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TAOIST : HINDU: TIBETAN: CHINESE THOGCHAG # Protection
VERY RARE & SPECIAL
HANUMAN MONKEY GOD THOGCHAG AMULET. Chinese, Buddhist, Hindu, Taoist?
Early 20th century or late 19th century?
1.2 inches tall x 0.94 inches wide
CONDITION (please see the
pictures)
This is a superb Thogchag
amulet. It depicts Hanuman the monkey God. We do not clean or
restore our Thogchag amulets in any way. We list them in the same condition as
we receive them. They are very delicate and can be damaged by any restoration or
cleaning and we believe that the original earth, corrosion,
weathering, dust and the original patina on an amulet increases its power and is
actually a special part of the Thogchag
amulet.
* * * * *
HINDU / BUDDHIST / TAOIST / INDIA/ CHINA - MONKEY
LORE.
Monkey mythology is an
important part of both Hindu/Buddhist lore (India) and Zodiac/Buddhist lore
(China). In the various tales presented above, the monkey was originally
portrayed as foolish (India and China), vain (China), and mischievous (both).
Yet, in each tradition, the monkey learns valuable lessons along the way, makes
changes, and eventually gains redemption. The monkey thus embodies the themes
of responsibility and devotion, and more importantly, the promise of salvation
to all who sincerely seek it. This symbolism is still common in Buddhism as
practiced today. In modern meditation practices in many Buddhist sects, one
must first subdue the monkey mind before meditation can yield results. The
goal is to overcome the restless monkey mindset, to stop jumping from branch to
branch, to stop grabbing whatever fruit comes into sight, to stop being fooled
by mere appearances. Salvation is within the grasp of all who seek it if they
remain true, sincere, and dedicated.
The Sanskrit term
Vanara means monkey or forest dweller. Other Sanskrit terms for monkey include
Makata and Kapi. In India, the most widely known Vanara is Hanuman, the monkey
warrior who appears in the epic Hindu tale Ramayana (5th to 4th century BCE).
Even today, Hanuman is a very popular village God in southern, central and
northern India, and artwork of Hanuman can still be found easily in India and
other nations in Southeast Asia. * * * * *
Hanuman is a
manifestation (avatar) of the Hindu god Shiva. In one version of the story, Shiva
and Parvati (daughter of the mountain) transform themselves into monkeys and
are playing amorous games in the forest when Hanuman is conceived. Since their
union took place while in monkey form, Shiva realizes his child will be simian,
and instructs Vayu (the wind god) to deposit the gestating seed into the womb
of a female monkey named Anjana. Anjana was originally a celestial maiden
(apsara) named Punjisthala, but a curse had transformed her into a monkey. Vayu
possesses Anjana, with her consent, and she gives birth to Hanuman. Hanuman is
thus also called Maruti (son of the wind) and Anjaneya (son of Anjan). ************************************************************ THE MONKEY KING
Monkey King, or
known to the Chinese old and young as Xi You Ji (Journey to the West), is one
of the renowned classical Chinese novels dated back some four hundred years
ago, the other three being Shui Hu (The Water Margins), Hong Lou Meng (Dream of
the Red Mansion), and San Guo (Romance of Three Kingdoms).
Monkey King is
based on a true story of a famous monk, Xuan Zang of the Chinese Tang Dynasty (602-664).
After a decade of trials and tribulations, he arrived on foot to what is today
India, the birthplace of Buddhism. He was there for the true Buddhist holy
books. When he returned, Xuan Zang translated the Sutras into Chinese, thus
making a great contribution to the development of Buddhism in China.
Monkey King is an
allegorical rendition of the journey, mingled with Chinese fables, fairy tales,
legends, superstitions, popular beliefs, monster stories, and whatever the
author could find in the Taoist, Buddhist, and Chinese popular religions. While
average readers are fascinated with the prowess and wisdom of the Monkey King,
many reviewers agree that the protagonist embodies what the author tried to
convey to his readers: a rebellious spirit against the then untouchable feudal
rulers.
The monkey is indeed
rebellious. He was, according to the story, born out of a rock, fertilized by
the grace of Heaven and Earth. Being extremely intelligent, he has learned all
the magic tricks and gongfu from an immortal Taoist master. Now he can
transform himself into seventy-two different images such as a tree, a bird, a
beast of prey, or an insect that can sneak into an enemy's body to fight him or
her inside out. Using clouds as a vehicle, he can travel 108,000 miles at a
single somersault.
