Performed on the night of the 1st each month
The 1st is sakujitsu, the first day of the lunar month. At Byodoji, the goma is performed before Bishamonten from 8 p.m. on the 1st of every month.
Rituals
Vaiśravaṇa Goma
A goma performed on the night of the 1st, sakujitsu, before Bishamonten, the deva of good fortune and victory.
Wishes for victory, rising wealth, and good luck are carried into the goma's sacred flame. You can apply online.
Table of Contents
At a glance
From 8 p.m.
1st of every month Vaiśravaṇa Goma
Bishamonten, deva of good fortune and victory
Bishamonten is Tamonten, the guardian of the north among the Four Heavenly Kings, and the deva who presides over treasure and good fortune. As one of the Seven Lucky Gods, he is counted among the guardians of contests, commerce, and wealth.
A goma of prosperity (zōyaku, increasing good fortune)
Zōyaku means to increase and add to good fortune, majesty, and luck. We pray as we lay the workings of Bishamonten's good fortune upon the goma's flame.
You can apply online
From home, you can submit your name and your wish. We read them aloud and pray over them in the ritual, and you can join remotely by live stream.
Schedule and details
Date and time1st of every month, from 8 p.m. (about 2 hours)
Honored deityBishamonten
PlaceByodoji (Temple No. 22 of the Shikoku 88 Sacred Sites) / online stream
Prayer offering500 yen per wish
Main wishesVictory, rising wealth, good luck, thriving business
What is the Vaiśravaṇa Goma
The Vaiśravaṇa Goma is a prayer for good fortune and victory through the goma performed before Bishamonten.
The goma is a Shingon rite of prayer in which the sacred wisdom-fire is kindled in the goma hearth, and the priest chants mantras while offering goma sticks into the flame one by one. The names and wishes of the petitioners are read aloud, and each is held to the flame as we pray.
Bishamonten is the deva who guards the Buddha's teaching and brings treasure and good fortune to all beings. Looking to his power to increase and add to that good fortune, we offer prayers for victory, wealth, and good luck.
The Honzon, Bishamonten (Vaiśravaṇa)
The Bishamonten enshrined at Byodoji is a standing image in joined-woodblock construction (yosegi-zukuri), held to date from the Edo period. Clad in armor, he holds a halberd in his right hand and raises a jeweled stupa in his left.
The monthly goma on the 1st is performed before this image of Bishamonten.
About the Statue
PeriodEdo period (attributed)
MaterialJoined-woodblock (yosegi-zukuri)
FormStanding; halberd and jeweled stupa
The 1st: the goma of sakujitsu
The 1st is sakujitsu, the first day of a new lunar month. Myōken Bodhisattva and Bishamonten take this sakujitsu as their ennichi (sacred day), and temples across the land hold ennichi rituals and sakujitsu goma on this day.
At Byodoji, we perform the Vaiśravaṇa Goma on the 1st, at the start of the month, praying for that month's good fortune and well-being. Note that Bishamonten's ennichi is also commonly held to be the Day of the Tiger. This is because of the legend at Mount Shigi that Bishamonten appeared in the year, day, and hour of the tiger.
For the origins of ennichi, please see the "Complete Guide to Ennichi."
Bishamonten's original vow and the mantra we chant
Bishamonten is the deva who himself vowed to bring all beings "benefit and ease" and "abundant treasure."
In the Sūtra of King Vaiśravaṇa, one of Bishamonten's foundational scriptures, there is a scene in which Bishamonten, before the Buddha, vows to teach a mantra for the sake of all people.
Words of the scripture
世尊、我為未來諸有情等利益安樂、豐饒財寶、護持國界故、說自真言。我此真言、如真多摩尼寶王、能滿衆願。
World-Honored One, for the sake of bringing benefit and ease to all beings in the future, of making their treasure abundant, and of guarding the land, I will teach my own mantra. This mantra of mine, like the true king of wish-fulfilling maṇi jewels, can fulfill every wish.
Sūtra of King Vaiśravaṇa, trans. Amoghavajra (Taishō No. 1244)
The workings of Bishamonten
Benefit and ease (riyaku-anraku)
Bishamonten's foundational vow to bring benefit and peace to all beings.
Abundant treasure (hōnyō-zaihō)
The work of good fortune that makes wealth abundant and frees one from poverty. This is the basis for prayers for wealth.
