Four Gatherings
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Four Gatherings
The teachings explain that ‘tsok’ refers to four different types of gathering, those of:
1. practitioners,
2. offering substances,
3. deities, and
4. merit and wisdom.
Tsok - (skt. ganachakra or “accumulation”) is an offering practice that is done to accumulate merit, purify obscurations, and repair damaged samaya (tantric commitments). Because offering tsok is the best way to ensure that samaya is kept, offering tsok regularly is a necessary practice for all practitioners of the Secret Mantryana. Tsok is traditionally offered twice a month, on the tenth and twenty-fifth days of the lunar calendar, which are known as Guru Rinpoche day and Dakini day, respectively. Thus, tsok will be scheduled according to the lunar calendar and not on a regular day and time.
When we offer tsok, we gather together and arrange a large offering table before the altar, recite the tsok text, make the offerings, join in the feast, and recite concluding prayers. When you come to offer tsok, please bring offerings of food, drink and/or flowers, all of which should be fresh and beautifully arranged, with attention to detail. Anyen Rinpoche often says that we should offer at tsok that which we would most like to enjoy ourselves! Please observe Rinpoche's dietary restrictions and mark any food that contains gluten.
see also; ‘tsok’