A Buddhist oracle deck?

[Emilija]

Can anyone recommend a quality oracle deck with a Buddhist theme?

 

I've search B&N and Amazon, but I could not find any.

[AJ-ish/Sharyn]

because the best one is privately printed.

https://bythesycamoretree.blogspot.com/

on her upper side bar. She is a member here if you have any questions

 

you can see some of the cards on my blog, with a search for lojong

[RavenOfSummer]

because the best one is privately printed.

https://bythesycamoretree.blogspot.com/

on her upper side bar. She is a member here if you have any questions

 

you can see some of the cards on my blog, with a search for lojong

 

Wow, thanks for this, AJ-ish!  <3

 

Good discussion topic, Emilija! I don't have one myself so can't speak to working with it, but I know of this Buddhist quote deck available from the creator on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/466775953/40-spiritual-buddha-tarot-cards-with

 

And also US Games is publishing a new one to be released this fall: https://www.usgamesinc.com/buddha-wisdom-shakti-power.html

 

If you're interested in tarot decks as well, there is the Roots of Asia tarot that is Buddhist themed. I believe there are a couple of others, but they're escaping me...I'm sure others will chime in.

[Emilija]

 

And also US Games is publishing a new one to be released this fall: https://www.usgamesinc.com/buddha-wisdom-shakti-power.html

 

 

This one could be promising!

[Emilija]

I found this:

https://www.amazon.com/Buddhism-Reading-Cards-Sofan-Chan/dp/1572818638/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1530320358&sr=8-1&keywords=buddhism+reading+cards

 

But I don't think it's really an oracle.

[FLizarraga]

The problem with Buddhism, as with Christianism and probably every major religion, is that every single school --and there are thousands-- interprets its main tenets VERY differently. Not to mention that the Buddha lived and preached well into his eighties, which accounts in part for the overabundance of sutras (there are thousands, all written centuries after his passing, sort of like the Christian Gospels but on steroids.)

 

Ironically, what basically 90% of Westerners take for Buddhism is either Tibetan Buddhism (which is a very quirky, extremely isolated, almost hothouse strain of Hinayana Buddhism) or Zen Buddhism (another very peculiar school, though Mahayana this time).

 

My somewhat belabored point is that a Buddhist oracle would be either based on a specific school or on a generic, Westernized idea of Buddhism --two big caveats.

[Mi-Shell]

I do have this one and it is very beautiful:

https://www.bookdepository.com/Tibetan-Buddhism-Deck-Priya-Hemenway/9780811836586

 

Then there is of course the

Roots of Asia Tarot, which I love! Sadly it is OOP

https://www.amazon.com/Tarot-Roots-Asia-card-deck/dp/3905219794/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1538598034&sr=8-2&keywords=Roots+of+asia+Tarot

 

.... and the secret Dakini Oracle

[Carus]

The problem with Buddhism, as with Christianism and probably every major religion, is that every single school --and there are thousands-- interprets its main tenets VERY differently. Not to mention that the Buddha lived and preached well into his eighties, which accounts in part for the overabundance of sutras (there are thousands, all written centuries after his passing, sort of like the Christian Gospels but on steroids.)

 

Ironically, what basically 90% of Westerners take for Buddhism is either Tibetan Buddhism (which is a very quirky, extremely isolated, almost hothouse strain of Hinayana Buddhism) or Zen Buddhism (another very peculiar school, though Mahayana this time).

 

My somewhat belabored point is that a Buddhist oracle would be either based on a specific school or on a generic, Westernized idea of Buddhism --two big caveats.

 

Hmm Tibetan Budhism certainly has more elements in common with the Mahayana than the Hiniyana/Therevada. Though it would consider itself part of the Vajrayana, indeed Tibetan Schools are the main parts of the Vajrayana, the only other Vajrayana I can think of is one of the Japanese schools. (It's late and I can't remember which one)

[FLizarraga]

The problem with Buddhism, as with Christianism and probably every major religion, is that every single school --and there are thousands-- interprets its main tenets VERY differently. Not to mention that the Buddha lived and preached well into his eighties, which accounts in part for the overabundance of sutras (there are thousands, all written centuries after his passing, sort of like the Christian Gospels but on steroids.)

 

Ironically, what basically 90% of Westerners take for Buddhism is either Tibetan Buddhism (which is a very quirky, extremely isolated, almost hothouse strain of Hinayana Buddhism) or Zen Buddhism (another very peculiar school, though Mahayana this time).

 

My somewhat belabored point is that a Buddhist oracle would be either based on a specific school or on a generic, Westernized idea of Buddhism --two big caveats.

 

Hmm Tibetan Budhism certainly has more elements in common with the Mahayana than the Hiniyana/Therevada. Though it would consider itself part of the Vajrayana, indeed Tibetan Schools are the main parts of the Vajrayana, the only other Vajrayana I can think of is one of the Japanese schools. (It's late and I can't remember which one)

 

 

Alas, I shouldn't have dragged the whole ole Mahayana-Hinayana debacle into this. Tibetan Buddhism was indeed considered Hinayana for centuries. It is a (Mahayana-centric) distinction that is coming into disuse, and rightly so, though it was extensively used in my day, so it still bleeds into my judgment.

[/size]

[/size]Tibetan Buddhism is indeed a Vajrayana school, as it relies heavily on the use of mantras. As are many, very different Japanese schools, [/size]among them [/size]the Pure Land and the Lotus Sutra schools. Both of which were always considered Mahayana, by the way.

[Bodhiseed]

From a secular rather than cultural view, Buddhism and fortune-telling are a bit like oil and water. In the Anguttara Nikaya Buddha described how responsible people act:

"They do not get carried away by superstition; they believe in deeds, aspiring to results from their own deeds through their own effort in a rational way; they are not excited by wildly rumored superstition, talismans, omens or lucky charms; they do not aspire to results from praying for miracles."

 

Basically, look for insights but don't put all your eggs in a basket woven from superstition. Wisdom and compassion would be better choices.

 

On the other hand, Tibetan Buddhism has living oracles, though they were primarily for protecting the Buddha Dharma:

https://web.archive.org/web/20061205234136/http://www.tibet.com/Buddhism/nechung_hh.html

 

My advice would be to find an oracle that is beautiful to you and add your own meanings if you want. I found this one on Etsy (which had several quotes that were clearly not Buddhist):

https://www.etsy.com/listing/466775953/40-spiritual-buddha-tarot-cards-with?ref=shop_home_feat_1

Instead of using the given quotes, I just used some from the Dhammapada instead.

 

The lojong cards that AJ described above came about as a result of my study of the Buddhist slogans from a variety of Buddhist sources. It is definitely a 'layman's' understanding. :biggrin: