Home » Posts tagged with "merits"
Posts tagged with "merits"
Why You Should Be More Giving Now (Or ‘Death Cleaning For Better Living’)
Mar. 27 | Giving what others need now will create merits, which can manifest as what we really need later. – Shilashanti In the Avadāna Sūtra《阿婆陀那经》, Velāma Bodhisattva (韦罗摩菩萨) had the following reflection – ‘People speak...
Samantabhadra & Manjusri Bodhisattvas’ Greatest Dedication Of Merits
Mar. 14 | Those who make this heartfelt aspiration for the Bodhisattva way Will be free of all lower rebirths, Free of harmful companions, And will quickly see Amitabha, Infinite Light. – Samantabhadra Bodhisattva (The King Of Prayers) In order to train just...
Can Ancestors Bless Survivors?
Mar. 14 | Question: Many pray for their ancestors to bless them. Does this work? Answer: They are not able to bless us, unless they have been reborn with greater blessings, or have become Bodhisattvas and Buddhas, and are looking after us. Also, merely asking...
What Language To Chant In To Help The Deceased?
Feb. 27 | Question: If there is sutra-chanting for a deceased Chinese person, with dedication of merits, both using a non-Chinese language, will the deceased be able to benefit? Answer: The power from sutra-chanting and dedication comes from the power of the...
Ancient Symbiotic Relationship Of Monastics & Laity
Jan. 23 | Receive needs humbly and gratefully. Offer needs humbly and gratefully. – Shilashanti Before the Dalai Lama departed from Thailand, he told his secretaries that he wanted to go out in the morning on alms round. It is common to see orderly queues of...
Does The Donor Or Deceased Gain Merits From Post-Death Donations?
Dec. 26 | Question: Who benefits from the merit-making when a donation is made to the temple which accommodates the deceased’s niche – the donor or the deceased? Answer: If the donor has no intention to benefit anyone else, all the merits go to the donor. If...
The Lotus Sūtra’s Verses For Breaking Free From Hell 法华经之破地狱偈
Dec. 11 | 破地狱偈 [3] 每自作是念： ‘以何令众生， 得入无上道， 速成就佛身？’ – 释迦牟尼佛 《法华经》如来寿量品第十六 Verse For Breaking Free From Hell [3] [I] always personally have this thought, ‘With...
Four Seeds To Guard
Dec. 4 | 若不去淫，断一切清净种； 若不去酒，断一切智慧种； 若不去盗，断一切福德种； 若不去肉，断一切慈悲种。 – 净土宗六祖永明大师 《永明延寿禅师全书》 If not departing from lust, this severs...
Can Chanting Where The Deceased Are Not At Benefit Them?
Oct. 11 | Question: Is it alright to practise chanting at other temples or Buddhist centres, where ancestral tablets of deceased loved ones are not placed, while still benefiting them? Answer: Yes, as dependent on the factors that follow… Unless there...
Is Sponsoring Of Buddha Images To Create Them?
Aug. 22 | Question: A Buddhist temple has fund-raising, calling for sponsorship for many small Buddha images in its Buddha hall. Is offering of these Buddha images (供佛像) by donations classified as creating of Buddha images (塑佛像)? Answer: As 塑佛像...
The Top 10 Buddhist Assurances
Aug. 8 | Potential is there, yet as if ‘not there’, if never actualised. – Zhaojian [1] We Have Great Potential: We all have Buddha-nature, which is the perfect potential to become fully liberated and enlightened Buddhas, with True Happiness. This...
Verses On Vices Vs Virtues
Jul. 11 | 若见城廓，当愿众生， 得坚固身，心无所屈。 若见王都，当愿众生， 功德共聚，心恒喜乐。 – 文殊菩萨 (华严经: 净行品: 第102-103偈) If seeing city walls, [reflect that] ‘May sentient beings, attain firm*...
What Is The Simplest Way To Offer Food?
Jul. 4 | Question: As there are many long traditional chants for offering food, is there a simple version, that is easy to remember and recite, that can be used by children too? Answer: Here is a common version – 代一切众生， 供养佛， 供养法，供养僧， ...
How One Who Slighted None Attained Buddhahood
May. 24 | 此诸众生 云何具有 如來智慧， 愚痴迷惑， 不知不见？ – 释迦牟尼佛 （华严经） [Of] all these sentient beings, why [are they] complete with [the] Tathāgatas’ wisdom, [yet] ignorant [and] confused, not knowing...
