The Practice of Tsog Offering

Contents

1. The Auspicious Origins of Guru Rinpoche's Tsog Offering
2. The Excellence and Merit of Tsog Offerings
3. A Brief Explanation of the Benefits of Guru Rinpoche's Tsog
4. The Special Characteristics of Tsog
5. Types of Tsog Offerings
6. Guru Rinpoche's Tsog
7. The Difference Between Tsog and Ordinary Offerings
8. Why Perform Tsog?
9. How to Perform Tsog?
10. Timing and Motivation for Tsog
11. Teaching on the Dakini Tsog Day
12. Teaching on the Dakini Tsog Day (Verses)
13. The Precious Master's Instructions to Disciples on Tsog Day
14. Song of Devotion - Prayer to Yeshe Tsogyal
15. Questions and Answers About Tsog Practice

Chapter One: The Auspicious Origins of Guru Rinpoche's Tsog Offering

Guru Rinpoche is the great master who established firm Buddhist faith in Tibet, known as Guru Rinpoche.

At Samye in Tibet, he established the first monastery complete with the Three Jewels of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, opening the treasury of secret teachings for Tibet. He embodies the body of Amitabha Buddha, the speech of Avalokiteshvara, and the mind of Shakyamuni Buddha, thus manifesting as the vajra essence of the three secrets of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, as prophesied by Buddha Shakyamuni. Furthermore, whilst Amitabha Buddha is the Dharmakaya Buddha and Avalokiteshvara is the Sambhogakaya Buddha, Guru Rinpoche is the Nirmanakaya Buddha, reverently called "Guru Rinpoche" by Tibetans, meaning "Precious Master".

Guru Rinpoche is the Second Buddha, the master who embodies the essence of all three kayas (bodies), possessing incomparable spiritual power, and thus his miraculous deeds are widely known. Before entering Tibet, he taught the Dharma in India, Nepal and other regions, later accepting the invitation of King Trisong Detsen to spread Buddhism in Tibet. Along his journey, he subdued countless evil spirits, rakshasas, and poisonous nagas, and skilfully transformed the Tibetans' original Bön faith into the practice of the highest tantra. He first accepted twenty-five disciples including the king, ministers, and attendants, establishing the foundation of Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism and becoming the founder of the Nyingma (Ancient) tradition.

In traditional thangka paintings, the main figure of Guru Rinpoche appears with a pinkish-white complexion, displaying a semi-peaceful, semi-wrathful expression. He wears a lotus crown, dressed in white secret garments, blue robes, red Dharma robes, and a maroon cape. His right hand holds a vajra in the threatening mudra, whilst his left hand rests in the meditation mudra holding a skull cup containing the nectar of immortal wisdom, with a long-life vase brimming with amrita. A trident staff (khatvanga) rests against his left shoulder, and he sits in royal ease posture upon a lotus and moon disc.

The Merits of Practice

The practice of Guru Rinpoche's teachings carries inconceivable merits beyond measure. Briefly stated, it perfects the four activities of pacifying, increasing, magnetising and subjugating, whilst possessing great power to liberate all beings. It enables understanding of all worldly and transcendent phenomena, perfection in both sutra and tantra, firm maintenance of vows, swift development of wisdom, and unimpeded eloquence.

Additional benefits include healing illness, averting dangers, longevity, abundance of food and clothing, pacifying all disasters arising from the five elements of earth, water, fire, wind and space, vanquishing negative forces, commanding the respect and obedience of all spirits and deities, and ultimately achieving rebirth in Guru Rinpoche's Pure Land of Copper-Coloured Mountain.

The Benefits of Practice on the Tenth Day

The tenth day of each lunar month is commemorated as Guru Rinpoche's day for liberating beings. Practice on this day carries especially great merit, surpassing even the already boundless merit of regular practice.

On the tenth day of the first month, practitioners of Guru Rinpoche's teachings will find their endeavours prospering, achieve abundance in sustenance, receive great blessings, and gain the respect of all beings. Moreover, through the Buddha's blessings, they will experience auspicious dreams and gain the ability to foresee future events through dreams. All their aspirations will be fulfilled.

On the tenth day of the second month, practitioners will be protected from harm by wind spirits, spirits of impermanence, spirits of the hell realms, and the eight classes of worldly deities. They will understand all worldly and transcendent phenomena, perfect both sutra and tantra, maintain pure vows, attain great wisdom, and achieve the vajra body.

On the tenth day of the third month, practitioners seeking protection from inauspicious planetary influences, success in funeral rites or wedding ceremonies, protection from unfavourable dates, and safety in travel will have all their wishes fulfilled.

On the tenth day of the fourth month, practitioners will gain power over the naga kings and command the respect of all non-Buddhist practitioners, worldly gods, spirits, and other beings.

On the tenth day of the fifth month, practitioners will be able to dispel obstacles, extend life, eliminate illness and suffering, gain great authority and influence, develop unimpeded eloquence, remain unharmed by opposing forces, and fulfil the wishes of all beings.

On the tenth day of the seventh month, practitioners will be freed from all unfavourable influences of years, months, days and times, eliminate nightmares and domestic difficulties, and those seeking enlightenment will find swift accomplishment.

On the tenth day of the eighth month, practitioners will be protected from all illness-causing spirits, demonic forces, and harmful non-Buddhist practices. All spirits will respectfully obey their commands, and those seeking vajra accomplishment will swiftly achieve it.

On the tenth day of the tenth month, practitioners will purify the negative karma of breaking vows, slandering the Buddha and Dharma, speaking falsely, and using harsh speech.

On the tenth day of the eleventh month, practitioners will enable those whose lifespan has not yet expired to avoid dangerous illnesses, whilst those whose life is ending will achieve direct rebirth in either Sukhavati, the Pure Land of Great Bliss, or Guru Rinpoche's Pure Land, ultimately attaining complete and perfect enlightenment.

On the tenth day of the twelfth month, practitioners will attain great spiritual authority. All worldly gods, spirits, humans and non-humans will respectfully follow their commands. They will be able to cure all illnesses arising from the five elements of earth, water, fire, wind and space. All their aspirations will be fulfilled without exception.

The Benefits of Prayer and Practice

These accounts all occurred on the sacred tenth day, which is why we hold special ceremonies and prayers at this time. The merit and benefits of recitation on these days are particularly powerful. Illness, obstacles, and negative forces are all brought under control. Merit, accomplishment, and prosperity all increase naturally.

All beings experience happiness and contentment. Our faith in Buddhist practice becomes ever more firm, radiating like Guru Rinpoche himself. All beings, both human and non-human, are influenced by our enlightened intention. We gain the ability to resolve local difficulties, and the mountain gods and goddesses assist in all our endeavours. Our negative karma is purified.

Before we pass on to the Pure Land, we will encounter no obstacles and will not die untimely deaths. At the time of passing, we will enter Guru Rinpoche's Buddha realm. On the tenth of each month, his countless emanations may appear before those with devotion. On his special sacred days, you may behold him. At such times, he will bestow both ordinary and supreme accomplishments.

