His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang At Drikung Kyobpa Choling Monastery (A Tibetan Meditation Center) 1600 Sheridan Place Escondido CA 92027

Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday -- August 6 th , 7 th , 8 th , 9 th 2015 By Reservation Only www.drikungkc.org email: [email protected] or call 909-625-5955

Thursday August 6 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Wrathful Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of the Invocation to Buddha Shakyamuni, Blessings of the , to the ,Tshok Offering, Tshok Song,Confession Downfalls, , Chenrezig, , Green , White Tara, 7 Protections of Tara, Medicine Buddha, VajraPani, detailed Seven Limb prayer, Long Life and Dedication

Friday August 7 th

9:30am – 12:00pm VajraVidaran (Dorje Namjom) Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Chakrasamvara, , 21 Taras, Heart

Saturday August 8 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Achi Sungs offering, White Dzambala, Protectors and Serkym Offering, , Achi, Tseringma, Golden Palace prayer and so forth

Sunday August 9 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Special traditional Long Life ceremony for His Holiness

2pm – 5pm Amitabha empowerment

Program Descriptions

Drupon Samten Rinpoche and Drikung Kybopa Choling have organized this program so that we all may receive these rare and precious empowerments, teachings and blessings directly from Gyalwa , His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, the 37th lineage holder in the Drikung lineage of . Receiving any of these, from the throne holder of Jigten Sumgon, the manifestation of Narajuna, is a rare and precious opportunity. We invite you to receive these blessings from the reincarnation of Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang.

Yidam Practice The following is a general description of practice that pertains to four Empowerments that will be given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. Yidam is a fully enlightened being who is the focus of personal meditation, during a retreat or for one's life. Yidam practice is a very special tantric practice in which one transforms one’s normal, samsaric experience of reality into an extraordinary experience of the true state of all phenomena. While the teachings of the sutra-level consider ignorance as the root cause of samsaric existence, the tantric teachings identify the ordinary appearances as the root cause of samsara. The practice of Yidam is a special and profound method to quickly transform ordinary appearances into enlightened appearances.

Wrathful Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang will bestow this very important empowerment of Wrathful Padmasambhava. Padmasambhava, literally means "Lotus-Born", which refers to his birth from a lotus in the land of Oddiyana. He is also known as Guru Rinpoche and is an emanation of Amitabha.

Padmasambhava is said to have taken eight forms or manifestations representing different aspects of his being, such as wrath or pacification. According to Rigpa Shedra the eight principal forms were assumed by Guru Rinpoche at different points in his life. Guru Dorje Drolo, is the fierce and wrathful manifestation of (wrathful Vajrasattva) known as "Diamond Guts", the comforter of all, imprinting the elements with Wisdom-Treasure. "In the experience of great bliss fiercely blazing with wrathful power, maroon in color, holding a and phurba, the two feet dancing expressively atop a tigress; homage to Dorje Drolo”.

Through this Empowerment of the Wrathful Guru Rinpoche, it opens the gateway within oneself to the practice which clears obstacles, not only for one's own and heart but that of the world. In this practice, one visualizes oneself in a wrathful (protective and cleansing) form of the Guru Padmasambhava. The practice helps one overcome all obstacles to meditation or spiritual practice, leading to the achievement of a longer life. Ultimately, this practice catalyzes swift enlightenment through the process of merging one's own mind with the Guru of awareness.

In difficult times, it is essential to have a strong connection to the Guru. In Tibetan Buddhism, the connection to Guru Rinpoche, or Padmasambhava, has long been considered essential for receiving all forms of benefits, such as: *Cultivating Prosperity, longevity and health * Peaceful conditions, such as cultivating positive qualities. * Purification from obstacles, emotional afflictions and mental obscurations * Wrathful cleansing and blessings * Creates a strong connection with the guru

VajraVidarana (Dorje amjon) Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of this very special Yidam Diety. In the lineage, Vajra Vidharan is a very important practice in Tibetan Buddhism. This practice is a special antidote to purify contaminated environments of the universe and sentient beings. Through this practice we will cleanse the contaminants of the air we breathe, food we eat, clothes we wear and any other types of poisons or contamination. It helps to cleanse the charkas, re- energize the life force and brings both physical and mental strength. It helps to pacify frustration, depression and anxiety. It helps dispel bad dreams and other unfavorable conditions. It brings healthy, happy long life and success in your practice. This healing ceremony for has been practiced for centuries in , India and the Himalayan region of . Participation in this empowerment brings benefit to both oneself and others. It has been given by very specific teachers who have gone to retreat and are able to bestow this empowerment that is used specifically in healing ceremonies. Especially those who have epilepsy, fainting, giddy, headaches, stress and so forth. This is very effective. This practice was taught by the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni and many in India who came to Tibet. It is very rare to receive this empowerment and teachings.

Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment According to a prophecy in the Cakrasavara , it is said, "The head of the Karma will come to the area of Tidro cave in Drikung. This will be a manifestation of Vajrayogini, Achi Chokyi Drolma. His Holiness will also bestow the empowerment of of Achi Chokyi Drolma, who is the Dharma Protector of Tibetan Buddhism, and in particular of the Drikung Kagyu school. She also appears as a protector in other lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. The historical Achi was the great grandmother of Lord Jigton Sumgon, founder of the Drikung Lineage. To this day Achi remains a great dharma protector of the Buddha's teachings. Although Achi has a particular commitment to protect the Drikung Kagyu, she is recognized and practiced by all lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. `

She is the emanation of Vajra Yogini who is the embodiment of the wisdom and compassion of all the Buddhas. She is the divine mother of the Buddhas and manifested out of compassion in the form of the Dakinis of the Five Buddha families. To benefit the beings in samsara, she displays a limitless number of manifestations at different times and in different space dimensions and in front of different teachers of different lineages. She manifests as many different dakinis.

At the time of her death, Achi Chokyi Drolma did not pass away in an ordinary manner. She first took her disciples to a huge cave where many sacred and secret items were discovered. Then she offered a tsok feast, and those who partook of that feast achieved many sublime qualities of the Buddhas. Achi composed a text containing a of herself and promised to look after the teachings of the Buddha in general and to protect and flourish the Buddha's teaching that will appear in the future. With that she said, “My activities through this body have come to an end,” and she flew up to the Buddha Field on her blue horse without leaving her physical body behind. That means she is a very powerful Dharma Protector in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, just like PadmaSambhava who also flew to the Buddhafield. Therefore this practice is very important for practitioners to protect from obstacles that arise due to our karma. She also bestows the blessings for one to quickly realize the highest state of meditation. She is able to bestow the blessing of the common and supreme attainment.

Amitabha Buddha Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of Boundless Light. Generally, it can be said that there are many purelands, many paradises of Enlightened Beings we call Buddhas. The Pureland of Great Bliss of the Buddha of Boundless Light, Amitabha, is quite a unique place. There are purelands in the four directions, East, South, West, North, and in the center. Among them, the Pureland of Amitabha is the easiest to get to and therefore quite special. By formulating a special aspiration to be reborn in the Pureland of Great Bliss, one can accomplish the transference of one’s consciousness to that pureland. The power of prayer, the power of devoted and fervent aspiration, is all that is necessary. It is said that the Pureland of Amitabha Buddha, in relation to our universe, is in the western direction and above our universe. It cannot be reached by any material means. However, our own , when purified, when stripped of their faults, when returned to their own primordially pristine condition can directly experience the reality of the Pureland of Great Bliss.

Buddha Amitabha, the Buddha of Boundless Light, is red in color and he looks like Shakyamuni Buddha. He has all the 80 major marks and the 32 minor signs of a fully enlightened manifestation of nirmanakaya. He holds His hands in the posture on meditative equipoise, the Dhyana , and in His hands is a begging bowl. He looks quite like Shakyamuni Buddha, only His skin is a deep, ruby red color. He sits on top of a lotus and moon seat. Behind His back is the Wish Fulfilling Tree. To His right is Lord Avalokiteshvara, Chenrezig, white in body color. To His left is Vajrapani, the Lord of Powerful Means. These are the three chief lords of the Pureland of Great Bliss. As the monk Dharmakara, Amitabha Buddha made a commitment to liberate all those sentient beings who don’t have those supernal qualities of the practitioners that reach the other purelands of all the other Buddhas.”

There are many versions of the prayer (or vows), of Amitabha Buddha formulated when he was Dharmakara. In general, it can be said that all of his powerful aspirations can be subsumed under 48 Great Vows. The Pureland of Great Bliss was brought into reality because of one of the 48 Great Vows. This is the cause for the existence of Pureland of great Bliss. In general, all the Buddhas hold all sentient beings in the core of their heart with love and compassion. Out of their great compassion, they formulate powerful aspirations. They make great vows.Because of emptiness, the Pureland of Great Bliss was established through the power of the aspiration, the accumulation of , and the primordial wisdom of the enlightened being Amitabha.

To briefly encompass them in a single statement, it need be said that the essence of the vows, prayers, and aspirations are: “May a Pureland be established that is reachable by ordinary sentient beings of impure karma, beings of karmic evil, who have not abandoned non-virtue.” When you reach the purelands of other Buddhas, because of exalted status before going there, you become enlightened. In the case of Dewachen, you can get there, but it does not mean you become enlightened. What happens is that you will not revert to cyclic existence; rather, you will have, instead, all the positive and auspicious conditions for the accumulation of merit and primordial wisdom. You will be able to abandon all non-virtue there and practice to tame and train your mind until such point you are ripe for enlightenment. That is then a general introduction to the Land of Great Bliss. In brief, concerning the teachings of the Buddha Amitabha and the Pureland of Great Bliss, in all countries this practice is very prevalent. Why is this so? It is because of the nature of the vows of Amitabha Buddha. The practice of Amitabha Buddha and the Pureland is geared to ordinary people. Anyone can engage in the practice. You do not have to be a great exalted being who has abandoned all non-virtue. You do not have to be a superb practitioner. Depending upon the power of the vows of Amitabha Buddha, you can engage in this practice. This is a Sutrayana practice. Therefore, it is something that can work for anyone. It is available to all.

Oral transmissions

Oral transmission is a key component of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Outwardly it may be just the lama reciting a Dharma text or a and the students repeating it after him or her, or even simply hearing it. However inwardly far more is occurring. The lama inwardly connects with the living stream of blessing the outer text represents through his or her own reception from their guru. By this they connect with the stream back to the author or originator of the text or practice, who is almost always an enlightened being or Shakyamuni Buddha himself. In this way the student receiving the transmission is linked to its origin. From then on the practice draws directly from this origin and the enlightened being who first gave the teaching. This empowers the student to start using the practice and ensures the practice is overseen and connected to the pure source.

From a Tibetan Buddhist perspective engaging with a practice by simply reading a text may not be that fruitful. With some texts and practices it is simply not done. With others it is seen as still beneficial but not as much as receiving the text orally. There is also more likelihood of error and distortion creeping in because the student has to make his or her own connection to the pure source rather than being given the means to make that connection.

There is a long history of oral transmission of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism. Oral transmissions by lineage holders traditionally can take place in small groups or mass gatherings of listeners and may last for seconds (in the case of a mantra, for example) or many months (as in the case of a section of the ). A transmission can even occur without actually hearing, as in 's visions of .

An emphasis on oral transmission as more important than the printed word derives from the earliest period of Indian Buddhism, when it allowed teachings to be kept from those who should not hear them. Hearing a teaching (transmission) readies the hearer for realization based on it. The person from whom one hears the teaching should have heard it as one link in a succession of listeners going back to the original speaker: the Buddha in the case of a sutra or the author in the case of a book. Then the hearing constitutes an authentic lineage of transmission. Authenticity of the oral lineage is a prerequisite for realization, hence the importance of lineages.

It is directly transmitting the secret blessings through the sounds of words from the vajra masters heart to your heart so the student must listen carefully, every word from the teacher must have come from their previous master. Some Oral transmissions are very secret and are called whisper teachings and are only given to 1 student at a time. We are very honored to announce these special oral transmissions given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon, the 37 th lineage holder of the Drikung Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism for the first time outside of India and Tibet.

Traditional Long Life Ceremony The Long life prayer for His Holiness is very important. It is one of the Seven Limb prayers. Performing Long Life prayers for great teachers can purify karma of many lifetimes. It is also important for us to show our devotion and respect to the teacher who holds the lineage. for the benefit of all sentient beings. When we perform the long life prayer, we pray that they will stay here for eons representing Buddha Shakyamuni and stay here until the end of samsara, until all beings attains complete enlightenment. We pray that they will remain strong and steadfast of behalf of the five families of Buddhas to transform the five poisons into the five wisdoms. We ask that they will continue to bestow the blessings for everyone to have everlasting peace and happiness. The prayers and offerings of flowers to His Holiness will create a lasting connection that you will always remember. We hope you can join in this special ceremony.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation In the Drikung Kagyu tradition, it is said that there are three kinds of protectors. They are , lokapalas and ksetrapalas. Respectively they translate to "Dharma-protectors," "protectors of the world” and "field- protectors." Dharma-protectors are those who are highly advanced on the Path. From 's point of view, these beings are actually manifestations of the activities of the Buddhas. Some of these beings are considered Buddhas while some are on different levels of the path. For example, Mahakala and Ekazati are both considered fully enlightened beings while someone like Dorje Lekpa is considered a tenth stage bodhisattva. Both the worldly and field protectors are not particularly related to Dharma in the same way as Dharma Protectors are.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation is engaged in for the benefit all beings with the motivation that all beings may have happiness and the causes of happiness, be free from suffering and the causes of suffering and that they will be guided and protected by these great enlightened protectors and that all obstacles and hindrances will be dispelled.

His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang At Drikung Kyobpa Choling Monastery (A Tibetan Meditation Center) 1600 Sheridan Place Escondido CA 92027

Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday -- August 6 th , 7 th , 8 th , 9 th 2015 By Reservation Only www.drikungkc.org email: [email protected] or call 909-625-5955

Thursday August 6 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Wrathful Guru Rinpoche Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of the Invocation to Buddha Shakyamuni, Prayer Blessings of the lineage, Offering to the Lama,Tshok Offering, Tshok Song,Confession Downfalls, Vajrasattva, Chenrezig, Manjushri, Green Tara, White Tara, 7 Protections of Tara, Medicine Buddha, VajraPani, detailed Seven Limb prayer, Long Life and Dedication prayers

Friday August 7 th

9:30am – 12:00pm VajraVidaran (Dorje Namjom) Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Chakrasamvara, VajraYogini, 21 Taras, Heart Sutra

Saturday August 8 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Achi Sungs offering, White Dzambala, Dharma Protectors and Serkym Offering, MahaKala, Achi, Tseringma, Golden Palace prayer and so forth

Sunday August 9 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Special traditional Long Life ceremony for His Holiness

2pm – 5pm Amitabha empowerment

Program Descriptions

Drupon Samten Rinpoche and Drikung Kybopa Choling have organized this program so that we all may receive these rare and precious empowerments, teachings and blessings directly from Gyalwa Drikungpa, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, the 37th lineage holder in the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Receiving any of these, from the throne holder of Jigten Sumgon, the manifestation of Narajuna, is a rare and precious opportunity. We invite you to receive these blessings from the reincarnation of Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang.

Yidam Practice The following is a general description of Yidam practice that pertains to four Empowerments that will be given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. Yidam is a fully enlightened being who is the focus of personal meditation, during a retreat or for one's life. Yidam practice is a very special tantric practice in which one transforms one’s normal, samsaric experience of reality into an extraordinary experience of the true state of all phenomena. While the teachings of the sutra-level consider ignorance as the root cause of samsaric existence, the tantric teachings identify the ordinary appearances as the root cause of samsara. The practice of Yidam is a special and profound method to quickly transform ordinary appearances into enlightened appearances.

Wrathful Padmasambhava Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang will bestow this very important empowerment of Wrathful Padmasambhava. Padmasambhava, literally means "Lotus-Born", which refers to his birth from a lotus in the land of Oddiyana. He is also known as Guru Rinpoche and is an emanation of Amitabha.

Padmasambhava is said to have taken eight forms or manifestations representing different aspects of his being, such as wrath or pacification. According to Rigpa Shedra the eight principal forms were assumed by Guru Rinpoche at different points in his life. Guru Dorje Drolo, is the fierce and wrathful manifestation of Vajrakilaya (wrathful Vajrasattva) known as "Diamond Guts", the comforter of all, imprinting the elements with Wisdom-Treasure. "In the experience of great bliss fiercely blazing with wrathful power, maroon in color, holding a vajra and phurba, the two feet dancing expressively atop a tigress; homage to Dorje Drolo”.

Through this Empowerment of the Wrathful Guru Rinpoche, it opens the gateway within oneself to the practice which clears obstacles, not only for one's own mind and heart but that of the world. In this practice, one visualizes oneself in a wrathful (protective and cleansing) form of the Guru Padmasambhava. The practice helps one overcome all obstacles to meditation or spiritual practice, leading to the achievement of a longer life. Ultimately, this practice catalyzes swift enlightenment through the process of merging one's own mind with the Guru of awareness.

In difficult times, it is essential to have a strong connection to the Guru. In Tibetan Buddhism, the connection to Guru Rinpoche, or Padmasambhava, has long been considered essential for receiving all forms of benefits, such as: *Cultivating Prosperity, longevity and health * Peaceful conditions, such as cultivating positive qualities. * Purification from obstacles, emotional afflictions and mental obscurations * Wrathful cleansing and blessings * Creates a strong connection with the guru

VajraVidarana (Dorje amjon) Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of this very special Yidam Diety. In the Drikung Kagyu lineage, Vajra Vidharan is a very important practice in Tibetan Buddhism. This practice is a special antidote to purify contaminated environments of the universe and sentient beings. Through this practice we will cleanse the contaminants of the air we breathe, food we eat, clothes we wear and any other types of poisons or contamination. It helps to cleanse the charkas, re- energize the life force and brings both physical and mental strength. It helps to pacify frustration, depression and anxiety. It helps dispel bad dreams and other unfavorable conditions. It brings healthy, happy long life and success in your practice. This healing ceremony for has been practiced for centuries in Tibet, India and the Himalayan region of Ladakh. Participation in this empowerment brings benefit to both oneself and others. It has been given by very specific teachers who have gone to retreat and are able to bestow this empowerment that is used specifically in healing ceremonies. Especially those who have epilepsy, fainting, giddy, headaches, stress and so forth. This is very effective. This practice was taught by the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni and many Siddhis in India who came to Tibet. It is very rare to receive this empowerment and teachings.

Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment According to a prophecy in the Cakrasavara Tantra, it is said, "The head of the Karma Dakinis will come to the area of Tidro cave in Drikung. This will be a Nirmanakaya manifestation of Vajrayogini, Achi Chokyi Drolma. His Holiness will also bestow the empowerment of of Achi Chokyi Drolma, who is the Dharma Protector of Tibetan Buddhism, and in particular of the Drikung Kagyu school. She also appears as a protector in other lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. The historical Achi was the great grandmother of Lord Jigton Sumgon, founder of the Drikung Lineage. To this day Achi remains a great dharma protector of the Buddha's teachings. Although Achi has a particular commitment to protect the Drikung Kagyu, she is recognized and practiced by all lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. `

She is the emanation of Vajra Yogini who is the embodiment of the wisdom and compassion of all the Buddhas. She is the divine mother of the Buddhas and manifested out of compassion in the form of the Dakinis of the Five Buddha families. To benefit the beings in samsara, she displays a limitless number of manifestations at different times and in different space dimensions and in front of different teachers of different lineages. She manifests as many different dakinis.

At the time of her death, Achi Chokyi Drolma did not pass away in an ordinary manner. She first took her disciples to a huge cave where many sacred and secret items were discovered. Then she offered a tsok feast, and those who partook of that feast achieved many sublime qualities of the Buddhas. Achi composed a text containing a sadhana of herself and promised to look after the teachings of the Buddha in general and to protect and flourish the Buddha's teaching that will appear in the future. With that she said, “My activities through this body have come to an end,” and she flew up to the Buddha Field on her blue horse without leaving her physical body behind. That means she is a very powerful Dharma Protector in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, just like PadmaSambhava who also flew to the Buddhafield. Therefore this practice is very important for practitioners to protect from obstacles that arise due to our karma. She also bestows the blessings for one to quickly realize the highest state of meditation. She is able to bestow the blessing of the common and supreme siddhi attainment.

Amitabha Buddha Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of Boundless Light. Generally, it can be said that there are many purelands, many paradises of Enlightened Beings we call Buddhas. The Pureland of Great Bliss of the Buddha of Boundless Light, Amitabha, is quite a unique place. There are purelands in the four directions, East, South, West, North, and in the center. Among them, the Pureland of Amitabha is the easiest to get to and therefore quite special. By formulating a special aspiration to be reborn in the Pureland of Great Bliss, one can accomplish the transference of one’s consciousness to that pureland. The power of prayer, the power of devoted and fervent aspiration, is all that is necessary. It is said that the Pureland of Amitabha Buddha, in relation to our universe, is in the western direction and above our universe. It cannot be reached by any material means. However, our own minds, when purified, when stripped of their faults, when returned to their own primordially pristine condition can directly experience the reality of the Pureland of Great Bliss.

Buddha Amitabha, the Buddha of Boundless Light, is red in color and he looks like Shakyamuni Buddha. He has all the 80 major marks and the 32 minor signs of a fully enlightened manifestation of nirmanakaya. He holds His hands in the posture on meditative equipoise, the Dhyana Mudra, and in His hands is a begging bowl. He looks quite like Shakyamuni Buddha, only His skin is a deep, ruby red color. He sits on top of a lotus and moon seat. Behind His back is the Wish Fulfilling Tree. To His right is Lord Avalokiteshvara, Chenrezig, white in body color. To His left is Vajrapani, the Lord of Powerful Means. These are the three chief lords of the Pureland of Great Bliss. As the monk Dharmakara, Amitabha Buddha made a commitment to liberate all those sentient beings who don’t have those supernal qualities of the practitioners that reach the other purelands of all the other Buddhas.”

There are many versions of the prayer (or vows), of Amitabha Buddha formulated when he was Dharmakara. In general, it can be said that all of his powerful aspirations can be subsumed under 48 Great Vows. The Pureland of Great Bliss was brought into reality because of one of the 48 Great Vows. This is the cause for the existence of Pureland of great Bliss. In general, all the Buddhas hold all sentient beings in the core of their heart with love and compassion. Out of their great compassion, they formulate powerful aspirations. They make great vows.Because of emptiness, the Pureland of Great Bliss was established through the power of the aspiration, the accumulation of merit, and the primordial wisdom of the enlightened being Amitabha.

To briefly encompass them in a single statement, it need be said that the essence of the vows, prayers, and aspirations are: “May a Pureland be established that is reachable by ordinary sentient beings of impure karma, beings of karmic evil, who have not abandoned non-virtue.” When you reach the purelands of other Buddhas, because of exalted status before going there, you become enlightened. In the case of Dewachen, you can get there, but it does not mean you become enlightened. What happens is that you will not revert to cyclic existence; rather, you will have, instead, all the positive and auspicious conditions for the accumulation of merit and primordial wisdom. You will be able to abandon all non-virtue there and practice to tame and train your mind until such point you are ripe for enlightenment. That is then a general introduction to the Land of Great Bliss. In brief, concerning the teachings of the Buddha Amitabha and the Pureland of Great Bliss, in all Mahayana countries this practice is very prevalent. Why is this so? It is because of the nature of the vows of Amitabha Buddha. The practice of Amitabha Buddha and the Pureland is geared to ordinary people. Anyone can engage in the practice. You do not have to be a great exalted being who has abandoned all non-virtue. You do not have to be a superb practitioner. Depending upon the power of the vows of Amitabha Buddha, you can engage in this practice. This is a Sutrayana practice. Therefore, it is something that can work for anyone. It is available to all.

Oral transmissions

Oral transmission is a key component of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Outwardly it may be just the lama reciting a Dharma text or a mantra and the students repeating it after him or her, or even simply hearing it. However inwardly far more is occurring. The lama inwardly connects with the living stream of blessing the outer text represents through his or her own reception from their guru. By this they connect with the stream back to the author or originator of the text or practice, who is almost always an enlightened being or Shakyamuni Buddha himself. In this way the student receiving the transmission is linked to its origin. From then on the practice draws directly from this origin and the enlightened being who first gave the teaching. This empowers the student to start using the practice and ensures the practice is overseen and connected to the pure source.

From a Tibetan Buddhist perspective engaging with a practice by simply reading a text may not be that fruitful. With some texts and practices it is simply not done. With others it is seen as still beneficial but not as much as receiving the text orally. There is also more likelihood of error and distortion creeping in because the student has to make his or her own connection to the pure source rather than being given the means to make that connection.

There is a long history of oral transmission of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism. Oral transmissions by lineage holders traditionally can take place in small groups or mass gatherings of listeners and may last for seconds (in the case of a mantra, for example) or many months (as in the case of a section of the Tibetan Buddhist canon). A transmission can even occur without actually hearing, as in Asanga's visions of Maitreya.

An emphasis on oral transmission as more important than the printed word derives from the earliest period of Indian Buddhism, when it allowed teachings to be kept from those who should not hear them. Hearing a teaching (transmission) readies the hearer for realization based on it. The person from whom one hears the teaching should have heard it as one link in a succession of listeners going back to the original speaker: the Buddha in the case of a sutra or the author in the case of a book. Then the hearing constitutes an authentic lineage of transmission. Authenticity of the oral lineage is a prerequisite for realization, hence the importance of lineages.

It is directly transmitting the secret blessings through the sounds of words from the vajra masters heart to your heart so the student must listen carefully, every word from the teacher must have come from their previous master. Some Oral transmissions are very secret and are called whisper teachings and are only given to 1 student at a time. We are very honored to announce these special oral transmissions given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon, the 37 th lineage holder of the Drikung Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism for the first time outside of India and Tibet.

Traditional Long Life Ceremony The Long life prayer for His Holiness is very important. It is one of the Seven Limb prayers. Performing Long Life prayers for great teachers can purify karma of many lifetimes. It is also important for us to show our devotion and respect to the teacher who holds the lineage. for the benefit of all sentient beings. When we perform the long life prayer, we pray that they will stay here for eons representing Buddha Shakyamuni and stay here until the end of samsara, until all beings attains complete enlightenment. We pray that they will remain strong and steadfast of behalf of the five families of Buddhas to transform the five poisons into the five wisdoms. We ask that they will continue to bestow the blessings for everyone to have everlasting peace and happiness. The prayers and offerings of flowers to His Holiness will create a lasting connection that you will always remember. We hope you can join in this special ceremony.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation In the Drikung Kagyu tradition, it is said that there are three kinds of protectors. They are dharmapalas, lokapalas and ksetrapalas. Respectively they translate to "Dharma-protectors," "protectors of the world” and "field- protectors." Dharma-protectors are those who are highly advanced on the Path. From Vajrayana's point of view, these beings are actually manifestations of the activities of the Buddhas. Some of these beings are considered Buddhas while some are on different levels of the Bodhisattva path. For example, Mahakala and Ekazati are both considered fully enlightened beings while someone like Dorje Lekpa is considered a tenth stage bodhisattva. Both the worldly and field protectors are not particularly related to Dharma in the same way as Dharma Protectors are.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation is engaged in for the benefit all beings with the motivation that all beings may have happiness and the causes of happiness, be free from suffering and the causes of suffering and that they will be guided and protected by these great enlightened protectors and that all obstacles and hindrances will be dispelled.

His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang At Drikung Kyobpa Choling Monastery (A Tibetan Meditation Center) 1600 Sheridan Place Escondido CA 92027

Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday -- August 6 th , 7 th , 8 th , 9 th 2015 By Reservation Only www.drikungkc.org email: [email protected] or call 909-625-5955

Thursday August 6 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Wrathful Guru Rinpoche Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of the Invocation to Buddha Shakyamuni, Prayer Blessings of the lineage, Offering to the Lama,Tshok Offering, Tshok Song,Confession Downfalls, Vajrasattva, Chenrezig, Manjushri, Green Tara, White Tara, 7 Protections of Tara, Medicine Buddha, VajraPani, detailed Seven Limb prayer, Long Life and Dedication prayers

Friday August 7 th

9:30am – 12:00pm VajraVidaran (Dorje Namjom) Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Chakrasamvara, VajraYogini, 21 Taras, Heart Sutra

Saturday August 8 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Achi Sungs offering, White Dzambala, Dharma Protectors and Serkym Offering, MahaKala, Achi, Tseringma, Golden Palace prayer and so forth

Sunday August 9 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Special traditional Long Life ceremony for His Holiness

2pm – 5pm Amitabha empowerment

Program Descriptions

Drupon Samten Rinpoche and Drikung Kybopa Choling have organized this program so that we all may receive these rare and precious empowerments, teachings and blessings directly from Gyalwa Drikungpa, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, the 37th lineage holder in the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Receiving any of these, from the throne holder of Jigten Sumgon, the manifestation of Narajuna, is a rare and precious opportunity. We invite you to receive these blessings from the reincarnation of Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang.

Yidam Practice The following is a general description of Yidam practice that pertains to four Empowerments that will be given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. Yidam is a fully enlightened being who is the focus of personal meditation, during a retreat or for one's life. Yidam practice is a very special tantric practice in which one transforms one’s normal, samsaric experience of reality into an extraordinary experience of the true state of all phenomena. While the teachings of the sutra-level consider ignorance as the root cause of samsaric existence, the tantric teachings identify the ordinary appearances as the root cause of samsara. The practice of Yidam is a special and profound method to quickly transform ordinary appearances into enlightened appearances.

Wrathful Padmasambhava Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang will bestow this very important empowerment of Wrathful Padmasambhava. Padmasambhava, literally means "Lotus-Born", which refers to his birth from a lotus in the land of Oddiyana. He is also known as Guru Rinpoche and is an emanation of Amitabha.

Padmasambhava is said to have taken eight forms or manifestations representing different aspects of his being, such as wrath or pacification. According to Rigpa Shedra the eight principal forms were assumed by Guru Rinpoche at different points in his life. Guru Dorje Drolo, is the fierce and wrathful manifestation of Vajrakilaya (wrathful Vajrasattva) known as "Diamond Guts", the comforter of all, imprinting the elements with Wisdom-Treasure. "In the experience of great bliss fiercely blazing with wrathful power, maroon in color, holding a vajra and phurba, the two feet dancing expressively atop a tigress; homage to Dorje Drolo”.

Through this Empowerment of the Wrathful Guru Rinpoche, it opens the gateway within oneself to the practice which clears obstacles, not only for one's own mind and heart but that of the world. In this practice, one visualizes oneself in a wrathful (protective and cleansing) form of the Guru Padmasambhava. The practice helps one overcome all obstacles to meditation or spiritual practice, leading to the achievement of a longer life. Ultimately, this practice catalyzes swift enlightenment through the process of merging one's own mind with the Guru of awareness.

In difficult times, it is essential to have a strong connection to the Guru. In Tibetan Buddhism, the connection to Guru Rinpoche, or Padmasambhava, has long been considered essential for receiving all forms of benefits, such as: *Cultivating Prosperity, longevity and health * Peaceful conditions, such as cultivating positive qualities. * Purification from obstacles, emotional afflictions and mental obscurations * Wrathful cleansing and blessings * Creates a strong connection with the guru

VajraVidarana (Dorje amjon) Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of this very special Yidam Diety. In the Drikung Kagyu lineage, Vajra Vidharan is a very important practice in Tibetan Buddhism. This practice is a special antidote to purify contaminated environments of the universe and sentient beings. Through this practice we will cleanse the contaminants of the air we breathe, food we eat, clothes we wear and any other types of poisons or contamination. It helps to cleanse the charkas, re- energize the life force and brings both physical and mental strength. It helps to pacify frustration, depression and anxiety. It helps dispel bad dreams and other unfavorable conditions. It brings healthy, happy long life and success in your practice. This healing ceremony for has been practiced for centuries in Tibet, India and the Himalayan region of Ladakh. Participation in this empowerment brings benefit to both oneself and others. It has been given by very specific teachers who have gone to retreat and are able to bestow this empowerment that is used specifically in healing ceremonies. Especially those who have epilepsy, fainting, giddy, headaches, stress and so forth. This is very effective. This practice was taught by the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni and many Siddhis in India who came to Tibet. It is very rare to receive this empowerment and teachings.

Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment According to a prophecy in the Cakrasavara Tantra, it is said, "The head of the Karma Dakinis will come to the area of Tidro cave in Drikung. This will be a Nirmanakaya manifestation of Vajrayogini, Achi Chokyi Drolma. His Holiness will also bestow the empowerment of of Achi Chokyi Drolma, who is the Dharma Protector of Tibetan Buddhism, and in particular of the Drikung Kagyu school. She also appears as a protector in other lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. The historical Achi was the great grandmother of Lord Jigton Sumgon, founder of the Drikung Lineage. To this day Achi remains a great dharma protector of the Buddha's teachings. Although Achi has a particular commitment to protect the Drikung Kagyu, she is recognized and practiced by all lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. `

She is the emanation of Vajra Yogini who is the embodiment of the wisdom and compassion of all the Buddhas. She is the divine mother of the Buddhas and manifested out of compassion in the form of the Dakinis of the Five Buddha families. To benefit the beings in samsara, she displays a limitless number of manifestations at different times and in different space dimensions and in front of different teachers of different lineages. She manifests as many different dakinis.

At the time of her death, Achi Chokyi Drolma did not pass away in an ordinary manner. She first took her disciples to a huge cave where many sacred and secret items were discovered. Then she offered a tsok feast, and those who partook of that feast achieved many sublime qualities of the Buddhas. Achi composed a text containing a sadhana of herself and promised to look after the teachings of the Buddha in general and to protect and flourish the Buddha's teaching that will appear in the future. With that she said, “My activities through this body have come to an end,” and she flew up to the Buddha Field on her blue horse without leaving her physical body behind. That means she is a very powerful Dharma Protector in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, just like PadmaSambhava who also flew to the Buddhafield. Therefore this practice is very important for practitioners to protect from obstacles that arise due to our karma. She also bestows the blessings for one to quickly realize the highest state of meditation. She is able to bestow the blessing of the common and supreme siddhi attainment.

Amitabha Buddha Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of Boundless Light. Generally, it can be said that there are many purelands, many paradises of Enlightened Beings we call Buddhas. The Pureland of Great Bliss of the Buddha of Boundless Light, Amitabha, is quite a unique place. There are purelands in the four directions, East, South, West, North, and in the center. Among them, the Pureland of Amitabha is the easiest to get to and therefore quite special. By formulating a special aspiration to be reborn in the Pureland of Great Bliss, one can accomplish the transference of one’s consciousness to that pureland. The power of prayer, the power of devoted and fervent aspiration, is all that is necessary. It is said that the Pureland of Amitabha Buddha, in relation to our universe, is in the western direction and above our universe. It cannot be reached by any material means. However, our own minds, when purified, when stripped of their faults, when returned to their own primordially pristine condition can directly experience the reality of the Pureland of Great Bliss.

