The "Buddha's Sutra on the Merit and Virtue of Bathing the Statues" says that there are fifteen kinds of merits and virtues of offering relics:
World Honored One, what are the causes and conditions for the Buddhas and Tathagatas to obtain pure bodies? If the Buddha is close to him in this world, By making offerings, and by making offerings of relics after Nirvana, how much merit do these two types of people gain? At that time, the World-Honored One told Bodhisattva Pure Wisdom...Pure Wisdom, there are two types of relics after I enter nirvana: one is the dharma body, and the other is the relic. Incarnation. If good men and women, etc., offer relics and make images of the Buddha such as barley, build stupas like nunneries, have temples like needles, cover like duckweeds, and hold Buddha relics as large as mustard seeds, place them in them. The merits gained are the same as if I were alive. Such a person can obtain fifteen kinds of merits:
The first is to have a pure mind, the second is to obey the Dharma, the third is to feel ashamed, the fourth is to see the Tathagata, the fifth is to develop pure faith, and the sixth is Being able to uphold the righteous Dharma, seventhly, practicing as taught, eighthly, being able to get close to all Buddhas, ninthly, being reborn in the lands of Buddhas at will, and tenthly, if one is born into a person with a big surname, his heart will be soft and respected by others. The eleventh is to be born among people who have the heart to recite the Buddha's name; the twelfth is to be unable to be upset by the demon armies; the thirteenth is to be able to protect the righteous Dharma at the end of the Dharma; the fourteenth is to always be protected by the Buddhas and Tathagatas of the ten directions; the fifteenth is to Quickly achieve five points of dharma body.
Offering relics is like worshiping the true body of Buddha. It can form a special connection and quickly achieve Bodhi, helping to achieve Buddhahood. On the contrary, destroying relic stupas and temples will be punished:
The Buddha said: Ananda, you should know this now. If the Buddhas on the sands of the Ganges build a stupa and temple to offer relics after entering Nirvana, some people will be disgusted. Burning and destroying? What does it mean? How much retribution does this person deserve? Ananda said: If such a person suffers such retribution, it cannot be said or heard. If you slander this sutra and say that you have done something wrong, the retribution you get will be like this and you will not be able to hear it. Why? This is why people destroy all the Dharma eyes of the past, future and present Buddhas.
The Buddha once said: "When the lamp of self shines, the lamp of Dharma shines." The Buddha opens a mirror for us, allowing us to clearly see the true face of everyone's heart, and provides methods to get rid of self-confusion through practice. Obstacles, remove the poisonous arrows of trouble from your body. Until the wisdom is clear and the mind is clear.
In fact, there is no best way to offer relics. You can offer incense, flowers, lamps, coatings, fruits, tea, food, treasures, beads, clothes, etc. on the table. It is material support. Respect is the most important thing. It is often said in the sutra: "Of all offerings, Dharma offerings are the most valuable." This relic does not refer to materiality. "The Buddha's teachings" are the true relics left by the Buddha and are the objects of our offerings.
First of all, you must believe in the Buddha's teachings, then understand the Buddha's teachings, and then practice them personally, and finally you can realize its results. Use methods such as chanting Buddha's name, worshiping Buddha, reciting mantras, sitting in meditation, etc. to make offerings for spiritual practice and dedicate them to sentient beings in the six realms. Offering relics in this way can strengthen the mind of the Tao and purify the three karma of the body, speech and mind. Regularly looking up and paying homage can help to generate compassion and plant a field of blessings. This is also a blessing, which can achieve Taoism and cultivate good intentions through the relics. , benefiting sentient beings, cultivating both happiness and wisdom, and perfecting Bodhi!