DHARMA IN EVERYDAY LIFE

ACCUMULATION THE MERIT TO SPEND
By Nhất Quán
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         Accumulation The Merit, what does it mean? Why the ancient always said:
- There is the merit, we can spend on anything we want.
The ancients say accumulation the merit, according to the group of this word we can see, the merit can accumulate, but we can not see it. So the merit that the ancient always said, certainly it is not a kind or any kind of material.
The group of words accumulation of merit that the ancient propagated and encourage the children and the grand-children should do accumulate from thousand, thousand years ago. We can say: The ancients taught, today we do it.
But nobody could explain it. Though can not explain it, but the result of phenomena from the accumulation of merit gives us the approval that there is influence to the accumulate of merit or the merit of implicit.
The group of the words the merit of implicit that is not mean that is the hell, also that is not mean that is the yin or yang. But the word of the merit of implicit meant is silent, discreet, not visible to the outside. This meant the people who do the good deed just oneself know that does not need to brag to every people.
The old language there is the sentence
- The person has the merit of implicit, of course, having the silent compensation.
That meant the person do the good deeds in the discreet, so the causal law also implicitly bring merit to them. That is called the merit of implicit.
Almost the fame, money, blessing of the human having in the present life is due to the accumulation from the previous life. Which person has kind of this merit of implicit is the causal law will compensation worthy for that one. Therefore, the one does the good deed although show up or not, want to know that is good or not, just consider the mind of that person, but about the basic, the one did the good deed is the very good behavior and need to praise.
That is talking about the previous centuries, however, from the years of the end of the 20 century and the beginning of the 21 century, the person can understand about accumulate merit can imagine, although the merit of implicit is formless, but surely having the true.
Indeed, from the thousand, thousand years ago, until the years of the end of the 20 century, the human usually say sell the house, sell the lands or any kind of other materials having the shape, but have not any person who say to sell the airs or sky. But at the present time, many companies advertise to sell the space, sell the air which is the property formless, the first time we hear seemed an absurdity, but that is true. The unit to sell the space used is megabyte or gigabyte, actually, we can not see how the width or how length, but depending on the space we buy and that we can keep the files of our documents on that, etc
This, we can see the merit or the merit of implicit that the ancient usually encourage accumulate the merit, although do not depend on any kind of shape, but it exists, therefore the ancient usually say accumulate. From once upon a time until today, there are many stories in the world also help us to recognize these
Our ancestor has accumulated the merit in many different ways, therefore the fame or success of the children or grandchildren also different. In the world still handed down that:
- When we are accumulation many merits or merit of implicit is when the accident happens, it can metabolism bad become good
- The person does not greed the things or property is not belong to oneself, this good behavior makes that the life of that person beautiful like brocade fabric, like a flower.
Besides, the person has a goodness is that person not only do the good to help other people that still help oneself gain more the compensation of merit, makes the life beautiful like brocade fabric, like a flower. Many stories handed down from a thousand, thousand years ago, experiencing many months, years but still exist until now. That is the expect very sincerely of the ancient, encourage for the human rise and go forward on the front, that is.
- There is the merit, we can buy on anything we want.
According to the most Venerable Elders encourage, there are many ways accumulating the merit. So right now all of us should learn how to accumulate merit, doing the good with this way, it can help for ourselves and also for other people, and also we can gain more the merit to use in our life. Below is the method very simple to accumulate the merit that anyone can do. Therefore, wishing for everything goes to smooth and goes to straight ahead, firstly we need to definitive:
- People live on life, should concern the merit and consider that an important principle.
So, the ancestor always teach:
There is merit, we can do anything we want, that is want to teach us. We can do anything, but first, we should consider the merit is important, accumulating and uphold the importance of merit. There are the merits are everything success, the life will have a rest time, lucky. Because merit is the origin of a hundred thousand of the good deed, it also is the foundation for a human who studies and becomes a person useful for social. Understanding merit is the good virtue, part of the beautiful, and straight of humans.
Buddha taught that:
- Save one life of a human is the merit numberless, save one life of a human is the merit many like the sand of the Ganga River.
