Shernying Düdok
This ritual is for pacifying and exterminating of negative and destructive forces involves chanting and meditation on the teachings contained in the Heart Sutra (Ch. 般若心經). On the contrary to externalised performative rituals, this Heart Sutra ritual involves internalised chanting, meditation, and visualization.
With its earliest versions dated circa. 350 to 700 CE, the Heart Sutra exists in the form of a dialogue between Bodhisattvas Avalokiteshvara (Ch. 观音菩萨) and Shariputra (Ch. 舍利弗) in an assembly presided over by the Buddha Shakyamuni. To Shariputra’s inquiries on perfection of wisdom, Avalokiteshvara explains how it can be achieved by seeing all phenomena—from form to enlightenment—are empty because they all equally lack true, inherent, and independent existence. The Buddha, extremely delighted, approved of their dialogue as valid and conforming to reality.
Based on the above teachings of Heart Sutra, the ritual involves visualization of all evil, negative, and destructive forces such as malignant spirits, sickness, failures, diseases, calamities and war that impede experience of happiness, success and contentment in this world. The ritual looks at these negative forces and sees how they are all empty and lacks true existence. This positively changes of thought, attitude, perception and feelings to even these negative forces and help rid fear, anxiety and horror. It also helps engender strength, confidence and invogration to effectively counter these forces.
The sutra, followed by mantra “Om tadhyatha gatae gatae paragatae parasamgatae bodhiye svaahaa” (Ch. 揭谛揭谛，波罗揭谛，波罗僧揭谛，菩提萨婆诃), help develop merits to graduate through the five spiritual paths (pañcamarga) for one’s eventual attainment of enlightenment. A brief extermination prayer supplemented at the end of the Sutra is intended to pacify all unwanted forces and factors such as, and others.
The ritual will be presided over by Geshe Lama Konchok. We look forward to your presence at this prayer ceremony.
Date: 21 May 2017 (Sunday)
Time: 7pm
Venue: 512A Sims Avenue