[Buddha-l] Re: Magic

[curt]

Christopher Fynn wrote:
> Vicente Gonzalez wrote:
>
>> this thread appears in right moment.
>>
>> Are there some texts with rules for Tantrics to avoid black magic?.
>
>
> Vicente
>
> Generally speaking anyone practicing Buddhist Tantra is supposed to be 
> following
> the Bodhisattva precepts; following the Pratimoksha vows of a monk, 
> novice, layman -
> or their equivalents for women; as well as keeping at least the most 
> important of the
> innumerable Vajrayana precepts.....

Anyone doing real Tantra will be working closely with a teacher. If you 
are not sure whether or not a teacher is doing real Tantra or not - then 
you should probably stay away. Anyone who needs to refer to outside 
sources to decide what's right and what's not should just stay away 
altogether.

The kind of syncretism that Vicente described is widespread in Latin 
America. It is common for African, Native American, Eastern (Buddhist 
and Hindu), and Christian influences to be mixed in a variety of ways. I 
have never heard of this being done with specifically Tibetan practices 
as part of the mix - but that fits in perfectly with the general 
phenomenon of mixing and matching. Cross-fertilization between Tantric 
Buddhism and "indigenous" "shamanic" practices and beliefs is actually 
common in Asia as well - so there is nothing inherently illegitimate 
about doing the same thing in Brazil.

Allen Kardec (1804-1869) seems to have been one of the principle agents 
in this syncretism. A more modern, and less eccentric, source of 
information is the work of Marelene Dobkin de Rios. She did 
anthropological field work during the 60's in the Indio slums of Iquitos 
- where she gained the trust of the locals by doing Tarot card readings. 
She managed to go about as far as anyone ever has in terms of really 
"going native" while still doing genuine research. Here is her website: 
http://www.marlenedobkinderios.com/biography.html

- Curt