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Common Vajra Disciple initiation has:

Chö yi wang – water initiation

Or gyen kyi wang – crown initiation

Dorje wang – vajra initiation

Dri bu wang – bell initiation

Ming ki wang – name initiation

Just like kriya, charya – These are the common disciple initiations. Why is it called vase initiation?

0:00:51.7 At the end of every of those initiations they will give you a water blessing, to make the initiation you have obtained, stable. That’s why it is called vase initiation.

0:01:51.3 Altogether, according to the vajra mala tantra, there are 14 initiations in Maha anuyoga tantra. In addition to the 5 we just named, there is the mantra initiation, vajra master initiation and then the Lama transforms into the form of Shakyamuni Buddha and gives you the prediction, saying “You will be Buddha So and So…”.

Then comes the vajra behavior empowerment, and also they will give you all the different equipment, like the 5 castes of the buddhas, their hand implements, they give you arrow, bow, mirror – the activities. Then they have secret initiation, wisdom initiation, word initiation - jenang, tsawang, sherab, yeshe, triwang – that’s 14 initiations.

[1 vase 2 crown 3 vajra 4 bell 5 name 6 mantra 7 vajra master 8 Shakyamuni prediction 9 vajra behavior 10 hand implements of 5 buddhas 11 activities, 12 secret, 13 wisdom 14 word]

0:04:35.4 Dutch translation

I think with this the 14 initiations of the Maha anuyoga tantra are done. I don’t think I have time to tell you what the first initiation means and the second and so on, like we did yesterday. But roughly, the vase initiation is divided into the vajra disciple initiation and vajra master initiation. Vajra disciple initiation will also introduce you and enter you into the mandala, with and without blindfold.

First they enter you with blindfold, because anything you see all of a sudden, you may create doubt and think, “What is this? The real devil?” or you may think, “What is going on here?” In order to avoid that, they give you a blindfold. Very often nowadays, a lot of books have been published with images like terrifying images of Yamantaka and some people say, “What a devil is this?” I told you, Yamantaka took a terrifying form in order to conquer the terrifying devil.

To prove this, there are verses in the Yamantaka sadhana, like the praise and the auspicious verses. When you know he is the devil who conquers the devils, that he is looking more powerful than the devil and thereby conquers the devil, then you don’t have these doubts.

0:10:42.1 Similarly you will see the union of male and female inside the mandala. You may think what’s going on here. But when you know it doesn’t mean that, but has so much deeper meaning, then you understand what’s happening. Therefore, first entering with blindfold is just to avoid misunderstandings, even at the time of initiation. How carefully it was done!

Nowadays, it is really unfortunate. All these teachings and yidams are photographed everywhere and appear in books and everywhere publicly. That is not really very good for everybody. That’s my personal feeling. There should be some kind of restriction, otherwise after some time all these practices will not work anymore. Definitely. So first you enter into the mandala with blindfold.

0:11:54.5 Now you are inside the mandala and go around the mandala and prostrate. They will ask you: did you see this? Did you get this? And again you go back and then go through the rest of the initiation and finally enter the mandala with open eyes and finally you offer the flower.

Why do you offer the flower? That is during the vase initiation. You offer the flower in order to know which family or caste you belong to. Rig in Tibetan means caste. Traditionally, 2000 years ago in India, there was the caste system. So the country you are in and the people’s customs does influence the rituals, definitely. So that’s the caste system. So to find out which caste or family you belong you, you throw the flower and check. If you do it very carefully, the flower falls into the mandala onto the area that indicates your family. But if your hands are sweating and the flower is stuck and doesn’t fall down and even if it falls, you just drop it and maybe it drops down from wherever your hand is. So that doesn’t really mean anything. But if you do it carefully with fresh flowers and also don’t hold it with sweaty hands, and if you do it the proper way and repeat the mantra after the vajra master and looking up, then it will work. You notice, the flower just comes down and falls onto a certain area. That is a really good indication for the individual, showing their family connection.

0:14:30.2 After that the vajra master will pick up that very flower and we just throw a little bit of rice, but in visualization the vajra master will give you back the flower which had landed on the family and put it on your crown. Now you are introduced to your family and you request them to help and protect you till you obtain enlightenment. That is important.

0:15:25.0 The water initiation will purify all your non-virtuous actions and lay the seed to develop the proper enlightenment of the particular yidam wherever it maybe.

