Butterlamps!

[Positive Change]

Some of us use it as offerings on our altars, most of us have seen them but what are the actual benefits one derives from a seemingly "easy" offering...

Actually, quite a lot! Read on:

Tibetan Buddhist Butterlamps

In the Tune of Brahma, Shakyamuni Buddha mentioned the 10 benefits of offering lights:

One becomes like the light of the world
One achieves clairvoyance of the pure eye as a human
One achieves the Deva's eye
One receives the wisdom to discriminate virtue from non-virtue
One is able to eliminate the concept of inherent existence
One receives the illumination of wisdom
One is reborn as a human or deva
One receives great enjoyment wealth
One quickly becomes liberated
One quickly attains enlightenment

It is also said, in the second chapter of the Root Tantra of Chakrasamvara:

"If you wish for sublime realization, offer hundreds of lights" ~Root Institute,  Lama Thubten Zopa.




Khyabje Kalu Rinpoche (d.1989) said that offerings are of three kinds in four levels:  Material ones such as butter lamps, imaginary ones that  proceed from our minds, and things which are primordially extant.  Light is certainly one of the latter; butter one of the first.  When you think that along with the flame you are offering your consciousness and/or your energy then the lamp stands for all three.

The tradition of the fire sacrifice is a very ancient, even a prehistoric one.  It has always represented the presence of sacred energy, and the ability of human beings to manipulate it.  Besides that, fire provides light which is considered pleasing to the eyes of those spiritual beings in whom the senses are predominant.

Symbols and images in Tibetan Buddhism may be examined on three (or 4) levels known as the Outer, Inner and the Secret (also, Hidden.)  We can say, therefore, that the outer meaning of the offering of butter lamps is that of one of 6 such virtues, the Perfection  of generosity which we achieve by giving away the valuable substance, butter or oil.

As the butter lamps burn, the smoke visible or not, goes to Space. 

The Inner meaning has to do with burning up gross matter and transforming it into energy thereby providing light in darkness.  Here the lamp has the further, probably universal or archetypal meaning of illuminating wisdom: That which reveals and in so doing chases away shadows and obscurations.

The Secret or transmutational meaning relates to heat, the unseen energy produced by burning which evokes tummo, one of the Six Yogas of Naropa.

Nagasena, who features in the Buddhist scripture called The Questions of King Milinda, explained rebirth by means of a fire analogy:  a lamp or candle passes its flame to another candle.  The flame seems to leap from lamp to lamp, but in effect , it is not really the same flame -- nor is it even the same flame from one moment to the next on the original candle, nor in any fire.

Also, Nirvana [Pali: nibbana] means 'extinction.'  The flame is the perfect and brilliant reminder of the teaching question that asks: Where does the fire go when it goes out?

Also, the Arya Maitreya Sutra states, "Those who offer one thousand lights or one thousand blue Utpala flowers or who make the pinnacle of a Stupa, or who make the Holy Form will be reborn when Maitreya Buddha shows the deed of gaining enlightenment, and receive his first Dharma teaching"

[Ensapa]

Speaking of Butterlamps, here is a very beautiful prayer I found for butterlamp offerings.

Concise Butter Lamp Offering Prayer

RIK PA KA DAK NANG SAL DRÖN MÉ DI
I offer this brilliant illuminating lamp of awareness, pure from the beginningless beginning
RIK DZIN PAY JYUNG KYIL KHOR LHA LA BUL
To the mandala deities of Rigdzin Pema Jungné.
RIK PAY GAR KHYAB MAR GYUR SEM CHEN KUN
Awareness pervades wherever motherly sentient beings exist.
RIK TONG CHHÖ KÜ LONG DU DROL WAR SHOK
May they be liberated into emptiness-awareness, the vast expanse of the dharmakaya.

Butter Lamp Offering Prayer
YI ONG YIB DZEY RIN CHHEN KONG BU RU
These illuminating light offerings that dispel darkness –
TSANG JYAR TSI CHÜ MAR KHÜ LEK TAM ZHING
In beautifully crafted, exquisite jeweled containers,
DRANG JAM LHA DZAY DONG BU YONG BAR WAI
Filled perfectly with purely refined, rich butter,
MUN SEL NANG SAL GÖN MEI CHHÖ PA DI
With straight, smooth wicks, made from the finest material, ablaze –
KHYAB DAK LA MA CHHOK SUM TSA WA SUM
Are offered to the Sovereign lord Lama, Triple Gems, Three Roots,
RAB JYAM KYAB NAY GYA TSHÖ TSHOK LA BUL
And assembled infinite oceans of sources of refuge.
YE SHEY CHYEN LA SAL DRIB MI NGA YANG
Though their wisdom eye does not brighten or become obscured,
DAK SOK KHA NYAM SEM CHEN T’HAM CHAY KYI
The darkness of ignorance and the two obscurations are dispelled
MA RIK DRIB NYIY MUN PA RAB SAL NAY
Of myself and others – all sentient beings as vast as space –
YANG DAK SHEY RAB CHHOK GI MIK T’HOB SHOK
May we attain the eye of true incisive knowledge!
NAMA SARWA TAT’HAGATA SAPARIWARA ALOKÉ PRATITSA SOHA
By Dudjom Rinpoché, Jigdral Yeshé Dorjé.

