Empowerment

Empowerment (Tib. wang; dbang). There are three components needed in order to engage in a specific sadhana practice: the empowerment, the oral transmission (Tib. lung), and the secret instruction (Tib. tri) which are all granted or bestowed by a qualified master for each specific practice.

• The empowerment or wang is to mature or ripen us.
  
• The oral transmission or lung is to connect us.
  
• The secret instruction or tri is to liberate us.
  

Empowerment is to ripen or mature our buddha nature. Even though all beings this possesss the buddha nature, without receiving empowerment it is not possible to receive blessings and accomplishments through a particular practice, just as it will never be possible to get oil by pressing sand.

Many great masters have bestowed the most important empowerments needed for our practice upon the Rigpa sangha over the years, in particular, Kyabjé Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche in 1987 and 1990, Kyabjé Penor Rinpoche in 1988 and 1995, Kyabjé Dodrupchen Rinpoche in 1999, and Kyabjé Trulshik Rinpoche in 1999, 2003, and 2005.