Can merit be transferred?

A discussion on all aspects of Theravāda Buddhism
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SarathW
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Can merit be transferred?

Post by SarathW »

In the week end I went to our local temple and the monk gave some Dhamma talk about above topics.

I found some info in the net about the same subject.

http://dharmafarer.org/wordpress/wp-con ... 7-piya.pdf

I like to have your opinion about it.
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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cooran
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Re: Can merit be transferred?

Post by cooran »

Hello SarathW,

This previous thread may be of interest:
http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=1068

With metta,
Chris
---The trouble is that you think you have time---
---Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe---
---It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---
SarathW
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Re: Can merit be transferred?

Post by SarathW »

Thanks Cooran
Great merit transferred to you!
:)
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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appicchato
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Re: Can merit be transferred?

Post by appicchato »

Cooran: the Queen of links...
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cooran
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Re: Can merit be transferred?

Post by cooran »

:smile: Thank you Bhante! :smile:

With metta,
Chris
---The trouble is that you think you have time---
---Worry is the Interest, paid in advance, on a debt you may never owe---
---It's not what happens to you in life that is important ~ it's what you do with it ---
mahat
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Re: Can merit be transferred?

Post by mahat »

I love the Silanisamsa Jataka:
http://www.greatwesternvehicle.org/ati_ ... bl142.html

Long, long ago, at the time of the Buddha Kassapa,3 a lay disciple who had already entered the path booked passage on a ship along with one of his friends, a rich barber. The barber's wife asked this disciple to look after her husband.
A week after the ship left the port, it sank in mid-ocean. The two friends saved themselves by clinging to a plank and were at last cast up on a deserted island. Famished, the barber killed some birds, cooked them, and offered a share of his meal to the follower of the Buddha.

"No, thank you," he answered, "I am fine." Then he thought to himself, "In this isolated place, there is no help for us except the Triple Gem." As he sat meditating on the Triple Gem, a naga king who had been born on that island transformed himself into a beautiful ship filled with the seven precious things.4 The three masts were made of sapphire, the planks and anchor of gold, and the ropes of silver.

The helmsman, who was a spirit of the sea, stood on the deck and cried, "Any passengers for India?"

"Yes," the lay disciple answered, "that's where we are bound."

"Then come on board," the sea spirit said.

The layman climbed aboard the beautiful ship and turned to call his friend the barber.

"You may come," the sea spirit said, "but he may not."

"Why not?" the disciple asked.

"He is not a follower of the holy life," answered the sea spirit. "I brought this ship for you, but not for him."

"In that case," the layman announced, "all the gifts I have given, all the virtues I have practiced, all the powers I have developed — I give the fruit of all of them to him!"

"Thank you, Master!" cried the barber.

"Very well," said the sea spirit, "now I can take you both aboard."

The ship carried the two men over the sea and up the Ganges River. After depositing them safely at their home in Baranasi, the sea spirit used his magic power to create enormous wealth for both of them. Then, poising himself in mid-air, he instructed the men and their friends, "Keep company with the wise and good," he said. "If this barber had not been in company with this pious layman, he would have perished in the middle of the ocean." Finally, the sea spirit returned to his own abode, taking the naga king with him.
chownah
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Re: Can merit be transferred?

Post by chownah »

Mahat,
Do you think that this story is an indication that merit actually can be transferred from one person to another?
chownah
mahat
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Re: Can merit be transferred?

Post by mahat »

chownah wrote:Mahat,
Do you think that this story is an indication that merit actually can be transferred from one person to another?
chownah
The story seems to indicate that we can give the "fruits" of our practice to others.

If we look at our own lives, isn't giving to charity, building a hospital or school that's free for all a transfer of personal merit to people?

We work hard through our merit and than transfer that in terms of charity and good works to help those with less merit…we are in a sense transferring our good fortune to others.

Teaching Dhamma too is a transfer of merit. By teaching others to not kill, steal, etc. we are also transferring our Dhamma knowledge merit.

That is "Anatta", we are transferring our good fortune in terms of knowledge, wealth, spiritual knowledge to others all the time in a selfless manner.
SarathW
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Re: Can merit be transferred?

Post by SarathW »

Some info:


There is a long discussion about this sort of thing in AN 10.177

AN 10.177: Janussonin Sutta wrote:
Then Janussonin the brahman went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, exchanged courteous greetings with him. After an exchange of friendly greetings & courtesies, he sat to one side. As he was sitting there, he said to the Blessed One, "Master Gotama, you know that we brahmans give gifts, make offerings, [saying,] 'May this gift accrue to our dead relatives. May our dead relatives partake of this gift.' Now, Master Gotama, does that gift accrue to our dead relatives? Do our dead relatives partake of that gift?"

"In possible places, brahman, it accrues to them, but not in impossible places."

"And which, Master Gotama, are the possible places? Which are the impossible places?"
...
http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.ph ... 03#p280510
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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