Research On The Symbolism And Function Of Tibetan Buddhist Offerings

Research on ethnic or religious offering was long being the major sustenance of The Study of Religion.Religious material performance research in offering studies was the title given to its importance.The study of religious material expressions and its ideal theory behind it has always been the focus and hot spot for religious research.The mission of religious material research was consecutively accomplished only by anthropological methods.But it was the past,the future study will be divided into both the field of religion and anthropology.The general subject of this dissertation is: Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan Culture,this paper has been focusing on the analyses of the relationship between theoretical patterns and original documents,and also on the study of material or symbolic offerings.While material offerings were considered crude,symbolic offerings were much more approximate to ethnic culture,also traditional religious studies regard it as a separate subject and studied it separately.This is quite similar the case with Tibetan Buddhist offerings in this article.(1)The historical transition from sacrifice to offering was not only realized by simple design on low cost-end,but also by the continuous efforts for improvement of civilization;(2)The symbolic part of the offering belongs to specific cognitive results,rather than pre-determined or temporary insertion.The symbolic nature of offerings was not the content open to operation,one can not add his favorite into any certain or uncertain offering,nor delete as change the offerings subjectively.Offerings were differed amongst different sects of Tibetan Buddhism;(3)The function of offerings exists both for this world and for the neither world.These functions are also objective,which,can not be distorted or changed by human will;(4)The symbol of offering is restricted by function and changes according to its function.The anthropological field produces offerings,as well as its cultural second nature;(5)The symbolizing offerings and healthy expression of civilization,is the concrete result of civilization progress.These advanced features were rooted in the choice and will of the local people: the people have eliminated the sacrifices,but not the Tibetan Buddhism.What is advanced is made by the people in history.The people’s active choice also contains persistence of offerings.While all the sacrifices that were considered as equal to atrocity even in their time,was useless,foreign,bloody and cruel,it requires futile waste on unseen God,also sacrifices were not conducive to the economic development,it was unserviceable to the environmental protection or of any use to productive forces.Sacrifices have been resisted by the people and had been disappeared in the river of history for a long period.The innovative and pioneering designs of this dissertation are as follows:(1)For the first time,it is proposed that offerings were originates from Sutra,its theory,late annotation and privileged practice,rather than worship and taboo.And for the first time,it is proposed that the survival of the offering depends on the will of the people,not on the objects they support,ghosts or Devin;(2)This paper is based on the core document "The Ritual of Offering for land Gods" which has never appeared or been referenced,by any previous research in any form;(3)It is the first time one research put forward the standards for the offerings˙symbolic degree and function for each offering.(4)It is the first time one put forward a feasible path for the supply on its economic value.