Wrathful DS Fire Puja (rare)

[DharmaSpace]

I saw this on the Shar Gaden Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=2778490674976

Enjoy this rare puja being done its very shirt clip of it

Shar Gaden Monastery Yesterday we conducted Wrathful DS-Fire-Puja (rare) and the atmosphere was extremely intense (in good way), saw some black tormas (rare), and the weather suddenly changed into darker (may be I was hallucinated), during the puja, no one looked smiley......

[nagaseeker]

i have some picture to share with too , but not Wrathful DS-Fire-Puja .

[nagaseeker]

[kris]

May I know how many different types of fire puja are there? What is the differences between Dorje Shugden fire puja and other fire puja?

@Nagaseeker, why do you say your fire puja is not wrathful? Is it because of the offerings being used?

[nagaseeker]

May I know how many different types of fire puja are there? What is the differences between Dorje Shugden fire puja and other fire puja?

@Nagaseeker, why do you say your fire puja is not wrathful? Is it because of the offerings being used?

Kris, the photos i put up are Dorje Shugden fire puja too,this fire puja is not wrathful because they are not using black tormas and also according to those monks , different puja may require different tormas.  if i'm not mistaken , Dorje Shugden fire puja have 4 types and each type have different purpose , thats all i know ........ 

[Gabby Potter]

Thank you for sharing the information regarding the fire puja, I am sure that this piece of information is an eye opener to most of us.

[psylotripitaka]

Kris

There are 4 different types of fire puja according to the four actions: pacifying, increasing, controlling, and wrathful. The pacifying ritual is most commonly used to purify mistakes made during a close retreat, but is not limited to this of course. There is a generic structure that these pujas typically follow but some of the offerings, tormas, hearth design, and wording change based on which of the four actions is emphasized and who the Principal supramundane guest is. There is also a simple burning offering ritual called Vajradaka that requires either black sesame seeds or a mixture of black sesame seeds and mustard seeds (as is done when Vajradaka is performed by the Vajra Master during the Heruka body mandala Wang), is typically used for purification, and is consider one of the 9 Preliminaries or Ngondro in which 100,000 burning offerings are collected.

In order to perform any of these it is necessary to receive tantric initiation and complete a close retreat of numbers that is concluded with a pacifying fire puja. The reason for this is not only that they are tantric rituals, but these burning offerings are considered 'actions of the mandala' and it is not permitted to engage in actions of the mandala such as fire puja or self-initiation without first completing the requirements which come from Vajradhara.

In particular, to perform Dorje Shugden fire puja, it is necessary to complete a close retreat of Vajrabhairava including Vajrabhairava fire puja, receive the life entrustment initiation of Dorje Shugden, and complete a close retreat of Dorje Shugden. What I found intriguing is that the aspect of Dorje Shugden is a bit different from the usual aspect, which seems to be an uncommon quality of this Dharmapala when you consider the different aspects he has also appeared as throughout his history.

You do not have to be ordained, have a high position, or have a special title to accomplish these things. What is required is to have faith, receive initiation, complete a close retreat, strive to keep the vows and commitments, and become familiar with the rituals.

Does that answer your question?

[psylotripitaka]

Kris,

I forgot to mention also, that the pictures from Nagaseeker are of an Increasing fire puja. This is evident from yellow tormas, yellow table cloth, and an Increasing hearth design (= the mandala the fire wood is sitting on).

[Kim Hyun Jae]

Wow! This is so RARE to be able to see pictures of DS Fire pujas and the video of the black tormas.

Thank you for sharing these closely guarded information with us here.

I can also see the co-relation between the colors used for tormas, altar cloth, monk robes and so on for different types of Fire Pujas required.

Please do share more with us on Fire Pujas, as it is an interesting topic.

[lotus1]

Thank you psylotripitaka for sharing the information of the different types of fire puja. Anyone has photos of fire puja for pacifying and controlling to share?

What I found intriguing is that the aspect of Dorje Shugden is a bit different from the usual aspect, which seems to be an uncommon quality of this Dharmapala when you consider the different aspects he has also appeared as throughout his history.

Do you mean other Protectors will not have the different aspects as per Dorje Shugden?