Buddha Amitabha, the Buddha of Boundless Light, is red in color and he looks like Shakyamuni Buddha. He has all the 80 major marks and the 32 minor signs of a fully enlightened manifestation of nirmanakaya. He holds His hands in the posture on meditative equipoise, the Dhyana Mudra, and in His hands is a begging bowl. He looks quite like Shakyamuni Buddha, only His skin is a deep, ruby red color. He sits on top of a lotus and moon seat. Behind His back is the Wish Fulfilling Tree. To His right is Lord Avalokiteshvara, Chenrezig, white in body color. To His left is Vajrapani, the Lord of Powerful Means. These are the three chief lords of the Pureland of Great Bliss. As the monk Dharmakara, Amitabha Buddha made a commitment to liberate all those sentient beings who don’t have those supernal qualities of the practitioners that reach the other purelands of all the other Buddhas.”

There are many versions of the prayer (or vows), of Amitabha Buddha formulated when he was Dharmakara. In general, it can be said that all of his powerful aspirations can be subsumed under 48 Great Vows. The Pureland of Great Bliss was brought into reality because of one of the 48 Great Vows. This is the cause for the existence of Pureland of great Bliss. In general, all the Buddhas hold all sentient beings in the core of their heart with love and compassion. Out of their great compassion, they formulate powerful aspirations. They make great vows.Because of emptiness, the Pureland of Great Bliss was established through the power of the aspiration, the accumulation of merit, and the primordial wisdom of the enlightened being Amitabha.

To briefly encompass them in a single statement, it need be said that the essence of the vows, prayers, and aspirations are: “May a Pureland be established that is reachable by ordinary sentient beings of impure karma, beings of karmic evil, who have not abandoned non-virtue.” When you reach the purelands of other Buddhas, because of exalted status before going there, you become enlightened. In the case of Dewachen, you can get there, but it does not mean you become enlightened. What happens is that you will not revert to cyclic existence; rather, you will have, instead, all the positive and auspicious conditions for the accumulation of merit and primordial wisdom. You will be able to abandon all non-virtue there and practice to tame and train your mind until such point you are ripe for enlightenment. That is then a general introduction to the Land of Great Bliss. In brief, concerning the teachings of the Buddha Amitabha and the Pureland of Great Bliss, in all Mahayana countries this practice is very prevalent. Why is this so? It is because of the nature of the vows of Amitabha Buddha. The practice of Amitabha Buddha and the Pureland is geared to ordinary people. Anyone can engage in the practice. You do not have to be a great exalted being who has abandoned all non-virtue. You do not have to be a superb practitioner. Depending upon the power of the vows of Amitabha Buddha, you can engage in this practice. This is a Sutrayana practice. Therefore, it is something that can work for anyone. It is available to all.

Oral transmissions

Oral transmission is a key component of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Outwardly it may be just the lama reciting a Dharma text or a mantra and the students repeating it after him or her, or even simply hearing it. However inwardly far more is occurring. The lama inwardly connects with the living stream of blessing the outer text represents through his or her own reception from their guru. By this they connect with the stream back to the author or originator of the text or practice, who is almost always an enlightened being or Shakyamuni Buddha himself. In this way the student receiving the transmission is linked to its origin. From then on the practice draws directly from this origin and the enlightened being who first gave the teaching. This empowers the student to start using the practice and ensures the practice is overseen and connected to the pure source.

From a Tibetan Buddhist perspective engaging with a practice by simply reading a text may not be that fruitful. With some texts and practices it is simply not done. With others it is seen as still beneficial but not as much as receiving the text orally. There is also more likelihood of error and distortion creeping in because the student has to make his or her own connection to the pure source rather than being given the means to make that connection.

There is a long history of oral transmission of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism. Oral transmissions by lineage holders traditionally can take place in small groups or mass gatherings of listeners and may last for seconds (in the case of a mantra, for example) or many months (as in the case of a section of the Tibetan Buddhist canon). A transmission can even occur without actually hearing, as in Asanga's visions of Maitreya.

An emphasis on oral transmission as more important than the printed word derives from the earliest period of Indian Buddhism, when it allowed teachings to be kept from those who should not hear them. Hearing a teaching (transmission) readies the hearer for realization based on it. The person from whom one hears the teaching should have heard it as one link in a succession of listeners going back to the original speaker: the Buddha in the case of a sutra or the author in the case of a book. Then the hearing constitutes an authentic lineage of transmission. Authenticity of the oral lineage is a prerequisite for realization, hence the importance of lineages.

It is directly transmitting the secret blessings through the sounds of words from the vajra masters heart to your heart so the student must listen carefully, every word from the teacher must have come from their previous master. Some Oral transmissions are very secret and are called whisper teachings and are only given to 1 student at a time. We are very honored to announce these special oral transmissions given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon, the 37 th lineage holder of the Drikung Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism for the first time outside of India and Tibet.

Traditional Long Life Ceremony The Long life prayer for His Holiness is very important. It is one of the Seven Limb prayers. Performing Long Life prayers for great teachers can purify karma of many lifetimes. It is also important for us to show our devotion and respect to the teacher who holds the lineage. for the benefit of all sentient beings. When we perform the long life prayer, we pray that they will stay here for eons representing Buddha Shakyamuni and stay here until the end of samsara, until all beings attains complete enlightenment. We pray that they will remain strong and steadfast of behalf of the five families of Buddhas to transform the five poisons into the five wisdoms. We ask that they will continue to bestow the blessings for everyone to have everlasting peace and happiness. The prayers and offerings of flowers to His Holiness will create a lasting connection that you will always remember. We hope you can join in this special ceremony.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation In the Drikung Kagyu tradition, it is said that there are three kinds of protectors. They are dharmapalas, lokapalas and ksetrapalas. Respectively they translate to "Dharma-protectors," "protectors of the world” and "field- protectors." Dharma-protectors are those who are highly advanced on the Path. From Vajrayana's point of view, these beings are actually manifestations of the activities of the Buddhas. Some of these beings are considered Buddhas while some are on different levels of the Bodhisattva path. For example, Mahakala and Ekazati are both considered fully enlightened beings while someone like Dorje Lekpa is considered a tenth stage bodhisattva. Both the worldly and field protectors are not particularly related to Dharma in the same way as Dharma Protectors are.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation is engaged in for the benefit all beings with the motivation that all beings may have happiness and the causes of happiness, be free from suffering and the causes of suffering and that they will be guided and protected by these great enlightened protectors and that all obstacles and hindrances will be dispelled.

His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang At Drikung Kyobpa Choling Monastery (A Tibetan Meditation Center) 1600 Sheridan Place Escondido CA 92027

Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday -- August 6 th , 7 th , 8 th , 9 th 2015 By Reservation Only www.drikungkc.org email: [email protected] or call 909-625-5955

Thursday August 6 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Wrathful Guru Rinpoche Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of the Invocation to Buddha Shakyamuni, Prayer Blessings of the lineage, Offering to the Lama,Tshok Offering, Tshok Song,Confession Downfalls, Vajrasattva, Chenrezig, Manjushri, Green Tara, White Tara, 7 Protections of Tara, Medicine Buddha, VajraPani, detailed Seven Limb prayer, Long Life and Dedication prayers

Friday August 7 th

9:30am – 12:00pm VajraVidaran (Dorje Namjom) Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Chakrasamvara, VajraYogini, 21 Taras, Heart Sutra

Saturday August 8 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Achi Sungs offering, White Dzambala, Dharma Protectors and Serkym Offering, MahaKala, Achi, Tseringma, Golden Palace prayer and so forth

Sunday August 9 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Special traditional Long Life ceremony for His Holiness

2pm – 5pm Amitabha empowerment

Program Descriptions

Drupon Samten Rinpoche and Drikung Kybopa Choling have organized this program so that we all may receive these rare and precious empowerments, teachings and blessings directly from Gyalwa Drikungpa, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, the 37th lineage holder in the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Receiving any of these, from the throne holder of Jigten Sumgon, the manifestation of Narajuna, is a rare and precious opportunity. We invite you to receive these blessings from the reincarnation of Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang.

Yidam Practice The following is a general description of Yidam practice that pertains to four Empowerments that will be given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. Yidam is a fully enlightened being who is the focus of personal meditation, during a retreat or for one's life. Yidam practice is a very special tantric practice in which one transforms one’s normal, samsaric experience of reality into an extraordinary experience of the true state of all phenomena. While the teachings of the sutra-level consider ignorance as the root cause of samsaric existence, the tantric teachings identify the ordinary appearances as the root cause of samsara. The practice of Yidam is a special and profound method to quickly transform ordinary appearances into enlightened appearances.

Wrathful Padmasambhava Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang will bestow this very important empowerment of Wrathful Padmasambhava. Padmasambhava, literally means "Lotus-Born", which refers to his birth from a lotus in the land of Oddiyana. He is also known as Guru Rinpoche and is an emanation of Amitabha.

Padmasambhava is said to have taken eight forms or manifestations representing different aspects of his being, such as wrath or pacification. According to Rigpa Shedra the eight principal forms were assumed by Guru Rinpoche at different points in his life. Guru Dorje Drolo, is the fierce and wrathful manifestation of Vajrakilaya (wrathful Vajrasattva) known as "Diamond Guts", the comforter of all, imprinting the elements with Wisdom-Treasure. "In the experience of great bliss fiercely blazing with wrathful power, maroon in color, holding a vajra and phurba, the two feet dancing expressively atop a tigress; homage to Dorje Drolo”.

Through this Empowerment of the Wrathful Guru Rinpoche, it opens the gateway within oneself to the practice which clears obstacles, not only for one's own mind and heart but that of the world. In this practice, one visualizes oneself in a wrathful (protective and cleansing) form of the Guru Padmasambhava. The practice helps one overcome all obstacles to meditation or spiritual practice, leading to the achievement of a longer life. Ultimately, this practice catalyzes swift enlightenment through the process of merging one's own mind with the Guru of awareness.

In difficult times, it is essential to have a strong connection to the Guru. In Tibetan Buddhism, the connection to Guru Rinpoche, or Padmasambhava, has long been considered essential for receiving all forms of benefits, such as: *Cultivating Prosperity, longevity and health * Peaceful conditions, such as cultivating positive qualities. * Purification from obstacles, emotional afflictions and mental obscurations * Wrathful cleansing and blessings * Creates a strong connection with the guru

VajraVidarana (Dorje amjon) Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of this very special Yidam Diety. In the Drikung Kagyu lineage, Vajra Vidharan is a very important practice in Tibetan Buddhism. This practice is a special antidote to purify contaminated environments of the universe and sentient beings. Through this practice we will cleanse the contaminants of the air we breathe, food we eat, clothes we wear and any other types of poisons or contamination. It helps to cleanse the charkas, re- energize the life force and brings both physical and mental strength. It helps to pacify frustration, depression and anxiety. It helps dispel bad dreams and other unfavorable conditions. It brings healthy, happy long life and success in your practice. This healing ceremony for has been practiced for centuries in Tibet, India and the Himalayan region of Ladakh. Participation in this empowerment brings benefit to both oneself and others. It has been given by very specific teachers who have gone to retreat and are able to bestow this empowerment that is used specifically in healing ceremonies. Especially those who have epilepsy, fainting, giddy, headaches, stress and so forth. This is very effective. This practice was taught by the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni and many Siddhis in India who came to Tibet. It is very rare to receive this empowerment and teachings.

Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment According to a prophecy in the Cakrasavara Tantra, it is said, "The head of the Karma Dakinis will come to the area of Tidro cave in Drikung. This will be a Nirmanakaya manifestation of Vajrayogini, Achi Chokyi Drolma. His Holiness will also bestow the empowerment of of Achi Chokyi Drolma, who is the Dharma Protector of Tibetan Buddhism, and in particular of the Drikung Kagyu school. She also appears as a protector in other lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. The historical Achi was the great grandmother of Lord Jigton Sumgon, founder of the Drikung Lineage. To this day Achi remains a great dharma protector of the Buddha's teachings. Although Achi has a particular commitment to protect the Drikung Kagyu, she is recognized and practiced by all lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. `

She is the emanation of Vajra Yogini who is the embodiment of the wisdom and compassion of all the Buddhas. She is the divine mother of the Buddhas and manifested out of compassion in the form of the Dakinis of the Five Buddha families. To benefit the beings in samsara, she displays a limitless number of manifestations at different times and in different space dimensions and in front of different teachers of different lineages. She manifests as many different dakinis.

At the time of her death, Achi Chokyi Drolma did not pass away in an ordinary manner. She first took her disciples to a huge cave where many sacred and secret items were discovered. Then she offered a tsok feast, and those who partook of that feast achieved many sublime qualities of the Buddhas. Achi composed a text containing a sadhana of herself and promised to look after the teachings of the Buddha in general and to protect and flourish the Buddha's teaching that will appear in the future. With that she said, “My activities through this body have come to an end,” and she flew up to the Buddha Field on her blue horse without leaving her physical body behind. That means she is a very powerful Dharma Protector in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, just like PadmaSambhava who also flew to the Buddhafield. Therefore this practice is very important for practitioners to protect from obstacles that arise due to our karma. She also bestows the blessings for one to quickly realize the highest state of meditation. She is able to bestow the blessing of the common and supreme siddhi attainment.

Amitabha Buddha Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of Boundless Light. Generally, it can be said that there are many purelands, many paradises of Enlightened Beings we call Buddhas. The Pureland of Great Bliss of the Buddha of Boundless Light, Amitabha, is quite a unique place. There are purelands in the four directions, East, South, West, North, and in the center. Among them, the Pureland of Amitabha is the easiest to get to and therefore quite special. By formulating a special aspiration to be reborn in the Pureland of Great Bliss, one can accomplish the transference of one’s consciousness to that pureland. The power of prayer, the power of devoted and fervent aspiration, is all that is necessary. It is said that the Pureland of Amitabha Buddha, in relation to our universe, is in the western direction and above our universe. It cannot be reached by any material means. However, our own minds, when purified, when stripped of their faults, when returned to their own primordially pristine condition can directly experience the reality of the Pureland of Great Bliss.

Buddha Amitabha, the Buddha of Boundless Light, is red in color and he looks like Shakyamuni Buddha. He has all the 80 major marks and the 32 minor signs of a fully enlightened manifestation of nirmanakaya. He holds His hands in the posture on meditative equipoise, the Dhyana Mudra, and in His hands is a begging bowl. He looks quite like Shakyamuni Buddha, only His skin is a deep, ruby red color. He sits on top of a lotus and moon seat. Behind His back is the Wish Fulfilling Tree. To His right is Lord Avalokiteshvara, Chenrezig, white in body color. To His left is Vajrapani, the Lord of Powerful Means. These are the three chief lords of the Pureland of Great Bliss. As the monk Dharmakara, Amitabha Buddha made a commitment to liberate all those sentient beings who don’t have those supernal qualities of the practitioners that reach the other purelands of all the other Buddhas.”

There are many versions of the prayer (or vows), of Amitabha Buddha formulated when he was Dharmakara. In general, it can be said that all of his powerful aspirations can be subsumed under 48 Great Vows. The Pureland of Great Bliss was brought into reality because of one of the 48 Great Vows. This is the cause for the existence of Pureland of great Bliss. In general, all the Buddhas hold all sentient beings in the core of their heart with love and compassion. Out of their great compassion, they formulate powerful aspirations. They make great vows.Because of emptiness, the Pureland of Great Bliss was established through the power of the aspiration, the accumulation of merit, and the primordial wisdom of the enlightened being Amitabha.

To briefly encompass them in a single statement, it need be said that the essence of the vows, prayers, and aspirations are: “May a Pureland be established that is reachable by ordinary sentient beings of impure karma, beings of karmic evil, who have not abandoned non-virtue.” When you reach the purelands of other Buddhas, because of exalted status before going there, you become enlightened. In the case of Dewachen, you can get there, but it does not mean you become enlightened. What happens is that you will not revert to cyclic existence; rather, you will have, instead, all the positive and auspicious conditions for the accumulation of merit and primordial wisdom. You will be able to abandon all non-virtue there and practice to tame and train your mind until such point you are ripe for enlightenment. That is then a general introduction to the Land of Great Bliss. In brief, concerning the teachings of the Buddha Amitabha and the Pureland of Great Bliss, in all Mahayana countries this practice is very prevalent. Why is this so? It is because of the nature of the vows of Amitabha Buddha. The practice of Amitabha Buddha and the Pureland is geared to ordinary people. Anyone can engage in the practice. You do not have to be a great exalted being who has abandoned all non-virtue. You do not have to be a superb practitioner. Depending upon the power of the vows of Amitabha Buddha, you can engage in this practice. This is a Sutrayana practice. Therefore, it is something that can work for anyone. It is available to all.

Oral transmissions

Oral transmission is a key component of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Outwardly it may be just the lama reciting a Dharma text or a mantra and the students repeating it after him or her, or even simply hearing it. However inwardly far more is occurring. The lama inwardly connects with the living stream of blessing the outer text represents through his or her own reception from their guru. By this they connect with the stream back to the author or originator of the text or practice, who is almost always an enlightened being or Shakyamuni Buddha himself. In this way the student receiving the transmission is linked to its origin. From then on the practice draws directly from this origin and the enlightened being who first gave the teaching. This empowers the student to start using the practice and ensures the practice is overseen and connected to the pure source.

From a Tibetan Buddhist perspective engaging with a practice by simply reading a text may not be that fruitful. With some texts and practices it is simply not done. With others it is seen as still beneficial but not as much as receiving the text orally. There is also more likelihood of error and distortion creeping in because the student has to make his or her own connection to the pure source rather than being given the means to make that connection.

There is a long history of oral transmission of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism. Oral transmissions by lineage holders traditionally can take place in small groups or mass gatherings of listeners and may last for seconds (in the case of a mantra, for example) or many months (as in the case of a section of the Tibetan Buddhist canon). A transmission can even occur without actually hearing, as in Asanga's visions of Maitreya.

An emphasis on oral transmission as more important than the printed word derives from the earliest period of Indian Buddhism, when it allowed teachings to be kept from those who should not hear them. Hearing a teaching (transmission) readies the hearer for realization based on it. The person from whom one hears the teaching should have heard it as one link in a succession of listeners going back to the original speaker: the Buddha in the case of a sutra or the author in the case of a book. Then the hearing constitutes an authentic lineage of transmission. Authenticity of the oral lineage is a prerequisite for realization, hence the importance of lineages.

It is directly transmitting the secret blessings through the sounds of words from the vajra masters heart to your heart so the student must listen carefully, every word from the teacher must have come from their previous master. Some Oral transmissions are very secret and are called whisper teachings and are only given to 1 student at a time. We are very honored to announce these special oral transmissions given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon, the 37 th lineage holder of the Drikung Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism for the first time outside of India and Tibet.

Traditional Long Life Ceremony The Long life prayer for His Holiness is very important. It is one of the Seven Limb prayers. Performing Long Life prayers for great teachers can purify karma of many lifetimes. It is also important for us to show our devotion and respect to the teacher who holds the lineage. for the benefit of all sentient beings. When we perform the long life prayer, we pray that they will stay here for eons representing Buddha Shakyamuni and stay here until the end of samsara, until all beings attains complete enlightenment. We pray that they will remain strong and steadfast of behalf of the five families of Buddhas to transform the five poisons into the five wisdoms. We ask that they will continue to bestow the blessings for everyone to have everlasting peace and happiness. The prayers and offerings of flowers to His Holiness will create a lasting connection that you will always remember. We hope you can join in this special ceremony.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation In the Drikung Kagyu tradition, it is said that there are three kinds of protectors. They are dharmapalas, lokapalas and ksetrapalas. Respectively they translate to "Dharma-protectors," "protectors of the world” and "field- protectors." Dharma-protectors are those who are highly advanced on the Path. From Vajrayana's point of view, these beings are actually manifestations of the activities of the Buddhas. Some of these beings are considered Buddhas while some are on different levels of the Bodhisattva path. For example, Mahakala and Ekazati are both considered fully enlightened beings while someone like Dorje Lekpa is considered a tenth stage bodhisattva. Both the worldly and field protectors are not particularly related to Dharma in the same way as Dharma Protectors are.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation is engaged in for the benefit all beings with the motivation that all beings may have happiness and the causes of happiness, be free from suffering and the causes of suffering and that they will be guided and protected by these great enlightened protectors and that all obstacles and hindrances will be dispelled.

His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang At Drikung Kyobpa Choling Monastery (A Tibetan Meditation Center) 1600 Sheridan Place Escondido CA 92027

Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday -- August 6 th , 7 th , 8 th , 9 th 2015 By Reservation Only www.drikungkc.org email: [email protected] or call 909-625-5955

Thursday August 6 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Wrathful Guru Rinpoche Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of the Invocation to Buddha Shakyamuni, Prayer Blessings of the lineage, Offering to the Lama,Tshok Offering, Tshok Song,Confession Downfalls, Vajrasattva, Chenrezig, Manjushri, Green Tara, White Tara, 7 Protections of Tara, Medicine Buddha, VajraPani, detailed Seven Limb prayer, Long Life and Dedication prayers

Friday August 7 th

9:30am – 12:00pm VajraVidaran (Dorje Namjom) Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Chakrasamvara, VajraYogini, 21 Taras, Heart Sutra

Saturday August 8 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Achi Sungs offering, White Dzambala, Dharma Protectors and Serkym Offering, MahaKala, Achi, Tseringma, Golden Palace prayer and so forth

Sunday August 9 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Special traditional Long Life ceremony for His Holiness

2pm – 5pm Amitabha empowerment

Program Descriptions

Drupon Samten Rinpoche and Drikung Kybopa Choling have organized this program so that we all may receive these rare and precious empowerments, teachings and blessings directly from Gyalwa Drikungpa, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, the 37th lineage holder in the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Receiving any of these, from the throne holder of Jigten Sumgon, the manifestation of Narajuna, is a rare and precious opportunity. We invite you to receive these blessings from the reincarnation of Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang.

Yidam Practice The following is a general description of Yidam practice that pertains to four Empowerments that will be given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. Yidam is a fully enlightened being who is the focus of personal meditation, during a retreat or for one's life. Yidam practice is a very special tantric practice in which one transforms one’s normal, samsaric experience of reality into an extraordinary experience of the true state of all phenomena. While the teachings of the sutra-level consider ignorance as the root cause of samsaric existence, the tantric teachings identify the ordinary appearances as the root cause of samsara. The practice of Yidam is a special and profound method to quickly transform ordinary appearances into enlightened appearances.

Wrathful Padmasambhava Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang will bestow this very important empowerment of Wrathful Padmasambhava. Padmasambhava, literally means "Lotus-Born", which refers to his birth from a lotus in the land of Oddiyana. He is also known as Guru Rinpoche and is an emanation of Amitabha.

Padmasambhava is said to have taken eight forms or manifestations representing different aspects of his being, such as wrath or pacification. According to Rigpa Shedra the eight principal forms were assumed by Guru Rinpoche at different points in his life. Guru Dorje Drolo, is the fierce and wrathful manifestation of Vajrakilaya (wrathful Vajrasattva) known as "Diamond Guts", the comforter of all, imprinting the elements with Wisdom-Treasure. "In the experience of great bliss fiercely blazing with wrathful power, maroon in color, holding a vajra and phurba, the two feet dancing expressively atop a tigress; homage to Dorje Drolo”.

Through this Empowerment of the Wrathful Guru Rinpoche, it opens the gateway within oneself to the practice which clears obstacles, not only for one's own mind and heart but that of the world. In this practice, one visualizes oneself in a wrathful (protective and cleansing) form of the Guru Padmasambhava. The practice helps one overcome all obstacles to meditation or spiritual practice, leading to the achievement of a longer life. Ultimately, this practice catalyzes swift enlightenment through the process of merging one's own mind with the Guru of awareness.

In difficult times, it is essential to have a strong connection to the Guru. In Tibetan Buddhism, the connection to Guru Rinpoche, or Padmasambhava, has long been considered essential for receiving all forms of benefits, such as: *Cultivating Prosperity, longevity and health * Peaceful conditions, such as cultivating positive qualities. * Purification from obstacles, emotional afflictions and mental obscurations * Wrathful cleansing and blessings * Creates a strong connection with the guru

VajraVidarana (Dorje amjon) Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of this very special Yidam Diety. In the Drikung Kagyu lineage, Vajra Vidharan is a very important practice in Tibetan Buddhism. This practice is a special antidote to purify contaminated environments of the universe and sentient beings. Through this practice we will cleanse the contaminants of the air we breathe, food we eat, clothes we wear and any other types of poisons or contamination. It helps to cleanse the charkas, re- energize the life force and brings both physical and mental strength. It helps to pacify frustration, depression and anxiety. It helps dispel bad dreams and other unfavorable conditions. It brings healthy, happy long life and success in your practice. This healing ceremony for has been practiced for centuries in Tibet, India and the Himalayan region of Ladakh. Participation in this empowerment brings benefit to both oneself and others. It has been given by very specific teachers who have gone to retreat and are able to bestow this empowerment that is used specifically in healing ceremonies. Especially those who have epilepsy, fainting, giddy, headaches, stress and so forth. This is very effective. This practice was taught by the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni and many Siddhis in India who came to Tibet. It is very rare to receive this empowerment and teachings.

Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment According to a prophecy in the Cakrasavara Tantra, it is said, "The head of the Karma Dakinis will come to the area of Tidro cave in Drikung. This will be a Nirmanakaya manifestation of Vajrayogini, Achi Chokyi Drolma. His Holiness will also bestow the empowerment of of Achi Chokyi Drolma, who is the Dharma Protector of Tibetan Buddhism, and in particular of the Drikung Kagyu school. She also appears as a protector in other lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. The historical Achi was the great grandmother of Lord Jigton Sumgon, founder of the Drikung Lineage. To this day Achi remains a great dharma protector of the Buddha's teachings. Although Achi has a particular commitment to protect the Drikung Kagyu, she is recognized and practiced by all lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. `

She is the emanation of Vajra Yogini who is the embodiment of the wisdom and compassion of all the Buddhas. She is the divine mother of the Buddhas and manifested out of compassion in the form of the Dakinis of the Five Buddha families. To benefit the beings in samsara, she displays a limitless number of manifestations at different times and in different space dimensions and in front of different teachers of different lineages. She manifests as many different dakinis.

At the time of her death, Achi Chokyi Drolma did not pass away in an ordinary manner. She first took her disciples to a huge cave where many sacred and secret items were discovered. Then she offered a tsok feast, and those who partook of that feast achieved many sublime qualities of the Buddhas. Achi composed a text containing a sadhana of herself and promised to look after the teachings of the Buddha in general and to protect and flourish the Buddha's teaching that will appear in the future. With that she said, “My activities through this body have come to an end,” and she flew up to the Buddha Field on her blue horse without leaving her physical body behind. That means she is a very powerful Dharma Protector in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, just like PadmaSambhava who also flew to the Buddhafield. Therefore this practice is very important for practitioners to protect from obstacles that arise due to our karma. She also bestows the blessings for one to quickly realize the highest state of meditation. She is able to bestow the blessing of the common and supreme siddhi attainment.

Amitabha Buddha Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of Boundless Light. Generally, it can be said that there are many purelands, many paradises of Enlightened Beings we call Buddhas. The Pureland of Great Bliss of the Buddha of Boundless Light, Amitabha, is quite a unique place. There are purelands in the four directions, East, South, West, North, and in the center. Among them, the Pureland of Amitabha is the easiest to get to and therefore quite special. By formulating a special aspiration to be reborn in the Pureland of Great Bliss, one can accomplish the transference of one’s consciousness to that pureland. The power of prayer, the power of devoted and fervent aspiration, is all that is necessary. It is said that the Pureland of Amitabha Buddha, in relation to our universe, is in the western direction and above our universe. It cannot be reached by any material means. However, our own minds, when purified, when stripped of their faults, when returned to their own primordially pristine condition can directly experience the reality of the Pureland of Great Bliss.

Buddha Amitabha, the Buddha of Boundless Light, is red in color and he looks like Shakyamuni Buddha. He has all the 80 major marks and the 32 minor signs of a fully enlightened manifestation of nirmanakaya. He holds His hands in the posture on meditative equipoise, the Dhyana Mudra, and in His hands is a begging bowl. He looks quite like Shakyamuni Buddha, only His skin is a deep, ruby red color. He sits on top of a lotus and moon seat. Behind His back is the Wish Fulfilling Tree. To His right is Lord Avalokiteshvara, Chenrezig, white in body color. To His left is Vajrapani, the Lord of Powerful Means. These are the three chief lords of the Pureland of Great Bliss. As the monk Dharmakara, Amitabha Buddha made a commitment to liberate all those sentient beings who don’t have those supernal qualities of the practitioners that reach the other purelands of all the other Buddhas.”

There are many versions of the prayer (or vows), of Amitabha Buddha formulated when he was Dharmakara. In general, it can be said that all of his powerful aspirations can be subsumed under 48 Great Vows. The Pureland of Great Bliss was brought into reality because of one of the 48 Great Vows. This is the cause for the existence of Pureland of great Bliss. In general, all the Buddhas hold all sentient beings in the core of their heart with love and compassion. Out of their great compassion, they formulate powerful aspirations. They make great vows.Because of emptiness, the Pureland of Great Bliss was established through the power of the aspiration, the accumulation of merit, and the primordial wisdom of the enlightened being Amitabha.

To briefly encompass them in a single statement, it need be said that the essence of the vows, prayers, and aspirations are: “May a Pureland be established that is reachable by ordinary sentient beings of impure karma, beings of karmic evil, who have not abandoned non-virtue.” When you reach the purelands of other Buddhas, because of exalted status before going there, you become enlightened. In the case of Dewachen, you can get there, but it does not mean you become enlightened. What happens is that you will not revert to cyclic existence; rather, you will have, instead, all the positive and auspicious conditions for the accumulation of merit and primordial wisdom. You will be able to abandon all non-virtue there and practice to tame and train your mind until such point you are ripe for enlightenment. That is then a general introduction to the Land of Great Bliss. In brief, concerning the teachings of the Buddha Amitabha and the Pureland of Great Bliss, in all Mahayana countries this practice is very prevalent. Why is this so? It is because of the nature of the vows of Amitabha Buddha. The practice of Amitabha Buddha and the Pureland is geared to ordinary people. Anyone can engage in the practice. You do not have to be a great exalted being who has abandoned all non-virtue. You do not have to be a superb practitioner. Depending upon the power of the vows of Amitabha Buddha, you can engage in this practice. This is a Sutrayana practice. Therefore, it is something that can work for anyone. It is available to all.

Oral transmissions

Oral transmission is a key component of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Outwardly it may be just the lama reciting a Dharma text or a mantra and the students repeating it after him or her, or even simply hearing it. However inwardly far more is occurring. The lama inwardly connects with the living stream of blessing the outer text represents through his or her own reception from their guru. By this they connect with the stream back to the author or originator of the text or practice, who is almost always an enlightened being or Shakyamuni Buddha himself. In this way the student receiving the transmission is linked to its origin. From then on the practice draws directly from this origin and the enlightened being who first gave the teaching. This empowers the student to start using the practice and ensures the practice is overseen and connected to the pure source.

From a Tibetan Buddhist perspective engaging with a practice by simply reading a text may not be that fruitful. With some texts and practices it is simply not done. With others it is seen as still beneficial but not as much as receiving the text orally. There is also more likelihood of error and distortion creeping in because the student has to make his or her own connection to the pure source rather than being given the means to make that connection.

There is a long history of oral transmission of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism. Oral transmissions by lineage holders traditionally can take place in small groups or mass gatherings of listeners and may last for seconds (in the case of a mantra, for example) or many months (as in the case of a section of the Tibetan Buddhist canon). A transmission can even occur without actually hearing, as in Asanga's visions of Maitreya.

An emphasis on oral transmission as more important than the printed word derives from the earliest period of Indian Buddhism, when it allowed teachings to be kept from those who should not hear them. Hearing a teaching (transmission) readies the hearer for realization based on it. The person from whom one hears the teaching should have heard it as one link in a succession of listeners going back to the original speaker: the Buddha in the case of a sutra or the author in the case of a book. Then the hearing constitutes an authentic lineage of transmission. Authenticity of the oral lineage is a prerequisite for realization, hence the importance of lineages.

It is directly transmitting the secret blessings through the sounds of words from the vajra masters heart to your heart so the student must listen carefully, every word from the teacher must have come from their previous master. Some Oral transmissions are very secret and are called whisper teachings and are only given to 1 student at a time. We are very honored to announce these special oral transmissions given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon, the 37 th lineage holder of the Drikung Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism for the first time outside of India and Tibet.

Traditional Long Life Ceremony The Long life prayer for His Holiness is very important. It is one of the Seven Limb prayers. Performing Long Life prayers for great teachers can purify karma of many lifetimes. It is also important for us to show our devotion and respect to the teacher who holds the lineage. for the benefit of all sentient beings. When we perform the long life prayer, we pray that they will stay here for eons representing Buddha Shakyamuni and stay here until the end of samsara, until all beings attains complete enlightenment. We pray that they will remain strong and steadfast of behalf of the five families of Buddhas to transform the five poisons into the five wisdoms. We ask that they will continue to bestow the blessings for everyone to have everlasting peace and happiness. The prayers and offerings of flowers to His Holiness will create a lasting connection that you will always remember. We hope you can join in this special ceremony.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation In the Drikung Kagyu tradition, it is said that there are three kinds of protectors. They are dharmapalas, lokapalas and ksetrapalas. Respectively they translate to "Dharma-protectors," "protectors of the world” and "field- protectors." Dharma-protectors are those who are highly advanced on the Path. From Vajrayana's point of view, these beings are actually manifestations of the activities of the Buddhas. Some of these beings are considered Buddhas while some are on different levels of the Bodhisattva path. For example, Mahakala and Ekazati are both considered fully enlightened beings while someone like Dorje Lekpa is considered a tenth stage bodhisattva. Both the worldly and field protectors are not particularly related to Dharma in the same way as Dharma Protectors are.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation is engaged in for the benefit all beings with the motivation that all beings may have happiness and the causes of happiness, be free from suffering and the causes of suffering and that they will be guided and protected by these great enlightened protectors and that all obstacles and hindrances will be dispelled.

