Article ID: CBB743180295

Reflections on Rasāyana, Bcud Len and Related Practices in Nyingma (Rnying Ma) Tantric Ritual (2017)

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The Tibetan term, bcud len, "imbibing the essence juice", is considered an equivalent for the Sanskrit term, rasāyana. But in Tibetan Buddhist ritual manuals, both terms occur, apparently with slightly different connotations. Practices classified as bcud len are frequently relatively short, and seem primarily designed for the use of individual yogis, usually as a subsidiary practice to complement their main tantric meditation. The production of bcud len pills which are said to sustain, rejuvenate and extend the life of the body, or even to bring immortality, is often an integral part of the practice. The term, rasāyana, is used in Tibetan transliteration (ra sā ya na), not as a title or classification for a specific ritual practice or recipe for pills, but rather to refer to the processes of alchemical transformation of substances within complex ritual "medicinal accomplishment" (sman sgrub) performances which are generally communal. In this case too, pills are produced, of the broader "sacred elixir dharma medicine" (dam rdzas bdud rtsi chos sman) type. This paper will consider a range of the practices, and of substances used in the sacred medicinal compounds.

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Article Dagmar Wujastyk; Suzanne Newcombe; Christèle Barois (2017) Transmutations: Rejuvenation, Longevity, and Immortality Practices in South and Inner Asia:. History of Science in South Asia. unapi

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https://data.isiscb.org/isis/citation/CBB743180295/

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Authors & Contributors
Wujastyk, Dagmar
Heiduk, Matthias
Barois, Christèle
Tonetti, Luca
Rossi, Donatella
Sehnalova, Anna
Concepts
Medicine
Aging
Alchemy
Immortality
Death
Medicine and religion
Time Periods
Medieval
Renaissance
20th century
17th century
16th century
13th century
Places
Tibet
South Asia
Italy
Europe
Central Asia
United States
Institutions
Cambridge University
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