Merit (Buddhism)

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Merit (Sanskrit puṇya, Pāli puñña) is a concept in Buddhism, and particularly in Theravada Buddhism. Merit can be gained in a number of ways.

Contents 1 Three bases of merit 2 Merit-making 3 See also 4 Notes 5 Bibliography

[edit] Three bases of merit

The Pali canon identifies three bases of merit (Pali: puññakiriyavatthu). In the Puññakiriyavatthusuttaṃ ("Meritous actions discourse," AN 8.36 or A 8.4.6),^[1] the Buddha identifies the following three bases:

• giving (dānamayaṃ puññakiriyavatthu)
• virtue (sīlamayaṃ puññakiriyavatthu)
• mental development (bhāvanāmayaṃ puññakiriyavatthu)

In the "Sangita Sutta" ("Chanting together discourse," DN 33), verse 38, Ven. Sariputta identifies the same triad: dāna, sīla, bhāvanā.^[2]

In the Khuddaka Nikaya's Itivuttaka (Iti. 1.22),^[3] the three bases are defined as: giving (dānassa), self mastery (damassa) and refraining (saññamassā).^[4] Later in this same sutta, the triad is restated as: giving (dāna), a life of mental calm (sama-cariya)^[5] and a mind of good-will (metta-citta).^[6]

Lay Theravada Practices: For a Fortunate Rebirth
FAITH (Saddhā)	GIVING (Dāna)	VIRTUE (Sīla)	MIND (Bhāvanā)	WISDOM (Paññā)
Buddha · Dhamma · Sangha	Charity · Almsgiving	5 Precepts · 8 Precepts	Metta · Vipassanā	4 Noble Truths · 3 Characteristics
Based on: Dighajanu Sutta, Velama Sutta, Dhammika Sutta.				view • talk • edit

[edit] Merit-making

Buddhist monks earn merit through mindfulness, meditation, chanting and other rituals.

Lay people gain merits by being generous to the poor, being generous to the friends and family, being truthful, and being good to others.

[edit] See also

• Metta
• Karma

[edit] Notes

1. ^ www.metta.lk (undated).
2. ^ Walshe (1995), p. 485.
3. ^ Thanissaro (2001).
4. ^ The Itivuttaka triad of giving, self-mastery and refraining parallels the Anguttara and Digha Nikaya triads if "self-mastery" is taken as being synonymous with "mental development" (bhāvanā) and "refraining" as being synonymous with "virtue" (sīla).
5. ^ Thanissaro (2001) translates "sama-cariya" as "a life in tune." However, assuming that there is parallelism between "sama-cariya," "dama" and "bhāvanā," then translating "sama" as "mental calm" (as suggested by Rhys Davids & Stede, 1921-25, p. 681, entry for "sama¹") – alluding to concentrative skill – seems preferable.
6. ^ Thanissaro (2001).

[edit] Bibliography

• Rhys Davids, T.W. & William Stede (eds.) (1921-5). The Pali Text Society’s Pali–English dictionary. Chipstead: Pali Text Society. A general on-line search engine for the PED is available at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/pali/. The entry for "sama¹" (as in "sama-cariya) is at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.3:1:3467.pali.
• Thanissaro, Bhikkhu (trans.) (2001). The Group of Ones §22 (Iti. 1.22). Available on-line at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/iti/iti.1.001-027.than.html#iti-022.
• Walshe, Maurice O'C. (1995). The Long Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Digha Nikaya. Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0-86171-103-3.
• www.metta.lk (undated). Anguttara Nikaya 8.4, Dànavaggo: On giving gifts. Available on-line at http://www.metta.lk/tipitaka/2Sutta-Pitaka/4Anguttara-Nikaya/Anguttara5/8-atthakanipata/004-danavaggo-e.html. The "Puññakiriyavatthusuttaṃ" ("Meritous actions discourse") is identified as sutta 6.