His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang At Drikung Kyobpa Choling Monastery (A Tibetan Meditation Center) 1600 Sheridan Place Escondido CA 92027

Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday -- August 6 th , 7 th , 8 th , 9 th 2015 By Reservation Only www.drikungkc.org email: [email protected] or call 909-625-5955

Thursday August 6 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Wrathful Guru Rinpoche Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of the Invocation to Buddha Shakyamuni, Prayer Blessings of the lineage, Offering to the Lama,Tshok Offering, Tshok Song,Confession Downfalls, Vajrasattva, Chenrezig, Manjushri, Green Tara, White Tara, 7 Protections of Tara, Medicine Buddha, VajraPani, detailed Seven Limb prayer, Long Life and Dedication prayers

Friday August 7 th

9:30am – 12:00pm VajraVidaran (Dorje Namjom) Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Chakrasamvara, VajraYogini, 21 Taras, Heart Sutra

Saturday August 8 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Achi Sungs offering, White Dzambala, Dharma Protectors and Serkym Offering, MahaKala, Achi, Tseringma, Golden Palace prayer and so forth

Sunday August 9 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Special traditional Long Life ceremony for His Holiness

2pm – 5pm Amitabha empowerment

Program Descriptions

Drupon Samten Rinpoche and Drikung Kybopa Choling have organized this program so that we all may receive these rare and precious empowerments, teachings and blessings directly from Gyalwa Drikungpa, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, the 37th lineage holder in the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Receiving any of these, from the throne holder of Jigten Sumgon, the manifestation of Narajuna, is a rare and precious opportunity. We invite you to receive these blessings from the reincarnation of Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang.

Yidam Practice The following is a general description of Yidam practice that pertains to four Empowerments that will be given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. Yidam is a fully enlightened being who is the focus of personal meditation, during a retreat or for one's life. Yidam practice is a very special tantric practice in which one transforms one’s normal, samsaric experience of reality into an extraordinary experience of the true state of all phenomena. While the teachings of the sutra-level consider ignorance as the root cause of samsaric existence, the tantric teachings identify the ordinary appearances as the root cause of samsara. The practice of Yidam is a special and profound method to quickly transform ordinary appearances into enlightened appearances.

Wrathful Padmasambhava Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang will bestow this very important empowerment of Wrathful Padmasambhava. Padmasambhava, literally means "Lotus-Born", which refers to his birth from a lotus in the land of Oddiyana. He is also known as Guru Rinpoche and is an emanation of Amitabha.

Padmasambhava is said to have taken eight forms or manifestations representing different aspects of his being, such as wrath or pacification. According to Rigpa Shedra the eight principal forms were assumed by Guru Rinpoche at different points in his life. Guru Dorje Drolo, is the fierce and wrathful manifestation of Vajrakilaya (wrathful Vajrasattva) known as "Diamond Guts", the comforter of all, imprinting the elements with Wisdom-Treasure. "In the experience of great bliss fiercely blazing with wrathful power, maroon in color, holding a vajra and phurba, the two feet dancing expressively atop a tigress; homage to Dorje Drolo”.

Through this Empowerment of the Wrathful Guru Rinpoche, it opens the gateway within oneself to the practice which clears obstacles, not only for one's own mind and heart but that of the world. In this practice, one visualizes oneself in a wrathful (protective and cleansing) form of the Guru Padmasambhava. The practice helps one overcome all obstacles to meditation or spiritual practice, leading to the achievement of a longer life. Ultimately, this practice catalyzes swift enlightenment through the process of merging one's own mind with the Guru of awareness.

In difficult times, it is essential to have a strong connection to the Guru. In Tibetan Buddhism, the connection to Guru Rinpoche, or Padmasambhava, has long been considered essential for receiving all forms of benefits, such as: *Cultivating Prosperity, longevity and health * Peaceful conditions, such as cultivating positive qualities. * Purification from obstacles, emotional afflictions and mental obscurations * Wrathful cleansing and blessings * Creates a strong connection with the guru

VajraVidarana (Dorje amjon) Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of this very special Yidam Diety. In the Drikung Kagyu lineage, Vajra Vidharan is a very important practice in Tibetan Buddhism. This practice is a special antidote to purify contaminated environments of the universe and sentient beings. Through this practice we will cleanse the contaminants of the air we breathe, food we eat, clothes we wear and any other types of poisons or contamination. It helps to cleanse the charkas, re- energize the life force and brings both physical and mental strength. It helps to pacify frustration, depression and anxiety. It helps dispel bad dreams and other unfavorable conditions. It brings healthy, happy long life and success in your practice. This healing ceremony for has been practiced for centuries in Tibet, India and the Himalayan region of Ladakh. Participation in this empowerment brings benefit to both oneself and others. It has been given by very specific teachers who have gone to retreat and are able to bestow this empowerment that is used specifically in healing ceremonies. Especially those who have epilepsy, fainting, giddy, headaches, stress and so forth. This is very effective. This practice was taught by the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni and many Siddhis in India who came to Tibet. It is very rare to receive this empowerment and teachings.

Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment According to a prophecy in the Cakrasavara Tantra, it is said, "The head of the Karma Dakinis will come to the area of Tidro cave in Drikung. This will be a Nirmanakaya manifestation of Vajrayogini, Achi Chokyi Drolma. His Holiness will also bestow the empowerment of of Achi Chokyi Drolma, who is the Dharma Protector of Tibetan Buddhism, and in particular of the Drikung Kagyu school. She also appears as a protector in other lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. The historical Achi was the great grandmother of Lord Jigton Sumgon, founder of the Drikung Lineage. To this day Achi remains a great dharma protector of the Buddha's teachings. Although Achi has a particular commitment to protect the Drikung Kagyu, she is recognized and practiced by all lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. `

She is the emanation of Vajra Yogini who is the embodiment of the wisdom and compassion of all the Buddhas. She is the divine mother of the Buddhas and manifested out of compassion in the form of the Dakinis of the Five Buddha families. To benefit the beings in samsara, she displays a limitless number of manifestations at different times and in different space dimensions and in front of different teachers of different lineages. She manifests as many different dakinis.

At the time of her death, Achi Chokyi Drolma did not pass away in an ordinary manner. She first took her disciples to a huge cave where many sacred and secret items were discovered. Then she offered a tsok feast, and those who partook of that feast achieved many sublime qualities of the Buddhas. Achi composed a text containing a sadhana of herself and promised to look after the teachings of the Buddha in general and to protect and flourish the Buddha's teaching that will appear in the future. With that she said, “My activities through this body have come to an end,” and she flew up to the Buddha Field on her blue horse without leaving her physical body behind. That means she is a very powerful Dharma Protector in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, just like PadmaSambhava who also flew to the Buddhafield. Therefore this practice is very important for practitioners to protect from obstacles that arise due to our karma. She also bestows the blessings for one to quickly realize the highest state of meditation. She is able to bestow the blessing of the common and supreme siddhi attainment.

Amitabha Buddha Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of Boundless Light. Generally, it can be said that there are many purelands, many paradises of Enlightened Beings we call Buddhas. The Pureland of Great Bliss of the Buddha of Boundless Light, Amitabha, is quite a unique place. There are purelands in the four directions, East, South, West, North, and in the center. Among them, the Pureland of Amitabha is the easiest to get to and therefore quite special. By formulating a special aspiration to be reborn in the Pureland of Great Bliss, one can accomplish the transference of one’s consciousness to that pureland. The power of prayer, the power of devoted and fervent aspiration, is all that is necessary. It is said that the Pureland of Amitabha Buddha, in relation to our universe, is in the western direction and above our universe. It cannot be reached by any material means. However, our own minds, when purified, when stripped of their faults, when returned to their own primordially pristine condition can directly experience the reality of the Pureland of Great Bliss.

Buddha Amitabha, the Buddha of Boundless Light, is red in color and he looks like Shakyamuni Buddha. He has all the 80 major marks and the 32 minor signs of a fully enlightened manifestation of nirmanakaya. He holds His hands in the posture on meditative equipoise, the Dhyana Mudra, and in His hands is a begging bowl. He looks quite like Shakyamuni Buddha, only His skin is a deep, ruby red color. He sits on top of a lotus and moon seat. Behind His back is the Wish Fulfilling Tree. To His right is Lord Avalokiteshvara, Chenrezig, white in body color. To His left is Vajrapani, the Lord of Powerful Means. These are the three chief lords of the Pureland of Great Bliss. As the monk Dharmakara, Amitabha Buddha made a commitment to liberate all those sentient beings who don’t have those supernal qualities of the practitioners that reach the other purelands of all the other Buddhas.”

There are many versions of the prayer (or vows), of Amitabha Buddha formulated when he was Dharmakara. In general, it can be said that all of his powerful aspirations can be subsumed under 48 Great Vows. The Pureland of Great Bliss was brought into reality because of one of the 48 Great Vows. This is the cause for the existence of Pureland of great Bliss. In general, all the Buddhas hold all sentient beings in the core of their heart with love and compassion. Out of their great compassion, they formulate powerful aspirations. They make great vows.Because of emptiness, the Pureland of Great Bliss was established through the power of the aspiration, the accumulation of merit, and the primordial wisdom of the enlightened being Amitabha.

To briefly encompass them in a single statement, it need be said that the essence of the vows, prayers, and aspirations are: “May a Pureland be established that is reachable by ordinary sentient beings of impure karma, beings of karmic evil, who have not abandoned non-virtue.” When you reach the purelands of other Buddhas, because of exalted status before going there, you become enlightened. In the case of Dewachen, you can get there, but it does not mean you become enlightened. What happens is that you will not revert to cyclic existence; rather, you will have, instead, all the positive and auspicious conditions for the accumulation of merit and primordial wisdom. You will be able to abandon all non-virtue there and practice to tame and train your mind until such point you are ripe for enlightenment. That is then a general introduction to the Land of Great Bliss. In brief, concerning the teachings of the Buddha Amitabha and the Pureland of Great Bliss, in all Mahayana countries this practice is very prevalent. Why is this so? It is because of the nature of the vows of Amitabha Buddha. The practice of Amitabha Buddha and the Pureland is geared to ordinary people. Anyone can engage in the practice. You do not have to be a great exalted being who has abandoned all non-virtue. You do not have to be a superb practitioner. Depending upon the power of the vows of Amitabha Buddha, you can engage in this practice. This is a Sutrayana practice. Therefore, it is something that can work for anyone. It is available to all.

Oral transmissions

Oral transmission is a key component of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Outwardly it may be just the lama reciting a Dharma text or a mantra and the students repeating it after him or her, or even simply hearing it. However inwardly far more is occurring. The lama inwardly connects with the living stream of blessing the outer text represents through his or her own reception from their guru. By this they connect with the stream back to the author or originator of the text or practice, who is almost always an enlightened being or Shakyamuni Buddha himself. In this way the student receiving the transmission is linked to its origin. From then on the practice draws directly from this origin and the enlightened being who first gave the teaching. This empowers the student to start using the practice and ensures the practice is overseen and connected to the pure source.

From a Tibetan Buddhist perspective engaging with a practice by simply reading a text may not be that fruitful. With some texts and practices it is simply not done. With others it is seen as still beneficial but not as much as receiving the text orally. There is also more likelihood of error and distortion creeping in because the student has to make his or her own connection to the pure source rather than being given the means to make that connection.

There is a long history of oral transmission of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism. Oral transmissions by lineage holders traditionally can take place in small groups or mass gatherings of listeners and may last for seconds (in the case of a mantra, for example) or many months (as in the case of a section of the Tibetan Buddhist canon). A transmission can even occur without actually hearing, as in Asanga's visions of Maitreya.

An emphasis on oral transmission as more important than the printed word derives from the earliest period of Indian Buddhism, when it allowed teachings to be kept from those who should not hear them. Hearing a teaching (transmission) readies the hearer for realization based on it. The person from whom one hears the teaching should have heard it as one link in a succession of listeners going back to the original speaker: the Buddha in the case of a sutra or the author in the case of a book. Then the hearing constitutes an authentic lineage of transmission. Authenticity of the oral lineage is a prerequisite for realization, hence the importance of lineages.

It is directly transmitting the secret blessings through the sounds of words from the vajra masters heart to your heart so the student must listen carefully, every word from the teacher must have come from their previous master. Some Oral transmissions are very secret and are called whisper teachings and are only given to 1 student at a time. We are very honored to announce these special oral transmissions given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon, the 37 th lineage holder of the Drikung Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism for the first time outside of India and Tibet.

Traditional Long Life Ceremony The Long life prayer for His Holiness is very important. It is one of the Seven Limb prayers. Performing Long Life prayers for great teachers can purify karma of many lifetimes. It is also important for us to show our devotion and respect to the teacher who holds the lineage. for the benefit of all sentient beings. When we perform the long life prayer, we pray that they will stay here for eons representing Buddha Shakyamuni and stay here until the end of samsara, until all beings attains complete enlightenment. We pray that they will remain strong and steadfast of behalf of the five families of Buddhas to transform the five poisons into the five wisdoms. We ask that they will continue to bestow the blessings for everyone to have everlasting peace and happiness. The prayers and offerings of flowers to His Holiness will create a lasting connection that you will always remember. We hope you can join in this special ceremony.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation In the Drikung Kagyu tradition, it is said that there are three kinds of protectors. They are dharmapalas, lokapalas and ksetrapalas. Respectively they translate to "Dharma-protectors," "protectors of the world” and "field- protectors." Dharma-protectors are those who are highly advanced on the Path. From Vajrayana's point of view, these beings are actually manifestations of the activities of the Buddhas. Some of these beings are considered Buddhas while some are on different levels of the Bodhisattva path. For example, Mahakala and Ekazati are both considered fully enlightened beings while someone like Dorje Lekpa is considered a tenth stage bodhisattva. Both the worldly and field protectors are not particularly related to Dharma in the same way as Dharma Protectors are.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation is engaged in for the benefit all beings with the motivation that all beings may have happiness and the causes of happiness, be free from suffering and the causes of suffering and that they will be guided and protected by these great enlightened protectors and that all obstacles and hindrances will be dispelled.

His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang At Drikung Kyobpa Choling Monastery (A Tibetan Meditation Center) 1600 Sheridan Place Escondido CA 92027

Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday -- August 6 th , 7 th , 8 th , 9 th 2015 By Reservation Only www.drikungkc.org email: [email protected] or call 909-625-5955

Thursday August 6 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Wrathful Guru Rinpoche Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of the Invocation to Buddha Shakyamuni, Prayer Blessings of the lineage, Offering to the Lama,Tshok Offering, Tshok Song,Confession Downfalls, Vajrasattva, Chenrezig, Manjushri, Green Tara, White Tara, 7 Protections of Tara, Medicine Buddha, VajraPani, detailed Seven Limb prayer, Long Life and Dedication prayers

Friday August 7 th

9:30am – 12:00pm VajraVidaran (Dorje Namjom) Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Chakrasamvara, VajraYogini, 21 Taras, Heart Sutra

Saturday August 8 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Achi Sungs offering, White Dzambala, Dharma Protectors and Serkym Offering, MahaKala, Achi, Tseringma, Golden Palace prayer and so forth

Sunday August 9 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Special traditional Long Life ceremony for His Holiness

2pm – 5pm Amitabha empowerment

Program Descriptions

Drupon Samten Rinpoche and Drikung Kybopa Choling have organized this program so that we all may receive these rare and precious empowerments, teachings and blessings directly from Gyalwa Drikungpa, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, the 37th lineage holder in the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Receiving any of these, from the throne holder of Jigten Sumgon, the manifestation of Narajuna, is a rare and precious opportunity. We invite you to receive these blessings from the reincarnation of Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang.

Yidam Practice The following is a general description of Yidam practice that pertains to four Empowerments that will be given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. Yidam is a fully enlightened being who is the focus of personal meditation, during a retreat or for one's life. Yidam practice is a very special tantric practice in which one transforms one’s normal, samsaric experience of reality into an extraordinary experience of the true state of all phenomena. While the teachings of the sutra-level consider ignorance as the root cause of samsaric existence, the tantric teachings identify the ordinary appearances as the root cause of samsara. The practice of Yidam is a special and profound method to quickly transform ordinary appearances into enlightened appearances.

Wrathful Padmasambhava Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang will bestow this very important empowerment of Wrathful Padmasambhava. Padmasambhava, literally means "Lotus-Born", which refers to his birth from a lotus in the land of Oddiyana. He is also known as Guru Rinpoche and is an emanation of Amitabha.

Padmasambhava is said to have taken eight forms or manifestations representing different aspects of his being, such as wrath or pacification. According to Rigpa Shedra the eight principal forms were assumed by Guru Rinpoche at different points in his life. Guru Dorje Drolo, is the fierce and wrathful manifestation of Vajrakilaya (wrathful Vajrasattva) known as "Diamond Guts", the comforter of all, imprinting the elements with Wisdom-Treasure. "In the experience of great bliss fiercely blazing with wrathful power, maroon in color, holding a vajra and phurba, the two feet dancing expressively atop a tigress; homage to Dorje Drolo”.

Through this Empowerment of the Wrathful Guru Rinpoche, it opens the gateway within oneself to the practice which clears obstacles, not only for one's own mind and heart but that of the world. In this practice, one visualizes oneself in a wrathful (protective and cleansing) form of the Guru Padmasambhava. The practice helps one overcome all obstacles to meditation or spiritual practice, leading to the achievement of a longer life. Ultimately, this practice catalyzes swift enlightenment through the process of merging one's own mind with the Guru of awareness.

In difficult times, it is essential to have a strong connection to the Guru. In Tibetan Buddhism, the connection to Guru Rinpoche, or Padmasambhava, has long been considered essential for receiving all forms of benefits, such as: *Cultivating Prosperity, longevity and health * Peaceful conditions, such as cultivating positive qualities. * Purification from obstacles, emotional afflictions and mental obscurations * Wrathful cleansing and blessings * Creates a strong connection with the guru

VajraVidarana (Dorje amjon) Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of this very special Yidam Diety. In the Drikung Kagyu lineage, Vajra Vidharan is a very important practice in Tibetan Buddhism. This practice is a special antidote to purify contaminated environments of the universe and sentient beings. Through this practice we will cleanse the contaminants of the air we breathe, food we eat, clothes we wear and any other types of poisons or contamination. It helps to cleanse the charkas, re- energize the life force and brings both physical and mental strength. It helps to pacify frustration, depression and anxiety. It helps dispel bad dreams and other unfavorable conditions. It brings healthy, happy long life and success in your practice. This healing ceremony for has been practiced for centuries in Tibet, India and the Himalayan region of Ladakh. Participation in this empowerment brings benefit to both oneself and others. It has been given by very specific teachers who have gone to retreat and are able to bestow this empowerment that is used specifically in healing ceremonies. Especially those who have epilepsy, fainting, giddy, headaches, stress and so forth. This is very effective. This practice was taught by the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni and many Siddhis in India who came to Tibet. It is very rare to receive this empowerment and teachings.

Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment According to a prophecy in the Cakrasavara Tantra, it is said, "The head of the Karma Dakinis will come to the area of Tidro cave in Drikung. This will be a Nirmanakaya manifestation of Vajrayogini, Achi Chokyi Drolma. His Holiness will also bestow the empowerment of of Achi Chokyi Drolma, who is the Dharma Protector of Tibetan Buddhism, and in particular of the Drikung Kagyu school. She also appears as a protector in other lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. The historical Achi was the great grandmother of Lord Jigton Sumgon, founder of the Drikung Lineage. To this day Achi remains a great dharma protector of the Buddha's teachings. Although Achi has a particular commitment to protect the Drikung Kagyu, she is recognized and practiced by all lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. `

She is the emanation of Vajra Yogini who is the embodiment of the wisdom and compassion of all the Buddhas. She is the divine mother of the Buddhas and manifested out of compassion in the form of the Dakinis of the Five Buddha families. To benefit the beings in samsara, she displays a limitless number of manifestations at different times and in different space dimensions and in front of different teachers of different lineages. She manifests as many different dakinis.

At the time of her death, Achi Chokyi Drolma did not pass away in an ordinary manner. She first took her disciples to a huge cave where many sacred and secret items were discovered. Then she offered a tsok feast, and those who partook of that feast achieved many sublime qualities of the Buddhas. Achi composed a text containing a sadhana of herself and promised to look after the teachings of the Buddha in general and to protect and flourish the Buddha's teaching that will appear in the future. With that she said, “My activities through this body have come to an end,” and she flew up to the Buddha Field on her blue horse without leaving her physical body behind. That means she is a very powerful Dharma Protector in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, just like PadmaSambhava who also flew to the Buddhafield. Therefore this practice is very important for practitioners to protect from obstacles that arise due to our karma. She also bestows the blessings for one to quickly realize the highest state of meditation. She is able to bestow the blessing of the common and supreme siddhi attainment.

Amitabha Buddha Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of Boundless Light. Generally, it can be said that there are many purelands, many paradises of Enlightened Beings we call Buddhas. The Pureland of Great Bliss of the Buddha of Boundless Light, Amitabha, is quite a unique place. There are purelands in the four directions, East, South, West, North, and in the center. Among them, the Pureland of Amitabha is the easiest to get to and therefore quite special. By formulating a special aspiration to be reborn in the Pureland of Great Bliss, one can accomplish the transference of one’s consciousness to that pureland. The power of prayer, the power of devoted and fervent aspiration, is all that is necessary. It is said that the Pureland of Amitabha Buddha, in relation to our universe, is in the western direction and above our universe. It cannot be reached by any material means. However, our own minds, when purified, when stripped of their faults, when returned to their own primordially pristine condition can directly experience the reality of the Pureland of Great Bliss.

Buddha Amitabha, the Buddha of Boundless Light, is red in color and he looks like Shakyamuni Buddha. He has all the 80 major marks and the 32 minor signs of a fully enlightened manifestation of nirmanakaya. He holds His hands in the posture on meditative equipoise, the Dhyana Mudra, and in His hands is a begging bowl. He looks quite like Shakyamuni Buddha, only His skin is a deep, ruby red color. He sits on top of a lotus and moon seat. Behind His back is the Wish Fulfilling Tree. To His right is Lord Avalokiteshvara, Chenrezig, white in body color. To His left is Vajrapani, the Lord of Powerful Means. These are the three chief lords of the Pureland of Great Bliss. As the monk Dharmakara, Amitabha Buddha made a commitment to liberate all those sentient beings who don’t have those supernal qualities of the practitioners that reach the other purelands of all the other Buddhas.”

There are many versions of the prayer (or vows), of Amitabha Buddha formulated when he was Dharmakara. In general, it can be said that all of his powerful aspirations can be subsumed under 48 Great Vows. The Pureland of Great Bliss was brought into reality because of one of the 48 Great Vows. This is the cause for the existence of Pureland of great Bliss. In general, all the Buddhas hold all sentient beings in the core of their heart with love and compassion. Out of their great compassion, they formulate powerful aspirations. They make great vows.Because of emptiness, the Pureland of Great Bliss was established through the power of the aspiration, the accumulation of merit, and the primordial wisdom of the enlightened being Amitabha.

To briefly encompass them in a single statement, it need be said that the essence of the vows, prayers, and aspirations are: “May a Pureland be established that is reachable by ordinary sentient beings of impure karma, beings of karmic evil, who have not abandoned non-virtue.” When you reach the purelands of other Buddhas, because of exalted status before going there, you become enlightened. In the case of Dewachen, you can get there, but it does not mean you become enlightened. What happens is that you will not revert to cyclic existence; rather, you will have, instead, all the positive and auspicious conditions for the accumulation of merit and primordial wisdom. You will be able to abandon all non-virtue there and practice to tame and train your mind until such point you are ripe for enlightenment. That is then a general introduction to the Land of Great Bliss. In brief, concerning the teachings of the Buddha Amitabha and the Pureland of Great Bliss, in all Mahayana countries this practice is very prevalent. Why is this so? It is because of the nature of the vows of Amitabha Buddha. The practice of Amitabha Buddha and the Pureland is geared to ordinary people. Anyone can engage in the practice. You do not have to be a great exalted being who has abandoned all non-virtue. You do not have to be a superb practitioner. Depending upon the power of the vows of Amitabha Buddha, you can engage in this practice. This is a Sutrayana practice. Therefore, it is something that can work for anyone. It is available to all.

Oral transmissions

Oral transmission is a key component of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Outwardly it may be just the lama reciting a Dharma text or a mantra and the students repeating it after him or her, or even simply hearing it. However inwardly far more is occurring. The lama inwardly connects with the living stream of blessing the outer text represents through his or her own reception from their guru. By this they connect with the stream back to the author or originator of the text or practice, who is almost always an enlightened being or Shakyamuni Buddha himself. In this way the student receiving the transmission is linked to its origin. From then on the practice draws directly from this origin and the enlightened being who first gave the teaching. This empowers the student to start using the practice and ensures the practice is overseen and connected to the pure source.

From a Tibetan Buddhist perspective engaging with a practice by simply reading a text may not be that fruitful. With some texts and practices it is simply not done. With others it is seen as still beneficial but not as much as receiving the text orally. There is also more likelihood of error and distortion creeping in because the student has to make his or her own connection to the pure source rather than being given the means to make that connection.

There is a long history of oral transmission of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism. Oral transmissions by lineage holders traditionally can take place in small groups or mass gatherings of listeners and may last for seconds (in the case of a mantra, for example) or many months (as in the case of a section of the Tibetan Buddhist canon). A transmission can even occur without actually hearing, as in Asanga's visions of Maitreya.

An emphasis on oral transmission as more important than the printed word derives from the earliest period of Indian Buddhism, when it allowed teachings to be kept from those who should not hear them. Hearing a teaching (transmission) readies the hearer for realization based on it. The person from whom one hears the teaching should have heard it as one link in a succession of listeners going back to the original speaker: the Buddha in the case of a sutra or the author in the case of a book. Then the hearing constitutes an authentic lineage of transmission. Authenticity of the oral lineage is a prerequisite for realization, hence the importance of lineages.

It is directly transmitting the secret blessings through the sounds of words from the vajra masters heart to your heart so the student must listen carefully, every word from the teacher must have come from their previous master. Some Oral transmissions are very secret and are called whisper teachings and are only given to 1 student at a time. We are very honored to announce these special oral transmissions given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon, the 37 th lineage holder of the Drikung Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism for the first time outside of India and Tibet.

Traditional Long Life Ceremony The Long life prayer for His Holiness is very important. It is one of the Seven Limb prayers. Performing Long Life prayers for great teachers can purify karma of many lifetimes. It is also important for us to show our devotion and respect to the teacher who holds the lineage. for the benefit of all sentient beings. When we perform the long life prayer, we pray that they will stay here for eons representing Buddha Shakyamuni and stay here until the end of samsara, until all beings attains complete enlightenment. We pray that they will remain strong and steadfast of behalf of the five families of Buddhas to transform the five poisons into the five wisdoms. We ask that they will continue to bestow the blessings for everyone to have everlasting peace and happiness. The prayers and offerings of flowers to His Holiness will create a lasting connection that you will always remember. We hope you can join in this special ceremony.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation In the Drikung Kagyu tradition, it is said that there are three kinds of protectors. They are dharmapalas, lokapalas and ksetrapalas. Respectively they translate to "Dharma-protectors," "protectors of the world” and "field- protectors." Dharma-protectors are those who are highly advanced on the Path. From Vajrayana's point of view, these beings are actually manifestations of the activities of the Buddhas. Some of these beings are considered Buddhas while some are on different levels of the Bodhisattva path. For example, Mahakala and Ekazati are both considered fully enlightened beings while someone like Dorje Lekpa is considered a tenth stage bodhisattva. Both the worldly and field protectors are not particularly related to Dharma in the same way as Dharma Protectors are.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation is engaged in for the benefit all beings with the motivation that all beings may have happiness and the causes of happiness, be free from suffering and the causes of suffering and that they will be guided and protected by these great enlightened protectors and that all obstacles and hindrances will be dispelled.

His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang At Drikung Kyobpa Choling Monastery (A Tibetan Meditation Center) 1600 Sheridan Place Escondido CA 92027

Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday -- August 6 th , 7 th , 8 th , 9 th 2015 By Reservation Only www.drikungkc.org email: [email protected] or call 909-625-5955

Thursday August 6 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Wrathful Guru Rinpoche Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of the Invocation to Buddha Shakyamuni, Prayer Blessings of the lineage, Offering to the Lama,Tshok Offering, Tshok Song,Confession Downfalls, Vajrasattva, Chenrezig, Manjushri, Green Tara, White Tara, 7 Protections of Tara, Medicine Buddha, VajraPani, detailed Seven Limb prayer, Long Life and Dedication prayers

Friday August 7 th

9:30am – 12:00pm VajraVidaran (Dorje Namjom) Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Chakrasamvara, VajraYogini, 21 Taras, Heart Sutra

Saturday August 8 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Achi Sungs offering, White Dzambala, Dharma Protectors and Serkym Offering, MahaKala, Achi, Tseringma, Golden Palace prayer and so forth

Sunday August 9 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Special traditional Long Life ceremony for His Holiness

2pm – 5pm Amitabha empowerment

Program Descriptions

Drupon Samten Rinpoche and Drikung Kybopa Choling have organized this program so that we all may receive these rare and precious empowerments, teachings and blessings directly from Gyalwa Drikungpa, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, the 37th lineage holder in the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Receiving any of these, from the throne holder of Jigten Sumgon, the manifestation of Narajuna, is a rare and precious opportunity. We invite you to receive these blessings from the reincarnation of Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang.

Yidam Practice The following is a general description of Yidam practice that pertains to four Empowerments that will be given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. Yidam is a fully enlightened being who is the focus of personal meditation, during a retreat or for one's life. Yidam practice is a very special tantric practice in which one transforms one’s normal, samsaric experience of reality into an extraordinary experience of the true state of all phenomena. While the teachings of the sutra-level consider ignorance as the root cause of samsaric existence, the tantric teachings identify the ordinary appearances as the root cause of samsara. The practice of Yidam is a special and profound method to quickly transform ordinary appearances into enlightened appearances.

Wrathful Padmasambhava Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang will bestow this very important empowerment of Wrathful Padmasambhava. Padmasambhava, literally means "Lotus-Born", which refers to his birth from a lotus in the land of Oddiyana. He is also known as Guru Rinpoche and is an emanation of Amitabha.

Padmasambhava is said to have taken eight forms or manifestations representing different aspects of his being, such as wrath or pacification. According to Rigpa Shedra the eight principal forms were assumed by Guru Rinpoche at different points in his life. Guru Dorje Drolo, is the fierce and wrathful manifestation of Vajrakilaya (wrathful Vajrasattva) known as "Diamond Guts", the comforter of all, imprinting the elements with Wisdom-Treasure. "In the experience of great bliss fiercely blazing with wrathful power, maroon in color, holding a vajra and phurba, the two feet dancing expressively atop a tigress; homage to Dorje Drolo”.

Through this Empowerment of the Wrathful Guru Rinpoche, it opens the gateway within oneself to the practice which clears obstacles, not only for one's own mind and heart but that of the world. In this practice, one visualizes oneself in a wrathful (protective and cleansing) form of the Guru Padmasambhava. The practice helps one overcome all obstacles to meditation or spiritual practice, leading to the achievement of a longer life. Ultimately, this practice catalyzes swift enlightenment through the process of merging one's own mind with the Guru of awareness.

In difficult times, it is essential to have a strong connection to the Guru. In Tibetan Buddhism, the connection to Guru Rinpoche, or Padmasambhava, has long been considered essential for receiving all forms of benefits, such as: *Cultivating Prosperity, longevity and health * Peaceful conditions, such as cultivating positive qualities. * Purification from obstacles, emotional afflictions and mental obscurations * Wrathful cleansing and blessings * Creates a strong connection with the guru

VajraVidarana (Dorje amjon) Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of this very special Yidam Diety. In the Drikung Kagyu lineage, Vajra Vidharan is a very important practice in Tibetan Buddhism. This practice is a special antidote to purify contaminated environments of the universe and sentient beings. Through this practice we will cleanse the contaminants of the air we breathe, food we eat, clothes we wear and any other types of poisons or contamination. It helps to cleanse the charkas, re- energize the life force and brings both physical and mental strength. It helps to pacify frustration, depression and anxiety. It helps dispel bad dreams and other unfavorable conditions. It brings healthy, happy long life and success in your practice. This healing ceremony for has been practiced for centuries in Tibet, India and the Himalayan region of Ladakh. Participation in this empowerment brings benefit to both oneself and others. It has been given by very specific teachers who have gone to retreat and are able to bestow this empowerment that is used specifically in healing ceremonies. Especially those who have epilepsy, fainting, giddy, headaches, stress and so forth. This is very effective. This practice was taught by the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni and many Siddhis in India who came to Tibet. It is very rare to receive this empowerment and teachings.

Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment According to a prophecy in the Cakrasavara Tantra, it is said, "The head of the Karma Dakinis will come to the area of Tidro cave in Drikung. This will be a Nirmanakaya manifestation of Vajrayogini, Achi Chokyi Drolma. His Holiness will also bestow the empowerment of of Achi Chokyi Drolma, who is the Dharma Protector of Tibetan Buddhism, and in particular of the Drikung Kagyu school. She also appears as a protector in other lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. The historical Achi was the great grandmother of Lord Jigton Sumgon, founder of the Drikung Lineage. To this day Achi remains a great dharma protector of the Buddha's teachings. Although Achi has a particular commitment to protect the Drikung Kagyu, she is recognized and practiced by all lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. `

She is the emanation of Vajra Yogini who is the embodiment of the wisdom and compassion of all the Buddhas. She is the divine mother of the Buddhas and manifested out of compassion in the form of the Dakinis of the Five Buddha families. To benefit the beings in samsara, she displays a limitless number of manifestations at different times and in different space dimensions and in front of different teachers of different lineages. She manifests as many different dakinis.

At the time of her death, Achi Chokyi Drolma did not pass away in an ordinary manner. She first took her disciples to a huge cave where many sacred and secret items were discovered. Then she offered a tsok feast, and those who partook of that feast achieved many sublime qualities of the Buddhas. Achi composed a text containing a sadhana of herself and promised to look after the teachings of the Buddha in general and to protect and flourish the Buddha's teaching that will appear in the future. With that she said, “My activities through this body have come to an end,” and she flew up to the Buddha Field on her blue horse without leaving her physical body behind. That means she is a very powerful Dharma Protector in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, just like PadmaSambhava who also flew to the Buddhafield. Therefore this practice is very important for practitioners to protect from obstacles that arise due to our karma. She also bestows the blessings for one to quickly realize the highest state of meditation. She is able to bestow the blessing of the common and supreme siddhi attainment.

Amitabha Buddha Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of Boundless Light. Generally, it can be said that there are many purelands, many paradises of Enlightened Beings we call Buddhas. The Pureland of Great Bliss of the Buddha of Boundless Light, Amitabha, is quite a unique place. There are purelands in the four directions, East, South, West, North, and in the center. Among them, the Pureland of Amitabha is the easiest to get to and therefore quite special. By formulating a special aspiration to be reborn in the Pureland of Great Bliss, one can accomplish the transference of one’s consciousness to that pureland. The power of prayer, the power of devoted and fervent aspiration, is all that is necessary. It is said that the Pureland of Amitabha Buddha, in relation to our universe, is in the western direction and above our universe. It cannot be reached by any material means. However, our own minds, when purified, when stripped of their faults, when returned to their own primordially pristine condition can directly experience the reality of the Pureland of Great Bliss.