[pgdharma]

In general, making offerings is an extremely important method for the practitioner to accumulate merit. In fact, butter lamps are a common feature in Buddhist temples and monasteries throughout the Himalayas. A lighted butter lamp represents the illumination of wisdom and helps to focus the mind and aid meditation.

Offering Butter Lamps is the most powerful offering because their light symbolizes wisdom. Just as a lamp disples darkeness, offering light from a Butter Lamp represents removing the darkness of ignorance in order to attain Buddha's luminous clear wisdom. The lamp offering is a sense offering to Buddha's eyes. Because Buddha's eyes are wisdom eyes, they do not have the extremes of clarity or non - clarity. Our ordinary eyes however, are obscured by the darkness of the two difilements - gross afflictive emotional defilements and subtle habitual defilements. While the Buddha does not have desire for offerings, we make offerings for the purpose of our own accumulation of merit and wisdom. Through the power of this accumaltion, we can remove the cataracts of our ignorance eyes in order to gain Buddha's supreme luminious wisdom eyes. When we offer light, the results are the realization of Clear Light wisdom phenomena in this life; the clarification of dualistic mind and the dispersal of confusion and realization of Clear Light in the bardo; and the increase of wisdom in each lifetime until one has reached enlightenment. The lamp should be thoroughly cleaned and the wick made very carefully so that it is not too short or too long, too thick or too thin. The bottom part of the wick should be thicker than the top portion. The oil should be poured into the lamp very slowly, so that none overflows; the amount of oil should be the same in each lamp and not too meager.


WHY TO OFFER BUTTER LAMPS:

What is the meaning of Butter Lamp offering and why to offer Butter Lamps? In the vajrayana Buddhist tradition, we accumulate merit in order to create positive short - term circumstances such as health, wealth, logevity and more deeply, to reveal our wisdom to nature. Of all the methods for accumulating merit through generosity, offering Butter Lamps is one of the best, second only to the practice of feast offering.
In the Buddhist Tradition, Butter Lamps symbolize the clarity of wisdom. Offering Butter Lamps creates harmony, and generates merit while promoting success, prosperity, longevity, and world peace, as well as helping to avert obstacles, pacify the upheaval of the five elements, and heal disease. When offered on behalf of the deceased, prayers are usually recited for their liberation in the Bardo and rebirth in a Pureland. People do not offer the lamps because enlightened beings need to see them. Rather, the offering of light is a means of dispelling the darkness of our own ignorance, giving rise to clarity and wisdom. People offer with the wish that their light will illuminate the lower realms and the bardo, assuaging the torment of beings who suffer in darkness. People also aspire that all beings will develop greater mental clarity in order to discover the causes of long - lasting happiness in virtuous actions of body, speech, and mind. Finally, we offer them so that the inner light of great knowing will arise in all beings' minds and remove the darkness of ignorance and intellectual obscurations.

Traditionally, Butter Lamps are also offered as a dedication to the dead in order to guide them through the bardo by wisdom light. We can pray as well that this guide all beings of the six realms, removing their boscurations so that they may awaken to their true wisdom nature. With genuine faith and devotion, visualize that with your offerings, countless offering goddesses offer immeasurable light to all enlightened beings.

[RedLantern]

The light that comes from the flame on a butter lamp is a mark of wisdom of the awakened mind.It symbolically gets rid of the darkness that brought about by delusion and mental complication.
Butterlamps are used and commonly seen in a nearby every Tibetan temple,household and altar.Butterlamps are normally made with materials like silver,brass,copper and white metal.The act of offering a butterlamp is deemed to be powerful as the light it brings symbolizes wisdom.Just as a normal lamp should work to bring light to darkness.Offering light from the ritual item represents the removal of ignorance in order to obtain Buddha's luminous clear wisdom,as Buddhism points to the path of enlightenment.
Monasteries and Buddhist temples are lighted up with butterlamp bringing prayerful gesture of .hope.
The use of butterlamp in Buddhist Tradition as offering creates harmony and generates a form of blessings while promoting success,prosperity,longetivity and peace,including the providence of help to overcome life's obstacles and heal some diseases.
People who uses butterlamps aspire that all beings will develop a greater sense of mental clarity in order to discover and experience true joy in upright dealings of the physical body as well as in the aspect of speech and mind.

