THE WEEKLY & MONTHLY RITUAL COMMITMENTS

Aside from the stated engagements, those special days on the Mahayana Vajrayana Buddhist calendar are commemorated with special ceremonial engagements. To cite an example, there is a Chintamani Tara rite (Chintamani Dol.chog,tib) dedicated to this Goddess for the success of the prime objective of reaching enlightenment and the immediate ones regarding the pacification of harm.

Then, there is the Fulfillment and Restoration rite (Kang.so,tib.) of the Dharmapalas (Protectors of the faith), the principal among these is, the Dharmapala Dorje Shugden. Dharmapalas are considered to be manifestations of the enlightened Buddhas. Due to their proximity to the human world, they are better placed to act in removing obstacles and obstructing provisions, to successfully accomplish the spiritual path.

Gurupuja (Lama Chopa,tib.) is another ceremonial engagement observed on the 10th and 25th days of the Tibetan calendar. It is a part of the sacred commitment one has regarding one's Spiritual Guides, which is fulfilled on its observation. A Ghanachakra (Tshog.kyi Khor.lo,tib) is performed in conclusion as a thanksgiving. The edibles and drinks amassed for the occasion were distributed among the participants.

THE YEARLY RITUAL ENGAGEMENTS OF THE KUNDELING MONASTERY

A catalog involving a list of ritual engagements is carried on for a period of 25 days in a row in the month of December by monks with expertise in this field, who are invited from other monasteries. This is followed later by another round of 8 consecutive days of ritual observations once a year. These shall be briefly mentioned by their respective names and purposes for which they are engaged. The annual rituals are as follows:

1. The Thousand Offerings to the Venerable Tsongkhapa , (Je.yi Tong.cho,tib) is a liturgical manual practiced to accumulate merit and purify negative karma, by inviting and supplicating its principal object of devotion Lama Tsongkhapa, sometimes and here, in the manual , simply addressed as, 'Je' (Swami,skrt, The Lord). This manual employs the Seven Limbs of Offerings (Ashtangapuja,skrt) as the foundation for its practice, like all other manuals of liturgical rites. They are Prostrations, Making offerings, Confession, Rejoicing, Requesting not to enter Parinirvana, Requesting to turn the wheel of Dharma and Dedication.  

It prescribes laying out a thousand offerings of the Five Sense Objects : water, lamps, flowers, edibles, and Incense, in addition to prostrations and praise. All material offerings are physically arranged while the liturgy of all the above-mentioned offerings is verbally recited. The sole objective of engaging in such offerings is to receive the blessings of the master, who himself is considered a manifestation of all the Buddhas and Manjushree in particular.

Purifying negative karma and accumulating merit, in other words, removing the Two Obstructions (to Ignorance and Omniscience) and amassing the Two Accumulations (to Merit and Gnosis) on the path to enlightenment, is the basis of all Buddhist practice. In recollecting the qualities of the Body, Speech and Mind of the Guru and his deeds on behalf of the teachings and sentient beings, one also strives to assimilate and emulate them

2. The Sutra offering rite of the Medicine Buddha (Men.la.yi Do.cho,tib), is a Sutra rite, which is one of the reasons why it is referred to as a 'Sutra offering.' The practice is also related to the Sutra genre of the Buddhas and is addressed to the seven Tathagatas, amidst whom the Tathagata Bhaishajya Guru Vaidurya Prabhavaraja or simply, in short, Guru Vaidurya, is the Principal Buddha.

The stated liturgy involves invoking the Seven Buddhas in Turns and individually propitiating each, by making the 7 Limb offerings and reminding them of their vows taken on behalf of all sentient beings. These 7 Tathagatas had, in the past, avowed themselves to help remove diseases and sickness and liberate those recollecting or calling on their names from lower rebirths.

3. The Four Parts of Hundred (Gya.Shi,tib) is A liturgical manual involving Offerings made as ransom to the four kinds of Mara: 1. The Mara of Ignorance , 2. The Mara of Aggregates , 3. The Mara of Death and 4 The Mara The Son of God (Devaputra,skrt.) These are our own afflictions of obscurations that arise as Demons that pose obstacles for us until we reach enlightenment.

