Request Prayers for Deceased Loved Ones in an Upcoming Jangwa Puja

Gaden Shartse Thubten Dharge Ling Facebook.

A teacher once said it would be good to have a Jangwa Puja done for deceased loved ones. I had never heard of this puja but since then have learned that the puja is performed at Dharma centers around the world each year to benefit the deceased. A Jangwa Puja will take place in California this month and names can be submitted for inclusion in the puja.

The Jangwa Puja

Lama Zopa Rinpoche taught about the benefits of the Jangwa Puja at a retreat he led in 1999, transcribed and made into a freely available book Teachings from the Vajrasattva Retreat.

He said, "Jang wa is a Tibetan term that means purification. The teachings given by the Buddha himself are divided into two types—sutra and tantra. The jang wa purification practice is from the tantras."

The teachings say that a deceased being's mind can be directed towards the higher realms—they can reincarnate in the human or deva realms, or even in a pure land depending on the deceased being's karma and the qualities of the person performing the jang wa puja.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche continued, "It is a very powerful, practical method of helping family members or friends who have passed away—deceased people whom you want to help avoid heavy sufferings and have an easy life, a good rebirth, a better life."

Gaden Shartse Thubten Dharge Ling

The monks from Gaden Shartse Thubten Dharge Ling and Gaden Shartse Cultural Foundation in California have been performing the Medicine Buddha puja and constructing a Medicine Buddha sand mandala since April 22, 2020 and livestreaming it on Facebook.

They will be performing a Medicine Buddha Jangwa Puja on Friday, May 15.

It will begin at 9:30 AM PT and will be livestreaming on the Gaden Shartse Thuben Dharge Ling Facebook page.

Medicine Buddha Jangwa, GSTDL email newsletter.

The organizers shared, "The Medicine Buddha Jangwa ritual is a purification ritual for those who have recently passed away or who had passed within a few years. It is an opportunity to purify their negative karma and transferring their consciousness to a Pure Land. We invite everyone to partake in this special ceremony via GSTDL's Facebook livestream."

Request Prayers

"For those who are interested in submitting names, please email them to office (at) gstdl.org. Please provide us with names and gender of the person. For more information please contact our office at 562-621-9865."

Gaden Shartse Thubten Dharge Ling's organizers also wrote:

"May all sentient beings enjoy happiness and the causes of happiness.

May all sentient beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
May all sentient beings never be separated from the sacred happiness devoid of suffering.
May all sentient beings dwell in the great equanimity, free from passion, aggression and prejudice.

With loving kindness and support,
Office - Gaden Shartse Thubten Dhargye Ling"