Buddha Amitabha, the Buddha of Boundless Light, is red in color and he looks like Shakyamuni Buddha. He has all the 80 major marks and the 32 minor signs of a fully enlightened manifestation of nirmanakaya. He holds His hands in the posture on meditative equipoise, the Dhyana Mudra, and in His hands is a begging bowl. He looks quite like Shakyamuni Buddha, only His skin is a deep, ruby red color. He sits on top of a lotus and moon seat. Behind His back is the Wish Fulfilling Tree. To His right is Lord Avalokiteshvara, Chenrezig, white in body color. To His left is Vajrapani, the Lord of Powerful Means. These are the three chief lords of the Pureland of Great Bliss. As the monk Dharmakara, Amitabha Buddha made a commitment to liberate all those sentient beings who don’t have those supernal qualities of the practitioners that reach the other purelands of all the other Buddhas.”

There are many versions of the prayer (or vows), of Amitabha Buddha formulated when he was Dharmakara. In general, it can be said that all of his powerful aspirations can be subsumed under 48 Great Vows. The Pureland of Great Bliss was brought into reality because of one of the 48 Great Vows. This is the cause for the existence of Pureland of great Bliss. In general, all the Buddhas hold all sentient beings in the core of their heart with love and compassion. Out of their great compassion, they formulate powerful aspirations. They make great vows.Because of emptiness, the Pureland of Great Bliss was established through the power of the aspiration, the accumulation of merit, and the primordial wisdom of the enlightened being Amitabha.

To briefly encompass them in a single statement, it need be said that the essence of the vows, prayers, and aspirations are: “May a Pureland be established that is reachable by ordinary sentient beings of impure karma, beings of karmic evil, who have not abandoned non-virtue.” When you reach the purelands of other Buddhas, because of exalted status before going there, you become enlightened. In the case of Dewachen, you can get there, but it does not mean you become enlightened. What happens is that you will not revert to cyclic existence; rather, you will have, instead, all the positive and auspicious conditions for the accumulation of merit and primordial wisdom. You will be able to abandon all non-virtue there and practice to tame and train your mind until such point you are ripe for enlightenment. That is then a general introduction to the Land of Great Bliss. In brief, concerning the teachings of the Buddha Amitabha and the Pureland of Great Bliss, in all Mahayana countries this practice is very prevalent. Why is this so? It is because of the nature of the vows of Amitabha Buddha. The practice of Amitabha Buddha and the Pureland is geared to ordinary people. Anyone can engage in the practice. You do not have to be a great exalted being who has abandoned all non-virtue. You do not have to be a superb practitioner. Depending upon the power of the vows of Amitabha Buddha, you can engage in this practice. This is a Sutrayana practice. Therefore, it is something that can work for anyone. It is available to all.

Oral transmissions

Oral transmission is a key component of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Outwardly it may be just the lama reciting a Dharma text or a mantra and the students repeating it after him or her, or even simply hearing it. However inwardly far more is occurring. The lama inwardly connects with the living stream of blessing the outer text represents through his or her own reception from their guru. By this they connect with the stream back to the author or originator of the text or practice, who is almost always an enlightened being or Shakyamuni Buddha himself. In this way the student receiving the transmission is linked to its origin. From then on the practice draws directly from this origin and the enlightened being who first gave the teaching. This empowers the student to start using the practice and ensures the practice is overseen and connected to the pure source.

From a Tibetan Buddhist perspective engaging with a practice by simply reading a text may not be that fruitful. With some texts and practices it is simply not done. With others it is seen as still beneficial but not as much as receiving the text orally. There is also more likelihood of error and distortion creeping in because the student has to make his or her own connection to the pure source rather than being given the means to make that connection.

There is a long history of oral transmission of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism. Oral transmissions by lineage holders traditionally can take place in small groups or mass gatherings of listeners and may last for seconds (in the case of a mantra, for example) or many months (as in the case of a section of the Tibetan Buddhist canon). A transmission can even occur without actually hearing, as in Asanga's visions of Maitreya.

An emphasis on oral transmission as more important than the printed word derives from the earliest period of Indian Buddhism, when it allowed teachings to be kept from those who should not hear them. Hearing a teaching (transmission) readies the hearer for realization based on it. The person from whom one hears the teaching should have heard it as one link in a succession of listeners going back to the original speaker: the Buddha in the case of a sutra or the author in the case of a book. Then the hearing constitutes an authentic lineage of transmission. Authenticity of the oral lineage is a prerequisite for realization, hence the importance of lineages.

It is directly transmitting the secret blessings through the sounds of words from the vajra masters heart to your heart so the student must listen carefully, every word from the teacher must have come from their previous master. Some Oral transmissions are very secret and are called whisper teachings and are only given to 1 student at a time. We are very honored to announce these special oral transmissions given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon, the 37 th lineage holder of the Drikung Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism for the first time outside of India and Tibet.

Traditional Long Life Ceremony The Long life prayer for His Holiness is very important. It is one of the Seven Limb prayers. Performing Long Life prayers for great teachers can purify karma of many lifetimes. It is also important for us to show our devotion and respect to the teacher who holds the lineage. for the benefit of all sentient beings. When we perform the long life prayer, we pray that they will stay here for eons representing Buddha Shakyamuni and stay here until the end of samsara, until all beings attains complete enlightenment. We pray that they will remain strong and steadfast of behalf of the five families of Buddhas to transform the five poisons into the five wisdoms. We ask that they will continue to bestow the blessings for everyone to have everlasting peace and happiness. The prayers and offerings of flowers to His Holiness will create a lasting connection that you will always remember. We hope you can join in this special ceremony.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation In the Drikung Kagyu tradition, it is said that there are three kinds of protectors. They are dharmapalas, lokapalas and ksetrapalas. Respectively they translate to "Dharma-protectors," "protectors of the world” and "field- protectors." Dharma-protectors are those who are highly advanced on the Path. From Vajrayana's point of view, these beings are actually manifestations of the activities of the Buddhas. Some of these beings are considered Buddhas while some are on different levels of the Bodhisattva path. For example, Mahakala and Ekazati are both considered fully enlightened beings while someone like Dorje Lekpa is considered a tenth stage bodhisattva. Both the worldly and field protectors are not particularly related to Dharma in the same way as Dharma Protectors are.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation is engaged in for the benefit all beings with the motivation that all beings may have happiness and the causes of happiness, be free from suffering and the causes of suffering and that they will be guided and protected by these great enlightened protectors and that all obstacles and hindrances will be dispelled.

His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang At Drikung Kyobpa Choling Monastery (A Tibetan Meditation Center) 1600 Sheridan Place Escondido CA 92027

Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday -- August 6 th , 7 th , 8 th , 9 th 2015 By Reservation Only www.drikungkc.org email: [email protected] or call 909-625-5955

Thursday August 6 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Wrathful Guru Rinpoche Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of the Invocation to Buddha Shakyamuni, Prayer Blessings of the lineage, Offering to the Lama,Tshok Offering, Tshok Song,Confession Downfalls, Vajrasattva, Chenrezig, Manjushri, Green Tara, White Tara, 7 Protections of Tara, Medicine Buddha, VajraPani, detailed Seven Limb prayer, Long Life and Dedication prayers

Friday August 7 th

9:30am – 12:00pm VajraVidaran (Dorje Namjom) Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Chakrasamvara, VajraYogini, 21 Taras, Heart Sutra

Saturday August 8 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Achi Sungs offering, White Dzambala, Dharma Protectors and Serkym Offering, MahaKala, Achi, Tseringma, Golden Palace prayer and so forth

Sunday August 9 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Special traditional Long Life ceremony for His Holiness

2pm – 5pm Amitabha empowerment

Program Descriptions

Drupon Samten Rinpoche and Drikung Kybopa Choling have organized this program so that we all may receive these rare and precious empowerments, teachings and blessings directly from Gyalwa Drikungpa, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, the 37th lineage holder in the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Receiving any of these, from the throne holder of Jigten Sumgon, the manifestation of Narajuna, is a rare and precious opportunity. We invite you to receive these blessings from the reincarnation of Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang.

Yidam Practice The following is a general description of Yidam practice that pertains to four Empowerments that will be given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. Yidam is a fully enlightened being who is the focus of personal meditation, during a retreat or for one's life. Yidam practice is a very special tantric practice in which one transforms one’s normal, samsaric experience of reality into an extraordinary experience of the true state of all phenomena. While the teachings of the sutra-level consider ignorance as the root cause of samsaric existence, the tantric teachings identify the ordinary appearances as the root cause of samsara. The practice of Yidam is a special and profound method to quickly transform ordinary appearances into enlightened appearances.

Wrathful Padmasambhava Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang will bestow this very important empowerment of Wrathful Padmasambhava. Padmasambhava, literally means "Lotus-Born", which refers to his birth from a lotus in the land of Oddiyana. He is also known as Guru Rinpoche and is an emanation of Amitabha.

Padmasambhava is said to have taken eight forms or manifestations representing different aspects of his being, such as wrath or pacification. According to Rigpa Shedra the eight principal forms were assumed by Guru Rinpoche at different points in his life. Guru Dorje Drolo, is the fierce and wrathful manifestation of Vajrakilaya (wrathful Vajrasattva) known as "Diamond Guts", the comforter of all, imprinting the elements with Wisdom-Treasure. "In the experience of great bliss fiercely blazing with wrathful power, maroon in color, holding a vajra and phurba, the two feet dancing expressively atop a tigress; homage to Dorje Drolo”.

Through this Empowerment of the Wrathful Guru Rinpoche, it opens the gateway within oneself to the practice which clears obstacles, not only for one's own mind and heart but that of the world. In this practice, one visualizes oneself in a wrathful (protective and cleansing) form of the Guru Padmasambhava. The practice helps one overcome all obstacles to meditation or spiritual practice, leading to the achievement of a longer life. Ultimately, this practice catalyzes swift enlightenment through the process of merging one's own mind with the Guru of awareness.

In difficult times, it is essential to have a strong connection to the Guru. In Tibetan Buddhism, the connection to Guru Rinpoche, or Padmasambhava, has long been considered essential for receiving all forms of benefits, such as: *Cultivating Prosperity, longevity and health * Peaceful conditions, such as cultivating positive qualities. * Purification from obstacles, emotional afflictions and mental obscurations * Wrathful cleansing and blessings * Creates a strong connection with the guru

VajraVidarana (Dorje amjon) Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of this very special Yidam Diety. In the Drikung Kagyu lineage, Vajra Vidharan is a very important practice in Tibetan Buddhism. This practice is a special antidote to purify contaminated environments of the universe and sentient beings. Through this practice we will cleanse the contaminants of the air we breathe, food we eat, clothes we wear and any other types of poisons or contamination. It helps to cleanse the charkas, re- energize the life force and brings both physical and mental strength. It helps to pacify frustration, depression and anxiety. It helps dispel bad dreams and other unfavorable conditions. It brings healthy, happy long life and success in your practice. This healing ceremony for has been practiced for centuries in Tibet, India and the Himalayan region of Ladakh. Participation in this empowerment brings benefit to both oneself and others. It has been given by very specific teachers who have gone to retreat and are able to bestow this empowerment that is used specifically in healing ceremonies. Especially those who have epilepsy, fainting, giddy, headaches, stress and so forth. This is very effective. This practice was taught by the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni and many Siddhis in India who came to Tibet. It is very rare to receive this empowerment and teachings.

Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment According to a prophecy in the Cakrasavara Tantra, it is said, "The head of the Karma Dakinis will come to the area of Tidro cave in Drikung. This will be a Nirmanakaya manifestation of Vajrayogini, Achi Chokyi Drolma. His Holiness will also bestow the empowerment of of Achi Chokyi Drolma, who is the Dharma Protector of Tibetan Buddhism, and in particular of the Drikung Kagyu school. She also appears as a protector in other lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. The historical Achi was the great grandmother of Lord Jigton Sumgon, founder of the Drikung Lineage. To this day Achi remains a great dharma protector of the Buddha's teachings. Although Achi has a particular commitment to protect the Drikung Kagyu, she is recognized and practiced by all lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. `

She is the emanation of Vajra Yogini who is the embodiment of the wisdom and compassion of all the Buddhas. She is the divine mother of the Buddhas and manifested out of compassion in the form of the Dakinis of the Five Buddha families. To benefit the beings in samsara, she displays a limitless number of manifestations at different times and in different space dimensions and in front of different teachers of different lineages. She manifests as many different dakinis.

At the time of her death, Achi Chokyi Drolma did not pass away in an ordinary manner. She first took her disciples to a huge cave where many sacred and secret items were discovered. Then she offered a tsok feast, and those who partook of that feast achieved many sublime qualities of the Buddhas. Achi composed a text containing a sadhana of herself and promised to look after the teachings of the Buddha in general and to protect and flourish the Buddha's teaching that will appear in the future. With that she said, “My activities through this body have come to an end,” and she flew up to the Buddha Field on her blue horse without leaving her physical body behind. That means she is a very powerful Dharma Protector in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, just like PadmaSambhava who also flew to the Buddhafield. Therefore this practice is very important for practitioners to protect from obstacles that arise due to our karma. She also bestows the blessings for one to quickly realize the highest state of meditation. She is able to bestow the blessing of the common and supreme siddhi attainment.

Amitabha Buddha Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of Boundless Light. Generally, it can be said that there are many purelands, many paradises of Enlightened Beings we call Buddhas. The Pureland of Great Bliss of the Buddha of Boundless Light, Amitabha, is quite a unique place. There are purelands in the four directions, East, South, West, North, and in the center. Among them, the Pureland of Amitabha is the easiest to get to and therefore quite special. By formulating a special aspiration to be reborn in the Pureland of Great Bliss, one can accomplish the transference of one’s consciousness to that pureland. The power of prayer, the power of devoted and fervent aspiration, is all that is necessary. It is said that the Pureland of Amitabha Buddha, in relation to our universe, is in the western direction and above our universe. It cannot be reached by any material means. However, our own minds, when purified, when stripped of their faults, when returned to their own primordially pristine condition can directly experience the reality of the Pureland of Great Bliss.

Buddha Amitabha, the Buddha of Boundless Light, is red in color and he looks like Shakyamuni Buddha. He has all the 80 major marks and the 32 minor signs of a fully enlightened manifestation of nirmanakaya. He holds His hands in the posture on meditative equipoise, the Dhyana Mudra, and in His hands is a begging bowl. He looks quite like Shakyamuni Buddha, only His skin is a deep, ruby red color. He sits on top of a lotus and moon seat. Behind His back is the Wish Fulfilling Tree. To His right is Lord Avalokiteshvara, Chenrezig, white in body color. To His left is Vajrapani, the Lord of Powerful Means. These are the three chief lords of the Pureland of Great Bliss. As the monk Dharmakara, Amitabha Buddha made a commitment to liberate all those sentient beings who don’t have those supernal qualities of the practitioners that reach the other purelands of all the other Buddhas.”

There are many versions of the prayer (or vows), of Amitabha Buddha formulated when he was Dharmakara. In general, it can be said that all of his powerful aspirations can be subsumed under 48 Great Vows. The Pureland of Great Bliss was brought into reality because of one of the 48 Great Vows. This is the cause for the existence of Pureland of great Bliss. In general, all the Buddhas hold all sentient beings in the core of their heart with love and compassion. Out of their great compassion, they formulate powerful aspirations. They make great vows.Because of emptiness, the Pureland of Great Bliss was established through the power of the aspiration, the accumulation of merit, and the primordial wisdom of the enlightened being Amitabha.

To briefly encompass them in a single statement, it need be said that the essence of the vows, prayers, and aspirations are: “May a Pureland be established that is reachable by ordinary sentient beings of impure karma, beings of karmic evil, who have not abandoned non-virtue.” When you reach the purelands of other Buddhas, because of exalted status before going there, you become enlightened. In the case of Dewachen, you can get there, but it does not mean you become enlightened. What happens is that you will not revert to cyclic existence; rather, you will have, instead, all the positive and auspicious conditions for the accumulation of merit and primordial wisdom. You will be able to abandon all non-virtue there and practice to tame and train your mind until such point you are ripe for enlightenment. That is then a general introduction to the Land of Great Bliss. In brief, concerning the teachings of the Buddha Amitabha and the Pureland of Great Bliss, in all Mahayana countries this practice is very prevalent. Why is this so? It is because of the nature of the vows of Amitabha Buddha. The practice of Amitabha Buddha and the Pureland is geared to ordinary people. Anyone can engage in the practice. You do not have to be a great exalted being who has abandoned all non-virtue. You do not have to be a superb practitioner. Depending upon the power of the vows of Amitabha Buddha, you can engage in this practice. This is a Sutrayana practice. Therefore, it is something that can work for anyone. It is available to all.

Oral transmissions

Oral transmission is a key component of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Outwardly it may be just the lama reciting a Dharma text or a mantra and the students repeating it after him or her, or even simply hearing it. However inwardly far more is occurring. The lama inwardly connects with the living stream of blessing the outer text represents through his or her own reception from their guru. By this they connect with the stream back to the author or originator of the text or practice, who is almost always an enlightened being or Shakyamuni Buddha himself. In this way the student receiving the transmission is linked to its origin. From then on the practice draws directly from this origin and the enlightened being who first gave the teaching. This empowers the student to start using the practice and ensures the practice is overseen and connected to the pure source.

From a Tibetan Buddhist perspective engaging with a practice by simply reading a text may not be that fruitful. With some texts and practices it is simply not done. With others it is seen as still beneficial but not as much as receiving the text orally. There is also more likelihood of error and distortion creeping in because the student has to make his or her own connection to the pure source rather than being given the means to make that connection.

There is a long history of oral transmission of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism. Oral transmissions by lineage holders traditionally can take place in small groups or mass gatherings of listeners and may last for seconds (in the case of a mantra, for example) or many months (as in the case of a section of the Tibetan Buddhist canon). A transmission can even occur without actually hearing, as in Asanga's visions of Maitreya.

An emphasis on oral transmission as more important than the printed word derives from the earliest period of Indian Buddhism, when it allowed teachings to be kept from those who should not hear them. Hearing a teaching (transmission) readies the hearer for realization based on it. The person from whom one hears the teaching should have heard it as one link in a succession of listeners going back to the original speaker: the Buddha in the case of a sutra or the author in the case of a book. Then the hearing constitutes an authentic lineage of transmission. Authenticity of the oral lineage is a prerequisite for realization, hence the importance of lineages.

It is directly transmitting the secret blessings through the sounds of words from the vajra masters heart to your heart so the student must listen carefully, every word from the teacher must have come from their previous master. Some Oral transmissions are very secret and are called whisper teachings and are only given to 1 student at a time. We are very honored to announce these special oral transmissions given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon, the 37 th lineage holder of the Drikung Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism for the first time outside of India and Tibet.

Traditional Long Life Ceremony The Long life prayer for His Holiness is very important. It is one of the Seven Limb prayers. Performing Long Life prayers for great teachers can purify karma of many lifetimes. It is also important for us to show our devotion and respect to the teacher who holds the lineage. for the benefit of all sentient beings. When we perform the long life prayer, we pray that they will stay here for eons representing Buddha Shakyamuni and stay here until the end of samsara, until all beings attains complete enlightenment. We pray that they will remain strong and steadfast of behalf of the five families of Buddhas to transform the five poisons into the five wisdoms. We ask that they will continue to bestow the blessings for everyone to have everlasting peace and happiness. The prayers and offerings of flowers to His Holiness will create a lasting connection that you will always remember. We hope you can join in this special ceremony.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation In the Drikung Kagyu tradition, it is said that there are three kinds of protectors. They are dharmapalas, lokapalas and ksetrapalas. Respectively they translate to "Dharma-protectors," "protectors of the world” and "field- protectors." Dharma-protectors are those who are highly advanced on the Path. From Vajrayana's point of view, these beings are actually manifestations of the activities of the Buddhas. Some of these beings are considered Buddhas while some are on different levels of the Bodhisattva path. For example, Mahakala and Ekazati are both considered fully enlightened beings while someone like Dorje Lekpa is considered a tenth stage bodhisattva. Both the worldly and field protectors are not particularly related to Dharma in the same way as Dharma Protectors are.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation is engaged in for the benefit all beings with the motivation that all beings may have happiness and the causes of happiness, be free from suffering and the causes of suffering and that they will be guided and protected by these great enlightened protectors and that all obstacles and hindrances will be dispelled.

His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang At Drikung Kyobpa Choling Monastery (A Tibetan Meditation Center) 1600 Sheridan Place Escondido CA 92027

Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday -- August 6 th , 7 th , 8 th , 9 th 2015 By Reservation Only www.drikungkc.org email: [email protected] or call 909-625-5955

Thursday August 6 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Wrathful Guru Rinpoche Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of the Invocation to Buddha Shakyamuni, Prayer Blessings of the lineage, Offering to the Lama,Tshok Offering, Tshok Song,Confession Downfalls, Vajrasattva, Chenrezig, Manjushri, Green Tara, White Tara, 7 Protections of Tara, Medicine Buddha, VajraPani, detailed Seven Limb prayer, Long Life and Dedication prayers

Friday August 7 th

9:30am – 12:00pm VajraVidaran (Dorje Namjom) Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Chakrasamvara, VajraYogini, 21 Taras, Heart Sutra

Saturday August 8 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Achi Sungs offering, White Dzambala, Dharma Protectors and Serkym Offering, MahaKala, Achi, Tseringma, Golden Palace prayer and so forth

Sunday August 9 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Special traditional Long Life ceremony for His Holiness

2pm – 5pm Amitabha empowerment

Program Descriptions

Drupon Samten Rinpoche and Drikung Kybopa Choling have organized this program so that we all may receive these rare and precious empowerments, teachings and blessings directly from Gyalwa Drikungpa, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, the 37th lineage holder in the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Receiving any of these, from the throne holder of Jigten Sumgon, the manifestation of Narajuna, is a rare and precious opportunity. We invite you to receive these blessings from the reincarnation of Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang.

Yidam Practice The following is a general description of Yidam practice that pertains to four Empowerments that will be given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. Yidam is a fully enlightened being who is the focus of personal meditation, during a retreat or for one's life. Yidam practice is a very special tantric practice in which one transforms one’s normal, samsaric experience of reality into an extraordinary experience of the true state of all phenomena. While the teachings of the sutra-level consider ignorance as the root cause of samsaric existence, the tantric teachings identify the ordinary appearances as the root cause of samsara. The practice of Yidam is a special and profound method to quickly transform ordinary appearances into enlightened appearances.

Wrathful Padmasambhava Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang will bestow this very important empowerment of Wrathful Padmasambhava. Padmasambhava, literally means "Lotus-Born", which refers to his birth from a lotus in the land of Oddiyana. He is also known as Guru Rinpoche and is an emanation of Amitabha.

Padmasambhava is said to have taken eight forms or manifestations representing different aspects of his being, such as wrath or pacification. According to Rigpa Shedra the eight principal forms were assumed by Guru Rinpoche at different points in his life. Guru Dorje Drolo, is the fierce and wrathful manifestation of Vajrakilaya (wrathful Vajrasattva) known as "Diamond Guts", the comforter of all, imprinting the elements with Wisdom-Treasure. "In the experience of great bliss fiercely blazing with wrathful power, maroon in color, holding a vajra and phurba, the two feet dancing expressively atop a tigress; homage to Dorje Drolo”.

Through this Empowerment of the Wrathful Guru Rinpoche, it opens the gateway within oneself to the practice which clears obstacles, not only for one's own mind and heart but that of the world. In this practice, one visualizes oneself in a wrathful (protective and cleansing) form of the Guru Padmasambhava. The practice helps one overcome all obstacles to meditation or spiritual practice, leading to the achievement of a longer life. Ultimately, this practice catalyzes swift enlightenment through the process of merging one's own mind with the Guru of awareness.

In difficult times, it is essential to have a strong connection to the Guru. In Tibetan Buddhism, the connection to Guru Rinpoche, or Padmasambhava, has long been considered essential for receiving all forms of benefits, such as: *Cultivating Prosperity, longevity and health * Peaceful conditions, such as cultivating positive qualities. * Purification from obstacles, emotional afflictions and mental obscurations * Wrathful cleansing and blessings * Creates a strong connection with the guru

VajraVidarana (Dorje amjon) Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of this very special Yidam Diety. In the Drikung Kagyu lineage, Vajra Vidharan is a very important practice in Tibetan Buddhism. This practice is a special antidote to purify contaminated environments of the universe and sentient beings. Through this practice we will cleanse the contaminants of the air we breathe, food we eat, clothes we wear and any other types of poisons or contamination. It helps to cleanse the charkas, re- energize the life force and brings both physical and mental strength. It helps to pacify frustration, depression and anxiety. It helps dispel bad dreams and other unfavorable conditions. It brings healthy, happy long life and success in your practice. This healing ceremony for has been practiced for centuries in Tibet, India and the Himalayan region of Ladakh. Participation in this empowerment brings benefit to both oneself and others. It has been given by very specific teachers who have gone to retreat and are able to bestow this empowerment that is used specifically in healing ceremonies. Especially those who have epilepsy, fainting, giddy, headaches, stress and so forth. This is very effective. This practice was taught by the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni and many Siddhis in India who came to Tibet. It is very rare to receive this empowerment and teachings.

Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment According to a prophecy in the Cakrasavara Tantra, it is said, "The head of the Karma Dakinis will come to the area of Tidro cave in Drikung. This will be a Nirmanakaya manifestation of Vajrayogini, Achi Chokyi Drolma. His Holiness will also bestow the empowerment of of Achi Chokyi Drolma, who is the Dharma Protector of Tibetan Buddhism, and in particular of the Drikung Kagyu school. She also appears as a protector in other lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. The historical Achi was the great grandmother of Lord Jigton Sumgon, founder of the Drikung Lineage. To this day Achi remains a great dharma protector of the Buddha's teachings. Although Achi has a particular commitment to protect the Drikung Kagyu, she is recognized and practiced by all lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. `

She is the emanation of Vajra Yogini who is the embodiment of the wisdom and compassion of all the Buddhas. She is the divine mother of the Buddhas and manifested out of compassion in the form of the Dakinis of the Five Buddha families. To benefit the beings in samsara, she displays a limitless number of manifestations at different times and in different space dimensions and in front of different teachers of different lineages. She manifests as many different dakinis.

At the time of her death, Achi Chokyi Drolma did not pass away in an ordinary manner. She first took her disciples to a huge cave where many sacred and secret items were discovered. Then she offered a tsok feast, and those who partook of that feast achieved many sublime qualities of the Buddhas. Achi composed a text containing a sadhana of herself and promised to look after the teachings of the Buddha in general and to protect and flourish the Buddha's teaching that will appear in the future. With that she said, “My activities through this body have come to an end,” and she flew up to the Buddha Field on her blue horse without leaving her physical body behind. That means she is a very powerful Dharma Protector in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, just like PadmaSambhava who also flew to the Buddhafield. Therefore this practice is very important for practitioners to protect from obstacles that arise due to our karma. She also bestows the blessings for one to quickly realize the highest state of meditation. She is able to bestow the blessing of the common and supreme siddhi attainment.

Amitabha Buddha Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of Boundless Light. Generally, it can be said that there are many purelands, many paradises of Enlightened Beings we call Buddhas. The Pureland of Great Bliss of the Buddha of Boundless Light, Amitabha, is quite a unique place. There are purelands in the four directions, East, South, West, North, and in the center. Among them, the Pureland of Amitabha is the easiest to get to and therefore quite special. By formulating a special aspiration to be reborn in the Pureland of Great Bliss, one can accomplish the transference of one’s consciousness to that pureland. The power of prayer, the power of devoted and fervent aspiration, is all that is necessary. It is said that the Pureland of Amitabha Buddha, in relation to our universe, is in the western direction and above our universe. It cannot be reached by any material means. However, our own minds, when purified, when stripped of their faults, when returned to their own primordially pristine condition can directly experience the reality of the Pureland of Great Bliss.

Buddha Amitabha, the Buddha of Boundless Light, is red in color and he looks like Shakyamuni Buddha. He has all the 80 major marks and the 32 minor signs of a fully enlightened manifestation of nirmanakaya. He holds His hands in the posture on meditative equipoise, the Dhyana Mudra, and in His hands is a begging bowl. He looks quite like Shakyamuni Buddha, only His skin is a deep, ruby red color. He sits on top of a lotus and moon seat. Behind His back is the Wish Fulfilling Tree. To His right is Lord Avalokiteshvara, Chenrezig, white in body color. To His left is Vajrapani, the Lord of Powerful Means. These are the three chief lords of the Pureland of Great Bliss. As the monk Dharmakara, Amitabha Buddha made a commitment to liberate all those sentient beings who don’t have those supernal qualities of the practitioners that reach the other purelands of all the other Buddhas.”

There are many versions of the prayer (or vows), of Amitabha Buddha formulated when he was Dharmakara. In general, it can be said that all of his powerful aspirations can be subsumed under 48 Great Vows. The Pureland of Great Bliss was brought into reality because of one of the 48 Great Vows. This is the cause for the existence of Pureland of great Bliss. In general, all the Buddhas hold all sentient beings in the core of their heart with love and compassion. Out of their great compassion, they formulate powerful aspirations. They make great vows.Because of emptiness, the Pureland of Great Bliss was established through the power of the aspiration, the accumulation of merit, and the primordial wisdom of the enlightened being Amitabha.

To briefly encompass them in a single statement, it need be said that the essence of the vows, prayers, and aspirations are: “May a Pureland be established that is reachable by ordinary sentient beings of impure karma, beings of karmic evil, who have not abandoned non-virtue.” When you reach the purelands of other Buddhas, because of exalted status before going there, you become enlightened. In the case of Dewachen, you can get there, but it does not mean you become enlightened. What happens is that you will not revert to cyclic existence; rather, you will have, instead, all the positive and auspicious conditions for the accumulation of merit and primordial wisdom. You will be able to abandon all non-virtue there and practice to tame and train your mind until such point you are ripe for enlightenment. That is then a general introduction to the Land of Great Bliss. In brief, concerning the teachings of the Buddha Amitabha and the Pureland of Great Bliss, in all Mahayana countries this practice is very prevalent. Why is this so? It is because of the nature of the vows of Amitabha Buddha. The practice of Amitabha Buddha and the Pureland is geared to ordinary people. Anyone can engage in the practice. You do not have to be a great exalted being who has abandoned all non-virtue. You do not have to be a superb practitioner. Depending upon the power of the vows of Amitabha Buddha, you can engage in this practice. This is a Sutrayana practice. Therefore, it is something that can work for anyone. It is available to all.

Oral transmissions

Oral transmission is a key component of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Outwardly it may be just the lama reciting a Dharma text or a mantra and the students repeating it after him or her, or even simply hearing it. However inwardly far more is occurring. The lama inwardly connects with the living stream of blessing the outer text represents through his or her own reception from their guru. By this they connect with the stream back to the author or originator of the text or practice, who is almost always an enlightened being or Shakyamuni Buddha himself. In this way the student receiving the transmission is linked to its origin. From then on the practice draws directly from this origin and the enlightened being who first gave the teaching. This empowers the student to start using the practice and ensures the practice is overseen and connected to the pure source.

From a Tibetan Buddhist perspective engaging with a practice by simply reading a text may not be that fruitful. With some texts and practices it is simply not done. With others it is seen as still beneficial but not as much as receiving the text orally. There is also more likelihood of error and distortion creeping in because the student has to make his or her own connection to the pure source rather than being given the means to make that connection.

There is a long history of oral transmission of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism. Oral transmissions by lineage holders traditionally can take place in small groups or mass gatherings of listeners and may last for seconds (in the case of a mantra, for example) or many months (as in the case of a section of the Tibetan Buddhist canon). A transmission can even occur without actually hearing, as in Asanga's visions of Maitreya.

An emphasis on oral transmission as more important than the printed word derives from the earliest period of Indian Buddhism, when it allowed teachings to be kept from those who should not hear them. Hearing a teaching (transmission) readies the hearer for realization based on it. The person from whom one hears the teaching should have heard it as one link in a succession of listeners going back to the original speaker: the Buddha in the case of a sutra or the author in the case of a book. Then the hearing constitutes an authentic lineage of transmission. Authenticity of the oral lineage is a prerequisite for realization, hence the importance of lineages.

It is directly transmitting the secret blessings through the sounds of words from the vajra masters heart to your heart so the student must listen carefully, every word from the teacher must have come from their previous master. Some Oral transmissions are very secret and are called whisper teachings and are only given to 1 student at a time. We are very honored to announce these special oral transmissions given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon, the 37 th lineage holder of the Drikung Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism for the first time outside of India and Tibet.

Traditional Long Life Ceremony The Long life prayer for His Holiness is very important. It is one of the Seven Limb prayers. Performing Long Life prayers for great teachers can purify karma of many lifetimes. It is also important for us to show our devotion and respect to the teacher who holds the lineage. for the benefit of all sentient beings. When we perform the long life prayer, we pray that they will stay here for eons representing Buddha Shakyamuni and stay here until the end of samsara, until all beings attains complete enlightenment. We pray that they will remain strong and steadfast of behalf of the five families of Buddhas to transform the five poisons into the five wisdoms. We ask that they will continue to bestow the blessings for everyone to have everlasting peace and happiness. The prayers and offerings of flowers to His Holiness will create a lasting connection that you will always remember. We hope you can join in this special ceremony.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation In the Drikung Kagyu tradition, it is said that there are three kinds of protectors. They are dharmapalas, lokapalas and ksetrapalas. Respectively they translate to "Dharma-protectors," "protectors of the world” and "field- protectors." Dharma-protectors are those who are highly advanced on the Path. From Vajrayana's point of view, these beings are actually manifestations of the activities of the Buddhas. Some of these beings are considered Buddhas while some are on different levels of the Bodhisattva path. For example, Mahakala and Ekazati are both considered fully enlightened beings while someone like Dorje Lekpa is considered a tenth stage bodhisattva. Both the worldly and field protectors are not particularly related to Dharma in the same way as Dharma Protectors are.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation is engaged in for the benefit all beings with the motivation that all beings may have happiness and the causes of happiness, be free from suffering and the causes of suffering and that they will be guided and protected by these great enlightened protectors and that all obstacles and hindrances will be dispelled.

