from Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive

Lama Tsong Khapa Guru Yoga (Ganden Lha Gyäma) Commentary by Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche

WATER OFFERINGS [excerpts]

His Holiness Serkong Tsenshab Rinpoche explained to us during the Jorchoe commentary that when you clean the bowls you should use a clean towel. The significance of offering seven water bowls is to create the cause to achieve the seven limbs, or aspects, or qualities of the Vajradhara state — enlightenment. But that does not mean that you cannot offer more, that offering more is some kind of interference! If you do not have many water bowls it does not matter. ...

If one is not living a strictly ascetic life one should use one's possessions to accumulate as much merit as possible; then one is taking the essence from that which is essenceless.

When cleaning the bowls what you should think is the same as when cleaning the room. I do not remember word for word what Rinpoche explained, however when one cleans the room one should think that the broom represents method and wisdom, the whole path to enlightenment. So think the same in regard to the towel, and you can think that you are purifying the two obscurations of yourself as well as all sentient beings.

If you have incense, light it and hold the bowls over it as a purification.

Then stack the bowls. [The traditional Tibetan bowls would be metal ones that nest. Nowadays, Lama Zopa Rinpoche uses crystal and glass bowls which do not nest. So just have them laid out upside-down in place or off to the side until you are ready to put something in them.]

Before putting the bowls on the altar you should put some water in them.

There is a reason for this. You may have read Milarepa's life-story. When Milarepa made an offering to Marpa of, I think, a big copper pot, he offered it empty. It is said that he had to live on only nettles and bear great hardships in regard to food and the necessities of life because of the dependent arising due to that inauspicious offering. Marpa, knowing that it was a little inauspicious used a skillful method and asked Mila to fill the pot with butter and wax and make a light offering. That auspicious offering was the cause for Milarepa to be able to realize shunyata and generate the clear light and illusory body in that life.

One can understand the purpose from stories like that; otherwise it looks like nothing more than just a rule saying one has to do this and this. So, you should not put empty containers in front of the altar; similarly, when you make offerings to the virtuous teachers put something in the container.

Fill one bowl with water, then pour most of it from that one into the next bowl, keeping a little in the first. Then again from the second one pour most into the third, keeping a little in the second. After you have put some water in the last bowl recite OM AH HUNG three times to bless the water, the same as with the inner offering.

... [some advice for the fully ordained]

When you light incense or a butter-lamp or some light, just before you offer it recite OM AH HUNG each time, then offer it. There are various interferers, three hundred and sixty or something different dooens, who take the essence. Maybe that is sort-of their enjoyments. If one offers without blessing one does receive the merit, but there is some interference in regard to the offering — it affects the mind, making it kind-of unclear or unstable. In order for these things to not happen one recites the mantra OM AH HUNG and blesses the offerings.

You should cover your mouth in order to not pollute the offerings with a smelly breath. His Holiness Serkong Rinpoche said the scarf should be white. We see the servants of the high lamas such as His Holiness the Dalai Lama cover their mouths with a white cloth or scarf when serving tea and so on.

Also the offerings are carried high. So when you make offerings in front of an altar you should not think, I am just putting water in front of clay statues or pictures. You should act as if you are in front of a king or high lama and serving him. Due to our karmic obscurations we do not see the images as real, but Chakrasamvara is there, Tara is there, all the buddhas are there. The whole merit field is there, but due to karmic obscurations we do not see them. ...

The bowls should be placed not touching nor too far apart. If too far apart then due to that inauspiciousness or dependent arising one will be distant from the virtuous teacher in the future. So do not place them far apart, but also not touching. I think due to the dependent arising from placing them too close one will have a dull mind, without sharp intelligence. You should place them the distance of one rice grain apart.

In regard to pouring the water His Holiness Song Rinpoche used to advise to first pour slowly, then faster, and then again slowly. Doing it that way does not make a loud splashing noise. ... About one grain-size of space should be left at the top, rather than filling it completely. That also makes it easier to not make a mess when you remove the bowls from the altar.

You can recite the mantra OM AH HUNG again while you are offering, or the long mantra for blessing and multiplying the offerings: OM NAMO BHAGAVATE BENDZA SARWA PRAMADANAYE TATHAGATAYA ARHATE SAMYAKSAM BUDDHAYA... [The Offering Cloud mantra, found in morning prayers] The benefit of reciting this is that not only are the offerings blessed, but clouds of offerings are received in front of each of the beings in the merit field.

[Advice on visualizing the merit field]...

His Holiness Serkong Tsenshab Rinpoche used to advise that at the end you should dedicate the merit in this way:

May this merit from making offerings (and all the merit accumulated by me and all other sentient beings) not be experienced by me but rather only by other sentient beings.

Rinpoche's specific advice is to pray that the merit and whatever resultant happiness will come from that be received and experienced by other sentient beings, and that oneself not experience it. You should think like that. Each time dedicate for the generation of bodhicitta with the prayer jang chub sem chog rinpoche... even if you do other dedications; then it becomes a practice of the five powers of thought-training.

