Archives Dhamma 102
AllChoosing Virtuous Friends and AssociatesEmotional IntelligenceIntegrity in Conduct and the Principles of Wholesome SpeechMerit-Making and Unwholesome KammaMiscellaneousPrinciples of Decision-Making and Mental TrainingPrinciples of Self-Care in Times of Illness and the Preservation of One's PossessionsProfessional Advancement for Both Superiors and SubordinatesRespect and EmpathyThe Art of AdmonishmentThe Benefits of Propagating BuddhismThe Development of Good HabitsThe Development of Knowledge Alongside VirtueThe Resolute Cultivation of Wholesome ConductThe Role of the Family as a Kalyāṇamitta (Virtuous Friend) Toward Children
Dedicating Merit to the Ancestors Who Built Our Nation
On every Observance Day, at every temple, the people of each locality should rise and make merit on behalf of the ancestors who built this nation together with us — whatever their fate in the afterlife may be. We, their…
Why, After Making Merit, Must One Diligently Keep the Mind Clear and Radiant?
After making merit, one must diligently maintain the mind in a state of clarity and radiance throughout — for when merit arises, it continues to arise in an unbroken succession for at least seven days. Throughout those seven days from…
Resolve It with Merit
Whenever a difficult situation arose, the revered grandmother teacher would say, simply and characteristically: “Remember this — the less you sit in meditation, the more problems you have. The more you sit, the fewer problems there are.” Therefore, whenever a…
Rejoicing in Wrongdoing Brings Demerit — With Extras Included
When one witnesses another person committing a wrongdoing and then cheers them on or expresses delight in what they have done, such a person — in the language of the Dhamma — is one who engages in anumodanā of wrongdoing.…
How to Dedicate Merit to One’s Departed Relatives
Close your eyes gently and reflect upon your merit. Bring to mind all the good that you have done throughout this entire week, right up to this very day — over the course of these past seven days, what wholesome…
Waiting for Merit to Bear Fruit — the Right Way to Do It
Do not underestimate yourself by thinking that your merit is too little. Whatever form of merit-making one engages in, and however much or little it may be, one must accept the truth that for merit to bear fruit, merit too…
Why Are Human Beings Born into Such Varied Circumstances?
Merit and demerit — puñña and pāpa — are the principal causes by which human beings are born into vastly differing conditions and circumstances, each being the fruit of the kamma individually accumulated in previous existences. And yet the principal…
Speech That Is True, Beneficial, and Uplifting to the Heart
Speech must, without exception, be true. That which is untrue is no expression of our authentic self. One who speaks falsely shall, in lives to come, bear the karmic consequence of a disfigured and misshapen form of speech — for…
Nothing Can Uplift the Spirit as Swiftly as the Spoken Word
The elders and venerable ones have offered this reflection as a reminder for the cultivation of mindfulness: “When dwelling alone, guard well your thoughts; when dwelling among companions, guard well your words.” Even speech that is well-intentioned, when offered without…
