8 Auspicious Offerings - Music for offerings { Final part}

Today is the final part of the eight auspicious offerings, and we make these offerings to the Buddhas, enlightened beings in many practices, such as the Vajrasattva Practice, Guru Yoga and other profound Vajrayana practices.

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.

8) Music for offerings ( Wisdom )

Last offering will be the musical instruments. The Tibetan’s white conch shell. It's widely known as the sound of the heavenly melodies. In Vajrayana tradition, we offerings religious music to the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and the enlightened beings during the ritual and other prayer practices.

“Dung-Dkar” literally means “white conch” in Tibetan language, because most of the trumpet made of white conch shell. Most Tibetan Dung-Dkar trumpet was made of conch shell; sometimes you can see some natural inclusions in the conch shell. 

Most of the Dung-Dkar trumpet is heavily decorated with ornate patterns in metals, such as silver, bronze or tin. Some beautiful stones will add on it, such as ruby, sapphire and so on. 

Dung-Dkar trumpet has a bright bead; someone even was inserted with beautiful turquoise and coral. When you blow through the mouthpiece on one end, the sound will be created, and it sounds like a trumpet, companioning music sheds long ago, it seems takes you to somewhere beyond the highest Himalaya peak.

There are different types of instruments, cymbals, bells, guitars, lutes, all are for offerings. Their nature is wisdom, which makes an offering to the ears of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and other enlightened beings. 

Sound represents wisdom because wisdom is a special power of the mind which penetrates phenomena. Compassion is achieved through great wisdom; interdependence of all phenomena is realized through great wisdom.

Throughout recorded history, the Dung-Dkar has been used as a religious musical instrument, Tibetan people believe that it can invoke spirits or banish evil which is said to represent good energy. The Buddhas, enlightened beings they do not requiring these kind of offerings. 

We make these offering 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 mentioned qualities

All phenomena have the nature of interdependence, causes and conditions, but sound is rather easy to understand. If you play a guitar, what does the sound depend on? It does not come just from the piece of wood, the string, not from the fingers, so where does it come from? Actually it comes from all these things; none is sufficient to produce the sound. That nature is called illusion.

We can hear the sound, but it has no independent existence. We should see all sound are having the nature, it just comes and goes like an echo. The realization is wisdom, and through that realization we can attain super mundane quality. 

May the wisdom, that quality of the super mundane, arise within the minds of all sentient beings and free them from all confusion and ignorance. May them achieve enlightenment. In one’s future lives one will be born with beautiful voice and always hear pleasant sound, especially the sound of Dharma.

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.

Thank you for reading and 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. 

*Note

I do not own and infringe any copyright of these pictures.

Pictures courtesy and credit to the rightful owners.

               

8 Auspicious Offerings - Food offerings [Part 8]

The subject continue 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 mentioned qualities.

7)Food for offerings ( Samadhi )

The seventh offering is the offering of food. The awakened ones have no need to indulge in material food offerings, but the purpose of such offerings made to the enlightened objects of refuge is to temporarily relieve suffering that beings experience through hunger and starvation, and to bring about an abundance of food. 

Ultimately, the offering is made so that beings may experience the perfect state of meditation, of samadhi, and that all beings may live on the spontaneous food of meditation. Offerings the delicious, excellent quality of food signifies samadhi, which is a nectar of ambrosia to feed the mind. This is an offering to the enlightened beings, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

Samadhi is also the source of the Siddhis like clairvoyance. There are two different types of clairvoyance; the ordinary clairvoyance is usually from other lifetimes. The other type is unique and special insight clairvoyance, which we achieve this lifetime through meditation practice.

For example, flying in the sky, different types of miracle power, these can be achieved through samadhi, the virtuous one-pointed mind. The very stable mind, clear , calm, peaceful mind of samadhi becomes a basis to achieve all the enlightenment qualities. Food symbolizes samadhi because food is essential for maintaining our body, and samadhi is a kind of food that maintains the mind as well as the physical body.

When we achieve any kind of samadhi, it is the fruition of the effort you made before, and it can also become a path to get higher fruition. Generally, we eat nutritious healthy food, it contributes a good health, same to speak when we are having a nutritious food for samadhi, and it keeps a healthy mind. By making this offering of delicious food, may all sentient beings have a good health and samadhi nature and quality.

Eighth offerings to be continued in final part 9

Thank you for reading and 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 pictures.

Pictures courtesy and credit to the rightful owners.

8 Auspicious Offerings - Perfume or fragrance for offerings [Part 7]

The subject continue 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 mentioned qualities.

6) Perfume or fragrance for offerings ( Perseverance )

Om Benza Gendhe Ah Hum
The sixth offering is the offering of The radiant and perfect bodies of the awakened ones have no real need of an ordinary perfume in their experience of spontaneous perfection, but we make the offering so that temporarily all negative patterns may be purified, such as aggression, ignorance and attachment, and that ultimately not only the habitual patterns of beings but also the outer environment may become purified and perfected.

Fragrance offerings it can be any form of fragrance, the perfume or the fragrance from saffron or sandalwood. Fragrance it signifies perseverance or joyful efforts. Through that one quality, one can develops all the qualities of achieving enlightenment. 

       The fragrance from saffron

Without perseverance, without joyful efforts, nothing can be achieved. Even in samsara, we have to work hard to achieve anything. Many people sacrifice many things just for samsaric achievements. When we die, we can't take our wealth along but karma. When we could make a great effort to study, practice Dharma, we have to sacrifice some little thing.

Dharma is the cause of freedom from suffering. To achieve ultimate enlightenment, ultimate happiness, why can't we do that? Others in samsara they even sacrifice their life for their achievements, but that becomes a suffering. As flowers were offered to the eyes of the enlightenment, perfume are offered to the Buddha's mind because perseverance is the heart of enlightenment.

