พระอาจารย์อธิบายว่าการนึกถึงบุญบ่อยๆ ทำให้ใจปลื้มและห่างจากบาป ยิ่งใจบริสุทธิ์ยิ่งอธิษฐานได้ผลดี พร้อมตอบคำถามเรื่องความสำเร็จทางธุรกิจที่ต้องอาศัยทั้งบุญเก่าและความเพียร และเรื่องการรักษาใจให้เชื่อมกับกระแสบุญได้อย่างต่อเนื่องแม้ในวันทำงานปกติThe teacher explains that recalling merit often keeps the heart joyful and distant from wrongdoing; the purer the heart when making a wish, the more powerfully it comes true. He also answers questions about business success requiring both past merit and effort, and how to stay connected to the flow of merit even on an ordinary working day.
The teacher opens with a teaching the late master gave ten years earlier: recalling merit often is not "overcharging" anyone, since no one loses anything by it, and making a wish while the heart is pure will bring that wish to fulfillment.
Why Does Recalling Merit Often Lead to Fulfillment
Merit is another name for and the fulfillment of wishes. When we recall merit often, system arises in the mind, and we shine brightly within the Triple Gem and Nirvana, because the mind is the element of accomplishment — whatever it determines, that appears. Both old and new streams of merit flow in continuously, clearing away the stains of past karma, expanding a narrow heart and cleansing a clouded one. Within that stream of merit are also subtle treasures that draw in coarser wealth from the world. The more subtle treasure a person has, the more their business or work yields in return — but merit is also needed to protect that wealth, or misfortune can destroy it.
When merit arises and we desire something, we should make a wish, sealing that intention within the bright sphere of merit. The purer the heart at the moment of wishing, the more powerfully that merit can cleanse the mind and clear away the obstacles blocking our wish, making fulfillment come more easily. How deep and far-reaching a wish can be depends on each person's vision and wisdom. Beyond wishing for good things, we should wish to accumulate merit for the great benefit of the world and the Buddhist teaching, so as to reach the Triple Gem within and attain the path, fruit, and Nirvana.
Do Network-Marketing People Who Show Off Success to Attract Others Cause Any Harm
Any desire not accompanied by wisdom is a form of greed. Those who persuade others by displaying their success rely on craving to push people into action. If someone has enough past merit combined with effort, they may succeed; but if their past merit is small and their defilements are many, obstacles will pile up until they cannot move forward. Some succeed and some don't, simply because of a lack of merit to clear away obstacles. If one abides in the wholesome system, the inner knower will guide them step by step toward the right method; but without sufficient past merit, unwholesome forces will drive mere craving without wisdom, leading to failure.
Why Do Some People Feel Fired Up After Monthly Rally Meetings, Only to Fizzle Out Each Time
Feeling fired up after a rally is simply being stirred by the power of craving — natural for someone still governed by greed and delusion. But when abiding with merit, merit shines brightly and continuously clears away obstacles, giving rise to genuine inspiration — a clear vision of the world as it truly is, guided by the voice of the inner knower toward calm, balanced, reasonable, gradual action. This differs from craving, which scatters the mind, causing confusion and the wish to get rich quickly — something impossible in reality. Those who achieve lasting success always do so gradually, like ancestors who built their fortune coin by coin.
How Do We Stay Connected to the Flow of Merit Even on an Ordinary Working Day
Merit continues to flow through us even when we're not consciously recalling it, because the wholesome mind, whenever it manages to arise in each moment, draws in the stream of merit in waves. But if we habitually recall merit, that stream continues longer and flows more strongly. Recall the good deeds and sacrifices we've made — such as supporting the Buddhist teaching — to bring about a sense of joy, because recalling the goals behind our good deeds helps make that goodness vivid and clear.