Offerings
Panchen Otrul Rinpoche
Offerings
are the formal religious expression of the fundamental Buddhist virtue
of giving. The perfection of giving, dana-paramita in Sanskrit, is first
of the six or ten perfections. It encompasses every kind of generosity,
whether it involves a gift to those higher than ourselves, such as
deities in the merit field, or the poor or needy, who are worse off than
we are.
In
giving to a being in an equal or worse state than ourselves, we
sacrifice something that belongs to us for the benefit of another. In
giving to a being superior to ourselves, to our guru, a Buddha or
bodhisattva, we perform an act of renunciation. As an altruistic deed,
giving is a basis for acquiring merit. In Buddhist doctrine, the
accumulation of merit leads to higher rebirth, and eventually to release
from the sufferings of cyclic existence. In order to attain highest
enlightenment, we must be able to give to a superlative degree, with
perfect motivation, thus attaining the unsurpassable level of the
perfection of giving.
Whether
the physical offerings benefit the recipient or not, from a Buddhist
practitioner’s point of view as a donor, they are essential means of
reducing our attachment to the physical world. Attachment reinforces our
notion of ourselves as real, independent selves to be satisfied by
obtaining or clinging onto objects we desire. Making offerings accustoms
the mind to giving and letting go of desirable objects. It serves to
loosen our conception of a real and independent self. In this way, it
contributes to our acquiring the essential wisdom realizing that all
phenomena as empty of intrinsic existence. Without such realization we
will not attain Buddhahood. The value of merit acquired from an act of
giving depends on several factors: the motivation, the status of the
recipient and the quality of the offering.
Motivation
Motivation
or intent consciously or unconsciously precedes all our actions. The
ultimate motivation for giving is to generate the causes for attaining
enlightenment for the welfare of all sentient beings. The value of an
act of giving closely corresponds to the quality of motivation. The
narrower the intention, the smaller the merit. You may offer a bag of
gold to a monastery, but if your real intention is just to show off, to
acquire further wealth or a similar worldly motivation, the merit
acquired may provide the desired result, but no more. If you give with a
wish to attain liberation from cyclic existence, much greater merit
will be generated. And if by giving you aspire to the ultimate
attainment of Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings, the
merit you acquire will be limitless.
During
the Buddha’s lifetime, when he was staying in Shravasti, King
Prasenajit celebrated his presence with a lavish banquet presented
before all the important people in the town. One poor man looking on
from the edge of the crowd rejoiced at this display of generosity.
Later, when Ananda asked the Buddha who had created the greatest merit
as a result of the feast, he replied that it was the poor man who
rejoiced at the king’ s virtue.
The
story is also told of a woman who lived the life of a beggar at the
time of a previous Buddha. She and her husband owned nothing but the
single piece of cloth, which they would take, turns to wrap around
themselves when they went to beg for food. The Buddha of that time was
nearby and a monk on his alms round came across the woman and exhorted
her to take advantage of the opportunity to go and make offerings to the
Awakened One. Realizing that she and her husband were beggars because
they had neglected to give in the past, she decided to offer their only
possession to the Buddha. Her husband simply asked how they would live
if they were unable to beg, because she had given away their only
clothing. She replied, “If we give the cloth and then die, what will be
the loss? We have nothing in this life, but we will have good fruits in
the next. If we make such a gift and then die we shall be fortunate.” So
saying she asked the monk to look away while she wrapped herself in
grass and handed him the cloth as an offering to the Buddha.
The monk
accepted the offering with embarrassment. However, before the king and
queen, the wealthy merchants and countless onlookers, the Buddha picked
out the heap of rags and hailed it as the most worthy offering, because
the woman’s motivation was pure. The woman later attained liberation at
the time of the Buddha Shakyamuni, who cited her story as an example to
others to give gifts.
Another
example of the importance of pure motivation is shown in the story of
Geshe Ben. He was a celebrated Tibetan lama who, following a career as a
notorious bandit, became a great practitioner. One day, hearing that
his patron was coming to visit, he worked from early morning dusting his
altar and arranging his offerings in an attractive manner. Sitting back
to admire his work, and pleased at the thought of how impressed his
patron would be, he suddenly realized the impure nature of his
motivation. He picked up a handful of ashes and threw them over the
offerings to destroy his pride. Later, other Kadampa masters commented
that such offerings were by far the most valuable because they were made
with a pure motivation, without hope of reward.
The
actual aim in making elaborate offerings is to give up our
preoccupation with external objects and to place spiritual aims above
material pleasures. However, the motivation can become distorted. We may
give in hope of a greater return; leading only to disappointment Pure
offerings should be made with faith and without regret. When Atisha, the
Indian saint, visited Tibet in the 11th century, he greatly praised the
quality of the water. He recommended using it to make offerings because
although it had numerous qualities, nobody would regret giving water
away.
