Appropriate Offerings
Many people have wondered if some things are more appropriate than others as offerings. One knows that offerings made to the Four Heavenly Kings (Deva Kings), the Yellow, Black, Red, and White Jambhalas, the Wealth Deities of the Five Directions, and the Treasure Deva King should include wine. Also, the White Jambhala likes bath water, so one should make a bath water offering. In general, one should find out what kind of things the Deities or Dharma Protectors like and offer those things to them.
What should one offer to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas? Instead of offering what the Buddhas like, one offers what one likes to the Buddhas. According to Tantric teachings, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have no desires or aversions, and their minds are always kept in a balanced state of equanimity. In other words, there is nothing that the Buddhas particularly favor or disfavor and, therefore, they will not like or dislike anything that one offers. It would be proper then to offer to the Buddhas what one personally likes. When one offers to the gods according to their desires, they will be happy and bestow blessings upon one. When one offers what one likes most to the Buddhas, the Buddhas will take delight in the pleasure sprouted in one's heart and, when the two intents meet, there will be a spiritual response.
In Taiwan, many people used to worship "child spirits." To my understanding, one could make offerings of marbles, rubber bands, and playing cards to these spirits because, when they were children in the human world, they enjoyed such games. Therefore, offering things that simply pleased these "child spirits" would bring results.
However, children today are different: they play computer games. [audience laughter] Therefore, if one offers children a television and some games, they will sit in front of the television and play the computer games and become totally absorbed. So, in a way, it is true that there is a greater chance of meeting each other when one does what the other party likes to do.
In one downtown area of Thailand there is a shrine to the Brahma Deva. It is a god with four faces and I can't recall whether he has six or eight arms. Anyway, it is known that this god enjoys watching women dancing. Therefore, many women go to pray to this god, make a wish, and vow that they will dance in front of this god when their wish is fulfilled. In this case, it is offering something which the Deva likes in order to get one's wish fulfilled.
Thus one has to remember that one offers what the Dharma Protector likes to the Dharma Protected. One offers to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas what pleases one in one's own heart, in order to achieve a yogic response. In the past, in Tibet, the Rite of Offering required one to hold some rice grains in the palm and then these rice grains were visualized to undergo a transformation into all kinds of treasures that, when they were scattered at the end of the offering, filled up the whole universe. Rice was used because Tibetans considered rice to be very valuable. They also used rice during consecration ceremonies in which the rice, a symbol for Light, would be sprinkled. Now rice is quite an ordinary item to us; therefore, we don't have to limit ourselves to this one offering. And if we do use rice, we can, at the time of scattering, perform visualization to transform the rice into thousands of other kinds of items. This is a very important point.
Offerings As Resources
Actually there is another meaning to Great Offering. To make an offering is to provide "resources," not for the Buddhas, but for oneself. If one wishes to have sufficient resources to support oneself on the path of cultivation, one must learn to make the Great Offering or Mandala Offering. Through the Great Offering, one beseeches the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to bestow food and resources, so that one can easily and peacefully engage in cultivation.
Basics [6]. More to come.....
Readers can write to asklotuschef@gmail.com for a .pdf or .doc copy of this book.
Om Guru Lian Sheng Siddhi Hom
Lama Lotuschef
Many people have wondered if some things are more appropriate than others as offerings. One knows that offerings made to the Four Heavenly Kings (Deva Kings), the Yellow, Black, Red, and White Jambhalas, the Wealth Deities of the Five Directions, and the Treasure Deva King should include wine. Also, the White Jambhala likes bath water, so one should make a bath water offering. In general, one should find out what kind of things the Deities or Dharma Protectors like and offer those things to them.
What should one offer to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas? Instead of offering what the Buddhas like, one offers what one likes to the Buddhas. According to Tantric teachings, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have no desires or aversions, and their minds are always kept in a balanced state of equanimity. In other words, there is nothing that the Buddhas particularly favor or disfavor and, therefore, they will not like or dislike anything that one offers. It would be proper then to offer to the Buddhas what one personally likes. When one offers to the gods according to their desires, they will be happy and bestow blessings upon one. When one offers what one likes most to the Buddhas, the Buddhas will take delight in the pleasure sprouted in one's heart and, when the two intents meet, there will be a spiritual response.
In Taiwan, many people used to worship "child spirits." To my understanding, one could make offerings of marbles, rubber bands, and playing cards to these spirits because, when they were children in the human world, they enjoyed such games. Therefore, offering things that simply pleased these "child spirits" would bring results.
However, children today are different: they play computer games. [audience laughter] Therefore, if one offers children a television and some games, they will sit in front of the television and play the computer games and become totally absorbed. So, in a way, it is true that there is a greater chance of meeting each other when one does what the other party likes to do.
In one downtown area of Thailand there is a shrine to the Brahma Deva. It is a god with four faces and I can't recall whether he has six or eight arms. Anyway, it is known that this god enjoys watching women dancing. Therefore, many women go to pray to this god, make a wish, and vow that they will dance in front of this god when their wish is fulfilled. In this case, it is offering something which the Deva likes in order to get one's wish fulfilled.
Thus one has to remember that one offers what the Dharma Protector likes to the Dharma Protected. One offers to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas what pleases one in one's own heart, in order to achieve a yogic response. In the past, in Tibet, the Rite of Offering required one to hold some rice grains in the palm and then these rice grains were visualized to undergo a transformation into all kinds of treasures that, when they were scattered at the end of the offering, filled up the whole universe. Rice was used because Tibetans considered rice to be very valuable. They also used rice during consecration ceremonies in which the rice, a symbol for Light, would be sprinkled. Now rice is quite an ordinary item to us; therefore, we don't have to limit ourselves to this one offering. And if we do use rice, we can, at the time of scattering, perform visualization to transform the rice into thousands of other kinds of items. This is a very important point.