Now the most important thing: what do these four main initiations do? The four pure initiations must lay the seeds of the four kayas within you. This is the major effort of the initiation. Even short empowerments also do that, but in a full initiation that is done fully. At that time, the lama giving you this initiation will also take the self-initiation first and give the initiation at a time of purity. As I mentioned to you, the quality of the master is that the master must have perfect pure vajra views at the time of giving the initiation. So it is a time of purity and everything together, so it really needs to create the proper seeds within the individual.

That is the major essence: the four initiations must lay the seeds for the four kayas. In order to do that you have to know what’s happening. This is very important. In addition to that, it will also say: now you purified your non-virtues and such and such a seed is laid with you. And you also have to think together: I have been purified, the seed has been laid. Somehow these omens work. If you don’t think that, it doesn’t work. Whoever doesn’t think or whoever skips that thinking misses something. That’s how it works in initiations.

0:17:47.0 So the seeds of the four kayas are laid. Then the fourth initiation, the word initiation, introduces you to ultimate enlightenment. If you just go on reading a few words it doesn’t really mean much. Full initiation means you receive the proper introduction to tantra through the proper initiation. The first, the vase initiation, does all the purification and gives the 5 buddha caste initiations and the vajra disciple and vajra master initiation. The second, the secret initiation, will introduce you to

0:19:55.4 Dutch translation

0:25:24.1 break

0:26:07.4 I mentioned about the vase initiation what the flower was for. Then the water business is coming during all the 5 buddha initiations. The water purifies non-virtuous actions of the individual who will be able to become in this and that form of the Buddha and any blockage and any non-virtuous action is totally purified and the seed of the power is laid to purify all blockages which will make it possible to obtain whichever family you belong to. That’s what the water initiation does.

The crown initiation will lay the seed so that whatever family you obtain will be able to appear as ushnisha in the shape of that buddha. Like with Avalokitesvara sometimes you see Amitabha up there. Some buddhas don’t have, but in that manner that seed is laid by the crown initiation.

The banner handing round will give you the power to overcome the delusions. The vajra initiation does the actual vajra mind. The individual will obtain the buddha mind. This particular seed has been laid with you by the vajra initiation. You may think everybody already has that seed, and that is buddha nature. I have an answer for that. I will tell you later.

0:29:35.8 The bell initiation will lay the seed to develop emptiness in the nature of compassion. Tong nyi nying je nying po che….emptiness in the nature of compassion. I am making it really short. The name initiation tells you that you yourself will obtain Buddhahood as this and this and this lays the seed that will develop into that particular buddha’s name.

0:30:37.4 Dutch translation

0:33:28.4 Up to here we have the vajra disciple initiations. Now the vajra master initiation: That actually gives the three samayas: the body samaya of the vajra, the bell samaya of the speech and the mudra samaya of the mind.

During the vajra initiations they give you a vajra in your hand, which reminds you that from now, until you obtain enlightenment, the mind of the Buddha, which is inseparable from the wisdom, which is represented by a secret bell, in order to develop that secret bell, you hold the vajra. The vajra is the reminder to be able to hold the bell. In other words, the vajra reminds you to pick up the bell. What is the bell? The actual mind of the buddha, which is inseparable from wisdom, which is represented by the bell. That is the commitment of the vajra.

Second is the commitment of speech through the bell. That is the essence of the teachings of the Buddha, which is again wisdom, represented by the bell itself and why do you hold the bell? Because you need to develop that within yourself.

Then the mudra. What is the real mudra? Mahamudra, the great mudra. That is the great union of body and mind of the total enlightenment. In the mind of enlightened beings there is no separation of method and wisdom. It’s true nature is the nature of great bliss, which is total enlightenment. In order to develop that you can always meditate yourself in the form of the teaching. That is the actual mudra commitment. These are the three commitments given in the vajra master initiation.

0:37:21.7 this vajra master initiation is sometimes referred to as buddha initiation.

0:37:39.9 Dutch translation

0:39:36.8 Whenever you see a yidam in union, male and female, instead of thinking this is a sexual religion or something, think that this represents that there is no separation of wisdom and method. There is no separation of body and mind. It is combined together. That maybe helpful to remember.

The next is: giving the mantra. Why do they give you the mantra? Not to have obstacles and also carry out the activities: peaceful, prosperity, power, wrathful. They can be more effective for you and such a seed has been laid with you. That is de lung, the oral transmission of the mantra. Even short empowerments will also have this.

