mtshams med kyi las: Difference between revisions

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Inexpiable karma [[User:DKC|DKC]]
Lake-dwelling Medicinal Spirits ([[mtsho sman]]/ [['tsho sman]])
*A group of five, seven or nine female spirits of the [[sman mo]] class, who dwell in lakes, and who are differentiated from the sky-dwelling medicinal spirits ([[nam mkha'i sman mo]]), the earth-dwelling medicinal spirits ([[sa'i sman mo]]), and the hybrid serpentine-medicinal spirits ([[klu sman]]). In general, the sman mo are a category of indigenous Tibetan spirits, to whom medicinal gtor ma offerings are made in order to appease their inclination to bewitch the minds of females who stray into remote locales. Foremost among them are the five sisters of longevity ([[tshe ring mched lnga]]), who are embodied in the five main snow peaks of the Everest range. The medicinal spirits are said to have been bound under an oath of allegiance by Padmasambhava at gSil-ma in gTsang. See bDud-'joms Rin-po-che, NSTB, pp. 771-774, and Nebesky-Wojkowitz, Oracles and Demons of Tibet, pp. 198-202. [[GD]] (from the Glossary to [[Tibetan Elemental Divination Paintings]])


== Discussion == 
[[Category:Astrology and Divination]]
 
Inexpiable karma is an action that is so heinous that immediately upon dying, a human who has committed it is born directly in hell without any other rebirth in between. There are five inexpiable karmas: killing one's mother, killing one's father, killing an arhat, drawing blood from the Buddha with a harmful intent, and creating a schism in  the sangha.
 
The Tibetan word literally means "no boundary" and means that directly upon dying one is reborn in hell.
 
In the tradition of the Foundation Vehicle, there is said to be no way to purify inexpiable karma, which is why the term is commonly translated as inexpiable. In the Great Vehicle, however, it is said that one can confess and purify inexpiable karma. The example given is King Ajatashastru, who killed his father King Bimbisara but later regretted his actions, developed faith in the Buddha and became a devoted patron of the sangha. In the Theravada version of the story, even though he had a correct worldly view and later accumulated a great deal of merit, when he died he went directly to hell, but in the Great Vehicle version, he was able to confess and purify his misdeeds, see the dharma nature of the four truths and become an arhat.
 
In English, there does not seem to be an elegant and succinct way to say "no boundary" and so inexpiable karma seems the best translation even though it is not entirely consistent with all schools' interpretations.  [[User:DKC|DKC]]
 
[[Category:Tibetan Dictionary]]  [[Category:tsha]]

Revision as of 10:14, 6 October 2006

Lake-dwelling Medicinal Spirits (mtsho sman/ 'tsho sman)

  • A group of five, seven or nine female spirits of the sman mo class, who dwell in lakes, and who are differentiated from the sky-dwelling medicinal spirits (nam mkha'i sman mo), the earth-dwelling medicinal spirits (sa'i sman mo), and the hybrid serpentine-medicinal spirits (klu sman). In general, the sman mo are a category of indigenous Tibetan spirits, to whom medicinal gtor ma offerings are made in order to appease their inclination to bewitch the minds of females who stray into remote locales. Foremost among them are the five sisters of longevity (tshe ring mched lnga), who are embodied in the five main snow peaks of the Everest range. The medicinal spirits are said to have been bound under an oath of allegiance by Padmasambhava at gSil-ma in gTsang. See bDud-'joms Rin-po-che, NSTB, pp. 771-774, and Nebesky-Wojkowitz, Oracles and Demons of Tibet, pp. 198-202. GD (from the Glossary to Tibetan Elemental Divination Paintings)
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