Alex Wilding

That's perhaps a bit of a linguistic mishmash, but it's no worse, I suppose, than a word like television. Sticking to Greek roots would have given us telescope, but that word was already taken, and I don't think there's anybody left who objects to the word television, so I'm sure we'll manage with sockbuja. The point is, in any case, that these are all just different terms for the same thing.

If you are that beginner, you will now naturally be wondering just what that thing is. I do recall in the early 90s being at a Buddhist summer school. In fact, it was a very relaxed affair and there was to be a tsok puja on the last day. My son was with me and asked what that was supposed to be.

If you are that beginner, you will now naturally be wondering just what that thing is. I do recall in the early 90s being at a Buddhist summer school. In fact, it was a very relaxed affair and there was to be a tsok puja on the last day. My son was with me and asked what that was supposed to be.

I can't remember my answer very well, but I do know that he was completely confused and that sitting through the proceedings didn't help at all. So let's try and get ourselves a little bit oriented. Anyway, I forgive myself for that poor performance. Even though I'd been in the Dharma for 20 years, very little explanation of these things was given in the circles in which I moved.

I can't remember my answer very well, but I do know that he was completely confused and that sitting through the proceedings didn't help at all. So let's try and get ourselves a little bit oriented. Anyway, I forgive myself for that poor performance. Even though I'd been in the Dharma for 20 years, very little explanation of these things was given in the circles in which I moved.

Many of the talks that were described as teachings were basically inspirational in nature. They were entertaining and encouraging, but it can't be said that they were terribly informative.

Many of the talks that were described as teachings were basically inspirational in nature. They were entertaining and encouraging, but it can't be said that they were terribly informative.

In the end, perhaps that was a good thing because I realised that if I was ever going to have an idea of what I was trying to do, I was going to have to find it out for myself, leading up to what some might say is the rather excessive library of Buddhist books I've collected over the years.

In the end, perhaps that was a good thing because I realised that if I was ever going to have an idea of what I was trying to do, I was going to have to find it out for myself, leading up to what some might say is the rather excessive library of Buddhist books I've collected over the years.

To begin, so that you have at least a vague hook on which to hang your understanding, we should note that the word Tsok literally means multitudes.

To begin, so that you have at least a vague hook on which to hang your understanding, we should note that the word Tsok literally means multitudes.

In an ideal Tsok Puja, lots of Dharma brothers and sisters come together with their teacher and make mountains of offerings to the Buddhas, the deities, the lamas of the lineage, along with confession prayers and in combination with eating and drinking, singing and having a jolly time. The practice, however, can vary an awful lot.

In an ideal Tsok Puja, lots of Dharma brothers and sisters come together with their teacher and make mountains of offerings to the Buddhas, the deities, the lamas of the lineage, along with confession prayers and in combination with eating and drinking, singing and having a jolly time. The practice, however, can vary an awful lot.

The scope of a tsok puja, such as you'll find in real life, varies enormously. The liturgy, in some cases, can be boiled down to just a few lines, but it can also be expanded to many, many pages of prayers and offerings for this and that, taking an hour or, to be quite honest, even some hours to get through it.

The scope of a tsok puja, such as you'll find in real life, varies enormously. The liturgy, in some cases, can be boiled down to just a few lines, but it can also be expanded to many, many pages of prayers and offerings for this and that, taking an hour or, to be quite honest, even some hours to get through it.

It is a joyful celebration, at least it should be joyful, in which we, the yogis and yoginis, that is the male and female practitioners respectively, come together to celebrate and renew their vows in the presence of their Lama.

It is a joyful celebration, at least it should be joyful, in which we, the yogis and yoginis, that is the male and female practitioners respectively, come together to celebrate and renew their vows in the presence of their Lama.

Normally the Lama is present as the head of this assembly, but let me remind you of the broad meaning that Lama can have in these contexts which I talked about in an earlier episode. In a sense here, the Lama represents the tantric equivalent of the Buddha, while the yogis and yoginis are the tantric equivalent of the Sangha, that is to say, the community of Buddhist practitioners.

Normally the Lama is present as the head of this assembly, but let me remind you of the broad meaning that Lama can have in these contexts which I talked about in an earlier episode. In a sense here, the Lama represents the tantric equivalent of the Buddha, while the yogis and yoginis are the tantric equivalent of the Sangha, that is to say, the community of Buddhist practitioners.

The other prominent figures in the tantric landscape, the protectors, the dakinis and so on, are also visualised and held to be present. This practice originated in India more than a thousand years ago, amongst communities who were at least to some extent on the edge of society.