As Wealthy as a King: Common

Tools and Substances used in

Mantra Healing
Posted on June 25, 2016

(A regal-looking Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (1910-1991), with tantric ritual bell or dril bu,
seated behind a sbyin sreg or burnt offering fire)
As a follow-up to my recent translation of Dr Nida Chenagtangs chapter on how mantras
work, I decided to translate a subsequent chapter in Dr Nidas Mantra Healing book which
deals with the ritual tools and substances most commonly used by ngakpa/ma. Dr Nida la
gives a brief summary of some of the most salient ritual implements and objects used by
mantra-healers and tantric wizards, and describes their functions, rationale, and
construction, along with rules for their proper handling and use. The subject of ritual tools
necessarily ties in which more general, theoretical reflections I have made on this blog
about the role of materiality in magic and religion. How ought we to understand the status
of magical, blessed or powerful objects or materials, in a Buddhist context where nothing
that exists has any innate or enduring substantiality on the ultimate level, or for that
matter where subtle, imagined forms may be just as ontologically real, agentive, and
efficacious as gross, material ones? As we saw in Dr Nidas earlier chapter about mantras
efficacy, the ultimate emptiness of phenomena is in fact directly related to their
functionality or agency it is precisely because material things are impermanent,
compounded and conditional, that they are able to be transformed, and to transform in kind.
Buddhist notions of dependent-origination and emptiness are wholesale dispensations that
apply across divides of body-and-mind, real-and-representational, which are themselves
also categories that operate quite differently in Buddhist philosophical contexts versus non-
Buddhist ones.
It should be clear that the doctrine of emptiness undermines any sort of rank materialism, or
reification or fetishizing of objects and concepts. At the same time, the body and the senses
are central to Indo-Tibetan tantric philosophies and systems of practice. Ritual and
contemplative engagement with sensory objects, and the progressive refining and
transmuting of sensuous experience is pivotal to tantras relationship with the creative
imagination, and lies at the heart of its self-transforming and self-divinizing agenda. In the
opening of his chapter, Dr Nida reminds us that notwithstanding Buddhisms admonitions
to not become fixated on conventional concepts or material forms, genuine tantric virtuosi
should nonetheless be as rich as kings when it comes to tools and the trappings of their
trade. The qualified ngakpa or ngakma has lots of tools because he or she knows how to use
them skilfully as props supports or stable connections (rten) that link with and
influence other conditions and phenomena. The attentive reader will notice the extent to
which the tantric-mantric tools described in Dr Nidas chapter serve a kind of mnemonic
purpose through each tools form, colour, symbolism and so on, each of which operates
on a range of levels, the practitioner is reminded of key truths and cosmological principles,
and the tool becomes a meditative support for powerfully concentrating on these realities
(this mnemonic function can extend to attached body parts as well, as can be seen in Dr
Nidas discussion on the significance of ngakpas dreadlocks).
Body-speech-and-mind are thus always and already integrated when it comes to ongoing,
embodied ritual practice. In line with this idea, scholar of Hindu Tantra Gavin Flood points
out the way in which the tantric body is something produced and refined through continual
practice:

