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An
Explanation of the Practice of Sang Offering by Gyalsé Shenpen Tayé Without ever straying from the
absolute space of reality, beyond conceptual elaboration, You appeared as the illusory
manifestation of supreme, immaculate wisdom—like the reflection of the moon in water, Dancing playfully in an ocean
of great bliss-- Glorious heruka Lhatsün, be my
guide and care for me! I shall now offer a brief explanation--word
by word--of the practice known as Riwo Sangchö, which is part of the profound Dharma-cycle of Rigdzin Sokdrup[1] that originated as a pure vision in the treasure-like mind of the great and
accomplished vidyadhara Lhatsün Namkha Jikmé. This will be divided into two sections: (i) a brief explanation of the historical origins of the practice of sang offering; and (ii) a more elaborate discussion of the text in the form of a word-by-word commentary. A Brief Explanation of
Sang Offering’s Historical Origins It has been said by some that
the practice of sang offering did not originate with teachings found in the sutras or tantras. Others point to passages in the
sutras referring to the Buddha’s benefactors welcoming him with the burning of incense on their roofs, or by holding
incense-burners in their hands. These, they say, describe the earliest form of the sang practice, as do the many similar references
to be found in the tantras. Although we might classify these as offerings of sang incense to a supermundane deity, the type
of sang offering we are concerned with here has an additional aspect, which is the focus on cleansing or purification—as
indicated by the so-called purification of impurity or contamination (mnol bsang) and the purification of spiritual
pollution or blockages (grib bsang)—so it is difficult to identify these definitively as examples of genuine
sang offering. Still, if we speculate concerning
the origins of sang, we can say that the first aspect of the practice [i.e., the aspect of offering] does accord with the
authentic sources mentioned earlier. Then, regarding the second aspect, purification, we can say that generally since the
victorious ones are skilful in methods and endowed with great compassion, they train beings by whatever methods are most appropriate
in any given situation. In this case, the four naturally pure universal elements--earth, water, fire and wind--provide numerous
methods for purifying or cleansing the stains of both temporary and ultimate obscurations. The general principles of this
approach may be illustrated by the householder Shrigupta’s verses for purifying poisonous food.[2] Then there are also examples which illustrate the uncommon method of purifying
poison using the poison itself, such as peacocks consuming poison or the technique of pouring liquid in the ear.[3] Moreover, the texts of Secret
Mantra teach countless methods of purification employing the individual elements, according to the particular experience and
level of practitioners. The kriya tantras, for example, teach rites of cleansing and ablution using earth and water. And the
tantras, in general, teach a number of methods, such as pacifying rites that use fire, incense offerings carried on the wind
and so on. The authenticity of this aspect of the practice is therefore beyond question. We could also establish this point using logical reasoning, because there is no end to the buddhas’ enlightened activity on behalf of beings to be trained. In which case, this practice could be described as a method using the element of fire in particular in order to purify obscurations until all temporary and ultimate defilements have been cleared away. Historical Origins in
Tibet In the past, there appeared three
Dharma Kings who were emanations of the Lords of the Three Families. Amongst these, it was during the time of King Trisong
Deutsen, who was Manjushri in person, that the second buddha, the Great Master of Oddiyana, was invited to the Land of Snows
and the glorious, spontaneously perfect, unchanging temple of Samyé was constructed. At that time, on one occasion the great
Dharma King fell ill as a result of spiritual pollution. When this was reported to Guru Rinpoche, he replied that he had a
method for dispelling the sickness. Clean wood was sought and then by purifying it through the element of fire, a smoke offering
was made to the deities. The king recovered; and then, for the benefit of future generations, the instructions on sang offering,
together with its history and a description of its benefits, were inscribed on the walls at Glorious Samyé. This is renowned
even today as the ‘Sang Offering Mural of Samyé.’ From that point on, texts of sang offering practices appeared
increasingly. The text to be explained on this
