5. VISUALIZATION OF THE MERIT FIELD

NOW VISUALIZE IN front of you, as explained during the practice of refuge, your spiritual master above in space in the aspect of Buddha Shakyamuni. In front of him is your master in his normal appearance, surrounded by the gurus from whom you have received teachings directly. On his right are the lineage masters of the Vast Practice, on his left those of the Profound View, and in the rear those of the Experiential Lineage.¹ All of these groups are surrounded by meditational deities, buddhas, bodhisattvas, heroes, heroines, and so forth.

Visualize the crown, throat, heart, navel, and secret regions of all the members of the merit field marked by the syllables OM, AH, HUM, SVA, and HA respectively. These syllables are the seeds of the five dhyani buddhas² and represent the body, speech, mind, actions, and virtues of all the buddhas.

Light rays emanate from the syllable HA at the heart of the Guru Buddha Shakyamuni, inviting wisdom beings³ identical to the ones you have visualized; a complete set of the merit field invited wisdom beings dissolves into each and every individual figure of the merit field, so that you can perceive each figure of the merit field as an embodiment of the entire refuge. Doing this also enables you to see each of them as a manifestation of your own spiritual master. It is through his kindness and in order to tame us that he has manifested in all these various forms; seeing things this way will help you to develop more faith in your guru. Meditation on a merit field of such a scale has a great significance.

For some people, however, the Jewel Embodiment practice, visualization of a single spiritual master, one’s own root guru, may be more effective.

One could also do the visualization of the merit field as explained in Lama Choepa guru yoga practice,⁴ which is the visualization that one finds in the six preparatory practices. It is meant for practitioners who have received initiation and who undertake this practice in conjunction with highest yoga tantra. Those who have not received any tantric initiations should not do the visualization of the merit field as explained in Jorchoe Kelsang Dringyen, because in that text the figures of the merit field are generated from the wisdom of bliss and emptiness, and if you have not received any initiation at all and have not cultivated this wisdom within you-even in simulation—it is impossible to borrow that wisdom from the merit field.

So, do the visualization of the merit field as suits your own mental disposition and then, focused upon it, engage in the practice of accumulating merit. This is done on the basis of the seven-limbed practice.