C,oodness The Consecration Ritual based on the Dgt-legs Char-'bebs composed by the First Panchen Lama

Downpour ofVirtue and

by Yael Bentor
T
is by means

ofa consecration ritual that an image

the Buddha. By their power, calamities such

eases, famines, and conflicts diminish.

as disas

or a stupa is transformed into the nature a{ a

Buddha. As the regent of the Fifth Dalai Lama, Sde-srid Sangs-rgyas-rgya-mtsho explained, the actual Buddha (dharmakaya) pervades everything, down to each ofthe countless particles which together make up the phenomenal world. One image commonly employed to illustrate this nature ofthe actual Buddha is the sesame seed and its oil: although the seasame seed rrray not seem to contain any fluid, plentiful oil is obtained once. the hard seeds are pressed. Another popular image for the existence of the actual Buddha is space, which is everywhere. The actual Buddha is said to be naturally consecrated or naturally established everywhere. However, ordinary people may not always comprehend this, and thus the tantras teach the consecration ofimages, stupas, thangkas, books and so forth. These holy objects serve to locahze the presence of the actual Buddha in certain identifiable places,

The objects to be consecrated are considered

bases or receptacles of the Buddha's body, speech and

thereby making it available for worship and the accumulation ofmerit. Consecrated images and stupas serve to create faith and devotion in those who see them and induce them to generate the mind of enlightenment. They are a source of blessing and auspiciousness. They aid in spreading the teachings of

mind. Images and thangkas are receptacles ofthe body; books, dharants andmantras are receptacles of speech; while stupas and tsha-tshas (often small clay tablets, in this case in the shape of stupas) are receptacles of the Buddha's mind. Buddhist temples and shrines usually contain all three fypes of receptacles. A consecration is almost invariably perficrmed soon after completion of a sacred receptacle. In the case of a major image, a stupa or a temple, a high lama is invited to perficrm the ritual. Smaller receptacles, such as images or thangkas owned by individual householders or monastics, are usually brought to a monastery for consecration by its abbot, or by an incarnate lama (a rinpoch.). The larger monasteries usually perficrm an elaborate consecration onc e ayear in order to renew the consecration of their temples and sacred objects. Nearby householden and monastics often bring their receptacles for consecration or reconsecration on this occasion. The expected results of the consecration are not solely dependent on the ritual proceedings, since the

6I

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consists of the followirg steps: visuahzation of the practitioners' dissolution into emptiness, visuali zation of themselves as the chosen Buddha, invitation of the

Enlightened Beings and their absorption into the visualized Buddha, and finally, firmly sealing this merger by means of initiation. The process is very similar to the consecration itself and, in fact, serves as
its model.

In order to assist in their visuahzations durirg the initiaton, the practitioners put on the clothing of the chosen Buddha in its Glorious Form (sambhogakaya). These clothes include a brocade stole standing for the upper garment, a piece of brocade which covers the lap representing the lower garmertt, a wig of hair tied into a triple top-knot, and a crown with the five
Tathagatas of the mandala. Spectators at the ritual will also observe that the performers place a red blindfold above their eyes, symbohzrngtheir ignorance prior to

Generally, it is after the morning rea-break that the other ritual substances and implements undergo their transformation. These items include the eight bathing vases, the bathing substances, the grain which will be scattered over the image, gugul (incense used for fumigation ) and white mustard. The last two substances are meant to be used for purification. All these items are placed on the bathing nlandala the tiered square structure surrounded by offerings.-These transformations as well are effected with the help of the fivecoloured thread extendirg from the ritual master to each item, one after the other. Each item becomes

endowed with the capacnty

purpose.

of effecting its ritual

Announcing the consecration

their transformation into the chosen Buddha. The blindfold serves also to block ordinary appearances in preparation for the extraordinary perception of the world as a mandala. Not only the participants, but also the ritual substances and implements require transformation. First to be transformed are the vases standing in front of the

This is a lUghly dramatic moment in the ritual, in which all the monks, wearing their ceremonial robes,
stand on their seats in order to announce the consecration (samkalpo). The announcement is accompanied

by the offering of the grain, which was used in Tibet

to represent flowers.
Cenerating the mind of enlightenment The performers then kneel down to generate the mind of enlightenment. They take the bodhisattua vow ro achieve enlightenment not just for themselves but to lead all sentient beings to enlightenment as well. This provides the performers and patrons with the proper religious and moral attitude. It reminds everyone that the purpose of such actions as consecrations is the attainment of enlightment by all sentient beings. The showing in the mirror

ritual master (this ritual action takes place prior to the initiation). The water of the Victorious Vase (uijaya be transformed into the chosen Buddha. The water will be used in the initiation of both the perficrmers
as well as during the ritual sequences of the 'supreme bathirg' of the receptacle. Spectators will see that on top of the Victorious Vase a small conch shell containing scented water is placed. On rop of the conch is a very small uajra, around which a fivecoloured thread is coiled. The ritual master holds the other end of this thread next to his own heart. The mantras he recites are conceived ofas coiling along the thread, thereby transmitting his powers into the water. The water is only then transformed into the chosen Buddha. The Victorious Vase is a vase externally but

kalaia)-the one without the beaked spout

will

also

and the receptacle

internally it becomes a divine palace, the mandala of Vajrabhairava. The ritual master pours the water from the conch into the vase. Finally, the chosen Buddha

within the
the water.

