Antique Finish Brass Offering Bowls, 3 inch (Set of 7)

Antique Finish Brass Offering Bowls, 3 inch (Set of 7)

SKU: 81003037

Antique Finish Brass Offering Bowls, 3 inch (Set of 7)

SKU: 81003037
  • Handcrafted by Himalayan artisans
  • Ideal for prayer and ritual
  • Every purchase supports the temple
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A set of seven antique finish brass offering bowls with a raised base and delicate carvings of the Eight Auspicious Signs. Use for offering pure water, the eight sensory objects (in combination with a traditional butterlamp or candle holder), the five commitment substances, and so forth.

  • Handcrafted from brass by Himalayan artisans.
  • Decorated with Eight Auspicious Signs.
  • Polished antique finish.
  • Adorned with brass trim.
* As each item is handcrafted, variations in shape, colour and finishing may occur from piece to piece. These do not impact its spiritual function and benefits.

About Offering Vessels

Offerings are an essential part of Tibetan Buddhism. According to Buddhist belief, the offering of any pure and precious substance to the Buddhas helps us collect merits, gain spiritual attainments, and creates the causes to attain a Buddha’s body — one that is healthy, pleasant and possesses charisma that leads others to the Dharma.

The practice of water offerings, in particular, is one of the easiest methods to generate merits for the success of our spiritual practice. Water is generally considered to be plentiful and freely available, therefore no sense of loss is experienced when it is offered.

This in turn develops our generosity so that we may, in future, offer other substances as freely as we offer water. In this manner, the practice of making offerings to the Three Jewels represents the relinquishment of our inner desires and attachments to material objects.

“Making water offerings increases our merits and cuts down our miserliness. At a more basic level, making water offerings is a direct method for creating wealth and purifying poverty.” – Tsem Rinpoche

For this reason, Buddhists are also traditionally encouraged to offer the best within their ability and means. In the case of offering vessels, better materials such as gold, silver or copper are preferred to vessels made of glass, ceramic or plastic.

Further Reading

Making Water Offerings

  1. Start with the offering bowls face down in a straight line on your altar.
  2. Turn over the first bowl on the left and fill it with some clean water from an offering jug.
  3. Turn over the second bowl and pour most of the water from the first bowl into the second, making sure to leave a small amount of water in the first bowl.
  4. Turn over the third bowl and pour most of the water from the second bowl into the third, making sure to leave a small amount of water in the second bowl.
  5. Continue in this manner until all bowls have some water in them.
  6. Fill the offering bowls from left to right with more clean water from the offering jug. For auspiciousness, each bowl should be filled to one rice grain's length from the rim.
  7. Throughout the entire process, chant “OM AH HUM” continuously.
  8. Adjust the placement of the bowls so that they are one rice grain's length apart. Placing them too far apart creates the causes to be distant from the spiritual guide, while placing them too close together creates the causes to have a dull mind.
  9. Light a stick of incense and purify the water offerings while chanting “OM AH HUM”. Visualise that they are infinitely multiplied and transformed into an ocean of nectar and offered to all beings in the merit field.
  10. Recite a short dedication prayer after completing the water offering ritual.

Clearing Water Offerings

  1. Starting with the rightmost bowl, pour the water into a clean bucket or other suitable vessel.
  2. Dry the bowl using a cloth reserved for this purpose, then place it face down on the altar.
  3. Continue in this manner from right to left until all bowls are empty and dry.
  4. Throughout this process, chant Vajrasattva's 100-syllable mantra or other purification mantras and visualise that your obstacles and delusions are being purified.
  5. When not in use, offering bowls should always be kept face down or stored in a clean and dry place.
* The use of certain liquids/foods as offering substances may discolour the offering bowl over time.
  • Material: Brass with antique finish
  • Height: 45 mm (1.8-in)
  • Diameter: 76 mm (3.0-in)
  • Weight: 580 g (20.5 oz)

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