Yuqie Yankou

The Yuqie Yankou rite (Chinese: 瑜伽燄口施食儀; pinyin: Yúqié Yànkǒu Shīshí Yí), meaning "Food-Bestowal Rite of the Yoga of Flaming-Mouth", is an esoteric Chinese Buddhism ritual performed with the aim of feeding the Hungry ghost, or Hungry Ghosts (Traditional Chinese characters: 餓鬼; pinyin: Èguǐ) It is commonly performed in the context of death and other post-mortem rites within Chinese society, including the Ghost Festival. The Chinese Buddhist version of the ritual combines features of Chinese opera tradition (including a wide range of instrumental music as well as vocal performances such as solo deliveries, antiphonal and choral singing), Vajrayana practices (including mandala offerings, recitation of esoteric Mantra, execution of Mudra and visualization practices involving identifying oneself with a divinity) and the recitation of Sutra similar to general Mahayana rituals. The rite is one out of several esoteric Chinese Buddhists rites dedicated to the salvation of the egui, such as the Mengshan Shishi and the Liberation Rite of Water and Land|Shuilu Fahui (where the egui are just one out various types of beings invoked into the ritual space). 
A similar ritual known as the Lingbao Pudu rite (Chinese: 靈寶普度 pinyin: Língbǎo Pǔdù) exists in Taoism. It resembles the ritual program of the Yuqie Yankou rite (involving a descent to hell and a salvific nourishing of the beings of the universe), but possesses numerous striking differences such as the invocation of deities and figures from the Chinese gods and immortals, the utilization of specialized Taoist mantras and fulu (or written talismans) as well as the employment of a liturgy based on Taoist conceptualizations and understanding.
== Etymology ==
The word yuqie (瑜伽) refers to the Sanskrit word yoga (योग). The term is used in the Chinese Buddhist canon to refer to two different and unrelated corpuses of texts – the non-esoteric, exegetical texts of the Yogācāra tradition and a wide range of texts of the esoteric type. The esoteric texts with “yuqie” in their titles can be further divided into two distinctive groups: Texts from the Vajrasekhara Sutra|Vajraśekhara (Chinese language|Chinese: 金剛頂; pinyin: Jīngāngdǐng) cycle of teachings and practices, and texts not directly related to the Vajraśekhara. Traditional commentaries on the term "yuqie" glosses over it as the practice of the “mutual correspondence of the three actions", with the three actions referring to mental, verbal and physical actions.
== History ==
=== The Burning-Face Sūtra and The Flaming-Mouth Sūtra ===
The basic structure of the ritual was based on well-established templates stemming from the Tattvasaṃgraha Tantra and its related cycle of texts. Two sources translated during the Tang dynasty (618 - 907) were particularly influential in establishing its framework: The Burning-Face Sūtra[zh] (Traditional Chinese characters|Chinese: 佛說救面燃餓鬼陀羅尼神咒經; pinyin: Fóshuō Jiù Miànrán Èguǐ Tuóluóní Shénzhòu Jīng; lit "Sūtra Spoken by the Buddha on the Dhāraṇī-spell that Saved the Burning-Face Hungry Ghost") which was translated by Śikṣānanda between the years 700 - 704, and the Flaming-Mouth Sūtra[zh] (Traditional Chinese characters|Chinese: 佛說救拔燄口餓鬼陀羅尼經; pinyin: Fóshuō Jiùbá Yànkǒu Èguǐ Tuóluóní Jīng; lit "Sūtra Spoken by the Buddha on the Dhāraṇī that Rescued the Flaming-Mouth Hungry Ghost") which was translated by Amoghavajra between the years 757 - 770. The two texts are translations of two different recensions of a yet unstable Indian Buddhist sūtra that was already in existence no later than the seventh century which were widely circulating in China at the time. Of the two different translations, later ghost-feeding liturgies such as the Mengshan Shishi mostly relied on Amoghavajra’s Flaming-Mouth Sūtra; which overshadowed Śikṣānanda’s earlier translation due to its longer length as well as Amoghavajra's prestige as a Buddhist adept. Both texts center on the narrative of Ānanda|Ānanda’s encounter with a ghost named either Burning Face (Traditional Chinese characters|Chinese: 面燃; pinyin: Miànrán) or Flaming Mouth (Chinese language|Chinese: 燄口; pinyin: Yànkǒu) that warned him about his impending death and rebirth in the realm of hungry ghosts which would happen unless he was able to give one Maghada bushel of food and drink to each of the one hundred thousand nayutas of hungry ghosts and other beings. The encounter prompted Ānanda to beg Shakyamuni Buddha for a way to avert his fate, at which point the Buddha revealed a ritual and a dharani that he had been taught in a past life when he was a Brahmin living in the Pure land|Pure Land of the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara|Avalokitesvara (Guanyin). Part of the ritual involved the brief invocation of the names of four Buddhas. According to the sūtra, the performance of the ritual would not only feed the hungry ghosts but would also ensure the longevity of the performing ritualist. The sūtra ends with Ānanda performing the rite according to the Buddha’s instructions and avoiding the threat of rebirth into the realm of the hungry ghosts. Buddhist traditions hold that he eventually achieved longevity and attained the state of arhathood.