Chapter Two: The Excellence and Merit of Tsog Offerings

A Brief Explanation of Tsog

As the accomplished masters of old have said: "For those who wish to swiftly perfect the two accumulations through the unique skilful means of the secret path of Vajrayana, perform the excellent gathering of the tsog offering wheel."

The tsog offering, like the mandala offering, is a unique method of the Vajrayana (Diamond Vehicle). The term "ultimate skilful means of the secret path" indicates that this is an accessible, highly meaningful practice with great blessing power that can be performed by both wealthy and poor practitioners.

There are many types of tsog offerings, and one need not necessarily prepare abundant offerings to perform them. Even impoverished practitioners can make tsog offerings using water and small portions of their daily meals. This is an extremely convenient, meaningful, and powerfully blessed method for swiftly perfecting the two accumulations of merit and wisdom.

The Merits

Yeshe Tsogyal has said: "Performing a single tsog offering on the eighth, tenth, or fifteenth of the first half of the month, or the twenty-fifth of the second half, can close the door to the three lower realms." Thus, when someone who would otherwise fall into the lower realms performs a single tsog offering, provided they do not create new negative karma, their previous transgressions of root and branch samaya vows and the ten non-virtues will be purified. Therefore, tsog offering not only accumulates merit but also purifies negativities.

Many tantric texts and ritual manuals state: "When samaya vows have been damaged, confession during tsog offerings and empowerments is supreme, and all broken vows will be purified." Thus, in the Vajrayana tradition, many downfalls are purified through tsog offerings, making it a method for restoring samaya vows.

Master Düdjom Lingpa taught the following benefits of tsog offerings:

1. If one has heard predictions from fortune tellers or those with clairvoyance suggesting potential life obstacles, performing tsog offerings can extend one's lifespan. This is why Tibetan masters and lamas perform tsog offerings when ill.
2. Tsog offerings can remove obstacles in one's activities and relationships.
3. When others attempt to harm through destructive rituals or spells, the immense merit accumulated through tsog offerings provides protection.
4. The merit of tsog offerings can protect against harm from local deities or the eight classes of worldly spirits.
5. Making a single tsog offering is equivalent to making offerings to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. During the tsog, the mandalas of the three kayas are invited to the practice site, and through the power of mantras, mudras, and concentration, all offerings are transformed into nectar. Therefore, tsog is not merely an ordinary offering but carries profound significance.
6. The ritual text for Guru Rinpoche's tenth-day tsog states: "After performing one tsog offering, if one does not create new negative karma, one will certainly be reborn in either Sukhavati or Guru Rinpoche's Pure Land." If one maintains the vows and sequence of tsog practice, all the benefits mentioned by Guru Rinpoche will be perfected.

Types of Tsog Offerings

The following are the main categories:

1. The Gathering of Harmonious Practitioners - The Yogic Assembly Wheel This refers to vajra brothers and sisters who either maintain pure samaya or who have broken samaya gathering together with pure and respectful minds to perform confession and tsog offerings, making offerings to all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and giving to the six classes of beings. This is known as the yogic assembly tsog.
2. The Complete Enjoyment Offering When offerings are abundant and complete according to the ritual texts, with nothing lacking, this is called the enjoyment tsog offering.
3. The Great Assembly Including All Oath-Bound Ones When the guru, deities, dakinis, and all oath-bound protectors are complete, this is the great assembly tsog. Ordinary tsog offerings where all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are invited are similar to this great assembly tsog.
4. The Great Tsog of Non-Attachment Perfecting the Two Accumulations This refers to offering without attachment or any trace of miserliness, with completely pure offering intention. The motivation is correct altruistic intention without attachment to results. This can perfect the accumulations of merit and wisdom and is known as the true great tsog.
5. The Feast of Dakas and Dakinis United in Method and Wisdom This is known as the "Gathering of Those with Auspicious Connections". The ritual texts state: "During tsog, method and wisdom are inseparable." This means the dakas (method) and dakinis (wisdom) are inseparable at the feast, with equal numbers of male and female practitioners participating in the tsog. For those of us who are not realised yogis and lack sufficient numbers of dakas and dakinis to perform tsog together, we can visualise many dakas and dakinis gathering together to make offerings. This is called "following in accordance" and is similar to, though not exactly the same as, the actual great tsog of complete dakas and dakinis.
6. The Abundantly Equipped Tsog of the Five Sensual Offerings This includes:

• Food and drink, including alcohol and the five meats and five nectars (which can be substituted with cola or medicinal herbs)
• Sacred dress, wearing five Buddha family crowns or guru hats; in Tibetan tradition, participants change into clean clothes to make offerings
• Songs and dances, performing vajra songs and vajra dances as offerings
• Union: the meditative union of bliss and emptiness, transforming afflictions into wisdom as offerings to one's natural deity
• Subjugation: creating effigies representing the five poisons gathered together, then subjugating these habitual tendencies and transforming them into the five wisdoms. Alternatively, dividing the tsog torma (offering cake) into several portions, representing inner afflictions, outer enemies, and various obstacles, using these as offerings to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

1. The Tsog of Delightful Deities This refers to clearly visualising all the principal deities and retinue in the palace of the infinite pure land, with offerings arranged neatly, pleasingly, and magnificently. This type of visualisation is called the tsog of delightful deities. When we make offerings before the Buddha or mandala during ordinary tsog practice while reciting offering mantras, this too qualifies!

Although arranging magnificent offerings before the Buddha with good devotional intention and a pure mind is praiseworthy, without making aspirations and dedications, this amounts to only a minor offering, not the unsurpassed wisdom offering of the Mahayana.

For any offering, even if only offering a single stick of incense, one must begin with proper motivation and conclude with dedication. As the lineage master Patrul Rinpoche constantly reminded us, all virtuous activities should include the preliminary, main part, and conclusion to be complete. This makes it a Mahayana virtuous action. Combined with the stainless wisdom of Vajrayana offering, using the power of visualisation, mudras, and mantras—even the simplest offering using the three syllables OM AH HUM—everything is transformed into nectar, becoming limitless offerings to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the ten directions and three times, performed with non-attachment, bodhicitta, and the view of emptiness, thus perfecting both merit and wisdom.

Complete non-attachment constitutes the accumulation of merit; when combined with the view of emptiness, it becomes the accumulation of wisdom. Performing a single tsog offering while perfecting both accumulations of merit and wisdom is what we call the "Great Tsog Offering."

