Electric candles as offerings ok?
My temporary and mini shrine here in the USA until I find permanent residence. I am using mostly electric candles except for three live burning ones daily.
Just a quick sharing:
I bought these electric candles that look so real when ‘burning’ and battery powered. Light is light. Whether the source is battery, oil or wax, doesn’t really make a difference. In Tibet there was no wax per se and so everyone used butter to fuel the butterlamps. When they came to India they used ghee and wax. Now in the US people use wax and not butter or ghee mostly. So what’s better? Butter or wax? Same effect for merits actually. So no difference if we use batteries as opposed to wax candles. And much safer and you can leave on the whole day and night even unattended to and it’ll be safe.
I use a lot of electric candles and they amazingly look like real burning candles when turned on. I found it here in USA and can order online which I did. I love them and feel safe. I have around 15 of them burning on my shrine now with rechargeable batteries. Would like to have 108 actually as they are so safe with no fumes or smoke. Safe, beautiful and no worries with the same blessed effect. For the home and private indoor shrines I like electric candles. But if it’s semi outdoors or covered outdoors, then definitely ghee or wax candles. I like real flames to offer the Buddhas too. But for indoors, safety is most important.
Tsem Rinpoche
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Safety is the most important. It is recommended to use electric candles instead of real ones.
Whether the source is battery, oil or wax, doesn’t really make a difference…..as said by Rinpoche. For safety reasons if indoors we should bare in mind. As for me I choose to have flameless candles after all , as they are electronic alternative to traditional wick candles. To me flameless candles are a safe and smoke-free solution. Its a great way to achieve the aesthetic of candles without any aromas . They are typically utilized as aesthetic lighting devices and come in a variety of colours and sizes that are available in the market. What is important, we have lights to offer to Buddha, no differences .
Thank you Rinpoche for this wonderful explanation to clear the doubts .
1984 Los Angeles-Left to right: Geshe Tsultrim Gyeltsen, His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, monk assistant to Zong Rinpoche and the 18-year-old Tsem Rinpoche prior to ordination. Read more- https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/category/me
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A poem inspired by seeing a picture of my teacher, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche…
In the sport of correct views,
all that is correct is just a view,
without permanence or substance.
As long as we hold onto views,
our sufferings are gathered
to be experienced without end.
Without the strong methods of emptiness
and compassion, bereft of merit,
we sink deeper without respite.
To arise from this samsara is but
a dreamscape on the deluded mind.
Therefore seek the guru, who confers the yidam,
hold your vows and fixate on liberation
free of new creations. Free of new experiences as
there are none.
~ Tsem Rinpoche
Composed in Tsem Ladrang, Kuala Lumpur on July 7, 2014
I was walking past a second hand shop on Western Ave selling old things. They had a Japanese-style clay Buddha which was beige in colour on the floor, holding the door open. I thought the shopkeeper would collect a lot of negative karma without knowing if he kept such a holy item on the floor as a doorstop. So I went in to talk to him, but he didn’t look like he wanted to talk or that he even cared. So I asked him the price and he said US$5. I purchased it so he did not collect more negative karma. I was 17 years old and that was in 1982.
I escorted my new Buddha home and washed it lightly and wiped it. I placed it on my altar and was happy with the Buddha. I would do my meditations, prayers, sadhanas, mantras and prostrations in front of this shrine daily. When I left for India in 1987, I could not bring this Buddha along and gave it to a friend. It was a nice size and I made offerings to this Buddha for many years in Los Angeles. In front of the Buddha I placed His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s photo. I remember I was so relieved that the price was affordable. But US$5 that time was still expensive for me but worth it I thought. But I was happy to have brought the Buddha home. Tsem Rinpoche
https://www.tsemrinpoche.com
Tsem Rinpoche at Kechara Forest Retreat, Bentong, Malaysia
With modern technology nowaday,the invention of electric candles is very much advantage than live wax candles.Safer and less maintanace.The electric candles is amazing looks like real.Its the same merits for both afterall……..no difference.Most people find the greatest benefits to be the safetfy factors, the ease and convenience of operation and the reduced cost compared to traditional candles. There is always a risk of open flames.As long we have lights to offer to Buddha its the same.We need not worry leaving real candles on at home.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing.
Many people uncertain on the merits collected between electric candles and ghee candies. I always think that using electric candle is less merits because less effort on light offering. After I read Rinpoche’s explanations, I must correct my wrong view.
For safety purpose, electric candles are strongly recommended by Rinpoche.
Thanks Rinpoche for this sharing to correct my wrong views.
Jason
Thank you, Rinpoche, for this teaching! Electric candles that look so real is a safe way for us to make offerings to the Three Jewels all the time. By making offerings to the Three Jewels, we are creating the cause to reduce our ignorance and gain wisdom. It was stated in the Avatamsaka sutra, “Offering Lamps can dispel all darknesses.” In my mind, darkness would mean ignorance, negative karma and defilement.
In the Sutra of Giving, it says, “Those who offer lamps, will possess the pure heavenly eyes and clear wisdom in the future.” Buddhists around the world offer butterlamps, lotus-flower shaped wax candles, tea light candles and many more types in their practice.
I’m glad that we now have an option that is very safe, without fumes or smoke to offer to the Buddhas daily. The good news is that we/you can get them directly from our own Vajrasecrets now: http://www.vajrasecrets.com/flameless-wax-pillar-candle-ivory
No more worries about leaving light offering when there’s pets or children at home, and no worries about leaving the ‘flame’ unattended!
