4o)ember L, .QQN, #*
%@(* ;ctress -hristine 2aufmann has also enthused, "<n Buddhism the maxim is0 en6oy the
#hases of ha##iness for these are transitory: $$unte, 4o)ember L, .QQN, #* %.(* Sharon Stone,
=ma Thurman, Tina Turner, Patty Smith, Meg 5yan, oris Jrrie, and Shirley Mac!aine are
6ust some of the film stars and singers who follow the teachings of Buddha 9autama*

The #ress is no less eu#horic* The 9erman magaMine $unte has #raised the teachings
from the 3ast as the "ideal religion of our day:0 Buddhism has no moral teachings, en6oins us
to ha##iness, su##orts winners, has in contrast to other religions an unblemished #ast $/no
skeletons in the closet:(,worshi#s nature as a cathedral, makes women beautiful, #romotes
sensuousness, #romises eternal youth, creates #aradise on earth, reduces stress and body
weight $$unte, 4o)ember L, .QQN, ##* %&ff*(*

+hat has already become the myth of the "BuddhiMation of the +est: is the work of
many* Monks, scholars, enthusiastic followers, generous s#onsors, occultists, hi##ies, and all
sorts of "3astern tri##ers: ha)e worked on it* But towering abo)e them all, 6ust as
the 1imalayas sur#ass all other #eaks on the #lanet, is 1is 1oliness TenMin 9yatso the
Fourteenth alai !ama* Timeless, gigantic, res#ectful, tolerant, #atient, modest, sim#le, full of
humor, warm, gentle, lithe, earthy, harmonious, trans#arent, #ure, and always smiling and
laughing > this is how the "undun $the Tibetan word means "#resence: or "li)ing Buddha:(
is now known to all* There is no #ositi)e human characteristic which has not at one time or
another been a##lied to the alai !ama* For many of the #lanet,s inhabitants, e)en if they are
non7Buddhists, he re#resents the most res#ectable li)ing indi)idual of our e#och*

Many belie)e they ha)e disco)ered in the straightforward #ersonality of this Buddhist
monk all the rare 8ualities of a gracious and trustworthy character that we seek in )ain among
our +estern #oliticians and church leaders* <n a world full of e)il, materialism, and corru#tion
he re#resents goodwill, the realm of the s#irit, and the lotus blossom of #urityR amidst the
maelstrom of tri)ialities and confusion he stands for meaning, calm, and stabilityR in the
com#etiti)e struggle of modern ca#italism and in an age where re#orts of catastro#hes are
constant he is the guarantor of 6ustice and a clear and unshaken willR from the thick of the
.%
battle of cultures and #eo#les he emerges as the a#ostle of #eaceR amidst a global outbreak of
religious fanaticism he #reaches tolerance and non)iolence*

1is followers worshi# him as a deity, a "li)ing Buddha: $"undun(, and call him their
"di)ine king:* 4ot e)en the -atholic #o#es or medie)al em#erors e)er claimed such a high
s#iritual #osition > they continued to bow down before the "!ord of !ords: $9od( as his
su#reme ser)ants* The alai !ama, howe)er Oaccording to Tibetan doctrine at least >
himself a##ears and acts as the "1ighest:* <n him is re)ealed the mystic figure of ;<
B=1; $the Su#reme Buddha(R he is a religious ideal in flesh and blood* <n some circles,
enormous ho#es are #laced in the "undun as the new 5edeemer himself* 4ot 6ust Tibetans
and Mongolians, many Taiwan -hinese and +esterners also see him as a latterday Messiah*
S.T

1owe)er human the monk from haramsala $<ndia( may a##ear, his #erson is
surrounded by the most occult s#eculations* Many who ha)e met him belie)e they ha)e
encountered the su#ernatural* <n the case of the "di)ine king: who has descended to mankind
from the roof of the world, that which was denied Moses>namely, to glim#se the
countenance of 9od $%ahweh(>has become #ossible for #ious BuddhistsR and unlike Bahweh
this countenance shows no wrath, but smiles graciously and warmly instead*

The esoteric #athos in the characteriMation of the alai !ama has long since transcended
the boundaries of Buddhist insider grou#s* <t is the famous show business #ersonalities and
e)en articles in the "res#ectable: +estern #ress who now ex#ress the mystic flair of
the "undun in weighty exclamations0 "The fascination is the search for the third eye:, Melissa
Mathison, scri#twriter for Martin Scorsese,s film, "undun& writes in the Herald Tribune*
";mericans are ho#ing for some sort of magical door into the mystical, thinking that there,s
some mysterious reason for things, a cosmic ex#lanation* Tibet offers the most extra)agant
ex#ression of the mystical, and when #eo#le meet 1is 1oliness, you can see on their faces
that they,re ho#ing to get this hit that will transcend their li)es, take them some#lace else:
$Herald Tribune, March %&, .QQN(*

4e)ertheless > and this is another magical fairytale > the di)ine king,s omni#otent
role combines well with the monastic modesty and sim#licity he exhibits* <t is #recisely this
.'
fascinating combination of the su#reme $"di)ine king:( and the almighty with the lowliest
$"mendicant:( and weakest that makes the alai !ama so a##ealing for many > clear,
understandable words, a gracious smile, a sim#le robe, #lain sandals, and behind all this the
omni#otence of the di)ine* +ith his constantly re#eated statement > "< *** see myself first as
a man and a Tibetan who has made the decision to become a Buddhist monk: > 1is 1oliness
has con8uered the hearts of the +est $alai !ama ?<V, .QQ'a, #* N(* +e can belie)e in such a
#erson, we can find refuge in him, from him we learn about the wisdom of life and death* S%T

; similar re)erse effect is found in another of the "undun's fa)orite sayings, that the
institution of the alai !ama could become su#erfluous in the future* "Perha#s it would really
be good if < were the lastV: $!e)enson, .QQ&, #* 'LL(* Such admissions of his own su#erfluity
bring tears to #eo#le,s eyes and are only sur#assed by the #rognosis of the "di)ine king: that
in his next life he will #robably be reincarnated as an insect in order to hel# this lower form of
life as an "insect messiah:* <n the wake of such heartrending #ro#hecies no7one would wish
for anything more than that the institution of the alai !ama might last for e)er*

The #olitical im#otence of the country the hierarch had to flee has a similarly #owerful
and disturbing effect* The image of the innocent, #eaceful, s#iritual, defenseless, and
tiny Tibet, su##ressed and humiliated by the merciless, inhumane, and materialistic -hinese
giant has ele)ated the "!and of Snows: and its monastic king to the status of a worldwide
symbol of "#acifist resistance:* The more Tibet and its "ecclesiastical king: are threatened,
the more his s#iritual authority increases and the more the 2undun becomes an international
moral authority* 1e has succeeded in the im#ossible task of drawing strength from his
weakness*

The numerous s#eeches of the Fourteenth alai !ama, his inter)iews, statements,
writings, biogra#hies, books, and his countless introductions and forewords to the texts of
others deal almost exclusi)ely with to#ics like com#assion, kindness, sincerity, lo)e,
non)iolence, human rights, ecological )isions, #rofessions of democracy, religious tolerance,
inner and outer s#irituality, the blessings of science, world #eace, and so on* <t would take a
true )illain to not agree totally with what he has said and written* Training consciousness,
achie)ing s#iritual #eace, culti)ating inner contentment, fostering satisfaction, #racticing
awareness, eliminating egoism, hel#ing others > what res#onsible #erson could fail to
.@
identify with thisA +ho doesn,t long for flawless lo)e, clear intellect, generosity, and
enlightenmentA

+ithin +estern ci)iliMation, the alai !ama a##ears as the #urest light* 1e re#resents
> according to former President Dimmy -arter > a new ty#e of world leader, who has #laced
the #rinci#les of #eace and com#assion at the center of his #olitics, and who, with his kind
and winning nature, has shown us all how the hardest blows of fate can be borne with
#erse)erance and #atience* By now he symboliMes human dignity and global res#onsibility for
millions* =# until )ery recently hardly anyone, with the exce#tion of his archenemies, the
-hinese communists, has dared to criticiMe this im#otentUomni#otent luminary* But then, out
of the blue in .QQL, dark clouds began to gather o)er the bright aura of the "li)ing Buddha:*

-harges, accusations, sus#icions and incriminations began to a##ear in the media* ;t
first on the <nternet, then in isolated #ress re#orts, and finally in tele)ision #rograms
$see (anorama on ;5 S9ermanyT, 4o)ember %&, .QQN and )* +or )* on SF.
SSwitMerlandT, Danuary H7P, .QQP(* ;t the same time as the 1ollywood stars were erecting a
media altar for their Tibetan god, the #ublic attacks on the alai !ama were becoming more
fre8uent* 3)en for a mundane #olitician the catalogue of accusations would ha)e been
embarrassing, but for a di)ine king they were horrendous* ;nd on this occasion the attacks
came not from the -hinese cam# but from within his own ranks*

The following serious charges are le)eled in an o#en letter to the "undun su##osedly
written by Tibetans in exile which criticiMes the "des#otism: of the hierarch0 "The cause Sof
the des#otismT is the in)isible disease which is still there and which de)elo#s immediately if
met with )arious conditions* ;nd what is this diseaseA <t is your clinging to your own #ower*
<t is a fact that e)en at that time if someone would ha)e used democracy on you, you would
not ha)e been able to acce#t it* *** Bour 1oliness, you wish to be a great leader, but you do not
know that in order to fulfill the wish, a W#olitical Bodhisatt)a )ow, is re8uired* So you entered
instead the wrong W#olitical #ath of accumulation, $tsog lam( and that has lead you on a
continuously wrong #ath* Bou belie)ed that in order to be a greater leader you had to secure
your own #osition first of all, and whene)er any o##osition against you arose you had to
defend yourself, and this has become contagious* *** Moreo)er, to challenge lamas you ha)e
used religion for your own aim* To that #ur#ose you had to de)elo# the Tibetan #eo#le,s blind
.H
faith* *** For instance, you started the #olitics of #ublic 2alachakra initiations* S'T 4ormally
the 2alachakra initiation is not gi)en in #ublic* Then you started to use it continuously in a
big way for your #olitics* The result is that now the Tibetan #eo#le ha)e returned to exactly
the same muddy and dirty mixing of #olitics and religion of lamas which you yourself had so
#recisely criticiMed in earlier times* *** Bou ha)e made the Tibetans into donkeys* Bou can
force them to go here and there as you like* <n your words you always say that you want to be
9handi but in your action you are like a religious fundamentalist who uses religious faith for
#olitical #ur#oses* Bour image is the alai !ama, your mouth is Mahatma 9handi and your
heart is like that of a religious dictator* Bou are a decei)er and it is )ery sad that on the to# of
the suffering that they already ha)e the Tibetan #eo#le ha)e a leader like you* Tibetans ha)e
become fanatics* They say that the alai !ama is more im#ortant than the #rinci#le
of Tibet* *** Please, if you feel like being like 9andhi, do not turn the Tibetan situation in the
church dominated style of .Nth century 3uro#e: $Sam, May %N, .QQN 7 4ewsgrou# .L(*

The list of accusations goes on and on* 1ere we #resent some of the charges raised
against the"undun since .QQN which we treat in more detail in this study0 association with the
Da#anese "#oison gas guru: Shoko ;sahara $the ";sahara affair:(R )iolent su##ression of the
free ex#ression of religion within his own ranks $the "Shugden affair:(R the s#litting of the
other Buddhist sects $the "2arma#a affair:(R fre8uent sexual abuse of women by Tibetan
lamas $"Sogyal 5in#oche and Dune -am#bell affairs:(Rintolerance towards homosexualsR
in)ol)ement in a ritual murder $the e)ents of February @, .QQN(R links to 4ational Socialism
$the "1einrich 1arrer affair:(R ne#otism $the "Babshi affair:(R selling out his own country to
the -hinese$renunciation of Tibetan so)ereignty(R #olitical liesR rewriting historyR and much
more* K)ernight the god has become a demon* S@T

;nd all of a sudden +esterners are beginning to ask themsel)es whether the king of
light from the1imalayas might not ha)e a monstrous shadow* +hat we mean by the alai
!ama,s "shadow: is the #ossibility of a dark, murky, and "dirty: side to both his #ersonality
and #oliticoreligious office in contrast to the #ure and brilliant figure he cuts as the "greatest
li)ing hero of #eace in our century: in the ca#ti)ated awareness of millions*

For most #eo#le who ha)e come to know him #ersonally or )ia the media, such
nocturnal dimensions to 1is 1oliness are unimaginable* The #ossibility would not e)en occur
.L
to them, since the 2undun has gras#ed how to effecti)ely conceal the threatening and
demonic as#ects of Tibetan Buddhism and the many dark cha#ters in the history of Tibet* =#
until .QQL he had succeeded Othe #oorly grounded -hinese criti8ue aside > in #laying the
shining hero on the world stage*

Pato=! ca'(
The shadow is the "other side: of a #erson, his "hidden face:, the shadows are his
"occult de#ths:* Psychoanalysis teaches us that there are four ways of dealing with our
shadow0 we can deny it, su##ress it, #ro6ect it onto other #eo#le, or integrate it*

But the to#ic of the shadow does not 6ust ha)e a #sychological dimensionR e)er since
Plato,s famous analogy of the ca)e it has become one of the fa)orite motifs of +estern
#hiloso#hy* <n his (oliteia$The State(, Plato tells of an "unenlightened: #eo#le who inhabit a
ca)e with their backs to the entrance* Kutside shines the light of eternal and true reality, but as
the #eo#le ha)e turned their backs to it, all they see are the shadows of reality which flit
sketchily across the walls of the ca)e before their eyes* Their human attenti)eness is
magically ca#ti)ated by this shadowy world and they thus #ercei)e only dreams and illusions,
ne)er higher reality itself* Should a ca)e dweller one day manage to esca#e this dusky
dwelling, he would recogniMe that he had been li)ing in a world of illusions*

This #arable was ada#ted by Friedrich 4ietMsche in ;#horism .&P of his #r,hliche
issenschaftSThe 9ay ScienceT and > of interest here > linked to the figure of Buddha0 "For
centuries after Buddha had died,: 4ietMsche wrote, "his shadow was still )isible in a ca)e > a
dreadful, s#ine7chilling shadow* 9od is dead0 but man being the way he is, for centuries to
come there will be ca)es in which his shadow is shown > and we > we must also trium#h
o)er his shadow:* SHT

This a#horism encourages us to s#eculate about the alai !ama* 1e is, after all,
worshi##ed as "9od: or as a "li)ing Buddha: $"undun(, as a su#reme enlightened being* But,
we could argue with 4ietMsche, the true Buddha $"9od:( is dead* oes this make the figure of
the alai !ama nothing but a shadowA ;re #seudo7dogmas, #seudo7rituals, and #seudo7
mysteries all that remain of the original BuddhismA id the historical Buddha Shakyamuni
lea)e us with his "dreadful shadow: $the alai !ama( and ha)e we been challenged to liberate
.N
oursel)es from himA 1owe)er, we could also s#eculate as to whether #eo#le #ercei)e only the
alai !ama,s silhouette since they still li)e in the ca)e of an unenlightened consciousness* <f
they were to lea)e this world of illusion, they might ex#erience the "undun as the su#reme
luminary and Su#reme Buddha $;< B=1;(*

<n our study of the alai !ama we offer concrete answers to these and similar
meta#hysical 8uestions* To do this, howe)er, we must lead our readers into $4ietMsche,s(
ca)e, where the "dreadful shadow: of the "undun $a "li)ing Buddha:( a##ears on the wall*
=# until now this ca)e has been closed to the #ublic and could not be entered by the
uninitiated*

<ncidentally, e)ery Tibetan tem#le #ossesses such an eerie room of shadows* Beside the
)arious sacred chambers in which smiling Buddha statues emit #eace and com#osure there are
secret rooms known as gokhangs which can only be entered by a chosen few* <n the dim light
of flickering, half7drowned butter lam#s, surrounded by rusty wea#ons, stuffed animals, and
mummified body #arts, the Tibetan terror gods reside in the gokhang* 1ere, the inhabitants of
a )iolent and monstrous realm of darkness are assembled* <n a figurati)e sense
the gokhangsymboliMes the dark ritualism of !amaism and Tibet,s hidden history of )iolence*
<n order to truly get to know the alai !ama $the "li)ing Buddha:( we must first descend into
the "ca)e: $thegokhang( and there conduct a s#eleology of his religion*

,R(a8oiti1C and th( ,Poitic! o- S%$5o!C
Kur study is di)ided into two #arts* The first contain a de#iction and criti8ue of the
religious foundations of Tibetan $"Tantric:( Buddhism and is entitled Ritual as (olitics* The
second #art $(olitics as Ritual( examines the #ower #olitics of the "undun $alai !ama( and
its historical #reconditions* Th( r(ation!hi8 5(tw((n 8oitica 8ow(r and r(igion i! thu!
c(ntra to our 5oo1D

<n ancient societies $like that of Tibet(, e)erything that ha##ens in the e)eryday world
> from acts of nature to ma6or #olitical e)ents to 8uotidian occurrences > i! th( (B8r(!!ion
o- tran!c(nd(nt 8ow(r! and -orc(! wor1ing 5(hind th( !c(n(!D Mortals do not determine
their own fatesR rather they are instruments in the hands of "gods: and "demons:* <f we wish
to gain any understanding at all of the alai !ama,s "secular: #olitics, it must be deri)ed from
.P
this ata)istic #ers#ecti)e which #ermeates the traditional cultural legacy of Tibetan Buddhism*
For the mysteries that he administers $in which the "gods: make their a##earances( form the
foundations of his #olitical )ision and decision making* State and religion, ritua and 8oitic!
ar( in!(8ara5( -or hi$D

+hat, howe)er, distinguishes a "8oitic! o- !%$5o!C -ro$ ,realpolitikC< Both are
concerned with #ower, but the methods for achie)ing and maintaining #ower differ*
<n realpolitik we are dealing with facts that are both caused and mani#ulated by #eo#le* 1ere
the #rotagonists are #oliticians, generals, -3Ks, leaders of o#inion, cultural luminaries, etc*
Th( $(thod! through which #ower is exercised include force, war, re)olution, legal systems,
money, rhetoric, #ro#aganda, #ublic discussions, and bribery*

<n the symbolic #olitical world, howe)er, we encounter "!u8(rnaturaC (n(rg% -i(d!2
the "gods: and "demons:* The secular #rotagonists in e)ents are still human beings such as
ecclesiastical dignitaries, #riests, magicians, gurus, yogis, and shamans* But they all see
themsel)es as ser)ants of some ty#e of su#erior di)ine will, or, transcending their humanity
they themsel)es become "gods:, as in the case of the alai !ama* 1is exercise of #ower thus
not only in)ol)es worldly techni8ues but also the mani#ulation of symbols in rituals and
magic* For him, symbolic images and ritual acts are not sim#ly signs or aesthetic acts but
rather instruments with which to acti)ate the gods and to influence #eo#le,s awareness* 1is
#olitical reality is determined by a "meta#hysical detour: )ia the mysteries* SLT

This interwea)ing of historical and symbolic e)ents leads to the seemingly fantastic
meta#olitics of the Tibetans* !amaism belie)es it can influence the course of history not 6ust
in Tibet but for the entire #lanet through its system of rituals and in)ocations, through magic
#ractices and concentration exercises* The result is an ata)istic mix of magic and #olitics*
5ather than being determined by #arliament and the Tibetan go)ernment in exile, #olitical
decisions are made by oracles and the su#ernatural beings acting through them* <t is no longer
#arties with differing #rograms and leaders who face off in the #olitical arena, but rather
distinct and antagonistic oracle gods*

;bo)e all it is in the indi)idual of the alai !ama that the entire wordly and
s#iritualUmagic #otential of the Tibetan world )iew is concentrated* ;ccording to tradition he
.Q
is a sacred king* ;ll his deeds, howe)er much they are #ercei)ed in terms of #ractical #olitics
by his surroundings, are thus #rofoundly linked to the Tibetan mysteries*

The latter ha)e always been shrouded in secrecy* The uninitiated ha)e no right to
#artici#ate or learn about them* 4e)ertheless, in recent years much information about the
Tibetan cults $recorded in the so7called tantra texts and their commentaries( has been
#ublished and translated into 3uro#ean languages* The world that o#ens itself here to +estern
awareness a##ears e8ually fantastic and fascinating* This world is a combination of theatrical
#om#, medie)al magic, sacred sexuality, relentless asceticism, su#reme deification and the
basest abuse of women, murderous crimes, maximum ethical demands, the a##earance of
gods and demons, mystical ecstasy, and cold hard logic all in one #owerful, #aradoxical
#erformance*

Not( on th( cit(d it(ratur(:
The original documents which we cite are without exce#tion 3uro#ean7language
translations from Sanskrit, Tibetan or -hinese, or are drawn from +estern sources* By now,
so many rele)ant texts ha)e been translated that they #ro)ide an ade8uate scholarly basis for a
culturally critical examination of Tibetan Buddhism without the need to refer to documents in
the original language* For our study , the "alachakra Tantra is central* This has not been
translated in its entirety, aside from an extremely #roblematical handwritten manuscri#t by the
9erman Tibetoligist, ;lbert 9rInwedel, which can be found in the Ba)arian State !ibrary
in Munich* <m#ortant #arts of the Sri "alachakra ha)e been translated into 3nglish by Dohn
5oland 4ewman, along with a famous commentary on these #arts by Pundarika known as
the -imalaphraba. $Dohn 5onald 4ewman 7The outer wheel of time/ -a0rayana buddhist
cosmology in the "alacakra Tantra O-imalaprabh1 2 n1mam3latantr1nus1ri452
d+1da6as1hasrik1laguk1lacakratantrar10a75k1 (Madison .QPN(

The Sri "alachakra 89aghukalachakratantra: is su##osed to be the abridgement of a far
more com#rehensi)e original text by the name of Sekoddesha. The com#lete text has been lost
> but some im#ortant #assages from it ha)e been #reser)ed and ha)e been commented u#on
by the renowned scholar 4aro#a $.&th century(* ;n <talian translation of the commentary by
5anieri 9noli and 9iacomella Krofino is a)ailable* Further to this, we ha)e studied e)ery
other work on the"alachakra Tantra which we ha)e been able to find in a +estern language*
%&
+e were thuis in a #osition to be able to ade8uately reconstruct the contents of the "Time
Tantra: from the numerous translated commentaries and sources for a cultural historical $and
not a #hilological( assessment of the tantra* This extensi)e literature is listed at the end of the
book* <n order to make the intentions and methods of this religious system com#rehensible for
a +estern audience, a com#arision with other tantras and with #arallels in 3uro#ean culture is
of greater im#ortance than a meticulous linguistic knowledge of e)ery line in the Sanskrit or
Tibetan original*

<n the interests of readability, we ha)e transliterated Tibetan and Sanskrit names without
diacritical marks and in this ha)e #rimarily oriented oursel)es to ;nglo7Saxon usages*

Footnot(!:
S.T <n the o#inion of the Tibet researcher, Peter Bisho#, the head of the !amaist
"church: satisfies a "reawakened a##reciation of the i)ine Father: for many #eo#le from
the +est $Bisho# .QQ', #* .'&(* For Bisho#, 1is 1oliness stands out as a fatherly sa)ior figure
against the insecurities and fears #roduced by modern society, against the criticisms le)elled
at monotheistic religions, and against the rubble of the decline of the 3uro#ean system of
)alues*
S%T Through this contradictory effect the alai !ama is able to strengthen his
su#erhuman stature with the most banal of words and deeds* Many of 1is 1oliness,s +estern
)isitors, for exam#le, are amaMed after an audience that a "god7king: constantly rubs his nose
and scratches his head "like an a#e:* Bet, writes theTibet researcher -hristiaan 2lieger, "such
ex#ressions of the body natural do not detract from the status of the alai !ama O far from
it, as it adds to his #ersonal charisma* <t maintains that incongruous image of a di)ine form in
a human body: $2lieger .QQ., # NQ(*
S'T The "alachakra initiations are the most significant rituals which the alai !ama
conducts, #artly in #ublic and in #art in secret* By now the #ublic e)ents take #lace in the
#resence of hundreds of thousands* ;nalyses and inter#retations of the "alachakra initiations
lie at the center of the current study*
S@T =# until .QQL the +est needed to be di)ided into two factions > with the elo8uent
ad)ocates of Tibetan Buddhism on the one hand, and those who were com#letely ignorant of
the issue and remained silent on the other* <n contrast, modern or "#ostmodern: cultural
criticisms of the Buddhist teachings and critical examinations of the Tibetan clergy and the
%.
Tibetan state structure were extremely rare $com#letely the o##osite of the case of the
literature which addresses the Po#e and the -atholic -hurch(* 4oncommitted and unfalsified
analyses and inter#retations of Buddhist or Tibetan history, in brief o#en and truth7seeking
confrontations with the shady side of the "true faith: and its history, ha)e to be sought out like
needles in a haystack of ideological glorifications and deliberately constructed myths of
history* For this reason those who attem#ted to disco)er and re)eal the hidden background
ha)e had to battle to swim against a massi)e current of resistance based on #re7formed
o#inions and deliberate mani#ulation* This situation has changed in the #eriod since .QQL*
SHT The fact that 4ietMsche,s a#horism about the shadow is number .&P offers
numerolgists fertile grounds for occult s#eculation, as .&P is one of the most significant holy
numbers in Tibetan Buddhism* 9i)en the status of knowledge about Tibet at the time, it is
hardly likely that 4ietMsche chose this number deliberately*
SLT There is nonetheless an occult correlation between "symbolic and ritual #olitics: and
real #olitical e)ents* Thus the Tibetan lamas belie)e they are 6ustified in subsuming the #re7
existing social reality $including that of the +est( into their magical world )iew and
sub6ecting it to their "irrational: methods* +ith a for a contem#orary awareness audacious
seeming thought construction, they see in the #rocesses of world history not 6ust the work of
#oliticians, the military, and business leaders, but declare these to be the lackeys of di)ine or
demonic #owers*

Part <
RITEAL AS POLITICS



Playboy:
Ar( %ou actua% int(r(!t(d in th( to8ic o- !(B<
(14th) Dalai Lama:
M% goodn(!!F Gou a!1 a 3*-%(ar-od $on1
who ha! 5((n c(i5at( hi! (ntir( i-( a thing i1( thatD
I don=t ha'( $uch to !a% a5out !(B
H oth(r than that it i! co$8(t(% o1a%
i- two 8(o8( o'( (ach oth(rD
%%
$The Fourteenth alai !ama in a (layboy
inter)iew $9erman edition(, March .QQP(



"D #EDDHISM AND MISO;GNG I AN HISTORICAL O@ER@IEW

; well7founded criti8ue and > where #lanned > a deconstruction of the +estern image
of Buddhism currently establishing itself should concentrate entirely u#on the #articular
school of Buddhism known as "Tantrism: $Tantrayana or -a0rayana( for two reasons* S.T The
first is that the "tantric way: re#resents the most recent #hase in the history of Buddhism and
is with some 6ustification )iewed as the su#reme and thus most com#rehensi)e doctrine of the
entire system* <n a manner of s#eaking Tantri!$ ha! int(grat(d a th( -or(going #uddhi!t
!choo! within it!(-2 and -urth(r 5(co$( a r(c(8tac( -or Hindu2 Iranian2 C(ntra A!ian2
and ('(n I!a$ic cutura in-u(nc(!D Thus > as an oft7re#eated Tantrayana statement #uts
it one who has understood the "Tantric +ay: has also understood all other #aths to
enlightenment*

The second reason for concentrating u#on Tantrism lies in the fact that it re#resents the
most widely distributed form of Buddhism in the +est* <t exerts an almost magical attraction
u#on many in ;merica and 3uro#e* +ith the alai !ama at its head and its clergy of exiled
Tibetans, it #ossesses a #owerful and flexible army of missionaries who ad)ance the
BuddhiMation of the +est with #sychological and di#lomatic skill*

<t is the goal of the #resent study to work out, inter#ret and e)aluate the moti)es,
#ractices and )isions of Tantric Buddhism and its history* +e ha)e set out to make )isible the
archety#al fields and the "occult: #owers which determine, or at least influence, the world
#olitics of the alai !ama as the su#reme re#resentati)e of Tantrayana* For this reason we
must familiariMe our readers with the gods and demons who Onot in our way of looking at
things but from a tantric )iew#oint > ha)e sha#ed and continue to sha#e Tibet,s history* +e
will thus need to show that the Tibetans ex#erience their history and contem#orary #olitics as
the worldly ex#ression of a transcendental reality, and that th(% organiJ( th(ir i'(!
%'
according to aw! which ar( not o- thi! word* <n summary, we wish to #robe to the heart of
the tantric mystery*

<n light of the com#lexity of the to#ic, we ha)e resol)ed to #roceed deducti)ely and to
#reface the entire book with the core statement of our research in the form of a hy#othesis*
Kur readers will thus be set on their way with a statement whose truth or falsity only emerges
from the in)estigations which follow* The formulation of this hy#othesis is necessarily )ery
abstract at the outset* Knly in the course of our study does it fill out with blood and life, and
unfortunately, with )iolence and death as well* Kur core statement is as follows0

Th( $%!t(r% o- Tantric #uddhi!$ con!i!t! in th( !acri-ic(
o- th( -($inin( 8rinci8( and th( $ani8uation o- (rotic o'(
in ord(r to attain uni'(r!a androc(ntric 8ow(r

;n endless chain of deri)ed forms of sacrifice has de)elo#ed out of this central
sacrificial e)ent and the associated #ower techni8ues0 th( !acri-ic( o- i-(2 5od% and !ou to
th( !8iritK o- th( indi'idua to an A$ight% ;od or a high(r !(-K o- th( -((ing! to r(a!onK
o'( to o$ni8ot(nc(K th( (arth to h(a'(nR and so forth* This #er)asi)e sacrificial gnosis,
which > as we shall see > ultimately lets the entire uni)erse end in a sea of fire, and which
reaches its full maturity in the doctrine of Tantrism, is already in #lace in the earlier #hases of
Buddhism, including the legend of Buddha* <n order to demonstrate this, we think it sensible
to also analyMe the three Buddhist stages which #recede Tantrayana with regard to the
"female sacrifice:, the "mani#ulation of erotic lo)e:, and the "de)elo#ment of androcentric
#ower:*

The history of Buddhism is normally di)ided into -our 8ha!(!2 all of which found their
full de)elo#ment in <ndia* The first recounts the legendary life and teachings of the historical
Buddha Shakyamuni, who bore the name Siddharta 9autama $c*HL& B*-*3*O@P& B*-*3*(* The
second #hase, which begins directly following his death, is known as Thera+ada Buddhism* <t
is somewhat dis#aragingly termed Hinayana or th( ,Low @(hic(: by later Buddhist
schools* The third #hase has de)elo#ed since the second
century B*-*3*, Mahayana #uddhi!$2 or th( ,;r(at @(hic(CD Tantrism, or Tantrayana,
%@
arose in the fourth century -*3* at the earliest* <t is also known asVajrayana2 or th(
,Dia$ond @(hic(CD

Dust as we ha)e introduced the whole text with a core hy#othesis, we would also like to
#reface the descri#tion of the four stages of historical Buddhism to which we de)ote the
following #ages with four corres#onding )ariations u#on our basic statement about the
"female sacrifice:, the "mani#ulation of erotic lo)e:, and the "de)elo#ment of androcentric
#ower:0

.* The "sacrifice of the feminine #rinci#le: is from the outset a fundamental
e)ent in the teachings of Buddha * <t corres#onds to the Buddhist re6ection of life, nature
and the soul* <n this original #hase, the bearer of androcentric #ower is the historical
Buddha himself*
%* <n Hinayana Buddhism, the "!ow Vehicle:, the "sacrifice of the feminine: is
carried out with the hel# of meditation* The Hinayana monk fears and dreads women, and
attem#ts to esca#e them* 1e also makes use of meditati)e exercises to destroy and
transcend life, nature and the soul* <n this #hase the bearer of androcentric #ower is the is
the ascetic holy man or ;rhat*
'* <n <ahayana, the "9reat Vehicle:, flight from women is succeeded by
com#assion for them* The woman is to be freed from her #hysical body, and
the <ahayana monk selflessly hel#s her to #re#are for the necessary transformation, so
that she can become a man in her next reincarnation* The feminine is thus still considered
inferior and des#icable, as that which must be sacrificed in order to be transformed into
something #urely masculine* <n both founding #hiloso#hical schools
of <ahayana Buddhism $<adhyamika and %ogachara(, life, nature, the body and the soul
are accordingly sacrificed to the absolute s#irit $citta(* The bearer of androcentric #ower in
this #hase is the "Sa'iorC or BodhisattvaD
@* <n Tantrism or -a0rayana, the tantric master $yogi( exchanges com#assion
with the woman for a5!out( contro o'(r th( -($inin(* +ith sexual magic rites he
(('at(! th( wo$an to th( !tatu! o- a godd(!! in ord(r to !u5!(Au(nt% o--(r h(r u8 a!
a r(a or !%$5oic !acri-ic(D The beneficiary of this sacrifice is not some god, but the
yogi himself, since he a5!or5! within hi$!(- th( co$8(t( i-( (n(rg% o- th( !acri-ic(D
This radical -a0rayana method ends in an a#ocaly#tic firestorm which consumes the
%H
entire uni)erse within its flames* <n this #hase the bearer of androcentric #ower is the
"9rand Master: or <aha Siddha*

<f, as the adherents of Buddhist Tantrism claim, a logic of de)elo#ment #ertains between
the )arious stages of Buddhism, then this begins with a #assi)e origin $Hinayana(, switches to
an acti)eUethical intermediary stage $<ahayana(, and ends in an aggressi)eUdestructi)e final
#hase $Tantrayana(* The relationshi# of the three schools to the feminine gender must be
characteriMed as fugiti)e, su##orti)e and destructi)e res#ecti)ely*

Should our hy#othesis be borne out by the #resentation of #ersuasi)e e)idence and
conclusi)e argumentation, this would lead to the )erdict that in Tantric #uddhi!$ w( ar(
d(aing with a $i!og%ni!t2 d(!tructi'(2 $a!cuin( 8hio!o8h% and r(igion which i!
ho!ti( to i-( > i*e*, the #recise o##osite of that for which it is trustingly and magnanimously
welcomed in the +est, abo)e all in the figure of the alai !ama*

Th( ,!acri-ic(C o- Ma%a: Th( #uddha (g(nd
3)en the story of the birth of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni exhibits the
fundamentally negati)e attitude of early Buddhism towards the sexual s#here and toward
woman* <aya, the mother of the Sublimity, did not concei)e him through an admixture of
masculine and feminine seed, as usual in <ndian thought, nor did he enter the world )ia the
natural birth channel* 1is conce#tion was occasioned by a white ele#hant in a dream of
Maya,s* The Buddha also miraculously left his mother,s womb through the side of her hi#R the
act of birth thus not being associated with any #ain*

+hy this unnatural birthA Because in Buddhism all the female 8ualities > menstrual
blood, feminine sexuality, conce#tion, #regnancy, the act of childbirth, indeed e)en a
woman,s glance or smile > were from the outset considered not to be indicators of the 6oys of
lifeR rather, in contrast, hu$an i-( > in the words of Buddha > uti$at(% (Bhau!t! it!(-
in !ic1n(!!2 ag( and d(athD <t #ro)es itself to be an existence without constancy, as an
unenduring element* Li-( a! !uch2 with it! con!tant chang( and 'ari(t%2 !tand! o88o!(d in
un5(ara5( contra!t to (t(rnit% and th( unit% o- th( !8iritD +ith the abundance of being it
tries to soil the "#ure em#tiness: of consciousness, to scatter the unity of the s#irit with its
di)ersity, or > in the words of the best7known contem#orary Buddhist cultural theorist, the
%L
;merican 2en +ilber > the "bios#here: $the s#here of life( drags the "noos#here: $the
s#here of the s#irit( down to a lower e)olutionary le)el* Hu$an i-( in a it! w(a1n(!! i!
thu! a (an 8(riod to 5( (ndur(d aong th( wa% to th( in-init( $"<t were better < had ne)er
been born:(, and wo$an2 who 5ring! -orth thi! wr(tch(d (Bi!t(nc(2 -unction! a! th( cau!(
o- !u--(ring and d(athD

<aya dies shortly after the birth of the Sublimity* ;s the #rinci#le of natural life > her
death can be symbolically inter#reted this way > she stood in the way of the su#ernatural
#ath of enlightenment of her son, who wished to free himself and humankind from the
unending chain of reincarnation* <s she the ancient #rime)al mother who dies to make #lace
for the trium#hant #rogress of her sunUsonA <n 2en +ilber,s e)olutionary theory, th( !a%ing
o- th( ;r(at Moth(r is considered the symbolic e)ent which, in both the de)elo#mental
history of the indi)idual $ontogenesis( and the cultural history of humanity $#hylogenesis(,
must 8r(c(d( an ($anci8ation o- con!ciou!n(!!D The ego structure can only de)elo# in a
child after the maternal murder, since the infant is still an undifferentiated unity within the
motherly source* ;ccording to +ilber, a corres#onding #rocess can be obser)ed in human
history* 1ere, following the destruction of the matriarchal, "ty#honic: mother cult, cultural
models ha)e been able to de)elo# #atriarchal transcendence and male ego structures*

Kn the basis of this #sychoanalytically influenced thesis, one could inter#ret <aya,s
early death as the maternal murder which had to #recede the e)olution of the male Buddha
consciousness* This inter#retation recei)es a certain s#ark when we realiMe that the
name <aya means Willusion, in Sanskrit* For a contem#orary raised within the +estern
rationalist tradition, such a naming may seem #urely coincidental, but in the magic symbolic
world)iew of Buddhism, abo)e all in Tantrism, it has a dee#7reaching significance* 1ere, as in
all ancient cultures, a na$( r(-(r! not Lu!t to a 8(r!on2 5ut a!o to tho!( -orc(! and god! it
('o1(!D

<aya > the name of Buddha,s mother > is also the name of the most #owerful <ndian
goddess<aya. The entire material uni)erse is concentrated in <aya, she is the world7woman*
In c(a!((!! $otion !h( 8roduc(! a a88(aranc(! and con!u$(! th($ againD She
corres#onds to the prima materia of 3uro#ean alchemy, the basic substance in which the
seeds of all #henomena are symbolically hidden* The word maya is deri)ed from the Sanskrit
%N
root ma2, which has also gi)en usmother, material, and mass* The goddess re#resents all that
is 8uantitati)e, all that is material* She is re)ered as the "9reat Mother: who s#ins the threads
of the world,s destiny* The fabric which is wo)en from this is life and nature* <t consists of
instincts and feelings, of the #hysical and the #syche, but not the s#irit*

Out o- h(r thr(ad! Maya ha! wo'(n a '(i and ca!t thi! o'(r th( tran!c(nd(nta
r(ait% 5(hind a (Bi!t(nc(, a reality which for the Buddhist stands o##osed to the world of
a##earances as the s#iritual #rinci#le* <aya is the feminine motion which disturbs the
meditati)e standstill of the man, she is the change which destroys his eternity* <aya casts out
her net of "illusion: in order to bind the autonomous ego to her, 6ust as a natural mother binds
her child to herself and will not let it go so that it can de)elo# its own #ersonality* <n her web
!h( !u--ocat(! and 1((8! in th( dar1 th( $a( (go !tri'ing -or -r((do$ and
ightD <aya enca#sulates the spirit, her arch7enemy, in a cocoon* She is the #rinci#le of birth
and rebirth, the o)ercoming of which is a Buddhist,s highest goal* 3ternal life beckons
whoe)er has seen through her dece#tionsR whoe)er is taken in will be destroyed and reborn in
unceasing acti)ity like all li)ing things*

Th( d(ath o- Maya th( gr(at $agician who 8roduc(! th( word o- iu!ion!2 i!
th( sine !"a non -or th( a88(aranc( o- ,tru( !8iritCD Thus, it was no ordinary woman who
died with the #assing of Shakyamuni,s mother* 1er son had descended to earth because he
wished to tear aside the )eil of illusion and to teach of the true reality behind the network of
the #henomenal, because he had ex#erienced life and the s#irit as forming an incom#atible
dualism and was con)inced that this contradiction could only be healed through the
omni#otence of the s#irit and the destruction of life* -om#letely im#risoned within the
mythical and #hiloso#hical traditions of his time, he sees life, dece#ti)e and sum#tuous and
behind which eath lurks grinning, as a woman* For him too > as for the androcentric
system of religion he found himself within > woman was the dark symbol of transienceR
from this it follows that he who as#ires to eternity must at least symbolically "destroy: the
world7woman* That the historical Buddha was s#ared the conscious execution of this
"destructi)e act: by the natural death of his mother makes no change to the fundamental
statement0 on% through th( d(!truction o- maya &iu!ion) can (night(n$(nt 5( achi('(dF

%P
;gain and again, this o)ercoming of the feminine #rinci#le set off by the early #assing
of his mother accom#anies the historical Buddha on his #ath to sal)ation* 1e ex#eriences both
marriage and its #olar o##osite, sexual dissolution, as two significant barriers blocking his
s#iritual de)elo#ment that he must surmount* Shakyamuni thus without scru#le abandons his
family, his wife Basodhara and his son 5ahula, and at the age of %Q becomes "homeless:* The
final trigger for this radical decision to gi)e u# his royal life was an orgiastic night in the arms
of his many concubines* +hen he sees the "decaying and re)olting: faces of the still7slee#ing
women the next morning, he turns his back on his #alace fore)er* But e)en once he has found
enlightenment he does not return to his own or re7enter the #ulsating flow of life* <n contrast,
he is able to con)ince Basodhara and 5ahula of the correctness of his ascetic teachings, which
he himself describes as a $idd( wa% 5(tw((n a5!tin(nc( and joie de vivre# +ife and son
follow his exam#le, lea)e house and home, and 6oin thesangha, the Buddhist mendicant order*

Th( (Auation o- th( -($a( with ('i2 -a$iiar -ro$ a 8atriarcha cutur(!, was
also an una)oidable fact for the historical Buddha* <n a famous key dramatic scene, the
"daughters of <ara: try to tem#t him with all manner of ingenious fleshly lures* +oman and
her erotic lo)e > the anecdote would teach us > #re)ent s#iritual fulfillment*
;rchety#ally, <ara corres#onds to the de)il incarnate of 3uro7-hristian mythology, and his
female offs#ring are lecherous witches* But Shakyamuni remained deaf to their obscene talk
and was not im#ressed by their lasci)ious gestures* 1e #retended to see through the beauty of
the de)il,s daughters as flimsy a##earance by roaring at them like a lion, "This SyourT body is
a swam# of garbage, an infectious hea# of im#urities* 1ow can anybody take #leasure in such
wandering latrinesA: $8uoted by Faure, .QQ@, #* %Q(*

uring his lifetime, the historical Buddha was #lagued by a chronic misogynyR of this,
in the face of numerous documents, there can not be slightest doubt* 1is woman7scorning
sayings are disres#ectful, caustic and wounding* "Kne would sooner chat with demons and
murderers with drawn swords, sooner touch #oisonous snakes e)en when their bite is deadly,
than chat with a woman alone: $8uoted by Bellinger, .QQ', #* %@L(, he #reached to his
disci#les, or e)en more aggressi)ely, "<t were better, sim#leton, that your sex enter the mouth
of a #oisonous snake than that it enter a woman* <t were better, sim#leton, that your sex enter
an o)en than that it enter a woman: $8uoted by Faure, .QQ@, #* N%(* 3nlightenment and
intimate contact with a woman were not com#atible for the Buddha* "But the danger of the
%Q
shark, ye monks, is a characteristic of woman:, he warned his followers $8uoted by 1ermann7
Pfand, .QQ%, #* H.(* ;t another #oint, with abhorrence he com#osed the following0

$hose are not %ise
&'t like animals
(a'in) to%ard *emale *orms
Like ho)s to%ard m"d
++++++#
Be'a"se o* their i)noran'e
$hey re be%ildered by %omen %ho
Like pro*it seekers in the marketpla'e
De'eive those %ho 'ome near
$8uoted by * Paul, .QPH, #* Q(

Buddha,s fa)orite disci#le, ;nanda, more than once tried to #ut to his Teacher the
ex#licit desire by women for their own s#iritual ex#erience, but the Master,s answers were
mostly negati)e* ;nanda was much confused by this refractoriness, indeed it contradicted the
stated )iew of his Master that all forms of life, e)en insects, could achie)e
Buddhahood* "!ord, how should we beha)e towards womenA:, he asked the Sublimity >
"4ot look at themV: > "But what if we must look at themA: > "4ot s#eak to them: > "But
what if we must s#eak to themA: > "2ee# wide awakeV: $8uoted by Ste)ens, .QQ&, #* @H(

This dis#araging attitude toward e)erything female is all the more astounding in that the
historical Buddha was hel#ed by women at decisi)e moments along his s#iritual 6ourney0
following an almost fatal ascetic exercise his life was sa)ed by a girl with a saucer of milk,
who taught him through this gesture that the middle way between abstinence and 0oie de
+i+re was the right #ath to enlightenment, not the dead end of asceticism as #reached by the
<ndian yogis* ;nd again it was women, rich lay women, who su##orted his religious order
$sangha( with generous donations, thereby making #ossible the ra#id s#read of his teachings*

Th( $(ditati'( di!$($5(r$(nt o- wo$an: Hina%ana #uddhi!$
;t the center of Thera+ada, or Hinayana, Buddhism > in which Shakyamuni,s
teachings are #reser)ed and only negligibly further de)elo#ed following his death > stands
'&
the enlightenment of the indi)idual, and, connected to this, his deliberate retreat from the real
world* The religious hero of the Hinayana is the "holy man: or ;rhat* Knly he who has
o)ercome his indi)idual > and thus inferior > ego, and, after successfully tra)ersing a
initiation #ath rich in exercises, achie)es Buddhahood, i*e*, freedom from all illusion, may call
himself an ;rhat. 1e then enters a higher state of consciousness, which the Buddhists
call nir+ana $not7being(* <n order to reach this final stage, aHinayana monk concerns himself
exclusi)ely with his inner s#iritual #erfection and seeks no contact to any kind of #ublic*

The Hinayana belie)ers, general fear of contact is both confirmed and extended by their
fear of and flight from the feminine* -om#letely in accord with the Master, for the followers
of Hinayanathe #rofane and illusionary world $samsara( was identical with the female
uni)erse and the network of <aya* In a h(r -or$! H -ro$ th( 'irgin to th( $oth(r to th(
8ro!titut( and th( ug% cron( H wo$an !tood in th( wa% o- th( !8iritua d('(o8$(nt o-
th( $on1D =#on entering the sangha$Buddhist order( a no)ice had to abandon his wife and
children, 6ust as the founder of the order himself had once done* Marriage was seen as a
constant threat to the necessary celibacy* <t was feared as a #owerful com#etitor which
withheld men from the order, and which weakened it as a whole*

Taking Buddha,s <ara ex#erience as their starting #oint, his successors were constantly
challenged by the dark #ower and a##eal of woman* The literature of this #eriod is filled with
countless tales of seductions in which the monks either bra)ely withstood sexual tem#tations
or suffered terribly for their errant beha)ior, and the )ictory of chastity o)er sexuality became
a #ermanent to#ic of religious discussion* "Meditational formulae for alle)iating lustful
thoughts were #rescribed:, writes iana Paul, the ;merican religious scholar, "The cathartic
release of meditati)e ecstasy ri+aled that of an orgasm S***T The image of woman had
gradually de)elo#ed as the antithesis antithesis of religion and morality*: $* Paul, .QPH, #*
P( The Buddha had already said of the "archety#al: holy man of this #eriod, the ascetic ;rhat,
that "sexual #assion can no more cling to an ;rhat than water to a lotus leaf: $8uoted by
Ste)ens, .QQ&, #* @L(*

<n early Buddhism, as in medie)al -hristian culture, the human body as such, but in
#articular the female body, was des#ised as a dirty and inferior thing, as something highly
im#erfect, that was only su#erficially beautiful and attracti)e* <n order to meditate u#on the
'.
transience of all being, the monks, in a wides#read exercise, imagined a naked woman* This
so7called "analytic meditation: began with a "#erfect: and beautiful body, and transformed
this ste# by ste# into an old, diseased, and dying one, to end the exercise by #icturing a rotting
and stinking cor#se* Th( -($a( 5od%2 a! th( a5!out( Oth(r2 wa! $(ditati'(% $urd(r(d
and di!$($5(r(d a! a !%$5o o- th( d(!8i!(d word o- th( !(n!(!D Sexual fascination and
the irritations of murderous )iolence are #roduced by such monastic #ractices* +e return later
to historical exam#les in which monks carried out the dismemberment of women,s bodies in
reality*

There are startling exam#les in the literature which show how women self7destructi)ely
internaliMed this denigration of their own bodies* "The female no)ice should hate her im#ure
body like a 6ail in which she is im#risoned, like a cess#ool into which she has fallen:,
demands an abbess of young nuns* $Faure, .QQ@, #* %Q( Knly in as far as they rendered their
body and sexuality des#icable, and o#enly #rofessed their inferiority, could women gain a
#osition within the early Buddhist community at all*

<n the -inaya (itaka, the great book of rules of the order, which is )alid for all the
#hases of Buddhism, we find eight s#ecial regulations for nuns* Kne of these #rescribes that
they ha)e to bow before e)en the lowliest and youngest of monks* This a##lies e)en to the
honorable and aged head of a res#ected con)ent* Knly with the greatest difficulty could the
Buddha be #ersuaded to ordinate women* 1e was con)inced that this would cause his doctrine
irre#arable damage and that it would thus disa##ear from <ndia H&& years earlier than #lanned*
Knly after the most urgent #leas from all sides, but #rimarily due to the flattering words of his
fa)orite disci#le, ;nanda, did he finally concede*

But e)en after granting his a##ro)al the Buddha remained ske#tical0 "To go forth from
home under the rule of the harma as announced by me is not suitable by women* There
should be no ordination or nunhood* ;nd whyA < women go forth from the 1ousehold life,
then the rule of harma will not be maintaned o)er a long #eriod*: $8uoted by * Paul, .QPH,
#* NP(* This re#roach, that a nun would neglect her family life, a##ears downright absurd
within the Buddhist )alue system, since for a man it was #recisely his highest duty to lea)e
his family, house and home for religious reasons*

'%
Because of the countless religious and social #re6udices, the orders of nuns were ne)er
able to fully flourish in Buddhist culture, remained few in number, and to the #resent day #lay
a com#letely subordinate role within the #ower structures of the androcentric monastic orders
$sangha( of all schools*

Th( tran!-or$ation o- wo$(n into $(n: Maha%ana #uddhi!$
<n the following #hase of <ahayana Buddhism $from %&& B*-*3*(, the "9reat Vehicle:,
the relation to the en)ironment changes radically* <n #lace of the #assi)e, asocial and self7
centered exercises of the ;rhat& the com#assionate acti)ities of the $odhisatt+a now emerge*
H(r( w( -ind a !u8(rhu$an d(i'(r(r o- !a'ation2 who ha! r(nounc(d th( high(!t -ruit!
o- -ina (night(n$(nt, i*e*, the entry into nir+ana $not7being(, in ord(r to h(8 oth(r 5(ing!
to a!o !(t out aong th( !8iritua 8ath and i5(rat( th($!('(!* The denial of the world of
the Hinayana is re#laced by com#assion $karuna( for the world and its inhabitants* <n contrast
to the ;rhat, who satisfies himself, the$odhisatt+a& dri)en by "selfless lo)e:, ideally wanders
the land, teaching #eo#le the Buddhist truths, and is highly re)ered by them because of his
self7sacrificing and "infinitely kind: acts* ;ll$odhisatt+as ha)e o#en hearts* !ike Desus -hrist
they )oluntarily take on the suffering of others to free them from their troubles and
moti)ate their belie)ers through exem#lary good deeds*

The "9reat Vehicle: also integrated a large number of deities from other religions
within its system and thus erected an im#ressi)e Buddhist #antheon* ;mong these are
numerous goddesses, which would certainly ha)e been ex#erienced as a re)olution by the
anti7woman monks of early Buddhism* 1owe)er, <ahayana at the same time, in se)eral
#hiloso#hical schools which all > e)en if with )arying arguments > teach of the illusion of
the world of a##earances $samsara(, 8uestions this realm of the gods* <n the final instance,
e)en the hea)enly are affected by the nothingness of all being, or are #urely imaginary*
"3)erything is em#ty: $<adhyamika school( or "e)erything is consciousness:
$%ogachara school( are the two basic maxims of cogniti)e theory as taught in <ahayana*

The <ahayana #hase of Buddhism took o)er the -inaya (itaka $5ules of the Krder(
fromHinayana and thus little changed for the Buddhist nuns* 4onetheless, a redem#ti)e
theme more friendly to women took the #lace of the o#en misogyny* ;lthough the
fundamentally negati)e e)aluation of the feminine was not thus o)ercome, the $odhisatt+a,
''
whose highest task is to hel# all suffering creatures, now o#en7handedly and selflessly
su##orted women in freeing themsel)es from the #ressing burden of their sex* <f the thought
of enlightenment awakens in a female being and she follows the =harma $the Buddhist
doctrine(, then she can gather such great merit that she will be allowed to be reborn as a man
in her next life* <f she then, in male form, continues to lead an im#eccable existence in the
ser)ice of the "teachings:, then she will, after "her: second death, ex#erience the 6oy of
awakening in the #aradise of Buddha, ;mitabha& which is exclusi)ely #o#ulated by men*
Thus, albeit in a sublime and more "humane: form, the destruction of the feminine is a
#recondition for enlightenment in <ahayana Buddhism too* ;chie)ing the ad)anced stages of
s#iritual de)elo#ment and being born a female are mutually exclusi)e*

Knly at the lower grades $from a total of ten( was it #ossible in the "9reat Vehicle: for a
woman to act as a Bodhisatt)a* 3)en the famous author of the most #o#ular <ahayana text of
all, The 9ion's Roar of >ueen Sri <ala $@th century -*3*(, was not #ermitted to lay claim to
all the Bodhisatt)a stages and therefore did not attain com#lete Buddhahood* +omen were
thus fundamentally and categorically denied the role of a "#erfected: Buddha* For them, the
"fi)e cosmic #ositions: of $rahma $-reator of the +orld(, ?ndra $2ing of the 9ods(, 9reat
2ing, +orld 5uler $Chakra+artin(, and Bodhisatt)a of the two highest le)els were taboo*

<ndeed, e)en the lower Bodhisatt)a grades were o#ened to women by only a few texts,
such as the9otus Sutra $c* .&& -*3*( for exam#le* This text stands in crass o##osition to the
traditional androcentric )iews which were far more wides#read, and are summariMed in a
concise and unambiguous statement from the great scholar ;sangha $@th

century -*3*(0
"-om#letely #erfected Buddhas are not women* ;nd whyA Precisely because a
Bodhisatt)a **** has com#letely abandoned the state of womanhood* ;scending to the most
excellent throne of enlightenment, he is ne)er again reborn as a woman* ;ll women are by
nature full of defilement and of weak intelligence* ;nd not by one who is by nature full of
defilement and of weak intelligence, is com#letely #erfected Buddhahood attained*: $Shaw,
.QQ@, #* %N(

<n <ahayana Buddhism, gender became a karmic category, whereby incarnation as a
woman was e8uated with lower karma* The rebirth of a woman as a man im#lied that she had
'@
successfully worked off her bad karma* -orres#ondingly, men who had led a sinful life were
reincarnated as "little women:*

;s so many women ne)ertheless wished to follow the +ay of the Buddha, a #ossible
acceleration of the gender transformation was considered in se)eral texts* <n the Sutra of the
(ure 9andfemale Buddhists had to wait for their rebirth as men before they achie)ed
enlightenmentR in other sutras they "merely: needed to change their sex in their current li)es
and thus achie)e liberation* Such sexual transmutations are of course miracles, but a female
being who reached for the fruits of the highest Buddhahood must be ca#able of #erforming
su#ernatural acts* "<f women awaken to the thought of enlightenment,: says the Sutra on
changing the #emale Sex, "then they will ha)e the great and good #erson,s state of mind, a
man,s state of mind, a sage,s state of mind* SXT <f women awaken to the thought of
enlightenment, then they will not be bound to the limitation of a woman,s state of mind*
Because they will not be limited, they will fore)er se#arate from the females sex and become
sons*: <*e* a male follower of Buddha* $8uoted by * Paul, .QPH, #* .NHU.NL(*

Many radical theses of <ahayana Buddhism $for exam#le, the dogma of the "em#tiness
of all being:( lead to unsol)able contradictions in the gender 8uestion* <n #rinci#le,
the =harma $the teachings( say that a #erfect being is free from e)ery desire and therefore
needs to be asexual* This re8uirement, with which the insignificance of gender at higher
s#iritual le)els is meant to be em#hasiMed, howe)er, contradicts the other orthodox rule that
only men ha)e earned enlightenment* Such dissonant elements are then taken ad)antage of by
women * There are se)eral extremely cle)er dialogs in which female Buddhists conclusi)ely
annul their female inferiority with arguments which are included within the Buddhist doctrine
itself* For exam#le, in the #resence of Buddha Shakyamuni the girl -androttara ex#lains that
a sex change from female to male makes no sense from the stand#oint of the "em#tiness of all
a##earances: taught in the <ahayana and is therefore su#erfluous* +hether man or woman is
also irrele)ant for the #ath to enlightenment as it is described in the =iamond Sutra*

The asexuality of <ahayana Buddhism has further led to a religious glorification of the
image of the mother* This is indeed a most astonishing de)elo#ment, and is not com#atible
with earlier fundamentals of the doctrine, since the mother is des#ised as the cause of rebirth
6ust as much as the young woman as the cause of sexual seduction* ;n a#otheosis of the
'H
motherly was therefore #ossible only after the monks had "liberated: the mother archety#e
from its "natural: attributes such as conce#tion and birth* The "9reat Mothers:
of <ahayana Buddhism, like (ra0naparamita for instance, are transcendental beings who
ha)e ne)er soiled themsel)es through contact with base nature $sexuality and childbearing(*

The ha)e only their warmth, their #rotecti)e role, their unconditional readiness to hel#
and their boundless lo)e in common with earthly mothers* These transcendental mothers of
the <ahayanaare indeed #owerful hea)enly matrons, but the more #owerful they are
ex#erienced to be, the more they dissol)e into the #urely allegorical* They re#resent "#erfect
wisdom:, the "mother of em#tiness:, "transcendent lo)e:* +hen, howe)er, the genesis of
these symbolic female figures is examined $as is done at length in our analysis
of -a0rayana Buddhism(, then they all #ro)e to be the imaginary #roducts of a su#erior male
Buddha being*

<n closing this cha#ter we would like to mention a #henomenon which occurred much
more fre8uently than one would like to acce#t in <ahayana0 "com#assionate co#ulation:*
Sexual intercourse between celibate monks and female beings was actually allowed in
exce#tional circumstances0 if it was #erformed out of com#assion for the woman to be sle#t
with* There could e)en be a moral im#erati)e to slee# with a woman0 "<f a woman falls
)iolently in lo)e with a Bodhisatt)a and is about to sacrifice her life for him, it is his duty to
sa)e her life by satisfying all her desires: $Ste)ens, .QQ&, #* HL(* ;t least some monks
#robably took much #leasure in com#lying with this commandment*

<n +estern centers of modern Buddhism too, irres#ecti)e of whether Cen or !amaist
exercises are #racticed, it is not uncommon for the masters to slee# with their female #u#ils in
order to "s#iritually: assist them $Boucher, .QPH, #* %'Q(* But it is mostly a more intimate
affair than in the case of the #resent7day ;sian guru who boasted to an ;merican inter)iewer,
"< ha)e sle#t with a thousand women* Kne of them had a hum#* < ga)e her my lo)e, and she
has become a ha##y #erson* *** < am a WBuddhist scouring #ad,* ; scouring #ad is something
which gets itself dirty but at the same time cleans e)erything it touches: $Faure, .QQ@, #* Q%(*

Footnot(!:
'L
S.T The Sanskrit word tantra, 6ust like its Tibetan e8ui)alent rguyd, has many meanings,
all of which, howe)er, are originally grou#ed around terms like Wthread,, Wwea)e,, Wweb,, and
Wnetwork,* From these, Wsystem, and Wtextbook, finally emerged* The indi)iduals who follow
the Tantric +ay are called Tantrika or Siddha* ; distinction is drawn between 1indu and
Buddhist systems of teaching* The latter more s#ecifically in)ol)es a definite number of
codified texts and their commentaries*
*D TANTRIC #EDDHISM

The fourth and final #hase of Buddhism entered the world stage in the third
century -*3* at the earliest* <t is known as Tantrayana, -a0rayana or <antrayana0 the "Tantra
Vehicle:, the "iamond Path: or the "+ay of the Magic Formulas:* The teachings
of -a0rayana are recorded in the holy writings, known as tantras* These are secret occult
doctrines, which > according to legend > had already been com#osed by Buddha
Shakyamuni, but the time was not deemed ri#e for them to be re)ealed to the belie)ers until a
thousand years after his death*

<t is true that -a0rayana basically adheres to the ideas of <ahayana Buddhism, in
#articular the doctrine of the em#tiness of all a##earances and the #rece#t of com#assion for
all suffering beings, but the tantric tem#orarily countermands the high moral demands of the
"9reat Vehicle: with a radical "amoral: beha)ioral in)ersion* To achie)e enlightenment in
this lifetime he seiMes u#on methods which in)ert the classic Buddhist )alues into their direct
o##osites*

Tantrism designates itself the highest le)el of the entire edifice of Buddhist teachings
and establishes a hierarchical relation to both #re)ious #hases of Buddhism, whereby the
lowest le)el is occu#ied by Hinayana and the middle le)el by <ahayana. The holy men of the
)arious schools are ranked accordingly* ;t the base rules the ;rhat, then comes
the $odhisatt+a, and all are reigned o)er by the <aha Siddha, the tantric 9rand Master* ;ll
three stages of Buddhism currently exist alongside one another as autonomous religious
systems*

<n the eighth century -*3*, with the su##ort of the Tibetan dynasty of the time, <ndian
monks introduced -a0rayana into Tibet, and since then it has defined the religion of the
'N
"!and of Snows:* ;lthough many elements of the indigenous culture were integrated into the
religious milieu of Tantric Buddhism, this was ne)er the case with the basic texts* ;ll of these
originated in <ndia* They can be found, together with commentaries u#on them, in two
canonical collections, the "an0ur$a thirteenth7century translation of the words of Buddha( and
the Tan0ur $a translation of the doctrinal texts from the fourteenth century(* 5itual writings
first recorded in Tibet are not considered #art of the official canon* $This, howe)er, does not
mean that they were not #ut to #ractical use*(

Th( (B8o!ion o- !(Buait%: Vajrayana #uddhi!$
;ll tantras are structurally similarR they all include the transformation of erotic lo)e into
s#iritual and worldly #ower* S.T The essence of the entire doctrine is, howe)er, enca#sulated
in the so7called"alachakra Tantra& or "Time Tantra:, the analysis of which is our central
ob6ecti)e* <t differs from the remaining tantra teachings in both its #ower7#olitical intentions
and its eschatological )isions* <t is > we would like to hy#othesiMe in ad)ance > the
instrument of a com#licated meta#olitics which attem#ts to influence world e)ents )ia the use
of symbols and rites rather than the tools of realpolitik* The "Time Tantra: is the #articular
secret doctrine which #rimarily determines the ritual existence of the li)ing Fourteenth alai
!ama, and the "god7king,s: s#iritual world #olitics can be understood through a knowledge of
it alone*

The "alachakra Tantra marks the close of the creati+e #hase of -a0rayana's history in
the tenth century* 4o further fundamental tantra texts ha)e been concei)ed since, whilst
countless commentaries u#on the existing texts ha)e been written, u# until the #resent day*
+e must thus regard the "Time Tantra: as the culmination of and finale to Buddhist Tantrism*
The other tantric texts which we cite in this study $es#ecially the @uhyasamaya Tantra,
the He+a0ra Tantra and the Candamaharosana Tantra(, are #rimarily drawn u#on in order to
deci#her the "alachakra Tantra*

;t first glance the sexual roles seem to ha)e changed com#letely in Tantric Buddhism
$-a0rayana(* The contem#t for the world of the senses and degradation of women
in Hinayana, the asexuality and com#assion for women in <ahayana, a##ear to ha)e been
turned into their o##osites here* <t all but amounts to an ex#losion of sexuality, and the idea
that sexual lo)e harbors the secret of the uni)erse becomes a s#ectacular dogma* The erotic
'P
encounter between man and woman is granted a mystical aura, an authority and #ower
com#letely denied it in the #receding Buddhist eras*

+ith neither timidity nor dread Buddhist monks now s#eak about ")enerating women:,
"#raising women:, or "ser)ice to the female #artner:* <n -a0rayana, e)ery female being
ex#eriences exaltation rather than humiliationR instead of contem#t she en6oys, at first glance,
res#ect and high esteem* <n the Candamaharosana Tantra the glorification of the feminine
knows no bounds0 "+omen are hea)enR women are harmaR *** women are BuddhaR women
are the sanghaR women are the #erfection of wisdom:$9eorge, .QN@, #* P%(*

The s#ectrum of erotic relations between the sexes ranges from the most sublime
#rofessions of courtly lo)e to the coarsest #ornogra#hy* Starting from the highest rung of this
ladder, the monks worshi# the feminine as "#erfected wisdom: $pra0naparamita(, "wisdom
consort: $pra0na(, or "woman of knowledge: $+idya(* This s#iritualiMation of the woman
corres#onds, with some )ariation, to the -hristian cults of Mary and So#hia* Dust as -hrist
re)ered the "Mother of 9od:, the Tantric Buddhist bows down before the woman as the
"Mother of all Buddhas:, the "Mother of the =ni)erse:, the "9enetrix:, the "Sister:, and as
the "Female Teacher:$1errmann7Pfand, .QQ%, ##* L%, L&, NL(*

;s far as sensual relationshi#s with women are concerned, these are di)ided into four
categories0 "laughing, regarding, embracing, and union:* These four ty#es of erotic
communication form the #attern for a corres#onding classification of tantric exercises* The
texts of the "riya Tantraaddress the category of laughter, those of the Carya Tantra that of the
look, the %oga Tantraconsiders the embrace, and in the writings of the ;nuttara Tantra $the
1ighest Tantra( sexual union is addressed* These #ractices stand in a hierarchical relation to
one another, with laughter at the lowest le)el and the tantric act of lo)e at the highest*

<n -a0rayana the latter becomes a religious concern of the highest order, the sine Aua
non of enlightenment* ;lthough homosexuality was not uncommon in Buddhist monasteries
and was occasionally e)en regarded as a )irtue, the "great bliss of liberation: was
fundamentally concei)ed of as the union of man and woman and accordingly #ortrayed in
cultic images*

'Q
1owe)er, both tantric #artners encounter one another not as two natural #eo#le, but
rather as two deities* "The man $sees( the woman as a goddess, the woman $sees( the man as a
god* By 6oining the diamond sce#ter S#hallusT and lotus S)aginaT, they should make offerings
to each other: we read in a 8uote from a tantra $Shaw, .QQ@, #* .H'(* The sexual relationshi#
is fundamentally ritualiMed0 e)ery look, e)ery caress, e)ery form of contact is gi)en a
symbolic meaning* But e)en the woman,s age, her a##earance, and the sha#e of her sexual
organs #lay a significant role in the sexual ceremony*

The tantras describe erotic #erformances without the slightest timidity or shame*
Technical instructions in the dry style of sex manuals can be found in them, but also ecstatic
#rayers and #oems in which the tantric master celebrates the erotic lo)e of man and woman*
Sometimes this tantric literature dis#lays an innocent 0oie de +i+re* The instructions which the
tantric ;nanga)a6ra offers for the #erformance of sacred lo)e #ractices are direct and #oetic0
"Soon after he has embraced his #artner and introduced his member into her )ul)a, he drinks
from her li#s which are dri##ing with milk, brings her to coo tenderly, en6oys rich #leasure
and lets her thighs tremble*: $Bharati, .QNN, #* .N%(

<n -a0rayana sexuality is the e)ent u#on which all is based* 1ere, the encounter between
the two sexes is worked u# to the #itch of a true obsession, not > as we shall see > for its
own sake, but rather in order to achie)e something else, something higher in the tantric
scheme of things* <n a manner of s#eaking, sex is considered to be the prima materia, the raw
#rimal substance with which the sex #artners ex#eriment, in order to distill "#ure s#irit: from
it, 6ust as high7grade alcohol can be extracted from fermented gra#e must* For this reason the
tantric master is con)inced that sexuality harbors not 6ust the secrets of humanity, but also
furnishes the medium u#on which gods may be grown* 1ere he finds the great life force,
albeit in untamed and unbridled form*

<t is thus im#ossible to a)oid the im#ression that the "hotter: the sex gets the more
effecti)e the tantric ritual becomes* 3)en the most s#icy obscenities are not omitted from
these sacred acti)ities* <n the Candamaharosana Tantra for exam#le, the lo)er swallows with
6oyous lust the washwater which dri#s from the )agina and anus of the belo)ed and relishes
without nausea her excrement, her nasal mucus and the remains of her food which she has
)omited onto the floor* The com#lete s#ectrum of sexual de)iance is #resent, e)en if in the
@&
form of the rite* <n one text the initiand calls out masochistically0 "< am your sla)e in all ways,
keenly acti)e in de)otion to you* K Mother:, and the "goddess: > often simulated by a
#rostitute > answers, "< am called your mistressV: $9eorge, .QN@, ##* LN7LP(*

The erotic burles8ue and the sexual 6oke ha)e also long been a #o#ular to#ic among
the -a0rayanamonks and ha)e, u# until this century, #roduced a saucy and shocking literature
of the #icares8ue* 9reat #eals of laughter are still heard in the Tibetan lamaseries at the ribald
#ranks of =ncle Jnba, who $in the .Pth century( dressed himself u# as a nun and then s#ent
se)eral months as a "hot: lo)er boy in a con)ent* $-hJ#el, .QQ%, #* @'(

But alongside such ribaldry we also find a culti)ated, sensual refinement* ;n exam#le
of this is furnished by the astonishingly u#7to7date handbook of erotic #ractices, the Treatise
on (assion, from the #en of the Tibetan !ama 9edIn -hJ#el $.PQHO.QH.(, in which the
"modern: tantric discusses the "L@ arts of lo)e:* This 3astern ;rs Erotica dates from the
.Q'&s* The reader is offered much useful knowledge about )arious, in #art fantastic sexual
#ositions, and recei)es instruction on how to #roduce arousing sounds before and during the
sexual act* Further, the author #ro)ides a briefing on the )arious rhythms of coitus, on s#ecial
masturbation techni8ues for the stimulation of the #enis and the clitoris, e)en the use of dildos
is discussed* The Tibetan, -hJ#el, does not in any way wish to be original, he ex#licitly
makes reference to the world,s most famous sex manual, the "ama Sutra, from which he has
drawn most of his ideas*

Such #ermissi)e "books of lo)e: from the tantric milieu are no longer > in our
enlightened era, where $at least in the +est( all #rudery has been su#erseded > a s#ectacle
which could cause great sur#rise or e)en #rotest* 4onetheless, these texts ha)e a higher
#ro)ocati)e #otential than corres#onding "#rofane: works, in which descri#tions of the same
sexual techni8ues are otherwise to be found* For they were written by monks for monks, and
read and #racticed by monks, who in most cases had to ha)e taken a strict oath of celibacy*

For this reason the tantric ;rs Erotica e)en today awake a great curiosity and throw u#
numerous 8uestions* ;re the ascetic basic rules of Buddhism really sus#ended in -a0rayanaA
<s the traditional disres#ect for women finally surmounted thanks to such textsA oes the
eternal misogyny and the denial of the world make way for an 3#icurean regard for sensuality
@.
and an affirmation of the worldA ;re the followers of the "iamond Path: really concerned
with sensual lo)e and mystical #artnershi# or does erotic lo)e ser)e the #ursuit of a goal
external to itA ;nd what is this goalA +hat ha##ens to the women after the ritual sexual actA

<n the #ages which follow we will attem#t to answer all of these 8uestions* +hate)er
the answers may be, we must in any case assume that in Tantric Buddhism the sexual
encounter between man and woman symboliMes a sacred e)ent in which the two #rimal forces
of the uni)erse unite*

M%!tic !(Bua o'( and co!$ogonic (rotic o'(
<n the )iews of -a0rayana all #henomena of the uni)erse are linked to one another by
the threads of erotic lo)e* 3rotic lo)e is the great life force, the prana which flows through the
cosmos, the cosmic libido* By erotic here we mean heterosexual lo)e as an endea)or
inde#endent of its natural #rocreati)e #ur#ose for the #ro)ision of children* Tantric Buddhism
does not mean this 8ualification to say that erotic connections can only de)elo# between men
and women, or between gods and goddesses* erotic lo)e is all7embracing for a tantric as well*
But e)ery -a0rayana #ractitioner is con)inced that the erotic relationshi# between a feminine
and a masculine #rinci#le $yinByang( lies at the origin of all other ex#ressions of erotic lo)e
and that this origin may be ex#erienced afresh and re#eated microcosmically in the union of a
sexual cou#le* +e refer to an erotic encounter between man and woman, in which both
ex#erience themsel)es as the core of all being, as "mystic gendered lo)e:* <n Tantrism, this
o#erates as the #rimal source of cosmogonic erotic lo)e and not the other way aroundR cosmic
erotic lo)e is not the #rime cause of a mystical communion of the sexes* 4onetheless, as we
shall see, the -a0rayana #ractices culminate in a s#ectacular destruction of the entire male7
female cosmology*

,"spension o* opposites
But let us first return to the a##arently healthy continent of tantric eroticism* "<t is
through lo)e and in )iew of lo)e that the world unfolds, through lo)e it redisco)ers its
original unity and its eternal non7se#aration:, a tantric text teaches us $Faure, .QQ@, #* HL(*
1ere too, the union of the male and female #rinci#les is a constant to#ic* Kur #henomenal
world is considered to be the field of action of these two basic forces* They are manifest as
#olarities in nature 6ust as in the s#heres of the s#irit* 3ach alone a##ears as 6ust one half of
@%
the truth* Knly in their fusion can they #erform the transformation of all contradictions into
harmony* +hen a human cou#le remember their meta#hysical unity they can become one
s#irit and one flesh* Knly through an act of lo)e can man and woman return to their di)ine
origin in the continuity of all being* The tantric refers to this mystic e)ent as yuganaddha,
which literally means Wunited as a cou#le,*

Both the bodies of the lo)ers and the o##osing meta#hysical #rinci#les are united* Thus,
in Tantrism there is no contradiction between erotic and religious lo)e, or sexuality and
mysticism* Because it re#eats the lo)e7#lay between a masculine and a feminine #ole, the
whole uni)erse dances* %in andyang& or yab and yum in Tibetan, stand at the beginning of an
endless chain of #olarities, which #ro)es to be 6ust as colorful and com#lex as life itself*

$he divine 'o"ple in $antri' B"ddhism:
,amantabhadra and ,amantabhadri

The "sexual: is thus in no way limited to the sexual act, but rather embraces all forms of
lo)e u# to and including agape* <n Tantrism there is a #olar eroticism of the body, a #olar
@'
eroticism of the heart, and sometimes > although not always > a #olar eroticism of the
s#irit* Such an omni#resence of the sexes is something )ery s#ecific, since in other cultures
"s#iritual lo)e: $agape(, for exam#le, is described as an occurrence beyond the realm
of yin and yang* But in contrast -a0rayana shows us how heterosexual erotic lo)e can refine
itself to lie within the most sublime s#heres of mysticism without ha)ing to surrender the
#rinci#le of #olarity* That it is nonetheless renounced in the end is another matter entirely*

The "holy marriage: sus#ends the duality of the world and transforms it into a "work of
art: of the creati)e #olarity* The resources of our discursi)e language are insufficient to let us
ex#ress in words the mystical fusion of the two sexes* Thus the "nameless: ra#ture can only
be described in words which say what it is not0 in the yuganaddha& Cthere is neither
affirmation nor denial, neither existence nor non7existence, neither non7remembering nor
remembering, neither affection nor non7affection, neither the cause nor the effect, neither the
#roduction nor the #roduced, neither #urity nor im#urity, neither anything with form, nor
anything without formR it is but the synthesis of all dualities: $asgu#ta, .QN@, #* ..@(*

Knce the dualism has been o)ercome, the distinction between self and other becomes
irrele)ant* Thus, when man and woman encounter one another as #rimal forces, "egoness SisT
lost, and the two #olar o##osites fuse into a state of intimate and blissful oneness: $+alker,
.QP%, #* LN(* The tantric ;dyaya)a6ra described this #rocess of the o)ercoming of the self as
the "highest s#ontaneous common feature: $9Yng, .QPP, #* PH(*

The co7o#eration of the #oles now takes the #lace of the battle of o##osites $or sexes(*
Body and s#irit, erotic lo)e and transcendence, emotion and intellect, being $samsara( and
not7being $nir+ana( become married* ;ll wars and dis#utes between good and e)il, hea)en
and hell, day and night, dream and reality, 6oy and suffering, #raise and contem#t are #acified
and sus#ended in theyuganaddha* Miranda Shaw, a religious scholar of the younger
generation, describes "a Buddha cou#le, or male and female Buddha in union *** SasT an image
of unity and blissful concord between the sexes, a state of e8uilibrium and interde#endence*
This symbol #owerfully e)okes a state of #rimordial wholeness an com#leteness of
being*: $Shaw, .QQ@, #* %&&(

@@
But is this state identical to the unconscious ecstasy we know from orgasmA oes the
sus#ension of o##osites occur with both #artners in a tranceA 4o > in Tantrism god and
goddess definitely do not dissol)e themsel)es in an ocean of unconsciousness* <n contrast,
they gain access to the non7dual knowledge and thus discern the eternal truth behind the )eil
of illusions* Their dee# awareness of the #olarity of all being gi)es them the strength to lea)e
the "sea of birth and death: behind them*

i)ine erotic lo)e thus leads to enlightenment and sal)ation* But it is not 6ust the two
#artners who ex#erience redem#tion, rather, as the tantras tell us, all of humanity is liberated
through mystical sexual lo)e* <n the He+a0ra2Tantra& when the goddess !airatmya, dee#ly
mo)ed by the misery of all li)ing creatures, asks her hea)enly s#ouse to re)eal the secret of
how human suffering can be #ut to an end, the latter is )ery touched by her re8uest* 1e kisses
her, caresses her, and, whilst in union with her, he instructs her about the sexual magic yoga
#ractices through which all suffering creatures can be liberated $asgu#ta, .QN@, #* ..P(* This
"redem#tion )ia erotic lo)e: is a distincti)e characteristic of Tantrism and only )ery seldom to
be found in other religions*

-"lti' %orship o* the se."al or)ans
+hat symbols are used to ex#ress this creati)e #olarity in -a0rayanaD !ike many other
cultures Tantric Buddhism makes use of the hexagram, a combination of two triangles* The
masculine triangle, which #oints u#ward, re#resents the #hallus, and the downward7#ointing,
feminine triangle the )agina* Both of these sexual organs are highly re)ered in the rituals and
meditations of Tantrism*

;nother highly significant symbol for the masculine force and the #hallus is a
symmetrical ritual ob6ect called the +a0ra* ;s the di)ine )irility is #ure and unshakable,
the +a0ra is described as a "diamond: or "6ewel:* ;s a "thunderbolt: it is one of the lightning
symbols* 3)erything masculine is termed +a0ra* <t is thus no sur#rise that the male seed is also
known as +a0ra* The Tibetan translation of the Sanskrit word is dor0e& which also has
additional meanings, all of which are naturally associated with the masculine half of the
uni)erse* The Tibetans term the translucent colors of the sky and firmament dor0e. 3)en in
#re7Buddhist times the #eo#les of the 1imalayasworshi##ed the )ault of the hea)ens as their
di)ine Father*
@H

Vajra and /antha (bell)

The female counter#art to the +a0ra is the lotus blossom $padma( or the bell $gantha(*
;ccordingly, both padma and gantha re#resent the )agina $yoni(* <t may come as a sur#rise to
most 3uro#eans how much re)erence the yoni is accorded in Tantrism* <t is glorified as
the "seat of great #leasure: $Bhattacharyya, .QP%, #* %%P(* <n "the la# of the diamond woman:
the yogi finds a "location of security, of #eace and calm and, at the same time, of the greatest
ha##iness: $9Yng, .QPP, #* PQ(* "Buddhahood resides in the female sex organs:, we are
instructed by another text $Ste)ens, .QQ&, #* LH(* 9edIn -hJ#el has gi)en us an enthusiastic
hymn to the #udenda0 "<t is raised u# like the back of a turtle and has a mouth7door closed in
by flesh* *** See this smiling thing with the brilliance of the fluids of #assion* <t is not a flower
with a thousand #etals nor a hundredR it is a mound endowed with the sweetness of the fluid
of #assion* The refined essence of the 6uices of the meeting of the #lay of the white and red
Sfluids of male and femaleT, the taste of self7arisen honey is in it*: $-hJ#el, .QQ%, #* L%(* 4o
wonder, with such hymns of #raise, that a regular sacred ser)ice in honor of the )agina
emerged* This accorded the goddess great material and s#iritual ad)antages* ";hoV:, we hear
her call in the Cakrasam+ara Tantra& "< will bestow su#reme success on one who ritually
worshi#s my lotus S)aginaT, bearer of all bliss: $Shaw, .QQ@, #* .HH(*

@L
This high esteem for the female sexual organs is es#ecially sur#rising in Buddhism,
where the )agina is after all the gateway to reincarnation, which the tantric stri)es with e)ery
means to close* For this reason, for all the early Buddhists, irres#ecti)e of school, the human
birth channel countedas one of the most ominous features of our world of a##earances* But
#recisely because the yoni thrusts the ordinary human into the realm of suffering and illusion
it has > as we shall see > become a "threshold to enlightenment: $Shaw, .QQ@, #* HQ( for the
tantric* 1ealed by the mystic sexual act, it is also accorded a higher,
transcendental #rocreati)e function* From it emerges the #owerful host of Buddhas and
Bodhisatt)as* +e read in the rele)ant texts "that the Buddha resides in the womb of the
goddess and the way of enlightenment Sis ex#eriencedT as a #regnancy: $Faure, .QQ@, #* .PQ(*

This central worshi# of the yoni has led to a situation in which nearly all tantra texts
begin with the fundamental sentence, "< ha)e heard it so0 once u#on a time the 1ighest !ord
lingered in the )aginas of the diamond women, which re#resent the body, the language and
the consciousness of all Buddhas:* Dust as the o#ening letters of the Bible are belie)ed in a
tenet of the 1ebraic 2abbala to contain the concentrated essence of the entire 1oly Book, so
too the first four letters of this tantric introductory sentence > e+am $W< ha)e heard it so,( >
enca#sulate the entire secret of the iamond Path* "<t has often been said that he who has
understood e+am has understood e)erything: $Baner6ee, .QHQ, #* N(*

The word $e+am( is already to be found in the early 9u#ta scri#tures $c* '&& -*3*( and is
re#resented there in the form of a hexagram, i*e*, the symbol of mystic sexual lo)e* The
syllable estands for the downward7#ointing triangle, the syllable +am is #ortrayed as a u#right
triangle* Thus ere#resents the yoni $)agina( and +am the lingam $#hallus(* E is the lotus, the
source, the location of all the secrets which the holy doctrine of the tantras teachesR the citadel
of ha##iness, the throne, the Mother* E further stands for "em#tiness and wisdom:*
Masculine +am on the other hand lays claims to re)erence as "+a0ra, diamond, master of 6oys,
method, great com#assion, as the Father:*E and +am together form "the seal of the doctrine,
the fruit, the world of a##earances, the way to #erfection, father $yab( and mother $yum(: $see,
among others, Farrow and Menon, .QQ%, ##* xii ff*(* The syllables e2+am are considered so
#owerful that the di)ine cou#le can summon the entire host of male and female Buddhas with
them*

@N
$he ori)in o* the )ods and )oddesses
From the #rimordial tantric cou#le emanate #airs of Buddhas and Bodhisatt)as, gods
and demons* Before all come the fi)e male and fi)e female Tathagatas $Buddhas of
meditation(, the fi)eHerukas $wrathful Buddhas( in union with their #artners, the
eight $odhisatt+as with their consorts* +e also meet gods of time who symboliMe the years,
months and days, and the "se)en shining #lanetary cou#les:* The fi)e elements $s#ace, air,
fire, water and earth( are re#resented in #airs in di)ine form > these too find their origin in
mystic sexual lo)e* ;s it says in the He+a0ra Tantra0 "By uniting the male and female sexual
organs the holder of the Vow #erforms the erotic union* From contact in the erotic union, as
the 8uality of hardness, 3arth arisesR +ater arises from the fluidity of semenR Fire arises from
the friction of #oundingR ;ir is famed to be the mo)ement and the S#ace is the erotic
#leasure: $Farrow and Menon, .QQ%, #* .'@(*

<t is not 6ust the "#ure: elements which come from the erotic communion, so do
mixtures of them* Through the continuous union of the masculine with the feminine the
#rocreati)e #owers flow into the world from all of their body #arts* <n a commentary by the
famous Tibetan scholar Tsongkha#a, we read how the legendary Mount Meru, the continents,
mountain ranges and all earthly landsca#es emerge from the essence of the hairs of the head,
the bones, gall bladder, li)er, body hair, nails, teeth, skin, flesh, tendons, ribs, excrement, filth
$V(, and #us $V(* The s#rings, waterfalls, #onds, ri)ers and oceans form themsel)es out of the
tears, blood, menses, seed, lym#h fluid and urine* The inner fire centers of the head, heart,
na)el, abdomen and limbs corres#ond in the external world to fire which is s#arked by
striking stones or using a lens, a fire#lace or a forest fire* !ikewise all external wind
#henomena echo the breath which mo)es through the bodies of the #rime)al cou#le
$+ayman, .QNN, ##* %'@, %'L(*

<n the same manner, the fi)e "aggregate states: $consciousness, intellect, emotions,
#erce#tion, bodiliness( originate in the #rimordial cou#le* The "twel)e senses: $sense of
hearing, other #henomena, sense of smell, tangible things, sense of sight, taste, sense of taste,
sense of sha#e, sense of touch, smells, sense of s#irit, sounds( are also emanations of mystic
sexual lo)e* Further, each of the twel)e "abilities to act: is assigned to a goddess or a god >
$the ability to urinate, e6aculation, oral ability, defecation, control of the arm, walking, leg
control, taking, the ability to defecate, s#eaking, the "highest ability: $A(, urination(*
@P

;longside the gods of the "domain of the body: we find those of the "domain of
s#eech:* The di)ine cou#le count as the origin of language* ;ll the )owels $ali( are assigned
to the goddessR the god is the father of the consonants $kali(* +hen ali and kali $which can
also a##ear as #ersonified di)inities( unite, the syllables are formed* 1idden within these as if
in a magic egg are the )erbal seeds $bi0a( from which the linguistic uni)erse grows* The
syllables 6oin with one another to build sound units $mantras(* Both often ha)e no literal
meaning, but are )ery rich in emotional, erotic, magical and mystical intentions* 3)en if there
are many similarities between them, the di)ine language of the tantras is still held to be more
#owerful than the #oetry of the +est, as gods can be commanded through the ritual singing of
the germinal syllables* <n -a0rayana each god and e)ery di)ine e)ent obeys a s#ecific mantra*

;s erotic lo)e lea)es nothing aside, the entire s#ectrum of the gods, emotions $as long
as these belong to the domain of desire( is to originally be found in the mystical relationshi#
of the sexes* There is no emotion, no mood which does not originate here* The texts s#eak of
"erotic, wonderful, humorous, com#assionate, tran8uil, heroic, disgusting, furious: feelings
$+ayman, .QNN, #* '%P(*

$he ori)in o* time and emptiness
<n the "alachakra Tantra $"Time Tantra:( the masculine #ole is the time
god "alachakra, the feminine the time goddess -ish+amata. The chief symbols of the
masculine di)inity are the diamond sce#ter $+a0ra( and the lingam $#hallus(* The goddess
holds a lotus blossom or a bell, both symbols of the yoni $)agina(* 1e rules as "!ord of the
ay:, she as "Eueen of the 4ight:*

The mystery of time re)eals itself in the lo)e of this di)ine cou#le* ;ll tem#oral
ex#ressions of the uni)erse are included in the "+heel of Time: $kala means Wtime,
and chakra Wwheel,(* +hen the time goddess -ish+amata and the time god "alachakra unite,
they ex#erience their communion as "ele)ated time:, as a "mystical marriage:, as Hieros
@amos* The circle or wheel $chakra( indicates "cyclical time: and the law of "eternal
recurrence:* The four great e#ochs of the world $mahakalpa( are also hidden within the
mystery of the tantric #rimal cou#le, as are the many chronological modalities* The texts
describe the shortest unit of time as one sixty7fourth of a finger sna#* Seconds, minutes, hours,
@Q
days, weeks, months and years, the entire com#lex tantric calendrical calculations, all emerge
from the mystic sexual lo)e between "alachakra and-ish+amata* The four heads of the time
god corres#ond to the four seasons* <ncluding the "third eye:, his total of .% eyes may be
a##ortioned to the .% months of the year* -ounting three 6oints #er finger, in "alachakra's %@
arms there are 'L& bones, which corres#ond to the 'L& days of the year in the Tibetan
calendar*

0ala'hakra and Vishvamata

Time manifests itself as motion, eternity as standstill* These two elements are also
addressed in the"alachakra Tantra. 4either cyclical nor chronological time ha)e any
influence u#on the state of motionlessness during the Hieros @amos. The ri)er of time now
runs dry, and the fruit of eternity can be en6oyed* Such an ex#erience frees the di)ine cou#le
from both #ast and future, which #ro)e to be illusory, and gi)es them the timeless #resent*

+hat is the situation with the #aired o##osites of s#ace and timeA <n 3uro#ean
#hiloso#hy and theoretical #hysics, this relationshi# has gi)en rise to countless discussions*
S#eculation about the s#ace7time #henomenon are, howe)er, far less #o#ular in Tantrism* The
texts #refer the termshunyata $em#tiness( when s#eaking of "s#ace:, and #oint out the secret
H&
#ro#erties of "em#tiness:, es#ecially its #aradoxical #ower to bring forth all things* S#ace is
em#tiness, "but s#ace, as understood in Buddhist meditation, is not #assi)e $in the western
sense(* *** S#ace is the absolutely indis#ensable )ibrant matrix for e)erything that is: $9ross,
.QQ', #* %&'(*

+e can see shunyata $em#tiness( as the most central term of the entire Buddhist
#hiloso#hy* <t is the second )entricle of <ahayana Buddhism* $The first is karuna,
com#assion for all li)ing beings*( ";bsolute em#tiness: dissol)es into nothingness all the
#henomena of being u# to and including the s#here of the 1ighest Self* +e are unable to talk
about em#tiness, since the reality ofshunyata is inde#endent of any conce#tual construction* <t
transcends thought and we are not e)en able to claim that the #henomenal world
does not exist* This radical negati)ism has rightly been described as the "doctrine of the
em#tiness of em#tiness:*

<n the light of this fundamental inex#ressibility and featurelessness of shunyata& one is
left wondering why it is unfailingly regarded as a "feminine: #rinci#le
in -a0rayana Buddhism* But it isV ;s its masculine #olar o##osite the tantras nominate
consciousness $citta( or com#assion $karuna(* "The Mind is the !ord and the Vacuity is the
!adyR they should always be ke#t united in Saha6a Sthe highest state of enlightenmentT:, as
one text #roclaims $asgu#ta, .QN@, #* .&.(* Time and em#tiness also com#lement one
another in a #olar manner*

Thus, the "alachakra di)inity $the time god( cries em#hatically that, "through the
#ower of time air, fire, water, earth, islands, hills, oceans, constellations, moon, sun, stars,
#lanets, the wise, gods, ghostsUs#irits, nagas $snake demons(, the fourfold animal origin,
humans and infernal beings ha)e been created in the em#tiness: $Baner6ee, .QHQ, #* .L(*
Onc( !h( ha! 5((n i$8r(gnat(d 5% ,$a!cuin(C ti$(2 th( ,-($inin(C ($8tin(!! gi'(!
5irth to ('(r%thingD The obser)ation that the )agina is em#ty before it emits life is likely to
ha)e #layed a role in the de)elo#ment of this conce#t* For this reason, shunyata may ne)er be
understood as #ure negati)ity in Tantrism, but rather counts as the "sha#eless: origin of all
being*

$he 'lear li)ht
H.
The ultimate goal of all mystic doctrines in the widest )ariety of cultures is the ability to
ex#erience the highest clear light* !ight #henomena #lay such a significant role in Tantric
Buddhism that the <talian Tibetologist, 9iuse##e Tucci, s#eaks of a downright "#hotism:
$doctrine of light(* !ight, from which e)erything stems, is considered the "symbol of the
highest intrinsicness: $Brauen, .QQ%, #* LH(*

<n describing su#ernatural light #henomena, the tantric texts in no sense limit
themsel)es to tracing these back to a mystical #rimal light, but rather ha)e assembled a
com#lete catalog of "#hotisms: which maybe ex#erienced* These include !8ar1!2 a$8!2
cand(!2 5a! o- ight2 rain5ow!2 8iar! o- -ir(2 h(a'(n% ight!2 and so forth which flash u#
during meditation* 3ach of these a##earances #resages a 8articuar ('( o- con!ciou!n(!!2
ranked hierarchically* Thu! on( $u!t tra'(r!( 'ariou! ight !tag(! in ord(r to -ina% 5ath(
in th( ,high(!t c(ar ightCD

The truly uni8ue feature of Tantrism is that this "highest clear light: streams out of
theyuganaddha, the Hieros @amos* <t is in this sense that we must understand the following
#oetic sentence from the "alachakra Tantra0 "<n a world #urged of darkness, at the end of
darkness awaits a cou#le: $Baner6ee, .QHQ, #* %@(*

SummariMing, we can say that Tantrism has made erotic lo)e between the sexes its
c(ntra r(igiou! th($(* +hen the di)ine cou#le unite in bliss, then "by the force of their 6oy
the members of the retinue also fuse:, i*e*, the other gods and goddesses, the Buddhas and
Bodhisatt)as with their wisdom consorts $+ayman, .QLP, #* %Q.(* The di)ine cou#le is all7
knowing, as it knows and indeed itself re#resents the germinal syllables which #roduce the
cosmos* +ith their breath the time god $"alachakra( and time goddess $-ish+amata( control
the motions of the hea)ens* ;stronomy along with e)ery other science has its origin in them*
They are initiated into e)ery le)el of meditation, ha)e mastery o)er the secret doctrines and
e)ery form of subtle yoga* The clear light shines out of them* They know the laws of karma
and how they may be sus#ended* -om#assionately, the god and godd(!! car( -or
hu$an1ind a! i- w( w(r( th(ir chidr(n and d('ot( th($!('(! to th( conc(rn! o- th(
word* ;s master and mistress of all forms of time they determine the rhythm of history*
Being and not7being fuse within them* <n brief, the creati)e #olarity of the di)ine cou#le
#roduces the uni)erse*
H%

Bet this image of com#lete beauty between the sexes does not stand on the highest altar
of Tantric Buddhism* But what could be higher than the #olar #rinci#le of the uni)erse and
infinityA

1isdom (prajna) and method ("paya)
Before answering this, we want to 8uickly )iew a further #air of o##osites which are
married inyuganaddha* =# to now we ha)e not yet considered the most often cited #olarity in
the tantras, "wisdom: $pra0na( and "method: $upaya(* There is no original tantric text, no
<ndian or Tibetan commentary and no +estern inter#reter of Tantrism which does not treat the
"union of upaya andpra0na: in de#th*

"+isdom: and "method: are held to be the outright mother and father of all other tantric
o##osites* 3)ery #olar constellation is deri)ed from these two terms* To
summariMe, "paya !tand! -or th( $a!cuin( 8rinci8(2 th( 8hau!2 $otion2 acti'it%2 th(
god2 (night(n$(nt2 and !o -orthK prajnar(8r(!(nt! th( -($inin( 8rinci8(2 th( 'agina2
ca$2 8a!!i'it%2 th( godd(!!2 th( co!$ic awD ;ll women naturally count as pra0na, all men
as upaya* "The commingling of this Pra6na and =#aya SareT like the mixture of water and milk
in a state of non7duality: $asgu#ta, .QN@, #* Q'(* There is also the stated )iew
that upaya becomes a fetter when it is not 6oined with pra0naE only both together grant
deli)erance and Buddhahood $Bharati, .QNN, #* .N.(*

Prajna and 2paya
H'

This almost limitless extension of the two #rinci#les has led to a situation in which they
are only rarely critically examined* o they stand in a truly polar relation to one anotherA
+hy > we ask > does "wisdom: need "method:A Somehow this #air of o##osites do not fit
together > can there e)en be an unmethodical, chaotic "wisdom:A <sn,t pra0na $wisdom(
enough on its ownR does it not include "method: as a #artial as#ect of itselfA +hat is an
"unmethodical: wisdomA 3)en if we translate upaya > as is often done > as Wtechni8ue,, we
still do not ha)e a con)incing #olar corres#ondence to pra0na* This combination also seems
far7fetched > why should "techni8ue: and "wisdom: meet in a mystic weddingA The
o##osition becomes e)en more absurd and #rofane if we translate upaya $as it is clearly
intended( as "cunning means: or e)en "trick: or "ruse: $+ilber, .QPN, #* '.&(* S%T +hereas
with "wisdom: one has some idea of what is meant, com#rehending the technoid
term upaya #resents ma6or difficulties* +e must thus examine it in more detail*

";t all e)ents:, writes a)id Snellgro)e, a renowned ex#ert on Tantrism, "it must be
em#hasiMed that here Means remains a doctrinal conce#t, ser)ing as $(an! to an (nd2 and in
no sense can this conce#t be construed as an end in itself, as is certainly the case with
#erfection of wisdom Spra0naT: $Snellgro)e, .QPN, )ol* ., #* %P'(* ,M(thodC i! thu! an
in!tru$(nt which i! to 5( co$5in(d with a cont(nt2 ,wi!do$CD "+isdom:, Snellgro)e
adds, "can be seen as re#resenting the e)ol)ing uni)erse: $Snellgro)e, .QPN, )ol* ., #* %@@(*
ue to the distribution of both #rinci#les along gender lines this has a feminine 8uality*

The instrumental "method:, which is assigned to the masculine s#here, thus #ro)es
itself > as we shall ex#lain in more detail > to be a !acr(d t(chniAu( -or controing th(
-($inin( ,wi!do$CDFpaya is nothing more than an instrument of mani#ulation, without any
uni8ue content or substance of its own* Method is at best the means to an end $i*e*, wisdom(*
Ana%tica r(!(r'( and t(chnica 8r(ci!ion are two of its fundamental #ro#erties* Since
wisdom > as we can infer from the 8uotation from Snellgro)e > re#resents the entire
uni)erse, "paya i! th( $(thod with which th( uni'(r!( can 5( $ani8uat(dK
and since pra0na re#resents the feminine #rinci#le and upaya the masculine, their union
im#lies a $ani8uation o- th( -($inin( 5% th( $a!cuin(D

H@
To illustrate this #rocess, we should take a 8uick look at a 9reek myth which recounts
how Geusac8uired wisdom $<etis(* Kne day the father of the gods swallowed the female
Titan <etis. $<n 9reek, metis means "wisdom:*( "+isdom: sur)i)ed in his belly and ga)e him
ad)ice from there* ;ccording to this story then, Geus's sole contribution toward the
de)elo#ment of "his: wisdom was a cunning swallow* +ith this coarse but effecti)e method
$upaya( he could now #resent himself as the fount of all wisdom* 1e e)en became, through
the birth of ;thena& the masculine "bearer: of feminine pra0na* <etis, the mother of ;thena,
actually gi)es birth to her daughter in the stomach of the father of the gods, but it is he who
brings her willy7nilly into the world* <n full armor, ;thene, herself a symbol of wisdom, bursts
from the to# of Geus's skull* She is the "head birth: of her father, the #roduct of his ideas*

H(r(2 th( !waowing o- th( -($inin( and it! i$aginar% &r()8roduction &h(ad 5irth)
ar( the two techni8ues $upaya( with which Ceus mani#ulates wisdom $pra0na& <etis& ;thene(
to his own ends* +e shall later see how )i)idly this myth illustrates the #rocess of the tantric
mystery*

;t any rate, we would like to hy#othesiMe that the relation between the two tantric
#rinci#les of "wisdom: and "method: is neither one of com#lementarity, nor #olarity, nor
e)en antinomy, but rather one of androc(ntric h(g($on%D The translation
of upaya as Wtrick, is thoroughly 6ustified* +e can thus in no sense s#eak of a "mystic
marriage: of pra0na and upaya& and unfortunately we must soon demonstrate that )ery little of
the widely distributed $in the +est( conce#tion of Tantrism as a sublime art of lo)e and a
s#iritual refinement of the #artnershi# remains*

The worshi# of "wisdom: $pra0na( as a embracing cosmic energy already had a
significant role to #lay in <ahayana Buddhism* There we find an extensi)e literature de)oted
to it, the(ra0naparamita texts, and it is still culti)ated throughout all of ;sia* <n the
famous Sutra of (erfected isdom in Eight Thousand -erses $c* .&& B*-*3*( for exam#le, the
glorification ofpra0naparamita $"highest transcendental wisdom:( and the descri#tion of the
Bodhisatt)a way are central* "<f a Bodhisatt)a wishes to become a Buddha, SXT he must
always be energetic and always #ay res#ect to the Perfection of +isdom Spra0naparamitaT:,
we read there $* Paul, .QPH, #* .'H(* There are also instances in <ahayana iconogra#hy
where the "highest wisdom: is de#icted in the form of a female being, but nowhere here is
HH
there talk of mani#ulation or control of the "goddess:* e)otion, fer)ent #rayer, hymn,
liturgical song, ecstatic excitement, o)erflowing emotion and 6oy are the forms of ex#ression
with which the belie)er worshi#s pra0naparamita*

Th( guru a! $ani8uator o- th( di'in(
<n )iew of the #re)iously suggested dissonance between pra0na and upaya& we must ask
oursel)es who this authority is, who )ia the "method: makes use of the wisdom7energy for his
own #ur#oses* This 8uestion is all the more #ertinent, since in the )isible reality of the tantric
religions > in the culture of Tibetan !amaism for instance > -a0rayana is ne)er re#resented
as a #air of e8uals, but almost exclusi)ely as single men, in )ery rare cases as single women*
Th( two 8artn(r! $((t on% to 8(r-or$ th( ritua !(Bua act and th(n !(8arat(D

<t follows conclusi)ely from what has already been described that it $u!t 5( th(
$a!cuin( 8rinci8( which (--(ct! th( $ani8uation o- th( -($inin( wi!do$D <t a##ears in
the figure of the "tantric master:* 1is knowledge of the sacred techni8ues makes him a
"yogi:* Wh(n('(r h( a!!u$(! th( ro( o- t(ach(r h( i! 1nown a! a )"r" &San!1rit) or
a lama &Ti5(tan)D

1ow does the tantric master,s exce#tional #osition of #ower ariseA
3)ery -a0rayana follower #ractices the so7called ,D(it% %ogaC2 in which th( !(- i!
i$agin(d a! a di'init%D The belie)er distinguishes between two le)els* Firstly he meditates
u#on the "($8tin(!!C o- a 5(ing2 in ord(r to o'(rco$( hi! 5odi%2 $(nta2 and !8iritua
i$8uriti(! and ,5oc1!C and cr(at( an ($8t% !8ac(D The core of this meditati)e #rocess of
dissolution is the !urr(nd(r o- th( indi'idua (go* Following this, the li)ing image $yiddam(
of the #articular di)ine being who should a##ear in the a##ro#riate ritual is formed in the
yogi,s imaginati)e consciousness* 1is or her body, color, #osture, clothing, facial ex#ression
and moods are described in detail in the holy texts and $u!t 5( r(cr(at(d (Bact% in th(
$indD +e are thus not dealing with an exercise of s#ontaneous and creati)e free imagination,
but rather with an accurat( r(8roduction o- a codi-i(d arch(t%8(D

The #ractitioner may externaliMe or #ro6ect the yiddam, so that it a##ears before him*
But this is 6ust the first ste#R in those which following he imagines himself as the deity* Thus
he swa#s his own #ersonal ego with that of a su#ernatural being* The yogi has now
HL
surmounted his human existence and con!titut(! ,to th( '(r% a!t ato$C a unit% with th(
god $9lasena##, .Q@&, #* .&.(*

But he must ne)er lose sight of the fact that the deity he has imagined #ossesses no
autonomous existence* <t exists 8ur(% and (Bcu!i'(% a! an ($anation o- hi! i$agination
and can thu! 5( cr(at(d2 $aintain(d and d(!tro%(d at wiD But who actually is this tantric
master, this mani#ulator of the di)ineA 1is consciousness has nothing in common with that of
a ordinary #erson, it must belong to a s#here higher than that of the gods* The texts and
commentaries describe this "highest authority: as the "higher self: or as the #rime)al Buddha
$;< B=1;(, as the #rimordial one, th( origin o- a 5(ing2 with whom the yogi
identifies himself*

Thus, when we s#eak of a "guru: in -a0rayana, then according to the doctrine we are no
longer dealing with an indi)idual, but with an archety#al and transcendental being, who ha!
a! it w(r( 5orrow(d a hu$an 5od% in ord(r to a88(ar in th( wordD 3)ents are not in the
control of the #erson $from the !atin persona Hmask,(, but rather th( god acting through
hi$D This in turn is the emanation of an arch7god, an e#i#hany of the most high ;<
B=1;* Followed to its logical conclusion this means that the Fourteenth alai !ama $the
most senior tantric master of Tibetan Buddhism( determines the #olitics of the Tibetans in
exile not as a #erson, but as the Bodhisatt)a ;+alokitesh+ara, whose emanation he is* Thus, if
we wish to #ass 6udgment on his #olitics, we must come to terms with the moti)es and )isions
of ;+alokitesh+ara.

The tantric master,s enormous #ower does not ha)e its origin in a -a0rayana doctrine,
but in the two main #hiloso#hical directions of <ahayana Buddhism
$<adhyamika and %ogachara(* The<adhyamika school of NagarLuna $fifth century -*3*(
di!cu!!(! th( 8rinci8( o- ($8tin(!! &sh"nyata) which -or$! a 5a!i! -or a 5(ingD
5adically, this also a##lies to the god!D They are #urely illusory and for a yogi are worth
neither more nor less than a too which h( ($8o%! in !(tting hi! goa! and th(n 8ut! a!id(D

Paradoxically, this radical Buddhist #erce#tual theory led to the admission of an
immense multitude of gods, most of whom stemmed from the 1indu cultural s#here* From
now on these could #o#ulate the Buddhist hea)en, something which was taboo
HN
in Hinayana. ;s they were in the final instance illusory, there was no longer any need to fear
them or regard them as com#etitionR !inc( th(% coud 5( ,n(gat(dC2 th(% coud 5(
,int(grat(dCD

For the %ogachara school $fourth century -*3*(, e)erything > the self, the world and
the gods > consists of "consciousness: or "#ure s#irit:* This extreme idealism also makes it
#ossible for th( %ogi to $ani8uat( th( uni'(r!( according to hi! wi!h(! and 8an!D
Because the hea)ens and their inhabitants are nothing more than #lay figures of his s#irit, they
can be #roduced, destroyed and exchanged at whim*

But what, in an assessment of the -a0rayana system, should gi)e grounds for reflection
is the fact, already mentioned, that the Buddhist #antheon #resented on the tantric stage is
codified in great detail* 4either in the choreogra#hy nor the costumes ha)e there been any
essential changes since the tw(-th c(ntur% CDED2 if one is #re#ared to o)erlook the inclusion
of se)eral minor #rotecti)e s#irits, of which the youngest $=or0e Shugden for exam#le( date
from the se)enteenth century* <n current "eity yoga:, #racticed by an ade#t today $e)en one
from the +est(, a #reordained hea)en with its old gods is con6ured u#* The ade#t calls u#on
#rime)al images which were de)elo#ed in <ndianUTibetan, #erha#s e)en Mongolian, cultural
circles, and which of course > as we will demonstrate in detail in the second #art of our study
> r(8r(!(nt th( int(r(!t! and 8oitica d(!ir(! o- th(!( cutur(!D S'T

Since the Master resides on a le)el higher than that of a god, and is, in the final instance,
the ;< B=1;, his #u#ils are obliged to worshi# him as an omni#otent su#er7being, who
commands the gods and goddesses, Buddhas and Bodhisatt)as* The following a#otheosis of a
tantric teacher, which the semi7mythical founder of Buddhism in Tibet, Padmasambha)a, laid
down for an initiand, is sym#tomatic of countless similar #rayers in the liturgy of Tantrism0
"Bou should know that one,s master is more im#ortant than e)en the thousand buddhas of this
aeon* +hy is thatA <t is because all the buddhas of this aeon a##eared after ha)ing followed a
master* *** The master is the buddha SenlightenmentT, the master is the dharma Scosmic lawT, in
the same way the master is also the sangha Smonastic orderT: $Binder7Schmidt, .QQ@, #* 'H(*
<n the @uhyasama0a Tantra we can read how all enlightened beings bow down before the
teacher0 ";ll the Buddhas and Bodhisatt)as throughout the #ast, #resent and future worshi#
the Teacher **** SandT make this #ronouncing of+a0ra words0 W1e is the father of all us
HP
Buddhas, the mother of all us Buddhas, in that he is the teacher of all us Buddhas,:
$Snellgro)e, .QPN, )ol* ., #* .NN(*

; biMarre anecdote from the early stages of Tantrism makes this deification of the gurus
e)en more a##arent* Kne day, the famous +a0ra master, 4aro#a, asked his #u#il, Mar#a, "<f <
and the god He+a0ra a##eared before you at the same time, before whom would you kneel
firstA:* Mar#a thought, "< see my guru e)ery day, but if He+a0ra re)eals himself to me then
that is indeed a 8uite extraordinary e)ent, and it would certainly be better to show res#ect to
him firstV:* +hen he told his master this, 4aro#a clicked two fingers and in that
moment He+a0ra a##eared with his entire retinue* But before Mar#a could #rostrate himself in
the dust before the a##arition, with a second click of the fingers it )anished into 4aro#a,s
heart* "Bou made a mistakeV: cried the master $hargyey, .QPH, #* .%'(*

<n another story, the #rotagonists are this same 4aro#a and his instructor,
the "alachakra Master Tilo#a* Tilo#a s#oke to his #u#il, saying, "<f you want teaching, then
construct a mandalaV:* 4aro#a was unable to find any seeds, so he made the mandala out of
sand* But he sought without success for water to cement the sand* Tilo#a asked him, "o you
ha)e bloodA: 4aro#a slit his )eins and the blood flowed out* But then, des#ite searching
e)erywhere, he could find no flowers* "o you not ha)e limbsA: asked Tilo#a* "-ut off your
head and #lace it in the center of the mandala* Take your arms and legs and arrange them
around itV: 4aro#a did so and dedicated the mandala to his guru, then he colla#sed from blood
loss* +hen he regained consciousness, Tilo#a asked him, ";re you contentA: and 4aro#a
answered, "<t is the greatest ha##iness to be able to dedicate this mandala, made of my own
flesh and blood, to my guru:*

The #ower of the gurus > this is what these stories should teach us > is boundless,
whilst the god is, finally, 6ust an illusion which the guru can #roduce and dismiss at will* 1e is
the arch7lord, who reigns o)er life and death, hea)en and hell* Through him s#eaks the
;BSK!=T3 SP<5<T, which tolerates nothing aside from itself*

The #u#il must com#letely surrender his indi)idual ego and transform it into a sub6ect
of the SP<5<T which dwells in his teacher* "< and my teacher are one: means then, that the
same SP<5<T li)es in both*
HQ

Th( a88ro8riation o- g%n(rg% and androc(ntric 8ow(r !trat(gi(!
Knly in extremely rare cases is the omni#otence and di)inity of a yogi ac8uired at birth*
It i! u!ua% th( r(!ut o- a grad(d and co$8icat(d !8iritua 8rogr(!!ionD -learly, to be
able to realiMe his omni#otence, which !houd tran!c(nd ('(n th( !(Bua 8oarit% o- a
which exists, a male tantric master re8uires a substance, which we term "gynergyI $female
energy:, and which we intend to examine in more detail in the following* ;s he cannot, at the
outset of his #ath to #ower, find this "elixir: within himself, he must seek it there where in
accordance with the laws of nature it may be found in abundance, in women*

-a0rayana is therefore > according to the assessments of no small number of +estern
researchers of both sexes > a male sexual magic techni8ue designed to "rob: women of their
#articularly female form of energy and to render it useful for the man* Following the "theft:,
it flows for the tantric ade#t as the s#ring which #owers his ex#eriences of s#iritual
enlightenment* ;ll the #otencies which, from a Tibetan #oint of )iew, are to be sought and
found in the feminine s#here are truly astonishing0 knowledge, matter, sensuality, language,
light > indeed, according to the tantric texts, th( %ogi 8(rc(i'(! th( who( uni'(r!( a!
-($inin(* For him, the feminine force $shakti( and feminine wisdom $pra0na( constantly gi)e
birth to realityR e)en transcendental truths such as "em#tiness: $shunyata( are feminine*
+ithout "gynergy:, in the tantric )iew of things none of the higher le)els along the #ath to
enlightenment can be reached, and hence in no circumstances a state of #erfection*

<n order to be able to ac8uire the #rime)al feminine force of the uni)erse, a %ogi $u!t
ha'( $a!t(r(d th( a88ro8riat( !8iritua $(thod! &"paya)2 which we examine in detail later
in this study* The well7known in)estigator of Tibetan culture, a)id Snellgro)e, describes
their chief function as the transmutation of the feminine form into the masculine with the
intention of accumulating #ower* <t is for this and no other reason that the tantric seeks contact
with a female* =sually, "#ower flows from the woman to the man, es#ecially when she is
more #owerful than he:, the <ndologist oniger K,Flaherty $K,Flaherty, .QP%, #* %L'(
informs us* 1ence, since the #owerful feminine creates the world, the "uncreati)e: masculine
yogi can only become a creator if he a##ro#riates the creati)e #owers of the goddess* "May <
be born from birth to birth:, he thus cries in the He+a0ra Tantra&"concentrating in myself the
L&
essence of woman: $Snellgro)e, .QHQ, #* ..L(* 1e is the sorcerer who belie)es that all #ower
is feminine, and that he knows the secret of how to mani#ulate it*

The key to his dreams of omni#otence lies in how he is able to transform himself into a
"su#ernatural: being, an androgyne who has access to the #otentials of both sexes* The two
sexual energies now lose their e8uality and are brought into a hi(rarchica r(ation with each
other in which the masculine #art exercises absolute control o)er the feminine*

+hen, in the re)erse situation, the feminine #rinci#le a##ro#riates the masculine and
attem#ts to dominate it, we ha)e a case of )ynandryD 9ynandric rites are known from the
1indu tantras* But in contrast, in androcentric Buddhism we are dealing exclusi)ely with the
#roduction of a "#erfect: androgynous state, i*e*, in social terms with the #ower of men o)er
women or, in brief, the (!ta5i!h$(nt o- a 8atriarcha $ona!tic r(gi$(D

Since the "bisexuality: of the yogi re#resents a #recondition for the de)elo#ment of his
#ower, it forms a central to#ic of discussion in e)ery highest tantra* <t is known sim#ly as the
,two-in-on(C 8rinci8(2 which sus#ends all o##ositions, such as wisdom and method, sub6ect
and ob6ect, em#tiness and com#assion, but abo)e all masculine and feminine $Snellgro)e,
.QPN, )ol* ., #* %PH(* Kther #hrases include "bi#olarity: or th( r(aiJation o- ,5i!(Bua
di'init% within on(=! own 5od%: $1errmann7Pfand, .QQ%, #* '.@(*

1owe)er, the "two7in7one: #rinci#le is not directed at a state beyond sexuality and
erotic lo)e, as modern inter#reters often misunderstand it to be* The tantric master
deliberately utiliMes the masculineUfeminine sexual energies to obtain and exercise #ower and
do(! not d(!tro% th($2 e)en if they are only #resent within his own identity after the
initiation* They continue to function there as the two #olar #rime)al forces, but now within
the androgynous yogi*

Thus, in Tantrism we are in any case dealing with an erotic cult, one which recogniMes
co!$ic (rotic o'( a! th( d(-ining -orc( o- th( uni'(r!(2 e)en if it is mani#ulated in the
interests of #ower* This is in stark contrast to the asexual conce#ts of <ahayana Buddhism*
"The state of bisexuality, defined as the #ossession of both masculine and feminine sexual
#owers, was considered unfortunate, that is, not conduci)e to s#iritual growth* Because of the
L.
excessi)e sexual #ower of both masculinity and femininity, the bisexual indi)idual had
weakness of will or inattention to moral #rece#ts:, re#orts iana Paul in reference to the
"9reat Vehicle: $* Paul, .QPH, ##* .N%O.N'(*

But -a0rayana does not let itself be intimidated by such #roclamations, but instead
worshi#s the androgyne as a radiant diamond being, who feels in his heart "the blissful kiss of
the inner male and female forces: $Mullin, .QQ., #* %@'(* The tantric androgyne is su##osed
to actually #artake of the lusts and 6oys of both sexes, but 6ust as much of their concentrated
#ower* ;lthough in his earthly form he a##ears before us as a man, the yogi nonetheless ru(!
a! 5oth $an and wo$an2 as godand goddess, as father and mother at once* The initiand is
instructed to ")isualiMe the lama as "alachakra in Father and Mother as#ect, that is to say, in
union with his consort: $alai !ama ?<V, .QPH, #* .N@(, and must then declare to his guru,
"Bou are the mother, you are the father, you are the teacher of the
worldV:$9rInwedel, "alacakra ??, #* .P&(*

$he va)inal B"ddha
The goal of androgyny is the ac8uisition of absolute #ower, as, according to tantric
doctrine, the entire cosmos must be seen as the #lay and #roduct of both sexes* 4ow united in
the mystic body of the yogi, the latter thereby belie)es he has the secret birth7force at his
dis#osal > that natural ability of woman which he as man #rinci#ally lacks and which he
therefore desires so strongly*

This desire finds ex#ression in, among other things, the ro%a tit( Bha)avan $ruler or
regent(, which he ac8uires after the tantric initiation* The Sanskrit word bhaga originally
designated the female #udendum, womb, )agina or )ul)a* But bhaga also means ha##iness,
bliss, wealth, sometimes em#tiness* This meta#hor indicates that the $uti8icit% o- th(
word ($(rg(! -ro$ th( wo$5 o- wo$an* The yogi thus lets himself be re)ered in
the "alachakra Tantra as $haga+at or $haga+an, as a bearer of the female birth7force or
alternati)ely as a "bringer of ha##iness:* "The Buddha is called $haga+at, because he
#ossesses the $haga& this characteriMes the 8uality of his rule: $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* .'L(, we can
read in 4aro#a,s commentary from the ele)enth century, and the famous tantric continues,
"The $haga is according to tradition the horn of #lenty in #ossession of the six boons in their
#erfected form0 so)ereignty, beauty, good nameUre#utation, abundance, insight, and the
L%
a##ro#riate force to be able to achie)e the goals set: $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* .'L(* <n their
introduction to the He+a0ra Tantra the contem#orary authors, 9* +* Farrow and <* Menon,
write, "<n the tantric )iew the Bhaga)an is defined as the one who #ossesses Bhaga, the
womb, which is the source: $Farrow and Menon, .QQ%, #* xxiii(*

;lthough this male usur#ation of the $haga first reaches its full extent and de#th of
symbolism in Tantrism, it is #resaged by a #eculiar bodily motif from an earlier #hase of
Buddhism* <n accordance with a broadly acce#ted canon, an historical Buddha must identify
himself through '% distinguishing features* These take the form of unusual markings on his
#hysical body, like, for exam#le, sun7wheel images on the soles of his feet* The tenth sign,
known to +estern medicine ascryptorchidism, is that the #enis is co)ered by a thick fold of
skin, "the concealment of the lower organs in a sheath:R this text goes on to add, "Buddha,s
#ri)ate #arts are hidden like those of a horse Si*e*, stallionT: $9ross, .QQ', #* L%(*

3)en if cry#torchidism as an indicator of the 3nlightened Kne in <ahayana Buddhism
is meant to show his "asexuality:, in our o#inion in -a0rayana it can only signal the
a##ro#riation of feminine sexual energies without the Buddha thus needing to renounce his
masculine #otency* <nstead, in drawing the com#arison to a stallion which has a #enis which
naturally rests in a "sheath:, it is #ossible to ta# into one of the most #owerful mythical sexual
meta#hors of the <ndian cultural region* Since the -edas the stallion has been seen as the
su#reme animal symbol for male #otency* <n Tibetan folklore, the alai !amas also #ossess
the ability to "retract: their sexual organs $Ste)ens, .QQ', #* .P&(*

$he B"ddha as mother and the yo)i as )oddess
The "ability to gi)e birth: ac8uired through the "theft: of gynergy transforms the guru
into a "mother:, a su#er7mother who can herself #roduce gods* 3)ery Tibetan lama thus
)alues highly the fact that he can lay claim to the #owerful symbols of motherhood, and a
#o#ular e#ithet for tantric yogis is "Mother of all Buddhas: $9ross, .QQ', #* %'%(* The
maternal role logically #resu##oses a symbolic #regnancy* -onse8uently, being "#regnant: is
a common meta#hor used to describe a tantric master,s #roducti)e ca#ability $+ayman, .QNN,
#* HN(*

L'
But des#ite all of his motherly 8ualities, in the final instance the yogi re#resents the
male arch7god, the ;< B=1;, who #roduced the mother goddess out of himself as an
archety#e0 "<t is to be noted that the #rimordial goddess had emanated from the !ord:, notes
an im#ortant tantra inter#reter, "The !ord is the beginningless eternal KneR while the
9oddess, emanating from the body of the !ord, is the #roduced one: $asgu#ta, .Q@L, #*
'P@(* 3)e was created from ;dam,s rib, as 9enesis already informs us* Since, according to the
tantric initiation, the feminine should only exist as a mani#ulable element of the masculine,
the tantras talk of the "together born female: $+ayman, .QNN, #* %Q.(*

Knce the emanation of the mother goddess from the masculine god has been formally
incor#orated in the canon, there is no further obstacle to a self7imagining and self7#roduction
of the lama as goddess* "Then behold yourself as di)ine woman in em#ty form: $3)ans7
+entM, .Q'N, #* .NN(, instructs a guide to meditation for a #u#il* <n another, the latter
declaims, "< myself instantaneously become the 1oly !ady: $8uoted by Beyer, .QNP, #* 'NP(*
St('(n S(ga &Ho%wood actor): Th( Daai La$a ,i! th( gr(at $oth(r o-
('(r%thing nuturing and o'ingD H( acc(8t! a who co$( without Ludg($(ntDC &Sch(2
*:::2 8D 39)
Knce kitted out with the force of the feminine, the tantric master e)en has the ability to
#roduce whole hosts of female figures out of himself or to fill the whole uni)erse with a
single female figure0 "To begin with, imagine the image $of the goddess -a0rayogini( of
roughly the siMe of your own body, then in that of a house, then a hill, and finally in the scale
of outer s#ace: $3)ans7+entM, .Q'N, #* .'L(* Kr he imagines the cosmos as an endlessly huge
#alace of su#ernatural cou#les0 ";ll male di)inities dance within me* ;nd all female di)inities
channel their sacred +a0ra songs through me:, the Second alai !ama writes lyrically in a
tantric song $Mullin, .QQ., #* LN(* But "then, he Sthe yogiT can resol)e these cou#les in his
meditation* !ittle by little he realiMes that their ob6ecti)e existence is illusory and that they are
but a function* *** 1e transcends them and comes to see them as images reflected in a mirror,
as a mirage and so on: $-arelli, .Q@., #* .P(*

1owe)er, outside of the rites and meditation sessions, that is, in the real world, the
double7gendered su#er7being a##ears almost exclusi)ely in the body of a man and only )ery
L@
rarely as a woman, e)en if he exclaims in the @uhyasama0a Tantra, "< am without doubt any
figure* < am woman and < am man, < am the figure of the androgyne: $9Yng, .QQP, #* LL(*

1hat happens to the %oman3
Knce the yogi has "stolen: her gynergy using sexual magic techni8ues, the woman
)anishes from the tantric scenario* "The feminine #artner:, writes a)id Snellgro)e, "known
as the +isdom7Maiden Spra0naT and su##osedly embodying this great #erfection of wisdom,
is in effect used as a means to an end, which is ex#erienced by the yogi himself* Moreo)er,
once he has mastered the re8uisite yoga techni8ues he has no need of a feminine #artner, for
the whole #rocess is re7enacted within his own body* Thus des#ite the eulogies of women in
these tantras and her high symbolic status , the whole theory and #ractice is gi)en for the
benefit of males: $Snellgro)e, .QPN, )ol* ., #* %PN(*

38ui)alent 8uotations from many other +estern inter#reters of Tantrism can be found0
"<n *** Tantrism *** woman is means, an alien ob6ect, without #ossibility of mutuality or real
communication: $8uoted by Shaw, .QQ@, #* N(* The woman "is to be used as a ritual ob6ect
and then cast aside: $also 8uoted by Shaw, .QQ@, #* N(* Kr, at another #oint0 the yogis had "sex
without sensuality *** There is no relationshi# of intimacy with an indi)idual > the woman ***
in)ol)ed is an ob6ect, a re#resentation of #ower *** women are merely s#iritual batteries:
$8uoted by Shaw, .QQ@, n* .%P, ##* %H@O%HH(* The woman functions as a "sal)ation tool:, as
an "aid on the #ath to enlightenment:* The goal of-a0rayana is e)en "to destroy the female:
$8uoted by Shaw, .QQ@, #* N(*

<ncidentally, this functionaliMation of the sexual #artner is addressed > as we still ha)e
to show > without deliberation or shame in the original -a0rayana texts* Modern +estern
authors with )iews com#atible to those of Buddhism, on the contrary, tend toward the o#inion
that the tantric androgyne harmoniMes both sexual roles e8ually within itself, so that the
androgynous #attern is )alid for both men and women* But this is not the case* 3)en at an
etymological le)el, androgyny $from ;ncient 9reek anJr Wman, and gynJ Wwoman,( cannot be
a##lied to both sexes* The term denotes > when taken literally > the male7feminine forces
#ossessed by a man, whilst for a woman the res#ecti)e #henomenon would ha)e to be termed
"gynandry: $female7masculine forces #ossessed by a woman(*

LH
&ndro)yny vs# )ynandry
Since androgyny and gynandry are used in reference to the organiMation of sex7s#ecific
energies and not a descri#tion of #hysical sexual characteristics, it could be felt that we are
being o)erly #edantic here* That would be true if it were not that Tantrism in)ol)ed an
extreme cult of the male body, #syche and s#irit* +ith extremely few exce#tions
all -a0rayana gurus are men* +hat is true of the world of a##earances is also true at the
highest transcendental le)el* The ;< B=1; is #rimarily de#icted in the form of a man*

Following our discussion of the "mystic: #hysiology of the yogi, we shall further be
able to see that this describes the construction of a masculine body of energy* But any doubts
about whether androgyny re#resents a )irile usur#ation of feminine energies ought to )anish
once we ha'( air(d th( !(cr(t! o- th( tantric !((d &!($(n) gno!i!D 1ere the male yogi uses
a woman,s menstrual blood to construct his bisexual body*

-onse8uently, the attem#t to create an androgynous being out of a woman means that
her own feminine essence becomes subordinated to a masculine #rinci#le $the #rinci#le
of anJr(* 3)en when she exhibits the outward sexual characteristics of a woman $breasts and
)agina(, she mutates, as we know already from <ahayana Buddhism, in terms of energy into
a man* <n contrast, a truly female counter#art to an androgynous guru would be a gynandric
mistress* The 8uestion, howe)er, is whether the techni8ues taught in the Buddhist tantras are
at all suitable for instituting a #rocess transforming a woman in the direction of gynandry, or
whether they ha)e been written by and for men alone* Knly after a detailed descri#tion of the
tantric rituals will we be able to answer this 8uestion*

Th( a5!out( 8ow(r o- th( ,;rand Sorc(r(rC &Maha Siddha)
Th( goa o- tantric androg%n% i! th( conc(ntration o- a5!out( 8ow(r in th( tantric
$a!t(r, which in his )iew constitutes the unr(!trict(d contro o'(r 5oth co!$ic 8ri$a
-orc(!2 the god and the goddess* <f one assumes that he has, through constant meditati)e
effort, destroyed his indi)idual ego, then it is no longer a #erson who has concentrated this
#ower within himself* <n #lace of the human ego is the su#erego of a god with far7reaching
#owers* This su#erhuman sub6ect knows no bounds when it #roclaims in the He+a0ra
Tantra& "< am the re)ealer, < am the re)ealed doctrine and < am the disci#le endowed with
good 8ualities* < am the goal, < am the master of the world and < am the world as well as the
LL
worldly things: $Farrow and Menon, .QQ%, #* .LN(* <n the tantras there is a distinction
between two ty#es of #ower0

.* ,"pernat"ral po%er2 that i!2 uti$at(%2 (night(n(d con!ciou!n(!!
and #uddhahoodD
%* 1orldly po%er !uch a! w(ath2 h(ath2 r(g(nc%2 'ictor% o'(r an
(n($%2 and !o -orthD

But a classification of the tantras into a lower category, concerned with only worldly
matters, and a higher, in which the truly religious goals are taught, is not #ossible* ;ll of the
writings concern both the "sacred: and the "#rofane:*

Su#ernatural #ower gi)es the tantric master control o)er the whole uni)erse* 1e can
dissol)e it and re7establish it* <t grants him control o)er s#ace and time in all of their forms of
ex#ression* ;s "time god: $"alachakra( he becomes "lord of history:* ;s ;< B=1; he
determines the course of e)olution*

+orldly #ower means, abo)e all, being successfully able to command others* <n the
uni)ersalism of -a0rayana those commanded are not 6ust #eo#le, but also beings from other
transhuman s#heres > s#irits, gods and demons* These can not be ruled with the means of
this world alone, but only through the art of su#ernatural magic* Fundamentally, then, the
#ower of a guru increases in #ro#ortion to the number and effecti)eness of his "magical
forces: $siddhis(* Power and the knowledge of the magic arts are synonymous for a tantric
master*

Such a #er)asi)e #resence of magic is somewhat fantastic for our +estern
consciousness* +e must therefore try to trans#ose oursel)es back to ancient <ndia, the
fairytale land of miracles and secrets and imagine the occult ambience out of which Tantric
Buddhism emerged* The <ndologist 1einrich Cimmer has sketched the atmos#here of this
time as follows0 "1ere magic is something )ery real* ; magic word, correctly #ronounced
#enetrates the other #erson without resistance, transforms, bewitches them* Then under the
s#ell of in)oluntary #artici#ation the other is #orous to the fluid of the magic7making will, it
electrically conducts the current which connects with him: $Cimmer, .QN', #* NQ(* <n
LN
the Tibet of the #ast, things were no different until sometime this century* ;ll the #henomena
of the world are magically interconnected, and "secret threads SlinkT e)ery word, e)ery act,
e)en e)ery thought to the eternal grounding of the world: $Cimmer, .QN', #* .P(* ;s the
"bearers of magical #ower: or as "sorcerer kings: the tantric yogis cast out nets wo)en from
such threads* For this reason they are known as <aha Siddhas, "9rand Sorcerers:*

La$ai!t ,!orc(r(rC &a Nga1=8hang gMod8a)

+hen we #ause to examine what the tantras say about the magical ob6ects with which
a <aha Siddha is kitted out, we are reminded of the wondrous ob6ects which only fairytale
heroes #ossess0 a magical sword which brings )ictory and #ower o)er all #ossible enemiesR an
eye ointment with which one can disco)er hidden treasureR a #air of "se)en7league boots: that
allow the ade#t to reach any #lace on earth in no time at all, tra)eling both on the ground and
through the airR there is an elixir which alchemically transforms base metals into #ure goldR a
magic #otion which grants eternal youth and a wonder cure to #rotect from sickness and
deathR #ills which gi)e him the ability to assume any sha#e or formR a magic hood that makes
the sorcerer in)isible* 1e can assume the a##earance of se)eral different indi)iduals at the
same time, can sus#end gra)ity and can read #eo#le,s thoughts* 1e is aware of his earlier
incarnations, has mastered all meditation techni8uesR he can shrink to the siMe of an atom and
ex#and his body outward to the stars* 1e #ossesses the "di)ine eye: and "di)ine ear:* <n brief,
he has the #ower to determine e)erything according to his will*

The <aha Siddhas control the uni)erse through their s#ells, enchantment formulas, or
mantras* "< am aware:, a)id Snellgro)e comments, "that #resent7day western Buddhists,
s#ecifically those who are followers of the Tibetan tradition, dislike this 3nglish word Sspell,T
used for mantra and the rest because of its association with )ulgar magic* Kne need only re#ly
LP
that whether one likes it or not, the greater #art of the tantras are concerned #recisely with
)ulgar magic, because this is what most #eo#le are interested in: $Snellgro)e, .QPN,)ol* ., #*
.@'(*

"3rotic: s#ells, which allow the yogi to obtain women for his sexual magic rituals, are
mentioned remarkably often in the tantric texts* 1e continues to #ractice the ritual sexual act
after his enlightenment0 since the key to #ower lies in the woman e)ery instance of liturgical
coition bolsters his omni#otence* <t is not 6ust earthly beings who must obey such mantras, but
female angels and grisly inhabitants of the underworld too*

The almighty sorcerer can also ensla)e a woman against her will* 1e sim#ly needs to
summon u# an image of the real, desired #erson* <n the meditation, he thrusts a flower arrow
through the middle of her heart and imagines how the im#aled lo)e )ictim falls to the ground
unconscious* 4o sooner does she reo#en her eyes than the con8ueror with drawn sword and
out7thrust mirror forces her to accommodate his wishes* This scenario #layed out in the
imagination can force any real woman into the arms of the yogi without resistance
$9lasena##, .Q@&, #* .@@(* ;nother magic #ower allows him to assume the body of an
unsus#ecting husband and s#end the night with his wife incognito, or he can multi#ly himself
by following the exam#le of the <ndian god "rishna and then slee# with hundreds of )irgins
at once $+alker, .QP%, #* @N(*

Finally, we draw attention to a number of destructi)e Siddhis $magical #owers(0 to turn
a #erson to stone, the He+a0ra Tantra recommends using crystal #earls and drinking milkR to
!u5Lugat( !o$(on( %ou n((d !andawoodR to bewitch them, urineR to generate hate between
beings from the six worlds, the ade#t must em#loy human flesh and bonesR to con6ure u#
something, he swings the bones of a dead Brahman and consumes animal dung* +ith buffalo
bones the enlightened one slaughters his enemies $Snellgro)e, .QHQ, #* ..P(* There are s#ells
which instantly s#lit a #erson in half* This black art, howe)er, should only be a##lied to a
#erson who has contra)ened Buddhist doctrine or insulted a guru* Kne can also #icture the
e)il7doer )omiting blood, or with a fiery needle boring into his back or a flaming letter
branding his heart > in the same instant he will fall down dead $Snellgro)e, .QHQ, ##* ..LO
..N(* =sing the "chalk ritual: a yogi can destroy an entire enemy army in seconds, each
soldier suddenly losing his head $Snellgro)e, .QHQ, #* H%(* <n the second #art of our analysis
LQ
we will discuss in detail how such magic killing #ractices were, and to a degree still are, a
di)ision of TibetanU!amaist state #olitics*

Kne should, howe)er, in all fairness mention that, to a lesser degree in the original
tantra texts, but therefore all the more fre8uently in the commentaries, e)ery arbitrary use of
#ower and )iolence is ex#licitly #rohibited by the Bodhisatt)a oath $to act only in the interests
of all suffering beings(* There is no tantra, no ceremony and no #rayer in which it is not
r(8(at(d% a--ir$(d that a $agic $a% on% 5( 8(r-or$(d out o- co$8a!!ion &kar"na)D
This constant, almost sus#iciously oft7re#eated re8uirement #ro)es, howe)er, as we shall see,
to be a disguise, since )iolence and #ower in Tantrism ar( o- a !tructura and not Lu!t a
$ora natur(D

Bet, in light of the #ower structures of the modern state, the world economy, the military
and the modern media, the imaginings of the <aha Siddhas sound nai)e* Their ambitions
ha)e something indi)idualist and fantastic about them* But a##earances are dece#ti)e* 3)en
in ancient Tibet the em#loyment of magical forces $siddhis( was regarded as an im#ortant
di)ision of Buddhocratic state #olitics* 5itual magic was far more im#ortant than wars or
di#lomatic acti)ities in the history of official !amaism, and, as we shall show, it still is*

The tantric conce#t, that #ower is transformed erotic lo)e, is also familiar from modern
#sychoanalysis* <t is 6ust that in the +estern #syche this transformation is usually, if not
always, an unconscious one* ;ccording to Sigmund Freud it is re#ressed erotic lo)e which
can become delusions of #ower* <n contrast, in Tantrism this unconscious #rocess is
knowingly mani#ulated and echoed in an almost mechanical ex#eriment* <t can > as in the
case of !amaism > define an entire culture* The utch #sychologist Fokke Sierksma, for
instance, assumes that the "lust of #ower: o#erates as an essential dri)ing force behind
Tibetan monastic life* ; monk might #retend, according to this author, to meditate u#on how a
state of em#tiness may be realiMed, but "in #ractice the result was not )oidness but inflation of
the ego:* For the monk it is a matter of "s#iritual #ower not mystic release: $Sierksma, .QLL,
##* .%H, .PL(*

But e)en more astonishing than the magicalUtantric world of ancient Tibet is the fact that
the #hantasmagora of Tantrism ha)e managed in the #resent day to #enetrate the cultural
N&
consciousness of our +estern, highly industrialiMed ci)iliMation, and that they ha)e had the
#ower to successfully anchor themsel)es there with all their attendant ata)isms* This attem#t
by -a0rayanato con8uer the +est with its magic #ractices is the central sub6ect of our study*

Footnot(!:
S.T The first known Tantric Buddhist document, the @uhyasama0a Tantra, dates from
the @th century at the earliest* 4umerous other works then follow, which all dis#lay the same
basic #attern, howe)er* The formati)e #rocess ended with the "alachakra Tantra no later than
the ..
th
century*
S%T ; conference was held in Berkeley $=S;( in .QPN at which discussion centered
#rimarily on the termupaya*
S'T This cultural integration of the tantric di)inities is generally denied by the lamas*
Tirelessly, they reassure their listeners that it is a matter of uni)ersally a##licable archety#es,
to whom anybody, of whate)er religion, can look u#* <t is true that the Shunyata doctrine, the
"octrine of 3m#tiness:, makes it theoretically #ossible to also summon u# and then dismiss
the deities of other cultures* "Modern: gurus like -hJgyam Trung#a, who died in .QPQ, also
refer to the total archety#al reser)oir of humankind in their teachings* But in their s#iritual
#raxis they rely exclusi)ely u#on tantric and Tibetan symbols, yiddams and rites*
+D THE TANTRIC FEMALE SACRIFICE

=ntil now we ha)e only examined the tantric scheme )ery broadly and abstractly* But
we now wish to show concretely how the "transformation of erotic lo)e into #ower: is carried
out* +e thus return to the starting #oint, the lo)e7#lay between yogi and yogini, god and
goddess, and first examine the )arious feminine ty#ologies which the tantric master uses in
his rituals* -a0rayanadistinguishes three ty#es of woman in all0

.* Th( ,r(a wo$anC &karma m"dra)D Sh( i! a r(a hu$an 8artn(rD
According to tantric doctrin( !h( 5(ong! to th( ,r(a$ o- d(!ir(CD
%* Th( ,i$aginar% wo$anC or ,!8irit wo$anC &inana m"dra)D Sh( i!
!u$$on!(d 5% th( %ogi=! $(ditati'( i$agination and on% (Bi!t! th(r( or in hi!
-anta!%D Th( inana m"dra i! 8ac(d in th( ,r(a$ o- -or$!CD
N.
'* Th( ,inn(r wo$anC &maha m"dra)D Sh( i! th( wo$an int(rnaiJ(d
'ia th( tantric 8raBi!2 with no (Bi!t(nc( ind(8(nd(nt o- th( %ogiD Sh( i! not ('(n
cr(dit(d with th( r(ait% o- an i$agin(d -or$2 th(r(-or( !h( count! a! a -igur(
-ro$ th( ,-or$(!! r(a$CD

;ll three ty#es of woman are termed mudra* This word originally meant Wseal,, Wstam#,,
or Wletter of the al#habet,* <t further indicated certain magical hand gestures and body
#ostures, with which the yogi conducted, controlled and "sealed: the di)ine energies* This
semantic richness has led to all manner of s#eculation* For exam#le, we read that the tantric
master "stam#s: the #henomena of the world with ha##iness, and that as his com#anion hel#s
him do this, she is known as mudra$Wstam#,(* More concretely, the <aha Siddha 4aro#a
refers to the fact that a tantric #artner, in contrast to a normal woman, assists the guru in
blocking his e6aculation during the sexual act, and as it were "seals: this, which is of ma6or
im#ortance for the #erformance of the ritual* For this reason she is known as mudra, Wseal,
$4aro#a, .QQ@, #* P.(* But the actual meaning #robably lies in the following0 in -a0rayana the
feminine itself is "sealed:, that is, s#ellbound )ia a magic act, so that it is a)ailable to the
tantric master in its entirety*

Th( 1ar$a $udra: th( r(a wo$an
+hat then are the external criteria which a karma mudra, a real woman, needs to meet
in order to ser)e a guru as wisdom consortA The He+a0ra Tantra& for exam#le, describes her in
the following words0 "She is neither too tall, nor too short, neither 8uite black nor 8uite white,
but dark like a lotus leaf* 1er breath is sweet, and her sweat has a #leasant smell like that of
musk* 1er pudenda gi)es forth a scent from moment to moment like different kinds of lotuses
or like sweet aloe wood* She is calm and resolute, #leasant in s#eech and altogether
delightful: $Snellgro)e, .QHQ, #* ..L(* ;t another 6uncture the same tantra recommends that
the guru "take a consort who has a beautiful face, is wide7eyed, is endowed with grace and
youth, is dark, courageous, of good family and originates from the female and male fluids:
$Farrow and Menon, .QQ%, #* %.N(* 9edIn -hJ#el, a famous tantric from the %&th century,
draws a distinction between the )arious regions from which the women come* 9irls from
2ham #ro)ince, for exam#le, ha)e soft flesh, lo)ers from Mang are well7)ersed in the erotic
techni8ues, "2ashmiri girls: are to be )alued for their smile, and so on $-hJ#el, .QQ%, #* @H(*

N%
Sometimes it is also re8uired of the karma mudra that as well as being attracti)e she
also #ossess s#ecialiMed erotic skills* For exam#le, the "alachakra Tantra recommends
training in the so#histicated <ndian sexual techni8ues of the "ama Sutra* <n this famous
handbook on the intensification of sexual lust, the reader can inform him7 or herself about the
most daring #ositions, the use of a#hrodisiacs, the anatomical ad)antages )arious women
#ossess, the seduction of young girls, dealings with courtesans, and much more* The sole
intention of the "ama Sutra, howe)er, is to sexualiMe life as a whole* <n contrast to the tantras
there are no religious and #ower7#olitical intentions to be found behind this work* <t thus has
no intrinsic )alue for the tantric yogi* The latter uses it #urely as a source of ins#iration, to
stimulate his desires which he then brings under conscious control*

Bouth is a further re8uirement which the mudra has to meet* The <aha Siddha Saraha
distinguishes fi)e different wisdom consorts on the basis of age0 the eight7year7old )irgin
$kumari(R the twel)e7year7old salikaR the sixteen7year7old siddha, who already bleeds
monthlyR the twenty7year7old balika& and the twenty7fi)e7year7old bhadrakapalini, who he
describes as the "burned fat of #ra6na: $+ayman, .QN', #* .QL(* The "modern: tantric already
mentioned, !ama 9edIn -hJ#el, ex#licitly warns that children can become in6ured during the
sexual act0 "Forcingly doing it with a young girl #roduces se)ere #ains and wounds her
genitalia* *** <f it is not the time and if co#ulating would be dangerous for her, churn about
between her thighs, and it Sthe female seedT will come out: $-hJ#el, .QQ%, #* .'H(* <n addition
he recommends feeding a twel)e7year7old honey and sweets before ritual sexual intercourse
$-hJ#el, .QQ%, #* .NN(*

+hen the king and later <aha Siddha& ombi#a, one day noticed the beautiful daughter
of a tra)eling singer before his #alace, he selected her as his wisdom consort and bought her
from her father for an enormous sum in gold* She was "an innocent )irgin, untainted by the
sordid world about her* She was utterly charming, with a fair com#lexion and classical
features* She had all the 8ualities of a padmini, a lotus child, the rarest and most desirable of
all girls: $owman, .QPH, ##* H'OH@(* +hat became of the "lotus child: after the ritual is not
recorded*

"<n the rite of W'irgin-wor!hi8= &k"mari4p"ja)C2 writes Ben6amin +alker, "a girl is
selected and trained for initiation, and innocent of her im#ending fate is brought before the
N'
altar and worshi##ed in the nude, and then deflowered by a guru or chela: $+alker, .QP%, #*
N%(* <t was not 6ust the 1indu tantrics who #racticed rituals with a kumari, but also the
Tibetans, in any case the 9rand ;bbot of the Sakya#a Sect, e)en though he was married*

Kn a numerological basis twel)e7 or sixteen7year7old girls are #referred* Knly when
none can be found does Tsongkha#a recommend the use of a twenty7year7old* There is also a
table of corres#ondences between the )arious ages and the elements and senses0 an ..7year7
old re#resents the air, a .%7year7old fire, a .'7year7old water, a .@7year7old earth, a.H7year7old
sound, a .L7year7old the sense of touch, a .N7year7old taste, an .P7year7old sha#e or form, and
a %&7year7old the sense of smell $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* .PQ(*

Th( ritua! !houd not 5( 8(r-or$(d with wo$(n od(r than thi!2 a! th(% a5!or5
th( ,occut -orc(!C o- th( guruD The dangers associated with older mudras are a to#ic
discussed at length* ; famous tantric commentator describes %.7 to '&7year7olds as
"goddesses of wrath: and gi)es them the following names0 The Blackest, the Fattest, the
9reedy, the Most ;rrogant, the Stringent, the Flashing, the 9rudging, the <ron -hain, and the
Terrible 3ye* '.7 to 'P7year7olds are considered to be manifestations of malignant s#irits and
+9- to /3-%(ar-od! a! ,uni$it(d $ani-(!tation! o- th( d($on!CD They are called og
Snout, Sucking 9ob, Dackal Face, Tiger 9ullet, 9aruda Mug, Kwl Features, Vulture,s Beak,
Pecking -row $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* .PQ(* These women, according to the text, shriek and scold,
menace and curse* <n order to get the yogi com#letely off balance, one of these terrible figures
calls out to him in the "alachakra Tantra& "1uman beast, you are to be crushed today:* Then
she gnashes her teeth and hisses, "Today < must de)our your flesh:, and with trembling
tongue she continues, "From your body < will make the drink of blood:
$9rInwedel,"alacakra ???, #* .Q.(* That some radical tantras )iew it as es#ecially #roducti)e
to co#ulate with such female "monsters: is a to#ic to which we shall later return*

1ow does the yogi find a real, human mudraA 4ormally, she is deli)ered by his #u#il*
This is also true for the "alachakra Tantra* "<f one gi)es the enlightened teacher
the pra0na SmudraT as a gift,: #roclaims 4aro#a, "the yoga is bliss: $9rInwedel, .Q'', #*
..N(* <f a .%7 or .L7year7old girl cannot be found, a %&7year7old will suffice, ad)ises another
text, and continues, "Kne should offer his sister, daughter or wife to the Wguru,:, then the more
N@
)aluable the mudra is to the #u#il, the more she ser)es as a gift for his master $+ayman,
.QNN, #* '%&(*

Further, magic s#ells are taught with which to summons a #artner* The He+a0ra
Tantrarecommends the following mantra0 "5m Hri > may she come into my #ower
H savaha67&Snellgro)e, .QHQ, #* H@(* Knce the yogi has re#eated this saying ten thousand
times the mudra will a##ear before him in flesh and blood and obeys his wishes*

The "alachakra Tantra urges the yogi to render the mudra #liant with intoxicating
li8uor0 "+ine is essential for the wisdom consort Spra0naT* *** ;ny mudra at all, e)en those
who are still not willing, can be #rocured with drink: $9rInwedel, "alacakra ???, #* .@N(* <t is
only a small ste# from this to the use of direct force* There are also texts, which ad)ise "that if
a woman refuses sexual union she must be forced to do so: $Bhattacharyya, .QP%, #* .%H(*

+hether or not a karma mudra needs s#ecial training before the ritual is something
which rece)es )arying answers in the texts and commentaries* <n general, she should be
familiar with the tantric doctrine* Tsongkha#a ad)ises that she take and kee# a )ow of silence*
1e ex#ressly warns against intercourse with unworthy #artners0 "<f a woman lacks ***
su#erlati)e 8ualities, that is an inferior lotus* o not stay with that one, because she is full of
negati)e 8ualities* Make an offering and show some res#ect, but don,t #ractice $with her(:
$8uoted in Shaw, .QQ@, #* .LQ(* <n the He+a0ra Tantra a one7month #re#aration time is
re8uired, then "the girl SisT freed of all false ideas and recei)ed as though she were a boon:
$Snellgro)e, .QPN, )ol* ., #* %L.(*

But what ha##ens to the "boon: once the ritual is o)erA "The karma mudra *** has a
#urely #ragmatic and instrumental significance and is su#erfluous at the finish: writes the
<talian Tibetologist 5aniero 9noli in the introduction to a "alachakra commentary $4aro#a,
.QQ@, #* P%(* ;fter the sexual act she is "of no more use to the tantrik than husk of a shelled
#eanut:, says Ben6amin +alker $+alker, .QP%, ##* N%ON'(* She has done her duty, transferred
her feminine energy to the yogi, and now succumbs to the disdain which Buddhism holds for
all "normal: women as symbols of the "su#reme illusion: $maha maya(* There is no mention
of an initiation of the female #artner in the codified Buddhist tantra texts*

NH
$he karma m"dra and the 1est
Sinc( th( g(n(ra 8u5ic d($and! that a Ti5(tan a$a (ad th( i-( o- a c(i5at(
$on12 h( $u!t 1((8 hi! !(Bua 8ractic(! !(cr(tD For this reason, documents about and
)erbal accounts of clerical erotic lo)e are extremely rare* <t is true that the sexual magic rites
are freely and o#enly discussed in the tantra texts, but who does what with whom and where
are all "to# secret:* Knly the immediate followers are informed, the 3nglish author Dune
-am#bell re#orts*

;nd she has the authority to make such a claim* -am#bell had been working for many
years as translator and #ersonal assistant for the highest ranking 2agyI#a guru, 1is 1oliness
2alu 5in#oche $.Q&HO.QPQ(, when the old man $he was then a##roaching his eighties( one
day asked her to become his mudra* She was com#letely sur#rised by this re8uest and could
not begin to imagine such a thing, but then, she reluctantly submitted to the wishes of her
master* ;s she e)entually managed to esca#e the tantric magic circle, the #re)iously
uninformed #ublic is indebted to her for a number of com#etent commentaries u#on the
sexual cabinet #olitics of modern !amaism and the #sychology of the karma mudra*

+hat then, according to -am#bell, are the reasons which moti)ate +estern women to
enter into a tantric relationshi#, and then afterwards kee# their ex#eriences with the masters to
themsel)esA First of all, their great res#ect and dee# re)erence for the lama, who as a "li)ing
Buddha: begins and ritually conducts the liaison* Then, the karma mudra, e)en when she is
not #ublicly acknowledged, en6oys a high status within the small circle of the informed and,
tem#orarily, the rank of a dakini, i*e*, a tantric goddess* 1er intimate relationshi# with a "holy
man: further gi)es her the feeling that she is herself holy, or at least the o##ortunity to collect
good karma for herself*

Kf course, the mudra must swear a strict )ow of absolute silence regarding her relations
with the tantric master* Should she break it, then according to the tantric #enal code she may
ex#ect ma6or difficulties, insanity, death and on to# of this millennia of hellish torments* <n
order to intimidate her, 2alu 5in#oche is alleged to ha)e told his mudra& Dune -am#bell, that
in an earlier life he killed a woman with a mantra because she disobeyed him and gossi#ed
about intimacies* "The im#osition of secrecy *** in the Tibetan system:, -am#bell writes,
"when it occurred solely as a means to #rotect status , and where it was reinforced by threats,
NL
was a #owerful wea#on in kee#ing women from achie)ing any kind of integrity in
themsel)es* *** So whilst the lineage system Sthe gurus, chain of initiationT )iewed these
SsexualT acti)ities as #romoting the enlightenment state of the lineage holders, the fate of one
of the two main #rotagonists, the female consort, remained unrecogniMed, uns#oken and
unnamed: $Dune -am#bell, .QQL, #* .&'(* Dune -am#bell also first risked s#eaking o#enly
about her ex#eriences, which she found re#ressi)e and degrading, after 2alu 5in#oche had
died*

<n her book, this author laments not 6ust the subse8uent namelessness of and disregard
for the karma mudra des#ite the guru #raising her as a "goddess: for as long as the ritual
lasted, but also discusses the traumatic state of "used u#: women, who, once their master has
"drunk: their gynergy, are traded in for a "fresh: mudra* She also makes reference to the
nai)etZ of +estern husbands, who send their s#ouses to a guru in good faith, so that they can
com#lete their s#iritual de)elo#ment* $Dune -am#bell, .QQL, #* .&N(* uring her relationshi#
with 2alu 5in#oche he was also #racticing with another woman who was not yet twenty years
old* The girl died suddenly, of a heart attack it was said* +e will return to this death, which
fits the logic of the tantric #attern, at a later stage* The fears which such e)ents awakened in
her, re#orts -am#bell, com#letely cut her off from the outside world and left her totally
deli)ered u# to the domination of her guru*

This masculine arrogance becomes #articularly ob)ious in a statement by the young
lama, Mongsar 2hyentse 5in#oche, who announced the following in res#onse to -am#bell,s
commotion stirring book0 "<f +estern women begin sexual relationshi#s with Tibetan lamas,
then the conse8uence for a number of them is frustration, because their culturally conditioned
ex#ectations are not met* <f they ho#e to find an agreeable and e8ual lo)er in a 5in#oche, they
could not be making a bigger mistake* -ertain 5in#oches, who are re)ered as great teachers,
would literally make the worst #artners of all > seen from the #oint of )iew of the ego* <f one
a##roaches such a great master ex#ecting to be acknowledged, and wishing for a relationshi#
in which one shares, satisfies one another, etc*, then one is making a bad choice > not 6ust
from the ego,s #oint of )iew, but also in a com#letely normal, worldly sense* They #robably
won,t bring them flowers or in)ite them to candlelight dinners: $Esotera, .%UQN, #* @HR
retranslation(*
NN
<t s#eaks for such a 8uotation that it is honest, since it 8uite #lainly acknowledges the
s#iritual inferiority of women $who re#resent the ego, desire and banality( when confronted
with the su#erhuman s#iritual authority of the male gurus* The tantric master 2hyentse
5in#oche knows exactly what he is talking about, when he continues with the following
sentence0 "+hilst in the +est one understands e8uality to mean that two as#ects find a
common denominator, in -a0rayana Buddhism e8uality lies com#letely outside of twoness or
duality* +here duality is retained, there can be no e8uality: $Esotera, .%UQN, #* @LR
retranslation(* That is, in other words0 the woman as e8ual and autonomous #artner must be
eliminated and has to surrender her energies to the master,s com#letion $beyond duality(*

"Sexual abuse: of +estern women by Tibetan lamas has meanwhile become something
of a constant to#ic in the Buddhist scene and has also triggered heated discussion on the
<nternet* "Sexual abuse: of +estern women by Tibetan lamas has meanwhile become
something of a constant to#ic in the Buddhist scene and has also triggered heated discussion
on the <nternet* See0www*trimondi*deU34Ulinks*htm[S3?;B=S3

3)en the official office of the Fourteenth alai !ama has had to res#ond to the
increasingly common allegations0 "+hat some of these students ha)e ex#erienced is terrible
and most unfortunate:, announced TenMin Tethon, a secretary to 1is 1oliness, and admitted
that for a number of years there had already been re#orts of such incidents $!attin, 4ewsgrou#
%(* 4aturally, TenMin Tethon made no mention of the fact that th( !(Bua (B8oitation o-
wo$(n -or !8iritua 8ur8o!(! -or$! th( h(art o- th( tantric $%!t(r%D

But there are more and more exam#les where women are beginning to defend
themsel)es* Thus, in .QQ% the well7known bestseller author and commentator on the Tibetan
$ook of the =ead& Sogyal 5in#oche, had to face the Su#reme -ourt of Santa -ruM, alleged to
ha)e "used his #osition as an inter#reter of Tibetan Buddhism to take sexual and other
ad)antage of female students o)er a #eriod of many years: $Tricycle .QQL, )ol* H no* @, #* PN(*
The #laintiff was seeking .& million dollars* <t was claimed Sogyal 5in#oche had assured his
numerous #artners that it would be extremely salutary and s#iritually rewarding to slee# with
him* ;nother mudra, Victoria Barlow from 4ew Bork -ity, described in an inter)iew
with #ree (ress how she, at the age of %., was summoned into Sogyal 5in#oche,s room
during a meditati)e retreats0 "< went to an a#artment to see a highly esteemed lama and
NP
discuss religion* 1e o#ened the door without a shirt on and with a beer in his hand:* +hen
they were sitting on the sofa, the Tibetan "lunged at me with slo##y kisses and gro#ing* <
thought SthenT < should take it as the dee#est com#liment that he was interested and basically
surrender to him:* Today, Barlow says that she is "disgusted by the way the Tibetans ha)e
mani#ulated the re)erence westerners ha)e for the Buddhist #ath: $!attin, 4ewsgrou# %(* The
case mentioned abo)e was, howe)er, settled out of courtR the result, according to Sogyal,s
followers, of their master,s dee# meditation*

<t would normally be correct to dismiss such "sex stories: as su#erfluous gossi# and
disregard them* <n the occult logic of -a0rayana& howe)er, they need to be seen as
strategically #laced ritual #ractices designed to bring the guru #ower and influence* Perha#s
they additionally ha)e something to do with the Buddhist con8uest of the +est, which is
symboliMed by )arious mudras* Such con6ectures may sound rather biMarre, but in Tantrism
we are confronted with a different logic to that to which we are accustomed* 1ere, sexual
e)ents are not uncommonly globaliMed and ca#able of influencing all of humankind* +e shall
return to this #oint*

But at least such exam#les show that Tibet,s "celibate: monks "#ractice: with real
women > a fact about which the Tibetan clergy including the Fourteenth alai !ama ha)e
decei)ed the +est until now* Because more and more "wisdom consorts: are breaking their
oath to secrecy, it is only now that the conditions are being created for a #ublic discussion of
the tantric rituals as such* The criticism to date has not gone beyond a moral7feminist
discourse and in no case known to us $with the exce#tion of some of Dune -am#bell,s
statements( has it extended to the occult ex#loitati)e mechanism of -a0rayana*

Kn the other hand, the fact that the sexual needs of the lamas can no longer be co)ered
u#, has, in a ty#e of ad)ance strategy, led to a situation in which their "s#iritual: work
with karma mudras is #resentable as something to be taken for granted, and which is not
inherently shocking* "Many 5in#oches:, one -hristo#her Fynn has written on the <nternet,
"including Dattral 5in#oche, Mongsar 2hyentse, ilgo 2hyentse and Kngen Tulku ha)e
consorts > which e)eryone knew about: $Fynn, 4ewsgrou# @(*

NQ
;nd the alai !ama, himself the 1ighest Master of the sexual magic rites, raises the
moral finger0 "<n recent years, teachers from ;sia and the +est ha)e been in)ol)ed in
scandals about sexual misbeha)ior towards male and female #u#ils, the abuse of alcohol and
drugs, and the misuse of money and #ower* This beha)ior has caused great damage to the
Buddhist community and indi)idual #eo#le* Pu#ils of both sexes should be encouraged to
confront teachers with unethical as#ects of their beha)ior in an a##ro#riate manner: $Esotera,
.%UQN, #* @HR retranslation(* +hat should be made of such re8uests by 1is 1oliness, which are
also silent about the sexist mechanisms of Tantrism is a to#ic which we ex#lore in detail in the
second #art of our study*

Following these u#7to7date "re)elations: about +estern karma mudras& let us return to
our #resentation of the tantric scenario as described in the traditional texts*

Th( inana $udra: th( wo$an o- i$agination
<n contrast to the real karma mudra& the inana mudra is a #urely spiritual figure, who
a##ears as a goddess, the wisdom consort of )arious Buddhas, or as a "dakini:* She is the
#roduct of the imagination* But we must kee# in mind that the inana mudra may ne)er be a
random fantasy of the guru, rather, her external a##earance, the color of her hair, her clothing,
her 6ewelry and the symbols which surround her, are all codified* Thus, in his imagination the
tantric co#ies an image which is already recorded in the Buddhist #antheon* <n this regard the
cult of inana mudra worshi# has much in common with -hristian mysticism surrounding
So#hia and Mary and has therefore often been com#ared with, for exam#le, the mater
gloriosa at the end of 9oethe,s #aust, where the reformed alchemist ra#turously cries0

Hi)hest mistress o* the %orld6
Let me in the a8"re
$ent o* Heaven in li)ht "n*"rled
Hear thy Mystery meas"re6
9"sti*y s%eet tho")hts that move
Breast o* man to meet thee6
&nd %ith holy bliss o* love
Bear him "p to )reet thee6
$#aust <<, ..QQNO.%&&@(
P&

1ere, "the 9erman #oet 9oethe X unsus#ectingly )oices ex#resses the Buddhist
awareness of the D\]namudr] Sinana mudraTI notes 1erbert 9uenther, who has attem#ted in a
number of writings to inter#ret the tantras from the )iew#oint of a 3uro#ean #hiloso#her
$9uenther, .QNL, #* N@(*

<t should howe)er be noted that such +estern sublimations of the feminine only
corres#ond to a degree with the imaginings of <ndian and Tibetan tantrics* There, it is not 6ust
noble and ethereal )irgins who are con6ured u# in the yogis, imaginations, but also sensuous
"dakinis: trembling with lust, who not uncommonly a##ear as figures of horror, goddesses
with bowls made of skulls and clea)ers in their hands*

But whate)er sort of a woman the ade#t imagines, in all e)ents he will unite sexually
with this s#iritual being during the ritual* The white and refined "So#hias: from the realm of
the imagination are not exem#ted from the ritual sexual act* ";mong the last #hases of the
tantrik,s #rogress:, Ben6amin +alker tells us, "is sexual union on the astral #lane, when he
in)okes elemental s#irits, fiendesses and the s#irits of the dead, and has intercourse with
them: $+alker, .QP%, #* N@(*

Since the yogi #roduces his wisdom com#anion through the imaginati)e #ower of his
s#irit, he can rightly consider himself her s#iritual father* Th( inana m"dra i! co$8o!(d o-
th( !u5!tanc( o- hi! own thought!D She thus does not consist of matter, but > and this is
)ery im#ortant > she nonetheless a##ears outside of her imagination7father and initially
encounters him as an autonomous sub6ect* 1e thus ex#eriences her as a being who admittedly
has him alone to thank for her being, but who ne)ertheless has a life of her own, like a child,
se#arated from its mother once it is born*

<n all, the tantras distinguish two "ty#es of birth: for imagined female #artners0 firstly,
the "women #roduced by s#ells:R secondly, the "field7born yoginis:* <n both cases we are
dealing with so7called "-($inin( (n(rg% -i(d!C or feminine archety#es which the tantric
master can through his imaginati)e #owers render )isible for him as "illusory bodies:* This
usually takes #lace )ia a dee# meditation in which the yogi )isualiMes the inana mudra with
his "s#iritual eye: $+ayman, .QN', ##* .Q'O.QH(*
P.

;s a master of unbounded imagination, the yogi is seldom content with a single inana
mudra, and instead creates se)eral female beings from out of his s#irit, either one after
another or simultaneously* The "alachakra Tantra describes how the imagined "goddesses:
s#ring from )arious #arts of his body, from out of his head, his forehead, his neck, his heart
and his na)el* 1e can con6ure u# the most di)erse entities in the form of women, such as
elements, #lanets, energies, forces and emotions > com#assion for exam#le0 "as the
incarnation of this arises in his heart a golden glowing woman wearing a white robe* *** Then
this woman ste#s *** out of his heart, s#reads herself out to the hea)en of the gods like a cloud
and lets down a rain of nourishment as an antidote for all bodily suffering: $9Yng, .QPP, #*
@@(*

4ar$a $udra '!D inana $udra
In th( tantric it(ratur( w( -ind an (nd(!! di!cu!!ion a5out wh(th(r th( $agica
!(Bua act with a karma m"dra o- -(!h and 5ood $u!t 5( 'au(d $or( high% than that
with an i$agin(d inana m"draD For exam#le, 1erbert 9uenther de)otes a number of #ages
to this debate in his existentialist study of -a0rayana* ;lthough he also re#orts in detail about
the "#ro7woman: intentions of the tantras, he comes to the sur#rising conclusion that we ha)e
in the karma mudra a woman "who yields #leasure containing the seed of frustration:, whilst
the inana mudra is "a woman who yields a #urer, though unstable, #leasure: $9uenther, .QNL,
#* HN(*

;s a #roduct of the P=53 SP<5<T, he classes the inana mudra abo)e a li)ing woman*
She "is a creation of one,s own mind* She is of the nature of the 9reat Mother or other
goddesses and com#rises all that has been #re)iously ex#erienced: $9uenther, .QNL, #* N%,
8uoting 4aro#a(* But she too finally goes the way of all life and "therefore also, e)en lo)e,
D\]namudr] Sinana mudraT, gi)es us merely a fleeting sense of bliss, although this feeling is
of a higher, and hence more #ositi)e, order than the 2armam^dra Skarma mudraT who makes
us Wsad,X: $9uenther, .QNL, #* NH(*

Kn the other hand there are )ery weighty arguments for the greater im#ortance of a real
woman $karma mudra( in the tantric rite of initiation* Then the #ur#ose of the ritual with her
is the final transcending of the real external world of a##earance $maya( and the creation of a
P%
uni)erse which functions solely according to the will and imagination of the tantric master*
1is first task is therefore to recogniMe the illusory character of reality as a whole* This is
naturally re#resented more gra#hically, tangibly, and factually by a woman of flesh and blood
than by a ficti)e construction of the own s#irit, which the inana mudra is* She a##ears from
the outset as the #roduct of an illusion*

; karma mudra thus #resents an exce#tionally difficult challenge to the s#iritual
abilities of the ade#t, since the real human woman must also be recogniMed as an illusion
$maya(V This means, in the final instance, nothing less than that the yogi no longer grants the
entire #hysical world, which in <ndian tradition concentrates itself in the form of a woman, an
inde#endent existence, and that as a conse8uence he recogniMes matter as a conceit of his own
consciousness* 1e thereby frees himself from all restrictions im#osed by the laws of nature*
Such a radical dissolution of reality is belie)ed to accelerate se)eral times the initiation
#rocess which otherwise takes numerous incarnations*

3s#ecially if "enlightenment: and liberation from the constraints of reality is to be
achie)ed in a single lifetime, it is necessary in the o#inion of many tantra commentators to
#ractice with a humanmudra* <n the Cakrasam+ara Tantra we read for exam#le, that "the
secret #ath without a consort will not grant #erfection to beings: $8uoted by Shaw, .QQ@, #*
.@%(* Tsongkha#a, founder of the Tibetan 9elug#a sect is of the same o#inion0 "; female
com#anion is the basis of the accom#lishment of liberation: $8uoted by Shaw, .QQ@, #* .@L(*
<magined women are only recommendable for less 8ualified indi)iduals, or may ser)e at the
beginning of the ritual #ath as a #reliminary exercise, re#orts Miranda Shaw, who makes
reference to modern 9elug#a Masters like !ama Beshe, 9eshe 2elsang 9yatso and 9eshe
hargyey $Shaw, .QQ@, ##* .@L, %@@, notes %L, %N, %Q(*

; further reason for the use of a karma mudra can be seen in the fact that for his
magical transformations the yogi needs a secretion which the woman ex#resses during the
sexual act and which is referred to as "female seed: in the texts* <t is considered a bodily
concentrate of gynergy* This co)eted )aginal fluid will later be the sub6ect of a detailed
discussion*

Th( $aha $udra: th( inn(r wo$an
P'
uring the tantric ritual the karma mudra must therefore be recogniMed by the yogi as
an illusion* This is of course also true of the inana mudra, since the tantric master as an
autonomous being has to transcend both forms of the feminine, the real and the imagined* +e
ha)e already learned from 1erbert 9uenther that the "s#irit woman: is also of fleeting
character and #rone to transitoriness* The yogi may not attribute her with an "inherent
existence:* ;t the beginning of e)ery tantric ritual both mudras still a##ear outside of himR
the karma mudra before his "real: eyes, the inana mudrabefore his "s#iritual: eyes*

But does this illusory character of the two ty#es of woman mean that they are dissol)ed
into nothing by the tantric masterA ;s far as their external and autonomous existence is
concerned, this is indeed the yogi,s conce#tion* 1e does not accord e)en the real woman any
further inherent existence* +hen, after the tantric ritual in which she is ele)ated to a goddess,
she before all eyes returns home in )isible, #hysical form, in the eyes of the guru she no
longer exists as an inde#endent being, but merely as the #roduct of his imagination, as a
conce#tual image > e)en when a normal #erson #ercei)es the girl as a being of flesh and
blood*

But although her autonomous feminine existence has been dissol)ed, her feminine
essence $gynergy( has not been lost* Via an act of sexual magic the yogi has a##ro#riated this
and with it achie)ed the #ower of an androgyne* 1e destroys, so to s#eak, the exterior
feminine in order to internaliMe it and #roduce an "inner woman: as a #art of himself* "1e
absorbs the Mother of the =ni)erse into himself:, as it is described in the "alachakra
Tantra $9rInwedel, "alacakra ?-, #* '%(* ;t a later stage we will describe in detail the subtle
techni8ues with which he #erforms this absor#tion* 1ere we sim#ly list some of the #ro#erties
of the "inner woman:, the so7called maha mudra $"great: mudra(* The boundary with
the inana mudra is not fixed, after all the maha mudra is also a #roduct of the imagination*
Both ty#es of woman thus ha)e no #hysical body, and instead transcend "the atomic structure
and consist of a #urely s#iritual substance: $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* P%(* But the inana mudra still
exists outside of the tantric master, the "inner woman:, howe)er, as her name indicates, can
no longer be distinguished from him and has become a #art of his self* <n general, the maha
mudra is said to reside in the region of the na)el* There she dances and acts as an oracle as the
9reek goddess <etis once did in the belly of Geus* She is the "in7born: and #roduces the "in7
P@
born 6oy of the body, the in7born 6oy of language, the in7born 6oy of the s#irit and the in7born
6oy of consciousness: $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* %&@(*

The male tantric master now has the #ower to assume the female form of the goddess
$who is of course an as#ect of his own mystical body(, that is, he can a##ear in the figure of a
woman* <ndeed, he e)en has the magical ability to di)ide himself into two gendered beings, a
female and a male deity* 1e is further able to multi#ly himself into se)eral maha mudras* <n
the @uhyasama0a Tantra& with the hel# of magical con6urations he fills an entire #alace with
female figures, themsel)es all #articles of his subtle body*

4ow one might think that for the enlightened yogi the book of sensual #leasures would
be closed, since for him there are no more exterior women* But the contrary is the case* 1is
lust is not transformed, but rather made eternal* Thus in his imagination, he is "united day and
night Swith themaha mudraT* The yogi often says, he would not li)e without her kiss and
embrace: $asgu#ta, .QN@, #* .&%(* 1e is e)en able to imaginati)ely stimulate the sexual
organs of the inner woman in order to combine her erotic #leasure with his own $he
simultaneously en6oys both(, and thus immeasurably intensify it* $Farrow and Menon, .QQ%,
##* %N., %N%, %Q.(*

es#ite this sexual turbulence he retains a strict awareness of the #olarity of the #rimal
cosmic forces, it is 6ust that these are now realiMed within his own #erson* 1e is
simultaneously masculine and feminine, and has both sexual energies under his absolute
control* 1e incarnates the entire tantric theater* 1e is director, actor, audience, #lot and stage
in one indi)idual*

Such agitated games are, howe)er, 6ust one side of the tantric #hiloso#hy, on the other is
a conce#t of eternal standstill of being, linked to the image of the maha mudra* She a##ears as
the "1ighest <mmobile:, who, like a clear, magical mirror, reflects a femininity turned to
crystal* ;n obedient femininity with no will of her own, who com#lies with the looks, the
orders, the desires and fantasies of her master* ; female automaton, who wishes for nothing,
and blesses the yogi with her di)ine knowledge and holy wisdom*

PH
+hether mobile or unmo)ing, erotic or s#iritualiMed > the maha mudra is uni)ersal*
From a tantric )iew#oint she incarnates the entire uni)erse* -onse8uently, whoe)er has
control o)er his "inner woman: becomes a lord of the uni)erse, a #antocrat* She is a #aradox,
eternal and indestructible, but ne)ertheless, like the whole cosmos, without an inde#endent
existence* For this reason she is known as a "magical mirror: $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* P.(* <n the
final instance, she re#resents the "em#tiness:*

<n +estern discussion about the maha mudra she is glorified by !ama 9o)inda $3rnst
!othar 1offmann( as the "3ternal Feminine: which now counts as #art of the yogi,s essential
being* $9o)inda, .QQ., #* ...(* ;ccording to 9o)inda she fulfills a role com#arable to that of
the muse, who u# until the .Qth century whis#ered ins#iration into the ears of 3uro#ean
artists* Muses could also become incarnated as real women, but in the same manner existed as
"inner goddesses:, known then under the name of "ins#iration:*

The Buddhist doctrine of the maha mudra has also been com#ared with -arl 9usta)
Dung,s conce#t of anima $2atM .QNN(* Dung #ro#osed that the human soul of a man is double
gendered, it has a masculine and a feminine #art, the animus and the anima* <n a woman the
re)erse is true* 1er feminine anima corres#onds to a masculine animus* +ith some
8ualifications, the de#th #sychologist was con)inced that the other7gendered #art of the soul
could originally be found in the #syche of e)ery #erson* Dung thus assumes the human soul
#ossesses a #rimary androgyny, or gynandry, res#ecti)ely* The goal of an integrated
#sychology is that the indi)idual recogniMe his or her other7gendered half and bring the two
#arts of the soul into harmony*

3)en if we attribute the same intentions to Tantrism, an essential difference remains*
This is, as all the rele)ant texts claim, that the feminine side of the yogi is initially found
outside himself > whether in the form of a real woman or the figure of an imaginary one >
and must first be integrated through sacred sexual #ractices* <f > as in Dung >
the anima were to be found in the "mystic body: of the tantric master from the start, then he
would surely be able to acti)ate his feminine side without needing to use an external mudra* <f
he could, then all the higher and highest initiations into -a0rayana would be redundant, since
they always describe the "inner woman: as the result of a #rocess which begins with an
"exterior woman:*
PL

<t is tem#ting to conclude that a causal relation exists between both female tantric
"#artners:, the internal and the external* The tantric master uses a human woman, or at least
an inana mudra to create his androgynous body* 1e destroys her autonomous existence, steals
her gynergy, integrates this in the form of an "inner woman: and thus becomes a #owerful
double7gendered su#er7being* +e can, hy#othetically, describe the #rocess as follows0 the
sacrifice of the exterior woman is the #recondition for the establishment of the inner maha
mudra*

Th( ,tantric -($a( !acri-ic(C
But are we really 6ustified in s#eaking of a "tantric female sacrifice:A +e shall attem#t
to find an answer to this difficult 8uestion* Fundamentally, the Buddhist tantric distinguishes
three ty#es of sacrifice0 the outer, the inner and the secret* The "outer sacrifice: consists of the
offering to a di)inity, the Buddhas, or the guru, of food, incense, butter lam#s, #erfume, and
so on* For instance in the so7called "mandala sacrifice: the whole uni)erse can be #resented
to the teacher, in the form of a miniature model, whilst the #u#il says the following* "<
sacrifice all the com#onents of the uni)erse in their totality to you, K noble, kind, and holy
lamaV: $Bleichsteiner, .Q'N, #* .Q%(

<n the "inner sacrifice: the #u#il $Sadhaka( gi)es his guru, usually in a symbolic act, his
fi)e senses $sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch(, his states of consciousness, and his
feelings, or he offers himself as an indi)idual u# to be sacrificed* +hate)er the master
demands of him will be done > e)en if the sadhaka must cut the flesh from his own limbs,
like the tantric ade#t 4aro#a*

Behind the "secret sacrifice: hides, finally, a #articular ritual e)ent which attracts our
es#ecial interest, since it is here that the location of the "tantric female sacrifice: is to be
sus#ected* <t concerns > as can be read in a modern commentary u#on the "alachakra
Tantra > "the s#iritual sacrifice of a dakini to the lama: $1enss, .QPH, #* HL(* Such symbolic
sacrifices of goddesses are all but stereoty#ical of tantric ceremonies* "The ex8uisite
be6eweled woman *** is offered to the Buddhas: $9Yng, .QPP, #* .H.(, as the @uhyasama0a
Tantra #uts it* Kften eight, sometimes sixteen, occasionally countless "wisdom girls: are
offered u# in "the holy most secret of offerings: $8uoted by Beyer, .QNP, #* .L%(
PN

$he sa'ri*i'e o* samsara
; sacrifice of the feminine need not be first sought in Tantrism, howe)erR rather it may
be found in the logic of the entire Buddhist doctrine* +oman per seO as Buddha Shakyamuni
re#eatedly em#hasiMed in many of his statements > functions as the first and greatest cause
of illusion $maya(, but likewise as the force which generates the #henomenal world
$samsara(* <t is the fundamental goal of e)ery Buddhist to o)ercome this dece#ti)e samsara*
This world of a##earances ex#erienced as feminine, #resents him with his greatest challenge*
"; woman:, 4ancy ;uer Falk writes, "was the )eritable image of becoming and of all the
forces of blind growth and #roducti)ity which Buddhism knew as Samsara* ;s such she too
was the enemy > not only on a #ersonal le)el, as an indi)idual source of tem#tation, but also
on a cosmic le)el: $9ross, .QQ', #* @P(* <n this misogynist logic, it is only after the ritual
destruction of the feminine that the illusory world $maya( can be surmounted and transcended*

<s it for this reason that maya $illusion(, the mother of the historical Buddha, had to die
directly after gi)ing birthA <n her early death we can recogniMe the original e)ent which stands
at the beginning of the fundamentally misogynist attitude of all Buddhist schools* <aya both
concei)ed and ga)e birth to the Sublime Kne in a su#ernatural manner* <t was not a sexual act
but an ele#hant which, in a dream, occasioned the conce#tion, and Buddha Shakyamuni did
not lea)e his mother,s body through the birth canal, but rather through her hi#* But these
transfeminine birth myths were not enough for the tellers of legends* <aya as earthly mother
had, on the #ath to enlightenment of a religion which seeks to free humanity from the endless
chain of reincarnation, to be #roclaimed an "illusion: $maya( and destroyed* She recei)es no
higher accolade in the school of Buddha, since the woman > as mother and as lo)er > is the
curse which fetters us to our illusory existence*

;lready in <ahayana Buddhism, the naked cor#se of a woman was considered as the
most #ro)ocati)e and effecti)e meditation ob6ect an initiand could use to free himself from
the net ofSamsara* <nscribed in the iconogra#hy of her body were all the )anities of this
world* For this reason, he who sank bowed o)er a decaying female body could achie)e
enlightenment in his current life* To increase the intensity of the macabre obser)ation, it was
usual in se)eral <ndian monastic orders to dismember the cor#se* 3ars, nose, hands, feet, and
breasts were cho##ed off and the disfigured trunk became the ob6ect of contem#lation* "<n
PP
Buddhist context, the s#ectacle of the mutilated woman ser)es to dis#lay the #ower of the
Buddha, the king of the Truth $harma( o)er Mara, the lord of the 5ealm of esire*:, writes
3liMabeth +ilson in a discussion of such #ractices, "By erasing the sexual messages con)eyed
by the bodies of attracti)e women through the horrific s#ectacle of mutilation, the su#erior
#ower of the king of harma is made manifest to the citiMens of the realm of
desire*: $+ilson, .QQH, #* P&(*

<n -a0rayana, the Shunyata doctrine $among others( of the nonexistence of all being, is
em#loyed to conduct a symbolic sacrifice of the feminine #rinci#le* Knly once this has
e)a#orated into a "nothing: can the world and we humans be rescued from the curse
of maya $illusion(* This may also be a reason why the "em#tiness: $shunyata(, which actually
by definition can not #ossess any characteristics, is hy#ostasiMed as feminine in the tantras*
This becomes es#ecially clear in theHe+a0ra Tantra* <n staging of the ritual we encounter at
the outset a real yogini $karma mudra( or at least an imagined goddess $inana mudra(, whom
the yogi transforms in the course of e)ents into a "nothing: using magic techni8ues* By the
end the tantric master has com#letely robbed her of her inde#endent existence, that is, to #ut it
bluntly, she no longer exists* "She is the Bogini without a Self: $Farrow and Menon, .QQ%, ##*
%.PO%.Q(* Thus her name, !airatmya& literally means Wone who has no self, that is, non7
substantial, $Farrow and Menon, .QQ%, #* %.Q(* The same conce#t is at work when, in another
tantra, the "ultimate dakini: is )isualiMed as a "Mero7#oint: and ex#erienced as "indi)isible
#leasure and em#tiness: $owman, .QPH, #* N@(* -hJgyam Trung#a sings of the highest "lady
without being: in the following )erses0

&l%ays present yo" do not e.ist ###
1itho"t body shapeless divinity o* the tr"e#
$Trung#a, .QQ&, #* @&(

Knly her bodilessness, her existential sacrifice and her dissolution into nothing allow
the karma mudra to transmute into the maha mudra and gynergy to be distilled out of the
yogini in order to construct the feminine ego of the ade#t with this "stuff:* "5elin8uishing her
form SasT a woman, she would assume that of her !ord: the He+a0ra Tantra establishes at
another #oint $Snellgro)e, .QHQ, #* Q.(*

PQ
The maha mudra has, it is said, an "em#ty body: $alai !ama <, .QPH, #* .N&(* +hat
can be understood by this contradictory meta#horA <n his commentary on
the "alachakra Tantra, 4gawang hargyey describes how the "em#ty body: can only be
#roduced through the destruction of all the "material: elements of a #hysical, natural "body of
a##earance:* <n contrast to such, "their bodies are com#osed sim#ly of energy and
consciousness: $hargyey, .QPH, #* .'.(* The #hysical world, sensuality, matter and nature >
considered feminine in not 6ust Buddhism > thus become #ure s#irit in an irreconcilable
o##osition* But they are not com#letely destroyed in the #rocess of their )iolent
s#iritualiMation, but rather "sublated: in the 1egelian sense, namely "negated: and
"conser)ed: at the same timeR they are > to make use of one of the fa)orite terms of the
Buddhist e)olutionary theorist, 2en +ilber > "integrated:* This guarantees that the creati)e
feminine energies are not lost following the material "dissolution: of their bearers, and
instead are a)ailable solely to the yogi as a #recious elixir* ; sacrifice of the feminine as an
autonomous #rinci#le must therefore be regarded as the sine Aua non for the uni)ersal #ower
of the tantric master* These days this feminine sacrifice may only be #erformed entirely in the
imagination* But this need not ha)e always been the case*

:;atin)7 the )yner)y
But -a0rayana is concerned with more than the #erformance of a cosmic drama in
which the feminine and its 8ualities are destroyed for meta#hysical reasons* The tantric
recogniMes a ma6ority of the feminine #ro#erties as extremely #owerful* 1e therefore has not
the slightest intention of destroying them as such* <n contrast, he wishes to make the feminine
forces his own* +hat he wants to destroy is solely the #hysical and mental bearer of gynergy
the real woman* For this reason, the "tantric female sacrifice: is of a different character to
the cosmogonic sacrifice of the feminine of early Buddhism* <t is based u#on the ancient
#aradigm in which the energies of a creature are transferred to its killer* The maker of the
sacrifice wants to absorb the )ital substance of the offering, in many cases by consuming it
after it has been slaughtered* Through this he not only "integrates: the 8ualities of the killed,
but also belie)es he may outwit death, by feeding u# on the body and soul of the sacrificial
)ictim*

<n this connection the obser)ation that world wide the sacred sacrifice is contextually
linked with food and eating, is of some interest* <t is necessary to kill #lants and animals in
Q&
order to nourish oneself* The things killed are subse8uently consumed and thus a##ear as a
necessary condition for the maintenance and #ro#agation of life* 3ating increases strength,
therefore it was im#ortant to literally incor#orate the enemy* <n cannibalism, the eater
integrates the energies of those he has slaughtered* Since ancient humans made no basic
distinction between #hysical, mental or s#iritual #rocesses, the same logic a##lied to the
"eating: of nonbodily forces* Kne also ate souls, or prana&or the Jlan +ital*

<n the -edas, this general "de)ouring logic: led to the conce#tion that the gods
nourished themsel)es from the life fluids of ritually slaughtered humans, 6ust as mortals
consume the bodies of animals for energy and nourishment* Thus, a critical7rational section of
the Fpanishads ad)ises against such human sacrifices, since they do not ad)ance indi)idual
enlightenment, but rather benefit only the blood7hungry su#ernatural beings*

!ife and death im#ly one another in this logic, the one being a condition for the other*
The whole circle of life was therefore a huge sacrificial feast, consisting of the mutual theft
and absor#tion of energies, a great cosmic dog7eat7dog* ;lthough early Buddhism ga)e )ent
to keen criticism of the Vedic rites, es#ecially the slaughter of #eo#le and animals, the ancient
sacrificial mindset resurfaces in tantric ritual life* The "de)ouring logic: of the -edas also
controls the Tantrayana* <ncidentally, the word tantra is first found in the context of the Vedic
sacrificial gnosis, where it means Wsacrificial framework, $Smith, .QPQ, #* .%P(*

Sacred cannibalism was always communion, holy union with the S#irit and the souls of
the dead* <t becomes 3ucharistic communion when the sacrifice is a slaughtered god, whose
followers eat of him at a su##er* 9od and man are first one when the man or woman has eaten
of the holy body and drunk the holy blood of his or her god* The same a##lies in the relation
to the goddess* The tantric yogi unites with her not 6ust in the sexual act, but abo)e all through
consuming her holy gynergy, the magical force of maya* Sometimes, as we shall see, he
therefore drinks his #artner,s menstrual blood* Knly when the feminine blood also #ulses in
his own )eins will he be complete, an androgyne, a lord of both sexes*

To gain the "gynergy: for himself, the yogi must "kill: the #ossessor of the )ital
feminine substances and then "incor#orate: her* Such an act of )iolence does not necessarily
im#ly the real murder of his mudra, it can also be #erformed symbolically* But a real ritual
Q.
murder of a woman is by like measure not #recluded, and it is not sur#rising that occasional
references can be found in the-a0rayana texts which blatantly and unscru#ulously demand the
actual killing of a woman* <n a commentary on the He+a0ra Tantra, at a #oint where a lower7
caste wisdom consort $dombi( is being addressed, stands bluntly, "< kill you, o =ombi, < take
your lifeV: $Snellgro)e, .QPN, )ol* ., #* .HQ(*

,ati or the sa'red ina")"ral sa'ri*i'e
<n any case, in all the rituals of the 1ighest Tantra initiations a symbolic female sacrifice
is set in scene* From numerous case studies in cultural and religious history we are aware that
an "archaic first e)ent:, an " inaugural sacred murder: may be hiding behind such symbolic
stagings* This "original e)ent:, in which a real wisdom consort was ritually killed, need in no
sense be consciously acknowledged by the following generations and cult #artici#ants who
only #erform the sacrifice in their imaginations or as holy theater* ;s the French
anthro#ologist 5enZ 9irard con)incingly argues in his essay on -iolence and the Sacred, the
original murderous deed is normally no longer fully recalled during later symbolic
#erformances* But it can also not become totally forgotten* <t is im#ortant that the )iolent
origin of their sacrificial rite be shrouded in mystery for the cult #artici#ant* "To maintain its
structural force, the inaugural )iolence must not make an a##earance:, claims 9irard $9irard,
.QPN, #* @HP(* Knly thus can the #artici#ants ex#erience that #articular emotionally laden and
ambi)alent mixture of crime and mercy, guilt and atonement, )iolence and satisfaction,
shuddering and re#ression which first lends the numinous aura of holiness to the cult e)ents*

<t thus seems a##ro#riate to examine Tantric Buddhism for signs of such an "inaugural
sacrifice:* <n this connection, we would like to draw attention to a Shi)a myth, which has
nonetheless had an influence on the history of the Buddhist tantras*

<n the mythical #ast, Sati was the consort of the god Shi+a* +hen her father =aksa was
#lanning a great sacrificial feast, he failed to in)ite his daughter and son7in7law*
=nbidden, Sati nonetheless attended the feast and was dee#ly insulted by =aksa* Filled with
shame and anger she threw herself u#on the burning sacrificial altar and died* $<n another
)ersion of the story she alone was in)ited and cremated herself when she heard that her
s#ouse was barred from the feast*( Shi+a, informed of the death of his wife, hurried at once to
the scene of the tragedy and deca#itated=aksa* 1e then took the body of his belo)ed Sati, laid
Q%
her across his shoulders and began a funeral #rocession across all <ndia* The other gods
wanted to free him from the cor#se and set about dismembering it, #iece by #iece, without
Shi)a noticing what they were doing*

The #laces where the fragments fell were destined to become holy sites known
as Shakta pithas* There where Sati's )ul)a came to land the most sacred location was
established* <n some texts there is talk of %@, in others of .&P pithas, the latter being the holy
number of Buddhism* ;t Sati'snumerous gra)es cemeteries were set u# forthwith, at which
the #eo#le cremated their dead* ;round these locations de)elo#ed a many7sided, and as we
shall see, extremely macabre death culture, which was nurtured by Tantrics of all schools
$including the Buddhist )ariety(*

<n yet another )ersion of the Sati legend, the cor#se of Shi+a's wife contained a "small
cog > a symbol of manifest time 7, SwhichT destroyed the body of the goddess from the inside
out* *** S<tT was then dismembered into P@ fragments which fell to earth at the )arious holy
sites of <ndia: $1utin, .QN., #* LN(* This is indeed a remarkable )ariant on the story, since the
number of famous<aha Siddhas $9rand Sorcerers(, who in both the Buddhist and 1indu
tradition introduced Tantrism to <ndia as a new religious #ractice, is P@* These first Tantrics
chose the Shakta pithas as the central locations for their rituals* Some of them, the 4ath
Siddhas, claimed Sati had sacrificed herself for them and had gi)en them her blood* For this
reason they clothed themsel)es in red robes $+hite, .QQL, #* .QH(* !ikewise, one of the many
<ndian cemetery legends tells how fi)e of the<aha Siddhas emerged from the cremated
cor#se of a goddess named ;dinatha $+hite, .QQL, #* %QL(* <t can be assumed that this is also
a further )ariation on the Sati legend*

<t is not clear from the tale whether the goddess committed a sacrificial suicide or
whether she was the )ictim of a cruel murder* Sati's )oluntary lea# into the flames seems to
indicate the formerR her systematic dismemberment the latter* ; "criminological: in)estigation
of the case on the basis of the story alone, i*e*, without reference to other considerations, is
im#ossible, since the Sati legend must itself be regarded as an ex#ression of the mystifying
ambi)alence which, according to 5enZ 9irard, )eils e)ery inaugural sacrifice* ;ll that is
certain is that all of the originally Buddhist $V(-a0rayana's significant cult locations were
dedicated to the dismembered 1indu Sati*
Q'

3arlier, howe)er, claims the <ndologist * -* Sircar, famous relics of the "great
goddess: were said to be found at the Shakta pithas* ;t the heart of her cult stood the worshi#
of her yoni $W)agina,( $Sircar, .QN', #* P(* +e can only concur with this o#inion, yet we must
also #oint out that the ma6ority of the matriarchal cults of which we are aware also exhibited a
#hallic orientation* 1ere the #hallus did not signaliMe a symbol of male dominance, but was
instead a toy of the "great goddess:, with which she could sexual7magically mani#ulate men
and herself obtain #leasure*

+e also think it im#ortant to note that the #ractices of <ndian gynocentric cults were in
no way exem#t from sacrificial obsession* <n contrast, there is a com#rehensi)e literature
which re#orts the horrible rites #erformed at the Shakta pithas in honor of the goddess "ali*
1er followers bowed down before her as the "consumer of raw meat:, who was constantly
hungry for human sacrifices* The indi)iduals dedicated to her were first fed u# until they were
sufficiently #lum# to satisfy the goddess,s #alate* Kn #articular feast days the )ictims were
deca#itated in her co##er tem#le $Sircar, .QN', #* .L(*

4aturally we can only s#eculate that the "dismemberment of the goddess: in
the Sati myth might be a masculine reaction to the original fragmentation of the masculine
god by the gynocentric "ali* But this murderous reci#rocity must not be seen #urely as an act
of re)enge* <n both cases it is a matter of the increased life energy which is to be achie)ed by
the sacrifice of the o##osite sex* <n so doing, the "re)olutionary: androcentric yogis made use
of a similar ritual #raxis and symbolism to the aggressi)e female followers of the earlier
matriarchy, but with re)ersed #remises* For exam#le, the number .&P, so central to
Buddhism, is a reminder of the .&P names under which the great goddess was worshi##ed
$Sircar, .QN', #* %H(*

$he *ire sa'ri*i'e o* the dakini
The s#ecial feature of 9reek sacrificial rites lay in the combination of burning and
eating, of blood rite and fire altar* <n #re7Buddhist, Vedic <ndia rituals in)ol)ing fire were also
the most common form of sacrifice* 1umans, animals, and #lants were offered u# to the gods
on the altar of flame* Since e)ery sacrifice was su##osed to simulate among other things the
Q@
dismemberment of the first human, (ra0apati& it always concerned a "symbolic human
sacrifice:, e)en when animal or #lant substitutes were used*

;t first the early Buddhists ado#ted a highly critical attitude towards such Vedic
#ractices and re6ected them outright, in stark o##osition to -a0rayana later, in which they were
to regain central significance* 3)en today, fire pu0as are among the most fre8uent rituals of
Tantric Buddhism* The origin of these Buddhist "flame masses: from the -edas becomes
ob)ious when it is noted that the Vedic fire god ;gni a##ears in the $uddhist tantras as the
"-onsumer of Kfferings:* This is e)en true of the Tibetans* <n this connection, 1elmut )on
9lasena## describes one of the final scenes from the large7scale "alachakra ritual, which the
Panchen !ama #erformed in Bei6ing .Q'%0 ; "wood#ile was set alight and the fire god in)ited
to take his #lace in the eight7leafed lotus which stood in the middle of the fire#lace* Knce he
had been offered abundant sacrifices, "alachakrawas in)ited to come hither from his mandala
and to become one with the fire god: $)on 9lasena##, .Q@&, #* .@%(* Thus the time god and
the fire unite*


QH
B"rnin) Dakinis

The symbolic burning of "sacrificial goddesses: is found in nearly e)ery tantra* <t
re#resents e)ery #ossible characteristic, from the human senses to )arious states of
consciousness* The elements $fire, water, etc*( and indi)idual bodily features are also
imagined in the form of a "sacrificial goddesses:* +ith the #ronouncement of a #owerful
magic formula they all #erish in the fire* <n what is known as the -a0rayogini ritual, the #u#il
sacrifices se)eral inana mudras to a red fire god who rides a goat* The chief
goddess, -a0rayogini, a##ears here with "a red7colored body which shines with a brilliance
like that of the fire of the aeon: $9yatso, .QQ., #* @@'(* <n the@uhyasamaya Tantra the
goddesses e)en fuse together in a fiery ball of light in order to then ser)e as a sacrifice to the
Su#reme Buddha* 1ere the ade#t also renders malignant women harmless through fire0 "Kne
makes the burnt offerings within a triangle* *** <f one has done this three days long,
concentrating u#on the target of the women, then one can thus ward them off, e)en for the
infinity of three eons: $9Yng, .QPP, #* %%H(* ; "burning woman: by the name
of Candali #lays such a significant role in the "alachakra initiations that we de)ote an entire
cha#ter to her later* <n this context we also examine the "ignition of feminine energy:, a
central e)ent along the sexual magic initiation #ath of Tantrism*

<n Buddhist iconogra#hy, the tantric initiation goddesses, the dakinis are re#resented
dancing within a fiery circle of flame* These are su#ernatural female beings encountered by
the yogi on his initiatory 6ourney who assist him in his s#iritual de)elo#ment, but with whom
he can also fall into serious conflict* Translated, dakini means "sky7going one: or "woman
QL
who flies: or "sky dancer:*$1errmann7Pfand, .QQL, ##* LP, 'P(* <n Buddhism the name
a##eared around @&& -*3*

The 9erman Tibetologist ;lbert 9rInwedel was his whole life obsessed with the idea
that the "hea)enUsky walkers: were once human "wisdom com#anions:, who, after they had
been killed in a fire ritual, continued to function in the ser)ice of the tantric teachings as
female s#irit beings $genies(* 1e saw in the dakinis the "souls of murdered mudras: banished
by magic, and belie)ed that after their sacrificial death they took to haunting as Buddhist
ghosts $9rInwedel, .Q'', #* H(* +hy, he asked, do the dakinis always hold skull cu#s and
clea)ers in their hands in )isual re#resentationsA Kb)iously, as can be read e)erywhere, to
warn the initiands against the transient and dece#ti)e world of samsara and to cut them off
from it* But 9rInwedel sees this in a com#letely different light0 For him, 6ust as the saints
dis#lay the instruments of their martyrdom in -hristian iconogra#hy, so too the tantric
goddesses demonstrate their mortal #assing with kni)es and skullsR like their 3uro#ean sisters,
the witches, with whom they ha)e so much in common, they are to be burnt at the stake
$9rInwedel, "alacakra ???, #* @.( 9rInwedel traces the origin of this female sacrifice back to
the marked misogyny of the early #hase of Buddhism0 "The insults Sthrown atT the woman
sound dreadful* *** The body of the woman is a )eritable cauldron of hell, the woman a
magical form of the demons of destruction: $9rInwedel, .Q%@, )ol* %, #* %Q(*

Kne could well shrug at the s#eculations of this 9erman Tibetologist and ;sian
researcher* ;s far as they are understood symbolically, they do not contradict tantric
orthodoxy in the slightest, which e)en teaches the destruction of the "external: feminine as an
article of faith* ;s we ha)e seen, the sacrificial goddesses are burnt symbolically* Some
tantras e)en ex#licitly confirm 9rInwedel,s thesis that the dakinis were once "women of flesh
and blood:, who were later transformed into "s#irit beings: $Bhattacharyya, .QP%, #* .%.(*
Thus she was sacrificed as a karma mudra, a human woman in order to then be transformed
into an inana mudra, an imaginary woman* But the #rocess did not end here, then the inana
mudra still had an existence external to the ade#t* She also needed to be "sacrificed: in order
to create the "inner woman:, the maha mudra. ; #assage from theCandamaharosana
Tantra thus #lainly urges the ade#t0 "Threaten, threaten, kill, kill, slay slay all akinisV:
$8uoted by 9eorge, .QN@, #* L@(

QN
But what is the intent behind a fiery dakini sacrificeA The same as that behind all the
other tantric rituals, namely the absor#tion of gynergy u#on which to found the yogi,s
omni#otence* 1ere the longed7for feminine elixir has its own s#ecific names* The ade#t calls
it the "heart blood of the dakini:, the "essence of the dakini,s heart:, the "life7heart of the
dakini: $1errmann7Pfand, .QQ%, #* '@%(* "Via the Wcon)ersion, the akinis become #rotectors
of the religion, once they ha)e surrendered their Wlife7heart, to their con8ueror:, a tantra text
records $1errmann7Pfand, .QQ%, #* %&@(*

This "surrender of the heart: can often be brutal* For exam#le, a Tibetan story tells of
how the yogini Magcig declares that she is willing for her breast to be slit o#en with a knife
> whether in reality or 6ust imagination remains unclear* 1er heart was then taken out, "and
whilst the red blood > dri#, dri# > flowed out:, laid in a skull bowl* Then the organ was
consumed by fi)e dakinis who were #resent* Following this dreadful heart o#eration Magcig
had transformed herself into a dakini $1errmann7Pfand, .QQ%, #* .L@(* ;s macabre as this
story is, on the other hand it shows that the tantric female sacrifice need not necessarily be
carried out against the will of woman to be sacrificed* <n contrast, the yogini often surrenders
her heart7blood )oluntarily because she lo)es her master* !ike -hrist, she lets herself be
crucified for lo)e* But her guru may ne)er let this lo)e run free* 1e has a sacred duty to
control the feelings of the heart, and the #ower to mani#ulate them*

<n the dakini,s heart lies the secret of enlightenment and thus of uni)ersal #ower* She is
the "Eueen of 1earts:, who > like iana, Princess of +ales > must undergo a )iolent
"sacrificial death: in order to then shine as the #ure ideal of the monarchy $the "autocratic
rule: of the yogis(* !ama 9o)inda also makes reference to a fiery sacrificial a#otheosis of the
dakini when he #roclaims in a )ision that all feminine forces are concentrated in the sky
walkers, "until focused on a #oint as if through a lens they kindle to a su#reme heat and
become the holy flame of ins#iration which leads to #erfect enlightenment: $9o)inda, .QQ.,
#* %'.(* <t need not be said that here the ins#iration and enlightenment of the male tantra
master alone is meant and not that of his female sacrifice*

Vajrayo)ini
The "tantric female sacrifice: has found a sublime and many7layered ex#ression in what
is known as the "-a0rayogini rite:, which we would like to examine briefly because of its
QP
broad distribution among the Tibetan lamas* -a0rayogini is the most im#ortant female di)ine
figure in the highest yogic #ractices of Tibetan Buddhism* The goddess is worshi##ed as,
among other things, "Mistress of the +orld:, the "Mother of all Buddhas:, "Eueen of the
akinis:, and a "Powerful Possessor of 2nowledge:* 1er re)erential cult is so uni8ue in
androcentric !amaism that a closer examination has much to recommend it* <n so doing we
draw u#on a document on -a0rayogini #raxis by the Tibetan lama 2elsang 9yatso*

This tantric ritual, centered u#on a #rinci#al female figure, begins like all others, with
the #u#il,s adoration of the guru* Seated u#on two cushions which re#resent the sun and
moon, the master holds a +a0ra and a bell in his hands, thus em#hasiMing his androgyny and
transsexual #ower*

Vajra <o)ini in the b"rnin) 'ir'le

3xternal, internal, and secret sacrifices are made to him and his lineage* ;bo)e all this
concerns many imagined "sacrificial goddesses: which emanate from the #u#il,s breast and
from there enter the teacher,s heart* ;mong these are the goddesses of beauty, music, flowers,
and the light* +ith the "secret sacrifices: the sadhaka #ronounces the following0 ";nd < offer
QQ
most attracti)e illusory mudras, a host of messengers born from #laces, born from mantra, and
s#ontaneously born, with lender bodies, skilled in the L@ arts of lo)e: $9yatso, .QQ., #* %H&(*

<n the -a0rayogini #raxis a total of three ty#es of symbolic female sacrifice are
distinguished* Two of these consist in the offering of inana mudras, that is of "s#irit women:,
who are drawn from the #u#il,s imagination* <n the third sacrificial offering he #resents his
teacher with a real sexual #artner $karma mudra( $9yatso, .QQ., #* PP(*

Knce all the women ha)e been #resented to the guru and he has absorbed their energies,
the image of the -a0rayogini arises in his heart* 1er body a##ears in red and glows like the
"a#ocaly#tic fire:* <n her right hand she holds a knife with a +a0ra2sha#ed handle, in her left a
skull bowl filled with blood* She carries a magic wand across her shoulders, the ti# of which
is adorned with three tiny human heads* She wears a crown formed out of fi)e skulls* ;
further fifty se)ered heads are linked in a chain which swings around her neck* Beneath her
feet the 1indu di)inity Shi+a and the red "alarati crouch in #ain*

Thereu#on her image #enetrates the #u#il, and takes #ossession of him, transforming
him into itself )ia an internaliMed iconogra#hic dramaturgy* That the sadhaka now re#resents
the female di)inity is considered a great mystery* Thus the master now whis#ers into his ear,
"4ow you are entering into the lineage of all yoginis* Bou should not mention these holy
secrets of all the yoginis to those who ha)e not entered the mandala of all the yoginis or those
who ha)e no faith: $9yatso, .QQ., #* 'HH(* +ith di)ine #ride the #u#il re#lies, "< am the
3n6oyment Body of -a0rayoginiV: $9yatso, .QQ., #* HN( or sim#ly and directly says, "<
am -a0rayoginiV: $9yatso, .QQ., #* HN(* Then, as a newly arisen goddess he comes to sit face7
to7face with his guru* +hether the latter now en6oys sexual union with the sadhaka
as -a0rayogini cannot be determined from the a)ailable texts*

;t any rate we must regard this artificial goddess as a female mask, behind which hides
the male sadhaka who has assumed her form* 1e can of course set this mask aside again* <t is
im#ressi)e 6ust how )i)id and unadorned the descri#tion of this re)erse transformation of the
"-a0rayogini#u#il: into his original form is0 "+ith the clarity of -a0rayogini:, he says in one
ritual text, "< gi)e u# my breasts and de)elo# a #enis* <n the #erfect #lace in the center of my
.&&
)agina the two walls transform into bell7like testicles and the stamen into the #enis itself:
$9yatso, .QQ., #* %Q'(*

Kther sex7change transfigurations are also known from -a0rayogini #raxis* Thus, for
exam#le, the teacher can #lay the role of the goddess and let his #u#il take on the male role *
1e can also di)ide himself into a doMen goddesses > yet it is always men $the guru or his
#u#ils( who #lay the female roles*

-hinnam"nda
The dreadful Chinnamunda $Chinnamastra( ritual also refers to a "tantric female
sacrifice:* ;t the center of this ritual drama we find a goddess $Chinnamunda( who
deca#itates herself* <conogra#hically, she is de#icted as follows0 Chinnamunda stands u#right
with the clea)er with which she has 6ust deca#itated herself clenched in her right hand* Kn her
left, raised #alm she holds her own head* Three thick streams of blood s#urt u# from the
stum# of her neck* The middle one cur)es in an arc into the mouth of her se)ered head, the
other two flow into the mouths of two further smaller goddesses who flank Chinnamunda*
She usually tram#les u#on one or more #airs of lo)ers* This bloody cult is distributed in both
Tantric Buddhism and 1induism*

;ccording to one #ious tale of origin, Chinnamunda se)ers her own head because her
two ser)ants com#lain of a great hunger which she is unable to assuage* The deca#itation was
thus moti)ated by great com#assion with two suffering beings* <t ne)ertheless a##ears
grotes8ue that an indi)idual like Chinnamunda& in #ossession of such extraordinary magical
#owers, would be forced to feed her com#anions with her own blood, instead of con6uring u#
an o#ulent meal for them with a s#ell* ;ccording to another, meta#hysical inter#retation, the
goddess wanted to draw attention to the unreality of all being with her self7destructi)e deed*
Bet e)en this #hiloso#hical #latitude can barely ex#lain the horrible scenario, although one is
accustomed to 8uite a deal from the tantras* <s it not therefore reasonable to see a merciless
re#resentation of a "tantric female sacrifice: in theChinnamunda mythA Kr are we here
dealing with an ancient matriarchal cult in which the goddess gi)es a demonstration of her
triune nature and her indestructibility )ia an in the end "ineffectual: act of self7destructionA

.&.
This gynocentric thesis is reminiscent of an analysis of the ritual by 3lisabeth ;nne
Benard, in which she ex#lains Chinnamunda and her two com#anions to be an emanation of
the triune goddess $Benard, .QQ@, #* NH(* S.T

Chinnamunda is in no sense the sole )ictim in this macabre horror storyR rather, she also
extracts her life energies from out of the erotic lo)e between the two sexes, 6ust like a
Buddhist tantra master* <ndeed, in her canoniMed iconogra#hic form she dances about u#on
one or two #airs of lo)ers, who in some de#ictions are engaged in sexual congress* The
<ndologist a)id 2insley thus sums u# the e)ents in a concise and re)ealing
e8uation0 "-hinnamasta SChinnamundaT takes life and )igor from the co#ulating cou#le, then
gi)es it away la)ishly by cutting off her own head to feed her de)otees: $2insley, .QPL, #*
.NH(* Thus, a "sacrificial cou#le: and the theft of their lo)e energy are to be found at the
outset of this so difficult to inter#ret blood rite*

Bet the mystery remains as to why this #articular drama, with its three female
#rotagonists, was ado#ted into Tantric Buddhist meditati)e #ractices* +e can see only two
#ossible ex#lanations for this* Firstly, that it re#resents an attem#t by -a0rayana to incor#orate
within its own system e)ery sacrificial magic element, regardless how biMarre, and e)en if it
originated among the followers of a matriarchal cult* By a##ro#riating the absolutely foreign,
the yogi all the more cons#icuously demonstrates his omni#otence* Since he is con)inced of
his ability to > in the final instance > #lay all gender roles himself and since he also
belie)es himself a lord o)er life and death, he thus also regards himself as the master of
this Chinnamunda "female ritual:* The second #ossibility is that the self7sacrifice of the
goddess functions as a )eiled reference to the "tantric female sacrifice: #erformed by the
yogi, which is nonetheless ca#able of being understood by the initiated* S%T

Su$$ar%
The broad distribution of human sacrifice in nearly all cultures of the world has for
years occasioned a many7sided discussion among anthro#ologists and #sychologist of the
most )aried #ersuasions as to the social function and meaning of the "sacrificium humanum:*
<n this, reference has re#eatedly been made to the double7meaning of the sacrificial act, which
simultaneously #erforms both a destructi)e and a regulati)e function in the social order* The
classic exam#le for this is the sacrifice of the so7called "sca#egoat:* <n this case, the members
.&%
of a community make use of magical gestures and s#ells to transfer all of their faults and
im#urities onto one #articular #erson who is then killed* Through the destruction of the )ictim
the negati)e features of the society are also obliterated* The #sychologist Ktto 5ank sees the
moti)ation for such a transference magic in, finally, the indi)idual,s fear of death* $8uoted by
+ilber, .QQ&, #* .NL(*

;nother sacrificial gnosis, #articularly #redominant in matriarchal cults #resu##oses
that fertility can be generated through sub6ecting a #erson to a )iolent death or bleeding them
to death* Processes from the world of )egetati)e nature, in which #lants die back e)ery year in
order to return in s#ring, are simulated* <n this )iew, death and life stand in a necessary
relation to one anotherR death brings forth life*

; relation between fertility and human sacrifice is also formed in the ancient <ndian
culture of the-edas* The earth and the life it su##orts, the entire uni)erse in fact, were formed,
according to the Vedic myth of origin, by the inde#endent self7dismemberment of the holy
adamic figure (ra0apati* 1is )arious limbs and organs formed the building blocks of our
world* But these lay unlinked and randomly scattered until the #riests $the $rahmans( came
and wisely recombined them through the constant #erformance of sacrificial rites* Via the
sacrifices, the Brahmans guaranteed that the cosmos remained stabile, and that ga)e them
enormous social #ower*

;ll these as#ects may, at least in general, contribute to the "tantric female sacrifice:, but
the central factors are the two elements already mentioned0

.* Th( d(!truction o- th( -($inin( a! a !%$5o o- th( high(!t iu!ion
&Hinayana andMahayana #uddhi!$)
%* Th( !acri-ic( o- th( wo$an in ord(r to a5!or5 h(r
gyner)y &$antrayana)D

!et us close this cha#ter by once again summing u# why the female sacrifice is essential
for the tantric rite0 3)erything which o##oses a detachment from this world, which is
characteriMed by suffering and death, all the obscuring of <aya, the entire dece#tion
of samsara is the shameful work of woman* 1er li8uidation as an autonomous entity brings to
.&'
nothing this world of a##earances of ours* <n the tantric logic of in)ersion, only transcending
the feminine can lead to enlightenment and liberation from the hell of rebirth* <t alone
#romises eternal life* The yogi may thus call himself a "hero: $+ira(, because he had the
courage and the high arts needed to absorb the most destructi)e and most base being in the
uni)erse within himself, in order not 6ust to render it harmless but to also transform it into
#ositi)e energy for the benefit of all beings*

This "su#erhuman: )ictory o)er the "female disaster: con)inced the Tantrics that the
seed for a radical in)ersion into the #ositi)e is also hidden in all other negati+e deeds,
substances, and indi)iduals* The im#ure, the e)il, and the criminal are thus the raw material
from which the -a0ramaster tries to distill the #ure, the good, and the holy*

Footnot(!:
S.T 3lisabeth ;nne Benard would like to clearly distinguish her inter#retation from an
androcentric reading of the ritual* She o#enly admits her feminist intentions and
celebrates Chinnamunda as both a female "solar deity: and a "triune moon goddess:* She
thus accords her gynandric control o)er the two hea)enly bodies and both genders*
S%T The Tibetan texts which describe the rite of -hinnamunda, see in it a symbol for the
three energy channels, with which the yogi ex#eriments in his mystical body* $+e will discuss
this in detail later*( 1ence, the famous scholar Taranatha writes, "when the SfemaleT ruler
se)ers her head from her own neck with the clea)er held in her right hand, the three )eins
;)adhuti, <da and Pingala are se)ered,and through this the flow of greed, hate, and delusion is
cut off, for herself and for all beings: $1errmann7Pfand, .QQ%, ##* %L'O%L@(* This
com#arison is somewhat strained, howe)er, since the inner energy channels are in fact sex7
s#ecific $<da > masculineR Pingala > feminineR ;)adhuti > androgyne( and for this reason
could well #resent difficulties for a re#resention in the form of three women*
/D THE LAW OF IN@ERSION

3)ery ty#e of #assion $sexual #leasure, fits of rage, hate and loathing( which is normally
considered taboo by Buddhist ethical standards, is acti)ated and nurtured in -a0rayana with
the goal of then transforming it into its o##osite* The Buddhist monks, who are usually
sub6ect to a strict, #uritanical7seeming set of rules, culti)ate such "breaches of taboo: without
restriction, once they ha)e decided to follow the "iamond Path:* 3xcesses and
.&@
extra)agances now count as #art of their chosen lifestyle* Such acts are not sim#ly #ermitted,
but are #rescribed outright, because according to tantric doctrine, e)il can only be dri)en out
by e)il, greed by greed alone, and #oison is the only cure for #oison*

Suitably radical instructions can be found in the He+a0ra Tantra0 "; wise man *** should
remo)e the filth of his mind by filth *** one must rise by that through which one falls:, or,
more )i)idly, ";s flatulence is cured by eating beans so that wind may ex#el wind, as a thorn
in the foot can be remo)ed by another thorn, and as a #oison can be neutraliMed by #oison, so
sin can #urge sin: $+alker, .QP%, #* '@(* For the same reason, the "alachakra Tantra exhorts
its #u#ils to commit the following0 to kill, to lie, to steal, to break the marriage )ows, to drink
alcohol, to ha)e sexual relations with lower7class girls $Broido, .QPP, #* N.(* ; Tantric is freed
from the chains of the wheel of life by #recisely that which im#risons a normal #erson*

;s a tantric saying #uts it, "+hat binds the fool, liberates the wise: $asgu#ta, .QN@, #*
.PN(, and another, more drastic #assage em#hasiMes that, "the same deed for which a normal
mortal would burn for a hundred million eons, through this same act an initiated yogi attains
enlightenment: $3liade, .QPH, #* %N%(* ;ccording to this, e)ery ritual is designed to cata#ult
the initiand into a state beyond good and e)il*

This s#iritual necessity to encounter the forbidden, has essentially been 6ustified )ia fi)e
arguments0

Firstly, through breaking a taboo for which there is often a high #enalty, the ade#t
confirms the core of the entire Buddhist #hiloso#hy0 the em#tiness $shunyata( of all
a##earances* "< am )oid, the world is )oid, all three worlds are )oid:, the <aha Siddha Tilo#a
trium#hantly #roclaims > therefore "neither sin nor )irtue: exist $asgu#ta, .QN@, #* .PL(*
The shunyata #rinci#le thus #ro)ides a meta#hysical legitimiMation for any concei)able
"crime:, as it actually lacks any inherent existence*

; second argument follows from the em#tiness, the "e8ui)alence of all being:* 4either
#urity nor im#urity, neither lust nor loathing, neither beauty nor ugliness exist* There is thus
"no difference between food and offal, between fruit 6uice and blood, between )egetable sa#
and urine, between syru# and semen: $+alker, .QP%, #*'%(* ; fearless maha siddha 6ustifies a
.&H
serious misdeed of which he has been accused with the words0 ; fearless maha
siddha 6ustifies a serious misdeed of which he has been accused with the words0 ";lthough
medicine and #oison create contrary effects, in their ultimate essence they are oneR likewise
negati)e 8ualities and aids on the #ath, one in essence, should not be differentiated: $8uoted
by Ste)ens, .QQ&, #* LQ(* Thus the yogi could with a clear conscience wander along ways on
the far side of the dominant moral codex* "By the same e)il acts that bring #eo#le into hell the
one who uses the right means gains sal)ation, there is no doubt* ;ll e)il and )irtue are said to
ha)e thought as their basis: $Snellgro)e, .QPN, )ol* ., #* .N@(*

The third > somewhat ad hoc, but nonetheless fre8uent > 6ustification for the
"transgressions: of the -a0rayana consists in the Bodhisatt)a )ow of <ahayana Buddhism,
which re8uires that one aid and assist e)ery creature until it attains enlightenment* ;maMingly,
this #ious #ur#ose can render holy the most e)il means* "<f:, we can read in one of the tantras,
"for the good of all li)ing beings or on account of the Buddha,s teaching one should slay
li)ing beings, one is untouched by sin* *** <f for the good of li)ing beings or from attachment
for the Buddha,s interest, one seiMes the wealth of others , one is not touched by sin:, and so
forth $Snellgro)e, .QPN, )ol* ., #* .NL(* <n the course of Tibetan history the Bodhisatt)a )ow
has, as we shall show in the second #art of our study, legitimated numerous #olitical and
family7based murders, whereby the additional "cle)er: argument was also em#loyed, that one
had "freed: the murder )ictim from the world of a##earances $samsara( and that he or she
thus owed a debt of thanks to the murderer*

The fourth argument, which was also wides#read in other magical cultures, is familiar
to us from homeo#athy, and states0 similia similibus curantur $Wlike cures like,(* <n this
healing #ractice one usually works with tiny 8uantities, ma6or sins can thus be ex#iated by
more minor transgressions*

The fifth and final argument attem#ts to #ersuade us that enlightenment per se arises
through the radical in)ersion of its o##osite and that there is absolutely no other #ossible way
to break free of the chains of samsara* 1ere, the tantric logic of in)ersion has become a
dogma which no longer tolerates other #aths to enlightenment* <n this light, we can read in
the @uhyasama0a Tantra that "the most lowly7born, flute7makers and so forth, such S#eo#leT
who constantly ha)e murder alone in mind, attain #erfection )ia this highest way: $8uoted by
.&L
9Yng, .QPP, #* .%P(* Bes, in some texts an outright #ro#ortionality exists between the
magnitude of the "crime: and the s#eed with which the s#iritual "liberation: occurs*

1owe)er, this tantric logic of in)ersion contains a dangerous #aradox* Kn the one
hand, -a0rayanastands not 6ust in radical o##osition to "social: norms, but likewise also to the
original fundamental rules of its own Buddhist system* Thus, it must constantly fear
accusations and #ersecution from its religious brethren* Kn the other there is the danger
mentioned by Friedrich 4ietMsche, that anyone who too often looks monsters in the face can
themsel)es become a monster* Sadly, history > es#ecially that of Tibet > teaches us how
many tantra masters were not able to rid themsel)es of the demons that they summoned* +e
shall trace this fate in the second #art of our study*

Th( twiight anguag(
<n order to kee# hidden from the #ublic all the offensi)e things which are im#licated by
the re8uired breaches of taboo, some tantra texts make use of a so7called "twilight language:
$samdhya2bhasa(* This has the function of )eiling references to taboo substances, #ri)ate
bodily #arts, and illegal deeds in #oetic words, so that they cannot be recogniMed by the
uninitiated* For exam#le, one says "lotus: and means ")agina:, or em#loys the term
"enlightenment consciousness: $bodhicitta( for s#erm, or the word "sun: $surya( for
menstrual blood* Such a list of synonyms can be extended indefinitely*

<t would, howe)er, be hasty to #resume that the #otential of the tantric twilight language
is exhausted by the em#loyment of eu#hemistic ex#ressions for sexual e)ents in order to
a)oid stirring u# offense in the world at large* <n kee#ing with the magical world )iew of
Tantrism, an e8ui)alence or interde#endence is often #osited between the chosen "#oetic:
denotation and its counter#art in "reality:* Thus, as we shall later see, the male seed does
indeed effect enlightenment consciousness $bodhicitta( when it is ritually consumed, and the
)agina does in fact transform itself through meditati)e imagination into a lotus*

Kf course, in such a meta#horic twilight e)erything is #ossibleV Since, in contrast to the
extensi)e commentaries, the taboo )iolations are often ex#licitly and unashamedly discussed
in the original tantric texts, modern textual exegetes ha)e often turned the tables* For
exam#le, in the unsa)ory horror scenes which are recounted here, the 9erman lama 9o)inda
.&N
sees warning signs which act as a deterrent to im#udent intruders into the mysteries* To
#re)ent unauthoriMed #ersons entering #aradise, it is de#icted as a slaughterhouse* But this
im#uted circumscri#tion of the beautiful with the horrible contradicts the sense of the tantras,
the intention of which is #recisely to be sought in the transformation of the base into the
sublime and thus the deliberate confrontation with the abominations of this world*

The scenarios which are #resented in the following #ages are indeed so abnormal that
the hair of the early +estern scholars stood on end when they first translated the tantric texts
from Tibetan or Sanskrit* 3* Burnouf was dismayed0 "Kne hesitates to re#roduce such hateful
and humiliating teachings:, he wrote in the year .P@@ $)on 9lasena##, .Q@&, #* .LN(* ;lmost
a century later, e)en world famous Tibetologists like 9iuse##e Tucci or a)id Snellgro)e
admitted that they had sim#ly omitted certain #assages from their translated )ersions because
of the horrors described therein, e)en though they thus abrogated their scholarly
res#onsibilities $+alker, .QP%, #* .%.(* Today, in the age of unlimited information, any
resistance to the dis#lay of formerly taboo #ictures is ra#idly e)a#orating* Thus, in some
modern translation one is o#enly confronted with all the "crimes and sexual de)iations: in the
tantras*

S(Bua d(!ir(
!et us begin anew with the to#ic of sex* This is the axis around which all of Tantrism
re)ol)es* +e ha)e already s#oken at length about why women were regarded as the greatest
obstacle along the masculine #ath to enlightenment* Because the woman re#resents the feared
gateway to rebirth, because she #roduces the world of illusion, because she steals the forces of
the man > the origins of e)il lie within her* ;ccordingly, to touch a woman was also the most
serious breach of taboo for a Buddhist from the #re7tantric #hase* The se)erity of the
transgression was multi#lied if it came to sexual intercourse*

But #recisely because most extreme estrangement from enlightenment is inherent to the
"daughters of <araI, because they are considered the greatest obstacle for a man and
barricade the realm of freedom, according to the tantric "law of in)ersion: they are for any
ade#t the most im#ortant touchstone on the initiation #ath* 1e who understands how to gain
mastery o)er women also understands how to control all of creation, as it is re#resented by
.&P
him* Kn account of this #aradox, sexual union en6oys absolute #riority in -a0rayana* ;ll other
ritual acts, no matter how biMarre they may a##ear, are deri)ed from this sexual magic origin*

;ctually, the same tantric #ostulate > that the o)ercoming of an o##osite #ole should
be considered more )aluable and meritorious the more abnormal characteristics it exhibits >
must also be )alid for sexuality0* ;ccording to the "law of in)ersion:, the more gloomy,
re#ulsi)e, aggressi)e and #er)erse a woman is, the more suitable she must be to ser)e as a
sexual #artner in the rituals* But the #reference of the yogis for es#ecially young and
attracti)e girls $which we mention abo)e( seems to contradict this #ostulated ugliness*

<ncidentally, the "alachakra Tantra is itself aware of this contradiction, but is unable to
resol)e it* Thus the third book of the Time Tantra has the following suggestions to make0
"Terrible women, furious, stuck7u#, money7hungry, 8uarrelsome***are to be a)oided:
$9rInwedel, "alacakra ???, #* .%.(* But then, a few #ages later, we find #recisely the
o##osite0 "; woman, who has abandoned herself to a lust for life, who takes delight in human
blood *** is to be re)ered by the yogi: $9rInwedel, "alacakra ???, #* .@L(* The fourth book
deals with the "law of in)ersion: directly, and in )erse %&N describes the karma mudra as a
"gnarled hetaera:* irectly after this follows the argument as to why a goddess must be hiding
behind the face of the hetaera, since for the yogi, "gold ScanT be worth the same as co##er, a
6ewel from the crown of a god the same as a sli)er of glass, if unheard of masculine force can
be recei)ed through the lo)ing donations of trained hetaeras ***: $9rInwedel, "alacakra ?-, #*
%&Q( > that is, the highest masculine can be won from the basest feminine*

<n this light, the Chakrasam+ara Tantra recommends erotic #raxis with haughty, moody,
#roud, dominant, wild, and untamable women, and the yogini 9aksminkara urges the reader to
re)ere a woman who is "mutilated and missha#en: $9Yng, .QPP, #* HQ(* The <aha
Siddha Tilo#a also adhered strictly to the tantric #olitics of in)ersion and co#ulated with a
woman, who bore the "eighteen marks of ugliness:, whate)er they may be* 1is #u#il 4aro#a
followed in his footste#s and was initiated by an "ugly le#rous old crone:* The later,s
successor, Mar#a, recei)ed his initiation at the hands of a "foul7smelling Wfuneral7#lace
dakini, *** with long emaciated breasts and huge sex organs of offensi)e odor: $+alker, .QP%,
#* NH(*

.&Q
+hilst the ugly "lo)e #artners: threaten at the outset the way to sal)ation and the life of
an ade#t, at the end of the tantric #rocess of in)ersion they shine like fairy7tale beauties, who
ha)e been transformed from toads into #rincesses* Thus, after the transmutation, a "6ackal
6aws: has become the "dakini of wisdom:R a "lion,s gob: the honourable "Buddha dakini:
with "a bluish com#lexion and a radiant smile:R a "beak7face: a "6ewel dakini: with an
"#retty, white face: and so forth $Ste)ens, .QQ&, #* QN(* ;ll these charming creatures are
under the com#lete control of their guru, who through the con8uest of the demonic woman
has attained the 8ualification of sorcerer and now calls the tune for the transformed
demonesses*

For readily understandable reasons the fact remains that in the sexual magic #ractices a
#reference is shown for working with young and attracti)e girls* But e)en for this a
#aradoxical ex#lanation is offered0 ue to their attracti)eness the )irgins are far more
dangerous for the yogi than an old hag* The chances that he lose his emotional and sexual
self7control in such a relationshi# are thus many times higher* This means that attracti)e
women #resent him with a e)en greater challenge than do the ugly*

The tantras are more consistent when a##lying the "law of in)ersion: to the social class
of the female #artners than they are with regard to age and beauty* +omen from lower castes
are not 6ust recommendable, but rather a##ear to be downright necessary for the #erformance
of certain rituals* The "alachakra Tantra lists female gardeners, butchers, #otters, whores,
and needle7workers among its recommendations $9rInwedel, "alacakra ???, ##* .'&, .'.(* <n
other texts there is talk of female #ig7herds, actresses, dancers, singers, washerwomen,
barmaids, wea)ers and similar* "-ourtesans are also fa)ored:, writes the Tibet researcher
Matthias 1ermanns, "since the more lecherous, de#ra)ed, dirty, morally re#ugnant and
dissolute they are, the better suited they are to their role: $1ermanns, .QNH, #* .Q.(* This
a##raisal is in accord with the call of the Tantric ;nanga)a6ra to acce#t any mudra& whate)er
nature she may ha)e, since "e)erything ha)ing its existence in the ultimate non7dual
substance, nothing can be harmful for yogaR and therefore the yogin should en6oy e)erything
to his heart,s content without the least fear or hesitation: $asgu#ta, .QN@, #* .P@(*

Time and again, so7called candalis are mentioned as the Tantric,s sexual #artners* These
are girls from the lowest caste, who eke out a meager li)ing with all manner of work around
..&
the crematoria* <t is e)ident from a commentary u#on the He+a0ra Tantra that among other
things they there offered themsel)es to the )agrant yogis for the latter,s sexual #ractices
$Snellgro)e, .QPN, )ol* ., #* .LP(* For an orthodox 1indu such creatures were considered
untouchable* <f e)en the shadow of a candali fell u#on a 1indu, the disastrous conse8uences
were life7long for the latter*

