Floating Market: Dharma Sharing on Offerings
Making Offerings to Buddha – a Dharma Talk at Thailand’s Famous Floating Market
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/Thai07Floating1.mp4
This is the video which has the Dharma talk about why we should have Buddha statues, shrines and make offerings… I am giving you Dharma sharing on a boat!! Fun!!
Tsem Rinpoche Visits the Famous Damnoen Saduak Floating Market in Thailand!
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/Thai08Floating2.mp4
This video contains more footage of the floating market so you can see, taste, smell and experience the exotic environment. I really like it here… if you can’t get here anytime soon, well join me on this video… this particular floating market opens daily 7:30 am to 12:30pm… Leave early in the morning… you’ll love it…
Dear friends,
We drove two hours from Bangkok to the world famous Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. There are many floating markets not far from Bangkok, but this one is the original. The other ones we visited are nice also although not the original one. But whether it’s the original one or not, does not matter as they all have their appeal. They are all very nice…. visit the floating markets in Thailand!
People at Damnoen Saduak Floating Market are very friendly, outgoing, full of smiles and like to bargain with their items… But if you smile, they will smile back very fast. There are houses, shops, tea stops, gift items on both sides of the river for you to feast your eyes on. And many things are sold on the boats floating along the two sides against the pier. I enjoyed the ride so much. I bought some traditional Thai puppets. They wanted 4,500 baht for it, but I bargained to 2,500 baht and it took 5 mins… Wear light clothes, T-shirts, and cotton items to be comfortable… It was a blistering hot day when we went, so don’t forget to bring your umbrellas when you ride on the boat… we forgot!! Hehe… There is plenty of good food at the market… so you won’t be hungry. In fact, there’s too much good food.
Beng Kooi, Datuk May, Pastor Loh Seng Piow, James, Ethan, Bryan, Lew, Justin Ripley, Su Ming, Cynthia, Monlam, Wan, Jp, Carmen, Wai Meng and myself rented a mini bus and took the journey from Bangkok… We all enjoyed the Floating Market very very very much.
Traffic jams in Bangkok start around 3-3:30pm and can last until 7pm. So wherever you go, you must avoid this timing. If you are coming into Bangkok then you must get in before 3:30pm daily or you will need an extra hour to get where you want to go within Bangkok. If you wish to for example drive outside of Bangkok, leave before 3:30pm also. Either in or out of Bangkok, AVOID THE JAMS… YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED… LOL.
There are places outside of Bangkok we visited and it would normally take one hour to arrive, with the jam it takes two hours… so we learned the hard way to avoid the infamous jams… hehehe… Bangkok is a huge metropolitan city with 10 million population and when offices/businesses close, everyone rushes to get home. Heed my warning regarding traveling around in cars BEFORE 3;30pm. Sundays should be better.
Not all of Bangkok is connected by tram or train, so if you have to go out then get use to the trains wherever they are available, they are convenient, punctual and do not get stuck in traffic.
I loved riding the boat on the river of Damnoen Saduak Floating Market… I decided to share a thoughts on the relevance of Buddha images and making offerings everyday. Why we make offerings, the benefits and how it started. I sincerely hope the talks help you while you feast your eyes on the exotic scenes.
Much Care as usual,
Tsem Rinpoche
I had the fortune to purchase this beautiful Buddha for 1,200 baht. I carried Buddha with me on the boat all throughout the market. I wanted everyone to be blessed. I felt like the boatman escorting Lord Buddha who is the King to meet the people. Everyone who saw the Buddha loved it and smiled. Thank goodness I have a hat on as it was very very very hot that day.
So much happening on both sides of the river as you float by… after the boat ride or during the boat ride you can stop and see the shops… Lots of interesting shops for sure.
I have always loved puppets… any type of puppets… I purchased this traditional Thai puppet here…
Lots of food, snacks, fruits and tidbits to buy…
Myself with Lord Buddha on my head as I escort Him throughout the village for all to be blessed. Pastor Loh Seng Piow in the red behind me and Wan in the blue laughing away… I think she liked the hat she’s wearing…
Thailand is really one of the best tourist places to visit in the world for sure… and lots of spiritual places also…
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If you are in the United States, please note that your offerings and contributions are tax deductible. ~ the tsemrinpoche.com blog team
This is very important for us to have a qualified guru with pure lineage to give us Buddha teachings and explanations in these ritual matters especially for the new spiritual learners. Always remember that only by practicing the methods taught by the guru, purify our negative karma, accumulate merits to enable us to gain realisations and eventually achieve the enlightenment.
Thank you Rinpoche for this clear explanations on how to arrange for an altar setup and the importance of making offerings to the Buddha. We should learn and practice accordingly and share to others as much as we could.
Thank you for sharing this video with nice scenery and teachings on having an altar, the representation of Buddha image and making offering to Buddha; as well as the meaning of the purpose we come to the world is to give and benefit. As usual Rinpoche always finds ways to give teachings benefiting many, including those who see Rinpoche was cruising around the river carrying Buddha statue with him, for tourists and many who around the floating market to see the Buddha image.
hi hi im new here, but enjoy reading this page very much.. thank you _/\_
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this Dharma talk and the tour at the floating market with us. I can imagine how hot the weather at the floating market yet Rinpoche compassionately gave the teaching in a boat that wobbled in the river for hours. Rinpoche always find ways to give us teaching so that we find it interesting to learn and remember. Rinpoche never miss any chance that he think of that would benefit people. Thank you for explaining the significant and important of a Buddha statue which represent the accumulation merits for the 3 eons. Thank you Rinpoche
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for the wonderful teachings. I am currently offering water and do Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga every day. I hope to generate enough merit to continue my spiritual journey. Thank you again for the teachings.
Penang Study Group comment
We are grateful to Rinpoche for having this teaching in an unusual place, that is Floating Market. Most of us did enjoy this teaching very much. For study purposes, we based our discussion on the benefits of offerings to the Sangha. Few questions were asked such as what constitutes as an offerings, the meaning of Sangha, the importance of offerings and lastly, the motivation.
We shared a great deal of ideas and knowledges that we have and after having to listen to Rinpoche’s teaching about offerings. For instance, despite the usual offerings such as statues, books and stupa that constitutes Body, Speech and Mind, some of them came up with other unusual offerings (inner offerings) such as transformation of mind, good heart, Guru devotion and attachments as well. In short, we agreed that we offer the best. As to why we need to offer to the Sangha, there were two distinctive answers; to ensure that Sangha can concentrate on their practices so that they in turn can benefit more people and helped Sangha to uphold and spread the Dharma.
Although, just as Rinpoche has mentioned, there are differing merit for different offerings, the motivation must be set right. We should offer in a manner that these offerings benefits all such as by helping to sustain Sangha in their practices, Dharma will be preserved for a very long time. Lastly, thank you Rinpoche for this teachings.
Thank you rinpoche for sharing this teaching. The teaching is easy to understand and very beneficial to beginner that would like to setup their altar.
I now have better understanding on the set up of a basic altar, preferable offering items and the meaning for doing this.
I will continue with my daily water offering to generate more merits for me to gain more dharma knowledge and to continue with my dharma practice.
Thank You Rinpoche for the marvelous teaching. I was amazed 3 eons of merits to form Buddha images, it is not easy at all. I am glad that I setup the Buddhism altar with Patsy’s advice. I love my altar and Buddha images. They are motivation for me to do daily prayer. I love to watch the Buddha status while doing my prayers, they are my ultimate goals and remind me of their teaching and vows. Doing offering to altar can be one of simple way for us to correct merits daily. We need a lot of merits in Dharma path.
Thank You Rinpoche.
Cheers,
Soon Huat
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing about the importance of having a statue and altar. I will bare that im mind and set up my mini altar soon and do water offering with my tsa tsas medicine buddha statue
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this Dharma talk with us, I really love to listen to Rinpoche talk whether is short or long it always very inspiring. Indeed is very true what Rinpoche said we come to this world not just talke we should give , give do not mean just monetary give it can be in the form of our time , care and kindness and extend all these care and live to all mothers sentient being especially the animals because animal has very little ability to take care themselves we human has much more greater ability to give them care.
How wonderful and meritorious it was for our lucky people to be with Rinpoche in escorting the Buddha’s statue round the Damnoensaduak floating-market village on a boat to bless the people there. Like Rinpoche said, “everyone who saw the Buddha loved it and smiled”.As usual with his great compassion, Rinpoche wanted everyone to be blessed, and be happy too. What could be a better place for such real dharma learning and sharing experiences on a boat with a Guru! Thank you Rinpoche for your wonderful sharing of which many seem to admire and fancy its “uniqueness”. It is indeed some teaching that no one will want to forget and an immaculate example which all would wish to follow!
Dear Rinpoche, I want to visit the floating market someday. I just google searched the word eon. They explained that one eon is equals to 1 billion years and that also means that Lord Buddha were looking for Buddhism for over three billions years. I’m not trying to say that Rinpoche is wrong or what but humans was not even born three billions ago. Could it be that other planets also have Buddhism?
I’m writing to thank Rinpoche that I decided to set up my altar about 2 year ago, after watching your meaningful teaching on having a Buddha statue and setting up an altar. This is something that I never thought of doing it in my life…transformation is on the way. Thanks Rinpoche. 🙂
I am glad that Rinpoche enjoys trips like this 🙂 it’s always very interesting for me as well to read. I enjoy reading about things like this and I hope that Rinpoche will share more in the future.
