Empowerment of Buddha Shakyamuni: A Very Special Blessing Ceremony

Schedule

10am-noon - Empowerment

1:30-3pm - Commentary and Prayers for Meditation

“The Buddha who is the founder of the Buddhist religion is called Buddha Shakyamuni.” - Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, Introduction to Buddhism

An empowerment is a very special blessing ceremony that functions to heal our mental continuum and awaken our Buddha nature. Each empowerment introduces us to a particular enlightened Deity, their meditations and mantras. The particular enlightened Deity to which we will be introduced in this empowerment is Buddha Shakyamuni.

It is very important to receive blessings. Receiving blessings transforms our mind by activating our virtuous potentials, sustaining the growth of our Dharma realizations, and bringing our Dharma practice to completion.

In this empowerment event, after the blessing ceremony in the morning and a lunch break, Gen Norbu will give a commentary to Prayers for Meditation, explaining how we can use these simple prayers to support our meditation practice, if we wish.

Gen Kelsang Norbu first received Buddha Shakyamuni empowerment in 2007. Since then, Gen Norbu has completed many meditation retreats on Buddha Shakyamuni and other deities. Gen Norbu was ordained as a monk in the New Kadampa Tradition of modern Buddhism in 2006 by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. He earned the title ‘Gen’ in 2012, indicating that he is a senior ordained teacher in this tradition.