Red Jambhala (Ganesha/Ganapati) Sadhana

Transmitted by His Holiness Living Buddha Lian-sheng, Sheng-yen Lu
Translated by Alice Yang ¹. Proofread by Richard Ward.

Begin by praying for the root lineage blessing: First empty the mind. Next, visualize the Root Guru appearing above your crown and radiating light on everyone present. Chant the Root Guru Heart Mantra 7 times. Pray to the Root Guru to empower you so that the sadhana will be auspicious.

Engender the Four Immeasurable Minds: Visualize your parents, children, relatives, friends, and enemies joining you in this practice.
Wake up Call: Clap twice, then cross the hands, and snap the thumbs and middle fingers.

Recite the Purification Mantras and Earth God Mantra
Recite the Invocation Mantra: Om Ah Hum, so-ha (3 times)
We sincerely invoke:
Namo Root Guru Living Buddha Lian-sheng,
Namo White Maha Padmakumara,
Namo Lotus Light Unhindered Buddha, (a.k.a Lotus Light Self-Mastery Buddha)
Namo the lineage gurus of True Buddha School,
Namo Red Jambhala
(Herein, each local chapter may invoke the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Dharma Protectors enshrined at its altar accordingly. When practicing at home, you may invoke the deities present at your shrine.)
Namo all Buddhas of the Ten Directions and Three Times,
Namo all Bodhisattvas and Mahasattvas,
Namo Maha Prajna Paramita.
Great Homage Using Visualization
Mandala Offering
Chant the Fourfold Refuge
Armor Protection
Recite the High King Avalokitesvara Sutra
Recite the Rebirth Mantra (7 times)
Recite the Four Immeasurable Vows
May all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness; this is immeasurable loving-kindness.
May all beings be liberated from suffering and the causes of suffering; this is immeasurable compassion.
May all beings be free of suffering and always be happy; this is immeasurable joy.
May all beings be free of grasping and aversion and practice equality; this is immeasurable equanimity.
Recite the Root Guru (Padmakumara) Heart Mantra
Om Guru, Lian-sheng, Siddhi, Hum (108 times)
Mudra and Visualization
Mudra:

Red Jambhala Mudra

Seed Syllable Gang

Form the internal handclasp mudra in front of your chest, then hold up your two thumbs and two pinkies as illustrated in the picture on the left. The thumbs and pinkies represent Red Jambhala’s trunk.
Visualization: First empty the mind.
Chant the Emptiness Mantra:
Om, si-ba-wa, su-da, sa-er-wa, da-er-ma, si-ba-wa, su-do, hang (3 times)

I. Above an expanse of ocean is a stretch of clear sunny sky. A white seed syllable “ZHUN” arises and transforms into a wish-fulfilling mandala. On the center of the mandala lies an eight-petaled lotus flower, on the top of the flower is a seed syllable “GANG.” Visualize the seed syllable “GANG” transforming into a red-colored, elephant-headed, four-armed Red Jambhala. Red Jambhala holds a carrot in his first right hand, a demon-subduing axe in the second right hand, carrot leaves in the first left hand, and mala beads in the second left hand.

