The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.
20 November 2023
Question: Do you believe in patti-dāna (or transferring of merits)? If yes, how does it work? If not, is there a way to help our ancestors who are born in the miserable world?
Than Ajahn: The Buddha said that you can share some of the merits you’ve made, but it’s a very small amount.
The merit that you share is like the money you give to beggars. When people die, if they didn’t make any merit before they die, they wouldn’t have any merit with them. You can share the merits to those people who had departed. But you can only help them like you help beggars. Just help them to have some food or drinks. That’s all. It’s not going to be much although it’s better than nothing.
“Dhamma in English, Feb 27, 2018.”
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Question: When we come out of meditation and we would like to share the merit with our parents or relatives who have passed away, is it possible?
Than Ajahn: Well, it was never mentioned by the Buddha. The Buddha only mentioned about giving dāna (charity), and then you can dedicate that merit to the departed. But regarding dedicating the merit from the result of your meditation, he didn’t mention it. But you can try.
There is nothing to stop you from doing it.
Question: Sometimes the King and people go to temples to chant, and give merits to Kings who had passed away, it’s not impossible, right?
Than Ajahn: Well, it’s not possible and it’s not impossible because the Buddha didn’t say either way.
He only said that dedication of merit to the departed ones is by giving dāna, e.g. by give offerings to monks, and once you’ve done that, then you have merit, so you can dedicate this merit to the people who died.
Question: If they haven’t died, can we give it to them?
Than Ajahn: No.
Layperson: Sometimes we want to share.
Than Ajahn: I know. I think if it’s possible, the Buddha would have mentioned it. The merit that you can give is the merit that you do by giving to charity. Maybe it’s because it’s the thing people can do readily, right away, because most people won’t be able to meditate. If you can meditate and you can gain serenity, maybe you can dedicate this serenity. However, for the recipients (departed ones), whether they are waiting for the merit or whether they can accept it or not, it depends.
Anyway, nothing can stop you from dedicating whatever you have.
“Dhamma in English, Aug 4, 2017.”
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Question: I have one more question, regarding merits. Is it possible to transfer merits to the departed ones?
Than Ajahn: Yes, you can share the merits that you made to people who have departed.
Question: Would they be in a position to accept it?
Than Ajahn: It depends on which realm that those departed person was born in. If he or she becomes a deva, he or she doesn’t need this merit. It’s only beings in peta realms that need merits.
Layperson: So, one is blindly doing that.
Than Ajahn: Yes, sometimes you just want to be safe because you don’t know which status that particular person is in. You just want to be safe, so you send it anyway.
Question: That means one is doing it for his/her own satisfaction?
Than Ajahn: Partly yes, because you want to help someone. You care for that person. You don’t want that person to suffer. You want to help that person. So, it’s ok. It’s mettā. Mettā means having love and compassion towards other beings, whether they are humans or non-humans.
You can do this.
“Dhamma in English, Feb 19, 2018.”
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Question: I’m not sure what’s happening after we share merits to the deceased and how about the ritual of pouring water?
Than Ajahn: Merit is what you have in your mind when you give dāna, you feel a sense of happiness and fulfilment. You can share this feeling for the people who have departed from this world because they exist on these good feelings that you get from giving dāna. If they are in the position waiting to receive the merit, then you can send it to them by your thought, by saying, ‘I would like to share this merit with this and that persons.’ If the persons are waiting, then they can receive that feelings that you sent to them. You don’t need to use water. You don’t need to have monks to chant for you before you can do it. You don’t need monks to chant ‘anumodana’ before you can share your merits.
You can share your merits as soon as you finished giving dāna. Like when you finished putting food in the bowl and you feel a sense of happiness from that dāna, then you share that sense of happiness for the departed ones. You have to mention who you’d want to share it with otherwise they would not be able to receive it. But you don’t need water to do it because water is just a symbol of the happiness that you sent to the departed ones. People don’t understand what this merit is so they use water as a symbol of merit that they share. When they pour the water into a container, it’s like they’re sharing their good feeling from their heart to the heart of the deceased. However, the departed ones might not be waiting for the merits because it depends on how much merits they had made during their life time. If they had made a lot of merits, then they don’t need to wait for our merits because they have their own merits to experience, but if they don’t have merits with them, then they might have to come and wait for the sharing of our merits.
“Dhamma in English, Oct 4, 2018.”
By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
YouTube: Dhamma in English.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g
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