Gohonzon Offerings

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Nyedrag Yeshe
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Gohonzon Offerings

Post by Nyedrag Yeshe »

Any suggestions on prayer to make offerings to the Gohonzon? Like, which prayer or verse can I recite before offering incense, a candle etc. Is there any prayer Dharani to consecrate and present offerings to the Three Jewels? Any prayer, invocation, aspiration? And also how to make and present offerings.
“Whatever has to happen, let it happen!”
“Whatever the situation is, it’s fine!”
“I really don’t need anything!
~Tsangpa Gyare Yeshe Dorje (1161-1211)
ओं पद्मोष्णीष विमले हूँ फट । ओं हनुफशभरहृदय स्वाहा॥
འ༔ ཨ༔ ཧ༔ ཤ༔ ས༔ མ༔ ཀརྨ་པ་མཁྱེན་ནོ།
narhwal90
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Re: Gohonzon Offerings

Post by narhwal90 »

SGI proposes a series of prayers introduced by daimoku- see pages ix, 18,19. The old NSA had something similar- I don't know what Nichiren Shoshu does these days but would be surprised if it was a lot different. The old NSA 1st prayer invoked quite a few shoten zenjin by name, SGI omits the names but the prayer remains.

http://buddyzmnichirendaishonin.republi ... _large.pdf

personally I make the 4 Vows for the 1st paragraph of the 4th prayer, and add a prayer for the happiness of anyone on my mind at the moment. I augment the 2nd second adding a prayer for a moment of peace for those dying and for consolation of the bereaved. A bell is rung at a few points in the prayers, lol I often forget to.

I offer gassho, then incense lit from the candles, 3 sticks short or long depending on how long I'm staying, then gassho again before starting gongyo. Water offering, flowers/fruit in whatever form I set up before lighting candles. I'm inclined to think altar setup and use varies quite a bit. I have seen all kinds of stuff offered on family altars; real fruit and flowers are orthodox in many forms but I've seen cookies, crackers, photos, Mr Ikeda memorabilia. Quite a few people use plastic flowers & fruit as offerings which presents interesting questions regarding impermanence. The altars at SGI centers are more formal, consistent and spare, cookies are not featured lol.
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Nyedrag Yeshe
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Re: Gohonzon Offerings

Post by Nyedrag Yeshe »

narhwal90 wrote: Wed Nov 22, 2017 4:00 am SGI proposes a series of prayers introduced by daimoku- see pages ix, 18,19. The old NSA had something similar- I don't know what Nichiren Shoshu does these days but would be surprised if it was a lot different. The old NSA 1st prayer invoked quite a few shoten zenjin by name, SGI omits the names but the prayer remains.

http://buddyzmnichirendaishonin.republi ... _large.pdf

personally I make the 4 Vows for the 1st paragraph of the 4th prayer, and add a prayer for the happiness of anyone on my mind at the moment. I augment the 2nd second adding a prayer for a moment of peace for those dying and for consolation of the bereaved. A bell is rung at a few points in the prayers, lol I often forget to.

I offer gassho, then incense lit from the candles, 3 sticks short or long depending on how long I'm staying, then gassho again before starting gongyo. Water offering, flowers/fruit in whatever form I set up before lighting candles. I'm inclined to think altar setup and use varies quite a bit. I have seen all kinds of stuff offered on family altars; real fruit and flowers are orthodox in many forms but I've seen cookies, crackers, photos, Mr Ikeda memorabilia. Quite a few people use plastic flowers & fruit as offerings which presents interesting questions regarding impermanence. The altars at SGI centers are more formal, consistent and spare, cookies are not featured lol.
I was looking for a prayer for actually presenting each offering. My doubt is that you just put the offerings in place and begin gongyo without make a formal offering prayer?
“Whatever has to happen, let it happen!”
“Whatever the situation is, it’s fine!”
“I really don’t need anything!
~Tsangpa Gyare Yeshe Dorje (1161-1211)
ओं पद्मोष्णीष विमले हूँ फट । ओं हनुफशभरहृदय स्वाहा॥
འ༔ ཨ༔ ཧ༔ ཤ༔ ས༔ མ༔ ཀརྨ་པ་མཁྱེན་ནོ།
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Minobu
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Re: Gohonzon Offerings

Post by Minobu »

Nyedrag Yeshe wrote: Wed Nov 22, 2017 4:04 pm
narhwal90 wrote: Wed Nov 22, 2017 4:00 am SGI proposes a series of prayers introduced by daimoku- see pages ix, 18,19. The old NSA had something similar- I don't know what Nichiren Shoshu does these days but would be surprised if it was a lot different. The old NSA 1st prayer invoked quite a few shoten zenjin by name, SGI omits the names but the prayer remains.

http://buddyzmnichirendaishonin.republi ... _large.pdf

personally I make the 4 Vows for the 1st paragraph of the 4th prayer, and add a prayer for the happiness of anyone on my mind at the moment. I augment the 2nd second adding a prayer for a moment of peace for those dying and for consolation of the bereaved. A bell is rung at a few points in the prayers, lol I often forget to.

