His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche Presides Over the Acalanatha Fire Offering Puja to a Perfect Completion in Japan

His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche presided over the auspicious “Acalanatha Fire Offering Puja” at the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Kyoto, Japan on May 25th, 2014. Those in attendance included 28 believers from Japan, India, and Taiwan, as well as 186 Japanese and Taiwanese disciples, for a total of 214 people. The puja came to an auspicious and perfect completion.

Since the inauguration of the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Kyoto, Japan on May 29th, 2008, when His Holiness the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang first led Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche in performing the Fire Offering Ritual, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche has presided over the Fire Puja at the Buddhist Center in Japan every year—not only continuing the teaching methods of the Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang and making reverent offerings to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, but also benefiting countless sentient beings in the Six Realms and providing all sentient beings with immeasurably auspicious Dharma teachings. This Puja, therefore, was held not only to commemorate the sixth anniversary of the Kyoto Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center’s consecration, but also to pray for blessings for Japan and to increase the good fortune of the Japanese people and their nation.

During this puja, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche performed the ritual of the Acalanatha yidam as well as the auspicious Fire Offering Ritual, and bestowed precious Dharma teachings upon the attendees. The guru began with a description of the motivation they should all have to participate in the puja, as well as the auspiciousness of performing the ritual of the Acalanatha yidam.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche said, “We must understand the mindset and motivation that lead us to participate in a puja. The Refuge Prayer and the Four Immeasurables, which we recite before each puja begins, are expressions of this motivation. We do not participate in a puja for our own benefit; we do it to help as many sentient beings as possible. The Seven Branch Offerings Prayer, taught by Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, is a prayer that all Buddhist practitioners must recite. It includes prostrations, making offerings, repentance, and rejoicing in the merits of others; praying that the Buddha and the Dharma will remain in the world, and accumulating even the minor acts of virtue; and finally, making dedications to sentient beings. The Seven Branch Offerings Prayer helps us to accumulate good fortune, allowing us to learn and practice Buddhism. The purpose is not, however, to obtain worldly wealth, power, or good health.

“The Dharma being performed today is Tantra, and its yidams are separated into four groups: the Buddha, the Lotus, the Dharma protectors and the Vajra; the part being performed today is the Wisdom King section of the Vajra group. The yidam of the Dharma being performed today is Acalanatha, who has a very profound affinity with Japan. Many Japanese believers, however, suffer from quite a few misconceptions when it comes to Acalanatha. In the past some people believed Acalanatha could help them fight and win wars, while in modern times people have believed that Acalanatha can drive away or kill one’s enemies. In Buddhism, the word ‘Acalanatha’ is explained to mean that after you begin to practice Buddhism, you will not create more bad karma due to the influence of greed, hatred, or disbelief in cause and effect. The main point in practicing the Acalanatha is to allow you to control your minds, and that is normally not very easy to do.

“Acalanatha has a different appearance in Japan from how it appears in Tibet. The Japanese Acalanatha sits on a lotus or sometimes stands. The statue of Acalanatha worshiped in the Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center in Kyoto is in a standing position. The Tibetan Acalanatha’s right leg is bent, and it kneels on its left knee. Squashed beneath his feet are four demons: the Demon of Death, the Demon of Affliction, the Demon of Sickness, and the Demon of Heaven. The reason this last one being called the Demon of Heaven is that even though it was born in the Heaven Realm, it continues to reincarnate. Both Japanese and Tibetan Acalanathas hold a sword in their right hand. The sword held by the Tibetan version is raised in the air, while the Japanese Acalanatha holds its swords across its chest. However, they both mean the same thing.

“The sword wielded by Acalanatha is not used to kill its enemies. In Buddhism, a sword is a symbol of wisdom. Only with the help of a sword can people cut away their afflictions; because swords are very sharp, they represent the sharpness of wisdom and its ability to cut away all of a person’s afflictions. Flames rise from the sword held by Acalanatha, symbolizing the fire of wisdom. The mudra in which Acalanatha’s left hand is positioned is called the Tarjani-Mudra. Placed over the heart, the hand is holding a lariat woven of silver and gold. On its end are two hooks, indicating that Acalanatha uses wisdom and compassion to reel sentient beings that do not believe in cause and effect or the Dharma back in, so that they can practice Buddhism.

