021-028 Regarding empowerment

021 Regarding Empowerment (1)

What is Empowerment?

Disciple asks: Venerable Master, what is empowerment?

Venerable Master Bao replies:

The meaning of empowerment is very broad. The Sanskrit word is “Abhisheka,” which sometimes means breaking, sometimes means pouring, purification, etc., with many different meanings.

Empowerment can be simply explained as entering the door of Tantric Buddhism, or receiving the right to practice, purifying karmic sins, or the transmission of blessings and energy. It can be simply explained in this way.

The empowerment ceremony is very common in Tantric Buddhism. The reason is that all Buddhist teachings are entered through one door. For example, the door to Buddhism is taking refuge, the entrance to Mahayana Buddhism is receiving the Bodhisattva precepts, and the entrance to Tantric Buddhism is receiving empowerment.

Empowerment means receiving blessings, repentance, transmission, and breaking down ego-clinging, etc. The Chinese translation by Master Amoghavajra in the past is also very meaningful: “the transmission of blessings, the pouring in of blessings.”

022 Regarding Empowerment (2)

What is the meaning of empowerment?

Disciple asks: Venerable Master, empowerment is common in Tantric Buddhism. What is its meaning? Is it alright to receive empowerment without practicing afterwards?

Venerable Master Bao replies:

The meaning of empowerment can be said to be both simple and complex. Venerable Atisha said: “Empowerment has eleven meanings and merits.” In brief:

1. The function of repentance: Before empowerment, there is always a repentance ceremony to purify all the fundamental and subsidiary karmic sins committed through body, speech, and mind. II. For Receiving Precepts: For those who have not yet received precepts, this is the ceremony of receiving precepts, including taking refuge, generating the bodhicitta, the Hinayana precepts of individual liberation (lay precepts, monastic precepts), the Mahayana Bodhisattva precepts, and the Vajrayana precepts; it is also the ritual for reciting precepts, serving to mend broken precepts and restore the precept body. There are various opinions on whether the precept body of individual liberation precepts can be restored, which will not be discussed here, but for Bodhisattva precepts and Vajrayana precepts, they can be restored with a repentant heart and the intention of receiving the precepts again, thus serving the purpose of mending broken precepts. For those who have already received empowerment and precepts, the common parts of the precepts are the same whether receiving one or a thousand empowerments, but the precepts specific to individual deities differ.

III. For Removing Obstacles: At the moment of receiving empowerment, the faithful can eliminate physical and mental obstacles.

IV. For Receiving Blessings: The guru practices a dharma method, opens the mandala, and recites mantras. Through the recipient’s faith in the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the power of the guru, the lineage masters, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas’ vows and mantras, the power of the ritual implements (as auspicious objects) used during the empowerment, the power of meditation, etc., blessings and auspiciousness are received.

V. For Authorization: The guru grants permission to practice this dharma method from today onwards, and the recipient joyfully accepts it as a daily practice.

However, it is not necessary to practice all dharma methods daily after receiving empowerment. One can substitute all previously received empowerments with the practice of the Vajrasattva dharma method, continuously reciting it twenty-one or one hundred and eight times daily.

However, for some special empowerments and dharma methods for which one has made special vows, such as receiving the inner, outer, and secret empowerments of Manjushri Bodhisattva, and vowing to practice a certain number of times daily without interruption, these special empowerments and vows cannot be interrupted and must be performed daily.

023 Regarding Empowerment (3)

Is it possible to repent for all sentient beings during empowerment?

Disciple asks: May I ask the Guru, is it possible to repent for all sentient beings during empowerment? Venerable Master Bao replied: No matter what we do, it is for the benefit of all sentient beings; this must not be forgotten. Therefore, during the empowerment ceremony, we can repent for all sentient beings.

There are three things we must not forget when practicing or performing Dharma activities:

1. The objects of refuge: the Guru, the Yidam (meditational deity), and the Dakini (female deity).
2. The objects of compassion: all sentient beings, our mothers in past lives; this must not be forgotten.
3. The Dharma practice we are currently undertaking; this must not be forgotten.

