The Fourth Extraordinary Preliminary Practice:
Accumulation of Merits ~ Guru Yoga Practice
Given by the 12th Kenting Tai Situpa at Palpung Sherabling, December 2004.
Transcribed by Chang Chin & Changchub Saldon
Teaching Chapter 14 & 15 and Practice Chapter 13 & 14
Now out of four foundation. The Guru Yoga is the last and the final extraordinary foundation. It is through first three foundation then the last Guru Yoga foundation practice, would be more profound and it will become more complete, if we completed the first three foundations more profoundly and precisely. As I told you at the beginning, all the Dharma practices are the purification and accumulation. Purifying countless life times of all aspects of karma including the subconscious perceptions. And then accumulating the relative condition for ultimate realization that relative condition is we call accumulation of merit. And the more deeper aspect of relative condition is accumulation of wisdom. And of course, ultimate aspect of final outcome is the realization of primordial wisdom.
And Guru Yoga is very much of an empowerment. It is initiation, empowerment. And Guru Yoga is more devotion-oriented practice. And it's naturally easier to have compassion than the devotion, because compassion is more ego friendly. Devotion is totally the antidote for ego, bigger the ego, less the devotion. And therefore the practice of the Guru Yoga which is practice of devotion, that is the last practice. Of course, compassion is also antidote for ego but it is much easier because you can put yourself above others and then you have compassion to them. They are poorer than me, so I have compassion to them. They are less fortunate than me, so therefore I have compassion to them. And they are suffering, so therefore I have compassion to them. You never say they are better than me therefore I have compassion to them. They are more happier than me therefore I have compassion to them. They enjoy more than me, so I have compassion to them. Normally that is not the case. We have compassion to those sentient beings are suffering, and those sentient beings are less than you. So you have compassion to them because you like you are up there and looking down and have compassion. It is very difficult to have devotion without the foundation of compassion. Without foundation of compassion the devotion doesn't really have clear purpose. It becomes, like, simply emotional feeling. So when you have compassion then devotion becomes true, healthy devotion. I can give you a very simple example. Devotion without compassion is like devotion of a dog to a master. Because your dog will bite everybody for you. Your dog will bark at everyone for you. Your dog has to follow you everywhere. And when you come home, the dog goes crazy. And if you go away, your dog doesn't eat for three, four days. So it is devotion but without compassion. So it is emotional loyalty. So old days, war lords have very devoted warriors who fight for them and die for them. It becomes something like that without compassion. But when you have compassion developed then on top of that the devotion developed, then it is not like that. It is like devotion of the Ananda to Buddha. Each time Buddha smiled, his face up asked why do you smile? It is very interesting because in many of sutra are written that during that time, in front of Buddha, there was ten thousand Bodhisattvas and five thousand Arhats except Ananda. So it says in Tibetan, it means except Kungawo, except the Ananda, everybody is Bodhisattva and Arhat. But Kunga Ananda's devotion was very pure therefore then afterwards he became Arhat.
It becomes like devotion of Milarepa to Marpa, then it is based on compassion. Relatively speaking, Milarepa has developed tremendous compassion out of regret, regret. His uncles and aunties treated him and his mother and his sister so bad, so that his mother became very, very, very upset. So his mother want him to take revenge. But how can such a poor, dependent person like Milarepa's mother and sister, and that time he is not Milarepa, So how three of them, so poor and so powerless can take revenge against such a big clan of powerful relatives. Impossible. And therefore, mother found out that there is a way to take revenge that is by learning black magic then they can take revenge. So mother sent Milarepa, who is not Milarepa at that time, her son to learn black magic. He became master of black magic. So he, through the power of black magic, destroyed all of their enemies. They even chose a perfectly terrible time, during the marriage of their son. So, when a big family gets marriage then all the relatives gather and all the friends will be invited. So the big party will be held. So in the middle of that, then the black magic was unleashed. So his mother was so happy. They were staying in a very small house but she climbed on the roof and she took a long stick and one old clothe she tied up like a flag, and then waving it and shouting from the roof. "Now you got what you deserved", that sort of thing. Also he was requested by others to perform black magic also. One time he was requested to make hailstorm to destroy the entire village's harvest. And one day he did that. And then after wards, he went there, then he saw what happened. Because hailstorm was so severe and so big the hailstorm. So all the birds and trees and thousands of them are dead. And the ground was the littered by dead birds. He tried to pick up the dead birds but it's too many. Then he found out what he was doing is wrong. Then with that regret, repentance, regret, then he left home and then went to search for Dharma. And when he heard the name of Marpa, so his devotion was spontaneous. And he felt very strong, undescribable joy when he heard the name of Marpa.