=== The Method of Bestowing Drink and Food ===
While the Burning-Face Sūtra and the Flaming-Mouth Sūtra contained the basic structure and framework of a simple rite, they lack more complex elements necessary for them to function as liturgical texts (Chinese language|Chinese: 儀軌; pinyin: Yíguǐ; Sanskrit: vidhi). The earliest known work which attempts to turn the ritual elements contained in the two translated sūtras into a practice anchored on a written liturgy is the Method of Bestowing Drink and Food (Chinese language|Chinese: 施諸餓鬼飲食及水法; pinyin: Shī Zhūèguǐ Yǐnshíjíshuǐ Fǎ; lit "Method of Bestowing Drink and Food and Water to All Hungry Ghosts") which is conventionally dated to the late 8th century to 9th century period, although some scholars have pointed out strong evidence linking it to an earlier date. This text is traditionally claimed as instructions from Amoghavajra himself, and a Dunhuang manuscripts|Dunhuang manuscript of the text refers to itself as the “oral instructions of the ‘Translator of Great and Broad wisdom’” (i.e. Amoghavajra). The text incorporates the ritual and dharani taught in the two sūtras, while adding an array of other hymns, spells, recitations and mudrās, the name of an additional Buddha (inserted in the original group of four) and specific instructions on visualizations and other related ritual-acts. The ritual structure and content of the Method of Bestowing Drink and Food later became the basic template for later ghost-feeding rites in Japan, with various further indigenous alterations and adjustments. In China, this text also became the prototype for further development and more esoteric elements were added to it, which eventually lead to the creation of the Yuqie Yankou rite.
=== Flaming-Mouth Liturgy Sūtra ===
Another text that was influential in the development of the Yuqie Yankou rite is the Flaming-Mouth Liturgy Sūtra (Chinese language|Chinese: 瑜伽集要阿難陀羅尼焰口儀軌經; pinyin: Yújiā Jíyào Ānán Tuóluóní Yànkou Yíguǐ Jīng; lit "Sūtra of the Flaming-Mouth Liturgy, the Collected Essentials of the Yoga of the Dhāraṇī that Saved Ānanda"), which is also traditionally attributed to Amoghavajra, and its contents is mostly based on the Flaming-Mouth Sūtra. The earliest extant version of this text can be found among the Fangshan Stone Sutra|Fangshan Stone-carved Sūtras, dating to the Jin dynasty (1115–1234)|Jin dynasty (1115 - 1234). Like the The Method of Bestowing Drink and Food, this text contains a liturgical section with more developed and complex ritual elements which made it utilizable as a ritual manual. The text frames the practice of ghost-feeding within standard Mahāyāna rhetoric of universal liberation of all sentient beings, and also insists that the performers of ghost-feeding rites have to been properly initiated into esoteric practice by a qualified Acarya|ācārya and the instructions for the construction of a special altar or platform known as the “Samaya-platform” (Chinese language|Chinese: 三昧耶壇; pinyin: Sānmèiyé Tán) for the performance of the ghost-feeding rite. Notably, this text makes reference to the ghost that Ānanda encounters using the term "Dashi" (Chinese language|Chinese: 大士; pinyin: Dàshì), meaning "mahāsattva" or "Great Being", a term that is usually used to refer to bodhisattvas. This reference is instrumental in the identification of the ghost in Chinese traditions as a manifestation of the bodhisattva Guanyin, and he is referred to in Chinese Buddhist practices (including the Yuqie Yankou) as Mianran Dashi:zh:面燃大士|[zh] (Chinese language|Chinese: 面燃大士; pinyin: Miànrán Dàshì; lit "Burning-Face Mahāsattva") and in Taoist practices as Jiaomian Dashi:zh:面燃大士|[zh](Chinese language|Chinese: 焦面大士; pinyin: Jiāomiàn Dàshì; lit "Burning-Face Mahāsattva"). The text also explicitly situates itself in the mainstream Chinese Esoteric Buddhism|Chinese Esoteric Buddhist tradition through the encouragement that performers of the ritual should be taught and initiated into the teachings of the ritual by a qualified master through the conferment of an esoteric empowerment or Abhisheka|abhiṣeka (Chinese language|Chinese: 灌頂; pinyin: Guàndǐng).