When performing any virtuous deeds related to Buddhism, these three points must not be forgotten.

024 Regarding Empowerment (4)

Can reciting the mantra of one Yidam replace all the mantras of the Yidams for which one has received empowerment?

Disciple asked: Venerable Master, after receiving many different empowerments, can I recite the mantra of one Yidam to replace all the mantras of the Yidams for which I have received empowerment?

Venerable Master Bao replied: Those who have received many empowerments should recite the mantra of each deity. It’s impossible to practice all the rituals; it would take more than a day. Practice shouldn’t be a burden; it should be joyful. Reciting the mantras of the Yidams for which you have received empowerment daily is sufficient.

For those who have completed retreats on the Three Roots (Guru, Yidam, and Dakini) and have integrated with the Yidam in their practice, this is permissible according to the Nyingma tradition. Regardless of how many empowerments one has received, ultimately, the practice is of the Three Roots, and integrating with the Three Roots within a single mandala is permissible.

This is not only true for the Nyingma school; the complete works of the Eighth Khenpo Geshe Rinpoche, the founding master of the famous Gelugpa Geshe Monastery in Aba County, Sichuan, states: “All Dharma practices can be integrated with the Yidam; practicing one Dharma practice can replace all others.”

The “Precious Source of Lineage” by the Sixth Panchen Lama, Lobsang Chokyi Gyaltsen, in the section on the practice of all Yidams, states: “Recite the four-line praise of each Yidam, followed by the mantra, three times.” For all the Yidams for which you have received empowerment, this is sufficient for daily practice.

According to the Sakya tradition, one must practice the Yidams for which one has received empowerment daily. The method of practice mostly involves reciting mantras, not performing every ritual. 025 Regarding Empowerment (5)

Can I attend your lectures or group practice without having received your empowerment?

Disciple’s question: Venerable Master, may I attend your lectures or group practice without having received your empowerment?

Venerable Master’s answer:

In Vajrayana Buddhism, anyone who has received empowerment from a qualified or lineage-holding master can listen to my teachings.

There are many levels of esoteric teachings: outer tantra, inner tantra, and secret tantra, or Kriya Tantra, Charya Tantra, Yoga Tantra, and Anuttarayoga Tantra. For teachings below Anuttarayoga Tantra, participation is fine even without empowerment. For example, “Om Mani Padme Hum” can be recited without empowerment; having empowerment and oral transmission makes it more complete, but it can still be recited without oral transmission. The Medicine Buddha mantra is another example; these Kriya and Charya Tantra practices can be performed without empowerment. This is the rule of Vajrayana Buddhism.

For Anuttarayoga Tantra, empowerment is absolutely necessary. Some require a major empowerment, followed by individual permission empowerments for greater completeness. A major empowerment involves preliminary, main, and concluding stages. The preliminary stage includes preparatory empowerments—an observation to determine whether one can formally receive the empowerment. This involves various methods of observation, such as dreams, toothpicks, flower offerings, etc., to indicate whether you can receive the empowerment, after which you can receive the main empowerment.

The main empowerment has four parts: vase empowerment, secret empowerment, wisdom empowerment, and word-meaning empowerment. Receiving all four constitutes a complete major empowerment. Individual empowerments, such as permission empowerments, mantra blessings, Torma empowerments, etc., are shorter rituals with simpler procedures, allowing for blessings of body, speech, and mind, etc.

026 Regarding Empowerment (6)

If many Vajrayana empowerments are given, what if the disciples do not uphold the Samaya vows?

Disciple’s question:

Venerable Master, nowadays, Tibetan Buddhist masters are spreading the Dharma in Taiwan and giving many Vajrayana empowerments. If the disciples do not uphold the Samaya vows, wouldn’t the consequences be even more disastrous? Because many secret and profound Dharma teachings are now being openly taught, but many disciples lack clear understanding and proper insight.

