Four empowerments
Four empowerments (Tib. wang shyi; dbang bzhi)
In general, there are four levels of [or stages within] any empowerment:
1. 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 tsa
- 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.
2. 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 lung
- 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.
3. 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 tiklé
- authorizes the student as a receptive vessel for the ‘chandali’ practices of bliss and emptiness (i.e. tsa lung and tümmo)
- sows the seed for the attainment of the state of a ‘mahamudra vidyadhara’
- enables the student to attain the dharmakaya level of realization.
===4. 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 accomplishing vidyadhara’
- enables the student to attain the svabhavikakaya level of realization.