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Offering Mandala
Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2017 12:10 am
by alexprice
A practice I'd like to do requires making an offering mandala "the size of one's forearm." What does making an offering mandala entail? In its most basic essential form.
Also, there are instructions to sprinkle it with rakta. I know what this means but am wondering what is usually used for it in actual practice?
best
alex
Re: Offering Mandala
Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2017 8:44 am
by Ayu
I don't know much about Sakya. Is this video helpful? Maybe somebody else can find other videos answering your question better.
Re: Offering Mandala
Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2017 2:16 pm
by alexprice
Thanks for your kind reply. My question wasn't specific to Sakya so maybe it would have been better for me to post in the general forum. But your video was very helpful and I think I understand the answer now - I think in my case what they mean when they say "construct an offering mandala the size of your forearm" is just to set up the basic round surface for the offering (generally metal but HH has told us that it's okay to use other materials like wood or stone when it's this large).
Re: Offering Mandala
Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2017 3:16 pm
by alexprice
I also was able to learn that they often use sindhura powder as rakta, but you can also purchase "rakta substance" powder from places like Potala Gate online.
Re: Offering Mandala
Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2017 4:03 pm
by Malcolm
alexprice wrote:A practice I'd like to do requires making an offering mandala "the size of one's forearm." What does making an offering mandala entail? In its most basic essential form.
Also, there are instructions to sprinkle it with rakta. I know what this means but am wondering what is usually used for it in actual practice?
best
alex
You do not sprinkle your mandala with blood, symbolic or otherwise. You sprinkle it with saffron water.
Re: Offering Mandala
Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2017 6:08 pm
by Nyedrag Yeshe
Malcolm wrote:alexprice wrote:A practice I'd like to do requires making an offering mandala "the size of one's forearm." What does making an offering mandala entail? In its most basic essential form.
Also, there are instructions to sprinkle it with rakta. I know what this means but am wondering what is usually used for it in actual practice?
best
alex
You do not sprinkle your mandala with blood, symbolic or otherwise. You sprinkle it with saffron water.
Maybe ancient indians used water with kumkum?
Re: Offering Mandala
Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2017 9:15 am
by crazy-man
Re: Offering Mandala
Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2017 6:07 pm
by pemachophel
"You sprinkle it with saffron water."
And/or with ba-jung, the five products of a (red) cow, now not so easy to get.