The Tree of Enlightenment

it is then the task of the practitioner to identify with the deity
through the preceptor. is practice of union with the guru is
important for creating the foundation of the special relationship
between practitioner and preceptor.
Mandala Offering. e fourth preliminary practice is the
offering of the mandala. In general, a mandala is a sacred, symbolic
(or magic) circle. In the context of the offering ritual,
the mandala represents in symbolic form the whole mundane
universe, as it is pictured in traditional Buddhist cosmology.
Traditionally, the universe is said to have Mount Sumeru at its
center, the four continents on each side of Mount Sumeru, four
intermediate continents, and so forth. e mandala is a symbolic
representation of this traditional cosmology.
In the practice of mandala offering, the practitioner offers
to the four objects of refuge (the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha,
and preceptor) all his own merit, born of wholesome actions,
in the symbolic form of the universe. He offers all his wholesome
actions to these four objects, which are the repositories of
all excellent qualities, for the sake of the enlightenment of all
sentient beings. is offering is done a hundred thousand times.
Along with the recitation, the practitioner performs a ritual
using a disk of metal, stone, or wood and grains of rice, wheat,
or sand, by means of which he creates symbolically the salient
features of the traditional cosmology of the universe.
is practice of mandala offering is effective because it is the
most excellent form of karma. ere are five modifying conditions
that intensify the weight of karma – three subjective and
two objective. e three subjective conditions are (a) persistence
or repetition of an action, (b) willful intention, and (c) absence
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