I have received a few messages from some of my students who have expressed concern regarding the upcoming empowerment at the New Year Retreat. For this teaching and transmission, my students should not worry. With this type of empowerment, there are not so many commitments, samaya, and tantric vows and connections between the Teacher and students. Thus, I want to briefly say something about this type of empowerment, called jenang (རྗེས་གནང་།).
The Green Tara empowerment which I will be giving at the retreat is referred to as jenang in Tibetan, meaning “subsequent permission”. With this empowerment, practitioners are given ‘permission’ from the Lama to practice, visualize, and chant mantras associated with the deity, etc. Though one can most definitely practice a deity without being given this empowerment, this je nang empowerment ensures that the practice is being properly rooted and practiced. At the Manjushri Dharma Center, we often practice Green Tara at the Monday Night Puja, so this will be beneficial for my students. Moreover, Green Tara is the deity associated with healing and removing obstacles, which will be good for my students. Students also can see this as the Lama’s blessing of body, speech, and mind for the Sangha and may enable you to do some practice. This is good to have for all Buddhist practitioners.
The second type of empowerment which I will not be giving is referred to as wang chen (དབང་ཆེན།), which is a full initiation into the Vajrayana path and also has many types and stages. This is much longer, much more elaborate, tantric empowerment, establishing deeper connections between the Lama and disciples and is associated with more serious vows and samaya. This type of initiation is something that I may consider for the future.
Written by Khenpo Karten Rinpoche with assistance from Karma Choeying (Tony) on or around 1-4-25.
