Mipham's Shower of Blessings

[yenima]

Does one have to have an empowerment in order to practice Mipham's Shower of Blessings? I remember, in our temple, we frequently performed the SoB Tsok, and participation was open to everyone. Are there parts of the sadhana (e.g. the daily non-Tsok practice) that can only be practiced by those who have the appropriate wangkur?

[heart]

Does one have to have an empowerment in order to practice Mipham's Shower of Blessings? I remember, in our temple, we frequently performed the SoB Tsok, and participation was open to everyone. Are there parts of the sadhana (e.g. the daily non-Tsok practice) that can only be practiced by those who have the appropriate wangkur?

Seems to me there is an empowerment necessary for that practice, but I never managed to find out what empowerment.

/magnus

[ngodrup]

In that it is based on the seven line prayer, any Guru Rinpoche wang would work.
Seven line prayer is not secret.

[Adamantine]

Does one have to have an empowerment in order to practice Mipham's Shower of Blessings? I remember, in our temple, we frequently performed the SoB Tsok, and participation was open to everyone. Are there parts of the sadhana (e.g. the daily non-Tsok practice) that can only be practiced by those who have the appropriate wangkur?

I think it would only help to get a Guru Rinpoche wang, but I never got the impression a wang was necessary for that practice. There is no self-visualization, etc. Certainly the lung for the seven-line-prayer would be important though, as this is the heart of the sadhana. And, it would help to have a Guru, i.e., to have had some kind of wang, or transmission before, since the essence is Guru Yoga. If you used to practice it all the time at your temple, I am guessing you have a Guru, and are familiar with the practice. That should be enough to practice it on your own. It is all about relating to the blessings of Guru Rinpoche, and your own Guru as Guru Rinpoche, etc. etc. If you feel a resonance to that, if you have some devotion, this practice is quite powerful.

[Adamantine]

Does one have to have an empowerment in order to practice Mipham's Shower of Blessings? I remember, in our temple, we frequently performed the SoB Tsok, and participation was open to everyone. Are there parts of the sadhana (e.g. the daily non-Tsok practice) that can only be practiced by those who have the appropriate wangkur?

Seems to me there is an empowerment necessary for that practice, but I never managed to find out what empowerment.

/magnus

There may be a particular empowerment related to that practice, which would be of that particular manifestation of Guru Rinpoche in Sambogakaya form, blue in color, yabyum with Yeshe Tsogyal. However, I do not believe it is required to do the practice because I and many others I know never received that wang, whatever it is, but were always encouraged to do that practice. In fact, it is considered an ideal tsok for people to do at home, because it is so simple, and does not have self-visualization, elaborate tormas, dharmapala sections, men and rakta offerings, etc. etc. all the elaborate ritual aspects that are found in many full tsok sadhanas: It is more or less a Guru Yoga practice with some tsok prayers inserted. But despite or maybe because of it's simplicity, it is extremely powerful, blessing-full... It is one of my favorite practices.

[yenima]

Thanks for your answer, Adamantine, I think you're right on the dot. I'm pretty sure when we did the SoB Tsok at the temple, we did the entire practice from beginning to end, left nothing out, and I don't recall ever receiving a specific empowerment for that. I can't reach my lama right now to clarify this but I think your presentation is correct.

I'm drawn to this beautiful brief sadhana, for its use as a daily Guru Rinpoche Guru Yoga practice, with or without the Tsok, that is a lot simpler and perhaps more effective than other Guru Yogas such as Konchog Chidu, Thigle Gyachen or Pema Sangthig, for all of which I've received the empowerment, lung & commentary, in which the Guru is treated more like a yidam in a maha/atiyoga kyerim practice.

This may be particularly effective in conjunction with a study of Mipham's text "White Lotus."

[Malcolm]

Thanks for your answer, Adamantine, I think you're right on the dot. I'm pretty sure when we did the SoB Tsok at the temple, we did the entire practice from beginning to end, left nothing out, and I don't recall ever receiving a specific empowerment for that. I can't reach my lama right now to clarify this but I think your presentation is correct.

I'm drawn to this beautiful brief sadhana, for its use as a daily Guru Rinpoche Guru Yoga practice, with or without the Tsok, that is a lot simpler and perhaps more effective than other Guru Yogas such as Konchog Chidu, Thigle Gyachen or Pema Sangthig, for all of which I've received the empowerment, lung & commentary, in which the Guru is treated more like a yidam in a maha/atiyoga kyerim practice.

This may be particularly effective in conjunction with a study of Mipham's text "White Lotus."

It depends on how you practice it. There are many ways to practice Konchog Chidu. It is an anu yoga system in fact. But after it hit the Kagyus it has been treated more of a Mahāyoga system. But it isn't.

[simhamuka]

Does one have to have an empowerment in order to practice Mipham's Shower of Blessings? I remember, in our temple, we frequently performed the SoB Tsok, and participation was open to everyone. Are there parts of the sadhana (e.g. the daily non-Tsok practice) that can only be practiced by those who have the appropriate wangkur?

Seems to me there is an empowerment necessary for that practice, but I never managed to find out what empowerment.

/magnus

There may be a particular empowerment related to that practice, which would be of that particular manifestation of Guru Rinpoche in Sambogakaya form, blue in color, yabyum with Yeshe Tsogyal. However, I do not believe it is required to do the practice because I and many others I know never received that wang, whatever it is, but were always encouraged to do that practice. In fact, it is considered an ideal tsok for people to do at home, because it is so simple, and does not have self-visualization, elaborate tormas, dharmapala sections, men and rakta offerings, etc. etc. all the elaborate ritual aspects that are found in many full tsok sadhanas: It is more or less a Guru Yoga practice with some tsok prayers inserted. But despite or maybe because of it's simplicity, it is extremely powerful, blessing-full... It is one of my favorite practices.

Yes, I think this is dead on. At my temple we do Shower of Blessings every week, and visitors are encouraged to join in, no empowerment necessary. I suspect this is because you visualize Guru Rinpoche in the space in front of your ordinary body.

[anikunzang]

Shower of Blessings is a beautiful practice. It is a main practice at my Temple, KPC in MD. We have Tsoks there every Sunday, and everyone is welcome to join in. The only part of the practice that is restricted is when we insert the Dharmapala or protector prayers. Otherwise everyone who wishes to is invited to participate. This practice truly is a shower of blessings with its simplicity, beautiful prayers and powerful visualisation of Guru Rinpoche and Yeshe Tsogyal in union. I love participating in this Tsok practice.

[yenima]

Thank you all for your helpful answers. They've settled the question for me.