意供

　　Mental Offerings

　　有等持及觀想能力的人，依靠意幻供養不僅方便而且功德很大。其具體方法如下：

　　Making mental offerings generates great merit. It is an easy task for those skilled in concentration and visualization. The following provides specific steps:

　　以等持觀想各種供品持于手中，供養釋迦牟尼佛或其他佛菩薩。若觀想能力成熟，可觀想盡法界、盡虛空界，遍滿諸傳承上師、十方叁世一切佛，種種菩薩、修行僧衆海會圍繞。《寶箧經》雲：“掌中觀想諸供品，供養一尊佛陀前，供養諸佛亦複然，仙人等境仍如是。”《華嚴經》中也有相同描述。

　　With a steady mind, imagine many excellent substances in your hands and offer them to Buddha Shakyamuni or other Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. If you are good at visualization, think throughout space and reaching the end of the universe there gather the objects of veneration like cloud banks—lineage lamas, Buddhas of the ten directions and three times, as well as Bodhisattvas, sages, and noble Sanghas. The Sutra of Jewel Chest says: “Visualize many offering substances in your hands, offer them to the Buddha in front of you and to many other Buddhas throughout the universe. Offer in the same way to all sublime beings.” Similar descriptions are also found in the Avatamsaka Sutra.

　　再觀想自己與六道之無量衆生以勝妙之供養：上妙珍馐、輪王七寶、花雲、天音樂雲、天傘蓋雲，天衣服雲，天種種香：塗香、燒香、末香，如是等雲，一一量如須彌山王。燃種種燈：酥燈、油燈、諸香油燈。一一燈柱，如須彌山；一一燈油，如大海水……以如是等諸供養具而爲供養。

　　Then imagine yourself and limitless beings of the six realms presenting the most excellent gifts: sumptuous nourishment, the seven jewels of the universal monarch, clouds of flowers, heavenly music, celestial parasols, angelic garment, all kinds of sublime perfumes—scented balms, aromatic incense, fragrant powders, and so on. Each of these cloud offerings is equal in quantity to Mt. Meru. Also present lamps of various kinds—butter lamps, oil lamps, and lamps of sweet perfumes, the wick of each lamp the size of Mt. Meru, the burning oil the amount of ocean water. Ceaselessly offer such gifts in veneration.

　　麥彭仁波切雲：“等持意供者，以信心與恭敬心爲基，由等持幻變無邊之供雲，以智慧了知彼無自性者也。”

　　Mipham Rinpoche teaches: “When making mental offerings, first establish faith and devotion, then in a state of concentration imagine limitless offerings as cloud banks; at the same time, realize with wisdom that none of them has any real essence.”

　　由此可見，與其爲供養上師、佛陀而以欺騙手段造作惡業，還不如以清淨心意幻供養爲妙。

　　Hence, in honoring spiritual masters and the Buddhas, it would be better to make mental offerings with a pure mind, rather than to make material offerings through trickery or deception.

　　供養乃爲令諸佛菩薩歡喜之法，“上報四重恩，下濟叁途苦”是每位佛子之本分。但如果爲供養佛菩薩而傷害其它衆生，實爲舍本趨末之顛倒行爲。

　　Making offerings is a skillful means to please the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Every follower of Buddhism should advocate, “repaying the four great kindnesses and easing the sufferings of the three realms.” But should we harm other living beings in the name of offerings to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, it would be a perverted act that barters the trunk for branches.

　　如果每天利用片刻時間，以觀想自性清淨力之緣起，而修持意幻供養，定會獲得無邊功德。

　　Every day, take just a few minutes to practice mental offering with a mind arising from innate purity. By doing so, we are sure to accumulate boundless merit.

　　衆生能依靠如此之多的方便法積累二資，真是令人歡喜。

　　There are many skillful means like this for us to accumulate the two merits of wisdom and compassion. How wonderful!

　　壬午年二月初八　　

　　2002年3月22日

　　8th of February, Year of RenWu

　　March 22, 2002