{"collection":"Buddhism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/bud/tib/kkgroffr.htm","path":"bud/tib/kkgroffr.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/bud/tib/kkgroffr.htm","text":"Talk by Khenpo Konchog Gyaltsen Rinpoche (5/1/1993)\nThe subject here today is an explanation of the significance\nof the eight offerings. We make these offerings to the enlightened\nbeings in many practices - in the Vajrasattva practice, Guru Yoga,\nand a lot of other practices. We have been doing this for a long\ntime, so I thought it would be useful if we studied a little about\nwhat that practice signifies.\nThe enlightened beings do not want or need these things. We\nmake offerings for our own benefit, to accumulate great merit and\nwisdom. Enlightenment, Buddhahood, is achieved through the two\ngreat qualities - accumulation and purification. As you know, the\nBuddha has limitless qualities, which were gained through the\ngreat accumulations and purifications. Our offerings are a simple\nway to accumulate both merit and wisdom.\nOFFERING WATER TO CLEANSE THE MOUTH OR FACE - Auspiciousness\nFirst is the water offering to cleanse the mouth or face. It\nsignifies auspiciousness or all the positive causes and\nconditions which bring positive effects. So, make an offering of\nwater which is clean, fresh, cool, smooth, light, delicious,\ncomfortable to the throat and stomach - these qualities are the\nqualities of auspiciousness. When you drink that kind of water, it\nis healthy; if you take a shower with it is healthy. While you\nmake this kind of water offering to the enlightened beings,\nvisualize an ocean of water. Then we dedicate this water to become\na cause for all sentient beings to also collect positive causes\nand conditions. So this is the first water offering - to cleanse\nthe mouth or face.\nOFFERING WATER TO WASH THE FEET - Purification\nSecond is water to wash the feet. This is clear water mixed\nwith incense or sandlewood which is made as an offering to all\nenlightened beings' feet. The symbolic meaning is purification. By\ncleansing the feet of the enlightened beings, we cleanse all our\nown negative karma and obscurations. By making offerings to clean\nthe enlightened beings feet, we are really cleaning the \"feet\" of\nour own mind. With respect, devotion and confidence, we offer an\nocean of this kind of water to all enlightened beings to purify\nall the temporary obscurations of ourselves and all sentient\nbeings. Obscurations are called \"temporary\" because they can be\npurified. If they were permanent, we could not purify them even\nif we make an effort. So meditate on this when you make these\nofferings. All the different types of obscurations -- gross,\nsubtle, negative karma, afflictive emotions, and obscurations to\nenlightenment -- all these different types of obscurations become\nfully purified.\nOFFERING FLOWERS - Generosity\nNext is offering of a flower, the flower of the beauty of\nenlightenment. It signifies the practice of generosity and opens\nthe heart. A flower is very beautiful; so you naturally want to\nkeep it. But when you offer it to others, there is some special\nfeeling in the mind. With that connection, make the offering and\npractice freedom from stinginess. Milarepa said there is no\nspecial practice of generosity if one is free from stinginess.\nMeditate on that by offering flowers, which signifies the practice\nof generosity. May all sentient beings achieve the freedom and\nendowment of a precious human life.\nFlowers are offered to the head of the enlightened beings,\nfor them to wear on the crown of the head. Within the practice of\ngenerosity, we immediately think of giving wealth, giving\nfearlessness, giving wisdom -- there are many different types of\ngenerosity. Usually when we say generosity, we immediately think\nof giving wealth, but it is not only that. For example, giving\nfearlessness means giving life. If someone is afraid for their\nlife, like drowning in water, and if you give them safety from the\nwater, this is called giving fearlessness, giving freedom from\ndanger to life. Giving wisdom is very special generosity. When we\ngive teaching to one who has no wisdom -- does not know what\nsamsara is, what enlightenment is, or what the cause of suffering\nis -- that is such a great gift. To help them understand \"Oh, that\nis samsara, that is enlightenment.\" Such a great gift! So,\noffering a flower symbolizes generosity.\nOFFERING INCENSE - Discipline, Moral Ethics\nThe fourth offering is incense, which symbolizes moral ethics\nor discipline. Moral discipline is one of the most important\npractices. In the West, maybe discipline and morality are a little\nbit different. What I mean here is that when we have good\ndiscipline, there is morality. Discipline is in the teaching of\nthe Dharma. For instance, it says, \"do this, this, this. Sit like\nthis, meditate like this.\" It is taught like discipline. So when\nwe do that, it is good moral ethics; when we cannot do these\nthings that are taught to be done, then there is no morality, no\nethics. In Sanskrit, this is called \"shila\". Shila means coolness,\nfreshness. When we have good discipline, it cools the mind free\nfrom suffering. When we stay in that position well, it relaxes the\nmind and frees it from agitation. All these disciplines are part\nof the process of progressing in our meditation practice. Unless\nthese disciplines and moral ethics are there, it is not possible\nto achieve enlightenment. Therefore, Buddha gave these three\nteachings -- moral ethics, samadhi and wisdom -- called the Three\nTrainings. These Three Trainings are very important. Wisdom or\nspecial insight comes from samadhi, the stability and strength of\nthe mind. That kind of strength in the mind is based on discipline\nand morality. So they are all related to each other, are\nconnected to each other and depend on each other. Therefore, moral\nethics is a very important aspect of path.