Buddha Amitabha (the Buddha of Infinite Light) is a main practice of Khenpo Karten Rinpoche and the Manjushri Dharma Center. The text used for the Amitabha chanted prayer practice is The Recitation for Accomplishment of Sukhavati from the Sky Dharma Mind Terma. (in Tibetan, English, and Chinese)
As part of the Amitabha chanted prayer practice, there are a series of mudras (symbolic and ritual gestures) that are used as we imagine making offerings to all the holy beings. Back in August of 2015, students filmed Rinpoche’s demonstration of the offering mudras, and below is a link to two YouTube videos, as well as a description of each movement. The first video and description is off the eight offering substances, also represented on our shrine at the center. The second is a mandala offering, in which the four lands, sun, moon, four continents and subcontinents, and all the blissful and beautiful offerings of all worlds are imagined and offered. The hands become the whole universe and all sentient beings within, purified, joyful, and offered.
The text of the offering substance mudra, as we recite it in practice, can be found on page 63 in the Amitabha prayer book. It would please Rinpoche to have his students perform the mudras with him at that point in the practice.
(Page 63 in Amitabha text) Offering substances mudras: https://youtu.be/tKXNY82MNgI
- Water for drinking (Argham)
- Water for bathing (Padyam)
- Flowers (Pushpe)
- Incense (Dhupe)
- Light: candlelight, butterlamps or fire (Aloke)
- Perfume (Ghende)
- Food (Naivide)
- Music (Shapda)
- Emptiness/Secret Offering/Consort (Mudra Ah Hung)
(Page 68 in the Amitabha text) Mandala offering mudra: https://youtu.be/ugbVzOBY85c
Originally filmed at the Manjushri Dharma Center in 2015, published for the first time in 2017, and updated in 2024.
