The Cult of Tara

260 MAGIC AND RITUAL IN TIBET
mantra generation ritual element function
effectuation front evocation ritual
2.22 Generation in front
2.221 Generating the chief deity
2.222 Inviting the other guests
2.223 Accumulating the stocks (generation in front)
2.224 Offerings and praise
2.224.1 Empowering the offerings
2.224.2 The two waters and the five gifts
2.224.3 The five sense gratifications
2.224.4 Sensuousness, and so on
2.224.5 The precious gems of severeignty
2.224.6 The signs of good fortune
2.224.7 The substances of good fortune
2.224.8 The mandala
2.224.9 Miscellaneous offerings
2.224.10 Praises
2.225 Recitation (effectuation of the mantra)
In special cases—as in the burnt offering—an entirely different
sequence may be substituted for that given here, or this same sequence
may be used alone as a ritual of offering. In any event, if
this evocation is the focus of the ritual, the practitioners then proceed
directly to the concluding acts given below. Again, this much
of the ritual may simply be a preliminary to the special ritual and/
or magical functions to be utilized toward a specific end, such as the
appeasement, entrapment, and expulsion of evil spirits, or the initiation
of a disciple. This next portion of the ritual then consists in
either or both of the following sets of corresponding items:
mantra generation ritual element function
front evocation ritual
application—flask employment magical
(object)
The ritual outline, not being based upon these specialized perform­
ances, gives this portion tersely as follows:
2.23 Generation in the flask
2.24 Torma offering