occasion was revealed by the great Lhatsün Kunzang Namgyal, or Traktung Namkha Jikmé, as he was opening up the sacred hidden
land of Sikkim. A More Elaborate Discussion
of the Text in the Form of a Word-by-Word Commentary The actual explanation of the
meaning of the text has three sections: the beginning, the main part and the conclusion. The Beginning The beginning includes the sections
of taking refuge, arousing bodhichitta, and gathering the accumulations through the seven branches. Taking Refuge
The syllables OM, AH and HUNG
signify the three vajras--the enlightened body, speech and mind of all the buddhas. Begin by reciting these three syllables
and, as you do so, recollect the qualities of what they represent. Now, when commenting upon the
meaning of this, using the words [of the root text], the first three lines may be explained in the following way: There are two extremes which
are feared by the shravakas and pratyekabuddhas of the hinayana, and by the bodhisattvas of the mahayana respectively. They
are the extreme of samsaric existence, as vast as space, and the extreme of the peace of nirvana. The supreme sources of refuge
with the power to protect from these two fearful situations are the perfectly enlightened buddhas. And of all the manifestations
emanating from the wisdom that is inseparable from their enlightened minds, one is like the innermost heart-essence. Who is
that? It is the one who has reached the level of a spontaneously accomplished vidyadhara, who has perfected the general activity
of the victorious ones, and the activity of magnetizing and wrathful subjugation in particular. It is the one with the secret
name of Pema Tötreng Tsal. Here the text singles him out by the use of the second person pronoun, saying, ‘…you,
in whose body, appearance (the pure realms), and existence (the beings within them), are all the mandalas of the buddhas,
perfect by their own nature’. We take refuge in this precious
master--Guru Rinpoche--so that all beings, infinite in number, may be liberated from the vast ocean of samsaric existence. Should you wish to elaborate
further on this topic, you might also refer to the sub-categories of causal and resultant refuge. Arousing Bodhichitta
The general meaning of sang offering
has been stated above. As a method for purifying temporary and ultimate obscurations through perfecting the two accumulations
of merit and wisdom it is unlike any other. And so, it is here referred to as an extraordinary approach of the supremely secret
mantra path. In terms of its view, the essence of both the illustrative and the actual luminosity is the inseparable union
of bliss and emptiness. This is the great sphere, or tiklé, of the expanse of primordial wisdom, wherein the ‘edges’
or ‘corners’ of any concepts related to the eight extremes have been eliminated. By resting in the state of realization
arrived at through practising this method properly, merit is accumulated based upon the apparent luminosity, and wisdom is
accumulated through the empty luminosity. We make the aspiration that on the path, the obscurations of all beings--including ourselves--will be purified in the fundamental ground of luminosity, indistinguishable from the primordial nature of all phenomena. When these three obscurations--emotional, intellectual (or cognitive) and thirdly, a particular instance of the latter, the habitual obscurations of the three appearances of transference[4]--are purified, our own and others’ body, speech and mind will be perfected spontaneously in the tiklé that is inseparable from the vajra body, speech and mind of all the victorious ones. At that point, we will attain the fruition, the culmination of the ultimate path of Dzogpachenpo, and gain the extraordinary, uncommon experiences of the four visions:
The svabhavikakaya may be likened
to an expanse of sky. In which case, the liberation of the ordinary, gross physical body together with its ordinary experiences
into the inner expanse of the youthful vase body, or into a body of clear light, is similar to the sky becoming clear of clouds.
We make the aspiration to accomplish this however we can. In this way, the relative bodhichitta,
which includes the aspects of aspiration and application, and the absolute bodhichitta, are performed together. This wish
to benefit ourselves and others on a vast scale incorporates all the essential points on bodhichitta. Gathering the Accumulations
through the Seven Branches This section has seven parts. The first is the branch of prostration. The text says:
The innate condition of the mind
is known as the wisdom of pure awareness; and its unaltered nature is the primordial luminosity. At the level of the ground,
this is the original dharmakaya, whose self-radiance and power can be spoken of separately as the sambhogakaya and nirmanakaya.
