8 Auspicious Offerings - First offering - Water for drinking [Part 2]

Tibetan altar with 8 auspicious offerings

The subject today is all about what significant for Eight offerings, we make these offerings to the Buddhas, enlightened beings in many practices, such as the Vajrasattva Practice, Guru Yoga and other profound Vajrayana practices.

The Buddhas, enlightened beings they do not requiring these kind of offerings. We make these offerings is for accumulation of merits and wisdoms, enlightenment, Buddha hood, is achieved through these great qualities - accumulation and purifications. As we knew the Buddhas had limitless of qualities which were attained through these two qualities.

First offering - Water for drinking (Auspiciousness)

Om Benza Argham Ah Hum

The first offering is that of pure drinking water. It is offered with the thought that whatever benefit one accumulates may, for the present, bring about the annihilation of suffering through thirst among beings. Especially beings in realms such as hungry ghosts, may receive relief from the suffering of thirst. The offering is also made so that ultimately all beings may be permeated by loving kindness and compassion. 

It signifies auspiciousness or all the positive causes and conditions which bring positive effect. Offering cleaned, freshwater  for drinking and these are the best qualities to the Buddhas and enlightened beings, and you can visualize an ocean of water and then dedicate this water become a cause for all sentient beings to collect positive causes and conditions.

Second offerings to be continued in part 3.

Thank you for reading , may you find peace and great bliss. With your support it helps spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turning the Dharma wheels in the world.  Aspiration For Bodhichitta May the precious Bodhichitta arise Where it has not arisen And where it has arisen may it not decrease But increase further and further. Nagarjuna's Dedication of Merit By this merit may we obtain omniscience then. Having defeated the enemies wrong-doings. May we liberate migrators from the ocean of existence. With its stormy waves of birth, old age, sickness and death. *Note I do not own or infringe any copyright of these photos. Photos courtesy and credit to it rightful owners.

8 Auspicious Offerings Part 1

It was the traditional Buddhist way of offering to the Buddha and his monks in ancient time in India. Frequently the Indian will be offering the cleaned water for drinking and washing , flowers, incense, lamps or table lamps, perfume or fragrant  and music.

Since then it became a practice and later famously been acknowledged as the auspicious of the symbol of giving offerings of the Buddha as part of  precious teaching , and the eight auspicious offering is done daily at the Tibetan shrine to articulate gratitude and respect for the Buddha.

The subject here today is an explanation of the significance of the eight offerings. We make these offerings to the enlightened beings in many practices - in the Vajrasattva practice, Guru Yoga, and a lot of other practices. We have been doing this for a long time for our daily eight offering at the alter, so it would be useful if we studies a little in-depth what that practice signifies.

The enlightened beings do not requiring or need these offering. We make offerings to accumulate great merit and wisdom. Enlightenment, Buddhahood, is achieved through the two great qualities - accumulation and purification. 

The Buddha has limitless qualities, which were gained through the great accumulations and purification. Our offerings are a simple way to accumulate both merit and wisdom. 

It’s important that we must know the purpose and symbolism of offerings one realizes that the importance lies in the attitude with which one makes the offering to the enlightened objects of the refuge and the sources of all inspiration. Offering is an occasion for the accumulation of inexhaustible merit. The more sincerely offerings are made, one will find themselves surrounded by an abundance of what has been offered.

Making the offerings is not just a limited cultural thing, but it is something important and meaningful. The making of offerings is an antidote to the pattern of attachment and greed. There is a material aspect to offerings, where a person offers from his or her possessions something particularly valued. 

Someone may symbolically offer the totality of their possessions with the thought of bringing about benefit for all sentient beings, that the material deprivation of all beings may be remedied and their perfection of generosity take place. In general, offerings on a shrine are in a set of eight, in eight bowls, and there are specific meanings for each of the eight offerings.

These are the eight auspicious offering as follow:-

1. Water for drinking (Auspiciousness)
2. Water for washing (Purification)
3. Flowers (Generosity)
4. Incense (Discipline, Moral Ethnics) 
5. Lamp (Patience)
6. Fragrance (Perseverance)
7. Food (Samadhi)
8. Music (Wisdom)

First offerings to be continued in part 2

( total are in 9 parts )

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright of these photos.

Photos courtesy and credit to it rightful owners.

Dedication of merits May those who read and sharing of this blog's information be peaceful and joyful. May the Buddha Dharma be flourished and the merits will be dedicated to the sentient beings.

