Regarding merits

Forrest_Gump SG

I suddenly have this thinking today and would like you all to comment on this.

Whats your purpose of doing merits.

From day one, you are trying to accumulate merits to cultivate your widsom, compassion etc.

You always strive to do more good merits.

What if one day lets say your doing of good for like 1 year is gone(Is it possible that your merits will be gone?)

Then suddenly you feel whats the objective of doing merits.

The only thing that I can think of is that I have made the difference by doing good in this physical world and I can cultivate my good roots within(Anyone can add in more?)

Sometimes I feel that when I am doing good, i suddenly feel a certain emptiness. Its like emptiness. Then I jump straight back to reality.

What do you all think. Please give me your advise/comments so I could be enlightened.

Can anyone point me to websites regarding the doing of merits. Like donating to temple, helping out etc etc. The purpose.

Thanks

Forrest

An Eternal Now SG

I suddenly have this thinking today and would like you all to comment on this.

Whats your purpose of doing merits.

From day one, you are trying to accumulate merits to cultivate your widsom, compassion etc.

You always strive to do more good merits.

What if one day lets say your doing of good for like 1 year is gone(Is it possible that your merits will be gone?)

Then suddenly you feel whats the objective of doing merits.

The only thing that I can think of is that I have made the difference by doing good in this physical world and I can cultivate my good roots within(Anyone can add in more?)

Sometimes I feel that when I am doing good, i suddenly feel a certain emptiness. Its like emptiness. Then I jump straight back to reality.

What do you all think. Please give me your advise/comments so I could be enlightened.

Can anyone point me to websites regarding the doing of merits. Like donating to temple, helping out etc etc. The purpose.

Thanks

Forrest

There are two types of blessings... there is leaking blessing and non-leaking blessing (leaking blessing = you lou fu, non-leaking blessing = wu lou fu)

True merits is 'non leaking'... it does not leak away and is like a small seed that produces a tree with an abundance of fruits. We must cultivate this kind of blessings.

If for example we give without attachment to the notion of giver, gift, and recipient -- we do not attach to any thoughts at all, then that act of giving produces immense blessings and merits. It is like the (true) story of the great Arhat Mogallana who took pity of a beggar and asked the beggar to give him some alms (to let him cultivate blessings). The beggar did not know what to give, and Mogallana pointed at the bowl of 3 drops of gruel... the beggar was very happy and joyfully gave the 3 drops of gruel to Mogallana. As a result, he died 7 days later and was born in the heaven of 33 gods for 90+ kalpas.

But if we give for the purpose of our own benefits, or we perform certain things like charity for the purpose of promoting our own fame, that is not true merits. We must be sincere and not attached.

It does not matter how much money you give, just try to help out (in the promotion of dharma or helping out in a monastery) or give whatever you can in your best ability, most importantly must be sincere and not attached in the doing and not attached to anything that happens. It is like 'selfless service' and this is true cultivation. In doing, we practice the dharma.

In the midst of doing or giving or anything -- we are already cultivating true compassion and wisdom. You do not 'accumulate merits' so that you can one day cultivate compassion and wisdom.

http://www.jenchen.org.sg/understa.htm

Real merits

Merits are consequences of the non-orignation and non-cessation of the mind. During the Tang Dynasty in ancient China, Emperor Liang Wu-Ti asked the patriarch Bodhidharma, "Venerable One, I have built many monasteries for the well being of the Sangha and I have also performed many virtuous deeds. What merits have I accumulated? Bodhidharma answered, "You have no merits." Why is that so? It is because when Emperor Liang Wu-Ti performed those acts of giving, he was attached to them. Thus, even though he had performed many virtuous deeds, because he had not cultivated the purity of his mind, he did not attain "non-origination and non-cessation". Therefore, his actions can only be considered as cultivation of blessings, not merits. Without liberation there are no merits. On the other hand, when there is liberation, all virtuous deeds will reap merits.

Isis SG

Dana is a Pali word which is usually translated as giving or liberality. It is the practice of generosity - being open hearted. The most common form that this takes is the offering of alms food to the monastic sangha.

In a tradtional Buddhist country monks and nuns would leave the monastery in the early morning and walk in small, silent groups to the nearest villages. They would be expected and the local people would come from their houses, in small groups along the way, and stand in a line waiting for the sangha to pass. As a gesture of respect they would usually remove their sandals. The exchange would often be in silence although the senior monk might use the oportunity to offer brief teachings or just 'chat' with the people - who would generally be regular visitors to the monastery.

During the blessing the lay people will perform the water-pouring ceremony.Very simply this requires a container for the water and two bowls, one roughly half the size of the other - at least able to fit inside. The apparatus shown on the left is a traditional form of this but any vessels will do. During the blessing chants the water is poured into the smaller of the bowls and the quantity of water is such that it overflows the smaller into the larger.There are several symbolic elements involved here.The water is a symbol of life, purity and cleansing. As it is poured it represents the 'fluid' nature of generosity, how easy it is for this kindness to pass from one person to another. As the small bowl overflows into the larger one considers how the positive benefits of any generous act 'overflow' into the lives of many. When the chanting is finished the water in the bowls can be taken outside and poured onto a tree or plant; again increasing, or expanding the 'field of merits' resulting from the initial act of giving.

As well as dana (generosity) being highly praised as a basic virtue it is a means to balance our greed and selfishness. It is easy to give away the things that you don't want but giving things of value not only helps the recipient but it also loosens one’s grip in the world of desire. This is a very important aspect of practice often overlooked.

Generosity can be considered in relation to the second of the Four Noble Truths: tanha - desire or craving. This Truth points to the way we relate to the world through our attachment to certain things. The things that we grasp or hold on to are the very things that cause us suffering. The third Noble Truth says that to end the suffering is let go of this desire or craving.

Consider the image of a 'tight-fisted' person. Relaxed, at ease, happy - these are not words I imagine you would use to describe such a being. However someone who you thought open-handed (or hearted) might warrant such a description. We all tend to have a degree of meanness and practising giving, relaxing one's grip on, is a way of softening this unpleasant tendency.

Some things are easily given but when there is a resistance to give, to let go, this is an indicator of what we are addicted to or obsessed by. Letting go of material attachments is an active practise which can transform both mental and physical habits and attachments.

Those who gives alms offer a fourfold blessing:

1) they help toward long life
2) they help toward good appearance
3) they help toward happiness
4) they help toward strength.
5) Therefore long life, good appearance, happiness and strength will also come to the giver, whether amongst heavenly beings or amongst humans. (Anguttara IV. 57)

There are 5 benefits, or blessings, from the practice of generosity

1) everybody will like you.
2) all your friends will be good people.
3) you will have a good reputation.
4) you will have lots of self confidence.
5) you will have a heavenly rebirth. (Anguttara V. 34)

For some guidelines on correct giving:

Refer to the link below

http://www.buddhamind.info/leftside/lifestyl/rit-dana.htm

Isis SG

Hi, you might want to refer to this:

http://www.purifymind.com/Givings.htm

and

http://www.sotozen-net.or.jp/kokusai/journal/de13/de13_08.htm

Cheers