It's all connected. If those things didn't happened to them, then mother would not ask what she asked. If she did not ask, then he wouldn't do what he has done. If he hasn't done what he has done. Then he wouldn't realize what he had done. So if he didn't realize what he had done, then he would not look for anything. When he doesn't look for the Dharma, he will not hear the name of Marpa. Because there were so many Marpas. Marpa is one particular area and it is like the surname. His real name is Cho Kye Lo Dro. And so when he did not hear the name of Marpa, Cho Kye Lo Dro, and he would not have that devotion of feeling. So all of these things are connected. So each one of us, how we come to Dharma, how we are practicing Dharma like now, where we are. Each of us has all kind of connections. One thing links to another thing. And some of us already arrive somewhere. Some of us yet to arrive somewhere. Some of us just beginning. Some of us half way. Some of us almost there. I sincerely pray none of us are going backwards.
Why do we practice Guru Yoga?
Now this way, the practice of Guru Yoga is devotion practice and this is for the accumulation of wisdom. Accumulation of wisdom. Although there is countless way for accumulation of wisdom. But wisdom, actually, regardless of the countless ways, actually, what happen is the wisdom is within us all the time. Primordial wisdom is our essence, so it has to be flourished, it has to be awakened. It has to manifest from within. Let's put it this way. Why we are still here in the samsara? Since, relatively speaking, seven Buddhas have attained enlightenment already on this earth, seven Buddha. Why we are still here in samsara? Not because Buddha doesn't have the compassion to us. Not because we did not shout loud enough. But because of our own compassion and devotion is lacking. Essence of Buddha and essence of us are same, equal. Ultimate equalness. Therefore relatively, even Buddha's blessing cannot be forced into us. Buddha's blessing is spontaneous and we have to become spontaneous. And our compassion is spontaneous and our devotion is spontaneous, then Buddha's blessing is spontaneous.
So if we think of Buddha as an intelligent scholar then that kind of befit we will get. If we think of Buddha as a powerful miraculous, top person then we will get that kind of blessing. If we perceive Buddha as manifestation of limitless compassion and limitless wisdom, then that kind of blessing we will get it, will receive it. For example, during the monsoon rain if you put a pot outside, upside down for ten days, it will still be empty. If you put a dirty pot outside, but even it is put properly it will be filled with dirty water. If you have a pot, if you put a pot that is stained with poison, then you will have poison water, a pot full of poison water. If you put out a clean pot then you will have a very clean pot full of water. So Buddha's blessing is limitless. Ten billion people ask Buddha, ten billion things at the same time with sincere devotion, it will happen. Buddha's wisdom will not get mixed-up because of too many requests. For example, when sunshine doesn't matter how many people go out there and sit in the sun and how few go out and sit in the sun, doesn't matter. It's same thing. So now that way the devotion has to be pure as possible and genuine as possible. Now how can we forge a genuine devotion? We can forge it by following the text of the lineage, which describes the pure devotion, word by word. But or even we try our best to forge the purest devotion. If we are not that pure, the effect of that skillful text and skillful means to forge a pure devotion is temporary. That is why we have to do all these purifications and accumulation of merit, all of these things.
