Celtic Buddhism - The Epic of the Sovereignty Prophesy

[Dhammañāṇa]

Celtic Buddhism is a lineage of Buddhism and Celtic Spirituality created by John Riley Perks, who for seven years served as a manservant and acolyte to the well-known Tibetan lama Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. The creation of such a movement was reportedly suggested to Perks by Rinpoche "in casual conversation," as Perks has written.[1]

Discovering and uncovering what they call the "Celtic Buddhist mandala," members of the group meditate daily. They also practice shamatha, Tibetan-style ngöndro and chöd, and tonglen, among other approaches. There are communities in the US, Canada, Ireland, Wales, and Scotland. The Anadaire Center in Saxtons River, VT serves as the communities' headquarters and residence of John Riley Perks and wife and Lineage Holder, Julia Perks.

The group officially became a non-profit organization in 1989. Most of its retreats take place in Maine and Vermont, but they occasionally repair to Ireland or Scotland.

Perks is also the author of The Mahasiddha and His Idiot Servant.

The group reflects a longer history within Irish culture of reflections on the relationship between Buddhism and Celtic culture.[2]

One scholar expressed skepticism regarding Perks' claims:

    The legitimacy of Perks' claim, Tibetologist Burkhard Scherer (2010) avers, may be in doubt. "There is no indication that Trungpa or any Tibetan master with traditional claim to realisation has recognised Perks as liberated or enlightened; Perks' claim of spiritual authority stems solely from himself. In the Indo-Tibetan tradition, realisation and lineage holdership are always (and most of the time in multifold form) endorsed by other senior Tibetan masters." Scherer discerns how Perks' "transmission story is vague," lacking evidence of Trungpa's formal "empowerment." Given the narrative Perks provides, Scherer reasons that Trungpa did not teach "such New Age creolisation" as a formal teaching upon which a lineage could be claimed as a "realisation."[3]

The primary issue with the above quote is that John Riley Perks has never suggested that the transmission is a direct connection to Tibetan forms of practice or would even need an endorsement from a Tibetan teacher. In fact, many community members are Zen practitioners, and there are members who are not formally engaged in a traditional Buddhist tradition. The suggestion from Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche to Perks was to create something new but grounded in a cultural and spiritual tradition that would inform its development (i.e. Buddhism and Celtic spirituality). This could be akin to the early developments of his Shambhala practices, not a strict lineage of Buddhism (which it has now become post-Trungpa), but not divorced from the fundamental essence of Buddhist study and teaching either. John Riley Perks neither advertises himself as a "liberated being" or as "enlightened." His students and fellow Lineage Holders have gravitated toward his teachings and presence with no promise of reward or "enlightenment" but with the understanding that the teachings point to a spiritual journey that is self-motivated and dependent upon one's ability to commit to discipline, self-discovery, service, hospitality and compassion. In fact, some students of the Lineage struggle with the lack of a central authoritarian structure to the community and through time learn that their own liberation is in their own hands (as is traditional in Buddhist teachings and Celtic spirituality). The Celtic Buddhist website states this about its relationship to formal religion:

