Ritual Cakes

If you are in Bhutan as a visitor, you might see these pretty things with intricate designs. They look like decorations. But while these are pleasing to look at, they are actually meant to be more than just pretty.

They are tormas.Tor represents detachment from desires and Ma refers to maternal. 

A torma is a ritual cake. It holds different meanings. It could symbolise a deity, act as an offering, or even be used as a medicine.

The tradition is popular among the Himalayan Buddhists, including the Bhutanese.

The essence of torma is the dharmadhatu (the pure nature of the world) and rigpa (the pure nature of the sentient beings that inherit the world).

The first syllable, Tor, means “to throw”. The practice symbolizes generosity, hence the literal sense of “throwing out”. Furthermore, “throwing out” also refers to severing attachment from temptations and escaping the entrapment of desire. Another significance of “throwing out” is to reject kleshas, conditioned emotions that cause suffering. It is the purification of the emotions.

Ma, the second syllable, evokes the maternal. It has a feminine undertone with a nurturing quality. By embodying Ma, you learn to love all beings with the love a mother feels for her children.

A combination of the two syllables describes the spirit of torma. To severe attachment from self-centeredness and offer love to others. Ultimately, it is the bonding of emptiness (the object) and wisdom (the subject).

Once upon a time, Ananda, who was the primary principle of the Buddha, was practising the Dharma in a forest near the city of Kapilavastu. Suddenly, a hungry ghost appeared before him, spitting fire through his mouth. It told Ananda that the latter had only seven days left to live, after which the ghost would eat him.

Ananda was extremely scared. He ran to the Buddha to relay what had just happened. The Buddha then instructed him, “Make a torma of infinite magnificence, bless it with mantra, and offer it to the hungry ghost. This will liberate you from the fear of untimely death and lead you to accomplish infinite qualities.”

And hence, the torma was born.

The different types of torma include:

Deity torma

These are kept in a shrine to represent a particular deity. White, coned shapes are for peaceful deities like Tara and Avalokiteshvara, whereas red, triangular shapes are for wrathful deities like Bajrayogini and Chakrasamvara.

Food torma

Food tormas are used for feast practices. The worshipers consume it during the feast.

Medicinal torma

Patients suffering from an ailment are fed medicinal torma.

Captured torma

To encourage the completion of an activity, worshippers might offer a captured torma to speed up the process.

Offering torma

Offering tormas are given to deities, dharma protectors, obstructing spirits, or other lower beings. As with all forms of offering, the practice is done with visualisation and in the right attitude.