3 .Sowing Good Seeds
Good and bad Kamma will become active when
conditions are favorablefor their ripening. The
force of a weak Kamma may be suspended by
the stepping in of a stronger Kamma or may
even become ineffective. But', as a rule, all
Kamma bears some kind of fruit sooner or later.
The Kamma of a person is like a savings bank
account where money can be deposited or
withdrawn. A virtuous and charitable person is
like a man who constantly deposits money in his
account, and he grows richer every time. A
wicked person is like one who is constantly
withdrawing from his past savings. If he does
not change hisways,hewill soon suffer the
misery of bankruptcy.
The Buddha had given us clear instructions on
how we can reduce our evil deeds and increase
our good deeds. By so doing we can build a
treasure store which cannot be destroyed by
fire, flood, theft, confiscation and the changes
of worldly conditions. Unlike a savingsaccount
'the benefits of merits cannot be lost and will
follow one from life to life. But like a savings
account they can be exhausted unless new
merits are made.
What are Merits and Why Perform Them?
Merit (Punna) is defined as actions of the body,
speech and mind which purify and cleanse the
mindIf left to its own course, the mind will
wallow in evil tendencies of greed, hatred and
delusion, and will drag one to perform evil
deedsMerit purifies!
Merits purifies the mind of greed which induces
one to possess, accumulate and hoard, claiming,
"This is mine." Merit purifies the mind of hatred
which drags one to dislike, anger and
vengeance, claiming, "I don't want." Merit
purifies the mind of delusion which dulls the
mind from right understanding so that one acts
with greed and hatred, thinking that these are
right and worthy courses of action.
Merit is the intentional actions which are
rooted in non-greed, non-hatred, and non-
delusion or wisdom. It improves the quality of
the mind, uplifting it from the ruts of evil. It is
beneficial to oneself and other beings. It leads
one towards freedom from the chains of desire
and suffering.Another fruit of merit is that it opens doors
everywhere. Whatever work a meritorious man
undertakes, he finds his way unobstructed and
he succeeds in it. The necessary opportunity
doors are opened to permit him to go ahead. If
a person's merits are compatible with
his aspirations, he will realize his dreams.If a meritorious young man sets out in business,
wealth and opportunities come freely to him. If
he, on the other hand, intends to understand
his mind, he will be able to meet a good teacher
who can help him attain his goal with ease. All
that is got is by the grace of merits.
Fields of MeritThe field of merit varies from person to person.
Just as a farmer knows which field is fertile and
will produce a good harvest, even so a person
should know to whom a meritorious deed
should be performed so as to yield a rich crop of
merit.In the Treasure Store Discourse, the building of
religious structures and the offering of gifts to
the Sangha are listed as most meritorious.
Mother, father, relatives and guests are also
said to be good fields of merit.6