By Dudjom Rinpoche

This text, the Riwo Sangchöd, is one of the most effective offering practices I have encountered. Throughout its sections, we make apologies for the wrongs we have committed against other beings, make offerings to repair those harms, and provide offerings and nourishment for many beings. We do this for three principle reasons:

1. Because making these offerings helps purify us of drib, a residual gunk that accretes on us in the process of living.
2. Because making these offerings sets our relationships with the spirits around us to rights, especially the spirits on whose land we reside.
3. Because it’s a good thing to do.

It’s generally considered best to recite this practice in the morning, up to about 11am; but there’s really no wrong time.
Traditionally, one would burn incense during this recitation. What incense? Bigger question than I can get into in this brief introduction. (This will probably link to a separate post in the fullness of time) The easiest, simplest solution is to just buy formulated Riwo Sangchöd incense. If you can’t acquire this incense for whatever reason, don’t let what you can’t do get in the way of what you can. Any sandalwood incense (like Nag Champa) is fantastic. I’ve also been told that more church-y incenses like frankincense or copal are fantastic substitutions.
It’s always better to use the traditional ingredients where possible, but we achieve fidelity to a practice by practicing it; not by dreaming about perfectly checking off a list.

Taking Refuge

Om Ah Hum
Heart essence of refuge, vast as space
wrathful wisdom holder, Skull Garland:
whole world’s perfected as mandala,
to lib’rate all these I take refuge.
Three Times

Generating Bodhicitta

In the ground of wisdom’s secret light
may all obscurations purify.
With four visions perfected, may all
be lib’rated: thus I generate.
Three Times

The Seven-Branch Prayer

Homage to the primordial wisdom.
I offer light beyond boundaries.
Within the one expanse, I confess.
All Dharma activities, I praise.
Turn the wheel of the perfect teachings.
Stir the depths of Samsara, I pray!
In the abs’lute state, I dedicate!

Self-Visualization

Arising from perfect space as play
Skull Garland, blushed white, in youth’s beauty:
splend’rous holding vajra and skull cup,
majestic with robes and ornaments,
his form’s all Buddhas undivided,
Samsara-Nirvana embodied.

om ah hung vajra guru padma siddhi hung
108 times

Purification and Blessing of the Smoke Offering

Purify the ingredients of the sang offering with:
ram yam kham
Out of emptiness appear the ingredients of the smoke offering, transformed into the wisdom nectar free of any impurity, from which arises an ocean-like cloud of sensual stimulants, spreading out to fill the whole of space.
Bless the sang offering with the three syllables om ah hung and the sky treasury mantra:

om ah hung
Three times

namah sarva tathagatebhayo visva mukhebyah sarvathakham udgate spharana imam gagana kham svaha
Three times

The Smoke Offering

Bhrum! In the shining vessel, made of jewels,
Sacred substances, all desired things
transformed by om ah hum to nectar
all existence becomes desirables.
Lamas, dharmapalas, dakinis.
ten directions’ buddhas’ mandalas,
yidams local deities, six realms beings’,
all those to whom I owe karmic debts,
‘specially life-force thieves, and demons
who place obstacles, bad signs, omens—
negative spirits, magic masters,
those whom I owe debts of food, place, wealth,
Forces bringing obstacles, madness,
all spirits, terangs, ghouls, female ghosts,
I offer to burn debts in the flames:
may whatever one desires rain down.
For as far and long as space exists,
I dedicate endless stimulants.
May three times’ actions, obscurations,
and misuse of three jewels’ offerings
be purified in smoke off’ring’s fire.
Let its flames fill the whole universe
and every flame’s minute particles
become endless clouds of offerings
pervading throughout all buddha realms!
May these flames, five light’s offering-rays
pervade from heaven to deepest hells,
Samsara’s three realms be lib’rated,
and all beings awake to pure heart

om ah hung
100 times, 1000 times, or more—as many as you can

From immaculate appearances
the phenomenal world’s purified
and melts to amrita. I offer
flooding nectar, existence essence
to three guests from beginningless time.
You attained all noble qualities:
stages, path, fruit—dispelled obstacles
by your conduct within wisdom-mind.
May we seize the vase body stronghold.
May all beings wake in lotus net.
Elemental off’rings splend’rous blaze.
Bliss and emptiness blaze in union.
Burnt emptiness compassion fill space,
in existence’s ground vajra lights.
In five colors I present off’rings
of self-perfected enlightenment.
Let all karmic debts be purified.
I admit all errors, clear my mind.
May this cycle of debts not drag on.
As to vows of dharma paths, mantra
commitments, I admit all breaches.
May illnesses, harmful influences,
obscurations, and impurities
be purified! May this age of strife,
plagues, famine, and war be pacified!
Turn back the central land’s invaders!
Turn away all lama’s obstacles!
Turn away bad omens for Tibet,
life-force thieves, nagas, planets, demons!
Overcome all fears without limits!
Turn away all inauspiciousness!
Repel samaya breakers and ghosts!

Samaya!

When counting repetitions, return to “In the shining vessel, made of jewels,” repeat the three syllables om ah hung as much as possible and continue with “From immaculate…
After repeating this part as many times as is appropriate, conclude with:

Dedication:

May these off’rings please buddhas
and protectors’ bonds fulfill
May all beings’ desires be met
and all karmic debts released
May merit and wisdom rise
obscurations’ trace pur’fied
to gain sacred dimensions.
Through generosity’s vast power,
may we become self-risen Buddhas.
May all beings not yet lib’rated
be liberated through this action.
Elemental spirits who remain
or earth dwellers, or who move in space:
always show beings goodwill, kindness,
and practice the Dharma day and night.

Aspiration and Dedications

May this virtue perfect beings
and complete accum’lations.
From this merit and wisdom
may all attain bliss-body!
Untained by effort’s traits,
a wish-granting tree, a jewel:
may I fulfill beings’ hopes
and accomplish auspicious desires!

Colophon

Make everything positive and well with auspicious prayers such as these.
From the many ways, elaborate or condensed, of doing this practice, I Jnana (Dudjom Rinpoche), an old yogin, composed this abbreviated version for daily practice.
I Soror Amrta, a gutter tantrika, adapted this offering text for chanting from the translation prepared by Lotsawa House. In fitting the melody, much has been compressed. May even the slightest kernel of merit resound endlessly to benefit all beings!