the tantric body is not a given that is discovered but a process that is constructed
through dedicated effort over years of practice. Any distinctions between knowing and
acting, mind and body, are disrupted by the tantric body in the sense that what might be
called imagination becomes a kind of action in tantric ritual and the forms that the body
takes in ritual are a kind of knowing This corporeal understanding shows itself in the
great emphasis on transformative practices in the tantric traditions, ritual inseparable from
vision, the body becoming alive with the universe within it, and vibrant with futurity in the
anticipation of the goal of the tantric paths.
(More on Floods book here. For further worthwhile reflections along these lines, see Phil
Hines two-part essay on the tantric body in practice over at his blog enfolding.org)
Notwithstanding this integration between body-speech-and-mind, as I discussed in this post
about controversies surrounding the practice of sexual yoga with a physical versus imagined
partner in Tibetan tantra, there remains some tension and debate about the extent to which
(and the times when) external tools and literal substances and procedures are
indispensable, or may be substituted with inner, imagined ones (I say literal here rather than
embodied because I reckon it would be misleading to refer to imagined processes as
dis-embodied or wholly immaterial). In a post entitled Transcending Tools More Like
Misunderstanding Them professional sorcerer Jason Miller responds to practitioners of
Western ritual magic who sometimes claim that one can or should ultimately outgrow
magical tools, and discusses the different ways in which tools are and arent non-negotiable
in both Tibetan tantric and Western ritual magic contexts.
Western occultists are not the only practitioners reflecting on the relationship between
inner cultivation and outer ritual trappings. Jasons post, and Dr Nidas chapter remind me
of something a ngakpa in Mcleod Ganj said to me about ritual tools a little while back. The
ngakpa explained about how ngakpas from Khampa lineages (i.e. from the Kham region of
Eastern Tibet) were often more flashy they tended to keep long, elaborately styled
dreadlocks and to sport more ornate jewellery and tools compared to ngakpa from other
areas (such as Dingri, which is right on the Nepalese border, and happens to be this
particular ngakpas hereditary lineage). The ngakpa explained how his Khampa teacher had
had some very fancy patterned cloths and other objects he used as part of spirit traps to
snare demons, but noted that the current senior ngakpa in town (who is also from Dingri)
often performs the same rites with a comparatively unimpressive, dirty-looking rag. Both
teachers got results, and both were powerful though. The ngakpa made an analogy, Its like
if you have a knife it doesnt matter if your knife is dull, unless you want to cut someone,
ha ha. With a ritual knife [or, as we shall see below, whats called a phur pa], that can be
dull what really matters is that your mind is sharp!. He then went on to suggest that he
was a flexible and resourceful ritualist because he had studied with ngakpa from many
different regions, and so wasnt too thrown by having to adjust procedures or up/downsize
ceremonies when circumstances required it, because hed studied many styles from many
masters.
These ethnographic reflections alert us to the fact that ritual procedures and tools are as
much about regional histories and styles, as about philosophies of mind and materialism. At
the same time, we shouldnt over-emphasize the external-internal divide when it comes to
Tibetan tantric ritual. As Yael Bentor has shown in her excellent overview, Tibetan yoga
practices of inner heat and bliss involving the subtle channels, winds, and drops represent
clear examples of the internalization of earlier standard, external fire rituals from India. In
this inward progression, the offering fire becomes the heat generated in the body through
austerities and the manipulation of breath and vital-force; the hearth is the junction of three
channels, the offering ladle becomes one of the side channels, the skull is the offering cup,
and so on. It would be wrong to assume, however, that because external immolation rites
have been internalized and have become a part of elaborate and valorized psycho-
physiological spiritual disciplines that external fire pujas must somehow be redundant. To
the contrary such rites, called sbyin sreg in Tibetan remain a crucial component of tantric
practice and continue to be relied upon alongside forms of yoga that can be seen as
interiorizations of them. Frameworks like outer, inner, secret and body, speech, mind
provide mechanisms for integrating levels and registers of perception and experience, and
for resolving tensions between them.
(One of Dr Nida las Mantra Healing teachers, Khenchen Troru Tshenam)

The idea of external-internal continuities and tools as triggering, mnemonic aids re-surfaces
in Dr Nidas brief comments below on ngakpas use of crystals. I especially like this
section. Not only does Dr Nida introduce crystals use in Dzogchen teachings as a kind of
teaching-aid for pointing out the nature of mind, but we also learn about crystals strong
links with dream practices in Tibetan traditions as well. While the use of cool crystals to
treat hot, feverish conditions is a traditional one which Dr Nida learned from his guru
Khenchen Troru Tshenam, the practice of putting heated crystals on points of illness came
to the Doctor in a dream-vision which he received during a mantra retreat. If nothing else
then, this short section is a reminder that the use of crystals for healing and as aids for
magic and meditation is not limited to contemporary New Age contexts. The use of crystals
for healing and in rituals has a much longer and more diverse history (both in Tibetan and
Western esoteric contexts) than just the New Age crystal industry and now quasi-scriptural
books such as Melodys Love is in the Earth. We see that Tibetan ngakpa have used crystals
(and have had long spiritual hair, for that matter) for centuries, and, continue in the
present to discover new ways to use them as a part of magic, meditation, and medicine.
Take that, hippies.
Theres a lot to say about Dr Nidas chapter and its many interesting details, but Ill leave
off here and let you read it instead. Enjoy!