Since it annulled the strict #rescri#tions of the 1indu caste system with its rituals, a
fundamentally social re)olutionary attitude has been ascribed to Tantric Buddhism* <n
#articular, modern feminists accredit it with this $Shaw, .QQ@, #* L%(* But, aside from the
ob)ious fact that women from the lower classes are more readily a)ailable as sexual #artners,
here too the "law of in)ersion: is considered decisi)e for the choice to be made* The social
inferiority of the woman increases the "antinomism: of the tantric rituals* "<t is the symbol of
the Wwasherwoman, and the Wcourtesan, Swhich areT of decisi)e significance:, we may read in
a book by Mircea 3liade, "and we must familiariMe oursel)es with the fact that, in accordance
with the tantric doctrine of the identity of o##osites, the Wmost noble and )aluable, is #recisely
Sto be foundT hidden within the Wbasest and most banal,: $3liade, .QPH, #* %L., note %&@(*

!ikewise, when women from the higher castes $Brahmans, Wwarriors,, or rich business
#eo#le( are on the Tantric,s wish list, es#ecially when they are married, the law of in)ersion
functions here as well, since a rigid taboo is broken through the em#loyment of a wife from
the u##er classes > an indicator for the boundless #ower of the yogi*

Th( inc(!t ta5oo
There is indis#utable e)idence from archaic societies for the )iolation of the incest
#rohibition0 there is hardly a tantra of the higher class in which sexual intercourse with one,s
own mother or daughter, with aunts or sisters7in7law is not encouraged* 1ere too the 9erman
lama 9o)inda em#hatically #rotests against taking the texts literally* <t would be downright
ridiculous to think "that Tantric Buddhists really did encourage incest and sexual de)iations
$9o)inda, .QQ., #* ..'(* Mother, sister, daughter and so on stood for the four elements,
egomania, or something similar*

But such symbolic assignments do not necessarily contradict the #ossibility of an
incestuous #raxis, which is in fact found not 6ust in the Tibet of old, but also in totally
...
inde#endent cultures scattered all around the world* 1ere too, it remains )alid that the yogi,
who is as a matter of #rinci#le interested in a fundamental )iolation of #roscri#tions, must
really long for an incestuous relationshi#* There is also no lack of historical re#orts* +e
#resent the curse of a #uritanically minded lama from the .Lth century, who addressed the
excesses of his libertine colleagues as follows0 "<n executing the rites of sexual union the
#eo#le co#ulate without regard to blood relations *** Bou are more im#ure than dogs and #igs*
;s you ha)e offered the #ure gods feces, urine, s#erm and blood, you will be reborn in the
swam# of rotten cada)ers: $PaM, .QP@, #*QH(*

Eating and drin1ing i$8ur( !u5!tanc(!
; central role in the rites is #layed by the tantric meal* <t is absolutely forbidden for
Buddhist monks to eat meat or drink alcohol* This taboo is also deliberately broken
by -a0rayana ade#ts* To make the transgression more radical, the consum#tion of ty#es of
meat which are generally considered "forbidden: in <ndian society is desired0 ele#hant meat,
horsemeat, dogflesh, beef, and human flesh* The latter goes under the name of maha mamsa,
the Wgreat flesh,* <t usually came from the dead, and is a "meat of those who died due to their
own karma, who were killed in battle due to e)il karma or due to their own fault:, Pundarika
writes in his traditional "alachakra commentary, and goes on to add that it is sensible to
consume this substance in #ill form $4ewman, .QPN, #* %LL(* Small amounts of tit are also
recommended in a modern text on the "alachakra Tantra as well $hargyey, .QPH, #* %H(*
There are reci#es which distinguish between the )arious body #arts and demand the
consum#tion of brain, li)er, lungs, intestines, testes and so forth for #articular ceremonies*

The fi)e taboo ty#es of meat are granted a sacramental character* +ithin them are
concentrated the energies of the highest Buddhas, who are able to a##ear through the "law of
in)ersion:* The texts thus s#eak of the "fi)e ambrosias: or "fi)e nectars:* Kther im#ure
"foods: ha)e also been assigned to the fi)e hyani Buddhas* Ratnasambha+a is associated
with blood, ;mitabha with semen, ;moghasiddhi with human flesh, ;ksobhya with
urine, -airocana with excrement $+ayman, .QN', #* ..L(*

The Candamaharosana Tantra lists with relish the #articular substances which are
offered to the ade#t by his wisdom consort during the sexual magic rituals and which he must
swallow0 excrement, urine, sali)a, lefto)ers from between her teeth, li#stick, dish7water,
..%
)omit, the wash water which remains after her anus has been cleaned $9eorge, .QN@, ##* N',
NP, NQ( Those who "make the excrement and urine their food, will be truly ha##y:, #romises
the @uhyasama0a Tantra $8uoted by 9Yng, .QPP, #* .'@(* <n the He+a0ra Tantra the ade#t
must drink the menstrual blood of his mudraout of a skull bowl $Farrow and Menon, .QQ%, #*
QP(* But rotten fish, sewer water, canine feces, cor#se fat, the excrement of the dead, sanitary
na#kins as well as all concei)able "intoxicating drinks: are also consumed $+alker, .QP%, ##*
P&OP@(*

There exists a strict commandment that the #racticing yogi may not feel any disgust in
consuming these im#ure substances* "Kne should ne)er feel disgusted by excrement, urine,
semen or blood: $8uoted by 9Yng, .QPP, #* %LL(* Fundamentally, "he must eat and drink
whate)er he obtains and he should not hold any notions regarding likes and dislikes: $Farrow
and Menon, .QQ%, #* LN(*

But it is not 6ust in the tantric rites, in Tibetan medicine as well all manner of human and
animal excretions are em#loyed for healing #ur#oses* The excrement and urine of higher
lamas are sought7after medicines* Processed into #ills and offered for sale, they once #layed
7and now #lay once more > a significant role in the business acti)ities of Tibetan and exile7
Tibetan monasteries* 4aturally, the highest #rices are #aid for the excretions of the su#reme
hierarch, the alai !ama* There is a re#ort on the young Fourteenth god7king,s so6ourn in
Bei6ing $in .QH@( which recounts how 1is 1oliness,s excrement was collected daily in a
golden #ot in order to then be sent to !hasa and #rocessed into a medication there $9runfeld,
.QQL, #* %%(* 3)en if this source came from the -hinese cam#, it can be gi)en credence
without further ado, since corres#onding #ractices were common throughout the entire
country*
Th( .-(a!t on -Nc(! -aac%.
A! da$t!ig ha! co$( into contact with W(!t(rn 8!%choogica $at(riai!$2 !(--
d(-(nc( tactic! ha'( ta1(n a 'ari(t% o- -or$!D Th( on( that ha! $o!t intrigu(d $( i! what
I ha'( du55(d th( .-(a!t on -Nc(! -aac%. - o- which th(r( a88(ar to 5( two 'ariation!D I
(ncount(r(d th( -ir!t during $% introduction to @aLra%ana at @aLradhatu S($inar% - a
thr((-$onth 8ractic( and !tud% r(tr(at d(!ign(d 5% ChOg%a$ Trung8a Rin8och(D I
att(nd(d thi! r(tr(at a-t(r Trung8a Rin8och(P! d(ath2 wh(n hi! !on2 Sa1%ong Mi8ha$
..'
Rin8och(2 taught itD A! th( !u$$(r 8rogr(!!(d and th( t(aching! gr(w $or(
cha(nging2 !8(cuation a5out !a$a%a h(at(d u8D Th( !8(cuation too1 on an odd
r(8(ating 8att(rnD At !o$( 8oint in ('(r% con'(r!ation on th( to8ic2 !o$(on( woud
in('ita5% !a%2 .I h(ard that !a$a%a $(an! that i- th( Sa1%ong t(! %ou to (at !hit2 %ou
ha'( to do itD. Th( con'(r!ation woud th(n d('o'( into ('(r%on( d(ciding wh(th(r th(%
woud (at !hit or notD A-t(r 8uJJing o'(r it -or a whi(2 $% ('(ntua r(!8on!( to thi!
!tat($(nt wa!2 .How i1(% i! it that th( Sa1%ong woud a!1 %ou to (at !hit<. Th( who(
di!cu!!ion wa! a !car( tactic2 how('(r uncon!ciou! it $a% ha'( 5((nD It 8r(!(nt(d on(
with an (Btr($(2 red"'tio ad abs"rd"m 8ro8o!ition -ro$ which on( coud Auit(
Lu!ti-ia5% turn awa% in di!gu!tD In th( 8roc(!!2 it Lu!t !o ha88(n(d that on( a!o cut
on(!(- o-- -ro$ -inding out what !a$a%a actua% did $(anD That '(r!ion o- th( F(a!t on
FNc(! Faac% o8(rat(! 5% th( !tud(nt !caring hi$!(- or h(r!(- awa% -ro$ da$t!igD

Th( !(cond 'ariation on thi! th($( o8(rat(! to di!cr(dit th( La$a with who$ th(
!tud(nt $ight $a1( th( 'owD A good (Ba$8( o- thi! wa! in a r(8ort on th( -ir!t
con-(r(nc( o- W(!t(rn #uddhi!t t(ach(r! with HH Daai La$a in Dhara$!aa in "99+D
At on( o- th( con-(r(nc( !(!!ion!2 Ro5(rt Thur$an r(8ort(d% !aid that an%on( who
aow(d hi$!(- or h(r!(- to 5( ca(d a 'aLra $a!t(r !houd 5( 8r(!(nt(d with a 8at( o-
(Bcr($(nt and a -or1D I- h( or !h( wa! not ca8a5( o- (ating it2 5a!(d on th( 8rinci8( o-
rochig &ro )'i) - on( ta!t()2 th(n h( or !h( wa! a -raud and !houd ta1( u8 1nittingD Thi!
8oitica% d('iou! 8(r!8(cti'( i! on( which !((1! to n(ut(r ('(r% La$a who i! not
in'(!t(d with th( corr(ct d(gr(( o- curr(nt w(!t(rn aduationD E'id(nt% a La$a who
d(ni(! 5(ing a 'aLra $a!t(r 5ut who i! non(th((!! r(gard(d a! a 'aLra $a!t(r i! (B($8t
-ro$ th( o--(r o- Ro5(rt Thur$anP! -Nca -(a!tD

From0 The /Feast on F_ces Fallacy/ Kr 7 how not to scare oneself away from liberation
7 by 4ora -ameron in0htt#0UUwww*damtsig*orgUarticlesUfaeces*html
N(cro8hiia
<n a brilliant essay on Tantrism, the Mexican essayist and #oet Kcta)io PaM drew
attention to the fact that the great fondness of the Mexicans for skeletons and skulls could be
found nowhere else in the world exce#t in the Buddhist ritual #ractices of the Tibetans and
4e#alese* The difference lies in the fact that in Mexico the death figures are regarded as a
..@
mockery of life and the li)ing, whilst in Tantrism they are "horrific and obscene: $PaM, .QP@,
#* Q@(* This connection between death and sexuality is indeed a #o#ular leitmoti+ in Tibetan
art* <n scroll images the tantric cou#les are a##ro#riately e8ui##ed with skull bowls and
clea)ers, wear necklaces of se)ered heads and tram#le around u#on cor#ses whilst holding
one another in the embrace of sexual union*

; general, indeed dominant necro#hiliac strain in Tibetan culture cannot be o)erlooked*
Fokke Sierksma,s work includes a descri#tion of a meditation cell in which a lama had been
immured* <t was decorated with human hair, skin and bones, which were #robably su##lied by
the dismemberers of cor#ses* Strung on a line were a number of dried female breasts* The
eating bowl of the immured monk was not the usual human skull, but was also made from the
cured skin of a woman,s breast $Sierksma, .QLL, #* .PQ(*

Such macabre ambiences can be dismissed as marginal excesses, which is indeed what
they are in the full swee# of Tibetan culture* But they nonetheless stand in a dee# meaningful
and symbolic connection with the #aradoxical #hiloso#hy of Tantrism, of Buddhism in
general e)en, which since its beginnings recommended as exercises meditation u#on cor#ses
in the )arious stages of decom#osition in order to recogniMe the transience of all being* ;lone
the early Buddhist contem#t for life, which locked the gateway to nir+ana, is sufficient to
understand the regular fascination with the morbid, the macabre and the decay of the body
which characteriMes !amaism* -rematoria, charnel fields, cemeteries, funeral #yres, gra)es,
but also #laces where a murder was carried out or a bloody battle was fought are considered,
in accord with the "law of in)ersion:, to be es#ecially suitable locations for the #erformance
of the tantric rites with a wisdom consort*

The sacred art of Tibet also re)els in macabre sub6ects* <n illustrations of the wrathful
deities of the Tibetan #antheon, their hellish radiation is transferred to the landsca#e and the
hea)ens and transform e)erything into a nature morte in the truest sense of the word* Black
whirlwinds and greenish #oisonous )a#ors swee# across infertile #lains* ee# red rods of
lightning flash through the night and rent clouds, ridden by witches, rage across a #itch black
sky* Pieces of cor#ses are scattered e)erywhere, and are gnawed at by all manner of re#ulsi)e
beasts of #rey*

..H
<n order to ex#lain the morbidity of Tibetan monastic culture, the utch cultural
#sychologist Fokke Sierksma makes reference to Sigmund Freud,s conce#t of a "death wish:
$thanatos(* <nterestingly, a com#arison to Buddhism occurs to the famous #sychoanalyst when
describing the structure of the necro#hiliac urge, which he attributes to, among other things,
the "nir)ana #rinci#le:* This he understand to be a general desire for inacti)ity, rest,
resolution, and death, which is claimed to be innate to all life* But in addition to this, since
Freud, the death wish also exhibits a concrete sadistic and masochistic com#onent* Both
attitudes are ex#ressions of aggression, the one directed outwards $sadism(, the other directed
inwardly $masochism(*

Ritua $urd(r
The most aggressi)e form of the externaliMed death wish is murder* <t remains as the
final taboo )iolation within the tantric scheme to still be examined* The ritual killing of
#eo#le to a##ease the gods is a sacred deed in many religions* <n no sense do such ritual
sacrifices belong to the #ast, rather they still #lay a role today, for exam#le in the
tantric "ali cults of <ndia* 3)en children are offered u# to the cruel goddess on her bloody
altars $Time, ;ugust .QQN, #* .P(* ;mong the Buddhist, in #articular Tibetan, Tantrics such
acts of )iolence are not so well7known* +e must therefore )ery carefully #ose the 8uestion of
whether a ritual murder can here too be a #art of the cult acti)ity*

<t is certain at least that all the texts of the 1ighest Tantra class )erbally call for murder*
The ade#t who seeks refuge in the hyani Buddha ;kshobya meditates u#on the )arious
forms of hate u# to and including aggressi)e killing* Kf course, in this case too, a taboo
)iolation is to be transformed in accordance with the "law of in)ersion: into its o##osite, the
attainment of eternal life* Thus, when the @uhyasama0a Tantra re8uires of the ade#t that "he
should kill all sentient beings with this secret thunderbolt: $+ayman, .QNN, #* '&Q(, then >
according to doctrine > this should occur so as to free them from suffering*

<t is further seen as an honorable deed to "deli)er: the world from #eo#le of whom a
yogi knows that they will in future commit nasty crimes* Thus Padmasambha)a, the founder
of Tibetan Buddhism, in his childhood killed a boy whose future abominable deeds he
foresaw*

..L
Maha ,iddha Vir"pa and an impaled h"man

But it is not 6ust #ure com#assion or a transformatory intent which lies behind the
already mentioned calls to murder in the tantras, abo)e all not then when they are directed at
the enemies of Buddhism* ;s, for exam#le, in the rites of the He+a0ra Tantra0 ";fter ha)ing
announced the intention to the guru and accom#lished beings:, it says there, "#erform with
mercy the rite of killing of one who is a non7belie)er of the teachings of the Buddha and the
detractors of the gurus and Buddhas* Kne should emanate such a #erson, )isualiMing his form
as being u#side7down, )omiting blood, trembling and with hair in disarray* <magine a blaMing
needle entering his back* Then by en)isioning the seed7syllable of the Fire element in his
heart he is killed instantly: $8uoted by Farrow and Menon, .QQ%, #* %NL(* The @uhyasama0a
Tantra also offers instructions on how to > as in )oodoo magic > create images of the
o##onent and inflict "murderous: in6uries u#on these, which then actually occur in reality0
"Kne draws a man or a woman in chalk or charcoal or similar* Kne #ro6ects an ax in the hand*
Then one #ro6ects the way in which the throat is slit: $8uoted by 9Yng, .QPP, #* %%H(* ;t
another #oint the enemy is bewitched, #oisoned, ensla)ed, or #aralyMed* -orres#onding
sentences are to be found in the "alachakra Tantra* There too the ade#t is urged to murder a
being which has )iolated the Buddhist teachings* The text re8uires, howe)er, that this be
carried out with com#assion $alai !ama ?<V, .QPH, #* '@Q(*

The destruction of o##onents )ia magical means is #art of the basic training of any
tantric ade#t* For exam#le, we learn from the He+a0ra Tantra a magic s#ell with the hel# of
..N
which all the soldiers of an enemy army can be deca#itated at one stroke $Farrow and Menon,
.QQ%, #* '&(* There we can also find how to #roduce a blaMing fe)er in the enemy,s body and
let it be )a#oriMed $Farrow and Menon, .QQ%, #* '.(* Such magical killing #ractices were >
as we shall show Oin no sense marginal to Tibetan religious history, rather they gained entry to
the broad7scale #olitics of the alai !amas*

The destructi)e rage does not e)en shy away from titans, gods, or Buddhas* <n contrast,
through the destruction of the highest beings the Tantric absorbs their #ower and becomes an
arch7god* 3)en here things sometimes take a sadistic turn, as for exam#le in
the @uhyasama0a Tantra, where the murder of a Buddha is demanded0 "Kne douses him in
blood, one douses him in water, one douses him in excrement and urine, one turns him o)er,
stam#s on his member, then one makes use of the 2ing of +rath* <f this is com#leted eight
hundred times then e)en a Buddha is certain to disintegrate: $8uoted by 9Yng, .QPP, #* %.Q(*

<n order to effecti)ely #erform this Buddha murder, the yogi in)okes an entire
#andemonium, whose grotes8ue a##earance could ha)e been modeled on a work by
1ieronymus Bosch0 "1e #ro6ects the threat of demons, manifold, raw, horrible, hardened by
rage* Through this e)en the diamond bearer Sthe 1ighest BuddhaT dies* 1e #ro6ects how he is
eaten by owls, crows, by rutting )ultures with long beaks* Thus e)en the Buddha is destroyed
with certainty* ; black snake, extremely brutish, which makes the fearful be afraid* *** <t rears
u#, higher than the forehead* -onsumed by this snake e)en the Buddha is destroyed with
certainty* Kne lets the the #erils and torments of all beings in the ten directions descend u#on
the enemy* This is the best* The is the su#reme ty#e of in)ocation: $8uoted by 9Yng, .QPP, #*
%'&(* This can be strengthened with the following aggressi)e mantra0 "Km, throttle, throttle,
stand, stand, bind, bind, slay, slay, burn, burn, bellow, bellow, blast, blast the leader of all
ad)ersity, #rince of the great horde, bring the life to an end: $8uoted by 9Yng, .QPP, #* %'&(*

+e encounter a #articularly interesting murder fantasy in the deliberate staging of the
Kedi#us drama which a #assage from the Candamaharosana Tantra re8uires* The ade#t
should slay;ksobhya& his Buddha father& with a sword, gi)e his mother, <amaki& the flesh of
the murdered father to eat and ha)e sexual intercourse with her afterwards $9eorge, .QN@, #*
HQR FillioMat, .QQ., #* @'&(*

..P
+ithin the s#ectrum of BuddhistUtantric killing #ractices, the deliberately staged
"suicide: of the "se)enfold born: re#resents a s#ecialty* +e are dealing here with a #erson
who has been reincarnated se)en times and dis#lays exce#tional 8ualities of character* 1e
s#eaks with a #leasant )oice, obser)es with beautiful eyes and #ossesses a fine7smelling and
glowing body which casts se)en shadows* 1e ne)er becomes angry and his mind is constantly
filled with infinite com#assion* -onsuming the flesh of such a wonderful #erson has the
greatest magical effects*

1ence, the Tantric should offer a "se)enfold born: )eneration with flowers and ask him
to act in the interests of all suffering beings* Thereu#on > it says in the rele)ant texts > he
will without hesitation surrender his own life* ;fterwards #ills are to be made from his flesh,
the consum#tion of which grant among other things the siddhis $#owers( of Wsky7walking,*
Such #ills are in fact still being distributed today* The heart7blood is es#ecially sought after,
and the skull of the killed blessed one also #ossesses magical #owers $Farrow and Menon,
.QQ%, #* .@%(*

+hen one considers the suicide re8uest made to the "se)enfold born:, the cynical
structure of the tantric system becomes es#ecially clear* 1is flesh is so yearned7for because he
exhibits that innocence which the Tantric on account of his contamination with all the base
elements of the world of a##earances no longer #ossesses* The "se)enfold born: is the
com#lete o##osite of an ade#t, who has had dealings with the dark forces of the demonic* <n
order to transform himself through the blissful flesh of an innocent, the yogi re8uests such a
one to deliberately sacrifice himself* ;nd the higher being is so kind that it actually res#onds
to this re8uest and afterwards makes his dead body a)ailable for sacred consum#tion*

The mystery of the eucharist, in which the body and blood of -hrist is di)ided among
his belie)ers s#rings so readily to mind that it is not im#ossible that the tantric consum#tion of
a "se)enfold born: re#resents a Buddhist #ara#hrase of the -hristian !ast Su##er* $The tantras
a##eared in the @th century -*3* at the earliest*( But such self7sacrificial scenes can also be
found already in<ahayana Buddhism* <n the Sutra of (erfected isdom in Eight Thousand
-erses a descri#tion can be found of how the Bodhisatt)a Sada#rarudita dismembers his own
body in order to worshi# his teacher* Firstly he slits both his arms so that the blood #ours out*
Then he slices the flesh from his legs and finally breaks his own bones so as to be able to also
..Q
offer the marrow as a gift* +hate)er o#inion one has of such ecstatic acts of self7
dismemberment, in <ahayana they always demonstrate the heroic deed of an ethically
su#erior being who wishes to hel# others* <n contrast, the cynical sacrifice of the "se)enfold
born: demonstrates the ex#loitation of a noble and selfless sentiment to ser)e the #ower
interests of the Tantric* <n the face of such base moti)es, the Tibetresearcher a)id Snellgro)e
with some 6ustification doubts the se)enfold incarnated,s im#uted #re#aredness to be
sacrificed0 "id one track him down and wait for him to die or did one hasten the #rocessA ;ll
these tantras gi)e so many fierce rites with the ob6ect of slaying, that the second alternati)e
might not seem unlikely ***: $Snellgro)e, .QPN, )ol* ., #* .L.(*

S%$5o and r(ait%
Taking Snellgro)e,s sus#icion as our starting #oint, the 8uestion arises as to whether the
ritual murder of a #erson is intended to be real or 6ust symbolic in the tantric scri#ts* ;mong
+estern inter#reters of the tantras o#inions are di)ided* 3arly researchers such as ;ustine
+addell or ;lbert 9rInwedel #resumed a literal inter#retation of the rituals described in the
texts and were dismayed by them* ;mong contem#orary authors, es#ecially those who are
themsel)es Buddhists, the "crimes: of -a0rayana are usually #layed down as allegorical
meta#hors, as Michael M* Broido or ;nagarika 9o)inda do in their #ublications, for exam#le*
This toned7down #oint of )iew is, for readily understandable reasons, today thankfully
ado#ted by Tibetan lamas teaching e)erywhere in the +estern world* <t liberates the gurus
from tiresome confrontations with the ethical norms of the cultures in which they ha)e settled
after their flight from Tibet* They too now see themsel)es called to transform the offensi)e
shady sides of the tantras into friendly bright sides0 "1uman flesh: for exam#le is to be
understood as referring to the own im#erfect self which the yogi "consumes: in a figurati)e
sense through his sacred #ractices* "To kill: means to rob dualistic thought #atterns of their
life in order to recreate the original unity with the uni)erse, and so forth* But des#ite such
eu#hemisms an un#leasant taste remains, since the statements of the tantras are so
une8ui)ocal and clear*

<t is at any rate a fact that the entire tantric ritual schema does not get by without dead
body #arts and makes generous use of them* The sacred ob6ects em#loyed consist of human
organs, flesh, and bones* 4ormally these are found at and collected from the #ublic crematoria
in <ndia or the charnel fields of Tibet*
.%&

But there are indications which must be taken seriously that u# until this century
Tibetans ha)e had to surrender their li)es for ritualistic reasons* The $fourteenth7century( $lue
;nnals, a seminal document in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, already re#orts u#on how
in Tibet the so7called ".P robber7monks: slaughtered men and women for their tantric
ceremonies $$lue ;nnals, .QQH, #* LQN(* The 3nglishman Sir -harles Bell )isited a stu#a on
the Bhutan7Tibet border in which the ritually killed body of an eight7year7old boy and a girl of
the same age were found $Bell, .Q%N, #* P&(* ;ttestations of human sacrifice in
the 1imalayas recorded by the ;merican anthro#ologist 5obert 3k)all date from the .QH&s
$3k)all, .QL@, ##* .LHO.LL, .LQ, .N%(*

<n their criticism of lamaism, the -hinese make fre8uent and em#hatic reference to such
ritual killing #ractices, which were still wides#read at the time of the so7called "liberation: of
the country, that is until the end of the .QH&s* ;ccording to them, in the year .Q@P
%.indi)iduals were murdered by state sacrificial #riests from !hasa as #art of a ritual of
enemy destruction, because their organs were re8uired as magical ingredients $9runfeld,
.QQL, #* %Q(* 5ather than dismissing such statements in ad)ance as e)il communist
#ro#aganda, the original s#irit of the tantra texts would seem to afford that they be
in)estigated conscientiously and without #re6udice*

The morbid ritual ob6ects on dis#lay in the Tibetan Re+olutions <useum established by
the -hinese in !hasa, certainly teach us something about horror0 #re#ared skulls, mummified
hands, rosaries made of human bones, ten trum#ets made from the thigh bones of .L7year7old
girls, and so on* ;mong the museum,s exhibits is also a document which bears the seal of the
$Thirteenth or FourteenthA( alai !ama in which he demands the contribution of human
heads, blood, flesh, fat, intestines, and right hands, likewise the skins of children, the
menstrual blood of a widow, and stones with which human skulls had been sta)ed in, for the
"strengthening of holy order: $3#stein, .QP', #*.'P(* Further, a small #arcel of se)ered and
#re#ared male sexual organs which are needed to conduct certain rituals can also be seen
there, as well as the charred body of a young woman who was burned as a witch* <f the tantra
texts did not themsel)es mention such macabre re8uisites, it would ne)er occur to one to take
this demonstration of religious )iolence seriously*

.%.
That the -hinese with their accusations of tantric excesses cannot be all that false, is
demonstrated by the relati)ely recent brutal murder of three lamas, which dee#ly shook the
exile7Tibetan community in haramsala* Kn @ February .QQN, the murdered bodies of the N&7
year7old lama !obsang 9yatso, head of the Buddhist7dialectical school, and two of his #u#ils
were found 6ust a few yards from the residence of the Fourteenth alai !ama* The murderers
had re#eatedly stabbed their )ictims with a knife, had slit their throats and according to #ress
re#orts had #artially skinned their cor#ses $SKddeutsche Geitung, .QQN, no* .HP, #* .&(* ;ll the
obser)ers and commentators on the case were of the unanimous o#inion that this was a case
of ritual murder* <n the second #art of our analysis we examine in detail the real and symbolic
background and #olitical im#lications of the e)ents of @ February*

;t any rate, the su#reme demands which a yogi must make of himself in order to ex#ose
a "crime: which he "really: commits as an illusion s#eaks for the likelihood of the actual
staging of a killing during a tantric ritual* <n the final instance the conce#tion that e)erything
is only an illusion and has no inde#endent existence leads to an indifference as to whether a
murder is real or "6ust: allegorical* From this #oint of )iew e)erything in the world
of -a0rayana is both "real: and "symbolic:* "+e touch symbols, when we think we are
touching bodies and material ob6ects:, writes Kcta)io PaM with regard to Tantrism, ";nd )ice
)ersa0 according to the law of re)ersibility all symbols are real and touchable, ideas and e)en
nothingness has a taste* <t makes no difference whether the crime is real or symbolic0 5eality
and symbol fuse, and in fusing they dissol)e: $PaM, .QP@, ##* Q.OQ%(*

Concurr(nc( with th( d($onic
The excesses of Tantrism are legitimated by the claim that the yogi is ca#able of
transforming e)il into good )ia his s#iritual techni8ues* This inordinate attem#t nonetheless
gi)e rise to a##rehensions as to whether the ade#t does in fact ha)e the strength to resist all
the tem#tations of the "de)il:A <ndeed, the "law of in)ersion: always leads in the first #hase
to a "concurrence with the demonic: and regards contact with the "de)il: as a #ro#er
admission test for the #ath of enlightenment* 4o other current in any of the world religions
thus ranks the demons and their retinue so highly as in-a0rayana*

The image #acked iconogra#hy of Tibet literally teems with terrible deities $herukas(
and red henchmen* +hen one dares, one,s gaMe is met by disfigured faces, hate7filled
.%%
grimaces, bloodshot eyes, #rotruding canines* Twisted sneers lea)e one trembling > at once
both terrible and wonderful, as in an oriental fairy7tale* Surrounded by ra)ens and owls,
embraced by snakes and animal skins, the male and female monster gods carry battle7axes,
swords, #ikes and other murderous cult symbols in their hands, ready at any moment to cut
their o##onent into a thousand #ieces*

The so7called "books of the dead: and other ritual text are also storehouses for all
manner of Mombies, #eo#le7eaters, ghosts, ghouls, furies and fiends* <n the @uhyasama0a
Tantra the concurrence of the Buddhas with the demonic and e)il is ele)ated to an ex#licit
#art of the #rogram0 "They constantly eat blood and scra#s of flesh *** They drink treachery
like milk *** skulls, bones, smokehouses, oil and fat bring great 6oy: $8uoted by 9Yng, .QPP,
##* %HQO%L&(* <n this document the Buddhist gods gi)e free rein to their aggressi)e
destructi)e fantasies0 "1ack to #ieces, hack to #ieces, se)er, se)er, strike, strike, burn, burn:
they urge the initands with furious )oices $8uoted by 9Yng, .QPP, #* %%&(* Kne could almost
belie)e oneself to be confronted with #rimordial chaos* Such horror )isions are not 6ust
encountered by the tantric ade#t* They also, in Tibetan Buddhist tradition, a##ear to e)ery
normal #erson, sometimes during a lifetime on earth, but after death ine)itably* =#on dying
e)ery deceased #erson must, unless he is already enlightened, #rogress through a limbo
$$ardo( in which bands of de)ils sadistically torment him and attem#t to #ull the wool o)er
his eyes* ;s in the -hristian Middle ;ges, the Tibetan monks, fantasies also re)el in
unbearable images of hell* <t is said that not e)en a Bodhisatt)a is #ermitted to hel# a #erson
out of the hell of -a0ra$Trung#a, .QQ%, #* LP(*

1ere too we would like to come u# with a lengthier descri#tion, in order to draw
attention to the anachronistic7excruciating world )iew of Tantric Buddhism0 "The souls are
boiled in great cauldrons, inserted into iron caskets surrounded by flames, #lunge into icy
water and ca)es of ice, wade through ri)ers of fire or swam#s filled with #oisonous adders*
Some are sawed to #ieces by demonic henchmen, others #lucked at with glowing tongs,
gnawed by )ermin, or wander lost through a forest with a foliage of raMor shar# daggers and
swords* The tongues of those who blas#hemed against the teaching grow as big as a field and
the de)ils #low u#on them* The hy#ocrites are crushed beneath huge loads of holy books and
towering #iles of relics: $Bleichsteiner, .Q'N, #* %%@(* There are a total of .P different hells,
one more dreadful than the next* ;bo)e all, the most brutal #unishments are reser)ed for those
.%'
"sinners: who ha)e contra)ened the rules of -a0rayana* They can wait for their "head and
heart StoT burst: $1enss, .QPH, #* @L(*

; glance at old Tibetan criminal law re)eals that such )isions of fear and horror also
achie)ed some access to social reality* <ts methods of torture and de)ious forms of
#unishment were in no way inferior to the -hinese cruelties now denounced e)erywhere0 for
exam#le, both hands of thie)es were mutilated by being locked into salt7filled leather
#ouches* The am#utation of limbs and bloody floggings on the #ublic s8uares of !hasa,
deliberately staged freeMing to death, shackling, the fitting of a yoke and many other
"medie)al: torments were to be found in the #enal code until well into the %&th century*
+estern tra)elers re#ort with horror and loathing of the dark and dam# dungeons of the
Potala, the official residence of the alai !amas*

This clear familiarity with the s#ectacle of hell in a religion which bears the banners of
lo)e and kindness, #eace and com#assion is shocking for an outsider* <t is only the
#aradoxicalness of the tantras and the <adhyamika #hiloso#hy $the doctrine of the
Wem#tiness, of all being( which allows the ra#id inter#lay between hea)en and hell which
characteriMes Tibetan culture* 3)ery lama will answer that, "since e)erything is #ure illusion,
that must also be the case for the world of demons:, should one ask him about the de)ilish
ghosts* 1e will indicate that it is the ethical task of Buddhism to free #eo#le from this world
of horrors* But only when one has courageously looked the demon in the eye, can he be
ex#osed as illusory or as a ghostly figure thrown u# by one,s own consciousness*

4e)ertheless, that the obsessi)e and continuous #reoccu#ation with the terrible is
moti)ated by such thera#eutic intentions and #hiloso#hical s#eculations is difficult to
com#rehend* The demonic is accorded a disturbingly high intrinsic )alue in Tibetan culture,
which influences all social s#heres and #ossesses a seamless tradition* +hen Padmasambha)a
con)erted Tibet to Buddhism in the eighth century, the sagas recount that he was o##osed by
numerous nati)e male and female de)ils, against all of whom he was )ictorious thanks to his
skills in magic* But des#ite his )ictory he ne)er killed them, and instead forced them to swear
to ser)e Buddhism as #rotecti)e s#irits $dharmapalas( in future*

.%@
+hy, we ha)e to ask oursel)es, was this horde of demons snorting with rage not
transformed )ia the tantric "law of in)ersion: into a collection of #eace7lo)ing and graceful
beingsA +ould it not ha)e been sensible for them to ha)e abandoned their aggressi)e
character in order to lead a #eaceful and dis#assionate life in the manner of the Buddha
ShakyamuniA The o##osite was the case > the newly "ac8uired: Buddhist #rotecti)e gods
$dharmapalas( had not 6ust the chance but also the duty to li)e out their innate aggressi)eness
to the full* This was e)en multi#lied, but was no longer directed at orthodox Buddhists and
instead acted to crush the "enemies of the teaching:* The ata)istic #andemonium of the #re7
Buddhist !and of Snows sur)i)ed as a #owerful faction within the tantric #antheon and, since
horror in general exercises a greater #ower of fascination than a "boring: )ision of #eace,
dee#ly determined Tibetan cultural life*

Many Tibetans > among them, as we shall later see, the Fourteenth alai !ama > still
belie)e themsel)es to be constantly threatened by demonic #owers, and are ke#t busy holding
back the dark forces with the hel# of magic, su##licatory #rayers, and liturgical techni8ues,
but also recruiting them for their own ends, all of which incidentally #ro)ides a considerable
source of income for the #rofessional exorcists among the lamas* irectly alongside this
underworldly abyss > at least in the imagination > a mystic citadel of #ure #eace and eternal
rest rises u#, of which there is much talk in the sacred writings* Both )isions > that of horror
and that of bliss > com#lement one another and are in Tantrism linked in a "theological:
causal relationshi# which says that hea)en may only be entered after one has 6ourneyed
through hell*

<n his #sychoanalytical study of Tibetan culture, Fokke Sierksma con6ectures that the
chronic fear of demonic attacks was s#read by the lamas to hel# maintain their #ower and,
further to this, is blended with a sadomasochistic delight in the macabre and aggressi)e* The
en6oyment of cruelty wides#read among the monks is legitimated by, among other things, the
fact that > as can be read in the tantra texts > e)en the 1ighest Buddhas can assume the
forms of cruel gods $herukas( to then, bellowing and full of hate, smash e)erything to #ieces*

These days a smile is raised by the obser)ations of the Briton ;ustine +addells, who, in
his famous book #ublished in .PQQ, The $uddhism in Tibet& drew attention to the general fear
which then dominated e)ery as#ect of religious life in Tibet0 "The #riests must be constantly
.%H
called in to a##ease the menacing de)ils, whose ra)enous a##etite is only shar#ened by the
food gi)en to stay it: $8uoted by Sierksma, .QLL, #* .L@(* 1owe)er, +addell,s images of
horror were confirmed a number of decades later by the Tibetologist 9uise##e Tucci, whose
scholarly credibility cannot be doubted0 "The entire s#iritual life of the Tibetans:, Tucci
writes, "is defined by a #ermanent attitude of defense, by a constant effort to a##ease and
#ro#itiate the #owers whom he fears: $9runfeld, .QQL, #* %L(*

There is no need for us to rely solely on +estern inter#reters in order to demonstrate
Tantrism,s demonic orientationR rather we can form an im#ression for oursel)es* 3)en a
fleeting examination of the )iolent tantric iconogra#hy confirms that horror is a determining
element of the doctrine* +hy do the "di)ine: demons on the thangkas only )ery seldom take
to the field against one another but rather almost exclusi)ely mow down men, women, and
childrenA +hat moti)ates the "#eace7lo)ing: alai !ama to choose as his #rinci#al #rotecti)e
goddess a maniacal woman by the name of(alden 9hamo, who rides day and night through a
boiling sea of bloodA The fearsome goddess is seated u#on a saddle which she herself
#ersonally crafted from the skin of her own son* She murdered him in cold blood because he
refused to follow in the footste#s of his con)erted mother and become a Buddhist* +hy > we
must also ask oursel)es > has the militant war god $egtsebeen so highly re)ered for
centuries in the Tibetan monasteries of all sectsA

Kne might belie)e that this "familiarity with the demonic: would by the end of the
%&
th
century ha)e changed among the exile Tibetans, who are #raised for their "o#en7
mindedness:* =nfortunately, many e)ents of which we come to s#eak of in the second #art of
our study, but most es#ecially the recent and already mentioned ritual murders of @ February
.QQN in haramsala, illustrate that the gates of hell are by no means bolted shut* ;ccording to
re#orts so far, the #er#etrators were acting on behalf of the aggressi)e #rotecti)e s#irit, =or0e
Shugden. 3)en the Fourteenth alai !ama has attributed to this dharmapala $#rotecti)e deity(
the #ower to threaten his life and to bewitch him by magical means*

<f horror is acce#table, then death is chea#* <t is true that in Tantrism death is considered
to be a state of consciousness which can be surmounted, but in Tibetan culture $which also
incor#orates non7tantric elements( like the demons it has also achie)ed a thri)ing "life of its
own: and en6oys general cult worshi#* There > as we shall often come to show > it stands at
.%L
the center of numerous macabre rites* Sigmund Freud,s #roblematic formulation, that "the
goal of all life is death: can in our )iew be #refaced to !amaism as its leitmoti+*

Th( aggr(!!ion o- th( di'in( cou8(
oes this iconogra#hy of horror also a##ly to the di)ine cou#le who are worshi##ed at
the heart of the tantric ritualsA Kn the basis of the already described a#otheosis of mystic
sexual lo)e as the sus#ension of all o##osites, as a creati)e #olarity, as the origin of language,
the gods, time, of com#assion, em#tiness, and of the white light we ought to assume that the
#rimal cou#le radiate #eace, harmony, concord, and 6oy* <n fact there are such blissful
illustrations of the lo)e of god and goddess in Tantrism* <n this connection the #rimal
Buddha, Samantabhadra& highly re)ered in the 4yingma#a school, deser)es s#ecial mentionR
naked he sits in the meditati)e #osture without any ritual ob6ects in his hands, embracing his
similarly unclothed #artner, Samantabhadri* This #ure nakedness of the lo)ing cou#le
demonstrates a #owerful )ision, which breaks through the otherwise usual #atriarchal relation
of dominance which #re)ails between the sexes* ;ll other images of the Buddhas with their
consorts ex#ress an androcentric gesture of dominance through the symbolic ob6ects assigned
to them* S.T


.%N
$he implements o* the deity 0ala'hakra and his 'onsort Vishvamata

Peaceful images of the di)ine cou#le are, howe)er, exce#tional within the 1ighest
Tantras and in no way the rule* The ma6ority of the yabByum re#resentations are of
the Heruka ty#e, that is, they show cou#les in furious, destructi)e and )iolent #ositions*
;bo)e all the Buddha He+a0ra and his consort !airatmya* Surrounded by eight "burning:
dakinis he #erforms a biMarre dance of hell and is so intoxicated by his killing instinct that he
holds a skull bowl in each of his sixteen hands, in which gods, humans, and animals are to be
found as )ictims* <n her right hand !airatmya threateningly swings a clea)er* Raktiamari&
%amantaka& Cakrasam+ara& -a0rakila or whate)er names the clusters of #airs from the other
tantras may ha)e, all of them exhibit the same striking mixture of aggressi)eness, thanatos,
and erotic lo)e*

!ikewise, the time god, "alachakra& is of the heruka ty#e* 1is wildness is underlined by
his )am#ire7like canines and his hair which stands on end* The tiger #elt dra#ed around his
hi#s also signaliMes his aggressi)e character* Two of his four faces are not #eaceful, but
instead ex#ress greed and wrath* But abo)e all his destructi)e attitude is em#hasiMed by the
.%P
symbols which the "!ord of Time: holds in his twenty7four hands* Kf these, six are of a
#eaceful nature and eighteen are warlike* ;mong the latter are the +a0ra, +a0ra hook, sword,
trident, clea)er, damaru $a drum made from two skull bowls(, kapala $a )essel made out of a
human skull(, khat+anga $a ty#e of sce#ter, the ti# of which is decorated with three se)ered
human heads(, ax, discus, switch, shield,ankusha $ele#hant hook(, arrow, bow, sling, #rayer
beads made from human bones as well as the se)ered heads of $rahma* The #eaceable
symbols are0 a 6ewel, lotus, white conch shell, triratna$tri#le 6ewel(, and fire, so long it is not
used destructi)ely* Finally, there is the bell*

1is consort, -ish+amata& also fails to make a #acifist im#ression* Kf the eight symbolic
ob6ects which she holds in her eight hands, six are aggressi)e or morbid, and only two, the
lotus and the tri#le 6ewel, signify ha##iness and well7being* ;mong her magical defense
wea#ons are the clea)er,+a0ra hook, a drum made from human skulls, skull bowls filled with
hot blood, and #rayer beads made out of human bones* To signaliMe that she is under the
control of the androcentric #rinci#le, each of her four heads bears a crown consisting of a
small figure who re#resents the male hyani Buddha, -a0rasatt+a* ;s far as the facial
ex#ressions of the time goddess can be deci#hered, abo)e all they ex#ress sexual greed*

Both #rinci#al deities, "alachakra and -ish+amata, stand 6oined in union in the so7
called at7ease stance, which is su##osed to indicate their #re#aredness for battle and
willingness to attack* The foundation is com#osed of four cushions* Two of these symboliMe
the sun and moon, the other two the imaginary #lanets, Rahu and "aligni* Rahu is belie)ed to
swallow both of the former hea)enly bodies and #lays a role within the "alachakra rituals
which is 6ust as #rominent as that of "aligni, the a#ocaly#tic fire which destroys the world
with flame* The two #lanets thus ha)e an extremely aggressi)e and destructi)e nature*
Beneath the feet of the time cou#le two 1indu gods are ty#ically shown being tram#led, the
red lo)e god "ama and the white terror god Rudra* Their two #artners,Rati and Fma& try in
)ain to rescue them*

-onse8uently, the entire scenario of the "alachakra Tantra is warlike, #ro)ocati)e,
morbid, and hot7tem#ered* <n examining its iconogra#hy, one constantly has the feeling of
being witness to a massacre* <t is no hel# against this when the many commentaries stress
again and again that aggressi)e ritual ob6ects, combati)e body #ostures, ex#ressions of rage,
.%Q
and wrathful deeds are necessary in order to surmount obstacles which block the indi)idual,s
#ath to enlightenment* 4or, in light of the #athological com#ulsi)eness with which the Tantric
attem#ts to dri)e out horror with horror, is the affirmation con)incing, that Buddha,s wrath is
com#ensated for by Buddha,s lo)e and that all this cruelty is for the benefit of all suffering
beings*

The aggressi)eness of both #artners in the tantras remains a #uMMle* To our knowledge it
is not o#enly discussed anywhere, but rather acce#ted mutely* <n the 1ighest Tantras we can
all but assume the #rinci#le that the lo)ing cou#le as the wrathful7 warlike and turbulent
element finds its counter#oint in a #eaceful and unmo)ing Buddha in meditati)e #osture* <n
the light of this tantric iconogra#hy one has the im#ression that the +a0ra master #refers a hot
and aggressi)e sexuality with which to effect the transformation of erotic lo)e into #ower*
Perha#s the utch #sychologist, Fokke Sierksma, did not lie so wide of the mark when he
described the tantric #erformance as "sadomasochistic:, whereby the sadistic role is #rimarily
#layed by the man, whilst the woman exhibits both com#ulsions together* ;t any rate, the
energy set free by "hot sex: a##ears to be an es#ecially sought7after substance for the yogis,
"alchemic: transformati)e games, which we will come to examine in more detail later in the
course of our study*

The #oetry and beauty of mystic sexual lo)e is far more often $e)en if not at all
consistently( ex#ressed in the words of the 1ighest Tantra texts, than in the )isual
re#resentations of a morbid tantric eroticism* This does not fit together somehow* Since at the
end of the sexual magic rituals the masculine #rinci#le alone remains, the )erbal #raise of the
goddess, beauty and lo)e could also be mani#ulati)e, designed to con6ure u# the de)otion of a
woman* Bearing in mind that the method $upaya( of the yogis can also be translated as
"trick:, we may not exclude such a #ossibility*

W(!t(rn critici!$
<n the light of the unconcealed #otential for )iolence and manifest obsessions with
#ower within Tantric Buddhism it is incom#rehensible that the idea has s#read, e)en among
many +estern authors and a huge #ublic too, that -a0rayana is a religious #ractice which
exclusi)ely #romotes #eace* This seems all the more misled since the whole system in no way
denies its own destructi)eness and draws its entire #ower from the ex#loitation of extremes*
.'&
<n the face of such inconsistencies, some keen inter#reters of the tantras #ro6ect the )iolent
Buddhist fantasies outwards, by making 1induism and the +est res#onsible for aggression
and hunger for #ower*

For exam#le, the Tibetologist of 9erman origins, 1erbert 9uenther $born .Q.N(, who
has been engaged in an attem#t to win #hiloso#hical res#ectability for -a0rayana in 3uro#e
and ;merica since the L&s, shar#ly attacks the +estern and 1indu cultures0 "this #urely
1induistic #ower mentality, so similar to the +estern dominance #sychology, was generaliMed
and a##lied to all forms of Tantrism by writers who did not see or, due to their being stee#ed
so much in dominance #sychology, could not understand that the desire to realiMe Being is not
the same as the cra)ing for #ower: $9uenther, .QNL, #* L@(* The sacred eroticism of Buddhism
is com#letely misunderstood in the west and inter#reted as sexual #leasure and ex#loitation*
"The use of sexuality as a tool of #ower destroys its function:, this author tells us and
continues, "Buddhist Tantrism dis#enses with the idea of #ower, in which it sees a remnant of
sub6ecti)istic #hiloso#hy, and e)en goes beyond mere #leasure to the en6oyment of being and
of enlightenment unattainable without woman: $9uenther, .QNL, LL(*

;nagarika 9o)inda $.PQP7.QPH(, also a 9erman con)erted to Buddhism whose original
name was 3rnst !othar 1offmann and who belie)ed himself to be a reincarnation of the
9erman romantic 4o)alis, made e)en greater efforts to deny a claim to #ower in Tibetan
Buddhism* 1e e)en attem#ted, with > when one considers the #rint run of his books >
ob)iously great success, to cleanse -a0rayana of its sacred sexuality and #resent it as a #ure,
s#iritual school of wisdom*

9o)inda also gi)es the 1indus the blame for e)erything bad about the tantras* Shakti >
the 9erman lama says > mean #ower* "=nited with Shakti, be full of #owerV:, it says in a
1indu tantra $9o)inda, .QP@, #* .&L(* "The conce#t of Shakti, of di)ine #ower,: > the author
continues > "#lays absolutely no role in Buddhism* +hilst in tantric 1induism the conce#t of
#ower lies at the center of concern: $9o)inda, .QP@, #* .&H(* Further, we are told, the Tibetan
yogi is free of all sexual and #ower fantasies* 1e attains union exclusi)ely with the "eternal
feminine:, the symbol for "emotion, lo)e, heart, and com#assion:* "<n this state there is no
longer anything Wsexual, in the time7honored sense of the word ***: $9o)inda, .QP@, #* ...(*

.'.
Bet the feminist criti8ue of -a0rayana, which Miranda Shaw #resented in her book on
"+omen in Tantric Buddhism: #ublished in .QQ@, a##ears e)en more odd* +ith reference to
1erbert 9uenther she also 6udges the inter#retation of authors who re)eal Tantrism to be a
sexual and s#iritual ex#loitation of the woman, to be a maneu)er of "western dominance
#sychology:* These "androcentric: scholars reiterate a #re6udice embedded dee#ly within
western culture, which says that men are always acti)e, women in contrast #assi)e )ictimsR
men are #ower conscious, women are #owerlessR men are molded by intellect, women by
emotion* <t was suggested that women did not #osses the ca#acity to #ractice tantric Boga
$Shaw, .QQ@, #* Q(*

<t is no sur#rise that the "militant Tantric: Miranda Shaw argues thus, then from the first
to the last line of her committed book she tries to bring the #roof that women were in no way
inferior to the great gurus and <aha Siddhas* The a##arently meager number of "yoginis: to
be found in the history of -a0rayana& com#ared that is to the literally countless assembly of
tantric masters, are built u# by the author into a s#iritual, female su#er7elite* The women from
the founding #hase of Tantrism > we learn here > did not 6ust work together with their male
#artners as e8uals, rather they were far su#erior to them in their knowledge of mysteries* They
are the actual "masters: and Tantric Buddhism owes its )ery existence to them* This radical
feminist attem#t to inter#ret Tantrism as an originally matriarchal cult e)ent, is howe)er, not
entirely un6ustified* !et us briefly trace its footste#s*

Footnot(!:
S.T <n the usual yabByum re#resentation of the hyani Buddhas, the male Buddha figure
always crosses both of his arms behind the back of his wisdom consort, forming what is
known as the -a0rahumkara gesture* ;t the same time he holds a +a0ra $the su#reme symbol
of masculinity( in his right hand, and a gantha $the su#reme symbol of femininity( in his
left* The symbolic #ossession of both ritual ob6ects identifies him as the lord of both sexes*
1e is the androgyne and the pra0na is a #art of his self*

0D PERE SHA4TISM2 TANTRIC FEMINISM2
AND ALCHEMG

.'%
<n order to understand the "theological: intentions of -a0rayana and its iconogra#hy and
#sychology, it is of great )alue to draw a com#arision to the matriarchal and gynocentric
goddess cults of <ndia* The high tensions and ex#losi)e forces in the sexual magic scenarios
of the tantras can only be ex#lained in the light of the conflicting manner in which the two
cultural currents treat the dynamic between the sexes* To our knowledge there is no culture
where the sexes ha)e as theocratic systems gi)en rise to such so#histicated and com#lex
#ower struggles as in <ndian > u# to and including the #resent day*

1einrich )on 9lasena## calls pure Shaktism the contrary counter7force to androcentric
Buddhism0 "#ure, hundred7#ercent Shaktism is the teaching of all those sects which
regard =urga or one of her forms as the mistress of the world: $)on 9lasena##, .Q@&, #*
.%'(* =urga, that is 6ust another name for the goddess "ali* She is worshi##ed by her
followers as the highest uni)ersal deity* ;ll other gods, whether masculine or feminine,
emerge from her* She has both #leasant and horrific characteristics, but the dark and cruel
traits #redominate* She is traditionally linked to a destructi)e, man7destroying sexuality* She
e#itomiMes forbidden sex, destructi)e rage, and death* Terror and madness count among her
characteristics and it is belie)ed her out and out destructi)eness will one day reduce the world
to rubble* Kur era, which 1indus and Buddhists e8ually consider to be the "dark: one, and
which is rushing headlong and ine)itably towards its downfall, bears the name of this
fearsome goddess > "ali yuga*

"ali a##ears to her belie)ers as Shakti, that is as feminine energy in the form of a
uni)ersal female di)inity* <n her omni#otence "she includes both the s#iritual and the material
#rinci#les and can therefore be understood to contain both the soul and nature *** The feminine
#rinci#le creates the cosmos in combination with the masculine #rinci#leO though the
masculine is always of secondary im#ortance and subordinate to the feminine #rinci#le***: >
re#orts the tantra researcher ;gehananda Bharati $Bharati, .QNN, #* .N@(*

1ere the androcentric +heel of Time has been rotated .P& degrees and Tantrism,s
#atriarchal #attern of dominance has been reinter#reted matriarchally* <nstead of sha)en7
headed monks or long7haired <aha Siddhas, women now celebrate as "#riestesses and female
shamans:* The omni#otent di)inity now re)eals itself to be a woman* "Thus the followers of
the Shakti school 6ustify their a##ellation by the belief that god is a woman and it ought to be
.''
the aim of all to become a woman: $Bhattacharyya, .QP%, #* .&Q( > writes Bhattacharyya in
his history of the tantric currents*

Th( g%noc(ntric $a( !acri-ic(
;ccording to one widely distributed )iew, the matriarchal element and goddess cult are
belie)ed to ha)e been #redominant for centuries in <ndian society and can still now be
disco)ered in folk culture $Bhattacharya, .QP%, #* ..L, note @.R Tiwari .QPH(* The nati)e
inhabitants of the first #re7;ryan agricultural societies were followers of the "great goddess:*
5itual ob6ects from exca)ations of the ancient towns of Mohen6odaro and 1ara##a $c* %H&&
B*-*3*( indicate that matriarchal cults were #racticed there* ;stounding #arallels to the
Babylonian goddesses of the Fertile -rescent ha)e been drawn*

Knly following the )iolent intrusion of #atriarchal #astoral #eo#les from the north
$around .H&& B*-*3*( was the nati)e religion of <ndia systematically dis#laced* From now on
the ;ryan caste system with its sacrificial #riests $Brahmans( and warriors $2shatriyas( at its
#eak determined social religious #olitics* 4or did the first #hase of Buddhism show any
essential change in the androcentric #attern* ;t the time of the Maurya and 9u#ta #eriods
$around '&& -*3*( this ex#erienced a decisi)e transformation* The ascetic doctrine of early
Buddhism $Hinayana( ga)e way to the ideal of the com#assionate Bodhisatt)a $<ahayana(*
1induism,s colorful lineage of gods de)elo#ed > often re#resented as great mythical cou#les*
But the archeologists ha)e also exca)ated numerous clay figures from this e#och, which
de#ict the 9reat Mother deity* 1er figure e)en a##ears on coins* The submerged "feminine
#rinci#le: of the earliest times thus rea##eared between the third and se)enth centuries -*3* in
<ndia*

Starting among the rural #o#ulation it gained access to e)en the highest strata* " The
mass strength behind it,: Bhattacharyya informs us, "#laced goddesses by the side of gods of
all religions, but e)en by doing so the entire emotion centering round the Female Princi#le
could not be channelised* So the need was felt for a new religion, entirely female dominated, a
religion in which e)en the great gods like Visnu or Shi)a would remain subordinated to the
goddess* This new religion came to be known as Shaktism: $Bhattacharyya, .QP%, #* %&N(*

.'@
The Buddhists were also not in a #osition to remain com#letely untouched by this
renaissance of ancient female cults* This can be detected, for exam#le, in the famous
collection of #oems,Therigatha& where Buddhist nuns sing of their liberation from the sla)ery
of e)eryday family life* But there was ne)er a real emanci#ation mo)ement of female
Buddhists* <n contrast the followers of the Buddha Shakyamuni were successful in their
e#ochal attem#t to gain control of the "new women:, through integration and mani#ulation,
without needing to combat or su##ress the emergent "woman #ower: directly0 the monks
disco)ered -a0rayana*

There is much to be said for the suggestion the tantric #ractices, or at least similar rites,
were originally #art of the cult of worshi# of the great goddess, which in contrast to early
Buddhism had a com#letely free and o#en attitude towards sexuality* This is also admitted
im#licitly by the Buddhist yogis when they #ro6ect all the forces of the uni)erses into a female
archety#e* Since they were con)inced they #ossessed a techni8ue $upaya( which in the final
instance #laced absolute #ower o)er the goddess in their hands, the could maintain this
a##arent omni#otence of the feminine without risk* Kne almost has the im#ression that they
deliberately ado#ted the omni#otent matriarchal image*

Bet as soon as women actually gras#ed for #ower, this was seen by all the androcentric
cults of <ndia as a great disaster and much feared* The woman then a##ears as a bestial horror
god or a bloodthirsty tigress who kills her lo)er, #erforms biMarre dances u#on his cor#se or
#laces the still7aroused #enis of the dead in her )ul)a* She is de#icted as a being with a ga#ing
maw and bloody canines* 4umerous )ariants of such macabre #ortraits are known* <n the light
of such images of horror the fears of the men were thoroughly 6ustified and man7destroying
cult sacrifices were then no rarity in the )icinity of the black "ali*

The religious studies scholar oniger K,Flaherty traces them all back to the archety#al
ritual of an insect, which bears the name of "#reying mantis:* This large locust bites off the
head of the smaller male during co#ulation and then consumes it with relish $K,Flaherty,
.QP%, #* P.(* ;lthough the tales do not say that the goddess ri#s off the head of her lo)er with
her teeth, she does deca#itate him with a saber*

.'H
Such female cults are su##osed to imitate )egetati)e e)ents in nature* Dust as the #lants
germinate, s#rout, blossom, bear fruit and then die back to arise anew from seed, so death
a##eared to them to be a necessary as#ect of life and the #recondition for a rebirth* +hen the
ancient cosmocentric mother goddess donates fertility, she demands in return bloody
sacrifices* <t was mostly animals and humans of male gender who had to surrender their li)es
to #reser)e and #ro#agate the #lant, animal and human kingdoms $1errmann7Pfand, .QQ%, #*
.&%R 4eumann, .Q@Q, #* HH(* <t is not said, howe)er, whether this )egetati)e orientation to the
cult was the sole moti)e or whether there was not also a bloody demonstration of #ower
within a religiously moti)ated struggle between the sexes in)ol)ed*

The cruel rites of "ali in no way belong to the #ast* ;s the <ndian #ress currently
re#orts, in recent times more and more incidents of human sacrifice to the goddess ha)e
accumulated, in which it is #rimarily children who are offered u#* The ancient and uni)ersal
myth of the 3arth Mother, who consumes her own #rogeny and fattens herself with their
cor#ses, who greedily la#s u# the blood7seed of humans and animals, who lures life into her
abyss and dark hole in order to destroy it, is actually celebrating a renaissance in
contem#orary <ndia $4eumann, .QPQ, ##* .@PO.@Q(*

Th( 'aLra and th( dou5(-h(ad(d aB
<nitially, men may ha)e reacted with fear and then with #rotestation to such bloody
matriarchal rites, as we can conclude from many #atriarchal founding myths* Perha#s some
kind of masculine anxiety neurosis, deri)ed from long forgotten and su##ressed struggles with
matriarchy, lies hidden behind the seemingly #athological o)erem#hasis accorded to
the +a0ra and thus the "#hallus: in Tantric BuddhismA

<n a cultural history of the "diamond sce#ter: $+a0ra(, the Tibetologist Siegbert 1ummel
mentions that the +a0ra was worshi##ed both in Vedic <ndia and among the 9reeks as a
lightning symbol* The symbol entered Buddhism )ia the 1ellenistic influence on the art of
9andhara* The current form only e)ol)ed o)er the course of centuries* Formerly,
the +a0ra more resembled a "double7headed ax with lightning7like radiance: $1ummel, .QH@,
##* .%'ff*(*

.'L
1ummel, who has also examined matriarchal influences on Tibetan culture in other
works, surmises that the symbol had a -retan gynocentric origin* But let us 8uote him
directly0 "-a0raI and "double7headed ax: #resu##ose "images of the -retan mother deity,
who carries a double7headed ax, as not 6ust a sign but also an embodiment of her so)ereignty
and #ower as well as a magical instrument, a #ri)ilege, incidentally, which male deities
significantly did not recei)e: $1ummel, .QH@, #* .%'(* The Minoan cult ob6ect is said to ha)e
been used as a wea#on with which the sacred bull was slaughtered*

This bo)ine blood ritual, which according to re#orts and myths of anti8uity was widely
distributed among the matriarchal cults of the 4ear 3ast, brings the ancient male sacrifice into
the discussion once more* Then the bull is considered a historically more recent substitute for
the husband of the tribal 8ueen, who herself was su##osed to be the incarnation of a goddess*
Following the ex#iry of his #eriod in office, the #riestesses sacrificed him and soaked the soil
with his royal blood in order to generate fertility*

;side from this, it is highly likely that ancient castration were linked with the double7
headed ax $1ummel, .QH@, ##* .%'ff*(* ;t any rate, the almighty Cybele bore this shar#
im#lement as her emblem of #ower* -lassical authors re#ort with horror how the fanatical
#riests of this Phrygian mother7goddess let themsel)es be ritually emasculated or #erformed
the mutilation themsel)es* "-ybelis: is said to be a translation of "double7headed ax:
$;lexiou, n*d*, #* Q%(*

<f we acce#t 1ummel,s account of the origin of the +a0ra as the man7destroying sce#ter
of the great goddess, then the excessi)e re)erence with which the Tantric Buddhists treat the
"thunderbolt: becomes more com#rehensible0 The ax, which once felled or mutilated man has
now become his most7feared magical wea#on, with which he gra#hically demonstrates his
)ictory o)er the great goddess*

<n the +a0ra, the "diamond sce#ter:, "thunderbolt: or "#hallus:, the androcentric control
of the world is symboliMed* <t re#resents the su#eriority of the masculine s#irit o)er the
feminine nature* "The +a0raI, !ama 9o)inda writes, "became *** the 8uintessence of su#reme
s#iritual, a #ower which nothing can withstand and which is itself unassailable and in)incible0
6ust as a diamond, the hardest of all substances, can cut to #ieces all other substances without
.'N
itself being cut by anything else: $9o)inda, .QQ., #* LH(* <n order to demonstrate this
omni#otence of absolute masculinity, there arose within "-a0rayanaI the linguistic obsession
which links all the e)ents and #rotagonists of the tantric rituals to the word +a0ra*

<t is not 6ust the ob6ects which are ceremonially sacrificed, like +a0ra7incense, +a0ra7
shells, +a0ra7lam#s, +a0ra7#erfumes, +a0ra7flowers, +a0ra7flags, +a0ra7dresses and so forth
which bear the Sanskrit name of the "diamond sce#ter:, but also all the ritual acti)ities such
as +a0ra7music, +a0ra7dance, +a0ra7motion, +a0ra7gestures* "The whole of this system #i)ots
u#on the idea of the +a0ra, which is the su#reme ideal, but at the same time en)irons the
initiate from his first ste#s* 3)erything which concerns the mysti8ue training bears this name*
The water of the #reliminary #urification, the #ot that contains it, the sacred formula to re#eat
o)er it *** all is +a0raI $-arelli, .Q@., #* L(*

3)en the symbol of su#reme femininity, the "em#tiness: $shunyata(, is not s#ared its
a##lication* "The +a0ra re#resents the acti)e #rinci#le,: writes Snellgro)e, "the means
towards enlightenment and the means of con)ersion, while the bell re#resents Perfection of
+isdom, known as the Void $sunyata(* <n the state of union, howe)er, the +a0ra com#rehends
both these coefficients of enlightenment, the means and the wisdom: $Snellgro)e, .QPN, )ol*
., #* .'.(* "ShunyataI, we can read in asgu#ta, Cwhich is firm, substantial, indi)isible and
im#enetrable, inca#able of being burnt and im#erishable, is called -a0ra*** -a0ra *** is the )oid
and in -a0rayana e)erything is -a0raI$asgu#ta, .QN@, ##* NN, N%(*

-a0ra and the "bell: $gantha( count as the two most im#ortant ritual ob6ects in Tantrism*
But here too the masculine "thunderbolt: has achie)ed su#remacy* This is most gra#hically
ex#ressed in the symbolic construction of the feminine "bell:* <n order to dis#lay its
subordinacy to the masculine #rinci#le, it always #ossesses a handle in the form of a
half +a0ra* Kne will also not find a gantha, which does not ha)e numerous tiny "diamond
sce#ters:, i*e*, "#halluses:, engra)ed on its outer edge* The bell, )isible and much7#raised
symbol of the feminine, is thus also under the hegemony of the "thunderbolt:*

The gesture of dominance with which the tantric master seals his consort during the
sexual act is called the -a0rahumkara mudra0 he crosses both hands behind the back of his
#artner, with the+a0ra held in his right hand, and the gantha in the left* The symbolic content
.'P
of this gesture can only be the following0 the yogi as androgyne is lord o)er both sexual
energies, the masculine $symboliMed by the +a0ra( and the feminine $symboliMed by
the gantha(* <n encircling $/sealing:( his wisdom consort with the androgyne gesture, he
wishes to ex#ress that she is a #art of his self, or rather, that he has absorbed her as his maha
mudra $/inner woman:(*

Th( da1ini
;mong the noisy retinue of "ali can, in 1indu accounts, be found a cluster of lesser
female demons known as dakinis* ; s we ha)e already seen, these also #lay an indis#ensable
role in the sal)ational #ractices of Buddhist Tantrism* The "sky walkers:7 as their name can
be translated > are less a female s#ecies of angelR rather, they are #rimarily a subordinate
class of female de)ils* Since they originally belonged to the "ali milieu, their historically
more recent transformation into a Buddhist su##ort unit must surely #ro)ide some interesting
insights into the early history of Tantrism and its relation to the gynocentric cults*

The dakinis ha)e a #reference for hanging around crematoria* Their fa)orite fare is
human flesh, which they use for magical #ur#oses in their rituals* They )isit sickness u#on
women, men, and children, es#ecially fe)er, obsessions, consum#tion, and sterility* !ike the
3uro#ean witches they fly through the air and assume the most )aried animal forms* They
thus torment those around them as cats, #oisonous snakes, lionesses and bitches* They are
re)iled as "noise7makers, women who take away, hissers, and flesh7eaters:* ;s )am#ires, they
suck u# fresh blood and ritually consume menstrual discharge > their own or that of others*
!ike the 9reek harpies, with whom they ha)e much else in common, they de)our afterbirth
and feed themsel)es from cor#ses* They ha)e a great #redilection and cra)ing for the male
seed* These horror7women can e)en consume the breath of a li)ing #erson $K,Flaherty, .QP%,
#* %'N(*

Their terrible a##earance is described in a biogra#hy of the great Tibetan deli)erer of
sal)ation, Padmasambha)a0 some ride u#on lions with their hair let out and carry skulls in
their hands as signs of )ictoryR others #erch u#on the backs of birds and let out shrill shrieksR
the bodies of yet others are to##ed by ten faces and ten mouths with which they de)our
human heartsR a further grou# )omit u# dogs and wol)esR They generate lightning, and
descend u#on their )ictims with a thundercla#* "The trace of a third eye u#on her forehead
.'Q
Scan be foundT, they ha)e long clawlike finger7nails, and a black heart in her )agina:
$Ste)ens, .QQ&, #* N'(* 5itual cur)ed kni)es, with which they dismember cor#sesR a skull
bowl out of which they slur# all sorts of bloodR a small two7ended drum #re#ared from the
brain7#ans of two children, with which she summons her com#anions and a sce#ter, u#on
which three skulls are skewered, > are all considered #art of a dakini,s standard e8ui#ment*

,'"lpt"re o* a Dakini

The dakinis normally only re)eal themsel)es to the Tantric > either as human women
in flesh and blood or as dream figures, or as ghosts* <n the bardo state, the time between death
and rebirth, howe)er, they encounter e)eryone who has died in order to carry out their horrific
sacrifices* TheTibetan $ook of the =ead also calls them gauris and many indi)iduals among
them are named0@hasmari& Candali& !ari& (ukkasi and so forth* They ride u#on buffaloes,
wol)es, 6ackals and lionsR wear the most )aried human bones as 6ewelryR clas# banners of
children,s skin in their handsR their baldachins are made of human skinR they #lay their
horrible melodies u#on the hi# bones of a Brahman girl from which they ha)e fashioned
flutesR as sce#ter one gras#s the cor#se of an infant, another ri#s the head of a man off and
consumes it* +ith this dreadful dis#lay the "sky walkers: want to induce the s#irit of the dead
#erson to seek out in fear the #rotecti)e womb of a human woman so as to be reborn* But
should he courageously resist the frightful images, then he becomes freed from the "+heel of
!ife: and is #ermitted to enter nir+ana*
.@&

-onse8uently, the tantras urge that e)ery ade#t #rocure for himself the arts and cunning
ofCakrasam+ara, the first Buddhist dakini subduer, in order to con8uer and bind these female
fiends, as he can only ex#erience enlightenment by sub6ugating the demonesses* 1e then
becomes lord o)er the feminine in general, #recisely because this o##osed him in its most
terrible form as a death7goddess and he did not yield to it*

But the #rocess has more than 6ust a #sychological dimension* Since the dakinis come
from the army of the black "ali, for #atriarchal Tantrism her sub6ugation is also a "theocratic:
act* +ith e)ery )ictory o)er a "sky walker: the gynocentric cult of the great black goddess is
symbolically o)er#owered by the androcentric #ower of the Buddha*

The methods em#loyed in this act of con8uest are often brutal* +hen the <aha
Siddha Tilo#a met the 8ueen of the dakinis in her #alace in the form of an attracti)e and
graceful girl $a witch,s illusion(, he did not let the demoness #ull the wool o)er his eyes* 1e
tore the clothes from her body and ra#ed her $Sierksma, .QLL, #* ..%(* <n the @uhyasama0a
Tantra the masculine 1au#tgottheit draws the dakinis to him with skewers and diamond
hooks which "shine like scorching flames:* +e ha)e already mentioned ;lbert 9rInwedel,s
surmise abo)e, that the "sky walkers: were originally real women who were transformed into
#liant s#iritual beings )ia a "tantric fire sacrifice:* The #ossibility cannot be excluded that the
reason they suffered their fiery "witches, fate: was that before their "BuddhiMation: they
offered their ser)ices to the terrible "ali as #riestesses*

+hilst it is true, as the Tibetan historian Buston tells us, that the demonesses were
sub6ugated by the tantric di)inity Cakrasam+ara and con)erted to Buddhism, their cruelty
was only #artially o)ercome by the con)ersion* ;ctually, from this #oint on, there are two
ty#es of dakini and it is not uncommon that the two re#resent contrary as#ects of a single "sky
walker:* The dark, re#ulsi)e form is 6oined by a figure of light, an ethereal dancing fairy, a
smiling )irgin* This goodly #art took o)er the role of the inana mudra for the yogi, the
amiable s#iritual woman and transcendent bearer of knowledge* < the next cha#ter we discuss
in more detail how such a di)ision of dakinis into e)il witches and good fairies re#resents a
#rimary e)ent in tantric $and alchemic( control techni8ues*

.@.
Thus the e)il #arty among the dakinis did not need to surrender their #re7Buddhist
terrors, and unlike the bloody Erinyes from the 9reek sagas, did not transform themsel)es
into #eace7lo)ing #illars of the state like the Eumenides* 5ather, the horror dakinis offered
their destructi)e arts in the ser)ice of the new Buddhist doctrine* They continued to #lay a
role as forms in which the death7mother and her former mistress, "ali, whom an ade#t needed
to subdue, could a##ear* Their terrible emergence has become a downright essential, albeit
mortally dangerous, stretch to be tra)ersed u#on the #ath of tantric enlightenment* Knly at the
end of a successful initiation do the "demonesses: a##ear in the form of "female angels:*

For !ama 9o)inda, howe)er, who constantly attem#ts to exorcise all "witches, dances:
out of Tibetan Buddhism, their light form is the only truth0 for him, the dakini re#resents that
element of the "ethereal realm: which we are unable to #ercei)e with our senses, since the
Tibetan name for the sky walker, "hadoma, is said to ha)e this meaning $9o)inda, .QP@, #*
%%P(* The 3uro#ean lama ex#lains the "hadomas to be "meditati)e geniuses:, "im#ulses of
ins#iration, which transform natural force into creati)e genius: $9o)inda, .QP@, #* %%P( > in
brief, they o#erate as the muses of the yogis* 9o)inda,s )iew is not all that incorrect, but he
describes only the result of a many Olayered and )ery com#licated #rocess, in which the
demonic dakini is transformed )ia the "tantric female sacrifice: described abo)e into a soft
and ethereal "sky walker:*

4ai a! conAu(r(d ti$( godd(!!
4ow is it 6ust the wild former retinue of "ali which is subdued in Buddhist Tantrism, or
is the dark goddess herself con8ueredA The Tibet researcher, ;ustine +addell, has concluded
on the basis of an illustration of the time god, "alachakra& and his consort, -ish+amata, that
we are dealing here with a re#resentation of the 1ighest Buddha in union with the 1indu
horror goddess "ali, who together do the de)il,s work $+addell, .Q'@, #* .'.(* These days,
his inter#retation is considered amusing, and is often cited as a warning exam#le of +estern
ignorance and arrogance* But in our )iew +addell is absolutely correct, and he is able to hel#
us understand the mystery hidden at the heart of the "alachakra Tantra*

For the entire #ost7Vedic <ndian culture $i*e*, for both 1induism and Buddhism(, the
goddess "alire#resents the horror mother of our decadent last days, which bear her name as
the "ali yuga* Therefore, she is the "mistress of history:* More com#rehensi)ely > she is
.@%
considered to be the#ersonification of manifest time $kala( itself* <n translation, the
word kali means both the feminine form of Wtime, and also the color Wblack,* ;s such, for
1induism the goddess symboliMed the a#ocaly#tic "black hole: into which the entire material
uni)erse )anishes at the end of time* The closer we draw to the end of a cosmic cycle, the
thicker the "darkness: becomes*

1er male counter#ole and Buddhist challenger, "alachakra& attem#ts > one could
conclude from +addell,s inter#retation > to wrench the "+heel of Time: from her, in order
to himself become "!ord of 1istory: and establish a worldwide androcentric Buddhocracy* <n
the current and the coming eon he wants that he and he alone has control o)er time* <t is thus a
matter of which of the two sexes controls the e)olution of the com#lete #olar uni)erse > she
as goddess or he as godA +hen the tantric master as the re#resentati)e of the time god on
earth succeeds in con8uering the goddess "ali, then he has > according to tantric logic >
cleared the way on his #ath to exclusi)e #atriarchal world domination*

;ggression toward one another is thus the basis of the relation between the two gender7
#retenders to the "time throne:* But the Buddhist "alachakra god a##ears to #roceed more
cle)erly than his 1indu o##onent, "ali -ish+amata* =sing magic techni8ues he understands
how to goad the aggressi)e sexuality of the goddess and nonetheless bring it under his
control*

+e shall later see that it is also his intention to destroy the existing uni)erse, which
bears the name"ali yuga* For this reason he is extremely interested in the destructi)e as#ects
of time $kali( or, res#ecti)ely, in the destructi)e #ower of the goddess, who can crush all
forms of existence beneath her* "+hat is "alachakrayanaA:, a contem#orary tantra
commentator asks, and answers re)ealingly, "The word kala means time, death and
destruction* "alachakra is the wheel of destruction: $asgu#ta, .QN@, #* LH(*

Th( ,ach($ic -($a( !acri-ic(C
/The 2alachakra Tantra:, writes the ;merican a)id 9ordon +hite in his
com#rehensi)e history of <ndian alchemy,:**** offers us the most #enetrating )iew we ha)e of
any s#ecifically Buddhist alchemical system: $+hite, .QQL, #* N.(* <n the fifth cha#ter of the
Time Tantra, the "great art: is treated as a se#arate disci#line $-arelli, .Q@., #* %.(* <n his
.@'
commentary on the "alachakra text, Pundarika com#ares the whole sexual magic #rocedure
in this tantra with an alchemical work*

<n <ndia, alchemy was and still is a widely s#read esoteric body of knowledge, and has
been since the fourth century -*3* <t is taught and em#loyed as a holistic healing art,
es#ecially in ;yur+eda* ;longside its medical uses, it was considered $as in -hina and the
+est( as the art of extracting gold $and thus wealth and #ower( from base substances* But
o)er and abo)e this, it was always regarded as an extremely effecti)e means of attaining
enlightenment* <ndian yogis, es#ecially the so7called !ath Siddhas, who had chosen the "great
art: as their sacred techni8ue, ex#erienced their alchemic attem#ts not as "scientific:
ex#erimentation with chemical substances, but rather as a mystical exercise* They described
themsel)es as followers of Rasayana and with the use of this term indicated that had chosen a
s#ecial initiatory #ath, the "Path of ;lchemy:* <n their occult #raxis they combined chemical
ex#eriments with exercises from Hatha %oga and tantric sexual rites*

;rabic influences u#on <ndian alchemy are #resumed, but the latter certainly #redates
these* 3)en older are the so#histicated alchemicOsexual magic ex#eriments of the Taoists* For
this reason, some im#ortant +estern scholars of ;sia, for exam#le, a)id 9ordon +hite,
;gehananda Bharati, and Dose#h 4eedham, are of the o#inion that -hina could be considered
a #ossible origin for both the "high art: and <ndian Tantrism* Kn the other hand, 3uro#ean
alchemy of early modern times $.L
th
to .P
th
century( has so many similarities to the symbolic
world of tantric7alchemic <ndia, that > since a direct influence is difficult to imagine > one
must either #osit a common historical, most #robably 3gy#tian, origin, or must assume that
both esoteric currents drew u#on the same archety#al reser)oir of our collecti)e
unconsciousness* Most #robably, both are the case*

<n the +est, the close relationshi# between occidental alchemy and Tantrism has been
thematiMed by, among others, the religious studies scholar Mircea 3liade and -arl 9usta)
Dung, the de#th #sychologist* Dung more than once drew attention to the #arallels between the
two systems* 1is introduction to a 8uasi7tantric text from -hina with the title =as @eheimnis
der goldenen $lKteSWThe Secret of the 9olden Flower,T is 6ust one exam#le from many*
Mircea 3liade also saw "a remarkable corres#ondence between Tantrism and the great
western mysterioso#hical SsicT current ***, in which at the beginning of the -hristian era
.@@
gnosis, hermetics, 9reekU3gy#tan alchemy and the traditions of the mysteries flowed
together: $3liade, .QPH, #* %..(* Kf the more modern authors, it is #rimarily a)id 9ordon
+hite who deser)es mentionR he has exhausti)ely studied the close link between alchemic
ideas and ex#eriments and the <ndian Siddhas $sorcerers( and their tantric #ractices* +ithout
doubt, Tantrism and alchemy, whether of <ndian or 3uro#ean #ro)enance, share many
fundamental images with one another*

Dust like their oriental colleagues, the occidental alchemists ex#ressed themsel)es in a
twilight language $sandhabhasa(* ;ll the words, signs, and symbols, which were formulated
to describe the ex#eriments in their obscure "laboratories:, #ossessed multi#le meanings and
were only com#rehensible to the "initiated:* Dust as in some tantra texts, "secret: #ractices
were re#resented by "harmless: images in the 3uro#ean treatisesR this was es#ecially true of
the to#ic of erotic lo)e and sexuality* This strong link to the erotic may a##ear absurd in the
case of chemical ex#eriments, but the alchemic world )iew was, 6ust like that of Tantrism,
dominated by the idea that our uni)erse functions as the creation and inter#layof a masculine
and a feminine #rinci#le and that all le)els of existence are inter#enetrated by the #olarity of
the sexes* "9ender is in e)erything, e)erything has masculine and feminine #rinci#les, gender
re)eals itself on all le)els:, we can read in a 3uro#ean treatise on the "great art: $9ebelein,
.QQ., #* @@(*

This was also true for the s#here of chemical substances and com#ounds, the metals and
elements* Both the tantric and the alchemic writings are therefore ma#s of the erotic
imagination and anyone with a little s#eech #sychology can recogniMe the #er)asi)e sexual
system of reference hidden in a hermetical text from the .L
th
century* ;t that time #eo#le did
not ha)e the slightest 8ualms about describing chemical #rocesses as erotic e)ents and erotic
scenarios as chemical fusions* They beha)ed in exactly the same manner in the +est as in the
3ast*

!et us now examine tantric alchemy a little more closely* The Tibetan lama, rag#a
Detsen, for exam#le, distinguishes three as#ects of the royal art0 the ";lchemy of life0 he can
make his life last as long as the sun and moonSR theT ;lchemy of body0 he can make his body
eternally be but sixteen years oldSR and theT ;lchemy of en0oyments0 he can turn iron and
co##er into gold: $8uoted by Beyer, .QNP, #* %H'(* These three ex#eriments, then, #rimarily
.@H
concern two goals0 firstly the attainment of immortality, and secondly the #roduction of gold,
that is, material wealth* -orres#ondingly, in a commentary on the "alachakra Tantra we can
read0 "Then comes the #ractice of alchemy, which in this case means the #roduction of gold
through the use of the elixirs: $4ewman, .QPN, #* .%&(*

But for the "true: ade#t $whether Tantric or 3uro#ean alchemist( it was not 6ust a matter
of the actual yellow metal, but also the so7called "s#iritual gold:* <n the +est this was
understood to mean the "Philoso#her,s Stone: or the "hermetical elixir:, which transformed
the ex#erimenter into a su#erman* ;lchemy and Tantrism thus ha)e the same s#iritual goal* <n
order to achie)e this, numerous #rocesses of con)ersion were needed in the laboratory of the
ade#t, which did not 6ust take the form of chemical #rocesses, but which the alchemist also
ex#erienced as successi)e transmutations of his #ersonality, that is, his #syche was dissol)ed
and then #ut together again a number of times in the course of the ex#erimentation* Sol+e et
coagula $dissol)e and bind( is for this reason the first and most well7known maxim of the
hermetical art* This #rinci#le too, controls the tantric ritual in numerous )ariants, as, say,
when the yogi dissol)es his human body in order to reconstruct it as a di)ine body*

+ithout going into numerous further #arallels between Tantrism and the "great art:, we
would like to concentrate here u#on a #rimary e)ent in 3uro#ean alchemy, which we term the
"alchemic female sacrifice: and which #lays an e8ually central role for the ade#t of the high
art as the "tantric female sacrifice: does for the Tantric* There are three stages to be examined
in this sacrificial e)ent0

.* Th( !acri-ic( o- th( ,dar1 wo$anC or th( ,5ac1 $att(rC &ni)redo)
%* Th( a5!or8tion o- th( ,'irgin $i1C or )yner)y &albedo)
'* Th( con!truction o- th( co!$ic androg%n( &r"bedo)


"D Th( !acri-ic( o- th( 5ac1 $att(r &karma m"dra)
The starting #oint for an alchemical ex#eriment is in both systems, the 3uro#ean and the
<ndian, the realm of coarse matter, the ignoble or base, so as to then transmute it in accordance
with the "law of in)ersion: into something beneficent* This #rocedure is > as we ha)e shown
> com#letely tantric* Thus the Buddhist scholar, ;ryade)a, $third century -*3*( can em#loy
.@L
the following com#arison0 "Dust as co##er becomes #ure gold when it is s#read with a wonder
tincture, so too will the SbaseT #assions of the 2nowing become aids to sal)ation: $)on
9lasena##, .Q@&, #* '&(* The same tantric )iew is taken u# in the eighteenth century by the
French ade#t !imo6on de Saint7idier, when he ascertains in his Triomphe HermJtiAue that,
"the #hiloso#hers SalchemistsT say, that one must seek #erfection in im#erfect things and that
one finds it there: $1utin, .QN., #* %H(*

<n 3uro#ean alchemy the coarse starting material for the ex#eriments is known as
the prima materia and is of a fundamentally feminine nature* !ikewise, as in the tantras, base
substances such as excrement, urine, menstrual blood, #art of cor#ses and so forth are named
in the alchemic texts, no matter which culture they belong to, as the #hysical starting materials
for the ex#eriments* Symbolically, the #rimal material is describe in images such as "snake,
dragon, toad, )i#er, #ython:* <t is also re#resented by e)ery concei)able re#ulsi)e female
figure > by witches, mixers of #oison, whores, chthonic goddesses, by the "dragon mother:
so often cited in de#th #sychology* ;ll these are meta#hors for the demonic nature of the
feminine, as we also know it from as far back as the early #hase of Buddhism* +e may recall
that Shakyamuni com#ared women in general with snakes, sharks and whores*

These misogynous terms for the prima materia are images which on the one hand seek
to describe the untamed, death7bringing natureR on the other one readily admit that a secret
force ca#able of #roducing e)erything in the #henomenal world is hidden within "Mother
4ature:* 4ature in alchemy has at its dis#osal the uni)ersal #ower of birth* <t re#resents the
#rimordial matrix of the elements, the massa confusa, the great chaos, from which creation
bursts forth* & Kn this basis, Titus Burckhardt, an enthusiastic ex#ert on the great art, brings
the western prima materia into direct com#arison with tantric Shakti and the black
goddess, "ali0 "Kn the idea of Shakti are based all those tantric s#iritual methods which are
more closely related to alchemy than to any other of the s#iritual arts* The 1indu, indeed,
regard alchemy itself as a tantric method* ;s "ali, the Shakti is on the one hand the uni)ersal
mother, who lo)ingly embraces all creatures, and on the other hand the tyrannical #ower
which deli)ers them o)er to destruction, death, time, and s#ace: $Burckhardt, .QPL, #* ..N(*
The alchemic first substance $prima materia or massa confusa( cannot be better #ersonified in
Tantrism than by "ali and her former retinue, the crematoria7haunting, horrifying dakinis

.@N
3x#erimenting around with the #rimal material sounds 8uite harmless to someone who
is not initiated* Bet a symbolic murder is hidden behind this* The black matter, a symbol of the
fundamental feminine and of #owerful nature from which we all come, is burned or in some
cases )a#oriMed, cut to #ieces or dismembered* Thus, in destroying the prima materia we at
the same time destroy our "mother: or, basically, the " fundamentally feminine:* The
3uro#ean ade#t does not shy away from e)en the most crass killing meta#hors0 "o#en the la#
of your mother:, it says in a French text from the .P
th
century, "with a steel blade, burrow into
her entrails and #ress forward to her womb, there you will find our #ure substance Sthe elixirT:
$Bachelard, .QQ&, #* %P%(* Symbolically, this )iolent first act in the alchemic #roduction is
located within a context of sacrifice, death and the color black and is therefore called nigredo,
that is "blackening:*

*D Th( a5!or8tion o- th( ,'irgin $i1C or g%n(rg% &inana m"dra)
The "#ure substance: or the "elixir:, which according to the 8uotation abo)e is obtained
from the entrails of Mother 4ature, is in alchemy nothing other than the gynergy so sought
after in Tantrism* Dust like the Tantric, the alchemist thus draws a distinction between the
"coarse: and the "sublime: feminine* ;fter the destruction of the "dark mother:, the so7
called nigredo, the second #hase follows, which goes by the name of albedo $/whitening:(*
The ade#t understands this to mean the "liberation: of the subtle feminine $/#ure substance:(
from the clutches of the coarse "dragon: $prima materia(* The master has thus transformed
the black matter, which for him symboliMes the dark mother, following its burning or cutting
u# in his laboratory into an ethereal "girl: and then distilled from this the "#ure So#hia:, the
incarnation of wisdom, the "chaste moon goddess:, the "white 8ueen of hea)en:* Kne text
talks "of the transformation of the Babylonian whore into a )irgin: $3)ola, .QQ', #* %&N(*

4ow this transmutation is not, as a contem#orary obser)er would #erha#s imagine the
#rocess to be, a #urely s#iritualUmental #rocedure* <n the alchemist,s laboratory some form of
black starting substance is in fact burned u#, and a chemical, usually li8uid substance really is
extracted from this material, which the ade#t ca#tures in a #ear7sha#ed flask at the end of the
ex#eriment* The <ndians refer to this li8uid as rasa, their 3uro#ean colleagues as the "elixir:*
1ence the name for <ndian alchemy > Rasayana*

.@P
3)en though all the inter#reters in the discussion of the alchemic ")irgin image: $the
subtle feminine( are of the unanimous o#inion that this is a matter of the s#iritual and
#sychological source of ins#iration for the man, this ne)ertheless has a #hysical existence as a
magical fluid* The "white woman:, the "holy So#hia: is both an image of desire of the
masculine #syche and the )isible elixir in a glass* $<n connection with the seed gnosis we shall
show that this is also the case in Tantrism*(

This elixir has many names and is called among other things "moon dew: or aAua
sapientiae$water of wisdom( or "white )irgin milk:* The final $chemical( extraction of the
wonder milk is known as ablactatio $milking(* 3)en in such a concrete #oint there are
#arallels to Tantrism0 <n the still to be described "Vase initiation: of the "alachakra
Tantra& the ritual )essels which are offered u# to the +a0ra master in sacrifice, re#resent the
wisdom consorts $mudras(* They are called "the )ase that holds the white Sthe milkT/
$hargyey, .QPH, #* P(* +hate)er ingredients this "moon dew: may consist of, in both
cultural circles it is considered to be the elixir of wisdom $pra0na( and a li8uid form
of gynergy* <t is as strongly desired by e)ery 3uro#ean ade#t as by e)ery Tibetan tantric
master*

+e can thus state that, in Tantrism, the relation between the real woman $karma mudra(
and the imaginary s#irit woman $inana mudra( is the same as that between the dark mother
$prima materia( and the "chaste moon goddess: $the feminine life7elixir or gynergy( in
3uro#ean alchemy* Therefore, the sacrifice of karma mudra $prima materia(, drawn usually
from the lower classes, and her transformation into a Buddhist "goddess: $inana mudra( is an
alchemic drama* ;nother )ariation u#on the identical hermetic #lay emerges in the )ictory of
the +a0ra master o)er the dark horror dakini $prima materia( and her slaughter, after which
she $post mortem( enters the tantric stage as a gentle, floating figure > as a nectar7gi)ing
"sky walker: $/the chaste moon goddess:(* The witch7like cemetery whore has transformed
herself into a sweet granter of wisdom*

+D Th( con!truction o- th( co!$ic androg%n( &maha m"dra)
Following the consum#tion of the ")irgin milk:, the drawing off of the gynergy, the
ethereal feminine is dissol)ed in the imagination of the alchemist and now becomes a #art of
his masculine7androgyne being* Thus, the second sacrifice of the woman, this time as
.@Q
"So#hia: or as an inde#endent "s#iritual being: takes #lace here, then the goal of the o#us is
reached only when the ade#t, 6ust like the Tantric, has com#letely obliterated the autonomy of
the feminine #rinci#le and integrated it within himself* To this end he works on and destroys
the "chaste moon goddess: or the "white woman: $inana mudra(, once more through the
element of fire* The <talian occultist, Dulius 3)ola, has described this #rocedure in clear and
un)arnished terms0 in this #hase "sulfur and fire become acti)e again, the now li)ing
masculine exerts an influence on the substance, *** gains the u##er hand o)er the feminine,
absorbs it and transmits its own nature to it: $3)ola, .QP', #* @'H(* ;ccordingly, the feminine
#rinci#le is com#letely absorbed by the masculine* Somewhat more #rosaically ex#ressed,
this means the alchemist drinks the ")irgin milk: mentioned abo)e from his flask*

<n summary, if we com#are this alchemical #rocess with Tantrism once more, then we
can say that the alchemist sacrifices firstly the feminine "mother of all: $prima materia(, 6ust
as the Tantric sacrifices the real woman, the karma mudra* From the destruction of the karma
mudra the +a0ramaster then obtains the "s#iritual woman:, the inana mudra, 6ust as the
alchemist obtains the "So#hia: from the destruction of the prima materia* Then the Tantric
internaliMes the "s#iritual woman: as maha mudra $/inner woman:(, 6ust as the ade#t of
alchemy takes in the "white )irgin: in the form of the luck7bringing feminine "moon dew:*

Knce the work is com#leted, in both cases the feminine disa##ears as an external,
inde#endent and #olar corres#ondence to the masculine and continues to function solely as an
inner force $shakti( of the androgyne tantra master, or androgyne alchemist res#ecti)ely*
+ithin alchemy this internaliMation of the feminine #rinci#le $i*e*, the construction of
the maha mudra in Tantrism( is known by the term rubedo, that is "reddening:*

Since the symbolic sacrifice of the woman in both cases in)ol)es the use of the element
of fire, in alchemy 6ust as in Buddhist Tantrism we are dealing with an androcentric fire cult*
+ithin both contexts a bisexual, ego7centered su#er being is #roduced )ia magic rites > a
"s#iritual king:, a "grand sorcerer: $<aha Siddha(, a #owerful "androgyne:, the "uni)ersal
herma#hrodite:* "1e is the herma#hrodite of the initial being,: -* 9* Dung writes of the target
figure of the alchemic #ro6ect, "which ste#s a#art in the classic brotherOsister #air and unites
itself in the Wcon6unctio,: $Dung, .QNH, ##* ''P, '@&(* -onse8uently, the final goal of e)ery
alchemical ex#eriment which goes beyond sim#le moneymaking is the union of the sexes
.H&
within the #erson of the ade#t, in the understanding that he could then de)elo# unlimited
#ower as a manOwoman* The identical bisexual definition of the occidental su#er being is
mirrored in the self7conce#t of the Tantric, who following his mystic union $con0unctio( with
the feminine > that is to say, after the absor#tion of the gynergy is reborn as the "lord of
both sexes:*

<n the +est, as in the 3ast, he then ex#eriences himself to be the "father and mother of
his self: > as a "child of his self: $3)ola, .QQ', #* @P( > "1e marries himself, he
im#regnates himself:* 1e becomes "known as the father and begetter of all, because in him
li)es the seed and tem#late of all things: $3)ola, .QQ', #* 'H( To #ut it in one sentence > the
mystic king of alchemy is in #rinci#le identical with the tantric <aha Siddha $grand sorcerer(*

<t would s#ring the bounds of this study to examine further #atterns which link the two
systems to one another* +e shall, howe)er, return to this where it seems necessary* <n our
o#inion, all the e)ents of Tantrism can be redisco)ered in one form or another in the symbolic
scenario of alchemy0 the eroticiMation of the uni)erse, the deadly dangers which are associated
with the unchaining of the feminine elements, the "law of in)ersion:, the #lay u#on fire, the
swallowing of the "moon: $of the feminine( by the "sun: $the masculine(, the mystical
geogra#hy of the body, the mantras and mandalas, the mysticism surrounding the #lanets and
stars, the micro7macrocosmic theory, the dark light and the clear light, the staged a#ocaly#se,
the gras# for #ower o)er the uni)erse, the des#otism of the #atriarchal hermit, and so forth*
+e would like to let the matter rest with this list and close the cha#ter with a succinct
statement from !hundo# So#a, a contem#orary Tibetan s#ecialist on the"alachakra Tantra0
"Thus, the "alachakra #ath becomes in the end like a kind of alchemy: $4ewman, .QPH, #*
.H&(* Both systems are thus based u#on the same original scri#t*
3D 4ALACHA4RA: THE PE#LIC
AND THE SECRET INITIATIONS

The "alachakra Tantra $Time Tantra( is considered the last and most recent of all the
re)ealed tantra texts $c* tenth century(, yet also as the "highest of all -a0rayana ways:, "the
#innacle of all Buddhist systems:* <t differs from earlier tantras in its encyclo#edic character*
<t has been described as the "most com#lex and #rofound statement on both tem#oral and
s#iritual matters: $4ewman, .QPH, #* '.(* +e can thus de#ict it as the summa theologia of
.H.
Buddhist Tantrism, as the root and the crown of the teaching, the chief tantra of our
"degenerate era: $4ewman, .QPH, #* @&(* Tsongkha#a $.'HN7.@.Q(, the significant reformer
and founder of the Tibetan 9elug#a order, was of the o#inion that anybody who knew
the "alachakra Tantra mastered all other secret Buddhist teachings without effort*

3)en though all Tibetan schools #ractice the "alachakra Tantra, there ha)e always only
been indi)idual ex#erts who truly command this com#licated ritual* For the Bellow 1ats
$@elugpa(, these are traditionally the alai !ama and the Panchen !ama* ; small study grou#
from the 4amgyal monastery are a)ailable to assist the alai !ama in executing the
ceremonies with technical knowledge*

The ritual consists of a #ublic #art and a secret #art, staged by the #artici#ants behind
closed doors* Pu#ils with little #rior knowledge or e)en #eo#le with none may #artici#ate in
the #ublic initiations* <n contrast, the secret initiations are only accessible for the chosen few*

es#ite the elitist selection, the texts sometimes suggest that the #ossibility of reaching
the highest le)el of enlightenment in the "alachakra Tantra within a single lifetime lies o#en
to e)erybody* The reality is otherwise, howe)er* Kf the hundreds who #artici#ate in a #ublic
e)ent, one commentary states, in the end only one will say his daily #rayer* Kf the thousands
6ust one will commence with the yoga #raxis which belong to this tantra and of these, only a
handful will be initiated into the most secret initiations $Mullin, .QQ., #* %P(* <n
the -imalaprabha, the earliest commentary u#on the original text, it is stated in unmistakable
terms that laity $non7monks( may absolutely not set foot u#on the #ath to enlightenment
$4ewman, .QPN, #* @%%(*

But e)en if the su#reme goal remains closed to him, e)ery #artici#ant ought
ne)ertheless to gain numerous s#iritual ad)antages for himself from the ritual mass e)ents*
;ccording to statements by the alai !ama, karmic stains may thus be remo)ed and new
seeds for good karma begin to grow* The eager are beckoned by the #ros#ect of rebirth
in Shambhala, a #aradise closely associated with the "alachakra myth* ;t any rate the #u#il
has " the o##ortunity to bask in the bright rays of s#iritual communion with the initiating
lama, in this case 1is 1oliness the alai !ama, and ho#efully to absorb a s#rinkling of
s#iritual energy from the occasion: $Mullin, .QQ., #* %P(* Since, according to the official
.H%
)ersion, the celebrant guru conducts the "alachakra ritual for, among other things, the
"liberation of all of humanity: and the "maintenance of world #eace:, both the masses #resent
at the s#ectacle and the indi)idual initiates #artici#ate in this highly ethical setting of goals
$4ewman, .QPN, #* 'P%(*

Fundamentally, the Buddhist tantras are subdi)ided into father tantras, mother tantras, or
non7dual tantras* <n father tantras it is #rinci#ally the "method: of creation of a di)ine form
body $+a0rakaya( with which the yogi identifies which is taught* 1ence the #roduction of the
self as a di)inity is central here* To this end the following negati)e attributes of the ade#t need
to be transformed0 aggression, desire, and ignorance*

The mother tantras #rimarily lay worth u#on the creation of a state of em#tiness and
unshakable bliss, as well as u#on the calling forth of the clear light* 1ere the yogi exclusi)ely
em#loys the transformation of sexual desire as a means*

The non7dual tantras are a combination of father tantras and mother tantras* The
"creation of a di)ine form body: is thus combined with the "calling forth of the clear light:
and "blissful em#tiness:* Thus, the yogi wants to both a##ear as a #owerful deity and attain
the ability to rest unconditionally in a state e8ui)alent to nir+ana and to bathe himself in
mystic light*

Since the "alachakra Tantra #romises all these #ossibilities of enlightenment, the
famous Tibetan scribe, Buston $.%Q&7.'L@(, classified it as a non7dual tantra* 1is o#inion did
not remain uncontested, howe)er* ;nother outstanding ex#ert on the rituals, 2ay7dru#76ay
$.'PH7.@'P( described it, as do the ma6ority of 9elug#a authors, as a mother tantra*

; further classification subdi)ides the "Time Tantra: into an external, internal, and
alternati)e section*

The "external: tantra describes the formation and destruction of the uni)erse, includes
treatises on astronomy and geogra#hy, and concerns itself with the history of the world, with
#ro#hecies and religious wars* The re#orts on the magic realm of Shambhala are of great
im#ortance here* 3m#hasis is also #laced u#on astrology and the mathematical calculations
.H'
connected with it* The entire national calendar and time7kee#ing methods of the Tibetans are
deri)ed from the astronomical and astrological system in the "alachakra*

<n contrast, the "internal: "alachakra treats the anatomy of energy in the mystic body*
From a tantric )iew#oint, the body of e)ery #erson is com#osed of not 6ust flesh and blood
but also a number of energy centers which are connected to one another by channels* Fluids,
secretions, and "winds: flow through and #er)ade this com#lex network* ;mong the
secretions, male semen and female menstrual blood #lay an im#ortant role*

<n the "alternati)e: "alachakra we get to know the techni8ues with which the yogi calls
u#, dissol)es, or regulates these inner energy currents as needed* Further, how these can be
brought into a magic relation to the #henomena of the external "alachakra $sun, moon, and
stars ***( is also taught here*

Since the Time Tantra belongs to the highest secret teachings $;nuttara %oga Tantra(, it
may only be #racticed by a chosen few* <n the introduction to a contem#orary commentary by
4gawang hargyey, we can thus read the following0 "Sale and distribution of this book is
restricted* +e urgently re8uest that only initiates into 1ighest Boga Tantra and #referably into
the "alachakrasystem itself should read it* This caution is customary to the tradition, but to
disregard it can only be detrimental: $hargyey, .QPH, #* iii(*

Such threatening gestures are a #art of occult show business, then these days it is no
longer e)en necessary to understand Tibetan or Sanskrit in order to di# into the tantras, since
numerous texts #lus their commentaries ha)e been translated into 3uro#ean languages and are
generally accessible* 3)en hargyey,s "forbidden: text $; Commentary on the "alachakra
Tantra( can be found in large #ublic libraries* a)id Snellgro)e, an outstanding and
incorru#tible inter#reter of Tibetan religious history, snidely remarks of the wides#read
secreti)eness also #romoted by the lamas that, "There is nothing #articularly secret about
sexual yoga in the 1ighest Boga TantrasR one merely has to read the texts: $Snellgro)e, .QPN,
)ol* ., #* %LQ(*

This was in fact different in the Tibet of old* The highest yoga teachings were not
allowed to be #rinted, and could at best be distributed in handwriting instead* 3)en for monks
.H@
it was )ery difficult to recei)e higher initiations, and these afforded a much longer #re#aration
time than is usual in our day* Mass initiations were, in contrast to the #resent day, extremely
rare occasions*

Th( !('(n ow(r 8u5ic initiation! and th(ir !%$5oic !igni-icanc(
!et us now turn to the )arious stages of initiation treated in the "alachakra Tantra and
their features and methods* +hat can be understood by the term initiation $abhisheka(A <t
concerns the transmission of s#iritual energies and insights from a #riest to an indi)idual who
has re8uested this of him* The initiation thus #resu##oses a hierarchical relationshi#* <n its
classic form, a master $guru or lama( communicates his knowledge and mystic #owers to a
#u#il $sadhaka(* This master too once sat facing his own guru before the latter likewise
initiated him* The chains of the initiated, all of which can be traced back to the historical
Buddha, are known as "transmission lines:* <t is usual for the transmission to #roceed orally,
from ear to ear* This is thus also known as the "ear7whis#ered lineage: $Beyer, .QNP, #* 'QQ(*
But words are in no sense a necessity* The initiation can also #roceed without s#eech, for
exam#le through hand gestures or the dis#lay of symbolic images*

Both forms of transmission $the oral and the non)erbal( still take #lace between
humans* +hen, howe)er, the Buddhist deities initiate the #u#il directly, without a #hysical go7
between, this is known as the "consciousness lineage of the )ictors:* The transcendent
Buddhas $=hyani $uddhas( who a##roach an earthly ade#t directly are referred to as
")ictors:* ; subty#e of such communication from beyond is known as the "trust lineage of the
dakinis:* 1ere an ade#t disco)ers holy texts which were hidden for him in ca)es and
mountain clefts by the dakinis in times of yore in order to instruct him following their
disco)ery* Such "consciousness treasures:, also known as termas, generally #ro)oked shar#
criticism from the orthodox lamas, as they called into 8uestion their #ri)ilege of being the
only source of initiation*

The "alachakra Tantra is ex#licitly modeled u#on the traditional <ndian coronation
ceremony $Ra0asuya(* Dust as the Ra0asuya authoriMes the heir to the throne to take on the
status of a king, so the tantric initiation em#owers the ade#t to function as the emanation of a
Buddhist deity* Kf course, it is also not as a #erson that the lama communicates the di)ine
energies to the initiand, but rather as a su#erhuman being in human form*
.HH

<t is the #u#il,s duty to imagine his guru as a li)ing Buddha $Tibetan "undun( during the
entire initiatory #rocess* So that he ne)er forgets the su#erhuman nature of his master,
the "alachakra Tantra #rescribes a @uruyoga liturgy, which is to be recited by the initiand at
least three times a day and three times #er night* Se)eral of these liturgies are hundreds of
#ages long $Mullin, .QQ., #* .&Q(* But in all of them words to the following effect can be
found, with which the lama demands the #u#il,s $sadhaka( absolute obedience0 "From
henceforth < am your SdeityT -a0rapani* Bou must do what < tell you to do* Bou should not
deride me, and if you do, *** the time of death will come, and you will fall into hell: $alai
!ama ?<V, .QPH, #* %@%(*

Since it is the goal of e)ery tantric initiation that the sadhaka himself achie)e a
transhuman status, right from the outset of the initiatory #ath he de)elo#s a "di)ine #ride:
and, as the First alai !ama informs us, is transformed into a ")essel: in which the
su#ernatural energies collect $Mullin, .QQ., #* .&%(* This is also true for the "alachakra
Tantra.

Th( !(--!acri-ic( o- th( 8u8i
But doesn,t a meta#hysical contest now arise between the deity which stands behind the
guru and the newly created #u#il deityA This is not the case for two reasons* Kn the one hand,
the di)ine being behind master and #u#il forms a unity* Kne could e)en consider it
characteristic of di)ine entities that they are simultaneously able to a##ear in )arious forms*
Kn the other, it is not the #u#il $sadhaka( who #roduces the deityR in contrast, he absolutely
and com#letely loses his human indi)iduality and transforms himself into "#ure em#tiness:,
without ha)ing to surrender his #ercei)able body in the #rocess* This em#ty body of
the sadhaka is then in the course of the initiation occu#ied by the deity or the lama
res#ecti)ely* -hJgyam Trung#a has ex#ressed this in unmistakable terms0 "<f we surrender
our body to the guru we are surrendering our #rimal reference #oint* Kur body becomes the
#ossession of the lineageR it is not ours any more* *** < mean that surrendering our body,
#sychologically our dear life is turned o)er to someone else* +e do not ha)e our dear life to
hold any more: $Dune -am#bell, .QQL, #* .L.(* The #u#il has com#letely ceased to exist as an
indi)idual soul and mind* Knly his body, filled by a god or res#ecti)ely by his guru, )isibly
wanders through the world of a##earances*
.HL

The "alachakra Tantra describes this #rocess as an "act of swallowing: which the lama
#erforms u#on the initiand* <n a central drama of the Time Tantra which is re#eated se)eral
times, the oral destruction of the sadhaka is gra#hically demonstrated, e)en if the #rocedure
does only take #lace in the imagination of the cult #artici#ants* The following scene is #layed
out0 the guru, as the"alachakra deity, swallows the #u#il once he has been melted down to
the siMe of a dro#let* ;s a dro# the initiand then wanders through the body of his masters until
he reaches the ti# of his #enis* From there the guru thrusts him out into the )agina and womb
of -ish+amata, the wisdom consort of "alachakra* +ithin -ish+amata's body the #u#il as
dro# is then dissol)ed into "nothingness:* The rebirth of the sadhaka as a Buddhist deity takes
#lace only after this )aginal destruction* Since the androgyne +a0ra master simultaneously
re#resents "alachakra and -ish+amata within one indi)idual and must be imagined by the
ade#t as "fatherOmother: during the entire initiation #rocess, he as man takes o)er all the sex7
s#ecific stages of the birth #rocess > beginning with the e6aculation, then the conce#tion, the
#regnancy, u# to the act of birth itself* S.T

<n a certain sense, through the use of his #u#il,s body the guru , or at least his
su#erhuman consciousness, achie)es immortality* So long the master is still ali)e he has, so to
s#eak, created a double of himself in the form of the sadhakaR if he dies then his s#irit
continues to exist in the body of his #u#il* 1e can thus re#roduce himself in the world
of samsara for as long as there are #eo#le who are #re#ared for his sake to sacrifice their
indi)iduality and to surrender him their bodies as a home*

;ccordingly, Tantrism does not de)elo# the good 8ualities of a #erson in order to
ennoble or e)en deify themR rather, it resolutely and 8uite deliberately destroys all the "
#ersonality elements: of the initiands in order to re#lace them with the consciousness of the
initiating guru and of the deity assigned to him* This leads at the end of the initiatory #ath to a
situation where the tantra master now li)es on in the form of the #u#il* The latter has de
facto disa##eared as an indi)idual, e)en if his old #hysical body can still be a##rehended* <t
has become a housing in which the s#irit of his master dwells*

Th( in(ag( tr((
.HN
The #u#il ser)es as an em#ty )essel into which can flow not 6ust the s#irit of his master
but also the lineage of all the former teachers which stretches back behind him, #lus the
deities they ha)e all re#resented* <t is all of these who now occu#y the sadhaka,s body and
through him are able to function in the real world*

<n !amaism, once anyone counts as #art of the lineage of the 1igh <nitiates, they
become #art of a "mystic tree: whose lea)es, branches, trunk, and roots consist of the
numerous Buddhas and Bodhisatt)as of the TibetanUtantric #antheon* ;t the ti# or in the
middle of the crown of the tree the 1ighest 3nlightenment Being $the ;< B=1;( is
enthroned, who goes by different names in the )arious schools* The di)ine energy flows from
him through e)ery #art to dee# in the roots* 3)ans7+entM com#ares this down7flow to an
electric current0 ";s electricity may be #assed on from one recei)ing station to another, so ***
is the di)ine 9race *** transmitted through the Buddha or6e -hang $-a0radhara( to the !ine
of -elestial 9urus and thence to the ;#ostolic 9urus on earth, and from him, to each of the
subordinate 9urus, and by them, through the mystic initiation, to each of the neo#hytes:
$3)ans7+entM, .QNP, #* Q, 8uoted by Bisho#, .QQ', #* ..P(*

;ll of the high initiates are se#arated by a dee# di)ide from the masses of sim#le
belie)ers and the rest of the suffering beings, who either #rostrate themsel)es before the
dynastic line tree in total awe or are unable to e)en #ercei)e it in their ignorance* Bet there is
still a connection between the timeless uni)erse of the gurus and "normal: #eo#le, since the
roots of the mystic tree are anchored in the same world as that in which mortals li)e* The
s#iritual hierarchy draws its natural and s#iritual resources from it, both material goods and
religious de)otion and lo)ing energy* The critical Tibet researcher, Peter Bisho#, has
therefore, and with com#lete 6ustification, drawn attention to the fact that the mystic line tree
in !amaism takes on the a##earance of a bureaucratic, regulated monastic organiMation0 "This
idealiMed image of hierarchical order, where e)erything is e)aluated, certified and allotted a
s#ecific #lace according to the grade of attainment, where control, monitoring and
authoriMation is absolute, is the root7meta#hor of Tibetan Buddhism: $Bisho#, .QQ', #* ..P(*

Th( -ir!t !('(n initiation!
;ll together the "alachakra Tantra talks of fifteen initiatory stages* The first se)en are
considered lower solemnities and are #ublicly #erformed by the alai !ama and o#en to the
.HP
broad masses* The other eight are only intended for a tiny, select minority* The Tibetologist
;lexander +ayman has drawn a com#arison to the 3leusian mysteries of anti8uity, the first
#art of which was also conducted in front of a large #ublic, whilst only a few #artici#ated in
the second, secret #art in the tem#le at night $+ayman, .QP', L%P(*

The se)en lower initiations ought to be succinctly described here* They areas follows0
the $.( the water initiationR$%( the crown initiationR $'( the silk ribbon initiationR $@( the )a6ra
and bell initiationR $H( the conduct initiationR $L( the name initiationR and $N( the #ermission
initiation* ;ll se)en are com#ared to the de)elo#mental stages of a child from birth to
adulthood* <n #articular they ser)e to #urify the #u#ils*

Before beginning the initiatory #ath the neo#hyte swears a )ow with which he makes a
commitment to stri)e for Buddhahood incessantly, to regret and a)oid all misdeeds, to lead
other beings along the #ath to enlightenment, and to follow absolutely the directions of the
2alachakra master* But abo)e all he must )isualiMe his androgyne guru as the di)ine cou#le,
2alachakra in union with his consort Vish)amata* +ith blindfolded eyes he must imagine that
he is wandering through a three7dimensional mandala $an imaginary #alace( which is
occu#ied by the four meditation Buddhas $;mitabha, 5atnasambha)a, ;moghasiddhi,
Vairochana( and their #artners*

;fter his blindfold has been remo)ed, he tosses a blossom onto a sacred image
$mandala( s#read out before him, which has been #re#ared from colored sand* The #lace
where the flower comes to rest indicates the #articular Buddha figure with which the #u#il
must identify during his initiation 6ourney* <n the following #hase he recei)es two reeds of
kusha grass, since the historical Buddha once ex#erienced enlightenment as he meditated
while seated on this ty#e of grass* Further, the !ama gi)es him a tooth#ick for cleansing, as
well as a red cord, which he must tie around the u##er arm with three knots* Then he recei)es
instructions for slee#ing* Before he goes to bed he has to recite certain mantras as often as
#ossible, and then to lay himself on his right side with his face in the direction of the sand
mandala* reams are sent to him in the night which the guru analyMes another day* <t is
considered es#ecially unfa)orable if a crocodile swallows the #u#il in his dream* The monster
counts as a symbol for the world of illusions $samsara( and informs the sadhaka that he is still
.HQ
strongly tra##ed by this* But )ia meditation u#on the em#tiness of all a##earances he can
dissol)e all unfa)orable dream images again*

Further instructions and rites follow which likewise concern #urification* ;t the end of
the first se)en stages the Va6ra master then dissol)es the #u#il into "em#tiness: in his
imagination, in order to then )isualiMe him as his own #olar image, as 2alachakra in union
with Vish)amata* +e should ne)er forget that the androgynous tantric teacher re#resents both
time deities in one #erson* Since the #u#il #ossesses absolutely no further indi)idual existence
right from the beginning of the initiation, the two time deities are doubled by this meditati)e
imagining > they a##ear both in the tantra master and in the #erson of the sadhaka*

+e can thus see that already in the first #hase of the 2alachakra initiation, the
alternation between dissolution and creation determines the initiatory drama* The teacher will
in the course of the rituals destroy his #u#il many times more in imagination, so as to re#lace
him with a deity, or he will instruct the sadhaka to #erform the indi)idual act of destruction
u#on himself until nothing remains of his #ersonality* <n a figurati)e sense, we can describe
this destruction and self7destruction of the indi)idual as a continually #erformed "human
sacrifice:, since the "human: must abandon his earthly existence in fa)or of that of a deity*
This is in no sense a liberal inter#retation of the tantra textsR rather it is literally demanded in
them* The #u#il has to offer himself u# with s#irit and mind, skin and hair to the guru and the
gods at work through him* <ncidentally, these, together with all of their di)ine attributes, are
codified in a canon, they can no longer de)elo# themsel)es and exert their influence on reality
as froMen archety#al images*

<n the light of the entire #rocedure we ha)e described, it seems sensible to remind
oursel)es of the thesis #osed abo)e, that the "#roduction: of the deity and the "destruction: of
the #erson stand in an originally causal relation to one another, or > to #ut it e)en more
clearly > that the gods and the guru who mani#ulates them feed themsel)es u#on the life
energies of the #u#il*

The first two initiations, the water and crown initiations, are directed at the #urification
of the mystic body* The water initiation $.( corres#onds to the bathing of a child shortly after
its birth* The fi)e elements $earth, water, fire, air, and ether( become #urified in the energy
.L&
body of the sadhaka* Subse8uently, the guru in the form of 2alachakra imagines that he
swallows the initiand who has melted down to the siMe of a dro#let, then thrusts him out
through his #enis into the womb of his #artner Vish)amata, who finally gi)es birth to him as a
deity* ;s already mentioned abo)e, in this scenario of conce#tion and birth we must not lose
sight of the fact that the androgynous guru simultaneously re#resents in his #erson the time
god and the time goddess* The com#lete #erformance is thus set in scene by him alone* ;t the
close of the water initiation the master touches the initiand at the "fi)e #laces: with a conch
shell0 the crown, the shoulder, the u##er arm, the hi# and the thigh* 1ere, the shell is #robably
a symbol for the element of water*

The crown initiation $%( which now follows corres#onds to the child,s first haircut* 1ere
the so7called "fi)e aggregates: of the #u#il are #urified $form, feeling, #erce#tion,
unconscious structures, consciousness(* By "#urification: we must understand firstly the
dissol)ing of all indi)idual #ersonality structures and then their "re7creation: as the
characteristics of a deity* The #rocedure is described thus in the tantra textsR howe)er, to be
exact it is not a matter of a "re7creation: but of the re#lacement of the #u#il,s #ersonality with
the deity* ;t the end of the second initiation the )a6ra master touches the "fi)e #laces: with a
crown*

The third and fourth initiations are directed at the #urification of s#eech* <n the silk
ribbon initiation $'(, the androgynous guru once more swallows the #u#il and > in the form
of Vish)amata > gi)es birth to him as a god* 1ere the energy channels, which from a tantric
way of looking at things constitute the "mystic framework: of the subtle body, are #urified,
that is dissol)ed and created anew* <n the de)elo#ment of the human child this third initiation
corres#onds to the #iercing of the ears, so that a golden ring can be worn as an adornment*

The )a6ra and bell initiation $@( follows, which is com#ared to the s#eaking of a child,s
first words* 4ow the guru cleanses the three "main energy channels: in the #u#il,s body* They
are found alongside the s#ine and together build the subtle backbone of the ade#t, so to s#eak*
The right channel becomes the masculine )a6ra, the left the feminine bell $gantha(* <n the
middle, "androgynous: channel both energies, masculine and feminine, meet together and
generate the so7called "mystic heat:, which embodies the chief e)ent in the highest initiations,
to be described in detail later* The #u#il now asks the 2alachakra deity, re#resented through
.L.
the guru, to gi)e him the )a6ra and the bell, that is, to hand o)er to him the emblems of
androgyny*

Bet again, an act of swallowing takes #lace in the fifth initiation* The conduct initiation
$H( corres#onds to a child,s en6oyment of the ob6ects of the senses* ;ccordingly, the six senses
$sight, hearing, smell, etc*( and their ob6ects $image, sound, scent, etc*( are destroyed in
meditation and re7created afterwards as di)ine characteristics* The )a6ra master ritually
touches the #u#il,s "fi)e #laces: with a thumb ring*

<n the name initiation $L( which follows, the ordained recei)e a secret religious name,
which is usually identical with that of the deity assigned to them during the #re#aratory rites*
The guru #ro#hecies that the #u#il will a##ear as a Buddha in the future* 1ere the six abilities
to act $mouth, arms, legs, sexual organs, urinary organs, and anus( and the six actions $s#eech,
gras#ing, walking, co#ulation, urination, and defecation( are #urified, dissol)ed and re7
created* ;s seems ob)ious, the texts com#are the naming of a child with the sixth initiation*
The fifth and sixth initiations together #urify the s#irit*

The #ermission initiation $N( remains > which corres#onds on the human le)el to the
child,s first lesson in reading* Fi)e symbols $the )a6ra, 6ewel, sword, lotus, and wheel( which
act as meta#hors for )arious states of awareness in dee# meditation are #urified, dissol)ed and
re#laced* The androgynous guru swallows the #u#il once more and as 2alachakra in union
with his consort gi)es birth to him anew* 1e then hands him the )a6ra and the bell, as well as
the fi)e symbolic ob6ects 6ust mentioned, one after another* ; ri)er of mantras #ours from the
lama, mouth, flows o)er into the mouth of the #u#il, and collects in his heart center* +ith a
golden s#oon the master gi)es him an "eye medicine:, with which he can cast aside the )eil of
ignorance* 1e then recei)es a mirror as an admonition that the #henomenal world is illusory
and em#ty like a reflection in a mirror* ; bow and arrow, which are additionally handed to
him, are su##osed to urge him on to extreme concentration*

The ritual lays es#ecial weight on the handing o)er of the diamond sce#ter $)a6ra(* The
guru says "that the secret nature of the )a6ra is the exalted wisdom of great bliss* 1olding the
)a6ra will recall the true nature of the ultimate )a6ra, or what is called Wmethod,: $Bryant,
.QQ%, #* .LH(* Through this closing remark the tantra master forcefully e)okes the masculine
.L%
#rimacy in the ritual* <n that the #u#il crosses his arms with the )a6ra in his right hand and the
feminine bell in his left $the Va6rahumkara gesture(, he demonstrates his androgyny and his
tantric ability to control the feminine wisdom energies $#ra6na( with "method: $u#aya(*

+ith this demonstration of dominance the se)en lower initiations are ended* The ade#t
can now describe himself as a "lord of the se)enth le)el:* +ith immediate effect he gains the
right to disseminate the teaching of Buddha, albeit only within the limits of the lower
initiations described* The )a6ra master thus calls out to him, "Turn the )a6ra wheel $teach the
harma( in or to hel# all sentient beings: $Bryant, .QQ%, #* .L@(*

<n the truest sense of the word the first se)en solemnities are 6ust the "fore#lay: of the
2alachakra initiation* Then only in the higher initiations which follow does it come to sexual
union with a real #artner* The wisdom consorts of the se)en lower le)els are of a #urely
imaginary nature and no karma mudra is needed for their #erformance* Therefore they can
also be gi)en in #ublic, e)en in front of great crowds*

Th( di'in( ti$( $achin(
So far, the )a6ra master and his #u#il a##ear as the sole #rotagonists on the initiatory
stage of the Time Tantra* Predominant in all se)en initiation scenes is the uninterru#ted
consolidation of the #osition of the master, #rimarily de#icted in the act of swallowing and
rebirth of the initiand, that is, in his destruction as a human and his "re7creation: as a god* +e
can therefore describe the "death of the #u#il: and his "birth as a deity: as the key scene of
the tantric drama, constantly re#eated on all se)en lower initiation le)els* The indi)idual
#ersonality of the sadhaka is destroyed but his )isible body is retained* The guru uses it as a
li)ing )essel into which he lets his di)ine substances flow so as to multi#ly himself* The same
gods now li)e in the #u#il and the master*

But is there no difference between the guru and the sadhaka any more after the
initiationA This is indeed the case when both are at the same le)el of initiation* But if the
master has been initiated into a higher stage, then he com#letely encom#asses the lower stage
at which the #u#il still finds himself* For exam#le, if the initiand has successfully com#leted
all se)en lower solemnities of the"alachakra Tantra yet the 2alachakra master is acting from
the eighth initiation stage, then the #u#il has become a #art of the initiating guru, but the guru
.L'
is in no sense a #art of the #u#il, since his of s#iritual #ower skills are far higher and more
com#rehensi)e*

The initiation stages and the indi)iduals assigned to them thus stand in a classic
hierarchical relation to one another* The higher always integrate the lower, the lower must
always obey the higher, those further down are no more than the extended arm of those abo)e*
Should, for exam#le > as we sus#ect > the alai !ama alone ha)e attained the highest
initiation stage of the "alachakra Tantra, then all the other Buddhists initiated into the Time
Tantra would not sim#ly be his subordinates in a bureaucratic sense, but rather outright #arts
of his self* <n his system he would be the arch7god $the ;< B=1;(, who integrated the
other gods $or Buddhas( within himself, then since all indi)idual and human elements of the
initiand are destroyed, there are only di)ine beings li)ing in the body of the #u#il* But these
too stand in a ranked relationshi# to one another, as there are lower, higher and su#reme
deities* +e thus need > to formulate things somewhat #ro)ocati)ely > to examine whether
the "alachakra Tantra #ortrays a huge di)ine time machine with the alai !ama as the #rime
mo)er and his followers as the )arious wheels*

Th( -our high(r ,!(cr(tC initiation!
The se)en lower initiations are su##osed to first "#urify: the #u#il and then transform
him into a deity* For this reason they are referred to as the "stage of #roduction:* The
following "four higher initiations: are considered to be the "stage of #erfection:* They are
known as0 $P( the )ase initiationR $Q( the secret initiationR $.&( the wisdom initiationR and $..(
the word initiation* They may only be recei)ed under conditions of absolute secrecy by a
small number of chosen*

<n all of the higher initiations the #resence of a young woman of ten, twel)e, sixteen, or
twenty years of age* +ithout a li)ing karma mudra enlightenment cannot, at least according
to the original text, be attained in this lifetime* The union with her thus counts as the key
e)ent in the external action of the rituals* Thus, as the fourth book of the "alachakra
Tantra says with em#hasis, "neither meditation nor the recitation of mantras, nor the
#re#aration, nor the great mandalas and thrones, nor the initiation into the sand mandala, nor
the summonsing of the Buddhas confers the su#er natural #owers, but alone
the mudraI $9rInwedel, "alacakra ?-, #* %%L(*
.L@

Further, in the higher initiations the ade#t is obliged to ritually consume the fi)e ty#es
of meat $human flesh, ele#hant meat, horseflesh, dog, and beef( and drink the fi)e nectars
$blood, semen, menses ***(*

<n texts which are addressed to a broad #ublic the )ase initiation $P( is eu#hemistically
described as follows* The +a0ra master holds a )ase u# before the sadhaka,s eyes* The ade#t
)isualiMes a sacrificial goddess who carries the )ase* The )essel is filled with a white fluid
$1enss, .QPH, #* H.(* <n reality, howe)er, the following initiation scene is #layed out0 firstly
the #u#il brings the lama a "beautiful girl, without blemish:, twel)e years of age* 1e then
su##licates to recei)e initiation and sings a hymn of #raise to his guru* "Satisfied, the master
then touches the breast of the mudra in a worldly manner: $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* .Q&(* This all
takes #lace before the #u#il,s watchful gaMe, so as to stimulate the latter,s sexual desire*

;ccording to another #assage in the texts > but likewise in reference to the "alachakra
Tantra> the +a0ra master shows the undressed girl to the sadhaka and re8uires him to now
stroke the breasts of the karma mudra himself $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* .PP(* "There is not actually
any )ase or any #ot that is used for this em#owerment:, we are informed by 4gawang
hargyey, a modern commentator on the Time Tantra* "+hat is referred to as Wthe #ot, are the
breasts of the girl, which are called the W)ase that holds the white,: $hargyey, .QPH, #* P(*
+e ha)e already drawn attention to the fact that this white substance is #robably the same
magic secretion from the female breast which the 3uro#ean alchemists of the se)enteenth
century enthusiastically described as ")irgin,s milk: and whose consum#tion #romised great
magical #owers for the ade#t*

The sight of the naked girl and the stroking of her breasts causes the "descent: of
the semen +irile$male seed( in the #u#il* <n the tantric )iew of things this originally finds itself
at a #oint below the roof of the skull and begins to flow down through the body into the #enis
when a man becomes sexually aroused* =nder no circumstances may it come to the #oint of
e6aculation hereV <f the #u#il successfully masters his lust, he attains the eighth initiation
stage, which is known as the "immobile: on the basis of the fixation of the semen in the
#hallus*

.LH
!et us now continue with the eu#hemistic de#iction of the next secret initiation $Q(0 The
#u#il is blindfolded* The master unites the masculine and feminine forces within himself and
subse8uently lets the ade#t taste the "mystic nectar:, which is offered to him in the form of
tea and yogurt so that he may ex#erience great bliss $1enss, .QPH, #* H%(* <n reality something
different is #layed out on this le)el0 firstly the ade#t hands )aluable clothes and other
sacrificial offerings o)er to the master* Then he #resents him with a young and gracile girl*
The lama demands that the sadhaka lea)e the room or blindfold himself* Tantric dishes are
ser)ed, the master )enerates and #raises the mudrawith songs of adulation, ele)ates her to the
status of a goddess and then cou#les with her "until her sexual fluids flow: $Farrow and
Menon, .QQ%, #* .%.(* 1e then, exce#tionally, allows his semen to flow into her )agina*

The mixture of "red7white fluid: thus created, that is, of the male and female seed, is
scoo#ed out of the sexual organs of the wisdom consort with a finger or a small i)ory s#oon
and collected in a )essel* The master then summons the #u#il, or instructs him to remo)e his
blindfold* 1e now takes some of the "holy substance: with his finger once more and moistens
the tongue of the ade#t with it whilst s#eaking the words, "This is your sacrament, dear one,
as taught by all Buddhas *** " > and the #u#il answers blissfully, "Today my birth has become
fruitful* Today my life is fruitful* Today < ha)e been born into the Buddha7Family* 4ow < am a
son of the Buddhas: $Snellgro)e, .QPN, )ol* ., #* %N%(* -oncretely, this means that he has,
through the consum#tion of the female and the male seed, attained the status of an androgyne*

But there are also other )ersions of the second initiation* +hen we read that, "The #u#il
)isualiMes the secret +a0ra of the +a0ra masters in his own mouth and tastes the
white bodhicitta of the guru lama* This white bodhicitta sinks to his own heart chakra and in
so doing generates bliss ***The name Wsecret initiation, is thus also a result of the fact that one
#artakes of the secret substance of the +a0ra master: $1enss, .QPH, #* H'R hargyey, .QPH, #*
P(, then this in truth means that the guru lays his s#erm7filled #enis in the mouth of the ade#t
and the latter tastes the semen, since the "white bodhicitta: and the "secret substance: are
nothing other than the semen +irile of the initiating teacher*

<n the wisdom initiation $.&( which follows, the #u#il is confronted with an e)en more
sexually #ro)ocati)e scene0 "*** he is told to look at the s#reading )agina of a knowledge lady*
Fierce #assion arises in him, which in turn induces great bliss: $alai !ama <, .QPH, #*.HH(*
.LL
The tantra master then "gi)es: the sadhaka the girl with the words, "K great Being, take this
consort who will gi)e you bliss: $Farrow and Menon, .QQ%, #* .PL(* Both are instructed to
engage in sexual union $4aro#a, .QQ@, ##* .PP, .Q&(* uring the ritual #erformance of
the yuganaddha $fusion( the ade#t may under no circumstances let go of his semen*

The "alachakra Tantra does not gi)e away all of the secrets which are #layed out
during this scene* <t therefore makes sense to fall back u#on other tantra texts in order to gain
more #recise information about the #roceedings during the tenth initiation stage* For exam#le,
in theCandamaharosana Tantra& once the master has left the room, the mudra now #ro)okes
the #u#il with culinary obscenities0 "-an you bear, my dear,: she cries out, "to eat my filth,
and faeces and urineR and suck the blood from inside my bhaga S)aginaTA: Then the candidate
must say0 "+hy should < not bear to eat your filth, K MotherA < must #ractice de)otion to
women until < realiMe the essence of 3nlightenment: $9eorge, .QN@, #* HH(*

The final "word initiation: $..( is in a real sense no longer an initiation by the guru, as
its name indicates it only exists in a literal form* <t is thus also not re)ealed in any external
scenario, but instead takes #lace exclusi)ely within the inner subtle body of the former #u#il,
since the latter has already made the switch to a #erfected consciousness and been
transformed into a deity* ; commentary u#on the ele)enth higher initiation thus belongs in the
next cha#ter, which concerns the microcosmic #rocesses in the energy body of the
#ractitioner*

S8(r$ and $(n!trua 5ood a! $agic !u5!tanc(!
But before we continue with a discussion of the four highest initiations, we would like
to make a number of reflections on the to#ic of s#erm gnosis, which so decisi)ely sha#es not
6ust the"alachakra but rather all tantras* The same name, bodhicitta& is borne by both the
male seed and the su#reme mystic ex#erience, that of the "clear light:* This already makes
a##arent how closely interlaced the semen +irile and enlightenment are*
The bodhicitta $/wisdom7mind:( is characteriMed by the feeling of "su#reme bliss: and
"absolute self7awareness:* ; connection between both states of consciousness and the male
s#erm seems to be a necessity for the tantric, since, as we may read in the He+a0ra Tantra&
Cwithout semen there would be no bliss and without bliss semen would not exist* Since semen
.LN
and bliss are ineffecti)e on their own they are mutually de#endent and bliss arises from the
union with the deity: $Farrow and Menon, .QQ%, #* .LQ(*

<n the tantras, the moon and water are idiosyncratically assigned to the male seed, which
is idiosyncratic because both meta#hors are of largely feminine character in terms of cultural
history* +e will need to look into this anomaly in Tantric Buddhism later* But a solar
assignation of s#erm is likewise known $Bharati, .QNN, #* %'N(* The exce#tional meaning
which is accorded to the semen +irile in -a0rayana has gi)en rise to the conce#tion among the
Tibetan #o#ulace that, rather than blood, male seed flows in the )eins of a high lama $Ste)ens,
.QQ', #* Q&(*

$he retention o* sperm
For a Buddhist Tantric the retention of the male seed is the sine Aua non of the highest
s#iritual enlightenment* This stands in stark o##osition to the #osition of 9alen $.%QO.QQ
-*3*(, the highest medical authority of the 3uro#ean Middle ;ges* 9alen was of the o#inion
that the retentio semeniswould lead to a #utrefaction of the secretion, and that the rotten
substance would rise to the head and disturb the functioning of the brain*

<n contrast, the tantras teach that the semen is originally stored in a moonlike bowl
beneath the roof of the skull* ;s soon as a #erson begins to ex#erience sexual desire, it starts
to flow out, dro# by dro#, #assing through the fi)e energy centers $chakras(* <n each of these
the yogi ex#eriences a s#ecific "seminal: ecstasy $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* .Q.(* The destination of
the s#erm,s 6ourney within the body is the ti# of the #enis* 1ere, through extreme meditati)e
concentration, the ade#t collects the lust0 "The +a0ra S#enisT is inserted into the lotus S)aginaT,
but not mo)ed* +hen lust of a transient art arises, the mantra hum should be s#oken* *** The
decisi)e SfactorT is thus the retention of the s#erm* Through this, the act obtains a
cosmological dimension* *** <t becomes the means of attaining enlightenment $bodhi(:
$9rJnbold, ;siatische Studien, #* '@(* "elight resides in the ti# of the+a0ra S#enisT/, as is
said in a "alachakra text $9rJnbold, .QQ%a(*

+ith the to#ic of s#erm retention an a##eal is made to ancient <ndian sexual #ractices
which date from #re7Buddhist times* <n the national e#ic #oem of the <ndians,
the <ahabharata& we can already read of ascetics "who kee# the semen u#:
.LP
$9rJnbold, ;siatische Studien, #* 'H(* <n early Buddhism a holy man $;rhat( is distinguished
by the fact that his discharges ha)e been con8uered and in future no longer occur*
From -a0rayana comes the striking saying that "; yogi whose member is always hard is one
who always retains his semen: $9rJnbold, ;siatische Studien, #* '@(* <n contrast, in <ndia the
flowing of the male seed into "the fiery maw of the female sexual organ: is still today
regarded as a sacrificium and therefore feared as an element of death $+hite, .QQL, #* %P(*

The in #art ad)enturous techni8ues of semen retention must be learnt and im#ro)ed by
the ade#t through constant, mostly #ainful, #ractice* They are either the result of mental
disci#line or #hysical nature, such as through #ressure on the #erineum at the #oint of orgasm,
through which the s#ermatic duct is blocked, or one sto#s the seminal flow through his
breathing* <f it nonetheless comes to e6aculation, then the lost s#erm should be remo)ed from
the mudra's )agina with the finger or tongue and subse8uently drunk by the #ractitioner*

Bet that which is forbidden under #enalty of dreadful #unishments in hell for the #u#il,
this is not by a long shot the case for his guru* 1ence, Pundarika, the first commentator u#on
the "alachakra Tantra, distinguishes between one "e6aculation, which arises out of karma and
ser)es to #er#etuate the chain of rebirth, and another, which is sub6ect to mental control ***:
$4aro#a, .QQ@, #* %&(* ;n enlightened one can thus e6aculate as much as he wishes, under the
condition that he not lose his awareness in so doing* <t now becomes a##arent why
the +a0ra master in the second higher initiation $Q( of the Time Tantra is able to without harm
let his s#erm flow into the )agina of themudra so as to be able to offer the mixture $sukra(
which runs out to the #u#il as holy food*

$he *emale seed
;s the female corres#ondence to male s#erm the texts nominate the seed of the woman
$semen feminile(* ;mong Tantrics it is highly contested whether this is a matter of the
menstrual blood or fluids which the mudra secretes during the sexual act* <n any case, the
sexual fluids of the man are always associated with the color white, and those of the woman
with red* Fundamentally, the female discharge is assigned an e8ually #owerful magic effect as
that of its male counter#art* 3)en the gods thirst after it and re)ere the menses as the nectar of
"immortality: $Benard, .QQ@, #* .&'(* <n the old <ndian matriarchies, and still today in
certain "ali cults, the menstruating goddess is considered as one of highest forms of
.LQ
a##earance of the feminine #rinci#le $Bhattacharyya, .QP%, ##* .'', .'@(* <t was in the
earliest times a wides#read o#inion, taken u# again in recent years by radical feminists, that
the entire natural and su#ernatural knowledge of the goddess was concentrated in the
menstrual blood*

Menstr"atin) Dakini

Kutside of the gynocentric and tantric cults howe)er, a negati)e )aluation of menstrual
blood #redominates, which we know from nearly all #atriarchal religions0 a menstruating
woman is unclean and extremely dangerous* The magic radiation of the blood brings no
blessings, rather it has de)astating effects u#on the s#here of the holy* For this reason, women
.N&
who are bleeding may ne)er enter the grounds of a tem#le* This idea is also widely distributed
in Hinayana Buddhism* Menstrual blood is seen there as a curse which has its origins in a
female original sin0 "Because they are born as women,: it says in a text of the "low )ehicle:,
"their endea)ors toward Buddhahood are little de)elo#ed, while their lasci)iousness and bad
characteristics #re#onderate* These sins, which strengthen one another, assume the form of
menstrual blood which is discharged e)ery month in two streams, in that it soils not 6ust the
god of the earth but also all the other deities too: $Faure, .QQ@, #* .P%(* But the Tantrics are
com#letely differentV For them the fluids of the woman bear !ucullan names like "wine:,
"honey:, "nectar:, and a secret is hidden within them which can lead the yogi to
enlightenment $Shaw, .QQ@, #* .HN(

;ccording to the tantric logic of in)ersion, that #recisely the worst is the most
a##ro#riate starting substance for the best, the yogi need not fear the magical destructi)e force
of the menses, as he can re)erse it into its creati)e o##osite through the #ro#er method* The
embracing of a "bleeding: lo)er is therefore a great ritual #ri)ilege* <n his book on <ndian
ecstatic cults, Phili# 5awson indicates that "the most #owerful sexual rite *** re8uires
intercourse with the female #artner when she is menstruating and her Wred, sexual energy is at
its #eak: $5awson, .QN', #* %@R see also -hJ#el, .QQ%, #* .Q.(*

;stonishingly, the )arious ty#es of menses which can be used for di)ergent magical
#ur#oses ha)e been cataloged* The texts distinguish between the menstrual blood of a )irgin,
a lower7class woman, a married woman, a widow, and so on* $Bhattacharyya, .QP%, #* .'L(
The time at which the monthly bleeding takes #lace also has ritual significance* <n
Tibet yiddams $meditation images( exist which illustrate dakinis from whose )aginas the
blood is flowing in streams $3ssen, .QPQ, )ol* ., #* .NQ(*

<n kee#ing with the Tantric,s #reference for e)ery #ossible taboo substance, it is no
wonder that he drinks the menses* The following )ision was in fact #ercei)ed by a woman,
the yogini Beshe Tsogyal, it could howe)er ha)e been 6ust as easily ex#erienced by #retty
much any lama0 "; red lady, #erfectly naked and wearing not e)en a necklace of bones,
a##eared before me* She #laced her )agina at my mouth and blood flowed out of it which <
drank with dee# draughts* <t now a##eared to me that all realms were filled with blissV The
strength, only com#arable to that of a lion, returned to meV: $1errmann7Pfand, .QQ%, #* %P.(*
.N.

;s has already been mentioned, the monthly flow is not always recogniMed as the
substance yearned for by the yogi* Some authors here also think of other fluids which the
woman releases during the sexual act or through stimulation of the clitoris* "+hen #assion is
#roduced, the feminine fluid boils:, 9edIn -hJ#el, who has ex#lored this to#ic intensi)ely,
tells us $-hJ#el, .QQ%, #* HQ(* From him we also learn that the women guard the secret of the
magic #ower of their discharges0 "1owe)er, most learned #ersons nowadays and also women
who ha)e studied many books say that the female has no regenerati)e SAT fluid* Because < like
con)ersation about the lower #arts, < asked many women friends, but aside from shaking a fist
at me with shame and laughter, < could not find e)en one who would gi)e me a honest
answer: $-hJ#el, .QQ%, #* L.(*

$he s"kra
<n the traditional Buddhist conce#tion an embryo arises from the admixture of the male
seed and the female seed* This red7white mixture is referred to by the texts as sukra Since the
fluids of man and woman #roduces new life, the following analogic syllogism a##ears as
ob)ious as it is sim#le0 if the yogi succeeds in #ermanently uniting within himself both elixirs
$the semen +irile and the semen feminile(, then eternal life lies in store for him* 1e becomes a
"born of himself:, ha)ing o)ercome the curse of rebirth and re#laced it with the esoteric
)ision of immortality* +ith the red7white mixture he attains the "medicine of long life:, a
"#erfected body: $1ermanns, .QLH, ##* .Q@, .QH(*Sukra is the "life 6uice: par excellence, the
li8uid essence of the entire world of a##earances* <t is e8uated with amrta& the "drink of
immortality: or the "di)ine nectar:*

3)en if many tantric texts s#eak only of bodhicitta& the male seed, at heart it is a matter
of the absor#tion of both fluids, the male and the female, in short > of sukra* ;dmittedly the
mixing of the sexual fluids does seem incom#atible with the #rohibition against e6aculation,
but through the so7called -a0roli method the damaging conse8uences of the emission of
semen can be re)ersed, indeed this is considered a )eritable touchstone of the highest yogic
skill* 1ere, the tantra master lets his bodhicitta flow into his #artnerWs )agina in order to
subse8uently draw back into himself through his urethra the male7female mixture which has
arisen there* ";fter he has streamed forth,: Mircea 3liade 8uotes a text as saying, "he draws
in and says0 through my force, through my seed < take your seed > and she is without seed:
.N%
$3liade, .QPH, #* %L@(* The man thus steals the seed of the woman under the im#ression that
he can through this become a #owerful androgynous being, and lea)es her without her own
life energy*

Some of the "initiated: e)en succeed in drawing u# the semen feminile without
e6aculating any s#erm so as to then #roduce the yearned7for sukra mixture in their own body*
The mastery of this method re8uires #ainful and lengthy exercises, such as the introduction of
small rods of lead and "short lengths of solder: into the urethra $3liade, .QPH, #* %@%(* 1ere
can be seen )ery clearly how much of a calculating and technical meaning the
term upaya $method( has in the tantras* Bet this does not hinder the Tantric Babhaha from
celebrating this thie)ing #rocess in a #oetic stanMa0

=n the sa'red 'itadel o* the v"lva o*
a s"perlative skill*"l partner
do the pra.is o* mi.in) %hite seed
%ith her o'ean o* red seed#
$hen absorb raise and spread the ne'tar>
& stream o* e'stasy s"'h as yo"?ve never kno%n#
$8uoted by Shaw, .QQ@, #* .HP(*

;ja'"lation
4ow what ha##ens if the yogi has not mastered the method of drawing backA
Fundamentally, the following a##lies0 "Through the loss of the bindu SsemenT comes death,
through its retention, life: $3liade, .QPH, #* %HN(* <n a somewhat more tolerant )iew, howe)er,
the ade#t may catch the sukrafrom out of the )agina in a )essel and then drink it $Shaw, .QQ@,
#* .HN(* <t is not rare for the drinking bowl to be made from a human skull*
The Candamaharosana Tantra recommends sucking the mixture u# with a tube $#i#e(
through the nose $9eorge, .QN@, #* NH(* <f one si#s thesukra out of his mudra's genitals with
his mouth, then the #rocess is described as being "from mouth to mouth: $+hite, .QQL, #*
%&&(* +ithout exaggeration one can refer to this drinking of the "white7red bodhicittaI as the
great tantric 3ucharist, in which semen and blood are sacredly consumed in #lace of bread
and wine* Through this oriental "!ast Su##er: the #ower and the strength of the women are
#assed o)er to the man*
.N'
;lready, centuries before Tantrism ,the nightly e6aculations of the Buddhist ;rhats $holy
men( were a to#ic of great debate* <n Tantrism, a man who let his s#erm flow was referred to
as a pashu& an "animal:, whereas anyone who could retain it in the sexual act was a +ira, a
"hero:, and accorded the attribute di+ya, "di)ine: $Bharati, .QNN, #* .QNN .@P(*

+e ha)e already re#orted how e6aculation is e8uated sim#ly with death* This too we
already learn from the #re7Buddhist =#anishads* <n fact, <ndian culture is, in the estimation of
one of its best inter#reters, oniger K,Flaherty, characteriMed by a deadly fear of the loss of
semen far beyond the limits of the tantric milieu0 "The fear of losing body fluids leads not
only to retention, but to attem#ts to steal the #artnerGs fluid $and the fear that the #artner will
try the same trick( > yet another form of com#etition* <f the woman is too #owerful or too
old or too young, terrible things will ha##en to the innocent man who falls into her tra#, a fact
often de#icted in terms of his losing his fluids: $KGFlaherty, .QP%U.QPP, #* HL(* ;gehananda
Bharati also shares this e)aluation, when he writes in his book on the tantric traditions that,
"the loss of semen is an old, all7#er)asi)e fear in <ndian tradition and #robably the core of the
strongest anxiety syndrome in <ndian culture: $Bharati, .QNN, #* %'N(*

The drawing u# of s#erm by a woman is )iewed by a tantric yogi as a mortally
dangerous theft and a fundamental crime* <s this #urely a matter of male fantasiesA 4ot at all
> a gynocentric corres#ondence to the thie)ing seed7absor#tion is, namely, known from
the "ali cults to be a ritual e)ent* 1ere, the woman assumes the u##er #osition the sex act and
in certain rites lea)es the man whose life energies she has drained behind as a cor#se*
;ccording to statements by the Tibet researcher, Matthias 1ermanns` there were yoginis
$female yogis( who recei)ed instruction in a techni8ue "through which they were able to
forcibly draw their #artners, semen from out of the #enis:, and the author concludes from this
that, "<t is thus the counter#art of the #rocedure which the yogi em#loys to soak u# the genital
6uices of se)eral women one after another through his member: $1ermanns, .QLH, #* .Q(* The
theft of the male s#erm in waking and in dream likewise counts as one of the #referred
entertainments of the dakinis*

&l'hemy and semen )nosis
Before we continue with the initiation #ath in the "alachakra Tantra, we would like to
throw a brief glance o)er <ndian alchemy and the sexual substances it em#loys, because this
.N@
half7occult science by and large coincides with the tantric seed gnosis* The Sanskrit term for
alchemy is Rasa2+ada* Rasa means Wli8uid, or W8uicksil)er,* Euicksil)er was considered the
most im#ortant chemical substance which was made use of in the "mystic: ex#eriments, both
in 3uro#e and in ;sia* The li8uid metal was em#loyed in the transformation of materials both
in the east and the west, in #articular with the intention of #roducing gold* <n the Kccident it
bore the name of the 5oman god, Mercury* The "alachakra Tantra also mentions 8uicksil)er
at se)eral #oints* The fre8uency with which it is mentioned is a result of its being
symbolically e8uated with the male seed $bodhicitta(R it was, in a manner of s#eaking, the
natural7substance form of the semen +irile*

<t is a characteristic of 8uicksil)er that it can "swallow: other substances, that is,
chemically bind with them* This 8uality allowed the li8uid metal to become a #owerful
symbol for the tantric yogi, who as an androgyne succeeds in absorbing > i*e*, "swallowing:
> the gynergy of his wisdom consort*

The corres#onding feminine counter#art to mercury is sulfur, known in <ndia as Rasa2
+ada, and regarded as a chemical concentrate of menstrual blood* <ts magic efficacy is
es#ecially high when a woman has been fed sulfur twenty7one days before her menses* Both
substances together, mercury and sulfur, create cinnabar& which, logically, is e8uated
with sukra, the secret mixture of the male and female seed* <n the <ndian alchemic texts it is
recommended that one drink a mixture of 8uicksil)er and sulfur with semen and menstrual
blood for a year in order to attain exce#tional #owers $+hite, .QQL, #* .QQ(*

Dust how fundamental the "female seed: was for the opus of the <ndian alchemists can
be deduced from the following story* The yogi and ade#t 4agar6una, highly re)ered by the
Tibetans and a namesake of the famous founder of <ahayana Buddhism with whom he is
often #ut on the same le)el, ex#erimented for years in order to disco)er the elixir of life*
;lbert 9rInwedel has therefore christened him the "Faust of Buddhism:* Kne day, fed u#
with his lack of success, he threw his book of formulas into the ri)er* <t was fished out by a
bathing #rostitute and returned to the master* 1e saw this as a higher sign and began anew
with his ex#erimentation with the assistance of the hetaera* But once more nothing succeeded,
until one e)ening his assistant s#ilt a li8uid into the mixture* Suddenly, within seconds, the
.NH
elixir of life had been created, which 4agar6una had labored fourteen years in )ain to
disco)er*

;nyone who knows the tantras would be aware that the #rostitute was a dakini and that
the wonderful li8uid was either the female seed or menstrual blood* 4agar6una could thus
only attain his goal once he included a mudra in his alchemical ex#eriments* For this reason,
among the ;lchemists of <ndia a "female laboratory assistant: was always necessary to
com#lete the "great work: $+hite, .QQL, #* L(*

There are also 3uro#ean manuals of the "great art: which re8uire that one work with the
"menstrual blood of a whore:* <n one rele)ant text can be read0 "3)e kee#s the female seed:
$Dung, .QLP, #* '%&(* 3)en the retention of s#erm and its transmutation into something higher
is known in the west* 1ence the se)enteenth7century doctor from Brussels, Dohannes Ba#tista
1elmont, states that, "<f semen is not emitted, it is changed into a s#iritual force that #reser)es
its ca#acities to re#roduce s#erm and in)igorates breath emitted in s#eech: $-ouliano, .QPN,
#* .&%(* 9iordano Bruno, the heretic among the 5enaissance #hiloso#hers, wrote a
com#rehensi)e essay on the mani#ulation of erotic lo)e through the retention of semen and
for the #ur#oses of attaining #ower*

,;anacha1raC and th( -our ,high(!tC initiation!
The initiation #ath of the "alachakra Tantra, to which we now return following this
detour into the world of seed gnosis, now leads us on to the four highest initiations, or rather
to the twelfth to fifteenth initiation stages* The reader will soon see that we are dealing with
an extended co#y of the four "higher initiations: $PO..(* They thus also bear the same names0
$.%( the )ase initiationR $.'( the secret initiationR $.@( the wisdom initiationR and $.H( the word
initiation* The difference #rimarily consists in the fact that rather than 6ust one mudra& ten
wisdom consorts now #artici#ate in the ritual* ;ll ten must be offered to the master by the
#u#il $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* .Q'(* There are different rules for monks and laity in this regard* <t is
re8uired of a layman that the mudras be members of his own family > his mother, his sister,
his daughter, his sister7in7law, and so on $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* .Q%(* This makes it de
facto im#ossible for him to recei)e the "alachakra solemnity* ;lthough the same
commandment a##lies to a monk, it is inter#reted symbolically in his case* 1ence, he has to
deli)er to his guru numerous girls from the lower castes, who then ado#t the names and roles
.NL
of the )arious female relati)es during the ritual* ;mong other things the elements are assigned
to them0 the "mother: is earth, the "sister: water, the "daughter: fire, the "sister,s daughter: is
the wind, and so on $9rInwedel, "alacakra ???, #* .%H(*

;fter the #u#il has handed the women o)er to his master, he is gi)en back one of them
as a symbolic "s#ouse: for the im#ending rites $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* .Q'(* There are thus ten
women #resent on the tantric ritual stage > one as the "wife: of the sadhaka and nine as
substitutes for the rest of his female relati)es* The master now chooses one of these for
himself* The chosen wisdom consort bears the name of Shabda+a0ra. <t is #rescribed that she
be between twel)e and twenty years old and ha)e already menstruated* First the guru fondles
the 6ewelry of the young women, then he undresses her and finally embraces her* The tantric
cou#le are surrounded by the remaining eight women along with the #u#il and his "s#ouse: in
a circle* ;ll the yoginis ha)e a #articular cosmic meaning and are assigned to among other
things the #oints of the com#ass* 3ach of them is naked and has let down her hair so as to
e)oke the wild a##earance of a dakini* <n their hands the women hold a human skull filled
with )arious re#ulsi)e substances and a clea)er $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* .Q'U.Q@(*

The guru now mo)es to the center of the circle $chakra( and #erforms a magic dance*
Subse8uently he unites with Shabda+a0ra in the di)ine yoga, by inserting "the 6ewel of
his +a0raI$his #hallus( into her $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* .Q@(* ;fter he has withdrawn his member
again, in the words of 4aro#a, the following ha##ens0 "G1e #laces his +a0ra S#hallusT, which is
filled with semen in the mouth Sof the #u#ilTG* ;fter that the master gi)es him his own mudra,
whom he has already embraced: $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* .QQ@,.QH(* Kn the basis of the texts before
us we ha)e been unable to determine whether or not the #u#il now cou#les with the girl* This
#art of the ritual is referred to as the )ase initiation and forms the twelfth initiation le)el*

<n the secret initiation $.'( which now follows, "the master must lay his
own +a0ra S#hallusT in the mouth of the #u#il,s wife and, whilst the #u#il is blindfolded, he
Sthe guruTmust suck u#on the!aranasika of the wisdom consort: $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* .QH(*
Translated from Sanskrit, naranasikameans Wclitoris,* "Then,: 4aro#a continues, "the master
must gi)e his own mudra to the #u#il with the idea that she is his wife: $4aro#a, .QQ@, #*
.QH(* This #assage remains a little unclear, since he has already gi)en a mudra to the #u#il as
"wife: during the #receding )ase initiation $.%(*
.NN

uring the following wisdom initiation $.@(, the sadhaka, surrounded by the remaining
women, unites firstly with the mudra which the guru has let him ha)e* But it does not remain
6ust the one* "Since it is a matter of ten mudras, the master must offer the #u#il as many of
them as he is able to sexually #ossess, and that in two #eriods of %@ minutes each, beginning
from midnight until the sun rises:, 4aro#a re#orts $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* .QH(* 1e thus has tenfold
sexual intercourse in the #resence of the master and the remaining women*

<n contrast to his guru, the sadhaka may under no circumstances ex#ress his semen
during the ritualR rather he must only bring his dro#s of bodhicitta to the ti# of his #enis and
then draw u# thesemen feminile of one yogini after another $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* .QL(* Should he
not succeed, he is condemned to hell* There is, howe)er, still a chance for him to esca#e
di)ine 6udgment0 "<f, due to a weakness of the s#irit, the bodhicitta SsemenT is s#illed in the
)ul)a, then it is ad)isable to collect with the tongue that of it which remains outside of the
lotus S)aginaT/ $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* .QL(*

The fourth, word initiation $.H( designates the "su#reme state of #erfection:* <n the
three #rior initiations the sadhaka has drawn off the gynergy of his #artners and reached a
state of bliss* 1e has now become a +a0ra master himself* This is the result of the inner energy
#rocesses in his mystic body, which he has com#leted during the ritual and which we describe
in the next cha#ter*

+hat ha##ens now, at the end of this "disci#lined: orgy, to the women who #artici#ated
in the "witches, Sabbath:A The sources are scant* But we nonetheless ha)e access to a
translation from the third cha#ter of the "alachakra Tantra by ;lbert 9rInwedel* This is to be
treated with great caution, but taking into account the concreteness of the images the
translator can not ha)e made many errors here* 9rInwedel tells us that, ";t the end of the
solemnity a breast76acket, beneficial to her tender body, is to be gi)en to the blessed earthly
formed Si*e*, the karma mudras mentioned abo)eT* 1oly yoginis are to be gi)en another
breast76acket with a skirt: $9rInwedel, "alacakra ???, #* %&.(* ;nd in the following section
the tantra recommends gi)ing the girls scented flowers, fruit, and a scarf as mementos of the
uni8ue rendeM)ous $9rInwedel, "alacakra ???, #* %&%(*

.NP
The four7stage ritual 6ust described is known as @anachakra* <t is the dee#est secret of
the"alachakra Tantras, but is also known in the other 1ighest Tantras* 4ow, at which secret
locations are such @anachakras carried outA The famous $fourteenth7century( Tibetan
historian, Buston, suggests using "one,s own house, a hidden, deserted or also agreeable
location, a mountain, a ca)e, a thicket, the shores of a large lake, a cemetery, a tem#le of the
mother goddess: $1errmann7Pfand, .QQ%, #* 'NL(* 4ot recommendable are, in contrast, the
home of a Brahman or noble, a royal #alace or a monastery garden* The He+a0ra Tantra is
more degenerate and less com#romising regarding the choice of location for
the @anachakra ritual0 "These feasts must be held in cemeteries, in mountain gro)es or
deserted #laces which are fre8uented by non7human beings* <t must ha)e nine seats which are
made of #arts of cor#ses, tiger skins or rags which come from a cemetery* <n the middle can
be found the master, who re#resents the god He+a0ra, and round about the yoginis *** are
#osted: $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* @L(* +ith the guru in the center these form a magic circle, a
li)ing mandala*

The number of #artici#ating yoginis differs from tantra to tantra* <t ranges from eight to
sixty7four* 4umbers like the latter a##ear unrealistic* Bet one must bear in mind that in the
#ast @anachakraswere also carried out by #owerful oriental rulers, who would hardly ha)e
had difficulties organiMing this considerably 8uantity of women together in one #lace* <t is,
howe)er, highly unlikely that these tantra masters co#ulated with all L@ yoginis in one night*

Various ritual ob6ects are handed to the women during the ritual of which the ma6ority, if
not all, are of an aggressi)e nature0 clea)ers, swords, bone trum#ets, skulls, skewers* ;s a cult
meal the abo)e7mentioned holy nectars are ser)ed0 excrement, human flesh, and the meat of
)arious taboo animals* To drink there is menstrual blood, urine, semen, and so forth* The third
cha#ter of the "alachakra Tantra recommends "slime, snot, tears, fat, sali)a, filth, feces,
urine, marrow, excrement, li)er, gall, blood, skin, flesh, s#erm, entrails:
$9rInwedel, "alacakra <<<, #* .HH(*

The sacrificial flesh of the "se)enfold born: which we mention abo)e is, when
a)ailable, also offered as a sacred food at a @anachakra* <n the story which frames a tantric
tale, the-a0radakinigiti, se)eral dakinis kill a se)enfold7born king,s son in order to make a
sacrificial meal of his flesh and blood* !ikewise, two scenes from the life of
.NQ
the "alachakra master Tilo#a are known in which the consum#tion of a "se)enfold born: at a
dakini feast is mentioned $1errmann7Pfand, .QQ%, ##* 'Q'7'Q@(*

;lbert 9rInwedel belie)ed that the female #artners of the gurus were originally
sacrificed at the@anachakra and in fact were burned at the stake like 3uro#ean witches so as
to then be resurrected as "dakinis:, as tantric demonesses* 1is hy#othesis is difficult to
confirm on the basis of the a)ailable historical e)idence* 4onetheless, as far as the symbolic
significance of the ritual is concerned, we can safely assume that we are here dealing with a
sacrificial ceremony* For exam#le, Buston $.@th century(, in connection with the
highest "alachakra initiations and thus also in relation to the @anachakra, s#eaks of "secret
)ictims: $1errmann7Pfand, .QQ%, #* 'PL(* The tenkarma mudras #resent during the ritual go
by the name of "sacrificial goddesses:* Kne e)ent in the@anachakra #roceedings is known as
"sacrifice of the assembly:, which can only ha)e meant the sacrifice of the women #resent
$1errmann7Pfand, .QQ%, #* 'PL(* ; further inter#reter of the tantras, ;bhina)agu#ta, refers to
the @anachakra as the "sacrifice of the wheel: $chakra means Wwheel,( or as the "highest
sacrifice: $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* @L(*

3)erything which we ha)e said about the "tantric female sacrifice: is without doubt also
true for the@anachakra* There are documents which #ro)e that such sacrifices were really
carried out* <n the ele)enth century a grou# of the notorious "robber monks: became
#rominent, of whom the following can be read in the $lue ;nnals0 "The doctrine of the
eighteen Srobber monksT consisted of a corru#t form of the tantric #raxis, they kidna##ed
women and men and were in the habit of #erforming human sacrifices during the tantric feasts
$ganacakra 2 pu0a(: $$lue ;nnals, .QQH, #* LQN(* Such excesses were criticiMed already by the
traditional Tibetan historians, albeit with a certain leniency* Thus the Fifth alai !ama, who
himself wrote a history of Tibet, exonerated the guru of the eighteen robber monks,
Pra6nagu#ta by name, of all guilt, whilst he condemned his "#u#ils: as the guilty #arty
$1errmann7Pfand, .QQ%, #* @.P, note ..(*

Kb)iously, a Buddhist @anachakra is always led by a man* Bet, like much in Tantrism,
this ritual also seems to ha)e had a matriarchal origin* The <ndologist Marie7ThZrase de
Mallmann describes in detail such a gynocentric "circle feast: from the sixth century* <t was
staged by a #owerful oriental 8ueen* <n one document it is said of her that, "through her Sthe
.P&
8ueenT, the circle king was reduced to the role of a sacrifice which was #erformed in the circle
$chakra( of the goddesses: $Mallmann, .QL', #* .N%(* <t thus in)ol)ed the carrying out of a
king sacrifice, found in many ancient matriarchal cultures, in which the old king was re#laced
by a new one* The sacrificial )ictim here is at any rate a man* <n the @anachakra of Buddhist
Tantrism #recisely the o##osite took #laceV The yoginis are sacrificed and the guru ele)ates
himself to the trium#hant king of the circle*

The gynocentric ritual was also known under the names of "wheel of the goddesses:,
"wheel of the mother: or "wheel of the witches:* <ts wide distribution in the fifth and sixth
centuries, abo)e all in 2ashmir, su##orts our abo)e hy#othesis, that there was a #owerful
reawakening of old matriarchal cults in <ndia during this #eriod*

-ontem#orary feminism has also redisco)ered the matriarchal origins of
the @anachakra* ;delheid 1errmann7Pfand is able to refer to se)eral somewhat ambi)alent
Tibetan textual #assages in which in her )iew @anachakras were formerly directed by women
$1errmann7Pfand, .QQ%, ##* 'NQ, @NQ(* She therefore reaches the conclusion that this ritual is
a matter of a "#atriarchal usur#ation: of a matriarchal cult*

Miranda Shaw on the other hand, can almost be said to re)el in the idea of "female
witch circles: and takes e)ery @anachakra which is mentioned in the tantras to be a #urely
female feast* She re)erses the #roceedings outright0 "Tantric literature:, the feminist writes,
"records numerous instances wherein yogis gain admittance to an assembly of yoginis*
<nclusion in a yogini feast is seen as a high honor for a male #ractitioner* <n the classic
scenario, a yogi unex#ectedly finds himself in the #resence of a con)ocation of yoginis,
#erha#s in the de#ths of a forest, a deserted tem#le, or a cremation ground* 1e seeks entry to
their assembly circle and feasts with them, recei)es initiation from them, and obtains magical
lore and tantric teachings: $Shaw, .QQ@, #* P%(* Based u#on what we ha)e analyMed to date,
Shaw,s inter#retation cannot be dismissed out of hand* <n Buddhist Tantrism women were
indeed accorded all #ower, it is 6ust that at the end of the game the gynergyand #ower of the
woman ha)e, through the accom#lished use of method 8upaya:& landed in the hands of the
male guru*

.P.
;s always, in this case too the 8uestion emerges as to whether the @anachakra is to be
understood as real or "6ust: symbolically* Texts by Sa#an $thirteenth century( and Buston
$fourteenth century( lea)e no doubt about its really being conducted* ;lexandra a)id 4Zel
ne)ertheless concludes that the sacrificial feast in the described form ha)e no longer been
#racticed in our century* Symbolic stagings, in which no real women #artici#ate and are
re#laced by substitutes such as )ases, are a different matter* ;ccording to statements by
modern lamas, such ersatM @anachakras were wides#read u# until the -hinese occu#ation
$1errmann7Pfand, .QQ%, #* @.L(*

+e would like to briefly discuss whether we are dealing with an orgy in the case of
the@anachakra* ;rchaic #eo#le understood an orgy to be indiscriminate sexual mixing within
a grou#* <t was #recisely the chaotic, ecstatic, and uncontrolled beha)ior of the #artici#ants
determined the course of e)ents amid the general #romiscuity* Through the orgy ordered time
was sus#ended, there was no hierarchy among the #artici#ants* For a few hours the "#rofane:
state of established social order seceded to the "holy: turbulence of chaos* =sually, this
occurred so as to in)oke the fertility of the earth* <t was agricultural and horticultural societies
who #referentially fostered the orgy as a high #oint of their sacred rites* <n contrast , the
Buddhist @anachakra must be seen as a controlled #erformance from start to finish*
;dmittedly it does make us of elements of the orgy $grou# sexuality and the wild dances of
the yoginis(, but the tantra master always maintains com#lete control o)er e)ents*

Thus, at the end of this #resentation of the fifteen initiation stages of the "alachakra
Tantra we can establish that all the essential features which we described in the general
section on Tantrism reemerge in this "highest: occult teaching of Tibetan Buddhism0 the
absor#tion of gynergy, the alchemic transmutation of sexual energy, indeed from sexual fluids
into androcentric #ower, the creation of androgyny, the sacrifice of the mudra and
the sadhaka, the destruction of #eo#le to the benefit of the gods, and so on* To this extent
the "alachakra in essence does not differ from the other tantric systems of teachings* <t is
sim#ly more com#rehensi)e, magnificent and logically consistent* ;dditionally, there is its
#olitical eschatology, which allowed it to become the state tantra of !amaism and which we
still ha)e to ex#lore*

.P%
;ll the e)ents in the tantric #erformance which we ha)e described so far ha)e been
#layed out in the external world, in the system of rituals, the sexual magic #ractices and
#erce#tible reality* The final goal of this )isible tantric endea)or is that the yogi absorb all of
the energies set free during the ritual $those of the mudra, the #u#il, and the e)oked deities(*
Knly thus can he become the K43 who concentrates within himself the "many:, but abo)e all
the masculine and feminine #rinci#les, so as to subse8uently, in a still to be described second
#hase, bring it all forth again* From here on he has first reached his #erfected form, that of the
;< B=1; $the 1ighest Buddha(, who in Tantrism is the ultimate cause of all
a##earances*

Footnot(!:
S.T The self7sacrifice $chod(0in the chod ritual the #u#il, in order to attain
enlightenment, offers his own body u# to be de)oured by the dakinis $who, as we know,
re#resent his master(* <t #referably takes #lace at burial grounds* The flesh7de)ourers a##ear
in the dark of night or at full moon and begin to tear the candidate,s skin from his body and to
tear him a#art #iece by #iece down to the bone* 3)en then they do not #ause, and instead with
a dreadful cracking finallylconsume the bones and marrow* The initiand "dies: in the #rocess
and all of his bodily #arts are destroyed* +ith this he achie)es com#lete liberation from all
that is earthly and makes the 6um# into a state of enlightenment* =e facto& this ritual killing
only takes #lace symbolically > not*, howe)er, in the imagination of the #u#il > there the
scene is ex#erienced with real emotion, as in a dream* This is almost unbearable for #eo#le
who beha)e #urely #assi)ely* Kn her tra)els in Tibet, ;lexandra a)id74eel encountered
ghostly figures, shunned by all, who wandered around lost and insane because they had not
mentally sur)i)ed the chod ceremonies* For this reason, the ritual also #rescribes that the
ade#t should imagine himself as not 6ust the )ictim, but likewise as the acti)e #arty, the
sacrificer in the form of a goddess or a dakini* ";s soon as your consciousness enters the
body of the goddess, imagine that your former body is now a cor#se whih slum#s to the
ground* *** Bou, who are now the goddess, use the cur)ed knife in your right hand to cut off
the skull 6ust abo)e the eyebrows: $1o#kins, .QP%, #* .L%(* ;fterwards the #u#il, as a
bloodthirsty +a0ra dakini, consumes his own body lain out before him* Thus, in this ritual he
not only surrenders his life, but likewise also #lays the sadistic executioner who destroys
it* Since the latter is always a female being, he identifies with the imago of the e)il
goddess* 1e thereby attem#ts to o)ercome the act which he as a Tantric fears most of all,
.P'
namely to be killed by the feminine, in that he carries it out on himself in the form of a
woman*
6D 4ALACHA4RA: THE INNER PROCESSES

So far we ha)e only described what takes #lace in the external world of the rituals* But
the #ercei)able tantric stage has its corres#ondences in the "inside: of the yogi, that is, in his
consciousness and what is called his mystic body* +e now wish to examine this "internal
theater: more closely* <t runs in #arallel to the external e)ents*

;n anatomically trained #erson from the twenty7first century re8uires a godly #ortion of
tolerance to gain a familiarity with the conce#ts of tantric #hysiology, then for the tantras the
body consists of a network of numerous larger or smaller channels through which the life
energies flow* These are also known as ")eins: or "ri)ers: $nadi& rtsa(* This dynamic body
structure is no disco)ery of-a0rayana, rather it was ado#ted from #re7Buddhist times* For
exam#le, we can already find it in the Fpanishads $ninth century B*-*3*(*

Three main channels are considered to be the central axis within the subtle7#hysical
system of a #ersonR these run from the lower s#ine to the head* They are, like e)erything in
the tantras, assigned a gender* The left channel is called lalana $or ida, kyangma, da2wa(, is
masculine, its symbol is the moon and its element water* The right, "feminine: channel with
the name pingala $or roma& nyi2ama( is linked to fire and the sun, since both are also seen as
feminine in the Buddhist tantras* +e can #ro)isionally describe the central channel
$a+adhuti or susumna, ooma, ( as being androgynous* <t re#resents among other things the
element of s#ace* ;ll of the life energies are mo)ed through the channels with the hel# of
winds > by which the Tantric means )arious forms of breathing*

<n a sim#lified de#iction $such as is to be found in most commentaries(, the left,
masculine channel $lalana( is filled with white, watery semen, the right7hand, feminine
channel $rasana( with red, fiery menstrual blood* The main channel in the middle, in contrast,
is originally em#ty* Via sacred, in #art extremely #ainful, techni8ues the yogi succeeds in
#ressing the substances from both side channels into the a+adhuti , the main channel* The
mixture $sukra( thus created now flows through his entire body as enlightenment energy body
.P@
and transforms him into an androgynous "diamond being:, who unites within himself the
#rimary energies of the masculine and the feminine*

$he three inner 'hannels &!(( -ootnot( ")

;ll three channels #ass through fi)e energy
centers which are to be found in the body of the
yogi, which are known as chakras $wheels( or "lotus
circles:* <n Tibetan Buddhism, the count begins with
the na)el chakra and leads )ia the heart, throat, and
forehead chakras to the highest thousandfold lotus at
the crown of the skull* Kf great im#ortance for the
tantric initiation is the e8uation of the indi)idual
"energy wheels: with the fi)e elements0 na)el b
earthR heart b waterR throat b fireR forehead b air
$wind(R highest lotus $crown of skull( b s#ace
$ether(* !ikewise, the chakras are a##ortioned to the
)arious senses and sense ob6ects* <n addition to this
there are numerous further assignments of the lotus
centers $chakra(, as long as these can be di)ided into grou#s of fi)e0 the fi)e "blisses:
similarly count among these, likewise the fi)e meditation Buddhas with their wisdom
consorts, and the fi)e directions*

Fine energy channels extend from the "wheels: and, like the #hysiological ner)ous
system, branch through the entire human body* The tantras describe an im#ressi)e total of
N%,&&& fine channels, which together with the lotus centers and the three main channels form
the "subtle: body of the yogi* <n an "ordinary mortal: this network is blocked* The energies
cannot flow freely, the chakras are "dead:, the "wheels: are motionless, the #erce#tion of
s#iritual #henomena limited* Kne also s#eaks of a "knotting:*

4ow it is the first task of the yogi to untie these knots in himself or in his #u#il, to free
and to clean the blocked channels in all directions so as to fill the whole body with di)ine
#owers* The untying of the "knots: is achie)ed in the @uhyasama0a Tantra through the
.PH
blocking off of the two side channels $lalana and pingala(, in which the energies di)ided
according to their sexual features normally flow u# and down, and the introduction of the
masculine and feminine substances into thea+adhuti $the middle channel( $asgu#ta, .QN@, #*
.HH(* <n the original "alachakra texts $see footnote( the anatomy of the channels is much
more com#licated* S.T

The tantric dramaturgy is thus #layed out between three #rotagonists within the yogi >
the masculine, the feminine, and the androgynous #rinci#le* -orres#ondingly, the three main
energy channels reflect the tantric sexual #attern with the lalana as the man, the pingala as the
woman, and the a+adhuti as the androgyne* The lotus centers $chakras( are the indi)idual
stage sets in which the #lot unfolds around the relationshi# between this trinity* Thus, if the
microcosmic, "inner: world of e)ents of the tantra master is su##osed to s8uare with the
external, already described ritual actions, then we must redisco)er the climaxes of the external
#erformance in his "internal: one0 for exam#le, the tantric female sacrifice, the absor#tion
of gynergy, the creation of androgyny, the destruction and the resurrection of all body #arts,
and so forth* !et us thus ins#ect these "internal: #rocedures more closely*

Th( Candai
The "alachakra Tantra dis#lays many #arallels with the 1indu "undalini yoga* Both
secret doctrines re8uire that the yogi,s energy body, that is, his mysto7magical channels and
chakras, be destroyed through a self7initiated internal fire* The alchemic law of sol+e et
coagole $/dissol)e and rebuild:( is likewise a maxim here* +e also know of such #hoenix7
from7the7ashes scenarios among the occidental mystics* For our study it is, howe)er, of
es#ecial interest that this "inner fire: carries the name of a woman in the Time Tantra*
The candali > as it is called > refers firstly to a girl from the lowest caste, but the Sanskrit
word also etymologically bears the meaning of Wfierce woman, $-oMort, .QPL, #* N.(* The
Tibetans translate "candali: as Wthe hot one, $Tum2mo( and take this to mean a fiery source of
#ower in the body of a tantra ade#t*

The candali thus re)eals itself to be the Buddhist sister of the 1indu fire7snake
$kundalini(, which likewise lies dormant in the lowest chakra of a yogi and lea#s u# in flames
once it is unchained* But in Buddhism the destructi)e as#ect of the inner "fire woman: is far
more em#hasiMed than her creati)e side* <t is true that the 1indu kundalini is also destructi)e,
.PL
but she is also most highly )enerated as the creati)e #rinci#le $shakti(0 "She is a world
mother, who is eternally #regnant with the world* *** The world woman and "undalini are the
macrocosmic and microcosmic as#ects of the same greatness0 Shakti, who god7like wea)es
and bears all forms: $Cimmer, .QN', #* .@L(*

+ith regard to the bodily techni8ues which are needed to arouse the kundalini, these
)ary between the cultural traditions* The Buddhist yogi, for exam#le, unleashes the inner fire
in the na)el and not between the anus and the root of the #enis like his 1indu colleagues*
The candali flares u# in his belly and, dancing wildly, ascends the middle energy channel
$a+adhuti(* Kne text describes her as "lightning7fire:, another as the "daughter of death:
$Snellgro)e, .QHQ, #* @Q(* Then, le)el for le)el, the "hot one: burns out all the ade#t,s chakras*
The fi)e elements e8uated with the energy centers are destroyed in blaMing heat* Starting from
below, firstly the earth is burned u# in the region of the na)el and transforms itself into water
in the heart chakra* Then the water is burnt out and disintegrates in fire in the throat* <n the
forehead, with the hel# of the candali the air consumes the fire, and at the crown of the skull
all the elements )anish into em#ty s#ace* ;t the same time the fi)e senses and the fi)e sense
ob6ects which corres#ond to the res#ecti)e lotus centers are destroyed* Since a meditation
Buddha and his #artner inhabit each chakra, these also succumb to the
flames* The "alachakra Tantra s#eaks of a "dematerialiMation of the form aggregate: $-oMort,
.QPL, #* .'&(*

!astly the candali de)ours the entire old energy body of the ade#t, including the gods
who, in the microcosmic scheme of things, inhabit him* +e must ne)er forget that the tantric
uni)erse consists of an endless chain of analogies and homologies and links between all le)els
of being* 1ence the yogi belie)es that by staging the destruction of his im#erfect human body
he simultaneously destroys the im#erfect world, and that usually with the best intentions*
Thus, !ama 9o)inda describes with ecstatic enthusiasm the fi)e stages of this fascinating
micro7macrocosmic a#ocaly#se0 "<n the first, the susumna $the middle channel( with the
flame ascending within it is imagined as a ca#illary thin as a hairR in the second, with the
thickness of a little fingerR in the third, with the thickness of an armR in the fourth, as broad as
the whole body0 as if the body itself had become the susumna$a+adhuti(, a single fiery )essel*
<n the fifth stage the unfolding scenario reaches its climax0 the body ceases to exist for the
.PN
meditater* The entire world becomes a fiery susumna, an endless storm7whi##ed ocean of
fire: $9o)inda, .QQ., .PL(*

But what ha##ens to the candali, once she has com#leted her #yrotechnical o#usA oes
she now #artici#ate as an e8ual #artner with the yogi in the creation of a new uni)erseA 4o >
the o##osite is trueV She disa##ears from the tantric stage, 6ust like the elements which were
destroyed with her hel#* Knce she has )a#oriMed all the lotus centers $chakras( u# to the roof
of the skull, she melts thebodhicitta $male seed( stored there* This, on account of its Cwatery:
character, #ossesses the #ower to extinguish the "fire woman:* She is, like the human karma
mudra on the le)el of )isible reality, dismissed by the yogi*

<n the face of this s#ectacular )olcanic eru#tion in the inner bodily landsca#e of the
tantra master we must ask what the magic means might be which grant him the #ower to
ignite the candali and make her ser)e his #ur#ose* Se)eral tantras nominate sexual greed,
which brings her to the boil* The He+a0ra Tantra s#eaks of the "fire of #assion: $Farrow and
Menon, .QQ%, #* xxix(* <n another text "kamic fire: is ex#licitly mentioned $;)alon, .QNH, #*
.@&(* The term refers to the 1indu god"ama, who re#resents sexual #leasure*
-orres#ondingly, direct reference is made to the act of lo)e in a further tantric manual, where
it can be read that "during sexual intercourse the -andali )ibrates a little and great heat arises:
$1o#kins, .QP%, #* .NN(*

The e8uation of the sexual act with a fire ritual can be traced to the -edas, and was later
ado#ted by Tantric Buddhism* There the woman is referred to as the "sacrificial fire, her lower
#ortion as the sacrificial wood, the genital region as the flame, the #enetration as the carbon
and the co#ulation as the s#ark: $Bhattacharyya, .QP%, #* .%@(* From a Vedic )iew#oint the
world cannot continue to exist without a fire sacrifice* But we can also read that "the fire
offering comes from union with the female messengers SdakinisT/ > this from Tsongkha#a,
the founder of the Tibetan Bellow 1at school $Shaw, .QQ@, #* %H@(*

<n his classic, %oga and the @eheimlehren Tibets SBoga and the Secret Teachings of
TibetT, 3)ans7+entM described an es#ecially im#ressi)e scene concerning the "kindling: of
the candali* 1ere the "fire woman: is set aflame through a meditation u#on the sun* ;fter the
master has re8uired of his #u#il that he )isualiMe the three main channels, the chakras, and the
.PP
"em#ty form: of a yogini, the exercise should continue as follows0 ";t this #oint in the
#erformance you should imagine a sun in the middle of each #alm and the sole of each foot*
Then see these suns #laced o##osite one other* Then imagine a sun at the meeting of the three
main #sychic ner)es Sthe main channelsT at the lower end of the re#roducti)e organ* Through
the influence u#on one another of the suns at your hands and feet, a flame is kindled* This fire
ignites the sun beneath the na)el* *** The whole body catches fire* Then when breathing out
imagine the whole world to be #er)aded by the fire in its true nature: $3)ans7+entM, .Q'N, #*
.H@(* The inner unleashing of the candali in the body of the yogi is so uni8ue that it raises
many still unanswered 8uestions which we can only consider ste# by ste# in the course of the
following cha#ter0 +hy must it be a woman and not a man who flames u# in the belly of the
tantra masterA +hy is the woman, who is linked with the element water in most cultures,
e8uated with fire hereA +hy is the candali so aggressi)e and destructi)e, so enraged and wild
instead of mild, constructi)e, and well7balancedA But abo)e all we must ask oursel)es why
the ade#t needs to use a real girl in order to ignite the "inner woman: in his own bodyA <s
there #erha#s a connection between the external woman and the inner woman, the karma
mudra and the candaliA

+e shall only address these 8uestions briefly here, #ointwise as it were, in order to treat
them in more detail in the course of the text* ;s we ha)e already said, the origin of
the candali lies in the 1indu kundalini snake, of which 1einrich Cimmer says0 "The snake
embodies the world7 and body7de)elo#ing life force, it is a form of the di)ine world7effecting
force SshaktiT*: $Cimmer, .QN', #* .@.(* !ife, creation, world, #ower0 kundalini or candali are
manifestations of the one and the same energy, and this is seen in both 1induism and
Buddhism as female* Cimmer therefore ex#licitly refers to the mystic snake as the "world
woman: $Cimmer, .QN', #* .@L(* -orres#onding descri#tions of the candali are likewise
known* The Buddhist yogi, whose attitude towards the world of a##earances is extremely
hostile, makes woman and the act of birth res#onsible for the terrible burden of life* For him,
"world: and "woman: are synonymous* +hen, in his imagination, he burns u# a woman
within himself, then he is with this #yromaniacal act of )iolence symbolically casting the
"world woman: u#on the #yre* But this world likewise includes his old bodily and sensory
aggregates, his #sychological moods, and his human structures of awareness* They all become
)ictims of the flames* Knly once he has destroyed the existing uni)erse, which suffers under
the law of a woman, in an inferno, can he raise himself u# to be a di)ine ruler of the uni)erse*
.PQ

Thus the assignation of the feminine to the fiery element im#uted by Tantrism #ro)es
itself u#on closer examination to be a symbolic mani#ulation* 3)erything indicates that in
<ndian culture too, woman was and is fundamentally associated with water and the moon
rather than with fire and the sun as is claimed in the tantras* <n non7tantric <ndian cults $Vedic,
Vishnuite( the classic assignments of the sexes ha)e com#letely retained their )alidity* 1ence,
the ignition of the "fire woman: concerns an "artificial: ex#eriment which runs contrary to
the cultural normsR what the 3uro#ean alchemists referred to as the "#roduction of burning
water:* +ater > originally feminine > is set on fire by the masculine #otency of the flame
and then becomes destructi)e* +e shall ha)e to show later that the candali is also to be
symbolically understood as no more than such an ignited water energy* The water ser)es in
this instance as a ty#e of fuel and "ex#lodes: as the ignited feminine #rinci#le in the ser)ice
of androcentric strategies of destruction* Such a cle)er idea can only be deri)ed from the
tantric law of in)ersion which teaches us that a thing arises from its o##osite* ;s
the Candamaharosana Tantra thus says, "+omen are the su#reme fire of transformation:
$Shaw, .QQ@, #* 'Q(*

<f one assumes that the feminine catches fire against its will in the "alachakra ritual,
then one can understand why the candali reacts so aggressi)ely and destructi)ely* Perha#s,
once she has flared u#, she instincti)ely detects that the entire #rocedure concerns her
systematic destructionA Perha#s she also has an inkling of the #erfidious intentions of the yogi
and like a wild animal begins to destroy the elementary and sensory aggregates of her
tormentor in the ho#e of thus exterminating him and freeing herselfA -onfronted with her
ob)ious success in the bodily destruction of the #atriarchal archenemy, she becomes
maddened by #ower, unaware that she thereby only ser)es her enemy as a tool* For #recisely
what the tantric ade#t wants is to attain a state in which he still exists only as #ure
consciousness* 1is first goal is therefore the com#lete dematerialiMation of his human body,
down to the last atom* For this he needs the fiery rage of the candali, who re#resents nothing
other than the hate of a goddess inca#acitated by #atriarchy*

But it could also be the o##osite, that the candali falls into the gri# of the "consuming
fire:, that mystic fire of lo)e which burns women u# when they celebrate the "sacred
wedding: with their god* -hristian nuns often describe the unio mystica with -hrist, their
.Q&
hea)enly husband, with meta#hors of fire* <n the case of Theresa of ;)ila, the flames of lo)e
are linked with an une8ui)ocally sexual symbolism* The words with which she de#icted the
di)ine #enetration of her lo)e ha)e become famous0 "< saw 1im with a long lance of gold,
and its ti# was as if made of fire, it seemed to me as if he re#eatedly thrust it into my heart and
it #enetrated to my )ery entrailsV **** The #ain was so great that < had to groan, and yet the
sweetness of this excessi)e #ain was such that < could not wish to be freed of it: $8uoted by
Bataille, .QN@, #* %%&(* ; woman, who com#letely and totally surrenders herself to her yogi
with her whole being, who o#ens to him the lo)e of her entire heart, she too can burst into
flames* 1ate and mystic lo)e are both highly ex#losi)e substances*

5egardless of what sets the feminine on fire, the #yromaniacal drama which is #layed
out on this inner stage is from start to finish under the control of the yogi as the "master of the
fire:* 1e ne)er surrenders this #osition as "director:* Two beings are always sacrificed at the
end of the tantric theater0 the old energy body of the +a0ra masters and the
ignited candali herself* She is the tragic inner symbol of the "tantric female sacrifice:, which
> as we ha)e ex#lained abo)e > was in the outside world originally executed u#on a fire
altar*

But here too the already often7re#eated warning a##lies0 +oe betide the ade#t who loses
control o)er the kundalini or candali* For then she becomes a "terrible )am#ire, like an
electric shock:, the "#ure #otency of death:, which exterminates him $3)ola, .Q%L, #* %'%(*

Th( ,dro8 th(or%C a! an (B8r(!!ion o- androg%n%
!et us now following the act of destruction examine the inner act of creation in the
mystic body of the yogi as it is described in the )arious tantras, es#ecially the "alachakra
Tantra* +e ha)e already considered the e)ent where the "fire woman: $candali( reaches the
inner roof of the yogi,s skull and melts the bodhicitta $semen( there* This latter is
symbolically linked with water and the moon* <ts descent is therefore also known as the "way
of the moon:, whilst the ascent of the candali goes by the name of the "sun way:*
The bodhicitta is also called bindu, which means W#oint,, Wnil,, WMero,, or Wdro#,* ;ccording to
the doctrine, all the forces of #ure consciousness are collected and condensed into this "dro#:,
in it the "nuclear energy of the microcosm: is concentrated $9rJnbold, ;siatische Studien, #*
''(*
.Q.

;fter the channels and chakras ha)e been cleansed by the fire of the candali,
the bodhicitta can flow down the a+adhuti $the middle channel( unrestricted* ;t the same time
this extinguishes the fire set by the "fire woman:* Since she is assigned the sun and the "dro#s
of semen: the masculine moon, the lunar forces now destroy the solar ones* But ne)ertheless
at the heart of the matter nothing has been changed through this, since the descent of the
"dro#:, e)en though it in)ol)es a re)ersal of the traditional symbolic corres#ondence, is, as
always in the Buddhist tantras, a matter of a )ictory of the god o)er the goddess*

Ste# by ste# the semen flows down the central channel, #ausing briefly in the )arious
lotus centers and #roducing a feeling of bliss there, until it comes to rest in the ti# of the
aroused #enis* The ecstatic sensations which this #rogress e)okes ha)e been cataloged as "the
four 6oys:* S%T

This descending 6oy gradually increases and culminates at the end in an indescribable
#leasure0 "millions u#on millions of times more than the normal emission Sof semenT/
$4aro#a, .QQ@, #* N@(* <n the "alachakra Tantra the fixation of orgiastic #leasure which can
be attributed to the retention of semen is termed the "uns#illed 6oy: or the "highest
immo)able: $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* '&@, 'H.(*

This "ha##iness in the fixed: is in stark o##osition to the "turbulent: and sometimes
"wild: sex which the yogi #erforms for erotic stimulation at the beginning of the ritual with
his #artner* <t is an element of tantric doctrine that the "fixed: controls the "turbulent:* For
this reason, no thangka can fail to feature a Buddha or Bodhisatt)a who as a non7in)ol)ed
obser)er emotionlessly regards the animated yabByum scenes $of sexual union( de#icted or
im#assi)ely lets these #ass him by, no matter how turbulent and racy they may be* +e also do
not know of a single illustration of a sexually aroused cou#le in the tantric iconogra#hy which
is not counterbalanced by a third figure who sits in the lotus #osture and obser)es the
co#ulation in total calm* This is usually a small Buddha abo)e the erotic scene* 1e is, des#ite
his incons#icuousness the actual controlling instance in the sexual magic #lay > the cold,
indifferent, serene, calculating, and mysteriously smiling )oyeur of hot lo)ing #assions*

.Q%
The orgiastic ecstasy must at any #rice be fixed in the mystic body of the ade#t, he may
ne)er s8uander his masculine force, otherwise the terrible #unishments of hell await him*
"There exists no greater sin than the loss of #leasure:, we can read in
the "alachakra commentary by 4aro#a $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* N', )erse .'H(* Pundarika also
treats the delicate to#ic in detail in his commentary u#on the Time Tantra0 "The sin arises
from the destruction of #leasure, *** a dimming then follows and from this the fall of the
own +a0ra S#hallusT, then a state of s#iritual confusion and an exclusi)e and unmediated
concern with #etty things like eating, drinking and so on: $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* N'(* That is, to
#ut it more clearly, if the yogi ex#eriences orgasm and e6aculation in the course of the sexual
act then he loses his s#iritual #owers*

Since the dro#s of semen symboliMe the "moon li8uid:, its staged descent through the
)arious energy centers of the yogi is linked to each of the #hases of the moon* Beneath the
roof of the skull it begins as a "new moon:, and grows in falling from le)el to le)el, to then
reach its brightest radiance during its sixteenth #hase in the #enis* <n his imagination the yogi
fixates it there as a shining "full moon: $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* N%, '&L(*

!ogically, in the second, counter#osed se8uence the "ascent of the full moon: is staged*
For the ade#t there is no longer a waning moon* Since he has not s#illed his seed, the full
shining abundance of the nightly satellite remains his* This ascendant trium#hal #rocession of
the lunar dro# u# through the middle channel is logically connected to an e)en more intensi)e
#leasure than the descent, since "the uns#illed 6oy: starts out in the #enis as a "full moon: and
no longer loses its full s#lendor*

uring its ascent it #auses in e)ery chakra so as to con6ure u# anew the "highest bliss:
there* Through this ste#wise ecstatic lingering in the lotus centers the yogi forms his new
di)ine body, which he now refers to as the "body of creation: $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* '..(* This is
first com#leted when the "full7moon dro#: reaches the lotus in the forehead*

Sometimes, e)en if not all the time, in wandering through the four #leasure centers the
"dro#: encounters )arious goddesses who greet it with "diamond: song* They are young,
tender, )ery beautiful, friendly, and ready to ser)e* The hissing wildness and the red wrath of
the candali is no moreV: May you,: the beauties call, "the diamond body, the re)ol)ing wheel
.Q'
that delights many beings, the re)ealer of the benefit of the Buddha aim and the su#reme7
enlightenment aim, lo)e me with #assion at the time of #assion, if you, the mild lord wish that
< li)e: $+ayman, .QNN, #* '&&(* Such erotic enticements lead in some cases to an imaginary
union with one of the goddesses* But e)en if it doesn,t come to this, the yogi must in any case
kee# his member in an erect state during the "ascent of the full moon: $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* NH(*

<n se)eral "alachakra commentaries the ecstatic model of the rise and fall of the white
moon7dro#s within the mystic body of the ade#t is determined by the trium#h of the
male bodhicittaalone* <n the first, falling #hase it destroys the fiery candali and leads her into
em#tiness, so to s#eak, since the bindu $dro#( also means "nothing:, and has control o)er the
#ower of dissolution* <n the second #hase the dro# forms the sole cosmic building block with
which the new body of the yogi will subse8uently be constructed* <n this )iew there is thus
now talk of the male seed alone and not of a mixture of the semen +irile and semen feminile*
<n his "alachakra commentary 4aro#a writes ex#licitly that it is the masculine moon which
#roduces the creation and the feminine sun which brings about the dissolution $4aro#a, .QQ@,
#* %P.(* Kne must thus be under the im#ression that after the extinguishing of
the candali there are no further feminine elements existing in the body of the yogi, or, to #ut it
in the words of the #o#ular belief which we ha)e already cited, that #erm rather than blood
flows in his )eins* But there are other models as well*

aniel -oMort, for exam#le, in his contem#orary study of the 1ighest Boga Tantra,
s#eaks of two fundamental dro#s* The one is white, masculine, lunar, and watery, and is
located beneath the roof of the skullR the other is red, feminine, solar, and fiery, and located in
the region of the genitals$-oMort, .QPL, #* NN(* The "four 6oys from abo)e: are e)oked when
the white dro# flows from the forehead )ia the throat, heart, and na)el to the ti# of the #enis*
The "four 6oys from below: arise in re)erse, when the red dro# streams u#wards from the
base of the s#ine and through the lotus centers* There are a total of %.,L&& masculine and the
same number of feminine dro#s stored in the body of the yogi* The ade#t who gets them to
flow thus ex#eriences %.,L&& moments of bliss and dissol)es %.,L&& "com#onents of his
#hysical body:, since the dro#s effect not 6ust #leasure but also em#tiness $Mullin, .QQ., #*
.P@(*

.Q@
The #rocess is first com#leted when two "columns of dro#s: ha)e been formed in the
energy body of the ade#t, the one beginning abo)e, the other from below, and both ha)ing
been built u# ste#wise* ;t the end of this migration of dro#s, "a broad empty body,
embellished with all the markings and distinguishing features of enlightenment, a body which
corres#onds to the element of s#ace Sis formedT* <t is Gclear and shiningG, because it is
untouchable and immaterial, em#tied of the earthly atomic structure:, as the first alai !ama
already wrote $alai !ama <, .QPH, #* @L(*

; further )ersion $which also a##lies to the Time Tantra( introduces us to "four: dro#s
of the siMe of a sesame seed which may be found at )arious locations in the energy body and
are able to wander from one location to another* S'T Through com#licated exercises the yogi
brings these four #rinci#le dro#s to a standstill, and by fixating them at certain #laces in the
body creates a mystic body*

The anatomy of the energy body becomes e)en more com#licated in
the "alachakra commentary by !haram#a 4gawang hargyey when he introduces another
"indestructible dro#: in the heart of the yogi in addition to the four dro# mentioned abo)e*
This androgynous bindu is com#osed of the "white seed of the father: in its lower half
together with the "red seed of the mother: in the u##er* <t is the siMe of a sesame seed and
consists of a mixture of "extremely fine energies:* The other lotus centers also ha)e such
"bisexual: dro#s, with mixtures of )arying #ro#ortions, howe)er* <n the na)el, for exam#le,
the bindu contains more red seed than white, in the forehead the re)erse is true* Kne of the
meditation exercises consists in dissol)ing all the dro#s into the "indestructible heart dro#:*

!uckily it is neither our task, nor is it im#ortant for our analysis, to bring the )arious
dro# theories of tantric #hysiology into accord with one another* +e ha)e nonetheless made
an effort to do so, but because of the terminological confusion and hairs#litting in the
accessible texts, were left with numerous insoluble contradictions* <n general, we can
ne)ertheless say that we are dealing with two basic models*

<n the first the di)ine energy body is constructed solely with the hel# of the white,
masculinebodhicitta* The feminine energy in the form of the candali assists only with the
destruction of the old human body*
.QH

<n the second model the yogi constructs an androgynous body from both red and white,
feminine and masculine bodhicitta elements*

The textual #assages a)ailable to us all #resume that the masculine7feminine dro#s can
already be found in the energy system of the ade#t before the initiation* 1e is thus regarded
from the outset as a bisexual being* But why does he then need an external or e)en an
imagined woman with whom to #erform the tantric ritualA +ould it in this case not be
#ossible to acti)ate the androgyny $and the corres#onding dro#s( a##arently already #resent in
his own body without any female #resenceA Probably notV ; #assage in the Sekkodesha,
which s#eaks of the man $khagamukha( #ossessing a channel filled with semen +irile and the
woman $sankhini( a channel filled with semen feminile, leads us to sus#ect that the yogi first
draws the red bodhicitta or the red dro# off from the karma mudra $the real woman(, and that
his androgyny is therefore the result of this #raxis and not a naturally occurring starting #oint*

This )iew is also su##orted by another #assage in the "alachakra Tantra, in which
the sankhini is mentioned as the middle channel in the mystic body of the yogi $9rJnbold,
.QLQ, #* P@(* 4ormally, the menstrual blood flows through the sankhini and it may be found in
the lower right channel of the woman $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* N%(* <n contrast, in the body of the
yogi before the sexual magic initiation no "menstrual channel: whate)er exists* 4ow when
this text refers to the a+adhuti $the middle channel( of the tantra master as sankhini, that can
only mean that he has "absorbed: themudra's red seed following union with her*

+e must thus assume that before the sexual magic ritual the red bodhicitta is either
com#letely absent from the ade#t,s body or, if #resent, then only in small 8uantities* 1e is
forced to steal the red elixir from the woman* The extraction techni8ue described abo)e also
lends su##ort to this inter#retation*

5egardless of whether the Tibetan !amas are con)inced of the o)erwhelming
su#eriority of their theories and #ractices, there is in #rinci#le no fundamental difference
between 1indu and Buddhist techni8ues$Snellgro)e, .QPN, )ol* ., %Q@(* Both systems concern
the absor#tion of gynergy and the #roduction of a microcosmicUmasculineUandrogyneUdi)ine
body by the yogi* There are, howe)er, numerous differences in the details* But this is also true
.QL
when one com#ares the indi)idual Buddhist tantras with one another* The sole teaching
contrary to both schools which one could nominate would be total "Shaktism:, "which
ele)ates the goddess abo)e all gods: $)on 9lasena##, .Q'L, #*.%H(*

EBcur!u!: Th( $%!tic -($a( 5od%
But is it at all #ossible to a##ly the mystic #hysiology described in the Buddhist tantras
to a womanA Kr is the female energy body sub6ect to other lawsA oes the kundalini also
slumber in the #erineum of a womanA oes a woman carry her red dro# in her foreheadA
+here can the whitebodhicitta be found in her and what are its mo)ementsA ;re the two side
channels within her arranged 6ust like those in a man or are they re)ersedA +hy does she also
work with fire in her body and not with waterA
There are only )ery few re#orts about the mystic body of the woman, and e)en fewer
instructions* The books on #raxis which we ha)e been able to consult are all drawn from the
-hinese cultural s#here* The Frenchwoman, -atherine es#eux, has collected some of these
in a historical #ortrait $?mmortelles de la Chine ;ncienne(* ; #ractical handbook by Mantak
and Maneewan -hia is a)ailableR it is subtitled The Secret ay to #emale 9o+e Energy*
9enerally, these texts allow us to say that the s#iritual energy ex#eriences undergone by
women within their mystic bodies follow a different course to those for men described abo)e*
The two #oles between which the "tantric: scenario is #layed out in the woman are not the
genitals and the brain as in the case of a man, but rather the heart and the womb* +hilst for
the yogi the highest #leasure is first concentrated in the ti# of the #enis, from where it is
drawn u# to the roof of the skull, the woman ex#eriences #leasure in the womb and then a
"mystic orgasm: in the heart, or the energy emerges from the heart, sinks down to the womb
and then rises u# once more into the heart* "The sudden o#ening of the heart, chakra, causes
an ecstatic ex#erience of illuminationR the heart of the woman becomes the heart of the
uni)erse: $Thom#son, .QP., #* .Q(*
;ccording to -hinese texts, for exam#le, the red seed of the woman arises between her
breasts, and from there flows out into the )agina and is, unlike the male seed
in -a0rayana& not to be sought under the roof of the skull $es#eux, .QQ&, #* %&L(* The
techni8ues for mani#ulation of the energy body which result from this are therefore
com#letely different for men and women in Taoism*
.QN
+ithout further examining the inner #rocesses in the female body, what has been said in
6ust a few sentences already indicates that an undifferentiated transferal
of -a0rayana techni8ues to the female energy body must ha)e fateful conse8uences* <t thus
amounts to a sort of ra#e of the feminine bodily #attern by the masculine #hysi8ue* <t is
#recisely this which the Fourteenth alai !ama encourages when he > as in the following
8uotation > e8uates the internal #rocesses of a woman with those of a man* "Some #eo#le
ha)e confirmed that the white element is also #resent in women, although the red element is
stronger in them* Therefore the #raxis in the #re)iously described tantric meditation is the
same for womenR the white element sinks in exactly the same manner and is then drawn back
u#: $Varela .QQN, #* .H@(*

Should a woman ado#t androcentric yoga techni8ues then her sexual distincti)eness
disa##ears and she is transformed in energy terms into a man* <n so doing she thus fulfills the
sex change re8uirement of <ahayana Buddhism which is su##osed to make it #ossible for a
women to already in this lifetime be reincarnated as men > at least in regard to their mystic
bodies*

S#iritual feminists $and there are a number of these( who belie)e they can o)ercome
their female im#otence by co#ying the male yoga techni8ues of Tantrism become caught in
the most insidious and cynical tra# which the #atriarchy was able to set* <n the delusion that
by unchaining the candaliwithin their own body they can shake off the androcentric yoke,
they unwittingly em#loy sexual magic mani#ulations which effect their own dissolution as
gendered beings* They #erform the "tantric female sacrifice " u#on themsel)es without
knowing, and set fire to the stake at which they themsel)es are burned as a candali or a witch
$dakini(*

Th( $(thod or th( $ani8uation o- th( di'in(
But let us return again to the male tantra techni8ues* The "method: which the ade#t
em#loys to #roduce his androgynous body is referred to as the "Boga with Six !imbs:
$Sadanga yoga(* This system of teaching is )alid for both the "alachakra Tantra and
the @uhyasama0a Tantra* <t has been referred to as the highest of all techni8ues
in -a0rayana Buddhism* Fundamentally, sexual intercourse with a woman and the retention of
.QP
semen are necessary in #erforming this yoga* Kf course, if a #artner cannot be found,
masturbation can also be em#loyed $9rJnbold, ;siatische Studien, #* '@(* S@T

The six stages of Sadanga yoga are called $.( <ndi)idual retreat $pratyahara(R $%(
-ontem#lation $dhyana(R $'( Breath control $pranayama(R $@( Fixation or retention $dharana(R
$H( 5emembering $anusmrti(R and $L( =nfolding or enlightenment $samadhi(* +e shall briefly
#resent and inter#ret the six le)els*

.* (ratyahara $indi)idual retreat(0 The yogi withdraws from all sensory abilities
and sense ob6ects back into himselfR he thus com#letely isolates himself from the external
world* <t is also said that he locks the doors of the senses and draws the outside winds into
himself so as to concentrate them into a dro# $-oMort, .QPL, #* .%@(* The meditation
begins at night and must be conducted in com#lete darkness* The ;merican tantra
inter#reter, aniel -oMort, recommends the construction of a "light7#roof cabin: as an aid*
The yogi rolls back his eyes, concentrates on the highest #oint of his middle energy
channel and en)isions a small blue dro# there* uring this exercise the ten #hotisms $light
and fire signs( arise in the following order before his inner eye as forebodings of the
highest enlightenment, the infinite clear light* $.( SmokeR $%( a ray of lightR $'( glow
wormsR $@( the light of a lam# > these are the first four #henomena which are also
assigned to the four elements and which Sadanga yoga describes as "night signs, since
one still li)es in darkness so to s#eak, as in a house without windows:
$9rJnbold, ;siatische Studien, #* 'L(* The remaining six #henomena are called the "day
signs:, because one now, "as it were, looks into a cloudless sky: $9rJnbold, ;siatische
Studien, #* 'H(* They begin with $H( the steadfast light, followed by $L( fire, which is
considered to be the shine of em#tiness, $N( moonlight and sunshine, $P( the shine of the
#lanet Rahu, which is com#ared to a black 6ewel* Then, in $Q( an atom radiates like a
bright bolt of lightning, and lastly $.&( the great dro# a##ears, which is #ercei)ed as "a
shining of the black orb of the moon: $9rJnbold, ;siatische Studien, #* 'H(* 9rJnbold
inter#rets the fact that a "dark light: is seen at the end as an effect of bedaMMlement, since
the light #henomena are now no longer com#rehensible for the yogi $9rJnbold, ;siatische
Studien, #* 'H(* SHT
%* =hyana $contem#lation(0 Kn the second le)el of Sadanga yoga the ade#t
through contem#lation fixes beneath the roof of the skull his thoughts and the ten day and
.QQ
night signs* This contem#lation is characteriMed by fi)e states of awareness0 $.( wisdomR
$%( logicR $'( reflectionR $@( #leasureR and $H( im#erturbable ha##iness* ;ll fi)e ser)e to
grant insight into the em#tiness of being $9rJnbold, ;siatische Studien, #* '%(* +hen he
has stabiliMed the signs, the yogi has attained the #urity necessary to ascend to the next
le)el* 1e now #ossesses the "di)ine eye: $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* %.Q(*
'* (ranayama $wind or breath control(0 Breath, air, and wind are synonymous
in e)ery form of yoga* The energies internal to the body which flow through the subtle
channels are called winds* ; trained ade#t can control them with his breathing and thus
has the ability to reach and to influence all N%,&&& channels in his body by inhaling and
exhaling* The energy wind generally bears the name prana& that is, #ure life force* <n
the "alachakra school the o#inion is held thatprana is the #rimordial wind from which
the nine main winds are deri)ed $Baner6ee, .QHQ, #* %N(* Time is also concei)ed of as a
coming and going of breath* ;ccordingly one who has his breathing under control also has
mastery o)er time* 1e becomes a su#erhuman being, that "knows SaboutT the three times:0
about the future by inhaling, about the #ast by exhaling, and about the eternal #resent by
holding his breath $9rJnbold, ;siatische Studien, #* %Q(*The wind, as the yogi,s highest
instrument of control, dominates the entire scenario, sometimes #ro#elling the mystic
indestructible dro#s through the channels, sometimes #ushing through the knots in the
chakras so that the energies can flow freely, sometimes burning u# the yogi,s bad karma
)ia breathing exercises* There are numerous catalogs of the )arious ty#es of wind* -oarse
and subtle, secondary and #rimary, ascending and descending winds all waft through the
body* <n the "alachakra Tantra a total of ten #rinci#le ty#es of breath wind are
distinguished* The high #oint in pranayama yoga consists in the bringing of the winds
found in the right and left side channels into the central channel $a+adhuti(* <n an ordinary
#erson, prana #ulses in both outer channels, of which one is masculine and the other
feminine* Therefore, from a tantric #oint of )iew he still li)es in a world of o##osites*
Through the acti)ation of his middle, androgynous channel the yogi now belie)es he can
recreate the original bisexual unity*
@* The fourth exercise is called dharana $fixation(* The breath wind is fixated or
retained firstly within the middle channel, then in the indi)idual chakras* The emotions,
thoughts, and )isions of #articular deities are also fixed through this* Throughout this
exercise the yogi,s #enis must remain constantly erect* 1e is now the "lord of the winds:
and can let the energies wander through his body at will in order to then fix them in
%&&
#articular locations* This also a##lies to the entry of the breath into the dro#s, where)er
these are to be found* ;lthough the ade#t now controls the ten main winds, at this stage
his body is not yet #urified* Therefore he concentrates the energy in the na)el chakra and
combines it with "the dro# of sexual ecstasy:* <t is this #rocedure which first results in the
ignition of the candali*
H* The entrance of the "fire woman: $candali( dominates the scenario of the fifth
yoga, known asanusmriti* Kddly, this has the meaning of Wrecollection, $9rJnbold, .QLQ,
#* PQ(* +hy is the catching sight of the candali Cin the body and in the sky: linked to a
mystic reminiscenceA +hat is it that the yogi remembersA Probably the "original unity:,
the union of god and goddess*
L* <n the last stages of Sadanga yoga the ade#t reaches samadhi $enlightenment
or unfolding(, the "indestructible bliss:* This state is also e8uated with the ")ision of
em#tiness: $+ayman, .QP', #* 'Q(* ;ll winds, and thus all manifestations of existence as
well, are now brought to a standstill > #eace reigns among the #eaks* For a night and a
day the yogi sus#ends the %.,L&& breaths, that is, he no longer needs to breathe* 1is
material bodily aggregates are dissol)ed* -om#lete immobility occurs, all sexual #assions
)anish and are re#laced by the "motionless #leasure: $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* %.Q(*

Since the flow of time de#icts nothing other than the currents of the energy winds in the
body, the ade#t has, by stilling these, ele)ated himself beyond the cycle of time and become
its absolute master* Back at the third le)el of the exercises, during pranayama, he had already
won control o)er the flow of time, but he only halts it when he attains the state of samadhi*

<t is astonishing that all six stages of Sandanga yoga should be #erformed during sexual
union with a karma mudra $a real woman(* But until it comes to this, many hours of
#re#aration are needed* The inner #hotisms described also arise in the course of the sexual act*

For exam#le, to #ress the masculine and feminine energy currents into the middle
channel inpranayama, the ade#t em#loys drastic Hatha yoga #ractices, which are known as
"the 6oining of the sun and moon breaths: $3)ans7+entM, .Q'N, #* ''(* <n
translation ha means Wsun,, and thaWmoon,* Hatha, the combination of ha and tha,
significantly means W)iolence, or W)iolent exertion, and thereby announces the element of
)iolence in the sexual magic act $3liade, .QPH, #* %'P(* This consists of a sudden, 6erking lea#
%&.
u# during sexual intercourse accom#anied by simultaneous #ressure on the #erineum with the
hand or the heel* That such "methods: $upaya( are es#ecially enticing and erotic for a
"wisdom consort: $pra0na( is something we would like to doubt* The lack of feeling, the
coldness, the cunning, and the dee# misogyny which lies behind these yoga techni8ues
actually ought to hit the karma mudra in the eye at once* Bet in the arms of a godlike !ama
she would only seldom dare to take her ske#tical im#ressions seriously or e)en articulate
them*

Sadanga yoga describes the "alachakra Tantra "method: $upaya( to be em#loyed
during the higher and highest initiations* +e are dealing here with an emotionless, "rational:,
#urely technical set of instructions for the mani#ulation of energies which are #rofoundly
emotional, arousing, and instincti)e > like lo)e, eroticism, and sexuality* <n the classic tantric
#olarity of "wisdom: $pra0na( and "method: it is the latter which is co)ered by these yoga
techni8ues* The yogi does not need to bother about anything else > wisdom, knowledge, or
feelings* They are already to be found in the "#ra6na:, the feminine elixir which he can snatch
from the woman by #ro#erly #racticing Sandanga yoga* 4ow what is the result of this
calculating and so#histicated sexual magicA

Footnot(!:
S.T The "alachakra Tantra distinguishes between an u##er #art to the three main
channels and a lower one* ;bo)e, the following symbolic di)ision is made0 left > moon,
masculineR right > sun, feminineR middle >Rahu, androgynous* Rahu is an imaginary #lanet
which can cause a solar or lunar ecli#se* The u##er three energy flows thus #ossess a
#lanetary character* The lower #art is determined by the substances which can be found in the
three channels before the yoga #raxis0 left > urineR right > semenR middle >
excrement* This arrangement becomes more com#licated owing to the fact that the u##er
amnnd lower channels change their #ositions* The lalana $moon, u##er left( a##ears below in
the middle and is there filled with excrement* Thepingala $sun, u##er right( is linked to the
lower left, urine7filled channel* Rahu, in the middle abo)e, is found to the right below, as the
s#erm channel* The u##er and lower channels also ha)e different names and are filled with
different substances in men and women, hence the lower right7hand channel is said to contain
menstrual blood rather than semen in the female body $4aro#a, .QQ@, ##* %N@, %NH(* <n the
women the lower right channel bears the name sankhini and is filled with female seedR the
%&%
lower right channel of the man is known as khagamukha and contains the semen
+irile $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* N%(* Martin Brauen,s gra#hical de#iction of the channels in
the "alachakra Tantra $Brauen, .QQ%, #* HH( is admittedly logically consistent for a nmber of
reasons > in that he shows the middle channel as continuous from to# to bottom, for
instance* 1owe)er, it does not accord with the 8uoted textual #assages from
the Sekkodesha $4aro#a, .QQ@, #* N% ff*(*
S%T The "first 6oy: takes effect in the forehead and stretches down to the throat
chakra* The second reaches from there to the heart and bears the name "highest 6oy:, the third
ends in the na)el and is called the "s#ecial 6oy:* The fourth, the "inborn 6oy:, realiMes itself in
the ti# of the #enis $-oMort, .QPL, #* NL(*
S'T The first "dro# of dee# slee#: lies in the heart or at the ti# of the #enis* The second
"dro# of the dreaming state:, which is also known as the "dro# of s#eech:, is likewise to be
sought in the genital region or in the throat* The third "dro# of the waking state: mo)es
between the forehead and the na)el* The fourth "dro# of erotic ecstasy:, which is ex#erienced
during sexual intercourse between man and woman, may be found in the genitals or beneath
the roof of the skull* <t is also referred to as the "dro# of transcendental wisdom: $hargyey,
.QPH, ##* .%.,.%%(*
S@T The Sadanga %oga is not identical to the "Six Part Boga of 4aro#a: which is far
better known in the +est* The <aha Siddha $4aro#a( must ne)ertheless ha)e known both
ty#es of yoga, since he refers to theSadanga exercises in his commentary on the "alachakra
Tantra* <n the original text of the Time Tantra $Sekkodesha( this yoga is only )ery briefly
mentioned, in )erses ..H7..Q of the fourth cha#ter* 1owe)er, this brief #assage has nothing
to say about its fundamental im#ortance, rather 6ust that numerous s#ecific documents exist to
which the yogi can easily obtain access* Kf these, many of these are in the meantime
a)ailable in 3nglish or 9erman translations* $See abo)e all the works by 9rJnbold*(
SHT <n contrast, alongside the four "night signs: mentioned abo)e, aniel -oMort
mentions the following six "day signs:0 $H( destructi)e fireR $L( the sunR $N( the moonR $P( the
#lanet RahuR $Q( a stroke of lightningR and $.&( the blue #oint $-oMort, .QPL, #* .%H(* <n the
ele)enth sign "alachakra and -ish+amata re)eal themsel)es in sexual union within the blue
dro#* The Sekkodesha calls this e)ent the "uni)ersal, clear shining image: and s#eaks of an
e#i#hany of the all7knowing Buddha, who shines "like the sun in water, unbesmirched, of
e)ery color, with all as#ects, recogniMed as an ex#ression of our own consciousness, without
any ob6ecti)ity: $4aro#a, .QQ@, ##* %%Q, %H@(* Kther texts s#ecify still more #hotisms, but in
%&'
all cases they concern #ure fire and light meditations which the yogi has to successfully
tra)erse*

8. THE ADI BUDDHA: HIS MYSTIC BODY
AND HIS ASTRAL ASPECTS


The Power of Ten: The mystic body of the ADI BUDDHA
The astral-temporal aspects of the ADI BUDDHA
ah!"the swallower of s!n and moon
#ala$ni and the doomsday mare
The myth of eternal rec!rrence

The hi$hest $oal of the Kalachakra initiation is the attainment of a
spirit!al state which is referred to as ADI BUDDHA% In the year &'(() the
fo!nder of western Tibetolo$y) the H!n$arian *soma de #+r+s) ,!oted for
the -rst time in a .!ropean lan$!a$e the famo!s Kalachakra theses which
the Maha Siddha Tilopa is said to ha/e -0ed to the $ates of the B!ddhist
!ni/ersity in 1alanda% In them the ADI BUDDHA is introd!ced as the
hi$hest 21.) from whom e/erythin$ else emer$es: He) that does not
3now the chief -rst B!ddha 4Adi-Buddha5) 3nows not the circle of
time4Kalachakra5% He) that does not 3now the circle of time) 3nows not the
e0act en!meration of the di/ine attrib!tes% He that does not 3now the
e0act en!meration of the di/ine attrib!tes) 3nows not the s!preme
intelli$ence% He) that does not 3now the s!preme intelli$ence) 3nows not
the tantric principles% He) that does not 3now the tantric principles) and all
s!ch) are wanderers in the orbtransmigratos) and are o!t of the way of the
s!preme tri!mphator% Therefore Adi-Buddha m!st be ta!$ht by e/ery tr!e
%&@
lama) and e/ery tr!e disciple who aspires to liberation m!st hear them
4,!oted by #+r+s) &6'7) pp% 8&) 885% 1o other tantra has made the idea of
the ADI BUDDHA so central to its teachin$ as the Kalachakra Tantra%

It wo!ld be false to ass!me that the ADI BUDDHA is a bein$ who
resides in the hi$hest spirit!al sphere which the historical B!ddha referred
to as nirvana% This becomes apparent when we e0amine the three
$ateways of conscio!sness which lead to this !ltimate realm of
enli$htenment 4nirvana5: 4&5 the emptiness 4shunyata59 485 the si$nless
4animitta59 and 4(5 the wish-less 4apranihata5%

Nirvana) the raison dtre of B!ddhism) is beca!se of these three
$ateways a $reatness no lon$er able to be de-ned in words% :e can only
e/er tal3 abo!t it) yet ne/er capt!re it in words or concept!ally $rasp it%
.dward *on;e) the eminent historian of B!ddhism) has assembled a $reat
n!mber of s!ch form!lations with which B!ddhist a!thors ha/e attempted
to pict!re the hi$hest spirit!al le/el of their reli$ion% :e wo!ld li3e to
,!ote some of these here: nir/ana is the deathless) imm!table) endless)
end!rin$) it is peace) rest) silence) liberation) ren!nciation) the in/isible)
ref!$e) s!preme $ood%

The impersonal character of nirvana is already apparent from this
list% Nirvana is th!s !nder no circ!mstances a person) b!t rather a state of
conscio!sness% <or this reason the bodily depiction of the enli$htened
B!ddha was forbidden in early B!ddhist icono$raphy% <ollowin$ his entry
intonirvana he co!ld only be portrayed symbolically and ne/er physically
" as) for e0ample) a wheel or a pillar of -re or e/en thro!$h his absence
whereby the artist drew an empty throne% The =!blime 2ne who
already dwells in the emptiness co!ld not be portrayed more $raphically%

%&H
Accordin$ly) nirvana is no creation) not e/en the prime ca!se of
creation) b!t rather standstill% It is no action) b!t rather inaction9 no $oal-
directed tho!$ht) rather non-tho!$ht% It is witho!t intent and 3nows no
moti/ation% It does not command) b!t rather remains silent% It is
disinterested and lac3s en$a$ement% It stands o!tside time% It has no
$ender% It is not e/en) in the initial historical phase of B!ddhism) identical
with the mystical clear li$ht% All this) howe/er " the creati/e force) the
hi$hest clear li$ht) action) tho!$ht) moti/ation) command " does apply to
the ADI BUDDHA%

Unli3e nirvana) the ADI BUDDHA is not se0!ally ne!tral) rather he is
the >reat *osmic Andro$yne who has inte$rated the polarity of the se0es
within himself% He arose from himself) e0ists thro!$h himself) that is) he
has no father or mother% He is birthless and deathless) witho!t be$innin$
and witho!t end% He is the hi$hest bliss and free of all s!?erin$% He is
!ntarnished and @awless% He is the collapse of opposites) the !ndi/ided%
He is wisdom and method) form and formlessness) compassion and
emptiness% He is the ,!iet and the motion) he is static and dynamic% He
has co!ntless names% He is the !ni/ersal $od) the hi$hest lord% In the
words of an old Indian hymn dedicated to him)

He is the 5@; and pro'laims the tea'hin) o* "nityA
He stands at the s"mmit o* bein)#
He permeates everythin)A he is the in*allible %ay#
He is the vi'tor one %hose enemy is de*eated
a 'on!"eror a %orld r"ler %ho possesses the )reat po%ers#
He is the leader o* the *lo'k the tea'her o* the *lo'k
the lord o* the *lo'k the master o* the *lo'k the %ielder o* po%er#
He has )reat po%er %ithstands all b"rdens#
He does not need to be led by othersA he is the )reat leader#
He is the lord o* spee'h the master o* spee'h
the elo!"ent one the master o* the voi'e the eternal %ord#
%&L
$8uoted by 9rJnbold, .QQH, #* H'(

:e are standin$ here at an interestin$ t!rnin$ point in the history of
the B!ddhist teachin$% Instead of the !nnamable) impersonal and se0less
emptiness of nirvana) we are s!ddenly confronted by an andro$yno!s
!ni/ersal r!ler% A B!ddha dwellin$ in nirvana is o!tside of all time) the ADI
BUDDHA in contrast is) accordin$ to a statement by the Maha
Siddha Tilopa) identical with the time $od Kalachakra% He is the :heel of
Time) witho!t an e,!al) imperishable 4*arelli) &67&) p% 8&5% The
Primordial B!ddha AADI BUDDHAB $i/es rise to :heel of Time) the cycle of
creation and destr!ction) !nceasin$ chan$e) that de-nes o!r e0istence)
we are told by Bernba!m 4Bernba!m) &6'C) p% &8D5% He is the 3in$ of
the Kalachakra Tantra%

He 3nows the entire secret doctrine of the tantras) controls the body)
the lan$!a$e) the awareness and possesses all ma$ic powers%
The Kalachakra Tantra celebrates him as the lord of ill!sions) who
emanates many ill!sory forms% He !ses those emanated forms to !proot
trees) and also to sha3e the mo!ntain tops 4,!oted by 1ewman) &6'D) p%
86E5% He is a dharmara!a) a 3in$ of laws) beca!se he commands all bein$s
as the hierarch% He presides o/er $ods and mortals as the hi$hest
!ni/ersal F!d$e% As the brin$er of sal/ation he /an,!ishes the foes of
B!ddhism and leads his followers into the $olden a$e% The ADI BUDDHA
stands acti/e at the center of the B!ddhist !ni/erse) which at the same
time emanates from him% 1e/ertheless he can appear in the
anthropomorphic form of a h!man) a yo$i%

If we were to describe the ADI BUDDHA in the terms of philosophical
idealism) then we wo!ld ha/e to introd!ce s!ch phrases as absol!te
spirit) absol!te s!bFecti/ity) absol!te e$o% He is theego ipsissimus of
the yo$i) whom the latter tries to attain thro!$h his se0!al ma$ic
%&N
practices% At the end of his initiation) in one tantric te0t he pro!dly cries
o!t: At the end of his initiation) in one tantric te0t he pro!dly cries o!t: I
ma3e the !ni/erse manifest within myself in the =3y of *onscio!sness% I)
who am the !ni/erse) am its creator% AG%B The !ni/erse dissol/es within
me% I who am the @ame of the $reat eternal -re of *onscio!sness%
4,!oted by Dyc;3ows3i) &6'D) p% &'65% 2f co!rse) these sentences are not
addressed to an indi/id!al e$o) b!t rather the s!pere$o of a di/ine
!ni/ersal bein$%

Alon$side the absol!te s!bFecti-cation of the ADI BUDDHA) whose will
is law and whose power is !nbo!nded) there is oddly also the /iew which
wo!ld see in this s!preme bein$ a $reat cosmic machine% The !ni/ersal
B!ddha has also been ima$ined to be a cloc3wor3 in which e/ery
co$wheel is lin3ed to others and all the co$s mesh% The mechanism of
B!ddhist cosmo$ony and its controller proceeds in !nendin$ repetition)
witho!t anythin$ in this chain of e/ents bein$ able to be chan$ed%
./erythin$ has its place) its order) its repetition% ./en its own destr!ction
" as we shall show " has become an inb!ilt e/ent of this me$a-machine)
F!st li3e the ine/itable s!bse,!ent res!rrection of the di/ine apparat!s% A
ne/er-endin$ process) which can ne/er be stopped) ne/er t!rned bac3)
ne/er /aried% <riedrich 1iet;sche m!st ha/e ca!$ht a $limpse of this
cosmic cloc3 when he e0perienced his /ision of eternal repetition% The
ADI BUDDHA is this world cloc3) the dieu machine or di/ine machine%
Absol!te will and absol!te mechanism) absol!te s!bFecti/ity and absol!te
obFecti/ity) the absol!te .>2 and the 2TH. are s!pposed to -nd !nity in
the absol!te archetype of the ADI BUDDHA% This parado0 is p!t abo!t by
the tantric teachers as a $reat mystic secret%

Undo!btedly the !ni/ersal B!ddha 4ADI BUDDHA5 of the Kalachakra
Tantra e0hibits all the characteristics of a !ni/ersal $od) a world r!ler
%&P
4pantocrat5) a messiah 4savior5 and a creator9 he !ndo!btedly possesses
monotheistic traits% A&B

The idea of an omnipotent di/ine bein$) many of whose
characteristics match the 1ear .ast concept of a creator $od) was already
accepted in Mahayana B!ddhism and was ta3en !p from there by the early
tantras 4fo!rth cent!ry *%.%5% It -rst fo!nd its mat!rity and -nal form!lation
in theKalachakra teachin$s 4tenth cent!ry5% Hany western researchers are
led by the monotheistic traits of the ADI BUDDHA to s!spect non-B!ddhist)
primarily 1ear .astern in@!ences here% *on/incin$ references to Iranian
so!rces ha/e been made% The contin!in$ de/elopment of the ima$e and
its conto!r are f!rther indebted to a reaction a$ainst Islam% In India and
the 1ear .ast the personally-oriented theophany of Allah presented the
common pop!lace with an attracti/e and emotional co!nter-model to the
elitist and abstract nirvana doctrine of the learned B!ddhist mon3s% It
th!s seemed nat!ral to incorporate appropriate charismatic ima$es into
oneIs own c!lt% As arch-$od) the ADI BUDDHA also represents an
alternati/e to Hind! polytheism) which at that time threatened B!ddhism
F!st as stron$ly as the teachin$s of the #oran later did%

There had not been s!ch a s!bFecti-cation of the ima$e of $od in the
philosophically oriented opinions of the early B!ddhist schools !p !ntil the
$reat scholar 1a$arF!na 4second to third cent!ry *%.%5% They were all at
pains to portray the B!ddha as a le/el of conscio!sness) a co$niti/e
-eld) a sta$e of enli$htenment) as emptiness) in brief as a mental state)
yet not as a "reator Mundi% In the ADI BUDDHA system) howe/er) the
creati/e aspect plays F!st as $reat a role as) for e0ample) the epiphany of
di/ine wrath or the apocalyptic F!d$ment of di/ine destr!ction% B!t the
hi$hest mental and transpersonal B!ddha conscio!sness e0ists on a le/el
beyond creation and destr!ction) beyond life and death%

%&Q
The ADI BUDDHA is accordin$ to doctrine the theolo$ical principle)
which per/ades the entire tantric rit!al system% In his perfected form he
appears as the andro$yne cosmocrat) in his incomplete form he is still
pro$ressin$ thro!$h the indi/id!al initiation le/els of the Kalachakra
Tantra as a practicin$ yo$i% In principle the mystic body of the tantra
master coincides with that of the ADI BUDDHA) b!t complete identity -rst
occ!rs when the yo$i has e0terminated all elements of his human body
and transformed it into a divine body%

Jet !s now loo3 at the e0pansion of power of the ADI BUDDHA as it is
described in theKalachakra Tantra% .ssentially it e0hibits -/e aspects:

&% An inner aspect) which can be described
/ia microcosmic proced!res in the andro$yno!s ener$y body of the
yo$i 4or of the ADI BUDDHA respecti/ely5% There is a physiolo$ical
map of this) depicted with a complicated symbolic character) the
so-called dasakaro vasi4the ten ener$y winds5% :e shall e0amine this
si$n more closely%

8% A temporal#astral aspect) which stretches to the stars% In
his macrocosmic dimension the ADI BUDDHA encompasses the
whole !ni/erse% As far as the hea/enly bodies of s!n) moon and
stars are mentioned) they are treated) in the Kalachakra Tantra as in
all archaic c!lt!res) as the indicators of time% Anyone who controls
them is accordin$ly the master of time% In this chapter we analy;e
the /ario!s tantric models of time%

(% A spatial#cosmic aspect) which li3ewise e0tends across all
of space% The ADI BUDDHA is) altho!$h also a person) li3ewise
identical with the str!ct!re of the B!ddhist cosmos) or " to p!t it
%.&
another way " the macrocosmic model of the !ni/erse is
homolo$o!s with themicrocosmic body of the ADI BUDDHA% Both
ta3e the form of a mandala 4a cosmic dia$ram5% Here we describe
the str!ct!re of the !ni/erse o/er which the ADI BUDDHA e0erts his
power%

7% A glo$al#political aspect) which is foc!sed !pon the idea
of a B!ddhist world r!ler 4"hakravartin5% As we shall show) the ADI
BUDDHA ma3es an o!tri$ht claim for real political power o/er the
whole $lobe%

