1) The Yidam practice is to develop our mind with pure Dharma education, understanding and practice, which leads to collection of merits and positive karma.
Dear shugdenprotect,
I think you got what I had in mind when I wrote this thread. With regards to Yidam practice, I would like to add that Yidam practice is a meditational practice that brings us to indirectly and directly to enlightenment. Lower Tantric yidams indirectly brings us to enlightenment because they are preparatory and they assist us with the generation of various qualities and physical needs to achieve enlightenment like health, wealth, etc. While higher Tantric practices delves directly with our mind to effect tremendous purification and massive transformation. However, higher Tantric practice requires guidance and lots of preparation to see this result. So, it is more than just a collection of merit and positive karma.
To add: tantric practices are about taking the result onto the path. This means that even before you become enlightened, you take the result (i.e. being an enlightened being) onto your spiritual practice / path right now. yidam practice is highly beneficial and swift because the practices require that we visualise ourselves as the deity (this is not to be done at home without supervision, kids! Needs to have very proper and direct instructions from a qualified teacher and initiation into the practice).
So in other words, you identify with all the qualities of an enlightened being and your practice becomes about aspiring to attain those same qualities within your own mindstread - how beautiful!
blown away by the thought of attainments, beggar