The
word for offering in Sanskrit is puja, which means to please. In making
offerings to exalted beings such as Buddhas, bodhisattvas and various
deities, we not only accumulate merit, but also create connections with
these higher beings. If we make such offerings with a pure motivation,
they will help us on the path to enlightenment
Although
exalted beings have no real need for our offerings, they delight in the
merit of the giver, which is determined by the quality of his or her
motivation. It may be possible to fool other people, pretending to be
acting out of a pure and exalted motivation, covering up your mundane
aspirations, but it does not generate merit. Apparently attractive
offerings performed with an ulterior motivation do not please the
Buddhas and bodhisattvas and generate little merit. The situation is
comparable to the relationship between a good master and a deceitful
servant. However much the servant may flatter his master, he will only
be really pleased if his servant performs his duty faithfully and
genuinely tries to be helpful. Similarly, an offering made to the
Buddhas with perfect motivation will generate merit of the same nature
as that generated by the Buddhas of the past, present and future. It
will merge with that inexhaustible pool of merit, giving rise to
boundless merit. This is what is known as ‘pleasing the Buddhas’. It is
the ultimate purpose of making offerings.
The Recipient
In
providing us with an opportunity to give, those we give to are like
teachers. We depend on them to accumulate the merit. Because we dislike
giving to certain kinds of beings, we have to take counter measures to
correct our attitude. When somebody appears to be unattractive, we have
to try to overcome our aversion by meditating on love. Giving to them,
offers further opportunity to acquire merit. Giving is not an occasion
to be patronizing or condescending. When giving to those who are
suffering, we should meditate on compassion, mindful of their miseries
and strongly wishing that they be parted from them. Making offerings to
wise beings such as Buddhas, bodhisattvas and spiritual masters is an
occasion for faith and joy. When giving to those who help us, such as
our parents or friends, we should give impartially, with equanimity, the
basis for developing the awakening mind. Giving is not an opportunity
to favor one being over another, for all beings are equal in wishing to
be happy. Giving simply to show off and cultivate popularity or to outdo
someone else will result in little merit. To give purely, we should do
so joyfully without regret, with equanimity and without expectation of
any reward.
Action
Giving
should be direct and straightforward. Delaying giving something in
order to look more important, or to make people work harder for what
they are going to receive reduces the resultant merit. Giving should be
accompanied by a joyful expression and agreeable words. If we can, it is
always better to give with our own hands.
The Object
Anything
that reflects the giver’s wish to please someone is suitable to be
given. At best, a gift should be beneficial both immediately and
ultimately. If it is not beneficial in the short term, but only in the
long term like bitter medicine that takes some time to act, it is
suitable. When something provides short-term pleasure, but ultimate
damage, such as supplying an addict his drug or a drunkard his drink, it
would be better to refrain from giving.
The
greater the sacrifice we make, the greater the merit we create. A piece
of gold offered by a poor man for whom it represents his entire wealth
will earn more merit than when a rich man offers it among many other
such pieces. The ultimate sacrifice is to give away parts of our bodies.
Many instances of such offerings are recounted in the collection of
stories about the Buddha’s past lives. The Buddha spent many aeons
accumulating limitless merit through the practice of the six perfections
of giving, ethics, patience, effort, meditative stabilization and
wisdom.
For
example, in one of his past lives, the future Buddha was Santavik, the
son of a merchant. One day he noticed that the birds in the nearby
cemetery were starving, and overwhelmed by compassion for them, decide
to offer them his body. He lay down as if dead and soon vultures began
pecking at his left eye. They were intrigued that he kept so still and
paused. Santavik thought, “This body is impermanent, I have no desire
for it, and giving it away is beneficial.” He encouraged the birds to
eat it, and they did so without misgivings.
As
this story shows, perfect giving is accomplished without regret. Giving
away part of your body requires a degree of determination that reflects
a high level of realization. Beginners cannot readily perform such
acts, and if they try to do so are likely to lead to disaster. Even
practitioners who have attained sufficient spiritual realization will
not give away their bodies for a trivial purpose or to someone demanding
it out of malice. It is likewise a mistake to give something to someone
who we know will use it to harm others.
Dedication
Once
an act of giving is complete, the giver can reflect on it and rejoice
at the merit he or she has created. When we are actually involved with
doing something, we may not remember consciously to set up the correct
motivation as described in the scriptures, although for a more advanced
practitioner, who has generated a firm awakening mind, the correct
motivation arises spontaneously. A mindful and conscientious
practitioner will maintain a sufficiently positive motivation to attain
the highest fruit from the virtue of giving. However, if a practitioner
has not set the right motivation at the time of performing the action,
he or she can still correct and redirect the virtue at the end by
dedicating it to the welfare of all sentient beings. The small amount of
merit we earn through such a virtuous action as giving can be compared
to a drop, which, when dedicated to the welfare of all sentient beings,
is cast into the ocean of merit accumulated by all the Buddhas and
bodhisattvas: When a drop of water mingles with the ocean, it becomes
virtually inexhaustible. Similarly, when correctly dedicating our merit,
like casting it into the ocean of merit created by Buddhas and
bodhisattvas, being of a similar nature it will likewise be
inexhaustible. If, on the other hand, we dedicate our merit to some
worldly end, it is like throwing a stone into the ocean. Being of a
different nature from that of the Buddhas, our merit will not become one
with theirs, but will remain like a small pebble lying on the ocean
floor.
