พระอาจารย์แนะนำให้ปฏิบัติอย่างง่ายๆ สบายๆ ตามที่คุ้นเคย เพียงให้ดวงสติตั้งขึ้น และฝึกฝนล่วงหน้า 7 วันก่อนพิธี เพื่อให้บุญเก่าบุญใหม่ประชุมรวมกันในวันบูชาข้าวพระอย่างเต็มที่Pra Ajarn advises keeping practice simple and comfortable, using whatever feels familiar, with the sole aim of establishing the sphere of awareness. He recommends preparing for seven days before the ceremony so that both old and new merit converge fully on the day of the offering.
Someone asked, on behalf of a member, how one should practice on the day of the rice-offering ceremony — what to contemplate at , when, and whether one should keep the rice offering in mind at the center of the body continuously during the seven days that follow.
Keep It Simple and Comfortable, in Whatever Way Feels Familiar
Do it in the way that feels familiar and comfortable — it needs to be simple and easy. All we need is for the sphere of awareness, the sphere of , to be established. That sphere of mindfulness continuously draws in pure energy to purify the mind, and in that very moment the Triple Gem and nibbāna are already shining at the center of our being. There's no need to make it complicated — keep it simple and easy, and it can be sustained continuously. Stay with the sphere of mindfulness, resting as still as you're able, and accept whatever degree of stillness comes; there's no need to force it.
From Mindfulness to Clear Comprehension
Practice throughout the day — morning, midday, evening, night — using the mantra "Samma Araham" together with visualizing the inner Buddha image, doing it repeatedly until it becomes familiar. Stay engaged and attentive, rather than reciting it by rote like a parrot. Once it becomes familiar, simply rest with whatever image arises naturally, accepting whatever degree of clarity comes — whether vivid or dim and unclear, simply sensing that the image is present is enough. All that's needed is for the sphere of awareness to be established.
Prepare for Seven Days Beforehand, So Merit Converges on the Day of the Ceremony
Practicing for seven days before the ceremony allows the automatic system to resolve matters in advance, so that on that day we receive merit at its fullest efficiency and effect. Preparing with this specific intention differs from ordinary, unfocused practice — because everything accumulated over those seven days converges at that particular moment, drawing in pure energy in a remarkable way. After the ceremony, continue practicing; both old and new merit will continue flowing in, both before and after those seven days. Pra Ajarn noted that once we prove to ourselves, even once, that this truly carries genuine power, we will never again doubt it — it becomes something we recognize as necessary, not merely optional.