A Ritual of Fire Sacrifice to the God of Wealth (Vaisaravana)

1. Get Permission from the Goddess of the Earth

Visualize the Goddess of the earth who is in a yellow body, appearing suddenly from the earth, accepting the blessing of the Master who is not different from the Yidam Vajrapani. After she offers the approbation, she disappears.

The Master who performs this Homa should wield his Vajra in the upper portion of the borrowed place where the fire altar is situated. Creating a Double Vajra or Karmic Vajra in his visualization, he should repeat the incantation of Vaisaravana and the following half-stanza:

"When abiding in the non-limitation of cosmos,

The Great Palace of Vaisaravana appears Within!"

2. Develop the Bodhicitta

"Bearing the salvation of Gautama and performing the
Holy best Karma, I should induce endless wealth of two
kinds, of the world or Dharma! I'm the secret master
of Vajrapani, I pluck up the vows of the God of Wealth!"

3. Bless the Vajra and Bell with the following stanza

"Like five wisdoms and the five Gem treasury,
Gold and jewels' voices are victory.
Whatever you take, all is inconceivable,
Worldly and unworldly bliss are delivered."

4. Protection

The Master should prepare two kinds of food in triangular formone white for the Gods who eat vegetables, the other red for the Gods who eat meat. Then repeat the following incantation and stanza, after which the Karma Vajra (attendant) should throw these offerings in opposite directions for those who are not able to see the sacred and secret Homa.

a. Incantation: OM KA KA KA HSI KA HSI

b. Stanza:

    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 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.
    Purify all terrible dreams and bad omens.
    Protect us from all dangerous risks.
    Help to make peace and rich harvests for all,
    Plenty of all kinds of corns and Dharmas
    And all good pleasures might 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 place 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!

c. Repeat the four HUM incantation to send the black deities away:

                  Om Sunbani Sunbani HUM HUM Peh!
                  Om Krihara Krihara HUM HUM Peh!
                  Om Kriharapawa Kriharapawa HUM HUM Peh!
                  Om Ahraya Ho Bagavin Biyalantza HUM HUM Peh!

During this repetition the Master should throw some mustard seeds visualizing that all the black deities have returned to where they belong. Then the Master should visualize the Vajra Net which covers all six directions i.e., zenith and nadir and the four directions, 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 fellows are Protected.

5. Bless all the Offerings

The Master should hold the sacred and secret Vajra instruments together in the double position of Heruka and visualize much nectar falling down upon all the offering. It flows from the area of contact between their reproductive organs. Hence all worldly offerings become Vajra Nectar. Repeat the following mantra:

OM TZAR! TZAR! TZAR! TZAR! TZAR!

6. Arrange the seat of the God of Fire and that of the Yidam.

Use the auspicious grass (produced in India) around the fire altar clockwise. And cross two grasses on the surface of the fire altar; first, for the Fire God, and then for the Yidam.

a. Praise the God of Fire with the following stanza

        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 God of Fire

        LUNG appeals on the moon which is on a lotus.
        From this LUNG arises the yellow God of Fire!
        He has one face and two arms.
        The right arm holds the stove.
        The left arm holds a bottle.
        His hair is very long, his belly is big.
        He has a Brahmin thread on his neck!
        

c. Welcome the God of Fire

The Master should raise a bunch of auspicious grass up to the sky with his thumb touching the end of the index finger. He does this three times as a welcoming gesture, and repeats the following incantation: OM AHRAWA SABARIVARA TZA KEI HUM TZA!

        Then he repeats the following stanza in praise:

        You are the victorious Prince of Dharma;
        You have got the initiation of good Karma!
        Your wisdom fire can get rid of the obstacles!
        I, now, beg you to help the Homa!

7. Arrange the auspicious seat for the Yidam

        Eight lions and gems around your seat outwardly,
        Your endless merits are your seat inwardly,
        The Vajra Love is your wisdom seat secretly,
        The golden light is your seat mostly secretly!