“Acalanatha has blue skin and red eyes, but these eyes do not appear wrathful as do those of the Vajra. On the contrary, they are rather charming, and are not opened wide like the glaring eyes of other Vajra yidams. This lends them a slightly attractive feel. Acalanatha’s facial expression is very fierce, because sentient beings are very unruly and do not listen; that ferocity is used to make them listen and obey so that they will practice Buddhism. Acalanatha wears a crown with five heads on it—the top of which is the head of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. Around his neck is a white serpent, and he is wearing a skirt fashioned from a tiger’s pelt. This is decorated with jewels and other solemn decorations, and his whole body emanates the fiery light of wisdom.

“The serpent worn around Acalanatha’s neck is a symbol that means hatred can be subdued. In the sutras it is mentioned that people who frequently harbor resentment and hatred and who harm others will very likely turn into snakes after they die. Humans feel fear whenever they see snakes, because they emit a sort of magnetic field made of hatred. This is why people tend to keep their distance from snakes. The red of Acalanatha’s eyes means that he can subdue greed; the charming look in his eyes mean that he can subdue ignorance (disbelief in cause and effect). Acalanatha’s blue skin represents the Dharma nature, because the true essence of the universe is blue in color.”

Next, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche spoke of the origin and auspiciousness of the Fire Offering. ” Today we pray to Acalanatha by performing the Fire Offering. In the sutras, Fire Offerings are also called homas. The origin of the homa is recorded in the sutras; it originated in ancient India when people used fire to worship the heavens in the hopes that heaven would protect them. The homa used in Buddhism is not simply a prayer for protection, however. Participating in the Fire Offering can help us to live longer, be healthier, and keep from having accidents, but these things remain with us only to help us practice Buddhism for the rest of our lives. It is also recorded in the Sutras that with Fire Offerings, one of these three types of mandala is used: small, water and large. Any Buddhist who has taken refuge may practice with small mandala. I have seen the homa performed in Japan; its mandala can be categorized as a small one, whereas the homa practiced in Tibetan Buddhism uses a large mandala.

“The Fire Offering can be divided into four Dharmas: Subduing (subduing disasters), Increasing (accumulating wealth), Placating (conciliating), and Vanquishing (eliminating and killing). Each of these Dharmas is performed with a different mandala, and they all use different offering items, too. While performing the Fire Offering today, I will bestow offering items that you can all throw into the fire so that you have an opportunity to make a direct offering to the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and the yidam and give alms to all sentient beings in need of help. This ritual is not about inscribing one’s name on a piece of wood, tossing it into the fire, and forgetting about it. Such method of practice is not mentioned in the sutras.

“Every substance used in the Fire Offering has a special significance as well as its own special mantra. In Tibetan Buddhism, any practitioner who performs the Fire Offering must be a Rinpoche. In other words, a practitioner performing the Fire Offering has to have undergone continuously a series of retreats. You all have the causal condition to participate in the Fire Offering today, which is to help you to plant the causal conditions necessary to see the Buddha in the future. I know that some Japanese believers have come to participate in this puja simply out of curiosity. Buddhism does not belong to any one race or nationality; the Dharma is egalitarian. Anyone who participates in today’s puja with respect for the Buddha and the Dharma will obtain benefits.”

The disciples implored to offer the mandala, and Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche compassionately allowed them to. The guru then continued: “According to the sutras, a person without great good fortune is unable to listen to and practice the Dharma. As such, the purpose of the mandala-offering is to help us to quickly accumulate good fortune.”

Next, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche asked the attendees to remain quiet while he performed the Dharma of the Acalanatha yidam. The sounds of the guru chanting the mantra wafted endlessly around the venue, his Dharma voice echoing through the void. All of the attendees held their palms together in reverent concentration as they and all sentient beings received Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s auspicious blessings while he became attuned with the Acalanatha yidam.

