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Summer Ritual at Menri Monastery: The Great Secret Dō Ritual of The Vast Sky

Representation of the phenomenal world with its wondrous and desirable contents created at Menri Monastery

During the 12th-16th lunar days of the 5th lunar month, Menri Monastery together with the Rayna Menling Nunnery will conduct the annual Kha Long Sangwé Dō Chen, The Great Secret Dō Ritual of the Vast Sky. In 2025, these dates correspond with July 7th-11th. The purpose of this elaborate ritual cycle is to pacify or expel obstacles and malevolent energies, rebalance the five elements, attract good fortune, longevity, and positive circumstances, and to bring healing and harmony to the environment and its seen and unseen inhabitants. This ritual was taught directly by the enlightened Lord Tönpa Shenrap Miwoché as a skillful method to work with external, worldly forces that interfere with the happiness and success of sentient beings. These teachings are part of the Second Way of Bön, The Way of the Shen of the Phenomenal World. As in every teaching and ritual of the Yungdrung Bön, the foundation of the practice is unbiased, unlimited compassion. Even when so-called “malevolent spirits” are expelled because of their unwillingness to stop harming others, the expulsion is from a base of compassion for both those being harmed as well as for those causing the harm. By interrupting their harmful actions towards others, it also prevents them from accumulating negative karma. Additionally, every ritual concludes with prayers of aspiration that all beings be happy and peaceful, and ultimately to realize the ultimate state of enlightenment that is beyond any kind of suffering or unhappiness.

To support the ritual of The Great Secret Dō Ritual of the Vast Sky, a representation of the phenomenal world is created along with all the good and precious things within it. These things are offered to the enlightened ones, the worldly protectors, powerful spirits, and all the six kinds of sentient beings. By offering to the deities, the accumulation of merit is increased and previous negative actions are purified. By offering to the worldly protectors, they are delighted and continue to fulfill their vows of protection and bestowing abundance. By offering to the powerful spirits, we bring harmony to our relationship with them and pay any debts that might invoke their retribution. By giving to all the six kinds of sentient beings, we fulfill their desires and their minds become peaceful and satisfied.

His Eminence Menri Pönlop Thrinley Nyima Rinpoche instructing the monks in creating namkha

About Namkha

In addition to the many offerings of torma, precious gems, foodstuffs, flowers and greenery, fragrant smells, soft materials, and so on; this ritual makes abundant use of the ritual object known as a namkha. The Tibetan term namkha literally translates as “sky” or “external space.” This term is often translated as “thread-cross.” There are many different kinds of namkha that have a diversity of form and function. Just as the shape, color, ingredients, and use of a torma is determined by its ritual purpose, so is the shape, color, and function of a namkha determined by its ritual purpose. As for the actual construction, a namkha is created by affixing thin pieces of bamboo or wood together to establish a frame. Then, beginning at the center and working outward, strands of colored wool, yarn, or thread are used to weave a net-like pattern over the frame. The length of the wood or bamboo is notched to allow the colored strands to catch and stay in place. There is a great variation in framework and patterns. For example, if the namkha is being used as a temporary abode of a deity or spirit, the pattern and colors used will be representative of the physical characteristics and hand objects of that deity or spirit. Namkha are used as a dwelling for deities or spirits during a ritual, to attract or repel specific energies and qualities, for protection from danger and disease, and as offerings, among other purposes.

Namkha created for the fire ritual of the deity Duk Kar, the White Umbrella Goddess

Dō Rituals

Buddha Tönpa Shenrap Miwoché taught 365 different types of rituals. The Great Secret Dō Ritual of the Vast Sky is categorized as a dō type of ritual. Because many of the dō rituals make use of namkha, some Western scholars have erroneously stated that the terms dō [Tibetan: mdos] and namkha are synonymous. This is incorrect. There are dō rituals that do not use namkha, and there are many namkha that are used in rituals other than those categorized as dō. In general, dō rituals are the most important of the ransom rituals used for eliminating harm to the life force, diseases, danger, and other disturbances from nonhuman beings. In general, the nonhuman beings causing harm are offered an exchange of desirable things for the release of those being harmed. Namkha are used to invite the enlightened deities who are the objects of refuge for the ritual, and the protectors who subdue the malevolent forces. Other types of namkha are made as offerings to the deities and gifts of exchange for the ransom. Still other types of namkha act as supports for the return of the life force, and the rebalancing of the external, internal, and secret five elements. There are different kinds of dō rituals in order to appeal to the variety of nonhuman beings that create disturbances for humanity and the environment.

