What is Merit?

“Everyone receives a consequence of their own actions (Karma), no matter in a short or long time, the result will yield back.”

In Buddhism, merit means an action that makes the Mind delightful. It is an action that is beneficial. Once done, the Mind would feel joy and bliss.

Followings are Ten Meritorious Deeds in Buddhism:

1. Giving: It is the action of giving with pure intention for the happiness and goodness of others.
2. Upholding Sila or preserving the precepts: Upholding the precepts means not harming others physically and mentally. This benefits oneself and prevents that person from causing trouble to other people.
3. Practicing meditation and advanced meditation: Meditation practice cultivates virtues in the Mind, which greatly support both present and future lives. The well-practiced Minds will be able to elevate to Heaven and eventually to Nirvana.
4. Staying humble: Respect means being humble and showing respect to those who are worthy or should be respected.
5. Rendering services: It means helping others and helping public activities that benefit the motherland, the religion, and the society, which is a way to pay gratitude as well as to share goodness with other people.
6. Sharing merits with others: This is the light shining for others to come out of misery and darkness.
7. Rejoicing with sincerity in the merit of others: It helps lower one’s ego and jealousy.
8. Listening to Dhamma: Dhamma soothes the Mind, empowering it to stay committed in living in virtues.
9. Sharing Dhamma: It’s a way to inspire people while helping preserve and spread goodness further.
10. Forming correct views: It means to have righteous views, especially on the consequences of merit and sin or the so-called Law of Karma.

Merit is a stream of Energy that propels and supports one’s life. This Positive Energy will uphold good people to stay afloat and not fall into decline. When facing past Karma or karmic retribution, the stream of merit will support and help sustain them.

Without the support of merit, it’s difficult to find success as there is no Positive Energy to help create opportunities to meet good people and bring good things. Merit helps us free ourselves from unhappiness and reach Enlightenment. Merit affects both present and future lives. This is why it’s important to do meritorious deeds consistently.

Karmic consequences are part of the Law of Nature. Everyone receives a consequence of their own actions (Karma), no matter in a short or long time, the result will yield back.

Strong Karma or strong merit is like a perennial tree that takes time to grow and bears fruit when the season arrives. The consequences will continue until the karmic force subsides.    

Phra Ajarn Somdej Puttajarn Toh Phrommarangsi, one of Thailand’s most revered Buddhist monks and masters, once revealed that Humans were born with 60-percent old Karma, and 40-percent new Karma. Therefore, good Deeds have the power to change the destiny.