July 14 – Tagaytay, Philippines | The Smoke Puja was successfully held today, Sunday, in Tagaytay. The weather was cooperative and everyone was in their best behavior.
The Smoke Puja, its materials and liturgy are not ordinary at all. In Tibetan Buddhism, especially in the Vajrayana path, the way to liberation is practicing in ‘pure perception’. The enemy of pure perception is ‘impure perception’, which is the strong habit of all sentient beings like us.
In pure perception, everything and everyone are seen as ‘pure’. Pure is what all Buddhas and high Bodhisattvas see. They can see such after purifying their vast negative Karma and accumulating vast merit and wisdom.
Impure Perception
Impure perception is easy – seeing with the five poisons of anger, jealousy, lust, pride and confusion. This is what we are used to 24/7, from birth until death, life after life, for billions of past lives.
Impure perception is bad because from the poisons, we are led to do negative Karma, thus planting seeds to ripen as our future sufferings. All our sufferings now came from past seeds due to our own poisons.
Even within this one life, we can see how many problems and negative situations arise from our own lust, anger, pride and so on. Many commit adultery, many are heartbroken and suicidal, many commit violent crimes, many are insulted and want revenge – all due to one’s five poisons.
Practicing Pure Perception
In Smoke Puja (Tib. Riwo Sangcho), we recite several mantra syllables, for:
1. transforming impure substances into emptiness,
2. making limited offerings unlimited,
3. satisfying and delighting the Buddhas and guests,
4. accomplishing activities that benefit all others,
5. making the offering substance appear according to the need of each mind and filling all of space,
6. Converting into an endless ocean of nectar to pacify all suffering.
Then, we also visualize and recite prayers that revolve around these six actions.
All the materials and substances are also used to their ‘purest’ extents. For instance, the burning fire is used to “pay ALL karmic debts back”, and to “purify ALL past mistakes of making wrong offerings to the Three Jewels”.
From ordinary fire, all past Karmic debts can be purified? This is part of the training in ‘pure perception’.
Also, in the Smoke Puja, visualizations such as “immeasurable container filled with holy nectar, from the ends of Samsara and Nirvana”, are used. We also recite aspirations such as “May we be born in the Pure Realm of Akanistha”, which are similar to what all Buddhas aspire for.
These are other examples of ‘training in pure perception’. The practitioner trains, again and again, to see and think how a Buddha sees and thinks.
Pure perception is the most difficult thing to do, because we strongly believe in what we are used to believing. To explain in simple terms, everything is impermanent but our instinct insists that they are permanent, or, Samsara is unattractive but our habits insist that it is beautiful. So, ‘pure perception’ becomes difficult for us.
We just practice according to what we can, slowly, steadily, in a relaxed manner. We will always progress with such an attitude.
The more we read, the more we think about it. The more we think, the more we become familiar. The more we become familiar, in the future, the easier it is to do. Thank you!
Lama Tsultrim, Vajra Master (left) with Khenpo Thubten and Khenpo Tashi, Lama Norbu and Lama Jigme.
Incense offering
Puja begins
