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About Dorje Shugden => General Discussion => Topic started by: beggar on January 02, 2012, 07:22:57 PM
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For our new friends:
There is always a lot of talk about making serkym offerings but some of you may be wondering what this actually means and how to make the offerings. So, a condensed guide:
What is a serkym offering?
"Serkym" literally means "Golden Drink" and is an offering of any type of liquid that we like - traditionally, liquids like tea, beer or milk were offered as these were precious substances. Today, we can offer anything that is precious and which we like (i.e. we offer up our attachments). It could be tea (any type of tea), milk, any type of alcohol or even any type of soft drink!
What does it mean to make a serkym offering?
When we make any offering to the Buddhas, it collects a lot of of merit for us, to clear the way for us to accomplish the things we wish and to invite the necessary conditions and resources.
The way the offering is done, liquid overflows from one vessel to another (see below) - this represents the overflowing abundance of things to come to us, visualised as all our wishes coming true.
It is believed that it is good to offer strong drinks or hot drinks, such as hot boiling tea. The heat represents a kind of swiftness, as we urge the Protector to accomplish our wishes and requests quickly.
How can we make serkym offerings?
Traditionally, a serkym offering set is made up of two parts -
i. a jug of offering liquid (whatever you have chosen)
ii. a serkym set - this comprises a larger bowl or vessel with a smaller vessel / cup / glass / container inside.
We leave the smaller vessel downturned up until the moment we begin our serkym offering. Or, you can turn over the smaller vessel, and pour a little of the drink in, so that it is not empty. This is because it is considered inauspicious to leave an upturned glass empty, as if we are offering nothing to the Buddhas.
Then, at the point of reciting the serkym verses, you can offer the serkym in one of two ways:
1. Offer / pour a little of the drink into the smaller vessel as you are reciting the verses. You will see that in the verses, there are two lines like this:
"Offering you nectar that bestows bliss,
Spontaneously grant our every wish!"
As you recite these lines, you pour a little of the drink into the smaller vessel.
Continue to do this until all the drink is poured out from the jug into the serkym set. It is normal and expected that liquid will overflow from the smaller vessel into the larger one.
2. Pour our all the liquid all at once, before reciting the verses. This is recommended for beginners, before you get used to reciting the verses and pouring simultaneously. You can use this method until you are more comfortable with the recitation, then begin to incorporate the serkym offering / pouring at the same time.
What do the verses mean?
Each of the verses in the serkym offerings, represents an offering that we make to each of the different beings, including the Yidam deities, Dorje Shugden and his emanations, and all the different beings within Dorje Shugden's entourage.
As we make the offerings, we request them for their assistance to accomplish quickly whatever we request.
An even more condensed version for emergencies
There may be incidences where it's not possible for you to do the whole prayer and set up a serkym set; also very urgent cases where there s no time to recite everything.
Then, just recite the prayers follows;
- Refuge
- Migtsema mantra (at least 3 times)
- Invocation prayer to DS ("Before myself as yidam deity....")
- Serkym offering (you can recite only the verse to Dorje Shugden:
"Transcendent supreme dharmapala,
Dorje Shugden, strict and swift of power
Offering you nectar that bestows bliss,
Spontaneously grant our every wish!"
- DS mantra, as many times as possible
- dedication prayers
Instead of making the full serkym offerings, you can simply offer any drink that you have available, such as a cup of tea, a bottle of drink or whatever you can afford and arrange at the time.
(You can download a copy of Dorje Shugden's prayers, including the serkym offering verses here:
http://dorjeshugden.com/wp/?page_id=57 (http://dorjeshugden.com/wp/?page_id=57))
Good luck!
If you have any questions, do scribble them here. I'd be happy to help!
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Thank you very much Beggar for these clear explanations on the serkym offering.
I understand that hot drink like hot boiling tea "represents a kind of swiftness, as we urge the Protector to accomplish our wishes and requests quickly." (dixit)
But what does the alcoholic drink represent? If it does...
Thank you.
