The Mantra of the Blessed

In the late afternoon, within a familiar temple, the bell rang softly before fading into silence. In the courtyard, dry leaves spiraled in the wind, carrying with them the dust of time. Inside the warm lecture hall, a teacher with gentle eyes looked down at his beloved disciples, beginning his story with an enduring concern.

“Master often checks online news and reads posts on Facebook that you share. Sometimes we see an elderly person, thin and frail, selling lottery tickets or begging in a leaking shack, while others call for help. Master feels deep sadness. We are sad because we directly witness poverty. As long as there are poor people, our country is not truly wealthy. A rich nation is one where no one is left behind, not one defined by extreme wealth alongside extreme poverty.”

The teacher paused, letting his words sink into each heart. Then he asked softly, his voice lowering: “Why are they so impoverished? Why are they so lonely? It is simply because they lack blessings from merit. Yes, it is only due to a shortage of merit.”

A disciple in the front row bowed his head slightly, questioning himself. The teacher looked around, his tone warm: “If we do not understand cause and effect (karmic law), we merely give them sugar, milk, or rice to survive day by day. They remain trapped in suffering because their fundamental nature is poverty; their status is that of the destitute. To change their fate, we must elevate their merit. But they are old, their minds have deteriorated, and they have lost the will to strive. They surrender to fate, eventually dying alone without anyone noticing.”

The teacher stopped, gazing into the distance as if seeing those struggling lives out there. Turning back to the disciples, his voice became more serious: “But why look at them? To reflect upon ourselves. Do we belong to that category? Will we be poor and isolated in our old age? Their situation, their calamity, will become ours one day if we do not prepare or avoid it. When we see an elderly person suffer a stroke, we think, ‘I too will grow old and may face this.’ When we see someone with diabetes lose a limb, we realize that day may come for us. So when we see the poor and lonely elderly, do not think it does not concern us. It will concern us if we do nothing now to prevent it.”

Another disciple spoke up, his voice filled with inquiry: “Venerable Teacher, how can we elevate our own merit?”

The teacher smiled, his eyes brightening: “That is a good question. I often tell you a phrase that sounds humorous but carries deep meaning: when you return to the temple, you are allowed to eat more than you work, for the temple is home. But when you step outside the temple gates, you must work more than you eat. Life outside is harsh. People measure effort meticulously. They check if you bring benefit to them before hiring you. If you do not contribute value to the company, you are fired immediately.”

He continued: “You have seen foreign films where a man is suddenly called to the office. He is told, ‘Over the past year, you have not brought much benefit to the company.’ He looks confused: ‘I fulfilled my duties correctly.’ The manager replies, ‘You did your duty, but the benefits provided to you—salary, insurance—exceeded what you contributed. We must part ways. Thank you.’ Security then escorts him out. It is bitter. That is life. There is only one place where no one calculates profit or loss, where you are still loved, and that is family. Yet even in families, there was a case of American parents suing their son to evict him because he contributed nothing at home, only leeching off them. The court ordered him to leave. With nowhere else to go, he lived under a bridge. The world is that cruel.”

The teacher paused, looking at each person, his voice deep and warm like a reminder: “Therefore, as long as you exist in this world, always remember one thing: What benefit am I bringing to this life? This is the mantra. It has two meanings. First, it ensures that society does not discard you, that life does not reject you. Second, it elevates your merit, allowing you to stand with dignity in the world. This is what it means to be blessed. It applies not just to lay Buddhists, but also to practitioners. Some monks live in seclusion, teaching no sentient beings, quietly eating their daily meals. Eventually, their merit runs out, and life pushes them aside.”

He shared another story, his voice tinged with sorrow: “Once, a monk from a distant place visited me, asking for money and rice. During the New Year festival, he spoke through tears: ‘For three days of the holiday, not a single person came to visit my hut to light incense for me.’ I looked at him and saw how little merit he had accumulated. Those with merit receive care from everyone; those without merit are ignored by all. Cause and effect (karmic law) is indeed severe.”

A disciple suddenly understood, his eyes lighting up: “Yes, I understand now. I must always ask myself what I can do for life, rather than what I can take from it.”

The teacher nodded and smiled: “Exactly. Do not define your worth by your salary. People ask, ‘How much do you earn?’ – ‘One thousand dollars.’ – ‘And you?’ – ‘Eighteen dollars.’ Then they laugh dismissively. But we are not foolish enough to define our value by wages. We define our value by the benefit we bring to life. Always ask yourself: ‘What am I doing that is beneficial to this world?’ This is the mantra of those with wisdom and morality. Ideals exist only in those who possess both wisdom and ethics. An ideal is a great goal that brings benefit to many, not just oneself. If it is only for oneself, it becomes ambition. Ambition and ideals may look similar, but one is selfish, while the other is altruistic.”

Looking around the room, the teacher’s voice remained warm: “Remember, every day, every hour, every small opportunity, whatever can benefit life and others—even just one person—you should do it. Start with one person, then add a second, a third. Continue this way, and heaven and Buddha will grant you opportunities to benefit many. At that point, you possess both morality and merit. This is how you elevate your merit each day.”

The talk concluded as the sunset faded. The disciples stepped out of the hall, their hearts settling on the familiar question: “What benefit am I bringing to this life?” From then on, each promised themselves to live more usefully, elevating their merit day by day, so they would never fall into the poverty and isolation of those fragile lives.

The Meaning of the Story

The fundamental lesson of Buddhism is to know how to elevate one’s merit every day. The mantra “What benefit am I bringing to this life?” helps us avoid being rejected by society while accumulating merit, living a valuable and meaningful existence.

Compiled from the dharma talk of Venerable Thich Chan Quang