I offer gassho, then incense lit from the candles, 3 sticks short or long depending on how long I'm staying, then gassho again before starting gongyo. Water offering, flowers/fruit in whatever form I set up before lighting candles. I'm inclined to think altar setup and use varies quite a bit. I have seen all kinds of stuff offered on family altars; real fruit and flowers are orthodox in many forms but I've seen cookies, crackers, photos, Mr Ikeda memorabilia. Quite a few people use plastic flowers & fruit as offerings which presents interesting questions regarding impermanence. The altars at SGI centers are more formal, consistent and spare, cookies are not featured lol.
I was looking for a prayer for actually presenting each offering. My doubt is that you just put the offerings in place and begin gongyo without make a formal offering prayer?
anything that is on an altar , or placed in front of the lotus Sutra or Gohonzon is an offering...even you ...you are offering your life to the Sutra when you sit in front of gohonzon...

it's like the kid that offered a Mud Pie...did he really know what he was doing was going to be so great...he had good intention.
narhwal90
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Re: Gohonzon Offerings

Post by narhwal90 »

As far as prayers for offerings, that may be one area where schools differ considerably; and within as well. In my experience in SGI and NSA offerings are preceeded and followed by not much more than a gassho and possibly daimoku. I should think suitably dedicating the merit wouldn't be out of place. OTOH back in the day when I visited the local Shoshu temple, their altar procedures were more involved- I imagine that is still true.
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Minobu
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Re: Gohonzon Offerings

Post by Minobu »

narhwal90 wrote: Wed Nov 22, 2017 6:51 pm As far as prayers for offerings, that may be one area where schools differ considerably; and within as well. In my experience in SGI and NSA offerings are preceeded and followed by not much more than a gassho and possibly daimoku. I should think suitably dedicating the merit wouldn't be out of place. OTOH back in the day when I visited the local Shoshu temple, their altar procedures were more involved- I imagine that is still true.
yeah i think they offer up ,like incense with a gesture of 3 times..whilst chanting like when the incense burns out...
there is 3 time thing i recall fro all offerings ..
sort of a long time ago...me practicing on my own with a computer image ...maybe i should visualize the whole altar thing and turn it into a tantric offering?
tantric offerings are blessed with the characters for body speech and mind of Buddhas...visualize Om Ah Hum falling into the offering and blessing it...it can get quite elaborate and respectful.
DGA
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Re: Gohonzon Offerings

Post by DGA »

Minobu wrote: Wed Nov 22, 2017 7:25 pm
narhwal90 wrote: Wed Nov 22, 2017 6:51 pm As far as prayers for offerings, that may be one area where schools differ considerably; and within as well. In my experience in SGI and NSA offerings are preceeded and followed by not much more than a gassho and possibly daimoku. I should think suitably dedicating the merit wouldn't be out of place. OTOH back in the day when I visited the local Shoshu temple, their altar procedures were more involved- I imagine that is still true.
yeah i think they offer up ,like incense with a gesture of 3 times..whilst chanting like when the incense burns out...
there is 3 time thing i recall fro all offerings ..
sort of a long time ago...me practicing on my own with a computer image ...maybe i should visualize the whole altar thing and turn it into a tantric offering?
tantric offerings are blessed with the characters for body speech and mind of Buddhas...visualize Om Ah Hum falling into the offering and blessing it...it can get quite elaborate and respectful.
Your post has me confused. Or maybe you are teaching me something new and surprising that I didn't think was possible. Either way, please help me out:

is the practice you are describing as a "tantric offering" a teaching of Nichiren? Is it a practice that is done or promoted by any tradition of Nichiren's Buddhism? Or if not... where did you get this idea?

thanks in advance
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Minobu
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Re: Gohonzon Offerings

Post by Minobu »

DGA wrote: Wed Nov 22, 2017 7:33 pm
Minobu wrote: Wed Nov 22, 2017 7:25 pm
narhwal90 wrote: Wed Nov 22, 2017 6:51 pm As far as prayers for offerings, that may be one area where schools differ considerably; and within as well. In my experience in SGI and NSA offerings are preceeded and followed by not much more than a gassho and possibly daimoku. I should think suitably dedicating the merit wouldn't be out of place. OTOH back in the day when I visited the local Shoshu temple, their altar procedures were more involved- I imagine that is still true.
yeah i think they offer up ,like incense with a gesture of 3 times..whilst chanting like when the incense burns out...
there is 3 time thing i recall fro all offerings ..
sort of a long time ago...me practicing on my own with a computer image ...maybe i should visualize the whole altar thing and turn it into a tantric offering?
tantric offerings are blessed with the characters for body speech and mind of Buddhas...visualize Om Ah Hum falling into the offering and blessing it...it can get quite elaborate and respectful.
Your post has me confused. Or maybe you are teaching me something new and surprising that I didn't think was possible. Either way, please help me out:

is the practice you are describing as a "tantric offering" a teaching of Nichiren? Is it a practice that is done or promoted by any tradition of Nichiren's Buddhism? Or if not... where did you get this idea?

