STUDENT:

What accumulates merit? Does saving a puppy from drowning earn merit, or does merit come only with deep cultivation of Buddhadharma?

SHIH-FU:

If you have done some good in the future you will receive good karmic effects. Good speech and actions accumulate merit. Some speech and actions create more merit than others. In your mind, you should say that you don't really want this good effect. You wish to give it others so they can benefit. This is tranferring merit. It is like giving money to someone. If they try to pay you back, you tell them to give it to someone else instead.

The less people dwell on themselves, the greater their cultivation will be. Transferring merit should not be done with the idea of gaining more merit. One of the six paramitas, or perfections, of the Bodhisattva Path is dana, giving. People on this Path simply give because they are on the Path. As a result, egocentrism may be reduced, but that is not the purpose. Transferring merit is just another way to practice this paramita.

STUDENT:

In the past you have said that your karma is your karma. You can't take other people's karma and you can't give yours away. But if you are giving your good karma to others when you transfer merit, that is precisely what you are doing. And if it is possible to give it away, then why shouldn't I get rid of my bad karma as well? I don't want it. I'll give it to Harry over there.

SHIH-FU: