Tormas are ritual food offerings made in a variety of shapes, used for a number of purposes. They are used for destroying obstacles, creating generosity, and purifying karma.
Tormas can be used to represent the deity. They often have elaborate decorations coming off symbolizing the hands and implements. During a feast, we should regard it as the deity.
In a sense, they’re used to disguise the actual form of the deity from non-practitioners because the actual form of the deity is too intense and powerful. People would get the wrong idea. The forms could appear almost demonic. However, it’s wrathful compassion. The torma is meant to conceal this so that the practitioner can use it as a support for meditation without a non-practitioner or an uninitiated practitioner getting an incorrect idea. It just looks like a little cake sculpture.
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The dough should be made of high quality foods and other substances. Part of the goal is to overcome stinginess, according to Lama Zopa. This happens by making a good offering to the yidam. You can then give rise to generosity, the first paramita. This leads to non-attachment, a necessary condition for realization.
Tormas as Destroying Energy
He also says TOR means the destroying capacity. It scatters. In this case, the scattering is the karma, the kleshas, and the neurotic seeds of the mind. It frees us from torment.
The secret torma is the unseen, the dharmakaya. This destroys samsara at the root, even down to the very idea or concept of it. Thus it overcomes ignorance, releasing the pure indestructible wisdom. Take and offer it with that attitude.
The making of the forms is a method to purify physical karma. You can make many different kinds of them and making them… making a lot of them tends to purify actions of body. Making them beautiful creates the karma of having a pleasing form in future lives.
Types of Tormas
Tormas can be called by different names. A phuktor (the tor means torma). Phuktor represents the deity. A Martor is a white one, mar meaning white – this means peaceful. A Raktor is a red torma, rak meaning red – a wrathful one. A tsoktor is a feast torma. It’s generally made with a bit of spirits and the three whites butter, milk, and yogurt and the three sweets. Sugar, honey, molasses, although other whites and sweets can suffice and are fine.
The flour base of a tsok is generally roasted barley but other flours can be substituted. Roasted barley tends to work well for this application. I’ve tried to use wheat flour before and it does not work very well. I haven’t used it for tsoktor because you generally eat it and I haven’t tried to roast the wheat. I may try and see how that works. Raw flours are not so good, but perhaps a raw corn flour might be edible.
Torma as Vajra Ignorance
At any rate, Torma is one of the three essential ingredients in feast. In a feast, we often place a phuktor or something that represents the deity, but we want to have a tsok to share with the deity in the feast. The tsoktor generally represents eating ignorance and purifying it into wisdom or awakenment. It can represent ignorance of bewilderment about properly engaging in actions, not knowing what to accept and reject. It can also represent the more fundamental ignorance or marigpa, ignorance about the nature of reality. This enlightened form of ignorance is called Vajra Ignorance.
Also in a feast, you’re supposed to take in amrita (alcohol that’s blessed), dutsi, as symbolic of taking in passion and purifying that into sacredness. Also some meat. Even vegetarians should eat a little bit of meat during a feast in order to overcome preconceptions. It’s the same with alcohol, even monastics take a bit of alcohol in. The intake of meat during a feast is symbolic of taking in the aggression and purifying that.
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Summary: Torma
| Concept | Description | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Torma | Ritual cakes used in Tibetan Buddhist offerings. | Wikipedia, Rigpa Wiki |
| Origin | Possibly originated in pre-Buddhist Bon religion, later adapted by Tibetan Buddhism. | Wikipedia |
| Significance | * Offerings to deities, protectors, and spirits. * Symbolic representations: embodiment of deities, connection between emptiness and wisdom. | Wikipedia, Rigpa Wiki |
| Material | Primarily flour and butter, possible additions include egg, milk, sugar, honey, and even meat. | Wikipedia |
| Shape | Mostly conical, but specific shapes for specific purposes. | Wikipedia |
| Placement | Offered on shrines, plates, leather mounts, or special bases like skulls. Sizes vary from small to very large. | Wikipedia |
| Purposes | * Offerings during rituals. * Feasts and consumed by practitioners (after rituals). * Appeasing spirits, accumulating merit, removing obstacles. | Wikipedia, Rigpa Wiki |
| Symbolism | * Bridge between human realm and unseen world. * Impermanence (made from perishable materials) reflecting the temporary nature of offerings. |
Torma: Ritual Cakes in Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhist rituals are filled with symbolism and unique practices. One such offering, both beautiful and meaningful, is the Torma. These aren’t your everyday cakes; they are hand-molded sculptures crafted from flour and butter, used in offerings and as symbolic representations during rituals.
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Origins and Meaning
The exact origins of Torma offerings remain somewhat unclear. Some believe they might have originated in Tibet’s pre-Buddhist Bon religion, later adapted by Tibetan Buddhism (as mentioned in the Wikipedia article). Beyond their role as offerings, the cakes hold a deeper significance. They can embody the deities themselves, representing offerings of food and objects to connect with these powerful beings. On a symbolic level, Rigpa Wiki describes them as representing the union of emptiness and wisdom, a core concept in Tibetan Buddhist philosophy.
Composition and Types
Made primarily from butter and flour, Tormas can sometimes incorporate additional ingredients like egg or honey, based on the information from the Wikipedia article. The shapes can vary, with the conical form being the most common. However, specific rituals might call for unique shapes depending on their purpose. These sculptures find their place on altars and shrines, offered on plates, special mounts, or even ritual skulls depending on the tradition (both sources). Interestingly, the size can also vary. Grand festivals might feature massive central shrine Tormas, while smaller, individual offerings are also used.
The Use of Tormas in Rituals
Tormas serve various purposes in rituals. As mentioned in the Wikipedia article, they function as offerings to deities, protectors, and even spirits. They can also be used in feasts and consumed by practitioners after the rituals (from Rigpa Wiki). On a deeper level, they help accumulate merit, appease spirits or wrathful deities, and even remove obstacles on one’s spiritual path (from Wikipedia).
Symbolic meaning of Torma
Based on the information gathered from the provided sources, here are some symbolic meanings of Tormas in Tibetan Buddhism:
Offerings and Embodiment:
- Offerings to Deities and Beings: Tormas function as a physical representation of offerings like food and objects presented to deities, protectors, and even spirits.
- Embodiment of Deities: The form itself can embody the deity being invoked during the ritual.
Connection and Wisdom:
- Bridge Between Realms: Tormas act as a symbolic bridge between the human realm and the unseen world of deities and spirits.
- Emptiness and Wisdom: They are the union of emptiness and wisdom, a core concept in Tibetan Buddhist philosophy. Emptiness refers to the inherent lack of inherent existence of all phenomena, while wisdom signifies the realization of this emptiness.
Impermanence:
- Perishable Materials: The use of impermanent materials like butter and flour highlights the impermanence of all things, including the offering itself. This impermanence can serve as a reminder of the fleeting nature of our existence and the importance of letting go of attachments.
Additional Notes:
- The specific symbolic meaning of a Torma might also depend on its shape, color, and ingredients used in its creation.
- As rituals and practices can vary across Tibetan Buddhist traditions, the symbolic understanding of Tormas might have some nuanced differences.
V. Conclusion
The use of Tormas in Tibetan Buddhist rituals signifies a bridge between the human realm and the unseen world. These impermanent sculptures, created from perishable materials, offer a fascinating connection to the impermanence of all things, mirroring the temporary nature of the offering itself.
May all beings be happy
May all beings be peaceful
May all beings be safe
May all beings awaken to the light of their true nature
May all beings be free
