You can burn sang coupled with visualisation and mantra recitation for spiritual cleansing

‘Chela’ is Sanskrit for ‘student’, particularly the student of a spiritual teacher. Stories from a Chela is a series of short posts of my personal experiences with His Eminence the 25^th Tsem Rinpoche. I hope that these stories will give you a glimpse into how Tsem Rinpoche, and the unique brand of Dharma that Rinpoche embodied, have benefited me and countless others.

Cleansing Sang Visualisations

The use of various herbs and resins as incense has long been associated with Buddhist worship. Magadha Sangmo was the first to use incense to invoke upon the Buddha, and since her time the practice spread and permeates all traditions of Buddhism today. She is in fact, the first recognised previous life of the Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden, whose own incense offering prayer, known as sangsol in Tibetan, is very much valued as a powerful method to avert obstacles and generate tremendous amounts of merit. You can read more about the sangsol prayer and how to do it here.

But more than a specific type of offering, sang, or loose incense, can also be used to cleanse one’s environment of negative energy and to promote positive energy. There was once a time when staff in Tsem Rinpoche’s Ladrang (personal household) were facing some difficulties. Instead of proscribing lengthy prayers or pujas to be performed, Rinpoche instructed me to burn sang together with Protector rice. Making sure the smoke from the sang was extra strong, Rinpoche asked me to walk around the inside of Ladrang to ensure the smoke permeated everywhere. Rinpoche said this would clear the building of any negative energy, promote positive energy and bless those who entered the building. The smoke, when inhaled, also helps to clear the body of negativity and promotes well-being. Rinpoche said this would be appropriate for me to do, because I have very bad bodily karma, and the sacred smoke would help keep me healthy.

You can burn all sorts of natural herbs as sang, including the popular White Sage, which Tsem Rinpoche was particularly fond of

The efficacy of the cleansing smoke actually stems from the Protector rice. Supremely potent and effective against negative interferences, Protector rice has been blessed by the Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden during a trance. As trances are very rare, even in the monasteries, so are items blessed by the Protector. Containing the powerful energies and presence of the Dharma Protector, the rice is highly sought after for its wide variety of uses, including protection, healing and positive energy. Protector rice is commonly used to relieve spiritual disturbances or to dispel negative energies in an area, especially when burned or placed over doorways. When burned, the energies of Dorje Shugden are released into the smoke, and as the smoke permeates the area, so does his powerful and beneficial energies. The process of using sang for purposes of cleansing is slightly different from the sang offering prayer, and is as follows below.

Procedure

Begin by taking Refuge in the Three Jewels and preparing the sang in an appropriate heat-proof container or large incense burner that is easily carried. Light the sang. Once the sang is burning, add 1-3 grains of Protector rice on top of the sang. Carry the container throughout the building ensuring the smoke spreads to all areas, while engaging in one of the visualisations below and reciting appropriate mantras. Once finished, take the sang container outside and leave by the front door. Finish with a completion dedication. For those who like, they can use their hands to fan the smoke towards themselves and inhale some of the smoke for a blessing.

Visualisation 1 – Dorje Shugden’s White Dome of Light

Dorje Shugden. Click image for high-resolution file for download. Or click here for more free downloads.

After you have lit the sang, mentally invoke upon Dorje Shugden. He appears in a huge form on the roof of your building, without the lotus cushion below his snow lion. The paws of the snow lion rest on the four corners of the building. From Dorje Shugden’s heart comes a stream of white light that travels down to engulf the building in a dome shape. As the physical smoke fills your building, imagine it pushes negativity out of this white dome shape in the form of black smoke. Eventually, there is no negativity left within the dome, only white light. The white colour of the smoke may help you in this visualisation. As you finish, visualise strongly that no negative energy or harmful spirits can enter this dome of white light. Complete your dedication by keeping the mental thought that even after the sang finishes, Dorje Shugden remains on top of building protecting it with his white light. The sang left outside of your front door then acts as an offering to Dorje Shugden who now resides on your roof.

