Offerings

Last week I wrote a little bit about generating  a mind of gratitude that understands our interconnectedness with all beings before delving into a meal. Many Buddhists say prayers or do specific offering or other visualisation practices before eating. Following are five contemplations that are recited and examined at Sravasti Abbey before a meal.

Five Contemplations  Before Meals

1. I contemplate how much positive potential I have accumulated in order to receive this food given by others.
2. I contemplate my practice, constantly trying to improve it.
3. I contemplate my mind, cautiously guarding it from wrongdoing, greed, and other defilements.
4. I contemplate this food, treating it as wondrous medicine to nourish my body.
5. I contemplate the aim of Buddhahood, accepting and consuming this food in order to accomplish it. 

Pretty amazing, eh? They also say a variety of prayers while imagining that the food becomes blissful nectar that transmits wisdom to those who consume it. They then offer the nectar to a small Buddha visualised at their heart chakras. 

Food offering  is one of the oldest Buddhist practices and can take the form of offering food to monks and nuns, those in need, or animals. Offerings are also made in sometimes elaborate rituals to Buddhas and the like, not because the Buddhas are going to eat them but as a mind training practice for ourselves. These practices assist us in developing a mind of generosity and in loosening the grasp of attachment. If you look closely you will often see Buddhist altars decorated with food offerings. Cookies/biscuits, fruit and chocolates are probably the most common. During specific ceremonies intricate sculptures are made of butter and flour. 

One time I helped prepare for a special Tibetan Buddhist ceremony for which food offerings were integral. I went to a local market and picked up yummy foods including dried pasta and jarred sauce, peanut butter and vegetables as well as the usual sweet  treats. My offerings elicited some smiles and laughter, but they were true offerings from the heart and we were able to donate them to a local food bank afterward. Venerable Thubten Chodron explains the practice of offering further in this article.

A good beginning offering practice is the offering of water. Water is something most of us have at home so it is easy to offer. The practice is to find some sort of clean containers and each morning fill the bowls with water while offering it to the Buddhas and Boddhisattvas. In the more advanced practice each of 7 bowls is filled with water while one visualises a variety of offerings (flowers, incense, music, water for drinking, water for washing, food, and light). The  bowls are then emptied and cleaned at the end of the day. Here is an article from the Tara Institute that explains the practice of keeping an altar at home including the water bowl offering practice. 

Another offering practice might be to offer food to people or animals in need, your elderly neighbour or a friend who hasn't been well.

Practice: Let's try some offering practice this week. Even if you don't feel comfortable with the concept of offering food or water to imagined Buddhas, try visualising yourself giving the food to those in need. You might even wish for those in need to have food and drink materialise for them. Do you think these practices will assist us in loosening our attachment? I am going to try....

p.s. I came across this fun little article about one woman's realisation about her Nutella fixation. Enjoy! :) 

Have a great week!

Dharma Mama