To offer light to the Buddhas is very beneficial as it dispels ignorance and we need to dispel our ignorance, the sooner the better. It is very good news that the electric candles have the same effect as normal candles as it is the light that we offer.
I love to use electric candles indoor now too. It is safe, beautiful and I can leave the candles on during the day and the night. With the rechargeable batteries we care at the same time for the environment as we can use the same batteries many times.
To dispose them safely for the environment, there are special containers for batteries in many shops already like Ikea, different supermarkets, and recycling places when the batteries are used up, so that it doesn’t poison the environment.
There are even candles who use very little battery so that the batteries last for a very long time. They are available at http://www.vajrasecrets.com now.
Thank You, Rinpoche, for sharing about this safe way to offer light to the Buddhas.
P. Antoinette
感谢仁波切的分享和允许我们可以利用电蜡烛来做供养。
其实在几年前，我和家人曾经烦恼过要不要继续的利用油灯来供养佛菩萨。而最后我们选择用电蜡烛做为供养菩萨。电蜡烛可以全天二十四小时开着、安全以及非常方便使用。
就如仁波切的教诲，外在的供养是必定的，因为可以帮助我们累积功德。但，最重要的是当我们学习佛法，必须要好好的运用，转变自己的心识，才是最好的供养于上师与佛菩萨。
I bought battery powered candles and switch them on 24 hours. Thank you Rinpoche for the sharing.
Thank u Rinpoche for the insightful information. I can safely leave these electric candles on 24 hours without worries. Will also have LED lights later on my new altar to be “visualized” as individual candles flickering on my altar at night
Thank you Rinpoche for your great sharing.This is very creative way of making light offering to Buddha.Most important it is safe for indoor especially like me (shrine in my room).
Thank you Rinpoche for the clarification for giving us what is essential in offering lights.
Thank you for sharing this article, Rinpoche.
Taking into consideration the safety feature, these electric/battery-powered candles will replace actual candles and/tea-lights during unsupervised situations.
As said, “Offering light signifies the stability of Patience, the Beauty which dispels all ignorance”. It has also been additionally affirmed that, “it is also excellent to offer butterlamps and candles as light, because this act of offerings symbolise burning away our mental afflictions of desire, aggression, greed, Jealousy, pride,miserliness and so forth. The other part of the symbolism is that it is a way to burn away our illness. This also represents a blessing, as it is something that touches our heart and mind and help us to transform.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for sharing about the light offerings. I went searching for batteried candle lights and I managed to find small candles on lotus which use watch batteries. I offered four new candle lights on lotus during Chinese New Year. Its all bright and shiny on my altar.
Thank you Rinpoche for the sharing.It is comforting to know that we could use batteries powered candles as offerings.The most important factor in making offering to the Buddha is sincerity and the correct motivation as we are doing it.
This is truly “en-lightening” and certainly clears the many doubts in many practitioners’ minds about using electric candles. We’ve forgotten that “Light is light” – and with the right motivation and focus in the process of the offerings 🙂
Thanks Rinpoche for the sharing.
The electric candles are so convenient for us who always travel and seldom stay at home!!!
I would like to get a few in the future.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing your beautiful altar with us,i feel so blessed by looking at the holy Buddha statue and pictures.I agreed with you that the electric candles are safer and without smoke and fumes,less pollution also and they looked so real and beautiful on the altar.
What is important is about sincerity when we make the offering. Using these electric candles as offering has the same effect for merits as Rinpoche said. Thank you Rinpoche for the sharing the info about electrical lights.
Buddha taught us to be mindful and apply the necessary means/method to suit a particular situation. So it makes absolute sense to think of safety first when making candle offerings indoor and the batteries powered candles prove to be a suitable solution. Besides the act of making offerings depends on our intention and motivation.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this blog post . Very neat and nice shrine the electrical candles look so real I don’t think we can get it here in Malaysia us not a bad idea our outlet should sell some of these candles I think is very good for indoor more healthy as it does not produce any flames.
Beautiful electric candles. I have saw the same in front of Dukkar Buddha, so real and nice! I would like to have this to offer to Tsongkhapa also.
I completely agree with Rinpoche. Candles are not compulsory as you are offering light in general. It could be a cheap lightbulb if you are poor or an extravagant golden candle if you can afford it. The focus of the offering is offering the best you can and for the safest option especially in this modern world where everything can be dangerous due to an unattended flame.
Thank You for sharing Rinpoche. I agreed that safety is very important for indoors, although the battery runs out very quickly but nothing comes in front of safety. I once asked my mum to get those electric candles but she refused to because she said that the offerings must be from the heart, if we can afford to offer candles then we offer candles, maybe she should really read about this…
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for giving another short yet very informative advice electric candles.
Over the past few months I have started to notice that even in Malaysia there has been a increasing trend that companies such as Ikea, Phillips and Diaso have came up with their versions of battery powered tea light candles, taper candles and one more that I can’t remember what kind.
I agree with Rinpoche that no matter whether it s wax, butter, ghee or others light is still light offered to the Buddha’s.
It is of course always better to offer a real candle but like what Rinpoche also said safety is most important.
Love
Jutika
Thank you Rinpoche for the sharing. Some of us might doubt – is it the effect will be different when we offer butterlamp to the 3 jewels than those candles made from wax? However after I read about this article It indirectly let me know there is nothing different. The most important is our intention and sincerity when we make the offering to enlighten being.
Thank you Rinpoche
for posting this theme, Tina from Germany. <3
That is a stunning shrine! Thank you Rinpoche for sharing and the info about electrical lights.