09 Extensive Offerings 14-Apr-2004

Lama Zopa Rinpoche discusses the extensive offerings that are being made at FPMT centers around the world and explains how to make charity by offering these on behalf of all sentient beings. In this way, every single offering becomes an offering from every single sentient being and they all gain merit. So, this becomes a great puja for the happiness of all sentient beings.Rinpoche says that each offering has ten benefits, but depending on which offering is made, the result is slightly different. He gives the example of incense, which has the particular result of pure morality.Rinpoche highlights that the purpose of offering is for the benefit of all beings. When making offerings to the Guru Puja merit field, the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, and all the holy objects of the ten directions, we should meditate that their essence is the root virtuous friend. Even though there are so many deities in the merit field, the essence is the guru, the root virtuous friend. Rinpoche goes into detail about the holy objects of Tibet, including the Shakyamuni Buddha statue in Lhasa, the Hayagriva statue in Sera Monastery, the Maitreya Buddha statue in Drepung Monastery, and the Sangdu Jampel Dorje statue in Reting. He also elaborates on the holy places of Nepal: Swayambhunath and Baudhanath stupas.To conclude the offering, Rinpoche advises us to offer the oceans of nectar food to every hell being, hungry ghost, animal, human being, sura being, asura being, and intermediate stage being. They fully enjoy the offerings, become liberated from all sufferings and its causes, and become enlightened.From April 10 to May 10, 2004, Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave extensive teachings during the Mahamudra Retreat at Buddha House in Australia. While the retreat focused on Mahamudra, Rinpoche also taught on a wide range of Lamrim topics. This retreat marked the beginning of a series of month-long retreats in Australia. Subsequent retreats were held in 2011, 2014, and 2018, hosted by the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo.Find out more about Lama Zopa Rinpoche, his teachings and projects at https://fpmt.org/