Tsog pronounced 'soak', spelled Tsog or
Tsok.
What exactly is a Tsog?
Much
of
the information listed here was excerpted from "The Meaning of
Tsok & How to Practice Tsok Simply"
"In order to make your practice meaningful, it is
important to understand the purpose of tsok practice. The Tsok practice
is one of many skillful and powerful methods that are swift
in the process of accumulation and
purification.
The sanskit word for tsok practice is ganachakra, which in Tibetan is
tsok kyi khorlo.
The word Tsok means 'an accumulation' or 'gathering', and
the word
means
'wheel' making the literal translation 'wheel of accumulation'.
Tsok can be performed to celebrate Guru Rinpoche day
and
or Dakinis' Day which fall on the 10th and 25th day
respectively,
of the Tibetan calendar.
The tsog is the gathering of:
1. Practitioners - viewed as their enlightened nature,
2. Offering Substances - the edible substances
represent skillful
means
& the liquids wisdom,
3. Buddhas - imagine an entire mandala of buddhas; and
4. Merit and Wisdom - result from 1-3. Merit is the
accumulation
of
devotion & compassion
,and wisdom is the
development of non-conceptual reference
Offering substances include: sweet, sour, salty, grain,
wine,flowers and meat (dairy is optional). Offerings are
selected without preference or aversion and without the idea
that one has spent too much or too little.
The complete text of "The Meaning of Tsok" can be purchased
from the Rigpa
Sangha (
https://www.zamstore.com/en/in-english/13265-the-meaning-of-tsokbr-ebook-or-booklet.html)
or from the publisher Zam SARL, Lodévé,
France at
www.zam.store.com .