Pujas for the Living
Sponsor A Puja
Please use the form below to sponsor the puja of your choice. Descriptions of each puja are below the form.
Instructions
- Use the form above to make a donation toward the puja to request a prayer, so that you or a loved one receives dedications of the merit at the end of the puja.
- Please provide name(s) in the beneficiary box, and specify types of Puja desired:
For the Living, please specify type(s) of Puja desired: 1) Healing, Health and Longevity, 2) Removal of Obstacles, 3) Dharma Protection, 4) Wisdom & Spiritual Accomplishments, or 5) Lamp Prayers to Dispel/Purify Obstacles.
What are Pujas?
Puja is a skillful tantric practice of purification using the power of mantra, the power of concentration, and the power of Buddha’s words of truth. Pujas are rituals that involve visualization, recitation of mantras and prayers and making offerings to the enlightened beings (Buddhas/Deities). Pujas are performed to receive the blessings of enlightened beings, accumulate merit, and dispel obstacles and negative circumstances for oneself and others.
Why Request a Puja?
In traditional Buddhist cultures, lay people ask members of the monastic community to perform pujas for them in order to increase positive circumstances and success in their spiritual and worldly affairs, as well as to deal with or avert problems which may occur in those areas.
The monastic community’s many years of profound practice experience lends great blessings and power to the puja. This mutually supportive relationship between the lay and monastic communities generates a vast, resonant field of bodhicitta, which will benefit all beings.
How Does a Puja “Work”?
Pujas can be sponsored to benefit oneself or another, for the living or for the dead. Each puja is centered around a specific Buddha, whose activity is specifically suited to fulfill certain functions – such as protection, removing obstacles, pacifying illness, or helping the deceased.
When requested, sponsored puja will be performed at DDSC temple by one or more of our resident ordained sangha – Venerable Khenpo Samdup and/or Venerable Ani Konchok Gamtso – who may also be joined by other practitioners. If feasible, pujas can be also performed in conjunction at one of the monasteries with which DDSC is affiliated such as Garchen Buddhist Institute, Drikung Kagyu Monastery or Drikung Kagyu Nunnery. The public can participate in the puja if desired. No registration required to sit in on the puja.
Is there a fee for a Puja Service?
In traditional settings, when a puja is requested, an offering is made with the request. The offering is a form of the practice of generosity which enables the one making the request to accumulate merits that further enhance the effectiveness of the ritual. Making an offering toward the puja creates an auspicious connection between the puja sponsor, the person being prayed for, the Buddha being prayed to, and the lamas offering the prayers and pujas, and the prayers being made.
You may donate whatever amount is comfortable for you. Your donation will go toward the ordained sangha as an offering for the puja performed, and to help support Drikung Dharma Surya’s temple operations.
If the requested offering involves a hardship, please contact DDSC so that accommodations can be made. We are grateful for all donations, no matter the size.
SPONSORING A PUJA
Pujas can be sponsored to benefit oneself or another. Pujas sponsored at DDSC temple will be primarily performed by Venerable Khenpo Samdup and/or Venerable Ani Konchok Gamtso, joined by other lamas at monasteries with which DDSC is affiliated if possible.
Pujas for the Living: Healing, Health and Longevity
- Medicine Buddha$20.00
This puja invokes the wisdom and blessings of the Medicine Buddha to aid in healing and to enhance and support your work if you are a medical practitioner. Medicine Buddha is the manifestation of the healing energy of all enlightened beings. Prayers to Medicine Buddha are especially powerful for the temporal and ultimate happiness of all sentient beings as the prayers would be actualized during these times. Additionally, it assists in overcoming the subtle inner causes of illness, the three poisons of ignorance, desire, and aversion.
Tayatha Om Bekandze Bekandze Maha Bekandze Radza Samudgate Svaha
Tayatha – means “like this”.
Om – composed of the three pure sounds A U and MA, which signifies one’s own body, speech and mind that get transformed into the vajra holy body, speech and mind.
Bekandze bekandze – means “eliminating pain, eliminating pain”. What eliminates pain is medicine. This pain is not ordinary pain – even animals do not want to experience that. The first eliminating pain is true suffering, the second is the true cause of suffering. The medicine that eliminates pain is first the graduated path of the lower capable being, and second the graduated path of the middle capable being.
Maha bekandze – means “the great eliminating pain” is the graduated path of the higher capable being, which eliminates the subtle defilements.
