Step by Step Guide to Basic Sur Offering

Sur offering is an offering practice that has numerous benefits for its practitioners. By burning food and satisfying the hunger of all sentient beings through smell, the practitioner is practicing his/her generosity and acquiring good karmic merits. Karmic debts will be dissolved and one can enjoy a successful and obstacle-free life. You can read more information about sur offering here.

Everyone can do a basic sur offering at home to reap the benefits.

 

When should I make this offering?
It depends on who you want to make the offering to. If the offering is made to The Three Jewels and The Three Roots, it is advisable to practice the ritual in the morning between 5am to 9am. As for the beings in the lower realms and karmic debtors, the ritual should be done in the evening between 5pm to 9pm. Ideally, this offering should be done daily.
 
Where should I burn this offering?
It is advisable to burn the offerings on your altar table or in your well-ventilated shrine room, if the offering is made to The Three Jewels and The Three Roots. As for the beings in the lower realms and karmic debtors, you should burn the offerings outside your house, balcony or rooftop.

What items do I need to prepare?

1. A durable metal plate
2. Sur Offering Powder and/or Sur Offering Incense Cone
3. Lighter
4. Incense Powder Mold (optional)
5. Six Realms Diamond Mantra Paper (optional)

How to set up my offering for burning?

1. Place the clean metal plate on a flat surface (ie. floor, table, etc.).
2. Add in a layer of Sur Offering Powder.
3. Place the Six Realms Diamond Mantra Papers (optional).
4. Add in another layer of Sur Offering Powder on top of the Mantra Paper.
5. Place the Sur Offering Incense Cones above the powder.
6. Light up the incense cones.

A simpler setup would be as such:

1. Place the clean metal plate on a flat surface (ie. floor, table, etc.).
2. Place the Six Realms Diamond Mantra Paper on the base of the plate (optional).
3. Place the a Sur Offering Incense Cone or add some Sur Offering Powder on top of the Mantra Paper.
4. Light the Incense cone or powder.

What should I do after I light up my offerings?

1. Recite this verse to dedicate your offerings:

This sur offering, billowing clouds of oceanic sensory enjoyments,
I offer to the Three Jewels and Three Roots, the guests invited out of respect. Protect me in your compassion, I pray, and cause me to complete the accumulations and purify my obscurations!

I offer to the oath-bound dharma protectors, guests invited on account of their qualities. May you be pleased and satisfied and dispel all outer and inner obstacles!

I offer to the sentient beings of the six realms, guests invited out of compassion. May you be free from all forms of suffering and gain immaculate bliss!

I dedicate to harmful influences, obstructing forces, gods and spirits, the guests to whom I owe karmic debts. May all violence and malevolence be pacified and may you live happily and beneficially.

In a state of unimpeded openness, beyond any focus on the various guests in saṃsāra or nirvāṇa, may we be liberated in the dharmadhātu expanse that is entirely free of the three conceptual spheres.

(This brief sur offering dedication verse is written by by Dudjom Rinpoche.）

2. Recite this mantra to bless the food offering:

(These three mantras are recommended by Master Hai Tao.)

3. If you have more time, you can also recite other mantras like The Great Compassion Mantra and Medicine Buddha Mantra.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is a general guide to a basic sur offering that you can do at home. If you would like to explore a more elaborate offering, you may approach your master or venerable for advice.

We hope the merits accumulated from this practice will bring you good luck, good health and success in this and future lifetimes. May all sentient beings be relieved from their sufferings and embark on their journey to enlightenment from your act of compassion and generosity.

Remember, it does not matter if the offering is expensive or not, massive or not, the important factor here is your intent, your genuine intent to do good for people.

Shop for our Sur Offering items here.