Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 45-minute teaching, Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen addresses the second preparatory practice: arranging offerings honestly and beautifully. He establishes that any spiritual practice—from giving food to advanced tantric work—must be conjoined with bodhicitta (the motivation to achieve enlightenment for all beings) to become a path to Buddhahood. He then explores honest offering: the object must not come from wrong livelihood or deception, and the motivation must not aim for fame or samsaric benefit. Through contrasting stories, including Puchungwa Rinpoche and a master who scattered dust on his altar upon recognizing his corrupted motivation, he shows why inner intention outweighs material value. The teaching covers practical details: water bowl arrangements, light offerings (better at night), and that mental offerings—visualizing flowers in a park—count fully when conjoined with bodhicitta.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 03 LR 1995 05 28.mp3
UUID: 8ae9b972-6021-497e-9d85-567d05065c82
Teacher: Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen
Collection: Lam Rim 1995 Jan-Dec (Geshe Dhawa Gyaltsen)
Date: 1995-05-28
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 45.2 minutes
Words: ~3,530
From the teaching of master Asaṇga. In one of his teachings where we taught discipline, he explains the master explains that saying all those past Buddhists, like all the Buddhas of the three time three times have have achieved this fully enlightened state through through practicing the six perfections. They are like all of them, all of those past Buddhas, past, like, past, present, and future, all have to achieve the full enlightened state only through practicing the six perfections. So these are like these are practices that are giving and so on. These are the, like, the ten perfections.
There are six also known as ten perfections. If these are if these practices are conjoined with the thought of bodhicitta, then then it becomes the practice of Bodhisattvas. Even those of the other beings like the Hearers and the Pratyekabuddha, They do also practice the practice of giving, the practice of morality, and so on. But because their practice is not conjoined with the thought of bodhicitta, their practice doesn’t become the cause for fully enlightened state. So any practice that we do, like, as an example of giving and so on, in order for that practice to become the cause of fully enlightened state, it has to be this practice has to be conjoined with the thought of So if if this if all these practices would do that would what we do, if these practices are not conjoined with the bodhicitta, though what whatever high like, practice one does, like the highest, like, example, a Dzogchen practice or Mahāmudrā practice or the practice on generation stage and completion stage.
If these all are If these practice are not conjoined with the bodhicitta, then it doesn’t become, like, the cause for the fully enlightened state. And so when when if if not conjoined with the bodhicitta, then sometime it may also become a cause for other things instead of fully enlightened state. So so in brief, like, if it’s conjoined with the thought of bodhicitta, all our practice, then even giving of food to a bird, that that can be become a cause for Buddhahood. So so so we should try to generate bodhicitta, like, in any action that we do, any any practice that we do. So in short, once you try to generate this thought of with no one that I listen to the teachings, the teachings in order to achieve fully enlightened state for the sake of all mother sentient beings.
So generate this motivation. So so when we begin, we recited some prayers. That is like the reason of reciting this the the beginning prayers is that, like, as a Buddhist, whenever one start one’s practice, one first goes take refuge to the Three Jewels. So that that’s like the post prayers taking refuge to the Three Jewels. And then secondly, what we are practicing, the teachings that we are hearing is Mahāyāna’s teaching.
So for that, to listen to Mahāyāna’s teaching when it generates the thought of bodhicitta. So so they are, like, second lines that we recite, which is about bodhicitta. So so as one have one one have this choice whether one practice a religion or not, that totally depends on one. And and even, like, even if one is practicing a religion, then whether one does Buddhist or not, that also completely depends on one. Mhmm.
One has this choice. Once you once you start or begins to practice Buddhist Buddhism, then whether one is Buddhist or not, that is like a sort of like how you come to know is that whether the person has refuge or not. So so so that is how you come to know whether it’s the person is or not is that, yeah, whether the person goes refuge to Three Jewels or not. And then while one is reciting these lines, one has to visualize the refuge objects. So going into back to the last time, what Geshe-la explained, we explained about the six preparatory practice practices.
And and the purpose of the six, that is like a clean the room where you do your practice and arranging the altars. That is been explained. And now we come to the second one. That is So so today, Geshe la will explain starting from the second, which is, like, honestly arranging the offerings. Yeah.
And, like, honestly, arranging the offerings, like, beautifully. So here, honestly, that’s one. And then we are arranging it beautifully. There are two points. One is which these two, there is one is like honestly, there’s like there are some explanation on this, and then, like, one second is arranging it beautifully.
So so then, like, arranging it honestly honestly here means that they can again divide that into two. Like, the object that you offer, meaning to the object that you are making offering. And second, that is that the motivation, how you make the offerings, to the thoughts. So, like, the when the with the object that you are making off of. If if if the object is occurred or, like, from doing wrong wrong things, then that is, like, another dishonest object.
