I now understand better why we should always make food offerings to whether to our Lama, Yidam or Protector. It does not only create a sense of appreciation and gratefulness but when done with the right motivation, it creates a cause for spiritual nourishment. By remembering to offer our meals to our Protector, it helps us to foster a closer connection to Him. When we have a closer connection to our Protector, it makes it much easier for Him to come to our aid in times of need.

Another testament of the great compassion from the Buddhas in allowing more avenues for us to generate merits for our Dharma practice. In essence, by making food offerings to Dorje Shugden sincerely, we would have we fulfilled the Refuge commitment (of offering the first part of anything we eat or drink to the Three Jewels), cultivated gratitude for the kindness and the benefits gained from taking correct Refuge and also worked towards generating merit for our spiritual progress. In addition, when making food offerings to Dorje Shugden, we are also creating the causes for a closer relationship with Dorje Shugden which will only work to our favour in our times of need.

感谢尊贵的第廿五世詹杜固仁波切的开示与教诲，

佛菩萨是大慈大悲的，祂们总是善巧地不断的提供我们更多的机会，累积更多的福德资粮，好让当我们有不好的业果要发芽时，我们有足够的功德来保持平衡，同时的，我们也能够透过种种机会累积更多福德资粮，好让我们制造出更多的善因，让我们的上师长驻与常转法轮，然后我们能够学习佛法直至证悟。
”
所以同样的多杰雄登护法同样地，总是大慈大悲的帮助我们，并且让我们能够“迅速”在更短的时间内，快速地累积大量的功德，而这供养文也是一种来自佛菩萨的慈悲善巧，佛菩萨都是证悟的，祂们其实不需要我们的供养，然而接受我们的供养是因为要让我们累积功德，同时也是要训练我们时时刻刻要保持一个感恩与正确动机的发心，因为在念诵此供养文时，我们需要有正确的发心，感谢上师与护法的庇佑与帮助，同时我们也需要发心透过供养护法后，我们接着吃下的这些食物将给我们拥有一个健壮的身体，好让我们能够继续学习与修持佛法。

谢谢
Jerry Sito

Buddha knows normal people like us need a lot of merits to support our practice, therefore he gave us a lot of method to collect merits, even when we are eating, we are able to collect merits. How convenient.

By making water, candle offerings we can collect merits, by cleaning the temple, the altar and Buddha statue we can collect merits, by serving the Sanghas we can collect merits. But by collection merits, it is not enough, we have to transform our mind to be more positive, change our bad habits in order to enjoy the ultimate benefits of being a Buddhist practitioner.

I do a food offering prayer before every meal I consume ever since I received a message on food offering prayers from His Eminence Tsem Rinpoche a few years back. Before we consume our meal, we can gain merit by offering our food to the 3 jewels, in my case I do a food offering prayer to Dulzin Drakpa Gyeltsen, and thank the 3 jewels for the opportunity I have to have food on my plate, and appreciate it.

Many people take for granted what we have easily on a daily basis. Since volunteering with Kechara Soup Kitchen, (one of the many departments founded by His Eminence Tsem Rinpoche that reaches out to the less fortunate and destitute of the society), where I have encountered so many who struggle to even get one meal a day, I have learnt to have gratitude and appreciate what I have daily.

Making food offering is an important reminder for us to remember kindness, compassion and be grateful. We must remember the kindness and compassion of the Three Jewels, for giving us this opportunity to collect merits for our spiritual progress so that we can, eventually, be liberated. We must remember that it is through the kindness of our Guru that we receive the pure lineage teaching, hence, we make offering to Yidam, Protector and Guru; which also serve to create the causes to be closer to them. Lastly, we must remember to be grateful for everyone who are part of our universe that make the food available for us, without them, we will not have the food (or anything else) that we are enjoying now, hence, we must remind ourselves to be grateful.

There is always profound meaning in the seemingly simple Buddhism ritual, we must always take the time and effort to find out and practice. Thank you for sharing this wonderful article.

When I do food offering to Lama Tsongkhapa , Buddhas and Dorje Shugden, I always thought through food offering daily I could gain more resources. If I am not mistaken this was thought by H.E Tsem Rinpoche before.

Before I eat, I will do a prayer to Dorje Shugden’s and wishes the blessing of protector reach throughout the persons who have prepare the food, from farmers to cook to the waitress.

When I went to a place where I have opportunity to eat delicious food, I do food offering prayers so that the 1st portion of this good and delicious food could be offered to my beloved protector.

As time goes by, it seems every session of food I have practice dharma. This is how skillful our Guru have thought us to collect merits even through eating.

Dorje Shugden is an emanation of Manjushri and therefore when we make food offerings with good motivation and sincerity to Dorje Shugden, he will definitely assist us in spiritual growth.
Making offerings is to collect merits for us to achieve Bodhicitta and ultimately in full enlightenment.

Thank you for sharing this food offering prayer to Dorje Shugden.