Serkyem and Torma Offering (2/2)

Serkyem (Golden Drink Offering) is also known as Dharmapala Offering. Serkyem are used for ritual offering to Protector deities and guardian. Serkyems comprises of two pieces, a chalice and a basin for overflowing. A serkyem is most commonly filled w/ tea or wine and other tsok substances and offered to the Dharma protectors for the continuous protection and spread of the holy teachings of the Buddha. In the Tibetan language "Ser" means gold and "Kyem" means drink.

The Serkyem Offering Container

When we make our offering to the Guardians of the Dharma, we use what is known as a serkyem (gser skyem, the golden beverage).  A serkyem consists of two pieces stacked;  a tall, thin chalice placed inside a container. 

How to Arrange the Offering

When you are making offerings to the Protectors, the cup/chalice should be placed upright and black tea or dark alcohol (like dark rum) is poured in and a small amount of raw mixed grains is added. The liquid is poured into the top of the chalice and allowed to overflow into the bottom. The top offering represents the offering to the Three Roots—Lama, Yidam and Dakini and the bottom the offering to the Protectors.

You let the tea run over into the bottom from the top symbolizing the offering from the Three Roots to the Protectors.  Add some mixed grains to both the top and bottom of the serkyem representing food offerings.  The offering should be arranged in a calm and respectful manner.  When it is placed on the shrine it is always offered together with incense.  

When the serkyem is not being used the chalice should be cleaned and placed on its side within the bottom dish beside the shrine (not on the shrine). It is important to not leave the cup upright and empty on the shrine because this would be inauspicious.

Making the Offering

When it is time to perform the Protectors’ offering prayer,  the serkyem is offered while visualizing ourselves as the deity. While maintaining the Vajra pride of being the deity, light rays issue forth from your heart purifying, consecrating, and vastly multiplying your offering. Your offering has now been transformed into the drink of nectar that delights the senses. 

Once you have completed all the closing prayers, take the serkyem outside and hold the top in one hand and the bottom in the other. First offer the top liquid in an upward motion away from you. While you are doing this visualize that you are making offerings to the Three Roots and they are receiving it and then offer the bottom liquid in the same way, however, this time you visualize that you are making offerings to the Protectors.

In both cases, feel that they are delighted with your offerings and accept your offering of the golden drink and food. If circumstances don't permit you to make the offering outside right away pour the liquid into a clean container and make the offering in a nearby park when you have time. You can let it accumulate for a few days.  In a group practice, the Chopon makes the offering outside immediately after the Protector’s practice is completed. 

In summation, through the power of our offering we are beseeching and commanding the Protectors to uphold their vow to support the flourishing and the spread of the Dharma teachings and support practitioners by making everything auspicious. Protectors are very lineage specific and are like allied energies supporting the Dharma. 

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Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?  

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in the year 2008, we had been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 13 years.  We have exceptionally constrained supports and do not receive subsidized or funding from people in general. 

Please help us and to develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you, but to all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us to enhance our work and to accomplish for a better and brighter prospect to come. 

Thank you for reading, may you find peace and great bliss. With your support it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turning the Dharma wheels in the world.

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.

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright of the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and or studios.

Picture(s) is/are intended for editorial use only.

White Tara - The Goddess of Longevity, Health, Healing And Compassion

 

The White Tara (Sanskrit: Sitatara; Tibetan: Sgrol-dkar). She symbolizes purity and is often represented standing at the right hand of her consort, Avalokiteshvara, or seated with legs crossed, holding a full-blown lotus. She is generally shown with a third eye.

The two most popular Tara are Green Tara and White Tara. Tara’s name in Tibetan is Dolma, and you can see then that White Tara’s Tibetan name, Dolkar, is a short form of Dolma Karpo, which means White Dolma.

Tibetans pray to White Tara especially for health, healing and longevity. She offers healing of our wounds, whether it is our bodies or our minds that have been hurt.

White Tara, known as Sita Tara in Sanskrit, is worshipped as the mother of all Buddhas and an embodiment of the maternal aspect of compassion. Her white color is a symbol of purity, the immaculate truth of the Dharma and perfectly pure wisdom. 

She is also associated with long life, the healing of physical and mental illnesses, and the elimination of difficulties that appear on the road to the ultimate goal of enlightenment. Her power is related to the prevention of accidents, natural disasters, lack of physical vitality, and anything that could endanger life.

The white form of Tara is very popular in Tibet, where she is known as Drolma Karmo or Drolkar. In the pantheon of Tibetan Buddhism, she serves as the main deity of longevity together with Amitayus and Ushnishavijaya. Tibetans worship Tara as one of the most important deities along with Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of compassion. They recognize her enlightened nature reincarnated in women with extraordinary qualities. 

