Kritik am Buch „The Shadow Of The Dalai Lama ... - Neues von Shi De

Likewise the horror scenarios the members of the sect had to go through in order to practice
fearlessness are also tantric. “Delinquents” who transgressed the rules of the order were locked up in
small chambers and had to watch videos of one horror film after another. Via a loudspeaker they were
inundated with constant death threats.
Already after his first trip to India Asahara believed himself to be in possession of “supernatural
powers” (siddhi). He claimed he could make contact with the dead and read the thoughts of others.
Like the “maha siddhas” he was said to be able to walk through walls. “In the future … I will be able
to fly freely through the sky” (Kaplan and Marshall, 1996, p. 7), he prophesied. He Later he
developed the “Divine Ear” and was, on his own account, in a position “to hear the voices of the gods
and humans” (Kaplan and Marshall, 1996, p. 199).
Asahara’s gods
The metaphysics and spiritual practices of the sect were primarily dominated by Tibetan Buddhist
images and exercise. Basically, “AUM Supreme Truth”, we learn from Kaplan and Marshall,
“became a familiar New Age blend of Eastern religion and mysticism. Its beliefs and rituals were
drawn heavily from Tibetan Buddhism, its physical rigor from yoga” (Kaplan and Marshall, 1996, p.
15). He himself referred to his rituals as “Tibetan Buddhism” (Tibetan Review, May 1995, p. 9).
Of course, this is rejected by Dharamsala with protestation, in that the blame for the Japanese’s
practices is (as often happens) pinned on the Hindu competition: „The rituals he teaches his disciples
include practice of yoga, levitation and other acts that are neither Tibetan nor Buddhism and are more
akin to ritual of Indian sadhus (Hindu ascetics). The teacher as well as the disciples wear flowing
white robes, something that no practitioner of Buddhism does” (Tibetan Review, May, 1995, p. 9).
This too is not entirely correct — in certain scenes from the Kalachakra ritual white robes are worn,
and all the priests of Shambhala are dressed in white.
Asahara regarded himself as an incarnation of Buddha Shakyamuni. Publicly he declared that he was
“at the same level as Buddha” (Kaplan and Marshall, 1996, p. 25). In Bihar in India he sat upon the
sacred seat and announced to those present, “I am Buddha” (Kaplan and Marshall, 1996, p. 67). “The
Buddha in our times is Master Shoko Asahara”, was the praise of his pupils (Kaplan and Marshall,
1996, p. 67). Many of the members of the sect were given Buddhist names. His closest collaborator,
the sect’s éminence grise, Kiyohide Hayakawa, was called “Tiropa” (i.e., Tilopa) after the great
Kalachakra master. The guru recognized him as “a Bodhisattva in his past life” and declared that
“without Master Tiropa’s efforts there would be no AUM Supreme Truth” (Kaplan and Marshall,
1996, p. 75). It was Asahara’s proclaimed intention to Buddhize the planet. “Spread the training
system of AUM on a global scale”, the guru preached, “and scatter Buddhas over the world” (Kaplan
and Marshall, 1996, p. 16).
We have discussed in detail the description of Tantric Buddhism as a solar cult. Asahara also made
appearances like a sun priest and like the prophet of a coming empire of light: “After insubstantial
religions with pseudo-light, there will be a religion which produces light as the sun does, and it will
change the future” (Archipelago, I, NPI 003).
Although his system of rituals was decisively influenced by Tibetan mysticism, this was not
universally true of the gods. Here, in accordance with the guru’s world concept, the deities of other
religions were also invoked. Since these were, according to the laws of Tantrism, nothing more than