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Great Mahakala Puja

Mahakála

Mahakala,

King of the Dharma protectors,

the wrathful form of the Buddha of Compassion - Chenrezig (Avalokitesvara)


By his power he purify all negative forces and dispels the obstacles on the path of our spiritual growth. Mahakala helps us fulfill our wishes for benefits of beings, prevents mental illnesses and fears, helps gain insight and control of situations, and awakens wisdom.

Mahakala is portrayed with a crown of skulls, symbolizing the transformation of five negative emotions into five wisdoms. The two-armed black Mahakala ("Black-Cloaked Mahakala"), the main protector of the Karmapas, holds a cleaver (curved knife) in his right hand to cut off obstacles, in his left hand a skullcup with blood and the heart of ego, symbolizing the overcoming of disturbing emotions. With strong legs he clings to attachment and jealousy, and the flames behind and around him symbolize the intensity of his compassion.

Mahakala Puja is daily performed in monasteries and monastic schools as part of everyday formal practice. However, the Great Mahakala Puja is an all-day ceremony and lasts for several days. It takes place before the start of the lunar new year Losar and may take up more than week. The official date for the Mahakala Puja is the 29th Lunar Day of the 12th month.

This practice is make like homage and thanks to the Dharma protectors for their help and protection in the past year and at the same time to pray for continued protection in the upcoming year, to be successful in all aspects, and the obstacles on the path of Dharma are removed.

During the ceremony long prayers and mantras and are chanted and objects such as drums, bells, cymbal, tubes and other stuff for pujas are used.

Performing a great Mahakala puja helps practitioners to remove external as well as internal obstacles,fulfill all the wishes, eliminating the habitual patterns resulted from the five poisons, experience emptiness, and accomplishing the grand benefits of all sentient beings..

Lay practitioners who do not have the conditions to participate in such a ceremony may accumulate merits by supporting the monks during the ceremony. People usually make financial contributions or make donations in the form of food, flowers, butter lamps and other gifts to the altar.

If you would also like to be part of it and collect merit, support monks and nuns in monastic schools that we support.

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