About the Treasure Vases

Purpose:

The purpose of the Earth Treasure Vase is to bring protection and healing to the Earth and all beings in the area where it is buried. It is filled with prayers and offerings and placed in the Earth for all time. The tradition comes from Tibet, where many centuries ago, the Guru Padmasambhava prophesized this remedy for healing the Earth and removing the suffering of all beings in times of degeneration. An Earth Treasure Vase is said to restore the vitality to the essence of the elements, which have been depleted by pollutants and poisons in the environment caused by materialistic human activity. Each vase holds the power to pacify anger and warfare, improve health, magnetize abundance, remove obstacles to long life, and increase wisdom for all beings within its sphere of influence.

Motivation:

Cynthia Jurs with an Earth Treasure Vase

In working with the Earth Treasure Vases, it is important to remember our motivation, and why we are doing this. We set aside our own personal agendas, ideas and needs, and cultivate the intention to do this in order to benefit all beings. This is not about advancing a cause or imposing our beliefson others, but rather, it is an opportunity to bring healing and happiness to all. This is a chance to put forth our best prayers for the Earth — our deepest aspirations for peace and wellbeing, radiating out infinitely. If the situation seems hopeless, we pray anyway. We do not worry about how it will work, if it will work, or how to do it “right.” The vases that we are stewarding have their own path and will be making journeys to places where they are to do their work in the Earth. We are simply helping them to fulfill that purpose. By remaining open to the vase itself, receiving its guidance and not imposing our will, we stay on track. We generate the motivation for our practice to be of the greatest good for one and all and always hold that thought in our hearts.

Offerings:

India Earth Treasure Vase pilgrim making her offering to the vase

Each of the 30 Earth Treasure Vases that were made by Lama Ngawang Tsultrim at the request of H.E. Charok Rinpoche for us to steward are filled with offerings until they are completely full. The precious and sacred offerings are symbolic of healing and protection and include anything that has a healing, life-enhancing nature, a medicinal quality, or is personally meaningful. The clay itself also contains sacred substances collected by Lama Tsultrim from many great lamas and lineages of Nepal and Tibet.

Stone, leaf and mantra offerings from Lama Tsultrim

Examples of traditional offerings:

• grains such as rice, barley, wheat, corn
• precious & semi-precious gemstones like turquoise, coral, lapis, pearl, jade, amethyst, ruby, etc.
• medicinal & healing herbs (dried) – lavender, sage, rose petals, tobacco, copal, etc.
• earth from sacred places around the world
• crystals, gold, silver, copper, etc
• seeds of all kinds such as the ancient Redwood Tree, the 1500 year old El Tule tree in Oaxaca, the Aogiri (Phoenix Tree) of Hiroshima, Japan, & other trees, flowers, vegetables, fruits.
• images of deities (the vase is described as a palace for the deity)
• relics of great Tibetan masters formed into precious pills.
• “mindrup” & “dutsi” (Tibetan powders & medicines)
• long life pills (also of Tibetan origin)
• rolled mantras and prayers
• red wool rolled into small bundles and tied with ribbon to symbolize warm coverings and clothing
• stones and shells from meaningful places
• lichen from high mountains with pure air
• acupuncture needles, homeopathic remedies.
• drops of water from pure oceans and rivers
• balls of earth formed from earth dug up at previous sites where the vases have been buried
• sand from pristine sea turtle nesting beaches around the world.
• incense spices such as cardamom, clove, saffron, etc.
• poems, prayers, songs.
• anything with life-giving properties, a healing essence, or protective qualities
• whatever is precious or meaningful to you or symbolic of restoring balance, healing and harmony.

Filling the Vase:

In the Tibetan tradition, it is believed that the full moon multiplies the power of our prayers and intentions

Every month at Open Way Sangha in Santa Fe at the time of the full moon we gather with the vases to do a guided meditation based on the traditional practice and make offerings into each vase.

After the guided meditation, the silks are untied, the vase is uncorked and it is passed around the circle so that everyone has the chance to hold it, express their prayers, wishes, visions and aspirations. People may wish to share their feelings and prayers aloud or silently. This sharing is the first step towards healing the Earth, the way in which we activate the vase and begin to consecrate it.

Cynthia Jurs with Yup'ik elder, Grandmother Rita Blumenstein blessing the Earth Treasure Vase for Alaska

If people have brought actual offerings, as the vase is passed around the circle — warm hand to warm hand — the offerings are put inside. It is very meaningful to hear about the actual physical offerings (as well as prayers, poems, and songs) that each person has brought, what they mean and why they are making that offering. It is important that the vase becomes totally full before it is sealed.

Until it is filled, it is traditional to keep the vase in a clean, high place — a place of respect. We never leave it on the ground or step over it, but treat it as a sacred, living being, caring for it as if it was our own child and nurturing its prayers and purpose. The vase is our collective heart; it can break.

If you would like to participate in the full moon meditation click here to receive monthly emails and to participate in the meditation from wherever you are. The guided meditation will be available as an audio file or as a pdf very soon.  Check back in the coming weeks.

Transporting the Vase:

The time that each vase takes to be filled and transported allows us to form a deeper and deeper connection to the vase and its purpose, and to the place where it is to go.

A vase often travels from place to place, receiving offerings wherever it goes until it is full. It is then taken to the place where it will be buried. It is good if it is not permanently sealed until it is in the area where it will be buried so that the people of that place have the opportunity to participate in sharing their prayers and making offerings.

When moving it from place to place, it is transported carefully, wrapped in a protective cloth and placed in a container or bag so that it will not get damaged. It is protected and cared for and held with full awareness. If it is to travel on an airplane, it is kept with us and never checked as baggage. We do not ship it.

An Earth Treasure Vase is sealed within a copper box before it is buried. This box will not only protect the vase but the copper conducts energy

If it is to be passed from one person or group to another, this is done formally. The spirit of the vase, the story, and the intention are passed also. We are responsible for transmitting the tradition of the Earth Treasure Vase with honor and respect so that it is kept alive until the vase is finally buried in the ground to fulfill its purpose.

Besides transmitting the tradition, we are also engaged in creating our own tradition and making this practice something that holds meaning for us today.