Garchen giving Ratna Lingpa's Vajrakilaya

[ratna]

Ratna, do you happen to have that commentary since you knew about the website ?

I have a printout but I'm afraid I've lost the original file to a hard drive crash. In any case, I wouldn't have permission to distribute it, because it was not publicly available but had to be requested personally.

[Shemmy]

I contacted the organizers about the fact that the text for the Vajrakilaya practice has been taken off the Drikung Kagyu website. I asked them if this edition was OK to use for the upcoming drubchen, but it looks like they are not going to respond. Anyone know if this is OK in lieu of the Drikung edition of Ratna Lingpa's Vajrakilaya text :

http://www.scribd.com/doc/149130531/Puj ... tna-Lingpa

[KonchokZoepa]

it would seem from the header of that scribd text that it is not the same sadhana as the one on theyre webstore...

[Malcolm]

it would seem from the header of that scribd text that it is not the same sadhana as the one on theyre webstore...

This is the one.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/149130531/Puj ... tna-Lingpa

It is actually Sangye Lingpa's sadhana, employed as a short practice for the Ratling tradition.

[KonchokZoepa]

oh, thanks, but its not that short. its just as long as the ratna lingpa's version.

i was hoping more like max 20 pages with starting and finishing prayers. anyway, thanks for pointing the sadhana out.

[Malcolm]

oh, thanks, but its not that short. its just as long as the ratna lingpa's version.

i was hoping more like max 20 pages with starting and finishing prayers. anyway, thanks for pointing the sadhana out.

Depends on what you include and exclude.

The main practice is 11-33, which is more or less exactly the length you said you wanted.

For daily practice you can skip lots of elaboration.

[KonchokZoepa]

oh cool, thanks

[Shemmy]

Thanks for clarifying that Malcolm, much appreciated!

[Lhasa]

There is also another text they will be including called 'Melodious Song of the Mara-Destroying Vajra' which they do not have permission to give out via email. I did write to the translator to see if I could get it, but he/she has little internet access this month, so no reply. So don't be surprised or waste time trying to find something they're chanting that's not in the sadhana text.

[Lhasa]

This page has the Prayer Book used at the Garchen Institute and will probably be used at this retreat. It is referred to as the Yellow Prayer Book.

http://www.angelfire.com/rings/novice-b ... r_book.htm

This page has the 37 Bodhisattva Practices, which is usually read out loud. Scroll down a bit.

http://www.garchen.net/resources.html

[orgyen jigmed]

This sadhana is also available at Vimala Treasures and is called "The Daily Practice of the Secret Attainment of the Unsurpassed Extremely Secret Vajrakilaya". A corresponding commentary by Khenpo Namdrol is also available at Shamabhala, called "The Practice of Vajrakilaya" and is mostly related with this particular Phurba tradition of Ratna Lingpa.

The Phurba tradition of Ratna Lingpa is a treasure which was buried by Khandro Yeshe Tsogyal and known as 'The Tradition of Jomo'. The names of these traditions refer to the individual through whom Guru Rinpoche originally transmitted the particular Vajrakilaya teachings. The other two traditions are known as the "Tradition of the King" and "The Tradition of Nanam."

Although this practice has been strongly associated with the Nyingmapa tradition, Vajrakilaya is not exclusive to the Nyingmapas; it is central to the Sakya school, but also practiced by followers of the Kagyu tradition, as well as the Gelugpa school. An alternative Phurba cycle, the Walphur Nagpo, has also been preserved uninterruptedly in the Yungdrung Bon tradition, whose lineage it has been claimed to originate in Tazig.

http://vimalatreasures.org/the-daily-pr ... ilaya.aspx

http://www.shambhala.com/the-practice-o ... aya-1.html

[conebeckham]

Just a note that the details of visualization can vary quite a bit from sadhana to sadhana...This Ratna Lingpa Phurba is the favored Drupcho for yearly Kilaya at Bokar Monastery, and also, I believe, at Sherab Ling. But the Chogling Sangtik is the daily, individual practice in three year retreat and pretty much everywhere else for most Karma Kagyupas. Rumtek and Gyaltsap Rinpoche's monastery at Ralang both do Chogling's Zabdun Phurba as their yearly Drupcho--it is quite elaborate; lots of tormas, rituals, etc.

Details like the crowning deity, color (or "existence") of retinue (or not), the form of the internal wisdom being, etc. differ in all these practices, and also in other Kilaya sadhanas, like Dudjom's Phutri RegPung and NamZhak Putri. Even the extensive Group Practice texts can differ from the "nyentsam" or individual accumulation texts.....So you need to follow the right text at the right time.

[Shemmy]

Thanks for the text links, very helpful, it will make things a lot smoother, provided the internet streamcasting actually ends up working. I'm getting quite psyched for this. I was suprised that a hardcore Catholic high school buddy of mine who has never been motivated to do any Buddhist practice, has been really drawn in by the idea of the drubchen and Vajrakilaya as well as Lama Garchen's whole story of living so many years in a Chinese labor camp and deepening his realization all the while. He's going to participate. He seems to have almost had a conversion experience from Catholicism to Vajrayana… ...OK, well, maybe that's a bit exaggerated, but he's gone from little knowledge or interest to: Whoa! This is profound stuff, what have I been missing out on, I want to get into this. For whatever that is worth…we'll see…quite amazing he's suddenly so taken by all this.