So that when we practice the Guru Yoga, then the whatever is written in text, whatever we receive from the lineage does not become just a forged devotion but a true devotion. Wisdom is very precious, blessing is very precious but if we don't have the right capacity to receive it, we cannot receive it. So most of you, I think all of you know about the money, money. So I give you an example with money. So a person in order to really have a lot of money and handle it, able to handle it, positively you have to have merit. You have to have merit so that you have all of conditions to take care of it. Otherwise you give a lot of money, let's say, you know, big, big amount, hundred million dollars, that's a lot, lot of money. So hundred million dollars to a homeless person who is uneducated and who don't know anything. Then what will happen? There will be hundred opportunists that will be after that person and will eat up everything. And that person might become worse than homeless. What is worst than homeless? Lifeless. Yes. So he might lose his life. Yes. So what have to have a certain amount of merit, even in order to have worldly thing such as money So when it comes to wisdom, it is millions and billions times more precious than the money. You cannot buy wisdom, no matter how much money you pay, you can not buy wisdom. You can buy knowledge, of course. All the colleges, all the universities, they are all for, you know, there are the college education industries, very interesting, We call health industry, education industry, information industry, you know, very interesting. But it is. But there is no wisdom industry. You cannot buy wisdom. You cannot train for wisdom. You cannot win the wisdom, you know, wisdom is inside of you. It's not outside, so you cannot get it from anywhere. It is inside of you, it's in you.
You are the lotus seed, so lotus has to grow from you. Lotus seed cannot go out and buy lotus. It is like buying a Buddha's statue. You go out and buy Dharma book. You go out and buy Buddha's statues. That is like lotus seeds go out and buy lotus. But the true lotus is in you, it has to grow from you within. So why we buy Buddha's statue? Why we buy text? It's because the lotus wanted to know what does really he has and how he really look like, you know. It helps you to somehow to gets some idea of what you are. Now I am teaching you the lotus how to grow you. So we have the lineage from the Buddha who even gave the sutra, called Lotus Sutra. And whose full realization is the source of the lineage and we receive it from the master to disciple. So I am just continuing it and transmitting it to you. So with the right condition, the lotus leaves grow very big but might not grow any flower . And with certain condition lotus leaves might grow very big and grow very small flower . And with the perfect condition, the lotus leaves will be very big and the lotus flower will be very big. And with perfect condition, it will last forever. So the leaf for the big leaf is like Arhat. Small lotus is like Bodhisattva. Big lotus is like Bodhisattva of ten levels, but lotus forever is Buddha. But that we can only imagine, because I haven't seen a lotus that last forever. But we know the lotus last for sometimes, and why not forever.
Practice Guide - Visualization
Now the Guru Yoga starts with self visualization. So first you dissolve everything into emptiness, from the emptiness you manifest yourself as Vajrayogini, not Varahi. Yogini. And then after the self visualization as Vajrayogini, then the second step is visualizing the Guru Vajradhara to Buddha Vajradhara, all the lineage masters are on your crown. Now this meditation is very clearly translated in this text. But with due respect, the drawing is wrong. This is Vajravarahi, Dani Dorje Naljorma, it says, not Dani Dorje Pagmo.
Now here says visualization, meditation, meditate everything is purified into emptiness, by means of the Sobava mantra. So with that recitation then together everything dissolves into emptiness. You then, from the out of emptiness, now emerge out of the emptiness looking like Vajravarahi, actually the Vajrayogini. And then it is described here, standing on the corpse that lotus and sun as you have not yet purified, all of your obscuration performing the Guru Yoga as your ordinary self would not net you, net you, net like net income you know, net you any blessing. It is a very good way to put it. Would not net you any blessing. But performing it as the Yidam would facilitate quick and easy receipt of blessing. That's when practice in the Guru Yoga, you should focus your attention on Yidam who appears to you. So this is, of course, other options, you can visualize as other Yidams as well but normally it's not done. Just Vajrayogini. That's all. Not as any other Yidam. You visualize yourself as Vajrayogini because Vajrayogini represents the purified manifestation of wisdom. And but not as a Vajravarahi because in order to have self visualization of Vajravarahi you must have Vajravarahi empowerment. Without that you cannot visualize yourself as a Vajravarahi. Vajrayogini is one step further, one step further, one step before the Vajravarahi. So for this, you don't need the empowerment. You don't need initiation. So the ordinary practitioner can visualize yourself as Vajrayogini, so this is described here, very clearly. From visualization, Vajravarahi and all the Yidams you have done since the prostration. For that you don't need to have initiation. But self visualization is totally different thing.