K% A mytho-political program% The Kalachakra Tantra does
not F!st treat the topic of the world r!ler in $eneral) b!t has also
de/eloped a speci-c !topia) ideolo$y) and form of state) which are
s!mmari;ed in what is called the Sham$hala myth% This $lobal
political pro$ram of the ADI BUDDHA is so si$ni-cant for an
!nderstandin$ of the Kalachakra Tantra and later for the analysis of
Tibetan history that we de/ote a separate section to it%

In the second) political part of o!r st!dy 4Politics as rit!al5 we shall
e0amine all of these -/e aspects in connection with the <o!rteenth Dalai
Jama% He is c!rrently the hi$hest Kalachakramaster) whose person)
actions and tho!$hts most closely appro0imate the conception of an ADI
BUDDHA%

The Power of Ten: The m!"#$ %o& of "he ADI BUDDHA
The control of cosmic ener$ies thro!$h a mystic body described in
the Kalachakra Tantra is a tradition which was also 3nown in medie/al
.!rope% There were philosophical schools in the :est as well which
re$arded the anatomy of the h!man mystic body and cosmo$raphy as the
%..
same science% The person and the !ni/erse formed a !nity% %omo omnis
creatura " man is the entire creation% In this /iew)
the microcosmic or$ans and limbs " the heart) the na/el) the arms) the
head) the eyes) for e0ample " all had
their macrocosmic correspondences%

In order to reali;e the microcosmic conditions for the e0pansion of
power of the ADI BUDDHA) an andro$yno!s body of a yo$i is needed) that
is) the internali;ation of the maha mudra 4inner woman5 which we ha/e
described abo/e% This obsessi/e conception) that absol!te power can be
conF!red !p thro!$h the mystic marria$e of the masc!line and feminine
principles within a sin$le person) also had .!ropean alchemy in its thrall%
:e are once a$ain confronted with an e/ent which plays so central a role
in both c!lt!res 4:estern and .astern5 that the e,!ation Tantrism L
alchemy o!$ht to be ta3en most serio!sly% At the end of the $reat wor3
4opus magnum5 of the :esterners we li3ewise enco!nter that
transpersonal and omnipotent s!per bein$ of whom it is said that it is at
the same time the controllin$ principle 4masc!line5 and the controlled
principle 4feminine5 and therefore andro$yno!s 4./ola) &6'6) p% 7'5% In
the rele/ant te0ts it is also referred to as %ermaphroditus) to indicate that
its masc!line part consists of the $od %ermes) and its feminine part of the
$oddess of lo/e) Aphrodite% This bise0!al deity is li3e the ADI BUDDHA a
creati/e spirit who prod!ces the !ni/erse% In the "orpus %ermeticum) the
late .$yptian collection of mysto-ma$ical te0ts 48CC B%*%.%M8CC *%.%5 from
which .!ropean alchemy is deri/ed) we can already read that an
intellect!al bein$) the masc!lineNfeminine $od) is the life and li$ht)
which prod!ced the !ni/erse 4./ola) &6'6) pp% D') D65% =!ch f!ndamental
correspondences re/eal that we are confronted with far more than an
asto!ndin$ parallel between two c!lt!ral spheres% There is therefore m!ch
to be said for the s!$$estion that the Kalachakra Tantra and .!ropean
alchemy both stem from a common so!rce%
%.%

As we ha/e already reported in some detail) the arti-cial $enesis of
the cosmic andro$yne in both the occidentalNalchemic and the
tantricNB!ddhist e0periments is preceded by the sacri-ce of the feminine
sphere and its s!bse,!ent inte$ration into the masc!line sphere%
Additionally) in both cases the old mental and physical a$$re$ates of the
adept are destroyed% At the same time as his tantric collea$!e the
alchemist also dies and li/es thro!$h se/eral s!btle deaths !ntil he
attains his $oal% He too dissol/es his h!man e0istence so as to be born as
a deity% He strips away what the te0ts refer to as his old Adam 4his
h!man e0istence5 in order to de/elop himself !p into the new Adam) the
!ni/ersal s!perh!man 4or $od5) F!st as the Tantric m!st let his earthly
personality and e$o die so as to then ser/e as the /essel of a deity%

Accordin$ to the micro#macrocosmic doctrine) the cosmic andro$yne
" in alchemy as in&a!rayana " e0ercises control o/er the entire !ni/erse
with the help of his mysto-ma$ical body% The ori$in of the !ni/ersal power
lies inside the yo$i and then $rows o!t of his small body to -nally
e0pand to the $reat body of the !ni/erse) F!st as an oa3 tree $rows from
an acorn% In this microNmacrocosm theory we m!st re$ard the mystic body
of the yo$i as the central monad of which all other monads 4and all other
people too5 are simply re@ections) or) to p!t it more concretely " and both
the alchemists and the Tantrics were so concrete " thro!$h the control of
his ener$y body the cosmic andro$yne 4the ADI BUDDHA or the
alchemic %ermaphroditus5 determines the orbit of the stars) the politics of
the world we 3now) and the psyche of the indi/id!al%

The dasakaro vasi
The microcosmic body of the ADI BUDDHA) with which he controls the
whole !ni/erse) is depicted in the Kalachakra Tantra by an eni$matic
%.'
symbol which $oes by the name of the Power of Ten 4=ans3rit dasakaro
vasi9 Tibetan namchu'angdan5% The >erman orientalist) Albert >rOnwedel)
called it the Powerf!l in Ten <orms and the -rst :estern Tibetolo$ist)
*soma de #+r+s) the Ten Protectors of the :orld%

:e -nd the character on n!mero!s Jamaist obFects% It adorns the
co/ers of boo3s) small bo0es and containers for am!lets) appears on
st!pas) and is considered a talisman in e/eryday life% As the personal seal
of the Panchen Jama it is s!rro!nded by the mythic bird) garuda)
swallowin$ a sna3e% The dasakaro vasi is said to ha/e been displayed for
the -rst time to$ether with the abo/e-mentioned ADI BUDDHA theses of
the Maha Siddha and Kalachakra specialist) Tilopa) on the $ates of the
Indian monastic !ni/ersity in 1alanda%

The dasakaro vasi (Tib. namchuwangdan)

%.@
The si$n incorporates se/en interwo/en letters) of which each is in a
di?erent color% Jetters one to -/e depict the -/e elements in the followin$
order: air) -re) water) earth) space% The si0th letter represents Ho!nt Her!)
the cosmic a0is of the B!ddhist !ni/erse9 the se/enth the lot!s) or the
twel/e continents arran$ed in a wheel aro!nd Ho!nt Her! in B!ddhist
cosmolo$y) one of which is s!pposed to be o!r earth% Abo/e this we -nd
the moon 4&C5) and the s!n 4&&5% Both are crowned by the dar3
demon (ahu in the form of a small @ame%

This entwined character 4dasakaro vasi5 is the anatomical map of the
microcosmic body of the ADI BUDDHA% The indi/id!al lines formin$ the
letters are therefore described as his inner /eno!s or ner/o!s system% 2n
a mysto-physical le/el the dasakaro vasi symbol refers to the ten main
ener$y channels from which a total of D8)CCC side channels branch o?%
The startin$ point for the whole body schema is " as we ha/e described
abo/e " formed by the three central /eins assi$ned to the $enders) the
masc!line on the left 4lalana5) the feminine on the ri$ht 4rasana5 and the
andro$yno!s middle channel 4avadhuti5%

.ach of the letters composin$ the dasakaro vasi corresponds to a
partic!lar form of ener$y% The elements " earth) -re) water and space"
also co!nt as ener$ies% .ach of the ener$y c!rrents which @ow thro!$h the
/eins can be acti/ated by a correspondin$ ma$ic spell 4mantra5% P!t
to$ether) the /ario!s mantras form a sin$le ma$ic form!la) which is said to
$rant whoe/er prono!nces it correctly power o/er the entire !ni/erse9 the
word is hamkshahmalavaraya4H!llin) &66&) p% (8D5% This $lobal mantra
controls all ten of the main ener$ies which constit!te creation and which
the tantra master controls thro!$h the force of his spirit and his breathin$%

%.H
This too has its co!nterpart in .!ropean alchemy or in the cabbala
closely interwo/en with it% The andro$yno!s cabbalist deity in the Pewish
system li3ewise possesses a mystic body composed of ten4Q5 ener$y
centers) the ten sephirot) and (8 canales occultae 4occ!lt channels5
comin$ o!t of these% The -rst three sephirot correspond to the three main
tantric channels of the se0es: chochmais the masc!line) $ina the feminine)
and kether the andro$yno!s one%
There is no do!bt that the ADI BUDDHA is identical with the /eno!s
system of the dasakaro vasi% Ret we m!st ma3e a di?erentiation here) for
there are n!mero!s indications in theKalachakra Tantra that the Power of
Ten 4dasakaro vasi5 is e0cl!si/ely re$arded as the symbol of a feminine
ener$y system which the adept renders s!bser/ient /ia the method
4upaya5% The term is namely also translated as the ten shaktis or the
ten powerf!l $oddesses% 4Bryant) &668) p% &KD5% .ach of them bears a
special name% These shaktis represent the ten primal forces of the ADI
BUDDHA% They are additionally e,!ated with the ten states of perfection
of the conscio!sness: ma$nanimity) morality) patience) e?ort)
concentration) wisdom) method) spirit!al $oal settin$) spirit!al power) and
transcendent wisdom%

The ADI BUDDHA has " as it says in one Kalachakra te0t " dissol/ed
the shaktis within himself 4Dalai Jama SIT) &6'K) p%7CE5% It m!st be
concl!ded from this sentence that prior to this inner act of dissol!tion they
m!st ha/e e0isted in the e0ternal world) either really or s!btly% If o!r
s!spicion is correct) then these ten shaktis of the dasakaro vasi are the
ten mudras who celebrated a $anachakra to$ether with the tantra master
in the fo!r hi$hest initiations of the Time Tantra% A f!rther passa$e from
the Kalachakra Tantra ma3es reference to this: At that time there appear
the forms of the /ario!s empty body Shaktis) it says there) The yo$i)
who has arisen in the form of the empty body deity) then se0!ally !nites
with these $oddesses) $i/in$ rise to the e0traordinary) s!preme)
%.L
!nchan$in$ bliss 4H!llin) &66&) p% 8(K5%Here) his empty body absorbs
the form bodies of the $oddesses) so that these contin!e to e0ist within
his interior as ener$y c!rrents or as a mystic /eno!s system% In the
pre/io!s sections we ha/e shown how the real women 4karma mudras5 at
a ganachakra are transformed /ia a rit!al sacri-ce into spirit women
4dakinis5 so as to then contin!e their e0istence as the maha mudra 4Uinner
woman5 in the body of the yo$i% Adelheid Herrmann-Pfand writes that
the da3inis 4or ten shaktis5 are identi-ed with the /eins of the mystic
yo$a physiolo$y) so that the Ayo$iIsB body AbecomesB a horde of da3inis%
The process of their !nion is concei/ed as a !nion of these /eins or)
respecti/ely) of the ener$ies circ!latin$ within them which !nite into a
$reat c!rrent) ascend) and -nally p!lse thro!$h the whole body% %%%
Thro!$h the !nion with all da3inis one becomes the same as all B!ddhas
4Hermann-Pfand) &668) pp% 7CC) 7C&5%

In the ima$e of the dasakaro vasi then) the ten shaktis 4the
ten mudras5 @ow to$ether into a sin$le powerf!l female bein$) the so-
called world woman% :e 3now her from the Kalachakra Tantra !nder the
name of &ishvamata) the $oddess of time% The /ario!s lines of the si$n
4dasakaro vasi5 therefore symboli;e) strictly spea3in$) her mystic /eno!s
system which is inserted into the empty body of the yo$i or ADI BUDDHA
at the c!lmination of the tantric rit!al) becomes a part of his self and lies
!nder his control% The male tantra master is th!s in possession of a female
ener$y body%

Breathing
:e m!st th!s now as3 what remains of him as a manV Are the yo$i
and his male body made female and transformed into the $reat
$oddessV 1oQ As empty as the tantra master may ha/e made himself)
he wo!ld ne/er relin,!ish his breathin$% His breathin$ is the absol!te
control instr!ment with which he steers the incorporated world woman
%.N
or the ten shaktis% A yo$i who has mastered his breathin$ is said to ride
the ener$y wind% He possesses a wind or breath body% :ind) air) and
breath form a !nity in tantric terminolo$y and pra0is% <or this reason) and
homolo$o!s to the ten shaktis or the ten /eins of the world woman)
the dasakaro vasi are spo3en of in the Time Tantra as the ten main
winds: The -rst ei$ht winds correspond to the ei$ht $oddesses 4shakti5
who s!rro!nd the di/ine co!ple) Kalachakra and &ishvamata) whilst the
last two are lin3ed to the center and are associated with the
$oddess &ishvamata 4Bra!en) &668) p% KK5%
The -nal step in controllin$ the winds is holdin$ the $reat breath%
:ith it) the yo$i dissol/es the world woman in his ima$ination into
emptiness) that is) he e0terminates her or brin$s her to a standstill% B!t
since he can recreate her from nothin$ at any moment he is lord o/er her
life and her death% :ith her death the world ends) with her creatio e)
nihilo it arises anew) then the wind ener$ies of the yo$i are endowed with
special potencies that are capable of shapin$ a new world) as the
Tibetan Kalachakra interpreter Jodr+ TayW tells !s 4TayW) &66K) p% &DD5%
2nce the yo$i has incorporated the dasakaro vasi) the world woman
or the ten powerf!l $oddesses he has become the ADI BUDDHA) who
now possesses a bise0!al diamond body 4va!rakaya5% The tantra
researcher) Ale0 :ayman) has described how the va!rakaya emer$es from
the $ender dynamics: The fact that in each instance the $oddess is
ima$ined as the initiator) or as the female element behind the scenes)
indicates the initiations as the step-wise pro$ress in the solidi-cation of
the innate body of the tantras %%% meanin$ the pro$ress of that body to the
pre$enetic andro$yne state and then to the *lear Ji$ht 4:ayman) &6DD)
p% E65% .!ropean alchemy also has itsva!rakaya) the $lory body which
the adept recei/es in the -nale of the opus 4the $reat wor35%
Jet !s s!mmari;e: accordin$ to the teachin$s of the Kalachakra
Tantra* the mystic body of the ADI BUDDHA consists of ten main ener$y
channels% These correspond on a macrocosmic le/el to the ten main
%.P
ener$ies from which all the forces of o!r !ni/erse are deri/ed% To mo/e
and lead the indi/id!al ener$ies) the ADI BUDDHA ma3es !se of abo/e all
his breathin$% His ener$y body is symbolically depicted as the dasakaro
vasi%
An etiolo$y of this si$n leads !s to the ganachakra) or the fo!r last
initiations of the Time Tantra% The ten ener$y winds) which also $o by the
name of the ten shaktis) correspond to the ten karma mudras who
participate in the se0!al ma$ic rit!al% The dasakaro vasi is therefore a
f!rther proof for the f!ndamental si$ni-cance of the tantric female
sacri-ce in &a!rayana B!ddhism) since thegynergy of the ten tantric
se0!al partners is stolen in the ganachakra and then inte$rated into the
mystic body of the yo$i so that he can obtain the andro$yno!s diamond
body of an ADI BUDDHA with it% This body is the powerf!l instr!ment
thro!$h which he controls all the processes of the !ni/erse%

The '!"r'()"em*or'( '!*e$"! of "he ADI BUDDHA
There is an occ!lt correspondence between the microcosmic body of
the ADI BUDDHA and the macrocosmic !ni/erse% In the Kalachakra
Tantra the term ADI BUDDHA encompasses both the ener$y body of the
practicin$ yo$i or va!ra master and the entire !ni/erse with all its worlds
and stars% The yo$i) the ADI BUDDHA) the tantra master) and the laws of
the !ni/erse are th!s synonymo!s and form a mystic !nity% 4:e ta3e the
liberty of repeatin$ that this doctrine of ma$ic correspondences is
absol!tely essential to an !nderstandin$ of tantric lo$ic and that) !nder
the in@!ence of o!r westernNscienti-c world /iew) we tend to for$et this%5

Already) the story has it) when the historical B!ddha was e0plainin$
the Kalachakra Tantra to #in$ Suchandra for the -rst time) he indicated
that the entire !ni/erse was to be fo!nd within his body% The map of the
hea/ens is similarly inscribed in his body% =!n) moon) and stars are fo!nd
%.Q
not F!st o!tside) b!t also within) the mystic body of the yo$i 4ADI
BUDDHA5% It was th!s that the conception co!ld arise that an enli$htened
tantra master co!ld mo/e the planets thro!$h his internal ener$y winds%
*onse,!ently) the rotation of the stars which we can obser/e in the
-rmament is also an action of the winds% The wheel of stars) -0ed at both
poles Athe pole starB) propelled by dri/in$ winds) rotates !ntirin$ly) it says
in an astronomical fra$ment from the Kalachakra Tantra 4,!oted by Petri)
&6EE) p% K'5% This dri/in$ wind is considered to be the cosmic breath of
the ADI BUDDHA% =ince the motion of the hea/enly bodies proclaims the
time) the microcosmic star body of the tantra master 4ADI BUDDHA5 is
correspondin$ly a type of time machine) a cosmic cloc3%

=ince a !ni/ersal drama 4the -ery ascent of the candali5 is played o!t
in the ener$y body of the yo$i) there m!st) accordin$ to the doctrine of
correspondences) be a matchin$ performance in the macrocosmic
hea/ens% :e now wish to e0amine this spectacle in more detail: the s!n
and moon play the main roles here) the -/e planets ha/e bit parts% Two
f!rther powerf!l astral prota$onists) !n3nown to !s here in the :est) also
ta3e to the sta$e% They are called (ahu and Kalagni% The ;odiac and the
-0ed stars initially remain in the a!dience) b!t become ca!$ht !p in the
$eneral whirlwind of e/ents at the end%

Sunfeminine Moonmasculine
The s!n and moon correspond in the Kalachakra Tantra to the ri$ht
and left ener$y channels in the mystic body of the yo$i respecti/ely% Here
too) F!st as in tantric astrolo$y) the s!n is considered feminine and lin3ed
to -re and menstr!al blood9 the moon in contrast is masc!line and
corresponds to water and semen% This homolo$y is) as we ha/e already
pointed o!t more than once) /ery !n!s!al in terms of c!lt!ral history) then
traditionally the moon is seen as feminine and the s!n as masc!line%
%%&

Perhaps we can $rasp this symbolic inconsistency better if we ta3e a
loo3 at the astral and elemental associations of -re and water) s!n and
moon in the Indian c!lt!ral sphere% In the Tedic era 4&KCCM&CCC B%*%.%5 the
symbolic lin3a$es were still classical: man L -re and s!n9 woman L water
and moon% The horse symbolism at this sta$e central to reli$io!s life also
re@ected this classic orientation: The stallion represented the s!n and
the day) the mare the moon and the ni$ht% The s!n stallion symboli;ed
the acc!m!lation of masc!line power) the moon mare feminine power%
The latter was th!s e,!ated with the loss of male power in the
androcentric society and was considered a symbol for castration an0ieties%

In the +panishads 4'CCMECC B%*%.%5 -re contin!ed to be re$arded as a
masc!line element% The man thr!st his -re penis and his -re semen
into the watery ca/e of the female /a$ina% 42X<laherty) &6'8) p% KK5%
Here too the feminine was classi-ed as inferior and harmf!l% The way of
the s!n led to freedom from rebirth) the way of the moon led to
!nwanted incarnation%

./en in the -rst cent!ry 4*%.%5) the ,uranas 4a collection of old Indian
myths5 employed the -ery ener$y as a name for the semen virile% Ret at
this time the conception had already emer$ed that the male seed o!$ht to
be assi$ned to the moon on acco!nt of its pale color) while menstr!al
blood sho!ld depict a solar ener$y% This idea then became codi-ed in
Tantrism) of both the Hind! and B!ddhist form% <or e0ample) we can read
in a shi/aite te0t that the male semen represents the moon) the female
@!0 represents the s!n) therefore the Ro$i with $reat care m!st combine
the s!n and the moon in his own body 42I<laherty) &6'8) p% 8KK5%

%%.
The symbolic e,!ipment of the Hind! $od Shiva also pro/ides a /i/id
e0ample of this &'C-de$ree chan$e in the se0!al si$ni-cance of the s!n
and moon% Shiva wears the moon !pon his head as a crown) is mo!nted
!pon the animal symbol of the $reat mother) the b!ll Nandi) and has her
midni$ht bl!e s3in 4li3e the $oddess Kali5% He) the masc!line $od) is also
-tted o!t with emblems which were re$arded as feminine in the precedin$
c!lt!ral epochs% In terms of reli$io!s history) the symbolic reinterpretation
of s!n and moon probably ta3es e?ect in his appearance% B!t whyV

:e ha/e already indicated on a n!mber of occasions times that
androcentric Tantrism m!st be deeply rooted in matriarchal reli$io!s
concepts since it accords the !ni/erse a feminine character) e/en if the
yo$i e0ercises !ni/ersal dominance at the end of the tantric rit!al% This
co!ld be the reason why the male seed is symbolically lin3ed to the moon%
An androcentric claim to power o/er the traditionally feminine is) namely)
already e0pressed in this association) before the whole tantric initiation
process is set in motion% The most s!preme masc!line s!bstance of all)
the semen virile) re/eals itself in feminine $!ise in order to demonstrate
its omnipotence o/er both $enders% Shivawears the moon crown to
indicate that he has inte$rated all the ener$ies of the moon $oddess in
himself) that is) he has become the commander of the moon 4and thereby
of the feminine5%

1at!rally) we m!st now as3 o!rsel/es what happens to the semen
feminile and the menstr!al blood of the $oddess% <or reasons of
symmetry) these symbols are assi$ned to the s!n and to -re% B!t doesnIt
the woman thro!$h this c!lt!rally anomalo!s distrib!tion now absorb the
force and power of the formerly masc!line solar principleV 1ot at all "
then in the tantras the feminine s!n and feminine -re ha/e ob/io!sly
not ta3en on the many positi/e characteristics which distin$!ished the
masc!line s!n and masc!line -re in the precedin$ c!lt!ral epochs in
%%%
India% In theKalachakra Tantra they are no lon$er shinin$) warm) rational)
and creati/e) in contrast they represent deadly heat) pyromania) @amin$
destr!cti/e fren;y) and irrationality on all le/els% The yo$i does admittedly
!nderstand how to deal s3illf!lly with these ne$ati/e feminine -re
ener$ies) he e/en o!tri$ht !ses them to b!rn !p his coarse body and the
!ni/erse) b!t they are not thereby transformed into anythin$ positi/e%
:hilst the tantra master " as we ha/e shown " s!r/i/es as p!re spirit
the @amin$ ad/ent!re of destr!ction in which his h!man body is
e0terminated) in the end his inner -re woman 4the a!tonomo!s feminine
principle5 b!rns herself !p and disappears for $ood from the tantric
acti/ities% :e m!st th!s distin$!ish between a destructive feminine s!n
and a creative masculine s!n) F!st as we m!st draw a distinction between
the r!ino!s -re of the candaliand -re as a si$ni-cant masc!line symbol of
the B!ddhaIs power%

The A! B"#A ($alachakra master) as the androg%nous
arch&sun
The association of the ima$e of the B!ddha with s!n and -re
metaphors is) in contrast to his lin3s to moon and water symbols)
per/asi/e and is already attested in early B!ddhism% B!ddhaIs father)
=!ddhodana) was descended from a s!n dynasty and co!nted as a
member of the s!n race% As a si$n of his solar descent his son bore
ima$es of the s!n !pon the soles of his feet) a tho!sand-rayed wheel or a
hoo3ed cross 4the s'astika is an ancient s!n symbol5) for e0ample% A
s!n-wheel adorns the bac3 of his spirit!al throne%

In all c!lt!res the lion represents the s!n animal par e)cellence- this
is also tr!e of B!ddhism% Accordin$ to a well-3nown le$end) =ha3yam!ni
>a!tama B!ddha roared li3e a lion !pon lea/in$ his motherIs body% <rom
then on he was called the lion of the ho!se of =ha3ya% After the yo!n$
>a!tama had @ed his palace in order to follow the path of enli$htenment)
%%'
he also roared with the so!nd of a lion: Till I ha/e seen the farther shore
of birth and death) I will ne/er enter a$ain the city %%% 4Poseph *ampbell)
&6D() p% 8EK5% How the $ods reFoiced when they heard this powerf!l
leonine /oice% Poseph *ampbell) a researcher of myths) comments !pon
this si$ni-cant moment in world history in the followin$ words: The
ad/ent!re had be$!n that was to shape the ci/ili;ation of the lar$er
portion of h!man race The lion roar) the so!nd of the solar spirit) the
principle of the p!re li$ht of the mind) !nafraid of its own force) had
bro3en forth in the ni$ht of stars% And as the s!n) risin$) sendin$ forth its
rays) scatters both the terrors !nd the rapt!res of the ni$ht: as the lion
roar) sendin$ its warnin$ o!t across the teemin$ animal plane) scatters the
mar/elo!sly bea!tif!l $a;elles in fear: so that lion roar of the one who had
th!s come $a/e warnin$ of a lion po!nce of li$ht to come% 4Poseph
*ampbell) &6E8) 8EK5
Both in Mahayana B!ddhism which followed and later in Tantrism this
solar apotheosis of the B!ddha is strictly maintained and e/en e0tended%
The s!n metaphors lie at the center of theKalachakra Tantra too% The time
$od has a body li3e the =!n) it says there 41ewman) &6'D) pp% 88K)
(8E5% Kalachakra is partic!larly often spo3en of as the dayma3er s!n
41ewman) &6'D) p% 87(5% He is the lord of the three h!ndred and si0ty
solar days 41ewman) &6'D) p% 7K75 and sits !pon a va!ra lion throne%
His belie/ers worship him as the splendid lion of the =a3yas 41ewman)
&6'D) p% 87(5% In a commentary !pon the Time Tantra we can read that
Kalachakra is in all three worlds as the sun) which is the ima$e of time
4BanerFee) &6K6) p% &((5%

:hen the !ni/ersal re$al power of the B!ddha needs to be ill!strated)
then the s!n symbols step bac3 o!t into the limeli$ht in Tantrism as well%
The ima$es of the moon) which are of s!ch $reat si$ni-cance in the mystic
body of the yo$i) now in the /ery same te0ts play second -ddle) or
sometimes co!nt as emblems of ne$ati/ity% Hence
the Kalachakra researcher >Onter >r+nbold places the solar descent of
%%@
the historical B!ddha in direct contrast to the l!nar sphere: The dynasty
of the s!n stands) as the reader is aware) for the principle of the
!nad!lterated li$ht% The li$ht of the s!n is p!re% The li$ht of the moon in
contrast has its share of dar3ness% Horeo/er) the li$ht of the s!n is eternal)
whilst the li$ht of the moon) which wa0es and wanes in the co!nterplay
with its own dar3ness) is mortal and immortal at the same time
4>r+nbold) &6E6) p% ('5% That s!ch a s!dden heliolatry can be only
poorly s,!ared with the lo$ic of tantric physiolo$y) in which the masc!line
principle is represented by the moon and the feminine by the s!n) is also
apparent to se/eral commentators !pon the Kalachakra Tantra% Therefore)
so that no do!bts can arise abo!t the solar s!periority of the male time
$od) these a!thors ha/e de$raded the time $oddess)&ishvamata) who
accordin$ the tantric !nderstandin$ of the body possesses a solar nat!re)
as follows: =he represents not the s!n itself) b!t the s!nXs e?ect of daily
cycles Aho!rsBU 4H!llin) &66&) p% 8D(5% =he th!s symboli;es a small
feminine s!n which is o/ershadowed by the $reat masc!line s!n of the
ADI BUDDHA%

<!ndamentally it m!st be said that in the Kalachakra Tantra the
andro$yno!s ADI BUDDHA !nites -re and water) s!n and moon within
himself " b!t ne/ertheless in the -nal instance he lets himself be $lori-ed
as an androcentric arch-s!n) so as to demonstrate the masc!line li$htIs
primacy in comparison to the dar3ness% The s!n symbol is therefore of a
far $reater radi!s than the nat!ral s!n% It inte$rates within itself all the
li$ht metaphors of the !ni/erse% In a description by Herbert >!enther the
hi$hest B!ddha 4ADI BUDDHA5 appears as if the li$ht of the s!n were to
fall into an ocean of /ermilion9 as if the l!ster of all the s!ns in the
!ni/erse were to $ather in a sin$le s!n9 as if a $olden altar were risin$
hi$her and hi$her in the s3y9 %%% as it -lls the s3y with its rays of li$ht as if
all the s!ns in the !ni/erse had become a sin$le s!n 4,!oted by
>!enther) &6EE) p% &C&5% The reader sho!ld ne/er lose si$ht of the fact
%%H
that the ADI BUDDHA) and hence the arch-s!n) is identical with the mystic
body of the initiated yo$i%

R'h+,"he !w'((ower of !+n 'n& moon
In >ree3 mytholo$y the !nion of s!n 4%elios5 and moon 4Selene5 is
celebrated as a mystic marria$e) as the collapse of opposites% :e can also
-nd s!ch statements in the Kalachakra school) b!t here the %ieros
.amos is a marria$e of death) bro!$ht abo!t by a terrible e0istence by the
name of (ahu) which we now wish to e0amine in more detail%

In Tibetan astronomy and astrolo$y 4which are not distin$!ished from
one another5 two f!rther planets with the names of (ahu and Ketu are to
be fo!nd alon$side the se/en wanderin$ stars 4the s!n) moon) Herc!ry)
Ten!s) Hars) P!piter) and =at!rn5% =een from an astronomical point of /iew
we are not dealin$ with real hea/enly bodies here) b!t rather with the
ascendant and descendant l!nar nodes) that is) the two points at which
the moonIs orbit intersects the ecliptic 4the path of the s!n5% These are
also 3nown in the occident as the dra$onIs head and the dra$onIs tail)
or to$ether as the dra$on points% :hen) at times which can be
determined astronomically) the moon passes thro!$h s!ch an orbital node
4or sy;y$y5) then an eclipse can occ!r: when the moon is f!ll a l!nar
eclipse) and with a new moon a solar eclipse%

%%L
'ahu ( the $alachakra demon of darkness

Both types of eclipse $a/e rise to the belief in the minds of the Indian
astronomers that a $i$antic planet swallowed the rele/ant hea/enly orb%
=ince the shadow of the moon which obsc!res the s!n d!rin$ a solar
eclipse is always pitch blac3) one of the ima$inary planets) (ahu 4which
cons!mes the s!n5) is also blac3% In l!nar eclipses the shadow of the earth
appears to ha/e a colored border and the moon becomes copper red) and
hence the other planet) Ketu 4which cons!mes the moon5) is described as
bein$ colorf!l% 1onetheless) in the Kalachakra Tantra Ketu remains lar$ely
in the bac3$ro!nd and all the e/ents associated with it 4the l!nar eclipses5
are transferred to (ahu% Th!s(ahu appears here as the swallower of the
s!n and the moon%

Jet !s now ta3e a closer loo3 at the mythical ori$in of the dar3 demon
4(ahu5% In old Indian tales(ahu storms across the hea/ens in a dar3 chariot
%%N
drawn by ei$ht blac3 horses as swift as tho!$ht itself% He p!rs!es the orbs
of s!n and moon) snappin$ at their heels with his h!$e Faws% In another
/ersion of the myth) howe/er) only (ahus head still e0ists @oatin$ abo/e
the -rmament) ha/in$ been se/ered by /ndra* the s!n $od) as the dar3
demon tried to steal the /ital drin3 of the $ods% 1onetheless) this
decapitation did not hinder him from contin!in$ to @y thro!$h the hea/ens
and swallowin$ the s!n and moon% It is F!st that these now passed thro!$h
him !nharmed and soon reappeared) freed from the lower end of his
throat% In astronomical terms this process si$ni-es the end of the solar or
l!nar eclipse respecti/ely%

(ahu plays s!ch a prominent role in the philosophy of the Kalachakra
Tantra that accordin$ to Helm!t Ho?mann the e/ents associated with him
form a dar3ness theolo$y of their own 4Ho?mann) &6E7) p% &8'5% The
epithets of the dar3 demon alone ha/e m!ch to say abo!t his psycholo$y
and proclaim his comprehensi/e mythic pro$ram% He is 3nown) amon$
other thin$s) as the enemy of the moon) s!bd!er of the moon) dar3lin$)
@esh-de/o!rer) lionIs son) the roarer) b!t also Aas theB li$ht$i/er of the
hea/enly paradise 4Petri) &6EE) p% &7&5% He is also called dra$on)
sna3e) eclipser) and lord of the dar3ness% In the %eva!ra Tantra it is
still said that it is solely the conscio!sness of the yo$i which brin$s the s!n
and moon !nder control% B!t in the Kalachakra Tantra* the &a!ra master in
lea$!e with (ahu prono!nces the sentence of destruction o/er the two
hea/enly bodies% It becomes the tas3 of the dar3lin$ 4(ahu5 to destroy
the two shinin$ orbs as a!tonomo!s forces) that is) to brin$ the masc!line
and feminine ener$ies to a standstill%

The destr!ction of the $ender polarity appears " as we ha/e seen "
as a necessary sta$e alon$ the road to power in e/ery tantric rit!al% The
-nal $oal is -rst reached by that initiand) by whom the ways of the s!n
and the moon are completely destroyed 4>r+nbold) &6E6) p% D75) as a te0t
%%P
from theSadhanga 0oga says) and the famo!s tantra master =araha
re,!ires that: :here motility and intentionality are not operati/e N And
where neither s!n nor moon appear) N There) yo! fools) let mind rela0
restf!lly 4>!enther) &6DE) pp% E6-DC5% =ince the s!n and moon both
indicate the time) their e0terminator (ahu is also described as free from
time 4:ayman) &6D() p% &E(5%

Ji3ewise) in the Kalachakra Tantra the middle ener$y channel within
the yo$iIs body 4avadhuti5) which draws the ri$ht-hand) solar and left-
hand) l!nar ener$y c!rrents into itself and thereby sh!ts them down as
independent forces) is e,!ated with (ahu which indeed also destroys the
s!n and moon% The avadhuti therefore bears its name and is called
ah!Is channel 4:ayman) &6D() p% &E(5% In reference to the lord of the
dar3ness the middle channel is also 3nown as the leadin$ channel of the
dar3ness 41aropa) &667) p% 8D85%

Its association with the bodily $eo$raphy of the yo$i also brin$s the
planetary demon into contact with the mystic heat% Accordin$ly) (ahu) the
swallower of the shinin$ orbs) bla;es as an andro$yne -re in the
TantricIs body 4:ayman) &6'() p% E&E5% Hence also when one reaches the
andro$yne as -re in the middle the s!n and the moon will disappear
4:ayman) &6'() p% E&E5) The relationship of this -re symbolism to
the candali) who is concei/ed of as p!rely feminine and not at all
andro$yno!s) remains !nresol/ed% B!t then the tantras are often not /ery
e0act when it comes to the details% Important for !s is that in
the (ahu myth the destr!ction of the hea/enly orbs is e0ec!ted thro!$h
-re as well as thro!$h dar3ness% This combination has also earned the
ima$inary planet (ahu the name of dar3 s!n% A8B

%%Q
The power symbol of (ahu adorns e/ery Tibetan st!pa% In tantric
doctrine it is this small) !nprepossessin$ @ame which has ele/ated itself
abo/e the s!n and the moon so as to demonstrate that both shinin$ orbs
are !nder its control% The andro$yno!s /iolence of the blac3 s!n co!ld
hardly be demonstrated more /i/idly or concisely%

-'('.n# 'n& "he &oom!&' m're
The demon (ahu also occ!pies a central place in the icono$raphy of
the Kalachakra co!ple% The fo!r c!shions !pon which the time $od dances
with his partner 4&ishvamata5 contain in concentrated form the entire
pro$ram of this tantra% The two !pper c!shions depict the s!n and moon
respecti/ely and m!st be seen as the emblems of the two time deities
4Kalachakra and&ishvamata5% Beneath them lie the c!shions
of Kalagni and (ahu) the two demons of death which shall e0terminate the
mystic co!ple% :e ha/e already made (ahus ac,!aintance) b!t who
isKalagniV

Kalagni is considered the apocalyptic -re which destroys the world%
2n a microcosmic le/elKalagni is e,!ated with the inner -re woman of
the yo$i) the candali% 2n a macrocosmic scale this -re demoness 4we ha/e
se/eral still to be presented reasons for re$ardin$ it as a feminine force5
destroys the entire !ni/erse% =he li,!idates the se0es as the two !ni/ersal
primal forces of bein$ and therefore li3e the planet (ahu has the epithet of
de/o!rer of the s!n and moon% B!t primarily she is 3nown as the -re of
destr!ction% The =ans3rit word kalagni is) namely) etymolo$ically
composed of kala 4YtimeINYdestr!ctionI5 and agni 4Y-reI5% B!t kala also
means Yblac3I and reminds !s of Kali* the wrathf!l blac3 $oddess) r!ler of
the dar3 last days) the Kali yuga% Kalagni) Kali and "andali are accordin$ly
/ariants of the terrible mother who pl!n$es the !ni/erse and herself into a
sea of @ames) so that the tantra master as the ADI BUDDHA can then
brin$ it forth from himself in an a!tonomo!s act of creation%
%'&

:e can th!s see that Kalagni performs similar f!nctions to (ahu) so
that we can ,!ite reasonably re$ard both planets as the two aspects of the
same ener$y 4the one masc!line) the other feminine5% The >erman
e0plorer of Kalachakra astronomy) :infried Petri) refers to them on the
basis of their limitless destr!cti/e power as the hi$hest instances of
cosmic acti/ity 4Petri) &6EE) p% &7E5% They are at any rate the two
prota$onists of the Time Tantra who systematically brin$ abo!t the
downfall of the hea/ens) then (ahus and Kalagnis destr!cti/e role is not
limited to the destr!ction of the s!n and moon% P!st as the yo$i b!rns !p
the /ario!s a$$re$ate states of his body from the bottom to the top !sin$
the inner -re 4candali5) so too do (ahu and Kalagni destroy all the planets
of the hea/ens 4=at!rn) P!piter) etc%5 in parallel) then the ener$y centers
4chakras5 in the mystic body of the tantra masters correspond to the
/ario!s planetary spheres% P!st as all the cha3ras aremicrocosmically b!rnt
o!t by the inner heat) so to a correspondin$ planetary holoca!st ta3es
place in the macrocosmic world% *andali and Kalagni are th!s aspects of
the same feminine destr!cti/e force%

In the Kalachakra Tantra* Kalagni also has the epithet of the mareXs
mo!th -re 41ewman) &6'D) pp% 886) 7'&5% Based !pon a st!dy by the
American Indolo$ist) Doni$er 2I<laherty) we wo!ld li3e to de/ote a few
considerations to this pec!liar phrase% The myth of the so-called
doomsday mare has a lon$ tradition in India% The c!stomary tales tell of
how she is held capti/e at the deepest point of the ocean and how @ames
stream contin!o!sly from her nostrils% At the end of time the monstro!s
horse escapes its watery prison and sets the whole !ni/erse on -re% The
-re of the mareXs mo!th drin3s the waters of the ocean and lets them o!t
a$ain9 e/ent!ally this -re of the !nderworld will destroy the !ni/erse) at
the end of the #ali a$e) we are told in the Indian national epic)
the Maha$harata 42I<laherty) &6'8) p% 8&(5%
%'.

In $eneral) in Indian mytholo$y the mare has characteristics similar
to those we 3now from descriptions of the candali% It is a symbol for a
lower-class woman) for the insatiable se0!al appetite of men-destroyin$
witches) for all erotic e0cesses of the female se0% The min!te she sees a
man) we read in one te0t) a womanXs /!l/a becomes wet immediately% %%%
Death) hell) the mare-headed A-reB) a ra;orXs ed$e) poison) a serpent) and
-re " women are all of these in one 42I<laherty) &6'8) p%8&75% :omen
from the retin!e of the Indian $oddess Kali) who are considered as
sed!cti/e and hi$hly se0!al) are still today feared as emanations of the
dan$ero!s doomsday mare% A(B

Deep down) the demonic mare) in@amed with ra$e) is the arch-enemy
of the tantra master) who can only brin$ her !nder control thro!$h the
reinin$ in of all his passions% 2I<laherty sees in her the o!tri$ht
cosmic gynocentric opponent to the androgynous cosmocrat) the bise0!al
yo$i: <or the mare is the ,!intessential female andro$yne) the phallic
woman% %%% female andro$ynes are comparati/ely rare b!t) when they
occ!r they are more deadly than the males 42I<laherty) &6'8) p% 8(E5 B!t
we o!$ht ne/er for$et that the tantra master has mastered the ma$ic art
with which to p!t the deadly ener$y of the woman to !se in his own
p!rs!it of power% Jet !s also not for$et that at the end of the
eschatolo$ical -re occasioned by the doomsday mare
4KalagniN*andali#Kali5) it is not she) b!t rather the yo$i as ADI BUDDHA
who ascends the world throne%

It is partic!larly stri3in$ that in the myth of the mare the apocalyptic
-re comes o!t of the water% 4The -ery mare is to be fo!nd in the depths of
the worldIs oceans%5 If we interpret the story from the /iewpoint of the
tantric initiation this ori$in may become more comprehensible% This
concerns) namely) a phenomenon which is 3nown as b!rnin$ water in
%'%
.!ropean alchemy% :ater) ori$inally feminine) is i$nited by the masc!line
ener$y of -re and then f!nctions destr!cti/ely% In the old Indian le$al
code0 of Manu we can also read that) <ire is born of water) as is seen in
the case of li$htnin$ and the mare -re 42I<laherty) &6'8N&6''V) p%8&75%

2nce i$nited water beha/es li3e some sort of cosmic f!el and ser/es
the masc!line as a destr!cti/e ener$y% 2n the macrocosmic le/el the yo$i
ma3es !se of the s!bmarine -re of the mare to dissol/e the old !ni/erse
with its help) F!st as he destroys his old bodily a$$re$ates on the
microcosmic le/el with the help of the candali% Thereby) the death of the
ocean and of the feminine with it is prepro$rammed) since when the
doomsday mare has b!rnt !p all of the seas it !ltimately destroys itself)
F!st as in parallel the candali collapses and ,!its the tantric sta$e once the
tantric comb!stion proced!re is concl!ded%

The doomsday mare and the apocalyptic -re) Kalagni* represent the
same destr!cti/e ener$y) it is F!st that one is to be fo!nd in the depths of
the sea) the other in contrast at the roots of the of the world mo!ntain
Her!) there where the -res of hell b!rn% :hen the time has
come) Kalagni rises !p o!t of the lower layers and step by step b!rns down
the world) the planets) and the stars% P!st as the yo$i is wei$hed down with
past 3armic debts which he m!st cleanse with a baptism of -re alon$ his
way to enli$htenment) so too) accordin$ to the Kalachakra doctrine) the
debt of many millennia wei$hs !pon the stars and planets% Therefore the
hea/enly bodies m!st also !nder$o a total p!ri-cation by -re% The same is
tr!e for the twel/e months and the ;odiacal si$ns which correspond to
them% They are li3ewise blemished with a special nidama) a type of 3armic
stain: the star si$n *apricorn with i$norance) for e0ample) Jeo with desire)
=corpio with rebirth) and so forth 4BanerFee) &6K6) p% &EE5%

%''
Ine0orably and cr!elly) Kalagni lets the whole !ni/erse $o !p in
@ames% Alon$ with the stars the inhabitants of hea/en are also b!rnt o!t)
the B!ddhas and the $ods9 with the earth h!manity and all other li/in$
creat!res are also cons!med by -re% The elements dissol/e themsel/es "
space) air) -re) water) and earth% The entire creation sin3s into a sea of
-re% In the macrocosm only a few $alactic seeds remain) which form the
startin$ material for a new world 4TayW) &66K) p% 7&5% The sole element
which s!r/i/es this apocalypse is wind) that is) in microcosmic terms) the
breath of the tantra masters 4ADI BUDDHA5% In the ne0t cosmic epoch it
has an e?ect on the remainin$ $alactic seeds and creates a new
!ni/erse from them% A7B

The m"h of e"ern'( re$+rren$e
The myth of the world -re) which dominates the Kalachakra Tantra)
was ori$inally at home in the >ree3 and 2riental c!lt!res% The maFority of
orientalists ass!me that it came from Iran% <rom there it penetrated the
Indian c!lt!ral sphere and became lin3ed to) amon$ other thin$s) B!ddhist
systems of yo$a% Hence we also -nd the traditional motif of the
apocalyptic -re doctrine in the Time Tantra) namely the destr!cti/e
tri!mph of >ood o/er ./il: In an epoch of decadence ./il has sei;ed power%
Therefore the $reat -re which cons!mes the corr!pted !ni/erse acts as
the -nal catharsis% The apocalyptic lo$ic to be fo!nd in many reli$ions
which infers that the new can only be born o!t of the catastrophic
destr!ction of the old) is th!s also a paradi$m in the Kalachakra teachin$s
and has ) as we shall later show thro!$h e0amples from Tibetan history)
had disastro!s conse,!ences " incidentally no less than the Apocalypse
of =t% Pohn has had for the :est%

Time and time a$ain (ahu will swallow the s!n and the moon) time
and a$ain Kalagni will drown the !ni/erse in a sea of @ames) time and
a$ain the world will end and time and a$ain it will arise anew% =!ch
%'@
concepts of eternal rec!rrence repeatedly display the same apocalyptic
schema: a state of paradise at the start) then acceleratin$ decline of
morals and the conditions of life) a destr!cti/e $lobal catastrophe at the
end and a $lorio!s new be$innin$ which recreates the ori$inal paradise%

In the Indian beliefs abo!t world time 4which were ta3en !p by
B!ddhism5 F!st as in the >reco-oman world a distinction is drawn
between fo!r $reat cycles% In the :est these are 3nown as the $olden)
sil/er) copper) and iron a$es% The -rst of these corresponds in the Indian
system to the Krta yuga the last to the Kali yuga% All fo!r eras form
a Mahakalpa) a $reat cycle) at the end of which stands the sacri-ce of the
whole !ni/erse and at whose new be$innin$ a redempti/e -$!re stands%
4:e shall consider in detail this messianic -$!re who emer$es at the
interface between the destr!ction and the renewal of the world and who
also ma3es a spectac!lar appearance in theKalachakra Tantra in o!r
disc!ssion of the Sham$hala myth%5 AKB

In eternal rec!rrence the !ni/erse r!ns thro!$h this rhythm of
destr!ction and res!rrection% Billions !pon billions of !ni/erses s!?er the
same fate% =omethin$ li3e this e0ceeds h!man comprehension) b!t the
tr!ly monstro!s in this conception is that the tantra master) for whom
there is an occ!lt correspondence between the inner world and the o!tside
world) is s!pposed to be the director of this cosmic drama) in that he
p!rposef!lly frees the candali 4the -re woman5 within his mystic body% He
appears in the Kalachakra Tantra both as the $reat destroyer) the (udra
"hakrin) the wrathf!l wheel t!rner) who mo/es the wheel of cyclical
time) and also in the form of the lon$ awaited messiah who leads the
chosen o!t of the terrible hell of the Kali yuga 4to which he administers the
death-blow5 into the s!nli$ht of the Krta yuga% He is the ADI BUDDHA) the
lord of the astral worlds and of the times% AEB The famo!s scholar of
reli$io!s st!dies) Hircea .liade) spec!lates o/er a n!mber of pa$es in a
%'H
te0t on the Mythos der e'igen 1iederkehr AHyth of eternal rec!rrenceB as
to how the people of anti,!ity fo!nd comfort in the idea that one day the
time of their misery and torment wo!ld pass and be replaced by a Foyf!l
time 4.liade) &6K(5% As bad as it may be for !s) the ho!r will come in which
we enter the ori$inal paradise once more% The res!rrection ine/itably
follows the catastrophe% B!t " and this is somethin$ .liade s!ppresses "
in this model) the catastrophe ine/itably follows the res!rrection% 4He also
s!ppresses the fact that in most reli$ions those of di?erent faiths are
sacri-ced in the apocalyptic downfall and only the tr!e belie/ers are
allowed to enter the *hristian 1ew Per!salem or the B!ddhist mythic
realm) =hambhala%5

/oo"no"e!:
A&B This doesnIt mean that he m!st therefore reno!nce the nameless
characteristics of nirvana in the tantric te0ts% Indeed) Tantrism sees
itself as the contin!ation and f!rther de/elopment of the two pre/io!s
schools of%inayana and Mahayana B!ddhism and is constantly at pains to
inte$rate their teachin$s% In its /iew they can be all b!t said to form the
necessary steps which m!st be climbed before the diamond path may be
set foot !pon% It is) howe/er) not rare for &a!rayana to become ca!$ht !p
in inc!rable contradictions in this !nderta3in$% 2ne of these is the
personi-cation of the ADI BUDDHA as a creator $od2
S%T +e also know of a "dark: or "black sun: in the symbolic world of 3uro#ean
alchemy, which > exactly likeRahu in the "alachakra Tantra > has the role of destroying
the sun and moon as the masculine and feminine #rinci#les and re#lacing them with an
androgynous #rinci#le*
S'T The "mare: as the symbol of dangerous, aggressi)e and morbid femininity must
therefore be seen in stark contrast to the "cow:, highly re)ered in <ndia* <n the two animals
#rostitution $mare( and marriage $cow(, dissolution and fidelity, lecherousness and
motherhood, sex and lo)e, destruction and fertility confront one another*
%'L
S@T The cynicism and the conse8uences of such or similar statements as > "The
microcosmic a#ocaly#se ex#erienced by the yogi is only from one side a downfall0 <t is
o##osed by a becoming in the s#iritual SsideT/ > is something the authors are barely aware
of, sim#ly because they do not take the microUmacrocosmic conse8uences seriously $1inMe,
.QP', #* @P(* 3)erything which is within, so Tantrism teaches us, is also outside* This means
without exce#tion that the yogi through the ritual destruction of the internal $his bodily
aggregates( also destroys the external* Kr, to #ut about the abo)e 8uotation, the "becoming in
the s#iritual: is linked to an extermination of the material $the external world(*
SHT 4ormally the se8uence of yugas is concei)ed as a series in time* This is also true in
general for the"alachakra Tantra* Bet here a further, )ery original conce#tion is ado#ted
from <ndian mythology, which says that all four ages exist simultaneously alongside one
another, as the segments of a circle, so to s#eak* The time god wanders through this circle as
the sa)ior, #acing the #eri#hery* The territory which he is walking through always finds itself
in the last #hase of the "ali yuga* But as soon as the "messiah: has set foot in it, the golden
era $"rta %uga( dawns at this location* The time god thus finds himself constantly on the
borderline between catastro#he and #aradise* 1e is the clock hand which in e)ery second
transforms hell into hea)en and, since he is walking in circles, this situation re#eats itself
incessantly $Petri, .QLL*, #* 'Q(*
AEB In the 3our No$le Truths* all schools of B!ddhism teach the ori$in
of s!?erin$) the way to alle/iate the s!?erin$) and the entry into
timelessness 4nirvana5% It is diZc!lt too !nderstand why the doctrine "
already in Mahayana and later in &a!rayana " adopted as its own a cyclic
/ision of world history) which predicates s!?erin$ as a constantly to be
repeated cosmic pro$ram%
9D THE ADI #EDDHA: THE MANDALA
PRINCIPLE AND THE WORLD RELER

+e ha)e described how the "starry body: of the tantra master $;< B=1;( indexes
the time, but his mystic body likewise embraces all of s#ace and e)erything we ha)e said
about the hea)enly bodies is basically also true for the s#atial arrangement of the uni)erse*
The ;< B=1; incor#orates the entire Buddhist cosmos* This is to be understood most
concretely in a tantric #oint of )iew, and means that the structural elements of the "great
world: must be able to be found again as structural elements in the body $the "small world:(
%'N
of the yogi $;< B=1;(* +e thus begin with a look at the construction of the Buddhist
cosmos*

Th( #uddhi!t $andaa co!$o!
;s soon as we ha)e gained some insight into the cosmogra#hy of Buddhism it becomes
a##arent how fundamentally different it is from our modern scientific world )iew* <t is
#rimarily based u#on the descri#tions of the ;bhidharmakosa, a written record from
the <ahayana scholar Vasubhandu $fifth century -*3*(* The "alachakra Tantra has largely
ado#ted Vasubhandu,s design and only de)iates from it at #articular #oints*

;t the mid#oint of the Buddhist uni)erse rises Meru, the world mountain, which towers
abo)e e)erything else and on which hea)en and earth meet* <t is round like the "axle of a
wheel:* <n a #assage in the "alachakra Tantra it is com#ared to the +a0ra and described as a
gigantic "thunderbolt: $4ewman, .QPN, #* H&'(* The Swiss mandala ex#ert, Martin Brauen,
sees in it a "dagger7like sha#e: and therefore calls it the "earth dagger: $Brauen, .QQ%, #*
.%N(* ;ccording to +infried Petri the world mountain has the form of the "in)erted base of a
cone:* ;ll of these are #hallic meta#hors*

Fi)e circles of different siMes surround the gigantic "#hallus: like wheelsR they are each
assigned to an element* Starting from the outermost they are the circle of s#ace, the circle of
air, the circle of fire, the circle of water, the circle of earth* ;ir and fire, howe)er, #ermeate
the entire cosmic architecture* "<n all directions are wind SairT and fire:, the "alachakra
Tantra says $4ewman, .QPN, #* H&L(* These two elements are the s#irit, so to s#eak, which
blows through the entire construction, but they also form the two forces of destruction which
shall obliterate the world structure at the end of time, exactly as the breath $air, wind( and the
flames $fire, candali( together burn down the old bodily aggregates in the yogi,s mystic body*
The circle of the earth consists of a total of twel)e indi)idual continents which swim on the
circle of water like lotus blossoms* <t thus forms a discontinuous, non7homogenous circular
segment* Kne of these continents is our world, the "earth:* <t bears the name Lambud+ipa,
which means "rose a##le tree continent:*

<n -asubandhu's original account& Meru is not surrounded by the fi)e elements, but
rather by se)en ring7like chains of mountains, which lie like wheels around the world axis*
%'P
1uge oceans are found between these wheels* The last of these seas is also the largest* <t is
called <ahasa <udra, the 9reat <udra*
Thus, in the Buddhist conce#t of the world Meru forms the )ertical, which is di)ided
into three segments > from bottom to to#0 $.( hell, $%( earth, and $'( hea)en*

;t its roots, $.(, the se)en main hells are found, each more horrific than the last* <n
contrast to +estern beliefs about the under world, in Buddhism there are "cold hells: in
addition to the hot, where souls are tormented not with fire but with ice* +atery hells can also
be found there, in others only smoke* The #recise descri#tion of the torments in these dreadful
#laces has been a fa)orite #astime of Tibetan monks for centuries* ;bo)e the underworld, at
the foot of Meru, li)e the so7called hunger s#irits $pretas(,a restless horde of humanoid
beings, who are dri)en by constant desire*

<n the middle segment of the mountain, $%(, we encounter the twel)e continents, and
among themLambud+ipa, the earth* Since the continents are surrounded by ocean, there is no
natural land bridge to the world axis* +e humans li)e on the "rose a##le tree continent:
$Lambud+ipa(* This continent is also called the "land of karma:, since the beings who li)e
there are still burdened withkarma $stains as a conse8uence of bad deeds(* But we inhabitants
of Damb#ud)i#a ha)e the chance to work off such karmic stains for good, by following the
teachings of the Buddha* This is a great #ri)ilege which is not as readily a)ailable to the
inhabitants of other s#heres or the other continents*

;bo)e the earthly world rises the segment of the hea)ens, $'(, and here we find
oursel)es in the realm of the stars and #lanets* Beyond this one can wander through )arious
di)ine circles, which become e)er more #owerful the higher one goes* The "di)ine: ascent
begins in regions inhabited by deities who ha)e not yet freed themsel)es from their desires*
Then we enter the )ictorious residences of the thirty7three deities of the "realm of forms:,
which we can regard as "Forms: in the #latonic sense, that is, as immobile, downward
radiating energy fields* ;mong them are to be included, 6ust as with Plato, the higher entities
which re#resent the #ure essence of the fi)e elements*

+e now lea)e behind Mount Meru as a geogra#hically describable region and "fly:
through a "Mone of intersection:, in which the realm of the form gods and the e)en more
%'Q
#owerful, more grandiose, and more holy im#erium of formlessness can be found* The
"inhabitants: of this s#here are no longer #ersonalities at all and cannot be )isualiMed, rather,
they bear the names of general terms* The ;bhidharmakosa calls them "+ithout sorrow:,
"4othing greater:, "9reat success:, Stainless:, and so forth* 3)en higher u# we encounter a
s#here, which has names such as "<nfinite consciousness " and " 4othing whate)er: $TayZ,
.QQH, #*.HH(* The "alachakra Tantra has com#letely incor#orated this model of the world
from Mahayana Buddhism*

From this staged symbolism of the world mountain we can easily recogniMe that it
embodies not 6ust a cosmic model, but also, homologously, the likeness of an initiatory way*
4ow whether this way begins down in hell or from the middle of the continent of earth, it
should in any case lead, )ia a #rogression through )arious earthly and hea)enly s#heres, to the
highest regions of the formless realm*

$he 'osmos and the ener)y body o* the yo)i
;s we ha)e already indicated a number of times, a homology exists between the
Buddhist cosmogram and the bodily geogra#hy of the yogi* Microcosm and macrocosm are
congruent, the world and the mystic body of a #racticing yogi form a unity* The ;<
B=1;, as the #erfected form of the highest tantra master, and the cosmos are identical*

/3)erything is in the body: > this famous occult corres#ondence is of fundamental
significance for Tantrism too* The #arallel to the world axis $<eru( is formed, for exam#le, by
the middle channel $a+adhuti( in the mystic body of the yogi* The texts then also refer to it
sim#ly and straightforwardly as "Meru:* Dust as the realm of formlessness is to be sought
abo)e Mount Meru in the cosmos, so the yogi $;< B=1;( ex#eriences the highest bliss
of the "em#tiness of all forms: abo)e his head in the "thousand7#etaled lotus:* The forehead
chakra and the throat chakra corres#ond to the residences of )arious of the thirty7three form
gods $Forms( mentioned abo)e* 1umanity li)es in the heart of the yogi and below this it goes
on to the genitals, where the realms of hell are situated*

-orres#ondingly, it says in the "alachakra Tantra0 "3arth, wind, gods, seas, e)erything
is to be recogniMed amidst the body: $9rInwedel& "alacakra ??, #* %(* ;ll the #arts of the
"small: body corres#ond to the #arts of the "great: body0 The yogi,s $;< B=1;,s( rows
%@&
of teeth form the )arious lunar housesR the )eins the ri)ers* 1ands and feet are islands and
mountains, e)en a female louse hidden in the #ubic hair of a Tantric has a "transcendent:
significance0 <t counts as the dangerous )ul)a of a demoness from a #articular region in hell
$9rInwedel, "alacakra ??, #* '@(* This bodily homology of the cosmos is the great secret
which Buddha re)ealed to 2ing Suchandraas he instructed him in the "alachakra Tantra0 ";s
it is without, so it is in the body*: $4ewman, .QPN, ##* ..H,.&@, @N%, @N', H&@, H&Q(* ;t the
same time as the secret was ex#osed, the "sim#le: reci#e with which the yogi could attain and
exercise absolute control o)er the whole uni)erse was also re)ealed0 in that he controls the
energy currents within his mystic body he controls the cosmosR on the scale in which he lets
bliss flow through his )eins $wind channels(, on that scale he brings delight to the uni)erseR
the turbulence which he calls forth in his insides also shakes the external world through
storms and earth8uakes* 3)erything ha##ens in #arallel0 when the yogi burns u# his body
during the #urification the )ery same #rocedure reduces the whole uni)erse to rubble and ash*

-hakravala or the iron %heel
Dust as the androgynous body of the ;< B=1; or of the enlightened yogi
concentrates within itself the energies of both sexes, so Buddhist cosmogra#hy is also based
u#on a gender #olarity* Meru, the world mountain, has a most ob)iously #hallic character and
is therefore also referred to as -a0ra or, more directly, as 9ingam $#hallus(* The great oceans
which surround the masculine symbol re#resent > as a circle and as water > the feminine
#rinci#le*

Kddly, the outermost chain of mountains within the cosmic model are forged from #ure
iron* This iron crown must ha)e a dee# symbolic significance since the whole system is
named after itR its name is Chakra+ala $/iron wheel:(* +e thus ha)e to ask oursel)es why the
Buddhist uni)erse is framed by a metal which is seen all o)er the world as a symbol of in6ury,
killing, and war* The image naturally in)ites a com#arison to the "iron age: to which in
9reco75oman mythology humanity is chained before its cyclical downfall* The <ndian idea of
the "ali yuga and the 3uro#ean one of the "iron age: are congruent in a sur#rising number of
as#ects* <n both cases it comes to an increasingly ra#id degeneration of the law, cusstoms, and
morality* <n the end only a war of all against all remains* Then a sa)ior figure a##ears and the
whole cosmic game begins afresh*

%@.
Modern and B"ddhist %orld vie%s
The reader may ha)e already asked him or herself how contem#orary Tibetan lamas
reconcile their traditional Buddhist cosmology with our scientific world )iew* o they re6ect
it outright, ha)e they ado#ted it, or do they seek for a way to combine both systemsA Someone
who knew the"alachakra Tantra well, the 2agyu#a guru, 2alu 5in#oche, who died in .QPQ,
ga)e a clear and concise answer to all three 8uestions0 "3ach of these cosmologies is #erfect
for the being whose karmic #ro6ections cause them to ex#erience their uni)erse in this
manner* *** Therefore on a relati)e le)el e)ery cosmology is )alid* ;t a final le)el, no
cosmology is absolutely true* <t cannot be uni)ersally )alid as long as there are beings in
fundamentally different situations: $Brauen, .QQ%, #* .&Q(* ;ccording to his, the cosmos is an
a##arition of the s#irit* The world has no existence outside of the consciousness which
#ercei)es it* <f this consciousness changes then the world changes to the same degree* For this
reason the cosmogra#hy of Buddhism does not describe nature but solelyforms of the spirit*
Such an extreme idealism and radical relati)ism hel#s itself to the #ower to undermine with a
single dry statement the foundations of our scientific world )iew* But if nothing is final any
more, it follows that e)erything is #ossible, e)en the cosmology of the ;bhidharmakosa* Bet,
the lamas argue, only at the #oint in time where all of humanity ha)e ado#ted the Buddhist
#aradigm can they also #ercei)e the gigantic Meru mountain in the middle of their uni)erse*
Today, Tibetan gurus claim, only the few "chosen: ha)e this ability*

<n the second #art of our study, we shall examine the intensi)e and warm relationshi#
between the Fourteenth alai !ama and modern +estern scientists and show that the radical
relati)ism of a 2alu 5in#oche is also distributed in such circles* Similar #hiloso#hical
s#eculations by 3uro#eans can be found, e)en from earlier times* 1einrich 1arrer, who
tra)eled extensi)ely through Tibet tells in an anecdote of how +esterners readily > e)en if
#urely out of co8uetry > take on the Tibetan world )iew* 1arrer was assigned to im#art to the
Tibetans, but in #articular the young alai !ama, the modern scientific world )iew* <n the
year .Q@P, as he tried to ex#lain to a grou# of Tibetan nobles at a #arty that our earth is round
and is neither flat nor a continent, he called u#on the famous <talian Tibetologist, 9iuse##e
Tucci, who was also #resent, to be his witness and su##ort his theory* "To my greatest
sur#rise:, says 1arrer, "he took the side of the doubters, since he belie)ed that all sciences
must constantly re)ise their theories and one day the Tibetan teaching could 6ust as well #ro)e
to be right: $1arrer, .QP@, #* .Q&(*
%@%

Thus, following a BuddhiMation of our world there would be no need for the
"con)erted: #o#ulation of the world to do without the traditional cosmic "ma#: of
the ;bhidharmakosa, since in accordance with the Buddhist theory of #erce#tion the "ma#:
and the territory it describes are identical* Both, the geogra#hy and its likeness in
consciousness, ultimately #ro)e themsel)es to be #ro6ections of one and the same s#irit*

$he do%n*all o* the tantri' "niverse
The mystic bodily structure of the yogi $;< B=1;( du#licates the cosmogram of
theChakra+ala. -orres#ondingly, the fate of his energy body #ro)es to be identical to the fate
of the uni)erse* Dust as the fore woman in the form of the candali burns u# all the coarse
elements inside the tantra master ste# by ste#, so at the end of time the whole uni)erse
becomes the )ictim of a world fire, which finds its origin at the roots of Mount Meru in the
form of "alagni* Ste# by ste#,"alagni set the indi)idual segments of the world axis aflame
and arises flickering u# to the region of the form gods $the Forms(* Knly in the highest
heights, in the s#here of formlessness, does the destructi)e fire come to a standstill* +hen
there is nothing more to burn the flame is extinguished from alone* That which remains of the
whole of Chakra+ala are atomic elements of s#ace $/galactic seeds:(, which #ro)ide the
building blocks for the construction of a new cosmos, and which, in accordance with the law
of eternal recurrence, will look exactly the same as the old one and share the same fate as its
#redecessor*

Th( $andaa 8rinci8(
The Buddhist uni)erse $Chakra+ala( takes the form of a mandala* This Sanskrit word
originally meant Wcircle, and is translated into Tibetan as kyl2khor, which means, roughly
Wcenter and #eri#hery,* ;t the mid#oint of the Chakra+ala we find Mount MeruR the #eri#hery
is formed by the gigantic iron wheel we ha)e already mentioned*

There are round mandalas, s8uare mandalas, two7 and three7dimensional mandalas, yet
in all cases the #rinci#le of mid#oint and #eri#hery is maintained* The four sides of a s8uare
diagram are often e8uated with the four #oints of the com#ass* ; fi)e7way conce#t is also
characteristic for the tantric mandala form > with a center and the four #oints of the com#ass*
%@'
The whole construction is seen as an energy field, from which, as from a #latonic Form,
tremendous forces can flow out*

; mandala is considered to be the archety#e of order* They stand o##osed to disorder,
anarchy and chaos as contrary #rinci#les* -limatic turbulence, bodily sicknesses, desolate and
wild stretches of land, barbaric #eo#les and realms of unbelief all belong to the world of
chaos* <n order to seiMe #ossession of such regions of disorder and ethnic grou#ings or to #ut
an end to chaotic disturbances $in the body of a sick #erson for instance(, Tibetan lamas
#erform )arious rites, which ultimately all lead to the construction of a mandala* This is
im#osed u#on a "chaotic: territory through symbolic actions so as to occu#y itR it is mentally
#ro6ected into the infirm body of a #atient so as to dis#el his or her illness and the risk of
deathR it is "#ulled o)er: a Mone of #rotection as a solid fortification against storm and hail*

!ike a stencil, a mandala #attern im#resses itself u#on all le)els of being and
consciousness* ; body, a tem#le, a #alace, a town, or a continent can thus as much ha)e the
form of a mandala as a thought, an imagining, a #olitical structure* <n this )iew, the entire
geogra#hy of a country with its mountains, seas, ri)ers, towns and shrines #ossesses an
extraterrestrial archety#e, a mandala7like #rototy#e, whose earthly likeness it embodies* This
transcendent geometry is not )isible to an ordinary eye and conceals itself on a higher cosmic
le)el*

1idden behind the geogra#hical form we #ercei)e, the country of Tibet also has, the
lamas belie)e, a mandala structure, with the ca#ital !hasa as its center and the surrounding
mountain ranges as its #eri#hery* !ikewise, the street #lan of !hasa is seen as the im#ression
of a mandala, with the holiest tem#le in Tibet, the Lokhang, as its mid#oint* The architectural
design of the latter was similarly based on a mandala with the main altar as its center*

The #olitical structure of former Tibet also bore a mandala character* <n it the alai
!ama formed the central sun $the mandala center( about which the other abbots of Tibet orbit
as #lanets* =# until .QHQ the Tibetan go)ernment was concei)ed of as a diagram with a center
and four sections $sides(* "The go)ernment is founded u#on four di)isions:, wrote the
Se)enth alai !ama in a state #olitical directi)e, "These are $.( the court of law, $%( the tax
office, $'( the treasury, and $@( the cabinet* They are all aligned to the four #oints of the
%@@
com#ass along the sides of a s8uare which encloses the central figure of the Buddha:
$5edwood French, .QPH, #* PN(*

The #rototy#e of the highest Buddha and the emanations surrounding him was thus
transferred to the state leadershi# and the )arious offices which were subordinate to it* Kf
course, the central figure of this #olitical mandala is intended to be the alai !ama, since he
concentrates the entire worldly and s#iritual #ower in his #erson* 3)ery single monastery
reiterates this #olitical geometry with the res#ecti)e abbot in the middle*

But the mandala does not 6ust structure the world of a##earancesR in Buddhist culture it
likewise determines the human #syche, the s#irit and all the transcendental s#heres* <t ser)es
as an aid to meditation and as an imaginary #alace of the gods in the tantric exercises* Kn a
microcosmic le)el the energy body of the yogi is seen as the construction of a three7
dimensional mandala with the middle channel $a+adhuti( as the central axis* The whole
cosmic7#sychic anatomy of the ;< B=1; $tantra master( is thus a uni)ersal mandala*
For this reason we can com#rehend Buddhist culture in general $not 6ust the Tibetan )ariant(
as a com#licated network of countless mandalas* Further, since these exist at different le)els
of being, they are enca#sulated within one another, include one another, and o)erla# each
other*

Euite rightly one as#ect of the BuddhistUtantric mandalas has been com#ared in cross7
cultural studies with the magic circles used by the medie)al sorcerers of 3uro#e to summon
u# s#irits, angels, and demons* Then a mandala $/magic circle:( can also be used to con6ure
u# Buddhas, gods and asuras $demons(*

Th( 4aacha1ra !and $andaa
Mandalas are em#loyed in all tantric rituals, yet in the "alachakra Tantra it #lays an
extremely #rominent role* Before the se)en lower solemnities of the Time Tantra e)en begin a
mandala Oa )ery la)ish one indeed > is constructed in the )isible external world* S#ecially
trained monks > for the alai !ama a s#ecial unit from the 4amgyal institute > are
entrusted with its construction* The "building materials: consist #rimarily of colored sand,
lines and figures of which are a##lied to a sketch in a com#licated #rocess lasting se)eral
days* 3)ery line, e)ery geometric form, e)ery shading, e)ery ob6ect inserted has its cosmic
%@H
significance* Since the mandala is built from sand, we are dealing with a )ery )ulnerable work
of art, which can easily be destroyedR and this, astonishingly > and as we shall see > is the
final goal of the entire com#licated #rocedure*

The sand mandala of the Time Tantras can be deci#hered as the )isual re#resentation of
the whole"alachakra ritual by anyone who understands the symbols de#icted there* Such an
inter#reter would once again come across all the semantic content we ha)e encountered in the
abo)e descri#tion of the tantric initiatory way*

$he 0ala'hakra sand mandala

For this reason, we must regard this external image in sand as 6ust the )isible reflection
of an inner7s#iritual construction which $in another s#here( the yogi imagines as a magnificent
#alace built u#on the #eak of Mount Meru* S.T ;s the center and the two regents of the
imagined tem#le #alace we encounter "alachakra and his wisdom consort, -ish+amata. They
are enthroned as the di)ine cou#le in the mid#oint of the holy of holies*

This Buddhist "Versailles: is inhabited by a total of N%% deities, the ma6ority of whom
re#resent the indi)idual segments of time0 the gods of the twel)e7year cycles, the four
%@L
seasons, twel)e months, 'L& days, twel)e hours, and sixty minutes all dwell here* <n addition
there are the su#ernatural entities who re#resent the fi)e elements, the #lanets, the %P #hases
of the moon and the twel)e sensory regions* Very near to the center, i*e*, to the di)ine
cou#le "alachakra and -ish+amata, the four meditation Buddhas can be found in union with
their #artners, then follow a number of Bodhisatt)as*

The architecture of the "alachakra #alace encom#asses fi)e indi)idual mandalas, each
enclosing the next* Segments which lie closer to the center $the di)ine cou#le( are accorded a
higher s#iritual e)aluation than those which are further away* The fi)efold organiMation of the
building com#lex is su##osed to reflect, among other things, the fi)e rings $the fi)e elements(
which lie around Mount Meru in Buddhist cosmogra#hy* !ikewise the height and breadth of
the #alace are in their relation to one another a co#y of the #ro#ortions of the cosmos* Thus
the "alachakra mandala is also a microcosmic likeness of the Buddhist uni)erse*

;nyone entering the "alachakra #alace from outside #rogresses through a fi)e7stage
initiation which culminates in the inner sanctum where the #rimordial
cou#le, "alachakra and -ish+amata&are in union* But seen from within, each of the indi)idual
mandala segments and the deities dwelling within them re#resents an outward radiation
$emanation( of the di)ine first cou#le*

Dust as the macrocosmic mandala of the uni)erse with Mount Meru as its axis can be
redisco)ered in the microcosmic body of the yogi $;< B=1;(, so too
the "alachakra #alace is identical with his mystic body* +e must ne)er lose sight of this* For
this reason, the detailed descri#tion of the "alachakra sand mandala which now follows must
also be regarded as the anatomy of the tantra master $;< B=1;(* The anatomical "ma#:
of the ;< B=1; thus exhibits a number of different images0 on one occasion it #ossesses
the structure which corres#onds to that of the entire uni)erse, on another it forms that of
the "alachakra #alace, or it corres#onds to the com#licated construction of the dasakaro
+asi $/the Power of Ten:( described abo)e* But in all of these models the basic mandala7like
#attern of a center and a #eri#hery is always the same*

$he str"'t"re o* the 0ala'hakra pala'e
%@N
The #rimordial di)ine cou#le, the time god "alachakra and the time
goddess -ish+amata& go)ern from the center of the "alachakra #alace* They are de#icted in
the )isible world of the sand mandala by a blue +a0ra $"alachakra( and an orange dot
$-ish+amata(* irectly beneath them a yellow layer of sand which re#resents "alagni& the
destructi)e fire, is foundR beneath this there is a blue layer, symbol of the a#ocaly#tic
#lanet, Rahu* !ayers for the sun, the moon, and for a lotus flower follow* The destruction of
the #rimordial cou#le is thus, through the #resence of "alagni andRahu& already
#re#rogrammed in the center of the sand mandala, or rather of the #alace of time.

"alachakra and -ish+amata are surrounded by eight lotus #etals $all of this is made
from colored sand(* 4ow these do not > as one might assume > re#resent eight further
emanation cou#les, but ratherO in the official inter#retation > we encounter the eight shaktis
here* +e are thus dealing with eight female beings, eight energy bearers $or eight "sacrificial
goddesses:(* They corres#ond to the eight karma mudras who surround the tantra master in
union with his #artner in theganachakra& the twelfth le)el of initiation $the )ase initiation(*
1owe)er, when we think back, there was talk of ten Shaktis before* +e reach the number
"ten: by counting two feminine as#ects of -ish+amata $the central goddess( in addition to the
eight "sacrificial goddesses: $lotus #etals(* Together they signaliMe the ten chief winds
$the dasakaro +asi( with which the tantra master controls all the microcosmic energies in his
mystic body*

$he 'enter o* the 0ala'hakra sand mandala

Thus, within the innermost segment of the #alace of time the whole tantric sacrificial
scenario is sketched out using only a )ery few symbols, since the ten shaktis $originally ten
%@P
women( are, as we ha)e described in detail abo)e, mani#ulated and eradicated as autonomous
indi)iduals in theganachakra ritual so that their feminine energies can be transferred to the
tantra master* This central segment of the sand mandala bears the name of the "mandala of
great bliss: $Brauen, .QQ%, #* .''(*

The second, ad6acent com#lex is called the "mandala of enlightened wisdom:* 1ere
there are sixteen #illars which symboliMe different kinds of em#tiness and which di)ide the
s#ace into sixteen different rooms* The latter are occu#ied by cou#les who are in fact #eaceful
deities* They are re#resented in the mandala by small #iles of colored sand* <n this #art of the
#alace ten $V( )ases $kalashas( can also be found* These are filled with re)olting substances
like excrement, urine, blood, human flesh, and so on, which are transformed into bliss7
conferring nectars during the ritual by the tantra master* These )essels symboliMe once again
the ten "sacrificial goddesses: or the tenmudras of the ganachakra* <n the first #recise
descri#tion of a "alachakra ritual by a +estern academic $Ferdinand !essing(, reference is
made to the feminine symbolic significance of the )ases0 the "lamas *** #roceed to the #odium,
each with a large water #ot $kalasha(* They mo)e it to and fro* <t symboliMes the young lady
of the initiation, who #lays such a great role in this cult: $+ayman, .QN', #* L%(* Bet again,
the kalashas corres#ond to the ten winds or the "Power of Ten: $dasakaro +asi( and thereby to
the diamond body of the ;< B=1;*

Kn our tour of the #alace of time, the third segment with the name of "the mandala of
enlightened mind: follows* This is the house of the Bodhisatt)as and Buddhas* The latter, the
hyani or meditation Buddhas, reside here in close embrace with their consorts0 to the 3ast,
the black;moghasiddhi with 9ocanaR to the South, the red Ratnasambha+a with <amakiR to
the 4orth, the white ;mitabha with (andaraR to the +est, -airocana in the arms of Tara* The
areas between the #oints of the com#ass are likewise occu#ied by Buddha cou#les* ;ll the
Bodhisatt)as who dwell the in the "mandala of enlightened mind: are also #ortrayed in
the yab2yum #osture $of sexual union(* This third segment demonstrates most )i)idly that
Tantrism deri)es the emanation of time from the erotic lo)e of di)ine cou#les*

The fourth "mandala of enlightened s#eech: follows* +ithin it are found eight lotus
flowers, each of which itself has eight #etals* Knce again the #attern of
the ganachakra& which we ha)e already encountered in the center of the sand mandala, is
%@Q
re#eated in this bou8uet* <n the middle of each of the eight lotuses a cou#le sits in close
embrace and on each of the eight surrounding #etals we can discern a goddess* This makes a
total of eighty deities $L@ shaktis, P female #artners, and P male deities(*

The large number of shaktis, "daughters: of the mudras "sacrificed: in the ganachakra,
is an indicator of how fundamentally the idea of the tantric female sacrifice determines the
doctrine of time and its artistic re#resentation* ;t the gates which lead out from the fourth
segment into the third "mandala of enlightened mind:, we are once again confronted with the
symbolic re#resentation of "sacrificial goddesses:* ;side from this, 'L further shaktis, who
re#resent the root syllables of the Sanskrit al#habet and thereby the building blocks of
language, li)e in this building com#lex*

;s the final and outermost segment of the mandala #alace we enter the "body mandala:*
There we meet the 'L& deities of the days of the year* 1ere too we encounter the basic #attern
of theganachakra* There are twel)e large lotuses, each with %P #etals* <n the center of each
flower a god and a goddess embrace one another, all around them sit %P goddesses grou#ed
into three rows* 3ach lotus thus exhibits '& deities, multi#lying by twel)e we ha)e the 'L&
day gods $fi)e days are not calculated(* <n addition we meet in the body mandala twel)e #airs
of wrathful deities and 'L goddesses of desire*

+e ha)e nonetheless not yet described all the grounds of the #alace* The fi)e s8uare
architectural units already mentioned are namely bordered by six circular segments*
4umerous symbols of bliss like wheels, wish7granting 6ewels, shells, mirrors, and so on, rest
in the arcs $8uadrants( which are formed between the last s8uare and the first circle* The fi)e
subse8uent circles symboliMe the elements in the following order0 earth, water, fire, wind, and
s#ace* -emeteries are to be found on circles three and four, de#icted in the form of wheels* <n
the imagination they are inhabited by ten horrifying dakinis with their #artners* From a
Buddhist #oint of )iew this "ring of the dead: signifies that only he who has surmounted his
bodily existence may enter the mandala #alace*

The fifth circle of s#ace is re#resented by a chain of golden +a0ras* The whole mandala
is surrounded by a circle of flames as a sixth ring* ;ccording to a number of commentator this
is su##osed to re#resent the wisdom of BuddhaR howe)er, if we further #ursue the fate of the
%H&
sand mandala, it must be associated with the "world fire: $"alagni( which in the end burns
down the #alace of the time gods*

;s aesthetic and #eaceful as the sand mandala may a##ear to be to a +estern obser)er,
it still conceals behind it the froMen ornament of the sacrificial ritual of Tantrism* 3)ery single
female figure which inhabits the #alace of time, be she a dakini, shakti& or a "sacrificial
goddess:, is the bearer of the so sought after "gynergyI which the yogi has a##ro#riated
through his sexual magic #ractices so as to then let it flow as the #ower source of his
androgynous mystic body* The"alachakra #alace is thus an alchemic laboratory for the
a##ro#riation of life energies* <n the ritual fate of the sand mandala we shall unmistakably
demonstrate that it is a gigantic sacrificial altar* <t is not 6ust the shaktis who are sacrificed, but
the erotic cou#les as well, who delight the tem#le with their untroubled #leasures of lo)e,
indeed the time god $"alachakra( and the time goddess $-ish+amata( themsel)es* The
downfall of them all is #reordained, their fate is sealed*

$he 'onstr"'tion o* the 0ala'hakra sand mandala
The construction of the "alachakra sand mandala is a com#lex and multilayered
#rocedure which is carried out by a number of s#ecially trained lamas* The "master builder "
of the diagram and the s#iritual leader of the "alachakra initiation need not always be the
same #erson* They are so to s#eak the assistants of the tantra master* 4onetheless, at the
outset the latter makes the following a##eal to the time god0 "Kh, )ictorious "alachakra, lord
of knowledge, < #rostrate myself to the #rotector and #ossessor of com#assion* < am making a
mandala here out of lo)e and com#assion for my disci#les and as an offering in res#ect to
you* Kh "alachakra, #lease be kind and remain close to me* <, the +a0ra master, am creating
this mandala to #urify the obstructions of all beings* Therefore, always be considerate of my
disci#les and me, and #lease reside in the mandala: $8uoted by Bryant, .QQ%, #* .@.(*

The grounds sought out for the ritual are now sub6ected to a rigorous examination, the
so7called "#urifying of the site:* Monks in)estigate the ground, measurements are taken,
mantras and sutras are 8uoted* Subse8uently it comes to a highly #ro)ocati)e scene, in which
the local s#irits and the earth goddess are )iolently forced to agree to the construction of the
mandala*

%H.
Vajrave)a B the terri*yin) emanation o* 0ala'hakra

For this #ur#ose one of the lamas takes on the a##earance of -a0ra+ega, that is, he
)isualiMes himself as this deity* -a0ra+ega is blue in color, has three necks and %@ hands* ;s
clothing he wears a tigerskin skirt, decorated with snakes and bones* 1e is considered to be
the terrifying emanation of the time god "alachakra* 1e can e)oke sixty wrathful #rotecti)e
deities from out of his inscrutable heart, who then storm out through his ears, nostrils, eyes,
mouth, urethra, anus, and from an o#ening in the to# of his skull* ;mong these are found
Mombies, )am#ires and dakinis with the heads of animals*

<n the imaginations of the lamas who conduct the ritual, this monster now drags in the
im#eding local s#irits with iron hooks and, once they ha)e been bound in chains, nails them
down in the ten directions with ritual daggers* ; further ten wrathful deities are #ro6ected into
each of these daggers $phurbas(* There are indications which must be regarded seriously that
in the #erformance of the"alachakra rituals it is not 6ust the local s#irits, but likewise the
earth mother $Srinmo( who embody the nailed down )ictims* This myth of the nailing
of Srinmo #layed a central "national: role in the construction of Tibetan tem#les, which
actually re#resent nothing more than three7dimensional mandalas* +e shall come to s#eak of
this in detail in the second #art of our study*
%H%

4ow the tantra master solemnly circles the mandala location in a clockwise direction,
and s#rinkles it with )arious substances and holy water* ;fter this the monks who #artici#ate
in the ritual imagine in their s#irits that this location is co)ered in numerous small +a0ras*

;fterwards there is a significant demonstration of #ower0 The tantra master sits down
on his own in the center of the mandala s#ace, faces the 3ast and says the following0 "< shall
build on this #lace a mandala in the manner in which < ha)e imagined it: $8uoted by Brauen,
.QQ%, #* NN(* +ith this act of occu#ation he makes it unmistakably clear who the lord of the
ritual action is* Further liturgical actions follow*

The tantra master e)okes the terrifying deity, -a0ra+ega& anew, and once again dri)es
#otential disru#ti)e s#irits out of the mandala grounds* 1e is so filled with wrathful deities
that horror figures who are su##osed to #rotect the mandala e)en emanate from out of the
soles of his feet* ;fterwards the #lace is occu#ied by the symbols of the fi)e hyani Buddhas*
Kn the table to#, the lama lays a lotus, a sword, a wish7granting 6ewel, a wheel and, in the
middle, a +a0ra* This centrally #laced "thunderbolt: demonstrates yet again the masculine
control of the earth*

This dominating, #atriarchal beha)ior has not always been #resent in the history of
Buddhism* <n a famous scene from the life of the historical Buddha, he calls u#on the earth to
bear witness to his enlightenment by touching it with his right hand $$humisparsha mudra(*
Tantric Buddhism has #reser)ed this scene among its Buddha legends, but has added a small
changeR here Shakyamuni makes the gesture of stroking the earth with a +a0ra, the sce#ter of
#hallic #ower* "This instrument is indis#ensable for the liturgy of the 9reat Path:, 9iuse##e
Tucci writes, "The earth transformed by the +a0ra becomes diamond: $Tucci, .QP%, #* QN(* ;s
s#iritually )aluable a symbol as the diamond may a##ear to be, it is not 6ust an image of #urity
but is also a meta#hor for sterility* Between the +a0ra and the earth lies the o##osition
between s#irit and life, or > as the ;merican Buddhist 2en +ilber would ex#ress it > the
"noos#here: $the realm of the s#irit( and the "bios#here: $the realm of nature(* <n that the
earth is transformed into a diamond by the tantric gesture of the Buddha, nature is
symbolically transformed into #ure s#irit and woman into a man*

%H'
But let us return to the scri#t which describes the construction of the sand mandala*
;fter the fixation of the earth s#irits or the earth mother, the "#rocession of the ten )ases:
which are filled with nectars follows* These are carried by monks around the ritual table u#on
which the sand mandala will be built* Bet again the number tenV The ten )ases, the ten #owers,
the ten winds, the ten shaktis > they are all )ariations on the ten mudras, who #artici#ated
and were "sacrificed: in the highest initiation of the ganachakra ritual*

;ll their energies flow into -ish+amata, the chief consort of the "alachakra deity* The
time goddess is symboliMed by a seashell which the monks lay in the middle of the ritual table
and which is to be filled with the essences from all ten )essels $)ases(* 1ere the shell
re#resents the feminine element at its highest concentration*

The tantra master now ties a golden +a0ra to a thread* 1e #uts the other end of the
thread to his heart and then lays the "thunderbolt: with em#hasis on the central shell* The
so)ereignty of the masculine #rinci#le $+a0ra( o)er the feminine #rinci#le $the shell( could not
be demonstrated more une8ui)ocally* ;fterwards, all the ritual ob6ects are remo)ed from the
mandala*

The time has now come to begin with the #re#aratory sketches of the sand mandala* The
monks commence with the "sna##ing of the wisdom string:* 1ere we are dealing with fi)e
different threads which symboliMe the fi)e hyani Buddhas with their consorts* Through a
ritual "#lucking: of these strings, the texts tell us, the mandala site becomes occu#ied by these
fi)e su#reme beings* S%T

;fter many recitations the monks now begin with the actual artistic work, surrounded
by numerous containers filled with the colored sand* This is carefully a##lied to the
#reliminary sketch with a ty#e of funnel* This re8uires extreme #recision, since the sand must
form hair7thin lines, and there are e)en a number of drawings of figures to be rendered in
sand* +ork begins in the middle and #roceeds outwards, that is, the center of the mandala is
created first and one then works ste# by ste# towards the #eri#hery* <t takes another fi)e days
before the artwork is com#leted*

%H@
;t the end, the com#lete work is surrounded by ten $V( ritual daggers $phurbas( which
act as #rotecti)e symbols* !ikewise, ten $V( )ases which are su##osed to re#resent the
ten shaktis are arranged around the mandala* Since all the tenfold symbols in the "alachakra
Tantra stand in a homologous relation to the "sacrificed: mudras $shaktis, dakinis, yoginis( of
the ganachakra ritual described abo)e, the mandala, with7 we re#eat > its numerous
se8uences of ten, is an ornamental demonstration of the "tantric female sacrifice: also
described abo)e*

Knce the )ases and daggers ha)e been #ut in #lace, the whole artwork is hidden behind
a curtain, as if the sacrificial scenario concealed behind the sacred work ought to be masked*
To close, the monks #erform another dance* ;nyone who has u# till now doubted whether
the "alachakra sand mandala concerns the )isual #ortrayal of a sacrificial rite, actually ought
to be con)inced by the name of this dance* <t is called the "ritual dance of the sacrificial
goddesses:*

$he destr"'tion o* the mandala
The sand mandala accom#anies the se)en lower le)els of the #ublic "alachakra ritual
as the mute and earthly likeness of a transcendental tantric di)ine #alace* <t is su##osed to
hel# the initiand create a corres#onding architectural work with all its inhabitants within his
imagination and to thus gi)e it a s#iritual existence* ;s in the real construction, within the
imagination work also begins at the center of the mandala, in
which "alachakra and -ish+amata are united* Starting from there, the initiand )isualiMes ste#
by ste# the construction of the whole #alace of time with its N%% gods* 1e thus commences at
the inner sanctum, and then imagines e)ery mandala segment which follows, ending with the
#eri#hery of the ring of flame, which blaMes around the entire architectural construct*

uring the imaginary construction of the mandala, the initiand is suddenly re8uired to
imagine an extremely #uMMling scene which we would like to examine more closely0 "Kut
of the syllable 1=M:, it says in the "alachakra Tantra& "-a0ra+ega emanates in the heart of
the medititator Sthe initiandT, the wrathful form of "alachakra > grinning and with gnashing
teeth -a0ra+egastands u#on a chariot drawn by a fabulous beingR he thrusts a hook into the
na)el of "alachakra, ties his hands u#, threatens him with wea#ons and drags him before the
meditator, in whose heart he finally dissol)es himself: $Brauen, .QQ%, #* ..@(*
%HH

+hat is ha##eningA -a0ra+ega, the wrathful emanation of the time god, suddenly turns
against his own "emanation father:, "alachakra& and brutally drags him before the meditating
ade#t* <n this scene a distinction is thus drawn between "alachakra and -a0ra+ega* <s this >
as Martin Brauen sus#ects > to be inter#reted as the symbolic re#etition of the act of birth,
which is indeed also associated with #ainA

Such an inter#retation does not seem con)incing to us* <t seems far more #lausible to
recogniMe a somewhat obscure )ariant of the dark demon Rahu in the -a0ra+ega figure, who
destroys the sun and the moon in the "alachakra Tantra so as to claim #ower o)er time in
their stead* Brauen also indirectly concedes this when he com#ares the aggressi)e emergence
of -a0ra+ega with the acti)ation of the "middle channel: $a+adhuti( in the mystic body of the
yogi and the associated destruction of both energy streams $the sun and moon(* The same
#rocedure is also regarded to be the chief task of Rahu& and likewise, as we ha)e described
abo)e, the middle channel bears the name of the dark #lanet $Rahu(* Be that as it may, the
destructi)e arri)al of -a0ra+ega heralds the fate of the whole sand mandala and of the #alace
of time hidden behind it*

uring the se)en lower solemnities of the "alachakra Tantra& the mandala artwork is
left standing* ;t the end of the whole #erformance the tantra master recites a number of
#rayers and certain mantras* 1e then circles the sand mandala, remo)ing with his fingers the
N%% gods who were scattered across it in the form of seeds and laying them on a tray* ;t the
same time he imagines that they enter his heart* 1e thus absorbs all the time energies and
transforms them into as#ects of his own mystic body* 1e then gras#s a +a0ra, symbol of his
diamond masculinity, and begins to destroy the sandy "di)ine #alace: with it* The whole
im#ressi)e work dissol)es into colorful hea#s and is later swe#t together* The monks ti# the
colored mixture into a )ase* The master s#rinkles a little of this in his head, and gi)es a
further mini7#ortion to his #u#ils* +ith #rayers and song a #rocession carries the sandy
contents of the )ase to a ri)er and surrenders it there to thenagas $snake gods( as a gift*

But an im#ortant gesture is still to come* The tantra master returns to the site of the
mandala and with water washes off the white basis lines remaining on the site* Then he
remo)es the ten ritual daggers* Facing the 3ast he now seats himself on the cleansed mandala
%HL
site, +a0ra and bell in his hands, the absolute lord of both sexes $"alachakra and -ish+amata(,
of time and of the uni)erse*

This destruction of the sand mandala is usually seen as an act which is su##osed to draw
attention to the transience of all being* But this forgets that the #alace of time is only
destroyed as anexternal construction and that it continues to exist in the interior of the highest
tantra master $as ;< B=1;(* <n his mystic body, "alachakra and -ish+amata li)e on as
the two #olar currents of time, albeit under his absolute control* ;t the end of the ritual, the
yogi $;< B=1;( has transformed himself into a di)ine #alace* Then
his microcosmic body has become identical to the "alachakra #alaceR we can now redisco)er
all the symbols which we encountered there as forces within his energy body*

Th( word ru(r: Th( !ocio8oitica (B(rci!( o- 8ow(r 5% th( ADI #uddha
<n his #olitical function the ;< B=1; is a world ruler, a "uni)ersal so)ereign:, a
"world king: $dominus mundi(, an "em#eror of the uni)erse:, a Chakra+artin* The early
Buddhists still drew a distinction between a $uddha and a Chakra+artin* 1ence we can read
in the legends of Buddhism,s origins how a holy man #ro#hesied to Shakyamuni,s father that
his wife, <aya& would soon bear an enlightened one $a $uddha( or a world ruler
$Chakra+artin(, de#ending u#on which this son would as a young man later decide to be*
9autama chose the way of the "s#iritual: Buddha and not that of the "worldly: Chakra+artin,
who in the customs of his time also had to act as military leader alongside his #olitical duties*

<n <ahayana Buddhism this distinction between a dominus mundi and an enlightened
being increasingly disa##ears, yet the Chakra+artin #ossesses exclusi)ely #eaceful
characteristics* ;ll his "con8uests:, re#orts the scholar Vasubandhu $fourth or fifth century
-*3*(, are non)iolent* The #otentates of the world )oluntarily and unresistingly sub6ect
themsel)es on the basis of his rece#ti)e radiation* They bow down before him and say0
"+elcome, K mighty king* 3)erything belongs to you, K mighty kingV: $8uoted by ;rmelin,
n*d*, #* %.(* 1e is mostly incarnated as an a+atar, as the reincarnation of a di)ine sa)ior, who
should lead humanity out of its earthly misery and into #aradise*

<n -a0rayana Buddhism, es#ecially in the "alachakra Tantra& the Chakra+artin is the
successful result of the sexual magic rites we describe abo)e* The "asocial: yogi, who during
%HN
his initiatory #hase hangs around cemeteries and with #rostitutes like an outlaw has become a
radiant king whose commands are obeyed by nations* The Time Tantra thus re)eals itself to be
a means of "con8uering: the world, not 6ust s#iritually but also in #ower #olitical termsR in the
end the im#erial idea of a Chakra+artin includes the whole uni)erse* Boundlessly ex#anding
energies are accumulated here in a single being $the "#olitical: ;< B=1;(*

The eminently #olitical character of the <ndian Chakra+artin makes him an ideal for
Tibetan !amaism, which could first be realiMed, howe)er, in the #erson of the Fifth alai
!ama $.L.N7.LP%(* Before the "9reat Fifth: ascended the throne, the arch7abbots of the
indi)idual !amaist sects > whether )oluntarily or by necessity aside > accorded the title of
world ruler only to the mighty -hinese 3m#erors or, de#ending on the #olitical situation, to
indi)idual Mongolian 2hans* The Tibetan hierarchs themsel)es "only: claimed the role of a
Buddha, an enlightened being, whom they nonetheless considered su#erior to
the Chakra+artin* The Fifth alai !ama, who combined in his #erson both worldly and
s#iritual #ower for the first time in the history of Tibet, was also still careful
about publicly describing himself as Chakra+artin* This could ha)e #ro)oked his Mongolian
allies and the "5uler on the ragon Throne: $the 3m#eror of -hina(* Such restraint was a #art
of the di#lomacy of the Tibet of oldR or rather, since the alai !amas were during their
enthronement handed the highest symbol of uni)ersal rule > the "golden wheel: > they
were the "true:, albeit hidden, rulers of the world, at least in the minds of the Tibetan clergy*
The worldly #otentates of neighboring states were at any rate accorded the role of a #rotector*

+e shall come to s#eak in detail about whether such cosmocratic images still excite the
imagination of the current Fourteenth alai !ama in the second #art of our study* <n any case,
the "alachakra Tantra which he has #laced at the center of his ritual #olitics contains the
#hased initiatory #ath at the end of which the !ion Throne of a Chakra+artin rears u#*

The "golden wheel: $chakra( is regarded as the world ruler,s coat of arms and ga)e him
his name, which when translated from Sanskrit means "wheel turner:* ;lready at birth
a Chakra+artin bears a signum in the form of a wheel on his hand and feet as gra#hic #roof of
his so)ereignty* <n Buddhism the wheel symbol was originally understood to be the
"teaching: $the =harma( and the first "wheel turner: was no lesser than the Buddha himself,
who set the "wheel of =harmaI in motion by distributing his truths among the #eo#le and
%HP
among the other beings* !ater, in <ahayanaBuddhism, the golden wheel already indicated
"The 9reat -ircle of Power and 5ule: $Sim#son, .QQ., #* @H(* The Chakra+artin was referred
to as the "2ing of the 9olden +heel:* This is the title gi)en to the "3m#eror of Peace:,
;shoka $%N'O%'L B*-*3*(, after he had united <ndia and with great success con)erted it to
BuddhismR but is also a name which the alai !ama ac8uires when the "golden wheel: is
#resented to him during his enthronement*

; Buddhist world ruler gras#s the "wheel of command:, symbol of his absolute force of
command* <n the older texts the stress is #rimarily on his military functions* 1e is the su#reme
commander of his su#erbly armed forces* ;s "king and #olitician:, the Chakra+artin is a
so)ereign who reigns o)er all the states on earth* The leaders of the tribes and nations are
subordinate to him* 1is e#ithet is "one who rules with his own will, e)en the kingdoms of
other kings: $8uoted by ;rmelin, n*d*, #* P(* 1e is thus also known as the "king of kings:* 1is
aegis extends not 6ust o)er humanity, but likewise o)er Buddhas, Bodhisatt)as, wrathful
kings, gods, demons, nagas $snake gods(, masculine and feminine deities, animals and s#irits*
Kf his followers he demands #assionate de)otion to the #oint of ecstasy*

The se)en ")aluable treasures: which are a)ailable to a Chakra+artin are $.( the wheel,
$%( the wish7granting 6ewel, $'( the wonder horse, $@( the ele#hant, $H( the minister, $L( the
general, and $N( the #rincess* Sometimes, the 6udge and the minister of finance are also
mentioned* S'T

K#inions differ from text to text about the s#atial ex#ansion of #ower of
the Chakra+artin* Sometimes he "only: controls our earth, sometimes > as in
the "alachakra Tantra > the entire uni)erse with all its suns and #lanets* This is > as we
ha)e already shown > described in the;bhidharmakosha, the Buddhist cosmology, as a
gigantic wheel with Meru the world mountain as its central axis* The circumference is formed
by unscaleable chains of mountains made of #ure iron, from whence the name of this cosmic
model is deri)ed > Chakra+ala, that is, Wiron wheel,* TheChakra+artin is thus so)ereign of
an "iron wheel: of astronomical #ro#ortions*

<n terms of time, the Buddhist writings nominate )arying lengths of reign for
the Chakra+artin* <n one text, as a symbol of control the su#reme regent carries in his hand a
%HQ
golden, sil)er, co##er, or iron wheel de#ending u#on the eon $Sim#son, .QQ., #* %N&(* This
corres#onds to the <ndo73uro#ean di)ision of the ages of the world in which these become
increasingly short and "worse: nearer the end* For this reason, world rulers of the golden age
reign many millions of years longer than the ruler of the iron age* The Chakra+artin also
re#resents the "alachakra deity, he is the bearer of the uni)ersal "time wheel: and hence the
"!ord of 1istory:*

;s lawmaker& he monitors that human norms stay in kee#ing with the di)ine, i*e*,
Buddhocratic ones* "1e is the incarnate re#resentation of su#reme and uni)ersal !aw:, writes
the religious studies scholar, -oomaraswamy $-oomaraswamy, .QNP, #* .', n* .@a(* ;s a
conse8uence, the world ruler go)erns likewise as "#rotector: of the cosmic and of the
socio#olitical order*

;s a uni)ersal guru he sets the "wheel of the teaching: $=harmachakra( in motion, in
memory of the famous sermon by the historical Buddha in the deer #ark of Benares, where the
"first turning of the +heel of the +ord: took #lace $-oomaraswamy, .QNQ, #* %H(* ;s a
conse8uence, theChakra+artin is the su#reme world teacher and therefore also holds the
"wheel of truth: in his hands* ;s cosmic "wheel turner: he has o)ercome the "wheel of life
and death: through which the unenlightened must still wander*

<n the re)olutionary milieu of the tantras $since the fourth century -*3*(, the #olitical,
war7like as#ects of the "wheel turner: known from 1induism became current once more, to
then reach > as we shall see > their most aggressi)e form in the Shambhala myth of
the "alachakra Tantra* The Chakra+artin now leads a "6ust: war, and is both a Buddha $or at
least a Bodhisatt)a( and the glorious leader of an army in one #erson* The "lord of the wheel:
thus dis#lays clear military #olitical traits* ;s the emblem of control the "wheel: also
symboliMes his chariot with which he leads an in)incible army* This army con8uers and
sub6ugates the entire globe and establishes a uni)ersal Buddhocracy* The <ndian religious
scholar, -oomaraswamy, also makes reference to the destructi)e #ower of the wheel* !ike the
discus of the 1indu god -ishnu& it can sha)e off the heads of the troo#s of entire armies in
seconds*
estruction and resurrection are thus e8ually e)oked by the figure of the Chakra+artin*
1e therefore also a##ears at the intersection of two eras $the iron and the subse8uent golden
%L&
age( and re#resent both the downfall of the old and the origin of the new eon* This gi)es him
marked a#ocaly#tic and messianic characteristics* 1e is incarnated as both world destroyer
and world redeemer, as uni)ersal exterminator and uni)ersal sa)ior*

Pro-an( and !8iritua 8ow(r
The history of <ndia, 6ust like that of medie)al 3uro#e, is sha#ed by the clash between
s#iritual and worldly #ower* "Po#e: and "3m#eror: also o##osed one another on the
subcontinent in the form of Brahman and 2ing, the battle between sacerdotium $ecclesiastical
rule( and regnum $kingly rule( was also a recurrent #olitical to#ic in the <ndia of old*
<nterestingly, this dis#ute is regarded in both the Kccident and in ;sia as a gender conflict and
the two sex roles are transferred onto the two #retenders to #ower* Sometimes the king
re#resented the masculine and the #riest the feminine, on other occasions it was the re)erse,
de#ending on which #olitical #arty currently had the say*

This long7running to#ic of the "#olitical battle of the sexes: was #icked u# by the
intellectual elite of 3uro#ean fascism in the thirties of this century* The fascists had an
ideological interest in conceding the #rimary role in the state and in society to the warrior ty#e
and thus the monarchy* <t was a wides#read belief at that time that the hy#ocritical and
cunning #riestly caste had for centuries im#eded the kings in their exercise of control so as to
seiMe #ower for themsel)es* Such warrior7friendly )iews of history influenced the national
socialist mythologist, ;lfred 5osenberg, 6ust as they did the <talian Dulius 3)ola, who for a
time acted as "s#iritual: ad)isor to Mussolini* Both belie)ed the masculine #rinci#le to be
ob)iously at work in the "king: and the inferior feminine counterforce in the "#riest:* "The
monarchy is entitled to #recedence o)er the #riesthood, exactly as in the symbolism SwhereT
the sun has #recedence o)er the moon and the man o)er the woman ", 3)ola wrote $3)ola,
.QP%, #* .&.(*

The <ndian #hiloso#her of religion, ;nanda -oomaraswami, answers him with a
counter7thesis0 originally the king was "un8uestionably feminine: and the #riest masculine0
"The sacerdotium and the man are the intellectual, and the regnum and the woman the acti)e
elements in what should be literally a sym#hony: $-oomaraswamy, .QNP, #* L(* Thus we find
here the conce#tion, wides#read in <ndia, that the feminine is acti)e, the masculine #assi)e or
contem#lati)e, and that control can be exercised through meditation $such as through holding
%L.
the breath(* <n this we are confronted with the )iew that the #ractice of yoga is transferable to
#olitics* Such a conce#tion is in fact characteristic of 1induism* <n Tantric Buddhism,
howe)er, the order is re)ersed, as it is in the +est0 the goddess is #assi)e and the god acti)e*
For this reason the fascist, Dulius 3)ola, for whom the heroic masculine #rinci#le is entitled to
the royal throne, was much more strongly attracted to Buddhist -a0rayana than to the 1indu
tantras*

But when the sacerdotium unites with the regnum in one #erson, as in the case of the
alai !ama, then the two celebrate a "mystic wedding:* The #owers of the two forces flow
together in a great current out of which a uni)ersal "wheel turner:, a Chakra+artin arises, who
has condensed within himself the masculine and feminine #rinci#le, worldly and #riestly
#ower, and is thus ca#able of exercising su#reme control* ;nanda -oomaraswamy has
emotionally described this exce#tional situation with the following words0 "<t is, then, only
when the #riest and the king, the human re#resentati)es of sky and earth, 9od and his
kingdom, are Wunited in the #erformance of the rite,, only when Wthy will is done on earth as it
is in hea)en,, that there is both a gi)ing and a taking, not indeed an e8uality but a true
reci#rocity* Peace and #ros#erity, and fullness of life in e)ery sense of the words, are the fruits
of the Wmarriage, of the tem#oral #ower to the s#iritual authority, 6ust as they must be of the
marriage of the Wwoman, to the Wman, on whate)er le)el of reference* For W)erily, when a
mating is effected, then each achie)es the other,s desire,R and in the case of the Wmating, of the
sacerdotium and the regnum, whether in the outer realms or within you, the desire of the two
#artners are for Wgood, here and hereafter: $-oomaraswamy, .QNP, #* LQ(* The marriage of the
masculine and the feminine #rinci#le, which here forms the foundation for absolute #olitical
#ower, shows the Chakra+artin to be an androgyne, a bisexual su#erhuman*

4either -oomaraswamy nor 3)ola a##ear to ha)e the slightest doubts about according
feminine energies to masculine indi)iduals and institutions in their theories* For this reason,
the #atriarchal #ower )isions of Tantrism are as ob)ious in the two authors, inter#retations of
history as they otherwise only are in the original Tibetan texts* Since for -oomaraswamy the
feminine is incarnated in the "king:, and as such may ne)er rule alone, the religious
#hiloso#her considers the autonomous #ower of the kings to be the origin of e)il0 "But, if the
2ing coo#erating with and assimilated to the higher #ower is thus the Father of his #eo#le, it
is none the less true that satanic and deadly #ossibilities inhere in the Tem#oral Power0 +hen
%L%
the 5egnum #ursues its own de)ices, when the feminine SVT half of the ;dministration asserts
its inde#endence, when Might #resumes to rule without res#ect for 5ight, when the Wwoman,
demands her Wrights,SVT, then these lethal #ossibilities are realisedR the 2ing and the 2ingdom,
the family and the house, alike are destroyed and disorder #re)ails* <t was by an assertion of
his inde#endence and a claim to We8ual rights, that !ucifer fell headlong from 1ea)en and
became Satan, the Wenemy,: $-oomaraswamy, .QNP, #* LQ(* The e8uation of the feminine with
the e#itome of e)il is here no less clear and crass than it is in the work of the fascist, Dulius
3)ola, who inter#rets our "unha##y: age as the result of a "gynocracy: which was #re#ared
by the #riests of the )arious religions*

That the role of the Chakra+artin is reser)ed exclusi)ely for men must be a self7e)ident
assum#tion in the light of what has been said abo)e* <n a )ery early Buddhist text we already
find this succinct formulation0

=t is impossible and 'an not be
that the %oman a Holy 5ne a -ompletely &%akened QOn(R
or a 0in) 1orld4-on!"eror QCha1ra'artinR may embody:
s"'h a 'ase does not o''"r#
$8uoted by 1errmann7Pfand, .QQ%, #* .N%(

Footnot(!:
S.T ;s we ha)e already seen , the world mountain itself with its surrounding cosmic
circles #ossesses the form of a huge mandala*
S%T 1owe)er, the actual marking u# of the diagram is carried out with a cord coated in
chalk #owder, which is #laced in #articular directions on the ritual table* +ith a brief #luck
u#on this cord the #owder is transferred to the surface and forms a line there* Together, all the
lines sketch the #attern of the sand mandala foundations*
S'T +here his golden wheel& $.(, a##ears on the horiMon the Buddhist teaching is
s#read* "This wheel has a thousand rays* The monarch who #ossesses it is called Wthe 1oly
2ing who causes the wheel to turn,, because from the moment of his #ossessing it, the wheel
turns and tra)erses the uni)erse according to the thoughts of the king: $Sim#son, .QQ., #*
%LQ(* Thanks to the wish2granting 0ewel& $%(, the world ruler need only raise his hand and
gold coins start to rain down $-oomaraswamy, .QNQ, fig* .Q(* The wonder horse& $'(,
%L'
trans#orts him anywhere in next to no time* The elephant& $@(, is obedient and re#resents the
workforce among his sub6ects* The minister& $H(, has no ulterior moti)es and stands by him
with moral and tactical su##ort* The general& $L(, has the #ower to defeat all enemies* The
body of the princess& $N(, smells of sandalwood and from her mouth comes the scent of the
blue lotus* She #erforms the functions of a royal mother0 "-ontact with her #ro)okes no
#assionsR all men regard her as their mother or sister* *** She gi)es birth to many sons
SVT* +hen her husband is absent $she maintains chastity( and ne)er succumbs to the #leasures
of the fi)e senses: $TayZ, .QQH, #* .'L(* > +ith the following se)en "semi7)aluable:
treasures it becomes e)en clearer how the magic #olitical ob6ects of the Chakra+artin coincide
with those of the tantric<aha Siddha $9rand Sorcerer(0 $.( the sword, which defends the
king,s lawsR $%( a tent which withstands any weatherR $'( a palace full of goddesses #laying
musicR $@( a robe im#enetrable for any wea#on and immune against fireR $H( a garden of
paradise full of wondrous #lants and animalsR $L( a sleeping place which re#els all false
emotions and dreams and #roduces a clear awarenessR and $N( a #air of se+en league
boots with which any #oint in the uni)erse can be reached in a flash*
01. THE A22RESSI3E MYTH O/ SHAMBHALA

The role of the ADI BUDDHA or rather of the *ha3ra/artin is not F!st
disc!ssed in $eneral terms in the Kalachakra Tantra) rather) in the myth
of =hambhala the Time Tantra presents concrete political obFecti/es% In
this myth statements are made abo!t the a!thority of the world monarch)
the establishment and administration of his state) the or$ani;ation of his
army) and abo!t a strate$ic sched!le for the con,!est of the planet% B!t
let !s -rst consider what e0actly the Sham$hala mythcan be !nderstood
to be%

Accordin$ to le$end) the historical B!ddha) =ha3yam!ni) ta!$ht the
3in$ of Sham$hala* =!chandra) the Kalachakra Mulatantra) and initiated
him into the secret doctrine% The ori$inal te0t contained &8)CCC /erses% It
was later lost) b!t an abrid$ed /ersion s!r/i/ed% If we !se the somewhat
arbitrary calendar of the Time Tantra as a basis) the enco!nter between
%L@
=ha3yam!ni and =!chandra too3 place in the year 'D' B%*%.% The location
of the instr!ction was 4hanyakataka close to the Ho!nt T!lt!re Heap near
aFa$riha 4aF$ir5 in so!thern India% After =!chandra had as3ed him for
instr!ction) the B!ddha himself ass!med the form of Kalachakra and
preached to him from a Jion Throne s!rro!nded by n!mero!s Bodhisatt/as
and $ods%


=!chandra rei$ned as the 3in$ of Sham$hala) a le$endary 3in$dom
somewhere to the north of India% He did not tra/el alone to be initiated
in 4hanyakataka) b!t was accompanied by a co!rtly retin!e of 6E
$enerals) pro/incial 3in$s and $o/ernors% After the initiation he too3 the
tantra teachin$ bac3 with him to his empire 4=hambhala5 and made it the
state reli$ion there9 accordin$ to other reports) howe/er) this only
happened after se/en $enerations%

=!chandra recorded the Kalachakra Mulatantra from memory and
composed a n!mber of comprehensi/e commentaries on it% 2ne of his
s!ccessors 4HanF!shri3irti5 wrote an abrid$ed edition) 3nown as
the Kalachakra 5aghutantra* a compendi!m of the ori$inal sermon% This
&CCC-/erse te0t has s!r/i/ed in toto and still today ser/es as a central
te0t% HanF!shri3irtiIs s!ccessor) #in$ P!ndari3a) composed a detailed
commentary !pon the 5aghutantra with the name
of&imalapra$ha 4Yimmac!late li$htI5% These two te0ts 4the Kalachakra
5aghutantra and the&imalaprapha5 were bro!$ht bac3 to India in the tenth
cent!ry by the Maha Siddha Tilopa) and from there reached Tibet) the
Jand of =nows a h!ndred years later% B!t only fra$ments of the ori$inal
te0t) the Kalachakra Mulatantra) ha/e s!r/i/ed% The most si$ni-cant
fra$ment is calledSekkodesha and has been commented !pon the Maha
Siddha 1aropa%

%LH
2eo.r'*h of "he 4#n.&om of Sh'm%h'('
The 3in$dom of Sham$hala) in which the Kalachakra teachin$ is
practiced as the state reli$ion) is s!rro!nded by $reat secrecy) F!st as is its
-rst r!ler) Suchandra% Then he is also re$arded as an incarnation of the
Bodhisatt/a &a!rapani) the Jord of 2cc!lt #nowled$e% <or cent!ries the
Tibetan lamas ha/e deliberately mysti-ed the wonderland) that is) they
ha/e left the ,!estion of its e0istence or none0istence so open that one
has to parado0ically say that it e0ists and it does not% =ince it is a spirit!al
empire) its borders can only be crossed by those who ha/e been initiated
into the secret teachin$s of the Kalachakra Tantra% In/isible for ordinary
mortal eyes) for cent!ries the wildest spec!lation abo!t the $eo$raphic
location =hambhala ha/e circ!lated% In concrete terms) all that is 3nown
is that it can be fo!nd to the north of India) beyond the i/er =itha% B!t
no-one has yet fo!nd the name of this ri/er on a map% Th!s) o/er the
co!rse of cent!ries the n!mero!sSham$hala seekers ha/e nominated all
the e/en concei/able re$ions) from #ashmir to the 1orth Pole and
e/erywhere in between%

%LL
A m'n&'(' of Sh'm%h'('

The most widespread opinion in the st!dies tends toward see3in$ the
ori$inal re$ion in what is today the desert of the Tarim Basin 4Tarim ,endi5%
Hany lamas claim it still e0ists there) b!t is screened from c!rio!s eyes by
a ma$ical c!rtain and is well $!arded% Indeed) the syncretist elements
which are to be fo!nd in the Kalachakra Tantra spea3 for the /iew that the
te0t is a prod!ct of the ancient =il3 oad tra/ersed by many c!lt!res)
which leads thro!$h the Tarim Basin% The h!$e chain of mo!ntains which
s!rro!nd the platea! in almost a circle also concord with the $eo$raphy
ofSham$hala%

Typically) the mythical map of =hambhala) of which there are
n!mero!s reprod!ctions) resembles a mandala% It has the form of a wheel
with ei$ht spo3es) or rather it corresponds to a lot!s with ei$ht petals%
.ach of the petals forms an administrati/e re$ion% There a $o/ernor r!les
%LN
as the hi$hest oZcial% He is the /iceroy of not less than &8C million
/illa$es which can be fo!nd on each lot!s petal% Sham$hala th!s
possesses a total of 6EC million settlements% The whole land is s!rro!nded
by a rin$ of barely scaleable snowcapped mo!ntains%

In the center of the rin$ of mo!ntains lies the co!ntryIs capital)
#alapa by name% By ni$ht) the city of li$ht is lit !p as bri$ht as day) so that
the moon can no lon$er be seen% There the Sham$hala 3in$ li/es in a
palace made from e/ery concei/able $em and diamond% The architect!re
is based !pon the laws of the hea/ens% There is a s!n temple and a moon
temple) a replica of the ;odiac and the astral orbits% A little to the so!th of
the palace the /isitor -nds a wonderf!l par3% In it Suchandraordered the
temple of Kalachakra and &ishvamata to be b!ilt% It is made from -/e
/al!able materials: $old) sil/er) t!r,!oise) coral) and pearl% Its $ro!nd plan
corresponds to the Kalachakrasand mandala%

The 4#n.! 'n& '&m#n#!"r'"#on of Sh'm%h'('
All the 3in$s of Sham$hala belon$ to an inherited dynasty% =ince the
historical B!ddha initiated the -rst re$ent) =!chandra) into the Time Tantra
there ha/e been two royal ho!ses which ha/e determined the fate of the
co!ntry% The -rst se/en 3in$s called themsel/es 4harmara!a 43in$s of law5%
They were ori$inally descended from the same linea$e which prod!ced
B!ddha =ha3yam!ni) the =ha3yas% The followin$ 8K 3in$s of the second
dynasty are the #!li3as or #al3is% .ach of these r!lers rei$ns for
e0actly &CC years% The f!t!re re$ents are also already laid down by name%
The te0ts are not always !nanimo!s abo!t who is presently r!lin$ the
realm% Host fre,!ently) #in$ Anir!ddha is named) who is said to ha/e
ta3en the reins of power in &68D and shall set them aside a$ain in the year
8C8D% A $reat spectacle awaits the world when the 8Kth scion of the #al3i
dynasty ta3es oZce% This is (udra "hakrin) the wrathf!l wheel t!rner% In
%LP
the year 8(8D he will ascend the throne% :e shall come to deal with him in
detail%

Ji3e the Indian Maha Siddhas) the #al3is ha/e lon$ hair which they tie
!p in a 3not% Ji3ewise) they also adorn themsel/es with earrin$s and
armbands% The #al3i has e0cellent ministers) $enerals) and a $reat many
,!eens% He has a body$!ard) elephants and elephant trainers) horses)
chariots) and palan,!ins% His own wealth and the wealth of his s!bFects)
the power of his ma$ic spells) the na$as) demons) and $oblins that ser/e
him) the wealth o?ered to him by the centa!rs and the ,!ality of his food
are all s!ch that e/en the lord of the $ods cannot compete with him% %%%
The #al3i does not ha/e more than one or two heirs) b!t he has many
da!$hters who are $i/en as va!ra ladies d!rin$ the initiations held on the
f!ll moon of "aitra each year 41ewman) &6'K) p% KD5% It th!s appears they
ser/e as mudras in the Kalachakra rit!als%

The r!ler of Sham$hala is a absol!te monarch and has at his disposal
the entire worldly and spirit!al power of the co!ntry% He stands at the ape0
of a hierarchical pyramid and the fo!ndations of his B!ddhocracy is
composed of an army of millions of /iceroys) $o/ernors) and oZcers who
carry o!t the decrees of the re$ent%

As spirit!al r!ler) he is the representati/e of the ADI BUDDHA) as
worldly potentate a"hakravartin% He is seated !pon a $olden throne)
s!pported by ei$ht sc!lpt!red lions% In his hands he holds a Fewel which
$rants him e/ery wish and a ma$ic mirror) in which he can obser/e and
control e/erythin$ in his realm and on earth% 1othin$ escapes his watchf!l
eye% He has the ability and the ri$ht to loo3 into the deepest recesses of
the so!ls of his s!bFects) indeed of anybody%

%LQ
The roles of the se0es in the realm of =hambhala are typical% It is
e0cl!si/ely men who e0ercise political power in the androcentric state% 2f
the women we hear only somethin$ of their role as ,!een mother) the
bearer of the heir to the throne) and as wisdom consorts% In the tantric
economy of the state b!d$et they form a reser/oir of /ital reso!rces)
since they s!pply the gynergy which is transformed by the oZcial se0!al
ma$ic rites into political power% Alone the so/erei$n has a million 4Q5 $irls)
yo!n$ as the ei$ht-day moon) who are a/ailable to be his partners%

The hi$hest elite of the co!ntry is formed by the tantric cler$y% The
mon3s wear white) spea3 =ans3rit) and are all initiated into the mysteries
of the Kalachakra Tantra% The maFority of them are considered enli$htened%
Then come the warriors% The 3in$ is at the same time the s!preme
commander of a disciplined and e0tremely potent army with $enerals at
its head) a powerf!l oZcer corps and obedient lower ran3s% The most
e?ecti/e and modern weapons of destr!ction are stored in the e0tensi/e
arsenals of Sham$hala% Ret " as we shall later see " the army will only
mobili;e completely in three h!ndred years time 48(8D *%.%5%

The totalitarian power of the =hambhala 3in$ e0tends o/er not F!st
the inhabitants of his co!ntry) b!t li3ewise o/er all the people of o!r
planet) earth% The <rench Kalachakra enth!siast) Pean i/i[re) describes
the comprehensi/e competencies of the B!ddhist despots as follows: As
master of the !ni/erse) emperor of the world) spirit!al re$ent o/er the
powerf!l s!btle ener$y @ows which re$!late the cosmic order F!st as Athey
doB the li/es of the people) the #!li3a A3in$B of Sham$haladirects the
spirit!al de/elopment of the h!man masses who were born into the hea/y
and blind material A!ni/erseBU 4i/i[re) &6'K) p% (E5% A&B

The )sun chariot* of the 'ishis
%N&
Altho!$h all its r!lers are 3nown by name) the Sham$hala realm has
no history in the real sense% Hence in the many cent!ries of its e0istence
hardly anythin$ worthy of bein$ recorded in a chronicle has happened%
*onsider in contrast the history-laden chain of e/ents in the life of B!ddha
=ha3yam!ni and the n!mero!s le$ends which he left behind himQ B!t
there is an e/ent which shows that this co!ntry was not entirely free of
historical con@ict% This concerns the protest of a $ro!p of no less than (K
million 4Q5 (ishis 4seers5 led by the sa$e =!ryaratha 4Us!n chariot5%
As the -rst #!li3a 3in$) HanF!shri3irti) preached the Kalachakra
Tantra to his s!bFects) =!ryaratha distanced himself from it) and his
followers) the ishis) Foined him% They preferred to choose banishment
from =hambhala than to follow the diamond path 4&a!rayana5%
1onetheless) after they had set o!t in the direction of India and had
already crossed the border of the 3in$dom) HanF!shri3irti san3 in to a deep
meditation) st!nned the emi$rants by ma$ic and ordered demon birds to
brin$ them bac3%

This e/ent probably concerns a confrontation between two reli$io!s
schools% The ishis worshipped only the s!n% <or this reason they also
called their $!r! the s!n chariot 4suryaratha5% B!t the #!li3a 3in$ had
as Kalachakra master and cosmic andro$yne !nited both hea/enly orbs in
himself% He was the master of s!n and moon% His demand of the ishis
that they adopt the teachin$s of theKalachakra Tantra was also enacted on
a ni$ht of the f!ll moon% HanF!shri3irti ended his sermon with the
words: If yo! wish to enter that path) stay here) b!t if yo! do not) then
lea/e !nd $o elsewhere9 otherwise the doctrines of the barbarians will com
to spread e/en in =hambhala% 4Bernba!m) &6'C) p% 8(75%

The ishis decided !pon the latter% =ince we all want to remain tr!e
to the s!n chariot) we also do not wish to $i/e !p o!r reli$ion and to Foin
another) they reFoined 4>rOnwedel) &6&K) p% DD5% This res!lted in the
%N.
e0od!s already o!tlined% B!t in fetchin$ them bac3 HanF!shri3irti had
pro/ed his ma$ical s!periority and demonstrated that the path of the s!n
and moon is stron$er than the p!re s!n way% The ishis th!s bro!$ht
him many $old trib!tes and s!bmitted to his power and the primacy of
the Kalachakra Tantra% In the -fteenth ni$ht of the moon enli$htenment
was bestowed !pon them%

Behind this !ni,!e historical Sham$hala incident hides a barely
noticed power-political motif% The seers 4the (ishis5 were as their name
betrays clearly Brahmans9 they were members of the elite priestly caste%
In contrast) as priest-3in$ HanF!shri3irti inte$rated in his oZce the
ener$ies of both the priestly and the military elite% :ithin himself he
!nited 'orldly and spiritual power) which " as we ha/e already disc!ssed
abo/e " are allotted separately to the s!n 4hi$h priest5 and the moon
4warrior 3in$5 in the Indian c!lt!ral sphere% The !nion of both hea/enly
orbs in his person made him an absol!te r!ler%

Beca!se of the Sham$hala realmIs military plans for the f!t!re) which
we will describe a little later) the 3in$ and his s!ccessors are e0tremely
interested in stren$thenin$ the standin$ army% ThenSham$hala will need
an army of millions for the battles which are in store for it) and cent!ries
co!nt for nothin$ in this mythic realm% It was th!s in HanF!shri3irtiIs
interest to abolish all caste distinctions in an o/erarchin$ militarily
oriented B!ddhocracy% The historical B!ddha is already s!pposed to ha/e
prophesied that the f!t!re Sham$hala 3in$) %% possessin$ the &a!ra family)
will become #al3i by ma3in$ the fo!r castes into an sin$le clan) within
the &a!ra family) not ma3in$ them into a Brahman family 41ewman) &6'K)
p% E75% The &a!ra family mentioned is clearly contrasted to the priestly
caste in this statement by =ha3yam!ni% :ithin the /ario!s B!ddha families
as well it represents the one who is responsible for military matters% ./en
today in the :est) hi$h-ran3in$ Tibetan lamas boast that they will be
%N%
reborn as $enerals 4Q5 in the Sham$hala army) that is) that they thin3 to
transform their spirit!al oZce into a military one%

The warli3e intention behind this ironin$ o!t of caste distinctions
becomes more ob/io!s in HanF!shri3irtiIs F!sti-cation that the land) sho!ld
it not follow &a!rayana B!ddhism) wo!ld ine/itably fall into the hands of
the barbarians% These " as we shall later show " were the followers of
Islam) a$ainst whom an enormo!s Sham$hala military was bein$ armed%

The +ourne% to Shambhala
The tra/el reports written by Sham$hala seekers are mostly 3ept so
that we do not 3now whether they concern act!al e0periences) dreams)
ima$inin$s) phantasma$oria or initiatory pro$ress% There is also no e?ort
to 3eep these distinctions clear% A Sham$hala Fo!rney simply embodies all
of these to$ether% Th!s the diZc!lt and ha;ardo!s ad/ent!res people ha/e
!nderta3en in search of the le$endary co!ntry correspond to the /ario!s
mystical practices alon$ the way) that lead to the reali;ation of tantric
meditation in the 3in$dom itself% %%% The snow mo!ntains
s!rro!ndin$Sham$hala represent worldly /irt!es) while the #in$ in the
center symboli;es the p!re mind at the end of the Fo!rney 4Bernba!m)
&6'C) p% 8865%

In s!ch interpretations) then) the Fo!rneys ta3e place in the spirit%
Then a$ain) this is not the impression $ained by lea-n$ thro!$h
the Sham$ha lai lam yig) the famo!s tra/el report of the Third Panchen
Jama 4&D('M&D'C5% This concerns a fantastic collection ) which is ob/io!sly
con/inced of the reality of its fact!al material) of historical and $eo$raphic
partic!lars from central Asia which describe the way to Sham$hala%

%N'
The landscapes which) accordin$ to this classic tra/el $!ide) a
/isitor m!st pass thro!$h before enterin$ the wonderland) and the
dan$ero!s ad/ent!res which m!st be !nder$one) ma3e the Fo!rney to
=hambhala 4whether real or ima$inary5 a tantric initiatory way% This
becomes partic!larly clear in the central confrontation with the feminine
which F!st li3e the &a!rayana controls the whole tra/el ro!te% The ,!ite
pict!res,!e boo3 describes o/er many pa$es enco!nters with all the
female -$!res whom we already 3now from the tantric milie!% :ith literary
leis!re the a!thor paints the sweetest and the most terrible scenes: pi$-
headed $oddesses9 witches mo!nted !pon boars9 da3inis swin$in$ s3!ll
bowls -lled with blood) entrails) eyes and h!man hearts9 $irls as bea!tif!l
as lot!s @owers with breasts that drip nectar9 harpies9 -/e h!ndred
demonesses with copper-red lips9 sna3e $oddesses who li3e ni0es try to
p!ll one into the water9 the one-eyed 6ka!ati9 poison mi0ers9 sirens9 na3ed
/ir$ins with $olden bodies9 female cannibals9 $iantesses9 sweet Asura $irls
with horseIs heads9 the demoness of do!bt9 the de/il of fren;y9 healers
who $i/e refreshin$ herbs " they all await the bra/e so!l who sets o!t to
see3 the wonderland%

./ery enco!nter with these female creat!res m!st be mastered% <or
e/ery $ro!p the Panchen Jama has a deterrent) appeasin$) or recepti/e
rit!al ready% =ome of the women m!st be t!rned away witho!t fail by the
tra/eler) others sho!ld be honored and ac3nowled$ed) with yet others he
m!st !nite in tantric lo/e% B!t woe betide him if he sho!ld lose his
emotional and seminal control hereQ Then he wo!ld become the /ictim of
all these beasts re$ardless of whether they appear bea!tif!l or dreadf!l%
2nly a complete tantra e0pert can p!rs!e his way thro!$h this F!n$le of
feminine bodies%
Th!s the spheres alternate between the e0ternal and the internal)
reality and ima$ination) the world 3in$ in the hearts of indi/id!al people
and the real world r!ler in the >obi Desert) Sham$hala as e/eryday life
%N@
and Sham$hala as a fairytale dream) and e/erythin$ becomes possible%
:hen on his tra/els thro!$h Inner Asia the !ssian painter) 1icholas
oerich) showed some nomads photo$raphs of 1ew Ror3 they cried o!t:
This is the land of =hambhalaQ 4oerich) &6'') p% 8D75%

The r'.#n. whee( "+rner: The m'r"#'( #&eo(o. of
Sh'm%h'('
In the year 8(8D 4*%.%5 " the prophecies of the Kalachakra Tantra tell
!s " the 8Kth #al3i will ascend the throne of Sham$hala% He $oes by the
name of (udra "hakrin) the wrathf!l wheel t!rner or the <!ry with the
wheel% The mission of this r!ler is to destroy the enemies of the B!ddhist
teachin$ in a h!$e eschatolo$ical battle and to fo!nd a $olden a$e% This
militant hope for the f!t!re still today occ!pies the minds of many
Tibetans and Hon$olians and is be$innin$ to spread across the whole
world% :e shall consider the fascination which the archetype of the
Sham$hala warrior e0ercises o/er western B!ddhists in more detail later%

%NH
'udra ,hakrin ( the militant messiah of Shambhala

The Sham$hala state draws a clear and de-nite distinction between
friend and enemy% The ori$inal idea of B!ddhist paci-sm is completely
forei$n to it% Hence the (udra "hakrin carries a martial symbolic obFect as
his insi$nia of dominion) the wheel of iron 4Q5%:e may recall that in the
B!ddhist world /iew o!r entire !ni/erse 4"hakravala5 is enclosed within a
rin$ of iron mo!ntains% :e ha/e interpreted this ima$e as a reminder of
the doomsday iron a$e of the prophecies of anti,!ity%

Ho!nted !pon his white horse) with a spear in his hand) the (udra
"hakrin shall lead his powerf!l army in the 87th cent!ry% The Jord of the
>ods) it is said of him in the Kalachakra Tantra* Foined with the twel/e
lords shall $o to destroy the barbarians 41ewman) &6'D) p% E7K5% His army
shall consist of e0ceptionally wild warriors e,!ipped with sharp
weapons% A h!ndred tho!sand war elephants and millions of mo!ntain
horses) faster than the wind) shall ser/e his soldiers as mo!nts% Indian
$ods will then Foin the total of twel/e di/isions of the wrathf!l wheel
t!rner and s!pport their friend from =hambhala% This s!pport for the
warli3e Sham$hala 3in$ is probably d!e to his predecessor) HanF!shri3irti)
who s!cceeded in inte$ratin$ the &8C million Hind! ishis into the tantric
reli$io!s system 4BanerFee) &6'K) p% 0iii5%

If) as le$end has it) the a!thor of the Kalachakra Tantra was the
historical B!ddha) =ha3yam!ni) in person) then he m!st ha/e for$otten his
whole /ision and messa$e of peace and had a tr!ly $reat fascination for
the military hardware% Then weaponry plays a prominent role in the Time
Tantra% Here too) by weapon is !nderstood e/ery means of implementin$
the physical 3illin$ of h!mans% It is also said of B!ddhaIs martial
s!ccessor) the comin$ (udra "hakrin* that) with the sella 4a deadly
%NL
weapon5 in the hand %%% he shall proclaim the Kalachakra on earth for the
liberation of bein$s 4BanerFee) &6K6) p% 8&(5%

Le"h'( w'r m'$h#ne!
The $raphic description of the war machines to which
the Kalachakra deity de/otes a n!mber of pa$es already in the -rst
chapter of the tantra is downri$ht impressi/e and astonishin$ 41ewman)
&6'D) pp% KK(-KDC) /erses &(K-&7K9 >r+nbold) &66E5% A total of se/en
e0ceptionally destr!cti/e arts of weapon are introd!ced% All ta3e the form
of a wheel% The te0t refers to them as yantras% There is a wind machine
which is primarily p!t into action a$ainst mo!ntain forts% They @oat o/er
the enemy army and let b!rnin$ oil r!n o!t all o/er them% The same
happens to the ho!ses and palaces of the opponent% The second art of
weapon is described as a sword in the $ro!nd machine% This acts as a
personal protection for the wrathf!l wheel t!rner% Anyone who enters his
palace witho!t permission and steps !pon the machine hidden beneath
the @oor is ine/itably c!t to pieces% As the third art follows the harpoon
machine) a 3ind of ancient machine $!n% At the s,!ee;e of a -n$er)
many strai$ht arrows or sharp Harpoons hat pierce and pass thro!$h the
body of an armored elephant 41ewman) &6'D) p% KCE5%

:e are ac,!ainted with three f!rther e0tremely e?ecti/e rotatin$
weapons which shear e/erythin$ away) abo/e all the heads of the enemy
troops% 2ne of them is compared to the wheels of the s!n chariot% This is
probably a /ariant of the solar disc!s which the Indian
$od &ishnus!ccessf!lly p!t to !se a$ainst the demon hordes% =!ch death
wheels ha/e played a si$ni-cant role in TibetIs ma$ic military history ri$ht
!p into this cent!ry% :e shall ret!rn to this topic at a later point% These
days) belie/ers in the Sham$hala myth see aircraft or U<2s in them
which are armed with atomic bombs and are $!ided by the world 3in$Is
e0traterrestrial s!pport troops%
%NN

In li$ht of the n!mero!s m!rdero!s instr!ments which are listed in
the Kalachakra Tantra) a moral problem ob/io!sly arose for some
orthodo0 B!ddhists which led to the wheel weapons bein$ !nderstood
p!rely symbolically% They concerned radical methods of destroyin$ oneIs
own h!man e$o% The $reat scholar and Kalachakra commentator) #has
>r!b Fe) e0pressly opposes this pio!s attempt% In his opinion) the machines
are to be ta3en literally 41ewman) &6'D) p% KE&5%

The 5n'( %'""(e
Jet !s ret!rn to the (udra "hakrin* the tantric apocalyptic redeemer%
He appears in a period) in which the B!ddhist teachin$ is lar$ely
eradicated% Accordin$ to the prophecies) it is the epoch of the not-
Dharmas) a$ainst whom he ma3es a stand% Before the -nal battle a$ainst
the enemies of B!ddhism can ta3e place the state of the world has
worsened dramatically% The planet is awash with nat!ral disasters) famine)
epidemics) and war% People become e/er more materialistic and e$oistic%
Tr!e piety /anishes% Horals become depra/ed% Power and wealth are the
sole idols% A parallel to the Hind! doctrine of the Kali yuga is ob/io!s here%

In these bad times) a despotic barbarian 3in$ forces all nations
other than Sham$hala to follow his r!le) so that at the end only two $reat
forces remain: -rstly the depra/ed 3in$ of the barbarians s!pported by
the lord of all demons ) and secondly (udra "hakrin* the wrathf!l
B!ddhist messiah% At the o!tset) the barbarian r!ler s!bF!$ates the whole
world apart from the mythical 3in$dom of =hambhala% Its e0istence is an
incredible $oad to him and his s!bFects: Their Fealo!sy will s!rpass all
limits) crashin$ !p li3e wa/es of the sea% Incensed that there co!ld be s!ch
a land o!tside their control) they will $ather an army to$ether !nd set o!t
%NP
to con,!er it% 4Bernba!m) &6'C) p% 87C5% It then comes) says the
prophecy) to a br!tal confrontation% A8B

Alon$side the descriptions from the Kalachakra Tantra there are
n!mero!s other literary depictions of this B!ddhist apocalyptic battle to be
fo!nd% They all fail to 3eep secret their pleas!re at war and the tri!mph
o/er the corpses of the enemy% Here is a passa$e from the !ssian painter
and Sham$hala belie/er) 1icholas oerich) who became well 3nown in the
thirties as the fo!nder of a worldwide peace or$ani;ation 4UBanner of
Peace5% Hard is the fate of the enemies of =hambhala% A F!st wrath colors
the p!rple bl!e clo!ds% The warriors of the (igden-!yepo Athe Tibetan name
for the (udra "hakrinB) in splendid armor with swords and spears are
p!rs!in$ their terri-ed enemies% Hany of them are already prostrated and
their -rearms) bi$ hats and all their possessions are scattered o/er the
battle-eld% =ome of them are dyin$) destroyed by the F!st hand% Their
leader is already smitten and lies spread !nder the steed of the $reat
warrior) the blessed(igden% Behind the !ler) on chariots) follow fearf!l
cannons) which no walls can withstand% =ome of the enemy) 3neelin$) be$
for mercy) or attempt to escape their fate on the bac3s of elephants% B!t
the sword of F!stice o/erta3e defamers% The Dar3 m!st be annihilated%
4oerich) &6'K) p% 8(85The Dar3) that is those of di?erent faiths) the
opponents of B!ddhism and hence of =hambhala% They are all c!t down
witho!t mercy d!rin$ the -nal battle% In this enth!sed sweep of
destr!ction the B!ddhist warriors completely for$et the Bodhisatt/a /ow
which preaches compassion with all bein$s%

The s3irmishes of the battle of the last days 4in the year 8(8D5 are)
accordin$ to commentaries !pon the Kalachakra Tantra* s!pposed to reach
thro!$h Iran into eastern T!r3ey 4Bernba!m) &6'8) p% 8K&5% The re$ions of
the Kalachakra Tantras ori$in are also often referred to as the site of the
comin$ eschatolo$ical battle-eld 4the co!ntries of #a;a3hstan) U;be3istan)
%NQ
#yr$y;stan) TaFi3istan) T!r3menistan and Af$hanistan5% This has a certain
historical F!sti-cation) since the so!thern Islamic @an3 of the former
=o/iet Union co!nts as one of the most e0plosi/e crisis re$ions of the
present day 4see in this re$ard the Spiegel) 8CN&66') pp% &EC-&E&5%

The con,!est of #ailash) the holy mo!ntain) is nominated as a f!rther
strate$ic $oal in the =hambhala battle% After the (udra "hakrin has 3illed
Ahis enemiesB in battle wa$ed across the whole world) at the end of the
a$e the world r!ler will with his own fo!rfold army come into the city
which was b!ilt by the $ods on the mo!ntain of #ailash 4BanerFee) &6K6)
p% 8&K5% In $eneral) where/er the AB!ddhistB reli$ion has been destroyed
and the Kali a$e is on the rise) there he will $o 4BanerFee) &6K6) p% K85% A(B

B+&&h' 6er!+! A(('h
The armies of (udra "hakrin will destroy the not-Dharma and the
doctrines of the !nreli$io!s barbarian hordes% Hereby) accordin$ to the
ori$inal te0t of the Kalachakra Tantra* it is abo/e all the Koran which is
intended% Hohammed himself is referred to by name se/eral times in the
Time Tantra) as is his one $od) Allah% :e learn of the barbarians that they
are called Mleccha* which means the inhabitants of Hecca 4Petri) &6EE)
p% &CD5% These days (udra "hakrin is already celebrated as the 3iller of
the Mlecchas 4BanerFee) &6K6) p% K85% This -0ation of the hi$hest tantra
on Islam is only all too readily !nderstandable) then the followers of
Hohammed had in the co!rse of history not F!st wro!$ht terrible ha/oc
amon$ the B!ddhist monasteries and comm!nities of India " the Islamic
doctrine m!st also ha/e appeared more attracti/e and feelin$ to many of
the ordinary pop!lace than the comple0ities of a B!ddhism represented by
an elitist comm!nity of mon3s% There were many traitors in central Asia
who $ladly and readily reached for the Koran% =!ch con/ersions amon$ the
pop!lace m!st ha/e eaten more deeply into the hearts of the B!ddhist
mon3s than the direct conse,!ences of war% Then the Kalachakra Tantra)
%P&
composed in the time where the hordes of H!slims ra$ed in the P!nFab
and alon$ the =il3 oad) is mar3ed by an irreconcilable hate for the
s!bh!mans from Hecca%

This d!alist di/ision of the world between B!ddhism on the one side
and Islam on the other is a do$ma which the Tibetan lamas see3 to
transfer to the f!t!re of the whole of h!man history% Accordin$ to certain
conFect!res) writes a western commentator !pon the Sham$hala
myth*two s!perpowers will then ha/e control o/er the world and ta3e to
the -eld a$ainst one another% The Tibetans foresee a Third :orld :ar
here 4Henss) &6'K) p% &65%

In the historical part of o!r analysis we shall come to spea3 of this
dan$ero!s antinomy once more% In contrast to Hohammed) the other
false doctrines li3ewise mentioned in the -rst chapter of theKalachakra
Tantra as needin$ to be combated by the Sham$hala 3in$ appear pale and
insi$ni-cant% It ne/ertheless ma3es sense to introd!ce them) so as to
demonstrate which fo!nders of reli$ions the tantric blan3et conception of
enemy stretched to encompass% The Kalachakranominates .noch)
Abraham and Hoses amon$ the Pews) then Pes!s for the *hristians) and a
white clothed one) who is $enerally accepted to be Hani) the fo!nder the
Hanichaeism% It is most s!rprisin$ that in a f!rther passa$e the false
doctrines of these reli$io!s fo!nders are played down and e/en
inte$rated into the tantraIs own system% After they ha/e had to let a
stron$ attac3 descend !pon them as heresies in the -rst chapter) in the
second they form the /ario!s facets of a crystal) and the yo$i is instr!cted
not to dispara$e them 4>r+nbold) &668a) p% 86K5%

=!ch inconsistencies are " as we ha/e already often e0perienced "
added to tantric philosophy by itself% The second chapter of the Kalachakra
%P.
Tantra th!s does not switch o/er to a western seemin$ demand for
freedom of reli$ion and opinion) on the contrary apparent tolerance and
thin3in$ in terms of the enemy are both retained alon$side one another
and are) dependin$ on the sit!ation) rolled o!t to ser/e its own power
interest% The <o!rteenth Dalai Jama is " as we shall show in detail " an
in$enio!s interpreter of this do!ble play% 2!twardly he espo!ses reli$io!s
freedom and ec!menical peace% B!t in contrast) in the rit!al system he
concentrates !pon the a$$ressi/e Time Tantra) in which the scenario is
dominated by destr!cti/e fantasies) dreams of omnipotence) wishes for
con,!est) o!tbrea3s of wrath) pyromaniacal obsessions) mercilessness)
hate) 3illin$ fren;ies) and apocalypses% That s!ch despotic ima$es also
determine the internal a?airs of the e0iled Tibetans for the Tibetan $od-
3in$) is somethin$ !pon which we shall report in the second part of o!r
st!dy%

After winnin$ the -nal battle) the Kalachakra Tantra prophecies)
the (udra "hakrin fo!nds the $olden a$e% A p!rely B!ddhist paradise is
established on earth% Poy and wealth will abo!nd% There is no more war%
./erybody possesses $reat ma$ical powers) =cience and technolo$y
@o!rish% People li/e to be &'CC years old and ha/e no need to fear death)
since they will be reborn into an e/en more bea!tif!l .den% This blissf!l
state pre/ails for aro!nd 8C)CCC years% The Kalachakra Tantra has by then
spread to e/ery corner of the $lobe and become the one tr!e world
reli$ion% 4B!t afterwards) the old cycle with its wars of destr!ction) defeats
and /ictories be$ins anew%5

The non)B+&&h#!" or#.#n! of "he Sh'm%h'(' m"h
Apocalyptic /isions) -nal battles between >ood and ./il) sa/iors with
lethal weapons in their hands are absol!tely no topic
for %inayana B!ddhism% They -rst emer$e in the Mahayana period 48CC
B%*%.%5) are then incorporated by &a!rayana 47CC *%.%5 and $ain their -nal
%P%
and central form in theKalachakra Tantra 4tenth cent!ry *%.%5% Hence) as in
the case of the ADI BUDDHA) the ,!estion arises as to where the non-
B!ddhist in@!ences !pon the Sham$hala myth are to be so!$ht%

Ret before we come to that) we o!$ht to consider the
widespread Maitreya prophecy) which collides with the Sham$hala /ision
and the Kalachakra Tantra% Already in the >andhara era 48CC
B%*%.%5) Maitreya is 3nown as the f!t!re B!ddha who shall be incarnated
on earth% He is still dwellin$ in the so-called Tushita hea/en and awaits his
mission% Ima$es of him stri3e the obser/er at once beca!se !nli3e other
depictions of B!ddha he is not restin$ in the lot!s post!re) b!t rather sits
in a .!ropean style) as if on a chair% In his case too) the world -rst $oes
into decline before he appears to come to the aid of the s!?erin$
h!manity% His epiphany is) howe/er) accordin$ to most reports m!ch more
healin$ and peaceable than those of the wrathf!l wheel t!rner% B!t there
are also other more a$$ressi/e prophecies from the se/enth cent!ry
where he -rst comes to earth as a messiah followin$ an apocalyptic -nal
battle 4=ponber$) &6'') p% (&5% <or the !ssian painter
andSham$hala see3er) 1icholas oerich) there is in the end no di?erence
between Maitreya and(udra "hakrin any more) they are simply two names
for the same redeemer%

:itho!t do!bt the Kalachakra Tantra is primarily dominated by
conceptions which can also be fo!nd in Hind!ism% This is especially tr!e of
the yo$a techni,!es) b!t li3ewise applies to the cosmolo$y and the
cyclical destr!ction and renewal of the !ni/erse% In Hind! prophecies too)
the $od &ishnu appears as sa/ior at the end of the Kali y!$a) also)
incidentally) !pon a white horse li3e the B!ddhist (udra "hakrin) in order
to e0terminate the enemies of the reli$ion% He e/en bears the dynastic
name of the Sham$hala 3in$s and is 3nown as Kalki%

%P'
Amon$ the academic researchers there is nonetheless the widespread
opinion that the sa/ior motif) be it &ishnu or Buddha Maitreya or e/en
the (udra "hakrin* is of Iranian ori$in% The star3 distinction between the
forces of the li$ht and the dar3) the apocalyptic scenario) the battle
ima$es) the idea of a militant world r!ler) e/en the mandala model of the
-/e meditation B!ddhas were !n3nown amon$ the ori$inal B!ddhist
comm!nities% B!ddhism) alone amon$ all the sal/ational reli$ions) saw no
sa/ior behind >a!tamaIs e0perience of enli$htenment% B!t for Iran these
motifs of sal/ation were 4and still are today5 central%

In a con/incin$ st!dy) the orientalist) Heinrich /on =tietencron) has
shown how " since the -rst cent!ry *%.% at the latest " Iranian s!n
priests in-ltrated into India and mer$ed their concepts with the local
reli$ions) especially B!ddhism% 4=tietencron) &6EK% p% &DC5% They were
3nown as Magaand Bho!aka% The Magas) from whom o!r word ma$ician
is deri/ed) bro!$ht with them amon$ other thin$s the c!lt of Hithras and
combined it with elements of Hind! s!n worship% :aestern researchers
pres!me that the name of Maitreya* the f!t!re B!ddha) deri/es
from Mithras%

The Bho!akas) who followed cent!ries later 4ECCMDCC *%.%5) belie/ed
that they emanated from the body of their s!n $od% They also proclaimed
themsel/es to be the descendants of \arath!stra% In India they created a
mi0ed solar reli$ion from the doctrines of the Avesta 4the teachin$s of
\arath!stra5 and Mahayana B!ddhism% <rom the B!ddhists they adopted
fastin$ and the prohibitions on c!lti/atin$ -elds and trade% In ret!rn) they
in@!enced B!ddhism primarily with their /isions of li$ht% Their photisms
are said to ha/e especially helped shape the shinin$ -$!re of the
B!ddha Amita$ha% =ince they placed the time $od) 7urvan* at the center
of their c!lt) it co!ld also be they who anticipated the essential doctrines
of the Kalachakra Tantra%
%P@

Ji3e the Kalachakra deity we ha/e described) the
Iranian 7urvan carries the entire !ni/erse in his mystic body: the s!n)
moon) and stars% The /ario!s di/isions of time s!ch as ho!rs) days) and
months dwell in him as personi-ed bein$s% He is the r!ler of eternal and of
historical time% :hite li$ht and the colors of the rainbow b!rst o!t of him%
His worshippers pray to him as father-mother% =ometimes he is
portrayed as ha/in$ fo!r heads li3e the B!ddhist time $od% He $o/erns as
the father of -re or as the /ictory -re% Thro!$h him) -re and time are
e,!ated% He is also cyclical time) in which the world is swallowed by
@ames so as to arise anew%

Hanichaeism 4from the third cent!ry on5 also too3 on n!mero!s
elements from the 7urvan reli$ion and mi0ed them with *hristianN>nostic
ideas and added B!ddhist concepts% The fo!nder of the reli$ion) Hani)
!ndertoo3 a s!ccessf!l missionary Fo!rney to India% #ey orientalists
ass!me that his teachin$s also had a re/erse in@!ence !pon B!ddhism%
Amon$ other aspects) they mention the -/efold $ro!p of meditation
B!ddhas) the d!alisms of $ood and e/il) li$ht and dar3ness) the holy manIs
body as the world in microcosm) and the concept of sal/ation% Hore
speci-c are the white robes which the mon3s in the 3in$dom
of Sham$hala wear% :hite was the c!lt color of the Hanichaean priestly
caste and is not a normal color for clothin$ in B!ddhism% B!t the blatant
eroticism which the Kalachakra translator and researcher in Asia) Albert
>rOnwedel) saw in Hanichaeism was not there% In contrast9 HaniIs reli$ion
e0hibits e0tremely p!ritanical traits and reFects e/erythin$ se0!al: The
sin of se0) he is reported to ha/e said) is animal) an imitation of the de/il
matin$% Abo/e all it prod!ces e/ery propa$ation and contin!ation of the
ori$inal e/il 4,!oted by Hermanns) &6EK) p% &CK5%

%PH
:hile the famo!s Italian Tibetolo$ist) >!iseppe T!cci) belie/es Iranian
in@!ences can be detected in the doctrine of ADI BUDDHA) he sees the
Jamaist-Tibetan way in total rather as $nostic) since it attempts to
o/ercome the d!alism of $ood and e/il and does not peddle the o!t and
o!t morali;in$ of the Avesta or the Hanichaeans% This is certainly tr!e for
the yo$a way in the Kalachakra Tantra) yet it is not so for the eschatolo$y
of the Sham$hala myth% There) the prince of li$ht 4(udra "hakrin5 and
the depra/ed prince of dar3ness ta3e to the -eld a$ainst one another%

There was a direct Iranian in@!ence !pon the Bon c!lt) the state
reli$ion which preceded B!ddhism in Tibet% Bon) often erroneo!sly
conf!sed with the old shamanist c!lt!res of the hi$hlands) is a e0plicit
reli$ion of li$ht with an or$ani;ed priesthood) a sa/ior 4Shen ra$5 and a
realm of paradise 48lmolungring5 which resembles the 3in$dom
of Sham$hala in an astonishin$ manner%

It is a Tradition in .!rope to hypothesi;e ancient .$yptian in@!ences
!pon the tantric c!lt!re of Tibet% This can probably be traced to the occ!lt
writin$s of the Pes!it) Athanasi!s #irchner 4&EC8-&E'C5) who belie/ed he
had disco/ered the cradle of all ad/anced ci/ili;ations incl!din$ that of the
Tibetans in the Jand of the 1ile% The Briton) *aptain =% T!rner) who /isited
the hi$hlands in the year &D'() was li3ewise con/inced of a contin!ity
between ancient .$ypt and Tibet% ./en this cent!ry) =ie$bert H!mmel saw
the Jand of =nows as almost a reser/e for Hediterranean traditions
and li3ewise nominated .$ypt as the ori$in of the tradition of the Tibetan
mysteries 4H!mmel) &6K7) p% &869 &6E8) p% (&5% B!t it was especially the
occ!ltist Helena Bla/ats3y who saw the ori$ins of both c!lt!res as @owin$
from the same so!rce% The two s!pernat!ral secret societies) who
whispered the ideas to her were the Brotherhood of J!0or and the
Tibetan Brotherhood%

%PL
The determinin$ >ree3 in@!ence !pon the sacred art of B!ddhism
4>andhara style5 became a $lobal e/ent which left its traces as far a-eld
as Papan% Ji3ewise) the e?ect of Hellenistic ideas !pon the de/elopment of
B!ddhist doctrines is well /o!ched for% There is widespread !nanimity that
witho!t this enco!nter Mahayana wo!ld ha/e ne/er e/en been possible%
Accordin$ to the st!dies of the ethnolo$ist Hario B!ssa$li) hermetic and
alchemic teachin$s are also s!pposed to ha/e come into contact with the
world /iew of B!ddha /ia Hellenistic Ba3tria 4modern Af$hanistan5 and the
#!sha empire which followed it) the r!lers of which were of =cythian ori$in
b!t had adopted >ree3 lan$!a$e and c!lt!re 4B!ssa$li) &6'K5%

E6'(+'"#on of "he Sh'm%h'(' m"h
The ancient ori$ins and contents of the Sham$hala state ma3e it)
when seen from the point of /iew of a western political scientist) an
antidemocratic) totalitarian) doctrinaire and patriarchal model% It concerns
a repressi/e ideal constr!ction which is to be imposed !pon all of
h!manity in the wa3e of an !ltimate war% Here the so/erei$n
4the Sham$hala 3in$5 and in no sense the people decide the le$al norms%
He $o/erns as the absol!te monarch of a planetary B!ddhocracy% #in$ and
state e/en form a mystic !nity) in a literal) not a -$!rati/e sense) then the
inner bodily ener$y processes of the r!ler are identical with e0ternal state
happenin$s% The /ario!s administrati/e le/els of =hambhala 4/iceroys)
$o/ernors) and oZcials5 are th!s considered to be the e0tended limbs of
the so/erei$n%

<!rther to this) the Sham$hala state 4in contrast to the ori$inal
teachin$s of the B!ddha5 is based !pon the clear di?erentiation of friend
and enemy% Its political tho!$ht is profo!ndly d!alist) !p to and incl!din$
the moral sphere% Islam is re$arded as the arch-enemy of the co!ntry% In
resol/in$ a$$ra/ated con@icts) Sham$hala society has reco!rse to a hi$h-
tech and e0tremely /iolent military machinery and employs the
%PN
sociopolitical !topia of paradise on earth as its central item of
propa$anda%

It follows from all these feat!res that the c!rrent) <o!rteenth Dalai
JamaIs constant professions of faith in the f!ndamentals of western
democracy remain empty phrases for as lon$ as he contin!es to place
the Kalachakra Tantra and the Sham$hala myth at the center of his rit!al
e0istence% The obFection commonly prod!ced by lamas and western
B!ddhists) that Sham$hala concerns a metaphysical and not a worldly
instit!tion) does not hold water% :e 3now) namely) from history that both
traditional Tibetan and Hon$olian society c!lti/ated the Sham$hala
myth witho!t at any sta$e drawin$ a distinction between a worldly and a
metaphysical aspect in this matter% In both co!ntries) e/erythin$ which the
B!ddhocratic head of state decided was holy per se%

The ar$!ment that the Sham$hala /ision was distant pie in the s3y
is also not con/incin$% The a$$ressi/e warrior myth and the idea of a world
controllin$ ADI BUDDHA has in@!enced the history of Tibet and Hon$olia
for cent!ries as a ri$id political pro$ram which is oriented to the decisions
of the clerical power elite% In the second part of o!r st!dy we present this
pro$ram and its historical e0ec!tion to the reader% :e shall ret!rn to the
topic that in the /iew of some lamas the Tibetan state represents an
earthly copy of the Sham$hala realm and the Dalai Jama an emanation of
the Sham$hala 3in$%

Inner 'n& o+"er Sh'm%h'('
In answer to the ,!estion as to why the world r!ler on the Jion
Throne 4the Sham$hala 3in$5 does not peacef!lly and positi/ely inter/ene
in the fate of h!manity) the <rench Kalachakrabelie/er) Pean i/i[re)
replied: He does not inspire world politics and does not inter/ene directly
%PP
or h!manly in the con@icts of the reborn bein$s% His role is spirit!al)
completely inner) indi/id!al one co!ld say 4i/i[re) &6'K) p% (E5%

=!ch an internali;ation or psycholo$i;ation of the myth is applied
by some a!thors to the entire B!ddhocratic realm) incl!din$ the history of
=hambhala and the -nal battle prophesied there% The co!ntry) with all its
/iceroys) ministers) $enerals) oZcials) warriors) ladies of the
co!rt) va!ra $irls) palace $ro!nds) administrati/e bodies and do$mata) now
appears as a str!ct!ral model which describes the mystic body of a
yo$i: If yo! can !se yo!r body properly) than the body becomes
=hambhala) the ninety-si0 principalities conc!r in all their actions) and yo!
con,!er the 3in$dom itself% 4Bernba!m) &6'C) p% &KK5

The ard!o!s Fo!rney to =hambhala and the -nal battle are also
s!bFecti-ed and identi-ed as) respecti/ely) an initiatory path or an inner
battle of the so!l alon$ the way to enli$htenment% In this psycho-mystic
drama) the r!ler of the last days) (udra "hakrin* plays the hi$her self or
the di/ine conscio!sness of the yo$i) which declares war on the h!man
e$o in the -$!re of the barbarian 3in$ and e0terminates it% The
prophesied paradise refers to the enli$htenment of the initiand%

:e ha/e already a n!mber of times $one into the abo/e all amon$
western B!ddhists widespread habit of e0cl!si/ely internali;in$ or
psycholo$i;in$ tantric ima$es and myths% <rom an occidental way of
loo3in$ at thin$s) an internali;ation implies that an e0ternal ima$e 4a war
for e0ample5 is to be !nderstood as a symbol for an inner psychicNspirit!al
process 4for e0ample) a psycholo$ical war5% Howe/er) accordin$ to
.astern) ma$ic-oriented thin3in$) the identity of interior and e0terior
means somethin$ di?erent) namely that the inner processes in the yo$iIs
mystic body correspond to e0ternal e/ents) or to tone this down a little )
%PQ
that inside and o!tside consist of the same s!bstance 4of p!re spirit for
e0ample5% The e0ternal is th!s not a metaphor for the internal as in the
western symbolic conception) b!t rather both) inner and e0terior)
correspond to one another% Admittedly this implies that the e0ternal can be
in@!enced by inner manip!lations) b!t not that it thereby disappears%
Applyin$ this concept to the e0ample mentioned abo/e res!lts in the
followin$ simple statement: theSham$hala war ta3es place
internally and e0ternally% P!st as the mystic body 4interior5 of the ADI
BUDDHA is identical with the whole cosmos 4e0terior5) so the mystic body
4interior5 of theSham$hala 3in$ is identical to his state 4e0terior5%

The Sham$hala myth and the ideolo$ies deri/ed from it stand in star3
opposition to >a!tama B!ddhaIs ori$inal /ision of peace and to
the Ahimsa politics 4politics of non/iolence5 of Hahatma >handi) to whom
the c!rrent Dalai Jama so often refers% <or :esterners sensiti;ed by the
paci-st messa$e of B!ddhism) the internali;ation of the myth may th!s
o?er an way aro!nd the militant ambient of the Kalachakra Tantra% B!t in
TibetanNHon$olian history the prophecy of Sham$halahas been ta3en
literally for cent!ries) and " as we still ha/e to demonstrate " has led to
e0tremely a$$ressi/e political !nderta3in$s% It carries within it " and this
is somethin$ to we shall ret!rn to disc!ss in detail " the seeds of a
worldwide f!ndamentalist ideolo$y of war%

/oo"no"e!:
S.T <n the thirties, Dean Mar8uas 5i)iare worked on the 6ournal -oile dM?sis, in which the
occult elite of 3uro#e #ublished* The editor was 5enZ 9uZnon* uring this #eriod 5i)iare
#erformed a tantric ritual $/with blood and alcohol:(, which left him #ossessed by a Tibetan
deity* Knly through the inter)ention of a -atholic exorcist could he be freed of the
#ossession* <n gratitude he recon)erted to -hristianity* But se)eral years later he was once
again to be found in the Buddhist cam# $5obin, .QPL, #* '%H(*
%Q&
S%T <n another )ersion of the #ro#hecy the barbarians at first succeed in #enetrating into
the wonderland and storming the #alace of the king* Rudra Chakrin then extends the offer of
ruling Shambhala together with his o##onents* The barbarian king a##arently consents, but
then tries to seiMe control alone with an attem#ted assassination* But the attem#t fails, and
the Shambhala king esca#es* Knly now does the bloody final battle of 9ood )ersus 3)il
occur*
A(B The scenario of the Sham$hala wars cannot be easily bro!$ht into
accord with the total downfall of the world insti$ated by the tantra master
which we ha/e described abo/e% (udra "hakrin is a commander who
cond!cts his battles here on earth and e0tends these to at best the other
&& continents of the B!ddhist model of the world% His opponents are abo/e
all the followers of Allah% As $lobal as his mission may be) it is still reali;ed
within the framewor3 of the e0istin$ cosmos% In other te0t!al passa$es
the comin$ Sham$hala 3in$ is also compared with the ADI BUDDHA) who
at the close of the Kali y!$a lays waste to the entire !ni/erse and lets
loose a war of the stars% It is) howe/er) not the aim of this st!dy to
e0plicate s!ch contradictions%
""D THE MANIPELATOR OF EROTIC LO@E

<n this cha#ter we want to introduce the reader to a s#ectacular 3uro#ean #arallel to the
fundamental tantric idea that erotic lo)e and sexuality can be translated into material and
s#iritual #ower* <t concerns se)eral until now rarely considered theses of 9iordano Bruno
$.H@P7.L&&(*

;t the age of fifteen, Bruno, born in 4ola, <taly, 6oined the ominican order* 1owe)er,
his interest in the newest scientific disco)eries and his fascination with the late 1ellenistic
esotericism )ery soon led him to lea)e his order, a for the times most courageous undertaking*
From this #oint on he began a hectic life on the road which took him all o)er 3uro#e*
4onetheless, the restless and ingenious ex7monk wrote and #ublished numerous
"re)olutionary: works in which he took a critical stance toward the dogmata of the church on
all manner of to#ics* The fact that Bruno cham#ioned many ideas from the modern )iew of
the world that was emerging at the time, es#ecially the -o#ernican system, made him a hero
of the new during his own lifetime* ;fter he was found guilty of heresy by the <n8uisition in
%Q.
.L&& and burned at the stake at the -am#o dei Fiori in 5ome, the 3uro#ean intelligentsia
#roclaimed him to be the greatest "martyr of modern science:* This image has stayed with
him u# until the #resent day* Bet this is not entirely 6ustified, then Bruno was far more
interested in the esoteric ideas of anti8uity and the occultism of his day than in modern
scientific research* 4early all of his works concern magicUmysticUmythological themes*

!ike the <ndian Tantrics, this eccentric and dynamic 5enaissance #hiloso#her was
con)inced that the entire uni)erse was held together by erotic lo)e* !o)e in all its )ariations
ruled the world, from #hysical nature to the meta#hysical hea)ens, from sexuality to heartfelt
lo)e of the mystics0 it "led either to the animals SsexualityT or to the intelligible and is then
called the di)ine SmysticismT/ $8uoted by Samsonow, .QQH, #* .N@(*

Bruno extended the term Eros $erotic lo)e( to encom#ass in the final instance all human
emotions and described it in general terms as the #rimal force which bonded, or rather>as he
#ut it>/chained:, through affect* "The most #owerful shackle of all is *** lo)e: $8uoted by
Samsonow, .QQH, #* %%@(* The lo)er is "chained: to the indi)idual lo)ed* But there is no need
for the re)erse to a##ly, then the belo)ed does not themsel)es ha)e to lo)e* This definition of
lo)e as a "chain: made it #ossible for Bruno to see e)en hate as a way of ex#ressing erotic
lo)e, since he or she who hates is 6ust as "chained: to the hated by his feelings as the lo)er is
to the belo)ed* $To more gra#hically illustrate the #arallels between Bruno,s #hiloso#hy and
Tantrism, we will in the following s#eak of the lo)er as feminine rather than masculine* Bruno
used the term com#letely generically for both women and men*

;ccording to Bruno, "the ability to enchain: is also the main chacteristic of magic, then
a magician beha)es like an esca#ologist when he binds his ")ictim: $whether human or s#irit(
to him with lo)e* "There where we ha)e s#oken of natural magic, we ha)e described to what
extent all chains can be related to the chain of lo)e, are de#endent u#on the chain of lo)e or
arise in the chain of lo)e: $8uoted by Samsonow, .QQH, #* %.'(* More than anything else, lo)e
binds #eo#le, and this gi)es it something of the demonic, es#ecially when it is ex#loited by
one #artner to the disad)antage of the other* ";s regards all those who are dedicated to
#hiloso#hy or magic, it is fully a##arent that the highest bond, the most im#ortant and the
most general belongs to erotic lo)e0 and that is why the Platonists called lo)e the 9reat
emon, daemon magnusI $8uoted by -ouliano, .QPN, #* Q.(*
%Q%

4ow how does this erotic magic workA ;ccording to Bruno an eroticUmagic
in)ol)ement arises between the lo)ers, a fabric of affect, feelings, and moods* 1e refers to
this as rete $net or fabric(* <t is wo)en from subtle "threads of affect:, but is thus all the more
binding* $!et us recall that the Sanskrit word "tantra: translates as "fabric: or "net:*(
The rete $the erotic net( can be ex#ressed in a sexual relationshi# $through sexual
de#endency(, but in the ma6ority of cases it is of a #sychological nature which nonetheless
further strengthens its #ower to bind* 3)ery form of lo)e chains in its own way0 "This lo)e:,
Bruno says, "is uni8ue, and is a fetter which makes e)erything one: $8uoted by Samsonow,
.QQH, #* .P&(*

<f they wish, a #erson can control the one whom they bind to themsel)es with lo)e,
since "through this chain StheT lo)er is enra#tured, so that they want to be transferred to the
belo)ed: as Bruno writes $8uoted by Samsonow, .QQH, #* .P.(* ;ccordingly, the real
magician is the belo)ed, who ex#loits the erotic energy of the lo)er in the accumulation of his
own #ower* 1e transforms lo)e into #ower, he is a mani#ulator of erotic lo)e* S.T ;s we shall
soon see, e)en if Bruno,s mani#ulator is not literally a Tantric, the second #art of the
definition with which we #refaced our study still seems to fit0

Th( $%!t(r% o- Tantric #uddhi!$ con!i!t! in DDD
th( $ani8uation o- (rotic o'(
!o a! to attain uni'(r!a androc(ntric 8ow(rD

The mani#ulator, also referred to as a "soul hunter: by Bruno, can reach the heart of the
lo)er through her sense of sight, through her hearing, through her s#irit, and through her
imagination, and thus chain her to him* 1e can look at her, smile at her, hold her hand, shower
her with flattering com#liments, slee# with her, or influence her through his #ower of
imagination* "<n enchaining:, Bruno says, "there are four mo)ements* The first is the
#enetration or insertion, the second the attachment or the chain, the third the attraction, the
fourth the connection, which is also known as en6oyment* *** 1ence StheT lo)er wants to
com#letely #enetrate the belo)ed with his tongue, his mouth, with his eyes, etc*: $Samsonow,
.QQH, ##* .N., %&&(* That is, not only does the lo)er let herself be enchained, she must also
ex#erience the greatest desire for this bond* This lust has to increase to the #oint that she
%Q'
wants to offer herself with her entire being to the belo)ed mani#ulator and would like to
"disa##ear in him:* This gi)es the latter absolute #ower o)er the enchained one*
The mani#ulator e)okes all manner of illusions in the awareness of his lo)e )ictim and
arouses her emotions and desires* 1e o#ens the heart of the lo)er and can take #ossession of
the one thus "wounded:* 1e is lord o)er foreign emotions and "has means at his dis#osal to
forge all the chains he wants0 ho#e, com#assion, fear, lo)e, hate, indignation, anger, 6oy,
#atience, disdain for life and death: writes Doan P* -ouliano in her book, Eros and magic in
the Renaissance $-ouliano, .QPN, #* Q@(* Bet the magically enacted enchainment may ne)er
occur against the manifest will of the enchanted one* <n contrast, the mani#ulator must always
awake the suggestion in his )ictim that e)erything is ha##ening in her interests alone* 1e
creates the total illusion that the lo)er is a chosen one, an inde#endent indi)idual following
her own will*

Bruno also mentions an indirect method of gaining influence, in which the lo)er does
not know at all that she is being mani#ulated* <n this case, the mani#ulator makes use of
"#owerful in)isible beings, demons and heroes:, whom he con6ures u# with magic
incantations $mantras( so as to achie)e the desired result with their hel# $-ouliano, .QPN, #*
PP(* +e learn from the following 8uotation how these in)oked s#irits work for the
mani#ulator0 They need "neither ears nor a )oice nor a whis#er, rather they #enetrate the inner
senses Sof the lo)erT as described* Thus they do not 6ust #roduce dreams and cause )oices to
be heard and all kinds of things to be seen, but they also force certain thoughts u#on the
waking as the truth, which they can hardly recogniMe as deri)ing from another: $Samsonow,
.QQH, #* .@&(* The lo)er thus belie)es she is acting in her own interests and according to her
own will, whilst she is in fact being steered and controlled through magic blandishments*

The mani#ulator himself may not surrender to any emotional inclinations* !ike a tantric
yogi he must kee# his own feelings com#letely under control from start to finish* For this
reason well7de)elo#ed egocentricity is a necessary characteristic for a good mani#ulator* 1e is
#ermitted only one lo)e0 narcissism $philautia(, and according to Bruno only a tiny elite
#ossesses the ability needed, because the ma6ority of #eo#le surrender to uncontrolled
emotions* The mani#ulator has to com#letely bridle and control his fantasy0 "Be careful,:
Bruno warns him, "not to change yourself from mani#ulator into the tool of #hantasms:
$8uoted by -ouliano, .QPN, #* Q%(* The real 3uro#ean magician must, like his oriental
%Q@
colleague $the Siddha(, be able "to arrange, to correct and to #ro)ide #hantasy, to create the
different kinds at will: $-ouliano, .QPN, #* Q%(*

1e must not de)elo# any reci#rocal feelings for the lo)er, but he has to #retend to ha)e
these, since, as Bruno says, "the chains of lo)e, friendshi#, goodwill, fa)or, lust, charity,
com#assion, desire, #assion, a)arice, cra)ing, and longing disa##ear easily if they are not
based u#on mutuality* Fom this stems the saying0 lo)e dies without lo)e: $8uoted by
Samsonow, .QQH, #* .P.(* This statement is of thoroughly cynical intent, then the mani#ulator
is not interested in reci#rocating the erotic lo)e of the lo)er, but rather in simulating such a
reci#rocity*

But for the dece#tion to succeed the mani#ulator may not remain com#letely cold* 1e
has to know from his own ex#erience the feelings that he e)okes in the lo)er, but he may
ne)er surrender himself to these0 "1e is e)en su##osed to kindle in his #hantasmic
mechanism Shis imaginationT formidable #assions, #ro)ided these be sterile and that he be
detached from them* For there is no way to bewitch others than by ex#erimenting in himself
with what he wishes to #roduce in his )ictim: $-ouliano, .QPN, #* .&%(* The e)ocation of
#assions without falling #rey to them is, as we know, almost a tantric leitmotif*

Bet the most astonishing as#ect of Bruno,s mani#ulation thesis is that, as in -a0rayana ,
he mentions the retention of semen as a #owerful instrument of control which the magician
should command, since "through the ex#ulsion of the seed the chains Sof lo)eT are loosened,
through the retention tightened: $8uoted by Samsonow, .QQH, #* .NH(* <n a further #assage we
can read0 "<f this Sthe semen +irileT is ex#elled by an a##ro#riate #art, the force of the chain is
reduced corres#ondingly $8uoted by Samsonow, .QQH, #* .NH(* Kr the re)erse0 a #erson who
reatins their semen, can thereby strengthen the erotic bondage of the lo)er*

Bruno,s idea that there is a corres#ondence between erotic lo)e and #ower is thus in
accord with tantric dogma on the issue of s#erm gnosis as well* 1is theory of the
mani#ulability of lo)e offers us )aluable #sychological insights into the soul of the lo)er and
the belo)ed mani#ulator* They also hel# us to understand why women surrender themsel)es to
the Buddhist yogis and what is #layed out in their emotional worlds during the rites* ;s we
ha)e already indicated, this to#ic is com#letely su##ressed in the tantric discussion* But
%QH
Bruno addresses it o#enly and cynically > it is the heart of the lo)er which is mani#ulated*
The effect for the mani#ulator $or yogi( is thus all the greater the more his karma
mudra surrenders herself to him*

Bruno,s treatise, =e +inculis in genere SKn the binding forces in generalT $.HQ.(, can in
terms of its cynicism and directness only be com#ared with Machial)elli,s The (rince $.H.'(*
But his work goes further* -ouliano correctly #oints out that Macchia)elli examines #olitical,
Bruno howe)er, #sychological mani#ulation* Then it is less the lo)e of a consort and rather
the erotic lo)e of the masses which should > this she claims is Bruno,s intention > ser)e the
mani#ulator as a "chain:* The former monk from 4ola recogniMed mani#ulated "lo)e: as a
#owerful instrument of control for the& seduction of the masses* 1is theory thus contributes
much to an understanding of the ecstatic attracti)eness that dictators and #ontiffs exercise
o)er the #eo#le who lo)e them* This makes Bruno,s work u# to date des#ite its cynical
content*

Bruno,s obser)ations on "erotic lo)e as a chain: are essentially tantric*
!ike -a0rayana& they concern the mani#ulation of the erotic in order to #roduce s#iritual and
worldly #ower* Bruno recogniMed that lo)e in the broadest sense is the "elixir of life:, which
first makes #ossible the establishment and maintenance of institutions of #ower headed by a
#erson $such as the Po#e, the alai !ama, or a "belo)ed: dictator for exam#le(* ;s strong as
lo)e may be, it is, if it remains one7sided, mani#ulable in the #erson of the "lo)er:* <ndeed,
the stronger it becomes, the more easily it can be used or "misused: for the #ur#oses of #ower
$by the "belo)ed:(*

The fact that Tantrism focuses more u#on sexuality then on the more sublime forms of
erotic lo)e, does not change anything about this #rinci#le of "erotic ex#loitation:* The
mani#ulation of more subtle forms of lo)e like the look $Carya Tantra(, the smile $"riya
Tantra(, and the touch $%oga Tantra( are also known in -a0rayana* !ikewise, in Tantric
Buddhism as in e)ery religious institution, the "s#iritual lo)e: of its belie)ers is a life energy
without which it could not exist* <n the second #art of our study we shall ha)e to demonstrate
how the Tibetan leader of the Buddhists, the alai !ama, succeeds in binding e)er more
+estern belie)ers to him with the "chains of lo)e:*

%QL
<ncidentally, in her book which we ha)e 8uoted $Eros and <agic in the Renaissance(
-ouliano is of the o#inion that )ia the mass media the +est has already been wo)en into such
a mani#ulable "erotic net: $rete(* ;t the end of her analysis of Bruno,s treatise on #ower she
concludes0 ";nd since the relations between indi)iduals are controlled by Werotic, criteria in
the widest sense of that ad6ecti)e, human society at all le)els is itself only magic at work*
+ithout e)en being conscious of it, all beings who, by reason of the way the world is
constructed, find themsel)es in an intersub6ecti)e intermediate #lace, #artici#ate in a magic
#rocess* The mani#ulator is the only one who, ha)ing understood the ensemble of that
mechanism, is first an obser)er of intersub6ecti)e relations while simultaneously gaining
knowledge from which he means subse8uently to #rofit: $-ouliano, .QPN, #* .&'(*

But -ouliano fails to #ro)ide an answer to the 8uestion of who this mani#ulator could
be* <n the second #art of our analysis we shall need to examine whether the alai !ama with
his worldwide message of lo)e, his #ower o)er the net $rete( of +estern media, and his sexual
magic techni8ues from the "alachakra Tantra& fulfills the criteria to be a magician in
9iordano Bruno,s sense*

Footnot(!:
S.T The 5enaissance #hiloso#her attem#ts to describe this transformation #rocess in his
text =e +inculis in genere $.HQ.(
"*D EPILO;EE TO PART I

+e ha)e shown that Buddhism has from the )ery beginning considered the feminine
#rinci#le to be a force which acts in o##osition to its redem#ti)e conce#ts* ;ll ty#es of
women, from the mother to the lo)er, the wife, the hetaera, e)en the Buddhist nun, are seen to
be more or less obstructions along the #ath to enlightenment* This negati)e e)aluation of the
feminine does not and ne)er did ha)e > as is often currently claimed > a social origin, but
must rather be considered as a dogmatic and fundamental doctrine of this religion* <t is an
una)oidable conse8uence of the o#ening sentence of the #our !oble Truths& which states that
all life is, #er se, suffering* From this we can conclude that each and e)ery birth brings only
misery, sickness, and death, or con)ersely, that only the cessation of reincarnation leads to
liberation* The woman, as the #lace of conce#tion and childbearing, o#ens the gateway to
%QN
incarnation, and is thus considered to be the greatest ad)ersary to the s#iritual de)elo#ment of
the man and of humanity in total*

This im#lies that the deacti)ation, the sacrifice, and the destruction of the feminine
#rinci#le is a central concern of Buddhism* The "female sacrifice: is already #layed out in one
of the first legends from the life of Buddha, the early death of BuddhaGs mother <aya* 3)en
her name e)okes the <ndian goddess of the feminine world of illusionR the death
of <aya $illusion( simultaneously signifies the a##earance of the absolute truth $$uddha(,
since <aya re#resents only relati)e truth*

+e ha)e shown how ShakyamuniGs fundamentally misogynist attitude was set forth in
the ensuing #hases of Buddhism > in the meditati)e dismemberment of the female during a
s#iritual exercise inHinayanaE in the attem#t to change the sex of the woman so that she can
gain entry to the higher s#iritual s#heres as a male in <ahayana*

<n -a0rayana the negati)e attitude towards the feminine ti#s o)er into an a##arently
#ositi)e )aluation* +omen, sexuality, and the erotic recei)e a #re)iously unknown ele)ation
in the tantric texts, a deification in fact* +e ha)e nonetheless been able to demonstrate that
this re)ersal of the image of the woman is for the yogi merely a means to an end > to steal
the feminine energy $gynergy( concentrated within her as a goddess* +e ha)e termed the
sexual magic rituals through which this thie)ing transfer of energy is conducted the "tantric
female sacrifice:, intended in its broadest sense and irres#ecti)e of whether the theft really or
merely symbolically takes #lace, since the distinction between reality and the world of
symbols is in the final instance irrele)ant for a Tantric* ;ll that is real is symbolic, and e)ery
symbol is realV

The goal of the female sacrifice and the di)ersion of gynergy is the #roduction of a
su#erhuman androgynous being, which combines within itself both forces, the masculine and
the feminine* Buddhist Tantrics consider such a combination of sexual energies within a
single indi)idual to be an ex#ression of su#reme #ower* 1e as a man has become a bearer of
the maha mudra, the )essel of an "inner woman:* <n the light of the material we ha)e
researched and re#orted, we must )iew our o#ening hy#othesis, re#eated here, as confirmed0

%QP
Th( $%!t(r% o- Tantric #uddhi!$ con!i!t! in th( !acri-ic( o- th( -($inin( 8rinci8(
and th( $ani8uation o- (rotic o'( in ord(r to o5tain uni'(r!a androc(ntric
8ow(r

Since, from the )iew#oint of a tantric master, the highest $androcentric #ower( can only
be achie)ed )ia the ritual transformation of the lowest $the real woman(, he also a##lies this
miracle of transubstantiation to other domains* Thus he em#loys all manner of re#ulsi)e, base
substances in his rituals, and commits criminal deeds u# to and including murder, in order to
achie)e, )ia the "law of in)ersion:, the exact o##osite0 6oy, #ower, and beauty* +e ha)e,
howe)er, indicated with some force how this "familiarity with the demonic: can become a
matter of course* This brings with it the danger that the Tantric is no longer able to o)ercome
the negati)ity of his actions* The conse8uence is a fundamentally aggressi)e and morbid
attitude, which > as we will show > forms one of the characteristics of the entire Tibetan
culture*

;s the "alachakra Tantra includes within itself the core ideas and the methods of all
other tantras, and as it re#resents the central ritual of the alai !ama, we concentrated u#on
an analysis of this text and offered a detailed descri#tion of the )arious #ublic and secret
initiations* +e were able to demonstrate how the internal #rocesses within the energy body of
the yogi are aligned with external ritual #rocedures, and how the "female sacrifice: takes
#lace in both s#heres > externally through the "extermination: of the real woman $karma
mudra( and internally through the extermination of the candali $"fire woman:(*

The "alachakra Tantra, too, has as its goal the "alchemical: creation of a cosmic
androgyne, who is su##osed to exercise total control o)er time, the #lanets, and the uni)erse*
This androgynous uni)ersal ruler $dominus mundi( is the ;< B=1;* Knly after he can
align his sexual magic rites and his inner #hysiological #rocesses with the laws of the hea)ens
and earth can a #racticing yogi become ;< B=1;* 1e then sets sun, moon, and stars in
motion with his breath, and by the same means steers the e)olution of the human race* 1is
mystic body and the cosmic body of the ;< B=1; form a unit, and thus his bodily
#olitics $the motions of the internal energy flows( affects and effects world #olitics in e)ery
sense*

%QQ
Kn the astral #lane, the yogi unleashes a gigantic war among the stars before he
becomes ;< B=1;, which likewise aims to sacrifice the gender #olarity $re#resented by
the sun and moon(* <n the final act of this a#ocaly#tic #erformance, the tantric master burns
u# the cosmos in a murderous firestorm so as to allow a new world to emerge from the ashes
of the old, a world which is totally sub6ect to his imagination and will* S.T Knly than does the
;< B=1;Gs $or yogiGs( dominion encom#ass the entire uni)erse, in the form of a
mandala*

<n his #olitical role $as 2ing of the +orld( the ;< B=1; is a Chakra+artin, a
cosmic wheel turner who go)erns the cosmos, concei)ed of as a wheel* This )ision of #ower
is linked by theShambhala myth in the "alachakra Tantra to a #olitical uto#ia& one which is
aggressi)e and warlike, des#otic and totalitarian* This Buddhocratic world kingdom is
controlled by an omni#otent #riest7king $the Chakra+artin(, a lord of e)olution, a further
emanation of the ;< B=1;*

;dmittedly, there are many literary attem#ts to inter#ret the entire construction of
the "alachakra Tantra as the symbolic #laying out of #sychicUs#iritual #rocesses which ought
to be accessible to any #erson who sets out u#on the -a0rayana #ath* But there is a strong
sus#icion > and in our historical section we table conclusi)e e)idence for this > that the
ideas and the goals of the Time Tantra are meant literally, i*e*, that we are concerned with
a real dominus mundi $world ruler(, with the establishment of a real Buddhocracy,
the real BuddhiMation of our #lanet > e)en $as theShambhala myth #ro#hesies( through
military force*

But #erha#s the Shambhala )ision is e)en more concrete, then the conce#t of an ;<
B=1; and a Chakra+artin can only refer to one #resent7day indi)idual, who has for years
and uncontestedly fulfilled all the esoteric conditions of the "alachakra Tantra* This
indi)idual is 1is 1oliness TenMin 9yatso, the Fourteenth alai !ama*

The Time Tantra would then form the ideological and dogmatic basis of a strategy for
the s#iritual con8uest of our #lanet by the Tibetan god7king* Thus, if we wish to understand
his #olitical decisions in their full de#th, we must start with the magic meta#olitics of
the "alachakra Tantra, since both le)els $the ritualUmagical, and the realU#olitical( are > as
'&&
we will demonstrate through many exam#les > intimately interwo)en in the ancient world of
!amaism* The autocratic religious system of the god7king integrates all the social domains
and #olitical #owers which ha)e been se#arated in our +estern culture at least since the 4orth
;merican and French 5e)olutions* The alai !ama is > according to the doctrine >
3m#eror and Po#e, state and god in one #erson, he is the li)ing sacred center of a
"Buddhocracy:*

1e meets all the criteria we ha)e brought to light for a tantric world ruler
$Chakra+artin( or an ;< B=1;* But, since he does not really go)ern our #lanets, his
rituals and #olitical #ower#lay decisions, his negotiations and his statements must all be seen
as tactical and strategic ste#s towards the e)entual achie)ement of the final global goal $of
world domination(* S%T This ambitious enter#rise will in no way be interru#ted by the death of
the god7king, since he can > reincarnated > build u#on the acts of his #redecessor $which he
also was( and continue his work*

1is 1oliness would ne)er #ublicly admit that he as#ired to the global role of
a Chakra+artinthrough the "alachakra initiations* Bet numerous symbolic e)ents which ha)e
accom#anied his ceremonial life since childhood are harbingers of his unrestricted claim to
"world domination:* <n .Q@&, as a fi)e year7old, he was led with much ostentation into
the (otala, the "Palace of the 9ods:, and seated u#on the richly symbolic "!ion Throne:*
This enthronement already demonstrated his kingshi# of the world and ex#ressed his right to
worldly #ower, as the "!ion Throne:, in contrast to the Seat of the !otus, is a symbol of
the imperium $secular #ower( and not the sacerdotium $s#iritual #ower(* Kn .N 4o)ember
.QH&, the god7king was ceremoniously handed the "9olden +heel:, which identified him as
the "uni)ersal wheel turner: $Chakra+artin(*

But it is less these insignia of #ower which make him $who has lost his entire land( a
#otential #lanetary so)ereign in the eyes of his +estern belie)ers, S'T than the fact that a long
dormant image of desire has resurfaced in the imaginations of 3uro#eans and ;mericans*
"+hich #eo#le, which nation, which culture:, -laude B* !e)enson enthuses about the alai
!ama, for exam#le, "has not, within its collecti)e consciousness, dreamed of a #erfect
monarch, who, imbued with a sense of 6ustice and e8uanimity, is entrusted to watch o)er the
well7ordered course of a harmonic and in e)ery sense 6ust societyA The image of the 9reat
'&.
2ing also nestles somewhere in the de#ths of the human s#irit *** there is something of
Dudgment ay and the 5esurrection in these manifold inter#retations of sincere belief:
$!e)enson .QQ&, #*'&'(*

Such a global dominion, that is, total #ower o)er the earth, contradicts the a##arent total
#olitical im#otence of the alai !ama which is enhanced by his constantly re#eated
statements of self7denial $/< am 6ust a sim#le monk:(* But let us not forget the tantric #lay
u#on #aradox and the "law of in)ersion:* This secular #owerlessness is #recisely the
#recondition for the miracle which re)eals how the lowly, the em#ty, and the weak gi)e rise to
the exalted, the abundant, and the strong* The "sim#le monk from Tibet: can > if the
doctrines of his tantric texts are correct > count on the diMMying rotation which will one day
hurl him high from the de#ths of im#otence to become the most #owerful ruler of the
uni)erse* ;bsolute modesty and absolute #ower are for him as Tantric two sides of the same
coin*

The alai !ama ne)er a##ears in the #ublic light as a Tantric, but always as
a <ahayanaBodhisatt)a, who thinks only u#on the suffering of all li)ing beings, and regards
it with dee#est com#assion* Tantrism, u#on which Tibetan Buddhism in its entirety is
essentially based, thus belongs to the shadow side of the 2undun $/li)ing Buddha:(* 1is
sexual magic rites shun the light 6ust as much as the claims for global domination they intend*
This is es#ecially true of the "alachakra Tantra*

+e mentioned already in the introduction that a #erson can deny, su##ress, or outwardly
#ro6ect his shadow* <nsofar as he knowingly )eils the #rocedures which take #lace in the
highest initiation of the Time Tantra, the alai !ama denies his tantric shadowR in as far as he
is #robably unclear about the catastro#hic conse8uences of the Shambhala myth $as we will
demonstrate in the case of Shoko ;sahara(, he suppresses his tantric shadowR insofar as he
transfers e)erything negati)e, which according to the "law of in)ersion: re#resents the
starting substance $#rima materia( for s#iritual transformation anyway, to the -hinese,
he pro0ects his tantric shadow onto others*

The aggression and morbidity of the tantra, the sexual excesses, the "female sacrifice:,
the ")am#irism: of energy, the omni#otent #ower claims, the global destructi)e frenMy > all
'&%
of these are systematically disguised by the Fourteenth alai !ama, and can, e)en when the
ma6ority of the tantric texts are #ublicly a)ailable, be still further disguised > on the one hand
by the argument that it is all only a matter of symbolic e)ents that would ne)er be conducted
in reality, and, on the other hand, by the tantras, claim that any negati)e actions ha)e
transformed themsel)es into #ositi)e ones by the end of the ritual*

;s far as the first argument is concerned, we ha)e been able to #resent numerous cases
where the tantric texts ha)e been inter#reted thoroughly literally* Further, we ha)e shown that
this argument colla#ses u#on itself, since no distinction between symbol and reality may be
drawn by a -a0rayanaBuddhist, as o##osed to a contem#orary "westerner:*

The second argument, that the tantras transform the negati)e into the #ositi)e $i*e*,
would call u#on the de)il to dri)e the de)il out(, needs to be able to stand u# to em#irical
testing* The most telling body of e)idence for the tantric theory, in #articular for the
#hiloso#hy and )ision of the"alachakra Tantra, is history itself* K)er many hundreds of years
thousands of tantric rituals ha)e been #erformed in TibetR for centuries #eo#le ha)e tried to
influence the history of the country through tantric rituals* But what, u# to now, has this ritual
#olitics achie)ed for the Tibetans and for humanity, and what is it aiming to achie)eA +e will
consider the use of Buddhist Tantrism as a #olitical method for better understanding the
history of Tibet and influencing the countryGs destiny in the following, second #art of our
book* 1ere, our to#ic will be the influence of -a0rayana u#on the Buddhist state, the
economy, the military, u#on foreign affairs and world #olitics*

Footnot(!:
S.T Kne must ask here whether we can really talk about a will, since the whole cosmic
system of Buddhist Tantrism resembles a mega7machine which destroys itself and then sets
itself in motion once more along the same lines as before* This would make the ;<
B=1; much more of a mechanical world clock than a being who #ossesses free will*
S%T For this reason we must regard statements on #ractical #olitics by the alai !ama,
which contradict the ideas of the Time Tantra $like, for instance his #rofessions of belief in
western democracy(, as a mere tactic or trick $upaya( in order to mislead those around him as
to his true intentions $the establishment of a worldwide Buddhocracy(*
'&'
S'T For Tibetans and Mongolians who belie)e in !amaism, the conce#tion of the alai
!ama as theChakra+artin is a matter of course*
Part <<
POLITICS AS RITEAL


$he ,hambhali8ation plan *or 9apan is the *irst step to%ard
the ,hambhali8ation o* the %orld# =* yo" parti'ipate in it
yo" %ill a'hieve )reat virt"e and rise "p to a hi)her %orld
Shoko ;sahara
'&@

<n order to be able to understand and to e)aluate the #erson of the Fourteenth alai
!ama and the history of Tibet, we must first set aside all of our contemporary western
conce#tions in which the domains of religion and #olitics, of magic and go)ernment
decisions, and of worldly and s#iritual #ower are se#arate from one another* +e must also not
allow oursel)es to be influenced by the #ublic self7#resentation of the exiled Tibetan head of
state, by his declarations of belief in democracy, by his insistent affirmations of #eace, by his
ecumenical #rofessions, or by his statements on #ractical #olitics* Then a closer examination
re)eals the entire #erformance, oriented to western )alues, which he offers daily on the world
#olitical stage, to be a #olitical tactic, with the hel# of which he wants to #ut through his
ata)istic and androcentric world )iew globally > a world )iew whose dominant #rinci#les are
stee#ed in magic, ritual, occultism, and the des#otism of an ecclesiastical state*

<t is not the indi)idual #olitical transgressions of the alai !ama, which ha)e only been
begun to be denounced in the 3uro7;merican media since .QQL, which could make his #erson
and office a fundamental #roblem for the +est* 3)en if these "deficiencies: weigh more
hea)ily when measured against the moral claims of a "li)ing Buddha: than they would for an
ordinary #olitician, these are sim#ly su#erficial discordances* <n contrast, anybody who
descends more dee#ly into the Tibetan system must ine)itably enter the sexual magic world of
the tantras which we ha)e described* This o#ens u# a dimension com#letely foreign to a
westerner* For his "modern: awareness, there is no relation whatsoe)er between the tantric
system of rituals and the realpolitikof the head of the Tibetan go)ernment in exile* 1e would
hardly take seriously the deri)ation of #olitical decisions from the "alachakra Tantra and
the Shambhala <yth* But it is #recisely this connection between ritual and #olitics, between
sacred sexuality and #ower which is > as we shall demonstrate > the central concern of
!amaism*

3uro#ean7;merican ignorance in the face of ata)istic religious currents is not limited to
Tibetan Buddhism, but likewise a##lies to other cultures, like <slam for exam#le* <t is
currently usual in the +est to draw a stark distinction between religious fundamentalism on
the one hand, and the actual human #olitical concerns of all religions on the other* The result
has been that all the religious traditions of the world were able to infiltrate 3uro#e and 4orth
;merica as )aluable s#iritual alternati)es to the decadent materialism of the industrialiMed
'&H
world* <n recent years there has not been much demand for a sustained critical e)aluation of
religions*

Bet anybody who reads closely the holy texts of the )arious schools of belief $be it
the "oran, #assages from the Nld Testament, the -hristian $ook of Re+elations& or
the "alachakra Tantra(, is )ery soon confronted with an ex#losi)e #otential for aggression,
which must ine)itably lead to bloody wars between cultures, and has always done so in the
#ast* Fundamentalism is already #resent in the core of nearly all world religions and in no
sense does it re#resent an essential misunderstanding of the true doctrine* S.T

The alai !ama is without doubt the most skilled and successful of all religious leaders
in the infiltration of the +est* 1e dis#lays such an informed, tolerant, and a##arently natural
manner in #ublic, that e)erybody is enchanted by him from first sight* <t would not occur to
anybody u#on whom he turns his kindly Buddha smile that his religious system is intent u#on
forcibly sub6ecting the world to its law* But > as we wish to demonstrate in what follows >
this is !amaism,s #ersistently #ursued goal*

;lthough understandable, this western nai)etZ and ignorance cannot be excused > not
6ust because it has u# until now neglected to thoroughly and critically in)estigate the history
of Tibet and the religion of Tantric Buddhism, but because we ha)e also com#letely forgotten
that we had to free oursel)es at great cost from an ata)istic world* The des#otism of the
church, the in8uisition, the de#ri)ation of the right to decide, the elimination of the will, the
contem#t for the indi)idual, the censorshi#, the #ersecution of those of other faiths > were all
difficult obstacles to o)ercome in the de)elo#ment of modern western culture* The Kccident
ousted its old "gods: and myths during the 3nlightenmentR now it is re7im#orting them
through the uncritical ado#tion of exotic religious systems* Since the +est is firmly con)inced
that the se#aration of state and religion must be a##arent to e)ery reasonable #erson, it is
unwilling and unable to com#rehend the #olitico7religious #rocesses of the im#orted ata)istic
cultures* Fascism, for exam#le, was a classic case of the reacti)ation of ancient myths*

4early all of the religious dogmata of Tantric Buddhism ha)e also > with )ariations >
cro##ed u# in the 3uro#ean #ast and form a #art of our western inheritance* For this reason it
seems sensible, before we examine the history of Tibet and the #olitics of the alai !ama, to
'&L
com#are se)eral maxims of !amaist #olitical and historical thought with corres#onding
conce#tions from the occidental tradition* This will, we ho#e, hel# the reader better
understand the )isions of the "li)ing Buddha:*

M%th and hi!tor%
For the ;ncient 9reeks of 1omer,s time, history had no intrinsic )alueR it was
ex#erienced as the recollection of myth* The myths of the gods, and later those of the heroes,
formed so to s#eak those original e)ents which were re7enacted in thousands of )ariations by
#eo#le here on earth, and this "re7enactment: was known as history* 1istory was thus no more
and no less than the mortal imitation of di)ine myths* "+hen something should be decided
among the humans,: > +* F* Ktto has written of the ancient world )iew of the 1ellenes >
"the dis#ute must first take #lace between the gods: $8uoted by 1Ibner, .QPH, #* .'.(*

<f, howe)er, historical e)ents, such as the Tro6an +ar for exam#le, de)elo#ed an
inordinate significance, then the boundary between myth and history became blurred* The
historical incidents could now themsel)es become myths, or better the re)erse, the myth
seiMed hold of history so as to incor#orate it and make it similar* For the ancient #eo#les, this
"mythologiMing: of history signified something )ery concrete > namely the direct
inter)ention of the gods in historical e)ents* This was not concei)ed of as something dark and
mysterious, but rather )ery clear and contem#orary0 either the di)inities a##eared in )isible
human form $and fought in battles for instance( or they "#ossessed: human #rotagonists and
"ins#ired: them to great deeds and misdeeds*

<f human history is de#endent u#on the will of su#ernatural beings in the ancient )iew
of things, then it is a necessary conclusion that humans cannot influence history directly, but
rather only )ia a religious "detour:, that is, through entreating the gods* For this reason, the
#riests, who could establish direct contact with the transcendent #owers, had much weight in
#olitics* The ritual, the oracle, and the #rayer thus had #rimary status in ancient societies and
were often more highly )alued than the decisions of a regent* <n #articular, the sacrificial rite
#erformed by the #riests was regarded as the actual reason whether or not a #olitical decision
met with success* The more )aluable the sacrifice, the greater the likelihood that the gods
would #ro)e merciful* For this reason, and in order to be able to e)en begin the war against
Troy, ;gamemnon let his own daughter, <#higeneia, be ritually killed in ;ulis*
'&N

Very similar conce#ts > as we shall demonstrate > still today dominate the archaic
historical understanding of !amaist Buddhism* 5eligion and history are not se#arated from
one another in the Tibetan world )iew, nor #olitics and ritual, symbol and reality* Since
su#erhuman forces and #owers $Buddha beings and gods( are at work behind the human
s#here, for !amaism history is at heart the deeds of )arious deities and not the acti)ity of
#oliticians, army leaders and o#inion makers* The characters, the moti)es, the methods and
actions of indi)idual gods $and demons( must thus be made answerable in the final instance
for the de)elo#ment of national and global #olitics* -onse8uently, the Tibetan study of history
is > in their own conce#tion > always mythology as well, when we take the latter to mean
the "history of the gods:*

+hat is true of history a##lies in the same degree to #olitics* ;ccording to tantric
doctrine, a sacred ruler $such as the alai !ama for exam#le( does not 6ust command his
sub6ects through the s#oken and written word, but also conducts )arious internal $meditati)e(
and external rituals so as to thus steer or at least influence his #ractical #olitics* 5itual and
#olitics, oracular systems and #olitical decision7making #rocesses are united not 6ust in the
Tibet of old, but also > astonishingly indeed > still today among the Tibetans in exile*
-entrally, for the !amaist elite, "#olitics: means a se8uence of ritualUmagical acti)ities for the
fulfillment of a cosmic #lan which is finally executed by the gods $of whom the !amas are
incarnations(* <t is for this reason that ritual life has such an im#ortant, indeed central status in
a Buddhocratic state system* This is the real smithy in which the reality of this archaic society
was sha#ed* That a##arently "normal: #olitical #rocesses $such as the work of a "democratic:
#arliament or the acti)ities of human rights commissions for instance( exist alongside, need
not > as the exam#le of the exile Tibetans demonstrates 7stand in the way of the occult ritual
systemR rather, it could e)en be said to offer the necessary )eil to obscure the #rimary
#rocesses*

Th( 5att( o- th( !(B(! and hi!tor%
!et us return to 1omer and his times* The Tro6an +ar )i)idly demonstrates how closely
the history of the ancient 9reeks was linked to the battle of the sexes* ; number of gender
conflicts together formed the e)ents which triggered war0 The decision of Paris and the )anity
of the three chief goddesses $1era, ;thena, ;#hrodite(, the theft and the infidelity of 1elen
'&P
and the sacrifice of <#higeneia* The end of the long drawn out and terrible war is also marked
by bloody sexual to#ics0 The treacherous murder of ;gamemnon by his wife -lytemnestra,
her death at the hands of her son Krestes, the flight of ;eneas $from Troy( and his marriage to
ido $the Eueen of -arthage(, the suicide of the abandoned ido and the founding of the
5oman dynasties $through ;eneas(*

The writer and researcher of myths, 5obert 5anke 9ra)es $.PQH7.QPH(, in a study
which has in the meantime recei)ed academic recognition, assembled a )oluminous amount
of material which ade8uately su##orts his hy#othesis that hidden behind all $V( the 9reek
mythology and early history lies a battle of the sexes between matriarchal and #atriarchal
societal forms* This "subterranean: mythicUsexual current which barely comes to light, and
which #ro#els human history forwards from the de#ths of the subconscious, was also a fact
for Sigmund Freud $.PHL7.Q'Q(* <n his com#rehensi)e essay, Totem und Tabu STotem and
TabooT, he attem#ted to draw attention to the sexual origins of human culture*

;s we shall show, this is no different for the !amaist "writing of history:0 on the basis
of the sex7s#ecific construction of the entire tantric uni)erse $masculine, feminine,
androgynous(, Tibetan history also #resu##oses a mythologically based gender relation*
Since -a0rayana essentially re8uires the su##ression of the feminine #rinci#le by the
masculine #rinci#le, of the woman by the man, the history of Tibet is analogously grounded in
the re#ression of the feminine by the masculine* !ikewise, we find "female sacrifice: carried
out at the center of the tantric mysteries once more in the "myth7history: of the country*

Th( !acr(d 1ingdo$
<n many ancient societies the "sacred king: was regarded as the re#resentati)e of the
gods* +orldly and s#iritual #ower were concentrated within this figure* 1is #roximity to the
gods was 6udged differently from culture to culture* <n the old oriental community the kings
exceeded the de#utiMing function and were themsel)es considered to be the deity* This ga)e
them the right to rule with absolute #ower o)er their sub6ects* Their godly likeness was in no
way contradicted by their mortality, then it was belie)ed that the s#irit of the god withdrew
from the human body of the holy king at the hour of his death so as to then incarnate anew in
the succeeding ruler* The history of the sacred kings was thus actually an "e#i#hany:, that is,
an a##earance of the deity in time*
'&Q

<n the 3uro#ean Middle ;ges in contrast, the "sacred rulers: were only considered to be
9od,srepresentati+es on earth, but the conce#t of their dual role as mortal man and di)ine
instance still had its )alidity* Kne therefore s#oke of the "two bodies of the king:, an eternal
su#ernatural one and a transient human one*

; further characteristic of the #olitical theology of the Middle ;ges consisted in the
di)ision of the royal office which formerly encom#assed both domains > so that $.( the
s#iritual and $%( the secular missions were conducted by two different indi)iduals, the #riest
and the king, the Po#e and the 3m#eror* Both institutions together > or in o##osition to one
another > decisi)ely determined the history of 3uro#e u# until modern times*

3)ery criterion for the sacred kingdom is met by the alai !ama and his state system*
1is institution is not e)en sub6ect to the di)ision of #owers $between #riesthood and kingshi#(
which we know from medie)al 3uro#e, but orientates itself towards the ancientUKriental
des#otic states $e*g*, in 3gy#t and Persia(* +orldly and s#iritual #ower are rolled into one* 1e
is not the human de#ut,y of a Buddha being u#on the !ion ThroneR rather, he is > according
to doctrine > this Buddha being himself* 1is e#ithet, "undun, which is on e)erybody,s li#s
following Martin Scorsese,s film of the same name, means "the #resence: or "#recious
#resence:, i*e*, the #resence of a deity, or of a Buddha in human form* To translate
""undunI as "li)ing Buddha: is thus thoroughly 6ustified* <n(layboy& in answer to the
8uestion of the word,s meaning, 1is 1oliness re#lied, "Precious #resence* ;ccording to
Tibetan tradition G"undunG is a term with which < alone can be referred to* <t is taken to mean
the highest le)el of s#iritual de)elo#ment which a being Sthat is, not 6ust a #erson, but also a
godT can attain: $(layboy, 9erman edition, March .QQP, #* @&(*

The )isible #resence $"undun( of a god on the world #olitical stage as the head of
go)ernment of a "democratically elected #arliament: may be difficult to concei)e of in a
western way of thinking* Perha#s the office can be better understood when we say that the
alai !ama is strictly bound to his tantric #hiloso#hy, ritual #rocedures, and #olitico7religious
ideology, and therefore #ossesses no further indi)idual will* 1is body, his human existence,
and hence also his humanism are for him solely the instruments of his di)inity* This is most
clearly ex#ressed in a song the Se)enth alai !ama com#osed and sang to himself0
'.&

1herever yo" )o %hatever yo" do
,ee yo"rsel* in the *orm o* a tantri' divinity
1ith a phantom body that is mani*est yet empty#
$Mullin, .QQ., #* L.(

4onetheless, it has become thoroughly established #ractice in the western #ress to refer
to the alai !ama as the "god7king:* +hether or not this is meant ironically can barely be
decided in many cases* "; god to lay your hands on:, wrote the SKddeutsche Geitung in .QQP
of the Tibetan religious leader, and at the same time the Spiegel #roclaimed that, "=ltimately,
he is the alai !ama and the most enlightened of the enlightened on this #lanet, that #uts
things in the #ro#er light*: $SKddeutsche Geitung 4o)ember ., .QQP, #* @R Spiegel @HU.QQP,
#*.&.(*

E!chatoog% and 8oitic!
The history of the 3uro#ean Middle ;ges was focused u#on a single cosmic e)ent0 the
Second -oming of -hrist* <n such an eschatological world )iew, human history is no longer a
co#ying of myths or a #layground for di)ine ca#rice $as in the ;ncient 9reek belief in the
gods(, but rather the #erformance of a gigantic, messianic drama #layed out o)er millennia,
which o#ens with a #erfect creation that then constantly disintegrates because of human
im#erfection and sin and ends in a catastro#hic downfall following a di)ine day of 6udgment*
;t the "end of time: the e)il are destroyed in a brutal cosmic war $the a#ocaly#se( and the
good $the true -hristians( are sa)ed* ; Messiah a##ears and leads the small flock of the
chosen into an eternal realm of #eace and 6oy* The goal is called redem#tion and #aradise*

3schatological accounts of history are always sal+ational history, that is, in the
beginning there is a transgression which should be healed* ; -hristian refers to this
transgression as original sin* 1ere the healing takes #lace through the 5esurrection and the
Second -oming of Desus -hrist, as well as through the resurrection from the dead of the
goodly which this occasions* ;fter this, history comes to an end and the #eo#le, freed from all
suffering, enter an eternal #aradise in a blissful time without history* For -hristians it is
#rimarily the ;#ocaly#se of St* Dohn $The $ook of Re+elations( which #ro)ides the scri#t for
this di)ine theater*
'..