0:41:11.6 Dutch translation

0:42:21.3 Now next is the eye medicine and mirror: that has the same purpose: to develop an understanding of sunyata, not directly, but indirect understanding. Direct understanding is you see it eye to eye, indirectly you can understand, but not directly see it.

0:42:57.4 Dutch translation

0:43:11.5 After that they give you the arrow. This can shoot the target. Similarly, as the first two have given you the understanding of emptiness indirectly, here you directly go for it to be able to see directly emptiness. To lay that seed, the arrow is given. Then there are five different buddha caste implements and that has it’s own reasons, but let’s not get into that. I think these are the major important points and we mostly covered them.

0:44:13.2 Dutch translation

0:44:54.5 These were the most important points of the first initiation. In the second initiation, the secret initiation, why is it called secret? You have used secret substances for this initiation. You utilize them in order to develop the example [impure and pure] and actual illusion body. In order to be fit to develop these you utilize secret materials and rebuild your strength and basis and also become qualified to receive the third initiation. I can’t make it any more clear at this point, because there are a number of people here who have not even received initiation yet.

0:46:39.5 Dutch translation

0:47:56.7 The third initiation, the wisdom initiation: The best wisdom is the clear light, combined with…..ok, let’s make it just clear light. In order to obtain the simultaneous-born clear light, you need the seed of this initiation and your mind, which has overcome the ordinary bliss, will be able to obtain the unattached, extraordinary bliss, within one individual.

0:49:26.9 Dutch translation

0:50:32.0 Now the fourth initiation will introduce you to the wisdom that has grown with you at the time of the third initiation. When it continues to grow ultimately it will become pure wisdom, combined with the unattached, extraordinary bliss, which has the 7 qualities of ultimate enlightenment. The seed for that is laid and you are properly introduced to total enlightenment by words. So it is called word initiation. When you obtain the word initiation you should have some idea of ultimate enlightenment, which we call the great union, by the introduction of these words. I think that is good enough for you to get a rough idea of what these initiations are. First I thought I would jump off, but then I went into a little detail for the preliminaries and then thought I might as well do that for the initiations too. So that’s what I did. And that’s all I can really do to introduce the initiation part. Don’t let me count the 7 qualities.

0:52:37.0 Dutch translation

0:53:18.6 I have read what the 7 qualities of enlightenment are, and some translations call them the “seven kisses”. Okay, that’s about it for the initiation.

Now what do you do after obtaining initiation? If you can work hard, it is wonderful. Even if you can’t, it would be good to be able to keep your vows and commitments properly. That itself will really bring you tremendously better. I cannot mention the actual commitments, but you really have to study them. There are 14 root vows. When you take the full initiation you are really taking the total vows that are available, with the exception of the bikshu vows. Those who are bikshus and take the initiations are taking the total vows that are available in Buddhism. So naturally you have quite a lot of commitments and you must know the commitments. Ignorance is definitely no excuse for whatsoever. It is your own responsibility and you have to learn them and protect them. Because of the tantric vows we take the five buddha initiations, which have all commitments and if you do the Six Session Yoga, that covers them. If you can keep the vows and commitments, that is most important.

0:55:58.7 Dutch translation

0:56:45.4 Now, what practices can you do after that? For the three lower tantras we have the sign- and signless less practices. In Maha anuyoga tantra we call that development stage and completion stage. Development stage and completion stage are only available in Maha anuyoga tantra, not in the lower tantras at all. The hightest level to bring enlightenment in the lower tantras is the sab se nyi me gi nal jor, the clear and profound inseparable wisdom. You develop the clarity of the meditation of yourself in the form of a yidam. Now I don’t have time, but the lower tantras they have five different things. Those who do the nyung ne, they know. That’s the development of the yidam first in the form of words, then sound, then mantra, then mudra, etc. Then you meditate from the beginning of the sound to the figure of full enlightenment, from that until the outer cemeteries of the mandala and coming back from each one of them, up to oneself and going even up to the third eye level and developing clarity of all of that. That is developing clarity. In addition to that you combine that with the wisdom of understanding emptiness and that is called sab se nyi me gi nal jor, the clear and profound wisdom inseparable. That is actually the highest practice in the lower tantras. They don’t have development – and completion stage.

Through this one can obtain enlightenment, for sure, but not in the short span of this life. You can extend your life and then you can obtain enlightenment. That is what the lower tantras do.