Therefore, in life we must understand the merit was shown up through many different corners, that is the behavior of humans to other people, with the job and social. Some of the thing considering is a good deed, giving to others with a good purpose all these actions are called are the accumulation of merit.
Although the mean of the merit word in Buddhist there is plenty of meaning, all is established on the basic foundation that is the perfect moral of every human. Therefore, to cultivate and accumulate the merit for oneself in the present or next life, or for our children in the future life. According to Buddhism, there are many ways, but the most general and the most easy to cultivate is compliance with the five precepts, which are the five moral principles of the Buddhist Layman. That is:
- No killing the life
- No stealing the thing that people do not give
- No adultery the persons who is not ourself wife or husband
- No speak the things is not correct with the true
- No use alcoholism and other intoxicants
And at the same time as we must study and application the verse:
- Do not do the cruel things
But must do everything good deed
Keep in the mind is very pure in the every time
That is the words of Buddha taught.
That is talking about to the people who know Refuge Three Jewels, knowing how to compliance the five precepts. Besides, in daily life, for the people who not yet know Refuge Three Jewels, never know the five precepts also can accumulate the merit through the principles as following
1. Accumulate The Merit From The Words of The Mouth
The words of the mouth need to tolerant and generous to other people. The straight of the words of mouth, though it is good, but the purpose of the word of mouth is making for the listener to understand what we mean. Therefore, instead of we use the words straight, but we can use gentle words to point out something wrong to a listener who can understand to correct the wrong to right. So, if we want to criticize other people, first we need to consider the pride of the listener when they hear we say but nothing hurts them. And you must remember that a criticizing word or remind right time is the value better than a hundred, thousand amount of gold. That is the way to accumulate merit from the words of the mouth.
2. Accumulate The Merit From A Praise
The common psychology any people want other person praise, but the self doesn't want to praise other people. To learn the way how to praise other people is the action very necessary for every people. Do not know to praise other people is in mind oneself very small and narrow. The praise the good deed of other people that mean support, concur, share the good things, good actions, good behaviors, or good news to other people. Nobody wants to live alone in this world, so any people want others to praise though only one person or only one-word praise, and understanding yourself. The praise other people, the really accumulate the merit for yourself.
3. Accumulate The Merit From Saving The Face Of Other People.
There is some situation do not save the face of other people is impolite. The human on life is very caring about the save of their face, therefore, at any time should give for others one way out to save their face. Therefore, although we know their mistakes, instead of we point out, we can use some kind of gentle language at an appropriate time to say. Remember, do not never make other people lost face because of the bad result unpredictable consequences. In some of the situations unmask one person in front of other people is a mistake pushing them to go to the end of the road and it will have the react against. Therefore, at any time, we should give for other people a way out, that also the way to accumulate merit for ourselves.
4. Accumulate The Merit From Trusting Others
The success though big or small it is not only a person, that must depend on the force and time of several people. Therefore we do need the support of others, but when there is a good partner, we should not doubt. Because of how many trusts, we will have the opportunity of success the same.
5. Accumulate The Merit From Helping Other
Helping other people also help for ourselves. The time others need you the most, you should give them a good refuge. Helping other people also is a way to accumulate merit the best.
At the time very important, every people expect others to help him. The kindness always will impressive in their mind. So, when you help others should find a way for them joyful and acceptant
6. Accumulate The Merit From The Modest
The ancient always say:
The people who arrogant go anywhere all like to show up the talent, and create many the enemy. Therefore, let go of pride, reduce selfishness, do not need to show up the talent everywhere, every time to avoid to create the enemy. Do not need on the face of the disappointing people talking about the success of yourself. As a good human does not arbitrarily brag, also should not be too satisfactory, but should have a little modest then of everything becomes smooth.
7. Accumulate The Merit From Understand Others
Everybody who also wants other people understand và admit yourself. Understanding others is also the way to bring the benefit to them. Because when you understand the confide others are you know the way to bring the happy to them, knowing the way how to living for more beauty, and also know how to practice better. That also the way to accumulate the merit from understanding others.
