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'''Four empowerments''' (Tib. ''wang shyi'' | <noinclude>'''Four empowerments''' (Tib. དབང་བཞི་, ''wang shyi'', [[Wyl.]] ''dbang bzhi'') — in general, and according to the [[inner tantras]], there are four levels or stages within any [[empowerment]]:</noinclude> | ||
#the vase empowerment (Wyl. ''bum pa'i dbang''; | #the vase empowerment (Skt. ''kalaśābhiṣeka''; Tib. བུམ་པའི་དབང་, ''bumpé wang'', Wyl. ''bum pa'i dbang'') | ||
#the secret empowerment (Skt. ''guhyābhiṣeka''; Tib. གསང་བའི་དབང་, ''sangwé wang'', 'Wyl. ''gsang ba'i dbang''; ) | |||
#the knowledge-wisdom empowerment (Wyl. ''shes rab ye shes kyi dbang | #the knowledge-wisdom empowerment (Skt. ''prajñājñānābhiṣeka''; Tib. ཤེས་རབ་ཡེ་ཤེས་ཀྱི་དབང་, ''sherab yeshe kyi wang'', Wyl. ''shes rab ye shes kyi dbang'') | ||
#the precious word empowerment | #the [[precious word empowerment]] | ||
<noinclude> | |||
==The Function of the Four Empowerments== | ==The Function of the Four Empowerments== | ||
=== The Vase Empowerment === | |||
*purifies all the negative [[karma]] accumulated through [[negative actions]] of the body | *purifies all the negative [[karma]] accumulated through [[negative actions]] of the body | ||
*grants the [[blessing]]s of the vajra body | *grants the [[blessing]]s of the [[vajra body]] | ||
*unknots and heals the [[tsa|nadi]] | *unknots and heals the [[tsa|nadi]] | ||
*authorizes the student as a receptive vessel for [[kyérim]], the generation stage of visualization | *authorizes the student as a receptive vessel for [[kyérim]], the generation stage of visualization | ||
| Line 15: | Line 16: | ||
*enables the student to attain the [[nirmanakaya ]] level of realization. | *enables the student to attain the [[nirmanakaya ]] level of realization. | ||
=== The Secret Empowerment === | |||
*purifies all the negative karma accumulated through negative actions of the speech | *purifies all the negative karma accumulated through negative actions of the speech | ||
*grants the blessings of vajra speech | *grants the blessings of vajra speech | ||
| Line 23: | Line 24: | ||
*enables the student to attain the [[sambhogakaya]] level of realization. | *enables the student to attain the [[sambhogakaya]] level of realization. | ||
=== The Transcendent Knowledge-Wisdom Empowerment === | |||
*purifies all the negative karma accumulated through negative actions of the mind | *purifies all the negative karma accumulated through negative actions of the mind | ||
*grants the blessings of the vajra mind | *grants the blessings of the vajra mind | ||
*purifies and enhances [[tiklé|bindu]] | *purifies and enhances [[tiklé|bindu]] | ||
*authorizes the student as a receptive vessel for the ''chandali'' practices of bliss and emptiness (i.e. tsa lung and | *authorizes the student as a receptive vessel for the ''chandali'' practices of bliss and emptiness (i.e. [[tsa-lung]] and [[tummo]]) | ||
*sows the seed for the attainment of the state of a ‘[[mahamudra vidyadhara]]’ | *sows the seed for the attainment of the state of a ‘[[mahamudra vidyadhara]]’ | ||
*enables the student to attain the [[dharmakaya]] level of realization. | *enables the student to attain the [[dharmakaya]] level of realization. | ||
=== The Precious Word Empowerment === | |||
*purifies all defilements of body, speech and mind, and all [[karmic obscurations|karmic]] and [[cognitive obscurations]] | *purifies all defilements of body, speech and mind, and all [[karmic obscurations|karmic]] and [[cognitive obscurations]] | ||
*grants the blessings of vajra wisdom | *grants the blessings of vajra wisdom | ||
| Line 37: | Line 38: | ||
*sows the seed for the attainment of the state of a ‘[[spontaneously accomplished vidyadhara]]’ | *sows the seed for the attainment of the state of a ‘[[spontaneously accomplished vidyadhara]]’ | ||
*enables the student to attain the [[svabhavikakaya]] level of realization. | *enables the student to attain the [[svabhavikakaya]] level of realization. | ||
==Teachings Given to the [[About Rigpa|Rigpa]] Sangha== | |||
*Ven. Sean Price, [[Lerab Ling]], question & answer session, 15 June 2019 | |||
==Further Reading== | ==Further Reading== | ||
*His Holiness [[Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche]], ''Pure Appearance—Development and Completion Stages in the Vajrayana Practice'' (Halifax: Vajravairochana Translation Committee, 2002), pages 1-14. restricted publication | |||
*Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, ''Guru Yoga: According to the Preliminary Practice of Longchen Nyingtik'' (Ithaca: Snow Lion, 1999), pages 63-70. | |||
*[[Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse]], ''Not for Happiness'' (Boston & London: Shambhala, 2012) Ch.13 'Abhisheka and the Four Empowerments in Guru Yoga'. | |||
*[[Mingyur Rinpoche]], ''Turning Confusion into Clarity'' (Boulder: Snow Lion, 2014), pages 331-335. | |||
*[[Thinley Norbu]], ''The Small Golden Key'' (Shambhala Publications, 1999), pages 60-63. | |||
*[[Tulku Thondup]], ''Enlightened Journey'' (Boston: Shambhala, 1995), Chapter 12 'Receiving the Four Empowerments of Ngöndro Meditation'. | *[[Tulku Thondup]], ''Enlightened Journey'' (Boston: Shambhala, 1995), Chapter 12 'Receiving the Four Empowerments of Ngöndro Meditation'. | ||
[[Category:Empowerments]] | [[Category:Empowerments]] | ||
[[Category:Enumerations]] | [[Category:Enumerations]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:04-Four]]</noinclude> | ||
Latest revision as of 01:06, 20 February 2021
Four empowerments (Tib. དབང་བཞི་, wang shyi, Wyl. dbang bzhi) — in general, and according to the inner tantras, there are four levels or stages within any empowerment:
- the vase empowerment (Skt. kalaśābhiṣeka; Tib. བུམ་པའི་དབང་, bumpé wang, Wyl. bum pa'i dbang)
- the secret empowerment (Skt. guhyābhiṣeka; Tib. གསང་བའི་དབང་, sangwé wang, 'Wyl. gsang ba'i dbang; )
- the knowledge-wisdom empowerment (Skt. prajñājñānābhiṣeka; Tib. ཤེས་རབ་ཡེ་ཤེས་ཀྱི་དབང་, sherab yeshe kyi wang, Wyl. shes rab ye shes kyi dbang)
- the precious word empowerment
The Function of the Four Empowerments
The Vase Empowerment
- purifies all the negative karma accumulated through negative actions of the body
- grants the blessings of the vajra body
- unknots and heals the nadi
- authorizes the student as a receptive vessel for kyérim, the generation stage of visualization
- sows the seed for the attainment of the state of a ‘completely matured vidyadhara’
- enables the student to attain the nirmanakaya level of realization.
The Secret Empowerment
- purifies all the negative karma accumulated through negative actions of the speech
- grants the blessings of vajra speech
- unblocks and re-balances the prana
- authorizes the student as a receptive vessel for mantra recitation
- sows the seed for the attainment of the state of a ‘vidyadhara with power over life’
- enables the student to attain the sambhogakaya level of realization.
The Transcendent Knowledge-Wisdom Empowerment
- purifies all the negative karma accumulated through negative actions of the mind
- grants the blessings of the vajra mind
- purifies and enhances bindu
- authorizes the student as a receptive vessel for the chandali practices of bliss and emptiness (i.e. tsa-lung and tummo)
- sows the seed for the attainment of the state of a ‘mahamudra vidyadhara’
- enables the student to attain the dharmakaya level of realization.
The Precious Word Empowerment
- purifies all defilements of body, speech and mind, and all karmic and cognitive obscurations
- grants the blessings of vajra wisdom
- authorizes the student as a receptive vessel for the practice of trekchö
- sows the seed for the attainment of the state of a ‘spontaneously accomplished vidyadhara’
- enables the student to attain the svabhavikakaya level of realization.
Teachings Given to the Rigpa Sangha
- Ven. Sean Price, Lerab Ling, question & answer session, 15 June 2019
Further Reading
- His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Pure Appearance—Development and Completion Stages in the Vajrayana Practice (Halifax: Vajravairochana Translation Committee, 2002), pages 1-14. restricted publication
- Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Guru Yoga: According to the Preliminary Practice of Longchen Nyingtik (Ithaca: Snow Lion, 1999), pages 63-70.
- Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse, Not for Happiness (Boston & London: Shambhala, 2012) Ch.13 'Abhisheka and the Four Empowerments in Guru Yoga'.
- Mingyur Rinpoche, Turning Confusion into Clarity (Boulder: Snow Lion, 2014), pages 331-335.
- Thinley Norbu, The Small Golden Key (Shambhala Publications, 1999), pages 60-63.
- Tulku Thondup, Enlightened Journey (Boston: Shambhala, 1995), Chapter 12 'Receiving the Four Empowerments of Ngöndro Meditation'.