Homa Ritual Honoring Great Compassionate Guan Yin

Based on the Format of Chinese Homa Rituals by Guru Chen

Written in Chinese and Translated into English by his disciple Dr. Yutang Lin

(With Guru Chen's original English stanzas preserved as many as appropriate)

1. Getting Permission from the Goddess of the Earth

Visualize the Goddess of the Earth with a yellow body as suddenly appearing from the earth and accepting the blessing of the Master who is no different from the Yidam, Red Chenrezi. After she offers her approbation, she disappears. The Master wields the Vajra toward the center of the borrowed place where the fire altar is situated to create there a Vajra-cross foundation. Repeat the Ten-syllable Mantra of Red Chenrezi and the following half-stanza:

Abiding in the limitless oneness of Dharmadhatu,

The Nine-deity Mandala of Red Chenrezi appears within.

2. Generating Bodhicitta

Stanza:

Sentient beings are trapped deeply in calamities and are wailing constantly.

Urgently seeking relief they immediately repeat the epithet of Guan Shi Yin.

Universally grant fearlessness, save beings from Five Poisons and increase their merits and wisdom.

Out of compassion for beings please accept this offering to help plant causes for full purity!

Instantaneously the Master transforms into the Supreme Ocean of Great Compassion (Red Chenrezi). In the crown chakra there is Amitayus (Boundless Life) Buddha; throat chakra, Amitabha (Boundless Light) Buddha; heart chakra, Four-arm White Chenrezi; naval chakra, the Heavenly King Vaisravana; secret chakra, the Mandala of the Twenty-one Taras with Green Tara at its center.

3. Blessing the Bell, Vajra and Drum

(a) Visualization:

Visualize that Father and Mother Steadfast Buddha become lights that go into the Vajra and Bell, respectively. Visualize the moon on the right palm and the sun on the left one. With the right hand holding the Vajra and the left one holding the Bell, recite: "Ma Ha, Ban Zha, Hong" and "Ban Zha, Ga Za, A." (All incantations are written in Pin Yin, in accordance with Guru Chen's pronunciation.) Use the Vajra to touch the heart chakra three times, simultaneously ring the Bell three times.

(b) Stanza:

Bell rings and Drum resonates to wake ignorant and deluded beings.

By observing sounds to realize Sunyata and return to original purity,

Compassion wells up and Guan Yin appears instantly like echoes.

Wondrous sounds, pure sounds, and sounds of ocean tidal waves!

Weng, Sha Wa Da Ta Ga Da, Xi Di Ban Zha, San Ma Ya, Di Cha, Ei Qia Si Dang, Da La Ya Mi, Ban Zha Sa Duo, Hei Hei Hei Hei Hei, Hong Hong Hong Pei, Suo Ha.

(d) Incantation of Requesting the Blessing of All Buddhas:

Then, while reciting the incantation of Requesting the Blessing of All Buddhas, use the Vajra to touch the heart chakra to awake all the Buddhas that are in one's own Buddha-nature and with the opening of the Bell facing the top of the Master's head, turn the Bell around three times counter-clockwise, then three times clockwise, thus all Buddhas in the ten directions are requested to give blessing.

Weng, Ban Zha, Geng Zha La Li Da, Zhua La Li Da, Shuang Zhua La Li Da, Sha Wa Bu Da Ken Zha, Zhua Zha Li Lei, Zhua Zha Ba Li Mi, Geng Zha Da Na Ya, Shuang Ha Bi Da, Ban Zha Da Ma Xi Da Ya, Sha Wa Qia Li, Hong Hong Hong, Ho Ho Ho, A Kang Suo Ha.

4. Protection

Two pieces of food, prepared in advance, are offered. One is white in color for vegetarian Gods and the other is red for carnivorous Gods.

(a) The Incantation to offer food to the Protectors:

Weng, Ka Ka, Ka Xi, Ka Xi.

(b) Prayer Stanza to the Protectors:

All the eight departments of protectors,

And all the Yaksas and your family,

Please take all this blessed and delicious food.

Protect all the Yogis and their families.

