Goma Fire Ritual
Objectives
The students will learn about the Goma Fire Ritual and learn about impermanence and attachment.
Note: This lesson must be soon (if not immediately) following the Shingon Lesson.
Material
Markers, Crayons,
Butcher Paper pieces at least 3'x3'
Paper Shredder
Plastic vials (makeup vials) to place the ashes in
Such as: BCP Cosmetics Vial from amazon.com
If desired, create labels for the vials with the lesson (Goma Fire Ritual), class name and the year& date.
Fire extinguisher nearby. Only use if necessary.
Candle wax
Aluminum baking tray (2x, one to burn in, one to help put out the fire)
Lighter or matches
Preparation
Cut the Butcher Paper to form the 3'x3' pieces. If the class is large, then you may need multiple sheets.
Clean out the paper shredder. Test to make sure it works.
Arrange for a place outside to burn the mandalas. I use two large aluminum pans. One to burn in. The other to help suffocate the fire.
Melt the wax and have ready
Get help to put the ash in the vials, labels on the vials
Method
Gassho
Review
Shingon Buddhism = Japanese Vajprayanan Sect
Belief in
Master to Disciple secret transmission
Esoteric, Personal attainment thru practice
Able to gather merit through personal merit
Able to transfer merit
Elaborate Rituals
Visualization of Universal Buddha: Vairocana
Large Group Mandala
Class creates two large mandalas
One is a Womb Sutra Mandala
One is a Diamond Sutra Mandala
Make it as "nice" as possible
Have students sign
Goma Fire Ritual
Create multiple Namo Amida Butsu by hand sheets (at least 10 each)
Cut paper into strips; write Namo Amida Butsu
Nembutsu as we shred the mandalas
Go outside
Gassho
Say “We invoke the spirit of Fudo Myo Oh to destroy evil thoughts and desires and as our Womb and Diamond Mandalas and our sheets of of Nembutsu transform to smoke and spread throughout the world, we wish transference of beneficencial energies to all”
Put wax over the shredded mandalas. Alternatively, you can have the pan with wax spread on the bottom already.
Burn it outside w/ everyone chanting “Namandabu”
Use the Namo Amida Butsu hand sheets to keep the fire going
Afterwards, go back to the classroom and ask what they thought.
After the review have the students take some of the ash home in the vials. If there are labels, put on the inside (or if a sticker, then outside) If there is insufficient time, do this in another day.
Closing Gassho
Evalutation
During the review
Notes
This could be a 2 or 3 day Lesson.
Author
Mas Nishimura, nish221.at.dot.com, San Jose Betsuin, 2018