QUESTION
Good morning, dearest Ven. Robina,
I hope you’re keeping well?
Please can you advise me on the best course of action re the following:
The final year of my philosophical studies is starting next month and because the upcoming topics include restricted tantric elements, students are required to have a Highest Yoga Tantra empowerment in order to continue their studies.
To accommodate those who don’t have one, Geshe-la has kindly arranged for a lama to give us a Yamantaka Solitary Hero initiation.
I’m dithering about whether or not to attend this. I’m very fortunate to have received Highest Yoga Tantra initiations and I practice daily the Six Session Guru Yoga accordingly.
Even though I don’t need the Yamantaka empowerment to continue my studies, my first instinct is to not attend it as I’ve no great desire to take on any additional vajra masters, I don’t know what the related commitments will be, and overall I prefer to focus on the practices I already have.
However, having researched a bit about Yamantaka, I now wonder if it would be beneficial in the long term for me to connect with this practice?
I’d really welcome your thoughts.
Much love,
H
ANSWER
H, dear one!
Well, let’s think about it.
If you were to contemplate the seemingly miraculous coming together of the countless causes and conditions that you must have accumulated in order to even hear the name Yamantaka, not to mention actually receive the empowerment into this incredible practice, a pillar of our Gelug tradition — and not have to walk for weeks to receive it as you would have happily done in the past because this kind vajra master is coming to you! — I think you’d probably realize that you’d be insane not to attend.
Much love,
Robina
QUESTION
Dearest Ven. Robina,
Message received loud and clear! Many thanks.
And big love to you, my dearest teacher.
H x