About the Abhisheka

The Vajrayana Abhisheka, conferred by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, empowers the student to practice the Vajrayogini Sadhana and to study the profound oral instructions of the Vidyadhara, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. It is the formal entrance into the vajrayana practice of the Kagyü lineage.

The program includes receiving the empowerment and training in the sadhana practice of Vajrayogini. All accepted applicants are required to attend the entire abhisheka and training.

Preparation

In order to qualify for the abhisheka, you must have completed Shambhala Vajrayana Seminary and all four Kagyü preliminary practices by number or by time (prostrations, Vajrasattva mantra, mandala offering and guru yoga). In addition you must have completed the tonglen requirement.

Application Procedure

Your application to the Abhisheka will be considered once we have received the following:

• A completed application form
• A recent passport-sized photo
• An application fee of $25US

When all of these have been received, the Office of Practice and Education will conduct a brief review to ensure you have met the requirements. We will notify you of your acceptance status at which point you should register for the program. Please note that Shambhala International reserves the right to cancel the abhisheka if there is insufficient registration.

Scheduled Abhishekas

Information on coming programs is forthcoming. Please check back to this site periodically for updates.

Submitting Recommendations

To submit a recommendation for a program applicant, select the program they are applying for above and follow the instructions under Recommenders.

Financial Assistance

Shambhala International sets aside a portion of the revenue from each of its programs for financial assistance. Please note: In order to maintain consistent policies between the programs when they're held at different locations, normal discounts offered by the practice centers do not apply.

After you have applied for the program, you will be provided a link to the Shambhala International Program Financial Assistance Application. Financial assistance awards will be determined based on relative need.

For More Information

More information, including information on pricing, who to contact, etc., can be found in the Fact Sheets for the individual Vajrayogini Abhishekas. Select the program you are interested in (above), and find the link for the fact sheet.

Return to the Advanced Program Page.