Material: Copper. Relief.

Size: 16 cm base

Description:

Mandala Offering is an important offering ritual in Tibetan Buddhism. By offering a mandala (usually a cosmic vessel or sand painting), one accumulates merit, purifies karma, and expresses reverence for the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha).

**1. The Role of Mandala Offering in Buddhist Ritual**

Mandala Offering is a common practice in Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana), particularly in the Ngöndro (preliminary practices), as a crucial means of accumulating merit and wisdom. Its role includes the following:

1. **Accumulating Merit and Purifying Karmic Obstacles**

- Offering a mandala is a symbolic offering in which practitioners offer the entire universe (including the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, earth, and precious treasures) to the Buddha, Bodhisattvas, Guru, or the Three Jewels as an expression of selfless generosity. This offering is believed to quickly accumulate merit and eliminate inner obstacles such as greed, hatred, and delusion.

- In preliminary practice, practitioners are often instructed to repeat the mandala offering 100,000 times to deepen their devotion and lay the foundation for subsequent tantric practice.

2. **Practical Meditation and Visualization**

- During the mandala offering process, practitioners are required to visualize the structure of the universe, viewing the mandala as a pure land or a microcosm of the universe. This visualization helps practitioners transcend worldly attachments and realize the truths of impermanence and emptiness.

- Through repeated offerings and mantras, practitioners cultivate mindfulness and concentration, strengthening their connection with their deity or guru.

3. **Expressing Devotion and Devotion**

- Offering a mandala is a sincere offering to the guru, the Three Jewels, or the deity, demonstrating the practitioner's determination to dedicate themselves and everything in the universe to the Dharma. This act symbolizes letting go of the self and relying on the wisdom and compassion of the Dharma.

4. **Sacred Practices in Ritual**

- Offering mandalas are often used in important Buddhist rituals, such as initiations, pujas, or longevity prayers. Practitioners may use metal or wooden mandalas, along with rice, gemstones, or other offerings, to make offerings.

**II. The Origin of Offering Mandalas**

The origins of offering mandalas are closely tied to the Tantric tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, tracing its roots back to the offering rituals and Tantric cosmology of ancient India. The following is its historical background:

1. **Ancient Indian Offering Tradition**

- In ancient Indian Buddhism, offerings were a crucial part of practice. Devotees often offered flowers, incense, lamps, and fruit to the Buddha or stupas. With the rise of Tantric Buddhism, the content and form of offerings became more symbolic, with the mandalas becoming a symbolic tool for offering to the universe.

- Tantric texts (such as the Mahavairocana Sutra) state that the mandalas represent the structure of the universe, and offering a mandalas is equivalent to offering the essence of the entire universe.

2. **The Development of Tibetan Buddhism**

- The practice of offering mandalas became a core practice in Tibetan Buddhism after being introduced to Tibet by Guru Padmasambhava in the 8th century. While spreading tantra, Guru Padmasambhava taught his disciples how to purify the mind and accumulate merit through offering mandalas.

- In all four major Tibetan Buddhist traditions (Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, and Gelug), offering mandalas is an essential component of preliminary practices, with particular emphasis in the Nyingma and Gelug traditions.

3. **The Place of Mandalas in Preliminary Practice**

- Offering mandalas is incorporated into the Tibetan Buddhist preliminary practices (Ngöndro), a set of preparatory exercises for entering higher tantric practices. Other preliminary practices include taking refuge, generating bodhicitta, reciting the Vajrasattva Hundred-Syllable Mantra, and guru yoga. The practice of offering mandalas is believed to help practitioners purify their minds and prepare them for receiving profound tantric teachings.

**III. Stories of Offering Mandalas**

Many legends and stories are associated with offering mandalas in Tibetan Buddhism, reflecting their sacredness and practical value. The following are several representative stories:

1. **Guru Padmasambhava and the Mandalas Offering**

- Legend has it that when Guru Padmasambhava founded Samye Monastery in Tibet, he taught his disciples to offer mandalas to appease local evil spirits and create auspicious conditions for the spread of Buddhism. He instructed his disciples to create mandalas from colored sand and offer them during the ritual, symbolizing the dedication of the entire universe to the Dharma.

- During a major Buddhist ceremony, Guru Padmasambhava personally performed the mandalas offering ceremony, which is said to have triggered auspicious visions from the sky, demonstrating the powerful merit of the offering.