8. The Master should visualize himself as Vajrapani

        On the Lotus there is the sun as his cushion.
        In the center of the sun is a HUM,
        Standing up from this HUM is the Vajrapani with one wrathful face and two arms.
        His hair is reddish yellow and stands on end with anger.
        On his head there is the head of Buddha Aksobhya as his ornament.
        His right arm holds a Vajra and lifts it upward.
        His left arm holds a Vajra-bell whose mouth is facing the outside.
        Eight dragons make a form like a snake around his body.
        He wears an apron of tiger skin.
        His right leg is bent a little inside, left leg extended outwardly.
        His powerful countenance can force Yakshas to work and follow the guidance of the God,
        Thus accomplishing whatever the Master commands.

9. The Visualization of the Yidamthe God of Wealth (Vaisaravana)

        The word BA appears in front of the Master.
        The word BA becomes a White Lion in brightness.
        On its back the God of Wealth rides.
        His body is a golden color.
        His right arm holds a silk umbrella with many gems hanging from it.
        His left arm holds the Animal which can eject out many gems, as many as one desires.
        From every pore of his skin, many different gems and jewels are ejected out without ceasing.
        His body is decorated and magnified with diamonds.
        A precious mirror hangs between his breasts shining light to all ten directions
        Helping sentient beings to increase their wisdom and wealth.
        Many Dakinis and protectors are standing around him.
        He fixes his gaze on the Master who is now identified with his Yidam body of Vajrapani.
        Smiling, he is remembering all his vows taken before Vajrapani.
        He is now taking care of whatever Vajrapani commands him to do!

10. Praise the God of Wealth with the following stanza:

        You have achieved the Bodhisattva unmovable stage.
        None can compare with it even pratyeka or sage.
        You have ten kinds of sovereigns like Life and Wealth.
        Please give me your Great Compassion and all advantage.

11. Repeat the following prayer-stanza:

        Without funds or bullion, to print currency with power
        Or take some chance to abolish all bank notes,
        Or give some gold to sell but secretly recall it,
        Or sell lucrative appointments to cheat the faithful people,
        Or skillfully arrange a false title to increase the tax,
        Or produce and sell secret harmful drugs to cheat the youth,
        Or get tax from prostitutes or opium sellers,
        Or tax the liquor and tobacco in pretext of stop,
        Or pass the custom house secretly paying no tax,
        Or make false measurements to cheat the village people,
        Or loan to the poor for too high interest,
        Or get money for private in pretext of the public,
        Or give useless drafts for speculation on the market,
        Or to be pickpocket, thief, or work for Mao robber,
        To get money by the above ways is not the right wealth.
        Confucius said, "One should not get wealth without kindness."
        The Bible said, "To love money is the root of all evils."
        All these are not the practitioner's requested wealth.
        But all the experiences of Dharma and Mandala,
        And for the spiritual food, wisdom and compassion,
        I earnestly pray for your instant help.

12. Repeat the long incantation three times:

NAMO YERATZAYAWA, NAMO BAISHAVANAWA MAHARAJAWA TAYATA, OM, HSIYEMI, HSIYEMI, HSUMO, HSUMO, SAYADA, SAYADA; SARA, SARA; KARA, KARA; GENI, GENI; GURU, GURU; DRORU, DRORU; MORU, MORU; SAHA, YAHARA; MARINIRAWA; DAYATANA, DHATUYA SOHO.

13. Again repeat the Stanza of Application:

        Terrible are the sins of all sentient beings,
        They can't see the Buddha for many Kalpas.
        Wandering in the long transmigration.
        For saving them Buddha has bore the great thing!
        You, the God of Wealth, have obtained this position.
        May you help me to get realization.
        Let me have the power of heavenly eyes.
        Enable me to see the eight painful hell beings.
        Let me have the power of heavenly ears.
        Enable me to hear all the ghosts' crying.
        Let me do have power to know past lives.
        Enable me to know the past life of each animal.
        Let me have the power to know others' mind.
        Enable me to know completely all beings' minds.
        Let me have all divine natural powers.
        Enable me to achieve the Great Savior.
        Let me have the last power of non-leak.
        Enable me to show beings Dharmakaya!
        All the gems which can be seen by Buddha,
        At the places which can be reached by Buddha,
        With the light which is shown by Buddha,
        All worldly and unworldly wealth I may gain!

14. Bless the Wood with the following half-stanza:

        With the calamity-like wood start up the wisdom fire;
        After offering them, all the Sages, beings, do have the Pleasure!

15. Bless the Oil (for increasing, Homa oil should be butter)

        The pure and clean butter helps the wisdom fire,
        May all be served with endless merits we admire.

16. Start the Fire

Before starting, a lamp should be arranged on the SouthEast corner of the fire altar. From which now the Master should put it into the fire altar. Attendants should help the Master to start the fire, inside and around the altar with clean papers.

17. Bless the Fire

With the fire mudra which is extending the three fingers of the middle part of the right palm, and let the thumb and small fingers bending in the palm, turn around on the surface of the fire altar. At the same time, the Master should repeat the following stanza:

        YOUNG, YOUNG, YOUNG,
        PARA PARA MAHAPARA!
        PARA PARA NATURE PARA!
        PARA PARA SAMADHI PARA!
        PARA PARA PERFECT PARA!

Then with the right Dharma instrument which is in the form of a skull, take some butter and put it on the left Dharma instrument which is in four strata, and this Homa should use a butter full of the fourth strata which is in the form of a square.

18. First offer the Fire God with his incantation and the following praising stanza:

Incantation:

OM AHRAWA, SABARIVANA, KA KA, KA HSI, KA HSI.

Praise:

        You are the Sovereign Prince of Dharma.
        You have been praised as King of Karma!
        With special wisdom burn up the sorrow.
        Help us to fulfill the good wishes through Homa!

19. Pray to the God of Fire with this stanza:

        I, the Acarya, and all the followers
        Do have learned Dharma and do the good Karma.
        Any kind of obstacle during the Homa is done,
        Please send them away from the Mandala.

20. Offer to the God of Wealth:

Offer the Bodhi-branches.

Cut the small branches from a leguminous tree in the length of 16 fingers (about 10 inches) for 108 sticks to be used as an offering of the Bodhi-tree under which Buddha Gautama got the full Enlightenment. This should be done the day before the date of the Homa. They should be covered with a wet handkerchief to keep their freshness.

Now, the Master after repeating the incantation should put them into the fire altar. Care should be taken to keep their natural positions. The Master should hold them straight without turning them upside down. Visualize that they have already become as large as the Bodhi-tree.

1. Incantation:

OM BAISHAVARAWA, BODHITZI, CHARYA SOHO.

2. Stanza:

        The Bodhi-branches from natural and ready area
        Make great merciful shadow to make Buddha so cheer;
        Now its mature time is just at this very moment,
        Its fruits as well as jewels are nowhere for the gathering!

3. Prayer:

        The power of renunciation and confession.
        The power of thirty-seven branches of Bodhi.
        The power of Evolutional Yoga.
        The power of Sunyata and mercy.
        The power of the Great Perfection.
        The power of the Five Buddhakayas.
        Kindly help me to get them instantly!
        

Offer the five kinds of grain

1. Incantation:

OM BAISHAVARAWA SOHO, SAWA BUCHIN GURU OM!

2. Prayer:

        Please increase our spiritual food of endurance and diligence.
        Please increase our spiritual food of samadhi and longevity.
        Please increase our spiritual food of Mahasukha Prajna.
        After offering these five kinds of grain may we have perfect merits.
        

Offer the golden silk of five yards

1. Incantation:

OM BAISHAVARAWA SOHA, SAWA BU CHING GURU OM!

2. Prayer:

        Offer this soft and wonderful silk
        May Mahasukha become our realization.

3. Application:

        When we fall into attachment,
        Help us to keep the commandments.
        When obstacles occur, help us to get the Sunyata attainment.
        When disturbances occur,
        Help us to subdue them in contemplation.
        When the sleepy mind occurs,
        Help us to transmute it in meditation,
        When we are dreaming,
        Help us to recognize this fact.
        When Yama comes, let us have a long life.
        When we are in need, give us your help.
        When our practice wanes, help us get patience.
        When death comes, help us get the Dharmakaya.
        When bardo comes, help us to get the Sambhogakaya.
        When birth domes, help us to get the Nirmanakaya.
        When we are able to save beings, help us to do it.
        When outsiders come, help us to convert them!
        May we obtain all your powers!
        

