This great torma (ritual cakes) offering is held yearly during the last days of the last month of the Tibetan calendar and is to be completed on the 29th day of the twelve-month (February 19th, 2020). Any monastery, be it big or small, regardless of his lineage will consider these practices as an ancient religious duty of great importance that must be performed. Hence, in our own monastery of Sera Mey, Lama, Geshes and senior monks perform these rites every year for four days beginning on the 26th of the twelve months. Similarly, the protector chapel custodians, together with a great number of monks will gather in the protector deity hall. They will mainly invoke four protectors: Mahakala, Kalarupa. Sri Devi and Vaishravana. Also, the particular protector of our monastery, the Great Dharma King Ta Wo, the fierce yaksa Chamsing and the others who support virtue are summoned and offered sacred substances. A great number of various kinds of offerings, of inconceivable nature, are offered to please the hosts and make amends for broken spiritual pledges. We will exhort them to protect the teachings and beings in accordance with the Dharma.
On the 19th, for the purpose of world peace in general and in particular, for the faithful beings in the Land of Snow (Tibet), rituals are performed so that all one’s unfavorable conditions of the past year be dispelled and destroyed without residue and for the upcoming months and year’s virtuous activities to be unhindered and accomplished. We pray for beings continuously controlled by the three poisons of afflicted emotions to get acquainted with a mind in accordance with the Dharma and to look after each other with mutual loving-kindness. In particular, we pray for the teaching and those who maintain it to be free from the harm of enemies and for the destructive minds of humans and non-human to be pacified by holding the nectar of perfect intent, love, and compassion.
In order to fulfill our prayers, there is a time to engage in manifesting the aspect of forceful and fierce activities, such as the Great Torma Offering. On the actual day of the great offering, monastic and laity, men and women alike, all are welcomed to witness the ritual and make prayers so that the flow of all undesirable conditions be eradicated and pacified. May all wishes be fulfilled just as desired.