\nIncense, which is the nature of morality, makes offerings to\nthe nose of the enlightened beings. The enlightened beings are not\nattached to smell, but to our purity. All people respect those who\nhave kept moral ethics well. It doesn't matter who they are, they\nget respect because they are trustworthy and dependable. That kind\nof person gives a good smell, good odor, and people are attracted\nto that. not only people, but the qualities of enlightened beings\nare also attracted by that morality. It is their foundation/basis,\nlike the ground which grows all the \"crops\" of the enlightened\nqualities.\nOFFERING LIGHT - Patience\nFifth is light or a lamp, which signifies the stability and\nclarity of patience, the beauty which dispels all ignorance. Light\noffering is made to the eyes of all the enlightened beings, who\nsee clearly without mistake. Some people feel patience is showing\nweakness or pessimism. But, actually, patience shows the strength\nand clarity of mind, which are based on wisdom and compassion.\nWithout proper wisdom and compassion, one cannot practice\npatience. So light shows that the strength of the mind, the clear,\nstable nature of the mind, achieved through the practice of\npatience. Because the mind is not disturbed by other forces, it\nhas such great qualities: clarity knows what is to be done, which\nis necessary, which is not necessary. That dispels ignorance.\nPatience can be practiced in all different forms, different\nways, not just when people are faced with anger. For example,\nthere is patience in Dharma practice and study. First, this is\nbased on wisdom, so we should have such wisdom to really know how\nDharma is, what quality it has, the depth and vastness of Dharma,\nand how we can achieve these qualities. Seeing those great\nqualities, then we need patience to study and practice. When we\nhave that, there is a mind of clarity, of stableness.\nOn the other hand we should not be patient with our\nafflictive emotions. When we have anger, desire, jealousy, pride,\ndon't practice patience with these! This is the wrong way to\npractice patience. Even if it is hard or painful, these are\nsubjects to get rid of or purify; they don't do any good thing.\nWithout sacrificing something, there is no chance that we will\nhave peace and happiness. So no matter what kind of pain we face,\nwhat difficult circumstances we face, we have to go thru it. Even\nif we have to sacrifice this life, it is worthwhile to sacrifice.\nA lot of people commit suicide to get rid of all these afflictive\nemotions. They are overpowered by the afflictive emotions and they\nkill themselves. That is the wrong way to sacrifice this life. We\nhave to sacrifice this life the other way around. Buddha said that\nif we have to lose our life to keep the moral discipline, it just\nfinishes this life, but next lives will be higher and higher,\nbetter and better. But if we do it the other way around and\nsacrifice this life for the afflictive emotions, then we will go\nworse and worse.\nIn Shantideva's text it is said that we should not commit\nsuicide or give this body without much purpose. Rather, we should\ncherish this precious human life. An explanation is given. When a\nmedicinal tree is very small plant, it has to be protected in\norder to grow into a huge tree. If you pick it up when it is\nsmall, it will benefit only a few and then it is finished. But if\nyou protect it well with many fences, it will grow into a huge\ntree that will bring fruits, flowers, roots, leaves, branches for\nthe benefit of many, many sentient beings. Similarly we have a\nfragile mind at this time. We must protect this precious human\nlife with all these antidotes, fences, and let it grow big. Then\nwe can benefit many sentient beings. By the practice of patience,\nall the 112 major and minor marks of a Buddha will come. Of\ncourse, we should not expect it, but the result of patience is a\nhealthy, good body, to which all people are attracted, which is\nrespected and admired. All this comes from the practice of\npatience.\nOFFERING FRAGRANCE - Perseverance\nNext is the offering of perfume or the fragrance from saffron\nor sandlewood. -- all the different types of perfume. That\nsignifies perseverance or joyous effort. Through that one quality,\none develops all the qualities of enlightenment. Without\nperseverance, without joyous effort, nothing can be achieved.\nEven in samsara, we have to work so hard to achieve anything. A\nlot of people sacrifice a lot of things just for samsaric\nachievement. You sacrifice your life for your work; if you die,\nwhat will you do with your wealth? So now, see the other side --\nDharma study and practice. When we could make such a great effort\nto study, practice Dharma, we have to sacrifice some little thing.