thanks in advance
not trying to teach something new here..just a personal thought.
Minobu wrote: Wed Nov 22, 2017 7:25 pm ...maybe i should visualize the whole altar thing and turn it into a tantric offering?
but Tantric offerings are blessed with the characters Om Ah Hum...imbuing them with the body speech and mind of the Buddha blessing..
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Minobu
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Re: Gohonzon Offerings

Post by Minobu »

as an add on DGA
me practicing on my own with a computer image ...maybe i should visualize the whole altar thing and turn it into a tantric offering?
i do not have any altar set up...
hence the thought.

When and if i decide to actually join an organization and get Gohonzon from them...i shall build one and prepare it for the ceremony of enshrinement.

i gave back my Sho shu Gohonzon a few years after the rift between the priests and SGI...it left me paralyzed in faith in the whole Nichiren thing totally...
like how could this happen...and then...well it's all so common place in Buddhism isn't it. live and learn eh!
don't toss the baby out with the bath water...
markatex
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Re: Gohonzon Offerings

Post by markatex »

There isn't any sort of special prayer said when placing offerings. Most of the time, candle, incense, and water/tea are the offerings I make, and a simple gassho is all there is to it. In the morning, I rarely have time for gongyo/otsutome, so I'll change the water offering, gassho, and chant daimoku three times.
DGA
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Re: Gohonzon Offerings

Post by DGA »

Minobu wrote: Wed Nov 22, 2017 7:40 pm
DGA wrote: Wed Nov 22, 2017 7:33 pm
Minobu wrote: Wed Nov 22, 2017 7:25 pm
yeah i think they offer up ,like incense with a gesture of 3 times..whilst chanting like when the incense burns out...
there is 3 time thing i recall fro all offerings ..
sort of a long time ago...me practicing on my own with a computer image ...maybe i should visualize the whole altar thing and turn it into a tantric offering?
tantric offerings are blessed with the characters for body speech and mind of Buddhas...visualize Om Ah Hum falling into the offering and blessing it...it can get quite elaborate and respectful.
Your post has me confused. Or maybe you are teaching me something new and surprising that I didn't think was possible. Either way, please help me out:

is the practice you are describing as a "tantric offering" a teaching of Nichiren? Is it a practice that is done or promoted by any tradition of Nichiren's Buddhism? Or if not... where did you get this idea?

thanks in advance
not trying to teach something new here..just a personal thought.
Minobu wrote: Wed Nov 22, 2017 7:25 pm ...maybe i should visualize the whole altar thing and turn it into a tantric offering?
but Tantric offerings are blessed with the characters Om Ah Hum...imbuing them with the body speech and mind of the Buddha blessing..
Thank you for helping me to understand your perspective.

Do you encourage others to practice in the way that you describe here, with regard to offerings to the Gohonzon?
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Minobu
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Re: Gohonzon Offerings

Post by Minobu »

DGA wrote: Sat Nov 25, 2017 2:08 am
Minobu wrote: Wed Nov 22, 2017 7:40 pm
DGA wrote: Wed Nov 22, 2017 7:33 pm

Your post has me confused. Or maybe you are teaching me something new and surprising that I didn't think was possible. Either way, please help me out:

is the practice you are describing as a "tantric offering" a teaching of Nichiren? Is it a practice that is done or promoted by any tradition of Nichiren's Buddhism? Or if not... where did you get this idea?

thanks in advance
not trying to teach something new here..just a personal thought.
Minobu wrote: Wed Nov 22, 2017 7:25 pm ...maybe i should visualize the whole altar thing and turn it into a tantric offering?
but Tantric offerings are blessed with the characters Om Ah Hum...imbuing them with the body speech and mind of the Buddha blessing..
Thank you for helping me to understand your perspective.

Do you encourage others to practice in the way that you describe here, with regard to offerings to the Gohonzon?
it's not a perspective.
it's not a way of practice.

so how does one go about encouraging someone to practice something that is just a thought ...

an ole Geshe told me his friends in a chinnese prison made visual offerings...everything from the alter to the incense and other other offerings.

As i said ...i don't have an alter and wondered
Minobu wrote: Wed Nov 22, 2017 7:25 pm ..me practicing on my own with a computer image ...maybe i should visualize the whole altar thing and turn it into a tantric offering?
i don't know and hopefully i'm sure you are not this small minded but it is almost like you are desperate to trip me up or something...no one on here could be that small minded.
must be just another random thought when reading into your constantly taking apart my posts like this...
:coffee:
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