Merit ☀️ bright

9 discourses
Synonyms: good deeds, spiritual wealth Pāli term: puñña, kalyāṇa

In The Path of Dhamma (Dhammapada)

Dhammapada verses 116-128 share the importance of hastening to do good, restraining the mind from harm, the consequences of harm and good, the accumulation of evil and good, the importance of avoiding harmful actions, the consequences of harming a blameless person, the results of evil and good, and the inevitability of death.

DhammaPada verses 209–220 explore the danger of attachment to what is pleasing, how sorrow and fear arise from the beloved, fondness, delight, sensual pleasures, and craving, who is dear to the people, who flows upstream, and on the importance of merit.

Dhammapada verses 320–333 highlight self-discipline, wisdom, and perseverance through the imagery of elephants. They highlight inner mastery over strength, the value of solitude over company of immature persons, and the importance of taming one’s mind. Honoring parents, cultivating virtue, and letting go of suffering lead to true ease.

In As It Was Said (Itivuttaka)

The Buddha describes the five signs that appear when a deity is about to pass away, and the three blessings that the gods give to the deity.

In Middle Length Discourses (Majjhima Nikāya)

The young brahmin Subha questions the Buddha about whether householders or renunciants are superior and what brings the greatest merit. The Buddha explains that he evaluates actions with discernment, and then teaches the path to companionship with Brahmā through cultivation of the qualities of loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity.

In Linked Discourses (Saṃyutta Nikāya)

King Pasenadi expresses deep sorrow over his grandmother's death. The Buddha teaches him that all beings, without exception, are subject to death and cannot escape it, likening it to a potter's pots that are all bound to break.

In Numerical Discourses (Aṅguttara Nikāya)

The Buddha shares the importance of explaining correctly what is not the Dhamma, Vinaya, spoken or uttered, practiced, and prescribed by the Tathāgata.

The Buddha describes the cause and condition for why a trade, once undertaken, leads to loss, fails to meet its intended aim, succeeds as intended, or surpasses even its intended aim.

The Buddha describes five suitable times for giving a gift - to a guest, traveler, sick person, during famine, and to the virtuous.

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