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Empowerment (Tibetan Buddhism)

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An empowerment is a ritual in Tibetan Buddhism which initiates a student into a particular tantric deity practice. The Tibetan word for this is wang which literally translates to power. The sanskrit term for this is abhiseka which literally translates to sprinkling or bathing or anointing.[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.

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

the empowermenta reading of the text by an authorized holder of the practice (Tibetan: lung)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

[hide]

1 Commitment2 Process

3 Dzogchen empowerment4 See also

5 Notes

[edit] Commitment

By receiving the empowerment, the student enters into a samaya

vow with the teacher. 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.

[edit] Process

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

vase or water empowermentsecret or crown empowermentknowledge-wisdom (prajna-jnana) or vajra empowerment

word or bell empowerment[7]

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. a Buddha).[8] The vase empowerment symbolizes purification or preparation and may include a vase filled with water or washing. Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche compared that to baptism.

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][9]

[edit] Dzogchen empowerment

The " Empowerment of Awareness " (Tib: rig pa'i rtsal­ dbang) 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.[10]

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. 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.[10]