Another example of really bad Buddhist translation problems...

[sabrinamari]

Another example of the translation issue is around what is called "merit".

Every time you meditate, you accumulate it. Accumulating it is good. After you meditate, you do a short paryer called "The Dedication of Merit," in which you dedicate the merit you just accumulated to the benefit of all sentient beings.

"Merit" is translated as "good fortune" at times. And the more "merit" you accumulate, the better your life becomes. Ok, I think, so "merit" means "good deeds" (or "brownie points") that you earn by doing *the right thing*, and karmically, that makes your life better, right?

Nope. Absolutely not. Pretty much entirely something else, actually.

"Merit" can be a good deed that you do for another---perhaps giving a homeless man money. Buddhists say that this is good. Helping others is good. But if you give the $ and you don't "feel" anything---you stay stuck in your shenpa and you only did it to look good, or because you were supposed to do it---the effect is tiny. The actual goal of "merit", the definition of "merit', is to interrupt/suspend the shnepa state of mind that most folks habitually walk around enmeshed within. So every act, whether it directly benefits some other being (feeding a hungry person) or not (meditating quietly in your room), that helps you suspend shenpa for awhile accumulates merit. Why?

Because you are weaning your mind off of habitual shenpa. Gradually, you are increasing your ability to not sink into that state. The goal is to do more meritous acts and, over time, extent the period in which you are shenpa-free, so that you can go longer and longer without entering back into those habitual (but comfortable) regressive internal habits.

In other words, you are slowly training yourself to tolerate peace for longer and longer periods.

Little by little, you learn to limit those really addictive regressive mindsets---and this is the important part---you change yourself.

So how does this bring good fortune? Not through karma. At least, not directly. It works more like this, as I understand it at the present: after a while, you are calmer than you used to be. You don't fly off the handle as much anymore. You don't say ugly things to your partner or your child because you feel angry and upset. You don't just go through your knee-jerk internal habitual responses.

And what happens is that people become alot more relaxed around you. You stop generating as much "agita" as you usually do, and others stop responding to you by getting defensive and upset. They stay calmer, too. And, because they feel calmer and they are responding to your kindness, your centeredness, they treat you better. And the outcomes of problem situations you encounter become better.

I tested this. I rear ended two men about a week ago. It was my fault. After it happened, I felt calmer than I would usually feel. I didn't freak out. I got out, the men were upset, but I was OK. I wasn't defensive, although they were panicky. When I *did* start to panic, I went back to my car and wrote in my big journal till I felt calmer. The cops were late. We waited and waited. Finally, I walked over, gave the driver my card, and said, "Well, it's late. The cops are taking a long time. The will just file a report for our insurance companies anyway and then both of our insurance rates will go up. I am willing to just pay for this damage outright. How do you feel about that? Are you willing to take my card and my information and not file a report or go through insurance? Can I just pay to fix this?

The driver thought about it, got out, we looked at the rear fender, he talked out loud a bit, and I just kind of stayed quiet and nodded my head. In the end, he said OK, but asked for all my insurance info. I said OK. At the end, both he and his companion were smiling. They shook my hand. We laughed and joked. It was pretty much an optimal outcome.

I'm not happy about the fact that I am going to have to pay $700 for damage and labor, but I realize that this could have beeen so much worse. Really much worse. So, based on Pema's explanation and my own recent experience, this is what I think happens as you accumulate merit. You generate good fortune because you have a mind that's more under your control. You can choose to be calm at times when, in the past, you might not have been able to calm yourself down.

So *this* complicated cycle---this whole transformative process---is translated as "accumulating merit*. That's a hopeless way of trying to communicate all of this material in English, to my mind.

I do understand that there are no isolated words for all of this in English---no single words.

And yes, I see that you can't really pray

"By this 'act-of-shenpa-reduction-in-myself-and-its-subsequent-mental-and-emotional-consequences-including-an-increased-ability-to-tolerate-peace-and-remain-calm' may all beings benefit..."

"By this act of merit may all beings benefit" is just so much shorter and more practical.

But it doesn't convey the meaning behind the words very well and it actually kind of muddies and obscures what is meant.

But hey, that' why you work wth a teacher (shrugs). And I'm doing that.

Comments

[sharrainchains.livejournal.com]

It brought clarity to my understanding of the concept, and I thought your words conveyed the meaning rather well. Thank you. That made sense.

[sabrinamari.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. : )

[vgnwtch.livejournal.com]

There's a concept in Asatru that may not be the same, but overlaps: hamingja, or luck. Your luck is tied in to your behaviour - are you honourable and decent? How do you interact with others? - and with your reputation. Obviously, the better you behave, the better your reputation, and the better people respond to you, thus increasing your luck. Luck is also familial, communal, and inheritable, which reflects the fact that your behaviour reflects on those around you and affects their life-experiences. The payment of dowry was tied to this idea, for example, because women carried a great deal of the family's hamingja due to their traditional roles as householders and keepers of social order, so a family had to be compensated for the loss of an important component of their means of wealth production and spiritual power. So, even though it's not explicitly about avoiding shenpa, it is clear that the more "right action", the more luck; doing the right thing changes your attitude and habituates you to a less angsty and fraught way of living, which makes people around you want to have dealings with you and boosts your reputation, which rubs off on your family and community, and has a positive effect on them over the long term.

At least, that's my take.

[sabrinamari.livejournal.com]

You know, I think this *is* a case of pretty tight overlap. It's a slightly different perspective on the same phenomena. Especially when you note that the good wiil a family builds up is indeed heritable, and on top of that, calm and centered parents usually transfer some of their self-soothing skills to their children---not consciously, just as part of raising them on a day-to-day basis.

Cool---thanks for telling me about this. I'm pretty interested in this whole phenomena right now.

[(Anonymous)]

A contemporary, controversial tulku wrote --

By this effort may all sentient beings be free of suffering,
May their minds be filled with the nectar of virtue.
In this way may all causes resulting in suffering be extinguished,
and only the light of compassion shine throughout all realms.

- Dedication of merit prayer by Jetsunma Ahkön Lhamo


Such mantra very well encapsulate and reinforce the intention, action, and goal of practice. Repeating them mindfully generates additional merit, by that very effort.

Many things are limited by words and mundane understanding. By virtue of not being caught up in shenpa -- by not being attached to causes, conditions, and outcomes -- one may also effectively pacify external conditions without any mundane interaction whatsoever. Consider: How can such a thing be possible?

[sabrinamari.livejournal.com]

I like this prayer. I agree that it does a good job of communicating and reinforcing the intentions and goals of parctice. I will borrow it. Thank you.

I am thinking about your challenge. By virtue of dispensing with shenpa, external consitions can be pacified without any mundane interaction.

My first response would be that as whole, complex beings, we interact on multiple levels, including energetic levels. Thus, I would predict that energetically, a person who has successfully entered into an "unhooked" state will feel very differents and project a very dofferent kind of energy than a person who has not. Perhaps this energy in and of itself can have a pacifying effect. I will continue to think about this.

Please feel free to add your comments to my journal whenever you like.