Thank you for sharing on the significance on Buddhas statues on our altars and making offerings to Buddha. I really like the atmosphere of the floating markets of Bangkok, I hope that one day I can visit them.
There are countless floating markets throughout Bangkok, many within a couple of hours of the capital. The most famous of the floating markets is Damnoen Saduak, about 100 kilometers southwest of Bangkok, which is the one Rinpoche visited. This buzzing market is at its best in the early morning before the crowds arrive and the heat of the day builds up. I enjoyed it very much too when I visited once. Thank you Rinpoche for always creating unconventional and creative ways to teach the dharma.
Thanks Rinpoche for the wonderful teaching, now we more understand the details of “Offering”
Offering can be make through our inner and outer offering, we should make more offering hence to get more Merits to be a better person and have a better life…
It is always a privilege to be with Rinpoche, for there will always be a learning of great significance to overcome our ignorance. I remember clearly this trip to the Floating Market and we had a lot of fun, learning the history of the place, the reason for setting up an altar and the significance of a Buddha statute.
We also enjoyed the people there as Thais are Buddhists, they were very attracted to Rinpoche as he carried the statutes with blessings for them all and somehow they knew that.
Wonderful trip and wonderful learning on Buddha statutes and why we should have them. So much meanings to benefit us.
i hope everyone had a good time and the floating market looks so fun. i like the idea, it seems so nice to have a ride in a boat and you can but things and eat, i like the thought. thank you for sharing Rinpoche
Rinpoche is dharma 24×7, even when Rinpoche took a break to check out the floating market. We all had a great time and Rinpoche as usual cracked a lot of jokes. Thank you Rinpoche for sharing on the importance of having Buddhist images.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing all these beautiful picture in Thailand floating market and a dharma talk. I love the Buddha statue that Rinpoche invite very classic looking Buddha and the price a very reasonable.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this, I’ve learn a lot from this video. From doing offering and setting up altar, it’s interesting to see Rinpoche doing a Dharma sharing on a boat. The statue Rinpoche holding is really beautiful.
Wow, Saduak floating market looks really fun to visit, I’ve always wanted to visit that place but never got the chance to go. It was really funny to watch Rinpoche bargain with the lady shop owner haha. Thank you Rinpoche was giving us a short and precise teaching about the significance of praying to the Buddha and significance of a Buddha statue and how to do short daily prayers and offerings to the Buddha, I really enjoyed the teaching. Thank you for sharing your teaching with us and producing an easy video to view and tips on visiting Bangkok and Saduak.
I haven’t been to Bangkok but I’ve heard a lot about that wonderful place. So many places to go and activities to experience. I am also interested to know about their culture and tradition.
wow, i hope you had a good time Rinpoche, and that place looks so nice and the shops on water and the restaurants on water too. it looks so nice and peaceful too. i wonder how nice the food is, i bet it is good. thank you for sharing this Rinpoche.
感谢仁波切的开始 ～ 因为有仁波切的开示在 ～ 那么我们就会明白正真供养的意义 与 方式 ～还有抱着怎样一个正确的发心
以前从来就没有人教会我这些～但进入了kechara 后 ，来到师父这blog的大宝藏里～恍然发现原来供佛的正真意义原来是这样庄严的 ～让我改掉了以前人拜我就盲目的拜～供养的意义不懂～让我改掉以为供养是给佛吃的就盲目供养
感谢仁波切的教诲～大家要多来师父的blog 真的可以学到很多东西
So wonderfull to listen… you`re rebilding my motivation to return to thangka painting, making statues what I have studied for many years (Karma Gadri School with Gega Lama… & so on), to continue and restart place for Dharma practice I led in my town for 27 years (last 3 years of crisis and taking personal brake)but the most important to to intensifie my everyday practice and not ignore various forms of practice, elevating cultivation of this very moment`s state of pure mind, puting down any other way of expresing practice… just thank you so much, I can not express strenth of my beating heart now… thank you, thank you…
furyu
Thanks Rinpoche for sharing this article to us, i m more understand about “Offering”.
“Offerings to the Buddha is not that they want. It is for you to make offerings in order to generate the MERIT to be able to understand mind, ego and the path. By merits we are eventually able to eliminate the ego. The tradition of making offerings to the Three Jewels was started by Lord Shakyamuni Himself. An enlightened Tathagata is a correct object of veneration, refuge and also a merit field. Most people cannot offer even a tiny bit of their egos to the Buddhas, so let them start by offering water, flowers and incense.”
Thanks la Rinpoche, i really loved your programme. Blessed me rinpoche.
Tashi Delek!