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Thanks beggar for the explanation... quick Q: how do you offer a drink? As in a cup of tea, bottle of drink, etc... what do you do when you offer just a cup, without the pouring? Do you visualise the pouring?
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The serkym is chanted with a very beautiful tune here at Shar Gaden. Out of all of the various chants and rhythms, it is by far my favorite. :)
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Thank you very much Beggar for these clear explanations on the serkym offering.
I understand that hot drink like hot boiling tea "represents a kind of swiftness, as we urge the Protector to accomplish our wishes and requests quickly." (dixit)
But what does the alcoholic drink represent? If it does...
Thank you.
Ya, I'd like to know why certain people uses beer as their serkym offering. Isn't it that one of the precepts is no intoxication? So if we offer alcohol as serkym, are we not breaking the precepts? Especially we are offering to a Buddha.
And Thank you Mana for the concise explanation on Serkym offering.
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Thank you very much Beggar for these clear explanations on the serkym offering.
I understand that hot drink like hot boiling tea "represents a kind of swiftness, as we urge the Protector to accomplish our wishes and requests quickly." (dixit)
But what does the alcoholic drink represent? If it does...
Thank you.
Ya, I'd like to know why certain people uses beer as their serkym offering. Isn't it that one of the precepts is no intoxication? So if we offer alcohol as serkym, are we not breaking the precepts? Especially we are offering to a Buddha.
And Thank you Mana for the concise explanation on Serkym offering.
One of the precepts is no intoxication but from what Ive gathered on the Internet, it seems Buddhas dont get drunk even when you offer alcohol to them. If they drink alcohol and get drunk, it means theyre just like any one of us and vulnerable to the same obscurations and negative habituations... and we know that they are not, otherwise theres no such thing as an enlightened state.
Im afraid I dont know much more than that, especially why we offer alcohol. I always thought we always offer the strongest drinks to them, as a reminder to ourselves of their enlightened state and the qualities we are aspiring to have.
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Thank you very much Beggar for these clear explanations on the serkym offering.
I understand that hot drink like hot boiling tea "represents a kind of swiftness, as we urge the Protector to accomplish our wishes and requests quickly." (dixit)
But what does the alcoholic drink represent? If it does...
Thank you.
Ya, I'd like to know why certain people uses beer as their serkym offering. Isn't it that one of the precepts is no intoxication? So if we offer alcohol as serkym, are we not breaking the precepts? Especially we are offering to a Buddha.
And Thank you Mana for the concise explanation on Serkym offering.
Normally, you do not offer alcohol to Buddhas, but to protectors.
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Thank you very much Beggar for these clear explanations on the serkym offering.
I understand that hot drink like hot boiling tea "represents a kind of swiftness, as we urge the Protector to accomplish our wishes and requests quickly." (dixit)
But what does the alcoholic drink represent? If it does...
Thank you.
Ya, I'd like to know why certain people uses beer as their serkym offering. Isn't it that one of the precepts is no intoxication? So if we offer alcohol as serkym, are we not breaking the precepts? Especially we are offering to a Buddha.
And Thank you Mana for the concise explanation on Serkym offering.
Normally, you do not offer alcohol to Buddhas, but to protectors.
But a Dharmapala is an emanation of a Buddha right? So when offering an alcoholic drink to a protector like our King, is it not like offering to a Buddha too? My take on this is that the Buddhas are beyond our perceptions of right and wrong, beyond our delusions and most of all not conditioned to our attachments. When we make offerings, we tend to make offerings of the best or the rarest and hence I hear alcohol being not so readily available especially back then, makes it the perfect offering. :)
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Beer is one of the more well-known alcoholic beverages in Tibet. I don't think it is the rarity that makes it an offering but the fact that it is a traditional intoxicant makes it a suitable offering. I think Samsara is a bigger intoxicant and so we offer beer as a symbolic gesture of offering our attachments to Samsara. In the process, we create the karmic causes to be release from Samsara. This is a wrathful Tantric offering and traditionally offered to Dharma Protectors, which could be enlightened or otherwise.
