Initiation (for Egyirba)

[Guest guest]

In the fall of 1971, I traveled to Vancouver, British Columbia with a

group from San Francisco Zen Center. We were going to a place called

Rendez-vous Island where Zen Center was considering establishing a

small retreat center. At the airport we met up with an American sadhu

named Bhagvan Dass and his wife, Bhavani, and their infant daughter.

He was a friend of Dick Baker, the leader of our group. Dick was to

receive Dharma Transmission from Shunryu Suzuki Roshi and to become

Abbot and Chief Priest of Zen Center and Tassajara Zen Mountain Center

on November 21, 1971. But at this time, he was just another senior Zen

student.

 

Dick had heard that this was the last night of the first trip to North

America of a highly revered Tibetan teacher named Kalu Rimpoche. He

was going to be doing an initiation or empowerment of the deity

Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig in Tibetan), the Lord of Compassion. The

female emanation of this deity is known as Tara or Kwan Yin.

 

I entered the meditation hall totally unprepared for what followed. I

sat down and assumed a lotus position placing my hands in mudra. Kalu

Rimpoche began chanting the empowerment in Tibetan. To my surprise, I

was chanting right along (in Tibetan) as though I did this everyday.

And I didn’t even have a copy of the text; nor did I know any Tibetan.

 

BaBoom BaBoom BaBoom I felt like I was surrounded by a giant

heartbeat and bathed in purple light. I remember wondering for a

second if it was my heart or Kalu Rimpoche’s heart or a “cosmic heart”.

Although at first I could hear the Tibetan as well as the heartbeat,

the heartbeat became more intense and crowded out all other

perceptions. The next thing that happened, I felt as though I slipped

between the heartbeats. Then there was no “I”. No body. No

thoughts. No emotions. No sense of time or space. The best

description I have found is what the Tibetans call clear luminosity and

what the Hindus call nirvikalpa samadhi. I don’t know how long I was

in this state.

 

I became aware that people were moving near me. They were circling up

to Rimpoche’s throne to receive blessings of rice and water. All I

remember is trying to crawl to him with a feeling of stumbling and

falling and reaching out to him imploring him to have mercy and give me

his blessings. When I returned to my place and the chanting resumed, I

would simply disappear into the purple heartbeat and then into the

luminous void until the next period of movement/blessings. This was

repeated five or six times.

 

When the last words of the ceremony were intoned, I immediately

returned to my normal state of consciousness. I felt a little warm so

I pulled a sweater over my head. As I looked up, I saw a row of

Tibetan nuns and monks who were traveling with the rimpoche watching

from the side of the room. They were laughing in delight and some

were pointing at me. Then they bowed.

Attachment: (text/enriched) [not stored]

[Guest guest]

wow! what a unique experience! i can just hear the purple

heartbeat and see you trying to reach the rimpoche hearing it

and how the monks and nuns were amused reminded me of an

experience of one of my friend's when she saw her guru

(gurumayi) and received shaktipat. she said she was told she

started barking like a dog and her body took on different

positions.

 

thanks, pahari maa for sharing this with me!

 

 

--- Berijoy <berijoy wrote:

 

 

Ardis Jackson wrote:

In the fall of 1971, I traveled toVancouver, British Columbia

with a group from San Francisco ZenCenter. We were going to a

place called Rendez-vous Island where ZenCenter was considering

establishing a small retreat center. At theairport we met up

with an American sadhu named Bhagvan Dass and hiswife, Bhavani,

and their infant daughter. He was a friend of DickBaker, the

leader of our group. Dick was to receive DharmaTransmission from

Shunryu Suzuki Roshi and to become Abbot and ChiefPriest of Zen

Center and Tassajara Zen Mountain Center on November 21,1971.

But at this time, he was just another senior Zen student.

 

Dick had heard that this was the last night of the first trip to

NorthAmerica of a highly revered Tibetan teacher named Kalu

Rimpoche. Hewas going to be doing an initiation or empowerment

of the deityAvalokiteshvara (Chenrezig in Tibetan), the Lord of

Compassion. Thefemale emanation of this deity is known as Tara

or Kwan Yin.

 

I entered the meditation hall totally unprepared for what

followed. Isat down and assumed a lotus position placing my

hands in mudra. KaluRimpoche began chanting the empowerment in

Tibetan. To my surprise,I was chanting right along (in Tibetan)

as though I did this everyday.And I didn’t even have a copy of

the text; nor did I know any Tibetan.

 

[snip]

 

Be Love,

Berijoy

http://www.egyirba.net

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You never miss your water 'til your well runs dry. Give thanks.