He claims to be The
King in defiance of the only authority over the heaven, the seas, the earth and
the subterranean world -- Yù Huáng Dà Dì, or "The Great Emperor of
Jade." That act of high treason, coupled with complaints from the masters
of the four seas and the Hell, incurs the relentless scourge of the heavenly
army. In fact, the monkey has fought into the ocean and seized the Dragon
King's crown treasure: a huge gold-banded iron rod used as a ballast of the
waters. Able to expand or shrink at his command, the iron rod becomes the
monkey's favorite weapon in his later feats. The first test of its power came
when the monkey stormed into hell and threatened the Hadean king into sparing
his and his followers mortal life so that they all could enjoy eternity.
After many
showdowns with the fearless Monkey King, the heavenly army have suffered
numerous humiliating defeats. The celestial monarch has but to give the dove
faction a chance to try their appeasement strategy?to offer the monkey an
official title in heaven with little authority. When he has learned the truth
that he is nothing but an object of ridicule, the enraged monkey revolts,
fighting all his way back to earth to resume his original claim as The King.
Eventually, the
heavenly army, enlisting the help of all the god warriors with diverse tricks,
manages to capture the barely invincible monkey. He is sentenced to capital
punishment. However, all methods of execution fail. Having a bronze head and
iron shoulders, the monkey dulls many a sword inflicted upon him. As the last
resort, the emperor commands that he be incinerated in the furnace where his
Taoist minister Tai Shang Lao Jun refines his pills of immortality. Instead of
killing the monkey, the fire and smoke therein sharpened his eyes so that he
now can see through things that others cannot. He fights his way back to earth
again.
At his wit's end,
the celestial emperor asks Buddha for help. Buddha imprisons the monkey under a
great mountain known as Wu Zhi Shan (The Mount of Five Fingers). The tenacious
monkey survives the enormous weight and pressure. Five hundred years later,
there comes to his rescue the Tang Monk, Xuan Zang, whom we mentioned at the
beginning of the story.
To make sure that
the monk can make for the West to get the Sutras, Buddha has arranged for
Monkey King to become the monk's escort in the capacity of his disciple. soon
on their way to the west, two more disciples, also at the will of the Buddha,
join their company. One is the humorous and not uncourageous pig transgressed
from an inebrious celestial general for his assault against a fairy; the other
a sea monster who also used to be a celestial general now in exile for a misdemeanour.
The party of four
was further reinforced by a horse, an incarnation of a dragon's son, start
their stormy journey to the West -- a journey packed with actions and
adventures that brought into full play the puissance of the monks' disciples,
Monkey King in particular.
* * * * * MONKEY LORE. Monkey lore plays a prominent role in the early years of Buddhism in India. Among hundreds of tales in the Jataka
-- perhaps the oldest extant collection of Buddhist folklore
originating in India and Sri Lanka around the 3rd century BC -- the Historical Buddha was said to have lived many prior lives in many different forms before attaining enlightenment.
In the Jataka tales, he appears often in the form of a monkey (Nandiya)
as other animals, as a human, and even as a god. But throughout, he
practices generosity, courage, justice, and patience until finally
achieving Buddhahood. The Pali Jatakas record 123 past lives as an
animal, 357 as a human, and 66 as a God. Devadatta, a cousin of the
Historical Buddha, also appears in the various Jataka stories in
multiple incarnations, typically as the villain.
* * * * *
Thogchags: are
Ancient Tibetan talismans (amulets) which are traditionally worn next to the
body for protection, healing and good luck. They can also be fastened to
clothing, tied to religious articles, carried in the pocket, tied to other
sacred amulets and worn around the neck. Thogchag amulets
have been used in sacred religious rituals for
thousands of years to dispel evil and all negative energy and to bring good
luck, healing and prosperity in all its forms. Thogchags were frequently
used by the Tibetan Shamen in their healing rituals and were often given to the
person in need of healing as these sacred amulets have a huge amount of sacred
energy and magical power and would speed up the healing process. Thogchags are
very sacred amulets and are believed to have fallen from the sky and are
magically formed and not manufactured by human beings. Thogchags are made of
Bronze and meteoritic metals and date back as far as the Bronze Age. Thogchag
translates as Sky-Iron? or Heavenly
Iron?
# Ancient Thogchag amulets
( 1000 years old and much older) are becoming increasingly difficult to
find. This Thogchag is not ancient ( 1000 years or
older) or made from meteorite metals. Thogchags are made of
various copper alloys that are not bronze in the technical Western sense. In
Tibet they are known overall as 'li', which means
'bronze'. Thogchag now is generally used to mean old pieces in copper
alloy that have been worn by Tibetans as protective pendants at some point in
their history.
