How to Make Tsa Tsas With Ashes: A Tibetan Buddhist Memorial Practice

Making tsa tsas with a loved one's cremated remains is one of the most meaningful post-cremation practices in Tibetan Buddhism. These small clay tablets — pressed into molds bearing images of buddhas, bodhisattvas, or stupas — transform ashes into objects of devotion that generate ongoing merit for the deceased and for anyone who encounters them.

What Tsa Tsas Are

Tsa tsas (sometimes spelled tsa-tsa or tsatsa) are miniature votive tablets found throughout the Tibetan Buddhist world. They range from thumbnail-sized to palm-sized, typically pressed from a mixture of clay and consecrated substances. Traditional tsa tsas line the interior walls of stupas, fill roadside shrine niches, and mark sacred natural sites across the Himalayas.

When made with cremated remains, the tsa tsa transforms a portion of the ashes from inert cremains into a consecrated object. The merit generated by creating, consecrating, and placing tsa tsas is dedicated directly to the deceased's ongoing spiritual journey — even after the 49-day bardo period has concluded.

Materials You Need

Tsa tsa molds. Metal or carved wooden molds bearing buddha or stupa images are available from Tibetan Buddhist supply shops and dharma center gift shops. Common designs include Shakyamuni Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, Medicine Buddha, and the Kadampa stupa. Choose a mold that holds meaning for your family's lineage — if unsure, ask your lama or dharma center whether a stupa design is appropriate.

Clay. Natural, unfired clay works best. Air-dry pottery clay (available at art supply stores) is the most accessible option. The clay should be fine-grained enough to capture the mold's detail. Avoid polymer clays that require oven firing — the tradition calls for materials that will eventually return to the earth.

Cremated ashes. You only need a small portion. The ashes should be finely ground — use a mortar and pestle if any bone fragments remain. A few tablespoons of ash mixed into several cups of clay is sufficient for dozens of tsa tsas.

Consecrated substances (optional but traditional). If available, mix in a pinch of blessed sand, crushed relic pills, saffron water, or dudtsi (sacred medicine). These amplify the spiritual potency of the tsa tsas. Your family's lama or dharma center can provide these.

The Process

Prepare the clay mixture. Knead the clay until it's smooth and pliable. Gradually work the cremated ashes into the clay, distributing them as evenly as possible. If adding consecrated substances, incorporate these at the same time. The clay should be soft enough to press into the mold but firm enough to hold its shape.

Press the mold. Lightly oil or dust the mold's interior surface to prevent sticking. Press a ball of the ash-clay mixture firmly into the mold, pushing from the center outward to fill all the detail. Trim any excess clay flush with the mold's back using a knife or wire.

Release and dry. Carefully invert the mold and tap the tsa tsa out onto a clean, flat surface. If the tablet doesn't release cleanly, the clay may be too wet — let it firm up slightly and try again. Allow the tsa tsas to air-dry completely, which takes two to five days depending on humidity and thickness. Don't rush the drying with heat — slow, even drying prevents cracking.

Consecration. Once dry, the tsa tsas should be consecrated by a lama through a blessing ceremony. The lama recites specific mantras and performs visualizations that "awaken" the image on each tablet, transforming it from a clay object into a sacred representation of the buddha's body, speech, and mind. Without consecration, the tsa tsa is a memorial artifact but not a fully empowered ritual object.

Where to Place Tsa Tsas

Traditional placement sites include:

Natural settings: Hilltops, lakeshores, riverbanks, cave niches, and the bases of large trees. The tsa tsas are left exposed to the elements, where they slowly dissolve back into the landscape — a final expression of impermanence. Before placing them outdoors or in water, secure family agreement, follow your lama's lineage guidance, and check local environmental rules. Choose clean, quiet sites that won't be disturbed.

Inside a stupa. If your dharma center or a nearby temple maintains a stupa, tsa tsas can be sealed inside during construction or placed within an accessible interior chamber. This is considered one of the highest placements.

The home altar. A few tsa tsas can be kept on the family's memorial altar as a permanent reminder. These are treated with the same respect as any sacred image — kept clean, elevated, and never placed on the floor.

Bodies of water. Some families place tsa tsas directly into clean rivers, lakes, or the ocean, where they dissolve slowly. This parallels the traditional Tibetan water burial practice and the scattering of ashes, but it should be done only with family agreement, lineage guidance, and any required local environmental permission.

How Many to Make

There's no fixed number, but traditional practice encourages making many — the act of creating each tsa tsa is itself a merit-generating practice. Some families make a hundred or more, distributing them across multiple sacred sites, sharing them with dharma center members, and keeping a few for the home altar.

The Buddhist (Tibetan/Vajrayana) Funeral Guide includes the full post-cremation protocol, covering tsa tsa creation alongside other ash disposition options like columbarium placement and memorial stupa interment.