Obstacles to Giving
The
principal obstacle to giving is avarice, our attachment to possessions
and our reluctance to part with them. An effective antidote to avarice
is to reflect on impermanence. We bring to mind all the people and
objects we are attached to and reflect that at the time of death we will
have to part from them all: body, wealth, close relatives and dearest
friends. No one is exempt from this; a king leaves behind his palace, a
rich man his wealth and a beggar, his stick. We can also reflect on the
positive fruits of giving according to the principles of causality.
Although we should not dwell on what we might receive in return when we
give something ourselves, it can be encouraging to remind ourselves and
others of the positive effects of giving. That generosity is the
principal cause of wealth in future lives, for example, can function as
an attractive incentive for someone otherwise not inclined to give.
Acquiring resources through giving can also be justified by the need for
at least basic material facilities, if we are to achieve the ultimate
goal of perfect Buddhahood for the welfare of all sentient beings.
If
we are not very determined in our practice of generosity, we should
enumerate all the positive reasons for giving. Recall that all beings,
just like us, wish for happiness and seek to avoid suffering. Altruistic
actions on our part can quell another’s pain or contribute to his or
her well-being. Giving to others or helping them in other ways also
reduces our emphasis on our own interests and serves to diminish
attachment. Recognizing that recipients are pleased with his or her
offerings, a giver should feel encouraged. These ways of thinking can be
helpful to people who have trouble parting with their wealth of
possessions.
Avaricious
people who wish to overcome their attachment can begin gradually, to
accustom their minds to giving. First they can give away small things.
At the time of the Buddha, there was a wealthy merchant known for his
miserliness. One day, he came to see the Buddha and told him that
however hard he tried, he could not bear the thought of even giving
water to someone begging at his door. The Buddha advised him to take
some grain in his hand and pass it from one hand to the other and to
think that one hand was giving to the other. This is how he began to
accustom himself to the simple notion of giving.
Imaginary Offerings
Making
imaginary offerings is also useful in opening our minds to the practice
of giving. If we can overcome the obstacles to offering our bodies,
wealth and sources of merit, it will give rise to immeasurable virtue.
Generally, the main obstacle to giving away our material possession is
the thought that if we do so, we will have less left for ourselves. In
the case of imaginary offerings, such anxiety has no place for we can
cause even the smallest mental offering to become limitless.
In
Tibet, in the centuries following the advent of Buddhism, rituals of
offering, have taken countless forms. Offerings are laid out in a formal
manner, according to specific instructions. This physical aspect of the
offering is called the surpassable offering. It should be clean,
honestly obtained, and offered with a proper motivation. However, the
most important aspect of the offering in terms of merit, is not the
physical aspect of the ritual cake or flowers, but what is imagined or
meditated upon by the practitioner, the transformed aspect. This is
called the unsurpassable offering.
All
the physical offerings arranged in rituals provide a basis for
transformation into the unsurpassable offering. Because all Buddhist
offerings originated in India, many of them retain characteristics of
that land. As the practitioner progresses on the path, he or she becomes
less dependent on such as basis. Other unsurpassable offerings consist
of non-physical substances, such as offering virtue or the awakening
mind. Because these offerings are created in our minds and are based on
an understanding that all phenomena are empty of intrinsic existence,
their potential is limitless. By making such offerings we can acquire
limitless merit.
To
make an unsurpassable offering, the practitioner must have perfect
motivation and a high level of meditative stabilization. If he or she
can do the visualizations correctly, the splendor that appears to the
mind will surpass the most exquisite mundane beauty. In the light of
this the faults of ordinary existence, such as impermanence, appear
obvious, which leads to a further loosening of attachment to the world
and enhances the determination to be free.
Altar Offerings
In
every Tibetan home, a place is reserved to make offerings to the Three
Jewels, the Buddha, Dharma and Spiritual Community. The Three Jewels are
often represented by a statue or thangka painting, a scripture and a
stupa or a reliquary object. Before them is space to set up a set of
standard offerings, represented by bowls of water, and the occasional
torma ritual cake or other offerings of food. The water in the bowls
would be changed every morning. For a practitioner, such offerings
provide a basis for transformation into unsurpassable offerings.
According
to the Buddhist scriptures, all the faults in the universe are the
result of sentient beings’ disturbing emotions. Instead of dwelling on
the faults to be seen in our offerings, but imagining them as pure and
faultless, we create an imprint for purifying our minds of obstruction
and defilement. Therefore they are imagined as pure and beautiful as
possible, incorporating the best of everything existing in the past,
present and future and the ten directions of the universe. The exalted
beings to whom we make offerings do not apparently consume the physical
substances before us. Nevertheless, as a basis for acquiring merit, such
physical offerings should be clean, made of the best substances,
attractive to ourselves and acquired through honest means. Consequently,
they will form a better basis for imagining perfect offerings.
When
preparing to make offerings, we should begin by meditating on the
wisdom of great bliss and emptiness, imagining it has taken the form of
the offering. When making the offering, we should think of it as empty
of intrinsic existence. In this way, we purify the offering of its
ordinary aspects and also purify our minds. We should abandon any
thought of immediate benefit, especially in relation to ourselves in
this life. It is also important not to entertain doubts about the
quality of our offering and whether or not it pleased the exalted being
to whom we presented it. Instead think that the deity rejoiced at the
offering and generated great bliss from partaking of it.
