Lamp Aspiration - By Mipham Rinpoche

Why Light Offerings?

Why lights? Light means understanding because light represents wisdom. And light removes and dispels misunderstanding. All of our sufferings come from not knowing and not seeing. Offering lights or butter lamps indirectly removes the confusion. Throughout the Buddhist world, in all traditions of Buddhist practice, devotees offer light.

The life stories of accomplished men and women give examples of people beginning their path to liberation by offering light to an image or at a place of pilgrimage. We are lighting the way for ourselves and for other beings when we make the wish to dispel the darkness of ignorance!

Why lights?  Isn’t that just a cultural tradition?  What is the benefit of making light offerings?  Why should I make butter lamp offerings?  Because we are not accustomed to the practice, these doubts often arise.

Phakchok Rinpoche explains the meaning of traditional butter lamp offerings:

Why lights? Light means understanding because light represents wisdom. And light removes and dispels misunderstanding. All of our sufferings come from not knowing and not seeing. Offering lights or butter lamps indirectly removes the confusion. Moreover, to be successful in life we need to have clear ideas and a good understanding. 

We should not just believe that success and good results are based on luck. Instead, when we have problems, we search for a clear understanding and wisdom to solve those problems.

Throughout the Buddhist world, in all traditions of Buddhist practice, devotees offer light. The life stories of accomplished men and women give examples of people beginning their path to liberation by offering light to an image or at a place of pilgrimage. We are lighting the way for ourselves and for other beings when we make the wish to dispel the darkness of ignorance!

Vast Offerings

Why light offerings? And why so many? For example, we hear about the big offerings of 100,000 butter lamps. How does this benefit? The effect of making large offerings is immense. Because of this, Rinpoche reminds us that we all should make big offerings. Vast offerings reduce obstacles and achieve big results. And the good news is that even large light offerings are relatively easy for us to arrange.

The traditional offerings are butter lamps, as in the photo on this page. But, we can also use candles and lanterns. Nowadays, especially inside buildings, we often use electric or battery-operated lights.

Correct Motivation

When we make light offerings, just as when we engage in any other virtuous activity, we begin by engendering the correct motivation. Therefore, we pause before we start our offerings to recall the vast attitude of Bodhicitta.  To inspire you, here we include a beautiful aspiration prayer by Mipham Rinpoche. 

Lamp Aspiration - By Mipham Rinpoche

Rikpa kadak nangsel marme di

This illuminating lamp of original pure awareness

Rikdzin kyilkhor pejung lha la bul

I offer to the mandala deities of vidyadhara Padmakara.

Rikpe gar khyap magyur drowa nam

May all beings, my mothers, wherever awareness pervades,

Riktong choku gopang topar shok

Attain the dharmakāya level of aware emptiness.

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Aspiration For Bodhichitta

For those in whom the precious Bodhichitta has not arisen

May it arise and not decrease

But increase further and further.

Dedication of Merit

By this merit may we obtain omniscience then.

Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings.

May we liberate migratory from the ocean of existence.

With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.

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