COMMENTARY ON THE ‘EXTREMELY CONCISE SADHANA OF CHAKRASAMVARA FIVE DEITIES: UTTER ILLUMINATION OF THE INNERMOST ESSENCE’ (by Drupon Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche)

For  ḍākinī day today, am happy to offer to fellow vajra brothers and sisters a full, edited transcript of the recent teachings by Drupon Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche (26^th-29^th September 2021) on the five deity Sri Chakrasamvara practice and its accompanying sadhana text, Utter Illumination of the Innermost Essence. For details see below. 

I first received the Chakrasamvara empowerment from HH 17^th Karmapa, Orgyen Trinley Dorje, in Bodh Gaya, India in 2007. It was the first time the Karmapa gave the empowerment and the first highest yoga tantra empowerment I received. Since then, I have received the empowerment again from HE Garchen Rinpoche and also took this empowerment from Drupon Rinpoche (as well the Vajrayogini empowerment he gave a few days before that). I sent the commentary to Drupon directly who verbally responded that he was very happy with it and rejoiced at its creation and publication.

Drupon Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche

This empowerment was given by Drupon Rinpoche on September 25^th, followed by a few days of practice and teachings. Garchen Rinpoche himself even attended the empowerment, a wonderful sight to behold!  Drupon Rinpoche shyly explained that he felt a bit ‘awkward’ doing so as Garchen Rinpoche had originally given him the empowerment. It was the first time I have ever publicly seen a guru attend a student giving empowerment, yet more evidence of Garchen Rinpoche’s vast love, compassion and humility and also of Drupon Rinpoche’s qualities!

This transcript is  based on Ina Bieler’s oral translation and the Tibetan. The videos are available on Youtube here (only for those who got the empowerment). The commitment for practice is never to lose love and compassion for any sentient being, and to accumulate at least 100 000 Chakrasamvara mantras in this lifetime.

The sādhana text

The sādhana text (available from the Garchen Institute) says that:

The main practice of the Cakrasaṃvara sādhana, containing the preliminary and concluding practices from the Blazing Splendor of Blessings of The Fivefold Path, composed by the Venerable Dharmakīrti, was put together for the purpose of daily meditation practice. Following the request of the precious nirmāṇakāya Khenchen Könchog Tsültrim Gyaltsen, and through the kindness of Chenrezig, the holder of the white lotus, the tamer of beings, this sādhana was composed by the mendicant Döndrub Kalzang in the isolated rocky mountains of Lekar Chung. Sarva Mangalaṃ!

The text, images and materials are available from the Garchen Institute here. There is also a very short one verse instantaneous visualisation Rinpoche said people can practice, for download contact here.

Oral commentary text

I have arranged the commentary/transcript by Drupon as a 45 page booklet (with colour images to describe the different stages of the sadhana). It is available only to those who got the empowerment and transmission from HE Garchen Rinpoche or Drupon Rinpoche or from a recognised, qualified vajra master and this particular text. It is available for free on request here.

Due to time constraints, Rinpoche was unable to teach the whole text but said that he will complete the teaching next year. That will be added to this booklet then.

May it be of benefit and may we all attain the fully awakened, union of bliss-emptiness state of Chakrasamvara!

Music? Heroes by David Bowie….’I will be King, and you will be Queen…we could be heroes, just for one day.’

Transcribed and edited by Adele Tomlin, 1^st October 2021.

Further Information

Mind as vast as space: the question of giving and receiving of online empowerments  by Adele Tomlin 

Traditions of Chakrasamvara by Himalayan Art Resources

Offering mudras of the sixteen dakinis of this sadhana text shown by 8th Garchen Rinpoche.

What is the Chakrasamvara tantra? Video teaching by Prof. Robert Thurman.