“Mandala Offering”

Young People’s Programme – Sunday 9 March 2008 by Geshe Tenzin Zopa

Short Mandala Prayer

Sa zhi pö kyi jug shing me tog tram

The ground, anointed with perfume, strewn with flowers

Ri rab ling zhi nyi dä gyän pa di

Adorned with Mount Meru, four continents, the sun and the moon

Sang gyä zhing du mig te ül wa yi

I imagine this as a Buddha-field and offer it

Dro kün nam dag zhing la chö par shog

May all living beings enjoy this pure land

For Mandala Offering, you will need

  • Mandala Set (container)
  • Precious Jewels (beads or rice)
  • Cloth

Preparation

  • Sit cross-legged with space in the middle of your legs
  • Make sure you are comfortable
  • Tie cloth around neck to form a diamond shape
  • Spread cloth over your leg and in front of you
  • Pour precious jewels into the cloth

Mudra Blessing of Mandala Base

This special blessing is to purify the mandala base and to create it into a urn that is solid, vast and infinite – as strong and hard as a vajra – to enable it to hold the entire universe

  • Hold up-turned mandala base with your left hand
  • Place your right thumb in the centre of the mandala base
  • Stretch your right forefinger out to touch the edge of the base (at 12 O’clock)
  • Turn finger clock-wise, moving three times and recite “Om – Ah – Hum”
  • Twist finger anti-clockwise down to the edge of the base (at 6 O’clock)
  • Move finger three times clock-wise, reciting “Om – Ah – Hum”
  • This will purify and bless your mandala base

Cleansing and Receiving of Blessing

Rubbing the base of the Mandala with your wrist will active your channels

Cleansing

  • Take a handful of precious jewels in your left hand and then hold the up-turned Mandala base with this hand (while precious jewels are still in your palm)
  • Rest the Mandala base on your navel and tilt the Mandala base downwards away from you
  • With your right hand, you take a handful of precious jewels and use your wrist rub around the Mandala base clock-wise at least three times (until you feel comfortable), while gradually releasing the precious jewels onto the base and allowing it to fall back into your cloth
  • While performing the above action, visualize that you are purifying yourself from attachment, anger, ignorance and all negative behaviour

Receive all the blessings

  • Repeat the above but rub the Mandala base with your wrist anti clock-wise and tilt the Mandala base inwards towards yourself
  • While performing the above action, visualize that you are receiving all the blessings to open your mind, like wisdom, compassion and others

Short Mandala Offering*

After blessing the container and blessing yourself, you are ready to make the Mandala offering to the Buddhas

Actions and Visualization

  • Take a small handful of precious jewels in your left hand and then hold the up-turned Mandala base with this hand (while precious jewels are still in your palm)
  • Rest the Mandala base on your navel to ensure it is stable
  • While peforming the following actions below, visualize the perfect, precious entire universe (animals, mountains, oceans, kingdoms). Offer everything to the Buddhas who will be there to receive your offering
  • Take a handful of precious jewels and scatter onto the Mandala base
  • Take the first Mandala ring and put it on top of the Mandala base
  • Pour 7 large handfuls of precious jewels into the first Mandala ring (while visualizing what you are offering each time you scatter the precious jewels onto the mandala base)
  • Each handful of precious jewels should be placed in the following direction onto the Mandala base
  • Mount Meru – Centre
  • East Continent – Top
  • South Continent – Right
  • West Continent – Bottom
  • North Continent – Left
  • Sun – Inner Right
  • Moon – Inner Left
  • Put the crown (Mount Meru) on top of the precious jewels in the centre
  • If the crown displaces some of the precious jewels, top-up with another large handful of precious jewels (the Mandala ring should always be over-flowing)
  • Recite the Mandala Prayer (Short Mandala above) and visualize your offering of everything to Buddha
  • Upon completion of the Mandala offering, tip the precious jewels towards you back into the cloth and visualize yourself receiving all the blessings from Buddha
  • Pack-up your Mandala set by wrapping everything together inside the cloth and securing it with the string

*Note : The Long Mandala includes 38 offerings

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