100,000 Butterlamp Offering Retreat | 十万盏酥油灯供养闭关
（译文请往下阅读）
“It is very important to practice the offering of butterlamps. Try to complete a minimum of 100,000. It is very good for your realizations on the sutra path. It is excellent for results on the tantric path.” ~ Tsem Rinpoche
His Eminence Tsem Rinpoche has advised on many occasions that it is very beneficial to engage in a retreat of offering 100,000 butterlamps. Such a retreat allows the practitioner to develop deeper wisdom, increase realizations and make a connection with the deity to whom the butterlamps are offered.
Recently, Tsem Ladrang in Kechara Forest Retreat created a butterlamp offering facility in the hope of offering many practitioners the opportunity to engage in this meritorious undertaking.
The Benefits of Light Offerings
The second chapter of Heruka Chakrasamvara’s root tantra advises that, “If you want sublime realisations, offer hundreds of lights.”
In addition, by making light offerings one gains the following benefits:
- You become a light in the world.
- You achieve (when born human) the clairvoyance of the pure flesh eye.
- You achieve the devas’ eye.
- You receive the wisdom of knowing what is virtue and what is non-virtue.
- You are able to eliminate the darkness of ignorance; the concept of inherent existence.
- You receive the illumination of wisdom; even in samsara, you never experience darkness.
- You receive much wealth and enjoyment.
- You are reborn in the deva or human realm.
- You quickly become liberated.
- You quickly attain Enlightenment.
Engaging in Your Own Butterlamp Offering Retreat
Traditionally, a butterlamp offering retreat involves cleaning, preparing and lighting a minimum of 100,000 light offerings along with the requisite prayers. As butterlamps were made of butter or ghee set around a hand-made cotton wick in olden times, the preparation work was immense.
Fortunately, Rinpoche has devised another method for engaging in this retreat, one that is specially tailored to suit busy, modern lifestyles.
The Traditional Retreat
The procedure is as follows:
Wash your hands and clean your mouth.
Sweep and clean the working area very well. As the retreat is an offering to the Three Jewels, the area should be as clean, tidy and beautiful as possible, as the deities will be invoked to that place during the retreat and prayers.
Clean the butterlamp holders very well and prepare the butterlamps. This may include rolling the candle wicks, melting the ghee, pouring it into the butterlamp holders and waiting for it to set.
Having placed all the butterlamps on the altar, purify with incense while reciting OM AH HUM. It is important to purify all offerings in this manner. If offerings are not purified, we may experience strong obstacles to our Dharma practice or disturbing spirit interferences.
Recite prayers such as
- Lama Chopa up until just before the Tsok offering section. Instead of doing a tsok offering, the butterlamps are lit instead).
- Light Offering Prayer by Lama Atisha.
Light the butterlamps while reciting Lama Tsongkhapa’s migtsema mantra.
After lighting all the butterlamps, purify them with incense once again and recite OM AH HUM.
Recite concluding prayers such as:
- “Reviewing the Stages of the Path” until the dedication verses of Lama Chopa.
Recite dedication prayers.
An Alternative, Modern Butterlamp Retreat
As advised by Rinpoche, sincere practitioners who are too busy to engage in a traditional butterlamp retreat can sponsor a retreat or hire people to do the physical preparations instead of doing it themselves.
This benefits both parties:
- The person who sponsors the full cost of the retreat benefits because he directs the money he earns from hard work and effort towards the virtuous act of making offerings.
- The person who physically prepares, makes and lights the butterlamps also benefits because he is doing work in relations to the Three Jewels. Instead of earning money in an ordinary job, he is engaging in good Dharma work instead.
The butterlamp retreat facility at Tsem Ladrang, Kechara Forest Retreat
If we wish to sponsor a butterlamp retreat, the money we put towards it should come from a clean source i.e. we should not have obtained the money through negative means, such as from a slaughter-house business, drug trafficking, robbery, etc). We should offer the money with a good, strong motivation that we may gain wisdom, skilful means and attainments that can benefit others through the retreat.