Let all of them be free and have long life!

Gather all merits and sow all best seeds!

And may you inspire all special enjoyments!

Especially help this salvation fire sacrifice,

And let me get all the accomplishments!

Please remember all your excellent vows,

Help me to gain all the attainments.

Get rid of all bad conditions and death,

Destroy all my obstacles and demons.

Pacify all terrible dreams and bad omens.

Protect us from all dangerous risks.

Help to make peace and rich harvests for all,

May plenty of all kinds of corn and Dharma,

And all good pleasures be helped by you!

Do help me to fulfill all my best wishes!

Those who have been divined to darkness

And cannot understand all the Tantras,

Not able to hear and see this secrecy,

Please leave here and go to the places where you belong.

If you don't take my advice right now,

I shall use the powerful and fiery Vajra

To destroy your head into many pieces!

The Karma Vajra throws the two pieces of food in two different directions.

Repeat the Four-Hong Incantation to send the black deities away.

Weng, Song Ba Li, Song Ba Li, Hong Hong Pei!

Weng, Ge Li Ha Na, Ge Li Ha Na, Hong Hong Pei!

Weng, Ge Li Ha Na Ba Ya, Ge Li Ha Na Ba Ya, Hong Hong Pei!

Weng, A Na Ya Ho, Ba Ga Wen, Bi Ya Lan Zha, Hong Hong Pei!

Then the Master visualizes the Vajra Net that covers all ten directions and is formed with the Vajra Net Mudra. Thus from the beginning of the Homa performance until its end, the altar and the Master and his family and followers are protected.

5. Blessing the Offerings

The Master holds the Vajra dippers together, repeats the incantation given below and visualizes much nectar falling down from Father and Mother Yidam upon all the offerings. Thus all worldly offerings become Vajra Nectar of boundless supply.

Weng, Cha Cha Cha Cha Cha!

6. Arranging the Seat of the God of Fire and that of the Yidam

Place auspicious grasses around the fire altar. Then arrange seats for the God of Fire and the Yidam.

A. Praising and Welcoming the Golden God of Fire

(a) Praise:

Shine upon the dark becoming the bright.

Drive away the demons with big fire!

Your kind smile sends away the sorrows.

Please sit on this good seat and admire!

(b) Visualize the Golden God of Fire:

"Lang" appears on the moon that is on a lotus.

From this "Lang" arises the golden God of Fire!

He has one face and two arms.

The right hand holds the stove.

The left hand holds a fairy bottle.

His hair is very long; his belly big.

He has a golden Brahmin thread around his belly!

The Master raises a bunch of auspicious grass up to the sky to welcome the Wisdom God of Fire and repeats the following incantation:

Zha Ge Hong Zha

(d) Praise:

You are the victorious Prince of Dharma.

You have got the initiation of good Karma!

Your wisdom fire can get rid of obstacles!

I, now, beg you to help this Homa!

B. Arranging the Auspicious Seat for the Yidam

(a) Arrange the seat for the Red Chenrezi with the following stanza:

Pervading the Dharmadhatu Your responding bodies have no definite abode,

Such compassion serves as the supreme seat outwardly.

Salvation activities born of oneness in Dharmakaya continue without ending,

Such merciful kindness serves as the supreme seat inwardly.

Harmonizing Sunyata and Bliss through initiations to nourish White and Red Bodhi,

Such compassionate well-being serves as the supreme seat secretly.

Reveal original purity in Sunyata Brightness to merge into Non-duality,

Such compassionate harmony serves as the supreme seat most secretly.

(b) Visualization of the Red Chenrezi:

Supreme Ocean of Great Compassion with Secret Wisdom Yogini,

Four arms extending to expand the Four Classes of Salvation Activities,

The five holinesses at the five charkas constantly turn the Wheels of Dharma,

Wisdom and Compassion harmonized to save beings through Universal Gates,

Supreme lights in five colors shine brilliantly through the whole Dharmadhatu,

All sentient beings are blessed with merciful protection and deliverance,

As the unified totality of the Compassion Minds of all Buddhas,

Any sentient being in peril calls to Guan Shi Yin for help!

