How to Prepare a Tibetan Butter Lamp – Step by Step
Kunsang
“Hello, I’m Kunsang. Today I’ll show you how to prepare a Tibetan butter lamp. It’s very simple, and you can do it at home.”
What you need
- A metal lamp, for example brass, copper or steel. It doesn’t have to be expensive. Here is our brass butter lamp.
- Cotton cloth or cotton wool, for example from the pharmacy
- Coconut fat, rapeseed oil or sunflower oil. In Tibet, butter is used; here in Switzerland we mostly use coconut fat.
Pull the cotton thin
Pull the cotton apart a little until it is thin and flat. That makes it easy to roll afterwards.
Roll
Find a starting point and slowly roll the cotton between thumb and index finger into a cord. These two fingers are very important for rolling. Roll gently and evenly until you have a firm cord.
Shape the tip of the wick
Press the cord together until it is fairly hard and straight. At the end, fold it up once more, very small, about a millimetre, so that a fine tip forms, like the eye of a needle.
Insert the wick
Push the wick as far as possible into the small hole in the middle of the lamp. Press it in firmly; it must hold well. If it leans to the left or right, straighten it.
Fill in fat or oil
Now we are ready. Melt the coconut fat and pour it in very slowly from the side, without touching the wick in the middle, otherwise it falls over. The wick must not be too long: one to one and a half centimetres above the edge is enough. Do not fill the bowl completely, leave a small gap at the top. Completely full is not good, and half full is not good either. That is how it is done in the Tibetan tradition.
Light it with good intention
Now you only have to light the lamp. When we light it, we think of all beings. That is the motivation: the small light becomes a great offering, for our family and for all who are in darkness or suffering.
Important
- Wash your hands beforehand. The lamp must also be completely clean.
- Never leave the lamp burning unattended. Brass gets hot, always place it on a fireproof surface.
The meaning of the butter lamp
Lighting butter lamps is a very old Tibetan tradition, in Tibet, in India and in the Himalayan regions. The light is like an offering and a protection at the same time. We dedicate it to all sentient beings and to our family. I wish that all beings be free from suffering and that peace prevails in our country and everywhere.
Thank you for your time and all the best.
The matching lamp
Handmade in brass, 9 cm tall, in stock in Bern.
View the butter lampOr drop by our shop at Kramgasse 63 in Bern.