Ep258: Demonology of Tibet - Dr Ben Joffe
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- Опубліковано 4 лип 2024
- In this interview I am once again joined by Dr Ben Joffe, anthropologist and scholar practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism.
Dr Joffe begins an interview series on demonology with a discussion about the spirit ontology of Tibet and the Himalayas. Dr Joffe explores the pre-Buddhist frameworks of relating to spirits and considers the degrees to which the arrival of Buddhism in Tibet erased, modified, or even incorporated those frameworks.
Dr Joffe explains the unique methods of spirit domination, missionary geomancy, and other magickal techniques found in Buddhist Tantra and how these means were used to establish Buddhism in Tibet.
Dr Joffe also discusses the inevitability of spirit contact for Tantric practitioners, what to do about predatory demons, the misunderstandings of Buddhist converts about the paranormal, and recalls his own stressful experiences with the spirit world.
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www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep...
Also available on UA-cam, iTunes, & Spotify - search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
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Topics Include:
00:00 - Intro
01:06 - 3 part demonology
03:31 - Interaction with imported Indian cosmology
04:32 - A scholarly caveat
05:47 - Pre-Buddhist Tibetan entity and spirit frameworks
10:16 - Land spirits
12:23 - Drawbacks of secularisation and psychologising of Buddhism
14:34 - Right relationship with entities
18:16 - Origins of dedicating the merit
18:16 - The arrival of tantra in Tibet and Padmasambhava’s spirit domination
22:30 - The essence of Buddhism
24:12 - Did Buddhism weaken Tibet?
26:11 - Tantric missionary technology of spirit domination
32:32 - Degrees of Buddhist integration with Tibetan practices and rituals
40:00 - Dr Robert Mayer’s work to reevaluate the terma tradition
43:30 - Beyul and opening sacred sites
47:10 - Offering practices and Chod
50:47 - Spirit mediumship and offending spirits
54:13 - Geomancy
56:41 - Staking the demoness of the land
01:01:03 - Dark tantra and the ethics of subjugation
01:05:59 - What is a demon?
01:06:57 - Facist tantra and Western occultists
01:09:12 - The role of compassion
01:10:07 - Tantra as institutional shamanism?
01:13:11 - Interviewing protector deities
01:15:15 - Perceiving spirits
01:18:07 - Misunderstandings of Western Buddhist converts
0:24:54 - Buddhism and the cultural substrate
01:25:47 - IFS and shamanism
01:27:55 - Completion stage practice and the logic of yoga
01:30:49 - Are spirits just your own mind?
01:35:09 - Dudjom Lingpa’s demon encounter in a dream
01:39:09 - Brahma, Buddha, and various levels of beings
01:40:44 - Are yidams just archetypes?
01:42:19 - Paradoxes of protection from spirits
01:45:35 - Predatory demons
01:48:29 - Many faces of Buddhism
01:50:05 - Outer, inner, secret
01:52:08 - Dream yoga and visionary sex
01:57:35 - Inevitability of spirit contact
01:58:09 - Ben’s stressful experiences with the spirit world
02:06:10 - Alien abduction experiences
02:11:42 - Night terrors
02:13:30 - Cognitive dissonance of tantric practitioners
02:15:30 - Priestly class mindset
02:18:09 - Real tantric training
02:22:05 - Logistical challenges of creating tantric adepts
02:23:57 - Ben’s magickal training
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Previous episodes with Dr Ben Joffe:
- www.guruviking.com/search?q=j...
To find out more about Dr Ben Joffe, visit:
- perfumedskull.com/
- www.skypressbooks.com/
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For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- www.guruviking.com
Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James - Розваги
Wow, great. To me, Ben Joffe represents the best of the scholar / practitioner, bringing a great depth of rigorous understanding together with a path of practice and discovery. Much gratitude to Guru V and Ben J for making for this episode.
I was very fortunate to have the chance to study Tibetan Buddhism w some teachers for a few years and sometimes I feel like I missed the point when I hear people who talk about it thru books a lot? But then I listen to Ben again and I recognize that strain of transmission once again. We are very fortunate to have him, mind and heart together.
