10. Week 2 - Buddha Green Tara Empowerment
2025.08.02
Mustn’t forget that all the actions we’re engaging in are for world peace. Because Buddha gave all his teachings for world peace. For auspiciousness, I will begin week 2 of this festival with Venerable Geshe-la’s special message. He wanted this message to be conveyed at the start of every festival. VGKG said, “This is my encouragement.” He said, “Thank you for holding my encouragement in your heart and putting it into practice.”
At this festival, through his kindness, and your kindness, I have the commitment to grant the blessing empowerment of Arya Tara. Today you will receive the empowerment of Venerable Arya Tara. It involves being guided in meditation along the common and uncommon paths of Kadam Lamrim. The final goal is Tantra. According to the NKT it means being guided in meditation in Tantra. During the empowerment listen to the instructions, think, and meditate on the meaning of the teaching step by step. During the empowerment alone people can transform their mind from ordinary to special Dharma realisations. So please don’t worry, simply follow as best you can. People will receive blessings coming from our Guru at my heart. This is our recognition. Empowerments given in the NKT are very powerful meditation programmes.
We have such a close connection to Arya Tara. [Introduction to Arya Tara]
First we should know who Arya Tara is. She is a female enlightened being who is the manifestation of the wind element of all Buddhas. The 5 aggregates of all Buddhas appear as the 5 Buddha families. The 4 elements - earth, fire, water, wind - appear as the 4 mothers - Lochana, Mamaki, Bezarahi, and Tara. Because she is the manifestation of the wind element of all the Buddhas, Geshe-la gives us an introduction to wind, in particular inner winds. The function of wind is to move objects. External wind moves objects such as trees. Our bodies and minds move because of internal winds. Inner winds are those that flow through the channels of our body and that function to move our mind to objects. Mind can’t move without being mounted on its inner wind. Mind can perceive the object; the inner wind of that mind moves it to the object. That is so important to understand. With impure winds, negative thoughts will come, because our minds will move to inappropriate objects. Our minds can function only by working together the inner winds. If we want to stop a deluded mind, we need to stop the wind on which it’s riding. There are 3 types of inner wind - gross, subtle, and very subtle (described according to its difficulty to understand and realise.) Gross inner winds function to move our gross minds to objects.
Subtle inner winds
Our very subtle inner functions to move our v subtle inner wind to its object. It only has one object - EMPTINESS. Gross minds function when they are awake - our sense awarenesses, our feelings, our discrimination, our intention. When we dream we are using our subtle minds such as our dream sense awareness, we use our dream mental awareness and grasp at dream things as inherently existent.
When we are in deep sleep without dreams we are using our very subtle mind through which we can maintain our life. During deep sleep we are like a dead person but in fact we are still alive because our very subtle mind maintains the connection between our body and mind.
The things we see when we’re awake are the appearing objects of our gross minds.
The things we see when we’re dreaming are the appearing objects of our dream minds.
They do not actually exist but because of our ignorance we believe they do. Therefore our gross and subtle minds are mistaken minds.
Space-like emptiness is the appearing object of our very subtle mind.
Our gross minds cease when we sleep and arise when we wake up.
Subtle minds cease when … {?}
Gross and subtle minds are therefore temporary minds.
Our very subtle mind has never ceased and will never cease. It came from our former lives, remains in this life, and goes to our future lives.
Therefore it is called the continually residing mind.
If we directly realise our continuously residing mind we will definitely attain enlightenment in this life.
It can only manifest when gross and subtle minds manifest. When it becomes manifest it’s called clear light.
The methods to directly realise the very subtle mind (which is the main meaning of our life), are the trainings in the yoga of the central channel, the yoga of the drop, and the yoga of the wind. If we complete the practice of qualified clear light we attain the union of Buddha.
We should also know that when we’re awake we’re using our gross body. This present body (we call it our body but actually it belongs to our parents). During sleep we’re using our subtle (dream) body. When we attain the realisation of the illusory body, we’re using our very subtle body. Our very subtle body is our very subtle inner wind which will eventually transform into a Buddha’s body. Our gross and subtle bodies are temporary. Our very subtle body is our continuously residing body. It came from our previous lives, and will go to our countless future lives. It is our deathless body. Through this we can understand we have a continuously residing body and we have continuously residing speech. When we become a Buddha, our very subtle mind becomes Buddha’s mind. And our very subtle inner wind becomes Buddha’s body. Our very subtle mind is our Buddha nature and it is like a precious jewel. In the empowerment, our very subtle body and mind will receive Tara’s blessings - special power to transform them into the body and mind of Buddha.
In Sutra of Praises to the 21 Taras, Buddha says, “Homage to Tara, the swift one, the heroine…” This verse tells the story of Tara’s miraculous birth. The phrase ‘Protector of the 3 worlds’ refers to Avalokiteshvara, Buddha of compassion. […]The wind element of all Buddhas appeared in front of him as …[fill in missing bits] Arya means superior, and Tara means Liberator. Together Arya Tara means Superior Liberator. A Buddha’s wind element and a Buddha’s omniscient wisdom are the same nature. In general it is incorrect to say one Buddha is more powerful than another, but because of her special connection with the beings of this world, Tara […]. (dependent relationship). If we rely on Tara with strong faith we will receive her protection and blessings. We can see from among the 4 elements, the wind element moves most quickly.
In particular Arya Tara is greatly delighted with those who sincerely practise Kadam Lamrim. They receive her special care, protection, and blessings throughout their life and in life after life. Tara made this promise to Venerable Atisha, the founder of Kadam Lamrim. We should rejoice in our great good fortune.
What is the lineage of this instruction? They were taught by Atisha. Once while circumambulating the stupa at Bodh Gaya, he made a special prayer to Tara. She taught him the special instructions of this empowerment. He passed these instructions to Geshe Potowa, and to our precious Spiritual Guide Dorjechang Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche.
The purpose of this empowerment is to receive the blessings of Arya Tara on your continually residing body, speech, and mind. So they will eventually transform into the body, speech, and mind of an enlightened being, and you will have the power to liberate all living beings from sorrow. This opens the door to the practice of Tara. This empowerment is making you best friends. Once you have received this empowerment, if you rely upon Arya Tara with strong faith, you will receive her protection and blessings. She will care for us in this life and in life after life. We especially need care in our future lives. We need refuge and a protector in our future lives. This life may end at any time. We shouldn’t grasp at it. We need someone who will care for us like a mother in our future lives. Tara’s great kindness pervades every living being every day.
3 levels of motivation - that of initial, middling, or great scope.
You need the 1st 2 levels of motivation to get to the 3rd level.
At the moment I must protect myself from the dangers of samsara, but ultimately I need to attain enlightenment to protect all living beings. It is for this reason I am going to receive the empowerment of Arya Tara.
Geshe-la said, “mantra is wisdom air”.
You should engage in practice at whatever level you are able to.