Winning Browie Points

[宁]

Is this practice part of anyone here's schedule?

If so, what would be the guidelines you work with?

 

Thanx

 

L1

[thelerner]

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. First, I don't think there is anyone out There keeping score. The universe seems big and impersonal and quite frankly doesn't give a damn about my p's and q's.

 

But being a moral person I keep score. As I've aged I'm becoming mellower, maybe wiser. Take criticizing others, a frequent fault of mine. I realize it doesn't do a lick of good. Plus, in a Newtonian sense, the negativity doesn't end with my pronouncement. It keeps going, bouncing back or knocking things down as it goes by. Its a negative ripple that spreads out, a hot coal I throw at others.

 

The harder I hit the more I separate from my target. While I can't exactly define enlightenment, I know its the opposite of separation.

 

There's a world of small kindness'es that take very little effort. Simple politeness, a smile, giving someone a minute or two of full concentration. Maybe these spread out too.

 

 

Michael

[.broken.]

Is this practice part of anyone here's schedule?

If so, what would be the guidelines you work with?

 

Thanx

 

L1

 

No guidelines, although the 10 commandments and the 8 fold path do act as such. Simply be aware and follow your heart.

 

Yes, it is very much a part of my practice in some sense. To be more precise, it is born from my practice. I work for a children's charity, I give money and food to the homeless, I give money to about 5 causes every month, I hold open doors for people, I help people carry things, I stick to my word as much as possible, I smile, I laugh, I spread happiness and joy, I listen intently to the woes of others...

 

It's not about random acts of kindness, it's about mindful acts of compassion.

 

Yours humbly,

James

[rex]

It is integral to my schedule.

 

I've been taught to follow the maxim, 'good at the beginning, good in the middle, good at the end'.

 

'Good in the beginning' - start off any practice with a statement of altruistic intent to which the practice may contribute to either directly or indirectly.

 

'Good in the middle' - Throughout the practice observe appropriate discipline and undistracted effort. This as an opportunity to apply the Six Perfections.

 

'Good at the end' - Seal the benefit of the practice by dedicating the results to the benefit of all.

 

It feels a bit lame to be quoting one of my posts but to as what merit is and how it's supposed to work there's this speculation:

http://www.thetaobums.com/index.php?showto...amp;#entry26347

Edited October 16, 2008 by rex

[宁]

thanx a lot guys

 

any other views on it?

[elcaminante]

No guidelines, although the 10 commandments and the 8 fold path do act as such. Simply be aware and follow your heart.

 

Yours humbly,

James

 

Bolds are mine. Very wise words indeed James

 

I would add deep meditation in order to advance on self-enquiry, and to release all the negative emotions, fears, hate, envy, and all kind of attachments.

Edited October 16, 2008 by elcaminante

[Zhan Zhuang]

 

 

it's about mindful acts of compassion.

 

 

Beautiful.

A lesson for everyone.

[Spectrum]

kinda like groundhogs day

 

mindfulness of life's lessons

[宁]

I've been reading a second time thru all of your postings on this.

I don't mean to be unfair, but they seem rather insubstantial...

Like for instance, people begin now to realise that if they want a working practice, they should dedicate at least 1-2 hours a day.

The idea that you can do it how and when you want it, it's starting to fade slowly...

 

The same is with merit...

You cannot think of cultivating merit with sparringly doing some good deed and trying to be mindfull at life's lessons. Not that these aren't good and proper. But they seem to be more like prerequisite, not the practice itself.

From your knowledge, is there in Asia any practice concerned with this?

Mind me, I expect it to be as complex as the meditation systems that we saw emerging from there these last decades...

 

 

Thanx again

 

L1

[hagar]

Merit is not a practice. It's not complicated. You do not gain anything.

It is the natural culmination of what you let go of.

 

With your intent, better just stop being a good practitioner. Just do good.

 

I once met a farmer's wife up in a valley in the mountains of Norway. She was little, wrinkled, and shy.

She said nothing, yet I felt loved. She never practiced anything, yet when I heard she died I was so sad.

 

h

[三江源]

I once met a farmer's wife up in a valley in the mountains of Norway. She was little, wrinkled, and shy.

She said nothing, yet I felt loved. She never practiced anything, yet when I heard she died I was so sad.

 

h

 

 

 

Now I feel sad too. But I love her back.

 

Thanks Hagar.

[rain]

Merit is not a practice. It's not complicated. You do not gain anything.

It is the natural culmination of what you let go of.

 

With your intent, better just stop being a good practitioner. Just do good.

 

I once met a farmer's wife up in a valley in the mountains of Norway. She was little, wrinkled, and shy.

She said nothing, yet I felt loved. She never practiced anything, yet when I heard she died I was so sad.

 

h

 

this is it. you sure know how to say it. I feel the love when you talk about her hagar,

and I recall similar incidents in my own life. thank you.