From a BuddhistUtantric #oint of )iew human history > and conse8uently the history of
Tibet > is also ex#erienced as a "sal)ational history:* <ts eschatology is recorded in
the "alachakra Tantra, the highest cult mystery of the alai !ama* The Shambhala
myth linked with this tantra also #ro#hesies $like the ;pocalypse of St. Lohn( the a##earance
of a warlike messiah $Rudra Chakrin( and the terrible final battle between good and e)il* <t is
6ust that this time the good are Buddhists and the e)il are #rimarily Moslems* ;fter Rudra
Chakrin's )ictory the total "ShambhaliMation: of the #lanet $i*e*, a global Buddhocracy( awaits
humanity* This is e8uated with an 3den of #eace and 6oy*

; knowledge of the Shambhala )ision is necessary in order to be able to assess
historical e)ents in Tibet $including the -hinese occu#ation( and the #olitics of the alai
!ama* 3)ery historical and #ractical #olitical e)ent must > from a !amaist )iew#oint > be
assessed in the light of the final goal formulated in the "alachakra Tantra $the establishment
of a worldwide Buddhocracy(* This also a##lies > according to the tantric teachings > to the
e)olution of humankind*

Thus, in terms of #rinci#le, the Tantric Buddhist )ision resembles the traditional
-hristian one* <n both cases a realm of bliss is found at the outset which decays due to human
misdeeds and subse8uently ex#eriences a catastro#hic downfall* <t is then re7created through
the warlike $V( deeds of a messianic redeemer* But in the Buddhist )iew this dramatic #rocess
ne)er ends, according to cosmic laws it must be constantly re#eated* <n contrast to the
conce#tions of -hristianity, the newly established #aradise has no #ermanency, it is sub6ect to
the curse of time like all which is transient* 1istory for !amaism thus takes the form of the
eternal recurrence of the eternally same, the ineluctable re#etition of the entire uni)ersal
course of e)ents in immensely huge cycles of time* S%T

Hi!tor% and $%!tici!$
That the relationshi# between indi)iduals and history may be not 6ust an ob)ious, acti)e
one, but also a mystical one is something of which one hears little in contem#orary western
#hiloso#hy* +e find such a #oint of )iew in the enigmatic statement of the 9erman romantic,
4o)alis $.NN%7.P&.(, for exam#le0 "The greatest secret is the #erson itself* The sol)ing of this
unending task is the act of world history:* S'T
'.%

<n contrast, in the 5enaissance such "occult: interde#endencies were definitely to#ical*
The microUmacrocosm theory, which #ostulated homologies between the energy body of a
"di)ine: indi)idual and the whole uni)erse, was widely distributed at the time* They were
also a##lied to history in alchemic circles*

-orres#ondingly, there was the idea of the Gaddik, the "6ust:, in the traditional Dewish
-abala and in -hassidism* The mission of the Gaddik consisted in a correct and exem#lary
way of life so as to #roduce social harmony and #eace* 1is thoughts and deeds were so
closely aligned with the national community to which he belonged that the history of his
#eo#le de)elo#ed in #arallel to his indi)idual fate* 1ence, for exam#le the misbeha)ior of
a Gaddik had a negati)e effect u#on historical #rocess and could #lunge his fellow humans
into ruin*

Bet such conce#tions only )ery )aguely outline the far more thorough7going relation of
Buddhist Tantrism to history* ; tantra master must > if he is to abide by his own ideas and
his microUmacrocosmic logic > take literally the magical corres#ondences between his
awareness and the external world* 1e must be con)inced that he $as <aha Siddha, i*e*, 9reat
Sorcerer( is able to exert an influence u#on the course of history through sinking in to
meditation, through breathing techni8ues, through ritual actions, and through sexual magic
#ractices* 1e must make the deities he con6ures u# or re#resents the agents of his "#olitics:,
much more than the #eo#le who surround him*

; king initiated into the mysteries of -a0rayana thus controls not 6ust his country and
his sub6ects, but also e)en the course of the stars with the hel# of his mystic breathing* "The
cosmos, as it re)eals itself to be in the tantric conce#tion:, Mircea 3liade writes, "is a great
fabric of magic forces, and namely these forces can also be awakened and ordered in the
human body through the techni8ues of mystic #hysiology: $3liade, PH, #* %%H(*

; de#endency of e)ents in the world u#on the sacred #ractices of initiated indi)iduals
may sound absurd to us, but it #ossesses its own logic and #ersuasi)e #ower* <f, for exam#le,
we examine the history of Tibet from the #oint of )iew of tantric #hiloso#hy, then to our
astonishment we ascertain that the !amas ha)e succeeded )ery well in formulating an
'.'
internally consistent sal)ational and symbolic history of the !and of Snows* S@T They ha)e
e)en managed to tailor this to the #erson of the alai !ama from its beginnings, e)en though
this latter institution was only established as a #olitical #ower factor Q&& $V( years after the
BuddhiMation of the country $in the eighth century -*3*(*

<t is abo)e all the doctrine of incarnation which offers a cogently #owerful argument for
the #olitical continuity of the same #ower elite beyond their deaths* +ith it their #ower
#olitical mandate is ensured for all time* Bu the incarnations ha)e likewise been backdated
into the #ast so as to lay claim to #olitically significant "forefathers:* The Fifth alai !ama
made extensi)e use of this #rocedure*

Thus, in order to #resent and to understand the Tibetan conce#tion of history and the
"#olitics: of the Fourteenth alai !ama, we are confronted with the four ideas from an
ancient world )iew described abo)e0

"D Ti5(t=! hi!tor% and 8oitic! ar( d(t(r$in(d 5% th( Ti5(tan god!D
*D Ti5(t=! hi!tor% and 8oitic! ar( th( (B8r(!!ion o- a $%thic 5att( o- th(
!(B(!D
+D Ti5(t=! hi!tor% and 8oitic! ori(nt th($!('(! to th( (!chatoogica 8an
o- th(0ala'hakra $antraD
/D Ti5(t=! hi!tor% and 8oitic! ar( th( $agica achi('($(nt o- a high(!t
tantra $a!t(r &th( Daai La$a)2 who !t((r! th( -at( o- hi! countr% a! a sa'red
kin) and %ogiD

3)en if one discards these theses on #rinci#le as fantasy, it remains necessary to #roceed
from them in order to ade8uately demonstrate and assess the self2concept of Tantric
Buddhism, of the alai !ama, the leading exile Tibetan, and the many western Buddhists who
ha)e 6oined this religion in recent years* ;lthough we in no sense share the Tibetan )iew#oint,
we are nonetheless con)inced that the "great fabric of magic forces: $which characteriMes
Tantrism in the words of Mircea 3liade( can sha#e historical reality when many belie)e in it*

<n the following cha#ters we thus de#ict the history of Tibet and the #olitics of the
Fourteenth alai !ama as a tantric #ro6ect, as the emanation of di)ine archety#es, and as a
'.@
se8uence of scenes in the dramaturgy of the "alachakra Tantra, 6ust as it is also seen by
!amaists* +e must therefore first of all introduce the reader to the chief gods who ha)e
occu#ied the #olitical stage of the !and of Snows since the BuddhiMation of Tibet* Then on a
meta#hysical le)el the !amaist monastic state is considered to be the organiMed assembly of
numerous deities, who ha)e been a##earing in human form $as )arious lamas( again and again
for centuries* +e are confronted here with a li)ing "theocracy:, or better, "Buddhocracy:* <t is
the Tibetan gods to whom TenMin 9yatso, the Fourteenth alai !ama, has made his human
body a)ailable and who s#eak and act through him* This may the reason why 1is 1oliness, as
he crossed the border into <ndia on his flight from Tibet in .QHQ, yelled as loudly as he could,
"9ha @yelo > Victory to the godsV: $alai !ama ?<V, .QQ'a, #* .LP(* +ith this cry he
o#ened them the gateway to the world, es#ecially to the +est*

Footnot(!:
S.T Should a world ci)iliMation oriented to humane )alues wish to establish the causes of
the "battle of cultures: and the current global incidence of fundamentalism, then it would be
well ad)ised to critically examine the "holy texts:, rites, mysteries, and history of the
religious traditions and com#are them with the re8uirements of a #lanetary, human #olitical
)ision* Such research and com#arison would #roduce sobering results* <t was #recisely such
#ainful and disillusioning realiMations which moti)ated us to write this study of Tibetan
Buddhism and the alai !ama, in whom we had in)ested great ho#es*
S%T Traces of a cyclical image of history are also found in the thought of Kswald
S#englers $.PP&7.Q'L(, for whom e)ery historical cultural e#och beha)ed like an organism
which exhibited the #hases of life of birth, childhood, youth, adulthood, old age, and
death* The study of history is thus for him a biogra#hy which must be written afresh for e)ery
culture*
S'T +e can find a faint echo of this mystical historical s#eculation in the cult of the
genius of the .Qth* and %&
th
century* <n this, messiah figures and sa)iors are re#laced by those
exce#tional figures whom Thomas -arlyle $.NQH7.PP.( referred to as "heroes: and in whose
thoughts and deeds the Geitgeist is su##osed to be focused* <n this #oint of )iew it is not 6ust
in #oliticians and military leaders, but also in scientists, #hiloso#hers, or artists that the
essence of history can be concentrated* For the cultural critic, 3ugen Friedell $.PNP7.Q'P(,
the s#irit of a historical genius infected an entire e#och* 1e becomes a "god: of his #eriod >
'.H
e)en if he introduces rationalism, like 5enZ escartes or dialectical materialism like 2arl
Marx*
S@T <n the meantime the historical facts they ha)e distorted ha)e been taken u# by
numerous "res#ectable: scholarly works from the +est* +e shall go into the #articulars of
this*
"D THE DALAI LAMA:
INCARNATION OF THE TI#ETAN ;ODS

The two #rinci#al di)ine beings who act through the #erson of the alai !ama are the
Bodhisatt)a,;+alokitesh+ara $in Tibetan, Chenrezi(, and the meditation Buddha, ;mitabha*
S#iritually,;mitabha is on a higher le)el $as a Buddha(* 1e does not "lower: himself directly
into the "god7king: $the alai !ama(, but a##ears first in the form of ;+alokitesh+ara*
Knly Chenrezi then takes on the bodily form of the alai !ama*


#uddha A$ita5ha: Th( !un and ight d(it%
The meditation Buddha, ;mitabha& rules Oaccording to a #oint of doctrine
of <ahayana Buddhism > as regent of the current age* 3)en the historical Buddha,
Shakyamuni, was considered his earthly emanation* The sun and light are assigned to him and
summer is his season* The #eacock, a classic animal of the sun, adorns his throne* The red
color of ;mitabha's body also signals his solar character* !ikewise, his mantra, "15<1:, is
referred to as a "sun symbol:0 "<t #ossesses not 6ust the warmth of the sun, that is, the
emotional #rinci#le of kindness and of #ity > but also the brilliance, the 8uality of
clarification, the disco)ery, the unmediated #erce#tion: $9o)inda, .QP@, #* %NN(* ;mitabha is
the Buddhist god of light par excellence and his followers thus #ray to him as the "shining
lord "* ;s the "unbounded light: he shines through the whole uni)erse* 1is luminance is
described in ancient texts as "a hundred thousand times greater than the radiance of gold:
$Dose#h -am#bell, .QN', #* '.H(*

The o#ulent sun symbolism which is so closely linked to the figure of this Buddha has
led se)eral western oriented scholars to describe Buddhism in total as a solar cult* For
exam#le, the tantra researcher, Shashibhusan asgu#ta, e)en sees an identity between the
historical Buddha $the incarnation of ;mitabha(, the =harma $the Buddhist doctrine( and the
'.L
<ndian solar deity $Surya( $asgu#ta, .Q@L, #* ''N(* The =harma $the teachings( are also
often referred to as the "sun: in traditional Buddhist writings, since the words of Buddha
"radiate like sunshine:* Sometimes e)en the #rinci#le of "em#tiness: is identified with the
sun0 "=harma is Shunya Sem#tinessT and Shunyahas the form of a Mero:, writes asgu#ta,
"Therefore harma is of the sha#e of a MeroR and as the sun is also of the sha#e of a Mero,
harma is identified with the sun* Moreo)er, harma mo)es in the )oid, and )oid is the sky,
and the sun mo)es in the sky and hence the sun is harma: $asgu#ta, .Q@L, #* ''N(*

;mitabha and the historical Buddha are not 6ust associated with the sun, but also with
the element of "fire:* ";s for the Fiery73nergy,: ;nanda -oomaraswamy tells us, " this is the
element of fire #resent as an unseen energy in all existences, but #reeminently manifested
by ;rhats Sholy menT or the Buddha: $-oomaraswamy, .QNQ, #* .&(*

There are a number of de#ictions of 9autama as a "#illar of fire: from as early as the
third century B*-*3* $-oomaraswamy, .QNQ, #* %.&(* The column of fire is both a symbol for
the axis of the world and for the human s#ine u# which the "undalini ascends* <t further has a
clear #hallic character* ; 4e#alese text refers to the ;< B=1; as a "linga7sha#ed
S#hallicT flame: which rises from a lotus $1aMra, .QPL, #* '&(* This close relation of the
Buddha figure to fire has induced such discriminating authors as the <ndian religious studies
scholar, ;nanda -oomaraswamy, to see in Shakyamuni an incarnation of ;gni, the <ndian god
of fire $-oomaraswamy, .QNQ, #* LH(*

Bet the #ower of fire is not only #ositi)ely )alued in <ndian mythology* <n the hot
subcontinent, destructi)e forces are also e)oked by sun and flame* 4otorious demons, not 6ust
gods, laid claim to be descended from Surya& the sun god* 1ence, the <ndologist, 1einrich
Cimmer, recounted se)eral traditional stories in which demonic yogis reached for di)ine
#ower through the generation of inner heat* 1e calls this fiery yogic force tapas, which means
roughly "inner blaMe:*

'.N
$hrone and Coot o* the B"ddha %ith s"n symbols and s%astikas

<n contrast, !ama 9o)inda com#letely re#resses the destructi)e force of the tapas and
sim#ly declares them to be the main #rinci#le of Buddhist mysticism0 "<t is the all7consuming,
flaming #ower, the inner blaMe which o)erwhelms e)erything, which has filled the religious
life of the #eo#le in its thrall since the awakening of <ndian thought0 the #ower of the Ta#as ***
1ere, Ta#as is the creati)e #rinci#le, which functions in both the material and the s#iritual
SdomainsT *** <t is GenthusiasmG, in its most lowly form a straw fire fed by blind emotion, in its
highest, the flame of ins#iration nourished by unmediated #erce#tion* Both ha)e the nature of
fire: $9o)inda, .QQ., #* .PP(* +ith this citation 9o)inda lea)es us with no doubt that Tantric
Buddhism re#resents a uni)ersal fire cult* S.T

;lready in Vedic times fire was considered to be the cause of life* The ancient <ndians
saw a fire ritual in the sexual act between man and woman and com#ared it with the rubbing
together of two #ieces of wood through which a flame can be kindled* The s#heres assigned to
the "fire Buddha:,;mitabha& are thus also those of erotic #assion and sexuality* Kf the sexual
magic fluids, the male seed is associated with him* This makes him the #redestined father of
Tantric Buddhism* <n his hand the "fire god: holds a lotus, by which his affinity to the
symbolic world of the feminine is indicated* "The !otus lineeage is that of ;mitabha:, the
Fourteenth alai !ama writes in a commentary u#on the "alachakra Tantra& "#ractitioners of
'.P
which es#ecially should kee# the #ledge of restraining from, or abandoning, the bliss of
emission, e)en though making use of a consort: $alai !ama ?<V, .QPH, #* %%Q(*

;mitabha rules as the so)ereign of the western #aradise, Sukha+ati* ;fter their deaths,
u#right Buddhists are reborn here from out of a lotus flower* They all mo)e through this
hereafter in a golden body* +omen, howe)er, are unwelcome* <f they ha)e earned great merit
during their earthly existence, then they are granted the right to change their sex and they are
#ermitted to enter;mitabha's land after they ha)e been incarnated as men* S%T

;#art from this, the light Buddha is worshi##ed as the "lord of language:* ;nalytic
thought and distinctions also belong to his area of res#onsibility* This induced !ama 9o)inda
to make him the #atron of the modern $and western( sciences* 1e is "differentiating:,
"researching: and "in)estigati)e: $9o)inda, .QP@, #*.%'(*

!et us summariMe then0 Buddha ;mitabha #ossesses the character traits of a light, fire,
and sun deity* 1is cardinal #oint is the +est* ;s founding father of the !otus family he stands
in a dee# symbolic connection to sexuality and through this to Tantrism*

<n the light of his 8ualities as "fire god:, "lord of the +est:, and "#atron of
science:, ;mitabhacould indeed be regarded as the regent of our modern age, then the last
two hundred years of western ci)iliMation and technological de)elo#ment ha)e been
#redominantly dominated by the element of fire0 electricity, light, ex#losions, and the modern
art of war count as #art of this 6ust as much as the greenhouse effect and worldwide
desertification* The great in)entions > the steam engine, dynamite, the automobile, the
air#lane, rockets, and finally the atomic bomb > are also the handiwork of "fire:* The fiery
element rules the world as ne)er before in history*

-ommitted Buddhists > headed by the alai !ama > describe our western ci)iliMation
as decadent and unbalanced, because it is no longer fair to s#iritual )alues* But, one could say,
an elementary imbalance likewise determines the myth of the "world dominion: of ;mitabha,
who as the Buddha of a single $V( element $/fire:( controls our e#och* <n terms of cultural
history, fire and the sun can be considered the classic #atriarchal symbols, whilst the moon
and water re#resent the feminine* 1ence, ;mitabha is also a symbol for our global
'.Q
androcentric culture, which, howe)er, can only de)elo# its com#lete #urity when totally freed
of women in the #aradise of Sukha+ati*

Th( 'ariou! $a!1! o- A'ao1it(!h'ara
;s an emanation from the right eye of his s#iritual father, ;mitabha& emerged his
son,;+alokitesh+ara& with the Tibetan name of Chenrezi* 1e is the "Bodhisatt)a: of our age,
the "chief deity: of Tibet and the di)ine energy which functions directly behind the #erson of
the alai !ama* There is no figure in the Buddhist #antheon who en6oys greater res#ect than
he does* 1is name means "he who looks down kindly:* 1e is identified by his chief
characteristic of mercy and com#assion for all li)ing creatures* This close linkage to
emotional life has won him the dee# re)erence of the masses*

;+alokitesh+ara can a##ear in countless forms, .&P of which are iconogra#hically fixed*
<n an official #rayer, he is described as a puer aeternus $an eternal boy(0

/enerated *rom ten million rays
his body is 'ompletely %hite#
His head is adorned
and his lo'ks rea'h do%n to his breast# Q###R
His kindly smilin) *eat"res
are those o* a si.teen year old#
$!ange, n*d*, #* .N%(

1is best known and most original a##earance shows him with ele)en heads and a
thousand arms* This figure arose > the myth would ha)e it > after the Bodhisatt)a,s head
s#lit a#art into countless fragments because he could no longer bear the misery of this world
and the stu#idity of the li)ing creatures* Thereu#on his "father:, ;mitabha& took the remnants
with him to the #aradise of Sukha+ati and formed ten new heads from the fragments, adding
his own as the ti# of the #yramid* This self7destruction out of com#assion for humanity and
the Bodhisatt)a,s subse8uent resurrection makes it tem#ting to com#are this Bodhisatt)a,s
tale of suffering with the Passion of -hrist*

'%&
<n some <ahayana Buddhist texts the figure of ;+alokitesh+ara is exaggerated so that
he becomes an arch7god, who absorbs within himself all the other gods, e)en the 1ighest
Buddha $;< B=1;(* 1e also already a##ears in <ndia $as later in Tibet in the form of the
alai !ama( as Chakra+artin, i*e*, as a "king of all kings:, as a "ruler of the world:
$Mallmann, .Q@P, #* .&@(*

1is belie)ers #rostrate themsel)es before him as the "shining lord:* <n one interesting
#icture from the collection of Prince =chtomski6 he is de#icted within a circle of flame and
with the disc of the sun* 1is e#ithet is "one whose body is the sun: $9ockel, .QQ%, #* %.(* 1e
sits u#on a !ion Throne, or rides u#on the back of a lion, or wears the fur of a lion* Thus, all
the solar symbols of ;mitabhaand the historical Buddha are also associated with him*

&valokiteshvara in the *orm o* the Death /od <ama

<n the face of this s#lendor of light it is all too easy to forget that ;+alokitesh+ara also
has his shady side* 3)ery Buddha and e)ery Bodhisatt)a > tantric doctrine says > can
a##ear in a #eaceful and a terrible form* This is also true for the Bodhisatt)a of su#reme
'%.
com#assion* ;mong his ele)en heads can be found the terrifying head of %ama& the god of the
dead* 1e and;+alokitesh+ara form a unit* 1ence, as the "king of all demons: $one
of %ama's e#ithets(, the "light god: also reigns o)er the )arious Buddhist hells*

%ama is de#icted on Tibetan thangkas as a horned demon with a crown of human skulls
and an aroused #enis* =sually he is dancing wildly u#on a bull beneath the weight of which a
woman, with whom the animal is co#ulating, is being crushed* Fokke Sierksma and others see
in this scene an attack on a #re7Buddhist $#ossibly matriarchal( fertility rite $Sierksma, .QLL,
#* %.H(*

;s god of the dead $%ama( and snarling monster ;+alokitesh+ara also holds the "wheel
of life: in his claws, which is in truth a "death wheel: $a sign of rebirth( in Buddhism* ;mong
the twel)e fundamental e)ils etched into the rim of the wheel which make an earthlyUhuman
existence a##ear worthless can be found "sexual lo)e:, "#regnancy: and "birth:*

<n the world of a##earances %ama re#resents suffering and mortality, birth and death* So
much cruelty and morbidity is associated with this figure in the tantric imagination that he all
but has to be seen as the shadowy brother of the Bodhisatt)a of mercy and lo)e* Bet both
Buddha beings #ro)e themsel)es to be a #aradoxical unit* <t is self7e)ident according to the
doctrines of Tantrism that the characteristics of %ama can also combine themsel)es with the
#erson of the alai !ama $the highest incarnation of ;+alokitesh+ara(* This has seldom been
taken into consideration when meeting with the god7king from Tibet who "looks down
#eacefully:*

; further striking feature of the iconogra#hy of ;+alokitesh+ara are the feminine traits
which many of his #ortraits dis#lay* 1e seems, as an enigmatic being between )irgin and boy
with soft features and rounded breasts, to unite both sexes within himself* ;s it says in a #oem
addressed to a #ainter0

Dra% an &valokiteshvara
Like a 'on'h a jasmine and a moon
Hero sittin) on a %hite lot"s seat QDDDR
His *a'e is %onder*"lly smilin)#
'%%
$1o#kins, .QPN, #* .L&(

&valokiteshvara as &ndro)yne

Shells, 6asmine, and the moon are feminine meta#hors* The Bodhisatt)a,s
e#ithet, (admapani $lotus bearer(, identifies him $6ust like ;mitabha( as a member of the
!otus family and e8ually #laces him in direct connection with feminine symbolism* ;ll o)er
;sia the lotus is associated with the )agina* But since Chenrezi generally a##ears as a
masculine figure with feminine traits, we must refer to him as an androgyne, a god who has
absorbed the gynergy of the goddess within himself* For 5obert ;* Paul, he therefore assumes
a "father7mother role: in Tibetan society $Paul, .QP%, #* .@&(* The two colors in which he is
gra#hically de#icted are red and white* These corres#ond symbolically to the red and the
white seed which are mixed with one another in the body of the tantra master*

1is androgyny is most clearly recogniMable in the famous mantra with
which (admapani$;+alokitesh+ara( is called u#on and which millions of Buddhists daily
'%'
mumble to themsel)es0 KM M;4< P;M3 1=M* There is an extensi)e literature concerned
with the inter#retation of this utterance, from which the sexual magical ones sound the most
con)incing* <n translation, the mantra says, "Km, 6ewel in the lotus, hum:* The 6ewel should
be assigned to the masculine force and the #hallus, whilst the lotus blossom is a symbol of
feminine energy* The "6ewel in the lotus blossom: thus corres#onds to the tantric union, and,
since this takes #lace within a male #erson, the #rinci#le of androgyny* The syllable KM
addresses the macrocosm* 1=M means "< am: and signifies the microcosm* The gist of the
formula is thus0 "<n the union of the masculine and feminine #rinci#les < am the uni)erse:*
;nyone who knows the magic of the famous mantra "#ossesses control o)er the world:
$Mallmann, .Q@P, #* .&.(* Tri6ang 5in#oche $.Q&.7.QP.(, an im#ortant teacher of the current
alai !ama, also offers a clear and unambiguous translation "*** mani indicates the )a6ra 6ewel
of the father, padma the lotus of the mudra, and the letter hum SindicatesT that by 6oining these
two together, at the time of the basis, a child is born and at the time of the StantricT #ath, the
deities emanate: $8uoted by !o#eM, .QQP, #* .'@(*

The most famous li)ing incarnation of ;+alokitesh+ara is the alai !ama* ;ll the
energies of the Bodhisatt)a are concentrated in him, his androgyny as well as his solar and
fiery 8ualities, his mildness as well as his wrath as %ama& the god of the dead* +ithin the
Tibetan doctrine of incarnation the alai !ama as a #erson is only the humanUbodily shell in
which Chenrezi$;+alokitesh+ara( is manifest* <t is > from a tantric #oint of )iew > the
)isions and moti)es, strategies and tactics of the "mild downward7looking Bodhisatt)a:,
which determine the #olitics of 1is 1oliness and thereby the fate of Tibet*

Th( Fourt((nth Daai La$a a! th( !u8r($( 4aacha1ra $a!t(r
Since the Tibetan god7king acts as the su#reme master of the "alachakra Tantra, the
androgynous time god $"alachakra and -ish+amata in one #erson( is likewise incarnated
within him* The goal of Time Tantra is the "alchemic: #roduction of the ;< B=1;* +e
ha)e described in detail the genesis, "art of functioning:, and the extent of the #owers of the
1ighest Buddha in the first #art of our study, with s#ecial attention to his #osition
as Chakra+artin, as "world ruler:* This global #ower role is not currently assumed by the
alai !ama* <n contrast > the western #ublic sometimes refers to him as the "most #owerless
#olitician on the #lanet:* Thus, in #recisely locating his #osition along the e)olutionary #ath
of the "alachakra Tantra, we must obser)e that the "undun has not yet reached the
'%@
s#iritualUreal le)el of an ;< B=1;, but still finds himself on the way to becoming a
world ruler $Chakra+artin(*

;ll the "di)ine: and "demonic: characteristics of ;+alokitesh+ara $and also ultimately
of;mitabha( mentioned abo)e are combined by the Tibetan "god7king: as the
highest +a0ra master with the "alachakra Tantra. ;ccording to what is known as
the Rwa tradition, the Bodhisatt)a;+alokitesh+ara e)en stands at the beginning of the
Buddhist doctrine of time as the "root guru: $4ewman, .QPH, #* N.(* 4ow, what do we know
about the #erformance of the "alachakra system by the current incarnation of the Chenrezi,
1is 1oliness the Fourteenth alai !amaA

;lmost nothing is known in #ublic about the eight "highest initiations: of the Time
Tantra described in the first #art of our study, but all the more is known about the se)en lower
initiations* They ha)e been and continue to be conducted by 1is 1oliness > fre8uently,
#ublicly, on a grand scale and throughout the whole world* The ostentatious #erformance of
a "alachakra s#ectacle set in scene by the monks of the !amgyal ?nstitute S'T in colorful
robes is meanwhile an exotic sensation, which on each occasion attracts the attention of the
world,s #ress* Thousands, in recent years hundreds of thousands, come flocking to ex#erience
and mar)el at the religious s#ectacle*

The "alachakra Tantra, whose aggressi)e and im#erialist character we ha)e been able
to demonstrate in detail, is referred to by the alai !ama without the slightest scru#le as a
")ehicle for world #eace:0 "+e belie)e unconditionally in its ability to reduce tensions:, the
god7king has said of the Time Tantra, "The initiation is thus #ublic, because in our o#inion it
is suited to bringing #eace, to encouraging the #eace of the s#irit and hence the #eace of the
world as well: $!e)enson, .QQ&, #* '&@(*

<nterested westerners, who still block out the magic7religious thought #atterns of
!amaism, are #resented with the "alachakra ritual and the associated sand mandala as a
"total work of art, in which sound and color, gesture and word are linked with one another in a
many7layered, significance7laden manner: 8#rankfurter ;llgemeine Geitung, . February
.QPL(* For the alai !ama, howe)er, an assembly of the in)oked gods actually takes #lace
during the rite*
'%H

<n the year .QH' 1is 1oliness was initiated into the "alachakra rites by !ing 5in#oche
for the first time* To what le)el is unknown to us* Profoundly im#ressed by the beauty of the
sand mandala, the young "undun fell into a state of diMMiness* Shortly afterwards he s#ent a
month in seclusion and was internally )ery mo)ed during this #eriod* <n saying the #rayers
the words often stuck in his throat through emotion0 "<n hindsight < understand this situation
to ha)e been aus#icious, an omen that < would conduct the "alachakra initiation much more
often than any of my #redecessors: $alai !ama ?<V, .QQ'a, #* ..P(*

$he Dalai Lama %ith the 0ala'hakra Mandala as a"reole

Strangely enough, the first initiation into the "alachakra Tantra he #erformed himself
$in .QH@( was in his own words "at the wish of a grou# of lay women: $alai !ama ?<V,
'%L
.QQ'a, #* ..Q(* +e can only s#eculate as to whether this eu#hemistic #hrase is used to
disguise a ganachakra with eight or ten karma mudras $real women(* Bet this is to be strongly
sus#ected, then how in the Tibet of old where women did not ha)e the slightest say in
religious matters should a "grou# of lay women: of all #eo#le ha)e come to en6oy the great
#ri)ilege of moti)ating the nineteen7year7old hierarch to his first "alachakra ceremonyA <n
light of the strict court ceremonial which reigned in the Potala, this was for those times
com#letely unthinkable, and we must therefore #resume that we are dealing with a tactful
reformulation of a tantric ritual in)ol)ing yoginis*

1is 1oliness celebrated two further "alachakra initiations in !hasa in .QHL and .QHN*
<n .QN& the first #ublic initiation in exile $in haramsala( was staged* 1e himself had a dream
shortly before this0 "+hen < woke u#, < knew that in the future < would #erform this ritual
many times* < think in my #re)ious lifetimes < had a connection with the "alachakra teaching*
<tGs a karmic force: $Bryant, .QQ%, #* ..%(* This dream was in fact to come true in the years
which followed*

<n the summer of .QP., the "iron bird year: of the Tibetan calendar, the god7king
granted a #ublic"alachakra initiation for the first time outside of ;sia* The date and the
location $+isconsin, =S;( of the initiation were drawn directly from a #ro#hecy of the
Tibetan "religious founder:, Padmasambha)a, who introduced -a0rayana to the !and of
Snows from <ndia in the eighth century0 "+hen the iron bird flies and the horses roll on
wheels X the harma will come to the land of the 5ed Man: $Bernbaum, .QP%, #* ''(* The
iron birds > in the inter#retation of this )ision > are air#lanes, the wheeled horses are
automobiles, and the land of the 5ed Man $the ;merican <ndians( is the =nited States* uring
the ritual a falcon with a snake in its claws is su##osed to ha)e a##eared in the sky* <n it the
#artici#ants saw the mythic bird, garuda, re#resenting the #atriarchal #ower which destroys
the feminine in the form of a snake* S@T o we ha)e here the image of a tantric wish according
to which the +est is already su##osed to fall into the clutches of Tibetan Buddhism in the
near futureA

4ot more than .%&& #eo#le took #art in the first western initiation in +isconsin* <n.QP'
the"alachakra ceremony was #erformed in SwitMerland and thus for the first time in 3uro#e*
4ow there were already L&&& western #artici#ants* <n the same year more than '&&,&&&
'%N
#eo#le a##eared at the initiation in Bodh 9aya $in <ndia(* This grandiose s#ectacle was
declared by the #ress to be the "Buddhist e)ent of the century: $Tibetan Re+iew, Danuary
.QPL, #* @(* Many )ery #oor Tibetans had illegally crossed the -hinese border in order to take
#art in the festi)ities* <t is certainly worth mentioning that at least fifty #eo#le died during the
ritualV $Tibetan Re+iew, Danuary .QPL, #* L(*

<n .QQ., in Madison S8uare 9ardens in 4ew Bork -ity, there was a
further "alachakra ceremony in front of @&&& #artici#ants which attracted much #ublic
attention* ;t the same time a sand mandala was constructed in the <useum of ;sian ;rt which
drew tens of thousands of )isitors* By the beginning of .QQP, the alai !ama could look back
o)er %H #ublic initiations into the Time Tantra which he had conducted as the
su#reme +a0ra master*

Li!t o- 4aacha1ra Initiation! gi'(n 5% th( ?I@ Daai La$a
S
DNoD
Dat( Pac( Att(nda
nt!
. May .QH@ 4orbulingka, !hasa, Tibet .&&,&&&
% ;#ril .QHL 4orbulingka, !hasa, Tibet .&&,&&&
' March .QN& haramshala, <ndia '&,&&&
@ May .QN. Bylaku##e, 2arnataka, <ndia .&,&&&
H ecember
.QN@
Bodh 9aya, Bihar, <ndia .&&,&&&
L Se#tember
.QNL
!eh, !adakh, <ndia @&,&&&
N Duly .QP. Madison, +isconsin, =S; .,H&&
P ;#ril .QP' Bomdila, ;runachal Pradesh, <ndia H,&&&
Q ;ugust .QP' Tabo, S#iti, 1imachal Pradesh, <ndia .&,&&&
.
&
Duly .QPH 5ikon, SwitMerland L,&&&
.
.
ecember
.QPH
Bodh 9aya, Bihar, <ndia %&&,&&&
.
%
Duly .QPP Canskar, Dammu c 2ashmir, <ndia .&,&&&
.
'
Duly .QPQ !os ;ngeles, =S; ','&&
'%P
.
@
ecember
.QQ&
Sarnath, Varanasi, =ttar Pradesh, <ndia .'&,&&&
.
H
Kctober
.QQ.
4ew Bork, =S; ',&&&
.
L
;ugust .QQ% 2al#a, 2innaur, 1imachal Pradesh, <ndia %&,&&&
.
N
;#ril .QQ' 9angtok, Sikkim, <ndia .&&,&&&
.
P
Duly .QQ@ Dis#a, 2eylong, 1imachal Pradesh, <ndia '&,&&&
.
Q
ecember
.QQ@
Barcelona, S#ain ',&&&
%
&
Danuary
.QQH
Mundgod, 2arnataka, <ndia H&,&&&
%
.
;ugust .QQH =lan Bator, Mongolia '&,&&&
%
%
Dune .QQL Tabo, S#iti, 1imachal Pradesh, <ndia %&,&&&
%
'
Se#tember
.QQL
Sydney, ;ustralia ',&&&
%
@
ecember
.QQL
Salugara, +est Bengal, <ndia %&&,&&&
%
H
;ugust .QQQ Bloomington, <ndiana, =S; ',H&&
%
L
;ugust %&&& 2ey Monastery, S#iti, 1imachal Pradesh, <ndia .H,&&&
%
N
Danuary
%&&%
Bodh 9aya, Bihar, <ndia Post#on
ed
%
P
Kctober
%&&%
9raM, ;ustria $3uro#e( .&,&&&
%
Q
Danuar %&&' Bodh 9aya, Bihar, <ndia %&&,&&&

The great significance which the alai !ama accords the "alachakra Tantra and its
worldwide distribution, demands that all of his #olitical acti)ities be inter#reted in the light of
'%Q
the )isions and intentions of the Time Tantra* The "alachakra Tantra is a ma6or #olitical
e)ent* <t is the magic meta#olitical instrument with which the "undun ho#es to con8uer the
+est and the rest of the world* 1e himself, or rather the forces and #owers which o#erate
behind him, wish$es( to become the ruler of history and time itself* SHT

Stat($(nt! o- th( Fourt((nth Daai La$a on !(Buait% and !(Bua $agic
+e know almost nothing $#ublicly( from the "undun about the eight highest initiations
in the"alachakra Tantra and the associated sexual magic rites* Kutwardly the god7king
#resents a strictly asexual image* <n answer to the 8uestion what he thought about sex, he
re#lied in (layboy0 "My goodnessV Bou ask a L%7year7old monk who has been celibate his
entire life a thing like that* < don,t ha)e much to say about sex > other than that it is
com#letely okay if two #eo#le lo)e each other: $(layboy, 9erman edition, March .QQP, #*
@L(* Kr he resol)es the delicate to#ic with collo8uial humor, as for exam#le when he 8uotes
the <ndian scholar, 4agar6una, with a three7line thought on the 8uestion of erotic lo)e0

=* one is it'hy then one s'rat'hes himsel*#
Better than any n"mber o* s'rat'hes
Ho%ever is %hen one does not it'h at all#
$alai !ama ?<V, .QQ'a, #* '&.(

Such sayings are reminiscent of the #hiloso#hy of life of a
humorous <ahayana Buddhist, but not that of a Tantric* +hether the "undun himself
conducts are has conducted sexual magic #ractices is a secret which is for understandable
reasons not betrayed* Knly through incidental remarks > the taboo to#ic would ne)er be
s#oken about in #ublic otherwise > can it be gauged that the alai !ama is com#letely
informed about the conse8uences which #roceed from the tantric rites*

Thus, at an e)ent in San Francisco $in .QQ@( 1is 1oliness was discussing the to#ics of
"sexuality and Buddhism: with students* +hen the talk came around to the "wise fool:
rung#a 2unley, who became known through his erotic esca#ades, his huge male member,
and through the Tibetan literature, the "undun 6ustified this figure,s wild sex life0 in rung#a
we are dealing with a highly de)elo#ed enlightened being, and his erotic acti)ities > no
matter how biMarre they may seem to an ordinary #erson > were always carried out for the
''&
benefit of all li)ing beings* "1e could:, the alai !ama said with a smile, "en6oy excrement
and urine 6ust like fine foods and wine: and then he 6oked of the modern Tibetan lamas that,
"<f you #ut into their mouth some urine, they will not en6oy it: $;rianna, 4ewsgrou# '(* From
this it can be logically concluded that e)ery enlightened one must #ass the tantric "taste test:
and that contem#orary lamas are not #re#ared to undergo this test*

;t an academic seminar on dream research in haramsala the "undun commented u#on
a #a#er with the following sentence0 "Such work with dreams by which it comes to
e6aculation could be im#ortant: $alai !ama ?<V, .QQLa, #* ..H(* ;nyone who knows about
the tantric seed gnosis also knows how fundamental the god7king,s interest in this to#ic must
be* ;t the same meeting he chatted about orgiastic encounters as if they were a constant #art
of his world of ex#eriences* ; com#arison of the mystic clear lights with orgasm is also self7
e)ident for him $alai !ama ?<V, .QQLa, #* ..L(*

Some years later, at the Mind and !ife: conference in haramsala $in .QQ%(, he s#oke
in great detail about tantric #ractices and e)en mentioned the offensi)e -a0roli method0:Kne
training method that can be used as a standard of measurement of the le)el of one,s control
entails inserting a straw into the genitals* <n this #ractice the Bogi first drwas water, and later
milk, u#t to the straw* S!ater again, we would add, the sukra from out of the )agina of his
sexual #artnerT That culti)ates the the ability to re)erse the flow during intercourse $Varela,
.QQN, #* .N%(* +ith a somewhat insinuating smile the alai !ama then ex#lained the )arious
ty#ologies of the mudras to the western scholars who were attending0 "<n tantric literature,
four ty#s of women, or consorts $Skt* mudra( are discussed* These four ty#es are lotus7
like, deer7like, conch7shell7like, and the ele#hant7like*: 1e then 6oked that0 "<f the
classification had originated in Tibet instead of <ndia, they would ha)e called it yak7like*
These distinctions all ha)e #rimarily to do with the sha#e of the genitals, but they also refer to
differences in terms of bodily constitution* There are no such categories for men: $Varela,
.QQN, #* .N'(*

!ike all #riests the "undun's attitude towards marriage is bene)olent and #aternalistic,
without granting it any s#ecial s#iritual significance* ";t first glance married life a##ears full
and attracti)e and that of the celibate as miserable* But < belie)e the life of a monk is more
well balanced, there are less extremes, less highs and lows* < also always tell this to my young
''.
monks and nuns as consolation: $Geitmagazin, no* @@, %% Kctober .QQP, #* %@(* <t is
nonetheless )ery im#ortant to him as re#roduction for the maintenance of the Tibetan race and
he is not at all ha##y when exiled Tibetans choose marriage #artners of another race* 1e finds
it likewise re#ulsi)e when ordained monks suddenly decide to marry* ;s his brother !obsang
Samten told him of his marriage #lans, the"undun shouted at him in a reference to the
-hinese re#ression, "3)en a dog doesnGt co#ulate while itGs actually being beaten:
$-raig,.QQN, #* %L&(* 1e later excused himself for this uncontrolled outburst*

<n .QQN on his 6ourney through the =S;, the alai !ama named oral and anal
intercourse for both hetero7 and homosexuals as being sexually taboo, and masturbation as
well* The latter is condoned by the secret tantras when no real #artner is a)ailable* Fellatio
and cunnilingus are > as we ha)e described in detail in Part . > e)en #rescribed in the four
highest initiations of the "alachakra Tantra* But among common mortals both sexual
#ractices are > according to a rele)ant sutra > #unished after death by the destruction of the
sexual organs in the Samghata hell* The "undundeclared sexual relations with a monk or a
nun who has made a )ow of celibacy to be es#ecially re#rehensible, naturally only when this
takes #lace outside of the tantric rites* !ikewise, the sexual act is forbidden in tem#les* <n
contrast, intercourse with a #rostitute is allowed when the customer himself #ays and does not
recei)e the money from a third #arty*

Both male and female homosexuality are allowed > according to the "undun > as
long as no oral or anal contact is #racticed* <t was at least #olitically unwise mistake to ha)e
made this statement in San Francisco, the Mecca of the ;merican gay mo)ement* The sexual
ban immediately led to the strongest #rotests* "Many ;mericans: ha)e been disa##ointed, a
statement from the homosexual scene said, since they "embraced Buddhism because they
thought it was not non6udgmental in sexual matters: $Peterson, 4ewsgrou# L(* SLT

Footnot(!:
S.T <n light of this em#hasis on the solar and fiery nature which characteriMes the
historical Buddha, his close connection to the symbolism of snakes is #uMMling, abo)e all
because snakes are associated with water and the feminine* They are known to e)ery student
of Buddhism as nagas, and reign as kings of the s#rings, brooks, streams, and lakes* <n his
book,The Sun and the Serpent& the 3nglishman, -* F* Kldham, has attem#ted to #ro)e that
''%
Buddhist snake worshi# is a solar institution* uring his lifetime, Buddha already en6oyed
wides#read adoration as <aha !aga, the great ser#ent $Kldham, .QPP, #* .NQ(* Since he and
his tribe belonged to the "sun race:, con6ectures this author, the snake gods also ought to be
"solar:* ;mong other sources, he makes reference to an old sutra, where we can read of "The
lord of the o)er#owering ser#ents belonging to Surya Sthe sun godT: $Kldham, .QPP, #*
LL(* 4onetheless, we belie)e Kldham,s thesis, that the Buddhist snake cult had an originally
solar nature, to be a false conclusion* The close connection of heliocentric Buddhism to the
s#here of the snake can therefore only be ex#lained in that Buddha sub6ected the nagas so as
to consolidate his su#reme rule as #atriarchal sun god with this )ictory* This is #recisely the
#rocedure which we also know from tantric #ractices, where the feminine, ignited by the
masculine fire energy, ultimately ser)es the androcentric yogi* The ignited feminine element
is, as we know, referred to as "undalini, that is, fire serpent.
S%T The "#ilgrimage: of the soul to the "#ure land: of the light god has in ;sia become
> abo)e all in -hina and Da#an > a widely distributed religious belief and has led to the
formation of )arious Buddhist schools*
S'T ;n institution es#ecially established for the #erformance of the great #ublic
initiations of the "alachakra Tantra, which is under the direct su#er)ision of the alai !ama*
S@T @aruda& the bird of #rey, is #resented in Tibetan mythology as a #owerful snake
killer* <t is the fire eagle, which feeds u#on the flesh of the nagas $snakes(* +e know already
from the <ndian national e#ic, the <ahabharata, that it belongs to the race of the sun, and that
it was a totemic figure for tribes which worshi##ed the sun as their highest
deity* The garuda is also the #rotecti)e animal of the alai !ama and is mentioned in
the "alachakra Tantra* oes it re#resent the fiery masculine #ower o)er the feminine snake
worldA ;lbert 9rInwedel saw it in these terms when he wrote0 "+e know the garuda7like,
awful, high7flying bird of #rey which tears girls SnagisT a#art ***: $9rInwedel, .Q%@, )ol* <<, #*
LP(* The author is further con)inced that there is talk in the "alachakra Tantra of a
transformation of the nagas into garudas$9rInwedel, .Q%@, )ol* <<, #* LPR "alacakra ?-, #*
.P%(* +hate)er one may think of 9rInwedel,s inter#retation, it at any rate draws attention to
the tantric mystery which can be seen to s#arkle behind the garuda myth0 the transformation
of feminine water energy $the snake( by masculine fire $the garuda(, or the absor#tion of the
moon $the snake( by the sun $the garuda( as the culmination of the de)elo#ment of #atriarchal
#ower*
'''
SHT Perha#s his role as su#reme time god has something to do with the fact that
the "undun has a )ery s#ecial fondness for taking a#art, re#airing, and then reassembling
modern watchesA ; Swiss organiMation of exiled Tibetans sells clocks featuring the main
symbol of the "alachakra Tantra $the dasakaro +asi( and markets these )ia the <nternet* The
monk aoxuan $HQL7LLN( had already com#ared Buddhism to a clock* +hen a Buddha
a##ears in the world > we learn from him > then the clock also functions* <f the clock does
not kee# the time, this means that the #eo#le no longer follow the harma* +hen Shakyamuni
died, "the clockwork no longer functioned: $Forte, .QPP, #* %HQ(*
SLT <n this connection, a text on homosexuality recently #ublished by one of the most
intimate of 1is 1oliness,s western collaborators a##ears 8uite biMarre* The most recent book
by Deffrey 1o#kins, currently Professor of Tibetan Studies at the =ni)ersity of Virginia, has
the title of Sex& Nrgasm and the <ind of Clear 9ight/ The OP ;rts of @ay <ale Sex$1o#kins,
.QQL(* <n reading through the text we naturally asked oursel)es the 8uestion0 -an the tantric
exchange of energies also take #lace between menA <s a female wisdom consort necessary at
all for the #erformance of the sexual magic #ractices or may it also be a male consortA The
book does not offer an answer to this and must therefore, as 1o#kins himself stresses, not be
regarded as a tantric text* <t is much more a matter of > as he himself #uts it > a
homosexual"ama Sutra, a guide to erotic amusement* Euite a number of lecherous lines are
de)oted to anal intercourse, which is one of the sexual taboos for 1is 1oliness* > Kne text
in which homosexual tantric #ractices are discussed by a guru is The =awn Horse
Testament by a Free Dohn, the former s#iritual teacher of the ;merican e)olutionary theorist,
2en +ilber* The author a##ro)es of homosexual rites to a limited degree, but strongly
em#hasiMes that during the sexual magic act strictly one man must #lay the masculine role and
the other should take the feminine role $a, .QQ., #* '@P(* Kne of the men is thus is used in
terms of energy as a substitute woman, which only confirms the fundamentally heterosexual
orientation of Tantrism*
*D THE DALAI LAMA &&V&L50=$;,HV&(&)
AND THE DEMONESS &,(=@M5)

1istory as understood in the "alachakra Tantra is a#ocaly#tic sal)ational history, it is
> as we ha)e said > an alchemic ex#eriment aimed at #roducing an ;< B=1;* The
#rotagonists in this drama are no mere mortals but gods* 1istory and myth thus form a union*
<f we take the #hiloso#hy of -a0rayana literally then all the e)ents of the tantric #erformance
''@
ought to be able to be found again in the history of Tibet* The latter should therefore be
inter#reted as the ex#ression of a sexual dynamic* Before we oursel)es begin to search for
symbolic connections and mythic fields behind the #ractical #olitical facts of Tibetan history,
we should ask oursel)es whether the Tibetans ha)e not of their own accord conducted such a
sex s#ecific and sexual magic inter#retation of their historical ex#eriences*

+e know that the rules of the game demand two #rinci#al actors in e)ery tantric
#erformance, a man and a woman, or, res#ecti)ely, a god and a goddess* <n any case the #iece
is di)ided into three acts0

"D Th( !(Bua $agic union o- god and godd(!!
*D Th( !u5!(Au(nt ,tantric -($a( !acri-ic(C
+D Th( 8roduction o- th( co!$ic androg%n( &ADI #EDDHA)

!et us turn our attention, then, to the indi)idual scenes through which this cosmic
theater unfolds on the "5oof of the +orld:* 1ere, the country,s myths of origin are of decisi)e
significance, then they #ro)ide the archety#al framework from which, in an ancient
conce#tion of history, all later e)ents may be deri)ed*

Th( 5ondag( o- th( (arth godd(!! ,rinmo and th( hi!tor% o- th( origin o- Ti5(t
The Bodhisatt)a ;+alokitesh+ara is considered the #rogenitor of the Tibetans, he thus
determines e)ents from the )ery beginning* <n the #eriod before there were humans on earth,
the Buddha being was embodied in a monkey and #assed the time in dee# meditation on the
"5oof of the +orld:* There, as if from nowhere, a rock demoness by the name
of Srinmo a##eared* The hideous figure was a descendent of the Srin clan, a bloodthirsty
community of nature goddesses* "S#urred on by horniness: > as one text #uts it > she too
assumed the form of a $female( monkey and tried o)er se)en days to seduce ;+alokitesh+ara*
But the di)ine Bodhisatt)a monkey withstood all tem#tations and remained untouched and
chaste* ;s he continued to refuse on the eighth day,Srinmo threatened him with the following
words0 "2ing of the monkeys, listen to me and what < am thinking* Through the #ower of
lo)e, < )ery much lo)e you* Through this #ower of lo)e < woo you, and confess0 <f you will
not be my s#ouse, < shall become the rock demon,s com#anion* <f countless young rock
demons then arise, e)ery morning they will take thousands u#on thousands of li)es* The
''H
region of the !and of Snows itself will take on the nature of the rock demons* ;ll other forms
of life will then be consumed by the rock demons* <f < myself then die as a conse8uence of my
deed, these li)ing beings will be #lunged into hell* Think of me then, and ha)e #ity:
$1ermanns, .QHL, #* '%(* +ith this she hit the bullseye* "Sexual intercourse out of com#assion
and for the benefit of all suffering beings: was > as we already know > a wides#read
"ethical: #ractice in <ahayanaBuddhism* es#ite this #rece#t, the monkey first turned to his
emanation father, ;mitabha& and asked him for ad)ice* The "god of light from the +est:
answered him with wise foresight0 "Take the rock demoness as your consort* Bour children
and grandchildren will multi#ly* +hen they ha)e finally become humans, they will be a
su##ort to the teaching: $1ermanns, .QHL, #* '%(*

4e)ertheless, this Buddhist e)olutionary account, reminiscent of -harles arwin, did
not 6ust arise from the com#assionate gesture of a di)ine monkeyR rather, it also contains a
widely s#read, elitist )alue 6udgement by the clergy, which lets the Tibetans and their country
be de#icted as unci)iliMed, underde)elo#ed and animal7like, at least as far as the negati)e
influence of their #rimordial mother is concerned* "From their father they are hardworking,
kind, and attracted to religious acti)ityR from their mother they are 8uick7tem#ered,
#assionate, #rone to 6ealousy and fond of #lay and meat:, an old text says of the inhabitants of
the !and of Snows $Samuel, .QQ', #* %%%(*

Two forces thus stand o##osed to one another, right from the Tibetan genesis0 the
disci#lined, restrained, culturally creati)e, s#iritual world of the monks in the form
of ;+alokitesh+ara and the wild, destructi)e energy of the feminine in the figure of Srinmo*

<n a further myth, non7Buddhist Tibet itself a##ears as the embodiment of Srinmo $Danet
9yatso, .QPQ, #* @@(* The local demoness is said to ha)e resisted the introduction of the true
teaching by the Buddhist missionaries from <ndia with all means at her dis#osal, with
wea#onry and with magic, until she was ultimately defeated by the great king of law,
Songtsen 9am#o $L.N7LH&(, an incarnation of;+alokitesh+ara $and thus of the current alai
!ama(* "The lake in the Milk #lane,: writes the Tibet researcher 5olf ;* Stein, "where the
first Buddhist king built his tem#le $the Dokhang(, re#resented the heart of the demoness, who
lay u#on her back* The demoness is Tibet itself, which must first be tamed before she can be
inhabited and ci)iliMed* 1er body still co)ers the full extent of Tibet in the #eriod of its
''L
greatest military ex#ansion $eighth to ninth century -*3*(* 1er s#read7eagled limbs reached to
the limits of Tibetan settlement *** <n order to kee# the limbs of the defeated demoness under
control, twel)e nails of immobility were hammered into her: $Stein, .QQ', #*'@(* ; Buddhist
tem#le was raised at the location of each of these twel)e nailings*

Mysterious stories circulate among the Tibetans which tell of a lake of blood under the
Dokhang, which is su##osed to consist of Srinmo's heart blood* ;nyone who lays his ear to the
ground in the cathedral, the sacred center of the !and of Snows, can still > many claim >
hear her faint heartbeat* ; com#arison of this unfortunate female fate with the sub6ugation of
the 9reek dragon,(ython& at el#hi immediately suggests itself* ;pollo& the god of light
$;+alokitesh+ara(, let the earth7monster, Python $Srinmo(, li)e once he had defeated it so that
it would #ro#hesy for him, and built o)er the mistreated body at el#hi the most famous
oracle tem#le in 9reece*

The earth demoness is nailed down with phurbas* These are ritual daggers with a three7
sided blade and a +a0ra handle* +e know these already from the "alachakra ritual, where
they are likewise em#loyed to fixate the earth s#irits and the earth mother* The authors who
ha)e examined the symbolic significance of the magic wea#on are unanimous in their
assessment of the aggressi)e #hallic symbolism of the phurba*

<n their )iew, Srinmo re#resents an archety#al )ariant of the Mother 3arth figure known
from all cultures, whom the 9reeks called 9aia $@aea:* ;s nature and as woman she stands in
stark contrast to the #urely s#iritual world of Tantric Buddhism* The forces of wilderness,
which rebel against androcentric ci)iliMation, are bundled within her* She forms the feminine
shadow world in o##osition to the masculine #aradise of light of the shining ;mitabha and his
radiant emanation son,;+alokitesh+ara* Srinmo symboliMes the $historical( prima materia, the
matrix, the #rimordial earthly substance which is needed in order to construct a tantric
monastic em#ire, then she #ro)ides the gynergy, the feminine Jlan +itale, with which the !and
of Snows #ulsates* ;s the )an8uisher of the earth goddess, ;+alokitesh+ara trium#hs in the
form of 2ing Songtsen 9am#o, that is, the same Bodhisatt)a who, as a monkey, earlier
engendered with Srinmo the Tibetans in myth, and who shall later exercise absolute dominion
from the "5oof of the +orld: as alai !ama*

''N
Tibet,s sacred center, the Dokhang $the cathedral of !hasa(, the royal chronicles inform
us, thus stands o)er the #ierced heart of a woman, the earth mother Srinmo* This act of nailing
down is re#eated at the construction of e)ery !amaist shrine, whether tem#le or monastery
and regardless of where the establishment takes #lace > in Tibet, <ndia, or the +est* Then
before the first foundation stone for the new building is laid, the tantric #riests occu#y the
chosen location and execute the ritual #iercing of the earth mother with their #hurbas* Tibet,s
holy geogra#hy is thus erected u#on the maltreated bodies of mythic women, 6ust as the
tantric shrines of <ndia $the shakta pithas( are found on the #laces where the dismembered
body of the goddess Sati fell to earth*

,rinmo %ith di**erent $ibetan temples "pon her body

<n contrast to her Babylonian sister, Tiamat, who was cut to #ieces by her great7
grandchild,<arduk, so that outer s#ace was formed by her limbs, Srinmo remains ali)e
following her sub6ugation and nailing down* ;ccording to the tantric scheme,
her gynergy flows as a constant source of life for the Buddhocratic system* She thus )egetates
> half dead, half ali)e > o)er centuries in the ser)ice of the #atriarchal clergy* ;n
inter#retation of this #rocess according to the criteria of the gaia thesis often discussed in
recent years would certainly be most re)ealing* $+e return to this #oint in our analysis of the
ecological #rogram of the Tibetans in exile*( ;ccording to this thesis, the mistreated "Mother
3arth: $@aia is the #o#ular name for the 9reek earth mother( has been ex#loited by humanity
$and the godsA( for millennia and is bleeding to death* But Srinmo is not 6ust a reser)oir of
''P
inexhaustible energy* She is also the absolute Kther, the foreign, and the great danger which
threatens the Buddhocratic state* Srinmo is > as we still ha)e to #ro)e > the mythic "inner
enemy: of Tibetan !amaism, while the external mythic enemy is likewise re#resented by a
woman, the -hinese goddess @uanyin*

Srinmo sur)i)ed > e)en if it was under the most horrible circumstances, yet the
Tibetans also ha)e a myth of dismemberment which re#eats the Babylonian tragedy
of Tiamat* !ike many #eo#les they worshi# the tortoise as a symbol of Mother 3arth* ;
Tibetan myth tells of how in the mists of time the Bodhisatt)a <an0ushri sacrificed such a
creature "for the benefit of all beings:* <n order to form a solid foundation for the world he
fired an arrow off at the tortoise which struck it in the right7hand side* The wounded animal
s#at fire, its blood #oured out, and it #assed excrement* <t thus multi#lied the elements of the
new world* ;lbert 9rInwedel #resents this myth as e)idence for the "tantric female sacrifice:
in the "alachakra ritual0 "The tortoise which <an0ushri shot through with a long arrow *** SisT
6ust another form of the world woman whose inner organs are de#icted by the dasakaro
+asi figure Sthe Power of TenT/ $9rInwedel, .Q%@, )ol* <<, #* Q%(*

The relation of Tibetan Buddhism to the goddess of the earth or of the country $Tibet( is
also one of brutal sub6ugation, an im#risonment, an ensla)ement, a murder or a
dismemberment* 3u#hemistically, and in ignorance of the tantric scheme of things it could
also be inter#reted as a ci)iliMing of the wilderness through culture* Bet howe)er the relation
is #ercei)ed > no meeting, no exchange, no mutual recognition of the two forces takes #lace*
<n the de#ths of Tibet,s history > as we shall show > a brutal battle of the sexes is #layed
out*

Wh% wo$(n can=t ci$5 th( 8ur( cr%!ta $ountain
3)en the landsca#e is sexualiMed in Tibetan folk beliefs $this too s8uares with the ideas
of Tantrism(* <n mountain lakes, the water of which has taken on a red color $#robably
because of mercury(, the lamas see the menstrual blood of the goddess -a0ra+arahi* <n ri)ers,
lakes, and s#rings dwell the 9u, who resemble our nixies* They are hostile towards we
humans, yet they were nonetheless #referred as s#ouses by the kings of the highlands in
ancient times and brought their magic abilities with them in the marriage* +e learn from the
Fifth alai !ama that they lea)e no cor#se behind when they die*
''Q

The myths ha)e also di)ided the massi)e snow ca##ed #eaks along sexual lines* <t was
hence not uncommon for #articular mountains to marry and the descendants of such alliances
are su##osed to ha)e grounded #owerful royal houses* Kne of the mountain goddesses is
world famous, because it rises abo)e the other #eaks of the #lanet as the highest mountain of
all* +e know her under the name of Mount 3)erest, the 1imalayan #eo#les, howe)er, #ray to
her as the "Mother of the 3arth:, the "+hite 1ea)ens 9oddess:, the "+hite 9lacier !ady:,
the "9oddess of the +inds:, the "!ady of !ong !ife:, the "3le#hant 9oddess:*

<n his study with the descri#ti)e title of hy can't women climb pure crystal
mountainD& the Tibet researcher Toni 1uber describes an interesting mythic case where a
mountain goddess was de#ri)ed of her #ower by a tantric Siddha and since then the location
of her former rule may no longer be )isited by women* The case concerns the Tsari, a
mountain which was the seat of a #owerful female deity in #re7Buddhist times* She was
defeated by a yogi in the twelfth century* The brutal battle between her and the +a0ra master
dis#lays clear traits of a tantric #erformance* ;s the yogi entered the region under her control,
the goddess let a series of )aginas a##ear by magical mani#ulation so as to seduce her
challenger, yet the latter succeeded in warding off the magic through a brutal act of
sub6ugation* ;s she then, lying on the ground, showed herself willing to slee# with her
con8ueror, she was at first re6ected on the grounds that she was of the female sex $V(* But after
a while the yogi acce#ted her as a wisdom consort and took away all her magic #owers once
they had united sexually $1uber, .QQ@, #* 'H%(*

From this #oint in time on, Tsari, which was among the most holy mountains of the
highlands, became taboo for women, both for Buddhist nuns and for laity* This ban has
remained in force until modern times* 9rou#s of #ilgrims who )isited the mountain in the
eighties sent their women back in ad)ance* Toni 1uber 8uestioned se)eral lamas about he
significance of this misogynist custom* The ma6ority of answers made reference to the "#urity
of the location: which in the )iew of the monks formed a geogra#hic mandala0 "Because it is
such a #ure abode, **** women are not allowed* *** The only reason is that women are of
inferior birth and im#ure* There are many #owerful mandalas on the mountain that are di)ine
and #ure, and women are #olluting: $1uber, .QQ@, #* 'HL(*

'@&
But there was also another 6ustification for the exclusion of the female #ilgrims which
likewise shows how and with what #resum#tion the androcentric #ower elite of the land seiMe
#ossession of the formerly feminine geogra#hy0 "The reason why women canGt go u# there is
that at Tsari are lots of small, self7#roduced manifestations of the Buddha genitals made of
stone* <f you look at them they 6ust a##ear ordinary, but they are actually miraculous #halluses
of the Buddha, so if women go there these miracles would become s#oiled by their #resence,
and the women would get many #roblems also* They would get sick and #erha#s die
#rematurely* <t is generally harmful for their health so that is why they sto##ed women going
to the holy #lace in the #ast, for their own benefit* The #roblem is that women are low and
dirty, thus they are too im#ure to go there: $1uber, .QQ@, #* 'HN(* <t is no wonder that in
feminist circles the future climbing of Tsari by a woman and its "re7con8uest: has become a
symbol for female resistance against #atriarchal !amaism*

Matriarch% in th( Land o- Snow!<
Siegbert 1ummel sees remnants of a long lost maternal cult in the Tibetan female
mountain deities and their attributes* These could ha)e already reached <ndia and the Tibetan
#lateau from Mediterranean regions in the late stone age $from @&&& B*-*3*(* <t is a matter of
one of the two contrary cultural currents, which may ha)e embedded themsel)es dee#ly in the
Tibetan #o#ular #syche thousands of years ago0 "The first is lunar in character and could be
connected with the Tibetan megalithic* *** <ts world )iew is triadic, exhibits chthonic, demonic
and #hallicist tendencies, snake and tree cults, as well as the worshi# of maternal deities ***
The other com#onent is markedly solar, dualist and hea)en7related, #rimarily nomadic*
Shamanist elements, #robably from an earlier solar, hunting basis, are numerous: $1ummel,
.QH@, #* .%P(*

<n that he nominates the sexual discord which has ke#t the ci)iliMations of the !and of
Snows in sus#ense since the earliest times, 1ummel s#eaks here with the )ocabulary of
Tantrism, #robably without knowing it* <n his )iew then, the two hea)enly orbs of moon and
sun already stood o##osed as two #olar, culture7sha#ing forces in #re7Buddhist Tibet*
Following the solar Bon cult Tantric Buddhism has taken o)er the sunly role since the eighth
century* <n contrast, the moon cults ha)e been > the myth of the nailing down
of Srinmo teaches us > o)erthrown by the sun warriors*

'@.
;ccording to 1ummel the lunar and solar cultural currents are gra#hically demonstrated
in the )ery #o#ular garuda motif in Tibetan art* The garuda is a mythical sun7bird* 4ot
infre8uently it holds in its beak a snake, which must be assigned to the lunar, matriarchal
world* There was thus a fundamental clash between the two cultures0 "Since the garuda is
thereby understood as an enemy of the snakes, it seems natural to sus#ect that there where the
snake7killing garuda arose, the lunar and solar cultures encountered and o##osed one another
as enemies: 1ummel writes $1ummel, .QH@, #* .&.(*

There are in fact numerous historically demonstrable matriarchal elements in the old
Tibetan culture* <n this connection there are the still unex#lained and mysterious stone circles
which ha)e been brought into connection with matriarchal cults and were already disco)ered
by S)en 1edin on his research tri#s* <n contrast, numerous #rehistoric shrines found in ca)es
offer us less ambiguous information* <t has been clearly #ro)en that female deities were
worshi##ed at these chthonic sites* <n this century such ca)es were still considered as birth
channels and a )isit to them was seen as an initiation and hence as a rebirth $Stein, .QPP, ##*
%7@(*

; further secret concerns the mythic female kingdoms which are su##osed to ha)e
existed in Tibet > one in the +est, another in the 3ast, and the third in the 4orth of the !and
of Snows* The in #art detailed re#orts about these stem from -hinese sources and may be
traced back to the se)enth century -*3* +e learn that these realms, de#icted as being )ery
#owerful, were ruled by 8ueens who had command o)er a tribal council of women $-hayet,
.QQ', #* H.(* +hen they died se)eral members of court )oluntarily 6oined the female rulers in
death* The female nobles had male ser)ants, and women were the head of the family* ; child
inherited its mother,s name*

Kn one of his first ex#editions to Tibet, 3rnst SchYfer encountered a matriarchal tribe
who distinguished themsel)es through their cruelty* <n his book, Fnter RQubern in
Tibet S;mong 5obbers in TibetT, he re#orts0 ";s we learn in 6u79om#a, #rimiti)e
matriarchy is still #racticed by the wild 4goloks* ; great 8ueen, ;d6ung de Dogo by name,
reigns autocratically o)er the six main tribes that are go)erned by #rinces* ;s the
reincarnation of a hea)enly being she en6oys di)ine honors and at the same time is the s#ouse
of all her tribal #rinces on earth* She rules with a strong hand, is #retty and cle)er, #ossesses a
'@%
bodyguard of se)en thousand warriors, and handles a gun like a man* Knce a year ;d6ung de
Dogo #roceeds u# the 9od7mountain with her se)en thousand men in a grand #rocession in
order to meditate in the glacial isolation before she returns to the black tents of her mobile
residence*

<t is not 6ust about the intre#id courage of the 4goloks but also their cruelty that #eo#le
tell the most terrible stories* Kf all the Tibetan tribes they are su##osed to ha)e figured out the
most ingenious ways of des#atching their )ictims off to 6oin their ancestors* -ho##ing off
hands and s#litting skulls are minor thingsR they can be left to the othersV But sewing S#eo#leT
u# in fresh yak skins and letting them roast in the sun > disemboweling while ali)e, or
launching the entrails skywards on bent rods, these are the methods that are lo)ed in
4golokland*

;t nearly all times of the year, but es#ecially in early fall when the marshes are dried
out and the animals are best nourished, the 4goloks undertake their large7scale #lundering
raids to as far as Barum7Tsaidam in the north, Sung#an in the south, and 6u79om#a in the
+est* 3)en for -hinese merchants they are the e#itome of all the terrible things that are said
of the "+estern barbarian country: in the Middle 2ingdom* $SchYfer, .QH%, ##* .L@7.LH(

<n the nineteen fifties, to the south of Bhutan a matriarchally organiMed tribe by the
name of "9aro: still existed, the members of which were con)inced that they had emigrated
from a #ro)ince in Tibet in #rehistoric times $Bertrand, .QHN, #* @.(* +e may also recall that
in the Shambhala tra)el books of the Third Panchen !ama there is talk of regions in which
only women li)e*

<t would certainly be somewhat hasty to conclude the existence of a matriarchy across
the whole 1imalayas solely on the basis of the material at hand* But at any rate, the male
imagination has for centuries #ainted the inaccessible highlands as a region under the control
of female tribes and their 8ueens*

Th( w(!t(rn i$agination
;s early as the thirteenth century the myth of the Tibetan female kingdoms had reached
3uro#e* S#eculation about this ha)e had a hold u#on western tra)elers u# until the #resent
'@'
day* !ikewise noteworthy is the fre8uent allegorical connection of Tibet to something
enigmatically feminine, that is, a western imagining which is congruent with the traditional
Tibetan conce#tion* Since the nineteenth century 3uro#ean researchers, mountain climbers,
and followers of the esoteric ha)e enthused about the !and of Snows as if it were a woman
who ought to be con8uered, whose )eil should be lifted, and into whose secrets one wished to
"#enetrate:* The Tibet researcher, Peter Bisho#, has de)oted a detailed study to this occidental
fantasy $Bisho#, .QQ', #* 'L(*

Probably the most absurd de#iction of a western encounter with the "9reat Mother
Tibet: can be found in the tra)el re#ort of the 3nglishman, 1arrison Forman, from the
nineteen thirties* To offer the reader some amusement, but abo)e all to show how strongly the
culture of the !and of Snows can o)er7stimulate the masculine fantasy of a westerner, we
would like to #resent one of Forman,s li)ely recounted ex#eriences in detail*

The Briton had heard of the ;bbess ;lakh 9ong 5ri Tsang $2risang(, a li)ing "female
Buddha: who aroused his curiosity immensely* 1e )isited her con)ent and was gi)en a most
friendly rece#tion* uring a tour he asked about a mysterious grotto, the entrance to which
could be seen on a mountainside* The ;bbess ga)e him a shar# look and announced she was
#re#ared to show him the "shrine:* <n that moment Forman felt a #ainful bout of nausea, but
was nonetheless #re#ared to follow* Thus, after a difficult climb, they both > he and the
;bbess > reached the grotto* ;lakh 9ong 2risang lit two torches and they entered the ca)e*
They were met by a thick darkness, a musty smell, and dancing shadows* S8ueaking bats
fluttered through the stale air* The ghastly ambience made the Briton ner)ous and he asked
himself, "; thought struck me* 9ood !ordV Dust what was this woman !i)ing BuddhaA
5eason struggled with emotion* This was Tibet, where millions belie)ed in e)er #resent e)il
s#irits and their ca#riciousness: $Forman, .Q'L, #* .NQ(*

+ithout looking back, and with a firm footste#, the ;bbess #roceeded further into the
grotto* o not be afraid, my friendV:, she calmed Forman* They #rogressed dee#er and
dee#er through #assages filled with stalactites and stalagmites* Then they came to a s#ace in
the center of which four #yramids of human bones rose u#, with a golden statue in the middle
of them* The ;bbess smiled as if in a "hysterical ecstasy:, writes Forman* <mmobile, she
stared at the golden scul#ture*
'@@

&lakh /on) (ri $san) the %oman /rand B"ddha o* Dr"kh 0"rr /omba

;nd now we should let the author s#eak for himself0 ;nd as < watched her, my 6aw
dro##ed* < stared as she began to disrobe* ; shrug of the shoulders her and her long toga
sli##ed to the floor* Then she loosened the silken girdle at her waist and let dro# the
)oluminous skirt7like garment* 1er other garments followed, one by one, until they formed a
red #ile at her feet* ;nd < saw, what < am sure no white man e)er saw before me, or e)er will
see again, the nude body of ;lakh 9ong 5ri Tsang, the woman 9rand Buddha of rukh 2urr
9omba* 1er body was amaMingly )olu#tuous, and, < su##ose, beautiful* 1er breasts stood like
those of a schoolgirl, firm and round O like hemis#heres of #ure alabaster* 1er figure was
magnificent and of sinuously generous #ro#ortions* < was minded of the substantial nudes of
Michelangelo and his school* ;nd amid the e)er7encircling bats she stood there O still gaMing
'@H
ecstatically u#ward: $Forman, .Q'L, #* .P'(* <f we examine the #hoto which Forman took of
the ;bbess in the con)ent and in which she is not to be distinguished from a #ortly male
;bbot, one is indeed most amaMed at 6ust what is su##osed to be hidden beneath the clothes of
the !i)ing Buddha*

But there is better to come0 The bats had suddenly settled on her 7 like )ultures to a
feast* <n a moment she was co)ered from head to foot* !ike lustful )am#ires they sank their
horrible libidinous beaks into her flesh and the blood began to flow from a hundred wounds:
$Forman, .Q'L, ##* .P', .P@(* Forman turned to stone, but then > e)en in the most ho#eless
of situations a gentleman > he came to his senses, and began to shoot madly at the
bloodsuckers with his re)ol)er* 1e em#tied more than se)en magaMines before the ;bbess, to
his great astonishment asked him with a smile to calm down* +ith a ma6estic gesture she
reanimated the bats which he had killed* There was not the slightest trace of a wound to be
seen on her body any more* ;nd in that moment:, Forman re#orts further, had she been the
lo)eliest woman in all the world S***T 4othing remained of the grisly scene of a few moments
before to #ro)e t me that it had e)er ha##ened at all, sa)e the nude woman and the solid
golden idol with its four guardian #yramids of human bones* Somewhere off in the blackness
< could still hear faintly the obscene screaming of the hordes of bats: $Forman, .Q'L, #* .PH(*
;s they left the grotto, Forman commented u#on the incident > ty#ically British > with the
la#idary words0 <t must bee the altitudeV: $Forman, .Q'L, #* .PL(*

;s absurd as this story may seem, it nonetheless 8uite exactly hits the )isual world
which dominates the tantric milieu, and it in no way exaggerates the often still more fantastic
re#orts which we know from the li)es of famous yogis*

Wo$(n in -or$(r Ti5(tan !oci(t%
1ow then is the fate of Srinmo ex#ressed in Tibetan societyA +e would like to #resent
the social role of women in old Tibet in a )ery condensed manner, without considering e)ents
since the -hinese occu#ation or the situation among the Tibetans in exile here* Their role was
)ery s#ecific and can best be outlined by saying that, #recisely because of her inferiority the
Tibetan woman en6oyed a certain amount of freedom* Fundamentally women were considered
inferior creatures* ;##ro#riately, the Tibetan word for woman can be literally translated as
"lowly born:* Man, in contrast, means "being of higher birth: $1errmann7Pfand, .QQ%, #* NL(*
'@L
; #rayer found widely among the women of Tibet #leads, "may < re6ect a feminine body and
be reborn SinT a male one: $9runfeld, .QQL, #* .Q(* The birth of a girl brought bad luck, that of
a son #romised ha##iness and #ros#erity*

The institution of marriage itself is definitely not one of the Buddhist )irtues O the
historical Buddha himself traded married life for the rough life of a #ilgrim* To be blessed
with children was, because of the curse which rebirth brought with it, something of a burden*
Shakyamuni thus fled his father,s #alace directly following the birth of his son, 5ahula* +ith
unmistakable and decisi)e words, Padmasambha)a also ex#ressed this anti7family
sentiment0 +hen #racticing the harma of liberation, to be married and lead a family life is
like being restraint in tight chains with no freedom* Bou may wish to flee, but you ha)e been
caught in the dungeon of samsara with no esca#e* Bou may later regret it, but you ha)e sunk
into the mire of emotions, with no getting out* <f you ha)e children, they may be lo)ely but
they are the stake that ties you to samsara: $Binder7Schmidt, .QQ@, #* .'.(*

;ccording to the dominant teaching, women could not achie)e enlightenment, and were
thus considered underde)elo#ed* ; reincarnation as a female being was regarded as a
#unishment* The conse8uence of all these weaknesses, inabilities and inferiorities was that the
#atriarchal monastic society #aid little attention to the li)es of women* They were left, so to
s#eak, to do what they wanted* Family life was also not sub6ect to strict rules* Marriages were
solemniMed without many formalities and could be dissol)ed by mutual consent without
consulting an official institution* This disinterest of the clergy led, as we said, to a certain
inde#endence among the women of Tibet, often exaggerated by sensation7hungry western
tra)elers* 3xtramarital relationshi#s were common, es#ecially with ser)ants* ; wife
ne)ertheless had to remain faithful, otherwise the husband had the right to cut off her nose* Kf
course such #ri)ileges did not exist in the re)erse situation*

The much talked about #olyandry, discussed with fascination by western ethnologists,
was also less of an emanci#atory #henomenon than an economical necessity* ; wife ser)ed
two men because this s#ared the money for a further woman* 4aturally, twice the work was
ex#ected of her* Male members of the u##er strata tended in contrast toward #olygyny and
maintained se)eral wi)es* This became 8uite a status symbol and ha)ing more than one wife
'@N
was conse8uently forbidden for the lower classes* <n the absence of cash, a husband could #ay
his debts by letting his creditors take his wife* +e know of no cases of the re)erse*

; liberal attitude towards women on behalf of the clergy arises out of Tantrism* Since
the lamas were generally )iewed to be higher entities, women and girls ne)er resisted the
wishes of the embodied deities* The ;ustrian, 1einrich 1arrer, was amaMed at the sexual
freedom found in the monasteries* !ikewise, the Da#anese monk, 2awaguchi 3ikai, wondered
on his 6ourney through Tibet about the great beauty #ossessed by the young consorts of aged
abbots: $8uoted by Ste)ens, .QQ&, #* P&(* ; #ro#ortion of the female tantric #artners may
ha)e earned a li)ing as #rostitutes after they had finished ser)ing as mudras* There were
many of these in the towns, and hence a saying arose according to which as many whores
filled the streets of !hasa as dogs*

But there was a married #riesthood in Tibet* For members of a monastery the relaxation
of the oath of celibacy was nonetheless considered an exce#tion* These married lamas and
their women #rimarily #erformed "#astoral: work in the )illages* ;s far as we can determine,
in such cases the wife was only )ery rarely the tantric wisdom consort of her husband* <n the
Sakya#a sect the great abbots were married and had children* ; #ro#er dynasty grew u# out of
their families* +e know of #recisely these #owerful hierarchs that they made use not of their
wi)es but rather of )irgin girls $kumaris( for their rites*

The "freedom: of the Tibetan women was null and )oid as soon as sacred boundaries
were crossed > for exam#le the gates of the monastery, which remained closed to them* Knly
during the great annual festi)als were they sometimes in)ited, but they were ne)er #ermitted
to #artici#ate acti)ely in the #erformances* <n the official mystery #lays the roles of goddesses
or dakinis were exclusi)ely #erformed by men* 3)en the #oultry which clucked around in the
alai !ama,s gardens consisted solely of roosters, since hens would ha)e corru#ted the holy
grounds with their feminine radiation* ; woman was ne)er allowed to touch the #ossessions
of a lama*

The Tibetan nuns do admittedly take #art in certain rites, but ha)e in all much more
circumscribed li)es than those of lay women* id not the historical Buddha himself say that
they stood in the way of the de)elo#ment of the teaching, and long hesitate before ordaining
'@P
womenA 1e was con)inced that the "daughters of Mara: would accelerate the downfall of
Buddhism, e)en if they let their heads be sha)ed* Still today the rules #rescribe that a nun
owes the lowliest monk the greatest res#ect, whilst the re)erse does not a##ly in any sense *
5ather than being #raised for her #ious decision to lead a life in a con)ent, she is abused for
being inca#able of building u# an orderly family life* es#ite all these degradations, to which
there ha)e been no essential changes u# to the #resent, the nuns ha)e , without concern for life
and limb, stood at the head of the emergent #rotest mo)ement in Tibet since .QPN*

Th( ach($ic di'i!ion o- th( -($inin(: Th( Ti5(tan godd(!!(! Pad(n Lha$o and
Tara
<n our ex#lanation of Buddhist Tantrism we re#eatedly mentioned the di)ision of the
feminine into a gloomy, re#ellant, and aggressi)e as#ect and a bright, attracti)e, and mild one*
The terrifying and cruel dakini is counter#ointed by the sweet and blessing7gi)ing "sky
walker:* Femininity )acillates between these two extremes $the Madonna and the whore( and
can be ke#t under control because of this inner turmoil* <n the same context, we drew
attention to #arallels to <ndian and 3uro#ean alchemy, where the dark #art is described as
the prima materia and the bright as the feminine elixir $gynergy( yearned for by the ade#t*
oes such a s#litting of the feminine also find ex#ression in the mythical history of the !and
of SnowsA

Palden Lhamo > $he Dalai Lama?s prote'tive )oddess
; monumental dark and wrathful mother par excellence is (alden 9hamo, who, like her
"sister:Srinmo& was a wild, free matriarch in #re7Buddhist times, but then, brought under
control by a+a0ra master, began to ser)e the "true doctrine: > but in contrast to Srinmo she
does so acti)ely* She is the #rotecti)e deity of the alai !ama, the whole country, and its
ca#ital, !hasa* This grants her an exce#tionally high #osition in the Tibetan #antheon* The
Fifth alai !ama was one of her greatest worshi##ers, the goddess is su##osed to ha)e
a##eared to him se)eral times in #ersonR she was his #olitical ad)isor and confidante
$2armay, .QPP, #* 'H(* Kne of her many names, which e)oke both her martial and her tantric
character, is 9reat +arrior eity, the Powerful Mother of the +orld of the Doys of the
Senses: $5ichardson, .QQ', #* PN(* ;fter the "9reat Fifth: had re#eatedly recited her mantra
for a while, he dreamt "that the ghost s#irits in -hina SwereT being subdued: $2armay, .QPP,
#* 'H(* Since then she has been considered to be one of the chief enemies of Bei6ing*
'@Q

<n examining a #ortrait of her, one becomes con)inced that (alden 9hamo would be
among the most re#ulsi)e figures in a worldwide gallery of demons* +ith gnashing teeth,
bulging eyes and a filthy blue body, she rides u#on a wild mule* Beneath its hoo)es s#reads a
sea of blood which has flowed from the )eins of her slaughtered enemies* Se)ered arms,
heads, legs, eyes and entrails float around in it* The mule,s saddle is made from the leather of
a skinned human* That would be re#ulsi)e enoughV But the horror o)ercomes one when one
disco)ers that it is the skin of her own $V( son, who was killed by the goddess when he refused
to follow her exam#le and ado#t the Buddhist faith* <n her right hand (alden 9hamo swings a
club in the form of a child,s skeleton* Some inter#reters of this scene claim that this is also the
remains of her son* +ith her left hand the fiendess holds a skull bowl filled with human blood
to her li#s* Poisonous snakes are entwined all around her* S.T

!ike the <ndian goddess, "ali& she a##ears with a loud retinue* Kne can encounter her
of a night on charnel fields together with her noisy flock* Dust what unbridled aggression this
army of female ghosts kindled in the imaginations of the monks is best shown by a #oem
which the lamas of the re#ung monastery sing in honor of their #rotecti)e lady, =or0e
=ragmogyel, who is one of(alden 9hamo's horde0

<o" )lorio"s Dorje Dra)mo)yel ###
1hen yo" are an)ry at yo"r enemies
$hen yo" ride "pon a *iery ball o* li)htnin)#
& 'lo"d o* *lames > like that at the end o* all time 4
Po"rs *rom yo"r mo"th
,moke streams *rom yo"r nose
Pillars o* *ire *ollo% yo"#
H"rriedly yo" 'olle't 'lo"ds *rom the *irmament
$he r"mble o* th"nder pier'es
thro")h the ten re)ions o* the %orld#
& dread*"l rain o* meteors
and h")e hailstones h"rtles do%n
&nd the ;arth is *looded in *ire and %ater#
Devilish birds and o%ls %hir aro"nd
'H&
Bla'k birds %ith yello% beaks *loat past
one a*ter another#
$he 'ir'le o* Mnemo )oddesses spins
$he %ar hordes o* the demons thron)
&nd the steeds o* the tsen spirits ra'e )allopin) a%ay#
1hen yo" are happy
then the o'ean beats a)ainst the sky#
=* ra)e *ills yo" then the s"n and moon *all
=* yo" la")h the %orld mo"ntain 'ollapses into d"st ####
<o" and yo"r 'ompanions
De*eat all %ho %o"ld harm the B"ddhist tea'hin)
&nd %ho try to disr"pt the li*e o* the monasti' 'omm"nity#
1o"nd all those o* evil intent
&nd espe'ially prote't o"r monastery
this holy pla'e ####
<o" sho"ld not %ait years and months
drink no% the %arm heart?s blood o* the enemies
and e.terminate them in the blink o* an eye#
$4ebesky7+o6kowitM, .QHH, '@(

<n our #resentation of the tantric ritual we showed how the terror goddesses or dakinis,
whate)er form they may assume, must be brought under control by the yogi* Knce sub6ugated,
they ser)e the #atriarchal monastic state as the destroyers of enemies* 1ence, to re#eat,
the +a0ra master is > when he encounters the dark mother > not interested in transforming
her aggression, but rather much more in setting her to work as a deadly wea#on against
attackers and non7Buddhists* <n the final instance, howe)er > the tantras teach us7 the
feminine has no inde#endent existence, e)en when a##ears in its wrathful form* <n this
res#ect (alden 9hamo is nothing more than one of the many masks of ;+alokitesh+ara, or >
hence 7of the alai !ama himself*

+e know of an astonishing #arallel to this from the kingdom of the #haraohs* The
ancient 3gy#tians #ersonified the wrath of the male king as a female figure* This was known
as Sachmet, the flaming goddess of 6ustice with the face of a lioness $;ssmann, .QQ., #* PQ(*
'H.
Since the rulers were also obliged to reign with leniency as well as 6ustly wrath, Sachmet had
a softer sister, the cat goddess$astet* This goddess was also a characteristic of the king
#ictured in female form* -orres#ondingly, in Tibetan Buddhism the mild sister of the (alden
9hamo is the di)ine Tara*

3)en if the dreadful demoness is in the final instance an imagining of the alai, this
does not mean that this #ro6ection cannot become inde#endent and one day tear herself free of
him, assume her own inde#endent form and then hit back at her hated "#ro6ection father: as
an enemy* Such radical "emanci#ations: of Tibetan #rotecti)e deities are not at all rare and
the collected histories of Tibet are full of re#orts, where submissi)e ser)ants of the lamas free
themsel)es and attem#t to re)olt against their lords* 5ight now, the Tibetan exile community
is being dee#ly shaken by such a rebellious #rotecti)e s#irit by the name of =or0e Shugden,
who has at any rate managed to disfigure the until now com#letely #ure image of
the "undun in the +est with some most #ersistent stains* +e shall return to re#ort on this
often* From Shugden circles also comes the sus#icion that(alden 9hamo has failed
com#letely as the s#iritual #rotector of Tibet, !hasa, and the alai !ama, and has deli)ered
the country into the hands of the -hinese occu#iers* +hate)er o#inion one may ha)e of such
s#eculations, the extreme aggression of the demoness and the #ractical #olitical facts do not
exclude such a )iew of the matter*

<n the life story of (alden 9hamo her relationshi# to her son is #articularly cruel and
numinous* +hy a woman who is re)ered as the su#reme #rotecti)e s#irit of Tibet and the
alai !ama must be the slaughterer of her own child, may seem monstrous e)en to one who
has become accustomed to the atrocities of the tantras* <f we inter#ret the case #sychologically
we must ask oursel)es the following 8uestions0 ;s a mother, is (alden 9hamo not dri)en by
constant horrorA <s her bottomless hate not the ex#ression of her abominable deedA Must she
not in her heart be the arch7enemy of Buddhism, the cause of her infanticideA

<s this re#ellant cult e)en more murderous than it already a##earsA <s the goddess
#erha#s offered sacrifices which simultaneously a##ease and ca#ti)ate herA Since the
demoness had to slaughter the utmost which a mother can gi)e, namely her child, for Tibetan
Buddhism, the sacrifice which is to fill her with satisfaction must also be the highest which
!amaism has to offer*
'H%

<n fact, the early deaths of the 4inth, Tenth, 3le)enth, and Twelfth alai !ama gi)e rise
to the 8uestion of whether a deliberately initiated sacrificial offering to (alden 9hamo could
be in)ol)ed hereA ;ll four god7kings died at an age before they were able to take o)er the
business of go)ernment* <n each case, the regents who were exercising real #ower until the
new alai !amas came of age were sus#ected with good reason of being the murderer* <n the
Tibet of old #oisonings were a regular occurrence* There is e)en said to ha)e been a morbid
belief that whoe)er #oisoned a highly res#ected man would obtain all the ha##iness and
#ri)ileges of his )ictim*

These are the historical facts* But there is a mysterious e)ent to be found in the brief
biogra#hies of the four unha##y "god7kings: which could lend their fate a dee#er, symbolic
meaning* +e mean the )isit to a tem#le about a hundred miles southeast of !hasa which was
dedicated to one of the emanations of (alden 9hamo* +e must imagine such shrines
$gokhangs(, dedicated to the wrathful deities, to be a real cabinet of horrors* Stuffed full of
real and magic wea#ons, #added out by all manner of dried human body #arts, they aroused
absolute re#ugnance among )isitors from the +est*

<n order to test the #sychological hardiness of the young "unduns, at least once in their
li)es the children were locked in the morbid tem#le mentioned and #robably ex#osed to the
most terrible #erformances of the goddess* "Boung as they were, they had insufficient
knowledge to #ersuade her to turn away the wrath, which came so easily to her, and,
accordingly, they died soon after the meeting:, -harles Bell wrote of this cruel rite of
initiation $Bell, .QQ@, #* .HQ(* +hate)er may ha)e taken #lace within this gokhang, the
children emerged from this hell com#letely disturbed and were all four close to madness*

The lot of the young Twelfth was #articularly tragic* 1is chamberlain, one of his few
intimates, was caught thie)ing from the Potala on a large scale* 1e fled u#on disco)ery of the
deed, was caught u# with, and killed* The body was stra##ed astride a horse as if it were ali)e*
The dead man was thus led before the young "undun* Before the eyes of the fifteen year old,
the head, hands and feet of the wrongdoer were struck off and the trunk was tossed into a
field* The god7king was so horrified by the s#ectacle of the body of his "best friend: that he
no longer wanted to see anyone at all any more and sought refuge in s#eechlessness*
'H'
4e)ertheless, the )isit to the horrifying tem#le of(alden 9hamo was still ex#ected of him
afterwards* <n contrast the "9reat Thirteenth: did not )isit the shrine of the demoness before
he was %H years old and came away unscathed* 3)en the -hinese were amaMed at this* +e do
not know if the Fourteenth alai !ama has e)er set foot in the shrine*

<f one #ursues a TibetanUtantric logic, it naturally makes sense to inter#ret the #remature
deaths of the four alai !amas as sacrifices to (alden 9hamo, since according to tradition it is
necessary to constantly #alliate the terror gods with blood and flesh* The demoness,s extreme
cruelty is beyond doubt, and that she desires the sacrifice of boys is re)ealing of her own
tragic history* <ncidentally, the slaughter of her son may be an indicator of an originally
matriarchal sacrificial cult which the Buddhists integrated into their own system* For
exam#le, the researcher ;* 1* Francke has disco)ered rock inscri#tions in Tibet which refer to
human sacrifices to the great goddess $Francke, .Q.@, #* %.(* But it could alsoO in light of the
tantric methods > be that (alden 9hamo& con)erted to Buddhism not from con)iction but
because she was magically forced to the ground, was com#elled by her new lords to murder
her son and that she re)enged herself through the killings of the young alai !amas*

3)en an a##arently #aradoxical inter#retation is #ossible0 as a female, the demoness
stands in radical confrontation to the doctrine of -a0rayana& and she may ha)e sold her loyalty
and sub6ugation for the highest #ossible #rice, namely that of the sacrifice of the god7kings*
Such sadomasochist satisfactions can only be understood from within the tantric scheme, but
there they are > as we know > not at all seldom* 1ence, if one set a limit on the sacrifice of
the boys in terms of time and headcount, then they may ha)e been of benefit to later
incarnations of the god7king, s#ecifically, that is, to the Thirteenth and Fourteenth alai
!amas* The exce#tionally long reign of the last two "unduns would, according to tantric
logic, su##ort such an inter#retation*

Tara HTi5(t=! Madonna
<n the mytho7historical #antheon of Tibetan Buddhism, the gentle
goddess Tara re#resents the exact counterimage of the terrible (alden 9hamo* Tara is > in
the words of 3uro#ean alchemy > the "white )irgin:, the ethereal7feminine su#reme source
of ins#iration for the ade#t* <n #recisely this sense she re#resents the #ositi)e feminine
counter#art to the destructi)e (alden 9hamo, or hence to the earth mother, Srinmo* The
'H@
di)ided image of femininity found in e)ery #hase of <ndian religious history thus li)es on in
Tibetan culture* "+itch: and "Madonna: are the two feminine archety#es which ha)e for
centuries dominated and continue to dominate the #atriarchal imagination of Tibet 6ust like
that of the west* <f all the negati)e attributes of the feminine are collected in the witch, then all
the #ositi)e ones are concentrated within the Madonna*

The Tara cult is #robably fairly recent* ;lthough legends recount that the worshi# of the
goddess was brought to the !and of Snows in the se)enth century by one of the women of the
Tibetan king, Songtsen 9am#o, it is historically more likely that the <ndian scholar ;tisha first
introduced the cult in the ele)enth century*

=nlike the many re#ellant demonic gods who attack the tormented Tibetans, Tara has
become a #lace of refuge* =nder her, the belie)ers can culti)ate their noble sentiments* She
grants de)otion, lo)e, faith, and ho#e to those who call u#on her* She exhibits all the
characteristics of a merciful mother* She a##ears to #eo#le in dreams as a guardian angel* She
takes care of all #ri)ate interests and needs* She can be trusted with one,s cares* She hel#s
against #oisonings, heals illnesses and cures obsessions* But she is also the right one to turn to
for success in business and #olitics* 3)eryone #rays to her as a "redem#tress:* <n translation
her name means "star: or "star of ho#e:* <t can be said that outside of the monasteries she is
the most worshi##ed di)inity of the !and of Snows* There is barely a household in Tibet in
which a small statue of Tara cannot be found*

; number of colors are assigned to her )arious a##earances* There is a white, green,
yellow, blue, e)en a black Tara* She often holds a lotus with .L #etals whish is su##osed to
indicate that she is sixteen years old* 1er body is adorned with the most beautiful 6ewels* <n a
royal seated #osture she looks down mildly u#on those who ask #ity of her* 4aturally, one
gains the im#ression that she is not suitable for tantric sexual #ractices* The whole #ositi)e
as#ect of the motherly a##ears to ha)e been concentrated within her* She is ex#erienced by
3uro#eans as a Madonna untouched by sexuality* This is, howe)er, not the case, then in
contrast to her occidental sister with whom she otherwise has so much in common, the
white Tara is also a wisdom consort* S%T

'HH
Sometimes, as is also known of the 3uro#ean worshi# of Mary, her cult ti#s o)er into an
undesirable $for the clergy, that is( ex#ansion of the goddess,s #ower which could #ose a
danger to the #atriarchal system* Tara is known, for exam#le, as the "Mother of all Buddhas:*
; legend in which she refuses to a##ear as a man is also in circulation and is often cited these
days0 when she was asked by some monks whether she did not #refer a male body, she is said
to ha)e answered0 "Since there is no such thing as a GmanG or a GwomanG, this bondage to male
and female is hollow* *** Those who wish to attain su#reme enlightenment in a manGs body are
many, but those who wish to ser)e the aims of beings in a womanGs body are fewR therefore
may <, until the world is em#tied out, ser)e the aim of beings with nothing but the body of a
woman: $Beyer, .QNP, #* LH(* Such statements are downright re)olutionary and are in direct
contradiction to the dominant doctrine that women cannot attain any enlightenment at all, but
must first be reborn in a male body*

Tantric Buddhism,s first #rotecti)e measure against the #otential feminine su#eriority
of Tara is the story of her origin* Firstly, she does not ha)e the status of a Buddhas, but is only
a female Bodhisatt)a* 1er head is adorned by a small statue of ;mitabha, an indicator that she
is sub6ect to the 1ighest !ord of the !ight $who allows no women into his #aradise( and is
considered to be one of his emanations*

Furthermore, Tara is nothing more or less than the #ersonified tears of ;+alokitesh+ara*
Kne day as he looked down filled with com#assion u#on all suffering beings he had to wee#*
The tear from his left eye became the green Tara, that which flowed from his right became her
white form* 3)en if, as according to some tantric schools, Chenrezi selects both Taras as
wisdom consorts, they ne)ertheless remain his creation* 1e ga)e birth to them as androgyne,
as "father7mother:*

'HL
/reen $ara

;n e)en cle)erer taming of the goddess consists in the fact that she incarnates in the
bodies of men* -ountless monks ha)e chosen Tara as their yiddam and then )isualiMe
themsel)es as the goddess in their meditati)e #ractices* ";lways an in all #ractices, he must
)isualiMe himself as the 1oly !ady, bearing in mind that the a##earance is the deity, that his
s#eech is her mantra, and that his memory and mental constructs are her knowledge: $Beyer,
.QNP, #* @LH(* 1er role as the "mother of all Buddhas: is also taken on by the male
meditators, who thus say the following words0 "S< amT the mother who gi)es birth to the
-on8uerors and their sonsR < #ossess all her body, s#eech, mind, 8ualities, and acti)e
functions: $Beyer, .QNP, #* @@Q(* <n one of his works, ;lbert 9rInwedel re#roduces the
#ortrait of a high7ranking Mongolian lama who is re)ered as an incarnation of Tara* 3)en
modern western followers of Buddhism would like to see the Sixteenth 2arma#a as the
greenTara*

'HN
!ike (alden 9hamo& Tara also #lays a role in Tibetan realpolitik, then the latter is > in
their own )iew > #layed out by gods, not human agents* 1ence, the official o#inion from out
of the Potala was that the 5ussian -Mars were su##osed to be an embodiment of Tara* Such
image transferences are naturally )ery well suited to exciting the global #ower fantasies
of the lamas* Then, since the goddess arose from a tear of ;+alokitesh+ara, the -Mar
as Tara must also be a #roduct of the alai !ama, the highest li)ing incarnation
of ;+alokitesh+ara* Further to this there is the idea deri)ed from the tantras that the -Mar $and
thus 5ussia( as Tara could be coerced )ia a sexual magic act* This a##ears downright
fantastic, but > as we know > the tantra master does use his karma mudra as symbols for
the elements, #lanets, and also for countries*

<n the nineteenth century the idea likewise arose that the British Eueen, Victoria, was a
reincarnation of Tara, yet on occasion (alden 9hamo was also nominated as being the
goddess functioning behind the facade of the 3nglish Eueen* <t was thus more natural for the
alai !ama to coo#erate with the British or the 5ussians > since the -hinese had been
#ossessed for centuries by a "nine7headed demoness: with whom it was im#ossible to reach
an accord* The -hina7friendly Panchen !ama, howe)er, saw this differently* For him, the
-hinese 3m#erors of the Manchu dynasty, who #rofessed to the Buddhist faith, were
incarnations of the Bodhisatt)a, <an0ushri& and could thus be considered as acce#table
negotiators*

Tara and Mar%
; com#arison of the Tibetan Tara with the -hristian figure of <ary has by now become
a common#lace in Buddhist circles* The Fourteenth alai !ama also makes liberal use of this
cultural #arallel with #ious emotionalism* For the "yellow #ontiff: <ary re#resents the inana
mudra $the "imagined female:( so to s#eak of -atholicism* +hene)er < see an image of
Mary,: > the"undun has said > < feel that she re#resents lo)e and com#assion* She is like a
symbol of lo)e* +ithin Buddhist iconogra#hy, the goddess Tara occu#ies a similar #osition:
$alai !ama ?<V, .QQLc, #* P'(* 4ot all that long ago, the god7king: undertook a #ilgrimage
to !ourdes and afterwards summariMed his im#ressions of the greatest -atholic shrine to Mary
with the following mo)ing words* There > in front of the ca)e > < ex#erienced something
)ery s#ecial* < felt a s#iritual )ibration, a kind of s#iritual #resence there* ;nd then in front of
the image of the Virgin Mary, < #rayed: $alai !ama ?<V, .QQL c, #* P@(*
'HP

The autobiogra#hical book with the title of 9onging for =arkness/ Tara and the $lack
<adonnaby the ;merican, -hina 9alland, re#orts on the attem#t to incor#orate the -atholic
cult of <ary )ia the Tibetan cult of Tara* ;fter the author,s second marriage failed, she
returned to the -atholic -hurch and de)oted herself to an excessi)e Mary worshi# with
feministic undertones* The latter was the reason why 9alland felt herself attracted abo)e all to
the black Madonnas worshi##ed in -atholicism* The "Black Virgin: has already been
worshi##ed for years by feminists as an a#ocry#hal mother deity*

Kne day the author encountered the Tibetan goddess, Tara& and the ;merican was
instantly fascinated* Tara struck her as a #ioneer of "s#iritual: women,s rights* The goddess
had > this author belie)ed O#roclaimed that contrary to Buddhist doctrine enlightenment
could also be attained in a female body* The author felt herself es#ecially attracted to figure of
the "green TaraI, whom she e8uates with the black "ali of 1induism at one #oint in her
book0 "The darkness of this female gods comforted me* < felt like a balm on the wound of the
unending white maleness tha we had deified in the +est* They were the other side of
e)erything < had e)er known about 9od* ; dark female 9od* Kh yesV: $9alland, .QQ&, #* '.(*

<n 9alland we are thus dealing with a s#iritual feminist who has redisco)ered her
original black mother and is seeking traces of her in e)ery culture* <n the Buddhist Tara cult
this author thus also sees archety#al references to the many7breasted ;rtemis of 3#hesus, to
the 3gy#tian ?sis, to the Phoenician ;lma <ater& Cybele, to the Meso#otamian goddess of the
underworld, ?shtar* Knce more her trail leads from the dark Tara to the "black Madonnas: of
3uro#e and ;merica* From there the next link in the chain is the <ndian terror
goddess "ali $or =urga(* "+as the blackness of the )irgin a connecting thread of connection
to Tara, "ali or =urga, or was it a mere coincidenceA: asks 9alland $9alland, .QQ&, #* H&(*
For her it was no coincidenceV

+ith one word 9alland acti)ates the gynocentric world )iew which is familiar enough
from the feminist literature* She sees the great goddess at work e)erywhere $9alland, .QQ', #*
@%(* The uni)ersal #osition which she grants herself as the first creati)e #rinci#le is de#icted
unambiguously in a #oem* The author found it in a 9nostic -hristian text* There a female
#ower, who sounds "more like "ali than the Mother of 9od:, says the following words0
'HQ

Cor = am the *irst and the last#
= am the honored and the s'orned one#
= am the %hore and the holy one#
= am the %i*e and the vir)in
###
= am the silen'e that ist in'omprehensible
8Auoted by @alland& )RR*& p. S):

<n s#ite of her unmistakable #ro7woman #osition, the feminist met her androcentric
master in Kctober .QPL, who transformed her black "ali $or Tara or <ary( into a #liant
Tantric Buddhist dakini* uring her audience, for which she fe)erishly waited for se)eral days
in haramsala, she asked 1is 1oliness the Fourteenth alai !ama0 "id it make sense to
link Tara and <aryA: > "Bes,: > the "undun answered her > "Tara and <ary create a
good bridge* This is a direction to go in: $9alland, .QQ&, #* Q'(*

1e then told the feminist how #ro7woman Tibetan Buddhism is* For exam#le, the Sakya
!ama, the second7highest7ranking hierarch of the !and of Snows, had a wife and daughter*
Somewhere in 4e#al there li)ed a N&7year7old nun who was entitled to teach the harma*
+hen he was young there was a famous female hermit in the mountains of Tibet* For him, the
alai !ama, it made no difference along the #ath to enlightenment whether a #erson had a
male body or a female one* ;nd then finally the climax0 "Tara: > the "undun said > "could
actually be taken as a )ery strong feminist* ;ccording to the legend, she knew that there were
hardly any Buddhas who had been enlightened in the form of a woman* She was determined
to retain her female form and to become enlightened only in this female form* That story had
some meaning in it, doesn,t itA: > he said with "an infectious smile: to 9alland $9alland,
.QQ&, #* QH(*

/Smiling: is the first form of communication with a woman which is taught in the lower
tantras $the"riya Tantra(* The next tantric category which follows is the "look: $Carya
Tantra(, and then the "touch: $%oga Tantra(* 9alland later re#orted in fascination what
ha##ened to her during the audience0 "1e Sthe "undunT got u# out of his chair, came o)er to
me as < stood u#, and took me firmly by the arms with a laugh* The alai !ama, TenMin
'L&
9yatso, is irre#ressibly cheerful* 1is touch sur#rised me* <t was strong and energetic, like a
black belt in aikido* The #hysical #ower in his hands belied the softness of his a##earance* 1e
#ut his forehead to mine, then #ulled away smiling and stood there looking at me, his hands
holding my shoulders* 1is look cut through all the words exchanged and warmed me* < sensed
that < was learning the most about him and that < was being gi)en the most by him, right then,
Though wat it was could not be #ut into words* This was the real blessing: $9alland, .QQ&, #*
QL(*

From this moment on, the entire meta#hysical stand#oint of the author is transformed*
The re)olutionary dark "ali becomes an obedient "sky walker: $dakini(, the radical feminist
becomes a #liant "wisdom consort: of Tantric Buddhism* +ith whate)er means, the alai
!ama succeeded in making a de)out Buddhist of the committed follower of the great goddess*
From now on, 9alland begins to )isualiMe herself along tantric lines as Tara* She inter#rets
the legend in which the goddess offers to hel# her tear7father, ;+alokitesh+ara $Tara arose
from one of the Bodhisatt)a,s tears(, lead all suffering beings on the right #ath, as her
#ersonal mission*

The "initiation: by the "undun did not end with this first encounter, it found its
continuation later in a dream of the author,s* There 9alland sees how the alai !ama s#lashes
around in a washtub, com#letely clothed, and with great amusement* She herself also sits in
such a tub* Then suddenly the "undun stands u# and looks at her in an e)ocati)e silence*
"There was nothing between us, only #ure being* <t was a )i)id and real exchange* >
Suddenly a blue sword came out of the crown of the alai !ama,s head o)er an across the
distance between us and down to the crown of my head, all the way down my s#ine* < felt as
though he had 6ust transmitted some great, wordless teaching* The sword was made of blue
light* < was )ery ha##y* Then he climbed into the third tub, where < was now sitting alone* +e
sat side by side in silence* < was on the right* Kur faces were were next to one another, faintly
touching: $9alland, .QQ&, #* .LP(* The alai !ama then climbs out of the tub* She tries to
#ersuade him to ex#lain the situation to her, and in #articular to inter#ret the significance of
the sword* "But e)ery time < asked him a 8uestion, he changed forms, like (roteus, the old
man of the sea, and said nothin: $9alland,.QQ&, #* .LQ(* ;t the end of the dream he
transformed himself into a tur8uoise scarab which climbed the wall of the room*

'L.
3)en if both of the dream,s #rotagonists $the alai !ama and -hina 9alland( are fully
clothed as they sit together in the washtub, one does not need too much fantasy to see in this
scene a sexual magic ritual from the re#ertoire of the -a0rayana* The blue sword is a classic
#hallic symbol and reminds us of a similar exam#le from -hristian mysticism0 it was an arrow
which #enetrated Saint Theresa of ;)ila as she ex#erienced her mystic lo)e for 9od* For
-hina 9alland it was the sword of light of the su#reme Tibetan tantra master*

Soon after the s#ectacular dream initiation, the "#ilgrimages: to the holy #laces at
which the black Madonnas of 3uro#e and ;merica are worshi##ed described in her book
began* <nstead of <arysshe now only sees before her western )ariations u#on the
Tibetan Tara* The tear $tara( of;+alokitesh+ara $the alai !ama( becomes an o)erarching
#rinci#le for the ;merican woman* <n the dark gy#sy Madonna of Saintes7Maries7de7la7Mer
$France(, in her famous black sister of -Mestochowa $Poland(, in the co#y of the latter in San
;ntonio $Texas(, but abo)e all in the Madonna of Med6ugor6e, whom she )isits in Kctober
.QPP, 9alland now only sees emanations of the Tibetan goddess*

+hilst she reflects u#on <ary and Tara in the $former( Bugosla)ian #lace of
#ilgrimage, a #rayer to the Tibetan deity comes to her mind* "<n it she is said to come in what
e)er form a #erson needs her to assume in order for her to be hel#ful* True com#assion*
Buddha Tara, indeed all Buddhas, are said to emanate in billions of forms, taking whate)er
form is necessary to suit the #erson* +ho can say that Mary isn,t Tara a##earing in a form that
is useful and recogniMable to the +estA +hen the Venerable Tara Tulku S9alland,s Buddhist
9uru, a male emanation of TaraT came S***T, we s#oke about this* From the Buddhist
#ers#ecti)e, one cannot say that this isn,t #ossible, he assured me0 G<f there is a #erson who
says definitely no, the Madonna is not an emanation of Tara, then that #erson has not
understood the teaching of BuddhaG* -hrist could be an emanation of Buddha: $9alland, .QQ&,
#* '..(*

+hat lies behind this flowery 8uotation and 9alland,s eccentric <ary7worshi# can also
be referred to as the incor#oration of a non7Buddhist cult by -a0rayana*
Then <ary and Tara are both so culture7s#ecific that a com#arison of the two "goddesses:
only makes sense at an extremely general le)el* 4either does Tara gi)e birth to a messiah, nor
may we imagine a <ary who enters sexual magic union with a -hristian monk* es#ite such
'L%
blatant differences, TantrismGs doctrine of emanation allows the absor#tion of foreign gods
without hesitation, yet only under the condition that the Tibetan deity take the original #lace
and the non7Buddhist one be deri)ed from it* <n this connection, the re#ort of a -atholic
$Benedictine( nun who #artici#ated in the "alachakra initiation in Bloomington $.QQQ(* For
her, the rite set off a -hristian ex#erience0 "<,m -hristian* 4e)er before has that meant so
much* This #ast month < sat at the 2alachakra <nitiation 5ite in Bloomington with 11 the
alai !ama as the master teacher, a tantric gure* < ha)e ne)er felt so -hristian* SXT < was
sitting in the V<P section on the stage )ery near the alai !ama* The Buddhist audience
seemd like ad)anced #ractitioners* The audience was nearly H,&&& #eo#le under this one huge
tent* +hen dharma students would know that < was a nun they,d ask me what was in my mind
as the ritual #rogressed through the Buddhist texts, recitations, deity )isualiMations and
gestures* ;t the time, < must confess, < sat with as much res#ect, o#enness and em#tiness as
#ossible* My -hristain heart was sim#ly at rest being there with Wothers,* SXT There,s no one
to one corres#ondence with Buddhist,s rituals es#ecially one as com#lex and esoteric as the
2alachakra, but there is a way that we li)e tha creates the same feel, the same attitude and
dis#ositions* $Funk,* 1P< &&.( The literature in which Buddhist authors #resent -hrist as a
Bodhisatt)a and as an emanation of;+alokitesh+ara grows from year to year* +e shall come
to s#eak about this in the cha#ter on the ecumenical #olitics of the alai !ama*

Th( a$(nt o- G(!h( T!hog%a
The tantric #artner of Padmasambha)a, the founding father of Tibetan Buddhism, is
fre8uently offered as the historical exam#le of a female figure who is su##osed to ha)e
integrated all the contradictory #owers of the feminine within herself* She goes by the name
of Beshe Tshogyal and is said to ha)e achie)ed an inde#endence uni8ue in the history of
female yoginis* Some authors e)en say $contrary to all doctrines( that she attained the highest
goal of full Buddhahood* For this reason she has currently become one of the rare icons for
those, #rimarily western, belie)ers who kee# a lookout for emanci#ated female figures within
Tantric Buddhism*

The legend re#orts that Beshe Tshogyal married the Tibetan king Trisong etsen $N@%O
P&'( at the age of thirteen* Three years later, he ga)e her to Padmasambha)a as his karma
mudra* Such generous gifts of women to gurus were, as we know, normal in Tantrism and
taken for granted*
'L'

Beshe Tshogyal became her master,s most outstanding #u#il* +hen she was twenty
years old, he initiated her in a flame ritual* uring the ceremony the guru, in the form of a
terror deity took command of her lotus throne Sthe )aginaT with his flaming diamond stalk
Sthe #enisT" $8uoted by Ste)ens, .QQ&, #* N&(* This showed that she had to suffer the fate of a
classic wisdom consortR she was symbolically burnt u#*

!ater she #racticed -a0rayana with other men and subse8uently underwent a long
ascetic #eriod as an "ice )irgin: in the coldest mountains of Tibet* !ike the historical Buddha
she was also tem#ted by lecherous beings, it was 6ust that in her case these were no
"daughters of Mara: but rather handsome young de)ils* She recogniMed their lures as the work
of Satan and resolutely re6ected them* But out of com#assion she subse8uently sle#t with all
manner of men and ga)e her sexual #arts to the lustful: $8uoted by Ste)ens, .QQ&, #*
N.(* 1er de)otion in lo)e is so con)incing that she could con)ert se)en highwaymen who
ra#ed her to Buddhism*

Padmasambha)a is su##osed to ha)e said to her0 The basis for realiMing enlightenment
is a human body* Male or female, there is no great difference* But if she de)elo#s the mind
bent on enlightenment the woman,s body is better: $8uoted by Ste)ens, .QQ&, #* N.(* This
statement is admittedly re)olutionary, but ne)ertheless we can hardly acce#t that Beshe
Tshogyal tra)eled an essentially different #ath to the countless anonymous yoginis who were
"sacrificed: on the altar of Tantrism* S@T

Through constantly )isions she was re#eatedly urged to offer herself u# com#letely to
her master > to sacrifice her own flesh, her blood, her eyes, nose, tongue, ears, heart, entrails,
muscles, bones, marrow, and her life energy* Kne may also begin to seriously doubt her
#ri)ileged #osition within Tibetan Buddhism, when one hears her im#ressi)e and resigning
lament at her woman,s lot0

= am a %oman
= have little po%er to resist dan)er#
Be'a"se o* my in*erior QFR birth everyone atta'ks me#
=* = )o as a be))ar do)s atta'k me#
'L@
=* = have %ealth and *ood bandits atta'k me#
=* = do a )reat deal the lo'als atta'k me#
=* = do nothin) )ossips atta'k me#
=* anythin) )oes %ron) they all atta'k me#
1hatever = do = have no 'han'e *or happiness#
Be'a"se = am a %oman it is hard to *ollo% the Dharma#
=t is hard even to stay alive#
$8uoted by 9ross, .QQ', #* QQ(

Many centuries after her earthly death, Beshe Tshogyal became for the Fifth alai !ama
a constant com#anion in his )isions and ad)ised him in his #olitical decisions* uring a
meeting, "Tshogyal a##ears in the form of a white lady adorned with bone ornaments* She
enters into union with him* The white and the red bodhicitta SseedT flow to and fro: $2armay,
.QPP, #* H@(* Such scenes of union with her are mentioned se)eral times in the Secret
-isions of the "9reat Fifth:* Some of these are described so concretely that they #robably
concern real human mudras who assumed the role of Beshe Tshogyal* Knce 1is 1oliness saw
in her heart "the mandala of the Phurba Sritual daggerT deity: $2armay, .QPP, #* LN(* Perha#s
she wanted to remind him with this )ision of the agoniMing fate of Srinmo, the Mother of
Tibet, in whose heart a ritual dagger is also stuck* <n another )ision she a##eared together
with the goddess Candali and three further dakinis* They danced and sang the words "Phurba
is the essence of all tutelary deities*: $2armay, .QPP, #* LN(* SHT

3)en if, as is claimed by many contem#orary tantra masters and feminists, Beshe
Tshogyal is su##osed to be the most #rominent historical re#resentati)e of an
"emanci#ated: -a0rayana female Buddhist, her unha##y fate shows 6ust how degradingly and
contem#tuously the countless unknown and unmentioned karma mudras of Tibetan history
must ha)e been treated* The exam#le she #ro)ides should be more a deterrent than a #ositi)e
one, then she was more or less an instrument of Padmasambha)a,s* 1er current rise in
#rominence is exclusi)ely a #roduct of the contem#oraryGeitgeist, which needs to generate
counterimages to an essentially androcentric Buddhism so as to gain a foothold in the western
world*

Th( $%thoogica 5ac1ground to th( Ti5(tan-Chin(!( con-ict:
'LH
A'ao1it(!h'ara '(r!u! ;uan%in
+e would now like to #oint out that, in the historical relationshi# between Tibet and
-hina, the latter #layed and continues to #lay the feminine #art, as if the sky7high mountains
of the 1imalayas and the -hinese ri)er #lains were a man and a woman in stand7off, as if a
battle of the sexes had been being waged for centuries between "masculine: !hasa and
"feminine: Bei6ing* This is not su##osed to im#ly that, in contrast to the #atriarchal !and of
Snows, a matriarchy has the say in -hina* +e know full well how the "Middle 2ingdom: has
from the outset #ursued a fundamentally androcentric #olitics and how nothing has changed in
this regard u# until the #resent* 1ence, what we #rimarily wish to say here is that from
a Tibetan )iew#oint the conflict between the two countries is inter#reted as a gender conflict*
+e ho#e to demonstrate in this cha#ter that the alai !ama is o##osed by the threatening and
ra)enous "9reat Female:, the terror dakini which is -hina and which he must con8uer and
sub6ugate along tantric lines*

The re)erse cannot be so sim#ly stated0 the -hinese 3m#eror admittedly saw the rulers
of Potala as #owerful s#iritual o##onents, but understood himself thus only in a )ery few
cases to be the re#resentati)e of a "womanly #ower:* Bet such historical exce#tions do exist
and we would like to consider these in more detail* There is also the fact that -hina,s
androcentric culture has been re#eatedly limited and relati)iMed by strong female elements*
5eal feminine influences can be recogniMed in -hinese mythology, in #articular national
#hiloso#hies $es#ecially Taoism(, and sometimes also in the #olitics, far more than was e)er
the case in the masculine Tibetan monastic em#ire* For exam#le, !ao7tMu, the great
#roclaimer of the =ao =e Ling, clearly stresses the feminine factor $ or rather what one
understood this to be at the time( in his #ractical "theory of #ower:0

@othin) is %eaker than %ater
B"t %hen it atta'ks somethin) hard
5r resistant then nothin) %ithstands it
&nd nothin) %ill alter its %ay#
QDDDR %eakness prevails
5ver stren)th and QDDDR )entleness 'on!"ers
$he adamant QDDDR

'LL
it says in the NP
th
cha#ter of the =ao =e Ling* ;mong -hinese Buddhists the greatest
re)erence is u# until the #resent day reser)ed for a goddess $@uanyin(, a female Buddha and
no god* -hina,s few yet famousUnotorious female rulers in #articular showed a uni8ue tension
in dealings with the kings and hierarchs of the Tibetan "!and of Snows:* For this reason we
shall consider these in somewhat more detail* But let us first turn to the -hinese
goddess, @uanyin*

China &/"anyin) and Ti5(t &&valokiteshvara)
1ow easily the ambi)alent gender role of the male androgyne ;+alokitesh+ara could ti#
o)er into the feminine is demonstrated by "his: transformation into @uanyin, the "goddess of
mercy:, who is still highly re)ered in -hina and Da#an* Kriginally, @uanyin had no
inde#endent existence, but was solely considered to be a feminine guise of the Bodhisatt)a
$;+alokitesh+ara(* <n memory of her male #ast she sometimes in older #ortrayals has a small
goatee* 1ow, where, and why the sex change came about is considered by scholars to be
extremely #uMMling* <t must ha)e taken #lace in the early Tang dynasty from the se)enth
century on, then before this ;+alokitesh+ara was all but exclusi)ely worshi##ed in male form
in -hina too*

'LN
/"anyin

There is already in the early fifth century a canon in which '' different a##earances of
the "light god: are mentioned and se)en of these are female* This #ro)es that the incarnation
of a Bodhisatt)a in female form was not excluded by the doctrine of <ahayana Buddhism* To
the benefit of all suffering beings > it says in one text > the "redeemer: could assume any
concei)able form, for exam#le that of a holy saying, of medicinal herbs, of mythical winged
creatures, cannibals, yes, e)en that of women $-hayet, .QQ', #* .H@(* But what such
exce#tions do not ex#lain is why the masculine ;+alokitesh+ara was essentially su##lanted
and re#laced by the feminine @uanyin in -hina* <n the year P%P -*3* each -hinese monastery
had at least one statue of the goddess* The chronicles re#ort the existence of @@,&&& figures*

There is more or less accord among orientalists that @uanyin is a syncretic figure,
formed by the integration into the Buddhist system im#orted from <ndia of formerly more
#owerful nati)e -hinese goddesses* ; legend recounts that @uanyin originally dwelled among
'LP
the mortals as the king,s daughter, <iao Shan& and that out of boundless goodness she
sacrificed herself for her father* This #ious tale is, howe)er, somewhat lacking in )ibrancy as
the genesis of such an influential religious lady as @uanyin, but nonetheless interesting in that
it once more offers us a re#ort of a female sacrifice in the interests of a #atriarch*

+e find the suggestion often #ut forward by the Tibetan side, that the worshi#
of @uanyin is a -hinese )ariant of the Tibetan Tara cult, similarly uncon)incing, since the
latter was first introduced into Tibet in the ele)enth century, @&& years after the transformation
of ;+alokitesh+ara into a goddess* <n )iew of the exce#tional #ower which the goddess en6oys
in -hina it seems much more reasonable to see in her a descendant of the great Taoist
matriarchs0 the #rimordial mother !iang !iang& or the great goddess Ti angmu& or Tianhou
Shengmu, who is worshi##ed as the "sea star:*

<f ;+alokitesh+ara re#resents a "fire deity:, then @uanyin is clearly a "water goddess:*
She is often #ictured u#on a rock in the sea with a water 6ug or a lotus flower in her hand* The
"goddess on the water lily:, who sometimes holds a child in her arms and then resembles the
-hristian Madonna, fascinated the royal courts of 3uro#e in the se)enteenth century already,
and the first 3uro#ean #orcelain manufacturers co#ied her statues* 1er e#ithets, "3m#ress of
1ea)en:, "1oly Mother:, "Mother of Mercy:, also drew her close to the cult of Mary for the
+est* !ike <arythen, @uanyin is also called u#on as the female sa)ior from the hardshi#s and
fears of a wretched world* +hen worries and suffering make one unha##y, then one turns to
her*

The transformation of ;+alokitesh+ara into a -hinese goddess is a mythic e)ent which
has dee#ly sha#ed the meta#olitical relationshi# between -hina and Tibet* 1istorical relations
of both nations with one another, although they both exhibit #atriarchal structures, may thus
be described through the symbolism of a battle of the sexes between the fire god Chenrezi and
the water goddess@uanyin* +hat is #layed out between the gods also has > the tantras
belie)e > its corres#ondences among mortals* Via the fate of the three most #owerful female
figures from -hina,s #ast, we shall examine whether the tantric #attern can be con)incingly
a##lied to the historical conflicts between the two countries $Tibet and -hina(*

Wu S(tian &;uan%in) and Songt!(n ;a$8o &A'ao1it(!h'ara)
'LQ
Following the colla#se of the 1an kingdom in the third century
-*3*, <ahayana Buddhism s#read through -hina and blossomed in the early Tang #eriod
$L.POc* NH&(* ;fter this a renaissance of -onfucianism begins which leads from the mid7ninth
century to a #ersecution of the Buddhists* <n the Hua2yen Buddhism of the se)enth century $a
-hinese form of <ahayana with some tantric elements(, es#ecially in the writings of Fa7
Tsang, the cosmic "Sun Buddha:, -airocana& is re)ered as the highest instance*

;t the end of the se)enth century, as the @uanyin cult was forming in -hina, a #owerful
woman and Buddhist reigned in the "Middle 2ingdom:, the 3m#ress +u Cetian $c* L%HOc*
N&H(* Formerly a concubine of two 3m#erors, father and son > after their deaths +u Cetian
took, ste# by ste# and with great skill, the "ragon Throne: in the year LP'* She conducted a
radical shake7u# of the country,s #ower elite* The ruling !i family was systematically and
brutally re#laced by members of her own +u lineage* 4onetheless, the matriarch did not
recoil from banishing her own son e)en on the basis of #ower #olitical concerns nor from
executing other family members when these o##osed her will* 1er generals were engaged
with )arying success in the most bloody battles with the Tibetans and other bordering #eo#les*

Probably because she was a woman, her unscru#ulous and des#otic art became
#ro)erbial for later historians* The outrageousness which radiated out from this "monstrous:
9rande ame u#on the ragon Throne still echoes today in the descri#tions of the historians*
The 9erman Sinologist, Ktto Franke, for exam#le, characteriMes her with what is for an
academic exce#tionally strong emotions0 "Malicious, )engeful, and cruel to the #oint of
sadism, thus she began her career, unbridled addiction to #ower, insensiti)ity e)en to the
natural maternal instinct, and a un8uenchable desire for murder accom#any her on the stolen
throne, grotes8ue megalomania combined with religious insanity distorts her old age, childish
hel#lessness in the face of e)ery form of charlatanism and com#lete lack of 6udgement in
administration and #olitics lead finally to her fall and bring the state to the edge *** ;
demoness in her unbridled #assion, +u Cetian allied herself with the dark figures of -hinese
history: $Franke, .QL., #* @%@(*

+u Cetian su##orted Buddhism fanatically, so as to establish it as the state religion in
#lace of oism* "The 3m#ress who takes 9od as her exam#le:, as she called herself, was a
megalomaniac not 6ust about #olitical matters but also in religious ones, es#ecially because
'N&
she let herself be celebrated as the incarnation of the Buddha <aitreya, of the ruler of the of
the coming eon* 1er she a##ealed to #ro#hecies from the mouth of the historical Buddha* <n
the @reat Cloud Sutra it could be read that, N&& years after his death, Shakyamuni would be
reborn in the form of a beautiful #rincess, whose kingdom would become a real #aradise*
"1a)ing #lanted the germs of the +ay during countless kalpas SagesT, Sshe as <aitreyaT
consents to the 6oyous exaltation by the #eo#le:, it says of the 3m#ress in one contem#orary
document* $Forte, .QPP, #* .%%(* ;ccording to other sources, +u Cetian also allowed herself
to be worshi##ed as the Bodhisatt)a, ;+alokitesh+ara&and as the Sun Buddha, -airocana*
;s Buddhist she oriented herself to the ;bhidharmakosa's cyclical conce#tion of the
four ages of the world we ha)e described abo)e, and which we also find in the "alachakra
Tantra* Thus, at end of the dark and at the dawn of the new age to come, stood this -hinese
3m#ress in the sal)ational figure of the Buddha <aitreya* 1er chiliastic mo)ement, which
she led as a li)ing Buddhist messiah, had no small following among the #eo#le, yet came into
hefty conflict with established Buddhism and the -onfucian #owers at court, abo)e all
because this sa)ior was also a woman*

From the Buddhist teachings +u Cetian also ado#ted the #olitical doctrine of
the Chakra+artin, the wheel turner who reigns o)er the entire globe* She would lead her
#eo#le, we may read in a #ro#hesy, by "turning the golden wheel: $Forte, .QPP, #*.%%(* Kne
of her titles was "The 9olden +heel of ominion Turning 9od73m#eror:* $Franke, .QL., #*
@.N(* But e)en this was not enough for her* Two years later she intensified her existing e#ithet
and let herself be known as " The 1oly 9od73m#eror Sur#assing The Former 9olden +heel
Turning 9od73m#eror: $Franke, .QL., #* @.N(* The "golden wheel:, along with the other
a##ro#riate emblems of the Chakra+artin were hung in her hall of audience*

So as to )isibly demonstrate and symbolically buttress her control of the world, she
ordered the entire kingdom to be co)ered with a network of state tem#les* 3ach tem#le
housed a statue of the Sun Buddha $-airocana(* ;ll of these images were considered to be the
emanations of a gigantic-airocana which was assembled in the im#erial tem#le of the ca#ital
and in which the 3m#ress allowed herself to be worshi##ed*

;mong the sacred buildings erected at her command was to be found what was referred
to as a time tower $tiantang(* ;ccording to ;ntonino Forte, the first e)er mechanical clock
'N.
was assembled there* The disco)ery of a "time machine: $the clock( is certainly one of the
greatest cultural achie)ements in the history of humankind* 4e)ertheless we today see such
an e)ent only from its technical and 8uantitati)e side* But for #eo#le with an ancient world
)iew this "mechanical: clock was of far greater significance* +ith its construction and
erection a claim was made to the symbolic and real control o)er time as such* 1ence,
following the assembly of the tiantang $time tower(, +u Cetian allowed herself to be
worshi##ed as the li)ing time goddess*

;longside the "time tower: she built a huge metal #illar $the so7called "hea)enly axis:(*
This was su##osed to de#ict Mount Meru, the center of the Buddhist uni)erse* Dust as
the tiantangsymboliMed control o)er time, the metallic "hea)enly axis: announced the
3m#ress,s control of s#ace* -orres#ondingly her #alace was also considered to be the
microcosmic likeness of the entire uni)erse* She declared her ca#ital, !iaoyang, to be not 6ust
the metro#olis of -hina, but also the domicile of the gods* Space and Time were thus, at least
according to doctrine, firmly in +u Cetian,s hands*

<t will already ha)e occurred to the reader that the religiousU#olitical )isions of +u
Cetian corres#ond to the s#irit of the "alachakra Tantra in so many as#ects that one could
think it might ha)e been a direct influence* 1owe)er, this ruler li)ed three hundred years
before the historical #ublication date of the Time Tantra* 4e)ertheless, the influence
of -a0rayana $which has in fact been found in the fourth century in <ndia( cannot be ruled out*
1ua7yen Buddhism, from the ideas of which the 3m#ress deri)ed her #hiloso#hy of state, is
also regarded as "#roto7tantric: by ex#erts0 "Thus the -hou7+u theocracy Sof the 3m#ressT(
is the form of state in -hina which comes closest to a tantric theocracy or Buddhocracy0 the
whole world is considered as the body of a Buddha, and the 3m#ress who rules o)er this
sacramentaliMed #olitical community is considered to be the highest of all Buddhas and
Bodhisatt)as: $BrIck and !ai, .QQN, #* L'&(* SLT

;lthough no historical conection between the "alachakra Tantra and the "#roto7tantric:
world )iew of +u Cetian can be #ro)ed, striking #arallels in the history of ideas and symbols
exist* For exam#le, alongside the claim to the "world throne: as Chakra+artin& the im#lied
control o)er time and s#ace, we find a further #arallel in +u Cetian,s grab for the two
hea)enly orbs $the sun and moon( which is characteristic of the Time Tantra* She let a s#ecial
'N%
-hinese character be created as her own name which was called "sun and moon rising u# out
of the em#tiness: $Franke, .QL., #* @.H(*

But the final intentions of the two systems are not com#atible* The 3m#ress +u Cetian
is hardly likely to ha)e stri)en towards the Buddhocracy of an androcentric !amaism* <n
contrast, it is #robable that gynocentric forces were hidden behind her Buddhist mask* For
exam#le, she officially granted her female $V( forebears bombastic titles and e#ithets of
"Mother 3arth: $Franke, .QL., #* @.H(* <n the #atriarchal culture of -hina this feminist act of
state was #ercei)ed as a monstrous blas#hemy* 1ence, with reference to this naming, we may
read in a contem#orary historical criti8ue that, "such a confusion of terms as that of +u had
not been ex#erienced since records began: $Franke,.QL., #* @.H(*

The unrestrained ruler usur#ed for herself all the #osts of the masculine monastic
religion* <n her hunger for #ower she e)en denied her femininity and let herself be addressed
as "old Buddha lord: > an act which e)en today must seem e)illy #resum#tuous for the
androcentric !amaists* ;t any rate it was seen this way by an exile Tibetan historian who, a
thousand years after her death, #ortrayed the -hinese 3m#ress as a monstrous, man7eating
dragon obsessed with all de#ra)ities* "The 3m#ress +u,: 2* hondu# wrote as recently as
.QQH in the Tibetan Re+iew, "one of the most frightening and cruel characters to ha)e )isited
-hinese history, awakened her sexual desire at the ri#e old age of N& and #ursued it with such
relentless Meal that the hunger and )oracity of her sexual fulfillment into her nineties became
the sta#le diet of street whis#ers and gossi#s, and the #owerful a#hrodisiacs that she
medicated herself ga)e her youthful eyebrows ***: $Tibetan Re+iew, Danuary .QQH, #* ..(*

id +u Cetian stand in religious and symbolic com#etition with the cosmic ambitions
of the ruler of the great Tibetan kingdom of the timeA +e can only s#eculate about that* ;side
from the fact that she was in)ol)ed in intense wars with the dreaded Tibetans, we know only
)ery little about relations between the "world )iews: of the two countries at the time of her
reign* <t is, howe)er, of interest for our "symbolic analysis: of inner7;sian history that the
!amaist historians #osthumously declared the Tibetan king, Songtsen 9am#o, who died forty
years before the reign of +u Cetian in the year LH&, a Chakra+artin* <t was Songtsen 9am#o
$L.N7LH&( > the reader will recall > who as the incarnation of ;+alokitesh+ara nailed the
'N'
mother of Tibet $Srinmo( to the ground with phurbas$ritual daggers( so as to build the sacred
geogra#hy of the !and of Snows o)er her*

Behind the life story of +u Cetian shines the archety#al image of @uanyin as the
female, -hinese o##onent to the male, Tibetan ;+alokitesh+ara* She herself #retended to be
the incarnation of a Buddha $-airocana or <aitreya(, but since she was a female it is 8uite
#ossible that she was the historical #henomenon which occasioned ;+alokitesh+ara's abo)e7
mentioned sex change into the #rinci#al goddess of -hinese Buddhism $@uanyin(*

;t any rate Songtsen 9am#o and +u Cetian together re#resent the cosmic claims to
#ower of;+alokitesh+ara and @uanyin* +e can regard them as the historical #ro6ections of
these two archety#es* Their meta#olitical com#etition is currently com#letely o)erlooked in
the conflict between the two countries $-hina and Tibet(, which leads to a foreshortened
inter#retation of the TibetanU-hinese "discordances:* <n the #ast the mythical dimensions of
the struggle between the "!and of Snows: and the "Middle 2ingdom: ha)e ne)er been
denied by the two #artiesR it is 6ust the western eye for "real#olitik: cannot #ercei)e it*

+u Cetian was not able to realiMe her Buddhist gynocentric )isions* <n the year LQ.
the tiantang$time tower( and the clock within it were destroyed in a "terrible: storm* 1er
reign was #lunged into a dangerous crisis, then, as se)eral influential #riests claimed, this "act
of 9od: showed that the gods had re6ected her* But she retained sufficient #ower and #olitical
influence to be able to reassemble the tower* 1owe)er, in LQ@ this new Tiantang was also
destroyed, this time by fire* The court saw a re#etition of the di)ine #unishment in the flames
and concluded that the im#erial religious claim to #ower had failed* +u Cetian had to
relin8uish her messianic title of "Buddha<aitreyaI from then on*

Ci ?i &;uan%in) and th( Thirt((nth Daai La$a &A'ao1it(!h'ara)
Kne thousand years later, the cosmological ri)alry between -hina $@uanyin( and Tibet
$;+alokitesh+ara( was tragically re#layed in the tense relation between the Thirteenth alai
!ama and the 3m#ress owager -i ?i $.P'H7.Q&P(*

-i ?i a##eared on the #olitical stage in the year .PL&* !ike her #redecessor, +u Cetian,
she started out as a noble7born concubine of the 3m#eror, and e)en as a se)enteen year old
'N@
she had worked her way u# ste# by ste# through the hierarchy of his harem and bore the sole
heir to the throne* The im#erial father, 3m#eror ?ian Feng, died shortly after the birth, and
the ambitious mother of the new son of hea)en took o)er the business of go)erning the
country until he came of age, and de factobeyond that* +hen her son died suddenly at the age
of .P she ado#ted her ne#hew, who ascended the ragon Throne as 3m#eror 9uangxu but
likewise remained com#letely under her influence until his death*

Kfficially, -i ?i su##orted -onfucianism, but #ri)ately, like many members of the
Manchu dynasty $.L@@7.Q..( before her, she felt herself attracted to the !amaist doctrine* She
was well7)ersed in the canonical writings, wrote Buddhist mystery #lays herself, and had
these #erformed by her eunuchs* 1er a#artments were filled with numerous Buddha statues
and she was a #assionate collector of old !amaist tem#le flags* 1er fa)orite scul#ture was a
6ade statue of @uanyin gi)en to her by a great lama* She saw herself as the earthly
manifestation of this goddess and sometimes dressed in her robes* +hene)er < ha)e been
angry, or worried o)er anything,: she said to one of her ladies in waiting, by dressing u# as
the 9oddess of Mercy it hel#s me to calm myself and to #lay the #art < re#resent *** by ha)ing
a #hotogra#h taken of myself dressed in this costume, < shall be able to see myself as < ought
to be at all times: $Seagra)e, .QQ%*, #* @.'(*

'NH
-i Di and attendants

Such dressings7u# were in no sense #urely theatrical, rather -i ?i ex#erienced them as
sacred #erformances, as rituals during which the energy of the -hinese water goddess
$@uanyin( flowed into her* She #ublicly #rofessed herself to be a Buddhist incarnation and
likewise affected the male title of "old Buddha lord: $lao fo yeh(, a label which became
downright )ernacular* +e are thus dealing with a gynocentric re)ersal of the
androgynous ;+alokitesh+ara myth here, as in the case of the 3m#ress +u Cetian* @uanyin,
the -hinese goddess of mercy, makes an exclusi)e claim for masculine control, and thus has,
within the body of a woman, the gender of a male Buddha at her dis#osal* <n the im#erialist,
#atriarchal +est, -i ?i was, as the ;merican historian Sterling Seagra)e has demonstrated,
the )ictim of a hate7filled, defamatory, sensationalist #ress who insinuated she was guilty of
e)ery concei)able crime* The notion,: Seagra)e writes, that the corru#t -hinese were
dominated by a re#tilian woman with grotes8ue sexual re8uirements tantaliMed ;merican
'NL
men: $Seagra)e, .QQ%, #* %LP(* Dust like her #redecessor, +u Cetian, she became a terrible
dragoness:, a symbol of aggressi)e femininity which has dominated masculine fantasies for
thousands of years0 By uni)ersal agreement the woman who occu#ied -hina,s ragon
Throne was indeed a re#tile* 4ot a glorious -hinese dragon > serene, bene)olent, good7
natured, a8uarian O but a ca)e7dwelling, fire7breathing +estern dragon, whose )ery breath
was toxic* ; dragon lady: $Seagra)e, .QQ%, #* %N%(*

Thus, in mythological terms the two Bodhisatt)as, ;+alokitesh+ara and @uanyin& met
anew in the figures of the Thirteenth alai !ama and the 3m#ress owager* From the
moment -i ?i realiMed her claim to #ower the two historical figures thus faced one another in
earnest com#etition and a discord which extended far beyond 8uestions of #ractical #olitics*
The chief im#erial eunuch, !i !ien Bing, foresaw this conflict most clearly and warned -i ?i
se)eral times against meeting the Tibetan god7king in #erson* 1e e)en referred to an acute
mortal danger for both the 3m#ress and her ado#ti)e son, the 3m#eror 9uangxu* The
following words are from him or another courtier0 "The great lama incarnations are the s#awn
of hell* They know no human emotion when matters concern the #ower of the Bellow
-hurch: $2och, .QL&, #* %.L(*

But -i ?i did not want to heed such )oices of warning and #erem#torily re8uired the
)isit of the 1ierarch from the "roof of the world:, so as to discuss with him the meanwhile
internationally )ery com#lex 8uestion of Tibet* Knly after a number of failed attem#ts and
many direct and indirect threats was she able to moti)ate the mistrustful and cautious #rince
of the church to undertake the troublesome 6ourney to -hina in the year .Q&P*

The rece#tion for the alai !ama was grandiose, yet e)en at the start there were
difficulties when it came to #rotocol* 4either of the #arties wanted with e)en the most minor
gesture to make it known that they were sub6ect to the other in any way whatsoe)er* <n the
main, the -hinese maintained the u##er hand* <t was true that the 1ierarch from !hasa was
s#ared ha)ing to kowtow, then after lengthy negotiations it was finally agreed that he would
only ha)e to #erform those rituals of #oliteness which were otherwise ex#ected of members of
the im#erial family > an exce#tional #ri)ilege from Bei6ing,s #oint of )iew, but from the
#ers#ecti)e of the god7king and #otential world ruler an extremely #roblematic social status*
id the Thirteenth alai !ama re)enge himself for this humiliationA
'NN

Kn Kctober '&, -i ?i and 9uangxu staged a ban8uet in the "1all of Shining Pur#le:*
The alai !ama was already #resent when the 3m#eror cancelled at the last minute due to
illness* Three days later, on the occasion of her N@
th
birthday, the 3m#ress owager re8uested
that the ecclesiastical dignity conduct for her the "-eremony for the ;ttainment of !ong !ife:
in the "Throne 1all of Cealous 9o)ernment:* This came to #ass* The alai !ama offered holy
water and small cakes which were su##osed to grant her wish for a long life* ;fterwards tea
was ser)ed and then -i ?i distributed her gifts* ;t midday she #ersonally formulated an edict
in which she ex#ressed her thanks to the alai !ama and #romised to #ay him an annuity of
.&,&&& taels* ;dditionally he was to be gi)en the title of "Sincerely Kbedient, through
5eincarnation More 1el#ful, Most 3xcellent through 1imself 3xisting Buddha of the +estern
1ea)ens:*

This gift and the bombastic title were a silk7clad #ro)ocation* +ith them -i ?i did not
at all want to honor the alai !ama, rather, she wished in contrast to demonstrate Tibet,s
de#endency u#on the "Middle 2ingdom:* For one thing, by being granted an income the god7
king was degraded to the status of an im#erial ci)il ser)ant* Further, in referring to the
incarnation of ;+alokitesh+ara as a "Sincerely Kbedient Buddha:, she left no doubt about to
whom he was in future to be obedient* Dust how im#ortant such "clichZs: were for the
#artici#ants is shown by the reaction of the ;merican en)oy #resent, who inter#reted the
granting of the title as marking the end of the alai !ama,s #olitical #ower* The latter
#rotested in )ain against the edict and "his #ride suffered terribly: $Mehra, .QNL, #* %&(* ;ll of
this took #lace in the world of #olitical #henomena*

From a meta#hysical #oint of )iew, howe)er, as @uanyin -i ?i wanted to make the
#owerful;+alokitesh+ara her ser)ant* The actual "match of the gods: took #lace on the
afternoon of the same day $4o)ember '( during a festi)ity to which the "Kbedient Buddha:
was once again in)ited by 1er <m#erial 1ighness* -i ?i, as the female "old Buddha lord:
dared to a##ear before the incarnation of the humiliated fire god, ;+alokitesh+ara $the
Thirteenth alai !ama(, in the costume of the water goddess @uanyin, surrounded by dancing
Bodhisatt)as and sky walkers #layed by the im#erial eunuchs* There was singing, laughter,
fooling around, boating, and enormous en6oyment* There had been similar such "di)ine:
a##earances of the 3m#ress owager before, but in the face of the already #olitically and
'NP
religiously degraded god7king from Tibet, the mocked #atriarchal arch7enemy, the trium#hal
#rocession of @uanyin became on this occasion a s#ectacular and #ro)ocati)e climax*

The 3m#ress owager #robably belie)ed herself to be #rotected from any attacks u#on
her health by the longe)ity ceremony which she had ca6oled from the alai !ama the day
before* <n the e)ening, howe)er, she began to feel unwell, and became worse the next day*
Forty7eight hours later the alai !ama came to the 3m#ress and handed her a statuette of the
"Buddha of 3ternal !ife: $a )ariant of ;+alokitesh+ara( with the instruction that she erect it
o)er the gra)es of the em#erors in -hina,s east* Prince -hong, although he ob6ected strongly
because of #remonition, was with harsh words entrusted by -i ?i to do so nonetheless* +hen
he returned to the im#erial #alace on 4o)ember .', the female "old Buddha lord: felt herself
to be in a good mood and was fit again, but the 3m#eror $her ado#ti)e son( now lay dying and
#assed away the next day* 1e had been #rone to illness for years, but the fact that his death
was so sudden was also found most mysterious by his #ersonal doctors and hence they did not
exclude the #ossibility that he had been #oisoned* SNT

But the )isit of 1is 1oliness brought still more bad luck for the im#erial family, 6ust as
the chief eunuch, !i !ien Bing, had #ro#hesied* Kn 4o)ember .H, one day after the death of
the regent, the 3m#ress owager -i ?i suffered a se)ere fainting fit, reco)ered for a few
hours, but then saw her end drawing nigh, dictated her #arting decree, corrected it with her
own hand and died in full #ossession of her senses*

<t should be ob)ious that the sudden deaths of the 3m#eror and his ado#ti)e mother
immediately following one another ga)e rise to wild rumors and that all manner of
s#eculations about the role and #resence of the alai !ama were in circulation* 4aturally, the
sus#icion that the "god7king: from Tibet had acted magically to get his cosmic ri)al out of the
way was rife among the courtiers, well aware of tantric ideas and #ractices* Kn the basis of
the still to be described )oodoo #ractices which ha)e been culti)ated in the Potala for
centuries, such a sus#icion is also definitely not to be excluded, but rather is #robable* ;t any
rate, as ;+alokitesh+ara the 1ierarch likewise re#resents the death god %ama* 3)en the
current, Fourteenth alai !ama sees > as we shall show > with #ride a causal connection
between a tantric ritual he conducted in .QNL and the death of Mao Cedong* 3)en if one does
not belie)e in the efficacy of such magical actions, one must concede an amaMing
'NQ
synchronicity in these cases* They are also, at least for the Tibetan tradition, a taken7for7
granted cultural element* The !amaist #rinces of the church ha)e always been con)inced that
they can achie)e )ictory o)er their enemies )ia magic rather than wea#ons*

+hat is nonetheless absolutely clear from the e)ents in Bei6ing is the result, namely the
trium#h of;+alokitesh+ara o)er @uanyin& the #atriarch destroying the matriarch*
Perha#s @uanyin had to lose this meta#hysical battle because she had not understood the fine
details of energy transfers in TantrismA ;s -i ?i she had gras#ed masculine #ower, as water
goddess, fire, and then in her su#erhuman endea)ors she allowed herself to be set alight by
the flames of ambition* Perha#s she #layed the role of the ignited Candali $of the "burning
water:(, without knowing that it was the tantra master from the !and of Snows who had set
her alight A

But the alai !ama,s #olitical #lans did not work out at all* The new 5egency held him
in Bei6ing until he agreed to the -hinese demand that Tibet be recogniMed as a #ro)ince of the
-hinese 3m#ire* 3ngland and 5ussia has also gi)en the -hinese an undertaking that they
would not interfere in any way in their relations with Tibet, so as to a)oid a conflict with each
other* Knly in .Q.', two years after the final disem#owerment of the Manchu dynasty $.Q..(
did it come to a Tibetan declaration of inde#endence, and that with an extremely interesting
6ustification* The Thirteenth alai !ama issued a #roclamation which said literally that the
Manchu throne, which had been occu#ied by the legal 3m#eror as "world ruler:
$Chakra+artin(, was now )acant* For this reason the Tibetan had no further obligations to
-hina and worldly #ower now automatically de)ol)ed to him, the 1ierarch in the Potala >
reading between the lines, this means that he himself now #erforms the functions of
a Chakra+artin $2lieger, .QQ., #* '%(*

>iang Ting &;uan%in) and th( Fourt((nth Daai La$a &A'ao1it(!h'ara)
There is an amaMing re#etition of the #roblematic relation of the Thirteenth alai !ama
$;+alokitesh+ara( to the 3m#ress owager -i ?i $@uanyin( in the .QL&s* +e refer to the
relation of Diang Eing $.Q.'O.QQ.(, the wife of Mao Cedong, to 1is 1oliness the Fourteenth
alai !ama* To this day the "undun remains con)inced that the chairman of the -ommunist
Party of -hina was not com#letely informed about the )andalistic e)ents in Tibet in which the
"5ed 9uard: ra)aged the monasteries of the !and of Snows, and that he #robably would not
'P&
ha)e a##ro)ed of them* 1e sees the -hinese attacks against the !amaist clergy as #rimarily
the destructi)e work of Diang Eing* Mao,s com#anion did in fact dri)e the rebellion the young
to a #eak without regard for her own #arty or the #o#ulace, significantly worsening the chaos
in the whole country* <n this assessment the Tibetan god7king agrees, com#letely
unintentionally, with the official criticism from contem#orary -hina0 "uring the cultural
re)olution the counter7re)olutionary cli8ue around *** Diang Eing hel#ed themsel)es to the left
error under concealment of their true moti)es, and thus deliberately kicked at the scientific
theories of Marxism7!eninism as well as the thoughts of Mao Cedong* They re6ected the
#ro#er religious #olitics which the Party #ursued directly following the establishment of the
P5 -hina* Thereby they com#letely destroyed the religious work of the Party: > it says in a
-hinese go)ernment document from .QP% $Mac<nnis, .QQ', #* @L(*

<n these contem#orary e)ents, so significant for the history of the !and of Snows, the
feminine also a##ears7 in accordance with the tantric #attern and the androcentric )iew#oint
of the alai !ama > as the radical and hate7filled destructi)e force which $like an
uncontrollable "fire woman:( wants to destroy the !amaist monastic state* Then in the )iew
of the Tibetans in exile the 9reat Proletarian -ultural 5e)olution is regarded as the beginning
of the "cultural genocide: which is su##osed to ha)e threatened Tibet since this time* 4ot
without bitterness, the current god7king thus notes that the 5ed 9uard ga)e Mao,s wife the
chance, "to beha)e like an 3m#ress: $alai !ama ?<V, .QQ'a, #* %LN(*

<n the case of Diang Eing it is ne)ertheless not as easy to see her as an incarnation
of @uanyin and an o##onent of ;+alokitesh+ara $the alai !ama( as it is with -i ?i, who
deliberately took on this di)ine role* +ith her Marxist7!eninist orientation, the -ommunist
Diang Eing can only unconsciously or semiconsciously ha)e become a ")essel: of the -hinese
water goddess* Publicly, she #ro6ected an atheist image > at least from a western )iew#oint*
But this fundamentally anti7religious attitude must > more and more historians are coming to
agree > be ex#osed as a #retence* Maoism was > as we shall later discuss at length > a
dee#ly religious, mythic mo)ement, located totally within the tradition of the -hinese 3m#ire*
The alai !ama,s sus#icion that Diang Eing felt like an 3m#ress is thus correct*

<ncidentally, she did so 8uite consciously, then she o#enly com#ared herself to the
3m#ress +u Cetian, who > as we ha)e shown > tried as a female Buddha to seiMe control of
'P.
the world, and who symbolically #reem#ted the ideas of the "alachakra Tantra in the
construction of a time tower* Diang Eing also wanted to seiMe the time wheel of history* <n
accordance with the -hinese #redilection for all manner of ancestral traditions, she $the
-ommunist( had clothes made for her in the style of the old Tang ruler $+u Cetian(*
,>iang Ting2 who had 8r('iou!% ta1(n itt( int(r(!t in Chin(!( hi!tor%2 5(ca$( an
a'id !tud(nt o- th( car((r o- Wu QS(tianR and th( car((r! o- oth(r gr(at wo$(n n(ar th(
thron(D H(r 8(r!ona i5rar% !w((d with 5oo1! on th( !u5L(ctD T(a$! o- writ(r! -ro$
h(r -anatica% o%a -action !curri(d to 8r(8ar( artic(! !howing that E$8r(!! Wu2 unti
th(n g(n(ra% r(gard(d a! a u!t-u2 8ow(r-hungr% !hr(w2 wa! Uanti-Con-ucian= and
h(nc( U8rogr(!!i'(=D U Wo$(n can 5(co$( ($8or(r2= >iang woud !a% to h(r !ta--
$($5(r!D UE'(n und(r co$$uni!$ th(r( can 5( a wo$an ru(rD= Sh( r($ar1(d
to Mao=! doctor that Engand wa! not -(uda a! China 5(cau!( it wa! Uo-t(n ru(d 5%
Au((n!D=, &Ro!!2 "9992 8D *6+) - ,>iang Ting wa! d((8% int(r(!t(d in th( id(a! and
$(thod! o- E$8(r(!! Dowag(r Ci ?iD #ut it wa! i$8o!!i5( -or h(r to 8rai!( Ci ?i
8u5ic% 5(cau!( uti$at(% E$8r(!! Dowag(r Ci ?i -ai(d to 1((8 th( W(!t at 5a% and
5(cau!( !h( wa! too 'i'id a 8art o- th( an'ien rE)ime that th( Co$$uni!t Part% had
goriou!% 5uri(dDC &Ro!!2 "9992 8D *6)
But can we conclude from Diang Eing,s #reference for the im#erial form of #ower that
she is an incarnation of @uanyinA Kn the basis of her own )iew of things, we must #robably
re6ect the hy#othesis* But if > like the Buddhist Tantrics > we acce#t that deities re#resent
force fields which can be embodied in #eo#le, then such an assum#tion seems natural* The
only 8uestion is whether it is in e)ery case necessary that such #eo#le deliberately summon
the gods or whether it is sufficient when their s#irit and energy "ins#ire: the #eo#le in their
#ossession to act* +hat counts in the final instance for a Tantric is a con)incing symbolic
inter#retation of #olitical e)ents0 The mythic com#etition between -hina and Tibet, between
the -hinese 3m#eror and the alai !ama, between the 3m#ress +u Cetian and the Tibetan
kings, between the 3m#ress owager -i ?i and the Thirteenth alai !ama, all gi)e the
conflict between the Fourteenth alai !ama and Diang Eing a meta#olitical meaning and
render it com#rehensible within a tantric scheme of things* The #arallels between these
conflicts are so striking that from an ancient )iew#oint they can without further ado been seen
'P%
as the ex#ression of a #rimordial, di)ine scenario, the dis#ute
between ;+alokitesh+araand @uanyin o)er the world throne of the Chakra+artin*

Before we in conclusion com#are the religious7#olitical role of the three "3m#resses:
with one another, we would like to once more em#hasiMe that it is not us who see in -hina a
matriarchal #ower which o##oses a #atriarchal Tibet* <n contrast > we #lan in the rest of this
study to re#ort se)eral times u#on -hinese androcentrism* +hat we nonetheless wish to
con)ey is the fact that from a !amaistUtantric )iew#oint the -hinese7Tibetan conflict is
#ercei)ed as a battle of the sexes* Tantrism does not 6ust sexualiMe landsca#es, the elements,
time, and the entire uni)erse, but likewise #olitics as well*

From a -hinese $Taoist, -onfucian, or -ommunist( )iew#oint this may a##ear
com#letely different* But we must not o)erlook that two of the female rulers we ha)e
introduced were fanatic $V( Buddhists with tantric $-i ?i(, or #roto7tantric $+u Cetian( ideas*
Both will thus ha)e #ercei)ed their #olitical relationshi# to Tibet
through -a0rayana s#ectacles, so to s#eak*

+u Cetian let herself be worshi##ed as an incarnated Buddha and a Buddhist messiah*
1er religious7#olitical )isions dis#lay an astonishing similarity to those of the "alachakra
Tantra, although this was first formulated se)eral centuries later* ;s Chakra+artin she stood in
mythically irreconcilable o##osition to the Tibetan kings, who, albeit later $in the
.N
th
century(, were entitled to the same designation* ;dmittedly, one cannot s#eak of her as an
incarnation of @uanyin, since the cult of the -hinese goddess first crystalliMed out in her time*
But there are a number of indications that she was the historical indi)idual in whom the
transformation of ;+alokitesh+ara into @uanyintook #lace* She was > in her own )iew > the
first "li)ing Buddha: in female form, as is likewise true of @uanyin*

Most unmistakably, @uanyin is "incarnated: in -i ?i, since the 3m#ress owager
o#enly announced herself to be an embodiment of the goddess* There are many indications
that the -hinese autocrat was dee#ly familiar with the secrets of !amaist Tantrism* She must
therefore ha)e seen her encounter with the Thirteenth alai !ama as an ele)ated symbolic
game for which in the end she had to #ay for with her life*

'P'
+ith Diang Eing, the statement that she was a incarnation of @uanyin is no longer so
con)incing* The fanatical -ommunist was no follower of Buddha like her tow #redecessors
and maintained an atheist image* But in her "culturally re)olutionary: decisions and
"#roletarian: art rituals, in her contem#t for all clergy, she acted and thought like a "raging
goddess: who re)olted with hate and )iolence against #atriarchal traditions* 1er radical nature
made her into an a)enging 3rinnye $or an out7of7control dakini( in a tantric "match of the
gods: $as the Tantrics saw history to be(* There is no doubt that high7ranking Tibetan lamas
inter#reted the historical role of Diang Eing thus* ;ll three "3m#resses: failed with their
#olitics and religious system*

Wu S(tian had to o--icia% r(nounc( h(r tit( a! ,Co$ing #uddhaCD A-t(r
h(r d(ath2 Con-uciani!$ r(gain(d it! 8ow(r and 5(gan a countr%wid( 8(r!(cution
o- th( #uddhi!t!D

Ci ?i di(d during th( 'i!it o- h(r ,arch-(n($%C &th( Thirt((nth Daai
La$a)D Within a -(w %(ar! o- h(r d(ath th( r(ign o- th( Manchu d%na!t% wa! o'(r
&"9"")D

>iang Ting wa! cond($n(d to d(ath 5% h(r own &Co$$uni!t) 8art% a! a
,(-t d('iationi!tC2 and th(n 8ardon(dD E'(n 5(-or( !h( di(d &in "99")2 th( Maoi!t
r(gi$( o- ,th( R(d SunC had coa8!(d onc( and -or aD

Starting once more from a tantric )iew of things, one can s#eculate as to whether all
three female historical figures $who as incarnations of @uanyin are to be assigned to the
element of "water:( had to suffer the fate of a "fire woman:, a Candali* Then in the end, like
the Candali, they founder in their own flames $#olitical #assion(* ;ll three, although staunch
o##onents of a #urely men7oriented Buddhism, deliberately gras#ed the religious images and
methods of the #atriarchally organiMed world* +u Cetian and -i ?i let themsel)es be
addressed with a male title as "old Buddha lord:R Diang Eing dro)e all feminine, erotic
elements out of the 9reat Proletarian -ultural 5e)olution and issued the young women of the
5ed 9uard with male uniforms* <n light of the three -hinese "3m#resses: the thought occurs
that an emanci#atory women,s mo)ement cannot sur)i)e when it seiMes and utiliMes the
'P@
androcentric #ower symbols and attitudes for itself* +e turn to a consideration of these
thoughts in the cha#ter which follows*

F($ini!$ and Tantric #uddhi!$
Knce the ma6ority of the high7ranking Tibetan lamas had to flee the !and of Snows
from the end of the .QH&s and then began to disseminate Tantric Buddhism in the +est, they
were willingly or unwillingly confronted with modern feminism* This encounter between the
women,s mo)ement of the twentieth century and the ancient system of the androcentric
monastic culture is not without a certain delicacy* <n itself, one would ha)e to #resume that
here two irreconcilable enemies from way back came together and that now "the fur would
fly:* But this uni8ue relation > as we shall soon see > took on a much more com#licated
form* Bet first we introduce a courageous and self7confident woman from Tibetan history,
who formulated a clear and unmistakable re6ection of Tantric Buddhism*

$se Pon)8a > the 'hallen)er o* Padmasambhava
Shortly after Padmasambha)a $9uru 5in#oche(, the founder of Tibetan Buddhism,
entered the "!and of Snows:, a remarkable woman became his decisi)e o##onent* <t was no
lesser figure than Tse PongMa, the #rinci#al wife of the Tibetan king, Trisong etsen $N@%O
P&'(, and the mother of the heir a##arent* The ruler had brought the famous +a0ra master into
the country from <ndia in order to weaken the dominant Bon religion and the nobility* +ith
his acti)e assistance the old #riesthood $of the Bon( were banished and the cult was
su##ressed by drastic measures* ; #ro#ortion of the Bon#o $the followers of Bon( succumbed
to the #ressure and con)erted, another di)ision fled the country, some were deca#itated and
their bodies thrown into the ri)er* Bet during the whole #eriod of #ersecution Tse PongMa
remained a true belie)er in the traditional rites and tried by all means to dri)e back the
influence of 9uru 5in#oche*

To throw a bad light on her steadfastness, later Buddhist historians accused her of acting
out of unre8uited lo)e, because Padmasambha)a had coldly re6ected her erotic ad)ances*
+hate)er the case, the 8ueen turned against the new religion with abhorrence* "Put an end to
these sorcerers: > she is su##osed to ha)e said > "*** <f these sort of things s#read, the
#eo#le,s li)es will be stolen from them* This is not religion, but something badV: $1ermanns,
'PH
.QHL, #* %&N(* The following o#en and #ointed re6ection of Tantrism from her has also been
#reser)ed0

1hat one 'alls a kapala is a h"man head pla'ed "pon a standA
1hat one 'alls bas"ta are spread4o"t entrails
1hat one 'alls a le) tr"mpet is a h"man thi)hbone
1hat one 'alls the FBlessed site o* the )reat *ield?
is a h"man skinlaid o"t#
1hat one 'alls rakta is blood sprinkled "pon sa'ri*i'ial pyramids
1hat one 'alls a mandala are shimmerin) )arish 'olors
1hat one 'alls dan'ers are people %ho %ear )arlands o* bones#
$his is not reli)ion b"t rather the evil %hi'h =ndia has ta")ht $ibet#
$1offmann, .QHL, #* L.(

+ith great #ro#hetic foresight Tse PongMa announced0 "< fear that the royal throne will
be lost if we go along with the new religion: $1offmann, .QHL, #* HP(* 1istory #ro)ed her
right* The reign of the Barlung dynasty colla#sed circa one hundred years after she s#oke
these words $P'P( and was re#laced by small kingdoms which were in the control of )arious
!amaist sects* But it was to take another P&& years before the worldly #ower of the Tibetan
kings was combined with the s#iritual #ower of !amaism in the institution of the alai !ama,
and a new form of state arose which was able to sur)i)e until the #resent day0 the tantric
$uddhocracy*

;s far as we are aware, Tse PongMa, the courageous challenger of the 9uru 5in#oche
$Padmasambha)a(, has not yet been disco)ered as a #recursor by feminism* <n contrast, there
is not a feminist text about Tibetan Buddhism in which great words are not de)oted to the
obedient ser)ant of the guru, Beshe Tsogyal $the contem#orary of Tse PongMa and her
counter#ole(* Such writings are also often full of #raise for Padmasambha)a* This is all the
more sur#rising, because the latter > as the ethnologist and #sychoanalyst, 5obert ;* Paul,
has con)incingly demonstrated and as we shall come to show in detail > must be regarded as
a sexually aggressi)e, women and life7des#ising cultural hero*

1estern *eminism
'PL
+e can distinguish four grou#s in the modern western debate among women about
tantricUTibetan Buddhism and Tibetan history0

"D Th( !u88ort(r!2 who ha'( unconditiona% !u5L(ct(d th($!('(! to
th( 8atriarcha $ona!tic !%!t($D
*D Th( radica -($ini!t!2 who !trict% r(L(ct it and unconditiona%
da$n itD
+D Tho!( wo$(n who !tri'( -or a -unda$(nta r(-or$ !o a! to attain a
8artn(r!hi8 with (Aua right! within th( #uddhi!t doctrin(D
/D Th( -($ini!t! who ha'( 8(n(trat(d th( !%!t($ !o a! to $a1( th(
8ow(r $(thod! d('(o8(d in Tantri!$ a'aia5( -or th($!('(! and oth(r wo$(n2
that i!2 who ar( 8ur!uing a g%noc(ntric 8roL(ctD

Kutside of these grou#s one indi)idual towers like a monolith and is highly re)ered and
called as a witness by all four0 ;lexandra a)id74eel $.PLPO.QLQ(* ;t the start of this century
and under the most ad)enturous conditions, the courageous French woman illegally tra)ersed
the Tibetan highlands* She was recogniMed by the Tibetans as a female !ama and > as she
herself notes > re)ered as an incarnation from the "9enghis 2han race:* $8uoted by Bisho#,
.QPQ, #* %%Q(*

<n .Q.% she stood before the Thirteenth alai !ama as the first western woman to do so*
es#ite her fascination with Tibet and her in de#th knowledge of the !amaist culture she
ne)er allowed herself to become com#letely ca#ti)ated or bewitched* +hen it a##eared there
would be a second audience with 1is 1oliness, the Frenchwoman, the daughter of a -al)inist
father and a -atholic mother, said 0 "< donGt like #o#es* < donGt like the kind of Buddhist
-atholicism o)er which he #resides* 3)erything about him is affected, he is neither cordial
nor kind: $Batchelor, .QQ@, #* '..(*

;lexandra a)id74eel had both a critical and an admiring attitude towards !amaism
and the tantric teachings* She was also re#ulsed by the dirty and degrading conditions under
which the #eo#le of Tibet had to li)e, and thus a##ro)ed of the -hinese in)asion of .QH.* Kn
the other hand, she was so strongly attracted to Tibetan Buddhism that she #ro)ed to be its
most eager and ingenious student* +e are indebted to her for the keenest insights into the
'PN
shady side of the !amaist soul* Today the author, who li)ed to be o)er .&&, has become a
feminist icon*

!et us now take a closer look at the four orientations of women towards !amaism
described abo)e0

.* The su##orting grou# first crystalliMed out of a reaction to the other three #ositions
mentioned* <t has solely one thing in common with a "feminist: stance, namely that it,s
#ro#onents dare to s#eak out in matters of religion, which was )ery rarely #ermitted of
Tibetan women in earlier times* The grou# forms so to s#eak the female #eace7kee#ing force
of #atriarchal Buddhism* ;mong its members are authors such as ;nne 2lein, -arole i)ine,
Pema echen 9ora#, and others* Their chief argument against the claim that woman are
o##ressed in -a0rayana is that the teaching is fundamentally sexually neutral* The harma is
said to be neither masculine nor feminine, the sexes forms of a##earance in an illusionary
world* 2arma !ekshe Tsomo, a Buddhist nun of western origin, thus reacts to modern radical
feminist current with the following words of re6ection0 "; growing number of women and
also some men feel the need to identify enlightenment with a feminine way* < re6ect the idea
that enlightenment can be categoriMed into gender roles and identified with these at all* ***
+hy should the awareness be so intensely bound to a form as the genitals areA: $8uoted by
1errmann7Pfand, .QQ%, #* ..(* +ith regard to the social situation of women in the Tibet of
old, the authors of the first grou# #roclaim, in com#arison with those in other ;sian countries
they en6oyed the greatest freedoms*

%* The discrimination against the female sex in all historical #hases of Buddhism is,
howe)er, so a##arent that it has gi)en rise to an extensi)e, in the meantime no longer
sur)eyable, literature of feminist criti8ues, which )ery accurately and without holding back
unmask and indict the system at all le)els* For early Buddhism, it is abo)e all iana B* Paul
who has #roduced a sound and significant contribution* 1er book, omen in $uddhism& has
become a standard work in the meantime*

The sexual abuse of women in the modern Buddhist centers of the +est has been made
#ublic by, among others, the ;merican, Sandy Boucher* <n many of these feminist criti8ues
'PP
social arguments > one the one side an androcentric hierarchy, on the other the o##ressed
woman > are as fre8uent as theological and #hiloso#hical ones*

The #oints which the neo7shaman and +icca +itch, Starhawk, brings against the
Buddhist theory of suffering seem to us to be of such )alue that we would like 8uote them at
length* Starhawk sees herself as a re#resentati)e of the witch $+icca( mo)ement, as a feminist
dakini0 "+itchcraft does not maintain, like the First Truth of Buddhism, that Gall life is
sufferingG* Kn the contrary, life is a thing of wonder* The Buddha is said to ha)e gained this
insight Sabout sufferingT after his encounter with old age, disease and wealth* <n the -raft Si*e*,
the witch mo)ementT, old age is a natural and highly )alued #art of the cycle of life, the time
of greatest wisdom and understanding* isease, of course, causes misery but it is not
something to be ine)itably suffered0 The #ractice of the -raft was always connected with the
healing arts, with herbalism and midwifery* 4or is death fearful0 <t is sim#ly the dissolution of
the #hysical form that allows the s#irit to #re#are for new life* Suffering certainly exists in life
> it is #art of learning* But esca#e from the wheel of Birth and eath is not the o#timal cure,
any more than hara2kiri is the best cure of menstrual cram#s*: $8uoted by 9ross, .QQ', #*
%P@(*

This radical feminist criti8ue naturally also extends to -a0rayana0 the cynical use of
hel#less girls in the sexual magic rituals and the ex#loitation of #atriarchal #ositions of #ower
by the tantric gurus stand at the center of the "#atriarchal crimes:* But the alchemic
transformation of feminine energy into a masculine one and the "tantric female sacrifice:,
both of which we discussed so extensi)ely in the first #art of our study, are u# until now not a
#oint of contention* +e shall soon see why*

'* The authors Tsultrim ;llione, Danice +illis, Doana Macy, and 5ita M* 9ross can be
counted among the third "reform #arty:* The latter of these belie)es it #ossible that a new
world7encom#assing )ision can de)elo# out of the encounter between feminism and
Buddhism* She thus builds u#on the critical work of the radical feminists, but her goal is a
"#ost7#atriarchal Buddhism:, that is, the institutionaliMation of the e8uality of the sexes within
the Buddhist doctrine $9ross, .QQ', #* %%.(* This reform should not be im#osed u#on the
religious system from outside, but rather be carried through in "the heart of traditional
Buddhism, its monasteries and educational institutions: $9ross, .QQ', #* %@.(* 5ita 9ross sees
'PQ
this linkage with women as a millennial #ro6ect, which is su##osed to continue the series of
great stages in the history of Buddhism*

For this reason she needs no lesser meta#hor to describe her )ision than the "turning of
the wheel:, in remembrance of Buddha,s first sermon in Benares where, with the
#ronouncement of the #our !oble Truths& he set the "wheel of the teaching: in motion* <f, as
is usual in some Buddhist schools, one sees the first turning as the "lesser )ehicle:
$Hinayana(, the second as the "great )ehicle: $<ahayana(, and the third as Tantrism
$Tantrayana(, then one could, like 9ross, refer to the connection of Buddhism and feminism
as the "fourth )ehicle: or the fourth turning of the wheel* ";nd with each turning,: this author
says, "we will disco)er a #rogressi)ely richer and fuller basis for reconstructing androgynous
SVT Buddhism: $9ross, .QQ', #* .HH(* Many of the fundamental Buddhist doctrines about
em#tiness, about the )arious energy bodies, about the ten7stage #ath to enlightenment, about
emanation conce#ts would be retained, but could now also be followed and obeyed by
women* But abo)e all the author #laces weight on the ethical norms of <ahayanaBuddhism
and gi)es these a family7oriented twist0 com#assion with all beings, thus also with women and
children, the linking of family structures with the Sangha $Buddhist community(, the
sacraliMation of the e)eryday, male assistance with the housework, and similar ideas which are
drawn less from Buddhism as from the moderate wing of the women,s mo)ement*

!ike the <talian, Tsultrim ;llione, 9ross sees it as a further task of hers to seek out
forgotten female figures in the history of Buddhism and to reser)e a significant #lace for them
in the historiogra#hy* She takes texts like the Therigatha, in which women in
the Hinayana #eriod already freely and )ery o#enly discussed their relationshi# to the
teachings, to be #roof of a strong female #resence within the early #hase of Buddhism* <t is
not 6ust the lamas who are to blame for the concealment of "enlightened women:, but also
abo)e all the western researchers, who hardly bothered about the existence of female ade#ts*

She sees in Buddhist Tantrism a techni8ue for o)ercoming the gender #olarity, in the
form of an e8uality of rights of course* Kne can say straight out that she has not understood
the alchemic #rocess whereby the feminine energy is sucked u# during the tantric ritual* !ike
the male traditionalists she seiMes u#on the image of an androgyny $not that of a gynandry(, of
which she erroneously a##ro)es as a "more sexually neutral: state*
'Q&

@* Fourthly, there are those women who wish to re)erse the com#lex of sexual themes in
Buddhism exclusi)ely for their own benefit* The ;merican authors, !ynn ;ndrews and, abo)e
all, Miranda Shaw, can be counted among these* <n her book, (assionate Enlightenment
omen in Tantric $uddhism& she s#eaks o#enly of a "gynocentric: #ers#ecti)e on Buddhism
$Shaw, .QQ@, #* N.(* Shaw thus stands at the forefront of western women who are attem#ting
to transform the tantric doctrine of #ower into a feminist intellectual edifice* +ith the same
intentions Dune -am#bell subtitles her highly critical book, Tra+eller in Space& as being "<n
Search of Female <dentity in Tibetan Buddhism:* She too renders tantric #ractices, which she
learned as the #u#il of the 2agyu master, 2alu 5in#oche, o)er many years, useful for the
women,s mo)ement* !ikewise one can detect in the 9erman Tibetologist, ;delheid
1errmann7Pfand,s study about the dakinis the wish to detect female alternati)es within the
tantric scheme of things*

But of all of these Miranda Shaw has the most radical a##roach* +e shall therefore
concentrate our attention u#on her* ;nybody who reads her im#assioned book must gain the
im#ression that it concerns the codification of a matriarchal religion to ri)al -a0rayana* ;ll
the feminine images which are to be found in Tantrism are reinter#reted as #ower symbols of
the goddess* The result is a com#rehensi)e world )iew go)erned by a feminine arch7deity* +e
may recall that such a matriarchal )iew#oint need not differ essentially from that of an
androcentric Tantric* 1e too sees the substance of the world as feminine and belie)es that the
forces which guide the uni)erse are the energies of the goddess* Knly in the final instance
does the +a0ra master want to ha)e the last say*

For this reason the "tantric: feminists can without causing the lamas any concern reach
into the treasure chest of -a0rayana and bring forth the female deities stored there, from the
"Mother of all Buddhas:, the "1ighest +isdom:, the goddess "Tara:, to all concei)able kinds
of terror dakinis* These formerly Buddhist female figures > the nurturing and #rotecti)e
mother, the hel#er in times of need, and the granter of initiations > a##arently stand at the
center of a new cult* Shaw can rightly draw attention to numerous cases in which women
were inducted into the secrets of Tantrism as the dakinis of <aha Siddhas* <t was they who
e8ui##ed their male #u#ils with magic abilities* Their #owers, the legends teach us, )astly
exceeded those of the men* The tantra texts are also said to ha)e originally been written by
'Q.
women* The ranks of the P@ official <aha Siddhas $great Tantrics( at any rate include four
women, one of whom, !akshminkara, is considered to be the founder of a teaching tradition
of her own* <n the more recent history of -a0rayana as well, "enlightened women: cro# u#
again and again0 the yoginis 4iguma, Beshe Tshogyal, Ma gcig, and others*

;s e)idence for the hy#othesiMed #ower of women in Buddhist Tantrism the feminist
side likes to #arade the Candamaharosana Tantra with those #assages in it in which the man
is com#letely subordinate to the dictates of the woman* But the hymn to the goddess 8uoted in
the following is still no more a se8uence in the tantric in)ersion #rocess, des#ite its de#iction
of the ser)itude of the male lo)er0 as usual, in this case too it is not the female deity but rather
the central male who is the )ictor in the guise of a guru* 1ere are the words, which the
goddess addresses to her #artner0

Pla'e my *eet "pon yo"r sho"lders and
Look me "p and do%n
Make the *"lly a%akened s'epter (Phall"s)
;nter the openin) in the 'enter o* the lot"s (Va)ina)
Move a h"ndred tho"sand h"ndred tho"sand times
in my three4petaled lot"s
o* s%ollen *lesh#
$Shaw, .QQ@, ##* .HH7.HL(

Shaw comments u#on this erotic #oem with the following re)ealing sentences0 "The
#assage reflects what can be called a Gfemale gaMeG or gynocentric #ers#ecti)e, for it describes
embodiment and erotic ex#erience from a female #oint of )iew* *** SThe manT is instructed not
to end the worshi# until the woman is fully satisfied* Knly then is he allowed to #ause to
re)i)e himself with food and wine > after ser)ing the woman and letting her eat first, of
courseV Selfish #leasure7seeking is out of the 8uestion for him, for he must ser)e and #lease
his goddess: $Shaw, .QQ@, #* .HL(* But the tantra is in fact dedicated to a wrathful and
extremely )iolent male deity and differs from other texts solely in that the ade#t has set
himself the difficult exercise of being com#letely sexually subordinate to the woman so as to
then > in accordance with "law of in)ersion: > be able to celebrate an e)en greater )ictory
o)er the feminine and his own #assions* The woman,s role as dominatrix, which Shaw
'Q%
#roudly cites, must also be seen as an e#hemeral moment along the masculine way to
enlightenment*

Bet Miranda Shaw sees things differently* For her it was women who in)ented and
introduced Tantrism* They had always been the bearers of secrets* Thus nothing in the tantras
must be changed in the coming "age of gynandry: other than that the texts once more lay the
foundations for the su#remacy of the woman, so that she can take u# her former tantric #ost as
teacher and gras# anew the helm which had sli##ed from her hands* From now on the man
has to obey once more0 "Tantric texts ", Shaw says, "s#ecify what a man has to do to a##eal
to, #lease and merit the attention of a woman, but there are no corres#onding re8uirements
that a woman must fulfill: $Shaw, .QQ@, #* N&(* ;t another #oint we may read that, "the
woman may also see her male #artner as a deity in certain ritual contexts, but his di)inity does
not carry the same symbolic weight* She is not re8uired to res#ond to his di)inity with any
s#ecial deference, res#ect, or su##lication or to render him ser)ice in the same way that he is
re8uired to ser)e her*: $Shaw, .QQ@, #* @N(* <n #lace of the absolute god, the absolute goddess
now strides across the cosmic stage alone and seiMes the long sought sce#ter of world
dominion*

Such feminist ra##rochements with -a0rayana Buddhism, howe)er, #ro)e on closer
ins#ection to walk right into a well7disguised tantric tra#* Precisely in the moment where the
modern emanci#ated woman belie)es she has freed herself from the chains of the #atriarchal
system, she becomes without noticing e)en more dee#ly entangled in it* This effect is caused
by the tantric "law of in)ersion:* ;s we know, within the logic of this law, the yogini must be
ele)ated to a goddess before her defeat and domination at the hands of the guru, and
the +a0ra master is under no circumstances #ermitted to recoil if she comes at him in a furious
and aggressi)e form* <n contrast, he is > if he takes the "law of in)ersion: seriously >
downright obliged to "set fire to: the feminine, or better, to bring it to ex#losion* The
hysterical terror dakinis of the rituals are 6ust one of the indicators of the "inflaming: of
female emotions during the initiations* <n our analysis of the feminine inner fire $the Candali(
as a further exam#le, we showed how the "fire woman: ignited by the yogi stands in radical
confrontation to him who has set fire to her, since she is su##osed to burn u# all of his bodily
aggregates* Kn the astral #lane the tantra master likewise uses the feminine"a#ocaly#tic fire:
$"alagni( to reduces the cosmos to smoking rubble* The aggressi)ely feminine, which can
'Q'
find its social ex#ression in the form of radical gynocentric feminism, is thus a #art of the
tantric #ro6ect* +ho better re#resents a flaming, wrathful, dangerous goddess than a feminist,
who furiously turns u#on the fundamental #rinci#les of the teaching $the =harma(A

<f we consider the feminist cra)ing for fire as an element of #ower in the work of such a
#rominent figure as the ;merican cultural researcher Mary aly, then the 8uestion arises
whether such radical women ha)e not been outwitted by the Tibetan yogis into doing their
work for them* aly e)en demands a "#yrogenetic ecstasy: for the new women and calls out
to her comrades0 5aging, 5acing, we take on the task of Pyrognomic 4aming of Virtues*
Thus lightning, igniting the Fires of <m#assioned Virtues, we sear, scorch, singe, char, burn
away the demonic tidy ties that hold us down in the omesticated State, releasing our own
aimonsUMusesUTidal Forces of creation *** Volcanic #owers are un#lugged, )enting 3arth,s
Fury and ours, hurling forth !ife7lust, like la)a, re)i)ing the wasteland, the +orld: $aly,
.QP@, #* %%L(* Such an attitude fits #erfectly with the #atriarchal strategy of a fiery destruction
of the world such as we find in the Buddhist "alachakra Tantra and likewise in the
-hristian $ook of Re+elations* <n their blind urge for #ower, the "#yromaniac: feminists also
set Mother 3arth, whom they claim to rescue, on fire* <n so doing they carry out the
a#ocaly#tic task of the mythic <ndian doomsday mare, from whose nostrils the a#ocaly#tic
fire $"alagni( streams and who rises u# out of the de#ths of the oceans* They are thus
unwilling chess #ieces in the cosmic game of the ;< B=1; to come*

!et us recall 9iordano Bruno,s statements about one of the fundamental features of a
mani#ulator0 the easiest #erson to mani#ulate is the one who belie)es he is acting in his own
egomaniac interests, whilst he is in fact the instrument of a magician and is fulfilling the
wishes of the latter* This is the "trick: $upaya( with which the yogi daMMles the fearsome
feminine, the "e)il mother:, and the dark"ali* The more they gnash their raMor7shar# teeth,
the more attracti)e they become for the tantra master* ;ccording to the "law of in)ersion:
they #lay out a necessary dramaturgical scene on the tantric stage* ;s magic directors, the
#atriarchal yogis are not only #re#ared for an attack by radical feminism, but ha)e also made
it an element in their own androcentric de)elo#ment* Perha#s this is the reason why Miranda
Shaw was allowed to conduct her studies in haramsala with the ex#licit #ermission of the
alai !ama*

'Q@
There are internal and external reasons for this unconscious but effecti)e self7
destruction of radical feminism* 3xternally, we can see how in contest with #atriarchy they
gras# the element of fire, which is also seen as a synonym of the term "#ower: by the
followers of the great goddess* The element of water as the feminine counter#art to masculine
fire #lays a com#letely subordinate role in aly,s and Shaw,s )isions* Thus the force under
which the earth already suffers is multi#lied by the fiery rage of these
women* ;+alokitesh+ara and "alachakra are > as we ha)e shown > fire deities, i*e*, they
feed u#on fire e)en if or e)en #recisely because it is lit by "burning: women*

The internal reason for the feminist self7destruction lies in the unthinking ado#tion of
tantric #hysiology by the women* <f such women #ractice a form of yoga, along the lines
Miranda Shaw recommends, then they make use of exactly the same techni8ues as the men,
and #resume that the same energy conditions a##ly in their bodies* They thus begin > as we
ha)e already indicated > to destroy their female bodies and to re#lace it with a masculine
structure* This is in com#lete accord with the Buddhist doctrine* Thanks to the androcentric
rituals her femininity is dissol)ed and she becomes in energy terms a man*

Between March '& and ;#ril %, %&&&, re#resentati)es from grou#s three and four
con)ened in -ologne, 9ermany at a women7only conference* Probably without gi)ing the
matter much thought, the Buddhist 6ournal Frsache U irkung S-ause and 3ffectT ran its
re#ort on the meeting at which .%&& female Buddhists #artici#ated under the title of
"9Jttinnen Ymmerung: STwilight of the 9oddessesT > which with its reference to
the g,tterdQmmerung signified the extinction of the goddesses $Frsache U irkung, 4o* '%,
%U%&&&(*

4ow whether the yogis can actually and #ermanently maintain control o)er the women
through their "tricks: $upaya( is another 8uestion* This is solely de#endent u#on their magical
abilities, o)er which we do not wish to #ass 6udgement here* The texts do re#eatedly warn of
the great danger of their ex#eriments* There is the e)er7#resent #ossibility that the "daughters
of <araI see through the tricky system and #lunge the lamas into hell* Srinmo, the fettered
earth mother, may free herself one day and cruelly re)enge herself u#on her tormentors, then
she too has meanwhile become a central symbol of the gynocentric mo)ement* 1er liberation
is #art of the feminist agenda* Kne senses a certain #ride:, we can read in the work of Danet
'QH
9yatso, in the descri#tion of the #resence of the massi)e demoness* She reminds Tibetans of
fierce and sa)age roots in their #ast* She also has much to say to the Tibetan female, notably
more asserti)e than some of her ;sian neighbours, with an inde#endent identity, and a
formidable one at that* So formidable that the masculine #ower structure of Tibetan myth had
to go to great lengths to kee# the female #resence under control* SX* SrinmoT may ha)e been
#inned and rendered motionless, but she threatens to break loose at any relaxing of )igilance
or deterioration of ci)iliMation: $Danet 9yatso, .QPQ, #* H&, H.(*

Th( Fourt((nth Daai La$a and th( Au(!tion o- wo$(nP! right!
The relationshi# of the Fourteenth alai !ama to the female sex a##ears sincere,
#ositi)e, and uninhibited* !ea)ing the tantric goddesses aside, we must distinguish between
three categories of women in his #roximity0 .* Buddhist nunsR %*Tibetan women in exileR '*
+estern lay women*

B"ddhist n"ns
;t the outset of our study we described the extremely misogynist feelings Buddha
Shakyamuni exhibited towards ordained female Buddhists* <n a com#letely different mood,
the Fourteenth alai !ama succeeded in becoming a figure of ho#e for all the women
assembled at the first international conference of Buddhist nuns in .QPN in Bodh 9aya $<ndia(*
<t was the "undun and not a nun $bhiksuni( who launched #roceedings with his #rinci#al
s#eech* <t surely had a dee# symbolicUtantric significance for him that he held his lecture
inside the local "alachakra tem#le* There, in the holiest of holies of the time god, the rest of
the nuns, e)ents also took #lace, beginning each time with a grou# meditation* <t is further
noteworthy that it was not 6ust re#resentati)es of Tibetan Buddhism who turned to the god7
king as the ad)ocate of their rights at the conference but also the nuns of other Buddhist
schools* SPT

<n his s#eech the "undun welcomed the women,s initiati)e* First u#, he s#oke of the
high moral and emotional significance of the mother for human society* 1e then im#lied that
according to the basic #rinci#les of <ahayana Buddhism, no distinction between the sexes
may be made and that inTantrayana the woman must be accorded great res#ect* The only
sentence in which the "undunmentioned Tantrism in his s#eech was the following0 "<t is for
exam#le considered an infringement when tantra #ractitioners do not bow down before
'QL
women or ste# around them during their accustomed #ractice of the yoga Sin their
meditationsT/ $!ekshe Tsomo, .QQ., #* '@(* The Buddhist women #resent would hardly ha)e
known anything about real women $karma mudras( who #artici#ate in the sexual magic
#ractices, about the ceremonial ele)ation of the woman by the lama so as to subse8uently
absorb her gynergy, or about the "tantric female sacrifice:*

The alai !ama continued his s#eech by stressing the existence of se)eral historical
yoginis in the <ndian and Tibetan traditions in order to #ro)e that Buddhism has always
offered women an e8ual chance* <n conclusion he drew attention to the fact that the negati)e
relationshi# to the female sex which could be found in so many Buddhist texts are
solely socially conditioned*

+hen the decisi)e demand was then aired, that women within the Buddhist sects be
initiated as line7holders so that they would as female gurus be entitled to initiate male and
female #u#ils, the"undun indicated with regret that such a bhiksuni tradition does not exist in
Tibet* 1owe)er, as it can be found in -hina $1ong 2ong and Taiwan(, it would make sense to
translate the rules of those orders and to distribute them among the Tibetan nuns* <n answer to
the 8uestion > "+ould they SthenT be officially recogniMed as bhiksunis Sfemale teachersTA:
> he re#lied e)asi)ely > "Primarily, religious #ractice de#ends u#on one,s own initiati)e* <t
is a #ersonal matter* 4ow whether the full ordination were officially recogniMed or not, a kind
of social recognition would at any rate be #resent in the community, which is extremely
im#ortant: $!ekshe Tsoma, .QQ., #* %@L(* But he himself could not found such a tradition,
since he saw himself bound to the traditional #rinci#les of his orders
$the <ulasar+asti+ada school( which forbade this, but he would do his best and su##ort a
meeting of )arious schools in order to discuss the bhiksuni 8uestion* Ten years later, in
Taiwan, where the "-hinese system: is wides#read, there had indeed been no concrete
ad)ances but the "undun once again had the most #rogressi)e statement ready0 "< ho#e:, he
said to his listeners, "that all sects will discuss it Sthe to#icT and reach consensus to thoroughly
#ass down this tradition* For men and women are e8ual and can both acce#t BuddhaGs
teachings on an e8ual basis*: $Tibetan Re+iew, May .QQN, #* .'(*

Big words > then the reformation of the re#ressi)e tradition of nuns dictated to by men
is fiercely contested within !amaism* But e)en if in future the bhiksunis are #ermitted to
'QN
conduct rituals and are recogniMed as teachers in line with the -hinese model, this in no way
affects the tantric rites, which do not e)en exist within the -hinese system and which
downright celebrate the discrimination against women as a cultic mystery*

$ibetan %omen in e.ile
;s far as their social and #olitical #osition is concerned, much has certainly changed for
the Tibetan women in exile in the last 'H years* For exam#le, they now ha)e the right to )ote
and to stand as a candidate* 4onetheless, com#laints about traditional mechanisms of
su##ression in the families are a ma6or to#ic, which thanks to the su##ort of western
cam#aigners for women,s rights do not seldom reach a wider #ublic* 4onetheless, here too
the "undun #lays the reformer and we earnestly belie)e that he is com#letely serious about
this, then he has had for many years been able to ex#erience the dedication, skillfulness, and
courage of many women acting for his concerns* ;ll Tibetan women in exile are encouraged
by the "undun to #artici#ate in the business of state* The Tibetan +omenGs ;ssociation,
extremely acti)e in #ursuing societal interests, was also founded with his su##ort*

es#ite these outwardly fa)orable conditions, #rogress towards emanci#ation has been
)ery slow* For exam#le, the three #ermanent seats reser)ed for women in the #arliament in
exile could not be filled for a long #eriod, sim#ly because there were no candidates* $There
are .'&,&&& Tibetans li)ing in exile*( This has im#ro)ed somewhat in the meantime* <n .QQ&
the "undun induced his sister, Detsun Pema, to be the first woman to take u# an im#ortant
office in go)ernment* <n .QQL eight women were elected to the #ublic assembly*

Sometimes, under the influence of the western feminism, the 8uestion of women,s rights
flares u# fiercely within the exile Tibetan community* But such eru#tions can again and again
be successfully cut off and brought to nothing through two arguments0

.* The 8uestion of women,s rights is of secondary nature and disru#ts the
national front against the -hinese which must be maintained at all costs* 1ence, the
8uestion of women,s rights is a to#ic which will only become current once Tibet has been
freed from the -hinese yoke*
%* The chief duty of the women in exile is to guarantee the sur)i)al of the
Tibetan race $which is threatened by extinction( through the #roduction of children*
'QP

$he 0"nd"n?s en'o"nters %ith %estern *eminism
<n the +est the alai !ama is constantly confronted with emanci#ation to#ics,
#articularly since no few female Buddhists originally hailed from the feminist cam# or later
> the wa)e has 6ust begun > migrated to it* ;s in e)ery area of modern life, here too the
god7king #resents an image of the o#en7minded man of the world, liberal and in recent times
e)en )erbally re)olutionary* <n .QQ', as critical )oices accusing se)eral lamas of uninhibited
excessi)e and degrading sexual beha)ior grew louder, he took things seriously and #romised
that all cases would be #ro#erly in)estigated* <n the same year, a grou# of two doMen western
teachers under the leadershi# of Dack 2ornfield met and s#oke with 1is 1oliness about the
meanwhile increasingly #recarious to#ic of "sexual abuse by Tibetan gurus:* The "undun told
the ;mericans to "always let the #eo#le know when things go wrong* 9et it in the news#a#ers
themsel)es if needs be: $!attin, 4ewsgrou# .N(*

<n .QP', at a congress in ;l#ach, ;ustria, 1is 1oliness came under strong feminist fire
and was attacked by the women #resent* Kne of the #artici#ants com#letely o)ertaxed him
with the statement that, "< am )ery sur#rised that there is no woman on the stage today, and <
would ha)e been )ery glad to see at least one woman sitting u# there, and < ha)e the feeling
that the reason why there are no female alai !amas is sim#ly that they are not offered
enough room: $2akuska, .QP@, #* L.(* ;nother #artici#ant at the same meeting abused him
for the same reasons as "alai !ama, His (honinessV: $2akuska, .QP@, #* L&(*

The "undun learned 8uickly from such confrontations, of which there were certainly a
few in the early eighties* <n an inter)iew in .QQL, for exam#le, he described with a grin the
goddess Tara as the "first feminist of Buddhism: $alai !ama ?<V, .QQLb, #* NL(* <n answer
to the 8uestion as to why Shakyamuni was so disdainful of women, he re#lied0 %H&& years
ago when Buddha li)ed in <ndia he ga)e #reference to men* 1ad he li)ed today in 3uro#e as a
blonde male he would ha)e #erha#s gi)en his #reference to women: $Tibetan Re+iew, March
.QPP, #* .N(* 1is 1oliness now e)en goes so far as to belie)e it #ossible that a future alai
!ama could be incarnated in the form of a woman* "<n theory there is nothing against it:
$Tricycle, .QQH, V $.(, #* 'QR see also alai !ama ?<V, .QQLb, #* QQ(* <n .QQN he e)en
enigmatically #ro#hesied that he would soon a##ear in a female form0 "The next alai !ama
could also be a girl: $Tagesanzeiger, Dune %N, .QQH(*
'QQ

;ccording to our analysis of Tantrism, we must regard such charming flattery of the
female sex as at the )ery least a non7committal, albeit extremely lucrati)e embellishment* But
they are more likely to be a deliberately em#loyed mani#ulation, so as to draw attention away
from the monstrosities of the tantric ritual system* Perha#s they are themsel)es a method
$upaya( with which to a##ro#riate the "gynergyI of the women so charmed* ;fter all,
something like that need not only take #lace through the sexual act * There are descri#tions in
the lower tantras of how the yogi can obtain the feminine "elixir: e)en through a smile, an
erotic look or a tender touch alone*

<t has struck many who ha)e attended a teaching by the alai !ama that he kee#s a
constant and charming eye contact with women from the audience, and is in fact discussed in
the internet0 "4ow it is 8uite #ossible:, 5ichard P* 1ayes writes there regarding the "flirts: of
the "undun, "that he was making a fully conscious effort to make eye7contact with women to
build u# their self7esteem and sense of self7worth out of a com#assionate res#onse to the ego
crushing situations that women usually face in the world* <t is e8ually #ossible that he was
unconsciously seeking out womenGs faces because he finds them attracti)e* ;nd it could well
be the he finds women attracti)e because they trigger his ;nima com#lex in some way:
$1ayes, 4ewsgrou# ..(* 1ayes is right in his final sentence when he e8uates the
female anima with the tantric maha mudra $the "inner woman:(* +ith his flirts
the "undun enchants the women and at the same time drinks their "gynergyI*

The role of women in the sacred center of Tibetan Buddhism can only change if there
were to be a fundamental re6ection of the tantric mysteries, but to date we ha)e not found the
slightest indication that the "undun wants to terminate in any manner his androcentric
tradition which at heart consists in the sacrifice of the feminine*

4e)ertheless, he amaMingly succeeds in awakening the im#ression > e)en among
critical feminists > that he is essentially a reformer, willing and o#en to modern
emanci#atory influences* <t seems the #romised changes ha)e only not come about because,
as the )ictim of a traditional en)ironment, his hands are tied $9ross, .QQ', #* 'H(* This #ious
wishful notion #ro)es nothing more than the fascination that the great "mani#ulator of erotic
lo)e: from the "roof of the world: exercise o)er his female #ublic* 1is charming magic in the
@&&
meantime enables him to enthuse and acti)ate a whole army of women for his Tibetan #olitics
in the most )aried nations of the world*

$he :/ana'hakra7 o* Holly%ood
5elaxed and carefree, with a certain s#iritual sex a##eal, the "undun en6oys all his
encounters with western women* ;s the world #ress confirms, the "modest monk: from
haramsala counts as one of the greatest charmers among the current cro# of #oliticians and
religious leaders* ;ny woman:, 1icks and -hogyam write in their biogra#hy of the alai
!ama, who has had been fortunate enough ton be granted an audience will tell you what a
charming host he is: $1icks and -hogyam, .QQ&, #* LL(* But ;lexandra a)id74eel had a
com#letely different o#inion of his #re)ious incarnation, the Thirteenth alai !ama, whom
she described as stiff, obsessed by #ower, and heartless*

Dust as a ma6or film star is surrounded by enthusiastic fans, so too the alai !ama > at
a higher le)el > attracts a crowd of enthusiastic male and female film stars* The #ro#ortion of
world7famous actresses and singers in his "retinue: has notably increased in the meantime,
and among them are to be found many of the most well7known faces0 Sharon Stone, ;n6a
2ruse, =ma Thurman, -hristine 2aufmann, So#hie Marceau, Tina Turner, oris Jrrie, 2oo
Stark, 9oldie 1awn, Meg 5yan, Shirley Mac!aine and a number of others count among them*
"3)en Madonna has Wcome out, s#iritually:, the Spiegel reflects, "The GMaterial 9irlG soon
#ossibly a Tibet sisterA: $Spiegel, .LU.QQP, #* .&Q(* "<n 1ollywood the leader of Tibet is
currently re)ered like a god:, writes(layboy $(layboy S9erman editionT, March .QQP, #* @@(*

But what moti)ates these international celebrities to 6oin the "undun and his tantric
Buddhist teachings with such enthusiasmA +e shall s#eak later about the male stars who are
followers in #articular, and thus in this section caste a glance at the famous women who ha)e
ado#ted the Buddhist faith in recent years* $unte, a high7circulation 9erman magaMine, has
attem#ted to identify the female stars, moti)es for their change of faith* ;longside the usual
descri#tions of #eace, calm, and 8uiet, we can also read the following0

/More and more women are turning to Buddhism, both in 3uro#e and ;merica* ;nd
when you look at them, you might think0 hello, looks like she,s had a faceliftA > 4o, it,s the
teaching of Buddha which is making her desirable and attracti)e* Buddhism *** gi)es them
@&.
#eace > and #eace is the basis of the harmony from which alone erotic lo)e can grow* *** <n
the great religions of the world #eo#le, in #articular women, are constantly under siege0 from
commandments, bans, taboos, guilt com#lexes and mystic )isions of #urgatory, Dudgment
ay, and hell* But Buddhism does not threaten, does not #unish, does not damn* *** ;nd then
> the "boss:0 Buddha is no in)isible, #uniti)e, wrathful or e)en lo)ing god* 1e is a )isible
#erson *** a #erson, who has found his way and is therefore constantly smiling in likenesses of
him* But you don,t ha)e to #ray to him > you,re su##osed to follow him* For women,
Buddha is not the omni#otent #atriarch in hea)en, but rather a li)ing guru SVT* This makes him
es#ecially a##ealing to women* <n Buddhism women do not ha)e to deny their sensuality:*
9oldie 1awn, 1ollywood sex comedian, ra#turously claims, "< meditate and < feel sexy, < am
sexy:* ;n6a 2ruse, a 9erman film star, enthuses that through Buddhism she has "gained more
#ositi)e energy and erotic radiance:* The singer !aurie ;ndersen belie)es " Buddhism is so
antiauthoritarian that it is attracti)e:* The actress Shirley Mac!aine knows that "Bou learn
that you are also god: $all 8uotations are from $unte& no* @L, 4o)ember L, .QQN, ##* %&ff*(*

The mani#ulation of the feminine sense of the erotic can hardly be better demonstrated
than through such articles* 1ere, the whole misogynist history of Buddhism is transformed
into its #recise o##osite with a few sna##y words* This is only one of the dece#tions,
howe)er* The other is the fact that according to such statements Buddhism holds the dolce
+ita of the "rich and the beautiful: to be an ele)ated "s#iritual: goal* "For -hristians and
Moslems:, it says further in $unte& "#aradise beckons from the beyond* -elebrities already
ha)e it on earth > com#letely in accord with the beliefs of Buddhism: $$unte& no* @L,
4o)ember L, .QQN, #* %%(* The historical Buddha,s re6ection of the comforts of life > an
im#ortant dogma for his sal)ational way > is turned into its blatant o##osite here0 Buddhism,
the stars would like us to belie)e, means luxury and com#lete inde#endence*

This is deliberate and )ery successful mani#ulation* The western #ress is certainly not
res#onsible for this alone* <n that the Tibetan lamas further intensify the egocentricity and the
secret wishes of the celebrity women and guarantee their fulfillment through Buddhism, they
bring them under their control with a similar method $upaya b trick( to that with which they
ele)ate the karma mudras$real women( to goddesses in their tantric rituals* +ho as woman
would not reach out for the offers which are #romised them, according to $unte& by the monks
@&%
in orange robes0 "Buddhism is eternal life* <f one is lucky, eternal youth as well: $$unte, no*
@L, 4o)ember L, .QQN, #* %%(*

<n light of the hells, the taboos, the day of 6udgement, the homelessness, the a#ocaly#tic
battle, the absolute obedience, the unconditional worshi# of the gurus, the #atriarchal
authority, the disdain for women and for life and much more of the like, with which the "true:
doctrine is traditionally weighed down, the tem#tations offered by $unte magaMine are #urely
illusory, es#ecially when we consider the harsh disci#line and the strictness which must be
borne in the Buddhist lamaseries* Perha#s one of the most famous Buddha legends has now
been re)ersed0 ; future Buddha who wishes to attain enlightenment will no longer be tem#ted
by the "daughters of <araI $the daughters of the de)il(, rather, the "daughters of <araI $the
female stars of 1ollywood( who are #re#ared to ste# out along the #ath to enlightenment are
tem#ted by Buddha $the alai !ama(* <t only remains to ho#e that they like the historical
Shakyamuni succeed in seeing through the sweet and charming "de)il ghost: of the "sincere:
and smiling "undun*

<f we ado#t a tantric )iew#oint then we may not rule out that all these famous women
ha)e in a most sublime manner been made a #art of the worldwide "alachakra pro0ect by the
lamas* They form > if we may exaggerate slightly > a kind of symbolic ganachakra which
is su##osed to su##ort the a#otheosis of the alai !amas $;+alokitesh+ara( into the ;<
B=1;* +ith the exam#le of the #o# singer Patty Smith we would like to demonstrate
how finely and "cle)erly: feminine energies can be steered by the "undun in the meantime*

Patty ,mith and the Dalai Lama

@&'
;lready anticon)entional to the #oint of radicalism in her youth, a great fan of
the poVtes maudits> ;rthur 5imbaud, Frederico 9arcia !orca, Dean 9enet, +illiam S*
Burroughs and others, Patty Smith grew u# in the #actory of ;ndy +arhol, where she learned
her "antiauthoritarian: attitude to life* ;narchist and libertarian, she built a career u#on a
re#ertoire which o##osed e)ery social norm*Nutside of society is where ? want to be is the
name of one of her most famous #ieces* <n the eighties her s#ouse and se)eral of her closest
friends died suddenly, which affected her dee#ly* <n order to o)ercome her #ain she turned to
Tibetan Buddhism* She remembered ha)ing we#t and #rayed as a twel)e7year7old girl at the
fate of the alai !ama* But she first met the god7king in Se#tember .QQH in Berlin and was
s#ellbound0 "/< learned 8uite a bit from that man:, she later said, "he had to be constantly
#utting things into balance: $Shambhala Sun, Duly .QQL(*

The antiauthoritarian Patty Smith had met her master, in the face of the
smiling "undun she would hardly ha)e thought that she had before her a #ontiff whose
history, ideology and )isions o##osed all of her libertarian and anarchic freedoms as their
exact o##osite* 4o > like a com#liant mudra this social rebel bowed to the omni#otent tantra
master, without asking where he came from, who he is, or where he is headed* <n a #oem she
wrote about 1is 1oliness she shows how unconditionally she as a woman submits to the
di)ine guru and coming ;< B=1;* <t o#ens with the lines

May = be nothin)
b"t the peelin) o* a lot"s
paperin) the distan'e
*or <o" "nder*oot

<n this #oem the entire sexual magic dramaturgy of Tantrism is #layed out in an
extremely fine way* "Peeling: can suggest "#eeling off: in the sense of "stri##ing naked so as
to make lo)e:* The "lotus: is a well7known symbol for the ")agina:* Fnderfoot also connotes
being "under $his( control:* Patty Smith, the social rebel and #oet of freedom has become an
obedient dakini of the Tibetan god7king*

;ll these beautiful singers and actresses ha)e forgotten or ne)er e)en known about the
heart of their nailed down sister, Srinmo, which still bleeds beneath the Dokhang $the sacred
@&@
center of Tibetan Buddhism(* The lamentations of the Tibetan earth mother, waiting to be
rescued and freed from the daggers which nail her down, do not reach the ears of the
unknowing film stars* ;lso forgotten are all the anonymous girls who o)er the course of
centuries ha)e had to surrender their feminine energies to the tantric clergy, so that the latter
could construct its #owerful Buddhocracy*(alden 9hamo, who still rides through a sea of
boiling blood, dri)en by the terrible trauma of ha)ing murdered her son, is forgotten* The
a#ocaly#tic future which threatens us all if we follow the way to Shambhala is forgotten*
These women > as many say of them > belie)e they ha)e esca#ed the -hristian churches
and the "white #ontiff: but ha)e run directly into the net $in Sanskrit0 tantra( of the "yellow
#ontiff:*

Footnot(!:
S.T ; terrible sister of the (alden 9hamo is the goddess Eka0ati, the "Protector of the
Mantra:* Kne7eyed and with only one tooth she dances on bodies co)ered in scratches,
swinging a human cor#se in one hand, and #lacing a human heart in her mouth with the
other* ;s adornment she wears a chain of skulls* She is a kind of war goddess and is thus
also worshi##ed under the name of "Magic +ea#on ;rmy:*
S%T But Tara like all Tibetan Buddhas and Bodhisatt)as also has her terrible side* <f this
breaks out, she is known as the red "urukulla, who dances u#on cor#ses and holds aloft
)arious wea#ons* ; rosary of human bones hangs around her neck, a tiger skin co)ers her
hi#s* <n this form she is often surrounded by se)eral wild dakinis* She is in)oked in her cruel
form to among other things destroy #olitical o##onents*
= prostrate to ,he 'ro%ned by a 'res'ent moon
Her head ornament da88lin)ly bri)ht
Crom the hair4knot B"ddha &mitabha
-onstantly beams *orth streams o* li)ht#
$alai !ama <, .QPH, #* .'&(
we can read in a #oem to the wrathful Tara by the first alai !ama* ;bo)e all it is the
Sakya#a sect who worshi#s her in this wrathful form* She is considered to be the s#ecific
#rotecti)e #atroness of this order* <t is most re)ealing that the "flesh7eating and horny: rock
demoness, Srinmo, who seduced ;+alokitesh+ara and with him #arented the Tibetan #eo#le, is
also su##osed to be an embodiment of Tara*
@&H
S'T To see <ary the Mother of 9od as an emanation of Tara is not historically 6ustifiedR
rather, the o##osite would be more likely the case since the Tara cult is more recent than the
cult of Mary* <t was first introduced to Tibet in the ele)enth century -*3* by the scholar
;tisha*
S@T 1ow closely enmeshed Beshe Tshogyal was with the tantric dakini cult is re)ealed
by the scenario of her "being called to her maker:* They are no angels to bring her to #aradise
following her difficult life, rather "huge flocks of flesh7eating dakinis, a total of twel)e
different ty#es, who each consume a #art of her human body0 breath takers, flesh eaters, blood
drinkers, bone biters, and so forth > followed by beasts of #rey: $1errmann7Pfand, .QQ%, ##*
@L&, @L.(* Then s#irits and demons a##ear* The 8ueen of the night sings a song in honor of
the yogini,s merits* This goes on for some nine days until she disa##ears as a blue light into a
rainbow on the tenth day and lea)es her ghostly flock to its sorrow*
SHT The names and life stories of a number of other yoginis from Tibetan history are
known, and these biogra#hies can be read in a book by the <talian, Tsultrim ;llione* ;ll these
"#racticing: women form so much of an exce#tion in the total culture of Tibet that they
#rimarily act to confirm the misogynist rule* The current intensi)e engagement with them is
solely due to western feminism which is eagerly endea)oring to "win back: the tantric
goddesses* 1ence we refrain from #resenting the Tibetan yoginis indi)idually* <n a detailed
analysis of their li)es we would at any rate ha)e to return again and again to the tantric
ex#loitation mechanisms which we described in the first #art of our analysis*
SLT Hua2yen Buddhism, which #ro#agates a BuddhocraticUtotalitarian state structure,
today en6oys s#ecial fa)or among ;merican academics* The two religious studies scholars,
Michael )on BrIck and +halen !ai, see it as a none too fruitful yet exotic #laying around,
and in fact recommend turning instead to the "totalistic #aradigm: of the alai !ama, which
is said to be the li)ing model of a Buddhocratic idea* This recommendation is meant in a
thoroughly #ositi)e manner0 "Bet 1ua7yen is n longer a li)ing tradition* *** This does not mean
that a totalistic #aradigm could not be re#eated,: > and now one would think that the two
western authors were about to #ronounce a warning* But no, the o##osite is the case > "but it
seems more sensible to seek this in the Tibetan $uddhist tradition, then the Tibetan Buddhists
ha)e a li)ing memory of a real GBuddhocracyG and a li)ing alai !ama who leads the #eo#le
as religious and #olitical leadershi# figure: $BrIck and !ai, .QQN, #* L'.(*
SNT <n connection with the relationshi# between the retention of semen and tantric #ower
obsessions which we ha)e dealt with at length in our book, it is worth mentioning that the
@&L
weak willed 9uangxu suffered from constant e6aculations* 3)ery stress, e)en loud noises,
made him e6aculate*
SPT <n Bodh 9aya the nuns who attended founded the so7called Sakyadhita mo)ement
$/aughters of Buddha:(* This has in the meantime led to an international organiMation
re#resenting women from o)er %L countries*
+D THE FOENDATIONS OF THE TI#ETAN #EDDHOCRACG

The cult drama of TibetanUTantric Buddhism consists in the constant taming of the
feminine, the demoness* This is heralded already in the language* The Tibetan )erb dulwa has
the following meanings0 to tame, sub6ugate, con8uer, defeatR and sometimes0 to kill, destroyR
but also0 to culti)ate the land, ci)iliMe a nation, con)ert to Buddhism, bring u#, disci#line*
Violent con8uest and cultural acti)ities thus form a unit for the !amaist* The chief task of the
Tibetan monastic state consists in the taming of wilderness $wild nature(, the "heathen:
barbarians, and the women* <n tantric terminology this corres#onds with the method $upaya(
with which the feminine wildness $Candalior Srinmo( is defeated* Parallel to this, state
Buddhism and social anarchy stand o##osed to one another as enemies since the beginning of
Tibetan history > they conduct their #rimordial struggle in the #olitical, social, #hiloso#hical,
di)ine, and cosmic arenas* 3)en though they battle to the bitter end, they are nonetheless >
as we shall see > de#endent u#on one another*

Th( hi!tor% o- #uddhi!t !tat( thought
The fundamental attitude of the historical Buddha was anarchist* 4ot only did he lea)e
his family behind, the king,s son also laid aside all offices of state* +ith the founding of the
Buddhist community $the sangha(, he assumed that this was a #urely s#iritual union which
was ethically far su#erior to worldly institutions* The sangha formed the basic #attern for an
ideal society, whilst the secular state was constantly recei)ing karmic stains through its
worldly business* For this reason the relationshi# between the two institutions $the sangha and
the state( was always tense and dis#layed many discordances which had arisen e)en earlier >
in the Vedic #eriod > between kshatriyas$warriors and kings( and brahmans $#riests(*

1owe)er, the anti7state attitude of the Buddhists changed in the third century B*-*3*
with the seiMure of #ower by of the 3m#eror ;shoka $who ruled between %N%O%'L B*-*3*(
;shoka, a ruler from the Maurya dynasty, had con8uered almost the entire <ndian
@&N
subcontinent following se)eral terrible cam#aigns* 1e con)erted to Buddhism and set great
store by the distribution of the religion of Shakyamuni throughout the whole country* <n
accordance with the teaching, he forbade animal sacrifices and #ro#agated the idea of
)egetarianism*

1is state7#olitical status is not entirely clear among the historians, then a number of
contradictory documents about this are extant* <n one o#inion he and the whole state
submitted to the rule of thesangha $the monastic community( and he let his decisions be
steered by them* ;ccording to another document, he himself assumed leadershi# of the
community and became a sanghara0a$both king and su#reme commander of the monastic
community(* The third )iew is the most likely > that although he con)erted to the Buddhist
faith he retained his #olitical autonomy and forced the monastic community to obey his will
as em#eror* <n fa)or if this )iew is the fact that it was he who summoned a council and there
forced through his "Buddhological: ideas*

=# until today the idea of the 6ust "king of #eace: has been celebrated in the figure of
;shoka, and it has been com#letely o)erlooked that he confronted the sangha with the
#roblem of state #ower* The Buddhist monastic community was originally com#letely non7
coerci)e* Following its connection with the state, the #rinci#le of non)iolence necessarily
came into conflict with the #ower #olitical re8uirements this brought with it* For exam#le, the
historical Buddha is said to ha)e had such an a)ersion to the death #enalty that he offered
himself as a substitute in order to sa)e the life of a criminal* ;shoka, howe)er, who
#roclaimed an edict against the slaughter of animals, did not renounce the execution of
criminals by the state*

+hether during his lifetime or first due to later inter#retations > the 3m#eror was $at
any rate after his demise( declared to be a Chakra+artin $world ruler( who held the "golden
wheel: of the=harma $the teaching( in his hands* 1e was the first historical Bodhisatt)a king,
that is, a Bodhisatt)a incarnated in the figure of a worldly ruler* <n him, worldly and s#iritual
#ower were united in one #erson* <nterestingly he established his s#iritual world domination
)ia a kind of "cosmic sacrifice:* !egend tells how the 3m#eror came into #ossession of the
original Buddha relic and ordered this to be di)ided into P@,&&& #ieces and scattered
throughout the entire uni)erse* +here)er a #article of this relic landed, his dominion s#read,
@&P
that is, e)erywhere, since at that time in <ndia P@,&&& was a symbolic number for the cosmic
whole* S.T This #ious account of his uni)ersal so)ereignty rendered him com#letely
inde#endent of the Buddhist sangha*

<n the <ahayana @olden Shine Sutra& a few centuries after ;shoka, the coerci)e #ower
of the state is affirmed and #resented as a doctrine of the historical Buddha* +ith this the
anarchic #eriod of the Sangha was finally ended* By %&& -*3* at the latest, under the influence
of 9reco75oman and <ranian ideas, the Buddhist conce#t of kingshi# had de)elo#ed into its
fully autocratic form which is referred to by historians as "-aesaro#a#ism:* ;n exam#le of
this is #ro)ided by 2ing 2anishka from the 2ushana dynasty $%nd century -*3*( <n him, the
attributes of a worldly king and those of a Buddha were com#letely fused with one another*
3)en the "coming: Buddha, <aitreya&and the reigning king formed a unit* The ruler had
become a sa)ior* 1e was a contemporaryBodhisatt)a and at the same time the a##earance of
the coming Buddhist messiah who had descended from hea)en already in this life so as to
im#art his message of sal)ation to the #eo#le* $2anishka culti)ated a religious syncretism and
also used other systems to a#otheosiMe his #erson and reign*(

Th( Daai La$a and th( #uddhi!t !tat( ar( on(
Tibet first became a centraliMed ecclesiastical state with the alai !ama as its head in
the year .L@%* The #riest7king had the self7a##ointed right to exercise absolute #ower* 1e
was de 0ure not 6ust lord o)er his human sub6ects but likewise o)er the s#irits and all other
beings which li)ed "abo)e and beneath the world:* Kne of the first western )isitors to the
country, the Briton S* Turner, described the institution as follows0 "; so)ereign !ama,
immaculate, immortal, omni#resent and omniscient is #laced at the summit of their fabric* SVT
1e is esteemed the )ice regent of the only 9od, the mediator between mortals and the
Su#reme *** 1e is also the center of all ci)il go)ernment, which deri)es from his authority all
influence and #ower: $8uoted by Bisho#, .QQ', #* Q'(*

Turner, who knew nothing about the secrets of Tantrism, saw the alai !ama as a kind
of bridge $pontifex maximus( between transcendence and reality* 1e was for this author the
go)ernor for and the image of Buddha, his ma6esty a##eared as the #ale earthly reflection of
the deity* This is, howe)er, too modestV The alai !ama does not represent Buddha on earth,
nor is he an intermediary, nor a reflection > he is the com#lete deity himself* 1e is a "undun,
@&Q
that is, he is the #resence of Buddha, he is a "li)ing Buddha:* For this reason his #ower and
his com#assion are belie)ed to be unbounded* 1e is world king and Bodhisatt)a rolled into
one*

The alai !ama unites s#iritual and worldly #ower in one #erson > a dream which
remained unfulfilled for the #o#es and em#erors of the 3uro#ean Middle ;ges* S%T ;ccording
to doctrine, the"undun is the )isible form $nirmanakaya( of this com#rehensi)e di)ine #ower
in timeR he exists as the earthly a##earance of the time god, "alachakraE he is the su#reme
"lord of the wheel of time:* For this reason he was handed a golden wheel as a sign of his
omni#otence at his enthronement* 1e is #rayed to as the "ruler of rulers:, the ")ictor: and the
"con8ueror:* 3)en if he himself does not wield the sword, he can still order others to do so,
and oblige them to go to war for him*

There was 6ust as little distinction between #ower7#olitical and religious organiMation in
the Tibet of old as in the 3gy#t of the Pharaohs* ;s such, e)ery action of the Tibetan god7king,
regardless of how mundane it may a##ear to us, was $and is( religiously grounded and holy*
The monastic state he go)erns was $and is( considered to be the earthly reflection of a cosmic
realm* <n essence there was $and is( no difference between the su#ernatural order and the
social order* The two )ary only in their degree of #erfection, then the ordo
uni+ersalis $uni)ersal order( which is a##arent in this world is marred only by flaws due to
the im#erfection of humanity $and not due to any im#erfection of the "undun(* ;narchy,
disorder, re)olt, famine, disobedience, defeat, ex#ulsion are a matter of the deficiencies of the
age, but ne)er incorrect conduct by the god7king* 1e is without blemish and only #resent in
this world in order to instruct #eo#le in the =harma $the Buddhist doctrine(*

$he state as the mi'ro'osmi' body o* the Dalai Lama
;shoka, the first Buddhist 3m#eror, was considered to be the incarnation of a
Bodhisatt)a and #robably as that of a Chakra+artin $world ruler(* 1is role as the highest
bearer of state office was, howe)er, not of a tantric nature* Fundamentally, he acted like e)ery
sacred king before him* 1is decisions, his edicts, and his deeds were considered holy > but
he did not go)ern )ia control of his inner microcosmic energies* The #re7
tantric Chakra+artin $e*g*, ;shoka( controlled the cosmos, but the tantric world ruler is $e*g*,
the alai !ama( the cosmos itself* This e8uation of macrocosmic #rocedures and
@.&
microcosmic e)ents within the mystic body of the tantric hierarch e)en includes his #eo#le*
The tantra master u#on the !ion Throne does not 6ust re#resent his #eo#le, rather > to be
#recise > he is them* The oft78uoted #hrase "< am the state: is literally true of him*

1e controls it > as we ha)e described abo)e7 through his inner breath, through the
mo)ement of the ten winds $dasakaro +asi(* 1is two chief meta#olitical acti)ities consist of
the rite and the bodily control with which he secretly steers the cosmos and his kingdom* The
#olitical, the cultic, and his mystic #hysiology are inse#arable for him* <n his energy body he
#lays out the e)ents )irtually, as in a com#uter, in order to then allow them to become reality
in the world of a##earances*

The tantric Buddhocracy is thus an interwo)en total of cosmological, religious,
territorial, administrati)e, economic, and #hysiological e)ents* Taking the doctrine literally,
we must thus assume that Tibet, with all its regions, mountains, )alleys, ri)ers, towns,
)illages, with its monasteries, ci)il ser)ants, aristocrats, traders, farmers, and herdsmen, with
all its #lants and animals can be found anew in the energy body of the alai !ama* Such for
us seemingly fantastic conce#ts are not s#ecifically Tibetan* +e can also find them in ancient
3gy#t, -hina, <ndia, e)en in medie)al 3uro#e u# until the 3nlightenment* Thus, when
the "undun says in .QQL in an inter)iew that "my #ro#osal treats Tibet as something like one
human body* The whole Tibet is one body:, this is not 6ust intended allegorically and
geo#olitically, but also tantrically $Shambhala Sun, archi)es, 4o)ember, .QQL(* Strictly
inter#reted, the statement also means0 Tibet and my energy body are identical with one
another*

Tibet on the other hand is a microcosmic likeness of the sum of humanity, at least that is
how the Tibetan 4ational ;ssembly sees the matter in a letter from the year .Q@L* +e can
read there that "there are many great nations on this earth who ha)e achie)ed un#recedented
wealth and might, but there is only one nation which is dedicated to the well7being of
humanity and that is the religious land of Tibet, which cherishes a 6oint s#iritual and tem#oral
system: $4ewsgrou# .%(*

$he mandala as the or)ani8ational *orm o* the $ibetan state
@..
There is something s#ecific in the state structure of the historical Buddhocracy which
distinguishes it from the #urely #yramidal constitution of 4ear 3astern theocracies* ;lone
because of the many schools and sub7schools of Tibetan Buddhism we cannot s#eak of a
classic leadershi# #yramid at the #innacle of which the alai !ama stands* <n order to
describe in general terms the Buddhocratic form of state, S* D* Tambiah introduced a term
which has in the meantime become wides#read in the rele)ant literature* 1e calls it "galactic
#olitics: or "mandala #olitics: $Tambiah, .QNL, ##* ..% ff*( +hat can be understood by thisA

;s in a solar system, the chief monasteries of the !and of Snows orbit like #lanets
around the highest incarnation of Tibet, the god7king and world ruler from !hasa, and form
with him a li)ing mandala* This #lanetary #rinci#le is re#eated in the organiMational form of
the chief monasteries, in the center of which a tulku likewise rules as a "little: Chakra+artin*
1ere, each arch7abbot is the sun and father about whom rotate the so7called "child
monasteries:, that is, the monastic communities subordinate to him* =nder certain
circumstances these can form a similar #attern with e)en smaller units*

Mandala4pattern o* the tibetan )overnment
(above) and the 'orrespondin) )overnment
o**i'es aro"nd the 9okhan)4$emple (belo%)

; collection of many "solar systems: thus
arises which together form a "galaxy:* ;lthough
the alai !ama re#resents an o)erarching
symbolic field, the indi)idual monasteries still
ha)e a wide ranging autonomy within their own
#lanet* ;s a conse8uence, e)ery monastery, e)ery
tem#le, e)en e)ery Tulku forms a miniature model
of the whole state* <n this idealist conce#tion they
are all "little " co#ies of the
uni)ersal Chakra+artin$wheel turner( and must
also beha)e ideal7ty#ically like him* ;ll the thoughts and deeds of the world ruler must be
re#eated by them and ideally there should be no differences between him and them* Then all
the #lanetary units within the galactic model are in harmony with one another* <n the light of
@.%
this idea, the fre8uent and substantial disagreements within the Tibetan clergy a##ear all the
more #aradox*

!hasa, Tibet,s ca#ital, forms the cosmic center of this galaxy* Two magnificent city
buildings symboliMe the s#iritual and worldly control of the alai !ama0 The cathedral $the
Dokhang tem#le( his #riesthoodR the palace $the Potala( his kingshi#* The Fifth alai !ama
ordered the construction of his residence on the "5ed Mountain: $(otala( from where the
Tibetan rulers of the Barlung dynasty once reigned, but he did not li)e to see its magnificent
com#letion* <nstead of laying a foundation stone, the god7king had a stake dri)en into the soil
of the "red mountain: and summoned the wrathful deities, #robably to demonstrate here too
his #ower o)er the earth mother, Srinmo, whose nailed down heart beats beneath the Dokhang*

Significantly, a sanctuary in southern <ndia dedicated to ;+alokitesh+ara was known in
earlier times as a "Potala:* 1is Tibetan residence, which offers a )iew o)er all of !hasa, was a
suitably high #lace for the "!ord who looks down from abo)e: $as the name of the
Bodhisatt)a can be translated(* The Potala was also known as the "residence of the gods:*

Tibet is also #ortrayed in the geometric form of a Mandala in the religious #olitical
literature* +hile it demonstrates hierarchy, #ower relations, and legal le)els:, writes 5ebecca
5edwood French, the Mandala ceaselessly #ulsates with mo)ement u#, down and between
its different #arts: $5edwood French, .QQH, #* .NQ(*

$he m'hod4yon relationship to other 'o"ntries
+hat form does the relationshi# of a Chakra+artin from the roof of the world to the
rulers of other nations take in the Tibetan way of looking at thingsA The alai !ama was $and
is( > according to doctrine > the highest $s#iritual( instance for all the #eo#les of the globe*
Their relationshi# to him are traditionally regulated by what is known as the mchod2
yon formula*

+ith an a##eal to the historical Buddha, the Tibetans inter#ret the mchod2yon relation as
follows0

@.'
.* The sacred monastic community $the sangha( is far su#erior to secular
ruler*
%* The secular ruler $the king( has the task, indeed the duty, to afford
the sangha military #rotection and kee# it ali)e with generous "alms:* <n the mchod2
yon relation "#riest: and "#atron: thus stood $and stand( o##osed, in that the #atron
was obliged to fulfill all the worldly needs of the clergy*

;fter Buddhism became more and more closely linked with the idea of the state
following the ;shoka #eriod, and the "high #riests: themsel)es became "#atrons: $secular
rulers(, the mchod2yon relation was a##lied to neighboring countries* That is, states which
were not yet really sub6ect to the rule of the #riest7king $e*g*, of the alai !ama( had to grant
him military #rotection and "alms:* This delicate relation between the !amaist Buddhocracy
and its neighboring states still #lays a significant role in -hinese7Tibetan #olitics today, since
each of the #arties inter#rets them differently and thus also deri)es conflicting rights from it*

The -hinese side has for centuries been of the o#inion that the Buddhist church $and the
alai !ama( must indeed be #aid for their religious acti)ities with "alms:, but only has
limited rights in worldly matters* The -hinese $es#ecially the communists( thus im#ose a
clear di)ision between state and church and in this #oint are largely in accord with western
conce#tions, or they with 6ustification a##eal to the traditional Buddhist se#aration
of sangha $the monastic community( and #olitics $2lieger, .QQ., #* %@(* <n contrast, the
Tibetans do not 6ust lay claim to com#lete #olitical authority, they are also con)inced that
because of the mchod2yon relation the -hinese are downright obliged to su##ort them with
"alms: and #rotect them with "wea#ons:* 3)en if such a claim is not articulated in the current
#olitical situation it nonetheless remains an essential characteristic of Tibetan Buddhocracy*
S'T

-hristiaan 2lieger has con)incingly demonstrated that these days the entire exile
Tibetan economy functions according to the traditional mchod2yon $#riest7#atron( #rinci#le
described abo)e, that is, the community with the monks at its head is constantly su##orted by
non7Tibetan institutions and indi)iduals from all o)er the world with cash, un#aid work, and
gifts* The Tibetan economic system has thus remained "medie)al: in emigration as well*

@.@
+hether the considerable gifts to the Tibetans in exile are originally intended for
religious or humanitarian #ro6ects no longer #lays much of a role in their subse8uent
allocation* Funds generated in the +est as #art of the religious system of donations,: writes
2lieger, are conse8uently transformed into #olitical su##ort for the Tibetan state: $2lieger,
.QQ., #* %.(* The formula, which #roceeds from the connection between s#iritual and secular
#ower, is accordingly as follows0 whoe)er su##orts the #olitics of the exile Tibetans also
#atroniMes Buddhism as such or, )ice )ersa, whoe)er wants to foster Buddhism must su##ort
Tibetan #olitics*

Th( -(ign(d 5(i(- o- th( Fourt((nth Daai La$a in w(!t(rn d($ocrac%
1owe)er authoritarian and undemocratic the guiding #rinci#les of the Buddhist state
are, these days $and in total contrast to this( the Fourteenth alai !ama exclusi)ely #rofesses
a belief in a western democratic model* 4ow, is the "undun's conce#tion of democracy a
matter of an seriously intended reform of the old feudal Tibetan relations, a not yet realiMed
long7term #olitical goal, or sim#ly a tactical #loyA

;dmittedly, since .QL. a kind of #arliament exists among the Tibetans in exile in which
the re#resentati)es of the )arious #ro)inces and the four religious schools hold seats as
members* But the "god7king: still remains the highest go)ernment official* ;ccording to the
constitution, he cannot be stri##ed of his authority as head of state and as the
highest political instance* There has ne)er, Vice President Thubten !ungring has said, been a
ma6ority decision against the alai !ama* The latter is said to ha)e with a smile answered a
western 6ournalist who asked him whether it was e)en #ossible that resolutions could be
#assed against him, "4o, not #ossible: $4ewsgrou# .'(*

+hene)er he is asked about his unshakable office, the "undun always re#eats that this
absolutist #osition of #ower was thrust u#on him against his ex#ress wishes* The #eo#le
em#hatically demanded of him that he retain his role as regent for life* +ith regard to the
charismatic #ower of integration he is able to exercise, this was certainly a sensible #olitical
decision* But this means that the exile Tibetan state system still remains Buddhocratic at
heart* 4onetheless, this does not #re)ent the "undun from #resenting the constitution finally
#assed in .QL' as being "based u#on the #rinci#les of modern democracy:, nor from
@.H
constantly demanding the se#aration of church and state $alai !ama ?<V, .QQ'b, #* %HR
.QQLb, #* '&(*

<n the course of its 'H7year existence the exile Tibetan "#arliament: has #ro)ed itself to
be #urely cosmetic* <t was barely ca#able of functioning and #layed a com#letely subordinate
role in the #olitical decision7making #rocess* The "first e)er democratic #olitical #arty in the
history of Tibet: as it terms itself in its #olitical #latform, the !ational =emocratic (arty of
Tibet $4PT(, first saw the light of day in the mid nineties* =# until at least .QQL the
"#eo#le: were com#letely uninterested in the democratic rules of the game $Tibetan Re+iew,
February .QQ&, #* .H(* Politics was at best conducted by )arious #ressure grou#s > the
di)isi)e regional re#resentations, the militant Tibetan %outh ;ssociation and the senior abbots
of the four chief sects* But ultimately decisions $still( lay in the hands of 1is 1oliness, se)eral
executi)e bodies, and the members of three families, of whom the most #owerful is that of
the "undun& the so7called "Babshi clan:*

The same is true of the freedom of the #ress and freedom of s#eech in general* "The
historian +ang#o Tethong,: exiled Tibetan o##onents of the alai !ama wrote in .QQP,
"whose noble family has constantly occu#ied se)eral #osts in the go)ernment in exile, e8uates
democratiMation in exile with the W#ro#agation of an ideology of national unity, and Greligious
and #olitical unificationG* This contradicts the western conce#tion of democracy: $Press
release of the or6e Shugden <nternational -oalition, February N, .QQPR translation(* The sole
$V( inde#endent news#a#er in haramsala, with the name of =emocracy $in
Tibetan0 <angtso(, was forced to cease #ublication under #ressure from members of the
go)ernment in exile* <n the Tibet !ews& an article by Damyang 4orbu on the state of freedom
of the #ress is said to ha)e a##eared* The author summariMes his analysis as follows0 "4ot
only is there no encouragement or su##ort for a free Tibetan #ress, rather there is almost an
extinguishing of the freedom of o#inion in the Tibetan exile community: $Press release of the
or6e Shugden <nternational -oalition, February, N, .QQP(*

The Tibetan #arliament in exile and the democracy of the exiled Tibetans is a farce*
3)en Thubten D* 4orbu, one of the alai !ama,s brothers, is con)inced of this* +hen in the
early nineties he clashed fiercely with 9yalo Thondo#, another brother of the "undun, o)er
the 8uestion of foreign affairs, the business of go)ernment was #aralyMed due to this dis#ute
@.L
between the brothers $Tibetan Re+iew, Se#tember .QQ%, #* N(* The ..
th
#arliamentary
assembly $.QQ.(, for instance, could not reach consensus o)er the election of a full cabinet*
The #arliamentary members therefore re8uested that 1is 1oliness make the decision* The
result was that of se)en ministers, two belonged to the "Babshi clan:, that is, to
the "undun's own family0 9yalo Thondo# was a##ointed chairman of the council of ministers
and was also res#onsible for the "security: de#artment* The alai !ama,s sister, Detsun Pema,
was entrusted with the ministry of education*

<n future, e)erything is su##osed to change* 4e#otism, corru#tion, undemocratic
decisions, su##ression of the freedom of the #ress are no longer su##osed to exist in the new
Tibet* Kn Dune .H, .QPP, the Fourteenth alai !ama announced to the 3uro#ean Parliament in
Strasbourg that u#on his return a constitutional assembly would be formed in the !and of
Snows, headed by a #resident who would #ossess the same authority as he himself now
en6oyed* Following this there would be democratic elections* ; se#aration of church and state
along western lines would be guaranteed from the outset in Tibet* There would also be a
)oluntary relin8uishment of some #olitical authority )is7d7)is the -hinese* 1e, the alai
!ama, would recogniMe the di#lomatic and military su#remacy of -hina and be content with
6ust the fields of religion, commerce, education, culture, tourism, science, s#orts, and other
non7#olitical acti)ities: $9runfeld, .QQL, #* %'@(*

But des#ite such s#oken #rofessions, the national symbols tell another tale0 +ith #ride,
e)ery Tibetan in exile ex#lains that the two snow lions on the national flag signify the union
of s#iritual and worldly #ower* The Tibetan flag is thus a )isible demonstration of the Tibetan
Buddhocracy* <ncidentally, a -hinese yin yang symbol can be found in the middle* This can
hardly be a reference to a royal cou#le, and rather, is clearly a symbol of the androgyny of the
alai !ama as the highest tantric ruler of the !and of Snows* ;ll the other heraldic features of
the flag $the colors, the flaming 6ewels, the twel)e rays, etc*(, which is #araded as the coat of
arm of a democratic, national Tibet, are drawn from the royalist re#ertoire of the !amaist
#riesthood*

The Strasbourg =eclaration of .QPQ and the renunciation of autonomy it contains are
shar#ly criticiMed by the Tibetan %outh Congress $TB-(, the European Tibetan %outh
;ssociation& and the alai !ama,s elder brother, Thubten 4orbu* +hen the head of
@.N
the Tibetan %outh Congresscame under strong attack because he did not a##ro)e of the
#olitical decisions of the "undun, he defended himself by #ointing out that the alai !ama
himself had called u#on him to #ursue this hard7line stance > #robably so as to ha)e the
#ossibility of distancing himself from his Strasbourg =eclaration $9oldstein, .QQN, #* .'Q(*

This #olitical double game is currently intensifying* +hilst the god7king continues to
extend his contacts with Bei6ing, the TB-,s beha)ior is increasingly )ocally radical* +e ha)e
become too non)iolent, too #assi)e, declared the #resident of the organiMation, Tseten 4orbu,
in .QQP $5euters, Bei6ing, Dune %%, .QQP(* <n the countermo)e, since -linton,s )isit to -hina
$in Duly .QQP( the alai !ama has been offering himself to the -hinese as a #eacemaker to be
em#loyed against his own #eo#le as the sole bulwark against a dangerous Tibetan radicalism0
"The resentment in Tibet against the -hinese is )ery strong* But there is one S#ersonT who can
influence and re#resent the Tibetan #eo#le She means himself hereT* <f he no longer existed
the #roblem could be radicaliMed: he threatened the -hinese leadershi#, of whom it has been
said that they want to wait out his death in exile $Time, Duly .', .QQP, #* %L(*

+hate)er ha##ens to the Tibetan #eo#le in the future, the alai !ama remains a
#owerful ancient archety#e in his double function as #olitical and s#iritual leader* <n the
moment in which he has to surrender this dual role, the idea, anchored in the "alachakra
Tantra& of a "world king: first loses its )isible secular #art, then the Chakra+artin is worldly
and s#iritual ruler at once* <n this case the alai !ama would exercise a #urely s#iritual office,
which more or less corres#onds to that of a -atholic Po#e*

1ow the "undun will in the coming years manage the com#licated balancing act
between religious community and nationalism, democracy and Buddhocracy, world dominion
and #arliamentary go)ernment, #riesthood and kingshi#, is a com#letely o#en 8uestion* 1e
will at any rate > as Tibetan history and his #re)ious incarnations ha)e taught us
> tactically orient himself to the #articular #olitical constellations of #ower*

$he demo'rati' *a'tion
+ithin the Tibetan community there are a few exiled Tibetans brought u# in western
cultures who ha)e carefully begun to examine the ostensible democracy of haramsala* <n a
letter to the Tibetan Re+iew for exam#le, one !obsang Tsering wrote0 The Tibetan society in
@.P
its ''7years of exile has witnessed many scandals and turmoils* But do the #eo#le know all
the details about these e)entsA *** The latest scandal has been the GBabshi )s* BabshiG affair
concerning the two older brothers of the alai !ama* S%abshi is the family name of the alai
!ama,s relati)es*T The rumours kee# on rolling and s#reading like wildfire* Many still are not
sure exactly what the affair is all about* +ho are to blame for this lack of informationA =# till
now* anything contro)ersial has been ke#t as a state secret by our go)ernment* <t is true that
not e)ery go)ernment #olicy should be conducted in the o#en* 1owe)er, in our case, nothing
is done in the o#en: $Tibetan Re+iew, Se#tember .QQ%, #* %%(* S@T

+e should also take seriously the liberal democratic intentions of younger Tibetans in
the homeland* For instance, the so7called re#ung Manifesto, which a##eared in .QPP in
!hasa, makes a refreshingly critical im#ression, although formulated by monks0 1a)ing
com#letely eradicated the #ractices of the old society with all its faults,: it says there* the
future Tibet will not resemble our former condition and be a restoration of serfdom or be like
the so7called Wold system, of rule a succession of feudal masters or monastic estates*:
$SchwartM, .QQ@, #* .%N(* +hether such statements are really intended seriously is something
about which one can only s#eculate* The democratic reality among the Tibetans in exile gi)es
rise to some doubts about this*

<t is likewise a fact that the #rotest mo)ement in Tibet, continually ex#anding since the
eighties, draws together e)eryone who is dissatisfied in some way, from u#right democrats to
the dark monastic ritualists for whom any means is acce#table in the 8uest to restore through
magic the #ower of the alai !ama on the "roof of the world:* +e shall return to discuss
se)eral exam#les of this in our cha#ter ar and (eace* +estern tourists who are far more
interested in the occult and mystic currents of the country than in the establishment of a
"western: democracy, encourage such ata)isms as best they can*

For the Tibetan within and outside of their country, the situation is extremely
com#licated* They are confronted daily with #rofessions of faith in western democracy on the
one hand and a Buddhocratic, archaic reality on the other and are su##osed to
$the "undun imagines( decide in fa)or of two social systems at once which are not com#atible
with one another* <n connection with the still to be described Shugden affair this contradiction
has become highly )isible and self7e)ident*
@.Q

;dditionally, the Tibetans are only now in the #rocess of establishing themsel)es as a
nation, a self7conce#t which did not exist at all before > at least since the country has been
under clerical control* +e ha)e to refer to the Tibet of the #ast as a cultural community and
not as a nation* <t was #recisely !amaism and the #redecessors of the Fourteenth alai !ama,
who now sets himself at the forefront of the Tibetan !ation, who #re)ented the de)elo#ment
of a real feeling of national identity among the #o#ulace* The "yellow church: ad)ocated their
Buddhist teachings, in)oked their deities and #ursued their economic interests > yet not
those of the Tibetans as a united #eo#le* For this reason the clergy also ne)er had the slightest
8ualms about allying themsel)es with the Mongolians or the -hinese against the inhabitants
of the !and of Snows*

Th( ,;r(at Fi-thC: A5!out( Sun 4ing o- Ti5(t
1istorians are unanimous in maintaining that the Tibetan state was the ingenious
construction of a single indi)idual* The golden age of !amaism begins with 4gawang
!obsang 9yatso, the Fifth alai !ama $.L.NO.LP%( and also ends with him* The saying of the
famous historian, Thomas -arlyle, that the history of the world is nothing other than the
biogra#hy of great men may be es#ecially true of him* 4one of his successors ha)e e)er
achie)ed the same #ower and )isionary force as the "9reat Fifth:* They are in fact 6ust the
weak transmission of a )ery s#ecial energy which was gathered together in his #erson in the
se)enteenth century* The s#iritual and material foundations which he laid ha)e sha#ed the
image of Tibet in both 3ast and +est u# until the #resent day* But
his practical political #ower, limited firstly by )arious Buddhist school and then also by the
Mongolians and -hinese, was not at all so huge* 5ather, he achie)ed his transtem#oral
authority through the adroit accumulation of all spiritual resources and energies, which he #ut
to ser)ice with an admirable lack of inhibition and an unbounded in)enti)eness* +ith cunning
and with )iolence, kindness and brutality, with an enthusiasm for ostentatious magnificence,
and with magic he organiMed all the significant religious forms of ex#ression of his country
about himself as the shining center* =nscru#ulous and flexible, domineering and adroit,
intolerant and di#lomatic, he carried through his goals* 1e was statesman, #riest, historian,
grammarian, #oet, #ainter, architect, lo)er, #ro#het, and black magician in one > and all of
this together in an outstanding and extremely effecti)e manner*

@%&
The grand siVcle of the "9reat Fifth: shone out at the same #eriod in time as that of
!ouis ?<V $.L'PO.N.H(, the French sun king, and the two monarchs ha)e often been
com#ared to one another* They are united in their iron will to centraliMe, their fascination for
courtly ritual, their constant exchange with the myths, and much more besides* The Fifth
alai !ama and !ouis ?<V thought and acted as ex#ressions of the same tem#oral current and
in this lay the secret of their success, which far exceeded their #ractical #olitical )ictories* <f it
was the conce#t of the se)enteenth century to concentrate the state in a single #erson, then for
both #otentates the saying rings true0lMJtat cMest moi $/< am the state:(* Both li)ed from the
same di)ine energy, the all7#owerful sun* The "king: from !hasa also saw himself as a solar
"fire god:, as the lord of his era, an incarnation of;+alokitesh+ara* The year of his birth
$.L.N( is assigned to the "fire ser#ent: in the Tibetan calendar* +as this #erha#s a cosmic
indicator that he would become a master of high tantric #ractices, who go)erned his em#ire
with the hel# of the kundalini $/fire ser#ent:(A

<n the numerous )isions of the #otentate in which the most im#ortant gods and
goddesses of-a0rayana a##eared before him, tantric unions constantly took #lace* For him,
the transformation of sexuality into s#iritual and worldly #ower was an outright element of his
#olitical #rogram* Texts which he himself wrote describe how he, absorbed by one such
exercise by a di)ine cou#le, sli##ed into the )agina of his wisdom consort, bathed there "in
the red and white bodhicittaI and afterwards returned to his old body blissful and regenerated
$2armay, .QPP, #* @Q(*

-ontem#orary documents re)ere him as the "sun and moon: in one #erson* $Bumiko,
.QQ', #* @.(* 1e had mastered a great number of tantric techni8ues and e)en #racticed his
ritual self7destruction $chod( without batting an eyelid* Knce he saw how a gigantic scor#ion
#enetrated into his body and de)oured all his internal organs* Then the creature burst into
flames which consumed the remainder of his body $2armay, .QPP, #* H%(* 1e exhibited an
es#ecial #redilection for the most )aried terror deities who su##orted him in executing his
#ower #olitics*

The Fifth alai !ama was obsessed by the deliriums of magic* 1e saw all of his
#olitical and cultural successes as the result of his own in)ocations* For him, armies were only
the executi)e organs of #rior tantric rituals* 3)erywhere, he > the god u#on the !ion Throne
@%.
> #ercei)ed gods and demons to be at work, with whom he formed alliances or against
whom he took to the field* 3)ery ste# that he took was #re#ared for by #ro#hecies and
oracles* The )isions in which;+alokitesh+ara a##eared to him were fre8uent, and 6ust as
fre8uently he identified with the "fire god:* +ith a grand gesture he dissol)ed the whole
world into energy fields which he attem#ted to control magically > and he in fact succeeded*
The ;sia of the time took him seriously and allowed him to im#ose his system* 1e reigned
as Chakra+artin, as world ruler, and as the ;di $uddha on earth* -hinese 3m#erors and
Mongolian 2hans feared him for his meta#hysical #ower*

Kne might think that his religious emotionalism was only a #retext, to be em#loyed as a
means of establishing real #ower* 1is sometimes sarcastic, but always so#histicated manner
may suggest this* <t is, howe)er, highly unlikely, then the di)ine statesman had his occult and
liturgical secrets written down, and it is clear from these records that his first #riority was the
control of the symbolic world and the tantric rituals and that he deri)ed his #olitical decisions
from these*

1is Secret $iography and the @olden <anuscript which he wrote $2armay, .QPP( were
u# until most recently ke#t locked away and were only accessible to a handful of su#eriors
from the 9elug#a order* These two documents > which may now be )iewedO also re)eal the
author to be a grand sorcerer who e)aluated anything and e)erything as the ex#ression of
di)ine #lans and whose conce#tions of #ower are no longer to be inter#reted as secular* There
is no doubting that the "9reat Fifth: thought and acted as a deity com#letely consciously* This
sort of thing is said to be fre8uent among kings, but the lord from the roof of the world also
#ossessed the energy and the #ower of con)iction to transform his tantric )isions into a reality
which still #ersists today*

Th( 8r(d(c(!!or! o- th( Fi-th Daai La$a
The organiMational and disci#linary strength of the 9elug#a $/Bellow 1at:( order
formed the Fifth alai !ama,s #ower base, u#on which he could build his system* Shortly
after the death of Tsongkha#a $the founder of the "Bellow 1ats:( his successors ado#ted the
doctrine of incarnation from the 2agyu#a sect* 1ence the chain of incarnated forebears of the
"9reat Fifth: was fixed from the start* <t includes four incarnations from the ranks of the
@%%
9elug#as, of whom only the last two bore the title of =alai 9ama, the first #air were accorded
the rank #osthumously*

The chain begins with 9yalwa 9endun rub $.'Q.O.@N@( , a #u#il of Tsongkha#a and
later the First alai !ama* 1e was an outstanding ex#ert on, and higher initiand into,
the "alachakra Tantra and com#osed se)eral commentaries u#on it which are still read today*
1is writings on this to#ic, e)en if they ne)er attain the methodical #recision and canonical
knowledge of his teacher, Tsongkha#a, show that he #racticed the tantra and sought
bisexuality in "the form of "alachakra and his consort: $alai !ama <, .QPH, #* .P.(*

1is androgynous longings are es#ecially clear in the hymns with which he in)oked the
goddess Taraso as to be able to assume her feminine form0 "Suddenly < a##ear as the holy
;rya Tara, whose mind is beyond samsara: he writes* "My body is green in color and my face
reflects a warmly serene smile *** attained to immortality, my a##earance is that of a sixteen7
year7old7girl: $alai !ama <, .QPH, ##* .'H, .'P(*

This a##earance as the goddess of mercy did not, howe)er, restrain him from following
a #retty hard line in the construction of the legal system* 1e determined that #risons be
constructed in all monasteries, where some of his o##onents lost their li)es under inhuman
circumstances* The #enal system which he codified was intransigent and cruel* ays without
food and whi##ings were a #art of this, 6ust like the cutting off of the right hand in cases of
theft or the death #enalty for breach of the )ows of celibacy, insofar as this took #lace outside
of the tantric rituals* 1is se)erity and rigor nonetheless earned him the sym#athy of the
#eo#le, who saw him as the arm of a 6ust and angry god who brought order to the com#letely
deteriorated world of the monastic clergy*

The title =alai 9ama first a##ears during the encounter between the arch7abbot of
Sera, Sonam @yatso $.H@'O.HPP( and the Mongolian 2han, ;ltan* The #rince of the church
$later the Third alai !ama( undertook the strenuous 6ourney to the north and )isited the
Mongols in the year .HNP at their in)itation* 1e s#ent a number of days at the court of ;ltan
2han, initiated him into the teachings of the Buddha a and successfully demonstrated his
s#iritual #ower through all manner of sensational miracles* Kne day the #rince of the ste##es
a##eared in a white robe which was su##osed to symboliMe lo)e, and confessed with much
@%'
feeling to the Buddhist faith* 1e #romised to transform the "blood sea: into a "sea of milk: by
changing the Mongolian laws* Sonam 9yatso re#lied, "Bou are the thousand7golden7wheel7
turning Chakra+artin or world ruler: $Bleichsteiner, .Q'N, #* PQ(*

<t can be clearly gathered from this a#otheosis that the monk conceded secular authority
to the successor of 9enghis 2han* But as an incarnated Buddha he ranked himself more
highly* This emerges from an initiatory s#eech in which one of ;ltanGs ne#hews com#ares him
to the moon, but addresses the 1igh !ama from the !and of Snows as the omni#otent sun
$Bleichsteiner, .Q'N, #* PP(* But the Mongol #rince called his guest "alai !ama:, a
somewhat modest title on the basis of the translation usual these days, "Kcean of +isdom:*
5obert Bleichsteiner also translates it somewhat more emotionally as "Thunderbolt7bearing
+orld Kcean Priest:* The god7king of Tibet thus bears a Mongolian title, not a Tibetan one*

;t the meeting between Sonam 9yatso and ;ltan 2han there were surely negotiations
about the #ending fourth incarnation of the "alai !ama: $Bonten 9yatso .HPQO.L.N(, then
he a##eared among the Mongols in the figure of a great7grandchild of 2han,s* Bleichsteiner
refers to this "incarnation decision: as a "#articularly cle)er chess mo)e:, which finally
ensured the control of the "Bellow 1ats: o)er Mongolia and obliged the 2hans to #ro)ide
hel# to the order $Bleichsteiner, .Q'N, #* PQ(* The Mongolian Fourth alai !ama died at the
age of %P and did not #lay a significant #olitical role*

This was taken o)er by the #owerful 2agyu#a sect $the so7called "5ed 1ats:( at this
stage in time* The "5ed 1ats: recruited their members exclusi)ely from national $Tibetan(
forces* They had attacked Sonam 9yatso,s $the <<< alai !ama,s( 6ourney to the Mongols as
treason and were able to continually ex#and their #ower #olitical successes so that by the
.L'&s the 9elug#a order was only sa)able )ia external inter)ention*

Thus, nothing seemed more ob)ious than that the "9reat Fifth: should demonstrati)ely
ado#t the Mongolian title "alai !ama: so as to moti)ate the warlike nomadic tribes from the
north to occu#y and con8uer Tibet* This state #olitical calculation #aid off in full* The result
was a terrible ci)il war between the 2agyu#as and the followers of the #rince of Tsang on the
one side and the 9elug#as and the Mongol leader 9ushri 2han on the other*