Precepts to be Observed During Tsog Offerings

1. When entering the mandala together, after making three prostrations, the senior practitioners should be seated first - those who are elder in years or who have held vows longer.
2. As stated in Alak Panchen's Commentary on the Three Sets of Vows: "Those with pure transmission and those endowed with wisdom take precedence." Pure transmission refers to those with unbroken lineage, and those endowed with wisdom refers to realised practitioners. All others should bow in respect as these two groups take their seats.
3. Vajra brothers and sisters must not joke with each other, nor mock those who make mistakes during the offerings. These constitute downfalls and violate the eight branch commitments. Similarly, during tsog offerings, any carelessness of body, speech, and mind, arguing, joking, or creating disturbance are violations. Any such transgressions should be confessed immediately.
4. View all vajra brothers and sisters in the mandala as retinue of the deity. Regard all tsog substances as wisdom substances and blessed objects. One should not discriminate between what seems good or bad, but rather purify all ordinary concepts and behaviour.
5. "Like a snake suddenly appearing in one's lap, one should swiftly discard impure substances offered by those with root downfalls or those who have broken and lost their vows, exercising the great restriction like a fox." This means that while someone who has broken their vows may attend tsog and bring offerings, if they have no intention to confess and are completely in violation, their offerings should not be mixed with the others. These should be returned through skilful means or set aside separately.
6. "One should reject unsuitable tsog substances and those obtained through wrong livelihood." Wrong livelihood refers to items obtained through deception, unfair exchange, or theft. Such offerings should not be used in tsog. If they must be used, they should be handled according to proper ritual procedures.
7. Once the tsog offerings are arranged, it is a fault to pick up what looks appealing or what one likes to eat, or to think about eating more of something after the tsog is complete. These are all transgressions and constitute impure substances.
8. The distribution of tsog offerings must be done properly. The remaining offerings may be shared among all participants or given to those who could not attend. How should they be distributed? The handling of offerings falls under the responsibility of the vajra master of activities. Generally, permission should be granted at the beginning and someone delegated to distribute them. Even for the final remaining portions, one should request permission before partaking. Eating or distributing without permission constitutes a violation of the proper conduct.

All such transgressions should be avoided, and if committed, should be immediately confessed. In this way, all that is done and has been done will be complete, and the two accumulations will naturally be perfected. May all attain complete merit and perfect both merit and wisdom. Amitabha!

Chapter Three: The Benefits of Guru Rinpoche's Tsog Offering

What is a "tsog offering"? Also known as the "tsog wheel" (Tibetan: "tsog"; Sanskrit: "Ganachakra"), it refers to the gathering of male and female yogic practitioners—hence "gathering"; the arrangement of offerings and practice—hence "offering"; the practice of guru yoga, making offerings to all Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and lineage masters, becoming one with them, receiving their blessings, reciting vows, confessing and purifying negative karma, and swiftly accumulating the two accumulations of merit and wisdom. It is an easily accomplished practice of great power that quickly leads to realisation. Due to not knowing its benefits, excellence, and importance, ordinary people may overlook it.

In ancient India, only the wealthy could perform such ceremonies, requiring one thousand "kasha pani" (Indian currency) for a single performance. However, when the tantric teachings were transmitted from India to Tibet, Guru Rinpoche, King Trisong Detsen, and Master Shantarakshita established Tibetan Vajrayana, changing this tradition. Since tsog offering is a powerful skilful means for swiftly accumulating the two accumulations, it would be unfair if only the wealthy could perform it. The poor, due to lack of generosity in past lives, experience poverty in this life. This practice is particularly important for them.

The great siddha Saraha once said: "If one wishes to realise the natural state, there are only two methods: first, purifying obscurations and perfecting the two accumulations; second, receiving the blessings of a qualified master with realisation, transmitting mind to mind. Seeking other methods is unwise."

Certain tsog substances have the power to increase wisdom and attract accomplishments. When practitioners perform tsog offerings, they should develop pure vision, understanding that the material offerings possess the quality of the five meats and five nectars as "inner offerings" (this is a tantric term, simply meaning understanding that all offerings are empty of inherent existence by nature). The mind should be free from acceptance and rejection, remaining in the state of equipoise that recognises the one taste of awakening while partaking of the offerings, and this can serve as an inner fire offering.

Beyond making offerings to Guru Rinpoche, the Three Roots, and offering the remainder to the protectors, practitioners rely on guru yoga, tsog offering, recitation of vows, and confession as the "causes," using the blessed substances as "conditions" to achieve the "results" of pacifying obstacles and increasing merit, attracting both worldly accomplishments (pacifying, increasing, magnetising, and subjugating) and ultimate accomplishment (realising the nature of mind and attaining enlightenment).

Nyingma practitioners perform Guru Rinpoche's tsog offering on the tenth day of each Tibetan month. This is because Guru Rinpoche promised his disciples that he would return to visit them on the tenth of each month, transmitting guru yoga practices and tsog offering methods. Practising tsog on these auspicious days brings great blessings and connection, pacifies obstacles and negative karma, and increases merit and auspiciousness.

For practitioners who maintain Guru Rinpoche's yoga practice, maintain unbroken tsog offerings throughout their lives, and keep pure samaya, at the time of death they will be guided by Guru Rinpoche and can choose to be reborn in either his Pure Land or Amitabha's Pure Land of Sukhavati. This is Guru Rinpoche's inviolable vajra speech promise.

All beings wish to "be free from suffering and attain happiness," but many do not understand the causes of suffering and happiness. The cause of freedom from suffering is to cease negative actions and not create karma, while worldly happiness requires merit. Any wealth and resources we experience in this life are the results of merit accumulated in the past. The causes of obtaining merit come from "generosity," "compassion," "not stealing," and "not being miserly." While everyone wishes to obtain merit, those whose conditions are insufficient find it difficult to extensively practice generosity of wealth, Dharma, and fearlessness. Tsog offering is one of the convenient methods that can effortlessly accomplish these purposes. We should take every opportunity to perform it frequently. Such opportunities to swiftly accumulate the two accumulations are rare, so we should not miss them.

Performing tsog at least once a month is extremely important for practitioners who wish to achieve accomplishment in Guru Rinpoche's practice in this very life. The term "tsog" offering refers to vajra brothers and sisters of the same mandala gathering together to practice and make offerings, which has special power different from practising alone at home. Some think it's sufficient to practice by themselves or frequently miss the gatherings, not understanding its requirements and importance. True disciples of Guru Rinpoche, unless they have special circumstances, should make every effort to attend the monthly Guru Day tsog offerings to confess and purify negativities, perfect the two accumulations, and receive the blessings of connection with the lineage masters.

During tsog offerings, we also perform "posadha" (Sanskrit), which means "pure dwelling and nurturing," signifying the cessation of negative actions and increase of virtue. According to Tibetan Buddhist tradition, on the dark half of the month (29th or 30th day), the assembly gathers for posadha and makes offerings to the protectors. On the bright half of the month (15th day), posadha is performed in one's private shrine room, reciting the vows of various vehicles and reflecting on and confessing any transgressions. This can restore broken samaya vows, purify obscurations, and maintain pure discipline.

Chapter Four: Special Characteristics of Tsog

Tsog offering is a special feature of the highest yoga tantra within the Vajrayana. While the highest yoga tantra has many special features, tsog offering is one of them.

The methods of the Vajrayana are both wisdom methods and skilful means - through skilful means one can achieve the ultimate method. The Vajrayana is also an easily accomplished path that does not require extensive ascetic practices; through simple practice one can reach profound states.

The Kriya and Charya Tantras only have methods of offering, and while they are similar to tsog offerings, they do not contain actual tsog practice.

