A RESOUNDING HRI: ENTERING AND ABIDING IN THE VAJRA BLISS EXPANSE (DEWACHEN): Buddha Amitabha empowerment by 12th Goshri Gyaltsab Rinpoche at Batam Island (Indonesia pilgrimage II)

On 5th May 2024, the following day after HE 12th Goshri Gyaltsab Rinpoche’s arrival in Batam Island, Indonesia for the opening of the new Dharma centre,  Goshri Rinpoche granted the empowerment of Buddha Amitabha and conducted teachings on the four causes of rebirth in the pure land of Buddha Amitabha, as requested by Kyabje Choktrul Rinjung Rinpoche and the committee members of the Goshri Chosgar Ling Dharma center. The empowerment took place on the western side of the island near the Harbour Bay where ferries often leave for Singapore and back. From the hotel I was staying in right next to the bay area, I ‘luckily’ managed to get a bird’s eye view of Singapore (see photo).

The event was held at Swiss-Bel International Hotel venue, an unlikely location for a Tibetan Buddhist Vajrayana empowerment but the organisers did a magnificent job of making the huge room suitable with flowers and images of Buddhas, deities and so on. Hundreds of people attended the empowerment. They provided lovely bags with personalised pens and notepads with the Chosgar Ling logo and very tasty vegetarian food for takeaway at the event itself.  Something I particularly appreciated as I had found it difficult to find animal-free meals in most restaurants where I was staying.

The Amitabha Empowerment: the expanse of blissful lotus and HRI

Before the empowerment, Rinpoche spoke about the Amitabha pure land (Sukhavati/Dewachen), and how we should make aspirations to be reborn there, no matter what negative karma we have committed, the aspiration is important. Buddhas naturally love and want to benefit all beings, no matter what their negative actions and mind states and Amitabha is the same. The four causes for being re-born there are:

1) Generating Bodhichitta
2) Accumulating merit in many ways
3) Repeatedly bringing the Buddha field to mind
4) Dedicating all one’s sources of merit as causes for rebirth in that pure realm.

Rinpoche recommended that people recite the short aspiration to be reborn in Dewachen at least three times per day, but if that is not possible, then at least as much as one can do so.

This particular empowerment involved visualising the vajra master (Gyaltsab Rinpoche) as Avalokiteshvara, and oneself as Amitabha. As Rinpoche went through the empowerment ritual Amitabha filled the entire space and thousands of small and huge HRI syllables descended into the entire space. At one point, the whole of Batam Island was filled with one big HRI syllable.

A VERY secret empowerment was also transmitted within the Bhagavati lotus realm (the expanse of bliss), bhaga has two meanings by the way 🙂 This very secret empowerment involved 17th Karmapa with black hat in union with myself as secret consort within the Buddha Amitabha, within the Bhaga realm.. These sorts of visions are familiar to me from Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo’s revelations, and I wondered if it was a mind-treasure from the mind of the 14th or 15th Karmapa, who was very close to the great Tibetan treasure-revealers, Chogyur Lingpa and Khyentse Wangpo.

Whatever, the case, all ego dissolved into an expanse of great vajra bliss and union with the root guru, 17th Karmapa, and remained in an abiding state of ‘grinning from ear to ear’, Cheshire cat style ha ha. Then the chant master (who had an exquisitely beautiful voice) then began chanting the Amitabha mantra OM AMI DEWA HRI,  filling the entire hall with sacred sound and energy, such that I was completely ‘gone beyond’ , oblivious to the fact the monks were then coming round with the blessing substances and missed ‘the red thread moment’ being only ‘brought back to reality’ with a monk placing the flag banner on top of my head.

Needless to say, the whole event was blissful and joyful indeed, and only re-affirmed by confidence and doubtless faith in Gyaltsab Rinpoche that he is one of the finest vajra masters alive on this planet today. At the end, overwhelming devotion and awe caused floods of tears, and I ended up crying with joy uncontrollably like a baby. Inspired by also remembering the horrendous and huge obstacles Rinpoche, the Karma Kagyu and 17th Karmapa have been facing and are still facing, yet their unswerving commitment, passion, love, wisdom and power to the Buddha Dharma and sentient beings.

I re-affirmed my unwavering vajra commitments to Rinpoche, and by default to the root guru, 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, whom he is inseparable from, to vajra brothers and sisters, to all sentient beings and made the continuing aspiration that any merit I have accumulated be dedicated to both the Karmapa and Rinpoche to have a long-life and all the obstacles for Karma Kagyu and the Dharma teachings in general be swiftly eliminated. I was also able to personally offer a katag, donation and a copy of my Kālacakra book, The Chariot that Transports to the Four Kayas by Bamda Geleg Gyatso, as Gyalstab Rinpoche is also one of the few Kālacakra masters within the Karma Kagyu. Also, as an offering am  re-posting below the English translation (with original Tibetan) I did in 2022 of the Praise to 12th Gyaltsab Rinpoche composed by the 17th Karmapa in 2014.

Music? Short Aspiration Prayer to Be Reborn in Dewachen chanted by 17th Karmapa, Om Ami Dewa Hri mantra and for more contemporary vibes, Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin and Heavenly by Cigarettes after S*x.

Written and compiled by Adele Tomlin, 7th May 2024.