@%@
<f the records are to be trusted, the Mongol #rince, 9ushri 2han, made a gift of his
military con8uests $i*e*, Tibet( to the Fifth alai !ama and handed o)er his sword after the
)ictory o)er the "5ed 1ats:* This was not e)aluated symbolically as a #acifist act, but rather
as the ceremonial e8ui##ing of the #rince of the church with secular #ower* Bet it remains
o#en to 8uestion whether the #ower7conscious Mongol really saw this symbolic act in these
terms, then de 0ure 9ushri 2han retained the title "2ing of Tibet: for himself* The "9reat
Fifth: in contrast, certainly inter#reted the gift of the sword as a gesture of submission by the
2han $the renunciation of authority o)er Tibet(, then de facto from now on he managed affairs
like an absolute ruler*

$he ,e'ret Bio)raphy
The Fifth alai !ama took his self7ele)ation to the status of a deity and his magic
#ractices 6ust as seriously as he did his real #ower #olitics* For him, e)ery #olitical act, e)ery
military o#eration was launched by a )isionary e)ent or #re#ared for with a in)ocatory ritual*
4e)ertheless, as a Tantric, the dogma of the em#tiness of all being and the nonexistence of the
#henomenal world stood for him behind the whole ritual and mystic theater which he
#erformed* This was the e#istemological #recondition to being able to control the #rotagonists
of history 6ust like those of the s#iritual world* <t is against this framework that the "9reat
Fifth: introduces his autobiogra#hy $Secret $iography( with an irony which undermines his
own life,s work in the following )erses0

$he er"dite sho"ld not read this %ork they %ill be embarrassed#
=t is only *or the )"idan'e o* *ools %ho revel in *an'i*"l ideas#
&ltho")h it tries *rankly to avoid pretentio"sness
=t is nevertheless 'orr"pted %ith de'eit#
By speakin) honestly on %hatever o''"rred this 'o"ld be taken to be lies#

&s i* ill"sions o* ,amsara %ere not eno")h
$his st"pid mind o* mine is *"rther attra'ted
$o "ltra4ill"sory visions#
=t is s"rely mad to say that the ima)e o* the B"ddhaGs 'ompassion
=s re*le'ted in the mirror o* karmi' e.isten'e#

@%H
Let me no% %rite the *ollo%in) pa)es
$ho")h it %ill disappoint those %ho are led to believe
$hat the desert4mira)e is %ater
&s %ell as those %ho are en'hanted by *olk4tales
&nd those %ho deli)ht in red 'lo"ds in s"mmer#7
$2armay, .QPP, #* %N(

=# until recent times the Secret $iography had not been made #ublic, it was a secret
document only accessible to a few chosen* There is no doubting that the #ower7obsessed
"god7king: wanted to #rotect the extremely intimate and magic character of his writings
through the all7dis#ersing introductory #oem* Kne of the few handwritten co#ies is ke#t in the
Munich State !ibrary* There it can be seen that the 9reat Fifth nonetheless took his "fairy
tales: so seriously that he marked the indi)idual cha#ters with a red thumb#rint*

3)erything about Tibet which so fascinates #eo#le from the +est is in collected in the
multilayered character of the Fifth alai !ama* 1oliness and barbarism, com#assion
and realpolitik, magic and #ower, king and mendicant monk, s#lendor and modesty, war and
#eace, megalomania and humility, god and mortal > the #ontiff from !hasa was able to
sim#lify these #aradoxes to a single formula and that was himself* 1e was for an ordinary
#erson one of the incom#rehensibly great, a contradiction made flesh, a great solitary, u#on
whom in his own belief the life of the world hung* 1e was a mystery for the #eo#le, a monster
for his enemies, a deity for his followers, a beast for his o##onents* This ingenious des#ot is
> as we shall later see > the highest exam#le for the current Fourteenth alai !ama*

$he re)ent ,an)ye /yatso
The Fifth alai !ama did not need to worry about a successor, because he was
con)inced that he would be reincarnated in a child a few days after his death* Bet with wise
foresight the time between his rebirth and his coming of age needed to be organiMed* 1ere too,
the "9reat Fifth:Gs choice was a brilliant #iece of #ower #olitics* ;s regent: he decided to
a##oint the lama Sangye 9yatso $.LH'O.N&H( and e8ui##ed him with all the regalia of a king
already in the last years of his life* 1e seated him u#on the broad throne of the fearless lion as
the executor of two duties, one worldly and one religious, which are a##ro#riate to a
great Chakra+artin kingshi#, as a lord of hea)en and earth $;hmad, .QN&, #* @'(* The alai
@%L
!ama thus a##ointed him world ruler until his successor $who he himself was( came of age* <t
was rumored with some 6ustification that the regent was his biological son $1offmann, .QHL,
#* .NL(*

<n terms of his abilities, Sangye 9yatso must be regarded not 6ust as a skilled statesman,
rather he was also the author of a number of intelligent books on such )aried to#ics as
healing, law, history, and ritual systems* 1e #roceeded against the women of !hasa with great
intolerance* ;ccording to a contem#orary re#ort he is said to ha)e issued a command that
e)ery female being could only )enture into #ublic with a blackened face, so that the monks
would not fall into tem#tation*

So as to consolidate his threatened #osition during the troubled times, he ke#t the
demise of his "di)ine father: $the Fifth alai !ama( secret for ten years and ex#lained that the
#rince of the church remained in the dee#est meditation* +hen in the year .N&' the
Mongolian #rince, !haMang, #osed the ne)er com#letely resol)ed 8uestion of #ower between
!hasa and the warrior nomads and himself claimed regency o)er Tibet, an armed conflict
arose*

The right wing of the Mongol army was under the command of the martial wife of the
#rince, Tsering Tashi* She succeeded in ca#turing the regent and carried out his death sentence
#ersonally* <f she was a )engeant incarnation of Srinmo in the "land of the gods:, then her
re)enge also extended to the coming Sixth alai !ama, o)er whose fate we re#ort in a cha#ter
of its own*

Th( !ucc(!!or! o- th( ,;r(at Fi-thC: Th( Thirt((nth and Fourt((nth Daai La$a!
The Se)enth and 3ighth alai !amas only #layed a minor role in the wider #olitical
world* ;s we ha)e already re#orted, the four following god7kings $The 4inth to the Twelfth
alai !amas( either died an early death or were murdered* <t was first the so7called "9reat
Thirteenth: who could be described as a "#olitician: again* ;lthough in constant contact with
the modern world, Thubten 9yatso, the Thirteenth alai !ama $.PN@O.Q''(, thought and
acted like his #redecessor, the "9reat Fifth:* Visions and magic continued to determine
#olitical thought and acti)ity in Tibet after the boy mo)ed into the Potala amid great s#ectacle
in Duly .PNQ* <n .PQ@ he took #ower o)er the state* Shortly before, the officiating regent had
@%N
been condemned because of a black magic ritual which he was su##osed to ha)e #erformed to
attack the young thirteenth god7king, and because of a cons#iracy with the -hinese* 1e was
thrown into one of the dreadful monastery dungeons, chained u#, and maltreated him till he
died* ; co7cons#irator, head of a distinguished noble family, was brought to the Potala after
his deeds were disco)ered and #ushed from the highest battlements of the #alace* 1is names,
#ossessions and e)en the women of his house were then gi)en to a fa)orite of the alai
!ama,s as a gift*

<n .Q&@ the god7king had to flee to Mongolia to e)ade the 3nglish who occu#ied !hasa*
=nder #ressure from the Manchu dynasty he )isited Bei6ing in .Q&P* +e ha)e already
described how the -hinese 3m#eror and the 3m#ress owager -i ?i died mysteriously
during this )isit* 1e later fell out with the Thirteenth alai !ama with the Panchen !ama,

SHT
who coo#erated with the -hinese and was forced to flee Tibet in .Q%'* The "9reat Thirteenth:
conducted 8uite un#roducti)e fluctuating #olitical negotiations with 5ussia, 3ngland, and
-hinaR why he was gi)en the e#ithet of "the 9reat: nobody really knows, not e)en his
successor from haramsala*

;n ;merican en)oy gained the im#ression that 1is 1oliness $the Thirteenth alai
!ama( cared )ery little, if at all, for anything which did not affect his #ersonal #ri)ileges and
#rerogati)es, that he se#arated entirely his case from that of the #eo#le of Tibetan, which he
was willing to abandon entirely to the mercy of -hina: $Mehra, .QNL, #*%&( +hen we recall
that the institution of the alai !ama was a Mongolian arrangement which was #ut through in
the ci)il war of .L@% against the will of the ma6ority of the Tibetans, such an e)aluation may
well be 6ustified*

;s an incarnation of ;+alokitesh+ara& the thirteenth hierarch also $like the "9reat
Fifth:( saw himself surrounded less by #oliticians and heads of state than by gods and
demons* a)id Seyfort 5uegg most astutely indicates that the criteria by which Buddhists in
#ositions of #ower assess historical e)ents and #ersonalities ha)e nothing in common with our
western, rational conce#tions* For them, "su#ernatural: forces and #owers are #rimarily at
work, using #eo#le as bodily )essels and instruments* +e ha)e already had a taste of this in
the o##osition between the god7king as an incarnation of ;+alokitesh+ara and @uanyin in the
@%P
form of the 3m#ress owager -i ?i* Further exam#les in the coming cha#ters should show
how magic and #olitics, war and ritual are also interwo)en here*

4ow what is the situation with regard to these to#ics and the li)ing Fourteenth alai
!amaA 1as his almost @&77year ex#osure to western culture changed anything fundamental in
the traditional #olitical understandingA <s the current god7king free of the ancient, magical
)isions of #ower of his #redecessorsA !et us allow him to answer this 8uestion himself0 in
ado#ting the #osition of the Fifth alai !ama, the "undun ex#lained in an inter)iew in .QQN,
"< am su##osed to follow what he did: $alai !ama, 1P< &&L(* ;s a conse8uence we too are
entitled to accredit the Fourteenth alai !ama with all the deeds and )isions of the great fifth
hierarch and to assess his #olitics according to the criteria of his famous exem#lar*

Incarnation and 8ow(r
!amaism,s #articular brand of controlling #ower is based u#on the doctrine of
incarnation* Formerly $before the -ommunist in)asion( the incarnation system co)ered the
entire !and of Snows like a network* <n Tibet, the monastic incarnations are called "tulkus:*
Tulku means literally the "self7transforming body:* <n Mongolia they are known as
"chubilganes:* There were o)er a hundred of these at the end of the nineteenth century* 3)en
in Bei6ing during the reign of the im#erial Manchus there were fourteen offices of state which
were reser)ed for !amaist tulkus but not always occu#ied*

The Tibetan doctrine incarnation is often misunderstood* +hilst conce#ts of rebirth in
the +est are dominated by a #urely indi)idualist idea in the sense that an indi)idual
#rogresses through a number of lifetimes on earth in a row, a distinction is drawn in Tibet
between three ty#es of incarnation0

.* +hen the incarnation as the emanation of a su#ernatural being, a
Buddha, Bodhisatt)a, or a wrathful deity* 1ere, incarnation means that the lama in
8uestion is the embodiment of a deity, 6ust as the alai !ama is an embodiment
of ;+alokitesh+ara* The tulku li)es from the s#iritual energies of a transcendent being
or, )ice )ersa, this being emanates in a human body*
@%Q
%* +hen reincarnation arises through the initiatory transfer from the
master to the sadhaka, that is, the "root guru: $re#resented by the master( and the
deities who stand behind him embody themsel)es in his #u#il*
'* +hen it concerns the rebirth of a historical figure who re)eals himself
in the form of a new born baby* For exam#le, the Fourteenth alai !ama is also an
incarnation of the Fifth alai !ama*

The first and third conce#ts of incarnation do not necessarily contradict one another,
rather they can com#lement each other, so that a #erson who has already died and deity can
simultaneously be embodied in a #erson* But come what may, the deity has #riority and
su#reme authority* <t seems ob)ious that their bodily continuity and #resence in this world is
far better ensured by the doctrine of incarnation than by a natural line of inheritance* <n a
religious system in which the #erson means ultimately nothing, but the gods who stand behind
him are e)erything, the human body only re#resents the instrument through which a higher
being can make an a##earance* From the deity,s #oint of )iew a natural re#roduction would
bring the #ersonal interests of a family into conflict with his or her own di)ine ambitions*

The incarnation system in contrast is im#ersonal, anti7genetic, and anti7aristocratic* For
this reason the monastic orders as such are #rotected* through the rearing of a "di)ine:
child it creates for itself the best conditions for the sur)i)al of its tradition, which can no
longer be damaged by inca#able heirs, family intrigues, and ne#otism*

Kn a more fundamental symbolic le)el, the doctrine of incarnation must ne)ertheless be
seen as an ingenious chess mo)e against the woman,s mono#oly on childbirth and the
de#endence of humanity u#on the cycle of birth* <t makes things "theoretically: inde#endent
of birth and the woman as the 9reat Mother* That mothers are nonetheless needed to bring the
little tulkus into the world is not significant from a Buddhological #oint of )iew* The women
ser)e #urely as a tool, they are so to s#eak the cor#oreal cradle into which the god settles
down in the form of an embryo* The conce#tion of an incarnated lama $tulku( is thus always
regarded as a su#ernatural #rocedure and it does not arise through the admixture of the male
and female seed as is normal* !ike in the Buddha legend, where the mother of the Sublime
Kne is made #regnant in a dream by an ele#hant, so too the mother of a Tibetan tulku has
)isions and dreams of di)ine entities who enter into her* But the role of the "wet nurse: is
@'&
taken o)er by the monks already, so that the child can be suckled u#on the milk of their
androcentric wisdom from the most tender age*

The doctrine of reincarnation was fitted out by the clergy with a high grade symbolic
system which cannot be accessed by ordinary mortals* But as historical exam#les show, the
ad)antages of the doctrine were thoroughly ca#able of being combined now and again with
the #rinci#le of biological descent* 1ence, among the #owerful Sakya#as, where the office of
abbot was inherited within a family dynasty, both the chain of inheritance and the #rece#ts of
incarnation were obser)ed* 5elati)es, usually the ne#hews of the heads of the Sakya#a order,
were sim#ly declared to be tulkus*

!et us consider the !amaist "lineage tree: or "s#iritual tree: and its relation to the tulku
system* ;ctually, one would assume that the child recogniMed as being a reincarnation would
already #ossess all the initiation mysteries which it had ac8uired in former li)es*
Paradoxically, this is howe)er not the case* 3)ery alai !ama, e)ery 2arma#a, e)ery tulku is
initiated "anew: into the )arious tantric mysteries by a master* Knly after this may he consider
himself a branch of the "lineage tree: whose roots, trunk, and crown consist of the many
#redecessors of his guru and his guru,s guru* There are critics of the system who therefore
claim with some 6ustification that a child recogniMed as an incarnation first becomes the
")essel: of a deity after his "indoctrination: $i*e*, after his initiation(*

The traditional #ower of the indi)idual !amaist sects is #rimarily demonstrated by their
lineage tree* <t is the idealiMed image of a hierarchicUsacred social structure which draws its
legitimation from the di)ine mysteries, and is su##osed to im#ly to the sub6ects that the #ower
elite re#resent the )isible and time transcending assembly of an in)isible, unchanging meta7
order* ;t the origin of the initiation tree there is always a Buddha who emanates in a
Bodhisatt)a who then embodies himself in a<aha Siddha* The roaming, wild7looking
founding yogis $the <aha Siddhas( are, howe)er, )ery soon re#laced in the generations which
follow by faceless "ci)il ser)ants: within the lineage treeR fantastic great sorcerers ha)e
become uniformed state officials* The lineage tree now consists of the scholars and arch7
abbots of the lama state*

Th( ,;r(at Fi-thC and th( !%!t($ o- incarnation
@'.
1istorically, for the "yellow sect: $the 9elug#a order( which traditionally furnishes the
alai !ama, the 8uestion of incarnation at first did not #lay such a significant role as it did,
for exam#le, among the "5ed 1ats: $2agyu#a(* The Fifth alai !ama first extended the
system #ro#erly for his institution and de)elo#ed it into an ingenious #olitical artifact, whose
indi)idual #hases of establishment o)er the years .L@% to .LH' we can reconstruct exactly on
the basis of the documentary e)idence* The "9reat Fifth: saw himself as an incarnation of the
Bodhisatt)a;+alokitesh+ara* The embodiment of the Tibetan "national god: was until then a
#ri)ilege claimed #rimarily by the Sakya#a and 2agyu#a orders but not by the 9elug#a
school* 5ather, their founder, Tsongkha#a, was considered to be an emanation of the
Bodhisatt)a <an0ushri, the "!ord of Transcendental 2nowledge:* <n contrast, already in the
thirteenth century the 2arma#as #resented themsel)es to the #ublic as manifestations
of ;+alokitesh+ara*

;n identification with the Tibetan "national god: and first
father, Chenrezi $;+alokitesh+ara(, was, so to s#eak, a mythological #recondition for being
able to rule the !and of Snows and its s#irits, abo)e all since the sub6ugation and ci)iliMation
of Tibet were associated with the "good deeds: of the Bodhisatt)a, beginning with his
com#assionate, monkey union with the #rimal mother Srinmo* ;mong the #eo#le too, the
Bodhisatt)a en6oyed the highest di)ine authority, and his mantra, om mani padme hum& was
recited daily by all* 1ence, whoe)er wished to rule the Tibetans and go)ern the uni)erse from
the roof of the world, could only do so as a manifestation of the fire god,Chenrezi, the
controller of our age*

The "9reat Fifth: was well aware of this, and )ia a so#histicated master#iece of the
mani#ulation of meta#hysical history, he succeeded in establishing himself
as ;+alokitesh+ara and as the final station of a total of HN #re)ious incarnations of the god* Kr
was it > as he himself re#orted > really a miracle which handed him the #olitically
momentous incarnation listA Through a terma $i*e*, a redisco)ered text written and hidden in
the era of the Tibetan kings( which he found in #erson, his chain of incarnations was
a##arently "re)ealed: to him*

;mong the "forebears: listed in it many of the great figures of Tibetan history can be
found > outstanding #oliticians, ingenious scholars, master magicians, and )ictorious
@'%
military leaders* +ith this "disco)ered: or "concocted: document of his, the "9reat Fifth:
could thus shore himself u# with a #olitical and intellectual authority which stretched o)er
centuries* The list was an es#ecially )aluable legitimation for his sacredUworldly kingshi#,
since the great em#eror, Songtsen 9am#o, was included among his "incarnation ancestors:* <n
his analysis of the introduction of the Chenrezi cult by 1is 1oliness, the Da#anese
Tibetologist, <shihama Bumiko, lea)es no doubt that we are dealing with a #ower7#olitical
construction $Bumiko, .QQ', ##* H@, HH(*

4ow, which entities were > and, according to the Fifth alai !ama,s theory of
incarnation, still are > seated u#on the golden !ion ThroneA First of all, the fiery
Bodhisatt)a, ;+alokitesh+ara, then the androgynous time turner, "alachakra, then the Tibetan
warrior king, Songtsen @ampo, then the Siddha )ersed in magic, (admasambha+a $the
founder of Tantric Buddhism in Tibet(, and finally the Fifth alai !ama himself with all his
family forebears* This wasn,t nearly all, but those mentioned are the chief #rotagonists, who
determine the incarnation theater in Tibet* The Fourteenth alai !ama, as the successor of the
"9reat Fifth: also re#resents the abo)e7mentioned "di)inities: and historical #redecessors*

<n an assessment of the Buddhocratic system and the history of Tibet, the #ower7
#olitical intentions of the two main gods $;+alokitesh+ara and "alachakra( must therefore be
examined and e)aluated in the first #lace so as to deduce the intentions of the currently li)ing
alai !ama on this basis* "<t is im#ossible:, the Tibetologist a)id Seyfort 5uegg writes, "to
draw a clear border between the Gholy and the G#rofaneG, or rather between the s#iritual and the
tem#oral* This is most a##arent in the case of the Bodhisatt)a kings who are re#resented by
the alai !amas, since these are both embodiments of ;+alokitesh+ara *** and worldly rulers:
$Seyfort 5uegg, .QQH, #* Q.(*

<f we assume that the higher the standing of a s#iritual entity, the greater his #ower is,
we must #ose the 8uestion of why in the year .LH& the Fifth alai !ama confirmed and
#roclaimed the first Panchen !ama, !obsang -hokyi 9yaltsen $.HLNO.LL%(, his former
teacher, as a incarnation of;mitabha* For indeed, ;mitabha, the "Buddha of unending light:,
is ranked higher in the hierarchy than the Bodhisatt)a who emanates from
him, ;+alokitesh+ara* This decision by the extremely #ower conscious god7king from !hasa
can thus only be understood when one knows that, as a meditation Buddha, ;mitabha may not
@''
interfere in worldly affairs* ;ccording to doctrine, he exists only as a #rinci#le of immobility
and is acti)e solely through his emanations* 3)en though he is the Buddha of our age, he must
ne)ertheless lea)e all worldly matters to his acti)e arm, the Bodhisatt)a;+alokitesh+ara*
Through such a di)ision of res#onsibilities, a contest between the Panchen !ama and alai
!ama could ne)er e)en arise*

4e)ertheless, the Panchen !amas ha)e ne)er wanted to fall into line with the
non#olitical role assigned to them* <n contrast > they ha)e attem#ted by all a)ailable means
to interfere in the "e)ents of the world:* Their central monastery, Tashi !hun#o, became at
times a stronghold in which all those foreign #otentates who had been rebuffed by the Potala
found a sym#athetic ear* +hile negotiations were conducted with the 5ussians and
Mongolians in !hasa at the start of last century, Tashi !hun#o cons#ired with the 3nglish and
-hinese* Thus, the statesmanly autonomy of the Panchen !ama has often been the cause of
numerous and acrid discordances with the alai !ama which ha)e on se)eral occasions
bordered on a schism*

Th( !acr(d 8ow(r o- th( Ti5(tan 1ing! and it! con-(rra u8on th( Daai La$a!
So as to legitimate his full worldly control, it seemed ob)ious for the "9reat Fifth: to
make borrowings from the symbolism of sacred kingshi#* The most effecti)e of these was to
#resent himself as the incarnation of significant secular rulers with the stated aim of now
continuing their successful #olitics* The Fifth alai !ama latched onto this idea and extended
his chain of incarnations to reach the di)ine first kings from #rehistoric times*

But, as we know, these were in no sense Buddhist, but rather fostered a singular,
shamanist7influenced style of religion* They traced their origins to an old lineage of s#irits
who had descended to earth from the hea)enly regions* Through an edict of the Fifth alai
!ama they, and with them the later historical kings, were reinter#reted as emanations from
"Buddha fields:* ;s #roof of this, alongside a document "disco)ered: by the resourceful
hierarch, a further "hidden: text $terma(, the<ani "abum, is cited, which an eager monk is
su##osed to ha)e found in the .%th century* <n it the three #ost #owerful ruling figures of the
Barlung dynasty are ex#lained to be emanations of Bodhisatt)as0 Songtsen 9am#o $L.NOLH&(
as an embodiment of ;+alokitesh+ara& Trisong etsen $N@%OP&'( as an emanation
@'@
of <an0ushri& and 5al#achan $P.HOPP'( as one of -a0rapani* From here on they are
considered to be bearers of the Buddhist doctrine*

;fter their Buddhist origins had been assured, the Tibetan kings #osthumously took on
all the characteristics of a world ruler* ;s =harmara0as $kings of the law( they now
re#resented the cosmic laws on earth* !ikewise the "9reat Fifth: could now be celebrated as
the most #owerful secular king reborn$Songtsen 9am#o, who was likewise an incarnation
of ;+alokitesh+ara( and through this could combine the imperium $worldly rule( with
the sacerdotium $s#iritual #ower(* This choice legitimated him as national hero and su#reme
war lord and #ermitted a fundamental reform of the !amaist state system which S* D* Tambiah
refers to as the "feudaliMation of the church:*

The great military commander and tribal chief, Songtsen 9am#o $L.NOLH&(, who during
his reign forged the highlands into a state of un#recedented siMe, was thus included into the
Buddhist #antheon* Still today we can find im#ressi)e de#ictions of the feared warlord >
usually in full armor, and flanked by his two chief wi)es, the -hinese +en -heng, and the
4e#alese Bhrikuti*

The king is said to ha)e commanded a force of %&&,&&& men* 1is conduct of war was
considered extremely barbaric and the "red faces:, as the Tibetans were known by the
surrounding #eo#les, s#read fear and horror across all of central ;sia* The extent to which
Songtsen 9am#o was able to extend his im#erium roughly corres#onds to the territory o)er
which the Fourteenth alai !ama today still claims as his dominion* 1ence, thanks to the
"9reat Fifth: the geo#olitical dimensions were also ado#ted from the sacred kingshi#*

From the #oint of )iew of a tantric inter#retation of history, howe)er, the greatest deed
of this ancient king $Songtsen 9am#o( was the nailing down of the earth mother, Srinmo& and
the staking of her heart beneath the holiest of holies in the land, the Dokhang tem#le* The
"9reat Fifth:, as a confirmed ritualist, would surely ha)e considered the "mastering of the
demoness: as the cause of Songtsen 9am#oGs historical successes* ;lmost a thousand years
later he too would #recede almost e)ery #olitical and military decision with a magic ritual*

@'H
Kne day, it is said, Songtsen 9am#o a##eared to him in a dream and demanded of him
that he manufacture a golden statue of him $the king( in the "style of a Chakra+artinI and
#lace this in the Dokhang tem#le* +hen, in the year .LH., the "9reat Fifth: )isited locations at
which the great king was once acti)e, according to the chronicles flowers began to rain from
the skies there and the eight Tibetan signs of luck floated through the air*

Th( Fourt((nth Daai La$a and th( Au(!tion o- incarnation
Kn Duly L, .Q'H, the Fourteenth alai !ama was born as the child of ordinary #eo#le in
a )illage by the name of Takster, which means, roughly, "shining tiger:* <n connection with
our study of the to#ic of gender it is interesting that the #arents originally ga)e the boy a girl,s
name* 1e was called9hamo =hondup, that is, "wish fulfilling goddess:* The androgyny of
this incarnation of;+alokitesh+ara was thus already signaled before his official recognition*

The story of his disco)ery has been told so often and s#ectacularly filmed in the
meantime that we only wish to sketch it briefly here* ;fter the death of the Thirteenth alai
!ama, the then regent $5eting 5in#oche( saw mysterious letters in a lake which was dedicated
to the #rotecti)e goddess(alden 9hamo, which together with other )isions indicated that the
new incarnation of the god7king was to be found in the northeast of the country in the
#ro)ince of ;mdo* ; search commission was e8ui##ed in !hasa and set out on the strenuous
6ourney* <n a hut in the )illage of Takster a small boy is su##osed to ha)e run u# to one of the
commissioners and demanded the necklace of the Thirteenth alai !ama which he held in his
hands* The monk refused and would only gi)e him it if the child could say who he was* "Bou
are a lama from SeraV:, the boy is said to ha)e cried out in the dialect which is only s#oken in
!hasa* SLT ;fterwards, from the ob6ects laid out before him he selected those which belonged
to his #redecessorR the others he laid aside* The bodily examination #erformed on the child
also re)ealed the necessary fi)e features which distinguish a alai !ama0 The im#rint of a
tiger skin on the thighR extended eyelashes with cur)ed lashesR large earsR two fleshy
#rotuberances on the shoulders which are su##osed to re#resent two rudimentary arms
of;+alokitesh+araR the im#rint of a shell on his hand*

For understandable reasons the fact that a -hinese dialect was s#oken in the family
home of 1is 1oliness is gladly #assed o)er in silence* The 9erman Tibet researcher, Matthias
1ermanns, who was doing field work in ;mdo at the time of the disco)ery and knew the
@'L
family of the young"undun well, re#orts that the child could understand no Tibetan at all*
+hen he met him and asked his name, the boy answered in -hinese that he was called "-hi:*
This was the official -hinese name for the )illage of Takster $1ermanns, .QHL, #* '.Q(* =nder
difficult circumstances the child arri)ed in !hasa at the end of .Q'Q and was recei)ed there
as "undun, the li)ing Buddha* ;lready as an eight year old he recei)ed his first introduction
into the tantric teachings*

3)ery little tulku who is se#arated from his family at a tender age misses the motherly
touch* For the Fourteenth alai !ama this role was taken o)er by his cook, Pon#o by name*
4ot at the death of his mother, but rather at the demise of his substitute mother, Pon#o,
the "undun cried bitter tears* "1e fed me,: he said sadly, "most mammals consider the
creature that feeds them as the most im#ortant in their li)es, That was the way < felt about
Pon#o* < knew my teachers were more im#ortant than my cook, but emotionally the strongest
bond was with him: $-raig, .QQN, #* '%L(*

<n a discussion which the alai !ama later conducted with academics, he showed a
keen interest in the maternal warmth and tender touching of the child as an im#ortant element
in the de)elo#ment of #ersonality* 1e became reflecti)e as one $female ( s#eaker ex#lained
that the absence of such bodily contact in childhood could result in serious #sychic damage to
the #erson affected $alai !ama ?<V, .QQH, #* '.Q(*

;ll young tulkus must do without all motherly contact in the #urely masculine society
of the monasteries and this may be an uns#oken #sychological #roblem for the whole !amaist
system* The Tibetan guru, -hJgyam Trung#a has unintentionally ca#tured this longing for
contact with the family in the mo)ing words of his defiant #oem:, !ameless Child0
Suddenly,: it says there a Suddenly, a luminous child without a name comes into being* ***
<n the #lace where metal birds croak instantaneously born child can find no name***
Because he has no father, the child has no family line* 1e has ne)er tasted milk because he
has no mother* 1e has no one to #lay with because he has no brother and sister* 1a)ing no
house to li)e in, he has no crib* Since he has no nanny, he has ne)er cried* There is no
ci)iliMation, so he has no toys* *** Since there is no #oint of reference,he has ne+er found a
self: $8uoted and <talics by Dune -am#bell, .QQL, #* PP(* The #oem is su##osed to glorify the
@'N
"instantaneously born child:, but it more resembles the des#airing cry of a being who had to
renounce the 6oys of childhood because it was tantrically turned into the )essel of a deity*

Th( introduction o- th( doctrin( o- incarnation to th( W(!t
These days, the +est is downright fascinated by the idea of reincarnation* <n the last
twenty years it has like lightning seiMed the awareness of millions* ; large #ercentage of north
;mericans today belie)e in rebirth* Books u#on the to#ic ha)e become legion in the
meantime* Peo#le are also fascinated by the idea that in the figure of a Tibetan lama they are
face to face with a real "deity:* Thus, the conce#t of being reborn has become a #owerful
instrument in the !amaist con8uest of the +est* 3arlier, a few 3uro#eans had already formed
the idea that they were the reincarnation of former Tibetans or Mongolians* <n theoso#hical
circles such s#eculati)e incarnations were en +ogue* ; Tibetan lama also drew ;lexandra
a)id74eel,s attention to the fact that she came from the race of 9enghis 2han*

<n .QPH it was disco)ered that the honorable !ama Beshe had incarnated as the child of
two S#anish #arents* 1is 1oliness commented u#on the s#ectacular e)ent in the following
words0 "SBuddhismT also #ro)ides many different methods to #ractice, understand and
meditate, so it has the attraction of the su#ermarket* So the fact that !ama Beshe, whose main
work was in the +est, should be born in S#ain, seems 8uite logical* ;ctually there are 8uite a
few western reincarnated lamas now: $MackenMie, .QQ%, #* .HH(*

The idea of western reincarnations is also culti)ated by Bernardo Bertolucci,s
film, 9ittle $uddha* The #lot in)ol)es a lama who simultaneously embodies himself in a
white boy from Seattle and, amaMingly, in a girl as well*

;n amusing anecdote, likewise from the world of film, brought the Tibetan doctrine of
incarnation into discredit a little* 4amely, the famous ;ikido fighter and actor Ste)en Seagal
announced he was the reincarnation of an im#ortant lama $Chung2rag =or0e(, who had li)e
se)eral centuries earlier and had made his name as a treasure hunter $terton(* SNT <t was not at
all the case that Seagal had arbitrarily ado#ted his former identity, rather he was able to a##eal
to the confirmation of Penor 5in#oche, the head of the 4yingma#a school* This "re)elation:
raised many 8uestions and some confusion among western Buddhists* There was s#eculation
on the <nternet as to whether Seagal had #urchased the "incarnation title:, whether this was
@'P
not an act of religious #olitical #ro#aganda designed to ex#loit the actor,s #o#ularity, and
much more* For others the incident was more embarrassing, since Seagal a##eared in
monastic robes shortly after his recognition* +hen he was in Bodh 9aya in <ndia at the
beginning of the year .QQN, he sat down u#on the #lace where the historical Buddha
ex#erienced enlightenment, "gi)ing his blessings to hundreds of baffled Tibetan monks:
$Time, Se#tember P, .QQN, #* LH(*

The action films in which Seagal #lays the lead are considered the most brutal of the
genre* "Scenes in which he rams a knife through his o##onent,s ear into his brain or tears out
his larynx:, says the 6ournalist 1* Timmerberg, "ca#ti)ate through their a##arent authenticity*
1e fights dis#assionately, one could say he fights coldly, and when he kills neither hate nor
anger are to be read in his eyes, at best contem#t and a trace of amusement* Precisely the eyes
of a killer, or the look of a Samurai* <t could be both: $SKddeutsche Geitung <agazin 4o* %P,
Duly .L, .QQQ(* Timmerberg also characteriMes the star as " a grand master in the art of
killing:* ;dmittedly, in his last two film to Seagal has made an effort to a##ear a bit more
well7mannered, but it is not his religious obligations which ha)e com#elled him to do so* ;t
least, this was the o#inion of his master, Penor 5in#oche0 "Some #eo#le think Ste)en Seagal
cannot be a true Buddhist because he makes brutal films* This is not the case*Such films are
#ure entertainment and ha)e nothing to do with that which is true and im#ortant* <n the )iew
of Buddhism com#assionate beings reincarnate in e)ery kind of life so as to hel# their fellow
#eo#le* Seen thus, of course a holy #erson can be an action star: $SKddeutsche Geitung
<agazin 4o* %P, Duly .L, .QQQ(* Penor further informed the sur#rised 6ournalist that tulkus
$the reincarnations of high lamas( liked to watch )am#ire films*

;t the ma6or "alachakra e)ent conducted this year $.QQQ( by the alai !ama in
Bloomington $=S;(, Seagal was the shooting star* 1e is said to had donated a meal for o)er a
thousand #artici#ants there* This time 5ichard 9ere, the "god7king,s: second big draw, was
not head of the celebrity bill* <n fact, the two Buddhist stars cannot stand one another*

Such a sensational and liberal s#read of incarnations in the +est could, howe)er, be of
harm to the whole idea in future* The system has after all not 6ust its strengths but also its
weaknesses, which lie abo)e all in the minority of the incarnated child, of whom one does not
know exactly what will later ha##en with him, and who remains inca#able of acting until his
@'Q
coming of age* ;##ointments by the alai !ama would #robably be a much more effecti)e
means of ensuring his centralist #ower* <n fact, there are for this reason discussions in the
circles surrounding him about whether the reincarnation of monks is at all sensible* <t would
be better to gi)e u# the whole tulku system, ahyb 2yabgJ 5in#oche wrote in the Tibetan
Re+iew, since it has led to an uncontrollable inflation in the number of monastic
reincarnations $Tibetan Re+iew, Duly .QQ@, #* .'(*

;t times the "undun has also s#eculated in #ublic about whether it would not be
#olitically more cle)er to name a successor rather than embodying himself anew* But he has
not committed himself* ;t a conference of 'H& tulkus in the year .QPQ he announced that he
would under no circumstance reincarnate in the territory under the control of the -hinese
$Tibetan Re+iew, Danuary .QPQ, #* H(*

<n all, the alai !ama is interested in a well7functioning incarnation elite, )ery small in
number, which would be combined with an effecti)e system of a##ointments* 1e knows that
an o)erly liberal ex#ansion or e)en a democratiMation of the idea of incarnation would
com#letely undermine its exclusi)ity* ;##ointments and initiations by a guru are thus
basically more im#ortant to him, but he would ne)er want to gi)e u# the system as such,
which exercises so a bewitching hold o)er the western imagination*

1is answer to the 8uestion of whether he himself will reincarnate as alai !ama once
more has for years been the same statement0 "Should the Tibetan #eo#le still want a alai
!ama after my death then a new alai !ama will also come* < shall at any rate not attem#t to
influence this decision in any manner* <f my #eo#le should in the next years decide to make an
end to old traditions, then one must acce#t that: $(layboy, 9erman edition, March .QQP, #*
@@(*

+e must lea)e it to the 6udgment of our readers how seriously they take such a
"democratic: solution to the 8uestion of tradition by the Tibetan Buddhocrats* That the gods
bow to the will of the #eo#le is com#letely new, at least in the history of Tibet* But at any rate
we shall not ha)e to do without the "#recious #resence: $Tibetan0 "undun( of 1is 1oliness in
our next incarnations, e)en if he no longer a##ears in the form of a alai !ama* ;t the end of
his inter)iew with (layboy which we ha)e already 8uoted from on a number of occasions, he
@@&
gi)es his readers the following #arting thought0 "For as long as the cosmos exists, and as long
as there are li)ing creatures, < will be #resent here so as to dri)e out the suffering of the
world: $(layboy, 9erman edition, March .QQP, #* @@(*

Th( 'ariou! ord(r! o- Ti5(tan #uddhi!$
Three of the four main schools which determined the religious life of Tibet were all
formed in the #eriod from the ..
th
to the .@th century0 The Sakya#a, the 2agyu#a and the
9elug#a* The 4yingma#a in contrast has been in existence since the start of the ninth century*
;ll four "sects: are still today the most im#ortant #illars of tantric culture* <t was the
ingenious work of the "9reat Fifth: to like an alchemist distill the s#iritual and #olitical
essence out of all the traditional orders and to im#ressi)ely assimilate these into his institution
as "alai !ama: > a #ower7#olitical act, which is currently being re#eated by his
incarnation, the Fourteenth alai !ama*

$he /el")pa order
The "9reat Fifth: came from the 9elug#a order* Kf all the Tibetan schools the so7called
"Bellow 1ats: were the most tightly organiMed* Their founder, the outstanding scholar
Tsongkha#a $.'HNO.@.Q(, had begun with a moral cam#aign against the decline of the
teaching and the dissolution in the monasteries* 1e forbade the consum#tion of intoxicating
li8uors, demanded the strict obser)ance of celibacy, insisted u#on a rigorous work disci#line,
im#ro)ed the dress code and reformed the daily liturgy* Towards the end of his life he
succeeded in arresting the general decadence in the )arious schools through the establishment
of a new order* <n kee#ing with his #rogram, this was called @elugpa, that is, "Followers of
the #ath of )irtue:* ;lthough there were #recursors, in the final instance Tibetan Buddhism
has the ")irtuous: to thank for its BuddhocraticUclerical structure* The three "most scholarly:
monasteries of the highlands belong to the "yellow church:0 9anden, re#ung, and Sera*
These "three 6ewels: of the s#irit accommodated thousands of monks o)er centuries and were
considered the most #owerful religious and #olitical institutions in the country alongside the
Potala, the residence of the alai !ama, and Tashi !hun#o, the seat of the Panchen !ama*

!ike no other school, the "Bellow 1ats: can be talked about as being scholastic* They
#ossessed the best libraries, the best educational system, the most stringent training #rogram*
+hat they lacked was the fantasy and the often #ictures8ue wildness of the other orders* The
@@.
9elug#as ha)e not #roduced a single original work, but saw their mission rather as solely to
study the already codified Buddhist texts, to #re#are commentaries on these, and, in most
cases, to learn them by heart* 3)en the sixteen )olumes of Tsongkha#a,s writings are
commentaries u#on the canoniMed literature found in the "an0ur $/translations of the word: of
Buddha( and the Tan0ur $/translation of the textbooks:(* The strength of the 9elug#as thus lay
not in their creati)ity, but rather in their su#erior #olitical and organiMational talents which
they combined with the teachings of the tantras in an extremely effecti)e manner* es#ite his
"#uritanical: #olitics which earned him the title of the Tibetan !uther, Tsongkha#a was an
outstanding ex#ert in and commentator u#on the tantric secret writings, es#ecially
the "alachakra teachings* 1is #u#ils continued this tradition with extensi)e works of their
own* This made the 9elug#a order a stronghold of the Time Tantra*

Tsongkha#a was "#uritanical: only in the sense that he demanded absolute disci#line
and iron7clad rules in the #erformance of the sexual magic rites and in determining that they
could only be conducted by celibate monks* ;lthough he became an ob6ect of emotional
re)erence after his death, because of their #recision and systematicity his commentaries u#on
the sacred lo)e techni8ues seem es#ecially cold and calculating* They are #robably only the
#roduct of his imagination, then he himself is su##osed to ha)e ne)er #racticed with a
real karma mudra $wisdom consort( > yet he wrote extensi)ely about this* 1e saw in the
tantric exercises an extremely dangerous but also highly effecti)e #ractice which ought only
be conducted by a tiny clerical elite after tra)ersing a lengthy and laborious graduated #ath*
The broad mass of the monks thus fell further and further behind in the course of the
academic and subse8uent tantric training, e)entually forming the extensi)e and humble
"lower ranks:*

<t lay > and still lies > in the logic of the 9elug#a system to #roduce a small minority
of intensi)ely schooled scholars and an e)en smaller number of tantric ade#ts, whose energies
are in the end gathered together in a single indi)idual* The entire monastic "factory: is thus, in
the final instance, geared to the #roduction of a single omni#otent Buddhist deity in human
form* <n accordance with the meta#olitical intentions of the "alachakra teachings which,
being its highest tantra, form the main #illar of the 9elug#a order, it must be the time god
himself who rules the world as a #atriarchalChakra+artin in the figure of the alai !ama* <n
the final instance, he is the ;< B=1;*
@@%

;lthough the institution of the alai !ama did not yet exist when the 9elug#a order was
founded, its essence was already in #lace* 1ence the ")irtuous: built the ";sian 5ome:
$!hasa( ste# by ste#, with the "yellow #ontiff: $the "undun( at its head* Thanks to their
organiMational talents they soon controlled the ma6ority of central ;sia* From the banks of the
Volga and the ;mur, from the broad ste##es of inner ;sia to the Siberian tundra, from the
oases of the Tarim Basin, from the im#erial city of Bei6ing, from the far <ndian ri)er )alleys
came streams of #ilgrims, en)oys, and tributary gifts to the god7king in !hasa* 3)en his
o##onents recogniMed him as a s#iritual force towering o)er all*

$he 0a)y"pa order
+hilst the 9elug#as began coo#erating with the Mongolians )ery early on and regarded
these as their #rotecti)e #ower, we can more or less call the 2agyu#as, with the 2arma#a at
their head, the national Tibetan forces $at least u# until the .N
th
century(* The first alai !ama
was already caught u# in military skirmishes with the "5ed 1ats: $2agyu#a(* .H& years later
and with the su##ort of Prince Tsang#a, they had extended their #ower so far that the
9elug#as had good reason to fear for their li)es and #ossessions* <n the .N'&s Tsang#a seiMed
!hasa and handed the holy tem#le, the Dokhang, o)er to the #riests of the "5eds:* 3)en the
#owerful 9elug#a monastery of re#ung fell to his onslaught* <n the course of these battles an
unsuccessful assassination attem#t on the Fifth alai !ama is said to ha)e been carried out* <n
his stead, howe)er, his biological mother was murdered*

<n his hour of need the "9reat Fifth: succeeded in forming an alliance with 9ushri 2han
$.HP%O.LH@(, the chief of the Kirat Mongols* The 2han descended u#on the "!and of Snows:
with a force tens of thousands strong* ; bloody "ci)il war: ensued, in which two admittedly
worldly rulers, the king of the Tsang and 9ushri 2han, faced one another on the o#en field,
but behind whom, howe)er, were hidden the real forces of the two most #owerful monastic
hierarchs in the country, the "alai !ama: and the "2arma#a:, the most influential religious
leader within the circle of the 5ed 1ats*

This ci)il war concerned more than worldly #ower* ;ccording to the tantric obsessions
which dro)e both #arties, the battle was for the world throne and control o)er the s#irit of the
times* $The "5ed 1ats: also #racticed the "alachakra Tantra.( uring the conflict, the alai
@@'
!ama )isited the 9anden monastery and there abo)e an altar saw the huge, grinning, and
black face of a demon with many human heads flying into its ga#ing maw* 1e inter#reted this
)ision as signaling final )ictory o)er the 2agyu#as*

<n accord with the laws of his ancestors, 9ushri 2han inter)ened with ruthless )iolence*
Through him, the interior of Tibet was, according to one of the "5ed,s: documents, "turned
into a land of hungry ghosts, like the omains of the !ord of eath: $Bell, .QQ@, #* .%H(* +e
recall that as a incarnation of ;+alokitesh+ara the alai !ama also re#resents the god of
death, %ama*

The Mongol ordered that the leaders of the o##osing force be sewn into fur sacks and
drowned* <n the year .L@%, after much fierce resistance, the red order was finally defeated*
Many 2agyu#as were dri)en from their monasteries which were then turned into Bellow 1at
sites, as had been the case in re)erse before* ; mass flight was the result* Sections of the
defeated 5ed 1ats emigrated to Sikkim and to Bhutan and 6oined forces with the local
dynasties there*

Bet, being an intelligent des#ot the "9reat Fifth: did not gi)e in to a desire for re)enge*
1e knew from history that the )arious 2agyu#a factions did not form a united front* 1ence,
after his control had been secured he co)ered some of them with great honors, thus s#litting
their ranks* But he e)en went a ste# further* 4amely, he in)aded the mysteries of the 5ed 1ats
by taking o)er from them the "national: Bodhisatt)a, ;+alokitesh+ara $Chenrezi(, as his
#ersonal incarnation god* This usur#ation was > as we ha)e already shown > a #olitical
master stroke*

$he @yin)mapa order
Because of his wild lifestyle, the founder of the 4yingma#a, the half7mythic yogi and
magician, Padmasambha)a $9uru 5in#oche(, was thought to be a dubious character by the
9elug#as* 3)en today, the name "9uru 5in#oche: #ro)okes strong defensi)e reactions among
some "Bellow 1ats:* But the Fifth alai !ama ado#ted a com#letely different attitude in this
case* 4ot only did he indicate that Padmasambha)a was, as an emanation
of ;+alokitesh+ara& an earlier incarnation of his, but he also felt himself to be almost
magnetically attracted to the tantric #ractices which 9uru 5in#oche had em#loyed to gain
@@@
control o)er the !and of Snows* The achie)ements of the king, Songtsen 9am#o, in the
military #olitical domain are outstri##ed by those of 9uru 5in#oche on a
meta#oliticalUmagical le)el* +e shall return later to discuss the uncon)entional yogi,s deeds
of con8uest in detail*

Padmasambha)a $eighth century( is the founding hero and the icon of the 4yingma#as,
the oldest of the Buddhist schools* They ele)ated the sorcerer $Siddha( to such a high status
that he was sometimes e)en ranked higher than the historical Buddha* ;lthough the "Kld:, as
the 4yingma#as are known, had the #atina of the original about them $they were the first(,
o)er the course of the centuries they ne)ertheless managed to draw the worst re#utation of all
u#on themsel)es* ;s wandering beggars, unkem#t and restless, they roamed Tibet, were
considered licentious in sexual matters, and su##lemented their alms through the sale of all
manner of dubious magical #ieces* The de#ra)ity and anarchy they culti)ated, through which
they ex#ressed their contem#t for the world $of samsara(, ne)ertheless fostered their
re#utation as #owerful magicians among the su#erstitious #o#ulace* <n general they were not
un#o#ular with ordinary #eo#le because $unlike the tightly organiMed monasteries of the other
sects( they rarely demanded taxes or forced labor*

Their attitude towards the #re7Buddhist Bon cult and remnants of ancient shamanism
was extremely relaxed, so that many unorthodox elements flowed into the religious #ractices
of the 4yingma#a* For exam#le, alongside the classic tantras they #racticed the so7
called =zogchenmethod in which enlightenment can be achie)ed without lengthy #re#arations
and graded #rogression* Sometimes they were mocked as )agrants, at others they were feared
as #owerful sorcerers* But it was abo)e all the strict and "#uritanical: 9elug#as who #unished
the "Kld: with detestation and great contem#t*

1ere too, the "9reat Fifth: felt and acted at com#lete odds to the dominant o#inion
among his own order* 1is own teacher had been an im#ortant 4yingma#a and he had been
informed about their "heretical: writings in great detail* +ith great success he #ut to use
the terma doctrine $concerning the disco)ery of old mystic texts( fostered in this school* But
abo)e all his es#ecial interest was ca#tured by the magic #ractices of the order, and @olden
<anuscript which he wrote is an ingenious com#endium of barbaric s#ells such as are taught
by the 4yingma#as*
@@H

$he ,akyapa 5rder
The "9reat Fifth: learned his grand #olitics and the subtleties of di#lomacy from the
Sakya#as who, as #owerful ecclesiastical #rinces, had coo#erated with the Mongolians and
the -hinese between the .%
th
and .@th century*

!ike e)ery school of Tibetan Buddhism, the Sakya#as were also tantric ritualists* .H&
years after the founding of the first monastery $in .&N'( the order had de)elo#ed into one of
the most influential institutions in Tibet at that time* +ithin it the foundations were laid for a
"modern #olitical science: which welded together the administration of state and international
relations, trans#ersonal energy fields $the Tibetan "gods:( and the sexual magic ritual system
into a single disci#line > a combination which exerted a lifelong attraction o)er the Fifth
alai !ama*

;ccording to legend, one of the most im#ortant abbots of the monastery, the influential
Sakya Pandita $..P%O.%H.(, is said to ha)e been in corres#ondence with 9enghis 2han* ;ll
that has been historically )erified, howe)er, is that almost two decades after the death of the
great military leader, in the year .%@@, he tra)eled to Mongolia so as to successfully establish
Buddhism there as the state religion* <n gratitude, 9odan 2han a##ointed him )ice regent of
the !and of Snows*

This historic alliance was so im#ortant to the "9reat Fifth: who li)ed @&& years later
that he without ado declared himself to be an incarnation of Sakya Pandita,s ne#hew and
successor, the similarly gifted statesman, Phags#a !ama $.%'H7.%P&(* The latter,s meeting
with 2ublai 2han $.%L&O.%Q@( shortly before the Mongol #rince seiMed the -hinese throne
was legendary* The future 3m#eror was so im#ressed by the knowledge and rhetoric of the
lama that he ado#ted the Buddhist faith and e)en let himself be initiated into the He+a0ra
Tantra*

The "9reat Fifth: correctly saw this historical encounter as a corner7stone of world
#olitics which do)etailed #erfectly into the foundations of his own global )ision* 1e hence
sim#ly declared the con)ersations between himself and the Mongolian #otentate, 9ushri
2han, which took #lace in the year .L'N and which concerned the defeat of the 2agyu#a
@@L
order, to be the "incarnatory: continuation of the dialog which commenced in .%NL between
2ublai 2han and the then #owerful Phags#a !ama and continued afresh in the year .HNP
between the Third alai !ama and ;ltan 2han* uring the meeting with the god7king $the
Fifth alai !ama(, 9ushri 2han is su##osed to ha)e recalled their #re)ious 6oint "incarnation
meetings: $as 2ublai 2han and Phags#a !ama and as the Third alai !ama and ;ltan 2han(*
This exam#le shows, how #olitics was conducted across the centuries* eath no longer #layed
a role in these #olitical e)ents which were so im#ortant for ;sia*

$he 9onan)pa order
The no longer extant school $u# until the .N
th
century( of the Donang#as was a small but
#owerful offshoot of the Sakya#a order* uring the "ci)il war: between the 9elug#as and the
2agyu#as its followers allied themsel)es with the king of the Tsang $the "5ed 1at: alliance(*
They were therefore branded as heretics by the "9reat Fifth: and de facto destroyed* This is
all the more sur#rising since an abbot of the school, the famous historian Taranatha $.HNHO
.L'@(, was asked by the #arents of the Fifth alai !ama to name their child* 1owe)er, it
demonstrates once more the unsentimental, uncom#romising manner in which the god7king
#ursued his #olitical goals* 1e ordered that the #rinting #lates of the sect $i*e*, their writings(
be sealed and incor#orated the order,s funds along with the ma6ority of its monks into the
9elug#a system* <t is of interest that at that stage this school was the #rime s#ecialist in
matters concerning the "alachakra Tantra, to which Taranatha also de)oted a number of
writings* Perha#s a cause for the conflict can also be found here, then there can be no doubt
that the "9reat Fifth: took the cosmic #ower system of the Time Tantra literally and laid
exclusi)e claim to it*

$he Bon reli)ion
The eclectic on the !ion Throne $the Fifth alai !ama( was also not at all ill7dis#osed
towards the #re7Buddhist Bon religion* ;+alokitesh+ara a##eared to him in a )ision and called
u#on him "to in)ite Bon#os often to carry out rituals which ensure the #ros#erity of the
country*: $2armay, .QPP, #* L@(* This liaison is not 8uite as #aradoxical as it may a##ear at
first glance* ;dmittedly, the Bon #riests had been fiercely #ersecuted as the exact o##osite of
Buddhism since time immemorial7 o)er the centuries they had been re)iled as the
#ractitioners of black magic, the sacrificers of animals, the worshi##ers of demons* This
negati)e Tibetan e)aluation has been shared by many western researchers u# until of late*
@@N
1owe)er, more recent studies ha)e shown that the Bon religion was closer to Buddhism than
was #re)iously thought* <t is not > as is often erroneously belie)ed > the original, shamanist
religion of the highlands*

#on I Dhar$a8aa &G(!h( Wa$o)

Dust like the <ndian Buddhist gurus at a later time, the first Bon#os were brought into the
country $in the sixth century, #robably from Persia(* They brought with them a marked
doctrine of light unknown in Tibet, which is reminiscent of the ;mitabha cult* They
worshi##ed Shen Rab, a su#ernatural being who exhibits many of the criteria of
an ;+alokitesh+ara& as a messianic sa)ior* The Bon also belie)ed in the existence of an
inaccessible mythical kingdom, Nlmolungring, which shares essential traits with Shambhala*
The doctrine of emanation was likewise as familiar to them as a well7organiMed #riesthood*
They were e)en well )ersed in tantric #ractices and other yoga doctrines* The Tibetan lama
4amkhai 4orbu sus#ected that the famous Mogchen meditation #ractice, through which
enlightenment can be reached directly without intermediary stages, could be traced back to
them* Both religions $that of the Buddhists and that of the Bon#os( worshi# the swastika as a
@@P
cult symbol, but the wides#read belief that the Bon followers only used the left7armed "e)il:
hooked cross and the Buddhist Tantrics the right7armed "good: one as a symbol is untrue*

Since the Bon religion was able to continue to exist following the BuddhiMation of the
!and of Snows $since the se)enth century( des#ite extreme #ersecution, the historians ha)e
until now assumed that it took on many Buddhist elements so as to #rotect itself from #ursuit*
This is sure to ha)e been the case here and there* But, it is becoming e)er clearer on the basis
of newly disco)ered documents that the original Bon cult #ossessed "Buddhist: elements
from the outset, indeed, some im#ortant authors > such as a)id Snellgro)e for exam#le >
e)en talk of a "heterodox: Buddha doctrine which #enetrated the highlands )ia Persia and
united with the local shamanist religion there* +here there is a real difference is in the
a##ro)al of animal and occasional human sacrifices in the Bon cult* But then e)en this is
su##osed to be not entirely foreign to the tantric rites* There was thus no need for the "9reat
Fifth: to fear contact with the religion of the "black hat magicians:, as the Bon#o are
sometimes called* 1is own system could only be strengthened through their "integration:*

Through his #olitics of integration the Fifth alai !ama demonstrati)ely re)ealed that
he saw himself as the ruler of all sects and all Tibetans, and that he was not stri)ing to achie)e
absolute hegemony for the "yellow order: $the 9elug#as(, but rather the unrestricted
so)ereignty of his own institution* +here the "Bellow 1ats: were always wanting that the
other schools be reduced to second or third7order #owersR the Fifth alai !ama in contrast
as#ired to a situation where all schools e8ually bowed down before him as the su#reme tantra
master* Tensions with his own order were also #reordained for another reason* Traditionally,
the 9elug#as su##lied the regent to the god7king who, once the "li)ing Buddha: $"undun(
attained his ma6ority, had to abdicate and renounce his #ower*

!et us summariMe once more0 <t was the "9reat Fifth:,s #olitical intention to establish a
Buddhocratic system in Tibet with the institution of the alai !ama at its helm* To achie)e
this he re8uired all the material and s#iritual resources of the country* From the 9elug#as he
took the disci#line, organiMational talent, administrati)e skill, reasons of state, and learningR
from the 2agyu#as the doctrine of incarnation, his incarnation god ;+alokitesh+ara& and his
national rootsR from the 4yingma#as the ritual magicR from the Sakya#as the di#lomatic skillR
from the Donang#as a well7organiMed "alachakra systemR and from the Bon#os the su##ort of
@@Q
those ecclesiastical forces which had #rimarily #ro#agated the idea of the ancient, sacred
kingshi#, an idea which was )ital for the establishment of the world throne on the Potala*

;ccording to the laws of the microUmacrocosmic conce#tual world in which the Fifth
alai !ama li)ed, he must ha)e seen in his #ower #olitics a symbolic act which encom#assed
the entire cosmos0 Knce he had achie)ed absolute control o)er the !and of Snows $the
microcosm(, then, homologously, as Chakra+artin he also had #ower o)er the whole world
$the macrocosm(* 1e ingeniously understood how to bundle together all the s#iritual energies
of the country within his #erson and the institution of the alai !ama which he occu#ied* 1e
collected the most #otent extracts from schools of e)ery orientation and mixed them together
in his magic cauldron into a #otion of #ower, the consum#tion of which was su##osed to grant
him control o)er the uni)erse*

Through his #olitical a##lication of the doctrine of incarnation, the fifth "undun could
with a#lomb draw u#on all the im#ortant #olitical figures of Tibetan history and em#loyed
these as marionettes in his cosmic theaters* 1e made the tantric idea the dri)ing force of his
age * <t was not him as a #erson, but rather the gods he in)oked,
es#ecially ;+alokitesh+ara and "alachakra, the time god, who were the organiMing #rinci#le,
the creati)e, the one true thing, the ;< B=1;*

Eni-ication o- th( Ti5(tan #uddhi!t ord(r! und(r th( a5!out( r(ign o- th(
Fourt((nth Daai La$a
<t is almost uncanny how exactly the Fourteenth alai !ama has continued and
intensified the integrati)e #olitics of his ingenious, unscru#ulous, and highly re)ered
#redecessor from the .N
th
century which was aimed at strengthening his own #osition of
#ower, only this time truly on a global scale* <t is #rimarily the "alachakra Tantra which
ser)es as his most effecti)e means of bringing the )arious sects into line* <n the meantime
each of the )arious schools of Tibetan Buddhism is committed to the Time Tantra and offers
small scale "alachakra initiations all around the world* Kn the
official "alachakra homepage in the <nternet $www*kalachakra*com(, the following "harma
masters: are #resented with #hotos as the most #rominent contem#orary "+;55<K5S: of the
time wheel0

@H&
"D Daai La$a &;(ug8a)
*D ;((1 Rin8och( &;(ug8a)
+D ChOg%a$ Trung8a &4ag%u8a)
/D Na$1hai Nor5u &N%ing$a8a)
0D >a$gon 4ongtru &4ag%u8a)
3D Mining T(rch(n Rin8och( &N%ing$a8a)
6D Shar$a8a Rin8och( &4ag%u8a)
7D Tai Situ Rin8och( &4ag%u8a)
9D Thrangu Rin8och( &4ag%u8a)
":D T!($ Tu1u &;(ug8a)
""D Sur$an ;arwang Rin8och( &4ag%u8a)
"*D Cho1%i N%i$a Rin8och( &N%ing$a8a)
"+D Sa1%a TriJin &Sa1%a8a)
"/D DJong!ar 4h%(nt!( &N%ing$a8a)
"0D Sog%a Rin8och( &Ri$( Tradition)
"3D Tu1u Erg%(n &N%ing$a8a)
"6D ;((1 Rin8och( &;(ug8a)
"7D 4a!ang Rin8och( &4ag%u8a)
"9D Nan Huai Chin &4ag%u8a and Chan)
*:D R(' Sh(n Gan &<)
*"D T(nJin Wang%a Rin8och( &#on)
**D Thrin% Nor5u Rin8och( &N%ing$a8a)
*+D T!o1n%i Rin8och( &4ag%u8a)
*/D La$a Cho(da1 &Sa1%a8a)
*0D Ani Cho%ing Drohna &Ar%a Tara Schoo)

<t is immediately a##arent from this summary that of the %H high lamas who #ublicly
re#resent the"alachakra Tantra, there is only four 9elug#a masters* This is astounding
indeed*

1is uni8ue exiled situation allows the fourteenth "undun to set himself u# as the head
of all the schools e)en more than the "9reat Fifth:* This is not 6ust true on the le)el of
#ractical #olitics as head of state, but also in the initiatory system* 1ence 1is 1oliness
@H.
allowed himself to be initiated into all the significant lineages of the )arious sects* <n .QPL a
4yingma#a teacher initiated him into his tradition* 1is 1oliness also recei)ed a tantric
initiation at the hands of the highest master of the Sakya#a sect* <t was a 4yingma#a lama,
!o#on Tsechu 5in#oche, who in .QQ@ #resided o)er the erection of the first, thirteen7meter
high "alachakra stu#a in the +est $in S#ain(*

Traditionally, the 9elug#as were the only ones who had any real influence on the affairs
of state > #rimarily through the #osition of the "regents:, who were selected from their ranks
and conducted the business of state until the alai !amas came of age* <n the face of a
su#erior "undun& the "Bellow 1ats:are now set on the same le)el as the other sects* Their
#ri)ileges ha)e disa##eared* Today the acti)ities of 1is 1oliness the alai !ama ser)e the
whole world and all of Tibetan Buddhism as well as the indigenous BJn faith im#artially:, an
official statement from haramsala says, The inclinations of the 9elug monasteries to
continue to link themsel)es with the go)ernment, e)en administrati)ely, causes damage and
obstacles rather than benefit and su##ort for 1is 1oliness and the exile go)ernment: $Tibetan
Re+iew, Duly .QQ@, #* .%(*

The god7king,s claim to s#iritually and #olitically re#resent all sects has, 6ust as in the
#ast with the "9reat Fifth:, in recent times led to a s#irited #rotest mo)ement amidst the ranks
of his own order $9elug#a(, whose #ower is reduced by this* From this wing, the "undun is
accused of creating a "religious hotch#otch: or his #ersonal ambitions are e)en o#enly
designated* ";ccording to my understanding:, writes 9eshe 2elsang 9yatso, a bitter
o##onent of the god7king from his own ranks $he is an ordained 9elug#a monk(, " the alai
!amaGs main wish is to integrate the four Tibetan traditions into one* The leaders of the other
traditions will gradually disa##ear, lea)ing him alone as head of Tibetan Buddhism* <n this
way he will be able to control all as#ects of Tibetan Buddhism* <n the beginning this #lan was
re6ected by the leaders of Sakya, 2agyu and 4yingma Traditions, while the 9elug#a remained
neutral* !ater, the alai !ama changed his a##roach* 1e is now trying to destroy the #ractice
of =or0e Shugden and change the 9elug tradition, while at the same time de)elo#ing a close
relationshi# with the other traditions, es#ecially the 4yingma#a* 9radually he ho#es to fulfill
his wishes in this way: $9yatso, 4ewsgrou# N(*

@H%
;ccording to 2elsang 9yatso, the "undun is su##osed to ha)e held a number of
meetings with the head abbots of the four main schools in the early .QL&s at which he
#ro#osed uniting the sects under his leadershi#* This #ro#osal was re6ected* The Sakya#a,
2agyu#a, and 4yingma#a then 6oined together in .' exile7Tibetan establishments so as to
#rotect themsel)es from the im#osition of the alai !ama,s will* The leader of all .',
9ongtang Tsultrim, was murdered under mysterious circumstances* To date the murder case
has still not been sol)ed $Sky +arrior, 4ewsgrou# .P(*

<t has in the meantime become established #ractice that for all incarnations of great
lamas, regardless of sect, the "undun's confirmation is sought as the final word* This was not
the case in the #ast* Free from any com#etition, 1is 1oliness the Fourteenth alai !ama
outshines all other hierarchs from the !and of Snows* 3)en his often abrasi)e
#oliticalUreligious ri)alry with the #ro7-hina Panchen !ama no longer exists, since the latter
died in .QPQ*

The Rime mo)ement, which began in the .Qth century and has as its goal a united
church in which all schools are absorbed $retaining certain indi)idual features(, is also a boon
to the absolutism of the god7king* 3)en the Bon #riests in exile ha)e in the meantime
recogniMed the "undun as their de facto authority* !ike his #redecessor from the .Nth century
$the "9reat Fifth:(, he maintains good contacts with them and #rays in their monasteries*

"The alai !ama:, one of his Buddhist o##onents #olemiciMes, "tries to teach
e)erything0 2agyu, 4yingma, Sakya, 9elug#a, Bon#o, and recently he e)en ga)e teachings
on -hristianityV !ater may be he will teach on Sufism, 1induism, Shamanism and so on*
+hat is his moti)ation hereA <t is clear to me that his moti)ation is to gather as many disci#les
as #ossible from all these different traditions* <n this way he will become their root guru and
thereby gain more #ower and control: $Sky +arrior, 4ewsgrou# .P(* 1ence, his followers
celebrate him not 6ust as the "su#reme s#iritual and worldly leader of six million Tibetans:,
but likewise as the "1ead of Buddhists +orld +ide: $5on, 4ewsgrou# .@(* <n a resolution of
the Tibetan Cholsum Con+ention, of which re#resentati)es from all $V( organiMations of
Tibetans in exile are members and which was held from ;ugust %N to '., .QQP, it says0 "1e
SThe alai !amaT is the -a#tain of Peace in the worldR he is the o)erall head of all Buddhist
traditions on this earthR he is the master acclaimed by all the religious traditions of the world:*
@H'

Th( ,4ar$a8a a--airC
; s#ectacular exam#le of how the "undun is able to turn the di)isions within the other
sects to his ad)antage is offered by the so7called "2arma#a affair:* The turbulent e)ents
#layed out between )arious factions within the 2agyu#a sect since the start of the nineties
ha)e included radical confrontations and court cases, )iolent brawls and accusations and
counter7accusations of murder*

The cause of this un7Buddhist disagreement was that in the search for the
.N
th
incarnation of the new 2arma#a, the leader of the 2agyu#a, two #rinci#al candidates and
their #ro#onents confronted one another > on the one side, Situ 5in#oche and 9yaltsab
5in#oche, who ad)ocated a youth in Tibet, on the other, Shamar 5in#oche, who #ro#osed a
boy in <ndia* Shortly before the decision, a third abbot, Damgon 2ongtrol 5in#oche, whose
)oice would ha)e been )ery influential in the choice, was the )ictim of a mysterious fatal car
accident* Shortly afterwards, the remaining #arties accused one another of ha)ing brought
about the death of Damgon 2ongtrol )ia magical mani#ulation* Brawls between the two
monastic factions and bloody heads resulted in <ndia, shots were e)en exchanged, so that the
<ndian #olice were forced to inter)ene $4esterenko, .QQ%(*

Situ 5in#oche ad)ocated a Sino7Tibetan boy $=rgyen Trinley( as his 2arma#a
candidate, who also had the su##ort of the "undun and the Tibetan go)ernment in exile*
Shamar 5in#oche, howe)er, #resented his own 2arma#a $Thaye or6e( to the #ublic in elhi
on March .N, .QQ@* Since that time a great rift has di)ided the 2agyu#a lineage, affecting the
numerous grou#s of western belie)ers as well* Su#erficially, one could gain the im#ression
that Situ 5in#oche re#resented the ;sian, and Shamar 5in#oche the 3uro7;merican segment
of the 5ed 1at followers* 1owe)er, closer ins#ection #ro)es this to be an erroneous #icture,
then Shamar 5in#oche has established a notable #ower base in the kingdom of Bhutan and
Situ 5in#oche also has many su##orters for his candidate in the +est* There are no small
number of grou#s who would like to mediate between the two ri)als* But one knows full well
what is at stake for the 2agyu#a lineage in this fundamental difference* ;t the end of an o#en
letter by "neutral: 5ed 1at abbots is to read, that if the differences continue then it is certain
that no side will emerge as the GwinnerG or the GloserG* The sole loser will be the 2arma#a
2agyu#a lineage as a whole $Tibetan Re+iew, Kctober .QQ', #* P(*
@H@

$he t%o 0armapas: 2r)yen $rinley Dorje (l) and $hinley $haye Dorje (r)

But this s#lit among the 2agyu#a is useful for the alai !ama* Since the dawn of
Tibetan history the 2arma#a has been the main o##onent of the "undun and has already been
in)ol)ed in military conflicts with !hasa on se)eral occasions* 1e was his ma6or enemy in the
Tibetan ci)il war described abo)e*

This ri)alry did not end with the flight of both hierarchs from Tibet* From the outset
$since the end of the sixties( the 2agyu#a sect ha)e been incom#arably more #o#ular in the
+est than the orthodox Bellow 1ats0 the 5ed 1ats were considered to be young, dynamic,
uncom#licated, informal, and cosmo#olitan* The uncon)entional a##earances of the 2agyu
tulku, -hJgyam Trung#a, who in the se)enties com#letely identified himself with the artistic
a)ant7garde of 3uro#e and ;merica also set an exam#le for many other masters of the sect*
=# until the mid7eighties, +estern #u#ils of Buddhism in any case #referred the red order*
1ere, in their )iew, an autonomous counterforce, inde#endent of rigid traditions, was
emerging, at least this was how the 2agyu#as outwardly #resented themsel)es* They
de)elo#ed into a #owerful o##onent of the 9elug#a, who likewise attem#ted to attract
#roselytes in the +est* ;mong others, this would be one of the reasons why the "undun allied
himself with "detested: -hina in su##orting Situ 5in#oche,s candidate, Fgyen Trinley, who is
resident in the Tsur#hu monastery on -hinese territory*

But in the meantime the Fourteenth alai !ama has succeeded in binding the 2agyu#a
$Situ and 9yaltsab lineages( so strongly to himself that it seemed more sensible to #lace the
young 2arma#a under his direct control* ;t first, =gyen Trinley a##eared to function
@HH
com#letely as the -hinese intended* <n Kctober .QQH, the former nomadic boy was the guest
of honor during the national holiday celebrations in Bei6ing and con)ersed with im#ortant
-hinese go)ernment leaders* The national #ress cor#s re#orted at length on his subse8uent
6ourney through -hina, organiMed for the young hierarch with much #om# and circumstance*
1e is su##osed to ha)e exclaimed "!ong li)e the Peo#le,s 5e#ublic of -hinaV:

<t is noteworthy that Bei6ing is attem#ting less and less to ex#lain the history and basic
doctrines of Tibetan Buddhism and is instead deliberately and with more or less success
establishing and encouraging a "com#eting !amaism: or "alternati)e !amaism: directed
against the #olitics of the alai !ama* The most #owerful incarnation su##orted by -hina is
undoubtedly the young 3le)enth Panchen !ama, about whom we will come to re#ort later* Kn
Danuary .N, %&&&, the South China <orning (ost re#orted that the -hinese had disco)ered a
reincarnation of 5eting 5in#oche who had died in February .QQN* The two7year7old boy was
gi)en a Buddhist name and ordained in front oof a staute in the Dokhang Tem#le $in !hasa(*
The ceremony took #lace in the #resence of -hinese #arty officials* 5eting 5in#oche is
considered to be one of the few lamas who in the e)ent of the alai !ama,s death could
assume the regency until his reincarnation came of age* <t is ob)ious that the "-hina7friendly
!amaism: is setting a com#letely new tone in the relationshi# between the two #owers $-hina
and the Tibetans in exile(*

-hina is waiting for the charismatic leader to die, and the alai !ama has had to think
seriously about the issue of succession, not 6ust of his own reincarnation, but also the
indi)idual who as regent will re#resent his state and religion whilst he is still a minor* The
successful and #ur#oseful #olicy of integration which the 2undun has been #ursuing for years
within the context of the indi)idual schools makes it #ossible that u#on his death a 2agyu#a
hierarch could also take on the task of re#resenting all the sects 6ust as the chief of the
9elug#as $the alai !ama( de facto does* ;t any rate these are s#eculations being discussed
in the +estern #ress* Time <agazine says of =gyen Trinley, "1e has the #otential to become a
leading figure for the next generation, 6ust as the alai !ama is for the current one* X +hat
counts today is one who embodies the Tibetan religious identity and the national claims O and
can be a focus for +estern sym#athy* <f the 2arma#a continues to show the courage and
charisma which he has shown u# until now, then he could make an excellent symbol of the
resistance to the occu#ation of Tibet by -hina: $Danuary %@, .QQQR retranslation(*
@HL

The current incarnation issue bring the undisguised #ower interests of all in)ol)ed out
into the light of day* SPT ;nd these ha)e a long tradition* For exam#le, the #ower #olitical
com#etition between the Fourteenth alai !ama and the Sixteenth 2arma#a is the reason why
the rumor has #ersisted in western 2agyu#a circles that the "undun used magic #ractices to
murder the 2arma#a $Tibetan Re+iew, ;ugust .QPN, #* %.(*

This "accusation of murder: calls to mind not 6ust the Tibetan ci)il war but also another
mysterious incident* ;fter the death of the Fifteenth 2arma#a $in .Q%%(, a #owerful 9elug#a
minister wanted to #ush through the recognition of his own son as the next incarnation of the
2agyu#a hierarch against the will of the 5ed 1ats* This autocratic decision was ratified by the
Thirteenth alai !ama and the monks of the Tsur#hu monastery were forced against their will
to acce#t the Bellow 1ats, boy* But it did not take long before the child inex#licably fell to his
death from the roof of a building* There was ne)er an ex#lanation of the "accident:, at any
rate it was of benefit to the genuine candidate of the 5ed 1ats, who was now recogniMed as
the Sixteenth 2arma#a*

<ncidentally, the official chronicles of the 9elug#as accuse the tenth incarnation of
Shamar 5in#oche, of ha)ing incited the 4e#alese to war against !hasa in the .Pth century*
Thereu#on his assets were either seiMed or raMed to the ground* ; subse8uent reincarnation of
the great abbot was not acce#ted by the Bellow 1ats* Merit was becoming less and lessV:, the
Sixteenth 9yalwa 2arma#a has commented u#on this #eriod* There was much #olitical
interference* Black was becoming white* The real was becoming unreal* ;t that time it was
not #racticable to ha)e any Sharma#a recogniMed or enthroned* 3)erything was ke#t secret:
$4esterenko, .QQ%, #* P(* 4ot until the year .QL@, following a lengthy meditation and on the
basis of dreams, did the Fourteenth alai !ama #ermit the official reinstatement of the
Shamar#a lineage* The "undun should ha)e known that according to his own doctrine history
re#eats itself and that old conflicts do not 6ust flare u# afresh, rather, the laws go)erning
incarnation determine that time and again the same indi)iduals stand o##osed to one another
$in this case the Shamar#a +ersus the alai !ama(*

;ccordingly the relations between the god7king and the 4e#alese are )ery tense once
again* 4e#al has o)er many years established good contacts with its neighbor, -hina, and
@HN
currently $.QQP( has a "communist: go)ernment* Tibetan refugees are constantly ex#elled
from the country* <n the #ast there were se)eral armed conflicts between the 5oyal 4e#alese
;rmy and Tibetan underground fighters $-huShi 9angrug(*

;ccusations against The alai !ama and the 9elug#as of im#osing their will u#on the
"red sect: $the 2agyu#a( and attem#ting to s#lit them are also heard from go)ernment circles
in the kingdom of Bhutan* The so7called "SwitMerland of the 1imalayas: and its ruling house
$who today are in coo#eration with the Shamar#a( traditionally belong to the 2agyu#a school,
and ha)e therefore had in #art )ery serious dis#utes with !hasa for hundreds of years* The
Bellow 1at monasteries and their abbots, which ha)e been tolerated in the country as refugee
settlements since the sixties, are accused by the Bhutanese of nothing less serious than the
#olitically moti)ated murder of the Prime Minister, Digme or6i, $in .QL@( and a long7#lanned
re)olt in order to seiMe control of the country*

<n this, the "Bellow 1ats: are su##osed to ha)e attem#ted to li8uidate the Bhutanese
heir to the throne* ;longside one of the king,s mistresses who was under the influence of the
9elug#as, the alai !ama,s brother, 9yalo Thondru#, is also su##osed to be in)ol)ed in this
assassination attem#t, disco)ered before it could be carried through* <n the light of such
accusations it is immediately a##arent why the Bhutanese ha)e backed Shamar 5in#oche,s
decision in the dis#ute about the new 2arma#a, and re6ect =gyen Trinley, the candidate of
Situ 5in#oche ratified by haramsala, as a marionette of the alai !ama*


Footnot(!:
S.T +e are ob)iously dealing with a BuddhaiMation of a Vedic myth of origin here,
according to which the uni)erse arose from the self7dismemberment of the first human,
Pra6a#ati*
S%T The #hiloso#hers and theologists of the 3uro#ean Middle ;ges de)elo#ed a "two
body theory: of sacred kingshi#* The scholars drew a distinction between the mortal and
mundane body of a king and an eternal royal meta7body* This was fundamentally
inde#endent of its human a##earance* ;fter the death of the body which had ser)ed as his
residence he withdrew from this so as to then be reincarnated in the succesor of the old king*
This model corres#onds broadly with the Tibetan Buddhist doctrine of incarnation*
@HP
S'T The mchod2yon relation to -hina is also inter#reted as the relation #ertaining
between the sun and the moon by the !amaist side* 1ence we can read in a text from the .Nth
century that the #otentates from Bei6ing and !hasa stood o##osed to one another as sun and
moon, where the alai !ama occu#ied the throne of the sun $2lieger,.QQ., #* @H(* ;s the
moon the feminine and thus subordinate role is assigned to the 3m#eror in this classification*
S@T <n the Tibetan Re+iew, the #ublic relations ad)ertisement for the +est, e)en the
shallow dualism Tibet > good and -hina > bad: is seen as a #roblem in one article0 Tibet
is the embodiment of the #owers of the holyR -hina is the embodiment of the #owers of the
demonicR Tibetans are su#erhuman, -hinese are subhuman* <n this Krientalist logic of
o##ositions, -hina must be debased in order for Tibet to be exaltedR in order for there to be a
s#iritual and enlightened Krient, there must be a demonic and des#otic Krient $Tibetan
Re+iew, May .QQ@, #* .P(*
SHT Following the alai !ama the second highest authority in the 9elug#a sect*
SLT Sera is the monastery to which the regent belonged*
SNT ;s we ha)e already mentioned, such "treasures: $terma( are understood to be secret
doctrines hidden by dakinis or the "founder of the religion:, Padmasambha)a* Many years
later they are disco)ered by chosen indi)iduals and then #ut into #ractice*
SPT Tangible material interests also #lay their role in the "2arma#a affair:* The assets of
the 5umtek monastery, the main western monastery of the 2arma#a, are being claimed by
haramsala $i*e*, by the"undun( because it is an ob6ect of contention between Situ and
Shamar 5in#oche who both lay claim to the monastery for their res#ecti)e candidates*
/D SOCIAL REALITG IN ANCIENT TI#ET

Dust how casual the Tibetans in exile are in dealing with scholarly works on their history
and social reality in ancient Tibet is shown by an exam#le from the Tibetan Re+iew, the
3nglish7language mouth#iece for the exile community* <n ;#ril .QQ., the renowned ;merican
historian Mel)yn -* 9oldstein could #ublish an article in which he #resented for discussion a
#icture of Tibetan history that contradicted the official line from haramsala* <n the
subse8uent debate a Tibetan scholar candidly admitted that 9oldstein,s in)estigations were so
well documented that he is #robably correct in his analysis: > and then the Tibetan
continues, But his #resentation has succeeded in dee#ly offending most Tibetans: $Tibetan
Re+iew, Danuary .QQ%, #* .P(*

@HQ
Thus, among the exile Tibetan community, historical truths lead not to a self7critical
stance towards their own history, but rather one was insulted and thus belie)ed oneself
6ustified in re#udiating 9oldstein,s works and denigrating them as -hinese #ro#aganda* $See
abo)e all Phintso Thondon,s article in the May .QQ. issue of Tibetan Re+iew(* 9oldstein,s
re#ly to the attacks against him addresses what exactly is to be held of the freedom of o#inion
among Tibetans in exile0 Mr* Thondon seems to belie)e that anything which criticiMing or
contradicting Tibetan nationalist rhetoric coming out of haramsala and Tibetan Su##ort
9rou#s must be #ro7-hinese* 1is Gre6oinderG, therefore, clearly sets out to discredit 7 a priori 7
my findings and obser)ations by creating the im#ression < ha)e a #ro7-hinese bias* <n using
tactics resembling those of the Mc-arthy era in the =S, Mr* Thondon takes sentences out of
context, distorts meanings, and worse yet, im#utes meanings, that were not there* 1is
res#onse re#resents the darkest and most un#leasant side of the Tibetan exile mo)ement:
$Tibetan Re+iew, Se#tember .QQ., #* .P(

Kne can safely assume that official statements from haramsala will defame as
communist #ro#aganda e+ery historical analysis of Tibet which stri)es for neutrality* To gi)e a
further exam#le, we 8uote their reaction to ;* Tom 9runfeldWs well7researched book, The
<aking of <odern Tibet* This book:, a re)iew in the Tibetan Re+iew says, can only be
considered a so#histicated #resentation of Peking,s )ersion of e)ents* ;lthough a lot of
material is included in the book which is often o)erlooked by #ro7Tibetan, and the author has
e)idently made an attem#t to be im#artial SVT,his Sinocentric and Marxist seen to be so
extreme that he is 8uite unable to master them: $Tibetan Re+iew, Duly .QPQ, #* .'(*

Th( w(!t(rn i$ag( o- Ti5(t
+estern obser)ers ha)e in the meantime become more and more blind to the shadowy
sides of the Tibetan monastic state* <n countless recent books and #ublications the Tibet of old
is de#icted as a #eaceful state, a sanctuary of calm, the heart of com#assion, an ecological
oasis, an island of wisdom, a refuge of knowledge, a home of the blissful > in short as a lost
earthly #aradise, inhabited by enlightened, #eace7lo)ing #eo#le and mysterious, shining gods*
;s early as the .Q@&s, Marco Pallis #raised the Tibetans as "one of the earthGs most ci)iliMed
#eo#les: $8uoted by Bisho#, .QPQ, #* %'.(* ";ll the residents of !hasa, rich and #oor, high
and low, are #eaceful:, we can read in a contem#orary re#ort* "3)en the beggars of !hasa
ha)e only to #ly their trade for some time in the morning to get enough food for the day* <n
@L&
the e)ening they are all nicely drunk* The #eo#le of !hasa were #hysically relaxed, mentally
contended and ha##y* The food of the city is also nutritious* 4o one has to stri)e to make a
li)ing* !ife takes care of itself, as a matter of course* 3)erything is s#lendid: $8uoted by
-raig, .QQN, ##*PL7PN(*

The "undun also knows to only re#ort only the most #ositi)e as#ects of the #ast of the
!and of Snows0 "The continuing influence of Buddhism #roduced a society of #eace and
harmony* +e en6oyed freedom and contentment: $(anorama no* HH', 4o)ember %&, .QQN, #*
%(* Kr at another #oint0 "; #oor Tibetan had little cause to en)y or be hostile towards the rich
lord of his estate, then he knew that e)erybody har)ested what he had sown in his earlier
li)es* +e were 8uite sim#ly ha##y: $(anorama no* HH', 4o)ember %&, .QQN, #* %(* This
image of a #oor, dee#ly religious, #ure, and blissfully ha##y Tibet has meanwhile become
fixed in the consciousness of millions*

<t has become a fa)ored to#ic in, amongst other things, the esoteric literature, but abo)e
all in the ;merican film industry* The actor Brad Pitt, who #layed the role of the 9erman
teacher of the alai !ama, 1einrich 1arrer, in a melodramatic story $Se+en years in Tibet(,
came to the following conclusion once the film had been shot0 "!ook at the Tibetans, how
#oor they are in material terms* ;nd then look at them, how ha##y and #eaceful they are, and
their attitude to life with which they go their way* This is sim#ly fantastic* <t gets under your
skin* <t is the hearts of the #eo#le which make Tibet into Shangri7!a, into #aradise* <n
;merica this has become a real mo)ement: $(anorama no* HH', 4o)ember %&, .QQN, #* .(*

Such glorifications ha)e s#read like wildfire in recent years* "The result is a one7sidedly
bright image of s#iritual #urity:, writes Tibet researcher Peter Bisho#* "Many contem#orary
western studies go to the great length to a)oid confronting the shadow side of Tibetan
s#irituality* Kne can often encounter a sociological nai)etZ that stands in stark contrast to
claims of scientific scrutiny: $Bisho#, .QQ', #* N'(*

<n contrast, among the ma6ority of the earlier tra)elers, the Tibet of old made a dee#ly
negati)e im#ression, at least with res#ect to its social situation, which are these days all too
readily dismissed as im#erialist arrogance and 3uro#ean racism, although identical criticisms
of social conditions were also articulated by admirers of Tibetan culture* ;lexandra a)id7
@L.
4eel, for exam#le, was 6ust as re#elled by the general misery of the country as by the
corru#tion of the #riestly caste* 3)en such a fanatic de)otee of the "alachakra Tantra as
4icholas 5oerich com#lained about the general decadence in the Tibet of the time*

!ikewise, 1einrich 1arrer does not #aint a rosy #icture of !hasa in the forties, but
rather de#icts the land as an un6ust albeit fascinating anachronism* <n his world famous
tra)elogue, Se+en %ears in Tibet& the 9erman mentor of the young alai !ama writes0 "The
#ower of the monks in Tibet is uni8ue and can only be com#ared to a strict dictatorshi#* They
kee# a mistrustful eye on e)ery influence from outside which could threaten their #ower* They
themsel)es are cle)er enough to not belie)e in the limitlessness of their strength, but would
#unish anyone who ex#ressed doubts about this: $1arrer, .QP@, #* N.(*

oMens of such assessments like that of the "alai !ama,s best friend: can be found in
the early literature on Tibet* Many )isitors #rior to the year .QHQ re#ort that dictatorial
decisions, the arbitrary use of #ower, brainwashing and #aranoid belief in demons, s#iritual
control and crawling ser)ility, bitterest #o)erty and oriental wealth, sla)ery, serfdom, hunger,
diseases, a lack of any hygiene, alcoholism, cruel #unishments, torture, #olitical and #ri)ate
murder, fear and )iolence, theft, robbery, and mutual mistrust were e)eryday features of the
kingdom of the alai !amas* The Chakra+artinfrom !hasa ruled o)er a )ale of tears*

Kf course, these negati)e conditions in no way exclude the #ossibility that the !and of
Snows also had oases of #eace, e8uanimity, erudition, 6oy, hel#fulness, noble7mindedness, or
whate)er all the Buddhist )irtues may be* But what is #eculiar about the current image of
Tibet is that it only stresses its bright sides and sim#ly denies and re#resses its shady side*

Th( !ocia !tructur( o- -or$(r Ti5(t
For centuries, the education system, the administration of finances, 6urisdiction, and the
#olice lay in the hands of monastic officials* Bureaucracy and sacredness ha)e long been
com#atible in ;sia* 1ence we are familiar from the -hinese exam#le with a boring -onfucian
hea)en of ci)il ser)ants, inhabited by hea)enly em#erors and their ministers, mandarins,
scribes and administrators* Such images are also known in Tibet* +e may recall how
bureaucratic the administrati)e structure of the wonderland of Shambhala was e)en imagined
to be*
@L%

The clerical administration functioned well for as long as it concerned the immediate
affairs of a monastery* But it could hardly co#e with all the state and social #olitical di)isions
of the highlands* +estern researchers who )isited Tibet in the .Qth and %&th centuries thus
encountered a com#letely inflexible administration0 decision7making #rocesses stretched out
o)er weeks, ignorance and timidity dominated the inca#able ci)il ser)ice and nowhere could
be anything be attained without bribery* S.T

The social structure of the Tibet of old in no way corres#onded to an ideal7ty#ical model
of ha##y indi)iduals it is so often de#icted as being* ;longside the omni#resent clergy, the
country was ruled by circa .H& to '&& "secular: families* ifferent grou#s were distinguished
among the aristocracy* The highest stratum traced their ancestry to the old Tibetan kings, then
followed the members of the alai !amasW families* These were ennobled simultaneously
with the enthronement of the new god7king* 3)ery family in the country was #roud to ha)e a
monk as a son* For aristocrats, howe)er, it sufficed that the no)ice s#end 6ust one night in the
monastery in order to > for an a##ro#riate fee > be considered ordained* 38ui##ed with the
considerable #ri)ileges of a lama he could then return home*

The absolute ma6ority of the sedentary #o#ulation were the "serfs: of a wealthy ruling
elite, and saddled with high taxes* The li)es of these Tibetans was hard and frugal, they were
badly nourished and the medical ser)ices now #raised in the +est were largely unsuccessful*
Forms of sla)ery were known u# until the twentieth century > something which is denied
these days by the Tibetans in exile* ;s in <ndia there was a caste of untouchables* ;mong
these were to be counted beggars, #rostitutes, blacksmiths $V(, fishermen, musicians and
actors* <n many #arts of the country members of these stigmatiMed grou#s were not e)en
#ermitted to become monks*

<n contrast, the nomads #reser)ed a relati)e autonomy, in relation to both the clergy and
-hinese or Mongolian in)aders* This was e)en true of their customs and traditions* For
exam#le, the killing of animals > strictly forbidden in Buddhism > was normal #ractice
among them* The monks in !hasa > none of them )egetarians > had the animals
slaughtered by Muslim butchers who thus brought the bad karma from the killings down u#on
themsel)es, then the consum#tion of meat is not a "sin: for the Tibetans, but the slaughter of
@L'
animals decidedly is* The Fourteenth alai !ama, himself a meat7eater for "reasons of
health:, ne)ertheless cam#aigns constantly $in the +est( for a )egetarian lifestyle*

Kn the basis of the doctrine of karma, the #ri)ileged strata of the Tibet of old saw their
ad)antages as a reward for #re)ious good deeds in #ast li)es* ;nyone born into the lower
castes had a badly led #ast life to blame for this and was marked from the outset as a former
)illain* Such degrading 6udgments are still #re)alent among the Tibetans in exile* 5ebecca
5edwood French re#orts on a case, for exam#le, where a child who made strange noises and
threw a #icture of the alai !amas to the ground was recogniMed as the reincarnation of a dog
$5edwood French, .QQH(* Kne can imagine how easily such classifications could lead to a
general social arrogance and the abuse of #ower*

Ti5(tan cri$ina aw
Kn the basis of a western orientation towards democracy and human rights, we would
ha)e to describe the Tibet of old as a totalitarian state* The legal system was for three hundred
years unchangingly based u#on the @anden (odrang Codex which was commissioned by the
"9reat Fifth:* Bet criminal law was already codified in the thirteenth century by the Sakya#a
sect* <t dis#layed a strong Mongolian influence, was deri)ed from the %asa $statute7book( of
9enghis 2han, and, like the #enal system of the 3uro#ean Middle ;ges, was extremely cruel*
BiMarre mutilations like blindings, the cutting off of limbs or tearing out of tongues,
deliberately allowing #eo#le to freeMe to death, the #illory, shackling, yoking, lifelong
im#risonment in dam# #its all count as common #unishments u# until the %&th century, e)en
after the Thirteenth alai !ama had introduced a number of moderation,s* <n .Q@&, a British
en)oy still saw all o)er Tibet SXT men who had been de#ri)ed of an arm or a leg for theft:
$9runfeld, .QQL, #*%@(*

Since Buddhism
fundamentally forbade the killing
of a li)ing creature, criminals
were often tortured to the #oint of
death and then left to fend for
themsel)es* <f they now died of
the conse8uences this was #urely
@L@
a matter of their own karma* These days the #ower elite in haramsala maintains an
embarrassed silence about such inhuman acts and brushes them aside as -hinese #ro#agandaR
western obser)ers of the Tibet of old and their re#orts are considered to be #re6udiced and
exam#les of 3uro#ean arrogance* <t is truly astonishing how this obscuration of their own
dreadful #ast by the lamas in the +est has succeeded* ;nd there is a lot of authentic
#hotogra#hic e)idenceR a #ublic whi##ing, which took #lace in the middle of !hasa in .QH&
was re#roduced in the ;merican magaMine, 9ife, for exam#le $9ife, 4o)ember .', .QH&, ##*
.'&O.'L(*

The #unishment of criminal delin8uents was by no means confined to this world, rather
the monks condemned #eo#le to millions $V( of years in the most dreadful hells, more
grotes8ue and sadistic e)en than their counter#arts in the -hristian Middle ;ges* Voltaire,s
cry of "5emember your cruelties:, by which he #rimarily meant the #olitics of the -hristian
clergy and with which he launched his struggle for human rights, ought to be heard in
haramsala as wellV

38uality before the law )aried in Tibet according to social status and wealth* For a
murder, one had to #ay a so7called "life tax: $mistong( to the sur)i)ing de#endents and could
thus a)oid criminal #rosecution* ;ccording to a statement from one of the current alai
!ama,s brothers, this #ractice was still being followed in the mid7twentieth century* The #rice
was naturally related to the status of the )ictim* 1ence, in the fifties the life of a high
monastic official was worth between =S eP,&&& and e.&,&&&* $9runfeld, .QQL, #* %@(* For the
murder of a woman from the lower castes, .& !iang $about .. ounces( of sil)er was to be
#aid*

C(rica co$$(rc(
The Buddhist clergy was also commercially acti)e and the most im#ortant monasteries
were regarded as significant trading centers* The lamas e)en dealt in credit* Production was
mostly de)otional ob6ects which the monks usually manufactured themsel)es0 holy images,
statuettes of gods, amulets, and similar things* ;s ser)ices, soothsaying, astrology, and the
#erformance of all manner of rituals were offered for sale* ; further source of income was
mendicancy* Bands of monks were dis#atched through the country to collect donations* They
often returned with great cargoes* The rent for a domestic cell within a monastery had to be
@LH
#aid by the monk,s relati)es* <f this was not #ossible, then the no)ice had to earn his
kee#* FranM Michael thus referred to the Tibetan monastery as a #ri)ate, #rofit7making,
Wca#italist, enter#rise* <t was ca#italist in the sense that the manager,s Sthe administrator of the
monasteryT aim was clearly and admittedly to make the greatest #ossible #rofit for its owner,
the incarnation Sof the abbotT" $Michael, .QP%, #* @Q(*

The !amaist dis#ensaries bloomed s#lendidly* The excreta $stools and urine( of higher
tulkus were manufactured into #ills and sold as )aluable medicines* The su#reme #alliati)e
was of course the excrement of the "li)ing Buddha: $"undun(* +hen the Fourteenth alai
!ama was staying in -hina, his chamberlain collected his excrement daily in a golden #ot so
as to then send it to !hasa to be manufactured into a medication $9runfeld, .QQL, #* %%(*

Traditional Tibetan medicine, now on offer worldwide, and which the western admirers
claim can cure cancer, had to be content with less success in its home country* The ma6ority of
the #o#ulation suffered from sexual diseases* Small#ox was wides#read and e)en the
Thirteenth alai !ama fell )ictim to it*

Poitica intrigu(
There is no 8uestion that the lamas constantly em#loyed their charismatic religious aura
to amass worldly #ower and to generate #ersonal grandeur* "The original Buddha teaching:,
Matthias 1ermanns writes, "of the Gflight from worldly lifeW was transformed into the
Machia)ellian #rinci#le of unrestrained, moral7free #ower #olitics: $1ermanns, .QHL, #* 'N%(*
Knly the monks would ne)er ha)e called it this* <t was a #art of their ruling ideology to
#resent e)ery ex#ression, no matter how secular and decadent, as the decision of a deity*

;n im#ortant instrument of Tibetan #ower #olitics was the #olitical intrigue* This is
admittedly a uni)ersal #henomenon, but in Tibet it de)elo#ed such a high status because the
worldly resources a)ailable to the lamas were barely ade8uate to the task of controlling
central ;sia* ;bo)e all there was only a rudimentary army* 1ence, time and again it was
necessary to seek armed allies, or to #lay armed o##onents off against one another* The great
abbots, regents and alai !amas ha)e made extensi)e use of these strategies o)er the course
of history* They were masters of the game of #olitical intrigue and were for this reason as
much feared by the -hinese em#erors as the Mongolian 2hans*
@LL

Poison and assassinations dominated e)en the internal !amaist scene* 4ot all "li)ing
Buddhas: reached the age at which they could go)ern* ;s we ha)e already described abo)e,
the four di)ine children $the 4inth to Twelfth alai !amas( fell )ictim to #owerful cli8ues
within the clerical establishment* The great abbots were es#ecially feared because of their
magical abilities which they em#loyed against their enemies* ;longside the authority of state,
magic was the other significant control mechanism of which constant use was made* <t #layed
a more im#ortant role at an ele)ated #olitical le)el than the bureaucratic administration and
international di#lomacy*

Mor( r(c(nt d('(o8$(nt! in th( hi!torica i$ag(
The marked differences of o#inion in the assessment of the !and of Snows and its
culture are not 6ust a #roduct of the western imagination, but must likewise be ex#lained in
terms of a ga#ing dis#arity between !amaism,s own ideal7ty#ical claims and an
"underde)elo#ed: social reality* ; de)out Tibetan Buddhist tends to ha)e his eyes fixed u#on
the ideals of his doctrine $harma( and to be blind to the social realities of his country* This is
almost always true when the Tibet of old is concerned* ;s Tantric, the "law of in)ersion: also
grants him the #ossibility of seeing all that is bad and im#erfect in his surroundings as the
formati)e material for the work of s#iritual transformation, then according to logic of
in)ersion -a0rayana makes the base social reality into an element of the becoming whole, into
the prima materia of the tantric ex#eriment*

<t goes without saying that the lamas thankfully ado#ted the western ideal7world )ision
of a #eaceful and s#iritual Tibet* They combined this with images of #aradise from their own,
Buddhist mythology and added historical e)ents from the times of the Tibetan kings to the
mix* The result was the #icture of a society in which all #eo#le had li)ed ha##ily since time
immemorial, with a smile on their face night and day* ;ll the needs of a meaningful human
existence could be filled in the Tibet of oldR nothing was lacking* 3)eryone res#ected all
others* 1umans, animals, and nature li)ed together #eacefully with res#ect* The ecological
balance was assured* The Tibetan kings ruled like goodly fathers and the ecclesiastical #rinces
followed in their stead* Then came the -hinese military with guns and artillery, ensla)ed the
#eo#le, tortured the #riests, destroyed the culture and #lanned to totally exterminate the
Tibetan race*
@LN

+ith such or similar images, the Fourteenth alai !ama has u# until most recently
largely succeeded in im#lanting the image of a #ure, noble, humane, ecological, s#iritually
highly de)elo#ed Tibet, this stronghold against materialism and inhumanity, in the awareness
of the world,s #ublic* 3)en the 9erman news magaMine, =er Spiegel, normally extremely
critical of such matters, becomes ra#turous0 "Tibet as a symbol of the good, as the last
stronghold of s#irituality, where wisdom and harmony are #reser)ed, while the world lies in
darkness and chaos0 1as the G5oof of the +orldG become a #ro6ection of all our longingsA
+hat is the secret behind the western fascination with this distant land, its religion and its
god7kingA: $Spiegel, .LU.QQP, #* ..&(*

But under the #ressure of the )ehement criti8ue of the history of the country which has
been building since .QQL, and which can table indis#utable e)idence, in haramsala one is
also becoming more careful of unrestrainedly glorifying the Tibet of old* For this reason the
alai !ama e)er more often now em#loys the handy formula that Tibet, like all nations, has
its good sides and its bad sidesR the future will, howe)er, only stress the good* That is more or
less all* 1ence, the shadows which cast their #all o)er the history of the !and of Snows are
only referred to in )ery general terms > roughly in the sense that where there is much light
there is also much darkness*

<t is not our task here to offer an assessment of the im#ro)ements much #raised by the
-hinese which they claim to ha)e brought to the medie)al country* +e #ersonally belie)e that
in social terms the Tibetan #eo#le today li)e better than they did under the rule of !amaism*
But we in no sense mean by this that the current social situation in the !and of Snows is ideal*
+e hold many of the accusations and criticisms le)eled at Bei6ing,s "minority #olitics: by the
Tibetans in exile to be thoroughly rele)ant* <t can also not be denied that resistance to -hina is
today growing among the Tibetans and that it #rimarily makes use of religious arguments*
!ike e)erywhere in the world, there has also been a religious renaissance on "roof of the
world: since the mid7eighties* +e see a #roblem in this !amaist re)i)al, not in the Tibetan
democracy mo)ement* +hat is #eculiar and confusing about the #olitical situation is,
howe)er, that the clerical re)i)al itself )ery successfully #retends to be the democracy
mo)ement, and mani#ulates the awareness of both the Tibetans and the +est with this
dece#tion*
@LP

Footnot(!:
S.T Kn a s#iritual #lane this bureaucracy corres#onded to a meticulously detailed
regulation of the monasteries and a dry scholasticism which often resulted in hair7s#litting and
a unending #rocess of commentary u#on the original texts* Thus commentaries u#on the
commentaries u#on the commentaries on a #articular Tantra arose * The Tibetan #leasure in
the eternal re#etition of the same formulas, the untiring circling of the same to#ics had led to
the in)ention of the #rayer mill > a uni8ue construction which most )i)idly demonstrates
how mechanistic and stereoty#ed this religion was* This was a metal cylinder, which was
rotated for hours by hand by belie)ers, usually with the mantra om mani padme hum on their
li#s*
0D #EDDHOCRACG AND ANARCHG: CONTRATICTORG OR
COMPLEMENTRAG<


The grand sorcerers $Maha Siddhas(
The anarchistic founding father of Tibetan Buddhism0 Padmasambha)a
From anarchy to disci#line of the order0 the Tilo#a lineage
The #re7ordained counter world to the clerical bureaucracy0 holy fools
;n anarchistic erotic0 the V< alai !ama
; tantric history of Tibet
Crazy wisdom and the +est

The totalitarian !amaist state $the Tibetan Buddhocracy(, headed by its absolute ruler,
the alai !ama, was > as contradictory as this may at first a##earance seem to be > only
one of the #ower7#olitical forces which decisi)ely sha#ed the history of Tibet* Kn the other
side we find all the disintegrati)e and anti7state forces which constantly challenged the
clerical s#here as dangerous o##onents* ;s we shall soon see, within the whole social
structure they re#resented the forces ofanarchy0 Thus, Tibetans understand #ower both",
writes 5ebecca 5edwood French, as a highly centraliMed, rigidly controlled and
hierarchically determined force and as a diffuse and multi)alent force: $5edwood French,
.QQH, #* .&P(* +hat are these diffuse and multi)alent: forces and how does the highly
centraliMed X and hierarchically determined: Buddhist state deal with themA
@LQ

The #owers which rebelled against the established monastic order in the Tibet of old
were legion > abo)e all the all7#owerful nature of the country* 3xtreme climatic conditions
and the huge territory, barely de)elo#ed in terms of trans#ort logistics, rendered effecti)e state
control by the lamas only #artially realiMable* But the #roblems were not 6ust of the factual
kind* <n addition, from the Tibetan, animist #oint of )iew, the wilds of nature are inhabited by
countless gods, demons, and s#irits, who must all be brought under control0 the lu > water
s#irits which contaminate wells and di)ert ri)ersR the nyen > tree s#irits that cause illnesses,
es#ecially cancerR the 0epo the harmful ghosts of bad kings and lamas who broke their
)owsR the black dK > o#en rebels who deliberately turn against the harmaR the mamo& also
black > a dangerous breed of witches and har#iesR the sa > e)il astral demonsR and many
others* They all #osed a daily threat for body and soul, life and #ossession in the Tibet of old
and had to be ke#t in check through constant rituals and incantations* This animist world )iew
is still ali)e and well today des#ite -hinese communist materialism and rationalism and is
currently ex#eriencing an outright renaissance*

But it was not enough to ha)e con8uered and enchained $mostly )ia magic rituals( the
nature s#irits listed* They then re8uired constant guarding and su#er)ision so that they did
resume their mischief* 3)en the deities known as dharmapalas, who were su##osed to #rotect
the Buddhist teachings, tended to forget their duties from to time and turn against their
masters $the lamas(* This "omni#resence of the demonic: ke#t the monks and the #o#ulace in
a constant state of alarm and caused an extreme tension within the Tibetan culture*

Kn the social le)el it was, among other things, the high degree of criminality which
time and again #ro)oked Tibetan state Buddhism and was seen as sub)ersi)e* The ma6ority of
westerners tra)eling in Tibet $in the time before the -hinese occu#ation( re#orted that the
brigandry in the country re#resented a general nuisance* -ertain nomadic tribes, the 2ham#as
for exam#le, regarded robbery as a lucrati)e auxiliary income or e)en de)oted themsel)es to
it full7time* They were admittedly feared but definitely not des#ised for this, but were rather
seen as the heroes of a robber romanticism wides#read in the country* To go out without
ser)ants and unarmed was also considered dangerous in the !hasa of old* Kne li)ed in
constant fear of being held u#*

@N&
<n terms of popular culture& there were strong currents of an original, anarchist $non7
Buddhist( shamanism which coursed through the whole country and were not so easily
brought under the umbrella of a Buddhist conce#t of state* The same was true of the
4yingma#a sect, whose members had a )ery libertarian and )agabond lifestyle* <n addition,
there were the wandering yogis and ascetics as further re#resentati)es of "anarchy:* ;nd last
not least, the great orders conducted an unrelenting com#etiti)e cam#aign against one another
which was ca#able of bringing the entire state to the edge of chaos* <f, for exam#le, the
Sakya#as were at the high #oint of their #ower, then the 2agyu#as would lay in wait so as to
disco)er their weaknesses and bring them down* <f the 2agyu#as seiMed control o)er
the !and of Snows, then they would be ham#ered by the 9elug#as with hel# from the
Mongolians*

The !amaist state and anarchy ha)e always stood o##osed to one another in Tibetan
history* But can we therefore say that Buddhism always and without fail took on the role of
the state which found itself in constant conflict with all the non2$uddhist forces of anarchyA
+e shall see that the social dynamic was more com#lex than this* Tantric Buddhism is itself
> as a result of the lifestyle which the tantras re8uire > an ex#ression of "anarchy:, but only
#artially and only at times* <n the final instance it succeeds in combining both the
authoritarian state and an anarchic lifestyle, or, to #ut it better, in Tibet $and now in the +est(
the lamas ha)e de)elo#ed an ingenious conce#t and #ractice through which to use anarchy to
shore u# the Buddhocracy* !et us examine this more closely through a descri#tion of the li)es
of )arious tantric "anarchists:*

Th( grand !orc(r(r! &Maha Siddha!)
The anarchist element in the Buddhist landsca#e is definitely not uni8ue to Tibet* The
founding father, Shakyamuni himself, dis#layed an extremely anti7state and antisocial
beha)ior and later re8uired the same from his followers*

<nstead of taking u# his inheritance as a royal ruler, he chose homelessnessR instead of
o#ting for his wife and harem, he chose abstinenceR instead of wealth he sought #o)erty* But
the actual "anarchist: re#resentati)es of Buddhism are the P@ grand sorcerers or <aha
Siddhas, who make u# the legendary founding grou# of -a0rayana and from whom the
@N.
)arious lineages of Tibetan Buddhism are traced* 1ence, in order to consider the origins of the
anti7state currents in Tibetan history, we must cast a glance o)er the border into ancient <ndia*

;ll of the stories about the <aha Siddhas tell of the s#ectacular ad)entures they had to
go through to attain their goal of enlightenment $i*e*, the ritual absor#tion of gynergy(* 1ad
they succeeded in this, then they could refer to themsel)es as "masters of the maha mudraI*
The number of P@ does not corres#ond to any historical reality* 5ather, we are dealing with a
mystical number here which in symboliMes #erfection in se)eral <ndian religious systems*
Four of the <aha Siddhas were women* They all li)ed in <ndia between the eighth and twelfth
centuries*

The ma6ority of these grand sorcerers came from the lower social strata* They were
originally fishermen, wea)ers, woodcutters, gardeners, bird7catchers, beggars, ser)ants, or
similar* The few who were members of the higher castes > the kings, brahmans, abbots, and
uni)ersity lecturers > all abandoned their #ri)ileges so as to lead the life of the mendicant
wandering yogis as "dro#7outs:* But their biogra#hies ha)e nothing in common with the #ious
-hristian legends > they are )iolent, erotic, demonic, and grotes8ue* The ;merican, 2eith
owman, stresses the rebellious character of these unholy holy men0 Some of these Siddhas
are iconoclasts, dissenters, anti7establishment rebels* S***T Kbsessi)e caste rules and
regulations in society and religious ritual as an end in itself, were undermined by the siddhas,
exem#lary free li)ing: $owman, .QPH, ##* %(* owman ex#licitly refers to their lifestyle as
s#iritual anarchism: which did not allow of any control by institutionalism $owman, .QPH,
#* '(*

@N%
Lin)4tsan) /yalpo B a )reat @yinma Ph"rba Master

The relationshi# with a woman so as to #erform the sexual magic rites with her was at
the core of e)ery Siddha,s life* +hether king or beggar, they all #referred girls from the lower
castes > washer7women, #rostitutes, barmaids, dancing girls, or cemetery witches*

The grand sorcerers, clothes and external a##earance was also in total contradiction to
the image of the Buddhist monks* They were demonically #ictures8ue* +ith naked torsos,
the <aha Siddhas wore a fur loincloth, #referably that of a beast of #rey* 1uge rings hung
from their ears and about their necks swung necklaces of human bone* <n contrast to the
ordained bhiksus $monks( the grand sorcerers ne)er sha)ed their heads, instead letting their
hair grow into a thick mane which they bound together abo)e their heads in a knot* Their style
more resembled that of the Shi)aite yogis and it was difficult to recogniMe them as traditional
followers of 9autama Buddha* Many of the<aha Siddhas were thus e8ually re)ered by both
the Shi)aites and the Buddhists* From this the <ndologist, 5amachandra 5ao, concludes that
in the early #hase of Tantrism the membershi# of a #articular religious current was in no way
@N'
the deciding criterion for a yogi,s world )iew, rather, it was the tantric techni8ue which made
them all $inde#endent of their religious affiliation( members of a single esoteric community
$5amachandra 5ao, .QPQ, #* @%(*

The <aha Siddhas wanted to #ro)oke* Their "demonic nihilism: knew no bounds* They
shocked #eo#le with their biMarre a##earance, were e)en disres#ectful to kings and as a matter
of #rinci#le did the o##osite of what one would ex#ect of either an "ordinary: #erson or an
ordained <ahayanamonk* <t was a #art of their code of honor to #ublicly re#resent their
mystic guild through com#letely uncon)entional beha)ior* <nstead of abstinence they en6oyed
brandy, rather than #eacemakers they were ruffians* The ma6ority of them took mind7altering
drugs* They were dirty and unkem#t* They collected alms in a skull bowl* Some of them
#roudly fed themsel)es with human body #arts which lay scattered about the crematoria* +e
ha)e re#orted u#on their erotic #ractices in detail in the first #art of our study, and likewise
u#on their boundless #ower fantasies which did not shy at any crime* 1ence, the magic
#owers $siddhis( were at the to# of their wish list, e)en if it is re#eatedly stressed in the
legends that the "worldly: siddhis were of only secondary im#ortance* Tele#athy,
clair)oyance, the ability to fly, to walk on water, to raise the dead, to kill the li)ing by #ower
of thought > they constantly #erformed wonders in their immediate en)irons so as to
demonstrate their su#eriority*

But how well can this "s#iritual anarchism: of the <aha Siddhas be reconciled with the
Buddhist conce#tion of stateA <n his basic character the Siddha is an o##onent all state
hierarchies and e)ery form of disci#line* ;ll the formalities of life are re#ugnant to him >
marriage, occu#ation, #osition, official accolades and recognition* But this is only tem#orarily
)alid, then once the yogi has attained a state of enlightenment a wonderful and ordered world
arises from this in accordance with the law of in)ersion* Thanks to the sexual magic rites of
Tantrism the brothel bars ha)e now become di)ine #alaces, nauseating filth has become
diamond7clear #urity, stinking excrement shining #ieces of gold, horny hetaeras noble 8ueens,
insatiable hate undying lo)e, chaos order, anarchy the absolute state* The monastic state is, as
we shall show in relation to the "history of the church: in Tibet, the goalR the "wild life: of
the <aha Siddhas in contrast is 6ust a transitional #hase*

@N@
For this reason we should not refer to the tantric yogi not sim#ly as a "s#iritual
anarchist: as does 2eith owman, nor as a ")illain:* 5ather, he is a disci#lined hero of the
"good:, who di)es into the underworld of erotic lo)e and crime so as to stage a total in)ersion
there, in that he transforms e)erything negati)e into its #ositi)e* 1e is no libertarian free
thinker, but rather an "agent: of the monastic community who has infiltrated the red7light and
criminal milieu for tactic s#iritual reasons* But he does not always see his task as being to
transform the whores, murderers and manslaughterers into saints, rather he likewise
understands it as being to make use of their aggression to #rotect and further his own ideas
and interests*

Th( anarchi!t -ounding -ath(r o- Ti5(tan #uddhi!$: Pad$a!a$5ha'a
The most famous of all the great magicians of Tibet is, e)en though he is not one of the
P@ <aha Siddhas, the <ndian, Padmasambha)a, the "!otus Born:* The Tibetans call him @uru
Rinpoche, ")aluable teacher:* 1e is considered to be not 6ust an emanation
of ;+alokitesh+ara $like the alai !ama( but is himself also, according to the doctrine of the
"9reat Fifth:, a #re)ious incarnation of the Tibetan god7king* The reader should thus always
kee# in mind that the current Fourteenth alai !ama is accountable for the wild biogra#hy
of @uru Rinpoche as his own former life*

!egend tells of his wondrous birth from a lotus flower > hence his name
$padma means Wlotus,(* 1e a##eared in the form of an eight7year7old boy "without father or
mother:, that is, he ga)e rise to himself* The <ndian king <ndrabhuti disco)ered him in the
middle of a lake, and brought the lotus boy to his #alace and reared him as a son* <n the
iconogra#hy, Padmasambha)a may be encountered in eight different forms of a##earance,
behind each of this a legend can be found* 1is trademark, which distinguishes him from all
other Tibetan "saints:, is an elegant "French: goatee* 1e holds thekathanga, a rod bearing
three tiny im#aled human heads, as his fa)orite sce#ter* 1is birth#lace in<ndia, =ddiyana, was
famed and notorious for the wildness of the tantric #ractices which were culti)ated there*

;round NP& -*3* the Tibetan king, Trisong etsen, fetched Padmasambha)a into Tibet*
The #olitical intentions behind this royal summons were clear0 the ruler wanted to weaken the
#ower of the mighty nobles and the caste of the Bon #riests )ia the introduction of a new
religion* Padmasambha)a was su##osed to re#lace at court the <ndian scholar, Shantarakshita,
@NH
$likewise a Buddhist(, who had #ro)ed too weak to assert himself against the recalcitrant
aristocracy*

9uru 5in#oche, in contrast, was already considered to be a tantric su#erman in
=ddiyana* 1e demanded his own weight in gold bars of the king as his fee for coming* +hen
he finally stood before Trisong etsen, the king demanded that he demonstrate his res#ect
with a bow* <nstead of doing so, 9uru 5in#oche s#rayed lightning from his fingerti#s, so that
it was the king who sank to his knees and recogniMed the magician as the a##ro#riate ally with
whom to combat the Bon #riests, likewise skilled in magic things* The guru was thus bitterly
hated by these and by the nobles, e)en the king,s ministers treated him with the greatest
hostility imaginable*


,tat"e o* Padmasambhava

The saga has made Padmasambha)a the founding father of Tibetan Buddhism* 1is life
story is a fantastic collection of miracles which made him so #o#ular among the #eo#le that
he soon en6oyed a greater re)erence than the historical Buddha, whose life a##eared sober and
#ale in com#arison* 5e#orts about 9uru 5in#oche and his writings are drawn #rimarily from
the termas $treasures( already mentioned abo)e, which, it is claimed, he himself hid so that
they would come to light centuries later*

@NL
From a )ery young age the boy already stood out because of his abnormal and )iolent
nature* 1e killed a slee#ing baby by throwing a stone at it and 6ustified this deed with the
#retense that the child would ha)e become a malignant magician who would ha)e harmed
many #eo#le in his later life* ;#art from his royal ado#ti)e father, <ndrabhuti, no7one acce#ted
this argument, and se)eral #eo#le attem#ted to bring him to 6ustice* ;t the urgings of a
minister he was first confined to a #alace by soldiers* Shortly afterward the guru a##eared
u#on the roof of the building, naked exce#t for a "sixfold bone ornament:, and with
a +a0ra and a trident in his hands* The #eo#le gathered ra#idly to delight in the odd s#ectacle,
among them one of the hostile ministers with his wife and son* Suddenly and without warning
Padmasambha)a,s +a0ra #enetrated the brain of the boy and the trident s#eared through the
heart of the mother fatally wounding both of them*

The #ot boiled o)er at this additional double murder and the entire court now demanded
that the wrongdoer be im#aled* Bet once again he succeeded in #ro)ing that the murder
)ictims had earned their )iolent demise as the 6ust #unishment for their misdeeds in earlier
li)es* <t was decided to refrain from the death #enalty and to damn Padmasambha)a instead*
Thereu#on a trou#e of dancing dakinis a##eared in the skies leading a miraculous horse by the
halter* 9uru 5in#oche mounted it and )anished into thin air* ;cts of )iolence were to continue
to characteriMe his future life*

;s much as he was a master of tantric erotic lo)e, he decisi)ely re6ected the institution
of marriage* +hen <ndrabhuti wanted to find him a wife, he answered by saying that women
were like wild animals without minds and that they )ainly belie)ed themsel)es to be
goddesses* There were, howe)er, exce#tions, as well hidden as a needle in a haystack, and if
he would ha)e to marry then he should be brought such an exce#tion* ;fter many
unsuccessful #resentations, Bhasadhara was finally found* +ith her he began his tantric
#ractices, so that "the mountains shook and the gales blew:*

The marriage did not last long* !ike the historical Buddha, 9uru 5in#oche turned his
back on the entertaining #alace life of his ado#ti)e father and chose as his fa)orite #lace to
stay the crematoria of <ndia* 1e was in the habit of meditating there, and there he held his
constant rendeM)ous with terrible7looking witches $dakinis(* Kne document re#orts how he
dressed in the clothes of dead and fed u#on their decom#osing flesh $1errmann7Pfand, .QQ%,
@NN
#* .QH(* 1e is su##osed to ha)e )isited a total of eight cemeteries in order to there and then
fight out a magical initiation battle with the rele)ant officiating dakinis*

1is most s#ectacular encounter was definitely the meeting with @uhya Lnana, the chief
of the terror goddesses, one of the a##earances of -a0rayogini* She li)ed in a castle made of
human skulls* +hen Padmasambha)a reached the gates he was unable to enter the building,
des#ite his magic #owers* 1e instructed a ser)ant to inform her mistress of his )isit* +hen she
returned without ha)ing achie)ed anything he tried once more with all manner of magic to
gain entry* The girl laughed at him, took a crystal knife and slit o#en her torso with it* The
endless retinue of all the Buddhas and Bodhisatt)as a##eared within her insides* "< am 6ust a
ser)ant:, she said* Knly now was Padmasambha)a admitted*

@uhya ?nana sat u#on her throne* <n her hands she held a double7ended drum and a
skull bowl and was surrounded by '% ser)ant girls* The yogi bowed down with great res#ect
and said, "Dust as all Buddhas through the ages had their gurus, so < ask you to be my teacher
and to take me on as your #u#il: $9o)inda, .QP@, #* %%L(* Thereu#on she assembled the
whole #antheon of gods within her breast, transformed the #etitioner into a seed syllable and
swallowed him* +hilst the syllable lay u#on her li#s she ga)e him the sacrament of ;mitabha,
whilst he rested in her stomach he was initiated into the secrets of ;+alokitesh+ara* ;fter
lea)ing her lotus $i*e*, )agina( he recei)ed the sacraments of the body, the s#eech, and the
s#irit* Knly now had he attained his immortal +a0rabody*

This scene also grants the feminine force an outstanding status within the initiation
#rocess* But there are se)eral )ersions of the story* <n another account it is Padmasambha)a
who dissol)es-a0rayogini within his heart* Deffrey 1o#kins e)en describes a tantra techni8ue
in which the #u#il imagines himself to be the goddess so as to then be absorbed by his teacher
who )isualiMes himself as @uru Rinpoche $1o#kins, .QP%, #* .P&(*

+ithout doubt, Padmasambha)a,s relationshi# with Beshe Tshogyal, the karma
mudra gi)en to him by <ndrabhuti, and with Princess Manda)ara, the reincarnation of a
dakini, dis#lay a rare tolerance* Thus within the tradition both yoginis were able to #reser)e a
certain indi)iduality and #ersonality o)er the course of centuries > a rare exce#tion in the
history of -a0rayana* For this reason it could be belie)ed that Padmasambha)a had shown a
@NP
re)olutionary attitude towards the woman, es#ecially since the statement often 8uoted here in
the +est is from him0 "The basis for realiMing enlightenment is a human body* Male or female
> there is no great difference* But if she de)elo#s the mind bent on enlightenment, a
womanGs body is better: $9ross, .QQ', #* NQ(*

But how can this comment, which is taken from a terma from the .P
th
century $V(, be
reconciled with the following statement by the guru, which he is su##osed to ha)e offered in
answer to Beshe Tshogyal,s 8uestion about the suitability of women for the tantric ritualsA
Bour faith is mere #latitude, your de)otion insincere, but your greed and 6ealousy are strong*
Bour trust and generosity are weak, yet your disres#ect and doubt are huge* Bour com#assion
and intelligence are weak, but your bragging and self7esteem are great* Bour de)otion and
#erse)erance are weak, but you are skilled at misguiding and distorting Bour #ure #erce#tion
and courage is small: $Binder7Schmidt, .QQ@ #* HL(*

Bet this comment is 8uite harmlessV The "demonic: @uru Rinpoche also exists > the
aggressi)e butcher of #eo#le and serial ra#ist* There is for instance a story about him in
circulation in which he killed a Tibetan king and im#regnated his Q&& wi)es so as to #roduce
children who were de)oted to the Buddhist teaching* <n another e#isode from his early life he
was attacked out of the blue by dakinis and male dakas* The story re#orts that "he SthenT kills
the men and #ossesses the women: $5* Paul, .QP%, #* .L'(* 5obert ;* Paul thus sees in
Padmasambha)a an intransigent, acti)e, #hallic, and sexist archety#e whom he contrasts
with ;+alokitesh+ara, the mild, asexual, feminiMed, and transcendent counter#ole* Both
ty#ologies, Paul claims, determine the dynamic of Tibetan history and are united within the
#erson of the alai !ama $5* Paul, .QP%, #* PN(*

Many of the anecdotes about @uru Rinpoche which are in circulation also de#ict him as
a boastful su#erman* 1e #aid for his beer in a ta)ern by holding the sun still for two days for
the female barkee#er* This earned him not 6ust the re#utation of a sun7controller but also the
saga that he had in)ented beer in an earlier incarnation* 1is connection to the solar cults is
also )ouched for by other anecdotes* For instance, one day he assumed the sha#e of the sun
bird, the garuda& and con8uered the lu, the feminine $V( water s#irits* !ightning magic
remained one of his #referred techni8ues, and he made no rare use of it* ;n additional
s#ecialty was to a##ear in a sea of flames, which was not difficult for him as an emanation of
@NQ
the "fire god:, ;+alokitesh+ara* 1is siddhis $magic #owers( were thought to be unlimitedR he
flew through the air, s#oke all languages, knew e)ery magic battle techni8ue, and could
assume any sha#e he chose* 4onetheless, all these magical techni8ues were not sufficient for
him to remain the s#iritual ad)isor of Trisong etsen for long* The Bon #riests and the king,s
wife $Tse PongMa( were too strong and 9uru 5in#oche had to lea)e the court* Bet this was not
the end of his career* 1e mo)ed north in order to do battle with the unbridled demons of
the !and of Snows* The rebellious s#irits, usually local earth deities, constantly blocked his
#ath* Bet without exce#tion all the "enemies of the teaching: were defeated by his magic
#owers* The undertaking soon took on the form of a trium#hal #rocession*

<t was 9uru 5in#oche,s uni8ue style to ne)er destroy the o##onents he defeated but
rather to demand of them a threefold gesture of submission0 .* the demons had to
symbolically offer u# to him their life force or "heart blood:R %* they had to swear an oath of
loyaltyR and '* they had to commit themsel)es to fighting for instead of against the Buddhist
teachings in future* <f these conditions were met then they did not need to abandon their
aggressi)e, bloodthirsty, and extremely destructi)e ways* <n contrast, they were not freed
from their murderous fighting s#irit and their terrifying ugliness but instead from then on
ser)ed Tantric Buddhism as it terrible #rotecti)e deities, who were all the more holy the more
cruelly they beha)ed* The Tibetan Buddhist #antheon was thus gradually filled out with all
imaginable missha#en figures, whose insanity, atrocities, and misanthro#y were boundless*
;mong them could be found )am#ires, cannibals, executioners, ghouls $horrifying ghosts(,
and sadists* 9uru 5in#oche and his later incarnations, the alai !amas, were and still are
considered to be the undis#uted masters of this cabinet of horrors, who they regally command
from their lotus throne*

1is )ictory o)er the daemonic #owers was sealed by the construction of a three7
dimensional mandala, the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet* Samye symboliMed nothing less
than a microcosmic model of the tantric world system, with Mount Meru at its center* The
inaugurating ceremony conducted by Padmasambha)a was #receded by the banishment of all
)enomous de)ils* Then the earth goddess, Srinmo& was nailed down, in that 9uru 5in#oche
dro)e his phurba $ritual dagger( into the ground with a ceremonial gesture* ;mong those
#resent at this ritual were H& beautifully adorned girls and boys with )ases filled with )aluable
substances* urong the subse8uent construction works the rebellious s#irits re#eatedly tried to
@P&
#re)ent the com#letion of the tem#le and at night tore down what had been achie)ed during
the day* But here too, the guru understood how to tame the nightly demons and then make
construction workers of them*

<n the holiest of holies of Samye there could be found a statue of ;+alokitesh+ara which
was said to ha)e arisen of itself* ;#art from this, the monastery had something of an eerie and
gloomy air about it* The saga tells of how once a year Tibet,s terror gods assembled on the
roofs of the monastery for a cannibalistic feast and a game of dice in which the stakes were
human souls* Kn these days all the oracle #riests of the !and of Snows were said to ha)e
fallen into a trance as if under the instruction of a higher #ower* Because of the microcosmic
significance of Samye, its #rotecti)e god is the Red Tsiu, a mighty force in the #andemonium
of the highlands* "1e #ossesses red locks, his body is surrounded by a glory of fire* Shooting
stars fly from his eyes and a great hail of blood falls from his mouth* 1e gnashes his teeth* ***
1e winds a red noose about the body of an enemy at the same time as he thrusts a lance into
the heart of another: $4ebesky7+o6kowitM, .QHH, #* %%@(*

; #uMMling red7brown leather mask also hung in the tem#le, which showed the face of a
three7eyed wrathful demon* !egend tells that it was made from clotted human blood and
sometimes becomes ali)e to the horror of all* ;longside the sacred room of the Red Tsiu lay a
small, ill7lit chamber* <f a #erson died, said the monks, then his soul would ha)e to sli#
through a narrow hole into this room and would be cut to #ieces there u#on a cho##ing block*
Kf a night the cries and groans of the maltreated souls could be heard and a re)olting stench
of blood s#read through the whole building* The block was re#laced e)ery year since it had
been worn away by the many blows*

@uru Rinpoche, the former incarnation of the alai !ama, was a ex#losi)e mixture of
strict ascetic and sorcerer, a#ostle and ad)enturer, monk and )agabond, founder of a culture
and criminal, mystic and eroticist, lawmaker and mountebank, #olitician and exorcist* 1e had
such success because he resol)ed the tension between ci)iliMation and wildness, di)inity and
the daemonic within his own #erson* For, according to tantric logic, he could only defeat the
demons by himself becoming a demon* For this reason Fokke Sierksma also characteriMes him
as an uninhibited usur#er0 "1e was a con8ueror, obsessed by lust of #ower and
concu#iscence, only this con8ueror did not choose the way of #hysical, but that of s#iritual
@P.
)iolence, in accordance with the <ndian tradition that the BoginGs concentration of energy
subdues matter, the world and gods: $Sierksma, .QLL, #* ...(*

The orthodox 9elug#as also #ull the arch magician to #ieces in general* For exam#le,
one document accuses him of ha)ing de)oted himself to the #ursuit of women of a night
clothed in black, and to drink of a day, and to ha)e described this decadent #ractice as "the
sacrifice of the ten days: $1offmann, .QHL, #* HH(*

<t was different with the Fifth alai !ama > for him 9uru 5in#oche was the force
which tamed the wilds of the !and of Snows with his magic arts, as had no other before him
and none who came after* ;s magic was likewise for the "9reat Fifth: the #referred style of
wea#on, he could 6ustifiably call u#on Padmasambha)a as his #redecessor and master* The
)arious guises of the guru which a##eared before the ruler of the Potala in his )isions are thus
also numerous and of great intensity* <n them Padmasambha)a touched his royal #u#il u#on
the forehead a number of times with a 6ewel and thus transferred his #ower to him* 9uru
5in#oche became the "house #ro#het: of the "9reat Fifth: > he ad)ised the hierarch,
foretold the future for him, and inter)ened in the #ractical #olitics from beyond, which
fundamentally transformed the history of Tibet $through the establishment of the Buddhist
state( almost Q&& years after his death*

The "3m#eror: Songtsen 9am#o and the "Magician7Priest: Padmasambha)a, the
#rinci#al early heroes of the !and of Snows, carried within them the germ of all the future
e)ents which would determine the fate of the Tibetans* -enturies after their earthly existence,
both characters were welded together into the towering figure of the Fifth alai !ama* The
one re#resented worldly #ower, the other the s#iritual* ;s an incarnation of both the one and
the other, the alai !ama was also entitled and able to exercise both forms of #ower* Dust how
close a relationshi# he brought the two into is re)ealed by one of his )isions in which 9uru
5in#oche and 2ing Songtsen 9am#o swa##ed their a##earances with lightning s#eed and
thus became a single #erson* ; conse8uence of the alai !ama,s strong identification with the
arch7magician was that his chief yogini, Beshe Tshogyal, also a##eared all the more often in
his en)isionings* She became the #referred inana mudra of the "9reat Fifth:*

@P%
=nder the rule of Trisong etsen $who fetched Padmasambha)a into Tibet( the famous
-ouncil of !hasa also took #lace* The king ordered the staging of a large7scale debate
between two Buddhist schools of o#inion0 the teachings of the <ndian, 2amalashila, which
said that the way to enlightenment was a graded #rogression and the -hinese #osition, which
demanded the immediate, s#ontaneous achie)ement of enlightenment, which suddenly and
unex#ectedly unfolded in its full dimensions* The re#resentati)e of the s#ontaneity doctrine
was 1oshang Mahoyen, a master of -hinese -han Buddhism* <n !hasa the <ndian doctrine of
stages was at the end of a two7year debate )ictorious* 1oshang is said to ha)e been banished
from the land and some of his followers were killed by the disci#les of 2amalashila* But the
-hinese #osition has ne)er com#letely disa##eared from Tibetan cultural life and is again
gaining res#ectability* <t is 8uite rightly com#ared to the so7called Mogchen teaching, which
also belie)es an immediate act of enlightenment is #ossible and which is currently es#ecially
#o#ular in the +est* For exam#le, the im#ortant abbot, Sakya Pandita, attacked the Mogchen
#ractices because they were a latter7day form of the -hinese doctrine which had been refuted
at the -ouncil of !hasa* <n contrast the unorthodox 4yingma#a had no #roblem with the
"-hinese way:* These days the Tibetan lama, 4orbu 5in#oche, who li)es in <taly, a##eals
ex#licitly to 1oshang*

Kf its nature, the Mogchen teaching stands directly o##osed to state Buddhism* <t
dissol)es all forms at once and it would not be exaggerating if we were to describe it as
"s#iritual anarchism:* The #olitical genius of the Fifth alai !ama, who knew that a
Buddhocracy is only sustainable if it can integrate and control the anarchic elements, made
constant use of the Mogchen #ractice $Samuel, .QQ', #* @L@(* !ikewise the current
Fourteenth alai !ama is said to ha)e been initiated into this disci#line, at any rate he counts
Mogchen masters among his most high ranking s#iritual intimates*

<t is also noteworthy that in feminist circles the famous -ouncil of !hasa is e)aluated as
the confrontation between a fundamentally masculine $<ndian( and a feminine $-hinese(
current within Tibetan Buddhism $-hayet, .QQ', ##* '%%7'%'(*

Fro$ anarch% to th( di!ci8in( o- th( ord(r: Th( Tio8a in(ag(
The reason the <aha Siddha Tilo#a $.&th century( is worthy of our s#ecial attention is
because he and his #u#il 4aro#a are the sole historical indi)iduals from the early history of
@P'
the "alachakra Tantra who count among the founding fathers of se)eral Tibetan schools and
because Tilo#a,s life is exem#lary of that of the other P' "grand sorcerers:*

;ccording to legend, the <ndian master is said to ha)e reached the wonderland
of Shambhala and recei)ed the time doctrines from the reigning 2alki there* ;fter returning
to <ndia, in the year QLL he #osted the symbol of the dasakaro +asi $the "Power of Ten:( on
the entrance gates of the monastic uni)ersity of 4alanda and a##ended the following lines,
already 8uoted abo)e0 "1e, that does not know the chief first Buddha $;di2$uddha(, knows
not the circle of time $"alachakra(* 1e, that does not know the circle of time, knows not the
exact enumeration of the di)ine attributes* 1e that does not know the exact enumeration of the
di)ine attributes, knows not the su#reme intelligence* 1e, that does not know the su#reme
intelligence, knows not the tantrica #rinci#les* 1e, that does not know the tantrica #rinci#les,
and all such, are wanderers in the orb transmigratos, and are out of the way of the su#reme
trium#hator* Therefore ;di2$uddha must be taught by e)ery true !ama, and e)ery true
disci#le who as#ires to liberation must hear them: $2JrJs, .QP@, ##* %.7%%(*

+hile he was still a )ery young child, a dakini bearing the '% signs of ugliness a##eared
to Tilo#a and #roclaimed his future career as a <aha Siddha to the boy in his cradle* From
now on this witch, who was none other than -a0rayogini, became the teacher of the guru7to7be
and inducted him ste# by ste# in the knowledge of enlightenment* Knce she a##eared to him
in the form of a #rostitute and em#loyed him as a ser)ant* Kne of his duties was to #ound
sesame seeds $tila( through which he earned his name* ;s a reward for the ser)ices he
#erformed, -a0rayogini made him the leader of a ganachakra*

Tilo#a always #ro)ed to be the androgynous so)ereign of the gender roles* 1ence he
one day let the sun and the moon #lummet from hea)en and rode o)er them u#on a lion, that
is, he destroyed the masculine and feminine energy flows and controlled them with the force
of Rahu the darkener* ;t another #oint, in order to demonstrate his control o)er the gender
#olarity, he was #resented as the murderer of a human cou#le "who the beat in the skulls of
the man and the woman: $9rInwedel, .Q'', #* N%(*

;nother dramatic scene tells of how dakinis angrily barred his way when he wanted to
enter the #alace of their head sorceress and cried out in shrill )oices0 "+e are flesh7eating
@P@
dakinis* +e en6oy flesh and are greedy for blood* +e will de)our your flesh, drink of your
blood, and transform your bones into dust and ashes: $1errmann7Pfand, .QQ%, #* %&N( *Tilo#a
defeated them with the gesture of fearlessness, a furious bellow and a #enetrating stare* The
witches colla#sed in a faint and s#at blood* Kn his way to the 8ueen he encountered further
female monsters which he hunted down in the same manner* Finally, in the interior of the
#alace he met ?nana =akini, the custodian of tantric knowledge, surrounded by a great
retinue* But he did not bow down before her throne, and sank instead into a meditati)e stance*
;ll #resent were outraged and barked at him in anger that before him stood the "Mother of all
Buddhas:* ;ccording to one )ersion > which is recounted by ;lexandra a)id74eel >
Tilo#a now roused himself from his contem#lation, and, a##roaching the 8ueen with a steady
gait, stri##ed her of her clothes 6ewelry and demonstrated his male su#eriority by ra#ing her
before the assembled gaMe of her entire court $1offmann, .QHL, #* .@Q(*

Tilo#a,s character first becomes three dimensional when we examine his relationshi#
with his #u#il, 4aro#a* The latter first saw the light of the world in the year of the masculine
fire dragon as the son of a king and 8ueen* !ater he at first refused to marry, but then did
howe)er succumb to the will of his #arents* The marriage did not last long and was soon
dissol)ed* 4aro#a offered the following reason0 "Since the sins of a woman are endless, in the
face of the swam# mud of dece#ti)e #oison my s#irit would take on the nature of a bull, and
hence < will become a monk: $9rInwedel, .Q'', #* H@(* 1is young s#ouse agreed to the
di)orce and acce#ted all the blame0 "1e is rightV:, she said to his #arents, "< ha)e endless sins,
< am absolutely without merit *** For this reason and on these grounds it is a##ro#riate to #ut
an end to Sthe union ofT us two: $9rInwedel, .Q'', #* H@(* ;fterwards 4aro#a was ordained
as a monk and went on to become the abbot of what was at the time the most im#ortant of the
Buddhist monastic uni)ersities, 4alanda*

4e)ertheless, one day the ecclesiastical dignitary renounced his clerical #ri)ileges 6ust
as he had done with his royal ones and roamed the land as a beggar in search of his teacher,
Tilo#a* 1e had learned of the latter,s existence from the dakini with the '% markings of
ugliness $-a0rayogini(* +hile he was reading the holy texts in 4alanda, she cast a threatening
shadow across his books* She laughed at him derisi)ely because he belie)ed he could
understand the meaning of the tantras by reading them*

@PH
;fter 4aro#a had with much trouble located his master, a grotes8ue scene, #eerless e)en
in the tantric literature, was #layed out* Tilo#a fooled his #u#il with twel)e horrific
a##aritions before finally initiating him* Kn the first occasion he a##eared as a foul7smelling,
le#rous woman* 1e then burnt fish that were still ali)e o)er a fire in order to eat them
afterwards* ;t a cemetery he slit o#en the belly of a li)ing #erson and washed it out with dirty
water* <n the next scene the master had skewered his own father with a stake and was in the
#rocess of killing his mother held ca#ti)e in the cellar* Kn another occasion 4aro#a had to
beat his #enis with a stone until it s#urted blood* ;t another time Tilo#a re8uired of him that
he )i)isect himself*

<n order to re)eal the world to be an illusion, the tantra master had his #u#il commit one
crime after another and #resented himself as a dastardly criminal* 4aro#a #assed e)ery test
and became one of the finest ex#erts and commentators on the "alachakra Tantra.

Kne of his many #u#ils was the Tibetan, Mar#a $.&.%7.&QN(* 4aro#a initiated him into
the secret tantric teachings* ;fter further initiations from burial ground dakinis, whom Mar#a
defeated with the hel# of Tilo#a who a##eared from the beyond, and after encountering the
strange yogi, 2ukkuri $/dog ascetic:(, he returned from <ndia to his home country* 1e brought
se)eral tantra texts back with him and translated these into the national language, gi)ing him
his e#ithet of the "translator:* <nTibet he married se)eral women, had many sons and led a
household* 1e is said to ha)e #erformed the tantric rites with his head wife, agmema* <n
contrast to the yoginis of the legendary <aha Siddhas, agmema dis#lays )ery indi)idualiMed
traits and thus forms a much7cited exce#tion among the ranks of female Tibetan figures* She
was sincere, cle)er, shrewd, self7controlled and industrious* Besides this she had inde#endent
of her man her own #ossessions* She cared for the family, worked the fields, su#er)ised the
li)estock and fought with the neighbors* <n a word, she closely resembled a normal housewife
in the best sense*

; monastic inter#retation of Mar#a,s "ordinary: life circumstances re)eals, howe)er,
how #rofoundly the anarchist dimension dominated the consciousness of the yogis at that
time0 Mar#a,s "normality: was not considered a good deed of his because it counted as moral
in the dominant social rules of the time, but rather, in contrast, because he had taken the most
difficult of all exercises u#on himself in that he realiMed his enlightenment in the so des#ised
@PL
"normality:* "Peo#le of the highest ca#acity can and should #ractice like that: $-hJkyi, .QPQ,
#* .@'(* 3ffecti)ely this says that family life is a far greater hindrance to the s#iritual
de)elo#ment of a tantra master than a crematorium* This is what Mar#a,s #u#il, Milare#a,
also wanted to indicate when he re6ected marriage for himself with the following words0
"Mar#a had married for the #ur#ose of ser)ing others, but *** if < #resumed to imitate him
without being endowed with his #urity of #ur#ose and his s#iritual #ower, it would be the
hareGs emulation of the lion,s lea#, which would surely end in my being #reci#itated into the
chasm of destruction: $5* Paul, .QP%, #* %'@(

Mar#a,s #ragmatic #ersonality, es#ecially his almost egalitarian relationshi# with his
wife, is uni8ue in the history of Tibetan monasticism* <t has not been ruled out that he
concei)ed of a reformed Buddhism, in which the sex roles were su##osed to be balanced out
and which stro)e towards the normality of family relationshi#s* 1ence, he also wanted to
make his successor his son, who lost his life in an accident, howe)er* For this reason he
handed his knowledge on to Milare#a $.&H%O..'H(, who was su##osed to continue the classic
androcentric lineage of the <aha Siddhas*

Milare#a,s family were maliciously cheated by relati)es when he was in his youth* <n
order to a)enge himself, he became trained as a black magician and undertook se)eral deadly
acts of re)enge against his enemies* ;ccording to legend his mother is su##osed to ha)e
s#urred him on here* <n the face of the unha##iness he had caused, he saw the error of his
ways and sought refuge in the Buddhist teachings* ;fter a lengthy hesitation, Mar#a took him
on as a #u#il and increased his strictness towards him to the #oint of brutality so that Milare#a
could work off his bad karma through his own suffering* Time and again the #u#il had to
build a house which his teacher re#eatedly tore down* ;fter Milare#a subse8uently meditated
for se)en nights u#on the bones of his dead mother $V(, he attained enlightenment* <n his
#oems he does not 6ust celebrate the gods, but also the beauty of nature* This "natural: talent
and inclination has earned him many admirers u# until the #resent day*

!ike his teacher, Mar#a, Milare#a is #rimarily re)ered for his humanity, a rare 8uality in
the history of -a0rayana* There is something so realistic about Mar#a,s arbitrariness and the
des#air of his #u#il that they mo)e many belie)ers in Buddhism more than the
#hantasmagoric cemetery scenes we are accustomed to from the <aha Siddhas and
@PN
Padmasambha)a* For this reason the ill treatment of Milare#a by his guru counts among the
best7known scenes of Tibetan hagiogra#hy* Bet after his initiation e)ents also became
fantastic in his case* 1e transformed himself into all manner of animals, defeated a #owerful
Bon magician and thus con8uered the mountain of 2ailash* But the death of this su#erhuman
is once again 6ust as human as that of the Buddha Shakyamuni* 1e died after drinking
#oisoned milk gi)en him by an en)ious #erson* The historical Buddha #assed away at the age
of P& after consuming #oisoned #ork*

Milare#a,s sexual life oscillated between ascetic abstinence and tantric #ractices* There
are se)eral misogynous #oems by him* +hen the residents of a )illage offered the #oet a
beautiful girl as his bride, he sang the following song0

&t *irst the lady is like a heavenly an)elA
$he more yo" look at her the more yo" %ant to )a8e#
Middle4a)ed she be'omes a demon %ith a 'orpse?s eyesA
<o" say one %ord to her and she sho"ts ba'k t%o#
,he p"lls yo"r hair and hits yo"r knee#
<o" strike her %ith yo"r sta** b"t ba'k she thro%s a ladle+#
= keep a%ay *rom %omen to avoid *i)hts and !"arrels#
Cor the yo"n) bride yo" mentioned = have no appetite#
$Ste)ens, .QQ&, #* NH(

The yogi constantly warned of the destructi)e #ower of women, and attacked them as
troublemakers, as the source of all suffering* !ike all the #rominent followers of Buddha he
was ex#osed to sexual tem#tations a number of times* Knce a demoness caused a huge )agina
to a##ear before him* Milare#a inserted a #hallus7like stone into it and thus exorcised the
magic* 1e conducted a ganachakra with the beautiful Tserinma and her four sisters*

Milare#a,s #u#il, 9am#o#a $.&NQO..H'(, drew the wild and anarchic #hase of the
Tilo#a lineage to a close* This man with a clear head who had #re)iously #racticed as a doctor
and became a monk because of a tragic lo)e affair in which his young wife had died, brought
with him sufficient organiMational talent to o)ercome the antisocial traits of his #redecessors*
Before he met Milare#a, he was initiated into the 2adam#a order, an organiMation which
@PP
could be traced back to the <ndian scholar, ;tisha, and already had an statist character* ;s he
wanted to lea)e them to take the yogi #oet $Milare#a( as his teacher, his brethren from the
order asked 9am#o#a ,0 ";ren,t our teachings enoughA: +hen he nonetheless insisted, they
said to him0 "9o, but SdoT not abandon our habit*: $Snellgro)e, .QPN, )ol* %, #* @Q@(*
9am#o#a abided by this warning, but likewise he took to heart the following critical
statement by Milare#a0 "The 2adam#a ha)e teachings, but #ractical teachings they ha)e not*
The Tibetans, being #ossessed by e)il s#irits, would not allow the 4oble !ord $;tisha( to
#reach the Mystic octrine* 1ad they done so, Tibet would ha)e been filled with saints by
this time: $Bell, .QQ@, #* Q'(*

The tension between the rigidity of the monastic state and the anarchy of the <aha
Siddhas is well illustrated by these two comments* <f we further follow the history of Tibetan
Buddhism, we can see that 9am#o#a abided more closely to the rules of his original order and
only let himself be tem#orarily seduced by the wild life of the "mountain ascetic:, Milare#a*
<n the long term he is thus to be regarded as a con8ueror of the anarchic currents* Together
with one of his #u#ils he founded the 2agyu#a order*

The actual chief figure in the establishment of the Tibetan monastic state was the abo)e7
mentioned ;tisha $QP%O.&H@(* The son of a #rince from Bengal already had a marriage and
nine children behind him before he decided to seek refuge in the sangha* ;mong others,
4aro#a was one of his teachers* <n the year .&'%, after se)eral re8uests from the king of 9uge
$southern Tibet(, he went to the !and of Snows in order to reform Buddhism there* <n .&H&,
;tisha organiMed a council in which <ndians also #artici#ated alongside many Tibetan monks*
The chief to#ic of this meeting was the "5e7establishment of religion in Tibet:*

=nder Tantrism the country had declined into de#ra)ity* -rimes, murders, orgies, black
magic, and lack of disci#line were no longer rare in the sangha $monastic community(* ;tisha
o##osed this with his well7organiMed and disci#lined monastic model, his moral rectitude and
his high standard of ethics* ; #ure lifestyle and true orderly disci#line were now re8uired* The
rules of celibacy a##lied once more* ;n orthodoxy was established, but Tantrism was in no
sense abolished, but rather sub6ected to maximum strictness and control* ;tisha introduced a
new time7kee#ing system intoTibet which was based u#on the calendar of the "alachakra
Tantra, through which this work became exce#tionally highly regarded*
@PQ

;dmittedly there is a story which tells of how a wild dakini initiated him in a cemetery,
and he also studied for three years at the notorious =ddiyana from whence Padmasambha)a
came, but his lifestyle was from the outset clear and exact, clean and disci#lined, tem#erate
and strict* This is es#ecially a##arent in his choice of female yiddam $di)ine
a##earance(, Tara. ;tisha bought the cult of the Buddhist "Madonna: to Tibet with him* Kne
could say he carried out a "MarianiMation: of Tantric Buddhism* Tara was essentially 8uite
distinct from the other female deities in her #urity, mercifulness, and her relati)e asexuality*
She is the "s#irit woman: who also #layed such a significant role in the reform of other
androcentric churches, as we can see from the exam#le #ro)ided by the history of the Pa#acy*

;t the direction of his teacher, ;tisha,s #u#il Bromston founded community of
2adam#as whom we ha)e already mentioned abo)e, a strict clerical organiMation which later
became an exam#le for all the orders of the !and of Snows including the 4yingma#as and the
remainder of the #re7Buddhist Bon#os* But in #articular it #a)ed the way for the )ictory
march of the 9elug#as* This order saw itself as the actual executors of ;tisha,s #lans* +ith it
the nationaliMation of Tibetan monasticism began* This was to reach its historical high #oint in
the institutionaliMation of the office of the alai !ama*

Th( 8r(-8ann(d count(rword to th( c(rica 5ur(aucrac%: Ho% -oo!
The archety#e of the anarchist <aha Siddha is #rimarily an <ndian #henomenon* !ater
in Tibet it is re#laced by that of the "holy fools:, that is, of the roaming yogis with an
uncon)entional lifestyle* +hile the "grand sorcerers: of <ndia still en6oyed su#reme s#iritual
authority, before which abbots and kings had to bow, the holy fools only acted as a social
#ressure )al)e* 3)erything wild, anarchic, unbridled, and o##ositional in Tibetan society
could be di)erted through such indi)iduals, so that the re#ressi)e #ressure of the Buddhocracy
did not too much gain the u##er hand and incite real and dangerous re)olts* The role of the
holy fools was thus, in contrast to that of the <aha Siddhas, #lanned in ad)ance and arranged
by the state and hence a #art of the absolutist Buddhocracy* Dohn ;rdussi and !awrence
3#stein ha)e enca#sulated the #rinci#al characteristics of this figure in six #oints0

"D A g(n(ra r(L(ction o- th( u!ua !ocia 8att(rn! o- 5(ha'ior
(!8(cia% th( ru(! o- th( c(rica (!ta5i!h$(ntD
@Q&
*D A 8(nchant -or 5iJarr( cothingD
+D A cuti'at(d non-o5!(r'anc( o- 8oit(n(!!2 a5o'( a with r(gard to
r(!8(ct -or !ocia !tatu!D
/D A 8u5ic% 8rocai$(d cont($8t -or !choa!tici!$2 in 8articuar a
$oc1(r% o- r(igiou! !tud% through 5oo1! aon(D
0D Th( u!( o- 8o8uar 8o(tic -or$!2 o- $i$icr%2 !ong2 and !tori(! a! a
$(an! o- 8r(achingD
3D Th( -r(Au(nt ($8o%$(nt o- o5!c(n( in!inuation! &Ardu!!i and
E8!t(in2 "9672 88D ++*I+++)D

These six characteristics doe not in)ol)e a true anarchist re6ection of state Buddhism* ;t
best, the holy fools made fun of the clerical authorities, but they ne)er attacked these as such*

The roaming yogis #rimarily became famous for their com#letely free and uninhibited
sexual morals and thus formed a safety )al)e for thousands of abstinent monks li)ing in
celibacy, who were sub6ected to extreme sexual #ressure by the tantric symbolism* +hat was
forbidden for the ordained monastery inmates was li)ed out to the full by the )agabond "craMy
monks:0 They #raised the siMe of their #hallus, boasted about the number of women they had
#ossessed, and drifted from )illage to )illage as sacred -asano)as* ruk#a 2unley $.@HHO
.H%Q( was the most famous of them* 1 sings his own #raises in a lewd little song0

People say Dr"kpa 0"nley is "tterly mad
=n Madness all sensory *orms are the Path6
People say Dr"kpa 0"nley?s or)an is immense
His member brin)s joy to the hearts o* yo"n) )irls6
$8uoted by Ste)ens, .QQ&, #* NN(

2unley,s biogra#hy begins with him lying in bed with his mother and trying to seduce
her* ;s, after great resistance, she was #re#ared to surrender to her son,s will, he, a master of
tantric semen retention, suddenly s#rings u# and lea)es her* ;maMingly, this uninhibited
outsider was a member of the strict 2adam#a order > this too can only be understood once
we ha)e recogniMed the role of the fool as a #aradoxical instrument of control*

@Q.
An anarchi!t (rotic: Th( SiBth Daai La$a
;t first glance it may a##ear absurd to include the figure of the Sixth alai !ama,
Tsangyang 9yatso $.LP'7.N&L(, in a cha#ter on ";narchism and Buddhocracy:, yet we do
ha)e our reasons for doing so* K#inions are di)ided about this indi)idual0 for those who are
sym#athetic towards him, he counts as a rebel, a #o#ular hero, a poVte maudit, a Bohemian, a
romantic on the di)ine throne, an affectionate eroticist, as cle)er and attracti)e* The others,
who )iew him with disgust, hold him to be a heretic and besmircher of the !ion Throne,
reckless and de#ra)ed* Both grou#s nonetheless describe him as extremely a#olitical*

1e became well7known and notorious abo)e all through his lo)e #oems, which he
dedicated to se)eral attracti)e inhabitants of !hasa* Their self ironic touch, melancholy and
subtle mockery of the bureaucratic !amaist state ha)e earned them a #lace in the literature of
the world* For exam#le, the following fi)e7line #oem combines all three elements0

1hen =?m at the Potala Monastery
$hey 'all me the Learned 5'ean o* P"re ,on)A
1hen = sport in the to%n
=?am kno%n as the Handsome (o)"e %ho loves ,e.6#
$8uoted by Ste)ens, .QQ&, #* NP(

The young "#oet #rince: stood in im#otent o##osition to the reigning regent, Sangye
9yatso $.LH'7.N&H(, who claimed the #ower of state for himself alone* The relationshi#
between the two does not lack a certain #i8uancy if, following 1elmut 1offmann, one
assumes that the regent was the biological son of the "9reat Fifth: and thus stood o##osed to
the Sixth alai !ama as the youthful incarnation of his own father* 4e)ertheless, this did not
#re)ent him from treating the young "god7king: as a marionette in his #ower #lay with the
-hinese and Mongolians* +hen the alai !ama ex#ressed own claim to authority, his "sinful
acti)ities " were suddenly found to be so offensi)e that his abdication was demanded*

Kddly enough the sixth "undun acce#ted this without great #ause, and in the year .N&%
decided to hand his s#iritual office o)er to the Panchen !amaR his worldly authority, howe)er,
which he de 0ure but ne)er de facto exercised, he wanted to retain* This #lan did not come to
fruition, howe)er* ; congregation of #riests determined that the s#irit of ;+alokitesh+ara had
@Q%
left him and a##ointed an o##osing candidate* <n the general #olitical confusion which now
s#read through the country, in which the regent, Sangye 9yatso, lost his life, the %@7year7old
Sixth alai !ama was also murdered* Behind the deed lay a cons#iracy between the -hinese
3m#eror and the Mongolian Prince, !habsang 2han* 4onetheless, according to a widely
distributed legend, the "god7king: was not killed but li)ed on anonymously as a beggar and
#ilgrim and was said to ha)e still a##eared in the country under his subse8uent incarnation,
the Se)enth alai !ama*

+estern historians usually see a tragic aesthete in the figure of the #oet #rince, who with
his erotic lines agreeably broke through the merciless #ower #lay of the great lamas* +e are
not entirely con)inced by this )iew* <n contrast, in our )iew Tsangyang 9yatso was all but
dying to attain and exercise worldly #ower in Tibet, as was indeed his right* <t is 6ust that to
this end he did not make use of the usual #olitical means, belie)ing instead that he could
achie)e his goal by #racticing sexual magic rites* 1e firmly belie)ed in what stood in the holy
texts of the tantrasR he was con)inced that could gain #ower o)er the state )ia "sexual
anarchy:*

The most im#ortant #iece of information which identifies him as a #racticing Tantric is
the much78uoted saying of his0 ;lthough < slee# with a woman e)ery night, < ne)er lose a
dro# of semen: $8uoted by Ste)ens, .QQ&, #* NP(* +ith this statement he not only 6ustified his
scandalous relationshi#s with womenR he also wanted to ex#ress the fact that his lo)e life was
in the ser)ice of his high office as su#reme +a0ra master* Kne story tells of how, in the
#resence of his court, he #ublicly urinated from the #latform roof of the Potala in a long arc
and was able to draw his urine back into his #enis* Through this #erformance he wanted to
dis#lay the e)idence that in his much7re#roached lo)e life he beha)ed correctly and in
accordance with the tantric codex, indeed that he had e)en mastered the difficult draw7back
techni8ue $the -a0roli method( needed in order to a##ro#riate the female seed $Schulemann,
.QHP, #* %P@(* <t is not )ery difficult to see from the following #oem that his rendeM)ous were
for him about the absor#tion of the male7female fluids*

/la'ier4%ater (*rom) GP"re -rystal Mo"ntainG
De%4drops *rom (the herb) G$h"nderbolt o* Demoni' ,erpentG
(;nri'hed by) the balm o* toni' eli.irA
@Q'
(Let) the 1isdom4;n'hantress(es)
be the li!"or4)irl(s):
=* yo" drink %ith a p"re 'ommitment
=n*ernal damnation need not be tasted#
$see Sorensen, .QQ&, #* ..'(

Kther )erses of his also make unmistakable references to sexual magic #ractices
$Sorensen, .QQ&, #* .&&(* 1e himself wrote se)eral texts which #rimarily concern the terror
deity, Hayagri+a* From a tantric #oint of )iew his "seriousness: would also not ha)e been
reduced by his getting in)ol)ed with barmaids and #rostitutes, but rather in contrast, it would
ha)e been all but #ro)en, because according to the law of in)ersion, of course, the highest
arises from the most lowly* 1e is beha)ing totally in the s#irit of the <ndian <aha Siddhas
when he sings0

=* the bar4)irl does not *alter
$he beer %ill *lo% on and on#
$his maiden is my re*")e
and this pla'e my haven#
$Ste)ens, .QQ&, #* NP, NQ(

1e ordered the construction of a magnificently decorated room within the Potala
#robably for the #erformance of his tantric rites and which he cle)erly called the "snake
house:* <n his external a##earance as well, the "god7king: was a -a0rayana eccentric who
e)oked the long7gone magical era of the great Siddhas* !ike them, he let his hair grow long
and tied it in a knot* 1ea)y earrings adorned his lobes, on e)ery finger he wore a )aluable
ring* But he did not run around naked like many of his role7models* <n contrast, he lo)ed to
dress magnificently* 1is brocade and silk clothing were admired by !hasa,s 0eunesse
dorJe with whom he celebrated his #arties*

But these were all 6ust externals* ;lexandra a)id74eel,s sus#icion is ob)iously s#ot
on when she assumes0 "Tsangyang 9yatso was a##arently initiated into methods which in our
terms allow or e)en encourage a life of lust and which also really signified dissi#ation for
anyone not initiated into this strange schooling: $1offmann, .QHL, .NP, .NQ(*
@Q@

+e know that in the tantric rituals the indi)idual karma mudras $wisdom girls( can
re#resent the elements, the stars, the #lanets, e)en the di)isions of time* +hy should they not
also re#resent as#ects of #olitical #owerA There is in fact such a "#olitical: inter#retation of
the erotic #oems of the Sixth alai !ama by Per 2* Sorensen* The author claims that the
#oetry of the god7king used the erotic images as allegories0 the "tiger girl: con8uered in a
#oem by the sixth "undun is su##osed to symboliMe the clan chief of the Mongols $Sorensen,
.QQ&, #* %%L(* The "sweet a##le: or res#ecti)ely the ")irgin: for whom he reaches out are
regarded as the "fruits of #ower: $Sorensen, .QQ&, #* %NQ(* Sorensen reinter#rets the "lo)e for
a woman: as the "lo)e of #ower: when he writes0 "+e shall tentati)ely attem#t to read the
constant allusion to the girl and the belo)ed as yet a hidden reference to the a##ro#riation of
real #ower, a right of which he Sthe Sixth alai !amaT was un6ustly di)ested by a des#otic and
com#lacent 5egent, who in actual fact demonstrated a cons#icuous lack of interest in sharing
any #art of the #ower with the young ruler: $Sorensen, .QQ&, #* @P(*

But this is a matter of much more than allegories* ; #ro#er understanding of the tantras
instantly makes the situation clear0 the Sixth alai !ama was constantly conducting tantric
rituals with his girls in order to attain real #ower in the state* <n his mind,
his karma mudras re#resented )arious energies which he wanted to ac8uire )ia his sexual
magic #ractices so as to gain the #ower to go)ern which was being withheld from him* <f he
com#osed the lines

&s lon) as the pale moon
D%ells over the ;ast Mo"ntain
= dra% stren)th and bliss
Crom the )irl?s body
$2och, .QL&, #* .N%(

7 then this was with #ower7#olitical intentions* Bet some of his lines are of such a dee#
melancholy that he #robably was not able to always kee# u# his tantric control techni8ues and
had actually fallen dee#ly in lo)e* The following #oem may indicate this0

= %ent to the %ise je%el the lama
@QH
&nd asked him to lead my spirit#
5*ten = sat at his *eet
B"t my tho")hts 'ro%ded aro"nd
$he ima)e o* the )irl#
$he appearan'e o* the )od
= 'o"ld not 'onj"re "p#
<o"r bea"ty alone stood be*ore my eyes
&nd = %anted to 'at'h the most holy tea'hin)#
=t slipped thro")h my hands = 'o"nt the ho"rs
2ntil %e embra'e a)ain#
$2och, .QL&, #* .N'(

A tantric hi!tor% o- Ti5(t
The following, Se)enth alai !ama $.N&P7.NHN( was the com#lete o##osite of his
#redecessor* =ntil now no com#arisons between the two ha)e been made* Bet this would be
worthwhile, then whilst the one re#resented wildness, excess, fantasy, and #oetry, his
successor relied u#on strict obser)ance, bureaucracy, modesty, and learning* The tantric
scheme of anarchy and order, which the "9reat Fifth: ingeniously combined within his
#erson, fell a#art again with both of his immediate successors* 4othing interested the Se)enth
alai !ama more than the state bureaucratic consolidation of the "alachakra Tantra* 1e
commissioned the 4amgyal <nstitute, which still today looks after this task, with the ritual
#erformance of the external time doctrine* ;#art from this he introduced a "alachakra #rayer
into the general liturgy of the 9elug#a order which had to be recited on the eighth day of
e)ery Tibetan month* +e are also indebted to him for the construction of the "alachakra sand
mandala and the choreogra#hy of the com#licated dances which still accom#any the ritual*

;narchy and state Buddhism thus do not need to contradict one another* They could
both be coordinated with each other* ;bo)e all, the "9reat Fifth: had recogniMed the secret0
the !and ofSnows was to be got the better of through #ure statist authority, it had to be
controlled tantricly, that is, the chaos and anarchy had to be integrated as #art of the
Buddhocracy* ;##lied to the )arious Tibetan religious schools this meant that if he were to
succeed in combining the #uritanical, bureaucratic, centraliMing, disci#lined, industrious, and
)irtuous 8ualities of the @elugpas with the libertarian, #hantasmagorical, magic, and
@QL
decentraliMing characteristics of the !yingmapas, then absolute control o)er the !and of
Snows must be attainable* ;ll the other orders could be located between these two extremes*

Such an undertaking had to achie)e something which in the )iews of the time was
im#ossible, then the @elugpas were a #roduct of a radical criti8ue of the sexual dissolution
and other excesses of the !yingmapas* But the #olitical7religious genius of the Fifth alai
!ama succeeded in this im#ossible enter#rise* The self7disci#lined administrator u#on the
!ion Throne #referred to see himself as Padmasambha)a $the root guru of the 4yingma#as(
and declared his lo)ers to be embodiments of Beshe Tshogyal $Padmasambha)a,s the wisdom
consort(* Tibet recei)ed a ruler o)er state and anarchy*

The #olitical mythic history of the !and of Snows thus falls into line with a tantric
inter#retation* ;t the beginning of all the subse8uent historical e)ents stands the shackling of
the chaotic earth goddess, Srinmo& by the king, Songtsen 9am#o, $the con8uest of the karma
mudra by the yogi(* Through this, the #ower of the masculine method $upaya( o)er the
feminine wisdom $pra0na( in)oked in the sexual magic ritual #recedes the su#remacy of the
state o)er anarchy, of ci)iliMation o)er wilderness, of culture o)er nature* The 3nglish
anthro#ologist, 9eoffrey Samuel, thus s#eaks of a synthesis which arose from the dialectic
between anti7stateUanarchist and clericalUstatist Buddhism in Tibet, and recogniMes in this
interrelationshi# a uni8ue and fruitful dynamic* 1e belie)es the Tibetan system dis#lays an
amaMingly high degree of fluidity, o#enness, and choice* This is his )iew of things*

But for us, Samuel is making a )irtue of necessity* +e would see it exactly the other
way around0 the contradiction between the two hostile extremes $anarchy and the state( led to
social tensions which sub6ected Tibetan society to an ongoing acid test* Kne has to be clear
that the tantric scheme #roduces a culture of extreme dissonance which admittedly sets free
great amounts of energy but has neither led historically to a #eaceful and harmonic society to
the benefit of all beings nor can do so in the future*

Samuel makes a further mistake when he o##oses clerical state Buddhism to
wild tantric Buddhism as e8ual counter#oles* +e ha)e shown often enough that the function
of control $upaya( is the more im#ortant element of the tantric ritual, more im#ortant and
more steadfast than the tem#orary letting loose of wild #assions* 4e)ertheless the
@QN
contradiction between wildness $feminine chaos( and taming $masculine control( remains a
fundamental #attern of e)ery sexual magic #ro6ect > this is the reason that $/controlled:(
anarchy is a #art of the Tibetan "state theology: and thus it was ne)er, neither for ;tisha nor
Tsongkha#a, the two founding fathers of state Buddhism, a 8uestion of whether the tantras
should be abolished* <n contrast, both successfully made an effort to strengthen and extend the
control mechanisms within the tantric rites*

<f the "#olitical theology: of !amaism a##lies the tantric #attern to Tibetan society, then
> from a meta#hysical )iew#oint > it deliberately #roduces chaos to the #oint of
disintegration so as to ex nihilo establish law and order anew* ?nternally& the #roduction of
chaos takes #lace within the mystic body of the yogi )ia the unchaining of the all7
destroying Candali* Through this internalfragmentation the yogi is com#letely "freed: of his
earthly #ersonality so as to be re7created as the emanation of the s#iritual horde of Buddhas,
Bodhisatt)as, and #rotecti)e deities who are at work behind all reality*

This in)erted logic of the tantras corres#onds on an outwardly le)el to the #roduction of
anarchy by the Buddhist state* The roaming "holy fools:, the wild li)es of the grand sorcerers
$<aha Siddhas(, the excesses of the founding father, Padmasambha)a, the still to be described
institution of the Tibetan "sca#egoats: and the #ublic debauchery during the 4ew Bear,s
festi)ities connected with this, yes, e)en the erotic games of the Sixth alai !ama are such
anarchist elements, which stabiliMe the Buddhocracy in general* They must > following the
tantric laws > reckon with their own destruction $we shall return to this #oint in connection
with the "sacrifice: of Tibet(, then it legitimates itself through the ability to transform disorder
into order, crime into good deeds, decline and fall into resurrection* <n order to im#lement its
#rogram, but also so as to #ro)e its omni#otence, the Buddhist Tantric state > deliberately >
creates for itself chaotic scenarios, it cancels law and custom, 6ustice and )irtue, authority and
obedience in order to, after a stage of chaos, re7establish them* <n other words it uses
re)olution to achie)e restoration* +e shall soon see that the Fourteenth alai !ama conducts
this inter#lay on the world stage*

<t nonetheless remains to be considered that the authority of Tibetan state Buddhism has
not surmounted the reality of a limited dominion of monastic orders* There can be no talk of
aChakra+artin's the exercise of #ower, of a world ruler, at least not in the )isible world* From
@QP
a historical #oint of )iew the institution of the alai !ama remained extremely weak,
measured by the standards of its claims, unfortunately all but #owerless* Kf the total of
fourteen alai !amas only one is can be described as a true #otentate0 the "9reat Fifth:, in
whom the institution actually found its beginnings and whom it has ne)er outgrown* ;ll other
alai !amas were extremely limited in their abilities with #ower or died before they were
able to go)ern* 3)en the Thirteenth, who is sometimes accorded s#ecial #owers and therefore
also referred to as the "9reat:, only sur)i)ed because the su#er#owers of the time, 3ngland
and 5ussia, were unable to reach agreement on the di)ision of Tibet* 4onetheless the
institution of the god7king has exercised a strong attraction o)er all of -entral ;sia for
centuries and cle)erly understood how to render its field of com#etence inde#endent of the
)isible standards of #olitical reality and to construct these as a magic occult field of forces of
which e)en the 3m#eror of -hina was ner)ous*

.CraJ% wi!do$C and th( W(!t
;lready in the nineteen twenties, the )oices of modern western, radical7anarchist artists
could be heard longing for and in)oking the Buddhocracy of the alai !ama* "K 9rand
!ama, gi)e us, grace us with your illuminations in a language our contaminated 3uro#ean
minds can understand, and if need be, transform our Mind ***: $Bisho#, .QPQ, #* %'Q(* These
melodramatic lines are the work of ;ntonin ;rtaud $.PQL7.Q@P(* The dramatist was one of the
French intellectuals who in .Q%H called for a "surrealist re)olution:* +ith his idea of the
"theater of horrors:, in which he brought the re#resentation of ritual )iolence to the stage, he
came closer to the horror cabinet of Buddhist Tantrism than any other modern dramatist*
;rtaud,s longing for the rule of the alai !ama is a gra#hic exam#le of how an anarchist,
asocial world )iew can ti# o)er into su##ort for a "theocratic: des#otism* S.T

There was also a close connection between Buddhism and the ;merican "Beat
9eneration:, who hel#ed decisi)ely sha#e the youth re)olts of the sixties* The #oets Dack
2erouac, ;lan +atts, 9ary Snyder, ;llan 9insberg, and others were, a decade earlier, already
attracted by 3astern teachings of wisdom, abo)e all Da#anese Cen* They too were #articularly
interested in the anarchic, ordinary7life des#ising side of Buddhism and saw in it a
fundamental and re)olutionary criti8ue of a mass society that su##ressed all indi)idual
freedom* "<t is indeed #uMMling:, the 9erman news magaMine =erSpiegel wondered in
connection with Tibetan Buddhism, "that many anti7authoritarian, anarchist and feminist
@QQ
influenced former WLPers, Smembers of the sixties #rotest mo)ementsT are so ins#ired by a
religion which #reaches hierarchical structures, self7limiting monastic culture and the
authority of the teacher: $Spiegel, .LU.QQP, #* .%.(*

;lan +atts $.Q.H7.QN'( was an 3nglishman who met the Da#anese Cen master and
#hiloso#her, aietsu Teitaro SuMuki, in !ondon* 1e began to #o#ulariMe SuMuki,s #hiloso#hy
and to reinter#ret it into an uncon)entional and anarchic "lifestyle: which directed itself
against the ;merican dream of affluence*

Timothy !eary, who #ro#agated the wonder drug !S around the whole world and is
regarded as a guru of the hi##ie mo)ement and ;merican subculture, made the Tibetan $ook
of the =ead the basis of his #sychedelic ex#eriments* S%T

;lready at the start of the fifties ;llen 9insberg had begun ex#erimenting with drugs
$#eyote, mescaline, and later !S( in which the wrathful tantric #rotecti)e deities #layed a
central role* 1e included these in his "consciousness7ex#anding sessions:* +hen he )isited
the alai !ama in <ndiain .QL%, he was interested to know what 1is 1oliness thought of !S*
The 2undun re#lied with a counter78uestion, howe)er, and wanted to find out whether
9insberg could, under influence of the drug, see what was in a briefcase that was in the room*
The #oet answered yes, the case was em#ty* <t wasV $Shambhala Sun, Duly .QQH(*

The Tibetan !ama ud6om 5in#oche, the then leader of the 4yingma#a, later ex#lained
the em#tiness of all things to him* +hen 9insberg asked him for ad)ice about how he should
deal with his !S horror tri#s, the 5in#oche answered, "<f you see something horrible, donGt
cling to it, and if you see something beautiful, donGt cling to it: $Shambhala Sun, Duly .QQH(*
This statement became the life7maxim of the beat #oets*

<n Sikkim in .QL%, 9insberg #artici#ated in the Black 1at ceremony of the 2arma#a
and at that early stage met the young -hJgyam Trung#a* Ten years later $.QN%( he was
8uoting radical #oems together with him at s#ectacular e)ents* ;t these "readings: both
"Buddha #oets: li)ed out their anarchist feelings to the full, with !ama Trung#a usually being
drunk*

H&&
<t demonstrates his ingenious instinct for mental context that the Fourteenth alai
!ama, when asked whether he e)er meditated by 9insberg, who was in re)olt against the state
and e)ery form of com#ulsion, answered, "4o, < donGt ha)e to: $Tricycle, )ol* H, no* %, #* L(*
<n contrast, we ha)e learned from other inter)iews with 1is 1oliness that he s#ends four
hours meditating e)ery morning, as is #ro#er for a good Buddhist monk* The "undun thus has
the a##ro#riate answer ready for whate)er the s#iritual orientation of his con)ersation #artner
may be* Through this he succeeds in making himself #o#ular e)erywhere*

1is nonchalance on this occasion in contrast to the in other contexts strongly
em#hasiMed meditati)e disci#line is congruent with 9insberg,s fundamentally anarchist and
anti7authoritarian attitudes* <n turn, the latter,s uncon)entional esca#ades are com#atible with
the Tibetan archety#e of the "holy fool:* For this reason, 9insberg also ex#lained his #oems
to be an ex#ression of "craMy wisdom:, a #hrase which soon #ro)ed to be a mark of 8uality
for the anti7con)entional attitude of many Tibetan lamas in the +est*

+ithin the tantric system of logic, the god7king did not need to fear the chaotic and anti7
bourgeois lifestyle of the sixties or its anarchic leaders* <ndeed, all the <aha Siddhas had been
through a wild #hase before their enlightenment* The Beat 9eneration re#resented an almost
ideal starting substance $prima materia( for the di)ine alchemist u#on the !ion Throne to
ex#eriment with, and he was in fact successful in "ennobling: many of them into
#ro#agandists for his Buddhocratic )ision*

From the beginning of his artistic career, the famous and uncon)entional 9erman
conce#tual artist, Dose#h Beuys, saw himself as an initiate of a shamanistUTartar tradition* 1e
6ustified his renowned works in felt, a material used #rimarily by the Mongolian nomads, with
his affinity to the culture and religion of the #eo#les of the ste##es* ; number of meetings
between him and the alai !ama occurred, which > without it being much discussed in
#ublic > were of decisi)e significance for the de)elo#ment of the artist,s awareness*

<n ;msterdam in .QQ& famous artists like 5obert 5auschenberg and Dohn -age met with
1is 1oliness* The #ainter, 5oy !ichtenstein, and Phili# 9lass the com#oser are also attracted
to Buddhism* <n .QQ@ together with the -Mech #resident and former writer, Vacla) 1a)el,
H&.
the "undunamused himself o)er the erotic #oems of his anarchist #redecessor, the Sixth alai
!ama*

The god7king is e)en celebrated in the #o# scene* Ma6or stars like a)id Bowie, Tina
Turner, and Patty Smith o#enly confess their belief in the Buddha,s teachings* Monks from
the 4amgyal monastery, which is es#ecially concerned with the "alachakra Tantra& #erform
at #o# festi)als as exotic interludes*

But O as we know > anarchist Buddhism is always only the satyric fore#lay to the idea
of the Buddhocratic state* Dust as wild sexuality is transformed into #ower in -a0rayana,
indeed forms the #recondition for any #ower at all, so the anarchist art scene in the +est
forms the raw material and the transitional #hase for the establishment of a totalitarian
Buddhocracy* +e can obser)e such a sudden change from anti7authoritarian anarchy into the
conce#t and ideas of an authoritarian state within the #erson of -hJgyam Trung#a, who in the
course of his career in the =S; has transformed himself from a harma freak into a mini7
des#ot with fascistoid allures* +e shall later #resent this exam#le in more detail*

Footnot(!:
S.T <n .Q@L ;rtaud made a renewed about7face and com#osed a new #am#hlet against
the alai !ama* <n it he attacked the Tibetan clergy as swine, re)olting idiots, the cause of
syllogism, logic, hysterical mysticism, and dialectic* 1e accused the lamas of being a
warehouse "full of o#ium, heroin, mor#hine, hashish, narde, nutmeg, and other #oisons:
$8uoted by Brauen, %&&&, #* Q%(*
S%T See0 Timothy !eary, 5al#h MetMner, and 5ichard ;l#hert, The (sychedelic
Experience/ ; <anual $ased on the Tibetan $ook of the =ead.

3D RE;ICIDE AS LAMAISM=S MGTH OF ORI;IN AND THE RITEAL
SACRIFICE OF TI#ET

<n the first #art of our study we described the "tantric female sacrifice: as the central
cultic mystery of Tibetan Buddhism* To reca#, in the sacrifice feminine energies $gynergy( are
absorbed in the interests of the androcentric #ower ambitions of a yogi* The general #rinci#le
behind this "energy theft:, namely to increase one,s own energy field )ia the life force of an
H&%
o##onent, is common to all ancient societies* <n )ery "#rimiti)e: tribal cultures this "transfer:
of life energy was taken literally and one fed u#on his slaughtered enemies* The idea that the
sacrificer benefited from the strengths and abilities of his sacrifice was a widely distributed
to#os in the ancient culture of Tibet as well* <t a##lied not 6ust to the sexual magic #ractices of
Tantrism but rather controlled the entire social system* ;s we shall see, !amaism sacrificed
the Tibetan kingshi# out of such an ancient way of seeing things, so as to a##ro#riate its
energies and legitimate its own worldly #ower*

Ritua r(gicid( in th( hi!tor% o- Ti5(t and th( Ti5(tan ,!ca8(goatC
The kings of the Tibetan Barlung dynasty $from the Nth to the start of the Qth centuries
-*3*( deri)ed their authority from a di)ine origin* This was not at all Buddhist and was only
reinter#reted as such after the fact* +hat counted as the #roof of their Buddhist origin was a
"secret text: $mani kabum( first "disco)ered: by an eager monk H&& years later in the
.%
th
century* <n it the three most significant Barlung rulers were identified as emanations of
Bodhisatt)as0 Songtsen 9am#o $L.NOLH&( as an incarnation of ;+alokitesh+ara& Trisong
etsen $N@%OP&'( as an embodiment of<an0ushri& and 5al#achan $P.HOP'P( as one
of -a0rapani* Their original, #re7Buddhist myth of origin, in which they were descended from
an old race of gods from the hea)enly region, was thereby forgotten* From now on in a
!amaist inter#retation of history, the kings re#resented the Buddhist law on earth
as dharmara0as $/law kings:(*

Thanks to older, in #art contem#orary, documents $from the Pth century( from the ca)es
of unhuang, we know that the historical reality was more com#lex* The Barlung rulers li)ed
and go)erned less as strict Buddhists, rather they #layed the )arious religious currents in their
country off against one another in order to bolster their own #ower* Sometimes they
encouraged the Bon belief, sometimes the immigrant <ndian yogis, sometimes the -hinese
-han Buddhists, and sometimes their old shamanist magic #riests* Kf the )arious rites and
teachings they only took on those which s8uared with their interests* For exam#le, Songtsen
9am#o, the alleged incarnation of;+alokitesh+ara, #ermitted human and animal sacrifices at
the ratification of contracts and his own burial as was usual in the Bon tradition but strictly
condemned by the Buddhists*

H&'
;lone the #enultimate king of the dynasty, 5al#achan, can be regarded as a con)icted,
e)en fanatical adherent of Buddhism* This is a##arent from, among other things, the text of a
law he enacted, which #laced the rights of the monks far abo)e those of ordinary #eo#le* For
exam#le, whoe)er #ointed a finger at one of the ordained risked ha)ing it cut off* ;nyone
who s#oke ill of the teaching of the Buddha would ha)e his li#s mutilated* ;nyone who
looked askance at a monk had his eyes #oked out, and anyone who robbed one had to re#ay
twenty7fi)e times the worth of the theft* For e)ery se)en families in the country the li)ing
costs of one monk had to be #ro)ided* The ruler totally sub6ected himself to the religious
#rescri#tions and is said to ha)e 6oined a Sangha$monastic community(* <t is not sur#rising
that he was murdered in the year P'P -*3* after #ushing through such a harsh regime*

$he m"rder o* 0in) Lan)darma
<t is 6ust as unsur#rising that his brother, !angdarma, who succeeded him on the throne,
wanted to re)erse the monastic des#otism which 5al#achan had established* !angdarma was
firmly resol)ed to work together with the old Bon forces once again and began with a
#ersecution of the Buddhists, dri)ing them out or forcing them to marry* ;ll their #ri)ileges
were remo)ed, the <ndian yogis were hunted out of the country and the holy texts $the tantras(
were burned* For the lamas !angdarma thus still today counts as the arch7enemy of the
teaching, an outright incarnation of e)il*

But his radical anti7Buddhist acti)ity was to last only four years* <n the year P@% his fate
caught u# with him* 1is murderer rode into !hasa u#on a white horse blackened with coal and
swathed in a black cloak* (alden 9hamo, the dreadful tutelary deity of the later alai !amas,
had commanded the Buddhist monk, Palgyi or6e, to "free: Tibet from !angdarma* Since the
king thought it was a Bon #riest who had called u#on him, he granted his murderer an
audience* Beneath his robes Palgyi or6e had hidden a bow and arrow* 1e knelt down first,
but while he was still getting u# he shot !angdarma in the chest at close range, fatally
wounding him, and crying out0 "< am the demon Black Bashe* +hen anybody wishes to kill a
sinful king, let him do it as < ha)e killed this one: $Bell, .QQ@, #* @P(* 1e then swung himself
onto his horse and fled* =nderway he washed the animal in a ri)er, so that its white coat
rea##eared* Then he re)ersed his black coat which now likewise became white* Thus he was
able to esca#e without being recogniMed*

H&@
=# until the #resent day official Tibetan history legitimates this "tyrannicide: as a
necessary act of des#eration by the besieged Buddhists* <n order to 8uiet a bad conscience and
to bring the deed into accord with the Buddhist commandment against any form of killing, it
soon became e)aluated as a gesture of com#assion0 <n being killed, !angdarma was #re)ented
from collecting e)en more bad karma and #lunging e)er more #eo#le into ruin* Such
"com#assionate: murders, which > as we shall see > were #art of Tibetan state #olitics,
a)oided using the word "kill: and re#laced it with terms like "rescue: or "liberate:*
"To liberate the enemy of the doctrine through com#assion and lead his consciousness to a
better existence is one of the most im#ortant )ows to be taken in tantric em#owerment:,
writes Samten 2armay $2armay, .QPP, #* N%(* <n such a case all that is re8uired of the
"rescuer: is that at the moment of the act of killing he wish the murdered #arty a good rebirth
$Beyer, .QNP, ##* '&@, @LLR Stein, .QQ', #* %.Q(*

$he sa'red m"rder
But all of this does not make the murder of 2ing !angdarma an exce#tional historical
e)ent* The early history of Tibet is full of regicides $the murder of kings(R of the ele)en rulers
of the Barlung dynasty at least six are said to ha)e been killed* There is e)en a weight of
o#inion which holds that ritual regicide was a #art of ancient Tibetan cultural life* 3)ery
regent was su##osed to be )iolently murdered on the day on which his son became able to
go)ern $Tucci, .QH', #* .QQf*(*

But the truly radical and uni8ue as#ect to the killing of !angdarma is the fact that with
him the sacred kingshi#, and the di)ine order of Tibet associated with it, finally reached its
end* Through his murder, the sacrifice of secular rule in fa)or of clerical #ower was
com#leted, both really and symbolically, and the monks, Buddhocracy thus took the #lace of
the autocratic regent* ;dmittedly this alternati)e was first fully de)elo#ed P&& years later
under the Fifth alai !ama, but in the interim not one worldly ruler succeeded in seiMing
#ower o)er all of Tibet, which the great abbots of the )arious sects had di)ided among one
another*

5itual regicide has always been a ma6or to#ic in anthro#ology, cultural studies, and
#sychoanalysis* <n his com#rehensi)e work, The @olden $ough& Dames 9eorge FraMer
declared it to be the origin of all religions* <n his essay, Totem and Taboo& Sigmund Freud
H&H
attem#ts to #resent the underhand and collecti)e killing of the omni#otent #atriarchal father
by the young males of a band of a#es as the founding act of human culture, and sees e)ery
historical regicide as a re#etition of this misdeed* The arguments of the #sychoanalyst are not
)ery con)incingR ne)ertheless, his basic idea, which sees an act of )iolence and its ritual
re#etition as a #owerful cultural #erformance, has continued to occu#y modern researchers*

The immense significance of the regicide becomes clear immediately when it is recalled
that the ancient kings were in most cases e8uated with a deity* Thus what took #lace was not
the killing of a #erson but of a god, usually with the melodramatic intent that the ritually
murdered being would be resurrected or that another deity would take his #lace* 4onetheless,
the deed always left dee# im#ressions of guilt and horror in the souls of the executors* 3)en if
the real murder of a king only took #lace on a single occasion, the e)ent was ineradicably
fixed in the awareness of a community* <t concentrated itself into a generati)e #rinci#le* By
this, 5enZ 9irard, in his study of The -iolence and the Sacred& means that a "founding
murder: influences all the subse8uent cultural and religious de)elo#ments in a society and
that a collecti)e com#ulsion to constantly re#eat it arises, either symbolically or for real* This
com#ulsi)e re#etition occurs for three reasons0 firstly because of the guilt of the murderers
who belie)e that they will be able to exorcise the deed through re#etitionR secondly, so as to
refresh one,s own strengths through those which flow from the )ictim to his murderersR
thirdly as a demonstration of #ower* 1ence a chain of religious )iolence is established, which,
howe)er, be comes increasingly "symboliMed: the further the community is remo)ed from the
original criminal e)ent* <n #lace of human sacrifices, the burning of effigies now emerges*

$he 'ham dan'e
The murder of 2ing !angdarma was also later re#laced by a symbolic re#etition in
Tibet* The lamas re#eat the crime in an annually #erformed dance mystery, the ham dance*
There are #articular se8uences which de#end u#on the location and time, and each sect has its
own choreogra#hy* There are always se)eral historical and mythical e)ents to be #erformed*
But at the heart of this mystery #lay there always stands the ritual sacrifice of an "enemy of
the religion: for whom !angdarma furnishes the archety#e*

;s it is a ritual, a cham #erformance can only be carried out by ordained monks* <t is
also referred to as the "dance of the black hats: in remembrance of the black hat which the
H&L
regicide, Palgyi or6e, wore when carrying out his crime and which are now worn by se)eral
of the #layers* ;longside the Black 1at #riests a considerable number of mostly Moomor#hic7
masked dancers take #art* ;nimal figures #erform biMarre lea#s0 crows, owl, deer, yak, and
wolf* %ama, the horned god of the dead, #lays the main role of the "5ed 3xecutioner:*

<n the center of a outdoor theater the lamas ha)e erected a so7called lingam* This is an
anthro#omor#hic re#resentation of an enemy of the faith, in the ma6ority of cases a likeness of
2ing !angdarma* Substitutes for a human heart, lungs, stomach and entrails are fashioned
into the dough figure and e)erything is doused in a red blood7like li8uid* ;ustine +addell
claims to ha)e witnessed on im#ortant occasions in !hasa that real body #arts are collected
from the 5agyab cemetery with which to fill the dough figure $+addell, .QQ., #* H%N(*

<ama B the death )od as -ham dan'er
H&N

;fterwards, the masked figures dance around the lingam with wild lea#s to the sounds
of horns, cymbals, and drums* Then %ama& the bull7headed god of the dead, a##ears and
#ierces the heart, the arms and legs of the figure with his wea#on and ties its feet u# with a
ro#e* ; bell tolls, and%ama begins to lo# off the )ictim,s limbs and slit o#en his chest with his
sword* 4ow he tears out the bloody heart and other internal organs which were earlier #laced
inside the lingam* <n some )ersions of the #lay he then eats the "flesh: and drinks the "blood:
with a healthy a##etite*

<n others, the moment has arri)ed in which the animal demons $the masked dancers( fall
u#on the already dismembered lingam and tear it a#art for good* The #ieces are flung in all
directions* ;ssistant de)ils collect the scattered fragments in human skulls and in a
celebratory #rocession bring them before %ama& seated u#on a throne* +ith a noble gesture he
takes one of the bloody #ieces and calmly consumes it before gi)ing the rest free for general
consum#tion with a hand signal* ;t once, the other mystery #layers descend and try to catch
hold of something* ; wild free7for7all now results, in which many #ieces of the lingam are
deliberately thrown into the crowded audience* 3)erybody grabs a fragment which is then
eaten*

<n this clearly cannibalist scene the clerical cham dancers want to a##ro#riate some of
the life energy of the royal )ictim* 1ere too, the ancient idea that an enemy,s #owers are
transferred to oneself through killing and eating them is the barely concealed intention* Thus
e)ery cham #erformance re#eats on an "artistic: le)el the #olitical a##ro#riation of secular
royal #ower by !amaism* But we must always kee# in mind that the distinction between
symbol and reality which we find normal does not exist within a tantric culture* Therefore,
2ing !angdarma is sacrificed together with his secular authority at e)ery cham dance
#erformance* <t is only all too understandable why the Fifth alai !ama, in whose #erson the
entire worldly #ower of the Tibetan kings was concentrated for the first time, encouraged the
cham dance so much*

+hy is the )ictim and hence the "enemy of the religion: known as the lingamA ;s we
know, this Sanskrit word means "#hallus:* o the lamas want to #ut to ser)ice the royal
#rocreati)e #owersA The #sychoanalyst, 5obert ;* Paul, offers another interesting
H&P
inter#retation* 1e sees a "symbolic castration: in the destruction of the lingam* Through it the
monks demonstrate that the natural re#roducti)e #rocess of birth from a woman re#resents an
aborti)e human de)elo#ment* But when a##lied to the royal sacrifice this symbolic castration
has a further, #ower7#olitical significance0 it symboliMes the re#lacement of the dynastic chain
of inheritance > which follows the laws of re#roduction and #resu##oses the sexual act > by
the incarnation system*

<n his fieldwork, 5obert ;* Paul also obser)ed how on the day following a cham
#erformance the abbot and his monks dressed as dakinis and a##eared at the sacrificial site in
order to collect u# the scattered remains and burn them in a fire together with other ob6ects*
Since the "male: lamas conduct this final ritual act in the guise of $female( "sky walkers:, it
seems likely that yet another tantric female sacrifice is hidden behind the symbolic regicide*

$he s"bstit"te sa'ri*i'e
The sacrifice of a lingam was a #articular s#ecialty of the Fifth alai !ama, which he
had #erformed not 6ust during the cham dance but also used it, as we shall soon see, for the
destruction of enemies* +e are dealing with a widely s#read #ractice in Tibetan cultural life*
Kn e)ery concei)able occasion, small #astry figurines $torma or bali( were created in order to
be offered u# to the gods or demons* Made from tsam#a or butter, they were often sha#ed into
anthro#omor#hic figures* Kne text re8uires that they be formed like the "breasts of akinis:
$Beyer, .QNP, #* '.%(* Blood and #ieces of meat, resins, #oisons, and beer were often added*
<n the ma6ority of cases substitutes were used for these* 4umerous Tibet researchers are
agreed that the sacrifice of a torma in)ol)es the symbolic reconstruction of a former human
sacrifice $1ermann, 1offmann, 4ebesky7+o6kowitM, Paul, Sierksma, Snellgro)e, and
+addell(*

4ow there are se)eral )iews about what the offering of a substitute sacrifice signifies*
For exam#le, all that is e)il, e)en one,s own bad features, can be #ro6ected onto the torma so
as to then be destroyed* ;fterwards, the sacrificer feels cleansed and safe from harmful
influences* Kr the sacrifice may be offered u# for the demons to de)our, whether to render
them fa)orable or to a)ert them from harming a #articular indi)idual* 1ere we are dealing
with the bali ritual codified by the Fifth alai !ama* The #ur#ose of the ceremony consists in
ham#ering the dakinis or other malignant s#irits from taking a sick or dying #erson with them
H&Q
into their domain* So that the #atient is not tem#ted by them, a lama de#icts the land of the
dakinis in a truly terrible light and #ortrays its female inhabitants as monsters0

$hey 'ons"me %arm h"man *lesh as *ood
$hey drink %arm h"man blood as a bevera)e
$hey l"st to kill and %ork to dismember
$here is not a moment in %hi'h they 'ease to battle and *i)ht#
;nd the addressee is then ab6ured0
Please do not )o to s"'h a 'o"ntry
stay in the homeland o* $ibet6
$1errmann7Pfand, .QQ%, #* @L'(

+ith this, the soul of the sick #erson has indeed been deterred, but the dakinis who
wanted to seiMe him or her ha)e not yet been satisfied* For this reason the texts recommend a
substitute sacrifice* The female cannibals are offered a bali #yramid consisting of a skull,
torn7off stri#s of skin, butter lam#s filled with human fat, and )arious organs floating in a
strong7smelling li8uid made from brain, blood and gall* This is su##osed to assuage the greed
of the "sky walkers: and distract them from the sick #erson $1errmann7Pfand, .QQ%, #* @LL(*

Th( Ti5(tan ,!ca8(goatC
The anthro#ologist, Dames 9eorge FraMer, likewise draws a connection between ritual
regicide and the symbolic sacrificial rites #racticed by many #eo#les at the beginning of a
year* The #ast year, re#resented by the old ruler, is sacrificed, and the new year celebrates its
entry in the figure of a young king* <n the course of time the reigning kings were able to
esca#e this rite, dee#ly anchored in human history, by setting u# substitutes u#on whom the
ritual )iolence could be let out* Such sacrificial substitutes for the king were attributed with
all kinds of negati)e features like illnesses, weaknesses, barrenness, #o)erty, and so on, so
that these would no longer be a burden on the community following the )iolent death of the
substitute*

This role of a human "sca#egoat: during the Tibetan 4ew Bear,s feast $<onlam( was
taken on by a #erson who bore the name of the "king of im#urity:, "ox demon:, or "sa)ior
king:* 1alf of his face was #ainted white and the other half black, and he was dressed in new
H.&
clothes* 1e then took to the streets of !hasa, swinging a black yak,s tail as a sce#ter, to collect
offerings and to a##ro#riate things which a##ealed to him* Many also ga)e money, but the
former owners in)ested all of these ob6ects with e)ery misfortune with which they might
reckon in the future*

This continued for se)eral days* ;t a #re7arranged time the "ox demon: a##eared in
front of !hasa,s cathedral, the Dokhang* There a monk from the re#ung monastery was
waiting for him in a magnificent robe* <n the scene which was now #layed out he re#resented
the alai !ama* First u# there was a )iolent battle of words in which the sca#egoat mocked
the Buddhist teachings with a shar# tongue* Thereu#on the #retend alai !ama challenged
him to a game of dice* <f the "king of im#urity " were to win, the disastrous conse8uences for
the whole country would ha)e been immense* But #re#arations had been made to ensure that
this did not ha##en, then he had a die which dis#layed a one on e)ery face, whilst his
o##onent always threw a six* ;fter his defeat the loser fled from the town on a white horse*
The mob followed him as far as it could, shooting at him with blanks and throwing stones* 1e
was either dri)en into the wilderness or taken #risoner and locked in one of the horror
chambers of the Samye monastery for a time* <t was considered a good omen if he died*

3)en if he was ne)er deliberately killed, he often #aid the highest #rice for his
degrading treatment* ;ctually his demise was ex#ected, or at least ho#ed for* <t was belie)ed
that sca#egoats attracted all manner of rare illnesses or died under mysterious circumstances*
<f the ex#elled figure nonetheless sa)e his skin, he was #ermitted to return to !hasa and once
again take on the role*

Behind the "sca#egoat ritual: > an e)ent which can be found in ancient cultures all the
world > there is the idea of #urification* The )ictim takes on e)ery re#ulsi)eness and all
#ossible besmirchment so as to free the community of these* ;s a conse8uence he must
become a monster which radiates with the #ower of darkness* ;ccording to tradition, the
community has the right, indeed the duty, to kill or dri)e off with an aggressi)e act this
monster who is actually nothing more than the re#ressed shadowy side of his #ersecutors* The
sacrificers are then freed of all e)il, which the sca#egoat takes to its death with him, and
society returns to a state of original #urity* ;ccordingly, the ritual #ower a##lied is not a
matter of self7interest, but rather a means of attaining the o##osite, social #eace and an
H..
undisturbed state* The sca#egoat > 5enZ 9irard writes > has to "take on the e)il #ower in
total so as to transform it )ia his death into bene)olent #ower, into #eace and fruitfulness* ***
1e is a machine which changes the sterile and contagious #ower into #ositi)e cultural )alues:
$9irard, .QPN, ##* .@', .L&(*

$he s'ape)oat o* /yantse adorned %ith animal intestines

Bet it is not 6ust an annual #sycho7#urification of !amaism which is conducted through
the Tibetan Monlam feast, but also the collecti)e cleansing of the historical defilement which
bleeds as a dee# wound in the subconscious of the monastic state* The dri)ing off or killing of
the sca#egoat is, 6ust like the cham dance, a ritual of atonement for the murder of 2ing
!angdarma* <n fact, numerous symbolic references are made to the original deed in the
scenario of the festi)ities* For exam#le, the "ox demon: $one of the names for the sca#egoat(
a##ears colored in black and white and flees on a white horse 6ust like the regicide, Palgyi
or6e* The "ox: was also !angdarma,s totem animal* uring the feast, from a mountain
where the gra)e of the a#ostate king could be found, units of the Tibetan ;rtillery fired off
H.%
three cannon, two of which were called the "old and the young demoness:* "Since the alai
!amas are actually, in a broad historical sense, beneficiaries of Palgyi or6eGs S!angdarma,s
murdererT crime,: the ethnologist 5obert ;* Paul writes, "we may su##ose that #art of the
#ur#ose of the annual sca#egoat ritual is to allow the guilt for that act to be ex#ressed through
the figure of the Kx7demonR and then to reassert the legitimacy of the alai !amaGs reign by
demonstrating his ability to withstand this challenge to his innocence: $5* Paul, .QP%, #* %QL(*

;uthors like Dames 9eorge FraMer and 5obert Bleichsteiner are e)en of the o#inion that
the "king of im#urity: in the final instance re#resents the alai !ama himself, who indeed
became the "illegitimate: successor of the killed regent as the worldly ruler of Tibet* "The
)ictim in older times was certainly the king himself,: Bleichsteiner informs us, "who was
offered u# at the beginning of a new e#och as atonement and guarantee for the well7being of
the #eo#le* 1ence the lamaist #riest7kings were also considered to be the atoning sacrifice of
the 4ew Bear *** " $Bleichsteiner, .Q'N, #* %.'(* <t also s#eaks in fa)or of this thesis that in
early #erformances of the rite the substitute was re8uired to be of the same age as the god7
king and that during the ceremony a doll which re#resents the alai !ama is carried along
$5ichardson, .QQ', #* L@(* The e)il, dark, des#otic, and unfortunate shadow of the hierarch
would then be concentrated in the sca#egoat, u#on whom the #o#ulace and the hordes of
monks let loose could let out their rage*

Then, once the "9reat Fifth: had institutionaliMed the celebrations, anarchy reigned in
!hasa during the #eriod of the 4ew Bear,s festi)ities0 %&,&&& monks from the most )aried
monasteries had cart blanche* 3)erything which was normally forbidden was now #ermitted*
<n bawling and wildly gesticulating grou#s the "holy: men roamed the streets* Some #rayed,
others cursed, yet others ga)e )ent to wild cries* They #ushed each other around, they argued
with one another, they hit each other* There were bloody noses, black eyes, battered heads and
torn clothes* Meditati)e absor#tion and furious rage could each become the other in an
instant* 1einrich 1arrer, who ex#erienced se)eral feasts at the end of the forties, describes
one of them in the following words0 ";s if awakened from a hy#nosis, in this instant the tens
of thousands #lunge order into chaos* The transition is so sudden that one is stunned*
Shouting, wild gesticulation *** they tram#le one another to the ground, almost murder each
other* The #raying SmonksT, still wee#ing and ecstatically absorbed, become enraged
madmen* The monastic soldiers begin their workV 1uge blokes with #added shoulders and
H.'
blackened faces > so that the deterrent effect is further enhanced* They ruthlessly lay into the
crowd with their staffs* *** 1owling, they take the blows, but e)en the beaten return again* ;s
if they were #ossessed by demons: $1arrer, .QP@, #* .@%(*

The Tibetan feast of Monlam is thus a )ariant u#on the #aradoxes we ha)e already
examined, in which, in accordance with the tantric law of in)ersion, anarchy and disorder are
deliberately e)oked so as to stabiliMe the Buddhocracy in total* uring these days, the bottled7
u# anti7state aggressions of the sub6ects can be com#letely discharged, e)en if only for a
limited time and beneath the blows of the monastic soldiers, clubs*

<t was once again the "9reat Fifth: who recogniMed the high state7#olitical )alue of the
sca#egoat #lay and thus made the 4ew Bear,s festi)al in the year .LH% into a s#ecial state
occasion* From the Potala, the "seat of the gods:, the incarnation of ;+alokitesh+ara could
look down smiling and com#assionately at the delirium in the streets of !hasa and at the sad
fate of his disgracefuldoppelganger $the sca#egoat(*

The sca#egoat mechanism can be considered #art of the cultural heritage of all
humanity* <t is astonishingly congruent with the tantric #attern in which the yogi deliberately
#roduces an aggressi)e, malicious fundamental attitude in order to subse8uently transform it
into its o##osite )ia the "law of in)ersion:0 the #oison becomes the antidote, the e)il the cure*
+e ha)e indicated often enough that this does not at all work out to #lan, and that rather, after
#racticing the ritual the "healing #riests: themsel)es can become the demons they ostensibly
want to dri)e out*

SummariMing, we can thus say that, o)er and abo)e the "tantric female sacrifice:,
Tibetan Buddhism has made all #ossible )ariants of the symbolic sacrifice of humans an
essential element of its cultural life* This is also no sur#rise, then the whole tantric idea is
fundamentally based u#on the sacrifice of the human $the #erson, the indi)idual, the human
body( to the benefit of the gods or of the yogi* ;t least in the imaginations of the lamas there
are )arious demons in the Tibetan #antheon who #erform the sacrificial rites or to whom the
sacrifices are made* The fiends thus fulfill an im#ortant task in the tantric scenario and ser)e
the teaching as tutelary deities $dharmapalas(* ;s reward for their work they demand still
more human blood and still more human flesh* Such cannibal foods are called kangdza in
H.@
Tibetan* They are gra#hically de#icted as dismembered bodies, hearts that ha)e been torn out,
and #eeled skins in ghastly thangkas, which are worshi##ed in sacred chambers dedicated to
the demons themsel)es* "angdza means "wish7fulfilling gifts:, unmistakably indicating that
#eo#le were of the o#inion that they could fulfill their greatest wishes through human
sacrifices* That this really was understood thus is demonstrated by the constant use of #arts of
human cor#ses in Tibetan magic, to which we de)ote the next cha#ter*

Ritua $urd(r a! a curr(nt i!!u( a$ong (Bi( Ti5(tan!
The terrible e)ents of February @, .QQN in haramsala, the <ndian seat of go)ernment of
the Fourteenth alai !ama, demonstrate that ritual human sacrifice among the Tibetans is in
no way a thing of the #ast but rather continues to take #lace u# until the #resent day*
;ccording to the #olice re#ort on that day six to eight men burst into the cell of the N&7year7
old lama, !obsang 9yatso, the leader of the Buddhist dialectic school, and murdered him and
two of his #u#ils with numerous stab wounds* The bloody deed was carried out in the
immediate )icinity of the alai !amaGs residence in a building which forms #art of the
4amgyal monastery* The 4amgyal <nstitute is, as we ha)e already mentioned on a number of
occasions, res#onsible for the ritual #erformance of the"alachakra Tantra* The world #ress
> in as far as it re#orted the crime at all > was horrified by the extreme cruelty of the
murderers* The )ictimsG throats had been slit and according to some #ress re#orts their skin
had been #artially torn from their bodies $SKddeutsche Geitung, .QQN, 4o* .HP, #* .&(* There
is e)en a rumor among the exile Tibetan community that the #er#etrators had sucked out the
)ictimsG blood in order to use it for magical #ur#oses* ;ll this took #lace in 6ust under an hour*

The <ndian criminal #olice and the western media were united in the )iew that this was a
matter of a ritual murder, since money and )aluable ob6ects, such as a golden Buddha which
was to be found there for exam#le, were left untouched by the murderers* The "mouth#iece:
for the alai !ama in the =S;, 5obert Thurman, also saw the murder as a ritual act0 "The
three were stabbed re#eatedly and cut u# in a way that was like exorcism*: $!ewsweek, May
H, .QQN, #* @'(*

<n general the deed is sus#ected to ha)e been an act of re)enge by followers of the
#rotecti)e deity,=or0e Shugden& of whom !obsang 9yatso was an o#en o##onent* But to date
the #olice ha)e been unable to #roduce any real e)idence* <n contrast, the Shugden followers
H.H
see the murders as an attem#t to marginaliMe them as criminals by the alai !ama* $+e shall
discuss this in the next cha#ter*(

;s im#ortant as it may be that the case be sol)ed, it is not of decisi)e significance for
our analysis who finally turns out to ha)e committed the deed* +e are under any
circumstances confronted with an e)ent here, in which the tantric scheme has become
shockingly real and current* The ritual murders of @ February ha)e #ut a final end to the years
of "scientific: discussion around the 8uestion of whether the calls to murder in the tantras
$which we ha)e considered in detail in the first #art of this study( are only a symbolic
directi)e or whether they are to be understood literally* Both are the case* Kn this occasion,
this has e)en been #ercei)ed in the western #ress, such as, for exam#le, when
the SKddeutsche Geitung asks0 "3xorcist ritual murdersA Fanatics e)en in the most gentle of
all religionsA For many fans of Buddhism in the +est their ha##y world falls a #art*:
$SKddeutsche Geitung, .QQN, 4o* .HP, #* .&(* <t nonetheless remains unclear which
meta#hysical s#eculations were in)ol)ed in the bloody rite of February @*

Th( ritua !acri-ic( o- Ti5(t
<n dealing with the occu#ation of Tibet by the -hinese, the otherwise most "mystical:
lamas #refer to argue in exclusi)ely western and non7mythological terms* There is talk of
breaches of human rights, international law, and "cultural genocide:* <f, howe)er, we consider
the sub6ugation of the !and of Snows and the exodus of the alai !ama from a
symbolicUtantric )iew#oint, then we reach com#letely different conclusions*

Primarily, as we ha)e extensi)ely demonstrated, a #olitically oriented tantra master
$es#ecially if he #ractices the "alachakra Tantra as does the alai !ama( is not at all
interested in strengthening and maintaining an established and orderly state* Such a
conser)ati)e #osition is )alid only for as long as it does not stand in the way of the final goal,
the con8uest of the world by a Buddhocracy* This im#erial #ath to world control is #a)ed with
sacrifices0 the sacrifice of the karma mudra $the wisdom consort(, the sacrifice of the #u#il,s
indi)idual #ersonality, the symbolic sacrifice of worldly kingshi#, etc*

Dust as the guru is able to e)oke mental states in his sadhaka $#u#il( which lead to the
fragmentation of the latter,s #syche so that he can be reborn on a higher s#iritual #lane, so too
H.L
he a##lies such deliberately initiated #ractices of dismemberment to the state and society as
well, in order for these to re7emerge on a higher le)el* Dust as the tantra master dissol)es the
structures of his human body, he can likewise bring down the established structures of a social
community* Then the BuddhistUtantric idea of the state has an essentially symbolic nature and
is fundamentally no different to the #rocedures which the yogi #erforms within his energy
body and through his ritual #ractices*

From the )iew#oint of the "alachakra Tantra& all the im#ortant e)ents in Tibetan
history #oint eschatologically to the control of the uni)erse by a Chakra+artin $world ruler(*
The #recondition for this is the destruction of the old social order and the construction of a
new society along the guidelines laid down in the harma $the teaching(* Following such a
logic, and in accordance with the tantric "law of in)ersion:, the destruction of a national Tibet
could become the re8uirement for ahigher transnational Buddhocratic order*

1a)e > we must now ask oursel)es > the Tibetan #eo#le been sacrificed so that their
life energies may be freed for the worldwide s#read of !amaismA ;s fantastic and cynical as
such a mythical inter#retation of history may sound, it is surre#titiously widely distributed in
the occult circles of Tantric Buddhism* Proud reference is made to the com#arison with
-hristianity here0 6ust as Desus -hrist was sacrificed to sa)e the world, so too the Tibet of old
was destroyed so that the harma could s#read around the globe*

<n an insider document which was sent to the Tibetologist onald S* !o#eM, Dr* in .QQ',
it says of the -hinese destruction of Tibetan culture0 "From an esoteric )iew#oint, Tibet has
#assed through the burning ground of #urification on a national le)el* +hat is the Gburning
groundGA +hen a de)elo#ing entity, be it a #erson or a nation $the dynamic is the same(,
reaches a certain le)el of s#iritual de)elo#ment, a time comes for the lower habits, old
#atterns, illusions and crystalliMed beliefs to be #urified so as to better allow the s#iritual
energies of inner being to flow through the instrument without distortion ***** ;fter such a
#urification the entity is ready for the next le)el of ex#ansion in ser)ice* The Tibetans were
s#iritually strong enough to endure this burning ground so as to #a)e the way for its defined
#art in building the new world:* <n this latter, the authors assure us, the "first Sacred 4ation:
will become a "#oint of synthesis: of "uni)ersal lo)e, wisdom and goodwill: $8uoted by
!o#eM, .QQP, #* %&@(*
H.N

Kr was the exodus of the omni#otent l and the killing of many Tibetan belie)ers by the
-hinese e)en "#lanned: by the Buddhist side, so that Tantrism could con8uer the worldA The
Tibetologist 5obert Thurman $the "mouth#iece of the alai !ama: in ;merica( discusses
such a theory in his book Essential Tibetan $uddhism* "The most com#elling, if somewhat
dramatic StheoryT,: Thurman writes, "is that Va6ra#ani $the Bodhisatt)a of #ower( emanated
himself as Mao Tse7tung and took u#on himself the heinous sin of destroying the Buddha
harmaGs institutions Sof TibetT, along with many beings, for three main reasons0 to #re)ent
other, ordinarily human, materialists from rea#ing the conse8uences of such terrible actsR to
challenge the Tibetan Buddhists to let go the tra##ing of their religion and #hiloso#hy and
force themsel)es to achie)e the ability to embody once again in this terrible era their
teachings of detachment, com#assion, and wisdom, and to scatter the <ndo7Tibetan Buddhist
teachers and disseminate their teachings throughout the #lanet among all the #eo#le, whether
religious or secular, at this a#ocaly#tic time when humanity must make a 8uantum lea# from
)iolence to #eacefulness in order to #reser)e all life on earth: $8uoted in !o#eM, .QQP, #* %N@(*

Such )isions of #urification and sacrifice may sound biMarre and fantastic to a western
historian, but we must ne)ertheless regard them as the ex#ression of an ancient culture which
recogniMes the will and the #lan of a su#reme being behind e)ery historical suffering and
e)ery human catastro#he* The catastro#he of Tibet is foreseen in the scri#t of the "alachakra
Tantra* Thus for the current alai !ama his #rimary concern is not the freedom of the nation
of Tibet, but rather the s#read of Tantric Buddhism on a global scale* "My main concern, my
main interest, is the Tibetan Buddhist culture, not 6ust #olitical inde#endence:, he said at the
end of the eighties year in Strasbourg $Shambhala Sun, ;rchi)e, 4o)ember .QQL(*

1ow dee#ly interconnected #olitics and ritual are felt to be by the "undun's followers is
shown by the )ision described by a #artici#ant at a conference in Bonn $/Mythos Tibet:( who
had tra)eled in Tibet0 he had suddenly seen the highlands as a great mandala* 3xactly like the
sand mandala in the"alachakra Tantra it was then destroyed so that the whole #ower of Tibet
could be concentrated in the #erson of the alai !ama as the world teacher of the age to
come*

H.P
;s cynical as it may sound, through such imaginings the suffering the Tibetans ha)e
ex#erienced under -hinese control attain a dee#er significance and s#iritual solemnity* <t was
the greatest gift for the distribution of Tibetan Buddhism in the +est* S.T

The s#ectacular self7sacrifice has since the s#ring of .QQP become a new #olitical
wea#on for both the Tibetans who remained and those in exile0 in .QQN, the ma6ority of monks
from the Tibetan re#ung monastery were con)inced that the alai !ama would soon return
with the su##ort of the =S in order to free Tibet* Thus, now would be the right moment to
sacrifice oneself for 1is 1oliness, for the religion, and for Tibet $9oldstein, .QQP, #* @%(* To
bring the situation in their home country to the world,s attention and abo)e all to raise the
8uestion of Tibet in the =4, Tibetan monks #rotested in <ndia with a so7called "hunger strike
to the death:* +hen the <ndian #olice admitted the #rotesters to hos#ital after a number of
days, the H&7year7old monk, Thubten 4godub, #ublicly self7immolated, with the cry of "!ong
li)e the alai !amaV: on his li#s* S%T 1e was declared a martyr of the nation and his funeral in
haramsala was a mo)ing demonstration which went on for hours* Bouths wrote #ree
Tibet on their chests in their own blood* <n a #ublic communi8uZ from the youth organiMation
$TB-( it was said that "The Tibetan #eo#le ha)e sent a clear message to the world that they
can sacrifice themsel)es for the cause of an inde#endent Tibet *** More blood will flow in the
coming days: $;FP, 4ew elhi, ;#ril %Q, .QQP(* The names of many more Tibetans who
were #re#ared to die for their country were #laced on a list*

Kn the one hand, the alai !ama condemned such #roceedings because they were a
resort to )iolent means $suicide is )iolence directed against the self(, on the other hand he
ex#ressed that he admired the moti)ation and resol)e of these Tibetans $who sacrifice
themsel)es( $The Nffice of Tibet, ;#ril %P, .QQP(* 1e )isited the hunger strikers and blessed
the national martyr, 4godub, in a s#ecial ritual* The grotes8ue as#ect of the situation was that,
at the same time and under ;merican #ressure, the "undun was #re#aring for an imminent
encounter with the -hinese* +hilst he re#eatedly stresses in #ublic that he renounced an
"inde#endent Tibet:, his sub6ects sacrifice themsel)es for exactly this demand* +e shall come
to s#eak later of the discordance which arises between !amaism and the national 8uestion*

R(a 'io(nc( and on(=! own i$agining!
H.Q
<s #erha#s the )iolence which the !and of Snows has had to ex#erience under -hinese
occu#ation a mirror image of its own cultureA <f we look at the scenes of unbounded suffering
and merciless sadism which are de#icted u#on countless thangkas, then we ha)e before our
eyes an exact )isual #rognosis of what was done to the Tibetans by the -hinese* <n 6ust
casting a glance at in the Tibetan Book of the ead one is at once confronted with the same
infernal images as are described by Tibetan refugees* The history of horrors is > as we know
> codified in both the sacred iconogra#hy of Tantric Buddhism and in the unfolding scenes
of the tantras*

<n light of the history of Tibet, must !amaism,s images of horror 6ust be seen as a
#ro#hecy of e)ents to come, or did they themsel)es contribute to the #roduction of the brutal
realityA oes the deed follow the meditati)e en)isioning, like thunder follows lightningA <s
the Tibetan history of suffering aligned with a tantric mythA +ere the Buddhist doctrine of
insight a##lied consistently, it would ha)e to answer this 8uestion with "yes:* Dose#h
-am#bell, too, is one of the few western authors to describe the -hinese attacks, which he
otherwise strongly criticiMes, as a ")ision of the whole thing come true, the materialiMation of
the mythology in life: and to ha)e referred to the de#iction of the horrors in the tantras
$Dose#h -am#bell, .QN', #* H.L(*

<f one s#ins this mythological net out further, then the following 8uestion at once
#resents itself0 +hy were Tibet and the "omni#otent: lamas not #rotected by their deitiesA
+ere the wrathfuldharmapalas $tutelary deities( too weak to re#el the "nine7headed: -hinese
dragon and dri)e it from the "roof of the world:A Perha#s the goddess (alden 9hamo, the
female #rotecti)e s#irit of the alai !ama and the city of !hasa, had freed herself from the
clutches of the andocentric clergy and turned against her former mastersA 1ad the
enchained Srinmo, the mother of Tibet, 6oined u# with the demons from the Middle 2ingdom
in order to a)enge herself u#on the lamas for nailing her downA Kr was the exodus of the
omni#otent lamas intentional, in order to now con8uer the worldA

Such 8uestions may also a##ear biMarre and fantastic to a western historianR but for the
TibetanUtantric "disci#line of history:, which sus#ects su#erhuman forces are at work behind
#olitics, they do make sense* <n the following cha#ter we would like to demonstrate how
H%&
decisi)ely such an ata)istic )iew influences the #olitics of the Fourteenth alai !ama through
a consideration of the Tibetan oracle system and the associated Shugden affair*

Footnot(!:
S.T Kn the other hand, the "sacrificing: of Tibet is lamented on all sides or se)en linked
to the fate of all humanity0 "<f one allows such a s#iritual society to be destroyed,: writes the
director Martin Scorcese, "we lose a #art of our own soul: $#ocus, @LU.QQN, #* .LP(*
S%T There is a #assage in the 9otus Sutra in which a Bodhisatt)a burns himself u# as a
sacrifice for a Buddha*


Th( Shadow o- th( Daai La$a I Part II I 6D Th( war o- th( orac( god! and th(
Shugd(n a--air
Victor c Victoria Trimondi



6D THE WAR OF THE ORACLE ;ODS AND
THE SHE;DEN AFFAIR

The Tibetans can be described without exaggeration as being "addicted to oracles:*
The most )aried methods of augury and clair)oyance ha)e been an e)eryday #resence in the
!and of Snows since time immemorial* The following ty#es of oracle, all of which are still
em#loyed $among the Tibetans in exile as well(, are described on an <nternet site0 doughball
di)ination, dice di)ination, di)ination on a rosary, bootstra# di)ination, the inter#retation of
"incidental: signs, clair)oyant dreams, examining flames, obser)ing a butter lam#, mirror
di)ination, shoulder7blade di)ination, and hearing di)ination $1P< .&(* +hen the "9reat
Fifth: seiMed worldly #ower in Tibet in the .N
th
century, he founded the institution of a state
oracle so as to be able to obtain di)inatory ad)ice about the business of go)ernment* This is
a matter of a human medium who ser)es as the mouth#iece of a #articular deity* Still today,
this form of "su#ernatural: consultation forms an im#ortant di)ision within the Tibetan
go)ernment in exile* The o#inions of oracles are obtained for all im#ortant #olitical e)ents,
often by the Fourteenth alai !ama in #erson* 1e is > in the accusations of his o##onents
H%.
> all but obsessed by di)inationsR it is #rimarily the #ro#hecies of the state oracle which
are mentioned* But before we examine this accusation, we should take a closer look at the
history and character of this "state oracle:*

Th( Ti5(tan !tat( orac(
<n the Tibet of old, the state oracle $or rather its human medium( li)ed, as one of the
highest ranking lamas in the 4echung residence* "<t: had at its command a considerable
"court: and celebrated its liturgies in a tem#le of its own* The #redominant color of the
interior tem#le was black* Kn the walls of the gloomy shrine hung mysterious wea#ons,
from which great magical effects were su##osed to emanate* <n the corners lurked stuffed
birds, tigers, and leo#ards* Pictures of terror gods looked back at the )isitor, who suddenly
stood in front of a mask of dried leather feared across the whole country* ;mong the chief
iconogra#hic motifs of the tem#le was the de#iction of human ribcages*

;t the beginning of an oracle session, the 4echung !ama is sent into a trance )ia all
manner of ritual song and incense* ;fter a while eyes close, his facial muscles begin to
twitch, his brow becomes dark red and glistens with sweat* The #ro#het god then )isibly
enters him, then during his trance the medium de)elo#s > and this is confirmed by
#hotogra#hs and western eyewitness re#orts > almost su#erhuman #owers* 1e can bend
iron swords and, although he carries a metal crown weighing o)er P& #ounds $V( on his
head, #erform a wild dance* <ncom#rehensible sounds come from his foaming li#s* This is
su##osed to be a sacred language* Knly once it has been deci#hered by the #riests can the
content of the oracle message be recogniMed*

The deity con6ured u# by the 4echung !ama is called (ehar or (edkar* 1owe)er
often only his ad6utant is in)oked, =or0e =rakden by name* This is because a direct
a##earance by (ehar can be so )iolent that it threatens the life of his medium $the 4echung
!ama(* (ehar has under his command a grou# of fi)e wrathful gods, who together are
called the "#rotecti)e wheel:* <t seems sensible to make a few thoughts about this
#ro#hesying god, who has for centuries exercised such a decisi)e influence u#on Tibetan
#olitics and still continues to do so*

<n iconogra#hic re#resentations, (ehar has three faces of different colors* 1e wears a
H%%
bamboo hat which is crowned with a +a0ra u#on his head* <n his hands he holds a bow and
arrow, a sword, a clea)er, and a club* 1is mount is a snow lion*

(ehar's original home lay in the north of Tibet, there where in the conce#tion of the
old Tibetans $in the @esar e#ic( the "de)il,s country: was to be found* <n earlier times he
reigned as war god of the 1or Mongols* ;ccording to the sagas, this wild tribe was counted
among the bitterest o##onents of the #re7Buddhist Tibetans and their national hero, @esar
of 9ing*

Kld documents from Tunhuang describe the 1or as "flesh7eating red demons: $Stein,
.QQ', #* 'L(* Their martial king had laid waste to the !and of Snows and stolen its 8ueen,
the wife of @esar of 9ing* ;fter terrible battles the Tibetan national hero defeated the
ra#acious 1ors, to whom we are indebted for the word horde, and won their commitment
and that of their chief god, (ehar& with an eternal oath of loyalty* K)er the centuries the
term Hor was then used to refer to )arious Mongolian tribes, including those of 9enghis
2han* 1ence, (ehar $the #rinci#al oracle god of the alai !ama( was originally a bitter
arch7enemy of the Tibetans*

+here @esar had rendered the Mongol god harmless, it was the <aha
Siddha Padmasambha)a $9uru 5in#oche( who brought Buddhism to Tibet who first
succeeded in actually #utting (ehar to work* The saga tells how 9uru 5in#oche #ressed
a +a0ra u#on the barbaric god,s head and thus magically mastered him* ;fter this
act, (ehar was able to be incor#orated into the Buddhist #antheon as a ser)ant* For se)en
hundred years his chief residence was the founding monastery Samye, by the construction
of which he had to assist as a "forced laborer:* ;bout Q&& years later the "9reat Fifth:
trans#orted him $i*e*, his symbol( to 4echung in the )icinity of the re#ung monastery and
ad)anced the former war god of the 1or to state oracle* Since, after his "BuddhiMation:, he
did not want to be reminded of his former defeat $by the national hero, @esar(, not a single
)erse from the @esar e#ic was allowed to be cited in the re#ung monastery or at any other
location where he had stayed*

The 8uestion soon arises as to why of all gods (ehar, the former ferocious and cruel
o##onent of the !and of Snows, was gi)en the delicate office of being a su#ernatural
H%'
go)ernmental ad)isor to the Tibetan "god7king:* Surely this would ha)e sooner been the
entitlement of a Bodhisatt)a like;+alokitesh+ara or a national hero like @esar of 9ing*

+ith this 8uestion too, the key is to be sought in the "#olitical theology: of the "9reat
Fifth:* +e may recall that both the conferring of the title of =alai 9ama and the
establishment of the hierarch,s secular #ower were the actions of the Mongolians and not of
the Tibetan #eo#le* <n contrast, as we ha)e re#orted, in the .Nth century the national forces
of the country were actually gathered under the kings of Tsang and around the throne of the
2arma#a $the leader of the "red: 2agyu#a sect(* Thus, it does not take much fantasy to be
able to sketch out why (ehar was chosen as the ad)isor of the "yellow: Buddhist state $then
re#resented by the Fifth alai !ama(* <t was ex#ected of the former Mongolian god and
o##onent of Tibet that he tame the recalcitrant Tibetans $who su##orted the 2arma#a(* <n
this his interests were in com#lete accord with those of the "god7king:* ;dditionally, the
"9reat Fifth: himself was a descendant of an aristocratic family which traced its lineage
back to the 1or Mongols* (ehar, the later state oracle, is thus a foreign deity im#osed u#on
the Tibetan #eo#le*

<t is true that the oracle god has sworn an oath of loyalty, but it is > in the lamas,
o#inion > by no means ruled out that he may one day break this and unleash his full
)engeance u#on the Tibetans who defeated him in times gone by* 1e has in his own words
ex#lained to Padmasambha)a what will then ha##en* 1e will destroy the houses and the
fields* The children of the !and of Snows will ha)e to endure famine and will be dri)en
insane* The fruit of the and will be destroyed by hail and swarms of insects* The strong will
be carried off and only the weak shall sur)i)e* +ars shall de)astate the roof of the
world* (ehar himself will interru#t the meditations of the lamas, rob their s#ells of their
magic #ower, and force them to commit suicide* Brothers will ra#e their sisters* 1e will
make the wisdom consorts $the mudras( of the tantra masters bad and heretical, yes,
transform them into enemies of the teaching who emigrate to the lands of the unbelie)ers*
But first he shall co#ulate with them* "<,: (ehar #roclaims, "the lord of the tem#les, the
stu#as and scri#tures, < shall #ossess the fair bodies of all )irgins: $Sierksma, .QLL, #* .LH(*

<n the s#here of #ractical #olitics the recommendations of the Mongolian martial god
ha)e also not always been ad)antageous for the Tibetans* For exam#le, he ga)e the
H%@
Thirteenth alai !ama the catastro#hic ad)ice that he should attack the British army under
-olonel Bounghusband which led to a massacre of the Tibetan soldiers*

-"rrent politi's and the ora'le system
Kne would think that the Tibetans in exile would these days ha)e distanced
themsel)es from such a warlike deity as (ehar, who constantly threatens them with bloody
acts of re)enge, es#ecially after their ex#eriences at the hands of the -hinese occu#ying
forces* Kne would further assume that, gi)en the "undun's strident #rofessions of
democracy& the oracle system as such would be in decline or ha)e e)en been abandoned*
But the o##osite is the case0 in haramsala the di)inatory arts, astrology, the inter#retation
of dreams, and e)en the drawing of lots still ha)e a most decisi)e $V( influence u#on the
#olitics of the Tibetans in exile* 3)ery $V( #olitically significant ste# is first taken once the
mediums, soothsayers, and court astrologers ha)e been consulted, e)ery im#ortant state7
#olitical acti)ity re8uires the in)ocation of the wrathful Mongolian god, (ehar. This
tendency has increased in recent years* Today there are said to be three further mediums
$who re#resent different deities( whose ser)ices are made use of* ;mong these is a young
and attracti)e girl from an eastern #ro)ince of Tibet* Some members of the community of
Tibetans in exile are therefore of the o#inion that the )arious oracles misuse 1is 1oliness
the Fourteenth alai !ama for their own ends and force their will u#on him*

4ow, how does the "god7king: see this through his own eyesA "3)en some Tibetans,:
we learn from the "undun, "mostly those who consider themsel)es G#rogressi)eG, ha)e
misgi)ings about my continued use of this ancient method of intelligence gathering* But <
do so for the sim#le reason that as < look back o)er the many occasions when < ha)e asked
8uestions of the oracle, on each one of them time has #ro)ed that his answer was correct:
$alai !ama ?<V, .QQ' <, #* '.%(* "< not only belie)e in s#irits, but in )arious kinds of
s#iritsV:, 1is 1oliness further admits, "*** To this category belongs the state oracle 4echung
$(ehar(* +e consider these s#irits reliable, then they ha)e a long history without any
contro)ersy in o)er .&&& years: $Tagesanzeiger $SwitMerland(, March %',
.QQP(* (ehar determined the #oint in time in which the alai !ama had to flee Tibet and
with the statement "that the shine of the Gwish7fulfilling 6ewelG Sone of the alai !ama,s
namesT will light u# in the +est: #redicted the s#read of Buddhism in 3uro#e and 4orth
;merica* $alai !ama ?<V, .QQ'a, #* .H@(*
H%H

3)en the aggression of his oracle god is not denied by the "undun0 " 1is StaskT, in his
ca#acity as #rotector and defender, is wrathful* SVT 1owe)er, although our functions are
similar, my relationshi# with 4echung is that of commander to lieutenant0 < ne)er bow
down to him* <t is for 4echung to bow to the alai !ama: $alai !ama ?<V, .QQ' <, #*
'.%(* This statement confirms once again that from a tantric )iew#oint, the #olitics of the
Tibetans in exile is not conducted by #eo#le, but by gods* ;s ;+alokitesh+ara and
the "alachakra deity, the alai !ama commands the Mongolian god, Pehar, to make
#redictions about the future* S.T The "undun's comment in this 8uotation that his functions
and the "functions: of (ehar are "similar: is ambiguous* oes he want to allude to his own
"wrathful as#ect: hereA Kn Se#tember @, .QPN a new 4echung medium was enthroned in
haramsala, since the old one had died three years before* 1is official confirmation was
attained following a demonstrati)e trance session at which the "undun, cabinet members of
the Tibetan go)ernment in exile and the #arliamentary chairman were #resent* ;bout two
months later another sZance was held before the -ouncil of Ministers and a number of high
lamas* This illustrious assembly of the highest ranking re#resentati)es of the Tibetan #eo#le
shows how the #olitical #ro#hecies and instructions of the god (ehar are taken seriously not
6ust by the alai !ama but also by the "#eo#le,s re#resentati)es: of the Tibetans in exile*
Thus, in #olitical decisions neither reason nor the ma6ority of )otes, nor e)en #ublic o#inion
ha)e the last word, but rather the Mongolian oracle god*

