Empowerments
An empowerment is a complex ceremony in which the Lama bestows upon the student a direct connection with a meditational deity who represents an aspect of enlightened mind. The Lama brings to the ceremony his or her realization of the deity through many years of training, practice and direct experience. The student brings to the ceremony his or her open, receptive mind and sincere aspiration to realize the enlightened qualities embodied by meditational deity and the Lama. The meeting of these two is said to create the connection that will allow the student to bring the practice to its ultimate fruition. Most empowerments include a commitment to some level of daily practice (often as simple as a few recitations of the mantra), but occasionally an empowerment may be given, at the discretion of the Lama, as a blessing, which does not require a practice commitment.
An empowerment is a complex ceremony in which the Lama bestows upon the student a direct connection with a meditational deity who represents an aspect of enlightened mind. The Lama brings to the ceremony his or her realization of the deity through many years of training, practice and direct experience. The student brings to the ceremony his or her open, receptive mind and sincere aspiration to realize the enlightened qualities embodied by meditational deity and the Lama. The meeting of these two is said to create the connection that will allow the student to bring the practice to its ultimate fruition. Most empowerments include a commitment to some level of daily practice (often as simple as a few recitations of the mantra), but occasionally an empowerment may be given, at the discretion of the Lama, as a blessing, which does not require a practice commitment.