What is the Pāli word for merit in Buddhism?
The Pāli word for merit is puñña. This term translates literally as merit, meritorious action, or virtue and functions to cleanse the life-continuity according to Theravāda commentator Dhammapāla.
Questions about Merit (Buddhism)
Short answers, pulled from the story.
How do Buddhists accumulate merit through giving virtue and mental development?
Buddhists accumulate merit through three specific bases known as puññakiriyā-vatthu: giving, virtue, and mental development. Giving stands as the easiest base while virtue comprises right speech, right action, and right livelihood from the Noble Eightfold Path. Mental development includes meditation practices that lead to heavenly worlds or Nirvana itself.
Why does giving to the Sangha generate more merit than other deeds?
Good deeds done toward the Sangha yield greater fruits because monks are considered worthy of offering by analogy with Brahmanical terms. Deeds done with favoritism produce less fruit than sańghadāna which directs good deeds toward the Sangha as a whole. A Buddha image serves as another field of merit where any good deed becomes very meritorious.
When did kingship connect with merit-making practices in South and Southeast Asia?
South and Southeast Asian kingship went hand-in-hand with merit-making practices among higher echelons from ancient times onward. From the tenth century CE onward Sri Lankan kings assumed roles as lay protectors of the Sangha. Thai kings during Sukhothai and Ayutthaya periods followed similar patterns until late twentieth century.
How much income do people spend on merit-making in Burma according to 1960s studies?
Up to thirty percent of people's income went toward merit-making in some rural Burmese studies conducted during the 1960s and 1970s. Burma ranked highest on the World Giving Index tied with the United States in 2014 due to this habit. Average expenses per person reached 1512 Baht annually in Bangkok Metropolitan Area compared to national averages of 804 Baht in 2005.
What happens when merit is transferred to deceased relatives without decreasing the giver's merit?
Transferring merit to deceased relatives happens simply through mental wishes without decreasing the giver's merit like a candle lighting another candle. Dead relatives must sympathize with the meritorious act for them to receive transferred merit successfully. If they do not receive it the transfer remains beneficial for the giver himself.