Why Meditation Visions Change — Merit and Demerit Taking Turns in Power

One practitioner shared that they once saw a clear crystal sphere at the center of the abdomen continuously throughout a day of meditation, but more recently could only catch brief flashes of light. They asked why this had changed. The answer: when the mind holds impurity, it means the unwholesome side has found an opening. Once it enters, it can establish itself and draw in fresh demerit, which in turn draws in old demerit as well. When a period of merit ends, a period of demerit takes its place, causing the good states the wholesome system had been building toward to lose their turn. Every experience, good or bad, has a cause. Good experiences arise when wholesome states establish themselves and draw in merit to cleanse impurity — the purer we are, the better the experience; but however much impurity enters, the experience becomes correspondingly worse.

We keep trying to establish the wholesome system and draw in the energy of merit to cleanse impurity, even when the old and new demerit sometimes carries more force, diluting what we once experienced down to a faint trace. That's fine — we keep going, continuing to draw merit in and accumulate it, until the period when merit holds greater power arrives. As the period of demerit gradually ends and the period of merit takes over, new merit being generated will draw in old accumulated merit as well, letting us access deeper states of Dhamma than before, and breakthroughs will come more quickly.

Giving Generously, Yet the Family Falls Apart — the Emperor's Power Diminished

A question arose about a devoted donor who had given generously toward building Buddha images, until their spouse — fearing all the family's wealth would be given away — sought separation, having beforehand moved shared assets into various investments without the other's knowledge. Why would this happen to someone so devoted, and how could the spouse be brought back?

The answer: when the spouse's mind holds impurity, it means the unwholesome has found an opening. As the unwholesome gains dominance, that person's own "emperor" — the inner manager of their resources — has its power diminished. Their sphere of demerit grows larger than their sphere of merit. It was fortunate that the donor gave generously before the sphere of demerit grew even larger, because once it outgrows the sphere of merit, it takes control, preventing merit from exercising its power, and draws various factors in to control that person's rights and authority, directing them toward actions they wouldn't otherwise take. The spouse already carried the seed of this from past karmic results; as demerit gained strength, the rights the inner emperor once managed slipped from its control, leading to bolder actions than ever taken before.

We must understand these mechanisms — how the natures governing all beings function. The wholesome side within that person must become firmly established with power greater than the unwholesome; otherwise, the unwholesome will keep directing them as though it were their own thinking. A person's wrong views can only be corrected once the wholesome side gains the upper hand.

History Repeats Itself — Good Deeds Turned Into Ammunition Against Us

This same donor once ran a thriving business — steady orders, profit every year, a large staff. Later, the business slowed dramatically. This happened because once that person's scope of authority grew beyond what the lesser emperor overseeing them could manage, it was scaled back to a lesser tier. In a past life, they had given generously too, and later came to regret it. History tends to repeat the same pattern: whatever happened in a past life recurs in this one. Giving generously first led to prosperity, but once something displeasing occurred afterward, regret set in — "I shouldn't have given so much" — instead of recalling the joy of that merit. The image of the good deed once done became something the demerit side used as ammunition, insisting "look, doing good got you nowhere." The wholesome side could no longer establish itself to help, because the mind kept accepting that constantly whispered, distorted voice.

Bringing Back Someone Who Has Strayed — Waiting for the Unwholesome Period to Weaken

How does one bring back someone under the sway of the unwholesome? Every thought they have during that period is directed by the unwholesome. We speak one way, they speak another, because we're operating in different systems. Each person goes through a period where the unwholesome holds their turn — months, years, however long — and we must wait for that period to pass. Once the grip of the unwholesome begins to weaken, conversation becomes possible again — or whenever they're in a good mood, in an atmosphere the wholesome can take hold of, or in the presence of someone they respect and defer to. Then the wholesome can establish itself, because the mind accepts a sphere of respect, admiration, and faith — itself a wholesome sphere. Once wholesomeness is established, conversation between two wholesome states can correct a wrong view on that particular matter, drawing merit in to cleanse it until the unwholesome can no longer use that issue to direct them. This new merit draws in old, accumulated merit to help, letting the person regain their footing and begin building perfections anew.

Keeping the Promise Made to the System of Wholesome States

One ordinand shared that some relatives disapproved of his ordaining and giving, so he had to keep it from them, fearing their displeasure. Another shared that illness and physical weakness had caused significant financial loss, yet the family continued making merit, chanting, and sitting in meditation daily, morning and evening. He asked how the teaching on loving-kindness and universal merit could be applied practically in daily life. The answer: in the past, one may have kept company with powerful people who resented others' good deeds, criticizing them until they had to hide their own good acts. What appears now is simply a reflection of the past. Later, though, one came to keep good company, accumulated merit, and eventually met a teacher, making a vow to build merit together with them. But the demerit accumulated earlier still had to produce its result — hence the need to bear with the unwholesome-directed criticism from others. That is merely the portion still owed. As for the rest, if we remain within the system of wholesome states, with the Triple Gem and Nibbana behind it, possessing boundless power, they will help resolve it — so we only need to repay a small remaining fraction.

