Dharamshala — His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama conferred the Mahakala blessing at the request of Kalu Rinpoche to around 8500 people gathered in the Main Tibetan Temple on Saturday. His Holiness said, "I meditate on bodhichitta every day from the moment I wake up and I observe the Bodhisattva precepts. To achieve our own goals and the welfare of others, we need bodhichitta. To fulfil our short term and long term aims, we need bodhichitta. To accumulate merit and wisdom, we need bodhichitta."
His Holiness the Dalai Lama conferred the Mahakala blessing or permission of the six-armed Mahakalaat at the request of Kalu Rinpoche at the main Tibetan temple in Dharamsala, India, on May 18, 2024. Around 8500 people gathered in the main Tibetan temple (Tsuglagkhang) to receive the Mahakala blessing and listen to his teaching. His Holiness the Dalai Lama drove from his residence to the temple courtyard. Thousands of people, including many foreigners, greeted him with joyful faces and Tibetan scarves. His Holiness smiled in return and greeted the welcoming crowds.
His Holiness said, "Today I am going to give the permission for the combined practice of four deities in relation to Six-armed Mahakala. There are monastics and lay-people here who place their trust in Mahakala and there are other people whose interest in Buddhism and the name Dalai Lama is new. The Dalai Lama is the one who makes known the activities of Six-armed Mahakala and he serves me too."
"When I was about to leave the Norbulingka Palace. I went to the Mahakala chapel and told him I was going to go into exile in India. I made a prayer before him and felt that he nodded, indicating that the issue of Tibet would eventually be settled. I feel Six-armed Mahakala is unique and since we came into exile, his enlightened activities have been continuously supportive,"he told the gathering.
Kalu Rinpoché, who requested today’s permission, offered an extremely ornate mandala, as well as representations of the body, speech and mind of enlightenment.
His Holiness explained, "Kalu Rinpoché has a unique connection to Six-armed Mahakala and his students have expressed a wish to receive this permission. I feel that there is something different about Six-armed Mahakala. He helps us accomplish common siddhis and realize bodhichitta and emptiness."
"There is a story about the Mahasiddha Shavaripa. Mahakala appeared to him when he was meditating in the Cool Grove charnel ground. Mahakala taught him how the four deities could be practised in combination. The revered Vajrayogini, Avalokiteshvara and Tara also appeared to him and gave him instructions about their respective practices," he added.
"Shavaripa compiled a method for practising the four deities together. He passed this on to Maitripa, who in turn passed it on to Khyungpo Naljor, founder of the Shangpa Kagyu Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism," the Spiritual leader of Tibet said.
"I meditate on bodhichitta every day from the moment I wake up and I observe the Bodhisattva precepts. To achieve our own goals and the welfare of others, we need bodhichitta. To fulfil our short term and long term aims, we need bodhichitta. To accumulate merit and wisdom, we need bodhichitta," His Holiness declared.
"Having cultivated bodhichitta, the purpose of which is to serve all sentient beings, we are determined to achieve Buddhahood for all of them, whether we know them or not. We consider all sentient beings as near and dear to us. This supreme conduct of a Bodhisattva is why cultivating bodhichitta is so important," the Tibetan spiritual leader explained to the gathering.
Kalu Rinpoché offered a thanksgiving mandala and the three representations of enlightenment to His Holiness and Kalu Rinpoché and his followers also offered a longlife prayers to His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