I am a student of Loppon Jigme Namgyal Thutop Rinpoche....his Father, Yeshe Dorje was the Abbot of Repkong...his Mother a Throma practitioner. He is Buddha. Nagar can be "human"...Gods...yes but these are just intelligent E.T.'s (Reptilians) we do, as you alluded to....live in a densely populated place full of sentience.
Great interview. The psychologising of Western Buddhism - yes - it's so in its head.. I see the same happening with shamanism, it's been turned into a nice, safe, alternative form of secular psychotherapy, it's taken the spirits out of it. Shamanism (and tantra) is red in tooth and claw :) I must invite Dr Joffe to write for Sacred Hoop Magazine, the magazine about shamanism I've edited since 1993.
Is it online
Wow! This is such a great conversation. Ben, there are many people who this conversation is helpful for. It’s a refuge in a way. Even if some might not receive conscious benefit, some do.. For those who derive benefit it is very helpful for counteracting the alienating feeling of having these experiences which you mentioned. So, thank you both for sharing.
Thank you Guru Steve for continuing to interview such people. Much respect and gratitude for adding the 'chapters' or whatever those are called that I can click on the time stamps and see what is in the video. Been watching you since Daniel Ingram, have him on again sometime! You rock!
Really appreciate this video. Added a lot of context to my experiences and immediately influenced my behaviors and interactions.
This was one of the best interviews ever.
This is relatable! What a nice man
Such a fascinating topic...thank you for sharing this video 🙏
Awesome guest! Thank you both!
So great! Many thanks.
Wonderful interview, and always a pleasure listening to Ben. Thank you guys!
Thank you so much for this amazing discussion.
Love this! We could all use some teachings of what's going on at every "Now moment" per se, I came across a movement called Talk to the entities where a woman who could see and converse with entities created a way for every day people to help entities cross over by simply reaching out to them and offering them the opportunity to move on. It's quite effective, I practically use this at an ongoing rate due to so many entities influencing us some just not being aware that they can move forward and choose a new path. It also addresses demons, ancestors, A.I. some that are called Tekki entities and of course the unknown ones as well. There are countless forms of spirit beings that exist and this is a perfect way for us to become aware of. Thanks for this knowledge! Keep it comin! Lol ^,^
Amazing and so intriguing to say the least! Lovely video.
“It’s the ‘just’ part” Exactly Dr. Ben
This was a crazy good interview! So validating. He is brilliant
...really appreciated this one. Thanks.
This channel is good 😊 Real Hard work 👍🏻 research
Fascinating!
When using the term "demonology" it is a good idea to explain the etymology of the (Ancient Greek) word demon (δαίμων). Δαίμων was a term used to describe lesser deities (including guardians) or guiding (ancestral) spirits. Socrates famously had a guiding demon that helped him correctly understand phenomena. Basically, the term god (θεότητα) was used to describe anthropomorphic beings, while demon (δαίμων) was used to refer to an undefinable power, or being. The term comes from the verb δαίω, which means to "dispense to" or "to share out". As such it did not necessarily have negative connotations (unless one's share of what was being dispensed: fortune, goods, luck, etc. was somehow lacking). The term ευδαιμονία (for example) refers to happiness, joy or bliss. The term demon (later) took on a negative meaning after the arrival of Judaism, and especially its offshoot Christianity. If something was not directly related to (the one true) God, then it was a demon (and thus nasty).
In English the term "daimon" has come into usage to distinguish what you mention as "an undefinable power, or being" that has a guiding presence (as was Hermes to Socrates) from a potential trouble-maker. But terms such as daimon, demon, angel, devil, deva, god, goddess, spirit and soul are slippery to get hold of in the abstract.
Healing just listening to him😊
Yeah - it feel´s like a dude who knows what he talks about ,-
Wow, hello, Ben 😊
Good little talk - Thanks for a "Straight Dope" talk ,- 😉👍
So good. All My Relations 🌸
ben bringing the clear-eyed goods. no need for magical thinking or a distinction between "gods" and "demons" once you get past your naivety.
Absolutely fantastic. Very interesting, the ideas are out there that Tibet went from many millions population to now just few millions and ever decreasing with the Chinese invasion /conquest but also co- incedental with Buddhist non violence.
