Lamp Offerings Blessings (FD20082020-1)

 

Benefits of Lamp Offerings :
1. One will illuminate the world as the lamp of dharma.
2. One will have perfect eyesight without any defects.
3. One will obtain heavenly eyes or clairvoyance easily.
4. One will obtain the wisdom to discriminate between virtues and non-virtues.
5. One will liberate oneself from dullness and ignorance.
6. One will not be confused and bewildered by outer phenomena.
7. One will not reborn into a place of darkness and stupidity.
8. one will obtain great merit and great virtues.
9. one will reborn into heavens.
10. One will swiftly attain the great blissness of nirvana.


According to amitabha path website, the lamp offerings benefits are as follows:
1. one obtain bright, beautiful good eyes.
2. one has proper understanding and views.
3. one easily obtain heavenly eyes, see distant and subtle phenomenons.
4. one does not break precepts.
5. one wisdom is perfect, will attain nirvana. obtain wisdom that discriminate what is virtuous and non-virtuous.
6. One performance of virtue will not be hinder by difficulties or obstacles.
7. one able to see buddhas and become the eye for all sentient beings.
8. one take rebirth as wheel turning lord king, king in trayastrimsha heaven or king in brahma world.
9. at the point of death, one will recall virtuous dharma without forgetting and all those positive deeds done while living will appear in mind. one will have joy in the mind and recall the buddha. body and mind will be pure without any worries or suffering at point of death.
10. both eyes and four limbs will always be free from defects.
11. one will be healthy and the vocal cords will be soft and flexible, one voice will be charming and beautiful.
12. one mind will be clear and bright with intelligence, not affected by stupidity.
13. one life will be stable and peaceful and all necessities will be sufficient, one mind will be free from fears.
14. one wealth will increase and body and mind will be free and liberated.
15. one body will be healthy and strong, filled with vitality.
16. one will not have verbal feuds, clashes or quarrels with others. one can travel (the world) without any worries and without creating any kleshas or disrturbing emotions or give rise to ignorance.
17. One will not do anything out of a hazy or confused mind. One will not be easily misled by external factors.
18. One will not take rebirth in a dark and gloomy place.
19. One will possess great merits.
20. One will not run into any mishaps while traveling or walking like stepping on unclean substances, be free from fear of dogs, wolves and their barks or howls, one will not fall and hurt oneself and not drop into pits and lose one life.


- offering lamps can dispel all darkness.
- offer hundreds of lights if wish for sublime realizations.
- offer 1000 light offering will meet with maitreya buddha in future lives and become his students who will listen to the buddha first turning wheel of dharma.
- offering 10,000 lamps to  confess and extinguish host of negative karma and defilements.


* light offering is consider good for occasions , birthday gifts (since you are dedicating good merits to the person ) , helping those in difficult situation and also for those that had deceased. 



* If you need links to temple for making light offerings  , you can check for the links under the post "different website links for puja" . (in my opinion asking for temple to do light offering is good as there maybe certain ritual and mantra recitation before making light offering and you will spare yourself of having taking care the lamp burning to avoid accidents if you are doing it at temple)


*if your lamp offering for the first time, you should try to do lamp offering at least once to buddha such as medicine buddha, shakyamuni buddha, amitabha buddha whenever possible. there is a story (according to buddha teaching) about a poor female who beg for oil as offering to buddha and she become a buddha because of this lamp oil offering to the the buddha.


source:
http://khandro.net/ritual_offering_light.htm
http://bodhiactivity.wordpress.com/2011/05/28/lamp-offering-prayer/
http://www.fpmt-osel.org/teachings/lights.htm