Zambhala Puja Presentation Part 3

The following are some of the Zambhala puja scheduled on twice weekly Sunday every month at our center http://maha-sukha.org/index.html

Our Zambhala puja presentation mainly we used Chrysanthemum flowers because of its multicolorful beauty and it is easily available at the market. Sometimes we too decorated with our home growth flowers, example the orchards flowers. Jasmine flowers  white and pure elegant will be one of the very best choice for offerings. 

For Zambhala bathing ceremony will be pouring the fresh milk together with water while reciting the mantra, then fill with at least five balls of offering (chocolates , dough, cakes or butter etc...)

Other offerings will be the vegetarian food, fruits to the Zambhala, and most important is our boddhichitta heart and our pure and genuine motivation that we will receive the blessings from the deity.

Dedication of merits

May those who read and sharing of this blog's information be peaceful and joyful. May the Buddha Dharma be flourished and the merits will be dedicated to the sentient beings.

Zambhala Puja Presentation Part 2

The following are some of the Zambhala puja scheduled on twice weekly Sunday every month at our center http://maha-sukha.org/index.html

Our Zambhala puja presentation mainly we used Chrysanthemum flowers because of its multicolorful beauty and it is easily available at the market. Sometimes we too decorated with our home growth flowers, example the orchards flowers. Jasmine flowers  white and pure elegant will be one of the very best choice for offerings. 

For Zambhala bathing ceremony will be pouring the fresh milk together with water while reciting the mantra, then fill with at least five balls of offering (chocolates , dough, cakes or butter etc...)

Other offerings will be the vegetarian food, fruits to the Zambhala, and most important is our boddhichitta heart and our pure and genuine motivation that we will receive the blessings from the deity.

Dedication of merits
May those who read and sharing of this blog's information be peaceful and joyful. May the Buddha Dharma be flourished and the merits will be dedicated to the sentient beings.

Zambhala Puja Presentation Part 1

The following are some of the Zambhala puja scheduled on twice weekly Sunday every month at our center http://maha-sukha.org/index.html

Our Zambhala puja presentation mainly we used Chrysanthemum flowers because of its multicolorful beauty and it is easily available at the market. Sometimes we too decorated with our home growth flowers, example the orchards flowers. Jasmine flowers  white and pure elegant will be one of the very best choice for offerings. 

For Zambhala bathing ceremony will be pouring the fresh milk together with water while reciting the mantra, then fill with at least five balls of offering (chocolates , dough, cakes or butter etc...)

Other offerings will be the vegetarian food, fruits to the Zambhala, and most important is our boddhichitta heart and our pure and genuine motivation that we will receive the blessings from the deity.

Dedication of merits
May those who read and sharing of this blog's information be peaceful and joyful. May the Buddha Dharma be flourished and the merits will be dedicated to the sentient beings.

Yellow Zambhala puja

Yellow Zambhala is a wealth deity, his practices, rituals and meditations are done for the purposes of requiring wealth.

Yellow Zambhala sits on a lotus, sun and moon disk. He holds a mongoose in his left hand and from its mouth spews forth precious jewels.

He protected the dharma and if anyone calling his name, he will come and help the person. If one has trouble with financial difficulty or anything, one can chant his powerful mantra for his help. 

But one must have the bodhichitta mind and practice Buddhism properly and rightfully to attain his blessings. Through this practices one can as well gain wealth, wisdom, intelligence and ultimately goals to attain Buddhahood.

The Mantra:-

Om Zambhala Zalendraye Svaha

Dedication of merits

May those who read and sharing of this blog's information be peaceful and joyful. May the Buddha Dharma be flourished and the merits will be dedicated to the sentient beings.

Himalayan wild flowers - part 3

Nubri Valley with plenty of wild flowers, rhododendrons, beautiful junipers ,pines and in amazingly connected with mountains natural spirits of the beauty of waterfalls, uncontaminated freshwater, air and wild life are surprisingly very active during day time and many species of insects, birds, and sometime if you are lucky you may have a rare sighting of a highly endangered species the Himalayan vultures that preyed on dead bodies.

Many wild animals roaming around freely especially the deers and antelopes as they have limited of natural enemies such as the Eagles, and snow leopards another highly endangered species and estimated the number of this shy creatures left about a couple of thousands in the wilderness. Black bears are another rare animals living freely in the wilderness of the Himalayan valley. Many deers are not afraid of the monks and nuns as they are used to the presence of them, but these deers are very shy to the outsiders if try to approach them.