Here is a visual to aid in my description of the offering ritual

The Teacher of the Dharma Needs Donations

ཕེབས་པར་དགའ་བསུ་ཞུ། (good fortune),

I think I may have been onto something in my last letter to everyone. Prosperity IS in our near future! As I am sure some of you know by now, either through our village yak or the messenger themselves, we have good news. The lama has actually decided to visit our village! I cannot believe this is happening to all of us. Honestly, I was starting to think that we have committed such terrible karma acts that we would never be able to escape their negative karmic effects. I am glad to see that I was wrong.

Tragedy has officially ended in our village and we all need to prepare and welcome the happiness. However, I think before the community moves on in preparation of this event, it is crucial for all of us to acknowledge the work of our astounding scholars. The beautifully written letter requesting the Lama to travel to our village was clearly convincing. If it were not for them making this offering on behalf of our community, we may not be presented with this joyous occasion today. To all the scholars out there, I hope you rejoice in your positive karmic effects.

Since the announcement from the village messenger, I have been running around frantic trying to figure out what will be required for the lama’s visit. Growing up outside of Tibet with my poor lay family, this opportunity was never presented to me. The Sangha at the Pemakochung monastery has informed me that the community has to work diligently to assemble all of the traditional offerings and preparations befitting such a visit. These contributions include tormas, food offerings, chalk drawings of the eight auspicious symbols, an offering mandala, dharma texts, a throne for him to sit on and wealth. When I heard a few weeks ago that there may be a chance that the Lama is coming to our village, I hand crafted him a mandala. I know that I am not a ritualist, but I would like to learn how to properly offer this creation to the Lama when he arrives at the monastery. The ritualists in the community, specifically my dear friend Chogyam Dorje, came to the monastery one evening to share his ritual knowledge with me. It did not occur to me that the ritual of offering a mandala was so extensive and elaborate. In the next paragraph, I will go in detail about the encounter and the ritual.

You start by taking some grain in your left hand and holding the mandala at its base. Afterward, you take grain with your opposite hand and put it on the same place. Subsequently, you spread clockwise three times with your forearm, while tipping the grain away from you. Once that is completed, you take the grain and place it upon the base again. This time, you spread clockwise three times with your forearm while leaning the grain toward yourself. After this, you place the first ring on the base of the mandala. Then, you take more grain and sprinkle it around the inside of this ring. This ring and everything it encompasses, demonstrates locations of precious Buddhist areas. After you coordinate where these areas are, you place the second ring on top of the grain filled first ring. This ring encompasses the items of the precious wheel. Once this is accomplished, continue on the inner area of the second ring. These eight signify the eight goddesses carrying eight distinctive types of offerings. In the last step, you place the third ring on the grain filled second ring (you can see a pattern is emerging) and the banner of victory facing you to receive blessing power from the Buddhas and Boddhisattvas. You complete the offering by indicating to whom you are offering the mandala. An example given to me was “to my glorious, holy and most kind guru…” I have attached a photo of what this procedure looks like in case the layperson is interested.

I am sure that after reading these ritual instructions, you are all overly astounded about the lengths ritualists go to in our community. Every intricate motion and detail in the ritual aids in performing specific and meaningful duties. I do hope that the Lama will appreciate this form of dana and I will do the ritual justice upon his arrival.

In addition to the mandala I hand crafted for the Lama, I have also donated 10 gold, 10 pieces of art and 10 building in hopes that this will be sufficient for the Lama’s happiness. The 10 building I have donated will go toward building him a throne. I have attached to my letter a photo of what my aspiring throne will look like. The builders and I have yet to come together in the village to tackle this venture. I am hoping that we will be able to complete this task prior to his immediate arrival.

The Lama throne I would like to replicate

Anyway, I should get back to my attempts at this ritual. I want to make sure that it is faultless for the venerable being. He deserves at least that since he is providing us the opportunity to atone for our ten negative actions of body, mind and speech.

Remember to keep a pure mind!

Dainin Daeshim