DorL( Shugd(nHa thr(at to th( Fourt((nth Daai La$a=! i-(<
Since .QQL at the latest, (ehar and his 4echung medium ha)e met with embittered
com#etition from among the Tibetan,s own ranks* This is a matter of the tutelary and
di)inatory deity, =or0e Shugden* <n #ictures, =or0e Shugden is de#icted riding grim7faced
through a lake of boiling blood u#on a snow lion* <t is #rimarily conser)ati)e circles among
the 9elug#as $the "Bellow 1ats:( who ha)e grou#ed around this figure* They demand the
exclusi)e su#remacy of the yellow sect $the@elugpas( o)er the other Buddhist schools*

This traditional #olitical #osition of the Shugden worshi##ers is not acce#table to the
Fourteenth alai !ama $although he himself is a member of the yellow sect( because he is
working towards an integration of all Tibet,s religious orientations, including the Bon#os*
+ith the same resol)e as the "9reat Fifth: he sees a one7off chance to multi#ly the #ower of
H%L
his own institution in a collecti)e mo)ement in)ol)ing all schools* <t is therefore not
sur#rising that e)en the early history of =or0e Shugden features an irreconcilable
confrontation between the #rotecti)e god and the Fifth alai !ama, which a##ears to be
re#eating itself today*

+hat took #lace on that occasion, and what has been the history of the
recalcitrant ShugdenA The "#an7Buddhist: #rogram of the "9reat Fifth:, but es#ecially his
occult tendency towards the 4yingma#a sect, led the abbot of the #owerful re#ung
$Bellow 1at( monastery, rak#a 9yaltsen, to organiMe a rebellion against the ruler in the
Potala* The cons#iracy was disco)ered and was not carried out*


H%N
$he t%o ora'le )ods at da))ers dra%n: ,h")den QR and @e'h"n) QrR

Most #robably at the command of the in such matters unscru#ulous god7king, the
rebel was murdered first* +hilst the cor#se was being burned on a #yre, a threatening cloud
which resembled a huge black hand, the hand of the a)enger, was formed by the ascending
smoke* ;fter his death the murdered lama, rak#a 9yaltsen, transformed into a martial
s#irit and took on the fearsome name of =or0e Shugden, which means the "Bellower of the
Thunderbolt:* 1e continued to #ursue his #olitical goals from the beyond*

Shortly after his death > the legend re#orts > all manner of unha##y incidents befell
the country* Towns and )illages were afflicted with sicknesses* The Tibetan go)ernment
constantly made wrong decisions, e)en the Fifth alai !ama was not s#ared* 3)ery time he
wanted to ha)e a meal in the middle of the day, his )ictim $=or0e Shugden( manifested
himself as an in)isible e)il force, u#7ended the dinner tables and damaged the " 1is
1oliness,s #ossessions:* S%T =ltimately it #ro)ed #ossible to subdue the )engeful s#irit
through all manner of rituals, but he did not therefore remain inacti)e*
H%P

+ith the assistance of a human medium, through whom he still today communicates
with his #riests, the abbot who had transformed into a #rotecti)e god organiMed $from the
beyond, so to s#eak( a o##ositional grou#ing within the Bellow 1at $9elug#a( order, who
wanted $and still want( to enforce the absolute su#remacy of their order by magical and
#ractical #olitical means* For exam#le, at the beginning of the %&th century the in)ocation
of Shugden by the #owerful Bellow 1at lama, Pabongka 5in#oche, was used to su##ress the
4yingma#as and 2agyu#as in eastern Tibet* ;n outright ritual war was fought out0 "***
whene)er this SShugdenT ritual was #racticed in the 9elug#a monasteries, the surrounding
monasteries of the other schools S#erformedT certain #ractices so as to check the negati)e
forces again: $"agyK 9ife %.7.QQL, #* '@(*

4onetheless the "reactionary: Shugden mo)ement constantly gained in #o#ularity,
es#ecially among members of the Tibetan nobility too* !ater, this "sub7sect: of the Bellow
1ats came to understand itself as a secret nest of resistance against the -hinese occu#ation
force, since the traditional #rotectors of Tibet $(alden 9hamo or (ehar& for exam#le( had
allegedly betrayed and left the country* Kne of the chief re#resentati)es of the secret
conser)ati)e alliance $Tri6ang 5in#oche( was a teacher of the Fourteenth alai !ama, who
himself initiated his di)ine #u#il into the Shugden cult*

The re)erence for Shugden is likewise high among the Tibetans in exile, and is well
distributed worldwide $e)erywhere where 9elug#as are to be found(* ; fifth, in some other
)ersions e)en two7thirds, of the yellow sect are said to #ray to the
reactionary dharmapala $tutelary s#irit(* But in the meantime the mo)ement has also s#read
among +esterners* These are #rimarily from the !ew "adampa Tradition $42T(, an
3nglish7based grou#ing around the lama 9eshe 2elsang 9yatso* The declaration of
exclusion from his former monastery says of the latter that, "this demon with broken
commitments, 2elsang 9yatso, burns with the flame of unbearable s#ite toward the
unsur#assed omniscient ?<V alai !ama, the only staff of life of religious #eo#le in Tibet,
whose acti)ities and kindness e8ual the sky: $!o#eM, .QQP, #* .QH(* 1is su##orters #ro)ide
online information about their conflict with haramsala under the name of the Shugden
Supporters Community $SS-(*

H%Q
$he 0"nd"n and ,h")den
<t is true that in the year .QNL the Fourteenth alai !ama had already declared that he
did not wish for his #erson to associated in any way with =or0e Shugden, es#ecially because
the worshi# of this "reactionary: s#irit had come into conflict with three
other dharmapalas $tutelary gods( which he re)ered highly, the oracle god (ehar, the
terrible (alden 9hamo& and the #rotecti)e god=harmara0a* 5umors re#ort of a dream of
the "undun in which Shugden and (ehar had fought with one another* Kn a number of
occasions (ehar #ro#hesied )ia the 4echung !ama thatShugden was attem#ting to
undermine the so)ereignty of the "undun and thus deli)er Tibet into the hands of the
-hinese* The Mongolian god recei)ed unex#ected su##ort in his accusations through a
young attracti)e female medium by name of Tsering -henma, who, during the #re#arations
for a "alachakra initiation $V( in !ahaul S#iti announced that '& members of the=or0e
Shugden Society would attack the alai !ama in the course of the initiation* Thereu#on
the"undun's security staff searched all #resent for wea#ons* 4othing was found and not a
single re#resentati)e of the Shugden society was in attendance $Burns, 4ewsgrou# .(*

Bet another, female $V( oracle was 8uestioned about the Shugden affair* uring the
session and in the #resence of the alai !ama, the woman is su##osed to ha)e fallen u#on a
monk and whilst she tore at his clothes and shook his head cried out0 "This !ama is bad, he
is following =or0e Shugden, take him out, take him out: $Burns, 4ewsgrou# Q(*

The ma6ority of the Tibetans in exile were naturally not informed about such
incidents, which were more or less #layed out behind closed doors, and were thus most
sur#rised at the shar#ness and lack of com#romise with which the "undun re#eated his
criticisms of the Shugden mo)ement in .QQL*

Kn March %., during the initiation into a #articular tantra $Hayagri+a( he turned to
those #resent with the following words0 "< ha)e recently said se)eral #rayers for the well7
being of our nation and religion* <t has become fairly clear that =olgyal Sanother name
for ShugdenT is a s#irit of the dark forces* *** <f any of you intend to continue to
in)oke =olgyal SShugdenT, it would be better for you to stay away from this authoriMation,
to stand u# and lea)e this #lace* <t is unfitting if you continue to sit here* <t will be of no use
to you* <t will in contrast ha)e the effect of shortening the life of the 9yalwa 5in#oche Sof
H'&
the alai !ama, that is, his own lifeT* +hich is not good* <f there are, howe)er, some among
you who want that 9yalwa 5in#oche She himselfT should soon die, then 6ust stay: $"agyK
9ife %.7.QQL, #* 'H(*

;t another location the "undun announced his fear that Shugden was seeking to s#oil
all his #leasure in life )ia #sychic terror0 "Bou should not think that dangers for my life
come only from someone armed with a knife, a gun or a bomb* Such an e)ent is extremely
unlikely* But dangers to my life may arise if my ad)ice is constantly s#urned, causing me to
feel discouraged and to see no further #ur#ose in life: $2ashag, 1P< ..(*

Such statements by 1is 1oliness may im#ly that the alai !ama $and behind him the
Bodhisatt)a;+alokitesh+ara( is )ery fearful of this )engeful s#irit, which induced the
<ndian ;ssociated (ressto make the mocking comment that, "a 'H&7year old ghost is
haunting the alai !ama: $;ssociated Press, ;ugust %., .QQN, %0H@ a*m*(* ;t any rate,, the
god7king,s security ser)ice which #rotects his residence in haramsala in the meantime
consists of .&& #olice officers*

The following statement by the "undun has been leaked from a secret meeting of
influential exiled Tibetan #oliticians and high lamas which the alai !ama called to discuss
the Shugden case in -aux $SwitMerland(0 "3)eryone who is affiliated with the Tibetan
Society of 9anden Phodrang go)ernment $Tibetan 9o)ernment( should relin8uish ties with
hogyal $Shugden(* This is necessary since it #oses danger to the religious and tem#oral
situation in Tibet* ;s for foreigners, it makes no difference to us if they walk with their feet
u# and their head down* +e ha)e taught harma to them, not they to us* *** +e should do it
Scarry out this banT in such a way to ensure that in future generations not e)en the name of
holgyal SShugdenT is remembered: $Burns, 4ewsgrou# .(*

4umerous Tibetans who had in the #ast been initiated into the Shugden cult by the
#ersonal teacher of the "undun, Tri6ang 5in#oche, and belie)ed that through this they
en6oyed 1is 1oliness,s fa)or, saw themsel)es all at once betrayed after the ban and felt
dee#ly disa##ointed* For the so#histicated alai !ama, howe)er, the sectarian #osition of
the "yellow fundamentalists: and "sectarians: was no longer bearable and 8uite ob)iously a
significant obstacle on his mission to com#el all sects to acce#t his absolute control and
H'.
thus limit the su#remacy of the 9elug#as* "This Shugden s#irit:, the"undun has said, "has
for o)er 'L& years created tensions between the 9elug tradition and the other schools* ***
Some may Sbecause of the banT ha)e lost trust in me* But at the same time numerous
followers of the 2agyu#a or 4yingma schools ha)e recogniMed that the alai !ama is
#ursuing a truly non7sectarian course* < belie)e this Shugden worshi# has been like an
agoniMing boil for 'L& years* 4ow like a modern surgeon < ha)e undertaken a small
o#eration: $Tagesanzeiger $SwitMerland(, March %', .QQP(*

1e then also branded the Shugden cult as "idolatry: and as a "rela#se into
shamanism: $SKddeutsche Geitung, .QQN, 4o* .HP, #* .&(* Kn March '&, .QQL the ban on
the worshi# of Shugden was #ronounced by go)ernmental decree* The "mouth#iece: of
the "undun in the =S;, 5obert Thurman, emotionally denounced the "sectarians: and
#ublicly dis#araged them as the "Taliban of Buddhism:*

<n the meantime the accusations coming out of haramsala against
the Shugden worshi##ers fill many #ages0 they were coo#erating with the -hinese and
recei)ed funding from Bei6ingR they were fouling their own nestR they were #laying
"5ussian roulette:, because they dragged the whole exile Tibetan case $and thereby
themsel)es( into the de#ths* They were trying to kill the "undun*

$he a''"sations made by the ,h")den %orshippers
Kn the other hand, the Shugden followers, whose leader has meanwhile been
officially declared to be an "enemy of the #eo#le:, s#eak of a true witch hunt directed
against them which has already been in #rogress for a number of months* They accuse the
alai !ama of a flagrant breach of human rights and the right to freedom of religion and do
not shy from drawing com#arisons with the -hinese occu#ation force and the -atholic
<n8uisition* 1ouses belonging to the sect are said to ha)e been illegally searched by
followers of the "undun, masked bands of thugs to ha)e attacked
defenseless Shugden belie)ers, images of and altars to the #rotecti)e god to ha)e been
deliberately burned and thrown into ri)ers* !ists of the names of =or0e
Shugden #ractitioners $/enemies of the #eo#le:( are said to ha)e been drawn u# and #ictures
of them and their children to ha)e been hung out in #ublic buildings so as to defame them*
<t is said that followers of the #rotecti)e deity ha)e been com#letely refused entry to the
H'%
offices of the go)ernment in exile and that the children of their families no longer ha)e
access to the official schools* Following a resolution of the so7calledTibetan Cholsum
Con+ention $held between ;ugust %N and '., .QQP( Shugden followers were unable to
tra)el internationally or draw #ensions, state child assistance, or social security #ayments*
<n it, Tibetans are forbidden to read the writings of the cult and they were called u#on to
burn them*

; militant underground organiMation with the name of the "secret society for the
destruction of internal and external enemies of Tibet: threatened to murder two young
lineage holders, the lamas 2yab6e Tri6ang 5in#oche $.'7years7old( S'T and Song 5in#oche
$..7years7old(, who $under the influence of their teacher( #erformed rites in honor of =or0e
Shugden0 "X we will destroy your life and your acti)ities: $Swiss Tele)ision, SF., Danuary
L, .QQP(* <n a document from this grou# tabled by Shugden followers, it says0 ";nyone who
goes against the #olicy of the go)ernment must be singled out one7#ointedly, o##osed and
gi)en the death #enalty* *** ;s for the reincarnations of Tri6ang and Song 5in#oche, if they
do not sto# #racticing hogyal SShugdenT and contradict with the word of 1*11* the alai
!ama, not only will we not be able to res#ect them, but their life and their acti)ities will
suffer destruction* This is our first warning: $Burns, 4ewsgrou# .(* +hilst a +estern
tele)ision crew were filming, a Tibetan monk who coo#erated with the re#orters recei)ed a
death threat0 "*** in se)en days you will be deadV: $Swiss Tele)ision, SF., Danuary L, .QQP(*

<n addition haramsala has exerted )ehement #sychological #ressure on Buddhist
centers in the +est and forbidden them from #erforming Shugden rituals* <n a word >
the worshi##ers of the #rotecti)e god had become the "Dews of Buddhism: $!ewsweek,
;#ril %P, .QQN, #* %L(*

<n !ondon, where the sect has around '&&& members, there were #rotest
demonstrations at which #ictures of the "undun were held high with the slogan, "%our
Smiles Charm& %our ;ctions HarmI. 1e was referred to here as a "merciless dictator, who
o##resses his #eo#le more than the -hinese do: $"agyK 9ife %., .QQL, #* '@(*

1owe)er, in an official communi8uZ from May .@, .QQL, the go)ernment in exile
denied all accusations* <n contrast > they announced that death threats had been sent
H''
from Shugden to the offices of 1is 1oliness and the Tibetan omenMs ;ssociation* "<f there
comes di)ision among #rominent #ersons in the Bellow 1at Sect, there will be bloodshed in
the monasteries and settlements across <ndia:, one of the threatening letters is said to ha)e
stated $!ewsweek, ;#ril %P, .QQN, #* %LR retranslation(* Both sides clearly fear that their
li)es are threatened by the other side*

;ll these mutual fears, accusations, and slander in the battle between the two oracle
gods reached their climax in the ritual murder of the lama !obsang 9yatso on February @,
.QQN which we ha)e described abo)e* !obsang 9yatso was considered a s#ecial friend of
the alai !ama and a #ronounced o##onent of the Shugden sect* ; few days after the
murder a #ress release from the go)ernment in exile coursed around the world in
which =or0e Shugden followers were said to certainly be res#onsible for the murder* There
was talk of confessions and arrests* This o#inion remains current among a broad #ublic to
this day*

;s e)idence, among other things a letter to the murder )ictim $!obsang 9yatso( was
cited in which $it was said( the secretary of the =or0e Shugden Society had threatened the
abbot with murder* Tashi +angdu, a minister of the Tibetan go)ernment in exile, held this
document, written in Tibetan, in his hand and showed it again on Danuary %H, .QQP in Swiss
Tele)ision $on the "Sternstunde:SStar 1ourT #rogram(* 1owe)er, this turned out to be a
deliberate and )ery blatant attem#t to mislead, then the Tibetan document, which was later
translated, does not contain a single word of a murder threat* 5ather, it contains a #olite
in)itation to !obsang 9yatso to discuss "theological: 8uestions with the =or0e Shugden
Society in elhi $9assner, .QQQ(*

But this document was enough to arrest all known followers of the #rotecti)e god
$Shugden( in elhi and illegally im#rison them* 1owe)er, they denied #artici#ating in the
crime in any form whatsoe)er* S@T <ndeed, des#ite interrogations lasting weeks by the <ndian
criminal #olice, nothing has been #ro)en* The e)idence is so meager that it is most likely
that the crime was committed by another #arty* The matter was also seen so by a court in
haramsala, which negated any connection between the =or0e Shugden Society and the
murders of February @*

H'@
For this reason, there are claims from the Shugden followers that the alai !ama,s
circle tried to #in the blame on them in order to muMMle and marginaliMe them* <n light of the
#ower7#olitical ambitions and relati)e strength of the sect > it is said to ha)e o)er %&,&&&
acti)e members in <ndia alone > this )ersion also makes sense* Some western worshi##ers
of the #rotecti)e god e)en go so far as to claim that a higher order from the "undun lay
behind the deed* =ntil the murderers are con)icted, a good criminologist must kee# his or
her eye on all of these #ossibilities*

(ea'tions o* the $ibetan parliament
+ithin the Tibetan #arliament in exile, the incidents ha)e led to great ner)ousness and
high tension* ; resolution was #assed demanding that "in essence go)ernment de#artments,
organiMations, associations, monasteries and their branches under the direction of the exile
Tibetan go)ernment should abide by the ban against worshi# of hogyal: $Burns,
4ewsgrou# .(*

<n the further reactions of the #eo#le,s re#resentati)es one can read 6ust how risky the
whole matter is seen to be* 1ence, during the #arliamentary session of Se#tember %&, .QQN
one of the members established that "an un#recedented amount of literature is being
#ublished e)erywhere that criticiMes the alai !ama and belittles the Tibetan 3xile
9o)ernment: $Burns, 4ewsgrou# .(* This is "extremely dangerous: and in the #rinci#al
monasteries there was o#en talk of a schism* uring the #arliamentary session the
go)ernment was strongly criticiMed for not ha)ing done anything to treat the Shugden affair
as a internal Tibetan matter, but rather to ha)e told the whole world about it, thus bringing it
to the attention of an international #ublic* +e ha)e to conclude from the committed
discussions of the #arliamentary members that the #ower and #otential influence of
the Shugden followers are actually more significant than one would ha)e thought from the
#re)ious official statements out of haramsala*

Kn the third day of the session the situation in #arliament had reached such a dead
end that there seemed to be nothing more to say* +hat do the re#resentati)es of Tibetans in
exile do in such a situationA > They consult the state oracleV <t is not the members of
#arliament as the re#resentati)es of the #eo#le,s will but rather the oracle god (ehar who
decides which course the go)ernment is to steer in the contro)ersy surrounding the
H'H
recalcitrant =or0e Shugden* The grotes8ueness of the situation can hardly be to##ed,
since (ehar and Shugden > as we learn from the writings of both #arties > are the most
bitter of enemies* 1ow, then, is the Mongolian god $(ehar( su##osed to #ro)ide an
ob6ecti)e 6udgment about his arch7enemy $Shugden(A <ndeed, it was (ehar, who in .QQL
#ro#hesied for the alai !ama that his life and hence the fate of Tibet wee endangered by
the Shugden cult* <n contrast , the Shugden oracle announced that the"undun has been
falsely ad)ised by (ehar for years* 1ence what the state oracle consulted by #arliament
would say was clear in ad)ance* The ad)ice was to combat the Shugden followers with
uncom#romising keenness*

This interesting case is thus a matter of a war between two oracle gods who seek
control o)er the #olitics of Tibet* 4o other exam#le since the flight of the alai !ama $in
.QHQ( has so clearly re)ealed to the #ublic that "gods: are at work behind the Tibetan state,
the realpolitik of the"undun& and the #ower grou#ings of the society of Tibetans in exile*
Kne may well be com#letely ske#tical about such entities, but one cannot a)oid
acknowledging that the ruling elite and the sub6ects of the !amaist state are guided by 6ust
such an ancient world )iew* 1ow these occult struggles are to be reconciled with the
untiringly re#eated #rofessions of belief in democracy is difficult to com#rehend from a
western7oriented way of thinking*

haramsala is com#letely aware that antidemocratic methods must arouse dis8uiet in
the +est* For exam#le, in contrast to before, since the mid7eighties re#orts about the
#ronouncements of oracles no longer #lay a large role in the Tibetan Re+iew $the exile
Tibetans, most im#ortant foreign7language organ of the #ress(* Knly since the
"Shugden affairI $.QQL( has the excessi)e use of oracle mediums in the #olitics of the
Tibetans in exile been redisco)ered and become known worldwide* <n monastic circles it is
o#enly 6oked that the "undun em#loys more oracles than ministers* "Fa)orites and
sorcerers mani#ulate the so)ereign:, it says in a S#anish magaMine, with "demons and
deities fighting to control #eo#leGs minds ***: $<Ws ;llW de la Ciencia, 4o* .&', .QQN(*

4e)ertheless, the 2undun has succeeded amaMingly well in marginaliMing
the Shugden cult internationally and branding it as medie)al su#erstition* For exam#le, the
9erman news magaMine,=er Spiegel& which normally takes an extremely critical stance
H'L
towards religious matters, was #re#ared to blindly take u# the official )ersion of
the Shugden story from haramsala0 theShugden followers, =er Spiegel re#orted, were
res#onsible for two $V( murders and their flight could be traced to -hina and the -hinese
secret ser)ice $Spiegel, .LU.QQP, #* ..Q(* 4early all western media stereoty#ically re#eat
that the ritual murderers came from the ranks of the #rotecti)e god $for exam#le, Time
<agazine ;sia, Se#tember %P, .QQP(*

Kne of the arguments of the Shugden followers in this "battle of the gods: is the claim
that the alai !ama is engaged in selling his own country to the -hinese* 1e $they argue( is
not acting in the interests of his #eo#le at all, since in his Strasbourg eclaration he
renounced the national so)ereignty of Tibet as his goal*

<t is not #ossible for us to form a final 6udgment about such a chargeR howe)er, what
we can in any case assume is the fact that the Mongolian war god (ehar $the 4echung
oracle( can ha)e no interest in the $well7being of the(Tibetans and their nation, against
whom he in former times grimly struggled as a 1or Mongol and who then ensla)ed him* Kf
course, the national interests of the Fourteenth alai !ama could also collide with his
worldwide ambitions concerning the s#read of Tantric Buddhism* +e shall return to this
to#ic in our article on his #olitics towards -hina*

<f > as the tantric belief maintains7 deities are #ulling the strings behind the scenes of
"human: #olitics, then a direct conse8uence of this is that magic $as an in)ocatory art of
gaining influence o)er gods and demons( must be counted among the "#olitical:
acti)ities par excellence* Magic as statecraft is therefore a Tibetan s#ecialty* !et us take a
closer look at this "#ortfolio:*

Footnot(!:
S.T 1ere we ought to ask how a lesser deity like (ehar is able to #redict the future at
all for the hierarchically su#erior Bodhisatt)a ;+alokitesh+ara and the incarnated time god
$"alachakra( who are embodied in the alai !ama*
S%T ;ccording to statements by the followers of Shugden& the Fifth alai !ama is
su##osed to ha)e later changed his mind and #rayed to the #rotecti)e deity* 1e is e)en said
to ha)e molded the first statue of or6e Shugden with his own hands and ha)e com#osed
H'N
#rayers to the #rotecti)e god* This statue is said to currently be found in 4e#al*
S'T Tri6ang 5in#oche is the reincarnation of the deceased lama who #re)iously
initiated the Fourteenth alai !ama into the Shugden cult whilst his teacher*
S@T =# until now $February .QQP( the #olice claim to ha)e identified two of the six
murderers* These ha)e sli##ed o)er the border into 4e#al, howe)er*
7D MA;IC AS A POLITICAL INSTREMENT

Since his flight from Tibet $in .QHQ(, the Fourteenth alai !ama has negotiated the
international #olitical and cultural stage like a sensiti)e democrat and enlightened man of the
world* ;s a matter of course he lays claim to all the western ")irtues: of humanism, freedom
of o#inion, rational argument, belief in technical and scientific #rogress, etc* Kne gains the
im#ression that he is an o#en7minded and modern #resident of a modern nation, who
masterfully combines his cosmo#olitanism with an ele)ated, s#iritually based, ethical system*
But this #ractical, reasoning facade is dece#ti)e* Behind it is hidden a dee#ly rooted belief in
su#ernatural #owers and magic #ractices which are su##osed to exercise a decisi)e influence
u#on social and #olitical e)ents*

In'ocation o- d($on!
Since time immemorial ritual magic and #olitics ha)e been one in Tibet* ; large
#ro#ortion of these magic #ractices are de)oted to the annihilation of enemies, and es#ecially
to the neutraliMing of #olitical o##onents* The hel# of demons was necessary for such ends*
;nd they could be found e)erywhere > the !and of Snows all but o)erflowed with terror
gods, fateful s#irits, )am#ires, ghouls, )engeful goddesses, de)ils, messengers of death and
similar entities, who, in the words of Matthias 1ermanns, "com#letely o)ergrow the mild and
goodly elements Sof BuddhismT and hardly let them re)eal their ad)antages: $1ermanns,
.QLH, #* @&.(*

For this reason, in)ocations of demons were not at all rare occurrences nor were they
restricted to the s#heres of #ersonal and family life* They were in general among the most
#referred functions of the lamas* 1ence, "demonology: was a high science taught at the
H'P
monastic uni)ersities, and ritual dealings with male)olent s#irits were > as we shall see in a
moment > an im#ortant function of the lamaist state* S.T

For the demons to a##ear they ha)e to be offered the a##ro#riate ob6ects of their lust as
a sacrifice, each class of de)il ha)ing its own #articular taste* 5enZ )on 4ebesky7+o6kowitM
describes a number of culinary s#ecialties from the !amaist "demon reci#e books:0 cakes
made of dark flour and bloodR fi)e different sorts of meat, including human fleshR the skull of
the child of an incestuous relationshi# filled with blood and mustard seedsR the skin of a boyR
bowls of blood and brainR a lam# filled with human fat with a wick made of human hairR and a
dough like mixture of gall, brain, blood and human entrails $4ebesky7+o6kowitM, .QHH, #*
%L.(*

Knce the gods had acce#ted the sacrifice they stood at the ritual master,s dis#osal* The
four7armed #rotecti)e deity, <ahakala& was considered a #articularly acti)e assistant when it
came to the destruction of enemies* <n national matters his bloodthirsty emanation, the six7
handed"schetrapala, was called u#on* The magician in charge wrote the war god,s mantra on
a #iece of #a#er in gold ink or blood from the blade of a sword together with the wishes he
ho#ed to ha)e granted, and began the in)ocation*

Towards the end of the forties the 9elug#a lamas sent "schetrapala into battle against
the -hinese* 1e was cast into a roughly three7yard high sacrificial cake $or torma(* This was
then set alight outside !hasa, and whilst the #riests lowered their )ictory banner the demon
freed himself and flew in the direction of the threatened border with his army* ; real battle of
the s#irits took #lace here, as a "nine7headed -hinese demon:, who was assumed to ha)e
assisted the -ommunists in all matters concerning Tibet, a##eared on the battlefield* Both
s#irit #rinces $the Tibetan and the -hinese( ha)e been mortal enemies for centuries*
Kb)iously the nine7headed emerged from this final battle of the demons as the )ictor*

The -hinese claim that %. indi)iduals were killed in this enemy ritual so that their
organs could be used to construct the huge torma* 5elati)es of the )ictims are su##osed to
ha)e testified to this $9runfeld, .QQL, #* %Q(*4ow, one could with good reason doubt the
-hinese accusations because of the #olitical situation between the "Middle 2ingdom: and the
H'Q
"5oof of the +orld:, but not because they contradict the logic of Tibetan rites of war > these
ha)e been recorded in numerous tantric texts*

!ikewise in the middle of last century, the Bellow 1ats from the Samye monastery were
commissioned by the Tibetan go)ernment with the task of ca#turing the army of the
red tsandemons in four huge "cross7hairs: in order to then send them off against the enemies
of the !and of Snows* This magic instrument, a right7angled net of many7colored threads,
stood u#on a multistage base, each of which was filled with such tantric substances as soil
form charnel fields, human skulls, murder wea#ons, the ti#s of the noses, hearts, and li#s of
men who died an unnatural death, #oisonous #lants, and similar things* The re#ulsi)e mixture
was su##osed to attract the tsan like a moth to a candle, so that they would become
inesca#ably caught in the s#ells said o)er the s#irit tra# $4ebesky7+o6kowitM, .QHH, #* %HP(*
Following the se)en7day dee# meditation of a high lama it was ready and the demons could
be gi)en the command to set out against the enemy*

Such a ritual is also said to ha)e summoned u# a terrible earth8uake and great #anic in
4e#al in earlier times, when Tibet was at war with the 4e#alese* 3x#erience had shown,
howe)er, that it sometimes takes a long time before the effects of such harmful rites are felt* <t
took two decades after the successful occu#ation of Tibet by the 3nglish $in .Q&@( before
there was an earth8uake in the <ndian #ro)ince of Bihar in which a number of British soldiers
lost their li)es* The Tibetans also traced this natural disaster back to magical acti)ities which
they had conducted #rior to the in)asion*

,@oodoo $agicC
The #ractice widely known from the 1aitian )oodoo religion of making a likeness of an
enemy or a doll and torturing or destroying this in their #lace is also wides#read in Tibetan
Buddhism* =sually, some substance belonging to the o##onent, be it a hair or a swatch from
their clothing, has to be incor#orated into the substitute* <t is, howe)er, sufficient to note their
name on a #iece of #a#er* 3)en so, sometimes hard7to7find ingredients are necessary for an
effecti)e destructi)e ritual, as shown by the following Buddhist ritual0 "raw a red magic
diagram in the form of a half7moon, then write the name and lineage of the )ictim on a #iece
of cotton which has been used to co)er the cor#se of a #lague )ictim* ;s ink, use the blood of
a dark7skinned Brahmin girl* -all u#on the #rotecti)e deities and hold the #iece of material in
H@&
black smoke* Then lay it in the magic diagram* Swinging a magic dagger made from the
bones of a #lague )ictim, recite the a##ro#riate incantation a hundred thousand times* Then
#lace the #iece of material there where the )ictim makes his nightly cam#: $4ebesky7
+o6kowitM, .QHH, #*%L&(* This induces the death of the #erson* S%T

The same ritual text includes a reci#e for the inducement of madness0 "draw a white
magic circle on the summit of a mountain and #lace the figure of the )ictim in it which you
ha)e to #re#are from the deadly lea)es of a #oisonous tree* Then write the name and lineage
of the )ictims on this figure with white sandalwood resin* 1old it in the smoke from burnt
human fat* +hilst you recite the a##ro#riate s#ell, take a demon dagger made of bone in your
right hand and touch the head of the figure with it* Finally, lea)e it behind in a #lace
where mamo demonesses are in the habit of congregating: $4ebesky7+o6kowitM, .QHH, #*
%L.(*

Such ")oodoo #ractices: were no rare and unhealthy #roducts of the 4yingma#a sect or
the des#ised #re7Buddhist Bon#os* =nder the Fifth alai !ama they became #art of the
ele)ated #olitics of state* The "9reat Fifth: had a terrible "reci#e book: $the @olden
<anuscript( recorded on black thangkas which was exclusi)ely concerned with magical
techni8ues for destroying an enemy* <n it there a number of )ariations u#on the so7called gan
tad ritual are also described0 a man or a woman de#icting the )ictim are drawn in the center of
a circle* They are shackled with hea)y chains around their hands and feet* ;round the figures
the tantra master has written harmful sayings like the following* "the life be cut, the heart be
cut, the body be cut, the #ower be cut, the descent be cut: $4ebesky7+o6kowitM, .QQ', #*
@P'(* The latter means that the )ictim,s relati)es should also be destroyed* 4ow the menstrual
blood of a #rostitute must be dri##ed onto the s#ells, the drawings are gi)en hair and nails*
;ccording to some texts a little dirt scra#ed from a shoe, or some #laster from the )ictim,s
house are sufficient* Then the ritual master folds the #a#er u# in a #iece of cloth* The whole
thing is stuffed into a yak,s horn with further horrible ingredients which we would rather not
ha)e to list* 9lo)es ha)e to be worn when conducting the ritual, since the substances can ha)e
most harmful effects u#on the magician if he comes into contact with them* <n a cemetery he
entreats an army of demons to descend u#on the horn and im#regnate it with their destructi)e
energy* Then it is buried on the land of the enemy, who dies soon afterwards*

H@.
The "9reat Fifth: is su##osed to ha)e #erformed a ")oodoo: ritual for the defeat of the
2agyu#a and the Tsang clan in the 9anden monastery tem#le* 1e regarded them, "whose
s#irit has been clouded by <ara and their de)otion to the 2arma#a:, as enemies of the faith
$;hmad, .QN&, #* .&'(* <n the ritual, a likeness of the Prince of Tsang in the form of
a torma $dough cake( was em#loyed* <ncor#orated into the dough figure were the blood of a
boy fallen in the battles, human flesh, beer, #oison, and so on* %&& years later, when the
Tibetans went to war with the 4e#alese, the lamas had a substitute made of the commander of
the 4e#alese army and conducted a destructi)e ritual with this* The commander died soon
after and the enemy army,s #lans for in)asion had to be abandoned $4ebesky7+o6kowitM,
.QQ', #* @QH(*

;mong other things, Tibetan magic is #remised u#on the existence of a force or energy
#ossessed by e)ery li)ing creature and which is known as la* 1owe)er, this life energy does
not need to be stored within a #erson, it can be found com#letely outside of them, in a lake, a
mountain, a tree, or an animal for instance* ; #erson can also #ossess se)eral las* <f one of his
energy centers is attacked or destroyed he is able to regenerate himself out of the others*
;mong aristocrats and high lamas we may find the la in "royal: animals like the snow lion,
bears, tigers, or ele#hants* For the "middle class: of society we ha)e animals like the ox,
horse, yak, shee#, or mule, and for the lower classes the rat, dog, and scor#ion* The la can
also kee# ali)e a family, a tribe, or a whole #eo#le* For exam#le, !ake Bamdrok is said to
contain the life energy of the Tibetan nation and there is a saying that the whole #eo#le would
die out if it went dry* There is in fact a rumor among the Tibetans in exile that the -hinese
#lanned to drain the entire lake $Tibetan Re+iew, Danuary .QQ%, #* @(*

<f a tantra master wants to #ut an enemy out of action through magic, then he must find
his la and launch a ritual attack u#on it* This is of course also true for #olitical o##onents* <f
the life energy of an enemy is hidden in a tree, for instance, then it makes sense to fell it* The
o##onent would instantly colla#se* 3)ery lama is su##osed on #rinci#le to be ca#able of
locating the la of a #erson )ia astrology and clair)oyance*

Magic wond(r w(a8on!
<n the armories of the "alachakra Tantra and of the "9reat Fifth:, we find the "magic
wheel with the sword s#okes:, described by a contem#orary lama in the following words0 "<t
H@%
is a magic wea#on of fearsome efficacy, a great wheel with eight raMor7edge shar#ened swords
as s#okes* Kur magicians em#loyed it a long time ago in the battle against foreign intruders*
The wheel was charged with magic forces and then loosed u#on the enemy* <t flew s#inning
through the air at the enemy troo#s and its ra#idly rotating s#ikes mowed the soldiers down in
their hundreds* The de)astation wrought by this wea#on was so terrible that the go)ernment
forbade that it e)er be used again* The authorities e)en ordered that all #lans for its
construction be destroyed: $4ebesky7+o6kowitM, .QHH, #* %HN(*

; further magic a##liance, which was, albeit without success, still #ut to use under the
Fourteenth alai !ama, was to be found in a Bellow 1at monastery near !hasa $2ardo
9om#a(* <t was referred to as the "mill of the death demons: and consisted of two small round
stones resting u#on each other, the u##er one of which could be rotated* 5enZ )on 4ebesky7
+o6kowitM re#orts how the lamas started u# this killing machine in .QH& at the beginning of
the conflict with -hina0 "The GMill of the eath emonsG was em#loyed by the Tibetan
go)ernment to kill the leaders of the o##osing #arty* ; #riest who was es#ecially ex#erienced
in the arts of black magic was a##ointed by the authorities to o#erate the instrument* <n
meditations extending o)er weeks he had to try to transfer the life energy $la( of the #eo#le he
was su##osed to kill into a number of mustard seeds* <f he noticed from curtains indications
that he had succeeded, then he laid the seeds between the stones and crushed them* **** The
exterminating force which emanated from this magic a##liance is su##osed to e)en ha)e had
its effect u#on the magician who o#erated it* Some of them, it is said, died after turning the
GMill of the eath emonsG/ $4ebesky7+o6kowitM, .QHH, ##* %HN7%HP(*

Th( ,;r(at Fi-thC a! $agician and th( Fourt((nth Daai La$a
The Fifth alai !ama was a enthusiast and a master of magic ritual #olitics* ;
distinction was drawn in the ceremonies he conducted between continuous, annually re#eated
state e)ents, and s#ecial, mostly enemy7combating e)ents* 1is "rituals SwereT concerned with
#owerR s#iritual and #olitical:, writes Samten 2armay, "*** we stand in the arena of the dawn
of modern Tibetan history: $2armay, .QPP, #* %L(*

The god7king was firmly con)inced that he owed his #olitical )ictories #rimarily to "the
#rofound #otency of the tantric rites: and only secondarily to the inter)ention of the
Mongolians $;hmad, .QN&, #* .'@(* ;ccording to a 2agyu#a document, the Mongolian
H@'
occu#ation of the !and of Snows was the work of nine terror gods who were freed by the
9elug#as under the condition that they fetch the Mongolian hordes into Tibet to #rotect their
order* "But in the #rocess they brought much suffering on our land:, we read at the close of
the document $Bell, .QQ@, #* QP(*

The )isions and #ractices of the magic obsessed Fifth alai !ama are 7as we ha)e
already mentioned > recorded in two )olumes he wrote0 firstly the Sealed and Secret
$iography and then the @olden <anuscript* This abundantly illustrated book of rituals, which
resembles the notoriousgrimoires $books of magic( of the 3uro#ean Middle ;ges, was, in the
master,s own words, written "for all those who wish to do drawings and #aintings of the
hea)ens and the deities: $2armay, .QPP, #* .Q(* S'T

Ma)i' dra%in) *rom the ;od(n Manu!cri8t o* the Ci*th Dalai Lama
H@@

+e ha)e no direct knowledge of any modern ")oodoo #ractices: #erformed by the
Fourteenth alai !ama, who has chosen the magician #rince from the .Nth century, the "9reat
Fifth:, as his most im#ortant model* 1ere, the "undun has 6ust as skillfully succeeded in
laying a )eil o)er the shadowy world of his occult ritual life as with the sexual magic
initiations of Tantrism* But there are rumors and insinuations which allow one to sus#ect that
he too deliberately conducts or has conducted such tantric killing rites*

<n one case this is com#letely ob)ious and he himself has confirmed this* Thus we may
read in the most recent edition of his autobiogra#hy of how he staged a rite connected to
the "alachakra Tantra on the day of Mao Cedong,s death* Kn the second the ceremony,s
three days, Mao died* ;nd the third day, it rained all morning* But, in the afternoon, there
a##eared one of the most beautiful rainbows < ha)e e)er seen* < was certain that it must be a
good omen: we hear from the alai !ama,s own mouth $alai !ama ?<V, .QQ&, %%%(* The
biogra#her of 1is 1oliness, -laude B* !e)enson, re#orts of this ritual that it was a matter of
"an extremely strict #ractice which demanded com#lete seclusion lasting se)eral weeks
combined with a )ery s#ecial teaching of the Fifth alai !ama: $!e)enson, .QQ&, #* %@%(*
5ecalling the strange death of the 3m#ress owager -i ?i and her im#erial ado#ti)e son
described abo)e, one may well ask whether this "strict #ractice: may not ha)e been a killing
rite recorded in the @olden <anuscript of the "9reat Fifth:* <n Buddhist circles the death of
Mao Cedong is also celebrated as the )ictory of s#iritualUmagic forces o)er the raw )iolence
of materialism*

<n such a context, and from a tantricUmagic )iew#oint, the )isiting of eng ?iao#ing by
9yalo Thondu#, one of the alai !ama,s brothers and himself a tulku, to may also ha)e a
momentous significance* Thondu# negotiated with the -hinese #arty head o)er the 8uestion
of Tibet* eng died a few days after this meeting, on February .%, .QQN $(layboy S9erman
editionT, March .QQP, #* @@(*

Mandaa 8oitic!
<n contrast, the Fourteenth alai constantly and 8uite #ublicly conducts a magic #ractice
which is less s#ectacular, but from a tantric #oint of )iew 6ust as significant as the killing of a
H@H
#olitical o##onent > it is 6ust that this is not recogniMed as a act of magic* +e are talking
about the construction of mandalas, es#ecially the "alachakra sand mandala*

+e ha)e already re#orted in detail on the homologies between a tantric mandala, the
body of a yogi, the social en)ironment, and the uni)erse* -onsistently thought through, this
e8ui)alence means that the construction of a mandala must be regarded as a magic #olitical
act* Through a magic diagram, a tantra master can "energetically: occu#y and lay claim to the
location of its construction and the corres#onding en)irons* Peo#le within range of the #ower
of such a magic architectural construction are influenced by the mandala,s energy and their
consciousness is mani#ulated by it*

The "alachakra sand mandala thus ser)es not only to initiate ade#ts but also likewise as
a magic title of #ossession, with which control o)er a #articular territory can be legitimated*
;ccordingly, the magic #ower of the diagram gi)es its constructors the chance to
symbolically con8uer new territories* Kne builds a magic circle $a mandala( and "anchors: it
in the region to be claimed* Then one summonses the gods and su##licates them to take u#
residence in the "mandala #alace:* $The mandala is so to s#eak "energiMed: with di)ine
forces*( ;fter a #articular territory has been occu#ied by a mandala $or cosmogram(, it is
automatically transformed into a sacred center of Buddhist cosmology*S@T 3)ery construction
of a mandala also im#lies > if one takes it seriously > the magic sub6ugation of the
inhabitants of the region in which the "magic circle: is constructed*

<n the case of the "alachakra sand mandala the #laces in which it has been built are
transformed into domains under the control of the Tibetan time gods* ;ccordingly, from a
tantric )iew#oint, the"alachakra mandala constructed at great ex#ense in 4ew Bork in .QQ.
would be a cosmological demonstration of #ower which aimed to say that the city now stood
under the go)erning authority or at least s#iritual influence of "alachakra and -ish+amata*
Since in this case it was the Fourteenth alai !ama who conducted the ritual as the su#reme
tantra master, he would ha)e to be regarded as the s#iritualUmagic so)ereign of the metro#olis*
Such fantastic s#eculations are a #roduct of the ancient logic of his own magic system, and
are incom#atible with our ideas* +e are nonetheless con)inced that the laws of magic affect
human reality #ro#ortional to the degree to which #eo#lebelie+e in them*

H@L
Further, there is no doubt that the magic diagrams e)oke an exce#tional fascination in
some obser)ers* This is confirmed, for exam#le, by Malcolm ;rth, art director of an ;merican
museum in which Tibetan monks constructed a "alachakra sand mandala0 "The a)erage
museum )isitor s#ends about ten seconds before a work of art, but for this exhibit, time is
measured in minutes, sometime hours* 3)en the youngsters, who come into the museum and
run around as if it were a #layground > these same youngsters walk into this s#ace, and
something ha##ens to them* TheyGre transformed: $Bryant, .QQ%, ##* %@H7%@L(* The ;merican
Buddhist, Barry Bryant, e)en talks of an "electric kind of energy: which #er)ades the s#ace in
which the "alachakra mandala is found $Bryant, .QQ%, #* %@N(*

1owe)er, what most #eo#le from the +est e)aluate as a #urely artistic #leasure, is
ex#erienced by the lamas and their western followers as a numinous encounter with
su#ernatural forces and #owers concentrated within a mandala* This idea can be extended so
far that modern exhibitions of Tibetan artworks can be concei)ed by their Buddhist organiMers
as tem#les and initiation #aths through which the )isitors knowingly or unknowingly #roceed*
Mircea 3liade has described the #rogression through a holy #lace $a tem#le( in ancient times
as follows0 "3)ery ritual #rocession is e8ui)alent to a #rogression to the center, and the entry
into a tem#le re#eats the entry into a mandala in an initiation or the #rogress of
the kundalini through the chakras: $3liade, .QPH, #* %H'(*

The ma6or Tibet exhibition "+eisheit und !iebe: $+isdom and !o)e(, on )iew in Bonn
in the summer of .QQL as well as at a number locations around the world, was designed along
#recisely these lines by 5obert ;* F* Thurman and Marylin M* 5hie* The conce#tion behind
this exhibition, Thurman writes, "is symbolically significant* <t *** draws its guiding #rinci#le
from the mandala of the "wheel of time: S"alachakraT, the mystic site which embodies the
#erfect history and cosmos of the Buddha* *** The arrangement of the indi)idual exhibits
reflects the deliberate attem#t to simulate the en)ironment of a Tibetan tem#le: $Thurman and
5hie, .QQL, ##* .'O.@(*

;t the entrance one #assed a "alachakra sand mandala* The )isitor then entered the
)arious historical #hases of <ndian Buddhism arranged into se#arate rooms, beginning with
the legends from the life of Buddha, then Hinayana, <ahayana& and -a0rayana* The
simulated "initiatory #ath: led on to Tibet #assing through the four main schools in the
H@N
following order0 4yingma#a, Sakya#a, 2agyu#a, and then 9elug#a* ;fter the
")isitorUinitiand: had so to s#eak obtained the secret teachings of the )arious sects, he or she
ste##ed into the final "hall: of the exhibition tem#le* This was again, like the start, dedicated
to the "alachakra Tantra*

Through the construction of this exhibition the history of Buddhism and of Tibet was
#resented as a mystery #lay #layed out o)er centuries* 3)ery single e#och in the history of the
Buddhist doctrine counted as a kind of initiatory stage in the e)olutionary #rogression of
humanity which was su##osed to culminate in the establishment of a global Shambhala state*
The same initiatory role was filled by the four Tibetan schools* They all stood > in the
inter#retation of the exhibitor > in a hierarchic relation to one another* 3ach ste# u# was
based on the one before it0 the Sakya#as on the 4yingma#as, the 2agyu#as on the Sakya#as,
and the 9elug#as on the 2agyu#as* The message was that the history of Buddhism, es#ecially
in Tibet, had had to #rogress like a initiand through the indi)idual schools and sects ste# by
ste# so as to further de)elo# its awareness and then reach its highest earthly goal in the #erson
of the alai !ama*

The )isitor entered the exhibition through a room which contained a "alachakra sand
mandala $the "time #alace:(* This was su##osed to #roclaim that from now on he or she was
mo)ing through the dimension of $historical( time* <n accordance with the cyclical world )iew
of Buddhism, howe)er, the 6ourney through time ended there where it had begun* Thus at the
end of the tour the )isitor left the exhibition )ia the same room through which he or she had
entered it, and once more #assed by the sand mandala $the "time #alace:(*

<f the Tibet exhibition in Bonn was in Thurman,s words su##osed to ha)e a symbolic
significance, then the final message was catastro#hic for the )isitor* The final $V( image in the
"tem#le exhibition: $before one re7entered the room containing the "alachakra sand
mandala( de#icted the a#ocaly#tic Shambhala battle, or $as the catalog literally referred to it(
the "Buddhist ;rmageddon:*SHT +e would like to 8uote from the official, enthusiastically
written ex#lanatory text which accom#anied the thangka0 "The forces of 9ood from the
kingdom of Shambhala fight against the #owers of 3)il who hold the world in their control,
centuries in the future* Phalanxes of soldiers go into combat, great carts full of soldiers, as
small as !illi#utians are drawn into battle by huge white ele#hants, laser7like $V( wea#ons
H@P
loose their fire and fantastic ele#hant7like animals mill together and struggle beneath the
glowing s#here of the kingdom: $Thurman and 5hie, .QQL, #* @P%(* +ith this doomsday
)ision before their eyes the )isitors lea)e the "tem#le: and return to the"alachakra sand
mandala*

But who was the ruler of this time #alace, who is the time god $"alachakra( and the
time goddess $-ish+amata( in oneA 4one other than the #atron of the Tibet exhibition in
Bonn, 1is 1oliness the Fourteenth alai !ama* 1e destroyed the "alachakra sand mandala in
Bonn in the ritual we ha)e described abo)e and then absorbed its energies $the time gods
residing in it(* <f we #ursue this tantric logic further, then after the absor#tion of the mandala
energies the "undun assumed control o)er the region which had been sealed by the magic
diagram $the sand mandala(* <n brief, he became the s#iritual regent of BonnV !et us re#eat,
this is not our idea, it is rather the ancient logic of the tantric system* That it howe)er in this
instance corres#onded with reality is shown by the enormous success 1is 1oliness en6oyed in
the 9erman Bundestag $1ouse of 5e#resentati)es( after )isiting his ""alachakra TempleI in
Bonn $in .QQL(* The 2ohl go)ernment had to subse8uently endure its most se)ere #olitical
acid test in relations with -hina because of the 8uestion of Tibet*

Scattered about the whole world in #arallel to his "alachakra initiations, sand mandalas
ha)e been constructed for the Fourteenth alai !ama* +hat a##ears to a western obser)er to
be a )aluable traditional work of art, is in its intentions a seal of #ower of the Tibetan gods
and a magic foundation for the stri)en7for world dominion of the ;< B=1; $in the
figure of the "undun(*

Footnot(!:
S.T The disci#line is indebted to the ;ustrian, 5enZ de 4ebesky7+o6kowitM, for the most
#rofound insight into Tibetan demonology, his great work, Nracles and =emons of Tibet. 1is
early death, and his wife,s suicide shortly afterwards are seen by the Tantra researcher, Dohn
Blofeld ,as an act of re)enge by the s#irits whom he described*
S%T Kf course, these killing #ractices stand in irreconcilable o##osition to the Buddhist
commandment to not harm any li)ing being* To gloss o)er this discordance, the lamas ha)e a
cle)er excuse on hand0 the ritual master #re)ents the )ictim from #er#etrating further bad
deeds which would only burden him with bad karma and bring him certain damnation*
H@Q
S'T The @olden <anuscript is considered the #recursor of the black thangkas, which
otherwise first emerged in the .P
th
century* They were es#ecially de)elo#ed for the e)ocation
of tantric terror gods* The background of the images is always of the darkest colorR the
illustrations are s#arsely drawn, often in gold ink > hence the name of the @olden
<anuscript* This techni8ue gi)es the images a mysterious, dangerous character* The deities
"s#ring out of the awful darkness of cosmic night, all aflame: comments 9uise##e Tucci
$2armay, .QPP, #* %%(*
S@T Such a magic occu#ation does not e)en need to be #erformed )ia an external actR a
s#ecially trained lama can mentally execute it through the #ower of imagination alone*
SHT The catalog text did indeed use the 1ebrew term armageddon, 6ust as the doomsday
guru Shoko ;sahara also s#oke of ";rmageddon:*
D THE WAR ;ODS #EHIND
THE MAS4 OF PEACE


The aggressi)eness of the Tibetan tutelary gods $harma#alas(
9esar of !ing 7 the Tibetan /Siegfried/
The Tibetan warrior kings and the clerical successors
The alai !amas as the su#reme war lords
The historical distortion of the /#eaceful/ Tibetans
<s the ?<V alai !ama the /greatest li)ing #rince of #eace/
Tibetan guerrillas and the -<;
Marching music and terror
Political calculation and the Buddhist message of #eace
"Buddha has smiled:0 The alai !ama and the <ndian atomic tests


+hen Buddhism is talked about today in the +est, then the warlike #ast of Tibet is not a
to#ic* The ma6ority of #eo#le understand the Buddha,s teaching to be a religion with a
#rogram that includes inner and outer #eace, humans li)ing together in harmony, the re6ection
of any form of )iolence or aggression, a commandment against all killing, and in general a
HH&
radically #acifist attitude* Such a fundamental ethical attitude is rightly demanded by
Buddhists through an a##eal to their founder* ;dmittedly, the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni,
was born as the descendant of a king from the warrior caste, howe)er, he abandoned his
family, became "homeless:, and distanced himself from e)ery as#ect of the art of war* 1e did
so not 6ust for moral reasons, but also because he recogniMed that wars are the ex#ression of
one,s own misdirected awareness and that the dualism taken to its limits in war contained a
false )iew of the world* 5educed to a concise formula, what he wanted to say with this was
that in the final instance the ego and its enemy are one* Shakyamuni was a #acifist because he
was an idealist e#istemologist* Knly later, in <ahayana Buddhism, did the ethical argument
for the fundamental #acifism of the dharma $the doctrine( emerge alongside the #hiloso#hical
one* ; strict ban on killing, the re8uirement of non)iolence, and com#assion with all li)ing
beings were considered the three su#reme moral maxims*

Both of these arguments against war, the e#istemological and the human7#olitical, today
#lay a fundamental role in the international self7#resentation of the Fourteenth alai !ama*
Tirelessly and u#on countless occasions o)er the last decades 1is 1oliness has done what he
can for world #eace* For this reason he recei)ed the 4obel #eace #riMe in .QPQ* 1is #acifist
sermons and #olitical #rograms were not the least reason for the fact that the Tibet of old
$#rior to the -hinese occu#ation( was increasingly seen and admired in the +est as a #eaceful
sanctuary, inhabited by unwarlike and highly ethically de)elo#ed #eo#le, a #aradise on earth*
; western student of the dharma has summariMed Tibet,s history in the following concise
sentence0 "Buddhism turned their Sthe TibetanT society from a fierce grim world of war and
intrigue into a #eaceful, colorful, cheerful realm of #leasant und meaningful li)ing: $8uoted
by !o#eM, .QQP, #* N(* +ith this longed7for image the "undun seiMed u#on a thread already
s#un by numerous 3uro7;merican authors $since the nineteen7thirties(, abo)e all Dames
1ilton, in his best7seller The 9ost Horizon*

=nder the leadershi# of their lamas, the Tibetans in exile ha)e thus succeeded in
#resenting themsel)es to the world #ublic as a s#iritual #eo#le of #eace threatened by
genocide, who in a #eriod rocked by conflicts wish to s#read their #acifist message* ";
confession with which one cannot go wrong:, wrote the 9erman news magaMine, Spiegel& in
reference to Tibetan Buddhism, "Two7and7a7half thousand years of #eaceableness in #lace of
the in8uisition, monks who always seemed cheerful rather than officious and im#ertinent
HH.
religious leaders, ho#e for nir)ana rather than the threat of 0ihad > Buddhism harms no7one
and has become trendyI $Spiegel, .LU.QQP, #* .&Q(* ;nd the 9erman Buddhist and actor
Sigmar Solbach ex#lained to his tele)ision audience that "a war has ne)er been fought in the
name of Buddhism: $Spiegel, .LU.QQP, #* .&Q(* 5egrettably, the o##osite is the case >
countless wars ha)e been fought in the name of Buddhism 6ust as they ha)e in the name of
-hristianity* The Shambhala myth has rightly > as we shall demonstrate on the basis of
historical e)ents > been described as the "Buddhist 6ihad: $holy war(*

Th( aggr(!!i'(n(!! o- th( Ti5(tan tut(ar% god! &dhar$a8aa!)
+hen we examine the iconogra#hy of Tantric Buddhism it literally swarms with
aggressi)e warriors, demons, )am#ires, monsters, sword bearers, flame magicians, and
a)enging gods, who ha)e at their dis#osal an o)erflowing arsenal of wea#ons0 s#ears, s#ikes,
darts, shields, clubs, hooks, slings, kni)es, daggers, and all manner of killing machines* This
downright grotes8ue collection of re#ellant figures reflects on the one hand the social
struggles which <ndian Buddhism had to endure in the dis#ute with 1induism and later with
<slam* Kn the other it is a dogmatic #art of the tantric #ro6ect, which makes wrath, aggression,
murder, and the annihilation of enemies the starting #oint of its system of rituals* ; total of
three ty#es of warlike deities are distinguished in -a0rayanaBuddhism0

.* Th( horror a!8(ct o- a 8(ac(-u #uddha2 th( !o-ca(d her"kaD
*D Th( ,-(!h-(atingC da1ini who cha(ng(! th( ad(8t on hi! initiator%
8athD
'* Wari1( -or(ign god! who ha'( 5((n incor8orat(d in th( tantric
!%!t($ a! ,8rot(ctor! o- th( -aithC &dharmapala)D

<n all three cases the "wrathful gods: direct their #otential for aggression outwards,
against the "enemies of the faith:, and without exaggerating one can say that
the heruka as#ect of a Buddha #lays 6ust as great a role in the cultural life of Tibetan
Buddhism as the #eaceful as#ect of a com#assionate Bodhisatt)a*

<n !amaism, Tibet,s mystic history and "ci)iliMation: has always been ex#erienced and
#ortrayed as the coercion and ensla)ement of the local gods and demons* <f these wanted to
remain ali)e after their magic struggle with the magician lamas then they had to commit
HH%
themsel)es under oath to ser)e in future as a #rotecti)e guard under Tibetan command* Their
basic warlike attitude was thus neither reduced at all nor transformed by Buddhism, rather it
was used as a means to achie)e its own ambitions and thus increased* This meta#olitics of the
!amaist clergy has led to a systematic extension and ex#ansion of its grotes8ue
#andemonium, which afflicted the country across the centuries* There was no tem#le in which
these monsters were not $and still are( #rayed to* <n the gloomy gokhang, the chamber or hall
where their cult worshi# took $and still takes( #lace, hung $and still hang( their black
thangkas, surrounded by an arsenal of biMarre wea#ons, masks and stuffed animals* ried
human organs were disco)ered there, the tanned skin of enemies and the bones of children*
3arlier western )isitors ex#erienced this realm of shadows as a "chaotic, contradictory world
like the images formed in a delirium: $Sierksma, .QLL, #* .LL(*

There are dreadful rumors about the obscure rituals which were #erformed in the
"horror chambers: $;ustin +addell(, and not without reason, then human flesh, blood, and
other bodily substances were considered the most effecti)e sacrificial offerings with which to
a##ease the terror gods* <f this flow of bloody food for the demons e)er dries u#, then
according to Tibetan #ro#hecies they fall u#on innocent #eo#le, indeed e)en u#on lamas so as
to still their )am#ire7like thirst $1ermanns, .QHL, #* .QP(*

HH'
,hrine o* the tibetan %ar )od Be)tse

The number of "red and black executioners:, as the "#rotectors of the doctrine: are
sometimes known, is legion, since e)ery #lace in the land is ser)ed by its own regional
demons* 4onetheless some among them are es#ecially #rominent, like the war god $egtse, for
exam#le, also known asChamsrin* <n the iconogra#hy he strides o)er cor#ses swinging a
sword in his right hand and holding a human heart to his mouth with the left so that he can
consume it* 1is s#ouse,=ongmarma the "red face:, chews at a cor#se and is mounted u#on a
man7eating bear* ;nother "#rotecti)e god:, %ama& the 6udge of the dead, king of hell and an
emanation of ;+alokitesh+ara$and thus also of the alai !ama(, threatens with a club in the
form of a child,s skeleton in his right hand* (alden 9hamo, the Tibetan god7king,s #rotecti)e
goddess whom we ha)e already introduced, gallo#s through a lake of blood using her son,s
skin as a saddle*
HH@

3)en for the "su#erhuman: lamas this hellish army is only with difficulty ke#t under
control* 1ence it is not rare that demons succeed in breaking free of their magical chains and
then loosing their wrath u#on e)en the #ious belie)ers* For instance, in the #ast women were
not allowed to enter the main tem#le of the 2umbum monastery because the "terrible gods:
worshi##ed there would then fall into a blind rage and there was a danger that they would take
it out u#on all of humanity* Sometimes the rebellious s#irits e)en seiMed the body of a nai)e
monk, #ossessed him with their destructi)e energy and then ran amok in this form* Kr, the
other way around, a disa##ointed lama who felt himself to ha)e been un6ustly treated in life
u#on dying transformed into a merciless )engeful s#irit* S.T The Tibetan go)ernment $the
2ashag( and the alai !ama must also defend themsel)es time and again against acts of
re)enge by o##osing #rotecti)e s#irits* <n connection with the Shugden affair described
abo)e, Dames Burns refers to a total of .. historical exam#les $Burns, 4ewsgrou# Q(*

The clergy in the Tibet of old was busy day and night defending themsel)es from
foreign demons and kee#ing their own under control* This was not moti)ated by fear alone,
then the fees for defensi)e rituals against male)olent s#irits counted as a lucrati)e source of
income if not the most significant of all* ;s soon as something did not seem right, the
su#erstitious #eo#les sus#ected that a demon was at work and fetched a lama to act as an
exorcist for a fee and dri)e it out*

The utch #sychologist and cultural critic, Fokke Sierksma, inter#reted the cult of the
terror gods as an "incom#lete acculturation of a warrior nation that for the sake of Buddhism
has had to gi)e u# a #art of itself, of a Buddhism that for that warrior nation has also had to
abandon an integral #art, while the two ha)e not found ultimate reconciliation: $Sierksma,
.QLL, #* .LP(* +e do not find it difficult to agree with this 6udgment* Bet it must be added that
the abandonment of Buddhist #rinci#les like non)iolence and #eaceableness did not first
begin in TibetR it is, rather, im#licit in the tantric doctrine itself* Thus it was not the case that a
#acifist Buddhism came out of <ndia to tame a warlike country, rather, the <ndian founding
fathers of Tibetan Buddhism themsel)es brought numerous terror gods with them and thereby
significantly added to the already existing army of nati)e demons* <ahakala& -a0rabhaira+a&
%ama& ;cala& or whate)er their names may be, are all of <ndian origin*

HHH
;(!ar o- Ling: Th( Ti5(tan ,Si(g-ri(dC
;nybody who wishes to gain further insight into the ancient warrior mentality of the
Tibetans cannot a)oid studying the #re7Buddhist @esar e#ic* Kld shamanic beliefs and
"heathen: uses of magic #lay 6ust as great a role in the ad)entures of this national hero as the
language of wea#ons* The ad)entures of @esar +on 9ing ha)e been com#ared with the
9ermanic 4ibelungen e#ic, and not without reason0 darede)ilry, braggadocio, intre#id
courage, thirst for re)enge, s#orting contests, tumultuous slaughter, military strategy, tricks,
dece#tion, betrayal can be found in both, 6ust like 6oy and suffering in lo)e, courtly lo)e,
feminine de)otion, ra#e, mighty amaMons, sorceresses, marital infidelity, 6ealousy, re)enge of
the Furies* Kn the basis of the similarities s#anning whole scenes it may not e)en be ruled out
that the #oets com#osing both e#ics drew u#on the same sources* Kne difference lies #erha#s
in that in @esar's milieu it is e)en more barbarically eaten and drunk than among the
9ermanic warriors*

3)en if the name of the hero may be historically deri)ed from a Tibetification of the
!atin Caesar$/em#eror:(, his mythic origin is of a di)ine nature* The old soldier was
dis#atched from hea)en to fulfill a mission* 1is di)ine #arents sent him to earth so that he
could free the country of !ing $Tibet( from an e)il demon which, after many su#erhuman
deeds, he also succeeded in doing* +e do not intend to re#ort here on the fantastic ad)entures
of the hero* +hat interests us is @esar'sthoroughly aggressi)e mentality* The numerous
e#isodes that tell of the #roud self7awareness and #hysical strength of the women are
es#ecially striking, so that the e#ic can definitely not ha)e been #enned by a lama* <n some
)ersions $se)eral widely differing ones are known( there are also 8uite heretical comments
about the Buddhist clergy and a biting sarcasm which s#ares no as#ect of monastic life* +hat
remains beyond any criticism is, howe)er, is an unbounded glorification of war* This
made @esar a model for all the military forces of central ;sia*

;s a sam#le of the bragging cruelty which dominates the whole e#ic, we 8uote a
#assage translated by -harles Bell > the song of a knight from @esar's retinue0

1e do not need s%ordsA o"r ri)ht hands are eno")h#
1e split the body in the middle
and '"t the side into pie'es#
HHL
5ther men "se 'l"bs made o* %oodA
1e re!"ire no %oodA
o"r th"mbs and *ore*in)ers are eno")h#
1e 'an destroy by r"bbin) thri'e %ith o"r *in)ers#####
$he blood o* the liver Qo- our (n($i(!R %ill es'ape *rom the mo"th#
$ho")h %e do not inj"re the skin
1e %ill take o"t all the entrails thro")h the mo"th#
$he man %ill still be alive
$ho")h his heart %ill 'ome to his mo"th####
$his body Qo- our (n($%R %ith eyes and head
1ill be made into a hat
*or the kin) o* the %hite tent tribe#
= o**er the heart to the %ar )od
o* the %hite people o* Lin)
$Bell, .QQ@, ##* .'7.@(

There is little trace of ethics, morality, or Buddhist com#assion hereV <n an anthology
edited by 9eoffrey Samuel, Pema Tsering and 5udolf 2aschewsky also indicate that "the
basic #rinci#le Sof the e#icT is to seek oneGs own ad)antage by any means a)ailable* +hether
the o##onent is led astray by dece#tion, whether treachery is ex#loited or the otherGs weakness
brutally made use of, scru#les or any 8ualms of conscience are entirely lacking* <f there is a
basic idea that runs through the whole work it is the #rinci#le that might is right: $Tsering and
2aschewsky in Samuel, .QQ@, #* L@(*

But this is #recisely what makes the #re7Buddhist 9esar myth so interesting for the
#hiloso#hy of the Tantrics* <t is for this reason that 9eoffrey Samuel also reaches the
conclusion that the e#ic is "a classical ex#ression of the shamanic -a0rayana religion
of Tibet: $Samuel, .QQ', HH(* This would indeed mean that both systems, the Tantric
Buddhism of <ndia and the #re7Buddhist shamanism of Tibet, entered into a culture7bearing
symbiosis with one another*

The 4yingma#as, for exam#le, saw in the hero $@esar( an incarnation of
Padmasambha)a, who returned to dri)e the demons out of the !and of Snows* Kther !amaist
HHN
inter#reters of the e#ic celebrate @esar as "lord o)er the three7layered cosmos: and
as Chakra+artin $1ummel, .QQ', #* H'(* The belief that the "9reat Fifth: was an incarnation
of the semi7di)ine warrior was and is still widely distributed* <n eastern Tibet at the start of
last century the Thirteenth alai !ama was worshi##ed as @esar reborn* <n contrast, the
su#reme clerical incarnation in Mongolia, the Dabtsundamba 2hutuktu, is considered to be an
embodiment of @esar's miraculous horse*

; connection has also often been drawn between the rough darede)il and
the Shambhala myth* Following his earthly demise he is su##osed to ha)e gone to the mythic
country in order to wait for the #ro#hesied final battle* ;fter he "has left this mortal world
once more, there is, according to the Tibetans, a connection between him and the !amaist
a#ocaly#se: $1ummel, .QQ', #* 'N(*

3)en in the twentieth century, his archety#e as a militant sal)ational figure #layed an
im#ortant role for the Tibetan guerrillas in the fifties and sixties* <n the struggle against the
-hinese -ommunists the return of the war hero was longed for so that Tibet could be freed
from the "red tyranny:* The myth is currently again ex#eriencing a renaissance in Tibetan
underground circles* <n .QP% there was a mo)ement in the #ro)ince of ;mdo whose leader,
Sonam Phuntsog, #roclaimed himself to be an incarnation of @esar the war hero* The grou#,s
acti)ities were mostly of a magic nature and consisted abo)e all in the in)ocation of the terror
gods*

<n good dualist form, these announced )ia a #ossession that now is the time when the
deities of the Gwhite sideG hold their heads high and the demons of the Wdark side, are defeated:
$SchwartM, .QQ@* #* %%Q(* <t is astounding how seriously the "atheist: -hinese take such magic
sZances and that they ban them as "o#en rebellion:*

The 9esar myth is ex#eriencing a renaissance in the +est as well* For exam#le, the 5ed
1at lama -hJgyam Trung#a, allows the barbarian to be worshi##ed by his #u#ils in
the =S; as a militant role7model* <n the meantime, the hero has become a symbol for
freedom and self7confidence worthy of emulation for many western Buddhists who ha)e not
made the slightest effort to examine his ata)istic lifestyle*

HHP
3)en the Fourteenth alai !ama $/the greatest li)ing #rince of #eace:( does not criticiMe
the war hero, but rather goes so far as to see him > this )iew must be regarded as a high #oint
of tantric in)ersion > as a master of com#assion0 "-ould @esar return one day, as some
#eo#le claim and others belie)eA: asks the "undun& and answers, "The fact is that he
#romised this* *** <s it not also said that @esar is an incarnation of ;+alokitesh+ara, the
Buddha of boundless com#assionA 1e is thus also a master and masters ha)e much #ower ***:
$!e)enson, .QQ&, #* P'(* There is s#eculation in Buddhist circles on the basis of such
8uotations as to whether 1is 1oliness $likewise an incarnation of ;+alokitesh+ara( is not also
an embodiment of the barbaric @esar, #articularly since the "9reat Fifth: also claimed to be
so* The 8uestion of how com#atible such a martial #ast can be with the award of the 4obel
#eace #riMe remains unanswered, howe)er*

;ccording to 5onald * SchwartM, in the current #rotest mo)ements in Tibet the return
of the mythic warrior @esar, the a##earance of the Shambhala king, and the e#i#hany of
Buddha<aitreya are eschatologically linked with the immediate and tangible #ossibility of
the return of the alai !ama to Tibet: $SchwartM, .QQ@, #* %'.(* 5ainbows and earth8uakes
are su##osed to show that su#erhuman forces are also at work in the rebellion* S%T

1owe)er, so that 9esar,s martial character does not scare off western souls or bring
them into conflict with their Buddhist ideals, the lamas sol)e the #roblem > as always in
such cases > with a sub6ectification of the myth* 1ence, in the ad)entures of 9esar Tarthang
Tulku sees e)ery ade#t,s inner struggle with his bad self0 "<nter#reted symbolically, 2ing
9esar, re#resenting freedom and liberation from the bondage of ignorance, is the 2ing of the
human mind* The 2ingdom of !ing is the realm of restless ex#erience that must be unified
and strengthened* The treasure to win and #rotect is our own understanding* The enemies that
we must con8uer are emotionality and ignorance: $8uoted by Samuel, .QQ@, #* LH(*

+estern #u#ils, of whom hardly any may ha)e read the )iolent e#ic, swallow such
messages with shining eyes* But if it were consistently a##lied to the s#iritual struggles,
the @esar #attern would im#ly that one would ha)e to em#loy brutality, murder,
underhandedness, disloyalty, ra#e, coarseness, boasting, mercilessness, and similar traits
against oneself in order to attain enlightenment* +hat counts is )ictory, and in achie)ing it all
means are allowed*
HHQ

The #olitical danger which can arise from such an undifferentiated glorification
of @esar may #erha#s become ob)ious if we think back to the 4ibelungen e#ic, which, as we
ha)e already mentioned, may according to se)eral researchers draw u#on the same mythic
sources* For the ma6ority of 9ermans the fateful glorification of Siegfried the dragonslayer by
the national socialists $the 4aMis( still raises a shudder* Bet in com#arison to his barbaric
Tibetan "brother:, the blond 9ermanic knight still a##ears noble, honest, good7natured, and
#ious*

Th( Ti5(tan warrior 1ing! and th(ir c(rica !ucc(!!or!
<n the guidelines for a new form of go)ernment after the liberation of
the !and of Snows from the im#osition of the -hinese will, the Fourteenth alai !ama wrote
$in .QQ'( that, "under the control of its kings and the alai !amas the #olitical system
of Tibet was firmly anchored in its s#iritual )alues* ;s a conse8uence #eace and ha##iness
reigned in Tibet: $alai !ama ?<V, .QQ'b, #* %@(*

+hether this statement is true can only be #ro)ed by the e)ents of history* !et us cast a
glance back then, into Tibet,s #ast* ;s successful and brutal military leaders, the two most
im#ortant kings of the Barlung dynasty, Songtsen 9am#o $L.N7LH&( and Trisong etsen $N@%7
P&'(, extended their dominion dee# into -hina with a thorough7going #olitics of war* Both
were, at least according to the sagas, incarnations of Bodhisatt)as, i*e*, com#assionate beings,
although the Tibetan armies were feared throughout all of inner ;sia for their merciless
cruelty* 5e#orts from the Tang annals also admire the highly de)elo#ed art of war of the
Tibetan "barbarians:* 3)en modern authors still today enthuse about the good old days when
Tibet was still a ma6or military #ower0 These armies were #robably better run and disci#lined
than those of late Medie)al 3uro#e and would be recognisable in their general structure to
9enerals of the modern era like generals like +ellington and 5ommel:, we can read in a .QQ&
issue of the Tibetan Re+iew $Tibetan Re+iew, Kctober .QQ&, #* .H(*

;fter the fall of the Barlung dynasty there were indeed no more ma6or military incidents
for centuries* But this was in no way because the Tibetans had become more #eaceful and
com#assionate* -om#letely the o##osite was true, the indi)idual sects in mutual dis#ute and
the )arious factions among the #eo#le were so weakened by the fre8uent internecine wars that
HL&
it was not #ossible for an o)erarching state to be formed* <t was not at all rare for great lamas
and their many monastic minions to wage outright war against one another* <n such conflicts,
none of the orientations shied away from in)iting outsiders into the country so as to take to
the field against the others with their hel#* =# until well into the twentieth century the
-hinese and Mongolians could thus in any case inter)ene in Tibetan #olitics as the in)ited
allies of #articular monasteries*

For exam#le, in .%Q& the Brigung monastery of the 2agyu#a sect was raMed to the
ground by armed Sakya#a monks with hel# from the Mongolians* "The misery was greater
e)en than among those who ha)e gone into 1ellV: $Bell, .QQ@, #* LN(, a 5ed 1at text records*
The only reason the numerous military dis#utes in the history of the !and of Snows are not
more widely known about is because they usually only in)ol)ed smaller grou#s* 1ence the
battles neither continued for long, nor were they s#read o)er a wide territory* <n addition, the
"#ure doctrine: officially forbade any use of )iolence and thus all dis#utes between the orders
were hushed u# or re#ressed as soon as #ossible by both #arties* ;s #aradox as it may well
sound, the country remained relati)ely "8uiet: and "#eaceful:, because all of the #arties were
so embroiled in wars with one another* But in the moment in which it came to the creation of
a larger state structure under the Fifth alai !ama in the .Nth century, a most cruelly
conducted ci)il war was the necessary #recondition*

Th( Daai La$a! a! !u8r($( war ord!
These days there is an unwillingness to s#eak about this terrible ci)il war between the
9elug#as and the 2agyu#as from which the "9reat Fifth: emerged as the hero of the
battlefield* +e know that the Fifth alai !ama called u# the war god $egtse against the
Tibetans se)eral times so as to force through his #olitical will* ;dditionally, in
eastern Tibet he was celebrated as an incarnation of the ancient hero, @esar. 1e himself was
the author of a number of battle hymns like the following0

Brave and tested are the %arriors
sharp and irresistible the %eapons
hard and "nbreakable the shields
Cleet and end"rin) the horses#
$Sierksma, .QLL, #* .@&(
HL.

This brutal call to absolutely annihilate the enemy into its third generation was also
com#osed by him0

Make the lines like trees that have had their roots '"tA
Make the *emale lines like brooks that have dried "p in %interA
Make the 'hildren and )rand'hildren like e))s smashed a)ainst ro'ksA
Make the servants and *ollo%ers like heaps o* )rass 'ons"med by *ireA
Make their dominion like a lamp %hose oil has been e.ha"stedA
=n short annihilate any tra'es o* them even their names#
$8uoted by S#erling, %&&., #* '.P(

+ith these instructions to batter his enemy,s children to death against the rocks and to
make their women barren, the 9reat Fifth: $the #reeminent historical model for the current
Fourteenth alai !ama( turned to the Mongolians under 9ushri 2han and thus legitimated the
terrible deeds they inflicted u#on the Tibetans* Kne may say with some confidence,: 3lliot
S#erling writes, that the Fifth alai !ama does not fit the standard image that many #eo#le
today ha)e of a alai !ama, #articularly the image of a 4obel Peace PriMe laureate: $S#erling,
%&&., #* '.Q(* Barely two centuries later $at the end of the .P
th
century( a 5ed 1at lama sought
re)enge for the humiliation of his order by the alai !ama, and fetched the <ndian gurkhas
into the country*

The "9reat Thirteenth: himself formed an army consisting of regular troo#s, a lay
militia, and the "golden army: as the monastic soldiers were known* +arrior monks were
nothing out of the ordinary in the Tibet of old, although their training and their military
e8ui#ment was less than desirable* They firmly belie)ed in the law of )iolence, worshi##ed
their s#ecial deities, and maintained their own secret cults* !ama W!ongear, was the leader of
the troo#s in the lamasery, it says in western tra)el re#ort of a lama commander $at the start of
the twentieth century(* ";lthough a monk, he didnGt know how to say his #rayers and because
he had killed se)eral #eo#le was not allowed to ha)e #art in the chanting ser)ices* But he was
considered a man of courage and audacity > greatly feared in the lamasery, a mighty friend
and terror to his enemies: $8uoted by Sierksma, .QLL, #* .'&(*

HL%
The Tibetan army assembled by the Thirteenth alai !ama was com#osed of three
ser)ices0 the ca)alry, e8ui##ed with lances and breast#lates, the somewhat more modern
infantry, and the artillery* Kddly enough, the name of ;llah was engra)ed in the riders,
helmets* These came from a Mohammedan army which was said to ha)e once mo)ed
against !hasa* ; terrible snowstorm sur#rised them and froMe them all to death* Their
wea#ons and armor were later brought into the ca#ital and dis#layed there in an annual
#arade* <t was #robably belie)ed that the helmets would offer #rotection in the battle against
the Mohammedans > the arch7enemy from the "alachakra Tantra > since they would not
dare to fire at the holy name of their su#reme god*

This army of the Thirteenth alai !ama, to a large #art com#osed of serfs, was more or
less #ictures8ue, which naturally did their warlike, "unBuddhist: #erformance no harm* Bet
one did not 6ust fight with wea#ons in the hand but also o#erated magically* uring the "9reat
Prayer Festi)al: for exam#le tormas $dough figures( of the ca)alry and the infantry were
thrown into a fire so as to do harm to the enemies of the land through this fire magic* 3)ery
single sacrificial offering was su##osed to later "function Slike aT bomb: in reality $-hJ7Bang,
)ol* . no* %, .QPN, #* Q'(* S'T

Kf e)en greater martial #om#osity than the Tibetan army was the so7called "monks,
#olice:* 1einrich 1arrer $the "best friend of the alai !ama:( describes the "dark fellows:
who were res#onsible for law and order in !hasa at the beginning of the fifties in the
following words0 "The figures in the red habits are not always gentle and learned brethren*
The ma6ority re coarse and unfeeling fellows for whom the whi# of disci#line cannot be
strong enough* *** They tie a red band around their naked arm and blacken their faces with
soot to as to a##ear really frightening* They ha)e a huge key tucked into their belts which can
ser)e as a knuckleduster or a throwing wea#on as re8uired* <t is not rare for them to also carry
a shar# cobblers, knife hidden in their #ocket* Many of them are notorious fightersR e)en their
im#udent stride seems #ro)ocati)eR their readiness to attack is well known, and one a)oids
aggra)ating them: $1arrer, .QP@, ##* %.L7%.N(*

Dust like the #olice from !hasa, the officers and other ranks of the Tibetan armed forces
tended towards excessi)e corru#tion and of a night committed all manner of crimes* !ike the
western mafia they demanded #rotection money from businesses and threatened to attack life
HL'
and limb if not #aid* This was certainly not the intention of their su#reme military
commander, the Thirteenth alai !ama, who still in his last will dreamed of "efficient and
well7e8ui##ed troo#s *** as a sure deterrent against any ad)ersaries: $Michael, .QP%, #* .N'(*

Since the once mighty Tibet has been unable to de)elo# itself into a great military
#ower again since the fall of the Barlung dynasty $in the ninth century(, the country all but
)ibrates with bottled7u# military energy* This has been confirmed by a number of western
tra)elers* The British friend of the Thirteenth alai !ama, -harles Bell, was also forced to
ascertain "that the martial energy of the Tibetans, though sa##ed by Buddhism, has not e)en
now been destroyed* Should Buddhism e)er go, the combati)e s#irit will return: $Bell, .QQ@,
#* NN(* Bell o)erlooks here that this s#irit is already a #art of tantric #ractice, yet he seems to
ha)e an inkling of this when he continues as follows0 "<ndeed, Tibet ex#ects later to fight for
her religion* Bou can sometimes read in Tibetan books about the country called Shambhala ***
a mystical country which, three or four centuries hence, will be the scene of hostilities, fierce
and decisi)e, between Buddhists and Muhammadans: $Bell, .QQ@, #* NN(* <t is a Tibetan
saying that "for The Buddha faced by foemen his disci#les don their armor: $Bell, .QQ@, #*
.Q.(*

Th( hi!torica di!tortion o- th( ,8(ac(-uC Ti5(tan!
The im#ression, widely distributed in the +est, of ancient Tibet as a #eaceful country is
thus a deliberate and gross misre#resentation of history* 3)en official texts from the Tibetan
tradition are seldom tem#ted to such #acifist exaggerations as is the alai !ama today, abo)e
all since being awarded the 4obel #eace #riMe* The local historians knew full well about the
fighting s#irit and aggressi)e #otential which slumbered in the Tibetan soul* They did not
deny that the lamas often enough had to use )iolence in their own interests* The <ani
"ambum, a book about the mythic history of Tibet from the .'th century, re#orted already
that its inhabitants had inherited faith, wisdom, and goodness from their
father, ;+alokitesh+ara, and from their mother, Srinmo&howe)er, "#leasure in killing, bodily
strength, and courage: $Stein, .QQ', #* 'N(*

!amaism,s e)aluation of war is fundamentally #ositi)e and affirmati)e, as long as it
in)ol)es the s#read of Buddhism* $+e shall later demonstrate this through many exam#les*(
This in no sense im#licates a discontinuity between historical reality and the BuddhistU#acifist
HL@
doctrine* -a0rayanaitself culti)ates an aggressi)e, warlike beha)ior and indeed not 6ust so as
to o)ercome it through mental control* +ars are declared > as is usual among other religions
as well > so as to #roceed against the "enemies of the faith:* The state religion of
the !and of Snows $-a0rayana( has always been essentially warlike, and a Buddhist Tantric
reaches for his wea#on not 6ust in des#eration, but also so as to con8uer and to eliminate
o##onents* The )irtues of a soldier > courage, self7sacrifice, bra)ery, honor, endurance,
cunning, e)en fury, hate, and mercilessness > are likewise counted among the s#iritual
disci#lines of Buddhist Tantrism*

Bet the lamas do not conduct "wars: on real battlefields alone* Many more battles are
fought in the imagination* ;nyone can ascertain this, e)en if they only cast a fleeting glance
o)er the aggressi)e tantric iconogra#hy* !ikewise, all $V( tantras a##ly military language to
religious e)ents and describe the struggle of the s#irit against its besmirchment as a "war:*
;long the #ath to enlightenment it is fought, beaten, #ierced through, burned u#, cut to #ieces,
chained, deca#itated, defeated, destroyed, won, and exulted* The Buddhas take to the
battlefield of samsara $our so7called world of illusion( as ")ictors:, "heroes:, "fighters:,
"generals:, and "army commanders:*

;ccordingly, Tibetan society has always re)ered the "figure of the warrior: alongside
the "figure of the saint: $Buddha, Bodhisatt)a, or tulku( as their su#reme archety#e* From the
half mythical kings of the Nth century to the modern guerilla leaders of the "hampas& the
"fighting hero: is the heroic archety#e ado#ted e)en today by thousands of youths and young
men in Tibet and in exile* ;lready from the beginnings of Tibetan history on the border
between "warrior: and "saint: has been blurred* ; good "#u#il: of the -a0rayana and
a Shambhala "warrior: are still identical today*

I! th( Fourt((nth Daai La$a th( ,gr(at(!t i'ing 8rinc( o- 8(ac(C<
Since being awarded the 4obel #eace #riMe $in .QPQ( the Fourteenth alai !ama has
been celebrated in the western #ress as the "greatest li)ing #rince of #eace:* +ith a self7
confident and kindly smile he acce#ts this a##ellation and modestly reminds his audience
what an enormous debt he owes to Mahatma 9andhi* ;rmed with the latter,s doctrine of
non)iolence $ahimsa(, there is no to#ic which 1is 1oliness s#eaks of more often or with more
HLH
emotion than that of "outer: and "inner: #eace* "For me, )iolence cannot #ossibly be the
way: is in recent years the #hrase most often heard u#on his li#s $!e)enson, .QQ%, #* '@Q(*

;himsa $the re6ection of all )iolence( was originally not a Buddhist )alue, es#ecially not
in the context of the tantras* The Thirteenth alai !ama, for exam#le, when 9andhi
encouraged him in a letter to 6oin in with his idea, did not at all know where he was at with
the term* Be that as it may > the future Tibet, freed from the -hinese yoke, is in the words of
the Fourteenth alai !ama su##osed to be transformed into a "#eace and ahimsa Mone:* There
will be no army, no wea#ons, abo)e all no nuclear warheads any more in
the !and of Snows after its liberation* Further, the"undun considers the trade in military
hardware to be something 6ust as irres#onsible as the aggressi)e and uncontrolled tem#er of
an indi)idual* <n an exem#lary fashion he in)ites the <sraelis and the Palestinians to lay down
their wea#ons* 1e #roclaims the demilitariMation of the entire #lanet as a desirable final goal*

1ar toys
Sur#risingly, in o##osition to this constantly #ublicly demonstrated basic #acifist
attitude there stands a #articular fascination for the art of warfare which ca#ti)ated 1is
1oliness whilst still a child* <n Martin Scorsese,s film $"undun( about the life of the alai
!ama, this fondness is gra#hically de#icted in a short scene* The child god7king is #laying
with some tin soldiers* Suddenly, with a swee# of his hand he knocks them aside and cries out
em#hatically, "< want #owerV:* This film anecdote could well be more realistic than the
wides#read and #ious legend in which the young god7king had these tin soldiers melted down
and then recast as toy monks*

;s an adolescent the "undun en6oyed target #ractice with an air gun he inherited from
his #redecessor and is still #roud of being a good shot* +ithout embarrassment he re)eals in
his autobiogra#hy that he owns an air #istol and that he #ractices target shooting with it* Kne
day he killed a hornet which was #lundering a was#,s nest* "; #rotector of the un#rotectedV:
was the re)erential comment of one of his biogra#hers on this #iece of shar# shooting $1icks
and -hJgyam, .QPH, #* .QN(*

The "undun's o#enly admitted weakness for war literature and war films has sur#rised
not a few of his admirers* ;s a youth he enthused o)er 3nglish military books* They #ro)ided
HLL
him with the images from which to construct models of fighter #lanes, shi#s, and tanks* !ater
he had #assages from them translated into Tibetan* Towards the end of the forties the former
member of the 4aMi SS, 1einrich 1arrer, had to recount for him the only recently #layed out
e)ents of the second world war* There has been little change in this #assion for military
ob6ects since his youth* ;s late as .QQN the "undun admitted his enthusiasm for uniforms in
an inter)iew0 "but StheyT are also )ery attracti)e* *** 3)ery button on the 6acket shines so
#rettily* ;nd then the belt* The insignia: $SKddeutsche Geitung <agazin, March %., .QQN, #*
NQ(* Kn a )isit to 9ermany in .QQP the 4obel #eace #riMe winner told how "e)en as a child <
liked looking at illustrated books from my #redecessor,s library, es#ecially about the First
+orld +ar* < lo)ed all the instruments, the wea#ons and the tanks, the air#lanes, the fantastic
battleshi#s and submarines* !ater < asked for books about +orld +ar <<* +hen < )isited -hina
in .QH@ < knew more about it than the -hinese did: $Geitmagazin, no* @@, Kctober %%, .QQP, #*
%@(* ;sked $again in 9ermany( about his tele)ision )iewing habits, he chatted about his
#reference for war films0 "3arlier though, < had a fa)orite #rogram* Bou won,t belie)e meV
WM*;*S*1*, > the =S series about the Vietnam +ar* Very funny X $laughs($#ocus @@U.QQP,
#* %N%(*

+hen he was )isiting 4ormandy in .QPL, he unex#ectedly and in com#lete
contradiction to the #lanned schedule ex#ressed the wish to see the ;llied bridgehead from
the Second +orld +ar* "< also wanted to see the wea#ons, these mighty cannon and all these
rifles which #ainfully mo)ed me* <n the )icinity of these machines, these wea#ons, and this
sand < felt and shared the emotions of those who were there then ***: $!e)enson, .QQ%, #* %Q.(*
es#ite such #ious affirmations of com#assion with the )ictims of battle, here too his
childlike enthusiasm for the machinery of war can be heard* Kr is it only a mood of the "time
god:, whose enthusiasm for )arious systems of wea#onry is > as we ha)e already re#orted
> ex#ressed at such length in the "alachakra TantraA

3)en if such martial #references and #lay may normally be harmless, we must ne)er
forget that, unlike an ordinary #erson, the alai !ama re#resents a symbolic figure* <n the
meantime, all the #ious as#ects which are otherwise known of the childhood and life of the
god7king are, thanks to a #owerful film #ro#aganda, considered to be a wonderful omen and
the indicators of a cosmic #lan* <s it then not logically consistent to also inter#ret his
HLN
fascination for the military milieu as a sign which flags the aggressi)e #otential of his
religionA

(etin) (inpo'he and the m"rder o* the Dalai Lama?s *ather
The early life of the young alai !ama was anything but #eaceful* <n the forties his
milieu was caught u# in )iolent and bloody clashes which could in no way be blamed solely
on the -hinese* ;lthough the then regent, the disco)erer and first teacher of the god7king,
5eting 5in#oche, had transferred the business of state to his successor, Taktra 5in#oche, in
.Q@., he later wanted to regain the #ower he had lost* Thus, from .Q@H on it came to e)er
more serious discordances between the Tibetan go)ernment and the ex7regent* =ncouth and
feared for his esca#ades countrywide, the alai !ama,s father, -hoekyong Tsering, counted
among the latter,s faithful followers* <n .Q@N he died suddenly at the age of @N during a meal*
<t is not 6ust 9yalo Thondu#, one of the "undun's brothers, who is con)inced that he was
#oisoned by someone from go)ernment circles $-raig, .QQN, #* .%&(*

Shortly after the #oisoning, 5eting 5in#oche decided to stage an o#en rebellion* 1is
followers attem#ted to assassinate the regent, Taktra, and a##roached the -hinese about
wea#ons and munitions* But they were soon o)er#owered by Tibetan go)ernment troo#s, who
took ca#ti)e the ex7regent* Monks from the Sera monastery rushed to his aid* First of all they
murdered their abbot, a Taktra su##orter* Then, under the leadershi# of an .P7year7old lama,
Tsenya 5in#oche, who had been recogniMed as the incarnation of a wrathful tutelary deity
$dharmapala( and was referred to by his fellow monks as a "war leader:, they stormed off
to !hasa in order to free 5eting 5in#oche* But this re)olt also colla#sed under the artillery fire
of the go)ernment troo#s* ;t least %&& Sera monks lost their li)es in this monastic "ci)il war:*
5eting,s residence was raMed to the ground*

Soon afterwards he was charged with treason, found guilty, and thrown into the
notorious Potala dungeons* 1e is said to ha)e been cruelly tortured and later strangled*
;ccording to other re#orts he was #oisoned $9oldstein, .QPQ, #* H.'(* ; high7ranking official
who was said to ha)e sym#athiMed with the rebels had his eyeballs s8ueeMed out* Dust how
cruel and tormenting the atmos#here of this time was has been described later by a Tibetan
refugee $V(0/5i)alry, in7fighting, corru#tion, ne#otism, it was decadent and horrible*
HLP
3)erything was a matter of show, ceremonial, 6ockeying for #osition: $8uoted by -raig, .QQN,
#* .%'(*

Ti5(tan gu(rria! and th( CIA
<n the fifties and with the su##ort of the =S;, a guerilla army was de)elo#ed
in Tibet which o)er many years undertook military action against the -hinese occu#ation
forces* ; broad scale anti7-ommunist offensi)e was #lanned together with Taiwanese s#ecial
units and indirect su##ort from the <ndian secret ser)ice* ;t the head of the rebellion stood the
#roud and "cruel: "hampas* These nomads had been feared as brigands for centuries, so that
the word "hampa in Tibet is a synonym for robber* <n the mid7fifties the ;merican secret
ser)ice $-<;( had brought se)eral grou#s of the wild tribe to Taiwan )ia eastern Pakistan and
later to -am# 1ale in the =S;* There they recei)ed training in guerilla tactics* ;fterwards the
ma6ority of them were dro##ed back into Tibet with #arachutes* Some of them made contact
with the go)ernment in !hasa at that stage* Kthers did not shy away from their traditional
trade of robbery and became a real nuisance for the rural #o#ulation whom they were actually
su##osed to liberate from the -hinese and not dri)e into further misery through #illaging*

es#ite the alai !ama,s constant affirmations, still re#eated today, that his flight took
#lace without any external influence, it was in fact #layed out months in ad)ance
in +ashington by high military officials* 3)erything went as #lanned* <n .QHQ, the ;merican7
trained guerillas collected 1is 1oliness from his summer residence $in !hasa(* uring the
long trek to the <ndian border the underground fighters were in constant radio contact with the
;mericans and were su##lied with food and e8ui#ment by aircraft* +e learn from an
"initiate: that "this fantastic esca#e and its ma6or significance ha)e been buried in the lore of
the -<; as one of the successes that are not talked about* The alai !ama would ne)er ha)e
been sa)ed without the -<;: $9runfeld, .QQL, ##* .HH7.HL(*

<n addition, the -hinese were not #articularly interested in #ursuing the refugees since
they belie)ed they would be better able to deal with the rebellion in Tibet if the "undun was
out of the country* Mao Cedong is thus said to ha)e #ersonally a##ro)ed of the flight of the
alai !ama after the fact $Tibetan Re+iew, Danuary .QQH, #* .&(* Bes > Bei6ing was
con)inced for months after the exodus that 1is 1oliness had been kidna##ed by the 2ham#as*

HLQ
<n fact, the -hinese had e)ery reason to make such an assum#tion, as becomes a##arent
from a #iece of corres#ondence between the "undun and the -hinese military commander
of !hasa, 9eneral Tan 9uansan* Knly a few days before the god7king was able to flee the
town, he had turned to the 9eneral with the most urgent a##eal to #rotect him from the
"reactionary, e)il elements " who "are carrying out acti)ities endangering me under the
#retext of #rotecting my safety: $9runfeld, .QQL, #* .'H(* +hat he meant by these "e)il
elements: were hundreds of Tibetans who had surrounded his summer #alace day and night to
cheer him on* This crowd was called u#on a number of times by the alai !ama,s #olitical
staff to abandon their "siege: since it was #ro)oking the -hinese and there was a real danger
that they would answer with artillery fire at the illegal rally and in so doing 8uite #ossibly
threaten the life of the "undun* But the #eo#le ne)ertheless remained, on the #retext of caring
for the security of their "god7king:* Thereu#on the latter wrote the abo)e re8uest to 9eneral
Tan 9uansan* But in a furti)e maneu)er he was secretly collected by a grou# of 2ham#as and
brought to the <ndian border unharmed*

The flight, organiMed by the -<; and tolerated by the -hinese, was later mythologiMed
by the western #ress and the alai !ama himself into a di)ine exodus* There was mysterious
talk of a "mystic cloud: which was su##osed to ha)e )eiled the column of refugees during the
long trek to<ndia and #rotected them from the )iew of and attack by the -hinese enemy* The
-<; air#lanes which ga)e the refugees air co)er and #ro)ided them with su##lies of food
became -hinese "reconnaissance: flights which circled abo)e the fleeing god7king but,
thanks to wondrous #ro)idence and the "mystic cloud:, were unable to discern anything*
www*naatanet*orgUshadowcircusUshang@*html: ,R(!i!tanc( -ight(r! (!cort(d th( Daai
La$a through gu(rria-h(d t(rritor%D Th( two CIA-train(d $(n $(t u8 with th( (!ca8(
8art% ha-wa% on th(ir Lourn(% and acco$8ani(d th($ to th( Indian 5ord(r2 1((8ing th(
A$(rican! u8dat(d a5out th(ir 8rogr(!!D Th( Daai La$a=! (!ca8( trigg(r(d a $a!!i'(
$iitar% o8(ration 5% th( Chin(!( who 5ruta% Au((d th( r('ot inLha!a and w(nt on
th( o--(n!i'( again!t th( r(!i!tanc( 5a!(! in !outh(rn Ti5(tD Th( gu(rria! !u--(r(d
$aLor !(t5ac1!D Andrug ;o$8o Ta!hi and th( r($aind(r o- hi! -orc( had no choic( 5ut
to Loin th( (Bodu! o- Ti5(tan! who w(r( !tr(a$ing acro!! th( Hi$aa%a2 -oowing th(ir
(ad(r into (Bi(DC &Fro$ th( Fi$ $he ,hado% -ir'"s B $he -=& in $ibet)
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3)en if the "undun has for years #ublicly distanced himself from the Tibetan guerillas,
he always showed great sym#athy in the community of Tibetans in exile for "his:
underground fighters* 1is 1oliness has also )alued the ser)ices of his guerillas in exile and on
a number of occasions since .QHQ #ublicly stood by them* "es#ite my belief:, he says in his
autobiogra#hy #ublished in .QL@ "< much admire their courage and their determination to take
on the fierce struggle which they began for our freedom, our culture, and religion* < thank
them for their strength and their daring, and also #ersonally for the #rotection which they ga)e
me* *** 1ence < could not honorably gi)e them the ad)ice to a)oid )iolence* <n order to fight
they had sacrificed their homes and all the comforts and ad)antages of a #eaceful life* 4ow
they could not see any alternati)e to continuing to struggle and < had nothing to o##ose that
with: $alai !ama ?<V, .QL@, #* .Q&(* <n the new edition of the autobiogra#hy of the in the
meantime winner of the 4obel #eace #riMe which a##eared in .QQ& $#reedom in Exile(, this
#assage is no longer mentioned* <t is too ob)ious a contradiction of the current image of
the "undun as "the su#reme #rince of #eace of the century:*

;nother statement, which can be read in the biogra#hy, The 9ast =alai 9ama by
Michael 1arris 9oodman, shows e)en more clearly the god7king,s two7facedness concerning
non)iolence0 "<n Sthe messageT/, he is su##osed to ha)e said, "< called the guerillas
GreactionariesG, stated that the Tibetan #eo#le should not su##ort them* ;t the same time the
delegation was instructed to tell the guerillas to kee# on fighting* +e s#oke in two tongues,
the official and the unofficial* Kfficially we regarded their act as rebellion, and unofficially
we regard them as heroes and told them so: $9oodman, .QPL, #* %N.(*

;lready in exile, at the beginning of the sixties the alai !ama bestowed on a
distinguished rebel leader the same honors which normally accom#any an a##ointment to the
rank of general $9runfeld, .QQL, #* .@%(* ;t the same time a number of )olunteer exile
Tibetans flew to the =S; in order to once again be trained in guerilla warfare under the
su#er)ision of the -<;* The action was mediated by 9yalo Thondu#, a elder brother of the
alai !ama*

Parallel to this, together with the <ndian secret ser)ice Thondu# established the Special
#rontier #orce $SFF( in .QL% with exile Tibetan recruits, a #owerful and well7e8ui##ed
mountain army which could be dro##ed into Tibet by #arachute at any moment* <t had .&,H&&
HN.
men under arms and its own officer cor#s* ;t the same time the "4ational Volunteer efence
;rmy: was founded* <t can hardly be assumed that the "undun was not )ery well informed
about these ambitious military #ro6ects of his brother* 4onetheless it continues to be officially
denied u# to the #resent day* 1is 1oliness is also not su##osed to ha)e known anything about
the e.*N million which the -<; #ro)ided annually to the Tibetans for military acti)ities in the
sixties*

The armed struggle of the Tibetans was #re#ared for at the highest #olitical le)els,
#rimarily in+ashington, elhi, and Tai#ei* The only reason it was not brought into action was
that at the start of the se)enties 5ichard 4ixon began with his #ro7-hina #olitics and
cancelled all military su##ort for the Tibetans* But without ;merican su##ort the outlook for a
guerilla war was com#letely ho#eless, and from this #oint on the alai !ama #ublicly
distanced himself from any use of )iolence*

Military action now no longer had any chance of success and in haramsala the work
began of effecti)ely reformulating the history of the Tibetan guerillas in that one encouraged
the fiction that the #o#ular resistance had been non)iolent:, as Damyan 4orbu writes, before
continuing, Tibetan officials, Buddhist followers, +estern su##orters and intellectuals SXT
regard the resistance mo)ement as an embarrassment S***T because it somehow detracts from
the #referred #eace7lo)ing image of Tibet as a Shangri29aI $1uber, %&&., #* 'LQ(*

The 4obel #eace #riMe winner,s statements on the armed struggle of the Tibetans are
most contradictory and were in the #ast more oriented to the #olitical situation and
constellations of #ower than fundamental #rinci#les* ;t times the alai !ama ex#ressed the
)iew that "it is 8uite a##ro#riate to fight for a 6ust cause and e)en to kill: $!e)enson, .QQ%, #*
.'H(* <n an inter)iew in .QP& he answered the 8uestion of whether )iolence and religion did
not exclude one another as follows0 They can be combined* <t de#ends on the moti)ation and
the result* +ith good moti)ation and result, and if under the circumstances there is no other
alternati)e, then )iolence is #ermissible: $;)edon, .QP&, #* '@(*

Knly since .QPQ, after he was awarded the 4obel #eace #riMe, has the god7king
culti)ated an exclusi)ely #acifist retros#ecti)e on the )iolent history of his country* ; few
years ago one still heard from 1is 1oliness that there was much which was aggressi)e in
HN%
the Tibet of old, about which one could not exactly be ha##y* From .QPQ on, the stereoty#ical
message is that there had only been "#eace and ha##iness: in the !and of Snows, #ast* S@T
3arlier, the "undun had stated that "the Tibetans are #redis#osed to be fairly aggressi)e and
warlike: and could only be tamed by Buddhism $alai !ama ?<V, .QQ'a, #* .P(* Today, we
read from the same author that "The Tibetan #eo#le are of an u#right, gentle, and friendly
nature: $alai !ama ?<V, .QQ'b, #* '@(, whilst at the same time the <ndian #ress describes
Tibetan youths in haramsala as "militant:, ")iolent:, "im#atient: and "restless: $Tibetan
Re+iew, May .QQ., #* .Q(* <n .QQ@ a Tibetan youth stabbed a young <ndian which led to
)iolence breaking out against the exile Tibetan community*

Marching $u!ic and t(rror
;re the Tibetans a #eaceful #eo#leA <n the cam# of the Tibetans in exile a somewhat
different tone is struck than at the western #ress conferences of the alai !ama* ;nyone who
has e)er #artici#ated in the official festi)ities of the Tibetan national holiday $March .&( in
haramsala and seen the uniformed grou#s of youths #arading #ast the !ion Throne of 1is
1oliness, anyone who has been able to ex#erience the ceremonies of the flag and hear the war
and fighting songs sung there, must ha)e gained the im#ression that this was a military #arade
and definitely not a #eace festi)al of gentle monks* ;dmittedly, the "undun also always
introduces these festi)ities with a #rofession of non)iolence, but after his s#eech > in the
words of the historian, -hristiaan 2lieger > the tone of the e)ent turns decidedly martial:
$2lieger, .QQ., #* L%(* The 2ham#a warriors with whom we are already familiar a##ear in
ancient leo#ard skin uniforms* 9uards of honor salute the Tibetan flag, on which the two
snow lions symboliMe the twin #illars of church and state* 3nthusiastically sounds the tune of
"Song of the =#rising Peo#le: $9ong shog(, which was com#osed as a military march* <ts two
final )erses go as follows0

$ibet *ollo%s its tr"e leader ###
$he /reat Prote'tor His Holiness the Dalai Lama
&''epted by $ibetans in and o"t#
$he red4handed b"t'her B enemy
$he imperialisti' (ed -hinese
1ill s"rely be ki'ked o"t o* $ibet#
(ise "p all patriots6
HN'
$2lieger, .QQ., #* L'(

Such warlike marching songs may be of great im#ortance for the formation of the
#oorly de)elo#ed Tibetan national consciousness > they are also sung with the a##ro#riate
gusto by all #resent > but they ha)e absolutely nothing to do with the much in)oked
#rinci#le of ahimsa* <n contrast, they reify the conce#t of an enemy and glorify 1is 1oliness
$/the greatest li)ing a#ostle of #eace:( as the "su#reme military commander:*

The warlike tendencies among the Tibetans in exile are not exhausted by marching
music and ceremonial dis#lays during the national holiday celebrations* ;lready at the start of
the sixties a small grou# of militants resol)ed "that the time had come to em#loy terrorism in
the fight for Tibet: $;)edon, .QPH, #* .@L(* <n .QQP, at a #ress conference in haramsala,
2uncho Tender, a militant who s#ent %& years in the Tibetan underground, argued for a
renaissance of the guerilla mo)ement in Tibet "which would kill one -hinese after another
until the country SisT free: $;ssociated Press, haramsala, May %P, .QQP(*

iscussion about "terror as an instrument of #olitics: is also )ery current once more
among radical Tibetan underground grou#s in the occu#ied !and of Snows, for exam#le
the Tiger29eopard %outh Nrganization0 Kur nonf)iolent methods:, it says in a letter from
this organiMation to the =nited 4ations 9eneral Secretary, ha)e been taken as a sign of
weakness* +e are determined to regain our freedom, and the recent =4 )ote Sin which a
criticism of -hina was re6ectedT clearly shows us that without bloodshed, sabotage, and
aggressi)e acts we will not gain #ublicity, sym#athy and su##ort* S***T So why should we not
follow the destructi)e #athA: $SchwartM, .QQ@, #* %%@(* Further the young #atriots affirm that
they are aware that these methods disagree with the #olitics of the alai !ama but no other
o#tion remained o#en to them*

;nother underground organiMation from eastern Tibet calls itself the Volunteer ;rmy to
efend Buddhism: $1uber, %&&., #* 'L'(* -alling themsel)es this shows that this grou# does
not see the "destructi)e #ath: to liberation as being in contradiction to their religion* <n
contrast, an urgent #rayer with which the terrible #rotecti)e gods of the country are in)oked
and incited against the -hinese enemy counts as #art of the daily work of the underground* <n
.QQL there were three bomb attacks in !hasa*
HN@

Such acti)ities cannot harm the "undun at all, then by #ublicly criticiMing them he
furthers his image as an "a#ostle of #eace:* This need not #re)ent him from secretly
encouraging the "armed grou#s: as he already did with the 2ham#as* 3)en if this contradicts
his #acifist #rofessions, it does not contradict the #rinci#les of Tantric Buddhism*

<n the meantime, discussions about Buddhism and the military are becoming an
increasingly #o#ular to#ic in Buddhist circles in the +est* For exam#le, there was an article in
the 6ournal Tricycle in .QQL with the title ;pology of a $uddhist Soldier, in which the author
gathered together arguments which are su##osed to legitimate a "6ust: war for a Buddhist
$Tricycle, V $'(, #* N.(* <t is of course all )ery ethical, with reference to, among others, the
Buddhist 3m#eror ;shoka $%N'O%%L B*-*3*( who united <ndia into a #eaceful realm* ;shoka
was, howe)er, a great and cruel military commander who conducted the bloodiest of
cam#aigns before he achie)ed #ower,* Some Buddhist traditions re)ere him without inhibition
as a merciless war hero* "Thus the need to kill:, P* D* Tambiah writes in reference to the
3m#eror, "before becoming a great king who can the rule righteously is a Buddhist root
dilemma* > 2ings must be good killers before they can turn to #iety and good works:
$Tambiah, .QNL, ##* H&, H%%(*

Poitica cacuation and th( #uddhi!t $(!!ag( o- 8(ac(
<t is not the task of our analysis to make a #ersonal choice between "armed rebellion:
and the "ahimsa #rinci#le: or to answer the 8uestion whether )iolent action in Tibet is
morally 6ustified and makes sense in terms of national #olitics* +e also do not want 7as the
-hinese attem#t to do > to ex#ose the "undun as no more than a fanatical warmonger in
shee#,s clothing* Perha#s, by and large he is personally a #eace7lo)ing #erson, but without
doubt he re#resents a culture which has from its )ery origins been warlike and which does not
e)en think of admitting to its )iolent #ast, let alone rea##raising it*

<nstead, haramsala and the current alai !ama make a constant #ro#aganda #ro6ect of
#resenting Tibetan Buddhism and the history of Tibet to the world #ublic as a storehouse of
eternal teachings about non)iolence and #eace* There is thus a refusal to acce#t that
the "undun first ac8uired his #acifist ideas $e*g*, under the influence of Mahatma 9andhi(
after his flightR instead it is im#lied that they are drawn from the inexhaustible inheritance of a
HNH
many hundred year old tradition and history* 3)en the aggressi)e "9reat Fifth: and the "9reat
Thirteenth: with his strong interest in military matters now a##ear as the #recursors of the
current "Buddhism of #eace:* Kn the basis of this distortion, the current alai !ama is able to
fully identify with his fifth incarnation without ha)ing to mention his warlike and
Machia)ellian #ower #olitics and murderous magic0 "By holding the #osition of the Fifth
alai !ama < am su##osed to follow what he did, this is the reason < ha)e to interfere:,
the "undun ex#lained in .QQN $1P< &&L(* Thus there is much which s#eaks for the #acifism of
the alai !ama being nothing more than a calculated #olitical mo)e and ne)er ha)ing been
the ex#ression of a #rinci#le* Damyang 4orbu, co7director of the Tibetan cultural institute,
thus accuses his "re)ered leader: $the "undun( and his exile Tibetan #oliticians of fostering
the formation of the western myth of the good and #eaceful Tibet of old* ;t no stage in history
ha)e the Tibetans been #articularly #acifist > the terrible fighting out of the conflicts
between indi)idual monasteries #ro)es this, as well as the bloody resistance to the occu#ation
in the fifties* "The go)ernment in exile:, says 4orbu, "ca#italiMes u#on the western clichZs,
ham#ers a demythologiMation, a critical examination of its own history: $Spiegel, .LU.QQP(*

There is also absolutely no intention of doing this* For the alai !ama the fundamental
orientation to be ado#ted is de#endent u#on what is fa)orable in the #re)ailing #ower7#olitical
situation* Thus a immediate +olte2face to a fighting lineage is thoroughly laid out in his
system* 4either religious, nor ideological, and definitely not historical incarnational obstacles
stand in the way of a #ossible decision to go to war* <n contrast, the Tibetan war gods ha)e
been waiting for centuries to strike out and re7con8uer their former extended em#ire* 3)ery
higher tantra includes a call to battle against the "enemies of the faith:* <n any e)ent,
the "alachakra ritual and the ideology at work behind it are to be understood as a declaration
of war on the non7Buddhist world* <m#ortant members of the Tibetan clergy ha)e already
reser)ed their #laces in the great doomsday army of Shambhala*Many of them already know
the names and ranks they will ha)e*: $Bernbaum, .QP&, #* %Q, '&(*

+hen the #olitical circumstances are ri#e the "sim#le monk: from haramsala will
ha)e to set aside his #ersonal #acifist tendencies and, as the embodied "alachakra deity, will
hardly shrink from summoning $egtse the god of slaughter or from himself a##earing in the
guise of a heruka* "The wrathful goddesses and the enraged gods are there,: we learn from his
own mouth $before he was awarded the 4obel #eace #riMe(, "in order to demonstrate that one
HNL
can gras# the use of )iolence as a methodR it is an effecti)e instrument, but it can ne)er e)er
be a #ur#ose: $!e)enson, .QQ%, #* %P@(* There is no noteworthy #olitical leader in the )iolent
history of humankind who would ha)e thought otherwise* 3)en for dictators like ;dolf 1itler
or Dose#h Stalin )iolence was ne)er an end in itself, but rather an "effecti)e instrument: for
the attainment of "honorable: goals*

3)en some western )oices these days no longer shrink from drawing attention to the
dangerous and )iolent as#ects of the figure of the "undun in fascination0 "This man has
something of a #ouncing wild cat, a snow leo#ard imbued with freedom and loneliness which
no cage could hold back:, his biogra#her, -laude B* !e)enson, has written $!e)enson, .QQ%,
#* .L&(*

,#uddha ha! !$i(dC: Th( Daai La$a and th( Indian ato$ic t(!t! o- "997
<n the o#inion of the <ndian military as well, the religion of the Buddha a##ears to be
not so #acifist as it is #resented to us e here in the +est* +hy else would the first <ndian
nuclear wea#ons tests $in .QN@( ha)e been referred to under the secret code of "The !ord
Buddha has smiledV:A +hy were the s#ectacular tests in .QQP deliberately launched on the
birthday of the 9autama BuddhaA $#ocus, %.U.QQP, #* %QNR Spiegel, %.U.QQP, #* .L%(* <n fact
the sole "li)ing Buddha: at this time, the alai !ama, has a #rofound interest in the <ndian
atomic tests* For him $/as the smiling third #arty:( a confrontation between the two ;sian
giants $-hina and <ndia( would be of great #olitical ad)antage* <t was thus only logical that
the "god7king: from Tibet ga)e the demonstration of a nuclear ca#ability by his host country
the Buddhist blessing* +hile the whole world, es#ecially the heads of state of the 9P
countries gathered at the time in Birmingham, #rotested shar#ly $President Bill -linton s#oke
of "a terrible mistake:( the Tibetan "4obel #eace #riMe winner: a##ro)ed of the <ndian bomb*
"<ndia should not:, said the alai !ama "be #ressured by de)elo#ed nations to get rid of
nuclear wea#ons* *** <t should ha)e the same access to nuclear wea#ons as de)elo#ed
countries* *** The assum#tion of the conce#t that few nations are ok to #ossess nuclear
wea#ons and the rest of the world should not > thatGs undemocratic: SHT $;ssociated Press,
May .', .QQP(* But the disastrous im#lication of such a statement is that any nation ought to
be able to ac8uire nuclear wea#ons sim#ly because other countries also #ossess them* <t
should be ob)ious that the <ndian #ublic was enthusiastic about the "undun's a##robation* "<f
a man of #eace like alai !ama can a##ro)e of <ndiaGs nuclear #osition,: one Mamata Shah
HNN
wrote on the <nternet, "9andhi too would ha)e no hesitation in a##ro)ing it: $4os#amlchow,
4ewsgrou# P(*

<n addition, the whole nuclear dis#lay between <ndia and Pakistan symbolically heralds
theShambhala war #ro#hesied in the "alachakra Tantra* The bomb of the smiling
$uddha was "the signal for the Pakistanis to forcefully #ursue the de)elo#ment of the ?slamic
bombI and to test it $Spiegel, %.U.QQP( > a foretaste of what awaits us when $according to
the Shambhala myth( Buddhists and Moslems face each other in the final battle*
Daai La$a 8rai!(! ES a88roach to 5o$5ing A-ghani!tan: .At th( !a$( ti$(2 a! a
Aui(t -(ow2 I a$ a$aJ(d and ad$ir( that2 at thi! $o$(nt2 uni1( Fir!t Word War2
S(cond Word2 4or(an War and @i(tna$ War2 I thin1 th( A$(rican !id( i! '(r%2 '(r%
car(-u% !((cting targ(t!2 ta1ing $aBi$u$ 8r(caution! a5out th( ci'iian ca!uati(!D. -
.I thin1 thi! i! a !ign o- $or( ci'iiJation2. !aid th( Daai La$aD H( warn(d2 how('(r2
that .5o$5ing can (i$inat( on% 8h%!ica thing!2 not thought! or ($otion!D Ta1 and
r(a!oning i! th( on% ong-t(r$ !outionD. &Stra!5ourg2 Oct */ I AFP)

Footnot(!:
S.T 1ow current and far reaching such acti)ities by ")engeful lamas: can be is shown
by the Shugden affair described abo)e in which the "#rotecti)e god: $=or0e Shugden( has
succeeded in o)ershadowing the #ublic image of the alai !ama*
S%Turing a cult ceremony in 2ong#o in .QPQ, the
"gods: ;mitabha, ;+alokitesh+ara& and (admasambha+aa##eared* 3)er more mediums are
emerging, through whom the dharmapalas $the tutelary deities( s#eak and announce the
liberation from the -hinese yoke $SchwartM, .QQ@, #* %%N(*
S'T <n .QH@, 5udolf ;* Stein took #art in a martial ceremony in Sikkim, at which )arious
war gods were in)oked* There was one "recitation to incite the sword: and another for the
rifle* The text ended with an "incitement: of the #lanet Rahu $Stein, .QQ', #* %@N(* Such
ceremonies were also #erformed in the Tibet of old*
S@T Knly since .QQN, under the influence of the Shugden affair has a self critical #osition
begun to emerge* This too > as we shall later show > is #urely tactically moti)ated*
HNP
SHT This statement stands, e)en if two days later the alai !ama, certainly under
#ressure from the +est, stressed that he was in fa)or of a general disarmament* The news
agency -4 e)en re)ersed the statement by 1is 1oliness into its o##osite and re#orted on
May %& that the "alai !ama said on Tuesday that he was disa##ointed by <ndiaGs nuclear test
and backed -hinaGs call to ban all nuclear wea#ons: $-4, May %&, .QQP(* The unrestricted
o##ortunism of the god7king, of which we still ha)e numerous exam#les to mention, easily
allows one to #resume that he made both statements $both for and against <ndia(*
":D THE SPEARHEAD OF THE SHAM#HALA WAR

+ar in the Tibet of old on a number of occasions meant the military inter)ention of
)arious Mongolian tribes into the internal affairs of the country* K)er the course of time a
dee# cultural connection with the warlike nomads from the north de)elo#ed which ultimately
led to a com#lete BuddhiMation of Mongolia* Today this is inter#reted by Buddhist
"historians: as a #acification of the country and its inhabitants* But let us examine more
closely some #rominent e)ents in the history of-entral ;sia under Buddhist control*

;(nghi! 4han a! a #odhi!att'a
The greatest con8ueror of all humankind, at least as far as the ex#ansion of the territory
under his control is concerned, was 9enghis 2han $..LNO.%%N(* 1e united the #eo#les of the
Mongolian ste##es in ;sia and from them formed a horseback army which struck fear into the
hearts of 3uro#e and -hina 6ust as much as it did in the <slamic states* 1is way of conducting
warfare was for the times extremely modern* The #re#arations for an offensi)e usually took
se)eral years* 1e had the strengths and weaknesses of his o##onents studied in detail* This
was achie)ed by among other things a cle)erly constructed network of s#ies and agents* 1is
notorious ca)alry was neither chaotic nor wild, nor as large as it was often said to be by the
#eo#les that he con8uered* <n contrast, they were distinguished by strict disci#line, had the
absolutely best e8ui#ment, and were courageous, extremely effecti)e, and usually
outnumbered by their enemies* The longer the #re#arations for war were, the more ra#idly the
battles were decided, and that with a merciless cruelty* +omen and children found 6ust as little
#ity as the aged and the sick* <f a city o##osed the great 2han, e)ery li)ing creature within it
had to be exterminated, e)en the animals > the dogs and rats were executed* Bet for those
who submitted to him, he became a redeemer, 9od7man, and #rince of #eace* To this day the
HNQ
Mongolians ha)e not forgotten that the man who con8uered and ruled the world was of their
blood*

Tactically at least, in wanting to ex#and into Mongolia Tibetan !amaism did well to
declare 9enghis 2han, re)ered as di)ine, to be one of their own* <t stood in the way of this
mo)e that the world con8ueror was no follower of the Buddhist teachings and trusted only in
himself, or in the shamanist religious #ractices of his ancestors* There are e)en serious
indications that he felt attracted to monotheistic ideas in order to be able to legitimate his
uni8ue global dominion*

Bet through an a##eal to their ;< B=1; system the lamas could readily match
their monotheistic com#etitors* ;ccording to legend a contest between the religions did also
took #lace before the ruler,s throne, which from the Tibetan )iew#oint was won by the
Buddhists* The same story is recounted by the Mohammedans, yet ends with the "ruler of the
world: ha)ing decided in fa)or of the Teachings of the Pro#het* <n com#arison, the #ro)erbial
cruelty of the Mongolian khan was no obstacle to his fabricated "BuddhiMation:, since he
could without further ado be integrated into the tantric system as the fearful as#ect of a
Buddha $a heruka( or as a bloodthirstydharmapala $tutelary god(*Thus more and more stories
were in)ented which #ortrayed him as a re#resentati)e of the 1oly octrine $the dharma(*

;mong other things, Mongolian lamas constructed an ancestry which traced back to a
Buddhist <ndian law7king and #ut this in #lace of the Moomor#hic legend common among the
shamans that 9enghis 2han was the son of a wolf and a deer* ;nother story tells of how he
was descended from a royal Tibetan family* <t is firmly belie)ed that he was in
corres#ondence with a great abbot of the Sakya#a sect and had asked him for s#iritual
#rotection* The following sentence stands in a forged letter in which the Mongol addresses the
Tibetan hierarch0 "1oly oneV +ell did < want to summon youR but because my worldly
business is still incom#lete, < ha)e not summoned you* < trust you from here, #rotect me from
there: $Schulemann, .QHP, #* PQ(* ; further document "from his hand: is su##osed to ha)e
freed the order from #aying taxes* <n the struggle against the -hinese, 9enghis 2han > it is
re#orted > #rayed to ;< B=1;*

Th( #uddhiJation o- Mongoia
HP&
But it was only after the death of the 9reat 2han that the missionary lamas succeeded in
con)erting the Mongolian tribes to Buddhism, e)en if this was a #rocess which stretched out
o)er four centuries* $<ncidentally, this was definitely not true for all, then a number took u#
the <slamic faith*( Various smaller contacts aside, the )oyage of the Sakya, Pandita 2unga
9yaltsen, to the court of the nomad ruler 9odYn 2han $in .%@@(, stands at the outset of the
con)ersion #ro6ect, which ultimately brought all of northern Mongolia under Buddhist
influence* The great abbot, already )ery ad)anced in years, con)inced the Mongolians of the
#ower of his religion by healing =gedai,s son of a serious illness* The records celebrate their
subse8uent con)ersion as a trium#h of ci)iliMation o)er barbarism*

Some @& years later $.%NQ(, there followed a meeting between -hJgyel Phag#a,
likewise a Tibetan great abbot of the Sakya#a lineage, and 2ublai 2han, the Mongolian
con8ueror of -hina and the founder of the Buan dynasty* ;t these talks to#ics which
concerned the #olitical situation of Tibetwere also discussed* The adroit hierarch from
the !and of Snows succeeded in #ersuading the 3m#eror to grant him the title of "2ing of the
9reat and Valuable !aw: and thus a measure of worldly authority o)er the not yet
united Tibet* <n return, the Phag#a lama initiated the 3m#eror into the He+a0ra Tantra*

Three hundred years later $in .HNP(, the 9elug#a abbot, 9yalwa Sonam 9yatso, met
with ;lthan 2han and recei)ed from him the fateful name of "alai !ama:* ;t the time he
was only the s#iritual ruler and in turn ga)e the Mongolian #rince the title of the "Thousand7
9olden7+heel turning +orld 5uler:* From .L'N on the coo#eration between the "9reat
Fifth: and 9ushri 2han began* By the beginning of the .Pth century at the latest, the
BuddhiMation of Mongolia was com#lete and the country lay firmly in the hand of
the Bellow -hurch*

But it would be wrong to belie)e that the con)ersion of the Mongolian rulers had led to
a fundamental re6ection of the warlike #olitics of the tribes* <t is true that it was at times a
moderating influence* For instance, the Third alai !ama had demanded that women and
sla)es no longer be slaughtered as sacrificial offerings during the ancient memorial ser)ices
for the deceased #rinces of the ste##e* But it would fill #ages if we were to re#ort on the
cruelty and mercilessness of the "Buddhist: 2hans* ;s long as it concerned the combating of
"enemies of the faith:, the lamas were #re#ared to make any com#romise regarding )iolence*
HP.
1ere the aggressi)e #otential of the #rotecti)e deities $the dharmapala( could be li)ed out in
reality without limits* Bet to be fair one has to say that both elements, the #acification and the
militariMation, de)elo#ed in #arallel, as is indeed readily #ossible in the #aradoxical world of
the tantric doctrines* <t was not until the beginning of the %&th century that the #ro)erbial
fighting s#irit of the Mongolians would once more really shine forth and then, as we shall see,
combine with the martial ideology of the "alachakra Tantra*

Before the -ommunists seiMed #ower in Mongolia in the twenties, more than a 8uarter
of the male #o#ulation were sim#le monks* The main contingent of lamas belonged to the
9elug#a order and thus at least officially obeyed the god7king from !hasa* 5eal #ower,
howe)er, was exercised by the su#reme "hutuktu, the Mongolian term for an incarnated
Buddha being $in the Tibetan language0"undun(* ;t the beginning of his term in office his
authority only extended to religious matters, then constitutionally the
ste##e land of 9enghis 2han had become a #ro)ince of -hina*

<n the year .Q.. there was a re)olt and the "li)ing Buddha:, Debtsundamba 2hutuktu,
was #roclaimed as the first head of state $$ogd "han( of the autonomous Mongolian #eo#les*
;t the same time the country declared its inde#endence* <n the constitutional decree it said0
"+e ha)e ele)ated the Bogd, radiant as the sun, myriad aged, as the 9reat 2han of Mongolia
and his consort Tsagaan ar as the mother of the nation: $Knon, .QPQ, #* .L(* The great
lama,s res#onse included the following0 ";fter acce#ting the ele)ation by all to become the
9reat 2han of the Mongolian 4ation, < shall endlessly stri)e to s#read the Buddhist religion
as brightly as the lights of the million suns ***: $Knon, .QPQ, #* .P(*

From now on, 6ust as in Tibet a Buddhocracy with the incarnation of a god at its helm
reigned inMongolia* <n .Q.% an en)oy of the alai !ama signed an agreement with the new
head of state in which the two hierarchs each recogniMed the so)ereignty of the other and their
countries as autonomous states* The agreement was to be binding for all time and #ronounced
Tibetan Buddhism to be the sole state religion*

Dabtsundamba 2hutuktu $.PN&O.Q%@( was not a nati)e Mongol, but was born
in !hasa as the son of a senior ci)il ser)ant in the administration of the alai !ama* ;t the
age of four his monastic life began in 2hIre, the Mongolian ca#ital at the time* 3)en as a
HP%
younger man he led a dissolute life* 1e lo)ed women and wine and 6ustified his liberties with
tantric arguments* This e)en made its way into the Mongolian school books of the time,
where we are able to read that there are two kinds of Buddhism0 the ")irtuous way: and the
"mantra #ath:* +hoe)er follows the latter, "strolls, e)en without gi)ing u# the drinking of
intoxicating be)erages, marriage, or a worldly occu#ation, if he contem#lates the essence of
the ;bsolute, *** along the #ath of the great yoga master*: $9lasena##, .Q@&, #* %@(* +hen on
his )isit to Mongolia the Thirteenth alai !ama made malicious comments about
dissoluteness of his brother7in7office, the 2hutuktu is said to ha)e foamed with rage and
relations between the two sank to a new low*

>(5t!unda$5a 4hutu1tu2 th( (ighth #ogdo-g(g(n

The "li)ing Buddha: from Mongolia was brutal to his sub6ects and not rarely
o)erste##ed the border to cruelty* 1e is accredited with numerous #oisonings* <t was not
entirely without 6ustification that he trusted nobody and sus#ected all* 4onetheless he
HP'
#ossessed #olitical acumen, an unbreakable ambition, and also a noteworthy audacity* Time
and again he understood how, e)en in the most unfathomable situations, to seiMe #olitical
#ower for himself, and sur)i)ed as head of state e)en after the -ommunists had con8uered the
country* 1is steadfastness in the face of the -hinese garnered him the res#ect of both ordinary
#eo#le and the nobility*

There had barely been a #eaceful #eriod for him* Soon after its declaration of
inde#endence $in .Q..( the country became a #laything of the most )aried interests0 the
-hinese, Tsarist 5ussians, -ommunists, and numerous national and regional grou#ings
attem#ted to gain control of the state* Blind and marked by the consum#tion of alcohol, the
2hutuktu died in .Q%@* The Byelorussian, Ferdinand Kssendowski, who was fleeing through
the country at the time attributes the following #ro#hecy and )ision to the 2hutuktu, which,
e)en if it is not historically authenticated, con6ures u# the s#irit of an aggressi)e #an7
Mongolism0 "4ear 2arakorum and on the shores of =bsa 4or < see the huge multi7colored
cam#s* *** ;bo)e them < see the old banners of DenghiM 2han, of the kings of Tibet, Siam,
;fghanistan, and of <ndian #rincesR the sacred signs of all the !amaite PontiffsR the coats of
arms of the 2hans of the KletsR and the sim#le signs of the north7Mongolian tribes* **** There
is the roar and crackling of fire and the ferocious sound of battle* +ho is leading these
warriors who there beneath the reddened sky are shedding their own and others, bloodA *** <
see *** a new great migration of #eo#les, the last march of the Mongols X/ $Kssendowski,
.Q%@, ##* '.H7'.L(*

<n the same year that Dabtsundamba 2hutuktu died the "Mongolian 5e)olutionary
Peo#le,s Party: $the -ommunists( seiMed com#lete go)ernmental control, which they were to
exercise for o)er L& years* 4onetheless s#eculation about the new incarnation of the "li)ing
Buddha: continued* 1ere the -ommunists a##ealed to an old #rediction according to which
the eighth 2hutuktu would be reborn as a Shambhala general and would thus no longer be
able to a##ear here on earth* But the cunning lamas countered with the argument that this
would not ham#er the immediate embodiment of the ninth 2hutuktu* <t was decided to
a##roach the Fourteenth alai !ama and the 4inth Panchen !ama for ad)ice* 1owe)er, the
-ommunist Party #re)ailed and in .Q'& conducted a large7scale show trial of se)eral
Mongolian nobles and s#iritual leaders in connection with this search for a new incarnation*

HP@
There were attem#ts in Mongolia at the time to make -ommunist and Buddhist ideas
com#atible with one another* <n so doing, lamas became excited about the myth that !enin
was a reincarnation of the historical Buddha* But other )oices were likewise to be heard* <n a
#am#hlet from the twenties we can also read that "5ed 5ussia and !enin are reincarnation of
!angdarma, the enemy of the faith: $Bawden, .QLQ, #* %LH(* =nder Dosef Stalin this )ariety of
o#inion )anished for good* The -ommunist Party #roceeded mercilessly against the religious
institutions of Mongolia, dro)e the monks out of the monasteries, had the tem#les closed and
forbade any form of clerical teaching #rogram*

Th( Mongoian Sha$5haa $%th
+e do not intend to consider in detail the recent history of Mongolia* +hat #rimarily
interests us are the tantric #atterns which had an effect behind the #olitical stage* Since the
.Q
th
century #ro#hetic religious literature has flourished in the country* ;mong the many
mystic ho#es for sal)ation, theShambhala myth ranks as the foremost* <t has always
accom#anied the Mongolian nationalist mo)ement and is today en6oying a #owerful
renaissance after the end of -ommunism* =# until the thirties it was almost self7e)ident for
the !amaist milieu of the country that the conflicts with -hinaand 5ussia were to be seen as a
#reliminary skirmish to a future, worldwide, final battle which would end in a uni)ersal
)ictory for Buddhism* <n this, the figures of the Rudra Chakrin, of the$uddha <aitreya& and
of @enghis "han were combined into an o)er#owering messianic figure who would firstly
s#read unimaginable horror so as to then lead the con)erted masses, abo)e all the Mongols as
the chosen #eo#le, into #aradise* The soldiers of the Mongolian army #roudly called
themsel)es "Shambhala warriors:* <n a song of war from the year .Q.Q we may read

1e raised the yello% *la)
Cor the )reatness o* the B"ddha do'trineA
1e the p"pils o* the 0h"t"kt"
1ent into the battle o* ,hambhala6
$Bleichsteiner, .Q'N, #* .&@(*

Fi)e years later, in .Q%@, the 5ussian, 4icholas 5oerich, met a troo# of Mongolian
horsemen in =rga who sang0

HPH
Let "s die in this %ar
$o be reborn
&s horsemen o* the ("ler o* ,hambhala
8Schule der !ebensweisheit, )RR*& p. OO:.

1e was informed in mysterious tones that a year before his arri)al a Mongol boy had
been born, u#on whom the entire #eo#le,s ho#es for sal)ation hung, because he was an
incarnation ofShambhala*

The Buriat, ;g)an or6ie), a confidante of the Thirteenth alai !ama, about him we
still ha)e much to re#ort, #ersistently in)ol)ed himself in e)ery e)ent which has
affected Mongolia since the beginning of the twentieth century* "<t was his s#ecial
contribution:, Dohn Snelling writes, "to ex#and #an7Mongolism, which has been called Gthe
most #owerful single idea in -entral ;sia in the twentieth centuryG, into the more ex#ansi)e
#an7Buddhism, which, as we ha)e already noted, he based u#on the "alachakra myths,
including the legend of the messianic kingdom of ShambhalaISnelling, .QQ', #* QL(*

The Shambhala myth li)ed on in the underground after -ommunist accession to #ower,
as if a military inter)ention from out of the mythic kingdom were imminent* <n .Q'H and .Q'L
ritual were #erformed in 2horinsk in order to s#eed u# the inter)ention by the king
of Shambhala* The lamas #roduced #ostcards on which could be seen how the armies
of Shambhala #oured forth out of a rising sun* 4ot without reason, the So)iet secret ser)ice
sus#ected this to be a reference to Da#an, whose flag carries the national symbol of the rising
sun* <n fact, the Da#anese did make use of theShambhala legend in their own im#erialist
interests and attem#ted to win o)er Mongolian lamas as agents through a##eals to the myth*

Da$5iLant!an2 th( 5oodthir!t% a'(nging a$a
To what inhumanity and cruelty the tantric scheme can lead in times of war is shown by
the story of the "a)enging lama:, a 5ed 1at monk by the name of ambi6antsan* 1e was a
2almyk from the Volga region who was im#risoned in 5ussia for re)olutionary acti)ities*
";fter an ad)enturous flight:, writes 5obert Bleichsteiner, "he went to Tibet and <ndia, where
he was trained in tantric magic* <n the nineties he began his #olitical acti)ities in Mongolia*
;n errant knight of !amaism, demon of the ste##es, and tantric in the style of
HPL
Padmasambha)a, he awakened )ague ho#es among some, fear among others, shrank from no
crime, emerged unscathed from all dangers, so that he was considered in)ulnerable and
unassailable, in brief, he held the whole 9obi in his thrall: $Bleichsteiner, .Q'N,#* ..&(*

ambi6antsan belie)ed himself to be the incarnation of the west Mongolian war
hero, ;mursana* 1e succeeded o)er a number of years in commanding a relati)ely large
armed force and in executing a noteworthy number of )ictorious military actions* For these he
was awarded high7ranking religious and noble titles by the "li)ing Buddha: from =rga* The
5ussian, Ferdinand Kssendowski, re#orted of him, albeit under another name $Tushegoun
!ama( S.T, that "3)eryone who disobeyed his orders #erished* Such a one ne)er knew the day
or the hour when, in his yurtaor beside his gallo#ing horse on the #lains, the strange and
#owerful friend of the alai !ama would a##ear* The stroke of a knife, a bullet or strong
fingers strangling the neck like a )ise accom#lished the 6ustice of the #lans of this miracle
worker: $Kssendowski, .Q%@, #* ..L(* There was in fact the rumor that the god7king
from !hasa had honored the militant 2almyk*

ambi6antsan,s form of warfare was of a calculated cruelty which he nonetheless
regarded as a religious act of )irtue* Kn ;ugust L, .Q.%, after the taking of 2hobdo, he had
-hinese and Sarten #risoners slaughtered within a tantric rite* !ike an ;Mtec sacrificial #riest,
in full regalia, he stabbed them in the chest with a knife and tore their hearts out with his left
hand* 1e laid these together with #arts of the brain and some entrails in skull bowls so as to
offer them u# as bali sacrifices to the Tibetan terror gods* ;lthough officially a go)ernor of
the 2hutuktu, for the next two years he conducted himself like an autocrat in western
Mongolia and tyranniMed a huge territory with a reign of )iolence "beyond all reason and
measure: $Bawden, .QLQ, #* .QP(* Kn the walls of the yurt he li)e in hung the #eeled skins of
his enemies*

<t was first the Bolshe)iks who clearly bothered him* 1e fled into the 9obi desert and
entrenched himself there with a number of loyal followers in a fort* 1is end was 6ust as
bloody as the rest of his life* The 5ussians sent out a Mongolian #rince who #retended to be
an en)oy of the "li)ing Buddha:, and thus gained entry to the cam# without harm* <n front of
the unsus#ecting "a)enging lama: he fired off six shots at him from a re)ol)er* 1e then tore
the heart from the body of his )ictim and de)oured it before the eyes of all #resent, in order
HPN
> as he later said > to frighten and horrify his followers* 1e thus managed to flee* !ater he
returned to the site with the 5ussians and collected the head of ambi6antsan as #roof* But the
"tearing out and eating of the heart: was in this case not 6ust a terrible means of s#reading
dread, but also #art of a traditional cult among the Mongolian warrior caste, which was
already #racticed under 9enghis 2han and had sur)i)ed o)er the centuries* There is also talk
of it in a #assage from the @esar e#ic which we ha)e already 8uoted* <t is likewise found as a
motif in Tibetan thangkas0 $egtse, the highly re)ered war god, swings a sword in his right
hand whilst holding a human heart to his mouth with his left*

<n light of the dreadful tortures of which the -hinese army was accused, and the
merciless butchery with which the Mongolian forces res#onded, an extremely cruel form of
warfare was the rule in-entral ;sia in the nineteen twenties* 1ence an a##reciation of the
a)enging lama has arisen among the #o#ulace of Mongolia which sometimes extends to a
glorification of his life and deeds* The 5ussian, Kssendowski, also saw in him an almost
su#ernatural redeemer*

@on Eng(rn St(rn5(rg: Th( ,Ord(r o- #uddhi!t Warrior!C
<n .Q.Q the army of the Byelorussian general, 5oman )on =ngern Sternberg, 6oined u#
with ambi6antsan* The nati)e Balt was of a similar cruelly eccentric nature to the "a)enger
lama:* =nder ;dmiral 2olchak he first established a Byelorussian bastion in the east against
the Bolshe)iks* 1e saw the -ommunists as "e)il s#irits in human sha#e: $+ebb, .QNL, #*
%&%(* !ater he went to Mongolia*

Through his darede)ilry he there succeeded in building u# an army of his own and
#ositioning himself at its head* This was soon to excite fear and horror because of its ata)istic
cruelty* <t consisted of 5ussians, Mongolians, Tibetans, and -hinese* ;ccording to
Kssendowski, the Tibetan and Mongolian regiments wore a uniform of red 6ackets with
e#aulettes u#on which the swastika of 9enghis 2han and the initials of the "li)ing Buddha:
from =rga were emblaMoned* $<n the occult scene )on =ngern Sternberg is thus seen as a
#recursor of 9erman national socialism*(

<n assembling his army the baron a##lied the tantric "law of in)ersion: with utmost
#recision* The hired soldiers were firstly stuffed with alcohol, o#ium, and hashish to the #oint
HPP
of colla#se and then left to sober u# o)ernight* ;nyone who now still drank was shot* The
9eneral himself was considered in)ulnerable* <n one battle N@ bullets were caught in his coat
and saddle without him being harmed* 3)eryone called the Balt with the shaggy moustache
and tousled hair the "mad baron:* +e ha)e at hand a biMarre #ortrait from an eyewitness who
saw him in the last days before his defeat0 "The baron with his head dro##ed to his chest,
silently rode in front of his troo#s* 1e had lost his hat and clothing* Kn his naked chest
numerous Mongolian talismans were hanging on a bright yellow cord* 1e looked like the
incarnation of a #rehistoric a#e man* Peo#le were afraid e)en to look at him: $8uoted by
+ebb, .QNL, #* %&'(*

HPQ
#aron Ro$an 'on Eng(rn-St(rn5(rg%

This man succeeded in bringing the 2hutuktu, dri)en away by the -hinese, back to
=rga* Together with him he staged a tantric defense ritual against the 5ed ;rmy in .Q%.,
albeit without much success* ;fter this, the hierarch lost trust in his former sa)ior and is said
to ha)e made contact with the 5eds himself in order to be rid of the Balt* ;t any rate, he
ordered the Mongolian troo#s under the general,s command to desert* Von =ngern Sternberg
was then ca#tured by the Bolshe)iks and shot* ;fter this, the -ommunists #ushed on to =rga
and a year later occu#ied the ca#ital* The 2hutuktu had acted correctly in his own interests,
HQ&
then until his death he remained at least pro forma the head of state, although real #ower was
transferred ste# by ste# into the hands of the -ommunist Party*

;ll manner of occult s#eculations surround )on =ngern Sternberg, which may
essentially be traced to one source, the best7seller we ha)e already 8uoted se)eral times by the
5ussian, Ferdinand Kssendowski, with the 9erman title of Tiere& <enschen& @,tter S3nglish0
Beasts, Men and 9odsT* The book as a whole is seen by historians as #roblematic, but is,
howe)er, considered authentic in regard to its #ortrayal of the baron $+ebb, .QNL, #* %&.(*
Von =ngern Sternberg 8uite wanted to establish an "order of military Buddhists:* "For
whatA:, Kssendowski has him ask rhetorically* "For the #rotection of the #rocesses of
e)olution of humanity and for the struggle against re)olution, because < am certain that
e)olution leads to the i)inity and re)olution to bestiality: $Kssendowski, .Q%@, #* %@H(* This
order was su##osed to be the elite of an ;sian state, which united the -hinese, the
Mongolians, the Tibetans, the ;fghans, the Tatars, the Buriats, the 2yrgyMstanis, and
the2almyks*

;fter calculating his horosco#e the lamas recogniMed in )on Sternberg the incarnation of
the mighty Tamerlan $.''L7.@&H(, the founder of the second Mongolian 3m#ire* The general
acce#ted this recognition with #ride and 6oy, and as an embodiment of the great 2han drafted
his )ision of a world em#ire as a "military and moral defense against the rotten +estX/
$+ebb, .QNL, #* %&%(* "<n ;sia there will be a great state from the Pacific
and <ndian Kceans to the shore of the Volga:, Kssendowski #resents the baron as
#ro#hesying* "The wise religion of Buddha shall run to the north and the west* <t will be the
)ictory of the s#irit* ; con8ueror and leader will a##ear stronger and more stalwart than
DenghiM 2han **** and he will kee# #ower in his hands until the ha##y day when, from his
subterranean ca#ital, shall emerge the king of the world: $Kssendowski, .Q%@, #* %LH(*

1ere he had uttered the key #hrase which continues to this day to hold the occult scene
of the +est enthralled, the "king of the world:* This figure is su##osed to go)ern in a
kingdom below the ground somewhere in -entral ;sia and from here exercise an influence on
human history* 3)en if Kssendowski refers to his magic em#ire under the name of ;garthi, it
is only a )ariant u#on or su##lement to the Shambhala myth*S%T 1is "2ing of the +orld: is
identical to the ruler of the"alachakra kingdom* 1e "knows all the forces of the world and
HQ.
reads all the souls of humankind and the great book of their destiny* <n)isibly he rules eight
hundred million men on the surface of the earth and they will accom#lish his e)ery order:
$Kssendowski, .Q%@, #* '&%(* 5eferring to Kssendowski, the French occultist, 5enZ 9uZnon,
s#eculates that the Chakra+artin may be #resent as a trinity in our world of a##earances0 in
the figure of the alai !ama he re#resents s#irituality, in the #erson of the Panchen !ama
knowledge, and in his emanation as Bogdo 2han $2hutuktu( the art of war $9uZnon, .QHP, #*
'N(*

Th( Fourt((nth Daai La$a and Mongoia
Since the end of the fifties the #ressure on the remainder of the "Bellow -hurch:
in Mongolia has slowly declined* <n the year .QNQ the Fourteenth alai !ama )isited for the
first time* Moscow, which was in)ol)ed in a confrontation with -hina, was glad of such
)isits* 1owe)er it was not until .QQ& that the -ommunist Party of Mongolia relin8uished its
mono#oly on #ower* <n .QQ% a new democratic constitution came into effect*

Today $in .QQQ( the old monasteries destroyed by the -ommunists are being rebuilt, in
#art with western su##ort* Since the beginning of the nineties a real "re7!amaiMation: is
underway among the Mongolians and with it a renaissance of the Shambhala myth and a
renewed s#read of the"alachakra ritual* The 9elug#a order is attracting so many new
members there that the ma6ority of the no)ices cannot be guaranteed a #ro#er training because
there are not enough tantric teachers* The conse8uence is a siMeable army of un8ualified
monks, who not rarely earn their li)ing through all manner of dubious magic #ractices and
who re#resent a dangerous #otential for a #ossible wa)e of Buddhist fundamentalism*

The #erson who with great organiMational skill is su#er)ising and accelerating the
"rebirth: of !amaism in Mongolia goes by the name of Bakula 5in#oche, a former teacher of
the Fourteenth alai !ama and his right hand in the 8uestion of Mongolian #olitics* The lama,
recogniMed as a higher tulku, sur#risingly also functions as an <ndian ambassador in =lan
Bator alongside his religious acti)ities, and is acce#ted and su##orted in this dual role as
ambassador for <ndia and as a central figure in the "re7!amaiMation #rocess: by the local
go)ernment* <n Se#tember of .QQ' he had an urn containing the ashes of the historical
Buddha brought to Mongolia for se)eral weeks from <ndia, a #ri)ilege which to date no other
country has been accorded by the <ndian go)ernment* Bakula en6oys such a great influence
HQ%
that in .QQ@ he announced to the Mongolians that the ninth incarnation of the Dabtsundamba
2hutuktu, the su#reme s#iritual figure of their country, had been disco)ered in <ndia*

The alai !ama is aware of the great im#ortance of Mongolia for his global #olitics* 1e
is constantly a guest there and conducts noteworthy mass e)ents $in .QNQ, .QP%, .QQ., .QQ@,
and .QQH(* <n =lan Bator in .QQL the god7king celebrated the "alachakra ritual in front of a
huge, enthusiastic crowd* +hen he )isited the Mongolian Buriats in 5ussia in .QQ@, he was
asked by them to recogniMe the greatest military leader of the world, 9enghis 2han, as a
"Bodhisatt)a:* The winner of the 4obel #eace #riMe smiled enigmatically and silently
#roceeded to another #oint on the agenda* The 2undun en6oys a boundless re)erence
in Mongolia as in no other #art of the world $exce#t Tibet(* The grand ho#es of this
im#o)erished #eo#le who once ruled the world hang on him* 1e a##ears to many Mongolians
to be the sa)ior who can lead them out of the wretched financial state they are currently in and
restore their fame from the times of 9enghis 2han*

Footnot(!:
S.T <t must be the same #erson, since the author refers to him as a 2almyk 5ussian and
as the "a)enging lama:*
S%T Marco Pallis is of the o#inion that Kssendowski has sim#ly substituted the
name ;garthi for Shambhala, because the former was )ery well known in 5ussia as a "world
center:, whilst the name Shambhala had no associations $5obin, .QPL, ##* '.@7'.H(*
""D THE SHAM#HALA MGTH AND THE WEST

The s#read of the Shambhala myth and the "alachakra Tantra in the +est has a history
of its own* <t does definitely not first begin with the ex#ulsion of the lamas from Tibet $in
.QHQ( and their dias#ora across the whole world, but rather commences at the beginning of
the twentieth century in5ussia with the religious #olitical acti)ity of an ethnic Buriat by the
name of ;g)an or6ie)*

Th( Sha$5haa $i!!ionar% Ag'an DorLi('
3)en in his youth, ;g)an or6ie) $.PH@O.Q'P(, who trained as a monk in Tibet, was
already a )ery #romising indi)idual* For this reason he was as a young man entrusted with
caring for the Thirteenth alai !ama* The duties of the Buriat included among other things
HQ'
the ritual cleansing of the body and bedroom of the god7king, which im#lies 8uite an intimate
degree of contact* !ater he was to be at times the closest #olitical ad)iser of 1is 1oliness*

or6ie) was con)inced that the union of Tibet with 5ussia would #ro)ide
the 1ighlands with an extremely fa)orable future, and was likewise able to con)ince the
hierarch u#on the !ion Throne of the merits of his #olitical )ision for a number of years* 1e
thus ad)anced to the #ost of Tibetan en)oy in St* Petersburg and at the 5ussian court* 1is
work in the ca#ital was extremely acti)e and )aried* <n .PQP he had his first audience with
Tsar 4icholas <<, which was su##osed to be followed by others* The 5ussian go)ernment was
o#ening u# with greater tolerance towards the ;sian minorities among whom the Buriats were
also to be counted, and was attem#ting to integrate them more into the 3m#ire whilst still
res#ecting their religious and cultural autonomy, instead of missioniMing them as they had still
done at the outset of the .Qth century*

3)en as a boy, 4icholas << had been fascinated by Tibet and the "yellow #ontiff:
from !hasa* The famous ex#lorer, 4ikolai PrMhe)alsky, introduced the .'7year7old Tsare)itch
to the history and geo#olitics of -entral ;sia* PrMhe)alsky described the alai !ama as a
#owerful Kriental #o#e with dominion o)er some %H& million ;siatic souls: and belie)ed
that a 5ussian influence in Tibetwould lead to control of the entire continent and that this
must be the first goal of Tsarist foreign #olicy $Schimmel#ennink, .QQ@, #* .L(* Prince 3s#er
3s#ero)ich =khtomsky, influential at court and dee#ly im#ressed by the Buddhist teachings,
also dreamed of a greater ;sian 3m#ire under the leadershi# of the "+hite Tsars:*

Since the end of the .Qth century Buddhism had become a real fashion among the
5ussian high society, com#arable only to what is currently ha##ening in 1ollywood, where
more and more stars #rofess to the doctrine of the alai !ama* <t was considered stylish to
a##eal to 5ussia,s ;siatic inheritance and to in)oke the Mongolian blood which flowed in the
)eins of e)ery 5ussian with emotional #hrases* The #oet, Vladimir Solo)6o) declaimed, "Pan7
Mongolism > this word0 barbaric, yesV Bet a sweet sound: $Block, n*d*, #* %@N(*

HQ@
&)van Dorjiev

The mysto7#olitical influences u#on the
court of the Tsar of the nag)e demonic )illage
magician, 5as#utin, are common knowledge*
Bet the #ower7#olitical intrigues of an
intelligent ;sian doctor by the name of Peter
Badma6e) ought to ha)e been of far greater
conse8uence* !ike or6ie), whom he knew
well, he was a Buriat and originally a
Buddhist, but he had then con)erted to
5ussian Krthodox* 1is change of faith was
ne)er really bought by those around him, who
fre8uented him abo)e all as a mighty shaman
that was "su##osed to be initiated into all the secrets of ;sia: $9olowin, .QNN, #* %.Q(*

Badma6e) was head of the most famous #ri)ate hos#ital in St* Petersburg* There the
cabinet lists for the res#ecti)e members of go)ernment were #ut together under his direction*
5* FIlJ#7Miller has )i)idly described the doctor,s #ower7#olitical acti)ities0 "<n the course of
time medicine and #olitics, ministerial a##ointments and Glotus essencesG became more and
more mingled, and a fantastic #olitical magic character arose, which emanated from
Badma6e),s sanatorium and determined the fate of all 5ussia* The miracle7working doctor
owed this influence es#ecially to his successful medical7#olitical treatment of the Tsar* ***
Badma6e),s mixtures, #otions, and #owders brewed from mysterious herbs from the ste##es
ser)ed not 6ust to remedy #atient,s metabolic disturbancesR anyone who took these
medicaments ensured himself an im#ortant office in the state at the same time: $FIlJ#7Miller,
.Q%N, ##* ..%, .@P(* For this "wise and crafty ;sian: too, the guiding idea was the
establishment of an ;sian em#ire with the "+hite Tsar: at its helm*

<n this o)erheated #ro7;sian climate, or6ie) belie)ed, #robably somewhat rashly, that
the Tsar had a genuine #ersonal interest in being initiated into the secrets of Buddhism* The
Buriat,s goal was to establish a mchod2yon relationshi# between 4icholas << and the god7king
HQH
from !hasa, that is, 5ussian state #atronage of !amaism* 1ence a tri# to 5ussia by the alai
!ama was #re#ared which, howe)er, ne)er e)entuated*

Bolshevik B"ddhism
Kne would think that or6ie) had a com#assionate heart for the tragic fate of the Tsarist
family* ;t least, 4icholas << had su##orted him and the Thirteenth alai !ama had e)en
declared the 5ussian heir to the throne to be a Bodhisatt)a because a number of attem#ts to
gi)e him a -hristian ba#tism mysteriously failed* ;t or6ie),s behest, #ictures of the
5omano)s adorned the Buddhist tem#le inSt* Petersburg*

1ence, it is extremely sur#rising that the Buriat greeted the 5ussian Kctober 5e)olution
and the seiMure of #ower by the Bolshe)iks with great emotion* +hat stood behind this about7
face, a change of attitude or understandable o##ortunismA More likely the former, then at the
outset of the twenties or6ie), along with many famous 5ussian orientalists, was con)inced
that -ommunism and Buddhism were com#atible* 1e #ublicly #roclaimed that the teaching of
Shakyamuni was an "atheistic religion: and that it would be wrong to describe it as
"unscientific:* Men in his immediate neighborhood e)en went so far as to celebrate the
historical Buddha as the original founder of -ommunism and to glorify !enin as an
incarnation of the 3nlightened Kne* There are reliable rumors that or6ie) and !enin had met*

<nitially the Bolshe)iks a##reciated such currying of fa)or and made use of it to win
Buddhist 5ussians o)er to their ideas* ;lready in .Q.Q, the second year of the 5e)olution, an
exhibition of Buddhist art was #ermitted and encouraged amidst extreme social turmoil* The
teachings of Shakyamuni li)ed through a golden era, lectures about the Sutras were held,
numerous Buddhist books were #ublished, contacts were established with Mongolian and
Tibetan scholars* 3)en the ideas of #an7Mongolism were reawakened and #eo#le began to
dream of blood7filled scenes* <n the same year, in his famous #oem of hate =ie Skythen SThe
ScythiansT, ;lexander Block #ro#hesied the fall of 3uro#e through the combined assault of
the 5ussians and the Mongolians* <n it we can read that

1e shall see thro")h the slits o* o"r eyes
Ho% the H"ns *i)ht over yo"r *lesh
Ho% yo"r 'ities 'ollapse
HQL
&nd yo"r horses )ra8e bet%een the r"ins#
$Block, n*d*, #* %@Q(

3)en the So)iet =nion,s highest7ranking cultural official of the time, ;natoli
Vassilie)ich !unacharski, #raised ;sia as a #ure source of inexhaustible reser)es of strength0
"+e need the 5e)olution to toss aside the #ower of the bourgeoisie and the #ower of
rationality at the same time so as to regain the great #ower of elementary life, so as to dissol)e
the world in the real music of intense being* +e res#ect and honor ;sia as an area which until
now draws its life energy from exactly these right sources and which is not #oisoned by
3uro#ean reason: $TrotMki6, .QLP, #* HH(*

Bet the Buddhist, #an7;sian 3l orado of !eningrad transformed itself in .Q%Q into a
hell, as the Stalinist secret ser)ice began with a cam#aign to eradicate all religious currents*
Some years later or6ie) was arrested as a counterre)olutionary and then #ut on trial for
treason and terrorism* Kn Danuary %Q, .Q'P the "friend of the alai !ama: died in a #rison
hos#ital*

$he 0ala'hakra temple in ,t# Petersb"r)
There is a sim#le reason for or6ie),s enthusiasm for 5ussia* 1e was con)inced that
the"alachakra system and the Shambhala myth had their origins in the 3m#ire of the Tsar and
would return )ia it* <n .Q&. the Buriat had recei)ed initiations into the Time Tantra from the
4inth Panchen !ama which were su##osed to ha)e been of central significance for his future
)ision* 3kai 2awaguchi, a Buddhist monk from Da#an who )isited Tibet at the turn of the last
century, claims to ha)e heard of a #am#hlet in which or6ie) wrote "Shambhala was 5ussia*
The 3m#eror, moreo)er, was an incarnation of Tsongkha#a, and would sooner or later subdue
the whole world and found a gigantic Buddhist em#ire: $Snelling, .QQ', #* NQ(* ;lthough it is
not certain whether the lama really did write this document, it fits in with his religious7
#olitical ideas* ;dditionally, the historians are agreed0 "<n my o#inion,: +*;* =nkrig writes,
"the religiously7based #ur#ose of ;g)an or6ie) was the foundation of a !amaist7oriented
kingdom of the Tibetans and Mongols as a theocracy under the alai !ama *** SandT under the
#rotection of Tsarist 5ussia *** <n addition, among the !amaists there existed the religiously
grounded ho#e for hel# from a WMessianic 2ingdom, in the 4orth *** called G4orthern
Shambhala,: $8uoted by Snelling, .QQ', #* NQ(*
HQN

;t the center of or6ie),s acti)ities in 5ussia stood the construction of a three7
dimensional mandala > the Buddhist tem#le in St* Petersburg* The shrine was dedicated to
the "alachakra deity* The alai !ama,s en)oy succeeded in bringing together a res#ectable
number of #rominent 5ussians who a##ro)ed of and su##orted the #ro6ect* The architects
came from the +est* ; #ainter by the name of 4icholas 5oerich, who later became a fanatic
#ro#agandist for "alachakra doctrine, #roduced the designs for the stained7glass windows*
+ork commenced in .Q&Q* <n the central hall )arious main gods from the Tibetan #antheon
were re#resented with statues and #ictures, including among others or6ie),s wrathful
initiation deity, -a0rabhaira+a* 5egarding the dZcor, it is #erha#s also of interest that there
was a swastika motif which the Bolshe)iks knocked out during the Second +orld +ar* There
was sufficient room for se)eral lamas, who looked after the ritual life, to li)e on the grounds*
or6ie) had originally intended to tri#le the staffing and to construct not 6ust a tem#le but also
a whole monastery* This was #re)ented, howe)er, by the inter)ention of the 5ussian Krthodox
-hurch*

The inauguration took #lace in .Q.H, an im#ortant social e)ent with numerous figures
from #ublic life and the official re#resentati)es of )arious ;sian countries* The alai !ama
sent a #owerful delegation, "to re#resent the Buddhist Pa#acy and assist the Tibetan 3n)oy
or6ie): $Snelling, .QQ', #* .HQ(* 4icholas << had already )iewed the "alachakra tem#le
#ri)ately together with members of his family se)eral days before the official occasion*

HQP
Ag'an DorJhi(' in th( 4aacha1ra t($8( o- StD P(t(r!5urg

Kfficially, the shrine was declared to be a #lace for the needs of the Buriat and 2almyk
minorities in the ca#ital* +ith regard to its occult functions it was undoubtedly a tantric
mandala with which the "alachakra system was to be trans#lanted into the +est* Then, as we
ha)e already ex#lained, from the lamas, traditional #oint of )iew founding a tem#le is seen as
an act of s#iritual occu#ation of a territory* The legends about the construction of first
Buddhist monastery $Samye( on Tibetan soil show that it is a matter of a symbolic deed with
which the )ictory of Buddhism o)er the nati)e gods $or demons( is celebrated* Such sacred
buildings as the "alachakra tem#le in St* Petersburgare cosmograms which are > in their
own way of seeing things > em#loyed by the lamas as magic seals in order to s#iritually
sub6ugate countries and #eo#les* <t is in this sense that the <talian, Fosco Maraini, has also
described the monasteries in his #oetic tra)elogue about Tibet as "factories of a holy
technology or laboratories of s#iritual science: $Maraini, .QH%, #* .N%(* <n our o#inion this
HQQ
a##roximates )ery closely the !amaist self7conce#t* Perha#s it is also the reason why the
Bolshe)iks later housed an e)olutionary technology laboratory in the
confiscated "alachakra shrine of St* Petersburg and #erformed genetic ex#eriments before
the eyes of the tantric terror gods*

The tem#le was first returned to the Buddhists in Dune .QQ.* <n the same year, a few
days before his own death, the 3nglish ex#ert on Buddhism, Dohn Snelling, com#leted his
biogra#hy of the god7king,s Buriat en)oy* <n it he #oses the following #ossibility0 "+ho
knows then but what < call or6ie)Gs Shambhala (ro0ect for a great Buddhist confederation
stretching from Tibet to Siberia, but now with connections across to +estern 3uro#e and e)en
internationally, may well become a )ery real #ossibility: $Snelling, .QQ', xii(* 1ere, Snelling
can only mean the ex#losi)e s#read of Tantric Buddhism across the whole world*

<f we take account of the changes that time brings with it, then today
the "alachakra tem#le inPetersburg would be com#arable with the Tibet House in 4ew Bork*
Both institutions function$ed( as semi7occult centers outwardly disguised as cultural
institutions* <n both instances the s#read of the "alachakra idea isUwas central as well* But
there is also a much closer connection0 5obert ;lexander Farrar Thurman, the founder and
current leader of the Tibet House, went to haramsala at the beginning of the sixties* There he
was ordained by the alai !ama in #erson* Subse8uently, the 2almyk, 9eshe +angyal $.Q&.7
.QP'(, was a##ointed to teach the ;merican, who today #roclaims that he shall ex#erience the
BuddhiMation of the =S; in this lifetime* Thurman thus recei)ed his tantric initiations from
+angyal*

This guru lineage establishes a direct connection to ;g)an or6ie)* 4amely, that as a
.Q7year7old no)ice !ama +angyal accom#anied the Buriat to St* Petersburg and was initiated
by him* Thus, 5obert Thurman,s "line guru: is, )ia +angyal, the old master or6ie)* or6ie)
> +angyal > Thurman form a chain of initiations* From a tantric )iew#oint the s#irit of the
master li)e on in the figure of the #u#il* <t can thus be assumed that as or6ie),s "successor:
Thurman re#resents an emanation of the extremely aggressi)e #rotecti)e
deity, -a0rabhaira+a, who had incarnated himself in the Buriat* ;t any rate, Thurman has to
be associated with or6ie),s global Shambhalauto#ia* 1is close interconnection with
L&&
the "alachakra Tantra is additionally a result of his s#ending se)eral months in haramsala
under the su#er)ision of 4amgyal monks, who are s#ecialiMed in the time doctrine*

Mada$( #a'at!1% and th( Sha$5haa $%th

Bet, as the real #ioneering deed in the s#read of the Shambhala myth in the +est we
ha)e to #resent the life and work of a woman* 1elena Petro)na Bla)atsky $.P'.O.PQ.(, the
influential founder of Theoso#hy, #ossibly contributed more to the globaliMation of a warlike
Buddhism than she was aware of* The noble7born 5ussian is su##osed to ha)e already been a
gifted medium as a child* ;fter an ad)enturous life $among other things she worked as a rider
in a circus( her s#iritual career as such began in the .PN&s in the =S;* ;t first she tried her
hand at all kinds of s#iritualist sZances* Then she wrote her first occult book, later world
famous, ?sis Fn+eiled $first #ublished in .PNH(* ;s the title re)eals, at this stage she oriented
herself to secret 3gy#tian teachings* There is almost no trace of Buddhist thought to be found
in this work* <n .PNQ together with her most loyal follower, -olonel 1enry Steele Klcott,
Bla)atsky made a 6ourney to Bombay and to the teachings of Buddha 9autama* There too, the
doctrine of the "great +hite Brotherhood of Tibet: and the mysterious s#iritual masters who
determine the fate of humanity was in)ented, or rather, in Bla)atsky,s terms, "recei)ed: from
the higher realms*
L&.

Tibet, which, her own claims to the contrary, she had #robably ne)er )isited, was a
grand obsession for the occultist* She liked to describe her own facial characteristics as
"2almyk7Buddhist7Tatar:* 3)en though her esoteric system is syncretiMed out of all religions,
since her work on the Secret =octrine TibetanUTantric Buddhism takes #ride of #lace among
them*

; detailed com#arison of the later work of the Theoso#hist with the Shambhala
myth and the"alachakra Tantra would re)eal astounding similarities* ;dmittedly she only
knew the Time Tantra from the brief comments of the first western Tibetologist, the
1ungarian, -soma de 2JrJs, but her writings are #ermeated by the same s#irit which also
animates the "1ighest Tantra of all:* The mystic Secret $ook of =zyan, which the 5ussian
claimed to ha)e "recei)ed: from a Tibetan master and which she wrote her Secret =octrine as
a commentary u#on, is central to her doctrine* <t is su##osed to be the first )olume of the
%. $ooks of "iu te, in which all the esoteric doctrines of our uni)erse are encoded according
to Bla)atsky* +hat are we dealing with hereA The historian a)id 5eigle sus#ects that by the
mysterious $ooks of "iu te she means the tantra section of the Tibetan Tan0ur and "an0ur, the
officially codified Tibetan collections of Buddhist doctrinal writings, about which only little
was known at the time* But this is not certain* There is also su##osed to be a Tibetan tradition
which claims that the $ooks of "iu te were all to be found in
the kingdom ofShambhala $5eigle, .QP', #* '(* Following such o#inions Madame Bla)atsky,s
secret directions would ha)e been drawn directly from the kingdom*

<n her #hiloso#hy the ;< B=1; system is of central im#ortance, and likewise the
fi)efold grou# of the hyani $or meditation( Buddhas and the glorification of ;mitabha as the
su#reme god of light, whom she com#ares with the ";ncient of =aysI of the Dewish -abala*
;stutely, she recogniMes the -hinese goddess @uanyin as the "genius of water: $S#ierenburg,
.QQ., #* .'(* But as "mother, wife, and daughter: she is subordinate to the "First +ord:, the
Tibetan fire god;+alokitesh+ara* The result is > as in the "alachakra Tantra an obsessi)e
solar and fire cult* 1er fire worshi# exhibits an original de)elo#ment in the #rinci#al deity of
our age, #ohat by name* ;mong other things he is said to emanate in all forms of electricity*

L&%
Madame Bla)atsky was not informed about the sexual magic #ractices in the tantras*
She herself su##orted sexual abstinence as "occult hygiene of mind and body: $Meade, .QPN,
#* 'QP(* She claimed to be a )irgin all her life, but a re#ort from her doctors re)eals this was
not the truth* "To 1ades with the sex lo)eV:, she cursed, "<t is a beastly a##etite that should be
star)ed into submission: $Symonds, .QHQ, #* L@(* +hen the sexes first a##eared > we learn
from the Secret $ook of =zyan > they brought disaster to the world* The decline into the
material began with a sexual indiscretion of the gods0 "They took wi)es fair to look u#on*
+i)es from the mindless, the narrow7headed* X Then the third eye acted no longer:
$Bla)atsky, .PPP, )ol* %, #* .'(*

Bla)atsky was #robably con)inced that her female body was being borrowed by a male
Tibetan yogi* ;t any rate her closest co7worker, 1enry Steele Klcott, who so admired her
works that he could not belie)e they could be the work of a woman& sus#ected this* 1ence,
thinking of Madame, he asked an <ndian guru, "But can the atman Shigher selfT of a yogi be
transferred into the body of a womanA:* The <ndian re#lied, "1e can clothe his soul in her
#hysical form with as much ease as he can #ut on a womanGs dress* <n e)ery #hysical as#ect
and relation he would then be like a womanR internally he would remain himself: $Symonds,
.QHQ, #* .@%(* ;s in the "alachakra Tantra&androgyny is also considered the su#reme goal
along the #ath to enlightenment in Theoso#hy* The gods are simultaneously "male7female:*
Their bisexuality is concentrated in the figure of;+alokitesh+ara& the cosmic ;dam*

Through her e8uation of the ;< B=1; with the
Bodhisatt)a ;+alokitesh+ara Madame Bla)atsky clears the way for a cosmologiMation of the
latter,s earthly embodiment, the alai !ama* For her, the Bodhisatt)a is "the #owerful and all7
seeing:, the "sa)ior of humanity: and we learn that as "the most #erfect Buddha: he will
incarnate in the alai !ama or the Panchen !ama in order to redeem the whole world
$Bla)atsky, .PPP, )ol* %, #* .NP(*

;s in the Shambhala myth, the 5ussian #resumes that a secret world go)ernment exists,
whose members, the <ahatmas, were brought together in an esoteric society in the
.@
th
century by the founder of the 9elug#a order, Tsongkha#a* The "+hite Brotherhood:, as
this secret federation is known, still exists in Tibet, e)en if hidden from )iew, and influences
L&'
the fate of humanity* <t consists of su#erhumans who watch o)er the e)olution of the citiMens
of the earth*

!ikewise, the catastro#hic destruction of the old eon and the creation of a new
#aradisiacal realm are #art of the Theoso#hical world )iew* 1ere, Bla)atsky 8uotes the same
<ndian source from which the "alachakra Tantra is also nourished, the -ishnu (urana* There
it says of the doomsday ruler that, "1e *** shall descend on 3arth as an outstanding Brahman
from Shambhala *** endowed with the eight su#erhuman faculties* Through his irresistible
#ower he will *** destroy all whose hearts ha)e been relin8uished to e)il* 1e will re7establish
righteousness on earth: $Bla)atsky, .PPP, )ol* ., #* 'NP(*

Kf course, the 5ussian was able to read much into the Tibetan Buddhist doctrine, since
in her time only a few of the original texts had been translated into a western language* But it
is definitely wrong to dismiss her numerous theses as #ure fantasy, as her s#eculati)e world
brings her closer to the imagination and occult ambience of !amaism than some
#hilologically accurate translations of Sanskrit writings* +ith an unerring instinct and a
)isionary mastery she disco)ered many of the ideas and forces which are at work in the tantric
teachings* <n that she attained these insights more through intuition and mediumism than
through scientific research, she can be regarded as the semi7aware instrument of a Buddhist7
Tibetan world con8uest* ;t any rate, of all the western "belie)ers inTibet: she contributed the
most to the s#read of the idea of the !and of Snows as a unfathomable mystery* +ithout the
occult )eil which Madame Bla)atsky cast o)er Tibet and its clergy, Tantric Buddhism would
only be half as attracti)e in the +est* The Fourteenth alai !ama is also aware of the great
im#ortance of such female allies and has hence fre8uently #raised Bla)atsky,s #ioneering
work*

Nichoa! Ro(rich and th( 4aacha1ra Tantra
; further two indi)iduals who won the most res#ect for the Shambhala myth in the +est
before the flight of the Fourteenth alai !ama, were also 5ussians, 4icholas 5oerich $.PN@O
.Q@N( and his wife 1elena <)ano)na $.PNQO.QHH(* 5oerich was a lifelong #ainter, influenced
by the late art nou)eau mo)ement* 1e belie)ed himself to be a reincarnation of !eonardo da
Vinci* Via his #aintings, of which the ma6ority featured ;sian sub6ects, es#ecially the
mountainous landsca#es of the 1imalayas, he attem#ted to s#read his religious message* 1e
L&@
became interested in the ideas of Theoso#hy )ery early onR his wife translated Madame
Bla)atsky,s Secret =octrine into 5ussian* The occultist led him to Buddhism, which was as
we ha)e said en +ogue in the society of St* Petersburg at the time* +e ha)e already briefly
encountered him as a designer of ;g)an or6ie),s"alachakra tem#le* 1e was a close friend
of the Buriat* <n contrast, he hated ;lbert 9rInwedel and regarded his work with dee#
mistrust* Between the years of .Q%@ and .Q%P he wandered throughout -entral ;sia in search
of the kingdom of Shambhala and subse8uently #ublished a tra)el diary*

<n .Q%Q he began a )ery successful international action, the Roerich $anner of
(eace and the(eace (act, in which warring nations were su##osed to commit themsel)es to
#rotecting each other,s cultural assets from destruction* <n the +hite 1ouse in .Q'H the
5oerich Pact was signed by %. nations in the #resence of President Franklin elano
5oose)elt* The migrant 5ussian succeeded in gaining constant access to circles of
go)ernment, es#ecially since the ;merican agricultural minister, 1enry +allace, had ado#ted
him as his guru* <n .Q@N the #ainter died in theHimalayan foothills of northern <ndia*

+ith great Meal his wife continued her husband,s religious work u# until the nineteen7
fifties* 1elena <)ano)na had from the outset acti)ely #artici#ated in the formation of her
husband,s ideas* ;bo)e all it is to her that we owe the numerous writings about ;gni %oga, the
core of their mutual teachings* 5oerich saw her as something like his shakti, and o#enly
admitted to her contribution to the de)elo#ment of his )ision* 1e said in one statement that in
his understanding of the world "the duty of the woman SisT to lead her male #artner to the
highest and most beautiful, and then to ins#ire him to o#en himself u# to the higher world of
the s#irit and to im#ort both )aluable and beautiful as#ects and ethical and social ones into
life: $;ugustat, .QQ', #* H&(* <n his otherwise <ndian Buddhist doctrinal system there was a
re)ering of the "mother the world: that #robably came from the 5ussian Krthodox -hurch*

5oerich first learned about the "alachakra Tantra from ;g)an or6ie) during his work
on the tem#le in St* Petersburg* !ater, in ar6eeling, he had contact to the lama 4gawang
2alMang, who was also the teacher of the 9erman, !ama 9o)inda, and was well )ersed in the
time teachings* <t is, howe)er, most unlikely that 5oerich recei)ed s#ecific initiations from
him or others, as his statements about the "alachakra Tantra do not dis#lay a great deal of
ex#ertise* Perha#s it was #recisely because of this that he saw in it the "ha##y news " of the
L&H
new eon to come* 1e thus took u# exactly the o##osite #osition to his contem#orary and
ac8uaintance, ;lbert 9rInwedel, who fanatically denounced the su#reme Buddhist doctrinal
system as a work of the de)il* ""alachakraI, 5oerich wrote, "is the doctrine which is
attributed to the numerous rulers ofShambhala. *** But in reality this doctrine is the great
re)elation brought to humankind *** by the lords of fire, the sons of reason who are and were
the lords of ShambhalaI $Schule der 9ebensweisheit, .QQ&, ##* NQ, P.(*

;ccording to 5oerich, the "fiery doctrine was co)ered in dust " u# until the twentieth
century* $Schule der 9ebensweisheit, .QQ&, #* .%%(* But now the time had come in which it
would s#read all o)er the world* ;s far as their essential core was concerned, all other
religions were su##osed to be included in the Time Tantra already0 "There are now so many
teachers > so different and so hostile to one anotherR and nonetheless so many s#eak of the
Kne, and the "alachakra ex#resses this Kne:, the 5ussian has a Tibetan lama say* "Kne of
your #riests once asked me0 ;re the -abala and Shambhala not #arts of the one teachingA 1e
asked0 <s the great Moses not a initiate of the same doctrine and a ser)ant of its lawsA:
$Schule der 9ebensweisheit, .QQ&, #* NP(*

&)ni yo)a
For 5oerich and his wife the Time Tantra contains a s#arkling fire #hiloso#hy0 This
Teaching of"alachakra, this utiliMation of the #rimary energy, has been called the Teaching of
Fire* The 1indu #eo#les know the great ;gni > ancient teaching though it be, it shall be the
new teaching for the 4ew 3ra* +e must think of the futureR and in the teaching of 2alachakra
we know there lies all the material which may be a##lied for greatest use* SXT 2alachakra is
the Teaching ascribed to the )arious !ords of Shambhala SXT But in reality this Teaching is
the 9reat 5e)elation brought to humanity at the dawn of its conscious e)olution in the third
race of the fourth cycle of 3arth by the !ords of Fire, the Sons of reason who were an are the
!ords of Shambhala: $5eigle, .QPL, #* 'P(*The inter#retation which the 5ussian cou#le gi)e
to the "alachakra Tantra in their numerous #ublications may be described without any
exaggeration as a "#yromaniac obsession:* For them, fire becomes an autocratic #rimary
substance that dissol)es all in its flames* <t functions as the sole creati)e uni)ersal #rinci#le*
;ll the other elements, out of the )arious admixtures of which the )ariety of life arises,
disa##ear in the flaming #rocess of creation0 "o not seek the creati)e fire in the inertia of
earth, in the seething wa)es of water, in the storms of the air $1* <* 5oerich, .QP&, )ol* <, #* H(*
L&L
2ee# away from the other "elements: as "they do not lo)e fire: $1* <* 5oerich, .QP&, )ol* <, #*
N(* Knly the "fiery world: brings blessing* 3)eryone carries the "s#arks of the fiery world in
their hearts: $1* <* 5oerich, .QP&, )ol* <<, #* P(* This announces itself through "fiery signs:*
"5ainbow flames: confirm the endea)ors of the s#irit* But only after a "ba#tism of fire: do all
the righteous #roceed with "flaming hearts: to the "em#ire of the fiery world: in which there
are no shadows* They are welcomed by "fire angels:* "The luminosity of e)ery #art of the
fiery world generates an e)erlasting radiance: $1* <* 5oerich, .QP&, )ol* <<, #* P(* The "song of
fire sounds like the music of the s#heres: $1* <* 5oerich, .QP&, )ol* <<, #* P(* ;t the center of
this world lies the "su#reme fire:* Since the small and the large cosmos are one, the "fiery
chakras: of the indi)idual humans corres#ond to "the fiery structures of s#ace: $1* <* 5oerich,
.QP&, )ol* <, #* %@&(*

This fire cult is su##osed to be ancient and in the dim and distant #ast its shrines already
stood in the 1imalayas0 Beyond the 2anchen6unga are old menhirs of the great sun cult*
Beyond the2anchen6unga is the birth#lace of the sacred Swastika, sign of fire* 4ow in the day
of ;gni %oga, the element of fire is again entering the s#irit*: $4* 5oerich, .QPH, #* 'L, 'N(*
Madame Bla)atsky,s abo)e7mentioned god of electricity, #ohat& is also highly honored by the
5oerichs*

The 5oerichs, fiery #hiloso#hy is #ut into #ractice through a #articular sacred system
which is called ;gni %oga* +e were unable to determine the degree to which it follows the
traditions of the already described Sadanga %oga, #racticed in the "alachakra Tantra* ;gni
%oga gi)es the im#ression that is conducted more ethically and with feelings than technically
and with method* ;dmittedly the 5oerich texts also talk of an unchaining of
the kundalini $fire ser#ent(, but nowhere is there discussion of sexual #ractices* <n contrast
7the #hiloso#hy of the two 5ussians re8uires strict abstinence and is antagonistic to e)erything
erotic*

<n .Q%& the first ;gni %oga grou# was founded by the married cou#le* The teachings, we
learn, come from the 3ast , indeed direct from the mythical kingdom0 ;nd ;sia when she
s#eaks the Blessed Shambhala, about ;gni %oga, about the Teaching of Flame, knows that the
holy s#irit of flame can unite the human hearts in a res#lendent e)olution: $4* 5oerich, .QPH,
L&N
#* %Q@(* ;gni %ogais su##osed to 6oin the great world religions together and ser)e as a
common basis for them*

+ith great regret the 5oerichs disco)er that the #eo#le do not listen to the "fiery
tongues: that s#eak to them and want to initiate them into the secrets of the flames* They
a##ro#riated only the external a##earances of the force of fire, like electricity, and otherwise
feared the element* Bet the "s#ace fire demands re)elation: and whoe)er closes out its )oice
will #erish in the flames $1* <* 5oerich, .QP&, #* '&(*

3)en if it is #redicted in the cosmic #lan, the destruction of all dark and ignorant #owers
does not ha##en by itself* <t needs to be accelerated by the forces of good* <t is a matter of
)ictory and defeat, of heroic courage and sacrificial death* 1ere is the moment in which the
figure of theShambhala warriors ste#s into the #lan and battles with the inexorably ad)ancing
3)il which wants to extinguish 1oly Flame0 "They shall come > the extinguishersR they shall
come > the destroyersR they shall come > the #owers of darkness* -orrosion that has already
begun cannot be checked: $1* <* 5oerich, .QP&, )ol* <, #* .%@(*

,hambhala
+e hear from 1elena <)ano)a 5oerich that "the term Shambhala truly is inse#arably
linked to fiery a##aritions: $1* <* 5oerich, .QP&, )ol* <, #* %L(* "Fire signs introduce the e#och
of ShambhalaI, writes her s#ouse $Schule der 9ebensweisheit, .QQ&, #* %Q(* <t is not
sur#rising that the 5ussian )isionaries imagined the tem#le of Shambhala as an "alchemic
laboratory:, then a fire o)en, theathanor& also stood at the heart of the hermetic art, as western
alchemy was known*

The cou#le consider Shambhala, the "city of ha##iness:, to be the "geogra#hic
residence or work#lace of the brotherhood and seat of the inter#lanetary go)ernment in the
trans71imalaya: $;ugustat, .QQ', #* .H'(* <n an official fundamental declaration of the two it
says0 "The brotherhood is the s#iritual union of highly de)elo#ed entities from other #lanets
or hierarchs, which as a cosmic institution is res#onsible to a higher institution for the entire
e)olution of the #lanet 3arth* The inter#lanetary go)ernment consists of cosmic offices, which
are occu#ied by the hierarch de#ending on the task and the age: $;ugustat, .QQ', #* .@Q(*
The <ahatmas, as these hierarchs are called in reference to Madame Bla)atsky, ha)e #ractical
L&P
#olitical #ower interests and are in direct contact with certain heads of state of our world, e)en
if the ordinary mortals ha)e no inkling of this*

Then it is im#ossible for normal humans to disco)er the main lodge of the secret
society0 "1ow can one find the way to our laboratoriesA +ithout being called no7one will get
to us:, 5oerich #roclaims $Schule der 9ebensweisheit, .QQ&, #* Q(* From there
the <ahatmas coordinate an army of in #art #aid agents, who o#erate here on 3arth in the
name of the hidden kingdom* <n the meantime the whole #lanet is co)ered by a net of
members, assistants, contacts, and s#ies of the "international go)ernment: who are only
waiting for the sign from their command center in Shambhala in order to ste# into the light
and re)eal themsel)es to humanity*

!ikewise, the acti)ities and resolutions of the "in)isible international go)ernment: are
all but im#enetrable for an outsider* There is a law which states that each earthly nation will
only be )isited and "warned: by an en)oy from Shambhala once in a century* ;n exce#tion
was #robably made during the French 5e)olution, then "hierarchs: like the -omte de Saint
9ermain for exam#le were extremely acti)e at this troubled time* Sadly he died in the year
.NP@ "as a result of the undisci#lined thinking of one of his assistants:* $Schule der
9ebensweisheit, .QQ&, #* ..N(* The dissolute life of his sadhaka $#u#il(, -agliostro, was
#robably to blame for his not being able to #artici#ate in the great e)ents of .NPQ $the
storming of the Bastille(*

;ccording to 5oerich the members of the go)ernment of Shambhala ha)e the ability to
tele#athically #enetrate into the consciousness of the citiMens of 3arth without them realiMing
where #articular ideas come from0 "!ike arrows the transmissions of the community bore into
the brains of humanity: $Schule der 9ebensweisheit, .QQ&, #* .&(* Sometimes this takes #lace
using a##aratuses es#ecially constructed for this #ur#ose* But they are not #ermitted to o#enly
re)eal their amaMing magical abilities0 "+ho can exist without foodA +ho can get by without
slee#A +ho is immune to heat and coldA +ho can heal woundsA Truly only one who has
studied "alachakraI $Schule der 9ebensweisheit, .QQ&, #* NN(*

L&Q
$ablea" o* @# (oeri'h: Rudra Cha1rin &Rigd(n DLa8o)2 th( 1ing o- Sha$5haa2
cru!ading again!t mle''a 8(o8(2 th( (n($i(! o- #uddhi!$D D(tai &Sana5aJar Art
Mu!(u$2 Eaan #aatar2 Mongoia) Rudra Cha1rin i! (ating th( h(art o- hi! (n($%D

For the 5ussian cou#le all the inter)entions of the go)erning yogi caste ha)e 6ust one
goal, to #re#are for the coming of the future Buddha <aitreya <orya or Rigden20yepo, who
shall then make all im#ortant decisions* ;ccording to the 5oerichs both names are synonyms
for the Rudra Chakrin, the "wrathful wheel turner: and doomsday ruler of the "alachakra
Tantra* +e thus await a fairytale oriental des#ot who cares about his sub6ects0 "Dust like a
diamond the light shines from the tower of Shambhala* 1e is there > Rigden20yepo, untiring,
e)er watchful for the sake of humanity* 1is eyes ne)er close* <n his magic mirror he sees
e)erything which ha##ens on 3arth* ;nd the #ower of his thoughts #enetrates through to the
L.&
distant countries* *** 1is immeasurable riches lay waiting to hel# all the needy who offer to
ser)e the cause of u#rightness: $;ugustat, .QQ', #* ..(*

<n #assing, this doomsday em#eror from Shambhala also re)eals himself to be the
western king of the 1oly 9rail, who holds the 1oly Stone in his hands and who emigrated
to Tibet under co)er centuries ago* 1e is returning now, messengers announce him* True
2nights of the 1oly 9rail are already incarnated on 3arth, unrecogniMed * The followers of the
5oerichs e)en belie)e that their master himself #rotected the grail for a time and then returned
it to Shambhala on his tri# to ;sia$;ugustat, .QQ', #* ..@(*

&po'alypse no%
/+hy do clouds gather when the Stone Sthe 9railT becomes dullA <f the Stone becomes
hea)y, blood shall be s#illed:, we learn mysteriously $Schule der 9ebensweisheit, .QQ&, #*
PP(* Behind this secret of the grail lies the a#odictic statement known from almost all
religions that total war, indeed the destruction of the world, is necessary in order to attain
#aradise* <t is essential because in a good dualist clichZ the "brotherhood of 9ood: is always
counter#osed by the "brotherhood of 3)il:* The "sons of darkness: ha)e succeeded in
se)ering humanity,s connection to the "higher world:, the "bright hierarchy:* The forces of
the de#ths lurk e)erywhere* 3xtreme caution is re8uired since an ordinary mortal can barely
distinguish the 3)il from the 9ood, and further, "the brotherhood of 3)il attem#ts to imitate
the 9ood,s method of action: $Schule der 9ebensweisheit, .QQ&, #* .%L(*

The final battle between !ight and arkness is > the 5oerichs say7 #resaged in the
#ro#hecies of the ancestors and the writings of the wise and must therefore take #lace* +hen
natural disasters and crimes begin to #ile u# on 3arth, the warriors from Shambhala will
a##ear* ;t the head of their army stands the Buddha <aitreya <orya, who " ScombatsT the
#rince of darkness himself* This struggle #rimarily takes #lace in the subtle s#heres, whereas
here Son earthT the ruler of Shambhalao#erates through his earthly warriors* 1e himself can
only be seen under the most exce#tional circumstances and would ne)er a##ear in a crowd or
among the curious* 1is a##earance in fiery form would be disastrous for e)erybody and
e)erything since his aura is loaded with energies of immense strength: $Schule der
9ebensweisheit, .QQ&, #* .H%(* <t could be thought that this concerned an atomic bomb* ;t any
L..
rate the battle will be conducted with a fire and ex#losi)e #ower which allows of com#arison
only to the atomic detonations in 1iroshima and 4agasaki0

Ciery the battle
%ith bla8in) tor'hes
Blood red the arro%s
a)ainst the shinin) shield
$Schule der !ebensweisheit, .QQ&, #* ..&(

Thus the armies of Shambhala storm forth* S#ace is filled with fire* The lightning of
the "alkia)atar SRudra ChakrinT > the #reordained <aitreya > flashes u#on the: $4*
5oerich, .QPH, #* NL(* 3)en if "alki also goes by the e#ithet of "!ord of -om#assion:, with
his enemies he knows no mercy* ;ccom#anied by @esar, the mythic war hero of the Tibetans,
he will storm forward mounted on a "white horse: and with a "comet7like, fiery sword: in his
hand* <ron snakes will consume outer s#ace with fire and frenMy $4* 5oerich, .QPP #* .%(*
"The !ord:, we read, " strikes the #eo#le with fire* The same fiery element #resides o)er the
ay of Dudgment* The #urification of e)il is #erformed by fire* Misfortunes are accom#anied
by fires: $1* <* 5oerich, .QP&, )ol* <, @L(*

Those who fight for Shambhala are the #recursors of a new race who take control of the
uni)erse after ;rmageddon, after the "wheat has been se#arated from the chaff:
$;ugustat,.QQ', #* QP(* That is, to #ut it #lainly, after all the inferior races ha)e been
eradicated in a holocaust*

Distrib"tion in the %est
;s far as the fate of Tibet is concerned, the #ro#hecies that 5oerich made at the end of
the twenties ha)e in fact been fulfilled0 +e must acce#t it sim#ly, as it is0 the fact that the
true teaching shall lea)e Tibet:, he has a lama announce, and shall again a##ear in the South*
<n all countries, the co)enants of Buddha shall be manifested* 5eally, great things are
coming*: $4* 5oerich, .QPH, #* '( <n .QHQ the Fourteenth alai !ama fled to <ndia in the
south and from this #oint in time onwards Tibetan Buddhism began to be s#read all around
the world*

L.%
5oerich and his wife saw themsel)es as agents of Shambhala who were su##osed to
make contact with those go)erning our world in order to warn them* They could at any rate
a##eal to a meeting with Franklin elano 5oose)elt* Their followers, howe)er, belie)e that
they were higher u# in the hierarchy and that they were incarnated <ahatmas from the
kingdom*

<n the meantime the 5oerich cult is most #o#ular in 3astern 3uro#e, where e)en before
the fall of -ommunism it had #enetrated the highest circles of go)ernment* The former
Bulgarian Minister for -ulture, !udmilla Shiffko)a, daughter of the -ommunist head of state
Todor Shiffko), was almost fanatically obsessed with the ;gni master,s #hiloso#hy, so that
she #lanned to introduce his teachings as #art of the official school curriculum* For a whole
year, cultural #olicy was conducted under the motto "4* 2* 5oerich > ; cultural world
citiMen:, and she also organiMed se)eral o)erseas exhibitions including works by her s#iritual
model as well*

Mikhail 9orbache) and his wife also su##orted numerous 5oerich initiati)es* <n 5ussia,
the renaissance of the )isionary #ainter was heralded for years in ad)ance in elaborate
sym#osia and exhibitions, in order to then fully blossom in the #ost7-ommunist era* <n ;lma
;ta in Kctober .QQ%, a ma6or ecumenical e)ent was organiMed by the international 5oerich
grou#s under the #atronage of the #resident of 2aMakhstan, at the geogra#hical gateway, so to
s#eak, behind which the land ofShambhala is widely belie)ed to ha)e once lain* The
Fourteenth alai !ama hesitated as to whether he ought to )isit the -ongress before deciding
for scheduling reasons to send a telegram of greeting and a high7ranking re#resentati)e*

Th( ,Sha$5haa warriorC ChOg%a$ Trung8a
<n .QNH the Tibetan, -hJgyam Trung#a $.Q@&O.QPN(, gathered se)eral of his western
#u#ils around himself and began to initiate them into a s#ecial s#iritual disci#line which he
referred to as "Shambhala TrainingI* ;s a thirteen7month7old infant the 5in#oche from the
Tibetan #ro)ince of2ham was recogniMed as the tenth reincarnation of the Trung#a and
acce#ted into the 2agyu#a order* <n .QHQ he had to flee from the -hinese* <n .QL' he tra)eled
to 3ngland and studied western #hiloso#hy and com#arati)e religion at Kxford* !ike no other
Tibetan lama of his time, he understood how to make his own contribution to western
ci)iliMation and culture* ;s a brilliant rhetorician, #oet, and exotic free s#irit he soon found
L.'
numerous enthusiastic listeners and followers* <n .QLN he founded the first 3uro#ean tantric
monastery in Scotland* 1e ga)e it the name and the ground7#lan of Samye 9ing > in
remembrance of the inaugural Tibetan shrine of the same name that Padmasambha)a erected
at the end of the Pth century des#ite resistance from countless demons*

<n the o#inion of Trung#a,s followers the demonic resistance was enormous
in Scotland too0 <n .QLQ the young lama was the )ictim of a serious car accident which left
him with a #ermanent lim#* There is an ambiguous anecdote about this unfortunate e)ent*
Trung#a had reached a fork in the road in his car > to the right the road led in the direction of
his monastery, the road to the left to the house in which his future wife li)ed* But he
continued to dri)e straight ahead, #lowing right into a sho# selling magic and 6oke articles*
4e)ertheless, his meteoric rise had begun* <n .QN& he went to the =nited States*

Trung#a,s charming and initially anarchic manner, his humor and loyalty, his lack of
res#ect and his laugh magnetically attracted many young #eo#le from the sixties generation*
They belie)ed that here the sweet but dangerous mixture of the exotic, social criti8ue, free
lo)e, mind7ex#anding drugs, s#irituality, #olitical acti)ism and self7disco)ery, which they had
tasted in the re)olutionary years of their youth, could be redisco)ered* Trung#a,s friendshi#
with the radical beatnik #oet ;llan 9insberg and other well7known ;merican #oets further
enhanced his image as a "wild boy: from the roof of world* 3)en the first monastery he
founded, Samye 9ing, was renowned for the #ermissi)e "s#iritual: #arties which were held
there and for the liberal sex and drug consum#tion*

But such excesses are only one side of things* Via the tantric law of in)ersion Trung#a
intended to ultimately transform all this abandon $his own and that of his #u#ils( into
disci#line, goodness, and enlightened consciousness* The success of the guru was boundless*
Many thousands cam to him as #ilgrims* ;ll o)er ;merica and 3uro#e s#iritual centers
$dharmadhatus( were created* The!aropa ?nstitute $near en)er, -olorado( was established
as a #ri)ate uni)ersity, where alongside )arious Buddhist disci#lines fine arts could also be
studied*

$he ,hambhala %arrior
L.@
Trung#a had told one of his #u#ils that during dee# meditation he was able to
es#y Shambhala* 1e also said he had obtained the teachings for the
"Shambhala trainingI directly from the kingdom* The #rogram consists of fi)e le)els0 .* The
art of being humanR %* Birth of the warriorR '* +arrior in the worldR @* ;wakened heartR H*
K#en sky0 The big bang* ;nyone who had com#leted all the stages was considered a #erfect
"Shambhala warrior:* ;s a s#iritual hero he is freed from the re#ulsi)eness which the military
trade otherwise im#lies* 1is characteristics are kindness, an o#en heart, dignity, elegance,
#recision, modesty, attenti)eness, fearlessness, e8uanimity, concentration, and confidence of
)ictory* To be a warrior, one of Trung#a,s #u#ils writes, irres#ecti)e of whether as a man or a
woman, means to li)e honestly, also in regard to fear, doubt, de#ression, and aggression which
comes from outside* To be a warrior does not mean to conduct wars* 5ather, to be a warrior
means to ha)e the courage to com#letely fathom oneself $1ayward, .QQN, #* ..(* This
sub6ectification of the warrior ethos brings with it that the wea#ons em#loyed first of all
re#resent #urely #sycho7#hysical states0 controlled breathing, the strict stance, walking
u#right, clear sight*

The first basic demand of the training is, as in e)ery tantric #ractice, a state of
egolessness:* This is of great im#ortance in the Shambhala teachings, writes Trung#a* <t is
im#ossible to be a warrior if you ha)e not ex#erienced egolessness* +ithout egolessness, your
consciousness is always filled with your ego, your #ersonal #lans and intentions $1ayward,
.QQN, #* %@N(* 1ence the indi)idual ego is not changed through the exercises, rather the #u#il
tries solely to create an inner em#tiness* Through this he allows himself to be transformed
into a )essel into which the cult figures of the Tibetan #antheon can flow* ;ccording to
Trung#a these are called dralas* Translated literally, that means "to climb out o)er the enemy:
or in an further sense, energy, line of force, or "gods:*

The "em#ty: #u#ils thus become occu#ied by tantric deities* ;s #otential "warriors:
they naturally attract all #ossible forms of eager to fight dharmapalas $tutelary gods(* Thus a
wrathful Tibetan "#rotector of the faith: ste#s in to re#lace the sadhaka and his #re)ious
western identity* This #ersonal transformation takes #lace through a ritual which in
Trung#a,s Shambhala tradition is known as "calling the gods:* The su#ernatural beings are
summoned with s#ells and burning incense* +hen the thick, sweet7smelling white smoke
ascends, the #u#ils sing a long incantation, which summons the dralas* ;t the end of the song
L.H
the warrior #u#ils circle the smoke in a clockwise direction and constantly emit the )ictory
call of the warrior $1ayward, .QQN, #* %NH(* This latter is "9ha @yelo > )ictory to the gods:
> the same call which the alai !ama cried out as he crossed the Tibetan border on his flight
in .QHQ*

Trung#a was e)en more fascinated by the ancient national hero, @esar, whose barbaric
darede)ilry we ha)e already sketched in detail, than he was by the dharmapalas* The guru
recommended the ata)istic war hero to his followers as an exam#le to imitate* Time and again
he #roudly indicated that his family belonged to the belligerent nomadic tribe of the "Muk#o:,
from whose ranks @esaralso came* For this reason he ennobled his #u#ils as the "Muk#o
family: and thus #roclaimed them to be comrades7in7arms of @esar* The latter > said
Trung#a > would return from Shambhala, "leading an army to con8uer the forces of
darkness in the world: $Trung#a, .QPL, #* N(*

But Trung#a did not 6ust summon u# Tibetan dharmapalas and heroes with his magic,
rather he also in)oked the deceased s#irits of an international, on closer examination
extremely #roblematic, warrior caste0 the Da#anese samurai, the 4orth ;merican #lains
<ndians, the Dewish 2ing a)id, and the British 2ing ;rthur with his round table > all
archety#al leading figures who belie)ed that 6ustice could only be achie)ed with a sword in
the hand, who were all absolutely ruthless in creating #eace* These "holy warriors: always
stood o##osed to the "barbarians: of another religion who had to be exterminated* The non7
dualist world )iew which many of the original Buddhist texts so forcefully demand is
com#letely cancelled out in the mythic histories of these warlike models*

Trung#a led his courses under the name of "=or0e =radulI which means "in)incible
warrior:* -om#letely in accord with an ata)istic fighter tradition only beasts of #rey were
acce#ted as totem animals for his #u#ils0 the snow lion, the tiger, the dragon* =or0e
=radul was es#ecially enthusiastic about the mythic sun bird, the garuda, about its fiery
redness, wildness, and its #iercing cry commanding the cessation of thought like a lightning
bolt $1ayward, .QN, #* %H.(* @aruda is the sun bird par excellence, and since time
immemorial the followers of the warrior caste ha)e also been worshi##ers of the sun* Thus in
the center of Trung#a,s Shambhala mission a solar cult is fostered* But it is not the natural sun
which lights u# all, but rather the "9reat 3astern Sun: which rises at the beginning of a new
L.L
world era when the Shambhala warriors seiMe #ower o)er the world* <t sinks as a mighty cult
symbol into the hearts of his #u#ils0 "So, we begin to a##reciate the@reat Eastern Sun, not as
something outside from us, like the sun in the sky, but as the 9reat 3astern Sun in our head
and shoulders, in our face, our hair, our li#s, our chest: $Trung#a, .QPL, #* 'Q(* +hy of all
#eo#le it was the chairman of the -ommunist Party of -hina, Mao Cedong, who was
worshi##ed by the 5ed 9uard as the @reat Eastern Sun is a to#ic to which we shall return*
Th( 5a!ic id(oog% o- th( Sha$5haa 8rogra$ di'id(! th( word into two 'i!ion!:
;r(at Ea!t(rn Sun2 which corr(!8ond! to (night(n$(nt in th( #uddhi!t 8ath2 and
!(tting !un2 which corr(!8ond! to !a$!araD QDDDR ;r(at Ea!t(rn Sun i! ch((ring u8K !(tting
!un i! co$8aining and criticiJingD ;r(at Ea!t(rn !un i!t ((gant und richK !(tting !un i!
!o88% and 8oorD To 8ara8hra!( ;(org( Orw(: ,;r(at Ea!t(rn Sun good2 !(tting !un
5adDC &#utt(r-i(d2 "99/2 8D 93)D
Crom anar'hy to despotism
Trung#a #layed brilliantly with the interchangeability of reality and non7reality, e)en
regarding his own #erson, he was es#ecially a master of the tantric law of in)ersion* 1e thus
sim#ly declared his excessi)e alcoholism and his sexual cra)ings to be the #racticing of the
tantra #ath* +hether alcohol is a #oison or a medicine de#ends on one,s own attenti)eness*
-onscious drinking > that is when the drinker remains self7aware > changes the effect of
the alcohol* 1ere the system is steeled through attenti)eness* ;lcohol becomes an intelligent
#rotecti)e mechanism* But it has a destructi)e effect if one abandons oneself to comfort
$1ayward, .QQN, ##* '&LO'&N(* Bet =or0e =radul was not free of the aggressi)e moods which
normally occur in hea)y alcoholics* 1e thus s#read fear and horror through his fre8uent angry
outbursts* But his #u#ils forga)e him e)erything, #roclaimed him a "holy fool: and #raised
his excesses as the ex#ression of a "crazy wisdomI* They often attem#ted to emulate his
alcoholism0 < think there is a message for us in his drinking, ennis ;nn 5oberts belie)ed, "<
know his drinking has certainly encouraged all of us to drink more: $Boucher, .QPH, #* %@'(*
;nother #u#il enthusiastically wrote0 "1eGs great* < lo)e the fact that he works on his
#roblems the way he does* 1e doesnGt hide it* 1e drinks, and itGs almost killed him* So he is
working on it* < find that great: $Boucher, .QPH, #* %@'(*

L.N
Similar reasons are offered for his sexual esca#ades* <n .QN& he abandoned his )ow of
celibacy and married a young British aristocrat* 1is bride is said to ha)e been thirteen years
old in .QLQ $Tibetan Re+iew, ;ugust .QPN, #* %.(* <n addition he had a considerable number
of yoginis, who were ob)iously uninformed about the andocentric mani#ulations of Tantrism*
There was admittedly a minor rebellion among the female followers when the 2arma#a
insisted on talking only with the men during his )isit to a Trung#a center, but essentially the
western karma mudras occu#ied by Tibetan deities beha)ed loyally towards their lord and
master* ; lot of women ha)e been consorts of 5in#oche > one of them tells that "The
Tibetans are into #assion, they think sexuality is an essential energy to work with* Bou donGt
re6ect it* So itGs a whole other #erce#tion of sexuality anyway: $Boucher, .QPH, #* %@@(*

Such affirmations of tantric #ractice by the female #u#ils are definitely not exce#tions
and they most clearly testify to the charisma which the tantra master #ro6ects* Thus we learn
from another of Trung#a,s lo)ers, "My first meeting with him was a real turn7off* < mean, <
didnGt want a guru who did things like that* The irony was that < had left my other Tibetan
Buddhist teacher #artly because he was coming on to me* ;nd < 6ust couldnGt handle it* ;nd
5in#oche is )ery much into alcohol and ha)ing girl friends* 4ow it makes total sense to me:
$Boucher, .QPH, #* %@.(*

-hJgyam Trung#a has ob)iously succeeded in kee#ing his western karma mudras under
control* This was much more difficult for the Tibetan Tantric, 9edun -hJ#el, who died in
.QH.* 1e left behind an amusing estimation of the "women of the west: from the thirties
which shows how much has changed in the meantime0 "<n general a girl of the west is
beautiful, s#lendorous, and more courageous than others* 1er beha)ior is coarse, and her face
is like a manGs* There is e)en hair around her mouth* Fearless and terrifying, she can be tamed
only by #assion* ;ble to suck the #hallus at the time of #lay, the girl of the west is known to
drink regenerati)e fluid* She does it e)en with dogs, bulls and any other animals and with
father and son, etc* She goes without hesitation with whoe)er can gi)e the en6oyment of sex:
$-hJ#el, .QQ%, #* .L'(*

Towards the end of his life, Trung#a the "indestructible warrior: mo)ed further and
further away from his 1i##ie #ast* ;s the head of his lineage the 2arma#a is said to ha)e not
been at all #leased to obser)e the #ermissi)e #ractices in the "wild: guru,s centers* 1owe)er,
L.P
in accordance with the tantric "law of in)ersion:, after a few years the #endulum swung from
anarchy to the other #ole of des#otism and all at once Trung#a abandoned himself to his
fascistoid dreams* 1is #rotecti)e troo#s, =or0e "asung, initially a kind of bodyguard
com#osed of )olunteers was transformed within a short #eriod into a #aramilitary unit in
khaki uniforms* The guru himself #ut aside his ci)ilian clothing for a time and a##eared in
high7ranking military dress as a "Shambhala general:* +e do not know whether, alongside the
warlike ethos of the tantric tradition, the #hysical handica# which he sustained in his car
accident in 3ngland did not also trigger his unusual interest in military things as a counter7
reaction* ;t any rate his "military #arades: became a fixed #art of the Shambhalatraining*

Kn other occasions the former "freak: donned a #instri#e suit with a colorful tie and
looked like nothing more than an ;sian film gangster* Thus he really did #lay brilliantly
through the ambi)alent s#ectrum com#letely laid out in the tantric re#ertoire, from #oetic
anarchist and flower #ower dancer to saber7rattling dictator and underworld boss* <n .QPN the
master warrior died and his body was committed to the flames in Vermont $=S;(*
,=Ma% I !hri'( u8 in!tant% and rot2= w( 'ow(d2 Ui- I ('(r di!cu!! th(!( th(aching!
with an%on( who ha! not 5((n initiat(d into th($ 5% a Auai-i(d $a!t(rD= A! i- thi! w(r(
not (nough2 Trung8a tod u! that i- w( ('(r tri(d to (a'( @aLra%ana2 w( woud !u--(r
un5(ara5(2 !u5t(2 continuou! angui!h2 and di!a!t(r! woud 8ur!u( u! i1( -uri(!D
H(r(!% had r(a $(aning in thi! r(igion2 and r(a con!(Au(nc(!D Dou5ting th( dhar$a
or th( guru and a!!ociating with h(r(tic! w(r( cau!(! -or down-aD In Ti5(tan it(ratur(2
5r(a1ing -aith with th( guru $u!t 5( aton(d 5% !uch dra!tic $(a!ur(! a! cutting o--
%our ar$! and o--(ring it at th( door o- hi! ca'( in ho8(! that h( $ight ta1( %ou 5ac1DC
I ,To 5( 8art o- Trung8a=! inn(r circ(2 %ou had to ta1( a 'ow n('(r to r('(a or ('(n
di!cu!! !o$( o- th( thing! h( didD Thi! 8(r!ona !(cr(c% i! co$$on with guru!2 (!8(cia%
in @aLra%ana #uddhi!$D It i! a!o co$$on in th( d%!-unctiona -a$i% !%!t($ o-
acohoic! and !(Bua a5u!(r!D Thi! inn(r circ( !(cr(c% 8ut! u8 an a$o!t
in!ur$ounta5( 5arri(r o- a h(athi% !1(8tica $indDC &#utt(r-i(d2 "99/2 8D ""2
"::) Trung8a=! Sha$5haa Warrior!
!((: htt8:VV!(a('(Dn!DcaVctrV8hoto:"Dht$and htt8:VVwwwD!ha$5haa!ho8Dco$Varchi'(!VL
un(8hotoVLun("*Dht$
L.Q
$he inheritan'e
The immediate inheritance which Trung#a left behind him was catastro#hic* -om#letely
in the s#irit of his Tibetan guru, the ;merican, Thomas 5ich, who succeeded him under the
name of "Va6ra 5egent hsel TendMin:, continued the carefree #ermissi)eness of his master
with a tantric 6ustification* 1owe)er, in .QPP there was a scandal from which the organiMation
has not fully reco)ered to this day* The "Va6ra 5egent: had been 1<V #ositi)e for three years
and had infected numerous members with the ;<S )irus in the meantime* 1e died in .QQ.*
Trung#a,s son, Sawang hsel 5angdroel, then took o)er the leadershi#*
,Fro$ @aLra%ana 8oint o- 'i(w2 8a!!ion2 aggr(!!ion2 and ignoranc(2 th( !ourc(! o-
hu$an !u--(ring2 ar( a!o th( w(-!8ring o- (night(n$(ntD A--iction! i1( AIDS ar( not
$(r(% di!a!t(r!2 5ut acc(ration! toward wi!do$2 and o88ortuniti(! to wa1( u8D Th(%
can 5( tran!-or$(d into 5uddha-$indD Trung8a wa! a @aLra $a!t(r who had
($8ow(r(d T(ndJin to guid( !tud(nt! on thi! 8athC &#utt(r-i(d2 "99/2 8D 6)D
3)en if Trung#a,s Shambhala warriors ha)e forfeited 8uite a deal of their attracti)eness
in recent years, thousands still re)ere the master as the "holy fool: and "indestructible
warrior:, who brought the "3astern sun: to the +est* For this reason he is said to also be
#rayed to in the whole of ;siaas a great Bodhisatt)a and <aha Siddha $1ayward, .QQN, #*
'.Q(* "For ten years he #resented theShambhala TeachingsI, summariMes one of his sadhakas,
"<n terms of time and history, that seems insignificantR howe)er in that short s#an he set in
motion the #owerful force of goodness that can actually change the world: $Trung#a, .QPL, #*
.HN(* Knly rarely does a "deserter: go #ublic, like P* Marin for exam#le, a strong critic of the
4aro#a <nstitute, for whom this western Tibetan Buddhist organiMation is "a feudal, #riestly
tradition trans#lanted to a ca#italist setting: $8uoted by Bisho#, .QQ', #* .&.(*

Kn the other hand it goes without saying that the Tantric Trung#a time and again draws
attention to the fact that the warlike figures he in)okes are illusionary reflections of the human
ego and that e)en the Shambhala kings are #ro6ections of one,s own consciousness* But if
e)erything really can be reduced to forms of consciousness, then it remains totally unclear
why it is time and again the #hantoms of a destructi)e black7and7white mode of thought
which are summoned u# to ser)e as exam#les along the #ersonal initiation #ath* +ouldn,t it
make more sense, indeed be more logical, to directly con6ure u# those "#eace gods: who ha)e
L%&
surmounted such dualist thought #atternsA +hat is the reason for this glorification of an
ata)istic warrior casteA

<t goes without saying that in Trung#a,s system no7one is entitled to e)en dream of
critically examining the dralas $gods(* ;lthough only #ro6ections of one,s own consciousness
according to the doctrine, they are considered sacrosanct* They are #ure, good, and exem#lary*
Since Trung#a,sShambhala Training un8uestioningly incor#orates all of the established
tantric deities, the entire martial field of Tibetan Buddhism with its entrenched conce#t of "the
enemy: and its re#ellant daemonic #ower is ado#ted by #eo#le who nai)ely and obligingly set
out to attain #ersonal enlightenment*

+e thus ha)e the im#ression that the #u#ils of the tantra masters are ex#osed to a
hy#notic suggestion so as to make them belie)e that their own s#iritual de)elo#ment was the
agenda whereas they ha)e long since become the #awns of Tibetan occultism in whose
unfathomable net of regulations $tantra means Wnet,( they ha)e become entra##ed* Knce their
#ersonal ambitions ha)e been dissol)ed into nothingness they can be ensla)ed as the loyal
lackeys of a s#iritual #ower #olitics which no longer sees the "higher self: in the "uni)ersal
monarch: but rather a real #olitical "wrathful wheel turner: $Rudra Chakrin( who lays waste
to the world with his armies fromShambhala so as to then establish a global Buddhocracy*

Oth(r W(!t(rn Sha$5haa 'i!ion!
Dames 1iltonGs no)ella, 9ost Horizon& #ublished in .Q'', counts among the best7sellers
of the last century* <t tells of a monastery in the !and of Snows whose name, Shangri29a& is
reminiscent of the kingdom of Shambhala* The term has in the meantime become a synonym
for leisure, refinement, and taste, at least in the 3nglish7s#eaking world, and is em#loyed by
an ;sian luxury hotel chain* The idyll described in the book concerns #eo#le who had
retreated from the hustle and bustle of the modern world to the 1imalayas and now de)ote
themsel)es to exclusi)ely s#iritual en6oyments* <t is, howe)er, no Tibetan tulku but rather a
-atholic missionary who collects together those tired of ci)iliMation in a hidden )alley in
the !and of Snows so as to share with them a study of the fine arts and an extended lifes#an*
The "monks: from the +est do not e)en need to do without 3uro#ean bathtubs > otherwise
unknown in the Tibet of the thirties* The essence of the Shangri2 9a myth ultimately consists
L%.
in the trans#ortation of "real: #roducts of 3uro#ean culture and ci)iliMation to the "roof of the
world:*

The most recent western attem#t at s#reading the Tibetan myth is Victoria !ePageGs
book,Shambhala* The author #resents the secret kingdom as an o)erarching mystery school,
whose high #riests are acti)e as "an in)isible, scientific and #hiloso#hical society which
#ursues its studies in the ma6estic isolation of the 1imalayas: $!ePage, .QQL, #* .'(* For
!ePage Shambhala is the esoteric center of all religions, the secret location from which e)ery
significant occult, and hence also religious, current of the world has emanated* 3soteric
Buddhism, and likewise the ancient 3gy#tian #riestly schools, the Pythagoreans, Sufism, the
2nights Tem#lar, alchemy, the -abala, Freemasonry, Theoso#hy > yes e)en the witches cults
> all originated here* ;ccordingly, the "alachakra Tantra is the o)erarching "secret
doctrine: from which all other mystery doctrines may be deri)ed $!ePage, .QQL, #* P(*

The mythic kingdom, which is go)erned by a sun ruler, is to be found in -entral ;sia,
there where the axis of the world, Mount Meru, is also to be sought* This carefree ado#tion of
Buddhist cosmology does not #resent the author with any difficulties since the axis mundi is
said to only be )isible to the initiated* <n accordance with the mandala #rinci#le
her Shambhala has distributed numerous co#ies of itself all o)er the world > the Pyramids of
9iMa, the monastery at ;thos, 2ailash, the holy mountain* Sites of the 9rail
like 9lastonbury and 5ennes le -hateau are such "offshoots: of the hidden im#erium >
likewise only #ercei)able through initiated eyes* Together they form the acu#uncture #oints of
a cosmic body which corres#onds to the mystic body of the"alachakra master $i*e*, taken
literally, in the energy body of the alai !ama(* !ePage too, sees a great "mystic clock: in the
Time Tantra* The segments of this time machine record the cyclical #eriods of the course of
the world* ; "hidden directorate:, a mysterious brotherhood of immortal beings in
the 1imalayas, ensures that the cosmic hours marked on the clockface are adhered to*

Th( Fourt((nth Daai La$a and th( Sha$5haa $%th
!ePageGs global mono#oliMation of the entire cultic life of our #lanet by the "alachakra
Tantracould be regarded as an im#ortant ste# in a worldwide ShambhaliMation #lan of the
Fourteenth alai !ama* 4onetheless, the "undun deliberately #refers to lea)e such esoteric
s#eculations $which are in no way at odds with his doctrine( to others, best of all "hobby
L%%
Buddhists: like the author* So as not to lose #olitical res#ectability, the "undun kee#s his
statements about the Shambhala 8uestion enigmatic0 "3)en for me Shambhala remains a
#uMMling, e)en #aradox country:, the highest"alachakra master reassures his listeners
$!e)enson, .QQ%, #* '&H(* ;ll that we hear from him concretely is the statement that
"the kingdom of Shambhala does indeed exist, but not in the usual sense: $alai !ama
Fourteenth, .QQ'a, #* '&N(*

-an we ex#ect a total world war in circa '&& years in accordance with the #ro#hecyA
1is 1oliness has no doubts about this either0 "That lies in the logic of circulationV:
$!e)enson, .QQ%, #* '&H(* But then he modifies his statement again and s#eculates about
whether the final battle is not to be inter#reted as a #sychological #rocess within the
indi)idual* For dreamers for whom such a #sychological inter#retation is too dry, howe)er,
the "undun subse8uently hints that Shambhalacould #erha#s concern another #lanet and the
soldiers of the kingdom could be extraterrestrials $!e)enson, .QQ%, #* '&H(*

1e understands how to ra#idly switch between )arious le)els of reality like a 6uggler
and thus further enhance the occult ambience which already surrounds the Shambhala
myth anyway*Secrets #artly re)ealed are #owerful:, writes -hristiaan 2lieger, and continues,
The ability of the alai !ama to skillfully mani#ulate a com#lex of meaning and to #resent
a##ro#riate segments of this to his #eo#le and the world is #art of his success as a leader:
$2lieger, .QQ., #* NL(* =ltimately, e)erything is #ossible in this deliberate confusion, for
exam#le that the Shambhala king in #erson stands before us in the figure of 1is 1oliness as
some worshi##ers belie)e, or that !hasa is the ca#ital of the mythic country of "2ala#a:
albeit not )isible to mortal eyes* Should the "undun some day return to Tibet as a sa)ior >
some #eo#le belie)e > then the )eil would be lifted and the earthlyUsu#ernatural kingdom
$Shambhala( would re)eal itself to the world*

Similar s#eculations are in fact )ery #o#ular in the Buddhist scene* Kn the official $V(
home#age of the "alachakra Tantra the "dharma master:, 2hamtrul 5in#oche, ex#lains to his
readers that the current alai !ama is an incarnation of 2ulika Pundarika, the
eighth Shambhala king famed as the first commentator on the Time Tantra* But it gets better0
"My com#anion Sthe goddess Tara, who led him through Shambhala in a dreamT/, 2hamtrul
writes, "told me that the last 2ulika 2ing will be called Rudra with a wheel, Gthe #owerful and
L%'
ferocious king who holds an iron wheel in his handG *** and he will be none other than 1is
1oliness the alai !ama, who will subdue e)erything e)il in the uni)erse: $2hamtrul, 1P<
&&H(* Following this re)elation, which #ro#hecies the "undun as the military commander of
an a#ocaly#tic army, 5in#oche worries whether the Shambhala army is a match for the
modern armaments industry with its missiles and nuclear bombs* 1ere the
kindlyTara comforts and reassures him that no matter what wea#ons of mass destruction may
be #roduced in our world, a su#erior counter7wea#on would automatically be created
by Shambhala's magic armaments industry $2hamtrul, 1P< &&H(*

<n the words of the Fourteenth alai !ama "world #eace: is su##osed to be
strengthened with e)ery "alachakra ritual* 1e re#eats this again and againV But is this really
his intentionA

+ith an ironic undertone, the Tibetologist onald !* !o#eM $formerly one of the closest
followers of the "undun(, writes in the final section of his book, (risoners of Shangri29a& that
"this #eace may ha)e a s#ecial meaning, howe)er, for those who take the initiation are
#lanting the seeds to be reborn in their next lifetime in Shambhala, the Buddhist #ure land
across the mountains dedicated to the #reser)ation of Buddhism* <n the year %%@H SAT, the
army of the king will swee# out of Shambhala and defeat the barbarians in a Buddhist
;rmageddon,SVT restoring Buddhism to <ndia and to the world and ushering in a reign of
#eace: $!o#eM, .QQP, #* %&N(*

"*D FASCIST OCCELTISM AND IT=S CLOSE RELATIONSHIP TO
#EDDHIST TANTRISM

Visionary fascism was, and indeed still is, exce#tionally dee#ly fascinated by the
Buddhocratic form of state* <n the late thirties $as the )arious fascist systems bloomed in
3uro#e and the whole world( S#encer -ha#man, a tra)eler in Tibet, wrote that e)en in the
days of the dictators one can only be amaMed at what uncontested #ower the alai !ama
#ossesses: $-ha#man, .Q@&, #* .Q%(* The idea of kingshi# of the world, the uniting of
s#iritual and secular #ower in a single #erson, the ideology of war in the Shambhala myth, the
uncom#romisingly andocentric orientation, the tantric )ision of the feminine, the whole occult
ambience and much more besides were s#ecifically ado#ted by se)eral fascist ideologists and
L%@
welded together into an aggressi)e myth* ;s we shall soon see, entire fascist systems are
based u#on the ado#tion of TibetanUtantric doctrines*

Th( Fourt((nth Daai La$a=! nationa !ociai!t -ri(nd!
;s de#ressing as it may be for the 4obel #eace #riMe winner,s followers, there has been
continuous contact between the alai !ama and the far right wing and former national
socialists $4aMis(* 1is close friendshi# with his 9erman mentor, 1einrich 1arrer has become
the most well7known of these* <t caused a small scandal in .QQN7.QQP when, after years of
research, the ;ustrian 6ournalist, 9erald !ehner, succeeded in making #ublic 1arrer,s "brown7
shirt: $i*e*, 9erman fascist( #ast, which the latter had been able to kee# secret for many years*
1arrer is not 6ust anybody* 1e is one of the best7known international authors and has sold
o)er four million books in HN languages $mostly about Tibet and the Fourteenth alai !ama(*

The ;ustrian mountain climber and com#etition skier 6oined the SS on ;#ril .,
.Q'P and in the same year recei)ed instructions to climb 4anga Parbat in the 1imalayas after
an official meeting with ;dolf 1itler* 1einrich 1immler, himself most interested in occult
#henomena is said by 1arrer to ha)e offered him a Tibet ex#edition* <n .Q@%,
the ReichsfKhrer of the SS $1immler( ordered the creation of the S+en Hedin ?nstitut fKr
?nnerasienforschung SS)en 1edin <nstitute for -entral ;sian 5esearchT* This educational
establishment had combined esoteric, scientific, and racial studies goals* <t was com#letely in
this )ein that 1immler was interested in occult doctrines from "mysterious Tibet:, and
assumed > #robably under the influence of theoso#hical ideas > that a "race with 4ordic
blood: existed there, o##ressed by the 3nglish and -hinese, and waiting for their liberation by
the 9ermans* 1immler,s "ad)isor:, re#orts the 9erman magaMine Spiegel, "X and the
scientist 3rnst SchYfer belie)ed that Tibet was the cradle of humanity, the refuge of an W;ryan
root race,, where a #riestly caste had created a mysterious kingdom of Shambhala >
decorated with the Buddhist symbol of the wheel of teaching, a swastika* <n .Q'@ SchYfer set
out on the first of two ex#editions financed by the SS to track down remnants of the W4ordic
intellectual, nobility: $S#iegel, .LU.QQP, #* ...(*

r* 3rnst SchYfer, a s#ecialist on Tibet and an ornithologist, was one of 1immler,s
#ersonal staff and in .Q@' took o)er the scientific leadershi# of the notorious #ro6ect,
";hnenerbe: $Wancestral inheritance,(, #rimarily de)oted to racial studies* 1is third research
L%H
tri# to the 1imalayas was officially described as the "SS SchYfer 3x#edition: and was
considered a huge success $2ater .QQN, #* P&(* =#on his return in ;ugust .Q'Q, the scientist
was #resented with the SS skull ring and dagger of honor in recognition* Subse8uently,
the ReichsfKhrer of the black cor#s $1immler( had grand #lans for his #rotZgZ0 SchYfer was
su##osed to return to Tibet and "stir u# the Tibetan army against the BritishU<ndian troo#s:
with a shock troo# of '& men $2ater, .QQN, #* %.%(* The undertaking was, howe)er, called off
at 1itler,s direct order* <n the years to follow, SchYfer instead built u# the S)en 1edin <nstitute
for -entral ;sian 5esearch with great success, making it the largest di)ision within
the ;hnenerbe #ro6ect*

But let us return to 1einrich 1arrer* +ar broke out while he was still in <ndia and the
young 9erman was interned by the British* <t was not until .Q@@ that he was able to flee
to Tibet with a comrade* -oincidence or fate led to his acting as the young alai !ama,s
#ersonal tutor until the early H&s, and teaching him about all the "wonders: of western
ci)iliMation and introducing him to the 3nglish language as well* <t is )ery likely that his
lessons were tainted by the contem#oraryzeitgeist which had swe#t through 1itler,s 9ermany,
and not by the British attitudes of the en)oy 1ugh 5ichardson, also #resent in !hasa* This led
in fact to some #roblems at the court of the young god7king and the 3nglish were not ha##y
about his contact to 1arrer* But there are ne)ertheless no grounds for describing the lessons
the former SS member ga)e his "di)ine: #u#il as fascist, #articularly since they were
#rimarily gi)en after the end of the +orld +ar <<* <n .QH% 1is 1oliness,s 9erman "teacher "
returned to 3uro#e*

The ada#tation to film of 1arrer,s autobiogra#hic bestseller, Se+en %ears in
Tibet& triggered an international #rotest* Since the famous tra)eler through Tibet had told
director Dean Dac8ues ;nnaud nothing about his "brown7shirt: #ast, and this only became
#ublic knowledge after the film had been finished, ;nnaud felt #ressured to introduce
"corrections:* ; remorseful ;ustrian was now shown, who begins his mountain7climbing
career as a su##orter of a regime accused of genocide and then, under the influence of the
young "undun and Tibetan Buddhism, reforms to become a "cam#aigner for human rights:*
<n the film, he says of the brutal -hinese0 "Terrible > < dare not think about how < myself
was once so intolerant " $Stern @.UQN, #* %@(*

L%L
5einhold Messner, the famous mountain climber, found such an admission of guilt
from 1ollywood,s dream factory difficult to understand* 1e s#oke u#, confirming that he had
long known about 1arrer,s #olitical o#inions* This man, he said had u# until the #resent day
still not learned anything, he still belie)ed in the national socialist al#inist ideals* <n contrast,
the alai !ama,s brother, 9yalo Thondu#, defended the former SS member with the tasteless
argument that what the -hinese had done to the Tibetans was worse and more cruel than what
the 4aMis had done to the Dews*

<t is a fact that 1arrer > in his own account7 first turned against the -hinese in)aders at
the end of the fifties, after he had already left Tibet* There is not the slightest trace of a dee#
catharsis as de#icted in ;nnaud,s film to be found in the 9erman,s books* This was #urely an
in)ention of the director to a)oid losing face before a world audience*

The 6ournalist 9erhard !ehner also #ursued a second lead0 on Se#tember .', .QQ@ eight
)eterans who had )isited and re#orted from Tibet before .QH& met with the alai !ama
in !ondon* <n a #hoto taken to record the occasion a second ma6or SS figure can be seen
beside 1einrich 1arrer and directly behind the "undun& r* Bruno Beger* Beger was the
actual "ex#ert: who #ushed forward the racial studies research by
1immler,s ;hnenerbe #ro6ect $2ater, .QQN, #* %&P(* 1e too, like the Tibetan ex#lorer 3rnst
SchYfer, was a member of 1immler,s #ersonal staff* <n .Q'Q he went to the 1imalayas as a
member of the SS 3x#edition* There he measured the skulls of more than @&& Tibetans in
order to in)estigate a #ossible relationshi# between the Tibetan and ;ryan Wraces,* <n .Q@',
Beger was sent to ;uschwitM where he took the measurements of .H& mainly Dewish
#risoners* These were later killed and added to a collection of skeletons* <n .QN. Beger
a##eared in a 9erman court and was sentenced to three years im#risonment on #robation for
his national socialist crimes*

L%N
Front8ag( o- #runo #(g(r=! 5oo1: ,M(in( #(g(gnung(n $it d($ OJ(an d(!
Wi!!(n!, &WM% $((ting! with th( Oc(an o- 4now(dg(C) I 4Onig!t(in "973

For the alai !ama Beger has been of great hel#, because he did com#ose a statement,
thatTibet was not #art of -hina* $See The Status of Tibet in .Q'P7'Q 7 r* Bruno Beger O
www*tibet*caUenUnewsroomUwtnUarchi)eUoldAyb.QQ@cmb..c#b%@7%f.(* The head of the
alai !ama between two former SS7men0 Bruno Beger on right side of his head and 1einrich
1arrer on left side of his head0 htt#0UUwww*tibet*comUStatusUstatement*html

Some !inks in 3nglish concerning Beger0
www*niMkor*orgUfa8sUauschwitMUauschwitM7fa87.@*html
www*maMal*orgU!iftonU!iftonT%PL*htm
htt#0UUgreyfalcon*usUEuesti%&ofi%&thei%&4aMis*htm
htt#0UUourworld*com#user)e*comUhome#agesUmbilikUstrutL*htm
htt#0UUwww*tibet*caUenUwtnarchi)eU%&&'UPU..f%*html
Beger as collaborator of 1orror7octor ;ugust 1irt0
L%P
htt#0UUwww*auschwitM7muMeum*oswiecim*#lUhtmlUengUhistoriaf2!Ueks#erymentyfok*html
The racialist, who was the last sur)i)or of the "SS SchYfer 3x#edition: $dying in .QQP(,
met 1is 1oliness the Fourteenth alai !ama at least fi)e times $in .QP', .QP@, .QPH, .QPL,
and .QQ@(* The meetings were all )ery hearty affairs* The former SS member dedicated a
small brochure entitled "My 3ncounters with the Kcean of 2nowledge: to the first three
$Beger, .QPL(*