Paying homage through always remaining in accord with sentient beings,

Repeating the Six-syllable Mantra of Chenrezi as perpetual praising,

Abiding in Bodhicitta is genuine repentance,

Spreading Dharma teachings far and wide serves as giving approval,

Vehemently turn the Dharma Wheel of Universal Salvation,

Long abiding in the compassionate body of oneness of all,

Dedicate merits toward all beings' attainment of Chenrezi.

(d) Praise the Yidam:

Reverently recite the following praise that was originally written in Chinese by Guru Chen.

Praise to Maha-Bodhisattva

The Great Compassionate Guan Shi Yin

Veneration in the presence of Guru Gong Ga who is no different from the Thousand-arm and Thousand-eye Great Compassionate Guan Yin!

Veneration in the presence of the combined totality of the compassionate minds of all Buddhas in the past, present and future!

Veneration in the presence of the holy protectors of the Supreme Ocean of Great Compassion (Red Chenrezi)!

Your inspirational responses pervade everywhere all the time.

Met in Brightness of dream even before I saw you, my Guru.

Prostrating before you who is no different from Great Compassion,

Once met, like old acquaintances, hence I praise Guru at first!

I witnessed the Karma-Vajra sign that appears on your spine.

Dharma King Karmapa foretold in a dream that you are my Root Guru.

Your two upper legs are adorned with signs of a lion and a dragon.

Those are signs of having superior disciples; hence I praise Guru at first!

Transforming into all one thousand Buddhas of the Good Kalpa (Bhadrakalpa),

Hevajra, Chakrasambhara, Guhyasamaja, Kalachakra, Four-seat Vajra, Vajradhara,

And even issued Green Tara and White Tara from your compassionate tears,

Being pitiful of the difficulty to convert beings to the extent of crumbling your own body,

Having awesome power to transform into the Eleven-face Guan Yin

With thousand arms and thousand eyes, and inspired Amitabha's head to join atop.

Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) and Guru Gong Ga are indifferentiable up to now!

Enhancing opportune conditions to help practitioners attain accomplishments,

You transformed into the great protector the Six-arm Mahakala.

Through overcoming adverse conditions to make practitioners more diligent,

You transformed into the evil army of the Heavenly King Mahadeva.

Merits of your bodily activities transform and appear again and again,

Layers over layers, like Indra's nets, indescribable through analogies.

Appearing as Samantabhadra yet with the tongue (talent in speech) of Manjusri,

And blessed with the power of all Buddhas in the four directions, above and below,

Still could hardly praise in reverence the Great Compassionate Guan Shi Yin!

What a pity for this little one who would like to praise but could not exhaust the merits!

In the Southern continent of Jambudvipa, except those who are deaf,

Has anyone anywhere not heard the Six-syllable Mantra of Guan Shi Yin?

Six classes of devil, six kinds of illness, and six sorts of hindrance all destroyed.

Six kinds of damage, bad influences of six constellations, and six poisons all eradicated.

Six karmic sufferings, six passes of difficulty, and six delusions all demolished.

Six kinds of supernatural accomplishment all attained without hindrance.

Beings in the Six Realms all attain Buddha's body in their respective realms.

From beginningless time there are so many practitioners, be they wise or slow-witted,

Through repetition of this mantra they had all attained rebirth in Pureland.

Up until the time when Dharma will eventually fade away in this world

This Six-syllable Mantra will incessantly remain in people's minds.

Among all Sutras and all supreme mantras, those of superior merits

And can benefit people of superior, ordinary or inferior propensities,

None could exceed the grace of this Six-syllable Mantra.

Not only can those maintaining its repetition obtain superior rebirth,

But also those hearing it, encountering it, seeing it, or even disparaging it,

All will be benefited justly through such connections and none will be left out.

The long Mantra of Great Compassion has long been famous for its inspirations.

The ancients had long passed down legends of how it helped overcome calamities.

Even up to other mantras of other transformations of the Compassionate Guan Yin,

Each and every one of them is none other than crystallization of Great Compassion.

