Bumpa

[tomfelt]

Is plain water acceptable for filling a bumpa, or should it be more elaborate, like saffron water? also, how often do you change the water?

[Virgo]

Are you giving an empowerment?

Kevin

[Thomas Amundsen]

I'm pretty sure it should be saffron water. Also pretty sure the deity vase should have bumzey in it as well. I don't have any definitive source for you, but that's what I've learned and how I practice based on my teachers' instructions.

[Lhasa]

What is bumzey?

[dzoki]

What is bumzey?

Bumdze (bum rdzas) is a mixture of ingredients (herbal and mineral) used for filling a vase representing a deity and its mandala.

[Lhasa]

What is bumzey?

Bumdze (bum rdzas) is a mixture of ingredients (herbal and mineral) used for filling a vase representing a deity and its mandala.

Thank you. And the deity vase is different from the bumpa?

[Malcolm]

What is bumzey?

Bumdze (bum rdzas) is a mixture of ingredients (herbal and mineral) used for filling a vase representing a deity and its mandala.

Thank you. And the deity vase is different from the bumpa?

There are two vases, typically. One is the activity vase, the contents of which are visualized as wrathful deities.

The other vase is the as mentioned above, the vase that represents the mandala. It contents are visualized as the deity, mandala, and celestial mansion. It is from the latter vase one receives the vase empowerment related to the creation stage.

[Lhasa]

Bumdze (bum rdzas) is a mixture of ingredients (herbal and mineral) used for filling a vase representing a deity and its mandala.

Thank you. And the deity vase is different from the bumpa?

There are two vases, typically. One is the activity vase, the contents of which are visualized as wrathful deities.

The other vase is the as mentioned above, the vase that represents the mandala. It contents are visualized as the deity, mandala, and celestial mansion. It is from the latter vase one receives the vase empowerment related to the creation stage.

Garchen Rinpoche uses a bumpa with a deity card attached to it for the vase empowerment. If they use a second vase, it's not obvious. Unless it is the one they use to give purification water to the attendees. Thanks

[Malcolm]

Thank you. And the deity vase is different from the bumpa?

There are two vases, typically. One is the activity vase, the contents of which are visualized as wrathful deities.

The other vase is the as mentioned above, the vase that represents the mandala. It contents are visualized as the deity, mandala, and celestial mansion. It is from the latter vase one receives the vase empowerment related to the creation stage.

Garchen Rinpoche uses a bumpa with a deity card attached to it for the vase empowerment. If they use a second vase, it's not obvious. Unless it is the one they use to give purification water to the attendees. Thanks

The activity vase is used in the empowerment preparations, you won't see it used much during the actual empowerment.

[PuerAzaelis]

And if Grace Jones was receiving an empowerment she would say ...

[pemachophel]

Besides including saffron and bum-dze, the activity vase needs to be consecrated before use. (Loppon/Malcolm alluded to this.) Please get the relevant liturgy and visualization from your Teacher. Generally, the activity vase can be refilled five times before needing to start over. Also Bum-dze 25 is for the activity vase and Bum-dze 35 is for the empowerment vase. These should not be confused. Bum-dze 35 contains the same 25 ingredients as Bum-dze 25 but then also the five meats and five amrits.

[conebeckham]

Thank you. And the deity vase is different from the bumpa?

There are two vases, typically. One is the activity vase, the contents of which are visualized as wrathful deities.

The other vase is the as mentioned above, the vase that represents the mandala. It contents are visualized as the deity, mandala, and celestial mansion. It is from the latter vase one receives the vase empowerment related to the creation stage.

Garchen Rinpoche uses a bumpa with a deity card attached to it for the vase empowerment. If they use a second vase, it's not obvious. Unless it is the one they use to give purification water to the attendees. Thanks

It almost always is that vase, yes. You'll notice it's also used to bless the "gektor" or preliminary torma at the very beginning of many empowerments, as well.

[dzogchungpa]

And if Grace Jones was receiving an empowerment she would say ...

Dude, I can't believe you went there ...

[PuerAzaelis]

And if Grace Jones was receiving an empowerment she would say ...

Dude, I can't believe you went there ...

Sorry, sorry, I figure I am already bound for hell anyway ...

[tomfelt]

This is not for empowerment, just for my home shrine. My lama is not in town often and then very busy with lots of supplicants, so I feel awkward asking him about this--it seems rather superficial.

Dzoki, does one obtain bumzey from one's lama, or is there a recipe?

[Malcolm]

This is not for empowerment, just for my home shrine. My lama is not in town often and then very busy with lots of supplicants, so I feel awkward asking him about this--it seems rather superficial.

Dzoki, does one obtain bumzey from one's lama, or is there a recipe?

You don't need a Bumpa for your home shrine, unless a lama is coming to bless your house.

[pemachophel]

Tom, Bum-dze can be purchased from www.potalagate.com run by Lama Jigme in Oregon.

I differ in opinion with Loppon about having a bumpa at home. This is a good part of your shrine, although not indispensable. Perhaps Loppon was thinking that one needs to know how to consecrate the bumpa, not just put bum-dze in it. Consecrating it is best, but you can also just use pure water. For instance, if you don't have a bumpa, you can just use a glass of water with a flower stalk or even just a stalk of greenery in it. Lacking even a flower or a stalk of greenery, you can use a spoon. The idea/practice of purifying one's offerings with water is a good one, Lama or "layperson."

For instance, when you say RAM, you can wave a stick of lit incense over your offerings, the incense symbolizing fire burning away impurities. Then you can wave a peacock feather/s and/or kusha grass over your offerings, blowing away the ashes of impurity when you say YAM, and finally, when you say KHAM, you can sprinkle your offerings with water. Then OM, AH, HUNG etc.

[Lingpupa]

You don't need a Bumpa for your home shrine, unless a lama is coming to bless your house.

True, no doubt, for most people, but you could be doing a practice with vase generation, when you should really have one. But by the time you get to that stage, you would probably have learnt what you need to know about it.

[Malcolm]

You don't need a Bumpa for your home shrine, unless a lama is coming to bless your house.

True, no doubt, for most people, but you could be doing a practice with vase generation, when you should really have one. But by the time you get to that stage, you would probably have learnt what you need to know about it.

If you are doing practices that involve vase generation, you basically are a lama.

[conebeckham]

You don't need a Bumpa for your home shrine, unless a lama is coming to bless your house.

True, no doubt, for most people, but you could be doing a practice with vase generation, when you should really have one. But by the time you get to that stage, you would probably have learnt what you need to know about it.

If you are doing practices that involve vase generation, you basically are a lama.

I've noted that in many Tibetan households you'll find a bumpa on the shrine, which laypeople use for "Chab" (blessing the daily shrine offerings in the morning). Of course, if one understands the actual procedure for such things, one should know the Vase Generation practice, including the blessing and visualization for the Activity Vase prior to blessing offerings, etc. I suppose it's a cultural thing, and many who have vases don't actually do the vase generation, but I can't know in every specific case. Certainly, in most Sarma Drupchos, the BumKye phases are done by all practitioners, Lamas and disciples both--but the Loppon holds the ZungTak. And of course the ultimate reason for the BumKye is to bestow empowerment, whether on others, or on oneself. Whether one is "allowed" to do Dak Zhuk, but not empower others, would be a more appropriate dividing line between "lamas" and Sadhakas, I think.