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.