These beautiful 3.5 inches in diameter Offering Bowls are Gold and Silver Plated Offering bowls are an essential part of any alter or shrine. You are making offers to the Buddha and the bodhisattva’s. Each bowl represents a specific offering. Once made they help all other sentient beings as described bellow.

• Water for drinking for those in the lower realms that suffer from thirst
• Water to bath wash away negativity and obstacles
• Flowers to benefit those making the offering
• Incense to aid in the realization of the profound of discipline. It has been said that those that have perfected discipline is surrounded by a sweet fragrance
• Lamp to lighten the path to enlightenment
• Perfume is so negative patterns caused by The Three Poisons can be purified
• Food to help those starving and that we begin to understand that meditation is the food we can all survive on
• Music to please the sense of the deities.

You fill the bowls with water everyday from left to right, and in the evening pour the water out of the bowls from right to left. Dry them, and then turn them over. Pour the used water on plants, the yard, never throw it down the toilet or sink. You can also use real flowers, incense, and a small vile of perfume, food and something musical in the appropriate bowls. All others you can fill with water. Remember water is always acceptable for any bowl. Food and flowers need to go when they start to decay. You can also use torma’’s which are statues of flowers, incense, and food that are put in the corresponding bowls; you don’t have to take them ever out of the bowls. You see these often in dharma centers. If you are interested in tormas they can be found here.