Guarding the land (goji-kokkai)
The work of protection and victory that guards the land and its people and drives back foes.
Bishamonten's mantra
on beishiramandaya sowaka
oṃ vaiśravaṇāya svāhā
A mantra that takes refuge, saying "O Bishamonten (Vaiśravaṇa)," and prays for the fulfillment of his protection. Within the scripture's mantra too there is the phrase 吠室囉麼拏野娑嚩賀 (beishiramandaya sowaka), confirming that the core of this mantra is grounded in the original text.
How the goma unfolds
On the night of the 1st each month, the goma is performed before Bishamonten as follows.
STEP 1
Write your name and wish
Online or at the sutra-offering office, write your name and your wish, and present your offering. Byodoji holds your application and reads it aloud in the goma as we pray.
STEP 2
Kindle the sacred wisdom-fire of the goma
The officiant (ācārya) forms mudras before Bishamonten, chants the mantra, and kindles the sacred wisdom-fire in the goma hearth.
STEP 3
Offer the goma sticks into the flame
The goma sticks bearing the wishes are offered into the flame one by one. Each petitioner's name and wish are read aloud and carried to Bishamonten.
STEP 4
Transfer the good fortune
The power of the goma is dedicated toward each petitioner's victory, wealth, and good luck. Those joining remotely can watch their prayer cards appear on screen and be drawn into the Buddha.
Bishamonten's good fortune is not meant to be hoarded. The scripture teaches that one should turn the wealth one gains toward giving, hold nothing back, and raise a heart of great compassion toward all people. We perform this so that a prayer for blessing is also a prayer that nourishes others.
Wishes you can entrust
To the Vaiśravaṇa Goma you can entrust many kinds of prayers for victory and good fortune.
Prayers for victory and success in contests
For those facing entrance exams, tests, work, or a contest.
Rising wealth and thriving business
For those who wish for a prosperous trade, fortune in wealth, and stability in daily life.
Rising fortune and good luck
For those who wish to raise their luck and turn matters toward the good.
Warding off calamity and bodily strength
For those who wish to drive back foes and misfortune and keep body and mind sound.
How to apply
You can apply at the sutra-offering office or online. Even if you apply online, Byodoji reads your name and wish aloud and prays over them, and you can join the ritual by stream.
Vaiśravaṇa Goma
1st of every month, 8 p.m. / Now accepting
Performed on the night of sakujitsu, before Bishamonten, deva of good fortune and victory.
Prayer offering500 yen per wish
Date and time1st of every month, from 8 p.m.
Honored deityBishamonten
JoiningYou can join remotely by live stream
On the application form you can select "Vaiśravaṇa Goma." You may also apply for multiple goma or for a period of prayer (half a year, one year).
A full year of prayer (annual prayer)
We also accept annual prayer, in which your name is read aloud and prayed over at the Vaiśravaṇa Goma on the 1st of every month for a full year. On the application form, set the period to "12" months.
You may also like
- Complete Guide to Ennichi A reading that traces, from the original texts, why the 1st is an ennichi and the basis for each Buddha's and deity's sacred day.
- Rituals at Byodoji A list of the goma and rituals performed at Byodoji.
Frequently asked questions
We answer common questions about applying for the Vaiśravaṇa Goma.
Yes. Anyone may apply, regardless of religion or sect.
Yes. The name and wish you submit are read aloud one by one and prayed over in Byodoji's goma. The content of the prayer is the same whether or not you visit the temple.
Yes. Bishamonten is the deva who presides over good fortune and victory. Please write specific wishes such as victory, wealth, or a thriving business.
Yes. We accept annual prayer, in which your wish is read aloud at the goma on the 1st of every month for a full year. Please choose the period on the application form.
Yes. The goma from 8 p.m. on the 1st of every month can be viewed by live stream. From home, through the stream, you can join your hands before the goma's flame.
On the 1st of each month, at the start of the month.
Bishamonten is the deva who guards people with good fortune and victory and upholds their wishes. The flame of the goma on the 1st of each month is for looking to that power of good fortune at the start of the month.
We invite those facing a contest, and those who wish for stability in trade and in daily life, to the Vaiśravaṇa Goma on the 1st of every month. We pray with all our hearts for your good fortune and victory.