Thus, bekandze bekandze maha bekandze contains the whole path to enlightenment, the ultimate medicine.
Radza – means king.
Samudgate – means ocean of goodness.
Svaha – means an exclamation meaning “hail” or “may blessings be upon” and to establish the foundation in the heart, the blessing, the devotion from which the realization comes, a common ending to Buddhist mantras.
By actualising the meaning of the path contained in bekandze bekandze maha bekandze, the whole Lam Rim, you cease the defilements, gross and subtle, and purify the ordinary body, speech and mind into the vajra holy body, speech and mind. After this you are able to do perfect works for other sentient beings.
White Tara$20.00
This puja invokes the wisdom and blessings of White Tara. White Tara is a female buddha associated with healing and longevity.
Om Tare Tuttare Ture Mama Ayuh Jnana Punya Pushtim Kuru Svaha
Om – composed of the three pure sounds A U and MA, which signifies one’s own body, speech and mind that get transformed into the vajra holy body, speech and mind.
Tāre – means salvation from mundane dangers and suffering. Tara is seem as a savioress who can give aid from material threats such as floods, crime, wild animals, and traffic accidents. Tara is therefore said to protect against ordinary worldly dangers.
Tuttāre – means deliverance into the spiritual path conceived in terms of individual salvation. Tara offers individual protection from the spiritual dangers of greed, hatred, and delusion: the three factors that cause us individual suffering
Ture – means the culmination of the spiritual path in terms of deliverance into the altruistic path of universal salvation – the Bodhisattva path. In the Bodhisattva path, ones aspires for personal enlightenment, but also connects compassionately with the sufferings of others, and strive sto liberate them at the same time as ones seeks enlightenment ourselves. Tara delivers us from a narrow conception of the spiritual life. She saves us from the notion that spiritual progress is about narrowly liberating ourselves from our own suffering, and instead leads us to see that true spiritual progress involves having compassion for others.
Mama – means “mine” and indicates that ones would like to possess these qualities of long life, merit, wisdom, happiness, etc.
Ayuh – means long life.
Punya – means the merit that comes from living life ethically, and this merit is said to help one to live long and happily.
Jnana – means wisdom.
Punya and Jnana are known as the Two Accumulations. In order to become enlightened, ones needs to accumulate merit (that is, to develop positive qualities through living ethically and meditating) but also needs to develop wisdom through deep reflection.
Pushtim – means wealth, abundance, or increase.
Kuru is a mythical land to the north of the Himalayas, which was said to be a land of long life and happiness. But here the word kuru is a verb form meaning “do it!” or “make it so!” With this “make it so!”, ones is imploring White Tara for an increase in wisdom, merit, and long life so that ones can gain enlightenment and help all sentient beings.
Svaha – means an exclamation meaning “hail” or “may blessings be upon” and to establish the foundation in the heart, the blessing, the devotion from which the realization comes, a common ending to Buddhist mantras.
Buddha Amitayus$20.00
This puja invokes the wisdom and blessings of Buddha Amitayus. Buddha Amitayus is a form of the buddha Amitabha that is particularly associated with longevity.
Om Amarani Jiwantiye Svaha
Om – composed of the three pure sounds A U and MA, which signifies one’s own body, speech and mind that get transformed into the vajra holy body, speech and mind.
Amaraņi – means “immortal”, from “a-“(not) + “maraṇi”(dying),
Jivantaye – means “one who is alive (living)”, from “Jiva”(living, existing) and “jivantaye”
Svaha – means an exclamation meaning “hail” or “may blessings be upon” and to establish the foundation in the heart, the blessing, the devotion from which the realization comes, a common ending to Buddhist mantras.
- Green Tara$20.00
This puja invokes the wisdom and blessings of Green Tara. Green Tara is a female buddha associated with protection from fear and the removal of obstacles.
Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha
Om – is composed of the three pure sounds A U and MA, which signifies one’s own body, speech and mind that get transformed into the vajra holy body, speech and mind.
Tāre – means salvation from mundane dangers and suffering. Tara is seem as a savioress who can give aid from material threats such as floods, crime, wild animals, and traffic accidents. Tara is therefore said to protect against ordinary worldly dangers.