1:00:00.8 Dutch translation

1:01:53.7 Now the Highest Yoga tantra has more additional things: the practice of the development – and completion stage. In the development stage it is very similar to what the lower tantras do, but what the lower tantras don’t have, is that the present ordinary basis of death, bardo and rebirth is used as the real yoga, the path and the real result stage. The lower tantras don’t have that, that’s why they don’t have the development stage. We have that in the Maha anuyoga tantras. Then also the completion stage. Meditating on collecting and excercising the airs and energies, etc, can also be done on the lower levels, but there you don’t try to open the central nadi through the power of the energies and meditating on emptiness together. Not only that, you try to dissolve all the different airs and energies into the central nadi. By doing so, you are able to bring a certain particular atmosphere influenced by great bliss. That is also used as inseparable from wisdom. These techniques and methods are not given in the lower tantras. Therefore, the Maha anuyoga tantras are special.

1:04:43.6 In addition to that, you are not only dissolving all the energies into the central channel and bringing emptiness and wisdom, but from that wisdom of emptiness, one is able to rebuild oneself into the form of a yidam, which is the illusion body. That very illusion body and that very understanding of emptiness is filled with great bliss and it becomes inseparable and the ordinary enlightenment stage is obtained. After that you further concentrate on emptiness and the illusion body and through that the second development, the extraordinary enlightenment stage is obtained. These techniques are not available in the lower levels. Therefore only Maha anuyoga tantra has the completion stage.

Anyway, I think that’s it. that’s almost briefly introducing tantra from the beginning of the stage where it belongs to, which yana, what divisions, from that level till now the great enlightenment, up to that level. In brief, okay. Actually, the stages or ordinary and extraordinary enlightenment are known as effort and effortless union.

1:07:26.8 Dutch translation

1:12:18.8 Now, when you practice this, the most difficult and important point in the development stage is the method through which the base, death and bardo and birth into the path and which has to cut samsara. On the tantric level this is where you cut the samsara. The basic ordinary death, ordinary bardo and ordinary birth transforms into the path and becomes the Dharmakaya, Sambogakaya and Nirmanakaya, which cuts the roots of samsara. Tsongkhapa has given very special techniques. I mentioned to you earlier, wherever there are important points, Tsongkhapa has given very special techniques not mentioned in any other place. With this we can be very happy.

1:13:57.9 Dutch translation

1:15:03.2 The second point is the backbone or life strength of the Vajrayana practice in the completion stage. The collection of the airs and energies at the central channel level at the heart and after collecting the airs, to develop simultaneous-born bliss. There are special methods.

1:15:55.4 Dutch translation

1:16:24.5 After collecting the airs and energies within the heart chakra, what does one do? Then you really search and see the basic mind, the very basic mind, to use a non-Gelugpa expression, the real introduction to the true mind. Tsongkhapa objects to that, but actually it is really seeing the basic true mind and not only seeing the real base of true mind, but that itself is brought into the form of bliss void and Tsongkhapa has as very special technique on that. This is the real essence of Vajrayana practice, I am telling you.

1:17:38.8 Dutch translation

1:18:11.7 not only that. That very basic mind, which is now transformed into bliss and void, that void will be great, empty void. From that great emptiness you are left with nothing, but some very subtle air or energy and subtle mind. That very subtle energy and subtle mind combined together will be able to rise in the form of the illusion body.

1:19:43.2 Dutch translation

1:20:21.7 Why is this becoming easy? Just the existence of the subtle air and subtle energy will be able to rise in the form of the illusion body, which is possible, because of the presentation of emptiness, which is dependent arising. They are all interlinked and interwoven. That’s how, from the presentation of true emptiness, on the basis of dependent arising, this is all possible. A lot of people think that if something is empty, it is totally gone and that definition of emptiness is wrong.

1:21:19.9 Dutch Translation

1:22:47.0 The basic mind itself is in the nature of emptiness. Because of these practices it becomes possible for us practitioners to obtain enlightenment within the short period of even 3 years and 3 months, or 12 years. We should really pray and dedicate all our virtues of whatever good work we have done so that this great teaching may last long and benefit and we meet this great teaching in life after life. After the translation please dedicate like that.

1:23:40.1 Dutch translation

1:25:22.4 personal discussion – inaudible

……then with your own efforts and information, if you put it all together, it works.

1:26:04.1 Dedication

1:27:33.6 Then in the afternoon we have the short empowerment of Vajrapani, Hayagriva and Garuda at 3 o’clock.

End of recording