Food Offering Prayers to Dorje Shugden Food Offering Prayers to Dorje Shugden
The offering of food is common throughout the Buddhist world. Just as food nourishes us, the offering of food creates the causes for spiritual... Food Offering Prayers to Dorje Shugden

To be considered a practicing Buddhist one must first take Refuge in the Three Jewels – Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Once Refuge is taken either formally through a ritual or sincerely from the heart, there are both vows and commitments one should abide by to keep the Refuge strong. One such commitment is to offer the first part of anything we eat or drink to the Three Jewels. This is done so as to remember their kindness and the benefits gained from taking correct Refuge, whilst also being an offering to generate merit for our spiritual progress.

Traditionally within a monastic setting, the morning meal is offered to one’s Guru and all the holy masters who teach the Dharma. The afternoon meal is offered to the Yidam one is practicing, and if there is a tea break or evening meal it is offered to the Dharma Protectors. Specific deities also have their own individual food offering prayers, such as that to Lama Tsongkhapa and his spiritual sons.

As the emanation of Manjushri, Dorje Shugden fulfils the role of the Three Jewels, therefore making food offerings to Dorje Shugden fulfils the Refuge commitment. However one does not have to take refuge to make an offering to Dorje Shugden. As a fully enlightened being who has achieved Bodhicitta (compassion), Dorje Shugden will assist those who make offerings with sincerity.

In keeping the refuge commitments well, practitioners generate sufficient merit thus allowing Dorje Shugden to protect us and clear our obstacles quickly. By remembering and propitiating Dorje Shugden on a regular basis with sincerity, we create the causes for a closer relationship with him; in doing so we allow Dorje Shugden the ability to swiftly assist us in times of need. The food offering prayer is one such method for practitioners to gain both these benefits.

Food offerings to the Buddhas during puja

Food offerings to the Buddhas during puja

The offering of food is common throughout the Buddhist world. Just as food nourishes us, the offering of food creates the causes for spiritual nourishment. Making offerings with a good motivation creates the causes for our spiritual progress towards Enlightenment to be successful.

To make an offering of food to Dorje Shugden, we place the first portion of any food or drink we are going to consume on our altar to Dorje Shugden or the Buddhas. This offering would be most beneficial if made every time one had a meal. However it can be made as and when one wishes. After the prayer has been recited and the food offered on the altar for some time, it can be consumed as a blessing.

If in public or travelling, it is not necessary to specially set aside food and drink separate from our own. We can simply recite the prayer with the accompanying visualisation. When reciting the food offering prayer, we should visualise the offerings expanding to fill the entire universe and Dorje Shugden accepts this offering and is pleased.


Food Offering Prayer

OM AH HUM (3x to purify the food)

GANGSHIG DRENPA TSAMGYI CHINANGI
BARCHE KUNSEL LESHEY TRINLEY NAM
TSOLDZE GYALCHEN SHUGDEN RIG NA TSEY
TENSUNG KORDANG CHELA CHO PAR BUL

All the obstacles from within and without,
Completely you dispel and make things clear and fulfil activites,
To the Five Families of Dorje Shugden,
Your great entourage and assistants I offer this.

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  • Sharon Ong

    Posted on June 4, 2016 #1 Author

    I now understand better why we should always make food offerings to whether to our Lama, Yidam or Protector. It does not only create a sense of appreciation and gratefulness but when done with the right motivation, it creates a cause for spiritual nourishment. By remembering to offer our meals to our Protector, it helps us to foster a closer connection to Him. When we have a closer connection to our Protector, it makes it much easier for Him to come to our aid in times of need.

    Reply

  • Fong

    Posted on June 11, 2016 #2 Author

    Offerings of food to the Three Jewels is akin to offering up our gratitude. Thus offering food is to show that we are grateful for the love, care and kindness shown to us.
    With sincere offerings to Dorje Shugden, we can gains merits for protection and blessing and if we do it often enough we create bond or closeness with the Protector such he can come to our assistance swiftly.
    Just as food nourishes our body and sustains it, offering food to Dorje Shugden with good motivation will sustain our spiritual practice.
    And it would be good if we can make the offerings every time we have a meal, and to be mindful and aware of the benefits of doing so.

    Reply

  • CindyH

    Posted on June 23, 2016 #3 Author

    Another testament of the great compassion from the Buddhas in allowing more avenues for us to generate merits for our Dharma practice. In essence, by making food offerings to Dorje Shugden sincerely, we would have we fulfilled the Refuge commitment (of offering the first part of anything we eat or drink to the Three Jewels), cultivated gratitude for the kindness and the benefits gained from taking correct Refuge and also worked towards generating merit for our spiritual progress. In addition, when making food offerings to Dorje Shugden, we are also creating the causes for a closer relationship with Dorje Shugden which will only work to our favour in our times of need.

