Toh 365Performance of the Initiation
Pāli / Sanskrit:Śekaprakriyā
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An Exposition of the Sūtra on the Practice of Initiation (Śekaprakriyā)
Background
The Sūtra on the Practice of Initiation (Śekaprakriyā, Toh 365) is collected in the Kangyur, the scriptural canon of Tibetan Buddhism, representing the Northern Mahāyāna tradition. This scripture belongs to the corpus of Tibetan Buddhist tantric literature and focuses on the domain of Tantra and practice with the deity (yidam).
The word śeka suggests an essential rite in the Vajrayāna tradition: the initiation or consecration (abhiṣeka), the empowering function in Tantra. This is not merely an external ritual, but a structured Dharma process for transmission, intended to activate the spiritual potential of the disciple. The compositional background of this sūtra arises from the need to systematize the stages of tantric practice, especially the preparatory steps and the safeguards that ensure the sacred character of the transmission process.
Main Contents
The Practice of Initiation presents in detail the process of performing initiation in the Buddhist tantric path. This includes the mental preparation of the one conferring the Dharma, the lama or guru, the establishment of a sacred space, and the sequential steps through which the disciple must pass in order to receive transformation.
Initiation in Tantra is not a simple act, but the bringing of Buddha-mind and the minds of beings into a temporary yet profound unity. The sūtra emphasizes that the effectiveness of initiation depends on three factors: first, the purity of mind and meditative stability of the one who confers the transmission; second, the disciple’s absolute faith and receptive mind; and third, the harmonious presence of the bodhisattvas and deities within the sphere of mind. This process is connected with seals (mudrā), mantras, and direct pointing-out instruction concerning the nature of Buddha-mind.
The sūtra also defines the prerequisites: the one who confers the Dharma must have accomplished the preliminary practices, especially the training that subdues the mind; the disciple must have a pure purpose, seeking the benefit of beings rather than personal gain.
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