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Questions tagged [merit]

Making Merits (pali: puñña) means practicing beneficial deeds on the Path of practice in Buddhisms. This tag is used for question in regard of making merits.

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Do anesthesiologists (and doctors in general) earn merit

Do doctors earn merit on a regular basis as a result of their good acts of treating and curing illnesses of their patients? Is their profession an excellent one because of their chance to earn merit?
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5 answers
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Merit versus Virtue

What is the difference between merit and virtue from a Buddhist standpoint? Is it the difference between being and doing? Which is better from a karmic perspective? I think the idea of merit in ...
fruit punch's user avatar
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is merit just ok (not great)?

In the sutra it says: “And what is the cause by which effluents come into play? Ignorance is the cause by which effluents come into play. … “And what is the result of effluents? One who is immersed ...
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Spirits and heaven

My two pet cats recently died in my rental house. Long story short, we sold our old home but we have no where to move yet so we rented a property while our new house is being built. Before I ask my ...
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3 answers
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What did the Buddha said and taught about sharing demerit?

"It seems not customary to share demerit in certain Buddhist traditions. However, I've recently heard demerit can't really be shared. What did the Buddha say about this?" What's the matter ...
user21905's user avatar
2 votes
5 answers
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What did the Buddha say about sharing merit?

It seems customary to share merit in certain Buddhist traditions. However, I've recently heard merit can't really be shared. What did the Buddha say about this?
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If one is with firm good heart but unknowingly serves and follows unjust masters, does one still approach better in samsara?

Edit 2: It is really hard to find a corresponding word to 功德 in English... Maybe I should abandon using the Sanskrit word guṇa... And consider 功德 and guṇa as "qualities that leads to better ...
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What are the things to do get large amount of merits? [duplicate]

I'm new to this forum. What are the most merit receiving things in Buddhism? I already know donating or charity is a good way to earn much merits. What are the other ways to earn merits? Thank you.
viman's user avatar
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Is it possible to share merit to all beings like Angels, hungry ghosts, animals etc

I read stories in Petavatthu which describe how people offer donations to the sangha and transfer the merit to their deceased relatives who are born as hungry ghosts, so that they can get alleviate ...
Nithin Manmohan's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
297 views

Devas: offerings and merit sharing

In Jāṇussoṇi sutta (AN 10.177) the brahmin asks the Buddha whether offers to departed relatives and family members benefit them. The Buddha says that "on the right occasion, brahmin, it can be of ...
user19993's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
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What are stories on awakening while practicing teaching the Dhamma?

Teaching the Dhamma (Dhammadesana), having heard the good, is one of the higher meritorious deeds, practiced by instructed, not regarded as useless question & answer ways, as from outsider often ...
Samana Johann's user avatar
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Sutta on which Buddha states the gravity of merits

What is the sutta where Buddha says about the order of merits as in for example "Observing the 5 precepts gives more merit than offering alms" and such.
Ravindu Dissanayake's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
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Transferring merit to someone living who isnt open minded to receiving it

I have read previous posts on this topic here but wanted some clarification. I want to transfer merit (I am familiar and have great faith and practise with the Therevada tradition, and so am ...
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3 answers
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Would a wise person avoide situations where other could perform lot of demerits?

Would a wise person avoide situations where other could perform lot of demerits? Or different asked: Would a wise person go out only if meritorious reactions are suspected? What do you think, or ...
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2 votes
1 answer
390 views

PIN POTHA (puñña potha) or Merit Book, costom still alive? How to keep it up?

My person just came across an answer by Upasak Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena, mentioning: Also there is a concept of Pin Potha, which is a journal of all good deeds done. And It is an age ...
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2 answers
180 views

Where can I find the "10 merits of life liberation" in the Tripitaka?

I searched, but I couldn't find, where these "10 merits of life liberation" are included in the Tripitaka. Here you can find the "10 merits" I mentioned: Why do Buddhists practise life liberation? ...
madhawavish's user avatar
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2 answers
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Importance of making and sharing merit

What are the benefits of transferring karmic fruitfulness and how is this done by Buddhists?
Hari's user avatar
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2 answers
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is it possible to send merit for a future action ?

is it possible to send merit for a future action ? may the merit i do donating the 100$ - help this old lady cross the street etc go to X person ? what about may the merit i do today go to X ...
breath's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
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Buddhism practices on decease

I have a couple of questions due to a recent unfortunate event that had happened, happy if you guys could share your view base on your practices. 1) How does a Buddhist cope with grief and loss? Is ...
Sunset_Limited's user avatar
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2 answers
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Is equanimity more sublime that an excellent act?

What might be more or real "cool"? For example (in practice), seeing a spelling error or a typo: Would the one "not touched", ignoring the error (even he would have the possibility, skill and means)...
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3 votes
3 answers
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Paramitha vs Merits

What is the main difference between paramitha (perfection) and merits (pin/kusal)? Is it the same? Or is a perfection advance? Or are all perfections a merit whereas all merits are not perfections? ...
Akila Hettiarachchi's user avatar
2 votes
3 answers
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Sutta Question - Three Ways of Making Merit

In AN 8.36: Ways of Meritorious Action, the Buddha speaks about different ways of making merit. He teaches that one can make merit by Giving, by practicing Virtue (Morality) and by developing ...
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1 answer
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Does anybody knows origin and reference Buddha teaches a bossy & angry the seven kinds of wifes

... in letting her chose which kind she would like to be? Valued Upasaka, Upasika, Dear seekers for the way to Awakening and Readers, Atma (polite addressing of the own person toward householders, ...
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1 vote
3 answers
4k views

Verses and lines of dedication of merits: Does one like to share traditional and personal verbal ways?