All major monasteries and lineages of Tibetan Buddhism love to perform tsog offerings, particularly the Nyingma tradition, as can be seen in the biographies of Guru Rinpoche and the lineage masters. They perform tsog on all special and auspicious occasions such as consecrations, birthdays, Guru Rinpoche's special days, teachers' birthdays, and during highest yoga tantra practices.

We regularly perform tsog offerings for the purposes of accumulating merit and confessing negativities, as an antidote to certain practices, for special auspicious connections, and for protector practices.

Chapter Five: Types of Tsog Offerings

Tsog offering is an especially excellent practice with many varieties, broadly categorised into outer, inner, and secret types.

Outer Tsog: This refers to material offerings. Using ritual implements and food and drink offerings is called outer tsog. This is what we commonly perform now. From the Vajrayana perspective, outer tsog is for beginners and those of lesser capacity. Here, "lesser capacity" refers specifically within the context of Vajrayana, not in relation to Buddhism as a whole; in terms of general Buddhism, these practitioners are considered of superior capacity.

Inner Tsog: This refers to transforming the five aggregates into nectar as offerings, transforming our so-called five aggregates and six sense bases into nectar for offering. There are both exoteric and esoteric versions of the body offering practice. Using many mantras and visualisations is the tantric body offering practice; cultivating the attitude of generosity and bodhicitta without adding many mantras and meditative practices is the exoteric body offering practice. General body offering practices exist in the Prajnayana as well, both exoteric and esoteric versions transmitted from Indian acharyas or Padampa Sangye, all being forms of tsog offering with upper offerings and lower distributions.

Secret Tsog: This is a tsog offering of wisdom play, where through meditation everything is transformed into nectar, and this stainless nectar is offered to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and mandalas of the ten directions.

In terms of practice sequence, one begins with the material outer tsog offerings. While ordinary people cannot accomplish the non-conceptual wisdom tsog, we can try our best to imagine and visualise it. If we cannot do it perfectly at first, we can pretend, and through long practice, it becomes genuine.

Chapter Six: Guru Rinpoche's Tsog

We typically perform Guru Rinpoche's tsog on the tenth day. There are two types of tsog practices we regularly perform - one on the tenth day and one on the twenty-fifth day, also known as the upper tenth and lower tenth, or sometimes translated as the red and white tenth days. White refers to the time of the full moon, which is the tenth day of the first half of the month; black or red refers to the twenty-fifth day.

These two times are chosen for tsog offering for special reasons. From the perspective of dharmadhatu, we can make offerings to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas at any time - every day is auspicious, every moment is excellent, without distinction. However, from the perspective of the aspirations of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, there are some differences. Amitabha Buddha's days, Avalokiteshvara's days, and so forth - each Buddha and Bodhisattva in both sutra and tantra traditions has their special days. Some are days of aspiration, some are birth days. Birth days don't necessarily refer to physical birth - some refer to the making of aspirations, what we call days of taking vows or receiving empowerment.

The Vajrayana places great importance on empowerment days. As mentioned in the Dzogchen Nyengyud Dorje Zampa (Hearing Lineage Vajra Bridge), all lineage masters identify the time when they directly point out the nature of mind, and many masters consider this day as when they made aspirations and realised emptiness. Some are parinirvana days, also called days of attaining enlightenment, regardless of which path - whether the path of accumulation, path of seeing, or complete enlightenment - these special days are what we call significant days.

The tenth day is Guru Rinpoche's tsog day because he accomplished his most important activities on the tenth day, thus establishing this day each month as Guru Rinpoche's special day. He also made the aspiration that he would accept offerings on the tenth day - this is Guru Rinpoche's commitment to beings.

The twenty-fifth day is known as the Dakini Day, when many dakinis and dakas made aspirations to accept offerings from beings. Therefore, this day is also called the gathering day of dakas and dakinis, like a family gathering, when they fulfil the wishes of beings and accept their offerings each month.

Therefore, the merit of making tsog offerings and other offerings on these two days is inconceivable!

Yeshe Tsogyal has said: "By performing tsog offerings on these days, one can close the door to the hell realms." Similarly, before leaving Tibet, Guru Rinpoche promised and committed to beings: "If you sincerely pray and make tsog offerings on the tenth day of each month, I will bless you! Before the sun sets, I will appear before those with faith and bestow blessings upon them."

The early Nyingma masters also determined that whenever the tenth day arrived, there was no need to consult calendars - because it was Guru Rinpoche's day, they considered it auspicious for all activities, whether entering retreat, performing virtuous actions, making offerings and donations, or creating Buddha images. Early Nyingma tulkus would even choose the tenth day of one of the twelve months for their enthronement ceremonies, while some didn't even check which month, considering any tenth day suitable.

My teacher, Khyabje Kyabje Rinpoche, also said that every tenth day is auspicious - there's no need to check; any virtuous activity can be performed, and Guru Rinpoche will definitely bestow blessings!

Therefore, whether one has received empowerment into Guru Rinpoche's Thirteen Deities mandala or guru yoga empowerments related to Guru Rinpoche, those who have received such empowerments must perform Guru Rinpoche's tsog on the tenth day. The guru's blessings are the master's commitment to the disciple, while the disciple's commitment during this time is to accumulate merit, confess negativities, and make prayers - this is the disciple's commitment to Guru Rinpoche and the lineage masters. Thus, the tenth day is extremely auspicious!

Chapter Seven: The Difference Between Tsog and Ordinary Offerings

Many people don't understand this difference; those who understand the highest yoga tantra do.

Tsog is a ritual that must be performed according to specific procedures. Ordinary offering rituals and procedures are not so complex, but ninety percent of the tsog rituals transmitted by Guru Rinpoche have definite sequences and procedures. Other highest yoga tantra tsog offerings, such as those of Vajrayogini and Kalachakra, also have specific sequences. Therefore, tsog is not a simple offering or mere generosity; it has fixed procedures.

In simple terms, tsog begins with reciting mantras to bless the offerings. The offerings must be carefully selected and abundant, including both food and drink - they cannot be one-sided. The material conditions are food and drink, while the ritual conditions require initial blessing, then inviting the deities and Three Roots.

The ceremony includes rituals of invitation, offering, confession, obstacle removal, partaking (referring to receiving blessings and accomplishments ourselves), distribution (the remainder offerings, which must be distributed to beings, with specific recipients designated), and finally the dedication ritual. Therefore, the entire tsog ritual must include all these conditions; it is not merely a simple offering.

There are also restrictions regarding participants. If there are twenty-five deities in the mandala's principal deity and retinue, the tsog should have twenty-five participants, including both male and female practitioners - bodhisattvas and bodhisattvis, dakas and dakinis.

The ceremony includes tsog songs, tsog rituals, tsog substances, and the tsog mandala. The hundred-thousand tsog offerings require circumambulation of the five Buddha families, singing vajra songs, and for great tsog offerings, performing vajra dances. The tsog mandala also changes, and the tormas take different forms. The tormas have different shapes and offering methods for the upper and lower parts of the month, with specific mudras and mantras - all quite different from ordinary offerings and donations.

The Prajnayana and general vehicles are much simpler, offering some clean water, fruit, and flowers is sufficient, but tsog is different.

