Talk:Thirty-seven Point Mandala Offering

The illustration on this page (Image:Mandala_Layers1.JPG) relates the 37 points/elements of the mandala offering to the three kayas. Explicit references concerning this association can be found in:

• An 'Instruction given by Venerable Khenpo Thubten', found in Rigpa's 1999 Mandala Offering compilation of teachings. Khenpo Thubten says: "When you say "chi chak ri, etc.", place the first ring on the plate. This symbolizes the ring of iron mountains. [...] Continue the recitation up to the words "ter chenpo bumpa" while placing heaps of rice in the ring. This is the nirmanakaya offering. [...] Take the second ring and place it on top of the rice in the first ring. Continue the recitation up to the words "dri chab ma", while placing heaps of rice in the second ring. [...] This symbolizes the sambhogakaya offering. Take the third ring and place it on top of the rice of the second ring. Continue the recitation up to the words "chok le nam, etc." while placing rice inside the third ring. [...] This symbolizes the dharmakaya offering. Finally, when you say "lha dang mii, etc.", place the top ornament or another heap of rice, on top of the rice in the third ring. This symbolizes the deva realms with all their wealth, jewels and lands."

However, there seems to be other traditions:

• In The Excellent Path to Enlightenment by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (Snow Lion Publications, 1996), which is a commentary on Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo's Brief Longchen Nyingtik Ngöndro, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche presents all 37 elements as part of the nirmanakaya mandala offering; the sambhogakaya mandala is then visualized on top of the nirmanakaya offering (See pages 68-70).

--Sébastien 15:00, 18 September 2009 (UTC)