(*I did a very rough translation of some of the Tibetan materia medica Dr Nida mentions. I
unfortunately did not have a good Tibetan-English lexicon of Tibetan medicines at hand
while translating, so the list is only partially translated. Ill try to fill in the gaps a bit later)

Chapter 6: The most necessary kinds of implements and ritual substances for Mantra
Healing
Its generally said according to the customs of Tibetan mantrins that the genuine ngakpa
ought to be as wealthy as a king. Because the powers of mantras and ritual substances need
to be combined together, ngakpas require a great many implements or belongings. The
genuine ngakpa has need of many things, including samaya or sacramental tantric vow
substances; sil snyan, or medium-sized cymbals; drums; a gshang or flat ritual bell; sbug
chol or larger bell-metal cymbals; a dorje or vajra; a tantric bell; a damaru or double-headed
hand-drum; rosaries; a khatvanga or three-pronged trident; conch shells; flutes; rkang
gling or human thigh-bone trumpets; ladles (for fire offering rites); ritual vases; fabrics to
sit on, as well as different kinds of ingredients, such as plant medicines and mineral or
treasure substances [the gter here could equally refer to mineral compounds or to blessed
or relic substances that are placed in containers and buried or thrown into lakes as blessings
and propitiatory offerings to spirits], parts of animals and different kinds of medicinal and
otherwise indispensable mantra substances. Because so many doctors in ancient Tibet
practiced medicine-and-mantras together, they made full use of both medical and
mantra/tantric ingredients. While I fear (I cannot) here explain in this text ritual substances
and accouterments in their entirety, I will introduce (in what follows) some of the most
indispensable and commonly used items.
One: Rosaries
The so-called rosary or phreng ba [pronounced treng-nga, treng wa and which literally
means a string or series of some object] is symbolic of mantras stringing along or
fascinating the mind (sngags la yid phreng ba). Its primary function is to keep measure of
however many mantras are recited. The efficacy of specific mantras is extended through the
dependent links of (rosaries) colour and the number of (recitations counted). There are
many different kinds of rosaries the chief ones among these are differentiated (as
follows):
Mantric action: Rosary material: Rosary colour:

Pacifying White sandalwood and White

ivory

Increasing Bo nghi tsa, a ru ra (fruits), Yellow/gold

gold
Magnetizing seng ldeng (a kind of acacia), Red
lang thang (kind of henbane?),
mdzo mo tree (caragana tibetica),
coral, red sandalwood

Subjugating Metal (iron), raksha seeds, Green and blue, black

turquoise, thorn tree

Reciting a count of seven, twenty-one, sixty, or one hundred and eight beads of a rosary is
important. Some mantras need to be recited seven times, twenty-one times, or one hundred
and eight times, after which the power of their dependent connection arises.

The rosary consecration mantra is as follows: OM RUTSI RA MA NI PRA VA DHA NA

YE SVA HA [Tibetans also tend to say OM RUTSI RAMANI TRAWA TAYA HUNG].

Rosary cords ought to use two threads or else five woven together. If the cord is too fine,
one will have obstacles, if its (too) thick, there wont be any siddhi [i.e. spiritual
accomplishments]. If the cord gets severed, one must replace it immediately before the day
is over. If rosary-beads are damaged or missing mantras wont be efficacious, and so one
must replace the rosary with a new one. Its better to have new rosaries than to keep old
ones, and its best if each person has their own individual rosary for reciting mantras. Very
holy ngak-chang lamas, rather than keeping used rosaries at home, (say that) its better if,
rather than using them for counting, one fastens them around ones neck for protection.
Regarding rosary samaya or tantric oaths: the power of mantras enters into ngakpas
tongues and breath and once theyve finished reciting mantras and their breath has hit the
rosary, a part of the mantras power is absorbed into the prayer beads. For this reason, the
rosary is the primary mantra power-containing implement. Accordingly, one must maintain
pure tantric vows with ones rosary. A rosary which possesses mantra power should be like
the rosary of Chgyal Ngawang Dargye when he was cremated he had his rosary around
his neck and his body didnt burn, for example.
One should not allow ones rosary to pass into others hands, one should not let it be seen
by the eyes of other people. If its kept inseparable from the warmth of ones own body, it
will have positive efficacy, and will benefit ones bodily constitution. One should not let
dogs or rodents step over it, one shouldnt flaunt it to people or let it become infected with
impurities. One should not use it for divination or blessing either [i.e. ones primary rosary
used for regular religious practice reciting the mantras of the three roots, the guru,
meditational deity, and dakini and so should not also be used for blessing, healing or
divinatory procedures. One or more separate rosaries are kept for this purpose].