Merits of your speech activities transform and appear again and again,

The Great Mantra Sound pervades the Earth, Water, Fire and Wind Elements.

Appearing as Samantabhadra yet with the tongue (talent in speech) of Manjusri,

And blessed with the power of all Buddhas in the four directions, above and below,

Still could hardly praise in reverence the Great Compassionate Guan Shi Yin!

What a pity for this little one who would like to praise but could not exhaust the merits!

In Salvation Karma you transformed into bodies of Thirty-two Kinds of Response.

Without distinguishing nobilities or low castes, nor recognizing the rich or the poor,

Be they good or bad, all just need to have pure faith in the merciful Bodhisattva,

And none will be excluded from the graceful blessing of Compassionate Guan Yin.

Calamities of water or fire, catastrophe of war or fighting, and epidemics or famine,

All sufferings and hardships born of the Devil of Illnesses or sinful karmic hindrances,

Upon hearing the sounds of beings in distress Guan Yin will arrive to render relief.

What the practitioner seeks to attain, such as the Compassion of Oneness beyond Causal Connections,

And even up to the Five Wisdoms and the Thirty-seven Bodhi Branches,

Will all be granted fulfillment through the grace of Compassionate Guan Shi Yin.

The Secret-Wisdom Yogini and the four Dakinis in the four cardinal directions,

Are capable of bringing the practitioner supreme pleasure beyond limitations of time and space.

None of them will not correspond through the grace of Compassionate Guan Shi Yin.

For any practitioner who cultivates Sunyata meditation or other practices,

There will be no possibility of attainment without sprouting of the Compassionate Mind.

Embodying the oneness of Compassion and Sunyata is the Compassionate Guan Shi Yin.

All dharmas (things) are originally free in the transcendental state of meditation,

Just as the very profound state in the Gate of Transcendental Wisdom that you entered.

Neither increasing nor decreasing, minds of Buddhas and sentient beings are the same.

Neither born nor perished, and neither dirty nor clean.

Those ancient virtuous ones during their pilgrimages to the holy sites of India

Were saved from perils only through recitation of and dependence on this Heart Sutra.

The wondrous philosophy matches the Great Compassion beyond Causal Connections.

Sunyata is form; thus compassionate vows extend boundlessly without ending.

Form is Sunyata; thus there is neither enlightenment nor ignorance.

Thus sentient beings may safely pass through dangers and obtain wisdom life as a whole.

Such profound grace, layers over layers, when will I attain mutual correspondence,

Harmonizing Sunyata and Compassion in oneness, and become identical with Your Holiness?

Merits of your mind activities transform and appear again and again,

Higher than I can esteem, harder than I can penetrate, as if afar and yet as if near.

Appearing as Samantabhadra yet with the tongue (talent in speech) of Manjusri,

And blessed with the power of all Buddhas in the four directions, above and below,

Still could hardly praise in reverence the Great Compassionate Guan Shi Yin!

What a pity for this little one who would like to praise but could not exhaust the merits!

Sentient beings in this Kali Age are far more difficult to tame than those in previous ages.

I have developed the Great Compassionate Mind beyond Causal Connections as Your Holiness did.

When will I attain the virtues and merits to be in oneness with Your Holiness?

I solemnly supplicate in the presence of the Great Compassionate Guan Shi Yin!

The thirty great vows I made toward salvation at will in the worldly realms,

I am ashamed that due to lack of merits so far they had not been fulfilled.

May Your Holiness grant exceptional blessings by embracing me in your Compassion!

Grant me rapid growth in Great Compassion, Great Wisdom and Great Powers

So that I can save all beings in the Six Realms to adorn the Great Compassion!

T'is so urgent that I couldn't wait any longer, and my compassionate tears are pouring beyond control!

I prostrate and supplicate to the Great Compassionate Bodhisattva Guan Shi Yin,

May blessings be granted so that all beings and I will soon attain Full Enlightenment!

7. Blessing the Wood and Oil

Stanza:

With the calamity-like firewood,

Start up the wisdom fire.