Absolutely loved this lecture. I appreciate this. Thank you ⚓️🙏🏽🌹🍏
“You’re a wind body, transforming your wind.” 1:52
Aka - an ‘air-bender ‘ 😁
Tantra is spiritual technology using mantra, yantra, mudras and Ma Kali is the tantric goddess guide embodying her is living in awe.
In the case of Buddhist Tantra of course not.
Sublime, Ben talks so well and cleary & deeply.
How to get hold of Dr Ben?
! GENIUS INSIGHT...SUBLIME OBSERVATIONS...PROFOUND WISDOM... !
Right off the bat lol
Fantastic interview. Very relevant to my practice as usual. Love what you do. Please keep up the great work for the vajrayana community.
"They are Tibet!!!" Damn...
1:17:28 In those biographies, the yogis especially employed compassion, in addition to wisdom, when dealing with spirits. You mentioned the wisdom of emptiness, but in the thick of things, sometimes people have trouble seeing the emptiness of demons.
❤❤❤
I would like to ask if you have seen any connections with Zoroastrian into Tibetan Buddhism
Does ben have any books? Also is there an email contact for him?
1:13:20 ben references a book, which one was it?
I believe Ben is referring to the “dam can bstan srung rgya mtsho’i rnam thar” by the 5th Lelung Rinpoche
He has one of the most killer chin & mullet I have ever seen. It's good to look at the Dark Side here and there. As Nietzsche said: when you stare into the Void, the Void stares into you.
Big trouble in little Tibet
Turn the page
this is like going backwards a bit don't you think, if you identify with a particular pattern, believing you are this and not anything else, you will orient your life towards replicating that pattern, but this is diluted because you are more like pure Consciousness (C), temporarily embodying a particular pattern. you shouldn't give your power to that pattern because you are fundamentally something deeper.
28:00 31:00 49:00 1:25:00 1:30:00 1:44:00 1:50:00 2:13:00 2:22:00
Sold the boat?
... & 1 step beyond, is ALL, it takes, in order to get totally lost. Get out of bed in the middle of the might, become directionally disoriented, & ...
What the Guru Viking said about how in the west Buddhism has been turned into nothing more then psychology and mental gymnastics is so true. In the west they are also turning Buddhism into an atheist friendly form of philosophy. Western Buddhism is far cut off from the Mahayana and Tibet traditions, and beliefs. Modern psychology are using Eastern modalities in the practice of psychology. I would even go as far to say that everything psychology has right about treating and understanding the mind is nothing more than Buddhism just using different terms or words for the explanations, and treatments. Western understanding of Buddhism is dry and soulless. You could say the west has stripped away the spirit of Buddhism. I am okay with this because the Dharma is being spread and taught in a way that resonates with different beings. It used to really bug me but I’ve changed my view.
Interesting discussion, Are you familiar with Dr Ammon Hilman! Can be viewed here on UA-cam at Lady Babylon 666
Whats interesting about him? The unhinged meth fueled rants about drugs and molesting kids where he mistranslates and mis contextualizes everything to fit his narrative?
Demonology is hilarious to me. Why only focus on demons? Ego, compulsion, possession would be the only logical reasons.
So cute seeing humans chase power in the dumbest ways. Especially when they think they have something that they clearly don’t.
This is some interesting bullshit , this guy really doesn't believe this does he?
Yes he does. He doesn't call it bullshit though.😂
Milarepa didn't call it bullshit either.
I don't mind people sharing opposing views, but your comment is hostile and doesn't add anything to the discussion or challenge anything. It is just you saying that you think it is bullshit, which is your own problem.
You are just mentally and spiritually inept, therefore through ignorance you will not have the capacity to understand or know these things.
I am just now starting to understand and apply some of these concepts into my practice. I have studied and practiced Mahayana, and Tibetan practices for two decades but had never really done any of the esoteric practices. Unfortunately I live in a small town and have no access to a spiritual master or a temple where I can lean from someone qualified. I was reading the Lankavatara sutra, their is an incantation for protection but I have refrained from reciting it until I understand how to recite the magic spell properly, and really understand the meaning and purpose on the incantation. There is almost no information anywhere on this incantation. I am doing various mantras now with my mala beads and doing small rituals before meditation that I learned from the nectar of Manjushri. Are there any books where I can learn more about how to do ritual and interact in a safe way with my Buddha spiritual family? I am also studying Taoist Magic and the I Ching.
Turn the page