You might have obstacles in your life that could cause your untimely death. If the obstacles are due to your good karma and merit being exhausted, then in order to prolong your life now and to have longevity in future lives, you need to practice powerful ways to collect a lot of merit, such as taking long life initiations, reciting the mantras of long life deities, saving the lives of animals and people, offering medicine to people and taking care of sick people, offering food, clothing and shelter to the poor people. 

If the obstacles in your life and untimely death are due to negative karma, the solution is to purify it. You can also make butter lamp (light) offerings to the Triple Gem. Butter lamp offerings help you develop Dharma wisdom and clairvoyance due to their nature of dispelling the darkness around holy objects. White Tara is extremely powerful.

Green Tara and White Tara both are very close to sentient beings, like a mother to her children. She is very quick to fulfill our wishes and to grant us happiness and a long life, as well as to help us develop wisdom. By taking refuge in Tara and practicing meditation, visualizations, and having faith, you have the power to remove obstacles to your life and to prolong your life.

Tara is closely related to Chenrezig (Avalokitesvara), the Bodhisattva of Compassion. One story of her origin says that she was born from Chenrezig’s compassionate tears.   People also think of her as the female manifestation of Chenrezig, or his consort.

Though all the manifestations of Tara share the characteristic of compassion through this connection to Chenrezig, it is White Tara, who is most closely linked to his essential compassionate nature.

Her pure compassion for our suffering, which is thought to be greater even than a mother’s love for her child, is symbolized in images of White Tara by her white color. Her whiteness also indicate the “undifferentiated truth of the Dharma.

In comparison to Green Tara, who is shown seated with one leg on the ground, ready to come to our defense, White Tara is seated in the more meditative diamond lotus position, with both legs folded under her, and her feet facing skyward. White Tara has 7 eyes — with an eye in her forehead, and one on each hand and foot — symbolizing her compassionate vigilance to see all the suffering of the world.

Her left hand is in the protective mudras and her right in the wish-granting mudra. In her left hand, she usually holds a stem of the Utpala lotus flower with three blossoms. One blossom is represented as a seed, a second as ready to bloom, and the third in full bloom. These represent the Buddhas of the past, future and the present. Often, a small image of Amitabha, a Buddha is known for longevity, is portrayed as seated in White Tara’s headdress or slightly above her head.

White Tara Mantra

The White Tara mantra has a number of variations, but a common one in its Sanskrit form is:

Om Tare tuttare Ture Mama Ayuh-Punya-Jnana-Pustim Kuru Svaha.

White Tara Mantra meaning on syllables

As a variant form of Green Tara, her mantra begins very similarly. But added to the play on the name of Tara are several words connected with long life and wellbeing.

Om it can also be reflective of an awareness of the surrounding universe. It is used at the start of many mantras.

Tare this is representative of salvation from suffering and other forms of mundane dangers. Tara is very often depicted as being one who can alleviate suffering from accidents, crime, and natural disasters.

Tuttare is representative of the delivered down the right spiritual path and the need for protection from dangers to the spirit. Delusion, hatred, and greed are the three primary spiritual dangers that are responsible for suffering in us all.

Ture this is representative of the deliverance of the true spiritual path of a Bodhisattva. With this syllable, Tara is said to liberate us from the suffering we are inflicted with while helping us to progress along the path that will allow us to have compassion for others.

Mama means “mine” and indicates that you’d like to possess these qualities of long life, merit, wisdom, happiness, etc. You can of course choose to wish these qualities for someone else — perhaps for a teacher or for a loved one who is ill.

Ayuh is long life (as in Ayurvedic medicine).

Punya means the merit that comes from living life ethically, and this merit is said to help one to live long and happily.

Jnana is wisdom.

Puntim means wealth, abundance, or increase.

Kuru is a mythical land to the north of the Himalayas, which was said to be a land of long life and happiness (it may have been the original northern home of the Aryans). Perhaps the association with the mythical realm of Kuru doesn’t hurt when doing the mantra. But here the word kuru is a verb form meaning “do it!” or “make it so!” With this “make it so!” we’re imploring White Tara for an increase in wisdom, merit, and long life so that we can gain enlightenment and help all sentient beings.

Svaha is said to be representative of “allow the meaning of this mantra to take root in my mind.”It is also an exclamation meaning “hail” or “may blessings be upon” and is a common ending to Buddhist mantras. So after making the rather bold request of White Tara above, we end with an equally emphatic salutation.