Perfect generosity, moral ethnics, patience, samadhi, wisdom, these all depending on perseverance and without joyful efforts none of these can be accomplished, so it is the heart, the essence. Meditate that by this offering and may all sentient beings progress in their attainment of qualities of enlightenment.

Seventh offerings to be continued in part 8

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 and infringe any copyright of these photos.  Photos courtesy and credit to it rightful owners.

               

Our own enemy

Our anger is our actual enemy. It is an obstacle that cuts us off from the cause of higher states of rebirth and the definitive excellence that is liberation. If we do not tame it, then outer enemies will simply multiply. They will increase to the same extent that we try to overpower them. And they could present a danger to our lives and to our ability to keep any of the three sets of vows (individual liberation, bodhisattva, and tantric) we may have taken.

We are the ones who make one another into enemies, they can proliferate without limit. By creating such projections, we are engaging in actions that are detrimental. Why is this so? Because there is not one living being who has not been our mother or father, and therefore they should all be the objects if our compassion. 

On the other hand, there is not one living being who has not been our enemy. In this way, all living beings are equally our friends and enemies, so being attached to some and feeling hatred for others makes no sense. Through a mind that sees this equality, we should tame the enemy of our own anger with an army of great compassion. This is the practice of a true bodhisattva.

Quated by His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa.

            Karmapa  Khenno, Karmapa  Khenno

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.

Go Vegetarian

Not only will you practice compassion for all sentient beings, but you will decrease the resources you used up.

It takes about 100,000 liters of water to produce 1 kilogram of beef but only 750 liters of water to produce 1 kilogram of wheat.

Quoted by His Holiness 17th Gyalwang Karmapa  

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.

8 Auspicious Offerings - 5th Offering - Light [Part 6]

The subject continue 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 mentioned qualities. 

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.

5) Light or lamp for offerings ( Patience )

Om Benza Aloke Ah Hum.

The fifth offering is the offering of the lamp. The awakened ones, seeing through their wisdom eyes, have no need for such a small light, yet the offering of it is made with the thought that ignorance may be purified in all beings. 

It is made so that ultimately the merit of such offerings of light might cause the transcendental knowledge and experience to become manifest in all beings just as it has in the Buddhas and enlightened ones

Light or lamp offering, which signifies the stability and clarity of patience, the beauty which dispels all ignorance. Light offering is made to the eyes of all the enlightened beings, who see clearly without mistake. 

Some people feel patience is showing of weakness or pessimism. But, actually patience shows the strength and clarity of mind, which are based on wisdom and compassion. Without proper wisdom and compassion, one cannot practice patience. Patience can be practiced in all different forms, not just when people are faced with anger. For instance, there is patience in Dharma practice and study.

First, this is based on wisdom, so we should have such wisdom to really know how Dharma is, what quality it has,the depth and vastness of Dharma, and how we can achieve these qualities. 

Seeing those great qualities, then we need patience to study. On the other hand we shouldn't be patient with our afflictive emotions. When we have anger, desire, jealousy, pride, ego, lust, don't practice patience with these! This is the wrong way to practice patience and these are subjects to get rid of purity; they don't do any good. 

No matter what kind of difficult circumstances we are facing, we must and have to go through this, many people commit suicide to get rid of afflictive emotions. This is the wrong way to sacrifice this life, we should cherish our precious human life.

An example I would like to share, when a medicinal tree is very small, it has to be protected in order to grow into a huge tree.

If you pick it up when it's small, it will only benefit only a few and the medicinal tree will be vanished. On the other hand, if we protect it well with many fences, certainly it will grow larger and then tree will bring fruits, flowers, roots, leaves, branches for the benefit of many sentient beings.

Sixth offering to be continued in part seven.

Thank you for reading, may you find peace and joyfulness. With your support it helps spread the Buddha's precious teaching 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 copyright any of these photos. 

Photos courtesy and credit to the rightful owners

              

8 Auspicious Offerings - Third Offering - Flower [Part 4]

The subject continue 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 mentioned qualities.

3) Flowers for offerings( Generosity )

The third offering is the offering of flowers to the awakened ones to beautify their surroundings, though the gift of flowers is quite unnecessary in the perfection of their Buddha realms. Again it is for the benefit of those who make the offering and it is made with the intention that all beings might find noble forms to inhabit, and ultimately, that all beings might embody in their forms all of the marks and attributes of enlightenment, like the awakened ones.

 The flowers of the beauty of enlightenment. it is signifies the practice of generosity and open the heart. A flower is very beautiful; so you will certainly or naturally wish to keep it, but when you offer it to others, there is certain kind of feeling in our mind. With that we associated, make the offering and practice freedom from stinginess. 

Meditate on that by offering flowers, which signifies the practice of generosity, and may all sentient beings achieve the freedom and endowment of a precious human life. Flowers are offered and placed on the neck of the enlightened beings, for them to wear on the crown of the haed. 

Within the practice of generosity and we immediately think of giving wealth, giving fearlessness, giving wisdom, but there are many different kind of generosity and usually when we mention generosity, we think of giving wealth but it is not only that. 

For example, we giving fearlessness means giving life. If someone is afraid of swimming and fear of being drowned and if we can give them the safety assurance from the water, this is called giving fearlessness, giving freedom from danger to life.

Another is giving wisdom is very special generosity. When you give teaching to one who is less knowledgeable or wisdom. For example, they don't know what is samsara world is, what is enlightenment is or what is the karma and cause of suffering is, so when we can share and giving them these kind of explanations or sharing dharma knowledge , this is a gift to help them understand, so now we will know why offering flowers is symbolizes of generosity.

Fourth offerings to be continued in part 5. 

*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.