Is Accumulating Merit Considered Spiritual Practice?

The aim of spiritual practice is to increase precepts, meditation, and wisdom, subdue afflictions, and extinguish greed, hatred, and delusion. If it does not achieve this, it cannot be considered true practice. The same applies to cultivating blessings through generosity. Whether such cultivation constitutes practice depends on the motivation behind it. If one practices generosity not to fulfill selfish desires like greed nor seeking repayment for kindness, but purely to benefit sentient beings with a bodhi mind, then it aids spiritual progress, gives rise to precepts, meditation, and wisdom. Such cultivation of blessings truly constitutes practice. However, cultivating blessings without generating the bodhi mind ultimately only increases greed, hatred, and delusion, and deepens ignorance; this cannot be considered practice.

A clear example is the demon king Mara. In a past life, Mara built monasteries and made offerings to pratyekabuddhas, accumulating immense merit that led to his rebirth as the Lord of the Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven. Because he did not generate the bodhi mind in that past life and cultivated blessings not for spiritual progress but to satisfy his greed, he used this great merit to control beings in the six realms, fulfilling his desire for followers. To prevent beings from escaping his control, he continuously undermined the Dharma, depriving them of any opportunity to transcend the desire realm, let alone escape the six realms of rebirth. Thus, they remain his demonic retinue life after life, indulging in desire with him and revolving in the cycle of birth and death. Therefore, cultivating blessings without generating the bodhi mind may lead to committing grave evil deeds after gaining such blessings; it would be better not to cultivate blessings at all. Another example is Hitler. Hitler also possessed immense merit. Endowed with such great blessings, he faced no obstacles in committing heinous acts; the number of people he killed is among the highest in the Saha World. His descent into hell makes liberation exceedingly difficult. Had he not cultivated such blessings, the world would be at peace, and beings would be spared the suffering of birth and death.

Performing virtuous deeds without generating the bodhi mind constitutes demonic activity. Some people still contest this principle in various ways, but with the facts laid bare, what is there to contest? Could those devoid of great merit possibly have the capacity to commit such grave evils? With immense merit, power, and influence, committing evil deeds becomes unstoppable and unparalleled. Such "blessings" are truly unfortunate for sentient beings.