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Each year, there is the annual Takla Mebar retreat during the month of December. It's a month-long retreat done for all of December ending at the new year. While we all can't fully commit to a full month away in retreat, we can do our best to participate and practice the Takla Mebar teachings and practices as much as we can at home during the month of December.
As we approach the beginning of the holiday season, our own family gatherings can be a minefield of suffering and fertilizer for the self. Diligence, vigilant introspection, and confidence need to be aroused. We need to generate a protection circle within our hearts. A protection circle to help us cut the binds of negativity within us that habitually chain us down and keep us from our true heart intention. For some, invoking the loving protection of Sherab Chamma, the supreme mother, might be enough to help us cut the binds, and dwell in mindfulness. But for others, the habitual landscape of our family takes much more energy and effort. And thankfully, Takla Mebar manifests to help energize and help us generate power to cut these karmic tendencies.
We start each morning with Tsa Lung exercises. We also do Chod offering practice at night before we go to sleep. Takla Mebar means “Flaming Tiger” and he is called upon at the end of the year to burn up all our obscurations, karmic traces, and negative actions we have accumulated over the year. We use fire to burn it all up. In the evenings we can hold backyard bonfires with the family to sit beside and reflect. And the fire represents the emptiness which liberates all our obscurations. We do this to overcome negative forces and the personal, negative emotions and obstacles they create so we can begin the new year fresh and new. We can also practice with the natural element of fire if we know how.
Through the realization of emptiness Takla Mebar (Flaming Tiger Deity) subjugated those evil forces of self-cherishing and self-grasping through his compassionate wisdom, transforming them into compassionate and peaceful beings.
Takla Mebar heals the outer poisons by transforming them into wisdom and positive aspects. The inner negativities are transformed into the clarity of the Five Wisdoms: the wisdom of emptiness, mirror-like wisdom, the wisdom of equality, discriminating wisdom, and all-accomplishing wisdom.
During retreat we practice establishing a boundary. This boundary is very strong. Because it’s the end of the year and we have tried peaceful ways throughout the year and yet our obscurations and negative actions continue. So it is the end of the line, the final straw. This is the energy of: you have taught your children to not go into the street many times. But this time, you see them running into the street right when a car is coming. There is no time to be nice or polite. There is no time for logic or reasoning. Your love and compassion might manifest as a scream or shout, as you run and lunge towards the children with your arms flailing. Looking like a mad-person. But while you might look insane, your mind is clear and intentionally driven. There is no time to be loose, quiet, or hesitant.
Most boundary practices establish a single circle. But this is the end of the line, we are just so sick and tired of being sick and tired of causing our self suffering and others suffering. So there are seven spheres that are established with seven mantras.
This is the context in which we practice this specific boundary for this period of retreat. And since this is tantra, it’s all in symbolism. So it’s what my teacher calls a “feelization.” This is not for the intellect and thinking mind, but for what’s behind that. So it’s not a “figure it out” practice, but a “feel it out” practice. Can I feel the energy when we chant and visualize? Can I connect with that part of us?
Retreat Preparations
To prepare your altar or spiritual retreat space, print out the mandala image and the image of Takla Mebar. Set the mandala flat with the Eastern direction (yellow) facing you. Place Takla Mebar on the mandala or slightly behind it. The mandala is the palace of Takla Mebar. Print out the image of the torma and place it next to the mandala on the altar. You don’t have to make a torma if you don’t know how. If you do know how, you can make the torma out of red playdoh, and accent it with white playdoh. This is a fun activity to do with children. Then print out the barrier (circular) mandala with the mantra to keep in front of yourself along with the sadhana text.
On the altar on the left side an offering of red or white wine. Red is more traditional. On the left is an offering of black tea. Place a spoon next to each. Set up a small empty offering cup in the center to be used during retreat. Set up incense for offerings too.
Daily retreat practice can include in the morning Tsa Lung prayers and movements. Along with protector prayers, Sang (purification offering) and Chutör (water offering). Then we can move into the Takla Mebar Sadhana. In the evenings do Sur (burnt food offering) and Chöd (offering of the body). All the prayers and offerings can be found in the prayer book.
An alternative practice routine is to focus on one of each of the four offerings (Tsa Lung, Sang, Chutor, Sur and Chod) for one week each of the four weeks of retreat. So the first week is tsa lung, week two is sang, week three is chutor, and the last week is sur & chod practice.
If you find yourself connecting deeply to Takla Mebar, you may take him as your Yidam year round. This retreat each December is a great way to come together with the sangha and recharge our connection with Takla Mebar.
As you get ready for the retreat students are encouraged to begin accumulating mantras in preparation for the December Takla Mebar Retreat.
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