Anyway, to me, this is very interesting aspect for Dorje Shugden. With the four activities, it also shows me that Dorje Shugden is very powerful in supporting us to clear our obstacles. 

[lotus1]

I found a very informative articles on pacifying and increase fire puja : http://www.gomang.org/2010_packetfiles/firepuja.pdf

From some of my Asian friends, I was told that Jamseng Rinpoche has been doing a lot of fire puja.
This is what I found from their website: http://kadhampa.com/%E5%98%8E%E6%A1%A3%E5%B7%B4%E7%81%AB%E4%BE%9B%E6%B3%95%E4%BC%9A/

From the fire puja, we can see that different  signs are shown during the fire puja.

[psylotripitaka]

Here is a link to a useful manual: http://www.amazon.com/Manual-Ritual-Fire-Offerings/dp/8186470514/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1428851345&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=Manual+of+rituals+ire++offerings

This manual shows various hearth designs, but if I remember right it doesn't include one for wrathful because these can be quite dangerous and it is necessary to receive the instructions, sadhanas, and permission from the Lama or experienced practitioner. Though we qualify to do all of them by completing a close retreat of a particular deity, it is important to know there are further internal qualifications that should be in place before we perform wrathful fire puja. Also, in order to perform a particular fire puja, by which I mean being the one actually putting substances in the fire or reciting the verses of offering to the supra mundane guests, it is necessary to have completed the retreats specific to the deity being propitiated. For example, to perform Heruka body mandala fire puja, it is necessary to complete the close retreat of Heruka body mandala even if previously we have already completed a close retreat of another highest yoga tantra deity. We can attend any of them and even recite the puja (but omitting the section to the supra mundane guest) if we have completed a close retreat of some kind, or be the attendant, but we must complete the related retreat to actually make offerings to the supramundane guests.

Mahasiddha Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche's Heruka and Vajrayogini commentaries have good information, but he only covers the pacifying fire pujas. Books from Dechen Ling Press have fire pujas such as White Tara, Chittimani Tara, Vajrabhairava, Heruka body mandala and Heruka 5 deity, Vajrayogini, and I do have some transcripts  and sadhanas such as for Hayagriva Sangdrup fire puja. If one is going to qualify to do the MO for instance, it is necessary to complete a Vajrabhairava retreat with concluding fire puja, Palden Lhamo retreat with concluding fire puja, and to pass the exam of signs, but it is permissible to do the Hayagriva Sangdrup retreat in place of Vajrabhairava retreat if one prefers.

Lotus1, I'm probably just uninformed, but I'm not referring to the aspects of pacifying, increasing and so on as being the different manifestations, as all the Protectors have this. What I mean is Dorje Shugden appears in different aspects such as riding a black horse, sitting on a throne, holding different implements and so on. In the fire puja instead of a sword he holds a baton and instead of a heart his hand is in the threatening mudra holding a ring with noose and he has no mount.

[psylotripitaka]

Here is an excellent link about fire pujas from Heruka Zong Rinpoche:

http://www.davidlai.me/2014/05/29/worship-by-fire-fire-pujas/

[kris]

@psylotripitaka, thank you for your explanation. I don't know why but I am always drawn to fire puja. May be it is just because of the fire. LOL. I had the opportunity to witness a few fire puja in person, and in 1 or 2 occasions, I have had the chance to assist the monks during the fire puja process. Only until I assisted (a little) then only I realized how hot and uncomfortable is for the monk who is performing the puja. It is extremely hot because he is sitting right next to the fire... my point? next time when the monks are doing fire puja, appreciate their effort as it is extremely uncomfortable!

[psylotripitaka]

Excuse me, my mistake. I thought the link to the teaching on fire pujas was actually Zong Rinpoche, but it appears it may actually be H.E. Tsem Tulku that gave this beautiful teaching.

Kris, you're drawn to them and have opportunity to assist due to powerful imprints from past practice. I have heard some wild stories about Fire pujas where the presider gets burnt or smoked out. With the exception of one performed in a raging thunderstorm, I have never been uncomfortable doing this puja. It is important the wall is tall enough, and that substances that make the fire out of control are avoided. In one case, wood had been used that was treated with fire starter fluid, and yet another there was too much alcohol poured at once.