Making Offerings to Devas

[SublimeAbode]

“In the place he makes his dwelling, having fed the astute and the virtuous here, the restrained spiritual practitioners, he should dedicate an offering to the deities there. Venerated, they venerate him; honored, they honor him. After that they have sympathy for him, like a mother for the child at her breast. A man beloved of the deities always sees nice things. ” (Sujato DN 16)

Offering to deities seems like a neglected part of Western lay Buddhist tradition. In the Buddha’s time it was a cultural norm, but what about today? How does one begin to identify which devas reside in which areas, and how specifically to make offerings to them? Especially in areas outside of India where such things are not well known. Every village in India has their own deity to which offerings are regularly made.

“As long as the Vajjis honor, respect, esteem, and venerate the Vajjian shrines, whether inner or outer, not neglecting the proper spirit-offerings that were given and made in the past , they can expect growth, not decline." (Sujato DN 16)

Living in the US, one idea that comes to mind is to look to the various Native American traditions that came before. Devas are long lived, so the spirits identified by shamans in the past would likely still be dwelling in those areas.

I also remember reading a sutta where the Buddha states that some dreams can be messages from devas, though I can’t seem to find it. I’ve taken this to heart from a few recent experiences, so another method might simply involve asking said devas to give instructions in a dream. Just some thoughts.

Also relevant: How to make a fruitful five-spirit offering, especially to ancestors and deities AN 4.61?

[BethL]

You might check out Ven. Brahmali’s essay and the ensuing thread:

Deity worship in Buddhism

I was recently asked about deity worship in Buddhism. In case anyone is interested, here is my reply. Yes, a lot of Buddhists are into deity worship, even with little shrines in their backyard. I think there are a number of reasons for this. The first is simply that people need an easy way to practice religion. Buddhism demands a lot of you, where as worshipping a god can be quite straightforward. The second reason is the power of Indian culture around most of the Buddhist world. Hinduism/bra…

There is lots of discussion there about your topic

[REddison]

@SublimeAbode

I’ve taken this to heart from a few recent experiences, so another method might simply involve asking said devas to give instructions in a dream.

The source is the Milindapañha, though in it Nāgasena seems to take an unfavourable view of deva-influenced dreams.

“What is this that men call a dream, and who is it who dreams it?” (So asked Milinda the king.)

“It is a mental image (nimitta), O king, coming across the path of the mind, which is what is called a dream. And there are six kinds of people who see dream — the man who is of a windy humour sees dreams; the man who is of a bilious humour sees dreams; the man who is of a phlegmatic humour sees dreams; the man who is influenced by a god sees dreams; the man who is influenced by his own habits sees dreams; and the man who in the way of prognostication sees dreams.

“And, of those, O king the dream by way of prognostication alone is true (sacca); all the rest are false (micchā).”

(Translated by U Pu)

Here’s the complete dialogue, translated by Thomas Rhys Davids:

Supinapañha