Light Up Your Life - The Auspiciousness of Lamps Lighting

“Of all the methods for accumulating merit through generosity, offering butter lamps is second only to the practice of Tsok offerings"

Wisdom words by Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche.

Make Offerings of Light

Offerings of light are appropriate to celebrate events, to offer with prayers for friends and family during difficult times, and in the days following someone’s departure from this world. In the tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, offerings of light have great significance. The symbolism of light dispels the darkness of ignorance through the light of the Buddha’s teachings, wisdom, and compassion for all beings.

A lit lamp is one of the offerings found on the altar in front of a Buddha image. It signifies the radiance of a lamp,. It is generally referred to as simply a "lamp". The lamps offered to the Buddha include oil lamps or candles. There is also a type of lamp that is kept lit throughout the day and night. It is the "perpetual lamp". The Dharma assembly where many lamps are lit as offerings to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas is called the "Ten Thousand Lamp Assembly." 

In Buddhism, lamps are categorized according to their purpose into the ones used in daily life and the ones as offerings to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. The offering lamps are further divided into two groups:-

1) The ordinary lamps used during bowing and sutra recitation.

2) The perpetual lamps used to adorn Buddha halls.

Lighting lamps inside a temple also signifies the meaning of group cultivation. Lighting lamps dignify the temple, and help everyone generate a mind of reverence. Moreover, it also symbolizes brightness and wisdom, capable of removing the darkness of afflictions. 

According to Buddhist scriptures, lighting the lamps as offerings among stupas, monasteries, Buddha statues and scrolls is greatly meritorious. If people offer a lamp, they will obtain ten types of merits:-  

1. Is to be able to illuminate the world like a lamp. 
2. Regardless of the place of birth, their flesh eyes will never deteriorate.  
3. They will gain clairvoyance. 
4. They will obtain good wisdom of knowing what is virtue and what is non-virtuous. 
5. They will eliminate great darkness. 
6. They will obtain the brightness of wisdom. 
7. They will always be far from places of darkness wherever they reincarnate 
8. They will have great blessings. 
9. They will be reborn in the heavens or in a human realm. 
10. They will quickly attain Nirvana." 

If there are sentient beings offering lamps at stupas and temples of the Buddha,  they will gain four types of joyous Dharmas. What are the four? 

1.  Physical body. 
2.  Spiritual and worldly wealth.  
3.  Great goodness. 
4.  Wisdom. 

This is to say that people who light lamps as offerings to the Buddhas will get a dignified appearance, ample wealth, roots of goodness and great wisdom. Light is also said to represent the flame of awakened mind, which illuminates reality as it is.  An offering of light is illuminating the path to greater spiritual awareness and to the path of enlightenment.

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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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