About Empowerments and Refuge

Venerable Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso Rinpoche March 2005 Bardo Teachings
Living and Dying Consciously: Mar 2005 Bardo Teachings Description

About Empowerments

Training in original wakefulness through empowerments (wang) is a DIRECT path to Buddhahood

within this body and life. Without empowerment and instruction from a qualified and authentic teacher,

this practice can create confusions and significant obstacles to spiritual practice and realization.

The more times practitioners can receive the same empowerment,

the deeper the understanding and greater the blessings.

The empowerment or initiation is named from analogy of a monarch enthroned and invested with right to rule (practice).

The empowerment grants permission, bestows help with, and gives access to, the benefits of practice. It can be short or

long, and complex or very simple. Empowerments normally include the wang (Sanskrit: abisheka), lung, and tri.

The wang is the actual consecration or dedication of the student to the practice of the Buddha in the empowerment.

The lung, which is the oral transmission – is a recitation of the procedural text or manual (sometimes in a condensed

or speedily-read version,). The tri is commentary instructions on how to do the practice.

The right to practice comes through:

    1) blessings of the lineage masters

    2) faith, devotion and Right Intention of the student

    3) personal insight experienced during empowerment

Through personal commitment to continue training this entitlement is retained and fully realized. Also, through

right relationship with the master, the receptive student is authorized to:

    1) realize the full potential of his/her being

    2) realize the sacred nature of body, speech and mind

    3) realize original wakefulness

About Refuge

What is "Refuge?" What does it mean to take "Refuge?"

After engaging in the basic contemplative practices, students often feel the desire to do something more,

to actually commit to a spiritual path and approach to life. When we "Take Refuge",

we commit to turning away from our own suffering to unfold our own basic goodness,

realize freedom and allow compassion to arise.

"Gradually, having developed our minds, we generate the wish to free ourselves from samsara, as well as the altruistic

intention to help others. Similarly, little by little we can discover the path of truth within ourselves with all its

characteristics - seeing the nature of impermanence in objects, the nature of selflessness in phenomena

and the nature of suffering in the afflictions of sentient beings. We create happiness and freedom from suffering

by depending upon the path of cessation and of truth. Therefore, the dharma is known by Buddhists as the True Refuge."

'True Refuge' from His Holiness the Dalai Lama

from The Heart of Compassion: A Practical Approach to a Meaningful Life

"By simply taking Refuge, you plant the seed of liberation within yourself. You distance yourself from all the negative

actions you have accumulated and develop more and more positive actions.

Taking Refuge is the support for all vows, the source of all good qualities.

Ultimately it will lead you to the state of Buddhahood."

p. 187, Patrul Rinpoche, Words of My Perfect Teacher, Shambhala Publications, Boston, MA, USA, 1998).

While we cannot offer a full explanation of Refuge here, we can point out some of the resources for learning about Refuge.

Refuge is, very simply put, formally making the commitment to transcend the suffering and happiness of daily existence and

taking vows and committing to achieving liberation and enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings.

To begin to understand Refuge, really meditate and contemplate the Four Thoughts. The Four Thoughts are the skillful means

that inspire us to wish to take Refuge in the first place. These you can begin to learn a little bit about here, and we would

recommend finding teachings and written materials on this topic, studying as deeply as you can when you begin the path.

Fully understanding and realizing the Four Thoughts will lend a great stability to your practice.

Some books you might consult are Great Perfection: Buddha in the Palm of the Hand (Gyatrul Rinpoche, Yeshe Melong Publications, phone in US: (1) 916-926-0573) or Words of My Perfect Teacher (Patrul Rinpoche, Shambhala Publications).

These books also go into detail about Refuge. The very best way to understand Refuge is by attending the teachings of a

qualified master.