Then again at the time of the ultimate fruition, the three kayas are nothing other than the actualization of this very [primordial
luminosity]. Thus, it is a sublime object of veneration. And it is to this that we perform this prostration, the homage directed
towards our own inherent wisdom. ‘And’ is a conjunction and connects this line with the next. The second branch is offering. The text says:
Meditating on the meaning of
the aforementioned dharmakaya luminosity, which is difficult to fathom and without centre or circumference, is the ultimate
offering. From such a state, we then consider that we emanate ordinary offering substances like fresh water and so on until
they pervade throughout the whole of space, just like the offering-clouds of the bodhisattva Samantabhadra. By making offerings
like this, we will complete the two accumulations. The third branch is confession of negativity. The text says:
In the expanse of the luminosity
explained above, all the phenomena of samsara and nirvana are equally lacking in self-nature. Since this is so, we use the
four powers to confess all the negative acts and impairments of vows committed by ourselves and others throughout the past,
present and future. Following this, we practise confession within the expanse of luminosity, realizing the absence of true
reality. This is known as ‘Confession in the Expanse of the View’ and is the king of all confession practices. The fourth branch is rejoicing. The text says:
As explained above, when we arrive
at the culmination of the four visions that are unique to Dzogpachenpo, we are freed from the conceptualizing of the ordinary
mind and all dualistic perception fades away. At that time, all the dharmas which might perpetuate samsaric existence, both
manifest and latent, are exhausted, and we are liberated completely in the vast expanse of the primordial ground. It is in
this inconceivable occurrence that we rejoice. The fifth branch is requesting the turning of the Dharma-wheel. The text says:
All the points of the teachings
of Dzogpachenpo--the Great Perfection--included within the three categories of ground, path and fruition, may be explained
in terms of both primordial purity (kadak) and spontaneous perfection (lhundrup). Although the text here emphasizes the appearance
aspect of spontaneous perfection, this does not imply the exclusion of the aspect of primordial purity. So here the expression
‘spontaneously perfect’ is used to refer to the path of Dzogpachenpo as a whole. Making this request for the vast
wheel of the teachings of this two-fold path to be turned continuously, we call upon the deities of the field of merit to
listen and respond. Sixthly, there is the branch of prayer. The text says:
Here we request the buddhas and
bodhisattvas residing in the infinite realms throughout every direction not to pass into nirvana, but to remain for as long
as samsara remains, and to stir samsaric existence from its very depths. Seventh, there is the branch of dedicating virtue. The text says:
We dedicate all the merit accumulated
by all beings throughout the three times, represented here by the merit produced through the first six branches beginning
with prostration, towards ultimately passing beyond suffering. We should perform the dedication out of a state that is unspoiled
by any clinging to the true reality of the three conceptual spheres, i.e., the act of dedication, the virtues that are its
object, and the subject, the one performing the dedication. These are the seven branches,
which include all the methods for completing the accumulations. The Main Practice Having finished our examination
of the preliminaries essential to the sang offering, we move on to the actual practice itself. This has three sections: blessing
of the offering substances, identifying those to whom the offering is made, and the manner in which the offering is made. Blessing of the Offering
Substances The text says:
Out of a state in which there
is no focusing upon phenomena--represented here by the offering substances--recite ‘Bhrum’ (pronounced ‘droom’)
the seed syllable of the Ushnika Universal Monarch Tantra. As you do so, consider that the torma container transforms
into a vast and lustrous vessel made of the essence of various jewels and as large as the world itself. Inside it are all
