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. 

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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.