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An empowerment is a ritual in Tibetan Buddhism which initiates a student into a particular tantric deity practice. Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including Vajrayana Buddhism is also known as Tantric Buddhism, Tantrayāna, Mantrayana, Mantranaya, Secret Mantra, Esoteric Buddhism and The Tibetan word for this is wang which literally translates to power. Tibetan refers to a group of languages spoken primarily by Tibetan peoples who live across a wide area of eastern Central Asia bordering South Asia as well as by overseas The sanskrit term for this is abhiseka which literally translates to sprinkling or bathing or anointing. Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical Abhiseka is the name used to describe a number of ritualistic practices in Indian religions. [1] A tantric practice is not considered effective or as effective until a qualified master has transmitted the corresponding power of the practice directly to the student. This may also refer to introducing the student to the mandala of the deity. Mandala ( Sanskrit maṇḍala मंड "essence" + ल "having" or "containing"

There are three requirements before a student may begin a practice: [2][3][4][5]

  1. the empowerment
  2. a reading of the text by an authorized holder of the practice (Tibetan: lung)
  3. instruction on how to perform the practice or rituals (Tibetan: tri).

An individual is not allowed to engage in a deity practice without the empowerment for that practice. The details of an empowerment ritual are often kept secret as are the specific rituals involved in the deity practice. [6]

Contents

Commitment

Various Buddhist schools require different levels of commitment before receiving empowerments. The Gelug school requires the practitioner to take a pratimoksha (individual liberation) vow before or during the ceremony. The Gelug or Gelug-pa, also known as the Yellow Hat sect, is a school of Buddhism founded by Tsongkhapa (1357–1419 a Philosopher The Pratimoksha (skt deals with the buddhist vows of personal liberation given by the Buddha to his followers [7] Karma Kagyu requires the practitioner to have taken the Bodhisattva Vow [8] All schools require the practitioner to have taken refuge. Karma Kagyu ( or Kamtsang, is the largest lineage within the Kagyu school one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. In the various Bodhisattva vows (sometimes called the Bodhisattva Precepts) of Mahayana Buddhism, the Bodhisattvas take Vows stating In lay and monastic ordination ceremonies Buddhists take the Three Refuges in the Three Jewels and are said to "take refuge

By receiving the empowerment, the student enters into a samaya vow with the teacher. In Vajrayana Buddhism, samaya or in Tibetan damtshig ( is the "sacred bond" formed between the vajra Guru and disciple that protects The details of that vow are determined by the teacher and student. It may include completing a certain amount of practice or considering that teacher one's primary teacher.

Process

The ritual for performing an empowerment can be divided into four parts:

The ritual is based on the coronation process of a king but in this case represents the student being empowered as the deity of the practice (ie. In the Pali Canon In the Pali Canon, paññā is defined in a variety of overlapping ways frequently centering on concentrated insight Jñāna (also spelled Gñāna; Devanagari ज्ञान is the Sanskrit term for Knowledge or Philosophy. a Buddha). [10] The vase empowerment symbolizes purification or preparation and may include a vase filled with water or washing. Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche compared that to baptism. Chögyam Trungpa (February 1939 &ndash April 4, 1987) was a Buddhist Meditation master scholar teacher poet artist and a Trungpa In Christianity, baptism ( Greek, "immersing" "performing Ablutions " is the ritual act with the use of water by which one is admitted The secret or crown empowerment involves receiving a coronation or identification as that deity. The knowledge-wisdom empowerment symbolizes receiving a scepter representing the skillful means of the deity. The word or bell empowerment is receiving the wisdom of the deity. [1][11]

Dzogchen empowerment

The "Empowerment of Awareness" (Tib: Rigpai rTsal­dbang) is a technical term employed within the Dzogchen lineages. This empowerment consists of the direct introduction of the sadhaka to the intrinsic nature of their own mind-essence, rigpa, by their empowering master. A sadhaka ( Sanskrit) is a practitioner of a particular Sadhana. Rigpa (Tibetan Sanskrit Vidya) is the primordial nondual awareness advocated by the Dzogchen and Mahamudra teachings [12]

