Empowerment

Empowerment for Buddha Loving Eyes will be given as a blessing and support for the meditation practice. It is necessary to take the buddhist refuge. It will be possible to take the buddhist refuge at the end of lecture of Lama Ole Nydahl on Tuesday 9th of August 2005 or after explanation of H.H. 17th Karmapa Thaye Dorje on Wednesday, 10th of August 2005.

Manfred Seegers: The Meaning of Empowerments

All teachings of the Buddha can be summarised into the two groups of the Sutras and the Tantras. The Sutra vehicle is also called the Causal Vehicle, since here the causes for enlightenment are planted. The Tantra vehicle is also called the Fruition Vehicle, since it concerns the identification with the fruition, with enlightenment itself. Another name for the Sutra vehicle is also the Bodhisattvaway, while the Tantra vehicle commonly is known under the name of Diamondway (skt. Vajrayana).

Both ways work very closely together, because we practice the Diamondway with the Bodhisattva attitude. That means we do the practice with the goal to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. The methods that we use are the Tantras, and empowerments also belong into this context. The practice of the Diamondway is based on the different Tantra classes taught by the Buddha. One can say that the Diamondway contains the various Tantra teachings in the four Tantra classes that come to us from the Buddha through an uninterrupted transmission lineage.

In order to be able to practice the Tantras or the Diamondway one needs a transmission from a qualified teacher. Transmissions in the Diamondway consist of empowerments (tib. wang), reading transmissions (tib. lung), as well as explanations for the meditation practice (tib. thri). Empowerments are always given on the background of one of the four Tantra classes. The names of the four Tantra classes are Kriya-Tantra, Carya-Tantra, Yoga-Tantra, and Annuttarayoga-Tantra. They are distinguished according to the type of practitioner for whom they have been given. In the two first, the Kriya- and the Carya-Tantra, emphasis is laid on the outer behaviour. Certain rituals and the purity during the practice here play an important role. In the two higher classes, the Yoga- and the Annuttarayoga-Tantra, outer conduct is less important. Here we work as directly as possible with the nature of our mind.

The term empowerment or initiation literally means transmission of power (tib. wang) or initiation by sprinkling water (skt. abisheka). It is a quick method for ripening the mind of the student. The teacher who gives the empowerment, meditates on a certain Buddha aspect and connects us with this aspect. He transmits his experience of this enlightened quality on us by introducing us stepwise into the powerfield of the respective Buddha aspect and thus planting the seed for the development of this quality into our mind. The veils of body, speech, and mind are purified and through the regular meditation practice our inherent qualities are unfold. This finally leads to the accomplishment of the three states of a Buddha.

All Buddha aspects can be classified according to the four Tantra classes. The structure of an empowerment, the number of levels, the function of the different levels, and also the form of the related meditation practice depend on the Tantra class to which the respective Buddha aspect belongs. In essence empowerments are nothing else but guided meditations in the context of which after every section the blessing is passed on to the students.

The mostly used form of empowerment is the so-called ťpermission empowermentŤ (tib. dje-nang). It often consists of five levels transmitting a blessing for body, speech, mind, qualities and activities. At the end mostly a ťtorma empowermentŤ is given that summarises all previous levels. The ťtormaŤ or ťritual cakeŤ here represents the Buddha aspect itself. As the name ťpermission empowermentŤ implies, to this empowerment the permission is connected to perform the complete practice of the respective Buddha aspect. But it is rather a blessing for the practice and one is free to do the corresponding practice regularly or not.

In the context of a permission empowerment not much is explained additionally. It is mainly a blessing for whatever meditation practice we do. Actually, with every empowerment and practice there are connected a lot of explanations that are kept secret, because their full application depends on many conditions. They also can be easily misunderstood if one doesn't know exactly what happens. In this case it means that we also receive the empowerment if we do not understand all details. We just follow the different levels of the empowerment as well as possible, even if it feels a bit exotic to follow the outer rituals without knowing their exact meaning.

Furthermore, the meaning of empowerments can be explained as follows: Normally we have a strong attachment to our physical body. We identify very much with what we say and take our thoughts as very real. Through the methods of empowerments these general habits are dissolved more quickly. We learn to perceive ourselves and others not any more as ordinary beings but as the different buddhas. Ordinary habits are lifted to a pure level and transformed into the pure view. All living beings become buddhas surrounded by pure lands. All sounds are mantras, thoughts are self-arisen wisdom, and all outer appearances are the free play of the mind. This ultimate pure view corresponds to reality and brings about lasting happiness, a boundless joy that transcends all concepts.

After having built up a connection to a qualified teacher through an empowerment the liberated energy fields of the buddhas will stay with our mind as long as we keep the connection, even from life to life. They will protects as and care for a quick development towards enlightenment. In this way empowerments awaken the open, clear, limitless nature of our mind and enable us to experience the pure lands of the buddhas more and more in this very life.

Finally, some practical advice: In order to take part in an empowerment it is beneficial to apply a purification mantra before like that of Buddha Diamondmind and in this way open up for the empowerment. During the empowerment it is important to see the Lama who grants the empowerment as well as possible as the respective Buddha aspect. Thus one becomes more open for the blessing. At the end of the empowerment the Lama personally passes on the blessing through the different attributes that have been used during the empowerment. Here it is also possible to out of gratitude make a gift to the Lama. While the cue of the students passes by the Lama, it is important to keep the atmosphere of concentration and openness as well as possible. Since through an empowerment a deep connection between the students of the same teacher is established, one will meet each other often in the future and will be able to celebrate this great event adequately lateron.