White Jambhala

White Jambhala (Tibetan: dzam bha la kar po): a Wealth Deity - emanation of Avalokiteshvara.

With one face and two hands he holds in the right a stick of gold. A katvanga staff rests against the left shoulder. Wrathful in appearance with the hair flowing upward like flames he is adorned with jewel ornaments and silks of various colours, riding on the back of a green dragon - sporting amongst the clouds.

White Jambhala also know as Kubera in the Hindu pantheon is bestower of wealth.. White Dzambhala is born from the right eye of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva.

Jambhala holds a victory banner (Skt. dhvaja; Tib. rgyal-mtshan) in his left hand which signifies the victory of Buddhism. The top of the banner takes the form of a small parasol, which is surmounted by a central wish-granting gem. This domed parasol is rimmed by an ornate crest-bar with makara-tailed ends from which hangs a billowing silk scarf. As a hand-held ensign the banner is an attribute of many deities, particularly those associated with wealth and power, such as Jambhala / Kubera.

In his right hand he holds a mongoose that spits out precious gems. Many people question what the association of Jambhala is with the mongoose. Art historians, depending upon folk interpretation, often explain that the mongoose became the main attribute of Jambhala because the serpents are the protectors of subterranean wealth and a mongoose controls them. Buddhist Sanskrit texts, however, refer to a different reason or story for the mongoose's association with wealth. It was said that wealthy people in ancient India carried a purse made of mongoose's hide and that when they gambled they often shook the purse. The mongoose or mongoose's hide then regurgitated gold coins and other precious things from its mouth. This seems to be the reason why in Jambhala's iconography the mongoose is always shown vomiting jewels. The mongoose that Jambhala holds then does not represent the actual creature but acts as a metaphor for his generosity.

Jambhala is wrathful in appearance he is adorned with jewel ornaments and silks, he is sitting on the back of a snow lion. On the back of the statue is a carving of "the wheel of the law" (Skt. chakra; Tib. khorlo). The three components of the wheel; hubs, spokes and rim, symbolize the three aspects of the Buddhist teachings on ethics, wisdom and concentration. The central hub represents ethical discipline, which centers and stabilizes the mind. The sharp spokes represent discriminating awareness, which cuts through ignorance. The rim represents meditative concentrationh both encompasses and facilitates the motion of the wheel. This wheel has eight spokes symbolizing the Buddha's Eightfold Noble Path and the transmission of these teachings towards the eight directions. There are three swirls shown in the central hub, they represent the Three Jewels of the Buddha, dharma, sangha and the victory over the three poisons of ignorance, desire and aversion. The White Jambhala is most effective for those with a Chinese Astrological lucky element of metal and animal sign of a monkey or chicken. It is believed pouring water on the head of his statue will allow for greater blessings. White Jambhala sits on a snow lion, although some artists depict him sitting on a dragon.

When cultivating the “Dragon-ridding White Dzambhala Practice”, we can also pray that he will lead us to hidden treasures. In the olden days, Tibetan Tantric masters placed their precious teachings in caves. These teachings were sealed in the four elements of “earth, fire and wind”. One needs to employ very special methods to retrieve these Dharma treasures. One must also know the location of the caves where these ancestry masters had practiced in seclusion. We may pray to the “Dragon-ridding White Dzambhala”, so that he will bring us to these caves where the treasures were hidden.One could offer spheric dessert made from 3 “white” ( milk, yoghurt, flour ) & 3 “sweet” ( white sugar, rock sugar, honey ) to White Dzambhala.

When life gives you lemons …… offer them to Dzambhala. The white body of White Jambhala symbolizes the ability to dispel all defilement of living beings brought by poverty. His three eyes look over three generations of sentient beings with sympathy, and the cudgel in right hand accumulates all virtues from the god of prosperity to alleviate the suffering of starving beings, while the dragon relieves poverty from all human beings. Cultivating the White Jambhala Practice, with the aid of White Jambhala, one’s positive karmic affinities and wealth is enhanced and great merit is brought upon. It is of utmost importance that the Buddhist disciple holds a compassionate Bodhi-Heart, and do not enjoy the retrieved treasure for one’s own pleasure. It is best to offer the god of fortune with round-shaped food, containing three white ingredients (milk, cheese and flour) and three sweets (white sugar, honey and crystal sugar).

The God of Wealth is recommended displayed in the following areas:

1. To magnify your wealth luck, display the God of Wealth in your sheng chi direction, SE universal wealth corner and water star-8 location in your home or workplace.

2 . Display the God of Wealth in your living or family rooms, business premises and offices, especially in southeast corner (wealth corner) to activate and enhance your wealth luck.

3. Display the God of Wealth facing your entrance so that you can see him as you enter to invite wealth and multiple fortune luck into your homes at chi entry points. This is said to help transform all forms of chi to become prosperity chi.

4. Display the God of Wealth in your office and shops to ring in more sales and achieve more monetary gains and successes.

5. Display the God of Wealth at your water features such as waterfalls and fountains to bring you money everyday.

6. Keep the God of Wealth in your wealth vases to harness outstanding wealth luck from your wealth-vases.

Note: Kindly do not display this deity in kitchen, on the floor and in toilet areas. He must be treated with highest respect.