Chapter Eight: Why Perform Tsog?

Tsog is a method for accumulating merit and confessing negativities.

Accumulating merit and confessing negativities are extremely important in both sutra and tantra traditions. These are two essential practices that we as practitioners must never forget or neglect - they are lifelong practices we must engage in daily and monthly.

Without accumulating merit and confessing negativities, although we may have encountered the Dharma due to past positive connections, we have created many negative actions throughout countless lives in samsara. When these negative karmas ripen, external obstacles often manifest as unfavourable conditions and interference from non-human beings, while internal obstacles manifest as various afflictions. Therefore, we must not forget to accumulate merit and confess negativities. Both of these functions are complete within tsog offering, thus dissolving obstacles and making our practice more smooth, enabling swift accomplishment.

Chapter Nine: How to Perform Tsog?

There are both simple and elaborate ways to perform tsog.

When time and space allow, the power is greater when everyone practices tsog together, combining everyone's faith and aspirations. When we all pray and confess together, this will certainly move the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Your practice place becomes a place of wisdom, we could say the place where the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas reside, thus it is like practicing together with the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas - the merit of this is inconceivable.

If you cannot participate in group tsog practice, you can also perform it at home. For those who are very busy and cannot even practice at home, there are convenient methods. However, convenience does not mean casualness. Convenience is for when there is no alternative, and one should not use this as an excuse to frequently seek exemptions. If one or two exceptions become a habit, this kind of convenience is not good.

The convenient method refers to performing the short liturgy when unable to do the long ritual, or practicing alone at home when unable to join group practice. If traveling, one can practice in the car or elsewhere. At its simplest, don't forget the Three Jewels and making offerings - offer the most delicious and fresh food before eating. On the tenth day, perform a simple tsog before meals, recite the tsog text, make offerings to the Three Jewels, don't forget to confess and feel gratitude toward beings. With this mindfulness, perform the tsog, and finally partake of the food as blessed substances from the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

This is done only when there is no alternative and should not regularly replace proper tsog practice. If you can perform simple tsog offerings daily, that's even better - you can do it at any time during the day. Don't be lazy or make excuses!

Chapter Ten: Timing and Motivation for Tsog

Timing

The long tsog ritual takes one to two hours, while the short liturgy can be completed in a few minutes. The long ritual requires having received empowerments such as Guru Rinpoche's or Vajrayogini's empowerments.

Some have made commitments to perform tsog offerings, so we set fixed times for the tenth and twenty-fifth day tsogs. When conditions permit, it's best to practice together.

Motivation

For tsog offerings, both the substances and motivation must be pure.

Pure substances means the tsog offerings should be clean, fresh, and specifically prepared for tsog - items that haven't been used before.

Pure motivation means the tsog offerings are not made to compete with others by buying excessive amounts; the main point is sincerity, offering things you like or find beautiful and fresh. When offering, maintain the motivation of perfecting merit for all beings, with the attitude of offering upward and distributing downward. The tsog substances that we partake of should be received with the understanding that they are blessed by the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

Not all tsog offerings and not all people can participate in tsog. The ordinary tsog we perform now is open to everyone. For special tsog offerings, those without empowerment or who haven't received the corresponding vows cannot participate. The substances can only be consumed by oneself, not given to others or animals, and there are restrictions on the number of participants. If the teacher forgets to remind you, you must be clear about this yourself and be careful, otherwise you will break the vows.

Chapter Eleven: Teaching on the Dakini Tsog Day

In the Tibetan Buddhist system, everyone loves to gather on the tenth or twenty-fifth tsog days to perform virtuous activities together. The merit of virtuous actions performed on these days is ten thousand times that of ordinary days. Within each year there are special months and days, and within each month there are special days. Particularly, the masters of the Red School (Nyingma) established that tsog offerings should be performed on the tenth and twenty-fifth days of each month.

There are many ways to perform tsog offerings, from elaborate to simple. For complete or elaborate tsog, the torma offerings, ritual implements, and offering substances must all be complete. For a simple practice, one can recite the short tsog liturgy and make offerings before meals.

What is the meaning or purpose of tsog? Simply put, it has two aspects: confession and merit accumulation. Merit accumulation comes through making offerings, gathering merit through each type of offering. There are different ways to accumulate merit - some accumulate through individual virtuous actions, but during tsog, practicing together is more complete. While practicing alone is possible, it is most complete when many vajra brothers and sisters practice together. Similarly, the offerings cannot be single or just one type; both food and drink offerings must be complete. The meaning of "tsog" is the gathering of many causes and conditions, many material substances together.

During the tsog process, the attitude of offering and visualization, confession, obstacle removal, and dedication of merit are all complete in their proper sequence within the ritual. Following this sequence, it becomes not just a single offering but includes offering, giving, confession, and obstacle removal all together.

The importance and meaning of tsog are clearly explained on page 74 of the ritual text - you should read it when you have time. Every being has habits, afflictions, and suffering accumulated since beginningless time. Not everyone is a bodhisattva free from desire, so as ordinary beings, we often make mistakes. Today's morning mind might be pure, but by afternoon, or even an hour later, it becomes impure.

With an impure mind, including attachment, aversion, ignorance, and pride, one will certainly create negative actions. If we ignore or indulge these, negative karma will accumulate and increase. When it later becomes necessary to confess these actions, it requires great effort. Therefore, we need daily confession and monthly confession. Through this, negative actions gradually decrease. During this process, we must continually remind ourselves not to repeat the same negative actions, cultivating an attitude of revulsion toward negativities and a mind of confession. Continuing like this for 10 years, 20 years, or even most of one's life, one can become pure.

Even if one can maintain this for 3-5 years, one can achieve self-discipline, fully understanding and controlling one's body, speech, and mind - one's thoughts, motivations, and actions. In such circumstances, broken vows and negative karma can be purified, and correspondingly, all merit and virtue will naturally increase.

Therefore, although we see some practitioners confessing again and again, seemingly making no progress, we cannot say there is no progress. Maintaining a long-term attitude of confession will certainly lead to improvement one day.

This mind of confession is extremely precious. Without such a confessional mind, one unconsciously becomes full of pride, thinking one's virtues are excellent and becoming attached, feeling superior to others. As pride increases, negative karma also increases.

Those who repeatedly confess understand how difficult it is to counter their own afflictions, yet they continue to strive. We should praise such people who know how to confess, support and bless them, hoping that one day they will return to a pure state.

Chapter Twelve: Teaching on the Dakini Tsog Day (Verses)

Dharma King Lotus-Born, Master of Timely Action, Lord of All Secret Treasury, I offer to the Guru's Grace. In Pure Stainless Space, Spontaneous Dawn Arises, Ignorant Beings Step Toward the Path of Truth. Refuge Lord's Rain of Compassion Flows to Children's Hearts, Growing Flowers of Merit, Ripening Fruits of Understanding. Outer World Buddha Palace, Inner Assembly Buddha Parents, Supreme Secret Dharma Wheel Turns in this Fortunate Age.

