Offering to the Local Ground Deity (拜地神法) By Living Buddha Sheng-yen
Lu This article was first published in the True Buddha News, Issue No. 93 November 1-14, 1995. The purpose of this practice is to present offerings in exchange for help in one's daily life. Grand Master Lu says to ask the Local Ground Deities because they are the ones who are the closest in the spirit realm to us in our daily lives. Make your wish to the Local Ground Deity for harmony, good health, fortune, prosperity of business, or progressive achievement in your Tantric Dharma practice. Timing Regularity in this practice is important. One promises the deity to perform once, twice, four times or more a month. Auspicious dates are the 1st and 15th or 2nd and 16th days of the lunar month. The correct time is between noon and midnight. Yin increases from noon until midnight and, since the Local Ground Deity is ruled by yin, these are the appropriate hours for this practice. Offering Food Prepare five dishes for the offering. Offer whatever you normally eat for dinner. Meat or fish, rice or bread, vegetables, soup, fruit, and dessert are fine. Pour three glasses of red wine. Face the stove with your back to the door. Display Arrange the offerings in four rows. The row closest to you has two dishes. The second row has three dishes. The third row has the three glasses of red wine. The fourth row has incense placed in a small water glass or other suitable vessel, and filled with rice or the ashes of incense. Direction With your back to the front door, face toward inside the house. In the kitchen, face the stove with your back to the front door. Procedures 1. Light five sticks of incense. The lighting of five sticks of incense establishes a path of communication for the practitioner to make a personal call to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to consecrate and join in the practice. 2. Recite the Earth Deity Mantra. Close palms and recite the Purification Mantra from the beginning of our liturgy. Seven times say the Earth Deity Mantra ("Namo Sam-man-do Moh-Toh-nam Om Doh-lo-doh-lo, De-weh, So-ha"). 3. Stamp the ground sharply with the left foot. 4. Visualize the Local Ground Deity as a well fed, elderly gentleman, with a gold or silver bowl in his left hand and a cane or staff in his right. He is a beloved family member (Santa Clause is your uncle!). He comes over to your offering. 5. Multiply the offering to fill the Universe. Bid the deity to enjoy the wine and the food that has been prepared. 6. Pray. After he has finished, humbly entreat the Local Ground Deity to listen to your request for his assistance. Make your wish clear and detailed. 7. Visualize Amitabha shining red light on the Local Ground Deity, and dedicate to him the merits of the seven recitations of the Rebirth Mantra that you now perform. Conclude the practice with "Om bu lin, Om bu lin, Om bu lin, Om mani padme hum." 8. After all five sticks of incense burn out, then you may clean the table. Note: The Local Ground Deity rules the place where the house is actually standing. The Local Earth Deity rules an area roughly the size of a block around the house. In this practice, if one faces away from the front door, it is for the Local Ground Deity. If one faces the front door, it is for the Local Earth Deity. |
|
