The Kapala: Skull Cup of Transformation in Vajrayana Buddhism
Introduction The Kapala, known in Sanskrit as *kapāla* and in Tibetan as *thöpa* (ཐོད་པ), is one of the most visually striking and philosophically dense ritual implements in the Vajrayana Buddhist...
Blog posts
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Shankar ThakaliSacred Ceremony and Daily Devotion: Building a Home Practice
Most people who start a home practice begin with real enthusiasm. A new shrine gets set up. A daily routine gets planned out in detail. Then, within a few weeks,...
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Shankar ThakaliUnderstanding Puja: Structure and Meaning of a Tibetan Offering Ceremony
Puja is a word some readers associate mainly with Hinduism. That association isn't wrong, but it's incomplete. The term is genuinely and actively used across Tibetan Buddhist practice too. Guru...
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Shankar ThakaliThe Art of Chanting: Mantras and Their Meaning
Walk past a Tibetan Buddhist shrine, or sit near a monastery courtyard, and you'll likely hear it. A quiet, repeated murmur, sometimes just a breath, sometimes a low, steady chant....
