Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 45-minute teaching, Ven Jampa Ignyen covers mandala offerings through meticulous physical preparation and formal tantric commitment. The base—made from five cow-derived substances with saffron—should be at least one hand span, preferably larger; each grain beneath it generates karma for future rebirth as a universal monarch. Shape varies by practice: round and white for peaceful activities, square and yellow for prosperity, crimson for empowering work, and triangle for wrathful. Each preparation step—applying paste, cleaning, removing insects—perfects one of the six transcendent virtues. For those with highest yoga tantra initiation, mandala offerings are binding: six times daily. Practitioners may abbreviate using finger mudras or grains in hand, each grain representing a continent offered. Neglecting these commitments incurs serious negative karma.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 02 MO 1996 05 09.mp3
UUID: 0489fc88-584c-4c74-8619-9827e3f3e3a0
Teacher: Ven Jampa Ignyen
Collection: Mandala Offerings (Ven Jampa Ignyen)
Date: 1996-05-09
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 44.8 minutes
Words: ~1,885
The four continent and then the subcontinent or subcontinent, like visualizing thousand of them. So the visualizing thousand the first thousand and then and and then that thousand of that thousand is the second thousand. So so then the third the second thousand thousand of second thousand is the third thousand. So so total, like, becomes each one becomes a hundred billion. One hundred billion, I want to say, Mill, one hundred billion each, let’s say, continent, each four continent and each one of the subcontinent here.
So, the basis of the mandala can be made out of any any substance, earth, like stone or gold or any any any can be used. Any any base can be used here. So if you use a base as earth, then the earth should be free of all insects. So that will be explained again later in next teaching. So then size of the base in the text it says that it shouldn’t be smaller than the bowl that we use, like, which is the size of, what do you call it?
Hand span. So, in some text it it says that the smallest base should should be one So so so that’s explanations these explanations. So what the explanation that we’re using here is that we’ll uses the one hand span. And that is like twelve inch. And so is the size of the mandala, as it is said, the bigger the size of the base.
Bigger the size of the base is better. So because it says that the size of the base is bigger, it’s better because whatever atoms that it covers under the mandala base, each grain that is covered under the base that it is said that one, what is it, one creates a karma to be reborn as a universal king of the each grain that is under the under the mandala base. So, like, usually, the if if one is counting the mandala offerings or like the daily mandala offering, the base that you use daily for mandala offering, that one advised. It’s better to have bigger one than having an expensive one. So so because of that that Lama Tsongkhapa, when he made Mandal offering, he made the base as a stone, a stone based Mandal offering.
And the size of the stone is two arms in each each directions. So for the the shape of the the mandala the shape of the mandala are different according to the different practice. The round shape, the quintessential half moon shape, and then the square one. So Those who mainly perform performing the peaceful activities. For that, the round one, round base mandala, which is white color.
So, for those who practice mainly, the increase, the increase, increase which is for the increasing practice, Which is explained as a square based mandala, which is yellow. And then. So then those are the those who, are engaging in the practice of empowering, the empowering activities. For that one, it’s the crimson shape and with the red color. And then those who mainly engages in the practice of rattles, in the wrathful practice, it is the triangle shape.
So so therefore, those who mainly engage in wrathful practices, The base is triangle. The external shape of the mandala is triangle, there’s an inside circle. So the external shape is different, different, but the internal part is same for all which is found. So so these different mandala bases or mandala base according to different activities. So normally when we make mandala offerings, we need the ground base.
So now next is the benefit of making mandala offerings. So whatever the size of the base it might be, it may be first when you have the base, then you apply a paste that is made out of cow, you you use that pill and apply on on the surface. So using this substance that comes out of a cow and applying that on the surface perfects one of the perfections, makes one perfect one of the perfections. That is perfection of giving. So this substance, there are five substances.
The five substances which comes out of cow is, I’ll call it marche,, butter, milk, yogurt, And the cow dung. And the urine. And these, I would say, any I would say, doesn’t mean that any milk, any dung — it has to be fresh. So, if it’s the cow dung, the one is not fallen on the ground. And not that we just use that direct not just we wanna use the cow dung on the or apply the cow dung on the surface.
So so these five substances, you you prepare them and and then you prepare them where you make it into a pill. So then using that pill and applying on the surface makes the one perfection. So then keeping it clean, these five substances, and using the saffron together, making it clean, keeping it clean makes one perfect the perfection of morality. So then next, taking out all the insects and so on from the the amount of substance that you’re using makes you perfect the perfection of patience. So so so then engaging in the act of making mandala offering that perfects one perfects one perfection of effort.
