Panentheism and the Longevity Practices of Tibetan Buddhism
Format:
Book
Publication Date:
2013/12/04/
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
Sources ID:
99006
Collection:
Himalayan and Tibetan Medicine
Visibility:
Public (group default)
Abstract:
(Show)
We have seen already that panentheism thrives even in religious traditions rejecting theism. The chapter suggests that for doctrinally atheistic religious traditions, such as Buddhism, religious praxis rather than doctrine affords a window into expressions of panentheism. In Tibetan Buddhism, Samuel notes there is not a focus on the interactions with God as omnipotent deity; deity in this tradition is much more diffuse, with conceptions of karma and the cultivation of subtle energies filling in the gaps a deity might otherwise occupy. In this chapter, the theme of panentheistic connectivity finds expression in the transformations that occur on the bodily level through practices that generate connections between a subtle, spiritual life force and the physical body. The Tibetan Longevity Practices discussed operate on this principle. The implicit panentheism of this longevity practice demonstrates a pervasive and lively panentheistic world view. Even if this panentheistic perspective is frequently doctrinally unacknowledged, it remains a potent force in religious life.