[rex]

But they seem to be more like prerequisite, not the practice itself.

The only prerequisite for positive merit is having a good heart. No formal practice, spiritual or religious belief is required.

 

Merit is a big deal in Buddhism and there are specific practices for gaining merit like Mandala Offerings, but if one's whole underlying ethos to life and practice - on and off the mediation cushion - is altruistic then everything one does generates merit without having to consciously think of cultivating it. It is said that if one genuinely rejoices in the good fortune, merits, virtuous deeds and spiritual practice of others than one also shares in their merit as well.

Edited October 18, 2008 by rex

[thelerner]

The idea that you can do it how and when you want it, it's starting to fade slowly...

 

The same is with merit...

You cannot think of cultivating merit with sparringly doing some good deed and trying to be mindfull at life's lessons. Not that these aren't good and proper. But they seem to be more like prerequisite, not the practice itself.

From your knowledge, is there in Asia any practice concerned with this?

Mind me, I expect it to be as complex as the meditation systems that we saw emerging from there these last decades...

Thanx again

 

L1

 

In yoga circles there is Karma yoga. Simply doing service. When I was at a Sivananda Ashram (Paradise Island very pretty) We were expected to do an hour or 3 of Karma yoga a day.

 

For better or worse we live busy lives and with work, cultivation practice, family duties there's not a much time for daily merit work, so its best to do the little you can rather then the make commitments you might have to break.

 

To me, kindness to friends and family is the prerequisite. If you don't have a strong base there, then going for Big Merit elsewhere is misplaced. Mother Teresa also echoed this by making sure nun applicants had no duties and responsibilities at home before they could take positions in her order.

 

Smile and Plato talked about the practice of Merit by serving 'hungry ghosts'. I'm often reminded of that practice in oriental restaurants where food and candles are put out for them, but thats not my religion. Be nice to them while they're alive.

 

 

Michael

[宁]

Thank you all, and I don't want to seem stubborn on it, but I really really feel there must be a lot more to it.

What you describe I would call a normal state of a healthy human being.

What about an entire practice regarding that...

 

Just a fiew pieces of real life, a fiew pieces of daoist theory, and an uncanny sense of something ahead.

[Spectrum]

how do you save money in the bank?

 

conserve when you feel justified enough to spend it all

 

preserve the peace of ground under your own two feet

[seadog]

I have enjoyed reading what everyone has written.

From my observations I have noticed that when my will or intentions are properly aligned with heavens if you like, all actions seem flawless.

There is a natural flow,which requires little to no effort and conditions take on a power which is easy and full of joy.

I know when I'am well aligned because there is less struggle.

Children and animals draw close

Waves in the ocean seek me out

When I'am not aligned

everything is a struggle and

its seems that its always the wrong place at the wrong time.

 

So perhaps that is the measure of true merit,how often is our will aligned with the will of heaven?

[.broken.]

I've been reading a second time thru all of your postings on this.

I don't mean to be unfair, but they seem rather insubstantial...

Like for instance, people begin now to realise that if they want a working practice, they should dedicate at least 1-2 hours a day.

The idea that you can do it how and when you want it, it's starting to fade slowly...

 

Every moment, every thought, every breath, every heartbeat and every being present an opportunity for cultivation.

 

Life becomes a reflection of the divine through one's actions, speech and presence if the opportunities are grasped.

 

The same is with merit...

You cannot think of cultivating merit with sparringly doing some good deed and trying to be mindfull at life's lessons. Not that these aren't good and proper. But they seem to be more like prerequisite, not the practice itself.

 

Do not think of it as cultivating merit. To cultivate it would suggest that there is ownership... Just like money is never truly ours, yet we can determine its flow for our benefit, so merit is never truly ours yet we can determine its flow for our benefit.

 

You see, just like one can owe money, one can owe merit. It's the world of karma. Make up for your creations of suffering, or find yourself in suffering. Ease those in suffering, and find yourself easing your own.

 

No one ever said anything about doing good deeds sparringly. Such would be selfish and an ego driven desire simply for one's own benefit. Act with the intention of good deeds at all times. Live, think and breathe compassion.

 

It is neither prerequisite, nor the outcome. It is both. Do good deeds and you will further your inner cultivation practices; further your inner cultivation and you will do good deeds. A constructive path of mutual, interdependent practices.

 

From your knowledge, is there in Asia any practice concerned with this?

Mind me, I expect it to be as complex as the meditation systems that we saw emerging from there these last decades...

 

Karma yoga, as hagar rightfully said. Also meditations focussing on the heart centre and those on compassion.

 

Metaphysically speaking, much of this revolves around the development of the heart chakra.

 

 

Thank you all, and I don't want to seem stubborn on it, but I really really feel there must be a lot more to it.