8. Accumulate The Merit From Respect Others
Let's always place the respect others in the highest position, even higher our position. The reverence of one people is the dignity and moral, sometimes is their life. Therefore, do not never offense others. For the people who are poor or not have close relatives, we have to sincere and respect them.
The higher the position, we do not contemptuous others. If we do so,  then you are the person who has the quality of the gentleman. The gentlemen are the one respect the poor or not have close relatives, and do not afraid one who there is a great power, always thinking to others first, and for self later.
9. Accumulate the Merit From From Sincerity With Everyone
To live in life, the sincerity anytime also noble, a person does not sincerity it is very difficult to exist in the society of humans. Indeed, the liar will never have a soulmate. The sincerity that is the foundation of humans, who consider the sincerity important will be last long in the relationship. Therefore, you should keep in mind the faith, sincerity then you will capture the support of every people, every people will like you, and you will succeed.
One person does any become difficult when lost the sincerity. Although any kind of reason also could not explain the lie of yours. Who can maintain the faith, that person could go around on the world and can make friend everywhere under the sky. That is the way we can accumulate the merit from the sincerity with everyone.
10. Accumulate the Merit From From The Gratitude
Thank is the way to praise the life. In our life, the word of thank right time will make people become friends. The human has the mind of thanks will always have the friendly from the other people. Therefore, you need to practice the word of thank though from the smallest things in the action of daily. But do not use only for our benefactors, but also for even our competitor. That shows up you are a person of courage.
11. The Accumulate The Merit From The Kindness
Every people should cultivate kindness, because of the people who have the kindness always having a leisurely life and easy to accept the co-operate from others.
12. The Accumulate The Merit From Smile To Others
The sincerity smile has the value better hundred, thousand amount of gold, because of nobody refuses the smile come from the heart. The smile is the way people come together quickly and the most stable. We should imagine if in this world you hear the sound of a laugh daily, everywhere, there are not angry, no enemy, and everybody considers every person are our friends, the relative, or neighbor, then of the suffering will disappear.
Should remember, nobody refuses the sincerity smiles. Therefore the smiles are the way to connect the human to human the most effect. Use the smiles to deal with the provocation of the opponent is a noble person.
13. The Accumulate The Merit From The Tolerance
A one can not the tolerance other people, maybe their heart is too small! Should remember, use mercifulness to metabolism the mistake heart of other people, so the people who have the tolerance is very easy to occupy for the heart of another person. Therefore, we should learn how to forgive the mistakes of other people. Sometimes, just only the tolerance that we can have a nice relationship.
The tolerance is the first virtue of the honorable men. The force of tolerance very large, it can change the person from bad become good, from a mistaken person become the right person. It also can change from a person who has a mind like of stone, wood because of the hatred become a person has a mind beautiful, love life.
The mind of tolerance person not only thinking about other people, including the enemy, but that is also the way to think about self, untie for self, because of the hate, angry is the poison medicine. Keeping the hate and angrily in the mind is hold the poison medicine, and also poisoned for self. The mind of tolerance is the sweet dew water can treat for the suffering soul, also is the antidote for every hate and angrily in this world.
14. The Accumulated the Merit From The Mind of Charitable
Every people want to make friend, become a good neighbor, even want to corporations with the people who have a mind of the kind. The kindly people can admission others. Therefore, should not despise the good thing though that thing very small. That is the way to accumulation the merit from the mind of charitable.
15. The Accumulated The Merit From Know Listen.
The ancient people usually say:
- Before learning to speak, we should learn to listen.
 Knowing to listen is know thinking about others, knowing yield others, knowing respect others. Because you have enough patience to listen to others, then you also have the patience to understand and love others.
Sometimes we just need to listen, because listening is the answer to the contradiction, suffering, sad the most wonderful in the life. The Human can not listen, mean can not patience, can not patience is can not do the big works. From once upon a time until now, the most wisdom people are the person speak very little but know the most listen. Therefore, the art of listening is also a way to accumulate merit. 
