MILES TO READ B4 I SLEEP: BPLS C14 PEAAS

Sunday 4 October 2020

BPLS C14 PEAAS

The Seven Offering Bowls and What They Represent

The offerings are, from the very beginning, the whole purpose of a shrine. On a shrine with representations of the Three Jewels, one must dedicatedly and with great joyfulness make offerings. The offerings are made from shrine right to shrine left. On the shrine’s right, the

first of the seven offerings is the drinking water. Music, the last offering, would be on the shrine’s far left. Only the so-called wrathful offerings would go in the opposite direction, but generally all shrine offerings are the “peaceful offerings.”

On the front edge of the shrine, one places the traditional offerings of drinking water (Skt. argham), bathing water (padyam), flowers (pushpe), incense (dhupe), lamp (aloke), perfume (gandhe), food (naivedya), and music (shabda). Seven—or eight—bowls of water can be used to symbolize these eight offerings. It is essential to be mindful and diligent when making these offerings, and to offer with a deepened sense of what each bowl symbolizes.

The first bowl of water (argham) is the drinking water. Pour the first bowl of water with a sense of invoking all the buddhas and bodhisattvas, and offering them pure water to drink. The drinking water symbolizes opening your life to all sentient beings: May I open myself to all sentient beings and welcome them.

The second bowl of water (padyam) is water for washing the feet. This offering is taken from one of the most beautiful Indian traditions, even today. When guests arrive, as soon as they enter, their feet are washed and smeared with perfume. Then they may be welcomed with flowers, rose petals, or garlands and a butter lamp. Taking that tradition into the vajrayana rituals, the offering of foot-washing water is another way to invoke the buddhas and bodhisattvas. It also symbolizes the purification of habitual tendencies and the generation of humility. Without invoking this view when pouring the second bowl of water, it would just be a cultural tradition. So, while offering water to wash the feet of the buddhas and bodhisattvas, think: May I truly practice purification and generate humility.

The third offering (pushpe) is the offering of flowers. If the flowers are artificial, place them in a bowl of rice. The flower offering symbolizes a generous mind. May my mind always be generous.

The fourth bowl is the offering of incense (dhupe). Place the incense in a container that has been washed, dried, and filled with rice. The Mindrolling tradition uses two sticks of fragrance for the two truths. The offering of incense symbolizes the fragrance of ethics. May my body, speech, and mind be adorned with the fragrance of ethics.

The fifth bowl is the lamp offering, or aloke. The offering of a butter lamp or tea light placed in rice or on a stand symbolizes the clarity and patience to dispel ignorance. With clarity and patience, may I dispel the darkness of ignorance.

The sixth offering is perfumed water, or gandhe. The best perfume is fresh water with some rose water in it; or, you can place a bottle of perfume in a bowl of rice, symbolizing joyous effort. May I generate joyous effort that inspires all, like the fragrance of perfume.

The seventh bowl is the offering of food (naivedya). This offering can be a specific torma [Tib. shelze] or a bowl heaped with cookies or chocolate. Through the offering of food: May my mind constantly be fed with knowledge.

The eighth offering is the offering of music (shabda). The music offering can be a bowl of rice topped with a small instrument. May the sound of truth resound in all directions.

These eight bowls represent the eight basic offerings. Beyond that, you can express your own sense of offering with bowls of fruit, fresh flowers, additional candles, and so on. The offerings are, from the very beginning, the whole purpose of a shrine.

~ Mindrolling Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche