Mahakala Puja Part Two:
the
preliminaries for the main Mahakala practice
13 – 15 February, 2012
On the
afternoon of February 13,
after the Karmapa returned from the shrine room to his
quarters, the sangha continued with the Mahakala ritual.
Special to this day is the practice called “The Four
Elements and Three Parts” (’Byung bzhi cha gsum),
which removes obstacles for the practice of the next days.
Pieces of roasted barley dough that bore the imprint of a
hand were passed out to each participant. The dough was then
rolled into a ball, flattened, and pressed to parts of the
upper body that were ill. Divided into three, the pieces
were returned to monks passing through the sangha with large
containers. While the text of the practice was being chanted
from two screens in front of the hall, the collected pieces
were carried outside, and the direction in which they were
placed had been determined by an astrologer.
On the evening
of the thirteenth, the main shrine hall was transformed into
a protector shrine dedicated to the practice of Mahakala. An
imposing suit of medieval armor, black and golden colored
with intricate inlaid designs, now stands in front of the
hall. Next to the main Mahakala altar with its impressive
tormas are three rows of small black thangkas their drawings
traced in sinuous gold. The offerings they depict are based
on the text called “Offerings for Three Occasions” (sKabs
gsum ma’i mchod pa) and include a variety of food,
weapons, and clothes.
In the early
morning of the following day, the Mahakala ritual began with
the daily practice text. While mantras were being chanted,
Gyaltsap Rinpoche continued to give the reading transmission
while Jamgon Kongtrul held the reading lamp for him, the
page turning luminous as if lit from within.
Report by Michele Martin
Conclusion of the reading transmission and mantra recitation
15 February, 2012
The reading transmission was finally accomplished during
the morning session on 15 February, and the mantra
recitation continued all day in the shrine room. Gyalwang
Karmapa joined the assembly for the final session in the
afternoon. Nearly a thousand monks and nuns
crowded into the shrine
room. Outside, on the veranda, every available space was
filled with lay followers, craning their necks to peer
through the few open windows and doors in order to catch a
glimpse of the Gyalwang Karmapa, Kyabje Jamgon Kongtrul
Rinpoche and Kyabje Gyaltsap Rinpoche.
Meanwhile, monks worked steadily to complete the
preparatory work for the main ritual: inside the shrine
hall, to the right of the podium, partially concealed by a
blue silk screen, they were constructing
a complex, twelve-foot high
Mahakala torma called a dhö, which will be burnt after the
Cham dances on 20th February. On the podium
itself, monks were arranging the torma and other offerings.
Report by Jo Gibson,
photos taken by
Karma Lekcho,
Pema Orser Dorje, Liao Guo Ming