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Thank you very much Beggar for these clear explanations on the serkym offering.
I understand that hot drink like hot boiling tea "represents a kind of swiftness, as we urge the Protector to accomplish our wishes and requests quickly." (dixit)
But what does the alcoholic drink represent? If it does...
Thank you.
Ya, I'd like to know why certain people uses beer as their serkym offering. Isn't it that one of the precepts is no intoxication? So if we offer alcohol as serkym, are we not breaking the precepts? Especially we are offering to a Buddha.
And Thank you Mana for the concise explanation on Serkym offering.
Normally, you do not offer alcohol to Buddhas, but to protectors.
But a Dharmapala is an emanation of a Buddha right? So when offering an alcoholic drink to a protector like our King, is it not like offering to a Buddha too? My take on this is that the Buddhas are beyond our perceptions of right and wrong, beyond our delusions and most of all not conditioned to our attachments. When we make offerings, we tend to make offerings of the best or the rarest and hence I hear alcohol being not so readily available especially back then, makes it the perfect offering. :)
Agreed on this point, but I would not offer alcohol to peaceful type of Buddha like Buddha Shakyamuni.
But I can offer alcohol to wrathful type of deities like Mahakala, Vaishravana, Palden Lhamo etc.
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Thanks beggar for the explanation... quick Q: how do you offer a drink? As in a cup of tea, bottle of drink, etc... what do you do when you offer just a cup, without the pouring? Do you visualise the pouring?
Hey!
haha you can visualise the pouring, I suppose. What is most important is that you just visualise that you are offering the drink to the Protector, that he accepts your offering happily and that your wishes are accomplished.
If you're not familiar with the process of pouring yet, if you're a beginner, you can also visualise in this way by pouring out all the drink all at once in the beginning, before you recite the verses. Once it is all poured out, you just think that you have offered all this precious drink to the Protector and make your wishes to him.
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Thank you very much Beggar for these clear explanations on the serkym offering.
I understand that hot drink like hot boiling tea "represents a kind of swiftness, as we urge the Protector to accomplish our wishes and requests quickly." (dixit)
But what does the alcoholic drink represent? If it does...
Thank you.
In general, alcohol is considered a precious substance, something of a high value, so it is something precious and very good that we can offer to the Protectors (i.e. a Buddha). This could therefore apply to other precious items - we can offer any drink that we personally like or find very precious. Some people offer beer, others offer wine or liquor. You could even offer soft drinks, milks, yoghurt etc if you find that pleasing.
Also, alcohol is considered another "wrathful" substance, something very strong. In tantric Buddhist practices, we offer alcohol to Buddhas as they are of an enlightened mind that cannot be disturbed or affected in any way by alcohol or any other intoxicants / substances. In offering this, it is to create the cause that we can also attain this same state of mind, to abide in a state of total control and not be disturbed or negatively affected in any way by alcohol. Instead, the energy is transformed into quick, decisive, enlightened and positive action that helps others or relieves others sufferings.
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Serkym offering is very powerful and swift in helping one to clear obstacles.I heard that Kyabje Zong Rinpoche did his serkym offering every night without fail just before he slept.
After the serkym offering, one is not supposed to dispose the liquid in the washroom but in the kitchen sink. it is also advisable to keep a separate set of cloth for cleaning all these ritual items.
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Also, alcohol is considered another "wrathful" substance, something very strong. In tantric Buddhist practices, we offer alcohol to Buddhas as they are of an enlightened mind that cannot be disturbed or affected in any way by alcohol or any other intoxicants / substances. In offering this, it is to create the cause that we can also attain this same state of mind, to abide in a state of total control and not be disturbed or negatively affected in any way by alcohol. Instead, the energy is transformed into quick, decisive, enlightened and positive action that helps others or relieves others sufferings.