Tuttāre – means deliverance into the spiritual path conceived in terms of individual salvation. Tara offers individual protection from the spiritual dangers of greed, hatred, and delusion: the three factors that cause us individual suffering
Ture – means the culmination of the spiritual path in terms of deliverance into the altruistic path of universal salvation – the Bodhisattva path. In the Bodhisattva path, ones aspires for personal enlightenment, but also connects compassionately with the sufferings of others, and strive sto liberate them at the same time as ones seeks enlightenment ourselves. Tara delivers us from a narrow conception of the spiritual life. She saves us from the notion that spiritual progress is about narrowly liberating ourselves from our own suffering, and instead leads us to see that true spiritual progress involves having compassion for others.
Svaha – means an exclamation meaning “hail” or “may blessings be upon” and to establish the foundation in the heart, the blessing, the devotion from which the realization comes, a common ending to Buddhist mantras.
Vajrapani$20.00
This puja invokes the wisdom and blessings of Vajrapani. Vajrapani is a wrathful buddha associated with the removal of obstacles and unfavorable conditions.
Om Vajrapani Hum
Vajrapani’s mantra is simply his name, which means “wielder of the thunderbolt”, framed between the mystical syllables Om and Hūm. This mantra helps us to gain access to the irrepressible energy that Vajrapani symbolizes.
Pujas for the Living: Dharma Protection
Achi Chokyi Drolma$20.00
This puja invokes the wisdom and blessings of Achi Chokyi Drolma. Achi Chokyi Drolma is a great protector of the Buddha’s teachings. She is an emanation of Vajrayogini, who embodies the wisdom and activities of all the buddhas. She is the divine mother of the buddhas who manifested out of compassion in the form of the dakinis of the five buddha families.
Om Mama Chakra Svaha Yar Duu Sarwa Du Raja Raja Du Mama Du Hum Phat Svaha
Achi Chokyi Drolma is the special protectress of the Drikung Kagyu Tradition. She is invoked to remove obstacles and to create positive conditions for spiritual and worldly success. She promised Jigten Sumgön, Ratna Shri, the great Drigungpa, that she would protect the essence of the Buddha’s teachings which he brought to light and transmitted through the lineage of the Drigung Kagyu order. Because of this promise, whosoever will practice the sadhana of Achi Chökyi Drolma with full devotion and certainty will be freed from all kinds of unfavorable circumstances and obstacles in this life, and also obstacles connected with Dharma practice. Those who continue doing the practice with full faith and devotion will finally achieve the perfectly enlightened state, Buddhahood.
Mahakala$20.00
This puja invokes the wisdom and blessings of Mahalaka. Mahakala is a wrathful form of Chenrezig, the Buddha of Compassion.
Om Mahakala Hum Phat Svaha
Mahakala’s mantra is simply his name. Mahakala protects practitioners from delusion and supports the accomplishment of dharma practice and the development of positive qualities.
Guru Rinpoche$20.00
This puja invokes the wisdom and blessings of Guru Rinpoche. Guru Rinpoche (also known as Padmasambhava) is the condensed essence of all enlightened beings. This puja is performed to remove obstacles to worldly or spiritual accomplishments and to avert harm from spirits or non-human entities.
Om Ah Hum Vajra Guru Padma Siddhi Hum
Om – is composed of the three pure sounds A U and MA, which signifies one’s own body, speech and mind that get transformed into the vajra holy body, speech and mind.
Ah – is usually said to be connected with speech. In Sanskrit “ah” is a verb meaning “to express , signify , to call (by name).” So it suggests evoking, or calling forth, the manifestation of enlightenment.
Hum – is often thought of as representing the manifestation of enlightenment in the individual human being.
Often these syllables are associated with body, speech, and mind respectively (i.e., the whole of one’s being). So there’s a suggestion that we are saluting the qualities that Padmasambhava represents with all of our hearts (and minds, and bodies).
Vajra – means thunderbolt, and represents the energy of the enlightened mind. It can also mean diamond. The implication is that the diamond/thunderbolt can cut through anything. The diamond is the indestructible object, while the thunderbolt is the unstoppable force. The vajra also stands for compassion.
Guru – means a wise teacher. It comes from a root word, garu, which means “weighty.” Padmasambhava is so highly regarded in Tibetan Buddhism that he is often referred to as the second Buddha.
Padma – means lotus, calling to mind the purity of the enlightened mind, because the lotus flower, although growing in muddy water, is completely stainless. In the same way, the enlightened mind is surrounded by the greed, hatred, and delusion that is found in the world, and yet remains untouched by it. The lotus, therefore, represents wisdom.