Visualisation 2 – Dorje Shugden’s Mandala

Another visualisation you can use, is to imagine that your home, apartment, office, etc., is actually the mandala of Dorje Shugden. First mentally invoke Dorje Shugden. If you only have one floor, then you visualise Dorje Shugden and his entourage. If you have two floors, you image Dorje Shugden and entourage on the ground floor, and Setrap and his entourage on the 1st floor. If you have three floors, Dorje Shugden and his entourage are on the ground floor, Setrap and entourage are on the 1st floor, and the Buddha Amitabha is on the 2nd floor. In this visualisation, the smoke from the sang is an offering of incense to all the aforementioned deities. They receive your offering, and are pleased, bestowing you with protection, healing and blessings. The sang left outside of your front door, then acts as an offering to Dorje Shugden and his mandala who now reside in that particular building.

Visualisation 3 – Tantric Mandala

This visualisation should only be done by those who have received tantric initiation and know the various deities in their yidam’s or meditational deity’s mandala. Visualise the building or area as your yidam’s mandala, and as you carry the sang, it becomes an offering to the mandala deities therein. This can be combined with the protection tent or protection circle practices, according to the tantric system you have received.

All these visualisations help to clear the building of negativity and invite the energies of the enlightened beings to reside there, aiding in protection, healing, etc. At the same time, you should recite mantras. If you are visualising Dorje Shugden, you should recite his mantra. If you are visualising a tantric deity that you have the appropriate initiation for, you should recite that deity’s mantra.

Mantra of Dorje Shugden:
OM BENZA WIKI BITANA SOHA

Visualisation 4 – Ucchusma’s Purification

The wrathful deity Ucchusma depicted together with Dorje Shugden. Click image for high-resolution file for download. Or click here for more free downloads.

Over time, this cleansing sang not only covered the Ladrang but also the Writer’s Offices. Rinpoche wanted as many people as possible to benefit from this practice. As people started to approach me regularly to inhale the sang smoke, Rinpoche said it would be beneficial for people to recite a mantra of purification between three and seven times when they did so. Originally, this mantra was Vajrasattva, but later Rinpoche amended the mantra to that of Ucchusma. The benefits of her practice are varied, but primarily centre on purification. Sang can be used as a method of using the element of fire to purify our negative karma and obscurations. Combining both methods Rinpoche asked us to do the following.

To incorporate Ucchusma’s practice into the sang cleansing, we visualise the smoke in the form of white light blessed by the Dakini Ucchusma and we recite the short Ucchusma mantra, thinking strongly that our negativities and their stains are being purified.

Short Mantra of Ucchusma:
OM ARAKHAM TSIRKHAM BIMANASE UCCHUSMA MAHA KRODHA HUM PHET

This sang cleansing has proven very popular at Kechara Forest Retreat, and truly has beneficial effects. Once again, this is an example of just how Rinpoche looked after our well-being, not just from a spiritual point of view, but from the view of health and helping us to overcome obstacles, in whatever form they came in. The practice continues until today and people look forward to receiving the cleansing sang on a regular basis.

For more interesting information:

• Stories from a Chela – Hurt, Revenge and Black Magic
• Stories from a Chela – Unconditional Love
• Stories from a Chela – Sacred Handprints
• Stories from a Chela – The Journey to Manjushri
• Stories from a Chela – Taking Refuge
• Stories from a Chela – Daimajin and Wrathful Deities
• Stories from a Chela – Real Worship
• Stories from a Chela – The Roadside Seller
• Stories from a Chela – Blessing the Animal Realm
• Stories from a Chela – Real Transformation
• Stories from a Chela – Za Rahula and Strange Habits
• Stories from a Chela – Spiritual Nourishment for All
• Stories from a Chela – The Lama that Builds
• Stories from a Chela – The Teaching in the Tea
• Stories from a Chela – Incense Offering That Saves Lives
• Stories from a Chela – Supernatural Protection

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