Late Month Dakini Day, Auspicious Twenty-Fifth, Special Gathering of Tsog. As Seeing Three Roots, Magnificent Joy-Light Shines, Third Watch Dream Visions, Wisdom Movement Manifests, Great Bliss Dakinis Display Joyful Expressions, Love-Merit Waters Gained in Auspicious Moment, In Secret Lotus Grove, Heroes Display Powerful Dance, Heroines Show Wondrous Songs, Space-Joy Skills Increase.

Without Sounds of Discord, Without Uncontrolled Actions, Secret Mantra Hidden Practice, True Lineage Instructions, Will Certainly Attain Tantra's Accomplishment.

Eighty-Four Thousand Dharmas To Know Dakini's Intent, No Need for Eight Worldly Winds, No Error in Dharma's Essence, In Secret Realm Without Direction, Alone Without Companions, Non-Attached Yogis Know There is No Foundation.

My Guru's Command Entering Supreme Secret, Like Ascending to Sainthood, No Need for Achievement's Name, All-Knowing Lotus-Born, Samantabhadra's Heart-Dharma, Wondrous Vehicle Great Perfection, Ultimate of All Teachings.

Beautiful Snow Mountain City, Land of Buddha's Blessings, Prophesied This Secret Realm, Wonder Beyond Thought, When Wisdom Dakinis' Joyful Songs are Heard, This Land's Yogic Assembly, I Know Pure Samaya, Dharma Rare to Hear in Life, Great Secret Vajrayana, Now Entering the Ear, I Know Auspicious Connection.

Ah La! How Wonderful! Ye Ma, Joy in Pleasure! Ah Yi, Without Birth or Cease, A Ma Smiles and Points at Me.

Written on the twenty-first day of the fourth month in the Earth Dog year, while feeling physically unwell, through the power of devoted emotion, speaking this song of lamentation without concern for proper metre. May it become the cause of endless excellent accomplishment. May auspiciousness increase!

Chapter Thirteen: The Precious Master's Instructions to Disciples on Tsog Day

Teaching by Rinpoche: Rigzin Chenpo —Given on April 12, 2011

Today we gather here to arrange offerings, making offerings upward to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and distributing downward to the six classes of beings. The purpose of upward offerings in tsog is confession and accumulating merit, while the remainder offering is for giving to the six classes of beings, with the intention of repaying karmic debts and removing obstacles. Everyone should be clear about the purpose of tsog, especially maintaining the mindfulness that all virtuous activities are performed for all beings - this must not be forgotten.

How do we act for all beings? Now as we gather to practice, it's not just for our own immediate benefit and pleasure. Through this virtuous activity, we dedicate and make aspirations: "May all beings receive this virtue, be freed from suffering, and attain the state of nirvana." Maintain this mind from the beginning prayers through to the final dedication.

Of course, during this hour-long ceremony, it's normal for ordinary beings to experience some conceptual thoughts and afflictions, unconsciously thinking about various things and being unable to concentrate, or having discriminating thoughts about the practice itself, fellow practitioners, the venue, offerings, or the chanting.

The practice time isn't long, so during this brief period, try to focus your mind completely on the Dharma. When the three doors are unified - body, speech, and mind pure - the merit of even one session of practice is inconceivable. During regular meditation, while performing virtuous actions but mixed with afflictions and conceptual thoughts, this cannot compare to one session of pure practice.

What we call purity refers to the Dharma itself being pure and uncontaminated. When beings' minds are impure, it's like pouring pure nectar into an unclean vessel - even the nectar becomes contaminated. Therefore, the purity of one's faculties (including all senses) is extremely important.

How do we purify the faculties? There are many methods, but simply put, maintain control of your three doors, keeping body, speech, and mind focused on the Dharma - this encompasses everything. Therefore, although an hour of practice might not seem long, and you might think this isn't much of a virtuous action, that it's nothing special, very simple and easy, the extent of merit depends on your mind, not on the length of time, size of venue, or quantity of ritual implements - it primarily depends on your mind.

Only by relying on the Three Jewels: having the Dharma in your heart and faith in the Dharma; having Buddha in your heart and respect for the Buddha; having beings in your heart and maintaining gratitude toward beings, especially maintaining compassion that benefits beings. With the Three Jewels in your heart, practicing and making aspirations for beings, the merit of this one hour of practice is vast and inconceivable. Such a practice session will delight the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, beings will feel grateful, and the Dharma protectors will be moved. Therefore, whatever practice you do, never forget these three aspects: preliminary, main part, and conclusion.

When teaching the Dharma regularly, it is the responsibility of a teacher to remind disciples of the three excellences, regardless of how long the virtuous activity might be. The teacher will remind them not to forget the three excellences, but whether disciples implement them or not is their responsibility as students.

The preliminary phase includes what should be done before practice, including taking refuge in the Three Jewels and generating motivation—developing vast bodhicitta for beings, feeling their suffering, hoping they will be freed from the ocean of suffering and attain realization. The main part should be unobstructed, focusing on the practice at hand. The conclusion (or completion phase) involves dedication, dedicating the merit of practice and all virtuous actions to all beings throughout space, to specific individuals, and to karmic creditors. One must never forget these at each stage of listening to teachings, practicing, or contemplating the Dharma, including now when performing tsog offerings.

A practice complete with preliminary, main part, and conclusion is what we call pure practice, as mentioned earlier regarding pure practice. Real practice means practicing genuinely, not just going through the motions—being physically present in the assembly while your mind wanders elsewhere is not authentic practice. When your mind focuses on the Dharma and doesn't stray from it, including the preliminary, main part, and conclusion in a single session of practice, this is real practice. Beyond this, there is no other so-called real practice, and this is what we mean by pure Dharma.

Later in the tsog ritual, there will be some recitations in Tibetan which many of you may not understand, but this is fine. It's like when reciting the Diamond Sutra or the Amitabha Sutra—while you can pronounce the words, only a small portion of the content is truly understood, with much remaining unknown. The Heart Sutra is very short and seems simple, easy to memorize, but very few truly understand its inner meaning. The same applies to the Great Compassion Mantra or the Medicine Buddha Mantra—many recite without understanding the meaning of the mantras.

Liberation through Buddhist practice doesn't rely solely on intellectual understanding. While Buddhist knowledge is certainly very important, even more important is faith. Through firm faith, one attains liberation through this state of mind. Therefore, although one might not understand the meaning of the Great Compassion Mantra, many achieve realization through daily, continuous recitation. Not understanding the meaning of Amitabha Buddha's name doesn't matter—many achieve realization through lifetime recitation due to their firm faith.

Similarly, it doesn't matter if you cannot understand or hear clearly. What matters is having faith in the Three Jewels and maintaining vast motivation to practice for all beings. With both faith and motivation complete in your practice, you will certainly receive vast benefits and blessings. Therefore, we begin tsog by first supplicating to Guru Rinpoche.

If you don't know Guru Rinpoche's form, Avalokiteshvara or Vajrasattva is fine too. Supplicate to Avalokiteshvara or Vajrasattva to purify all obstacles of our three doors, hoping all beings will be freed from samsara and attain realization—practicing with such a mind is sufficient. Everyone, don't forget this!