These demons are metaphorical; in reality, yet, the obstructions that they create can hinder development and bring misfortunes as we remain under their influence. Their harms may, however, be neutralized through the power and compassion of the Triple Gem and that of taking recourse to the ritual means of pacification and creating merit. The motto in Buddhist practice is the ultimate eradication of the mental afflictions within oneself.

4. Averting Harms from Evil Spirits by the Heart Essence Sutra Practice (Sher.nying Du.dog, tib) Four sets of Twenty-five different types of offerings each are laid out to the four Maras mentioned in the four directions. Buddha Shakyamuni is invoked as a witness, offerings and supplications are made to the Triple Gems and the Heart Sutra is recited a number of times as a means to avert obstacles from the stated evil forces. Merely hearing and reciting it is said to amass great merit, and meditating on it is hence said to generate merit that is immeasurable.

The Heart Essence Sutra (Prajnaparamitahridayasutra) is the nucleus and basis of all the Mahayana instructions revealed by the Buddha. His teachings on emptiness refer to the lack of an inherently existing 'I' in beings and existence. The ultimate nature of all living beings and phenomena is dependent on causes and conditions and is, hence, empty of an inherently existing self. Realizing emptiness is reaching enlightenment.

5. Averting obstacles through the practice of the Goddess Sitapatra (Du.kar Dog.chen ,tib ) This is a rite based on a manual that combines the Sutra of the Goddess and her dharani & mantra practices. It is a means to pacify the planetary and constellation harms and countless other obstructions, that ensue from a number of categories of non-human entities. There are many benefits enlisted from the mere recitation of this manual considered a sutra and dharani, commonly recited by many Gelugpas on a daily basis.

The Buddha himself is attributed with having taught this technique to pacify the stated hindrances to the king of gods by making the Goddess appear from his crown protrusion. Such identical references to the origins of divinities are also found in legends around the world, particularly that of the origin of the Greek goddess Athena.  

A unique set up of offerings is made in the rite to this Goddess consisting of those made to the deity herself and others that form part of the Vedic divinities. (De.gye,tib, Ashtakula,skrt) A substitute, in the form of an effigy of the patron, is also made as a ransom, to appease worldly spirits.   

6. Pacifying the Wrath of the Matrikas (Mamo.yi Thug.kang,tib) A specific rite that is performed in conjunction with the Fulfillment Restoration Rite of the Protectress Sreedevi, also called Mahakali. Specific offerings to the four aspects relating to the four activities are arranged in this rite as prescribed in the manual. A number of the offerings made to the Goddess and her entourage do have shamanistic backgrounds.

Though appearing as a hideous Feindess, Mahakali is considered inseparable from Saraswati the consort of Manjushree Buddha and the Goddess Tara, The Savioress. It is also interesting to note that Mahakali, as a goddess, is worshiped in the Shakti cult of Hindu Tantrism and shares similarities to many of the matriarchal divinities of prehistoric origins worldwide.   

This rite mainly focuses on purifying the degeneration of precepts held by practitioners such as Self Liberation, Mahayana and Mantrayana pledges (Samaya,skrt) and is said to bring about the displeasure of the Fiendesses (Mamos,tib) within the entourage and the Goddess Mahakali .

7. Making Awry (Rul,tib) is a Tantric ritual. is based on primarily generating oneself as a deity, in this case, Vajrabhairava. The Fulfillment Restoration Rite of the Protectors involved are then invoked for their protection. This is followed by a manual that is associated with the means of Making Awry, which is the main liturgy of the practice that is then recited.

Notwithstanding that the Buddhist teachings and the Lojong (Mind Training) Instructions explicitly teach taking all adverse conditions into the path. On the contrary, Tantric instructions do teach techniques for averting harm and obstacles. While they may appear as poles apart, their approach is not viewed as contradiction. To avert the harm of hatred, slander, and magical spells is to help others, and are skillful means and therefore pure Mahayana conduct.

