Altar Offerings

by **Dave The Seeker** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 10:39 pm

On the altar I have, there is a statue of Buddha, 7 water bowls, 2 candles, a plant and a singing bowl.
I would like to add a food offering. But I have 3 cats and think they would be on the altar eating anything I offer there. Their not picky eaters to say the least.
Would it be proper for me to make the food offering before I eat and remove it after I'm done?
I know if I leave it the cats will go for it. They leave the water in the bowls alone, but food I believe would be too great a temptation for them to resist.

Kindest wishes, Dave

by **Mr. G** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 12:44 am

The water bowls by themselves are fine unless you're looking for something tradition specific.

by **deff** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 1:28 am

also, a lot of it is based on intention - as of course the buddhas don't actually take the food (or need it for that matter)

so you can also benefit from visualizing offerings, and this has the benefit that you are able to make this much more elaborate - like vast, vast clouds of precious offerings to the buddhas in all ten directions, etc - if you do this while strongly rejoicing then i think this is very beneficial (and much more so than placing food on an altar in a habitual fashion without the strong intention behind it)

though that's not to say the symbolic offerings like food on an altar are meaningless, just that your motivation is what really counts imo