So so then if you look to this, like, with the object, for example, like, those who are those who have taken the ordinations, like, those who are those who are known as the novice the fully monks. For them, they are, like, sort of they are, like, explain saying that there are five wrong livelihood. If you if you bring or acquire things within these five different wrong actions, then it is regarded that object from, like, what do say, wrong wrong object to use for offerings. So so then for the for the lei, those who haven’t received the ordinations, if they if they use those objects, which is by cheating others, like, for example, cheating others, for example, like selling if you use the So if you if one is to use, like, the money that you sell needs for offerings. And secondly, like, when you you know, what do you say?
When you when you when you weight some things. When you when when you are selling, you weight usually the things. And if you put less when you are selling, then use those money like the profits for offerings. These are all sort of the same wrong objects we have to use for offerings. So in the in the teachings in the Buddhist teachings, it says that those, like, money or the object those get from those things by cheating others are better not to offer to the like, better not to use as an offering object.
So this is there are many other explanations also, but he’s just making it short short. Giving this short explanation on this. So so then the next next with the thought or the motivation, how it’s wrong, is that that if one, like, arranged the the offerings beautifully to, say, to impress others or or for fame or reputation, then that is, again, that that motivations with that motivation, So so, like, whatever offerings that one is making in that time, if one’s motivation is just to gain fame or to impress others or if it’s conjoined with the practice of the eight worldly dharmas, then that motivations is also polluted, sort of not right, wrong motivations. So even like if you are if you are making these offerings, thinking that not to to have sickness in this life or or not to have sickness or have have a long life in this life. With that of that type of motivations, also with that kind of motivation also regarded not so good.
So so there was this story in the teaching saying that one of the Rinpoche called Puchungwa Rinpoche. At that at that time, was that Rinpoche was very poor. And once he went to to a family to make some offerings to to to perform some rituals. So while he was while he performed the ritual, he got some offerings from performing the rituals. And then and then he uses because he’s very poor, he used that money for for making setting up the offerings.
He used it for offerings. And and as a result, in his future life, he was by doing that he was born as very wealthy. So so similar, there’s another story saying with, And it’s also another practice. Happened that at that time, one of his sponsors visiting that practice, this. And and because of that, he, like, he set up he cleaned up his altar and set up more offerings on the altar to to impress his his sponsors.
So So he did like, all he did with the cleaning and everything, setting up the offerings are conjoined with the thought of eight eight worldly dharmas. So because of that and then later on, he he somehow noticed that he himself continue what he have done there. So he, like, would say, grab a handful of dust and then throw onto the altar. So so so there’s there’s another another master named Padampa Sangye, and he knew this that the has, like, throw a handful of dust to the to what he has, like, actually, to the to the mouth of eight worldly dharmas. And and then he knew that, like, the other Padampa Sangye, that’s the master.
And then he so from at that time, prays. In that moment, he prays and saying that in Tibet, up to now, the best offering that I’ve seen is the offering of. That’s what yeah. Somewhat he prays. So so these two stories that are the the first story that and then the second story, these two has, like, a difference with their motivations.
So so the the difference between motivations and same thing with us when we make some offerings. Shouldn’t like it shouldn’t be conjoined with the thought of this eight and also shouldn’t be only for the benefit of oneself to achieve higher state. If just even doing that like aiming to have a high state for high rebirth for one. If one does the offerings, it’s not regarded the best. So whatever offerings if one if one whatever offering one makes.
If like just like one stick of incense. If that is like conjoined with the actual bodhicitta, then that is what you got the best offerings. And also there’s the offering with the total bodhicitta and offering without the total bodhicitta. If you compare these two, then it’s a big difference. So then, secondly, like like honestly, like using honest object.
Then second is arranging it beautifully. Arranging it beautifully should be arranging beautifully. Some may think that don’t need to look beautiful and just put everywhere. That’s that’s not that’s not right. So so the way how you arrange the shapes and how straight and all this has to be has to be right.
So if one the reason if one to arrange it beautifully then this like the offerings if one to arrange it beautifully the offerings then it becomes a cause for one of for these different marks of the like all the signs of the Buddhist in our future life. When we achieve come to achieve this enlightened state, Buddha would one one have this like the thirty major marks and sixty minor marks. So this becomes cause for that. So when when one is arranging the offerings, like, oneself has to do the offerings, not that you left somebody else. So if you do other way around like you spend all the cost for the offering things, and if you let someone else arrange the offerings, that is like actually the merit of offering the altars or the offerings.
It’s actually who does who makes the offering. He gets he or she gets the offerings. I’m sorry. Or she gets the merits of offering the objects. So at the time when Atisha wasn’t Tibet, when he was very old, one of his well, because he was Atisha was very old that one of his student asked Atisha saying that, can I help you arranging the water bottles?
And then Atisha told him that you want to take the of the food, something like that. That’s what Atisha told to his. So, whatever one makes offerings, one should do by oneself. And one should use one’s hand to make all these offerings. So so whatever level of offerings one makes, one accumulates that level of merits or positive actions.
So same thing when you are like giving some food to a beggar or to the poor person, then if you do it by yourself, like give some food to the beggar with respect. If you give it to the beggar or the poor one, then even the action is very little. One one may accumulate a great merit, which becomes a cause for fully enlightened state. So shouldn’t like when you give some foods to the beggars or to the poor persons, it shouldn’t be like throwing food to a dog or something like with disrespect way. So if you want to do that, that means one is not sure whether there is more positive action than one is doing it or more negative action.
