Dbang and Yidam

Just as in other religious systems, there are various streams and gurus in Tibetan Buddhism. But apart from the strong, beautiful term ‘‘rangzen’’ (freedom), the only Tibetan words some of us might know — especially if a few crucial years were passed in the University of Delhi — are thukpa (noodle soup), momo (dumplings) and chhang (rice beer). However, spiritual trawlers might pick up on dbang (empowerment) and yidam (personal or tutelary deity, what Hindus call ishta devata; aka root of accomplishment or karya mool; personal protector or rakshak of both ang and atma; and our practical guide to enlightenment).

Yidam, then, is self-explanatory: the guiding, protecting principle by which we let our inner self mesh through our actions — in thought, word and deed — with the outer rhythms of the universe. In everyday terms, what could spiritual terms like dbang and yidam mean in the life of a nation struggling towards Betterness? Borrowing bits from the Kalachakra or Wheel of Time model beloved of Indian religions, the first, obviously, is Water Empowerment. Next is Energy Empowerment: electricity, food distribution, draining away energy waste, maintenance of the above. Ribbon Empowerment: roads, canals, transport networks. Name Empowerment: patriotism as a way of life, not a PR stunt. Action Empowerment: making the Kalachakra’s inner wheel (individual) and outer wheel (the Universe) synch through the liberating shakti of holistic education. Not just a degree as a conduit to a job, but cultural literacy. Ensuring that liberal arts are taught as a matter of course from nursery school (first, making those schools), so that people painlessly absorb the history of ideas which alone can furnish heads and permit us to maximise our lives as individuals and as Indians.

Reducing these grand spiritual terms further into streetspeak: where’s the yidam out here, without which there’s no map for the Kalachakra of empowered nationhood? It’s right under our nose: the Constitution of India, that is Bharat. Live in mutual respect, pay our taxes, educate our kids, don’t kill daughters, maintain civil society. Live by the law. Now suppose, instead of tall talk, if someone were to script the Constitution into a Mutiny movie? Might we get to see more dbang?