How to Maximize the Cultivation of Affinities and Accumulation of Merit

Every step of spiritual practice requires immense blessings to sustain it. Accumulating blessings cannot be separated from sentient beings; apart from sentient beings, no blessings can be obtained. Moreover, achieving Buddhahood also requires the support and protection of vast numbers of sentient beings; apart from sentient beings, there is no Buddhahood to attain. Therefore, establishing positive connections with sentient beings is extremely important. How can we maximize the creation of positive connections with sentient beings? The physical body's capacity to connect with beings on a tangible level is ultimately very limited, with a narrow scope of contact. However, the connections formed with sentient beings through mental intention are numerous and swift, and the accumulation of blessings is both abundant and vast, unconstrained by the limitations of the physical body.

There are two methods to maximize the creation of connections with sentient beings and the accumulation of merit and wisdom (the provisions for practice). The first method is dedication (parinamana), called "Universal Dedication" (Pūrva-praṇidhāna) in the Avatamsaka Sutra. This involves dedicating all the virtuous practices and merits one has cultivated to all sentient beings throughout the Dharma Realm—those in the Three Realms, the Six Paths, the Twenty-Five Realms of Existence, beings born from womb, egg, moisture, or transformation, all crawling and flying insects, and every sentient being possessing consciousness. The principle of dedication is to dedicate daily or to dedicate any non-routine virtuous practice promptly after its completion. In this way, the dedicated sentient beings receive the merit and blessings of the virtuous practice, forming a positive connection with oneself. Consequently, one not only establishes this positive connection but also gains the blessings and merit accrued from helping sentient beings. Continuously accumulating such connections and blessings increases one's provisions for practice, making the path of cultivation smoother and more successful. Therefore, for the sake of our own spiritual path, we should dedicate daily, dedicate regularly, frequently practice the Bodhisattva Path, greatly benefit sentient beings, and vow to attain Buddhahood together with all beings.

The second method is offering food (bali) to beings in the unseen realms, such as ghosts and spirits (pretas). The number of beings in the ghost and spirit realm is immense, pervading the entire space of the universe and all Ten Directions. As long as the power of one's mental intention can reach the Ten Directions, ghosts and spirits throughout the Ten Directions can benefit and form a connection. To make the power of mental intention strong, one's concentration (samadhi) and visualization power must be strong. Simultaneously, compassion and the sincere wish must be clearly manifested. In this way, the beings one can reach are numerous and widespread; with many positive connections, blessings gradually become vast and extensive.

The specific procedure for food offering was explained before, but here is a brief supplement. The ritual for food offering in monasteries is often somewhat complex, but it can actually be simpler and quicker. Take seven grains of raw or cooked rice, or other food equivalent in size to seven grains of rice, and place it in an open space with some room. Recite aloud: "You assembly of ghosts and spirits, I now offer this to you. May this food pervade the Ten Directions, shared by all ghosts and spirits." After reciting this, chant the food offering mantra (bali mantra) seven times: "Om, Muling Suoha." Then snap your fingers three times. At this point, the ghosts and spirits can partake of the food. There is no need to form hand mudras (mudra) or summon the ghosts and spirits to come near. Instead, let the food automatically reach the ghosts and spirits throughout the Ten Directions. This way, one avoids being disturbed or bound by them.

The most crucial part here is the visualization during the recitation of the mantra seven times. With proper visualization, the food becomes sublime and pervades all Ten Directions, so that all ghosts and spirits can partake of it. How to visualize? First, one must understand the meaning of "this food pervades the Ten Directions." The Ten Directions refer to the spatial worlds in the ten directions centered on the Saha World (Sahāloka). The offered food should pervade all these locations. The extent of just this Saha World, a single trisāhasramahāsāhasralokadhātu (Great Trichiliocosm), is immeasurable and boundless. It includes ten billion Jambudvīpas (Southern Continents), ten billion Uttarakurus (Northern Continents), ten billion Aparagodānīyas (Western Continents), ten billion Pūrvavidehas (Eastern Continents), ten billion Four Great Oceans, ten billion Seven Golden Mountain Ranges, hells, Mount Sumeru, the Moon Palace, the Sun Palace, and also ten billion heavens of the Cāturmahārājikakāyikas (Four Heavenly Kings), Trāyastriṃśa (Heaven of the Thirty-Three), Yāma (Heaven of Free from Strife), Tuṣita (Contented Heaven), Nirmāṇarati (Heaven of Joy in Transformation), and Paranirmitavaśavartin (Heaven of Others' Powers), plus the heavens of the First Dhyāna in the Form Realm. Adding the heavens from the Second Dhyāna up to the Naivasaṃjñānāsaṃjñāyatana (Sphere of Neither Perception Nor Non-Perception) – the worlds in the Ten Directions, as vast as the Saha World, are even more immeasurable and boundless. If one can visualize the food pervading the space of so many worlds, enabling ghosts and spirits everywhere to partake of it, the blessings accrued would be immense, and the connection with sentient beings would be incredibly vast.

But how can one visualize all this? This requires gradually training one's visualization power. While reciting the mantra seven times, the mental visualization should gradually expand from the scope of one's district or county. How far it expands depends entirely on the power of visualization; the visualization stops when the mantra stops. Generally, the places frequented by ghosts and spirits are mostly near rivers, mountains, forests, crossroads, plains, mountains, rivers, the sky, etc. One should visualize the food appearing in these places. As long as the mental thought can swiftly flash to these locations, the food will manifest there.

When visualization is not yet skillful, chant the mantra a bit slower. Increase the scope of visualization progressively according to one's concentration (samadhi) power – from nearby districts/counties to cities/provinces, then to the whole country, then to the entire Earth, then to the Four Continents and the Four Great Oceans beneath Mount Sumeru, then to a thousand such small worlds (chiliocosms), then to the Great Trichiliocosm, and finally up to the Ten Directions. When visualization concentration is insufficient at the beginning, visualizing just the sky, mountains, rivers, and land of provinces, cities, or the whole country is also acceptable. As visualization ability improves, gradually expand the scope until it reaches the space of the Ten Directions. Regarding the food, try to visualize it as exquisite, but also adapt to your own ability. This is an excellent way to cultivate one's visualization power.

Visualization is extremely important in Buddhist study and practice. Ultimately, a significant part of achieving the fruition of Buddhahood lies in visualization. The worlds of the Ten Directions are all products of deluded thought (vikalpa). Why not make good use of this "thinking" to make the world more perfect? In fact, we use visualization when taking precepts. For example, when taking the Brahmajala Sutra Bodhisattva Precepts through the threefold karma-vācanā (act of proclamation), one must visualize three times that the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas emit light that shines upon one, and that Buddha-light pours from the crown of the head, filling the entire body. When the visualization is accomplished, one receives the blessings (adhiṣṭhāna) of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and obtains the karmic substance (karma-kāya) of the Bodhisattva precepts. From then on, protected by this precept substance, one can guard against wrongdoing and stop evil. When causes and conditions for breaking precepts arise, one can timely avoid them, not violate the Bodhisattva precepts, preserve the precept substance, and thus practice without obstacles, smoothly and swiftly. Furthermore, in the Śūraṅgama Samādhi Sūtra (Śūraṅgama-samādhi-sūtra, note: user mentioned Yuanjue Jing - Sūtra of Perfect Enlightenment - but the described practice aligns more with Śūraṅgama concepts; translating based on the described content), the Buddha speaks of samāpatti (meditative attainment), which is using visualization to accomplish the Dharma. In short, practice cannot be separated from visualization.