Short Teaching of the Benefit on Doing Smoke Offering

Vajrayana is a part of Mahayana Buddhism which was given by Lord Buddha over 2500 years ago. It contained many special skills that guides practitioner to achieve ultimate happiness along the path of enlightenment. Burn offering is one of the said skill.

Lama Sherab Jungnay recommends the member of Philippine Karma Kagyu Buddhist Society to practice the terma text of burn offering entitled "RIWO SANG CHOE" (translated as "Mountains of Pure Offering") every last Sunday of the month. Lama Sherab told the members that burn offering is one of the parctice of Path of Accumulation and Perfection on Giving Generosity. One prepares great offerings such as five kinds of clothes (white, blue, green, red, and yellow in color) which cut into small pieces, five kinds of beans (black one is not included), cookies, butter, oil, sugar, fruits, rice, some herbal medicine, cypress and pine tree leaves (if available), flowers for altar, some sweets, incense sticks, a tea pot full of tea for offering, and other items that practitioner particularly wishes. The amount of the preparation is based upon one's own ability, same as the space of making fire, environment for one's practice use and so on. Substances of offering are mixed together in one big container. Black tea are to be filled on the offering cup. While the ritual text are recited, offering items are put on small plates for practitioner to thrown it into fire.

This kind of practice is like diamond cutter that helps one to cut through the attachment of materialism. One gathers some charcoals or fire woods with little amount of kerosene to make fire. The said substances of offering are thrown into fire in order to produce smoke that gives sensual pleasures. One offers them to Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma and Sangha) and Three Roots (Guru, Yidam and Dakinis) to accumulate merits and to invoke blessings. It also make offerings to the Protectors to seek for thier protection either on mundane lives or path of dharma practice. Giving generosity to six kinds of sentient beings who need the blessings of three roots and three jewels. This practice also pay off our debts to those we owe both present and previous life time. Those with form and formless. Those who are harmed unintentionally.
All sentient beings has mind and feelings. They are eager for happiness and wish to be free from sufferings. No matter who they are, human, animals, gods, demi-gods, beings from the three realms, with form or formless, demon or ghost, or beings from hell. All are the same. They all wish for happiness. But due to their negative karma and habitual tendency, they are stocked up here in samsara endlessly. Buddha said they are once our mother in the past. During that time, they are very kind to us. They take care of us all the time. Now they fall into this unfavorable condition, we should do our best to help them. Through the practice of burn offering, we can repay their kindness.


If one can practice Smoke Offering regularly, He might bring benefits to oneself and to all sentient being through the blessings of Three Jewels. His negative karma will be pacified, karmic enemies will be controlled through reconciliation process, hindrances done by demons or evil spirits will be overcome. One's merit, wealth, wisdom and life force will be increased.

Some might comment that why don't we just use the money for buying these offerings and give it to the poor and needies as charity. Lama Sherab Jungnay had explained to the member that in Lord Buddha's 8400 teachings, burn offering and giving generosity are same kind of practice but only different skills. When Lord Buddha gives these teachings, it based on the different capability of sentient beings to understand and practice. Both practices compassion and bodhicitta too. So one must not say "I prefer this one" or "I don't like that one" because both are came from Lord Buddha.

Today, Lama Kunzang, resident lama of Philippine Karma Kagyu Buddhist Society, together with members continue the practice of Riwo Sang Choe Smoke Offering Puja every last Sunday of the month. They Pray for the peacefulness and well-being of everyone. If any one who is interested to join the said puja, please feel free to drop by our dharma center. Lama Kunzang will be very happy to help you.

Source:
http://www.kagyu.org.ph/burn.htm

100 Deities Jang Chog Prayer

The Origin
It is stated in the Tantric legend that a king once executed his spiritual master. Due to this heavy sin, he passed away immediately and was born in the hell. He experienced the sufferings of all the six realms at the same time. Lord Buddha saw the great suffering of this being and He instructed him on the teaching and practice of the hundred deities. By just listening to this teaching and mantras of the hundred deities, this suffering being was liberated and reborn in heaven.

At one time, there was an evil minister called Shata in Tibet. He had killed many innocent people and also caused a lot of obstacles to prevent the consort of Padmasambhawa, Yeshe Tsogyal, from practicing the Dharma. After his death, he was born in hell. Guru Padmasambhawa, and his consort saw with their wisdom eyes that the former evil minister was experiencing unbearable suffering. His consort tried to save him by using various methods but she did not succeed. Guru Padmasambhawa then used the hundred deities Mandala with Jang Chog to help the evil minister and many beings in the hells. All of them were liberated. Later Guru Padmasambhawa transmitted the teaching of the hundred deities to his twenty-five renowned disciples.

The hundred deities are the attributes and activities of the five Buddhas and their female counterparts. They are the manifestations from the pure nature of our minds, and remain within us in the form of five faculties, five elements and twelve sources of perception and so on. By relying on the practice of the hundred deities or even by just hearing the mantra and seeing the mandala and picture of the hundred deities, one may either instantly or gradually realizes that the nature of one’s mind is inseparable from the perfect wisdom of the hundred deities.

The Puja and Its Benefits
During the performance of Jang Chog puja, the hundred deities are invoked and the various types of offerings are made to them. The merits accumulated from these offerings are dedicated to the deceased to help them in their purification and liberation. The prayer itself is also an offering of assistance to those in the intermediate or Bardo state to show them the path to liberation.

At the end of puja, the paper tablets of the deceased are burnt away. The fire used in the burning symbolizes the wisdom of the hundred deities; the burning of the tablets symbolizes the cutting of the attachment of the deceased to a “self” which is the cause of his or her suffering. Through the prayer and the ritual performed, the consciousness of the deceased are merged and become inseparable from the wisdom of the hundred deities. Thus they are liberated.