Venerable Master Bao replied: Oh! The consequences are very serious! (laughs)

Only by receiving a great empowerment of the highest tantra can one be considered to have received a tantric empowerment. Even if one receives many more empowerments afterward, there is only one set of precepts to uphold, without other overly complicated rules. That’s right! Although some empowerments may have special precepts, it’s only a small part.

If we were to compare the merits and the harm caused by transgressions, I wouldn’t dare to make a judgment.

Someone once asked me if the rituals of Tantric Buddhism could be translated? If beings with immature faith were to read them, would it benefit them or harm them? On this matter, many who examine it from the perspective of transgressions believe that one must first have a foundation of correct understanding and views before reading them, while those who observe it from the perspective of merit believe that they should be read.

When Atisha came to Tibet, he did not transmit the secret teachings, and many Indian pandits and Tibetan sages considered this a great mistake! Although breaking precepts leads to hell, through the karmic connection and merit gained from receiving the secret teachings, one will achieve liberation after sixteen lifetimes; the cycle of reincarnation will have an end!

If only common Dharma teachings are transmitted, the other party will still be in the cycle of reincarnation indefinitely. Therefore, from this perspective, it was believed that Atisha should have transmitted the secret teachings.

The one who widely propagated the Tantric teachings in the early days was Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava). Later, the ones who transmitted the most Tantric teachings were the great translators such as Buddhagupta, Bari Lotsawa, Marpa Lotsawa, etc. When Vimalamitra was in Tibet, he only transmitted the Dakini and Dzogchen teachings; he did not transmit other tantras except for a few, such as Vajrakilaya and Vajrayogini.

Therefore, regarding whether to transmit or not, from the perspective of merit, even if one’s observance of precepts is not pure, since the secret teachings are encountered only after countless eons, the merit of hearing them is inconceivable!

Conversely, if we only consider the aspect of transgressions, it seems that the secret teachings should not be transmitted, because the karmic consequences are also inconceivable! 027 Regarding Empowerment (7)

Cultivating Bodhicitta is the most important of all practices, so does this mean we don’t need to go around seeking Vajrayana empowerments?

Disciple’s question: Venerable Master, if I understand your teachings correctly, it seems that cultivating Bodhicitta is the most important of all practices. Does this mean we don’t need to go around seeking Vajrayana empowerments? Is this understanding correct?

Venerable Master’s answer: Taking refuge and generating Bodhicitta are necessary conditions for disciples before receiving Vajrayana empowerments. If you haven’t generated Bodhicitta, you cannot truly receive the empowerment. Your understanding is completely correct. However, it is still possible to receive empowerments without having generated Bodhicitta, such as receiving multiple long-life empowerments as you requested, but these only have the function of blessings.

Regarding specific protector deity empowerments, if you have already received a deity empowerment, you can receive one or two other deity empowerments, but there is really no need to collect different deity empowerments, as it doesn’t have any special significance. Cultivating the mind is the key, and you are right.

However, receiving empowerments can still have many benefits, especially the fourth empowerment—the word-meaning empowerment. But be careful, many empowerments require keeping precepts, and some precepts are not easy to observe.

028 Regarding Empowerment (8)

After receiving empowerment, there are Samaya vows. What if the disciple doesn’t uphold them?

Disciple’s question: Venerable Master, after receiving empowerment, there are Samaya vows. What if the disciple doesn’t uphold them afterwards? Wouldn’t that be a violation of the precepts?

Venerable Master’s answer: Fortunately, we will explain this in two main parts:

1. Any empowerment requires reciting the Vajrasattva mantra (the hundred-syllable mantra). This is the general collection of all Kriya and Charya Tantra practices, and many tantras mention it as the most supreme method for purifying all sins. When reciting the Vajrasattva mantra, you can simultaneously visualize the practices and deities you have received while reciting and repenting. We say that reciting the Vajrasattva mantra twenty-one times a day will balance the sins and merits of that day; the sins you have committed can be remedied. If you recite it one hundred and eight times, the transgressions will be completely purified. 2. The Bodhisattva precepts and Tantric precepts are divided into two parts: those that one is capable of upholding and those that one is not yet capable of upholding. This means there are precepts that one can uphold now, and precepts that one will uphold when one is capable in the future.