Ven. members of the Sangha (coming across here), Valued Upasaka, Upasika, Valued Team here and for awakening seeking readers, whether young or old, lay person or ordained, since child one would be ...
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4 votes
4 answers
289 views

Sutta/Sutra guideline for choosing actions in ethical dilemmas

I am searching for a sutta which gives a general guideline which helps in making ethical decisions. There are many suttas which give a skillful action for a specific scenario but I am looking for a ...
Hugh's user avatar
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4 votes
3 answers
302 views

How best to accelerate vast accumulation of merits?

If the requisites for attaining the path of a stream-enterer is to accumulate merits and having favourable conditions, what are the best ways to gain merits and having all the necessary conditions to ...
CPB's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
188 views

Right way to teaching Dhamma

Buddha said that there is a specific way to teach the dhamma. That for example, if I remember correctly, among other things, it's important to mention the cause and effect in one's teaching. I can't ...
AlexB's user avatar
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1 vote
7 answers
444 views

What happens when your tank is empty, and you’ve got nothing left to give?

Today I happen to read the article “Charitable giving by country: who is the most generous?” Then this question came up. When it comes to generosity, sometimes people look at what they’ve got and ...
Saptha Visuddhi's user avatar
5 votes
4 answers
387 views

Teachings regarding Veneration/Respect (as one of the traditional 10 meritorious deeds)

Feel invited or maybe even inspired to share any teachings regarding "Apacāyana" (Respect or Veneration). It is one of the less taught, but very basic and fundamental, meritorious deeds. Teachings ...
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0 votes
1 answer
419 views

What's the Buddhist perspective on permanently eradicating bedbugs? (Extinction)

On one hand, killing... On the other hand, if there are no bedbugs (extinct status) no one can be reborn as a bedbug. The species causes more suffering then good. Perhaps it would be worth it to ...
hellyale's user avatar
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2 votes
5 answers
457 views

What does merit (puṇya/puñña) actually mean?

There is a lot of talk in Buddhism about merit. I think the word merit sounds a bit like a good grade in school or some star the teacher puts in the book. Is merit something that follows my thoughts ...
Mr. Concept's user avatar
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3 votes
2 answers
219 views

Do you have to have certain pastlife karma to use a computer?

So lets take all humans currently alive in the human world. They all have the karma to be reborn in this realm. Computers exist in our world, and in some places (Not all) public libraries provide ...
hellyale's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
95 views

What does the phrase "to armor oneself with vows" mean?

This seems to be a common trope-- samnaha. I honestly have no idea what they mean, it strikes me as a "it's raining cats and dogs" sort of idiom. Is there an explanation for what it means? Examples: ...
MatthewMartin's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
2k views

Sharing merit in Theravada Buddhism

When you are sharing merit with someone, are you visualizing the person you are sharing the merit with? When you are sharing merit with all living beings, are you imagining all beings? How do you do ...
Steve's user avatar
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3 votes
4 answers
1k views

Actions taken to transfer merit

What do you have to do in order to transfer merit. Do you just do something wholesome, and wish for someone else to receive the karmic result? Etc…?
user5380's user avatar
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-1 votes
3 answers
376 views

Consider then the magician and the philosopher

Introduction Earlier I asked this question. I think that was too broad, and I hope this question is more answerable. In Buddhism there exists two truths, often called the Conventional and Ultimate ...
hellyale's user avatar
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4 votes
4 answers
586 views

Do artists/entertainers accumulate positive merit when people enjoy their craft?

A painter whose painting hangs in a public museum, a writer that has their works checked out of the library frequently, a singer with melodies that calm the mind, and a comedian that gets people ...
hellyale's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
164 views

How much merit is lost if we miss chanting for a few days?

If we stop chanting a Mahayana mantra/dharani for a few days how does this effect the gathering of merits? Is it a cumulative effect or multiplicative effect of chanting? Or worse, does missing a ...
Med's user avatar
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10 votes
4 answers
2k views

How would an animal ever accumulate enough merit to warrant rebirth as a human?

i have only a basic knowledge of Buddhist thought but have hit a problem that i have not been able to locate an answer to. so any pointers would be appreciated... everything i read suggests that to ...
steve's user avatar
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5 votes
6 answers
2k views

Transfering merits

This is a tradition I have heard in Thailand: Many men become monk for a few months in order to transfer merits to his parents and so they can go to heaven. If I'm not mistaken the Buddha said you ...
konrad01's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
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Karma: Intention vs knowing result of an action

This is something I have been wondering about karma for quite some time. I have been told that intention is what matters when one does an action but what about when I know that a side effect of my ...
Hugh's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
191 views

Is another person necessary to produce merit?

Can someone produce merit without impacting directly another person? For instance: Meditating alone. I appreciate all answers but I'm more curious about Theravada view. While meditating with Tibetan ...
konrad01's user avatar
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10 votes
10 answers
1k views

Can We Teach Animals the Dhamma?

I have a dog that i love very much.I don't feel like his a dog.I have a lot of respect for him.And treat him like an old friend.As he is old now.I heard somewhere that animals who hear the Dharma can ...
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7 votes
11 answers
5k views

How can merit be transferred?

When attend an event at the sangha I'm with (Triratna) we often transfer merit (puñña) at the end of it. So any good result of the meditation, ritual, dharma study etc... we give away. I know that ...
Crab Bucket's user avatar
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4 votes
4 answers
202 views

Right understanding of Dāna

I'd like to understand the Buddhist view of Dāna better. I've read the Vaccha Sutta and it seems to say that gifts are best given to the most worthy. By comparison, in Christianity, the idea seems to ...
Robin111's user avatar
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6 votes
4 answers
2k views

How does making merit affect karma?

I believe I understand the basics of karma as the effects of our intentions and actions (good & evil) which will play some role in this and future lives. But how does merit making affect karma? If ...
Robin111's user avatar
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