…based on what was explained during the 8th
Parliament opening ceremony and what historians have said.
 |
His Majesty The King (Facebook: His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck) |
In a common term marchang refers to chang or
alcohol with mar or butter. In tantric Buddhism marching is
a type of serkem offered to the deities.
In the Bhutanese culture, the marchang offering is
made to launch an auspicious event, mark an important occasion or receive an
honoured guest.
Alcohol is put with fermented grains in a container, often a decorated
traditional vessel called trho, with a strainer and a
traditional serving ladle. The container is ornamented with three butter
decorations or their substitutes and the offering is made with chanting and
very refined code of conduct.
The most common liturgy used in Bhutan for marchang offering,
especially at formal occasion, is the one composed by Drukpa Kagyü master Pema
Karpo.
The chant basically starts with the transformation of the ordinary
alcohol into transcendental nectar by chanting the three powerful syllables
of oṃ, aḥ, huṃ.
The ordinary substance is first dissolved in the expanse of emptiness.
Then, out of emptiness one visualises many transcendental offerings including
the five nectars of tantric Buddhism. These five nectars are extraordinary
substances, which trigger spiritual experience by overcoming ordinary prejudices,
perceptions and discriminations such as mundane sense of impurity, likes and
dislikes.
According to the standard enumeration, they are urine, faeces, blood,
semen and marrow. They are known as pañca amrita or five
spiritual nectars because, in tantric Buddhist context, their consumption helps
people to overcome their ordinary biases and propensities and achieve the
deathless state of enlightenment.
During marchang, one offers these five spiritual nectars
firstly to the root and lineage gurus or teachers.
Then one makes offerings of these five nectars to all the deities of four
tantric systems: kriya, charya, yoga and anuttarayoga.
This is followed by offerings to the powerful male and female spiritual
partners who help us on our spiritual path, and to the dharma protectors and
guardian deities led by Mahākāla.
Finally, one makes the offering to all the sentient beings including
those who reside in the particular house or area. These groups of beings are
the recipients of the offering of spiritual nectars, which are represented by
the marchang alcohol.
In the villages, the men often cry out loud in jubilation
when the chanting ends. After making offering to these recipients, the marchang is
offered to the human guest of honour and the chief guest receives the drop of
alcohol as a token and consumes it. Alcohol is then served to other guests.
What should one think during marchang?
When one offers the marchang, one
should visualisefive spiritual nectars and myriads of offering arising from the
state of emptiness and being offered to the various recipients.
If one cannot do that, one should at least think
that one is making a heartfelt offering of spiritual nectar and alcohol. One should
think that having received the offering, all enlightened and ordinary
recipients are filled with happiness and bliss.
One should think that the marchang offering
has pleased and satisfied the deities and spirits so that they commit to give
one continued support and protection to live a happy life, do good and make
progress on the path to enlightenment.
The marchang ceremony is today
a hallmark of Drukpa ritual of inauguration and celebration.
