Merit with Outflows: Burning Blessings on Ordinary Dreams, or Turning Toward Enlightenment?

Have you ever wondered why some wealthy people suddenly become beggars? Why do some who have everything still feel empty inside? In a dharma talk on the Dhammapada, Venerable Thich Chan Quang shared two stories that seem simple but contain profound lessons about how we use our blessings from merit.

## The Story of the Wealthy Couple: Enjoying Merit Too Soon, Ending as Beggars

Long ago, in the city of Benares, two wealthy families joined together through marriage. They did not worry about their children going hungry, nor did they teach them to work or cultivate virtue. They believed their enormous fortune was enough for their descendants to live comfortably for several generations. However, the young couple only knew how to play, gamble, and indulge in pleasure. After nearly twenty years, their assets vanished like wind, and they became beggars. When the Buddha met them, He told Ananda that this was once the wealthiest couple in Benares. Their blessings from merit were vast; had they practiced the teachings, they could have attained the fruit of Arhatship. But lacking practice and exhausting their merit, they were left as two ruined beggars.

The Buddha’s verse serves as a warning bell: "If one does not practice holy conduct in youth and does not seek wealth, one is like an old heron by a stagnant pond, unable to catch fish." This reminds us that blessings from merit are not meant for reckless enjoyment. If we do not know how to nurture them, they will run dry and bring much suffering.

## Merit with Outflows: A Dangerous Gift That Inflates the Ego

Venerable Thich Chan Quang explains that merit with outflows refers to worldly rewards such as beauty, health, money, and fame. These are finite and will end when consumed. The greatest danger is that they inflate our ego. As he teaches, "The danger of merit with outflows is that it increases our self-importance. When the ego grows, greed, hatred and delusion increase. Selfishness grows, leading us to make many mistakes and create bad karma. Then, our merit runs out very quickly."

For example, when we are poor, if someone scolds us, we may only feel slight anger. But when we are rich and powerful, if someone insults us, we might order others to cut out their tongue. Merit with outflows makes us arrogant, aggressive, and prone to creating negative karma. Painful retribution awaits ahead.

## Merit without Outflows: Turning Toward Enlightenment, Infinite Blessings

In contrast, merit without outflows is infinite. When we dedicate all our merit toward spiritual practice and realization, it never runs dry. The teacher advises, "If we have great merit but constantly dream of worldly things, that energy flows into worldly matters immediately. Some lucky people win the lottery instantly, but this is a waste of merit."

Those who possess seeds of enlightenment from past lives often lose interest in worldly affairs. They see ordinary marriage, money as mere paper, and power as unappealing. Instead, they are driven to seek non-self (anatta) and enlightenment. A sign of correct practice is recognizing one's own faults.

"If someone goes to a temple to practice for a few months or years and suddenly becomes boastful, criticizes others, and thinks themselves superior, we know they have strayed from the path." Practice is not about becoming better than others, but about clearly seeing our own errors and becoming humble and gentle.

## The Story of Prince Bodhi: Merit Can Be Exhausted by Karma of Killing

Another touching story involves Prince Bodhi inviting the Buddha to his new palace. He laid cloth from the entrance all the way to where the Buddha would sit, hoping the Buddha would step on it to bless him with an heir. However, the Buddha did not step on the cloth. Ananda explained that the World-Honored One thought of the poor who lacked clothing, so the fabric should be used to help them. The prince awakened, rolled up the cloth, and the Buddha entered. When the prince asked about having children, the Buddha revealed that in a past life, the couple had been shipwrecked on a deserted island and ate eggs and baby birds to survive. It was precisely due to this karma of killing that they now had no children.

"If one knows how to love oneself, one must skillfully protect oneself. The wise remain vigilant throughout the three watches of the night." Karmic forces always lurk around us. Even a small lapse can lead to error. The wise must maintain mindfulness at all times to avoid mistakes and carefully guard their body and mind.

## Do Not Waste Merit, Dedicate It to Practice

Through these two stories, we clearly see that blessings from merit can be with outflows or without outflows, depending on where our mind turns. Venerable Chan Quang advises: If you have little merit, strive to create more to support your practice. If you have abundant merit, use your resources for righteous deeds and charity to increase further merit, then dedicate it all to the effort of attaining enlightenment.

"Do not let money sit idle, for that is also a mistake. Nor should you use it solely for indulgence, for the sin becomes even greater." Maintain mindfulness in daily life. When listening to the dharma or sitting in meditation, always be aware of your entire body and contemplate impermanence (anicca). These practices help prevent us from being swept away by trivial desires.

Life is short. Do not let blessings from merit dissipate into worldly dreams. Return to the path of enlightenment, living with awareness, humility, and contentment. This is the true, endless happiness the Buddha wishes for us. Namo Shakyamuni Buddha.