Derge Kangyur/Tengyur e-text, Esukhia/Barom edition — public domain (mechanical reproduction)
This brief text, titled The Samādhi of Fire Offerings to Purify All Transgressions, serves as a formal conclusion to a larger instructional work on the ritual of Homa (fire offerings). Attributed to Rinchen Dorje Pal and associated with the Mahāmudrātilaka, the text frames the practice of fire offerings as a meditative absorption (samādhi) specifically designed for the purification of transgressions. By invoking Vajrasattva, the text situates the ritual within a framework of purification and tantric practice. The work commits the reader to a specific set of secret pith instructions, suggesting that the ritual efficacy of the Homa is dependent upon these specialized transmissions. Rather than providing a detailed manual, these passages function as a colophon, certifying the completion of the instructions and establishing the lineage and authority behind the practice.
Provenance
About this text
A meditative absorption focused on the ritual of fire offerings for the purification of all sins, the Sarvapāpaśuddhāgnipūjāsamādhi belongs to the Non-dual Tantra collection. The work is attributed to the Indian author Kaśmīri Ratnavajra, though the concluding passage of the translation also mentions Rinchen Dorje Pal as the composer of the secret pith instructions on Homa. Preserved in the classical Tibetan tradition, the text appears in volume ཏ of the Tengyur, where it extends over two pages under the Tibetan title sdig pa thams cad 'dag pa'i me'i mchod pa'i ting nge 'dzin. The work enacts a process of purification through the invocation of Vajrasattva and the performance of fire offerings, requiring the practitioner to be endowed with compassion and bodhicitta while bathing with five nectars in a multi-storied pavilion. Scholars and serious readers consult this text to examine the specific ritual requirements and meditative frameworks associated with the Mahāmudrātilaka, as well as the specialized transmissions necessary for the efficacy of the Homa ritual.
Cite thisAnuvāda, “The Samādhi of Fire Offerings to Purify All Transgressions” (Toh 1335), machine draft, 2026.https://naxiai.com/tibetan/works/toh1335
Summary & commentary
Significance
The work is significant as it links the ritual of Homa with the conceptual framework of Mahāmudrā and the purification deity Vajrasattva. It illustrates the integration of fire rituals into the Tibetan Buddhist path of purification. For a modern reader, it provides evidence of the transmission of 'secret pith instructions' within specific tantric lineages.
Structure
Passages
Section
Description
1
Title and Invocation
Provides the Sanskrit and Tibetan titles and an homage to Vajrasattva.
2
Colophon
Identifies the author as Rinchen Dorje Pal and the source as the Mahāmudrātilaka, marking the completion of the instructions.
Themes
Purification of transgressions (1)
Homa (Fire Offering) (1-2)
Lineage and Transmission (2)
Summary, significance and provenance note generated by gemma4:31b from the translation and the catalogue record.
AnuvādaThe Samādhi of Fire Offerings to Purify All Transgressions·
In the language of India: Sarvapāpaśuddhāgnipūjanāmasamādhi. In the language of Tibet: Sdig pa thams cad ’dag pa’i me’i mchod pa’i ting nge ’dzin (The Absorption of the Fire Offering for Purifying All Sins). Homage to the glorious Vajrasattva!
From the Mahāmudrātilaka, in a multi-storied pavilion, one endowed with compassion and bodhicitta should bathe with the five nectars and recite the mantra ten million times: Oṃ vajranalā karmelamalanadherodatedararogasa svāhā.
When the yoginīs have gathered and bestowed the transmission upon me, there is a girl of sixteen with excellent marks, possessing much musk and camphor. "O son, take her and perform the union!" To the girl who has received the transmission, the empowerment and the causal and resultant roots are explained. In a very secluded place, sitting beneath a nyagrodha tree, one should practice yoga upon the realm of conceptualization. One should also maintain the timing and the balance of rest. By the dust, the fire is ignited and the substances are joined. The firewood ignites the fire and the maṇḍala is clarified. The offering substances are the lotus and the butter. From the syllable Haṃ, the vajra is filled with the pouring ladle. One must not let it drip outside the fire pit. Through the offering of non-tangible touch, the deities of the natural maṇḍala, the worldly protectors, and the ḍākinīs are pleased. Upon the full moon, they are requested to depart. All intentions will be accomplished, and there is no doubt that the dharmakāya will be attained. Just as a lamp is found through its substance, it does not remain at all times. Whatever diligence is applied to the body is called the yoga of completion.