Types of Holy Objects

The information below has been sourced from the April-June 2010 edition of the Mandala Magazine.  Mandala is the official publication of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition of which Tara Institute is an affiliate.

Objects become “holy” when they contain the presence of a buddha’s holy body, holy speech or holy mind.  There are several ways in which to engage with holy objects.  You can make offerings, prostrations and circumambulate the holy objects that already exist, you can create holy objects that become future sources of blessings and pilgrimage to others, and you can also help sponsor a holy object initiative with volunteer time, money or prayers.  Holy objects can even be used to benefit animals!  Although animals may have a difficult time with making offerings, you can always help them to circumambulate; give them a nice gentle bonk on the head with your stupas, statues and tsa-tsas; or recite mantras for them.

All of these activities, when in relation to a holy object, become incredibly powerful acts of virtue.

“The moment holy objects such as statues of Buddha are completed on a rock, painted on paper with a brush and colours, taken with a camera, or printed on paper from the negative with chemicals, etc., the moment a holy object materializes, it becomes a field of merit, like a field of crops, for sentient beings.”

Lama Zopa Rinpoche