His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang At Drikung Kyobpa Choling Monastery (A Tibetan Meditation Center) 1600 Sheridan Place Escondido CA 92027

Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday -- August 6 th , 7 th , 8 th , 9 th 2015 By Reservation Only www.drikungkc.org email: [email protected] or call 909-625-5955

Thursday August 6 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Wrathful Guru Rinpoche Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of the Invocation to Buddha Shakyamuni, Prayer Blessings of the lineage, Offering to the Lama,Tshok Offering, Tshok Song,Confession Downfalls, Vajrasattva, Chenrezig, Manjushri, Green Tara, White Tara, 7 Protections of Tara, Medicine Buddha, VajraPani, detailed Seven Limb prayer, Long Life and Dedication prayers

Friday August 7 th

9:30am – 12:00pm VajraVidaran (Dorje Namjom) Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Chakrasamvara, VajraYogini, 21 Taras, Heart Sutra

Saturday August 8 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Achi Sungs offering, White Dzambala, Dharma Protectors and Serkym Offering, MahaKala, Achi, Tseringma, Golden Palace prayer and so forth

Sunday August 9 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Special traditional Long Life ceremony for His Holiness

2pm – 5pm Amitabha empowerment

Program Descriptions

Drupon Samten Rinpoche and Drikung Kybopa Choling have organized this program so that we all may receive these rare and precious empowerments, teachings and blessings directly from Gyalwa Drikungpa, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, the 37th lineage holder in the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Receiving any of these, from the throne holder of Jigten Sumgon, the manifestation of Narajuna, is a rare and precious opportunity. We invite you to receive these blessings from the reincarnation of Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang.

Yidam Practice The following is a general description of Yidam practice that pertains to four Empowerments that will be given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. Yidam is a fully enlightened being who is the focus of personal meditation, during a retreat or for one's life. Yidam practice is a very special tantric practice in which one transforms one’s normal, samsaric experience of reality into an extraordinary experience of the true state of all phenomena. While the teachings of the sutra-level consider ignorance as the root cause of samsaric existence, the tantric teachings identify the ordinary appearances as the root cause of samsara. The practice of Yidam is a special and profound method to quickly transform ordinary appearances into enlightened appearances.

Wrathful Padmasambhava Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang will bestow this very important empowerment of Wrathful Padmasambhava. Padmasambhava, literally means "Lotus-Born", which refers to his birth from a lotus in the land of Oddiyana. He is also known as Guru Rinpoche and is an emanation of Amitabha.

Padmasambhava is said to have taken eight forms or manifestations representing different aspects of his being, such as wrath or pacification. According to Rigpa Shedra the eight principal forms were assumed by Guru Rinpoche at different points in his life. Guru Dorje Drolo, is the fierce and wrathful manifestation of Vajrakilaya (wrathful Vajrasattva) known as "Diamond Guts", the comforter of all, imprinting the elements with Wisdom-Treasure. "In the experience of great bliss fiercely blazing with wrathful power, maroon in color, holding a vajra and phurba, the two feet dancing expressively atop a tigress; homage to Dorje Drolo”.

Through this Empowerment of the Wrathful Guru Rinpoche, it opens the gateway within oneself to the practice which clears obstacles, not only for one's own mind and heart but that of the world. In this practice, one visualizes oneself in a wrathful (protective and cleansing) form of the Guru Padmasambhava. The practice helps one overcome all obstacles to meditation or spiritual practice, leading to the achievement of a longer life. Ultimately, this practice catalyzes swift enlightenment through the process of merging one's own mind with the Guru of awareness.

In difficult times, it is essential to have a strong connection to the Guru. In Tibetan Buddhism, the connection to Guru Rinpoche, or Padmasambhava, has long been considered essential for receiving all forms of benefits, such as: *Cultivating Prosperity, longevity and health * Peaceful conditions, such as cultivating positive qualities. * Purification from obstacles, emotional afflictions and mental obscurations * Wrathful cleansing and blessings * Creates a strong connection with the guru

VajraVidarana (Dorje amjon) Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of this very special Yidam Diety. In the Drikung Kagyu lineage, Vajra Vidharan is a very important practice in Tibetan Buddhism. This practice is a special antidote to purify contaminated environments of the universe and sentient beings. Through this practice we will cleanse the contaminants of the air we breathe, food we eat, clothes we wear and any other types of poisons or contamination. It helps to cleanse the charkas, re- energize the life force and brings both physical and mental strength. It helps to pacify frustration, depression and anxiety. It helps dispel bad dreams and other unfavorable conditions. It brings healthy, happy long life and success in your practice. This healing ceremony for has been practiced for centuries in Tibet, India and the Himalayan region of Ladakh. Participation in this empowerment brings benefit to both oneself and others. It has been given by very specific teachers who have gone to retreat and are able to bestow this empowerment that is used specifically in healing ceremonies. Especially those who have epilepsy, fainting, giddy, headaches, stress and so forth. This is very effective. This practice was taught by the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni and many Siddhis in India who came to Tibet. It is very rare to receive this empowerment and teachings.

Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment According to a prophecy in the Cakrasavara Tantra, it is said, "The head of the Karma Dakinis will come to the area of Tidro cave in Drikung. This will be a Nirmanakaya manifestation of Vajrayogini, Achi Chokyi Drolma. His Holiness will also bestow the empowerment of of Achi Chokyi Drolma, who is the Dharma Protector of Tibetan Buddhism, and in particular of the Drikung Kagyu school. She also appears as a protector in other lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. The historical Achi was the great grandmother of Lord Jigton Sumgon, founder of the Drikung Lineage. To this day Achi remains a great dharma protector of the Buddha's teachings. Although Achi has a particular commitment to protect the Drikung Kagyu, she is recognized and practiced by all lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. `

She is the emanation of Vajra Yogini who is the embodiment of the wisdom and compassion of all the Buddhas. She is the divine mother of the Buddhas and manifested out of compassion in the form of the Dakinis of the Five Buddha families. To benefit the beings in samsara, she displays a limitless number of manifestations at different times and in different space dimensions and in front of different teachers of different lineages. She manifests as many different dakinis.

At the time of her death, Achi Chokyi Drolma did not pass away in an ordinary manner. She first took her disciples to a huge cave where many sacred and secret items were discovered. Then she offered a tsok feast, and those who partook of that feast achieved many sublime qualities of the Buddhas. Achi composed a text containing a sadhana of herself and promised to look after the teachings of the Buddha in general and to protect and flourish the Buddha's teaching that will appear in the future. With that she said, “My activities through this body have come to an end,” and she flew up to the Buddha Field on her blue horse without leaving her physical body behind. That means she is a very powerful Dharma Protector in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, just like PadmaSambhava who also flew to the Buddhafield. Therefore this practice is very important for practitioners to protect from obstacles that arise due to our karma. She also bestows the blessings for one to quickly realize the highest state of meditation. She is able to bestow the blessing of the common and supreme siddhi attainment.

Amitabha Buddha Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of Boundless Light. Generally, it can be said that there are many purelands, many paradises of Enlightened Beings we call Buddhas. The Pureland of Great Bliss of the Buddha of Boundless Light, Amitabha, is quite a unique place. There are purelands in the four directions, East, South, West, North, and in the center. Among them, the Pureland of Amitabha is the easiest to get to and therefore quite special. By formulating a special aspiration to be reborn in the Pureland of Great Bliss, one can accomplish the transference of one’s consciousness to that pureland. The power of prayer, the power of devoted and fervent aspiration, is all that is necessary. It is said that the Pureland of Amitabha Buddha, in relation to our universe, is in the western direction and above our universe. It cannot be reached by any material means. However, our own minds, when purified, when stripped of their faults, when returned to their own primordially pristine condition can directly experience the reality of the Pureland of Great Bliss.

Buddha Amitabha, the Buddha of Boundless Light, is red in color and he looks like Shakyamuni Buddha. He has all the 80 major marks and the 32 minor signs of a fully enlightened manifestation of nirmanakaya. He holds His hands in the posture on meditative equipoise, the Dhyana Mudra, and in His hands is a begging bowl. He looks quite like Shakyamuni Buddha, only His skin is a deep, ruby red color. He sits on top of a lotus and moon seat. Behind His back is the Wish Fulfilling Tree. To His right is Lord Avalokiteshvara, Chenrezig, white in body color. To His left is Vajrapani, the Lord of Powerful Means. These are the three chief lords of the Pureland of Great Bliss. As the monk Dharmakara, Amitabha Buddha made a commitment to liberate all those sentient beings who don’t have those supernal qualities of the practitioners that reach the other purelands of all the other Buddhas.”

There are many versions of the prayer (or vows), of Amitabha Buddha formulated when he was Dharmakara. In general, it can be said that all of his powerful aspirations can be subsumed under 48 Great Vows. The Pureland of Great Bliss was brought into reality because of one of the 48 Great Vows. This is the cause for the existence of Pureland of great Bliss. In general, all the Buddhas hold all sentient beings in the core of their heart with love and compassion. Out of their great compassion, they formulate powerful aspirations. They make great vows.Because of emptiness, the Pureland of Great Bliss was established through the power of the aspiration, the accumulation of merit, and the primordial wisdom of the enlightened being Amitabha.

To briefly encompass them in a single statement, it need be said that the essence of the vows, prayers, and aspirations are: “May a Pureland be established that is reachable by ordinary sentient beings of impure karma, beings of karmic evil, who have not abandoned non-virtue.” When you reach the purelands of other Buddhas, because of exalted status before going there, you become enlightened. In the case of Dewachen, you can get there, but it does not mean you become enlightened. What happens is that you will not revert to cyclic existence; rather, you will have, instead, all the positive and auspicious conditions for the accumulation of merit and primordial wisdom. You will be able to abandon all non-virtue there and practice to tame and train your mind until such point you are ripe for enlightenment. That is then a general introduction to the Land of Great Bliss. In brief, concerning the teachings of the Buddha Amitabha and the Pureland of Great Bliss, in all Mahayana countries this practice is very prevalent. Why is this so? It is because of the nature of the vows of Amitabha Buddha. The practice of Amitabha Buddha and the Pureland is geared to ordinary people. Anyone can engage in the practice. You do not have to be a great exalted being who has abandoned all non-virtue. You do not have to be a superb practitioner. Depending upon the power of the vows of Amitabha Buddha, you can engage in this practice. This is a Sutrayana practice. Therefore, it is something that can work for anyone. It is available to all.

Oral transmissions

Oral transmission is a key component of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Outwardly it may be just the lama reciting a Dharma text or a mantra and the students repeating it after him or her, or even simply hearing it. However inwardly far more is occurring. The lama inwardly connects with the living stream of blessing the outer text represents through his or her own reception from their guru. By this they connect with the stream back to the author or originator of the text or practice, who is almost always an enlightened being or Shakyamuni Buddha himself. In this way the student receiving the transmission is linked to its origin. From then on the practice draws directly from this origin and the enlightened being who first gave the teaching. This empowers the student to start using the practice and ensures the practice is overseen and connected to the pure source.

From a Tibetan Buddhist perspective engaging with a practice by simply reading a text may not be that fruitful. With some texts and practices it is simply not done. With others it is seen as still beneficial but not as much as receiving the text orally. There is also more likelihood of error and distortion creeping in because the student has to make his or her own connection to the pure source rather than being given the means to make that connection.

There is a long history of oral transmission of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism. Oral transmissions by lineage holders traditionally can take place in small groups or mass gatherings of listeners and may last for seconds (in the case of a mantra, for example) or many months (as in the case of a section of the Tibetan Buddhist canon). A transmission can even occur without actually hearing, as in Asanga's visions of Maitreya.

An emphasis on oral transmission as more important than the printed word derives from the earliest period of Indian Buddhism, when it allowed teachings to be kept from those who should not hear them. Hearing a teaching (transmission) readies the hearer for realization based on it. The person from whom one hears the teaching should have heard it as one link in a succession of listeners going back to the original speaker: the Buddha in the case of a sutra or the author in the case of a book. Then the hearing constitutes an authentic lineage of transmission. Authenticity of the oral lineage is a prerequisite for realization, hence the importance of lineages.

It is directly transmitting the secret blessings through the sounds of words from the vajra masters heart to your heart so the student must listen carefully, every word from the teacher must have come from their previous master. Some Oral transmissions are very secret and are called whisper teachings and are only given to 1 student at a time. We are very honored to announce these special oral transmissions given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon, the 37 th lineage holder of the Drikung Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism for the first time outside of India and Tibet.

Traditional Long Life Ceremony The Long life prayer for His Holiness is very important. It is one of the Seven Limb prayers. Performing Long Life prayers for great teachers can purify karma of many lifetimes. It is also important for us to show our devotion and respect to the teacher who holds the lineage. for the benefit of all sentient beings. When we perform the long life prayer, we pray that they will stay here for eons representing Buddha Shakyamuni and stay here until the end of samsara, until all beings attains complete enlightenment. We pray that they will remain strong and steadfast of behalf of the five families of Buddhas to transform the five poisons into the five wisdoms. We ask that they will continue to bestow the blessings for everyone to have everlasting peace and happiness. The prayers and offerings of flowers to His Holiness will create a lasting connection that you will always remember. We hope you can join in this special ceremony.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation In the Drikung Kagyu tradition, it is said that there are three kinds of protectors. They are dharmapalas, lokapalas and ksetrapalas. Respectively they translate to "Dharma-protectors," "protectors of the world” and "field- protectors." Dharma-protectors are those who are highly advanced on the Path. From Vajrayana's point of view, these beings are actually manifestations of the activities of the Buddhas. Some of these beings are considered Buddhas while some are on different levels of the Bodhisattva path. For example, Mahakala and Ekazati are both considered fully enlightened beings while someone like Dorje Lekpa is considered a tenth stage bodhisattva. Both the worldly and field protectors are not particularly related to Dharma in the same way as Dharma Protectors are.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation is engaged in for the benefit all beings with the motivation that all beings may have happiness and the causes of happiness, be free from suffering and the causes of suffering and that they will be guided and protected by these great enlightened protectors and that all obstacles and hindrances will be dispelled.

His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang At Drikung Kyobpa Choling Monastery (A Tibetan Meditation Center) 1600 Sheridan Place Escondido CA 92027

Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday -- August 6 th , 7 th , 8 th , 9 th 2015 By Reservation Only www.drikungkc.org email: [email protected] or call 909-625-5955

Thursday August 6 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Wrathful Guru Rinpoche Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of the Invocation to Buddha Shakyamuni, Prayer Blessings of the lineage, Offering to the Lama,Tshok Offering, Tshok Song,Confession Downfalls, Vajrasattva, Chenrezig, Manjushri, Green Tara, White Tara, 7 Protections of Tara, Medicine Buddha, VajraPani, detailed Seven Limb prayer, Long Life and Dedication prayers

Friday August 7 th

9:30am – 12:00pm VajraVidaran (Dorje Namjom) Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Chakrasamvara, VajraYogini, 21 Taras, Heart Sutra

Saturday August 8 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Achi Sungs offering, White Dzambala, Dharma Protectors and Serkym Offering, MahaKala, Achi, Tseringma, Golden Palace prayer and so forth

Sunday August 9 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Special traditional Long Life ceremony for His Holiness

2pm – 5pm Amitabha empowerment

Program Descriptions

Drupon Samten Rinpoche and Drikung Kybopa Choling have organized this program so that we all may receive these rare and precious empowerments, teachings and blessings directly from Gyalwa Drikungpa, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, the 37th lineage holder in the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Receiving any of these, from the throne holder of Jigten Sumgon, the manifestation of Narajuna, is a rare and precious opportunity. We invite you to receive these blessings from the reincarnation of Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang.

Yidam Practice The following is a general description of Yidam practice that pertains to four Empowerments that will be given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. Yidam is a fully enlightened being who is the focus of personal meditation, during a retreat or for one's life. Yidam practice is a very special tantric practice in which one transforms one’s normal, samsaric experience of reality into an extraordinary experience of the true state of all phenomena. While the teachings of the sutra-level consider ignorance as the root cause of samsaric existence, the tantric teachings identify the ordinary appearances as the root cause of samsara. The practice of Yidam is a special and profound method to quickly transform ordinary appearances into enlightened appearances.

Wrathful Padmasambhava Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang will bestow this very important empowerment of Wrathful Padmasambhava. Padmasambhava, literally means "Lotus-Born", which refers to his birth from a lotus in the land of Oddiyana. He is also known as Guru Rinpoche and is an emanation of Amitabha.

Padmasambhava is said to have taken eight forms or manifestations representing different aspects of his being, such as wrath or pacification. According to Rigpa Shedra the eight principal forms were assumed by Guru Rinpoche at different points in his life. Guru Dorje Drolo, is the fierce and wrathful manifestation of Vajrakilaya (wrathful Vajrasattva) known as "Diamond Guts", the comforter of all, imprinting the elements with Wisdom-Treasure. "In the experience of great bliss fiercely blazing with wrathful power, maroon in color, holding a vajra and phurba, the two feet dancing expressively atop a tigress; homage to Dorje Drolo”.

Through this Empowerment of the Wrathful Guru Rinpoche, it opens the gateway within oneself to the practice which clears obstacles, not only for one's own mind and heart but that of the world. In this practice, one visualizes oneself in a wrathful (protective and cleansing) form of the Guru Padmasambhava. The practice helps one overcome all obstacles to meditation or spiritual practice, leading to the achievement of a longer life. Ultimately, this practice catalyzes swift enlightenment through the process of merging one's own mind with the Guru of awareness.

In difficult times, it is essential to have a strong connection to the Guru. In Tibetan Buddhism, the connection to Guru Rinpoche, or Padmasambhava, has long been considered essential for receiving all forms of benefits, such as: *Cultivating Prosperity, longevity and health * Peaceful conditions, such as cultivating positive qualities. * Purification from obstacles, emotional afflictions and mental obscurations * Wrathful cleansing and blessings * Creates a strong connection with the guru

VajraVidarana (Dorje amjon) Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of this very special Yidam Diety. In the Drikung Kagyu lineage, Vajra Vidharan is a very important practice in Tibetan Buddhism. This practice is a special antidote to purify contaminated environments of the universe and sentient beings. Through this practice we will cleanse the contaminants of the air we breathe, food we eat, clothes we wear and any other types of poisons or contamination. It helps to cleanse the charkas, re- energize the life force and brings both physical and mental strength. It helps to pacify frustration, depression and anxiety. It helps dispel bad dreams and other unfavorable conditions. It brings healthy, happy long life and success in your practice. This healing ceremony for has been practiced for centuries in Tibet, India and the Himalayan region of Ladakh. Participation in this empowerment brings benefit to both oneself and others. It has been given by very specific teachers who have gone to retreat and are able to bestow this empowerment that is used specifically in healing ceremonies. Especially those who have epilepsy, fainting, giddy, headaches, stress and so forth. This is very effective. This practice was taught by the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni and many Siddhis in India who came to Tibet. It is very rare to receive this empowerment and teachings.

Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment According to a prophecy in the Cakrasavara Tantra, it is said, "The head of the Karma Dakinis will come to the area of Tidro cave in Drikung. This will be a Nirmanakaya manifestation of Vajrayogini, Achi Chokyi Drolma. His Holiness will also bestow the empowerment of of Achi Chokyi Drolma, who is the Dharma Protector of Tibetan Buddhism, and in particular of the Drikung Kagyu school. She also appears as a protector in other lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. The historical Achi was the great grandmother of Lord Jigton Sumgon, founder of the Drikung Lineage. To this day Achi remains a great dharma protector of the Buddha's teachings. Although Achi has a particular commitment to protect the Drikung Kagyu, she is recognized and practiced by all lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. `

She is the emanation of Vajra Yogini who is the embodiment of the wisdom and compassion of all the Buddhas. She is the divine mother of the Buddhas and manifested out of compassion in the form of the Dakinis of the Five Buddha families. To benefit the beings in samsara, she displays a limitless number of manifestations at different times and in different space dimensions and in front of different teachers of different lineages. She manifests as many different dakinis.

At the time of her death, Achi Chokyi Drolma did not pass away in an ordinary manner. She first took her disciples to a huge cave where many sacred and secret items were discovered. Then she offered a tsok feast, and those who partook of that feast achieved many sublime qualities of the Buddhas. Achi composed a text containing a sadhana of herself and promised to look after the teachings of the Buddha in general and to protect and flourish the Buddha's teaching that will appear in the future. With that she said, “My activities through this body have come to an end,” and she flew up to the Buddha Field on her blue horse without leaving her physical body behind. That means she is a very powerful Dharma Protector in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, just like PadmaSambhava who also flew to the Buddhafield. Therefore this practice is very important for practitioners to protect from obstacles that arise due to our karma. She also bestows the blessings for one to quickly realize the highest state of meditation. She is able to bestow the blessing of the common and supreme siddhi attainment.

Amitabha Buddha Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of Boundless Light. Generally, it can be said that there are many purelands, many paradises of Enlightened Beings we call Buddhas. The Pureland of Great Bliss of the Buddha of Boundless Light, Amitabha, is quite a unique place. There are purelands in the four directions, East, South, West, North, and in the center. Among them, the Pureland of Amitabha is the easiest to get to and therefore quite special. By formulating a special aspiration to be reborn in the Pureland of Great Bliss, one can accomplish the transference of one’s consciousness to that pureland. The power of prayer, the power of devoted and fervent aspiration, is all that is necessary. It is said that the Pureland of Amitabha Buddha, in relation to our universe, is in the western direction and above our universe. It cannot be reached by any material means. However, our own minds, when purified, when stripped of their faults, when returned to their own primordially pristine condition can directly experience the reality of the Pureland of Great Bliss.

Buddha Amitabha, the Buddha of Boundless Light, is red in color and he looks like Shakyamuni Buddha. He has all the 80 major marks and the 32 minor signs of a fully enlightened manifestation of nirmanakaya. He holds His hands in the posture on meditative equipoise, the Dhyana Mudra, and in His hands is a begging bowl. He looks quite like Shakyamuni Buddha, only His skin is a deep, ruby red color. He sits on top of a lotus and moon seat. Behind His back is the Wish Fulfilling Tree. To His right is Lord Avalokiteshvara, Chenrezig, white in body color. To His left is Vajrapani, the Lord of Powerful Means. These are the three chief lords of the Pureland of Great Bliss. As the monk Dharmakara, Amitabha Buddha made a commitment to liberate all those sentient beings who don’t have those supernal qualities of the practitioners that reach the other purelands of all the other Buddhas.”

There are many versions of the prayer (or vows), of Amitabha Buddha formulated when he was Dharmakara. In general, it can be said that all of his powerful aspirations can be subsumed under 48 Great Vows. The Pureland of Great Bliss was brought into reality because of one of the 48 Great Vows. This is the cause for the existence of Pureland of great Bliss. In general, all the Buddhas hold all sentient beings in the core of their heart with love and compassion. Out of their great compassion, they formulate powerful aspirations. They make great vows.Because of emptiness, the Pureland of Great Bliss was established through the power of the aspiration, the accumulation of merit, and the primordial wisdom of the enlightened being Amitabha.

To briefly encompass them in a single statement, it need be said that the essence of the vows, prayers, and aspirations are: “May a Pureland be established that is reachable by ordinary sentient beings of impure karma, beings of karmic evil, who have not abandoned non-virtue.” When you reach the purelands of other Buddhas, because of exalted status before going there, you become enlightened. In the case of Dewachen, you can get there, but it does not mean you become enlightened. What happens is that you will not revert to cyclic existence; rather, you will have, instead, all the positive and auspicious conditions for the accumulation of merit and primordial wisdom. You will be able to abandon all non-virtue there and practice to tame and train your mind until such point you are ripe for enlightenment. That is then a general introduction to the Land of Great Bliss. In brief, concerning the teachings of the Buddha Amitabha and the Pureland of Great Bliss, in all Mahayana countries this practice is very prevalent. Why is this so? It is because of the nature of the vows of Amitabha Buddha. The practice of Amitabha Buddha and the Pureland is geared to ordinary people. Anyone can engage in the practice. You do not have to be a great exalted being who has abandoned all non-virtue. You do not have to be a superb practitioner. Depending upon the power of the vows of Amitabha Buddha, you can engage in this practice. This is a Sutrayana practice. Therefore, it is something that can work for anyone. It is available to all.

Oral transmissions

Oral transmission is a key component of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Outwardly it may be just the lama reciting a Dharma text or a mantra and the students repeating it after him or her, or even simply hearing it. However inwardly far more is occurring. The lama inwardly connects with the living stream of blessing the outer text represents through his or her own reception from their guru. By this they connect with the stream back to the author or originator of the text or practice, who is almost always an enlightened being or Shakyamuni Buddha himself. In this way the student receiving the transmission is linked to its origin. From then on the practice draws directly from this origin and the enlightened being who first gave the teaching. This empowers the student to start using the practice and ensures the practice is overseen and connected to the pure source.

From a Tibetan Buddhist perspective engaging with a practice by simply reading a text may not be that fruitful. With some texts and practices it is simply not done. With others it is seen as still beneficial but not as much as receiving the text orally. There is also more likelihood of error and distortion creeping in because the student has to make his or her own connection to the pure source rather than being given the means to make that connection.

There is a long history of oral transmission of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism. Oral transmissions by lineage holders traditionally can take place in small groups or mass gatherings of listeners and may last for seconds (in the case of a mantra, for example) or many months (as in the case of a section of the Tibetan Buddhist canon). A transmission can even occur without actually hearing, as in Asanga's visions of Maitreya.

An emphasis on oral transmission as more important than the printed word derives from the earliest period of Indian Buddhism, when it allowed teachings to be kept from those who should not hear them. Hearing a teaching (transmission) readies the hearer for realization based on it. The person from whom one hears the teaching should have heard it as one link in a succession of listeners going back to the original speaker: the Buddha in the case of a sutra or the author in the case of a book. Then the hearing constitutes an authentic lineage of transmission. Authenticity of the oral lineage is a prerequisite for realization, hence the importance of lineages.

It is directly transmitting the secret blessings through the sounds of words from the vajra masters heart to your heart so the student must listen carefully, every word from the teacher must have come from their previous master. Some Oral transmissions are very secret and are called whisper teachings and are only given to 1 student at a time. We are very honored to announce these special oral transmissions given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon, the 37 th lineage holder of the Drikung Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism for the first time outside of India and Tibet.

Traditional Long Life Ceremony The Long life prayer for His Holiness is very important. It is one of the Seven Limb prayers. Performing Long Life prayers for great teachers can purify karma of many lifetimes. It is also important for us to show our devotion and respect to the teacher who holds the lineage. for the benefit of all sentient beings. When we perform the long life prayer, we pray that they will stay here for eons representing Buddha Shakyamuni and stay here until the end of samsara, until all beings attains complete enlightenment. We pray that they will remain strong and steadfast of behalf of the five families of Buddhas to transform the five poisons into the five wisdoms. We ask that they will continue to bestow the blessings for everyone to have everlasting peace and happiness. The prayers and offerings of flowers to His Holiness will create a lasting connection that you will always remember. We hope you can join in this special ceremony.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation In the Drikung Kagyu tradition, it is said that there are three kinds of protectors. They are dharmapalas, lokapalas and ksetrapalas. Respectively they translate to "Dharma-protectors," "protectors of the world” and "field- protectors." Dharma-protectors are those who are highly advanced on the Path. From Vajrayana's point of view, these beings are actually manifestations of the activities of the Buddhas. Some of these beings are considered Buddhas while some are on different levels of the Bodhisattva path. For example, Mahakala and Ekazati are both considered fully enlightened beings while someone like Dorje Lekpa is considered a tenth stage bodhisattva. Both the worldly and field protectors are not particularly related to Dharma in the same way as Dharma Protectors are.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation is engaged in for the benefit all beings with the motivation that all beings may have happiness and the causes of happiness, be free from suffering and the causes of suffering and that they will be guided and protected by these great enlightened protectors and that all obstacles and hindrances will be dispelled.

His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang At Drikung Kyobpa Choling Monastery (A Tibetan Meditation Center) 1600 Sheridan Place Escondido CA 92027

Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday -- August 6 th , 7 th , 8 th , 9 th 2015 By Reservation Only www.drikungkc.org email: [email protected] or call 909-625-5955

Thursday August 6 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Wrathful Guru Rinpoche Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of the Invocation to Buddha Shakyamuni, Prayer Blessings of the lineage, Offering to the Lama,Tshok Offering, Tshok Song,Confession Downfalls, Vajrasattva, Chenrezig, Manjushri, Green Tara, White Tara, 7 Protections of Tara, Medicine Buddha, VajraPani, detailed Seven Limb prayer, Long Life and Dedication prayers

Friday August 7 th

9:30am – 12:00pm VajraVidaran (Dorje Namjom) Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Chakrasamvara, VajraYogini, 21 Taras, Heart Sutra

Saturday August 8 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Achi Sungs offering, White Dzambala, Dharma Protectors and Serkym Offering, MahaKala, Achi, Tseringma, Golden Palace prayer and so forth

Sunday August 9 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Special traditional Long Life ceremony for His Holiness

2pm – 5pm Amitabha empowerment

Program Descriptions

Drupon Samten Rinpoche and Drikung Kybopa Choling have organized this program so that we all may receive these rare and precious empowerments, teachings and blessings directly from Gyalwa Drikungpa, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, the 37th lineage holder in the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Receiving any of these, from the throne holder of Jigten Sumgon, the manifestation of Narajuna, is a rare and precious opportunity. We invite you to receive these blessings from the reincarnation of Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang.

Yidam Practice The following is a general description of Yidam practice that pertains to four Empowerments that will be given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. Yidam is a fully enlightened being who is the focus of personal meditation, during a retreat or for one's life. Yidam practice is a very special tantric practice in which one transforms one’s normal, samsaric experience of reality into an extraordinary experience of the true state of all phenomena. While the teachings of the sutra-level consider ignorance as the root cause of samsaric existence, the tantric teachings identify the ordinary appearances as the root cause of samsara. The practice of Yidam is a special and profound method to quickly transform ordinary appearances into enlightened appearances.

Wrathful Padmasambhava Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang will bestow this very important empowerment of Wrathful Padmasambhava. Padmasambhava, literally means "Lotus-Born", which refers to his birth from a lotus in the land of Oddiyana. He is also known as Guru Rinpoche and is an emanation of Amitabha.

Padmasambhava is said to have taken eight forms or manifestations representing different aspects of his being, such as wrath or pacification. According to Rigpa Shedra the eight principal forms were assumed by Guru Rinpoche at different points in his life. Guru Dorje Drolo, is the fierce and wrathful manifestation of Vajrakilaya (wrathful Vajrasattva) known as "Diamond Guts", the comforter of all, imprinting the elements with Wisdom-Treasure. "In the experience of great bliss fiercely blazing with wrathful power, maroon in color, holding a vajra and phurba, the two feet dancing expressively atop a tigress; homage to Dorje Drolo”.

Through this Empowerment of the Wrathful Guru Rinpoche, it opens the gateway within oneself to the practice which clears obstacles, not only for one's own mind and heart but that of the world. In this practice, one visualizes oneself in a wrathful (protective and cleansing) form of the Guru Padmasambhava. The practice helps one overcome all obstacles to meditation or spiritual practice, leading to the achievement of a longer life. Ultimately, this practice catalyzes swift enlightenment through the process of merging one's own mind with the Guru of awareness.

In difficult times, it is essential to have a strong connection to the Guru. In Tibetan Buddhism, the connection to Guru Rinpoche, or Padmasambhava, has long been considered essential for receiving all forms of benefits, such as: *Cultivating Prosperity, longevity and health * Peaceful conditions, such as cultivating positive qualities. * Purification from obstacles, emotional afflictions and mental obscurations * Wrathful cleansing and blessings * Creates a strong connection with the guru

VajraVidarana (Dorje amjon) Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of this very special Yidam Diety. In the Drikung Kagyu lineage, Vajra Vidharan is a very important practice in Tibetan Buddhism. This practice is a special antidote to purify contaminated environments of the universe and sentient beings. Through this practice we will cleanse the contaminants of the air we breathe, food we eat, clothes we wear and any other types of poisons or contamination. It helps to cleanse the charkas, re- energize the life force and brings both physical and mental strength. It helps to pacify frustration, depression and anxiety. It helps dispel bad dreams and other unfavorable conditions. It brings healthy, happy long life and success in your practice. This healing ceremony for has been practiced for centuries in Tibet, India and the Himalayan region of Ladakh. Participation in this empowerment brings benefit to both oneself and others. It has been given by very specific teachers who have gone to retreat and are able to bestow this empowerment that is used specifically in healing ceremonies. Especially those who have epilepsy, fainting, giddy, headaches, stress and so forth. This is very effective. This practice was taught by the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni and many Siddhis in India who came to Tibet. It is very rare to receive this empowerment and teachings.

Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment According to a prophecy in the Cakrasavara Tantra, it is said, "The head of the Karma Dakinis will come to the area of Tidro cave in Drikung. This will be a Nirmanakaya manifestation of Vajrayogini, Achi Chokyi Drolma. His Holiness will also bestow the empowerment of of Achi Chokyi Drolma, who is the Dharma Protector of Tibetan Buddhism, and in particular of the Drikung Kagyu school. She also appears as a protector in other lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. The historical Achi was the great grandmother of Lord Jigton Sumgon, founder of the Drikung Lineage. To this day Achi remains a great dharma protector of the Buddha's teachings. Although Achi has a particular commitment to protect the Drikung Kagyu, she is recognized and practiced by all lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. `

She is the emanation of Vajra Yogini who is the embodiment of the wisdom and compassion of all the Buddhas. She is the divine mother of the Buddhas and manifested out of compassion in the form of the Dakinis of the Five Buddha families. To benefit the beings in samsara, she displays a limitless number of manifestations at different times and in different space dimensions and in front of different teachers of different lineages. She manifests as many different dakinis.

At the time of her death, Achi Chokyi Drolma did not pass away in an ordinary manner. She first took her disciples to a huge cave where many sacred and secret items were discovered. Then she offered a tsok feast, and those who partook of that feast achieved many sublime qualities of the Buddhas. Achi composed a text containing a sadhana of herself and promised to look after the teachings of the Buddha in general and to protect and flourish the Buddha's teaching that will appear in the future. With that she said, “My activities through this body have come to an end,” and she flew up to the Buddha Field on her blue horse without leaving her physical body behind. That means she is a very powerful Dharma Protector in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, just like PadmaSambhava who also flew to the Buddhafield. Therefore this practice is very important for practitioners to protect from obstacles that arise due to our karma. She also bestows the blessings for one to quickly realize the highest state of meditation. She is able to bestow the blessing of the common and supreme siddhi attainment.

Amitabha Buddha Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of Boundless Light. Generally, it can be said that there are many purelands, many paradises of Enlightened Beings we call Buddhas. The Pureland of Great Bliss of the Buddha of Boundless Light, Amitabha, is quite a unique place. There are purelands in the four directions, East, South, West, North, and in the center. Among them, the Pureland of Amitabha is the easiest to get to and therefore quite special. By formulating a special aspiration to be reborn in the Pureland of Great Bliss, one can accomplish the transference of one’s consciousness to that pureland. The power of prayer, the power of devoted and fervent aspiration, is all that is necessary. It is said that the Pureland of Amitabha Buddha, in relation to our universe, is in the western direction and above our universe. It cannot be reached by any material means. However, our own minds, when purified, when stripped of their faults, when returned to their own primordially pristine condition can directly experience the reality of the Pureland of Great Bliss.

