พระอาจารย์อธิบายว่าการใช้บุญเก่าทุกวันโดยไม่หมั่นทำบุญใหม่ จะทำให้บุญไม่พอ ดวงบาปจะใหญ่กว่าดวงบุญและดึงดูดสิ่งไม่ดีเข้ามา จึงต้องทำทั้งบุญและสร้างบารมีอย่างสม่ำเสมอทุกวันAjahn explains that relying only on old merit while rarely making new merit will eventually run short, letting the "orb of sin" grow larger than the "orb of merit" and draw in misfortune — so we must keep making merit and building the perfections every day.
A lay follower asked about a teaching Ajahn had once given: since we draw on merit every day, running mostly on old merit while only occasionally making new merit — wouldn't that eventually fall short?
Ajahn answered: yes. We draw on old merit constantly, but if we only make new merit now and then, it won't be enough. Now that we have come to the Buddha's pure teaching and understand life better than before, we should use our lives to build merit and the perfections to the fullest, because merit gives results beyond what is reasonable to expect — results we could never have imagined.
We use merit every day; we live off old merit every day. Every single moment is bearing fruit, working constantly. Every present moment that we remain in human form is because merit is bearing fruit — if merit did not give its result all the time, we could not remain in this ordinary state at all. That we can eat and sleep in comfort is because merit is bearing fruit at every moment.
But when we keep drawing on old merit while making new merit only rarely, it becomes insufficient. When merit runs short, it means the "orb of sin" has grown larger than the "orb of merit" — the orb of merit keeps shrinking while the orb of sin keeps growing, because of the good and bad deeds we have done in the past. Merit bearing fruit is like a battery in a mobile phone: the more you use it, the more it runs down. As it runs down, the orb of merit shrinks smaller and smaller while the orb of sin grows larger, until it wraps around and covers the orb of merit so its qualities can no longer show. Being larger, the sin releases its own current, drawing in various elements to bear fruit — drawing in bad people, bad speech, bad thoughts, bad moods, a bad environment, bad opportunities — pulling all of this in to give results both within us and around us. This is because we exist within a system where everything, inside and outside, functions together as interacting parts that produce results.
So we must keep making merit — both renewing the old and creating the new — through giving, keeping , practicing meditation, being humble, striving for the wellbeing of others' minds, dedicating merit to others, rejoicing in others' merit, listening to the , teaching the Dhamma, discussing the Dhamma, and acting in line with the truth. Merit here includes all Ten Perfections: generosity, morality, renunciation, wisdom, effort, , truthfulness, resolution, , and equanimity. We need to make merit and build the perfections every single day — and through the day, we should live at ease: let everything be fine, and if someone treats us badly, that's alright too — just keep the mind at peace.
The lay follower then shared about the main supporter of the Dhammaros program, who has long made merit regularly at the temple, and who had wished, for years, to make one large donation before leaving this life. Recently, having sold off some assets, this person immediately offered the proceeds as a Kathin robe donation. The follower asked whether this fit with what Ajahn had said about merit giving results beyond what is expected.
Ajahn rejoiced in the merit and explained that being able to do something so wonderful requires many things coming together — both and understanding, and faith. Without faith it cannot be done; without wisdom it cannot be done either. Only with both faith and wisdom together can a person accomplish something this remarkable, which will bear fruit for them in the future.