the desirable objects in worldly existence in the form of samaya substances--the five meats and the five nectars. Then visualize
the three seed syllables OM AH HUNG, one above the other, symbolizing the body, speech and mind of all the buddhas. Through
the emanation and re-absorption of light-rays, the blessings of all the buddhas throughout the ten directions are gathered
together and dissolve into the three seed syllables. They in turn become filled with light and start to melt. Mixing inseparably
with the nectar they take on the essence of wisdom nectar and the form of offering goddesses in countless emanations. Through
this blessing, consider that all phenomena included within the categories of all that appears--the outer environment--and
all that exists--the beings within it--gather together, transformed into vast offering clouds of all that is desirable. This was the identification of
the offering substances. Those to Whom One Offers The text says:
Here all the recipients of the
offering are explained according to the categories of the four types of guest. Firstly, there are the guests
invited out of respect – the Three Jewels. The glorious Lama, first of all, is the source of blessings and the embodiment
of the Three Jewels. The yidam deities of the mandalas are the sources of accomplishment, and are included under the Buddha
Jewel. Dakinis are included in the inner Sangha of vidyadharas. Then there are also the dharmapalas. In short, this includes
all the inconceivable mandalas of buddhas residing throughout the infinite buddha-fields of the ten directions. Then there are the guests invited
on account of their qualities – the protectors. This refers to the local deities of every place and continent, represented
by those of our own continent of Jambudvipa--the earth-lords, devas and nagas, the planetary and stellar forces, guardians
of the directions, terrifying ones and great kings. There are also the seventy-five glorious protectors of pure abodes together
with their retinues. Next, there are the guests of
the six classes invited out of compassion. This refers to beings wandering throughout the six classes, each tormented by their
own particular sufferings, i.e., the gods, demigods, human beings, animals, hungry ghosts and hell-beings. Furthermore, there are the guests
to whom we owe karmic debt, and especially those who would steal our life-spirit, deplete our life-force or kill us. There
are the malicious jungpo demons, beings who create obstacles such as sickness. And there are the arrogant spirits of this
world who bring bad signs in dreams and all types of evil omens. There are the eight classes of negative spirits, the masters
of magical illusions. And, in particular, there are those to whom we have not repaid our karmic debts, to whom we owe food,
dwelling places, wealth and possessions. Furthermore there are those forces, male and female, that bring us impurity and obstructions.
There are demons that cause insanity and illness. There are the ghosts of men and women who have died. There are the spirits
of the dead included in the class of pretas, or hungry ghosts. There are the térangs and the ghouls who inhabit towns and
other places. In short, the ‘karmic creditor’ guests include all the obstructing spirits of the various classes
of ghosts and demons, male and female. How the Offering is Made The text says:
Whatever karmic debts we may
have as a result, for example, of protection granted to us by our superiors, or reverence shown to us by our inferiors, they
are all repaid through the offerings made to the scarlet flames: burnt away and purified. Through this act, all the different
guests are satisfied, and they receive a great downpour of all that their minds desire. We dedicate this by saying: ‘For as far and as long
as space exists, may this great shower of desirable objects rain down and become an inexhaustible supply of the five sensual
stimulants! ‘Through the power of this
dedication, may all our negative actions and obscurations of the past, present and future, particularly our misuse of offerings
made to the Three Jewels, in devotion and for the dead--whatever obscures us on the paths and bhumis--be purified completely
in the fire of this sang offering! ‘And similarly, let the
flames of the sang offering fill the entire universe--the whole of appearance and existence--and may every minute particle
