How Are You Using Your Blessings from Merit?

Have you ever wondered how you are using the blessings you possess? Some people use them to cultivate spiritual happiness, while others let them flow into worldly desires and lose everything. The following story startled me: a couple who were the richest in the city of Benares, inheriting a fortune rivaling that of an entire nation, yet after nearly twenty years they became beggars. Why did this happen? Because they did not know how to use their blessings for spiritual practice, did not know how to create merit, and only knew how to indulge in pleasure. The Buddha taught that had they known to ordain and practice, they could have realized the fruit of an Arhat; had they practiced as laypeople, they could have realized the fruit of an Anagami. But they squandered all their blessings, both the limited and the boundless ones, and fell into suffering. From this, we understand that blessings from merit are not fixed. They can lead to liberation or become a springboard for the ego and for suffering.

Limited Blessings and Boundless Blessings

Limited blessings are those that bring worldly enjoyment: beauty, health, money, fame, power, and so on. But Venerable Thích Chân Quang emphasized: "The danger of limited blessings is that they increase our ego. And when our ego grows, greed, hatred and delusion grow, selfishness grows, we make many mistakes, create much bad karma, and then our blessings are exhausted very quickly." In contrast, boundless blessings are the blessings of enlightenment and liberation. The teacher said: "Boundless blessings also mean infinite blessings." Once the mind attains realization, we connect with an absolute source that never runs dry. Therefore, we should direct our blessings toward spiritual practice and enlightenment rather than merely toward worldly enjoyment.

Do Not Let Blessings Flow into Temporary Goals

When we have blessings, we easily develop worldly dreams: buying a beautiful car, winning the lottery, getting promoted. The teacher warned: "When we want worldly things, results come immediately. But when we direct ourselves toward such worldly results, it wastes our blessings, letting them run into limited, temporary goals. It is such a pity." Those who know how to practice see money as mere paper, and feel no craving for high positions and power, because they remember that all of these will eventually vanish. They only wish for the ego to end, to attain non-self (anatta). That is the goal of the wise.

The Ego, the Destroyer of Blessings

Limited blessings inflate the ego, and the ego makes it easy for us to become cruel. The teacher gave an example: "When I am poor and someone curses me as a fool, I am only a little angry. But when I am wealthy and powerful, with subordinates at my command, and someone curses me, I could order someone to cut out their tongue." Because of power, we look down on others and act cruelly. It is precisely a large ego that makes us create bad karma and then suffer painful consequences. Therefore, practitioners must learn to see their own faults and become humble again. The teacher said: "Once you see your fault, you become humble. The process of practice may pass through many difficult steps, but in the end it leads to non-self (anatta). There is no more self. And it is in that absence of self that true happiness is found."

Keeping Mindfulness in Daily Life

Listening to the dharma or sitting in meditation helps us keep mindfulness, but how do we maintain it amid a busy life? The teacher gave very specific guidance: "In this daily life, if you want to keep mindfulness, what do you need? At all times, be aware of the whole body. Simply remember to be aware of your whole body. And if your mind has some spare capacity, be aware that this body is subject to impermanence (anicca)." This is a simple yet effective method: while walking, standing, or working, always be aware of the body, knowing that you are sitting, stepping, breathing. This way helps us avoid being swept away by wandering thoughts and keeps the mind peaceful.

The Lesson from Prince Bodhi

In a past life, Prince Bodhi ate bird eggs and young birds on a deserted island, and therefore in this life he had no children to continue his line. The Buddha taught: "If you cherish your own self, you must skillfully protect yourself. The wise remain vigilant through all three watches of the night." The fruits of karma surround us, always lurking, and even a small lapse can create a great mistake. Therefore, the wise must remain aware at all times, like a sentry guarding oneself. Never look down on small matters, such as eating, speaking, or thinking, for all of them affect your blessings from merit and your future.

Each of us has a certain amount of blessings from merit from the past. Let us use them wisely: do charity to increase merit, and practice to move toward liberation. Do not let blessings flow into trivial desires and then suffer the hardship of creating them anew. The teacher reminded us: "Use that money for worthy deeds that benefit the world, to increase merit and pour everything into the effort of practicing toward enlightenment." Live with awareness, know contentment, and practice letting go. That is how blessings become boundless and lead us to true happiness.