Click below to play our YouTube video of the White Tara Mantra:

https://youtu.be/vqIJZPpJE9Q

Benefits of Chanting White Tara Mantra

White Tara is popular because it is known for giving a blessing for long life. For this reason, many practitioners receive an initiation into the White Tara and perform the appropriate practice when they become sick. She will come to their aid and save them from illness and death.

Green Tara and White Tara both are the flawless expression of the inseparability of emptiness, awareness, and compassion. Just as you use a mirror to see your face, Tara meditation is a means of seeing the true face of your mind, devoid of any trace of delusion.”

White Tara is extremely powerful. Tara is very close to sentient beings, like a mother to her children. She is very quick to fulfill our wishes and to grant us happiness and long life, as well as to help us develop wisdom. By taking refuge in Mother Tara and practicing meditation, visualizations and having faith, you have the power to remove obstacles to your life and to prolong your life.” 

Dana (Donations for our Buddhist research and development) 

Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?  

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in the year 2008, we had been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 13 years.  We have exceptionally constrained supports and do not receive subsidized or funding from people in general. 

Please help us and to develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you, but to all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us to enhance our work and to accomplish for a better and brighter prospect to come. 

Thank you for reading, may you find peace and great bliss. With your support it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turning the Dharma wheels in the world.

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.

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright of the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and or studios.

Picture(s) is/are intended for editorial use only.

Marichi, The Divine Mother of Brilliant Light Rays.

Marichi, The Divine Mother of Brilliant Light Rays. 

( No.21 Emanation of Taras - Lhamo Ozer Chenma / Marichi )

Be glad today. Be brave today.

Tomorrow may bring tears,
There is no darkness,
So dense, so menacing,
So difficult that it can not be overcome by night,
The darkest night will pass,
And the golden rays of light will usher in the dawn.

Marici is the Goddess of Dawn, the moment when light overcomes darkness. She represents awakening, triumph over evil, and victory in the face of extreme hardship. Riding on a chariot driven by boars, Marichi fearlessly removes all obstacles to freedom, happiness, and well-being.

Marichi she is regarded as the guardian of all nations, whom she is protects from the fury of war.  She is seated in a chariot drawn by savage boars. The seven savage boars are symbolizes of removing all obstacles to happiness and well-being. The goddess of Marichi is very popular in Tibet, Mongolia and there are several shrines dedicated to her in Tibet.

Every morning, the goddess of Marichi is invoked by the Lamas of Tibet about the time of sun-rise, which shows her connection with the sun.  Recite her ritual prayer once and mantra as many as possible, this is to invoke Marichi her power of blessing and to remove our obstacles and to bring great blessing and pleasure.

The rays of Marichi also reaching out to all evil spirits, demons, and let the power of rays of light that can blind all the harmful evil spirits, demons and take away their evil desire and intention that bring harm to the practitioners or the affected love ones and friends.To complete the ritual prayer, and wish is expressed that the merit gained from the ritual will bring into enlightenment

Throughout antiquity, warriors worshipped Marichi at dawn to invoke her courage and her powers of invisibility. Since she rides in front of the sun, she is undetectable and can never be captured or bound. Meditations devoted to her offered a path for warriors to strengthen compassion. Through mastery of the self, they became selfless servants of their mission.

Marichi she is typically depicted as a multi-armed goddess who is riding a charging boar or sow, or on a fiery chariot pulled by seven horses or seven boars. She has either one head, or three to six with one shaped like a boar. In parts of East Asia, in her most fiercest forms, she may wear a necklace of skulls. An alternate representation is she sitting on a lotus.

Some of the earliest iconography of Marichi is found in India and Tibet, particularly near the ancient port-city and Buddhist site Salihundam of Andhra Pradesh where Marici is depicted as riding on a chariot pulled by seven horses in a manner similar to Surya (Sun deity with goddesses Usha and Chaya).

In Mahayana Buddhist texts, Marici is the goddess of dawn, one introduced by the Buddha at Shravasti. In some aspects, she is comparable to, and likely a fusion deity derived from the feminine version of Surya and in others ways to Usha, Durga and Vajravarahi. She is one of the goddesses invoked in Buddhist dharanis.

In Tibetan Buddhism, she is depicted as goddess of dawn (or light), a healer or the one who seeks enlightenment of all beings. In Japanese Buddhism, she is depicted as the warrior goddess – the protector of the Bushi or Samurai, his passion of justice; she is alternatively a healer from the wrong state to the right state of existence.

Marichi she is highly revered in Esoteric Chinese Buddhism. Most often, she is depicted with three eyes in each of her three faces; with four arms on each side of her body. Two of her hands are held together, and the other six holds a sun, moon, bell, golden seal, bow, and a halberd. She is either standing/sitting on top of a lotus or pig, or on a Lotus on top of seven pigs. She is celebrated on the 9th day of the 9th lunar month. 

