Benefits of Light Offering
The light offering has immense benefits. In Vajrayana, there are [offerings like] ARGHAM, PADYAM, PUSHPE, DHUPE, ALOKE, GANDHE, NAIVIDYA, SHAPTA, and ALOKE refers to the light offering. Therefore, one must know the significance of the light offerings. Many people assume the light offering to be simply lighting some lamps and offering them to Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. However, that is not the end.
So, what is the meaning of light offering? The question is, how Buddhas in the past achieved enlightenment? How come beings like us are not enlightened but still wander in this never-ending cyclic existence? What is the story behind it? Deep within each of us, there is something called ‘ignorance’ which literally means ‘not knowing’. What is ‘not known’? That is, not knowing the real meaning. And the real meaning refers to ‘realization of his or her own true nature of mind’. However, we have not yet realized it.
So, what hinders us from realizing it? Due to our habitual tendencies, thoughts, and emotions like desire, anger, jealousy, arrogance default to a habitual response. We cannot realize our true nature of mind because of these destructive thoughts and emotions while Buddhas of the past achieved enlightenment by abandoning anger, hatred, and arrogance.
Similarly, there is no other way to liberate ourselves from suffering, to attain lasting happiness, and to be enlightened apart from getting rid of ignorance. How should we get rid of ignorance? Can we get rid of ignorance by blowing air? Can we get rid of ignorance by chanting mantras? Can we get rid of ignorance by working hard? The answer is no. There is only one way to get rid of ignorance and that is to cultivate wisdom.
So, what is wisdom? To be aware of non-virtues as non-virtues, to
recognize the need to abandon non-virtues and being enthusiastic to abandon non-virtues. Similarly, to be aware of virtues as virtues, to recognize the need to cultivate virtues, and to be enthusiastic to cultivate virtues. This sense of enthusiasm is wisdom. In fact, wisdom is being aware of the characteristics of virtues and non-virtues. Also recognizing that there is no way to achieve enlightenment without abandoning non-virtues and cultivating virtues.
The point is to know that both virtues and non-virtues arise from our own minds. That our mind must be properly guarded and mended. That mind’s negative emotions like clinging to personal self must be abandoned. To that end, one engages in study, contemplation, and meditation and meditation is the most important one. It is through meditation that one ultimately sees, realizes, or discovers our true nature of mind. That is the purpose of light offering.
For example, we cannot see anything in a dark room. However, by switching on the light, everything can be seen clearly without any confusion. Similarly, by offering the light of wisdom, sentient beings can pacify the clinging to true existence, grasping at personal self and emotions like attachment, anger, hatred, arrogance, and so forth. As a result, beings will realize the primordial true nature of the mind. Ultimately, beings will become enlightened. This is the purpose of light offering.
Know this crucial point and we reap an inconceivable benefit even from a single light offering. Miss this crucial point and we will not reap that much benefit, although merely offering a light certainly brings some benefit. However, we must recognize the purpose of light offering in order to achieve its maximum benefits. Buddhism in general must be approached by understanding the reason. If we are unaware of the actual reason and just follow because our parents have been doing it, we will not achieve the desired benefits.
The light offering is the nature of light or radiance. Light symbolizes our true nature of mind or wisdom. By igniting the light of wisdom or pure awareness-wisdom, we overcome delusion, stupidity, or confusion. Thereby we achieve enlightenment or see the truth.
When we offer light with pure intention and aspiration to benefit all sentient beings, we reap benefits equal to the number of light we offer, which could be tens of thousands. However, if we miss the crucial point and just do it for the sake of doing it, it is impossible to receive the inconceivable benefits. Hence, consider this carefully!
For those of you who wonder what should be recited during the light offering, certain recitations can be found in Shitro and Amitabha liturgies, which you can recite at least once during the light offering. Okay, that is it!
──This was spoken by His Eminence Sangyes Nyenpa Rinpoche in response to a Bhutanese devotee while residing at a park at the base of Taktsang Monastery in August 2021.
Translated by Khenpo Sherab Tenzin, Benchen Monastery