Offering to Buddha 供佛

This is bean soup that GM likes. I like it too! :)

Nutella! Everybody's favorite too!

I only like the Mango Pineapple smoothie and McChicken but not the Fries!

Green tea ice-cream is my favorite too!

 Wow! Brownies with lots of nuts! Yummy!

 I like fruits and yogurts too!

Sight of nice things give people a kind of lightness of spirit or JOY!

Note: My answer in BOLD, AFTER EACH QUESTION.

Hi Fashi,

Last friday i had dinner with my university friends. The dinner chit chat led to a discussion on buddhism.

They are all intellectual people with no religion but are inclined towards the philosophy of buddhism.

They posed a question: why do people need to offer fruits, money etc in order to receive buddha blessings.
Why in manevolent nature, buddha needs this exchange in order to give blessing?


With my limited understanding, my explanation to them as follow:

1) Buddha does not need anything. TRUE.

2) Your offering is an act of sincerity, buddha received your sincerity and "transformed" your sincerity as his blessing and "return" back to you. TRUE.

3) You dont have to offer "standard" fruits and chicken your parents used to offer. 

Offer what you loved. Liked sharing good food with your friends or family. TRUE! Do not offer anything that you don't like and want to get rid of!

4) Going slightly further, I also explained actually each offered items has a specific symbolism like bean is not just bean but symbolise good health. Just touch on didn't go into details.

TRUE. Actually anything that is Yellow in color symbolizes Health and Wealth. Bean is from the Earth and Earth is our Flesh and Bones and also symbolized by Yellow Color!

5) I also briefly touched on the story of Mulian saving his mother in hell. And the belief in dedicating merits to all beings n non beings as the basis of buddhism. TRUE. Boddhicitta - for benefits of all beings, with no discrimination or segregation. :)
This is the best i can do to explain to layman. 

But i think it is still not well explained. I might even be wrong :(

HUMBLENESS! A Good trait in a sincere cultivator!

If you were there, how would you explain it? 

So that i can reexplain to them when we meet up nx dinner.

Hahaha! Invite me to dinner with them then!!!

Hope to hear from you :)

Dear all, 

I would tell them that what they hear is Untrue! 

Also what they believe is Untrue!

Did Buddha tell anyone of them that he "needs this exchange in order to give blessing?"

"why do people need to offer fruits, money etc in order to receive buddha blessings." 

Let me be naughty and ask these questions: 

1. What is your definition of Buddha Blessings?

2. Why do you think people need to offer fruits, money etc. then they can get these blessings?

3. Has anyone seen Buddha partaking of your offering or Fruits and received and Spend your money offering? 

4. [They are all intellectual people with no religion but are inclined towards the philosophy of buddhism.] - I am glad that they are asking questions, but as to Intellectual and inclined towards philosophy of Buddhism, do you agree that they are far from these phrases or statements?

Hahaha! 

I believe that an intellect that has inclination will already have gone and done relevant researches, plural, to feed their own intellectual curiosity! :)

Did I negate my chance of being invited to dinner with these group of intellects?

Cheers all

Om Guru Lian Sheng Siddhi Hom

Lama Lotuschef