Then the following visualization according to the recitation you do it step by step. There is two ways to visualize the Guru Yoga; we call it...... means all the guru from your Guru Vajradhara to the Buddha Vajradhara, all the Guru surrounded by all the Gurus and Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and Deities and Protectors surrounded by all of them. But it is just the lineage Guru, from your master to the Buddha, one on top of another, as it is in the painting in the refuge tree, but only the center one, only the center trunk one. All the others are not in the four different places, they are all over the places like a cloud around it. It is allowed to visualize them in front of you, because for some people, it is difficult when you are receiving the transmission Om , Ah, Hum transmission empowerment, at the end, to do it from the top. That somehow like this, like this, like this, you know, they have this problem. Because of that, it is allowed to visualize them in front. Allowed. Allowed means the most proper way to visualize it is on top of your head facing the same direction. That is most proper way but it is allowed to visualize you are here and there, like Da Ji and Du Ji. You know, the self visualization and front visualization, that manner, you can do it. It is allowed, if you have problem with visualizing like this. Ok. Now that means quite clear, isn't it? f you can, you visualize on top of your crown all the way up. If you can't, then you visualize in front. Just like you have done for all the other practices.
On the crown of your head, now I am presuming you're visualizing on your crown, so, otherwise you say in front of you. So on the crown of your head sits your own root Guru as he appeared in the taking refuge. So when you did the refuge, prostration refuge visualization. So it's your root Guru but in the form of the Vajradhara so the same way. On top of sun and moon disc which is on top of the lotus and which is on top of a throne. Throne upheld by eight lions, that means each direction two lions, so four directions for eight lions. Then from the Buddha Vajradhara until Guru Vajradhara, all the lineage masters of the Maha Mudra. So now you are saying this prayer which is......You are saying this prayer. Then that is. Then now your visualization is complete. Then after that you say this prayer. So when you are saying that, when you are saying this prayer, so as you saying these prayers, then the actual, from the Buddha Vajradhara, until your Guru Vajradhara, the actual presence is invoked as you saying this. So now, as you say this, then your Guru Vajradhara and Buddha Vajradhara, everyone's Om , Ah, Hum radiates light to all directions, and then the actual Buddhas and Gurus and their presence is invoked and dissolved. So your visualization is consecrated as the true lineage, not a tree but lineage. Tsok Shing. Tsok Shing means, Tsok means accumulation of merit and accumulation of wisdom. And Shing means object. So it becomes object of accumulation, not just your created imagination. It is true, becomes true.
Seven branches prayers
Then after that, then you are saying the seven branches prayers which is prostration, offering, confession, rejoice, requesting Buddhas to turn the wheel of Dharma, then requesting Buddhas to live long and dedicating the merit for all sentient beings. The seven branches prayers, you recite toward the Three Jewels and Three Roots and particularly the lineage of the Gurus, all Gurus of the lineage. So the recitation for that is......So now until that is seven branches prayer. So in this seven branches prayer order, the dedication is pushed two steps back. That is dedication, after that, requesting Buddha to live long and then turn the wheel of Dharma is put after that. And now, you are requesting them to turn the wheel of Dharma and then you are requesting further.
Requesting
This is about the Guru Yoga very clearly, so I have to, I'd like to translate these few sentences. It's very important. ........means may I will be fully conversing or fully develop the loving kindness and compassion which is unbiased. Unbiased loving kindness and compassion. Last word dang means and, A N D. The most important thing is this; these three words is the most important. Of course, all of them important. But it says it all. The ultimate, ultimate means born together, always with you. Then Yeshe means wisdom, primordial wisdom. The primordial wisdom which is born together with you, born together with me, always within me. So may I realize this, just like all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have realized. You know. May I realize this primordial wisdom which is always with me, always born together with me, may I realize it. Just like all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have realized it. So that is the main prayer. It is the main request, main wish. You are requesting the lineage to bless you, so that this have it. Then the following that, there are few details of each request, each wish, each part of wish in a little details. May I be blessed so that may I realize this illusive body as the Nirmanakaya. It means, may I realize this breathing, this life, this life you know, the body with life as long as it is breathing and the air, the movement. All caused by this. So may this Sook Tsol, the air, the life; May I realize this as the Sambhogakaya. Bless me so that may I realize this as Sambhogakaya. And then that means may I realize, please bless me, so that may I realize my mind as Dharmakaya. So now this body, speech, mind three are described here. How do we move without air? How do we speak without breathing? You know. So Sok Tsol. Sok Tsol. Sook means life. Tsol Wa means like giving effort and giver of life. So it is breathing, breathing. It means, you know, when we practice we are practicing the physical body practice as well as the breathing practice, right? And prayer is also breathing practice, right? So that, and then the mind which is the most important essence of all of it. So the third word means may I realize Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya, Nirmanakaya are unseparable. May I realize that. May that realization dawn upon me. Char wa means dawn. So please bless me, so may the realization of three kayas as one, unseparable, be dawn on me or dawn through me. It's same meaning.