So if one has enough to make offerings, if want to have enough, then one should make the best that want to have to the offering to refuge objects. So, like for example, in case of light offerings, we are just offering, what do you say, the light, not the, the, what do you call the, the material things, not the oil or things like that. We are offering actually the light. So cause actual material causes can be any bottle or oil or any kind. So so often the light offerings, making a light offerings.
For example, again, it’s better if one it had it’s better when you make offerings in the evening, in the night. Because what actually light does is illuminates the darkness. So it’s regarded better when you make it in the night. So if is if one doesn’t don’t have object to make offerings or if one is very poor, then even then, one shouldn’t one shouldn’t feel that I don’t have any object to make offerings. So as long as one has the faith or the conviction, then there are many object that you can make offerings.
So for example, as in like when one is just thinking of making water bottle offerings, and the water that one offers that is explained like the waters which having like eight qualities, eight kind of qualities, and then by offering these orders which have the eight qualities, one receives eight positive actions. So with the qualities of the water, it has to be clear, clean, and then smooth, and which is good for the stomach. Is not harmful while you’re drinking So these are eight different qualities, and if you want to make this order with these eight qualities, as a result one gets eight positive actions. So to make an water bowl offering doesn’t mean that one need to have like a particular like this kind of Autopilot here? So one doesn’t need to have this type of looking water bowl here that we see here.
This story that one of the master in Tibet, known as he he was he does a retreat and close by ceremony. And at that time he was very poor. He don’t have any like container to offer to make offerings. So he uses his own like a bowl for his whatever he uses, the bowl that he use for himself. He use that to make offerings like to make water offerings.
That he cleans it that very well and then makes that for like, use that for offering water. So and it’s also allowed that to to make offerings in the in the summertime, like, when they have all the when when they when there’s all the different fruits, flowers, and things like that. It’s when it’s grown outside, you can, like, mentally, like, take it and then make offerings. So sometimes when we go out into a park where you see beautiful flowers or nice trees with beautiful leaves and so on, if you make these, you just mentally imagine those that you are offering, then it’s okay. It’s allowed to use mental to make those offerings too with the thought of conjoining with the thought of bodhicitta.
So among the offerings like the like the material thing that you can make offerings. And then another offering is that the practice what you do is also a form offering that you can make. Among these two, the practice that you do is regarded better. So so it’s like the offerings, the practice what you do is is is the best form of offerings that you can you can do. But that doesn’t mean that one one shouldn’t like make the material offerings.
As long as one have material offerings, one should make that too. And then, like for example, they are like Shenzhen Bing who have been born as a universal king who is known as the very rich, wealthy ones. But then because of not making material offerings and being attached to their wealth and not giving it to others or having a strong miserliness and that stops one making offerings then result of that, result of this miserliness that one can again reborn as a poor like one who don’t have anything. One can be reborn as a very poor person or one who don’t have any wealth. So as long as one have enough wealth, then one should also make material offerings.
So when one is making the water bowl offerings, then one should clean very well the bowls. So, like, in Tibet, how when they make these audible offerings, like when they first in the morning they make it and then in the evening when they take it out, they like the first when they take the water out, they dry in the sun and then they like clean like they dry inside. They dry in the what is it? In the sun or on and clean it? So drying in the sun, if it’s like a like the balls that is like which have great light, when you draw in the sun because the reflection of that light.
If it’s something that reflects a strong light then it’s regarded not to to dry in the sun because they say that it harms some of the spirits and when it because of the light, reflection of the light, and if it harms to some of the spirit they get scared and then they come to harm people who owns the things. So it’s said not to try in the sun if that can give a strong reflection of light. So when you are setting up, then the, what do say, arranging in the it has to be equally set up, setting up the bolts all has to be equal gap in between. So it is said that if you to arrange the other balls too far, make big gap in between, it’s said that one become far, one become distant from one’s teacher. You, again, you touch if you you you like sort of touch the two balls together while you are arranging, then it says that one one come to be more like dull and foolish.
So it should be arranged in a straight line and then like one is arranging shouldn’t make the sound of touching each other. So how you arrange is that you first pour water into one of the water bottles, and then pour a little to another one, then accept the water bottles. So the reason that we don’t keep it empty, arrange empty in the beginning is that we need to pour some water and then you arrange the water bottles. And each water bottle will get a little bit of water in it. And the reason that is that not arranging it empty is that for example there’s this the master of Sera which is not living anymore but as he explained is that if you want to arrange it empty that means if you put something empty in front then it becomes some of the spirits known as like a smell eater or they make that as in their home.
It is coming. So then when you put like the empty, if you put just water on top then you destroy their homes. So that’s a negative action of destroying the home of those smell eaters or the spirits. So that’s why not to keep it empty when you’re So smell here means like who lives and smell. So when we die from here and go to next life, we go through the intermediate state of human beings.
So if it’s like a human intermediate beings, then they have like a their body is known as the wind body.