The merit of the holy beings and the Power of Truth are further invoked to remove the said harms, in conjunction with the. said manual. Removing karmic retribution becomes possible when the said factors mentioned are involved. When such do not work due to heavy karma, the Lojong techniques are powerful in themselves to apply as an antidote.

8. The Wrathful Dedication of the 60 parts of Torma (Thug.chu.ma Thag.ngo,tib) belongs to a Tantric manual and is an ancillary practice related to the Yamantaka Tantras. The offerings are made of four parts of triangular-shaped tormas (sculptured out of flour and butter), each that lies flat with the markings of the sixty parts. These tormas are offered to the Dharmapala Kalarupa's entourage, also known as Yamaraja. They are further extended to remove all obstacles on the path.

The practice is engaged in order to repel hindrances in general and serious obstacles, such as untimely death or accidents that may occur due to Karmic obscurations. However, the ritual has a more profound implication related to subtle removing obstructions from dual perceptions rather than just mundane hindrances. It is observed daily as a concluding rite in the Gelugpa monasteries for both the mundane and supra-mundane objectives.

9. Accomplishing Prosperity ( Yang.dup,tib ) There are three underlined objectives for success, ultimately to be understood as Fortune and Abundance. These are; Longevity, Merit and Wisdom . Prosperity as a vocabulary for abundance is utilized also to imply the abundance of domain, wealth, livestock and entourage, but it nevertheless concerns the first three categories mentioned as the foundation of all else. There are different wealth deities that are deemed Dharmapalas in the Mahayana Vajrayana Pantheon and are invoked for the said benefit.

The deities involved in this monastery are Sita Mahakala, Sita Zambhala with 5 deities as entourage, and Gyalzey Sisum Pelbar, is an aspect of Dorje Shugden as a wealth deity. In the Buddhist teachings, it is generosity that is understood as the root cause for all prosperity in this and all future lives, though transient and incapable of producing ultimate contentment.

It is also the source of removing the temporary sufferings of the lack of provisions, hunger and poverty, hence serving as a means of sustenance and material happiness. It helps Dharma practitioners too, to accomplish their ultimate goals. It is mainly for these reasons and not the mere amusement of wealth that this rite is therefore performed.

10. The Rite of Making Prostration and Offerings to the Sthaviras (Ne.ten Chag.cho ,tib) A special rite that invokes the 16 Arahats or Sthaviras, as designated. These apostles of the Buddha Shakyamuni had all achieved Nirvana (liberation) from cyclic existence, achieving the state of a Foe destroyer (Arhat,skrt. Da.chom.pa,tib) Prior to his Parinirvana, the Buddha exhorted them to take abode in various locations on this earth, as long as his teachings last, so as to assist the human teachers and the teachings in this world.

Dharma was declared to be the ultimate medicine and antidote, removing all sufferings from sentient beings. That Dharma spreads and abides long enough to benefit beings again mainly depends on the Spiritual guides. The purpose of this rite is therefore dedicated to the spread of the teachings and increasing the lifespan of the Gurus. The Arahats invoked are all Mahayana and not those of the Small Vehicle, which is symbolic.

Pure moral conduct (shuddhashila,skrt) is what all Arahats are said to be the epitome of; as Great Compassion, the Altruistic Intention (Bodhicitta) happens to be the heart of the Mahayana teachings. It is, therefore, vital for all aspirants to imbibe pure morality and Bodhicitta to progress towards enlightenment.

11. The Longevity Rite of the Goddess Ushanisha Vijaya (Nam.gyal Tshe.chog,tib) is based on the practice of the Goddess based on techniques to increase Longevity, Merit and Wisdom. These three factors stand vital to having a meaningful and beneficial existence, without which living becomes meaningless. The Goddess is invoked as per her manual of practice (Sadhana, skirt), which comprises her visualization, praises and mantra recitation practices.

