Keywords : tantric Buddhist empowerment, major empowerment cycle in highest yoga tantra and mahamudra, Sakya lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, Sakya Tsechen Thubten Ling and Her Eminence Jetsun Kusho.


OM SVASTI.

This December 2008 a major tantric empowerment cycle of the New School / Mahamudra lineage of vajrayana will be given in Vancouver British Columbia. These are the "Thirteen Golden Dharmas of Sakya", a comprehensive set of transmissions central to the Sakya School of Tibetan Buddhism, to be bestowed by Her Eminence Jetsun Kusho at Sakya Tsechen Thubten Ling, her tantric practice center.

"Her Eminence Jetsun Chimey Luding, or HE Jetsun Kusho, is a leading female teacher of tibetan buddhism living in the West. Jetsunma is one of three women in the history of Tibet to have given the Lamdre ("path and its fruition") teachings, the special system of contemplative and meditative practice of the Sakya order. Thus, she is a thoroughly trained lineage holder.
HE Jetsun Chimey Luding is the Resident Spiritual Director of the Sakya Tsechen Thubten Ling Center in Vancouver, Canada."

Translation from Tibetan will be by the eminent translator and Sakya scholar Jay Goldberg.

Dates:
December 20th through December 26th 2008
( see schedule below ).

Location:
Sakya Tsechen Thubten Ling (STTL)
9471 Beckwith Road
Richmond, BC Canada V6X 1V8

Contacts and references:
Tel: 604-275-5506
email: sakyatsechenthubtenling@shaw.ca
www.sakya.thinkbig.ca/

Discussion:
Her Eminence is a remarkably good teacher. I have three Vajrayogini empowerments from her. She is a primary lineage holder of the Sakya school, and considered a manifestation of the Great Goddess Vajrayogini herself. Vajrayogini is a central and highest practice of all the New Schools of Tibetan Buddhism, up through and including the Mahamudra teaching of primordial pure awareness.

It is not possible to practice these teachings without empowerment from a qualified lineage holder. Empowerment will include vows of basic Buddhist ethics ( the Ten Precepts ) and sacred vows of Mahayana / Great Way - Universal Service. Buddhist refuge and Mahayana vows are an integral part of every single tantric Buddhist empowerment, as is a commitment to some continuing meditative practice, typically involving mantra recitation.

Mantra means Sanskrit recitation of the names and activities of transcendent beings, i.e. Buddhist angels, in the context of ritual magic and yogic discipline. The purpose of these practices is primarily to develop the transcendent Wisdom, Compassion and Power ( jnana, karuna, bala ) of the fully realized Buddhas, and thereby to become capable of serving the highest good in all humanity from an inner elevated spiritual level. The path includes relative benefits such as inner healing and so forth, but no claims can be made regarding any one practice for any one practitioner.

Buddhist tantra, while a clear and formal spiritual discipline, is a culturally open and flexible path. This empowerment cycle will include a Hindu goddess ( Tinuma / Parvati ) and a Buddhist form of a primary Hindu deity, Avalokitesvara as Ganapati.

Note that I do not in any office represent this teacher or fellowship, and that arrangements may change. Please contact and preregister for all events, and be sure to show up quite a bit early, freshly washed and so forth. When the doors close they close. Space may well be quite limited.

Note also the prerequisite empowerment - either Sakya Hevajra ( included at the beginning of this series ) or Sakya Cakrasamvara. There are no substitutions though other lineages of these transmissions.

May the lineage of Her Eminence Jetsun Kusho flourish long, and may these teachings greatly benefit many.

Sarva mangalam! Siddhi rastu!
May All Benefit! May there be accomplishment!

Written in partial fulfillment of my vajrayana teaching vows, and with great respect for this teacher and lineage.

KT



The following resources are available from Snow Lion Publications
www.snowlionpub.com

For an overall survey of the meaning of tantric Buddhist empowerment, see
"EMPOWERMENT"
by Tsele Natsok Rangdrol

"The empowerment ritual is the indispensable entrance door to Vajrayana Buddhism. It activates our natural right to an enlightened rule over our life and spiritual practice. [ The book ] 'Empowerment' contains a wealth of instructions on Buddhist training, particularly Mahamudra and Dzogchen."

For a brief teaching on Mahamudra, see
"CLARIFYING THE NATURAL STATE", by Dakpo Tashi Namgyal
and
"AN OCEAN OF THE ULTIMATE MEANING: Teachings on Mahamudra"
by Khenchen Thrangu

"A practical manual for both teacher and student alike, Clarifying the Natural State covers the path from mindfulness to complete enlightenment, simply and methodically. Presenting the profound and ultimate instructions of Mahamudra, it embodies the realization of India and Tibet's greatest masters."

