About

“This martial art is about facing the enemies that reside within our own mind. It helps us to develop the courage and self-discipline to negotiate this life with the correct understanding of love and wisdom, so that in the end, we navigate life with dignity. This is the true nature of the spiritual warrior"

H.E. Prince Ratu Sri Acharya Vajra Kumara Pandji Sakti (1955 - 2004)

Bhante Thitaketukko with Prince Ratu Pandji Sakti
at King Pandji Sakti Puri, Singaraja, Bali, Indonesia

Pancha Tanmantra is a dynamic tantric healing art form based on the Ayurvedic, Balinese Cosmology, Chinese and Unani Medicine through a monastic Kung Fu tradition utilizing the five elements, meridian systems and animal forms as it was traditionally taught at Sri Vijaya Monastery in Java, Indonesia.

Pancha Tanmantra is a unique healing art form that utilizes ancient wisdom in order for practitioners to develop a healthy body, speech and mind. In this tradition, Tantra refers to the Master's transmission and proper application of the embodied wisdom which predates most records available to the general public. This ancient lineage and wisdom is as relevant, if not more so, in these modern times. One of the founders of Kinesiology, the late Dr John Thie, actually made a substantial offer to H.E. Prince Ratu Pandji Sakti for the possibility of purchasing the licensing rights to the art form due to its practical embodiment and healing applications for practitioners, students and clients of Kinesiology.

Ratu Giri Rakkhito with Bhante Thitaketukko

What Dr John Thie did not realize was that regardless of how much he offered financially it is impossible to break a divine lineage founded on the kindness, compassion and devotion of many enlightened beings. Dr John Demartini who is now considered one of the most prolific teachers with his vast knowledge and insight to both eastern and western classical Greek schools was a student of Dr Thie.

The five elements relate directly to the balanced function of the physical body, organs, meridians or energy pathways as they activate and balance kundalini energy or life force, awaken the five senses and balance thoughts, emotions and feelings. Pancha Tanmantra is referred to as "the five subtle seeds of life" and it is the only Tantric Martial Art. It originates from an ancient Royal Tantric Buddhist Lineage combining soft and hard movements, positive and negative emotions, balancing masculine and feminine energies, and incorporates specific gestures, breathing and specific sounds as it was taught in the monasteries and Royal Courts for several thousand years.

Wim Hof with Ki Arya Hanuman Budhi Yantra Pandji Pandita

Pancha Tanmantra was brought to Australia in 1983 as part of a complete Buddhist Vajrayana bridge teaching as taught by the late Grandmaster of the school, His Eminence Prince Ratu Sri Acharya Vajra Kumara Pandji Sakti of Singaraja, Bali, Indonesia. It literally bridges the authentic teaching of Buddhist Cosmology and Ancient Philosophy. Ratu Giri Rakkhito Mahatera at Brahma Vihara Monastery in Singaraja consecrated His Eminence as the lineage holder of the Vajrayana tradition in South East Asia in 1994.

This is the same lineage of Ratu Acharya Dharmakirti who was the Abbot at Sri Vijaya Monastery in Java, Indonesia. Ratu Dharmakirti was also known as Lama Tserlingpa, teacher of the famous Atisha the Indian Prince who propagated the Lamp of Enlightenment in Tibet and who was the same teacher of Naropa who eventually founded his 6 Yogas based on his profound studies and realizations as a practice to inspire monks on the path. Wim Hof has famously mastered one of Naropa's Yogas, known as Tummo or inner fire practice. Although most uninformed students of Buddhism assume that Tibet is the only authentic Buddhist lineage, this particular unbroken lineage precedes it by 1,500 years, which was pivotal in propagating the teachings of love and kindness to Tibet.

Bhante Jinarakkhita with Ratu Giri Rakkhito
  and Bhikkhu Agga Jinamitto

Ratu Oka Gede Kehmenuh and Ratu Giri Rakkhito with
H.E. Prince Ratu Sri Acharya Vajra Kumara Pandji Sakti

Bhante Jinarakkhita who was known as Ti Zheng Lau He Shang was the teacher of Bhante Thitaketukko who was the teacher of Ratu Giri Rakkhito Mahatera, one of H.E. Prince Ratu Pandji Sakti's lineage teachers. All of whom were accomplished in the art of Pancha Tanmantra in varying degrees. Bhante Jinarakkhita was pivotal in reviving Buddhism in Indonesia since Islam became the predominant religion. 

H.E. Prince Ratu Sri Acharya Vajra Kumara Pandji Sakti

Ratu Giri also happened to be a member of the Kehmenuh family that historically had been the spiritual advisers of the royal family of Pandji. Renowned for his great compassion, he was also a musician, playing the Jazz Trumpet and driving a red Corvette before fully renouncing. 

Ratu Giri quickly achieved Arahantship and became the lineage holder for South East Asia. Before he passed over, he consecrated H.E. Prince Ratu as his successor. 

Ratu, as we affectionately call him, renounced his life as a prince to become a Buddhist Lama having been recognized from a young age. He went on to study various other Martial Arts and was a Doctor of Chinese and Unani Medicine which allowed him to realize, refine and revive the art form to its fullest potency.

