5. Things to Pay Attention to When Paying Respect to Bodhisattva

Teaching Videos for Sutras and Mantras

Eng Audiovisual Book [Journey to Heaven & Hell]

Eng Audiovisual Book [Buddhisum in Plain Terms]

 Words of wisdom in English

Setting Up an Altar

When paying respect to the Buddhas, offering flowers will improve your appearance, and offering oil is good for our eyesight and for gaining wisdom. Some wise people suggest children spend their pocket money in buying a bottle of oil as an offering to the Bodhisattva and to pray for more wisdom. Offering water can ease and calm our mind while also helping us eliminate greed as water doesn’t cost anything. Many people are even attached to the offerings made to Bodhisattva. A novice Buddhist practitioner will feel secure once they offer water to Bodhisattvas. Their mind will be as pure as water. Therefore, if one prays for a sense of security, it’s best to offer water. The water offered on the altar needs to be changed every day. Furthermore, offering fruit can help you to achieve what you wish at a sooner time if you pray for something specific. For example, if you pray for a smooth career path or job security, offering fruit such as oranges and apples could speed things up, so you’ll get the outcome sooner. Offering fruit makes the wishes of a kind-hearted person come true sooner. For evil people, even though they make fruit offerings, karmic retributions come due earlier, too. The severity of the karmic retributions would be reduced if they take place earlier, which is better than suffering harsh retributions at a later stage. This is the law of cause and effect.

5.1 Purpose of blessing

5.2.1 About Bodhisattva’s images

5.2.2. About Guan Yin Bodhisattva’s statues

5.3 About water offerings

5.4 About oil offering

5.5 Flower Offerings

5.6 Offerings of Fruit

5.7 About Incense

5.8 Notes on Prayer Mat