=== Song Tiantai Ghost-Feeding Texts ===
In the Song dynasty (960 - 1279), while the Method of Bestowing Drink and Food and the Flaming-Mouth Liturgy Sūtra were still in circulation, new ghost-feeding texts were also composed and compiled by monastics of the Tiantai tradition based on both the Burning-Face Sūtra and The Flaming-Mouth Sūtra. Two extant collections of Song Tiantai ghost-feeding are the Golden Garden Record (Chinese language|Chinese: 金園記; pinyin: Jīnyuánjì) by the monk Ciyun Zunshi:zh:遵式|[zh] (Chinese language|Chinese: 慈雲遵式; pinyin: Cíyún Zūnshì) and the Survey of Food-Bestowal Rites (Chinese language|Chinese: 施食通覽; pinyin: Shīshí Tōnglǎn) by the monk Zongxiao (Chinese language|Chinese: 宗晓; pinyin: Zōngxiǎo). Each text contains several different fascicles regarding the rites and liturgies of ghost-feeding rituals. Notably, one of the fascicles in the Golden Garden Record, the Food-Bestowal Liturgy (Chinese language|Chinese: 施食文; pinyin: Shīshíwén), not only refers to the ghost that Ānanda encountered as a "Dashi" (like in the Flaming-Mouth Liturgy Sūtra), but also further specifies his identity as a ghost king (Chinese language|Chinese: 鬼王; pinyin: Guǐwáng). The text also gives greater importance to his role as a central figure in the performance of the rites. However, key one characteristic that these ritual liturgies lack is the execution of mudrās and visualization sequences that are present in the Method of Bestowing Drink and Food and the Flaming-Mouth Liturgy Sūtra, as well as the finalized liturgical text of the Yuqie Yankou rite.
=== Flaming-Mouth Food-Bestowal Rite ===
The Flaming-Mouth Liturgy Sūtra was heavily influential as a template for the composition of another liturgical prototype known as the Flaming-Mouth Food-Bestowal Rite (Chinese language|Chinese: 瑜伽集要焰口施食儀; pinyin: Yúqié Jíyào Yànkou Shīshí Yí; lit "The Collected Essentials of the Yoga of Flaming-Mouth Food-Bestowal Rite") during either the Yuan dynasty (1271 -1368) or the early Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644). This text contains all the spells and most of the prose and verses that were included in the Flaming-Mouth Liturgy Sūtra, with the addition of more complex ritual elements and textual elaborations. The most notable element incorporated into the Flaming-Mouth Food-Bestowal Rite is the self-identification of the celebrant, referred to as the Superior Master (Chinese language|Chinese: 上師; pinyin: Shàngshī) of the rite with Guanyin through a meditation-ritual. This type of self-identification with a Buddha or bodhisattva is a form of deity yoga and is often regarded as one of the hallmarks of “esoteric” Buddhist practices. In this way, the performer of the rite visualizes himself or herself as Guanyin using her powers to feed and liberate hungry ghosts. Other incorporated elements include an extensive list of mantras and mudrās.
=== Yuqie Yankou ===
==== Huashan Yankou ====
By the late Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644), Yuqie Yankou rites were so popular that numerous different versions of the liturgy, each based on the earlier prototypes, began to circulate. In response, the monk Yunqi Zhuhong (Chinese language|Chinese: 雲棲袾宏; pinyin: Yúnqī Zhūhóng) re-codified an edition of the liturgical text for the Yuqie Yankou which was meant to be definitive. In Zhuhong's liturgy, he presents his edition as remaining close to the original intent of the rite. He attempted to shorten the text, as he complained that the other existing texts that were circulating had become too long, but at the same time, he also added more esoteric material such as purificatory and empowering spells. One of the most notable material found in Zhuhong's re-codified liturgy is the ritual presentation and offering of a mandala. In this sub-section, an ideal universe based on Indian Buddhist cosmology found in Abhidharma texts such as the Abhidharmakośa-bhāsya|Abhidharmakośa, is “created” by the celebrant by the power of his visualizations, the spells recited and the corresponding ritual-acts and presented as an offering to the Superior Master, the Three Jewels and Three Roots|Three Jewels and all other enlightened beings. The re-codified text still maintained most of the text and rites from the Flaming-Mouth Food-Bestowal Rite. Zhuhong's biographies indicated that he performed the Yuqie Yankou rites numerous times himself, likely using his own liturgy, for reasons that ranged from offering repose to souls, to abating plagues and droughts and to pacifying disturbances caused by tigers attacking humans.
