True Buddha School Annotations of Smoke Offering Practice

Transcription

1 Annotations of Source: Grand Master Lu s Dharma Talk and Transmission of at the Seattle Temple on February 16, 2008 Author: Imelda Tan Editors: Alice Yang & Janny Chow Website: Disclaimer: The annotations are based on the author s observation and note taking from the February 16, 2008 video. It is not a direct translation from any written source from True Buddha School. For the purpose of this article, the is referred as the Practice. The published Smoke Offering Written Practice Text (English and Chinese versions) is referred as the Practice Text. Anecdotes of Smoke Offering Yogic Practice - Page 1 of 6 Created on 3/18/ :39:00 PM

2 On February 16, 2008 when Grand Master Lu first introduced and transmitted the Smoke Offering Practice, he had stated that there are many intricate procedures and Tantric symbolic meanings behind this Practice. Due to time constraint, he had summarized the Practice to its simplicity. The subsequent publication of the Practice Text illustrates the step-by-step procedures. To ensure that the Practice Text is concise, many of the symbolic explanations provided by Grand Master Lu at the ceremony are not mentioned in the Practice Text. In this article, we wish to supplement the English Practice Text with comprehensive annotations to hopefully facilitate English practitioners understanding and enhance their appreciation of the many karmic merits of practicing the. The annotation is especially prepared for the English practitioners. At the time of this writing, there is no Chinese version of this article. 1) Guru compassionately transmitted the teachings of Smoking Offering to help students to purify themselves, and increase their merits and fortune. It is a convenient and less elaborate alternative from the Homa Practice. Cultivators must obtain Grand Master Lu s Smoke Offering Empowerment prior to practicing it. The benefits of the True Buddha Tantric are: i) To assist cultivators to resolve their personal karmic hindrances with their ghosts, spirits, karmic creditors and karmic enemies by offering 5 auspicious offerings in the form of smoke. ii) To motivate cultivators to gain karmic merits and blessings by frequently offering Buddhas and Bodhisattvas with 5 auspicious offerings in the form of smoke. iii) To assist cultivators to attain materialistic success and spiritual fulfillment in life and cultivation by accumulating karmic merits and speedily resolving their karmic hindrances. iv) To provide cultivators with the opportunity to perform a convenient, easy and affordable Great Offering Practice, with a simple location requirement, as frequently as their hearts desire. Anecdotes of Smoke Offering Yogic Practice - Page 2 of 6 Created on 3/18/ :39:00 PM

3 2) Materials for the Practice 2.1) Incense Burner It is not necessary to purchase a separate incense burner for this Practice. Any used incense burner would suffice as long as there is a hole at the top for the smoke to escape. A used burner should be purified first by the incense at the shrine. The size of the incense burner is determined by the quantity of the materials that you wish to burn and offer. The Practice is originally designed for individual practice. Therefore, a small incense burner is adequate for an individual s use. However, a bigger incense burner is recommended if you intend to conduct the Practice with a large group of people. 2.2) Shapes of the Powder Cake The powder cake (or dough) must consist of 5 main flammable ingredients mixed with a few drops of milk and butter. Mold it into a small round shape to fit a small round incense burner. Or, mold it into a small roll to fit into an elongated incense burner. However, it is not necessary to make offering into any shape. 3) The Detailed Procedures of the Practice (Note: Although the notes below may sound slightly different from the published Practice Text, both described methods are acceptable. True Buddha Foundation has informed us that Grand Master Lu had reviewed, approved and blessed the Chinese Practice Text before releasing it to the public. Therefore, there is no error in the Chinese Practice Text including the subsequent translated English Practice Text. True Buddha Foundation asserts that practitioners can selectively choose to follow the instructions noted on the Practice Text or the instructions verbally provided by Grand Master Lu.) 3.1) Preparing the Powder Cake Repeatedly chant Om Ah Hum and Lang Yang Kang as you are making and preparing the powder cake. 3.2) Selecting a location for the Practice. Anecdotes of Smoke Offering Yogic Practice - Page 3 of 6 Created on 3/18/ :39:00 PM

4 The location of where you conduct your practice depends on to whom you wish to dedicate the Smoke Offering. If your practice is meant to be offered to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, you would place your incense burner on the shrine table with all the windows of the room opened. You would complete the entire practice in your shrine room. If your practice is meant to be offered to ghosts, spirits and karmic enemies, you would place your incense burner outside such as on the balcony. You would conduct the entire practice facing the balcony. Bear in mind that there MUST be adequate air flow to allow the incense s smoke to be blown by the winds. 3.3) Performing the Practice Ritual Decide whether you want to make offering to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, or to your ghosts, spirits, and karmic enemies and creditors. To offer it to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, you would perform the ritual in the morning between 5am to 9am. To offer it to your ghosts, spirits and karmic enemies and creditors, you would perform the ritual in the evening between 5pm to 9pm. 4) Symbolic Tantric Meanings 4.1) The flammable ingredients five colored fabrics so that your karmic enemies and creditors may receive and wear their favorite colorful beautiful clothing. white and brown sugar so that your karmic enemies and creditors may consume some sweets. After having eaten some sweets, their original anger, hatreds and vengeance toward the cultivator would be dissolved. Anecdotes of Smoke Offering Yogic Practice - Page 4 of 6 Created on 3/18/ :39:00 PM

5 4.2) Recitation of The Four Immeasurable Vows Dedicate your compassionate love and equanimity to your karmic enemies and creditors. Once their pain and sufferings diminish from receiving your Four Immeasurable Vows, they would happily accept your 5 auspicious great offerings, and consequently leave you alone. 4.3) Visualizing the Incense Smoke Transforming into 5 Auspicious Offerings It signifies your desire to offer the 5 auspicious offerings to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas; or to your ghosts, spirits, karmic enemies and karmic creditors. If you were to offer them to the Buddhas and the Bodhisattvas, they would bless you with good fortunes for your karmic merits. If you were to offer them to your ghosts, spirits, karmic enemies and creditors, they would happily accept your offerings, dissolve their grudges against you and leave you alone. 4.4) Recitation of Om, ah-bu-la-di, pu-ba-yeh, soha and snap fingers 7 times The number 7 means spiritual completion and fulfillment. The symbolic meanings of mantra chanting and snapping fingers 7 times are spiritual completion and fulfillment. To spiritually fulfill the desires of all of your ghosts, spirits, karmic enemies and karmic creditors so that they may joyfully attain spiritual completion in the spirit of the Four Immeasurable Vows. 4.5) Recitation of Om Ah Hum. Lang Yang Kang. Om is to transform the quantity of the offerings (the flammable ingredients) into abundance. Ah is to purify the abundance. Hum is to empower the abundance with dharma taste. Following, you would chant Lang Yang Kang. Anecdotes of Smoke Offering Yogic Practice - Page 5 of 6 Created on 3/18/ :39:00 PM

6 Lang refers to the smoke escaping from the incense burner s top. Yang is the transformed winds. Kang refers to the winds dispersing the abundant offerings into the vast emptiness. Anecdotes of Smoke Offering Yogic Practice - Page 6 of 6 Created on 3/18/ :39:00 PM