After performing the Dharma of the Acalanatha yidam, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche instructed the attendees to follow him out to mandala in the Kyoto Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center’s courtyard to perform the Fire Offering.

On the day of the puja, the weather was hazy and muggy. However, as soon as His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche ascended the Dharma throne in the courtyard and began to perform the Dharma, gust after gust of cool wind began to blow with the sounds of the guru chanting the mantra. The oppressive weather suddenly turned cool and refreshing, and just then the clouds dissipated rapidly to reveal a deep blue sky. The sun shone down from between the clouds, and a wonderful rain of nectar began to float down from the sky. As time went by, the weather continued to change quickly until an auspicious sign appeared in the form of rain falling from a clear blue sky, causing all of the attendees to marvel and wonder ceaselessly. While the Dharma was being performed, two great birds kept wheeling in the sky far above the mandala of Fire Offering, and a flock of birds continuously chirped all around the Kyoto Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center. It was a sweet and wondrous sound. Many clouds appeared in the sky in the form of dragons, the Garuda, and so on; the sight of these ever-changing clouds was extremely unfathomable. All of these various auspicious signs had appeared thanks to His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s great achievements in cultivating Tantra. Because the guru applies every ounce of his energy toward benefiting countless sentient beings, all of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, devas, nagas, and Dharma protectors came forth to offer protection, blessings and praise!

While performing the Fire Offering Ritual, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche compassionately allowed each of the attendees the opportunity to come forward, receive an offering item that had been blessed by the guru, and toss it into the Fire Offering mandala as an offering to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and as alms for sentient beings. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche performed the Dharma for more than three hours, continuously chanting mantras and blessing all sorts of offering items. At the same time, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche had to rapidly place offering items onto each attendee’s plate one after another, non-stop, so that they could all receive them in a timely manner. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche paid close attention to everyone’s pace and conditions, constantly blessing sentient beings with his gaze.

 

The flames of the mandala appeared in the forms of fire deities

As the ritual continued, the Fire Offering mandala’s flames burned very fiercely, rising two stories high. The fierce conflagration suddenly seemed to come to life, and could not be stopped. The auspiciousness of Tantra is difficult to imagine. As His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche performed the Dharma, the flames of the mandala appeared in the forms of deities of fire and continuously manifested all sorts of changing auspicious signs.

At first the flames of the Fire Offering mandala manifested in the forms of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas descending to Earth on top of their mounts. Praise be unto the incomparable merits with which Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche liberates sentient beings.

After that, the flames crystallized into the Dharma image of Acalanatha with a Dharma vessel held in his left hand, representing the compassion and wisdom of Buddhism. The flames continued to change. In Acalanatha’s right hand was a sword, its incomparable fierce image taking shape more and more clearly. The sword’s flames of wisdom can cut away all human afflictions.

Around Acalanatha’s neck was a serpent, and it continued to rear its head among the ever-changing flames.

Just as the image of Acalanatha seemed about to disappear into the void, an image of His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche sitting on the Dharma throne and performing the Dharma actually emerged within the flames. The guru was wearing the Dharma crown worn and vestments worn while performing the Fire Offering, and on top of the crown the shapes of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas were clearly visible. It was an extremely unfathomable sight. Suddenly the flames changed back to the form of Acalanatha. His right leg bent, he was kneeling on his left knee, his two feet pressing down upon four demons—exactly the same as the Tibetan version of the Acalanatha yidam.

Among the flames appeared an image of Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche seated and performing the Dharma. The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas were clearly visible atop his Dharma crown.	The flames morphed back into the Acalanatha yidam, his two feet pressing four demons.

The fierce conflagration again suddenly transformed into the giant beak of the Garuda, and after that into a Vajra lion. Praise be unto His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche for propagating Buddhism with such compassion, wisdom, courage, and ferocity.

As the flames continued to change, the head of a dragon gradually began to emerge. It rose high into the air with the heat, towering fiercely in the middle of the flames.

