1 February 2025
Goshir Gyaltsab Rinpoche sat on the great Monlam throne, flanked by rinpoches, tulkus, and senior monks from Karma Kagyu monasteries and centres. To his right stood a golden pagoda shrine with Gyalwa Gyatso as the central figure. In his introduction to the empowerment, Goshir Gyaltsab Rinpoche gave details of the origins of this practice and how it became part of the Karma Khamtsang tradition.
The Gyalwang Karmapa has asked me to please give the instructions, the profound instructions, from Karma Pakshi and Rangjung Dorje, [called] Pointing out the Three Kayas, and so, as he has asked me to do, I shall now give these teachings. He also told me that before you may receive these instructions on Pointing Out the Three Kayas, you need to also receive the empowerment of the Five Deities of Gyalwa Gyatso. For that reason, I will now bestow on you the empowerment of the Five-Deity Gyalwa Gyatso.Following the customary mandala offering, Gyaltsab Rinpoche donned the golden, brocade Gampopa hat, and the main section of the empowerment commenced.
So, this empowerment of the true practice of the Five-Deity Gyalwa Gyatso comes from one of the two principal students of Milarepa, Rechung Dorje Drakpa.
Milarepa sent him to India to receive some dharma teachings, and while he was there, he received these instructions from the great female mahasiddha, Machik Drupai Gyalmo. When Jamgӧn Kongtrül Lodrӧ Thaye was preparing his Five Great Treasuries, he understood that Machik Drubpai Gyalmo had not been met by many other translators, and it was only Rechungpa who was able to meet her through his practice. For that reason, Jamgӧn Kongtrül Lodrӧ Thaye said that it came from Rechungpa’s pure vision, and therefore he included it in his Treasury of the Great Revelations, the Rinchen Terdzӧ.
So, within the five deities of Gyalwa Gyatso, in the middle is the Bhagawan Gyalwa Gyatso, he is the principal deity of the mandala. He is surrounded by the thousand-and-two buddhas and many other buddhas.
To the right is the wrathful Hayagriva, and he is surrounded by many other heroes and wrathful male deities: the ocean of the heroes.
To the left is Sangwa Yeshe. Now, Sangwa Yeshe is actually Vajravarahi, Dorje Phagmo, so she is the form of Vajravarahi. She is surrounded by many dakinis and other heroines: the ocean of heroines.
And above Gyalwa Gyatso's head is the master Padmasambhava, surrounded by many great siddhas; so, this is the mandala of the ocean of siddhas. Below Gyalwa Gyatso are the dakinis of the five families and many other dakinis, and also the protectors, such as Palden Remati [a form of the female protector Palden Lhamo], and so forth. So, this is the mandala of the ocean of those who are oath-bound protectors.
Rechungpa Dorje Drakpa transmitted this practice to Zangri Repa. Zangri Repa transmitted it to Drogon Rechen, Drogon Rechen transmitted it to Pomdrakpa, who then gave it to Karma Pakshi, and it has been passed down in the lineage since that time.
So, Karma Pakshi practised the five-deity Gyalwa Gyatso as well as the nine-deity Gyalwa Gyatso, and by doing this, he was able to accomplish a state where he was indivisible from Gyalwa Gyatso. Then later, when he went to India and Mongolia, he was able to perform many miracles that were able to subdue many wicked people. Karma Pakshi transmitted the practice to Urgyenpa and also to another lama, and so, it was then transmitted down to the Third Karmapa, Rangjung Dorje.
And from then on, in our Karma Khamtsang traditions, it has been one of the main deity practices.
Gyaltsab Rinpoche bestowed the empowerment torma blessing directly on all the young Kagyu tulkus. Then, at the end, led by HE Bokar Choktrul Rinpoche, the tulkus made their way between the rows of the congregation, bestowing all five torma blessings on individuals, first the monks and nuns, and then the laypeople.
Goshir Gyaltsab Rinpoche gave this empowerment previously at the 36th Kagyu Monlam in January 2019. For further reading go to: https://kagyumonlam.org/en/component/content/article/the-torma-empowerment-of-the-five-deities-of-gyalwa-gyatso?catid=12&Itemid=111