Amitabha Purification Jangchok and SUR Smoke Offering Puja
In the Han region, the seventh month of the lunar calendar is the "Month of Filial Piety" (commonly known as the "Ghost Month"). Since many devoted disciples have expressed their wishes to perform some prayers to benefit the deceased during this period, Jetsun Choekyi Gonpo has compassionately agreed to hold the “Amitabha Purification Jangchok Puja” with two different "SUR” – The Pure Smoke Offerings Pervasive to all Existences and The Burnt Smoke Offering that Perfecting the Two Accumulations.”
This is essential to help them purify their karma and accomplish the two accumulation. All merits shall be dedicated for the swift liberation of all sentient beings to attaining perfect happiness.
Those who wish to participate in and support the puja, please contact the person-in-charge of your respective regions.
May it Benefit All. Sarwa Mangalam!
Below is the brief teaching expounded by Jetsun Choekyi Gonpo on Jangchok and SUR Smoke Offering:
The Purification Jangchok Puja:
Just as the Buddha has repeatedly taught: "If you do not create karma, you will not reap the consequences; and if you have generated karma, it will never go to waste." As long as it is not ripened, the fruit of karma will not be wasted. If you have created karma, no matter how many lifetimes have passed, as long as the karma has not been purified, one day it will surely ripen, and one shall reap the fruit of one’s action. Therefore, even though the persons have passed away, in order to purify their karma and accumulate good merits for them, it is very important to perform the ritual of "Jangchok Purification."
Since the ancestors have passed away long ago, and may have taken numerous rebirths, how can we benefit them through the Jangchok Puja? The practice sadhana clearly stated that because these rituals are specifically formulated to benefit the deceased, thus it will definitely be able to help them and lightening their karma. This is what the Buddha expounded many times in the Tantric teachings. It belongs to the impeccable Buddha’s words and is absolutely trustworthy.
The SUR Burnt Smoke Offering:
As for the effectiveness of the "SUR Burnt Smoke Offerings," it largely depends on three conditions: The Substances, The Secret Mantras, and The Samādhi Meditation. This is especially critical during the Burnt Smoke Offering ritual where the power of great compassion arises from the so-called the "Six Mantras, Six Mudras, Six Visualizations, and the Six Deities." Along the process, the names of the four Tathagatas will also be recited. Therefore, regardless of whom the dedication is directed to: those who still wandering in the bardo or those who have long gone, shall benefit from it tremendously.
Generally, the Han has the custom of serving foods as offering to the dead, and there is also a similar practice in the Tantric traditions of the Tibetan. However, the Tibetan Tantric tradition has combined it with some profound engagement: First, taking refuge in the Three-Jewels and generating bodhicitta; Second, the developing stage of deity visualization, followed by the six mantras recitation, the six mudras, and other rituals. Through the power of the mantras and mudras, the offering is made with transcendental perfection, and finally concludes with dedication and aspiration prayer such as “Bodhisattva Samantabhadra’s King of Aspiration Prayer" and other verses. In this way, all the virtuous deeds such as generosity are being carried out with the "Three Excellences”: begin with bodhicitta, middle with the main practice without concepts, and conclude by dedicating the merit.
Visualize Buddha Vairochana during Offering and Dedication:
During dedication, although originally, one may have a specific object of dedication, however, because all sentient beings are endowed with the inherent Buddha-nature, and Buddha-nature is the very cause of all sentient beings attaining Buddhahood. Therefore, in actual fact, all sentient beings boundless as spaces are equitably the objects of dedication.
The Buddha scriptures described that within every pore of the body of Buddha Vairocana, there are hundreds of thousands of pure-lands; and all the dharmas of samsara and nirvana, not a single one is not being included in it. The Pure-lands of the Five Direction Buddhas, the Zangdokpalri Pure-land of Padmasambhava, the southern continent of Jambudvīpa of where we are, the Abhirati Eastern Pure-Land of Akshobhya Buddha, and the Sukhāvatī Western Pure-land of Amitabha Buddha, and so on, and is incredibly vast and incomprehensible. The entire Three Realms, the Pure Realms of all the Peaceful Buddhas, are all included in it. Even if we exhausted the time of thousands aeons, it is still impossible to describe what it contains one by one.
Buddha Vairochana (Tib. རྣམ་པར་སྣང་མཛད་, Nampar Nangdzed) - The chief or central Buddha of the Buddha Family.
