Clean your Namkha today

Dear Namkha Owners,

The New Tibetan year of Male Water Tiger begins on Thursday, March 3, 2022. In the two days in the run-up, cleansing rituals and practices are performed by Tibetan Buddhists to remove inauspiciousness and avert all obstacles of the previous year, in preparation for welcoming in the new year. 

This is also the perfect time to tend to your Namkha. If you’ve had your namkha for a while, you may find it has gathered some dust.

Practitioners with the transmission will, of course, perform the complete Rite for the Empowering the Namkha. But even if you cannot do this, there is an important treatment you should give your namkha as part of keeping it for life. A regular revitalization ensures your namkha remains functional and powerful.

Although Namkha is quite delicate, don’t be afraid to run a brush over it and give it a gentle tap.

To start, get a brush. No special instrument is necessary. An ordinary, soft painint brush from any store will do, as long as it’s new and unused. Take the namkha from its container and start by removing dust from the horizontal areas of your namkha with a gentle stroking motion away from the Namkha. What a satisfying feeling to see the dust particles fly away into the air! I prefer doing this outdoors. You can go on and stroke your namkha gently around any area where dust may be visible. Finally, you may give the Namkha a gentle tap against your palm: If you are right-handed, hold your namkha by its handle with your right hand facing away from you. Hold your left hand open flat and tap the face of your namkha against the outstretched palm. The gentle tap on the soft flat surface will not damage your namkha, but the force of the motion will help remove any dust particles from within the weave.

The next step is to purify and revive your namkha after the gross impurities have been removed. Use pure Tibetan medicinal incense that has been prepared according to recipes in the sacred texts, or burn pure plants and herbs like juniper, sage or lavender. Run your namkha through the smoke, making sure to maintain a safe distance from the fire. You don’t have to smoke your namkha, just run it thought the smoke there and back a few times. You can chant the Namkha mantra or any purification mantra that you can.

You can finish by cleaning the namkha’s container. If you keep your namkha in a vase with raw rice or sand to keep it upright, this is the time to change the contents and wash the vase.

This way, your namkha will be in optimal shape to keep serving you for another year.

It is recommended to tend to your namkha at least once a year and Losar is the best time. You are welcome to do this whenever and as often as you find necessary, though.

If you have had your namkha for a while and you feel it needs a complete revival, you can send it to me for consecration.

Please contact me if you have any questions.

Best wishes to you in the New Year of Male Water Tiger. May your Namkha bring you perfect harmony with all its beneficial results!