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

are interested in” (Snellgrove, 1987,vol. 1, p. 143).
“Erotic” spells, which allow the yogi to obtain women for his sexual magic rituals, are mentioned
remarkably often in the tantric texts. He continues to practice the ritual sexual act after his
enlightenment: since the key to power lies in the woman every instance of liturgical coition bolsters
his omnipotence. It is not just earthly beings who must obey such mantras, but female angels and
grisly inhabitants of the underworld too.
The almighty sorcerer can also enslave a woman against her will. He simply needs to summon up an
image of the real, desired person. In the meditation, he thrusts a flower arrow through the middle of
her heart and imagines how the impaled love victim falls to the ground unconscious. No sooner does
she reopen her eyes than the conqueror with drawn sword and out-thrust mirror forces her to
accommodate his wishes. This scenario played out in the imagination can force any real woman into
the arms of the yogi without resistance (Glasenapp, 1940, p. 144). Another magic power allows him
to assume the body of an unsuspecting husband and spend the night with his wife incognito, or he can
multiply himself by following the example of the Indian god Krishna and then sleep with hundreds of
virgins at once (Walker, 1982, p. 47).
Finally, we draw attention to a number of destructive Siddhis (magical powers): to turn a person to
stone, the Hevajra Tantra recommends using crystal pearls and drinking milk; to subjugate someone
you need sandalwood; to bewitch them, urine; to generate hate between beings from the six worlds,
the adept must employ human flesh and bones; to conjure up something, he swings the bones of a
dead Brahman and consumes animal dung. With buffalo bones the enlightened one slaughters his
enemies (Snellgrove, 1959, p. 118). There are spells which instantly split a person in half. This black
art, however, should only be applied to a person who has contravened Buddhist doctrine or insulted a
guru. One can also picture the evil-doer vomiting blood, or with a fiery needle boring into his back or
a flaming letter branding his heart — in the same instant he will fall down dead (Snellgrove, 1959, pp.
116–117). Using the “chalk ritual” a yogi can destroy an entire enemy army in seconds, each soldier
suddenly losing his head (Snellgrove, 1959, p. 52). In the second part of our analysis we will discuss
in detail how such magic killing practices were, and to a degree still are, a division of Tibetan/Lamaist
state politics.
One should, however, in all fairness mention that, to a lesser degree in the original tantra texts, but
therefore all the more frequently in the commentaries, every arbitrary use of power and violence is
explicitly prohibited by the Bodhisattva oath (to act only in the interests of all suffering beings). There
is no tantra, no ceremony and no prayer in which it is not repeatedly affirmed that all magic may only
be performed out of compassion (karuna). This constant, almost suspiciously oft-repeated
requirement proves, however, as we shall see, to be a disguise, since violence and power in Tantrism
are of a structural and not just a moral nature.
Yet, in light of the power structures of the modern state, the world economy, the military and the
modern media, the imaginings of the Maha Siddhas sound naive. Their ambitions have something
individualist and fantastic about them. But appearances are deceptive. Even in ancient Tibet the
employment of magical forces (siddhis) was regarded as an important division of Buddhocratic state
politics. Ritual magic was far more important than wars or diplomatic activities in the history of
official Lamaism, and, as we shall show, it still is.