the demons. Resistance to unwanted circumstances
has the power to keep those circumstances alive and
well for a very long time.
Accumulating merit. The first of the four practices is
to accumulate merit. The way to accumulate merit is
to be willing to give, willing to open, willing not to
hold back. It is described as letting go of holding on
to yourself, letting your stronghold of ego go. Instead
of collecting things for yourself, you open and give
them away.
As a result of opening yourself, you begin to expe-
rience your world as more friendly. That is merit. You
find it easier to practice the dharma, you have fewer
kleshas, and circumstances seem to be hospitable.
You might think that the way to encounter circum-
stances in which you could practice the dharma is to
use your same old habitual style. But the idea behind
accumulating this kind of meritorious situation is to
open, to give, and not to hold back. Instead of encas-
ing yourself in a cocoon, instead of shielding your
heart, you can open, let the whole thing dissolve.
This is how merit is accumulated.
In Buddhist societies such as in Burma and Tibet
and China, accumulating merit is interpreted as
performing all kinds of good works, such as making
donations to build monasteries or retreat centers.
It’s wonderful to fund-raise in Hong Kong and Tai-
wan because people feel that it’s meritorious to give
98 Overcoming Resistance