Merit's Ledger

Two men of unremarkable appearance sat on a stone bench, their lives a study in contrasts. One was perpetually unsuccessful, the other deeply content. A breeze rustled through the eucalyptus trees as pale afternoon light spilled onto the small brick courtyard before the temple grounds. Though strangers, they had both come to listen to the dharma talk. They glanced at each other, then back at the teacher on the lecture platform. Their eyes held different burdens—one bitter, one serene.

The man named Hung spent his days lamenting his endless failures. Since childhood, his dreams had been grand: to earn a doctorate, become a provincial vice-chairman, marry a beauty queen, build a mansion on the city's prime land, and own a Lamborghini. Yet each dream dissolved. He failed the university entrance exam several times before passing, then settled for an ordinary job. He ran for vice-chairman and was rejected. The beauty queen turned him down. He lacked funds for a luxury car or a mansion. Even finding a wife proved impossible, as no one showed interest. After each setback, Hung would sigh, sit in a roadside coffee shop, and blame his fate.

The other man, Sang, looked just as ordinary but always wore a smile. Sang shared how he’d dreamed of passing a vocational mechanics exam and succeeded on his first try. With skilled hands, he quickly earned respect. He then wished to become a neighborhood group leader and was elected immediately. He fell for a local girl, and she loved him back. He wanted a car, and though it was just an old model, he bought it, repaired it, and it served him well. Whatever he wished for, he achieved. Sang said his life was full of success, and so he was very happy.

Hung listened and sighed. “Why do I only fail while you only succeed? We look no different from each other.”

Sang smiled gently. “Perhaps because my dreams were always within my reach.”

As silence settled in the lecture hall, the teacher’s voice rose, soft yet profound. “That is the difference between you two. The one who suffers lives beyond the measure of his merit. The one who is happy knows to live in accordance with his merit, to dream according to his merit.”

Hung sat there, his heart clenching. He remembered his restless life, always straining to achieve more, only to fail and despair. He never realized that each extravagant dream, each plan beyond his grasp, was quietly depleting his merit without his awareness. This merit was like money in a bank; he never knew its amount but spent freely, eventually becoming a debtor.

The teacher continued, his voice warm and resonant. “It is like a gambler who brings ten million. If he loses it all, he goes home. But if he borrows more, sells his car, and loses that too, he transforms from a man with merit into a man burdened with debt. The debt piles up until it’s unpayable, and tragedy begins.”

Hung lowered his head, his hands trembling as he thought of all the times he’d borrowed and tried too hard, gaining nothing in the end.

The teacher spoke on. “Therefore, live according to your merit. You must know how much merit you possess, and live within that measure, so you may still have merit left to find peace. If you spend all your merit, suffering will descend, not only upon you but upon your loved ones as well.”

At these words, Hung’s eyes stung. He thought of his aging parents, his siblings, those who had worried and toiled for him. He realized he had unwittingly dragged his whole family into tragedy because of his excessive desires.

From that day on, Hung changed. He stopped chasing distant fantasies. He began with small things: doing his current job well, helping his family, living humbly. Though his work held no prestige, he found contentment. He learned to accept how others treated him naturally, without demanding respect or praise. If someone looked down on him, he didn’t take it to heart. If someone showed him kindness, he responded with gratitude.

Sang, meanwhile, continued living happily, succeeding in each small step along his path. They met again one gentle afternoon, sitting on the same stone bench as before.

Hung smiled. “Thank you for helping me understand. From now on, I will live within my means, no longer dreaming beyond my merit.”

Sang nodded. “We each know how much merit we have. Live modestly, preserve your merit, and life will be peaceful.”

A soft breeze blew, and the temple bell rang out, bringing tranquility to their hearts.

**Meaning of the Story**

This story reminds us that each person possesses a private “bank of merit,” accumulated over many lifetimes. Its balance is hidden; we do not know how much we have. If we live beyond our merit, spending excessively, we invite failure and suffering. Conversely, if we learn to live in accordance with our merit—dreaming within our capacity, remaining modest—our life can be peaceful, successful, and happy.

*Compiled from a dharma talk by Venerable Thích Chân Quang.*