Homa Ritual Honoring the Dragon King

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. 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 Heart Mantra of the Dragon King and the following half-stanza:

Abiding in the limitless oneness of Dharmadhatu,

The Palace of the Pacific Ocean Dragon King appears within.

2. Generating Bodhicitta

Stanza:

Sentient beings are trapped deeply in calamities and unable to escape.

Seeking relief they should immediately supplicate to the Dragon King.

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 Golden Guan Yin.

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 Dragons appear 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 Golden Guan Yin 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 Dragon King with the following stanza:

Amid deep and vast ocean great, magnificent Dragon Palace with amazing grandeur,

Such brilliant abode of boundless compassion serves as the supreme seat outwardly.

Salvation activities apply universally to all sentient beings in the six realms of suffering,

Such merciful kindness serves as the supreme seat inwardly.

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

Such compassionate Dharma Joy serves as the supreme seat secretly.

Original purity in Sunyata Brightness has been merged into Non-duality,

Such compassionate harmony serves as the supreme seat most secretly.

(b) Visualization of the Dragon King and Queen:

Dragon King and Dragon Queen of the great Pacific Ocean,

With profound compassion to carry on Salvation Activities,

Granting relieves to flooding and droughts all over the Earth,

Suitable rainfalls and smoothing winds are up to your grace,

Trivial yet complicated worldly affairs are carefully resolved,

Harmonized Wisdom and Compassion in offering universal protections,

Blessed beings thereby increased their faith in the Dharma,

And propagation of the Dharma gained more favorable conditions!

Paying homage through always remembering the salvation of sentient beings,

Repeating the Heart Mantra of Dragon King 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 salvation-granting body of oneness of all,

Dedicate merits toward all beings' sooner attainment of Full Enlightenment.

(d) Praise the Yidam:

Where Avatamsaka Sutra originated,

Dragon Palace stores much treasures,

Moving on clouds to grant rains,

Great Earth baths in Your gracious blessings.

The compassion of Dragon King's mind is deeper than oceans;

Rain and dew drops showered everywhere to moisten the world.

Receiving vase offerings to promote aspirations toward Bodhi,

Sentient beings with lucky connections are all blessed by thy grace.

Dragon King and Dragon Queen sustained compassion profound.

Spreading and propagating the Dharma, they took care of chores.

Without overlooking matters major or minor, they guarded well.

Their grace spread the world over, and their virtuous favors last!

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 the Dragon King and Queen

(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, Zhuo Da, Zhuo Da, Ma Ha Zhuo Da, 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, Zhuo Da, Zhuo Da, Ma Ha Zhuo Da, Hong, 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, Zhuo Da, Zhuo Da, Ma Ha Zhuo Da, Hong, 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, Zhuo Da, Zhuo Da, Ma Ha Zhuo Da, Hong, 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, Zhuo Da, Zhuo Da, Ma Ha Zhuo Da, 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, Zhuo Da, Zhuo Da, Ma Ha Zhuo Da, Hong, Weng, Ban Zha, Ke Ba Ya, Suo Ha.

(g) Offer herbs for the five chakras:

Stanza:

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

All physicians have no treatments and effective prescriptions unavailable.

Relying solely on the great supernatural power of the Dragon King,

Karmic hindrances dispersed invisibly so that recovery will arrive sooner.

Incantation:

Weng, Zhuo Da, Zhuo Da, Ma Ha Zhuo Da, Hong, Weng, Sha Wa Ba Bang, Xin Deng Gu Lu Ye, Suo Ha.

(h) Offer 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, Zhuo Da, Zhuo Da, Ma Ha Zhuo Da, Hong, Weng, Ban Zha, Zha Ge Ni Ye, Bu Bei, Suo Ha.

(i) Offer red 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, Zhuo Da, Zhuo Da, Ma Ha Zhuo Da, 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 are the fruits 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, Zhuo Da, Zhuo Da, Ma Ha Zhuo Da, 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, Zhuo Da, Zhuo Da, Ma Ha Zhuo Da, Hong, 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, Zhuo Da, Zhuo Da, Ma Ha Zhuo Da, 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 Dragon King'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 the Dragon King and the Dragon King Buddha while reciting their respective mantras three times each.

15. Circumambulation

Circumambulate clockwise the Homa platform thrice as gesture of reverence, and then bow thrice to the Dragon King and Queen in reverence to express gratitude.

Auspicious Completion

Epilog

In recent years weather over the Earth changed drastically, losing the original stability. Flooding, droughts, hurricanes and snowy storms recurred often all over the world. California has been in severe drought for over three years, and the severity is as rare as a centennial event. Disciples Bi He and Xin Ping requested me to compose a Homa ritual for making offerings to the Dragon King so as to supplicate for relief from such hardships. The Dragon King of the great Pacific Ocean has been unreservedly helping and sustaining our Dharma Lineage of the Adi Buddha Mandala for two generations over forty years; and the precious vases we have offered to him are over four thousands in number—showing obviously how widespread the salvation activities have been. The grace our Dharma lineage has received from the Dragon King and Queen is beyond measures. May the composition of this Homa ritual and subsequent offerings express to a slight extent our sincere gratitude and profound indebtedness!

Written in Chinese on the 29^th of lunar December, February 17, 2015

Translated into English on February 18, 2015, last day of Horse Year

El Cerrito, California

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