After offering them,

All the Sages, beings, do have the Pleasure!

The pure and clean butter helps the wisdom fire,

May all sufferings in the six realms be burned out!

8. Starting the Fire

(a) Start the fire:

With the fire mudra turn around clockwise thrice on top of the fire altar while repeating, "Lang Lang Lang."

Use a fan with the Tibetan syllable "Yang" to fan the fire thrice while repeating, "Yang, Yang, Yang." Then repeat:

Wisdom Wisdom Great Wisdom!

Wisdom Wisdom Constant Wisdom!

Wisdom Wisdom Samadhi Wisdom!

Wisdom Wisdom Tranquility Wisdom!

(b) Offering to the God of Fire:

Incantation:

Weng, A Na Ye, Sha Ba Li Wa La, Ka Ka, Ka Xi, Ka Xi.

Praise:

You are the sovereign Prince of Dharma.

You have been blessed as King of Karma!

With special wisdom burn up the sorrow,

Help us to fulfill the good wishes through Homa!

Stanza:

I, the Acarya, and all the followers

Do have learned Dharma and done good Karma.

Any kind of obstacles before the Homa is done

Please send away from this Mandala!

Weng, A Na Ye, Sha Ba Li Wa La, Weng, Sha Wa Ba Bang, Xin Deng Gu Lu Ye, Suo Ha.

9. Offering to Red Chenrezi

(a) Offer Bodhi-branches:

Stanza:

Once protected Sakyamuni Buddha to attain Enlightenment and realize original purity,

Serving as adornment to the Mandala and blindfold to worldly views outside it,

Bodhi branches form great shade for the uncontrived original state,

After offering them Four Bliss of Sunyata pleasure will reveal supreme brightness!

Incantation (repeat thrice):

Weng A Hong Xie, Weng Ma Ni Bei Mi Hong, Weng, Po Ti Zhi Qia Ye, Suo Ha.

(b) Offer black sesame:

Stanza:

Ignorance as the cause grasped by black and white karmas,

Perverse views, disasters and sufferings, all transform into offering.

After this offering one would realize that ignorance is originally of empty nature.

Reveal Dharmakaya for all beings so that all would attain great tranquility.

Incantation:

Weng Ma Ni Bei Mi Hong, Xie, Weng, A Mi Da Wa, Xie, Weng, Sha Wa Ba Bang, Xin Deng Gu Lu Ye, Suo Ha.

Stanza:

The self-nature of all evils and enemies is originally vacuous and inactive.

After offering mustard seeds all evils will perish automatically.

Seeing through that form and emptiness are originally non-dual,

In the compassion of oneness lie great salvation and great rest.

Incantation:

Weng Ma Ni Bei Mi Hong, Xie, Weng, Ban Zha Ba Ni, Hong, Pei, Weng, Sha Wa, A Qia, Xi Da Ye, Suo Ha.

(d) Offer three whites and three sweets:

Stanza:

All things white and pure contain the joy of Chan;

After offering these may all beings dine on form born of Sunyata.

Wondrous flavor of pleasant sweetness, free from impurities,

Would inspire Dharma nectar to imbue the countless worlds!

Incantation:

Weng Ma Ni Bei Mi Hong, Xie, Weng, Sha Wa, Sang Ba Dou, Suo Ha.

(e) Offer one coconut:

Stanza:

Sincerely and whole-heartedly dedicate oneself to the Dharma,

Receiving from above the merciful initiations of Bodhicitta,

Pouring to suffering beings below the compassionate rain of teachings,

Benefiting all through constant and enduring aspirations and activities.

Incantation:

Weng A Hong Xie, Weng Ma Ni Bei Mi Hong, Weng, Ban Zha, Po Ti Qi Da, Suo Ha.

(f) Offer walnuts:

Stanza:

Wondrous joy of Chan, who attained its marrows?

Four joys of Tantric practice, who arrived at the ultimate sphere?

Matching outer form and inner sense through this concord offering,

May we obtain realization that completely harmonizes the two truths!

