The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.
22nd July, 2022
“About helping others to do merits.”
⋆ ⋆ ⋆
Question (F): We have a relative who is very old. Due to his illnesses, sometimes he cannot think properly. He also has physical limitations so he can’t do much now. What can we do to help him?
Than Ajahn: You should treat him like a baby. This is what the body will become. When it starts, it starts as a baby and when it ends, it ends like a baby. It goes back to the starting point. It will slowly losing its ability to help itself, to take care of itself. It’s up to you to help him when he cannot help himself.
- - -
Question (F): What about helping him to do merits? Is there any way to help him to do merits?
Than Ajahn: This is something he has to know. If he doesn’t know what merit is, or what he can get from doing it, then it’s useless. So, he has to know. It’s like eating, he has to know what he’s eating. When he eats something, how will he feel from eating that food? If he feels good, then he will want to eat it. It’s same with making merits, like doing dāna. It’s to make him to feel better. If he doesn’t know that, then he won’t feel better and he wouldn’t want to do it.
So, first you have to explain to him that if he wants to feel better, he has to do some dāna or listen to Dhamma talks. Dāna is easier to get the result although it has smaller result. In doing dāna, he has to sacrifice. He has to give up his money for the benefit of other people. He has to know it. And it has to be his own money and his own initiation.
For example, your relative (who is sick) knows what it’s like to be sick. So, when there is another sick person needs help and if he (your relative) helps other sick person to get better, then he (your relative) will feel better. You have to explain to him the benefit of dāna and how to do it. The donation has to be his own money. It has to be from his own initiation. He must be the one who wants to do it, and it’s not someone else telling him to do it.
Youtube: “Dhamma in English, Nov 9, 2018.”
By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com
Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube:
No comments:
Post a Comment