Water-bowl Offerings
The
traditional set of offerings, commonly represented by bowls of water,
derives from the customary offerings presented to an honored guest in
ancient India. The first bowl contains clear water for the newly arrived
guests to drink. The water should be imagined as pure as nectar and
offered in vessels made of precious substances. In the second bowl is
water for the guest to wash his or her feet; a reminder that in India
people walked barefoot. In the third bowl are flowers, reminiscent of
the crowns of flowers offered to women and the garlands offered to men.
Masses of fragrant, beautiful flowers can be called up in the
imagination. In the fourth bowl is incense, an offering to please the
sense of smell. In the imagination billowing clouds of fragrant incense
are offered. The fifth offering, pleasing to sight, is bright light
commonly in the form of a lamp, which like the sun and the moon
illuminates darkness. This light is imagined to be so clear that you can
see even the smallest atoms without obstruction. Sometimes colored
lights are offered and imagined to be emanating from nectar. In Tibetan
tradition different colors are believed to have various healing
properties. Colored or not, the light offered should be very clear.
Light is imagined as dispelling the darkness of ignorance. Shariputra,
the Buddha’s main disciple renowned for his intelligence, had, in a
previous life, offered a bright light before a stupa. As a result he was
reborn with great intelligence. The sixth offering consists of a bowl
of scented water. Intended to soothe the mind, it is applied at the
heart. Seventh is an offering of food, commonly in the form of a torma
or ritual cake. In India, this offering traditionally contained three
sweet substances: molasses, honey and sugar and three white substances:
curd, butter and milk. In Tibet, these would be mixed with tsampa or
parched barley flour to make an offering cake. The result is like
ambrosia, pleasing in color, form, smell and taste. Eighth is an
offering of sound. It is not represented on the altar, but can simply be
imagined as beautiful music.
Offerings of the five sense objects
When
making offerings of the external objects of desire, the practitioner
imagines emanating offering goddesses from the heart, each holding
something symbolic of one of the objects of the five senses.
Form
Form is symbolised by a mirror, which reflects any pleasing objects before it.
Sound
Sound, is represented by the melodious sounds of musical instruments and singing. In the drawings, these are depicted by a lute.
Smell
Smell is represented by substances to soothe the mind, aromatic substances to be anointed at the heart.
Taste
Fine tasting substances are represented by a mango.
Touch
Objects
of touch are offered in the form of soft cloth, or beautiful clothes.
These are like celestial garments, so fine that a fold can pass under a
fingernail, so extensive they could cover Mount Meru. They are warm or
cool, according to need, and stunningly beautiful.
To
make these offerings a meditator vividly visualizes himself or herself
as a deity, as described in the Tantras, generating what is known as
divine pride in that identity. The meditator then visualizes making
theses offerings, each of which is carried by an offering goddess. They
are emanated from the meditator’s heart and either make offerings to the
meditator manifested as a deity or to a deity visualized in front of
him. These offerings give rise to great bliss in whoever they are
offered to. Whatever tantric offerings we make should be qualified by
three characteristics: their nature must be the wisdom of bliss and
emptiness; their form should correspond to whatever is being offered;
and they should have the power to induce uncontaminated bliss in the one
they are offered to. By dissolving these offerings into the mandala
deities, the practitioner gains a special power for inducing bliss. Once
the particular offering has been made each offering goddess dissolves
back into the meditator’s heart.
There
are many meditations for making unsurpassable offerings. Many involve
the bodhisattva Samantabhadra, who emerges from the meditator’s heart,
holding a jewel at his own heart. From this emerge countless more
jewels, which spread all over the world making unsurpassable offerings.
These can take the form of jewels, victory banners or any other
beautiful object we can bring to mind. When non-physical offerings are
made, they are given physical form to facilitate visualization. For
example, in the Offering to the Spiritual Master, the practitioner makes
an offering of his or her own spiritual practice in the following form:
On the shore of the wish-granting sea grow lotuses,
Which are offerings arisen from the virtues of Cyclic existence and peace.
Both real and emanated they captivate all hearts;
Flowers, being both the worldly and supramundane virtues
Of my own, and others three doors,
Brighten all places.
This garden is permeated by the myriad fragrances of Samantabhadra offerings
And is laden with fruit – the three trainings, two states and five paths;
I offer this in order to please you, O venerable gurus.
Another
common from of the unsurpassable offering is to offer the body, mind
and roots of virtue. In all three cases, the visualization and
motivation are similar.
Offering the Body
Mentally
offering the body in its ordinary aspect, can take the form of giving
service to our spiritual masters and help to beings in need. There was
once a practitioner who failed to serve his spiritual master well while
he was alive. When the master finally passed away, the disciple realized
his mistakes with regret. Since nothing he could do would alter the
actual situation, he began regularly to imagine performing backbreaking
labor for his master. He carried stones, buckets of water and so forth
while imagining that he was helping countless beings. He further
imagined that he thereby fulfilled his spiritual master’s wishes and so
redeemed his past behavior.
Another
reason for offering our body in its ordinary form is to seek
protection. If a man offers his body to a king and the king accepts it,
the man becomes the king’ s subject and as such enjoys his protection.