Incantation:

Weng A Hong Xie, Weng Ma Ni Bei Mi Hong, Weng, Ban Zha, Ke Ba Ya, Suo Ha.

(g) Offer herbs for the five chakras:

Stanza:

Hundreds of illness as suffered by beings are indeed hard to bear.

All physicians have no treatments and effective prescriptions unavailable.

Relying solely on the great compassionate power of Guan Shi Yin,

Karmic hindrances dispersed invisibly so that recovery will arrive sooner.

Incantation:

Weng Ma Ni Bei Mi Hong, Xie, Weng, Da Le, Du Da Le, Du Le, Suo Ha, Weng, Sha Wa Ba Bang, Xin Deng Gu Lu Ye, Suo Ha.

(h) Offer red and white fresh flowers:

Stanza:

Yidam's Dakini and consorts in the four cardinal directions,

In addition to those at the four corners, net of wondrous beauties,

Wisdom Dakinis full of secret skills gathering like clouds,

To enable each and every sentient being to enjoy pleasure more.

Incantation:

Weng A Hong Xie, Weng Ma Ni Bei Mi Hong, Weng, Ban Zha, Zha Ge Ni Ye, Bu Bei, Suo Ha.

(i) Offer red and white silk, needles and threads:

Stanza:

Heavenly garment of wondrous touch matches Sunyata-form.

Red and white Bodhis increase through union of Vajra Love.

Straight channels and pure winds induce light of original purity.

Live long in the world to save countless sentient beings.

Incantation:

Weng A Hong Xie, Weng Ma Ni Bei Mi Hong, Sha Wa Nuo Ga, Wa Xiang Gu Lu Huo, Weng, A Ma Na Ni, Jiu Wang Di Ye, Suo Ha, Weng, Ban Zha, A Yu Ke, Hong, Suo Ha.

(j) Offer fresh fruits:

Stanza:

Compassionate aspirations to benefit others is the fruit of Nirmanakaya.

Completion of merits and wisdom is the fruit of Sambhogakaya.

Dependence-free light of original purity is the fruit of Dharmakaya.

The above three indistinguishable is the fruit of Sahajakaya.

Wisdom rainbow-body born of great pleasure is the fruit of Mahasukhakaya.

Soon fulfill wisdom and compassion to attain perfect fruit of Buddhahood.

Incantation:

Weng A Hong Xie, Weng Ma Ni Bei Mi Hong, Weng, Ban Zha, Ke Ba Ya, Da Ma Ka Ya, Suo Ha.

(k) Offer gold foil:

Stanza:

Priceless teachings are superior to worldly gold and wealth.

May this offering inspire compassion that is like the wish-fulfilling gem!

All resources needed for propagation of Dharma and salvation of beings

Through pure applications would inspire their flowing in like springs.

Incantation:

Weng Ma Ni Bei Mi Hong, Xie, Weng, Bai Xia Wa Na Ye, Suo Ha, Weng, Ban Zha, Mu Ni Ye, Suo Ha.

(l) Offer the eight offerings:

Stanza:

With water of great compassion to moisten and purify,

With wondrous pretty flowers to show variegated colors and styles,

With Kunda-Bodhicitta to imbue body and mind with fragrance,

With the wisdom lamp that shines continuously up high to dispel the darkness of ignorance,

With the perfume of great compassion to spread aroma all over the oneness of all,

With wondrous food of Chan joy to harmonize wisdom and bliss through Vajra Love,

After offering wondrous melody of great joy of the Utmost Joy Pureland,

May we instantly attain the pleasure of the Supreme Ocean of Great Compassion!

Incantation:

Weng A Hong Xie, Weng Ma Ni Bei Mi Hong, Weng, A Gang, Ba Dang, Bu Bei, Du Bei, A Nu Gei, Gen Deng, Nu Wei Dou, Xia Da, Zhua Di Zha Ye, Suo Ha.

10. Giving thanks to the God of Fire

Stanza:

Brightness shines, warmth and heat felt.

As incense smokes float and spread so are the grand Dharma activities.

Compassionate clouds of Guan Yin shade the whole universe,

While the grace of the God of Fire extends throughout the Dharmadhatu.

