At the last minute a court in China has decided to postpone judgement on a living Tibetan Buddha.

Phurbu Tsering Rinpoche faces allegations of illegally possessing weapons and seizing government land.

The delay is widely interpreted as promising by legal experts. It is incredibly rare for a Chinese court to issue a delay and signs suggest that  both the international public audience and the highly spirited defence has resulted in on-going judicial debate in China.

Phurbu Tsering Rinpoche is believed to be the fifth incarnation of a revered Buddhist teacher by his followers and is known as Burongma.  He was arrived last year after rites in Lhasa and protest marches by nuns.

Phurbu Rinpoche speaks Chinese and was able to navigate the Chinese system so that he had a say in the appointment of his legal team.

One of the two lawyers defending him is Jiang Tianyong. Talking to The Times, Jiang addressed the allegation that an imitation pistol and 100 rounds of ammunition had been found in the tulku’s house.

Jiang said, “The living room of such a venerated monk is a public place with people coming and going every day. Someone could have put the weapons there. His wife has said she had never seen them before when cleaning the house.”

The lawyer, however, was not optimistic in the outcome of the case. He told The Times, “I doubt if the case will be dealt with fairly. But compared with similar cases, this has been the best handled. At least I met my client and talked to him.” He added that he feared that the court could hand down a heavy sentence.”

In Pure Spirit

Are you more optimistic than Phurbu Tsering Rinpoche’s lawyers? Do you think he’s had a fair trial and is now waiting for a fair verdict?

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Image by Kaushal Karkhanis via Flickr

The prayer wheel or mani wheel (handheld version) is typically made from leather, stone, metal and wood although rough cotton is sometimes used.

The prayer wheel is a spindle decorated with the Sanskrit mantra ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’ although variations of this are possible.

The prayer wheel allows the teaching of Buddha “turning the wheel of Dharma” to be made into a physical action.

Prayer wheels are normally turned clockwise, matching the sun’s movement across the sky and are used to boost positive karma and reduce negative karma. The mantra ‘Om Mani Padme Hum’ is repeated while the wheel turns.

Different Types of Prayer Wheels

Fire Wheel
A fire prayer wheel is one which is turned by the heat of a flame or even the heat of an electric light. The light the fire wheel gives off is able to help purify the negative karma of any living being it shines on.

Fixed-place Prayer Wheels
In Tibet many monasteries have large fixed-place metal wheels in a row. Visitors and travellers can begin to spin the entire row by letting their hand slide over the row.

Mani Wheel
The handheld version of the prayer wheel sometimes makes use of a cord of chain so that it can be spun with just a small rotation of the wrist.

Samuari Prayer Wheel
These decorative prayer wheels were not typically used in battle. Originating from Okinawa during the Muromachi period samurais would decorate prayer wheels with a small blade rather than the steel ball as the counter balance.

Wind wheel
Wind prayer wheels are light weight constructs which are turned by the wind. The advantage of a wind prayer wheel is that the wind which turns the wheel can then go on to purify any living being it touches.

In Pure Spirit

Have you used a prayer wheel? Some websites offer virtual or animated prayer wheels – do you think these can act in the same way?

Modern occult is particularly marked for its syncretism although practitioners have always been interested and willing to learn from other teachings. The internet is a primary enabler of syncretism as it allows wisdom, teachings and theories to propagate instantly around the world and be easily accessible.

We can see syncretism when the same person uses both tarot or a native American medicine wheel or when Tibetan and Kabbalistic divintion arts are used side by side.

In Pure Spirit

What are your thoughts on syncretism? Is it helpful or a corruption of ways?

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Around the world different cultures have had access to different ranges of stones and as a result birthstone lists can be inconsistent.

The following collection looks at four broad categories of birthstones; ayurvedic birthstones (influenced from old Indian tradition), modern birthstones (something of a marketing effort from the American association of jewellers), mystical birthstones (influenced by Tibetan tradition) and traditional birthstones (influenced heavily by old Polish tradition).

Ayurvedic Birthstones

January: Garnet

February: Amethyst

March: Bloodstone

April: Diamond

May: Agate

June: Pearl

August: Sapphire

September: Moonstone

October: Opal

November: Topaz

December: Ruby

Modern Birthstones

January: Garnet

February: Amethyst

March: Aquamarine

April: Diamond

May: Emerald

June: Moonstone (or Pearl)

July: Ruby

August: Peridot

September: Sapphire

October: Opal (or Tourmaline)

November: Topaz (or Citrine)

December: Turquoise (or blue Topaz)

Mystical Birthstones

January: Emerald

February: Bloodstone

March: Jade

April: Opal

May: Sapphire

June: Moonstone

July: Ruby

August: Diamond

September: Agate

October: Jasper

November: Pearl

December: Onyx

Traditional Birthstones

January: Garnet

February: Amethyst

March: Bloodstone (or Jasper)

April: Diamond (or Sapphire)

May: Emerald (or Agate)

June: Alexandrite (or Emerald)

July: Ruby (or Onyx)

August: Sardonyx (or Sapphire)

September: Sapphire (or Peridot)

October: Tourmaline (or Aquamarine)

November: Citrine (or Topaz)

December: Zircon (or Ruby)

Birthstones by the Day

Monday: Pearl

Tuesday: Garnet

Wednesday: Cymophane

Thursday: Emerald

Friday: Topaz

Saturday: Sapphire

Sunday: Ruby

In Pure Spirit

Do you carry a birthstone? What does it mean to you?

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