Similarly seeking mere physical protection from exalted beings is the
motivation of someone with limited aspirations. The desire for
protection however, can be extended beyond mere physical defense to
protection from obstacles on the path to enlightenment. In exchange for
pledging body, speech and mind to the attainment of enlightenment for
the benefit of all sentient beings, the practitioner can receive support
and protection from a meditational deity or protector.
We
can also offer our body by transforming it into the aspect of a
wish-fulfilling jewel, which can satisfy the needs of all. From it
emanate innumerable offerings in the form of jewels, victory banners,
umbrellas and so forth which radiate out to all beings, from the
enlightened Buddhas down to the most insignificant insects. Although the
Buddha has no need for such offerings, great bliss arises in his
continuum as a result of partaking from them. Bodhisattvas have almost
completed the path to Buddhahood and we can imagine that our offerings
clear away their last and subtlest obstructions to enlightenment. By
offering our body we can fulfill the wishes of beings in an equal or
worse state to ourselves. We feed the hungry, clothe the poor, relieve
the suffering of beings in worse states of rebirth and provide
everything we can possibly imagine to whoever may need it.
Another
way of offering the body is to visualize it in the form of a deity,
free from ordinary appearances. The aim of this practice is to put a
stop to ordinary appearances and to attain the great bliss which is
dependent on the six senses.
Offering Wealth
In
this case we can imagine our wealth and possessions transformed into
wish-granting jewels, able to fulfill all wishes. From this jewel
emanate victory banners, flower garlands and precious objects. We can
also visualize the world and our environment being purified by such
precious, limitless offerings.· This type of practice can create
imprints for future rebirths in the pure lands.
The
greatest obstacle to purifying our vision is seeing things as they
ordinarily appear. Special mantras are recited to help us prevent our
perceiving phenomena in that way. According to the Buddhist explanation,
things appear to us the way they do because of our disturbing emotions.
Because all phenomena are empty of intrinsic existence, the way they
appear to us and their actual mode of existence are different in nature.
Since the way in which they appear reflects the state of our mind,
purifying our minds will also purify our perception of ordinary
appearances. In this way, it is possible to visualize a pea as a
celestial mansion and then by making an offering of that celestial
mansion to create corresponding merit.
There
are similar methods for making an offering of our environment. We first
purify it of its impure elements and then offer it. We imagine
ourselves surrounded by all the beings of the six realms of existence
and, acting as their leader, offer our purified world to the Buddhas for
the benefit of them all.
Offering the Roots of Virtue
When
it comes to offering our roots of virtue, we imagine all the virtue we
have created in the present, all that we have created in the past and
that we will create in the future. The fruits of virtue are to acquire
happiness and to be parted from suffering. By offering our virtue to
others we are making a gift of those fruits to them.
A
practitioner on the path to enlightenment makes many pledges. Among
these are pledges to give. Specifically, he or she pledges to make four
kinds of gifts: material objects, dharma, protection from fear, and
love.
Material Objects
Offering
material objects has already been discussed. It is to give something to
others with the aim of pleasing and helping them. Sometimes giving
material objects is a means of attracting someone to a higher purpose
as, for example, when a teacher offers a student gifts as an incentive
to study.
Offering of Dharma
Offerings
commonly consist of material objects, but what monks have to offer is
the Dharma. All forms of knowledge, from crafts to literature, fall into
this category. The offering of Dharma is the most precious offering of
all. When a person is receptive and can put into practice what has been
taught, he or she can achieve not only the temporary happiness that
results from ordinary offerings, but can eventually attain the ultimate
happiness of liberation from suffering. If we are not in a position to
give teachings, even offering our roots of virtue is a form of offering
of Dharma.
Offering of Safety and Protection
Saving
beings by any means from the fear of being killed by hunters, wild
animals, or disease, from the fear of hunger and thirst, poverty or any
unpleasant situation, is to offer them safety. If you have no
opportunity to help in that way, simply living peacefully, in harmony
with others and refraining from any kind of harmful activity is also a
form of offering freedom from fear. A common practice in Buddhist
countries is to save animals from slaughter. People buy animals back
from butchers and offer them the freedom to live out their natural
lives. Offering freedom from fear is not isolated from other aspects of
practice, since it also incorporates the practices of love and
compassion. For example, the meditation on equanimity that is part of
what is known as the four limitless wishes, the wish that all sentient
beings be freed from anger and attachment, is a form of offering of
protection. Beings freed from these disturbing emotions ~ill not
encounter situations in which they need protection.
Offering of Love
All
sentient beings seek happiness and wish to be parted from suffering. In
making the offering of love, we should first cultivate equanimity
towards all beings. Beginning with those closest to us, we then reach
out to include even beings we dislike until we can generate the same
feeling for all of them. By generating a boundless love that encompasses
infinite sentient beings we will create correspondingly vast merit.
Love her means seeing all beings freed from sufferings, attaining good
rebirth, accumulating merit and high levels of realization and finally
reaching Buddhahood. Similarly, love can be generated to purify the
environment.