When reciting the Seven-Line Prayer to Guru Rinpoche, first visualize Guru Rinpoche in the space before you. When you have the eye of wisdom, infinite pure realms and infinite Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are before you—we have never been separate from them.

When we ordinarily recite "Amitabha Buddha," thinking of Amitabha's infinite pure realms beyond his Pure Land of Great Bliss, these realms are our own conceptual thoughts. When we purify our conceptual thoughts, we can directly see Amitabha Buddha.

The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are only hidden from our sight due to our habitual tendencies and afflictions. When our karmic obstacles are purified, afflictions are purified, and our mind becomes pure, you draw ever closer to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas—they have never left us. Now everyone should focus their minds and recite the supplication prayers.

Chapter Fourteen: Song of Devotion - Prayer to Yeshe Tsogyal

How Wonderful! Mother of all Buddhas, Vajra Yogini, Ocean-like Melodious Voice, Sovereign Melodious Mother, Great Compassion Liberating All Beings, Supreme Mother, Mother of Great Kindness to Tibet, the Dakini, Joyful Mother, Heart-Daughter of the Awareness-Holder Lotus, Only Refuge Mother of All Beings, Source Mother of the Profound Secret Mantra Ocean, Natural Mother of Supreme Wisdom and Compassion Power, Awareness-Holder Mother of Deathless Long Life, Yoga Mother Perfect in All Grounds and Paths, Skilled Mother Manifesting Compassionate Emanations, Natural Mother of Benefiting Others Like Space, Natural Mother of Activities Reaching All Limits,

If Called, Supreme Mother of Swift Great Compassion, If Practiced, Supreme Mother of Great Blessing Power, Great Compassionate Mother Watching Like a Mother, Only Mother, My Refuge, Source of All Refuge,

Yeshe Tsogyal, to You I Pray with Devotion, Queen of Dakinis, to You I Pray with Devotion, Self-Manifesting Power, to You I Pray with Devotion, Blazing Blue Light Mother, to You I Pray with Devotion, Sole Consort of Lotus Master, to You I Pray with Devotion, Single Mother Holding Transmission, to You I Pray with Devotion, Holder of Profound Treasures, to You I Pray with Devotion, Swift Blessing Bestower, to You I Pray with Devotion, Auspicious Mother Granting Wishes, to You I Pray with Devotion, Fulfiller of All Beings' Wishes, to You I Pray with Devotion, Wish-Fulfilling Jewel, to You I Pray with Devotion, Great Compassion Without Deception, to You I Pray with Devotion, Ultimate Refuge, to You I Pray with Devotion, Remover of Temporary Sorrows, to You I Pray with Devotion, Supreme Guide of Beings, to You I Pray with Devotion, You Are the Guru, You Are Also the Deity, You Are the Dakini, You Are Also the Protector, My Only Refuge, Supreme Mother, To You I Make Devoted and Respectful Prayer.

Like a Child Calling Mother in Sorrow, Pressed by Various Deteriorations of This Degenerate Age, For Those Like Me Who Follow the Lotus Parents, Seeking Refuge, There is None Other Than You, You Are the Ultimate Nature of Great Compassion, Both Rare Accumulations Perfectly Complete, Bearing the Power of Wisdom and Compassion to Benefit Others, Equal Indeed to All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.

We Beings of Extremely Poor Fortune, Especially Harmed by Degenerate Age's Decline, If You Do Not Grant Comfort Through Great Compassion, Have the Vajra Truth Words Been Forgotten?

From Now Until Attaining Enlightenment, I Offer My Body, Life, and Resources for Your Use, My Heart and Inner Organs I Entrust to You, Mother, With Deepest Heart and Sorrow I Call Supreme Mother!

As Your Compassion is Unfailing Toward the Faithful, Your Words of Truth Endowed with Wisdom and Compassion, After Many Requests Without Result, Discouraged, Should You Not Especially Pity One of Poor Fortune Like Me?

My Own Evil Karma and Afflictions Surge Like Ocean Waves, Bound in a Shell of Harm from Illness Spirits and Obstacles, With Single-Minded Thought of You, Supreme Refuge, Yet Not Even a Trace of Compassionate Comfort?

You Self-Accomplished Ones of Compassionate Nature, Though Possessing Most Wondrous Great Compassion Power, Alas! For Those of Evil Karma Like Myself, Could It Be You Disregard and Abandon Through Great Compassion?

In the Past Dark Ages of the Land of Snows, Lotus Parents, Your Bodies Actually Dwelt Here, Surrounded by Disciples of Good Fortune, Profound Secret Mantra Realization Shone Like the Sun.

Now These Have Become Mere History, Supreme Parents, After This Supreme Understanding, With One Mind Wishing to Repay This Great Kindness, Yet in This Degenerate Age, Human and Non-Human Beings, Disregarding Great Kindness, in This Land and Place, Dark Forces Strong, Illness, Weapons, and Poverty Abound, Alas! All Sentient Beings Are Worthy of Pity, Please Watch Over the Condition of Your Followers.

Supreme Parents Dwelling in Lotus Light, Due to Distance and Evil Karma, I Am Here, Though Making Fierce Sorrowful Prayers, If Wisdom Observes, Surely Without Deception, Yet Due to Evil Karma, My Own Faults and Obstacles, Like a Thirsty Person Chasing a Mirage of Water, If the Heart Receives Not Even a Portion of Comfort, How Will This Great Compassionate Gaze Be Known?

Whatever Words of Sorrow Appear Here, Like a Child Crying and Speaking, Supreme Parents' Great Compassion Especially Consider, At This Very Moment Fulfill My Hopes.

Supreme Parents, Those Who Have Faith in You, Among These There Are No Beings of Poor Fortune, And Certainly Will Be Blessed and Accepted, Such Promises Should Manifest at This Time.

Following Well the Lotus Master's Good Words, Practice Generation and Completion in Sequence, Mindfully Remembering the Kindness to Beings, Long Life Without Illness, All Wishes Accomplished, Such Words of Truth Without Deception, Yet Toward the Lotus Parents' Kindness, Many Beings Abandon Respectful Faith, Connections especially Poor, Thinking Brings Increased Sorrow.

In This Place of Degenerate Age Faults Increase, Not Remembering the Lords of Snow Land, Parent Masters, Many Reverse the Repayment of Kindness, When Holy Doctrine Nears Wild People's Time.

Degenerate Age Oppresses Beings Like Myself, Only a Few Have Faith in You, Yet Self and Others Troubled by Ocean Waves of Suffering, Helplessly Experience Portions of Decline.

At That Time Thinking of Auspicious Mountain's Lotus Light, All Buddhas Gathered in Unequaled Emanation Forms, Refuge Place of We Mindful Beings, After Supreme Parents Dwelling in Memory, Unable to Rest Peacefully on the Bed, Breath Blocked in Throat, Tears Flowing, Day and Night Continuously Praying to You, Yet If Not Granting Even Small Comfort Through Compassion, Countless Great Kalpas Ago for Others' Benefit, Clearly Attained Perfect Great Two Accumulations, Wisdom Body of Unequaled Mighty Power, I and Others So Full of Suffering, How Could We Not Be Objects of Great Compassion?