Two: phur pa, or three-edged tantric ritual dagger or stake

Kilaya in Sanskrit and phur pa or phur bu in Tibet, this is in essence a wrathful implement
that symbolizes the magical power (nus stobs) of the (enlightened) activity of the
Transcendent Conqueror, the Great and Noble Dorje Shnnu or Vajrakumara, who
exemplifies the non-dual emptiness of the manifestations of Samsara-Nirvana. In Tibetan
Buddhist lineages, out of the many implements of the Secret Mantra that exist, the most
important implement for dissolving obstacles, sicknesses and demonic provocations is
the phur bu. It is a tool which accomplishes the four magical activities of pacifying,
increasing, magnetizing and wrathfully subjugating with ease.
The phur bu is extremely necessary for mantra healing, and for this reason it is taught in
many mantra compilations that a phur bu of four inches made of acacia (seng ldeng) and
of skyer wood (berberry?) and so on, is definitely required. A great many different kinds of
obstacle and disease vanquishing phur bu are differentiated according to their materials,
colour, length and shape, in line with the (enlightened) perspective of the classes of Tantras,
but here (I will content myself with addressing), from among the root-categorizations,
the phur pa for (each of) the four magical actions, and the phur pa of good/spiritual
qualities (yon tan gyi phur pa).
The four phur pa of the four kinds of (magical) activities are: the white-coloured
pacifying phur pa with (a hilt with) a vajra-end and round foot; the yellow-coloured
increasing phur pa with the precious (jewel)-end and crescent foot; the magnetizing red-
coloured phur pa with a lotus-end and crescent foot; and the subjugating green-
coloured phur pa with a crossed vajra-end and triangular foot.
Heres a chart showing the materials, colours, and ritual activities associated with
(each) phur pa:

Activity Phur pa material Colour Element

Pacifying Silver, aluminium, white sandalwood White Water

Increasing Gold, acacia Yellow Earth

Magnetizing Copper, mdzo mo tree, bswe tree Red Fire

Subjugating Iron, thorn-bearing trees Green/black Air

The seven good qualities phur pa are 1) the phur pa of the ten wrathful ones that severs the
boundaries [i.e. evil spirits] 2) the chief phur pa that (does) as commanded 3) the phur
pa of the messanger-envoy 4) the phur pa of the activities of striking 5) the phur pa that is
inseparable from ones own body 6) the phur pa that protects the abodes and 7) the phur
pa that brings the oath-bound protectors under ones control. These are connected with the
mandala of the meditational deity or yid dam Dorje Phurpa or Vajrakilaya.
The way these are made is as follows: one cuts clean wood (from a tree growing) in clean
soil and in a good location (on the map, geomantically etc.) and puts it inside a precious
container, after which one must say the one hundred syllable mantra and
make bsang incense and torma offerings. Primary phur pas should be made from the
middle part of the wood, and (ritual) action phur pas out of the top and bottom parts.
Mainly, there is a very strong dependent link between constructing the phur pas head in the
direction of the foot of the wood and the phur pas foot (in the direction of) the woods end,
and (the magical actions) of protecting against and turning back (negative forces). While
reciting Vajrakilayas mantra, the phur pa maker should display the phur pa in an easterly,
southerly, westerly and northerly direction in line with the four magical actions of
pacifying, increasings, magnetizing and subjugating, and should display the phur pas point
inwardly for protective actions and outwardly for turning back or exorcistic ones. They
must make it from whatever copper-metal is appropriate and should recite the mantras
uninterruptedly without getting the directions wrong. One must absolutely refrain from
making the phur pa either too thick or too fine, from making snapping its waist, from
making it square or with cracks, and so on. The phur pa should be four, six, eight, twelve,
sixteen or eighteen inches in length, whatever is required.
Regarding the phur pas shape: the upper-part has a knotted head, the middle-part has lotus
petals that fit within (the wielders) hand, the crossed knot of the lower-parts has the head of
a chu srin or mythological water-monster [the Sanskrit Makara the Tibetan word has
come to mean a crocodile in more contemporary, secular usage, but traditionally refers to
the monstrous water-goat of the constellation of Capricorn] from whose mouth
wealth/splendour (dpal) pours out. The lower point is triangular and the edge is ornamented
with a crossed-knot. The length up from the chu srin in the middle to the head at the top,
and the length from the chu srin down to the tip must be equal. For example, with a phur
pa of eight inches, the lower part and upper part should (each) be four inches. The system of
the Tantras has phur pa without wrathful faces and the Treasure tradition has phur pa with
wrathful faces these mostly come from Tibet [i.e. and not from India, like the principle
tantras].

