Powa Prayers
‘Powa’, or transference of consciousness, is a profound method for transferring the consciousness of the deceased to the Pure Land of Buddha. After death and before the next rebirth, there is an opportunity for those who have some connection with the deceased to guide their consciousness away from the painful rebirths of samsara and into the pure lands, worlds created by minds experiencing things in a pure way.
Powa Ceremony, a beautiful and powerful ritual practice drawn from the Buddhist tantras, enables us to benefit the deceased by coming together as a group and making prayers and offerings on their behalf. Then, through the power of our compassionate intention, strong prayer, and concentration on the practice, we transfer the consciousness of the deceased to the Pure Land of the Buddha of Compassion so that they will experience a pure and lasting peace and finally be freed from the painful cycling of suffering and its causes.
By engaging in this practice, we will create a great collection of virtue, which will also lead us into the pathway to the Pure Land of a Buddha. We perform this Powa Practice on behalf of those who have recently died, traditionally within forty-nine days of their death.
