X-ray scans reveal Buddhist prayers inside tiny Tibetan scrolls

Re:X-ray scans reveal Buddhist prayers inside tiny Tibetan s... by spongebobism on Tuesday August 19, 2025 @07:32AM (#44950429)

Is that an innovation of Mahayana or Vajrayana Buddhism? I've only read Theravada texts, and in those, good and bad Karma are clearly differentiated. Attaining a pleasant rebirth is considered a wholesome pursuit that the teachings of the Buddha are supposed to help you with, though it is considered a lower pursuit than attaining Nirvana (the hierarchy is pleasant current life < pleasant rebirth < Nirvana, and the Dhamma claims to be the supreme authority on all 3).

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Re:X-ray scans reveal Buddhist prayers inside tiny Tibetan s... by throwaway290 on Tuesday August 19, 2025 @09:07AM (#44951080)

I heard any rebirth is samsara, circle of suffering, karma keeps it going, you should clear karma not accrue even more

I don't know the different buddhisms but checked wikipedia about karma in tibetan buddhism and it seems to say it too

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Re:X-ray scans reveal Buddhist prayers inside tiny Tibetan s... by mtalantikite on Tuesday August 19, 2025 @02:12PM (#44954507)

There are definitely descriptions of virtuous and non-virtuous results of actions (karma) in Mahayana/Vajrayana Buddhism. A teacher of mine, who spent 20+ years as a Gelug monk, gave a nice talk about it from a Vajrayana perspective [1].

The major innovation in Vajrayana would be an addition to the hierarchy you laid out, which is full Buddhahood in this lifetime and the tantric methods to get there. Nirvana/samsara are considered two perspectives of the same reality [2].

[1] starts about 20 min in, after the opening meditation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdYmiLvSzfY

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ed2uc-0_n2s

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