Maha Mudra lineage prayer
So after this, then we have lineage Maha Mudra lineage prayer. This is Maha Mudra lineage prayer. Now mentioning the names but each few sentences ends with one particular sentence, so this particular sentence is very important. So I will translate that. That you recite after every few names. And what this means Sol Wa Deb is translated in many ways. Sometimes they say supplicate. Sometimes they say pray. But it's actually means I request, I beg you, I request you. That's what actual meaning. You know. Sol Wa Deb So. So what I request is may I realize, give me the blessing, so that may I realize the primordial wisdom which was always with me, always born together with me. So even you are in human, even you are in god, even you are in animal whichever realm we are born. It is our essence at all time, all the time. So this Yeshe, the primordial wisdom. Please bless me. I request you, I beg you to bless me, so that I can realize this primordial wisdom which is my essence. I am not asking and begging for the Buddhas to give me something that they have. But please give me blessing, so that I can realize my primordial wisdom which is always with me.
Now after that, after this, then you also say the lineage prayer. This is quite short, very common lineage prayer which covers all of the Maha Mudra lineage and all the branches of Maha Mudra lineage. So here, very few, very important points are in this prayer. So in this prayer, first point, first important point is Shen Lok means the non-attachment to the samsara. And Shen Lok actually means like throw up, you know, when you don't like, see something that you don't like then makes you throw up. So the samsara, no attachment for this samsara and so that is like the feet of the meditation. And in order to successfully meditate you have to be able to be not so much attachment for the samsara is like the leg of meditation. Then the next is So the devotion and aspiration is like the head, head. So devotion to the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Deities, Protectors, Gurus and that and then aspiration to become like a Buddha, become like a Bodhisattva, reach the Buddhahood, just as Price Siddhattha has reached, so all in this case like Buddha Vajradhara. So Buddha Vajradhara and Buddha Shakyamuni is same. Buddha Vajradhara is the description of all the Buddha including the Buddha Shakyamuni. OK. So we wish to be like the Buddha Vajradhara, so that is like the head of meditation, very important, aspiration and devotion. So that means, Yeng Pa means wondering mind. So not wondering, Yeng Pa May Pa means not wondering, so stable, awareness, stable mind is the main meditation. It's like the main body of meditation, is not wondering, not wondering mind and stable mind. I give you a very simple example, definition of Yeng Pa and Ma Yeng Pa. When you are walking in a very beautiful, smooth park, you don't have to worry about the Yeng Pa or Ma Yeng Pa, Because wherever you walk, there is nothing, you will never fall down, nothing will happen, it's all smooth, big, hundreds of acres of park. Nothing will go wrong. So Yeng Pa is like this, Yeng Pa, no concentration, no awareness just Yeng Pa. Like child is taken to a X'mas street, you know, all the lights like this Yeng Pa. Ya. That is Yeng Pa. Ma Yeng Pa means opposite. Ma Yeng Pa is like you are flying three mach, three mach, you know, speed. And you are only one thousand feet above the ground. All Ma Yeng Pa, you makes little Yeng Wa , you hit the mountain. So Ma Yeng Pa. But that kind of Ma Yeng Pa is a little bit tense. Here Ma Yeng Pa is relaxed. That's the difference. Meditation Ma Yeng Pa is not a tense type, is relaxed. But the definition of Yeng Pa and Ma Yeng Pa is that. Child goes like that doesn't matter, because parents are carrying them or holding them, never get lost. How much Yeng Pa is ok.