In the Qing dynasty (1636 - 1912), Zhuhong was admired by the early Qing emperors for his endeavor to emphasize and encourage strict monastic disciple, and his legacy was promoted by the imperial family. Around the same period, the Longchang Temple (Chinese language|Chinese: 隆昌寺; pinyin: Lóngchāng Sì) located on Mount Baohua in Jiangsu province was gaining a reputation as a pre-eminent monastic center after the construction of a new ordination platform under the patronage of the emperors. In 1693, the third abbot of the temple, Deji Ding'an (Chinese language|Chinese: 德基定庵; pinyin: Déjī Dìng'ān) eventually received Zhuhong's re-codified version of the Yuqie Yankou rite. Under his supervision, Zhuhong’s version was and reworked and more material material was incorporated into it. The length of the liturgy was also expanded, such that it became nearly twice as long as Zhuhong's version. Ding'an's reworked version was subsequently known as the "Huashan Yankou” (Chinese language|Chinese: 華山燄口; pinyin: Huàshān Yànkǒu) liturgy. The prestige of Longchang Temple at the time meant that monastics from various parts of China were travelling in great numbers to be ordinated at the temple. While post-ordination training was not compulsory, records show that most monks who received their ordination chose to stay in the temple afterwards and received training, which mostly focused on the study of liturgy and ritual. This included the pronunciation of the Chinese characters used to transliterate Sanskrit names and spells, the learning of the complex mudrās used for performances of the Yuqie Yankou rite, ritual details related to a whole repertoire of post-mortem rites and finally, ordination ritual and procedure. Most monks returned to their home temples while others took up residence and administrative responsibilities in other monasteries in the different parts of China. In this way, Ding'an's reworking of the Yuqie Yankou rites, taught to the monks who were receiving training at Longchang Temple, came to become the dominant liturgy of the rite throughout China, resulting in a more or less standardized form of the liturgy. This version of the liturgy remains the most widely utilized version in contemporary Chinese Buddhist practice throughout China, Taiwan, Singapore and other Overseas Chinese|overseas Chinese communities.
==== Cantonese Yankou ====
Another version of the liturgy that is also practiced in certain contemporary Chinese Buddhist temples to a lesser extent is the "Cantonese Yankou” (Chinese language|Chinese: 廣東燄口; pinyin: Guǎngdōng Yànkǒu) liturgy. This version originates from Qingyun Temple (Guangdong)|Qingyun Temple (Chinese language|Chinese: 慶雲寺; pinyin: Qìngyún Sì) located in the province of Guangdong|Guandong. The temple was founded by the monk Liji Daoqiu (Chinese language|Chinese: 蘺際道丘; pinyin: Líjì Dàoqiū), who also served as its first abbot. Daoqiu was a close associate of Zhuhong, with whom he studied with for a significant period of time, possibly until the latter's death in 1615. One of Daoqiu’s biographies claims that Daoqiu “inherited Zhuhong’s robes and bowl", an expression that normally refers to being a successor of a previous master. Daoqiu was heavily influenced by Zhuhong's teachings, especially his focus on Pure Land Buddhism|Pure Land practices that are based on Huayan and Chan Buddhism|Chan understandings of the mind as well as his emphasis on strict monastic discipline. Extent documents by Daoqiu explicitly states that he ran Qingyun Temple, “according to the way and style of Yunqi Monastery" (i.e. Zhuhong’s monastery) and that Zhuhong's portrait occupied a central position in the temple's lineage hall. In addition to the other teachings of Zhuhong, Dinghu also brought Zhuhong's re-codified Yuqie Yankou liturgy to Qingyun Temple where it continued to be passed down to succeeding monastics of the temple and was subsequently known as the "Cantonese Yankou". Aside of the addition of a few passages at the beginning of the rite, the Cantonese Yankou liturgy is identical with Zhuhong’s re-codified version. At one point, usage of this liturgy spread from Qingyun Temple into surrounding monasteries in the Guandong area, until its popularity became eclipsed by Ding'an's reworked version. In contemporary Chinese Buddhism, only Qingyun Temple and its branch monasteries in other areas such as Hong Kong still practice the Yuqie Yankou rites using the Cantonese Yankou liturgy.
