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Dictionary of Key Spiritual Terms


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Wylie | Tibetan

offering

See also gift, sacrifice

mchod pa/ 

Biblical: offering: sbyin sreg gi mchod pa/  burnt offering (Gen. 22:2), g.yo ba'i mchod pa/  wave offering (Ex. 29:24), nongs pa'i phyir phul ba'i mchod pa/  an offering for an offense; a guilt offering (Lev. 7:5), sdig pa'i phyir phul ba'i mchod pa/  an offering given for sin, sin offering (Lev. 16:9), bde ba'i mchod pa/  peace offering (Lev. 17:5), gtang rag 'bul ba'i mchod pa/  thank offering (Lev. 22:9), mchod 'bul byed pa/  to make an offering (2 Sam. 15:12 NTV).

Buddhist: 1) Offerings mchod pa/  are of two kinds: a) ordinary or material offerings; b) immaterial or imaginary offerings (JPG 73). Common material offerings include "display offerings" such as bowls of water, flowers, incense, and butter lamps (TRI 83); when offered these are called mchod pa'i yo byad/  . Immaterial offerings include: zhabs byi shu/  personal service, brtsi bkur byed/  honor or esteem, gus zhabs shu/  respect, bstod pa phul/  praise, gtang rag 'bul/  thanksgiving, or sgrub pa'i mchod pa/  religious practice; and in addition, mental or imaginary offerings can be made of flowers, gardens, mountains, and other owned or unowned objects. Offerings may be made to the three jewels, to lamas, or to images of gods or boddhisattvas: rgyal po zas gtsang gis yar dkon mchog mchod pa phul/  King Setsang made offerings to god (SGN 1), de la mchod pa phul ba don med yin/  making offerings to them is pointless (DPD), 'o 'bras kyi mchod pa/  an offering of milk and rice (SGN 10), me'i mchod pa/  a fire-offering (SGN 13); 2) worship, worship service: mchod pa'i gnas/  an object of worship (TRC 112), bod mi rnams kyis phyag mchod kyi gnas/  an object of veneration of the Tibetan people (TRC 113), mchod pa dang bkur sti bzang po mdzad/  [the king] offered worship and homage (TRC 114), dkon mchog la skyabs su 'gro ba dang /,,phyag mchod/,,sbyin gtong /  going to the three jewels for refuge, worship, and donation (TRC 217). The offering of animal sacrifice as depicted in the Bible sems can bsad pa'i sha khrag gis mchod sbyin byed pa/  (TRC 96) are offensive in Bsm. (see sacrifice).

Cognates: 1) gsol ba mchod pa/  to offer requests (KTM); 2) mchod shoms pa/  to place offerings before a living buddha (AMD); 3) mchod brjod/  to worship: sangs rgyas la bstod pa sogs mchod brjod/  worship in praise of the Buddha (TRC 2); 4) mchod rten/  chorten, stupa (TRC 4); 5) tshogs mchod dus chen/  a festival in the second Tibetan month during which the geshe debates are held (TRC 26); 6) 'das mchod/  funeral rites (SGN 24); 7) mchod khang /  temple, memorial hall, church (DPD, MHP 7).