Basically, transmission is the meeting of two minds. Understanding this is absolutely necessary. Otherwise, there is no way out and no way in–there is no way to enter the vajrayana, even if we have already been trained in the basic Buddhist teachings. The formal experience of transmission takes place at a ceremony, which is called an empowerment or an abhisheka. The particular form of  the abhisheka that we receive is suited to our own basic being or basic psychological state, and it also depends on the particular level of tantric practice that is appropriate for us. Altogether, there is a need to respect the nature of transmission itself, the form of transmission, and also a need to respect our own attitude in receiving transmission.

From Journey without Goal: The Tantric Wisdom of the Buddha, page 87.

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