Source:
http://www.kagyu-asia.com/kl/n_100deities_jang_chog_200908.html#100deities
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The Hundred Deities of Bardo (中阴文武百尊)
By : Acho Rinpoche
Source:
http://achorinpoche.blogspot.com/2010/02/hundred-peaceful-wrathful-deities-of.html


I wish to talk about the teaching of The Hundred Peaceful & Wrathful Deities of Bardo. We did the empowerment ceremony for the practice at Alice’s home recently. According to Tibetan Buddhism, if one practices The Hundred Peaceful & Wrathful Deities of Bardo diligently, not only will he be cleansed of his Five Sins of No Respite (五无间罪), he will not fall into the Vajra Hell but will instead gain a swift rebirth in the Buddha Pure Land. Any sentient being who has heard only once about the mandala of The Hundred Peaceful & Wrathful Deities of Bardo, or the name of any of the deities, will not fall into the Three Lower Realms.

The god, demi-god and the human realms belong to the Three Upper Realms, whereas the hell, hungry ghost and the animal realms belong to the Three Lower Realms. We should strive for a rebirth in the Three Upper Realms and avoid the Three Lower Realms for the latter are full of sufferings. You would suffer tremendously if you fall into the hell or became an animal. If you were born as an animal, you would become very ignorant and would be slaughtered easily by others. If you were born as a hungry ghost, you would perpetually live in starvation, forever deprived of food, or any food that you could find would become inedible. So, we need to, at least, be born into the Three Upper Realms.

After hearing the teaching of The Hundred Peaceful & Wrathful Deities of Bardo, even one who has transgressed the Five Sins of No Respite will not fall into the Three Lower Realms, for it is “Liberation Upon Hearing” that will lead one to the attainment of Buddhahood. This is the most supreme teaching, as recorded in the Buddhist doctrines. Samantabhadra Buddha said, “Male or female yogis who pay homage to the hundred peaceful & wrathful deities will purify all their mistakes, including the broken samaya bond and bad karma, and they will be able to attain the common and uncommon (共与不共)accomplishments swiftly in their present lifetime.” The Hundred Peaceful & Wrathful Deities of Bardo is the most supreme treasure that can benefit all sentient beings widely, through which one could attain Buddhahood without doing the practice.

Guru Padmasambhava said, “This is a very special and supreme teaching, as one can attain liberation by simply hearing it – attaining enlightenment without practice, and attaining Buddhahood in a split second. It is the most profound method of attaining the perfect enlightenment, and also a method for freeing one of all negative karma created through wrongful actions. One who hears this teaching will not fall into the dark realms. It is a teaching only revealed to sentient beings who have accumulated great merits through their past practice. Upon hearing the teaching, one will receive great blessings and instantaneously attain Buddhahood.” It is a hidden teaching (terma) transmitted by Guru Padmasambhava, not revealed to those without merits. It is generally unheard of by most people. But once you hear it, you will have the seed of Buddhahood planted within your being. You ought to know that Guru Padmasambha is someone who spoke of the true speech – the vajra speech.

I obtained this linage of empowerment from three great masters, through H.E Konde Riponche (H.E Konde Rinponche received the empowerments of this teaching from H.E Padma Gelsang, H.H Penor Rinpoche and H. H. Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche). I, in turn, conferred the empowerment to the rest of the participants. Such empowerment has great power of blessing, which is evident in the pictures taken during the empowerment ceremony – the amazing round lights appearing in space during the ceremony testified the great power of blessing.

The genesis of The Hundred Peaceful & Wrathful Deities of Bardo began in this samsaric world dating back eons ago. There was a Brahmin who possessed supernatural power but was harmed by his student. The student was a prince who had also developed the Five Supernatural Powers. Out of jealousy, the student harmed his teacher and therefore fell into the Three Lower Realms and suffered great pains. Out of great compassion, Samantabhadra Buddha taught him the teaching of The Hundred Peaceful & Wrathful Deities of Bardo in order to help liberate him from the tremendous sufferings. Upon hearing the names and heart mantras of The Hundred Peaceful & Wrathful Deities of Bardo, the student immediately received the magnificent power of blessing from Vajrasattva and Vajrapani and was liberated from the great sufferings, and regained a human rebirth once more.

When you are free, you may visit our BuddhaEye website (www.buddhaeye.net) and take a look at the pictures of the hundred peaceful & wrathful deities. When you enter the bardo stage (after death), they will appear before you, one at a time. If you have not learnt this teaching and did not receive the empowerment, you will be frightened by their appearances, especially the wrathful forms, and run away from them instead. You might even blackout and become unconscious out of great fear. However, if you have received the empowerment and blessing, and you have seen their pictures in the past, you will recognize them and attain instantaneous liberation in the bardo stage. For you recognize them and follow them, you are following Samantabhadra Buddha, and you will attain Buddhahood. So, it is possible for one to attain Buddhahood in the bardo stage. The Hundred Peaceful & Wrathful Deities of Bardo is a teaching that only requires “recognition”, without practice.

Go visit the BuddhaEye website. Take a look at their pictures and store them well in your Alaya consciousness. One day, when you die, you will see them in your bardo stage, and remember, “Yes! I received the empowerment for this teaching in the past.” Follow the hundred peaceful & wrathful deities, and you will end up being born into the Pure Land of Samantabhadra Buddha. This is a very supreme teaching. I shall end here. Thank you.

Reference：http://buddhaeyelibrary.blogspot.com/2009/04/blog-post.html
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Shitro 100 Deity Mantra

Om Ah Hung Bodhi Chitta Maha Sukha Jhana Dhatu Ah Om Rulu Rulu Hung Jo Hung