Lusang: do’s and don’ts

Who are the Lu?

Lu are water spirits or Water Owners, known as Naga in Sanskrit and Zhang Zhung. They don’t only live in water, and in fact there are many different classes of Lu inhabiting various worlds and elements. Since each of the five main elements is made of five sub-elements, each has a sub-element of water in which Lu reside. For example, if we take the fire element there is fire-fire, fire-earth, fire-wind, fire-space and fire-water, and some Lu reside in fire-water. The same is true for all the other elements. The full list of various kinds of Lu is found in our Lusang text.

Lu are generally depicted with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a snake or fish tail. Their heads are adorned with a snake decoration. Any activity involving water affects these beings so it is important to perform appropriate rituals before undertaking any irrigation works or any major works to do with water. In this way, we can ask their permission and inform them. Polluting and damming waterways causes the Lu to suffer bitterly and so they exact revenge on humans by sending diseases, eye diseases and certain types of cancers.

If we befriend them by making appropriate offerings, the Lu can help us.

According to Yungdrung Bön, there are four main types of ‘landowners’ or Lords of the Land. The Lu govern water, and the other three are:

– Nyen – Tree Owners who look similar to humans and wear white head-dresses. As forests, trees and bushes are their living space, any activity such as forest clearing or cutting trees disturbs them. Some classes of Nyen live in the sky so polluting air also makes them unhappy. Once disturbed, these Nyen retaliate with various diseases which include some kinds of cancers.

– Töd – Rock Owners who crawl and look like tortoises. Rocks are their natural living space so when humans undertake activities such as quarrying, these beings’ environment is affected causing them distress and suffering. They, too, retaliate with diseases.

– Sabdag – Earth Owners who can be of various shapes and forms. If disturbed, they can cause various natural disasters, such as earthquakes and landslides etc. and send diseases onto people and cattle.[1]

Why should we make offerings to the Lu?

Offerings to the Lu are made to atone for any harm we humans have caused them, either deliberately or inadvertently. Through Lusang, we purify any damage or problems triggered by humans, offer medicine and ask these powerful beings to become our friends and support us practitioners. Lu guard inexhaustible treasures and may bestow prosperity and well-being on humans if approached correctly. However, Lusang must be done only on special days when communication with Lu is possible and they are well disposed towards accepting our offerings. Otherwise, there will be no effect or, if the ritual is done on days when Lu do not want to have contact with humans, they can get upset and cause problems instead of helping.

About the Text

This text is written by Lubön Yeshe Nyingpo, a human master who lived in the remote past and taught the Lu. He was a great tantric and Dzogchen master and possessed miraculous powers. He is depicted here holding a vessel filled with medicine for the Lu, and is surrounded by the Lu King and Queen as well as other Lu.

In order to practise Lusang it is necessary to receive a lung – reading transmission – from a qualified Bönpo lama. If you have such transmission, you can write to us from: https://yungdrungbon.co.uk/contact-us/ with subject <LUSANG>, stating when and from whom you received the lung and we will send you the order link.

What to Offer

Dos

If you wish to do a simple offering, you can burn some Lu sang, which is a special blend of powdered ingredients. You can also offer dried juniper or use Sangchö incense.

Precious Treasury of Lusang
This Lusang (Sang for the Nagas) combines general ingredients such as grains, white and sweеt offering substances, six good ones, medicine for the Lu, flowers, incense and various kinds of good smelling perfumes.
The benefit of offering Lusang: it removes and purifies impurities, filth and defilements, reconciles disagreements, and pacifies poverty, diseases, epidemics, conflicts and wars. May it increase Long-life, good luck and power, the capacity to ascend!

FPYB has a few packets left for sale and more can be ordered. If you want to buy one, please write to us from https://yungdrungbon.co.uk/contact-us/ with subject <LUSANG POWDER INCENSE> and we will tell you how to order.

If you wish to do a more elaborate offering, the recommended ingredients are:

• The three sweet things (sugar, honey, rock candy/sugar crystals/molasses)
• The three white things (milk, cheese or yoghurt, butter)
• The five grains (rice, spelt, wheat, barley, various beans)
• Flowers or flower petals
• Biscuits and dried fruits
• Gold leaf, precious jewels, powdered gemstones (if available)

The dairy products and sweet substances should be mixed together in a bowl or jug. You can add some fresh orange juice to give the offering a nice golden colour.

The grains should be mixed together in a separate bowl. Mix in some small flowers or petals. Larger flowers can be piled on a plate or tray.

The biscuits and dried fruits can be put together on a tray or plate.

All offerings should be fresh, and from unopened bottles/packets wherever possible.

Don’ts

Avoid incense or biscuits made with animal products other than dairy (e.g. lard or fish oil).

Don’t offer any poisonous flowers such as nightshades.

Don’t use old products or dirty bowls etc.

Where to offer

Ideally, scatter the offerings into a river, stream, lake, ocean or other body of water as you recite the text.

If you don’t have access to water, you can scatter/pour the offerings in a clean place outside, such as a park or your garden.

You can light the sang and recite the prayer at home and then take the offerings to some water or a clean green place.

Drubdra Khenpo Tsultrim Tenzin giving explanations on how to do Lusang at the end of the offering to the Lu on the bank of the River Thames in Barnes, London, 22 May 2025. Photo: Jon Kwan.

When to offer

It is important to propitiate the Lu on special days. At other times, they may be sleeping or have gone elsewhere. A table for calculating the auspicious days is included in the back of the Sang for the Lu, and you can use any Tibetan calendar to check the lunar days and months. Although traditionally performed in the morning, you can do this ritual any time on the auspicious days.

How to recite

If you want to recite the ritual in Tibetan, you can use the melody or just read it aloud. You can also simply read the English text.

You can repeat it three times, or just once.

Signs

Lu often appear as snakes, so if you dream of a snake attacking or biting you, or of snakes writhing in dirty place, or of sick snakes, these are signs that the nagas are displeased and so you should make an offering.

Observe your dreams after you do this ritual. If you dream of white snakes in a beautiful garden, or in clear pure water, or of snakes that seem happy and healthy, these are good signs. Your offering has been accepted.

Based on oral teachings by Drubdra Khenpo Tsultrim Tenzin given in Tuscany, Italy and London, UK in May 2025.

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[1] Based on a presentation in Dmitry Ermakov, Bө & Bön: Ancient Shamanic Traditions of Siberia and Tibet in their Relation to the Teachings of a Central Asian Buddha (Vajra Publications: Kathmandu, 2008), pp. 244-243.