H.E. Prince Ratu Sri Acharya Vajra Kumara Pandji Sakti
H.R.H. Princess Marianne Maetrie Vairocani Dewi Pandji Sakti with
visiting Shaolin Monks at King Pandji Sakti House in Melbourne in 2003

The art form of Pancha Tanmantra originated in India when it was known as Pancha Vidya over 2,500 years ago, only just predating the classical Greeks. Pancha Vidya means the "Five Wisdoms", an ancient art form that was only taught in the royal court. Unbeknownst to many, Prince Siddhartha, the historical Buddha, studied this art form as part of his comprehensive training.

This oral tradition explains the connection between Kung Fu and India, as this particular lineage is one of the oldest, so old that it is a secret to most.

After the historical Buddha realized enlightenment, the teaching of Buddhism traveled initially to ancient Greece around 400BC but it did not become mainstream due to the already accomplished academic schools of science, mathematics, medicine, astrology and cosmology during the classical golden era.

Shaolin Monk receiving Kris Blessing

Dr John Demartini with Ki Pancha Rasa
& Ki Arya Hanuman Budhi Yantra Pandji Pandita

Buddhism as such eventually spread throughout the east to Indonesia before going to China and Tibet. Several hundred years after the Buddha's life, Buddhism propagated to Indonesia which influenced the golden era of King Sailendra's Borobudur Temple and the Majapahit Empire.

King Indrabodhi brought the art form of Pancha Vidya to complement the Buddhist monks' sitting meditation practice whose minds are naturally swayed by mental and emotional dissociations.

Around 500AD, a descendant of the same Indian royal family, a monk and master of this art form called Bodhidharma, visited the sister school in Indonesia on his way to China. He spent many years in China at the famous Shaolin Temple where he was called Damo meaning Dharma.

 Ki Arya Hanuman Budhi Yantra Pandji Pandita with
H.E. Prince Ratu Sri Acharya Vajra Kumara Pandji Sakti

Being a highly realized master, he refined Chinese Zen Buddhism by removing incorrect views, dualistic concepts, puritanism and false piety. Although some traditions claim he founded Kung Fu, he actually introduced the 18 Luohan Hands System to the existing Kung Fu and propagated his mastership of ancient medicine.

In China he was known to have lived till the age of 150; his body vanished shortly after his death. Very few know that he then returned to the sister school at Sri Vijaya Monastery and ultimately died in Bali, Indonesia at the age of 250.

Prior to his return to Indonesia, Pancha Vidya had propagated and evolved in a different direction, having integrated with the local Islamic culture; over time it evolved into the more popularized style known as Pancha Silat. 

Hindu-Buddhist migration due to the Islamic expansion in India and later Malaysia, eventually arrived in the Philippines archipelago in the 1st millennium, through the Indonesian kingdom of Srivijaya followed by Majapahit. Hence the secret connection between most lineages of martial arts in South East Asia, including Japanese "karate" as we can recognise specific elements, forms, weapons and applications as seen in "kali". Kali is the Philippine martial arts tradition that takes its name from the wrathful female Hindu deity, also known as "anis" or "escrima".

When Bodhidharma returned after having realized the light body, he went on to refine Pancha Vidya and renamed it Pancha Tanmantra as it is known today.

Bhante Jinarakkhita with Thrangu Rinpoche 1984

This authentic practice was developed and designed over thousands of years to cater to each individual student's capacity. The art form has survived thousands of years through the guidance, protection and blessing of this unique and secret lineage as well as numerous virtuous realized beings.

Unlike most modern-day healing modalities that are constantly being created, this has survived the test of time. Through practice, this art form nurtures and develops mindfulness, awareness, compassion, dignity, confidence, longevity, health, fitness, discipline, courage, suppleness, sexuality by balancing the masculine and feminine and promotes well-being. It integrates our psychology with our physiology by aligning energy and balancing the emotions to help students practice a congruent, healthy and fulfilling lifestyle.

Ratu Giri Rakkhito Mahatera with
The Dalai Lama at Brahma Vihara,
Singaraja, Bali, Indonesia

The practice of Pancha, as it is affectionately called, can strengthen, empower and balance the practitioner on many levels. Pancha means 'five' and Tanmantra means 'subtle seeds of life'. Practitioners of this art form develop a deeper sense of being, body awareness and harmony that generates an authentic and disarming charisma.

Students not only learn a sophisticated, beautiful and refined art form through these ancient movements but also directly experience one's subtle body to gain a sensory and emotional intelligence.

Each movement, gesture and sound articulates and nourishes the body, mind and spirit. The union of these specific movements, breath and sound were passed down by many great masters and sages, designed to ignite one's light body through the energy pathways within one's physical body.

The format of the classes is taught as it was thousands of years ago. It became known as the training of the Bodhisattva or spiritual warrior. This is why it is referred to as the Path of the Bodhisattva and can only be learned through the blessings of this authentic royal lineage.

This Art Form is the Heart Tantra of All Martial Arts.

His Majesty The Sultan of Solo, S.I.S.K.S. Pakoe Boewono XII, Java Indonesia, H.E. Prince Ratu Sri Acharya Vajra Kumara Pandji Sakti, H.R.H. Princess Marianne Maetrie Vairocani Dewi Pandji Sakti with H.R.H. Princess Mia Dewi Pandji Sakti