Offer the three sweets (white sugar, brown sugar and honey)

1. Incantation:

OM BAISHAVARAWA SOHA, SAWA SAMBADA SOHO.

2. Prayer:

        Like the eight stages of Bodhisattva,
        May we obtain the non-born Sunyata.

3. Application:

        The base of discriminative wisdom
        Is like the cloudless sky of autumn
        From which we may get realization,
        To save beings from the lower states to pure kingdom.
        

Offer the powders of the five kinds of gems

1. The five colors of gems are as follows:

1. whitecowries or pearls or silver or crystal
2. blueblue-gem or sapphire
3. yellowamber or gold
4. redred agate or red coral
5. greengreen jade (Yun-nan jade)

If you do not have all of these things completely, only gold will do. It should be melted in the fire; use either Chinese gold paper which is very thin or Bhutanese gold powder. The poor person may use the imitation gold or silver foil, which has only the color but no real value.

Once in Calcutta, India, there was a girl who spoke out loud to her mother in a dream state and told her that she should offer artificial gold or silver foil to the God of Wealth and she would get some good luck. Her mother asked her how to do it. The girl replied, "Ask Yogi Chen, he knows quite well." The mother asked who was Yogi Chen but the girl had already awakened and she got no answer. So she asked her friend who was a Chinese Buddhist who told her about me and they sent me a lot of gold and silver paper to burn. They told me that after burning such paper, those poor business persons in Calcutta became inspired and got some help from the God of Wealth. But a rich man should always use genuine gold foil or he will get no results if he tries to cheat the God of Wealth.

2. Incantation:

OM BAISHAVARAWA SOHO, OM VAJRA MUNI SOHO.

3. Prayer:

        Light-illumined Mani king!
        Golden Star Mani king!
        Many Transformations Mani king!
        Worldly, unworldly Gems I do win!

        In the Kali age, all get money through sin!
        Few ask for your holy help-ness and win!
        To me the real and true Yogi Master
        Please do bless with all your powers.
        Help me in this Homa for sentient beings.
        You help me who helps all of the others.
        Please do remember your good vows.
        Please often keep with me your kindness!
        

Offer seven long needles and Red and White threads which should be very long ones that have not been broken (on spools)

1. Incantation:

OM BAISHAVARAWA SOHO, OM VAJRA AHYUKA HUM SOHO.

2. Prayer:

        All wishes of all good purposes gathered as a sea,
        Within one conception induce the three periods.
        No moment, no being, one should leave,
        May this attainment be folded myriadly.

3. Application:

        Mind and energy induce all the dust-like beings.
        May one life connect with all kalpas.
        When I live long many will be benefitted.
        I will do what you wish the Great-Karma.
        

Offer the Mahasukha, put 108 tablets of hormone pills in the fire altar

1. Incantation:

OM BAISHAVARAWA SOHO, OM MAHASUKHA SOHO.

2. Prayer:

        Based upon the Great Pleasure Power,
        Lift up big and long Vajra Banner.
        Let the Wisdom Sword cut off all sorrows
        And enable us to practice the Third Initiation.

3. Application:

        You are the Master of the Dakinis of Yaksha.
        They do obey your commands and come.
        May you and your family bless me.
        Through the love path, I will accomplish soon!
        

Offer flowers

1. Incantation:

OM BAISHAVARAWA SOHO, OM MAHASUKHA SOHO.

2. Prayer:

        Your chief Dakini and four companions
        With the four corners form a net.
        It gathers numberless Goddesses.
        Make every skin pore full of wit.

3. Application:

        Like the flower garland connected together,
        May all the Dakinis of three places come.
        Protect all the worldly, and unworldly joy.
        In the lotus all realization appears soon!
        

Offering the fruit:

1. Incantation:

OM BAISHAVARAWA SOHO, VAJRA KEPAWA SOHO.

2. Prayer:

        Five kinds of fruit like apples and the rest,
        Are like the Mani producing Gems or Jewels.
        After offering these fruits which is the right result
        May we obtain the full Enlightenment.

