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'''Four empowerments''' (Tib. ''wang shyi''; [[Wyl.]] ''dbang bzhi'') — in general, there are four levels or stages within any [[empowerment]]: vase, secret, knowledge-wisdom and precious word.
<noinclude>'''Four empowerments''' (Tib. དབང་བཞི་, ''wang shyi'', [[Wyl.]] ''dbang bzhi'') — in general, and according to the [[inner tantras]], there are four levels or stages within any [[empowerment]]:</noinclude>
#the vase empowerment (Skt. ''kalaśābhiṣeka''; Tib. བུམ་པའི་དབང་, ''bumpé wang'', Wyl. ''bum pa'i dbang'')
#the secret empowerment (Skt. ''guhyābhiṣeka''; Tib. གསང་བའི་དབང་, ''sangwé wang'', 'Wyl. ''gsang ba'i dbang''; )
#the knowledge-wisdom empowerment (Skt. ''prajñājñānābhiṣeka''; Tib. ཤེས་རབ་ཡེ་ཤེས་ཀྱི་དབང་, ''sherab yeshe kyi wang'', Wyl. ''shes rab ye shes kyi dbang'')
#the [[precious word empowerment]]
<noinclude>


==The Function of the Four Empowerments==
==The Function of the Four Empowerments==


'''1. The Vase Empowerment'''<br>
=== The Vase Empowerment ===
*purifies all the negative [[karma]] accumulated through [[negative actions]] of the body
*purifies all the negative [[karma]] accumulated through [[negative actions]] of the body
*grants the [[blessing]]s of the vajra body
*grants the [[blessing]]s of the [[vajra body]]
*unknots and heals the [[tsa|nadi]]
*unknots and heals the [[tsa|nadi]]
*authorizes the student as a receptive vessel for [[kyérim]], the generation stage of visualization
*authorizes the student as a receptive vessel for [[kyérim]], the generation stage of visualization
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*enables the student to attain the [[nirmanakaya ]] level of realization.  
*enables the student to attain the [[nirmanakaya ]] level of realization.  


'''2. The Secret Empowerment'''<br>
=== The Secret Empowerment ===
*purifies all the negative karma accumulated through negative actions of the speech   
*purifies all the negative karma accumulated through negative actions of the speech   
*grants the blessings of vajra speech
*grants the blessings of vajra speech
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*enables the student to attain the [[sambhogakaya]] level of realization.
*enables the student to attain the [[sambhogakaya]] level of realization.


'''3. The Transcendent Knowledge-Wisdom Empowerment'''<br>
=== The Transcendent Knowledge-Wisdom Empowerment ===
*purifies all the negative karma accumulated through negative actions of the mind   
*purifies all the negative karma accumulated through negative actions of the mind   
*grants the blessings of the vajra mind
*grants the blessings of the vajra mind
*purifies and enhances [[tiklé|bindu]]  
*purifies and enhances [[tiklé|bindu]]  
*authorizes the student as a receptive vessel for the ''chandali'' practices of bliss and emptiness (i.e. tsa lung and tümmo)
*authorizes the student as a receptive vessel for the ''chandali'' practices of bliss and emptiness (i.e. [[tsa-lung]] and [[tummo]])
*sows the seed for the attainment of the state of a ‘[[mahamudra vidyadhara]]’
*sows the seed for the attainment of the state of a ‘[[mahamudra vidyadhara]]’
*enables the student to attain the [[dharmakaya]] level of realization.  
*enables the student to attain the [[dharmakaya]] level of realization.


'''4. The Precious Word Empowerment'''<br>
=== The Precious Word Empowerment ===
*purifies all defilements of body, speech and mind, and all karmic and [[cognitive obscurations]]
*purifies all defilements of body, speech and mind, and all [[karmic obscurations|karmic]] and [[cognitive obscurations]]
*grants the blessings of vajra wisdom  
*grants the blessings of vajra wisdom  
*authorizes the student as a receptive vessel for the practice of [[trekchö]]
*authorizes the student as a receptive vessel for the practice of [[trekchö]]
*sows the seed for the attainment of the state of a ‘[[spontaneously accomplished vidyadhara]]’
*sows the seed for the attainment of the state of a ‘[[spontaneously accomplished vidyadhara]]’
*enables the student to attain the [[svabhavikakaya]] level of realization.
*enables the student to attain the [[svabhavikakaya]] level of realization.
==Teachings Given to the [[About Rigpa|Rigpa]] Sangha==
*Ven. Sean Price, [[Lerab Ling]], question & answer session, 15 June 2019


==Further Reading==
==Further Reading==
*His Holiness [[Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche]], ''Pure Appearance—Development and Completion Stages in the Vajrayana Practice'' (Halifax: Vajravairochana Translation Committee, 2002), pages 1-14. restricted publication
*Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, ''Guru Yoga: According to the Preliminary Practice of Longchen Nyingtik'' (Ithaca: Snow Lion, 1999), pages 63-70.
*[[Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse]], ''Not for Happiness'' (Boston & London: Shambhala, 2012) Ch.13 'Abhisheka and the Four Empowerments in Guru Yoga'.
*[[Mingyur Rinpoche]], ''Turning Confusion into Clarity'' (Boulder: Snow Lion, 2014), pages 331-335.
*[[Thinley Norbu]], ''The Small Golden Key'' (Shambhala Publications, 1999), pages 60-63.
*[[Tulku Thondup]], ''Enlightened Journey'' (Boston: Shambhala, 1995), Chapter 12 'Receiving the Four Empowerments of Ngöndro Meditation'.
*[[Tulku Thondup]], ''Enlightened Journey'' (Boston: Shambhala, 1995), Chapter 12 'Receiving the Four Empowerments of Ngöndro Meditation'.


[[Category:Empowerments]]
[[Category:Empowerments]]
[[Category:Enumerations]]
[[Category:Enumerations]]
[[Category:4-Four]]
[[Category:04-Four]]</noinclude>

Latest revision as of 01:06, 20 February 2021

Four empowerments (Tib. དབང་བཞི་, wang shyi, Wyl. dbang bzhi) — in general, and according to the inner tantras, there are four levels or stages within any empowerment:

  1. the vase empowerment (Skt. kalaśābhiṣeka; Tib. བུམ་པའི་དབང་, bumpé wang, Wyl. bum pa'i dbang)
  2. the secret empowerment (Skt. guhyābhiṣeka; Tib. གསང་བའི་དབང་, sangwé wang, 'Wyl. gsang ba'i dbang; )
  3. the knowledge-wisdom empowerment (Skt. prajñājñānābhiṣeka; Tib. ཤེས་རབ་ཡེ་ཤེས་ཀྱི་དབང་, sherab yeshe kyi wang, Wyl. shes rab ye shes kyi dbang)
  4. the precious word empowerment


The Function of the Four Empowerments

The Vase Empowerment

The Secret Empowerment

  • purifies all the negative karma accumulated through negative actions of the speech
  • grants the blessings of vajra speech
  • unblocks and re-balances the prana
  • authorizes the student as a receptive vessel for mantra recitation
  • sows the seed for the attainment of the state of a ‘vidyadhara with power over life
  • enables the student to attain the sambhogakaya level of realization.

The Transcendent Knowledge-Wisdom Empowerment

  • purifies all the negative karma accumulated through negative actions of the mind
  • grants the blessings of the vajra mind
  • purifies and enhances bindu
  • authorizes the student as a receptive vessel for the chandali practices of bliss and emptiness (i.e. tsa-lung and tummo)
  • sows the seed for the attainment of the state of a ‘mahamudra vidyadhara
  • enables the student to attain the dharmakaya level of realization.

The Precious Word Empowerment

Teachings Given to the Rigpa Sangha

  • Ven. Sean Price, Lerab Ling, question & answer session, 15 June 2019

Further Reading

  • His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Pure Appearance—Development and Completion Stages in the Vajrayana Practice (Halifax: Vajravairochana Translation Committee, 2002), pages 1-14. restricted publication
  • Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Guru Yoga: According to the Preliminary Practice of Longchen Nyingtik (Ithaca: Snow Lion, 1999), pages 63-70.
  • Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse, Not for Happiness (Boston & London: Shambhala, 2012) Ch.13 'Abhisheka and the Four Empowerments in Guru Yoga'.
  • Mingyur Rinpoche, Turning Confusion into Clarity (Boulder: Snow Lion, 2014), pages 331-335.
  • Thinley Norbu, The Small Golden Key (Shambhala Publications, 1999), pages 60-63.
  • Tulku Thondup, Enlightened Journey (Boston: Shambhala, 1995), Chapter 12 'Receiving the Four Empowerments of Ngöndro Meditation'.