of flame become a limitless and inexhaustible cloud of offerings like Samantabhadra’s, pervading throughout all the
Buddha realms of the ten directions! ‘At the same time, from
the tips of these flames--visualized as the five-coloured light of wisdom--may multi-coloured rays of light appear emanating
clouds of offering! May these rays pervade throughout the six classes of beings, but especially in the Avichi Hell of ultimate
torment, and there may they bring cooling bliss and relief! ‘May all the negative karma,
harmful actions and obscurations accumulated throughout samsara without beginning be purified! May the three realms of samsara--the
desire, form and formless realms--be liberated into the rainbow body! And may all sentient beings awaken into the heart of
complete and unsurpassable enlightenment!’ Actualizing the visualizations
that correspond to the recited text, recite OM AH HUNG one hundred, one thousand, ten thousand or one hundred thousand times
or more. The Conclusion This has three sections: dedication,
aspiration and requesting activity. Dedication The text says:
The whole of appearance and existence
is pure in its nature of the three kayas. This is because the five elements of the outer environment (i.e. the ‘vessel’)
are, in their pure nature, the five buddha-consorts; the contents--the five aggregates--are, in their pure nature, the five
buddhas; and the eight consciousnesses of the mental continuum are, in their pure nature, the five wisdoms. Therefore, the
vast and secret Akanishtha pure realm, which is the space of the five buddha-consorts--the five elements of the outer environment
in their utter purity--has the nature of a palace. And the aggregates, elements and sense sources that are found within this
sphere, are, in their purity, the mandalas of buddhas of the dharmakaya, sambhogakaya and nirmanakaya. Inanimate appearance (i.e. the
‘container’ that is the outer environment) and the form aggregates of animate existence are blessed and thereby
melt into amrita nectar (symbolizing the destruction of the maras), until no part remains unchanged. The steam and vapours
from the amrita appear in the form of rainbow-coloured light, which floods the whole expanse of the sky, and samsara itself
is liberated into nirvana. Through this method, we can amass immaculate virtue and, by doing so, overcome all our negative
emotions. This is the quintessential ‘amrita’, the virtue that we dedicate. As for the objects to whom we
dedicate, they are the guests in worldly existence who have wandered throughout the three realms of samsara from beginningless
time until now--all sentient beings who have been our very own parents. We dedicate to them in a state that is free from the
three conceptual spheres. Aspiration The aspiration appears in the next five verses. Firstly:
Through the power of all this
accumulated virtue, may we attain all the noble qualities as we gradually traverse the five paths and ten stages which culminate
in the ten strengths, four fearlessnesses and so on at the level of fruition! In this way, may we accomplish spontaneously
the welfare of ourselves and others! May all obstacles in our view, meditation and action be dispelled! And ultimately, within
the sky-like space of Samantabhadra’s wondrous wisdom mind, may we seize the stronghold of the youthful vase body—the
inner clarity that is ‘youthful’ because it is clear wisdom with its own powers perfectly complete, but is contained
within ‘a vase body’ since it is not yet manifest. Then:
Having attained complete enlightenment
and secured our own wellbeing, we will go on to act uninterruptedly for the benefit of others. So we make the following aspiration:
‘When at last the great ocean of samsara is emptied, may all beings attain buddhahood in the pure realm of Akanishtha,
the untainted “Lotus Net” extending throughout the whole of space!’ The aspiration continues:
Through making a sang offering
of the impure aggregates, elements and sense sources as the blazing forms of peaceful and wrathful deities, our ordinary bodies
are liberated into illusory enlightened forms of vivid, brilliant splendour. Through making a sang offering of the ordinary
red and white bodhichitta in the fiery expanse of wisdom, the wisdom of the unity of bliss and emptiness blazes supremely.