What you describe I would call a normal state of a healthy human being.

What about an entire practice regarding that...

 

Just a fiew pieces of real life, a fiew pieces of daoist theory, and an uncanny sense of something ahead.

 

Why seek to complicate what is by far one of the most simple of things? To 'be' is arguably the highest teaching of all, yet in it's simplicity we have created much as a means to reach it. Once realised, enlightenment is so simple - perhaps similarly once the nature of karma is realised, it is equally simple.

 

I would agree with you, that such is a state of a healthy human being. Have you opened your eyes and seen how many unhealthy ones there are? People shrouded in fear, prejudices, hate, anger, worry, anxiety, greed, lust... Ignorance abounds.

 

Some practices that are said to be full of merit revolve around the reading of sutras. In my humble opinion, there is nothing that brings more merit than the unstoppable search for Truth. For if you truly seek, you will find.

 

Yours in humble admiration,

James

Edited October 18, 2008 by .broken.

[wudangquan]

I learned something once that I think is appropriate:

 

"All decisions are just value clarifications".

 

. . .

 

You are constantly bombarded with situations wherein you must decide.

 

While I think charitable work is good, I think (read that? *I THINK*) that aligning your decisions with your purported or intended values is more powerful.

[宁]

I learned something once that I think is appropriate:

 

"All decisions are just value clarifications".

 

. . .

 

You are constantly bombarded with situations wherein you must decide.

 

While I think charitable work is good, I think (read that? *I THINK*) that aligning your decisions with your purported or intended values is more powerful.

 

*I THINK* this is a part of what i search.

 

let me explain for the rest of our friends why i insist so much on it: it's because merit is a BIG BIG part of our cultivation, and cultivation extends well beyound doing your practice routine everyday. there are huge chunks that reffer to something else. a HUGE chunck is having accumulated SO MUCH merit, that you can succesfully negotiate with the heavens regarding your cultivation and destiny...

 

it envolves acts of such powerfull nature, the kinds that save lifes, save minds, save souls. the kind that bring forth light into this world and hope for humanity.

remember all of the high initiate. they all did it. and added that everyone could do it, it's easy, and it's reccomended.

 

i hope it's more clearer now.

 

and yes James, it does get simmilar to having money. it's universal credit actually. and there are a lot of policies and logistics when you deal with money. so's with this...

 

i don't think i'll find it out on an internet forum board, but at least i won my brownie point by bringing it even more into your attention

 

still waiting for other insights

 

Little

[Procurator]

 

 

still waiting for other insights

 

Little

traditional chinese even had diaries where they wrote down each good deed, the lists were supposed to be long- in thousands and ten of thousands.

 

What is a good deed? it is something that is unpleasant to do but feels good afterward.

 

What is it done for? To reform the practitioner.

 

What deed is really good?if it is considered stupid by common ppple - it is good.

[宁]

traditional chinese even had diaries where they wrote down each good deed, the lists were supposed to be long- in thousands and ten of thousands.

 

What is a good deed? it is something that is unpleasant to do but feels good afterward.

 

What is it done for? To reform the practitioner.

 

What deed is really good?if it is considered stupid by common ppple - it is good.

 

 

good!

 

it is said that the good deeds have to develop into a cumulus, much like a form of qi that condenses.

i wonder how could it be done.

 

thanx

[rex]

This popped into my mailbox this morning:

 

Count on Merit, Not on Luck

by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche

 

On August 25, 2008, Rinpoche spoke at the Mahabodhi Society of the USA, in Cupertino, California. His talk was translated into Chinese for the largely Chinese-speaking Mahabodhi sangha. Here are a few notes from that talk, "How to Accumulate Merit."

 

In this age, people don't like to talk about merit--they talk about luck. From the Buddhist perspective, merit and luck are very different. Luck is accidental-- you can't really make luck happen. There are no books on how to create luck. Luck just happens.

 

Merit is very different from luck.

 

What do we mean by merit in Buddhadharma? The Buddhist interpretation of merit is always in reference to what is closer to the truth or farther away from the truth. Anything that brings us closer to the truth is merit. Anything that takes us farther from the truth is lack of merit. It's because of our collective merit that we still have the teachings of the Buddha today.

 

Here are some methods of accumulating merit:

 

Do prostrations to crush pride. Make offerings to go against stinginess.

 

Practice compassion to dismantle ego. Rejoice in other's successes to combat jealousy.

 

Turn the wheel of dharma by asking masters to teach. Pray or ask for the long life of masters.

 

Dedicate the merit.

[宁]

thank you!

[Ian]

How could merit work? How could existence keep a record of your accumulations?

 

Seriously, how but through yourself?

 

Meritorius deeds are those which make you less separate.

 

Then you are less separate.

 

No other scoresheet that I can imagine.

 

(Disclaimer - I don't know shit about anything.)