Then last is...... So this means may I realize the essence of my thought is Dharmakaya because my thought is the manifestation of my mind. Essence of my mind is my Buddha Nature. And essence of my Buddha Nature is Dharmakaya, so may I realize that. These are the important points of this prayer. I can't say important; main point, because all prayers are important, you know. Then this is very, very sacred, common, very sacred, very common prayer which is quite conducive. Everything is in this prayer. So this is very common, very sacred, all inclusive Guru Yoga prayer. Sol Wa Deb Pa Guru Yoga; Sol Deb prayer or supplication. First one is for all mother sentient beings, supplicate for the blessing of the Guru Buddha, precious Buddha, and second one is Dharma, Guru Dharmakaya, third one is Guru Sambhogakaya, fourth one is Guru Nirmanakaya, so for all mother sentient beings. And then we say Karmapa Khyen No few. We add there because our lineage is Karma Kagyu lineage. and then Karmapa is the center of the Karma Kagyu lineage which we call Golden Rosary, Golden Rosary Lineage. For that reason, then we say Karmapa Khyen No few times. As you know, disciple of the Marpa is Milarepa. Disciple of Milarepa is Gampopa. The Gampopa had many disciples, mainly three main disciples and known as three compasses. And one of them is the first Karmapa Dusum Khyenpa, and then from the first Karmapa Dusum Khyenpa, the Karma Kagyu lineage developed. So therefore, we say Karmapa Khyen No few times.
Guru Yoga Recitation
Then after that, then we recite the Guru Yoga recitation. So that is Guru Yoga recitation which we recite one hundred and ten thousand times. So Sol Wa Deb, you know, right?So means precious Guru, precious because representing Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, Guru, Deity, Protector. So the next, all of the each sentence will end with Jim Gye Lob that means bless me. This each one is very, very important, so I have to tell you. What kind of blessing you want, so this is what is, these are the blessing you want. The clinging to I, I want to be able to be free from it. I want to be able to give up this. I want to be able to renounce, not denounce, renounce the clinging to the I. Then second, Go May means meaningless, so the meaningless of samsara, samsaric activity. May this be born in me naturally; Kye War means born. that means all the thought which is non-Dharmic thought, may they just does not exist. May they stop arising in me. Gak Par means cessation. So that my mind which is birthless; It also means deathless; It is primordial. So may I realize this. So all of the illusion, illusion of samsara which is my own illusion, it is the illusion of my karma all levels of the karma. May they cease by itself, peacefully. And then last is so may anything that what sees, anything that exists because we see only one kind of reality. There is countless, limitless level of reality. So may they all, may I realize them all as Dharmakaya. So your aspiration and your wish is maximum. In aspiration, you should never be modest. In practice, of course, you have to be mindful and aware. The English way of saying: Don't bite more what you can chew. So that is necessary in the practice but in aspiration, you should make it maximum. So we say: I wish to liberate all sentient beings to reach Buddhahood. You know that is enormous. That is enormous. In reality, in your family, there are just few people and there are a lot of problems, misunderstanding, all of that. At the same time, you are saying I wish to liberate all sentient beings to become Buddha. So that is a lot. That is enormous but in aspiration, we have to be enormous as possible, limitless as possible. So now the Guru Yoga, so you are reciting so you are reciting that, maintaining your devotion to the Guru, lineage and from Buddha Vajradhara to Guru Vajradhara and all the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Yidams and Protectors. So with that one point mind calmly, sincerely, clearly, you are reciting the recitation. And also recitation is, the meaning of recitation, you are focus on it, very clearly what you are saying. And reciting, reciting very quickly but you know what you are saying. Of course, it would be very, very nice to sing the loud as possible, living in a very, very remote mountain top cave, and far far away from Guru, and sing it one hundred and ten thousand times or one million times. That would be wonderful, but we don't have that kind of karma, so we have to chant it very quick in our apartment.
There is a very old Tibetan saying, not from the Dharma text. Just common people saying. One get the full benefit and it is wonderful the Lama and the sun being far away. Then if you are too close to sun, you get burnt, you get sunblind. But far, far away, but you sit in the sun, oh, it is wonderful, wonderful. So now you recite the recitation as much as you can in your schedule. Most of your schedule, some of you will be doing retreat, I know, but most of your schedules, you do two hours. So at the end of your session then one time you say very, very clearly and always very clearly, but last one very, very clearly, each word, each meaning very, very clearly and from the depth of your heart All the meaning very, very clearly.
