Offering (Buddhism)

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Wat Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai, Thailand
An offering at Chaitya Bhoomi.

In

Triple Gem, giving rise to contemplative gratitude and inspiration.[1] Typical material offerings involve simple objects such as a lit candle or oil lamp,[2] burning incense,[3] flowers,[4] food, fruit, water or drinks.[5]

Within the traditional Buddhist framework of karma and rebirth, offerings lead to the accumulation of merit, which leads to:

  • a better
    cycle of birth and death
    (Pali: vattagamini-kusala)
  • progress towards
    release from suffering (Pali: vivattagamini-kusala).[6]

These offerings often act as preparation for meditation.[7]

In some traditions, two different types of offerings are identified:

  • material or hospitality offerings (Pali: amisa-puja[8] or sakkara-puja[9])[10]
  • practice offerings (Pali: patipatti-puja[11])

Material offering

Material offerings are considered external offerings of "words and deeds."

Sangha), deepening one's commitment to the Buddha's path
.

Material offerings might be imbued with the following symbology:

Traditional chants in Pali, when offering lit candles (padīpa pūjā) and incense (sugandha pūjā) to an image of the Buddha are:

Ghanasārappadittena

Dīpena tama-dhaṃsinā
Tiloka-dīpaṃ sambuddhaṃ
Pūjayāmi tamo-nudaṃ
 
Ghandha-sambhāra-yuttena
Dhūpenāhaṃ sugandhinā
Pūjaye pūjaneyyaṃ taṃ
Pūjābhajanamuttamaṃ[14]

With lights brightly shining
Abolishing this gloom
I adore the Enlightened One,
The Light of the

three worlds
.
 
With perfumed incense
And fragrant smoke
I worship the Exalted One,
Who is great and worthy of worship.[15]

Similarly, a traditional Pali incense-lighting verse speaks of the Buddha's "fragrant body and fragrant face, fragrant with infinite virtues."[16]

By contemplating on an offering, one tangibly sees life's impermanence (Pali:

recollect
. For instance, the end of a traditional chant in Pali, when offering flowers (puppha pūjā) to an image of the Buddha is:

Pujemi Buddham kusumenanena

Puññenametena ca hotu mokkham
Puppham milāyāti yathā idam me
Kāyo tathā yāti vināsa-bhavam[14]

I worship the Buddha with these flowers;
May this virtue be helpful for my emancipation;
Just as these flowers fade,
Our body will undergo decay.[17]

In

Northern Buddhism
, sacred images have set before them:

  • water (representing hospitality, to wash the face and feet)
  • scarves (Tib. kha-btags, offering friendship)
  • flowers, incense, lamps, perfume and food (representing one's devoting all their senses to their spiritual practice).[16]

Non-material offerings

Practice offerings may be manifested by practicing:

  • giving (Pali: dāna)
  • moral conduct (
    sīla
    )
  • meditation (
    samādhi
    )
  • wisdom (
    pañña)[18]

In the

samādhi
).

"But Ananda, whatever bhikkhu or bhikkhuni, layman or laywoman, abides by the Dhamma, lives uprightly in the Dhamma, walks in the way of the Dhamma, it is by such a one that the Tathagata is respected, venerated, esteemed, worshipped, and honored in the highest degree." (Taken from

Mahāparinibbāṇa Sutta, Dīgha Nikāya)[20]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ See, for instance, Harvey (1990), pp. 172-3.
  2. ^ Indaratana (2002), pp. iv, v; Kapleau (1989), p. 193; Khantipalo (1982); Lee & Thanissaro (1998).
  3. ^ Indaratana (2002), pp. 11-12.
  4. ^ See, for instance, Indaratana (2002), pp. 11-12. Harvey (1990), p. 173, and Kariyawasam (1995), chapter 1, both maintain that flowers are the most common form of offering.
  5. ^ Kapleau (1989), p. 193; Khantipalo (1982); and, Harvey (1990), p. 175, particularly in regards to Northern Buddhism.
  6. ^ Lee & Thanissaro (1998). See also Harvey (1990), p. 173, who in discussing "offerings" states: "Such acts consequently generate 'merit'."
  7. ^ See, for instance, Indaratana (2002), p. v; Kapleau (1989), pp. 191ff.; and Khantipalo (1982).
  8. ^ a b c Lee & Thanissaro (1998).
  9. ^ Khantipalo (1982).
  10. bhikkhus
    .
  11. ^ Khantipalo (1982); Lee & Thanissaro (1998).
  12. ^ See, for instance, Lee & Thanissaro (1998).
  13. ^ Harvey (1990), p. 173.
  14. ^ a b Indaratana (2002), p. 12.
  15. ^ Indaratana (2002), p. 11. See also Harvey (1990), p. 175, who translates the light-offering verse in part as describing the Buddha as "the lamp of the three worlds, dispeller of darkness."
  16. ^ a b Harvey (1990), p. 175.
  17. ^ Indaratana (2002), p. 11. Similarly, see Harvey (1990), p. 173; and, Kariyawasam (1995), ch. 1, sect. 2, "Personal Worship."
  18. ^ Khantipalo (1982); and, Nyanaponika (2000), pp. 298-299. On the other hand, Lee & Thanissaro (1998) identify only meditation as patipatti-puja.
  19. ^ Kantipalo (1982), n. 1.
  20. ^ "Maha-parinibbana Sutta: Last Days of the Buddha".

Bibliography

External links

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