Information about the Vajrayogini initiation and preparatory Guhyasamaja Lokeshvara initiation by Dagyab Rinpoche taking place June 8-10, 2018 in the Jewel Heart Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
These initiations are a special form of guided meditation centered around one of the qualities of our Buddha nature. Through this form of meditation you will first experience this quality. Afterwards, you deepen that quality in your daily practice.
There are four classes of tantric meditation with an increasing level of intensity of practice.
The Guhyasamaja Lokeshvara initiation and the Vajrayogini initiation belong to the Maha Annutara Yoga Tantra (highest Yoga Tantra) and include a commitment to a daily practice.
Through participating in the Guhyasamaja Lokeshvara initiation it is possible for practitioners to enter on to the Vajrayana path. It is possible to only receive this initiation.
For the initiations mentioned, the following applies:
Guhyasamaja Lokeshvara Initiation
Whenever you take an initiation in the highest Yoga Tantra, refuge-, Bodhisattva- and Vajrayana commitments are included. To deepen your experience, you commit to practising a daily sadhana; a series of meditations that introduces you to this quality. Every meditation-Buddha has its own specific sadhana and commitments. In all of those meditations the connection with the teacher and his embodiment of the quality is essential.
Every person taking an initiation in the highest Yoga Tantra commits himself/herself to do the six session Guru-yoga every day. In the six sessions you practise and preserve your tantric commitments and the connection to the five Buddha families. Because this initiation is a so called “mother tantra” practice, you will be expected to offer tsoh at least twice a year, preferably jointly in a Jewel Heart Center. These gatherings are being organised in January and February most of the times and will be announced on the Jewel Heart websites.
Vajrayogini Initiation
The Vajrayogini initiation builds on the preparatory initiation of Guhyasamaja Lokeshvara given in the two preceding days. This is because the short Vajrayogini-initiation can only be taken when you have received a complete initiation in the highest Yoga Tantra (for example Heruka, Yamantaka, etc). in the preceding days.
When you take the Vajrayogini-initiation, you commit to practicing the sadhana every day. For this you can use the short sadhana of four pages or the medium length version. The long Vajrayogini-sadhana can only be practiced by those who have received the commentary lessons. Copies of the different sadhana’s will be available in the bookstore, just as the transcript of the commentary lessons of Gelek Rimpoche about the Vajrayogini practice.
It is recommended to -at some point- do a Vajrayogini mantra retreat.
To summarize:
· You can only take the Vajrayogini-initiation if you received Guhyasamaja Lokeshvara initiation (a highest Yoga Tantra-initiation) in the preceding days.
· When you are new to Vajrayana, you can choose to only receive the preparatory initiation of Guhyasamaja Lokeshvara.
If you received the preparatory initiation the following applies:
· You study and keep the refuge vow.
· You study and keep the Bodhisattva-vows.
· You recite the six session Guru-yoga daily for the rest of your life.
· You offer tsoh at least on the two designated days every year, individually or preferably jointly.
For the initiation in Vajrayogini the following applies:
· Daily practising of the Vajrayogini-sadhana for the rest of your life (short or medium length version; the long sadhana can only be practised if you have attended the commentary lessons).
· You offer tsoh at least on the two designated days every year, individually or preferably jointly.
It is important for every participant in tantric (preparatory) initiations to:
· Have received Lamrim-teachings (f.i. Odyssee to Freedom, Three Principles of the Path, etc.).
· Have a good understanding of the main points in the Lamrim plus the intention to apply them in daily life
1. Generate love/compassion for oneself.
2. Generate love/compassion for others.
3. Have basic understanding of the Buddhist concept of emptiness.
· Highly recommended: having completed 100.000 Migtsema’s. If not, having completed 10.000 Migtsema-mantra’s in a retreat with the intention to complete the 100.000 in daily practice. Also recommended is a refuge retreat of 100.000 times taking refuge.
As part of the June 8 -12 programme there will be an opportunity to participate in an introduction session where we practice the six session Guru-Yoga together.