Mandala Offering
The
mandala offering, a symbolic representation of the purified world
system, is offered to the lama. It is made formally and ceremonially
when disciples request a lama to teach or to live long. In informal
daily practice a practitioner offers a mandala of the purified universe
to acquire merit and attain realizations. Representing all the bountiful
riches of the universe, it is considered the most meritorious object
that can be offered. Making such an offering is thus a powerful aid to
the practitioner on the path to Buddhahood. When making the mandala
offering, visualising ourselves as the lama’s best disciple, we offer
ourselves to him in order to serve all sentient beings.
The
physical base for making a mandala offering can be round or square,
made of precious or ordinary materials, depending on what is available
to the individual. When the mandala is offered formally in a wealthy
monastery the base may be made of gold or silver, but a solitary hermit
might use simply a slab of stone or a flat piece of wood.
Whatever
it is made of, the base should be kept very clean and washed with
saffron scented water. The material which is heaped onto the base to
represent the various constituent offerings can be jewels, shells, clean
grain or crushed white stone. Rice is commonly used.
After
sprinkling a little rice over the smooth base, the practitioner wipes
his or her forearm over the mandala base in a circular motion. The arm’s
movement away symbolizes clearing away all impurities in the world and
all defilements in the mental continuums of sentient beings. The arm’s
movement towards himself or herself symbolizes bringing forth everything
positive and virtuous in the world.
All
worlds are then visualized as having becoming like pure lands, pristine
and of the essence of jewels. All beings dwelling in them have become
like deities, freed from suffering. Merely imagining that all beings are
free from disturbing emotions and afflictions does not actually set
them free. But by imagining that others have been purified, appreciating
the value of purification provides the impetus for purifying your own
mind.
The
surface of the mandala is once again evenly spread with grain. While
doing this we imagine spreading jewels and flowers over the surface of
the whole world. Grain is then scattered in a circular pattern around
the edge of the mandala, symbolizing the iron fence described in
Buddhist cosmology as encircling the four continents and the eight
subcontinents. A handful of grain, symbolizing Mount Meru, is placed in
the center. Half of Mount Meru is below the sea. The half above the
surface of the sea has four levels, topmost of which is Indra’ s mansion
and heavenly abode. The three lower levels are the abodes of., the
other gods.
The
eastern face of Mount Meru is white and of the nature of crystal. The
southern face is blue and made of sapphire. The western face is red and
made of rubies and the northern face is yellow and made of gold. Around
Mount Meru are seven gold mountains. The oceans surrounding them are
inhabited by inestimably wealthy nagas.
The
eastern continent, which faces the object to whom the offering is being
made, is white and crescent-shaped. The southern continent is blue and
triangular, the western continent is red and circular, and the northern
continent is yellow and square. Each continent is flanked on either side
by a smaller subcontinent. The inhabitants of the continents are
imagined to be attractive and wealthy.
Representing
the eastern continent, which is visualized as a mountain. of jewels, a
small heap of grain · is made in the direction facing the lama. Another
heap represents the southern continent, which is visualized as a
wish-fulfilling tree. On the western continent is an abundance of cows
and milk and on the northern continent, uncultivated harvest of
outstanding nutritional value. Small heaps of grain are made to
represent the seven emblems of a universal monarch.
Between
the eastern continent and Mount Meru, another heap of grain represents
the precious wheel; between the southern continent and Mount Meru,
another heap of grain represents the precious jewel; between the western
continent and Mount Meru is the precious queen; and between the
northern continent and Mount Meru is the precious minister. Between the
south and east continents is the precious elephant; between the south
and west, the precious horse; between the west and north, the precious
general; and between the north and east, a vase of jewels.
The
precious general can sometimes be a precious chamberlain, but in the
present era, which is considered to be a degenerate time, a precious
general is thought to be more useful in expelling evil forces and
obstacles.
The
eight offering goddesses are very beautiful. They sing, dance, and
carry garlands, flowers and incense over all four continents.
The
sun, which symbolizes the wisdom understanding emptiness, has the power
to clear way all disturbing emotions, is represented by a heap of grain
in the east. The moon, which stands for great compassion, is
represented in the west.
On
the right, a small heap of rice represents a bejeweled umbrella of the
kind the King of the Nagas offered the Buddha. It is gold with a
sapphire handle and its edges are studded with jewels, including
diamonds which shine like the sun. The jewels give off a nectar which
can quench the thirst of all sentient beings and is suitable for
offering an ablution to the Buddha. Attached to the umbrella are bells
whose melodious sound conveys the doctrine to sentient beings according
to their capacities.
On
the left is a victory banner bearing symbols of united opposites such
as the lion-garuda, the otter-fish and the sea-monster conch. These
symbolize overcoming disturbing emotions and are said to bring
prosperity. This banner is an auspicious sign for saving all beings from
the heat of cyclic existence. Another handful of grain scattered all
around the base symbolizes the entire wealth of the world.
Since
an empty world is meaningless, it is imagined populated by countless
beings, free from disturbing emotions and suffering and enjoying the
abundance already described. The practitioner imagines a splendid
mansion as a residence for the lama, within which is a throne supported
by lifelike lions. He or she imagines a multitude of worthy disciples,
himself or herself foremost among them, which is regarded as creating an
auspicious cause for becoming the lama’s principal disciple in future.