Doumu or Beidou constellation or in English it's known as the Big Dipper constellation.

In Taoism, Marichi is known as Doumu. She remains a popular deity and is often referred to as the Queen of Heaven and she is widely worshipped as the Goddess of Beidou (the Chinese equivalent of Ursa Major except that it also includes 2 "attendant" stars). She is also revered as the mother of the Nine Emperor Gods who are represented by the nine stars in the Beidou constellation or in English it's known as the Big Dipper constellation.

Marichi she wears red celestial garments and her body is elegantly adorned with various precious jewels and ornaments. She has three faces with three eyes on each face, and eight arms. The left hands hold a lasso, a bow, an Ashoka branch, and a thread. The right hands hold a Vajra sceptre, a needle, a hook, and an arrow.

For Marici prayers, please visit our YouTube channel as follow:

https://youtu.be/disjOlZz3_Q

The kindly and dark yellow front face of the three faces is smiling, with the eyes open and the lips as red as vermilion. This face represents courage and non-hindrance. The right face is dark red in color, as perfect as the full autumn moon, the color of a lotus, emitting supreme light, affable, and with the looks of a young girl.

To complete the ritual prayer, and wish is expressed that the merit gained from the ritual will bring into enlightenment

Dana (Donations for our Buddhist research and development) 

Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?  

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in the year 2008, we had been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 13 years.  We have exceptionally constrained supports and do not receive subsidized or funding from people in general. 

Please help us and to develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you, but to all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us to enhance our work and to accomplish for a better and brighter prospect to come. 

Thank you for reading, may you find peace and great bliss. With your support it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turning the Dharma wheels in the world.

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.

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright of the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and or studios.

Picture(s) is/are intended for editorial use only.

Serkyem and Torma Offering (1/2)

Serkyem (Golden Drink Offering) is also known as Dharmapala Offering. Serkyem are used for ritual offering to Protector deities and guardian. Serkyems comprises of two pieces, a chalice and a basin for overflowing. A serkyem is most commonly filled w/ tea or wine and other tsok substances and offered to the Dharma protectors for the continuous protection and spread of the holy teachings of the Buddha. In the Tibetan language "Ser" means gold and "Kyem" means drink.

Generally speaking, we make offerings to the Dharma Protectors to remove any outer or inner obstacles to our practice.  We do this by reminding them of the oath they made to Guru Rinpoche or Machig Labdron or any other great teacher from the past to assist and protect their lineage, the teachings of the Buddha and those who practice them. 

When we are making offerings to the Guardians of the Dharma, we are asking them to protect us yogis and yoginis by warding off all outer and inner obstacles that may hinder our practice, our Dharma centers and monasteries. We are also asking them to assist our practice and  support all our Dharmic aspirations.  This is the purpose of our offering. There are stories that when Longchenpa was writing The Seven Treasures Rahula was actually present assisting him by preparing the ink.

Some protectors were present in Tibet before Buddhism and then enlisted by Padma Sambhava to become Buddhist protectors like Dorje Legpa (Vajra Sadhu) was a Bon protector before. When Lonchenpa was restoring the Zha temple in Uru, Dorje Legpa emanated as a boy wearing a turquoise earring and helped the craftsmen each day.

The Serkyem Offering Container

When we make our offering to the Guardians of the Dharma, we use what is known as a serkyem (gser skyem, the golden beverage).  A serkyem consists of two pieces stacked;  a tall, thin chalice placed inside a container. 

Dana (Donations for our Buddhist research and development) 

Do you earnestly cherish our devoted work? Assuming this is the case, we are delighted that you are finding our blog useful and valuable. Would you consider making a donation for our Buddhist research and development?  

We need your help to secure the future of scholarly interaction with Buddhism. Since our very first publication of Dharma works and activities in the year 2008, we had been effortlessly providing free distribution of Dharma posts and articles throughout the previous 13 years.  We have exceptionally constrained supports and do not receive subsidized or funding from people in general. 

Please help us and to develop our Dharma activities that will not only benefit you, but to all Dharma readers on the planet. Please consider showing your support. Your generosity will certainly help us to enhance our work and to accomplish for a better and brighter prospect to come. 

Thank you for reading, may you find peace and great bliss. With your support it helps to spread the Buddha’s precious teachings and turning the Dharma wheels in the world.

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.

*Note

I do not own or infringe any copyright of the picture(s).

Picture(s) courtesy and credit to the rightful distributors and or studios.

Picture(s) is/are intended for editorial use only.