== Ritual ==
=== Ritual Outline ===
The Buddhist version of the rite involves assembling beings from all of the six realms of Saṃsāra|samsara, which involves an assault on hell followed by a banquet for the egui. There are two types of Yuqie Yankou rites: the "yin yankou" (Chinese language|Chinese: (陰燄口; pinyin: Yīn yànkǒu) which is usually held for the benefit of the recently deceased and ancestors, and the "yang yankou" (Chinese language|Chinese: 陽燄口; pinyin: Yáng yànkǒu) which is usually held for the longevity and general blessings of the living. 
The entire ritual can be structurally divided into two main sections: the “upper section” (Chinese language|Chinese: 上篇; pinyin: Shàngpiān) and the “lower section” (Chinese language|Chinese: 下篇; pinyin: Xìapiān). The upper section unfolds with the purification and consecration of the altars and the ritual space, followed by invocation of enlightened beings, including the Five Tathāgatas, Guanyin, Cundi (Buddhism)|Cundi, Vajrasattva, the retinue of the Thirty-Seven deities in the Diamond Realm mandala and Wisdom King|Wisdom Kings such as Wisdom King#The Eight Wisdom Kings|Mahācakra via means such as the chanting of Mantra|mantras, execution of Mudra|mudrās as well as visualization of Bījā|seed syllables associated with them. The lower section mainly involves the use of mantras to assemble the egui, to open the hells and the eguis’ constricted throats, to eliminate their karmic obstructions, and to multiply the offerings of amrita to slake their thirst. As part of the ritual, the assembled beings are also inducted into Buddhism via the transmission of Refuge in Buddhism|refuge, then the Bodhisattva Precepts|bodhisattva precepts, and eventually the Samaya|esoteric samaya precepts (via an incorporated abhisheka rite) in order to qualified them to listen to the esoteric Buddhist teachings.
The upper section consists of the following subsections:
# Ascending the seat (Chinese language|Chinese: 昇坐; pinyin: Shēngzuò)
# Entering samādhi (Chinese language|Chinese: 入定; pinyin: Rùdìng)
# Purification (Chinese language|Chinese: 灑淨; pinyin: Sǎjìng)
# Taking refuge (Chinese language|Chinese: 歸依; pinyin: Guīyī)
# Visualizing the daochang (Chinese language|Chinese: 道場觀; pinyin: Dàochǎng Guān)
# Presenting the maṇḍala (Chinese language|Chinese: 獻曼荼羅; pinyin: Xiàn màntúluó)
# Universal offering (Chinese language|Chinese: 普供養; pinyin: Pǔ Gòngyǎng)
The lower section consists of the following subsections:
# Entering samādhi (Chinese language|Chinese: 入定; pinyin: Rùdìng)
# Inviting and summoning (Chinese language|Chinese: 召請; pinyin: Zhàoqǐng)
# Exoteric food bestowal (Chinese language|Chinese: 顯施食; pinyin: Xiǎn Shīshí)
# Eliminating impediments (Chinese language|Chinese: 滅障; pinyin: Miè zhàng)
# Esoteric food bestowal (Chinese language|Chinese: 密施食; pinyin: Mì Shīshí)
# Transference of merit (Chinese language|Chinese: 回向; pinyin: Huíxiàng)
=== Opening ===
In modern performances of the Yuqie Yankou rite, the opening of the ceremony is marked by the offering of incense and the singing of several eulogies (Chinese language|Chinese: 讚; pinyin: Zàn) to the accompaniment of percussive instruments played by the assisting monastics at the main altar of the rite, known as the Yuqie Altar (Chinese language|Chinese: 瑜伽璮; pinyin: Yúqié Tǎn). 
The participants, consisting of the celebrant (s), the assisting monastics, the patron(s) and other participants then proceed to a second altar known as the Mianran Altar (Chinese language|Chinese: 面燃壇; pinyin: Miànrán Tán), which enshrines the deity known as Mianran Dashi:zh:面燃大士|[zh] (Chinese language|Chinese: 面燃大士; pinyin: Miànrán Dàshì; lit "Burning-Face Mahāsattva"), a ghost king who is regarded as a manifestation of Guanyin. At this altar, the participants chant homages to to Mianran Dashi and recite various sūtra and dhāraṇīs, including the Heart Sutra|Heart Sūtra and the Amitabha Pure Land Rebirth Mantra. Verses regarding transfer of merit as well as cadences paying homage to the Buddha Amitābha are also sung. 