Butterlamp Retreat Tips
When engaging in a 100,000 butterlamp retreat, we can offer as many butterlamps as we wish each day, the more the better! However, we should not skip even one day of making the offerings. If we are physically unable to do so due to travel or sickness, we should offer at least one butterlamp a day, with the prayers, to maintain the continuity. If we miss even one day, we have to start the retreat all over again from the beginning!
For Kechara, Rinpoche has advised to use a central image of Vajrayogini. We visualise that all the lineage lamas, Yidams, Buddhas, Dharma Protectors, dakas and dakinis dissolve into Vajrayogini as we recite prayers and make the offerings.
We should think that we are making offerings not just to a statue of Vajrayogini, but to all the Enlightened Beings. In this way, we make a direct connection to the enlightened body, speech and mind of these Beings, thus creating the karmic cause for us to get closer and achieve these same highly exalted, attained states.
Whichever method of retreat we choose to engage in, we should do it with full faith in the Three Jewels.
Begin Your Retreat Now
If you would like to start your butterlamp retreat by sponsoring butterlamp offerings at Tsem Ladrang in Kechara Forest Retreat, please contact vybutterlamp@gmail.com or 012-9983503. Payments can be made online and via cheque as follows:
Online Payment
Beneficiary: Persatuan Penganut Buddha Rumah Kechara
Bank Name: CIMB Bank
Bank Acc No: 8007-750-136
Payee Subject: VY Candle Retreat
By Cheque
Beneficiary Name: Kechara House
The butterlamps at Tsem Ladrang
酥油灯供养是一个很重要的修持。修行者应尽量完成至少十万盏酥油灯供养，因为这有助您在显宗修持上获得觉悟，在密续修持上取得成果。～ 詹杜固仁波切
尊贵的詹杜固仁波切曾多次在开示中提出，进行十万盏酥油灯供养闭关所能带来的巨大好处。修行者可以通过酥油灯供养闭关获得智慧、提升觉悟能力，同时也能与所供养酥油灯的佛菩萨结缘。
最近，克切拉禅修林詹拉章设置了一个酥油灯供养的设施，希望许多修行者可以借此机会累积无量功德。
供灯的好处
《胜乐金刚根本续》第二章中提到：“欲成胜悉地，应供百盏灯”。
除此之外，供灯还有以下其他好处：
- 照世如灯：你会如同一盏明灯照亮这个世界。
- 肉眼不坏：生为人身时，你将证得净眼通。
- 得于天眼：你将证得天眼通。
- 善恶智能：你将会获得可以分辨善法与恶法的智慧。
- 灭除大暗：你能够去除无明所造成的黑暗，即是自性有的概念。
- 得智慧明：你将会获得智慧之光的笼罩；即使生于娑婆世界，你也不会沦于黑暗。
- 具大福报：你将会获得大量财富和快乐。
- 命终生天：你将投生到天道或人道。
- 速证涅磐：你将很快地从娑婆世界中解脱。
- 速得证悟：你将很快达到证悟。
投入个人酥油灯供养闭关
根据传统，要完成一次酥油灯供养闭关，除了念诵经文，也包括清理、准备及点燃至少十万盏酥油灯。古时候，酥油灯是用牛油或酥油包裹手工棉质灯芯制造而成。这对现代人来说无疑是项艰巨的任务。
幸运的是, 仁波切提出了另一种善巧的方式，特别适合忙碌的现代人进行此项闭关。
传统闭关法
程序如下：程序如下：
洗手和漱口。
仔细打扫和清理整个闭关范围。闭关是给予三宝的一项供养，因此我们应尽可能将闭关范围清理得很干净、整齐且庄严，并祈请佛菩萨前来为我们加持。
把酥油灯具擦拭干净，然后才制作酥油灯。这包括卷灯芯，融酥油，并将之倒入酥油灯具中等它凝固。