You Cannot Not Know - It's Impossible, From the Circumstances Created at Time of Prayer, Impossible Not to Enter Liberating Activity, Why Do My Hopes Remain Fruitless?

Chapter Fifteen: Questions and Answers About Tsog

Question One: Doesn't Guru Rinpoche only appear on the tenth day? If I practice daily, can he appear every day?

Answer: As stated on page 52 of Guru Rinpoche's Thirteen Deity Ritual: "I pray to Urgyen Padmasambhava, may wishes be naturally fulfilled. When reaching the degenerate age of evil times, every dawn and dusk for beings' benefit descending, riding rays of the rising sun descending, on the waxing tenth personally descending." Because Guru Rinpoche made the aspiration to especially liberate beings in degenerate times, if you have no specific deity to invite for tsog, you can invite Guru Rinpoche to accept the tsog offering.

Question Two: Which Buddhas and Bodhisattvas should I invite to accept the tsog offering?

Answer: Any are suitable. All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have the same capability, though their particular virtues differ. You can invite any Buddha or Bodhisattva you feel devoted to or have a connection with. Best is to invite your main practice deity or the Buddha or Bodhisattva you regularly practice. For long-term practice, you can invite Guru Rinpoche or Vajrasattva for tsog offerings. Guru Rinpoche made special aspirations to liberate beings in the degenerate age. Vajrasattva primarily purifies our karmic obscurations and is the embodiment of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, specifically manifesting in Bodhisattva form. However, as mentioned at the start, focus on your main practice deity or the Buddha or Bodhisattva you regularly practice.

Question Three: If I wish to confess negativities, can I invite deities like Vajrasattva to accept the tsog offering?

Answer: Yes, you can. Vajrasattva is the embodiment of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, manifesting in Bodhisattva form. Particularly when you wish to confess, you can first recite Vajrasattva's heart mantra or hundred-syllable mantra during the tsog offering, then invite Vajrasattva to descend and accept your confession and tsog offering.

Question Four: How can I confirm that the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have accepted my tsog offering?

Answer: Faith is key. Due to ignorance, beings cannot see the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and cannot connect with them directly, so similarly in practice it's not easy to connect with the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. In reality, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have never left beings - whenever you have faith, whenever you have bodhicitta, whenever you pray, they will appear before you.

As Guru Rinpoche states in the Thirteen Deity Ritual, whether morning or evening, at any time during the twenty-four hours when you pray, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas don't need sleep - they constantly appear before us. When you make offerings in your heart, if you have the capacity to offer, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have the capacity to accept. Because they are Buddhas complete in all perfect qualities, whatever you offer - whether the three thousand great thousand world systems, Mount Meru, the four continents, sun, moon, mountains, and rivers - they can accept all of it. They can accept anything you can imagine. However, in their aspirations, they accept such offerings not because they want them, but to allow beings to perfect their accumulation of merit and to fulfill beings' wishes. That's why they accept.

When making offerings, we don't need to worry about whether they can partake of them or whether they have received them.

Question Five: How should I perform tsog by myself?

Answer: Avalokiteshvara has a thousand methods of practice, and every Rinpoche has a thousand methods too (the Master laughs, saying this is a joke). Therefore, if you want to perform tsog, you should request the empowerment or oral transmission of the tsog ritual from your teacher. If you cannot receive the teacher's oral transmission and don't know how to perform it, in such circumstances making offerings can substitute for tsog.

How should you make offerings? If you have a mandala, place offerings before it. If you don't have a mandala, arrange offerings on a clean table, similar to traditional offering arrangements.

Then recite the mantras of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas or their names, while in your heart imagining the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas truly present before you. When you have such faith, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will definitely appear at your offering place. At this time, in your mind it's not just a cup of water or an apple, but all three thousand great thousand world systems transform into offerings. Generate such vast bodhicitta, to liberate all beings, for all beings to perfect their accumulation of merit and achieve the perfect state. With such motivation, pray for the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to compassionately accept, make offerings with such a mind.

After making offerings, perform dedication. During dedication, think that I dedicate today's virtuous actions to all beings, requesting the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas' blessings, that all beings may obtain perfect accumulation of merit. When dedicating my offerings to all beings, it's not just one portion or half a portion - each being receives the complete accumulation of merit. I pray that the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will bless the aspirations I make today to be fulfilled.

If you are a disciple of Rigzin Chenpo, there is a simple ritual with mudras in the texts left by Tawang Norbu. Add the Seven-Line Prayer to Guru Rinpoche before the short tsog liturgy, then take refuge and generate bodhicitta, recite the brief offering, and conclude with dedication.

Question Six: Why can't we just recite the short tsog liturgy?

Q: Should we just repeat the short tsog liturgy on the tenth and twenty-fifth days?

A: Yes, you can keep repeating this very short tsog ritual and mudras, but this can only be called an offering, not a tsog.

Q: Why?

A: Tsog originally appears only in Highest Yoga Tantra, and it has specific rituals. It must be performed in conjunction with Highest Yoga Tantra rituals. Simply reciting can only be called an offering. To make proper offerings, you must first practice the deity yoga and then perform tsog - this is the proper sequence of the ritual.

Question Seven: What is the difference between performing tsog myself and the tenth day Guru Rinpoche tsog or twenty-fifth day Dakini tsog?

A: The tenth and twenty-fifth day tsogs are particularly powerful because these are the days Guru Rinpoche promised to descend from the Copper-Colored Mountain to this world. Therefore, the tenth day is especially auspicious, and tsog offerings made on this day are particularly powerful. Thus, whether you are confessing or making offerings to Guru Rinpoche, you will receive special blessings. The same applies to the twenty-fifth day dakini tsog - this is due to the power of their aspirations and blessings.

Question Eight: What are the conditions for participating in tsog?

Answer: Anyone can participate, but those who have broken samaya vows cannot participate, nor can one practice tsog together with those who have broken samaya vows.

Question Nine: What should be prepared for a proper tsog offering?

Answer: Both food and drink must be prepared - it cannot be all food or all drink. In Tibet, each person participating in tsog prepares some tsampa and food items, then everything is gathered together for the tsog offering. After the tsog is complete, everyone must receive an equal share of the blessed substances.

Question Ten: Can one come to confess during tsog?

Answer: If you have the intention to confess or wish to come for confession, then you can participate in the tsog.

These Questions and Answers About Tsog Practice concluded the teaching on the proper methods, motivations, and benefits of tsog practice. Through understanding and implementing these instructions correctly, practitioners can derive the full benefit from their tsog practice and maintain pure samaya with their teachers and the lineage.

As emphasized throughout these teachings, the key points to remember are:

• Maintaining proper motivation and pure view
• Following the correct sequence of the ritual
• Keeping pure samaya and proper conduct
• Understanding the special significance of feast days
• Making proper preparations and offerings
• Maintaining faith and devotion throughout the practice
• Dedicating the merit for the benefit of all beings

Through proper practice of tsog offering, practitioners can swiftly accumulate merit, purify obstacles, and progress on the path to enlightenment.