[buddhalovely]

The offering of light is a means of dispelling the darkness of our own ignorance, giving rise to clarity and wisdom. We offer them with the wish that their light will illuminate the lower realms and the bardo, assuaging the torment of beings who suffer in darkness. We also aspire that all beings will develop greater mental clarity in order to discover the causes of long-lasting happiness in virtuous actions of body, speech and mind. Finally, we offer them so that the inner light of great knowing will arise in the minds of all beings and remove the darkness of ignorance and intellectual obscurations.

For the deceased - We make light offerings to ease their passage after death, with the wish that they make a positive future connection with a true spiritual path.

For someone undergoing suffering - we offer butterlamps and dedicate the merit who are suffering, with the wish that suffering and its cause may be dispelled.

As a prayer for someone's long life - You can offer butterlamps on the occasion of someone's birthday or anytime, with the wish that they remain long in this world to bring benefit to beings.

[Big Uncle]

Offering butterlamps is such a wonderful practice and retreat to engage in as part of our preliminary practice before engaging in Tantra. I am told by senior students of the Dharma to recite Atisha's light offering prayer...

Light Offering Prayer
Composed by Lama Atisha - Translated by Ven. Pemba Tenzing Sherpa
After lighting a candle or a butter lamp or any lights, the prayer should be recited in conjunction with the visualization.

May the light of the lamp be equal to the great three thousand worlds and their environment, May the wick of the lamp be equal to the King of Mountains – Mount Meru.
May the butter be equal to the infinite Ocean.
May there be billions of trillions of lamps in the presence of each and every Buddha.

May the light illuminate the darkness of ignorance of all sentient beings From the peak of samsara down to the most tortuous hell,
Whereby they can see directly and clearly all the ten directions Buddhas and bodhisattvas and their pure lands.

OM VAJRA ALOKE AH HUNG EH MA HO

I offer these beautifully exulted clear and luminous lights
To the thousand Buddhas of the fortunate eon,
To all the buddhas and bodhisattvas of the infinite pure lands and of the ten directions,
To all the gurus, meditation deities, dakas, dakinis, dharma protectors and the assembly of deities of all mandalas.

Due to this, may my father, mother and all sentient beings in this life and in all their future lives, Be able to see directly the actual pure lands of the complete and perfect buddhas,
May they unify with Buddha Amitabha in inseparable oneness,
Please bless me and may my prayers be actualized as soon as possible
Due to the power of the truth of the Triple Gem and the assembly of deities of the three roots. TAYATHA PANTSA

DRI AWA BUDDHA NAYA SOHA

The light transforms into single brilliant five-bright-color wisdom.
On a lotus and moon disk the syllables OM and DHI appear.
From them, one hundred and eight beautiful goddesses of light, Marmema, appear,
Wearing beautiful garments and precious garlands.
Every goddess holds lights in her hands and from them
Emanate billions of trillions of infinite replicas of light-offering goddesses, Marmema.
All of them make light offerings uninterruptedly to all the
Buddhas in the buddha fields throughout the entire space, to the peaceful and wrathful deities. Thus due to the merits of having made such a light offering
May all the benefactors, the deceased and migrating beings of the six realms benefit,
May all their degenerated samaya and broken vows be restored,
May all their superstitious obscurations be purified,
May all their bad karma, negativities and obscurations be purified,
May the three realms of samsara become empty immediately.
Please grant control, power and realization.

[Jessie Fong]

We can offer with prayers during events like someone's death, to offer for friends and/or family during difficult times to help clear obstacles.

Symbolism of light:
- dispel darkness of ignorance through Buddha's teachings, wisdom and compassion for all
- represent flame of the awakened mind
- represents the aspiration to attain Buddhahood

Offering light, in particular, is a special door of dependent arising for quickly completing the accumulation of merit and receiving great blessings. It is said in the second chapter of the root tantra of Chakrasamvara, who is a manifestation of Shakyamuni Buddha, “If you want sublime realizations, offer hundreds of lights.”

‘Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” - Buddha

[brian]

I have read in one of the Dharma text books saying that if one offers butterlamps to the Three Jewels, one will reap great benefit of being able to gain wisdom into one's mindstream. From wisdom, comes realizations and from there, the mind of wanting to be liberated develops. As light is deemed to be an element that banishes darkness, in this case, by offering light to the Three Jewels, one develops a light in the darkness of their mind.

According to the Root Tantra of Chakrasamvara, "If you wish for sublime realization, offer hundreds of lights" which is why Tibetan monks in monasteries offer light as a representation of illumination of wisdom.

