These liturgies of tantric empowerment were recorded in 1974 during the first visit of His Holiness the Sixteenth Karmapa to the United States. The audio recording includes
- The Vajra Crown Ceremony
- The Abhisheka of Karma Pakshi
- Excerpts from the Mahakala Sadhana
In the ceremony of the Vajra Crown, also referred to as the "Black Crown
Ceremony," as well as in other rituals, the description of the
visualization is being chanted and a natural rhythm develops without
any deliberate attempt to chant a particular tune. Other sections of a
ritual, such as invocation, offering, or praise, each have their own
rhythms and melodies, which are repeated throughout the section.
Melodies for these sections were composed at various times by teachers
of the spiritual lineage, arising out of their personal experiences of
unity with particular deities.
