On many occasions we may have a feeling to perform a virtuous or meritorious act to instil ‘feel goodness’ within us. This is a noble thing to do and one can increase the benefits arising from such actions by being mindful of a few things.
Often when actions of such nature are performed they may arise out of a feeling of guilt washing, pride about good deeds, ambitions for this life etc. While such poison mixed feelings will bring no benefit at all, those which arise out of a pure mind, un-contrived, un-conditioned & un-conceptualized, the merits of such actions can be magnified.
Bear in mind that the actions by themselves have no direction of their own, no capacity to bring merit unless the action is dedicated from arising from source, towards a particular person/people and the goal of directing the dedication.
One day the Buddha was invited by the people of a town for a meal. Soon after they left 500 pretas (those born in hungry ghost realm) arrived and requested him to dedicate to them the merit of the alms the people would offer to the Buddha. On asking why the reason, the pretas said they were the parents of these residents and were reborn as pretas due to their miserly behaviour. The Buddha agreed on the condition that they accompany him. On seeing them the people were horrified. On the Buddha’s explanation & reassurance to them they calmed down. The Buddha made a request for dedicating their sources of merit to the pretas. The people agreed unanimously. The Buddha said:
May all the merit of this offering
Go to these pretas
May they be rid of their ugly bodies
And obtain the happiness of higher worlds!
No sooner, all the pretas died and the Buddha explained to the people that they were reborn in higher worlds.
Therefore, bear in mind that all actions should be from a pure mind and so arising be dedicated to bring benefit to those they are intended towards for any small reason. Be it the family’s well-being, parents’ good health, for the dead or to bring enlightenment for all sentient beings. Whatever be your meritorious action, small or big, if it is dedicated without conceptualization, i.e. be pure in intention & motivation, it will bring benefit to the people you have in mind. If not, it is like having wholesome food mixed with poison! Also bear in mind that all actions are illusory, by nature empty & magical. Therefore, have no attachment towards them only then that dedication would indeed be non-poisonous.
As Jetsun Mila (1040-1123), Tibet’s great yogi & poet says:
Between the hermit meditating in the mountain
And the donor who provides his sustenance
There is a link that will lead them to enlightenment together
Dedication of (pure) merit is the very heart of that link
Not just this. The benefits go further as Chagme Rinpoche says:
When we hear about (unconceptualized) good done by others,
If we cast out all negative thoughts of jealousy
And really rejoice in the depth of our hearts,
It is said that the merit we gain will be equal to theirs.
Such is the nature of feeling goodness towards pure actions.
Therefore, arise the bodhichitta (mind of special motivation) within yourself. Do merit worthy actions with purity. Dedicate the act to the end in view. Bear in mind that all of it is empty by nature, illusory and dream like. And revel in the goodness done by others.
Bliss then will reside within.
Girish Deshpande
(The author is a practicing Nyingma Buddhist)
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