So then next single-pointedly concentrating on each piling of the mandala heaps. that perfects one the perfection of concentration. So so then piling all the mandala heaps without mixing each other, like clearly on the mandala base perfects one perfects one the perfection of wisdom. So having or performing mandala with completeness, like as it has explained. That one come to purify the two obscurations.
That is the two obscurations and and also the fact that the accumulate the two accumulations that of the accumulation of merit and accumulation of wisdom. So these are the benefits and there are many other benefits. Will be explaining them. And this short mandala that there are two ways it is chanted. One word that you chant is visualizing all the continent and so on as a Buddha field and you offer.
And another line which is said that visualizing this continent and subcontinent and offering to the Buddhas. So there are two ways it is done. So so the first one which you visualize So so the first line which is that visualizing the whole mandala as a Buddha field and make offering to Buddhas. So when when when one visualize the continent and subcontinent as a Buddha field and offering to the Buddhas, which is the Buddha field that will be, which will achieve in the future when one achieves Buddhahood. So so as one make the offering, one should one should make also the prayers.
So so which bring in this way or making the mandala offering in this way which you purify the impure, I would say, to pure pure place, and you make often. So so then next line next another way of offering mandala is that you visualize all the continent and subcontinent and offer to the Buddha field. So, in this life, when one engages in the practice, where one performs extensive practice and if it happens that one finds difficulty in food and shelter. And so especially at that time when one having when one is doing the practice and if one finds difficulty in food and shelter, one should especially do the practice of mandala offerings, especially do the mandala offerings. And if one is to do the mandala offering, one will not face, it is said in the text, those difficulties.
So these are the benefits of, what to say, the advantage of making mandala offerings and they are also the disadvantage disadvantage of not making mandala offerings. So, who have received tantric initiations, highest yoga tantra initiations, they have to keep up their commitment. So so that in a tantra as commitment when you have tantra initiation you make mandala offering three times in the day and three times in the night. And if you break the commitments then it’s the negativity you receive from breaking that offering each time is like killing. So so then those as those who have taken the tantric highest yoga tantra initiations, like making the mandala offerings, if possible, then doing it in detail, making detailed mental offerings.
Not then just doing the six-session Guru Yoga practice where like doing three times in the morning, three times in the night serves six mandala offerings there. And then like doing the short one or taking the mandala mudrā which the fingers which the fingers symbolizing each finger symbolizing different continent and imagining all those and making And and similarly, while you you do the mudrā, inside if you keep some grain or rice in your hands, then at the same time if you imagine that you are offering the continent and the subcontinent, if you imagine that then each each grain serves each continent and each subcontinent, so you receive the merit of offering all all, like, the you you receive the merit of offering all the continents and subcontinents equal to the number of grains that you hold in your hands So that one has to make mandala six times according to tantra, one has to make mandala six times. And if you don’t make mandala six times, then each each time, like, according to tantra, you you yeah. Each time you receive, let’s say, So which you receive the negativity of breaking tantric vows, which is one of the tantric branch part, not the root one.
So, these are the benefits of making mandala offerings or the advantage of making mandala offerings and also the disadvantage of not making mandala offerings according to Tantra. And then the mandala base as it is explained, applying with the five substances that come out of cow mixed with the with the saffron. And and then and then those the grains or the the substance that you use for piling the heaps, which which possible then like gold, all those or semi precious stones that you can use. And you can also use grains. But as just, you can use grain and just completely white grains.
Explain that right. So so plain white rice is, let’s say, not right to make offerings, but you need to you you dye them with the saffron. Make it yellow. So so if you do that, if you then, like, there’s a benefit of offering mandala, one. And secondly, changing its color.
There’s a benefit. And also the scent is used as there’s a benefit of all this. So we are up to now piling up the mandalas, or piling the heaps, the different piling of the heaps, and this will be explained next week. So if you have any questions. So if you find difficult to if it’s difficult to find the cow substance from the cow the five substance from the cow, then or the pill, then it’s okay.
Yeah. He’s not saying just to use the. So, it’s like said that you use the saffron to color the grain. And amongst grains, for example, it is said how to say, to use yellow or red and white or black, not white. Not white to use as among those.