According to the Nyingmapa story of the advent of the Dzogchen teachings on this planet, it is held that Garab Dorje received this empowerment (abhiseka) directly from Vajrasattva. The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism (the other three being the Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug) According to some schools of Tibetan Buddhism and Bön, Dzogchen is the natural primordial state or natural condition of every sentient Being Prahevajra or Pramodavajra ( Fl 55 CE) (Tibetan Garab Dorje,; Sanskrit: Prahevajra or Pramodavajra) was the Abhiseka is the name used to describe a number of ritualistic practices in Indian religions. Vajrasattva ( Tibetan: Dorje Sempa Japanese: Kongōsatta Chinese: 金剛薩埵 Jīn gāng sà duǒ is a Bodhisattva in the Mahayana This employment of the 'creative energy' (Tibetan: rTsal) is what is transferred in the empowerment from the heart of the heart of the master to the heart of the student. [12]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b Trungpa (1985) pp. Abhiseka is the name used to describe a number of ritualistic practices in Indian religions. Dharma transmission ( denbō or denpo in Sōtō and inka in Rinzai and Ōbaku) refers to "the manner in which the teaching A lineage in Buddhism is a record of teachers and their disciples or students Lung (Tibetan rlung) is a word that means wind or breath It is a key concept in the Vajrayana traditions of Tibetan Buddhism and as such is part of the For Sadhana the actress see Sadhana (actress Sadhana (Sanskrit sādhanam) is a Sanskrit term for "a means of accomplishing something" 92-93
  2. ^ Glossary. United Trungram Buddhist Fellowship. Retrieved on 2007-12-09. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 536 - Byzantine General Belisarius enters Rome while the Ostrogothic garrison peacefully leaves the city
  3. ^ Interview with Trinley Thaye Dorje, the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa. Trinley Thaye Dorje ( (born 6 May, 1983, Lhasa, Tibet) is recognized by a number of Buddhist groups as a 17th Karmapa. Buddhism Today, Vol. 8. Diamond Way Buddhism, USA (2000). Retrieved on 2007-12-09. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 536 - Byzantine General Belisarius enters Rome while the Ostrogothic garrison peacefully leaves the city
  4. ^ Vajrayana. Kagyu Samye Ling Monastery and Tibetan Centre. Retrieved on 2007-12-09. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 536 - Byzantine General Belisarius enters Rome while the Ostrogothic garrison peacefully leaves the city
  5. ^ Mingyur Dorje Rinpoche. Vajrayana and Empowerment. Kagyu Samye Ling Monastery and Tibetan Centre. Retrieved on 2007-12-09. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 536 - Byzantine General Belisarius enters Rome while the Ostrogothic garrison peacefully leaves the city
  6. ^ The Meaning of Empowerment. The Bodhicitta Foundation. Retrieved on 2007-12-09. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 536 - Byzantine General Belisarius enters Rome while the Ostrogothic garrison peacefully leaves the city
  7. ^ Alexander Berzin (2002). Alexander Berzin (born 1944 is a Buddhist Scholar translator and teacher focusing on the Tibetan tradition Basic Features of Tantra. The Berzin Archives. Retrieved on 2007-12-09. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 536 - Byzantine General Belisarius enters Rome while the Ostrogothic garrison peacefully leaves the city
  8. ^ Tai Situ (March 2004). In Tibetan Buddhism the Tai Situpa is one of the oldest lineages of Tulkus (reincarnated Lamas in the Kagyu school Bodhisattva Vow. Transcriptions of teachings given by His Eminence the 12th Kenting Tai Situpa. Retrieved on 2007-12-09. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 536 - Byzantine General Belisarius enters Rome while the Ostrogothic garrison peacefully leaves the city
  9. ^ Empowerment. Khandro. Net. Retrieved on 2007-12-09. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 536 - Byzantine General Belisarius enters Rome while the Ostrogothic garrison peacefully leaves the city
  10. ^ Dhavamony (1973) p. 187
  11. ^ Beer (2004) p. 219
  12. ^ a b Biographies: Pramodavajra, Regent of the Divine. Dharma Fellowship of His Holiness the Gwayala Karmapa (2005). Retrieved on 2007-11-15. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 655 - Battle of Winwaed: Penda of Mercia is defeated by Oswiu of Northumbria.
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