April 30, 2016

The Great Accomplishment

The Great Accomplishment (Tib. Drubchen་, Wyl. sgrub chen) is an intensive group practice traditionally meant for advanced practitioners to help them improve their practice swiftly. Phakchok Rinpoche explains, "It is a gathering of experienced male and female practitioners, in a sacred place at an auspicious time, practicing in an auspicious mandala, led by a genuine vajra master. By practicing in this way, the result is extremely auspicious. The auspicious conditions occurring simultaneously brings about supreme accomplishment and realization – that is why such a gathering is called the Great Accomplishment."

According to Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche, this Great Accomplishment practice epitomizes the depth, power, and precision of the Vajrayana, drawing together the entire range of its skilful methods—mystical, ritual, and artistic—and including: the creation of the mandala house; the complete sadhana practice with visualization, mudra, chant, and music; continuous day and night practice of mantra; the creation of tormas and offerings, with sacred substances and precious relics; the tsok feast; the sacred dance of cham; as well as the construction of the sand mandala. All blend to create the transcendent environment of the pure realm of the deity and awaken, for all those taking part, the pure perception of this world as a sacred realm.

In earlier times, practitioners would actually persevere in the practice until actual signs of realization arose - this would be the best way to practice. If not, practitioners would do the practice for six months, or if not one month. The shortest way to perform a drubchen is to do it for seven days. Adding on one day prior for the preparatory rituals, and a day subsequent for the receiving of blessings, that would bring it to a total of nine days. The great master Sangye Lingpa taught in Lama Gongdu that if one practices undistractedly in this way for seven days, the result of this practice no different than staying in retreat for seven years.

Here is a short video clip of the recently concluded Ngakso Drubchen at Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery. Revel in the profundity of this practice!