On sunday I went to the opening ceremony of the public dharma programs conducted by His Eminence Kyabje Lati Rinpoche. There were probably a few thousand people present in the huge tentage near the national stadium. It was a grand sight indeed.
Lati Rinpoche and Mrs Goh (former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong's wife) proceeded towards the huge statue of Buddha Shakyamuni. Rinpoche together with his 26 lamas in attendance, conducted prayers, bathed the Buddha with a conch and cut the ribbon together with Mrs Goh. If I was not mistaken, I think I saw a huge butterfly following closely behind Rinpoche as he was heading towards Buddha Shakyamuni's statue. At the end of the ceremony, Rinpoche blessed 300 elderly folks who were living alone and Mrs Goh gave red packets and goodie bags for these elders too. Rinpoche also blessed the few thousands of us present and we were each given a White Tara pendant blessed by Rinpoche. White Tara is the bodhisattva goddess of longevity.
Tonight Rinpoche gave me the empowerment of Lord Shakyamuni Buddha. The empowerment or initiation grants permission, bestows help with, and gives access to, the benefits of a practice and meditation on Buddha. Rinpoche is understood as a representation of Buddha. Initiation is a spiritual energy that is characteristic of and inherent in the Buddha Shakyamuni practice that is passed on. RM, a buddhist practitioner, called this energy "grace" and likens it to " ... electrical power, invisible and very powerful." He said "....Buddha, the source of grace, is like a power plant and the lineage that transmits grace is the wire. As long as the wire is not cut, a bulb can be connected to it at any place, and the bulb is lit. But if the wire is cut, one may have a power plant at one end and a bulb at the other, but it is impossible to get any light. If the lineage of transmission has been interrupted..., it is impossible to receive grace through an empowerment. The lineage has become entirely sterile."
Our ordinary mind is hard, unripened. While the stream of the nectar is poured into us during the ceremony, we meditate that we transform into the Buddha state, thereby purifying all our negative thoughts and obscurations. We manifest our mind as the Buddha's mind. Our whole being is transformed into the mandala of the Buddha. Om muni muni maha muni ye soha!
I am very grateful to Lati Rinpoche for this initiation. Now I can practise and meditate on Shakyamuni Buddha with renewed confidence and with a new understanding. And also, perhaps a new life?
Lati Rinpoche and Mrs Goh (former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong's wife) proceeded towards the huge statue of Buddha Shakyamuni. Rinpoche together with his 26 lamas in attendance, conducted prayers, bathed the Buddha with a conch and cut the ribbon together with Mrs Goh. If I was not mistaken, I think I saw a huge butterfly following closely behind Rinpoche as he was heading towards Buddha Shakyamuni's statue. At the end of the ceremony, Rinpoche blessed 300 elderly folks who were living alone and Mrs Goh gave red packets and goodie bags for these elders too. Rinpoche also blessed the few thousands of us present and we were each given a White Tara pendant blessed by Rinpoche. White Tara is the bodhisattva goddess of longevity.
Tonight Rinpoche gave me the empowerment of Lord Shakyamuni Buddha. The empowerment or initiation grants permission, bestows help with, and gives access to, the benefits of a practice and meditation on Buddha. Rinpoche is understood as a representation of Buddha. Initiation is a spiritual energy that is characteristic of and inherent in the Buddha Shakyamuni practice that is passed on. RM, a buddhist practitioner, called this energy "grace" and likens it to " ... electrical power, invisible and very powerful." He said "....Buddha, the source of grace, is like a power plant and the lineage that transmits grace is the wire. As long as the wire is not cut, a bulb can be connected to it at any place, and the bulb is lit. But if the wire is cut, one may have a power plant at one end and a bulb at the other, but it is impossible to get any light. If the lineage of transmission has been interrupted..., it is impossible to receive grace through an empowerment. The lineage has become entirely sterile."
Our ordinary mind is hard, unripened. While the stream of the nectar is poured into us during the ceremony, we meditate that we transform into the Buddha state, thereby purifying all our negative thoughts and obscurations. We manifest our mind as the Buddha's mind. Our whole being is transformed into the mandala of the Buddha. Om muni muni maha muni ye soha!
I am very grateful to Lati Rinpoche for this initiation. Now I can practise and meditate on Shakyamuni Buddha with renewed confidence and with a new understanding. And also, perhaps a new life?
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