Aphayrath 1

Jesse Aphayrath Shannon Atkinson World Religions 25 February 2014 The Tibetan Sangha

I awake on a Sunday morning after a long night. While I get ready to attend my first religious service I couldnt help but feel nervous. The nervousness stemmed from the unknown. Today, Im going to Urgyen Samten Ling Gonpa; a Tibetan Buddhist temple in Salt Lake City, with the purpose of joining their Sangha for Sunday Puja. Sangha refers to the Buddhist monastic order or community (Matthews, 114). Puja is a ceremonial practice of awakening our natural qualities of wisdom and compassion through prayers and recitation of mantras (Urgyen, Class Schedules). Mantras are a special formula of words recited to worship (Matthews, 418). I want to focus on how the Tibetan Puja ceremony cultivates our awareness and how it stimulates our experience and senses; particularly how offerings to Skandhas is emphasized throughout the ceremony. Skandhas refers to the five strands that compose ones self. Of the five strands, first, we have our physical form. What we see as our selves; our identity but also includes our sensory organs. Then, we have sensations; this is what we feel and how we interpret our emotions. After sensation, we have perception; this is the mind that receives what we are feeling. With what we perceive comes our mental formations; our thoughts, intentions, responses, and impulses.

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Continuing on, all feeling and perception are tied together by consciousness. With regards to Skandhas none of the strands can exist alone, for they all make up a person (Matthews, 118). At first my intention was to just attend the Puja of Compassion, which is recited in English and is only an hour long. I arrive at the Gonpa ten minutes late. I crept up the steps, feeling as if I was disturbing the peace. Every step I took seemed to be obnoxiously loud. As I made it up to the main hall an ordinate waves me in. I hurry up and take a sit. Vibrant colors lit the main hall. Every item accentuated to the details. Alters were immaculately embellished with ornaments, chalices, fans, ribbons, metal bowls, colorful drums, bells, and statues. I couldnt help but space out and the Buddha statues at times; a very beautiful and serene vibe to the place. There were no shortages of students, the main hall was packed and I had no choice but to sit in the back. I also did not get a pamphlet of the prayers. Sitting on a cushion, I listen to the prayers and recite the mantras that I could. After a mantra, the monks would have a moment of silence and then ring a bell and a double sided drum which is known as a dumaru. During the meditation we were told to visualize the Buddha above, in front and around us. The ordinates encouraged us to participate with the prayers and mantras. Some of them sounded like songs and were very calming. Around the end the teacher answered a few of my questions. The ringing of the bells embodied wisdom and compassion with complements to the recitation of the mantra. The Gonpa had a stupa with Siddhartha Guatamas remains inside. Siddhartha Guatama was Buddha. The visitors stood in line to take pictures and see it. I waited to see it as well. Standing in the line I felt that the ceremony was too short.

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I was not satisfied and wanted the whole experience. While at the alter I spoke with the monk and asked if I could stay for the main Puja service. He smiled and said of course. As I go back to the cushion I swear I told two other monks that I was staying for Puja. One smiled at me and said that she was going to put me to work. I collect all the mantra pamphlets and texts before taking another seat. As I sit I am looking around citing colors and listening to the monks in the kitchen and the lobby area. The sunlight beaming through the windows seemed to reflect off the blue, red, orange and yellow colors throughout the room. I even felt more aware just by being there. A lady monk sings in the back and I hear laughter and jibber jabber as they prepare for Puja. More of the ordinates arrive and we almost always greet each other. One of the first to arrive that was not there earlier was Sene. Sene was an older fellow; probably in his early fifties or late forties. After brief introductions, he invited me around to see the Gonpa. Sene showed me the Gonpas library and the kitchen. In preparation for Puja, snacks were put into bowls to be set for offering later in the ceremony. This was a very cozy environment where everyone works together and even though this part is not emphasized in the description of Puja, I felt that it was an integral part of it; coming together for practice, not only the ordinates gathering to practice but also inviting anyone interested into their community. Before Puja Began, I asked Sene where is the Lama? He replied that he was on a trip. I was a bit disappointed that I couldnt speak with Lama Thupten Gyaltsen Dorje. As Puja started the ordinates gather in the main hall, outlining the outer walls. They began to initiate their bow; with palms together to the forehead then to the ground, back up then palms to the throat, down, and then chest bow. After the bow everyone proceed to take a seat.

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This action was to pay respects to the teachers and masters before them (Puja). While observing I note that the men and women sat on opposing sides of the hall. I sit attentively in the back corner on a bench. An ordinate they called Dr. Jay was leading the ceremony today as he was the highest teacher in attendance. In his introduction, he emphasizes compassion and mindfulness through meditation and actions. He says that there are many kinds of mindfulness, including body mindfulness, feeling-mindfulness, states of mind, phenomena (Bohdi Mindfulness). After his anecdote we began with a purification meditation. We begin with taking deep breaths, about ten; he then proceeded to instruct us. When we exhale, we let our positive and compassionate energy into the room. When inhaling we take in the blessing from Samsara (Puja). Samara is the life and death cycle in Buddhism (Matthews, 120). After our purifying meditation, the ordinates begin reciting their prayers and then their mantras. They recite the ten virtuous actions which are not to take a life, not to steal, not lying, avoid sexual misconduct, avoid the slander of others, avoid harsh words and empty speech, avoid greedy thoughts, not to be malicious, and to avoid the wrong view (Thrangu). After each recitation there is a moment of silence followed by each ordinate using a bell and dumaru. Sometimes they would recite a mantra out loud and during other ones they would almost be mumbling. I also note that some prayers were accentuated with hand mudras. Mudras are special positions of hands used in worship (Matthews, 419) with burning of incense in which one of the ordinates with a lantern walks around the room. As the aroma filled the room they breathed in with one hand covering a nostril. After a few deep inhales through the nostril there was to be a moment of silence.

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As the ceremony near close, the bowls of food for offering were given to each of us in the room. I observed some snacking from the bowl silently and as I watch, an ordinate walks around the room with a tray. I put my snacks onto the tray when it was my turn. The tray was going to be put on the altar for offering later, as I found out. The ceremony closed with meditation followed by banging of a pair of big, decorative drums. I was fortunate enough to interview Jay. He was very knowledgeable, kind, adamant, and firm. There were some topics that he wouldnt answer, like, mindfulness and the different types. All the action during the ceremony were offerings to the senses, for skandhas, meditation for our mental formations; drums and bells, incense, food, and light for our perceptions. The interconnectedness of all the five strands is in close relations at all times. He explained that there is a Buddha for each of the senses and our consciousness does tie them together. During our conscious hours we tend to think about our problems and events that have yet to happen, but when we are awake and aware we are truly here in the now. The sights, sound, intent and thought are there to be used as an anchor. As for Puja, the ceremony is a time for prayer and offering, we remove ourselves to give positivity to other sentient beings (Puja). We gain merit through giving and our offerings are ultimately given back to us.

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Bibliography Bodhi, Bhikkhu. "Right Mindfulness: Samma Sati." Right Mindfulness: Samma Sati. Vipassana Fellowship, n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. Matthews Warren. "Buddhism." World Religions. 7th ed. Cengage Learning Wadsworth, 2013. 114, 118, 418, 419. Print. "Puja." Personal interview. 16 Feb. 2014. Thrangu, Khenchen, Rinpoche. Buddhist Conduct: The Ten Virtuous Actions. N.p.: Rinpoche.com, n.d. PDF. Urgyen Samten Ling. "Class Schedules." Urgyen Samten Ling Gonpa. http://www.urgyensamtenling.org/class.html. Web. 26 Feb. 2014.