Attaining such status he or she can understand and accomplish the lama’s
wishes for the purpose of sentient beings. As the meditator makes this
offering to the lama or to his visualized image, he or she imagines a
replica of the lama emanating from the original and descending into the
world we have visualized, giving teachings, abiding in the mansion and
eventually returning to the pure lands.
The
practice is ended by pouring the grain off the mandala base, either by
tipping it towards the lama, or by tipped it towards ourselves, imaging
that the lama has returned it to us to fulfill the wishes of sentient
beings.
Inner Mandala
The
practice of the inner mandala is a potent means of controlling the
three main disturbing emotions: anger, desire and ignorance. It is a
powerful antidote to miserliness and attachment to our body, possession
and merit or the environment. First, we visualize our skin becoming the
golden base of the mandala and our blood the nectar which is spilled
over the base to purify it. Our flesh becomes flower garlands floating
on the ocean of nectar. Our torso becomes Mount Meru, our arms and legs,
the four continents, and our hands, feet and joints, the eight
subcontinents. Our head becomes a beautiful mansion and our eyes, the
sun and moon. Our heart is transformed into a wish-fulfilling gem and
our sense organs and other organs become perfect objects of enjoyment
for gods and men.
In
the space above Mount Meru, we visualize all the objects of our desire,
anger and ignorance. These are the people and objects for whom we feel
attachment, anger or indifference, all of whom disturb our minds. These
are offered to the lama, sincerely and with total abandon. Since they no
longer belong to us, we need no longer feel attached to them. All
distorted perceptions will be purified by this offering and which sows
the seed for rebirth in pure lands, where the entire environment is
conducive to the practice of dharma.
Tsok Offerings
A
tsok offering provides a basis for unsurpassable offerings. Tsok means
assembly, and refers to a gathering of male and female tantric
practitioners, who have maintained their pledges. Offering are made to
the assembly of realized beings, to all the sentient beings who have
been our mothers, and to ourselves. Leftovers are given to such
suffering beings as hungry ghosts. Some of them can freely benefit from
the gift. Others can only do so when it has been specifically dedicated
to them by the recitation of transformative mantras. The offering is
accompanied by the chanting of a special liturgy, many of them
poignantly beautiful.
Nowadays,
tsok is offered in a prescribed ritual manner, but in the past in
India, it would have been more like a religious feast. At the end of the
ceremony, the offerings are divided among the participants and eaten,
the spiritual master receiving the best parts. It is expressly indicated
that participants should not argue with each other about what they
receive, nor engage in other unruly behavior. During the tsok offering,
practitioners visualize themselves as deities, maintaining that identity
with divine pride and stable clarity, free of all ordinary appearances.
They visualize all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas abiding in their
bodies, enjoying the inexhaustible nectar being offered to them.
Practitioners belonging to the great vehicle will always think that
whatever they enjoy is for the purpose of other sentient beings. With
this basic motivation, they should think that the deities, who have
partaken of the offering feel fulfilled and that feeling of fulfillment
is transformed into uncontaminated bliss. The offering is first
presented to the deity visualized in front of the meditator, then to
those abiding in his or her body, then to himself or herself.
Ingredients of the tsok offering
The
main object of a tsok offering is a conical cake, made of sweet
substances such as molasses, sugar, and honey and tsampa. Only the best
and most delicious ingredients should be used. The cake’s red color
represents power, which is necessary to cause the heroes and heroines to
gather. The white decorations are ornamental.
Tsok
offering always includes some meat and alcohol, although in Tibet
alcohol was often replaced by black tea. Impure substances such as
alcohol and tea were offered to provide a basis for transformation into
nectar. Participants in the ritual make their own contribution of food
to the offering.
Tsok
offerings usually take place in the evening. When offerings to the
deities are complete and the participants have eaten their share,
leftovers are gathered from each and piled on a plate. These are taken
outside. Originally the bearer held a torch, but now the offering is
most often accompanied by a candle or a stick of incense. It is believed
that disruptive spirits lurk at night and that the light will prevent
them interfering with the leftovers that are destined for miserable
hungry ghosts.
The
blessed substance of the tsok itself is considered to be very precious
is not to be wasted. It should not be thrown on the ground or carelessly
disposed of. If some of it is left over, it should be put on a roof or
such high places so that birds or monkeys will collect it and take it
even higher. It is considered unfit for animals that live on the ground
to eat.
Occasions for Making Tsok Offerings
Tsok
is generally offered at the conclusion of a tantric initiation, in
celebration of the completion of a great event. Offering tsok is also
one of the ways for a tantric practitioner to purify faults in his or
her committed practice and to restore broken vows.
Tsok
can be performed at any time, but the two particular dates in the lunar
month, the 10th and 25th, are considered more propitious. These are the
days when practitioners who have made pledges to perform tsok offerings
as part of their practice do so. It is believed that the skyfarers or
dakinis assemble at these times and can actually partake of the
offerings.
Offering Food
Tantric
practitioners consecrate their food in the same way as they offer tsok.
They visualize a blue syllable Hung at their hearts, wherein abides all
the Buddhas. The upper part of the syllable is a blazing fire, in which
all the food is consumed as it is eaten. This can be thought of as the
food being transformed into energy by the fire of the wisdom of bliss
and emptiness. Their motivation is to feed themselves to accomplish the
welfare of others, rather than eating simply for their own enjoyment.
