Judy Tsuei - The Little Book of Tibetan Rites and Rituals : Simple Practices for Rejuvenating the Mind, Body, and Spirit

The Little Book of

Tibetan Rites and Rituals

Simple Practices for Rejuvenating the Mind, Body, and Spirit

Judy Tsuei

Text copyright 2022 Judy Tsuei. Concept and design copyright 2022 Ulysses Press and its licensors. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized duplication in whole or in part or dissemination of this edition by any means (including but not limited to photocopying, electronic devices, digital versions, and the internet) will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Published by:

Ulysses Press

PO Box 3440

Berkeley, CA 94703

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ISBN: 978-1-64604-252-4

ISBN-13: 978-1-6460-4271-5 (eBook)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021937756

Acquisitions editor: Claire Sielaff

Managing editor: Claire Chun

Project editor: Bridget Thoreson

Editor: Phyllis Elving

Proofreader: Michele Anderson

Front cover design: Rebecca Lown

Interior design and layout: what!design @ whatweb.com

Production: Jake Flaherty, Yesenia Garcia-Lopez

Artwork: exercises pages

For my po po, Ai-Nan Tsuei. Thank you for always being in my life, wherever you are now.

In a guest laden living room to the side in a corner,

I tried to wear a coat like skin,

And in that moment, that precise moment, Im asked,

Are you Tibetan?

Chime Lama, Tibetan-American Anxieties: Wanting Sounds in a Barren Throat

Approximately 13.8 billion years ago, the universe began with whats known as the Big Bang. The atoms created by that event would integrate into everything that exists today, big or small, including the human body. That means that within us are oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, sodium, chlorine, and magnesiumall of which came from a process called galactic chemical evolution.

Many of the elements in our bodies were formed in stars over the course of billions of years and multiple star lifetimeswere made of this star stuff, yet in our modern world, it can be easy to forget how magical we truly are. Thankfully, we can draw upon ancient mindfulness traditions to create a sense of being grounded and to remind ourselves, as we adapt to an ever-evolving world, that we are indeed as powerful and expansive as the universe. One of these ancient traditions is a series of Five Tibetan Rites first brought to public awareness in a 1939 book by Peter Kelder titled The Eye of Revelation.

Kelder tells the story of a British explorerColonel Bradfordwho had spent years searching for a secret paradise in the Himalayas. Bradford had heard that Tibetan lamas, considered spiritual teachers in Tibetan Buddhism, maintained an unparalleled sense of health and vitality. However, theres not a lot you can find about who author Kelder is. Some believe its a pseudonym, which then also calls into question who Bradford was and whether he really existed. (More about this from expert Carolinda Witt later in this chapter.) On Penguin Random Houses website under About the Author it says, Well versed in the Tibetan Rites of Rejuvenation since the 1930s, Peter Kelder is alive and well, living in California. He is the author of Ancient Secrets of the Fountain of Youth. Youll learn more on what we know about Kelder throughout this book.

While similar to yoga rituals that originated in India, the Five Tibetan Rites are notably different in that theyre dubbed The Fountain of Youth. This isnt the mythical spring that restores the youth of anyone who drinks or bathes in its waters, mistakenly linked to Spanish explorer Ponce de Len and now a tourist attraction in St. Augustine, Florida. Instead, these Five Tibetan Riteswhich Bradford purportedly learned from lamas in a hidden monastery in Tibetare a simple exercise system thought to bring health and rejuvenation.

This book will introduce the Five Tibetan Rites as theyve been popularly taught, including modifications adapting them to a modern lifestyle, and will offer an overview of selected traditional Tibetan philosophies, beliefs, and practices. Please note that because your body, your being, and your life are unique, your own experience with these Rites and rituals may vary from that of others.

Most importantly, every effort has been made to be respectful of Tibetan traditions in order to honor a beautiful culture that has gone through tremendous challenges and injustices.

The Tibetan National Anthem states the following:

By the spread of Buddhas teachings in the ten directions,

may everyone throughout the world

enjoy the glories of happiness and peace.

May the pages that follow offer you a pathway in one of those directions.

To date, versions of Kelders book have been translated into more than a dozen languages and have sold millions of copies. In several of these, youll find pages of testimonials from individuals of all ages around the world attesting to how the Rites have healed ailments, renewed vitality, and harmonized invisible energy within the body. In 1985, the original book was expanded and updated with an edition titled Ancient Secret of the Fountain of Youth, featuring a Lost Chapter.

In this newer edition, Kelder recounts how he became the keeper of this ancient wisdom in that he was seated in a California park reading the afternoon paper when an elderly gentleman (Colonel Bradford, as I shall call himthough it is not his real name) came to sit beside him. Appearing to be in his late 60s, gray and balding, Bradford revealed that he was a retired British Army officer who had also served in the diplomatic corps for the Crown and was therefore well traveled.

Kelder shares that Bradford had heard a tale of a group of lamas, or Tibetan clerics, who, cut off from the world by expansive mountain ranges, had discovered the secrets of eternal youth and passed the knowledge down for thousands of years.

Though Bradford asked Kelder to accompany him to find the lamas, Kelder demurred. Years later, after moving on with his life, Kelder received a letter from Bradford, who claimed to be close to finding what he was looking for. Months passed again, and another letter arrived. Then one day, Kelder heard from his doorman that a Bradford was there to see him. Throwing open his door, he was shocked to find a tall, young individual with thick, dark hair. Werent you expecting me? Bradford asked. He shared with Kelder that he had found the lamas, who welcomed him. Though they initially called him The Ancient One, his transformation soon became so noticeable that it was no longer an accurate moniker.

Since the publication of Kelders book in 1939, there have been skeptics whove said that the Five Tibetan Rites, supposedly more than 2,500 years old, are not actually authentic to Tibet. Some question the myriad health-benefit claims and whether Bradford actually existed, since little is known of Kelder. Experts have noted that a similarity exists between the Five Tibetan Rites and authentic Tibetan phrul khor yoga exercises. Proponents assert that the Rites are a genuine form of