Reflections on the Empowerments with Lama Tsang Tsing
Empowerments are ritual transmissions of practices that have been passed down from teacher to student for centuries. They are an introduction to the essence of the practice and enable the student to then engage in the practice in one’s daily life. Each practice in Tibetan Buddhism has its own transmission lineage, and it’s a weaving of many threads of transmissions that make up the schools of Tibetan Buddhism, such as the Karma Kagyu and Shangpa lineages to which KCC is part.
This past weekend, Lama Tsang Tsing offered three empowerments to our community—Vajrasattva, Chenrezi, and Green Tara. One participant reflected that these three practices brought aspects of each of the three turnings of the Buddhadharma. Vajrasattva reflects the first turning—helping us abandon negative actions of body, speech and mind. Chenrezi develops the wings of compassion and wisdom that are the heart of the Mahayana. Green Tara engenders the sense of power and ability central to Vajrayana practice, seeing oneself as the deity and one’s mind as the mind of all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas—empty, luminous and unimpeded.
Lama Tsang Tsing brought a wealth of experience and practice, which he humbly and generously offered to all who were present. He told stories…yes, he IS better than a dog’s tooth for leading us to enlightenment! He offered explanations, such as explaining the four powers necessary to abandon our wrong actions. He blessed us with his presence and invited us to feel some devotion for the lineage of teachings that can nudge us towards enlightenment. May he come again soon!
