Sacred Sky Press has just released the publication of Sacred Smoke: The Ritual Practice of Fumigation and Offering in the Yungdrung Bön Religious Tradition by Raven Cypress Wood. This book is both an in-depth overview and a practice manual for the ritual commonly known as sang [Tibetan: bsang]. Performed as a daily practice as well as on special occasions, the sang ritual of fumigation and offering is pervasive throughout both the Yungdrung Bön and Buddhist traditions because of its important relevance to ordinary people, lay practitioners, and monastics. The practice of sang is categorized within the Second Way of the Nine Ways of Bön and uses fragrant smoke to clear defilements from both the environment and its inhabitants.

The first part of Sacred Smoke introduces the reader to the sang ritual and provides a deeper understanding of the source, meaning, and purpose of the ritual. This includes descriptions of the kinds of defilements beings purified, the recipients of the offerings, and the benefits of performing the ritual.

It is called removal because it removes the negative from the positive. It is called removal because it removes the defiled from the pure. It is called removal because it removes poverty. It is called removal because it removes obstructions.

—Lord Buddha Tönpa Shenrap Miwoche describing the category of rituals containing the sang practice in Sacred Smoke: The Ritual Practice of Fumigation and Offering in the Yungdrung Bön Religious Tradition

And,

For ordinary people, performing the sang ritual and receiving its benefits can increase their faith in the truth of the teachings of Buddha Tönpa Shenrap. For them, the sang ritual can be an entrance to the higher teachings of enlightenment by creating a basis of faith in the practices.

—Excerpt from Sacred Smoke: The Ritual Practice of Fumigation and Offering in the Yungdrung Bön Religious Tradition

The second part of Sacred Smoke provides the liturgical texts needed for the ritual including the original Tibetan with phonetics and the corresponding English translations. In addition to the sang ritual prayers according to the Menri tradition, Sacred Smoke includes texts for performing the sang ritual composed by the esteemed 23rd Menri Trizin, the sang ritual for the lu, and invocations to Blue Dzmbhala and Chammo Lamlha, the goddess of travel. Detailed instructions are given for how to perform the the ritual in either an extensive and more elaborate way, or a condensed version.

You who have incredible magical power, lords of intermediate space, lords of the earth and lords of the rivers and lakes who judge between right and wrong;

You are living here alongside human beings in this wonderful land.

You, great rulers of this area, when invited by this practitioner, please come to this place of offerings.

—Excerpt from Fumigation Offering for Any Area, included within Sacred Smoke: The Ritual Practice of Fumigation and Offering in the Yungdrung Bön Religious Tradition

Sacred Smoke: The Ritual Practice of Fumigation and Offering in the Yungdrung Bön Religious Tradition by Raven Cypress Wood is a 175 page hardcover with black and white images. It can be purchased from the distributor from this link: https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/raven-cypress-wood/sacred-smoke/hardcover/product-977vd8.html?page=1&pageSize=4

Raven Cypress Wood is also the author of other Sacred Sky Press publications including:

Indestructible: The Longevity Practice of Tséwang Rikdzin https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/raven-cypress-wood/indestructible-the-longevity-practice-of-tsewang-rikdzin/hardcover/product-1g2pdvkp.html?page=1&pageSize=4

The Heartdrop of Jamma, the Loving Mother https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/raven-cypress-wood/jamma-nying-tik-color/paperback/product-1g274888.html?page=1&pageSize=4