A good deed a day…
I elaborated a bit on Karma on another page and pointed out that the results of one's actions continue to stalk through life like a shadow.
It is popular to associate Karma with bad luck. I think that it should not be so. As Karma is the result of an action, the result could be bad or good. The results that bring good to one's life are the Merits of those actions. Such actions are, good actions.
Then, what are "good" actions? Does it mean that not doing any "bad" actions mean doing "good" actions?
NO. "Good" actions have to be done intentionally. For example, while you were walking in a park munching your sandwich, you inadvertently drop bread crumbs along your path. Birds consume the crumbs. Have you performed a good action there?
I think not. You did not actively participate in the "good" action of offering food to the birds. So, the result of that action, which is the joy of watching the feasting on the bread, cannot become a part of the trail of "Good Karma", which can follow you in your life.
The action also has to be performed with a good intention too. You have to disassociate yourself from the bread and break all attachments to it before you offer it to the birds. If you happen to have the slightest doubt, sadness, greed or remorse for having to force yourself to offer the bread, then you will have also acquired a bad Karma in the form of a bad memory.
There are many "good" actions one can do in life. I do not wish to elaborate all of them here. There are many texts one can consult if one is inclined to learn more about Buddhism.
Is Merit transferable? If so, it seem to belong to a category of wealth - something material, tangible. It may well be so. The belief is that Merit can be accumulated, and taken "across" the Great Divide. Sounds heretical?
Visit here for some thoughts on reincarnation.
Many of us are driven by a desire to accumulate Merit. We have been brainwashed from birth, speaking of those who are born Buddhists, to do so. So, we encourage, organise, launch, participate in activities guaranteed to profit us in Merit. We may only be passers by, but arriving at the right moment when the priests conclude the event, whatever it is, by inviting every one to share the Merit generated by the event that has just concluded. By accepting the invitation, by chanting "Sadhu", we gain a share.
We can also gain more Merit by sharing, offering the accumulated Merit to others. This is compared to lighting candles.
So, what drives us? Is it a desire to acquire? Or is it just selfless participation in a "good" act? If it is the former, I am afraid, the intention, the motive, goes against a fundamental tenet of Buddhism - the shedding of desires, an essential step in the direction of Nibbana.
The fact that we expect to be able to benefit from the accumulated Merit across the Great Divide, brings connotations of an "Aathma"! Read more about this here...