[Illustration: phur pa without a wrathful countenance

Phur pa with a wrathful countenance]
The phur pa functions on an outer, inner, and secret (level). It dissolves defects of the outer
environment of the external world and protects and turns back harm to the natural realm,
famine, epidemics, earthquakes, floods, fires, war and so on. It dissolves the suffering of
sickness of the psycho-physical aggregates of the human body and obstacles to ones life-
span and activities. It dissolves defects of inner mental unhappiness and purifies the root of
the suffering of the afflictive emotions of ones mental-continuum: ignorance, desire,
aggression/hatred, confusion, and arrogance, and cures an unhappy heart, madness, seizures
and so on. On the secret level, it conquers (dualistic) subject-object discursive thought and
(allows one) to penetrate the meaning of non-conceptuality.
Effects are also gained by looking at, carrying, and keeping phur pas in ones home. If one
gazes at (a phur pa) the cross-knot head vanquishes the five poisons, the wrathful (deity) of
the phur pas upper body vanquishes ordinary conceptual thought, and its lower edges
purify the conceptual thought of the eight aggregate consciousnesses. The six tamed
serpents grant fulfillment of the indulging of the six sensory faculties, by means of the three
lower edges, all the works of malevolent (beings) and discordant elemental constituents are
slain and liberated. If one carries a phur pa on ones person it (will act as) an amulet and
will grant one happiness of body and mind and keep one free from infectious disease and
adverse circumstances. Placed in ones home, it will protect against brigands and thieves,
will bring accord to the people of the household, enlarge riches and increase auspiciousness
and potential as such, the (physical) prop or ritual support (rten) of the phur pa should
be cherished as a wish-fulfilling jewel.
Three: Vases
There are two vases, accomplishment vases and action vases. Of these two, the
accomplishment vase is defined as a symbol for the yid dam or mind-bound meditational
deity and its siddhis or spiritual powers, who during the deity-sadhana (resides) in the centre
of the mandala. The action vase is the vase meant for blessing, for giving vase-water and
doing ritual ablutions. It is used in the service of bringing in-the-flesh benefit to those who
are ill, have obstacles and are beset by demons. On the vases lid there are objects
like kusha grass and peacock feathers. Kusha grass is a kind of grass praised by Master
Buddha for its positive constituents and which has the power to dissolve
obscurations/pollution. Since it has a special power to cure disturbed elemental constituents
and dissolve impurities, and so on, if one inserts kusha under ones pillow during
empowerments or in the context of dream analysis, and so on, ones dreams will become
clear. The kusha grass at the lip of the vase is also there for the purpose of purifying
obscurations and impurities. As for the peacock feather: the peacock is a bird which has the
power to eat poison and its feathers have the intrinsic power to cure poisoning and the
poisons of sickness. These are very important for curing poisons in the context of mantra
healing, and (they are also used) in specific rituals for casting out diseases.
Crystals because these have the in-born power of coolness, they have the benefit of
cutting through fever. Because they have the power to produce brilliance and clarity
(dwangs paI byung nus) they can dissolve things like mental fogginess, dullness, and the
clouding of rig pa or innate, primordial awareness. In the Great Perfection tradition, crystals
are used as analogies for rig pa in the pointing out of mind (teachings), and they are able to
reveal, solely through their example, the natural state of mind to which they are equivalent
(in qualities). If one looks directly at (a crystal) ones mood (mental field/constituents) is
made lucid and bright (dwangs pa). There are also visualizations like the one in the context
of dream-accomplishment where one meditates on ones own body as (being made of)
crystal, and as covered with eyes.
How crystals should be used during treatments: specially placing a cold crystal on (areas of)
fever will heal such sickness. Also, I had a dream-vision (in which it was revealed that) one
can, in accordance with hot and cold disorders, heat up the smooth point of a crystal about
the size of ones thumb [i.e. the space between the top of ones thumb and the tip of ones
index finger] in a fire (and then, after) it becomes hot, one can then apply it [i.e. as a hot
compress] on sick and painful spots.

