Make offerings and dedicate the merit
Offer something simple each morning, such as seven bowls of clean water, and end each practice by dedicating its good to all beings.
Why it works
Berzin records that when Atiśa came to Tibet he recommended offering water, because it was clean, plentiful and free, so no one was too poor to offer; the custom is seven bowls, for the seven limbs of the seven-limb prayer, set out in the morning and emptied later in the day, along with things like a little of the first tea. He insists that offerings be obtained without hypocrisy — for householders, from honest livelihood — and that state of mind matters more than the display: on a train you can still practise and imagine a clean place. Khenpo Shenga gives the frame that turns an action into Mahāyāna practice — bodhicitta at the beginning, resting without reference in the main part, and dedication at the end, offering whatever virtue was gathered toward all beings’ enlightenment.
How to do it
- Clean the place where you keep a picture or statue of the Buddha.
- Fill seven bowls, or even one, with clean water, set them out neatly, and offer them with the thought of making an offering to the Three Jewels.
- Offer a little of your first tea or a fresh flower if you like; keep food offerings from spoiling and eat them afterwards rather than throwing them away.
- Empty the water in the late afternoon or evening respectfully, for example onto plants or into a sink rather than a toilet.
- Begin each session by recalling why you practise — for others — and end it by dedicating whatever good has come of it to all beings’ awakening.
- If you cannot set anything out, imagine the offerings; Berzin’s point is that the attitude carries the practice.
Evidence
Atiśa’s recommendation of water offerings, the seven bowls linked to the seven-limb prayer, the daily routine, the eight qualities of water drawn from the Uttaratantra and the requirement that offerings be honestly obtained are from Berzin’s teaching on obtaining and arranging offerings. The three noble principles of beginning, main part and dedication are explained by Khenpo Shenga, who calls them the root of the Mahāyāna path. (anecdotal)
Arrangements and verses differ between lineages, and Berzin says the way of arranging the bowls is something to be shown in person. The more elaborate offering practices within ngöndro are taught by a teacher. None of this has been studied.
Sources
- Berzin, A. Obtaining and Arranging Offerings — The Six Preparatory Practices before Meditation. Study Buddhism (Berzin Archives).
- Khenpo Shenga. The Three Noble Principles (bodhicitta at the beginning, non-reference in the main part, dedication at the end), trans. Adam Pearcey, 2007. Lotsawa House.
Common mistake
Making the shrine the practice — buying elaborate offerings, feeling you cannot practise without them, or offering in the hope of a return. Berzin’s emphasis is that offerings be honestly obtained and that your state of mind, not the display, carries the practice.
Practice this with IX Coach
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