Offering merit

[Longdog]

Hi I seem to keep come across referrences to 'offering merit'

What exactly is it?

is it the equivilant offer offering a prayer for some one? If so why in a place where there is no devine being to watch over/help?

Is it about acumlating karmic brownie points? If so why, I didn't think anyone was counting?

Any enlightenment, I could be way off track.

In gassho, Kev

[Fuken]

Re: Offering merit

http://www.serenereflections.ca/Articles/2004/TransferofMerit.html

Take care,
Jordan

[will]

Re: Offering merit

Thank you for the article link Jordan. Thought I would post a couple of quotes from it:

We should know that some actions such as our meditation, religious ceremonies or services, rosary recitation, and all actions done with a pure heart and with the intention of keeping the Precepts result in merit, value or reward. The merit does not make us rich or famous; these things need to be forsaken utterly if we are to know the Truth and have real peace in our lives. The merit we gain is in doing the best we can for the benefit of all living things. Doing the best we can always entails seeing where we can do better. This is what is meant by "always being disturbed by the Truth." As we view the imperfections of our actions, we are allowed to see with the eyes of the Buddha: "That which understands error is not itself in error"3 So one of the merits of our training is to be aware of the places where we need to purify our heart, and if we view this with the eyes of compassion, we will also see that what we have done in the past was the best that we could have done for that time. And now in the present moment, we may be able to do a bit better by acting with greater compassion, love and wisdom.

Thus transferring merit is the gift of our daily services and expresses charity. Instead of doing our meditation and services for our own benefit, we are willing to offer up that merit to the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Ancestors to use as best they can. Although charity is usually thought of as giving material possessions, wealth or property to others, it can also be seen in giving our time and energy to help others, and also in our spiritual efforts. The lifelong commitment to selfless service is the reason for Buddhist monasticism. Lay Buddhists express this in the taking of the Precepts at Lay Ordination.

G,W