Transfer Of Merit

Frizzer

As per the title, what exactly is it and what is it used for?
Cheers,
Adrian

federica

I could be wrong (I often am) but I believe it is an offering of a meditation so that a third party may benefit... in short, you ask for meditation and offerings to aleviate the mental and physical anguish and suffering of another... it's a bit like Tonglen Practise, where you take on the suffering of others to remove their pain...

Palzang

This is a Mahayana practice whereby anytime you do something that could at all be considered meritorious (such as doing a practice, dusting the temple, whatever), you dedicate all of that merit to the welfare of sentient beings. That's all sentient beings, whether your mother or a dung beetle. To do so seals the merit earned so that if you walk outside and blow up in a fit of anger at someone, you don't blow away the merit.

Here is a prayer of dedication if you'd like to use it:

By this effort, may all sentient beings be free of suffering.
May their minds be filled with the nectar of virtue.
In this way may all causes resulting in suffering be extinguished,
And only the light of compassion shine throughout all realms.

--Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

Palzang

federica

Thank you Palzang-la, I knew someone would know better than I.... Nice "prayer" too.... one to make a note of!

Jason

All,

It's not just a Mahayana practice:

Dedication of Merit

Puññassidaani katassa
Yaanaññaani kataani me
Tesañca bhaagino hontu
Sattaanantaappamaa.naka.

May all beings — without limit, without end —
have a share in the merit just now made,
and in whatever other merit I have made.

Ye piyaa gu.navantaa ca
Mayha.m maataa-pitaadayo
Di.t.thaa me caapyadi.t.thaa vaa
Aññe majjhatta-verino;

Those who are dear & kind to me —
beginning with my mother & father —
whom I have seen or never seen;
and others, neutral or hostile;

Sattaa ti.t.thanti lokasmi.m
Te-bhummaa catu-yonikaa
Pañc'eka-catuvokaaraa
Sa.msarantaa bhavaabhave:

beings established in the cosmos —
the three realms, the four modes of birth,
with five, one, or four aggregates —
wandering on from realm to realm:

Ñaata.m ye pattidaanam-me
Anumodantu te saya.m
Ye cima.m nappajaananti
Devaa tesa.m nivedayu.m.

If they know of my dedication of merit,
may they themselves rejoice,
And if they do not know,
may the devas inform them.

Mayaa dinnaana-puññaana.m
Anumodana-hetunaa
Sabbe sattaa sadaa hontu
Averaa sukha-jiivino

By reason of their rejoicing
in my gift of merit,
may all beings always live happily,
free from animosity.

Khemappadañca pappontu
Tesaasaa sijjhata.m subhaa.

May they attain the Serene State,
and their radiant hopes be fulfilled.

- A Chanting Guide

Theravadin monks chant this everyday.

It's used for many reasons.

One is compassion.



Jason

Simonthepilgrim

I know that some Westerners have trouble with the idea of 'transfer of merit'. I think this comes from a sort of Reformation dislike of the notion of acquiring merit other than by 'grace'. I have always had trouble with the extreme Christian view that denies any inherent goodness to human action which finds its expression within the Anglican Articles of Religion and in an attitude that prefers to see mixed or self-serving motives in even the most self-denying action.

Also, the mindset that likes to describe itself as 'scientific' demands some sort of "vector of transmission".

In the light of our dawning understanding of interconnectedness as a provable quality of reality within the mathematics of quantum physics and chaos theory, there can be no surprise that an action at point A of the universe must have an effect at point B, irrespective of distance in time or space.

Frizzer

Thanks guys, that's explained it all beautifully for me. I wondered why transfering merit is carried out, after all, wouldn't we want all the merit we created for ourselves?! However, that is obviously a selfish view to take (there's that word "self" again), not at all in keeping with the boddisattva ideal. Also I guess we would benefit from all the merit that is transfered by others.
I particularly like the idea of sealing the merit so that you don't waste it by getting angry!