Empowerments in Hong Kong, June 2005

In the Tibetan tradition of Vajrayana Buddhism, receiving an empowerment from a qualified lama allows one to engage in the practice of a particular deity, under the lama's guidance. Empowerment opens the path of practice to those who have a genuine commitment to engaging in the precious teachings of the Buddhadharma, realising their own true nature and using this realisation for the benefit of oneself and all beings. Even if one does not yet grasp the profundity of the teachings or the deity's qualities, receiving an empowerment carries tremendous blessings through the direct transmission of wisdom, power and compassion of the enlightened beings and masters who have held the practice lineages. Undertaking these practices is always done discreetly, but with the vast intention to bring benefit to others in whatever way possible, in accordance with the aspiration of those who gave and propagated the teachings.

THROMA NAGMO

Throma Nagmo, the Wrathful Dakini, represents the innermost secret aspect of the dakini, the feminine embodiment of wisdom. The Chod practice of Throma Nagmo provides us with an extremely powerful means to cut through the dualistic clinging of mind, the root of suffering, thus revealing our inherent wisdom nature. Foreseeing the difficulties of future times, Guru Rinpoche in his compassion revealed a rare teaching of the Black Dakini to his chief consort Yeshe Tsogyal, who later concealed this as a terma (hidden treasure teaching). This treasure was to be discovered at an appropriate time by one of the reincarnations of Guru Padmasambhava's 25 disciples, Drogben Khyeuchung Lotsawa. Drogben Lotsawa reincarnated as Duddul Dorje, the great revitaliser of the Kathog lineage, and then later as the meditation master and terton Dudjom Lingpa (1835-1904). Dudjom Lingpa received direct transmissions of the Throma cycle in visions of Machig Labdron, Saraha, Padampa Sangye and others. He kept the practice secret for some time before teaching, but later at least thirteen of his disciples attained rainbow body through the practice of Throma Nagmo.

The practice of Throma contains the complete path of the Vajrayana, from ngondro (the preliminary practices) all the way through the Dzogchen (Great Perfection) practices of trekchod and thogal. The Throma-based practice of Chod removes obstacles, both for our short-term happiness and those hindering our ultimate enlightenment. It carries extraordinary healing power and through its practice we can accummulate merit and wisdom in a vast and rapid way. Merely making a connection to Throma practice brings great benefit and blessings. Jigme Rinpoche received the transmission of Throma Nagmo from His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche, the reincarnation of Dudjom Lingpa, and also from his own father and teacher His Eminence Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche.

LION-FACED DAKINI

The Lion-faced Dakini of Timeless Awareness represents the wisdom that enables one to clear away the negativity of one’s own mind, and through her practice one is imbued with spiritual power to gain mastery over samsara and nirvana.

At the time of Buddha Amitabha, many aeons even before Shakyamuni Buddha, there was a demon called Garab Wangchuk whose daughter was a lion-faced demoness called Tramen Sengdongma. She delighted in taking the lives of countless beings, and by harming practitioners she increased the negative forces in the world and undermined the Amitabha Buddha’s doctrine. All the buddhas gathered together and concluded that to tame her they would need to manifest an identical-looking being. The enlightened beings’ collective wisdom arose in the form of a wisdom being – the Lion-faced Dakini, empowered by all the buddhas of the ten directions with their power and compassion to tame the demoness. The Dakini became far more powerful than the demoness, who then began to lose her strength. While the Dakini was in a deep samadhi of taming the maras, countless dakinis emanated from her and subdued all the demons. Tramen Sengdongma, now pacified, took an oath to serve the dharma and became a protector.

In the time of the 100-year lifespans, Buddha Shakyamuni appeared in the world and turned the wheel of dharma in many places such as Varanasi, Bodhgaya, Vulture’s Peak, and the charnel ground of Lanka, teaching on many levels including Vajrayana. He said that at that time it was as if the sun were in the center of the sky, and there was no darkness anywhere, but when the sun went down then the darkness of ignorance would arise. But the Lord Buddha continued that there would be a method to dispel this ignorance, and so Vajrapani requested that Lord Buddha teach this method. Shakyamuni Buddha rested in the samadhi of taming the maras, and then taught the whole cycle of the Lion-faced Dakini. He taught in many different ways, and these transmissions were concealed by Vajrapani as treasures after he received them. Seven hundred and fifty years after Buddha’s Parinirvana, around Bodhgaya there was a king called Suraya Singha who invited 500 panditas -- great practitioners and teachers of the Buddhadharma -- and made offerings to them. At that time, the power of the Hindus was increasing, and they were destroying holy Buddhist teachings and institutes, so a debate between the Hindu and Buddhist panditas was arranged.  Suraya Singha and the panditas prayed one-pointedly to Guru Rinpoche for help and he then appeared and tamed the Hindu teachers through miracles. When the Hindus then started using black magic, Guru Rinpoche revealed the Lion-faced Dakini treasure hidden by Vajrapani, did the practice, and in removing all obstacles he defeated the Hindu panditas.

Guru Rinpoche remained in Tibet for 111 years and in his 73rd year there he gave many teachings on the Eight Command Deities and also on the Lion-faced Dakini. The practice was transmitted to Yeshe Tsogyal, who is an emanation of the Lion-faced Dakini, and with her siddha of infallible memory, she recorded the text in dakini script and concealed it, to be revealed later by tertons. This particular treasure was revealed by Dudjom Lingpa, and kept secret for 44 years. When he felt it was the right time, he opened  the practice, recorded it in human script and transmitted it to others.

His Eminence Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche, Jigme Rinpoche’s teacher and father, said he himself found the practice of the Lion-faced Dakini to be a reliable source of protection when obstacles arise. He explained, “Defilements attract the maras of hindrances and enemies just as a magnet attracts iron filings. When you clear away the negativity of your own poisons, there is nothing to attract the maras.”

The practice text is one condensed for daily practice by His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche, based on the terma revealed by Dudjom Lingpa.

HAYAGRIVA

Hayagriva is of the Padma family of enlightened speech, and an emanation of Buddha Amitabha in wrathful form. Buddha Amitabha in peaceful form is Chenrezig, but in order to benefit those not tameable by peaceful means, Chenrezig appears in wrathful aspect as the supreme lord of wrathful kings Hayagriva.

To thoroughly pacifiy all eight classes of negative beings, Hayagriva arose in an even more wrathful form as black Hayagriva. Guru Rinpoche – himself none other than Hayagriva – transmitted this practice to Yeshe Tsogyal and King Trisong Deutsen, and prophesied that this practice, extracted from the cycle of tantric texts known as ‘Taming the Nagas’, would be very important in the future. When in times of darkness royal families become like ordinary people and ordinary people behave like kings, when the virtuous experience great suffering and punishment while evil-doers prosper and flourish – these are the degenerating times when the practice of Hayagriva will be of such significance. When dharma practitioners are reviled and criminals are highly regarded, when engaging in wars, robbery, murder becomes normal, and even within families cheating and harming is commonplace, and king demons, nagas and negative non-human spirits become powerful and spread many kinds of rare and unknown diseases, then beings can turn to the powerful practice of Hayagriva to tame all these negativities. This particular practice was revealed by Dudjom Lingpa, who then practiced it secretly and attained highest realization and powers. He kept it hidden for 33 years before opening it at the appropriate time at the request of protectors and dakinis. Jigme Rinpoche received this transmission from His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche.