Shantideva’s “Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life” is a great literary classic of Mahayana Buddhism. Presented in the form of a personal meditation in verse, it outlines the path of the bodhisattva, who, turning aside from the sufferings of the world of samsara, renounces the peace of individual salvation and vows to work for the deliverance of all beings, and to attain enlightenment for their sake. Shantideva begins with verses celebrating the mind of awakening, explains in detail how this is cultivated, and explains its benefit.

Khensur Rinpoche's teachings on the preciousness and benefits of developing bodhicitta, or the mind of awakening, will be based on this first chapter of Shantideva's Guide to a Bodhisattva's Way of Life.

Thousand-armed Chenrezig Empowerment

Pre-requisite: Khensur Rinpoche suggests students to be vegetarians during the preliminary and actual empowerment

Thousand-armed Chenrezig is the embodiment of the compassion of the buddhas and bodhisattvas of the three times. Chenrezig manifests in different forms in order to benefit sentient beings in accordance with their various faculties and karmic affinities, such as with one face and two arms, one face and four arms, or eleven faces and one thousand arms and eyes. He uses skillful means to free countless sentient beings from samsara and aid them to quickly attain ultimate enlightenment. It is said in the scriptures that if one recites the mantra of Chenrezig even one time with the pure altruistic mind, that one eon of negative karma is purified.

This empowerment belongs to Action Tantra and although it is not a pre-requisite for those wishing to participate in the subsequent Sound Meditation (Action Tantra) teachings, it is recommended that students do have some prior empowerment of Action Tantra or any Higher Yoga Tantra to fully receive the benefit of the instructions.

Tantra in Buddhism is generally divided into four classes: Action Tantra, Performance Tantra, Yoga Tantra, and Highest Yoga Tantra.  To understand the profundity of Vajrayana practice, it is good to understand the four classes from the ground up. Action Tantra involves many external activities such as the rites prior and subsequent to engaging in mantra practice, as well as the two groups of concentrations engaged in during the actual mantra practice.  These concentration practices are the main paths in Action Tantra and will be the topic of these teachings. Khensur Rinpoche will especially focus on the Abiding in Sound concentration practice.  It is recommended (although not mandatory) that students get a prior Action Tantra deity yoga empowerment (such as the Chenrezig empowerment from the previous weekend, or a higher yoga class) to have the proper foundation for practicing deity yoga meditation.

Commentary on Heruka Three Purifications practice

Pre-requisite: Heruka Chakrasamvara Empowerment (a previous Five Deities or Body Mandala empowerment)

The path of Tantra Yoga canbe embarked upon when a practitioner has developed a firm foundation in the Three Principles of the Path, namely, an attitude of renunciation of suffering and its causes, the enlightened motive of bodhicitta and a correct view of emptiness

The profound nature of Tantra reaches its ultimate expression in the practice of Highest Yoga Tantra. This practice transforms the gross, as well as the subtle levels of mind into the mind of enlightenment.   The practice of Heruka Chakrasamvara belongs to the mother class of Highest Yoga Tantra. It is one of the main practices within the Gelug tradition. Heruka's body mandala can emanate in different forms with corresponding varied visualizations. Khensur Rinpoche will be giving detailed explanation of the yoga of the Three Purifications of Shri Heruka which purify the three doors of our body, speech and mind.

Guhyasamaja Empowerment

Pre-requisite: Open to all students who are willing to take tantric vows and commitments
Commitment: Daily practice of Six-session Guru Yoga, and Guhyasamaja short sdhana

                             November 30 (Sun) 1:30 ~ 7:00 PM

Guhyasamaja has been referred to as the “supreme king of all tantras”. Although it is practiced in all Tibetan Buddhist traditions, great emphasis is placed on it within the Gelug tradition. Chandrakirti states in his “Bright Lamp” that Guhyasamaja is the pinnacle because it is the source of all other tantras and the vessel of all the sutras. Studying and familiarizing oneself with it is therefore essential for anyone serious about tantric practice.

The empowerment includes a preliminary session on day one and the actual initiation on the following two days.

Commentary on Paths and Grounds of Guhyasamaja according to Arya Nagarjuna

Pre-requisite: Guhyasamaja Empowerment

Commitment for these teachings: Daily practice of Six-session Guru Yoga, and Guhyasamaja short sdhana

Path and Ground of Guhyasamaja according to Arya Nagarjuna is a very significant eighteenth century Tibetan treatise. It lays out the complete stages of the path according to the Guhyasamaja Tantra in the Nagarjuna tradition. It includes the generation and completion stages practices as well as elusive explanation on the tantric grounds and paths from numerous Tantric commentaries of great Saints or scholars. For those who are newly initiated into the Guhyasamaja tantra, this commentary will provide detailed outline of the Tantra grounds and paths and therefore is a wonderful overview of the Tantric practices . For those who have been practicing the Guhyasamaja sadhana for years, this commentary will provide further insights into their Deity Yoga practices.

Cittamani Tara Empowerment

Pre-requisite: Prior full empowerment of any of the Highest Yoga Tantras, such as Yamantaka, Guhyasamaja, Heruka Chakrasamvara or Kalachakra empowerment.
Commitment: Daily practice of Cittamani Tara Uncommon Guru Yoga

December 20 (Sat)  6:30 ~ 9:30 PM

Cittamani Tara is a Highest Yoga Tantra empowerment belonging to the Mother Tantra class, which emphasizes the practice of the clear light mind of the Buddha, and has a particular ability to ripen all of the common and uncommon attainments of a Buddha very quickly. The practice of Cittamani Tara, the heart jewel or wish fulfilling jewel, is a body mandala that focuses on the winds, channels and drops of the divine body.

Cittamani Tara Retreat and Fire Puja
Pre-Requisite: Cittamani Tara empowerment

Registration is required for all attendees, please read and print Cittamani Tara Retreat for all related information

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