    Reply

  • Cynthia Lee

    Posted on July 3, 2016 #4 Author

    What I love about Buddhism is the fact that we are able to collect merits on a daily basis with a simple act of making food offering prayers.

    Would like to share the full offerings prayers to the Lama, Yidam and Protector.

    *Offering to Lama*

    OM AH HUM (x3)

    DAG-SOK-KHOK-CHE-TSE-KHE-THAM-CHE-DU
    KUN-CHOK-SUM-DANG-NAM-YANG-MI-DREL-ZHING
    KUN-CHOK-SUM-PO-GYUN-DU-CHOE-PA-LA
    KUN-CHOK-SUM-GE-JIN-LHAB-JUG-PAR-SHUG
    KYAB-SUM-KUN-DUE-LAMA-DOR JE CHANG
    GANG LA GANG DUEL SHED NYEN TSUL ZUNG NE
    CHOG DANG THUN MONG NGO DRUP TSOEL ZE PE
    DRIN CHEN LA MA NAM LA CHOE PA PHUL

    *Offering to Yidam*

    OM AH HUM (x3)

    GANGCHEN SHINTEY SOLJEY TSONGKHAPA
    NGODROP RIKPAY WANGCHUK GYALTSAB JE
    DO-NGAK DEPEY DAKPO KEDRUP-JE
    GYALWA YABSE SUMLA CHOPABUL

    *Offering to protector*
    OM AH HUM (x3)
    GANGSHIG DRENPA TSAMGYI CHINANGI
    BARCHE KUNSEL LESHEY TRINLEY NAM
    TSOLDZE GYALCHEN SHUGDEN RIG-NGA TSEY
    TANSUNG KORDANG CHELA CHOPABUL

    Reply

    • Fong

      Posted on July 13, 2017 #5 Author

      Thank you, Cynthia Lee for the complete prayers for food offerings throughout the day. Usually, offering to the lama in the morning, offering to the yidam in the afternoon and offering to the protector in the evening.

      A really nice way of practicing mindfulness and gratitude throughout the day. And, also, a good way to put into practice our visualization.

      Reply

    • Wei Theng

      Posted on August 8, 2017 #6 Author

      Thank you Cynthia for sharing the complete Food offerings prayer to Guru, Yidam & Protector.

      Reply

  • jerry_sito

    Posted on July 4, 2016 #7 Author

    感谢尊贵的第廿五世詹杜固仁波切的开示与教诲,

    佛菩萨是大慈大悲的,祂们总是善巧地不断的提供我们更多的机会,累积更多的福德资粮,好让当我们有不好的业果要发芽时,我们有足够的功德来保持平衡,同时的,我们也能够透过种种机会累积更多福德资粮,好让我们制造出更多的善因,让我们的上师长驻与常转法轮,然后我们能够学习佛法直至证悟。

    所以同样的多杰雄登护法同样地,总是大慈大悲的帮助我们,并且让我们能够“迅速”在更短的时间内,快速地累积大量的功德,而这供养文也是一种来自佛菩萨的慈悲善巧,佛菩萨都是证悟的,祂们其实不需要我们的供养,然而接受我们的供养是因为要让我们累积功德,同时也是要训练我们时时刻刻要保持一个感恩与正确动机的发心,因为在念诵此供养文时,我们需要有正确的发心,感谢上师与护法的庇佑与帮助,同时我们也需要发心透过供养护法后,我们接着吃下的这些食物将给我们拥有一个健壮的身体,好让我们能够继续学习与修持佛法。

    谢谢
    Jerry Sito

    Reply

  • Wylfred Ng

    Posted on July 4, 2016 #8 Author

    谢谢那么详细的说明。 让我们知道关于供养食物的意义和重要性。

    供养食物给佛菩萨可以让我们的佛法增长,所以在很多大法会上我们都会看到供养是非常多的。 当然供养东西给佛菩萨也是让我们对我们的欲望不会太执着。

    Reply

  • Sock Wan

    Posted on July 4, 2016 #9 Author

    Buddha knows normal people like us need a lot of merits to support our practice, therefore he gave us a lot of method to collect merits, even when we are eating, we are able to collect merits. How convenient.

    By making water, candle offerings we can collect merits, by cleaning the temple, the altar and Buddha statue we can collect merits, by serving the Sanghas we can collect merits. But by collection merits, it is not enough, we have to transform our mind to be more positive, change our bad habits in order to enjoy the ultimate benefits of being a Buddhist practitioner.

    Reply

  • William Chua

    Posted on July 4, 2016 #10 Author

    It is not the Buddhas that need to consume the food but it is us who needs the merits. By offering food, we are creating causes to nourish our spiritual growth towards our enlightenment. It also creates a bond for us to be closer to our protector. All other offerings to Buddhas will also bring benefit. By lighting a candle or offering clear water with sincerity will accumulate merits for our spiritual growth. We must be sincere and hence merits will come.

