Incense Offering Mantra

[jmlee369]

My reasoning is more based on the mudras that followed, as I noted in my previous post. Also, althought not completely relevant, I'd just like to point out that in the past, the incense offering prayer and mantra were exclusive to the evening service and the tea offering verse was used in the mornings, but there is now trend to do away with the tea offering verse. I would think that the mantra used in the Korean services is probably OM VAJRA DHUPE AH HUM. The influence of tantric Buddhism is everywhere in East Asia.

[Devotionary]

My reasoning is more based on the mudras that followed, as I noted in my previous post. Also, althought not completely relevant, I'd just like to point out that in the past, the incense offering prayer and mantra were exclusive to the evening service and the tea offering verse was used in the mornings, but there is now trend to do away with the tea offering verse. I would think that the mantra used in the Korean services is probably OM VAJRA DHUPE AH HUM. The influence of tantric Buddhism is everywhere in East Asia.

So Korean Buddhism has more esoteric practices than Chinese Buddhist liturgies, then? This is interesting. Do you have any resources (in English or Chinese) about Korean esoteric practices? I'd love to know more. Thanks!

[jmlee369]

To the contrary, I would say that Chinese Buddhism has retained far more esoteric influence in its practice. Highly esoteric practices are common place in Chinese Buddhism, such as the Yogacara Flaming Mouth ceremony, the Meng Shan Food Bestowal ceremony (the content of which forms much of the basis for ancestral veneration rites in Korean Buddhism), Avatamsaka Syllabary, the Water Land ceremony (a ceremony of the same name exists in Korea, but the one that is preserved and practised is of completely different content) and the like. Esoteric influences in Korea center around mantra practices, much like recitation of Buddha's names, rituals for the deceased, and consecration ceremonies (especially the filling of statues, which I believe is strongly influenced by Tibetan practices).