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Thanks Beggar for the info of Serkym offering. Before reading this, i did not know that by offering hot boiling black tea or other hot liquid is a symbolism of asking quick result..because stupid me always sort of make cold the hot tea before i offer to protector..how silly huh?! And i've learnt by offering alcohol to the protector, it's also to create the cause to be attained the same state of Buddha's mind...really thanks for providing such important information about offering serkym to the protector. I really think this website is soooooo beneficial, i've learnt a lot from here by reading the posts.
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Thank you Beggar for this post on how to make Serkym offering to DS
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by the way, something to add, which I think it also quite important to note.
You can also do serkym offerings on behalf of other people. This can work in several ways:
- If someone you know is in trouble, in danger or very ill and if they are unable to do the practice themselves, you can offer serkym and do prayers on their behalf. By your own samaya and merit, this can have some effect for them.
- In some cases, a person may be trying to connect to and practice Dharma but there are many difficult situations for them that make it difficult - they have many worldly commitments, obstacles etc. Or things just conspire to make it hard for them to even come to the center. We can offer serkym on behalf of these people, that their obstacles can be cleared so they can come to Dharma more easily.
- this is slightly similar to the point above. We can even do serkym offerings and prayers to the protector on behalf of people who we do not even know; i.e. future people who may be coming into our spiritual community and circle soon. We do serkym "ahead of time" in dedication to them, to quicken their progress and their coming to the Dharma.
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Hullo Beggar,
Interesting point number 3! I think it is a good idea for people to do Serkyem offerings on others' behalf. That's bodhichitta and no other blessings transcends that!
Also to note, I found this by chance in HE Lama Zopa Rinpoche's commentary to Sur offerings that HH Kyabje Zong Dorje Chang had a special brew of tea which he offers to the Lord Protector. I include the text below:
"Use clean flour mixed with men-chey (sman phye). Men-chey can be obtained from the Tibetan Medical Center, Dharamsala or other Tibetan pharmacy or from a Tibetan doctor. I think it is a mixture of “sang-druk” (bsangs drug), an incense made of six different shrubs. It is also used for black tea
offerings. One can also use tantric nectar pills. When His Holiness Song Rinpoche offered tea to the merit field, to protectors, or to worldly gods, he used a mixture of men-chey and black tea."
Sang-druk or Samdrup Chenma is a mixture of 6 medicinal herbs which represents the 6 medicines for the internal organs. Traditionally, these herbs were grounded into powder and mixed with incense powder to fill in statues as offering of precious herbs. Kyabje Zong Dorje Chang used these medicines coupled with black tea as offering to the Protector.
I have some of these herbs and have been making tea offerings to Dorje Shugden daily for this website to grow. I've learnt something today, I'm gonna make Serkyem offerings for the people who come in the future to have a stable mind and be able to serve the holy Dharma through Dorje Shugden.
Happy Serkyem-ing!
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Thanks beggar for the information and guidance.
It's very useful and especially for people that are very new with such offering.
You have guide us to do Serkym offering in a few ways. It's great for us to do it daily to create a connection with Lord Shugden. We do not just look for friend when we are in trouble only but create & maintain the relationship daily and long term. Later we will introduce this great 'friend' (Lord Shugden practice) to more people as this 'friend' one of the best friend that we will count on and able to help us to eternity.
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Thank you very much for the clear explanations! It is very useful because I can also send them to my friends who wants to know more. I usually offer beer to Dorje Shugden when I do my prayers because to my knowledge, it is good to offer the best I can. I have done it on behalf of my friends who have health and wealth problems and it really works.
The information posted would be really great for beginners as well! Maybe you can put this post on the front page of this forum in the information post column and label it as 'FOR BEGINNERS'.
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Many thanks to Harry Nephew and beggar for the very informative articles on serkym offering. It not only guide us on the benefit of doing serkym offering but also gave many suggestions on the types of beverages for offering. My favorite part is that we can even do a very short version if we are in an emergency situation. How kind and compassionate the Buddhas are. There are not just a fixed rule to make a serkym offering but so many ways which we can find most suitable to our condition. Can we also do serkym offerings as thanksgiving for prayers answered?
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A Serkyem Vase.