They also remember the bacteria and other organisms living within their
bodies who are feeding off the food and make the wish that just as they
are now being satisfied by food, in the future, they will be satisfied
by hearing the Dharma.
Tantric
practitioners first visualize themselves in the form of their own
meditational deity and maintain that identity with divine pride and
clarity of appearance. This is the basis upon which they consecrate the
offerings. Ridding them of their ordinary appearances and contaminated
aspect, they visualize them free of all impurities. Ordinary offerings
give rise to only limited pleasure, which in tum gives rise to further
desire. Our desire is not quelled by limited pleasure. Consecrating the
offerings overcomes these faults and limitations.
Visualization for Purifying Offerings of Food
The
meditator dissolves the object into emptiness and dwells sometime on
that. From emptiness he or she generates the particular offering in the
nature of the wisdom of great bliss and emptiness. He or she imagines
all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas at the heart and having transformed the
food, eats it and so offers it to them.
Fire Offering
At
the conclusion of a meditation retreat, a meditator commonly makes a
fire offering to the meditational deity concerned. After receiving
initiation into the practice of a particular deity, the practitioner
will cultivate that practice with the goal of attaining enlightenment
for all sentient beings. The deity assists the practitioner to gain
accomplishments on the path. The fire offering, correctly performed with
the right visualizations, pleases the deity and reinforces the bond
with the practitioner. It also serves to purify the faults of badly or
incompletely recited mantras and removes obstacles to good meditative
stabilization, forestalls impending difficulties and illnesses which
have manifested themselves through dreams and inauspicious omens.
Fire
offerings are performed outside. A throne is built for the meditator
who is to make the offering, with a low wall to protect him or her from
the flames. The hearth is a smooth square raised platform on which an
eight petalled flower wit a vajra at its center is drawn with chalk.
Firewood is placed in a circle around the flower. The five kinds of
offerings, of which there are two sets, are set up on a table to the
right of the throne. The first set of offerings is made to the fire god,
Agnidevatta, who is invoked so that the offerings will not be consumed
by ordinary fire. The second set is for the meditational deity to whom
the offering is made. This set involves greater quantities than the
first, although the procedures for making the offering are the same.
Torma Offerings
Tormas
are variously shaped ritual cakes used as offerings in Tantric rituals.
Unlike tsok, tormas are not eaten after the ceremony, but are scattered
on roofs and left for the birds. However, they should be fit for human
consumption. In Tibet, poor monks and practitioners sometimes depended
on eating such discarded tormas to survive. Phurchok Jampa Rinpoche
reputedly had to compete with the crows to get his share.
Tormas
provide a physical basis for making unsurpassable offerings to
meditational deities, protectors and local deities. They are summoned
forth and offered the torma. Tormas are blessed and offered in the same
manner as the Inner Offering, using the same visualization to transform
impure elements. Requests accompany the offering which may range from a
wish to enhance spiritual realization to more mundane demands. Such
offerings are part of an elaborate ritual directed to a chosen deity.
The preparations for such rituals and the tormas themselves are usually
made by monks who specialize in ritual. Though most are discarded
afterwards, some are kept for a whole year. These are made from raw
cereals and must be periodically sprinkled with water to prevent them
from completely drying out. Most tormas are offered when making a
request, others, especially when protectors are concerned, are offered
once the request made has been fulfilled.
There
are also tormas which are meditated on as deities during initiations.
The master and initiates visualise the torma before them as transformed
into a deity. Tormas vary in shape, depending on the ritual they belong
to. Tormas offered to peaceful deities are conical with lotus bases and
those destined for wrathful deities are triangular with decorates of
flames.
When
properly constructed, tormas include twenty-five ingredients – the five
precious substances which eliminate war and conflict and fulfill
wishes: gold, silver, pearl, ruby, sapphire; the five aromas conducive
to good conduct: camphor, saffron, nutmeg, musk and sandalwood; the five
essences which cause beings of the world to prosper: salt, water,
honey – the essence of flowers, oil- the essence of seeds, sugar – the
essence of fruit; the five grains which eliminate famine and increase
wealth: barley, wheat, lentils, sesame and rice; the five medicinal
substances which destroy illness. Nowadays, these substances are
synthesized into small pills, which are prepared independently and are
added to the dough mixture when tormas are made.
As we are always caught up with work and our daily commitments, we tend to
forget that there is someone at the end of our daily rat race waiting for us.
Yes, it is nothing else but the Buddha nature within us which is screaming to
surface. Often enough, we find ourselves having compassion for another person
or animal which is less fortunate than our current state of being and we pause
to think "Why are they in such a condition? How can I help?".
Je Tsongkhapa studied the vast corpus of scriptures both written and
commentaries given by highly attained masters of both India and Tibet. These
set of teachings were condensed through the power of contemplation and
meditation and whatever arises from the omniscient mind of Je Tsongkhapa was
written down to form one of His greatest work called the “Lamrim Chenmo” which
means the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment.
We respect all enlightened masters of all traditions regardless of their view,
culture and school of thought. This enables us to create a space of harmony
which we begin to embrace ourselves with the shortcomings which we have and
overcome them with the support and encouragement of the fellowship.
