Empowerment

Sogyal Rinpoche and Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche during an empowerment

Empowerment (Skt. abhiṣeka or abhiṣiñca; Tib. དབང་, Wyl. dbang, wang) is the Vajrayana initiation that transmits or awakens primordial wisdom (Tib. yeshe), the power or realization in the mind of the disciple.

Subdivisions

In General

In general there are three types of empowerment:

1. the ground empowerment
2. the path empowerment
3. the result empowerment

According to Khenpo Ngakchung:

1. The ground empowerment is so called because when the nature of mind, sugatagarbha, is realized, this constitutes the "empowerment" of nirvana, and when it is not realized, this constitutes the "empowerment" of the three worlds of samsara. This nature is actually what is to be matured in the ground empowerment of the path empowerment (see below).
2. The path empowerment is divided into three: ground, path, and result.
3. The result empowerment. In the very instant following the result empowerment of the path (see below), one gains mastery of the wisdom of omniscience and has authority over everything in samsara and nirvana.

Tulku Thondup explains that among the different ways of categorizing empowerments:

1. empowerments given to disciples who have not been initiated before are called causal empowerment;
2. the empowerment given to students for developing their maturation or restoring the broken precepts are classified as empowerment of the path; and
3. empowerments given to those who are ready to achieve the final attainment and which cause the disciple to attain the ultimate fruition are classified as empowerments of result because they bring the final result.

In the Inner Tantras

According to the inner tantras, there are four levels or stages within any empowerment:

1. the vase empowerment (Skt. kalaśābhiṣeka; Tib. བུམ་པའི་དབང་, bumpé wang, Wyl. bum pa'i dbang)
2. the secret empowerment (Skt. guhyābhiṣeka; Tib. གསང་བའི་དབང་, sangwé wang, 'Wyl. gsang ba'i dbang; )
3. the knowledge-wisdom empowerment (Skt. prajñājñānābhiṣeka; Tib. ཤེས་རབ་ཡེ་ཤེས་ཀྱི་དབང་, sherab yeshe kyi wang, Wyl. shes rab ye shes kyi dbang)
4. the precious word empowerment

The Function of Empowerment

Empowerment is to ripen or mature our buddha nature. Even though all beings possess 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.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama says:

"When an empowerment is conferred on you, it is the nature of your mind—the buddha nature—that provides a basis upon which the empowerment can ripen you. Through the empowerment, you are empowered into the essence of the buddhas of the five families. In particular, you are ‘ripened’ within that particular family through which it is your personal predisposition to attain buddhahood."

Two Causes & Four Conditions

Two Causes

1. The associated cause (mtshung ldan gyi rgyu) is the presence of the buddha nature
2. The cooperative cause (lhan cig byed pa'i rgyu) is the use of various substances (rdzas) during the empowerment, such as the vase, image cards and so forth.

Four Conditions

1. The causal condition (rgyu'i rkyen) is the disciple who has faith and intelligence
2. The dominant condition (bdag rkyen) is the teacher who is fully qualified
3. The objective condition (dmigs rkyen) is the teacher's knowledge of the empowerment, deities, and mantras, and samadhi
4. The immediate condition (de ma thag rkyen) is the previous phase or empowerment, since each phase prepares the student for what follows, and that is why empowerments must be given in the proper sequence

Empowerments Given to the Rigpa Sangha

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.

Teachings Given to the Rigpa Sangha on the Topic of Empowerment

• Khenpo Petsé Rinpoche, Lerab Ling, 21-22 August 1997

Further Reading

• Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Journey Without Goal, The Collected Works of Chögyam Trungpa, Volume Four (Boston & London: Shambhala, 2003), Ch. 10 'Abhisheka'.
• Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse, Not for Happiness (Boston & London: Shambhala, 2012) Ch.13 'Abhisheka and the Four Empowerments in Guru Yoga'.
• Herbert V. Guenther, The Dawn of Tantra, The Collected Works of Chögyam Trungpa, Volume Four (Boston & London: Shambhala, 2003), Ch. 9 'Empowerment and Initiations'.
• His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Pure Appearance (Halifax: Vajravairochana Translation Committee, 1992, 2002—restricted title), pages 1-14.
• Jamgön Kongtrul, The Treasury of Knowledge, Book Six, Part Four: Systems of Buddhist Tantra, translated by Elio Guarisco and Ingrid McLeod (Ithaca: Snow Lion, 2005), Ch. 12 'Initiation'.
• Padmasambhava & Jamgön Kongtrul, The Light of Wisdom, Vol. Two, translated by Erik Pema Kunsang (Boudhanath: Rangjung Yeshe Publications, 1999), Chapter 16.
• Thinley Norbu, The Small Golden Key (Shambhala Publications, 1999), '12. Empowerment'.
• Tsele Natsok Rangdrol, Empowerment and the Path of Liberation, Rangjung Yeshe Publications, 1993.
• Tulku Thondup, Enlightened Journey: Buddhist Practice as Daily Life (Boston: Shambhala, 1995), 'The Empowerments and Precepts of Esoteric Training', pages 106-133.

Internal Links

• Samaya
• Events
• Empowerments Given to the Rigpa Sangha

External Links

• Advice for Taking a Tantric Empowerment (Initiation) by Alexander Berzin