Buddhist-Meditation-Systematic-and-Practical

Only after one has practiced the second and third
initiations has this significance. When the deep
breathing in the bottle shape has been practiced, then
one may make prostrations in this way. Before these
other things have been accomplished, it may be
positively harmful.
d. Most Secretly. Whether one uses the small or large
prostration, whatever method is used, the yogi must
continuously hold the realization that the worshipped
and the worshipper are both in sunyata.
C. Offering the Mandala
1. The Purpose of Offering
a. Passively, it is to get rid of miserliness.
b. Actively, it is to accumulate the "spiritual stock" of
supermundane merits and wisdom. Many practice
merely to get more worldly comforts, such as money,
etc., but this is not the true meaning of offering the
mandala. One should only offer it to increase one's
"spiritual stock." Some make the mistake that "spiritual
stock" refers only to merits, but this is not the case, as
we can easily see when we know the significance of the
different articles offered in the mandala.
For merit: Rice, pearls, gems, and other precious things.
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