Tibetan Buddhism And The Shamanic Application Of Ayahuasca

The Concept of Karma is what comes to mind. This word Karma can be translated into the word action. As we do know there is consequence to all action. It is also the Tibetans belief, as it is common fact, that thoughts must precede these actions. Therefore it is the qualities of these thoughts that produce the qualities of our actions, and hence affect the qualities of the reactions. The only winger the Tibetan Buddhists like to throw in is that the reactions we are feeling now may be due to actions we took in a past life. Well, if we can put that part a side for just a moment and look at the concept of Karma in the now, there is a strong relationship between the techniques of the Tibetan Buddhists and the techniques of the Amazonian Ayahuasceros for manifesting a positive reaction.

I recently attended a Tibetan Buddhist Flag hanging ceremony. What struck me most about the ceremony was the concept of focused positive intent. More so, the idea of taking this intent that extra step into action .The flags are traditionally made of cloth dyed in five separate colors to represent the five Tibetan elements. Each flag contains prayers that according to tradition are the words of the enlightened selfless one – the Buddha himself. Each flag is manufactured with intended compassion, unconditional understanding, selflessness, and wisdom. These ideas keep the prayers pure to the Buddha nature and add to the potency, and effectiveness of their action. The idea is to keep the thoughts pure and positive so the effect of the prayer flags is just that, and acts as a mechanism for manifestation of positive reaction.

The most profound teaching I’ve received through working with a curandero and ayahuasca in the Peruvian Amazon is the concept of focused positive thought with the intent to cause positive change .This is the basis of an ayahuasca healing ceremony. In the ceremonies I attend the concept of positive thought is projected into action from the very start in the plant collection. As the plants are collected the intent of the ceremony is set. There is prayer and invocation of positive spirit. In the preparation of the medicine these prayers and invocations continue accompanied with purification techniques. This keeps the medicine “clean” of any negative spirits. Before ingestion of the medicine we will incite more prayer, invocation and purification. Then of course, during the ceremony we apply continuous purification and protection to keep the focus of the intent pure. Through these intended positive thoughts and actions the manifestation hopefully will be a positive reaction.

Here we have positive thought preceding positive action being the main concept in two very different cultures. The Tibetan Buddhists call this concept Karma. The curanderos of the Amazon do not have one word to describe this, although they have clearly integrated this idea into their healing philosophy. Therefore this shows a correlation in the ritual techniques from two very ancient cultures in their application of the power of focused pure thought and intent to cause positive manifestations to occur. Since we know that thought precedes action, it is clear that both of these cultures have concluded that there is some validity in this theory. They have integrated this into their lives, and their concept of reality.