3. Application:

        The fruit of Great Compassion of Nirmanakaya.
        The fruit of the pure and perfect Sambhogakaya.
        The fruit of the non-limit-light Dharmakaya.
        The fruit of the trinity of Sahajakaya.
        The fruit of the Mahasukha Prajnakaya.
        May all these five bodies be obtained.
        

Offer the eight offerings in general

1. Incantation:

OM BAISHAVARAWA AHGON, BADON, BUBA, DOBA, ALGA, GANDE, RUVIDA, SHADA, DRADHITZAYA SOHO.

2. Prayer and Application:

        When offering water may wealth come soon.
        When offering flowers may all Dakinis come soon.
        When offering incense may those who have musk smell come.
        When offering light may Dharmakaya light be found.
        When offering Arghya (like perfume) may silas be kept long.
        When offering foods may holy samadhi last long.
        When offering music may Dharma be in sweet sound.

21. Give thanks to the God of Fire

A small portion of each offering should be kept for the God of Fire. Now the Master should put this remainder into the fire and visualize the God of Fire appearing from the fire in his original personality and accepting the offerings with a smile.

22. Turn the Merit

After repeating the 100-word incantation, the Master should fold his palms and pray as follows:

General Prayer:

If I and my followers have done anything which would make the God or Goddesses of Buddhism unhappy, may this Homa performance be a confession. If my followers and sponsors have broken some silas or vinayas, have been disturbed by false views or have been left by all the protectors, may this Homa be a redemption and get the permission to be forgiven. May the merit of Homa be successful in the attainment of Buddhahood.

Special Prayer

        May the power of your great will and Holy Karma
        And the power of the True Dharma Nature
        And the power of the Master's Bodhicitta
        Deserve your helpness and become rich!

Inspirations

1. In February 1950, I was asked by Karma C. C. Chang to write the Increasing Homa Ritual. Traditionally, it should first be permitted by the Buddhas or the Bodhisattva-God of the Homa concerned. Therefore I prayed to the Northern God Vaisaravana for that purpose. Vaisaravana appeared in the northern direction of my hermitage in Kalimpong, India. It was an inspiration to grant permission for this writing. After I completely wrote down this ritual, I placed it before his image and asked for his criticism. A mark of "100" was drawn on the manuscript, as was clearly shown in my meditation light.
2. Karma donated one hundred rupees for the performance of this Homa. He made it possible for me to perform the first Homa. After this donation was made, he celebrated his wife's birthday and played the Chinese game of Moh Jong with some of his visitors. He won one hundred rupees. The next morning he wanted to offer these one hundred rupees into the fire altar, but the Homa Ritual was already completed by the time he arrived. He therefore attributed this sum which was equal to his original donation to the favoring of the God of Wealth.
3. In 1952, Mr. Peter Gruber sent me one hundred American dollars asking me to offer a Homa to Vaisaravana for helping his business. After this Homa was done, he wrote me that he had won ten thousand dollars in his business and also attributed his success to the favoring of Vaisaravana. He automatically gave five thousand dollars to create the Oriental Studies Institute. Afterwards he sent many donations for the same purpose. And many Buddhist Centers in America are supported by him.
4. Some Chinese merchants in Calcutta, India sent donations for the performance of a Homa. They all were inspired in their business!
5. I was and am and always will be a poor hermit. I never ask for helpness from rich Buddhists. But I have lived in my Kalimpong hermitage for 25 years, published many books and booklets in Chinese and English, purchased stamps and sent them freely to the libraries and Buddhist Centers and Buddhist scholars and practitioners throughout the whole world. All these projects are helped by the God of Wealth Vaisaravana. I am so proud that the total wealth of the Dharmadhatu seems to belong to me. The God of Wealth has kept it for me who lives to propagate the Dharma throughout the whole world without tire.
6. Vaisaravana also appeared at the Adi-Buddha Mandala in Sonoma County, California, U.S.A. when I celebrated a Homa for the 3000th birthday of Gautama Buddha in 1973. His endless inspirations will happen again, not only to me but also to those who use this ritual and perform it rightly.

Source

By Yogi C. M. Chen
yogichen.org