The alai !ama $worshi##ed by his followers as the "Kcean of +isdom: because of his
"omniscience:( claims not to ha)e been informed about his 4aMi friends, #ast* Kne may well
belie)e this, yet he has not distanced himself from them since their ex#osure* 1is statements
about ;dolf 1itler and the "final solution to the 8uestion of the Dews: also seem strange* Dust
like his brother, 9yalo Thondu#, he sees the dictator as a more noble figure than the -hinese
occu#iers ofTibet0 "<n .QHQ, in !hasa, the -hinese shot Tibetan families from aero#lanes with
machine guns* Systematic destruction in the name of liberation against the tyranny of the
alai !amaV 1u, 1u, 1uV <n 1itlerGs case he was more honest* <n concentration cam#s he
made it clear he intended to exterminate the Dews* +ith the -hinese they called us their
brothersV Big brother bullying little brotherV 1u, 1u, 1uV <t,s less honest, < think: $=aily
Telegraph, ;ugust .H, .QQP(*

Th( NaJiITi5(t conn(ction
+ere there occult intentions behind the "SS SchYfer 3x#edition:A <n the neo7fascist
literature these are considered a to# secret mission of 1immler,s to make contact with the
"ade#ts of Shambhala and ;garthi:* ;uthors from the scene like +ilhelm !andig, Miguel
Serrano, 5ussell Mc-loud, etc*, let their readers belie)e that through these ex#editions a kind
of meta#olitical axis between Berlinand !hasa was constructed* ietrich Bronder knows that
"SchYfer,s SS men were #ermitted to enter holy !hasa, otherwise closed to 3uro#eans and
-hristians, e)en the magnificent !amaist tem#le that contains 6ust one huge symbol, the
holiest in the Mongolian world > the swastika: $Bronder, .QNH, #* %H&(

L%Q
;lthough in recent years com#rehensi)e research findings about the interests of leading
4aMis in occult #henomena ha)e been #ublished, this is currently #layed down by #ro7!amaist
intellectuals, es#ecially as far as a occult 4aMi > Tibet connection is concerned* S.T 3rnst
SchYfer and Bruno Beger, the two leaders of the undertaking $the SS SchYfer ex#edition(, are
de#icted as sober natural scientists* 1einrich 1immler, esoteric ambitions in Tibet were
minimal, indeed "#robably did not exist: $Brauen, %&&&(* 1itler himself a##ears as a decided
anti7occultist* "1owe)er, the suggestion that 1itler was interested in 3astern esotericism or
e)en Tibet can be ruled out: $Brauen, %&&&, #* LH(* +ith an a##eal to the historian 9oodrick7
-lark, the #ro7!amaist authors also assess the occult currents within the early
4aMi mo)ement $the notorious Thule Society for exam#le( as insignificant, and com#letely
lacking in e)idence for a #articular interest in Tibet* 5udolf Freiherr )on Sebottendorf $.PNH7
.Q@H(, the founder of the Thule Society& is said to ha)e ex#licitly s#oken out against the
suggestion that the light came from the highlands of ;sia*

+e do not see it as our #rimary task here to historically #ro)e the interwea)ing of the
rele)ant SS members $1itler, 1immler, 1arrer, etc*( in an occult 4aMi > Tibet connection*
Things were not as cleanly rationalist and scientifically correct as the #ro7!amaist
intellectuals would ha)e it among the SS* +hen for exam#le, at the #resentation of a gift to
the Tibetan regent in !hasa 3rnst SchYfer declaims, "Since the swastika is also the su#reme
and most holy symbol for us 9ermans, the motto of our )isit is0 ; meeting of the +estern and
3astern swastikas in friendshi# and #eace X: $8uoted by Brauen, %&&&, #* NQ(, then an occult
note in accord with the zeitgeist of the time is #resent*

There are certainly also other, non7fascist, authors who create an occult corres#ondence
between national socialism and Tibetan Buddhism )ia a esoteric inter#retation of the
"1akenkreuM: $theswastika(, a Buddhist symbol par excellence0 "The rightward hooked cross
SsignifiesT a #rayer formula in Tibet:, writes Friedrich +* oucet, "<n its left7turned form >
like the national socialist swastika > it designates the orthodox Bellow 1ats *** it is the
Bellow 1ats who su#er)ise the s#iritual rules in the Tibetan ecclesiastical state and also
exercise worldly #ower: $oucet, .QNQ, #* P.(*S%T

<t is also certain that 1immler,s s#iritual ad)isor, 2arl Maria +iligut $"1immler,s
5as#utin:(, saw the "SS SchYfer 3x#edition: as an extremely occult undertaking and at
L'&
1immler,s direction attem#ted to exert an a##ro#riate influence on the #artici#ants in the
ex#edition* The SS standard bearer +iligutU+eisthor, who was one of 1immler,s #ersonal
staff, was accredited with mediumistic abilities and he himself was con)inced he was in
contact with trans#ersonal #owers* +iligutU+eisthor was considered to be the Schutz
Staffel's $SS,s( ex#ert on runes and designed the legendary skull ring of the SS* 1is
megalomaniac o)erestimation of himself $there are authenticated statements from him to the
effect that he belie)ed he was the "secret 2ing of 9ermany:( and the fact that he was
de#ri)ed of the right of decision by his family led 1immler to discharge +iligut from the SS
in .Q'Q $!ange .QQP, #* %N.(*

The 9erman author 5Idiger Sunner 8uotes the re#ort of a member of the "SS SchYfer
3x#edition: o)er a meeting with +iligut*S'T uring the encounter $in .Q'N or .Q'PA(, the
latter was in a trance7like state and addressed his )isitors in a guttural )oice0 "< tele#honed my
friends this e)ening X in ;byssinia and ;merica, in Da#an and Tibet *** with all who come
from another world in order to construct a new em#ire* The occidental s#irit is thoroughly
corru#ted, we ha)e a ma6or task before us* ; new era will come, for creation is sub6ect to 6ust
one grand law* Kne of the keys lies with the alai !ama SVT and in the Tibetan monasteries*:
The )isitor was not a little distressed, and goes on to re#ort0 "Then came the names of
monasteries and their abbots, of localities in eastern Tibet which < alone knew about X id he
draw these out of my brainA Tele#athyA To this day < do not know, < know only that < left the
#lace in a hurry: $SInner, .QQQ, #* H&(* <n the P&s the -hilean Miguel Serrano took u# the
s#eculation anew that the alai !ama #lays a key role in the 4aMi7Tibet connection* 1is
"skill:, this author says of the Fourteenth alai !ama, is "closely linked with that of
1itler,s 9ermany X on the basis of not yet disco)ered connections* ; few years
after9ermany, Tibet also falls: $Serrano, .QPN, #* 'LL(*

+iligut also belie)ed that !hasa would form a geomantic 8uadrilateral with =rga $=lan
Bator(, the 3gy#tian #yramids, and Vienna* Miguel Seranno was later to ex#ound similar
ideas $in the se)enties(* 1immler too was interested in geomantic ideas and it cannot be
excluded "that he ho#ed for more exact data about this from the SchYfer ex#edition: $Brauen,
%&&&, #* NP(*

L'.
Ktto 5ahn, likewise a member of the SS, who in the '&s attem#ted to render the myth of
the holy grail and the -athar mo)ement fruitful for the national socialist )ision and the SS as
some kind of "warrior monks:, assumed that the -athars had been influenced by Tibetan
Buddhism "Kne of the -athari symbols of the s#irit that is god which was taken o)er from
Buddhism was the mani, a glowing 6ewel that lit u# the world and allowed all earthly wishes
to be forgotten* The mani is the emblem of the Buddhist law that dri)es out the night of
misconce#tion* <n 4e#al and Tibet it is considered the symbol of the yanibodhisatt)a
;)alokitesh)ara or Padma#ani, charity: $5ahn, .QPQ, ##* .PH, .&N(*

The myth of the "black sun: which was able to win a central #lace in the neo7fascist
mo)ement and dis#lays similarities with the Tibetan Rahu myth from the "alachakra
Tantra& can be traced to the ins#iration of +iligut and his milieu among others* <n a
commentary on +iligut,s runic writings, a #u#il, 3mil 5Idiger, mentions an in)isible dark
#lanet, Santur by name, which is su##osed to influence human history and to be able to be
microcosmically linked with the energy body of an ade#t* ;##ro#riate yogic exercises$rune
gymnastics( are recommended for #roducing "high intelligence effects: $!ange, .QQP, #*
%%L(* Dust how seamlessly such "rune gymnastics: can be linked to tantric exercises can be
seen in the writings of Miguel Serrano, the father of "esoteric 1itlerism: $Serrano, .QP@(*

<t is thus not at all the case that there is no historical foundation for hy#othesiMing an
occult 4aMi > Tibet connection, e)en if it is #ublicly denied by one of the #rotagonists of the
"SS SchYfer 3x#edition:, Bruno Beger $!ange .QQP, #* LP(* 4e)ertheless, an occult
interconnection between the SS and !amaist Tibet of the dimensions in which it is currently
#ortrayed in a large number of neo7fascist and esoteric #ublications has to be described as
a post facto construction* This construction could, howe)er, we re#eat, fall back on an esoteric
ambience in which 1einrich 1immler, the head of the SS, and other high7ranking 4aMis
mo)ed* Thus the well7known, historically #ro)en material has at any rate been sufficient to
create new and )ery effecti)e myths* <n the 4aMi7 Tibet connection , we are thus dealing with
a #rocess of myth creation and not a historical set of e)ents* <n such #rocesses, there is a
blending of historical facts, the stuff of traditional sagas, straining for effect, and imaginary,
)isionary, religious, fantastic, and #ersonal elements until it all binds into a resistant #attern
and anchors itself as such in a culture* <t is not unusual for different mythologemes to become
fused, and this is exactly, as we will show, what has ha##ened in the case of the 4aMi >
L'%
Tibet connection* 1ere, racist 4aMi myths ha)e been fused with elements of the Tibetan
Shambhala myth and with sexual magic #ractices from Tantric Buddhism*

<n this #rocess of myth construction it should also not be underestimated that the
meetings known to ha)e occurred between the alai !ama and former SS members $SchYfer,
1arrer, Beger( ha)e a occult significance alone by )irtue of the fact that anybody who
mentally negotiates an esoteric network inter#rets a meeting with the alai !ama as an occult
e)ent*
On th( Ho$(8ag( o- th( ;o'(rn$(nt o- Ti5(t in EBi(
& htt8:VVwwwDti5(tDco$VStatu!V!tat($(ntDht$ ) "+D :9D "99/: Th( ?I@D Daai La$a
5(tw((n two -or$(r SS-$(n2 #runo #(g(r on hi! right 5(hind and H(inrich Harr(r on
hi! (-t 5(hindD Th( oth(r 8(r!on!2 who 'i!it(d Ti5(t 5(-or( "90:2 ar(: Mr 4aJi Sona$
Tog8%a2 Mr Ro5(rt Ford2 Mr! Rongu% Co(ctt &daught(r o- Sir Char(! #()2 Mr! >oan
Mar% >(hu2 Mr Archi5ad >ac1 and Pro-D Fo!co MarainiD
<n the meantime an enormous amount of literature about a sus#ected 4aMi
> Tibet connection has a##eared, some exam#les of which we briefly introduce here0

<n .QHP an ;merican #ublisher released the book The 9ightning and the Sun,
by Sa)itri e)i $"1itler,s Priestess:(, which #resents ;dolf 1itler as an a)atar $an
incarnation( of the sun god, alongside ;khenaton and 9enghis 2han* e)i does not
mention a 4aMi > Tibet connection, but introduces the "a)atar #rinci#le: into the myth
building surrounding 1itler that is seiMed u#on by later authors so as to #resent
the #Khrer as an incarnation from the kingdom of;garthiUShambhala $see Miguel Serrano
in this regard(*
<n their best7seller The =awn of <agic, Dac8ues Bergier and !ouis Pauwells
$.QL%( first claim that the ShambhalaU;garthi myth strongly influenced the founders of
the national socialist mo)ement*
5obert -harroux $-erratene @eheimnisse S"Betrayed Secrets:T( #resumes
that !ama #riests had gained influence o)er 1itler and worked on " a #lan for exercising
control o)er the world which was thoroughly the e8ual of that of the 9ermans "
$-harroux, .N&, #* %HP(*
L''
The anti7fascist myth researcher Friedrich oucet $?m $anne des <ythos S<n
the Thrall of MythT, .QNQ( discusses "#sycho7techni8ues of the monks and abbots in the
!ama monasteries of Tibet: with which leading national socialist figures were
mani#ulated*
!ikewise, the anthro#oso#hically oriented author, Tre)or 5a)enscroft $The
Spear of =estiny(, .QN@(, assumes that 1itler coo#erated with "Tibetan leaders: in Berlin*
<n the P&s, two books by the -hilean Miguel Serrano a##eared $El Cordon
=orado SThe 9olden 5ibbonT and ;dolf Hitler el Xltimo ;+atara S;dolf 1itler0 The Final
;)atarT(* Both texts form the basis for "esoteric 1itlerism:* Kne of Serrano,s central
themes is the relationshi# between sexual magic and #olitical #ower $es#ecially national
socialism(* The Fourteenth alai !ama, whom Serrano has met se)eral times, is wo)en by
the author into the creation of neo7fascist myths around 1itler*
;ccording to Dan )an 1elsing $@eheimgesellschaften und ihre
<acht *** S"Secret Societies and their Power:T, .QQ'(, Tibetan monks worked together
with Tem#lar 2nights who were organiMed in the highest lodge of the "black sun: on the
establishment of the Third 5eich* The secret order had $and still has( an im#ortant base
underground in the 1imalayas* The ruler of the underground kingdom is said to be
"5igden <ye#o:, the king of the world, with his re#resentati)e on the surface, the alai
!ama*
<n =ie schwarze Sonne +on Tashi 9hunpo SThe Black Sun of Tashi !hun#oT
$.QQL(, Mc-loud re#orts on the sur)i)al of the national socialist Thule grou# in Tibet *
They are the followers of a "sun oracle: there*
For +ilhelm !andig $@,tzen gegen Thule *** S<dols against ThuleT, n*d*(, Tibet
is also "the realm of the black sunV <t is the meeting #oint of the esoteric circles of
the Schutzstaffel Sthe SST, whose knowledge Mr* 1immler also knew about but did not
share*:
<n his no)el $The $lack SunX, .QQN(, Peter Moon reiterates the decisi)e
influence of Tibetan !amas on 4ational Socialism and extends it with new images* 1e
takes the side of the old Tibetan Bon religion, and accuses the alai !ama and Tibetan
Buddhism of religious o##ression*

"+hy:, Martin Brauen, a #ro7!amaist ex#ert on Tibet, asks in light of this considerable
and by no means com#lete literature list, "does Tibet arouse the interest of the neo7fascists so
L'@
muchA: +hat makes Tibet so attracti)e for themA +hat is so fascinating about the Shambhala
myth that it draws into its thrall both those who culti)ate and those who combat itA: $Brauen,
%&&&, #* Q'(* 1e cannot answer this 8uestion* But in order to be able in)ert the fact that
national socialism had a occult relationshi# to Tibetan Buddhism into its com#lete o##osite,
he foregrounds an anti7!amaist faction within the 9erman right7wing* <t was #recisely the
4aMis, Brauen says, who denounced the !amas and the Tibetans as "Fntermenschen:
$subhumans(*

;mong the antiOalai !ama and anti7Tibet literature are works by S* <#ares
$@eheime eltmQchte SSecret +orld PowersT, .Q'N(, who was influenced by the
orientalist ;lbert 9rInwedel* <n his book, the author talks of an occult hierarchia
ordinis of the !amaist theocracy, which in)isibly influences and steers the 3ast*
D* Strunk,s arguments $Gu Luda und Rom Tibet, STo Duda and 5ome >
TibetT, .Q'N( are more far reachingR he tries to unco)er a cons#iracy of an international
ecclesiastical elite $with members from all the world religions( with the li)ing Buddha, the
alai !ama from !hasa as their )isible head* "+hat there are of organiMations and new
s#iritual currents running alongside and in all directions nearly always end u# on the Wroof
of the world,, in a !ama tem#le, once one has #rogressed through Dewish and -hristian
lodges: $Strunk, .Q'N, #* %P(*
<n the same year $.Q'N( FritM +ilhelmy #ublished the #iece ;sekha. =er
"reuzzug der $ettelm,nche S;sekha0 The -rusade of the Mendicant MonksT* <n it
"Tibetan Buddhism X SisT o#enly a##ointed to #lay a more than mysterious role in the
great global hustle and bustle of su#rastate #ullers of strings: $+ilhelmy .Q'N, #*.N(
9eneral !udendorff and his wife likewise took to the field with great )igor
against the ";sian #riests: and warned that the Tibetan !amas had em#laced themsel)es
at the head of Dewish and Desuit secret orders $Europa den ;siatenpriesternD S3uro#e of
the ;sian #riests(T, .Q@.(*
-learly the most #rominent of the anti7!amaist 4aMi faction was the racialist
;lfred 5osenberg, who in his seminal work =er <ythos des Y*. Lahrhundert SThe Myth
of the %&
th
-enturyT made the battle between the #riests and the warrior caste into the
#rimal conflict of the history of the world* The Tibetan lamas a##ear here as the
re#resentati)es of a decadent ;sian -atholicism*

L'H
The #roblem with the construction of a fascist anti7!amaism lies in the fact that a#art
from ;lfred 5osenberg the right7wing authors cited definitely did not occu#y #ositions of
#ower like those of 1immler, the SS, and the ;hnenerbe #ro6ect* "1itler,s mythologist:
$5osenberg( was cut dead by 1immler and barely taken seriously by 1itler* The !udendorff,s
fell out of fa)or with the #Khrer.<n contrast, the SS with their rites and their martial style
increasingly became the e#itome of the 4aMi myth* <t was the SS who ex#lored Tibet and it
was a former SS troo#er $1einrich 1arrer( who schooled the alai !ama*

Besides this, the national socialist o##onents of !amaism mentioned, who Martin
Brauen so demonstrati)ely #arades to #ro)e that fascism was hostile towards Tibetan
Buddhism, are 6ust as fanatically fascinated by the ata)istic mythology of Tibet as the #ro7
!amaist fascists whom we ha)e listed abo)e* They do not attack the !amaist system out of a
democratic attitude or rational consideration, but the o##osite, because they fear the occult
world of the !amas > namely, control by magic, the con8uest of the #lanet by Buddhist
des#ots, the mani#ulation of awareness through rituals, etc* > all conce#ts which can indeed
be found in the tantric texts* Thus, right7wing o##onents of !amaism, 6ust like the right7wing
ad)ocates of !amaism, see in Tibet and its religion an occult control center*

Since the #ro7!amaist intellectuals can no loner deny that fascist authors increasingly
sought out contact with !amaist cultural images after the war, they em#hatically reassure us
that these were a matter of +estern "illusions:, or at least +estern hybrids of !amaism which
were in no sense 6ust* +ith this they seem to think the #roblem is sol)ed $in this regard, see
Brauen %&&&(* But they lea)e us waiting for an examination of contents which re)eals to what
de#th and extent ideas and #ractices from !amaism ha)e been directly incor#orated by the
fascist side* Bet a debate about the images, archety#es, meta#olitical )isions, #olitical
structures, and rituals from the Tibetan cultural s#here which the neo74aMis refer back to is of
far greater interest than the 8uestion of whether there was #ersonal contact between lamas and
4aMis* 1ere the actual work of cultural criticism begins, which entails

"D di!co'(ring La$ai!t $%th! o- origin 5(hind th( ,NaJi -anta!i(!C
*D in'(!tigating th(!( La$ai!t $%th! o- origin
+D (Ba$ining !tructura !i$iariti(! 5(tw((n n(o--a!ci!$ and
La$ai!$
L'L

Knly then when such "myths of origin: are not to be found can the 4aMi7 Tibet
connection be said to ha)e been ex#osed as a #urely +estern fiction*

The following list of #aradigms, conce#ts, theories, methods, and myths which ha)e
essentially sha#ed the culture of !amaism $and still do( ha)e become central for the neo7
fascist mo)ement0

The combination of religious and #olitical #ower
; strictly hierarchical state structure that rests u#on a s#iritually based
"FIhrer #rinci#le:
The out and out #atriarchal orientation of the state and society
; #attern of com#lete subordination of #u#il to master
The a##earance of di)ine beings of earth to fulfill #olitical missions $the
a)atar, incarnation, and Bodhisatt)a #rinci#le(
; #olitical micro7Umacrocosmic theory according to which a Buddhist ruler
re#resents a likeness of the entire uni)erse*
The idea of a world ruler $-hakra)artin( and a )iolent con8uest of the world
The motif of s#iritualU#olitical redem#tion
The idea of a su#erhuman center of #ower in ;sia, from where an influence
on world #olitics is exercised $the Shambhala myth(
The legitimation of contem#orary #olitics through mythic roots
The deri)ation of #olitical control from myths of the sun and light
The myth of the "black sun: $5ahu myth in the "alachakra Tantra(
;lchemic s#eculations $as in the "alachakra Tantra(
;n interest in secret men,s associations $members of orders(
The existence of a su#ernatural community of "#riestly warriors: $Shambhala
warriors( who obser)e and influence the history of the world
; "Buddhist: warrior ethic based u#on s#iritual control of the body and
emotions
L'N
;n a#ocaly#tic final battle, in which good and e)il stand o##osed and all
nonbelie)ers are annihilated $Shambhala war(
; fascination with the machinery of war $Shambhala myth(
Flying discs $=FKs( > corres#onding ob6ects $flying wheels( will be #ut to
use in the final Shambhala war
; magical )iew of the world and the associated conce#tion that the
mani#ulation of symbols can affect history
Techni8ues for mani#ulating consciousness
; great interest in #aranormal #henomena and their combination with #olitics
$)isions, oracles, #ro#hecies(
; magicU#olitical understanding of the system of rituals in the ser)ice of the
state
Sexual magic #ractices for transforming erotic lo)e and sexuality into
worldly and s#iritual #ower $"alachakra Tantra(
The functionaliMation of the feminine #rinci#le for the #ur#oses of #olitico7
religious #ower

;ll these #illars of Tibetan Buddhist culture are likewise ingredients of the "alachakra
Tantraconstantly #racticed by the alai !ama and the Shambhala myth this e)okes* For
centuries they ha)e determined the form of Tibetan monastic society, com#letely inde#endent
of any +estern imaginings or influence* 1ence the 8uestion about neo7fascismGs inordinate
interest in Tibet and its ata)istic culture is easily answered0 fascists of the most )aried
#ersuasion see their own "#olitical theology: confirmed by the Tibetan Buddhist religious
system, or disco)er new images and #ractices in it with which they can enrich and extend
their ideologies*

Some $not all( of the abo)e7mentioned Tibetan cultural elements to which the new right
has hel#ed itself were also to be found in the 3uro#e of old, yet these were either
disem#owered or relati)iMed by the 3nlightenment and "modernity: > only to be reacti)ated
in the history of fascism and national socialism* <n traditional Tibet $u# until .QHP(, in the
community of Tibetans in exile, but abo)e all in the figure of the alai !ama and his clergy,
in the holy texts and the rituals $the tantras(, these images and archety#es were able to sur)i)e
L'P
without #ause* Through the acti)e #resence of the lamas in the +est they are now )isible and
tangible once more and #lay an e)er greater role in +estern #o#ular culture* Bet it is not 6ust
in comics and kitsch films that the alai !ama is #ortrayed as a god7king, but also both the
res#ectable and the down7market western #ress, a label which gains fundamental significance
in the #olitical theology of fascism and is combined there with the #Khrer #rinci#le*S@T

>uiu! E'oa: A -a!ci!t Tantric
<t was not 6ust the ideologists and theoreticians of national socialism who were closely
concerned with Tibet, but also high7ranking intellectuals and scholars closely linked to <talian
fascism* First of all, 9iuse##e Tucci, who attem#ted to combine 3astern and fascist ideas with
one another, must be mentioned $Bena)ides .QQH(*

; further exam#le is the work of the <talian, Dulius 3)ola $.PQP7.QN@(, for a time Benito
Mussolini,s chief ideologist $mainly in the forties(* <n numerous books and articles he has
in)estigated and further de)elo#ed the relationshi# between tantric rituals and #ower #olitics*
1e has followed "tantric trails: in 3uro#ean cultural history and come across them
e)erywhere0 among the -athars, the troubadours, the 2nights Tem#lar, in the work of
;lighieri ante, the mysticism surrounding the holy grail, 3uro#ean knighthood, alchemy*
=sing criteria drawn from -a0rayana, he #ro#ounds a cultural history of sexuality in his most
famous book, Eros and the <ysteries of 9o+e/ The <etaphysics of Sex* 3)ola was not 6ust a
theoretician, he also #racticed sexual magic rites himself* There are unmistakable statements
from him about the "tantric female sacrifice: and the transformation of sexuality into #olitical
#ower* !ike almost no other, the <talian has o#enly named the e)ents that unfold in the
mysteries of the yogis and then confessed to them0 "The young woman,: he writes, "who is
first WdemoniMed, and then ra#ed, *** is essentially*** the basic motif for the higher forms of
tantric and Va6rayanic sexual magic: $3)ola, .QP', #* 'PQ(* <n dictators like ;dolf 1itler and
Benito Mussolini he saw the #recursors of future <aha Siddhas who would one day con8uer
the world with their magic #owers0 "The magician, the ruler, the lord:, he #roclaims in regard
L'Q
to Tantrism, "that is the ty#e of the culture of the futureV: $3)ola, .Q%L, #* '&@(* 1e
recommends Tantrism as "the way for a +estern elite: $3)ola, East and est, #* %Q(*

<n the Shambhala myth he sees a confirmation of the 3uro#ean tradition of the sa)ior
king, es#ecially the myth of the grail0 ";t a #articular time decreed by one of the cyclical
laws, a new manifestation of the solar #rinci#le from abo)e will occur in the form of a sacred
ruler who gains )ictory o)er the Wdark age,0 2alki ;)atara* Symbolically 2alki will be born in
Shambhala > one of the terms in the <ndianUTibetan tradition for the holiest hy#erborean
S4ordicT center: $3)ola .QHH, #* HL(*

+e could fill many #ages illustrating the influence of Va6rayana $Tibetan Tantrism( on
3)ola,s work* But howe)er, we will instead concentrate on a detailed discussion of the ideas
of one of his #u#ils, Miguel Serrano* Serrano combines 3)ola,s fascist #hiloso#hy of #ower
warriors with the national socialist thoughts on race* 1is works are #articularly interesting for
us not 6ust because he is still ali)e $in .QQQ(, but also because he has been linked with the
Fourteenth alai !ama se)eral times*

Migu( S(rrano: Th( Daai La$a=! ,-ri(ndC and chi(- id(oogi!t o- ,(!ot(ric
Hit(ri!$C
/Miguel Serrano:, writes his inter)iewer, <sidro Palacios, "was the only SVT western
foreigner who tra)eled to meet the alai !ama as the monk7em#eror of the Tibetan Buddhists
fled from the holy land of Tibet to the south because of the -hinese in)asion* Kur
con)ersation #artner SSerranoT tra)eled from <ndia into the 1imalayas where his meeting with
the alai !ama took #lace, and since then a close friendshi# has existed between him and the
now 4obel #riMe winner: $Palacios, .QQ&, #* %(* +ho is this "close friend: of
the "undun thenA

Miguel Serrano was born in Santiago, -hile in .Q.N* Between .Q@N and .Q@P he
)isited ;ntarcticafor the first time, to which he later undertook many 6ourneys* Kne of the
massifs which he ex#lored on an ex#edition there bears his name today* Between .Q'Q and
.Q@H he #ublished the esoteric 6ournal, 9a !ue+a Edad SThe 4ew ;geT* 1e was acti)e as a
di#lomat for -hile in se)eral countries, including <ndia, Bugosla)ia, 5omania, Bulgaria,
and ;ustria* 1e also worked as an ambassador at the <nternational ;tomic 3nergy
L@&
-ommission in Vienna and at the =nited 4ations <ndustrial e)elo#ment KrganiMation
$=4<K(* !argely unnoticed by the #ublic, Serrano has been in friendly contact with
numerous #rominent national socialist and fascist figures since the se)enties0 with !Zon
egrelle, Ktto SkorMeny, 1ans7=lrich 5udel, 1anna 5eitsch, Dulius 3)ola, 1erman +irth,
Sa)itri e)i, and the French affen SS man and author Saint !ou#* The -hilean returned to
his country of birth and li)es some kilometers from Santiago $as of .QQQ(*

1e #ublished numerous books with an occultU#oetic content* 3)en his work best known
in the +est, in which he recounts his encounters with the 9erman #oet 1ermann 1esse and
the de#th #sychologist -* 9* Dung, dis#lays a great deal of occultist s#eculation when one
reads it attenti)ely* Serrano titled his book The Hermetic Circle/ Con+ersations&
Correspondence& and <emories of Hermann Hesse and C. @. Lung*SHT This title alone should
signal that the author had formed an esoteric brotherhood with Dung and 1esse, a sort of
trium)irate of magicians who had gained admittance to the archety#al storehouses of the
human subconscious and are uni8ue in the twentieth century* Dung was sym#athetic towards
the -hilean who had courted him* 1e wrote an effusi)e foreword to Serrano,s tale, The -isit
of the >ueen of Saba0 "This book is unusual* <t is a dream amidst other dreams, one could say,
and com#letely different to the s#ontaneous creations of the unconscious with which < am
familiar: $Serrano, .QP&, #* N(* Serrano was also a great admirer of the ;merican #oet, 3Mra
Pound, who sym#athiMed with the <talian fascists* Together with Pound,s widow $Klga 5udge(
and Prince <)anici, Serrano had a commemorati)e stone erected in <taly*

1is occult studies took him to all #arts of the world* 1e saw himself as a modern
Perci)al $Parsifal( and Minnesinger, who went in search of the 9rail under the #rotection of
his di#lomatic #ass#ort* "The life of an ambassador is a farce and a folly:, he said in an
inter)iew in the 6ournal Cedade&"My #ost allows me to meet with #eo#le of )alue like the
alai !ama, 4ehru, <ndira 9andhi, 1anna 5eitsch $1itler,s famous female war #ilot( and
others: $Cedade, .QPL(* SwitMerland, +est#halia, the mountains of SalMburg, the PyrenZes, his
tra)els in search of the 9rail led him through all these "geomantically: significant sites, but
likewise to the 1imalayas, Patagonia, and ;ntarctica*

The -hilean was rightly considered the occult eminence of modern, international
fascism* Meanwhile, his #hantasmagoric writings ha)e also de)elo#ed a fanatic following in
L@.
the 9erman neo7naMi scene0 <t is the -hilean author,s obsessi)e intention to con)ince his
readers that ;dolf 1itler was an a+atar $a di)ine incarnation( or a tulku& and e)er will be,
since he li)es on in another body in another s#here, that of the kingdom of Shambhala*
;ccording to Serrano, the #Khrer will rea##ear as the doomsday ruler and fight a terrible
battle, and that in the next few years* 1ow did this biMarre fantasy ariseA

Shortly after the Second +orld +ar a mysterious "master: from the beyond is su##osed
to ha)e a##eared to the -hilean and said to him0 "1itler is a initiate, he can communicate with
those dwelling on the astral #lane* < do not know who his s#iritual leaders are, but < ha)e
decided to hel# him* 1itler is a being with an iron, unshakable will which he ine)itably #ut
into effect* 1e ne)er yielded* < was in contact with him*: $Serrano, .QPN, #* %.(*

;fter this a##earance of his s#iritual guru, Serrano was absolutely con)inced that he had
been entrusted with the mission of the century0 the worldwide dissemination of Hitlerismo
Esoterico $of "esoteric 1itlerism:(* +hilst still #erforming his international duties as a
-hilean ;mbassador he held himself back, although he carried the idea in his heart from the
nineteen fifties on* uring this #eriod he #ublished books of a #oeticUesoteric content with
se)eral res#ectable western #ublishers which, although they without exce#tion include tantric
to#ics $es#ecially the "female sacrifice:(, studiously a)oid mentioning the name of ;dolf
1itler* Knly in .QNP did the -hilean first dare to go #ublic with an o#en #rofession of belief in
the 9erman 4aMi dictator, and #ublished El CordZn =orado Hitlerismo Esoterico SThe
9olden 5ibbon > 3soteric 1itlerismT* <n the mid7eighties the almost LH&7#age, large7format
book, ;dolf Hitler& el [ltimo ;+at\ra S;dolf 1itler, the !ast ;)atarT, followed* Serrano
summariMes the results of his extensi)e occult research into this to#ic with the concise
statement that, "esoteric 1itlerism is tantric: $Serrano, .QPN, #* ''&(*

,hambhala: $he 'enter o* :esoteri' Hitlerism7
<n the following sections, we ho#e to show 6ust how much of his fascist world )iew
Serrano owed to Tantrism* <t is of es#ecial interest in connection with this study that he
recogniMed "esoteric 1itlerism: as a central doctrine from the kingdom of Shambhala0 "<n
fact:, the author says, "Shambhala is indeed the center of esoteric 1itlerism* The entrance to
it Sthe realm ofShambhalaT was to be found in the )icinity of Shigatse or near 9yangtse Sin
southern TibetT* Through my in)estigations < arri)ed at the conclusion that our center Si*e*,
L@%
that of Serrano,s occult orderT had also been located there* The connection between 1itlerism
and the Tibetans or Mongolians was also not immediate, but indirect, in as far as they
established contact with the 1y#erboreans $the ;ryan gods of the north( and made free
#assage and the transmission of #hysical messages #ossible* Tibetans and Mongolians were
their )assals who had to guard the magic entry gates to their world* *** +hen <
)isited Berchtesgaden Sthe KbersalMberg to which 1itler retreated time and againT, my
attention was constantly ca#ti)ated by a tellurian force, a tangible )ibration in the air, which
instantaneously linked this #oint with the Tibetan 1imalayas and trans7
1imalaya0 Hitler's high7lying refuge with the !hasa of the =alai 9ama, with Shambhala* For
some #articular reason, esoteric 1itlerism had chosen this #oint, which is full of direct
connections, magnetic )ibrations, and those which touch the stars, as the holy center of its
order $the SS(, and it had a)oided letting a final #hysical struggle, which could ha)e harmed
this area, take #lace there: $Serrano, .QPN, #* '%(* <n his book, !NS& Serrano defines
the kingdom of Shambhala as "one of the hidden subterranean cities in which is #erformed
the tantric initiation that transforms, transmutes and transfigures matter* There are #eo#le who
say that it was the ca#ital of ;garthi: $Serrano, .QP@, #* .PL(* Before Shambhala was
relocated in the 1imalayas by the hy#erborean $4ordic(siddhas, it was a kingdom at the 4orth
Pole*

Shambhala and ;garthi are thus the two occult regions $or cities( from which the
national socialist dictator, ;dolf 1itler, was sent to our #lanet* ;ccording to Serrano the two
locations lie in a magic realm beneath the surface of the 3arth* "Thus the
submerged ;garthi and Shambhala are to be found there, which the Tibetans and Mongolians
s#eak of as the seat of the king of the world, and also the symbolic orient of the S2nightsT
Tem#lar and the true 5osicrucians* Thus the unknown leaders of these two orders, as well the
organiMation of esoteric 1itlerism Sthe SST, betook themsel)es there* ;nd from there 1itler
clearly recei)ed instructions: $Serrano, .QPN, #* '%(* SLT

Following the Second +orld +ar the rumor $which Serrano seiMes u#on thankfully(
arose in occult circles that 1itler had settled a brotherhood of Tibetan lamas in Berlin, who
stood in direct contact with the kingdom of Shambhala* ;fter the 5ussians entered the city the
members of the order committed suicide $ 5a)enscroft, .QPP, #* %L%ff*(*SNT

L@'
But 1itler > Serrano says7 did not suicideR rather he was able to return to his
subterranean home of Shambhala* "1itler li)es* 1e did not die in Berlin* < ha)e seen him
under the earth* *** < ke#t this secret for many yearsR then it was dangerous to re)eal it, and it
was e)en more difficult to write about it:, the mysterious master we ha)e already mentioned
ex#lained to his #u#il, Serrano $Serrano, .QPN, #* 'N(* The "FIhrer:, howe)er, did not flee
to Tibet as is assumed in other occult s#eculations* Serrano doubts such assum#tions, since on
the basis of his researches he reached the conclusion that the mythic realm of Shambhala was
relocated from the 1imalayas to the South Pole $;ntarctica( following the war and that today
the entrance to the underground im#erium may be found there* 1itler is thus said to ha)e
tra)eled to ;ntarctica*

<n the near future, the "FIhrer: with ascend to earth from the
subterranean Shambhala $now at the South Pole( for a second time, with a #owerful army of
=FKs in fact* $;t another #oint Serrano re#orts that 1itler will lead his army on a white horse,
like the Rudra Chakrin, the wrathful wheel turner from Shambhala.( The "last a)atar: $1itler(
will #lunge the #lanet into a terrible a#ocaly#tic war between the forces of light $the
hy#erborean ;ryan race( and the #owers of darkness $the Dewish race(* The Dews, who
currently rule the world, will be exterminated and the 4aMis will found the Edidad
=orada $the "golden age:( and the "Fourth 5eich:*

Serrano took his "fantasies: literally* To seek his s#iritual leader $or the tulku 1itler(,
the -hilean di#lomat $in <ndia at the time( set off and began ex#loring in the 1imalayas and
in ;ntarctica* "<n the book The Serpent of (aradise& < describe my search for the ashram of
the Siddha in the 1imalayas, which is likewise to be found beneath the earth in the 2ailash
mountains, in a )ery remote area where my master,s residence also is: $Serrano, .QPN, #* @&(*
SPT 1e was con)ince that he would find an entrance to Shambhala or ;garthi in the 2ailash*
1e also tried to reach !akeBamdrok, because he sus#ected there was an entrance gateway to
the underground Shambhalathere as well* But the -hinese turned him back at the border*

;LH;LL&
But the time was not ri#e, Serrano was unable to disco)er the entrance to Shambhala* <n
2alim#ong, "before the gates of Tibet: he encountered a "man: who assured the -hilean that
a mysterious "order: exerts an influence o)er both the affairs of the distant #ast and the most
L@@
recent e)ents of world history* Kb)iously this man was the guru who > as he recounts in his
key bookE9]E99; > initiated Serrano into the rites of sexual magic, and the order was a
tantric secret society* <ts members, the "man: said, "li)e in two cities in
the 1imalayas, ;garthi and Shambhala* To get there one has to trace this $tantric( way back to
the origin of time: $Serrano, .QP%, #* .&(*

The #u#il $Serrano( > we read in E9]E99; > is #re#ared to go this way and is
initiated into the tantras and the "laws of androgyny: by the master0 "This knowledge has
been #assed on to us by the ser#ent SkundaliniT that sur)i)ed on the ocean floor as the world
of the god7men was destroyed, in which the woman was not outside but rather inside and
where man and woman were one* **** =ntil you are one with the woman *** you will be no
#riest king *** The stallion must become a mare, the man a woman ***: the guru continued his
teaching $Serrano, .QP%, ##* ..7.%(*SQT

This is ne)er, the #u#il learns, #ossible through chastity and asceticism* 5ather, the man
must encounter the woman in the "magic lo)e: in order to di)ert her feminine energies* ;s we
know, this re8uires absolute control o)er the sexual act and abo)e all the retention of the seed0
"<f the stallion ex#els the seed, he becomes im#o)erished by this* *** For as long as the seed
flows outwards like a ri)er, the #lay of the dece#ti)e a##earances will continue: $Serrano,
.QP%, #* .'(* <n another text it says0 "the magic lo)e that is taught in *** Shambhala* *** <n it the
seed may not be issued outwardly and be lost in the woman, rather it must flow inwardly into
the body of its owner in order to im#regnate him with the androgyne, *** as one in the likewise
symbolic language of alchemy: $Serrano, .QPN, #* %PQ(* <f the man does not ex#el his s#erm
he can absorb the woman,s gynergiescom#letely* "<f the woman does not recei)e:, Serrano
says, "she gi)esV Through her skin she exudes substances, a concentrated energy, which
satiates you and #enetrates into your blood and heart: $Serrano, .QP%, #* .@(*

But it can ha##en that the tantric ex#eriment fails* <f the sadhaka $the #u#il( loses his
seed during the magic sexual act then he is destroyed by the aggressi)e femininity0 "The
s#ider de)ours the male who fertiliMes her, the bees murder the drones, the fearsome mother
wears the organ of generation tied around her neck* 3)erything female de)ours, e)ery mare,
mother, goddess, or woman* <n one way or another the man is consumed: $Serrano, .QP%, #*
.'(*
L@H

<t is thus a matter of life and death* =ltimately, according to Serrano the "killing: of
the externalwoman $the karma mudra( is therefore necessary, so that the inner woman
$the maha mudra( can be formed* The author does not shrink from discussing the "tantric
female sacrifice: directly0 "Knly those who are able to lo)e the woman so much SVT that they
externally kill her SVT in order to make #ossible her inner rebirth will find the immortal city
of ;garthi $or Shambhala(: $Serrano, .QP%, #* .'(*S.&T For an uninformed reader hidden, but
ob)ious to one who knows the logic of Tantrism, a tantric female murder is described in both
of his initiatory writings, E9]E99; S13US13T and !NS S+3T*

<n a lo)e scene from E9]E99&; a young woman ex#ires in Serrano,s arms in order to
then re7emerge within him as an inner maha mudra* 1e bends o)er her, strokes her hair and
kisses her bloody li#s0 "They tasted like bitter honey, and he swallowed a little of her blood:
Then he suddenly sees the stigmata0 "Strangely, it Sthe bloodT was only on her feet and the
#alms of her hands as if she had been crucified* G1ereVG, she said* She indicated her side, at
breast le)el* ; white line seemed to run through it, like a s#ear wound: $Serrano, .QP%, ##*
N%7N'(* The references to the sacrifice of -hrist are ob)ious, indeed they seem 8uite blatant*
"+hen < die,: the woman then says, "you will bear me within youR < will be you, li)e in
you *** Bou ha)e drunk my blood, and we are now two siblings* My character is already being
transferred into your blood *** <f god will, < shall lo)e you e)en more when < am dead* *** <
ha)e to die that you may li)e: $Serrano, .QP%, ##* N'7N@(* +ith this she fulfills the wise
saying of Serrano,s master0 "The decay of the one Sthe womanT is the #urification of the other
Sthe manT/ $Serrano, .QP%, #* Q'(* "The absolute woman:, he says at another #oint, "can slee#
or she can die, which is the same thing: $Serrano, .QPN, #* %PQ(*

+ritten in a fantasy manner, the book !NS $ook of the Resurrection also de#icts a
tantric female sacrifice* The heroine of this "hermetic biogra#hy: is called ;llouine, the main
hero is admittedly Serrano* ;dditionally, )arious "tantric: masters cro# u#* ;mong them are,
unmistakably, -*9* Dung, 1ermann 1esse, and the ;merican #oet 3Mra Pound* The contents
of the book de#ict the )oluntary self7sacrifice of ;llouine, her interioriMation as a maha
mudra by the author $Serrano(, and the latter, achie)ement of immortality through the
absor#tion of gynergy* "The woman dies* She is dead* She must die* *** She is the warrior,s
Sthe yogi,sT com#anion, existing only in his mind, in his s#irit: $Serrano, .QP@, #* ..(, Serrano
L@L
instructs us once more* "She Sthe womanT becomes interioriMed in you through her death, she
ins#ires you:, one of his masters ex#lains to him and in another #assage continues0 "The
secret #ath of yoga along which you are tra)eling is only for the warrior, for the initiated hero*
<t is not the #ath for the womanR because a woman has no chakras, no kundalini to awaken* ***
; woman is the 2undalini* ; woman has no soul* She is the soul* ; woman has no eternity*
She is eternity: $Serrano, .QP@, ##* .&%, .@N(*

Serrano stages a tantric sZance with ;llouine, in which they both consume the fi)e
forbidden foods* Then he drinks "the li8uor of orgasm *** the hea)enly Soma, an s#irit of
secret wine *** which is now only to be found in the ri)er of your blood: $Serrano, .QP@, #*
..%(* +e know that he is talking about the sukra, the mixture of male and female seed, of
menstrual blood and s#erm* This magic #otion grants the Tantric immortality* <n !NS too the
author longs for the blood of his lo)er like a )am#ire and goes into ra#tures if he detects it on
his li#s* ;fter he has washed the dying ;llouine, he kisses her and drinks of her blood*

Bet ;llouine #atiently and will7lessly acce#ts her sacrifice0 "My desire for you $i*e*, for
Serrano( is reaching its #eak* The fire of sacrifice has already been lit in my )ul)a and beats
there like a heart* *** My will no longer exists: $Serrano, .QP@, #* ...(* "The authentic,
absolute woman sacrifices herself )oluntarily,: we read in !NS, "immolating herself in order
to gi)e her eternity to her lo)er* *** The belo)ed is now the hidden belo)ed, she who has died
and buried herself in your bones and your )eins* The female So#hia, guru of the soul, she who
courses through the blood, the female #hiloso#her, So#hia, wisdom, the do)e, gnosis:
$Serrano, .QP@, ##* .@N7.@P(* ying, his "wisdom consort: says to him, "< shall but lo)e thee
better after death* < gi)e you my eternity* X My belo)ed, you will be my coffin of #erfumed,
#recious woodV: $Serrano, .QP@, #* .@&(*

;fter he has internaliMed ;llouine within himself, the Tantric Serrano can now
o)ercome his 39K, he can now talk of 4KS $+3(, since his lo)er $maha mudra( will dwell
in him for e)er* Through this lo)e, deadly for the woman, the man gains eternal life* <n this
context, Serrano #lays u#on the word ;MK5, which does not 6ust mean lo)e, but also ;7
MK5, i*e*, beyond death*

L@N
3ternally united with ;llouine,s gynergy following her #hysical death, Serrano buries
her cor#se and #laces a stone at her gra)e into which he has chiseled a leftward hooked cross,
the su#reme symbol of "esoteric 1itlerism:*

Hitler as a tantri' and as kin) o* the %orld (-hakravartin)
From Serrano,s tantric world )iew it is only all too easy to assume that 1itler $as
a tulku( also conducted sexual magic #ractices with a wisdom consort $mudra(* 3)a Braun,
the lo)er of the dictator a##ears to ha)e only #artially #erformed this duty* Behind her,
Serrano says, stood a greater one0 "+e must thus consider the relationshi# with 3)a Braun to
ha)e been like that between Desus and Mary Magdalene in the -hristian legend, like that of an
alchemist to his mystic sister* *** The #resence of the woman, her tele#athic, self7
communicating energy, the tensions this generates are indis#ensable for a tantric magician, for
this kind of bearer of #ower* The mystic consort of 1itler was, howe)er, not 3)a Braun, but
rather another: $Serrano, .QPN, #* %H(* 1e refers to her as the "Valkyrie: or as 9ilith too* +ith
the name 9ilith he draws a connection to ;dam* !ike 1itler, the biblical first father of
humanity $;dam( also #ossessed two women, an outer E+e and an inner9ilith* id 1itler
#erha#s make an decisi)e tantric mistake, asks the author, in marrying E+a Braun $shortly
before his suicide(A "*** Since the secret E+e SBraunT of transient flesh and blood was
acce#ted, she now StookT the #lace of the mystic consort: $Serrano, .QPN, #* %H(, and 1itler
lost #art of his magic #owers $siddhis(*

; according to Serrano the "FIhrer: of the Third 5eich was a tantra master
from Shambhala, the "high #riest of the occident: $Serrano, .QPN, #* %LQ( 1e came to earth to
fulfill a mission > the control of the world by the 4ordic $/hy#erborean:( race* But in him
Serrano does not 6ust see the incarnation of a warlike archety#e who lowered himself into a
human frame in the nineteen7thirties and forties* <n the dictator he directly recogniMed
a tulku and god sent from Shambhala* 1itler "was a highly de)elo#ed being, a Bodhisatt)a, a
tulku *** the incarnation of a deity: $Serrano, n*d*, #* ..Q(*

Dust as a tulku need not only a##ear in the form of a single #erson, but can rather
#roduce many emanations of his self, so too the )arious fascist national "#KhrersI of the first
half of our century were the emanations of the mightiest central tulku and Shambhala #rince,
;dolf 1itler0 Benito Mussolini in <talyR Kli)eira SalaMar in PortugalR !eon egrelle in
L@P
BelgiumR DosZ ;ntonio Primo de 5i)era in S#ainR Plinio Salgado in BraMilR oriot in FranceR
Dorge 9onMjleM )on MarZe in -hileR and Subhash -handra Bose in <ndia* ;ll the fascist
energy of the world was concentrated in the 9erman "FIhrer: $1itler(0 "The tulku:, says
Serrano, " > in this case it is 1itler > radiates out from a center of higher #ower, which like
an enormous sun absorbs e)erything and draws it into his fire and his fate* <f 13 falls, then all
the others fall too, then 13 is of course ;!! Sof themT/ $Serrano, .QPN, #* %N&(*

;ccording to Serrano 1itler must also be seen as the earthly a##earance of
the Chakra+artin0 "For the initiates of the SS 1itler was that mysterious #ro#het or magician
who X would restore the sense of royal dignity, where the king of the world is the em#eror,
the #riest of #riests and king of kingsR it is the leader, who will establish a new golden age for
a thousand years and more: $Serrano, .QPN, #* 'H@(* This is clearly intended for the future,
sinceO according to Serrano > 1itler will soon return once more to fulfill his cosmic mission*
Kne may think what one will of such #rognoses, but it is in any case amaMing what a large
u#turn fascist mo)ements ha)e achie)ed worldwide since the end of the eighties*

$he ,, as a tantri' %arrior order *rom ,hambhala
For Serrano the tantric initiation is the central rite of a "hy#erborean: $4ordic( warrior
caste*Shambhala counts as the su#reme mystery site for the initiation of the "#riest7warriors:*
"<nShambhalaI, the author says, " the use of the force through which the mutation of the
earth and the #eo#le can be carried out is taught, and the latter Sthe #eo#leT are introduced into
the martialinitiation, which makes this #ossible* *** Those who follow this initiatory stream
ha)e struggled to found a newUold order here on the #resent7day earth which has its roots in
the transcendent origins, with the goal of reawakening the golden age, and they will fight on
to the end***: $Serrano, .QPN, #* %HP(* S..T

This order is the secret brotherhood of the Shambhala officers, who ha)e for centuries
been incarnated in our world > for instance as knights of the holy grail or as 5osicrucians or
finally as the occult elite of the SS, 1itler,s notorious Schutz2Staffel* "Knce a year:, we learn,
"the inner circle of the SS #eo#le met with their su#reme leaders for a few days of retreat, the
solitude, and meditation* ; kind of western yoga was #racticed here, but nothing is known
about it: $Serrano, .QPN, ##* .N.7.N%(*

L@Q
;ccording to Serrano the SS were di)ided into two sections, an inner esoteric one and
an outer one* The "exoteric SS: were selected to "be able to deal with the most difficult tasks
and ad)entures in the external world:* "4othing of the esoteric of the black order, its #ractices
and teachings, its in)isible connections and its occult doctrines was known: to them $Serrano,
.QPN, #* %L@(* The "inner circle: of the SS consisted of "sun #eo#le, su#ermen, god7men, the
total human, the human magician: $Serrano, n*d*, #* QL(* The esoteric SS
were siddhas $magicians( from the undergroundkingdom of Shambhala, or at least their
messengers <n 9erman, SS are the initials of the "black sun: $"schwarze Sonne:(, and Serrano
did also call the members of the order "the men of the black sun:* +e are reminded that the
#lanet of darkness, Rahu, which darkens the sun and moon, is also referred to in
the "alachakra Tantra as the black sun*

The author is con)inced, of course, that sexual magic rites were #racticed in the SS $the
"new aristocracy of the ;ryan race:(* !ike Dulius 3)ola before him, the -hilean makes
constant references in his writings to how sexuality may be con)erted into high78uality
aggressi)e military energy and #olitical #ower through tantric #ractices0 "-ome and take me
like a warrior^I, a lo)er $his karma mudra( says to him at one stage in his key no)els, "< gi)e
you my heart for you to de)our* !et us drink our blood: $Serrano, .QP%, #* H@(*
<n E9]E99; the author recommends to heroes initiated into the tantras that
"the warrior should gi)e death the face of his lo)erR the fiery femininity of death will be thus
e)oked: $Serrano, .QP%, #* PN(* For Serrano, tantric #ractices and the cult life of a
fascistUesoteric warrior caste are one*

;dditionally, the sexual magic of the SS was connected with racial ex#eriments* These
aimed at a mutation of the human race, or better, a regaining of the formerly high7standing
;ryan god7men who had in the dim and distant #ast tarnished themsel)es through "ordinary:
sexual intercourse with human women and #roduced a lesser race* ;ccording to Serrano, such
ex#eriments were conducted in the +ewelsburg, the occult center of the SS* "!aboratories of
leftward magic: for the re7creation of the original, #ure ;ryan race were to be found there
$Serrano, n*d* ##* @PP, HPQ(* But these were nothing more than the abo)e7ground branches of
corres#onding establishments in subterranean Shambhala* " <n Shambhala they attem#ted to
#roduce a mutation of their kind which would allow them to return to that which they were
LH&
before their interbreeding with the sons of man***: > when they still had a white, almost
trans#arent body and blonde hair $Serrano, .QP%, #* H@(*

;s Tantrics, the SS were "beyond good and e)il: and for this reason their "terrible
deeds: were 6ustified by Serrano, #lus that they took #lace at higher cosmic command
$Serrano, .QPN, #* ''.(* The "final solution to the 8uestion of the gy#sies: $many gy#sies
#erished in the concentration cam#s(, for exam#le, is said to ha)e come directly
"from Tibet to 1itler, certainly fromShambhalaI* The gy#sies used to li)e in Shambhala and
had then been dri)en out of there* "The reasons for this:, says Serrano, "were known in
the Tibet of the alai !ama: $Serrano, .QPN, #* 'LL(*

Dust like the 2nights Tem#lar, the inner occult core of the SS were incarnations of the
guardians of the holy grail, and "the grail of the siddhas Sthe magiciansT, of the solar and
martial initiations: is to be found in Shambhala $Serrano, .QPN, #* %L@(* The miracles which
radiated from the grail were e)ident in the achie)ements of the black order in the course of the
Second +orld +ar0 "<f one examines the achie)ements of the followers of 1itler in all areas
of creation within a #eriod of 6ust six years, one cannot a)oid admiring this miracle and
making a com#arison with the Tem#lar order* ;nd one comes to belie)e that the SS ha)e
likewise found the grail and e)en deci#hered it: $Serrano, .QPN, #* %NP(* 3)en the
monumental architecture of the Third 5eich is su##osed to ha)e been #re#ared on the
building sites of Shambhala* The 1y#erboreans $the gods of the north(, we may read,
"emigrated to two secret cities in the 1imalayas, ;garthi and Shambhala* ***
<nShambhala they #racticed the magic of the giants which made the monumental buildings
#ossible: $Serrano, .QP%, #* H@(*

<n the Second +orld +ar the forces of light and the "sun race: $1itler and the SS( stood
o##osed to the forces of darkness and the "moon race: $the ;llies and the Dews(* <t was no
ordinary war, but rather a global battle between the gods $the 4aMis, the light ;ryan race( and
demons $the Dews, the dark Semitic race(, between Ndin, the highest god of the 9ermanic
#eo#les, and Leho+ah, the highest god of the Dews* The 4ordic $hy#erborean( heroes fought
the "lord of darkness:, the "satanic demiurge:* ;t heart, Serrano says, the #atriarchal and
matriarchal #owers were at war*

LH.
;dmittedly 1itler outwardly lost the war, but through his sacrifice and his exam#le he
sa)ed the ideals of the warrior caste from Shambhala* 1e shall return at the head of his "wild
army: to finally liberate the white race from the lord of darkness $Leho+ah(* <t will then come
to a terrible final battle* "These are the dimensions of 1itler, the en)oy of the hy#erborean
S4ordicT siddhas, the tulku, the Bodhisatt)a, the -hakra)artin, the FIhrer of the ;ryans, so
that the demiurge Leho+ahhas to mobiliMe all his earthly and extraterrestrial legions: $Serrano,
n*d*, #* H&(*

Kne may well dismiss Serrano,s )isions as the #roduct of an o)eracti)e imagination, but
it cannot be denied that modern fascism has found a home and a #redecessor in
the Shambhala myth and in Tantrism* <ts mythological conce#tions and )isions of #ower can
without difficulty be brought into harmony with the #ractice and #olitical ideology of
the "alachakra Tantra for all fundamental issues* The occult right wing,s mo)e toward
Tibetan Buddhism is thus in no way to be understood as the ex#loitation of the dharma for
ignoble #ur#oses, since there is a #rofound inner relatedness between these two ways of
looking at the world*

Th( Fourt((nth Daai La$a and S(rrano
4aturally, the Fourteenth alai !ama would sim#ly dismiss any link between
the Shambhala mythand "alachakra Tantra and the "esoteric 1itlerism: of Serrano,
regardless of how closely matched e)en the conce#tual #rinci#les of the two systems may be*
4onetheless, it is of great interest to our culturally critical study that the "undun met with the
racist -hilean se)eral times $in at least .QHQ, .QP@, and .QQ%(* +hen 1is 1oliness
)isited -hile in the year .QQ%, he was greeted at the air#ort by, among others, the leader of
the !ational Socialist (arty of Chile Miguel Serrano by name* The #rinci#al ideologue
of Esoteric Hitlerism told the re#orters #resent that he and the hierarch from Tibet had been
good "friends: since his time in <ndia $9runfeld, .QQL, #* '&%(* Serrano was also a friend of
the 9erman li)ing in <ndia whom we ha)e so often cited, !ama 9o)inda, in whose meditation
tower with a )iew of the 1imalayan mountains he was able to immerse himself*

The first encounter with the "undun took #lace in .QHQ* <n his own account, the founder
of "esoteric 1itlerism: was the sole foreigner to greet the alai !ama as he crossed the <ndian
border after his flight from Tibet* "Shortly before the taking of Tibet by Mao,s troo#s:, he
LH%
re#orts in his own words, "the alai !ama succeeded in fleeing to <ndia* < 6ourneyed into
the 1imalayas to wait for him there* < donned Tibetan clothes which the Mahara6a of Sikkim
had gi)en me so as to attem#t to get to Tibet from there* < made it to the Tibetan border, where
> incidentally > < made the ac8uaintance of one of 5oerich,s sons who also ga)e me a
re#ort of the hidden city lying in the mountains $Shambhala(* The at that time still )ery young
alai !ama later, when e)erything was o)er, ga)e me a small Tibetan dog, as a sign of his
gratitude: $Palacio, .QQ&, #* @(*

<t is at any rate interesting that the "undun, who was introduced to western culture by a
member of the SS $1einrich 1arrer(, meets as the first $V( +esterner after his crossing of the
<ndian border the fascist Miguel Serrano, who sees a mythic command from the
kingdom Shambhala at the esoteric core of the SS* Serrano says of himself0 "< was em#loyed
as a tool and continue to be used: $Cedade, .QPL(* +e may recall that u#on crossing the
border, the alai !ama ga)e )ent to the cry of "Victory to the godsV:* The gods that Serrano
re#resented and as whose tool he ser)ed were otan, Ndin, and, in his own words, ;dolf
Hitler*

Mi)"el ,errano and the D=V# Dalai Lama in ,antia)o de -hile (1IIJ)

;s far as the "enchanting: Tibetan tem#le bitch of "honey yellow color: which was
gi)en him by the "undun is concerned, this creature had a most s#ecial significance for the
-hilean* The lamas, the author says, referred to the #etite race as the "lion of the back door of
LH'
the Tem#le:* Serrano,s "back door lion: was called =olma, "the name of a Tibetan goddessR
in truth the shaktiI $Serrano, n*d*, #* .PQ(* =olma is the Tibetan name for the goddess Tara*
;s abstruse as it may sound, after some time the -hilean recogniMed in the =olma gi)en him
by the "undun the reincarnation of a woman whom he once lo)ed as a "mystic #artner: and
who $in accordance with the laws of the "tantric female sacrifice:( had had to die $Serrano,
n*d*, #* .PQ(* ;s =olma the bitch one day #assed away in his arms > Serrano had flown
from S#ain to Vienna 6ust to accom#any her into eternity > he recalled an e)ent of
mythological dimensions from the .Lth century* ;s if he were in a trance he suddenly felt that
it was not the Tibetan =olma but rather the dying sister of the last ;Mtec em#eror MonteMuma,
Pa#jn by name, whom he held in his arms* Pa#jn > Serrano claimed > originally a high
#riestess from the north $/1y#erborea:(, had in Mexico #ro#hesied7 according to legend >
the return of the white gods to ;merica* <n her final hour, =olma $the bitch( radiated out the
energy of the ;Mtec #rincess who had to suffer a ritual sacrificial death*

Thanks to this )ision Serrano could once more ex#erience the fascination which
habitually flooded through him at the embrace of dying women, e)en if one of them had this
time been incarnated in a bitch* <n !NS& a dying dog $the fate of =olma #robably lies behind
this( s#oke to him like a tantric lo)er with a human )oice0 "Bou donGt need me outside
anymore* < will howl inside you, like my brother the wolf: $Serrano, .QP@, #* %.(*

Such central "hermetic: ex#eriences naturally tied the -hilean to the "undun and his
tantric world )iew #rofoundly and so it is also not sur#rising that Serrano linked "esoteric
1itlerism: and the fate of 9ermany to the alai !ama directly0 1is "skill:, the author says of
the Fourteenth alai !ama, is "closely linked to that of 1itler,s 9ermany *** on account of yet
undisco)ered connections* ; few years after 9ermany, Tibet also fell: $Serrano, .QPN, #*
'LL(*

The -hilean did not yet know about the SS #ast of 1einrich 1arrer, the "undun's "best
friend: and teacher, since this first became known in .QQN in connection with the film Se+en
%ears in Tibet* But we can be certain that this fact would ha)e been cited by him as further
e)idence to 6ustify an occult connection between Shambhala and the SS, between the =alai
9ama and ;dolf Hitler, #articularly as the -hilean indicates at many #oints in his writings that
the SS sent "secret missions: to Tibet in order to search for traces of the ;ryan race there*
LH@

Serrano allows himself to be celebrated as the "FIhrer: of the !ational Socialist (arty
of Chile* 1is calendar commences with the year of ;dolf 1itler,s birth in .PPQ* 1e describes
"esoteric 1itlerism: as the "new religion of the young heroes and future warriors and #riests,
the true myth of the coming century: $Cedade, .QPL(* <n .QPQ, on the .&&th anni)ersary of
1itler,s birth $the year .&& for Serrano( a commemorati)e celebration was staged at which the
-hilean and re#resentati)es of "esoteric 1itlerism: from )arious countries $-hile, S#ain, <taly,
9ermany( s#oke0 "Kn the #eak of a mountain in the ;ndes ranges which dominates
Santiago,: the -hilean news#a#er, 9a Epoca&writes, "and to the sounds of the Ride of the
-alkyrie from +agner,s =er Ring des !ibelungen 8The Ring of the !ibelung:, some .&&
-hilean followers and foreigners commemorated ;dolf 1itler in yesterday,s e)ening twilight
and #romised that in the new 1itlerist age the continuing trium#h of his ideas would #roceed
from -hile* *** 1itler, Serrano o#ined, would be resurrected from in the ;ndes $G;ndesG means
G#erfected, total human( and he would do like the Caleuche Sa mystic hero of -hile, whose
name means Gthe man who returns,( and introduce the age of 1itler: $Epoca, ;#ril %., .QPQ(*
This e)ent should not be underestimated on the basis of the small number of #artici#ants* For
Serrano it had a ritualUsymbolic significance and was re#orted in detail in the 9erman neo7
4aMi scene, for exam#le*

<n fascist circles worldwide, Serrano is a "hot ti#: and his biMarre )isions do in fact
exercise a fascinating attraction on many young #eo#le* 1is naMi books are o#enly offered for
sale in all South ;merican countries* The 9erman translation of CordZn =orado Hitlerismo
Esoterico is a)ailable as a hardback $=as goldene $and esoterischer Hitlerismus(* 1ighly
sought after co#ies of the other works $about 1itlerism( in 9erman translation and indi)idual
#ro#aganda essays are in circulation and #assed from hand to hand* "Serrano,s mystical neo7
4aMism X ShasT a distinct a##eal to the younger generation:, writes the historian 9oodrick
-lark, "1ere 4aMism becomes a #o# mythology, se)ered from the historic context of the Third
5eich* The 9nostic -athars, 5osicrucian mysteries, 1indu ;)atars, and extraterrestrial
gods add a sensational and occult a##eal to #owerful myths of elitism, #lanetary destiny, and
the cosmic cons#iracy of the Dews that culminate in a global racist ideology of white
su#remacism* X Books by Serrano X are now circulating among neo7#agans, Satanists,
skinheads, and 4aMi metal music fans in the =nited States, Scandina)ia, and +estern 3uro#e:
$9oodrick -lark, .QQP, ##* %%.7%%%(* The alai !ama has ne)er distanced himself from
LHH
Serrano* <nstead of decisi)ely o##osing fascism in any country, he recently called for the
former -hilean State President and fascist, ;ugusto Pinochet, to be s#ared a trial*

<n the following cha#ter, we shall introduce a further case where Tantric Buddhism,
the Shambhala myth& and the alai !ama ha)e acted as godfather to a modern, extremely
radical and aggressi)e form of fascism* ; case which shook the world community > we
mean the story of the Da#anesedoomsday guru& Shoko ;sahara*

Footnot(!:
S.T See Martin Brauen, Traumbild Tibet estlicher Trugbilder S<deal Tibet >
+estern <llusions"T, Bern %&&&*
S%T -learly under the im#ression that the swastika would become the emblem of
national socialism, a moral category was introduced in that one distinguished between the
hooked crosses which are turned to the right and those to the left* The left is su##osed to
#roduce e)il, the right good $oucet, .QN, #* N@(* +ithout doubt this is based u#on
misinformation* <n the Tibetan ritual system both forms of swastika are common*
S'T SInner does not name the author, yet it can only ha)e been 3rnst SchYfer* This is
a##arent from the following 8uotation from 1ans DIrgen !ange0 ";ccording to his
un#ublished memoirs that are still in Berlin in the #ossession of his widow, 3rnst SchYfer is
said to ha)e witnessed how +iligut fell into a trance with rolled7back eyes in the -as#ar7
Theiyk7Strasse* ; trance which SchYfer com#ared with the trans#orted state of the foot
messengers in the Tibetan highlands which he had already seen in his #re)ious research tri#s
$in .Q'&7'% and .Q'@7'L(: $!ange .QQP, #* LP(*
S@T 1istorical fascism,s contact with Da#anese Cen Buddhism is the to#ic of Brian
Victoria,s book, Gen at ar*Victoria,s historical criti8ue re)eals that it was not 6ust Shintoism
that was characteriMed by a militaristic world )iew based on a strong and #er)asi)e conce#t of
the enemy but also Da#anese Buddhism in the first half of the last century* +ith )ery few
exce#tions $which Victoria highlights( the Da#anese Buddhists #rofessed to the fascistoid
system of their state* 3)en such an undis#uted authority in the west as *T* SuMuki can be
counted among them* There was hardly a Buddhist "#ersonality: $the Soto, 5inMai, Shin,
4ichirin schools( which did not enthusiastically bring its religious conce#tions into line with
the dominant system* "+arrior Cen: > "The =nity of Cen and Sword: > "Buddhism of the
<m#erial +ay: > "<m#erial Cen: > "Soldier Cen: > "Samurai Cen:R these were the slogans
LHL
of the time* ;fter the war the martial stance of the Buddhist schools was only hesitantly
re)iewed* <t also #artly sur)i)ed and finds its #lace in the ideology of Da#anese "-or#orate
Cen:*
SHT The 9erman7language 5ascher #ublishing house in Curich did not acce#t the title as
such as it feared the book would not attract buyers by sounding too occult* They decided
u#on <eine $egegnungen mit C.@. Lung und Hermann Hesse in +isionQrer Schau SMy
encounters with -*9* Dung und 1ermann 1esse from a )isionary #oint of )iewT.
SLT The labels of ;garthi and Shambhala also lead to some confusion in a best7seller
no)el in right wing circles with the title of The $lack Sun of Tashi 9unpho $by 5ussel
Mc-loud(* 1ere too there is a national socialist secret society in close contact with the
Tibetan lamas* <ts members are, howe)er, known as the followers of ;garthi, whilst their
o##onents rally around Shambhala* <n the world of a##earances, the followers
of Shambhala are re#resentati)es of western big business and Freemasonry*
SNT Those concerned were most #robably a scattered grou# of 2almyks who had sided
with the 9ermans in the struggle against the So)iet =nion and had been dri)en back to the
ca#ital at the end of the war* But the myth that leading national socialist figures had
maintained a connection to !amaist sects $the "Berlin > !hasaaxis:( has sur)i)ed to this day
and is the to#ic of a )oluminous occult !iterature*
SPT;ccording to Serrano "the Siddha or god7man SisT *** the self freed from the influence
of the stars, the stellar influences no longer touch him, he is Chakra+artin, king of the world:
$Serrano, .QPN, #* %PQ(*
SQTSerrano was initiated into the Tantras of the "aula, a Shi)aite order* Bet the initiation
scenarios from his books which we describe here are com#letely in kee#ing with -a0rayana*
Serrano is not )ery fussy about distinguishing between the 1indu and Buddhist Tantra
tradition* For him it is a matter of the principle behind the Tantric initiation and he finds this
to the same extent among the Buddhists and the 1indus* Tantrism is for him an esoteric world
cult which he disco)ers among the 3gy#tians, the 2nights Tem#lar, the -athars, the
5osicrucians and the secret societies behind 1itler $the Thule society(* ;t any rate, he sees
in Shambhala and;garthi the two mythic #oints of origin from which the Tantras come*
S.&TSerrano often uses the labels ;garthi and Shambhala ass if they were synonymous*
Kn #* %HN of his bookThe @olden Ribbon he writes0 "Some are of the o#inion that Shambhala
is the ca#ital of ;garthi*:
LHN
S..TSerrano regards Dulius 3)ola and, oddly enough, 1errmann 1esse as well as the two
teachers who first made him aware of the warlike s#irit of Buddhism0 "< am indebted to both
that < got to know Buddhism as a way of the warrior* 3)ola ex#lains that the religion of the
9autama is #rinci#ally a warlike teaching which came from a #rince who belonged to the
<ndian warrior caste, the 2shatriyas: $Palacio, .QQ&, #* ..(*
"+D THE >APANESE
DOOMSDAG ;ERE SHO4O ASAHARA AND THE ?I@D DALAI LAMA

Kn March %&, .QQH there was a #oison gas attack in Tokyo,s underground system that
killed a number of #eo#le and in6ured around H,H&& further )ictims and shook the world
#ublic* <t was a sect leader, Shoko ;sahara, who ga)e the command* ;sahara was born in
.QHH as the son of a large Da#anese family* ;s he could barely see, he had to attend a school
for the blind* ;fter finishing school he tried without success to gain admittance to Tokyo
=ni)ersity* <n the following years he became in)ol)ed in ;sian medicine and started to
#ractice )arious yoga exercises* 1e married in .QNP* This marriage #roduced six children* The
first s#iritual grou#, which he founded in .QP@,was known as ;F< Shinsen2no2kai, that is,
";=M > 9rou# of the mountain ascetics:*

Sho1o A!ahara=! r(ation!hi8 to th( Fourt((nth Daai La$a
The mystic: history of the ;=M sect began in <ndia in .QPL* Shoko ;sahara had
wandered through the southern slo#es of the 1imalayas for weeks )isiting Buddhist
monasteries* This 6ourney was su##osed to mark the end of years of #ilgrimage through the
most )aried esoteric landsca#es0 < tried all kinds of #ractices such as Taoism, Boga,
Buddhism, incor#orating their essence into my training* My goal was su#reme s#iritual
realiMation and enlightenment* < continued the austere #ractices with Buddhist texts as my
only resort* Finally, < reached my goal in the holy )ibration of the 1imalayas* < attained
su#reme realiMation and enlightenment* SXT < also ac8uired su#ernatural #owers: $;sahara,
.QQ., )ol* %, #* .'(* =#on returning to Da#an he changed the name of his yoga grou# and
called it ;F< Shinrikyo, which means roughly ;=M > octrine of the absolute truth:*
From this #oint on, ;sahara,s world )iew was sha#ed by the com#assionate ethos
of<ahayana Buddhism0 < could not bear the fact that only < was ha##y and the other #eo#le
were still in the world of suffering* < began to think0 < will sa)e other #eo#le at the sacrifice of
LHP
my own self* < ha)e come to feel it is my mission* < am to walk the same #ath as Buddha
Shakyamuni: $;sahara, .QQ., )ol* %, #* .'(*

But the 1imalayas did not yet loose their hold o)er him* ;lmost a year later, in
February .QPN, Shoko ;sahara stood before the Fourteenth alai !ama* 1e was recei)ed by
the su#reme"alachakra master in #erson* 1e #robably first met him in the year .QP@, as 1is
1oliness conducted a ceremony in Tokyo at the in)itation of the ;gon7shu sect* ;sahara was
at this stage still a member of this religious community*

The Da#anese would later re#ort the following of his meeting in haramsala0 "<magine
my delight at being able to meditate with 1is 1oliness, the alai !ama, X ;nd in 1is
1oliness,s #ri)ate meditation roomV W<,ll sit here where < always sitR you sit there,, he
instructed me* W!et me gi)e you a Buddha image*, X ;fter a few minutes of loud, dee#
breathing, all traces of the alai !ama )anished* 1e must ha)e com#letely sto##ed his breath*
;t that moment, the astral )ision of the golden face of Shakyamuni Buddha radiated from
my a0una chakra* The )ision #ersisted steadily, without a flicker* W;h, this is the Buddha
image the alai !ama was talking about,, < thought* < continued my meditation: $Bracket,
.QQL, #* LP(* Smiling, the alai !ama then took his lea)e of him after an intensi)e exchange
of ideas with the following words0 "ear friend, X !ook at the Buddhism of Da#an today* <t
has degenerated into ceremonialism and has lost the essential truth of the teachings* X <f this
situation continues, X Buddhism will )anish from Da#an* Something needs to be done:
$2a#lan and Marshall, .QQL, #* .'(* Thereu#on the god7king entrusted him with a s#iritual
mission0 "Bou should s#read real Buddhism there Sin Da#anT* X Bou can do that well, because
you ha)e the mind of a Buddha* <f you do so, < shall be )ery #leased* <t will hel# me with my
mission: $2a#lan and Marshall, .QQL, #* .'(* ;sahara was indeed more than ha##y*
;fterwards, 1is 1oliness blessed him with water and #osed for a #hoto with him* 3ight years
later this #hoto was to a##ear in all the news#a#ers of the world* From now on, the Da#anese
guru referred to himself as a #u#il of the Fourteenth alai !ama* The god7king,s final )ersion
of affairs is different* 1e ne)er commissioned the Da#anese to do anything at all, nor
established any s#ecial relation with him, and definitely did not take him on as a sadhaka* For
him ;sahara was 6ust one of the many hundreds of worshi##ers and )isitors whom he met
with in the course of a year* ;fter the fact, 1is 1oliness made a critical #ronouncement with
reference to the Da#anese guru, which he ob)iously took to a##ly to others, but not himself0 "<
LHQ
am sus#icious of miracles and su#ernatural #owers* Belie)ers in Buddhism should not rely to
much on a s#ecific leader* This is unhealthy: $Tibetan Re+iew, May .QQH, #* Q(*

$he Dalai Lama and ,hoko &sahara

But ;sahara was not a com#lete nobody for the god7king* ;ccording to the 9erman
magaMine,Stern& they had met fi)e times since .QPN $Stern 'LUQH, #* .%L(* ;maMingly, weeks
after the first #oison gas attack, 1is 1oliness still called the guru a "friend, although not
necessarily a #erfect one: $Stern 'LUQH, #* .%L(* Then a document from .QPQ came to light in
which the "undun thanked the ;=M sect for donations and confirmed that they "encouraged
#ublic awareness through religious and social acti)ities: $#ocus 'PUQH, #* ..@(* Kn Danuary
%., .QPQ ;sahara had sent the sum of e.&&,&&& to haramsala for the assistance of Tibetan
refugees* ;s a kind of ser)ice in return he recei)ed an official note from the Council for
religious and cultural affairs of His Holiness the =alai 9ama in which one can read0 "To the
best of our knowledge, ;=M attem#ts to #romote #ublic well7being through )arious religious
LL&
and social acti)ities, for exam#le through instruction in Buddhist doctrines and yoga:
$#ocus 'PUQH, #* ..LO..N(*

Kn February P, ;sahara wrote back0 "<t is my fer)ent wish that Tibet will return to the
hands of the Tibetans in the near future* < am willing to do whate)er < can to be of hel#:
$Shimatsu, <(* The Da#anese guru,s gratitude is only too easy to understand, then with the
aforementioned note in his hand he succeeded in being recogniMed as a religious body by the
Da#anese administration and thus exem#t from taxes*

;dmittedly there was a certain cooling of relations between the two religious leaders
before the #oison gas attack, since Tibetans in exile from Da#an had shar#ly criticiMed
;sahara,s #ublic a##earances* Bet he sim#ly ignored such criticisms* This is shown by his
s#ectacular letter to the"undun of February %@, .QQH, which was sent about a month before
the e)ents in Tokyo* The letter lea)es no room for doubt about how dee#ly the Da#anese sect
leader felt himself to be connected to the Tibetan religious s#here* <n it ;sahara not without
#ride announces that his son, 9yokko, is the reincarnation of the Panchen !ama who died in
.QPQ0 "May < re#ort to 1is 1oliness most humbly that < am con)inced that 9yokko is a
reincarnation of Panchen 5in#oche: $Shimatsu, <, 1P< &&P(*

;s e)idence for this sus#icion ;sahara a##eals to synchronicities and miraculous signs*
!ike the Panchen !ama, his son was also deaf in one ear* Bet the )ision which a##eared to the
child,s mother was e)en more unambiguous0 "; boy flying in s#urts o)er a snowy mountain
range with his legs crossed in a full !otus #osture* ; low male )oice said0 GPanchen !amaG*
The )oice continued, GTibetan Buddhism is finished* < ha)e come to rebuild it ***G/ $Shimatsu,
<(*

;sahara also met with other high Tibetan tantra masters > 2hamtrul 5in#oche, for
exam#le, an im#ortant 4yingma#a teacher, and 2alu 5in#oche, the "alachakra s#ecialist of
the 2agyu#as whose multifarious acti)ities we ha)e already considered* There is su##osed to
ha)e been a meeting between the Tibetan scholar, 2hamtrul $who the "undun had #ro#hesied
to be the futureRudra Chakrin(, the alai !ama, and a member of the ;=M sect $1isako
<shii( at which the #ublication of esoteric teachings of Padmasambha)a in Da#anese was
discussed* ;ccording to statements by ;sahara, 2hamtrul 5in#oche confirmed his "#erfect,
LL.
absolute, di)ine wisdom: $8uoted by 5e##, .QQN, #* .P(* Kn May %@, .QPQ, the Tibetan is
su##osed to ha)e issued the Da#anese guru with the following letter of recommendation0

"Teacher ;sahara is my old friend, and < consider it an honor to be able to say the
following in fa)or of him and of his religious acti)ities0

.* < am filled with boundless admiration for Teacher ;sahara,s innate
Buddhist traits, like enthusiasm for his work, goodliness, generosity, and selflessness*
%* 1e is an ex#erienced and 8ualified meditationR tantraR and yoga
instructor*
'* Kn the condition that he recei)es fitting recognition, Teacher ;sahara
can become a truly well7known teacher of Buddhism, who is ca#able of re7
establishing the true doctrine of the harma in Da#an*
@* < also know that ;=M Shinrikyo, Teacher ;sahara,s religious
organiMation, is a religious association that distinguishes itself through disci#line and
good organiMation and wide7ranging acti)ities in order to suitably further social well7
being*
H* Teacher ;sahara,s sym#athy and assistance in regard to the #eo#le and
culture of Tibet is an exam#le of generosity and concern for the #oor*
L* <t is #ainful for me to see that ;=M, with no regard for its good
intentions and acti)ities, has u# until now not found the recognition and su##ort it is
due from the Da#anese go)ernment*
N* < em#hatically recommend that ;=M be accorded the 6ustly deser)ed
status of a tax7free organiMation, and that it likewise recei)e all necessary
go)ernmental and social #ri)ileges* Many thanks, 2hamtul 9iam6ang ontu#
5in#oche*: $;=M Shinrikyo, 1P< &.'(

<n Sri !anka, the land of There)ada Buddhism, he was additionally #raised as the
"greatest religious #erson in Da#an: and "the only one who can sa)e the world: $also 8uoted
by 5e##, .QQN, #* .P(* The Prime Minister ga)e him a Shakyamuni relic, thus e8ui##ing him
with an im#ortant symbol of authority* Then, in the foreword to one of his books it also says
"The Buddha of our times is Shoko ;sahara: $8uoted by 5e##, .QQN, #* .P(* ;nd the guru
#reaches to his followers "Bou ought to become Buddhas yoursel)es* Bou should #reach my
LL%
teachings, or rather the cosmic truth, and should #roduce many Buddhas* S#read the ;=M
system of training on a global scale and scatter Buddhas around the whole world* <f we
accom#lish this, all battles and conflicts shall come to an end: $8uoted by 5e##, .QQN, #* 'H(*

<n light of the in hindsight extremely embarrassing meetings of the "undun and high
!amaist dignitaries with Shoko ;sahara, 1is 1oliness,s re#resentati)e in Da#an $2arma 9elek
Buthok( issued a interesting communi8uZ some weeks after the attack* Before the world #ress
2arma 9elek Buthok ex#lained that "+hate)er little relationshi# ;sahara had with 1is
1oliness the alai !ama and other Tibetan lamas fell #urely under the religious domain in
s#irit and deed* < had nothing to do with the world7shocking criminal acts known and alleged
to ha)e been committed by the ;=M cult* <t is unthinkable that 1is 1oliness the alai !ama
is related with the criminal acts of ;=M sim#ly because of his casual s#iritual relationshi#
with ;sahara: $Samdu#(*

+e see this in a com#letely different light, howe)er* <t was #recisely because of
these spiritualencounters with the god7king and his ")iceroys: and his intensi)e study of the
TibetanUtantric esoterica and a#ocaly#tica that the inexorable madness de)elo#ed in ;sahara,s
mind which made him become the doomsday guru of the western #ress*

Th( !tag(d Sha$5haa war
!et us begin, then, to #resent the "s#iritual: e)idence and incriminating material #iece
by #iece0 there is no doubt that ;sahara belie)ed himself to be the incarnation of
a Shambhala warrior and was absolutely con)inced that he was acting as a delegate of the
mythic kingdom* "There will be a final battle between 5udra -hakrin, the king of Shambhala,
and a foolish being called -emacitta* The war at the end of this century is the last e)ent seen
by many #ro#hets for the #ast se)eral thousand years* +hen it ha##ens, < want to fight
bra)ely:, the guru had #roclaimed )ia his radio station four $V( months before the Tokyo
assassination $on ecember @, .QQ@( $;rchi#elago, <, 1P< &&'(* 5udra -hakrin $"the terrible
wheel turner:(, the militant doomsday king of Shambhala, is also an e#ithet of the <ndian god,
Shi)a* The destroyer god and the Buddha blend into one figure for ;sahara, 6ust as they merge
into one as the final Shambhala king, 5udra -hakrin, in the"alachakra Tantra* ;s his
followers were called u#on "to ha)e the #urest faith in the guru, the 9reat !ord Shi)a, or the
Buddhas:, ;sahara declared in ecember .QQ& that "1ere, the Buddhas and the 9reat !ord
LL'
Shi)a mean the guru S;saharaT, who is their incarnation: $8uoted by 5e##, .QQN, #* .P(* Kr,
e)en more succinctly0 "The first thing you should do is to understand the 9reat !ord Shi)a,
the Buddhas, and the guru as one, as the embodiment of truth and to take refuge in them*
5efuge means to learn their teachings, to make sacrifices, and #erform ser)ices for them
$8uoted by 5e##, .QQN, #* '&(* ;s early as in s#ring .QPH, whilst meditating on the beach at
Miura, south of Tokyo, he was )isited by a )ision of Shi)a "the god of light who leads the
armies of the gods: who "charged him with building an ideal society made u# of those who
had attained #sychic #owers, a society called the 2ingdom of Shambhala* X ;sahara,s
seaside e#i#hany was the origin of his claim to be a messiah and his leadershi# role in
;rmageddon, or final war, which would destroy Da#an: $Brackett, .QQL, #* LL(* ; sect
#am#hlet suggests that ;sahara himself came from Shambhala and had descended to earth in
order to direct and sa)e it0 "This kingdom $Shambhala(, ruled by the god Shi)a, is a world
where only those souls which ha)e attained the com#lete truth of the uni)erse can go* <n
Shambhala, the ascetic #ractices of messianic #ersons ha)e made great ad)ances in order to
lead souls to gedatsu $emanci#ation( and sa)e them* Master ;sahara has been reborn from
there into the human world so that he might take u# his mission as a messiah* Therefore, the
Master,s efforts to embody truth throughout the human world ha)e been sanctioned by the
great will of the god Shi)a: $8uoted by Brackett, .QQL, N&(*

<n his own words, ;sahara drew u# a "Da#an ShambhaliMation Plan * This was said to be
"the first ste# to ShambhaliMing the world* X <f you take #art,: he ex#lained to his readers,
"you will achie)e great )irtue and rise to a higher world: $2a#lan and Marshall, .QQL, #* .P(*
<4 the #am#hlet already 8uoted abo)e, it says, "For that reason ;um Shinri 2yo,s #lan to
transform Da#an into Shambhala was #resented* This #lan is without e8ual in its sco#e, as it
wants to extend ;um,s sacred s#here throughout all of Da#an, making Da#an the base for the
sal)ation of the whole world by fostering the de)elo#ment of multitudes of holy #eo#le* This
#lan cannot be realiMed without the hel# of our belie)ers* Please come and 6oin usV: $8uoted
by Brackett, .QQL, #* N&(* The two 6ournalists, a)id 3* 2a#lan and ;ndrew Marshall, with
somewhat too little fantasy and far too restricti)ely see this "Shambhala #ro6ect: as a #lan "to
o#en ;=M offices and training centers in e)ery ma6or Da#anese city and establish a G!otus
VillageG or uto#ian community where ;=M members would sur)i)e ;rmageddon: $2a#lan
and Marshall, .QQL, #* .P(* But whate)er ;sahara may ha)e understood by
this, Shambhala was for him the guiding star that led him into the abyss and that he
LL@
deliberately followed* Kne of the songs the members of the sect had to listen to daily on
head#hones goes "Shambhala& Shambhala^I

Th( !(ct=! !%!t($ o- ritua! i! Tantric #uddhi!t
;sahara became familiar with the teachings of Tantric Buddhism at a )ery early stage*
<n the early .QP&s he 6oined a religious grou# by the name of ;gon Shun $founded by Seiyu
2iriyma(, which among other things em#loyed sexual magic rites to attain ra#id
enlightenment* ;sahara, des#ite ha)ing been a keen #u#il, left the grou# and turned to the
#referred teachings of Mahayana Buddhism* 13 saw himself as an orthodox Buddhist who
wanted to anchor afresh the "Four 4oble Truths:, the "Bodhisatt)a )ow:, and the system of
monks and nuns in decadent Da#an* ;fter his contacts with the Tibetan lamas, howe)er, this
#ure Mahayana orientation became increasingly com#lemented by tantric #ractices and
)iew#oints* <n the s#ring of .QQ& he introduced what he called the Tantra2-a0rayana System
of (ractice as a disci#line of ;=M Shinrikyo* Some time later a 6ournal by the title
of -a0rayana Sacca a##eared*

,hoko &sahara in Cront o* a $antri' Deity

LLH
From this #oint on the gateway to the legitimation of any crime lay o#en* <n accordance
with the tantric "law of in)ersion: the low was from now on in)erted into the high* Bad
deeds:, the young tantra master wrote, instantly change into good deeds* This is a tantric
way of thinking: $;sahara, .QQ., )ol* ., #* LH(* ;t another #oint it says, "<f the guru
#ossesses a crystal clear s#irit, if a being can see through e)erything, then for him there are no
liesR lies no longer mean anything to him* SXT 9ood and e)il also change according to their
circumstances* Somebody who has lied so as to moti)ate another to follow the #ractice of
truth, for instance* The fact that he has lied will certainly bring him bad karma, but the fact
that he led somebody to the truth brings him merit* 1ence, what one chooses to stress de#ends
u#on what one is aiming for* <n the #ractice of Mahayana, this kind of exercise is not used*
From a tantric #oint of )iew it is seen as good, then you will be of use to others because of
your self7sacrifice: $8uoted by 5e##, .QQN, #* '%(*+e also learn of ;sahara,s commitment to
the "crimes: of Tantric Buddhism from the charges laid against him by the state #rosecutor0
"The teachings of esoteric Buddhism from Tibet were really 8uite horrible:, he is su##osed to
ha)e said, "<f, for exam#le, a guru ordered a #u#il to kill a thief, the #u#il did so, and treated
the deed as a )irtuous one* <n my #re)ious existence < myself killed somebody at the guru,s
command: $Euoted by 5e##, .QQN, #* ''(*

True to the tantric doctrine, ;sahara ex#lained the sexual magic symbolism of his
system as follows0 "For normal Da#anese sensibilities it is a )ery obscene image* ; man and a
woman in sexual embrace* But the facts of the matter are 8uite different SXT This consort can
be Par)ati SShi)a,s wifeT or akini, and if one #ractices guru yoga the union is the holy union
to create our astral bodies* <t is the union of yin and yang: $8uoted by 5e##, .QQN, #* %N(* 1e
regularly held #ublic lectures about "undalini Boga, he e)en s#oke about the "fire ser#ent: in
the Moscow s#ort stadium > naturally without going into the sexual magic #ractices of
his Tantra2-a0rayana System* ;s the highest guru& all the women of the organiMation were at
his dis#osal both on the basis of di)ine bene)olence and de facto& and he made fre8uent use of
this right, but it did not #re)ent him from granting his wife $Tomoko <shii( the highest
s#iritual rank in the sect aside from his own* Dust as in Tibet,s monasteries, the tantric union
with a karma mudra was for him exclusi)ely the #ri)ilege of the highest initiates* <n contrast,
the main body of ;=M members had to submit to a strict commandment of sexual abstinence*
;nyone who was caught masturbating had to s#end se)eral days in solitary confinement*

LLL
This, howe)er, was only the case > and here too we can see how strictly ;sahara
adhered to-a0rayana laws > if it came to e6aculationR other than that he recommended the
exact o##osite to his male #u#ils0 "Masturbate daily, but do not e6aculateV X -ontinue this for
ten days* Then start masturbating twice a day *** Find a #icture of your fa)orite entertainment
star, #referably nude* =se the #hoto to acti)ate your imagination and start masturbating four
times a day: $2a#lan and Marshall, .QQL, #* .HQ(* The number of daily masturbations is
increased further in the course of the initiatory #ath*

By the sixth week the time has come* ; female #artner is found and gi)en a little
alcohol to drink* Then the cou#le withdrew together and began first with "some #etting: in
which the ade#t stroked the ni##les of his mudra and stimulated her clitoris* ;fterwards he
co#ulated with the girl according to a #redetermined rhythm that was always deri)ed from
factors of the number nine0 kee#ing still for P. breaths, mo)ing the #hallus in and out nine
timesR kee#ing still for another P. breath units, %N times in and out, and so forth* <t is not clear
from the translation by 2a#lan and Marshall whether here too the seed is retained* ;t any rate
they had to "always let her come first: $2a#lan and Marshall, .QQL, #* .L&(*

The offering u# of the wisdom consort to the guru necessary in the high tantras was
likewise #racticed by the ;=M sect* ; #u#il who made his girlfriend a)ailable 6ustified this
offertory act as follows0 "<f she and the guru fuse together her mental le)el rises* X By
sacrificing himself, he #ours his energy into a woman* <t,s better Sfor herT than fusing with
me: $2a#lan and Marshall, .QQL, #* .L.(* ;sahara also made use of this reason0 "This is a
Tantric initiation* Bour energy will rise 8uickly and you,ll achie)e enlightenment faster:, he is
said to ha)e told a reluctant female #u#il whilst he tore the clothes from her body $2a#lan and
Marshall, .QQL, #* .HP(*

;sahara also worked with the tantric fluids of blood and s#erm* 1e had his own blood
drawn off and offered it, often for high #rices, to the members of the sect as a cure7all* 1is
hair was boiled and drunk as a kind of tea* 3)en his bathwater is su##osed to ha)e been sold
as a holy substance* Such #ractices were also wides#read in Tibet,s monasteries, for exam#le
the excrement of the great lamas was considered to be a medicine and sold well when
manufactured into #ills with other substances*

LLN
The science de#artment of ;=M, it was said one day, had disco)ered that the "4; of
the master: #ossessed magic characteristics and would grant anyone who drank it
su#ernatural #owers $siddhis(* This was about ;sahara,s s#erm, a small flask of which went
for the #rice of eN&&& according to 2a#lan and Marshall* 1ere too there is an allusion to the
s#erm gnosis of the"alachakra Tantra, where the master gi)es the #u#il to taste during the
"secret initiation:*

!ikewise the horror scenarios the members of the sect had to go through in order to
#ractice fearlessness are also tantric* "elin8uents: who transgressed the rules of the order
were locked u# in small chambers and had to watch )ideos of one horror film after another*
Via a louds#eaker they were inundated with constant death threats*

;lready after his first tri# to <ndia ;sahara belie)ed himself to be in #ossession of
"su#ernatural #owers: $siddhi(* 1e claimed he could make contact with the dead and read the
thoughts of others* !ike the "maha siddhas: he was said to be able to walk through walls* "<n
the future X < will be able to fly freely through the sky: $2a#lan and Marshall, .QQL, #* N(, he
#ro#hesied* 1e !ater he de)elo#ed the "i)ine 3ar: and was, on his own account, in a
#osition "to hear the )oices of the gods and humans: $2a#lan and Marshall, .QQL, #* .QQ(*

A!ahara=! god!
The meta#hysics and s#iritual #ractices of the sect were #rimarily dominated by Tibetan
Buddhist images and exercise* Basically, ";=M Su#reme Truth:, we learn from 2a#lan and
Marshall, "became a familiar 4ew ;ge blend of 3astern religion and mysticism* <ts beliefs
and rituals were drawn hea)ily from Tibetan Buddhism, its #hysical rigor from yoga: $2a#lan
and Marshall, .QQL, #* .H(* 1e himself referred to his rituals as "Tibetan Buddhism: $Tibetan
Re+iew, May .QQH, #* Q(*

Kf course, this is re6ected by haramsala with #rotestation, in that the blame for the
Da#anese,s #ractices is $as often ha##ens( #inned on the 1indu com#etition0 The rituals he
teaches his disci#les include #ractice of yoga, le)itation and other acts that are neither Tibetan
nor Buddhism and are more akin to ritual of <ndian sadhus $1indu ascetics(* The teacher as
well as the disci#les wear flowing white robes, something that no #ractitioner of Buddhism
does: $Tibetan Re+iew, May, .QQH, #* Q(* This too is not entirely correct > in certain scenes
LLP
from the "alachakra ritual white robes are worn, and all the #riests of Shambhala are dressed
in white*

;sahara regarded himself as an incarnation of Buddha Shakyamuni* Publicly he
declared that he was "at the same le)el as Buddha: $2a#lan and Marshall, .QQL, #* %H(* <n
Bihar in <ndia he sat u#on the sacred seat and announced to those #resent, "< am Buddha:
$2a#lan and Marshall, .QQL, #* LN(* "The Buddha in our times is Master Shoko ;sahara:, was
the #raise of his #u#ils $2a#lan and Marshall, .QQL, #* LN(* Many of the members of the sect
were gi)en Buddhist names* 1is closest collaborator, the sect,s Jminence grise, 2iyohide
1ayakawa, was called "Tiro#a: $i*e*, Tilo#a( after the great "alachakra master* The guru
recogniMed him as "a Bodhisatt)a in his #ast life: and declared that "without Master Tiro#a,s
efforts there would be no ;=M Su#reme Truth: $2a#lan and Marshall, .QQL, #* NH(* <t was
;sahara,s #roclaimed intention to BuddhiMe the #lanet* "S#read the training system of ;=M
on a global scale:, the guru #reached, "and scatter Buddhas o)er the world: $2a#lan and
Marshall, .QQL, #* .L(*

+e ha)e discussed in detail the descri#tion of Tantric Buddhism as a solar cult* ;sahara
also made a##earances like a sun #riest and like the #ro#het of a coming em#ire of light0
";fter insubstantial religions with #seudo7light, there will be a religion which #roduces light
as the sun does, and it will change the future: $;rchi#elago, <, 4P< &&'(*

;lthough his system of rituals was decisi)ely influenced by Tibetan mysticism, this was
not uni)ersally true of the gods* 1ere, in accordance with the guru,s world conce#t, the deities
of other religions were also in)oked* Since these were, according to the laws of Tantrism,
nothing more than the yogi,s #ro6ections the doctrine was able to easily o)ercome the cultural
hurdles*

Behind ;sahara,s decision to carry out his act of destruction lay the <ndian god, Shi+a,
the lord of destruction* The latter a##eared to him a number of times, the guru said, and
confirmed his enlightenment in his own words* The members of the sect were from now on
ex#ressly re8uired to re#lace their own wills with the will of Shi+a* Kne e#ithet of this god
who lays waste to the world so as to subse8uently #roduce it anew in the )iolent cycle of
death and rebirth, is Rudra* Translated from the Sanskrit it means the "terrible one ", the "wild
LLQ
one ", the ")iolent one:* ;s the Rudra of the a#ocaly#tic fire $"alagni Rudra( he destroys the
uni)erse and time itself $+hite, .QQL, #* %'%(* "Knce it has consumed the waters of the
ocean,: it says in a tantric text, "it will become the"alagni Rudra, the fire that consumes
time: $+hite, .QQL, #* %'%(* There can be no doubt that ;sahara ado#ted Rudra's will to
destroy from Tantric Buddhism* This is #robably also true of the name0 Rudra Chakrin, the
%@th Shambhala king who contests the final battle, undoubtedly combines the characteristics
of Buddha and of the wrathful Shi+a in his #erson* That is exactly what ;sahara sought to do*
<ncidentally, the region around haramsala, the seat of the alai !ama and the Tibetan
9o)ernment in 3xile, is from a 1indu #oint of )iew dedicated to the god Shi+a*

The Da#anese guru does not sto# at making loans from -hristianity either* ;fter his first
reading of the Bible he already announced0 "< hereby declare myself to be the -hrist: $2a#lan
and Marshall, .QQL, #* LN(* ;fterwards he wrote a book on this to#ic and in it drew attention
to his similarities to Desus of 4aMareth0 "Desus changed water to wine, < changed ordinary
water to the water that emits light: $2a#lan and Marshall, .QQL, #* .P(* 1ere, ;sahara is
referring to a transformatory miracle he #erformed in the #resence of his #u#ils* From his own
li#s we learn "< am the last messiah in this century: $2a#lan and Marshall, .QQL, #* LN(*
,Th( guru=! $o!t in!i!t(nt $(gao$anic cai$ wa! to d(it%D In addition to
d(caring hi$!(- an a'atar o- Shi'a2 h( 8ro-(!!(d to ha'( achi('(d Uth( !tat( o- a
#uddha who ha! attain(d $irror-i1( wi!do$= and to 5( th( Udi'in( ($8(ror= o- >a8an
and th( wordK th( d(car(d Chri!t2 who wi Udi!co!( th( $(aning o- >(!u!= go!8(=K th(
Ua!t tw(nti(th-c(ntur% !a'ior=K th( Uhoi(!t ho% $an=2 on( U5(%ond th( #i5(=K and th(
5(ing who wi inaugurat( th( Ag( o- AAuariu! and 8r(!id( o'(r a Un(w (ra o- !u8r($(
truth=D For di!ci8(! tran!-iB(d 5% gurui!$2 h( coud ind((d 5( a th(!( thing! &Li-ton2
*:::2 8D "36)
The fantasy worlds of certain comics also had an influence u#on him* <t is a fact that
;sahara and members of the sect took the )irtual reality of the comic stri#s for real* The same
is true of science fiction no)els* <saac ;simo),s famous #oundation e#ic was declared to be a
kind of holy book* <n it we can read the following sentences0 "The 3m#ire will )anish and all
its good with it* <ts accumulated knowledge will decay and the order it has im#osed will
)anish: $8uoted by 2a#lan and Marshall, .QQL, #* %Q(* ;dditionally ;sahara was con)inced
LN&
that extraterrestrials constantly )isit our #lanet* 1e was, howe)er, not on a friendly footing
with them, as he belie)ed among other things that they fed themsel)es with human flesh*
From the world of "esoteric fascism: he had his re)erence for ;dolf 1itler, who was said to
be still ali)e and be landing with an escort of =FKs in the near future*

Th( >a8an(!( Cha1ra'artin
+ithin his grou# the "Buddha of our times: had an absolute #ower mono#oly* 1e was
lord o)er life and death in the truest sense of the word, the there were cases where members
who resisted his will were tormented to death* <n accordance with the absolutification of the
teacher drawn from the tantras, he demanded that his #u#ils re#lace their own will with his
own*

But for ;sahara #ower was not 6ust s#iritual in nature* 1e combined #ractical #olitical
conce#ts with it )ery early on* +hen as a younger man he a##lied albeit unsuccessfully for
admission to Tokyo =ni)ersity, he wanted to become the #rime minister of Da#an* !ater he
saw himself at the head of a Da#anese Buddhocracy* 1e #ro#hesied that he would soon ascend
the im#erial throne and created a shadow cabinet from among his #eo#le* Bet the guru was not
e)en to be content with this role as a Tennos* ;sahara intended to establish a "millennial
kingdom: $V( which was to s#an the entire #lanet* 1e called his #olitical model the "Su#reme
State:* 2a#lan and Marshall comment that this descri#tion "lea)es no doubt about who would
inherit the world* ;nd on to# of the great em#ire, ruling serenely o)er the cosmos, sat Shoko
;sahara, now deemed the 1oly Monk 3m#eror: $2a#lan and Marshall, .QQL, #* .HN(* The
claim to the world throne of the Chakra+artin was thus a #olitical #rogram0 "< intend to
become a s#iritual dictator X ; dictator of the world:, the doomsdayguru o#enly #roclaimed
$2a#lan and Marshall, .QQL, #* %H(*

The financial moti)ations which 2a#lan and Marshall attribute to him were thus not his
first #riority* 1e considered them to be only means to an end* ; Da#anese ex#ert on the sect
has ex#ressed this most clearly0 ";sahara distinguished himself from the other cult leaders in
that he did not s#end large sums of money u#on himself* *** 1is #rimary goal was to attain
#ower: $5e##, .QQLb, #* .QH(*

Murd(r2 'io(nc(2 and r(igion
LN.
Knly a few months before it came to an ex#losion of )iolence, Shoko ;sahara attem#ted
to gain #ower )ia legal means > he founded a #arty $the Truth Party( and stood for election*
3)en this short se8uence in his religious #olitical career demonstrates how dee#ly allied to
Buddhism in general and Tibetan Buddhism in #articular he felt himself to be* 1e formed a
shadow cabinet from among the members of his sect and ga)e these the names of either #u#ils
of the historical Buddha or of high Tibetan lamas* S.T The ostentatious election cam#aign
ended in a disastrous defeat* <t is said that not e)en all the members of the sect )oted for him*
Soon afterwards he turned to the tactics of terror*

;sahara,s aggression arose from its o##osite* 3)erything began with his #roclaimed
self7sacrifice in the sense of Mahayana Buddhism* Kne of the mantras which the members of
the sect had to re#eat constantly went as follows0 "< make a 6oy of my sufferingR < make the
suffering of others my own suffering: $5e##, .QQLa, #* @H(* -om#letely in the Buddhist
tradition, the guru wanted "to rescue #eo#le from their suffering: and "to lead the world to
enlightenment:*$2a#lan and Marshall, .QQL, ##* .@7.H(* Thus, in this early #hase the re6ection
of )iolence was one of his highest ethical #rinci#les0 "4on)iolence:, ;sahara said, "means to
lo)e e)ery li)ing creature:, and at another #oint he declaimed that "killing insects means
accumulating the bad karma of killing: $2a#lan and Marshall, .QQL, #* H&(*

But in accordance with the tantric "law of in)ersion:, and thanks to the fact that the
Buddha can also a##ear in his terrible form as Heruka, this non)iolence soon became
transformed into its exact o##osite > cold7blooded terrorism* +e s#are oursel)es the details
of the sect,s numerous crimes* These include cases of im#risonment, extortion, bodily harm,
child abuse, torture and all kinds of murder* The #olice charged ;sahara,s followers with a
total of %N murders*

The murder of certain indi)iduals was legitimated by a ritual which ;sahara
called phowa and which he had also im#orted from Tibetan cultural circles* This was
understood to in)ol)e the deliberate leading of a soul to a higher s#iritual le)el so that it could
be freed from the harmful karma which clung to it in this current life* From a Tibetan #oint of
)iew phowa #ractices can also include the murder of an indi)idual* ;sahara committed his
followers to murder through an oath in the form of a #rayer known as the "Va6rayana Vow:
that re8uired com#lete sub6ugation to the guru and the #ractice of phowa* <t was
LN%
recommended that the following #rayer be recited "a thousand, a million, a billion times:
$Brackett, .QQL, #* QL(*

= take re*")e in the $antra Vajrayana6
$re#eated four times(
1hat is the *irst la%3
$o be mind*"l o* the B"ddha#
&nd in $antra Vajrayana
the B"ddha and the /"r" are identi'al#
= take re*")e in the /"r"6
$re#eated four times(
1hat is the /"r"3
$he /"r" is a li*e *orm born to 8howa all so"ls#
&ny method that leads to salvation is a''eptable#
My li*e %ill 'ome to an end sometime#
=t makes no di**eren'e i* the end 'omes in t%enty years
thirty years or ei)hty years
=t %ill 'ome re)ardless#
1hat?s important is how = )ive my li*e#
=* = )ive it *or salvation
eliminatin) all the evil karma = have a''"m"lated
*reein) mysel* *rom all karma the /"r" and ,hiva
and all %inners o* tr"th
%ill %itho"t *ail lead me to a hi)her realm#
,o = pra'ti'e the Vajrayana %itho"t *ear#
$he &rma)eddon ta")ht in the Bible approa'hes
$he *inal battle is "pon "s#
= %ill be amon) the holy troops o* this last )reat battle
&nd 8howa the evil ones#
= %ill 8howa one or t%o evil ones#
Phowa is the hi)hest virt"e
&nd 8howa is the path to the hi)hest level o* bein)#
$Brackett, .QQL, ##* QL7QN(
LN'

<n the end, the Tibetan phowa ritual became the guiding #rinci#le behind the acts of
terrorism and also #layed a significant role in the #rosecution,s case against ;sahara* There,
the following incriminating 8uotations from the guru were also tabled0 "<f your guru
commands you to take somebody,s life it is an indication that this #erson,s time is already u#*
+ith other words you are killing this #erson at #recisely the right time and making #ossible
the phowa of this #erson* SXT The end 6ustifies the means* Take the exam#le of a #erson who
is burdened by so many sins that he is certain to go to hell* <f an enlightened #erson decides
that it would be best to #ut an end to his life and to really kill him, this act would generally be
seen by society as a straightforward murder* But in the light of our teachings the killing comes
to the same thing as making his phowa #ossible for this #erson* 3)ery enlightened #erson
would see at once that both the murderer and the murdered benefit from the deed: $8uoted by
5e##, .QQN, #* ''(*

The guru 6ustified all of his orders to kill by a##ealing to the Tibetan #ractice of phowa,
e)en in the case of the one7year7old son of the lawyer, Sakomoto, who took the sect on
legally0 "The child ended u# not being raised by Sakomoto, who tried to re#eat bad deeds:* <t
would be "born again in a higher world: $2a#lan and Marshall, .QQL, #* @%(* ;ccording to
2a#lan and Marshall, the guru is also su##osed to ha)e said that "it is good to eliminate
#eo#le who continue to do bad things and are certain to go to hell: $2a#lan and Marshall,
.QQL, #* H&(* This was #rimarily directed at the immediate o##onents of the sect, like the
#arents of members, lawyers and 6ournalists*
,Within Au$2 A!ahara=! attac1 gurui!$ wa! anchor(d in what wa! ca(d
th( maham"draD In Ti5(tan #uddhi!$2 th( t(r$ r(-(r! to a !tat( in which a d('ot((
achi('(! Uth( unit% o- ($8tin(!! and u$ino!it%= and2 th(r(5%2 Uth( 8uri-ication DDD Qo-R th(
tran!itor% conta$ination o- con-u!ionD= Th( conc(8t wa! !o$(ti$(! conc(i'(d in thi!
wa% in Au$2 and a -(w o- o- A!ahara=! co!(!t di!ci8(! w(r( d(!cri5(d a!
achi('ingmaham"draD #ut gi'(n Au$=! at$o!8h(r(2 attaining maham"dra ca$( arg(%
to $(an th( o'(rco$ing o- a r(!i!tanc(! to an a5!out( and unAu(!tion(d d(dication to
th( guru hi$!(-C &Li-ton2 *:::2 8D 3+)D
Th( >a8an(!( Ar$ag(ddon
LN@
;sahara made himself familiar with the "theologies of destruction: early on* ; year
after his )isit to the alai !ama $in .QPP( he began with his study of the ;pocalypse of St.
Lohn* The (rophecies of !ostradamus followed soon after* This French #ro#het became a
leading light for the sect* Kn the basis of ins#irations whis#ered to him by the terror gods, the
guru now de)elo#ed his own a#ocaly#tic #rognostications*

;t first they concerned rescue #lans* The #lanet was su##osed to be in danger and ;=M
had been chosen to secure world #eace* But then the #rognoses became increasingly gloomy*
The #lanetary countdown was said to be in the offing0 <n my o#inion: ;sahara said, the
realm of desire by the law of this uni)erse, has already entered the #rocess of going back to its
original form to where it all started* <n short, we are heading for ;rmageddon: $;sahara,
.QQL, )ol* %, #* .&'(* 1e actually used the 1ebrew word ";rmageddon:* But e)en now there
was still talk of com#assion and assistance and ;sahara belie)ed that "<f ;=M tries hard , we
can reduce the )ictims of ;rmageddon to a fourth of the world,s #o#ulation* X 1owe)er, at
#resent, my rescue #lan is totally delayed* The rate of sur)i)ors is getting smaller and
smaller: $2a#lan and Marshall, .QQL, #* '.(* ";nd what will ha##en after ;rmageddonA:, he
asked in one of his sermons, ";fter ;rmageddon the beings will be di)ided into two extreme
ty#es0 the ones who will go to the 1ea)en of !ight and Sound, and the ones who will go to
1ell:$2a#lan and Marshall, .QQL, ##* @P7@Q(*

1is a#ocaly#tic )isions are dated #recisely0 in one of his #ro#hecies from .QPN, the year
of enlightenment, he says that "Da#an will rearm herself in .QQ%* Between .QQQ and %&&', a
nuclear war is sure to break out* <, ;sahara, ha)e mentioned the outbreak of nuclear war for
the first time* +e ha)e only fifteen years before it: $2a#lan and Marshall, .QQL, #* .L(*
,An% i$agin(d Ar$ag(ddon i! 'io(nt2 5ut th( 'io(nc( t(nd! to 5( di!tant and
$%thic2 to 5( 5rought a5out 5% ('i -orc(! that (a'( ;od with no oth(r choic( 5ut tota
c(an!ing o- thi! wordD With Au$=! Ar$ag(ddon th( 'io(nc( wa! co!( at hand and
8a8a5(D Au$ wa! awa%! an actor in it! own Ar$ag(ddon dra$a2 wh(t(r a! a targ(t o-
word-d(!tro%ing (n($i(! or a! a -ighting -orc( in a gr(at 5att( !oon to 5(gin or ar(ad%
und(r wa%D A! ti$( w(nt on2 how('(r2 Au$ incr(a!ing% !aw it!(- a! th( initiator2 th(
trigg(r o- th( -ina ('(ntC &Li-ton2 *:::2 8D 09)D
LNH
Somewhat later, in his book =ay of ;nnihilation& there was no longer so much time left*
;ccording to this text, Da#an would sink into the ocean already in .QQL* The end of the world
would begin in .QQPUQQ* ; #u#il saw in a )ision how a branch of ;=M would mo)e to
Derusalem in .QQP and that members of the sect would be im#risoned there and then tortured*
<n a trium#hant cam#aign the fellow belie)ers would be freed* ;sahara, this #ro#hecy
#redicted, would die the death of a martyr during the liberation and set off a final world war*

<n order to introduce his "ShambhaliMation of the world:, it was only natural that
;sahara would want to lead a great a#ocaly#tic army, then that is integral to the scri#t of the
tantric myth* 1ence, as he was meditating on the Da#anese Pacific coast, one day a #owerful
)oice told him, "< ha)e chosen you to lead 9od,s army: $2a#lan and Marshall, .QQL, #* .%(*
From this #oint in time on the sect,s music also changedR in #lace of the old harmonic !ew
;ge music of the s#heres, military marches now sounded o)er the louds#eakers* "The time
has come X +e ha)e to fight *** efeat means death for the guru:, ;sahara,s closest intimate
wrote in his notebook $2a#lan and Marshall, .QQL, #* .H@(* The connection between the
destruction of the world and em#tiness in)oked by the"alachakra Tantra also had a decisi)e
influence on Shoko ;sahara, and e)en found ex#ression in the title of one of his
writings, #rom =estruction to Emptiness/ ; SeAuel to the =ay of =estruction.

R(igion and ch($ica a5oratori(!
The final war could not be fought without effecti)e wea#ons* ;sahara recruited a small
grou# of highly 8ualified scientists, all uni)ersity graduates in the natural sciences0 chemists,
biochemists, electronic engineers* They were commissioned to establish large laboratories for
the manufacture of chemical and biological wea#ons* ;ccording to 2a#lan and Marshall
colonies of all sorts of deadly bacteria were culti)ated there, anthrax, influenMa, and e)en the
notorious 3bola )irus* The young #eo#le dreamed of gigantic laser cannons* "+hen the #ower
of this laser is increased,: ;sahara says, "a #erfectly white belt, or sword can be seen* This is
the sword referred to in the Book of 5e)elations* This sword will destroy )irtually all life:
$2a#lan and Marshall, .QQL, #* %&N(* 1e was es#ecially fascinated by a "micro#lasm: wea#on
with which all li)ing things could be )a#oriMed in seconds* "The wea#ons used in +orld +ar
<<<: he wrote in .QQ', "will make the atomic and hydrogen bombs look like toys* ;t #resent,
the center#iece of the 5ussian arsenal is called the star7reflector cannon* The =nited States
LNL
has the Strategic efense <nitiati)e and the extension of this is Gmicro#lasma,/ $;rchi#elago,
<, 1P< &&'(*

<n #articular, ;sahara,s ingenious scientist, 1ideo Murai re)eled at the idea of all kinds
of a#ocaly#tic wea#ons of destruction* 1e was a s#ecialist in electromagnetic $3M(
#henomena* For him too, and for his work, the tantric law of in)ersion would one day take
effect* ;t first Murai began by constructing wea#ons to defend the cult against the military
a##aratus of the su#er#owers* For years his #aranoid guru belie)ed himself to be the target of
electromagnetic and chemical attacks by the most )aried worldly and religious secret ser)ices*
<t was only thanks to his ele)ated s#irituality that he was still ali)e at all* ;s redeemer of the
world he wanted to rescue humanity from an imminent war of destruction and hence he
de)oted his thoughts to what countermeasures could be de)elo#ed* But then came the moment
when defense turned into attack* 1ideo Murai was commissioned by his guru to de)elo#
miraculous wea#ons that were no longer defensi)e, but would rather accelerate the end of the
world*

The sect now focused on the #hysical theories and ex#eriments of the famous Serbo7
-roatian in)entor, 4ikola Tesla $.P@L7.Q@'(, who had undertaken extensi)e research into the
enormous electromagnetic $3M( energy fields that are said to s#an the globe* Tesla belie)ed
that influence could be gained o)er these and that earth8uakes could thus be triggered or the
weather changed* 1e is su##osed to ha)e designed a##ro#riate machines and conducted
successful ex#eriments* <n the course of his in)estigations he reached the conclusion that it
would be #ossible to s#lit the world into two hal)es like an a##le with an "3M ex#eriment:*
This tem#ting a#ocaly#tic conce#tion moti)ated the young scientists at ;=M to write to the
Tesla Society in 4ew Bork and to )isit the Tesla Museum in Belgrade so as to be able to
examine his notes*

<n March .QQ@ 1ideo Murai went to ;ustralia with se)eral assistants and carried out
electromagnetic $3M( ex#eriments on a shee# station bought by the sect* 1e is su##osed to
ha)e built an all round machine, which could both e)oke earth8uakes and act as a shield
against nuclear warheads* This a##aratus #ro)ed to be the ideal wea#on of mass destruction
for the "final war: $;rchi#elago, <(* There are s#eculations that the Da#anese earth8uake in
2obe $in .QQH( had an artificial origin and was staged by the technicians of the ;=M sect*
LNN
This may well sound 6ust too fantastic, but on this occasion one of ;sahara,s #ro#hesies,
which were otherwise )ery rarely fulfilled, came true* 4ine days before the big earth8uake
which shook the 1anshin region, on Danuary P, .QQH the guru announced on a radio #rogram
that "Da#an will be attacked by an earth8uake in .QQH* The most likely #lace is 2obe:
$;rchi#elago, <<, 1P< &&@(* ;fter the e)ent ;=M announced that the infrastructure of the
#ro)ince of 2obe with its skyscra#ers and ma6or bridges had been "the best #lace for
simulating an earth8uake7wea#on attack against a big city such as Tokyo* 2obe was the
a##ro#riate guinea #ig: $;rchi#elago, <<, 1P< &&@(*

But at the foot of the holy Mount Fu6i con)entional wea#ons were also being mass
#roduced* Members of the sect there were #roducing 5ussian automatic rifles $the ;27@N( in
factories disguised as s#iritual centers* Sources #urchased a military helico#ter in 5ussia that
was then dismantled and shi##ed to Da#an #iece by #iece*

But, as should be self7e)ident, the tantra master ;sahara saw the ex#losi)e force of his
own mind as the most dangerous wea#on of all* "<n Tantrayana )ows,: we hear from the man
himself, " there is one that #rohibits attainers from destroying )illages and towns* This means
that the #ower to destroy a town or )illage is obtained
through Tantrayana and -a0rayana #ractice: $;rchi#elago, <, 1P< &&'(* <n accordance with
the tantric logic of in)ersion that we ha)e described in detail, the guru belie)ed he was
thoroughly 6ustified in breaking this )ow*

Fundamentally, ;sahara,s factories corres#onded conce#tually to the alchemical
laboratories of the .Nth and .Pth centuries in 3uro#e, although they were incom#arably more
technical* <n both cases scientists did not 6ust ex#eriment with chemical substances, rather
they combined their findings with religious conce#ts and symbols* !et us recall how the
cou#le, 4icholas and 1elena <)ano)na 5oerich, described the tem#le structures
of Shambhala as "laboratories: and glorified the monastic #riests of the wonderland as
"ade#ts of a sacred alchemy:*

;sahara also ga)e his chemical factory holy names and called it the "-lear Stream
Tem#le: or "Su#reme Science: $2a#lan and Marshall, .QQL, #* PN(* Se)eral altars were to be
found in the three7story building in which the #oison gases were created* Shortly after
LNP
entering one reached a meMManine and came face to face with a golden figure of the destroyer
god Rudra Shi+a* To the left of this stood a small de)otional shrine which according to
;sahara housed some of the bones of the historical Buddha* 1e had brought them back with
him from Sri !anka to Da#an* The room in which a wide )ariety of tinctures for the #roduction
of #oisonous gases were stored was referred to as the "5oom of 9enesis:* Things were more
matter of fact on the ground floor, there were tanks, extruders, reactors, ducting systems,
circulating #um#s* The main hall was called Satian _, which meant "Truth N/* But it also had
a nickname* The young scientists referred to it sim#ly as "the magician:* <n the last days
before the fateful attack on the underground a gigantic statue of Buddha was erected there*

Th( Song o- Sarin
Since it is not difficult to manufacture and the ingredients were easy for ;=M to obtain,
research and #roduction were concentrated u#on a highly effecti)e ner)e gas by the name of
Sarin* This #oison had been de)elo#ed by the 9erman national socialists in the Second +orld
+ar* ;sahara,s relation to the deadly substance #ro)ed to be )ery multi7layered* <t followed a
fiendish three7stage cycle* ;t first there was constant talk of how the sect itself was the )ictim
of #oison gas attacks* "+here)er < go,: the 9uru announced, "< ha)e been s#rayed from
helico#ters or #lanes* The hour of my death has been foretold* The gas #henomenon has
already ha##ened* 4ext time it might be an atomic bomb: $2a#lan and Marshall, .QQL, #*
.%H(* ;s a conse8uence of this #aranoia it was decided to hit back with the same wea#on* <n
the third #hase the #oison became inde#endent and de)elo#ed into a 8uasi7di)ine substance* <t
was gi)en half7ironic names like "Magic, +itch, and Sally: $2a#lan and Marshall, .QQL, #*
.%.( and sung about in the following hymn0

=t 'ame *rom @a8i /ermany a dan)ero"s little 'hemi'al %eapon
,arin6 ,arin6
=* yo" inhale the mysterio"s vapor yo" %ill *all %ith bloody vomit
*rom yo"r mo"th
,arin6 ,arin6 ,arin > the 'hemi'al %eapon#
,on) o* ,arin the brave#
=n the pea'e*"l ni)ht o* Mats"moto -ity
People 'an be killed even %ith o"r o%n hands
;very%here there are dead bodies
LNQ
$here6 =nhale ,arin ,arin
Prepare ,arin6 Prepare ,arin6 =mmediately poisono"s )as %eapons
%ill *ill the pla'e#
,pray6 ,pray6 ,arin the brave ,arin
$2a#lan and Marshall, .QQL, ##* %.%7%.'(

The original #lan was to s#ray the #oison gas o)er the #arliament and go)ernment
buildings with a helico#ter so as to #aralyMe the Da#anese a##aratus of state* The attack on the
underground system was therefore regarded as only a #re#aratory exercise*

<nterestingly, L& years before the e)ents in Tokyo the 5ussian whom we ha)e already
#ortrayed in detail, 4icholas 5oerich, had linked the Shambhala myth to #oison gases* 1e was
con)inced that the wonderland was #rotected from in)aders by a gaseous substance that he
called "sur:* 1ere is his story, told to him on his tra)els through -entral ;sia in search
of Shambhala by a Buddhist monk0 "; lama, leader of a cara)an, co)ers his mouth and nose
with a scarf* 1e is asked why, since it is not cold* 1e re#orts0 G-aution is needed now* +e are
a##roaching the forbidden Mone ofShambhala* +e shall soon notice GsurG, the #oisonous gas
that #rotects the border of Shambhala* 2onchok, our Tibetan, rides u# to us and says in a
subdued )oice0 G4ot far from here, as the alai !ama was tra)eling to Mongolia, all the
#eo#le and animals in the cara)an began to tremble and the alai !ama ex#lained that they
should not be alarmed since they had entered the forbidden Mone ofShambhala and the
)ibrations of the air were strange to them: $Schule der 9ebensweisheit, .QQ&, #* N'(* ; #lume
of toxic gas is also su##osed to ha)e streamed out of one of the famous <ndian crematoria, the
meeting #lace of many <aha Siddhas* <t was assimilated by the submarine fire of the
doomsday mare $"alagni( also mentioned in the "alachakra Tantra $+hite, .QQL, #* %'@(*

Since ;uschwitM , the terror of gas is also associated with the fate of the Dews and it is
not sur#rising that ;sahara as an admirer of 1itler integrated an aggressi)e anti7Semitism into
his system* <n a s#ecial issue of the ;=M 6ournal, -a0rayana Sacca& entitled "Manual of
Fear:, war is declared on the Dewish #eo#le0 "Kn behalf of the world,s H*H billion
#eo#le, -a0rayana Saccahereby declares war on the Wworld shadow go)ernment, that murders
untold numbers of #eo#le and, while hiding behind sonorous #hrases and high7sounding
LP&
#rinci#les, #lans to brainwash and control the rest* Da#anese awakeV The hidden enemy,s #lot
has long since torn our li)es to shreds: $Brackett, .QQL, ##* *.&N7.&P(*

Th( int(rnationa contact!
;=M Shinrikyo was not a #urely Da#anese #henomenon but rather an international one
that s#read ex#losi)ely through se)eral countries, #rinci#ally 5ussia* The star)ing nation,
hungry for any s#iritual message after so many years of communist dictatorshi#, became a
#aradise on earth for the guru from the Far 3ast* <n .QQ% he stood in front of St* Basil,s
-athedral in Moscow with '&& of his followers, smiling and gi)ing the )ictory salute* The
#ose had its effect* +ithin 6ust a few months ;=M was ex#eriencing an unbroken rise in
#o#ularity across all of 5ussia* ;t its #eak the number of members exceeded '&,&&&* ;sahara
en6oyed a sur#risingly broad #ublic recognition* 1e held a sermon on "1el#ing The +orld to
1a##iness with the Truth: before a #acked crowd at the =ni)ersity of Moscow* 1e was
introduced to the nascent ca#italist #ower elite as "Da#an,s re#resentati)e Buddhist leader
$2a#lan and Marshall, .QQL, #* N&(*

The guru e)en gained influence o)er leading 5ussian #oliticians* 1e maintained an
es#ecially warm relationshi# with the influential chairman of the 5ussian Security -ouncil,
Kleg <)ano)ich !obo), at this stage one of Boris Beltsin,s close friends* !obo) is said to ha)e
done not a little to assist the s#read of the sect* ;sahara also knew how to culti)ate contacts
with well7known scientists* Things were similarly successful on the #ro#aganda front0 in
.QQ%, the go)ernment station 5adio Moscow broadcast his #rogram "The ;bsolute Truth of
1oly 1ea)en: twice a day*

Kf course, ;sahara was not tightfisted when it came to donations, a gesture which at
that time in 5ussia o#ened all doors* But that doesn,t ex#lain the large influx of enthusiasts
who recei)ed nothing other than the #retty words of the "last messiah:* Kne gains the
im#ression that here an heir of ;g)an or6ie),s Shambhala )ision7 where the hidden kingdom
was to be sought in 5ussia > was at work*

;=M Shinrikyo was the first religious sect from a highly industrialiMed country which
with deliberate terror tactics turned on humanist society as such* <t came from a religious
milieu which es#oused like no other the #rinci#le of non)iolence > that of Buddhism* =ntil
LP.
then, #eo#le had known only occult grou#s like the Q&& followers of Dim Dones in Donestown,
or the Sun Tem#le in SwitMerland and -anada or the Branch a)idians from +aco, who had
exterminated themsel)es but not unin)ol)ed bystanders* Because of this new 8uality of
religious )iolence, the e)ents in Tokyo caused much dismay all around the world*

Kne might ha)e thought that this would #ro)oke global research into and discussion of
the causes of and background to the ;sahara #henomenon* <f so one would ha)e been forced
to recogniMe the ma6or influence -a0rayana had had u#on the system of the doomsday guru*
Kne would also ha)e disco)ered the close connection between the Shambhala myth and
the "alachakra Tantra* ;lthough such links are o)ert, since ;sahara refers to them ex#licitly
in his writings, both the +estern and the 3astern #ublic ha)e chosen to act blind and #assi)ely
await the next catastro#he* <n the #ress of the world the e)ent has already been forgotten
re#ressed* <n Da#an too, nobody wants to look behind the scenes, although ;sahara,s trial is
currently in #rogress0 "<n general this contradiction between religion and )iolence is resol)ed
here by sim#ly saying that ;=M is not a religion at all: writes Martin 5e##, and continues,
"Kne cannot make it so easy for oneself, then ;=M Shinrikyo is in its own understanding and
in its #ractice SaT religion and has an essentially Buddhist creed: $5e##, .QQLb, #* .Q&(*

Th( two di--(r(nt 5roth(r!
<n the light of our study one could rightly say that the ;=M sect was a consistent and
true to the letter #u#il of the tantric teachings* The occult magic world )iew, kundalini yoga,
sexual magic, the linkage of #ower and seed retention, the gras#ing for the Siddhis, the
in)ocation of the gods, the hastening of the end of the uni)erse, the glorification of
destruction, the great fascination with fantastic machines of destruction, the military
obsessions, the idea of redem#tion, ho#e for a #aradise, the claim to world domination,
the Shambhala myth > all of these leitmotifs that were so significant for ;sahara are melodies
from the re#ertoire of Tibetan Buddhism, in #articular that of the "alachakra Tantra* For
;sahara, the tantric #ath to enlightenment began in the 1imalayas and was su##osed to also
end there* <n .QPP he wrote that ";fter the =nited States we will go to 3uro#e* Finally we
will establish a center in the 1imalayas, the origin of Buddhism and yoga* ;t this #oint my
mission will be at an end: $8uoted by 5e##, .QQN, #* %N(*

LP%
The story of ;sahara demonstrates clearly that -a0rayana and the Shambhala
myth contain an extremely demonic #otential that can be acti)ated at any moment* For the
;sian side, es#ecially for the Mongolians $as we ha)e seen(, the aggressi)e warrior ethos
nascent in the idea of Shambhalahas ne)er been 8uestioned and still continues to exist today
in the wishful thinking of many* There is a definite danger > as we shall show in the next
cha#ter > that it could de)elo# into a #an7;sian )ision of fascist7like character*

Things are different with Tibetan Buddhism in the +est0 there the lamas #lay only the
#acifist card with much success* <t is almost the highest trum# with which 1is 1oliness the
Fourteenth alai !ama wins the hearts of the #eo#le* 1e is thus re)ered all o)er the #lanet as
the "greatest #rince of #eace of our time:*

+hat is the "undun's #osition on Shoko ;sahara nowA The alai !ama needs the
su##ort of religious grou#s in Da#an since the ma6ority of Buddhist schools in the country are
friendly to -hina and foster fre8uent changes with -hinese monasteries* <t is said of the )ery
influential Soka 9akkai sect that they are in constant contact with the -hinese leadershi#* The
;gon Shun sect $to which ;sahara originally belonged( which was formerly friendly to the
alai !ama has also switched loyalties and is now oriented towards Bei6ing $5e## .QQN, #*
QH(* ;dditionally, ;sahara had transferred large sums of money to the Tibetans in exile >
official sources #ut the total at =S e.*N million* ;ll of these are factors in the #olitical
calculations which might hel# ex#lain the contact between the alai !ama and the Da#anese
guru* <f, howe)er, we regard the meeting $with ;sahara( from a tantric #oint of )iew, we are
forced to conclude that at one of their meetings the alai !ama, as the su#reme master of the
Time Tantra, initiated the doomsday guru directly into the secrets of his "#olitical mysticism:
$the Shambhala myth(* The re#orts of #eo#le who ha)e because of his magical aura
ex#erienced an audience with the "undun as a kind of initiation are by now legion*
<ndeed, how could it be otherwise in the light of an "omni#otent: and "omniscient deity: in
the figure of a "sim#le Tibetan monk:* 1ence, in inter#reting the encounter between the two
gurus in tantric terms, we ha)e to assume it was an occult relation between a "god: $the alai
!ama( and a "demon: $;sahara(*

4ow, in what does the relationshi# between these two une8ual brothers consistA From a
symbolic #oint of )iew the two share the duties laid out in the tantric world )iew0 the one
LP'
#lays the com#assionate $odhisatt+a $the alai !ama(, the other the
wrathful Heruka $;sahara(R the one the "mild: ;+alokitesh+ara who "looks down from
abo)e: $the alai !ama(, the other the god of death and #rince of hell, %ama $;sahara(* The
anthro#ologist and #sychoanalyst, 5obert ;* Paul, has been able to demonstrate with
con)incing arguments how #rofoundly this two7facedness of the "good: and the "e)il:
Buddha has sha#ed Tibetan culture* The two Buddha beings $the light and the dark( are
considered to be the counter#osed forms of a##earance of the one and the same di)ine
substance which has both a light and a shadowy side* +e may recall that Palgyi or6e wore a
whiteUblack coat when he carried out the ritual murder of 2ing !angdarma*

Kn this basis then, is ;sahara the outwardly #ro6ected shadow of the alai !amaA 1is
two most im#ortant #redecessors also had such "shadow brothers: in whom cruelty and
criminality were concentrated* =nder the Fifth alai !ama it was the Mongol, 9ushri 2han*
This counter#art transformed Tibet into a "sea of boiling blood:* The thirteenth hierarch was
accom#anied by the bloodthirsty 2almyk "Vengeful !ama:, ambi6antsan* <s it really only a
coincidence that the Fourteenth alai !ama a##eared on the world stage together with the
Da#anese doomsday guru&Shoko ;saharaA

Footnot(!:
S.T The names of the other members of the shadow cabinet aside from Shoko ;sahara
were Maha 2heema, Maitreya, Maha ;ngulimala, Milare#a, Sakula, 2isa 9otami,
Punna*mantani#utta Saitama '
rd
, Machig !a#drJn, Man6ushrimitra, Mahakasa##a, 2ankha7
5e)ata, Mar#a, 4aro#a, =ru)ela7kasa##a, Siha, Vangisha, Sukka, Di)aka, ;6ita, Tissa,
harma)a6iri, Va6iratissa, Bhaddaka#ilani, San6aya $Bracket, .QQL, #* P&(*
"/D CHINA=S METAPHGSICAL
RI@ALRG WITH TI#ET

The -entral ;sian #ower which for centuries engaged the Tibetan Buddhocracy in the
dee#est ri)alry was the -hinese 3m#ire* 3)en if the focus of current discussions about
historical relations between the two countries is centered on 8uestions of territory, we must
u#on closer ins#ection regard this as the #ro6ected ob6ect of the actual dis#ute* <ndeed, hidden
behind the state7#olitical facade lies a much more significant, meta#hysically moti)ated
#ower struggle* The magicUexotic world of !amaism and the outflow of the ma6or and )ital
LP@
ri)ers from the mountainous countries to the west led to the growth of an idea in the "Middle
2ingdom: that e)ents in Tibet had a decisi)e influence on the fate of their own country* The
fates of the "!and of Snows: and -hina were seen by both sides as being closely interlinked*
;t the beginning of the twentieth century, leading Tibetans told the 3nglishman, -harles Bell,
that Tibet was the "root of -hina: $Bell, .QQ@, #*..@(* ;s absurd as it may sound, the -hinese
#ower elite ne)er com#letely shook off this belief and they thus treated their Tibetan #olitics
es#ecially seriously*

<n addition the rulers of the two nations, the "Son of 1ea)en: $the -hinese 3m#eror(
and the "Kcean Priest: $the alai !ama(, were claimants to the world throne and made the
#retentious claim to re#resent the center of the cosmos, from where they wanted to go)ern the
uni)erse* ;s we ha)e demonstrated in the )ision guiding and fate of the 3m#ress +u Cetian,
the Buddhist idea of a Chakra+artin influenced the -hinese 3m#ire from a )ery early stage
$N&& -*3*(* uring the Tang dynasty the rulers of -hina were worshi##ed as incarnations of
the Bodhisatt)a <an0ushriand as "wheel7turning kings: $Chakra+artin(*

Besides, it was com#letely irrele)ant whether the current -hinese 3m#eror was of a
more Taoist, -onfucian, or Buddhist inclination, as the idea of a cosmocrat was common to all
three systems* 3)en the Tibetans a##ortioned him this role at times, such as the Thirteenth
alai !ama for exam#le, who referred to the Manchu rulers as Chakra+artins $2lieger, .QQ.,
#* '%(*

+e should also not forget that se)eral of the -hinese #otentates allowed themsel)es to
be initiated into the tantras and naturally laid claim to the )isions of #ower articulated there*
<n .%NQ -hJgyel Phag#a, the grand abbot of the Sakya#a, initiated the Mongolian con8ueror
of -hina and founder of the Buan dynasty, 2ublai 2han, into the He+a0ra Tantra* <n .N@L the
Eian !ong ruler recei)ed a !amaist tantric initiation as Chakra+artin* Further it was an
established tradition to recogniMe the 3m#eror of -hina as an emanation of the
Bodhisatt)a <an0ushri* This demonstrates that two Bodhisatt)as could also fall into earnest
#olitical discord*

Tibetan culture owes 6ust as much to -hinese as it does to that of <ndia* ; likeness of the
great military leader and king, Songtsen 9am#o $L.NOLH&(, who forged the highlands into a
LPH
single state of a #re)iously unseen siMe is worshi##ed throughout all of Tibet * <t shows him in
full armor and flanked by his two chief wi)es* ;ccording to legend, the -hinese woman, +en
-heng, and the 4e#alese, Bhrikuti, were embodiments of the white and the green Tara* Both
are su##osed to ha)e brought Buddhism to the "!and of Snows:* S.T

1istory confirms that the im#erial #rincess, +en -heng, was accom#anied by cultural
goods from-hina that re)olutioniMed the whole of Tibetan community life* The culti)ation of
cereals and fruits, irrigation, metallurgy, calendrics, a school system, weights and measures,
manners and clothing > with great o#en7mindedness the king allowed these and similar
blandishments of ci)iliMation to be im#orted from the "Middle 2ingdom:* Boung men from
the Tibetan nobility were sent to study in-hina and <ndia* Songtsen 9am#o also made cultural
loans from the other neighboring states of the highlands*

These -hinese acts of #eace and cultural creati)ity were, howe)er, #receded on the
Tibetan side by a most aggressi)e and im#erialist #olicy of con8uest* The king was said to
ha)e commanded an army of %&&,&&& men* The art of war #racticed by this incarnation of the
"com#assionate: Bodhisatt)a, ;+alokitesh+ara& was considered extremely barbaric and the
"red faces:, as the Tibetans were called, s#read fear and horror through all of -entral ;sia*
The siMe to which Songtsen 9am#o was able to ex#and his em#ire corres#onds roughly to that
of the territory currently claimed by the Tibetans in exile as their area of control*

Since that time the intensi)e exchange between the two countries has ne)er dried u#*
4early all the regents of the Manchu dynasty $.L@@O.Q.%( right u# to the 3m#ress owager
-i ?i felt bound to !amaism on the basis of their Mongolian origins, although they #ublicly
es#oused ideas that were mostly -onfucian* Their belief led them to ha)e magnificent
!amaist tem#les built in Bei6ing* There ha)e been a total of %P significant !ama shrines built
in the im#erial city since the .Pth century* Beyond the 9reat +all, in the Manchurian >
Mongolian border region, the im#erial families erected their summer #alace* They had an
im#osing Buddhist monastery built in the immediate )icinity and called it the "Potala: 6ust
like the seat of the alai !ama* <n her biogra#hy, the im#erial #rincess, The !ing, re#orts that
tantric rituals were still being held in the Forbidden -ity at the start of the twentieth century
$8uoted by 2lieger, .QQ., #* HH(* S%T

LPL
<f a alai !ama 6ourneyed to -hina then this was always conducted with great #om#*
There was constant and debilitating s8uabbling about eti8uette, the symbolic yardstick for the
rank of the rulers meeting one another* +ho first greeted whom, who was to sit where, with
what title was one addressed > such 8uestions were far more im#ortant than discussions
about borders* They reflect the most subtle shadings of the relati)e #ositions within a
com#lete cosmological scheme* ;s the "9reat Fifth: entered Bei6ing in .LH%, he was indeed
recei)ed like a regnant #rince, since the ruling Manchu 3m#eror, Shun -hi, was much drawn
to the Buddhist doctrine* <n farewelling the hierarch he showered him with )aluable gifts and
honored him as the "self7creating Buddha and head of the )aluable doctrine and
community, -a0radhara alai !ama: $Schulemann, .QHP, #* %@N(, but in secret he #layed him
off against the Panchen !ama*

The cosmological chess game went on for centuries without clarity e)er being achie)ed,
and hence for both countries the ma6ority of state #olitical 8uestions remained unanswered*
For exam#le,!hasa was obliged to send gifts to Bei6ing e)ery year* This was naturally
regarded by the -hinese as a kind of tribute which demonstrated the de#endence of
the !and of Snows* But since these gifts were reci#rocated with counter7#resents, the Tibetans
saw the relationshi# as one between e8ual #artners* The -hinese countered with the
establishment of a kind of -hinese go)ernorshi# in Tibetunder two officials known
as ;mbane* Form a -hinese #oint of )iew they re#resented the worldly administration of the
country* So that they could be #layed off against one another and a)oid corru#tion,
the ;mbane were always dis#atched to Tibet in #airs*

The -hinese also tried to gain influence o)er the !amaist #olitics of incarnation* ;mong
the Tibetan and Mongolian aristocracy it was increasingly the case that children from their
own ranks were recogniMed as high incarnations* The intention behind this was to make
im#ortant clerical #osts de facto hereditary for the Tibetan noble clans* <n order to ham#er
such familial ex#ansions of #ower, the -hinese 3m#eror im#osed an oracular #rocedure* <n
the case of the alai !ama three boys were to always be sought as #otential successors and
then the final decision would be made under -hinese su#er)ision by the drawing of lots* The
names and birth dates of the children were to be written on sli#s of #a#er, wra##ed in dough
and laid in a golden urn which the 3m#eror 2ien !ung himself donated and had sent
to !hasa in .NQ'*
LPN

Mao S(dong: Th( R(d Sun
But did the #ower #lay between the two countries o)er the world throne end with the
establishment of -hinese -ommunism in TibetA <s the Tibetan7-hinese conflict of the last H&
years solely a confrontation between s#iritualism and materialism, or were there "forces and
#owers: at work behind -hinese #olitics which wanted to establish Bei6ing as the center of
the world at !hasa, ex#enseA "Euestions of legitimation ha)e #lagued all -hinese dynasties:,
writes the Tibetologist 3lliot S#erling with regard to current -hinese territorial claims o)er
Tibet, Euestions of legitimation ha)e #lagued all -hinese dynasties:, writes the Tibetologist
3lliot S#erling with regard to current -hinese territorial claims o)er Tibet, Traditionally such
8uestions re)ol)ed around the basic issue of whether a gi)en dynasty or ruler #ossessed GThe
Mandate of 1ea)en,* ;mong the signs that accom#anied #ossession of The Mandate was the
ability to unify the country and o)ercome all ri)al claimants for the territory and the throne
of -hina* <t would be a mistake not to )iew the #resent regime within this tradition: $Tibetan
Re+iew, ;ugust .QP', #* .P(* But to #ut S#erling,s interesting thesis to the test, we need to
first of all consider a man who sha#ed the #olitics of the -ommunist Party of -hina like no
other and was worshi##ed by his followers like a god0 <ao Gedong*

;ccording to Tibetan re#orts, the occu#ation of Tibet by the -hinese was #resaged from
the beginning of the fifties by numerous "su#ernatural: signs0 whilst meditating in the 9anden
monastery the Fourteenth alai !ama saw the statue of the terror deity %amantaka mo)e its
head and look to the east with a fierce ex#ression* Various natural disasters, including a
#owerful earth8uake and droughts befell the land* 1umans and animals ga)e birth to
monsters* ; comet a##eared in the skies* Stones became loose in )arious tem#les and fell to
the ground* Kn Se#tember Q, .QH. the -hinese Peo#le,s !iberation ;rmy marched into !hasa*

LPP
$he Pan'hen Lama Mao Kedon) the Dalai Lama

Before he had to flee, the young alai !ama had a number of meetings with the "9reat
-hairman: and was )ery im#ressed by him* ;s he shook Mao Cedong by the hand for the first
time, the"undun in his own words felt he was "in the #resence of a strong magnetic force:
$-raig, .QQN, #* .NP(* Mao too felt the need to make a meta#hysical assessment of the god7
king0 "The alai !ama is a god, not a man:, he said and then 8ualified this by adding, "<n any
case he is seen that way by the ma6ority of the Tibetan #o#ulation: $Tibetan Re+iew, Danuary
.QQH, #* .&(* Mao chatted with the god7king about religion and #olitics a number of times and
is su##osed to ha)e ex#ressed )arying and contradictory o#inions during these con)ersations*
Kn one occasion, religion was for him "o#ium for the #eo#le: in the classic Marxist sense, on
another he saw in the historical Buddha a #recursor of the idea of communism and declared
the goddess Tara to be a "good woman:*

The twenty7year7old hierarch from Tibet looked u# to the fatherly re)olutionary
from -hina with admiration and e)en nurtured the wish to become a member of the
-ommunist Party* 1e fell, as Mary -raig #uts it, under the s#ell of the red 3m#eror $-raig,
.QQN, #* .NP(* "< ha)e heard chairman Mao talk on different matters:, the "undun enthused in
.QHH, "and < recei)ed instructions from him* < ha)e come to the firm conclusion that the
brilliant #ros#ects for the -hinese #eo#le as a whole are also the #ros#ects for us Tibetan
#eo#leR the #ath of our entire country is our #ath and no other: $9runfeld, .QQL, #* .@%(

LPQ
Mao Cedong, who at that time was #ursuing a gradualist #olitics, saw in the
young "undun a #owerful instrument through which to familiariMe the feudal and religious
elites of the !and ofSnows with his multi7ethnic communist state* <n a .N7#oint #rogram he
had conceded the " national regional autonomy Sof TibetT under the leadershi# of the -entral
Peo#leGs 9o)ernment:, and assured that the "existing #olitical system:, es#ecially the "status,
functions and #owers of the alai !ama:, would remain untouched $9oldstein, .QQN, #* @N(*

$he /reat Proletarian -"lt"ral (evol"tion
;fter the flight of the alai !ama, the .N7#oint #rogram was worthless and the
gradualist #olitics ofBei6ing at an end* But it was first under the "9reat Proletarian -ultural
5e)olution: $in the mid7sixties( that -hina,s attitude towards Tibet shifted fundamentally*
+ithin a tantric conce#tion of history the -hinese -ultural 5e)olution has to be understood as
a #eriod of chaos and anarchy* Mao Cedong himself hadO like a skilled -a0ra master >
deliberately e)oked a general disorder so as to establish a #aradise on earth after the
destruction of the old )alues0 "; great chaos will lead to a new order:, he wrote at the
beginning of the youth re)olt $Chisui, .QQ@, #* @Q.(* ;ll o)er the country, students, school
#u#ils, and young workers took to the land to s#read the ideas of Mao Cedong* The "5ed
9uard: of !hasa also understood itself to be the agent of its "9reat -hairman:, as it #ublished
the following statement in ecember .QLL0 "+e a grou# of lawless re)olutionary rebels will
wield the iron swee#ers and swing the mighty cudgels to swee# the old world into a mess and
bash #eo#le into com#lete confusion* +e fear no gales and storms, nor flying sands and
mo)ing rocks *** To rebel, to rebel, and to rebel through to the end in order to create a brightly
red new world of this #roletariat: $9runfeld, .QQL, #* .P'(*

;lthough it was the smashing of the !amaist religion which lay at the heart of the red
attacks inTibet, one must not forget that it was not 6ust monks but also long7ser)ing -hinese
Party cadres in!hasa and the Tibetan #ro)inces who fell )ictim to the brutal sub)ersion* 3)en
if it was triggered by Mao Cedong, the -ultural 5e)olution was essentially a youth re)olt and
ga)e ex#ression to a dee# intergenerational conflict* 4ational interests did not #lay a
significant role in these e)ents* 1ence, many young Tibetans likewise #artici#ated in the
rebellious demonstrations in !hasa, something which for reasons that are easy to understand
is hushed u# these days by haramsala*

LQ&
+hether Mao Cedong a##ro)ed of the radicality with which the 5ed 9uard set to work
remains doubtful* To this day > as we ha)e already re#orted > the "undun belie)es that the
Party -hairman was not fully informed about the )andalistic attacks in Tibet and that Diang
Eing, his s#ouse, was the e)ildoer* S'T Mao,s attitude can #robably be best described by
saying that in as far as the chaos ser)ed to consolidate his #osition he would ha)e a##ro)ed of
it, and in as far as it weakened his #osition he would not* For Mao it was solely a matter of the
accumulation of #ersonal #ower, whereby it must be ke#t in mind, howe)er, that he saw
himself as being totally within the tradition of the -hinese 3m#eror as an energetic
concentration of the country and its inhabitants* +hat strengthened him also strengthened the
nation and the #eo#le* To this extent he thought in microUmacrocosmic terms*

$he :dei*i'ation7 o* Mao Kedon)
The #eo#le,s tribune was also not free of the tem#tations of his own "deification:0 "The
Mao cult:, writes his #ersonal #hysician, Chisui, "s#read in schools, factories, and communes
> the Party -hairman became a god: $!i Chisui, .QQ@, #* @@%(* ;t heart, the 9reat
Proletarian -ultural 5e)olution must be regarded as a religious mo)ement, and the "Marxist:
from Bei6ing re)eled in his worshi# as a "higher being:*

4umerous re#orts of the "mar)els of the thoughts of Mao Cedong:, the countless
#rayer7like letters from readers in the -hinese news#a#ers, and the little "red book: with the
sacrosanct words of the great helmsman, known worldwide as the " bible of Mao ", and much
more make a religion of Maoism* Kb6ects which factory workers ga)e to the "9reat
-hairman: were #ut on dis#lay on altars and re)ered like holy relics* ;fter "men of the
#eo#le: shook his hand, they didn,t wash theirs for weeks and coursed through the country
seiMing the hands of #assers by under the im#ression that they could gi)e them a little of
Mao,s energy* <n some Tibetan tem#les #ictures of the alai !ama were e)en re#laced with
icons of the -hinese -ommunist leader*

<n this, Mao was more like a red #ontiff than a #eo#le,s rebel* 1is followers re)ered him
as a god7man in the face of whom the indi)iduality of e)ery other mortal -hinese was
extinguished* "The Ge8uality before godG/, +olfgang Bauer writes in reference to the 9reat
-hairman Mao Cedong, "really did illuminate, and allowed those who felt themsel)es mo)ed
by it to become Wbrothers,, or monks SVT of some kind clothed in robes that were not 6ust the
LQ.
most lowly but thus also identical and that caused all indi)idual characteristics to )anish:
$Bauer, .QPQ, #* HLQ(*

The Tibetans, themsel)es the sub6ects of a god7king, had no #roblems with such imagesR
for them the "communist: Mao Cedong was the "-hinese 3m#eror:, at least from the -ultural
5e)olution on* !ater, they e)en transferred the im#erial meta#hors to the "ca#italist: reformer
eng ?iao#ing0 "4either the term Gem#erorG nor G#aramount leaderG nor W#atriarch, a##ear in
the -hinese constitution but ne)ertheless that is the #osition eng held *** he #ossessed
#olitical #ower for life, 6ust like the em#erors of old: $Tibetan Re+iew, March .QQN, #* %'(*

Mao Kedon)?s :$antrism7
The most astonishing factor, howe)er, is that like the alai !ama Mao Cedong also
#erformed "tantric: #ractices, albeit ` la chinoise* ;s his #ersonal #hysician, !i Chisui
re#orts, e)en at great age the 9reat -hairman maintained an insatiable sexual a##etite* Kne
concubine followed another* <n this he imitated a #ri)ilege that on this scale was accorded
only to the -hinese 3m#erors* !ike these, he saw his affairs less as #ro)iding satisfaction of
his lust and instead understood them to be sexual magic exercises* The -hinese
"Tantric: S@T is #rimarily a s#ecialist in the extension of the human lifes#an* <t is not
uncommon for the old texts to recommend bringing younger girls together with older men as
energetic "fresheners:* This method of re6u)enation is s#read throughout all of;sia and was
also known to the high lamas in Tibet* The "alachakra Tantra recommends "the re6u)enation
of a N&7year7old )ia a mudra Swisdom girlT/ $9rInwedel, "alacakra ??, #* ..H(*

Mao also knew the secret of semen retention0 "1e became a follower of Taoist sexual
#ractices,: his #ersonal #hysician writes, "through which he sought to extend his life and
which were able to ser)e him as a #retext for his #leasures* Thus he claimed, for instance, that
he needed yin shui $the water of yin, i*e*, )aginal secretions( to com#lement his own yang $his
masculine substance, the source of his strength, #ower, and longe)ity( which was running
low* Since it was so im#ortant for his health and strength to build u# his yang he dared not
s8uander it* For this reason he only rarely e6aculated during coitus and instead won strength
and #ower from the secretions of his female #artners* The more yin shui the -hairman
absorbed, the more #owerful his male substance became* Fre8uent sexual intercourse was
necessary for this, and he best #referred to go to bed with se)eral women at once* 1e also
LQ%
asked his female #artners to introduce him to other women > ostensibly so as to strengthen
his life force through shared orgies: $!i Chisui, .QQ@, ##* 'PN7'PP(* 1e ga)e new female
recruits a handbook to read entitled Secrets of an Nrdinary @irl, so that they could #re#are
themsel)es for a Taoist rendeM)ous with him* !ike the #u#ils of a lama, young members of the
"red court: were fascinated by the #ros#ect of offering the 9reat -hairman their wi)es as
concubines $!i Chisui, .QQ@, ##* 'PP, 'Q%(*

The two chief symbols of his life can be regarded as emblems of his tantric androgyny0
the feminine "water: and masculine "sun:* +olfgang Bauer has drawn attention to the highly
sacred significance which water and swimming ha)e in Mao,s symbolic world* 1is
demonstrations of swimming, in which he co)ered long stretches of the BangtMe, the "Bellow
5i)er:, were su##osed to "ex#ress the dawning of a new, bold undertaking, through which a
better world would arise0 it was:, the author says, "a kind of cultic action: which he "***
com#leted with an almost ritual necessity on the e)e of the G-ultural 5e)olutionG/ $Bauer,
.QPQ, #* HLL(*

Kne of the most #o#ular images of this #eriod was of Mao as the "9reat 1elmsman:
who unerringly steered the masses through the wa)es of the re)olutionary ocean* +ith
#rintruns in the billions $V(, #oems such as the following were distributed among the #eo#le0

$ravelin) "pon the hi)h seas %e tr"st in the helmsman
&s the ten tho"sand 'reat"res in )ro%in) tr"st the s"n#
=* rain and de% moisten them the spro"ts be'ome stron)#
,o %e tr"st %hen %e p"sh on %ith the revol"tion
in the tho")hts o* Mao Kedon)#

Cish 'annot live a%ay *rom %ater
Melons do not )ro% o"tside their bed#
$he revol"tionary masses 'annot stay apart
Crom the -omm"nist Party#
$he tho")hts o* Mao Kedon) are their never4settin) s"n#
$8uoted by Bauer, .QPQ, #* HLN(

LQ'
<n this song we encounter the second symbol of #ower in the Mao cult alongside water0
the "red sun: or the "great eastern sun:, a meta#hor which > as we ha)e already re#orted >
later reemerges in connection with the Tibetan "Shambhala warrior:, -hJgyam
Trung#a* !ong life to -hairman Mao, our su#reme commander and the most reddest red sun
in our hearts:, sang the cultural re)olutionaries $;)edon, .QPH, #* '@Q(* The "thoughts of Mao
Cedong: were also "e8uated with a red sun that rose o)er a red age as it were, a )eneration
that found ex#ression in countless likenesses of Mao,s features surrounded by red rays:
$Bauer, .QPQ, #* HLP(* <n this heliolatry, the Sinologist +olfgang Bauer sees a religious
influence that originated not in -hina but in the western ;sian religions of light like
Coroastrianism and Manichaeism that entered the Middle 2ingdom during the Tang #eriod
and had become connected with Buddhist ideas there $Bauer, .QPQ, #* HLN(* <ndeed, the same
origin is ascribed to the "alachakra Tantra by se)eral scholars*

Mao Kedon) as the never settin) s"n

Mao Cedong,s theory of "blankness: also seems tantric* ;s early as .QHP he wrote that
the -hina,s weight within the family of #eo#les rested on the fact that "first of all SitT is #oor
and secondly, blank* *** ; blank sheet of #a#er has no stains, and thus the newest and most
LQ@
beautiful words can be written on it, the newest and most beautiful images #ainted on it:
$8uoted by Bauer, .QPQ, ##* HHH7HHL(* Bauer sees ex#licit traces of the Buddhist ideal of
"em#tiness: in this0 "The Gblank #ersonG, whose #resence in Mao,s )iew is es#ecially
#ronounced among the -hinese #eo#le, is not 6ust the G#ureG, but also at the same time also the
Gnew #erson, in whom *** all the old organs in the body ha)e been exchanged for new ones,
and all the old con)ictions for new ones* 1ere the actual meaning of the s#iritual
transformation of the -hinese #erson, deliberately imbuing all facets of the #ersonality,
bordering on the mystic, encouraged with all the means of mass #sychology, and which the
+est with horror classifies as GbrainwashingG, becomes a##arent: $Bauer, .QPQ, #* HHL(*

;s if they wanted to exorcise their own re#ellant tantra #ractices through their
#ro6ection onto their main o##onent, the Tibetans in exile a##eal to -hinese sources to link
the -ultural 5e)olution with cannibalistic ritual #ractices* <ndi)iduals who were killed during
the ideological struggles became the ob6ects of cannibalism* ;t night and with great secrecy
members of the 5ed 9uard were said to ha)e torn out the hearts and li)ers of the murdered
and consumed them raw* There were su##osed to ha)e been occasions where #eo#le were
struck down so that their brains could be sucked out using a metal tube $Tibetan Re+iew,
March .QQN, #* %%(* The anti7-hinese #ro#aganda may arouse doubts about how much truth
there is in such accounts, yet should they really ha)e taken #lace they too would bring the
re)olutionary e)ents close to a tantric #attern*

& spirit"al rivalry bet%een the Co"rteenth Dalai Lama and Mao Kedon)3
The hidden religious basis of the -hinese -ultural 5e)olution #re)ents us from
describing the com#rehensi)e o##osition between Mao Cedong and the alai !ama as an
antinomy between materialism and s#irituality > an inter#retation which the Tibetan lamas,
the -hinese -ommunists, and the +est ha)e all gi)en it, albeit all with differing e)aluations*
5ather, both systems $the -hinese and the Tibetan( stood > as the ruler of the Potala and the
regent of the Forbidden -ityhad for centuries > in mythic contest for the control of the
world, both reached for the symbol of the "great eastern sun:* Mao too had attem#ted to
im#ose his #olitical ideology u#on the whole of humanity* 1e a##lied the "theory of the
taking of cities )ia the land: and )ia the farmers which he wrote and #ut into #ractice in the
"!ong March: as a re)olutionary conce#t for the entire #lanet, in that he declared the non7
LQH
industrialiMed countries of ;sia, ;frica, and South ;merica to be ")illages: that would re)olt
against the rich industrial nations as the "cities:*

But there can only be one world rulerV <n .QNL, the year in which the "red #ontiff: $Mao
Cedong( died, according to the writings of the Tibetans in exile things threatened to take a
turn for the worse for the Tibetans* The state oracle had #ronounced the gloomiest #redictions*
Thereu#on 1is 1oliness the Fourteenth alai !ama withdrew into retreat, the longest that he
had e)er made in <ndia0 ";n extremely strict #ractice:, he later commented #ersonally,
"which re8uires com#lete seclusion o)er se)eral weeks, linked to a )ery s#ecial teaching of
the Fifth alai !ama: $!e)enson, .QQ%, #* %@%(* The result of this "#ractice: was, as -laude
B* !e)enson re#orts, the following0 firstly there was "a ma6or earth8uake in -hina with
thousands of )ictims* Then Mao made his final bow u#on the mortal stage* This #rom#ted an
<ndian who was close to the Tibetans to state, GThat,s enough, sto# your #raying, otherwise the
sky will fall on the heads of the -hineseG/ $!e)enson, .QQ%, #* %@%(* <n fact, shortly before his
death the "9reat -hairman: was directly affected by this earth8uake* ;s his #ersonal
#hysician $who was #resent( re#orts, the bed shook, the house swayed, and a nearby tin roof
rattled fearsomely*

+hether or not this was a coincidence, if a secret ritual of the Fourteenth alai !ama
was conducted to "liberate: Mao Cedong, it can only ha)e been a matter of the )oodoo7like
killing #ractices from the @olden <anuscript of the "9reat Fifth:* Further, it is clear from the
Fourteenth alai !ama,s autobiogra#hy that on the day of Mao,s death he was busy with the
Time Tantra* ;t that time S.QNLT, the 2undun says* < was in !adakh, #art of the remote
<ndian #ro)ince of Dammu and 2ashmir, where < was conducting a "alachakra initiation* Kn
the second the ceremony,s three days, Mao died* ;nd the third day, it rained all morning* But,
in the afternoon, there a##eared one of the most beautiful rainbows < ha)e e)er seen* < was
certain that it must be a good omen: $alai !ama ?<V, .QQ&, %%%(

Th( 8o!t-Maoi!t (ra in Ti5(t
The -hinese of the eng era recogniMed the error of their #olitics during the -ultural
5e)olution and #ublicly criticiMed themsel)es because of e)ents in Tibet* ;n attem#t was
made to correct the mistakes and )arious former restrictions were relaxed ste# by ste#* ;s
early as .QNN the "undunwas offered the chance to return to Tibet* This was no subterfuge but
LQL
rather an earnest attem#t to a##ease* Kne could talk about e)erything, eng ?iao#ing said,
with the exce#tion of total inde#endence for Tibet*

Thus, o)er the course of years, with occasional interru#tions, informal contacts s#rang
u# between the re#resentati)es of the Tibetans in exile and the -hinese Party cadres* But no
agreement was reached*

The -ommunist Party of -hina guaranteed the freedom of religious #ractice, albeit with
certain restrictions* For exam#le, it was forbidden to #ractice "religious #ro#aganda: outside
of the monastery walls, or to recruit monks who were under .P years old, so as to #rotect
children from "religious indoctrination:* But by and large the Buddhist faith could be
#racticed unham#ered, and it has bloomed like ne)er before in the last 'H years*

<n the meantime hundreds of thousands of western tourists ha)e )isited the "roof of the
world:* <ndi)iduals and tra)el grou#s of exiled Tibetans ha)e also been #ermitted to )isit
the !and of Snows#ri)ately or were e)en officially in)ited as "guests of state:* ;mong them
has been 9yalo Thondu#, the alai !ama,s brother and military ad)isor, who cons#ired
against the -hinese -ommunists with the -<; for years and counted among the greatest
enemies of Bei6ing* The -hinese were firmly con)inced that the 2undun,s official delegations
would not arouse much interest among the #o#ulace* The o##osite was the case* Many
thousands #oured into !hasa to see the brother of the alai !ama*

But a##arently this "liberal: climate could not and still cannot heal the dee# wounds
inflicted after the in)asion and during the -hinese occu#ation*

=# until .QQP, the o##osition to Bei6ing in Tibet was stronger than e)er before since the
flight of the alai !ama, as the bloody rebellion of Kctober .QPN SHT and the since then
unbroken wa)e of demonstrations and #rotests indicates* For this reason a state of emergency
was in force in !hasaand the neighboring region until .QQ&* The Tibet researcher 5onald
SchwartM has #ublished an interesting study in which he con)incingly #ro)es that the Tibetan
resistance acti)ities conform to ritualiMed #atterns* 5eligion and #olitics, #rotest and ritual are
blended here as well* ;longside its communicati)e function, e)ery demonstration thus
#ossesses a symbolic one, and is for the #artici#ants at heart a magic act which through
LQN
constant re#etition is su##osed to achie)e the ex#ulsion of the -hinese and the de)elo#ment
of a national awareness among the #o#ulace*

The central #rotest ceremony in the country consists in the circling of
the Dokhang Tem#le by monks and laity who carry the Tibetan flag* This action is known
as khorra and is linked to a tradition of circumambulation* Since time immemorial the
belie)ers ha)e circled shrines in a clockwise direction with a #rayer drum in the hand and
the om mani padme hum formula on their li#s, on the one hand to ensure a better rebirth, on
the other to worshi# the deities dwelling there* 1owe)er, these days the khorra is linked >
and this is historically recent > with #rotest acti)ity against the -hinese0 !eaflets are
distributed, #lacards carried, the alai !ama is cheered* ;t the same time monks offer u#
sacrificial cakes and in)oke abo)e all the terrible #rotecti)e goddess,(alden 9hamo* ;s if they
wanted to neutraliMe the magic of the #rotest ritual, the -hinese ha)e begun wandering around
the Dokhang in the o##osite direction, i*e*, counterclockwise*

Those monks who were wounded and killed by the -hinese security forces whilst
#erforming the ritual in the eighties are considered the su#reme national martyrs* Their
sacrificial deaths demanded wides#read imitation and in contrast to the Buddhist #rohibition
against )iolence could be legitimated without difficulty* To sacrifice your life does not
contradict Buddhism, young monks from the re#ung monastery told western tourists
$SchwartM, .QQ@, #* N.(*

+ithout com#letely 6ustifying his claims, SchwartM links the circling of the Dokhang
with the )ision of the Buddhist world kingshi#* 1e refers to the fact that Tibet,s first Buddhist
ruler, Songtsen 9am#o, built the national shrine and that his s#irit is su##osed to be con6ured
u# by the constant circumambulation0 Tibetans in succeeding centuries assimilated Songtsen
9am#o to the uni)ersal SVT Buddhist #aradigm of the ideal king, the Chakra+artin or wheel7
turning king, who subdues demonic forces and establishes a #olity committed to
#romoting =harma or righteousness: $SchwartM, .QQ@, #* ''(*

; link between the world ruler thus e)oked and the "tantric female sacrifice: is
#ro)ided by the myth that the li)ing heart of Srinmo, the mother of Tibet, beats in a
mysterious lake beneath the Dokhang where it was once nailed fast with a dagger by the king,
LQP
Songtsen 9am#o* <n the light of the orientation of contem#orary Buddhism, which remains
firmly anchored in the andocentric tradition, the ritual circling of the tem#le can hardly be
intended to free the earth goddess* <n contrast, it can be assumed that the monk,s concern is to
strengthen the bonds holding down the female deity, 6ust as the earth s#irits are nailed to the
ground anew in e)ery "alachakra ritual*

;fter a #ause of %H years, the Tibetan 4ew Bear,s celebration $Monlam(, banned by the
-hinese in .QL&, are since.QPL once more held in front of the Dokhang* This religious
occasion, which as we ha)e shown abo)e is symbolically linked with the killing of 2ing
!angdarma, has been seiMed u#on by the monks as a chance to #ro)oke the -hinese
authorities* But here too, the #olitical #rotest cannot be se#arated from the mythological
intention* <ts final ceremony,: SchwartM writes of the current MJnlam festi)als, which
centres on <aitreya, the Buddha of the next age, looks forward to the return of harmony to
the world with the re7emergence of the #ure doctrine in the mythological future* The demonic
#owers threatening society, and bringing strife and suffering, are identified with the moral
degeneration of the #resent age* The recommitment of Tibet as a nation to the cause of
Buddhism is thus a ste# toward the collecti)e sal)ation of the world: $SchwartM, .QQ@, #*
PP( The ritual circling of the Dokhang and the feast held before the "cathedral: thus do not 6ust
#re#are for the liberation of Tibet from the -hinese yoke, but also the establishment of a
worldwide Buddhocracy $the resurrection of the #ure doctrine in a mythological future(*

-onsidered neutrally, the current social situation in Tibet #ro)es to be far more com#lex
than the Tibetans in exile would wish* =n8uestionably, the -hinese ha)e introduced many and
decisi)e im#ro)ements in com#arison to the feudal state Buddhism of before .QHQ* But
likewise there is no 8uestion that the Tibetan #o#ulation ha)e had to endure bans, su##ression,
seiMures, and human rights )iolations in the last 'H years* But the ma6ority of these in6ustices
and restrictions also a##ly throughout the rest of -hina* The cultural and ethnic changes under
the influence of the -hinese 1an and the <slamic 1ui #ouring in to the country may well be
s#ecific* Bet here too, there are #rocesses at work which can hardly be described $as the
"alai !ama: constantly does( as "cultural genocide:, but rather as a result of the
transformation from a feudal state +ia communism into a highly industrialiMed and
multicultural country*

LQQ
A 8an-A!ian 'i!ion o- th( 4aacha1ra Tantra<
<n this section we would like to discuss two #ossible #olitical de)elo#ments which ha)e
not as far as we know been considered before, because they a##ear absurd on the basis of the
current international state of affairs* 1owe)er, in s#eculating about future e)ents in world
history, one has to free oneself from the current #osition of the fronts* The twentieth century
has #roduced unimaginable changes in the shortest of times, with the three most im#ortant
#olitical e)ents being the colla#se of colonialism, the rise and fall of fascism, and that of
communism* 1ow often ha)e we had to ex#erience that the bitterest of enemies today become
tomorrow,s best friends and )ice )ersa* <t is therefore legitimate to consider the 8uestion of
whether the current alai !ama or one of his future incarnations can with an a##eal to
the Shambhala myth set himself u# as the head of a -entral ;sian ma6or7#ower block with
-hina as the leading nation* The other 8uestion we want to consider is this > could the
-hinese themsel)es use the ideology of the "alachakra Tantra to #ursue an im#erialist #olicy
in the futureA

The "alachakra Tantra and the Shambhala myth had and still ha)e a 8uite exce#tional
#o#ularity in -entral ;sia* There, they hardly fulfill a need for world #eace, but rather O
es#ecially in MongoliaOact as a symbol for dreams of becoming a ma6or #ower* Thus
the Shambhala #ro#hecy undoubtedly #ossesses the ex#losi)e force to #ower an
aggressi)e ;sia,s im#erialist ideology* This idea is wides#read among the 2almyks, the
)arious Mongolian tribes, the Bhutanese, the Sikkimese, and the !adhakis*

3)en the Da#anese made use of the Shambhala myth in the forties in order to establish a
foothold inMongolia* The #ower7hungry fascist elite of the island were generous in creating
#olitical7religious combinations* They had known how to fuse Buddhism and Shintoism
together into an im#osing im#erialist ideology in their own country* +hy should this not also
ha##en with !amaismA 1ence Da#anese agents stro)e to create contacts with the lamas
of -entral ;sia and Tibet $2imura, .QQ&(* They e)en funded a search #arty for the incarnation
of the 4inth Debtsundam#a 2hutuktu, the "yellow #ontiff of the Mongolians:, and sent it
to !hasa for this #ur#ose $Tibetan Re+iew, February .QQ., #* .Q(* There were already close
contacts to Da#an under the Thirteenth alai !amaR he was ad)ised in military 8uestions, for
exam#le, was a Da#anese by the name of Basu6iro Ba6ima $Tibetan Re+iew, Dune .QP%, ##* Pf*(*

N&&
<n line with the worldwide renaissance in all religions and their fundamentalist strains it
can therefore not be excluded that !amaism also regain a foothold in -hina and that after a
return of the alai !ama the "alachakra ideology become wides#read there* <t would then >
as 3dwin Bernbaum o#ines > 6ust be seeds that had been sown before which would
s#rout* Through the Mongolians, the Manchus, and the influence of the Panchen !amas, the
2alachakra Tantra e)en had an im#act on -hina0 ; ma6or landmark of Peking, the (ai t'a, a
white Tibetan7style stu#a on a hill o)erlooking the Forbidden -ity, bears the emblem of the
2alachakra Teaching, The Ten of (ower* 9reat 2alachakra <nitiations were also gi)en
in Peking*: $Bernbaum, .QP&, #* %PL, f* N( These were conducted in the thirties by the
Panchen !ama*

$ai%an: & sprin)board *or $ibetan B"ddhism and the Co"rteenth Dalai Lama3
Bet as a decisi)e indicator of the #otential "con8uest: of -hina by Tibetan Buddhism,
its ex#losi)e s#read in Taiwan must be mentioned* Tibetan lamas first began to missioniMe the
island in .Q@Q* But their work was soon extinguished and could only be resumed in .QP&*
From this #oint in time on, howe)er, the tantric doctrine has en6oyed a trium#hal #rogress*
The eutsche Presse ;gentur $d#a( estimates the number of the "undun's followers in Taiwan
to be between %&& and '&& thousand and increasing, whilst the Tibetan Re+iew of May .QQN
e)en re#orts a figure of half a million* K)er a hundred Tibetan Buddhist shrines ha)e been
built* 3)ery month around .&& !amaist monks from all countries )isit Taiwan "to raise money
for Tibetan tem#les around the world: there $Tibetan Re+iew, May .QQH, #* ..(*

<ncreasingly, high lamas are also reincarnating themsel)es in Taiwanese, i*e*, -hinese,
families* To date, four of these ha)e been "disco)ered: > an adult and three children > in
the years .QPN, .QQ&, .QQ., and .QQH* !ama !obsang Dungney told a re#orter that
"5eincarnation can ha##en where)er there is the need for Buddhism* Taiwan is a blessed
land* <t could ha)e @& reincarnated lamas*: $Tibetan Re+iew, May .QQH, ##* .&7..(*

<n March .QQN a s#ectacular rece#tion was #re#ared for the alai !ama in many
locations around the country* The #olitical climate had shifted fundamentally* The earlier
ske#ticism and reser)ation with which the god7king was treated by officials in Tai#ei, since as
nationalists they did not a##ro)e of a detachment of the !and of Snows from -hina, had gi)en
way to a warm7hearted atmos#here* 1is 1oliness was #raised in the #ress as the "most
N&.
significant )isionary of #eace: of our time* The encounter with President !ee Teng7hui, at
which the two "heads of go)ernment: discussed s#iritual to#ics among other things, was
celebrated in the media as a "meeting of the #hiloso#hy kings: $Tibetan Re+iew, May .QQN, #*
.H(* The "undun has rarely been so a##lauded* "<n fact,: theTibetan Re+iew writes,
"the Taiwan )isit was the most #olitically charged of all his o)erseas )isits in recent memory:
$Tibetan Re+iew, May .QQN, #* .%(* <n the southern harbor city of 2aohsiungthe "undun held
a rousing s#eech in front of H&,&&& followers in a s#ort stadium* The Tibetan national flag was
flown at e)ery location where he sto##ed* The Taiwanese go)ernment a##ro)ed a large sum
for the establishment of a Tibet office in Tai#ei* The office is referred to by the Tibetans in
exile as a "de facto embassy:*

;t around the same time, des#ite strong #rotest from Bei6ing, Tibetan monks brought an
old tooth of the Buddha, which fleeing lamas had taken with them during the -ultural
5e)olution, to Taiwan* The mainland -hinese demanded the tooth back* <n contrast a #ress
re#ort said, "Taiwanese #oliticians ex#ressed the ho#e SthatT the relic would bring #eace
to Taiwan, after se)eral corru#tion scandals and air disasters had cost o)er %&& #eo#le their
li)es: $Schweizerisch Tibetische #reundschaft, ;#ril .@, .QQP 7 <nternet(*

The s#ectacular de)elo#ment of !amaist Buddhism in 4ationalist -hina $Taiwan(
shows that the land could be used as an ideal s#ringboard to establish itself in a -hina freed of
the -ommunist Party* =ltimately, the "undun says, the -hinese had collected negati)e karma
through the occu#ation of Tibet and would ha)e to bear the conse8uences of this $Tibetan
Re+iew, May .QQN, #* .Q(* 1ow could this karma be better worked off than through the
Middle 2ingdom as a whole 6oining the !amaist faith*

$he Co"rteenth Dalai Lama and the -hinese
The cultural relationshi#s of the "undun and of members of his family to the -hinese
are more com#lex and multi7layered than they are #ercei)ed to be in the +est* !et us recall
that -hinese was s#oken in the home of the god7king,s #arents in Takster* <n connection with
the regent, 5eting 5in#oche, the father of the alai !ama showed such a great sym#athy
towards Bei6ing that still today the -hinese celebrate him as one of their "#atriots: $-raig,
.QQN, #* %'%(* Two of 1is 1oliness,s brothers, 9yalo Thundu# and TendMin -hoegyal, s#eak
fluent -hinese* 1is im#ressi)e dealings with Bei6ing and his #ragmatic #olitics ha)e se)eral
N&%
times earned 9yalo Thundu# the accusation by Tibetans in exile that he is a traitor who would
sell Tibet to the -hinese $-raig, .QQN, ##* ''@ff*(* haramsala has maintained #ersonal
contacts with many influential figures in 1ong 2ong and Taiwan since the sixties*

Since the nineties, the constant exchange with the -hinese has become increasingly
central to the"undun's #olitics* <n a s#eech made in front of -hinese students in Boston
$=S;( on Se#tember Q, .QQH, 1is 1oliness begins with a statement of how im#ortant the
contact to -hina and its #eo#le is for him* The usual constitutional statements and the well7
known demands for #eace, human rights, religious freedom, #luralism, etc* then follow, as if a
western #arliamentarian were cam#aigning for his country,s democracy* Knly at the end of his
s#eech does the "undun let the cat out of the bag and nonchalantly #ro#oses Tibetan
Buddhism as -hina,s new religion and thus, indirectly, himself as the Buddhist messiah0
"Finally it is my strong belie)e and ho#e that howe)er small a nation Tibet might be, we can
still contribute to the #eace and the #ros#erity of -hina* ecades of communist rule and the
commercial acti)ities in recent years both dri)en by extreme materialism, be it communist or
ca#italist, are destroying much of -hinaGs s#iritual and moral )alues* ; huge s#iritual and
moral )acuum is thus being ra#idly created in the -hinese society* <n this situation, the
Tibetan Buddhist culture and #hiloso#hy would be able to ser)e millions of -hinese brothers
and sisters in their search for moral and s#iritual )alues* ;fter all, traditionally Buddhism is
not an alien #hiloso#hy to the -hinese #eo#le: $Tibetan Re+iew, Kctober .QQH, #* .P(*
;d)ertising for the "alachakrainitiation organiMed for the year .QQQ
in Bloomington, <ndiana was also a)ailable in -hinese* Since ;ugust %&&& one of the web
sites run by the Tibetans in exile has been a##earing in -hinese*

<n recent months $u# until .QQP(, "#ro7-hinese: statements by the "undun ha)e been
issued more and more fre8uently* <n .QQN he ex#lained that the materialistic -hinese could
only #rofit from an ado#tion of s#iritual !amaism* 3)erywhere, indicators of a re7
BuddhiMation of -hina were already to be seen* For exam#le, a high7ranking member of the
-hinese military had recently had himself blessed by the Mongolian great lama, 2usho
Bakula 5in#oche, when the latter was in Bei6ingbriefly* ;nother -hinese officer had
#artici#ated in a !amaist e)ent seated in the lotus #osition, and a Tibetan woman had told him
how Tibetan Buddhism was flourishing in )arious regions in -hina*

N&'
/So from these stories we can see:, the alai !ama continued, "that when the situation
in -hina #ro#er becomes more o#en, with more freedom, then definitely many -hinese will
find useful ins#iration from Tibetan Buddhist traditions: $Shambhala Sun, ;rchi)e,
4o)ember .QQL(* <n .QQP, in an inter)iew that 1is 1oliness ga)e the 9erman edition
of (layboy, he 8uite materialistically says0 "<f we remain a #art of -hina we will also #rofit
materially from the enormous u#turn of the country: $(layboy& 9erman edition, March .QQP,
#* @@(* The army of monks who are su##osed to carry out this ambitious #ro6ect of a
"!amaiMation of -hina: are currently being trained in Taiwan*

<n .QQN, the "undun wrote to the -hinese Party Secretary, Diang Cemin, that he would
like to undertake a "non7#olitical #ilgrimage: to +utaishan in Shanxi #ro)ince $not in Tibet(*
The most sacred shrine of the Bodhisatt)a <anu0ri, who from a !amaist #oint of )iew is
incarnated in the #erson of the -hinese 3m#eror, is to be found in +utaishan* Thus for the
lamas the holy site harbors the la, the ruling energy of the -hinese 3m#ire* <n #re#aring for
such a tri#, the "undun&who is a consistent thinker in such matters, will certainly ha)e
considered how best to magically ac8uire the la of the highly geomantically significant site of
+utaishan*

The god7king wants to meet Diang Cemin at this sacred location to discuss Tibetan
autonomy* But, as we ha)e indicated, his #rimary moti)e may well be an esoteric one* ;
""alachakra ritual for world #eace: is #lanned there* Traditionally, the +utai mountains are
seen as !amaism,s gateway to -hina* <n the magical world )iew of the alai !ama, the
construction of a sand mandala in this location would be the first ste# in the s#iritual con8uest
of the -hinese realm* ;lready in .QPN, the well7known Tibetan lama, 2hen#o Dik#hun
conducted a "alachakra initiation in front of L&&& #eo#le* 1e is also su##osed to ha)e
le)itated there and floated through the air for a brief #eriod $9oldstein, .QQP, #* PH(*

;t the end of his critical book, (risoners of Shangri29a, the Tibetologist and Buddhist
onald S* !o#eM addresses the Fourteenth alai !ama,s )ision of
"con8uering: -hina s#ecifically through the"alachakra Tantra* 1ere he discusses the fact
that #artici#ants in the ritual are reborn as Shambhala warriors* "The alai !ama:, !o#eM
says, "may ha)e found a more efficient techni8ue for #o#ulating Shambhala and recruiting
troo#s for the army of the twenty7fifth king, an army that will defeat the enemies of Buddhism
N&@
and bring the uto#ia of Shambhala, hidden for so long beyond the 1imalayas, to the world* <t
is the alai !ama,s #rayer, he says, that he will some day gi)e the"alachakra initiation
in Bei6ing: $!o#eM, .QQP, #* %&N(*

The "Strasbourg eclaration: $of Dune .H, .QPP(, in which the alai !ama renounces a
claim on state autonomy for Tibet if he is #ermitted to return to his country, creates the best
conditions for a #ossible !amaiMation of the greater -hinese territory* <t is interesting in this
context that with the renouncement of political autonomy, the 2undun at the same time
articulated a territorial ex#ansion for the cultural autonomy of Tibet* The border #ro)inces of
2am and ;mdo, which for centuries ha)e #ossessed a mixed -hinese7Tibetan #o#ulation, are
now su##osed to come under the cultural #olitical control of the "undun* Moderate circles
in Bei6ing a##ro)e of the alai !ama,s return, as does the newly founded emocratic Party of
-hina under ?u +enli*

;lso, in recent years the numerous contacts between exile Tibetan #oliticians and
Bei6ing ha)e not 6ust been hostile, rather the contacts sometimes awake the im#ression that
here an ;sian power play is at work behind closed doors, one that is no longer easy for the
+est to understand* For exam#le, 1is 1oliness and the -hinese successfully coo#erated in the
search for and a##ointment of the reincarnation of the 2arma#a, the leader of the 5ed 1ats,
although here a 2agyu#a faction did #ro#ose another candidate and enthrone him in the +est*

Since -linton,s )isit to -hina $in .QQP( e)ents in the secret di#lomacy between the
Tibetans in exile and the -hinese are becoming increasingly #ublic* Kn -hinese
tele)ision -linton said to Diang Cemin, "< ha)e met the alai !ama* < think he is an u#right
man and belie)e that he and President Diang would really get on if they s#oke to one another:
$SKddeutsche Geitung, Duly .N, .QQP(* Thereu#on, 1is 1oliness #ublicly admitted that se)eral
"#ri)ate channels: to Peking already existed which #roduce "fruitful contacts: $SKddeutsche
Geitung, Duly .N, .QQP(* 1owe)er, since .QQQ the wind has turned again* The "anti alai
!ama cam#aigns: of the -hinese are now ceaseless* Kwing to -hinese inter)entions the
2undun has had to endure se)eral #olitical setbacks throughout the entire Far 3ast* uring his
)isit to Da#an in the S#ring of %&&& he was no longer officially recei)ed* 3)en the Mayor of
Tokyo $Shintaro <sihara(, a friend of the religious dignitary, had to cancel his in)itation* The
great ho#e of being #resent at the inauguration of the new Taiwanese #resident, -hen Shui7
N&H
Bian on May %&, %&&&, was not to be, e)en though his #artici#ation was originally #lanned
here too* es#ite internal and international #rotest, South 2orea refused the alai !ama an
entry )isa* The ?chinese e)en succeeded in excluding the 2undun from the Millennium
Summit of +orld 5eligions held by the =4 at the end of ;ugust %&&& in 4ew Bork* The
worldwide #rotests at this decision remained 8uite subdued*

$he Co"rteenth Dalai Lama and 'omm"nism
The "undun's constant attestations that Buddhism and -ommunism ha)e common
interests should also be seen as a further currying of fa)or with the -hinese* Kne can thus
read numerous statements like the following from 1is 1oliness0 The !ord Buddha wanted
im#ro)ement in the s#iritual realm, and Marx in the materialR what alliance could be more
fruitfulA: $1icks and -hogyam, .QQ&, #* .@'(R "< belie)e firmly there is common ground
between communism and Buddhism: $9runfeld, .QQL, #* .PP(R "4ormally < describe myself
as half Marxist, half monk: $Geitmagazin .QPP, no* @@, #* %@R retranslation(* 1e is e)en
known to ha)e made a #lea for a communist economic #olicy0 ";s far as the economy is
concerned, the Marxist theory could #ossibly com#lement Buddhism***: $!e)enson, .QQ%, #*
''@(* <t is thus no wonder that at the god7king,s suggestion , the "-ommunist Party of Tibet:
was founded* The alai !ama has become a left7wing re)olutionary e)en by the standards of
those western nostalgics who mourn the #assing of communism*

=# until in the eighties the alai !ama,s concern was to create )ia such comments a
good relationshi# with the So)iet =nion, which had since the sixties become embroiled in a
dangerous conflict with -hina* ;s we ha)e seen, e)en the en)oy of the Thirteenth alai
!ama, ;g)an or6ie), was a master at changing #olitical fronts as he switched from the Tsar
to !enin without a #roblem following the Bolshe)ist seiMure of #ower* Bet it is interesting that
1is 1oliness has to continued to make such #ro7Marxist statements after the colla#se of most
communist systems* Perha#s this is for ethical reasons, or because -hina at least ideologically
continues to cling to its communist #astA

These days through such statements the "undun wants to kee# o#en the #ossibility of a
return toTibet under -hinese control* <n .QQN in Taiwan he ex#lained that he was neither anti7
-hinese nor anti7communist $Tibetan Re+iew, May .QQN, #* .@(* 1e e)en
criticiMed -hina because it had ste##ed back from its Marxist theory of economics and the
N&L
gulf between rich and #oor is thus becoming e)er wider $Martin Scheidegger, s#eaking at
the @esellschaft Schweizerisch Tibetische #reundschaft SSociety for Swiss7Tibetan
Friendshi#T, ;ugust .P, .QQN(*

Ar( th( Chin(!( int(r(!t(d in th( Sha$5haa $%th<
o the -hinese ha)e an interest in the "alachakra Tantra and the Shambhala mythA !et
us re#eat, since time immemorial -hina and Tibet ha)e oriented themsel)es to a mythic
conce#tion of history which is not immediately com#rehensible to ;mericans or 3uro#eans*
;lmost nobody here wants to belie)e that this archaic way of thinking continued to exist,
e)en increased, under "materialistic: communism* For a +esterner, -hina today still
re#resents "the land of materialism: )is7d7)is Tibet as "the land of s#irituality:* There are,
howe)er, rare exce#tions who a)oid this clichZ, such as 1ugh 5ichardson for exam#le, who
establishes the following in his history of Tibet0 "The -hinese ha)e *** a #rofound regard for
history* But history, for them was not sim#ly a scientific study* <t had the features of a cult,
akin to ancestor worshi#, with the ritual ob6ect of #resenting the #ast, fa)orably emended and
touched u#, as a model for current #olitical action* <t had to conform also to the mystical )iew
of -hina as the -entre of the +orld, the =ni)ersal 3m#ire in which e)ery other country had a
natural urge to become a #art X The -ommunists X were the first -hinese to ha)e the #ower
to con)ert their ata)istic theories into fact: $8uoted by -raig, .QQN, #* .@L(*

<f it was ca#able of sur)i)ing communism, this mythically based understanding of
history will hardly disa##ear with it* <n contrast, religious re)i)als are now running in #arallel
to the flourishing establishment of ca#italist economic systems and the increasing
mechaniMation of the country* ;dmittedly the 1an -hinese are as a #eo#le )ery much oriented
to material things, and -onfucianism which has regained res#ectability in the last few years
counts as a #hiloso#hy of reason not a religion* But history has demonstrated that )isionary
and ecstatic cults from outside were able to enter -hina with ease* The -hinese #ower elite
ha)e im#orted their religious7#olitical ideas from other cultures se)eral times in the #ast
centuries* 1ence the Middle 2ingdom is historically #re#ared for such ideologicalUs#iritual
in)asions, then u# to and including Marxist communism it has been seen, the Sinologist
+olfgang Bauer writes, "that, as far as religion is concerned, -hina ne)er went on the
offensi)e, ne)er missioniMed, but rather the re)erse, was always only the target of such
missioniMations from outside: $Bauer, .QPQ, #* HN&(* 4e)ertheless such religious im#orts
N&N
could ne)er really mono#oliMe the country, rather they all 6ust had the one task, namely to
reinforce the idea of -hina as the center of the world* This was also true for Marxist Maoism*

!et us also not forget that the Middle 2ingdom followed the teachings of the Buddha
for centuries* The earliest e)idence of Buddhism can be traced back to the first century of our
era* <n the Tang dynasty many of the 3m#erors were Buddhists* Tibetan !amaism held a great
fascination es#ecially in the final e#och, that of the Manchus* Thus for a self7confident
-hinese #ower elite a -hinese reacti)ation of the Shambhala myth could without further ado
deli)er a traditionally anchored #an7;sian ideology to re#lace a fading communism* ;s under
the Manchus, there is no need for such a )ision to s8uare with the ideas of the entire #eo#le*

$he Pan'hen Lama
Perha#s the alai !ama,s return to Tibet is not e)en needed at all for the Time Tantra to
be able to s#read in -hina* Perha#s the -hinese are already setting u# their
own "alachakra master, the Panchen !ama, who is traditionally considered friendly
towards -hina* Tibetans belie)e,: 3dwin Bernbaum writes, that the Panchen !amas ha)e a
s#ecial connection with Shambhala, that makes them uni8ue authorities on the
kingdom*I $Bernbaum, .QP&, #* .PH(* <n addition there is the wides#read #ro#hecy
that Rudra Chakrin& the doomsday general, will be an incarnation of the Panchen !ama*

;s we ha)e already re#orted, the common history of the alai !ama and the ruler from
Tashi !un#ho $the Panchen !ama( exhibits numerous #olitical and s#iritual discordances,
which among other things led to the two hierarchs becoming allied with different foreign
#owers in their running battle against one another* The Panchen !amas ha)e always #roudly
defended their inde#endence from !hasa* By and large they were more friendly with the
-hinese than were the rulers in the Potala* <n .Q%' the inner7Tibetan conflict came to a head
in the 4inth Panchen !ama,s flight to-hina* <n his own words he was unable to li)e under
these troubles and sufferingC inflicted on him by !hasa $Mehra, .QNL, #* @H(* Both he and the
alai !ama had obtained wea#ons and munitions in ad)ance, and an armed clash between the
two #rinces of the church had been in the air for years* This exhausted itself, howe)er, in the
unsuccessful #ursuit of the fleeing hierarch from Tashilun#ho by a body of three hundred men
under orders from !hasa* The Thirteenth alai !ama was so enraged that he denied the
Buddhahood of the fleeing incarnation of ;mitabha, because this was selfish, #roud, and
N&P
ignorant* <t had, together with his sinful com#anoins, who resembled mad ele#hants and
followed wrong #ath,: made itself scarce $Mehra, .QNL, #* @H(*

<n .Q'% the Panchen !ama is su##osed to ha)e #lanned an in)asion of Tibet with
.&,&&& -hinese soldiers to con8uer the !and of Snows and set himself u# as its ruler* Knly
after the death of the "9reat Thirteenth: was a real reconciliation with !hasa #ossible* <n .Q'N
the weakened and disa##ointed #rince of the church returned to Tibet but died within a year*
1is #ro7-hina #olitics, howe)er, still found ex#ression in his will in which he #ro#hesied that
"Buddha ;mitabha's next incarnation will be found among the -hinese: $1ermanns, .QHL, #*
'%'(*

<n the search for the new incarnation the -hinese nation #ut forward one candidate and
the Tibetan go)ernment another* Both #arties refused to recogniMe the other,s boy* 1owe)er,
under great #olitical #ressure the -hinese were finally able to #re)ail* The Tenth Panchen
!ama was then brought u# under their influence* ;fter the alai !ama had fled in .QHQ, the
-hinese a##ointed the hierarch from Tashilun#ho as Tibet,s nominal head of state* 1owe)er,
he only exercised this office in a )ery limited manner and sometimes he allowed to be carried
away to make declarations of solidarity with the alai !ama* This earned him years of house
arrest and a ban on #ublic a##earances* 3)en if the Tibetans in exile now #romote such
statements as #atriotic confessions, by and large the Tenth Panchen !ama #layed either his
own or Bei6ing,s #art* <n .QNP he broke the )ow of celibacy im#osed u#on him by the
9elug#a order, marrying a -hinese woman and ha)ing a daughter with her*

Shortly before his death he acti)ely #artici#ated in the ca#italist economic #olicies of
the eng ?iao#ing era and founded the "angchen in Tibet in .QPN* This was a #owerful
umbrella organiMation that controlled a number of com#anies and businesses, distributed
international de)elo#ment funds for Tibet, and ex#orted Tibetan #roducts* The neoca#italist
business elite collected in the "angchen was for the most #art recruited from old Tibetan
noble families and were o##osed to the #olitics of the alai !ama, whilst from the other side
they en6oyed the su##orti)e bene)olence of Bei6ing*

;s far as the Tibetan #rotest mo)ement of recent years is concerned, the Tenth Panchen
!ama tried to exert a conciliatory influence u#on the re)olting monks, but regretted that they
N&Q
would not listen to him* "+e insist u#on re7educating the ma6ority of monks and nuns who
become guilty of minor crimes Si*e*, resistance against the -hinese authoritiesT/ he announced
#ublicly and went on, "But we will show no #ity to those who ha)e stirred u# unrest:
$Mac<nnes, .QQ', #* %P%(*

<n .QPQ the tenth incarnation of the ;mitabha died* The -hinese made the funeral
celebrations into a grandiose e)ent of state SVT that was broadcast nationally on radio and
tele)ision* They in)ited the Fourteenth alai !ama to the burial which took #lace in Bei6ing,
but did not want him to )isit Tibetafterwards* For this reason the "undun declined* ;t the
same time the Tibetans in exile announced that the Panchen !ama had been #oisoned*

The #olitical #ower #lay entered a s#ectacular new round in the search for the ele)enth
incarnation* ;t first it seemed as if the two #arties $the -hinese and the Tibetans in exile(
would coo#erate* But then there were two candidates0 one #ro#osed by the "undun and one
by Bei6ing* The latter was enthroned in Tashi !un#ho* ; thoroughly #ower7conscious grou# of
#ro7-hinese lamas carried out the ceremonies, whilst the claimant designated by the alai
!ama was sent home to his #arents amid #rotests from the world #ublic* ;t first, haramsala
s#oke of a murder, and then a kidna##ing of the boy*

;ll of this may be considered an ex#ression of the running battle between the Tibetans
and the -hinese, yet e)en for the Tibetans in exile it is a sur#rise how much worth the -hinese
laid on the magic #rocedure of the rebirth myth and why they ele)ated it to become an affair
of state, es#ecially since the u#bringing of the alai !ama,s candidate would likewise ha)e
lain in their hands* They #robably decided on this course out of #rimarily #ragmatic #olitical
considerations, but the magic religious system #ossesses a dynamic of its own and can
ca#ti)ate those who use it unknowingly* ; !amaiMation of -hina with or without the alai
!ama is certainly a historical #ossibility* <n Kctober .QQH for exam#le, the young 2arma#a
was guest of honor at the national day celebrations in Bei6ing and had talks with im#ortant
heads of the -hinese go)ernment* The national #ress re#orted in detail on the subse8uent
6ourney through -hina which was organiMed for the young hierarch by the state* 1e is said to
ha)e exclaimed, "!ong li)e the Peo#le,s 5e#ublic of -hinaV: $Tibetan Re+iew, 4o)ember
.QQ@, #* Q(*

N.&
+hat a #ers#ecti)e would be o#ened for the #olitics of the "alachakra deities if they
were able to anchor themsel)es in -hina with a combination of the Panchen and alai !amas
so as to deli)er the foundations for a #an7;sian ideologyV ;t last, father and son could be
reunited, for those are the titles of the ruler from Tashilun#ho $the father( and the hierarch
from the Potala $the son( and how they also refer to one another* Then one would ha)e taken
on the task of bringing the Time Tantra to the +est, the other of reawakening it in its country
of origin in -entral ;sia* ;mitabha and;+alokitesh+ara, always 8uarreling in the form of their
mortal incarnations, the Panchen and the alai !ama, would now com#lement one another >
but this time it would not be a matter of Tibet, but -hina, and then the world*

$he -omm"nist Party o* -hina
The -ommunist Party of -hina,s official #osition on the social role of religion
admittedly still shows a Marxist7!eninist influence* "5eligious belief and religious
sentiments, religious ceremonies and organiMations that are com#atible with the corres#onding
beliefs and emotions, are all #roducts of the history of a society*

The beginnings of religious mentality reflect a low le)el of #roduction*** ", it says in a
go)ernment statement of #rinci#le, and the text goes on to say that in #re7communist times
religion was used as a means "to control and still the masses: $Mac<nnes, .QQ', #* @'(*
4e)ertheless, religious freedom has been guaranteed since the se)enties, albeit with some
restrictions* ;cross the whole country a s#reading religious renaissance can be obser)ed that,
although still under state control, is in the #rocess of building u# hugely like an underground
current, and will soon surface in full #ower*

;ll religious orientations are affected by this > Taoism, -han Buddhism, !amaism,
<slam, and the )arious -hristian churches* Kfficially , -onfucianism is not considered a faith
but rather a #hiloso#hy* Since the eng era the attacks of the 9reat Proletarian -ultural
5e)olution u#on religious re#resentati)es ha)e been self7critically and #ublicly condemned*
;t the moment, more out of a bad conscience and touristic moti)es than from religious fer)or,
)ast sums of money are being ex#ended on the restoration of the shrines destroyed*

3)eryone is awaiting the great lea# forwards in a religious rebirth of the country at any
moment* "-hina,s tussle with the alai !ama seems like a sideshow com#ared to
N..
the Taiwan crisis: writes the former editor of the Lapan Times eekly& Boichi -lark Shimatsu,
"But Bei6ing is waging a #olitical contest for the hearts and minds of ;siaGs Buddhists that
could #ro)e far more significant than its battle o)er the future democracy in Taiwan:
$Shimatsu, 1P< &&Q(*

<t may be the result of #urely #ower #olitical considerations that the -hinese
-ommunists em#loy Buddhist constructions to take the wind out of the sails of the general
religious renaissance in the country )ia a strategy of attack, by declaring Mao Cedong to be a
Bodhisatt)a for exam#le $Tibetan Re+iew, Danuary .QQ@, #* '(* But there really are > as we
were able to be con)inced by a tele)ision documentary > residents of the eastern #ro)inces
of the extended territory who ha)e set u# likenesses of the 9reat -hairman on their altars
beside those of @uanyin and ;+alokitesh+ara, to whom they #ray for hel# in their need* ;
mythification of Mao and his transformation into a Bodhisatt)a figure should become all the
easier the more time #asses and the concrete historical e)ents are forgotten*

There are, howe)er, se)eral factions facing off in the dawning struggle for Buddha,s
control of-hina* For exam#le, some of the influential Da#anese Buddhist sects who trace their
origins to #arent monasteries in -hina see the Tibetan clergy as an arch7enemy* This too has
its historical causes* <n the .'
th
century and under the #rotection of the great Mongolian rulers
$of the Buan dynasty(, the lamas had the tem#les of the -hinese Buddhist !otus sect in
southern -hina raMed to the ground* <n reaction the latter organiMed a guerilla army of farmers
and were successful in shaking off foreign control, sending the Tibetans home, and
establishing the Ming dynasty $.'LP(* "This tradition of religious rebellion:, Boichi -lark
Shimatsu writes, "did not disa##ear under communism* 5ather, it continued under an
ideological guise* Mao CedongGs uto#ian )ision that dro)e both the -ultural 5e)olution and
the su##ression of intellectuals in Tiananmen S8uare bears a striking resemblance with the
#o#ulist Buddhist #olicies of 3m#eror Chu Buanthang, founder of the Ming ynasty and
himself a !otus Sect Buddhist #riest: $Shimatsu, 1P< &&Q(*

Many Da#anese Buddhists see a new "worldly: uto#ia in a combination of Maoist
#o#ulism, the continuation of eng ?iao#ingGs economic reforms, and the familiar )alues of
$non7Tibetan( Buddhism* ;t a meeting of the Soka 9okkai sect it was #ointed out that the first
name of the -hinese Premier !i Peng was "5oc:, the name of the mythic giant bird that
N.%
#rotected the Buddha* !i Peng answered allegorically that in #resent7day -hina the Buddha
"is the #eo#le and < consider myself the guardian of the #eo#le: $Shimatsu, 1P< &&Q(*
5e#resentati)es of Soka 9okkai also inter#reted the relationshi# between Shoko ;sahara and
the alai !ama as a 6ointly #lanned attack on the #ro7-hinese #olitics of the sect*

!ike the Tibetans in exile , the -hinese know that #ower lies in the hands of the elites*
These will decide which direction future de)elo#ments take* <t is doubtful whether the issue
of national so)ereignty will #lay any role at all among the Tibetan clergy should they be
#ermitted to ad)ance into -hina with the toleration and su##ort of the state* Since the murder
of 2ing !angdarma, Tibetan history teaches us, the interests of monastic #riests and not those
of the #eo#le are #reeminent in #olitical decisions* This was likewise true in re)erse for the
-hinese 3m#eror* The -hinese ruling elite will in the future also decide according to #ower7
#olitical criteria which religious #ath they will #ursue0 "Bei6ing clearly looks to a Buddhist
re)i)al to fill the s#iritual )oid in the ;sian heartland so long as it does not challenge the
nominally secular authorities* Such a re)i)al could #ro)ide the ma6or im#etus into the Pacific
century* !ike all uto#ias, it could also be fraught with disaster: $Shimatsu, 1P< &&Q(*

The +est, which has not reflected u#on the #otential for )iolence in TantricUTibetan
Buddhism or rather has not e)en recogniMed it, sees > blind as it is > a #acifist and
sal)ational deed by the Fourteenth alai !ama in the s#read of !amaism in -hina* The +hite
1ouse Tibet ex#ert, Mel)yn 9oldstein, all but demands of the 2undun that he return to Tibet*
<n this he is #robably )oicing the unofficial o#inion of the ;merican go)ernment0 "<f he Sthe
alai !amaT really wants to achie)e something,: says 9oldstein, "he has to sto#
attacking -hina on the international stage, he has to return and #ublicly acce#t the so)ereignty
o)er his home country: $Spiegel .LU.QQP, #* ..P(*

3)erything indicates that this will soon ha##en, and indeed at first under conditions
dictated by the -hinese* <n his criti8ue of the film "undun& the 6ournalist Tobias 2niebe writes
that, ";s little real #ower as this man Sthe alai !amaT may ha)e at the moment > as a
symbol he is unassailable and inextinguishable* The history of non)iolent resistance is one of
the greatest, there is, and in it"undun Sthe filmT is a kind of #relude* The actual film, which
we are waiting for, may soon begin0 if an a##arently im#regnable, billion7strong market is
infiltrated by the #ower of a symbol Sthe alai !amaT whose e)idence it is unable to resist for
N.'
long* <f this film is e)er made, it will not be shown in the cinemas, but rather on -44:
$SKddeutsche Geitung, March .N, .QQP(* 2niebe and many others thus await a !amaiMation of
the whole -hinese territory*

; wild s#eculationA a)id 9ermano, Professor of Tibetan Studies in Virginia,
ascertained on his tra)els in Tibet that "The -hinese fascination with Tibetan Buddhism is
#articularly im#ortant, and < ha)e #ersonally witnessed extremes of #ersonal de)otion and
financial su##ort by 1an -hinese to both monastic and lay Tibetan religious figures Si*e*,
lamasT within the Peo#leGs 5e#ublic of -hina: $9oldstein, .QQP, #* PL(*

Such a #ers#ecti)e is ex#ressed most clearly in a #osting to an <nternet discussion forum
from ;#ril P, .QQP0 "/3asy, 11! S1is 1oliness the alai !amaT/, it says, "can turn the
#eo#le of Taiwan and-hina SintoT becoming conformists of Tibetan Buddhism* Soon or later,
there will be the-onfederate 5e#ublics of 9reater ;sia* 5e#ublic of Taiwan, Peo#leGs
5e#ublic of -hina, 5e#ublicof Tibet, Mongolia emocratic
5e#ublic, 3astern Turkestan 5e#ublic, <nner Mongolian 5e#ublic,4i##on, 2orea *** all will be
#arts of the -5K9;* alai !ama will be the head of the -5K9;: $Brigitte, 4ewsgrou# .&(*

But whether the "undun returns home to the roof of the world or not, his
aggressi)e "alachakraideology is not a to#ic for analysis and criticism in the +est, where
religion and #olitics are cleanly and neatly se#arated from one another* The des#otic idea of a
world ruler, the coming ;rmageddon, the world war between Buddhism and <slam, the
establishment of a monastic dictatorshi#, the hegemony of the Tibetan gods o)er the #lanets,
the de)elo#ment of a #an7;sian, !amaist ma6or7#ower #olitics > all )isions which are laid
out in the "undun's system and magically consolidated through e)ery "alachakra initiation
> are sim#ly not #ercei)ed by #oliticians from 3uro#e and ;merica* They let the wool be
#ulled o)er their eyes by the god7king,s #rofessions of democracy and #eace* 1ow and by
what means 1is 1oliness seeks to culturally con8uer the +est is what we want to examine in
the next cha#ter*

Footnot(!:
S.T This is #robably an in)ented historia sacra, as contem#orary documents found in
the library of Tunhuang do not say a word about the teaching of the Buddha being the state
N.@
religion of the time* <n the sources, the latter first emerges .H& years later under Trisong
etsen* <t is also clear that Songtsen 9am#o did not 6ust marry two women, but rather fi)e,
from )arious neighboring states in order to bind these to himself and his dynasty*
S%T This sym#athy of the Manchus for the !amaist teachings was the sole reason why
the Buddhist and yet )ery militant Mongolians remained #eaceful for so long and bowed to
the -hinese dominance* Shortly before its declaration of inde#endence $in .Q..(, nobles and
high lamas from the country sent a #etition to the 5ussian Tsar, in which among other things it
said0 "3arlier, we res#ectfully sub6ected oursel)es to the Manchu 2han because they fostered
the Buddhist religion and s#read the blessings: $Knon, .QPQ, #* .&(*
S'T <t has been ade8uately #ro)en that the human rights )iolations exercised out by the
-hinese forces of occu#ation between .QH' and the #resent day were significant* Monks were
beaten, tortured, taken away, and executed, 4uns and girls were )iolated* uring the
rebellions )illages were bombed and mass executions were carried out* The many and )aried
methods of torture included skinning ali)e* The scenes were terrible and are documented in
numerous #laces $see for exam#le, Dose#h -am#bell, .QN', ##* H&Qff*(* <t is thus not in any
way our intention to gloss o)er or hush u# the attacks by the -hinese soldiery* ;ll forms of
killing and torture, but es#ecially when it is inflicted on the hel#less, must be condemned as
strongly as #ossible* 1owe)er, the bad #olitics of the -hinese -ommunists does not nullify
their criticism of re#ressi)e social beha)ior in feudalisticTibet* But it has led to a situation in
which the Tibetans in exile can now offer a distorted history that in no way corres#onds to
historical reality #rior to .QH&*
S@T Strictly s#eaking, we are dealing with Taoist #ractices here* 4e)ertheless there are
numerous similarities between the two systems, es#ecially with regard to the male #ractices*
SHT The demonstrators burnt down a #olice station and a number of automobiles and
sho#s* Between L and %& Tibetans were killed when the #olice fired into the crowd* Some of
the #olicemen on duty were also Tibetan*

"0D THE #EDDHOCRATIC CONTEEST
OF THE WEST


5obert ;* Thurman0 "The academic godfather of the Tibetan cause:
The stolen re)olution
N.H
Thurman,s forged history
; worldwide Buddhocracy
Tibet a land of enlightenmentA
Thurman as "high #riest: of the 2alachakra Tantra

<n the )iew of the Tibetan lamas, the s#read of Buddhism in the +est is #redicted by an
ancient #ro#hecy* The historical Buddha is said to ha)e made the following #rognosis0 "Two
thousand and fi)e hundred years after my #assing the harma will s#read to the land of the
red7faced #eo#le: $Mullin, .QQ., #* .@H(* This they take to be a reference to the =S; and the
continent,s nati)e inhabitants, the 4orth ;merican <ndians* There is an astonishingly similar
#ro#hecy by the founder of Tibetan culture, Padmasambha)a0 "+hen the iron bird flies and
horses run on wheels X the harma will come to the land of the 5ed Man: $Bernbaum, .QP%,
#* ''(* +estern cultural figures like the director Martin Scorsese cite a famous #ronouncement
of the Tibetan state oracle #rior to the flight of the "undun in the .QH&s0 "The 6ewel that
grants wishes shines in the +est: says the #ro#hecy $#ocus, @LU.QQN, #* .LP( "The 6ewel that
grants wishes: is an e#ithet for the alai !ama*

<n the .QL&s and N&s the s#read of Tantric Buddhism in the +est still #ro)ed difficult,
es#ecially with regard to its social acce#tance* The Buddhist grou#s shared more or less the
same fate as all the other "exotic: sects* 4o distinction was drawn in #ublic between 1are
2rishna, Bhagwan followers or 9elug#a monks* Bet thanks to the mobility, #olitical skill,
so#histicated manner and charismatic aura of the alai !ama, !amaism,s isolation has in the
meantime become transformed into its o##osite and in recent years it has become a trium#hal
#arade* +hilst for the other 3astern sects the number of new members has been stagnating or
e)en declining since the Q&s, Tibetan Buddhism has been growing "like an ocean wa)e: the
news magaMine Spiegel re#orts& continuing, "<n the wake of sects and esoterica, 9ermans ha)e
SfoundT a new ha)en from the crisis of senselessness0 Buddhism* <n the S9ermanT Federal
5e#ublic '&&,&&& #eo#le are sym#athetic towards the far 3astern religion which discriminates
against women, re8uires celibacy of its monks and nuns, and whose western teachers #reach
banalities as truths*: $Spiegel, LU.QQ@( Four years later the same magaMine re#orts, this time in
a leading article which o)er many #ages reads like a hymn of #raise for the "undun, that half
a million 9ermans now follow the Buddhist #ath already* The Spiegel says that, ";d)ertising
co#ywriters and heads of business, uni)ersity #rofessors and housewi)es #rofess their faith in
N.L
the far 3astern religion > a ra#idly increasing tendency* *** 3)en in the new federal states, in
MenM in Brandenburg for instance, #rayer flags now flutter, freshly con)erted mumble
mantras SandT work on gilded Buddha figures: $Spiegel, .LU.QQP, #* .&Q(* The number of
Tibetan centers in the Federal 5e#ublic increased from P. to .@. within 6ust six years $.QQP(*

The 9erman #ress has > #robably unknowingly > become an instrument of
#ro#aganda for Tibetan Buddhism* The following short $V( collection of 8uotations is offered
as a demonstration0 CTibet is booming in the +est* Buddhism is the religion ` la mode*:
$Spiegel, .'*@*.QQP(R "<n9ermany too, Buddhism is becoming more and more of a to#ic:
$@ala, %.*'*.QQP(R "The )ictory march of the alai !ama lea)es e)en the Po#e #ale with
en)y* <n 1ollywood the leader of is currently worshi##ed like a god : $(layboy S9erman
editionT, March .QQP(R "Buddhism is booming and no7one is really sure why:
$$ild .Q*'*.QQP(R " <n Buddha,s arms more and more #ower women disco)er their souls
behind the facade of success: $$unte, .*..*.QQN(R "Buddhism is becoming a trend religion
in 9ermany: $#ocus HU.QQ@(*

The =S; and other western countries exhibit e)en higher growth rates than 9ermany*
<n the=nited States there are said to be .*H million Buddhists in the meantime* ";n ancient
religion grows e)er stronger roots in a new world, with the hel# of the mo)ies, #o# culture
and the #olitics of re#ressed Tibet: writes the news magaMine Time* $Time, )ol* .H& no* .H,
Kctober .', .QQN(* Between 4ew Bork and San Francisco Buddhist centers are s#ringing u#
one after another, "religious refuges in which actors, but also managers and #oliticians flee for
inner reflection* *** 4owhere outside of the Vatican do so many #rominent #ilgrims meet as in
this Wlittle !hasa, Si*e*, haramsalaT* Tibet is booming in the +est* Buddhism is the religion `
la mode* ;n audience with the god7king is considered the non plus ultra: re#orts
the Spiegel $Spiegel .LU.QQP, ##* .&Q, .&P(* Tens of thousands of ;mericans and 3uro#eans
ha)e #erformed some tantric #ractices, many hundreds ha)e undertaken the traditional three7
year retreat& and the number of ordained "+esterners: is constantly growing*

Tibetan Buddhism confronts +estern ci)iliMation with an image of longing which
in)okes the buried and forgotten legacy of theocratic cultures $which in #re7modern times
defined 3uro#ean #olitics as well(* 1ere, after the many sober years of rationalism $since the
French 5e)olution(, half dead of thirst for di)ine re)elation, the modern #erson comes across
N.N
a bubbling s#ring* !amas from "beyond the horiMon:, re)ered in occult circles u# until the
middle of this century as enigmatic 3astern masters of a secret doctrine and who rarely met an
ordinary #erson, ha)e now descended from the "5oof of the +orld: and entered the o)er7
so#histicated cities of western materialism* +ith them they ha)e brought their old teachings
of wisdom, their mystical knowledge, their archaic rites and secret magical #ractices* +e can
meet them in flesh and blood in !ondon, 4ew Bork, Paris, 5ome,Madrid, Berlin, e)en
in Derusalem > as if a far 3astern fairytale had become true*

+e ha)e described often enough the #olitical goal of this much7admired religious
mo)ement* <t in)ol)es the establishment of a global Buddhocracy, a ShambhaliMation of the
world, steered and go)erned, where #ossible, from Potala, the highest "Seat of the 9ods:
From there the longed7for Buddhist world ruler, the Chakra+artin, ids su##osed to go)ern the
globe and its #eo#les* Kf course, 1is 1oliness the Fourteenth alai !ama would ne)er s#eak
so directly about this )ision* But his #ro#het in the =S;, 5obert Thurman, is less
circums#ect*

Ro5(rt AD Thur$an: ,th( acad($ic god-ath(r o- th( Ti5(tan cau!(C
5obert ;lexander Farrar Thurman, the founder and current head of the Tibet
House in 4ew Bork, tra)eled to haramsala in the early .QL&s* There he was introduced to
the alai !ama as "a craMy ;merican boy, )ery intelligent, and with a good heart: who
wanted to become a Buddhist monk* The Tibetan hierarch acceded to the young ;merican,s
wish, ordained him as the first +esterner to become a Tibetan monk, and #ersonally
su#er)ised his studies and initiatory exercises* 1e considered Thurman,s training to be so
significant that he re8uired a weekly #ersonal meeting* Thurman,s first teacher was 2hen
!osang ondrub, ;bbot of the 4amgyal monastery which was s#ecifically commissioned to
#erform the so7called 2alachakra ritual* !ater, the 2almyk 9eshe +angal $.Q&.O.QP'( was
a##ointed as teacher of the "craMy: ;merican $born .Q@.(, who today maintains that he will
be able to celebrate the BuddhiMation of the =S; within his lifetime*

1a)ing returned from <ndia to the =nited States, Thurman began an academic career,
studying at 1ar)ard and translating se)eral classic Buddhist texts from Tibetan* 1e then
founded the "Tibet 1ouse: in 4ew Bork, a missionary office for the s#read of !amaism
in ;merica disguised as a cultural institute*
N.P

;longside the two actors 5ichard 9ere and Ste)en Segal, Thurman is the crowd #uller
of Tibetan Buddhism in the =S;* 1is famous daughter, the 1ollywood actress =ma Thurman,
who as a small child sat on the la# of the Tibetan "god7king:, has made no small contribution
to her father,s #o#ularity and o#ened the door to 1ollywood celebrities* The Herald
Tribune called Thurman "the academic godfather of the Tibetan cause: $Herald Tribune, %&
March .QQN, #* L( and in .QQNTime magaMine ranked him among the %H most influential
o#inion makers of ;merica* 1e is described there with a telling ironic undertone as the "Saint
Paul or Billy 9raham of Buddhism: $Time, %P ;#ril .QQN, #* @%( Thurman is in fact extremely
elo8uent and understands how to fascinate his audience with #owerful #olemics and rhetorical
brilliance* For exam#le, he calls the Tibetans "the baby seals of the human right mo)ement:*

<n the Shugden affair, Thurman naturally took the side of the Fourteenth alai !ama
and #roceeded with the most stringent measures against the "sectarians:, #ublicly dis#araging
them as the "Taliban of Buddhism:* +hen three monks were in stabbed to death in
haramsala he saw this murder as a ritual act0 "The three were stabbed re#eatedly and cut u#
in a way that was like exorcism: $!ewsweek, H May .QQN, #* @'(*

Thurman is the most highly ex#osed intellectual in the ;merican Tibet scene* 1is
#rofound knowledge of the occult foundations of !amaism, his intensi)e study of Tibetan
language and culture, his initiation as the first !amaist monk from the western cam#, his
rhetorical brilliance and not least his close connection to the Fourteenth alai !ama, which is
more than 6ust a #ersonal friendshi# and rests u#on a religious #olitical alliance, all make this
man a ma6or figure in the !amaist world* The ;merican is > as we shall see > the exoteric
#rotagonist of an esoteric drama, whose scri#t is written in what is known as the "alachakra
Tantra* 1e #romotes a "cool re)olution of the world community: and understands by this "a
cool restoration of !amaist Buddhism on a global scale:*

+e met 5obert Thurman in #erson at a Tibet -onference in Bonn $"Myth Tibet: in
.QQL(* 1e was without doubt the most #rominent and theatrical s#eaker and far exceeded the
as#irations laid out by the conference* The organiMers wanted to launch an academically
ase#tic discussion of Tibet and its history under the motto that our image of Tibet is a western
#ro6ection* <n truth, Tibet was and is a contradictory country like any other, and the Tibetans
N.Q
like other #eo#les ha)e had a tumultuous history* The image of Tibet therefore needs to be
#urged of any occultism and one7sided glorification* Thus the most well7known figures of
modern international Tibetology were gathered inBonn* The #roceedings were in fact
sur#risingly critical and an image of Tibet emerged which was able to #eel away some
illusions* There was no more talk of a faultless and s#iritual Shangri7!a u# on the roof of the
world*

es#ite this a##arently critical a##roach, the e)ent must be described as a mani#ulation*
First of all, the clichZ that the +est alone is res#onsible for the wides#read image
of Tibet found here was reinforced* +e ha)e shown at many #oints in our book that this
blissful image is also a creation of the lamas and the Fourteenth alai !ama himself* Further,
the fact that !amaism #ossesses a world )iew in which western ci)iliMation is to be su##lanted
)ia a new Buddhist millennium and that it is systematically working towards this goal was
com#letely elided from the debate in Bonn* <t a##ears the globaliMing claims of Tibetan
Buddhism ought to be #assed o)er silently* ;t this conference Tibet continued to be #ortrayed
as the tiny country o##ressed by the -hinese giant, and the academics, the ma6ority of whom
were #racticing Buddhists, #resented themsel)es as committed ethnologists ad)ocating, albeit
somewhat more critically than usual, the rescue of an endangered culture of a #eo#le under
threat* By and large this was the orientation of the conference in Bonn* <t was ho#ed to create
an island of "sober: scholarliness and ex#ertise in order to in6ect a note of realism into the by
now )ia the media com#letely exaggerated image of Tibet > in the 6ustifiable fear that this
could not be maintained indefinitely*

This carefully considered ob6ecti)e of the assembled Tibetologists was demolished by
Thurman* <n a #owerfully elo8uent s#eech entitled "9etting beyond Krientalism in
a##roaching Buddhism andTibet0 ; central conce#t:, he sketched a )ision of the BuddhiMation
of our #lanet, and of the establishment of a worldwide "Buddhocracy:* 1ere he dared to go a
number of ste#s further than in his at that stage not yet #ublished book, ?nner Re+olution* The
8uintessence of his dedicated #resentation was that the decadent, materialistic +est would
soon go under and a global monastic system along Tibetan lines would emerge in its stead*
This could well be based on traditional Tibet, which today at the end of the materialistic age
a##ears modern to many0 "Three hundred years before, this is the time, what < called modern
N%&
Tibet, which is the Buddhocratic, unmilitaristic, mass7monastic society X: $Thurman at the
conference in Bonn(*

Such #ers#ecti)es clearly much irritated the conference organiMers and immensely
disturbed their ostensible attem#t to introduce a note of academic clarity* The megalomaniac
claims of Tibetan neo7Buddhism #lainly and o#enly forced their way into the limelight during
Thurman,s s#eech* ; s#ectacular row with the officials resulted and Thurman left Bonn early*

<rres#ecti)e of one,s o#inion of Thurman, his s#eech in Bonn was 6ust #lain honestR it
called a s#ade a s#ade and remains an eminently im#ortant record since it introduced the term
"Buddhocracy: into the discussion as something desirable, indeed as the sole safety anchor
amid the fall of the +estern world* Those who are familiar with the background to !amaism
will recogniMe that Thurman has translated into easily understood western terms the religious
#olitical global #retensions of the Tibetan system codified in the "alachakra Tantra. The
;merican "mouth#iece of the alai !ama: is the #rinci#al witness for the fact that a
worldwide "Buddhocracy: is as#ired to not 6ust in the tantric rituals but also by the
#ro#agandists of Tibetan Buddhism* Thurman #robably re)ised and tamed down his final
manuscri#t for ?nner Re+olution in light of e)ents in Bonn* There, the emoti)e
terms $uddhocracy and $uddhocratic are no longer so central as they were in his s#eech
inBonn* 4onetheless a careful reading of his book re)eals the Buddhocratic intentions are not
hidden in any way* <n order to more clearly gi)e #rominence to these intentions, howe)er, we
will re)iew his book in connection with his s#eech in Bonn*

Th( !to(n r('oution
;nybody who summariMes the elements of the #olitical #rogram running through
Thurman,s book?nner Re+olution from co)er to co)er will soon recogniMe that they largely
concern the demands of the "re)olutionary: grass roots mo)ement of the N&s and P&s* 1ere
there is talk of e8uality of the sexes, indi)idual freedom, #ersonal emanci#ation, critical
thought, nonconformity, grass roots democracy, human rights, a social ethos, a minimum
income guaranteed by the state, e8uality of access to education, health and social ser)ices for
all, ecological awareness, tolerance, #acifism, and self7realiMation* <n an era in which all these
ideas no longer ha)e the same attraction as they did %& years ago, such nostalgic demands are
like a balsam* The ideals of the recent #ast a##ear to ha)e not been in )ainV The uto#ias of the
N%.
.QL&s will be realiMed after all, indeed, according to Thurman, this time without any use of
)iolence* The era of "cool re)olution: has 6ust begun and we learn that all these indi)idual
and social #olitical goals ha)e always been a #art of Buddhist cultural tradition, es#ecially
Tibetan7style !amaism*

+ith this mo)e, Thurman incor#orates the entire set of ideas of a #rotest generation
which sought to change the world along human7#olitical lines and harnesses it to a
TibetanUBuddhist world )iew* <n this he is a brilliant student of his smiling master, the
Fourteenth alai !ama* Tens of thousands of #eo#le in 3uro#e and ;merica $including Petra
2elly and the authors( became )ictims of this skillful mani#ulation and belie)ed that
!amaism could #ro)ide the exam#le of a human7#olitically committed religion* Thousands
stood u# for Tibet, small and o##ressed, because they re)ered in this country a treasure tro)e
of s#iritual and ethical )alues which would be destroyed by -hinese totalitarianism* Tibetan
Buddhism as the final refuge of the social re)olutionary ideals of the N&s, as the inheritance of
the #olitically in)ol)ed youth mo)ementA This is > as we shall show > how !amaism
#resents itself in Thurman,s book, and the Fourteenth alai !ama gi)es this inter#retation his
a##ro)al* "Thurman ex#lained to me how some +estern thinkers ha)e assumed that
Buddhism has no intention to change society *** Thurman,s book #ro)ides a timely correction
to any lingering notions about Buddhism as an uncaring religion*: $Thurman.QQP, #* xiii(

But anyone who #ee#s behind the curtains must unfortunately ascertain that with his
catalog of #olitical demands Thurman holds a mirror u# to the ideals of the "re)olutionary:
generation of the +est, and that he fails to inform them about the reality of the !amaist
system in which used to and still does function along com#letely contrary social #olitical
lines*

Thur$an=! -org(d hi!tor%
<n order to #re)ent this abuse of #ower becoming ob)ious, the construction of a forged
history is necessary, as Thurman conscientiously and consistently demonstrates in his book*
1e #resents theTibet of old as a ty#e of gentle "scholarly re#ublic: of intros#ecti)e monks,
free of the turbulence of 3uro#eanUim#erialist #olitics of business and war* <n their seclusion
these holy men #erformed o)er centuries a world mission, which is only now becoming
noticeable* Since the 5enaissance, Thurman ex#lains, the +est has effected the "outer
N%%
modernity:, that is the "outer enlightenment: through the scientific re)olution* ;t the same
time $abo)e all since the rule of the Fifth alai !ama in the se)enteenth century( an "inner
re)olution: has taken #lace in the 1imalayas, which the ;merican boldly describes as "inner
modernity:0 "So we must 8ualify what we ha)e come to call Wmodernity, in the +est as
Wmaterialistic, or Wouter, modernity, and contrast it with a #arallel but alternati)e Tibetan
modernity 8ualified as Ws#iritualistic, or Winner, modernity: $Thurman .QQP, #* %@N(* ;t the
.QQL conference in Bonn he did in fact refer to the "inner moderniMation of the Tibetan
society:*

-ommitted Buddhism, according to Thurman, is instigating a "cool re)olution: $in the
sense of Wcalm,(*<t is "cool: in contrast to the "hot: re)olutions of the +estern dominated
history of the world which demanded so many casualties* The fi)e fundamental #rinci#les of
this "cool re)olution: are cle)erly assigned anew to a +estern $and not Kriental( system of
)alues0 transcendental indi)idualism, non)iolent #acifism, educational e)olutionism,
ecosocial altruism, uni)ersal democratism*

For Thurman, the Tibetan culture of "sacraliMation:, "magic:, "enlightenment:,
"s#iritual #rogress:, and "#eaceful monasticism: stands in o##osition to a +estern ci)iliMation
of "seculariMation:, "disenchantment:, "rationaliMation:, "#rofane belief in material #rogress:,
and "materialism, industrialism, and militarism: $Thurman .QQP, #* %@L(*3)en though the
"inner re)olution: is unambiguously )alued more highly, the achie)ements of the +est ought
not be totally abandoned in the future* Thurman sees the world culture of the dawning
millennium in a hierarchical $3ast o)er +est( union of both* =#on closer ins#ection, howe)er,
this "cool re)olution: re)eals itself to be a "cool restoration: in which the world is to be
transformed into a Tibetan7style Buddhist monastic state*

To substantiate !amaism,s global mission $the "cool re)olution:( in his book, Thurman
had to distort Tibetan history, or the history of Buddhism in general* 1e needed to construct a
#ure, faultless and ideal history which from the outset #ursued an exem#lary, highly ethical
task of instruction, aimed to culminate eschatologically in the BuddhiMation of the entire
#lanet* The Tibetan monasteries had to be #ortrayed as bulwarks of #eace and s#iritual
de)elo#ment, altruistically at work in the social interests of all* The image of Tibet of old
needed to a##ear a##ro#riately noble7minded, "with:, Thurman says, "the culti)ation of
N%'
scholarshi# and artistryR with the administration of the #olitical system by enlightened
hierarchsR with ascetic charisma diffused among the common #eo#leR and with the
de)elo#ment of the reincarnation institution* <t was a #rocess of the remo)al of dee# roots in
instinct and cultural #atterns: $Thurman .QQP, #* %'.(* ; general misre#resentation in
Thurman,s historical construction is the de#iction of Buddhist society and es#ecially !amaism
as fundamentally #eaceful $to be #layed out in contrast to the dee#ly militaristic +est(0 "STThe
main direction of the society was ecstatic and #ositi)eR intrigues, )iolence and #ersecution
were rarer than in any other ci)iliMation: $Thurman .QQP, #*'L(* ;lthough a##eals may be
made to rele)ant sutras in su##ort of such a #acifist image of Tibetan Buddhism, as a social
reality it is com#letely ficti)e*

;s we ha)e demonstrated, the o##osite is the case* !amaism was caught u# in bloody
struggles between the )arious monastic factions from the outset* There was a terrible "ci)il
war: in which the country,s two main orders faced one another as o##onents* Political murder
has always been #ar for the course and e)en the alai !amas ha)e not been s#ared* 3)en in
the brief history of the exiled Tibetans it is a constant occurrence* The conce#t of the enemy
was dee#ly anchored in ancient Tibetan culture, and #ersists to this day* Thus the destruction
of "enemies of the teaching: is one of the standard re8uirements of all tantric ritual texts* The
sexual magic #ractices which lie at the center of this religion and which Thurman either
conceals or inter#rets as an ex#ression of coo#eration and sexual e8uality are based u#on a
fundamental misogyny* The social misery of the masses in old Tibet was shocking and
re#ulsi)e, the authority of the #riestly state was absolute and extended o)er life and death* To
#resent Tibet,s traditional society as a #olitical exam#le for modernity, in which the #eo#le
had oriented themsel)es toward a "broad social ethic: and in which anybody could achie)e
"freedom and ha##iness: $Thurman .QQP, #* .'P( is farcical*

