About twenty of us were squashed into a Yurt, gathered for a very special Vajrayogini Empowerment from Dupseng Rinpoche.
I’ve worked so many empowerments I couldn’t try to count, but rarely do I get to participate fully, placing my full attention on the practice. Of course I took photos, I couldn’t help myself! Part of my deepest Dharma connections stem from photography, it’s part of my daily practice, my own way to absorb and work with the immense forces at work around me. It helps me concentrate, as contradictory as that may sound to others. This empowerment was one of the most powerful experiences of my life. While much must remain a secret, as is the case for such Yidams, I will tell you a story.
During the middle of the Empowerment, Rinpoche was explaining about the aspects of Vajrayogini, how Dakini’s are all around us in many forms passing through our world checking in on us, helping when needed, and protecting us from obstacles. At one moment Rinpoche had his eyes closed, very deep in concentration, when through the open window a sea of flowers from a nearby tree flooded the room cascading light off all corners and filling the space with softness. They floated all around us, some landing on our heads or shoulders, some dancing in the breeze - we were transfixed. Rinpoche opened his eyes and smiled. “I told you Dakinis are everywhere!” he said, as if he had been expecting them all along. Mind blown, it was in this moment my heart filled with such joy and devotion I simply cannot describe it. With an empowerment of this level it’s not uncommon to have your molecules rearranged a bit, this was certainly the case for me. But this; flowers filling the room, at that precise moment, then fading away into space without a trace, left an impression on me I will never forget. Dakinis are everywhere!
Dupseng Rinpoche
