Vipassana Meditation
Master Acharavadee Wongsakon
With the scorching temperature, let’s write something to soothe the mind like a story ofmerit. You can review on your own what the ten meritorious acts are. Now we’re focusing on almsgiving which comprises of:
1) Amisa-dana – giving objects. 2) Vidya-dana – giving knowledge. 3) Dhamma-dana – giving Dhamma and 4) Abhaya-dana – giving forgiveness.
For the yield of merit to be high, these factors must be present: 1) The objects given must be pure. 2) The intention must be pure, not for fame or propaganda. 3) The receiver has a pure mind and purely upholds the precepts.
Those are the guidelines straight from the textbook. Now, let’s talk about the course of merit. The example is given below for clarification.
1. The objects given must be pure – It means the objects must be obtained rightly, not by taking advantage of others. For example, if the money used for giving is stolen from someone; whether they know or not what their money is used for, the money owner’s energy is still attached to it. The sense of ownership will always have this question, ‘Where is my money?’. When that emotion lingers, that object is also tainted with sad emotions, resulting in the sin of stealing.
2. The intention must be pure – Giving is done with faith, and with intention to help.
Giving means sacrificing and letting go of attachmentIf the giver feels even a slight regret, or expects fame or prosperity, the purity of merit will decrease because greed will hinder the merit. The mind that waits for the merit to yield fruit emits this energy that keeps trying to pull back the given object in the form of merit.
How merit yields returns work the same way to how energy bounces back, in this case, positively. Unless the mind has really let go after giving, the bouncing force cannot be fully unleashed, just like the ping-pong ball that bounces back much more strongly when hitting the wall, compared to the bouncing force generated back and forth between players. That’s how merit works, for the mind is an energy circulating nonstop. A complete release of the given object will also result in a full reward.
3. The person must be pure -The recipient must have a pure mind and holds the precepts purely. The highest ones are the Buddhas, then the Individual Buddhas, in accordance with the level of their Parami (Perfection) cultivation, and the purity of their minds.
It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t give to others. Giving can and should be made to others including ordinary people and even animals. If giving is limited only to the virtuous ones, without kindness to others, the intention is considered unpure because of the desire to gain more merit. If a donation is made out of faith, to be part of a good cause, that is a great merit.
How are the foods we offered the monks taken in the spirit world?
It’s because when the flavors are acknowledged through the food recipient’s physical sense (tongue), the recipient can direct their acknowledgement of the offered dishes to the spirit at the other end. If it’s the religious ceremony performed by a monk, he will transfer the merit through chanting or a specific prayer for this occasion.
Once the monk says Anumodhana Sadhu (similar to Amen), the spirits of the dead will be able to taste the foods. Let’s say it was Hainanese chicken rice; the spirits will be able to taste by the recollection of the dish’s taste. In that realm, the chicken rice will appear in front of them but the appearance will vary according to how their minds are cooking it. For example, if the spirit used to have it in a ceramic plate, they will see that dish in the same-looking ceramic plate.
If the merit-maker didn’t specifically dedicate the merit to any soul in particular, when that person passes away, he or she will get that offered foods presented in the exact same manner.
If the offering made to those with pure Mind Energy, the foods appearing in front of that giver in the afterlife will appear in an elaborated container and in great quantity. It is the result of the receiver’s cultivation level, as well as the complete detachment which will result in the increase of the merit’s power multiple times.
On the contrary, if the receiver’s mind is not as pure, for reasons such as he or she has deep pleasure in that meal, leading to attachment. The energy of that merit will end up in the subconscious of the eater, resulting in less merit power. This includes other forms of giving, such as money or valuable items.
NOTE: If the giving is made to ordinary people and with pure intention to help, once the recipients said “Thank you” from their hearts, those given items will become the celestial treasures in the spirit world. The amount, size, and beauty of those things depend on the purity of the recipient’s mind. Also, the merit of giving can yield results in different forms when that soul has a rebirth such as a new life in a wealthy family or with high intelligence.
There is a story about the appearing of the celestial treasures in the Tripitaka at www.84000.org. A man named Nandiya had his celestial treasures along with servants in the Angel’s World created in a much greater scale at the same time as he was offering a four-room pavilion to the Buddha in a human’s world, while he was pouring water to the Buddha’s hand when giving alms.
This higher knowledge of knowing things in advance resulting from practicing Vipassana has enabled me to feel and access the course of merit and how it works. That’s why I’d like to share it with you, so you can ponder about it to cool down your mind on the hot day.