Incantation:

Weng, A Na Ye, Sha Ba Li Wa La, Ka Ka, Ka Xi, Ka Xi, Weng A Hong.

11. Dedication of the Merits

Stanza:

Wisdom life was born of Gurus.

Corporeal life was born of parents.

Offerings were born of donors.

Fire, the fire god; water, Dragon King.

Place belongs to the country; companions are others.

In all these there is neither I nor mine.

Good coming from whatever causes and conditions

Is the natural fruit of those causes and conditions.

The great tranquility that all beings possess originally

Is beyond the sphere of causes and consequences.

May the Bodhi causes of this Homa bring about great fruits,

And those with Guan Yin's blessing will spread to all beings!

All sentient beings will share the Bodhi fruits!

Peace and happiness pervade the world, and calamities and hindrances vanished!

All opportune conditions for Dharma propagation and practices gathered!

All sentient beings in the Six Realms attain emancipation!

Dharmadhatu right away is the Pureland!

12. Amendment

Repeat thrice the 100-Word Incantation of Vajrasattva.

13. Repeat Original Vows

Recite the practitioner's Bodhi Vows to pray for continuous and never ending progress of Dharma activities.

14. Mudra

Hold the Mudras of Red Chenrezi and White Chenrezi while reciting their respective mantras three times.

15. Circumambulation

Circumambulate clockwise the Homa platform thrice as gesture of reverence, and then bow thrice to the Nine-deity Mandala of Red Chenrezi in reverence to express gratitude.

Auspicious Completion

Epilog to the Chinese Original Homa Ritual

On June 9, 1999 we offered Dragon vases and released lives back to freedom. At 5 a.m. before I woke up in a dream Guru Chen told me, "The third article in Zan Song Ji (Collection of Praises)," and then instructed me to fulfill blank leaves on a picture with red color. In the same dream I was looking for the Collection of Praises that I used myself, and it was not among Guru Chen's belongings, furthermore I knew that it was related to Homa rituals and a certain protector. As soon as I woke up I immediately looked it up and found out that the third article was "Praise to Maha-Bodhisattva the Great Compassionate Guan Shi Yin," and that it was then composed upon the urging of two, one red and one white, transformations of the Tantric protector Damchen Dorje Legpa. I construed the meaning of this dream as instructing me to use that article as the central theme and follow the basic format of Guru Chen's Homa rituals in composing a Homa ritual in honor of Guan Yin, and to adopt Red Chenrezi as the Yidam for the ritual while infusing references to White Chenrezi in the ritual as well. In the past some people also requested fire pujas to Guan Yin, but due to the fact that Guru Chen did not compose such a Homa ritual, we always conducted instead fire pujas to the Green Tara, a transformation of Guan Yin. Now, even though I had such a dream, I still dared not decide right away that I was going to compose such a ritual. Unexpectedly, at noon when I returned home from the Dharma activities I received message from Chun Zhen (Purity) that Upasaka Qian Zhe (Previous Wiseman) would like to get two copies of the holy image of Chenrezi that I distributed freely to people. Such an amazing coincidence prompted me to decide that I should compose it. Yesterday the first draft was completed and then I saw deer on the road, and among the offerings that my wife brought back home there were numbers 6 and 32 that corresponded to the numbers in Six-syllable Mantra of Guan Yin and the Thirty-two Kinds of Responses of Guan Yin. So many coincidences constituted repetition of auspicious omens; hence I recorded all of them here.

June 12, 1999

Lunar 29^th, date to make offerings to Dharma Protectors

El Cerrito, California

Additional Amendment:

In the early morning of June 14, 1999 I saw in a dream an image of the protector Damchen Dorje Legpa, and a pictorial biography of him and his wife. And he kindly expressed that he would provide me with whatever is needed for the propagation of Dharma. This was a sure inspiration born of my reverent composition of the Homa ritual. I carefully recorded such grace here to acknowledge my heart-felt gratitude.

English Translation of the Whole Homa Ritual

August 6, 2005

El Cerrito, California

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