In brief, one takes Refuge after meditating upon the Four Thoughts and realizing that one wishes to make a commitment to

obtaining liberation for oneself and all sentient beings. One takes Refuge in the Buddha as the teacher, the Dharma as the

path and the Sangha as the companions and support on the way to enlightenment. Part of the act of taking Refuge is to

renounce the temporary sufferings, pleasures and happiness found in daily life. His Holiness Penor Rinpoche teaches on this

method of renunciation in this article published in What is Enlightenment? magazine.

A great part of taking Refuge is the development of faith. This is not blind faith, but faith based on one's own observation of

the truth of the teachings. From How to Follow a Spiritual Master, (pg. 120, Ngagyur Nyingma Institute Editorial Committee,

copies available for purchase by calling India: (91) 8223-694-318 or in the US: (1) 607-656-4645):

There are traditionally four stages described in developing Faith:

1. Attraction [Vivid Faith]
2. Emulation
3. Fully-Convinced Faith
4. Irreversible Faith

Attraction gives rise to Vivid Vaith, which is when the mind becomes attracted to the object. It may be a strong joy or a great
appreciation of the qualities we observe. We may have visited a holy place with statues, stupas, and other representations of

the Buddha's body, speech and mind. We could also have just met with a genuinely great Master, who has inspired us through

his invisible Blessings or read about [his or her] life [story]. This is still changeable as our mind can turn to aversion as well

as appreciation.

Emulation means that, going beyond the attraction, the desire to become like the object we are contemplating is arising within

us. If we strive to become similar like supreme beings, like the ordinary woods left in the sandal grove acquire sweet

fragrances of sandal, we too can attain their noble qualities.

Fully-Convinced Faith and Irreversible Faith are born out of our nascent knowledge of the qualities of the Buddhas,

bodhisattvas and our Master. The Fully-Convinced Faith becomes irreversible, when, come what may, nothing will be able to

alter our mind or our devotion. This is the faith we should constantly try to develop through examination of the Teachings,

and the Teacher, especially as neither blessings nor accomplishment can ever occur in the secret Mantra Vehicle without

Irreversible Faith in one's Master."

As mentioned by Patrul Rinpoche, taking Refuge is the foundation of all the practices. He says: "By simply taking Refuge,

you plant the seed of liberation within yourself. You distance yourself from all the negative actions you have accumulated

and develop more and more positive actions. Taking Refuge is the support for all vows, the source of all good qualities.

Ultimately it will lead you to the state of Buddhahood." (p. 187, Words of My Perfect Teacher,

Shambhala Publications, Boston, MA, USA, 1998).

May all beings benefit!

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Please do not reproduce without prior written permission.

Palyul Changchub Dargyeling Dallas

Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Study/Practice in the Nyingma Tradition

We are part of a group of centers in the Tibetan Buddhist Nyingma tradition founded by
His Holiness Penor Rinpoche, and under the direction of Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso
Rinpoche. Our goal is to make the teachings of Buddha particularly in the
Palyul Nyingma tradition available to all who wish to follow them.

By clicking on these links, you can find out about the Dallas schedule for meditation practice,

Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso Rinpoche Dallas March 2005, annual US summer retreat,

other US events, and our teachers.

Seven Line Prayer and Long Life Prayers for Teachers Link

© Copyright 2003-2005 Palyul Ling

All rights reserved. Please do not reproduce without prior written permission.

Venerable Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso Rinpoche

Dallas Teachings March 18-22, 2005

Living and Dying Consciously: Bardo Teachings

Advance Registration Price until March 15, 2005:

$120 All Teachings/Empowerments

Scholarships Available *

Tuition: $20/weeknight, $40/Sat all day, $40/Sun all day

or $25 for Weekend am or pm session only

Total Program at Door: $140

*No one turned away due to lack of funds! Please contact us for scholarships*

Mail Registration to: PCD Dallas, P.O. Box 836408, Richardson, TX 75083-6408

Registration Info by Email: pcd_dallas@yahoo.com

Venerable Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso Rinpoche

Spiritual Director of Palyul Changchub Dargyeling Dallas

Short Biography

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