With that notion in mind, when we dedicate, visualize that there are countless guests of the four kinds located at the different levels of the body mandala of Buddha Vairocana: From his topknot to his throat level – there are "Guests of the Three-Jewels" (Buddhas and Bodhisattvas) abiding there. At the heart level of his body mandala, there are "Guests of the Sublime Master of Pure Merit." At his navel, there are the "Guests of the Six Realms." And at the lotus seat level, the "Guests of Maras, Obstructers and Karmic Creditors.”
According to the sadhana, the practitioner should try to visualize themselves as Avalokiteshvara when performing the SUR Burnt Smoke Offering with Buddha Vairocana in the space before them. Although one may not be able to visualize vividly, but Tantrayana emphasizes on: "Applying faith and understanding as path."
So, we should strive to understand and mimic the principal in The Aspiration Prayer of Samantabhadra: "Upon one dust, there are countless Buddhas, and incalculable assemblies of Bodhisattvas in every Buddha field," and firmly believe that all of these are indeed in front of me. In this way, just as what is written in The King of Aspiration Prayer of Samantabhadra: "Until the space of the world is exhausted, until all beings and their karmas are exhausted, just as everything is endless, I aspired to remain endlessly."
Our capacities and capabilities to benefit beings when we attained Buddhahood is in direct correlation with the aspiration we made while we still on the path to enlightenment.
When we are practicing generosity and dedication, since the objects of reference are vast and limitless, so the benefit and merits derived from the virtue of generosity and dedication, will also become boundless and immeasurable.
In addition, we visualize our body sending forth limitless celestial maidens, that go before the guests of all levels, offering everything that pleases the five senses, including: the delightful appearances, the beautiful melodious sounds, the pleasant fragrant aromas, the sweet exquisite taste, the soft soothing touch, etc., are being offered generously to the infinite sentient beings.
Those in need of medicines, received medicines; those in need of clothes and food, obtained clothes and foods accordingly. Every wish of every sentient being is fulfilled perfectly, and every being is completely satisfied. It is like making a glorious grand offering with inexhaustible boundless treasures of all kinds. The Three Realms are akin to the Pure Realms; all the sentient beings in the Three Realms of Cyclic Existence are being regarded as the guests of great compassion, and each and every one received their desired offerings with no exception.
How to Benefit Limitless Mother-Beings?
One day, we all will attain Buddhahood, and when we become Buddha, we will possess immeasurable capacities and capabilities. Why is that so? This is due to the practice of dedication, compassion, bodhicitta and other virtuous deeds we engage along the path to enlightenment. All these vast and infinite capacities are the ripening results of the great aspirations we made, such as the one made by Bodhisattva Samantabhadra: "As long as the space of the world not exhausted, I shall stay ...” ; and the one made by Santideva as depicted in the Bodhicharyavatara — The Way of the Bodhisattva: “As long as the world remains, and sentient beings remain, may I too remain in this world to eliminate the sufferings of all beings."
In Mahayana, we always uphold the noble aspiration of giving and dedicating all goodness and excellent things to all beings. If we must go in front of each sentient being and perform the actual giving, in order to be regarded as pure generosity, then it would be impossible to attain such merit. However, in reality, even if we do not do that, we can still achieve perfect generosity and attain Buddhahood – through diligent practice of generosity and dedication.
Although the retreatants are abiding and practicing alone in retreat houses, after every session of practice and meditation, they must seal their practices with dedication and aspiration prayers, for example, reciting The King of Aspiration Prayer by Bodhisattva Samantabhadra. This is very important. The omniscient Phagmo Drupa once said: "I wish to live for a long time, in a secluded hermitage, and vow to protect my realization, and contemplate on the meaning of dream-like illusion." What he meant was to look at the nature of the mind, and protect and maintain his realization. When he is out of meditation, he performs dedication and makes aspirations, and reflects upon the truth of dream-like illusions.
Therefore, in the path of practice, when one is out of meditation, one should strive to make offering of various tormas, perform SUR Burnt Smoke Offerings, etc. These are one of the key practices (Bodhichitta practice) emphasized by the Buddha. Furthermore, in the Six Paramitas practice, the first thing to practice is – generosity. Thus, we must pay attention to these practices.
Reciting the Mantra of All Buddhas:
Below is the Mantra of all Buddhas with immensely powerful and extraordinary blessings. Reciting this mantra with deep devotion single-mindedly, can eliminate the negative karmas and obscurations accumulated over the past 100 million kalpas.
May it Benefit All. Sarwa Mangalam!