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Butter lamps orbutterlamps (Tibetan:དཀར་མེ་,Wylie:dkar me;simplified Chinese:酥油灯;traditional Chinese:酥油燈;pinyin:sūyóu dēng) are a common feature ofTibetan Buddhist temples andmonasteries throughout theHimalayas. The lamps traditionally burnclarifiedyak butter, but now often usevegetable oil orvanaspati ghee.[citation needed]
The butter lamps help to focus the mind and aidmeditation. According to theRoottantra ofCakrasaṃvara Tantra, "If you wish for sublime realization, offer hundreds of lights".[1]
Pilgrims also supply lamp oil to gainmerit. The monks in the monastery manage the actual lamps, taking extreme care to avoid starting one of the devastating fires which have damaged many monasteries over the years (e.g.,[2]). For safety, butter lamps are sometimes restricted to a separate courtyard enclosure with a stone floor.
Externally, the lights are seen to banish darkness. Conceptually, they convert prosaic substance into illumination, a transformation akin to the search forenlightenment.Esoterically, they recall the heat of thetummo yoga energy of theSix Yogas of Naropa, an important text forKagyu,Gelug, andSakya schools oftantricBuddhism.
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