--The purpose of religion is to perpetuate itself, a system that over time solidifies and centralizes. For survival its main occupation is self-preservation above and beyond its stated mission. That is inevitable and my stating it does not mean I think religion is necessarily “bad” or should be done away with completely. Although in recent times it can be easy to pick on religion itself, with issues like the Catholic Church sex scandals, death threats because of depictions in cartoons, and constant wars between adherents of different religions. To be fair there also needs to be a list of favorable things that have been done in this world because of religion. Charitable organizations, providing refuge for dispossessed peoples, and providing codes of conduct to multitudes of unruly humans are just a few. Like any tool, religion has its purpose and the Buddha taught that it should simply be a raft to the other shore. When you take a raft to the other shore it should seem quite ridiculous to then pick up the raft and carry it along with you. It makes much more sense to leave the means of transport behind. That is how the Buddha taught his disciples to relate to his teachings. Our desire as practitioners in the lineage of Celtic Buddhism is to follow this fundamental instruction and focus not on defending, overly cherishing and/or attaching to any one version of the “path.” Don’t be mistaken, what is taught in Celtic Buddhism is a complete path, but not one that works for everyone. As a commodity and/or sellable system to the masses, it’s not going to work. So we won’t try. In our Refuge prayer we take refuge in “the scoundrels, misfits and noble ones who manifest Buddha-wisdom by any means necessary.” This means that we try to seek instruction from any source, or I should say all sources, the birds, the trees, the streams, the sky and so on. It is elemental and instruction is focused on increasing our capacity to realize (not necessarily have glorious insights about) truth and love. We don’t just simply accept all instruction blindly, but consider it seriously and test it against experience and with each other. The point is we don’t claim to own or have the exclusive rights to enlightenment. We also don’t think we are better or more profound than others who practice or follow a religion. We just reserve the right to play and work with form and formlessness when it fits and, more importantly, when one seems to work better than the other. Our tools and teachings can be most aptly described as “upaya” or “skillful means,” and that fits in more with the essence of Buddhist lineages and Celtic culture. Religion can easily become an exclusionary practice, especially in Buddhism, where the personality of the teachers and the comforts of the form and ritual can easily become the preoccupation. The true teaching should scare you and sustain you simultaneously. Because we are not a religion, and won’t become one anytime soon, we invite all who gather with us to scrutinize, question, inquire and never take what we teach and/or practice on faith alone. Save your devotion and direct it toward whatever enhances and develops truth and love in your own life. Our task is to contribute in whatever way possible to an enlightened society. Our lineage is an open mandala for the manifestation of pointed instruction for our dark age. The forms we use and establish serve only as a means for communication. Our embracing of formlessness is our acknowledging that what we are working with is essentially a state of being beyond mere words and any instruction.---written by Venerable Thom Kilts

Another indication of the Lineage's non-traditional approach can be seen from their Refuge Prayer:

We take refuge in the lineage; Of scoundrels, misfits, and noble ones; Of those whose only purpose; Is to manifest Buddha-wisdom; By any means necessary.

We arise today; Through the strength of Dharma; Light of sun, radiance of moon,; Splendor of fire, speed of lightening,; Swiftness of wind; Depth of sea, stability of earth,; And firmness of rock.

We commit ourselves to An Sith (ahn-shee); We commit ourselves to the dispelling of An nela dubh (ahn’nella’dov); We commit ourselves to the development of An da shealladh (ahn’daa’haa-loo); As we become Anam Caras (ahn’nam kar’rahs); To those in need,; May we daily reclaim the chiefdoms Of us, the children of mist; And as One, rise up and greet; The Great Eastern Sun.

Refuge Prayer written by Venerable Thom Kilts

The Cetlic Buddhist Lineage utilizes art iconography created by William Burns that incorporates both traditional Buddhist and Celtic symbols and meanings. The community is establishing a monastic path, has members involved in ecology, linguistics, music, farming, householding and spiritual care to name a few activities.

The Celtic Buddhist website at: www.celticbuddhism.org , has program and center information, a guide to Lineage Holders, Gaelic Chants, artwork, articles and links to some of the activities of the community.

(resource: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_Buddhism )


Celtic Buddhism
http://www.celticbuddhism.org/

Knights (Knights of the Tuatha De Danann)





Jamille Kemp, Harry Einhorn, David Madson Cook, Julia Perks, John Perks, Serena Edwards, Catherine Fordham, Sophie Perks, Genevieve Waltcher

The Epic of the Sovereignty Prophesy

Thus have I heard . . .
On the darkest day of the millennium
solstice of the ending of the world,
arrived at AnaDaire bruidhean
on the banks of the Saxtons
in the Kingdom of Shambhala,
warriors of Shambhala
seven in number
riding their white horse

In the whole of the bruidhean
with the Lion of Kalapa
and the beloved Pookie, priestess of Errigal
the faerie beings, Key Key and Sew Sew,
the hound Effie, hunter of bears
Being twelve in number
Feasting at the world’s end
Eating of Mac Da Tho’s pig and dream soup
drinking the spirits of life
from the Derrywaflan chalice
passed from hand to hand and lip to lip

There were seven doors in each hall
Seven roads ran through it
Seven fireplaces therein
Seven cauldrons with ox and salted pig in each
With a flesh fork at the first thrust
each warrior ate whatever he obtained
If he obtained nothing at the first thrust
he went hungry