Thus one shudders at the thought when Thurman o#ens u# the following #ers#ecti)e for
the world to come0 "<n the sacred history of the transformation of the wild frontier S#re7
BuddhistT land ofTibet Sinto a BuddhocracyT, we find a blue#rint for com#leting the taming of
our own wild world: $Thurman .QQP, #* %%&(

Thurman introduces the Buddhist em#eror ;shoka $regnant from %N% to %'L B*-*3*(,
who "saw the #ractical su#eriority of moral and enlightened #olicy: $Thurman .QQP, #* ..H(,
N%@
as a #olitical exam#le for the times ahead* 1e #ortrays this <ndian em#eror as a "#rince of
#eace: who > although originally a terrible hero of the battlefield > following a dee# inner
con)ersion ab6ured all war, transformed hate and #ugnacity into com#assion and non)iolence,
and conducted a "s#iritual re)olution: to the benefit of all suffering beings* <n the cha#ter
entitled "; kingly re)olution: $Thurman .QPP, ##*.&Qff*(, the author suggests that the ;shoka
kingdom,s form of go)ernment, oriented along monastic lines, could today once again
function as a model for the establishment of a worldwide Buddhist state* Thurman says that
"StThe #olitics of enlightenment since ;shoka #ro#oses a truth7con8uest of the #lanet>a
harma7con8uest, meaning a cultural, educational, and intellectual con8uest: $Thurman .QQP,
#* %P%(*

Thurman wisely remains silent about the fact that this Maurya dynasty ruler was
res#onsible for numerous un7Buddhist acts* For instance, under his reign the death #enalty for
criminals was not abolished, among whom his own wife, Tisyaraksita, must ha)e been
counted, as he had her executed* <n a Buddhist $V( descri#tion of his life, a Sanskrit work
titled ;shoka+andana& it states that he at one stage had .P,&&& non7Buddhists, #resumably
Dainas, #ut to death, as one of them had insulted the "true teaching:, albeit in a relati)ely mild
manner* <n another instance he is alleged to ha)e dri)en a Daina and his entire family into their
house which he then ordered to be burnt to the ground*

4onetheless, 3m#eror ;shoka is a "cool re)olutionary: for Thurman* 1is #olitics
#roclaimed "a social style of tolerance and admiration of non)iolence* They made the
community a secure establishment that became un8uestioned in its ubi8uitous #resence as
school for gentleness, concentration, and liberation of critical reasonR asylum for
nonconformityR egalitarian democratic community, where decisions were made by consensual
)ote: $Thurman .QQP, #* ..N(* To de#ict the absolutist em#eror ;shoka as a guarantor and
exem#lar of an "egalitarian democratic community:, is a brilliant feat of arbitrary historical
inter#retationV

+ith e8ual em#hasis Thurman #resents the <ndianUBuddhist <aha Siddhas $W9rand
Sorcerers,( as exem#lary heroes of the ethos for whom there was no greater wish than to
make others ha##y* 1owe)er, as we ha)e described in detail, these "ascetics who tamed the
world: em#loyed extremely dubious methods to this end, namely, they culti)ated #ure
N%H
transgression in order to #ro)e the )anity of all being* Their tantric, i*e*, sexual magic,
#ractices, in which they deliberately did e)il $murder, ra#e, necro#hagy( with the ostensible
intention of creating something good, should, according to Thurman, be counted among the
most significant acts of human ci)iliMation* ;nyone who casts a glance o)er the
"hagiogra#hies: of these <aha Siddhas will be amaMed at the barbaric consciousness
#ossessed by these "heroes: of the tantric #ath* Knly )ery rarely can socially ethical beha)ior
be ascertained among these figures, who deliberately ado#ted asociality as a lifestyle*

But for Thurman these Maha Siddhas and their later Tibetan imitations are "radiant
bodies of energy: u#on whom the fate of humanity de#ends* "<t is said that the hillsides and
retreats of central Tibet were ablaMe with the light generated by #rofound concentration,
#enetrating insights, and magnificent deeds of enthusiastic #ractitioners* The entire #o#ulace
was mo)ed by the energy released by indi)iduals breaking through their age7old ignorance
and #re6udices and realiMing enlightenment*: $Thurman .QQP, ##* %%N7%%P( +hen one
com#ares the horrors of Tibetan history with the horrors in the tantric texts followed by the
"enthusiastic #ractitioners:, then Thurman may indeed be correct* <t is 6ust that it was
#rimarily dark energies which affected the Tibetan #o#ulation and ke#t them in ignorance and
ser)itude* Serfdom and sla)ery are attributes of old Tibetan society, 6ust like an inhumane
#enal code and a #er)asi)e o##ression of women*

Padmasambha)a, the su#reme ambi)alent founding figure of Tibetan Buddhism, is also
celebrated by Thurman as an committed scholar of enlightenment* $Thurman .QQP, %.&(*
4othing could be less ty#ical of this sorcerer, who co)ered the !and of Snows with his
excommunications and introduced the wrathful gods of #re7Buddhist Tibet in a horror army of
aggressi)e #rotecti)e s#irits, not so that their terrible character could be transformed, but
rather so that they could now #rotect with sword and fright the "true teaching of Buddha:
from its enemies* 9reat scholars of the 9elug#a order ha)e time and again #ointed out the
ambi)alence of this iridescent "cultural founder: $Padmasambha)a(, among whose deeds are
two brutal infanticides, and ex#ressly distanced themsel)es from his barbaric lifestyle*

+hen the <ndian scholar ;tisha began his work in Tibet in the ..
th
century, he
encountered a com#letely dissolute monastic caste in total chaos and where one could no
longer s#eak of morals* ;t least this is what the historical records $the $lue ;nnals( re#ort*
N%L
Thurman su##resses this !amaist moral colla#se and sim#ly maintains the o##osite0 "+hen
;tisha arri)ed in Tibet, monastic #ractitioners were limiting themsel)es to strict moral and
ritual obser)ances: $Thurman .QQP, #* %%L(* This is indeed a )ery eu#hemistic re#resentation
of the whoring and seculariMed monasteries against which ;tisha took to the field with a new
moral codex*

For Thurman, the 9reat Prayer Festi)al $MJnlam( institutionaliMed by Tsongkha#a and
reacti)ated by the Fifth alai !ama, a raw !amaist carni)al in which monks were allowed
absolutely e)erything and a truly horrible sca#egoat ritual was #erformed, was a sacred e)ent
where "the #ower of com#assion is manifest, the immediacy of grace is ex#erienced:
$Thurman .QQP, #* %'H(* ;t another stage he says that, "SiTn Tibet, the 9reat Prayer Festi)al
guaranteed the best of #ossibilities for e)eryone* Peo#le,s feelings of being in an a#ocaly#tic
time in a s#ecially blessed and chosen land>in their own form of a "4ew Derusalem:, a
2ingdom of 1ea)en manifest on earth>had a #owerful effect on the whole society:
$Thurman .QQP, ##* %'P7%'Q(* +hen we com#are this a#otheosis of the said e)ent with the
already cited eyewitness re#ort by 1einrich 1arrer, we see the lack of restraint with which
Thurman re)eres the Tibet of old* 1arrer, whose #ortrayal is confirmed by many other tra)el
accounts, regarded the scenario com#letely differently0 ";s if emerging from hy#nosis:,
writes the mentor of the young alai !ama, "at this moment the tens of thousands s#ring from
order in to chaos* The transition is so sudden, that one is s#eechless* Shouting, wild
gesticulation ** they tram#le o)er one another, almost murder each other* The still7wee#ing
#rayers, ecstatically absorbed, become ra)ers* The monastic soldiers begin their dutyV 1uge
fellows with stuffed shoulders and blackened faces > so that the deterrent effect becomes
e)en stronger* 5uthlessly they lay into the crowd with their batons *** one takes the blows
wailing, but e)en the beaten return again* ;s if they were #ossessed by demons: $1einrich
1arrer, .QP@, #* .@%(* > Thurman,s "4ew Derusalem:, #ossessed by demons on the roof of
the worldA >an interesting scenario for a horror filmV

+e find a further #innacle of Thurman,s historical falsification in the #ortrait of the
greatest !amaist #otentate, the Fifth alai !ama* Kf all #eo#le, this "Priest72ing: attuned to
the accumulation of external #ower and #om# is built u# by the author in to a hero of the
"inner re)olution:* 1e #aints the #icture of a #rudent and farsighted fathers of his country $"a
gentle genius, scholar, and reincarnate saint: > Thurman .QQP, #* %@P(, who is com#elled >
N%N
against his will and his fundamentally Buddhist attitude > to conduct a n horrific "ci)il war:
$in which he lets great numbers of monks from other orders be massacred by the Mongol
warriors summoned to the country(* Thurman #resents the conflict as a 8uarrel between
)arious warlords in which the "#eaceful: monks become embroiled*

1ere again, the o##osite was the case0 the two chief Tibetan Buddhist orders of the time
$9elug#a and 2agyu#a( were #ulling the strings, e)en if they let worldly armies battle for
them* Thurman misre#resents this monastic war as a battle between cli8ues of nobles and
ultimately "the final showdown in Tibet between militarism and monasticism: $Thurman
.QQP, #* %@Q(, whereby the latter as the #arty of #eace is )ictorious thanks to the genius of the
Fifth alai !ama and goes on to all but establish a "Buddha #aradise: on earth*

;ll this is a #iousUim#udent in)ention of the ;merican Tibetologist* The merciless
warrior mentality of the Fifth alai !ama s#read fear and alarm among his foes* 1is dark
occult side, his fascination for the sexual magic of the 4yingma#a $which he himself
#racticed(, his unrestrained rewriting of history and much moreR these are all highly
un#leasant facts, which are deliberately concealed by Thurman, since an historically accurate
#ortrait of the "9reat Fifth: could ha)e embarrassing conse8uences, as the Fourteenth alai
!ama constantly refers to this #redecessor of his and has announced him to be his greatest
exam#le*

<t would be wrong to deny the Fifth alai !ama any #olitical or administrati)e skillR he
was, 6ust like his contem#orary, !ouis the Fourteenth, to whom he is often com#ared, an
"ingenious: statesman* But this made him no #rince of #eace* 1is goal consisted of resolutely
#lacing the fate of the country in the hands of the clergy with himself as the undis#uted
s#iritual and secular leader* To this end $like the Fourteenth alai !ama today( he #layed the
)arious orders off against one another* The Fifth alai !ama formulated the #olitical
foundations of a "Buddhocracy: which 5obert Thurman would be glad to see as the model for
a future worlds community, and which we wish to examine more closely in the next section*

A wordwid( #uddhocrac%
;t the conference on Tibet in Bonn mentioned abo)e $"Mythos Tibet:, .QQL( 5obert
Thurman with stirring #athos #ro#hesied the "fall of the +est: and left no doubt that the
N%P
future of our #lanet lies in a worldwide, as he stressed literally, "Buddhocracy:* 3uro#e has
renounced its sacred #ast, demystified its natural en)ironment, established a secular realm,
and closed off access to the sacred "re#resented by monasticism and its organiMed stri)ing for
#erfection:* Materialism, industrialiMation and militariMation ha)e taken the #lace of the
sacred $Thurman .QQP, #* %@L(*

;t the same time a re)erse #rocess has taken #lace in Tibet* Society has become
increasingly sacraliMed and de)oted itself to the creation of a "buddha)erse:* $<n the wake of
the Tibetologists, criticisms in Bonn, Thurman a##ears to ha)e o#ted for his own neologism
"buddha)erse: in #lace of the somewhat offensi)e "Buddhocracy:R the meaning intended
remains the same*( ; re7enchantment of reality has taken #lace in Tibet, and the system is
dedicated to the #erfection of the indi)idual* The warrior s#irit has been dismantled* ;ll these
claims are untrue, and can be dis#ro)ed by countless counterexam#les* 4e)ertheless,
Thurman #resumes to declare them ex#ressions of traditional Tibet,s "inner modernity:,
which is ultimately su#erior to 3uro#e,s "outer modernity:0 ";s 3uro#e was #ushing away
the Po#e, the -hurch, and the enchantment of e)eryday life, Tibet was turning o)er the reins
of its country to a new kind of go)ernment, which cannot #ro#erly be called Wtheocratic,,
since the Tibetans do not belie)e in an omni#otent 9od, but which can be called
WBuddhocratic,: $Thurman .QQP, #* %@P(* This form of go)ernment is su##osed to guide our
future* ;t the Tibet conference in Bonn, Thurman made this clearer0 "Bes, not theocratic,
because that brings Swith it aT com#arison to the 1oly 5oman 3m#ire *** because it has the
conce#tion of an authoritarian 9od controlling the uni)erse: $Thurman at the conference
in Bonn(* Thurman seems to think the conce#t of an "authoritarian Buddha: does not exist,
although this is #recisely what may be found at the basis of the !amaist system*

For the author, the monasticiMation of Tibetan society was a lucky millennial e)ent for
humanity which reached its #reliminary #eak in the era in which the 9elug#a order was
founded by Tsongkha#a $.'HNO.@.Q( and the institution of the alai !ama was established* <n
Bonn Thurman #raised this #eriod as "the millennium of the fifteenth century of the #lanetary
uni8ue form of modern Tibetan society *** SwhichT led to the unfolding in the se)enteenth
century SofT what < call #ost7millennial, inwardly modern, mass7monastic, or e)en
Buddhocratic SsocietyT:* Tsongkha#a is #resented as the founding father of this
N%Q
"modern Tibet:0 he "was a s#iritual #rodigy* *** 1e #ercei)ed a cosmic shift from uni)erse to
buddha)erse: $Thurman .QQP, ##* %'%O%''(*

The Tibet of old was, according to Thurman, 6ust such a buddha)erse, an earthly
"Buddha #aradise:, go)erned by non)iolence and wisdom, generosity, sensiti)ity, and
tolerance* ;n exem#lary enlightened consciousness was culti)ated in the monastic Dewel
-ommunity* The monasteries #ro)ided the guarantee that #olitics was conducted along ethical
lines0 "The monastic core #ro)ides the cocoon for the free creati)ity of the lay Dewel
-ommunity: $Thurman .QQP, #* %Q@(*

This "monastic form of go)ernment:, #re7tested by Kld Tibet, #ro)ides a )ision for the
future for Thurman0 "< am )ery interested in this* < feel a )ery strong trend in this SdirectionT:
$Thurman,s #resentation in Bonn(* The "monasticiMation: which was then $i*e*, in the fifteenth
century( s#reading through ;sia whilst the doors to the monasteries of 3uro#e were closing,
has once again become significant on a global #olitical le)el* ";nd if you study Max +eber
carefully*** in fact what seculariMation and industrial #rogress brought had a lot to do with the
slamming of the monastery doors* *** So, a monastic form of go)ernment is an unthinkable
thing for +estern society* +e often say Tibet is froMen in the Middle ;ges because Tibet is not
seculariMed in the way the +estern world isV <t mo)ed out of the balance between sacred and
secular and went into a sacraliMation #rocess and enchanted the uni)erse* The concrete #roof
of that was that the monasteries #ro)ided the go)ernment: $Thurman in Bonn(*

1ere, Thurman is #ara#hrasing +eber,s thesis of the "disenchantment of the world:
which accom#anied the rise of ca#italism* The "re7enchantment of the world: is a #olitical
#rogram for him, which can only be carried out by !amaist monks* Monasticism "is the
shelter and training ground for the non)iolent Warmy,, the shock troo#s for the sustained social
re)olution the Buddha initiated ***: $Thurman .QQP, #* %Q@, l .H(* The monastic clergy would
#rogressi)ely assume control of #olitical matters )ia a three7stage #lan* <n the final #hase of
this #lan, "the society is able to en6oy the uni)erse of enlightenment, and Dewel -ommunity
institutions Sthe monasteriesT o#enly take res#onsibility for the society,s direction: $Thurman
.QQP, #* %QL, l %@(*

N'&
But this is no unreal uto#ia, since "Tibetan society is the only one in #lanetary history in
which this third #hase has been #artially reached: $Thurman .QQP, #* %QL, l %H(*<n this
sentence Thurman 8uite #lainly #roclaims a Buddhocracy along !amaist lines to be the next
model for the world communityV 3lsewhere, the Tibetologist is more #recise0 "The
countercultural monastic mo)ement no longer needs to lie low and is able to gi)e the ruling
#owers ad)ice, s#iritual and social* 3nlightened sages can begin to ad)ise their royal disci#les
on how to conduct the daily affairs of society, such as what should be their #olicies and
#ractices* !ikewise, after a long #eriod of such e)olution, the entire mo)ement can reach a
cool fruition, when the countercultural enlightenment mo)ement becomes mainstream and
o#enly takes res#onsibility for the whole society, which e)entually ha##ened in Tibet:
$Thurman .QQP, #* .LL, footnote(*

;ccording to Thurman, the !amaist clergy assumes #olitical #ower with > as we shall
see > the incarnation of a su#er7being at its helm, an absolute monarch, who unites s#iritual
and worldly #ower within himself* The trium#hant ad)ance of the monastic system began
in <ndia in around H&& B*-*3* and s#read throughout all of ;sia in the inter)ening years* But
this, Thurman says, is only a #relude0 "The #henomenal success of monasticism, e)entually
3urasia7wide, can be understood as the #rogressi)e truth7con8uest of the world: $Thurman
.QQP, #* .&H(* Pie in the sky, or a e)ent soon to comeA Thurman,s statements on this are
contradictory* <n his book he talks of a "ho#e for the future:* But in inter)iews with the #ress,
he has let it be known that he will ex#erience the BuddhiMation of ;merica in his own
lifetime* <n .QQN, his friend, the 1ollywood actor 5ichard 9ere, was also con)inced that the
transformation of the world into a Buddhocracy would occur suddenly, like an atomic
ex#losion, and that the "critical mass: would soon be reached $Herald Tribune, %& March
.QQN, #* L(*

;ccording to the author, the !amaist #ower elite of the coming "Buddhocracy: is
basically immortal because of the incarnation system* They already #ulled the #olitical strings
in Tibet in the #ast, and will, in the author,s o#inion, assume this role for the entire world in
future0 "+hate)er the s#iritual reality of these reincarnations, the social im#act of this form of
leadershi# was immense* <t sealed the emerging s#irituality of Tibetan society, in that death,
which ordinarily interru#ts #rogress in any society, could no longer block #ositi)e
de)elo#ment* Dust as Shakyamuni could be #resent to the #ractitioner through the initiation
N'.
#rocedure and the so#histicated )isualiMation techni8ues, so fully realiMed saints and sages
were not withdrawn by death from their disci#les, who de#ended on them to attain fulfillment
$Thurman .QQP, #* %'.(*

Kne can only be amaMed > at the im#udence with which Thurman #raises the
"Buddhocracy: of the !amas as the highest form of "democracy:R at how he #ortrays Tibetan
Buddhism, which is based u#on a ritual dissolution of the indi)idual, as the highest le)el of
indi)idual de)elo#mentR at how he de#icts Tantrism, with its morbid sexual magic techni8ues
for male monks to absorb feminine energies, as the only religion in which god and goddess
are worshi##ed as balanced e8ualsR at how he glorifies the cruel war gods and warrior monks
of the !and of Snows as #acifistsR at how he #resents the medie)alUmonastic social form of
Tibet as an ex#ression of the modern and as offering the only model for a global world7
society*

Ti5(t a and o- (night(n$(nt<
The Tibet of old, with its monastic culture was, according to Thurman, the cosmic
energy body which irradiated our world in enlightened consciousness* "1idden in the last
thousand years ofTibet,s ci)iliMation:, the author says, "is a continuous #rocess of inner
re)olution and cool e)olution* <n s#iritual history, Tibet has been the secret dynamo that
throughout this millennium has slowly turned the outer world toward enlightenment* Thus
Tibetan ci)iliMation,s uni8ue role on the inner #lane of history assumes a far greater
im#ortance than material history would indicate: $Thurman .QQP, #* %%H(* <n Thurman,s
)ersion of history, it was not the +estern bourgeoisie which fought for its freedoms and
human rights in battle with the institutions of the -hurchR rather, all this was thought out in
ad)ance by holy men meditating among the 1imalayan #eaks0 "The recent a##earance of
modern consciousness in the industrial world is not something radically new or
un#recedented* Modern consciousness has been de)elo#ed all o)er ;sia in the Buddhist
subcultures for thousands of years: $Thurman .QQP, #* %HH(* >;nd it flowed into the
consciousness of the modern, +estern cultural elite as an 3astern energy source* That is, to
s#eak clearly, the Tibetan monks meditating were one of the causes of the 3uro#ean
3nlightenment* ; bold thesis indeed, in which a Tibet controlled by a belief in ghosts, oracles,
torture chambers, the o##ression of women, and human su#er7beings becomes the cradle of
modern rationalism*
N'%

The enlightening radiation began, says Thurman, with the Tibetan scholar Tsongkha#a,s
edifice of teachings and the founding of the 9elug#a order0 "This tremendous release of
energy caused by thousands of minds becoming totally liberated in a short time was a
#lanetary #henomenon, like a great s#iritual #ulsar emitting enlightenment in wa)es broadcast
around the globe: $Thurman .QQP, #* %''(* ;ccordingly, Thurman considers all of the great
Tibetan scholars of #ast centuries to be more significant and com#rehensi)e than their
3uro#ean "#eers:* They were "scientific heroes:, ":the 8uintessence of scientists in this
nonmaterialistic ci)iliMation Si*e*, TibetT: $8uoted by !o#eM in(risoners of Shangri29a, #* P.(*
;s "#sychonauts: they con8uered inner s#ace in contrast to the western "astronauts: $again
8uoted by !o#eM, .QQP, #* P.(* But the "stars: of modern 3uro#ean #hiloso#hy like 1ume and
2ant, 4ietMsche and +ittgenstein, 1egel and 1eidegger, Thurman s#eculates, could also at
some future time turn out to be line7holders for and emanations of the Bodhisatt)a of
knowledge, <an0ushri $!o#eM, .QQP, #* %L@(* Ex oriente lux > now also true for occidental
science*

This incor#oration of the +estern cultural heroes is an underground current which flows
through the entire neo7Buddhist scene* <t is outwardly strictly denied, through the alai
!ama,s demands for tolerance in broad #ublicity* <n contrast, writings accumulate in the
milieu, which celebrate Desus -hrist as an a)atar of the Bodhisatt)a ;+alokitesh+ara for
exam#le, the same su#er7being who has also been incarnated as the alai !ama* ; recurrent
image of modern myth building is the #lacement of the Tibetans on a #ar with the 4aMarene*

Thur$an a! ,high 8ri(!tC o- th( 4aacha1ra Tantra
; worldwide Buddhocratic )ision of Tibetan Buddhism is contained in what is known
as the"alachakra Tantra $the "+heel of Time:(* +e ha)e studied and commented u#on this
central !amaist ritual in detail* The goal of the "alachakra Tantra is the construction of a
su#erhuman being, the ;< B=1;, whose control encom#asses the entire uni)erse, both
s#iritually and #olitically, "a mythical world7con8ueror: $Thurman .QQP, #* %Q%, l H(*

From a meta#olitical #oint of )iew, 5obert Thurman a##ears to ha)e been a##ointed to
im#lant the ideas of the "alachakra Tantra in the +est* +e ha)e already noted that the
teacher the alai !ama assigned him to was 2hen !osang ondrub, ;bbot of the 4amgyal
N''
monastery which is es#ecially commissioned to #erform the "alachakra ritual* <n the =S; he
was in constant contact with the 2almyk lama 9eshe +angyal $.Q&.O.QP'(* !ama +angyal
was 5obert Thurman,s actual "line guru:, and this line leads )ia +angyal directly to the old
master ;g)an or6ie) $!ama +angyal,s guru(* or6ie) the Buriat, +angyal the 2almyk, and
Thurman the ;merican thus form a chain of initiation* From a tantric #oint of )iew the s#irit
of the master li)es on in the form of the #u#il* Kne can thus assume that Thurman as or6ie),s
successor re#resents an emanation of the extremely aggressi)e #rotecti)e di)inity
Va6rabhaira)a who is su##osed to ha)e become incarnate in the Buriat* ;t any rate the
;merican must be drawn into the context of the global Shambhalauto#ia, which was the
#rinci#al concern of or6ie),s meta#olitics*

+hat Thurman understands by this can be most clearly illustrated by a )ision which was
bestowed u#on him in a dream in Se#tember .QNQ, before he saw the alai !ama again for
the first time in eight years0 "The night before he landed in 4ew Bork, < dreamed he was
manifesting the #ure land mandala #alace of the 2alachakra Buddha right on to# of the
+aldorf ;storia building* The entire collection of dignitaries of the city, mayors and senators,
cor#orate #residents and kings, sheikhs and sultans ,celebrities and stars>all of them were
swe#t u# into the dance of N%% deities of the three buildings of the diamond #alace like
#instri#ed bees swarming on a giant honeycomb* The amaMing thing about the alai !ama,s
flood of #ower and beauty was that it a##eared totally effortless* < could feel the s#ace of 1is
1oliness,s heart, whence all this arose* <t was relaxed, cool, an amaMing well of infinity:
$Thurman .QQP, #* .P(*

The magic #ro6ection of the Tibetan "god7king: as ;< B=1; and world ruler
cannot be illustrated more )i)idly* 1e reigns as some kind of 8ueen bee in the middle of 4ew
Bork, and lets the world,s greatest, whom he has bewitched with sweet honey, dance to his
tune* <t is ty#ical that there is no mention of grass roots democracy here, and that it is 6ust the
#olitical, business, and show business 3stablishment which #erforms the sweet dance of the
bees* ;nyone who is aware how much significance is granted to such dreams in the world of
Tibetan initiation will without further ado recogniMe a meta#olitical #rogram in Thurman,s
)ision* S.T

N'@
In 1992, as Director of Tibet House in New York City which he co-founded with
Richard Gere, he sponsored the Kalachakra Initiation at New
Yorks Madison Square Garden. (Farrer-Halls 1998, p. 92) The Tibet Center houses a three
dimensional Kalachakra Mandala and the only life sized statue of the Kalachakra deity
outside of Tibet. Following the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993, The Samaya
Foundation, the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, and the Port Authority jointly sponsored
the Wheel of Time (Kalachakra) Sand Mandala, or Circle of Peace, in the lobby of Tower 1.
(Darton 1999, p. 219) For over thirty days, many of the World Trade Center workers and
visitors were invited by the Namgyal Monks to participate in the construction of the mandala.
It is said that, Its shape symbolized natures unending cycle of creation and destruction and
in the countless grains of its material, it celebrated lifes energy taking ephemeral form, then
returning to its source. At the end of the mandalas month long lifespan, the monks swept up
the sand and offered it to the Hudson River. This ritual, they believed, purified the
environment. (Darton 1999, p. 219)
R(8ort o- a -or$(r 8artici8ant o- th( 4aacha1ra C(r($on% in N(w Gor1: ,;(t a
ca -ro$ on( o- $% 4aacha1ra !i!t(r! I ha'(nPt h(ard -ro$ !inc(
th( Indiana 4aacha1ra in P99D QXR Th( to8ic !hi-t(d to th( 4aacha1ra Mandaa that
wa! $ad( at On( Word Trad( C(nt(rD I wa! at th( di!!oution c(r($on% th(r(2 $a% 5(
around P93D Th( $on1! gath(r(d u8 a th( !and -ro$ th( Mandaa at " WTC2 8ut it in a
'a!(2 th(n carri(d it acro!! th( 5ridg( into Word Financia C(nt(r through th( Wint(r
;ard(n2 th(n du$8(d th( !and c(r($oniou!% into th( Hud!on Ri'(r -or th( !a1( o-
Word P(ac(D Th( !ur-ac( o- th( ri'(r gitt(r(d with th( a-t(rnoon !un2 and I cri(dD 0
%(ar! at(r2 th( who( 5uiding i! gon(2 Lu!t i1( th( !and MandaaDC
S((: htt8:VVho$(D(arthin1Dn(tVY1a$it(raVn(w!Dht$
Thurman,s de)oted commitment as !amaist initiand, his absolute loyalty to the alai
!ama, his consistent )ision of an earthly "Buddha #aradise:, his uncom#romising affirmation
of a Buddhocratic state, his in)ol)ement with the world of the Tibetan gods which reaches
e)en into his own dreams, his systematic training by the highest Tibetan lamas o)er many
years>all these certify Thurman to be a "Shambhala warrior:, a Buddhist hero, who
according to legend #re#ares for the establishment of the kingdom of Shambhala o)er our
globe* This is the goal of the 2alachakra ritual $the "+heel of Time: ritual( #erformed all
N'H
o)er the world by the alai !ama* Thurman has, he re#orts, seen the alai !ama in a )ision
as the su#reme time god abo)e the +aldorf ;storia* But e)en here he conceals that the
Shambhala myth is not #eaceful, and can only be realiMed after a world war in which all
nonbelie)ers $non7Buddhists( are destroyed*

Perha#s such a #ers#ecti)e frightens some +estern intellectualsA 4o worries, Thurman
reassumes them, "who is afraid of the alai !amaA +ho is afraid of ;)alokitesh)araA 4o
Tibetans are afraid: $Thurman in Bonn(* 1ow could one be afraid of the su#reme enlightened
being currently on earthA 1e, in whom all three le)els are com#ressed, "that of the selfless
monk, the king, and the great ade#t: $Thurman(, who is $as great ade#t( #re#aring the creation
of "a buddha)ersal human society: $Thurman .QQP, #* 'Q(, e)en if he $as king and statesman(
is still concentrating chiefly on the concerns of Tibet* Then, "Tibet,s uni8ue focus on
enlightenment ci)iliMation makes the nation crucial to the world,s de)elo#ment of s#iritual
and social balance: $Thurman .QQP, #* 'Q(*

Thurman is con)inced that the alai !ama re#resents a #ro6ection of the ;<
B=1;, who can liberate the world from its )alley of sorrows* 1e describes )ery #recisely
the micro7 and macrocosmic dimensions of such a redem#ti)e being in the form of the Fifth
alai !ama* <f humanity were to recogniMe the di)ine #resence behind the Fourteenth alai
!ama, it could calmly #lace its #olitical matters in his hands, 6ust as the Tibetan #o#ulace did
in the time of the "9reat Fifth:0 "Small wonder:, Thurman tells to his readers* "Su##ose the
#eo#le of a catholic country were to share a #erce#tion of a #articular s#iritual figure as not
sim#ly a re#resentati)e of 9od, as in the Po#e being the )icar of -hrist, but as an actual
incarnation of the Sa)ior>or, say an incarnation of the ;rchangel 9abriel* <n such a situation
it would not be strange for the nation to reach a #oint where the di)ine would actually take
res#onsibility for the go)ernment* <n Tibet, this moment was the culmination of centuries of
grass7roots millennial consciousness, the #olitical ratification of the millennial direction that
had been intensifying since the 9reat Prayer Festi)al tradition had begun in .@&Q* The sense
of the #resence of an enlightened being was wides#read enough for the #eo#le to 6oin together
after the last conflict and entrust to him their land and their fate: $Thurman .QQP, ##* %H&O
%H.(*

N'L
There is no need to read between the lines, sim#ly #aying close attention to the text of
his book is enough to be able to recogniMe that, for Thurman, the Fourteenth alai !ama
re#resents the 8uintessence of #olitical wisdom and decisi)e #ower for the coming
millennium* The author draws attention to the fi)e #rinci#les of his #lanetary #olitical
#rogram0 "non)iolence, indi)idualism, education, and altruistic correctness* The fifth
S#rinci#leT, global democratism, is exem#lified in 1is 1oliness the 9reat Fourteenth alai
!ama himself: $Thurman .QQP, #* %NQ(* The Tibetan "god7king: as the incarnation of
uni)ersal democracy>a true #iece of bra)ura in Thurman,s "#olitical theology:* 4o wonder
the "god7king: a##lauds him so roundly in his foreword0 "< commend him for his careful
study and clear ex#lanations, and < recommend his insights for your own reflections:
$Thurman .QQP, #* xi)(*

;ccording to Thurman, the =S; is the first western country in which the lamas,
Buddhocratic )ision will #re)ail0 "Most of the teachers from the )arious enlightenment
mo)ements seem to agree on one thing0 <f there is to be a renaissance of enlightenment
sciences in our times, it will ha)e to begin in ;merica* ;merica is the land of extreme
dichotomies0 the great materialism and the greatest disillusionment with materialismR great
self7indulgence and great self7transcendence: $Thurman .QQP, #* %P&(* The alai !ama $"the
fifth S#rinci#le ofT global democratism:( as the next ;merican #residentA >But if he diesA>
4o worries, thanks to the system of incarnation he may remain among us as #riest and king
for e)er*

Thurman,s methods, ada#ting himself to the #oint of self7dece#tion to the consciousness
and the customs of his en)ironment $in this case the western democratic en)ironment(, but
without losing sight of the actual grand meta#olitical goal, has a long tradition in Tibet*
Padmasambha)a, for instance, BuddhiMed the !and of Snows by integrating with a#lomb the
)arious tribal cultures which he encountered on his missionary tra)els into his tantric system,
together with their #articular ideas and cultic #ractices* <n doing so he was so skillful that the
#re7Buddhist inhabitants of Tibet belie)ed Buddhism to be no more than the realiMation of
their own traditional ex#ectations of sal)ation* The Fourteenth alai !ama is masterfully
re#eating this heuristic #rinci#le from his eighth7century incarnation on the world stage* <n the
meantime he knows all the )ariations and rules of the game of +estern ci)iliMation and has
managed to generate a #ublic image as a great reformer and democrat who brilliantly
N'N
combines modern #olitical fundamentals with old 3astern teachings of wisdom* There are
countless sermons from him in which he strongly ad)ises his audience to stay true to their
own religious tradition, since in the end they all come to the same thing* Such su#erior
in)itations ha)e as we shall see a double2bind effect* Peo#le are so enthused by the ostensible
tolerance of Tibetan Buddhism and its su#reme re#resentati)e that they become con)erts to
the =harma and ensnared in the tantric web*

Footnot(!:
S.T uring the =47organiMed Millennium Festi)al of 5eligions at the end of ;ugust
%&&&, at which o)er a thousand religious re#resentati)es were #resent, the alai !ama was
su##osed to stay in the +aldorf ;storia* +ithout doubt, thanks to his charisma and #retended
#rece#t of tolerance, the 2undun would ha)e become the center of the entire occasion* But
after great #ressure was a##lied by the -hinese he was not in)ited* ;t this, a segment of the
organiMers resol)ed to encourage him to take #art in a kind of #ri)ate rally at the end of the
assembly in the +aldorf ;storia hotel* But the 2undun declined* 5obert Thurman,s )ision of
the"alachakra Buddha at the summit of the +aldorf ;storia did not e)entuate*

"3D TACTICS2 STRATE;IES2
FOR;ERIES2 ILLESIONS

From a western #oint of )iew, religion and #olitics ha)e been neatly and cleanly
se#arated from one another since the modern era $.P
th
century(* <n this sense a clear
distinction is drawn here between the s#read of Tantric Buddhism and the 8uestion of Tibet,s
international legal status* 1owe)er, for an ancient culture like the Tibetan one, such a di)ision
is 6ust not #ossible* <n it, all le)els > the mystic, the mythic, the symbolic, and the ritual >
are addressed by e)ery #olitical e)ent* From a Tibetan )iew#oint it is thus com#letely logical
that the liberation of the !and of Snows from the claws of the -hinese dragon be blown u#
into an exem#lary deed that should benefit the whole #lanet* "To sa)e Tibet means to sa)e the
worldV: is a wides#read slogan, e)en among committed +esterners*

Dust like the teachings of the Buddha, the #olitical issue of Tibet at first e)oked little
resonance among the western #ublic* Those who broached the to#ic of the fate of the Tibetan
#eo#le in ;merican and 3uro#ean go)ernmental circles generally encountered re6ection and
N'P
disinterest* But this dismissi)e stance changed in the mid7eighties* +ith increasing fre8uency,
1is 1oliness the Fourteenth alai !ama was officially recei)ed by western heads of state who
had #re)iously refused to be in #ublic contact with him for fear of -hinese #rotests*

Th( ,Ti5(t Lo55%C
Since .QPH the so7called Tibet lobby has been at work in numerous countries* This is a
cross7#arty collection of #arliamentary re#resentati)es who in their res#ecti)e #arliaments
ad)ocate a Tibetresolution that morally condemns -hina for its constant human rights abuses
and "cultural genocide:* ; recognition of Tibet as an autonomous state is not linked to such
resolutions* ;t theTibet Support @roups -onference in Bonn $in .QQL(, Tim 4unn
from 3ngland ga)e a #a#er on the methods $the upaya( of successful lobbying0 well7groomed
a##earance, di#lomatic language, #ro#er dress, skilled #resentation, and the like* Mr* 4unn
was able to #oint to successes > .'. members of the British !ower 1ouse had engaged
themsel)es for the cause of the !and of Snows in !ondon$Friedrich74aumann7Stiftung, .QQL,
##* NNff*(*

<n the =S; the lawyer Michael )an +alt )an Praag has successfully argued the interests
of the Tibetan go)ernment in exile to both Senators and -ongressmen* 1e succeeded in
getting a resolution on Tibet #assed in the =*S* Senate* Kne of his greatest #olitical successes
was when in .QQ. the "undun was #ermitted to take his #lace in the rotunda and address the
;merican 1ouse of -ongress* ;fterwards he met with President 9eorge Bush* Bush signed an
official document in which Tibet was described as am "occu#ied country:* Since .QQ& The
-oice of ;merica has begun broadcasting #rograms in Tibetan* ; new broadcaster, #ree ;sia,
which also has a Tibetde#artment, has recently been a##ro)ed by -ongress* ;s of .QQN,
the State =epartment a##ointed a "s#ecial re#resentati)e for Tibet: who is su##osed to ha)e
the task of negotiating between the"undun and -hina*

<n early Se#tember .QQH, the alai !ama smilingly embraced Senator Desse 1elms,
renowned for his ultra7conser)ati)e stance* This was a high #oint in the thoroughgoing
re)erence the 5e#ublicans ha)e shown him*

The emocrats barely acknowledged such conser)ati)e solidarity, since it was they who
smoothed the way for the "liberal: god7king to reach a broad #ublic* The ;merican President,
N'Q
Bill -linton, and his Vice7#resident, ;l 9ore, were initially reser)ed and ambi)alent towards
the alai !ama, whom they ha)e met se)eral times* The ;merican go)ernment,s #osition is
ex#ressed unambiguously in a statement from .QQ@0 Because we do not recogniMe Tibet as
an inde#endent state, the =nited States does not conduct di#lomatic relations with the self2
styled the WTibetan go)ernment7in7exile," it says there $9oldstein, .QQN, #* .%.(*

But after se)eral meetings with President -linton and his wife 1illary the god7king was
able to make a lasting im#ression on the #residential cou#le* -linton committed himself as
ne)er before to resol)ing the 8uestion of Tibet* Kne of the ma6or #oints of his tri# to -hina $in
.QQP( was to encourage Diang Cemin to take u# contact with the alai !ama* 3)ery western
head of state who )isits the Middle 2ingdom now reiterates this, which has led to success0 in
the meantime the two #arties $Bei6ing and haramsala( confer constantly behind closed doors*

<n .QPQ the Fourteenth alai !ama was awarded the 4obel #eace #riMe* The fact that he
recei)ed this high accolade has less to do with the #olitical situation in Tibet than, abo)e all,
the bloody e)ents in Tiananmen S8uare in Bei6ing, where numerous -hinese students
#rotesting against the regime lost their li)es* The +est wanted to morally condemn -hina and
the Tibet lobby was successful in #ro#osing an honoring of 1is 1oliness as the best means of
doing so*

From now on the god7king #ossessed an international #rominence like ne)er before*
The Ksloaward could almost be said to ha)e granted him a #ass#ort and access to the ma6ority
of world heads of state* There was hardly a #resident who still in the face of -hinese #rotests
refused to officially recei)e the god7king, at least as a religious re#resentati)e* <n <reland,
France, !iechtenstein, ;ustria, !ithuania, !at)ia, Bulgaria, 5ussia, the =S;, -anada,
3ngland, SwitMerland, 9ermany, Sweden, <srael, Da#an, Taiwan, 9abun, ;ustralia, 4ew
Cealand, se)eral South ;merican countries > e)erywhere the "modest monk: was honored
like a #ontiff*

<n .QQL the lobbyists succeeded in maneu)ering 9ermany into a s#ectacular
confrontation with-hina through the #assing of a resolution Tibet in the $undestag $the
9erman lower house(* The resolution was su##orted by all #arties in #arliament, be they
green, left, liberal, or conser)ati)e* The #aradoxical side to this mo)e was that both the alai
N@&
!ama and the -hinese were able to #rofit from it whilst the nag)e 9ermans had to #ay u#*
This cou# re#resents the "undun's #arty,s greatest #olitical success in the +est to date* Kn the
other hand, the -hinese succeeded in inducing the intimidated 9erman federal go)ernment
into continuing to grant -hina the much desired 1ermes securities formerly refused them*
For Bei6ing, with this agreement in hand, the 8uestion of Tibet in its relations
with 9ermany was resol)ed for now* 3)en if we cannot s#eak of a direct coo#eration here,
according to the cui bonum #rinci#le the two ;sian #arties #rofited greatly by drawing an
essentially unin)ol)ed nation into the conflict*

The media management of the "undun's followers is by now #erfect* 4umerous offices
in all countries, abo)e all the Tibet ?nformation !etwork $T<4( in !ondon, su##ly the #ress
with material about the serious shortcomings in the !and of Snows, life in the community of
Tibetan exiles, and the acti)ities of the god7king* There is successful coo#eration with
-hinese dissidents* 5e#orts fromBei6ing, which admittedly can only be treated with great
caution but nonetheless include much im#ortant information, are uniformly dismissed by
haramsala as communist #ro#aganda* This one7sidedness in the assessment of Tibetan
affairs has in the meantime also been ado#ted by the western #ress cor#s*

For exam#le, when at the in)itation of the -hinese the 9erman -hancellor, 1elmut
2ohl, )isited !hasa as the first western head of go)ernment and afterwards announced that the
situation in the Tibet ca#ital was by no means so criminal as it was #ortrayed to be by the
alai !ama,s office, he was lambasted in the media, who declared that he was #re#ared to sell
his morals for financial considerations* But when he was there, the former ;merican President
Dimmy -arter, renowned for his great commitment to human rights, also gained the same
im#ression $9runfeld, .QQL, #* %'%(*

The issue of Tibet has become an im#ortant means of anchoring Tantric Buddhism in
the +est* ;s a political issue it a##ears in the +est to be com#letely di)orced from any
religious instrumentaliMation* The "undun a##ears in #ublic as a cam#aigner for #eace, a
democrat, a humanist, as an ad)ocate of the o##ressed* This skillfully ada#ted westernUethical
"mixture: gains him unrestricted access to the highest le)els of go)ernment* ;lthough some
#oliticians may see a confirmation of their ideals in the $ostensible( beha)ior of the alai
!ama, fundamentally it is #robably #ower7#olitical moti)es which determine +estern #olicy
N@.
on ;sia* The +est,s relationshi# with -hina is namely extremely ambi)alent* Kn the one hand
there is a ho#e for good economic and #olitical ties to the #ros#ering country with its
unbounded markets, on the other a dee#7seated fear of a future -hinese su#er#ower* The
#olitical situation in Tibet and the circumstances of the Tibetans in exile afford sufficient
grounds to be em#loyed as an argument against a #otential -hinese im#erialism*

Th( ,;r((n!C
<n 9ermany the issue of Tibet was first taken u# by green #oliticians, #rimarily by the
#arliamentary re#resentati)es Petra 2elly and 9ert Bastian* Their #ro7Tibetan inter)ention is
still marked by a continuing success* "Ma6or entertainers and en)ironmentalists:, wrote
the Spiegel magaMine, "ha)e found a common denominator in their commitment to the
kingdom on the roof of the world*Hollywood meets Robin Hood Tibet,s Buddhism is the
common denominator: $Spiegel, .LU.QQP, #* .&Q(* Petra 2elly,s selfless engagement was later
inter#reted as a form of "engaged Buddhism: whose #rinci#le concerns were said to include
the defense of human rights, ecological res#onsibility, and sexual
e8uality* S.T The "undun cle)erly co7o#ted all these western demands and suddenly $at the
end of the eighties( a##eared on the #olitical stage as a s#earhead of the global ecological
mo)ement*

9reen #olitics: and en)ironmental issues ha)e in the meantime attained a central #lace
within the #olitical #ro#aganda of the Tibetans in exile* There are hundreds of conferences
such as the one introduced by 1is 1oliness in .QQ' under the title of 3cological
res#onsibility0 ; dialog with Buddhism:* The "undun is a member of the ecologically
oriented @oal #orum of Spiritual and (arliamentary 9eaders on Human Sur+i+al* <n .QQ% he
)isited the @reenpeace flagshi#, theRainbow arrior* ;nd at the global forum: in 5io de
Daneiro the alai !ama had far7reaching things to say about the earth,s #roblems0 This blue
#lanet of ours is a delightful habitat* <ts life is our lifeR its future our future* <ndeed, the earth
acts like a mother to all* !ike children, we are de#endent on them* *** Kur Mother 3arth is
teaching us a lesson in uni)ersal res#onsibility:, the god7king announced emotionally*
$www*tibet*comU3coUdleco@*html(

Since the late eighties it has become normal at international en)ironmental meetings all
around the world to describe the Tibet of old as an ecological #aradise, where wild gaMelles
N@%
and "snow lions: eat from the monks, hands, as the alai !ama,s brother $Thubten Digme
4orbu( #ut it at a Tibet conference in Bonn $in .QQL(* For thousands of years, it says in
edifying writings, the Tibetans ha)e re)ered #lants and animals as their e8uals* "1istorical:
idylls such as the following are taken literally by innocently trusting +esterners0 The Tibetan
traditional heritage, which is known to be o)er three thousand years oldSVT, can be
distinguished as one of StheT foremost traditions of the world in which X humankind and its
natural en)ironment ha)e #ersistently remained in #erfect harmony: $1uber, %&&., #* 'L&(*

+hat glowed in the #ast should also shine in the future* ;ccordingly many western
followers of the"undun imagine how the once flourishing garden will bloom again after his
return to the !and ofSnows* 1is 1oliness is also generously accommodating towards this
image of desire and #romises to found the first ecological state on earth in a "liberated: Tibet
> for many "9reens: a glimmer of ho#e in a world that constantly neglects its en)ironmental
res#onsibilities*

Today, among many committed members of the international "ecological scene:, being
green, en)ironmentally friendly, nature7lo)ing, )egetarian, and Tibetan Buddhist, are all but
identical* But is there any truth in such an e8ui)alenceA +as the Tibet of old really an "earthly
garden of #aradise:A <s the essence of Tantric Buddhism #ro7nature and animal7lo)ingA

$ibetan B"ddhism?s hostility to%ards nat"re
4o com#licated research is re8uired to establish that the inhabitants of the Tibet of old,
like all highlands #eo#les, had an ambi)alent relationshi# with nature, in which fear and
horror in the face of constant catastro#hes $turns in the weather, cold, famines, accidents,
illnesses( #redominated* 4ature, which was $and often still is( in fact
ex#erienced animistically as being inhabited by s#irits, was only rarely a friend and #artnerR
instead, most of the time it was a male)olent and destructi)e force, in many instances a
terrifying demoness* +e ha)e #resented some of these anti7human nature s#irits in our cha#ter
on ;narchy and $uddhism* =sing )iolence, trickery, and magic they ha)e to be com#elled,
tamed, and not unrarely killed*

<n a com#rehensi)e study $Ci+ilized Shamans(, the Tibet researcher 9eoffrey Samuel
has demonstrated that the )iolent sub6ugation of a wild nature is a drama constantly re#eated
N@'
within the Tibetan monastic ci)iliMation0 beginning with the nailing down of the Tibetan
#rime)al earth mother,Srinmo& by 2ing Songtsen @ampo so as to erect the central shrines of
the !and of Snows o)er her wounds, the construction of e)ery !amaist tem#le $no matter
where in the world( was and is #refaced by a ritual that refreshes the dreadful stigmatiMation
of the "earth mother:* Srinmo is undoubtedly the $Tibetan( emanation of "Mother 3arth: or
"Mother 4ature: whom the alai !ama so emotionally #leads to rescue at international
ecology congresses $/the earth acts like a mother to all:(* <t was the "undun himself > if we
take his doctrine of incarnation literally > who in the form of Songtsen @ampo many
centuries ago nailed down "Mother 3arth: $Srinmo(* 1e himself laid the bloody foundations
$the maltreated body of Srinmo( u#on which his clerical and andocentric system rests* <t is he
himself who re#eats this aggressi)e "taming act: at e)ery #ublic #erformance of
the "alachakra ritual0 before a sand mandala is created, the local nature s#irits $some
inter#reters say the earth mother Srinmo( are nailed to the ground with phurbas $ritual
daggers(*

The e8uation of nature with the feminine #rinci#le is an archety#ical mo)e that we find
in most cultures* The 9reek @aia and Tibetan Srinmo are 6ust two different names for the
same di)ine substance of the earth mother* <n 3uro#ean alchemy, nature is the starting #oint
$the prima materia( for the magic ex#eriments and likewise a principium feminile* +e ha)e
examined the close interconnection of alchemy and Tantrism in detail and #ro)ed that in both
systems the feminine #rinci#le is sacrificed for the benefit of a masculine ex#erimenter* By
ado#ting for oursel)es the tantric way of seeing things in which e)erything is linked to
e)erything else, we were able to recogniMe the nailing down of Srinmo $the symbol7laden
#rimal e)ent of Tibetan history( as the historical #redecessor of the "tantricUalchemic female
sacrifice:* Songtsen @ampo sacrificed the "earth mother: so as to ac8uire her energies for
himself, 6ust as e)ery tantra master sacrifices his karma mudra so as to absorb her gynergy*

<n recent decades numerous books ha)e a##eared that address the disres#ect,
ensla)ement, and dismemberment of nature by the modern scientific world )iew and
technology* Many of the analyses, es#ecially when they are the work of feminist authors,
indicate that the destruction and control of nature are to be e8uated with the su#eriority of the
masculine #rinci#le o)er the feminine, of the god o)er the goddess, in brief with the
su#remacy of #atriarchy* This critical )iew of the history of o##ression and ex#loitation of the
N@@
scientific age has largely obscured the )iew of ata)istic religions, hostility towards nature,
es#ecially when these come from the east, like Tibetan Buddhism*

But Buddhist Tantrism, we would like to unreser)edly claim, is hostile to nature and
therefore ecologically hostile in principle, because it destroys the natural, sensual, and
feminine s#here so as to render it useful for the masculine* Further, in the #erformance of his
enlightenment rituals, e)ery tantra master burns u# all the natural com#onents of his own
human body and, #arallel to this $on a macrocosmic le)el(, the entire natural uni)erse* From a
traditional )iew#oint nature consists of a checkered mixture of the different elements $fire,
water, earth, air, ether(* <n Tantrism, howe)er, fire destroys the other elementary constituents*
<n the final instance it is the "fiery: SP<5<T which sub6ugates e)erything else, but 4;T=53
in #articular* !et us recall that ;+alokitesh+ara, the incarnation father of the alai !ama, acts
as the "!ord of Fire: and the Bodhisatt)a of our age*

4or were the centers of ci)iliMation in former Tibet at all en)ironmentally friendly*
The !hasa of tradition, for instance, ca#ital of the !amaist world, could hardly be described as
an exem#lary ecological site but rather, as a number of world tra)elers ha)e re#orted, was
until the mid7twentieth century one of the dirtiest cities on the #lanet* ;s a rule, refuse was
ti##ed unto the street* The houses had no toilets* 3)erywhere, where)er they were, the
inhabitants unburdened themsel)es* ead animals were left to rot in #ublic #laces* For such
reasons the stench was so #enetrating and nauseating that the ?<<< alai !ama felt sick e)ery
time he had to tra)erse the city* 4obles who ste##ed out usually held a handkerchief o)er their
nose*

<t is e)en more absurd to describe the Tibetan monastic society as a )egetarian culture*
The #roduction and consum#tion of meat ha)e always been counted among the most
im#ortant branches of the country,s economy $not least because of the climatic conditions(* <t
is indeed true that a de)out Tibetan may not kill an animal himself, but he is not forbidden
from eating it* 1ence the slaughter is #erformed by those of other faiths, #rimarily Moslems*
The "undun is also a keen meat eater, albeit, if one is to belie)e him, not out of enthusiasm
but rather for health reasons* ;nyone who is also aware of the great contem#t Buddhism in
general shows for being reborn as an animal can only wonder at such eco7#aradisiacal7
)egetarian retros#ection now on offer in the "scholarly history: of the exiled Tibetans*
N@H

But by now the Tibetans in exile themsel)es gladly belie)e in such ecological fairytales*
For them it is alone the brutal -hinese $whose beha)ior towards Mother 3arth is no better nor
worse than any other ca#italist country, howe)er( who are the )illains and stand accused $in
this instance rightly( of destroying the ancient forests of the country and because they #ay
high #rices for a#hrodisiacs won from the bones of the snow leo#ard* But there are also some
factual ob6ectors to the o#inion that the Tibet of old was an eco7#aradise* The Tibetans were
ne)er more ecologically aware than other #eo#les, writes Damyan 4orbu, co7director of the
Tibetan -ulture <nstitute in haramsala, and warns against dangerous myth making $Spiegel,
.LU.QQP, #* ..Q(*

Petra 0elly and /ert Bastian
<n this section, which we introduced with the two 9erman "9reens:, Petra 2elly and
9ert Bastian, we would like to draw attention to some interesting s#eculations in the Buddhist
scene concerning the reunification of 9ermany* The alai !ama rarely becomes directly and
o#enly in)ol)ed in world #olitics aside from the issue of Tibet unless calling for #eace in
general* There are ne)ertheless numerous occult rumors in circulation among his followers
that suggest him to be the #olitical director of the world who holds the strings from "another
dimension: in his hands* For exam#le, there has been talk that the fall of the Berlin +all was
to be attributed to him* ;mong other things, the fact that at the exact #oint where the first
break in the wall was created $a scene broadcast all around the world( there stood a graffiti
reading 9ong 9i+e =alai 9ama is offered as #roof of this*

<n fact, six months before the 9erman reunification the "undun had stood #raying
before the "wall of shame: with a candle in his hand* The #acifist, o##onent of atomic energy,
en)ironmentalist and committed cam#aigner for the freedom of Tibet, Petra 2elly, had been
able to moti)ate him to cross the 3ast 9erman border together with his entire retinue in
ecember .QPQ* ;fter the candle ceremony mentioned, the grou# were ferried to a Round
Table discussion with citiMens, rights grou#s by the 95 state security ser)ice $the
infamous Stasi& or secret #olice(* S%T

N@L
$he *irst break in the :*all o* the %all7 o* Berlin#
,ee the )ra**iti :Lon) live Dalai LLamaM7

Petra 2elly later described the situation as a #olitical )acuum in which the democratic
o##osition #resented the )ision of transforming the former 95 into a non7aligned state
without a military or nuclear wea#ons that would align itself with neither ca#italist nor
communist ideas* The alai !ama was assured that he would be the first guest of this new
state and that Tibet,s autonomy would be recogniMed as the first act of foreign affairs* The
9erman #artici#ants in this con)ersation regarded themsel)es as a kind of #ro)isional
go)ernment* ;ll were said to ha)e been dee#ly mo)ed by the #resence of 1is 1oliness* "Knly
six months later, on %% Dune .QQ&/, writes Ste#hen Batchelor, "his #rayer was answered when
-heck#oint -harlie was Gsolemnly dismountedG/ $Batchelor, .QQ@, #* 'NP(*

The alai !ama as a #olitical magician who brought down the Berlin +all with his
#rayersA Such conce#tions lay the foundations for a "meta#olitics: in which international
e)ents are influenced by symbolic actions* Petra 2elly #robably thought along these linesR her
extraordinary de)otion to the alai !ama and the Tibetan cause is otherwise hard to
com#rehend*

The #acifist was certainly uninformed about the "alachakra Tantra's aggressi)eUwarlike
core, the androcentric sexual magic of Tibetan Buddhism, and the dark cha#ters in the Tibetan
N@N
and Mongolian history* !ike thousands of others, she followed 1is 1oliness,s charm and
messages of #eace and was blind to the gods of the -a0rayana's obsessions with #ower at
work through him* ;s she and her de facto, 9ert Bastian, )isited haramsala in .QPP, they
were both, des#ite ha)ing an eagle eye for e)ery minor infringement of democracy in the
9erman Federal 5e#ublic, "enormously im#ressed by the extremely democratic discussions:
that had taken #lace in the #arliament of the Tibetans in exile* This was a total misassessment
of the situation > as we ha)e already shown at length and as anyone who has the smallest
insight into the inner #olitical affairs of Tibetans in exile knows, their #o#ular re#resentation
is a farce $Tibetan Re+iew, Danuary .QPQ, #* .H(* But not for Petra 2elly > following her )isit
to haramsala she was so com#letely entranced by the "undun's charm and humane #olitical
mask that the issue of Tibet became for her the 8uintessential "moral touchstone of
international #olitics: $Tibetan Re+iew, Duly .QQ', #* .Q(* <n concrete terms, that meant the
#oliticians our world stood at a threshold0 if they su##orted the alai !ama they would be
following the #ath of morality and )irtueR if they turned against the "undun or sim#ly
remained #assi)e, then they would be steering down the road to immoralityV

The green #olitician Petra 2elly com#letely failed to #ercei)e the religiously moti)ated
#ower #olitics and the tantric occultism of haramsala* !ike many other women she became a
female chess #iece $a 8ueen( in the "undun's game of strategy, one who o#ened doors to the
9erman #arliament and the u##er #olitical ranks for him*

Th( iu!or% word o- int(rr(igiou! diaog and th( (cu$(nica $o'($(nt
;lthough dominated by culturally fixed images and rituals like e)ery other religion,
Tibetan Buddhism initially #resents itself as a tradition that is tied to neither a culture, a
society, nor a race* +e hear from e)ery lama that the teachings of the Shakyamuni Buddha
consist exclusi)ely in the ex#eriences of each indi)idual* ;nybody can test their credibility in
his or her own religious #ractices* Being of another non7Buddhist confession is no obstacle to
such sacred exercises*

This, in the light of the tantric ritual system and the "baro8ue: Tibetan #antheon
feigned, #urist and liberal basic attitude allows 1is 1oliness the Fourteenth alai !ama to
#resent himself as being so tolerant and o#en minded that he has been celebrated for years as
N@P
the "most o#en minded and liberal ecclesiastical dignitary: on the #lanet* 1is readiness to
engage in dialog has all but become a catch#hrase*

<n now #resenting the "undun's interreligious acti)ities, we always ha)e clearly in mind
an awareness that at heart the entire !amaist system is and wants to be incom#atible with
other faiths* !et us re)iew the reasons for this once more, summariMed in se)en #oints* Tantric
Buddhism, es#ecially the "alachakra Tantra and the associated Shambhala myth& includes0

"D Th( (Bt(r$ination o- tho!( o- oth(r -aith!
*D A wari1( 8hio!o8h% o- 'io(nc(
+D Foundation! -or a n(o-a!ci!t id(oog%
/D Cont($8t -or th( 8(r!on2 th( indi'idua &in -a'or o- th( god!)2 and
(!8(cia% -or wo$(n &in -a'or o- th( tantra $a!t(r!)
0D Th( in1ing o- r(igiou! and !tat( 8ow(r
3D Word conAu(!t and th( (!ta5i!h$(nt o- a go5a #uddhocrac% 'ia
$ani8uati'( and wari1( $(an!

<n the face of these #oints the "undun's ecumenical acti)ity remains a lie for as long as
he continues to abide by the #rinci#les of the tantric ritual system and the ideologicalU#olitical
fundamentals of the Shambhala myth $and the associated gras# for the world throne(* <t is
nonetheless of im#ortant tactical significance for him and has #ro)ed to be an excellent means
of s#reading the ideas of !amaism all o)er the world without ob6ection*

This indirect missionary method has a long tradition in Tibetan history* ;s
Padmasambha)a $@uru Rinpoche( won the !and of Snows o)er to Tantrism in the P
th
century,
he ne)er went on a direct offensi)e by o#enly #reaching the fundamentals of the dharma* ;s
an ingenious mani#ulator, he succeeded in em#loying the language, images, symbols, and
gods of the local religions as a means of trans#orting the <ndian Buddhism he had brought
with him* The tribes to whom he #reached were con)inced that the dharma was nothing more
than a clear inter#retation of their old religious conce#tions* They did not e)en need to gi)e
u# their deities $e)en if these were most cruel( if they were to "con)ert: to tantric Buddhism,
since Padmasambha)a integrated these into his own system*

N@Q
3)en the "alachakra Tantra& based on a marked and #er)asi)e conce#t of the enemy,
recommends the mani#ulation of those of other faiths* Sur#risingly, the "Time Tantra: #ermits
the #erformance of non7Buddhist rites by the tantra master* But there is an im#ortant
condition here, namely that the mystic #hysiology of the #racticing yogi $his energy body(
with which he controls the entire occultUreligious e)ent remain stable and kee# strictly and
without de)iation to the tantric method $upaya(* Then, it says in the time doctrine, "no form of
religion from the way of one,s own or a foreign #eo#le is corru#ting for the yogis:
$9rInwedel, "alacakra ??, #* .NN(* +ith this #ermission, the way is free for one to externally
a##ear tolerant and o#en minded towards any religious direction without conflicting with the
#ower7#olitical goals of the "alachakra Tantra and the Shambhala myth that want to ele)ate
Buddhism to be the sole world religion* <n contrast, the feigned "religious tolerance: becomes
a #owerful means of surre#titiously #romoting one,s own fundamentalism*

+here does this lea)e the ecumenical #olitics of the Fourteenth alai !amaA
<nterreligious discussions are one of the "undun's s#ecialtiesR there is not a ma6or world
ecumenical e)ent of significance where his negotiating #resence is not e)ident* 1e is one of
the #residents of the "+orld,s Parliament of 5eligions: in -hicago* The god7king tirelessly
s#reads the ha##y message that des#ite differing #hiloso#hies all religions ha)e the same
moti)e, the #erfection of humans*+hate)er the differences between religions,: he ex#lained
in Madras in .QPH, all of them want man to be good* !o)e and com#assion form the essence
of any religion and these alone can bring #eo#le together and #ro)ide #eace and ha##iness to
humanity: $Tibetan Re+iew, Danuary .QPH, #* Q(*

Bet $he says( for the sake of 8uality one should not gloss o)er the differences between
the religious a##roaches* <t is not at all desirable that we end u# with a uniform, o)erarching
religionR that can not be the goal of the dialog* Kne should guard against a "religious
cocktail:* The )ariety of religions is a outright necessity for the e)olution of humankind* "To
form a new world religion,: the "undunsays, "would be difficult and not #articularly
desirable* But since lo)e is essential for all religions, one could s#eak of a uni)ersal religion
of lo)e* Bet with regard to the methods for de)elo#ing lo)e and for attaining sal)ation or
#ermanent liberation the religions differ from one another *** The fact that there are so many
different de#ictions of the way is enriching: $BrIck and !ai, .QQN, #* H%&(* <n general,
e)eryone should stick with the religion he or she was born into*
NH&

For him it is a matter of deliberate coo#eration whilst maintaining autonomy, a dialog
about the humanity common to all* <n .QQN the god7king #ro#osed that grou#s of )arious
religious denominations undertake a #ilgrimage to the holy #laces of the world together in
order to learn from one another* The religious leaders of the world ought to come together
more often, as "such a meeting is a #owerful message in the eyes of millions of #eo#le:
$Tibetan Re+iew, May .QQN, #* .@(*

-hristianity
<n the meantime, exchange #rograms between Tibetan Buddhist and -hristian orders of
monks and nuns ha)e become institutionaliMed through a resolution of the alai !ama, with
all four ma6or lines of tradition among the Tibetans $4yingma#a, Sakya#a, 2agyu#a, and
9elug#a( #artici#ating* <n the sixties, the ;merican Tra##ist monk and #oet, Thomas Merton
$.Q&L7.QLP(, )isited the "undun in haramsala and summariMed his ex#erience together as
follows0 "< dealt #rimarily with Buddhists *** <t is of incalculable )alue to come into direct
contact with #eo#le who ha)e worked hard their whole li)es at training their minds and
liberating themsel)es from #assions and illusions: $BrIck and !ai, .QQN, #* @Q(*

<n .QPQ the god7king and the Benedictine abbot Thomas 2eating led a gathering of
se)eral thousand -hristians and Buddhists in a 6oint meditation in the +est* The "undun has
)isited !ourdes andDerusalem in order to #ray there in silent de)otion* There is also )ery close
contact between the!utheran -hurch and the Council for Religious and Cultural ;ffairs of
H.H. the =alai 9ama* ;t the so7called !aropa Conferences in Boulder, -olorado, to#ics such
as "9od: $-hristian( and "3m#tiness: $Buddhist(, "Prayer: $-hristian( and "Meditation:
$Buddhist(, "Theism: and "non7Theism:, the "Trinity: and the "Three Body Theory: are
treated in dialog between -hristians and Buddhists*

The com#arison between -hrist and Buddha has a long tradition $see BrIck and !ai,
.QQN, ##* '.@ff*(* There are in fact many #arallels $the )irgin birth for exam#le, the
messianism(* But in #articular <ahayana Buddhism,s re8uirement of com#assion allows the
two founding figures to a##ear as re#resentati)es of the same s#irit* ;+alokitesh+ara, the
su#reme Bodhisatt)a of com#assion is thus often #resented as a 8uasi7-hristian archety#e in
Buddhism and also #rayed to as such* This is naturally of great ad)antage to the "undun, who
NH.
is himself an incarnation of;+alokitesh+ara and can )ia the com#arison $of the two deities(
lay claim to the #owerful 8ualities of -hrist,s image*

But 1is 1oliness is extremely cautious and di#lomatic in such matters* For a Buddhist,
the alai !ama says, -hrist can of course be regarded as a Bodhisatt)a, yet one must a)oid
claiming -hrist for Buddhism* $<ncidentally, -hrist is named in the "alachakra Tantra as one
the "heretics:*( The"undun knows only too well that an o#en integration of the archety#e of
-hrist into his tantric #antheon would only lead to strong #rotests from the -hristian side*

1e must thus #roceed with more skill if he wants to nonetheless integrate the 4aMarene
into his system as Padmasambha)a once incor#orated the local gods of Tibet* For exam#le, he
describes so many #arallels between -hrist and Buddha $;+alokitesh+ara( that his $-hristianV(
audience arri)e at the conclusion that -hrist is a Bodhisatt)a com#letely of their own accord*

Dust how successful the "undun is with such mani#ulation is demonstrated by a
conference held between a small circle of -hristians and himself $in .QQ@(, the #roceedings of
which are documented in the book, The @ood Heart/ ; $uddhist (erspecti+e on the
Teachings of Lesus* <n that the god7king re#eatedly and em#hatically stressed at this meeting
that he had not the slightest intention of letting Buddhism mono#oliMe anybody or anything,
he in fact had the o##osite effect* The more tolerant and res#ectful towards other religions he
showed himself to be, the more he con)inced his listeners that Buddhism was indeed the one
true faith* +ith this -atch %%, the alai !ama succeeded in emerging at the end of this
meeting as a Buddhist su#er monk, who in himself combined all the 8ualities of the three
most im#ortant -hristian monastic orders0 1e Sthe alai !amaT brings three 8ualities to a
s#iritual discourse,: the chief organiMer of the small ecumenical e)ent, a Benedictine, says,
traits so rare in some contem#orary -hristian circles as to ha)e elicited gras#s of relie)ed
gratitude from the audience* These 8ualities are gentleness, clarity, and laughter* <f there is
something $enedictine about him, there is a #ranciscan side as well and a touch of
theLesuitI $alai !ama ?<V, .QQN, ##* .LO.N(* The "undun a##eared to the #redominantly
-atholic #artici#ants at this interreligious meeting to be more -hristian than the -hristians in
many #oints*
NH%
Richard ;(r(: ,>(!u! i! '(r% $uch acc(8t(d 5% th( Ti5(tan!2 ('(n though th(%
don=t 5(i('( in an uti$at( cr(ator ;odD I wa! at a '(r% $o'ing ('(nt that Hi! Hoin(!!
did in Engand wh(r( h( (ctur(d on >(!u! at a >(!uit !($inar%D Wh(n h( !8o1( th(
word! o- >(!u!2 a o- u! th(r( who had grown u8 Chri!tian! and had o-t(n h(ard th($
5(-or( coud not 5(i('( th(ir 8ow(rD It wa! DDDC ;(r( !udd(n% cho1(! with ($otionD For
a -(w $o$(nt! h( Lu!t !tar(! into th( $a1(u8 $irror2 waiting to r(gain hi! co$8u!(r(D
,Wh(n !o$(on( can -i !uch word! with th( d(8th $(aning that th(% ar( int(nd(d to
ha'(2 it=! i1( h(aring th($ -or th( -ir!t ti$(DC &Sch(2 *:::2 8D 06)
;lthough the alai !ama indignantly re6ects any mono#oliMation of other religions by
Buddhism, this is not at all true of his followers* <n recent times an e)er7ex#anding esoteric
literature has emerged in which the authors "#ro)e: that Buddhism is the original source of all
religions* <n #articular there are attem#ts to #ortray -hristianity as a )ariant of the "great
)ehicle: $<ahayana(* -hrist is #roclaimed as a Bodhisatt)a, an emanation
of ;+alokitesh+ara who sacrificed himself out of com#assion for all li)ing creatures $e*g*,
9ruber and 2ersten, .QQ@(*

From the Tibetan #oint of )iew, the #oint of ecumenical meetings is not encounters
between se)eral religious orientations* S'T That would contradict the entire tantric ritual
system* 5ather, they are for the infiltration of foreign religions with the goal $like
Padmasambha)a( of ultimately incor#orating them within its own system* Kn rare occasions
the methods to be em#loyed in such a #olicy of a##ro#riation are discussed, albeit most
subtly* Two conferences held in the =S; in .QPN and .QQ% addressed the central to#ic of
whether the Buddhist conce#t of upaya $/adroit means:( could #ro)ide the instrument "for
more relaxed dealings with the issue of truth in dialog $between -hristians and Buddhists(:
$BrIck and !ai, .QQN, #* %P.( "More relaxed dealings with the issue of truth: > that can only
mean that the cultic mystery of the sexual magic rites, the warlikeShambhala ideology, and
the "criminal history: of !amaism is either not mentioned at all at such ecumenical meetings
or is #resented falsely*

;n P&&7#age work by the two theologists Michael )on BrIck and +halen !ai
$$uddhismus und Christentum SBuddhism and -hristianityT( is de)oted to the to#ic of the
encounter between Buddhism and -hristianity* <n it there is no mention at all of the utmost
NH'
significance of -a0rayana in the Buddhist scene, as if this school did not e)en exist* +e can
read #age after #age of #ious and unhurried <ahayana statements by Tibetan lamas, but there
is all but nothing said of their secret tantric #hiloso#hy* The
terms Shambhala and "alachakra Tantra are not to be found in the index, although they form
the basis for the #olicy on religions of the alai !ama whom the authors #raise at great length
as the real star of the ecumenical dialog* +e can #resent this "theologically: highbrow book
as e)idence of the subtle and co)ert mani#ulation through which the "totalistic #aradigm: of
Tibetan Buddhism is to be anchored in the west*

Knly at one single incriminating #oint, which we ha)e already 8uoted earlier, do the two
authors let the cat out of the bag* <n it they recommend that ;merican intellectuals who feel
attracted to -hinese 1ua7yen Buddhism should instead turn to the "undun as the only figure
in a #osition to be able to establish a Buddhocracy0 "Bet 1ua7yen is no longer a li)ing
tradition* *** That does not mean that a totalistic #aradigm could not be re#eated, but it seems
more sensible to seek this in theTibetan2$uddhist tradition, since the Tibetan Buddhists ha)e a
li)ing memory of a real GBuddhocracyG and a li)ing alai !ama who leads the #eo#le as a
religious and #olitical head: $BrIck and !ai, .QQN, #* L'.(* The authors thus belie)e, des#ite
#ages of feigned ecumenical -hristianity, that a "totalistic #aradigm: could be re#eated in the
future and recommend the god7king from haramsala as an exam#le* They thus clearly and
o#enly confirm the Buddhocratic )ision of the "alachakra Tantra and the Shambhala myth& of
which they themsel)es ha)e not breathed a word*

The "undun e)en seems to ha)e succeeded in gaining access to the "immune: Dudaism*
;fter the alai !ama,s )isit to Derusalem $in .QQL(, grou#s were formed in <srael and the
=S; in which Dewish and Buddhist ideas were su##osed to be brought together* ; film has
been made about the fate of the <sraeli writer 5odger 2amenetM, who con)erted to Buddhism
after he had )isited the alai !ama in haramsala and then set about reinter#reting his own
religious roots in Buddhist terms* The so7called $u2Lews $Buddhist Dews( are the most recent
#roduct of the "undun's#olitics of tantric con8uest* They are hardly likely to be aware of the
interlinkage between Tantric Buddhism and occult fascism that we ha)e described in detail*

=slam ($he Mle''has)
NH@
<n contrast <slam is #ro)ing more difficult for 1is 1oliness than the Dews and
-hristians0 "< can barely recall ha)ing a serious theological discussion with Mohammedans:,
he said at the start of the eighties $!e)enson, .QQ%, #* %PP(* This is only all to readily
understandable in light of the a#ocaly#tic battle between the <lecchas $followers of
Mohammed( and the Buddhist armies of the mythical general, Rudra Chakrin& #ro#hesied in
the Shambhala myth* ; foretaste of this radical confrontation, which according to
the "alachakra #ro#hecy awaits us in the year %'%N, was to be detected as the Moslem
Taliban in ;fghanistan declared in .QQN that they would destroy the %&&&7year7old statues of
Buddha in Bamyan because <slam #rohibited human icons* This could, howe)er, be #re)ented
under #ressure from the world #ublic who reacted strongly to the announcement* $+e would
like to mention in #assing that the likenesses of Buddha car)ed into the cliffs of Bamyan, of
which one figure is L& yards high, are to be found in a region from which, in the o#inion of
reliable in)estigators like 1elmut 1offmann and Dohn 5onald 4ewman, the "alachakra
Tantra originally comes*(

1owe)er, after being awarded the 4obel #eace #riMe, the "undun in his function as a
world religious leader has re)ised his traditional reser)ation towards <slam* 1e knows that it
is far more #ublicity7friendly if he also dis#lays the greatest tolerance in this case* <n .QQP, he
thus encouraged <ndian Muslims to #lay a leading role in the discourse between the world
religions* <n the same, conciliatory frame of mind, in an inter)iew he earlier ex#ressed the
wish to )isit Mecca one day $alai !ama ?<V, .QQLb, #* .H%(* S@T

Kn the other hand howe)er, 1is 1oliness maintains )ery close contact with the <ndian
BDP $$hatiya Lanata (arty( and the 5SS $Rashtriya S+ayam Se+ak Sangh(, two old7
schoolconser)ati)e 1indu organiMations $currently > in .QQP > members of the go)erning
coalition( who #roceed with all )igor against <slam* SHT

;n honest renunciation of Tantric Buddhism,s hostility toward <slam could only consist
in the"undun's clear distantiation from all the #assages from the "alachakra tradition that
concern this* To date, this has > as far as we know > ne)er ha##ened*

<n contrast, already today there are radical de)elo#ments in the Buddhist cam# that are
headed for a direct confrontation with <slam* For exam#le, the +estern Buddhist "lama:, Kle
NHH
4ydhal $a"agyupa(, is strongly and radically acti)e in o##osition to the immigration of
Moslems to 3uro#e*

;s #roblematic as we #ercei)e fundamentalist <slam to be, we are nonetheless not
con)inced that the "alachakra ideology and the final battle with
the <lecchas $Mohammedans( #rognosticated by the tantra can sol)e the conflict at the heart
of the struggle between the cultures* ; contribution to an internet7based discussion rightly
described the idea of a Shambhala warrior as the Buddhist e8ui)alent to the 0ihad, the
Moslem "holy war:* 5eligious wars, which ha)e the goal of eliminating the res#ecti)e non7
belie)ers, ha)e in fact, and for the +est unex#ectedly, become a threat to world #eace in
recent years* +e return to this #oint in our conclusion, es#ecially the 8uestion of whether the
di)ision of humanity into two cam#s > Buddhist and <slam > as #redicted in
the "alachakra Tantra is 6ust a fiction or whether it is a real danger*

,hamanism
=# until well into the eighties, the encounter with nature religions #layed a significant
role for the=alai 9ama* There was at that stage a lot of literature that enthusiastically drew
attention to the #arallels between the 4orth ;merican culture of the 1o#i <ndians and Tibetan
Buddhism* The same terminology was e)en disco)ered, 6ust with the meanings re)ersed0 for
exam#le, the Tibetan word for "sun: was said to mean "moon: in the language of the 1o#i
and )ice )ersa, the 1o#i sun corres#onded to the Tibetan moon $2eegan, .QP., unnumbered(*
There are also said to be amaMing corres#ondences among the rituals, es#ecially the "fire
ceremonies:*

For a time the idea arose that the alai !ama was the messiah announced in the 1o#i
religion* <n the legend this figure had been a member of the "sun clan: in the mythical #ast
and had left his <ndian brothers so as to return in the future as a redeemer* "They wanted to
tell me about an old #ro#hecy of their #eo#le #assed on from generation to generation,: 1is
1oliness recounted, "in which one day someone would come from the east* *** They thought it
could be me and had come to tell me this: $!e)enson, .QQ%, #* %NN(*

<n France in .QQN an unusual meeting took #lace* The s#iritual re#resentati)es of
)arious nati)e #eo#les gathered there with the intention of founding a kind of international
NHL
body of the "=nited Traditions: and #resenting a common "charta: to the #ublic* By this the
attendees understood a global coo#eration between shamanistic religions, still #racticed all
o)er the world, with the aim of articulating common rights and gaining an influence o)er the
world,s conscience as the "circle of elders:* The alai !ama was also in)ited to this congress,
organiMed by a !amaist monastery in France $"arma 9ing(* Dust how adroitly the organiMers
made him the focal figure of the entire e)ent, which was actually su##osed to be a union of
e8uals, is shown by the subtitle of the book subse8uently #ublished about the e)ent, The
Fnited Traditions/ Shamans& <ecidine <en and ise omen around the =alai 9ama* The
whole scenario did in fact re)ol)e around the alai !ama* Siberian shamans, 4orth, South,
and -entral ;merican medicine men $;#aches, -heyenne, Mohawks, Shuars from the
;maMon, and ;Mtecs(, ;frican )oodoo #riests $from Benin(,Bon lamas, ;ustralian ;borigines,
and Da#anese martial artists came together for an o#ening ceremony at a Va6rayana tem#le,
surrounded "by the amaMing beauty of the Tibetan dZcor: $3ersel and 9rosrey, .QQP, #* '.(*
The meeting was suddenly interru#ted by the cry, "1is 1oliness, 1is 1olinessV: > intended
for the alai !ama who was a##roaching the meeting #lace* The shamans stood u# and went
towards him* From this #oint on he was the absolute center of e)ents* There were admittedly
mild distantiations before this, but only the Bon #riests dared to be o#enly critical* Their
re#resentati)e, !o#Jn Trinley 4yima 5in#oche, strongly attacked !amaism as a re#ressi)e
religion that has #ersecuted the Bon followers for centuries* <n answer to a 8uestion about his
attitude to Tibetan Buddhism he re#lied, "Seen historically, a merciless war has in fact long
been conducted between us two* X Between the Nth and the %&th century a good four fifths of
Tibet was Buddhist* Sometimes this also meant )iolence0 hence, in the .Pth century, with the
hel# of the -hinese, the 9elug#a carried out mass con)ersions in the border regions of Tibet
which had long been inhabited by the Bon: $8uoted by 3ersel and 9rosrey, .QQP, #* .@.(* Still
today, the Bon#os are disad)antaged in many ways0 "Bou should be aware, for instance, that
non7Buddhist children do not see a #enny of the money donated by international aid
organiMations for Tibetan childrenV: 4yima 5in#oche #rotested $8uoted by 3ersel and
9rosrey, .QQP, #* .'%(*

But the 2undun knows how to deal with such matters* The next day he lets the Bon
critic sit beside him, and declares the Bon#os to be "Tibet,s fifth school:* <n his #ride, 4yima
5in#oche forgot about any criticism or the history of the re#ression of his religion* The alai
!ama takes the ;frican )oodoo re#resentati)e, aag#o 1ounon 1ouna, in his arms and has a
NHN
#hoto taken* The two book authors comment that, "Back home in ;frica this #icture will
certainly recei)e great symbolic status: $3ersel and 9rosley, .QQP, #* .'%(* Then the 2undun
says some mo)ing words about "Mother 3arth: he has learned from the 4ew ;ge milieu and
which as such do not exist in the Tibetan tradition0 "These days we ha)e too little contact to
Mother 3arth and in this we forget that we oursel)es are a #art of nature* +e are cildren of
nature, Mother 3arth, and this #lanet is our only home: $8uoted by 3ersel and 9rosrey, .QQP,
#* .P&(* !et us recall that before the start of e)ery "alachakra ritual the earth s#irits are nailed
down with a ritual dagger* The alai !ama goes on to #reach about the )ariety of races and
the e8uality of the religions of the world* ;nd he has already won the hearts of all* <t is
naturally his congress, he is the axis around which the "circle of elders: re)ol)es*

5oughly in the middle of the book we suddenly learn that the delegates were in)ited in
his name and that "without the su##ort and the exce#tional aura of 1is 1oliness: nothing
would ha)e been #ossible $3ersel and 9rosrey, .QQP, #* %H'(* 3)en the high #riest from
Benin, who smuggled the remains of an animal sacrifice into the ritual tem#le that was,
howe)er, disco)ered and remo)ed, acce#ts the Tibetan hierarch as the central figure of the
meeting, saying "< therefore greet 1is 1oliness the alai !ama around whom we ha)e
gathered here: $3ersel and 9rosrey, .QQP, #* .QQ(* Kne of the organiMers$Dean7-laude
-arriare( sums things u#0 "That was actually the motor of this meeting* 1ere for the first time
#eo#les, some of whom ha)e almost )anished from the face of the earth, were asked to s#eak
$and act( and they ha)e recogniMed the likewise degraded, disowned, and exiled alai !ama
as one of their own* <t is barely imaginable how im#ortant it was for them to be able to bow
before him and #resent him with a gift: $3ersel and 9rosrey, .QQP, #* %H@(* Tibetan Buddhism
is becoming a catch7all for all religions0 "<f the meeting of the =nited Traditions took #lace in
a Buddhist monastery, it is surely because the s#irit of the +ay of Buddha, as embodied by
1is 1oliness the alai !ama, encourages such meetings* 1is #resence alongside the elders
and the role of unifier which was accorded him on the ay of the =nited Traditions, is in the
same category as the suggestions that he made in front of the assembled -hristians in .QQ@
X: $3ersel and 9rosrey, .QQP, #* @&L(* Thus !amaism #lays the tune to which those attending
dance0 "; more astonishing )ision, in which we here, borne along by the songs and drums of
the Tibetans, begin to Wrotate, along with the ;sian shamans, ;frican high #riests, ;merican
and ;ustralian men and women of knowledge: $3ersel and 9rosrey, .QQP, #* .NL(*

NHP
This meeting made two things a##arent0 firstly, that the traditions of the nati)e #eo#les
are fundamentally uninterested in a #rocess of criticism or self7criticism, and secondly, that
here too the alai !ama assumes s#iritual leadershi# as a "king shaman:* ; line from the 6oint
closing #rayer ty#ifies the androcentric s#irit of the "circle of elders:0 "9od our Father, we
sacrifice and dedicate to you our Mother the 3arth: $3ersel and 9rosrey, .QQP, #* @.'(* This
says it allR e)en if a few women #artici#ate the council of elders remains a "circle of
#atriarchs:, and the female sacrifice which we ha)e identified as the central mystery of
Tantric Buddhism also essentially determines the traditional systems of ritual of the shamans
gathered in France*

$he o''"lt s'ene and the @e% &)e
+hat then is the relationshi# like between the alai !ama and the so7called esoteric
scene, which has s#read like a bomb all o)er the +est in recent yearsA <n relations with
)arious traditional occult sects $the Moonies, Brahmakumaris, Scientologists, Theoso#hists,
5oerich grou#s( who in general do not en6oy a good name in the official #ress 1is 1oliness is
often more tolerant and intimate than the broad #ublic realiMes* +e ha)e already re#orted
extensi)ely about his connection to Shoko ;sahara,s ;=M sect* 1e also maintains li)ely
contact with Theoso#hists of the most di)erse schools* ; few years ago 1is 1oliness #raised
and introduced a collection of Madame Bla)atsky,s writings with a foreword*

But it is his relationshi# with the religious subculture that became known worldwide as
the !ew ;ge <o+ement which is of decisi)e significance* ;lready at the start of the se)enties
the youth #rotest mo)ement of .QLP was re#laced by the s#iritual #ractices of indi)iduals and
grou#s, the left7wing #olitical uto#ia of a classless society by a )ision of the "community of
the holy:* ;ll the followers of the !ew ;ge saw themsel)es as members of a "soft cons#iracy:
that was to #re#are for the "4ew ;ge of ;8uarius: and the a##earance of messianic sa)iors
$often from non73uro#ean cultures(* 3)ery concei)able school of belief, #olitico7religious
)iew#oint and surreal fantasy was gathered u# in this dynamic and creati)e cultural current*
;t the outset the !ew ;ge mo)ement dis#layed a nai)e but im#ressi)e inde#endence of the
existing religious traditions* <t was belie)ed one could select the best from all cultic mysteries
> those of the <ndians and ;merican <ndians, the Tibetans, Sufis, the Theoso#hists, etc* > in
order to nonchalantly combine it with one,s own s#iritual ex#eriences and further de)elo# it
in the sense of a s#iritual and #eaceful global community* 3)en traditionally based gurus from
NHQ
the early #hase like 5a6neesh Baghwan from <ndia or the Tibetan, -hJgyam Trung#a, were
able to acce#t this "s#iritual liberalism: and combined their hallowed initiation techni8ues
with all manner of methods drawn from the modern western tradition, es#ecially with those of
thera#eutic #sychology* But after only a few years of creati)e freedom, the orthodox
ecclesiastical orientations and ata)istic sects who #ut this "mystic7original #otential: to use
for their own ends, indeed )itally needed it for their own regeneration, #re)ailed in the !ew
;ge mo)ement*

Buddhism was intensi)ely in)ol)ed in this #rocess $the incor#oration of the !ew ;ge(
from the outset* ;t first the influence of Da#anese Cen #redominated, howe)er, two decades
later Tibetan !amaism succeeded in winning o)er e)er more !ew ;ge #rotagonists* The fact
that since the .Q
th
century Tibet has been the ob6ect of western fantasies, onto which all
concei)able occult desires and mystic ho#es ha)e been #ro6ected, certainly hel#ed here* The
Theoso#hic )ision of omni#otent<ahatmas who steer the fate of the world from the heights
of the 1imalayas has de)elo#ed into a #owerful image for non7theoso#hical religious
subcultures as well*

For the Fourteenth alai !ama the !ew ;ge <o+ement was both the #rimary recruiting
field for western Buddhists and the gateway to mainstream society* The double character of
his religion, this mixture of Buddhocratic officialese and the anarchistic dro#7out that we ha)e
de#icted earlier, was of great ad)antage to him in his skilled con8uest of the s#iritual
subculture* Then the "children of the ;ge of ;8uarius:, who concei)ed of themsel)es as
rebels against the existing social norms $their anarchic side( and were not infre8uently held u#
to ridicule by the bourgeois #ublic, also on the other hand battled fiercely for social
recognition and the assertion of their ideas as culturally acknowledged )alues* ; )isit by the
alai !ama lent their e)ents considerable official status, which they would not otherwise ha)e
had* They in)ested much money and effort to achie)e this* Since the alai !ama was only
)ery rarely recei)ed by state institutions before the late eighties but nonetheless saw extended
tra)els as his #olitical duty, the material resources of the !ew ;ge scene likewise #layed an
im#ortant role for him* "1e o#ens Buddhist centers for 4ew ;ge nou+eau riche #rotagonists:,
wrote the Spiegel, "whose res#ectability he cannot always be con)inced about:
$Spiegel .LU.QQP, #* ...(* =# until the mid eighties, it was small esoteric grou#s who in)ited
NL&
him to )isit )arious western countries and who #aid the bills for his ex#enses afterwards >
not the ministers and heads of state in Bonn, Madrid, Paris, +ashington, !ondon, and Vienna*

Such an arrangement suited the go)ernments well, since they did not ha)e to risk falling
out with -hina by committing themsel)es to a )isit by the alai !ama* Kn the other hand, the
exoticUmagic aura of the "undun& the "li)ing Buddha: and "god7king:, has always exercised a
strong attraction o)er Society* 1ardly anyone who had a name or status $whether in business,
#olitics, the arts, or as nobility( could resist this charming and "human: arch7god* To be able
to shake the hand of the "yellow #ontiff: and "s#iritual ruler from the roof of the world: and
maybe e)en chat casually with him has always been a uni8ue social ex#erience* Thus, on
these somewhat marginaliMed !ew ;getri#s, time and again "secret: meetings took #lace "on
the side " with the most )aried heads of state and also )ery famous artists $1erbert )on
2ara6an for exam#le(, who let themsel)es be enchanted by the smile and the exoticism of
the "undun* -ountless such unofficial meetings laid the groundwork for the "undun's 9reat
!ea# into the official #olitical s#here, which he finally achie)ed at the end of the eighties with
the Tibet 9obby and the award of the 4obel #eace #riMe $.QPQ(*

Since then, it has been the heads of state, the famous stars, the higher ranks of the
nobility, the rectors of the ma6or uni)ersities, who recei)e the Tibetan "alachakra master with
much #om# and circumstance* The intriguing, original but nai)e !ew ;ge <o+ement no
longer exists* <t was rubbed out between the )arious religious traditions $es#ecially
Buddhism( on one side and the "bourgeois: #ress $the so7called "critical #ublic:( on the other*
For all the #roblems this s#iritual heir and successor to the mo)ements of .QLP had, it also
#ossessed numerous ideas and life #ractices which were ade8uate for a s#iritually based
culture beyond that of the extant religious traditions* But thebourgeois society $from which
the "-hildren of the ;ge of ;8uarius came( had neither recogniMed nor acted u#on this
#otential* <n contrast, the traditional religions, but es#ecially Buddhism, reacted to the !ew
;ge scene with great sensiti)ity* They had ex#erienced the most dangerous crisis in their
decline in the sixties and they needed the )isions, the commitment, and the fresh blood of a
young and dynamic generation in order to sur)i)e at all* Today the !ew ;ge is #assZ and
the"undun can distance himself e)er further from his old friends and mo)e o)er into the
establishment com#letely*

NL.
<n the following cha#ter we shall show 6ust how decisi)e a role the "undun #layed in
the conser)ati)e #rocess of resor#tion $of the !ew ;ge(* 1e succeeded, in fact, in binding the
intellectual and scientific elite of the !ew ;ge Mo)ement to his own ata)istic system* These
were both young and elder western scientists trained in the classic disci#lines $nuclear
#hysics, chemistry, biology, neurobiology( who endea)ored to combine their groundings in
the natural sciences with religious and #hiloso#hical #resentations of the sub6ect, whereby the
3astern7influenced doctrines became increasingly im#ortant* This international circle of bold
thinkers and researchers, who include such well7known indi)iduals as -arl Friedrich )on
+eiMsYcker, a)id Bohm, Francisco Varela, and Frit6of -a#ra, is our next to#ic* ; further
section of the !ew ;ge scene now ser)e as his dogsbodies through their commitment to the
issue of Tibet, and are s#iritual rewarded from time to time with )isits from lamas
and retreats*

Mod(rn !ci(nc( and Tantric #uddhi!$
<n .Q'Q in a commentary on the Tibetan $ook of the =ead& the great #sychologist -arl
9usta) Dung wrote to the effect that to #ractice yoga on the Hth ;)enue or anywhere else that
could be reached by tele#hone would be a s#iritual 6oke* Dung was con)inced that the ancient
yoga #ractices of Tibetan Tantrism was incom#atible with the modern, scientifically and
technologically determined, western world )iew* For him, the combination of a tele#hone and
Tibet #resented a #aradox* "The tele#honeV +as there no #lace on earth where one could be
#rotected from the curse:, a west 3uro#ean weary of ci)iliMation asks in another text, and
#rom#tly decides to 6ourney to Tibet, the 1oly !and, in which one can still not be reached by
#hone $5iencourt, .QH., ##* @Q7H&(* Bet such yearning western images of an untouched Tibet
are dece#ti)e* Dust one year after Dung,s statement $in .Q@&( the Potala had its own tele#hone
line*

But there were also other )oices in the thirtiesV Voices that dared to make bold
com#arisons between modern technical #ossibilities and the magic #owers $siddhis( of
Tantrism0 3)ans7+entM, for exam#le, the famous translator of the Tibetan $ook of the =ead,
enthuses about how ";s from mighty broadcasting stations, the 9reat Knes broadcast o)er the
earth that Vital S#irituality which alone makes human e)olution #ossible: $3)ans7+entM,
.QNP, #* .P(* These "9reat Knes: are the <aha Siddhas $/9rand Sorcerers:( who are in
NL%
hiding in the 1imalayas $in Shambhala( and can with their magic reach out and mani#ulate
e)ery human brain as they will*

<n the last thirty years Tibetan Buddhism has built u# a successful connection to the
modern western age* From the side of the "ata)istic: religion of Tibet there is no longer any
fear of contact with the science and technology of the +est* ;ll the information technologies
of the Kccident are skillfully and abundantly em#loyed by Tibetan monks in exile and their
western followers* There are countless home#ages #reaching the dharma $the Buddhist
teaching( on the internet* The international 0et set includes lamas who fly around the globe
)isiting their s#iritual centers all o)er the world*

But Tibetan Buddhism goes a ste# further0 the monastic clergy does not 6ust take on the
scientificUtechnical achie)ements of the +est, but attem#ts to render them e#istemologically
de#endent on its BuddhocraticUtantric world )iew* 3)en, as we shall soon show, the "undun is
con)inced that the modern natural sciences can be "BuddhiMed:* This is much easier for the
Buddhists than the Moslems for exam#le, who are currently #ursuing a similar strategy with
western modernity* The doctrine of Mohammed is a re)elatory religion and has been codified
in a holy book, the "oran* The "oran is considered the absolute word of 9od and forms the
immutable foundation of <slamic culture* <t #ro)es itself to be extremely cumbersome when
attem#ts are made to subsume the 3uro#ean scientific disci#lines within this re)elatory text*

<n contrast, Tibetan Buddhism $and also the "alachakra Tantra( is based u#on an
abstract #hiloso#hy of "em#tiness: which as the most general of #rinci#les can
"include: e+erything, e)en western culture* "E+erything arises out of shunyata $the
em#tiness(V: > with this fundamental statement, which we still ha)e to discuss, the !amaist
#hiloso#hical elite gains access to the currentparadigm discussion which has had 3uro#ean
science holding its breath since 1eisenberg,s contribution to 8uantum theory* +hat does this
all meanA

Paradigms gain their status,: Thomas 2uhn writes in his classic work, The Structure of
Scientific Re+olutions& because they are more successful than their com#etitors in sol)ing a
few #roblems that the grou# of #ractitioners has come to recogniMe as acute*: $2uhn, .QL%, #*
%'(* <n his statement, 2uhn takes a scientific #aradigm dis#ute $between "theories:( as his
NL'
starting #oint, but at the same time o#ens the door for articles of faith, since in his
in)estigation a #aradigm does not need to explain all its assum#tions* <n )ery general terms,
we can thus understand the basic foundations of a human culture, be they of a scientific or a
religious nature, as a #aradigm* The dogma as to whether it is a god or a goddess who stands
at the beginning of creation is thus 6ust as much a #aradigm as 5enZ escartes, assum#tion of
the se#aration of the thinking mind $res cogitans( from extended matter $res extensa(, or the
#rinci#le of natural causation of 4ewtonian #hysics* Dust like the belie)ers in the
tantric Shambhala myth& traditional -hristians who acce#t the doctrinal status of the
;#ocaly#se of St* Dohn inter#ret human history according to aneschatological&
intentional #aradigm* <n both systems, all historical e)ents are directed towards a final goal,
namely the coming of a messiah $Christ or Rudra Chakrin( and the staging of a final battle
between belie)ers and unbelie)ers* The future of humanity is thus fixed for all time* <n
contrast, western historicism sees history #urely as the inter#lay of )arious causes that
together #roduce an o#en7ended, undecided future* <t thus follows a causal #aradigm* ;
democracy holds the #rinci#le of the freedom and e8uality of all #eo#le as its guiding
#aradigm, whereas a theocracy or Buddhocracy recogniMe the omni#otence of a god or,
res#ecti)ely, Buddha as the highest #rinci#le of their system of go)ernance*

4ew #aradigms first come to the fore in a society,s cultural awareness when the old
dominant #aradigmatic fundamentals come into crisis* The western world is currently being
shaken by such a #aradigmatic crisis* ;ccording to contem#orary critics, the scientific ";ge
of 5eason: in alignment with the ideas of 5enZ escartes and <saac 4ewton is no longer able
to co#e with the multi#lex demands of a #ostmodern society* 4either is the mechanistic world
)iew with the causal #rinci#le of classical #hysics sufficient to a##rehend the com#lexity of
the uni)erse, nor does western "rationalism: hel# meaningfully organiMe human and natural
life* "5eason: for instance, as the undis#uted higher #rinci#le reigned o)er the emotions,
intuition, )ision, religiousness, erotic lo)e, indeed e)en o)er humanism* The result has been a
fundamental crisis of meaning and e#istemology* -iting Kswald S#engler, some
commentators talk of the #all of the est*

1ence #ro#osals for the new, "#ostmodern: #aradigms of the third millennium ha)e
been discussed e)erywhere in recent years at conferences and sym#osia $not least in !ew
;ge circles(* For exam#le, rather than trying to ex#lain nature through linear7causal models,
NL@
as in 4ewtonian #hysics, one can consider holistic, synchronic, synergetic, ecological,
cybernetic, or microUmacrocosmic structures*

Such new models re)olutioniMe #erce#tion and thought and are easier to name than to
#ut into socially integrated #ractice* For a #aradigm sha#es reality as such to conform with its
foundations, it "ob6ectifies: it, so to s#eak, in its imageR in other words $albeit only after it has
been culturally acce#ted( it creates the "ob6ecti)e world of a##earances ", that is, #eo#le
#ercei)e reality through the #aradigmatic filter of their own culture* ; #aradigm shift is thus
ex#erienced by the traditional elements of a society as a kind of loss of reality*

For this reason, as the foundations of a culture #aradigms are not so easily shaken* <n
order to abandon the "outdated: 4ewtonian world )iew of classical #hysics, for exam#le, the
reality7generating bases of its thinking $abo)e all the causal #rinci#le( would ha)e to be
relati)iMed* But this > as 2uhn has con)incingly argued > does not necessarily re8uire that
the new $#ostmodern, #ost74ewtonian( #aradigm deli)er an u#dated and more con)incing
scientific #roof or a rationalex#lanation, rather, it is sufficient for the new world )iew
to appear better in total than the old one* To #ut it bluntly, this means that it is the most
powerful and not necessarily the most reasonable#aradigm that after its cultural establishment
becomes the best and is thus acce#ted as the basis of a new culture*

1ence e)ery #aradigm change is always #receded by a deadly #ower struggle between
)arious world )iews* eadly because once established, the )ictorious #aradigm com#letely
disables its o##onents, i*e*, denies them any #aradigmatic $or reality7ex#laining( significance*
Ptolemy,s cosmological #aradigm $/the sun rotates around the earth:( no longer has, after
-o#ernicus $/the earth orbits the sun:(, any reality7generating meaning* Thus, in the
-o#ernican era the Ptolemaic )iews are at best considered to still be imaginary truths but are
no longer ca#able of ex#lainingreality* To take another exam#le > for a Tibetan lama, what a
#ositi)ist scientist refers to as reality is #urely illusory $samsara(, whilst the other way
around, the religious world of the lama is a fantastic, if not outright #athological illusion for
the scientist*

The crisis of western modernity $the rational age( and the occidental discussions about a
#aradigm shift #rimarily ha)e nothing to do with Buddhism, they are a cultural e)ent that
NLH
arose at the beginning of the twentieth century in scientific circles in 3uro#e and 4orth
;merica and a result of the critical self7reflection of western science itself* <t was #rimarily
#rominent re#resentati)es from nuclear #hysics who were in)ol)ed in this #rocess* $+e shall
return to this #oint shortly*( ;ta)istic religious systems with their 8uestionable wisdoms are
now #ouring into the "em#ty: and "#aradigmless: s#ace created by the self7doubt and the
"loss of meaning " of the modern western age, so as to offer themsel)es as new #aradigms
and #re)ail* <n recent decades they ha)e been offering their dogmas $which were abandoned
during the 3nlightenment or "age of reason:( with an un#recedented carefree freshness and
freedom, albeit often in a new, contem#orary #ackaging*

The Fourteenth alai !ama is 6ust one of many $coming from the 3ast( who #resent
themsel)es and their s#iritual meaning to the +est as its sa)ior in great need, but he is
#articularly adroit at this* Kf course, neither the sexual magic doctrines of the "alachakra
Tantra nor the military ideology of the Shambhala myth are to be found in
his public teachings $about the new #aradigm(, 6ust the e#istemological discourse of the two
most im#ortant Buddhist #hiloso#hical schools $<adhyamikaand %ogachara( and the
com#assionate, touching ethic of <ahayana Buddhism*

Kne must, howe)er, admit without reser)ation that the Buddhist e#istemological
doctrine makes its entry into the western #aradigm discussion es#ecially easy* 4o matter
which school, they all assume that an ob6ect is only manifest with the perception of the ob6ect*
Kb6ecti)ity $reality( and sub6ecti)e #erce#tion are thus inse#arable, they are in the final
instance identical* This radical sub6ecti)ism necessarily leads to the #hiloso#hical #remise that
all a##earances in the exterior world ha)e no "inherent existence: but are either #roduced by
an awareness $in the %ogachara school( or ha)e to be described as "em#ty: $as in
the <adhyamika school(*

+e are dealing here with two e#istemological schools of o#inion which are also not
unknown in the +est* The Buddhist <adhyamika #hiloso#hy, which assumes the "em#tiness:
$shunyata( of all being, could thus win for itself a substantial )oice in the 3uro7;merican
#hiloso#hical debate* For exam#le, the thesis of the modern logician, !udwig +ittgenstein
$.PPQ7.QH.(, that all talk of "9od: and the "em#tiness: is nothing more than "word #lay:, has
been com#ared with the radical statement of the <adhyamika scholar, 4agar6una $%
nd
to
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'
rd
century(, that intellectual discourse is a "word #lay in di)ersity: $BrIck and !ai, .QQN, #*
@@'(* SLT

Further, the %ogachara school $/e)erything is awareness:( is #resented as a Buddhist
witness for the "8uantum theory: of +erner 1eisenberg $.Q&.7.QNL(* The 9erman nuclear
#hysicist introduced the de#endence of "ob6ecti)e: #hysical #rocesses u#on the status of an
$obser)ing( sub6ect into the scientific e#istemological debate* e#ending u#on the
ex#erimental arrangement, for exam#le, the same #hysical #rocess can be seen as the
mo)ement of non7material wa)es or as the motion of subatomic #articles $uncertainty
principle(* Kccult schools of all manner of orientations welcomed 1eisenberg,s uncertainty
principle as a confirmation of their #ro#osed s#iritualiMation $sub6ectification( of all being and
celebrated his obser)ations as a "scientific: confirmation of their "6ust s#irit: theories*
$/5eality is de#endent on the obser)ing sub6ect:(*

3)en the Fourteenth alai !ama s#eaks nonchalantly about 1eisenberg,s theory and the
sub6ecti)ity of atomic worlds0 Thus certain #henomena in #hysics:, we hear from the man
himself, are sometimes described as electromagnetic wa)es and on other occasions as
#articles* The descri#tion of the #henomenon thus seems to be )ery de#endent u#on the
describer* Thus, in science we also find this concrete relationshi# to s#irit, to the obser)ing
s#irit which attem#ts to describe the #henomenon* Buddhism is )ery rich regarding the
descri#tion of the s#irit *** $alai !ama ?<V, .QQH, #* H%(*

Sur#risingly, such e#istemological statements by the "undun, which ha)e in the
meantime been taken u# by e)ery esoteric, are taken seriously in scientific circles* 3)en
eminent authorities in their sub6ect like the 9erman #article #hysicist and #hiloso#her -arl
Friedrich )on +eiMsYcker who was one of the leading theoretical founding fathers of the
atomic bomb are enthusiastic about the self7assurance with which the god7king from Tibet
chats about to#ics in 8uantum theory, and come to a far7reaching conclusion0 < S)on
+eiMsYckerT therefore belie)e that modern #hysics is in fact com#atible with Buddhism, to a
higher degree than one may ha)e earlier imagined: $alai !ama ?<V, .QQH, ..(*

Kn the other hand, in a charming return gesture the "undun describes himself as the
#u#il of Professor )on +eiMsYcker* *** < myself regard *** him as my teacher, my guru: $alai
NLN
!ama ?<V, .QQH, #* .'(, and at another #oint adds, "The fact is that the conce#ts of atoms and
elementary #articles is nothing new for Buddhism* Since the earliest times our texts s#eak of
these and mention e)en more subtle #articles* *** ;fter numerous con)ersations with )arious
researchers < ha)e realiMed that there is an almost total corres#ondence between that which <
from a Buddhist stand#oint refer to as the subtle insubstantiality of material #henomena, and
that which the #hysicists ex#ress in terms of constant flux and le)els of fluctuation:
$!e)enson, .QQ%, ##* %@L7%@N(* <n the cosmogony of the "alachakra Tantra there is talk of
"s#ace #articles: that contain the core of a new world after the destruction of a uni)erse* Kne
could see a #arallel to the atomic structure of matter here*

<t is somewhat bold of the alai !ama to describe a #assage from the "alachakra
Tantra, where one can read that after the fiery downfall of the Buddhist uni)erse "galactic
seeds: remain, as an antici#ation of western nuclear science* This would im#ly that centuries
ago Buddhism had formulated what is now said by the elite of western science* The atomic
theory of the 9reek #hiloso#her emocritus $around @L&O'N& B*-*3*(, who li)ed .H&& years
before the "alachakra Tantra was written, has much more right to this status* ;t any rate such
retros#ecti)e statements by the "undun ha)e the 6ob of #resenting his own $Buddhist( system
as earlier, su#erior and more com#rehensi)e than western culture* They are made with the
#ower7#olitical intention of anchoring the ata)istic "alachakra doctrine $the textbook for his
tantric con8uest of the world( as the #aradigm for the new millennium*

The issue with such outwardly harmless conclusions by the "undun $/The "alachakra
Tantraalready knew about #article #hysics:( is that they are thus #art of a sublime #ower
strategy on a s#iritual le)el, not necessarily whether or not they are true* $+e recall once more
2uhn,s thesis that a #aradigm need not be rationally #ro)en, but rather solely that it must ha)e
the #ower to #re)ail o)er its o##onents(*

;nd the alai !ama has success with his statementsV <t sur#rises ones afresh e)ery time
with what self7assurance he and his lamas inter)ene in the current crisis in western thought
with their e#istemological models and ethical $<ahayana( #rinci#les and know how to sell all
this as originality* <n this way the great Tibetan scholars of #ast centuries are e)aluated by the
alai !ama,s ;merican "mouth#iece:, 5obert Thurman, as more im#ortant and wide7
reaching than their 3uro#ean "colleagues:* They were "1ero Scientists0 they ha)e been the
NLP
8uintessential scientists of that non materialistic ci)iliMation Sof TibetT/ $8uoted by !o#eM,
.QQP, #* P.(* ;s "#sychonauts:, in contrast to the western "astronauts:, they con8uered inner
s#ace $8uoted by !o#eM, .QQP, #* P.(* But the "guiding lights: of modern 3uro#ean
#hiloso#hy like 1ume and 2ant, 4ietMsche and +ittgenstein, 1egel and 1eidegger >
Thurman goes on to s#eculate > will #ro)e in a later age to ha)e been the line holders and
emanations of the Bodhisatt)a of science, Man6ushri $!o#eM .QQP, #* %L@(* Ex oriente lux is
now also true for the science of the occident*

<n this, it is all too often o)erlooked from a western side that alongside the dominant
materialist and mechanistic world )iew $of 4ewton and escartes( there is an accom#anying
and unbrokenmetaphysical tradition in 3uro#e which has been constantly further de)elo#ed,
as in 9erman <dealism with all its )ariations* The classic European 8uestion of whether our
world consists of mind and sub6ecti)ity rather than of matter and extended bodies has today
been skillfully linked by 3astern7oriented #hiloso#hers to the 8uestion of whether the world
conforms to the Buddhist e#istemological #aradigm or not*

The #aradigmatic #ower struggle of the lamas is not )isible from the outside but is
rather disguised as interdisci#linary dialog, as in the annual "Mind and !ife: sym#osia, in
which the alai !ama #artici#ates with well7known western scientists* But is this really a
matter of, as is constantly claimed, a "fruitful con)ersation: between Buddhism and
contem#orary scienceA -an Tibetan culture really, as is claimed in the Tibetan Re+iew, offer
answers to the 8uestions of "western e#istemologists, neurologists, #hysicists, #sychoanalysts
and other scientists:A $Tibetan Re+iew, ;ugust .QQ&, #* .&(*

+e are #re#ared to undeser)edly claim that a "rational: and "honest: discourse between
the two cultures does not nor e)er has taken #lace, since in such encounters the magic, the
sexual magic #ractices, the mythology $of the gods(, the history, the cosmology, and the
#olitical "theology: of Buddhist Tantrism remain com#letely omitted as to#ics* But together
they all constitute the reality of Tibetan culture, far more than the e#istemological theories
of %ogachara or the <adhyamika#hiloso#hy, or the constant #rofessions of lo)e
of <ahayana Buddhism do* That which awaits humanity if it were to ado#t the #aradigm
of -a0rayana, would be the gods and demons of the Tibetan #antheon and eschatology and
cosmogony laid out in the "alachakra Tantra and theShambhala myth*
NLQ

#uddhi!t co!$ogon% and th( 8o!t$od(rn word 'i(w
<n e)ery #aradigmatic conflict, the determination of a cosmogony has #ride of #lace*
+hat does our world look like, is it round or 8uadratic, a disc or a s#here, a center or #art of
the #eri#hery, is it the result of a big bang or the se)en7day work of a demiurgeA The
Krientalist Dohn +anterbury from Princeton fears for exam#le that <slamic fundamentalism
could lead to a "new age of flat earthismI* By "flat earthism: he means that the #eo#le from
the Moslem cultures will start to belie)e again that the 3arth is a disc $as the "oran teaches(
and that e)ery dissident o#inion will be condemned as heresy* Should the "alachakra
Tantra and the Buddhist cosmology of ;bhidharmaassociated with it become firmly
#aradigmatically established, we face something similar0 a uni)erse with Mount Meru in the
middle, surrounded by the twel)e continents and the #lanets orbiting it*

Such a model of the world contradicts the scientific disco)eries of the +est far more
than the Ptolemaic system su##lanted by 4icholas -o#ernicus, in which the sun circles the
3arth* But how does 1is 1oliness the Fourteenth alai !ama react to the incom#atibility of
the two world systems $the Buddhist and the western one(A 1e a##ears in this case to be
#re#ared to make a re)ision of the tantric cosmology* ;lso with the 6ustification that
e)erything arises from the em#tiness, we may read that < feel that it is totally com#atible
with the basic attitude of Buddhism to refute the literal inter#retation of ;bhidharma that says
the earth is flat, because it is incom#atible with the direct ex#erience of the world as being
round*: $1ayward, .QQ%, #* 'N(

This statement is, howe)er, in stark contradiction to the doctrine of the "alachakra
Tantra, the entire cosmogonic design of which is aligned with the ;bhidharma model* Bet
more > since the microcosmic bodily structure of the tantra master simulates the
macrocosmic world with Mount Meru at its center and the surrounding continents and oceans,
a change in the tantric cosmology means that the mystic body of the alai !ama $as the
su#reme "alachakra master( must also be transformed* This is sim#ly inconcei)able, since
our modern cosmology re6ects any anthro#omor#hic form of outer s#aceV ;lso, with a
fundamental re6ection of the ;bhidharma& the whole"alachakra system would lose its sense
as the synchronic connection between the yogi,s body and the cosmic e)ents of Buddhist
"e)olution:* -onse8uently, u# until now all the schools of Tibetan Buddhism ha)e stuck
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strictly to the traditional cosmogony $and its corres#ondence in the mystic body(* Besides the
sand mandala of the Time Tantra $which also re#resents the Buddhist uni)erse( Tibetan
monks far more fre8uently construct the so7called <eru mandala* This, as its name suggests,
is a likeness of the Buddhist cosmos in miniature with the world mountain Meru as its central
axis*

+hen the alai !ama, who institutes no fundamental changes in the ritual system of
Tantric Buddhism, says in #ublic that the cosmology of the ;bhidharma is in need of re)ision,
then this definitely does not seem to be intended sincerely* More likely one must be #re#ared
for his radical sub6ecti)ist e#istemology $/e)erything is awareness, e)erything arises from
em#tiness:( to sus#end the natural scientific world as illusion $samsara( at any moment and
re#lace it with the fantastic model of the world from the ;bhidharma which it is ca#able of
making a##ear sensible and "rational:* From a tantric #oint of )iew, cosmogonies do not
#ossess any ob6ecti)ity of their own, rather they are ultimately the result of sub6ecti)e
conce#tionsR this is of course also true of the -o#ernican system* 2alu 5in#oche, the 2agyu
master of the "alachakra Tantra whom we ha)e already often cited , has clearly ex#ressed
this de#endency of s#ace u#on an a##ro#riate awareness in the following words0 "3ach of
these cosmologies is #erfect for the being whose karmic #ro6ections lead them to ex#erience
their uni)erse in this way* There is a certain relati)ity in the way in which one ex#eriences the
world* *** 1ence, on a relati)e le)el e)ery cosmology is )alid* ;t an ultimate le)el, no
cosmology is absolutely true* <t cannot be uni)ersally )alid as long as there are beings in
fundamentally differing situations: $Brauen, .QQ%, #* .&Q(* But that also means that the
cosmology of the ;bhidharma would become obligatory for all should the world be con)erted
to Buddhism after the final Shambhala battle as the "alachakra Tantra #redicts*

Th( %ogi a! co$8ut(r
The Fourteenth alai !ama is es#ecially interested in the #henomenon of artificial
intelligence* Since the mind is inde#endent of the body in the Buddhist teachings, a #attern of
s#iritual syna#ses so to s#eak, he is of the o#inion that it is #ossible for it to be reborn not 6ust
in #eo#le but also in machines0 < can,t totally rule out the #ossibility that,: the god7king says,
that all the external conditions and the karmic action were there, a stream of consciousness
might actually enter into a com#uter* SXT There is a #ossibility that a scientist who is )ery
much in)ol)ed his whole life Swith com#utersT, than the next life She would be reborn in a
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com#uterT, same #rocessV SlaughterT Then this machine which is half7human and half7machine
has been reincarnated*: $1ayward, .QQ%, #* .H%( $1ayward, .QQ%, #* .H%(* <n answer to a
subse8uent 8uestion by 3leanor 5osch, a well7known cogniti)e #sychologist from -alifornia,
as to whether a great yogi who stood before the best com#uter in the world would be able to
#ro6ect his subtle consciousness into it, 1is 1oliness re#lied enigmatically0 < feel this
8uestion about com#uters will be resol)ed only by time* +e 6ust ha)e to wait and see until it
actually ha##ens*: $1ayward, .QQ%, #* .H'(*

1is 1oliness casually grounds the #ossibility of taking the com#uter as a model for the
s#irit through a reference to an ancient magical #ractice of Tibetan Buddhism* This is known
as Trong0ug and in)ol)es a yogi trans#lanting his consciousness into a "freshly: deceased
cada)er and then using this reanimated cor#se for his own #ur#oses $3)ans7+entM, .Q'N, #*
.P@(* <n this case:, 1is 1oliness says, there is a total change of the body* S***T <t,s )ery
mystical, but imagine a #erson, a Tantric #ractitioner who actually transfers his consciousness
to a fresh cor#se* 1is #re)ious body is deadR it has left and is finished* 4ow he has entered the
new body* So in this case, you see, he has a com#letely new body but it,s the same life, the
same #erson: $1ayward, .QQ%, #* .HH(* <mages of this kind can be translated into com#uter
terms without father ado0 The "fresh cor#se: forms thehardware so to s#eak, which stores the
awareness of the Tantric who uses the dead body for his own ends as software*

<n addition, such Tantric Buddhist s#eculations can lead one to #ercei)e a sub6ecti)ity
inde#endent of humans in the "<nternet: and "cybers#ace:, a kind of su#erconscious* -ould
not the s#irit of the su#reme "alachakra master, inde#endent of a human body, one day
control the international network of all com#uters from the insideA ;s fantastic and uncanny
as it may sound, it is at any rate a theoretical #ossibility within the tantric system that such a
8uestion be answered with a yes* For this reason it is also taken seriously in exile Tibetan
lama circles, by the 4amgyal institute for exam#le* The 4amgyal monks are essentially
commissioned to conduct the "alachakra Tantraand are under the direct authority of the
alai !ama* This institution can also be described as a kind of Tantric Buddhist "elite
uni)ersity:*

Kn February P, .QQL, 1is 1oliness,s tantra institute #osted a "-urriculum on
-ybers#ace: online* This document is of interest in as far as it is about the occult relationshi#
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between Tantrism, es#ecially the "alachakra Tantra, and the <nternet* +e would therefore
like to cite se)eral lengthier #assages from it0 "-ybers#ace is a dimension of s#ace sustained
by networked com#uters designed to extend the #ower of the mind* 5emarkably, the <nternet
often a##ears almost mystically to ha)e a life of its own that is more than the sum of its #arts*
Mental #ro6ections can of course yield both #ositi)e and negati)e uses and results* Tibetan
Buddhism, known for its mastery of the mind, has an area of concentration called Wtantra, that
s#ecialiMes in bringing s#iritual moti)ation to the realm of mental #ro6ections X: $4amgyal,
1P< &.%(* From this, the authors continue, follows the need to ha)e a Buddhist influence u#on
the net, to bless it and #urify it*

The document continues as follows0 the monks of the 4amgyal <nstitute, "the #ersonal
monastery of the alai !ama, Swere askedT to discuss whether the blessing of cybers#ace
would be #ossible* They enthusiastically res#onded, noting that one tantric system in
#articular, the "alachakra Tantra, X would be highly a##ro#riate as a blessing )ehicle
because it es#ecially em#hasiMes s#ace X -oincidentally, the "alachakra is also the most
widely disseminated of the Tibetan Buddhist tantric systemsX: $4amgyal, 1P< &.%(*
-ybers#ace, we also learn, could be used as the )ehicle for a tantric #ro6ection $i*e*, of
the "alachakra Tantra(*

Thus the 4amgyal <nstitute conducted the first "alachakra cybers#ace blessing with a
ritual onFebruary P, .QQL0 "The actual ceremony took about '& minutes and consisted of the
monks chanting blessing #rayers from the "alachakra Tantra while en)isioning s#ace as
cybers#ace, the networked realm of com#uters, in their imagination* ;n image of
the "alachakra mandala, actually a scanned #hoto of a sand #ainting made earlier by the
monks, was #resent on a com#uter as a )isual aid X Future cybers#ace blessings will likely
be offered at other aus#icious times X: $4amgyal, 1P< &.%(* <t should be ob)ious that the
monks, #rayers contained the constantly recited<ahayana wish to hel# all li)ing beings* The
)ision of a global Buddhocracy discussed in the"alachakra Tantra& howe)er, is not o#enly
mentioned* SNT

There is something both fascinating and frightening about Buddhist theoreticians and
e)en the alai !ama de#icting Tantrism as the #otential awareness of a world7s#anning
megacom#uter* <n this an identity of the ;< B=1; as a global su#erbrain is im#licit*
NN'
oes it #erha#s ha)e something to do with this Buddhist )ision that 1is 1oliness the
Fourteenth alai !ama made himself a)ailable for an ad)ertisement by the com#uter
manufacturer, ;##leA $Spiegel, .LU.QQP(* SPT

<n reading the literature about the structures of consciousness and their relation to
com#uter technology, it is notable that "tantra: and "net: are fre8uently com#ared with one
another, not 6ust because the Sanskrit word "tantra: can be translated as "something wo)en:
or "network:, but because the two systems are somehow #resumed to be fundamentally
related* Sur#risingly e)en such a com#lex thinker as the astro#hysicist and systems theorist
3rich Dantsch O#robably out of ignorance of the matter > has $in the late se)enties( e8uated
the #rinci#le of "cybernetic leaning #rocesses: with Tantrism $Dantsch, .QP%, #* '%@(*

<n Kctober .QPN, a small grou# of well7known +estern scientists headed by Francisco
Varela tra)eled to haramsala to take #art in a se)eral7day seminar on neurobiology,
cogniti)e #sychology, artificial intelligence, and e)olutionary theory with the alai !ama*
There were daily meetings with an ex#ert #a#er and subse8uent discussion* The intention
behind the whole e)ent was howe)er ultimately directed at 6ust one 8uestion > how could the
latest disco)eries in the most ad)anced branches of scientific research be deri)ed from
BuddhismA ;fter e)ery ex#ert #a#er one heard, yes, Buddhism already says that tooV
;dmittedly, 1is 1oliness s#oke emotionally about a "combination of +estern science and
3astern s#iritual de)elo#ment:, but at heart it was not about coo#eration, but rather the
consolidation of the Buddhist #aradigm described about* <n the meantime such meetings
between 1is 1oliness and +estern scientists ha)e become institutionaliMed by haramsala
and take #lace annually "Mind and !ife:(*

Many researchers from the +est, star)ed of mystic ex#eriences for decades, ha)e finally
found their s#iritual master in the "li)ing Buddha: from haramsala* They ha)e become
con)erts to Buddhism like Francisco Varela or the nuclear #hysicist a)id Bohm, or, like -arl
Friedrich )on +eiMsYcker, they fall into a kind of #ri)ate ecstasy when confronted with
the "undun* ;lthough 1is 1oliness,s "scientific: inter)entions remain )ery general and
abstract and in fact re#eatedly boil down to 6ust a handful of e#istemological statements, he is
nonetheless treated as a "colleague: by a number of scientists, behind whom the omniscience
of a yogi shines forth* +ell, as has often been the case in this conference,C Francisco Varela
NN@
enthuses for exam#le, Bour 1oliness, seem to antici#ate the scientists, 8uestions: $1ayward,
.QQ%, #* %'&(*
Neuroscientists see red over Dalai Lama
www.nature.com/news/2005/050725/full/436452b.html
+hoe)er it is who can formulate and consolidate the "scientific: #aradigms of an era in
human history actually ought to be regarded as the "s#iritual ruler: of the eraR he re#resents
the force which determines the awareness, the feelings and the thoughts of millions for
centuries* Ptolemy, -o#ernicus, escartes, 4ewton, Marx, Freud, and 3instein were such
"s#iritual giants:* The Fourteenth alai !ama, a brilliant master of the workings of
consciousness, knows full well about this historical force and the #ower7#olitical significance
of the #aradigmatic conflict* !ikewise, he knows that a "BuddhiMation: of western science
would make him es#ecially #owerful in contrast to other religious orientations* The Buddhist
e#istemological theories furnish the ideal conditions for such a #rocess of a##ro#riation* Both
the %ogachara school $/e)erything is awareness:( and the<adhyamika school $/e)erything
arises from em#tiness:( #ermit $at least in theory( a relati)iMation of the scientific culture of
the +est and its re#lacement with the world )iew of the "alachakra Tantra*

;s subtly, #hiloso#hically, and rationally as the tantric world )iew is discussed among
the +estern scientific elite, the more s#ectacular, emotional, and mythical is the s#read of
Tantric Buddhism among the masses* The "undun has in the last fi)e years succeeded in
engaging the greatest #ro#aganda machine in the world, the 1ollywood film industry, for
himself and his cause*

Ho%wood and Tantric #uddhi!$
The exotic flair #ro6ected by the Tibetan god7king and his lamas with their mysterious
doctrine and ad)enturous history has led to a situation in which Tibet and its religion ha)e
increasingly become the stuff celluloid dreams are made of* First of all, the <talian film
director, Bernardo Bertolucci, created a somewhat saccharine but highly regarded monument
to the religious founder with his work, 9ittle $uddha* The film #ro)ided great #ro#aganda
)alue for Tibetan Buddhism because it told the story of the reincarnation of a lama in an
NNH
;merican boy and an <ndian girl and thus #a)ed the way for the s#read of the doctrine in the
+est*

+hile we were writing this book two ma6or films about 1is 1oliness a##eared* Kne of
them, Martin Scorsese,s "undun, features the life story of the god7king from his disco)ery as
a boy u# until his flight from Tibet $in .QHQ(, the other, Se+en %ears in Tibet& directed by Dean
Dac8ues ;rnaud, is about the ad)entures of the ;ustrian mentor of the alai !ama and SS
member, 1einrich 1arrer, with Brad Pitt in the lead role* "Tibet is the fla)or of the seasonV ***
<n recent months around two million 9ermans ha)e wanted to see the teenage idol Brad Pitt
as the ;ustrian ad)enturer and !ama friend, 1einrich 1arrer: the Spiegel enthused without
once mentioning 1arrer,s SS #ast $Spiegel, .LU.QQP, #* ..&(*

+hilst filming, Brad Pitt ex#erienced something like a mystic shi)er0 ";nd then they
shot this scene where they are saying0 G9i)e the alai !ama the #owerVG 3)erybody goes into
this chant, and it was like something was going down and 9od was shining through the
clouds* <t was hea+yI$!ewsweek, May .Q, .QQN, #* %H(*

The <talo7;merican Scorsese was with irresistable, ambiguous humor acce#ted as a
monk by 1is 1oliness* ;fter the filmmaker had )isited him in haramsala at the end of an
exhausting 6ourney, the "undun bantered that, "Martin seemed at once far calmer* 4o longer
like a hectic 4ew Borker, but like a Tibetan monk: $(layboy S9erman editionT, March .QQP,
#* @&(*

Scorsese himself is com#letely con)inced that his film, "undun& has a magic effect on
its audience* "2undun is reminiscent of a filmic #rayer > as if you wanted to show what is
in)isible to the eye0 s#irituality* -an this succeed in the cinemaA:, asks the in s#iritual matters
otherwise extremely ske#tical, e)en cynical 9erman weekly magaMine, Spiegel* ";bsolutely:,
answered Scorsese, "<f you #ut mo)ements, rhythms, music, faces together in a #articular
way, then something like aspiritual current can arise from the totality of images:
$Spiegel .%U.QQP, #* %L.( This director has made a ritual film, which in his o#inion can
silently influence #eo#le,s awareness $as Tibetan Buddhism would ha)e it(0 "These rituals
which < show in "undun, for exam#le, < don,t need to ex#lain* They are something wonderful
and uni)ersal: $SKddeutsche Geitung, March .@7.H, .QQP, #* .Q(*
NNL

1owe)er, in the =S; the film was well recei)ed by neither the general #ublic nor the
critics* "The de)astating reaction of the ;merican mainstream #ress made me sick:, the
director said at the #resentation of his missionary work in Munich* $<Knchner ;bendzeitung,
March .Q(* <n total contrast to their ;merican colleagues, numerous 9erman film critics let
themsel)es be com#letely uncritically drawn into the "s#iritual current: of the "undun*
The $ild news#a#er, for exam#le, ra)ed0 "1e recounts his tale almost wordlessly, in magic
images* ;nd slowly* So slowly that one soon surrenders to the #ull of the images, forgets the
#assing of time and sa)ors e)ery moment: $$ild, March .Q, .QQP, #* L(* The <Knchener
;bendzeitung had this to say0 "Scorsese,s film ishypnotic and lucid: $<Knchner
;bendzeitung, March .Q(* 3)en the "sober: 9erman news magaMine, Spiegel& had no
reser)ations about letting itself be enchanted and s#oke enthusiastically of the "im#ressi)e
images: with which Scorsese created "the #ortrait of an exce#tional #erson and a mystic
dreamland SofT Shangri !a > demanding, strongly emotional cinema: $Spiegel, .LU.QQP, #*
..&(* 9erman #olitical and artistic celebrities were out in force at the la)ish #remiere of the
film in Munich*

Scorsese,s film, the screen#lay of which was edited by the alai !ama himself, is a
work of exile Tibetan #ro#aganda which falsifies or distorts recent Tibetan history in
numerous scenes* There is no word of the -<;,s assistance in the flight of the "undunR that his
father was #oisoned by #olitical factions, that the former regent 5eting 5in#oche was brutally
strangled in the Potala, that at the time at least %&& monks from the re#ung monastery who
wanted to free 5eting 5in#oche from #rison were killed by the machineguns of the Tibetan
army > all these incidents either remained unmentioned or were falsely de#icted* Mao
Cedong a##ears as a decadent giant with the aura of a noble7born casino owner* 3)en in his
own autobiogra#hy the "undun writes that he much admired Mao, but in the film he
encounters the "9reat -hairman: with the constant, almost mistrustful attenti)eness of a
young, albeit still somewhat inex#erienced, s#iritual master*

Fi)e further film about the 9and of Snows were scheduled to a##ear in .QQPUQQ0 about
the -<; in Tibet, the terrible yeti in Tibet, the terror in Tibet, a romantic lo)e story in Tibet,
the shattered dreams of youth in Tibet* <M;?, a com#any which #roduces gigantic '
mo)ies, has commissioned a film in which a Tibetan mountain7climber under dramatic
NNN
circumstances unfurls the national flag of the !and of Snows at the highest #oint in the world
$on Mount 3)erest(* $+e may recall that Mount 3)erest is worshi##ed by the #o#ulace as a
goddess*( <n addition to these feature films there are numerous documentaries, among others
one about the "Bu7Dews:, or Dewish #eo#le who ha)e decided to follow the Buddhist religious
#ath* enise i 4o)i, whose #roduction com#any has also conducted a "Tibet #ro6ect: under
the title of $uddha of $rooklyn, informs us that "The tale of the alai !ama and the struggle
of the Tibetan #eo#le is the kind of story that ca#tures the imagination of 1ollywood:
$!ewsweek, May .Q, .QQN, #* %@(* Tibet film scri#ts are #iling u# in the editorial offices of the
big film com#anies* "<tGs as though e)erybody who carries a camera wants to make a mo)ie
on Tibet:, TenMing -hodak, director of the Tibet #und& has commented $!ewsweek, May .Q,
.QQN, #* %@(*

=ndoubtedly the Fourteenth alai !ama has gained an #articularly notable )ictory in
his entry into the 1ollywood scene* "Tibet is looming larger than e)er on the show business
ma#:, we could read in the Herald Tribune $Herald Tribune, March %&, .QQN, #* .(* <n ;ugust
.QQL ,1arrison Ford, Sharon Stone, Ste)en Segal, Shirley Mac!aine, and other su#erstars
8ueued to shake hands with the "li)ing Buddha: in !os ;ngeles* Barbara Streisand and ;lec
Baldwin called u#on President Bill -linton to rebuke -hina for its human right abuses in
Tibet* "Tibet is going to enter +estern #o#ular culture as something can only when
1ollywood does the entertainment in6ection into the world system:, writes the 6ournalist
Kr)ille Shell, "!etGs remember that 1ollywood is the most #owerful force in the world,
besides the =*S* military: $Herald Tribune, March %&, .QQN, #* L(* <n .QQ', PP of the .&&
most7)iewed films were made in the =S;* Kr)ille Schell, who is working on a book about
"Tibet and the +est:, sees the "undun's 1ollywood connection as a substitute for the absent
di#lomatic cor#s who would be able to re#resent the interests of the alai !ama
internationally0 "Since he doesnGt ha)e embassies, and he has no #olitical #ower, he has to
seek other kinds* 1ollywood is a kind of country in his own, and heGs established a kind of
embassy there: $!ewsweek, May .Q, .QQN, #* %@(*
Or'i( Sch(: ,End(nia5(2 th(r( wa! !o$(thing o- a craJ( 5r(wing around Ti5(tD
Li1( a radioacti'( cor( ($itting uncontaina5( (n(rg%2 Ho%wood=! !udd(n int(r(!t wa!
h(8ing to -u( what !o$( o5!(r'(r! !tart(d to ca a $ibet phenomenD Ind((d2 a! th( 5uJJ
a5out th( -i$ 8roduction! incr(a!(d2 $(dia out(t! o- a 1ind! !oon gra'itat(d to th(
NNP
!tor%2 !o that ('(r%wh(r( on( oo1(d th( !u5L(ct o- Ti5(t had a wa% o- 8o88ing u8DC
&Sch(2 *:::2 8D +/)
The god7king #rimarily owes it to the actor 5ichard 9ere that he has become a star for
;merica,s famous actors* "For the Tibetan #eo#le, 5ichard 9ere, 1ollywood, and the films
are an absolute stroke of luckV:, 1is 1oliness ex#lained in the 9erman edition
of (layboy $(layboy S9erman editionT, March .QQP, #* 'P(* 9ere himself was initiated into
the "alachakra Tantra by the"undunR we do not know to what le)el* 1e has s#oken )ery
o#enly about his initiation ex#eriences in the 6ournal Tricycle and also made reference there to
the magic #ower of Tantrism, which dro)e him to the limits of his own existence $Tricycle H
$'(, #* H@(* There is already a #oem in which 9ere is re)ered like a Tibetan deity0 "The huge
head of 5ichard 9ere,: it says in this #oem, " a tsonga blossom in his hair, U comes floating
like a MacyGs Parade balloon U abo)e the snowda##ed summit of sacred 2ailash: $Time, )ol*
.H& no* .H0 Kctober .', .QQN(* The alai !ama, who is fully aware of the great significance
of show business, has selected the 1ollywood star as his #ersonal #u#il and treats him, the
actor says, with fatherly se)erity*

1is 1oliness does not e)en shrink from using the world of fashion to bring Tibet and
Buddhism to the notice of the international 6et: $Tibet Re+iew, Danuary .QQ', #* N(* "Blatant
materialism is #assZ, !amaism en +ogueV:, the Spiegel tells us $Spiegel .LU.QQP, #* .&Q(* <n
Danuary .QQ' the "undunwas res#onsible for an issue of the fashion
magaMine -ogue as Exceptional Editor in Chief* Fashion designers like ;nna Sui, Todd
Kldham, and Marc Dacobs sell outfits for " freedom in Tibet:* ;s a "celebrity cook: the god7
king recommends "a likely hit reci#e for dum#lings: $Spiegel, s#ecial issue, @U.QQP, #* .''(*

;n inter)iew with the "undun that a##eared in the March $.QQP( issue of the 9erman
edition of(layboy is a high#oint in his "#ublic relations:* The u#7market sex magaMine
#resents 1is 1oliness in the introduction bombastically0 "1e is goodly, wise, and #eacelo)ing
> and is con8uering the world SVT0 The )ictory #rocession of the alai !ama lea)es e)en the
Po#e #ale with en)y* The Tibetan leader is worshi##ed like a god in 1ollywood at the
moment* 4ow in (layboy he talks more o#enly than e)er* ;bout Buddhism, -hina, sex, and
alcohol: $(layboy S9erman editionT, March .QQP, #* 'P(* 3)en if a light ironic note is not to
be o)erheard in this #resentation, the statement is nonetheless unambiguous0 The alai !ama
NNQ
is con8uering the world $V( and is worshi##ed like a god in 1ollywood, the mightiest center of
the industry of the mind*

This (layboy inter)iew has a further symbolic )alue, es#ecially when we ado#t the
tantricUmagic )iew#oint that e)erything is interconnected* <n this light there must be a reason
why the #ious statements and the #hotos of 1is 1oliness are #rinted in the sex magaMine
together with numerous images of naked women and amid erotic and in #laces obscene texts*
<t immediately rouses u# the image of a ganachakra with the central guru conducting his
sexual magic rites surrounded by hiskarma mudras $wisdom consorts or (laygirls(*
+hen (layboy asks the su#reme Tibetan tantra master, ";re you actually interested in the
to#ic of sexA:, the "alachakra master, initiated into all the secrets of sexual magic, re#lies,
"My goodnessV Bou ask a L%7year7old monk who has been celibate his entire life a thing like
that* $laughs out loud: < don,t ha)e much to say about sex***: $(layboy S9erman editionT,
March .QQP, #* @L(*

+ith e8ual eu#horia and enthusiasm the 9erman news magaMine, Spiegel& de)oted a
co)er story to the "undun in ;#ril .QQP* The front co)er featured the head of a Buddha into
which masses of +esterners were #ouring* +as this the head of the 2undun, the incarnation
of ;+alokitesh+araand the time god "alachakraA The title story of this issue of Spiegel is at
any rate to a large extent dedicated to the Fourteenth alai !ama and Tibetan Buddhism, or
rather to what the author $3rich Follath( understands this to be* <t begins > coincidentally or
not > on #age.&P, the holiest and most magical number in Tantric Buddhism* Follath
#robably asked the Spiegel editors to make the magic #age number the start of his article
deliberately, since he is well7informed about the holy number .&P* <n a tra)el re#ort on
Bhutan he mentions the numeral .&P, and since this reference occurs in connection with an
e)ent that we ha)e dealt with in detail in our study, we would like to 8uote the #assage* "***
half a doMen more lamas are kee#ing watch here in the 1imalayan foothills at the #lace where
the king, Songtsen 9am#o, had the first of a total of .&P holy sites constructed in the
N
th
century0 <t was su##osed to dri)e out the terrible de)il in the form of a woman who at that
time was u# to her mischief all o)er the roof of the world, the residence of the gods:
$Spiegel& s#ecial issue @U.QQP, #* L&(* The "terrible de)il in the form of a woman: is no7one
other than "Mother Tibet:, the stigmatiMed Srinmo, o)er whose body the sacred landsca#e of
the !and of Snows is raised*
NP&

The alai !ama,s star is shining brighter than e)er before* 4e)ertheless, since
the Shugdenrebellion the god7king,s aura has begun to darken, and it is an irony of fate that
the serious accusations against him ha)e come from a conser)ati)e faction within his own
school $the 9elug#as(* <n addition, the followers of the recalcitrant #rotecti)e god $Shugden(
do not argue like "reactionaries: at all in #ublic, but rather $6ust like the "undun( a##eal to
democratic fundamentals, human rights, and the freedom of o#inion* Thus in certain circles
the "greatest #rince of #eace of our times: has o)ernight become a des#ot, a #olitical traitor, a
ne#otist, a hy#ocrite, e)en a #otential murderer* 1is accusers do not 6ust abuse him, but rather
6ustify their claims with "hard: facts that are worth checking but for which the "official: +est
has u# until now closed its eyes and ears*

<n the ongoing Shugden debate $as of .QQP(, many #re)iously re#ressed and
unrea##raised to#ics from the history of Tibet and the Tibetans in exile ha)e been brought to
the surface* ;mong other things 1is 1oliness and the go)ernment in exile ha)e been accused
of constantly defaming Tibetan K##osition figures as -hinese s#ies $e*g* u6om 5in#oche( so
as to silence them #oliticallyR of undemocratic actions against .' <ndian branches of Tibetans
in exile and the #ossible murder of their s#okesman, 9ungthang 5in#ocheR of #laying false
with the national guerilla army, which is outwardly combated, but co)ertly su##orted and
built u#R of the #olitical murder of o##osition #oliticians $9ongtang Tsultrim(R of #ower7
#olitically moti)ated 6ealousy of the Fifteenth 2arma#a, the head of the largest 2agyu#a
lineageR of ne#otism and the absolute fa)oritism of members of the alai !ama,s family $the
"Babshi clan:(R of mis6udging the world #olitical situation, es#ecially in the years of delay in
establishing good contacts with TaiwanR of coo#eration with the -hinese o)er the
enthronement of the new 2arma#aR of secret di#lomacy with Bei6ing in general, through
which the country is sold out to -hina to the benefit of the !amaist culture* <ntrigues #lay 6ust
as ma6or a role in haramsala $/little !hasa:( as in the !hasa of old* The centuries of struggle
between the )arious sects ha)e also not reached an end in exile, and the com#etition between
the indi)idual regions of the !and of Snows 6ust as little* -orru#tion and sinister money
dealings are e)eryday e)ents among the Tibetans* Fresh accusations are being made e)ery
day* <n #articular, as a s#okes#erson for the go)ernment in exile laments, the <nternet is filled
with "an un#recedented amount of literature *** that criticiMes the alai !ama and belittles the
Tibetan 3xile 9o)ernment: $Burns, 4ewsgrou# .(*
NP.

Footnot(!:
S.T The ins#iration for "engaged Buddhism: come not from the alai !ama but rather
from Thich 4hat 1anh, a Thera)ada monk born in central Vietnam in .Q%L* The causes of
ignorance, egocentrism, )iolence, war, and en)ironmental degradation were su##osed to be
o)ercome through meditation, social commitment and the #ractice of community with
-hristian grou#s all o)er the world*
S%T This was in the #eriod where the -ommunist Party $the S3( had already lost
control o)er the country*
S'T Po#e Dohn Paul << is also more reser)ed than #rogressi)e on the ecumenical front,
des#ite the s#ectacular ma6or e)ent with re#resentati)es from all religions that took #lace at
his in)itation in ;ssisi on Kctober %H, .QPL and at which the "undun was also #resent*
;lmost ten years after this meeting, u#on which many followers of the ecumenical mo)ement
had set great ho#es, the Po#e describes the teaching of Buddha Shakyamuni in his
book Crossing the Threshold of Hope as atheistic, negati)e, and unworldly and states that the
"doctrines of sal)ation in Buddhism and -hristianity are o##osed: $Tibetan Re+iew, Dune
.QQH, #* .%(*
S@T <t will ne)er come to this, since the Muslims are 6ust as well7)ersed and sensiti)e as
1is 1oliness in matters concerning occultism and "world domination:*
SHT Members of the 5SS were closely in)ol)ed in the murder of Mahatma 9andhi in
.Q@P, of whom the alai !ama claims he was his greatest non7Buddhist teacher*
SLT +ith his shunyata doctrine, 4agar6una, the founding father of <adhyamika, e)en
gained admittance into the discourse of -hristian theology, through ;be Masao,s conce#t of a
"self7em#tying, self7denying 9od:, for instance* $BrIck and !ai, .QQN, #* @@P(*
SNT ;s an aside, it must be noted, howe)er, that the blessing of the <nternet by
the "alachakra monks has not had the #ositi)e effect they intended* <n thousands of the
contributions that ha)e been transmitted o)er the net since .QQL the alai !ama has for the
first time been sub6ect to strong criticism and attack*
SPT ;##le ran a cam#aign under the slogan Think =ifferent that featured li)ing and #ast
celebrities > including $alongside Pablo Picasso, Mohammed ;li, Mahatma 9andhi, ;lfred
1itchcock, etc*( the alai !ama* Since the god7king,s likeness drew criticism in ;sian
countries, ;##le withdrew the ad* This in its turn led to a s#irited discussion on the <nternet*
"6D CONCLESION
NP%

+e ha)e now reached the end of our detailed treatise on the alai !ama, Tantric
Buddhism, and Tibetan history* The first #art of our study $Ritual as (olitics( was centered on
the theme of gender, es#ecially the sexual magic ex#loitation of the woman in the
androcentric system of-a0rayana for the mytho7#olitical accumulation of #ower* The
deri)ation of Tibetan history and the alai !ama,s #olitics from the cultic mysteries of
Buddhist Tantrism $es#ecially the "alachakra Tantra( forms the content of the second #art of
our book $(olitics as Ritual(* <n general, we ha)e attem#ted to show that, in the world )iew of
the !amaist, sacred sexuality, magic, mysticism, and myth are united with his understanding
of #olitics and history*

Tibetan Buddhism #rimarily owes its success in the +est to two facts0 first, the charm
and brilliant self7#resentation of its su#reme re#resentati)e, the Fourteenth alai !ama, and
second, the #romise to lead #eo#le on the way to enlightenment* ;lthough the tantric #ath to
enlightenment ex#licitly in)ol)es a dissolution of the ego, it is at first the ? of the #u#il which
is addressed* "? would like to o)ercome the senselessness and suffering of my earthly
existence* ? would like to ex#erience liberation from samsara $the world of illusion(*: +hen a
western sadhaka is #re#ared to sacrifice his "little self:, he certainly does not ha)e the same
understanding as the lamas of the "greater self: $the higher self or Buddha consciousness(
which the tantric #hiloso#hy and #ractices of -a0rayanaoffers him as a s#iritual goal* The
+esterners belie)e that enlightened consciousness still has something to do with a self* <n
contrast, a teacher of Tantric Buddhism knows that the indi)idual identity of the #u#il will be
com#letely extinguished and re#laced by a strictly codified, culturally anchored army of gods*
<t is the Tibetan Buddhas, herukas, Bodhisatt)as, deities, demons $dharmapalas( and the
re#resentati)es of the #articular guru lineages who take the #lace of the indi)idual #u#il,s
consciousness* Kne must thus gain the im#ression that an "exclusi)e club: of su#ernatural,
albeit culturally bounded, beings $Buddhas, Bodhisatt)as, gods, etc*( has managed to sur)i)e
by time and again occu#ying human bodies anew $until these wear out(* Tibetan Buddhism is
not aimed at the enlightenment of indi)iduals but rather at the continuing existence of a
culture of su#erhumans $yogis, gods( in the form of #ossessed #eo#le $the #u#ils(* <t is
concerned here to #er#etuate a #riestly caste that does not need to die because their
consciousnesses can be incarnated into the human bodies of their followers again and again*
This caste and their deities are considered sacrosanct* They li)e beyond all criticism* Their
NP'
symbols, deeds, and history are set u# as exem#laryR they are the cultural inheritance which
may not be analyMed but must be taken on blind faith by belie)ers*

For these reasons Tibetan Buddhism,s entire #romise of enlightenment forms a tra# with
which intimate and religious yearnings can be used to magically #ush through the #olitico7
religious goals of the monastic clergy* $+e are not discussing here whether this is really
#ossible, rather, we are talking about the intentions of the !amaist system*( This corres#onds
exactly with what the 5enaissance #hiloso#her 9iordano Bruno describes as "mani#ulation:*
Bruno, it will be recalled, indicated that a masterly mani#ulator may not s#eak about his
actual #ower7#olitical intentions* <n contrast, he flatters the ego of the one to be mani#ulated
$the ego the masses(, so that the latter always belie)es he is following solely his own interests
and #ursuing his com#letely #ersonal goals > but in truth he is fulfilling the wishes and
targets of the mani#ulator $without knowing it(* ;##lied to the alai !ama and his religion
this means that #eo#le #ractice Tibetan Buddhism because they ho#e for enlightenment
$liberation from #ersonal suffering( from it, yet in reality they become agents of #olitical
!amaism and the Tibetan gods at work behind it* The alai !ama is thus a #articularly
im#ressi)e exam#le of a "mani#ulator: in Bruno,s sense*

<f #eo#le are used to ser)e as )essels for the Tibetan gods, then the energy which
directly #owers the mysto7#olitical motor of the !amaist system consists in the sacred
sexuality, the erotic lo)e, #articularly in the gynergy of the woman $as fuel(* Tibetan
Buddhism is a mystery religion and its mysteries are the dri)ing force behind its #olitical
decisions* 5educed to a concise formula, this means that sexuality is transformed )ia
mysticism into #ower* The French #oet -harles PZguy is su##osed to ha)e said that, "e)ery
mysticism ends u# as #olitics:* The dynamic of the tantric system cannot be better described*
<t is a large7scale "mystic ritual machine: whose sole aim is the #roduction of the all7
encom#assing ;< B=1; and the establishment of his uni)ersal #olitical control*

Dust how closely intertwined !amaism sees sexual magic and #olitics to be is
demonstrated by the dual nature of the "alachakra Tantra* The sexual magic rituals, the
cosmology, and the #olitical #rogram of the Shambhala myth are tightly interwo)en with each
other in this document* For a +estern reader, the text seems unintegrated, at odds with itself,
and contradictory, but for a Buddhist Tantric it forms a seamless unity*
NP@

Tantric rituals are thus #olitics, as we ha)e described in the first #art of our study* But in
re)erse, #olitics is also a ritual, i*e*, e)ery #olitical e)ent, be it the flight of the alai !ama
from Tibet, the )andalistic actions the -hinese 5ed 9uard, the death of Mao Cedong, or a film
like Scorsese,s"undun& they all > from a traditional Tibetan and not from a +estern #oint of
)iew > form a #erformance along the "alachakra master,s #rogress toward the throne of the
;< B=1;*

<f we 6udge the politics of !amaist Buddhocracy from a +estern #oint of )iew,
es#ecially those of the "alachakra Tantra and the Shambhala myth, then we arri)e at the
following nine assessment #oints0

.* Th( politi's o- th( Ti$( Tantra i! ,inhu$anC2 5(cau!( it i!
conduct(d 5% god! and %ogi!2 5ut not 5% 8(o8(D Th(!( god! 8o!!(!! in 8art
(Btr($(% d(!tructi'( charact(ri!tic!D Th(% ar( non(th((!! !acro!anct and $a%
n(ith(r 5( criticiJ(d nor (Bchang(d or tran!-or$(dD
*D Th( goa o- thi! tantra i! th( (!ta5i!h$(nt o- an androc(ntric2
und($ocratic2 d(!8otic $ona!tic !tat( h(ad(d 5% an autocrat &th( ADI
#EDDHA)D
+D Th( #uddhocratic !tat( i! !tructura% 5a!(d u8on !acri-ic(: th(
!acri-ic( o- th( o'ing godd(!!2 th( wo$an2 th( indi'idua2 th( 8u8i2 th( 1ing2 th(
!ca8(goatD
@* #uddhocrac% !1i-u% $ani8uat(! !('(ra $od(! o- temporary
anar'hism in ord(r to in th( (nd turn th($ around into an authoritarian !%!t($D
0D In a Ti5(tan-!t%( #uddhocrac%2 th( !tat( and it! organ! do not
!hrin1 -ro$ u!ing 5ac1 $agic ritua! to g(t 8oitica o88on(nt! out o- th( wa%D
L* #uddhocratic 8oitic! ar( aign(d not toward! d($ocratic d(ci!ion-
$a1ing 8roc(!!(! 5ut rath(r toward! di'in( co$$and!2 (!8(cia% th(
8ronounc($(nt! o- orac(!2 o- who$ Pehar2 th( 8r(-#uddhi!t war god o- th( Hor
Mongo!2 a!!u$(! th( (ading ro( &o- !tat( orac()D
6D Th( tantric !tat( i! 8ur!uing an aggr(!!i'( 8oic% o- war and
conAu(!t &th( Sha$5haiJation o- th( word)D
NPH
P* Th( ,hambhala myth contain! an a8oca%8tic 'i!ion 5orn( 5% a
,-a!ci!toidC warrior (tho!2 in which th( -aith-u &th( #uddhi!t!) 5ruta%
annihiat( a non-5(i('(r! &a5o'( a th( Mo!($!)D
9D Tantric #uddhi!$ $ani8uat(! th( w(!t(rn $a!!(! with -a!i-i(d
i$ag(! o- 8(ac(2 (coog%2 d($ocrac%2 a 8ro-wo$an ori(ntation2 !ocia Lu!tic(2 and
co$8a!!ionD

<n this connection we would like to $in warning( mention once more the significant
influence that both Buddhist Tantrism in general and the "alachakra Tantra and Shambhala
myth in #articular ha)e had o)er fascism and 9erman national socialism, and continue to
exert* <n cha#ter .% we re#orted on 1einrich 1immler,s occult interest in Tibet, about the
former SS member 1einrich 1arrer, the tutor of the young alai !ama, and about the
significance of -a0rayana for the fascist ideology of Mussolini,s confidante, Dulius 3)ola* But
at the center of this cha#ter stood a detailed analysis of Esoteric Hitlerism, the world )iew of
the -hilean di#lomat and author Miguel Serrano who closely follows Buddhist Tantrism and
combines it with occult doctrines of the 4aMis* Most clearly of all, Serrano shows what awaits
humanity if the "alachakra Tantra were to gain control o)er the world0 a racist autocracy of
androgynous warriors who celebrate real female sacrifices as their su#reme mystery and
worshi# 1itler,s SS as their historical role7model* <n warning, we would indicate that it is not
a coincidence that 1is 1oliness the Fourteenth alai !ama has maintained contact with these
fanatic worshi##ers of the SS and the 9erman "FIhrer: since his flight from Tibet $in .QHQ(,
but rather because his tantric tradition corres#onds with many of their ideological and
)isionary as#ects*

+here Serrano,s Shambhala +isions ha)e u# until now remained s#eculations, they ha)e
taken on a horrifying reality in the figure of the Da#anese sect leader, Shoko ;sahara* The
world held its breath in the case of ;sahara as he ordered the carrying out of a gas attack on
Tokyo,s o)erfilled underground railway system in .QQH in which there were numerous
in6uries and se)eral #eo#le died* <t was the first militarily #lanned attem#ted murder by a
religious grou# from an industrialiMed country which was directed outwardly $i*e* not against
its own membershi#(* The immense danger of such insidious attacks, against which the
masses are com#letely un#rotected, is ob)ious* For all the de#th of feeling which the act
stirred u# among the international #ublic, no7one has until now made the effort of
NPL
in)estigating the ideological and religious bases and moti)es which led ;sahara to commit his
crime* 1ere too, the ways lead to Tibetan Buddhism, es#ecially the Shambhala mythof
the "alachakra Tantra* ;sahara saw himself as an incarnation of the Rudra Chakrin, the
raging wheel turner, who destroys one half of the world in order to $literally( rescue the other
half through his Shambhalization plan* 4ot only was did he #ractice -a0rayana& he was also a
"good friend: of the alai !ama, whom he met fi)e times in #erson*

Th( ata'i!tic 8att(rn o- Ti5(tan #uddhi!$
es#ite all these #roblematic #oints, the image of Tibetan Buddhism as the best of all
religious systems and the alai !ama as the gentlest $V( of all beings continues to s#read
successfully* Kne of the latest high #oints in this glorification has been the co)er story
on $uddhism in the 9erman news magaMine Spiegel $;#ril .QQP(* <n the case of the alai
!ama this magaMine, well7known for its critical stance towards religion and anti7church
articles which often did not shy away from a shar# cynicism, let itself be used as a
#ro#aganda instrument by an ata)istic, autocratic religious system* The author of the eu#horic
article, 3rich Follath, was like so many of his colleagues com#letely ca#ti)ated by the god7
king,s charm after a )isit to haramsala* "< show old friends like you around my gardenV:,
the "undun had smiled at the Spiegel editor and shown him his flower beds $Spiegel, no* .L,
;#ril .', .QQP(* The 6ournalist Follath gratefully acce#ted this #ersonal gesture by the di)ine
charmer and in the same moment abandoned his critical awareness and his 6ournalistic
res#onsibility* 1is article is an embarrassing collection of historical distortions and
sentimental celebration of the "undun, his country, and his religion* S.T

<f we were to characteriMe the ob)ious self7#resentation of 1is 1oliness the Fourteenth
alai !ama on the world #olitical stage, we would soon recogniMe that he strictly abides by
$a( four #ositi)e rules and $b( four negati)e ones which #ro)es him to indeed be a masterful
mani#ulator0

.* $a( <n #ublic, always argue using the terms of <ahayana Buddhism* 5efer to
com#assion, lo)e, and #eace* $b( 4e)er mention the sexual magic mysteries and #ower7
#olitical obsessions of -a0rayana*
%* $a( !ead all arguments that could in any manner be directed against Buddhism
into the "em#tiness: $shunyata( and in #ublic "shunyatizeI e)en your own religious
NPN
a##roach0 "nothing has an inherent existence: > that is, e)erything comes from
nothingness and e)erything ends in nothingness*
$b( <n contrast, ne)er mention in #ublic the Tibetan gods, demons, and s#irits
$the !echungoracle( or their #ower7#olitical #rogram $the Shambhala myth(, who sink
into this "em#tiness: only to #ush through their "Buddhocratic: interests and tantric
ideology globally*
'* $a( ;##arently take on all #rogressi)e currents within western culture
$democracy, freedom of o#inion, human rights, indi)idualism, women,s rights, ecology,
humanism, and so forth(* $b( 4e)er mention the autocratic clerical intentions of the tantric
system, and under no circumstances the establishment of worldwide control by the
androcentric Buddhist monastic state which can #er#etuate itself )ia the doctrine of
reincarnation*
@* $a( Smile and always a##ear friendly, ordinary, modest, humble, and human*
;lways #lay the gentle "!ord of -om#assion:, the Bodhisatt)a ;+alokitesh+ara.$b( 4e)er
dis#lay annoyance or #ride in #ublic, and thickly )eil the destructi)e as#ects of those gods
and demons $herukas( whose emanation on earth you are* Be silent about the cruelty of
!amaist history*

The smile and the friendly words of the "li)ing Buddha: are only the outer facade of his
many7layered #ersonality* But it is not what the alai !ama says, but rather the religious
system which stands behind him and what his gods command that determine the #olitics of
Tibetan Buddhism, as we ha)e shown in the course of our study* <t is not the new #seudo7
+estern constitution of the Tibetans in exile which counts, rather it is in the final instance the
"#olitical theology: recorded in the "alachakra Tantra and Shambhala myth and the sexual
magic #ractices #rescribed there for the accumulation of #ower which are decisi)e* <t is not
the relaxed and friendly relations between 1is 1oliness and western celebrities which are a
#roblem, but rather his close contacts with occult sects like Shoko ;sahara,s ;=M cult and
with re#resentati)es of "esoteric 1itlerism: like Miguel Serrano* The reason they are
extremely #roblematic and )ery dangerous is because both occultists $;sahara and Serrano(
ha)e #laced the #hiloso#hy and #ractice of -a0rayana and the warlikeShambhala myth at the
center of their destructi)e world )iew* <t is not the conflict between the alai !ama and
Bei6ing which #oses a threat for the +est and the world community, but rather in contrast a
#ossible future cultural con8uest of the "-hinese dragon: by the "Tibetan snow lion: $of
NPP
!amaism(* The Shambhala myth #ro)ides the o#timal ideological foundations for an
aggressi)e, #an7;sian su#er#ower #olitics and for the unleashing of a Buddhist 0ihad $holy
war(* <t is not the gentle downward7looking ;+alokitesh+ara and the "sim#le monk: from
haramsala, but rather%ama the god of death and "alachakra the time god with his woman7
destroying cult which are the #roblem, since they are likewise incarnated in the figure of the
alai !ama* <t is not that the alai !ama #ri)ately seeks ad)ice from an oracle that is
#roblematic, but rather that a Mongolian war god s#eaks through the state oracle* <t is not the
#o#ularity that 1ollywood has lent the "undun which should be criticiMed, but rather the use
of these media giants to distort historical facts*

Bet the ata)istic and mythic #attern of Tibetan thought and Tantric Buddhism is
com#letely ignored by #eo#le in the +est $as long as they are not con)erted Buddhists(* <f it
were to be examined, one would ine)itably reach the conclusion that there is absolutely no
freedom of o#inion in the !amaist culture of Tibet, and hence no real criticism either, since
the Tibetan #eo#le ha)e always been administered autocratically, and e)en in exile ha)e no
democracy, ha)ing " o#ted: for a constitutionally fixed$V( Buddhocracy instead* Further, since
doctrine has it that the highest ruler of the country, the alai !ama, is not a state #resident but
a li)ing "god: $an incarnation of;+alokitesh+ara and the "alachakra deity(, his will must
always be )alued more highly than that of his sub6ects, e)en should they ha)e a seat in the
exile Tibetan go)ernment*

;dditionally, Tibet has no ordinary history but rather a sacred one, with the Shambhala
myth at its center and as its goal* For this reason, e)ery #olitical act of the "undun and the
Tibetans in exile must be subsumed within this eschatology* !amaist culture is in its essence
undemocratic, fundamentalist, and totalitarian, and sees nothing bad in this > in contrast, it
holds itself to be the best system of all* Thanks to the doctrine of reincarnation, the ruling
clerical elite )iews its absolutist exercise of #ower as unlimited e)en by death*

3)ery reform #olicy, e)ery affirmation of democratiMation, e)ery #rofession of #eace
remains a lie for as long as the alai !ama has not renounced the tantric ritual system,
es#ecially the"alachakra Tantra* ;t heart this rests on the magic transformation of sexuality
into #ower and ultimately as#ires to the militarily enforced enthronement of a sacredU#olitical
world king* 4onetheless, without e)en the slightest concession and headed by the "undun& all
NPQ
schools of !amaism continue to hold fast to the > as we belie)e we ha)e demonstrated them
to be > extremely destructi)e and humanity des#ising rites and associated #olitical ideology*

3)en if the Tibetan clergy were to relin8uish its #olitical #ri)ileges for a time in a
"liberated: Tibet, the idea of the hegemony of a #atriarchal monastic dictatorshi# as the
su#reme goal would remain, as this is the core of the entire tantric ritual system* The
theocratic system that can be found in all the #ast cultures of the world only sur)i)es today in
Tibetan Buddhism and #arts of <slam* <n both cases it demands worldwide recognition and
distribution* ;mong the Tibetans in exile it does so > grotes8uely > from behind a mask of
democracy, human rights, the ecumenical mission, and the #rotection of nature*

1owe)er, when they not in #ublic, the Tibetan 9urus do not shrink at all from talking
about their mystic en)isionings, #lans for con8uest, a#ocaly#tic battles, or the worldwide
ex#ansion of a Buddhocracy* <n their followers, circles the Shambhala myth has long since
become a #ower7#olitical factor* Bet it is not e)en mentioned in the world media* The lamas
tailor their outwardly #resented de#ictions of Tibet to their audience* <f the tenor of an
academic conference is one of sober discussion, then the arguments of the Tibetans in exile
are likewise sober, analytic, and critical* <f another meeting is more emotional and esoteric,
then the )ery same #eo#le there subscribe to the fantastic historical myths of the eternally
#eaceful and mysterious, occult highlands $Shangri 9a( which at the first conference they
claimed to be the in)ention of a errant "western orientalism:* <n turn, at the congresses of
"committed Buddhists:, the Tibet of old is built u# as the sanctuary of all those )alues which
are gaining ground in #ostmodern society* Tibetan exiles:, Toni 1uber writes, ha)e
rein)ented a kind of modern, liberal Shangri7!a image of themsel)es:, in that they ado#t
images from the #rotest mo)ements of the industrialiMed +est which are now transnational
in sco#e and a##eal0 en)ironmentalism, #acifism, human rights, and feminism: $1uber, %&&.,
#* 'HP(* Bet +estern )alues, like the se#aration of ecclesiastical and secular #ower, e8uality
before the law, the rule of law, freedom of ex#ression, social #luralism, #olitical
re#resentation, e8uality of the sexes, and indi)idualism, had no #lace in the history of Tibet*

But it is not 6ust a result of #ure nag)etZ when go)ernment sources in 3uro#e and
;merica ex#ress the o#inion that autocratic !amaism is com#atible with the fundamentals of
a modern constitution* Behind this also lie the tactical #olitics of #ower with an "im#ending:
NQ&
-hinese threat* +ashington in #articular is most interested in making use of an o##ressed
Tibet as an argument in discussions with -hina, the =S;,s greatest com#etitor*

This dangerous antagonism between the two su#er#owers $-hina )s* the =S;( is
efficiently stirred u# by their res#ecti)e internal #olitics, and haramsala does not let a
chance #ass without #ouring gas on the flames* The "undun with his loud and "heartfelt:
criticism of -hina is a ;merican king7#iece in the #olitical chess game between +ashington
and Bei6ing* <n it, official #osts in the =S; are thoroughly informed about the "true: history
of the old and the new Tibet as well as the "undemocratic: circumstances in haramsala*
They are ad)ised by such ob6ecti)e scholars as, among others, ;* Tom 9runfeld and Mel)yn
-* 9oldstein* <n #ublic, howe)er, the State e#artment has until now followed the #ro7
Tibetan arguments of the 1ollywood actor and "alachakra initiate, 5ichard 9ere*

,Ca!h o- R(igion!C: Th( -unda$(ntai!t contri5ution o- La$ai!$
<n the last fifteen years, the +est has to its great sur#rise disco)ered 6ust how much
#olitical ex#losi)eness religiously based strategies for world domination $like the Shambhala
myth( and magicUmystic #ractices $like the "alachakra ritual( ha)e been able to de)elo#
today, on the threshold of the third millennium* -atching the western cultures un#re#ared,
theocratic $and Buddhocratic( )isions of the most )aried schools of belief ha)e burst forth
ex#losi)ely from the de#ths of the human subconscious, where they ha)e sur)i)ed in hiding
since the bourgeois 3nlightenment $of the .P
th
century(* 3)ents in <ran, the country where the
mullahs established the first smoothly functioning Moslem religious state of the modern era,
triggered a culture shock in the +est* ;ll at once the ata)istic attitudes and rules of )iolence,
the warrior ethic, racism, intolerance, discrimination against women, the dictatorshi# of the
#riesthood, the #ersecution of nonbelie)ers, in8uisitions, )isions of global wars and the end of
the world, etc*, with which theocratic $and Buddhocratic( systems are associated were once
more $as in the Middle ;ges( were )ery current issues*

<n a widely res#ected book, Clash of Ci+ilizations& the ;merican #olitical scientist
Samuel P* 1untington, has indicated with con)incing arguments that the confrontations which
await the world of the %.st century #rimarily ha)e neither economic, class conflict, nor
nationalistic causes* <n their search for identity, #eo#le ha)e since the eighties been grou#ing
themsel)es around "cultures:, but most es#ecially around religions*
NQ.

Sur#risingly, all religious traditions ha)e in the meantime o)ercome their o##osition to
technology* "The +est: and "technology: are no longer identified with one another as they
once were* 3)en the most radical fundamentalists use high7tech gadgets and the latest means
of communication* <t is the students from the faculties of engineering and the natural sciences
who fell #articularly drawn to religious ideas* ;ccording to 1untington, social conflicts $rich
against #oor( are also no longer a #rimary factor in the causes of war* -ultural s#heres, such
as that of <slam for instance, can encom#ass both extremely rich and extremely #oor countries
at the same time* The critical factor is the common religion*

The +est and its )alues, 1untington argues, is becoming increasingly weak as a central
#ower, while other cultural #ower blocs are crystalliMing* Kf these the two most significant are
<slam and -hina* <ts uni)ersalistic claims are increasingly bringing the +est into conflict with
other cultural s#heres, most seriously with <slam and -hina* *** <slam and -hina embody grand
cultural traditions that are )ery different from those of the +est and, in the eyes of these
cultural s#heres, )astly su#erior to them* The #ower and self7assurance of these two s#heres
are increasing in com#arison to the +est, and the conflicts of interest and )alues between
them and the +est are becoming more numerous and intense $1untington, .QQN, #* .Q(* +ars,
under certain circumstances world wars, are for 1untington hardly a)oidable*

<f we take 1untington,s suggestion seriously, we ha)e to ask oursel)es whether
the "alachakra Tantra and Shambhala myth of the alai !ama do not re#resent an extremely
dangerous ideological bomb which could set the whole world aflame* ;s we know, the Time
Tantra #redicts an eschatological a#ocaly#tic war with <slam* <n the year %'%N, the #ro#hecy
says, Rudra Chakrin, the "wrathful wheel turner: from Shambhala, will lead his army into
battle against the <lecchas$Moslems(* ; contribution from the <nternet has thus rightly
com#ared the )ision of the Time Tantra with the idea of an <slamic holy war $0ihad(*
"The "alachakra initiation:, writes 5ichard P* 1ayes, "seems to ha)e been a call to the
Buddhist e8ui)alent of 6ihad *** the 2alachakra was inter#reted externally as a call to 1oly
+ar $to #reser)e the harma against its enemies(: $1ayes, 4ewsgrou# ..(*

For historical reasons <slam has #ro)en itself to be the most culturally aggressi)e
counterforce to western culture* The struggles between the -hristian Kccident and the <slamic
NQ%
Krient are #art of a centuries old tradition* +ith their ex#licit hostility towards <slam
the "alachakra Tantra andShambhala myth are thus stirring u# a fire which is already
glowing fiercely on the current world #olitical stage and has e)en s#read to the center of the
greatest western #ower $the =S;(*

;ccording to 1untington, -hina will )ery soon be the +est,s most #otent economic and
ethnic challenger* The country will de)elo# into the core state and magnet of a Sinitic cultural
s#here and will culturally dominate all its neighborsR the entire 3ast ;sian economy will be
centered around -hina* =nification between the Peo#le,s 5e#ublic and Taiwan is 6ust a
8uestion of time* 1untington sees the "Middle 2ingdom: as the one #ower that could one day
cast doubt on the global influence of the +est*

<n contrast to <slam, the #hiloso#hy $which can hardly still be described as communist(
currently dominant in -hina, that terms itself the "inheritance of -onfucian thought: both on
the mainland and in Taiwan, is not outwardly aggressi)e and oriented towards con8uest* Kn a
general le)el, the -onfucian ethos stresses authority, hierarchy, a sense of family, ancestor
worshi#, the subordination of the rights of the indi)idual to the community, and the
su#remacy of the state o)er the indi)idual, but also the "a)oidance of confrontations:, that is,
wars as well*

+e must ne)ertheless not forget that in the course of its history -hina has ne)er been
free from external ideological influences* Buddhism in its )arious forms, as well as
-hristianity and communism are cultural im#orts and ha)e at times had a decisi)e influence
on the #olitics of the country* <n the .@th cha#ter of Part << of our study we thus #osed the
8uestion of whether the -hinese might not also be susce#tible to the Shambhala myth's global
)isions of #ower* The "Middle 2ingdom: has always had s#iritually and mythically based
claims to world domination* 3)en if it has not tried to im#ose these militarily, the -hinese
3m#eror is nonetheless re)ered as a world king $a Chakra+artin(* ;s we ha)e demonstrated in
our detailed #ortrait of Mao Cedong, such a claim sur)i)ed e)en under communism* The
Fourteenth alai !ama is most aware of this* For a good fi)e years now his missionary work
has been concentrated on Taiwan $4ationalist -hina(* +e ha)e 8uoted se)eral #ro#hecies
from his own li#s which foretell a decisi)e codetermining role for !amaism in sha#ing the
-hinese future* Taiwan, which > according to all #rognoses > will sooner or later return to
NQ'
the mother country, can be considered the s#ringboard from which the Tibetan monks and the
new 4ationalist -hinese recruits ordained by them could infiltrate the -hinese cultural fabric*

R(turn to rationai!$<
+hy is the +est so hel#less when it encounters the "battle of cultures:, and why is it
sur#rised e)ery time )iolent eru#tions of fundamentalist religious systems $as in <slam for
instance( occurA +e belie)e that the reasons for this must be of a #rimarily e#istemological
nature0 Since the time of the 3nlightenment, the occidental culture has drawn a clear di)iding
line between the church and the state, science and religion, technology and magic, #olitics and
myth, art and mysticism* This di)ision led to the assessment of all state, scientific, technical,
#olitical, and artistic #henomena #urely according to the criteria of reason or the aesthetics*
5ationalism unconditionally re8uired that the church, religion, magic, myth, and mysticism
ha)e no influence on the "scientific culture of the 3nlightenment:* 4ag)ely, it also #ro6ects
such conce#tions onto non7+estern cultural s#heres* <n the issue of Tibet, for exam#le, the
+est neatly se#arates Tantric Buddhism and its mysteries $about which it knows as good as
nothing( from the #olitical 8uestions of human rights, the conce#t of democracy, the national
interests of the Tibetan #eo#le* But for the alai !ama and his system, #olitics and religion
ha)e been united for centuries* For him and for !amaism, #ower7#olitical decisions > of
whate)er kind > are tactical and strategic elements in the #lan for world con8uest recorded in
the "alachakra Tantra and Shambhala myth*

Since rationalism does not take the #ower7#olitical effecti)eness of myths and religions
seriously enough, it refrains from the outset from examining the central contents of religious
cults $such as the"alachakra Tantra for exam#le(* The mysteries of the )arious religious
orientations ha)e ne)er been more hidden and mysterious than in the ;ge of 5eason, for the
sim#le reason that this has ne)er examined them*

To be successful, howe)er, a critical analysis and e)aluation of an ancient world )iew
must fulfill three conditions0

.* First of all it must be able to immerse itself in the world )iew of the #articular
religion, that is, it must be ca#able of #ercei)ing the world and the uni)erse through the
eyes and filters of the religious dogmata to be examined* Ktherwise it will ne)er learn
NQ@
what it is all about* <n the s#ecific case of Tibetan culture, this means that it must
familiariMe itself with the sexual magic and micro7Umacrocosmic #hiloso#hy of
the "alachakra Tantra and the #olitical ideology of theShambhala myth so as to be able to
understand the #olitics of the alai !ama and his executi)e at all*

%* Knly after obtaining exact knowledge about the basis, goals, and history of the
religion in 8uestion should it com#are these with western )alues so as to then make an
e)aluation* For exam#le, it must relate the "female sacrifice: and the absor#tion
of gynergy through yoga #ractices in Buddhist Tantrism to contem#orary demands for the
e8uality of the sexes* The +est cannot o)ercome the myths by denying their #ower* <t has
itself had to ex#erience their unbroken and enormous #resence e)en in the twentieth
century* <n the case of national socialism $4aMism( the mythological world )iew
de)elo#ed an all but su#erhuman #otency* Knly if in)estigati)e thinkers risk entering into
the heart of the religious cult mysteries and are #re#ared to engage with the innermost
core of these mysteries can such "religious time bombs: be diffused* For this reason,

'* the re8uirements for a critical rea##raisal of the cultures are that their mystery
cults and their contents be brought into the arena for #ublic discussion > a #rocedure
which is sure to send a shi)er down the s#ines of the ma6ority of fans of the esoteric and
fundamentalists* But such an o#en and #ublic discussion of the mystery knowledge is not
at all an achie)ement of our liberal7democratic age* <f, for exam#le, we consider the
critical and #olemic dis#utes of the fathers of the -hristian church with the )arious
religious currents of their times and the re6oinders of the latter, then we can see that
between the %nd and the Hth centuries there was > des#ite the )ery #rimiti)e state of
communication technologies > a far larger o#enness about fundamental 8uestions of how
the world is )iewed than today* These days, religions are either blindly ado#ted or
re6ected per seE back then religions were made, formed, and codified*

;s absurd as it may sound, "western rationalism: is actually the cause of
occultism* S%T <t #ushes the esoteric doctrines and their #ractices $the !ew ;ge for exam#le(
into the social underground, where they can s#read undisturbed and uninhibited, and lay claim
to one mind after another unnoticed, until one day when > as in the case of national
socialism in 9ermany in the '&s, the Mullah regime in <ran in the P&s, and #erha#s
NQH
the Shambhala myth in ;sia in the AAs > they burst forth with immense #ower and draw the
whole of society into their ata)istic wake* S'T

Kn the other hand, the "critical descent: into the mystery cults of the religious traditions
makes #ossible )aluable learning #rocesses* +e did not want to reach the conclusion in our
analysis of Buddhist Tantrism that e)erything about traditional religions $Buddhism in this
#articular case( ought to be dismissed* Many religious teachings, many con)ictions, #ractices,
and )isions a##ear thoroughly )aluable and e)en necessary in the establishment of a #eaceful
world community* +e too are of the o#inion that the "3nlightenment: and western
"rationalism: alone no longer ha)e the #ower to sensibly inter#ret the world, and definitely
not to change it* Man does not li)e on bread aloneV

1ence, in our )iew, the world of the new millennium is thus not to be demythologiMed
$nor dis7enchanted or re7rationaliMed(, but rather humans ha)e the #ower, the right, and the
res#onsibility to sub6ect the existing myths, mysteries and religions to a critical examination
and selection #rocess* +e can, may, and must resist those gods who exhibit destructi)e
conce#tions and dualist thoughts and deeds* +e can, may, and ought to 6oin those who
contribute to the construction of a #eaceful world* we can, may, and #erha#s should e)en seek
new gods* There is, howe)er, a great danger that the time for a fundamental renewal of the
religious #rocess will disa##ear if the ata)isticUwarlike world )iews $with western hel# as
well( continue to s#read further and are not re#laced by other, #eaceful de#ictions of the
world $and myths(* The existing traditions $and the deities and mysteries behind them( may
only be of hel# in such a #rocess of renewal in as far as they adhere to certain fundamentals
like mutual res#ect, #eaceableness, o#enness, e8uality of the sexes, coo#eration with nature,
charity, etc*

The cultural critic Samuel P* 1untington re6ects from the outset the idea of a uni)ersal
culture, a new world culture as unrealistic and unwanted* But why actuallyA The general
interconnection, the technologiMation, the interlacing of the economy, the ex#ansion of
international tra)el ha)e like ne)er before in the history of humankind generated the
communicati)e conditions for the discussion of a global cultural beginning* This is, at least as
far as certain western )alues like human rights, e8uality of o##ortunity, democracy, and so
forth, already encouraged by the world community $es#ecially the =4( with more or less large
NQL
success* But on a religious le)el, e)erything remains the same > or will there be new
mysteries, oriented to laws of human harmony without a need to sacrifice intercultural )ariety
and colorful s#lendorA

Footnot(!:
S.T +e will not go into the indi)idual #oints raised in the article here as we ha)e already
discussed them at a##ro#riate #oints throughout the book*
S%T The word "occultism: in its current sense first emerged during the age of
rationalism*
S'T ;n inter#retation of national socialism on the basis of its "occult and mythological
background: is still considered highly dubious by the ma6ority of established historians and
cultural researchers in the +est* But there is no #olitical mo)ement of the %&th century which
more deliberately and effecti)ely deri)ed itself from myths* +e are indebted to -* 9* Dung for
se)eral articles on 1itler and his mo)ement, in which the de#th #sychologist inter#reted the
"Third 5eich: and the "FIhrer: as the e#i#hany $or incarnation( of the )iolent 9ermanic
god otan]Ndin, whose s#irit descended into not 6ust the dictator but also his followers* +ith
this analysis, Dung > as Miguel Serrano saw clearly > comes close to a de#iction of the
Tibetan tulku #rinci#le* Since his article re)ealed a certain sym#athy with the 4aMis, it was
withdrawn from circulation by the author after the Second +orld +ar* 3)en though we
strictly distantiate oursel)es from Dung,s fascist sym#athies, we nonetheless consider his
diagnosis of 1itlerism as a "otan cultI to be com#letely accurate* <f we identify the deity
who is #ulling the strings behind a #olitical mo)ement, it does not mean in the slightest that
we must therefore become followers of this deity and its mysteries $in the case in 8uestion a
disci#le of the +otan cult and the 4aMis(* <n contrast, only then can we gain a differentiated
relation towards the mythic forces and #owers that determine a culture > we can 6ust as well
combat it as follow it, 6ust as well #ublicly condemn and accuse it as enter into a com#romise
with it*
POSTSCRIPT:
CREATI@E POLARITG #EGOND TANTRISM

;s sur#rising as it may sound after our critical analysis of -a0rayana, we would in
conclusion like to #ose the 8uestion of whether Tantric Buddhism does not harbor a religious
archety#e the disclosure, dissemination and discussion of which could meet with great
NQN
transcultural interest* +ould it not be )aluable to discuss as religious conce#ts such tantric
#rinci#les as the "mystical lo)e between the sexes:, the "union of the male and female
#rinci#les:, or the unio mystica between god and goddessA

;s we demonstrated at the start of our study, Tantrism in all its )ariants is based u#on a
)ision of the #olarity of being* <t sees the #rimary cultic e)ent on the #ath to enlightenment in
a mystical con6unction of #oles, s#ecifically in the mystical union of the sexes* From a tantric
#oint of )iew, all the #henomena of the uni)erse are linked to one another through erotic lo)e
and sexuality, and our world of a##earances is seen as the field in which these two basic
forces $Tibetan yab and yumR -hinese yin and yang( act* They manifest themsel)es as a
#olarity in both nature and the realm of the s#irit* <n the tantric )iew of things, lo)e is the
great life force that #ulsates through the cosmos, #rimarily as heterosexual lo)e between god
and goddess, man and woman* Their mutual affection acts as the creati)e #rinci#le*

"<t is through lo)e and in the face of lo)e that the world unfolds, through lo)e it regains
its original unity and its eternal nondi)ision: > this statement is also #roclaimed
in -a0rayana $Faure, .QQ@, #* HL(* For the Tantric, erotic and religious lo)e are not se#arate*
Sexuality and mysticism, eros andagape $s#iritual lo)e( are not mutually exclusi)e
contradictions*

!et us once more re#eat the wonderful words with which tantric texts describe the "holy
marriage: between man and woman* <n yuganaddha $the mystic union( there is "neither
affirmation nor denial, neither existence nor non7existence, neither non7remembering nor
remembering, neither affection nor non7affection, neither the cause nor the effect, neither the
#roduction nor the #roduced, neither #urity nor im#urity, neither anything with form nor
anything without formR it is but the synthesis of all dualities: $asgu#ta, .QN@, #* ..@(* <n this
synthesis "egoness is lost and the two #olar o##osites fuse into a state of intimate and blissful
oneness: $+alker, .QP%, #* LN(*

; coo#eration between the #oles now re#laces the struggle between contradictions $or
sexes(* Body and s#irit, erotic lo)e and transcendence, emotions and reason, being $samsara(
and non7being $nir+ana( are wedded* <n yuganaddha& it is said, all wars and dis#utes between
good and e)il, hea)en and hell, day and night, dream and #erce#tion, 6oy and suffering, #raise
NQP
and contem#t are #acified and stilled* Mirada Shaw celebrates the embrace of the male and
female Buddha as/an image of unity and blissful concord between the sexes, a state of
e8uilibrium and interde#endence* This symbol #owerfully e)okes a state of #rimordial
wholeness an com#leteness of being/ $Shaw, .QQ@, #* %&&(*

i)ine erotic lo)e does not 6ut lead to enlightenment and liberationR the tantric )iew is
that mystic gendered lo)e can also free all suffering beings* ;ll forms of time originate from
the #rimordial di)ine cou#le* ;long with the sun and moon and the "#air of radiant #lanets:,
the fi)e elements also owe their existence to the cosmogonic erotic lo)e* ;ccording to
the He+a0ra Tantra, "By uniting the male and female sexual organs the holder of the Vow
#erforms the erotic union* From contact in the erotic union, as the 8uality of hardness, 3arth
arisesR +ater arises from the fluidity of semenR Fire arises from the friction of #oundingR ;ir
ist famed to be the mo)ement and the S#ace is the erotic #leasure: $Farrow and Menon, .QQ%,
#* .'@(* !anguage, emotions, the senses > all ha)e their origin in the lo)e of the #rimordial
cou#le* <n a world #urged of darkness the cou#le stand at the edge of darkness,
the "alachakra Tantra itself says $Baner6ee, .QHQ, #* %@(*

4e)ertheless, as we ha)e demonstrated, this harmonious #rimordial image is misused in
tantric rituals by an androcentric caste of monks for the ends of s#iritual and secular #ower*
+e refrain from describing once more the sexual magic ex#loitation in -a0rayana& and would
instead like to turn to a #hiloso#hical 8uestion raised by this to#ic, namely the relationshi#
between the K43 $as the male #rinci#le( and the KT135 $as the female #rinci#le(*

Since Friedrich 1egel, the KT135 has become a key to#ic of #hiloso#hical discussion*
The absolute K43 or absolute mind is unable to tolerate any KT135 besides itself* Knly
when the KT135 is com#letely integrated into the K43, only when it is "sus#ended: in the
K43 is the way of the mind com#lete* For then nature $the KT135( has become mind $the
K43(* This is one way of succinctly describing one of the fundamental elements of 1egelian
#hiloso#hy*

<n -a0rayana terminology, the absolute K43 that tolerates no KT135 beyond himself
is the androgynous ;< B=1;* The KT135 $the feminine( surrenders its autonomy to
the hegemony of the K43 $the masculine(* <t is destroyed with one word* Bet the absolute
NQQ
K43 of the ;< B=1; is radically 8uestioned by the existence of an KT135 $the
feminine(R his claims to infinity, cosmocentricity, omni#otence, and di)inity are threatened*
";ll is K43 or all is the ;< B=1;: is a basic maxim of the tantric way* For this reason
the KT135 frightens and intimidates the K43* The Buddhist 2en +ilber $a #ro#onent of the
;< B=1; #rinci#le( 8uotes the =#anishads in this connection0 +here)er the KT135 is,
there is dread $+ilber, .QQ&, #* .N@( > and himself admits that e)erywhere where there is an
KT135, there is also fear $+ilber, .QQ&, #* %P&(*

;s already indicated, behind this existential fear of the KT135 lies a fundamental
gender issue* This has been taken u# and de)elo#ed #rimarily by French feminists* <n the
"otherness: $autruitJ( of the female Simone de Beau)oir saw a highly #roblematic fixing of
the woman created by the androcentric #ersecti)e* Men wanted to see women as the KT135
in order to be able to control them* The woman was forced to define her identity )ia the
#ers#ecti)e of the man* Beau)oir,s successors, howe)er, such as the femininst !uce <rigaray,
ha)e lent "gender difference: and ;=T5=<Tm $otherness( a highly #ositi)e significance and
ha)e made it the central to#ic of their feminine #hiloso#hy* Ktherness here all but becomes a
female world unable to be gras#ed by either the male #ers#ecti)e or male reason* <t e)ades
any kind of masculine fixation* Female sub6ecti)ity is inaccessible for the male*

<t is #recisely the KT13543SS which lets women #reser)e their autonomy* They thus
esca#e being ob6ectified by men $the male sub6ect( and de)elo# their own sub6ecti)ity $the
female sub6ect(* <rigaray )ery clearly articulates how existing religions block women,s #ath to
a self7realiMation of their own0 "She must always be for men, a)ailable for their
transcendence: $8uoted by Dune -am#bell, .QQL, #* .HH( > i*e*, as Sophia, pra0na, as the
"white )irgin:, as a "wisdom dakini: $inana mudra(* <n the male consciousness she lacks a
sub6ecti)ity of her own, and is a blank screen $shunyata( onto which the man #ro6ects his own
imaginings*

Bet the autonomy of the KT135 does not need to be ex#erienced as se#aration,
fragmentation, lack, or as an alienating element* <t can 6ust as well ser)e as the o##osite, as
the #rere8uisite for the union of two sub6ects, com#lementarity, or co#ula* The masculine and
the feminine can beha)e in com#letely different ways toward one another, either as a duality
$of mutually exclusi)e o##osites b annihilation of the KT135( or as a #olarity $mutually
P&&
com#lentary o##osites b encounter with the KT135(* <t is almost a miracle that the sexes are
fundamentally #ermitted to meet one another in lo)e without ha)ing to renounce their
autonomy*

Buddhist Tantrism, howe)er, is not about such an encounter between man and woman,
but #urely the 8uestion of how the yogi $as the masculine #rinci#le of the K43( can integrate
the KT135 $the feminine #rinci#le( within himself and render it useful by drawing off its
gynergy* Kccult feminism in)ol)es the same #henomenon in re)erse0 how can the yogini
$here the feminine #rinci#le of the K43( a##ro#riate the androenergy of the man $here the
KT135( so as to win gynandric #ower*

The a##ro#riation of the KT135 $the goddess( by the K43 $the ;< B=1;( is the
core conce#t of Buddhist Tantrism* This makes it a #henomenon which, at this le)el of
generality, also sha#es +estern cultures and religions0 "Male religiosity masks an
a##ro#riation,: writes !uce <rigaray* "This se)ers the relationshi# to the natural uni)erse, its
sim#licity is #er)erted* -ertainly, this religiousness symboliMes a social uni)erse organiMed by
men* But this organiMation is based on a sacrifice > of nature, of the gendered body,
es#ecially that of the woman* <t im#els a s#irituality cut off from its natural roots and its
surroundings* <t can thus not bring humanity to #erfection* S#iritualiMation, socialiMation,
culti)ation re8uire that we set out from what is there* The #atriarchal system does not do this
because it seeks to obliterate the foundations u#on which it is based: $<rigaray, .QQ., #* ''(*

The solution to the riddle of its mysteries that Tantrism #oses is ob)ious* <t can only
in)ol)e the union of the two #oles, not their domination of one another* Kn its own the
$masculine( s#irit is not sufficient to become "whole:, instead nature and s#irit,
emotions and reason, logos and eros, woman and man, god and goddess, a masculine and a
feminine Buddha as two autonomous beings must wed mystically
$as yab and yum, yin and yang( as two sub6ects that fuse together into a +3* The ;<
B=1; of the "alachakra Tantra, howe)er, is a di)ine S=BD3-T $a S=P35 39K( that
tries to consume the KT135 $the goddess(* 4ot until K43 S=BD3-T forms a co#ula with
;4KT135 S=BD3-T can a truly new dimension $+3( be entered0 the great +3 in which
both egos, the masculine and the feminine, are truly "sus#ended:, truly "#reser)ed:, and truly
P&.
"transcended:* Perha#s it is this +3 that is the cosmic secret to be disco)ered in the
#rofoundest sections of the tantras, and not the ;< B=1;*

For in +3 all the #olarities of the uni)erse fuse, sub6ecti)ity and ob6ecti)ity, rule and
ser)itude, union and di)ision* The unio mystica with the #artner dissol)es both the indi)idual
and the trans#ersonal sub6ecti)ity $the human ego and the di)ine ego(* Both #oles, the
masculine and the feminine, ex#erience their s#iritual, #sychic and #hysical unity as
intersub6ecti)ity, as exchange, as +3* They 6oin into a higher dimension without destroying
one another* The mystic +3 thus forms a more encom#assing 8uality of ex#erience than the
;< B=1;,s mystic 39K which seeks to swallow the KT135 $the goddess(*

+ere man and woman to understand themsel)es as the cosmic center, as god and
goddess > as the tantric texts #roclaim > were they to ex#erience themsel)es together as a
religious authority, then the androgynous guru in his role as the su#reme god of "the mysteries
of gendered lo)e: would )anish* <n an essay on tantric #ractices, the <ndologist oniger
K,Flaherty describes se)eral )ariants on androgyny and su##lements these > not without a
trace of irony > with an additional "androgynous: model which is basically not a model at
all* "; third #sychological androgyne, less closely tied to any #articular doctrine, is found not
in a single indi)idual but in two0 the man and the woman who 6oin in #erfect lo)e,
Shakes#eare,s beast with two backs* This is the image of ecstatic union, another meta#hor for
the mystic realiMation of union with godhead* This is the romantic ideal of com#lete merging,
one with the other, so that each ex#eriences the other,s 6oy, not knowing whose is the hand
that caresses or whose the skin that is caressed* <n this state, the man and the woman in tantric
ritual ex#erience each other,s 6oy and #ain* This is the di)ine hierogamy, and, in its )arious
manifestations > as yabByum, yin and yang, animus and anima > it is certainly the most
wides#read of androgynous conce#ts: $K,Flaherty, .QP%, #* %Q%(*

+hen together > as Tantrism teaches us des#ite e)erything > #ower is concentrated in
man and womanR di)ided they are #owerless* +3 e8ually im#lies both the gaining of #ower
and its renunciation* <n +3 the two #rimal forces of being $masculine>feminine( are
concentrated* To this extent the +3 is absolute, the Kmni#otent* But at the same time +3
limits the #ower of the #arts, as soon as they a##ear se#arately or lay claim to the cosmos as
indi)idual genders $as an androgynous ;lmighty 9od or as a gynandric ;lmighty 9oddess(*
P&%
To this extent, +3 is essentially relati)e* <t is only effecti)e when the two #oles beha)e
com#lementarily* ;s the su#reme #rinci#le, +3 is com#letely unable to abuse any KT135 or
mani#ulate it for its own ends since e)ery KT135 is by definition an autonomous #art of
+3* <n #olitical terms, +3 is a fundamental democratic #rinci#le* <t transcends all conce#ts
of an enemy and all war* The traditional dualisms of u##er and lower, white and black, bright
and gloomy unite in a creati)e #olarity in the +3*

;s we ha)e been able to demonstrate on the basis of both the ritual logic
of -a0rayana and, em#irically, the history of Tantric Buddhism $es#ecially !amaism(, the
androgynous #rinci#le of Buddhist Tantrism leads ineluctably to human sacrifice and war* The
origins of e)ery war lie in the battle of the sexes > this a#horism from 9reek mythology is
es#ecially true of Tantrism, which traces all that ha##ens in the world back to erotic lo)e*
oesn,t this let us also conclude the re)erse, that #eace between the sexes can #roduce #eace
in the worldA 9lobal res#onsibility arises from mutual recognition and from res#ect for the
#osition of the #artner, who is the other half of the whole* -om#assion, sensiti)ity towards
e)erything that is other, understanding, harmony > all ha)e their origin here* <n the
cosmogonic erotic lo)e between two #eo#le, !udwig 2lages sees a re)olutionary #ower that
e)en has the strength to sus#end "history:* "+ere the incredible to ha##en, e)en if were only
between two out of hundreds of millions, the #ower of the s#irit,s curse would be broken, the
dreadful nightmare of Wworld history would melt away,, and Wawakening would bloom in
streams of light,: $2lages, .Q'&, #* .QP(* The end of history )ia the lo)e between man and
woman, god and goddess0 the conce#t would definitely be com#atible with a tantric
#hiloso#hy if it were not for the yogi,s final act of masculine usur#ation*

Perha#s, we would like to further s#eculate, mystic gender lo)e might #ro)ide the
religious mystery for a uni)ersal "culture of erotic lo)e: built u#on both sensual and s#iritual
foundations* Such an idea is by no means new* <n the late .QL&s in his book Eros and
Ci+ilization& the ;merican #hiloso#her 1erbert Marcuse outlined an "erotic: cultural schema*
=nfortunately, his "#aradigmatic: $as it would be known these days( a##roach, which was
widely discussed in the late .QL&s has become com#letely forgotten* ;mong the basic 6oys of
human existence, according to Marcuse, is the di)ision into sexes, the difference between
male and female, between #enis and )agina, between you and me, e)en between mine and
yours, and these are extremely #leasant and satisfying di)isions, or could beR their elimination
P&'
would not 6ust be insane, but also a nightmare > the #eak of re#ression: $Marcuse, .QLH, #*
%'Q(* This nightmare becomes real in the alchemic #ractices of the Buddhist tradition* <n
that -a0rayana dissol)es all differences, ultimately e)en the #olarity of the sexes, into the
androgynous #rinci#le of the ;< B=1;, it destroys the "3ros: of life, e)en though it
#aradoxically recogniMes this sexual #olarity as the su#reme cosmic force*

;s we were working on the final #roofs of our manuscri#t, the 9erman magaMine $unte,
which only a few weeks before had celebrated the alai !ama as a god on earth, carried an
article by the cultural sociologist 4icolaus Sombart entitled "esire for the di)ine cou#le:*
Sombart so #recisely ex#ressed our own ideas that we would like to 8uote him at length*
"+hy does the human #ro6ect ha)e a bi#artite form in the di)ine #lanA The duality symboliMes
the #olarity of the world, the bi#olarity that is the basis for the dynamic of e)erything which
ha##ens in the world* %in and yang* ;##arently di)ided and yet belonging together,
contradictory, and com#lementary, antagonistic but designed for harmony, synthesis and
symbiosis* Knly in mutual #enetration do they com#lete each other and become whole* The
model of the world is that of a cou#le eternally stri)ing for union* The cosmic cou#le stand by
one another in the interaction of an erotic tension* <t is a #air of lo)ers* The misery of the
world lies in the se#aration, isolation, and loneliness of the #arts that are attracted to each
other, that belong togetherR the 6oy and ha##iness lie in the union of the two sexesR not two
souls, this is not enough, but two bodies e8ui##ed for this #ur#ose > a #leasurable foretaste
of the return to #aradise: $$unte, @LU.QQP, #* @&(*

<t is nonetheless remarkable how unsuccessful mystic gendered lo)e has been in
establishing itself as a religious archety#e in human cultural history* ;lthough the mystery of
lo)e between man and woman is and has been #ractised and ex#erienced by millions,
although most cultures ha)e both male and female deities, the unio mystica of the sexes has
largely not been recogniMed as a religion* Bet there is so much which indicates that the
harmony and lo)e between man and woman $god and goddess( could be granted the gra)ity of
a uni)ersal #aradigm and become a bridge of #eace between the )arious cultures* Selected
insights and images from the mysteries of Tantric Buddhism ought to be most useful in the
de)elo#ment of such a #aradigm*

P&@
i)ine cou#les are found in all cultures, e)en if their religious )eneration is not among
the central mysteries* +e also encounter them in the #re7Buddhist mythologies of Tibet,
where the two sexes share their control o)er the world e8ually* Matthias 1ermanns tells us
about "hen pa, the ruler of the hea)ens, and "hon ma, the earth mother, and 8uotes the
following sentence from an aboriginal Tibetan creation myth0 ";t first hea)en and earth are
like father and mother: $1ermanns, .QLH, #* N%(* <n the times of the original Tibetan kings
there was a god of man $pho2lha( and a goddess of woman $mo2lha(* ; number of -entral
;sian myths see the sun and moon as e8ual forces, with the sun #laying the masculine and the
moon the feminine role $Bleichsteiner, .Q'N, #*.Q(* <n one Bon myth, light and darkness are
held to be the #rimordial cosmic cou#le $Paul, .QP., #* @Q(*

<n Tantric Buddhism, the central Buddhist cou#le celebrated by
the 4yingma#a School,Samantabhadra and Samantabhadri > in translation the "su#reme
male good: and the "su#reme female good: > are such a #otential #rimal cou#le* This
Buddha cou#le are de#icted in a yabByum#osture* Both #artners are naked, i*e*, #ure and free*
4either of them is carrying any symbols which might #oint to some hidden magicoreligious
intention* Their nudity could be inter#reted as saying
thatSamantabhadra and Samantabhadri are beyond the world of symbolism and are thus an
image of #olar #urity, freed of gods, myths, and insignia* Knly the color of their bodies could
be inter#reted as a meta#hor* Samantabhadra is blue as clear and o#en as the
hea)ens, Samantabhadri is white as the light*

+ere one to formulate such )isions of the religious worshi# of the cou#le in Buddhist
terminology, the four Buddha cou#les of the four directions might emanate from a #rimal
Buddha cou#le, without this mystical #entad needing to be a##ro#riated by a tantric master in
the form of an androgynous ;< B=1; $or by a sexual magic mistress as a gynandric
;lmighty 9oddess(* <n one 4e#alese tantra text, for instance, the ;< B=1; $"su#reme
consciousness:( and the ;< P5;4D4; $"su#reme wisdom:( are re)ered as the #rimordial
father and the #rimordial mother of the world $1aMra, .QPL, #* %.(* ;ccording to this text, all
the female beings in the uni)erse are emanations of the ;< P5;D4;, and all males those of
the ;< B=1;*


P&H
Critica Foru$ -or th( In'(!tigation o- th(
4aacha1ra Tantra and th( Sha$5haa M%th

<n Sanskrit, "alachakra means /The +heel of Time /, but it is also the name of the
su#reme Tibetan /Time 9od/* The "alachakra Tantra is held to be the last and the most
recent $.&th century( of all the tantra texts that ha)e been re)ealed, and is considered by the
lamas to be /the #innacle of all Buddhist systems/*

K)er more than %H years, many hundreds of thousands ha)e been "initiated: through
the"alachakra Tantra by the ?<V alai !ama* Kf these, large numbers are illiterate #eo#le
from<ndia* But e)en the /educated/ #artici#ants from the +est barely know anything about
what this ritual actually entails, since alongside its #ublic as#ect it also has a strongly guarded
secret side* <n #ublic, the ?<V alai !ama #erforms only the se)en lowest initiationsR the
subse8uent eight of the total of .H initiations continue to remain top secret*

There is no talk of these eight secret rites in the #am#hlets, ad)ertisements or brochures,
and es#ecially not in the numerous affirmations of the ?<V alai !ama* 1ere, the "alachakra
Tantraa##ears as a dignified and u#lifting contribution to world #eace, which fosters
com#assion with all li)ing beings, interreligious dialog, interracial and intersub6ecti)e
tolerance, ecological awareness, sexual e8uality, inner #eace, s#iritual de)elo#ment and bliss
for the third millennium $/"alachakra for orld (eace/(* The motto for the whole show is
8uoted from the ?<V alai !ama0 /Because we all share this small #lanet earth, we ha)e to
learn to li)e in harmony and #eace with each other and with nature*/ The highly focused,
extremely tantric initiation of Tibetan !amaism thus garners the kudos of a /transcultural and
interreligious meeting for world #eace/*

But are the "alachakra Tantra and the Shambhala myth truly #acifistA o they really
encourage harmony and coo#eration among #eo#leA o they make any real contribution to
freedom and 6ustice, e8uality of the sexes, religious tolerance or ethnic reconciliationA ;re
they a com#rehensi)e, #olitically humanist, democratic and non)iolent contribution to world
#eaceA

P&L
K)er the #ast few years, increasing criticism has been le)eled at Tibetan Buddhism, the
history of !amaism, conditions among the Tibetans in exile and the ?<V alai !ama himself,
criticism which is not from the -hinese 8uarter* 1istorians from the =S; ha)e begun
8uestioning the wides#read glorifying whitewash of Tibetan history $Mel)in -* 9oldstein, ;*
Tom 9rundfeld(* -ritical Tibetologists ha)e raised accusations of deliberate mani#ulation by
official Tibetology $onald S* !o#eM Dr*(* Tibet researchers ha)e in)estigated the /dreams of
#ower/ that are acti)ated and exacerbated by the /Tibet myth/ nurtured by !amaists $Peter
Bisho#(* Prominent #oliticians ha)e had to admit the e)idence of their own eyes that the
-hinese are not committing /genocide/ in Tibet, as the Tibetans in exile continue to claim
$;nt6e Vollmar, Mary 5obinson(* Former female Buddhists ha)e condemned, on the basis of
#ersonal ex#erience and with great ex#ertise, the systematic and so#histicated o##ression and
abuse of women in Tibetan Buddhism $Dune -am#bell(* Psychologists and #sychoanalysts
ha)e in)estigated the aggressi)e and morbid character of !amaist culture $5obert ;* Paul,
Fokke Sierksma, -olin 9oldner(* From within the alai !ama,s own ranks, o)erwhelming
e)idence of his intolerant, su#erstitious and autocratic nature has been amassed since .QQN
$Shugden ;ffair(* !amaism,s rituals ha)e also been sub6ected to strong criticism* The
humanistic, #eace7lo)ing, tolerant and ecumenical intentions of the "alachakra Tantra and
theShambhala myth it contains ha)e been interrogated in a com#rehensi)e study $Victor and
Victoria Trimondi(* Biting criticism of the ?<V alai !ama and his system founded on magic
has also been broadcast in 9erman, Swiss and ;ustrian tele)ision $Panorama, .& nach .&,
Treff#unkt 2ultur(* <nMunich, on the occasion of a )isit by the Tibetan religious #otentate $in
May %&&&(, there was e)en a s#lit in the SP, whose /#ro7alai !ama/ wing had in)ited the
Tibetan /9od72ing/ to a gala e)ent* The media as a whole has been e8ually di)ided0 the alai
!ama has been accused of, among other things, ha)ing an undemocratic and autocratic
leadershi# style, su##ressing any #olitical o##osition, acting to re#ress religious minoritiesR
letting #olicy be determined by #ossessed oracles rather than through dialog and debate,
deliberate falsification of the history of Tibet, maintaining uncritical relationshi#s with former
members of the SS and neo7naMis, defaming critics and conducting misogynist rituals* #elix
;ustria O this criticism seems to ha)e floated by the beautiful mountains of ;ustria like a slim
cloud that hardly turns a head*

P&N
H(r( ar( !o$( o- th( 8oint! rai!(d 5% th( critic! o- th( 0ala'hakra $antra and
th(,hambhala $%th it contain! that th( Critica Foru$ 4aacha1ra i! 8utting -orward
-or di!cu!!ion:

Th( !(cr(t rit(! o- th( 0ala'hakra $antra $a% not2 und(r 8ain o- $(di('a
8uni!h$(nt -or 5od% and !ou2 5( di!cu!!(d with th( uninitiat(dD Th( :head and
heart7 o- who('(r r('(a! it! occut !(cr(t! .%ill b"rst as"nder. and th(% wi
5urn in th( d((8(!t h(D Th(r( ar( good r(a!on! -or thi!2 th(n in th( (ight high(!t
initiation! th(r( i! ta1 o- thing! that !tand in co$8(t( contradiction to a
hu$ani!t !%!t($ o- 'au(! &Micha( H(n!! I 0ala'hakra B ein tibetis'hes
;in%eih"n)srit"alI Surich "9702 /3)D

Th( 0ala'hakra4$antra i! an%thing 5ut 8aci-i!t2 rath(r2 it 8ro8h(!i(! and
8ro$ot(! a 5ood% r(igiou! war -or word do$ination 5(tw((n #uddhi!t! and
non-#uddhi!t! &,hambhala $%th)D

Th( t(Bt (B8icit% na$(! th( .(ad(r!. o- th( thr(( $onoth(i!tic r(igion!
&>udai!$2 Chri!tianit%2 I!a$) a! o88on(nt! o- #uddhi!$: .&dam ;no'h
&braham Moses 9es"s the 1hite4-lad one QManiR M"hammad and Mathani Qth(
MahdiR.D Th( 0ala'hakra $antra d(!cri5(! th($ a! .the *amily o* the demoni'
snakes. &,hri 0ala'hakra ID "0/)D

Thu!2 th( 0ala'hakra $antra i! o88o!(d to a r(igion! o- S($itic origin2 and
-or thi! r(a!on ha! 5((n 8r(!!(d into !(r'ic( 5% right-wing radica and anti-
S($itic circ(! -or th(ir raci!t 8ro8agandaD

Th( 0al'hakra $antra in'o1(! a go5a war 5(tw((n th( I!a$ic and th(
non-I!a$ic word in which th( -oow(r! o- Moha$$(d ar( 8r(!(nt(d a! th(
8rinci8a (n($i(! o- th( #uddhi!t!D Th( origina t(Bt r(-(r! to M(cca2 wh(r(
th( .mi)hty mer'iless idol o* the barbarians. i'(! a! a .demoni'
in'arnation.

&,hri 0ala'hakraID "0/)D

P&P
Murd(rou! !u8(r-w(a8on! 8o!!(!!(d 5% th( #uddhi!t Sha$5haa Ar$% and
($8o%(d again!t .(n($i(! o- th( Dhar$a. ar( d(!cri5(d at (ngth and in
(nthu!ia!tic d(tai in th( 0ala'hakra $antra &Shri 4aacha1ra ID "*7 I "/*)D
Mod(rn La$ai!t int(r8r(tation! o- th(!( $iitar% ar!(na -anta!i(! indug( in
!8(ctacuar co$8ari!on! to th( w(a8onr% o- th( *:th and *"!t c(nturi(!D

Th( #uddhi!t art o- war in th( Sha$5haa 5att(! i! o5'iou!% at odd! with
5a!ic hu$an right!2 and i! in!t(ad d(!cri5(d in th( origina t(Bt a! .mer'iless.
and .'r"el.D .$he s"premely *ero'io"s Q#uddhi!tR %arriors %ill 'ast do%n the
barbarian horde. and .eliminatin). th($ .to)ether %ith their *ollo%ers.D
&,hri 0ala'hakra ID"3+V"30)D

A th( 8artici8ant! in a 4aacha1ra initiation &iD(D2 a!o tho!( in ;raJ) ha'(
th( Au(!tiona5( 8ri'i(g( o- 5(ing r(5orn a! .,hambhala 1arriors. in ord(r to
5( a5( to 8artici8at( in th( 8ro8h(!i(d a8oca%8tic 5att( a! (ith(r in-antr% or
o--ic(r!2 d(8(ndant on ran1D High a$a! o- 8articuar in(ag(! ha'( ar(ad% 5((n
a!!ign(d to co$$anding 8o!ition! &ED #(rn5au$ I Der 1e) na'h ,hambhala B
&"* der ,"'he na'h dem sa)enha*ten 0Nni)rei'h im Himalaya I Ha$5urg "97*2
*0*2 +0)D

According to a 'i!ion o- th( Ti5(tan La$a 4a$tru Rin8och(2 it i! th(
r(incarnat(d Daai La$a hi$!(-2 who a! wrath-u -i(d $ar!ha wi (ad th(
#uddhi!t ar$% into th( Sha$5haa 5att( &("dra -hakrin) to conAu(r a ('i in
th( uni'(r!(D Pro8agandi!t! -or th( 0ala'hakra $antra 8(dd( a 8ri$iti'( $art%r
cut that r(!($5(! that o- th( Mo!($ Lihad warrior!: h( who -a! in th(
Sha$5haa war i! r(ward(d with guarant((d (ntr% to th( Sha$5haa 8aradi!(
&ED #(rn5au$ IDer 1e) na'h ,hambhala B &"* der ,"'he na'h dem sa)enha*ten
0Nni)rei'h im Himalaya I Ha$5urg "97*2 *0+)D

At a ('(!2 th( 0ala'hakra $antra -o!t(r! th( 8o!tuation o- &and
n(gotiation with) a conc(i'(d ,(n($%C and I co$8(t(% at odd! with th( origina
t(aching! o- th( hi!torica #uddha or th( (thica d($and! o- Maha%ana
P&Q
#uddhi!$ I ad'ocat(! war 5(tw((n .good. and .('i.2 5(tw((n th( .-aith-u.
and th( .un5(i('(r!.D

Th( 0ala'hakra4$antra contain! a #uddhocratic doctrin( o- !tat( which i!
('(n $or( .th(ocratic. than th( -unda$(ntai!t I!a$ conc(8t o- th(ocrac%2 th(n
th( #uddhi!t .Cha1ra'artin. &word ru(r) i! !((n a! a dir(ct .incarnation. or
.($anation. o- th( Su8r($( #uddha &Adi #uddha)2 a! a wa1ing .;od-Man. on
(arth2 whi!t th( .Cai8h. i! on% ;od=! &Aah=!) .r(8r(!(ntati'(. on (arth2 who
do(! not ('(n ha'( th( ran1 o- a .8ro8h(t.D

At th( 8innac( o- th( authoritati'( #uddhocratic 4aacha1ra !tat(2 on th(
.Lion Thron(. r(!id(! an a5!out( .Pri(!t-4ing. &-hakravartin)2 who unit(! in
hi! 8(r!on r(igiou!2 8oitica2 Luridica and $iitar% $ightD Th(r( i! a5!out(% no
ci'i .!(8aration o- 8ow(r!. h(r(D Tho!( -a$iiar with th( con!titutiona 8o!ition
o- th( Daai La$a in traditiona Ti5(t &u8 unti "909) 1now that th( o--ic( o- th(
Ti5(tan .;od-4ing. corr(!8ond(d to that o- a Cha1ra'artin in $iniatur(D Th(
high% Au(!tiona5( and ha--h(art(d d($ocratiJation r(-or$! that th( ?I@ Daai
La$a ha! introduc(d a$ong th( Ti5(tan! in (Bi( woud 5( o5it(rat(d a-r(!h
through th( #uddhocratic2 !tat( 8oitica con!(Au(nc(! o- th( 0ala'hakra
$antrat(aching!D

Th( right to a #uddhocratic word !u8r($ac% i! an (B8icit d($and o-
th(0ala'hakra $antraD H(r( too w( -ind a -unda$(ntai!t corr(!8ond(nc( to
I!a$i!t a$5ition! to go5a do$inationD I- 5oth !%!t($! ar( !(t to con-ront
anoth(r a! d(ad% (n($i(! in a 5ood% a8oca%8tic 5att(2 th(n thi! i! a
con!(Au(nc( o- th( ogic o- th(ir th(ocratic-cu$-#uddhocratic a5!outi!$D

Mod(rn #uddhocratic 'i!ion! -or our 8an(t which ar( w(co$(d 5% th(
?I@ Daai La$a ar( 5uit u8on th( -oundation! o- th( 0ala'hakra $antra# S(( in
thi! r(gard Ro5(rt AD Thur$an=! 5oo1 I (evol"tion von =nnen B Die Lehren des
B"ddhism"s oder das vollkommene /lO'k &"999)2 wh(r( th( author d('(o8! th(
authoritati'( 8oitica th(or% o- a .#uddha'(r!(.D A! (ar% a! "9692 Thur$an2
d(!cri5(d 5% Ti$( $agaJin( a! th( .!8o1(!$an o- th( Daai La$a. in th( ESA2
P.&
!aw th( Ti5(tan r(igiou! (ad(r in a dr(a$ (nthron(d a! a .Ti$( ;od. o'(r th(
Wador- A!toria Hot( in N(w Gor12 whi( th( gr(at !war$ o- nota5(! I $a%or!2
!(nator!2 co$8an% dir(ctor! and 1ing!2 !h(i1! and !utan!2 c((5riti(! and !tar!
5uJJ(d around hi$K caught u8 in th( $a(!tro$ o- th( 6** dancing d(iti(! o- th(
4aacha1ra Tantra !war$(d around hi$ Lu!t i1( 5((! in 8in!tri8(! around a
hug( hi'(D

In th( !(cr(t high(r !tag(! o- initiation th( 0ala'hakra $antra d($and! th(
unconditiona and uni$it(d !urr(nd(r to th( a5!out( wi o- th( ad$ini!t(ring
guru &in thi! ca!( th( Daai La$a! a! 4aacha1ra $a!t(r)D Th( .(go
con!ciou!n(!!. and th( 8(r!onait% o- th( initiand ar( (Btingui!h(d !t(8 5% !t(82
!o a! to tran!-or$ hi$ into a hu$an '(!!( -or th( in 8art wari1( and aggr(!!i'(
tantric d(iti(! and #uddhi!t -igur(!D H(nc(2 th( 0ala'hakra $antra 5ring! no
.(nno5($(nt.2 .tran!-iguration. or .int(gration. o- th( indi'idua2 5ut rath(r
it! !%!t($atic .(i$ination. in th( int(r(!t! o- a codi-i(d r(igiou! 8att(rnD

In th( (ight !(cr(t high(r initiation! o- th( 0ala'hakra $antra (Btr($(
$(nta and 8h%!ica (B(rci!(! ar( u!(d to 8u!h th( initiand into a !tat( 5(%ond
good and ('iD Th( origina t(Bt thu! r(Auir(! th( -oowing $i!d((d! and cri$(!
o- hi$: 1iing2 %ing2 !t(aing2 in-id(it%2 th( con!u$8tion o- acoho2 !(Bua
int(rcour!( with ow(r-ca!! gir!D A! in a th( oth(r tantra!2 h(r( too th(!(
r(Auir($(nt! can 5( und(r!tood 5oth !%$5oica% and it(ra%D E'(n th( ?I@
Daai La$a -ind! it (giti$at( -or a 4aacha1ra ad(8t to 1i a 8(r!on und(r
!8(cia circu$!tanc(!2 .%ho are harm*"ll to the Q#uddhi!tR tea'hin).D H( in!i!t!2
how('(r2 that thi! 5( .motivated by 'ompassion. &Daai La$a I $he 0ala'hakra
$antra B (ite o* =nitiationI London2 "9702 SD +/7 --D) D

In th( high(!t $agica initiation!2 what ar( 1nown a! .unc(an !u5!tanc(!.
ar( ($8o%(dD Th( 0ala'hakra $antra r(co$$(nd! th( con!u$8tion o- th( $(at
o- 'ariou! ta5oo ani$a!D Hu$an $(at &maha mamsa) i! a!o ($8o%(d a! a ritua
!u5!tanc(D It i! u!ua% ta1(n -ro$ th( d(ad and2 writ(! th( tantric grand $a!t(r
and Sha$5haa 4ing2 Pundari1a2 in hi! traditiona 0ala'hakra co$$(ntar%2 i!
th( .meat o* those %ho died d"eto their o%n karma %ho %ere killed in battle d"e
P..
to evil karma or and d"e to their o%n *a"lt or that o* robbers and so *orth %ho %ere
e.e'"ted.D H( continu(! with th( ad'ic( that it i! !(n!i5( to con!u$( th(!(
!u5!tanc(! in th( -or$ o- 8i!D Th( -(!h o- innoc(nt 8(o8(2 who ha'( 5((n
1i(d a! !acri-ic(! to th( god!2 out o- -(ar2 a! 8art o- an anc(!tor cut2 out o- d(!ir(
&gr((d) or -or $on(%2 i! ad(n with .un!8(a1a5( !in. and $a% not 5( u!(d in th(
ritua!D .B"t %hi'h *alls in the bo%l "nasked4*or is %itho"t "nspeakable sin. I and
$a% th(r(-or( 5( 8ut to u!(D &In: >ohn Ronad N(w$an - $he o"ter %heel o* time:
Vajrayana B"ddhist 'osmolo)y in the 0ala'akra $antra - Madi!on "9762 *33 -D)D

Nu$(rou! ritua o5L(ct! ($8o%(d in th( c(r($oni(! ar( $ad( -ro$ cor8!(!
&5ow! $ad( -ro$ hu$an !1u!2 tru$8(t! $ad( o- (g 5on(!2 5on( n(c1ac(!)D A
ganc( at th( gr(at 4aacha1ra thang1a &wa ta8(!tr%) which wi 5( hanging
a5o'( th( thron( o- th( ?I@ Daai La$a during th( who( o- th( c(r($on% in
;raJ i! (nough to con'inc( on( o- th( wrath-u charact(r o- thi! rituaD Th( Ti$(
;od .4aacha1ra. d(8ict(d th(r( tog(th(r with hi! con!ort2 th( Ti$( ;odd(!!
.@i!h'a$ata. in !(Bua union whi( !tanding2 hod in th(ir tota o- +* hand! */
o5L(ct! o- an aggr(!!i'(2 $or5id or wari1( natur( &hoo1!2 !word2 $ach(t(2
dru$! and '(!!(! $ad( o- !1u 5ow!2 a !c(8t(r who!( 8(a1 i! adorn(d with
thr(( !('(r(d hu$an h(ad!2 (tcD)

In th( !(cr(t high(r initiation! o- th( 0ala'hakra $antra !(Bua $agica rit(!
ta1( 8ac(2 th( ai$ o- which i! to tran!-or$ .!(Buait%. into word% and !8iritua
8ow(rD Th( r(a or i$aginar% wo$(n &5oth ar( 8o!!i5() u!(d in th(!( r(8r(!(nt
8articuar -or$! o- (n(rg%2 wh(r(5% ag( 8a%! an i$8ortant ro(D On( 5(gin! with
t(n-%(ar-od gir!D E8 to th( ag( o- *:2 th( -($a( !(Bua 8artn(r! r(8r(!(nt
8o!iti'( charact(ri!tic!D I- th(% ar( od(r th(% ar( r(gard(d a! th( 5(ar(r! o- th(
n(gati'( (n(rgi(! o- !corn2 rag(2 hat( (tcD and a! .d(monesses.D In th( 7th to ""th
('(! o- initiation into th( 0ala'hakra $antra !(Bua $agic (B8(ri$(nt! ar( $ad(
with Lu!t . on(. wo$anK in th( "*th to "0th ('(!2 th( !o-ca(d/ana'hakra2 a
tota o- ": wo$(n ta1( 8art in th( ritua aong with th( $a!t(r and th( initiandD It
i! th( 8u8i=! dut% to o--(r hi! La$a th( wo$(n a! a .)i*t.D .Laity. who ar( to 5(
initiat(d into th( ritua ar( !u88o!(d to o--(r u8 th(ir -($a( r(ati'(! &$oth(r2
!i!t(r2 wi-(2 daught(r2 aunt2 (tcD)D On( can r(ad in th( 4aacha1ra MZatantra
P.%
that .=* the p"pil does not hand these %isdom 'onsorts over to his master in order
to prote't his *amily then Lthe masterM may not per*orm this rit"al#. Con!(crat(d
$on1! and no'ic(!2 how('(r2 $a% $a1( u!( o- unr(at(d wo$(n -ro$ 'ariou!
ca!t(!D In th( !(cr(t ritua it!(- th( 8artici8ant! (B8(ri$(nt with th( $a!cuin(
and -($inin( !((d &!8(r$ and $(n!trua 5ood)D In th(0ala'hakra $antra wo$(n
ar( r(gard(d a! $(r( .(n(rg% donor!. -or th( $a( 8ractition(r! and onc( th(
ritua i! o'(r th(% ha'( no -urth(r ro( to 8a% &!(( in thi! r(gard N[ro8[
I =ni8ia8ione 0Pla'akra I Ro$a "99/)D

In th( curr(nt ag(2 which according to th( t(aching! o- La$ai!$ i!
ha!t(ning toward! an a8oca%8tic (nd &4ai %uga)2 th( 0ala'hakra $antra ha! a
8articuar% d(!tructi'( and aggr(!!i'( charact(rD It incud(! !8(cia rit(! which
ar( !u88o!(d to acc((rat( th( g(n(ra d(cin( through !%$5oic act!D .1hat is
0ala'hakrayanaQth( 4aacha1ra Wa%R<. I a!1! on( o- th( (ading (B8(rt! in th(
-i(d o- Tantri!$2 th( Indian Sha!hi #hu!an Da!gu8ta2 and t(ing% an!w(r!2
.$he %ord 1aa means time death and destr"'tion# 4aa-Cha1ra is the 1heel o*
Destr"'tion#.

These are 6ust some of the #roblematic as#ects that critics ob6ect to in the "alachakra
Tantra and the Shambhala Myth it contains* They ought to #ro)ide sufficient grounds to
8uestion whether this ritual can still be seen as ha)ing a humanistic, #eaceful, tolerant,
freedom7lo)ing and ecumenical character* <n addition, the Shambhala myth integrated into
the "alachakra Tantra has O insofar as it has been accorded historical and ideological
rele)ance O led to extremely aggressi)e beha)ior #atterns, megalomaniac )isions, cons#iracy
theories and terrorist acti)ity* But abo)e all it exercises a s#ecial fascination for neo7fascist
circles and #ro)ides a source of ideological ins#iration for them*

In th( war! 5(tw((n #%(oru!!ian!2 #o!h('i1! and Mongoian!2
th( ,hambhala$%th wa! a!!ociat(d with id(a! o- th( r(turn o- ;(nghi! 4han at
th( 5(ginning o- th( tw(nti(!D Th( Mongoian! !aw th($!('(! in thi! con-ict a!
.Sha$5haa warrior!.D Th(ir $iitar% action! w(r( (Btr($(% 5oodthir!t%D

P.'
Th( Itaian -a!ci!t and right-wing (Btr($i!t 8hio!o8h(r o- cutur(2 >uiu!
E'oa2 !aw in th( $%thic r(a$ o- ,hambhala th( (!ot(ric c(nt(r o- a !acr(d
warrior ca!t( and !u!8(ct(d that th( 8aac( o- th( word 1ing2 who!( (!cutch(on
wa! th( !wa!ti1a2 coud 5( -ound th(r(D H( h(d (ctur(! on th(!( 'i(w! -or th( th(
SS ,Ahn(n(r5(CD

In th( occut it(ratur( &th( .NaJi $%!t(ri(!C)2 .$a!t(r!.
-ro$ ,hambhala ar( d(8ict(d a! th( hidd(n !tring 8u(r! who ar( !u88o!(d to
ha'( 8artici8at(d in th( .$agica. cr(ation o- th( NaJi r(gi$( &Tr('or
Ra'(n!cro-t2 Loui! Pauw(! and >acAu(! #(rgi(r uD aD)D

In th( id(oogica SS und(rground o- th( 8o!t-War 8(riod and in th( .SS
$%!tici!$. o- th( nin(ti(!2 th( $%thica 1ingdo$ o- ,hambhala i! !((n a! a
!anctuar% -or an aggr(!!i'( and $or5id .NaJi r(igion. &Wih($ Landig2 >an
'an H(!ing uD aD)D

Th( ,hambhala $%th i! on( o- th( id(oogica 8iar! o- .(!ot(ric
Hit(ri!$.D Thi! i! th( wordwid(2 raci!t2 occut doctrin( o- th( Chi(an di8o$at2
Migu( S(rrano2 and th( Indian 5% ado8tion2 Sa'itri D('i &.Hit(r=! Pri(!t(!!.)

With hi! conc(8t o- th( ,hambhala %arrior th( now d(c(a!(d Ti5(tan
La$a2 ChOg%a$ Trung8a &"9/:-"976)2 aid th( -ir!t -oundation! -or a
8ot(ntia .Co$5ati'( #uddhi!$.2 ar(ad% -ound in arg( 8art! o- Ea!t A!ia2 in
th( W(!tD In!t(ad o- $ona!t(ri(!2 Trung8a=! ,hambhala %arriors i'( in $iitar%
ca$8!2 $(ditation i! acco$8ani(d 5% $iitar% 8arad(!2 in 8ac( o- th( 5(gging
5ow hi! 8u8i! carr% w(a8on! and rath(r than $ona!tic ro5(! th(% w(ar $iitar%
uni-or$!D Th( $a!t(r hi$!(- no ong(r $o'(d around in #uddhi!t !t%(2 with
%(ow and r(d $ona!tic ro5( and wa1ing !ta-- and !anda!2 5ut rath(r rod(
-orth on a whit( hor!( &in accordanc( with th( a8oca%8tic 8ro8h(c% o- th(
4aacha1ra Tantra) in 8(a1(d ca82 tunic and high 5oot!D Th( Sha$5haa coat o-
ar$! can 5( !((n on th( !add( o- a hor!( in a 8hoto o- th( $artia Trung8aD

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Th( ,hambhala M%th 8ro'id(! th( id(oogica 5a!i! -or th( t(rrori!$ o- th(
>a8an(!( a8oca%8tic guru2 Sho1o A!aharaD H( d(ri'(! hi! a8oca%8tic 'i!ion!
-ro$ th( t(aching! o- th( 0ala'hakra $antraD Hi! int(ntion i! to acc((rat( th(
on!(t o- th( Sha$5haa war and thi! i! hi! Lu!ti-ication -or hi! 8oi!on-ga! attac1!
on th( To1%o End(rgroundD A!ahara wa! th( -ir!t (ad(r o- a !(ct to $a1( th(
.unin'o'(d . -ro$ out!id( o- hi! own organiJation th( targ(t o- hi! d(ad%
attac1! and thu! o8(n(d th( -oodgat(! -or th( r(igiou!% $oti'at(d int(rnationa
t(rrori!$ that ha! 5(co$( th( nu$5(r on( to8ic in th( word co$$unit%D

3)en if these fascist and terrorist inter#retations of the Shambhala myth are erroneous,
it is therefore all the more #ressing that the ?<V alai !ama and his followers lay bare the
2alachakra ritual in all its detail, correct #ossible distortions, #ro6ections and misuses, and
distance themsel)es #ublicly from its more #roblematic contents, that or edit them out of the
traditional texts* <nstead, howe)er, there ha)e in the #ast been numerous friendly meetings
between the Tibetan religious leader and former SS figures $1einrich 1arrer, Bruno Beger(,
the founder of /esoteric 1itlerism/, Miguel Serrano, and the terrorist, Shoko ;sahara, whom
e)en after the Tokyo attacks he described as his /friend, albeit an im#erfect one:* Knly later
did he distance himself from him* <t is the duty of the city of 9raM, the #ro)incial go)ernment
of Styria, the )arious #olitical factions, the media, the intellectuals and not least the -hristian
institutions, to begin a broad #ublic discussion of this ritual, so as not be drawn into
something which is diametrically o##osed to their original intentions*

Then, according to statements in numerous international media re#orts, Tibetan
Buddhism is the /trend religion/ of our time* Through the ?<V alai !ama, through both his
charismatic a##earances and his ostensibly humanist s#eeches and writings, a gigantic,
unreflecti)e cultural im#ort of 3astern conce#ts into the +est is taking #lace, one which
dis#lays fundamentalist characteristics and ser)es as an ideological foundation for )arious
fundamentalist cam#s and can continue to so ser)e in the future* The Buddhist leader a##eals
to #eo#le,s dee# need for harmony and #eace, but the history of !amaism itself, the contents
of the Tibetan tantras and their com#lex of rituals, e)en the conditions which #re)ail
among the Tibetans in exile, are anything but #eaceful and harmonic* There are #assages in
the "alachakra Tantra which braMenly call for a /war of the religions/, which are intolerant
and aggressi)e* <n Tibetan Buddhism we ha)e an archaic, magic7based religious system,
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which has remained to a large extent untouched by the fundamentals of the +estern
3nlightenment* This is also the reason it is so attracti)e for right7wing extremists* For
centuries it has led to social in6ustices that any freedom7lo)ing citiMen of today would be
forced to re6ect* The e8uality of the sexes, democratic decision making and ecumenical
mo)ements are in themsel)es foreign to the nature of Tantric Buddhism, although the ?<V
alai !ama #ublicly #roclaims the o##osite*

<n a reaction to .. Se#tember %&&., =er Spiegel drew attention to aggressi)e elements
and fundamentalist currents in the three monotheistic religions in an article entitled
/5eligious Mania O The 5eturn of the Middle ;ges/* ;s is so often the case in such cultural
criti8ues, Buddhism was s#ared* This is untrueV ;ll of the to#ics criticiMed in this article
$battles against unbelie)ers and dissidents, religious wars, armament
fantasies, theocratic )isions of #ower, a#ocaly#tic #redictions, misogyny, etc*( are to be
found in a #articularly concentrated degree in the "alachkra Tantra*

The -ritical Forum 2alachakra $-F2( demands that a wide7ranging cultural debate o)er
the"alachakra Tantra and the Shambhala myth* The -F2 collects informations, distributes
and translates documents*
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