2. **Tsongkhapa and the Promotion of the Gelugpa School**

- Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelugpa school, emphasized the importance of preliminary practices, including the offering of mandalas. He taught his disciples to purify their karma by offering mandalas 100,000 times as a preparation for entering the Kalachakra practice.

- Many of Tsongkhapa's disciples gained profound spiritual experiences through offering mandalas, and some are said to have seen manifestations of the deity during the offering process.

3. **Modern Stories of Mandalas Offering**

- In modern times, many Tibetan Buddhist masters (such as the Dalai Lama and Trigrand Rinpoche) teach Western disciples to offer mandalas during their global teachings. For example, when teaching Kalachakra initiations, the Dalai Lama often requires his disciples to complete 100,000 mandalas offerings as a foundation for practice.

- A touching story tells of a Western disciple who, after completing 100,000 mandalas offerings, experienced a profound inner transformation and saw Avalokitesvara in a dream, demonstrating the spiritual power of the offering.

**4. Specific Practices of Mandalas Offering**

The ritual of offering mandalas has strict rules and often requires specific instruments and mantras. The following are the main steps and their symbolic meaning:

1. **Mandala Plate Utensils**

- Practitioners typically use a round metal or wooden mandala plate, divided into layers to symbolize the structure of the universe (such as Mount Sumeru, the four continents, the sun and the moon, etc.).

- Offerings, such as rice, gems, shells, or grains, are placed on the mandala plate to represent the wealth and treasures of the universe.

2. **Offering Steps**

- **Preparation**: Practitioners first cleanse the mandala plate and visualize the deity or guru. A small amount of spices (such as saffron) is often applied to the plate to purify it.

- **Filling with Offerings**: Practitioners place rice or other offerings layer by layer on the mandala plate while visualizing the various parts of the universe (such as Mount Sumeru, the four continents, the seven treasures, etc.). Each filling is accompanied by a specific mantra, such as "Om Ah Hum." - **Offering**: The practitioner raises the mandala plate, facing the Buddha statue or guru, chants an offering mantra (such as the "Mandala Offering Mantra"), and visualizes offering the entire universe to the Three Jewels.

- **Conclusion**: After the offering, the practitioner pours out the offering, symbolizing impermanence and letting go of attachment. The offerings are sometimes collected and placed on an altar or given as alms to others.

3. **Symbolism**

- The process of offering the mandala plate symbolizes the selfless dedication of worldly possessions (wealth, desires, and self) to the Dharma, embodying the highest form of generosity.

- Repeating the offering helps practitioners cultivate generosity, humility, and selflessness, while strengthening their understanding of the impermanence of the universe.

4. **Mantra and Visualization**

- Commonly used offering mantras include "Om Benza Mandala Pudza Mega Samaya Ah Hum," which enhances the blessing power of the offering. - Visualizations may include viewing the mandala plate as the deity's pure land, or offering the beauty of the universe to the guru and the Three Jewels.

**V. The Symbolic Meaning of Offering a Mandala Plate**

Offering a mandala plate is not only a ritual but also a profound practice. Its symbolic meanings include:

- **Microcosm of the Universe**: The mandala plate represents the complete structure of the universe. Offering a mandala plate is equivalent to dedicating all beauty to the Dharma, embodying selflessness and generosity.

- **Teachings on Impermanence**: The act of emptying the mandala plate after offering reminds practitioners of the impermanent nature of all things and helps them let go of attachment.

- **Unity of Wisdom and Compassion**: Through offering, practitioners connect with the wisdom and compassion of the deity, laying the foundation for realizing Buddhahood.

- **Accumulating Merit**: Offering a mandala plate is considered a powerful way to accumulate merit (virtue) and wisdom, preparing for the practice of higher-level tantras such as Kalachakra.

**VI. Conclusion**

The offering of a mandala is a sacred and profoundly meaningful ritual in Tibetan Buddhism. By symbolically offering to the universe, practitioners purify their karma, accumulate merit, and deepen their reliance on the Dharma. Originating from the ancient Indian tradition of offering, it has evolved into a crucial component of preliminary practice within Tibetan Buddhism. From Guru Padmasambhava to Tsongkhapa, and on to the modern global teaching, offering a mandala remains a core practice in Tantric Buddhism, embodying profound teachings on impermanence, generosity, and enlightenment.