That is the 15 way for every people in the society of humans to practice to accumulate the merit. For encourage the disciples to accumulate the merit, Buddha taught:
-  If you always do not accumulate the merit, someday you will do not have anything. Therefore, if you want to use the merit for long, you should regularly accumulate the merit.
Want that, every people just increase the kind nature of us, open it and try hard to do charitable, accumulating the implicit of merit. Once we accumulate the merit other people want to take away but can not do that, because that is the part implicit of merit belong to yourselves. The merit, though the more or less all only comes from one know to do the good deed. Make the good deed, accumulate the merit is a good job, the good deed helps others make the good thing. All of this action expression from the person who has compassion.
we can do the good deed, accumulate the merit at anywhere and any time, any circumstances. If we do not have the condition of the money are we can do that by the force of ourselves. In life daily, if we have a good mind, good word of mouth, good action, do a good person, meaning we are doing the good deed and accumulate the merit.
The merit big or small, the way of expression the merit does not depend on the form, which is at the sincerity. Just have the heart, not because of benefit though the small good deed also establishing the immeasurable merit. Therefore, the Causal Law always a concern and help to one always do a good deed, so on the way they do a good deed seem to there is the supernatural help them. That is for us to see:
- Do a little good deed is natural to accumulate a little the merit
We can say, the merit always protect one in whole life, and the good deed is the key to accumulate the merit. Therefore, instead of calculating too much, then we should do the good deed to accumulate the merit, then our life will be peaceful, and become rich. Therefore the ancient always said:
- The merit biggest nothing equally the good heart.
And:
- All blessedness comes from the mind
We have to know, all of the seed of good deed will have the Fruits of the good deed, therefore when we give the love are we receipt the love, giving the merit then we will receipt the merit. The biggest merit nothing equally the kind heart.
In short, the sentence:
- There is the merit, we can do anything we want, that truth was approved on many books in this world. Somebody says that they accumulate the merit is difficult, but not at all is difficult, or someone says they accumulate the merit is easy, but not at all is easy, but with the kind heart, with the mind want to learn, with the mind want to cultivate, want to do good deed we can do any things we want.
In the direction the accumulate the merit, if we have an opportunity to make a little merit, we should know to cherish this merit or call saving this merit. To reserve the merit is an attitude live, through that with anything in this world we all cherish. With the thing to use in daily, we do not waste it. When we know how to cherish the merit is all creatures attached to you, in the case you something bad happens to you, then of will be transform, metabolism to good.
Human property acquired is very limit, but if you have the many merits then you can gather many properties. Therefore, the human has a lot of merits so having a high position, fortune, fame, and long-living. That thing lets us see: One human has a lot of merits which can be operating the property, power, and fame.
Be a human, we can not lie with the conscience of yourself, would rather be no money, but cannot lack the merit. If someone who wants to escape the poor, wants to get rich then they first need to cultivate, accumulate the merit. In the way concentration to accumulate the merit and the good action then the wealth will be following comes. If you give up the merit at the time looking for the property that means take the top of the tree is the root of the tree, if you get rich then also not for long. After all, you will be back the poor as a previous.
Should remember, the things scare of the cruel actions not because other people detect but yourself should know, and the things need to praise of good actions not because from the words of other people, but at the happiness of yourself. Therefore:
- When you accumulate the merit no need other people see because of the good action the natural the good result will come.
- The person does the good action although the merit not come yet, but disaster will go away.
- The persons do the cruel action although the disaster not come yet, but the luck and the merit go away.
- The persons do good actions like the grass in the spring garden although it can not see it grow up, but it is truth overgrowth.
- The persons do the cruel action like a whetstone although it can not see but a long time the whetstone will erosion.
Therefore, once again determine
- The things scare of the cruel actions not because other people detect but yourself should know,
- The things need to praise of good actions not because of the words of other people, but at the happiness of yourself.
The life of a human, have how many calculate will be having the how much suffering. To have how much tolerance will have how much happiness. You accumulates the implicit of merit is you forever can spend for anything you want. Therefore the ancient always propagate and encourage:
- There are the merit, you can spend on anything you want.
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