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Dearest Friends @ CAS,
We have a short urgent note to make with regard to the Great Red Twelve-Arm Ganapati Initiation on 24 December 2007.
Topic Sentence:
HE the Luding Khen Rinpoche has stipulated
that only students who have received a full initiation of any
Highest Yoga Tantra Cycle, of any lineages -- not just a Wang-Chen
of other tantric classes but only that of the Highest Yoga
Tantra Classes -- may attend the Ganapati Initiation.
What is a "Wang-Chen" ??
Are any 2 Day initiations considered a "Wang -Chen", hence a qualifying factor to receive the Ganapati ??
1) There are many different forms of "Wang-Chen"
2) Wang-Chens may be bestowed according to any of the 4 Tantra Classes.
( Note: According to the Gelug, Kagyu and Sakya categorisation, there are 4 classes of tantra: the Kriya, the Carya, the Yoga and the Highest Yoga Tantra classes )
For example, in the Kriya Tantra Class, there is a Wang-Chen of the Rigsum Gonpo --
The Vairochana Initiation ( bestowed on 22 Dec 2007 ) is a Wang-Chen of the Yoga Tantra Class --
3) A Wang-Chen of the Highest Yoga Tantra will need to include the complete 4 Empowerments ( unique to Highest Yoga Tantra ) and the bestowal and receiving of all the major tantric vows.
4) Therefore, it is not true that any student who has received any Wang-Chen can attend the Ganapati Initiation of the Sakyapa's Thirteen Golden Dharma --
For example: Students who have received a Wealth Deity's Wang-Chen of the Kriya class do not meet the pre-requisite --
5) Only students who have received a Wang-Chen of the Highest Yoga Tantra classes may attend the Ganapati Initiation.
6) Stating only Wang-Chen as a pre-requisite to the Ganapati is vague and may be misleading as the class to which the Wang-Chen is bestowed in is not stipulated.
Highest Yoga Tantra -- its varying forms in bestowal of them
7) A Highest Yoga Tantra Initiation may be given in its Short / Elaborate or Very Elaborate forms. In all these forms, the 4 Empowerments unique to a Highest Yoga Tantra class will be fully bestowed -- hence, giving rise to several prominent past masters' commentaries that all the aspects and qualities, be it given in the short / Elaborate or Very Elaborate forms, are exactly identical.
8) The pre-requisite of a Wang Chen of the Highest Yoga Tantra Class is the general, accepted tantric convention and is conformed to by the Gelug, Kagyu, Sakya and the Nyingma traditions. However, certain Treasure Texts in the Nyingma School may based their transmissions on different paradigmatic shifts such as its underpinning understanding of the "Rigpa".
9) This is not a new "ruling" from HH the Sakya Trizin nor is this an issue of more severe imposition of dogmatic theories in one tradition than another.
In general, the Sakya Tradition relies heavily upon Sakya Pandita's monumental text -- "Distinguishing the Three Vows", rather than any siginificant extensive, subsequent revisions.
10) A strict conformity or dogmatic approach to the text concerned would necessarily exclude students who have not received a Highest Yoga Tantra Father Class initiation in fact with regard to receiving of the Ganapati.
In other words, only students who have received a Yamantaka / Guhyasamaja and the liek Father Highest Yoga Tantra Classes may take the Ganapati. Even students who have taken the Chakrasamvara -- a Mother Tantra Class -- is, in the strictest sense, actually not qualified to take the Ganapati.
11) HE the Luding Khen Rinpoche has given consent, however, that students who have received initiation into the Highest Yoga Tantra of the Mother Class or the Non-Dual Class may also attend the Ganapati.
12) In the end, it is at the discretion of the authentic Vajra Master to decide the degree to which he or she wants to impose the conditions / pre-requisites attached to their bestowal of initiations.
For example: HH the Dalai Lama's persmission to even non-Buddhists to attend the Great Kalachakra, to great supposed benefits to the participating masses.
____________ Another note ( a less urgent one )
Topic Sentence:
bb apologises for the inadequate venue
1) The space
The problem:
Venue TOO-overcrowded
"Why":
We are not enlightened ( anyone can see that ) and so could not predict the flooded turn-out, hence, opting out of the larger auditorium
2) The constraints
The problem:
No rice to fling into space for the mandala offering
"Why":
Our venue sponsor -- Ngee Ann Cultural Centre -- needs to take into consideration, concerns with gnawing mice and other such pests amongst others which we, layman, alas, do not see.
Sincerely,
bb & other people
 @ CAS of Thousand-Arm Chenrezigp/s:
Please continue to dedicate endlessly for all programmes to be of greatest good to all ..... "Namo Amituofo !!"
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