Merit (Buddhism)

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Merit (Sanskrit puṇya, Pāli puñña) is a concept in Buddhism, and particularly in Theravada Buddhism. Merit can be gained in a number of ways. It is merit that accumulates as a result of good deeds, acts or thoughts and that carries over to later in life or to a person's next birth. Such merit contributes to a person's growth towards liberation. In addition, one can "transfer" the merit of an act they have performed to a deceased love one in order to diminish the deceased's suffering in their new existence.

Contents 1 Three bases of merit 2 Merit-making 3 See also 4 Notes 5 Bibliography

[edit] Three bases of merit

The Pali canon identifies three bases of merit (Pali: puññakiriyavatthu). In the Puññakiriyavatthusuttaṃ ("Meritorious actions discourse," AN 8.36 or A 8.4.6),^[1] the Buddha identifies the following three bases:

• giving (dānamayaṃ puññakiriyavatthu)
• virtue (sīlamayaṃ puññakiriyavatthu)
• mental development (bhāvanāmayaṃ puññakiriyavatthu)

In the "Sangiti Sutta" ("Chanting together discourse," DN 33), verse 38, Ven. Sariputta identifies the same triad: dāna, sīla, bhāvanā.^[2]

In the Khuddaka Nikaya's Itivuttaka (Iti. 1.22),^[3] the three bases are defined as: giving (dānassa), self mastery (damassa) and refraining (saññamassā).^[4] Later in this same sutta, the triad is restated as: giving (dāna), a life of mental calm (sama-cariya)^[5] and a mind of good-will (metta-citta).^[6]

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

[edit] Merit-making

Buddhist monks earn merit through mindfulness, meditation, chanting and other rituals.

A post-canonical commentary, elaborating on the canonically identified meritorious triad of dana-sila-bhavana (see D.III,218), states that lay devotees can make merit by performing these seven more specific acts:

1. honoring others (apacayana-maya)
2. offering service (veyyavacca-maya)
3. involving others in good deeds (pattidana-maya)
4. being thankful for others' good deeds (pattanumodana-maya)
5. listening to Teachings (dhammassavana-maya)
6. instructing others in the Teachings (dhammadesana-maya)
7. straightening ones own views in accord with the Teachings (ditthujukamma)^[7]

[edit] See also

• Metta
• Karma
• Funeral (Buddhism)

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Upalavanna (n.d.), sutta 6.
2. ^ Walshe (1995), p. 485.
3. ^ Thanissaro (2001).
4. ^ The Itivuttaka triad of giving, self-mastery and refraining parallels the Anguttara and Digha Nikaya triads if "self-mastery" is taken as being synonymous with "mental development" (bhāvanā) and "refraining" as being synonymous with "virtue" (sīla).
5. ^ Thanissaro (2001) translates "sama-cariya" as "a life in tune." However, assuming that there is parallelism between "sama-cariya," "dama" and "bhāvanā," then translating "sama" as "mental calm" (as suggested by Rhys Davids & Stede, 1921-25, p. 681, entry for "sama¹") – alluding to concentrative skill – seems preferable.
6. ^ Thanissaro (2001).
7. ^ D.A.III.999 cited in Payutto (1997), chapter 20, "The devotee."

[edit] Bibliography

• Payutto, P.A. (1997, trans. from Thai by Bruce Evans). A Constitution for Living. Buddhadhamma Foundation. Retrieved 2007-11-09 from "Buddhist Scriptures Information Retrieval" (budsir) at http://www.budsir.org/Conlive.html.

• Rhys Davids, T.W. & William Stede (eds.) (1921-5). The Pali Text Society’s Pali–English dictionary. Chipstead: Pali Text Society. A general on-line search engine for the PED is available at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/pali/. The entry for "sama¹" (as in "sama-cariya) is at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.3:1:3467.pali.

• Thanissaro, Bhikkhu (trans.) (2001). The Group of Ones §22 (Iti. 1.22). Available on-line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/iti/iti.1.001-027.than.html#iti-022.

• Upalavanna, Sister (n.d.). Anguttara Nikaya 8.4, Dānavaggo: On giving gifts. Retrieved 2007-11-09 from "MettaNet" at http://www.mettanet.org/tipitaka/2Sutta-Pitaka/4Anguttara-Nikaya/Anguttara5/8-atthakanipata/004-danavaggo-e.html. The "Puññakiriyavatthusuttaṃ" ("Meritous actions discourse") is identified as sutta 6.

• Walshe, Maurice O'C. (1995). The Long Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Digha Nikaya. Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0-86171-103-3.

Lay Theravada Practices: For a Fortunate Rebirth
FAITH (Saddhā)	GIVING (Dāna)	VIRTUE (Sīla)	MIND (Bhāvanā)	WISDOM (Paññā)
Buddha · Dhamma · Sangha	Charity · Almsgiving	5 Precepts · 8 Precepts	Metta · Vipassanā	4 Noble Truths · 3 Characteristics
Based on: Dighajanu Sutta, Velama Sutta, Dhammika Sutta.				view • talk • edit