Request for the four empowerments
Then you say the recitation. So this is the request for the empowerment, one thing. So what you are saying is, all the glorious Gurus, all of you, I request please give me the four empowerments, to ripen me. Ripe like fruit green, if the fruit suppose to be orange. When it is ripe, when it is green is not ripe, it's sour. So to ripen me and also, so give me, bestow upon me the four empowerment to ripen me. And what is to ripen, four aspects of me. And then grant me the activity, four activities, four activities; four activities, of course, in order to practice Dharma and attain realization efficiently without obstacle if you have the blessing of four activities. Then as you say that, then you receive the empowerment. The recitation for that is. So up to that you recite and the meaning is the four empowerment, receiving of the four empowerment. Now as you say the prayer for the request of the empowerment, then all of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and Gurus and Deities and Protectors dissolve into the, into your refuge lineage, your lineage, Maha Mudra lineage from Guru Vajradhara to Buddha Vajradhara. Then from Guru Vajradhara to Buddha Vajradhara, their Om, Ah, Hum, their everything, their body, speech, mind, everything dissolve into the Guru Vajradhara and then Guru Vajradhara transforms into the form of your Guru here. Up to now, Guru Vajradhara is your Guru manifest in the form of Dorje Chang, but here Dorje Chang manifest into the form of your Guru. So your Guru which is embodied, which Guru. So let's put it this way. So that means it looks like your Guru but it is the embodiment of all Three Jewels and Three Roots, so it's your Guru manifest perfectly like a Buddha, shining and perfect, you know, not just like your Guru. Perfect. It is with the blessing of the Buddha, blessing of the Dharma, blessing of the Sangha, blessing of all the lineage, blessing of all the Yidam, blessing of all the Protector. So it is glorious manifestation of your Guru. Your Guru as the son of his father and his mother manifest in a certain way and that manifest perfectly and many times more greater than your Guru normally look.
The first empowerment ~ Bumpa Empowerment
Now the first empowerment with your sincere devotion and your sincere compassion to all sentient beings, your sincere devotion to Three Jewels and Three Roots, so from the Guru Vajradhara's forehead, white color, from the Om white color light we call it light nectar. So that dissolve into your forehead, you as the Vajrayogini, remember, you are Vajrayogini, so into your forehead, Vajrayogini's forehead and it purifies all of the negative karma, as well as all of the defilements, as well as even the subconscious dualistic obscuration which is related mainly with your body is purified and your body is blessed. So that, in the future, when you attain Buddhahood, you will manifest the Nirmanakaya. The Nirmanakaya aspect of the Buddha. This is the first empowerment which is known as empowerment of the vase, Bumpa. And during the big empowerment, in this Bumpa empowerment, there is many empowerments were given. As the first empowerment, main object is a Bumpa which represent the Mandala of the Deity but there are many detailed empowerment in it, so this present the same thing. which also as known as the first empowerment. So to make it more clear about the glorious manifestation of your Guru. I'd like to make a very simple example to make you more clear idea. Some of you might be a little bit not clear. This is not from the text, is my example. So normally people make caricature, caricature? Somebody has this big nose, you make it this big. That is caricature, right? Somebody has a little bit big here and a little bit small here, then make it very big, very small, that is caricature. So perfectly glorious means opposite to that. Look like your Guru but many, many times more perfect and good and glorious. Caricature is make it many times look worse, so opposite to that. It will very naturally become how your Guru would look when your Guru attains uddhahood. So all the marks of Buddha will be there. Milarepa when he was singing and when he was making the black magic, he looks the same as when he attain enlightenment and became the great enlightened Milarepa. He looked the same but totally transformed and glorious. That is the Nirmanakaya aspect of Milarepa. OK. Now that is. I just make it clear. Now back to the text. Text of the lineage.