* * * * *
LOVING
ENERGY IS IN IN EVERYTHING
Whatever your circumstances, your immediate surroundings contain
boundless positive energy. According to ancient Tibetan medicine, matter is
slow-moving energy, and your consciousness can make any matter relax, open and
become pliable. You can make it speed up or slow down. The energy in your
surroundings is like a golden cup covered with grime, which your mind can clean
so that it shines with love and positivity. The Tibetans believe that the
material world, the universe and the mind go through cycles of rejuvenation. By
working with the cycles, you unlock within yourself the basis of rejuvenation.
You can use your body's inner cycle.
In
the cycle of life there is an appropriate time for all things to
happen.
*********************************
For centuries many Buddhists have believed that by carrying a Blessed
Amulet with Buddha images, Luang Phor (Thai Buddhist Monks) or Gods you will be
given good luck, and protection. Blessed amulets will guard you from danger,
will dispel evil and negative bad and dangerous energy, and protect you from
disease. It is believed that a blessed Buddhist amulet will help you to gain
great wealth and will guard you and give you success while you are at home, at
work, or travelling. Sacred amulets can be cast from metal or carved from a
piece of wood, ivory, bone, or made from a special magical powder that contains
hundreds of different special and secret ingredients that are then pressed into
a mould and then baked. After this is done the amulets are blessed by monks in
order to give the wearer the sacred spiritual power of
protection.
* * * * *
Shamanism is humanity's oldest form of relationship to the spirit
world. As such, it is the underpinning beneath all religion. But shamanism is
not a religion. It is a complex set of practices, beliefs, values and behaviors
that enable the practitioner to elicit a shift from ordinary consciousness into a
trance state with a specific goal in mind, such as for healing, obtaining
information, power, vision, divination, contacting the spirit of the deceased,
soul retrieval or guidance for right action. Shamanic work is done with the aid
of a helping ally of some sorts that the shaman has befriended. They work
together as a cooperative team, with the ally being an intermediary between
different levels of reality and the shaman, an engineer of altering states of
consciousness.
Shamans throughout the world
and throughout time, recognize that the universe is alive, conscious, and filled
with spiritual power. Shamans know how to access this web of power and work with
it skillfully and effectively to address their, and their community's needs.
Shamanism is the use of shamanic practices within a shamanic value system.
Traditionally a shaman goes through the experience of a "calling", usually
through illness, accident or some unusual quality of being, then through an
arduous apprenticeship of teaching, training and testing, followed by some sort
of passage rite into their new status. Typically shaman do not define themselves
as such. Instead they are defined by their community based on what it is that
they do. Becoming a shaman and living as a shaman is a difficult and demanding
life path that many indigenous people shy away from because of its formidable
requirements. It is not about fun and glamor. Unskillful and uneducated acts can
cause harm, or even be life-threatening, to the practitioner as well as to
others. For shamanism deals with power, and power can move in many different
ways, like electricity. It is important to move slowly with respect, humility
and care.
The items on this Spiritual-Sky eBay site, call you to go back, far back in time to when you were a child. In those days you thought that nothing at all was impossible, you could do anything and everything. In those days long ago your spirit had not been reduced by negativity you believed in pure and special magical powers and your mind was open to receive and discover and to understand the mysteries of life.
* * * * *
These Sacred Blessed and Empowered items have PURE POSITIVE SACRED POWER and can and will be attuned to you. Do you remember long ago that you had the ability of second sight, and other special abilities. You might never have revealed this to anyone as you felt slightly afraid and were not sure in yourself. Years later life takes its toll and you now think that these special abilities that you had years ago are now gone. These abilities NEVER GO, you still have the same abilities but you now have to clear a path to open your mind and be able to go back to your childhood and let your mind open up. When you work with our Sacred Blessed items you will soon realise that these are SACRED SPECIAL TOOLS and will work for you in many different ways. They will open up a PURE POWER FLOW FOR YOU, and enable PURE POSITIVE ENERGY to enter your divine spirit.
Our sacred, rare, empowered and blessed items are being made available for the benefit of practitioners, like you, who would like to have holy objects as devotional support to your practice. It is contrary to our vows to engage in the business of selling holy objects for profit. Therefore we do not provide these objects in an ordinary way, thinking of them as goods to be bought and sold. Rather, we are making them available with the express wish to benefit others. All funds in excess of our costs help us to continue our activities.
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