A Brief Visualization of Burning Ceremony

The Burning Giving Ceremony is also called Smoking Giving Ceremony. There are many methods of the Buddhist practice of offering to the upper-level dharma realms and giving to low-level dharma realms. Burning Giving Ceremony is one of the methods given to low-level dharma realms. Burning Giving Ceremony is performed by burning a lot of foods to let ghost beings smell and give them temporary satisfaction.

When we use the rituals written by Mipham Rinpoche to make alms, we first complete the generosity practice among the six perfections. Secondly, it can eliminate the obstacles in our cultivation. In the Gusari practice mentioned in "Introduction to Dzogchen", you can visualize giving your body to many relatives, enemies, creditors, ghosts, gods, and hungry ghosts. This kind of practice is also referred to as “giving”. This includes our special activity of the [Teaching Source of Tibetan Dharma], - feeding the birds, which is also a kind of charity.

To perform the good deed of burning alms, it is required to have [Three Supremes of Retaining and Embracing] (Supreme Motivation, Supreme Deeds, Supreme Dedication of Merits and Vow).

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Taking refuge in the Triple Gem and making vows are the first Supreme Motivation we need to do. Taking refuge and making vows requires careful visualization. If there is no visualization, the beings in the Ghost Realm will not get anything, because the beings we donate to cannot be seen or heard.

Who are they? Firstly, they are our past relatives, enemies, and creditors. Secondly, they have not been reincarnated into other living beings after death and have always been in the Bardo Realm. Thirdly, they are spirits and ghosts.  If they do not have anything to eat, they will hurt many sentient beings since they want to eat meat and drink blood, and harm many sentient beings with such harmful intentions. Fourthly, they can be hungry ghosts. Many hungry ghosts have nothing to eat and have not been able to eat or drink for many asamkhya kalpas, which is a very intense form of suffering. Such sentient beings are the recipients of our charity.

The second Supreme Deeds,  is the right conduct without preconditions. It means concentrating on visualizing during the cultivation without letting the mind wander. After visualizing, the Buddhas of the ten directions and the three times appear in the image of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva with compassion, and then we start to visualize Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. This is the practice of sequence. We begin to visualize ourselves as Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. The real world is originally a pure mandala, and we ourselves are also originally pure deities. Now we visualize that we and Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva are indistinguishable because if Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva comes to donate, the merit will be greater. In this way, visualize Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva well first, and then start practicing burning alms.

When practicing burning and giving, there is a blessing mantra in front of it, "Om ah hum Namo Sawata Gadagada Avarogde Om Sambara Sambara Hum". If you recite this mantra while giving alms, all living beings will not be afraid, they will have the opportunity to receive our charity fully and can get more after the blessing of the mantra.

"Om Ah Hum" needs to be recited later, and it also needs to be recited here. "Om" means pure things to give, removing all impurities. "Ah" means increasing all things immeasurably. "Hum" means all immeasurable things become what all sentient beings need. This should be carefully contemplated. After reciting this mantra, recite the names of the four Buddhas again (for details, please refer to the collection of [Larung Lectures] - <Smoke Giving Ritual>). After hearing the names, they will gain a lot of merit and the seeds of liberation will be planted in their minds. This is also a Dharma donation.

When you give alms, you must do it with compassion and bodhicitta. While reciting the rituals, you should imagine that the space is filled with all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas you have invited. Meanwhile, countless sentient beings are coming. Give alms to them and they are very happy. If you visualize this in your mind, all living beings in pain will be able to get what they need. Because of the blessing of chanting mantras, all living beings will also be able to receive the Dharma's charity and gain the opportunity to be liberated. In the middle, "Om Ah Hum" should be recited a little more, and the mantra of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva should also be recited. After that, "Om Ah Hum, Namo Sava, Tatagada Avalog, Om Sambara, Sambara Hum" should be recited. You can also recite it later, visualizing it while reciting the mantra.

Why is visualization important?

Does everyone know the practice of Water Doma? The ritual of its practice is similar to that of burning alms, and it is also a practice dedicated to giving alms to hungry ghosts. In the past, Geshe Bodowa continued to practice Water Doma every day. When he was practicing, a hungry ghost who was blind in one eye often came to take alms.

One day the hungry ghost didn't come, Bodowa felt very strange. The next day he asked the hungry ghost: "Why didn't you come yesterday?" The hungry ghost said: "Kalva's alms are very generous. I and many hungry ghosts went to participate in this donation together and got a lot of things, which were very, very special, so I didn’t come yesterday.”

Then Bodowa thought: "This Kalva is an ascetic who has nothing and has been in seclusion in a cave. How does he practice giving? I will go and take a look quietly." Then he quietly approached Kalva's cave and found that the cave door was open and there was no movement inside. Kalva Vajra was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed and his body motionless. There was water in the walnut shell in front of him, and there was still a bean. Big and small tsampa balls. What was very miraculous was that many hungry ghosts got what they needed. Geshe Bodowa thought to himself, it turns out that the important thing when giving alms is not the things, but the visualization!

So if you don't visualize, taking out all the stuff in a big supermarket and burning it will be of no use, and hungry ghosts won't get it. If we visualize very well, we don't need to burn so many things to satisfy the wishes of all sentient beings.

Therefore, it is very important to visualize what methods you practice: giving, making offerings, renunciation, taking refuge, etc. It is very important to practice from the mind. Our minds are very, very powerful. If we don’t think about anything in our minds and just chant sutras with our hands clasped together and our eyes closed, it will look very serious, but it will have little effect and nothing will be accomplished. External performance is not important, what is inside the mind is the most important!

The last step is Supreme Dedication of Merits and Vow. When dedicating the Buddha's blessings, we also dedicate ourselves to the Buddha in order to save all sentient beings and quickly achieve Buddhahood. This is a simple method of burning offering/giving ceremony.

Namo Shakyamuni Buddha!  

Namo Amitabha Buddha!