พระอาจารย์อธิบายว่าทุกคนดำรงอยู่ด้วยดวงบุญของตนเอง แม้ดูเหมือนพึ่งพาพ่อแม่ ก็เพราะจักรพรรดิในกลางดวงบุญนำพามาอยู่ด้วยกัน พร้อมยกตัวอย่างจริงว่าบุญสามารถช่วยแก้ปัญหาชีวิตได้อย่างเหลือเชื่อThe teacher explains that everyone lives by their own sphere of merit — even seeming to depend on one's parents is really the guardian deva-king within that merit-sphere bringing one to be with them — illustrated with true stories of merit solving seemingly impossible problems.
A lay follower asked: he had noticed two groups of young people today. The first group comes from families of modest means, having to work to support themselves and their families, showing diligence with mixed results. The second group comes from well-off families, cared for well by their parents, yet many of them, after finishing their studies, don't want to work — staying home with their parents, perhaps selling a little online, without any clear direction in life. Parents worry about what will happen to these children once they're no longer around. Why does this happen with the second group, and are they truly relying on their own merit, or on their parents'?
Everyone Lives by Their Own Sphere of Merit
The teacher explained that each person lives by their own sphere of merit, even though it may appear as though they depend on their parents. If a person lacked sufficient merit, they would be separated from their parents and fall into hardship — as sometimes happens when children from well-off families are kidnapped and suffer misfortune, the result of past karma. That someone gets to live with well-off parents is because their own merit is sufficient — the guardian deva-king within their sphere of merit brings them to be with parents of that kind, almost as though placed there. But there is still a cost: the merit spent to sustain one's existence at that particular standard of living, a "cost of living" paid with every breath. It's like staying at a five-star, three-star, or one-star hotel — one pays according to the level of accommodation. Whether moving from a heavenly realm into the human world, or transitioning into any other realm, sufficient merit is always needed to sustain that state moment by moment — it is never truly a matter of depending on this person or that. Without enough merit, one is separated and falls into genuine hardship, going without regularly.
The Deva-King Within One's Sphere of Merit Only Supports What the Person Themselves Wants
Even if parents pass away, a person can still go on living, because the guardian deva-king within their sphere of merit continues to guide them toward opportunities, as if it were their own idea, directing them toward an occupation. How wealthy they become depends on how much power that guardian has to draw in wealth. All of this, however, still depends on the proportion of the three natural forces controlling that person's mind. If the neutral force dominates, it leads to a life of idle amusement with no thought of self-improvement. If dominates, it leads even further into decline. But if dominates, it guides and supports diligent study and good work, cultivating effort, diligence, and wisdom, earning recognition from others. The guardian deva-king thus functions only as a supporting guide, according to what the person themselves wants — how a person's life unfolds depends on which natural force has become master of their heart.
The teacher added that the phenomenon of well-off young people not wanting to leave home to work is simply typical of an era that enables it — today's abundant entertainment lets people stay engrossed at home day and night, unlike in the past when there was little to occupy someone at home. In earlier times, work was scarce and unemployment came from a lack of jobs; today, jobs are plentiful, yet people don't want to take them — a reflection of how much the environment has changed.
Merit Can Solve Life's Problems in Astonishing Ways, When the Inner Deva-King Is Powerful
The teacher offered a vivid true example. A young woman, having just graduated from university, lost both her parents, who left behind debts exceeding 200 million baht — despite having been established figures in the business world. The daughter had no relevant , no connections, and no business experience whatsoever, yet she managed to pay off the entire debt within just two years — something her parents themselves, over ten years, had never managed to accomplish. This shows that the outcome doesn't depend on a person's knowledge or ability, but on the power of the guardian deva-king within their own sphere of merit.
The teacher also cited an example from the Buddhist scriptures: a wealthy perfume merchant had a large stock of unsold goods sitting in his warehouse for years. He had his adopted child tend the shop instead. Remarkably, with the child simply sitting at the shop, all the long-stagnant inventory sold out within just a few days. All of this depends on the power of the guardian deva-king within each person's own sphere of merit.
What to Do: Keep Cultivating Merit to Strengthen the Guardian Within
The teacher concluded that what we need to do is keep cultivating merit so that the guardian deva-king within our own sphere of merit grows ever more powerful. Whatever level we're currently at, let that be enough for now, while living with — being sfied with what we have and what we are — and progress gradually from there. Contentment itself is a wholesome quality that draws in pure energy along with refined treasures, allowing us to gradually rise, step by step.