An Illness Doctors Couldn't Diagnose, and the Power of Remaining in the Wholesome System

One patient suffered from an illness modern medicine could not diagnose — every test came back inconclusive, leading doctors to conclude it was psychological, even though the pain was genuinely severe, sometimes to the point of fainting, requiring dozens of pills daily from alternative medicine. When they came to practice and asked whether it could be healed, the answer was: every illness can be healed, none is beyond healing — it simply takes time to repay the karmic debt owed. If the condition has lasted many years already, a substantial portion has already been repaid. Simply chanting, paying homage, sitting in meditation, and setting intentions daily will gradually improve the condition. In this case, within two to three months, the doctors were surprised to see the dosage drop from dozens of pills to just a few per day; a month later, no medication was needed at all, and the condition returned to normal. Simply remaining within the correct system of wholesome states lets that system heal on its own, drawing in pure energy to make the correction.

New Position, New Person — the Three Natures Overlaying According to Role

Someone asked why a person who was once warm and friendly changes completely once promoted to a higher position — this happens both in lay life and even among monastics themselves. The answer: it's because of the changed role. All three natures overlay according to that role. When the unwholesome overlays someone in a position, it directs them to carry themselves a certain way; once directed by the unwholesome, behavior changes, views shift, and old attitudes give way to new ones. This is an ordinary, commonly observed pattern whenever someone's status changes.

Why "Gray" Professions Sometimes Bring Wealth — Demerit Lends Merit, Then Destroys It

A question arose about why people in gray or illicit professions, such as gambling operations, sometimes grow wealthy. The answer: fame, praise, and worldly pleasure exist within every nature — wholesome, unwholesome, and neutral alike. But what the unwholesome offers comes with hidden strings. It doesn't reward everyone — only those who already carry merit, using that person's own merit to produce the apparent result. As that borrowed merit is spent building up an enterprise that causes suffering to others, once that merit runs out, betrayal naturally follows, since that is simply how the unwholesome operates. Once no merit remains to attract wealth, legal trouble, flight, and destitution follow — not even enough for basic living expenses. The unwholesome then finds a new person to use in the same way, an endless cycle repeating across eras — whatever specific form it takes. Whoever is chosen as its instrument must already carry enough merit to draw the various factors needed to manage such an operation. The unwholesome allows this only to cause suffering to others; once the accumulated demerit is complete, that instrument is destroyed, becoming a tool of self-destruction in lower realms. Such professions are therefore best avoided entirely.

A Story of Escaping the Cycle of Vice Through a Parent's Unwavering Prayer

One person had once been deeply entangled in vice and illicit dealings, engaging in nearly everything short of human trafficking, growing wealthier the more they did. But once the resulting demerit reached its full measure, the enterprise collapsed entirely, forcing them into hiding with their life in danger. Eventually they were brought to ordain at a temple. Asked whether this turn of events was merit or demerit, the answer was that it was likely merit that helped pull them out of that cycle — because their parents had prayed every single day for the enterprise to collapse. Without that prayer, they might have remained trapped in the same cycle. Once free of the path of demerit and onto the path of merit, life flourished quickly and correctly. This reflects the same principle: when merit is present, whatever one does can flourish, because every nature — wholesome, unwholesome, or neutral — welcomes someone who carries merit, since merit exists to dissolve problems and obstacles, and its subtle assets attract coarser wealth in turn. In a period when the unwholesome holds power, it may tempt someone toward that path — but whichever path is taken, prosperity follows all the same, because merit itself is the tool making it possible.

Enormous Debt, Repaid in Full — an Extraordinary Emperor Behind the Scenes

There is a story of a young woman whose parents died in an accident, leaving behind an enormous debt, while she herself was still an unfinished student. Looked at purely from a human perspective, this would seem nearly impossible to resolve. But looked at from the perspective of the system, the system takes care of it — because the very fact that someone could accumulate such an enormous debt in the first place shows that their backdrop is no ordinary one; there is an emperor behind them powerful enough to have allowed such an event to occur. That emperor then guides them — directing them to meet this person, do that thing — and in the end, the entire debt was repaid within just a few years, with enough left over to build genuine prosperity afterward. When the emperor behind someone's life is extraordinary, it can guide them toward a way to repay even enormous debts and bring prosperity in their place. This is why we must look at the system as a whole, not only at our own individual strength — because looking only at ourselves alone, such a large problem would seem impossible to solve.