Toh 1768A Permission Ritual [for Vetālī]

Exposition of the Permission Ritual for Vetālī (Toh 1768)

Context

This work belongs to the Tengyur, the Treatise Collection of the Tibetan tradition, and is a permission ritual (rjes su gnang ba'i cho ga) connected with the deity Vetālī. In the context of Northern Tibetan Mahāyāna, especially the Tibetan tradition, permission rituals are not rites of primitive belief, but practices structured within the profound philosophical foundation of the Buddha Dharma. Vetālī is a Dharma deity, often understood as a spirit or supernatural force capable of instructing and protecting those who practice according to the Buddha Dharma.

This permission ritual belongs to the Tantric system, where interaction with Dharma deities is regarded as an aspect of the practice of wisdom and immeasurable compassion. In order to employ the power of Vetālī ethically, the practitioner must receive formal permission from the lama, ensuring both pure intention and the protection of these forces from misuse.

Main Content

This ritual instructs how to grant permission to those who intend to work with Vetālī within the context of practice. The essential point is not “dominating” a force, but establishing a reciprocal relationship grounded in the Buddha Dharma: the practitioner commits to training in the bodhisattva path and arousing the intention to benefit sentient beings, while Vetālī is requested to protect and support these efforts.

According to the Tibetan Vajrayāna tradition, every Dharma deity is regarded as a manifestation of liberating wisdom. Vetālī, although appearing in a form or nature that may seem wrathful, is in truth a manifestation of compassion that dispels darkness and purifies obstacles. The permission ritual therefore includes steps for establishing the proper state of mind: deepening the identity and motivation of both the one who grants permission and the one who receives it, invoking Vetālī with a pure mind, and establishing the vow that Vetālī will act for the benefit of sentient beings and the protection of the Buddha Dharma.

This ritual also emphasizes the importance of compassion: the practitioner must not use Vetālī to cause harm or to satisfy greed, hatred, and delusion.