After this, the participants then proceed to a third altar known alternatively as either the Rebirth Altar (Chinese language|Chinese: 往生壇; pinyin:Wǎngshēng Tán) or the Pure Land Altar (Chinese language|Chinese: 淨土壇; pinyin:Jìngtǔ Tán), which enshrines the Buddha Amitābha, the bodhisattvas Avalokiteśvara (Guanyin) and Mahasthamaprapta. In performances of yin yankou, placards bearing the name of names of the departed ones who are the direct recipient of the merit of the rite are written on yellow placards and placed on this altar. In performances of yang yankou, the names of living persons who should receive the merit of the rite are written on red placards and placed on the altar. 
Following this, the participants then returns to the primary Yuqie Altar where several more eulogies are sung by the lead cantor and prostrations are made towards the altar. At the end of the eulogies, the celebrant and several assistant monastics will ascend the Yuqie Altar while the rest of the assembly chants homages to the Buddha Vairocana|Rocana continuously until the celebrant has finished ascending the altar. After the celebrant has ascended to the raised-platform of the altar, the other monastics similarly move to their respective places at the altar, arranged to the left and right of the celebrant, facing outwards towards the Mianran Altar. The lay patron and other people will remain below the stage throughout the rite, forming the audience, and they may later be called upon to enter the performance of the ritual at different junctures. 
=== Upper Section ===
==== Ascending The Seat ====
On the altar, the celebrant performs a symbolic cleansing by wiping his face with a wet towel before sitting. The celebrant then adorns a Vairocana-crown (Chinese language|Chinese: 毘盧帽; pinyin: Pílú Mào), which is a crown with five pointed-leaves bearing the images of the Five Tathāgatas (Chinese language|Chinese: 五方佛; pinyin: Wǔfāngfó): Mahavairocana, Amoghasiddhi, Amitābha, Akshobhya|Akshohya and Ratnasambhava, who are the five Buddhas that feature prominently in tantric literature. At this point in the ritual, the five pointed-leaves are fastened until the next sub-section of the rite. Once the celebrant has put on the Vairocana-crown, he uses a fachi (Chinese language|Chinese: 法尺; pinyin: Fǎchǐ), which is a percussion instrument consisting of a small block of wood, to give a signal prompting the assisting monastics to play a short solo using bells and drums. The celebrant then delivers a passage expounding the inner significance of the incense offered before he and the assistants begin an antiphonal singing of a quatrain extolling Sakyamuni Buddha’s physical virtues and the four immeasurable minds of benevolence, compassion, joy and equanimity.
==== Entering Samadhi ====
The chorus sings a hymn praising the Five Tathāgatas while the celebrant begins empowering himself by first blessing the five-pointed leaves of the Vairocana-crown (by using ambrosia-water to trace Siddham alphabet|Siddham characters on them) and then fastening the leaves. According to Zhuhong's commentary on the liturgy, not only are the Five Tathāgatas present in the crown, but the entire maṇḍala of the Thirty-seven Deities in the Diamond Realm described in the Vajrasekhara Sutra|Vajrasekhara Sūtra is installed in the crown and will also confer their blessings and powers on the celebrant. Using mudrās, mantras and visualization techniques, the Five Tathāgatas and Cundi (Buddhism)|Cundi are invoked by the celebrant into the ritual space and offerings are made to them while the assisting monastics recite their mantras and sing hymns of praises to them.
==== Purification ====
The celebrant enters into Samadhi|samādhi where he or she meditates on transforming himself or herself into the form of Guanyin through the yogic transformation of the sonic and photic Bījā|seed-syllables in Siddhaṃ script|Siddham characters. After doing so, the celebrant maintains the the “pride of Guanyin” (Chinese language|Chinese: 觀音慢; pinyin: Guānyīn Màn), which is a term used to refer to the divine pride which is common in tantric practices that accompanies the identification of oneself with an enlightened being, as opposed to the mundane definition of pride as arrogance. While in this state, the celebrant will then visualize himself or herself universally feeding all those in hunger in the interval of a moment. At the same time, the assisting monastics deliver passages expounding Buddhist teachings, such as non-dualism. The ritual space is purified by the celebrant and the monastics with the chanting of various dhāraṇīs and hymns as well as the utilization of Vajra|vajras and Ghanta|ghanta bells.
==== Taking Refuge ====
With the intonation of various esoteric mantras, the celebrant, the performing monastics and the lay-sponsors all take refuge in the Three Jewels and Three Roots|Three Jewels as well as the celebrant himself, now referred to as the Vajra Superior Master (Chinese language|Chinese: 金剛上師; pinyin: Jīngāng Shàngshī), who is identified with Guanyin and who takes on the role of a tantric guru or Acarya|ācārya. Rice grains are used to symbolize offerings to the Three Jewels, and the assisting monastics also sing several Gatha (India)|gāthās extolling the Buddhist teachings as well as the ritual space. The account of the origins of the ritual from the Burning-Face Sūtra and the Flaming-Mouth Sūtra is then recited by the celebrant.