Siddhi – means accomplishment or supernatural powers, suggesting the way in which those who are enlightened can act wisely, but in ways that we can’t necessarily understand. Padmasambhava is a magical figure, and in his biography there are many miracles and tussles with supernatural beings.
Manjushri$20.00
This puja invokes the wisdom and blessings of Manjushri. Manjushri is a buddha associated with the development of wisdom
Om Wam Gi Shwari Mum
Manjushri’s mantra is simply his name, which means “Hail to the Lord of Speech”.
Lamp Prayers to Dispel/Purify Obstacles
108 lamps$50.00Special Lamp Offering during Dharma Teachings or Retreat (108 lamps)
Lighting lamps has become a method of making offerings since Buddha Shakyamuni attained enlightenment 2,500 years ago. Among the 10 offerings (incense, flowers, lamps, ointments, fruit, tea, food, treasures, beads, and clothing), lamps are essential as they symbolize Buddha’s realization dispelling the darkness of ignorance that obscures the mind’s true nature. Thus, lamp offering is associated with wisdom and great good fortune. For Tibetan Buddhist practitioners, a lamp offering also carries the wish to attain Buddhahood and the aspiration to recognize the clear light at the time of death, thereby experiencing liberation in that moment.Lamp offerings are best made in the surrounding environment of consecrated representations of fully awakened wisdom, loving-kindness, and compassion. With its magnificent Buddha Shakyamuni, White Tara and Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara statues consecrated with the relics of Lord Buddha Shakyamuni and other enlightened Masters embedded and sealed inside the statues, the main shrine room at DDSC temple offers a most auspicious setting for making lamp offerings. Here, lamps burn continuously each day during Dharma teachings or retreat, radiating the prayers and aspirations made by the ordained sangha and numerous sangha members and visitors.
Because of the association with great good fortune, lamp offerings are made for any individual or family life event or celebration, such as the marriage of a couple, the birth of a child, the graduation of a son or daughter, the birthday of a friend, and the wedding anniversary of one’s parents. Lamp offerings may also be made in difficult times. The gift of light and the accompanying prayers help to bring about less suffering and greater happiness in times of illness, after difficult changes in one’s life, loss, uncertainty, and also after the death of a relative. Lamps may be offered for a parent who is facing an operation, for a friend changing careers, for a student facing a difficult exam, and for a family member experiencing extreme stress.
Crystal Lamp Offering to Purify and Remove Obstacles for the Entire Year$100.00
– One (1) lamp for one (1 ) person or family up to five (5) members
– Long life Buddha
– Medicine Buddha
– Buddha Dzambhala
Lighting lamps has become a method of making offerings since Buddha Shakyamuni attained enlightenment 2,500 years ago. Among the 10 offerings (incense, flowers, lamps, ointments, fruit, tea, food, treasures, beads, and clothing), lamps are essential as they symbolize Buddha’s realization dispelling the darkness of ignorance that obscures the mind’s true nature. Thus, lamp offering is associated with wisdom and great good fortune. For Tibetan Buddhist practitioners, a lamp offering also carries the wish to attain Buddhahood and the aspiration to recognize the clear light at the time of death, thereby experiencing liberation in that moment.
Lamp offerings are best made in the surrounding environment of consecrated representations of fully awakened wisdom, loving-kindness, and compassion. With its magnificent Buddha Shakyamuni, White Tara and Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara statues consecrated with the relics of Lord Buddha Shakyamuni and other enlightened Masters embedded and sealed inside the statues, the main shrine room at DDSC temple offers a most auspicious setting for making lamp offerings. Here, lamp is lighting continuously for one (1 ) person or family up to five (5) members for the entire year, radiating the prayers and aspirations made by the ordained sangha and numerous sangha members and visitors.
Because of the association with great good fortune, lamp offerings are made for any individual or family life event or celebration, such as the marriage of a couple, the birth of a child, the graduation of a son or daughter, the birthday of a friend, and the wedding anniversary of one’s parents. Lamp offerings may also be made in difficult times. The gift of light and the accompanying prayers help to bring about less suffering and greater happiness in times of illness, after difficult changes in one’s life, loss, uncertainty, and also after the death of a relative. Lamps may be offered for a parent who is facing an operation, for a friend changing careers, for a student facing a difficult exam, and for a family member experiencing extreme stress.
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