Volume 03 September 2008
NAVARATRI H.H. SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA
EVERYTHING IS TRUE HOOMAN MAJD
ROBERT BEER INTERVIEWED BY ROBERT SVOBODA
DURGA PUJA DOUBLE TAKE DINESH KHANNA
AN INTERVIEW WITH
ROBERT BEER January 9, 2008, Oxford, United Kingdom DR. ROBERT E. SVOBODA
Dr. Robert E. Svoboda with Robert Beer.
R
obert Beer has studied ibetan thangka g y y. O W c cvly vlv , lly v y I Nl w vl lvg . Sc 1975, lv Egl, wkg cly vlg c kll, v, c, g gly clx jc wll cl cll cx w wc . H ll Te Encyclopedia of ibetan Symbols and Motifs Te Handbook of ibetan Buddhist Symbols . H wk lc wl. R Sv w c R B’ wk -g, w R B v wk cv Sv’ k Aghora . Sly , y l Sc vllg w R B ly w lvg v c gl cc.
. w y , I wc y I w yg g ky g, w lg ; w clly c ; w l. A w w yg g g vy l cl ky I cc ll gg, I wk ll gg; w y j cg ck cc. W y , c gz x, w I clly w lk cf g, x . H c w lg vy l, I lz g clly vv . F I lly c w w , yg w l ll . I cl y lvg l , c I ’ lly v y. T w k g B, w w . I Robert Svoboda: I y cl g l vlv w j y kg ll y B, l w w l ckg w g y w w lkg E w y . lg. F I w x Robert Beer: W g y l I gly gv w w I ? Gg ck g H B. I 1965 I gg? E w c RS: F g ck l. cg B k. I RB: Bclly g v w g y l . y cl w y , w w I w . RS: D y cl? S ycl w RB: N, I l cl x. I w w y l; gw clly cl c g z w ll w w, I w lvg ’ cl . S w k c I ’ v . F c ly, c g x g, I w l wl ly k l I E
c B k, c g . B Il I w LSD, LSD c c y l x y . I w g I lly g, I UK. T I c vy vlv w H B gy yl, I c (sitar ), Gc Cy. T l ’6 w vy cv y l, y w y , w lgg yl c vy gl . B w I w wy-w I c, ’ w I l I lly c ly vlv w I c, c I w q ly lg l c y lvl. T vcl gy c wy y gly w y w l c. I w gl vl c, llcl , clly ll wl. I ly vy ly, I g vl g g wg g B . T gy w w w kg lc y yc; k w kg lc. T’ clly w I . S y w I, wy-w. RB: Y. I v y I, w V yg I c, Kg Kl Vlly yg . I l y K, RS:
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Manjuśrī , an oil painting by Samundra Man Singh Shrestha. 2003 4
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w I I c w lvly l sarod ly M S S. I l c vlv w Nw K. Alg y cl w I B , I v lwy c w Nw ( g H-B K Vlly). I w g , 1973-74, I Nw S Sky (1933-1) w w y g . T wk w cg w lvl xq; w q vly .