将酥油灯都摆放在酥油灯台上之后，手持薰香净化，同时念诵“嗡阿吽”。以这种方式来净化所有的供养品十分重要，因为若不这么做，将给我们的修行过程带来巨大阻碍，甚至还会惹来邪灵干扰。
念诵祈愿文，如：
- 念诵上师荟供祈愿文直至荟供环节（我们可以点燃酥油灯来取代荟供品）。
- 阿底峡尊者的《供灯祈愿文》。
点燃酥油灯并同时持诵《缘悲经》。
将所有酥油灯都点燃之后，再一次以薰香净化，同时念诵“嗡阿吽”。
念诵后行回向文，如：
- “熏修圆满道次第”至上师荟供回向文
念诵回向文。
现代酥油灯供养替代闭关法
根据仁波切建议，过于忙碌而无法亲自投入传统酥油灯供养闭关的虔诚修行者，可以透过赞助酥油灯供养闭关或聘请他人代为准备来作为替代。
此举让双方都能从中获得好处：
- 全面赞助闭关者可以获得好处，因为他愿意将自己辛苦和努力赚来的金钱用于赞助这项殊胜的供养。
- 亲自准备、制作并点燃酥油灯的一方也会获得好处，因为他所做的工作与三宝有关。与其从事世俗工作赚取收入，他选择从事更有意义的佛法事业。
位于克切拉禅修林詹拉章的酥油灯供养闭关处
有意赞助酥油灯供养闭关者，必须确保这些金钱的来源都是纯净的。这是指任何人皆不能把任何以不正当手段所获取的金钱来作为赞助供养之用，比如经营屠宰、贩毒或偷盗等等。我们必须秉持良好及强烈的发心来做出供养，希望自己能透过这项闭关取得智慧、善巧及成就的增长，从而能够帮助和利益更多人。
有关酥油灯闭关的建议
在进行十万盏酥油灯供养闭关期间，我们每天都可以随意供养任何数量的酥油灯，数目越多越好！然而，我们必须坚持每天都进行供养，不能间断。如果不巧生病或必须远行，每天至少要供养一盏酥油灯，并持诵祈愿文，好让闭关不中断。如果我们错过了一天，那么就必须重新开始此项闭关。
在克切拉佛教中心，仁波切建议我们将金刚瑜伽母圣象置于佛坛中央。当我们在念诵经文及做供养时，观想所有的传承上师、本尊、佛菩萨、护法、勇父及空行母与金刚瑜伽母融为一体。
我们必须观想自己所供养的对象并不只是金刚瑜伽母，也包括十方诸佛。透过这种方式，我们才能直接与这些证悟者的身、语、意结缘，种下有朝一日能与祂们更为亲近并取得同等悉地的善因。
无论我们选择以那一种方式来进行闭关，最重要的是，我们必须对三宝升起坚定不移的信心。
现在就投入个人酥油灯供养闭关
有意透过赞助克切拉禅修林詹拉章酥油灯供养来展开个人酥油灯供养闭关者，请发电邮到 vybutterlamp@gmail.com 或致电 012-9983503。你可透过银行转账或支票付款，详情如下：
银行转账
银行户口名字：Persatuan Penganut Buddha Rumah Kechara
银行名称：CIMB Bank
银行户口号码：8007-750-136
项目名称：VY Candle Retreat
支票
透过支票付款，抬头请写Kechara House。
詹拉章的酥油灯供养
Please support us so that we can continue to bring you more Dharma:
If you are in the United States, please note that your offerings and contributions are tax deductible. ~ the tsemrinpoche.com blog team
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing such a beneficial practice of Butterlamp Offering Retreat. Good opportunity too for us to engage with the 100,000 butterlamps offering at Kechara Forest Retreat as well. Reading this post have increase my knowledge and to understand more about it. It is very important to have correct motivation when we make offerings.
Thank you Rinpoche for not only sharing the Benefits of Butterlamp Offering Retreat but also created a butterlamp facility in Tsem Ladrang, KFR for practititioners, the opportunity to engage in this meritorious undertaking.
Thank you Rinpoche for always so considerate to the modern people lifestyle…. This is a very good platform for us to have the retreat and collect merits and get the blessings.
感恩仁波切的分享 !
感谢仁波切提供了各种管道让我们在这一世能够累积更多的功德和净化业障。 灯供 ~ 能够让我们累积更多的功德, 祛除我们的无明, 愚痴, 无知。大量的供灯, 对想要修行更高的层次上也有很大的帮助。
感谢仁波切提供金刚瑜伽母灯供闭关, 让我们拥有这机会在殊胜的金刚瑜伽母前做供灯闭关, 不间断的供灯予佛母金刚金刚瑜伽母,暨此累积功德 !