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I have a question here which I hope someone will be able to answer. Before reciting Protector’s Mantra we reside this verse – Tib: rang yi-dam… Eng: “I have the clarity of the Yidam. Before me are the five lineages of Dorje shugden , the great king of Dharma Protectors. At their heart are the sun cushions upon each of which there is HUM surrounded by the mantra garland in its appropriate colour. Light rays radiate from the seed-letter at my heart and touch these. As a result their minds automatically engage in the pacifying, increasing, controlling, and wrathful action that I desire, accomplishing them without obstruction.”
OM VAJRA WIKI WITRANA SOHA
Now my question here is what the appropriate colors for the each syllable of mantra. And is the seed letter AH?
Thank you.
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I think this is a wonderful educational posting on how we can actually do this offering and derive benefits from it. We should always be diligent in our practices and moreso when we are learning something so traditional and efficacious such as this Serkyem offering.
As mentioned, highly attained Lamas such as HH Kyabje Zong Dorje Chang does this every night without fail before he sleeps shows us who Dorje Shugden is and what he can provide if we lead our lives with a Bodhi Mind. Having said that, Dorje Shugden of course does grant us our daily needs by purifying the obstacles which hinders our practice in any way, shape or form.
Hence, it is highly recommended for us to engage in his practice daily!
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Thank you very much Beggar for these clear explanations on the serkym offering.
I understand that hot drink like hot boiling tea "represents a kind of swiftness, as we urge the Protector to accomplish our wishes and requests quickly." (dixit)
But what does the alcoholic drink represent? If it does...
Thank you.
Ya, I'd like to know why certain people uses beer as their serkym offering. Isn't it that one of the precepts is no intoxication? So if we offer alcohol as serkym, are we not breaking the precepts? Especially we are offering to a Buddha.
And Thank you Mana for the concise explanation on Serkym offering.
Normally, you do not offer alcohol to Buddhas, but to protectors.
But a Dharmapala is an emanation of a Buddha right? So when offering an alcoholic drink to a protector like our King, is it not like offering to a Buddha too? My take on this is that the Buddhas are beyond our perceptions of right and wrong, beyond our delusions and most of all not conditioned to our attachments. When we make offerings, we tend to make offerings of the best or the rarest and hence I hear alcohol being not so readily available especially back then, makes it the perfect offering. :)
Agreed on this point, but I would not offer alcohol to peaceful type of Buddha like Buddha Shakyamuni.
But I can offer alcohol to wrathful type of deities like Mahakala, Vaishravana, Palden Lhamo etc.
I've heard many masters/teachers say that the alcohol also represent our delusions and heavy negative karma.. just like when we set up for protector puja, we have the 5 nectars/substances which is alcohol, tea, milk, yoghurt and tsampa/oats... these 5 nectar represent something which I am uncertain of? However nothing in Vajrayana is random, there must be a reason for it. However, yes we usually offer alcohol to wrathful Buddhas (not just protectors)... as I know in tantra, during Tsog you actually do offer meat & alcohol to the yidams (self-initiated) and you actually take a little of it.
Offering alcohol for Serkym represent wrathfulness/swift means is needed/requested. And offering milk usually denotes peaceful means. This is what I gather.
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I have a question regarding serkym offering in the short sadhana.
In verse 10:
Vow-breakers’ heart-blood purified like gold,
This drink of fully boiling serkyem,
I offer to Namka Bardzin and entourage
Accepting, accomplish the yogi’s intended purpose!
My understanding based on the text is to pour the golden drink at line 3 as well.
What about the last 2 verses?
Being thus honored and exhorted,
Unslacking in four activities,
Through the six times, always protect us
Like a father caring for his son!
Hosts of fierce attendants, remember
Your sworn oaths before Lord Dulzin and
Swiftly now, perform unslackingly
Each and every action I request!
Should I empty the drink starting from "Being thus honored and exhorted", or should I pour in line 3 of the verses as well, or should I empty the drink before the last 2 verses?
Thank you.