[Buddha-l] Jinapanjaram

[Joy Vriens]

Since a couple of years, the Tibetan Buddhist Center of Marseille is
regularly receiving the visit of Buddhist teachers of other traditions
(Khmer Buddhism, Forest tradition) and we have learned a lot of these
exchanges. I have always been aware of the "dangers of syncretism"
(Mme Blavatsky cum suis, New Age etc.) and have therefore been very
careful to note and observe which teaching/dogma/approach is specific
to this or that tradition or vehicle, what period, what country etc.
etc. When I was still fully engaged in Tibetan Buddhism, everything
was crystal clear and well ordered in boxes (grub mtha'). But since
then, especially since our exchanges, everything has been going
downhill: the order is making place for disorder, and some
"syncretism" sneekily seems to attack the different traditions we have
exchanges with from within.

E.g. if one believes that Buddhism is closer to a philosophy than to a
religion, the Buddha a simple human teacher of a 100% ontology-free
path to happiness, an early precursor of European Enlightenment and
rational thinking (Yoniso-manasikara), tirelessly fighting against
superstitions, mantras etc., then Pali Buddhism was for you. At least
so I believed.

But I have been exposed to an Inner Buddha that has nothing to envy
Tathagatagarbha, to Light or to Energy. I have assisted at blessing
rituals no less spectacular than anything witnessed in Tibetan
Buddhism. I have discovered the Paritta protection prayers, transfer
of merit, a "seven branch prayer" and recently I have read what I
can't describe differently than a prototype of something that looks
like a tantra, the Jinapañjaram, with rasa drinking heroes. The
Mahavairocanabhisambodhi-sutra was probabably one of the next steps.
The Jina's cage became a Jina. And this "tantra" seems to be part of
daily chantings, no doubt with associated meditations/visualisations.
You will find it in A chanting guide
(http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/dhammayut/chanting.html#jinapanjara)
and in a French booklet "Récitations en Pali du matin et du soir".

This was great news to me, no doubt old news for you, but I still felt
like sharing it with you.

Your Vajra-brother
Joy