Dzambhala Wealth Practices Praise “The one who controls” harm-givers, whose holy body is elegant in nine ways of acting, who is well-tied with rainbow aggregates made of melted white crystal, who grants wish-giving realizations like a rainfall. I prostrate to you, glorious Dzambhala.

Praise in this way and then dedicate the merits. Dedications Due to the merits of the three times accumulated by me, the buddhas and bodhisattvas, and all sentient beings, may bodhichitta, which is the source of all happiness and success of myself and others, be generated in my mind and the minds of others without a delay of even a second.

And where that bodhichitta is already generated, may it increase. Then dedicate the merits that the wealth that is received may be highly beneficial for Dharma centers, to complete the extensive works for the teachings of the Buddha, and for migrator beings or for any person, yourself or your family or any other person, to have success without obstacles. Dedicate the merits that the wealth that is received never becomes a cause of samsara (suffering) nor, especially, the lower realms, but that it become only a cause of enlightenment.

Due to all the past, present, and future merits accumulated by me and all buddhas, bodhisattvas, and sentient beings, which are empty from their own side, may I, who am empty from my own side, achieve the Compassion Buddha’s enlightenment, which is empty from its own side, and lead all sentient beings, who are empty from their own side, to that enlightened state as quickly as possible by myself alone.

Dedicate the merits for enlightenment so the merits become unceasing, sealed by the three circles of emptiness, and so they can never be destroyed by heresy or anger. Due the merit of the three times accumulated by myself and by all the buddhas and bodhisattvas, may the father-mother sentient beings have happiness, may the three lower realms be empty forever, may all the bodhisattvas’ prayers succeed immediately, and may I be able to cause all of this by myself alone.

The Wealth-Giving Practice of White Dzambhala : May the Naga King (Joy and Nearly Joy), the devas who have devotion for holy objects, and also the king, the benefactors, and other sentient beings who are in poverty, may they all have long lives without sickness and achieve everlasting happiness.

When, for the purpose of keeping pure morality, one practices, for example, the wealth-giving protector of morality called Nam-tö-se who rides on a snow lion, one pledges to make charity towards other sentient beings. Why?

Because the cause of success, of obtaining wealth-enjoyment and so forth, is making offerings to the Triple Gem and making charity to sentient beings. If from your own side you have not accumulated the cause – the merit – it is proved, both logically and by experience, that one cannot experience the result – success.

The arrangement of deities is as follows: Dzambhala in the center; the dakini holding a vajra in her upraised hand in front of Dzambhala; the dakini holding a jewel on his right hand side; the dakini holding a double vajra on his left hand side; and the dakini holding a lotus behind him. This is with regard to the object in the raised hand.

They all face the central Dzambhala. All five of the deities should be placed in a large clean basin, big enough to hold all the water to be offered. Also you must pour the water correctly, very slowly and continuously in a gentle stream over the dragon-riding Dzambhala and the four goddesses, as you recite the mantras.

Rinpoche advises to recite the mantra 100 times, or 1,000 times in the event of great need or crisis.

To collect more merit when you do this practice, the most important thing is to visualize Dzambhala as your own guru. Also visualize unceasing wish-fulfilling jewels or billions and billions of dollars pouring out of the mouths of the dragon and the mongoose like a beautiful waterfall tumbling down a mountainside. The water you offer generates great bliss on Guru Dzambhala’s head; he experiences endless bliss like the sky. After you have offered the water, from this state of bliss, Dzambhala’s mind is extremely inspired, and he promises to help you completely, to provide everything you need for all your projects to succeed and for you to realize all attainments.We who are tortured by the fire of miserly karma Go to you for refuge from life to life. With the flowing nectar rain of jewel treasure, Please pacify the suffering of those sentient beings who live in poverty. Think that the poverty of all sentient beings in the ten directions has been eliminated.

Then take a little water with your fingers and touch it to your tongue to receive the attainments, while saying: JAMBHALA SIDDHI PHALA HO After offering water to Dzambhala, it is very good to make charity of that same water to the pretas; to combine these two practices.

The beneficence of the White Jambhala is to cure diseases, get rid of poverty and sins, promote charitable deeds and accumulate wealth. According to the sutra, his mantra can stop suffering, destroy bad karma and have a bodhi mind. His mantra can also avert disaster and sickness. He also brings wealth to all sentient beings if he or she chants his mantra.

To White Dzambhala riding a turquoise dragon, seated on a lotus and moon disk and carrying a white khatvanga trident and pechon (banner staff), Surrounded by four types of dakinis in the four directions, I am offering flowing water to the holy body. Please grant me your sublime realizations.

White Jambhala's Mantra Is : Om Padma Trotha Arya Zambhala Siddhaya Hum Phat

There are five Jambhalas: Yellow Jambhala (overcomes pride), White Jambhala (overcomes attachment), Black Jambhala (overcomes resentment), Green Jambhala (overcomes jealousy) and Red Jambhala (overcomes greed). There are 3 parts to this piece, the body, base and arch. The base is sealed with a double vajra. The white form of Jambhala, belonging to the Kriya class of Tantra, is an emanation of Avalokiteshvara and was popularized by Jowo Atisha, founder of the Kadampa School.

Source

www.thangkar.com