Teachings given at Miaocheng Dharma Garden on March 17, 2019
Kurumi was the most important deity of Langga Rinpoche, who was an accomplished practitioner of Kurukulla. After his passing, we hold Kurukulla ceremonies and fire offerings every year on the eighth day of the second lunar month to commemorate him. The Master frequently performed fire offerings during his lifetime; this was due to his karmic connection, and he performed countless fire offerings throughout his life.
During our practice, we wear red clothing and lotus crowns, as the rituals are recorded in the Kurukulla tantras. During the practice, everyone should maintain a pure and compassionate mind, thinking that the fire offering is performed for the benefit of all sentient beings, for the protection of the Three Jewels, and for the fulfillment of one’s own endeavors.
Kurukulla is the embodiment of the Dharma of Attraction, which is a method to transform discomfort into ease. When our minds are not at ease, we will feel sad even if we don’t want to, and we will experience afflictions even if we don’t want to. This is what it means to be at ease. If the mind is at ease, it will change as you wish. The mind is like water; you can make it hot if you want it to be hot, and cold if you want it to be cold… Now that our minds are not at ease, we cannot be happy even if we want to be, and we cannot be energetic even if we want to be; we are often lethargic. Usually, when the mind is not at ease, it interferes with our emotions, and we cannot control things we don’t want to do. This is the meaning of a mind not at ease. No matter what Dharma you practice, every Dharma is a method to achieve a free mind.
Those with meditative concentration can achieve a free mind through the power of meditation. What if you don’t have meditative concentration? You need to rely on the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and external forces to achieve a free mind. When your own mind is at ease, you can transform the minds of others. Transforming the minds of others means that when someone has evil thoughts, if we are ordinary people, we have no power to transform their evil thoughts. If our speech is impure, reciting mantras will not be very effective; if our mind is impure, visualization will have little effect; if our body, speech, and mind are impure, the effect of practicing Dharma will be very poor. If we practice the Dharma of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas with such vows through special circumstances and special aspirations, we can receive blessings temporarily.
Even a brief period of spiritual power is incredible. When Langga Rinpoche was alive, many people sought his guidance in practicing the Kurukulla (Rudraksha) mantra. Some had young children who died shortly after birth; others faced obstacles in their families, or their members exhibited abnormal behavior (almost going insane). We had such families in our own clan. Langga Rinpoche practiced the Kurukulla mantra and performed fire offerings to fulfill the wishes of these beings. He possessed such spiritual power; the effects were immediate. Many who practiced this mantra experienced liberation and returned to normalcy. Others facing obstacles in their endeavors also sought his guidance. This is because Kurukulla’s power transcends worldly liberation and fulfills the wishes of worldly people, benefiting both oneself and others—perfecting both worldly and otherworldly aspirations.
There’s also a fascinating story about the thousand Tara statues in our shrine, which were made in Nepal. They worked on them for two years without success, and the quality kept declining. When Langga Rinpoche asked about it, knowing it wasn’t finished yet, he told me, “Don’t argue with them. Ordinary people do good deeds by starting with ignorance (doing good deeds without understanding their own state); then doing good deeds with a comparative mind; and finally ending with anger. This is how ordinary people do good deeds, and you can’t do it that way. You already have this aspiration, and therefore this merit. Even if the Buddha statue isn’t finished, you shouldn’t argue. I’ll perform a fire offering for you to bless it, through the power of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.” Then he performed a fire offering. After the fire offering, our Buddha statue improved more and more. Although it wasn’t as large as the twelve centimeters we requested, only eight centimeters, the workmanship was excellent, and it was completed very quickly.
Similarly, Ganden Monastery has a stupa containing the remains of Master Tsongkhapa. This was a very important construction project in Tibet at the time, entirely covered in gold and jewels, and was designed by Master Gongtang. Many obstacles arose during construction, making completion difficult. Master Gongtang then instructed Langga Rinpoche to perform a fire offering. On the eighth day of the sixth month of the Tibetan calendar, Langga Rinpoche performed a fire offering to Kurukulla on a mountain in Gansu, with some lamas from Mula Monastery also assisting. On the day he completed his 100,000th fire offering, all problems were resolved, and no further issues arose.
Therefore, Kurukulla not only perfects worldly matters but also transcendental matters. It is especially effective when practicing, meditating, in retreat, encountering obstacles, or when the mind cannot find peace.
The Kurukulla practice is a high-level tantric practice, with a relatively high threshold. This high threshold means that one must have received the highest-level tantric empowerments and have completed the basic mantra recitations to participate in Kurukulla ceremonies. The number of people attending the Kurukulla (Guhyasamaja) Dharma Assembly is relatively small, because those who haven’t received the Highest Yoga Tantra empowerment cannot participate; a Highest Yoga Tantra empowerment is required. Whether it’s the preceding confession, merit-making, observation, or entering the mandala, these rituals must be performed before participating in the assembly. If it’s just for the purpose of establishing a connection, and the rituals aren’t performed correctly, then it’s fine.
In many places, the empowerment of Kurukulla is performed, but the rituals for fire offerings are not as strict. In introductory empowerments, the visualizations, the materials used, and the ritual practices are not very complete. For example, in a fire offering, if it’s just an introductory one, only the mantras are recited and offerings are made; other aspects like visualization, rituals, the mandala, clothing, and lotus crowns are not required.
Of course, for those with meditative abilities or accomplished mantra recitation, these external rituals are unimportant and can be omitted. However, for those without these abilities, these external materials are very important. When Langga Rinpoche performed the empowerment, he covered his head with a red cloth. When we first gave the empowerment, we didn’t have the Five Buddha Crown; later, Langga Rinpoche requested that the Five Buddha Crown and fire offering tools be made. Therefore, what you see here isn’t very interesting; this is the tantric ritual. Our ceremony today uses a very complete ritual.
Everyone should cultivate a vast Bodhicitta and a pure mind for world peace, for their families, for the prosperity of Buddhism, and for their own endeavors. Visualize the external world as the Pure Land of Kurukulla, and all sentient beings as the form of Kurukulla. Practice this Dharma in a state of purity and unity of body, speech, and mind. I also wish everyone’s wishes fulfilled, that your Bodhicitta grows daily, and that you attain the state of Kurukulla in the future. Amitabha!