Four: The Vajra and Bell, and rkang gling or Human thigh-bone trumpet
Generally speaking, when ngakpa (who practice) the Vajrayana hold the vajra and bell its
so as to recall great skillful means and the very nature of empty wisdom. The vajra and bell
symbolize the nature of the bodhicitta of ultimate truth, indivisible bliss-emptiness.
Representations of the bodhisattva, the vajra and bell exemplify skillful means-and-wisdom.

The vajra symbolizes immutability and (different vajras) of three, five, nine, and crossed
prongs are used for (each of) the four actions of pacifying, increasing, magnetizing, and
subjugating. In brief, the vajra is a symbolic manifestation of unparalleled means and the
bell of the basic space or dimension of the Mother-Queen, the emptiness of the ultimate
reality of dharmadhatu. Thus, together they symbolize the inter-penetration of means and
wisdom. Tibetan ngak-chang bless patients so as to cast out demonic impediments (bgegs)
and pacify obstacles and it is taught that the purpose of the large human thigh-bone trumpet
and copper pipe, and the other flutes composed of various materials is to summon magical
powers (dngos grub) and blessings, and to cast out gdon and bgegs demons. Thus,
yogis, gcod practitioners and ngakpa bless patients by means of human thigh-bone
trumpets. There are a lot more elaborate descriptions (I could provide on these) but this is as
much (as I will say) here.
Five: A list of medicinal substances
In general, mantras can be said over all of the different kinds of medicinal substances found
within Tibetan traditional medicine. While there are a great many different sorts of
medicinal substances this is a list of some medicinal substances that are regularly used
specifically in the context of mantra healing:

For kinds of herbs: frankincense, black and white mustard, the great medicine [a species
of black aconite], a ru ra [myrobalan], nutmeg, asafoetida, saffron, cardamom, bamboo
pith/juice, cloves, pure water chu dag, sandalwood, acacia, black barley,
aconite/wolfsbane, tigers flesh [oxytropis falcata], deer musk, sgo skya,
neem/tamarisk, lcam pa, pomegranate, birds foot[Delphinium species], straight vajra, ta
hrig, birch, turmeric, ginger, Chinese/Indian salt [sal-ammoniac], seng throm, chu ma
rtsi [polygonum sibiricum], ru rta [Costus speciosus root], bamboo shoot, byi tang ka,
camphor, hellebore, ug chos [the incarvillea compacta flower], amalaki, golden fire
flower, rhododendron, liquorice.
For animal parts: an eight-year old boys urine, weasel meat, dog fur, the faeces of a black
dog with a white (patch of fur) on its chest/heart, the dung pellets of a rabbit, deer-musk, the
bile/gall-bladder of a bear, horses blood, horses eyes, blood from the underbelly of a goat,
bull manure, scorched cow horn, butter and milk, butter-milk, a white sheeps winter wool

For kinds of earth and stones: incinerated boulder (dust), sulphur, realgar [arsenic sulphide]
and various sorts of liquefied rocks.

This is a general description of the different sorts of substances that are taught in the mantra
compilations.

.From The Science of Dependent-Origination Mantra Healing (rten brel sngags bcos rig
pa), written by Nyida Heruka and Yeshe Drolma, 2015, mi rigs dpe skrun khang, pp. 69-
79..