Results of offering lamps
From TheBuddhism.Net
*Bhikku Ajitha enjoyed life for sixty thousand kappas in heaven; was born as the Universal Monarch for thousand times, while being born the Lord of Heaven (Sakra) thirty six times and the king of the country seven hundred times for offering one oil lamp to Piyumathura Buddha. Finally, the result from this good deed helped him to attain Nirvana.
(Apadaana paliya- 400th apadaana)*Bhikkuni Panchadeepika was born the wife of Lord Sakra for 80 times, while becoming the wife of the Universal Monarch for thousand times, for offering a lamp to the Bodhi Tree in a dark night during a past Buddha’s time. The result of this good deed helped her to attain Nirvana at the age of seven during our Gautama Buddha’s time.
(9th Theri Apadana)
*Bhikkuni Sakula got the following results in every birth, according to ‘theri apadana’’ for offering an oil lamp to the chetiya of Kashyapa Buddha after his parinirvana.
Lamps were lit where ever she went. (She never had to stay in the darkness)
Was clairvoyant
Had a good insight
Shined with fame
Was full of wisdom and faith
Always born to the elite
Even if you offer thousands of lamps, but, with a confused, unstable mind, you would not get the above results. But, even if you offer one lamp with a concentrated, pure mind, you would get immense results as the above.
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That is great by offering one lamp with a concentrated, pure mind, we would collect numberless great merit. By making butter lamp offerings is for us to help transform our minds and for our realization in our spiritual path. The purpose of light is to dispel darkness and to create the karma of opening our mind to receive the Dharma knowledge.
Thank you for sharing.
Wow I never thought offering one light to a buddha could result in such a great result.
Golden opportunity to have life time lamp offering. Imagine that we are collecting merit even without us realizing it.
Beautiful short and enlightening post of light offering! No wonder for every religion we notice that light offering is always tradition, but it is only in Buddhism I think, that it actually tells us the beauty and the benefit of light offering!
Light represents “wisdom” so likened to single candle in a dark room… it still shines through and the light gives us hope. It gives us wisdom that cuts through our ignorance which is darkness that blocks us from seeing the truth and being open minded. When we have wisdom we become more focus, we understand and absorb Dharma easily, we can even comprehend the profound teachings and our mind becomes sharper, clerer, quicker, and stable. So there are many benefits in offering light to the Buddhas to gain tremendous merit and blessings not for just this life but for our future lives. And we can dedicate it to our loved ones, even after they are gone.
Light offerings is great to dispel the darkness in our mind to allow us to be able to see the Dharma with clearer wisdom.
There are many benefits of offering light to the Buddhas. Rinpoche has also previously given a talk on light offerings and had a blog post with an extensive write up about the benefits of offering light to the Buddhas. I found that very helpful. When we do any form of Dharma practice, it is essential to know the purpose and benefits from doing it so that we gain tremendous faith and perseverance.
Here’s the link to Rinpoche’s post on light offerings: http://blog.tsemtulku.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/butterlamps.html
Happy reading!
This is a great short write up on light offerings with the benefits and right motivation. We are fortunate that Kechara offers anyone the opportunity to make light offerings at Kechara House (http://www.kechara.com/kechara-house/) and also online for our friends from overseas or anyone not able to visit Kechara.
There are two options:
1. Light offerings
http://vajrasecrets.com/offerings-sponsorship/light-offering.html
2. Sponsoring a butter lamp for life the butterlamp house at Kechara Forest Retreat
http://vajrasecrets.com/offerings-sponsorship/offerings/lamps-for-life.html
Remember to make your offering with a “concentrated, pure” mind and may you receive all the blessings of making light offerings!