要了解更多供灯的好处, 请继续游览 :
https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/buddhas-dharma/butterlamps.html
希望大家踊跃参与金刚瑜伽母灯供闭关, 机会难逢, 可遇不可求 !
愿上师健康, 长寿, 常转法轮, 吉祥如意 !
感恩合十
YEO KWAI GIN
Excellent opportunity, hope I can gather enough resources to do such a butterlamp retreat, and it is a wonderful way to collect much merits for spiritual growth.
Offering lights can really further our realisations and helps us to have a deep understanding about the buddha dharma.
Thank you Rinpoche for guiding and providing us the opportunity to engage with the 100,000 butterlamps offering retreat in Tsem Ladrang at Kechara Forest Retreat. Upon learning and understanding the benefits of lights offering, we should not wait but plan ahead to start and engage on this meritorious retreat, which can benefit many sentient beings including ourselves with pure motivations.
From my personal experience, there was a time where my mind was very awake, alert and able to stay focus with clear understanding on the Dharma topics discussion in a group chat after I had offered a number of lights to Buddha at one time. Lights offering has helped me to dispel the confusion, selfishness and laziness in my mind. I do hope and pray that I can continue to earn money to continuously offer lights, support my Dharma activities and dedicate for the growth of Dharma.
May all the lights offered up to the Buddhas dispel the darkness and eradicate the delusions and illusions from all sentient beings.
Thank you with folded hands,
kin hoe
Thank you, Rinpoche, for always finding ways for the modern and busy people to do Dharma and practice. Butterlamp offering is an important preliminary practice to help us eradicate our stinginess since we will use the money to offer up to the Buddha instead of buying things to enjoy ourselves and perpetuate attachment. We will also make a strong connection with the Buddha we make the offering to; in this case, through the kindness of Rinpoche, we will be making a connection with Vajrayogini. Sponsor the retreat to collect merits and blessings of Vajrayogini and Rinpoche, so that our mind will transform swiftly and gravitate towards seeking wisdom and realization that will liberate us and everyone from samsara.
Very informative sharing on Butterlamp Offerings Retreat.As mentioned above, offering candle or lights to Three Jewels have so many benefits and some are good to our trantric practice. Due to compassion of Rinpoche, he did advise how we can sponsored money to make butterlamp offerings to Buddha in order to collect merits. Click on the link http://www.vajrasecrets.com/ladrang-light-offering-fund if anyone interested to do butterlamps offering in Rinpoche Ladrang.
Thanks Rinpoche for giving us this opportunity to collect merits in this meritorious offerings.
Thank you Rinpoche for your kindness, compassion and always considered the ways that we can engage in dharma and collect merits. Sponsor a retreat or hire people to do the physical preparations of butterlamp offering is a very good idea and practice especially for those practitioners who are very busy and unable to do it themselves. This providing a very good opportunity for us to spend money in spiritual activities instead of mundane activities that will bring more suffering to us. Nevertheless, we have to take note that the sponsorship money must be obtained from a clean source i.e. not from non-virtuous actions.
With these explanation,i hope more people will get a better view and understanding of Butterlamp offerings retreat.there is so many wonderful benefits for both sides. The person who sponsors and the person who prepares, makes and lights the butterlamps .We are so fortunate able to participate in these meritorious light offering at KFR.I have shared with my friend about this Butterlamp offering retreat.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing very informative .
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this article about butterlamp offering retreat. Offering butterlamp has it benefits and one should do it on a regular basis. Thank you again to Rinpoche for giving us opportunity to engage on butterlamp retreat by having it in Tsem Ladrang.
With folded palms,
Vivian
There are so many benefits of doing light offering. Thank you Rinpoche and Kechara for providing us a platform and opportunity for us to make offering to Buddha. Also very glad that Kechara team offer help to those who can’t travel due to various reasons to make light offering.
Butterlamp offering retreat is one of the 5 preliminary practices that a student should be completing before being qualified for higher initiations. It in itself, is a powerful purification and merit generating practice that would be very beneficial for any practitioner to complete, especially if the motivation is a pure one.
Even on a daily basis, light offering is part of the 8 sensory offerings that we have on our altars and we also offer light when someone is very ill or has just passed away.