"Elevate your experience and remain wide open like the sky.
Expand your mindfulness and remain pervasive like the earth.
Steady your attention and remain unshakable like a mountain.
Brighten your awareness and remain shining like a flame.
Clear your thoughtfree wakefulness and remain lucid like a crystal."
--Dakpo Tashi Namgyal


MAHAMUDRA: The Natural Mind DVD
by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche

7.5 hour, 4-DVD set.

#MANADV - $ 48.00
Mahamudra is the natural state of the mind: luminous, spacious, unhindered and free from dualistic concepts. In these talks, Mingyur Rinpoche provides a brilliant, engaging and accessible introduction to the practice of Mahamudra. With joy, humor and examples that are easily understandable by Western students, Rinpoche explains the meaning of Mahamudra and reveals how it is that our failure to recognize our nature of mind causes us to suffer. He provides extensive practice instructions on objectless meditation and meditation with a variety of supports including mantra, visual objects, sound, thoughts and emotions. In the fourth talk, Rinpoche presents an especially extensive and beneficial teaching on using pain as a support for meditation. For each practice he guides students through a practice session and answers students' questions about the practice. This teaching includes an extremely accessible explanation of Buddha-nature and emptiness.


For basic teaching on Vajrayogini, see
"VAJRAYOGINI: Her Visualizations, Rituals and Forms"
by Elizabeth English

"SUBLIME PATH TO KECHARA PARADISE: Vajrayogini's Eleven Yogas of Generation Stage Practice"
commentary by Sermey Khensur Lobsang Tharchin

"INITIAL PRACTICES OF VAJRAYOGINI: An FPMT Manual for Initiates" ( Restricted text )
FPMT

"Vajrayogini is the ultimate flowering of the female energy within all of us. This great manual includes short and longer versions of the sadhana, tsog and other offerings, preparing for retreat, guide to hand mudras and more. Spiral bound to lie flat during practice."

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13 Golden Dharmas Empowerments
A series of empowerments unique to the Sakyapa

Hevajra - this is the central practice of Sakya lineage. The complete Sanskrit source tantra has been maintained, along with the practice lineage, since ancient India. See
"The Concealed Essence of the Hevajra Tantra, with the Commentary Yogaratnamala", by G.W. Farrow and I. Menon, published by Motilal Banarsidass.

This is a comprehensive inner yogic discipline. See
"The Triple Tantra", by Panchen Ngawang Choedak, Gorum Publications Autralia.

The Three Red Ones - (1) Vajrayogini of Naropa, (2) Vajrayogini of Indrabhuti, (3) Vajrayogini of Maitripa.

The Three Red Deities - (4) Uncommon Kurukulle ( an esoteric form of Red Tara ), (5) Ganapati ( Twelve Armed Ganesh - manifestation of Avalokitesvara ), (6) Takkiraja ( protector deity ).

The Three Small Red Deities - (7) Kurukulle Golden Chain ( a form of Tara ), (8) Tinuma ( e.g. Hindu goddess Parvati / Uma ), (9) Red Vasudhara ( Wealth Deity Tara ).

Four Other Deities - (10) Black Manjushri ( wrathful wisdom bodhisattva to reverse spells and sorcery ), (11) Multicolor Garuda ( for protection and healing ), (12) Singha Nada ( Lion's Roar Avalokitesvara ) and (13) Red Jambhala (mundane wealth deity ).

Pre-requisite: Hevajra or Chakrasamvara empowerment required. Participants who have received either empowerment from a Sakyapa teacher before will not need to take Hevajra empowerment again in order to receive the 13 Golden Dharmas.
Location: STTL center in Richmond


Hevajra empowerment - December 20 & 21
Saturday, December 20 - 6:30 pm
Sunday, December 21 - 2:30 pm
- Sadhana is available.

Other empowerments - December 22 - 31
( Partial attendance may be possible. )

* Sequence of the 13 empowerments will be announced on December 20.
* Mon - Sat: Empowerment starts at 6:30pm
* Sunday, December 25 & 26: Empowerment starts at 2:30pm.

More than one empowerments are scheduled on these days.
- Sadhanas are available.

Suggested Donation: For entire series of empowerment - $350 CND

* Per empowerment - Hevajra $100
* Vajrayogini of Naropa $50
* All others - $30

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