Another important factor in the preliminary part of the ritual is that the students are introduced to the mandala. Indicating the fact that due to obscurations the minds of the students are unable to perceive the pure mandala, they all wear red ribbons across the forehead as symbolic blindfolds. These are later removed when the mandala is revealed to the students.

The main seven empowerments start with the students imagining that they are transformed into the form of the white Body-vajra, the buddha Amitabha, and are guided by the vajra held in the right hand of the teacher to the ground outside the northern door of the mandala palace, facing towards the palace. They then offer a mandala to request the first two empowerments, Water and Crown.

Water empowerment. All the empowerment deities, the buddhas, their consorts, the bodhisattvas, and so forth, together with their dakini retinues, are imagined as being attracted into the sky by the chief deity of the mandala. Flasks of water are then empowered as the essence of the five consorts of the buddhas. Water from these flasks is given to the students, and five parts of their bodies are annointed with this water - the head, two shoulders and two hips.

Crown empowerment. For this empowerment, different coloured head-ornaments are empowered as the essence of the five buddhas. As with many other empowerment materials (dbang rdzas), either actual head-ornaments may be used, or more likely, small pictures, called tsakali, of head-rnaments are used instead. These are then touched on the five places of the students, and the student imagines the crown being fixed to the head.

The students imagine at the conclusion of these first two empowerments that they have properly realised the nature of the Body-vajra, free from defilements. The students are then transformed into the red Speech-vajra, the buddha Ratnasambhava, and are guided by the vajra held in the right hand of the teacher to the ground outside the southern door of the mandala palace, facing towards the palace. They then offer a mandala to request the next two empowerments, Silk scarf and Vajra and bell.

Silk scarf empowerment. Different coloured silk scarves, or tsakali of scarves, are empowered as the essence of the ten Shaktis. These are similarly touched on the five places of the students, and imagined as bound to the head.

Vajra and bell empowerment. A vajra and bell (in this case a tsakali representation is often not used) are empowered respectively as Kalacakra and his consort Vishvamata. The vajra and bell are touched on the heads of the students, and then placed into their hands.

The students imagine at the conclusion of these two empowerments that they have properly realised the nature of the Speech-vajra, free from defilements. The students are then transformed into the black Mind-vajra, the buddha Amoghasiddhi, and are guided by the vajra held in the right hand of the teacher to the ground outside the eastern door of the mandala palace, facing towards the palace. They then offer a mandala to request the next two empowerments, Conduct and Name.

Conduct empowerment. Different coloured flower petals are empowered as the essence of the six bodhisattvas and their consorts. These are then touched on the sense organs of the students, although in normal practice they are touched on the head and then possibly offered to the hands.

Name empowerment. Different coloured bracelets or garlands of flowers are empowered as the essence of the ten male and female wrathfuls. These are touched on the limbs of the students. The students are also at this point given a name and instructed to remember it!

The students imagine at the conclusion of these two empowerments that they have properly realised the nature of the Mind-vajra, free from defilements. The students are then transformed into the yellow Awareness-vajra, the buddha Vairocana, and are guided by the vajra held in the right hand of the teacher to the ground outside the western door of the mandala palace, facing towards the palace. They then offer a mandala to request the final empowerment, Permission.

Permission empowerment. Hand emblems such as a wheel are empowered as the essence of Vajrasattva and his consort. The wheel represents the dharma, and this is offered to the hands of the students who promise to teach the dharma, "turn the wheel of the dharma", for the benefit of all beings. Other hand emblems can also be involved here, for the others of the main five classes: lotus, jewel, sword and vajra.

The students imagine that having received the Permission empowerment they have properly realised the nature of the Awareness-vajra, free from defilements.

There are some further ritual activities and repetitions of some aspects of the vows and commitments, but this basically concludes the seven empowerments.