True Buddha Dharma-character Treasury – Red Jambhala
Red Jambhala
【Red Jambhala Mudra :】
Interlace the fingers inward. Straighten the thumbs and have them touching side by side. Straighten the pinky fingers and have them touching face to face.
【Red Jambhala Seed Syllable :】
Sanskrit Seed Syllable Gang
【Red Jambhala Mantra :】
「om。ga-na-ba-di-ye。 so-ha。」
【Red Jambhala Dharmalakṣaṇa Brief Introduction】
Red Jambhala has a red body, an elephant head, and four arms. His first right hand holds carrots and the second right hand holds an evil-subjugating ax. His first left hand holds carrot leafs and the second left hand holds a mala.
Red Jambhala stands atop a blue treasure-spouting mongoose on an eight-leaf lotus flower. Red Jambhala also is depicted with two, four, six, eight, or twelve arms.
【Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu Dharma Talk – Red Jambhala Background and Key Cultivation Formula】
Red Jambhala, or Ganesha, was originally a Brahman fortune god of India. Later he became one of the four major gods of India. Initially, there were only three major gods in India, Shiva, the destroyer, Brahma, the creator, and Vishnu, the preserver. With the addition of the famous Ganesha, the elephant headed provisions lord and son of Shiva, there are now four major deities of India.
Red Jambhala is well known in India and Tibet. During the Vajrayana prosperous period, he was included as one of the five Vajrayana fortune deities and was titled as the Tibetan Vajrayana Provisions Lord. Possessing great power, he bestows treasures and is a fortune blessing king. The five fortune gods are Yellow, Red, Green, White, and Black Jambhalas.
The key to making offerings to Red Jambhala is to delight him. One first visualizes oneself transforming into Red Jambhala. Thereafter, from one’s open heart, one cheers the deity with the offering of four celestial misses of Vajra dance, Vajra song, Vajra curtain, and Vajra play. One then touches the trunk of Red Jambhala while chanting his mantra, ”om。ga-na-ba-di-ye。 so-ha。” three times. Visualize subjects wished come out from the trunk. As long as one presents offerings sincerely and is able to delight the deity, all of one’s wishes will come true regardless of whether the wishes are for social positions or for wealth.
When practicing the dharma of the mighty Red Jambhala, one visualizes a vajra scepter above his head. Pray to him for one’s wishes, then touch his trunk. Most of his power comes from the trunk. Through his trunk, all treasures such as gold, silver, jewels, and provisions will emerge and spout out from it.
His trunk can also spout out nectar that purifies sentient beings’ karmic illnesses, body and mind. Nether beings can be delivered to a pure land because of the purification by the nectar. In addition, with one hook by the trunk of Red Jambhala, sentient beings can be delivered to the pure land of their personal deity, for the Five Buddhas are his principal deity.
In Vajrayana, the vajra scepter symbolizes Vajrasattva. One chants ”Om, be-dza, sah-do, ah, hum, pei” three times while turning the vajra scepter three times. One then keeps it on top of Ganesha while chanting ”command om, ga-na-ba-di-ye, so-ha, om, ga-na-ba-di-ye, so-ha, om, ga-na-ba-di-ye, so-ha spout out gold …” Gold bricks will then drop out, one by one. By practicing this ritual, Red Jambhala will grant and spout out from his trunk whatever one wishes for.
The mudra of Red Jambhala is to interlace the fingers inward, straighten both of the small fingers and keep them touching. Extend the two small fingers symbolizing his trunk to a person whom one loves or whom one wants to be respected by, then visualize Jambhala wrapping or hooking the person with his trunk. This will allow one to obtain love or respect from someone. The method applies to anyone’s boss, a beauty, or a chairman of a board, whomever one wishes for love or respect. Consequently, they will think of you all the time. This is the key. For businessmen, they will receive orders immediately if practicing it accordingly.
Red Jambhala enjoys counting the leaves of carrots for the reason that it is his way of calculating a human’s fortune. For example, Red Jambhala can itemize and tell each individual’s entitled wealth, clothing, food, properties, and precious jewels as if he is enumerating his own valuables, without missing anything.
Living Buddha Lian-seng Sheng-yen Lu has instructed that what is weighed most for practicing the fortune god dharma is to create the pure bodhi heart followed by planting positive karma, giving frequently, and benefiting sentient beings broadly. As a result, not only one becomes wealthy, but also succeeds in undertakings regarding love and respect. One will not be hindered in any aspect.
【Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu Dharma Talks – the Cause of Red Jambhala’s Elephant head on a Human Body】
In Hinduism, there are three major gods, Lord Shiva of Mahesvara, the destroyer; Lord Brahma, the creator; and Lord Vishnu, the preserver. Ganesha was the son of Shiva and Parvati. He was born majestic and formidable. One day, Shiva returned home from further afield while Parvati was taking a bath. Ganesha happened to guard the door. When Shiva saw a tall and magnificent male standing outside of Parvati’s bathroom, he became suspicious of Parvati. Therefore, Shiva brandished his sword and chopped off Ganesha’s head with one slash.
When out from her bath, Parvati found that not only her son had already lost his head but also that it was cut off by his own father. ”You hacked your own son!” She cried to Shiva. Shiva was in deep sorrow. He turned to Vishnu, the preserver, for help. Vishnu instructed Shiva that, ”On this day and road, slash the first head you see, connect the head to your son’s body, and he will then be resurrected.” Shiva followed Vishnu’s words. When the day came, he took the road and saw an elephant. He then hacked the head of the elephant and replanted it on his son’s body. Thereafter, Shiva’s son is now an elephant headed human. Ganesha is in charge of the entire retinue of Mahesvara, the fourth major god of India.
【Living Buddha Lian-sheng Sheng-yen Lu Dharma Talks – The origin of the Great Victorious Mahesvara Joyful Deva】
The origin of the Yab-Yam of the Great Victorious Mahesvara Joyful Deva – This deity is the devaputramara of the retinue of Mahesvara and the eldest son of the destroyer. He controls the complete retinue of Mahesvara with strong, damaging power. He hindered all sentient beings, harmed countless of them, impeded them from cultivation, obstructed their kind mind, and destroyed human lives. He was a very powerful but dreadful god, and very fierce originally.
Feeling merciful for the sentient beings fiercely harmed by Ganesha, compassionate Avalokitesvara sacrificed herself by transforming herself into a female Ganesha. The female Ganesha proposed to Ganesha that, ”I will marry you if you take refuge in Buddha, practice buddhadharma and protect sentient beings.” Deeply attracted to the female Ganesha, The male Ganesha felt that it was too hard to resist the offer. He finally gave in and said, ”Fine! I promise to change my behavior. Instead of harming them, I will start to love and protect sentient beings.” Since then, they combined to become the Great Victorious Mahesvara Joyful Deva who not only protects buddhadharma but also bestows fortune and happiness to sentient beings.