BODH GAYA: After successfully concluding a series of tantric empowerments and initiations here in Bodh Gaya today, Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama announced that he would give another series of teachings for devotees from the mainland China.
“From today we are completing one chapter of public teachings. To Chinese from Taiwan, I have been giving teachings annually. Since few years, I have been teaching groups of Chinese from mainland China. Today there are some mainland Chinese to whom I am going to give the teaching of Diamond Cutter Sutra (Dorjee Chodpa)”.
His Holiness requested that the Chinese disciples be seated at the front of the teaching pavilion for the teaching duration.
He then proceeded to give the Solitary Hero Vajra initiation. This is an initiation of the Highest Yoga Tantra and its vows which include the Bodhisattva and Tantric vows focus on the development of the altruistic mind – Bodhicitta – to benefit sentient beings.
“In the 13 deities Yamantaka, there are no wrathful deities but in the solitary hero, there are 10 wrathful deities. So after receiving this initiation, you have to commit to the daily practice of sadhana and recite them,” His Holiness explained.
Guiding the devotees on cultivating the right motivation for receiving the blessings of empowerment, His Holiness said that those truly qualified to receive the empowerment are intent on benefiting others. “Feel determined to best of your ability to help and serve others. With this understanding in mind, pray for the benefit of all sentient beings.”
He also acknowledged a former female Kalon of Central Tibetan Administration who had requested the initiation on Solitary Hero Vajra.
In preparation for the teaching on Diamond Cutter Sutra, His Holiness gave a brief explanatory initiation to the devotees.
“I have received the teaching from Kyabje Rizong Rinpoche. Yongzin Yeshe Gyaltsen, tutor to 8th Dalai Lama first set this tradition of the explanatory teaching of 300-verse Pragya Paramitra, the Diamond Cutter Sutra.”
Tomorrow His Holiness will begin the two-day teachings on Diamond Cutter Sutra, Dorjee Chodpa for the disciples from mainland China. On 25 January, he will meet a group of school children of Bihar.