\nIt is said in Shantideva's text that studying Dharma is the cause\nto freedom from suffering. To achieve ultimate enlightenment,\nultimate happiness, why can't we do that? Others in samsara, they\neven sacrifice their life for their achievements, but that becomes\na cause only for suffering. So see that. As flowers were offered\nto the eyes of enlightenment, perfumes are offered to the Buddha's\nmind because perseverance is the heart of enlightenment. Perfect\ngenerosity, moral ethics, patience, samadhi, wisdom -these all\ndepend on perseverance. Without joyous effort none of these can be\naccomplished, so it is the heart, the essence. Meditate that by\nthis offering, may all sentient beings progress in their\nattainment of the qualities of enlightenment.\nOFFERING DELICIOUS FOOD - Samadhi\nSeventh is the offering of delicious food which has a lot of\ndifferent tastes. The delicious, excellent quality of food\nsignifies samadhi, which is a nectar or ambrosia to feed the mind.\nThis is an offering to the tongue of the enlightened beings, the\nBuddhas and Bodhisattvas. Samadhi is also the source of all the\nsiddhis like clairvoyance. There are two different types of\nclairvoyance -- ordinary clairvoyance is usually from other\nlifetimes. The other type is special insight clairvoyance, which\nwe achieve this lifetime through meditation practice. Flying in\nthe sky, different types of miracle power, these can all be\nachieved through samadhi, the virtuous one-pointed mind. The very\nstable mind, one-pointed, clear, calm, peaceful mind of samadhi\nbecomes a basis to achieve all the enlightenment qualities. Food\nsymbolizes samadhi because eating food maintains this body, and\nsamadhi is a kind of food that maintains the mind as well as the\nphysical body. When you achieve any kind of samadhi, it is the\nfruition of the effort you made before, and it can also become a\npath to get higher fruition. Generally, when we eat nutritious\nhealthy food, it makes our health better. So if we have the\nnutritious food of samadhi, it keeps the health of the mind. It\nmakes the mind healthy, clear, calm and peaceful. By making this\noffering of delicious food, may all sentient beings have the\nhealth which results from the samadhi food. May all sentient\nbeings have the samadhi nature, quality.\nOFFERING OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS - Wisdom\nLast is the offering of musical instruments. There are\ndifferent types of instruments -- cymbals, bells, guitars, lutes -\n- all of these are offered. Their nature is wisdom, which makes an\noffering to the ears of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and all the\nenlightened beings. Sound represents wisdom because wisdom is a\nspecial power of the mind which penetrates phenomena. Compassion\nis achieved through great wisdom; interdependence of all phenomena\nis realized through great wisdom. of course all phenomena have the\nnature of interdependence, causes and conditions, but sound is\nespecially easy to understand. If you play a guitar, what does the\nsound depend on? it does not come just from the piece of wood, the\nstring, not from the finger. So where does it come from? It comes\nfrom all these things, none alone is sufficient to produce the\nsound. That nature is called illusion. We can hear the Sound, but\nit has no independent existence. So we should see all sound having\nthat nature. It just comes and goes like an echo. That\nrealization is wisdom, and through that realization we can attain\nsupermundane quality. May the wisdom, that quality of the\nsupermundane, arise within the minds of all sentient beings and\nfree them from all confusion and ignorance. May they achieve\nenlightenment.\nQ & A\nQ. - Should the bowls be emptied every evening?\nA. - Yes, when you empty them, you should meditate on\nimpermanence. Now all the enlightened beings are fully\nsatisfied. Dedicate the merit accumulation of making these\nofferings to all sentient beings. May all those beings also\nbecome Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, free from confusion and\nsuffering.\nQ. - Do you have to have actual flowers, or can I use rice or\nwater?\nA. - Buddha said that there are so many different levels of\nmeditation practice. from 100% to 1%. So all this we can do\ndepending on the individual practitioner. But even the 1%, we\nshould do it - it's better than nothing. When we make offering\nby filling all the bowls with rice, it is wonderful. The Buddha\nsaid that even if you take one piece of flower and throw it in\nthe air while focusing on the Buddha, that will become a cause\nfor freedom from samsara.\nQ. - Some people make it very elaborate and elegant, expensive\nlooking. others have simple white bowls with water.\nA. - No matter what, you have to have a pure motivation. This is\nvery important. With pure motivation, any offering you make is\ngood. Expensive is great because you sacrifice a lot of things\nfor that offering. but if you do not have pure motivation, like\ndoing it to show wealth, then maybe it's not so pure. We work\nthis entire life, so for us these things mean so much. When we\nmake an offering of them to the enlightened beings, it has\nmeaning for us. We sacrifice that part of our life. In this\nway, offering becomes a special meditation practice.\n(An edited transcript of a talk given by Khenpo Konchog Gyaltsen\nRinpoche on May 1, 1993 at the Tibetan Meditation Center,\npublished in \"The Dharma Wheel\", Summer, 1993)","title":"Talk by Khenpo Konchog Gyaltsen Rinpoche (5/1/1993)","type":"page"}