The mandala’s flames continued to manifest all sorts of different auspicious signs, representing the mundane deities of fire and the supramundane yidams in emanations of various devas, nagas, and Dharma protectors. Their blessings benefited countless sentient beings. With his great compassionate vow, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche benefited sentient beings with the merits from his Buddhist practice and his great capabilities, helping countless sentient beings with the nectar of the Dharma and causing all of the attendees to sincerely give rise to an incomparable degree of respect! All of the devas, nagas, and Dharma protectors come forth to offer praise, blessings and protection for Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s great compassion, aspiration to benefit sentient beings, and attunement with the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

While the Fire Offering Ritual was underway, the attendees came very close to the flames as they tossed their offering items into the fire. However, during the entire process no one felt overly hot. Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s blessings are incomparably auspicious! As the Fire Offering drew to a close, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche instructed the disciples to take down the prayer flags and throw them into the middle of the Fire Offering mandala. All the while, the guru continued to chant mantras and bestow blessings. As the prayer flags caught flame, a thick black smoke was scattered by the powerful wind. Nevertheless, it never came near the Dharma throne, nor did it carry any sort of burnt smell. As the aromatic fragrance of incense wafted through the courtyard, all of the attendees were filled with a profound sense of praise and joy!

While performing the Dharma, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche used his right hand to pick up offering items and rapidly pass them out. The guru performed this action at least three thousand times. At sixty-seven years of age, and without any cartilage left in his right shoulder, Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche endured an unimaginable physical burden while continuously chanting mantras, blessing offering items, and placing them one after another on the attendees’ plates. Completely ignoring any physical discomfort, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche used all of his strength to benefit sentient beings in a display of the auspicious and great Bodhicitta of a Vajrayana Tantric practitioner. A Mahasiddha’s vow to benefit sentient beings is unfathomable, and can move heaven and earth!

After the Fire Offering was complete, and without taking a break, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche immediately entered the Buddhist Center to ascend the Dharma throne once more. There the guru led the attendees in a performance of the Dharma protector’s ritual and the dedication ritual, and then continued to bestow precious Dharma teachings.

Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche said, “Today is a very rare opportunity for you all to take an afternoon out of your busy schedules to get a bit of exercise. This is a lot more useful to you than a round of golf would be. The Dharma text contains many prayers.” Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche gave an overview of the benefits that could be obtained from having participated in the day’s puja: “It is hoped that the guru and all of his retinue (which includes both disciples and believers) can enjoy long lives without sickness and become empowered to practice this Dharma, because doing so can rid their lives of dangerous occurrences and distance them from murderous events—but only on the condition that they no longer take life or eat meat. Practicing this Dharma can prevent you from suffering an untimely death (such as dying in an accident or from an illness that should not have killed you), can eliminate, and keep us far away from, all obstacles created by demons, nightmares, and ill omens. It can protect us from curses placed upon us by other people, bring us worldly happiness and abundance, and provide us with a bumper harvest of the Dharma and the five grains (agricultural products). It can bring us luck, peace, and happiness, and help us to achieve everything our hearts desire. If you are willing to learn the contents of this prayer and to continue practicing Buddhism, then you can get whatever you want.”

His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche led the attendees in Ritual of the Dharma Protector and the Dedication Ritual, and then thanked everyone. Upon the perfect completion of the puja, the disciples stood. In unison they expressed their gratitude for His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche’s auspicious teachings and performance of the Dharma, and stood to pay reverent homage as the guru descended the Dharma throne.

To commemorate the sixth anniversary of the consecration of the Kyoto Glorious Jewel Buddhist Center, His Eminence Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche presided over this rare and auspicious Acalanatha Fire Offering Puja. Its purpose was not only to pass on the Dharma lineage of the Drikung Kagyu Order, but also to pray for blessings for Japan, to increase the good fortune of the nation and its people, and to help all sentient beings with a Dharma rain of compassion and wisdom so that they can be liberated from suffering and practice the Dharma with diligence, thus allowing them to obtain countless merits and benefits!

Updated on June 24, 2014