Can you do water offerings after work if you don't have time in the morning?

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Seiren
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Can you do water offerings after work if you don't have time in the morning?

Post by Seiren »

Hello my dear dharma friends!

I have a lot of questions these days, heh.

Can you do water offerings after work? I get up pretty early to get to work and need to walk my dog before leaving. I recite the Om Mani Padme Hum and White Tara mantra throughout the morning and rest of the day mentally but don't have enough time to do the water offerings in the morning.
Is it okay to do it when I'll get home? I get home around 15:00 so it isn't that late I think and the offerings will be on my shrine for some time untill I get to bed.

Thanks for advice!

Om Mani Padme Hum
Arnoud
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Re: Can you do water offerings after work if you don't have time in the morning?

Post by Arnoud »

Do you mean Chu tor or filling the water bowls?
Traditionally, afaik, Chu tor is done before eating your own meal. I can’t imagine it matters when you fill water bowls but your lineage might have stricter ideas. You can always get up 15 min earlier if you think it will condemn you to avici hell. If you are talking about water bowls, I would just do them when you can and so you keep enjoying doing the practice. That’s more important than rushing through them sleepily.
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Jangchup Donden
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Re: Can you do water offerings after work if you don't have time in the morning?

Post by Jangchup Donden »

Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are there the instant you bring them to mind, so I don't think the time of day really matters as long as it's done with good intention.

I think it's traditional to fill them up in the morning and empty them out in the evening however (with bowls turned upside down so Pretas don't think there is water in them and get sad/upset when there isn't).
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PadmaVonSamba
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Re: Can you do water offerings after work if you don't have time in the morning?

Post by PadmaVonSamba »

Seiren wrote: Tue Sep 13, 2022 6:15 am Hello my dear dharma friends!

I have a lot of questions these days, heh.

Can you do water offerings after work? I get up pretty early to get to work and need to walk my dog before leaving. I recite the Om Mani Padme Hum and White Tara mantra throughout the morning and rest of the day mentally but don't have enough time to do the water offerings in the morning.
Is it okay to do it when I'll get home? I get home around 15:00 so it isn't that late I think and the offerings will be on my shrine for some time untill I get to bed.

Thanks for advice!

Om Mani Padme Hum
If you fill them at night then the Buddhas can party all night long.

Also, there are some lamas who let them stand filled for the whole 24 hours.

I think
One of the main reasons for filling in the morning is that you are starting your day with offerings, which means the first thing you are doing is practicing generosity, the first of the six perfections. So, you are really getting your day off to a good start.

But there are also other ways to do this. I keep a little coin bank and every day drop a quarter ( US 25¢) into it along with making other offerings. In a year, this adds up to over $90 which I am then able to donate to the temple without any difficulty or attachment.
So even if I don’t have time to do water bowls, I can always start the day offering a donation.
EMPTIFUL.
An inward outlook produces outward insight.
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Agent Smith
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Re: Can you do water offerings after work if you don't have time in the morning?

Post by Agent Smith »

:woohoo:

Amazing answers! I feel blessed to be in the company of such learned folk.

Most water offerings I've seen are done in the morning and going by how monks in monasteries do it, the earlier the better. Lay folk do it later but still way before noon.

I was hoping for a short exposition on the significance of this ritual by one knowledegable on the matter. So, if anyone feels up to it, it's not too late.

Gracias in advance.
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Ayu
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Re: Can you do water offerings after work if you don't have time in the morning?

Post by Ayu »

My teacher, a Tibetan Khen Rinpoche, said that water offerings are just a tiny, simple deed. But by the regular daily effort this simple daily effort produces very good karma.
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