Ritual flower offering of ornamented tsampaka being prepared. Photo credit: Jessica Gallego

Within the Yungdrung Bön religious tradition, flowers are one of the five daily offerings and an important offering during most rituals. Often tsampaka seeds are used to create an auspicious flower offering that never withers or fades in beauty. These seed pods grow on commonly found trees in the Himalayas and measure an average of 25 to 28 inches in length.

Left: tsampaka seed pod Center: tsampaka seed pod with seeds iinside Right: tsampaka seeds. Photo credit: Raven Cypress Wood

As a ritual flower offering, the winged seeds are glued one above another to a small piece of wood or bamboo. The center of the seeds are then painted or otherwise decorated with the five colors of the five elements.

Tsampaka flower offerings for a Nampar Gyalwa Fire Ritual. Photo credit: Raven Cypress Wood.

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