vase dissolves and becomes 'one taste'

with

One more action must yet be completed before the transformation of the image may begin. Two monks put on their ceremonial yellow hats and ritual-offering clothing. One holds a ritual bronze mirror and the other an offering ofincense. They invite the reflection ofthe image to allow itselfto be captured in the mirror. Likewise, reflections of all the other objects to be consecrated are captured in the mirror, which is then placed at the centre of the large bathing mandala. The
20

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aqt tsanbe.r '>1ctts esuefur uE s I[e/!\

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([Ils 'aLn4alilffitlp oql ul ule]s ou sI oreql pue tlodsa.l Jo atIJ e se (q8noqr uena) 'd{t aqtJo elpPFu el{t uI uns lq8uq aql sB'ssolllneJ ;sno11a-rtu 'peleites aq touuer auo l{r_lt{^A le 3ur1o9t ,{q 'dpoq a.rnd-'aruardns qtl^\ Pa/\\opua sr eleEEr{tea aql q8noql ue^A
:

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ile

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depart to their abodes, but to return on the following d^y

includes the Five Tathagaras' initiated together with

Concluding rituals

Rituals to assure protection for the image until the followirg d*y are perficrmeci. 'fhe mirror -with its
reflections is then covered by a yellow cloth. Thanksgiving ceremonies are held to express gratitude to the Buddhas for consenting to participate in the rituals. As in the conclusions of most other Tibeten rituals, an aspiration for oneself and all sentient beings to attain enlightenment is recited. The merit accumulated through the ritual perficrmance is dedicated towards this end. Then the Buddhas are requested to forbear such faults as might have occurred during the perficrmance. The first d^y is completed with the recitation

the Vajrac arya initiation, secret initiatioo, wisdomknowledge initiatior, and the fourth initiation. This completes the transformation of the image into the nature of the actual Buddha.

Ancillary rituals A fire-o{fering ritual (horna) is performed outdoors to promote 'increase'. This ritual ofVedic origin has the purpose of increasing life, wealth, strength, merit, wisdom, the study and practice of religion, and so forth. The specific aim of the consecrarion is to increase the effects ofthe consecration itself, That is to sa1l, the fire offering augments the effects of the presence of a Buddha emanation in the particular localiry. Although other recipients are not excluded, the main recipients ofthe offerings made to the fire are, in the present case, the Buddhas abidirg in the consecrated image. Then the eyes ofthe image are opened, using a small gold spoon and an ointment of honey and butter, SO that the Buddhas abidirg ther:e will look with compas-

of verses of auspiciousness.

The Second
Preliminaries

Doy

the Main Part

As on the first day, the main dry of the ritual begins

with the transformation of the performers into the

chosen Buddha, then the self-initiation takes place, to be followed by the transformation ofthe various ritual items. The image is agarn visuali zed as the chosen Buddh a, and the purifications and bathing sequences are repeated. The performers next announce the consecration and generate the mind ofenlightenment. All this is done as it was on the first d^y.

sion upon sentient beings. This is followed by the opening of the other sensory faculties: the ears, nose, teeth and mouth. Then a feast (gary"acakra) is celebrated.

The feast offering and milk-and-rice porridge are eaten as remainders @rasad) of the Buddhas. The guardians are next bound to an oath to protect the
image.

Transformation of the image

Main part
Since on the main d^y the Enlightened Beings will be dissolved into the image visuali zed as the chosen Buddha, the body, speech and mind as well as the six senses of the visualizedBuddhas are blessed. Thereby, the visuali zedBuddha becomes a suitable vessel for the Enlightened Beings. All the monks, holdirg the uajra, bell, and incense then invite the Enlightened Beings.

The actual Buddhas who abide in the image are now transformed into the appearance ofthe original image.
Praises and common and specific offerings'are made to

them. Enthronement ffirings

Various offerings are made to them and they are requested to perform the consecration. The Enlightened Beings dissolve into the visuali zed ones and the two become indistinguishable, nondual,'one taste'. This fusion is sealed by means of the initiatior, which
22

One of the purposes of the consecration ritual is the creation of sacred objects worthy of offerings, and thereby serving as a basis for the accumulation of merit. The enthronement orFerings, the first offerings made before the image when the consecration has rendered it as a worthy receptacle for offerings, is in a

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virtuous activities. Then, in appreciation of their sponsorship, the eight auspicious substances (each of these was once offered to the Buddha Sakyr-uni), which are considered to be capable of removing all misfortune and bestowirg all perfections according to one's wishes, are given to the patrons. Finally, the patrons offer their gifts to the ritual rnaster and other
performers.

Buddhism as well as the other religions of India has often been brushed aside as something unworthy of Buddhism's deep philosophy and its actu ahzation of .We the highest human potentialities. hope that, by showing how thoroughly the Tibetan Buddhist consecration ritual is imbued with those same elements
deep philosophy and sublime human strivirg, some

of of

Like the precedirg days, the dry is concluded with thanksgivings, aspiration prayers, dedication of merit, praises to the protectors, and verses of auspiciousness.

the objections to image worship will be reduced or done away with. Somewhere in the midst of the interplay of memory and aspiration, we humans pro-

duce an image of that which we might possibly

become, given the energy and opportuniry. The worship of this sort of mental image is natural when linked to a physical support by someone who has reahzed what it is all about.

Final remarks
The practice of consecration and the use of images in

24