==== Visualizing The Daochang ====
The celebrant recites another set of dhāraṇīs while performing different mudrās and visualizing Sanskrit syllables to banish demons of Mara (demon)|Mara from the ritual space as well as setting up a boundary around the ritual space. The ritual space is visualized by the celebrant as dissolving into emptiness, and Sanskrit syllables are visualized as turning into offerings. The chorus plays the percussive instruments and sing mantras relating to the offerings while the celebrant forms the different mudrās corresponding to the offerings. In this subsection, the mantra "Om mani padme hum" is also recited up to 108 times, with 108 being regarded as a sacred number in Buddhism.
==== Presenting The Maṇḍala ====
The celebrant recites other sets of mantras while practicing more visualizations and other ritual acts using a maṇḍala plate. An ideal universe based on the Indian Buddhist cosmology found in Abhidharma texts such as the Abhidharmakośa-bhāsya|Abhidharmakośa, is “created” by the celebrant by the power of his visualizations, the spells recited and the corresponding ritual-acts and presented as an offering to the Superior Master, the Three Jewels and all other enlightened being. The assisting monastics also sing verses describing the ideal universe and recite mantras corresponding to its aspects during and after the period where the celebrant is visualizing the maṇḍala. The celebrant then administers the Refuge and Bodhisattva vows to all those assembled at the rite, both the living and the dead. After generating bodhicitta, the celebrant leads the assembly in inviting the various enlightened beings and guardian gods to appear at the ritual space out of compassion for all sentient beings.
Having invited the enlightened beings, the celebrant performs the rite of manifesting an altar through mudrās and invites the jñānasattva (meaning the true form of a deity as an aspect of enlightenment) associated with Guanyin to enter the ritual space. The subsection then closes with the assembly reciting more mantras and quatrains, such as the Thirty-five Confession Buddhas, to the accompaniment of percussion instruments.
==== Universal offering ====
The Heart Sutra|Heart Sūtra as well as a hymn summoning the various beings within samsara to the rite and expounding the goals of the ritual are recited by the assembly. The celebrant then visualizes the six offerings of incense, lamps, (sandalwood) paste, fruits and music as the rest of the performers sing descriptive verses corresponding to the visualization. Each offering is associated with a specific goddess known as a Buddha-mother (Chinese language|Chinese: 佛母; pinyin: Fómǔ), who are embodiments of the Buddha's six virtues of generosity, morality, forbearance, vigor, meditative-concentration and wisdom. More mantras and gāthās are chanted before the subsection ends.
=== Lower Section ===
==== Entering Samādhi ====
The celebrant chants several quatrains together with the chorus, offering praises and homage to the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha and Guanyin. The celebrant then meditates on transforming himself or herself into the form of Guanyin as in the Upper Section, but using a more detailed and elaborate meditation sequence in this section. This subsection closes with the rapid recitation of the “Breaking the Earth-prisons Gāthā” from the Avatamsaka Sutra|Avataṃsaka Sūtra to the accompaniment of percussions performed by hitting a wooden fish after the celebrant has successfully visualized himself or herself as fully identified with Guanyin.
==== Inviting And Summoning ====
The celebrant continues to recite mantras while visualizing himself or herself as Guanyin breaking the Buddhist hells apart and freeing suffering beings. This is accompanied by the clashing of cymbals and the ringing of vajra bells by the assisting monastics. After this, the percussion ensemble reaches a cacophony, announcing and celebrating the destruction of the hells. Led by the celebrant, the performers invite and receive bodhisattvas associated with the salvation of souls in hell, including Kṣitigarbha and the "Sovereign Who Leads Souls Bodhisattva":zh:引魂王菩薩|[zh] (Traditional Chinese characters|Chinese: 引魂王菩薩; pinyin: Yǐnhúnwáng Púsà). After this, the performers chant the formal text for summoning the different types of beings to the rite. The first type to be summoned to the rite is the orphaned souls of the emperors, kings, dukes and all members of the various royal families. This is followed by the summoning of the orphaned souls of fallen warriors, officers and generals in battles and other brave soldiers who have died. Next the orphaned souls of the civil officials, ministers and other non-military officials of the past are summoned. The next group to be summoned is the orphaned souls of the scholars and members of the Confucian literati. Other groups summoned to the rite are orphaned souls of monks and nuns, virtuous lay Buddhists, Daoist practitioners, merchants and traders, soldiers who died in battles, pregnant women killed, or those who died in childbirth, courtesans, those who died due to water, fire and other accidents, and finally the beings of the six realms of samsara and the ten types of orphaned souls.
