Tara Blessing at Deer Park Institute, Bir HP India Oct 1 & 2, 2010.

Synopsis by Crystal Catherine Southwood.

On October 1, 2010 Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche bestowed the jenang (Tib) or darshan (Skt) blessing of the tantric deity Arya Tara. The Manjushri Hall at Deer Park Institute was completely filled and many people sat outside looking in through the windows. The lineage of this blessing came from Shakya Shri.

Rinpoche explained that although “not a major abisheka (empowerment) it is one of the many methods of the infinite tantric path to introduce you to the mandala of a certain deity — it creates a connection.” The connection is with the deity and its mandala as well as with the master who bestows the empowerment.

The ceremony consisted of the classical aspects: generating bodhicitta motivation, mandala offering, refuge & bodhisattva vows, request for connection and then the body (through blessing water), speech (through mantra) and mind blessings. For the mind blessing Rinpoche handed everyone a fresh flower, which I placed on the crown of my head.

The following quotes are from Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche said during this Tara Initiation

“These flowers are not just marigolds, they have infinite dimension, and represent that Arya Tara will always be your crown ornament and your pledge that you will never take it off.”

“When you just watch the non fabricated mind, that mind is none other than Arya Tara.”

” By engaging in deity practice and visualising self as deity we are actually purifying our perception to what is our true nature”.

“Ultimately our very being is Arya Tara – Arya Tara is not an externally existing deity. We must discover this innate Arya Tara and utilize its full potential.”

“Me telling you Arya Tara is inside you is the same as me telling you oil is in the sesame seed. Oil is always in the sesame seed. It [tantra] is not a deceiving path.”

“Tantra has something to do with continuity, it means, before you practice, while you practice and after realisation, your innate nature has not changed at all.”

“The real cause of suffering is that we do not have the right view.”

Rinpoche also mentioned that the ultimate truth that Buddha realised is beyond words. Concepts that at first Buddha did not teach so as not to lead people astray. What was given are called provisional teachings – teachings that lead along the path but that are not ultimate truth, because most beings were not ready for that.

Rinpoche talked about how to maintain the blessing through various methods such as various ways to do the sadhana. Viewing self and environment all as Arya Tara, visualising Arya Tara as your root guru, reciting praises, reciting mantra, even just reciting the seed syllable Tam has many blessings.

“Sadhana is a method to land on dharmata and arise as Tara instead of our impure self. To try to get pure perception for a moment and replace our impure perception with right perception.”

During question and answer someone asked about merit.
Rinpoche said “Anything that brings you closer to the truth is meritorious.”

Someone asked about grace and Rinpoche said,
“The utlimate grace/blessing is that we have innate Arya Tara.”

Climbing the staircase photo Crystal Catherine Southwood