I pay homage to and take refuge in the Lama Dorje Zijid Tsal (Indestructible Resplendent Expression)!
In the twelfth Tibetan month this year, in the hidden land of Tashi Ding, in order to receive the Rinchen Terzod empowerments from the teacher Dodrup Tulku, I purposely sent some of my young monks and for them I have three pieces of advice. Listen to this.
Without any serious thought, do not run after others just like a dog following a man. Generate the supreme mind of enlightenment to enable yourself and others to cross the ocean of samsara.
Like an udumwara flower, human rebirth is rare. Even rarer is to find an authentic lama who bestows the Rinchen Terzod empowerments, the profound teachings of Orgyen [Guru Padmasambhava].
Today, due to merits you have accumulated in the past, you are in this perfect situation.
Just like obtaining food for a lifetime, be happy and greatly inspired. The first door to the secret mantra, the essence of the sublime teachings, is empowerment. The root of empowerment is samaya. If you transgress the samayas, you will not achieve spiritual attainments.
If you violate the samayas, you will fall into the hell realms. Therefore, the advantages and disadvantages, constructiveness and destructiveness, are both great. While receiving such ripening and liberating instruction,
It is important for both the teacher and the disciple to create the right circumstances. When you sit down at the empowerment and teachings, your ears should focus on the words of the empowerment,
And your mind should contemplate the meaning of the words. Avoid whispering or making gestures with your mouth and eyes, and abandon wrong views and doubt about the lama who is the Vajra Master.
Develop pure perception, devotion and respect from your heart. Avoid finding faults, or nourishing grudges and enmity towards your vajra brothers and sisters.
With deep love and kindness, be skilful when with them. If you find any fault, recognize it as your own weakness.
In short, rely upon mindfulness, vigilant introspection and carefulness. The three doors should be calm, gentle and relaxed. Respect all, high or low.
Subdue the great enemies of pride and jealousy. Always remain humble. This is crucial. Avoid jumping, running, laughing and shouting.
Avoid jokes, gossip and harsh words. Abandon all faulty speech. If you remain silent, all these harms can be avoided.
Give gain and victory to others. The supreme of all ascetic practices is patience. To accept defeat is the doctrine of a shramanera.
In every session of the teachings, it is utterly important not to skip generating bodhichitta, and making dedication and aspiration prayers. If you follow this instruction, the meaning of the empowerment,
Which is the blessings of the vajra body, speech, mind and all of them combined, will be received. You will then become worthy of attaining the state of the four kayas.
You will obtain the authority to practice recitation, meditation, and the generation and completion stages. Additionally, the accumulation of merit and the purification of obscurations will both be accomplished during the empowerment and reading transmission.
The benefit of receiving empowerment is thus unfathomable. To mention everything here is impossible. In this process of bestowing and receiving empowerment, the highest benefit would be to realize the meaning of the empowerment, which is primordial wisdom.
The middling benefit would be to generate bliss, clarity and non-conceptuality. At the very least, you should gain certainty in the four empowerments. Otherwise, forget about developing primordial wisdom,
Even the mere understanding of the four empowerments will not be achieved. Just being satisfied with tasting the blessed water from the vase and placing the icons upon one’s head
Should not be considered enough for receiving the meaning of the empowerment. At these times, when the teachings have degenerated, it is very difficult to find someone who actually explains these things.
Therefore, all of you, my children, distinguish between what is authentic and what is not; be careful and try to gain confidence through listening and contemplation.
In particular, those who are born in these degenerate times will be liberated through the treasure teachings. As such, capture the essence of this life from this teaching.
The blessings are great and the lineage close. There is no corruption and it is easy to practice. I have listened to and contemplated upon many teachings of Kama, Terma, and the classes of tantra and sadhanas.
The great treasure trove of rediscovered teachings are the father Dharma of the Nyingmapas. If the son knows how to enjoy the wealth of the father,
He can be understood to be fortunate. In this way, I, the old Ngakpa, gave this advice to my monks. May this merit enable the unsurpassable secret mantra teachings to flourish and spread throughout the world!
I, Sangye Dorje, composed this near the Parinirvana Stupa at Siliguri as advice for my monks who were sent to receive empowerments and reading transmissions. May these be accomplished!
(Translated by Khenpo Sonam Tsewang and edited by Judith Amtzis on November 10, 2014)