==== Exoteric food bestowal ====
The celebrant addresses all the orphaned souls that have been summoned to the rite. After admonishing the summoned orphaned souls the right decorum and deportment to adopt at the rite, the celebrant then instructs the orphaned souls to take refuge in the Buddhas and receive the Dharma-seal so that they can eventually attain enlightenment. The celebrant then instructs and leads all gathered at the ritual-space in a hymn in praise of Guanyin. As the hymn is sung, the celebrant begins to bless the platters of food-offering placed in front of him or her by tracing Sanskrit syllables written in Siddham. The hymn ends with a supplication to Guanyin. The food is then scattered into the space directly in front of the Yuqie Altar. As the celebrant begins to toss the food-offering into the space in front of him, the lead cantor recites hymns describing the partaking of the bestowed food by the orphaned souls.
==== Eliminating impediments ====
In this subsection, the celebrant, supported by the cantor and assistant cantor, uses mantras and mudrās to invite the egui (or Hungry Ghosts) to the ritual space and partake of the nourishment as well. Zhuhong's commentary on this section of the ritual indicates that not just egui, but all beings in the six realms as well, are summoned, including Asura|asuras and Deva (Buddhism)|devas as well. The celebrant chants several several other mantras and quatrains in a ritual act to eradicate the karmic offenses of the beings invited to the feast. Then, the celebrant performs a repentance ritual on behalf of the guests gathered at the feast, chanting new sets of mantras and performs more appropriate mudrā and visualizations. Finally, ambrosia is bestowed to quench the fires tormenting the egui and their constricted throats are opened via the recitation of more mantras.
==== Esoteric Food Bestowal ====
This subsection begins with the administering of the Three Refuges to the beneficiaries of the rite, the generation of bodhicitta, followed by the transmission of the esoteric samaya precepts. All are accomplished by the celebrant and the performing monastics reciting several sets of mantras and quatrains. After this, the ambrosia-food is transformed and multiplied by the celebrant using dhāraṇīs accompanied by visualizations before being offered to the summoned beings.
==== Transference of merit ====
The monastics perform a prose addressed to the guests of the rite, admonishing them not to constantly crave after ordinary food obtained through the trading of livestock, food associated with blood and flesh, alcohol and the pungent plants while encouraging them to rely on the Dharma-food that that has been bestowed at the rite, which facilitates the generation of the bodhicitta and ultimately leads to the attainment of Buddhahood for the sake of all sentient beings. The prose then invites everyone at the rite to transfer all the merits gained from the performance of the ritual to “the unexcelled Bodhi”. The assembly next recites the Uṣṇīṣa Vijaya Dhāraṇī Sūtra|Uṣṇīṣa Vijaya Dhāraṇī while the attendant monastic uses rice grains to perform a ritual act that rouses all the ghosts and spirits into quickly taking rebirth in Amitābha's Pure Land of Sukhavati. More hymns and verses are then recited. At the closing of the rite, a final mantra and mudrā is performed by the celebrant to send off the summoned beings. Accordingly then, Buddhas, bodhisattvas and other enlightened beings return to their respective pure lands while the unenlightened beings of the Six Realms are released or liberated from their respective states of ignorance and suffering. The celebrant then delivers a prose sectionto expound on how sentient beings give rise to delusions or the false from the True and remove the Vairocana-crown. All participants then recite the Vajrasattva#Hundred Syllable Mantra|Hundred Syllable Mantra of Vajrasattva and the celebrant delivers a final pronouncement. In this subsection, ritual exclamations deriving from Koan|gong'an practices associated with the Five Houses of Chán#Yunmen school|Yunmen school of Chan are also incorporated into the liturgy.
=== Closing ===
All participants then descend from the Yuqie Altar and processes to the front of the Mianran Altar while chanting homages to Amitābha. At the Mianran Altar, the placards bearing the names of the beneficiaries of the rite are removed together with the placard with the name of Mianran Dashi. All participants then walk to an open space where the placards are set on fire while the Heart Sūtra is recited as the fire burns. The monastics and laity then return to the Yuqie Altar. Together facing the Yuqie Altar, both monastic and lay participants sing a general hymn of dedication of merit and a dedicatory hymn of taking refuge in the Three Jewels accompanied with the full percussive ensemble. As they finish the last prayers, the food offered at the Mianran Altar is quickly distributed to all those who participated in the rite.