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From: SECBH@CUNYVM.BITNET
Newsgroups: soc.religion.eastern
Subject: Re: buddhist water offering
Message-ID: <1190@idunno.Princeton.EDU>
Date: 12 Jul 90 16:34:13 GMT
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I can give you an answer based on my own understanding and practice
(I am a Buddhist), however there may be twists based on culture and
the influence of indigenous non-Buddhist religions in various areas.

There are four "offerings" made on Buddhist altars: light (candles or
oil lamps, incense, water and food (usually rice, sometimes fruit).
It seems to me that these types of offering are pretty standard fare
in many, many religions.

Buddhist clerics and books will tell you that the light represents the
light of the Buddhadarma, the incense the sweetness of the Buddhadarma
and other water and food "offerings" are symbolic of those you would
make to an honored guest.  Forgot about the flowers or greens, which are
standard in most places.  They are often said to symbolize the fragility
of human life as they decay so quickly.

These offerings are the ones made in Theravada Buddhism and in Mahayana
as well.  The Vajrayana Buddhist (Tibet and Mongolia) make many more
offerings and they have more esoteric significance.

I hope this is a satisfactory explanation.

Jack Carroll