The Arithmetic of Merit and Demerit

A person who understands the Dharma suddenly realizes that every moment of life is a calculation of karma, and that blessings from merit are the true power protecting our lives and our nation.

Afternoon sunlight filters through the eucalyptus leaves, casting dappled golden patches across the temple courtyard. A group of fellow practitioners sits in a circle, listening intently to their teacher’s words. A gentle breeze drifts by, carrying the scent of dry grass and soft incense. The teacher’s voice is deep and warm, slow and steady, yet each word carries profound weight.

The first question the teacher poses causes the atmosphere to settle into silence. "Do you know," he asks, "that from the moment we are born until the moment we close our eyes for the last time, what are we doing every day? We are solving the arithmetic of merit and demerit. The deeper one understands the Dharma, the more terrifyingly intricate this calculation becomes."

"Every day we live in this world, we solve this equation hour by hour. If we do not understand it deeply, we might think in terms of months or days. But those who truly comprehend must be aware of it every single hour. Whenever we perform an action, we must know whether it creates karma or merit. For these actions influence our life in this existence and in future rebirths."

The teacher pauses, his gaze drifting into the distance as if recalling a past chapter of his life. Then he continues, his voice dropping lower.

"There are days when I feel like I have lost. A whole day passes without my doing anything beneficial for the Buddha's teachings or for sentient beings. No prostrations to the Buddha, no meditative concentration, no preparation of lessons, no teaching anyone anything. On such days, I am at a deficit; I have not generated merit. Yet I still eat, which means I am consuming my existing blessings from merit."

A disciple sitting nearby unconsciously clutches the edge of his robe, as if reviewing his own days. The teacher continues, his speech slow but resolute.

"Nothing is taken for granted. Every mouthful of rice we eat, every place we reside, is a result of blessings from merit carried over from previous lives. Do we think that being alive, eating, and wearing clothes is obvious? Nothing is obvious. If our merit runs out, parents may pass away early, families may break apart, and disasters may strike unexpectedly. Yet many people go a whole day without generating any merit, calmly enjoying life while unaware that their blessings are depleting daily."

The teacher tells the story of a young man who had graduated from university and held a stable job at a large corporation. He was always proud of his degree and his position. One day, due to a minor conflict with his supervisor, he was unfairly targeted. The next day, upon arriving at work, he received orders to transfer to the sanitation department. His new daily task was to clean the toilets and bathrooms for the entire company.

"He stood there stunned," the teacher says, "holding the transfer decision with trembling hands before the director’s desk. He wanted to react, to refuse, but the teacher’s old advice suddenly echoed in his mind: 'Accept with joy, regardless of your position, as long as you can serve.'"

"The next day, he went to the sanitation department, picked up a broom, and carried a bucket of water. Former colleagues walked by, looking at him with pity, while others smirked. But he only smiled back and entered the restroom. He cleaned with the effort of ten men, leaving everything spotless and fragrant, far exceeding expectations. A month later, the entire company was astonished. The director called him in, expressing regret: 'We only wanted to test you...' He replied gently, 'Yes, I knew. But I am grateful for the opportunity to serve.'"

The teacher looks at the group, his expression serious. "My dear students, life is very short. The period when we have health and the ability to contribute is just a narrow band in the middle. At the beginning, we are children nurtured by our parents. At the end, we are old and weak, once again relying on others. Many people fail to use this narrow middle band to create merit, instead spending more time enjoying than contributing. Their blessings run out before they even realize it."

A question rises from the back of the room. "Teacher, if we have abundant merit, can anyone harm us?"

The teacher smiles, a smile tinged with sadness. "If we have merit, that merit will protect us. Suppose someone waits to ram your car, but at that exact moment, their vehicle breaks down. They sit waiting, another car hits them, and you drive away safely. But if we lack merit, our own negative karma will harm us without needing anyone else’s intervention. Therefore, creating merit is not just for oneself, but for the entire nation. Each person’s merit contributes to the collective merit of the country. When merit is great, the nation stands strong, and no enemy can invade."

Then the teacher issues a warning, his voice growing grave. "When we understand this, so do our enemies. They will seek ways to destroy our merit. How? By attacking the root, our mind. The mind used to generate merit must be grounded in Dharma principles and right view. Enemies will try to strip away precious qualities within us: reverence for the Buddha, faith in our teachers, understanding of cause and effect (karmic law), and the ideal of non-self (anatta). When these are lost, our minds collapse, and our merit vanishes."

The teacher recounts an incident at the temple in two thousand nine, followed exactly five years later, in two thousand fourteen, when the practice community was infiltrated and divided. People were planted among them, whispering rumors, distorting truths, and sowing doubt in the hearts of fellow practitioners. "There are three methods used by enemies: fabricating stories entirely, taking facts and twisting them, or promoting another person to replace the image of the master in everyone’s heart."

"It is the same for the nation. To turn a patriot into a traitor, one must remove five things from their heart: love for ancestors and family lineage, pride in history, trust in leadership, compassion for compatriots, and love for the homeland. Enemies will do whatever it takes to sow doubt and division. Where are they? In coffee shops, on social media, in intimate conversations. The enemy is often the person we love most, the one who has gained our deepest affection."

A disciple asks, "Teacher, how should we face this?"

The teacher replies, his voice regaining strength. "You must confront it; do not run away. You must drink more coffee to persuade those who speak nonsense. You must engage more on Facebook to explain, debate, and counter arguments until the enemy falls silent. Do not let personal emotions dictate your reason. Do not believe easily. When you hear criticism of someone, examine it carefully. When you hear praise elevating someone to the heavens, scrutinize that too. The Buddha taught: do not criticize the praiseworthy, and do not praise the blameworthy."

The teacher adds another example. "Someone came to the temple praising a young practitioner: 'I searched for you from North to South; you are the only bright light among thousands. I want to be your friend.' If that practitioner softened, gave out his phone number, and went for coffee, his soul would essentially be sold to demons. Or consider someone saying, 'Teacher, I must trust him because he saved me from four robbers.' Little did they know, those four robbers were part of his gang, staging a fake scenario to make the victim indebted to him. Therefore, the Dharma comes first, and the nation comes first. Be grateful for kindness, but if anyone commits even a slight wrong, turn away immediately."

The teacher concludes, his eyes shining with conviction. "Merit is power. Create merit with a wholesome mind, guarding the four precious qualities in relation to the Dharma and the five precious qualities in relation to the nation. Cultivate resilience: do not let emotions rule your reason, and do not believe blindly. This is the best way to protect yourself, your family, and your nation."

**The Meaning of the Story**

Each person’s life is a continuous process of creating merit or accumulating negative karma. Blessings from merit bring peace not only to oneself but also serve as a protective force, contributing to the strength of the nation. To maintain and increase these blessings, one must guard four precious qualities in the mind—reverence for the Buddha, faith in teachers, understanding of cause and effect (karmic law), and aspiration toward non-self (anatta)—and five precious qualities regarding the nation—love for ancestors, pride in history, trust in leadership, compassion for compatriots, and love for the homeland. Simultaneously, one must cultivate resilience: ensuring personal emotions do not override reason and avoiding blind belief in all information, so as not to be exploited by enemies who sow doubt and destroy faith and merit.

Compiled from the dharma talk of Most Venerable Thich Chan Quang