    Reply

  • Carmen

    Posted on July 7, 2016 #11 Author

    I do a food offering prayer before every meal I consume ever since I received a message on food offering prayers from His Eminence Tsem Rinpoche a few years back. Before we consume our meal, we can gain merit by offering our food to the 3 jewels, in my case I do a food offering prayer to Dulzin Drakpa Gyeltsen, and thank the 3 jewels for the opportunity I have to have food on my plate, and appreciate it.

    Many people take for granted what we have easily on a daily basis. Since volunteering with Kechara Soup Kitchen, (one of the many departments founded by His Eminence Tsem Rinpoche that reaches out to the less fortunate and destitute of the society), where I have encountered so many who struggle to even get one meal a day, I have learnt to have gratitude and appreciate what I have daily.

    Reply

  • KarenC

    Posted on July 17, 2016 #12 Author

    I remembered few years back when i was still new, Rinpoche adviced the gift team to always make food offerings to the Protector. It’s the easiest way to collect merits (of course, we have to have good motivation) and gain resources we want for our growth in work. Our work nature depends a lot on resources, be it human resources, connections with the governments, influential people, or whoever could give us assistance and of course funds. Making food offerings to Protector is simple, easy, and can be done anywhere and anytime, what’s best is we could chant this food offering prayer before every meal we’re going to consume, it literally gives everyone of us the convenience to gain merits.

    Reply

  • Stella Cheang

    Posted on September 13, 2016 #13 Author

    Making food offering is an important reminder for us to remember kindness, compassion and be grateful. We must remember the kindness and compassion of the Three Jewels, for giving us this opportunity to collect merits for our spiritual progress so that we can, eventually, be liberated. We must remember that it is through the kindness of our Guru that we receive the pure lineage teaching, hence, we make offering to Yidam, Protector and Guru; which also serve to create the causes to be closer to them. Lastly, we must remember to be grateful for everyone who are part of our universe that make the food available for us, without them, we will not have the food (or anything else) that we are enjoying now, hence, we must remind ourselves to be grateful.

    There is always profound meaning in the seemingly simple Buddhism ritual, we must always take the time and effort to find out and practice. Thank you for sharing this wonderful article.

    Reply

  • Wah Ying

    Posted on March 23, 2017 #14 Author

    I find the articles from dorjeshugden.org are mostly simple, clear and easy to understand, yet provide the neccessary knowledge one needs to know for his/her spiritual practice or simply getting to know more about Buddhism or Dorje Shugden practice.

    I find this piece of article on food offering prayer very useful and with cler explanations why we should do so; and the benefits we could gain from doing so.

    I learn that Buddha’s teachings is not inside a book or on the meditation cushion, but is out of the books and cushion. They have to apply in our daily life to gain the benefits and have our life transformed.

    Thank you for all the efforts involved in producing wonderful articles on this website.

    Reply

  • Freon

    Posted on July 24, 2017 #15 Author

    When I do food offering to Lama Tsongkhapa , Buddhas and Dorje Shugden, I always thought through food offering daily I could gain more resources. If I am not mistaken this was thought by H.E Tsem Rinpoche before.

    Before I eat, I will do a prayer to Dorje Shugden’s and wishes the blessing of protector reach throughout the persons who have prepare the food, from farmers to cook to the waitress.

    When I went to a place where I have opportunity to eat delicious food, I do food offering prayers so that the 1st portion of this good and delicious food could be offered to my beloved protector.

    As time goes by, it seems every session of food I have practice dharma. This is how skillful our Guru have thought us to collect merits even through eating.

    Reply

  • Wei Theng

    Posted on August 8, 2017 #16 Author

    Thank you for sharing this simple yet beneficial food offerings prayer so that we can gain merits and at the same create stronger connections to Buddha, Yidam and Protector. This will be helpful for us to receive the assistance from Dorje Shugden whenever we need and also to have resources for us to support our spiritual journey.

    Reply

  • Alice Tay

    Posted on August 8, 2017 #17 Author

    Dorje Shugden is an emanation of Manjushri and therefore when we make food offerings with good motivation and sincerity to Dorje Shugden, he will definitely assist us in spiritual growth.
    Making offerings is to collect merits for us to achieve Bodhicitta and ultimately in full enlightenment.

    Thank you for sharing this food offering prayer to Dorje Shugden.

    Reply

  • yin ping

    Posted on July 9, 2018 #18 Author

    The act of offering is an act of generosity. Offerings made to the enlightened beings gives rise to contemplate gratitude and inspiration.

    Making food offerings to enlightened being daily means that we will always have nourishing food and drink. One’s will away from poverty. Food offering is an offering of sustenance, therefore we creates the causes towards receiving spiritual and material sustenance in the future.

    When we are making food offerings to Dorje Shugden, we generate the merits for Him to help us spiritually and in our secular life. We are also creating the affinity with Dorje Shugden to receive his swift assistance when we need him in times of crisis.

    Reply