Also, If I may, I'd like to also ask about some other things, which y'all might have insight or inside info I'm not privy to, not having registered for the event and not being a Drikung Kagyu regular:

1. Does attending the empowerments via streaming broadcast actually confer the empowerment? Seems there is some controversy, we know that CHNN seems to feel its valid, a lama I'm starting to work with gives them but says, you are going to have to see me for the real deal in the end and the online empowerment is simply provisional till a better option is available. Just intuitively to my mind I don't see why an online empowerment would be any different, but I'm wondering how Drikung Kagyu will think of what has transpired, there's no mention that I could find that you were actually getting the empowerment via a streamcast in their view.

2. I notice that the earlier scheduling mentions that it will continue a round the clock schedule for 3-4 days afterwards. The re-scheduled schedule just mentions 9-12 noon for one day. Does that mean that the rest of the Drubchen will not be streamed live?

3. I have ngondro and yidam practice commitments, if I participate in the 24 hour sessions, is it possible to take a break to do some abbreviated ngondro and yidam sadhanas without missing out on all or some of the effectiveness of the drubchen?

4. If we are good to go with the online version of the empowerment, does it make any sense after the drubchen to try and do Vajrakilaya as a regular practice in addition to another yidam, Vajrasattva specifically, or is it really just redundant. If such a practice is good along with Vajrasattva, are once weekly sessions enough, or would have to be daily?

Thanks for wading through all my nagging questions about this drubchen and thanks in advance for any suggestions or comments.

[KonchokZoepa]

i dont think the whole Drubchen will be streamed. just the first session according to an email i received from Garchen Institute..

I think it can be controversial even in the Drikung Kagyu lineage if you can receive empowerment through webcast but this is what Garchen Rinpoche personally says.

H.E. Garchen Rinpoche's Teachings on How to
Receive an Empowerment Online:

The touching of the vase to the crown of the head is the outer empowerment. The inner empowerment is to visualize yourself as the deity. The real empowerment is to realize the nature of your mind.

When you cultivate bodhicitta, that is the real deity, and when you do this, that is when you actually receive the empowerment over the internet.

If you live near the temple and think, "Oh, I don't need to go to the temple; I can just receive the empowerment over the internet," that is not the right motivation. If you have the opportunity to come to the temple, then you should come.If you don't live nearby and cannot come, but with all your heart would like to, that is the right motivation for receiving the empowerment over the internet.

Whoever has faith and devotion will receive the empowerment regardless of where they are, because the dharmakaya pervades like space. Even if you come to the temple to receive an empowerment, if you have no devotion you still will not receive it.

To quote Lord Jigten Sumgon, "You receive the empowerment only when you understand the meaning of the empowerment."

[Lhasa]

Yes, you can receive the empowerment with the live streaming and also from the recorded empowerments. This is what Garchen Rinpoche intends with his empowerments, it does not apply to any other teacher.

Karma Dorje wrote:T
The answer from the Garchen Institute is unambiguous and as follows (emphasis added):

We were told the following by Garchen Rinpoche for empowerments that Garchen Institute has put on Ustream. The recordings can be included as well as the livestream. It is not my impression that these apply to all empowerments available online, but for the ones he’s approved. Other lamas may have different requirements and it is important to follow the instructions of the Lama giving the empowerments.

http://www.dharmawheel.net/viewtopic.ph ... 06#p187406

[Lhasa]

Picture of Garchen Rinpoche today, with a mudra for us.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater

[Lhasa]

On this page is an image of HUM in a flame, that may be of use during this empowerment.

http://garchen.tv/live/

[Lhasa]

Email from Garchen Institute

Hello Everyone,

In response to your requests it will be possible to receive Refuge Vows from H.E. Garchen Rinpoche by streaming when he gives the vows this Sunday. The ceremony will be streamed at 1:00 pm Mountain Standard Time, November 17, on the Ustream channel for the Vajrakilaya events: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/vajrakila ... hings-2013

To receive the vows from Rinpoche via streaming, he asks that you send the following to Garchen Institute:

1. a short clipping of a few strands of your hair cut close to the scalp—the clipping should be about 1/2-inch long, or shorter if your hair is not that long
2. a small picture of yourself
3. your name and mailing address

Mail to:
Refuge Vows
Garchen Institute
PO Box 4318
Chino Valley, AZ 86323

In return, you will receive a card with your refuge name and blessings from the ceremony.

Emaho! May all be auspicious!

[Johnny Dangerous]

Wonderful, thank you!

[Shemmy]

Thanks Konchok for that quote from Lama Garchen and to everyone else filling us in on the details as the Drubchen is getting set for blast off.

Since only the first few hours of the drubchen will be broadcast after teachings and empowerments have been given , I was wondering about the possibility of just continuing anyway without U-Stream. I have never participated in a Drubchen, so I was wondering if it will be self-explanatory as to what to do, or is it not something you should try on your own. Are there any guidelines for drubchens floating around that might make doing it at home a success?