The sang offering of indivisible emptiness and compassion fills the dharmadhatu. Upon the ground of the blazing
five-coloured vajra light of all the phenomena of appearance and existence, samsara and nirvana, we perform this sang offering
for the attainment of precious, spontaneously accomplished, perfect buddhahood. Through the power of this, may all our karmic
debts from past lifetimes be purified! In the present, we confess our harmful actions and transgressions so they do not remain
in our mind-streams. And in future, through this confession, may we never again be drawn into the cycle of obscuration! The text continues:
The outer vows of individual
liberation, the inner vows of the bodhisattvas, and the secret vows of the vidyadharas each have their own unique system detailing
what is to be adopted and what is to be avoided. In the first of these it is primarily refraining from certain proscribed
negative actions that is taught; in the second it is the precepts of accumulating virtue and maturing sentient beings; and
in the third it is the various samaya commitments of the extremely secret mantra vehicle. We openly admit and confess all
our impairments of these vows and commitments, incurred consciously or unwittingly. Through this confession, may all our illnesses,
harmful influences, obscurations and impurities arising from the transgression of our vows and commitments be purified! May
all the calamities of this age and place, such as plague, famine and warfare, be pacified! Requesting Activity The text continues:
May the attacks of invaders,
or of barbarian armies coming from the four border regions towards Lhasa in order to destroy representations of the enlightened
body, speech and mind, or to carry them off as plunder, be repelled! May all the forces that create
obstacles by inviting spiritual teachers to leave this world for the realms of peace be averted! May all inauspicious bad omens
for the land of Tibet be averted! May the planetary forces, nagas
and arrogant king-like spirits, who so abruptly cut short the breath of beings’ life, be repelled! May the eight great fears of
fire, drowning, wild animals and so on and the sixteen lesser fears be overcome! May all that is inauspicious,
for me and all those living around me, be averted! May the powers and strength of
obstructive samaya-breakers and the hosts of gongpo demons be averted!
As for the benefits of this practice,
the sang text says: Through this diamond-like
practice of Riwo Sangchö, one will be able to ‘ransom’ death, purify the misuse of offerings and avert the various
kinds of obstacle. I, Lhatsün the illusory manifestation, wrote this in accordance with the dakini’s instructions when
revealing the hidden land of Sikkim. Gya. Gya. Gya. The explanation provided here
may be applied to more elaborate or briefer versions of the sang offering text as appropriate. It is in the lotus grove of the
pure scholarly tradition of scripture That the sublime masters take
their pleasure and delight, but For those continuously engaged
in village ceremonies, this donkey’s voice May still provide some amusement
with its garden of assorted advice. From the stream of elegant sayings
that benefit the teachings, I have not taken even so much
as a droplet on the tip of a blade of kusha grass, Yet this garland of words that
I have laboured to produce, May still contain some moisture
drawn from the clouds of Dharma. Through the merit of this, may
all beings Find immediate relief from sickness,
evil influence and fear of harm, And ultimately, may they be freed
from the torment of the negative emotions, Always abiding by what is good
and virtuous! This explanation of sang
offering, entitled ‘The Gentle Rain of Benefit and Joy’ was composed in response to the request of one named Samantabhadra.
Not having seen many histories like this before, and recognizing that people these days take special delight in this practice
as a method for improving the conditions of their present life, it was done mainly to be of benefit at this particular time.
I, the Dharma-preaching monk, Gyalsé Shenpen Tayé, wrote down quickly whatever came to my mind in my hermitage ‘The
Palace of Great Bliss’ at the monastery of Rudam Orgyen Samten Chöling.[5] May virtue increase!
| Translated by Adam Pearcey, 2006 | Root verses of Riwo Sangchö courtesy of Rigpa Translations [1] “Accomplishing the Life Force of the Vidyadharas” [2] The story of the householder Shrigupta is found in Khenpo Sangye Tendzin’s commentary to Sakya Pandita’s Elegant Sayings (Sakya Lekshé). In the story, Shrigupta is persuaded by a false teacher to set a trap for the Buddha and offer him some poisonous food. When the Buddha foils his plans, Shrigupta is repentant, and the Buddha makes him repeat the following verse three times:
(This verse is then repeated with the Dharma and the Sangha in place of “the victorious buddhas.”). And:
(This verse is then repeated for aversion and ignorance).
[3] This refers to the practice of removing water from the ear by
pouring in even more water. [4] The three appearances occur at the moment of death as the father’s
white essence descends, the mother’s red essence ascends and the two meet at the heart. [5] Dzogchen Monastery. |
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