Namkha of various auspicious symbols

The scripture for the Kha Long Sangwé Dō Chen is almost one thousand pages in length. It includes chapters dedicated to instructions for the construction of ritual items, texts for the ransom rituals for men, women, and children, rituals for stopping and healing illness and contagious disease, rituals for renewing and fulfilling sacred vows, rituals for calling upon the magically powerful and benevolent worldly protectors, rituals for strengthening the life force and prosperity, rituals for appeasing the many kinds of nonhuman spirits, rituals for forcefully repelling negative forces, and so on. The overall purpose of all of these rituals is to bring peace and happiness within the world of appearances, and to generate faith in the Yungdrung Bön teachings which will guide all sentient beings to the ultimate goal of liberation from all the suffering of cyclic existence.

Raven Cypress Wood and Khenpo Nyima Künchap Rinpoche prepare namkha for an elaborate ritual offering to the lu [Sanskrit: naga]

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Ritual of Healing for the Community

Yungdrung Bon monks carry ritual torma offerings during a tantric ritual in Tibet

 

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The Second Way: Rituals of Protection and Healing

sang-khang

Ritual Sang, or fumigation offering.  Photo by Chamma Ling Colorado

The second of the Nine Ways of Bön is called The Way of the Shen of the Phenomenal World and includes rituals for communicating with external forces such as rituals of protection, ransom of the soul and life-force, and expelling negative or harmful forces.  It is called ‘Phenomenal’ because it deals with phenomena that are visible and real for us.  As in all of the Nine Ways, the basis for everything is compassion.

The texts of the Yungdrung Bön tradition include many details about the categories of unseen spirits and the specific kinds of harm and illness that they can cause for humans.  In order to reverse these kinds of interferences and obstacles, the corresponding ritual needs to be performed to appease or turn back the unseen, external force. In general, there are four categories of rituals in the Second Way: rituals for exorcism or turning back negativity, rituals for the spirits known as dré and si, rituals for ransoming the soul, and rituals of the masters.

Rituals of Exorcism: These rituals have the immediate effect of reversing the direction of whatever harmful energy or force that is directed towards us.  In some instances, it is more accurately a cleansing rather than an exorcism because it directly involves the removal of the pollution or defilement created by negative actions or circumstances.  Because humans engage in activities which are impure, they create a basis for negativity.  This leads to a disturbance of both the positive external spirits as well as lower kinds of spirits who become angry and seek revenge in response to harmful, human activity.  In general, there are twelve different kinds of exorcism.  One of the most commonly practiced rituals within this Second Way is the Sang, also called Lha Sang.  This ritual uses fumigation with smoke to cleanse the impurities caused by humanity.  This ritual is commonly performed in the early morning on hilltops on auspicious days.   From the Offering of Sang to Local Spirits and Guardians:

“Having satisfied you with these offerings, do not send contagious illnesses, shortages of food, fighting or arguments, frost or hail to our crops, lightning or loss of property, human illness or illness to our animals.   Act as a friend and give us the strength and power of your support.”

Rituals for the Dré and Si: The dré and si are two different classes of negative spirits who delight in causing harm to others.  It is said that these negative spirits came into being at the first moment of phenomenal existence and that they reside at the center of the Earth.    Among other things, they have the power to cause sudden accidents, create wars between nations and spread epidemics.  These rituals are primarily concerned with offering gifts of appeasement and ways of subduing them.

Rituals of Ransom:  The enlightened Lord Tönpa Shenrap Miwoché defined ‘ransom’ as the exchange of two things.  In these rituals, elaborate offerings are given to the offending spirits as a ransom for the soul, life-span or vital life-force of an individual.  There are many kinds of ransom rituals, but in general they fall into one of three categories: 1) ransom for men, 2) ransom for women, and 3) ransom for children.  The ritual preparation, offerings and performance are quite specific and elaborate and can take many days.

soul deer

During the ransom ritual, the effigy of a deer holding a long-life arrow is most often used to represent the soul of the patient.

Rituals of the Masters: In general, these rituals are of four types: 1) making offerings to the powerful but worldly gods, 2) offering to the powerful spirits who live in the atmosphere, 3) offering to the guardians, and 4) pacifying the spirits of the land, trees, water and rocks.  These rituals specify appropriate offerings for each type of spirit and the proper method for giving the offering.  In this way, a harmonious relationship with the spirits is maintained and suffering and obstacles towards humans are averted or resolved.

Raven Cypress Wood ©2013

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