ample, the time of day for performing the ritual, the
color of the practitioner’s clothing, and the kind of
altar to be employed.
An exemplary ritual: homa
Originating in the Vedic tradition, homa,or fire ritual,
is found in both Hindu and Buddhist tantra. Within
the Buddhist world homais found wherever the tantric
tradition has taken root, including Mongolia, China,
Tibet, Japan, and Bali. The ritual comprises a series of
offerings made into a fire built on the altar. The mouth
of the altar hearth is homologized to the mouth of the
deity and to the practitioner’s mouth, while the fire is
the deity’s digestive fire and the fire of wisdom
(prajña) that purifies defilements (kles ́a).
The homaritual demonstrates the way in which rit-
uals are organized according to a basic metaphor.
Homais a feast for the deities who are evoked in the
course of the ritual. This ritual metaphor is found in
many tantric Buddhist rituals, and evidences the con-
nection between them and their Vedic sources, which
also serve as ritual feasts.
In addition to the ritual metaphor and homa’s or-
ganization, specific elements within the ritual highlight
the continuity of practice across more than three mil-
lennia and multiple religious cultures. These include
an opening offering to Agni, the Vedic god of fire and
sacrifice; implements used (e.g., two ladles for making
offerings); and the varieties of materials offered, most
emblematically, clarified butter (ghee). The processes
of cultural adaptation are reflected in the use of vari-
ous substitutes, such as sesame oil (Japanese, goma
abura) for ghee. The widespread practice of the homa
ritual indicates the central place that ritual holds in
much of the Buddhist tradition. Rather than being
purely rational and ethical, Buddhism has therefore al-
ways maintained a crucial role for ritual in its religious
culture and practice.See also:Initiation; Ordination; Ritual Objects; TantraBibliography
Aune, Michael B., and DeMarinis, Valerie, eds. Religious and
Social Ritual: Interdisciplinary Explorations.Albany: State
University of New York Press, 1996.RITUALA Shingon priest performs a homaritual ceremony at Takamuruin, Koyasan, Japan. © Don Farber 2003. All rights reserved. Repro-
duced by permission.