Buddha Amitabha, the Buddha of Boundless Light, is red in color and he looks like Shakyamuni Buddha. He has all the 80 major marks and the 32 minor signs of a fully enlightened manifestation of nirmanakaya. He holds His hands in the posture on meditative equipoise, the Dhyana Mudra, and in His hands is a begging bowl. He looks quite like Shakyamuni Buddha, only His skin is a deep, ruby red color. He sits on top of a lotus and moon seat. Behind His back is the Wish Fulfilling Tree. To His right is Lord Avalokiteshvara, Chenrezig, white in body color. To His left is Vajrapani, the Lord of Powerful Means. These are the three chief lords of the Pureland of Great Bliss. As the monk Dharmakara, Amitabha Buddha made a commitment to liberate all those sentient beings who don’t have those supernal qualities of the practitioners that reach the other purelands of all the other Buddhas.”

There are many versions of the prayer (or vows), of Amitabha Buddha formulated when he was Dharmakara. In general, it can be said that all of his powerful aspirations can be subsumed under 48 Great Vows. The Pureland of Great Bliss was brought into reality because of one of the 48 Great Vows. This is the cause for the existence of Pureland of great Bliss. In general, all the Buddhas hold all sentient beings in the core of their heart with love and compassion. Out of their great compassion, they formulate powerful aspirations. They make great vows.Because of emptiness, the Pureland of Great Bliss was established through the power of the aspiration, the accumulation of merit, and the primordial wisdom of the enlightened being Amitabha.

To briefly encompass them in a single statement, it need be said that the essence of the vows, prayers, and aspirations are: “May a Pureland be established that is reachable by ordinary sentient beings of impure karma, beings of karmic evil, who have not abandoned non-virtue.” When you reach the purelands of other Buddhas, because of exalted status before going there, you become enlightened. In the case of Dewachen, you can get there, but it does not mean you become enlightened. What happens is that you will not revert to cyclic existence; rather, you will have, instead, all the positive and auspicious conditions for the accumulation of merit and primordial wisdom. You will be able to abandon all non-virtue there and practice to tame and train your mind until such point you are ripe for enlightenment. That is then a general introduction to the Land of Great Bliss. In brief, concerning the teachings of the Buddha Amitabha and the Pureland of Great Bliss, in all Mahayana countries this practice is very prevalent. Why is this so? It is because of the nature of the vows of Amitabha Buddha. The practice of Amitabha Buddha and the Pureland is geared to ordinary people. Anyone can engage in the practice. You do not have to be a great exalted being who has abandoned all non-virtue. You do not have to be a superb practitioner. Depending upon the power of the vows of Amitabha Buddha, you can engage in this practice. This is a Sutrayana practice. Therefore, it is something that can work for anyone. It is available to all.

Oral transmissions

Oral transmission is a key component of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Outwardly it may be just the lama reciting a Dharma text or a mantra and the students repeating it after him or her, or even simply hearing it. However inwardly far more is occurring. The lama inwardly connects with the living stream of blessing the outer text represents through his or her own reception from their guru. By this they connect with the stream back to the author or originator of the text or practice, who is almost always an enlightened being or Shakyamuni Buddha himself. In this way the student receiving the transmission is linked to its origin. From then on the practice draws directly from this origin and the enlightened being who first gave the teaching. This empowers the student to start using the practice and ensures the practice is overseen and connected to the pure source.

From a Tibetan Buddhist perspective engaging with a practice by simply reading a text may not be that fruitful. With some texts and practices it is simply not done. With others it is seen as still beneficial but not as much as receiving the text orally. There is also more likelihood of error and distortion creeping in because the student has to make his or her own connection to the pure source rather than being given the means to make that connection.

There is a long history of oral transmission of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism. Oral transmissions by lineage holders traditionally can take place in small groups or mass gatherings of listeners and may last for seconds (in the case of a mantra, for example) or many months (as in the case of a section of the Tibetan Buddhist canon). A transmission can even occur without actually hearing, as in Asanga's visions of Maitreya.

An emphasis on oral transmission as more important than the printed word derives from the earliest period of Indian Buddhism, when it allowed teachings to be kept from those who should not hear them. Hearing a teaching (transmission) readies the hearer for realization based on it. The person from whom one hears the teaching should have heard it as one link in a succession of listeners going back to the original speaker: the Buddha in the case of a sutra or the author in the case of a book. Then the hearing constitutes an authentic lineage of transmission. Authenticity of the oral lineage is a prerequisite for realization, hence the importance of lineages.

It is directly transmitting the secret blessings through the sounds of words from the vajra masters heart to your heart so the student must listen carefully, every word from the teacher must have come from their previous master. Some Oral transmissions are very secret and are called whisper teachings and are only given to 1 student at a time. We are very honored to announce these special oral transmissions given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon, the 37 th lineage holder of the Drikung Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism for the first time outside of India and Tibet.

Traditional Long Life Ceremony The Long life prayer for His Holiness is very important. It is one of the Seven Limb prayers. Performing Long Life prayers for great teachers can purify karma of many lifetimes. It is also important for us to show our devotion and respect to the teacher who holds the lineage. for the benefit of all sentient beings. When we perform the long life prayer, we pray that they will stay here for eons representing Buddha Shakyamuni and stay here until the end of samsara, until all beings attains complete enlightenment. We pray that they will remain strong and steadfast of behalf of the five families of Buddhas to transform the five poisons into the five wisdoms. We ask that they will continue to bestow the blessings for everyone to have everlasting peace and happiness. The prayers and offerings of flowers to His Holiness will create a lasting connection that you will always remember. We hope you can join in this special ceremony.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation In the Drikung Kagyu tradition, it is said that there are three kinds of protectors. They are dharmapalas, lokapalas and ksetrapalas. Respectively they translate to "Dharma-protectors," "protectors of the world” and "field- protectors." Dharma-protectors are those who are highly advanced on the Path. From Vajrayana's point of view, these beings are actually manifestations of the activities of the Buddhas. Some of these beings are considered Buddhas while some are on different levels of the Bodhisattva path. For example, Mahakala and Ekazati are both considered fully enlightened beings while someone like Dorje Lekpa is considered a tenth stage bodhisattva. Both the worldly and field protectors are not particularly related to Dharma in the same way as Dharma Protectors are.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation is engaged in for the benefit all beings with the motivation that all beings may have happiness and the causes of happiness, be free from suffering and the causes of suffering and that they will be guided and protected by these great enlightened protectors and that all obstacles and hindrances will be dispelled.

His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang At Drikung Kyobpa Choling Monastery (A Tibetan Meditation Center) 1600 Sheridan Place Escondido CA 92027

Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday -- August 6 th , 7 th , 8 th , 9 th 2015 By Reservation Only www.drikungkc.org email: [email protected] or call 909-625-5955

Thursday August 6 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Wrathful Guru Rinpoche Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of the Invocation to Buddha Shakyamuni, Prayer Blessings of the lineage, Offering to the Lama,Tshok Offering, Tshok Song,Confession Downfalls, Vajrasattva, Chenrezig, Manjushri, Green Tara, White Tara, 7 Protections of Tara, Medicine Buddha, VajraPani, detailed Seven Limb prayer, Long Life and Dedication prayers

Friday August 7 th

9:30am – 12:00pm VajraVidaran (Dorje Namjom) Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Chakrasamvara, VajraYogini, 21 Taras, Heart Sutra

Saturday August 8 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Achi Sungs offering, White Dzambala, Dharma Protectors and Serkym Offering, MahaKala, Achi, Tseringma, Golden Palace prayer and so forth

Sunday August 9 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Special traditional Long Life ceremony for His Holiness

2pm – 5pm Amitabha empowerment

Program Descriptions

Drupon Samten Rinpoche and Drikung Kybopa Choling have organized this program so that we all may receive these rare and precious empowerments, teachings and blessings directly from Gyalwa Drikungpa, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, the 37th lineage holder in the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Receiving any of these, from the throne holder of Jigten Sumgon, the manifestation of Narajuna, is a rare and precious opportunity. We invite you to receive these blessings from the reincarnation of Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang.

Yidam Practice The following is a general description of Yidam practice that pertains to four Empowerments that will be given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. Yidam is a fully enlightened being who is the focus of personal meditation, during a retreat or for one's life. Yidam practice is a very special tantric practice in which one transforms one’s normal, samsaric experience of reality into an extraordinary experience of the true state of all phenomena. While the teachings of the sutra-level consider ignorance as the root cause of samsaric existence, the tantric teachings identify the ordinary appearances as the root cause of samsara. The practice of Yidam is a special and profound method to quickly transform ordinary appearances into enlightened appearances.

Wrathful Padmasambhava Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang will bestow this very important empowerment of Wrathful Padmasambhava. Padmasambhava, literally means "Lotus-Born", which refers to his birth from a lotus in the land of Oddiyana. He is also known as Guru Rinpoche and is an emanation of Amitabha.

Padmasambhava is said to have taken eight forms or manifestations representing different aspects of his being, such as wrath or pacification. According to Rigpa Shedra the eight principal forms were assumed by Guru Rinpoche at different points in his life. Guru Dorje Drolo, is the fierce and wrathful manifestation of Vajrakilaya (wrathful Vajrasattva) known as "Diamond Guts", the comforter of all, imprinting the elements with Wisdom-Treasure. "In the experience of great bliss fiercely blazing with wrathful power, maroon in color, holding a vajra and phurba, the two feet dancing expressively atop a tigress; homage to Dorje Drolo”.

Through this Empowerment of the Wrathful Guru Rinpoche, it opens the gateway within oneself to the practice which clears obstacles, not only for one's own mind and heart but that of the world. In this practice, one visualizes oneself in a wrathful (protective and cleansing) form of the Guru Padmasambhava. The practice helps one overcome all obstacles to meditation or spiritual practice, leading to the achievement of a longer life. Ultimately, this practice catalyzes swift enlightenment through the process of merging one's own mind with the Guru of awareness.

In difficult times, it is essential to have a strong connection to the Guru. In Tibetan Buddhism, the connection to Guru Rinpoche, or Padmasambhava, has long been considered essential for receiving all forms of benefits, such as: *Cultivating Prosperity, longevity and health * Peaceful conditions, such as cultivating positive qualities. * Purification from obstacles, emotional afflictions and mental obscurations * Wrathful cleansing and blessings * Creates a strong connection with the guru

VajraVidarana (Dorje amjon) Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of this very special Yidam Diety. In the Drikung Kagyu lineage, Vajra Vidharan is a very important practice in Tibetan Buddhism. This practice is a special antidote to purify contaminated environments of the universe and sentient beings. Through this practice we will cleanse the contaminants of the air we breathe, food we eat, clothes we wear and any other types of poisons or contamination. It helps to cleanse the charkas, re- energize the life force and brings both physical and mental strength. It helps to pacify frustration, depression and anxiety. It helps dispel bad dreams and other unfavorable conditions. It brings healthy, happy long life and success in your practice. This healing ceremony for has been practiced for centuries in Tibet, India and the Himalayan region of Ladakh. Participation in this empowerment brings benefit to both oneself and others. It has been given by very specific teachers who have gone to retreat and are able to bestow this empowerment that is used specifically in healing ceremonies. Especially those who have epilepsy, fainting, giddy, headaches, stress and so forth. This is very effective. This practice was taught by the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni and many Siddhis in India who came to Tibet. It is very rare to receive this empowerment and teachings.

Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment According to a prophecy in the Cakrasavara Tantra, it is said, "The head of the Karma Dakinis will come to the area of Tidro cave in Drikung. This will be a Nirmanakaya manifestation of Vajrayogini, Achi Chokyi Drolma. His Holiness will also bestow the empowerment of of Achi Chokyi Drolma, who is the Dharma Protector of Tibetan Buddhism, and in particular of the Drikung Kagyu school. She also appears as a protector in other lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. The historical Achi was the great grandmother of Lord Jigton Sumgon, founder of the Drikung Lineage. To this day Achi remains a great dharma protector of the Buddha's teachings. Although Achi has a particular commitment to protect the Drikung Kagyu, she is recognized and practiced by all lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. `

She is the emanation of Vajra Yogini who is the embodiment of the wisdom and compassion of all the Buddhas. She is the divine mother of the Buddhas and manifested out of compassion in the form of the Dakinis of the Five Buddha families. To benefit the beings in samsara, she displays a limitless number of manifestations at different times and in different space dimensions and in front of different teachers of different lineages. She manifests as many different dakinis.

At the time of her death, Achi Chokyi Drolma did not pass away in an ordinary manner. She first took her disciples to a huge cave where many sacred and secret items were discovered. Then she offered a tsok feast, and those who partook of that feast achieved many sublime qualities of the Buddhas. Achi composed a text containing a sadhana of herself and promised to look after the teachings of the Buddha in general and to protect and flourish the Buddha's teaching that will appear in the future. With that she said, “My activities through this body have come to an end,” and she flew up to the Buddha Field on her blue horse without leaving her physical body behind. That means she is a very powerful Dharma Protector in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, just like PadmaSambhava who also flew to the Buddhafield. Therefore this practice is very important for practitioners to protect from obstacles that arise due to our karma. She also bestows the blessings for one to quickly realize the highest state of meditation. She is able to bestow the blessing of the common and supreme siddhi attainment.

Amitabha Buddha Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of Boundless Light. Generally, it can be said that there are many purelands, many paradises of Enlightened Beings we call Buddhas. The Pureland of Great Bliss of the Buddha of Boundless Light, Amitabha, is quite a unique place. There are purelands in the four directions, East, South, West, North, and in the center. Among them, the Pureland of Amitabha is the easiest to get to and therefore quite special. By formulating a special aspiration to be reborn in the Pureland of Great Bliss, one can accomplish the transference of one’s consciousness to that pureland. The power of prayer, the power of devoted and fervent aspiration, is all that is necessary. It is said that the Pureland of Amitabha Buddha, in relation to our universe, is in the western direction and above our universe. It cannot be reached by any material means. However, our own minds, when purified, when stripped of their faults, when returned to their own primordially pristine condition can directly experience the reality of the Pureland of Great Bliss.

Buddha Amitabha, the Buddha of Boundless Light, is red in color and he looks like Shakyamuni Buddha. He has all the 80 major marks and the 32 minor signs of a fully enlightened manifestation of nirmanakaya. He holds His hands in the posture on meditative equipoise, the Dhyana Mudra, and in His hands is a begging bowl. He looks quite like Shakyamuni Buddha, only His skin is a deep, ruby red color. He sits on top of a lotus and moon seat. Behind His back is the Wish Fulfilling Tree. To His right is Lord Avalokiteshvara, Chenrezig, white in body color. To His left is Vajrapani, the Lord of Powerful Means. These are the three chief lords of the Pureland of Great Bliss. As the monk Dharmakara, Amitabha Buddha made a commitment to liberate all those sentient beings who don’t have those supernal qualities of the practitioners that reach the other purelands of all the other Buddhas.”

There are many versions of the prayer (or vows), of Amitabha Buddha formulated when he was Dharmakara. In general, it can be said that all of his powerful aspirations can be subsumed under 48 Great Vows. The Pureland of Great Bliss was brought into reality because of one of the 48 Great Vows. This is the cause for the existence of Pureland of great Bliss. In general, all the Buddhas hold all sentient beings in the core of their heart with love and compassion. Out of their great compassion, they formulate powerful aspirations. They make great vows.Because of emptiness, the Pureland of Great Bliss was established through the power of the aspiration, the accumulation of merit, and the primordial wisdom of the enlightened being Amitabha.

To briefly encompass them in a single statement, it need be said that the essence of the vows, prayers, and aspirations are: “May a Pureland be established that is reachable by ordinary sentient beings of impure karma, beings of karmic evil, who have not abandoned non-virtue.” When you reach the purelands of other Buddhas, because of exalted status before going there, you become enlightened. In the case of Dewachen, you can get there, but it does not mean you become enlightened. What happens is that you will not revert to cyclic existence; rather, you will have, instead, all the positive and auspicious conditions for the accumulation of merit and primordial wisdom. You will be able to abandon all non-virtue there and practice to tame and train your mind until such point you are ripe for enlightenment. That is then a general introduction to the Land of Great Bliss. In brief, concerning the teachings of the Buddha Amitabha and the Pureland of Great Bliss, in all Mahayana countries this practice is very prevalent. Why is this so? It is because of the nature of the vows of Amitabha Buddha. The practice of Amitabha Buddha and the Pureland is geared to ordinary people. Anyone can engage in the practice. You do not have to be a great exalted being who has abandoned all non-virtue. You do not have to be a superb practitioner. Depending upon the power of the vows of Amitabha Buddha, you can engage in this practice. This is a Sutrayana practice. Therefore, it is something that can work for anyone. It is available to all.

Oral transmissions

Oral transmission is a key component of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Outwardly it may be just the lama reciting a Dharma text or a mantra and the students repeating it after him or her, or even simply hearing it. However inwardly far more is occurring. The lama inwardly connects with the living stream of blessing the outer text represents through his or her own reception from their guru. By this they connect with the stream back to the author or originator of the text or practice, who is almost always an enlightened being or Shakyamuni Buddha himself. In this way the student receiving the transmission is linked to its origin. From then on the practice draws directly from this origin and the enlightened being who first gave the teaching. This empowers the student to start using the practice and ensures the practice is overseen and connected to the pure source.

From a Tibetan Buddhist perspective engaging with a practice by simply reading a text may not be that fruitful. With some texts and practices it is simply not done. With others it is seen as still beneficial but not as much as receiving the text orally. There is also more likelihood of error and distortion creeping in because the student has to make his or her own connection to the pure source rather than being given the means to make that connection.

There is a long history of oral transmission of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism. Oral transmissions by lineage holders traditionally can take place in small groups or mass gatherings of listeners and may last for seconds (in the case of a mantra, for example) or many months (as in the case of a section of the Tibetan Buddhist canon). A transmission can even occur without actually hearing, as in Asanga's visions of Maitreya.

An emphasis on oral transmission as more important than the printed word derives from the earliest period of Indian Buddhism, when it allowed teachings to be kept from those who should not hear them. Hearing a teaching (transmission) readies the hearer for realization based on it. The person from whom one hears the teaching should have heard it as one link in a succession of listeners going back to the original speaker: the Buddha in the case of a sutra or the author in the case of a book. Then the hearing constitutes an authentic lineage of transmission. Authenticity of the oral lineage is a prerequisite for realization, hence the importance of lineages.

It is directly transmitting the secret blessings through the sounds of words from the vajra masters heart to your heart so the student must listen carefully, every word from the teacher must have come from their previous master. Some Oral transmissions are very secret and are called whisper teachings and are only given to 1 student at a time. We are very honored to announce these special oral transmissions given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon, the 37 th lineage holder of the Drikung Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism for the first time outside of India and Tibet.

Traditional Long Life Ceremony The Long life prayer for His Holiness is very important. It is one of the Seven Limb prayers. Performing Long Life prayers for great teachers can purify karma of many lifetimes. It is also important for us to show our devotion and respect to the teacher who holds the lineage. for the benefit of all sentient beings. When we perform the long life prayer, we pray that they will stay here for eons representing Buddha Shakyamuni and stay here until the end of samsara, until all beings attains complete enlightenment. We pray that they will remain strong and steadfast of behalf of the five families of Buddhas to transform the five poisons into the five wisdoms. We ask that they will continue to bestow the blessings for everyone to have everlasting peace and happiness. The prayers and offerings of flowers to His Holiness will create a lasting connection that you will always remember. We hope you can join in this special ceremony.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation In the Drikung Kagyu tradition, it is said that there are three kinds of protectors. They are dharmapalas, lokapalas and ksetrapalas. Respectively they translate to "Dharma-protectors," "protectors of the world” and "field- protectors." Dharma-protectors are those who are highly advanced on the Path. From Vajrayana's point of view, these beings are actually manifestations of the activities of the Buddhas. Some of these beings are considered Buddhas while some are on different levels of the Bodhisattva path. For example, Mahakala and Ekazati are both considered fully enlightened beings while someone like Dorje Lekpa is considered a tenth stage bodhisattva. Both the worldly and field protectors are not particularly related to Dharma in the same way as Dharma Protectors are.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation is engaged in for the benefit all beings with the motivation that all beings may have happiness and the causes of happiness, be free from suffering and the causes of suffering and that they will be guided and protected by these great enlightened protectors and that all obstacles and hindrances will be dispelled.

His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang At Drikung Kyobpa Choling Monastery (A Tibetan Meditation Center) 1600 Sheridan Place Escondido CA 92027

Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday -- August 6 th , 7 th , 8 th , 9 th 2015 By Reservation Only www.drikungkc.org email: [email protected] or call 909-625-5955

Thursday August 6 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Wrathful Guru Rinpoche Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of the Invocation to Buddha Shakyamuni, Prayer Blessings of the lineage, Offering to the Lama,Tshok Offering, Tshok Song,Confession Downfalls, Vajrasattva, Chenrezig, Manjushri, Green Tara, White Tara, 7 Protections of Tara, Medicine Buddha, VajraPani, detailed Seven Limb prayer, Long Life and Dedication prayers

Friday August 7 th

9:30am – 12:00pm VajraVidaran (Dorje Namjom) Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Chakrasamvara, VajraYogini, 21 Taras, Heart Sutra

Saturday August 8 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Achi Sungs offering, White Dzambala, Dharma Protectors and Serkym Offering, MahaKala, Achi, Tseringma, Golden Palace prayer and so forth

Sunday August 9 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Special traditional Long Life ceremony for His Holiness

2pm – 5pm Amitabha empowerment

Program Descriptions

Drupon Samten Rinpoche and Drikung Kybopa Choling have organized this program so that we all may receive these rare and precious empowerments, teachings and blessings directly from Gyalwa Drikungpa, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, the 37th lineage holder in the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Receiving any of these, from the throne holder of Jigten Sumgon, the manifestation of Narajuna, is a rare and precious opportunity. We invite you to receive these blessings from the reincarnation of Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang.

Yidam Practice The following is a general description of Yidam practice that pertains to four Empowerments that will be given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. Yidam is a fully enlightened being who is the focus of personal meditation, during a retreat or for one's life. Yidam practice is a very special tantric practice in which one transforms one’s normal, samsaric experience of reality into an extraordinary experience of the true state of all phenomena. While the teachings of the sutra-level consider ignorance as the root cause of samsaric existence, the tantric teachings identify the ordinary appearances as the root cause of samsara. The practice of Yidam is a special and profound method to quickly transform ordinary appearances into enlightened appearances.

Wrathful Padmasambhava Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang will bestow this very important empowerment of Wrathful Padmasambhava. Padmasambhava, literally means "Lotus-Born", which refers to his birth from a lotus in the land of Oddiyana. He is also known as Guru Rinpoche and is an emanation of Amitabha.

Padmasambhava is said to have taken eight forms or manifestations representing different aspects of his being, such as wrath or pacification. According to Rigpa Shedra the eight principal forms were assumed by Guru Rinpoche at different points in his life. Guru Dorje Drolo, is the fierce and wrathful manifestation of Vajrakilaya (wrathful Vajrasattva) known as "Diamond Guts", the comforter of all, imprinting the elements with Wisdom-Treasure. "In the experience of great bliss fiercely blazing with wrathful power, maroon in color, holding a vajra and phurba, the two feet dancing expressively atop a tigress; homage to Dorje Drolo”.

Through this Empowerment of the Wrathful Guru Rinpoche, it opens the gateway within oneself to the practice which clears obstacles, not only for one's own mind and heart but that of the world. In this practice, one visualizes oneself in a wrathful (protective and cleansing) form of the Guru Padmasambhava. The practice helps one overcome all obstacles to meditation or spiritual practice, leading to the achievement of a longer life. Ultimately, this practice catalyzes swift enlightenment through the process of merging one's own mind with the Guru of awareness.

In difficult times, it is essential to have a strong connection to the Guru. In Tibetan Buddhism, the connection to Guru Rinpoche, or Padmasambhava, has long been considered essential for receiving all forms of benefits, such as: *Cultivating Prosperity, longevity and health * Peaceful conditions, such as cultivating positive qualities. * Purification from obstacles, emotional afflictions and mental obscurations * Wrathful cleansing and blessings * Creates a strong connection with the guru

VajraVidarana (Dorje amjon) Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of this very special Yidam Diety. In the Drikung Kagyu lineage, Vajra Vidharan is a very important practice in Tibetan Buddhism. This practice is a special antidote to purify contaminated environments of the universe and sentient beings. Through this practice we will cleanse the contaminants of the air we breathe, food we eat, clothes we wear and any other types of poisons or contamination. It helps to cleanse the charkas, re- energize the life force and brings both physical and mental strength. It helps to pacify frustration, depression and anxiety. It helps dispel bad dreams and other unfavorable conditions. It brings healthy, happy long life and success in your practice. This healing ceremony for has been practiced for centuries in Tibet, India and the Himalayan region of Ladakh. Participation in this empowerment brings benefit to both oneself and others. It has been given by very specific teachers who have gone to retreat and are able to bestow this empowerment that is used specifically in healing ceremonies. Especially those who have epilepsy, fainting, giddy, headaches, stress and so forth. This is very effective. This practice was taught by the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni and many Siddhis in India who came to Tibet. It is very rare to receive this empowerment and teachings.

Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment According to a prophecy in the Cakrasavara Tantra, it is said, "The head of the Karma Dakinis will come to the area of Tidro cave in Drikung. This will be a Nirmanakaya manifestation of Vajrayogini, Achi Chokyi Drolma. His Holiness will also bestow the empowerment of of Achi Chokyi Drolma, who is the Dharma Protector of Tibetan Buddhism, and in particular of the Drikung Kagyu school. She also appears as a protector in other lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. The historical Achi was the great grandmother of Lord Jigton Sumgon, founder of the Drikung Lineage. To this day Achi remains a great dharma protector of the Buddha's teachings. Although Achi has a particular commitment to protect the Drikung Kagyu, she is recognized and practiced by all lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. `

She is the emanation of Vajra Yogini who is the embodiment of the wisdom and compassion of all the Buddhas. She is the divine mother of the Buddhas and manifested out of compassion in the form of the Dakinis of the Five Buddha families. To benefit the beings in samsara, she displays a limitless number of manifestations at different times and in different space dimensions and in front of different teachers of different lineages. She manifests as many different dakinis.

At the time of her death, Achi Chokyi Drolma did not pass away in an ordinary manner. She first took her disciples to a huge cave where many sacred and secret items were discovered. Then she offered a tsok feast, and those who partook of that feast achieved many sublime qualities of the Buddhas. Achi composed a text containing a sadhana of herself and promised to look after the teachings of the Buddha in general and to protect and flourish the Buddha's teaching that will appear in the future. With that she said, “My activities through this body have come to an end,” and she flew up to the Buddha Field on her blue horse without leaving her physical body behind. That means she is a very powerful Dharma Protector in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, just like PadmaSambhava who also flew to the Buddhafield. Therefore this practice is very important for practitioners to protect from obstacles that arise due to our karma. She also bestows the blessings for one to quickly realize the highest state of meditation. She is able to bestow the blessing of the common and supreme siddhi attainment.

Amitabha Buddha Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of Boundless Light. Generally, it can be said that there are many purelands, many paradises of Enlightened Beings we call Buddhas. The Pureland of Great Bliss of the Buddha of Boundless Light, Amitabha, is quite a unique place. There are purelands in the four directions, East, South, West, North, and in the center. Among them, the Pureland of Amitabha is the easiest to get to and therefore quite special. By formulating a special aspiration to be reborn in the Pureland of Great Bliss, one can accomplish the transference of one’s consciousness to that pureland. The power of prayer, the power of devoted and fervent aspiration, is all that is necessary. It is said that the Pureland of Amitabha Buddha, in relation to our universe, is in the western direction and above our universe. It cannot be reached by any material means. However, our own minds, when purified, when stripped of their faults, when returned to their own primordially pristine condition can directly experience the reality of the Pureland of Great Bliss.

Buddha Amitabha, the Buddha of Boundless Light, is red in color and he looks like Shakyamuni Buddha. He has all the 80 major marks and the 32 minor signs of a fully enlightened manifestation of nirmanakaya. He holds His hands in the posture on meditative equipoise, the Dhyana Mudra, and in His hands is a begging bowl. He looks quite like Shakyamuni Buddha, only His skin is a deep, ruby red color. He sits on top of a lotus and moon seat. Behind His back is the Wish Fulfilling Tree. To His right is Lord Avalokiteshvara, Chenrezig, white in body color. To His left is Vajrapani, the Lord of Powerful Means. These are the three chief lords of the Pureland of Great Bliss. As the monk Dharmakara, Amitabha Buddha made a commitment to liberate all those sentient beings who don’t have those supernal qualities of the practitioners that reach the other purelands of all the other Buddhas.”

There are many versions of the prayer (or vows), of Amitabha Buddha formulated when he was Dharmakara. In general, it can be said that all of his powerful aspirations can be subsumed under 48 Great Vows. The Pureland of Great Bliss was brought into reality because of one of the 48 Great Vows. This is the cause for the existence of Pureland of great Bliss. In general, all the Buddhas hold all sentient beings in the core of their heart with love and compassion. Out of their great compassion, they formulate powerful aspirations. They make great vows.Because of emptiness, the Pureland of Great Bliss was established through the power of the aspiration, the accumulation of merit, and the primordial wisdom of the enlightened being Amitabha.

To briefly encompass them in a single statement, it need be said that the essence of the vows, prayers, and aspirations are: “May a Pureland be established that is reachable by ordinary sentient beings of impure karma, beings of karmic evil, who have not abandoned non-virtue.” When you reach the purelands of other Buddhas, because of exalted status before going there, you become enlightened. In the case of Dewachen, you can get there, but it does not mean you become enlightened. What happens is that you will not revert to cyclic existence; rather, you will have, instead, all the positive and auspicious conditions for the accumulation of merit and primordial wisdom. You will be able to abandon all non-virtue there and practice to tame and train your mind until such point you are ripe for enlightenment. That is then a general introduction to the Land of Great Bliss. In brief, concerning the teachings of the Buddha Amitabha and the Pureland of Great Bliss, in all Mahayana countries this practice is very prevalent. Why is this so? It is because of the nature of the vows of Amitabha Buddha. The practice of Amitabha Buddha and the Pureland is geared to ordinary people. Anyone can engage in the practice. You do not have to be a great exalted being who has abandoned all non-virtue. You do not have to be a superb practitioner. Depending upon the power of the vows of Amitabha Buddha, you can engage in this practice. This is a Sutrayana practice. Therefore, it is something that can work for anyone. It is available to all.

Oral transmissions

Oral transmission is a key component of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Outwardly it may be just the lama reciting a Dharma text or a mantra and the students repeating it after him or her, or even simply hearing it. However inwardly far more is occurring. The lama inwardly connects with the living stream of blessing the outer text represents through his or her own reception from their guru. By this they connect with the stream back to the author or originator of the text or practice, who is almost always an enlightened being or Shakyamuni Buddha himself. In this way the student receiving the transmission is linked to its origin. From then on the practice draws directly from this origin and the enlightened being who first gave the teaching. This empowers the student to start using the practice and ensures the practice is overseen and connected to the pure source.

From a Tibetan Buddhist perspective engaging with a practice by simply reading a text may not be that fruitful. With some texts and practices it is simply not done. With others it is seen as still beneficial but not as much as receiving the text orally. There is also more likelihood of error and distortion creeping in because the student has to make his or her own connection to the pure source rather than being given the means to make that connection.

There is a long history of oral transmission of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism. Oral transmissions by lineage holders traditionally can take place in small groups or mass gatherings of listeners and may last for seconds (in the case of a mantra, for example) or many months (as in the case of a section of the Tibetan Buddhist canon). A transmission can even occur without actually hearing, as in Asanga's visions of Maitreya.

An emphasis on oral transmission as more important than the printed word derives from the earliest period of Indian Buddhism, when it allowed teachings to be kept from those who should not hear them. Hearing a teaching (transmission) readies the hearer for realization based on it. The person from whom one hears the teaching should have heard it as one link in a succession of listeners going back to the original speaker: the Buddha in the case of a sutra or the author in the case of a book. Then the hearing constitutes an authentic lineage of transmission. Authenticity of the oral lineage is a prerequisite for realization, hence the importance of lineages.

It is directly transmitting the secret blessings through the sounds of words from the vajra masters heart to your heart so the student must listen carefully, every word from the teacher must have come from their previous master. Some Oral transmissions are very secret and are called whisper teachings and are only given to 1 student at a time. We are very honored to announce these special oral transmissions given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon, the 37 th lineage holder of the Drikung Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism for the first time outside of India and Tibet.

Traditional Long Life Ceremony The Long life prayer for His Holiness is very important. It is one of the Seven Limb prayers. Performing Long Life prayers for great teachers can purify karma of many lifetimes. It is also important for us to show our devotion and respect to the teacher who holds the lineage. for the benefit of all sentient beings. When we perform the long life prayer, we pray that they will stay here for eons representing Buddha Shakyamuni and stay here until the end of samsara, until all beings attains complete enlightenment. We pray that they will remain strong and steadfast of behalf of the five families of Buddhas to transform the five poisons into the five wisdoms. We ask that they will continue to bestow the blessings for everyone to have everlasting peace and happiness. The prayers and offerings of flowers to His Holiness will create a lasting connection that you will always remember. We hope you can join in this special ceremony.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation In the Drikung Kagyu tradition, it is said that there are three kinds of protectors. They are dharmapalas, lokapalas and ksetrapalas. Respectively they translate to "Dharma-protectors," "protectors of the world” and "field- protectors." Dharma-protectors are those who are highly advanced on the Path. From Vajrayana's point of view, these beings are actually manifestations of the activities of the Buddhas. Some of these beings are considered Buddhas while some are on different levels of the Bodhisattva path. For example, Mahakala and Ekazati are both considered fully enlightened beings while someone like Dorje Lekpa is considered a tenth stage bodhisattva. Both the worldly and field protectors are not particularly related to Dharma in the same way as Dharma Protectors are.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation is engaged in for the benefit all beings with the motivation that all beings may have happiness and the causes of happiness, be free from suffering and the causes of suffering and that they will be guided and protected by these great enlightened protectors and that all obstacles and hindrances will be dispelled.