The seven warriors ate their fill
Chanting the Sadhana of Mahamudra
Invoking Ma Caillech
Singing Anu
The seven treasures were shown
Sounds of conch, drums, bells, cymbals, and gong
Offering of flesh bones were made at the circle of sovereignty

Then after the world had ended
with all in their natural display
seven plus one were initiated
Knights of the Tuatha De Danann
Each one kneeling in their turn
Rising as the Great Eastern Sun Knights
The number eight of infinity
Questing, helping all beings on their path
Reporting back to the Fianna
with questing songs

Herein are the names of the knights:
Sir Harry Einhorn,
coming from the East,
manifesting as Vajrasattva,
servant of all beings
Lady Genevieve Waltcher,
secret observer of all phenomena
Sir David Madsen Cook,
natural elegance of the prince,
wisdomholder of the myth of gender
Lady Catherine Fordham,
receiver of the transmission of Dream Soup,
creating the Kingdom of Thespians
Sir Jamille Kemp,
skilled follower of the craft of the prophet
Lady Sophie Pushpa Octavia Perks,
suckling on the tongue of Dorje Trolo
Lady Serena Edwards,
Serenity of the heart of drala

Thus was the Kingdom of Shambhala realized
at the feast of the ending of the world,
twenty-first day of December, 2012.

A picture to pig to show direct





* The painting by John Duncan (1866-1945) depicts Sidhe riders on Midsummernight. The riders carry two of the Four Treasures of the Tuatha De Danann: the cauldron of Dagda and the sword of Nuada. The other two treasures are the spear of Lugh and the Liath Faill, also known as the Stone of Destiny. Sidhe refers to the earthen mounds that the celts believed were home to various benevolent supernatural beings, including the fairies, the elves, the nature spirits and in some accounts, the Tuatha De Danann.

[Dhammañāṇa]

A little bit more serious article on the topic: Transcultural Buddhism seanrobsville.blogspot.com



Saint Origen wrote that Buddhists and Druids coexisted in pre-Christian Celtic Britain

So did Ashoka's missionaries reach the Celts and establish Buddhism as far west as Britain?

Is the meditating figure on the Celtic Gundestrup Bowl the Buddha of the West, Virupaksha?

Celtic Buddhism? Points to ponder...

    The Indian emperor Ashoka sent out Buddhist missionaries to the West as far as Macedonia. This would have taken them well within the Celtic cultural area (the Celts at that period extended eastward to Galatia in what is now Turkey)

    So perhaps the Druids were influenced by or adopted the Buddhist teachings they encountered.

    The Druids were pan-Celtic and travelled unhindered from one end of the Celtic world to the other, ie from Galatia in the east, westward through Balkans, Austria, Helvetia, Gaul, Galicia, Britain and Ireland.

    The main Druidic college was in Britain on the Isle of Anglesey. It drew teachers and students from Ireland, Britain and Continental Europe.

    Origen attributed the rapid and unobstructed growth of Christianity in Britain to the foundations laid by the teachings of the Druids and Buddhists.

    The Gundestrup bowl, a beautiful piece of pre-Christian Celtic craftsmanship, seems to show a meditating Buddha.

    Triskeles - classic Buddhist symbols - also appear in pre-Christian Celtic designs.

    Celtic mystical art often displays elaborate knotwork designs, which symbolize the interconnectness of all phenomena. Similarly Buddhist philosophy is concerned primarily with interconnectness. In fact, it is the relationships, the interdependencies that are the reality, since objects or subjects are nothing but their connections to other objects and subjects.

    The Celtic theologians Pelagius and Johannes Scotus Erigena demonstrate an understanding of human nature that has more in common with the Buddhist view of innate Buddha-mind clouded by delusions and misdirected will, than with the Christian doctrine of corruption of the soul by Original Sin. Pelagius may have been influenced by the Druids or a Druid himself.

    The Buddhist teaching on Dependent Relationship states that phenomena exist in three fundamental ways. Firstly, phenomena exist by dependence upon causes and conditions. Secondly, phenomena depend upon the relationship of the whole to its parts and attributes. Thirdly, and most profoundly, phenomena depend upon mental imputation, attribution, or designation. According to John Michael Greer, Druid philosophy has a similar division into three 'elements' which are known in old Welsh as Gwyar (change, causality), Calas (structure) and Nwyfre (consciousness).