The fourteen root downfalls are not something that must be observed completely after receiving empowerment; rather, they need to be observed only when one has reached a similar level of attainment through the practice of the generation and completion stages. For example, with the Bodhisattva precepts, if you attain the Bodhisattva stage, you must give your head and hands if someone asks for them. Before reaching this level of attainment, you cannot give them!

The Tantric precepts are the same. They seem very strict, but upon closer examination, they are actually not that serious. Therefore, most deities of the Highest Yoga Tantra have only one precept, without other overly complicated ones.

Some deities may have individual Samaya precepts; these refer to the special precepts of their protectors. For example, the precepts of Mahakala include not harming crows or black dogs, as they are symbols, messengers, and pets of Mahakala, or not eating pork, etc. These precepts of the protectors are for those who have received these empowerments; those who haven’t received them do not need to observe them.

The saying, “Viewing the three doors as the three Vajras, one will not violate any Tantric precepts,” means that if one can observe the three doors—body, speech, and mind—as the three Vajras in daily life, one will not violate any Tantric precepts.

This means that, regardless of time or place, at least during the six periods of the day and night (every four hours), one should mentally visualize oneself and others as the deity. This is the body Vajra precept; the speech Vajra precept is to view all sounds, whether human voices, car sounds, or machine sounds, as mantras during the six periods of the day and night, at least recalling and reciting the deity’s mantra; the mind Vajra precept is not to forget to abide in the meditation of the deity. This is very difficult; at least one must cultivate bodhicitta, which is a common foundation for both exoteric and esoteric Buddhism!

Although one has not yet realized the true three Vajras of the deity, if one can cultivate a pure mind and visualize and recognize one’s own body, speech, and mind as those of the deity every four hours, then it is considered that one has not violated the Tantric precepts. Simply put, it’s not too difficult, but to be extremely strict, it is very difficult. After receiving the Kalachakra empowerment, there are six yogic practices. If one belongs to the Jonang school, they would perform this ritual once every four hours, reciting the Bodhisattva vows and Tantric vows, reflecting on any transgressions and making amends through repentance.

If it’s a Hevajra empowerment, one must practice the four-session path, performing the entire ritual from the lineage guru’s supplication to refuge and bodhicitta, Vajrasattva, and the five Dhyani Buddhas’ empowerments. There are long and short versions; the short version is about five or six pages, while the long version is fifty or sixty pages, taking about two hours to recite slowly (laughs).

In the past, the Sakya masters often practiced this way. Currently, the only one I know of is Palden Rinpoche, who performs four sessions a day, practicing Hevajra and other practices, so he hardly sleeps, spending almost all his time in practice.

Kyabje Chogye Trichen Rinpoche also practices four sessions a day; most other Sakya masters also perform the long and medium versions once each day, and the short version twice. The Nyingma school is the same; after receiving the Guhyagarbha empowerment, one must practice Vajrasattva six times, at least once. But with so many deities, how can one practice them all? If you have received the empowerment of your main deity, you can integrate all the deities into your main deity and practice that way.

Longchenpa’s Resting in the Nature of Mind also describes the practice of focusing on a single deity, where all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are practiced through one main deity, completing the practice of all Buddhas. The Drikung Kagyu’s Collection of All Teachings and the Nyingma school’s Vajrasattva practice also have similar methods. Therefore, even with so many empowerments, practicing with a single deity is fine; otherwise, the seventy-odd volumes of the Great Treasure of Revealed Teachings contain over five hundred major empowerments, plus other empowerments, totaling about a thousand. Even spending twenty-four hours a day chanting mantras wouldn’t be enough (laughs).

The Sakya school’s Collection of Accomplishments also has a similar number; the Jonang school’s Source of Accomplishments has about three hundred empowerments. They cannot interrupt their daily mantra recitation, so they practice with a few main deities plus Vajrasattva. Therefore, as long as practitioners of Vajrayana Buddhism do not interrupt their practice of Vajrasattva, they will not commit the transgression of breaking the Vajrayana samaya vows.