Offering is an important component in the
Tibetan Buddhism, and also the important daily rite of Tibetan Buddhist in
her/his whole life. In fact, it refers to provide offerings to various
deities.
Offerings can be divided into two types --
real estate and puja. There are two kinds of real estate: one is the disciples'
fortune and all the best things, and the other means the things that jointly
owned by human beings, including various precious deposits in the nature. Puja
offering includes all treasures in the world, the sun, the moon, the mountain,
even human beings' happiness, retribution, merits and virtues, etc. According to
the tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, the necessary offerings include eight items:
drinking water, washing water, flower, scent, lamp, unction, food and
instrument. Their specific symbolic meanings are as the following
correspondingly: offering drinking water to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for drink;
offering washing water to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for wash; offering all
beautiful colors to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for view; offering aromatic scent
of the world to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for smell; offering bright lamp to
Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for light, offering unction to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas
for the good contact of the world, offering food to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for
taste and offering musical instruments to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for
sound.
According to the Tibetan Buddhism, this is
the simplest offering method. More offerings, more merits and virtues
accumulated by people, and people will get more happiness in
future.