The preparation for her rite undergoes the usual preliminary practices involved that are found in all of the ritual manuals and those within the practice manuals of Sadhanas involving deities. It also calls for the molding of life pills (Tshe.yi Ril.bu,tib) and Nectar, which need to be consecrated. After that, the participants and benefactors of the rite are offered the same.

The rite is occasionally employed as a means to increase the lifespan of the Gurus, benefactors and practitioners on the path. The sick are known to also take recourse to this rite to heal themselves. Given the foundation of virtuous merit accumulated, pure motivation to practice Dharma and benefit others, it is possible to increase lifespan, even if one is terminally ill.

12. Dispatching of gifts and fumigation offerings to the gods ( Gyag.ngen Lha.sang,tib ) This is generally an open-air engagement of a rite to bring about the victory of the White forces over the Black—the good over the evil . There are gifts dispatched, which are, in fact, offerings made to appease the various powerful gods within existence, and a list of non-human entities.

The said entities are known in the Vedic lore of the Hindu tradition and also embrace the gods of Tibetan nativity, besides incorporating the local gods and entities abiding in the practitioner's area. The offering of smoke, to these entities, which is fumigation, is essentially to purify any action that may have affected the entities concerned, thereby resulting in retributive consequences of harm.

The smoke that arises is produced from burning various medicinal plants and herbs, particularly juniper, chrysanthemum, rhodendrum, sandalwood powder, camphor, and Naga pills. These and other edibles and drinks are also placed for the said entities. The said offerings are blessed and visualized as appearing to each of the entities as their desired objects, pleasing to the senses.

13. Burnt Offerings (jin.seg,tib, sbyen.bsregs,rom, homa,skrt). is a rite in which there are twelve varieties of grains and substances as ingredients that are consigned into a sacrificial fire. This is performed amidst a burning hearth that is created on a square platform, where an officiating Lama, monastics or practicing adepts deliver the aforesaid ingredients, accompanying the act with liturgical chants. In conclusion, the rite is performed as a mandatory observance to an Action Retreat (lay-rung,tib, las-rung,rom) or a great Close Retreat (nyen-chen, tib, bsnyen-chen,rom).

Given the nature of the application to the making of Burnt Offerings, as described in the case, it serves the purpose of purification of negativities and faults of omissions, made during the Retreat. These are listed as the shortcomings of unclear concentration and visualizations, and mistakes in the mantra repetition—identified as the eight faults—are absolved.

There are other sacrosanct observations to which the Burnt Offerings rite serves further as a supplement involvement, such as the Great Consecration (rab-nay ge.leg char.beb,tib, rab.gnas dge.legs char.hbebs, rom). Besides, there are a host of other objectives wherein the Burnt Offering rite may serve as the sole predominant ceremony, as an antidote, to a host of problems.

There are namely four varieties of Burnt Offerings performed that are associated with each of the Four types of Activities (peaceful, increase, power, and wrathful). These rites can also be performed in conjunction with offerings made to any of the Mahaannutarayoga Tantric deities. Yamantaka is, however, frequently made the presiding deity for many Burnt offerings in the Gelugpa tradition. One of the qualifications required of the Vajracharyas (officiating master) is their proficiency in the execution of all four types of Burnt Offerings.

14. Thanksgiving, via The Fulfillment and Restoration Rite ( Tang.rak Kang.so ,tib) The Dharmapalas are invoked to make special Thanksgiving offerings to them on the successful conclusion to a list of ritual engagements. There are a number of Tormas dedicated to this purpose. Some of these are known as; Che.tor (Torma in relation to the objective), Thag.tor (Torma intended for wrathful purpose) Sheg.tor (The Torma offered on departure)

All of the Rituals mentioned above are conducted by visiting monks and Lamas, who are all connoisseurs in this field. The monks of the Kundeling, do also take part in the affair. Apart from this list of rituals, there is sometimes an addition or two, all of which cannot be listed for the sake of brevity. Finally, two major rites of significant adherence are held in the conclusion of the above.