II. Red Jambhala stands on a blue mongoose,which rests on the eight-petaled lotus flower.

III. The practitioner emits a beam of blue light from his heart chakra, which merges harmoniously into the beam of red light from the “GANG” seed syllable of Red Jambhala’s heart chakra. Now, the practitioner and Red Jambhala have united into one entity.
Recite the Red Jambhala Mantra
Visualization:
Use both hands to hold the mala beads in front of your chest and move each bead with the thumb during chanting. Visualize the left hand transforming into a vajra bell and the right hand transforming into a vajra scepter. The mother bead or emblem transforms into a multiple-jeweled stupa, and the four “divider beads” transform into the Four Heavenly Kings. The tassel transforms into a “lotus hand,” while the string that threads through the beads transforms into Vajrasattva’s white light, in the form of a circle. During mantra chanting, as each bead is moved, visualize each bead turning into Red Jambhala, who then appears in front of you.
Chant the Long Mantra:
Om, nuo-na-nuo-na-nuo-nu-nuo-nu, ga-na-ba-di, ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga, ga-na-ba-di, zhu-ru-zhu-ru, ma-nu-ba-za, ru-ru-ru-ru, ga-ga-da-ye, ga-na-ba-di, so-ha (108 times)
Chant the Short Mantra:
Om, ga-na-ba-di-yeh, soha (108 times)
Now, Visualize the Red Jambhala’s elephant head nodding continuously. Then, he transforms into the seed syllable “ZHUN,” which transforms into a precious plate, with a seed syllable “OM’ on it. At this time, the practitioner should sincerely pray for his or her wishes to be granted. Visualize whatever you wish for emerging from the precious plate. All wishes are to be fulfilled.
Entering Samadhi
Nine Cycle Breathing,
Entering of the Deity into Oneself and Release of Oneself into the Cosmic Consciousness [or Ru Wo – Wo Ru visualization],
Breath Counting.
Emerging from Samadhi
Praise Verse:
Red Jambhala, the Wealth Deity,
Enhances wealth with his great power.
By chanting his mantra to invoke manifestation,
He fulfills all my wishes with his Dharma.
Recite the Principal Heart Mantras
Recite the Buddha’s Name (3 times)
Dedication
May all who uphold the name of Amitabha Buddha,
Be born together in the Pure Land of His Western Paradise,
Repaying the Fourfold Generosity from above,
And aiding those who suffer in the Three Paths below.
Upon seeing the Buddha,
May I be liberated from the cycle of birth and death,
And may I develop the qualities of Buddhahood,
And thus free all who suffer.
I, ________ (your name), dedicate the merits of this practice to the Root Guru. May the Root Guru always be healthy, remain in samsara, never enter nirvana, and forever turn the dharma wheel. May everyone be healthy, free of hindrances, strong in cultivation, and may all circumstances become auspicious.
(Use your vajra scepter to draw a circle three times in the space above you and visualize that you are drawing a blazing circle of fire.) Then say: “May all supplications be completely fulfilled. May all hindrances be removed.”
Visualize a patch of darkness in front of you (symbolizing negative forces). Then raise the vajra scepter, point it towards the patch of darkness, and ring the vajra bell while shouting:
“Wun!”
As you shout “Wun,” visualize the darkness retreating and in its place are two vajra scepters in the form of a cross appearing above a lotus flower, surrounded by the blazing circle of fire.
The crossed vajra scepters represent strength, while the lotus flower itself represents wisdom. The crossed vajra scepters above a lotus represent protection and defeat of the negative forces.
The blazing light signifies totality and completion. With this visualization of the crossed vajra scepters, lotus flower, and blazing circle of fire, all negatives forces will retreat.
(Detailed visualization from page 165 of A Complete and Detailed Exposition on the True Buddha Tantric Dharma)
Recite the Hundred Syllable Mantra (3 times)
Great Homage Using Visualization
Recite the Completion Mantra:
Om, bu lin (3 times)
Om Mani Padme Hum

Dismissal: Clap twice, then cross the hands, and snap the thumbs and middle fingers.
End of Practice: May all endeavors be auspicious.

Note: The source of this sadhana is from the “Red Jambhala Ebook” compiled by Alice Yang of padmakumara.org.

Notes from the Translator:

¹ At the time, this e-book was compiled, the official Chinese sadhana was not available. This e-book was translated based on the Chinese sadhana that Alice Yang compiled from Grand Master’s book #75 and his 2010 dharma talks. If you have any question, please consult with TBS masters.
² Actual Tibetan sound is “Bhum”.
³ Seed syllable of Red Jambhala.
⁴ On Guru’s Chinese books, he never specifies whether it is a carrot, turnip, or radish, so please consult with a master if you need further confirmation. (According to the dharma teaching by H. H. Living Buddha Lian-sheng on Feb 12, 2013 in the Red Jambhala Ceremony at Taiwan Lei Zang Si Temple, Red Jambhala is holding carrot and carrot leaves.)