k lc w v c g c l wl c, c, qly, y, gc– g ’ , ’ lly . F K Vlly. T Kg lg, l. Nl c gg B RS: I y w E I . y lg c? A v c B RB: Ac? O y, I k ’ vl g l yy c. I wl’ cly y Pl Kg E I, lg g. I k w z y B ccl xly v. H l A yl I’v ly ll Bgl B. W l w I lv c Pl Dyy, Nl c lly g; l vyy c c c k, vy w l c gly vlv c . A —c clly c w RS: I’ ly y w Nw, w w g w y . Rlly, ’ W v Nw , K Vlly, l l I’v y l, v g w v lly c B vy ll . W y v B ... w clly g vy Nw g, RB: Y, B c c w w w cgz Ely l wll y, “I cl lk vy l. W I c ck B A. T c .” B y w W 1976 y l Nw, clly ly Cl l. B . B , w ly , T g x k lc w vy g vl g w g c Nl W, c. Ty c W v Vlly, Bk (Bg), P l cy; l g y w l y (Ll) K (K), y , I k l ’ c. Ty vy g g c cvly g kw lly c. Ty y c xl; y v ccl kll wcvg, z lv wy g , l k c lv. Wl cg g. lly cll v, B kg My Nw c g y lv y l W, Nw c Cl . A glly g l w glc Nl. Lk , l C v ’5, y w Nl w l cl cy y v g B Nl ck g. F y, l ly ’5 c. A cl gly c c c , w 1965, w Vlly cq y w, k ; I k g ; Gk l g y w g. B cl K v cy, w cy c RS: W y lk c vy W cy C ly H . y. w y ? RS: Hw wl y ? RB: I clly . I w’ lly RS: W Nw g? RB: A . ; cly I’ RB: B g I. RS: Vy g. l w. B I wl’ y T B lv l RB: A w x c , c lk Mg (w B), . l cvy l, I c’ . I ’ cg w Bgl, y v, kll k y c g l ww G, w , ll g ; y xl w y’ S Lk, w Cl l lly lg. T , wc y ccl A. B l wg I W y cjcl. Mahayana Vajrayana B . I W Y Rc Bl? vl Bgl B l c ; w W I v L Vg g c c w lly . I’ cl y g w y y Ml v ll c ccl–ccl g g, wl cy. –j g w ll w w T g . Tg y . S I xl cg I c y. B y y, , “My g, ’ lk y g
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Black and white photograph of Siddhimuni Shakya’s last painting of Padmāpāņī Lokeśvara. 1998 6
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glyc! Y g y cc y g, y ’ lly l, c vy, vy g g lgg.” w g l l lgcy. A I , “Y, ’ w lk. My c, c y ’ l B v; k vl w clly lk y. S c l w gk c y I v l c lgg.” cc g l cc I’v l lgg l I’v wk, lk g- Mc B, l l lgg yl, ly g l y. I wl Nw vy cc. I v vy g y; y g gl vl, v; kl g , I c, w l g vl lg, wc wy lk gk I c lly xl w c. Ty c lly I y . I vyg . I y lc cly, v vy gly w l y cl cc, g g, c l v, g ’ g , I g cgy c l c w y lg, wy g c cy. y ylc g y lg , wy y vy l c . , wy y , ’ ll y l, I lv ly. Ty cl lvl. lly vy l llg; RS: T wl B Nw w gly c, gly ; clly vl lc. D y ; ’ l kwlg k fcl y — w I’ xlg Nw l v l w c. g v l l . B lk , M q yg, w vlv Nw , wc vy w l l w l y y w , y , vl cvy cl . A yl I vy v, vl g w Nw . S I’ g l clly, I c ly? k yg c Nw w I w , w I l I w RB: I’ ll l; I ly , yg . A y g yg , , l Nl cgz y yg l y w . Y w y g, , w kw, y y l q l k kw. T ly lly ‘’ c ; y, y y g g, lly lk . wk, zzl g. W y g y y l y w cgcl c c Nw RS: Hv y l vy c y y v , g c l cg l j . yg w w ? M yg I c cgz y c , w RB: Y, Nl, w lkg w kll l , lz l. W ’ v Nw ? w, gv y W, w ’ c RS: Y. w y lly w , y c cv. T’ ll jly RB: T Nw lv, y c lly cl c. g yg Nw , v q kll g l T y wl lv , y y ’ v k g, “T c yg. Y wlk v l g y , I’ g ” y K Cy y c wk k, W. T w kg , clly c y g g ly. l zz. Ty’v l w v c vy l. S Nw cy q fcl ck c g. A y v k kg v ; w lgg w y ly ck c, y’v l g, (Nw), c, l vl l ll Ec Cl, ’ cv l. Gv cc clx l. A v Pk Fly, wv. Ty v w y wl lk , c kw v y c ly lc g. Nw yg qly , I’v cc lkw v ly wk, g w cl w y v cg z, wcvg, k wk g y cl g y k kg, g, clly g , wk wll c , I lk qly g. I’ g y gw c g . T l gv , I lk w cl; ’ q g g yl, y c’ lv w gc c. Ty clly g g. — lly. S ’ I kw ll g. T y’ll B clly g w I’ vlv w : c k, I’ll y ’ g g; lk w yg cv gy xl vyg g,
