Giving merit
indestructible
Should a person merit make
Let him do it time and again
And turn his heart to delight therein,
For happiness is the accumulation of merit.
The general desire of all beings throughout life is to escape painful and undesirable experiences and seek circumstances giving rise to happiness. Many people ignorant of the true ways of gaining genuine happiness look for it only in the round of sensual pleasures. That only brings happiness in the short-term – at best – and suffering will follow sooner than later. Indulgence will not bring happiness nor will abstinence. But, happiness is available to a person who makes an effort with merit (puñña) as the catalyst. From every human excellence, any delight in godly worlds, even Nibbana’s excellence, all that is got by merit’s grace.
Merit, the Buddha declared, is one thing that fire nor even an earthquake can destroy, nor can water drown its effect. Thieves cannot steal it nor can the State take it away by levy of a tax. In other words, merit is indestructible by others.
A treasure trove of merit acquired can satisfy every desire of god and man, no matter what they wish to have.
Merit or puñña (in Pali) is that which purifies and cleanses the mind.
Merit has the power of purifying the mind of greed, hatred and delusion. Thus, merit can be looked upon as those actions that improve the quality of the mind. They tend to raise the level
on which the mind usually runs refining and purifying it of grosser mental defilements. It is the making of merit that ensures one to lead a balanced and a harmonious life.
Another fruit of merit is that “merit opens doors every where.” The meritorious man generally finds his way unobstructed. Whatever work he takes up, he is able to bring it to a successful conclusion. Merit lubricates his progress. And the power of merit can be experienced in this very life and/or in the next. Therefore the Buddha explained: Here he is glad, in the next life he is glad. The meritorious man is in both worlds glad. Thinking, ‘I have made merit', he is glad. Still more glad is he when gone to realms of bliss.’