Smoke Prayer - Tibetan Buddhism Manila

On the Meaning and Purpose of Smoke Prayer. Given on two occasions.

by Khenpo Tashi

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 opposite 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 everyday, from birth until death, life after life, for billions of past lives already.

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, created from 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, can all past Karmic debts 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. (You May Read: The Twelve Aspirations of Medicine Buddha)

These are other examples of ‘training in pure perception’.

Habit

Pure perception is the most difficult thing to do, because we strongly believe in what we are used to believing.

To explain simply, everything is impermanent but our instincts insist that they are permanent, or, Samsara is unattractive but our habits insist that Samsara is beautiful. So, ‘pure perception’ becomes difficult for us, because of a very strong habit for impure perception.

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 for us.