[Dondrup Shugden]

The offering of light is a means of dispelling the darkness of our own ignorance, giving rise to clarity and wisdom. We offer them with the wish that their light will illuminate the lower realms and the bardo, assuaging the torment of beings who suffer in darkness. We also aspire that all beings will develop greater mental clarity in order to discover the causes of long-lasting happiness in virtuous actions of body, speech and mind. Finally, we offer them so that the inner light of great knowing will arise in the minds of all beings and remove the darkness of ignorance and intellectual obscurations.

For the deceased - We make light offerings to ease their passage after death, with the wish that they make a positive future connection with a true spiritual path.

For someone undergoing suffering - we offer butterlamps and dedicate the merit who are suffering, with the wish that suffering and its cause may be dispelled.

As a prayer for someone's long life - You can offer butterlamps on the occasion of someone's birthday or anytime, with the wish that they remain long in this world to bring benefit to beings.

There are so many good reasons for us to offer butterlamps or lights on auspicious and even sad occasions.  Of the many reasons contributed, I like above reasons best as these are also occasions we would offer lights to the Buddhas.

[yontenjamyang]

Light is an antidote of darkness. Our very root cause of suffering is our ignorance of the ultimate truth and that results in the karma to ripen and attachment to the self. This cause us to remain in the uncontrolled cyclic existence of samsara. By cutting this ignorance ie through eliminating this ignorance, we gain wisdom. This wisdom is the wisdom of non self and phenomena. The clarity is the seeing of this non self and phenomena is the Liberation and Omniscience.
Hence, offerings of light acts as direct cause of accelerating of Wisdom. All the benefit mentioned are a variety of this Wisdom. Cause is similar to Effect.

[Dondrup Shugden]

Light is an antidote of darkness. Our very root cause of suffering is our ignorance of the ultimate truth and that results in the karma to ripen and attachment to the self. This cause us to remain in the uncontrolled cyclic existence of samsara. By cutting this ignorance ie through eliminating this ignorance, we gain wisdom. This wisdom is the wisdom of non self and phenomena. The clarity is the seeing of this non self and phenomena is the Liberation and Omniscience.
Hence, offerings of light acts as direct cause of accelerating of Wisdom. All the benefit mentioned are a variety of this Wisdom. Cause is similar to Effect.

Would it then also gain acceleration of Wisdom if children are taught to offer lights to Buddha without actually knowing why.

If that is the case, I would recommend that this habituation be taught to every child until he or she is of age to understand and to continue this tradition.

[pinecone]

 “In the days of Shakyamuni Buddha there was a state called Magadha in ancient India. The well-known city Rajagriha was the capital where the king of this state resided. An old woman lived nearby. A person of profound faith, she had always yearned to offer something precious to the Buddha, but, alone and poor as she was, she could not fulfill her desire.
One day on the street, the old woman encountered a long procession of carts carrying a large quantity of flax oil. Upon asking, she learned that the oil was a donation which Ajatashatru, the king of the country, was sending to the Buddha. Deeply moved, the old woman also longed to make an offering, but she had no money whatsoever. She decided to cut off her own hair and sell it. (Some say she had saved a little from the alms she had received.) With that money she bought a small amount of flax oil and went to offer it to the Buddha. She thought: "With so little oil a lamp will burn only half a night. However, if the Buddha recognizes my faith and feels compassion for me, then the lamp will burn throughout the night."
Her wish was fulfilled and the lamp continued to burn throughout the night, while all the other lamps went out in the strong winds that blew from the direction of Mount Sumeru. When day broke, people tried to blow it out, but, on the contrary, her lamp continued to glow all the more, so brightly as to illuminate almost the entire world.
Then Shakyamuni Buddha scolded his disciples who were doing everything possible to extinguish the glowing light: "Stop! Stop! This old woman made offerings to eighteen million Buddhas in her previous existences and received a prophecy from a Buddha in her last life that she would attain Buddhahood." Shakyamuni Buddha then proclaimed that in the future she would certainly become a Buddha called Lamp Light Sumeru.”

Lights are lit out of respect for Buddha, our teacher, and they also represent wisdom. Just as one candle lights the next one, wisdom is what keeps this tradition alive by spreading it from teacher to student. Through the light (wisdom) we can reduce the darkness in our mind. It does not matter of the quantity  or value offered and even a small act which performed by this old woman has indeed moved the heart of the Buddha and others.

[Dondrup Shugden]

Thank you pinecone, another good reason for lighting butterlamps so that as one lights another and so on, the elimination of darkness is possible and wisdom may arise as we share the essence of dharma.

[cookie]

How very kind and compassionate the Buddha is; allowing us to receive so much benefits by just doing a simple task of lighting and offering a butterlamp !! Offering light or lamps or candles also seems like a common practice in other religions e.g Christianity, Hinduism etc. It is an act which denotes hope and peace.

[fruven]

Thanks for sharing the wonderful information on light offerings. Many religions in the world also practice doing light offering as a means to clear darkness or light the way.