Offering is an important component in the Tibetan Buddhism, and also the important daily rite of Tibetan Buddhist in her/his whole life. In fact, it refers to provide offerings to various deities.
Offerings can be divided into two types -- real estate and puja. There are two kinds of real estate: one is the disciples' fortune and all the best things, and the other means the things that jointly owned by human beings, including various precious deposits in the nature. Puja offering includes all treasures in the world, the sun, the moon, the mountain, even human beings' happiness, retribution, merits and virtues, etc. According to the tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, the necessary offerings include eight items: drinking water, washing water, flower, scent, lamp, unction, food and instrument. Their specific symbolic meanings are as the following correspondingly: offering drinking water to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for drink; offering washing water to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for wash; offering all beautiful colors to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for view; offering aromatic scent of the world to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for smell; offering bright lamp to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for light, offering unction to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for the good contact of the world, offering food to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for taste and offering musical instruments to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for sound.
According to the Tibetan Buddhism, this is the simplest offering method. More offerings, more merits and virtues accumulated by people, and people will get more happiness in future.
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