'Pass thy way, traveler;
stay not here.
Live a virtuous life and follow the precepts of the [Buddhist] law.
Behind this door
Obstacles, painful to surmount, elusive mirages, exhausting struggles
are to be encountered at every step.
Is thy foothold sufficiently sure to scale those heights? ...
Are thou bold enough to face any danger, however perilous? ...
Art thou wise enough to have destroyed all illusions?
Hast thou overcome attachment to life
and
dost thou feel capable of kindling within thyself the torch
which must shed light upon the path ? ... '
(*Traditional speech given by a Tibetan Lama to a student receiving a sacred 'angkur' - the 'transmission of a power, a force, by psychic process.')
Citations:
1. David-Neel, Alexandra. Initiations and Initiates in Tibet. London: Rider & Company, 1931.
2. Smoke photography courtesy of The Magic of Smoke.
3. Andrews, Annette. Temple Door (Shigatze, Tibet). 2006. Vancouver, Canada.
3. Andrews, Annette. Temple Door (Shigatze, Tibet). 2006. Vancouver, Canada.
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