Offerings As Resources
Actually there is another meaning to Great Offering. To make an offering is to provide "resources," not for the Buddhas, but for oneself. If one wishes to have sufficient resources to support oneself on the path of cultivation, one must learn to make the Great Offering or Mandala Offering. Through the Great Offering, one beseeches the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to bestow food and resources, so that one can easily and peacefully engage in cultivation.
After a true cultivator learns how to do the Great Offering properly, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will bestow blessings upon one, and benefactors will automatically appear to offer resources.
If one desires to do a long-term retreat and lacks sufficient funds, one can make a Great Offering in front of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and state one's intent. Benefactors will then naturally recognize one's needs and provide food and money, so that one can do spiritual cultivation without any material worry. In ancient times, many great Adepts made Great Offerings in front of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and, later, they met benefactors who materially supported their practice.
Financial Resources
Financial Resources
Four conditions have been found to be indispensable in modern day Tantric cultivation. In ancient times, many Adepts did not have to meet these prerequisites because they practiced asceticism. However, nowadays one needs these four conditions.
First, is financial resources. Many items needed for Tantric practice are very expensive. For example, the three statues [at the shrine at Rainbow Villa] of Buddha Shakyamuni, Medicine Buddha, and Amitabha Buddha, cost twenty thousand U.S. dollars apiece. If one cannot afford these statues, how can one set up the shrine? Many of the Tantric ritual implements are made of gold or silver, followed by copper, steel, porcelain, and ceramic, in descending order of suitability. The mala [rosary], vajra and bell, one-pointed vajra, damaru drum, Dharma seat, and other adornments for the shrine cannot be obtained without money. Even the preparation of a Great Offering needs money. Therefore, the first condition is sufficient material resources.
Spiritual Partners
The second condition is to have spiritual partners. What are spiritual partners? They are fellow spiritual cultivators. When one cultivates alone and gropes around by oneself, without any help from people who can provide the right kind of knowledge, it is very difficult to obtain the True Wisdom. One needs true spiritual partners who are also totally devoted to the pursuit of the Buddhadharma. This way, there will be an exchange of knowledge and a sharing of experiences which will enable one to quickly attain spiritual maturity.
It is not always possible to obtain spiritual partners. What if, every time a husband meditates, the wife pours a bucket of water over his head, [audience laughter] or she goes to the freezer to get some ice cubes to slip down his collar? Such examples illustrate circumstances where the condition of spiritual partners is not being met.
Therefore, it makes a significant difference if one has a spiritual partner who is also pursuing the same goal and able to study and exchange ideas with one. This can be an ideal situation.
Dharma
The third condition is Dharma, the method of cultivation. Even if one has the financial resources and the right spiritual partner, one still needs the authentic Buddhadharma. Therefore, one needs to find a true teacher who knows the Buddhadharma, who has already gone through the Path and can teach one to walk on the same path to reach Buddhahood. This is a very important condition because only the teacher can impart the proper method and technique to enable one to reach Enlightenment.
The Practice Site
The site of cultivation is also very important. The land that Rainbow Villa sits on is a site of great energy. If one practices at a site that has too many people living together, the geomancy is bad, the energy (from the earth) is low, the environment is complicated, and neighbors could well complain each time one lights an incense, then it is not a good practice site. Without a good environment, a good geomancy, and good neighbor relations, the condition of a quiet and powerful site is not being met.
Spiritual Partners
The second condition is to have spiritual partners. What are spiritual partners? They are fellow spiritual cultivators. When one cultivates alone and gropes around by oneself, without any help from people who can provide the right kind of knowledge, it is very difficult to obtain the True Wisdom. One needs true spiritual partners who are also totally devoted to the pursuit of the Buddhadharma. This way, there will be an exchange of knowledge and a sharing of experiences which will enable one to quickly attain spiritual maturity.
It is not always possible to obtain spiritual partners. What if, every time a husband meditates, the wife pours a bucket of water over his head, [audience laughter] or she goes to the freezer to get some ice cubes to slip down his collar? Such examples illustrate circumstances where the condition of spiritual partners is not being met.
Therefore, it makes a significant difference if one has a spiritual partner who is also pursuing the same goal and able to study and exchange ideas with one. This can be an ideal situation.
Dharma
The third condition is Dharma, the method of cultivation. Even if one has the financial resources and the right spiritual partner, one still needs the authentic Buddhadharma. Therefore, one needs to find a true teacher who knows the Buddhadharma, who has already gone through the Path and can teach one to walk on the same path to reach Buddhahood. This is a very important condition because only the teacher can impart the proper method and technique to enable one to reach Enlightenment.
The Practice Site
The site of cultivation is also very important. The land that Rainbow Villa sits on is a site of great energy. If one practices at a site that has too many people living together, the geomancy is bad, the energy (from the earth) is low, the environment is complicated, and neighbors could well complain each time one lights an incense, then it is not a good practice site. Without a good environment, a good geomancy, and good neighbor relations, the condition of a quiet and powerful site is not being met.
Basics [6]. More to come.....
Readers can write to asklotuschef@gmail.com for a .pdf or .doc copy of this book.
Om Guru Lian Sheng Siddhi Hom
Lama Lotuschef
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