His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang At Drikung Kyobpa Choling Monastery (A Tibetan Meditation Center) 1600 Sheridan Place Escondido CA 92027

Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday -- August 6 th , 7 th , 8 th , 9 th 2015 By Reservation Only www.drikungkc.org email: [email protected] or call 909-625-5955

Thursday August 6 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Wrathful Guru Rinpoche Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of the Invocation to Buddha Shakyamuni, Prayer Blessings of the lineage, Offering to the Lama,Tshok Offering, Tshok Song,Confession Downfalls, Vajrasattva, Chenrezig, Manjushri, Green Tara, White Tara, 7 Protections of Tara, Medicine Buddha, VajraPani, detailed Seven Limb prayer, Long Life and Dedication prayers

Friday August 7 th

9:30am – 12:00pm VajraVidaran (Dorje Namjom) Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Chakrasamvara, VajraYogini, 21 Taras, Heart Sutra

Saturday August 8 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Achi Sungs offering, White Dzambala, Dharma Protectors and Serkym Offering, MahaKala, Achi, Tseringma, Golden Palace prayer and so forth

Sunday August 9 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Special traditional Long Life ceremony for His Holiness

2pm – 5pm Amitabha empowerment

Program Descriptions

Drupon Samten Rinpoche and Drikung Kybopa Choling have organized this program so that we all may receive these rare and precious empowerments, teachings and blessings directly from Gyalwa Drikungpa, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, the 37th lineage holder in the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Receiving any of these, from the throne holder of Jigten Sumgon, the manifestation of Narajuna, is a rare and precious opportunity. We invite you to receive these blessings from the reincarnation of Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang.

Yidam Practice The following is a general description of Yidam practice that pertains to four Empowerments that will be given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. Yidam is a fully enlightened being who is the focus of personal meditation, during a retreat or for one's life. Yidam practice is a very special tantric practice in which one transforms one’s normal, samsaric experience of reality into an extraordinary experience of the true state of all phenomena. While the teachings of the sutra-level consider ignorance as the root cause of samsaric existence, the tantric teachings identify the ordinary appearances as the root cause of samsara. The practice of Yidam is a special and profound method to quickly transform ordinary appearances into enlightened appearances.

Wrathful Padmasambhava Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang will bestow this very important empowerment of Wrathful Padmasambhava. Padmasambhava, literally means "Lotus-Born", which refers to his birth from a lotus in the land of Oddiyana. He is also known as Guru Rinpoche and is an emanation of Amitabha.

Padmasambhava is said to have taken eight forms or manifestations representing different aspects of his being, such as wrath or pacification. According to Rigpa Shedra the eight principal forms were assumed by Guru Rinpoche at different points in his life. Guru Dorje Drolo, is the fierce and wrathful manifestation of Vajrakilaya (wrathful Vajrasattva) known as "Diamond Guts", the comforter of all, imprinting the elements with Wisdom-Treasure. "In the experience of great bliss fiercely blazing with wrathful power, maroon in color, holding a vajra and phurba, the two feet dancing expressively atop a tigress; homage to Dorje Drolo”.

Through this Empowerment of the Wrathful Guru Rinpoche, it opens the gateway within oneself to the practice which clears obstacles, not only for one's own mind and heart but that of the world. In this practice, one visualizes oneself in a wrathful (protective and cleansing) form of the Guru Padmasambhava. The practice helps one overcome all obstacles to meditation or spiritual practice, leading to the achievement of a longer life. Ultimately, this practice catalyzes swift enlightenment through the process of merging one's own mind with the Guru of awareness.

In difficult times, it is essential to have a strong connection to the Guru. In Tibetan Buddhism, the connection to Guru Rinpoche, or Padmasambhava, has long been considered essential for receiving all forms of benefits, such as: *Cultivating Prosperity, longevity and health * Peaceful conditions, such as cultivating positive qualities. * Purification from obstacles, emotional afflictions and mental obscurations * Wrathful cleansing and blessings * Creates a strong connection with the guru

VajraVidarana (Dorje amjon) Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of this very special Yidam Diety. In the Drikung Kagyu lineage, Vajra Vidharan is a very important practice in Tibetan Buddhism. This practice is a special antidote to purify contaminated environments of the universe and sentient beings. Through this practice we will cleanse the contaminants of the air we breathe, food we eat, clothes we wear and any other types of poisons or contamination. It helps to cleanse the charkas, re- energize the life force and brings both physical and mental strength. It helps to pacify frustration, depression and anxiety. It helps dispel bad dreams and other unfavorable conditions. It brings healthy, happy long life and success in your practice. This healing ceremony for has been practiced for centuries in Tibet, India and the Himalayan region of Ladakh. Participation in this empowerment brings benefit to both oneself and others. It has been given by very specific teachers who have gone to retreat and are able to bestow this empowerment that is used specifically in healing ceremonies. Especially those who have epilepsy, fainting, giddy, headaches, stress and so forth. This is very effective. This practice was taught by the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni and many Siddhis in India who came to Tibet. It is very rare to receive this empowerment and teachings.

Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment According to a prophecy in the Cakrasavara Tantra, it is said, "The head of the Karma Dakinis will come to the area of Tidro cave in Drikung. This will be a Nirmanakaya manifestation of Vajrayogini, Achi Chokyi Drolma. His Holiness will also bestow the empowerment of of Achi Chokyi Drolma, who is the Dharma Protector of Tibetan Buddhism, and in particular of the Drikung Kagyu school. She also appears as a protector in other lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. The historical Achi was the great grandmother of Lord Jigton Sumgon, founder of the Drikung Lineage. To this day Achi remains a great dharma protector of the Buddha's teachings. Although Achi has a particular commitment to protect the Drikung Kagyu, she is recognized and practiced by all lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. `

She is the emanation of Vajra Yogini who is the embodiment of the wisdom and compassion of all the Buddhas. She is the divine mother of the Buddhas and manifested out of compassion in the form of the Dakinis of the Five Buddha families. To benefit the beings in samsara, she displays a limitless number of manifestations at different times and in different space dimensions and in front of different teachers of different lineages. She manifests as many different dakinis.

At the time of her death, Achi Chokyi Drolma did not pass away in an ordinary manner. She first took her disciples to a huge cave where many sacred and secret items were discovered. Then she offered a tsok feast, and those who partook of that feast achieved many sublime qualities of the Buddhas. Achi composed a text containing a sadhana of herself and promised to look after the teachings of the Buddha in general and to protect and flourish the Buddha's teaching that will appear in the future. With that she said, “My activities through this body have come to an end,” and she flew up to the Buddha Field on her blue horse without leaving her physical body behind. That means she is a very powerful Dharma Protector in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, just like PadmaSambhava who also flew to the Buddhafield. Therefore this practice is very important for practitioners to protect from obstacles that arise due to our karma. She also bestows the blessings for one to quickly realize the highest state of meditation. She is able to bestow the blessing of the common and supreme siddhi attainment.

Amitabha Buddha Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of Boundless Light. Generally, it can be said that there are many purelands, many paradises of Enlightened Beings we call Buddhas. The Pureland of Great Bliss of the Buddha of Boundless Light, Amitabha, is quite a unique place. There are purelands in the four directions, East, South, West, North, and in the center. Among them, the Pureland of Amitabha is the easiest to get to and therefore quite special. By formulating a special aspiration to be reborn in the Pureland of Great Bliss, one can accomplish the transference of one’s consciousness to that pureland. The power of prayer, the power of devoted and fervent aspiration, is all that is necessary. It is said that the Pureland of Amitabha Buddha, in relation to our universe, is in the western direction and above our universe. It cannot be reached by any material means. However, our own minds, when purified, when stripped of their faults, when returned to their own primordially pristine condition can directly experience the reality of the Pureland of Great Bliss.

Buddha Amitabha, the Buddha of Boundless Light, is red in color and he looks like Shakyamuni Buddha. He has all the 80 major marks and the 32 minor signs of a fully enlightened manifestation of nirmanakaya. He holds His hands in the posture on meditative equipoise, the Dhyana Mudra, and in His hands is a begging bowl. He looks quite like Shakyamuni Buddha, only His skin is a deep, ruby red color. He sits on top of a lotus and moon seat. Behind His back is the Wish Fulfilling Tree. To His right is Lord Avalokiteshvara, Chenrezig, white in body color. To His left is Vajrapani, the Lord of Powerful Means. These are the three chief lords of the Pureland of Great Bliss. As the monk Dharmakara, Amitabha Buddha made a commitment to liberate all those sentient beings who don’t have those supernal qualities of the practitioners that reach the other purelands of all the other Buddhas.”

There are many versions of the prayer (or vows), of Amitabha Buddha formulated when he was Dharmakara. In general, it can be said that all of his powerful aspirations can be subsumed under 48 Great Vows. The Pureland of Great Bliss was brought into reality because of one of the 48 Great Vows. This is the cause for the existence of Pureland of great Bliss. In general, all the Buddhas hold all sentient beings in the core of their heart with love and compassion. Out of their great compassion, they formulate powerful aspirations. They make great vows.Because of emptiness, the Pureland of Great Bliss was established through the power of the aspiration, the accumulation of merit, and the primordial wisdom of the enlightened being Amitabha.

To briefly encompass them in a single statement, it need be said that the essence of the vows, prayers, and aspirations are: “May a Pureland be established that is reachable by ordinary sentient beings of impure karma, beings of karmic evil, who have not abandoned non-virtue.” When you reach the purelands of other Buddhas, because of exalted status before going there, you become enlightened. In the case of Dewachen, you can get there, but it does not mean you become enlightened. What happens is that you will not revert to cyclic existence; rather, you will have, instead, all the positive and auspicious conditions for the accumulation of merit and primordial wisdom. You will be able to abandon all non-virtue there and practice to tame and train your mind until such point you are ripe for enlightenment. That is then a general introduction to the Land of Great Bliss. In brief, concerning the teachings of the Buddha Amitabha and the Pureland of Great Bliss, in all Mahayana countries this practice is very prevalent. Why is this so? It is because of the nature of the vows of Amitabha Buddha. The practice of Amitabha Buddha and the Pureland is geared to ordinary people. Anyone can engage in the practice. You do not have to be a great exalted being who has abandoned all non-virtue. You do not have to be a superb practitioner. Depending upon the power of the vows of Amitabha Buddha, you can engage in this practice. This is a Sutrayana practice. Therefore, it is something that can work for anyone. It is available to all.

Oral transmissions

Oral transmission is a key component of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Outwardly it may be just the lama reciting a Dharma text or a mantra and the students repeating it after him or her, or even simply hearing it. However inwardly far more is occurring. The lama inwardly connects with the living stream of blessing the outer text represents through his or her own reception from their guru. By this they connect with the stream back to the author or originator of the text or practice, who is almost always an enlightened being or Shakyamuni Buddha himself. In this way the student receiving the transmission is linked to its origin. From then on the practice draws directly from this origin and the enlightened being who first gave the teaching. This empowers the student to start using the practice and ensures the practice is overseen and connected to the pure source.

From a Tibetan Buddhist perspective engaging with a practice by simply reading a text may not be that fruitful. With some texts and practices it is simply not done. With others it is seen as still beneficial but not as much as receiving the text orally. There is also more likelihood of error and distortion creeping in because the student has to make his or her own connection to the pure source rather than being given the means to make that connection.

There is a long history of oral transmission of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism. Oral transmissions by lineage holders traditionally can take place in small groups or mass gatherings of listeners and may last for seconds (in the case of a mantra, for example) or many months (as in the case of a section of the Tibetan Buddhist canon). A transmission can even occur without actually hearing, as in Asanga's visions of Maitreya.

An emphasis on oral transmission as more important than the printed word derives from the earliest period of Indian Buddhism, when it allowed teachings to be kept from those who should not hear them. Hearing a teaching (transmission) readies the hearer for realization based on it. The person from whom one hears the teaching should have heard it as one link in a succession of listeners going back to the original speaker: the Buddha in the case of a sutra or the author in the case of a book. Then the hearing constitutes an authentic lineage of transmission. Authenticity of the oral lineage is a prerequisite for realization, hence the importance of lineages.

It is directly transmitting the secret blessings through the sounds of words from the vajra masters heart to your heart so the student must listen carefully, every word from the teacher must have come from their previous master. Some Oral transmissions are very secret and are called whisper teachings and are only given to 1 student at a time. We are very honored to announce these special oral transmissions given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon, the 37 th lineage holder of the Drikung Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism for the first time outside of India and Tibet.

Traditional Long Life Ceremony The Long life prayer for His Holiness is very important. It is one of the Seven Limb prayers. Performing Long Life prayers for great teachers can purify karma of many lifetimes. It is also important for us to show our devotion and respect to the teacher who holds the lineage. for the benefit of all sentient beings. When we perform the long life prayer, we pray that they will stay here for eons representing Buddha Shakyamuni and stay here until the end of samsara, until all beings attains complete enlightenment. We pray that they will remain strong and steadfast of behalf of the five families of Buddhas to transform the five poisons into the five wisdoms. We ask that they will continue to bestow the blessings for everyone to have everlasting peace and happiness. The prayers and offerings of flowers to His Holiness will create a lasting connection that you will always remember. We hope you can join in this special ceremony.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation In the Drikung Kagyu tradition, it is said that there are three kinds of protectors. They are dharmapalas, lokapalas and ksetrapalas. Respectively they translate to "Dharma-protectors," "protectors of the world” and "field- protectors." Dharma-protectors are those who are highly advanced on the Path. From Vajrayana's point of view, these beings are actually manifestations of the activities of the Buddhas. Some of these beings are considered Buddhas while some are on different levels of the Bodhisattva path. For example, Mahakala and Ekazati are both considered fully enlightened beings while someone like Dorje Lekpa is considered a tenth stage bodhisattva. Both the worldly and field protectors are not particularly related to Dharma in the same way as Dharma Protectors are.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation is engaged in for the benefit all beings with the motivation that all beings may have happiness and the causes of happiness, be free from suffering and the causes of suffering and that they will be guided and protected by these great enlightened protectors and that all obstacles and hindrances will be dispelled.

His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang At Drikung Kyobpa Choling Monastery (A Tibetan Meditation Center) 1600 Sheridan Place Escondido CA 92027

Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday -- August 6 th , 7 th , 8 th , 9 th 2015 By Reservation Only www.drikungkc.org email: [email protected] or call 909-625-5955

Thursday August 6 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Wrathful Guru Rinpoche Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of the Invocation to Buddha Shakyamuni, Prayer Blessings of the lineage, Offering to the Lama,Tshok Offering, Tshok Song,Confession Downfalls, Vajrasattva, Chenrezig, Manjushri, Green Tara, White Tara, 7 Protections of Tara, Medicine Buddha, VajraPani, detailed Seven Limb prayer, Long Life and Dedication prayers

Friday August 7 th

9:30am – 12:00pm VajraVidaran (Dorje Namjom) Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Chakrasamvara, VajraYogini, 21 Taras, Heart Sutra

Saturday August 8 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Achi Sungs offering, White Dzambala, Dharma Protectors and Serkym Offering, MahaKala, Achi, Tseringma, Golden Palace prayer and so forth

Sunday August 9 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Special traditional Long Life ceremony for His Holiness

2pm – 5pm Amitabha empowerment

Program Descriptions

Drupon Samten Rinpoche and Drikung Kybopa Choling have organized this program so that we all may receive these rare and precious empowerments, teachings and blessings directly from Gyalwa Drikungpa, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, the 37th lineage holder in the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Receiving any of these, from the throne holder of Jigten Sumgon, the manifestation of Narajuna, is a rare and precious opportunity. We invite you to receive these blessings from the reincarnation of Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang.

Yidam Practice The following is a general description of Yidam practice that pertains to four Empowerments that will be given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. Yidam is a fully enlightened being who is the focus of personal meditation, during a retreat or for one's life. Yidam practice is a very special tantric practice in which one transforms one’s normal, samsaric experience of reality into an extraordinary experience of the true state of all phenomena. While the teachings of the sutra-level consider ignorance as the root cause of samsaric existence, the tantric teachings identify the ordinary appearances as the root cause of samsara. The practice of Yidam is a special and profound method to quickly transform ordinary appearances into enlightened appearances.

Wrathful Padmasambhava Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang will bestow this very important empowerment of Wrathful Padmasambhava. Padmasambhava, literally means "Lotus-Born", which refers to his birth from a lotus in the land of Oddiyana. He is also known as Guru Rinpoche and is an emanation of Amitabha.

Padmasambhava is said to have taken eight forms or manifestations representing different aspects of his being, such as wrath or pacification. According to Rigpa Shedra the eight principal forms were assumed by Guru Rinpoche at different points in his life. Guru Dorje Drolo, is the fierce and wrathful manifestation of Vajrakilaya (wrathful Vajrasattva) known as "Diamond Guts", the comforter of all, imprinting the elements with Wisdom-Treasure. "In the experience of great bliss fiercely blazing with wrathful power, maroon in color, holding a vajra and phurba, the two feet dancing expressively atop a tigress; homage to Dorje Drolo”.

Through this Empowerment of the Wrathful Guru Rinpoche, it opens the gateway within oneself to the practice which clears obstacles, not only for one's own mind and heart but that of the world. In this practice, one visualizes oneself in a wrathful (protective and cleansing) form of the Guru Padmasambhava. The practice helps one overcome all obstacles to meditation or spiritual practice, leading to the achievement of a longer life. Ultimately, this practice catalyzes swift enlightenment through the process of merging one's own mind with the Guru of awareness.

In difficult times, it is essential to have a strong connection to the Guru. In Tibetan Buddhism, the connection to Guru Rinpoche, or Padmasambhava, has long been considered essential for receiving all forms of benefits, such as: *Cultivating Prosperity, longevity and health * Peaceful conditions, such as cultivating positive qualities. * Purification from obstacles, emotional afflictions and mental obscurations * Wrathful cleansing and blessings * Creates a strong connection with the guru

VajraVidarana (Dorje amjon) Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of this very special Yidam Diety. In the Drikung Kagyu lineage, Vajra Vidharan is a very important practice in Tibetan Buddhism. This practice is a special antidote to purify contaminated environments of the universe and sentient beings. Through this practice we will cleanse the contaminants of the air we breathe, food we eat, clothes we wear and any other types of poisons or contamination. It helps to cleanse the charkas, re- energize the life force and brings both physical and mental strength. It helps to pacify frustration, depression and anxiety. It helps dispel bad dreams and other unfavorable conditions. It brings healthy, happy long life and success in your practice. This healing ceremony for has been practiced for centuries in Tibet, India and the Himalayan region of Ladakh. Participation in this empowerment brings benefit to both oneself and others. It has been given by very specific teachers who have gone to retreat and are able to bestow this empowerment that is used specifically in healing ceremonies. Especially those who have epilepsy, fainting, giddy, headaches, stress and so forth. This is very effective. This practice was taught by the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni and many Siddhis in India who came to Tibet. It is very rare to receive this empowerment and teachings.

Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment According to a prophecy in the Cakrasavara Tantra, it is said, "The head of the Karma Dakinis will come to the area of Tidro cave in Drikung. This will be a Nirmanakaya manifestation of Vajrayogini, Achi Chokyi Drolma. His Holiness will also bestow the empowerment of of Achi Chokyi Drolma, who is the Dharma Protector of Tibetan Buddhism, and in particular of the Drikung Kagyu school. She also appears as a protector in other lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. The historical Achi was the great grandmother of Lord Jigton Sumgon, founder of the Drikung Lineage. To this day Achi remains a great dharma protector of the Buddha's teachings. Although Achi has a particular commitment to protect the Drikung Kagyu, she is recognized and practiced by all lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. `

She is the emanation of Vajra Yogini who is the embodiment of the wisdom and compassion of all the Buddhas. She is the divine mother of the Buddhas and manifested out of compassion in the form of the Dakinis of the Five Buddha families. To benefit the beings in samsara, she displays a limitless number of manifestations at different times and in different space dimensions and in front of different teachers of different lineages. She manifests as many different dakinis.

At the time of her death, Achi Chokyi Drolma did not pass away in an ordinary manner. She first took her disciples to a huge cave where many sacred and secret items were discovered. Then she offered a tsok feast, and those who partook of that feast achieved many sublime qualities of the Buddhas. Achi composed a text containing a sadhana of herself and promised to look after the teachings of the Buddha in general and to protect and flourish the Buddha's teaching that will appear in the future. With that she said, “My activities through this body have come to an end,” and she flew up to the Buddha Field on her blue horse without leaving her physical body behind. That means she is a very powerful Dharma Protector in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, just like PadmaSambhava who also flew to the Buddhafield. Therefore this practice is very important for practitioners to protect from obstacles that arise due to our karma. She also bestows the blessings for one to quickly realize the highest state of meditation. She is able to bestow the blessing of the common and supreme siddhi attainment.

Amitabha Buddha Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of Boundless Light. Generally, it can be said that there are many purelands, many paradises of Enlightened Beings we call Buddhas. The Pureland of Great Bliss of the Buddha of Boundless Light, Amitabha, is quite a unique place. There are purelands in the four directions, East, South, West, North, and in the center. Among them, the Pureland of Amitabha is the easiest to get to and therefore quite special. By formulating a special aspiration to be reborn in the Pureland of Great Bliss, one can accomplish the transference of one’s consciousness to that pureland. The power of prayer, the power of devoted and fervent aspiration, is all that is necessary. It is said that the Pureland of Amitabha Buddha, in relation to our universe, is in the western direction and above our universe. It cannot be reached by any material means. However, our own minds, when purified, when stripped of their faults, when returned to their own primordially pristine condition can directly experience the reality of the Pureland of Great Bliss.

Buddha Amitabha, the Buddha of Boundless Light, is red in color and he looks like Shakyamuni Buddha. He has all the 80 major marks and the 32 minor signs of a fully enlightened manifestation of nirmanakaya. He holds His hands in the posture on meditative equipoise, the Dhyana Mudra, and in His hands is a begging bowl. He looks quite like Shakyamuni Buddha, only His skin is a deep, ruby red color. He sits on top of a lotus and moon seat. Behind His back is the Wish Fulfilling Tree. To His right is Lord Avalokiteshvara, Chenrezig, white in body color. To His left is Vajrapani, the Lord of Powerful Means. These are the three chief lords of the Pureland of Great Bliss. As the monk Dharmakara, Amitabha Buddha made a commitment to liberate all those sentient beings who don’t have those supernal qualities of the practitioners that reach the other purelands of all the other Buddhas.”

There are many versions of the prayer (or vows), of Amitabha Buddha formulated when he was Dharmakara. In general, it can be said that all of his powerful aspirations can be subsumed under 48 Great Vows. The Pureland of Great Bliss was brought into reality because of one of the 48 Great Vows. This is the cause for the existence of Pureland of great Bliss. In general, all the Buddhas hold all sentient beings in the core of their heart with love and compassion. Out of their great compassion, they formulate powerful aspirations. They make great vows.Because of emptiness, the Pureland of Great Bliss was established through the power of the aspiration, the accumulation of merit, and the primordial wisdom of the enlightened being Amitabha.

To briefly encompass them in a single statement, it need be said that the essence of the vows, prayers, and aspirations are: “May a Pureland be established that is reachable by ordinary sentient beings of impure karma, beings of karmic evil, who have not abandoned non-virtue.” When you reach the purelands of other Buddhas, because of exalted status before going there, you become enlightened. In the case of Dewachen, you can get there, but it does not mean you become enlightened. What happens is that you will not revert to cyclic existence; rather, you will have, instead, all the positive and auspicious conditions for the accumulation of merit and primordial wisdom. You will be able to abandon all non-virtue there and practice to tame and train your mind until such point you are ripe for enlightenment. That is then a general introduction to the Land of Great Bliss. In brief, concerning the teachings of the Buddha Amitabha and the Pureland of Great Bliss, in all Mahayana countries this practice is very prevalent. Why is this so? It is because of the nature of the vows of Amitabha Buddha. The practice of Amitabha Buddha and the Pureland is geared to ordinary people. Anyone can engage in the practice. You do not have to be a great exalted being who has abandoned all non-virtue. You do not have to be a superb practitioner. Depending upon the power of the vows of Amitabha Buddha, you can engage in this practice. This is a Sutrayana practice. Therefore, it is something that can work for anyone. It is available to all.

Oral transmissions

Oral transmission is a key component of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Outwardly it may be just the lama reciting a Dharma text or a mantra and the students repeating it after him or her, or even simply hearing it. However inwardly far more is occurring. The lama inwardly connects with the living stream of blessing the outer text represents through his or her own reception from their guru. By this they connect with the stream back to the author or originator of the text or practice, who is almost always an enlightened being or Shakyamuni Buddha himself. In this way the student receiving the transmission is linked to its origin. From then on the practice draws directly from this origin and the enlightened being who first gave the teaching. This empowers the student to start using the practice and ensures the practice is overseen and connected to the pure source.

From a Tibetan Buddhist perspective engaging with a practice by simply reading a text may not be that fruitful. With some texts and practices it is simply not done. With others it is seen as still beneficial but not as much as receiving the text orally. There is also more likelihood of error and distortion creeping in because the student has to make his or her own connection to the pure source rather than being given the means to make that connection.

There is a long history of oral transmission of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism. Oral transmissions by lineage holders traditionally can take place in small groups or mass gatherings of listeners and may last for seconds (in the case of a mantra, for example) or many months (as in the case of a section of the Tibetan Buddhist canon). A transmission can even occur without actually hearing, as in Asanga's visions of Maitreya.

An emphasis on oral transmission as more important than the printed word derives from the earliest period of Indian Buddhism, when it allowed teachings to be kept from those who should not hear them. Hearing a teaching (transmission) readies the hearer for realization based on it. The person from whom one hears the teaching should have heard it as one link in a succession of listeners going back to the original speaker: the Buddha in the case of a sutra or the author in the case of a book. Then the hearing constitutes an authentic lineage of transmission. Authenticity of the oral lineage is a prerequisite for realization, hence the importance of lineages.

It is directly transmitting the secret blessings through the sounds of words from the vajra masters heart to your heart so the student must listen carefully, every word from the teacher must have come from their previous master. Some Oral transmissions are very secret and are called whisper teachings and are only given to 1 student at a time. We are very honored to announce these special oral transmissions given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon, the 37 th lineage holder of the Drikung Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism for the first time outside of India and Tibet.

Traditional Long Life Ceremony The Long life prayer for His Holiness is very important. It is one of the Seven Limb prayers. Performing Long Life prayers for great teachers can purify karma of many lifetimes. It is also important for us to show our devotion and respect to the teacher who holds the lineage. for the benefit of all sentient beings. When we perform the long life prayer, we pray that they will stay here for eons representing Buddha Shakyamuni and stay here until the end of samsara, until all beings attains complete enlightenment. We pray that they will remain strong and steadfast of behalf of the five families of Buddhas to transform the five poisons into the five wisdoms. We ask that they will continue to bestow the blessings for everyone to have everlasting peace and happiness. The prayers and offerings of flowers to His Holiness will create a lasting connection that you will always remember. We hope you can join in this special ceremony.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation In the Drikung Kagyu tradition, it is said that there are three kinds of protectors. They are dharmapalas, lokapalas and ksetrapalas. Respectively they translate to "Dharma-protectors," "protectors of the world” and "field- protectors." Dharma-protectors are those who are highly advanced on the Path. From Vajrayana's point of view, these beings are actually manifestations of the activities of the Buddhas. Some of these beings are considered Buddhas while some are on different levels of the Bodhisattva path. For example, Mahakala and Ekazati are both considered fully enlightened beings while someone like Dorje Lekpa is considered a tenth stage bodhisattva. Both the worldly and field protectors are not particularly related to Dharma in the same way as Dharma Protectors are.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation is engaged in for the benefit all beings with the motivation that all beings may have happiness and the causes of happiness, be free from suffering and the causes of suffering and that they will be guided and protected by these great enlightened protectors and that all obstacles and hindrances will be dispelled.

His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang At Drikung Kyobpa Choling Monastery (A Tibetan Meditation Center) 1600 Sheridan Place Escondido CA 92027

Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday -- August 6 th , 7 th , 8 th , 9 th 2015 By Reservation Only www.drikungkc.org email: [email protected] or call 909-625-5955

Thursday August 6 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Wrathful Guru Rinpoche Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of the Invocation to Buddha Shakyamuni, Prayer Blessings of the lineage, Offering to the Lama,Tshok Offering, Tshok Song,Confession Downfalls, Vajrasattva, Chenrezig, Manjushri, Green Tara, White Tara, 7 Protections of Tara, Medicine Buddha, VajraPani, detailed Seven Limb prayer, Long Life and Dedication prayers

Friday August 7 th

9:30am – 12:00pm VajraVidaran (Dorje Namjom) Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Chakrasamvara, VajraYogini, 21 Taras, Heart Sutra

Saturday August 8 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Achi Sungs offering, White Dzambala, Dharma Protectors and Serkym Offering, MahaKala, Achi, Tseringma, Golden Palace prayer and so forth

Sunday August 9 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Special traditional Long Life ceremony for His Holiness

2pm – 5pm Amitabha empowerment

Program Descriptions

Drupon Samten Rinpoche and Drikung Kybopa Choling have organized this program so that we all may receive these rare and precious empowerments, teachings and blessings directly from Gyalwa Drikungpa, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, the 37th lineage holder in the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Receiving any of these, from the throne holder of Jigten Sumgon, the manifestation of Narajuna, is a rare and precious opportunity. We invite you to receive these blessings from the reincarnation of Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang.

Yidam Practice The following is a general description of Yidam practice that pertains to four Empowerments that will be given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. Yidam is a fully enlightened being who is the focus of personal meditation, during a retreat or for one's life. Yidam practice is a very special tantric practice in which one transforms one’s normal, samsaric experience of reality into an extraordinary experience of the true state of all phenomena. While the teachings of the sutra-level consider ignorance as the root cause of samsaric existence, the tantric teachings identify the ordinary appearances as the root cause of samsara. The practice of Yidam is a special and profound method to quickly transform ordinary appearances into enlightened appearances.

Wrathful Padmasambhava Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang will bestow this very important empowerment of Wrathful Padmasambhava. Padmasambhava, literally means "Lotus-Born", which refers to his birth from a lotus in the land of Oddiyana. He is also known as Guru Rinpoche and is an emanation of Amitabha.

Padmasambhava is said to have taken eight forms or manifestations representing different aspects of his being, such as wrath or pacification. According to Rigpa Shedra the eight principal forms were assumed by Guru Rinpoche at different points in his life. Guru Dorje Drolo, is the fierce and wrathful manifestation of Vajrakilaya (wrathful Vajrasattva) known as "Diamond Guts", the comforter of all, imprinting the elements with Wisdom-Treasure. "In the experience of great bliss fiercely blazing with wrathful power, maroon in color, holding a vajra and phurba, the two feet dancing expressively atop a tigress; homage to Dorje Drolo”.

Through this Empowerment of the Wrathful Guru Rinpoche, it opens the gateway within oneself to the practice which clears obstacles, not only for one's own mind and heart but that of the world. In this practice, one visualizes oneself in a wrathful (protective and cleansing) form of the Guru Padmasambhava. The practice helps one overcome all obstacles to meditation or spiritual practice, leading to the achievement of a longer life. Ultimately, this practice catalyzes swift enlightenment through the process of merging one's own mind with the Guru of awareness.

In difficult times, it is essential to have a strong connection to the Guru. In Tibetan Buddhism, the connection to Guru Rinpoche, or Padmasambhava, has long been considered essential for receiving all forms of benefits, such as: *Cultivating Prosperity, longevity and health * Peaceful conditions, such as cultivating positive qualities. * Purification from obstacles, emotional afflictions and mental obscurations * Wrathful cleansing and blessings * Creates a strong connection with the guru

VajraVidarana (Dorje amjon) Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of this very special Yidam Diety. In the Drikung Kagyu lineage, Vajra Vidharan is a very important practice in Tibetan Buddhism. This practice is a special antidote to purify contaminated environments of the universe and sentient beings. Through this practice we will cleanse the contaminants of the air we breathe, food we eat, clothes we wear and any other types of poisons or contamination. It helps to cleanse the charkas, re- energize the life force and brings both physical and mental strength. It helps to pacify frustration, depression and anxiety. It helps dispel bad dreams and other unfavorable conditions. It brings healthy, happy long life and success in your practice. This healing ceremony for has been practiced for centuries in Tibet, India and the Himalayan region of Ladakh. Participation in this empowerment brings benefit to both oneself and others. It has been given by very specific teachers who have gone to retreat and are able to bestow this empowerment that is used specifically in healing ceremonies. Especially those who have epilepsy, fainting, giddy, headaches, stress and so forth. This is very effective. This practice was taught by the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni and many Siddhis in India who came to Tibet. It is very rare to receive this empowerment and teachings.

Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment According to a prophecy in the Cakrasavara Tantra, it is said, "The head of the Karma Dakinis will come to the area of Tidro cave in Drikung. This will be a Nirmanakaya manifestation of Vajrayogini, Achi Chokyi Drolma. His Holiness will also bestow the empowerment of of Achi Chokyi Drolma, who is the Dharma Protector of Tibetan Buddhism, and in particular of the Drikung Kagyu school. She also appears as a protector in other lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. The historical Achi was the great grandmother of Lord Jigton Sumgon, founder of the Drikung Lineage. To this day Achi remains a great dharma protector of the Buddha's teachings. Although Achi has a particular commitment to protect the Drikung Kagyu, she is recognized and practiced by all lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. `

She is the emanation of Vajra Yogini who is the embodiment of the wisdom and compassion of all the Buddhas. She is the divine mother of the Buddhas and manifested out of compassion in the form of the Dakinis of the Five Buddha families. To benefit the beings in samsara, she displays a limitless number of manifestations at different times and in different space dimensions and in front of different teachers of different lineages. She manifests as many different dakinis.

At the time of her death, Achi Chokyi Drolma did not pass away in an ordinary manner. She first took her disciples to a huge cave where many sacred and secret items were discovered. Then she offered a tsok feast, and those who partook of that feast achieved many sublime qualities of the Buddhas. Achi composed a text containing a sadhana of herself and promised to look after the teachings of the Buddha in general and to protect and flourish the Buddha's teaching that will appear in the future. With that she said, “My activities through this body have come to an end,” and she flew up to the Buddha Field on her blue horse without leaving her physical body behind. That means she is a very powerful Dharma Protector in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, just like PadmaSambhava who also flew to the Buddhafield. Therefore this practice is very important for practitioners to protect from obstacles that arise due to our karma. She also bestows the blessings for one to quickly realize the highest state of meditation. She is able to bestow the blessing of the common and supreme siddhi attainment.

Amitabha Buddha Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of Boundless Light. Generally, it can be said that there are many purelands, many paradises of Enlightened Beings we call Buddhas. The Pureland of Great Bliss of the Buddha of Boundless Light, Amitabha, is quite a unique place. There are purelands in the four directions, East, South, West, North, and in the center. Among them, the Pureland of Amitabha is the easiest to get to and therefore quite special. By formulating a special aspiration to be reborn in the Pureland of Great Bliss, one can accomplish the transference of one’s consciousness to that pureland. The power of prayer, the power of devoted and fervent aspiration, is all that is necessary. It is said that the Pureland of Amitabha Buddha, in relation to our universe, is in the western direction and above our universe. It cannot be reached by any material means. However, our own minds, when purified, when stripped of their faults, when returned to their own primordially pristine condition can directly experience the reality of the Pureland of Great Bliss.