The second empowerment ~ Secret Empowerment
Then the second is from the throat chakra of the Guru, from the letter Ah the red light we call that shower of light nectar, so that dissolve into your throat and all of the negativities, karmas, negativities, defilements, even the subconscious perceptions, dualistic perceptions which are obstacles for the enlightenment, should be purified and your speech and your expression all blessed. So that when you attain the enlightenment, you will be able to manifest the Sambhogakaya aspect of Buddha. So during the ritual empowerments that you participate, actually you received the blessing nectar from the skullcup here, blessed nectar. We call this Sang We Wang . Sang We Wang, Sang Wong means secret, secret empowerment. But these days the most of the time, the skullcup is made out of silver or something like that.
The third empowerment ~ Wisdom Empowerment
Now the third empowerment is then again you generate devotion just as before and from the heart direction, heart chakra of the Guru, the letter Hung manifest blue light and which is we call shower of the blue light nectar and then you receive it to your heart. And it purifies all of the negative karmas and negativities, defilements including everything that is obstacle for the enlightenment, even subconscious perceptions all purified, so that when you reach the final liberation then the most important Dharmakaya realization will be attained. And this empowerment is known as Sherab Yeshe Jone Wang, so primordial wisdom or wisdom empowerment. During the elaborate ritual empowerment, you will have the symbol of union, will be given here as the Yeshe Jone Wong.
The fourth empowerment ~Tsek Wang
Then again, your devotion and the meaning of the prayer is continued. Meaning of the original prayer is continued. So from all three places of the Guru Om, Ah, Hum, all three colors, white, red and blue light manifest and shower of the light of the nectar dissolve into your all three places at the same time. And you receive the fourth empowerment and that means everything that is involved with all your body, speech and mind all together. It's actually the same thing. You can not just do a body negative karma, just do a speech negative karma, just do a mind negative karma but somehow, you know, one by one, Now it is all together, so this final, most sacred aspect is purified and fourth empowerment is received. And during the enlightenment, then Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya and Nirmanakaya non-separable which we call Ngo Wo Nyi Kyi Ku. Ngo Wo means nature, and Nyi means itself, then Ku means the body. So it simply means unseparableness of the, oneness of the Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya and Nirmanakaya and that empowerment is received. During the ritual empowerment, this is normally called Tsek Wang Rinpoche, the fourth empowerment and during which we will sit and meditate on nature of mind.
The meanings of the four empowerments
So the first empowerment will mean that you will be able to visualize. And second empowerment will mean you will be able to recite the mantras. The third empowerment means you are able to practice the great union, the unity, absolute harmony. And fourth empowerment means able to meditate on nature of the mind, the essence of Maha Mudra practice. It means that empowered for each one of that. And also the second empowerment, also mean that you are able to practice, the empowered to practice the Tsa and Lung. Tsa means Nadis, and Lung means wind, the air. So that is breathing of all different level and you are empowered for that as a meditation. At the main point of each of this empowerment it is mentioned Gom La Wang. So Gom means meditation, La is a grammar word, and Wang means empowered. Empowered to meditate on that particular, the visualization, the Tsa Lung, or the mantras recitation and the unity and the Maha Mudra, the essence of Maha Mudra. Everything is Maha Mudra, but essence of Maha Mudra in mind meditation. So Gom La Wong says you are empowered to meditate. It doesn't mean empower outside of meditation. Meditate.
Concluding practice and dedication
Then finally, then the Guru which represents all the Three Jewels and Three Roots dissolve into you. And your body, speech, mind and Guru's body, speech, mind become one. And then that means you are Vajrayogini visualization. You and the Guru become one and then dissolve into emptiness. So that what remains there is the Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya, Nirmanakaya of all Buddhas, and Deities and the wisdom protectors and of the Guru and yourself become one and remain in that for long as you can. So now when you are able to, then you continue that state. And when thoughts arise and you are not able to maintain that oneness state anymore, then you awake from it, we call it awake. That's just way of describing. Then you should have the perception, that maintain the perception that all the forms are the Mandala and all the individuals are the manifestation of your Guru that means manifestation of Three Jewels and Three Roots. And all the sounds are the Mantra, all the Sambhogakaya, and so Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya and the Nirmanakaya. All the thoughts are the primordial wisdom, the Dharmakaya. You should try to maintain that sacred perception, the sacred presence as much as you can. Then you make the dedication such as...... And then any other dedication like Maha Mudra prayer or regular dedication as Or any other dedications you do according to your time and condition.