Accumulating merit in order to generate bodhicitta is the practice of the power of the white seed. You should dedicate the merit to achieve enlightenment quickly and quicker for the sake of all sentient beings in whatever way you know. ...

When you clean the bowls each day you should clean them well, not just patting them with the towel. You must clean them well, not leaving them damp. Not doing it just like giving them a sort-of blessing! If there are any stains you should try to clean them with sand or other cleaning materials. [Soaking or rinsing with vinegar works well to remove mineral deposits.]

[Regarding multiple offerings in the context of ngon-dro:]

You can begin with the refuge and bodhicitta prayer sangye choe dang.... Then on the basis of the Lama Choepa or the elaborate Ganden Lha Gyäma, make the offerings by setting out the fifty or one hundred or more bowls at the offering section of the seven limb practice. Then there is a dedication at the end. Then you pour out the water and rinse the bowls with water. Then you begin again with sangye choe dang... and then do the offering section of the seven limb practice and again do the meditation of offering. Then again the dedication, and then pour out the water. And perform the offering again.

The following information is provided by Gyuto Monastery.

Making Offerings

There are no limitations to what can be offered, and there are many levels of offerings. In general, one can offer any pleasing object, particularly objects pleasing to the five senses form, sound, smell, taste, and touch.

In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition it is customary to offer seven bowls of water which represent the seven limbs of prayer: prostrating, offering, confession, rejoicing in the good qualities of oneself and others, requesting the Buddha's to remain in this world, beseeching them to teach others, and dedicating the merits.

Flowers, candles or butter lamps, and incense are also commonly offered. It is customary to offer a part of every meal on the altar before eating and a portion of tea before drinking. The things to be offered should be clean, new, and pleasing. Food should be of only the best part, fresh and clean; never old, leftover, or spoiled food.

It is best to offer things that you already have or can obtain without difficulty. Don't think that you have to deceive others in order to get offering materials. They should not come from stealing, cheating or hurting others in any way. Rather, they should be honestly obtained. In fact, it is better not to offer things that were obtained in even a slightly negative way.

As you make offerings, think that what your are offering is in nature you own good qualities and your practice, although it appears in the form of external offering objects. These external offerings should not be imagined as limited to the actual objects on the altar, but should be seen as vast in number, as extensive as space.

Offer food with the wish that all beings are relieved of hunger, and offer water with the wish that all beings are relieved of thirst. It is important to think that the deities accept the offerings, enjoy them, and are pleased. Think that by making these offerings all beings are purified of their negativity's and that the ultimate nature of reality is realized.

The purpose of making offerings is to accumulate merit and in particular to develop and increase the mind of generosity and to reduce stinginess and miserliness. By making offerings you also create the causes for the future results of becoming naturally and spontaneously generous.

Placing Offerings on the Altar

If you have the space, place the offerings a little lower than the objects of refuge on your altar.

When you awaken in the morning, it is customary to wash at least your hands before approaching the altar to offer prostration's and then place new offerings. This is a sign of respect for the object represented there: one is making offerings as if one is accepting a dignitary or a great being into one's home and it is important to be gracious and respectful.

To offer water on your altar, you should have a minimum of seven bowls.

Start with fresh water every day.

The bowls should be clean.

Pour a little water into each bowl before placing it on the altar.

Place the bowls in a straight line, close together but not touching.

The bowls should be filled up to the space of a grain's width from the top - neither too little nor too much.

Try not to breathe on the offerings.

If you have a butter lamp, you can place it on your altar between the third and fourth water bowls.

Lamps or candles symbolize wisdom, eliminating the darkness of ignorance. In Tibetan monasteries hundreds of lamps are lit as offerings. There is really no limit to the quantity of either water bowls or lamps.

Blessing the Offerings

After pouring the water, lighting candles or lights and offering incense, bless the offerings by dipping a piece of kusha grass (or a tree twig) into the water, reciting three times Om Ah Hum (the seed syllables of the Buddha's body, speech and mind), and then sprinkling the offerings with water.

Visualize that the offerings are blessed.

Dedication

Whether external offerings become pure or not, or whether they become a cause for good rebirth in the next life, a cause to achieve liberation, or a cause to achieve enlightenment to benefit all beings depends on one's motivations and dedication. Dedication is crucial. It will not exhaust or limit one's store of merit but will multiply and increase it. It is excellent to dedicate the merit of making offerings to the elimination of suffering and its causes from all beings, to their achievement of lasting happiness, and to world peace.

Removing the Offerings

At the end of the day, before or at sunset, empty the bowls one by one, dry them with a clean cloth and stack them upside down or put them away.

Never leave empty bowls right side up on the altar.

The water is not simply thrown away but offered to the plants in your house or in the garden.

Food and flowers should also be put in a clean place outside where birds and animals can eat them.

Bowls of fruit can be left on the altar for a few days and can then be eaten when they come down - there is no need to put them outside.