Dalai Lama blesses Tibetans with empowerment teachings

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, May 16

Marking the beginning of the sacred month of Sagadawa, the festival of honouring the life of the Buddha, the Dalai Lama blessed Tibetans and other devotees with the Avalokiteshvara six-syllable empowerment teaching, also known as the Joluk Chenresig Yege Drukmey Jenang, at Tsuglagkhang on Wednesday.

“I received the transmission of Rinjung Gyatsa from Tadrak Rinpoche when I was young. I have not done retreat of this specific Chenresig, but I have done retreat on Chenresig Avalokiteshvara from other cycles of teachings such as the Avalokiteshvara which is in part of the 25 secret visionary sealed teachings of the fifth Dalai Lama and necessary retreat. I may have recited millions of six-syllable mantra also,” the Dalai Lama said.

The Tibetan spiritual leader said the main crux of his practice was of twofold Bodhicitta and that of view of emptiness.

Bodhicitta (Jangchub ki sen) is the compassionate wish to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. View of emptiness (Tongpa Nyi) holds the absence of inherent existence in all phenomena and was taught by the Buddha in the second turning of the Wheel of Dharma.

“These teachings help us counter our self-cherishing attitude and ignorance. On the basis of these teachings, all happiness and joys come from dependence on others. The right attitude for taking care of oneself is in taking care of others,” he said.

“If you look at daily news, we learn about how people deceive one another, abuse and cause harm. Weapons are products of human intelligence that are devised to kill other human beings. Unless we are able to control our mind, we won’t be able to overcome all problems that are being created in the world”, he said.

The Dalai Lama later bestowed the Bodhisattva vows and explained the six syllable of Chenresig-Om Mani Padme Hum.