Religion and Culture of Leh Ladakh
Politics and nation Interests have been inextricably and inevitably linked with religion in Ladakh. The success of Buddhism here was not simply a matter of vanquishing its adversaries outside Ladakh – Brahminism in India and the Bon Chos in Tibet. It was the unifying role it played in enlarging autonomous tribal clans into centralized feudal kingdoms.
When fleeing monks and the laity met with strong resistance from local principalities, they were forced to assume a martial character, which ironically added a warlike dimension to a pacifist religion. Forts and monasteries grew apace as expansionist kingdoms consolidated their temporal and spiritual powers by extending their frontiers, so establishing Buddhism in Ladakh. Song-sen-gam-po, a legendary figure, was one such tribal chief, and in stories about him it is often difficult to sift fact from fiction. Yet it is true that he made deliberate use of religion by contracting marriages with Buddhist princesses from Nepal and China to secure his position, and so founded the first Buddhist kingdom in Tibet. In strategy, he was an inspiration for later Ladakhi kings.
Ladakhi Buddhism is usually identified with Tibet, although the original inspiration came from Kashmir, probably during the Kushan period. It was later that the Tibetan branch established itself under what is termed the Second Advancement. This was Buddhism in its more developed and institutionalized form, inspired by the teachings of the Indian monks, Padmasambhava and Atisa. They had sought asylum in Tibet when Buddhism lost its royal patronage in India, and wanted to reflect the teachings of Sakyamuni as sincerely as possible.
Central to the Buddha’s teaching was the belief that every soul has the capacity to reach a state of enlightenment without the assistance of priests or rituals. Nirvana could be achieved by following the reformist or middle path. Mahayana Buddhism adds a further condition to the Noble Path by demanding the virtue of compassion. Thus, no Boddhisattva can contemplate Nirvana selfishly while other souls are still bound to the wheel of mundane existence that is the source of their suffering.
The complexity of Buddhism lies in this concept, where the Bodhisattva returns to the world in several incarnations, striving for the liberation of mankind. A thousand Buddhas, of whom Sakyamuni is the fourth, will have to seek rebirth for the liberation of human souls. With the development of the Vajrayana school — the vehicle of the Thunderbolt — Tantric elements from Hinduism also merged into Buddhism. In Particular, the feminine principle of power was introduced. As Buddhism spread, it did not suppress the well-developed cosmology of the earlier, Bon Chos, but absorbed its gods, demons and its rituals. Perhaps these are the inspiration for the Dharmapalas, the fierce-looking guardians of the law, who feature in the gompa dance-dramas.
The theological shift from Hinayana’s ascetic mould to the more practical Mahayana ideal of the Bodhisattva removed for Nirvana-seekers the necessity of giving up their worldly concerns. The Mahayana ideal explains the attitude of the lay Buddhist who holds back his own salvation to help others reach the right path. As a consequence, Mahayana Buddhism helped intensify the contact between the monk and the community. In this process, the representational aspect of the Buddha was deified, and a pantheon with personified forms (a departure from earlier practice) was the logical consequence. Under the influence of the Bhakti movement, Buddhist practice underwent major changes. The oral tradition came to be systematized into written texts, and the laity to be socially organized into congregations.
As rituals became more elaborate, the Sutras or canonical texts were compiled, and the emphasis in the religious orders shifted from missionary work to academic learning. Since State protection was ensured, the process of building an intellectual foundation was begun through the efforts of Ring-chen-zang-Po when links with India were renewed. Ring-then-zang-po’s translation of Indian texts gave rise to several sects among the Tibetan Buddhists.
Ideas and icons
The deification of the Buddha developed a complex and fascinating iconography. The basic idea is that of the five Dhyan Buddhas and their related Bodhisattvas, which are elaborated in the mandalas, The Tantric additions of the female deities are not fully evolved in the older temples or gompas.
The gompa is the living vehicle of Ladakhi Buddhism and iconography The entrance of the du-khang or the main temple is guarded by the Lords of the Four Quarters. They can be identified by their colours and attributes: North: Kuvera -yellow banner and mongoose; South: Vimdhaka – green or blue, elephant head and sword; East: Dhritarashtra – white, playing the lute; West: Virupaksha – red, carrying a chorten.
The sidewall of a gallery also has the Wheel of Life represented by three concentric circles. The innermost signifies anger; desire and ignorance, represented by the cock, the serpent, and the pig respectively. The middle circle represents the six states of existence – the worlds of the gods and death, hell, animals and men. The outer circle represents the chain of causation through 12 symbols.
Popularly, the Buddha is represented as Avalokiteswara (the Compassionate One), endowed with I I heads and a thousand arms; Manjusri (the Wise One) sitting in the lotus posture with a sword and a book; and Maitreya (the Buddha-to-come), depicted standing or enthroned. In all representations, we see the Precious Adornments: Earrings, chains at the neck, chest and waist; bracelets on the wrist and upper arms – signifying the virtues of generosity, patience, energy, meditation, wisdom and self-discipline.
Leh Ladakh Pangong Lake Tour and Leh Nubra Tour offer glimpses in to insights of religion and culture of Leh Ladakh region.
Importance is also attached to the Dharmapalas: Mahakala (time), Yamantaka (death), Shugdan and Vajra Bhairava. These are usually to be found in the la-khang or the go-khang, both inner sanctuaries where women were forbidden access. The female deities are represented as Green and White Taras on either side of the Amitabha figure. They appear on the ceiling of the Kaikani chorten, The Dolma Dolkar and the Dolma — Tara images — are often found in the du-khang. Sometimes a special temple is dedicated exclusively to the Taras, like the shrine of Tara Doljan at Spituk, where on days ordained by the Tibetan calendar, glass bangles are offered as part of a fertility rite.
Living at close quarters with the supernatural, in a cosmology populated with a host of gods, demons and spirits, Ladakhis continue to believe in the efficacy of ancient secret rites of propitiation. Ladakhi folklore warns against the 24 dangers by which a hundred thousand spirits endanger life. Nooks, crannies and rocks painted in mineral tones to ward off the evil eye are visible everywhere. For the same purpose, skulls of dogs and sheep, ibex horns and spears and, of course, prayer flags, dot the countryside around every settlement. This animistic belief in totems and taboos, cutting across ethnic and religious divides, evolved from the Bon Chos rituals of local tribes. As in many societies, which have developed in relative isolation, there is no apparent conflict between civilized religion and the continuing beliefs of more primitive times; permitting co-existence. This is true of their broader vision of life itself. Take for instance modern medicine. Though it was brought by Christian missionaries and is now available throughout the region via the large-scale presence of the Army, a number of Ladakhis still prefer the indigenous system practiced by the Amchis and the Lha.
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