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hy an’ bv ha anybdy as hs knwdg any. S n ha v hy hav bgn sp , n js wha I knw b as wh I a. I sdny wh h bas I knw hw had was a ha n y wn , and hw hp I aay had, and hw I s aay hav. T pans Nwa paubhas and ban hangkas hav adnay aways bn annys, and ay v add h sp a sha, aa pand. I an dny wh h bas hy as hav had s hp, b s a hangng and h ass Npa nw ny sgn h wn wks. S I’ h hp h n hs vs. I hnk h bs hng I an d n h a pa y s hp nsh hs ass, bh n s panag, gvng h h d a wha hy wan a, and hpng h ndsand h wn a b and an ab h wn Nwa adn hsvs. And hy aa ha nw, s I’ wh s h knwdgab ass—and h a ny a w ha I nsd ay knwdgab—hn an ndb ansssn nan aks pa bwn s. And ha’s a ansssn , ha’s a gdsp ansssn, whv s h g n ha anshp. Ss ’s , ss ’s sbdy s, b ds aks pa and I bw s bay. T s a bhnd vyhng; and hs wd s vy av and dyna y pspv. RS: Ys, ds snd k hs s a s av, and ha h adn bhnd s av. T a s s av n h as, hn anss xnay and has h pna v sd. RB: And hs s fd n h hangka shps n Kahand, whh nw hav Nwa a n h, whas v yas ag y wdn’ s Nwa a h, ny ban a. Nw y s Nwa a vywh, ndng any ps panngs ha I hav bgh h gnas . I’s bng h ppa.
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F wha y’v sn ds any h a hy ay n h shps hav any as ? RB: T a n s gd ass’ panngs n h shps Ta; h sk h aang ass wh py s h ban hangkas s n vy gd. Unnay, vay a h shpkps n Kahand hav vy knwdg whasv ab Bddhs Nwa a, vn hgh s h hav bn n h bsnss hy yas. Whn I was h ny I wn vs a shpkp I knw wh has bn sng Bddhs a h as hy yas and s nw sng pashna shaws–and ’s n dn h, h sad–shaws a b bsnss. S nn h a had any a anng h ahgh h s a vy sw an; ’s an ndsy, ssnay. And ss g h shps and hy bvsy hnk ha h shpkps knw shng ab wha hy s, b hy dn’. And y shd knw ha s h Bddhs a n a shps n Kahand s nv aay pand by ‘Bddhs nks,’ s h a n any saks n hs Bddhs panngs, paay wh h px wah ds and h andaas. RS:
ps, y knw; hy py ps. Ts yng aang bys a akng ps phgaphs, phps, skhs ad by h ass. Ty kp pyng and hn hy bgn s das. Wha s hd n n hand a dy–ayb s a vajra , a b– sddny bs a dn, and hn nx s pd as a dn, and gs n k hs. I s a b k ns ha w ad n h Ran Ep: h ah away R hy w nd, h absa h ag h p ba n h n. T s n a s knwdg, as sh. Evn ang h yng ban aas wh g by hangkas h, hy n ay dn’ ndsand h ngaphy hsvs. And angs h sdns h a pbaby vy w wh ay ndsand h a w. I’s sh a pad sbj: h ngaphy, h agy, ’s js h pp an vn ap an–nss y’ a pan ys. Tn h’s a a nd an hs hngs. Ts s a px dsssn s. RS: O s. Robert Beer s h
RS: Gvn hw any saks a bng
ah and sa Te Encyclopedia of ibetan Symbols and Motifs . H has sdd ban hangka panng han hy yas. On h s Wsns b avy nvvd n hs a , h nay sdd a pd v yas n Inda and Npa wh sva h ns ban ass vng a h . H sds n Oxd, Engand.
ad nw n hs ndsy, d y hnk h w aways b a spaan bwn h a a and h aa a ha anans h sybs and h aay h sybs? RB: Ys. I hnk ’s vy had nfn h aang ass. T a vas hngs I’v sad n ava s h pp wh wn hs shps. On h bggs ss a n Kahand Dr. Robert E. Svoboda Wh n has sva hndd aang ass Inda, vd a dg n Äyurvedic wkng h. B js by ng h dn and was d by h Agh shp wn “Y shd hang hs,” Vimalánanda n Äyurveda , Yga, Jyotiü, “Mak Aabha a h dak ana, and h s assa d,” w nv happn, bas ha Indan . adv w nv pna h h wkng as. S I an’ nfn hngs n ha v. Ty wk any
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