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jala-baliṁ-vidhi-nāma

Water offering ritual

    I prostrate before the Three Jewels!
    Anyone who has faith will be diligent in doing so, for water torma is easy in performing deeds because of its great benefits and great qualities. To do this, pour water inside a beautiful precious vessel. Fill it with various things such as powders, flowers, etc., five kinds of jewels such as gold, etc., various impossible to express kinds of food, medicines, grains, essences, etc., etc. If one combines everything, it will be most auspicious.
    In general, in the study of the realization of torma deeds, [there are] six signs such as purification and so forth.
    There purification is the mudra and mantra of perfect purity, dharmata. Increase - the mantra and mudra of the treasury of heavenly space. Transformation of faith - the mudra and mantra of Amritakundali. Dedication to practice - the mantra and mudra of the mighty Vipula. Formation of acquisition - the mantra and mudra of the meteor of primordial wisdom. Realization of submission - the general mantra and mudra of the protector, the deity. Control - the mantra and mudra of the chakra.
    There in the stream of thoughts you first engender the remembrance of yourself as Mahamudra, the body of the deity and protector. When you do so, with the help of the four measureless ones, direct the mind to the highest enlightenment. When you do so, ask for refuge in the Three Jewels. Realize the remembrance of the purpose of beings with great mercy. In offerings [of merit] also realize the offering for great unsurpassed enlightenment. Also in offerings of contemplation, make equal offerings to guests of respect, such as the Enlightened Ones, bodhisattvas, shravakas, pratyekabuddhas, and so forth, guests of qualities, such as Brahma, Indra, the four protectors of the universe, the ten protectors of directions, the guardians and [protectors] possessing heart obligations, guests of mercy, such as the living beings of the six realms, but especially to one's own protector and deity, lords of locality, gods and nagas that reside in all countries, guests of karmic creditors, such as obstacles and conditions that count for longevity, all gods and demons that do good and harm.
    Here first join the palms of the hands, making an emptiness within, and say this mantra:
    oṁ svabhāva vi śuddhaḥ sarva dharmāḥ svabhāva vi śuddho haṁ
    When you join the palms of your hands with the emptiness within, intertwine your fingertips. When you do this as like a jewel that possesses the corners of the bonds, recite the following mantra:
    namaḥ sarva tathāgate bhyo viśwa mukhe bhyaḥ sarva tha khaṁ udgate spharaṇa i maṁ gagana khaṁ svāhā
    When you join the palms of your hands, straighten outward [the fingers] and crossing your thumbs, say this mantra:
    oṁ amṛita kuṇḍali hana hana hūṁ phaṭ
    When the right hand is tied into a vajra fist, straighten the index finger and say this mantra:
    namaḥ sarva tathāgata avalokite oṁ saṁbhara saṁbhara hūṁ
    When the right hand is at the heart in the form of a vajra fist, with the left hand draw up the vessel of bestowing the supreme and recite such a mantra:
    oṁ jñāna avalokite samanta spharaṇa rasmi bhava samaya mahā maṇi duru duru hṛidaya jalani hūṁ
    When you join the palms of your hands with the void inside, intertwine your fingers inside and straighten your thumbs parallel. Recite a mantra like this:
    nama samanta buddhā nāṁ grahe śvāra prabha jyoti mahā samaya svāhā
    Carry out the recitation of the mantra with one mudra seven times seven.
    Also first bless the torma as having no flaws and great purity. Secondly bless the filling of the spheres of space with the five objects of the sense organs, which correspond to the special inconceivable substances of the offerings and representations of all living beings. Having realized the increase in like manner, thirdly bless that corresponding to the ocean of nectar and the richness of food, etc., [appears as] the conditions of wealth. - [appears as] the conditions of wealth, the restoration of the five poisons, and the five original wisdoms. Fourthly, bless the full realization of thoughts appearing as the rain of the five sense objects that correspond to the sense objects of living beings and the offerings that appear as the numerous clusters of clouds of offerings in the path of the eyes of the Noble Ones, such as the immeasurable palace and so forth. In particular, one also blesses that the thoughts of all sentient beings and the numerous kinds of hungry spirits be completely fulfilled. Fifthly, you offer offerings to the Noble Ones, manifesting your own body as equal parts of the earth. After offering, one blesses the attainment that corresponds to individual conceptions without conflict or battle, without victory or defeat due to the blessing of satisfaction and [benefit] for living beings. Sixth, contemplate as directly presenting [in the unity of] sound and emptiness and following by virtue of heartfelt commitment the various kinds of guests of veneration, guests of qualities, guests of mercy, and guests of karmic creditors.
    The realization [or attainment] of all prescribed as not corresponding to the deeds appearing as the goal of living beings is subject to the wisdom and the Teaching in the ten directions.
    Then follow offerings with such lines as these:
    This king of the giving of faultless offerings, due to the blessing of perfect purity, dharmata, the great and limitless qualities of the Jewels, the definite heart commitments of the heart [mantra] and mudra, the power and possibilities of the accumulation of causes, conditions, and interdependence, the realization of rishis and vidyadharas, my wisdom, samadhi, and prayer-wishes - shines with the rays of light of the five primordial wisdoms, possesses all the necessary wealth of the five sense organs, appears as a great treasury, the vastest heavenly space. I offer this as spreading and increasing clouds of offerings in your palace, teacher-guru, the place of offerings!
    May all living beings become happy! May all also become free from harm! May the desires enunciated by the Tathagata also become perfect! May all the thoughts of all living beings also be realized in accordance with the intention! Let no harm arise anywhere from the eating of any one by a single snake! May the indestructible arise in the form of food, drink, etc. from hungry spirits!  May through the blessing of the bestowal of the earth because of merit - quickly pacify the minds of all those who are filled with the suffering of hell and those in whom [manifest] various aspects of the intolerable! May the virtuous thoughts of the gods abiding on earth or in heaven, of all the many abiding [in the world] nagas, yakshas, gandharvas and bhutas become complete!
    Then follows the realization of the vastest bestowal of the Teaching.
    All phenomena arise from the cause. The cause was proclaimed by the Tathagata. And that it is suppressed was proclaimed by the great ascetic. Do nothing harmful, Act with the perfection of virtue. Completely subdue your own mind. This is the Teaching of the Enlightened One.
    In this way and in other numerous personally said stanzas, the most extensive bestowal is realized without division into spiritual and material. Similarly, through the aspects of bestowing spiritual and material, the two kinds of veils are purified and the two accumulations are completed. Realize this as [necessary] for attaining unsurpassed enlightenment.
    Compiled by Acharya Jayasena. Translated and proofread by the translator-corrector monk Rinchen Zangpo.
    Translated by Lama Karma Paljor (O.E. Filippov).