50 How To Make Extensive Offerings 04-May-2004

Lama Zopa Rinpoche describes the motivation, visualizations, and dedications for making our offerings expansive. With a bodhicitta motivation, we should visualize that we are offering all the offerings in all FPMT centers on behalf of all sentient beings to the ten-direction Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, thinking that their essence is the root virtuous friend.
Rinpoche goes into detail about incense offerings and describes how they can become a means for healing illnesses. He says that most sicknesses are related to spirits. He explains how reciting Hayagriva and Vajrapani mantras can cure cancer because Vajrapani-Hayagriva-Garuda protects sentient beings from nagas’ harms. He also relates a story about how Guru Padmasambhava did an incense puja to protect Songtsen Gampo and his wife from sickness due to pollution. After the puja, they were completely healed.
Rinpoche describes the visualization for offering the bell. He says that after offering the bell to the guru, when you ring it again, all the hell beings hear the sound and realize emptiness. Again, as you ring the bell, all the pretas, animals, human beings, sura, asura, and intermediate stage beings hear it and realize emptiness.
Rinpoche describes the offering mandala with the golden earth, golden base, four continents, and Mount Meru. He says that it becomes a pure land, and you should visualize it as whichever pure land you want to be reborn in. Then, you think that sentient beings are born there, receive teachings from the buddha of that pure land, and become enlightened. Rinpoche emphasizes that the minute you visualize the mandala offering, you must offer it immediately.
Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at fpmt.org/