Offering (Buddhism)


In Buddhism, symbolic offerings are made to the Triple Gem, giving rise to contemplative gratitude and inspiration. Typical material offerings involve simple objects such as a lit candle or oil lamp, burning incense, flowers, food, fruit, water or drinks.
Within the traditional Buddhist framework of karma and rebirth, offerings lead to the accumulation of merit, which leads to:
These offerings often act as preparation for meditation.

Theravada practices

Material offerings nurture generosity and virtue. The act further honors the Triple Gem, deepening one's commitment to the Buddha's path. For instance, traditional chants when offering lit candles and incense to an image of the Buddha are:


Similarly, a traditional Pali incense-lighting verse speaks of the Buddha's "fragrant body and fragrant face, fragrant with infinite virtues."
By contemplating on an offering, one tangibly sees life's impermanence, one of the three characteristics of all things upon which the Buddha encouraged his disciplines to recollect. For instance, the end of a traditional chant when offering flowers to an image of the Buddha is:

Mahayana practices

Mahayana material offerings might be imbued with the following symbology:
In Northern Buddhism, sacred images have set before them:
In some traditions, two different types of offerings are identified:
In this context, material offerings are considered external offerings of "words and deeds."
Practice offerings may be manifested by practicing:
In the Pali Canon, the Buddha declared practice offerings as "the best way of honoring the Buddha" and as the "supreme" offering. This is primarily an internal offering for mental development.