Buddha Amitabha, the Buddha of Boundless Light, is red in color and he looks like Shakyamuni Buddha. He has all the 80 major marks and the 32 minor signs of a fully enlightened manifestation of nirmanakaya. He holds His hands in the posture on meditative equipoise, the Dhyana Mudra, and in His hands is a begging bowl. He looks quite like Shakyamuni Buddha, only His skin is a deep, ruby red color. He sits on top of a lotus and moon seat. Behind His back is the Wish Fulfilling Tree. To His right is Lord Avalokiteshvara, Chenrezig, white in body color. To His left is Vajrapani, the Lord of Powerful Means. These are the three chief lords of the Pureland of Great Bliss. As the monk Dharmakara, Amitabha Buddha made a commitment to liberate all those sentient beings who don’t have those supernal qualities of the practitioners that reach the other purelands of all the other Buddhas.”

There are many versions of the prayer (or vows), of Amitabha Buddha formulated when he was Dharmakara. In general, it can be said that all of his powerful aspirations can be subsumed under 48 Great Vows. The Pureland of Great Bliss was brought into reality because of one of the 48 Great Vows. This is the cause for the existence of Pureland of great Bliss. In general, all the Buddhas hold all sentient beings in the core of their heart with love and compassion. Out of their great compassion, they formulate powerful aspirations. They make great vows.Because of emptiness, the Pureland of Great Bliss was established through the power of the aspiration, the accumulation of merit, and the primordial wisdom of the enlightened being Amitabha.

To briefly encompass them in a single statement, it need be said that the essence of the vows, prayers, and aspirations are: “May a Pureland be established that is reachable by ordinary sentient beings of impure karma, beings of karmic evil, who have not abandoned non-virtue.” When you reach the purelands of other Buddhas, because of exalted status before going there, you become enlightened. In the case of Dewachen, you can get there, but it does not mean you become enlightened. What happens is that you will not revert to cyclic existence; rather, you will have, instead, all the positive and auspicious conditions for the accumulation of merit and primordial wisdom. You will be able to abandon all non-virtue there and practice to tame and train your mind until such point you are ripe for enlightenment. That is then a general introduction to the Land of Great Bliss. In brief, concerning the teachings of the Buddha Amitabha and the Pureland of Great Bliss, in all Mahayana countries this practice is very prevalent. Why is this so? It is because of the nature of the vows of Amitabha Buddha. The practice of Amitabha Buddha and the Pureland is geared to ordinary people. Anyone can engage in the practice. You do not have to be a great exalted being who has abandoned all non-virtue. You do not have to be a superb practitioner. Depending upon the power of the vows of Amitabha Buddha, you can engage in this practice. This is a Sutrayana practice. Therefore, it is something that can work for anyone. It is available to all.

Oral transmissions

Oral transmission is a key component of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Outwardly it may be just the lama reciting a Dharma text or a mantra and the students repeating it after him or her, or even simply hearing it. However inwardly far more is occurring. The lama inwardly connects with the living stream of blessing the outer text represents through his or her own reception from their guru. By this they connect with the stream back to the author or originator of the text or practice, who is almost always an enlightened being or Shakyamuni Buddha himself. In this way the student receiving the transmission is linked to its origin. From then on the practice draws directly from this origin and the enlightened being who first gave the teaching. This empowers the student to start using the practice and ensures the practice is overseen and connected to the pure source.

From a Tibetan Buddhist perspective engaging with a practice by simply reading a text may not be that fruitful. With some texts and practices it is simply not done. With others it is seen as still beneficial but not as much as receiving the text orally. There is also more likelihood of error and distortion creeping in because the student has to make his or her own connection to the pure source rather than being given the means to make that connection.

There is a long history of oral transmission of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism. Oral transmissions by lineage holders traditionally can take place in small groups or mass gatherings of listeners and may last for seconds (in the case of a mantra, for example) or many months (as in the case of a section of the Tibetan Buddhist canon). A transmission can even occur without actually hearing, as in Asanga's visions of Maitreya.

An emphasis on oral transmission as more important than the printed word derives from the earliest period of Indian Buddhism, when it allowed teachings to be kept from those who should not hear them. Hearing a teaching (transmission) readies the hearer for realization based on it. The person from whom one hears the teaching should have heard it as one link in a succession of listeners going back to the original speaker: the Buddha in the case of a sutra or the author in the case of a book. Then the hearing constitutes an authentic lineage of transmission. Authenticity of the oral lineage is a prerequisite for realization, hence the importance of lineages.

It is directly transmitting the secret blessings through the sounds of words from the vajra masters heart to your heart so the student must listen carefully, every word from the teacher must have come from their previous master. Some Oral transmissions are very secret and are called whisper teachings and are only given to 1 student at a time. We are very honored to announce these special oral transmissions given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon, the 37 th lineage holder of the Drikung Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism for the first time outside of India and Tibet.

Traditional Long Life Ceremony The Long life prayer for His Holiness is very important. It is one of the Seven Limb prayers. Performing Long Life prayers for great teachers can purify karma of many lifetimes. It is also important for us to show our devotion and respect to the teacher who holds the lineage. for the benefit of all sentient beings. When we perform the long life prayer, we pray that they will stay here for eons representing Buddha Shakyamuni and stay here until the end of samsara, until all beings attains complete enlightenment. We pray that they will remain strong and steadfast of behalf of the five families of Buddhas to transform the five poisons into the five wisdoms. We ask that they will continue to bestow the blessings for everyone to have everlasting peace and happiness. The prayers and offerings of flowers to His Holiness will create a lasting connection that you will always remember. We hope you can join in this special ceremony.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation In the Drikung Kagyu tradition, it is said that there are three kinds of protectors. They are dharmapalas, lokapalas and ksetrapalas. Respectively they translate to "Dharma-protectors," "protectors of the world” and "field- protectors." Dharma-protectors are those who are highly advanced on the Path. From Vajrayana's point of view, these beings are actually manifestations of the activities of the Buddhas. Some of these beings are considered Buddhas while some are on different levels of the Bodhisattva path. For example, Mahakala and Ekazati are both considered fully enlightened beings while someone like Dorje Lekpa is considered a tenth stage bodhisattva. Both the worldly and field protectors are not particularly related to Dharma in the same way as Dharma Protectors are.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation is engaged in for the benefit all beings with the motivation that all beings may have happiness and the causes of happiness, be free from suffering and the causes of suffering and that they will be guided and protected by these great enlightened protectors and that all obstacles and hindrances will be dispelled.

His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang At Drikung Kyobpa Choling Monastery (A Tibetan Meditation Center) 1600 Sheridan Place Escondido CA 92027

Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday -- August 6 th , 7 th , 8 th , 9 th 2015 By Reservation Only www.drikungkc.org email: [email protected] or call 909-625-5955

Thursday August 6 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Wrathful Guru Rinpoche Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of the Invocation to Buddha Shakyamuni, Prayer Blessings of the lineage, Offering to the Lama,Tshok Offering, Tshok Song,Confession Downfalls, Vajrasattva, Chenrezig, Manjushri, Green Tara, White Tara, 7 Protections of Tara, Medicine Buddha, VajraPani, detailed Seven Limb prayer, Long Life and Dedication prayers

Friday August 7 th

9:30am – 12:00pm VajraVidaran (Dorje Namjom) Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Chakrasamvara, VajraYogini, 21 Taras, Heart Sutra

Saturday August 8 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Achi Sungs offering, White Dzambala, Dharma Protectors and Serkym Offering, MahaKala, Achi, Tseringma, Golden Palace prayer and so forth

Sunday August 9 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Special traditional Long Life ceremony for His Holiness

2pm – 5pm Amitabha empowerment

Program Descriptions

Drupon Samten Rinpoche and Drikung Kybopa Choling have organized this program so that we all may receive these rare and precious empowerments, teachings and blessings directly from Gyalwa Drikungpa, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, the 37th lineage holder in the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Receiving any of these, from the throne holder of Jigten Sumgon, the manifestation of Narajuna, is a rare and precious opportunity. We invite you to receive these blessings from the reincarnation of Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang.

Yidam Practice The following is a general description of Yidam practice that pertains to four Empowerments that will be given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. Yidam is a fully enlightened being who is the focus of personal meditation, during a retreat or for one's life. Yidam practice is a very special tantric practice in which one transforms one’s normal, samsaric experience of reality into an extraordinary experience of the true state of all phenomena. While the teachings of the sutra-level consider ignorance as the root cause of samsaric existence, the tantric teachings identify the ordinary appearances as the root cause of samsara. The practice of Yidam is a special and profound method to quickly transform ordinary appearances into enlightened appearances.

Wrathful Padmasambhava Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang will bestow this very important empowerment of Wrathful Padmasambhava. Padmasambhava, literally means "Lotus-Born", which refers to his birth from a lotus in the land of Oddiyana. He is also known as Guru Rinpoche and is an emanation of Amitabha.

Padmasambhava is said to have taken eight forms or manifestations representing different aspects of his being, such as wrath or pacification. According to Rigpa Shedra the eight principal forms were assumed by Guru Rinpoche at different points in his life. Guru Dorje Drolo, is the fierce and wrathful manifestation of Vajrakilaya (wrathful Vajrasattva) known as "Diamond Guts", the comforter of all, imprinting the elements with Wisdom-Treasure. "In the experience of great bliss fiercely blazing with wrathful power, maroon in color, holding a vajra and phurba, the two feet dancing expressively atop a tigress; homage to Dorje Drolo”.

Through this Empowerment of the Wrathful Guru Rinpoche, it opens the gateway within oneself to the practice which clears obstacles, not only for one's own mind and heart but that of the world. In this practice, one visualizes oneself in a wrathful (protective and cleansing) form of the Guru Padmasambhava. The practice helps one overcome all obstacles to meditation or spiritual practice, leading to the achievement of a longer life. Ultimately, this practice catalyzes swift enlightenment through the process of merging one's own mind with the Guru of awareness.

In difficult times, it is essential to have a strong connection to the Guru. In Tibetan Buddhism, the connection to Guru Rinpoche, or Padmasambhava, has long been considered essential for receiving all forms of benefits, such as: *Cultivating Prosperity, longevity and health * Peaceful conditions, such as cultivating positive qualities. * Purification from obstacles, emotional afflictions and mental obscurations * Wrathful cleansing and blessings * Creates a strong connection with the guru

VajraVidarana (Dorje amjon) Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of this very special Yidam Diety. In the Drikung Kagyu lineage, Vajra Vidharan is a very important practice in Tibetan Buddhism. This practice is a special antidote to purify contaminated environments of the universe and sentient beings. Through this practice we will cleanse the contaminants of the air we breathe, food we eat, clothes we wear and any other types of poisons or contamination. It helps to cleanse the charkas, re- energize the life force and brings both physical and mental strength. It helps to pacify frustration, depression and anxiety. It helps dispel bad dreams and other unfavorable conditions. It brings healthy, happy long life and success in your practice. This healing ceremony for has been practiced for centuries in Tibet, India and the Himalayan region of Ladakh. Participation in this empowerment brings benefit to both oneself and others. It has been given by very specific teachers who have gone to retreat and are able to bestow this empowerment that is used specifically in healing ceremonies. Especially those who have epilepsy, fainting, giddy, headaches, stress and so forth. This is very effective. This practice was taught by the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni and many Siddhis in India who came to Tibet. It is very rare to receive this empowerment and teachings.

Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment According to a prophecy in the Cakrasavara Tantra, it is said, "The head of the Karma Dakinis will come to the area of Tidro cave in Drikung. This will be a Nirmanakaya manifestation of Vajrayogini, Achi Chokyi Drolma. His Holiness will also bestow the empowerment of of Achi Chokyi Drolma, who is the Dharma Protector of Tibetan Buddhism, and in particular of the Drikung Kagyu school. She also appears as a protector in other lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. The historical Achi was the great grandmother of Lord Jigton Sumgon, founder of the Drikung Lineage. To this day Achi remains a great dharma protector of the Buddha's teachings. Although Achi has a particular commitment to protect the Drikung Kagyu, she is recognized and practiced by all lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. `

She is the emanation of Vajra Yogini who is the embodiment of the wisdom and compassion of all the Buddhas. She is the divine mother of the Buddhas and manifested out of compassion in the form of the Dakinis of the Five Buddha families. To benefit the beings in samsara, she displays a limitless number of manifestations at different times and in different space dimensions and in front of different teachers of different lineages. She manifests as many different dakinis.

At the time of her death, Achi Chokyi Drolma did not pass away in an ordinary manner. She first took her disciples to a huge cave where many sacred and secret items were discovered. Then she offered a tsok feast, and those who partook of that feast achieved many sublime qualities of the Buddhas. Achi composed a text containing a sadhana of herself and promised to look after the teachings of the Buddha in general and to protect and flourish the Buddha's teaching that will appear in the future. With that she said, “My activities through this body have come to an end,” and she flew up to the Buddha Field on her blue horse without leaving her physical body behind. That means she is a very powerful Dharma Protector in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, just like PadmaSambhava who also flew to the Buddhafield. Therefore this practice is very important for practitioners to protect from obstacles that arise due to our karma. She also bestows the blessings for one to quickly realize the highest state of meditation. She is able to bestow the blessing of the common and supreme siddhi attainment.

Amitabha Buddha Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of Boundless Light. Generally, it can be said that there are many purelands, many paradises of Enlightened Beings we call Buddhas. The Pureland of Great Bliss of the Buddha of Boundless Light, Amitabha, is quite a unique place. There are purelands in the four directions, East, South, West, North, and in the center. Among them, the Pureland of Amitabha is the easiest to get to and therefore quite special. By formulating a special aspiration to be reborn in the Pureland of Great Bliss, one can accomplish the transference of one’s consciousness to that pureland. The power of prayer, the power of devoted and fervent aspiration, is all that is necessary. It is said that the Pureland of Amitabha Buddha, in relation to our universe, is in the western direction and above our universe. It cannot be reached by any material means. However, our own minds, when purified, when stripped of their faults, when returned to their own primordially pristine condition can directly experience the reality of the Pureland of Great Bliss.

Buddha Amitabha, the Buddha of Boundless Light, is red in color and he looks like Shakyamuni Buddha. He has all the 80 major marks and the 32 minor signs of a fully enlightened manifestation of nirmanakaya. He holds His hands in the posture on meditative equipoise, the Dhyana Mudra, and in His hands is a begging bowl. He looks quite like Shakyamuni Buddha, only His skin is a deep, ruby red color. He sits on top of a lotus and moon seat. Behind His back is the Wish Fulfilling Tree. To His right is Lord Avalokiteshvara, Chenrezig, white in body color. To His left is Vajrapani, the Lord of Powerful Means. These are the three chief lords of the Pureland of Great Bliss. As the monk Dharmakara, Amitabha Buddha made a commitment to liberate all those sentient beings who don’t have those supernal qualities of the practitioners that reach the other purelands of all the other Buddhas.”

There are many versions of the prayer (or vows), of Amitabha Buddha formulated when he was Dharmakara. In general, it can be said that all of his powerful aspirations can be subsumed under 48 Great Vows. The Pureland of Great Bliss was brought into reality because of one of the 48 Great Vows. This is the cause for the existence of Pureland of great Bliss. In general, all the Buddhas hold all sentient beings in the core of their heart with love and compassion. Out of their great compassion, they formulate powerful aspirations. They make great vows.Because of emptiness, the Pureland of Great Bliss was established through the power of the aspiration, the accumulation of merit, and the primordial wisdom of the enlightened being Amitabha.

To briefly encompass them in a single statement, it need be said that the essence of the vows, prayers, and aspirations are: “May a Pureland be established that is reachable by ordinary sentient beings of impure karma, beings of karmic evil, who have not abandoned non-virtue.” When you reach the purelands of other Buddhas, because of exalted status before going there, you become enlightened. In the case of Dewachen, you can get there, but it does not mean you become enlightened. What happens is that you will not revert to cyclic existence; rather, you will have, instead, all the positive and auspicious conditions for the accumulation of merit and primordial wisdom. You will be able to abandon all non-virtue there and practice to tame and train your mind until such point you are ripe for enlightenment. That is then a general introduction to the Land of Great Bliss. In brief, concerning the teachings of the Buddha Amitabha and the Pureland of Great Bliss, in all Mahayana countries this practice is very prevalent. Why is this so? It is because of the nature of the vows of Amitabha Buddha. The practice of Amitabha Buddha and the Pureland is geared to ordinary people. Anyone can engage in the practice. You do not have to be a great exalted being who has abandoned all non-virtue. You do not have to be a superb practitioner. Depending upon the power of the vows of Amitabha Buddha, you can engage in this practice. This is a Sutrayana practice. Therefore, it is something that can work for anyone. It is available to all.

Oral transmissions

Oral transmission is a key component of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Outwardly it may be just the lama reciting a Dharma text or a mantra and the students repeating it after him or her, or even simply hearing it. However inwardly far more is occurring. The lama inwardly connects with the living stream of blessing the outer text represents through his or her own reception from their guru. By this they connect with the stream back to the author or originator of the text or practice, who is almost always an enlightened being or Shakyamuni Buddha himself. In this way the student receiving the transmission is linked to its origin. From then on the practice draws directly from this origin and the enlightened being who first gave the teaching. This empowers the student to start using the practice and ensures the practice is overseen and connected to the pure source.

From a Tibetan Buddhist perspective engaging with a practice by simply reading a text may not be that fruitful. With some texts and practices it is simply not done. With others it is seen as still beneficial but not as much as receiving the text orally. There is also more likelihood of error and distortion creeping in because the student has to make his or her own connection to the pure source rather than being given the means to make that connection.

There is a long history of oral transmission of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism. Oral transmissions by lineage holders traditionally can take place in small groups or mass gatherings of listeners and may last for seconds (in the case of a mantra, for example) or many months (as in the case of a section of the Tibetan Buddhist canon). A transmission can even occur without actually hearing, as in Asanga's visions of Maitreya.

An emphasis on oral transmission as more important than the printed word derives from the earliest period of Indian Buddhism, when it allowed teachings to be kept from those who should not hear them. Hearing a teaching (transmission) readies the hearer for realization based on it. The person from whom one hears the teaching should have heard it as one link in a succession of listeners going back to the original speaker: the Buddha in the case of a sutra or the author in the case of a book. Then the hearing constitutes an authentic lineage of transmission. Authenticity of the oral lineage is a prerequisite for realization, hence the importance of lineages.

It is directly transmitting the secret blessings through the sounds of words from the vajra masters heart to your heart so the student must listen carefully, every word from the teacher must have come from their previous master. Some Oral transmissions are very secret and are called whisper teachings and are only given to 1 student at a time. We are very honored to announce these special oral transmissions given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon, the 37 th lineage holder of the Drikung Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism for the first time outside of India and Tibet.

Traditional Long Life Ceremony The Long life prayer for His Holiness is very important. It is one of the Seven Limb prayers. Performing Long Life prayers for great teachers can purify karma of many lifetimes. It is also important for us to show our devotion and respect to the teacher who holds the lineage. for the benefit of all sentient beings. When we perform the long life prayer, we pray that they will stay here for eons representing Buddha Shakyamuni and stay here until the end of samsara, until all beings attains complete enlightenment. We pray that they will remain strong and steadfast of behalf of the five families of Buddhas to transform the five poisons into the five wisdoms. We ask that they will continue to bestow the blessings for everyone to have everlasting peace and happiness. The prayers and offerings of flowers to His Holiness will create a lasting connection that you will always remember. We hope you can join in this special ceremony.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation In the Drikung Kagyu tradition, it is said that there are three kinds of protectors. They are dharmapalas, lokapalas and ksetrapalas. Respectively they translate to "Dharma-protectors," "protectors of the world” and "field- protectors." Dharma-protectors are those who are highly advanced on the Path. From Vajrayana's point of view, these beings are actually manifestations of the activities of the Buddhas. Some of these beings are considered Buddhas while some are on different levels of the Bodhisattva path. For example, Mahakala and Ekazati are both considered fully enlightened beings while someone like Dorje Lekpa is considered a tenth stage bodhisattva. Both the worldly and field protectors are not particularly related to Dharma in the same way as Dharma Protectors are.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation is engaged in for the benefit all beings with the motivation that all beings may have happiness and the causes of happiness, be free from suffering and the causes of suffering and that they will be guided and protected by these great enlightened protectors and that all obstacles and hindrances will be dispelled.

His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang At Drikung Kyobpa Choling Monastery (A Tibetan Meditation Center) 1600 Sheridan Place Escondido CA 92027

Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday -- August 6 th , 7 th , 8 th , 9 th 2015 By Reservation Only www.drikungkc.org email: [email protected] or call 909-625-5955

Thursday August 6 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Wrathful Guru Rinpoche Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of the Invocation to Buddha Shakyamuni, Prayer Blessings of the lineage, Offering to the Lama,Tshok Offering, Tshok Song,Confession Downfalls, Vajrasattva, Chenrezig, Manjushri, Green Tara, White Tara, 7 Protections of Tara, Medicine Buddha, VajraPani, detailed Seven Limb prayer, Long Life and Dedication prayers

Friday August 7 th

9:30am – 12:00pm VajraVidaran (Dorje Namjom) Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Chakrasamvara, VajraYogini, 21 Taras, Heart Sutra

Saturday August 8 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment

2pm – 5pm Oral transmissions of Achi Sungs offering, White Dzambala, Dharma Protectors and Serkym Offering, MahaKala, Achi, Tseringma, Golden Palace prayer and so forth

Sunday August 9 th

9:30am – 12:00pm Special traditional Long Life ceremony for His Holiness

2pm – 5pm Amitabha empowerment

Program Descriptions

Drupon Samten Rinpoche and Drikung Kybopa Choling have organized this program so that we all may receive these rare and precious empowerments, teachings and blessings directly from Gyalwa Drikungpa, His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang, the 37th lineage holder in the Drikung Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Receiving any of these, from the throne holder of Jigten Sumgon, the manifestation of Narajuna, is a rare and precious opportunity. We invite you to receive these blessings from the reincarnation of Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara), His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang.

Yidam Practice The following is a general description of Yidam practice that pertains to four Empowerments that will be given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang. Yidam is a fully enlightened being who is the focus of personal meditation, during a retreat or for one's life. Yidam practice is a very special tantric practice in which one transforms one’s normal, samsaric experience of reality into an extraordinary experience of the true state of all phenomena. While the teachings of the sutra-level consider ignorance as the root cause of samsaric existence, the tantric teachings identify the ordinary appearances as the root cause of samsara. The practice of Yidam is a special and profound method to quickly transform ordinary appearances into enlightened appearances.

Wrathful Padmasambhava Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang will bestow this very important empowerment of Wrathful Padmasambhava. Padmasambhava, literally means "Lotus-Born", which refers to his birth from a lotus in the land of Oddiyana. He is also known as Guru Rinpoche and is an emanation of Amitabha.

Padmasambhava is said to have taken eight forms or manifestations representing different aspects of his being, such as wrath or pacification. According to Rigpa Shedra the eight principal forms were assumed by Guru Rinpoche at different points in his life. Guru Dorje Drolo, is the fierce and wrathful manifestation of Vajrakilaya (wrathful Vajrasattva) known as "Diamond Guts", the comforter of all, imprinting the elements with Wisdom-Treasure. "In the experience of great bliss fiercely blazing with wrathful power, maroon in color, holding a vajra and phurba, the two feet dancing expressively atop a tigress; homage to Dorje Drolo”.

Through this Empowerment of the Wrathful Guru Rinpoche, it opens the gateway within oneself to the practice which clears obstacles, not only for one's own mind and heart but that of the world. In this practice, one visualizes oneself in a wrathful (protective and cleansing) form of the Guru Padmasambhava. The practice helps one overcome all obstacles to meditation or spiritual practice, leading to the achievement of a longer life. Ultimately, this practice catalyzes swift enlightenment through the process of merging one's own mind with the Guru of awareness.

In difficult times, it is essential to have a strong connection to the Guru. In Tibetan Buddhism, the connection to Guru Rinpoche, or Padmasambhava, has long been considered essential for receiving all forms of benefits, such as: *Cultivating Prosperity, longevity and health * Peaceful conditions, such as cultivating positive qualities. * Purification from obstacles, emotional afflictions and mental obscurations * Wrathful cleansing and blessings * Creates a strong connection with the guru

VajraVidarana (Dorje amjon) Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of this very special Yidam Diety. In the Drikung Kagyu lineage, Vajra Vidharan is a very important practice in Tibetan Buddhism. This practice is a special antidote to purify contaminated environments of the universe and sentient beings. Through this practice we will cleanse the contaminants of the air we breathe, food we eat, clothes we wear and any other types of poisons or contamination. It helps to cleanse the charkas, re- energize the life force and brings both physical and mental strength. It helps to pacify frustration, depression and anxiety. It helps dispel bad dreams and other unfavorable conditions. It brings healthy, happy long life and success in your practice. This healing ceremony for has been practiced for centuries in Tibet, India and the Himalayan region of Ladakh. Participation in this empowerment brings benefit to both oneself and others. It has been given by very specific teachers who have gone to retreat and are able to bestow this empowerment that is used specifically in healing ceremonies. Especially those who have epilepsy, fainting, giddy, headaches, stress and so forth. This is very effective. This practice was taught by the Lord Buddha Shakyamuni and many Siddhis in India who came to Tibet. It is very rare to receive this empowerment and teachings.

Achi Chokyi Drolma Empowerment According to a prophecy in the Cakrasavara Tantra, it is said, "The head of the Karma Dakinis will come to the area of Tidro cave in Drikung. This will be a Nirmanakaya manifestation of Vajrayogini, Achi Chokyi Drolma. His Holiness will also bestow the empowerment of of Achi Chokyi Drolma, who is the Dharma Protector of Tibetan Buddhism, and in particular of the Drikung Kagyu school. She also appears as a protector in other lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. The historical Achi was the great grandmother of Lord Jigton Sumgon, founder of the Drikung Lineage. To this day Achi remains a great dharma protector of the Buddha's teachings. Although Achi has a particular commitment to protect the Drikung Kagyu, she is recognized and practiced by all lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. `

She is the emanation of Vajra Yogini who is the embodiment of the wisdom and compassion of all the Buddhas. She is the divine mother of the Buddhas and manifested out of compassion in the form of the Dakinis of the Five Buddha families. To benefit the beings in samsara, she displays a limitless number of manifestations at different times and in different space dimensions and in front of different teachers of different lineages. She manifests as many different dakinis.

At the time of her death, Achi Chokyi Drolma did not pass away in an ordinary manner. She first took her disciples to a huge cave where many sacred and secret items were discovered. Then she offered a tsok feast, and those who partook of that feast achieved many sublime qualities of the Buddhas. Achi composed a text containing a sadhana of herself and promised to look after the teachings of the Buddha in general and to protect and flourish the Buddha's teaching that will appear in the future. With that she said, “My activities through this body have come to an end,” and she flew up to the Buddha Field on her blue horse without leaving her physical body behind. That means she is a very powerful Dharma Protector in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, just like PadmaSambhava who also flew to the Buddhafield. Therefore this practice is very important for practitioners to protect from obstacles that arise due to our karma. She also bestows the blessings for one to quickly realize the highest state of meditation. She is able to bestow the blessing of the common and supreme siddhi attainment.

Amitabha Buddha Empowerment His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon will bestow the empowerment of Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of Boundless Light. Generally, it can be said that there are many purelands, many paradises of Enlightened Beings we call Buddhas. The Pureland of Great Bliss of the Buddha of Boundless Light, Amitabha, is quite a unique place. There are purelands in the four directions, East, South, West, North, and in the center. Among them, the Pureland of Amitabha is the easiest to get to and therefore quite special. By formulating a special aspiration to be reborn in the Pureland of Great Bliss, one can accomplish the transference of one’s consciousness to that pureland. The power of prayer, the power of devoted and fervent aspiration, is all that is necessary. It is said that the Pureland of Amitabha Buddha, in relation to our universe, is in the western direction and above our universe. It cannot be reached by any material means. However, our own minds, when purified, when stripped of their faults, when returned to their own primordially pristine condition can directly experience the reality of the Pureland of Great Bliss.

Buddha Amitabha, the Buddha of Boundless Light, is red in color and he looks like Shakyamuni Buddha. He has all the 80 major marks and the 32 minor signs of a fully enlightened manifestation of nirmanakaya. He holds His hands in the posture on meditative equipoise, the Dhyana Mudra, and in His hands is a begging bowl. He looks quite like Shakyamuni Buddha, only His skin is a deep, ruby red color. He sits on top of a lotus and moon seat. Behind His back is the Wish Fulfilling Tree. To His right is Lord Avalokiteshvara, Chenrezig, white in body color. To His left is Vajrapani, the Lord of Powerful Means. These are the three chief lords of the Pureland of Great Bliss. As the monk Dharmakara, Amitabha Buddha made a commitment to liberate all those sentient beings who don’t have those supernal qualities of the practitioners that reach the other purelands of all the other Buddhas.”

There are many versions of the prayer (or vows), of Amitabha Buddha formulated when he was Dharmakara. In general, it can be said that all of his powerful aspirations can be subsumed under 48 Great Vows. The Pureland of Great Bliss was brought into reality because of one of the 48 Great Vows. This is the cause for the existence of Pureland of great Bliss. In general, all the Buddhas hold all sentient beings in the core of their heart with love and compassion. Out of their great compassion, they formulate powerful aspirations. They make great vows.Because of emptiness, the Pureland of Great Bliss was established through the power of the aspiration, the accumulation of merit, and the primordial wisdom of the enlightened being Amitabha.

To briefly encompass them in a single statement, it need be said that the essence of the vows, prayers, and aspirations are: “May a Pureland be established that is reachable by ordinary sentient beings of impure karma, beings of karmic evil, who have not abandoned non-virtue.” When you reach the purelands of other Buddhas, because of exalted status before going there, you become enlightened. In the case of Dewachen, you can get there, but it does not mean you become enlightened. What happens is that you will not revert to cyclic existence; rather, you will have, instead, all the positive and auspicious conditions for the accumulation of merit and primordial wisdom. You will be able to abandon all non-virtue there and practice to tame and train your mind until such point you are ripe for enlightenment. That is then a general introduction to the Land of Great Bliss. In brief, concerning the teachings of the Buddha Amitabha and the Pureland of Great Bliss, in all Mahayana countries this practice is very prevalent. Why is this so? It is because of the nature of the vows of Amitabha Buddha. The practice of Amitabha Buddha and the Pureland is geared to ordinary people. Anyone can engage in the practice. You do not have to be a great exalted being who has abandoned all non-virtue. You do not have to be a superb practitioner. Depending upon the power of the vows of Amitabha Buddha, you can engage in this practice. This is a Sutrayana practice. Therefore, it is something that can work for anyone. It is available to all.

Oral transmissions

Oral transmission is a key component of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Outwardly it may be just the lama reciting a Dharma text or a mantra and the students repeating it after him or her, or even simply hearing it. However inwardly far more is occurring. The lama inwardly connects with the living stream of blessing the outer text represents through his or her own reception from their guru. By this they connect with the stream back to the author or originator of the text or practice, who is almost always an enlightened being or Shakyamuni Buddha himself. In this way the student receiving the transmission is linked to its origin. From then on the practice draws directly from this origin and the enlightened being who first gave the teaching. This empowers the student to start using the practice and ensures the practice is overseen and connected to the pure source.

From a Tibetan Buddhist perspective engaging with a practice by simply reading a text may not be that fruitful. With some texts and practices it is simply not done. With others it is seen as still beneficial but not as much as receiving the text orally. There is also more likelihood of error and distortion creeping in because the student has to make his or her own connection to the pure source rather than being given the means to make that connection.

There is a long history of oral transmission of teachings in Tibetan Buddhism. Oral transmissions by lineage holders traditionally can take place in small groups or mass gatherings of listeners and may last for seconds (in the case of a mantra, for example) or many months (as in the case of a section of the Tibetan Buddhist canon). A transmission can even occur without actually hearing, as in Asanga's visions of Maitreya.

An emphasis on oral transmission as more important than the printed word derives from the earliest period of Indian Buddhism, when it allowed teachings to be kept from those who should not hear them. Hearing a teaching (transmission) readies the hearer for realization based on it. The person from whom one hears the teaching should have heard it as one link in a succession of listeners going back to the original speaker: the Buddha in the case of a sutra or the author in the case of a book. Then the hearing constitutes an authentic lineage of transmission. Authenticity of the oral lineage is a prerequisite for realization, hence the importance of lineages.

It is directly transmitting the secret blessings through the sounds of words from the vajra masters heart to your heart so the student must listen carefully, every word from the teacher must have come from their previous master. Some Oral transmissions are very secret and are called whisper teachings and are only given to 1 student at a time. We are very honored to announce these special oral transmissions given by His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon, the 37 th lineage holder of the Drikung Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism for the first time outside of India and Tibet.

Traditional Long Life Ceremony The Long life prayer for His Holiness is very important. It is one of the Seven Limb prayers. Performing Long Life prayers for great teachers can purify karma of many lifetimes. It is also important for us to show our devotion and respect to the teacher who holds the lineage. for the benefit of all sentient beings. When we perform the long life prayer, we pray that they will stay here for eons representing Buddha Shakyamuni and stay here until the end of samsara, until all beings attains complete enlightenment. We pray that they will remain strong and steadfast of behalf of the five families of Buddhas to transform the five poisons into the five wisdoms. We ask that they will continue to bestow the blessings for everyone to have everlasting peace and happiness. The prayers and offerings of flowers to His Holiness will create a lasting connection that you will always remember. We hope you can join in this special ceremony.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation In the Drikung Kagyu tradition, it is said that there are three kinds of protectors. They are dharmapalas, lokapalas and ksetrapalas. Respectively they translate to "Dharma-protectors," "protectors of the world” and "field- protectors." Dharma-protectors are those who are highly advanced on the Path. From Vajrayana's point of view, these beings are actually manifestations of the activities of the Buddhas. Some of these beings are considered Buddhas while some are on different levels of the Bodhisattva path. For example, Mahakala and Ekazati are both considered fully enlightened beings while someone like Dorje Lekpa is considered a tenth stage bodhisattva. Both the worldly and field protectors are not particularly related to Dharma in the same way as Dharma Protectors are.

Dharma Protectors practice and meditation is engaged in for the benefit all beings with the motivation that all beings may have happiness and the causes of happiness, be free from suffering and the causes of suffering and that they will be guided and protected by these great enlightened protectors and that all obstacles and hindrances will be dispelled.