I’m working with this teaching at the moment to incorporate in to our Lamrim classes. This teaching is shot in such a beautiful place with Rinpoche on the boat, a beautiful statue in his arm as Rinpoche eloquently taught the dharma. This video teaching is a must watch for all who are new to setting up altars, learning the benefits of buddha images.
Thank you , Rinpoche. You share with us every sight and sound that you experience in Bangkok and we live each experience vicariously through you.
Thank you for the Dharma sharing on making offerings to Buddha statues.
When you said that the Buddha’s form or body is the culmination of three aeons of merits of body, speech and mind (practising restraint and abandonment of the ten non-virtuous actions of body, speech and mind), it had/has a powerful impact on the way I now view Buddha statues and the way I make prostrations and offerings to the Three Jewels. THere is greater awe and humility than before, greater awareness of a Buddha’s great compassion that motivated Him to accomplish all this.
Rinpoche thanks for the teaching you gave. I will make offerings to my Buddha statues.
This is a very good teaching for people that want to set up altar and do offerings.
Rinpoche mentioned the reason and how to do it. Very informative and beneficial to a lot of people & myself.
As mentioned by Sock Wan that about touching the Buddha statue, I too do come across to a lot of people that very particular with it. But Rinpoche given a very valid reason to associate more with the Buddha.
Thanks Rinpoche for this teaching.
This is very educational! We thought a buddha statue is very holy that we should not touch it. In contrary, we should touch it and make sure it is always clean because of the blessings we are able to get. The more I learn about Dharma, the more I like buddha statues.
Thank you Rinpoche for giving dharma teachings at every opportune time.
I enjoyed the scenery as I listened to teachings
on how to set up altar , offerings and be blessed by Buddha….how fortunate 🙂
Thanks!Very nice and very pictoresque-especially the Buddha on your lap, it looks very natural and mesmerising at the same time…
I would very much appreciate a future posting about the different types of merits, about which you mentionned in this video!
Dear Rinpoche – Thank you a million million for taking us on this journey. I had such strong deja vu that I forgot that I was not yourself on the river. My wooden Buddha is also from Thailand. It is just a humble tourist Buddha but it has been a part of my family and me for many years; it keeps great Dharma love around me every day. I will follow your advice; I can make my alter much more rich ! (I do the water offering of Jambhala every morning in my kitchen shrine. In Dharma, Madeline from Nova Scotia.
Happy to see you so smooth floating, what a beautiful place, and simply lofly with a Buddha. Ji you really are a dictionary of Bhudism! I don’t know if I am a high lama or a low lama, perhaps looking for a GadenLama, annyway I jumped in a family namen galama, so a ga-lama. I also like to preach and to decide, and the dicisions towards truth and meditationpractise solid loyal faithfulsimpel to do what my SatGuru wants from me. Brother, I think you’ve been having the pains because of we want to help the bears free and escape from the hels of bearfarms. I promessed to help you. On your website confronted with this ..I was so glad en happy you made all that on your website. To me the third time this terribal in our country are no bearfarms, but here also annimals as everywhere in the world, are suffering, because we humans not recognize ourselves in them. I will look to the videos again and then later I will think of the bears in there situation, and imagine clearly how I will open the cages and free them from the prisson and hurt, that they are in. And so on. I will imagine the people around there and I will look in there eyes and perhaps speak, to the poit. to change them.open their hearts again and see what they are doing… I am confinced that by this will create space for people fysiccally near, will be supported to nurter it into reallity. If we all who are not fysically near the annimals ..we can help by our good intentions to help, i’ll bring it asfar as possible.
And also sending money helps.
I am really glad to notice that you are doing fine , kind regards from a Gaden sponsor.
With prayers from them to you… too. Be happy, be cool ,don’t eat to much…if you eat a lot of work..don’t forget to eat also a litle bit rest. If you eat a lot of hurt, don’t forget to eat also a lot of love. Thank you . May all sentient beings..be free from sufferings and nightmares and free from malicious people. May all wounds and hurt come to an end. yours’ sincerely a sister. take care. Beye
Hope you feel better too,get some rest and warm soup :))
Dear Rinpoche,your videos are beautiful and thank you for the Dharma talk,always very helpful!! Much love and blessings to you and your furry babies!! 🙂
Dear Rinpoche,
I enjoyed the Dharma sharing that you gave, really appreciate for sharing with us on the significance of having Buddha statue on our altar and also making offering to the Buddha’s, not forgetting the water offering to Buddha’s, really learn a lot from Rinpoche sharing, will surely listen to it again.
the second video was a great experience for me watching the scene at the floating market, it is indeed very nice experience watching through the video.
i wish Rinpoche good health and rest more, and hope Rinpoche swift recovery from fever, have an amazing trip in Thailand. with folded hands.